Wizards of the Coast launches official Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play show

Wizards of the Coast is getting back into the Actual Play game. Today, Wizards announced via Variety that they are launching a new Actual Play show called Dungeon Masters, starring Jasmine Bhullar as the Dungeon Master along with players Mayanna Berrin, Christian Navarro, Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde. Wilde and Newbon are veterans of Baldur's Gate 3, a smash hit for the Dungeons & Dragons IP. However, both actors will be playing new characters and not their Baldur's Gate 3 characters.

Of note is that the show will feature "official, unreleased D&D content" which will be put up for sale on D&D Beyond following every episode. The first arc takes place in Ravenloft and will feature content from Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. New episodes will be released weekly on YouTube, starting on April 22nd.

Wizards of the Coast previously produced several official D&D Actual Play series, including Dice, Camera, Action and Force Grey. Dice, Camera, Action was their flagship D&D program for years until it unceremoniously ended due to a scandal involving two of its players.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well, if the plan was to make sure that all updated 5.5e monsters have to be modified to match the new CR paradigm for 5.5e, maybe they thought that was the right damage shift?

So the changes for the new Zombie Clot are that its slam damage drops from 3d8+5 to 3d6+5 and it loses Unusual Nature, and instead it gets immunity to the Prone condition, and the flesh tomb becomes additionally immune to Necrotic damage.

That's fine to me. I didn't expect much change.

Quite. For the most part I'm not expecting significant changes to most stat blocks. Why would there be? WotC did do some recalculation on the maths underlying CR, which would explain the damage change.

Zombie Limbs are also in this pack, and have bigger changes, losing grasping limbs (I assume for the sake of simplicity) but gaining hp, AC, base attack damage and poisoned condition.

 

[Weiley31]

Man, I gotta admit that

Spoiler

the moment where there was a party conflict the tension went from 0 to 40 REALLY FAST!!

Really enjoying it so far.

 

[Bravesteel25]

I take my colouring pencils to my own had drawn maps for tabletop (you can see a glimpse in my profile pic). It makes details easier to pick out,

Yes, if I used it, I would do something similar but digitally since I run online these days. It definitely works, it's just not as throw-down-and-play as I would like.

The text says the gallows are beside the bridge, which I assume is the one crossing the river rather than one of the two connecting raised areas. It's not marked though. I would put it on the north bank where there is a clear spot to the left of the track. The three patches of Larian gas don't appear to be marked. There is no given start location for the clot either. I would have the monsters approaching from the SW.

For VTT, there are better maps available, including one of Roll20's default maps.

Good ideas. Honestly, all it would take it a small amount of direction like you've laid out, but I'd rather they have a DM map and a blank map.

 

[saviirkad]

I prefer this kind of map myself (though I'm not opposed to them providing both).

When I was reading the descriptions and looking at the map, my takeaway was that this let me customize the map for my needs, or adapt it to how the players are acting or where they are located.

I do wish the scale was bigger though. Maybe not quite 10 ft squares, but bigger.

 

[Elvish Lore]

I think Jasmine Bhullar is a very good DM. She sets the scene and appropriately shapes it but still talks 90% less than Mulligan does when he's DMing; I think he's a super-talented performer but his DM style is so clearly focused on him, the players feel like afterthoughts. This isn't the case so far with Jasmine who lets the scenes breath but still moves things along; she actually comes across like someone running a game, not 'the DM & Friends' approach that critical role takes.

I'm definitely looking forward to more of this show.

 

[Mournblade94]

They really have not figured out how bad these maps look/play on a VTT either.......I just don't get it.

They work great on Beyond Maps. I cant speak for this one specifically but most of the maps for the VTT are really easy to scale and use.

 

[LaTia J]

Answering for some folks who asked earlier in the thread, but the show is now in podcast form on Spotify.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Answering for some folks who asked earlier in the thread, but the show is now in podcast form on Spotify.

Not showing up on other RSS feeds yet, but I suspect they'll find it eventually.

 

[BruceWright]

Yeah I downloaded the first play along pack and it's so meager it makes me hesitate to order the book itself sight unseen. That map art is.... not attractive. It's busy, scratchy, dim, purple-on-purple with STRONG grids. Unclear what things are. Two arrows indicating something unexplained. Are they left over from a different file?

The description says there are 3 squares of explosive bog gas. These aren't marked anywhere on the map.
The descriptions says someone is being dragged to an erected gallows. There's even hit points for destroying the gallows.
The gallows isn't indicated anywhere on the map.

The map says it's 5 foot grid which means these houses are ten feet wide?!?

Like.. this is in so many ways just kind of junk. Free junk, I guess.


By contrast, the show is great. I love it. I don't usually enjoy these kinds of shows, but I really like this one and the previous one they did with Abreya Iengar.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That map art is.... not attractive. It's busy, scratchy, dim, purple-on-purple with STRONG grids. Unclear what things are. Two arrows indicating something unexplained. Are they left over from a different file?

I am guessing it's a repurposed map, not one made for this episode.