Physically Owning The Monster Manual/ Other D&D Books

I'm not sure how difficult it would be to verify, but I already have paid for and own the 5e Monster Manual, Volos Guide To Monsters, and more books. I would love to be able to access these online features, but paying AGAIN for the same thing I own isn't really an ideal situation. So I'd like if at all possible (maybe through serial numbers), if we could have a feature that lets us access these compendium perks if we already own the physical copies.  

Roll20 and Wizards of the Coast are two different companies. Yes you bought the physical copy of Monster Manual, but that money goes to Wizards of the Coast and not Roll20. That's why you need to pay again here. Roll20 just got license from Wizards of the Coast and that will not come cheap I imagine. Then is the work they must put into convert all the stuff to digital so you can easy access it in games.

Even if you never use roll20 to play games I think it's the best way to purchase MM and Volos because the compendium is like an official WoC wiki that makes looking things up a breeze and you can do really specific searches like recently I narrowed down all monsters in my compendium to beasts that are large and have a cr of 1/2 or 1/4 to pick a paladin 'find steed' animal. They say in early 2018 they'll be able to release other books like PHB. I'm really really looking forwards to having a complete compendium as I love the convenience of it.

Thanks for the positive feedback, I just dont have the extra 100 dollars, so i didnt think of all the reaons behind it. I just saw the books and thought; man I already own these, but to use the benefits i have to pay another, 50 each. Be nice to insert purchased item here, but thats completely understandable.

This is a common feeling among people who have purchased the books in one medium and are presented with it in another. But licenses cost money and conversion takes time, so folks gotta charge, otherwise there would be no point to doing it.

Also, it's entirely possible that the license sets a minimum price point for converted works. WotC wants to keep selling their books, too.

Having just dropped another $50 on Roll20 ToA and $50 on physical ToA I feel your pain brotha... when I saw D&D Beyond and FG started lowering their digital copy prices I was encouraged but sadly no reduction here.

You can't compare the work they need to made on Roll20 and D&D Beyond. Here you get all adventure's map with dynamic lighting, all tokens and everything setup. On D&D Beyond you just have the text in wiki style.

Yeah dropping 100 dollars is rough, though as stated I understand why it must be done. It's just that, not everyone has money like that. So its unfortunate, but I'll likely get the products next pay check. Since having them on Roll20 will be a huge help. 

Filip Č. said:

You can't compare the work they need to made on Roll20 and D&D Beyond. Here you get all adventure's map with dynamic lighting, all tokens and everything setup. On D&D Beyond you just have the text in wiki style.

OTOH, D&D Beyond has a full-featured character editor and social sharing tools beyond the scope or mission of Roll20. Apples and oranges. Yes, if money were no object, I would buy the material in new forms for the individual functionality. However, I am not made of cash, so I'll make do with what I can get. :)

Filip Č. said:

You can't compare the work they need to made on Roll20 and D&D Beyond. Here you get all adventure's map with dynamic lighting, all tokens and everything setup. On D&D Beyond you just have the text in wiki style.

But I can compare the work vs. the number of users vs. the number of people paying for the digital content.

I'm copacetic with roll20 charging what the market will bear to maximize their return. Personally, I'm in the "charge me less for digital, particularly when I already have a physical copy" camp. I'm not buying the MM here. It's not worth it to me.

Others may feel differently. Only roll20 has the data to judge whether lowering the cost would ultimately increase or decrease their profits on it.

I feel like I should at least get a reduced price if I already own the book. That way I am not so much paying for another copy of a book I own, but for the expertise in programming it into a useful format.

I see a lot of people agree, but not as many of them have given a +1. Though I doubt this, even with an abundance of +1. Would be altered, since it weights heavily on the contract they hold with d&d I suppose.  

A few game-companies give you a deal on a .pdf of a RPG if you bought the hardcopy.  You hold up your receipt from the Friendly Local Game Shop, smile and take a picture.  Then they give you access to the .pdf from a provider.
But it seems to me this is a little different since Roll20 doesn't just offer the plain text of the same book, but one retooled for the Roll20 medium, so that's a new licence, new fees for them and they charge you a price.

When you buy a Roll20 version of an existing physical product, you are not just getting the product, you are getting the benefit of hundreds of man hours put into making everything work within the Roll20 VTT.  For that reason, price reductions will not be available for those who own the physical copies of Roll20 products.  I will close this thread to refund the votes.