D&D (2024) Deborah Ann Woll and Matt Mercer consulted on the 2024 DMG.

WotC consulted with celebrities including True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll and Critical Role's Matt Mercer when revising the upcoming 2024 edition of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Apparently another (unnamed) consultant provided advice on running game for kids.

That's it; that's the news.

 

[TiQuinn]

KEEP YOUR INFERNAL DRY ERASE MARKERS AWAY FROM MY CHESSEX BATTLEMAT YOU YOUNG HOOLIGAN!

Reminds me of the time we tried to clean up the dry erase on the Chessex map…with acetone.

 

[MNblockhead]

That's just millenials trying to appropriate GenX culture.

As a Gen Xer I empathize. Given the gig economy, college debt, and housing expense, if I were a millennial, I would look back at Gen X slacker culture as some halcyon days long gone.

 

[MNblockhead]

The argument that older gamers can't enjoy streaming is indeed a weird one.

If you are talking about video streaming, yes. Us old folks may have issues with other kinds of streaming though.

 

[MNblockhead]

I wonder if there is any data on how many of those are second generation kids -- that is, brought in to the hobby by gamer parents. It seems pretty common anecdotally here, but EN World probably isn't especially representative.

In my experience, it is more often the gamer parent of a friend got your friend into it and it grows from there.

There is me and one other gamer parent among my son's group of a dozen or so middle schools kids to play play D&D. Most of the parents of the other kids never played D&D, but what negative opinions they may have had in the past, if any, are wiped away by "what, my kid is going to get away from electronics for half a day and hang out in person with a group of kids doing a collaborative, creative activity that promotes reading...AND IT IS FREE?!"

 

[MNblockhead]

It gets a little odd. In my observation, when D&D started it actually trended a little older than it did later. Probably because of the original access wasn't particularly easy for teens and such. There were certainly college-age players, but it just didn't trend young to the same degree as a decade or so later.

From what I've read, it was the college crowd that really made the game go viral. Also, keep in mind that many of the original creators created the games and know each other through college clubs. Gary was an old guy playing mostly with guys much younger than him. Many of his old crowd of wargamers were not thrilled about D&D.

 

[MNblockhead]

I suspect there are two issues in play with people who disagree:

1. They're actively hostile to the medium, considering watching someone play/GM useless;

2. They're hostile to the styles that Woll and Mercer bring to the game, and consider propagating those styles harmful to the hobby.

3. They are hostile to great, engaging, and welcoming DMs who set an "impossible standard." (I.e., they make me look bad.)

I find that a weird complaint as well. You don't see people arguing that NFL players are ruining your touch-football games in the park because they create unreasonable expectations.

 

[MNblockhead]

yes to this!

I’ve only seen a few episodes of Critical Role and, based on that limited sample size, honestly don’t particularly care for Matt’s DMing style. BUT, I do appreciate his passion and admire his talents as a voice actor. AND, I’m glad so many people do enjoy CR and that it has been a boon for the hobby. Without too much CR context, I’m co-running a campaign in Wildemount and it has been a blast. I’d gladly buy any product that he has contributed to.

Now I need to learn a bit more about Deborah!

I also appreciate his talent for world building and writing or at least managing the creation of excellent D&D setting material. He also has a proven track record of creating new systems and creating new classes and other rules options for D&D. Even if he didn't live stream a single game, he would still be qualified to give input to the WotC team.

 

[MNblockhead]

Reminds me of the time we tried to clean up the dry erase on the Chessex map…with acetone.

Been there. Done that. Still have the smudgy and worn off grid lines to prove it.

My battle worn battle map helps my gritty-DM cred.

"What the hell happened to your battle map?"

"TPK. No chance of resurrection. And you shall play on faded imprint of their remains."

 

[Myrdin Potter]

AD&D 1e is an oral tradition.

The way to learn how to play it, is from someone who knows how to play it.

There exists persons who bought the books, and taught themselves how to play without any help from anyone. But these persons are rare.

I bought the books and learned how to DM from it. Many of the DMs I knew at the time did the same.

 

[Clint_L]

I learned from my friend's college-aged brother (this was at the dawn of AD&D). I thought that was how it was: D&D was passed on through word of mouth.