The synergy between the DnD channels is really cool. Feels like a news community, but individuals not corporations, and built on working together instead of screwing each other over for the latest story.
Perhaps it is just how the suggestions work, for "my viewing" or however they do the recommended page, but unfortunately I see 2 different communities for DnD. Most sync up and "play nice" but then there are those who get recommended to me that seem to be against the others. Like, real drama stirring and insulting against. Probably because I clicked one anti-video about a woodworking company, I don't know. I like to hear differing view points (for or against the new DH for example) but I don't get why they then also go against the creators.
In a conversation I once had with Mr. Gygax, he told us that the real secret is that all you need to play are these and your imagination, and he held up a d20 and a pencil, always ruling over rules. The big three, "Have Fun", "Don't Be Afraid to Try Anything", and "The DM is always right!".😀
The DM is always right if the DM is at least half as brilliant as Gygax. If the story being told off the cuff is middling at best, it's best to follow the rules.
Is it a balance patch? And between what? Casters and Martials? I'm not to sure it about that, and I am certain it isn't helping with balance between player characters and monsters.
I believe the core of these changes is to support their VTT, not to address real issues. Will they fix a few things along the way? Sure, but not without mucking up stuff that was fine already for the sake of easier videogame... I mean VTT coding.
I hate being in the age category (re: grognard) where one of my favorite or at least nostalgic celebrities seem to die each week. RiP Mr Ward. Thank you for years of happiness and enjoyment.
7:07 The reason why campaigns start to break down at seven is because of a breakdown of game design. Gold power starts to mean less, levels start to drag, level benefits are less thought out. If it were just about options we would expect a game like 3.5 to break down sooner, yet it didn't. Games typically went on past level 10 and were largely halted by game balance problems, not option problems.
Question: when you say balance problems, do you mean in relation to monsters or the characters functioning in the setting? I've frequently seen non-epic (not beholders) monsters because of their stats, abilities or flavor text be very game breaking for their CR. The type of thing that when you look at a CR 6 creature and see it destroying a local area unopposed and then expect a full lvl 6 party struggle against it? Or do you mean that the PC's themselves get out of balance vs the local mayor and become despots of a local town?
Agreed. In 3.5 we often played characters at levels 7-12 and had a lot of fun. That's where you could also go with all the non-standard stuff like vampire and half-dragon PCs to just screw around.
I've never personally seen a game in any edition go past level 8, and that was a weird exception since most peter out at level 2 or 3 in my experience. Or you have the one guy who wanted to play a Chaotic Evil Fighter in a team mostly of Lawful Good Paladins and Chaotic Good Mages rage quit partway through the first session because he was upset at a game mechanic limiting how many spaces he can move on the board during his turn and he'd have to wait until the _second_ round of the tutorial combat to kill people with his melee weapons.
@@RoninCatholic 3e allowed you to play as monsters, but had level adjustments to balance them out. Thus if we wanted to play a team consisting of a liche, a vampire, a Darkling, and a dwarven cleric (yes that actually happened), we had to start the cleric at a much higher level than the rest of the party. Personally, I only really had two problem players in my gaming history: one that decided to take revenge on the party for his own incompetence leading to his character dying, and another one that would randomly kill people.
I can attest to this as well. Learning one game opens up the door to learning others through commonalities. Four Against Darkness, through its solo-centric system, introduced me to dungeon crawling and random tables, which helped me understand OD&D through White Box. White Box helped me understand Basic Fantasy. Another game, Olde Swords Reign helped me understand 5e through its use of White Box's design philosophy applied to 5e's mechanical base. Never think you can't learn a new game just because the first you tried was a time sink. That effort to learn makes further learning easier over time. Kind of a lesson for real life too, come to think of it.
Professor DM just gained 42 cool points for the Talking Heads reference, and for the respectful acknowledgement of the passing of Mr. Ward and his numerous contributions to the game we all love.
I've been running Dragon Bane at my local game store and it's made a few of the players realize that they were getting major 5e fatigue and didn't even know it. The things they thought they'd hate about Dragon Bane like fewer HP and character options ended up being their favorite part. But alas, Free League doesn't have Hasbro's marketing budget.
That's why this game is excellent: you fear to kill your character and you have to play with caution. You want beefy character and epic combat, then go for D&D5e, it's made for that but like everyone is saying, after the 7th level, it's no more fun at all...
RIP Jim. Your work on Greyhawk and AD&D is beloved by me. Prof DM - another great video. I enjoyed the extra interaction with being able to play along when I went to the survey. Might be neat to figure out other ways to do this periodically.
Yeah, I took Bob's survey. I think D&D has always suffered at the hands of whatever company that owned the IP, starting when TSR fired Arneson. That's when I started writing my own rule set.
Rest well James Ward, and enjoy your new adventure. I took the survey from Bobs link yesterday and my responses were more negative than yours Professor. Love your videos and the fact that you are a snappy dresser! Keep up the amazing work!
