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.

 

[Minigiant]

I wish them the best in whereever/whatever they do next.

I guess the big tell will be what they get up to after they leave. If they continue to make D&D material independently, I'd point my finger at office politics for the "real reason" they left; if they move on to some other profession I guess it means they wanted a change of pace.

It will be interesting to see where D&D itself goes from here. The old guard that had a big hand in the 2014 version is gone, and it was the aesthetic they promoted that drew me back in. Lately, I've been "meh" about the releases and get the nagging feeling that my D&D doesn't match their vision of D&D. Right now, I'm feeling a bit left out in the cold like around 4E's release.

It's called being aged out the target audience

 

[Gradine]

I would say it's most obvious in BG3. BG3 is rated "mature" and I would call it somewhere between PG13 and R. The rest of the material I'd call at a PG level. And I'm just saying that from a conservative world view. I have a lot of friends who are a little younger than me (in their 40s) who have kids. The consensus seems to put the game as a PG13 level.

I don't know many PG-13 with full frontal nudity and elaborate sex scenes...

 

[Reynard]

I don't know many PG-13 with full frontal nudity and elaborate sex scenes...

A faithful BG-3 movie would get an NC-17 rating for sure.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

The core rules of 5e, even much of 5.5 (Weapon Properties and such) are not the issue with modern D&D. It's the misguided desire to keep it looking PG.

BG3, does not do this, and does not infantilize those who play it.

I’m having a very difficult time trying to interpret this post. The best I can come up with is that you want the D&D books to have sex scenes in them.

 

[Remathilis]

How inventive, an ad hominem and a strawman in a single sentence. Kudos!

Yeah, I get tired of all the people who "moved on" from the game but can't help talking trash at the first opportunity.

 

[Mournblade94]

I would say it's most obvious in BG3. BG3 is rated "mature" and I would call it somewhere between PG13 and R. The rest of the material I'd call at a PG level. And I'm just saying that from a conservative world view. I have a lot of friends who are a little younger than me (in their 40s) who have kids. The consensus seems to put the game as a PG13 level. And that's coming from friends who were playing it from a very young age. I know I'm planning on starting my daughter on it in a couple of years (and she is 8 right now).

Excellent!

Some unsolicited advice from a gamer dad:

For an 8 year old D&D is manageable. But you absolutely cannot go wrong with Monte Cooks No Thank You Evil. Education consultants had to be working on that game. Great for introducing elementary age kids.

For BG3, it's appropriate for your 8 year old but make sure the settings are set to no nudity. Important! The game though is a great way to teach D&D. I currently teach middle schoolers to high schoolers on D&D. They all have different needs.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’m having a very difficult time trying to interpret this post. The best I can come up with is that you want the D&D books to have sex scenes in them.

It’s the bright colors and bisexual lighting.

It’s all too She-Ra, not enough Conan!

Lol

 

[SteveC]

I don't know many PG-13 with full frontal nudity and elaborate sex scenes...

You're right, of course. I just blame the fact that I was a young kid in the 70s, and things were different then, and more stuff just slipped through.

But in my defense, my playing BG3 has had a lot less of those elements since I haven't sought them out.

 

[Mournblade94]

Come on, it isn't that bad.
.
Oh.

The CEO literally stated he is using AI. This isn't even speculation. He says it in public and most telling on investor calls. It is actually the plan forward.

 

[Reynard]

For BG3, it's appropriate for your 8 year old but make sure the settings are set to no nudity. Important! The game though is a great way to teach D&D. I currently teach middle schoolers to high schoolers on D&D. They all have different needs.

Note: this is more of a comment on American society than you, specifically, as a father or a person.

It always baffles me how the "age filters" always focus on nudity, sex and swearing, and almost never violence.

I grew up on an animal farm. We bred animals. The first time I had to help with a boirth I was 8 years old. We often had to shower off naked in the yard after cleaning stalls before let back inside. My brothers and I discovered girlie mags in the foreman's trailer of the gravel pit up the road when I was 10.

Sex and nudity is a LOT less damaging to kids than violence.