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Being a Dungeons & Dragons player doesn't often require much -- a few sets of dice, The Player's Handbook and some character sheet print-offs to update as they level up are all that's really needed. Being a Dungeon Master, on the other hand, often entails a lot of purchases. First, there are the sourcebooks and adventure modules, then minis, terrain, maps, and (just like players) a lot of dice. The expenses can add up, and even the most meticulous and organized DMs might find themselves scrambling to locate a book among the piles of D&D resources released for Fifth Edition over the years. D&D Beyond was created to help DMs and players stay organized so they can focus on the game while incorporating the resources they need into one easily accessible place.
D&D has seen a resurgence in popularity in the last few years, prompting a lot of new players to enter the game for the first time. With all its rules, tools, and world settings, it can quickly become overwhelming to someone just getting started. With all the necessary resources in one place for both players and DMs, endeavoring into the game becomes much easier. Players can focus more easily on the creative aspects of gameplay, and when questions pop up about rules and procedures, D&D Beyond's digital collection of purchasable books brings all the information needed right to the forefront.
What Is DnD Beyond, Anyway?
D&D Beyond is a digital toolset and online compendium of purchasable books released for D&D 5e. Founded in 2017 by the now-defunct Curse LLC, the site was designed to make gaming easier for both players and DMs. Acquired by Fandom Inc. in 2018, over the next four years they incorporated a host of useful new tools. The Encounter Builder, for instance, allows DMs to view a vast array of monsters and their stats to gauge how well players might fair in an encounter. The system made things much easier when planning in-game encounters by adjusting the numbers to coincide with player levels and the combined party's skills. They also introduced the Combat Tracker, a feature designed to make combat encounters run more smoothly. During Fandom's ownership, the site amassed more than 10 million registered users, encouraging Hasbro to take its partnership with the company to a new level.
In April 2022, Hasbro, who also owns D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast, announced its acquisition of D&D Beyond, and the deal was finalized by mid-May. Over the last year, Hasbro and WotC have introduced a lot of changes, including a glimpse during March 2023's D&D Direct of the upcoming virtual tabletop interface. The virtual tabletop may not be fully available for players for some time, but it will open up for testing later this year.
How Many Subscribers Does DnD Beyond Have?
Prior to January 2023, D&D Beyond reported having more than 10 million registered users. However, Wizards of the Coast shook the faith of subscribers earlier this year with talks of altering the Open Game License that has allowed creators to sell and distribute their own content and materials for other D&D players -- plans that were eventually canceled. In protest, tens of thousands of subscribers raced to the site to cancel their subscriptions, causing the Account Management page to crash. While there are no hard numbers available at this time about the service's subscribers, the site does continue to see a lot of traffic, with the majority of its visitors coming from the United States.
D&D Beyond currently has three tiers for gamers to explore, including a free tier that provides access to limited tools. The Hero subscription provides unlimited character and encounter creation, early access to new tools, and the ability to publicly share homebrew content for $2.17/month. Finally, the Master subscription tier is $4.58/month and allows the subscriber all the previously mentioned perks, as well as the option to share unlocked content with other players.
How to Use the DnD Beyond Character Creator
Creating a new character in D&D Beyond gives gamers a guided opportunity to choose the right features for the character they've been dreaming of. Registered users with a free account can create up to six characters, accessing only the site-provided basics. Purchasing companion books that expand racial, class, and subclass options adds them to the character creator, which can be found under the Collections heading in the upper left. Click on My Characters, and in the upper right is a button to Create a Character.
The Character Creator offers four options: Standard, Pre-Made, Quick Build, and Random. Premade and Random provide fully fleshed-out character sheets the player doesn't have much control over, while Standard and Quick Build allow more customizations. After choosing a build type, the system walks users through the process, allowing players to choose any limitations (like encumbrance), before diving into race. After that, they'll choose their character's class, along with any proficiencies it might offer, before moving on to the Ability Scores, then the character's background and history. Once all the details have been fine-tuned, players can either export their character sheet to access digitally or print out a hard copy.
How to Add a Homebrew Subclass In DnD Beyond
Homebrew content can change the game in amazing ways, especially if it's well-honed and detailed enough to flow right into the world. Both paid and non-paid D&D Beyond users can add homebrew content, but only paid subscribers can share it with other players. To add a Homebrew subclass in D&D Beyond, click on My Homebrew Content from the Collections dropdown menu. In the upper right corner, choose "Create A..." to access the homebrew dropdown, then select subclass. Creators can either create their subclass from scratch or use the template for an existing subclass to guide their new creation. Once all the details have been added to the new page, save the new subclass to My Homebrew Collections.
How to Add Spells In DnD Beyond
As they level up, spellcaster classes have access to their own special collection of spells. All spells available are listed by level and can be found in the Spell Tab on a player's character sheet. This tab lists all currently active spells, as well as their level and whether they can be cast at higher levels, and details their effects and the spell components required to cast them. To add new spells, whether leveling up or playing as a character who can choose new spells after a long rest, click on the Manage Spells tab. This opens the listings for available spells according to the player's class and level.
How to Level Up In DnD Beyond
Leveling up often means unlocking new abilities, spells, feats, and more. Each level brings something new to the table, and even if the player is only creating their character sheet digitally to print out, they'll still need to level up and print off the amended sheet. To level up, click on the box labeled "Manage" beside the character icon on the character sheet. This opens a side box on the right with the option to "Manage Character & Levels." From there, players can make changes and additions, with specific changes like new abilities, a potential feat, and ability score increases being highlighted. Players leveling up a spellcaster will also want to check that section. Once any new material has been added, the new character sheet will be updated on D&D Beyond so players can use it there or print it.
How to Add Feats on DnD Beyond
When a character gains the opportunity to add a feat during creation or after leveling up, this can be done through the Character Creation toolset on the Class page. Upon reaching certain levels, players get the chance to either increase their ability scores or choose a feat to give them a boost on or off the battlefield. When choosing the latter option, the list of available feats is available from the dropdown menu. Select the feat, and it will be added to the character sheet.
Is There a DnD Beyond for Pathfinder?
Paizo Inc.'s Pathfinder TTRPG may not have been around as long as D&D, but it does have a major following. In fact, there are enough people who prefer Pathfinder to D&D to warrant its own digital toolset known as Pathfinder Nexus. With digital resources for character creation and customization, as well as a full library of Pathfinder Second Edition adventure paths and sourcebooks, players and Game Masters alike can find everything they need to embark on their Pathfinder adventures.