Thanks for the shout-out about James Ward. That's one of many reasons... I love ALL Dungeoncraft content. I know you see what I did there. Myself, I'm trying to work out a TTRPG that's a Mashup of Runequest, BECMI, DnD1e, 5e, and Pathfinder 1e. I'm trying to get the simulation feel with the speed and ease of more modern games. It's difficult to accomplish.
I'm shocked how much I'm enjoying Pathfinder 2. After 3.5 & Pathfinder 1, I didn't think I'd shift systems again, but I'll actually buy Pathfinder 2 products. I just use online guides for D&D 5e, won't buy the books.
If you pay close attention to Paizo, they are no different than WotC. They have taken some incredibly bad actions in the past few years that is just as bad (or worse) than WotC. I wouldn't give either company any of my money.
I had a similar experience and was pleasantly surprised with PF2e. They addressed many of the issues I had with the previous edition and streamlined things nicely. Love the new action economy.
The first moments of a youtube video are the most crucial for snagging your audience and keeping retention high. I respect the hell out of you for opening by honoring James Ward.
First, thank you for the tribute to James Ward. He made such an impact to all of us. Next, I agree with you on several points. However, I absolutely LOVE adding races to the game. I have played the Tortle as a Cleric and I am currently playing a Ratatosk (squirrel-folk from Kobold Press) as a rogue. In my other games (as a GM) my players all choose what they would like to play (race/class) that fits with the campaign’s theme. I do understand your position and preference to the classic and gritty dungeon-crawl. Great video as always!
I don’t always drink Dos Equis, but when I do I love all Dungeon Craft, Lunch Break Heroes, and Bob the World Builder videos. I also like to pretend like I can thwart an algorithm in my own personal struggle against the machine that I chose as my slavers.
I always enjoy the tone of your channel, it’s rare to find anything nuanced on RUclips so I am grateful my hobby has a guy like you creating video, content and commentary for it.
Thanks PDM. Good answers. Personally, I'm not with you on the corporate thing. Reckon they'll probably kill us all for short term pleasures, but I get that you're from stock market land and work in the kind of Ivy League surroundings founded by East India Company dodgy cash. There's definitely more centuries of 'institutional thickness' in the discourse propping up the status quo than my anarcho-pinko notions - lol Still think you're a total star. Keep posting 'em. I love to hear what you have to say!
Saying "that's just what big corporations do" is a cop-out. Big companies also steal the hard work of others, dump chemicals into residential water supplies, and claim their vehicles have passed inspections which they haven't. Just because they do it doesn't mean we should tolerate it.
Thanks again for sharing your perspective. Your videos have helped me a lot in reacquainting myself with the ttrpg world and community over the last couple of years after a 15 year hiatus. Keep up the great work
I took Bob's survey. I'm not as neutral on Hasbro/WoTC. Their actions, both recently, and Habro's historically, have put them very low in my opinion. I'd love to see D&D get sold to someone else. Until it does, Hasbro has gotten it's last penny from me, in every way that I know I can stop it. My penny doesn't add to much, to them, but it's valuable to me as much for my principles as my wallet. I have my D&D stuff. I still intend to use it. If I require more, I'm looking for it though the secondary market. As for the hobby shops, they still get my money, but on other systems (which, I'm honestly glad I started branching out into - it has rekindled a lot of my imagination and ideas for my own business venture adjacent to TTRPGs). The only issue that is less black and white for me is the staff at either part of the company who genuinely love working on D&D, have a love for TTRPGs, and are fans and players as well as creators. And it's because they are usually the first to feel the pinch from the C-suite exOrcutives, that I am firmed in my resolve to not give Hasbro more money but know that it hurts the same people I do fear will pay for it ultimately. That's a hard line to walk, and I feel the wobble.
RIP James I very honored to have been a FB friend and llistening to yur advice over the years made me a better DM and I will never forget you, condolenses to his Family and his close friends.
I'm not much younger than you Professor, yet its interesting how we diverged on our preferences. Your reference to "rulings, not rules" I have been referring to as "DM fiat", and some bad experiences with that early on in my rpg career pushed me toward the more rules-based design and embracing battlemaps. Anything to minimise being "screwed" by the DM making arbitrary desicions that always tended to favour the bad guys than the players. There are many DMs out there who are incapable of being impartial or fair, but being impartial and fair as a DM is something I have always strived to be because of those experiences. I think DMs like this are in the minority and thus there has been that progression away from "rulings not rules"/"DM fiat" as a result. It's a tough thing to balance. I agree wholeheartedly on the scaling issues for higher level play (since 3rd to be honest) and the high PC survivability that has crept in to each subsequent edition - though I think BECMI and 1st edition is too harsh when one swing of a sword can end a character with no chance to bandage or stabilise - that's not fun to me or most players in my experience (though on a nat 20 I'd entertain it but that's a house rule then).
Even if I thought D&D 5e was a good system - which I sincerely don't - I'd not play a Wizards/Hasbro product. I care about the TTRPG community as a whole.
