Suggestions for 5e E-book access outside of FG

[Varatta]

Hey all, So I'm new to FG and very excited to be getting my old group back together (now spread across the globe). I am struggling with something and wanted to get your advice:

I have NO 5e books but we want to play 5e. Great! I can either get the books (doesn't really suit my lifestyle at the moment) or D&D Beyond or just rely on FG.

Dilemma: I'd like to be able to read the books from a tablet or something but I don't think FG lets me do that - even with the reference manuals. At the moment I feel like my only option is to buy the books or get them on D&D Beyond (which would allow my players to also use them outside of when we're on FG together). But my goodness the expense!!!

Has anyone found a good solution to this other than downloading scanned PDFs (which I'd really prefer not to do for a few reasons)?

At the moment I feel like buying the books twice (in some form) feels like an inevitability.

Thanks for your input!

PS: This is where an FG app - maybe incorporating forums and reference materials would be REALLY handy!

[JohnD]

Hard for FG to do this when WotC doesn't allow it aside from D&D Beyond.

[damned]

Hi Varatta,

You will have to find the medium that works best for you.
I have some of the 5e books in physical format and in FG format.
I use them waaaaay more in FG format.
The single most important book in any event is the Players Handbook. Start with that in whatever format or formats you choose.

[ddavison]

Hello Varatta,

That is an excellent idea and one that we've discussed and pitched internally in the past. We would need to make sure that our licenses with publishers allowed for that and also we'd have to devote the time to build out the program and test it on the major platforms for security, performance, etc. It still may happen at some point in the future if we can accomplish those tasks, but it's not anywhere on a short term timeframe.

D&D Beyond is cool as well. Some books and resources you will probably use more than others. While getting the Complete the Set bundles are a great way to save money for the long haul, picking up a few of the basics may not be bad either. For an adventure on FG, you mostly just need the adventure and probably the Player's Handbook to get started. You can even get by with just the SRD if having a smaller subset of classes and races doesn't bother you and your players.

[LordEntrails]

Since I use a laptop, I just have bought all my 5E books in FG and read them from inside FG (using the Reference Manual). It's not the same as an e-book, but when I just reading I will set the "/scaleui 120" in chat so the entries are easier to read. It works well enough for me that I don't bother with any other format.

[Caelen]

While it requires using a computer, one option with FG is to leave your game running so that players can connect whenever they want to access books in FG. This allows you to keep everything in one spot, though it does have the drawback of not allowing tablets and the like. Outside of D&D Beyond and other virtual tabletops, this is the only way to share digital D&D books legally. What I do is tell my players to tell me whenever they want to access books, and then I start FG for them. It requires a bit more work on my end compared to just leaving the game running, but I don't like having it running 24/7.

I recommend looking at the pros and cons of every option available to you. Here are some examples off the top of my head

FG pros

Able to share books online with players while the game is running
One time cost, about half the price of physical books ^
No subscription
It's a virtual tabletop


FG cons

^ One time license cost on top of the cost to get the books
Requires a computer, not tablets or e-readers


D&DB pros

Able to share books online with players *
One time cost, about half the price of physical books *
Works on all devices that have browsers, including tablets and phones


D&DB cons

* requires a subscription on top of the one time cost to get the books if you want to share them
does not include any virtual tabletop support



Physical Books pros

Fancy books
They look nice on a shelf
No subscription, it's all a one time cost


Physical Books cons

Can't share them online
Highest one time cost


In my experience, D&DB is actually better suited to in person games rather than online games. It allows the entire library to fit on a phone or tablet, which makes it massively more portable. The lack of any dice rolling or other virtual tabletop features really makes it less useful for online games, at least by itself. Character management options also help with keeping the amount of paper on a table down.

FG on the other hand, while it doesn't support tablets, is a full virtual tabletop with all the dice rolling you could ask for. It is really simple to share books with your players, and it includes character management and automation. FG really shines for online games, and some (really lucky) people have epic gaming tables running FG on touch screens embedded into the tables. https://nerdist.com/custom-digital-dungeons-and-dragons-table-4k/

Physical books are the most expensive option, even compared to the license cost of FG, because all of the material is at full price, where FG and D&DB sell them at about half price. They are about as useful as D&DB for both online and in person games, minus any character management options.

[Bidmaron]

Biggest disadvantage of D&DB: only for 5e! LOL I know the thread is 5e but if you switched to PF you could do tablets because you would have a free PDF to go along with your FG materials.

[Varatta]

Thanks everyone, some really great responses here. Ultimately my party decided to go in together on some D&DB books to share. In the meantime I've got FG covered. Best of both worlds! =)

[jrh18]

The thing I have been finding problematic with FG and books is that not all chapters of the books are in the reference manual. All of the materials are there in some form, usually in a form that is more appropriate for FG, but if I were reading a book cover to cover then FG misses stuff in the reference manual. For example, the DMG is I think missing chapters 8-9 in the reference manual, you can find all the magic items in the items area of FG, but not in the Reference manual. There is also the list of items in the library area, but again if I am reading a book cover to cover this is not at all replicated in FG, it is instead a fractured experience.