Celeste Conowitch hired by Wizards of the Coast as Senior Game Developer for Dungeons & Dragons

TTRPG designer Celeste Conowitch has joined the Dungeons & Dragons design team. Conowitch announced on her social media that she had joined Wizards of the Coast as a Senior Game Developer. Conowitch previously worked for Kobold Press as a senior game designer and was the lead game designer of Tales of the Valiant, a 5E spinoff billed as an alternative to Dungeons & Dragons in the aftermath of the Open Game license debacle. Conowitch has credits in most Kobold Press books dating back to 2022 and previously worked on Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.

Wizards of the Coast has been building up its D&D design team, hiring names like James Haeck and Erin Roberts among others. Justice Arman serves as the game design director of the group, with the design team ultimately reporting to Dan Ayoub, who leads the Dungeons & Dragons franchise.

While Dungeons & Dragons has seen growth on its design team, the overall group took a hit yesterday when community manager LaTia Jacquise was let go as part of wider Hasbro layoffs.

 

[Vexorg]

This.

She's punching up in this quote. The big problem is when people punch down - that's generally not ok.

I think punching anyone is generally bad.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think punching anyone is generally bad.

No. Some people need punching.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.”

 

[Vexorg]

No. Some people need punching.

A: How do you determine who needs punching?

B: Who has right or authority to punch others?

C: If I determine you need punching, what argument are you entitled to make against me?

D: What do you do after you punch someone and they still believe or act differently than you want?

 

[Zardnaar]

A: How do you determine who needs punching?

B: Who has right or authority to punch others?

C: If I determine you need punching, what argument are you entitled to make against me?

D: What do you do after you punch someone and they still believe or act differently than you want?

E its often counter productive. Last decade seems to prove that.

Assuming she said that it was slso peak internet stupidity. Seems to be toned down lately as it was very counter productive.

Own goal, blew up in face, egg on face etc.

Don't feed the trolls/grifters.

 

[tetrasodium]

I think punching anyone is generally bad.

Not always

A: How do you determine who needs punching?

B: Who has right or authority to punch others?

C: If I determine you need punching, what argument are you entitled to make against me?

D: What do you do after you punch someone and they still believe or act differently than you want?

Punching up/punching down are idioms not references to physically punching someone. Here are a couple dexamples of punching up from movies

Spoiler: Goodfellas

These are results for example of punching up in a movie scene
Search instead for examplr of punching up in a movie scene

An excellent example of punching up in a movie scene is the "How am I funny?" scene from the 1990 classic film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese.

In comedy and drama, "punching up" means a person with lower social power, status, or authority takes a shot at someone who holds the power. In this scene, the power dynamic is flipped to create intense, dark comedic relief.The Power Dynamic BreakdownThe Setup: Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) is a volatile, high-ranking, and terrifying mobster. He is surrounded by his crew at a restaurant, telling a funny story. Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), who has lower status in the hierarchy at this point, laughs and says, "You’re a funny guy."The Shift: Tommy instantly turns serious, demanding to know what Henry means by "funny." The room goes dead silent. Tommy holds all the power, capital, and physical threat in this moment. He is "the boss" of the conversation.The "Punch Up": Henry is visibly sweating and terrified, but he realizes Tommy is pushing him into a corner. Instead of cowering completely or begging for forgiveness, Henry reads the room, takes a massive risk, and breaks the tension by saying, "Get the naughty word outta here, Tommy."By calling Tommy's bluff and playfully insulting him back, Henry punches up at the terrifying authority figure. Tommy bursts out laughing, the tension evaporates, and Henry successfully survives a high-stakes power play by using wit against a superior force.

Spoiler: Legally Blonde

These are results for example of punching up in a movie sceneSearch instead for examplr of punching up in a movie sceneAn excellent example of punching up in film is the courtroom climax from Legally Blonde (2001), where Elle Woods defends Brooke Taylor-Windham.In comedy and satire, punching up means directing humor, criticism, or defiance toward a person or institution of higher power, privilege, or status, rather than targeting marginalized or vulnerable groups.Why this scene is a textbook example of "punching up"The Targets (The Power Hierarchy): The elitist, patriarchal legal establishment, represented by the arrogant prosecutor and the sexist Professor Callahan. They have wealth, Ivy League pedigree, and institutional power.The Protagonist: Elle Woods, who has been consistently underestimated, dismissed as a "dumb blonde," and sexually harassed by her mentor.The Punchline: Elle uses her specialized knowledge of hair care (specifically, the rules of a perm) to dismantle a witness's false alibi on the stand.Instead of making a vulnerable person the butt of the joke, the scene turns the establishment's snobbery against them. The humor comes from a powerful, elite room being completely outsmarted by "feminine" knowledge they dismissed as worthless.Other Notable Examples of Punching UpParasite (2019): The entire narrative is a dark comedy that punches up at the ultra-wealthy Park family. It exposes their superficiality, naive privilege, and casual disregard for the working-class people who serve them.The Great Dictator (1940): Charlie Chaplin’s classic satire punches directly up at Adolf Hitler and fascist dictators. Chaplin uses slapstick comedy to strip a terrifying global tyrant of his dignity, making him look ridiculous and fragile.9 to 5 (1980): Three working-class women overthrow and torment their "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss. The humor highlights systemic corporate inequality and workplace sexism by making the oppressive boss the target.

