D&D General DDB's Adam Bradford went to Demiplane

We now know where Adam Bradford went, after he left D&D Beyond last month. He's joined a new digital platform for RPGs.

D&D General - Adam Bradford, Lauren Urban, Todd Kenrick Leave D&D Beyond

They join lead writer James Haeck, who left a couple of weeks ago. Adam Bradford is the D&D Beyond co-founder, and VP of Tabletop Gaming at its owner, Fandom. Lauren Urban is DDB's Community Manager. Todd Kenrick is the company's Creative Manager. D&D Beyond, launched in 2017, is currently...

www.enworld.org

 PRESS RELEASE

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GREEN BAY, WI, March 4, 2021 -- Demiplane, a new and innovative digital platform for tabletop RPG fans, today announced the appointment of Adam Bradford as the company’s Chief Development Officer. As Chief Development Officer, Adam works directly on Demiplane’s product and community development efforts and is responsible for the platform’s continued user growth and experience.

“Adam’s both a catalyst in the tabletop roleplaying space and a genuinely great person to be around. His passion for storytelling and unique personal experiences as a player, Game Master, product leader, and community builder make him a perfect addition to the Demiplane team,” said Demiplane Co-Founder & CEO, Peter Romenesko.

Prior to joining Demiplane, Adam founded D&D Beyond, the well-known digital toolset of the tabletop RPG staple Dungeons & Dragons, where he eventually assumed the role of VP of Tabletop for Fandom, who had acquired D&D Beyond in 2018. Prior to answering the call for adventure in the TTRPG industry, Adam spent a decade in the Defense, Aerospace and Medical industries working across a variety of roles.

“Peter and Travis have an incredible vision for the future of tabletop roleplaying, and Demiplane is the platform that’s going to help continue to evolve this genre,” said Adam Bradford. “I’m thrilled to join the company at this stage to help build such a unique platform, and I can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store.”

Demiplane is an ever-expanding gaming experience that brings fans of roleplaying games together on one convenient platform with high-quality tools at your fingertips—including player matchmaking, live and interactive video capabilities, shared journals, task tracking, group inventory, dice rolling, tipping, in-app rewards, player and Game Master ratings, other features that manage in-and-out-of-game logistics, and much more to come.

"We've been fans of Adam's work for years," said Demiplane Co-Founder & COO, Travis Frederick. "He has such a deep passion for the industry. We're excited to have him on our team as we carry out our mission of elevating the digital layer of tabletop gaming."

 

[Staffan]

There is no VTT...we've started with video, screensharing, voice, chat, and notes. But that's just a few months of effort and is the tip of the iceberg.

We'll be sharing much more in the weeks and months to come!

So, at this point closer to Discord than, say, Roll20?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Discord doesn't have a matching system built in by default, nor a way to review DMs. It's Discord + Yelp + an online game's matching software.

 

[grimslade]

I wish Adam Bradford and Demiplane all the best. I think they are on to a potentially big thing. Demiplane would be like the world's biggest local game store, linking players and DMs and hosting a (virtual) space to play.

 

[Sunsword]

It is still hard to get used to players paying to play in your game. But a good DM is worth it, IMO.

 

[tenkar]

You don't need to pay in all sessions, just the ones flagged as so. But, I believe you CAN tip the GM, even in unpaid sessions, assuming I read it right.
Certainly, something to follow, as the potential is huge.

 

[SAVeira]

You don't need to pay in all sessions, just the ones flagged as so. But, I believe you CAN tip the GM, even in unpaid sessions, assuming I read it right.
Certainly, something to follow, as the potential is huge.

Well, I am not a paid DM, my players have kicked to help with the cost of my pro Zoom licence and D&D Beyond subscription. Kind of like how in the old days, we would pay for the DM's pizza. Can see the value for a system that tips a DM, as well a rating system for players and DMs.

 

[Jimmy Dick]

I suppose this is the next evolution in the TTRPG industry. For those interested in pay to play, it should be quite nice. On the other hand, they are going to need to construct a VTT that outperforms the current VTTs to attract a large slice of the market out there. A VTT that combines the D&D Beyond site and matches players to GMs while also serving as an interface for paying GMs could be extremely well received in the market.

 

[MNblockhead]

We currently give Game Masters and groups the ability to host paid games, and players can tip Game Masters at the end of a session if they desire to.

We'll share more about future plans once we get there.

I'm sure you'll get a bit of flack from some in the community who are against paid games, but I for one welcome it.

I think it is a natural and next step to make the game even more accessible, giving more good DMs an incentive to run games for players who may not have ready or easy access to a group.

 

[MNblockhead]

Seems like it will compete more with Role than Fantasy Grounds or Role20. At least at first.