I'm not shocked by WoTC, but i did stop buying their products shortly before the OGL crisis. I think i was mad about some other scandal, then i got burned dumping like $500 into Dominaria for the memories. I've washed my hands now and play Shadowdark and a host of other things. Why did i type this?
As far as Open vs Closed Systems - OD&D was an open system and the closed system started with AD&D & B/X - both a reaction to the closed system of RuneQuest and Chaosium. I certainly suggest reading any of Robert Kuntz books about the origins of D&D - "The True Genius of Dave Arneson" or "The 4th Category" to get a full sense of what that means. But D&D with more rules, modules, and settings is part of the closed system.
I'm very old school. Been playing D&D since Feb, 1977. Seen all the changes. When 3rd ed came out, I read a friend's copy and said, "They comic booked the game." I didn't buy and kept playing A2e. When 4th ed came out, I again read someone else's copy. To that version I said, "Now they've video gamed it." I didn't buy and kept playing A2e. I never bothered to read 5e until Covid forced me onto VTTs (and thus 5e) just to keep playing. I still prefer A2e, but can't get a reliably regular group together for it. So, I'm stuck with 5e on VTT. When the 'new' system is released, I'll look at it. But I won't buy it. If I can't continue playing without paying out another ton of cash... then I'll retire. 47 years and some change.wull have to do. To quote the inimitable Fort Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
'corpos are gonna do what corpos are gonna do' doesn't make what they do *right*, morally or otherwise. people need to stop being so complacent about greedy assholes that are literally out to ruin everything we love for a quick buck.
You are right. I don't think I suggested it was right. I kind of see corporations as scorpions. It is their nature to sting. But I don't they can ever ruin what we love.
@@massconnect9329 yep, no idea. Never worked one of THOSE jobs, not me, not ever. Nope, just easy, non office work for me. You totally pegged me! /s "I'd rather be complacent" says more about you than my comment says about me...
They're reasonable answers. May disagree but, I can easily see how many others can have a positive outlook on 5e and the current status. To quote my 5e DM: If I get a last min notice that people are free to run, it takes me 15 min to come up with an adventure that people can have fun with.
I must say you recommending the essentials kit was definitely a good choice. I ran it myself for a year and with a few adjustments I somehow managed to squeeze a few extra levels into it and got the players to level 9 upon beating the whole scenario.
I love and totally agree with your monologue on what dnd is and what makes it fun. I just watched a 2.5h video on the entire history of RPGs and it all starts in 1974 with TSR's dnd.
I like the fact that my issues with 5th edition are for the most part the same as yours. I add in the fact that psionics aren't in the game, Pathfinder 1st edition still has the best rules IMO with so many of the old loopholes closed off. Thanks for the upload , love the channel!
Thank you, I was thinking that I was the only one thinking that BECMI is the best edition. The Mystara setting still remains my favorite setting for going from the deadly serious to the wacky (Orcs of Thar)....
Boxed Sets for the win: Include One Rule Book, One Module, AT LEAST 4 minis, 7 dice, 1 two sided map or geomorph. If believe it was the 3rd Edition box set that provided all of the above.
I’m with you PDM. Moldvay Basic is my favorite of all the editions - it was my first D&D set and I spent many happy hours reading and re-reading that red book. The Erol Otus cover art is still my favorite.
I remember being so impressed with 3rd. It's customization and options. "Rules for everything". I found the older versions too restrictive, like all fighters were identical and only the weapon choice and the 18/00 strength to set them apart (other than personality/RP of course). Now I lean way more towards rules light. I see the trap of rules for everything being now you NEED to have a feat or option to try things.
Personally, I love DnD and about a dozen other tabletop games. That being said, I do not like the current holders of it and if I can I will avoid them. I do not believe they are professional in their past dealings (and with the past owners/family of the IP) and the blatant lies they are telling now regarding things the fans and players care about, such as A.I. I won't discourage others from playing it if they want and I still make adjustments to the rules to fit us. And yes, I recognize that AI is a tool, and it will be getting used by more and more people and companies. My grump with it is they said it WOULD NOT be used, at all, and multiple times they were "caught" going back on their word.
You are far more generous than me! Truth be told: DnD has always suffered from terrible management decisions. The main difference I see is that during TSR days, they also hired creative geniuses to come up with amazing products; now-a-days they simply try to milk old ideas for every last cent (usually while disparaging the very legacy material they're trying to squeeze more money from).
I loved the video and took the survey. I get that mega corporations are ruthless and greedy as a norm, but because something is common practice, it doesn't make it virtuous, or even acceptable. Always stand up for what you believe in.
I love all your videos! I also agree with a lot of your takes here. The thought I would like to push back on is the direction of the company. I agree with your reasoning that big companies are going to act like big companies but I don't like that the company appears to be taking the cash before quality route more often of late, particularly where DnD is concerned. As I'm seeing this as a newer development over the last year or two, I'd say that I don't like the direction they're going even if I understand it and am not surprised by it. Thanks for your thoughts!