The google summaries do a nice job of covering the idiom without adding any kind of messaging or whatever that is likely to be carried by an article or something about the terms.

Back to something topical though, I heard that Celeste Conowitch frequently gets asked if she changed her name to convey some kinda fantasy/gaming/nerd-convention status or association in the podcast I vaguely recall seeing her in but that's actually just the name she had before getting into those things as a career. It will be interesting to see how she goes about interacting with the community in interviews postings & so on going forward.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A: How do you determine who needs punching?

That’s what morality is for. Although, these days, it’s blindingly obvious.

B: Who has right or authority to punch others?

Everyone has the right, authority, and responsibility to punch evil.

C: If I determine you need punching, what argument are you entitled to make against me?

I’m sure I do need punching, for not doing enough to fight evil.

D: What do you do after you punch someone and they still believe or act differently than you want?

Punch them harder.

 

[Zardnaar]

Not always

View attachment 449699


Punching up/punching down are idioms not references to physically punching someone. Here are a couple dexamples of punching up from movies

Spoiler: Goodfellas

These are results for example of punching up in a movie scene
Search instead for examplr of punching up in a movie scene

An excellent example of punching up in a movie scene is the "How am I funny?" scene from the 1990 classic film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese.

In comedy and drama, "punching up" means a person with lower social power, status, or authority takes a shot at someone who holds the power. In this scene, the power dynamic is flipped to create intense, dark comedic relief.The Power Dynamic BreakdownThe Setup: Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) is a volatile, high-ranking, and terrifying mobster. He is surrounded by his crew at a restaurant, telling a funny story. Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), who has lower status in the hierarchy at this point, laughs and says, "You’re a funny guy."The Shift: Tommy instantly turns serious, demanding to know what Henry means by "funny." The room goes dead silent. Tommy holds all the power, capital, and physical threat in this moment. He is "the boss" of the conversation.The "Punch Up": Henry is visibly sweating and terrified, but he realizes Tommy is pushing him into a corner. Instead of cowering completely or begging for forgiveness, Henry reads the room, takes a massive risk, and breaks the tension by saying, "Get the naughty word outta here, Tommy."By calling Tommy's bluff and playfully insulting him back, Henry punches up at the terrifying authority figure. Tommy bursts out laughing, the tension evaporates, and Henry successfully survives a high-stakes power play by using wit against a superior force.

Spoiler: Legally Blonde

These are results for example of punching up in a movie sceneSearch instead for examplr of punching up in a movie sceneAn excellent example of punching up in film is the courtroom climax from Legally Blonde (2001), where Elle Woods defends Brooke Taylor-Windham.In comedy and satire, punching up means directing humor, criticism, or defiance toward a person or institution of higher power, privilege, or status, rather than targeting marginalized or vulnerable groups.Why this scene is a textbook example of "punching up"The Targets (The Power Hierarchy): The elitist, patriarchal legal establishment, represented by the arrogant prosecutor and the sexist Professor Callahan. They have wealth, Ivy League pedigree, and institutional power.The Protagonist: Elle Woods, who has been consistently underestimated, dismissed as a "dumb blonde," and sexually harassed by her mentor.The Punchline: Elle uses her specialized knowledge of hair care (specifically, the rules of a perm) to dismantle a witness's false alibi on the stand.Instead of making a vulnerable person the butt of the joke, the scene turns the establishment's snobbery against them. The humor comes from a powerful, elite room being completely outsmarted by "feminine" knowledge they dismissed as worthless.Other Notable Examples of Punching UpParasite (2019): The entire narrative is a dark comedy that punches up at the ultra-wealthy Park family. It exposes their superficiality, naive privilege, and casual disregard for the working-class people who serve them.The Great Dictator (1940): Charlie Chaplin’s classic satire punches directly up at Adolf Hitler and fascist dictators. Chaplin uses slapstick comedy to strip a terrifying global tyrant of his dignity, making him look ridiculous and fragile.9 to 5 (1980): Three working-class women overthrow and torment their "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss. The humor highlights systemic corporate inequality and workplace sexism by making the oppressive boss the target.

The google summaries do a nice job of covering the idiom without adding any kind of messaging or whatever that is likely to be carried by an article or something about the terms.

Back to something topical though, I heard that Celeste Conowitch frequently gets asked if she changed her name to convey some kinda fantasy/gaming/nerd-convention status or association in the podcast I vaguely recall seeing her in but that's actually just the name she had before getting into those things as a career. It will be interesting to see how she goes about interacting with the community in interviews postings & so on going forward.

Aware its not literal.

But needlessly pissing people of when you need their support (second biggest demographic iirc) is fairly stupid thing to do.

Somewhat recently events and all that.

 

[SkidAce]

This.

She's punching up in this quote. The big problem is when people punch down - that's generally not ok.

While I 99% agree with you, sometimes a problem arises when people disagree on the ups and downs.

I will prefer to not address any broad "type" as a problem (although some may be) and refer to the individuals or specific groups that cause problems.

 

[SkidAce]

No. Some people need punching.

Yes, some people do. Its still bad....

but hey...no ethics or morality debates here (for me);

a. it gives me headaches
b. I'm not as smart as i should be
c. text loses its nuance

Game on friends!

 

[Clint_L]

I have zero issues with that tweet.