[Updated] Chris Sims & Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Let Go From WotC

The details are unclear, but D&D editor Chris Sims has reported that he is now in need of a job, and is willing to relocate. He was hired by WotC in 2005 after working for them as a freelance editor. Part of the D&D 5E launch, he was one of the editors for the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, and was responsible for stat block development in the Monster Manual. The reasons have not been revealed, nor is it clear whether he left or was laid off.

Whether this is an isolated thing or part of more layoffs if unclear right now. More if I hear anything! In the meantime, if you can hire an excellent writer and editor, please do!

For more on ex-WotC employees, please check my list here!

UPDATE: Jennifer Clarke Wilkes is also in the same boat. She has worked on both D&D as an editor and on Magic: the Gathering, and has been working for WotC for many years.

UPDATE 2: Chris Sims confirms here that he and Jennifer were both laid off.

 

[billd91]

Interesting. I guess since I'm out of the organized play "loop" it never occurred to me that Paizo and others would offer free material, adventures and such, at gaming stores.

Not necessarily free, but generally pretty low cost. The Pathfinder Society (Paizo's main organized play program) adventures are inexpensive and only the GM has to buy it. The players coming up to the table can participate for free*.

* Free as far as PFS is concerned. Some game stores may charge for play space, as may game conventions. But, again, the cost is generally low if there is one.

 

[billd91]

But, I fully agree with others that all the adventures should be made available for purchase, even if it's only downloads. Once an in-store game (or convention game) is wrapped up, make it available online. They're no longer running Defiance in Phlan, for example, yet there's no way to legally acquire it for home play. That's just plain short-sighted.

I agree. I think the various wrangling around licenses and copyrights have bogged this down. For example, all of the Living Greyhawk adventures (and there are a lot of them) are unavailable. Many were written through the volunteer regional organizations rather than your standard, contracted free lancer. But they were allowed to use Greyhawk IP for the campaign. The trouble is, without a specifically negotiated license or contract specifying rights, we're now in a space where nobody has the legal right to distribute the LG adventures - at least that's my understanding. And that's too bad because I'm sure there would be a modest market for them. Who wouldn't want a bunch of relatively short modules to draw from? If they aren't your main campaign, they sure make up good side treks to switch up the campaign focus.

 

[billd91]

Only a couple of companies could devote resources to bringing in new gamers.

I'd say more than a couple - but the effort is usually borne by volunteers rather than professional employees or people devoting their own time. Local game stores around here often showcase specific games with volunteers, arranged by the publisher, teaching people the rules. And, from time to time, one of the game's own developers has been involved. But that's more a feature of that person living in the local area.

 

[Mark CMG]

But, I fully agree with others that all the adventures should be made available for purchase, even if it's only downloads. Once an in-store game (or convention game) is wrapped up, make it available online.

As part of D&D Adventure League play, you already can get the scenarios and run them at home, IIRC. Look into it more closely and I think you'll find them available. Of course, you're approaching it just the right way, trying it at the store, maybe getting some more friends of the family involved, moving the game to home or at another game store table if they have a large enough game room. That's just what they'd be happy to see happen and the system is set up for exactly that. Plus, with Adventure League ID numbers, all of the players with PCs can use their characters at gamedays or conventions where League events are organized. One of the guys in my weekly game goes to another store and runs Encounters on one evening then Saturday runs Expeditions. You'll likely start by trying Encounters but you could also try at the store and later run Expeditions at home. It's quite well done.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/for...ns-Dragons-Details-New-Organized-Play-Program

 

[Gecko85]

As part of D&D Adventure League play, you already can get the scenarios and run them at home, IIRC. Look into it more closely and I think you'll find them available.

I was under the impression the Expeditions adventures were only available for download if you sign up to host a session.

Will D&D Adventurers League adventures be available for home play?

Home play will be supported though the initial adventure released for sale each season. For the first season, Tyranny of Dragons, Hoard of the Dragon Queen is the adventure that coincides with D&D Encounters and can be played at home. Future articles will talk about D&D Adventurers League character creation for at home and public play.

Are D&D Expeditions available for home play?

D&D Expeditions is a public play program. Private home play is not currently supported with D&D Expeditions. Players wanting to participate in D&D Adventurers League play at home should pick up the storyline adventure available in stores (for Tyranny of Dragons, the first adventure is Hoard of the Dragon Queen). All rewards earned in the adventure are official for the D&D Adventurers League.

So, the Encounters adventures (ex: Hoard of the Dragon Queen) can be purchased and played in-home. Expeditions (ex: Defiance in Phlan, Secrets of Sokol Keep, etc.) are for *public play*, which means either in-store, or if you register a public play event at a club or something. In other words, it has to be publicly open to anyone who wants to attend, and you have to register your event before you can download. Am I understanding it incorrectly?

 

[graypariah]

I am sorry to see WotC shrink their small staff, but to be truthful I would be ok if they never released another book in 5th edition as long as they did OGL. The way the three core books are set up with a OGL fan creations would support my needs entirely.

I also think that we put too much on the publishers to grow the hobby. As a DM I am always working towards recruiting new players into the hobby and would continue to do so if tomorrow both Paizo and WotC closed up shop.

 

[Mark CMG]

I was under the impression the Expeditions adventures were only available for download if you sign up to host a session.