I personally think the "giant corpos are gunna do what they do" argument for being neutral on them is crazy to me. They are going to do the worst thing for the customer and best thing fro their wallets, which i do not feel neutral about at all XD I feel very negatively about it in fact. Just because "that's how it is" doesn't mean I should expect to be complacent in it. Not being surprised at their decisions does not leave me neutral, it keeps me mad.
Love the content and this is a story that needs covering! My schooling in designing surveys makes me look at these things differently from most and this survey was AWFUL. It was either built by some one who was trying to gather good vibes for shareholders and some exec board or it was at best half baked before being made live. Plus, it wasn't very widely promoted and I think that had to be deliberate.
I wonder when the WotC survey was taken down? I said on the Bob World Builder video that I saw Bobs' video mentioning the survey Tuesday 19th March about 12 hours after it was uploaded, and someone had tried to do the survey within 15 minutes of the upload, only to find it gone. Per the tweet announcing it, it went up around the 11th? Definitely sounds like they didn't like the results they got initially!
RIP Jim Ward. Gamma World 1e was my second RPG after Boot Hill. I have it on my table as I am about to run a post apocalyptic one shot for a group of 40-50somethings. Those flowcharts!
I like the Tortles in their original setting/environment. D&D has had several wonderful races that were setting specific, such as the Vanara from Oriental Adventures.
So glad you acknowledged James Ward. His contributions to the entire RPG hobby cannot be overstated.
Time to drag Gamma World out again.
@@jamesmaclennan4525And Metamorphosis Alpha...
I think you meant to say "overstated." If it can't be overstated, no matter how high you praise his contributions, you haven't overstated it.
@@davidfinch7407 Thank you, sir. 🙂 Thanks to Jim for his contributions as well.
@@iliasmastoris529 which i have the collectors edition off
The synergy between the DnD channels is really cool. Feels like a news community, but individuals not corporations, and built on working together instead of screwing each other over for the latest story.
Perhaps it is just how the suggestions work, for "my viewing" or however they do the recommended page, but unfortunately I see 2 different communities for DnD. Most sync up and "play nice" but then there are those who get recommended to me that seem to be against the others. Like, real drama stirring and insulting against. Probably because I clicked one anti-video about a woodworking company, I don't know. I like to hear differing view points (for or against the new DH for example) but I don't get why they then also go against the creators.
@@RoseKindredDungeoncraft on one end and neckbeardiattrpg on the other end--what a time to be alive.
Fully agree and hope this continues
Prof DM with the subtle nod to Colville’s “dooblydoo”. 😊
Thanks. The creators in this space are very friendly with each other. And we hang out occasionally. (Bob once killed my character, BTW.)
In a conversation I once had with Mr. Gygax, he told us that the real secret is that all you need to play are these and your imagination, and he held up a d20 and a pencil, always ruling over rules. The big three, "Have Fun", "Don't Be Afraid to Try Anything", and "The DM is always right!".😀
I approve this message...
Yup.
THAT defines D&D. Not whichever corporate entity happens to hold copyright at any given time. ❤
Wizards has shot itself in the foot, fire the entire management team.@@JO-uy6zs
The DM is always right if the DM is at least half as brilliant as Gygax. If the story being told off the cuff is middling at best, it's best to follow the rules.
Thanks for acknowledging Ward’s contributions and his passing
Much respect. Always.
RIP Mr. James...
It makes a little sad that it's the 50th anniversary and we're basically getting a balance patch.
Lol. True.
Is it a balance patch? And between what? Casters and Martials? I'm not to sure it about that, and I am certain it isn't helping with balance between player characters and monsters.
I believe the core of these changes is to support their VTT, not to address real issues. Will they fix a few things along the way? Sure, but not without mucking up stuff that was fine already for the sake of easier videogame... I mean VTT coding.
I hate being in the age category (re: grognard) where one of my favorite or at least nostalgic celebrities seem to die each week. RiP Mr Ward. Thank you for years of happiness and enjoyment.
Hail to the old school, when being a nerd meant that you needed to hide it.
Ditto.
7:07 The reason why campaigns start to break down at seven is because of a breakdown of game design. Gold power starts to mean less, levels start to drag, level benefits are less thought out. If it were just about options we would expect a game like 3.5 to break down sooner, yet it didn't. Games typically went on past level 10 and were largely halted by game balance problems, not option problems.
Question: when you say balance problems, do you mean in relation to monsters or the characters functioning in the setting?
I've frequently seen non-epic (not beholders) monsters because of their stats, abilities or flavor text be very game breaking for their CR. The type of thing that when you look at a CR 6 creature and see it destroying a local area unopposed and then expect a full lvl 6 party struggle against it?
Or do you mean that the PC's themselves get out of balance vs the local mayor and become despots of a local town?
@@TchHry The PCs get out of balance with each other.
Agreed. In 3.5 we often played characters at levels 7-12 and had a lot of fun. That's where you could also go with all the non-standard stuff like vampire and half-dragon PCs to just screw around.
