D&D Insider
| Original author(s) | Wizards of the Coast |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2007 |
| Development status | Discontinued in 2014 |
| Type | Role-playing game accessory and content distribution |
| Website | http://www.wizards.com/dnd/tools.aspx |
Dungeons & Dragons Insider (DDI) was Wizards of the Coast's subscription method of digitally delivering periodic content and information about Dungeons & Dragons to the game's players.
DDI was announced at the 2007 Gen Con as a subscription-based electronic supplement to Dungeons & Dragons. The demo included a short video of a virtual "dungeon" (called the Game Table) in which some D&D adventures take place, containing virtual miniatures based on your character as created in the Character Visualizer (a 3D full-body portrait program).
DDI subscription included an online character builder (requires Microsoft Silverlight), archived Dragon and Dungeon web content, and a compendium of rules elements for the 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Additionally, a beta version of a monster builder (as part of the Adventure Tools suite) and the Virtual Table have been released.
It remained unclear if the Character Visualizer was slated for completion as originally advertised. This has caused some degree of backlash within the customer base, as this tool (and the currently-in-beta Virtual Table) were scheduled to launch when the 4th edition core books were released mid-2008; an additional source of anger is the litigious approach of Wizards of the Coast towards third-party developers who create tools to fill the gaps left by these unreleased tools.
August 2014 subscription renewal emails from Wizards of the Coast indicate that DDI subscription will no longer include new issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazines (only archives), and the online resources will no longer be actively supported. In 2017, Wizards of the Coast announced similar online tool-set for 5th Edition D&D dubbed "D&D Beyond".
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