So, the Encounters adventures (ex: Hoard of the Dragon Queen) can be purchased and played in-home. Expeditions (ex: Defiance in Phlan, Secrets of Sokol Keep, etc.) are for *public play*, which means either in-store, or if you register a public play event at a club or something. In other words, it has to be publicly open to anyone who wants to attend, and you have to register your event before you can download. Am I understanding it incorrectly?

Hmm. I'm not sure that is quite right but maybe ask a League guy? I was of the understanding that you could organize a game and just invite who you want, as long as a certain number of them had League IDs. If you have Facebook, maybe ask in this group here -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventurersleague/

Ping me again here if you find out I am way off base, please. I'd hate to spread any misinformation. Good luck!

 

[Steven Winter]

Wizards' crippling disadvantage is that it can't come to grips with the digital age. The company is terrified of digital piracy -- and not without good reason. Digital piracy of D&D products during the 4E years hit staggering, mind-boggling levels. WotC doesn't buy the standard arguments that piracy is a victimless crime or that it doesn't equate to a huge loss of revenue. Neither do I, for that matter, and neither should you. It comes down to a question of how much theft you're willing to live with in return for the gain; or in more practical terms, at what point does rampant piracy not only wipe out your electronic profit but start cutting into physical sales? Wizards made a decision a few years ago to set the bar pretty high on that question. That decision definitely hurts them in terms of online market presence. Whether it hurts or helps their bottom line, I'm in no position to say.

The second decision that hamstrings D&D now, as it has for two decades, is the stubborn insistence not to have an online store. The fact that you can't buy D&D products at the D&D website -- can't, in fact, even find a link to a third-party online store -- is an outgrowth of Wizards' devotion to 20th-century distribution methods and brick-and-mortar stores. Wizards.com will direct you to a "nearby" store where you probably (maybe) can buy whatever books they happen to have in stock, assuming you have access to transportation and the place isn't 200 miles away. Organized Play is another effort to get people into stores. It's a well run, laudable program, but it's still battling upstream against the prevailing current of online shopping, a trend that Wizards seems intent on dealing with by sticking its fingers in its ears and singing "Summer of '69" at the top of its lungs.

OK, that's not really fair. I know there are people inside Wizards who struggle with this issue, who've been working toward a new approach to digital products for 5E for years. But until we see it, and see it work, 5E will be stuck behind the 8-Ball.

Steve

 

[Gecko85]

Hmm. I'm not sure that is quite right but maybe ask a League guy? I was of the understanding that you could organize a game and just invite who you want, as long as a certain number of them had League IDs. If you have Facebook, maybe ask in this group here -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventurersleague/

Ping me again here if you find out I am way off base, please. I'd hate to spread any misinformation. Good luck!

Ok, I joined then posted to the FB group...confirmed that Expeditions are not available for home play, only public play. There was discussion of what constitutes public play in an earlier thread, and it was basically in-store, at a convention, special event, etc., as long as it's public.

 

[Morrus]

Wizards' crippling disadvantage is that it can't come to grips with the digital age. The company is terrified of digital piracy -- and not without good reason. Digital piracy of D&D products during the 4E years hit staggering, mind-boggling levels. WotC doesn't buy the standard arguments that piracy is a victimless crime or that it doesn't equate to a huge loss of revenue. Neither do I, for that matter, and neither should you. It comes down to a question of how much theft you're willing to live with in return for the gain; or in more practical terms, at what point does rampant piracy not only wipe out your electronic profit but start cutting into physical sales? Wizards made a decision a few years ago to set the bar pretty high on that question. That decision definitely hurts them in terms of online market presence. Whether it hurts or helps their bottom line, I'm in no position to say.

The second decision that hamstrings D&D now, as it has for two decades, is the stubborn insistence not to have an online store. The fact that you can't buy D&D products at the D&D website -- can't, in fact, even find a link to a third-party online store -- is an outgrowth of Wizards' devotion to 20th-century distribution methods and brick-and-mortar stores. Wizards.com will direct you to a "nearby" store where you probably (maybe) can buy whatever books they happen to have in stock, assuming you have access to transportation and the place isn't 200 miles away. Organized Play is another effort to get people into stores. It's a well run, laudable program, but it's still battling upstream against the prevailing current of online shopping, a trend that Wizards seems intent on dealing with by sticking its fingers in its ears and singing "Summer of '69" at the top of its lungs.

OK, that's not really fair. I know there are people inside Wizards who struggle with this issue, who've been working toward a new approach to digital products for 5E for years. But until we see it, and see it work, 5E will be stuck behind the 8-Ball.

Steve

They're not afraid of piracy. And they're very competent at digital distribution.

They have tens of thousands of DDI subscribers, and sell thousands of products in PDF format at dndclassics.com. They successfully turned two magazines into a digital platform. DDI was making them hundreds of thousands every month at one point. They have digital well in hand.

They're very clearly not "afraid of piracy". That may have been true a decade ago when they cited it as a reason for pulling PDFs, but they've been selling PDFs again and DDI subscriptions for years now. Whoever made that call way back then clearly isn't calling the shots now. They're perfectly comfortable with it.

The only possible reason I can think of that might cause someone to think they're afraid of digital (they're very clearly not; they embrace it) is that they haven't figured out the 5E digital stuff yet. But that fact alone doesn't support all those assertions. It only shows that their digital strategy for 5E is lacking so far.