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.

 

[kayakingpoodle]

Do you think he likes getting personally attacked on the internet? Do you think he likes getting called an idiot for interpreting the rules as written?

How often has he responded to such queries? I seem to recall he had all bit distanced him self from making rulings. Weather he likes it or not it goes with the job. He knew that going in and was paid to deal with it. As have everyone who preceded him did and will everyone that follows him will. Right there in the job description!

 

[Hussar]

I mean, I saw you struggle with ‘innovative’ given your posts, but this is far out there

Nope. No struggle at all.

Innovative is just another way of saying "stuff I like". If I like it, then it's innovative. If I don't like it, it's market driven drivel only created by soulless marketing teams bereft of any actual ability to create something new.

Does that about sum it up?

 

[Nightfly]

You know what I bet Crawford won't miss? Getting personally attacked by strangers on the internet.

I mean, have you ever seen Crawford and Jack the Ripper in the same place?

 

[Hussar]

OK, then where are the psionics?

Three different UAs, and psionics ended up being reduced to a couple of subclasses because the fans decided that they didn't like those UAs and WotC says that they won't publish something that doesn't have above a what, 70% approval rating?

Isn't this precisely what I said?

WotC is absolutely not allowed to innovate. Not because of corporate interference but because fandom absolutely will not allow it.

 

[Faolyn]

Isn't this precisely what I said?

WotC is absolutely not allowed to innovate. Not because of corporate interference but because fandom absolutely will not allow it.

Right, except I'm sure that corporate said "the fans don't want it, so don't do it." Which is different from the creators saying "the fans don't want it, but we think it's a great system so we're going to do it anyway because we are going o publish what we want to publish."

(What they should have done is say "which of these two/three psionic systems do you like best" because that would have yielded more useful results.)

 

[Yaarel]

I love speculation. Thoughts on whether the fact that the big wigs of D&D leaving means 2024 D&D wasn't the success the company wanted it to be?

WotC shifted Mearls away at the height of success of 5.0.

To phrase it diplomatically, WotC seems interested in keeping the leadership "fresh and current".

I am happy with the stewardship of D&D during the 5e era of Mearls and Crawford and Perkins.

 

[Hussar]

Right, except I'm sure that corporate said "the fans don't want it, so don't do it." Which is different from the creators saying "the fans don't want it, but we think it's a great system so we're going to do it anyway because we are going o publish what we want to publish."

(What they should have done is say "which of these two/three psionic systems do you like best" because that would have yielded more useful results.)

So you figure that a company should ignore what fans expressly tell them so they can publish something “innovative “ which just happens to be what you want. And WotC listening to fans is only due to corporate oversight.

Yeah I’m going to stand pat on “innovative is stuff I like”.

 

[Yaarel]

I think we are farther from an AI created edition than people realize.

I think AI is soon, but it sure isnt here yet.

AI can produce a statement that is convincing (at least at first glance). But one cant yet have a 'conversation' with AI that feels convincing.

 

[kayakingpoodle]

So you figure that a company should ignore what fans expressly tell them so they can publish something “innovative “ which just happens to be what you want. And WotC listening to fans is only due to corporate oversight.

Yeah I’m going to stand pat on “innovative is stuff I like”.

Which fans? Catering can be profitable, but only when it is isolated. When it gets too isolated we get into gatekeeping don't we?

 

[Hussar]

Which fans? Catering can be profitable, but only when it is isolated. When it gets too isolated we get into gatekeeping don't we?

Well, the at least 31% of fans who say they don’t want something.

What gatekeeping is going on when WotC asks for fan feedback and says, “anything that doesn’t get over 70% approval won’t get printed”? In what manner is that gatekeeping?

Fans demanded that WotC listen to them. That’s what wotC is doing. Arguments that innovation is being stifled by corporate seem to ignore the fact that this is what fandom demanded.