D&D 5E Kate Welch on Leaving WotC

Kate Welch left Wizards of the Coast a few days ago, on August 16th. Soon after, she talked a little about it in a live-stream.

She started work at WotC as a game designer back in February 2018, and has contributed to various products since then, such as Ghosts of Saltmarsh and Descent into Avernus, as well as being a participant in WotC's livestreams. In December 2019, her job changed to that of 'senior user experience designer'.

"I mentioned yesterday that I have some big news that I wouldn't be able to share until today.

The big news that I have to share with you today is that I ... this is difficult, but ... I quit my job at Wizards of the Coast. I no longer work at Wizards. Today was my last day. I haven't said it out loud yet so it's pretty major. I know... it's a big change. It's been scary, I have been there for almost three years, not that long, you know, as far as jobs go, and for a while there I really was having a good time. It's just not... it wasn't the right fit for me any more.

So, yeah, I don't really know what's next. I got no big plans. It's a big deal, big deal .... and I wanted to talk to you all about it because you're, as I've mentioned before, a source of great joy for me. One of the things that has been tough reckoning with this is that I've defined myself by Dungeons & Dragons for so long and I really wanted to be a part of continuing to make D&D successful and to grow it, to have some focus especially on new user experience, I think that the new user experience for Dungeons & Dragons is piss poor, and I've said that while employed and also after quitting.

But I've always wanted to be a part of getting D&D into the hands of more people and helping them understand what a life-changing game it is, and I hope I still get the chance to do that. But as of today I'm unemployed, and I also wanted to be upfront about it because I have this great fear that because Dungeons & Dragons has been part of my identity, professionally for the last three years almost, I was worried that a lot of you'll would not want to follow me any more because I'm not at Wizards, and there's definitely some glamourous aspects to being at Wizards."

She went on to talk about the future, and her hopes that she'll still be be able to work with WotC.

"I'm excited about continuing to play D&D, and hopefully Wizards will still want me to appear on their shows and stuff, we'll see, I have no idea. But one thing that I'm really excited about is that now I can play other TTRPGs. There's a policy that when you're a Wizards employee you can't stream other tabletop games. So there was a Call of Cthulhu game that we did with the C-team but we had to get very special permission for it, they were like OK but this is only a one time thing. I get it, you know, it's endorsing the competition or whatever, but I'm super excited to be able to have more freedom about the kinds of stuff that I'm getting involved with."

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm not sure you can make the PH an easier experience for new players without simplifying the rules and removing options. They've already gone a long way in that regard, far enough for the PH as far as I'm concerned. That's what the starter sets are for, and they all do a pretty good job in 5e. Focus on making those better, and opening new avenues to learn the game, and leave the corebook for people who want more than a starter set can offer.

I disagree.

 

[MockingBird]

I'm kinda late to the discussion. Looking back to some of the earlier posts got me thinking about my first experience with D&D or AD&D rather. I got into the game towards the end of TSR and AD&D. I lived in a small southern town so I didnt know anyone else who played the game or didn't think it was an entry point into devil worship.

During this time many of the starter sets and core books were scarce and my book store wasn't getting anymore in until the fate of TSR was resolved. I picked up the Players handbook with no idea how to play. This was before YouTube or Reddit. I had no one to show me the ropes. I taught myself how to play the game and how to DM. I proceeded to then teach my cousin and another friend how to play.

Fast forward to 5e. Now if a 10 yr old kid never having seen the game played back in the 90s can teach himself to play and DM the game its hard for me to believe that 5e is so complex that its impossible for new players to pick up. As long as there is a desire to learn it then it will be learned. It is light years easier with all the attention the game gets to learn the game if one really wants to. 5e has been the easiest game to teach out of all the other 4 editions. I dunno thats my unnecessary 2 cents to this discussion. Im no genius or wiz at math i just had a interest and desire to learn a game. Same with Axis and Allies, which to me is more complicated in a 10 pg pamphlet then 5e is over 3 books.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Once again: easier ≠ easy.

 

[R_Chance]

I disagree.

And I agree with him. I think it could be a bit easier... but easier is relative. Anything with the pile of information in a PHB is not going to be "easy peasey". You could streamline it, provide sidebars / flowcharts etc. but the sheer amount of information which the bulk of fans want in the PHB will make it difficult for any newcomer. Use "better techniques" (and ymmv on what those are) on an intro game and you're still going to have to reduce the mass of information (classes, races, spells, etc.) presented to make it "easier". My 2 cp of course.

 

[MNblockhead]

I was paging through Arcana of the Ancients by Monte Cook Games, which basically ports the Numenara setting for 5e. I love how it keeps extra space for margins on the outer side of all pages which is uses to give play tips and cross-references to related rules with page numbers or related sections in adventures. That would have been VERY helpful with PHB.

The Arcana of the Ancients book demonstrates how you could make the PHB and DMG and especially adventure books far more user friendly without having the change the rules or even the overall organization of the material.

 

[Charlaquin]

And I agree with him. I think it could be a bit easier... but easier is relative. Anything with the pile of information in a PHB is not going to be "easy peasey". You could streamline it, provide sidebars / flowcharts etc. but the sheer amount of information which the bulk of fans want in the PHB will make it difficult for any newcomer. Use "better techniques" (and ymmv on what those are) on an intro game and you're still going to have to reduce the mass of information (classes, races, spells, etc.) presented to make it "easier". My 2 cp of course.

The information in the players handbook could easily be made much more accessible for new players simply by reorganizing it. 5e really isn’t a hard game to learn, but it does a terrible job of teaching itself.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The information in the players handbook could easily be made much more accessible for new players simply by reorganizing it. 5e really isn’t a hard game to learn, but it does a terrible job of teaching itself.

Does a trombone "teach itself"?

D&D is not meant to teach itself, and anyone who expects a new player to read the PHB before playing has unreasonable expectations.

How information is organised is a matter of personal taste, but simply reorganising the information isn't going to make a significant difference. There is still simply far to much volume of information for it to be reasonable to expect new players to digest it before playing.

The only way to make D&D a game you can "teach yourself" to to reduce the quantity of rules to something that would comfortably fit onto four sides of A4. That's about the most rules you can reasonably expect a player to digest before playing.

 

[ccs]

D&D is not meant to teach itself,

Then it's poorly designed.

and anyone who expects a new player to read the PHB before playing has unreasonable expectations.

The problem is not on my end. It's lies with those who won't/don't read* - in a game so heavily based on reading. I refuse to lower my standards. Others can simply improve theirs.

*small children & the handicapped excepted - and the small children get taught to read.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Does a trombone "teach itself"?

D&D is not meant to teach itself, and anyone who expects a new player to read the PHB before playing has unreasonable expectations.

How information is organised is a matter of personal taste, but simply reorganising the information isn't going to make a significant difference. There is still simply far to much volume of information for it to be reasonable to expect new players to digest it before playing.

The only way to make D&D a game you can "teach yourself" to to reduce the quantity of rules to something that would comfortably fit onto four sides of A4. That's about the most rules you can reasonably expect a player to digest before playing.

Trombones don't teach themselves, no. That's why most who learn get a teacher or find a good beginner's book. The teacher in D&D is already covered. What we're discussing is getting a better beginner's book, not changing the way trombones work.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Trombones don't teach themselves, no. That's why most who learn get a teacher or find a good beginner's book. The teacher in D&D is already covered. What we're discussing is getting a better beginner's book, not changing the way trombones work.

If you think you can write a "beginner book" that actually works, I suggest you do so. In my experience, "beginner books" aren't worth the paper they are printed on, and are no substitute for a teacher.