The 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is Chris Perkins' Last Book as Product Lead

Chris Perkins has said that the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is the last official D&D product he'll be working on as a product lead. Yesterday, a number of sites (including EN World!) posted previews and reviews of the upcoming 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Interestingly, Polygon's coverage of the 2024 DMG contained an extra quote from Chris Perkins, stating that the book was his last as a product lead.

“Although I made substantial contributions to the Monster Manual (2025) and the next D&D starter set, the Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) is the last official D&D book in which I’m credited as a product lead,” Perkins said to Polygon. “Knowing that, I tried to stuff as much of my DM brain into [...] that book as would fit. Whether that’s a gift to the community or not, I’ll let the users decide.”

Perkins is currently a Game Architect for Dungeons & Dragons and helps manage the design team for the game. He's also served as a lead story designer for several campaign-focused adventures. He's also been a long-time face of Dungeons & Dragons, appearing at conventions, Actual Play shows, and marketing videos as an authority on the game and its past, present, and future.

EN World has reached out to Wizards of the Coast for additional context about Perkins' comment and his role with the company. We'll note that Perkins is a part of the marketing cycle for the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, so he doesn't appear to have left the company.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't think folks understand Gen as much as they think they do.

Makes me wonder what an edition marketed towards Gen Alpha would look like?

It's just modern digital art. Looks good if you like it generally imho. Some pieces meh. I prefer oils but don't expect it (cover would be nice though).

Same as every other phb tbh.

 

[darjr]

On Twitter Christopher Perkins responded to the Piazza about his promotion.

Not true. I was a Game Design Architect. Now I’m the Creative Director, which is a more “behind the scenes” gig that lets me play quietly in a bunch of different sandboxes. #wotcstaff

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I don't hang out on Twitter as much.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Nerd Immmersions take.

He asked a great question who fills Chris Perkin's old job?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I still think the coolest and best and most Unique book Chris Perkins ever did was Warriors of Heaven, an AD&D supplement and I think first book, not magazine he did that:

"A guide to playing celestial campaigns. Includes rules for playing aasimon, aasimar, archons, asuras, eladrins, and guardinals; locations and key individuals throughout the Upper Planes; celestial magic; and running celestial campaigns."

Would love it if they updated that for 5e 2024.

 

[Uta-napishti]

In my second intervention against grumpiness in this thread, I have to say I don't know what Ravenloft fans are complaining about. Strahd is Awesome and Van Richten's Guide is one of the best D&D books I have ever read, full of evocative ideas and wise advice on horror storytelling. A lack of player options does not equal "mishandling". Dark Sun fans might have something to complain about.... but Ravenloft got two awesome books.

 

[Zardnaar]

In my second intervention against grumpiness in this thread, I have to say I don't know what Ravenloft fans are complaining about. Strahd is Awesome and Van Richten's Guide is one of the best D&D books I have ever read, full of evocative ideas and wise advice on horror storytelling. A lack of player options does not equal "mishandling". Dark Sun fans might have something to complain about.... but Ravenloft got two awesome books.

Very little player facing content. That's objective. DM PoV is subjective espicially when you have older material to compare it with.

I compares it to Theros, Eberron and Exandria vs older material. Those are the gold standard 5E settings imho. Unless you're the world's biggest half vampire fan (and the other one what ever it was) there's not much in VRGtR for players.

Ravnica didn't have much either but was more useful in traditional D&D and the guild system was any class, background or race. I would put Ravnica over VRGtR once again comparing 5E to 5E. It also had some powerful archetypes.

That's objective in term of content. Subjective what one likes of course.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Very little player facing content. That's objective. DM PoV is subjective espicially when you have older material to compare it with.

I compares it to Theros, Eberron and Exandria vs older material. Those are the gold standard 5E settings imho. Unless you're the world's biggest half vampire fan (and the other one what ever it was) there's not much in VRGtR for players.

Ravnica didn't have much either but was more useful in traditional D&D and the guild system was any class, background or race. I would put Ravnica over VRGtR once again comparing 5E to 5E. It also had some powerful archetypes.

That's objective in term of content. Subjective what one likes of course.

Theros is mostly a great product, but it does have flaws, it ignored the short stories too much, which lead to missed opportunities on cool stuff.

 

[Zardnaar]

Theros is mostly a great product, but it does have flaws, it ignored the short stories too much, which lead to missed opportunities on cool stuff.

Yup it's not perfect. Piety thing was interesting and it had bew races and archetypes. Great art.

Not really my type of thing tbh but quality product.i git VRGtR for free and yeah it's not great (CoS is). It's not bad or anything and like Theros it's not really my thing but I'll rate Theros higher because it's more useful as a game manual overall.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yup it's not perfect. Piety thing was interesting and it had bew races and archetypes. Great art.

Not really my type of thing tbh but quality product.i git VRGtR for free and yeah it's not great (CoS is). It's not bad or anything and like Theros it's not really my thing but I'll rate Theros higher because it's more useful as a game manual overall.

Should have had a Nymph race, there was a type of Nymph that did not have the usual restrictions, would have made a great playable race.

 

[agrayday]

Considering how long Chris has been at WOTC and TSR, anyone have any thoughts on how he has manage to stay on with WOTC considering how much other talent has either left or been laid off from WOTC?