D&D (2024) D&D Monster Manual (2025)

[Micah Sweet]

You stated it like it was a given though.

Fair enough. The concern is I believe a given. The reality is not.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Well no, few of us can match the wild madcap... creativity... that you'll find on D&D Beyond Homebrew.

everywhere i go, i see aphrodite's stats...

 

[Imaro]

Ok. I never had anything all that bad to say about the base 5e system. It's pretty solid. But it's development is constrained by the megacorporation that publishes it and its desire for endlessly maximized profit, hence every product needing to be designed to broadly appeal to as many people as possible to meet that goal.

So I'm curious what do you think of a company like Kobold Press... who have none of those same pressures and yet for all intents and purposes published a slightly tweaked copy of D&D 5e... what do you think of their creativity? Are they just making the game they want... and if so why is it so hard to believe WotC designers are doing the same?

 

[Micah Sweet]

So I'm curious what do you think of a company like Kobold Press... who have none of those same pressures and yet for all intents and purposes published a slightly tweaked copy of D&D 5e... what does you think of their creativity?

I have a few of their products (not TotV). They make some good supplements, and they're certainly more prolific than WotC, and more inclined towards more specific, narrow subjects. I'd rate their work as mostly comparable, some better, some not IMO. The TotV DMG certainly looks creative. I've been thinking of picking that up.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

everywhere i go, i see aphrodite's stats...

And phone number?

 

[W'rkncacnter]

And phone number?

i don't think she needs a phone...

 

[Chaltab]

i don't think she needs a phone...

I was about to say "Sending isn't actually on her list" but then I noticed she has Wish at will. XD

 

[Remathilis]

Creativity can be constrained by those who hold the purse strings, and all of your examples potentially have that issue, because the artist isn't in full control of what they create.

So there is no true creative freedom under capitalism. Got it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So there is no true creative freedom under capitalism. Got it.

There is no absolute freedom under any system.

Anarchy: “I don’t like that.” [smack]

 

[Micah Sweet]

So there is no true creative freedom under capitalism. Got it.

Complete freedom without oversight by the money people? No, not unless the creatives and the money people are the same.