D&D (2024) D&D at Pax preview adventure

[Parmandur]

Hot take, but I think certain figures have over estimated the popularity of the action figures and cartoon, they had their fans, but compared to alot of novel characters they weren't that popular.

Questionable, I see no particular reason to suspect one way or the other abstractly.

 

[JEB]

Hot take, but I think certain figures have over estimated the popularity of the action figures and cartoon, they had their fans, but compared to alot of novel characters they weren't that popular.

The cartoon was internationally popular back in its day (particularly in Brazil), so tapping into that seems reasonable (especially if you're trying to expand the brand's reach outside the English-speaking world).

I do agree that the action figure characters are more of a stretch, though. I'd never heard of Warduke etc. outside of D&D fandom itself.

Of course, this could all be mitigated if they started using these characters in a new D&D cartoon...

 

[dave2008]

I’m 50 and I have no attachment at all to the cartoon. It never felt like it was connected to the game itself in any way.

I never thought it was particularly any good either, even at 8-9 y/o.

I'm 50 (well 51) and loved the show as a kid (even though it didn't match my experience with game) and still have fond memories. I even bought the DVD collection a few years back.

Tiamat was my fave (shocking I know) and her being a constant threat actually inspired one of my campaign settings where it was a self contained world with the gods living in it and could be encountered and challenged.

 

[dave2008]

Doesn't really make a difference to me because I no longer play D&D. Why? Because of things like this, seems they can't be bothered to create anything new and original anymore. They just keep pulling from the same well that IMO has long since gone dry.

Then you haven't been watching closely enough. @Micah Sweet would tell you he has stopped with WotC D&D because he doesn't like all the new stuff! Different people, different perspectives.

 

[EthanSental]

Last Kelek was seen in the cartoon, he was trapped in a globe and sank so maybe it’s a call back to that?

 

[John Lloyd1]

The cartoon was internationally popular back in its day (particularly in Brazil), so tapping into that seems reasonable (especially if you're trying to expand the brand's reach outside the English-speaking world).

I do agree that the action figure characters are more of a stretch, though. I'd never heard of Warduke etc. outside of D&D fandom itself.

Of course, this could all be mitigated if they started using these characters in a new D&D cartoon...

Which markets was it released in? It wasn't released in Australia as far as I can tell.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Which markets was it released in? It wasn't released in Australia as far as I can tell.

Well, it was such a massive hit it Brazil that they were using it to sell cars 30 years later.

It was shown in the UK as part of the regular round of children’s after school TV. I watched it occasionally but I was a bit old to really appreciate it. I would say that it doesn’t have a great deal of recognition these days, but it’s certainly higher than D&D novel characters, which have zero. Critical Role characters have a higher profile though, as do BG3 characters. BG3 was the answer to a University Challenge question last week.

 

[John Lloyd1]

I would say that it doesn’t have a great deal of recognition these days, but it’s certainly higher than D&D novel characters, which have zero.

Do you mean in UK? In Australia the d&d novels are still in the local library, which is more than zero and higher than the cartoon characters.

 

[JEB]

Which markets was it released in? It wasn't released in Australia as far as I can tell.

Besides the aforementioned Brazil? According to English and other Wikipedias (via Google Translate): the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Peru. Possibly also Hungary, Italy, Japan, and Mexico. IMDB suggests there was also an Australian release, but can't find more details.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Do you mean in UK? In Australia the d&d novels are still in the local library, which is more than zero and higher than the cartoon characters.

Yes. No idea what happens in Australia. But in the UK hardly anyone reads fiction these days, let alone crummy D&D fiction, and libraries are closing down or used as internet cafes.