WotC WotC Adds 'Partnered Content' to DnDBeyond--Starting With Critical Role's Tal’dorei Campaign Setting

One of the promises Wizards of the Coast made in the aftermath of the Open Gaming License 'crisis' back in January was that D&D Beyond would eventually have some kind of third party marketplace. Up until now, only official D&D books from WotC have been available there.

Now, however, there is a section of 'partnered content' -- six titles, including three Critical Role sourcebooks, as well as some older licensed items like the Rick & Morty boxed set and the Minecraft monster tie-in. The latter were already on DDB, but the 'Partnered Content' home for them is new, as is the Tal-'dorei Campaign Setting.

As of now you can pick up Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, Call of the Netherdeep, and the Tal'dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.

Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

The definitive sourcebook for bringing the locations, people, creatures, and character options of Critical Role’s Tal’Dorei continent to ...

www.dndbeyond.com

​

While this 'partnered content' is a long way yet from the third-party marketplace mentioned earlier this year (which is likely a a couple of years away), it is notable that third party content is now appearing on the site.

 

[Parmandur]

It's kind of weird that Tal'Dorei is partnered content, but Explore's Guide to Wildmount isn't given that EGtW mentions Tal'Dorei, Exandria is a canon D&D world.

There is no "canon," recall...and Wildemount is under the partnered content section, isn't it?

 

[darjr]

It's kind of weird that Tal'Dorei is partnered content, but Explore's Guide to Wildmount isn't given that EGtW mentions Tal'Dorei, Exandria is a canon D&D world.

It’s in the list at the bottom of the page. Or am I misunderstanding your point?

 

[OB1]

It's kind of weird that Tal'Dorei is partnered content, but Explore's Guide to Wildmount isn't given that EGtW mentions Tal'Dorei, Exandria is a canon D&D world.

WotC was the publisher of EGtW, where Tal'Dorei is published by CR's own Darrington Press. Also worth noting that in EGtW, CR retains all rights to it's IP in the book.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

If DnD Beyond pulls this off and starts working with lots of the big 3rd party creators on the website, it basically gives them a licence to print money.

 

[Clint_L]

If DnD Beyond pulls this off and starts working with lots of the big 3rd party creators on the website, it basically gives them a licence to print money.

Yes, it’s a win for them, for 3PP who can get their stuff on DDB, and for consumers who are content in that ecosystem. As Sly Flourish pointed out, this also has the potential to give WotC even more power in the TTRPG world, though.

For example, if it becomes an economic imperative to get your stuff on DDB, that could stifle creativity and risk-taking.

Back in the OGL fiasco, I started a thread where I argued that if WotC was smart, they wouldn’t worry about the OGL and would focus on DDB as their means to maintain control over D&D.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Yes, it’s a win for them, for 3PP who can get their stuff on DDB, and for consumers who are content in that ecosystem. As Sly Flourish pointed out, this also has the potential to give WotC even more power in the TTRPG world, though.

For example, if it becomes an economic imperative to get your stuff on DDB, that could stifle creativity and risk-taking.

Back in the OGL fiasco, I started a thread where I argued that if WotC was smart, they wouldn’t worry about the OGL and would focus on DDB as their means to maintain control over D&D.

Yeah I don't think it's necessarily a good thing in the TTRPG world long term from a customer point of view, as it gives Hasbro even more control over the entire genre.

From a WotC and a Hasbro point of view, it's an extremely good move as it draws even more people to their platform.

DnD Beyond has a lot less to offer if you're a group which uses moderate to large amounts of homebrew content, and so that type of group is more likely to stay away. If WotC changes that, they can bring a lot more players on board.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yeah I don't think it's necessarily a good thing in the TTRPG world long term from a customer point of view, as it gives Hasbro even more control over the entire genre.

From a WotC and a Hasbro point of view, it's an extremely good move as it draws even more people to their platform.

DnD Beyond has a lot less to offer if you're a group which uses moderate to large amounts of homebrew content, and so that type of group is more likely to stay away. If WotC changes that, they can bring a lot more players on board.

It's not a good thing I can use 3pp products with WotC products in the best tool we have right now for 5e character management? That will be integrated with their VTT? That had all the WotC rules I want to pay for?

Disagree.

 

[DarkCrisis]

If anyone needs more info on the Tal'dorei Dark Elves be sure to check out the Dark Elves of Mystara.

 

[zedturtle]

Is Demiplanes 5e character sheet out? I knew about the PF2 one. And it looks like Avatar and Marvel Multiverse and Hunter.
And a couple others.

I wonder if I have access to the test sheet for 5e?

5 September is the given launch date for the 5e Nexus, so only test partners have access to it now. They've had to push it back a bit, but we never had a firm date, just 'before August' (i.e. hoping to announce at Gen Con), but that slipped. Still 'done right' is much better than 'done quick'.

 

[jgsugden]

You folks do not think the timining of Critical Role's new RPG system is a bit coincidental. If you realized you were one of the best advertising tools for D&D, and you knew that D&D would prosper greatly by having you use their new edition of the game for campaign 4 right as it is released ... wouldn't it be great to have a credible threat that you could just use another system? I think there is gamesmanship here in a lot of what CR has been doing, from the hints that original cast might call it quits, to the new RPG being introduced at this time, to the diffeent approaches to the CR IP for both DNDBeyond and WotC ... Critical Role realizes that WotC has benefitted greatly from CR, and they're making decisions to give them the best options to extract payment for what they provide.

I think in the end we see Critical Role stick with the original cast for Campaign 4 (maybe with an addition), they use the new edition of D&D for the main campaign (which may only meet twice a month), and that WotC will be selling all Critical Role content on the VTT, DNDBeyond, and other avenues. The pie is bigger together, and they're just trying to negotiate for how the surplus will be split.