D&D 5E D&D Live: Kate Welch returns with Jack Black, Reggie Watts and others!

During WotC's 'D&D Live' events in mid-July this year, there will be a live game called The Lost Odyssey: Last Light, featuring a dragons, krakens, and giant sea queens. WotC's Kate Welch will be the DM and celebrity guests Jack Black, Reggie Watts, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Smith, and Jason Mewes will be the players -- plus one other guest they have not yet announced.

 

[Charlaquin]

Didn’t Riddick literally start out as a D&D character Vin Diesel used to play?

 

[R_J_K75]

Didn’t Riddick literally start out as a D&D character Vin Diesel used to play?

He has his PCs name tattooed on his stomach as far as I remember.

 

[CubicsRube]

Considering how overpowered Riddick is, he must have been a GMPC

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Kate Welch is going to have her hands full. I mean, talk about managing spotlight.

 

[Jacqual]

Considering how overpowered Riddick is, he must have been a GMPC

His Character was Malkor and the Tattoo was on his character in XXX, and I believe it was based on something based on the Last Witch Hunter character, he ended up playing that Matt Mercer created the Bloodhunter class on, I could be wrong but I believe3 that is what I read online somewhere.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

more like celebs pretending to like playing D&D to get easy money and attention is very mainstream now

If it gets more people playing D&D, I’m ok with that.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I don't know. If you assume most actors were 'emo theater kids' growing up, they'd have absolutely have been exposed to gaming growing up.
And then when you look at Joe Magniello's group that isn't playing out in the public for publicity?
I find it interesting that there seems an almost automatic reaction that if someone claims to be a gamer/geek/whatever, and they don't fit the stereotype, people doubt or start with the checking of 'cred'. I do love the not-subtle shade I've seen Joe throw towards Vin Diesel, and how Vin says he plays, but yet Joe doesn't know a single person who games with him.

That looks like a really cool game, both in terms of the creative people at the table and all the fantastic stuff Joe has for the game. Plus listening to the players, they sound like they really enjoy it, which is awesome in and of itself.

 

[Marc Radle]

more like celebs pretending to like playing D&D to get easy money and attention is very mainstream now

Wow, that’s a pretty cynical comment …

There are plenty of celebs that either currently play D&D or used to play when they were younger and still speak fondly of it (Matt Mercer DMing a one shot for Stephen Colbert for Red Nose Day is priceless - you can feel Colbert’s enthusiasm for the game and his desire to start playing again)

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Agreed. Though gaming groups are more connected than ever these days, there's no reason to expect every gaming group to know of each other. I kinda suspect it more relates to the Hollywood scuttlebutt that Vin Diesel isn't great to work with on films.

Based on the session Matt Mercer ran with Vin Diesel in it, he seemed really rusty at gaming. But even then, Vin Diesel clearly gamed a ton in the past, and has a lot of love for the hobby. And really, what would he have gained (especially at the time) for making it up?

For the most part, I like Joe Manganiello and his passion for the game. I also love most of his work as an actor, and he seems like a pretty cool guy, most of the time.

But sometimes . . . he's like the worst of us here on these forums. He sometimes seems to consider himself Hollywood D&D royalty, and just can't imagine anybody in Hollywood playing the game if they aren't in his circle of D&D nerd-friends.

There was no reason for him to throw shade on Vin Diesel . . . . there's no reason to doubt Vin Diesel is just as big a D&D geek, just because he doesn't play with Manganiello or any of those in his circle.

There are plenty of people who play D&D in my town whom I've never met. Hollywood is no different in that regard.

Jack Black appearing is definitely a surprise, though in hindsight it shouldn't be. He's a Dio fan (which automatically increases your chance of playing D&D by about 70%), voiced a videogame, was in the sweded Princess Bride, and acted in a movie based on a book written by an Appendix N author.

 

[Nylanfs]

Please God-that-I-don't-believe-in let the final mystery guest be Weird Al.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

I thought Kate Welch left Wizards of the Coast last fall.

 

[darjr]

I thought Kate Welch left Wizards of the Coast last fall.

She did. No one else from that game is from WotC.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

For the most part, I like Joe Manganiello and his passion for the game. I also love most of his work as an actor, and he seems like a pretty cool guy, most of the time.

But sometimes . . . he's like the worst of us here on these forums. He sometimes seems to consider himself Hollywood D&D royalty, and just can't imagine anybody in Hollywood playing the game if they aren't in his circle of D&D nerd-friends.

There was no reason for him to throw shade on Vin Diesel . . . . there's no reason to doubt Vin Diesel is just as big a D&D geek, just because he doesn't play with Manganiello or any of those in his circle.

There are plenty of people who play D&D in my town whom I've never met. Hollywood is no different in that regard.

I will agree that sometimes he seems like the Worst of Us - amateur psychoanalyzing him, I'd say it's a kind of overcompensation maybe from being the jock in school and the nerds gatekept him out of the hobby?

