D&D 5E (2014) Monte Cook Leaves WotC - No Longer working on D&D Next [updated]

[CasvalRemDeikun]

Exactly.

This is why I would never fully buy in to D&D again as long as WotC is the publisher.

Never is a really long time...

 

[Gunpowder]

Woo. though main drawback is usually "you don't change horses midriver". But if you dont like where the horse is going, sometimes it's better to swim.
And I didn't like where Cook was going. Either going back to simple "i full attack" fighters and complex wizards or mentioning fixing things that 4e already addressed.

Quick! Pull 4e out from under the bus!

 

[Azgulor]

Mearls is "surprised, and frankly saddened." This does not sound like the team planned for this, and Mearls quickly changes the subject to the planned part, the Public Playtest.

This was the part that caught my eye as well. It kind of shoots the idea that this was a contractual decision that WotC could see coming. Still possible, but less likely.


For what it's worth, as a counterpoint to some other posts that suggest Monte's issue was with Mike Mearls, I don't read much into the fact that he didn't mention Mike. He mentioned the other two guys who were designing 5e with him to squash speculation that they were at odds. If I understand things correctly, Mike is overseeing the development of 5e and is not a designer per se. (Project manager is the best comparison title I can think of.) I'm sure he has input, but his role encompasses much more than just design work.

Given the Mike did a lot of work for Monte's Malhavoc line, and Mike probably had a hand in getting Monte back on board, I have a hard time seeing a falling out between the two of them as the reason Monte left. Stranger things have happened, but that's a fair bit of history to walk away from. I think it's far more credible that Monte was at odds with something in the WotC business plan for 5e.

My 2 coppers, anyway.

 

[Kurtomatic]

This is not the lamest thread in the world, no.., this is just a tribute.

 

[avin]

Quick! Pull 4e out from under the bus!

No, thanks. Played, liked as some offshot, but 4E, as business, is dead.

 

[billd91]

Monte has a lot of great ideas. I never cared for the stuff that was all his, though -- Arcana Unearthed, for example. Given his rock star status, I was actually a bit concerned when he came back to WotC. I definitely liked Mikes' L&L musings last year better than when Monte took the column over.

Not me. His writings hit just the right tone for me to come back and give 5e a look after the 4e disappointment. I think the approach of boiling down the essentials of D&D is what any reunification edition needs.

 

[OpsKT]

This thread is sad so I shall derail it:
Wizards of the Coast to reprint Third Edition???

According to the Barnes and Noble website:
BARNES & NOBLE | Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I, V. 3.5 with Errata by Wizards RPG Team, Wizards of the Coast | Hardcover

Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I, V. 3.5 with Errata
ISBN-13: 9780786962464
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Publication date: 9/18/2012
Pages: 320
This item will be available on September 18, 2012.

BARNES & NOBLE | Dungeons & Dragons Dungeons Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II, V. 3.5 with Errata by Wizards RPG Team, Wizards of the Coast | Hardcover

Dungeons & Dragons Dungeons Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II, V. 3.5 with Errata
ISBN-13: 9780786962440
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Publication date: 9/18/2012
Pages: 320
This item will be available on September 18, 2012.

Speculate on this! Or is this actually the release date of fifth edition? (September 18, 2012)

Good Gaming!

My guess, much like the AD&D reprints, this is just a reprint of the v3.5 books with the errata that was out integrated into the text. Which, if they are not going to 'go back' and support that edition with new stuff, would kind of make it the 'definitive edition' for the v3.5 players that didn't make the switch to Pathfinder either.

 

[Noumenon]

Well the guy did single handedly come up with a great way to alienate a large percentage of the fan base with one of those articles.

Are you referring to the one where he put "different ability scores by gender" in the poll and Mike Mearls posted a retraction for it?

 

[avin]

Want to apologize in advance for my harsh comment, but I just hope the guy responsible for Die Vecna Die is not the dude in charge of DDN fluff... I had hope Cook would fix some of 4E's FLUFF mess... (Yugoloths)

 

[Nyronus]

I wonder if all of the Pro-Monte people here have enough of a sense of irony to look at the thread and notice for all of the evil and hateful "4venger" posts they have complained about, there are a lot of posts assuming instantly that WotC was somehow the villain in the scenario. I'm also a little curious where all this "4venger crowing" is. I've seen... six, maybe, posts in this thread expressing positive feelings that Monte has left. The worst in tone was simply "good riddance."

Oh no, how terrible. He expressed the feeling that it was better that Monte not work on the project and nothing else. The horror :/

While any posts that suggests Monte might be acting overly ambiguously are met with opposition, there are people here openly speculating that WotC was trying to take his IP or was lying to the fanbase, and no one is calling B.S. or making any calls of "no wild speculation," but I guess we're not even pretending to be unbiased anymore.

I for one don't really care that he left. I didn't like where the project was headed, his game design philosophy, and I watched him be completely dishonest on at least one occasion when it came to the debate over game design. Fundamentally though, that made me stop caring about the game as much. Its not going to be the DnD game I want, so I've just sat back and seeing if it will be good purely on its own merits, and I can't help but feel that Monte coming or going will change none of those things.

So Monte, I'll give it straight. I don't care for you're work as a game designer. You may be a fantastic writer and a wonderful human being, but, no, I don't like your games. I'd tell you I wished you and your fans a wonderful future together, but I really don't care that much either way. The best I can say is: good luck, whatever you do.