D&D 5E D&D Beyond: No More À La Carte Purchases But US Customers Can Buy Physical Books

WotC has announced some changes to D&D Beyond's marketplace. These include physical products (for US customers), the removal of à la carte purchases, and various navigational changes.

You can no longer buy individual feats, subclasses, etc. -- you'll need to buy the whole book. The full list of changes includes:

• US shoppers can now buy physical books
• More info on product listings, including previews
• UI improvements to makee finding your purchased content and redeeming keys easier
• No more à la carte purchases (though your previous ones still count)

 

[Clint_L]

I mean, I personally own all the books on DDB as well as in print.

Same. Well, not all; I don't buy physical copies for all the books I have on DDB, but I do for the ones that I just want to sit around and read on the patio, etc.. In fact, RPG books are about the only books I buy physical copies of these days, aside from graphic novels.

 

[Meech17]

We sell a lot of dice to irregular walk-ins too, who may get their books either on DDB or ordered on Amazon, etc.

Whenever I travel I like to go to gamestores just to look around. I always try to buy something. Usually that ends up being either a couple of MTG packs or a set of dice. I wonder if there's a lot of other people who do the same.

 

[Clint_L]

Whenever I travel I like to go to gamestores just to look around. I always try to buy something. Usually that ends up being either a couple of MTG packs or a set of dice. I wonder if there's a lot of other people who do the same.

I shop from a FLGS whenever possible, even if it costs a bit more. They are vital to our community.

 

[Imaro]

What do they offer that Level Up doesn't?

Does level up have an app that I can download onto my phone with all the rulebooks I've purchased that is also useable offline?
Does it have an app that allows me and my players to freely share the books we've all purchased amongst ourselves?
Does it have a virtual character sheet I can use via tablet, phone, etc. That allows for real time adjustment and tracking?
Does Level Up offer a line of miniatures made specifically for their game?
Are they developing a 3D VTT?

 

[Mistwell]

And ultimately not good for Hasbro. A LOT of people get brought into D&D in those stores. They're biting the hand that feeds them.

They also announced physical stores will get the books 2 weeks before you can buy them elsewhere.

 

[mamba]

They also announced physical stores will get the books 2 weeks before you can buy them elsewhere.

yeah, that is the one good thing in all of this imo

 

[Maxperson]

They also announced physical stores will get the books 2 weeks before you can buy them elsewhere.

That will help. I still think the stores will feel the impact, though. Would rather spend full price on the hard copy and then spend $30 more on the PDF for DDB, or wait three(shipping time included) weeks and get both for just $10 more than the physical copy? I think a lot of folks will wait.

What they should do is sell to FLGS codes to sell to customers for $10 that can be redeemed for the PDF on DDB. Those codes can only be sold when the customer buys the physical version of the book. Or something else along those lines.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Does level up have an app that I can download onto my phone with all the rulebooks I've purchased that is also useable offline?
Does it have an app that allows me and my players to freely share the books we've all purchased amongst ourselves?
Does it have a virtual character sheet I can use via tablet, phone, etc. That allows for real time adjustment and tracking?
Does Level Up offer a line of miniatures made specifically for their game?
Are they developing a 3D VTT?

My question was overly simplistic, I admit. I suppose I meant to say that WotC doesn't offer anything over Level Up that I care about. They have an online rules site that covers just about everything, and they are working on VTT stuff, although not a proprietary one. That more than enough for me, given how the game itself is IMO far superior to WotC 5e for my preference.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Whenever I travel I like to go to gamestores just to look around. I always try to buy something. Usually that ends up being either a couple of MTG packs or a set of dice. I wonder if there's a lot of other people who do the same.

I suspect yes. Yesterday was Free Comic Book Day, where a LOT of people travel around to every store, and I saw a lot of people who said, "While I'm here getting free comics, I'll grab two packs of Magic!"

That will help. I still think the stores will feel the impact, though. Would rather spend full price on the hard copy and then spend $30 more on the PDF for DDB, or wait three(shipping time included) weeks and get both for just $10 more than the physical copy? I think a lot of folks will wait.

What they should do is sell to FLGS codes to sell to customers for $10 that can be redeemed for the PDF on DDB. Those codes can only be sold when the customer buys the physical version of the book. Or something else along those lines.

We've expected for decades now for them to give us some way to sell digital versions of the books for them. I was a little surprised and disappointed(1) that they went the other-way-around and started selling physical books themselves.

(1) Not very surprised. Or disappointed either, in that I don't think that it'll make a big difference to my sales. I'm more offended by Amazon, who offers such large discounts that they sometimes sell books for less than my cost (far or less my price). Now, I don't mind the books being cheaper for consumers - I think that they should be - but I don't think that discounts on MSRP is the way to go. I think lower MSRPs that are held to is much better for everyone. But I don't expect to win that fight.

 

[Imaro]

My question was overly simplistic, I admit. I suppose I meant to say that WotC doesn't offer anything over Level Up that I care about. They have an online rules site that covers just about everything, and they are working on VTT stuff, although not a proprietary one. That more than enough for me, given how the game itself is IMO far superior to WotC 5e for my preference.

Why would you ask me about your preferences?