I've never personally seen a game in any edition go past level 8, and that was a weird exception since most peter out at level 2 or 3 in my experience. Or you have the one guy who wanted to play a Chaotic Evil Fighter in a team mostly of Lawful Good Paladins and Chaotic Good Mages rage quit partway through the first session because he was upset at a game mechanic limiting how many spaces he can move on the board during his turn and he'd have to wait until the _second_ round of the tutorial combat to kill people with his melee weapons.
@@RoninCatholic 3e allowed you to play as monsters, but had level adjustments to balance them out. Thus if we wanted to play a team consisting of a liche, a vampire, a Darkling, and a dwarven cleric (yes that actually happened), we had to start the cleric at a much higher level than the rest of the party.
Personally, I only really had two problem players in my gaming history: one that decided to take revenge on the party for his own incompetence leading to his character dying, and another one that would randomly kill people.
I’ve always described an RPG ruleset as a language. Hearing you refer to RPG’s the same way convinces me that we are both brilliant.
I can attest to this as well. Learning one game opens up the door to learning others through commonalities. Four Against Darkness, through its solo-centric system, introduced me to dungeon crawling and random tables, which helped me understand OD&D through White Box. White Box helped me understand Basic Fantasy. Another game, Olde Swords Reign helped me understand 5e through its use of White Box's design philosophy applied to 5e's mechanical base.
Never think you can't learn a new game just because the first you tried was a time sink. That effort to learn makes further learning easier over time. Kind of a lesson for real life too, come to think of it.
You've convinced me. You ARE brilliant!
Professor DM just gained 42 cool points for the Talking Heads reference, and for the respectful acknowledgement of the passing of Mr. Ward and his numerous contributions to the game we all love.
I've been running Dragon Bane at my local game store and it's made a few of the players realize that they were getting major 5e fatigue and didn't even know it. The things they thought they'd hate about Dragon Bane like fewer HP and character options ended up being their favorite part. But alas, Free League doesn't have Hasbro's marketing budget.
That's why this game is excellent: you fear to kill your character and you have to play with caution. You want beefy character and epic combat, then go for D&D5e, it's made for that but like everyone is saying, after the 7th level, it's no more fun at all...
RIP Jim. Your work on Greyhawk and AD&D is beloved by me. Prof DM - another great video. I enjoyed the extra interaction with being able to play along when I went to the survey. Might be neat to figure out other ways to do this periodically.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love ALL dungeon craft videos.
Also, great nod to Ward, heard about it through the Troll Lord guys, sad news for the TTRPG world for sure
Yeah, I took Bob's survey.
I think D&D has always suffered at the hands of whatever company that owned the IP, starting when TSR fired Arneson. That's when I started writing my own rule set.
It has really suffered since hasbeen bought it up. Those morons wouldn't know good game design if it came up and ripped off their backsides.
Rest well James Ward, and enjoy your new adventure.
I took the survey from Bobs link yesterday and my responses were more negative than yours Professor. Love your videos and the fact that you are a snappy dresser! Keep up the amazing work!
Can we do a documentary on Jim Ward?
Thanks for the shout-out about James Ward.
That's one of many reasons...
I love ALL Dungeoncraft content.
I know you see what I did there.
Myself, I'm trying to work out a TTRPG that's a Mashup of Runequest, BECMI, DnD1e, 5e, and Pathfinder 1e. I'm trying to get the simulation feel with the speed and ease of more modern games.
It's difficult to accomplish.
I suggest leaving out most 5e rotting garbage elements.
I appreciate the kind words about James Ward, and thank you for sharing the link for BWB's survey.
RIP Jimes, I love all Dungeon Craft videos.
Thanks for sharing. Also saw Bob’s video and not surprised that Wizards squashed the survey straight-away
It was just funny how fast that happened.
I'm shocked how much I'm enjoying Pathfinder 2.
After 3.5 & Pathfinder 1, I didn't think I'd shift systems again, but I'll actually buy Pathfinder 2 products.
I just use online guides for D&D 5e, won't buy the books.
If you pay close attention to Paizo, they are no different than WotC. They have taken some incredibly bad actions in the past few years that is just as bad (or worse) than WotC. I wouldn't give either company any of my money.
I had a similar experience and was pleasantly surprised with PF2e. They addressed many of the issues I had with the previous edition and streamlined things nicely. Love the new action economy.
PF2 is Tight!
PF2e is amazing and my group loves it.
The 3-action economy is amazing and makes the game easier to grasp.
Rest in peace Mr. Ward. You changed the world and brought joy.
The first moments of a youtube video are the most crucial for snagging your audience and keeping retention high. I respect the hell out of you for opening by honoring James Ward.
He is worth honoring.
Dungeon Craft videos are my most favorite videos on RUclips! Thanks Professor DM for producing such great videos!
First, thank you for the tribute to James Ward. He made such an impact to all of us.
