WotC: We Are Not Making AI Dungeon Masters

Adding to the recent spate of YouTube-based claims about WotC's plans for Dungeons & Dragons were some additional claims -- (a) that D&D Beyond would have $30 subscription fee; (b) that homebrew content would not be permitted on lower tiers; and (c) that DDB was actively working on AI Dungeon Masters.

Some of this was based on a (long ago debunked) slide from a presentation last year.

WotC has made some clarifications:

Hey, everyone. We’ve seen misinformation popping up, and want to address it directly so we can dispel your concerns.

Rumors of a $30 subscription fee are false.

No one at Wizards is working on AI DMs. We love our human DMs too much. If you’re looking for a DM, we suggest heading to our Discord where DMs and parties are looking for players.

We have designers whose core job it is to compile, analyze, and then act upon your feedback. Your feedback has made the game better over the past decade, and your feedback is central to D&D’s future.

Homebrewing is core to D&D Beyond. It's not going away, and we're not going to charge you for it. Your homebrew is, and always will be, yours. We’ve always been excited to see your creations both on and off D&D Beyond!

There is still no clear statement regarding the Open Gaming License v1.0a, however.

 

[Mallus]

That doesn't mean it's okay to spread dubious rumours and pass them off as reliable as other previous rumours you reported.

While what you wrote is inarguably true, I'm go to argue with it (a little) because we're online.

I like to think these kind of YouTubers as the human version of used-car lot advertising. They're both loud and attention-getting inherently commercial speech which is not, strictly-speaking, true. Are you really getting the best deal on Earth? Probably not.

Caveat emptor and all. Maybe someone who remembers their Latin better than me can update it to "let those seeking entertainment beware".

 

[Haplo781]

I imagine it would be difficult to Disney-fy Cthulhu...

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I imagine it would be difficult to Disney-fy Cthulhu...

That doesn't mean nobody has tried!

Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And it was a trilogy no less.

But given the reception of those movies, it can't really been called a success. I think your point still stands.

 

[Voadam]

I imagine it would be difficult to Disney-fy Cthulhu...

Magical tentacles bad guy, check.

 

[Vaalingrade]

View attachment 273102
Magical tentacles bad guy, check.

Easily killed by anyone with a boat? Double check.

 

[Dreamscape]

Easily killed by anyone with a boat? Double check.

What about narwhals, though?

 

[Haplo781]

What about narwhals, though?

They never appear in the Little Mermaid so it's impossible to determine whether, in fact, they stop Ursula eatin' ye (doot doot doot doot doooooo)

 

[mangamuscle]

"No one at Wizards is working on AI DMs" said the pathological liars at best, at worst this statement was generated by a chatbot >_<

 

[Scribe]

"No one at Wizards is working on AI DMs" said the pathological liars at best, at worst this statement was generated by a chatbot >_<

"We didnt lie, if its not self aware, is it really AI?!" - Wizbro, probably.

 

[Mercador]

Let me twist this; they don't make an AI DM but they can ask for an IT firm to create one for them. So the affirmation is still true. That being said, I think we'll see competent AI DM within the next decade, from WoTC or others. I can even imagine that you play solo, with an AI DM and AI players to complete your group.