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

Plus UI changes and more product information in listings.

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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)
 

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Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
couldn’t I get bundles at a discount already or was that only during preorders?

As to getting books shipped, they cost more and it takes longer than Amazon, so not sure anyone was clamoring for this

Some want to hear reviews and see actual-play stuff before deciding to buy. Now they can get the bundles at the point they decide to buy.

I get this is not something you're interested in.

You get your interests are not universal, right?
 

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Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
I think that's what WotC wanted you to focus on, but the thing they're taking away, is naturally I believe, going to draw more attention, especially as there are already many ways to buy physical books.

There were not many ways to buy the book and digital bundle when you wanted to (in fact I am not sure you could do it at all most of the time). Again, like Mamba, I get this is not something you are interested in but do you get some others are interested in it and it rightly is something some are focusing on?
 

Micah Sweet

Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Microtransactions are not inherently consumer unfriendly or a bad thing . . . as evidenced by folks upset WotC removed them from D&D Beyond.

Microtransactions have, of course, been used in a consumer unfriendly way by many video game publishers, which has led to some folks feeling that ALL microtransactions in a game are bad.

WotC has not given any reason for the removal of the a la carte microtransactions from DDB, the only speculation that really makes any sense is that this simply wasn't working for them in some way. The idea that they removed them to quiet online criticism is possible, but unlikely.

Will microtransactions return to DDB in some form, at some point? Unlikely, but who knows? Will the new VTT include microtransactions? Unlikely, but we'll see. Why would the VTT use a different marketplace model than DDB? The two services will be tied together, you won't have to purchase your books again on the VTT.

The microtransactions folks worry about for D&D . . . I think . . . are purchasing game items singly, without the option of purchasing them in a book. Like a new subclass (or feat, spell, monster) only available as a microtransaction, rather than as an a la carte option from a larger book.

Folks are nervous about pay-to-win microtransactions that gave the marketing model a bad name in the video game industry. This doesn't worry or bother me at all, as long as the game items are reasonably balanced and not over-priced. I'm fairly confident D&D isn't going to become a pay-to-win sort of game.

As usual, most of the online kvetching is sky-is-falling hyperbole. It is a bummer that the DDB Marketplace lost a la carte options, but I suspect most folks weren't using them anyway.
The only things I ever bought from DDB were monsters from select books.
 

Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
I don't see the logic in calling the a la carte purchases microtransactions. I understand that at the simplest of terms it is a small transaction and thus micro, sure, but they don't operate how microtransactions work at all. That's like saying buying a pack of gum vs buying a stick of gum is a microtransaction; no, one is just a small purchase of the whole, aka "a la carte".

It's a digital product add-on purchased with a small transaction rather than the full package. Like a single subclass from an expansion book as an add-on to your core book game, digitally delivered, for less than the entire book or game. That's what microtransactions mean.

Microtransactions are generally add-ons to a product that you purchase after paying for said product

Yes. The product was the D&D core game. The add-on is a sublcass from an expansion book, digitally delivered.
 

Micah Sweet

Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
There were not many ways to buy the book and digital bundle when you wanted to (in fact I am not sure you could do it at all most of the time). Again, like Mamba, I get this is not something you are interested in but do you get some others are interested in it and it rightly is something some are focusing on?
Sure, but honestly the part I find interesting and worth talking about to me is the removed option, because that potentially affects me.
 

FrogReaver

As long as i get to be the frog
It's a digital product add-on purchased with a small transaction rather than the full package. Like a single subclass from an expansion book as an add-on to your core book game, digitally delivered, for less than the entire book or game. That's what microtransactions mean.



Yes. The product was the D&D core game. The add-on is a sublcass from an expansion book, digitally delivered.
Dang McDonald’s and their micro transactions… Asking me if I want a drink with my fries. ;)
 

OB1

Jedi Master
so what is the pricing for the physical and digital bundle like compared to them separately?
For the Vecna adventure, pricing is $20 less than if you buy separately. As of now, Vecna is still listed at full price on Amazon (which is odd, all through 5e Amazon offered a 20-30% discount on list price for pre-orders) so it's a deal. Wonder if WotC put something in place that Amazon can't advertise a discount price until closer to release.
 


FrogReaver

As long as i get to be the frog
For the Vecna adventure, pricing is $20 less than if you buy separately. As of now, Vecna is still listed at full price on Amazon (which is odd, all through 5e Amazon offered a 20-30% discount on list price for pre-orders) so it's a deal. Wonder if WotC put something in place that Amazon can't advertise a discount price until closer to release.
So like 100 instead of 120?
 


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