D&D (2024) Kobold Press posts 2024 DMG Hit Piece

[Oofta]

I didn’t, people can have different takes, priorities, etc. The only time I would tell you that is if it is indeed not valid, as in not supported by facts.

If you told me the Earth is flat, I would dismiss that as not valid

Obviously flat earth should be dismissed out of hand.

 

[Zaukrie]

While this is them taking a shot at the WotC DMG, it's not a "hit piece." A hit piece would be the kobolds accusing someone at WotC of shady behavior. This is just them criticizing a book.

semantics. I'm not sure how using a different word changes anything at all.

 

[mamba]

Obviously flat earth should be dismissed out of hand.

that intuitively makes a lot more sense

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

semantics. I'm not sure how using a different word changes anything at all.

Onion flibbertygibbet, in that case.

Words have meaning. It'd be nice to have them used accurately.

What the kobolds did is not great, but it's not a "hit piece."

 

[Morrus]

Is that an idiom in the UK? I've never heard it before.

Here, let me help you:

Sealioning - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

He says, recognising the irony. Well played.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Onion flibbertygibbet, in that case.

Words have meaning. It'd be nice to have them used accurately.

What the kobolds did is not great, but it's not a "hit piece."

I agree completely.

I read "hit piece" in the title and I was expecting some kind of absolute attack on the DMG 2024, not a slightly mild "Well okay but our one is better!"-type deal.

I'm not a KP fan, I dunno if I own much of their work even except via bundles maybe, and TotV didn't do much for me, but I do think this is a perfectly legitimate appeal to KP's apparent main audience, which is people fundamentally dissatisfied with what WotC are putting out and who see WotC as basically being on the wrong path. I don't think it's quite the same as the audience I'd perceive for other 5E-related RPGs, like A5E, whose audience I perceive as less "done" with WotC, and more wanting options or to see things done genuinely better, not as oppositionally.

It's not a path I'd favour myself were I making material for 5E, I think, but I don't think it's terribly wrong to say "Look at all the ways this book fails to do what we think you want! Look at all the ways our book does what we think you want!". It actually reminds me of a lot of adverts (across the whole spectrum of consumer goods) from the 1990s.

 

[Belen]

Here, let me help you:

Sealioning - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

He says, recognising the irony. Well played.

Thanks. I have never heard the term either.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Huh. This isn't classy. I wish they'd chosen to talk about what was great about their book instead of tearing down somebody else's. It's not a good look.

I like ToV as a version of 2024 5E, but I think this bit of marketing was off. And also isn't Kobold Press a partner of WotC, with their books up on D&D Beyond? The tone of this felt unnecessary.

Kobold Press has always been arrogant and antagonistic about this, since the beginning before ToV was named ToV. I remember their original marketing which was also hostile. They were trying to ride the OGL hate train, and they are just doubling down, trying to drag Wizards whenever they can. They aren't even subtle.

 

[Cadence]

Does the review say how big of a player base the ToV GMG comes built in with compared to the one that comes with the DMG?

(As an aside, how is the Hardcover sold out, but the Hardcover+PDF still in stock?)

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

It's like they wanted to complain about D&D, and call out where they thought their product was better... which is normally what 3rd party reviewers are for.

But no 3rd party influencer was interested in doing that. No one cared.

So maybe that made them sad, and they felt they had to do it themselves. To me, they look super petty for doing it.

Yes, I'm being a little petty myself. I just don't see a good spin on it.