D&D 5E Kate Welch on Leaving WotC

Kate Welch left Wizards of the Coast a few days ago, on August 16th. Soon after, she talked a little about it in a live-stream.

She started work at WotC as a game designer back in February 2018, and has contributed to various products since then, such as Ghosts of Saltmarsh and Descent into Avernus, as well as being a participant in WotC's livestreams. In December 2019, her job changed to that of 'senior user experience designer'.

"I mentioned yesterday that I have some big news that I wouldn't be able to share until today.

The big news that I have to share with you today is that I ... this is difficult, but ... I quit my job at Wizards of the Coast. I no longer work at Wizards. Today was my last day. I haven't said it out loud yet so it's pretty major. I know... it's a big change. It's been scary, I have been there for almost three years, not that long, you know, as far as jobs go, and for a while there I really was having a good time. It's just not... it wasn't the right fit for me any more.

So, yeah, I don't really know what's next. I got no big plans. It's a big deal, big deal .... and I wanted to talk to you all about it because you're, as I've mentioned before, a source of great joy for me. One of the things that has been tough reckoning with this is that I've defined myself by Dungeons & Dragons for so long and I really wanted to be a part of continuing to make D&D successful and to grow it, to have some focus especially on new user experience, I think that the new user experience for Dungeons & Dragons is piss poor, and I've said that while employed and also after quitting.

But I've always wanted to be a part of getting D&D into the hands of more people and helping them understand what a life-changing game it is, and I hope I still get the chance to do that. But as of today I'm unemployed, and I also wanted to be upfront about it because I have this great fear that because Dungeons & Dragons has been part of my identity, professionally for the last three years almost, I was worried that a lot of you'll would not want to follow me any more because I'm not at Wizards, and there's definitely some glamourous aspects to being at Wizards."

She went on to talk about the future, and her hopes that she'll still be be able to work with WotC.

"I'm excited about continuing to play D&D, and hopefully Wizards will still want me to appear on their shows and stuff, we'll see, I have no idea. But one thing that I'm really excited about is that now I can play other TTRPGs. There's a policy that when you're a Wizards employee you can't stream other tabletop games. So there was a Call of Cthulhu game that we did with the C-team but we had to get very special permission for it, they were like OK but this is only a one time thing. I get it, you know, it's endorsing the competition or whatever, but I'm super excited to be able to have more freedom about the kinds of stuff that I'm getting involved with."

 

[Mistwell]

If we were to change the term from spell "level" to something else I'd like it to be circle.

At "x" level you expand able to cast "x"th circle spells always sounded more flavorful to me than spell level.

We could just call them "1st Circle, 3rd Circle, 5th Circle, 7th Circle, 9th Circle, 11th Circle, 13th Circle, 15th Circle, and 17th Circle".

 

[Eyes of Nine]

There are a lot of non-RPG games that require work to learn. 95% of the time a learn for someone else by: asking what the basics of the game and then play a practice game. Very much like how I taught D&D to my 5 & 7 yr old 12 years ago.

That doesn't mean that's "good new user experience".

 

[Von Ether]

I've seen this so many times over the years in companies I've worked for, or just the opposite. On one hand companies have the old guard mentality "That's the way we've always done it, why change now" more times than I care to remember. You're the new hire, who are you to tell us were doing things wrong and should change. On the opposite end I've also seen a group of managers decide on a change, implement it in a knee jerk reaction and not giving much thought to the consequences.

Used to work for an outboard motor company. They'd stack the crates of 200 lbs plus motors six high. Insta-death for anyone if they every collapsed. I suggested to my foreman that they put in a shelving system, and then stack them two high apiece on the shelf.

"We've been doing that way for 25 years," he said.

Before I could control my lips, I spouted, "That doesn't mean you've been doing right for 25 years."

I was gone soon after that.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

We could just call them "1st Circle, 3rd Circle, 5th Circle, 7th Circle, 9th Circle, 11th Circle, 13th Circle, 15th Circle, and 17th Circle".

We could also go with ''name level'' or title for each spell level:
Arcane Spell Rank
1 Apprentice
2 Initiate
3 Master
4 Magi
5 ?
6 Invocator
7 Thaumaturge
8 Archmage
9 Magister

Divine Spell Rank
1 Avowed
2 Disciple
3 Miracle worker
4 Champion
5 ?
6 Theurge
7 Sacred one
8 Chosen
9 Avatar

 

[Von Ether]

Not trying to be a smart alec, but 5th really needs a "red box" Basic set. Roll dice, pick a class and go on a chose your own adventure. Pick up more aspects of your character as play and then maybe even have a simple, but 5e compatible PC at the end of it.

 

[Mistwell]

We could also go with ''name level'' or title for each spell level:
Arcane Spell Rank
1 Apprentice
2 Initiate
3 Master
4 Magi
5 ?
6 Invocator
7 Thaumaturge
8 Archmage
9 Magister

Divine Spell Rank
1 Avowed
2 Disciple
3 Miracle worker
4 Champion
5 ?
6 Theurge
7 Sacred one
8 Chosen
9 Avatar

5th level: Theurgist for Wizard, and Patriarch for Cleric?

 

[Alzrius]

If we were to change the term from spell "level" to something else I'd like it to be circle.

At "x" level you expand able to cast "x"th circle spells always sounded more flavorful to me than spell level.

I'll take a cue from Overlord and nominate the term "tier" instead, e.g. "magic missile is a 1st-tier spell."

 

[Haldrik]

We could also go with ''name level'' or title for each spell level:
Arcane Spell Rank
1 Apprentice
2 Initiate
3 Master
4 Magi
5 ?
6 Invocator
7 Thaumaturge
8 Archmage
9 Magister

Divine Spell Rank
1 Avowed
2 Disciple
3 Miracle worker
4 Champion
5 ?
6 Theurge
7 Sacred one
8 Chosen
9 Avatar

Generic
1-4 student, guild apprentice, knightly page, jack
5-8 professional, guild journeyer, knightly squire, expert
9-12 chief, guild master, knightly knight
13-16 sovereign, guild grandmaster, knightly lord/lady, archon, arch, grand, supreme
17-20 legend, personal unique title

 

[dave2008]

That doesn't mean that's "good new user experience".

Sure, that wasn't what I was responding too though. I was responding to the idea that board games are better at the "new user experience." I just don't think there is a significant difference between the board game and D&D new user experience, if "new user experience" means ease of entry / learning how to play.

 

[Zardnaar]

Actually, if you think of a lot of the apps you download onto your phone, they are brand new to you. And typically, you don't have someone else helping you figure out how to use the app. And yet, you can figure it out, because the new user experience is well designed.

Used to work for an outboard motor company. They'd stack the crates of 200 lbs plus motors six high. Insta-death for anyone if they every collapsed. I suggested to my foreman that they put in a shelving system, and then stack them two high apiece on the shelf.

"We've been doing that way for 25 years," he said.

Before I could control my lips, I spouted, "That doesn't mean you've been doing right for 25 years."

I was gone soon after that.

I've seen a pallet of pasta fall 4.5 metres, near miss on the boss.

Actually stacked right with shelves things go wrong, pallets and shelves not even etc.