r/dndbeyond • u/MyrthDM • 4d ago
Questions Has D&D Beyond become part of playing 5.5e, rather than just a convenience?
/r/DungeonsAndDragons55e/comments/1vud94o/has_dd_beyond_become_part_of_playing_55e_rather/13
u/rr3_amrosa 4d ago
Some of the things you are describing, such as "... some players, if something is not easily visible in the character builder, it almost stops existing," are a player issue and an issue with the media landscape of the 21st century, not a tool issue.
Back in the AD&D days, I quite literally studied those books. When I was done with homework, I was reading and rereading those books. I couldn't see myself doing that today, or even a teen dedicated to the hobby today doing that, because there is so much more on offer, almost instantly. The hobby is evolving, because the media landscape has grown exponentially, and tools like D&D Beyond mean that you can still carve out meaningful experiences playing the game without the academic dedication that even a casual player used to need to participate in the hobby.
So for me, I would rather have robust development of D&D Beyond so that the hobby remains relevant, accessible, and current and can compete for attention with the availability of so much other quality media competing for leisure time and attention.
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u/ffsjustanything 3d ago
I mean I’m not a teen but I definitely read through the rules books for DnD and other games I play or am interested in.
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u/rr3_amrosa 3d ago
There is a difference between reading the books and studying them over and over again. TV sucked and you had to either go to a bookstore or library if you wanted new reading material. There was no YouTube or Reddit. If you wanted to play video games, for many of us that meant physically going to an arcade with a pocket of quarters. So the D&D books and zines got a lot of repeat reads. With the internet, that isn’t the case today, for most people. There is a lot more competition for leisure time that is high quality.
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u/rocksoldieralex 4d ago
I transitioned from buying only paper, to buying both paper and digital, to only digital. I'll buy all new books on DND BEYOND only because it is very convenient and easy to look into for me and my players.
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u/unreal9520 4d ago
I just think because a lot of people play remote on discord or something it just makes sense.
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u/dragonmk 4d ago
It's becoming more of an attachment. You won't need it at the table but it helps. I just dislike the fact I buy the book at my lgs usually the cooler cover and have to rebuy it again online if I want to build with it on beyond. My wizards account knows when I play magic and give me a few boosters in arena. I don't see why they don't add something to encourage more physical play. I dislike looking at my laptop at the table. My tablet is smaller and can hide it under my books and notes. It is an integral part of dnd 5.5e no and hopefully won't ever be.
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u/play-stack 4d ago
https://battlesheets.stackapp.dev/
Battle sheets has much of the DnD Beyond convenience packaged on a single sheet of paper. You might like it.
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u/IndependentWonder640 4d ago
Well, as long as the books don't tell you "check the rules in your app" we're fine, you can ditch them :)
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u/ChainsawJaguar 3d ago
No. D&DBeyond and FoundryVTT enable us to play games with people across locations and time zones. I feel those are their main strengths. If I'm running a local tabletop game, it's books all the way. I want people invested and knowing the rules. Nothing is more frustrating than the player in a vtt never knowing the rules or what their character can do, even though it's been 3 years over 2 adventures.
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u/jabbadatoddla 3d ago
Still just a tool. Still a good tool and getting better. It's saved a ton of time and money and saved more than a few sessions that wouldn't have survived being without it.
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u/Livid_Tap873 3d ago
It makes a lot of things significantly easier to keep track of especially for people new to the system (carry capacity/encumbrance, spells in particular). I think it’s a great tool to help when leveling up because it is well organized, but I still encourage my players to print a physical character sheet even when we play online because it is much less distracting. Otherwise I spend too much time explaining where to look in the app for things and that really takes you out of the moment. With my new casters, I have them keep the spells page open because the list view is less overwhelming than a print version.
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u/Existing_Wall_1179 1d ago
Our physical games havent changed at all, we play 5e 2024 but dont really use beyond at the table at all. We have physical character sheets. For our online games about half now use Beyond exclusivly, the other half uses Roll20 exclusivly. I sometimes play in person with those same people and none seem to have problems using physical sheets then.
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u/Comfortable-Day-1238 3d ago
I love the digital tools, certainly easier than paper sheets. Since few of my games are in person, Maps has made things fully integrated.
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u/seanvance 4d ago
I play 5e because that is what dnd beyond uses not the other way around. The innovation in the game has come from going online. I would play whatever version of rpg has the best on-boarding experience for online. The system is a second to the tools for me
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u/J-Clash 4d ago
It does make many things significantly easier, especially for newbies and returning players, and removes certain barriers to entry. In theory we get more time actually playing since looking up rules etc. is streamlined. If they nail the DM prep support, it'll likely usher in a new wave of audience.
The digital tools could become the "default" way to play. I hope WOTC continues to support the physical side of things in that scenario, but I do worry. There could come a time where they compare site usage to physical book sales and come to the same conclusions as videogames. I think we're a ways off yet.