D&D (2024) How D&D Beyond Will Handle Access To 2014 Rules

D&D Beyond has announced how the transition to the new 2024 edition will work on the platform, and how legacy access to the 2014 version of D&D will be implemented.

• You will still be able to access the 2014 Basic Rules and core rulebooks.
• You will still be able to make characters using the 2014 Player's Handbook.
• Existing home-brew content will not be impacted.
• These 2014 rules will be accessible and will be marked with a 'legacy' badge: classes, subclasses, species, backgrounds, feats, monsters.
• Tooltips will reflect the 2024 rules.
• Monster stat blocks will be updated to 2024.
• There will be terminology changes (Heroic Inspiration, Species, etc.)

D&D (2024) - Wizards of the Coast Backtracks on D&D Beyond and 2014 Content

Wizards of the Coast posted an overnight update stating that they are not going forward with previously released plans to require those wishing to use some 2014 content on D&D Beyond to use the Homebrew function to manually enter it. Instead, all the content including spells and magic items will...

www.enworld.org

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Ahhh wow I'd forgotten about that magnificent self-own from both Apple and U2. Good grief. I know people love to mock U2 for absolutely and completely drinking their own Koolaid, but even that ridiculous documentary didn't prove it as conclusively as agreeing to this and the things they said about this did!

To be fair, I don't think it ever occurred to Bono that there was any person that lived that could possibly not want more U2.

For Bono, every person has a fever, and the only prescription is more cowb U2.

 

[Micah Sweet]

They have no real incentive to support 2014. They want people to buy 2024. Roll20 has no such conflict of interests.

Unfortunately, they have no incentive to admit this fact either.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I can’t believe WotC would prefer us use the new stuff over the old. Surely this is a mistake.

I can’t believe no one told us over and over that this stuff would happen. Why did no one see this coming? Someone like older gamers who have been around the track a few times. Just blindsided!

Im sure WotC will fix it. What’s more important? Getting our money or something else?

Yup. There was a time when I considered seriously investing in DDB. So glad I didn't.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Yup. There was a time when I considered seriously investing in DDB. So glad I didn't.

Aside from the core 3, I'll probably go full digital via DDB. Then again, I can't sell off a digital library... IDK.

Depends on how much I wolud get for a used copy vs just a cheaper digital copy.

 

[Velderan]

They have no real incentive to support 2014. They want people to buy 2024. Roll20 has no such conflict of interests.

Oh they have the same incentive to get you to switch...

 

[mamba]

Do we have any indication that is a goal of theirs? If so, you are likely correct. But if their goal is purely a walled garden, as theorized during the OGL, I'm unsure they care.

it would make financial sense and they are adding 3pp products, so far D&D supplements only by necessity…

A walled garden with more content in it is better than one with just WotC products

 

[pukunui]

So Roll20 will offer exactly the functionality that is apparently just too technically difficult for DNDBeyond to implement.


When creating a character, you can just choose whether you want to use 2014 or 2024 rules. Either will be fully supported.

Dang! This makes me wish I’d invested in roll20 instead of DDB. As much as I’d like to switch, there’s just no way I’m starting from scratch.

 

[SlyFlourish]

I'm not caught up on the thread but I did a little experimentation and D&D Beyond does let you filter out spells based on third party content. If you have access to Kobold Press books, for example, you can turn that off in the builder and not see any Kobold Press spells in your spell list. If you go back and turn it on, you can see Kobold Press spells.

So they have some sort of spell filtering built into D&D Beyond but for some reason can't do it with 2014 spells? That doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[DinoInDisguise]

Unfortunately, they have no incentive to admit this fact either.

In fact, they have every incentive to gaslight you into believing the contrary. As admitting they want everyone to switch for monetary purposes would be both stating the obvious and bad publicity.

Oh they have the same incentive to get you to switch...

Roll20 almost certainly doesn't care what content you buy, as long as it's on their platform. In fact, if given the choice, they'd likely prefer their "pro" subscription be included in your decision.

On that note, they are likely ecstatic that DDB isn't supporting 2014 anymore. As wthose of us who don't like 2024's direction are more likely to give them a chance, if we haven't already.

So they have some sort of spell filtering built into D&D Beyond but for some reason can't do it with 2014 spells? That doesn't make any sense to me.

Give me a tin foil hat, but it seems like there is an interest in you "upgrading" at play here.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In fact, they have every incentive to gaslight you into believing the contrary. As admitting they want everyone to switch for monetary purposes would be both stating the obvious and bad publicity.

I don't care how good a business decision it is to gaslight your audience into giving you money they otherwise wouldn't have. I will never respect it, and will avoid it whenever I can. Tell me why I should buy something, and maybe I will. Don't let me catch you trying to trick me into buying it.