Next, I agree with you on several points. However, I absolutely LOVE adding races to the game. I have played the Tortle as a Cleric and I am currently playing a Ratatosk (squirrel-folk from Kobold Press) as a rogue. In my other games (as a GM) my players all choose what they would like to play (race/class) that fits with the campaign’s theme. I do understand your position and preference to the classic and gritty dungeon-crawl.
Great video as always!
That's cool. If you like them, I support you.
Our group just dropped back to playing 2nd edition. Been enjoying it.
I don’t always drink Dos Equis, but when I do I love all Dungeon Craft, Lunch Break Heroes, and Bob the World Builder videos.
I also like to pretend like I can thwart an algorithm in my own personal struggle against the machine that I chose as my slavers.
Thank you for the struggle!
I always enjoy the tone of your channel, it’s rare to find anything nuanced on RUclips so I am grateful my hobby has a guy like you creating video, content and commentary for it.
Respect to James Ward!
I love the discussion for each question, instead of just basic answers.
It's the best way to explain your viewpoint. Thanks for taking the time.
Thanks PDM.
Good answers.
Personally, I'm not with you on the corporate thing. Reckon they'll probably kill us all for short term pleasures, but I get that you're from stock market land and work in the kind of Ivy League surroundings founded by East India Company dodgy cash. There's definitely more centuries of 'institutional thickness' in the discourse propping up the status quo than my anarcho-pinko notions - lol
Still think you're a total star.
Keep posting 'em. I love to hear what you have to say!
I'm right there with you on this.
Thanks. Fortunately, corporations can't kill us--then there would be no more stuff to buy!
You're a good man PDM with a good heart.
Need more like you.
Best
I'm surprised that with so many Moldvay-Cook clones that the company hasn't pushed selling .pdf files of those rules more than they have.
I love how all you RUclipsrs communicate and help each other out.
Saying "that's just what big corporations do" is a cop-out. Big companies also steal the hard work of others, dump chemicals into residential water supplies, and claim their vehicles have passed inspections which they haven't. Just because they do it doesn't mean we should tolerate it.
Thanks to your episode earlier this month, I’ll never pass by another one without watching. Great work!
Thanks again for sharing your perspective. Your videos have helped me a lot in reacquainting myself with the ttrpg world and community over the last couple of years after a 15 year hiatus. Keep up the great work
I took Bob's survey. I'm not as neutral on Hasbro/WoTC. Their actions, both recently, and Habro's historically, have put them very low in my opinion. I'd love to see D&D get sold to someone else. Until it does, Hasbro has gotten it's last penny from me, in every way that I know I can stop it. My penny doesn't add to much, to them, but it's valuable to me as much for my principles as my wallet.
I have my D&D stuff. I still intend to use it. If I require more, I'm looking for it though the secondary market. As for the hobby shops, they still get my money, but on other systems (which, I'm honestly glad I started branching out into - it has rekindled a lot of my imagination and ideas for my own business venture adjacent to TTRPGs).
The only issue that is less black and white for me is the staff at either part of the company who genuinely love working on D&D, have a love for TTRPGs, and are fans and players as well as creators. And it's because they are usually the first to feel the pinch from the C-suite exOrcutives, that I am firmed in my resolve to not give Hasbro more money but know that it hurts the same people I do fear will pay for it ultimately. That's a hard line to walk, and I feel the wobble.
I love all Dungeon Craft videos! The Professor and Seth Skorkowski putting out videos almost simultaneously today was a welcome surprise.
RIP James I very honored to have been a FB friend and llistening to yur advice over the years made me a better DM and I will never forget you, condolenses to his Family and his close friends.
He was a great man.
I'm not much younger than you Professor, yet its interesting how we diverged on our preferences. Your reference to "rulings, not rules" I have been referring to as "DM fiat", and some bad experiences with that early on in my rpg career pushed me toward the more rules-based design and embracing battlemaps. Anything to minimise being "screwed" by the DM making arbitrary desicions that always tended to favour the bad guys than the players. There are many DMs out there who are incapable of being impartial or fair, but being impartial and fair as a DM is something I have always strived to be because of those experiences. I think DMs like this are in the minority and thus there has been that progression away from "rulings not rules"/"DM fiat" as a result. It's a tough thing to balance. I agree wholeheartedly on the scaling issues for higher level play (since 3rd to be honest) and the high PC survivability that has crept in to each subsequent edition - though I think BECMI and 1st edition is too harsh when one swing of a sword can end a character with no chance to bandage or stabilise - that's not fun to me or most players in my experience (though on a nat 20 I'd entertain it but that's a house rule then).
Even if I thought D&D 5e was a good system - which I sincerely don't - I'd not play a Wizards/Hasbro product. I care about the TTRPG community as a whole.
Alright, you're making some real dumb arguments here and intentionally conflating wizards game and TTRPG.
I'm unsubscribing.
You also like to put people out of work so you can feel good for punishing a company for basically nothing.
Nobody cares go clean your attic
thanks for sharing the survey in the description below👍
No problem 👍 Thanks for using it.
hopefully the results are reflective and helpful
Jim was always so pleasant the few times we spoke. RIP, sir.
