DMsGuild is the site run by OneBookShelf and or for Wizards of the Coast for community content D&D titles. Today, Roll20, a virtual tabletop with permission from Wizards to sell D&D modules, announced an alliance with the DMsGuild.
The partnership means DMsGuild creators can create Roll20 modules and have them as add-ons for purchases in the store, which automatically unlock on Roll20. It’s significant as previously, Roll20’s own marketplace, arguably a rival to DMsGuild, was the place to buy modules.
What’s changed? Earlier this year, Wizards of the Coast bought D&D Beyond. That deal cost $150m but doesn’t quite include a full virtual tabletop. Wizards have asked fans about doing an official one before.
OneBookShelf has access to a virtual tabletop of its own, having partnered with Astral and then stepping in to agree to run the platform when the founder stepped back. The last we heard Astral will continue and Geek Native does not believe there are any immediate implications to that particular service from the Roll20 deal.
More recently, OBS struck a deal with the Roll20 challenger Foundry to allow modules to be sold too. Foundry differs from Roll20 because it’s a one-and-done fee if you ignore hosting and service costs. Roll20 is an ongoing fee but includes cloud space and this automatic integration with DMsGuild.
Emily Floyd, Licensing Director of Roll20, told the press;
At Roll20 we have seen passionate support for DMsGuild content – from both our community and our Creators – and we are thrilled to create a more seamless way to play that amazing catalog of content online while expanding the possibilities for DMsGuild players and Creators,”
Scott Holden, Director of Marketing and Publisher Relations at OneBookShelf, who has been working in partnership since 2016 with WotC on DMsGuild, noted;
Our goal has always been to build a space for aspiring designers who love games as we do. DMsGuild was an extension of this philosophy, providing a new opportunity to the gaming community, and now we have a shared mission with Roll20 to open an even larger space where creators can distribute and profit from their work”
It’s worth noting that the Roll20 integration only applies to DMsGuild content and not OBS’ other sites, such as DriveThruRPG or Storytellers Vault.
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