WotC New D&D Stream Replaces Dice, Camera, Action!

The official D&D streaming campaign Dice, Camera, Action!, run by WotC's Chris Perkins, ended somewhat ignominiously earlier this year. WotC has just announced its replacement -- "DnDPresents", featuring some of the same cast.

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According to the official Twitter account Chris Perkins returns as DM for a new show, DnD Presents, featuring. Anna Prosser, Nathan Sharp, Mica Burton, and ShadyPenguinn. More information will be revealed at PAX Unplugged next week.

WotC confirmed "We are excited for you to experience the new show, but that means [Dice, Camera, Action!] will not be returning. We congratulate the cast on 141 episodes of wonderful storytelling."

Chris Perkins added "I will have thoughts to share about DCA at some point, but for now I’ll just say how much I love the whole DCA cast, in particular Anna Prosser, Nathan Sharp, Jared Knabenbauer, and Holly Conrad. We are a family, and their happiness matters to me."

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Have they thought about to use subtitles in the video? I think my level of English is enough good for reading, but listening is harder.

What will happen about the lore of the characters, were they canon? Maybe somebody could create a story about how somebody who did bad things was sent to Ravenloft and then suffered a horrible curse.

 

[Charlaquin]

I really like Chris Perkin's DM Experience and Iomedra campaign stuff from the Wizard's site. But I normally don't enjoy Actual Play videos. (I have same problems with TV in general.)

So I'm torn. For someone not into the video thing, how was DCA in terms of cool DMing? Is it worth going back and trying to watch for someone not fond of the format?

Chris’s DMing style isn’t my cup of tea, but it is really cool to see a WotC designer DMing WotC-published adventures, particularly to take note of where he sticks to the material as written and where he deviates from it. I think it would be most valuable for new DMs who aren’t sure how much they can or should modify published adventures, so they can see that even the folks who write them take some big liberties with their own work to suit the needs of their group. For an experienced DM though, I don’t think you’re likely to get a ton out of it if you don’t enjoy streamed games.

 

[Blue]

Chris’s DMing style isn’t my cup of tea, but it is really cool to see a WotC designer DMing WotC-published adventures, particularly to take note of where he sticks to the material as written and where he deviates from it. I think it would be most valuable for new DMs who aren’t sure how much they can or should modify published adventures, so they can see that even the folks who write them take some big liberties with their own work to suit the needs of their group. For an experienced DM though, I don’t think you’re likely to get a ton out of it if you don’t enjoy streamed games.

Thanks, that's just the type of detail that I was looking for. I guess there's a difference between when he wrote up articles about DMing and focused on tips and things that turned up right, vs. just seeing him DM.

 

[DWChancellor]

Glad to see Anna back on a regular stream.

Sad things happened to/with/around people.

 

[iserith]

Thanks, that's just the type of detail that I was looking for. I guess there's a difference between when he wrote up articles about DMing and focused on tips and things that turned up right, vs. just seeing him DM.

My issue with most streamed games is that they don't ever seem to DO anything of note. The picture of bold adventurers confronting deadly perils painted in the rules books somehow gets translated to running errands and chit chat on screen. It's very strange in my view. I've yet to see a stream where they're doing very many scenes with actual stakes in them. Tune into most streams on Twitch and you'll get shopping and tavern scenes. Not my bag.

But what streams do offer that is valuable to me is the ability to see where things go poorly - DM making a bad call, player engaging in problematic behavior, certain DMing techniques that are cringy or clunky. A Discord group I'm in will often watch a stream together and comment in chat about what we're seeing. It's very useful in recognizing problem areas to be avoided and getting the occasional neat idea.

 

[TheSword]

I really like Chris Perkin's DM Experience and Iomedra campaign stuff from the Wizard's site. But I normally don't enjoy Actual Play videos. (I have same problems with TV in general.)

So I'm torn. For someone not into the video thing, how was DCA in terms of cool DMing? Is it worth going back and trying to watch for someone not fond of the format?

I don’t watch streaming as normal however I really did enjoy DCA as a prelude to DMing Curse if Strahd and I was converted pretty hard.

How amazing is it to be able to see the campaigns writer actually DMing their own campaign. As has already been said - particularly the improvisation and deviation. It taught me a lot about DMing published adventures.

I think Chris is a great DM and a pleasure to watch. Some of the cast I could take or leave, but generally they get through things and quite a lot happens in each 2 hour episode. I should say, it is much less combat heavy than the campaigns are written generally but that’s more because that’s the style of play for that group.

Give it a go. Definitely will be trying the new stream myself.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I am thinking seriously WotC should publish a videogame for streamers. I mean something like Critical Role version machinima, Fortnite: creative mode and Resident Evil: Resistance. I have talked some times about this idea. An asymmetric game where a player is the DM and storyteller, puting traps, monsters and dialogue with nPCs.

 

[Salthorae]

I enjoyed the shorter format of DCA

Huge agreement here!

it is really cool to see a WotC designer DMing WotC-published adventures, particularly to take note of where he sticks to the material as written and where he deviates from it

...and here!

I'm excited to see Perkins back in the seat. His games always feel like my local DM's games

 

[timbannock]

My issue with most streamed games is that they don't ever seem to DO anything of note. The picture of bold adventurers confronting deadly perils painted in the rules books somehow gets translated to running errands and chit chat on screen. It's very strange in my view. I've yet to see a stream where they're doing very many scenes with actual stakes in them. Tune into most streams on Twitch and you'll get shopping and tavern scenes. Not my bag.

But what streams do offer that is valuable to me is the ability to see where things go poorly - DM making a bad call, player engaging in problematic behavior, certain DMing techniques that are cringy or clunky. A Discord group I'm in will often watch a stream together and comment in chat about what we're seeing. It's very useful in recognizing problem areas to be avoided and getting the occasional neat idea.

I wonder how much of that is because "threat of death" and TPKs are not something that translate well to long-term investment of a streamed game series. It's odd to me that even these big-name DMs don't really take a lot of the advice out there of "how to set stakes that matter, even if death isn't one of the possible outcomes."

Notably, I did find several of the Stream of Many Eyes games fun because PCs were dying left and right. I could care less about watching 80 hours of Floofypants the Halfling Bard seducing a hag, running errands for said hag, then breaking up with said hag in an hour-long Skill Challenge that is mostly just the DM calling for Perception checks to stall for time.

 

[Salthorae]

Tune into most streams on Twitch and you'll get shopping and tavern scenes. Not my bag

Did you watch any of Critical Role? There were a ton of impactful things that happen/happened in their streams.

Also check out MCDM - they have a bunch things with stakes happening in their games' streams.