Dan you are so much nicer than I was. Sadly I only got to put it on BWB's version
Rest in power, Jim. Gamma World was my first TTRPG to actually play. Thank you, James Ward. Thank you for all you do, Dungeon Craft!
Great designer. He will be missed.
Current edition of D&D: very positive.
Current direction of D&D: very negative.
I'm not shocked by WoTC, but i did stop buying their products shortly before the OGL crisis. I think i was mad about some other scandal, then i got burned dumping like $500 into Dominaria for the memories. I've washed my hands now and play Shadowdark and a host of other things.
Why did i type this?
As far as Open vs Closed Systems - OD&D was an open system and the closed system started with AD&D & B/X - both a reaction to the closed system of RuneQuest and Chaosium.
I certainly suggest reading any of Robert Kuntz books about the origins of D&D - "The True Genius of Dave Arneson" or "The 4th Category" to get a full sense of what that means. But D&D with more rules, modules, and settings is part of the closed system.
I'm very old school. Been playing D&D since Feb, 1977. Seen all the changes. When 3rd ed came out, I read a friend's copy and said, "They comic booked the game." I didn't buy and kept playing A2e. When 4th ed came out, I again read someone else's copy. To that version I said, "Now they've video gamed it." I didn't buy and kept playing A2e.
I never bothered to read 5e until Covid forced me onto VTTs (and thus 5e) just to keep playing.
I still prefer A2e, but can't get a reliably regular group together for it. So, I'm stuck with 5e on VTT.
When the 'new' system is released, I'll look at it. But I won't buy it. If I can't continue playing without paying out another ton of cash... then I'll retire. 47 years and some change.wull have to do.
To quote the inimitable Fort Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
'corpos are gonna do what corpos are gonna do' doesn't make what they do *right*, morally or otherwise. people need to stop being so complacent about greedy assholes that are literally out to ruin everything we love for a quick buck.
You are right. I don't think I suggested it was right. I kind of see corporations as scorpions. It is their nature to sting. But I don't they can ever ruin what we love.
I'd rather be complacent than drive myself insane by assuming the absolute worst about people. You probably have no clue what corporate work is like.
@@massconnect9329 yep, no idea. Never worked one of THOSE jobs, not me, not ever. Nope, just easy, non office work for me. You totally pegged me! /s
"I'd rather be complacent" says more about you than my comment says about me...
“D&D is a language and the variants are dialects” is fun and interesting analogy to think about. Great video I’m glad I rewatched
Thank you for your support!
Love the non biased takes, Professor. Excellent discussion points as always
Cool
I’ll take the survey too
Only a little surprised by your answers
They're reasonable answers.
May disagree but, I can easily see how many others can have a positive outlook on 5e and the current status.
To quote my 5e DM: If I get a last min notice that people are free to run, it takes me 15 min to come up with an adventure that people can have fun with.
I love all of professors DM videos. I think I will watch them all today while I work
Negative news always get more clicks. Glad you have a level headed analysis.
Actually his work on Metamorphosis Alpha was the first science fiction roleplaying game, gamma world was later
I must say you recommending the essentials kit was definitely a good choice. I ran it myself for a year and with a few adjustments I somehow managed to squeeze a few extra levels into it and got the players to level 9 upon beating the whole scenario.
Nice!
I would love to see a contrasting poll, gauging the popularity and satisfaction of Baldur's Gate 3 versus the tabletop game.
BG3 is a little over-rated its not D&D and its not DOS, personally i would have rather just had a Divinity 3.
I love and totally agree with your monologue on what dnd is and what makes it fun. I just watched a 2.5h video on the entire history of RPGs and it all starts in 1974 with TSR's dnd.
Thanks for mentioning Mr. James, he has some stellar stories and tips in his Facebook page. He will be sorely missed.
"Crosseyed and Painless" is such a good jam. Love that reference.
You're welcome.
My inner nerd child was born in Gamma World in 1985. R.I.P Sir Ward, your contributions and creations will ripple out into infinity.
R.I.P Jame Ward! Gamma World was my jam back in the 1980s. Thank you!
RIP Mr. Ward. His works gave us so many good hours of amazing fun.
Love how you frame dnd as language and dialects. Thanks for another great video.
Landed on Shadow of the Demon Lord and not going back.
Love all of the Dungeon's Craft's videos. I am excited to see the results of the survey.
I like the fact that my issues with 5th edition are for the most part the same as yours. I add in the fact that psionics aren't in the game, Pathfinder 1st edition still has the best rules IMO with so many of the old loopholes closed off. Thanks for the upload , love the channel!
Took Bob's suvey, thanks for sharing the link.
My pleasure. He thanks you.
Thank you, I was thinking that I was the only one thinking that BECMI is the best edition. The Mystara setting still remains my favorite setting for going from the deadly serious to the wacky (Orcs of Thar)....
The ruleset is the box of crayons we use to color a picture together. When I ask for the blue crayon, you know what I'm asking for. RIP Mr. Ward.
