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.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

they think that is true today they can not possibly know what they will do after the 2024 books

I am 100% sure the 2024 books are just going to be added to D&D Beyond like the others. As all the recent books are being made with the new core in mind.

I keep hearing speculation of a wotc table top, but I don't know why they would try that again when havingothers licence D&D from them is working so well

Cause it's more profitable for them to have their own. With Fantasy Grounds it sounds like they are getting ready to end their license. Maybe with Roll20 as well.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Slightly different rules scattered across a dozen different books? Sounds like D&D is about to become "Palladium Compatible". Can books full of cut and paste reprints be far behind?

Shades of "The Complete Errata Handbook" for 4e, their shadow release.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I am 100% sure the 2024 books are just going to be added to D&D Beyond like the others.

and what role do you have in WotC and/or Hasbro? and how do you know you will not be replaced in next 2 years? (like maybe you get a better job and they bring in a new guy?)

As all the recent books are being made with the new core in mind.

if they already know what the new core is why wait? why are they doing surveys and questionnaires?

Cause it's more profitable for them to have their own. With Fantasy Grounds it sounds like they are getting ready to end their license. Maybe with Roll20 as well.

so I assume you are in the licensing department to know how much they make from licensing out to 2 tables instead of owning 1?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

and what role do you have in WotC and/or Hasbro? and how do you know you will not be replaced in next 2 years? (like maybe you get a better job and they bring in a new guy?)

if they already know what the new core is why wait? why are they doing surveys and questionnaires?

so I assume you are in the licensing department to know how much they make from licensing out to 2 tables instead of owning 1?

Cause they would have wasted millions for no reason, and they already said they were not doing that.

Play testing and development takes time,
They did years of play testing and surveys before the release of 5e, and the Wizards team have tended to try and get feedback on stuff they are experimenting with for the game.

It’s almost always more profitable to entirely own something then to rely on licensing. Particularly if it already has a large established user base like Beyond.

A lot of the things you are saying only make sense if you assume the Head of the D&D team Winninger is lying about everything he has said. Do you just not trust anything you are told?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Cause they would have wasted millions for no reason, and they already said they were not doing that.

okay I will come back to this with your last part

Play testing and development takes time,

yes, and that is why they can't know for sure (let alone us who have LESS info) about what changes need to be made. '

even going to the craziest least likely change I can imagine... but lets say that they decide that Clerics shouldn't be able to heal (Why, no clue...I doubt it could happen) but that doesn't come up intil the next surveys start to come in. then the starter set today will not match.

take that crazy weird example and switch it with something we will more likly see and you can tell that they can't know that far ahead (Unless you assume the tests and surveys from today on wont matter...and maybe I could entertain that concept)

It’s almost always more profitable to entirely own something then to rely on licensing. Particularly if it already has a large established user base like Beyond.

that isn't true at all. You need to build infrastructure in order to enter a new field, you need to hire experts, and you need to promote it. there is a reason why action figure companies like Mcfarlin and Funkopop get licenses instead of the companies that make those themselves.

A lot of the things you are saying only make sense if you assume the Head of the D&D team Winninger is lying about everything he has said. Do you just not trust anything you are told?

yes, I doubt what ANYONE i don't know says and try to make sure they are not talking about things they may have an interest in misleading me on. I then go by history. (If someone lied to me about the same thing before I am less likely to believe them now, there is a reason my Exs are my Exs)

however you DON'T have to think him lying to question it (although again they lied about 3 to 3.5 compatibility and keeping the 4e database and CG up) You only need to ask, is Winniger going to be incharge 3 years from now? Might he get sick (i mean we do still have a plague)? Might he get a better job offer (game companies are not the most profitable business)? Might he get down sized/fired? Could he get a promotion and someone else take over?

 

[Remathilis]

however you DON'T have to think him lying to question it (although again they lied about 3 to 3.5 compatibility and keeping the 4e database and CG up) You only need to ask, is Winniger going to be incharge 3 years from now? Might he get sick (i mean we do still have a plague)? Might he get a better job offer (game companies are not the most profitable business)? Might he get down sized/fired? Could he get a promotion and someone else take over?

I say relax, the world will end in Thermo-nuclear war or Free and Open Internet will cease to exist before 2024, making updating D&D Beyond a moot point.

(The odds of either happening are about the same as the scenarios you're describing.)

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I say relax, the world will end in Thermo-nuclear war or Free and Open Internet will cease to exist before 2024, making updating D&D Beyond a moot point.

(The odds of either happening are about the same as the scenarios you're describing.)

I mean the Nuc war I guess but I doubt the lack of an open internet... but someone getting sick (during a plauge) or getting a better job (promotion or other company) or dying or getting fired are all more likely then even the war...

DO you know no one who has ever gotten a new job?

 

[Weiley31]

We are taking applications at this time. Please register your stuff. We will get to you in a timely matter. Be aware if Jasper shows up, do not give him booze as he is a mean drunk.

Don't forget the limited time offer bonus where we'll kick their cat out straight through the glass window for free too! Test Audiences loved that!

 

[MonsterEnvy]

however you DON'T have to think him lying to question it (although again they lied about 3 to 3.5 compatibility and keeping the 4e database and CG up) You only need to ask, is Winniger going to be incharge 3 years from now? Might he get sick (i mean we do still have a plague)? Might he get a better job offer (game companies are not the most profitable business)? Might he get down sized/fired? Could he get a promotion and someone else take over?

I don't know much about the 3 to 3.5 compatibility thing. But the 4e Database remained up for years after support for it went away.

Anyway it's exhausting talk about this stuff with you, time will provide the answers anyway.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Anyway it's exhausting talk about this stuff with you, time will provide the answers anyway.

same