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.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Wondering then, are the SCAG versions updated to match Xanathaer's/Tasha's?

I'm pretty sure all of the subclasses that were reprinted were all errata'd to match their most recent versions, so there aren't separate versions of Bladesinger, for example, in the system.

 

[Parmandur]

So by my count, outside of the PHB Races which will undoubtably be reworked, there are 31 Race options across 6 books in 5E that are not in the updated format at this point:

• 8 Tieflings in Mordenkeinen's Tome of Foes (probably outmoded by Tasha's and the 2024 update to Core)
• 4 Subraces in Wildemount (probably outmoded by Tasha's ASI change)
• 3 Races in Ravnica
• 1 race in Theros (probably outmoded by the Tabaxi in Monsters of the Multiverse)
• 1 Race in Acquisitions Incorporated
• 14 Races and Subraces in Rising from the Last War

12 of those Eberron options, of course, are the Dragonmark Subraces/Variants, which reviewing them...would work very well as Strixhaven style Backgrounds with Level 1 Feats and small Feat trees instead of Races. So, assuming the Tiefling options are covered in the next Core, a Magic Setting book that addresses the Magic specific Races in question (Simic hybrid might be better as Background Feats, too) and an Eberron update would pretty much get everything up to speed...

 

[Dire Bare]

Wondering then, are the SCAG versions updated to match Xanathaer's/Tasha's?

Xanathar's or Tasha's? Not really. Monsters of the Multiverse! The legacy tag is new and was put in to support the MotM. Even though the book isn't available until the 16th, the tags went in a little early.

I'd have to take the time to compare the entries in the compendium, but . . . likely when you click on the legacy race, you'll see the original design (plus any errata). If you click on the MotM version (when available), you'll see the updated design.

 

[JEB]

What they've done already has created "some upset". Seems that they're fine with it.

Sure, but in this case, I assume they still want to sell books like Eberron, and "the D&D Beyond version doesn't contain all the races the print book has" will discourage that. That's a step beyond even the VGTM "errata" removals.

 

[Parmandur]

Sure, but in this case, I assume they still want to sell books like Eberron, and "the D&D Beyond version doesn't contain all the races the print book has" will discourage that. That's a step beyond even the VGTM "errata" removals.

Rising from the Last War is more valuable for the DM side tools and lore than the PC options.

 

[JEB]

Just checked, the D&D Beyond version of Eberron does still include the changeling and the shifter for sale at this time, despite the "Legacy" label. We'll see if that changes next week.

 

[Parmandur]

Just checked, the D&D Beyond version of Eberron does still include the changeling and the shifter for sale at this time, despite the "Legacy" label. We'll see if that changes next week.

it will probably remain as part of the whole book: they won't delist a large book because two options are outmoded, but they may remove them as a la carte traps for the unwary.

 

[JEB]

Rising from the Last War is more valuable for the DM side tools and lore than the PC options.

Considering that you can buy each individual rules element for the book on D&D Beyond, but only get the DM side tools and lore if you buy the book as a complete package, I think D&D Beyond disagrees on what the major selling points of the book are.

I'm also pretty sure that the typical buyer is going to expect that they get everything the current print version has, at minimum, and won't be happy if it turns out stuff is missing. (And even more so if they have to buy bits from another book to get them.) That sort of thing threatens future sales. Look at the complaining just from the VGTM "errata" being cut from DDB...

 

[Parmandur]

Considering that you can buy each individual rules element for the book on D&D Beyond, but only get the DM side tools and lore if you buy the book as a complete package, I think D&D Beyond disagrees on what the major selling points of the book are.

I'm also pretty sure that the typical buyer is going to expect that they get everything the current print version has, at minimum, and won't be happy if it turns out stuff is missing. (And even more so if they have to buy bits from another book to get them.) That sort of thing threatens future sales. Look at the complaining just from the VGTM "errata" being cut from DDB...

I take online complaints with a pinch of salt.

The DM stuff isn't as useful piecemeal on D&D Beyond, but it is what the book mostly consists of, and that is mostly Edition proof.

 

[JEB]

I take online complaints with a pinch of salt.

Online complaints about an online tool...