D&D General Does D&D Have an Identity Crisis?

[MarkB]

D&D having one single identity? What a horrible thought.

Even within an individual setting there's room for plenty of styles of adventure, from pulpy to whimsical to horror. And D&D isn't a setting - it's a system that can be used as the basis for a variety of settings.

The more different takes we get on D&D's 'identity' in media, the better - it'll be the death knell for the system if its publishers ever try to cram it all into one little box.

 

[Reynard]

I think it is worth noting that there isn't a very strong branding association with D&D for BG3. Certainly not to the degree the film had. HAT is what Hasbro wants the public to think of when they think D&D: inoffensive MCU style adventures. BG3 isn't a "D&D" game or even really a Forgotten Realms game -- it is a Larian game. And it's clear no one is more surprised by its wide appeal than Larian.

All that said, I am sure there are some pretty mad parents put there who bought their kids BG3 based on their assessment of D&D by way of HAT.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

D&D is for people to argue about what D&D is.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I think it is worth noting that there isn't a very strong branding association with D&D for BG3. Certainly not to the degree the film had. HAT is what Hasbro wants the public to think of when they think D&D: inoffensive MCU style adventures. BG3 isn't a "D&D" game or even really a Forgotten Realms game -- it is a Larian game. And it's clear no one is more surprised by its wide appeal than Larian.

All that said, I am sure there are some pretty mad parents put there who bought their kids BG3 based on their assessment of D&D by way of HAT.

The Steam page is age gated they have no excuse.

 

[Jack Daniel]

BG3 is just following in the footsteps established by Mass Effect and especially Dragon Age. It needs to be both D&D and a "mature" BioWare-style heavy-dialog-tree third-person CRPG.

 

[payn]

Nobody cares that comic books go all over the map. D&D should be the same. Something for everybody.

 

[DEFCON 1]

No.

 

[Burnside]

This past summer I went to see the D&D movie. It was a lighthearted movie appropriate for the whole family with no bad language, the cutest fattest dragon I've ever seen, bloodless violence, and comedy. In contrast, I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 and there's a party member who frequently drops F-bombs, you can bone a bear (apparently), and I interrupted a bugbear as he was about to rawdog an ogress from behind. I'm suffering from tonal whiplash here. And the table top RPG material is different still as it's not usually a lighthearted comedy though ther's at least some sexually related shenanigans in Ravenloft.

Who the hell is D&D for? Or, as Drax might say, "I'll do you one better, 'What is D&D?'" Because the movie, the computer game, and TTRPG seem to be aimed at different audiences. Don't they have some sort of IP manager who figures out what kidn of tone a D&D product should have? I'd be mightly confused if my introduction to D&D came from the movie and I went into Baldur's Gate expecting a similar experience. It's not that I'm offended by the content of BG3, it's a good game and I'm enjoying it, but I can't help but think if WotC published an adventure where you interrupted some hot bugbear on ogress action it'd be pretty devisive.

I think it's a really good point, and I think it's telling that the R-rated D&D stuff (Critical Role, Baldur's Gate 3) is far more successful.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

This past summer I went to see the D&D movie. It was a lighthearted movie appropriate for the whole family with no bad language, the cutest fattest dragon I've ever seen, bloodless violence, and comedy. In contrast, I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 and there's a party member who frequently drops F-bombs, you can bone a bear (apparently), and I interrupted a bugbear as he was about to rawdog an ogress from behind. I'm suffering from tonal whiplash here. And the table top RPG material is different still as it's not usually a lighthearted comedy though ther's at least some sexually related shenanigans in Ravenloft.

Who the hell is D&D for? Or, as Drax might say, "I'll do you one better, 'What is D&D?'" Because the movie, the computer game, and TTRPG seem to be aimed at different audiences. Don't they have some sort of IP manager who figures out what kidn of tone a D&D product should have? I'd be mightly confused if my introduction to D&D came from the movie and I went into Baldur's Gate expecting a similar experience. It's not that I'm offended by the content of BG3, it's a good game and I'm enjoying it, but I can't help but think if WotC published an adventure where you interrupted some hot bugbear on ogress action it'd be pretty devisive.

If they were using different settings for say the family friendly fair VS the more adult fair it'd be fine, the problem is FR shouldn't be presented to the public as family friendly, even not counting BG3 Dr has piles of adult content, it has enough sex Gods to make their own Pantheon, rape, torture, orgies, sex work, gore, attempted infanticide, incest, fiend worship, genocide, murder, mutilation, drugs, acholoism, cannibalism, etc...

FR is the LEAST kid friendly D&D setting, but it's also their go to setting for kids books and family friendly D&D movies and games.

 

[Umbran]

Who the hell is D&D for? Or, as Drax might say, "I'll do you one better, 'What is D&D?'" Because the movie, the computer game, and TTRPG seem to be aimed at different audiences.

Yes. Because they are different products, in different media. D&D, as a brand, does not have to be for one specific type of person.