On his comments about Vin Diesel, not that it matters but I would believe he played before (isn't his witch hunter movie based on his 30th level character he talked about on Conan O'Brien I think it was?) but Joe isn't the only person I've heard say they don't know anyone gaming with Vin Diesel. You don't see anywhere talking about 'Hey! Vin Diesel came down to the gaming shop today for dice and just hung out ten minutes! It was awesome!'. As a multimillionaire, I'm not thinking he's sitting down with us proles. And as far as how connected the gaming community among celebs/entertainers/etc, my only inference is based on a video I saw of Matt Mercer talking about being approached to bring Critical Role to streaming...

The link is from a video Liam O'Brien took when they were approached about the game being brought to stream. The story Matt tells is about people saying they want to play with Ashley Johnson - "oh yeah, she's in my game too." I know it's anecdotal but again... I've never seen anyone lay claim to gaming with Vin Diesel or pictures from his home campaign on the Socials. Video:
Again, all conjecture.

TMDR - I will agree that Joe definitely puts off the 'not-best traits of gamerhood'.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I imagine Vin played a lot in the past, has fond memories of it, but isn’t a current player.

 

[Dire Bare]

I will agree that sometimes he seems like the Worst of Us - amateur psychoanalyzing him, I'd say it's a kind of overcompensation maybe from being the jock in school and the nerds gatekept him out of the hobby?

On his comments about Vin Diesel, not that it matters but I would believe he played before (isn't his witch hunter movie based on his 30th level character he talked about on Conan O'Brien I think it was?) but Joe isn't the only person I've heard say they don't know anyone gaming with Vin Diesel. You don't see anywhere talking about 'Hey! Vin Diesel came down to the gaming shop today for dice and just hung out ten minutes! It was awesome!'. As a multimillionaire, I'm not thinking he's sitting down with us proles. And as far as how connected the gaming community among celebs/entertainers/etc, my only inference is based on a video I saw of Matt Mercer talking about being approached to bring Critical Role to streaming...

The link is from a video Liam O'Brien took when they were approached about the game being brought to stream. The story Matt tells is about people saying they want to play with Ashley Johnson - "oh yeah, she's in my game too." I know it's anecdotal but again... I've never seen anyone lay claim to gaming with Vin Diesel or pictures from his home campaign on the Socials. Video:
Again, all conjecture.

TMDR - I will agree that Joe definitely puts off the 'not-best traits of gamerhood'.

Who cares.

I don't care if Vin Diesel frequents local LA game shops. I don't care who Vin Diesel plays with now or who he played with in the past, I don't care if Vin Diesel plays with other folks in the movie business in LA. I don't care if Vin Diesel plays D&D currently, or if it's something in his past.

Vin Diesel claims he's a big D&D fan. That's all I need. I don't need proof, I don't need verification. There's no reason for Vin Diesel to be dishonest about his passion for D&D, and even if he is being dishonest . . . I don't care. There may be no "evidence" outside of Vin Diesel's word, but there's also no evidence against him either, not that it matters.

Just because you are a D&D fan, and a celebrity, doesn't mean you have any desire to put your gaming out there on the "socials", or need to.

Asking for some kind of proof, some kind of geek cred . . . it's gatekeeping, it's ugly, and it's something that brings Manganiello down in my view for doing it vs. Vin Diesel.

 

[R_J_K75]

If you haven't seen Kevin Smith when he was on Relics and Rarities, I highly recommend checking it out. He played a tiefling warlock detective named Sam Hain.

From the few minutes I watched I was pretty surprised how quickly Kevin Smith picked things up. I couldnt help but notice, was Kevin Smith wearing a shirt of himself? Sure looked like it.

 

[cmad1977]

more like celebs pretending to like playing D&D to get easy money and attention is very mainstream now

High levels of bitterness detected captain!
Set engines to pout factor 9!

 

[Sepulchrave II]

more like celebs pretending to like playing D&D to get easy money and attention is very mainstream now

More like our collective inner nerd has been unashamedly released from the closet.

When the gospel of D&D finally penetrates all strata of society, and our differences can be resolved with a beer and a d20, then a golden age of peace and happiness will ensue.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

That sounds horrid
Welch is fine. Tried to watch celebrities play in one of the 2020 streams and it was abysmal. Poor web camera, bad mikes and weak characters
They're famous but you're still watching a bunch of awkward newbs play. Might as well set up cameras at the local game store

 

[MichaelSomething]

That sounds horrid
Welch is fine. Tried to watch celebrities play in one of the 2020 streams and it was abysmal. Poor web camera, bad mikes and weak characters
They're famous but you're still watching a bunch of awkward newbs play. Might as well set up cameras at the local game store

Yet people will say streamed games don't reflect how D&D is played on regular tables...