D&D 5E (2024) D&D Beyond's Development Roadmap Is A Complete Rebuild Of Platform

D&D Beyond has announced its roadmap for the future, including features in active development and those planned for later down the line. These include a full rebuild of the game platform's engine, a new character builder, tools for Dungeon Masters, and more.

Over the past few months, we’ve launched a new homepage, a revamped and more sortable content library, image reveals in the Maps VTT to help DMs immerse their players more easily, and several other quality-of-life improvements.

2026 is a year of refocusing and rebuilding D&D Beyond to make it easier to play D&D your way. Three major initiatives will drive most of our work:

• Rebuilding D&D Beyond’s Game Platform
• Improving Player Onboarding and Revamping the Character Builder Experience
• Launching a Suite of Dungeon Master Tools

 

[Zaukrie]

while this is true we still called Windows 2000 windows 2000, not the NT 5.0 that was buried in the code and a few registry entries. Marketing principles still trump nerd culture in selling things.

Strong disagree if anything isn't data.

depends on how they implement the digital version of the book on the website. Ideally each rule and option would just be implemented as a single thing in the database. Then they could allow the control to be as granular as they want it to be. With them moving towards a VTT push that would be the smart way to implement it. That being said it would also open the door for many unexpected things. For example If a DM unchecked turning then anything that uses a turning mechanic might be blocked even say a creature that could turn. But again it depends on how the database is built and how the relationships are planned. There is a reason top Tier Database designers get paid a lot of money. The initial planning of the database can be more important than any other part of the design. Objects in the database could be individual and also associated with at tags like "Elminster's Spells" or "Tasha's Handbook" .

They are literally rebuilding it from the ground up for a reason. I've run projects trying to fix bad applications, it is rarely easy. Rarely. And they've rightly decided to start over.

 

[nevin]

Strong disagree if anything isn't data.

They are literally rebuilding it from the ground up for a reason. I've run projects trying to fix bad applications, it is rarely easy. Rarely. And they've rightly decided to start over.

oh absolutely fixing a poorly designed system or application is like trying to build a house on a bad foundation. It'll never work the way you need it too.

 

[nevin]

but what they think they want and what they need to make the base happy never seems to be the same. If they haven't resolved that the best built site on earth won't help at all.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Its neither false, or misleading though, and everyone knows what it means.

Just like 3 and 3.5 before.

Nope. It is both.

 

[Scribe]

Nope. It is both.

/shrug

When 5.5 was released, I walked into a shop in a neighboring town, and that's how the owner pitched it to me.

It's not the same as 5.0, it's it's revision inane ways, ergo, 5.5

 

[Mistwell]

/shrug

When 5.5 was released, I walked into a shop in a neighboring town, and that's how the owner pitched it to me.

It's not the same as 5.0, it's it's revision inane ways, ergo, 5.5

Yes of course it is. Took about a month for that term to take hold and settle as the common parlance.

 

[Zaukrie]

but what they think they want and what they need to make the base happy never seems to be the same. If they haven't resolved that the best built site on earth won't help at all.

I'm hopeful. Though I'll be honest here, if your players won't not use things you don't want them to, I don't get that at all ... I'm also not sure how big the demand is for this.

 

[nevin]

I'm hopeful. Though I'll be honest here, if your players won't not use things you don't want them to, I don't get that at all ... I'm also not sure how big the demand is for this.

 

[nevin]

I meant what the company thinks they want vs what the customers want never seems to match up with D&D beyond.

 

[Zaukrie]

I meant what the company thinks they want vs what the customers want never seems to match up with D&D beyond.

Yup. I get that. My point is, there is no way to know that exactly or prioritize that to make everyone happy. Product management is easy, and hard. Kind of miss it sometimes.