Boxed Sets for the win: Include One Rule Book, One Module, AT LEAST 4 minis, 7 dice, 1 two sided map or geomorph.
If believe it was the 3rd Edition box set that provided all of the above.
Dungeoncraft always has insightful observations about the state of the TTRPG industry. But I'm looking forward to the DM Screen episode...
I’m with you PDM. Moldvay Basic is my favorite of all the editions - it was my first D&D set and I spent many happy hours reading and re-reading that red book. The Erol Otus cover art is still my favorite.
I remember being so impressed with 3rd. It's customization and options. "Rules for everything". I found the older versions too restrictive, like all fighters were identical and only the weapon choice and the 18/00 strength to set them apart (other than personality/RP of course). Now I lean way more towards rules light. I see the trap of rules for everything being now you NEED to have a feat or option to try things.
Your videos make my game better no matter what system!
Great vid as usual! Thanks for the James Ward memoriam
He's worth the mention.
Personally, I love DnD and about a dozen other tabletop games. That being said, I do not like the current holders of it and if I can I will avoid them. I do not believe they are professional in their past dealings (and with the past owners/family of the IP) and the blatant lies they are telling now regarding things the fans and players care about, such as A.I.
I won't discourage others from playing it if they want and I still make adjustments to the rules to fit us.
And yes, I recognize that AI is a tool, and it will be getting used by more and more people and companies. My grump with it is they said it WOULD NOT be used, at all, and multiple times they were "caught" going back on their word.
I also filled out Bob's survey and had many similar thoughts
Thanks for sharing.
Another issue is that the best/most useful abilities are front-loaded within the first 6 or 7 levels.
Another great video. Always thought provoking. Love when you bring in content from your friends like Sly Flourish and Bob World Builder.😊
RIP Mr. Ward.
You are far more generous than me!
Truth be told: DnD has always suffered from terrible management decisions. The main difference I see is that during TSR days, they also hired creative geniuses to come up with amazing products; now-a-days they simply try to milk old ideas for every last cent (usually while disparaging the very legacy material they're trying to squeeze more money from).
We crossed the rules not rulings Rubicon way back in the 70s with the release of AD&D.
Love Dungeon Craft for the content that they create. If you see this Professor, your Daggerheart video still has a typo in the title.
I loved the video and took the survey. I get that mega corporations are ruthless and greedy as a norm, but because something is common practice, it doesn't make it virtuous, or even acceptable. Always stand up for what you believe in.
It's crazy to me (although not surprising) that a company would take down a poll because the results of the poll are not what they want to hear.
I love all your videos!
I also agree with a lot of your takes here. The thought I would like to push back on is the direction of the company. I agree with your reasoning that big companies are going to act like big companies but I don't like that the company appears to be taking the cash before quality route more often of late, particularly where DnD is concerned. As I'm seeing this as a newer development over the last year or two, I'd say that I don't like the direction they're going even if I understand it and am not surprised by it.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Great video and Thank You for supporting BWB! I watch all his videos and just subscribed to yours.
I personally think the "giant corpos are gunna do what they do" argument for being neutral on them is crazy to me. They are going to do the worst thing for the customer and best thing fro their wallets, which i do not feel neutral about at all XD I feel very negatively about it in fact. Just because "that's how it is" doesn't mean I should expect to be complacent in it. Not being surprised at their decisions does not leave me neutral, it keeps me mad.
Love the content and this is a story that needs covering! My schooling in designing surveys makes me look at these things differently from most and this survey was AWFUL. It was either built by some one who was trying to gather good vibes for shareholders and some exec board or it was at best half baked before being made live. Plus, it wasn't very widely promoted and I think that had to be deliberate.
I bow my head for Mr. Ward. Thanks for analysis.
Nothing to add to the conversation, just making a comment to increase awareness. Keep em coming and I’ll keep watching.
Holy shit I just watched an interview Mr. Ward did with a lesser known D&D channel last week
That's a goddamn shame, gods be with him
All of the kudos for using "in the doobily-doo below"!!!
I usually cal it a hooty doot! lol
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Not sure if they were first, but this always reminds me of John and Hank, the VLog Brothers. So... don't forget to be awesome!
I wonder when the WotC survey was taken down? I said on the Bob World Builder video that I saw Bobs' video mentioning the survey Tuesday 19th March about 12 hours after it was uploaded, and someone had tried to do the survey within 15 minutes of the upload, only to find it gone. Per the tweet announcing it, it went up around the 11th?
Definitely sounds like they didn't like the results they got initially!
Thanks for commenting!
RIP Jim Ward. Gamma World 1e was my second RPG after Boot Hill. I have it on my table as I am about to run a post apocalyptic one shot for a group of 40-50somethings. Those flowcharts!
Sad to hear about Mr Ward. Condolences to his family and friends.
😢😢😢😢
Great video as always. The extra on Patreon was well worth it
Thank you for all your support!
I like the Tortles in their original setting/environment. D&D has had several wonderful races that were setting specific, such as the Vanara from Oriental Adventures.