Master Tier costs $9.99 per month and gives you access to all official D&D books, character creation tools, and the ability to share content with your campaign
D&D Beyond's Master Tier is the highest subscription level the platform offers. For $9.99 monthly, you get every official sourcebook released by Wizards of the Coast, unlimited character creation without content restrictions, and the ability to share books and characters with players in your campaign. If you run games regularly or play in multiple campaigns, this tier removes the friction of buying individual books or managing who owns what content.
The main trade-off is cost. Master Tier runs $119.88 per year, which is more than the price of two physical D&D books. Whether that makes sense depends on how often you use the platform and whether you'd otherwise buy those books separately.
Key Takeaways
- Master Tier includes every official D&D sourcebook, campaign book, and supplement published by Wizards of the Coast, updated as new books release.
- You can create unlimited characters and share all your purchased content with players in your campaign without them needing their own subscriptions.
- Lower tiers (Basics and Heroes) cost less but restrict which books you can access and limit character creation or sharing features.
- Master Tier does not include third-party content, homebrew, or books from publishers other than Wizards of the Coast.
- You can cancel anytime; D&D Beyond does not lock you into a contract or charge you upfront for a year.
What books and content come with Master Tier
Master Tier includes every official D&D 5th Edition sourcebook, including the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and all published supplements like Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and newer releases. When Wizards of the Coast publishes a new book, it appears in Master Tier automatically once the digital license is available.
The tier also includes all official campaign books (Curse of Strahd, Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, and others), adventure modules, and supplemental content like Unearthed Arcana playtest material. You get access to the full character builder with no restrictions on subclasses, spells, feats, or backgrounds.
What Master Tier does not include: third-party content from publishers like Paizo or Kobold Press, homebrew material created by other users, or any books published outside the official D&D 5e line. If your campaign uses content from other publishers, you'll need to own those books separately or find them elsewhere.
How sharing works with your campaign
Master Tier lets you share all your purchased content with players in your campaign. This means if you own Master Tier, your players can use any book, spell, feat, or magic item from your library when building characters—they don't need their own subscriptions. The sharing happens through the campaign management tools on D&D Beyond; you invite players to your campaign, and they automatically see what you own.
This is the biggest practical advantage over lower tiers. If you're the Dungeon Master or the person running the campaign, Master Tier means you buy once and everyone benefits. Players can still create characters without any subscription, but they'll only see content that's in the free Basic tier or content you've shared from your Master Tier account.
Comparing Master Tier to other subscription levels
| Tier | Monthly Cost | Books Included | Character Creation | Sharing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basics (Free) | $0 | Player's Handbook only | Limited to PHB content | No |
| Heroes | $2.99 | Player's Handbook + 1 other book of your choice | Limited to owned books | No |
| Master | $9.99 | All official D&D 5e books | Unlimited, all content | Yes, with campaign members |
The Basics tier is free and includes only the Player's Handbook, so you can create characters and learn the system without paying. Heroes tier ($2.99/month) lets you pick one additional book beyond the PHB, which is useful if you want access to a specific supplement like Xanathar's Guide. Neither tier lets you share content with other players.
Master Tier is the only subscription that includes everything and allows sharing. If you're a casual player in one campaign, Heroes or Basics might be enough. If you run games, play in multiple campaigns, or want access to all official content without restrictions, Master Tier is the only option.
Whether Master Tier pays for itself
Master Tier costs $119.88 per year. A single physical D&D sourcebook typically costs $40 to $50. If you'd buy three or more books in a year anyway, Master Tier becomes cheaper than buying them outright. If you run a campaign with multiple players, the cost per person drops further—split five ways, Master Tier costs about $24 per person per year.
The value also depends on how much you use the platform. D&D Beyond's character builder is faster than pen-and-paper, automatically calculates modifiers, and tracks spells and abilities. If you use it regularly, the convenience might justify the cost beyond just the books. If you only play once or twice a year, the free Basics tier or a one-month Master Tier subscription before a campaign starts might make more sense.
Consider also that you can cancel anytime. Some players subscribe for one month before a campaign launches, build their characters, then cancel. Others keep it year-round. D&D Beyond doesn't require a contract or annual commitment, so you can test it and decide.
What you don't get with Master Tier
Master Tier does not include a virtual tabletop (VTT) for running games online. D&D Beyond integrates with Roll20 and Foundry VTT, but those are separate platforms with their own costs. If you want to run games on a digital map with tokens and fog of war, you'll need to use one of those tools alongside D&D Beyond.
Master Tier also doesn't include homebrew content created by other users, though D&D Beyond has a community marketplace where creators sell custom content. You can create your own homebrew for free, but sharing it with others requires them to own it or you to publish it publicly.
Finally, Master Tier is specific to D&D 5th Edition. If you play Pathfinder, older editions of D&D, or other TTRPGs, you'll need different tools or platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share Master Tier content with friends who don't have accounts?
No. Sharing only works through the D&D Beyond campaign system with players who have accounts and are invited to your campaign. They see the content you own when they build characters in that campaign, but they can't access it outside of it.
Do I lose access to my characters if I cancel Master Tier?
You keep your characters, but they'll only show content from the free Basics tier or content you owned before canceling. If a character used a spell or feat from a book you no longer own, that content becomes unavailable until you resubscribe or buy it separately.
Is Master Tier worth it if I only play occasionally?
Probably not year-round. If you play once or twice a month, subscribing for one or two months around your campaign is cheaper than keeping it active all year. If you play weekly or run multiple campaigns, the year-round cost makes more sense.
Does Master Tier include digital dice or character portraits?
Master Tier includes access to the full character builder and all official content, but cosmetic items like dice skins and portrait packs are sold separately as add-ons. These are optional and don't affect gameplay.
Can I use Master Tier content in a campaign with players on the free tier?
Yes. When you invite free-tier players to your campaign, they see all the content you own through Master Tier. They don't need their own subscriptions to use the spells, feats, and items you've shared.