D&D 5E D&D Beyond Will Delist Two Books On May 17th

D&D Beyond will be permanently removing Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on May 17th in favor of the upcoming Monsters of the Multiverse book, which largely compiles and updates that material.

As per the D&D Beyond FAQ for Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse:

Can I still buy Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on D&D Beyond?
Starting on May 16, you can acquire the streamlined and up-to-date creatures and character race options, as well as a plethora of exciting new content, by purchasing Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. On May 17, Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes will be discontinued from our digital marketplace.

If you already own these two books you will still have access to your purchases and any characters or encounters you built with them. They won’t be removed from your purchased sourcebooks. Therefore, if you want the "fluff" and tables in those two tomes in D&D Beyond, you need to purchase them soon.

This is the first time books have been wholesale delisted from the D&D Beyond Platform rather than updated (much like physical book reprints are with errata and changes).

There’s no word from WotC on whether physical books will be discontinued and be allowed to sell out.

 

[Parmandur]

Your definition of compatability appears to be all or nothing. As in, as long as the structural rules are the same, full compatibility. I think there are degrees, and WotC has said nothing about structural vs. exception-based rules regarding this issue. They have definitely changed how many of these exception-based rule elements are presented and designed, replacing old assumptions from 2014 with new ones. That presents a degree of incompatibility in design and "feel", especially when comparing the 2014 version of something to the 2024 version of that same thing.

The rules might still work, but it could very well FEEL incompatible to many folks. That feel matters.

They have specified in the past which rules are core to the system, and which are exceptions (Crawford discusses this in his Sage Advice interventions frequently). They have also discussed what they are looking to change for the new rules. Which all happen to be non-structural exceptions, not the core structure.

The feel is irrelevant, frankly, to system compatibility.

 

[Micah Sweet]

They have specified in the past which rules are core to the system, and which are exceptions (Crawford discusses this in his Sage Advice interventions frequently). They have also discussed what they are looking to change for the new rules. Which all happen to be non-structural exceptions, not the core structure.

The feel is irrelevant, frankly, to system compatibility.

It's certainly relevant to whether or not people want to play your game.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Your definition of compatability appears to be all or nothing. As in, as long as the structural rules are the same, full compatibility. I think there are degrees, and WotC has said nothing about structural vs. exception-based rules regarding this issue. They have definitely changed how many of these exception-based rule elements are presented and designed, replacing old assumptions from 2014 with new ones. That presents a degree of incompatibility in design and "feel", especially when comparing the 2014 version of something to the 2024 version of that same thing.

The rules might still work, but it could very well FEEL incompatible to many folks. That feel matters.

Feel has nothing to do with compatibility.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It's certainly relevant to whether or not people want to play your game.

Yes, but it has nothing to do with system compatibility.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I disagree - if tables can exist where it doesn't matter which PHB you bring to the table then they're compatible.

again by that logic me doing world of darkness cross overs means the d10 system is compatible... the fact that I once played a game where I piloted a glitterboy in 2e means rifts and 2e are compatible...

if it's close (50/50 or 60/40 or even 75/25) that tables allow it so it isn't an outlier... maybe. but if (like 1e-2e,a dn like 3e-3.5 its rare to see and something that stands out (and I would say that is more so with 3.5 then 1 to 2) then no... if you can't take a 2014 book and find a game it just doesn't matter.

if my Mt Dwarf rogue 2/ fighter 1 can't sit at 9 out of 10 2024 game tables, then it isn't compatible.

Individual DMs can choose to use or not use things in any edition.

of course. I have seen DMs say no variant human, I wouldn't say that part of the 2014 book isn't compatible with part of the 2014 book... but if I go to 10 tables and 6 tell me no variant humans that seems like I am having an unlucky day, not like it is just the way the game is played

I could find a table right now that won't let me use Tasha's - that doesn't mean that Tasha's makes it a new edition.

but if you can't take the character you drew up to gencon and sit down at a pick up table would you think it an outlier, or the norm?

To me if I can run a game where most of the players are using the 2024 PHB but a few are still using the 2014 PHB, possibly with a few errata pages, and it all works then they're compatible.

again then 2e and 2014 PHB are compatible I did it with very little work (surprisingly little)

If that won't work then they're not compatible.

 

[Jer]

again then 2e and 2014 PHB are compatible I did it with very little work (surprisingly little)

Can you post your 1-2 page errata somewhere that lets folks use a 2e PHB at a 5e table? I'd love to see it!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Part 2 of the PHB, where the actual system rules are located. That and Monster math, which we know is remaining the same. So, same structure with the same math, pretty cut and dried.

so just to be clear, if any of part 2 or any of the monster math changes, you will stop this argument?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

They have specified in the past which rules are core to the system, and which are exceptions (Crawford discusses this in his Sage Advice interventions frequently). They have also discussed what they are looking to change for the new rules. Which all happen to be non-structural exceptions, not the core structure.

The feel is irrelevant, frankly, to system compatibility.

this seems like spin...

again like when they killed superman in the 90's... so sad he stayed dead, so many stories that could have been told...

 

[MonsterEnvy]

again by that logic me doing world of darkness cross overs means the d10 system is compatible... the fact that I once played a game where I piloted a glitterboy in 2e means rifts and 2e are compatible...

if it's close (50/50 or 60/40 or even 75/25) that tables allow it so it isn't an outlier... maybe. but if (like 1e-2e,a dn like 3e-3.5 its rare to see and something that stands out (and I would say that is more so with 3.5 then 1 to 2) then no... if you can't take a 2014 book and find a game it just doesn't matter.

if my Mt Dwarf rogue 2/ fighter 1 can't sit at 9 out of 10 2024 game tables, then it isn't compatible.

of course. I have seen DMs say no variant human, I wouldn't say that part of the 2014 book isn't compatible with part of the 2014 book... but if I go to 10 tables and 6 tell me no variant humans that seems like I am having an unlucky day, not like it is just the way the game is played

but if you can't take the character you drew up to gencon and sit down at a pick up table would you think it an outlier, or the norm?

again then 2e and 2014 PHB are compatible I did it with very little work (surprisingly little)

You don't seem to get it. The new core is being made with compatibly in mind. They are not saying you can bring a book from a different system and make it work, just that if the old book is brought to a game using the new core and the DM says yes and it works (That's the important part), then it's compatible.

Your Dwarf Rogue Fighter will be useable by the new rules, as nothing it has contradicts the new rules. People saying it's not allowed has nothing to do with it not being compatible.

2e and 5e are not compatible as you had to do work to convert stuff even if it was not much. Everything in 2e would require conversion work to work in 5e. Everything in the 2014 PHB should work no conversion required in a game using the 2024 PHB, which means it's compatible even if it feels different.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

so just to be clear, if any of part 2 or any of the monster math changes, you will stop this argument?

The Monsters already changed in prep for the new Core we just saw it. And may new things are being made with the New Core in mind so they can be used with it without issue.