D&D 5E Get The Vecna Dossier Free At D&D Beyond

WotC is offering a free product which you can claim by signing into D&D Beyond, including Vecna’s 5E statistics.

The dossier includes the stat block plus a half page or so of lore. Vecna's stat block is a CR 26 undead wizard, prior to the fallen paladin (and former bodyguard to the lich) Kas's betrayal. That means he still has his hand and eye, although he is a time traveller and can appear in different worlds and eras.

The archlich Vecna is one of the most iconic villains of Dungeons & Dragons lore. And now you can bear witness to his necromantic magic with the Vecna Dossier! Available at no cost with your D&D Beyond account, this thrilling supplement details the legacy and statistics of the Undying King himself!

This claim unlocks the contents of this promotional supplement for use with D&D Beyond, including the supplement in digital format in the game compendium and in the searchable listings, character builder, encounters, and digital sheet.

Claim The Vecna Dossier now! - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Morrus]

I can't even imagine playing without a Dndbeyond account.

I’ve never used DDB.

 

[Inchoroi]

There is zero doubt that WOTC is going full on subscription based. I am sure Hasbro would love to do away with all physical prints, and use DBB as their electronic portal for sub based availability to all D&D material.

That'll be the time I stop playing that version of D&D.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I was told the point of cuting down the spell section was to make sure that no one casts usless or weak spells... but he can animate dead at will with a touch... that is a waste of part of his action

in general he can take a spell or one of his two special abilities... but both of those special abilities 7 out of 10 times will be better then any spell listed... if (unless there is a super weird set up) vecna ever throws a 8d6 lightning bolt I would laugh at him.

In general this is a compramise stat block... it still has "this is flavor but you shouldn't use them most fight" powers mixed in with combat abilities... but now there are less spells... so the odds of random choosing the wrong ability is higher.

I can almost imagine a DM wondering... "I just dropped the wizard with my counter spell damage... I can touch and animate him, or I can cast dominate on the rageing barbarian that needs a 17 to make the save, or I can throw a lightning bolt at the cleric..."

The point was to keep his primary attack abilities in his statblock rather than his spell list. The Spell list stuff is largely for out of combat, support, if he's going easy on the party for some reason, or under certain situations like escaping with Planeshift.

The optimal stuff for Vecna's damage is just to use his non spellcasting abilities, but for older spellcasters the optimal options were hidden with all the other spells.

 

[dave2008]

Oh, and Vecna's stat block....I see it is in the new format that came out with the latest book.

It is still a ludicrously under-powered CR 26. As well as the spell casting abilities are stupidly underwhelming. By RAW, all spells are cast at the lowest level, so that means the at will Lightning Bolt = 8d6 = 28/14, and Lighting Bolt is a fairly ineffective spell to start with. Vecna should have Power Word Kill, Fireball as an Upcast Spell at the very least. Oh, and the lore in this attached writeup has bits about Venca traveling through time. Seems to me that such a being would have Time Stop as a spell.

But at least it has 5 LR's.

I haven't run the numbers but this looks like one of the better CR26 monsters by WotC. It has a lot going for it. I think the perception may be what you think a CR26 monster is. This should be a challenge for 4 17th level PCs by the numbers. I think this probably fits that bill.

It is interesting that they went with reactions instead of Legendary Actions. I wonder if Legendary Actions are going away?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I haven't run the numbers but this looks like one of the better CR26 monsters by WotC. It has a lot going for it. I think the perception may be what you think a CR26 monster is. This should be a challenge for 4 17th level PCs by the numbers. I think this probably fits that bill.

It is interesting that they went with reactions instead of Legendary Actions. I wonder if Legendary Actions are going away?

Doubt it. I think it was just a try of something different.

 

[Riley]

They’re building a mailing list. Getting all D&D players to sign up by enticing them with free content. Tried and tested method—it works.

Getting everybody to have a DDB account is going to be a very important part of the future of D&D. I’d put good money on that.

I'm perfectly willing to sign up for DDB. However, they want me to sign up directly linked to my/an Apple, Google, or Twitch account. I have always tried to keep each website registration unique/discrete.

Is there a way to register with DDB directly?

 

[pukunui]

I would have thought Vecna would know all languages but apparently this version of him only knows Common, Draconic, Elvish, and Infernal.

 

[Retreater]

For my preferences, the experience is bad and confusing.
First thing, it was connected to Twitch, then was connected to other services. For some strange reason I had a Twitch account for DND Beyond, and then I couldn't sign in anymore with that, had to create a new account. And then I'm in there with multiple accounts, neither of which have access to all my content. Because the registration has been confusing.
It doesn't stay signed-in on my devices. I can't find out why, but literally every time I want to open it I have to try to sign in. Most of the time it won't acknowledge my password and I have to create a new one each time I sign in. As you can imagine, this isn't the best in the middle of running a D&D Game.
Navigation on the app doesn't feel right. I would expect hitting the back arrow to take me to the previous section. But, no, it takes you out of the entire app. And as I described above, about half the time that means I'm signed out. And then about half of those times I'm signed out (so about 25% of the time) I have to create a new password.
So that's what I don't like about the UI. (And I promise I do understand apps and technology. DND Beyond is just set up - weird.)

Another thing ... I have bad vision: bifocals barely do the trick. I don't want to read these books on my tiny cellphone screen. If I zoom in as much as I need to, I'm reading a couple words at a time, which really inhibits my comprehension. It's just not a pleasurable experience. I can handle PDFs (and actually like them) because I have more freedom with the content. I can print what I need, share what I want with my players, read on bigger screens, screen shot and make digital maps on VTTs, etc. DND Beyond is a bad experience all around. The only thing that isn't a drawback is that it's the only way you're getting digital D&D.

I hate that it's the gatekeeper to getting digital content. I can't even use 5e on Foundry VTT without it (meaning I'm not playing 5e online anymore).

 

[Riley]

I would have thought Vecna would know all languages but apparently this version of him only knows Common, Draconic, Elvish, and Infernal.

Vecna is a master of secrets and lies.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Navigation on the app doesn't feel right. I would expect hitting the back arrow to take me to the previous section. But, no, it takes you out of the entire app.

. . . I'm sorry to say it, but that is entirely your own fault. There's nothing they can do to make that possible. The back-arrow does take you to the previous section if you had visited the previous section on the same tab. Instead, the arrow buttons at the top of each of the pages of D&D Beyond's products let you do this.