Jeremy Crawford Also Leaving D&D Team Later This Month

Jeremy Crawford is leaving Wizards of the Coast later this month. Screen Rant (via me!) had the exclusive announcement. Crawford was the Game Director for Dungeons & Dragons and was one of the guiding forces for D&D over the past decade. In the past year, Crawford has focused on the core rulebooks and leading the team of rules designers. He has also been a face of Dungeons & Dragons for much of 5th Edition, appearing in many promotional videos and DMing Acquisitions Incorporated Actual Play series.

He joins Chris Perkins in leaving the D&D team in recent weeks. Perkins, who was the Creative Director for D&D, announced his retirement last week. Both Perkins and Crawford appear to have left Wizards on their terms, with Lanzillo very effusive with her praise of both men and their contribution in our interview.

On a personal note, I've enjoyed interviewing Jeremy over the years. He was always gracious with his time and answers and is one of the most eloquent people I've ever heard talk about D&D. I'll miss both him and Chris Perkins and look forward to their next steps, wherever that might be.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I DO see the difference. I do not however see the difference in how Wizards approaches them.

What could be done with all 3 of those settings is WILDLY different, than the tepid, timid, fearful of pushback approach Wizards goes with.

What approach would you have taken for each?

 

[Scribe]

What approach would you have taken for each?

FR should just be your baseline obviously. Its a kitchen sink at this point.
Eberron, I would love it to pull in some almost cyberpunk tropes, but honestly Baker does such a good job of incorporating anything, how is IT not also a kitchen sink? Lean into the Noir though, please.
Ravenloft? Just let horror, be horror. With the PCs being part of it too, not 'heroic' at all.

 

[cranberry]

D&D written by AI would be the end of D&D as a published product. Why would anyone buy that when they could do exactly the same thing themselves?

Sure. There are plenty of people who don't have the time, motivation, or creativity/inspiration to do it themselves, even with the assistance of AI.

 

[SteveC]

I know we're talking about new directions for the game but let me put in a quick word for keeping things accessible to younger audiences.

I picked up D&D at age 8. And this was the White Box, so there were some parts to it that I'm lucky my parents didn't notice or I would have had to start later. Today, when I go to conventions, I see a disproportionate number of players in my age group, who have been doing this for a long time. And those people have brought their own kids into the game.

I really hope that in our attempt to do something new, we don't make changes that make the game much less appropriate or accessible to younger audiences. And I count BG3 in that, which I've played. It is definitely not something I'd want to unleash on me at age 8.

But of course D&D can contain multitudes, so we can have products aimed at adults, but let's not keep the kids out. A lot of us keep going with the hobby for a lifetime.

 

[Mournblade94]

Right. D&D has never weathered a change in creative leadership before...

not in the current environment where execs think Sigil was like BG3 and the CEO keeps talking about AI. It's going to be made by social media committee and AI.

At this point I'd rather they just license it for video games. Nothing since Tasha's has been additive. And they even managed to mess up gonzo spell jammer.

Without the anchoring of Perkins and Crawford the game will lose all it's identity. My prediction only. New designers + AI is not looking good.

 

[Reynard]

Sure. There are plenty of people who don't have the time, motivation, or creativity/inspiration to do it themselves, even with the assistance of AI.

I have no doubt that WotC will incorporate AI tools into Beyond and/or leverage AI in D&D in other ways (adventure writer comes to mind), but I think that if WotC produced an "AI written" version of D&D, that would be the end.

 

[Reynard]

not in the current environment where execs think Sigil was like BG3 and the CEO keeps talking about AI. It's going to be made by social media committee and AI.

At this point I'd rather they just license it for video games. Nothing since Tasha's has been additive. And they even managed to mess up gonzo spell jammer.

Without the anchoring of Perkins and Crawford the game will lose all it's identity. My prediction only. New designers + AI is not looking good.

Here's what I don't get: if it has been literally nearly a decade since "D&D was good", why do you care? You aren't a customer.

 

[Minigiant]

I have no doubt that WotC will incorporate AI tools into Beyond and/or leverage AI in D&D in other ways (adventure writer comes to mind), but I think that if WotC produced an "AI written" version of D&D, that would be the end.

I could see an AI "Describe the room/monster" tool.

But a dungeon builder or adventure designer is likely never gonna happen.

 

[Mournblade94]

Or they feel the second 5E edition was a good capstone and now they are going to go make significantly more money consulting for the video game business.

This is exactly how David Cook who wrote AD&D did after Planes cape. He just retired as Elderscrolls lead. Jeff Grubb followed his lead and works on guildwars.

You had Bill Slavisek in charge of lore at Elderscrolls online and Dave Cook running it. They made a practical Planescape expansion for ESO.

 

[Mournblade94]

Here's what I don't get: if it has been literally nearly a decade since "D&D was good", why do you care? You aren't a customer.

Actually it am because I run games for my daughter and buy these things for her. So since I am still a customer and give them money I would like it to be much more like early 5e. Back into meeting in a tavern instead of the coffee shop across from the hot topic.

Lame art in the Monster manual and treatment of the old creatures was a bridge to far though. Couldn't buy that.

I mean I could just teach her 3rd edition or Thaco but this is her time now. Her friends know 5e (fortunately they have no interest in 5.5) I can influence her to make things better.