Wizards of the Coast launches official Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play show

Wizards of the Coast is getting back into the Actual Play game. Today, Wizards announced via Variety that they are launching a new Actual Play show called Dungeon Masters, starring Jasmine Bhullar as the Dungeon Master along with players Mayanna Berrin, Christian Navarro, Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde. Wilde and Newbon are veterans of Baldur's Gate 3, a smash hit for the Dungeons & Dragons IP. However, both actors will be playing new characters and not their Baldur's Gate 3 characters.

Of note is that the show will feature "official, unreleased D&D content" which will be put up for sale on D&D Beyond following every episode. The first arc takes place in Ravenloft and will feature content from Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. New episodes will be released weekly on YouTube, starting on April 22nd.

Wizards of the Coast previously produced several official D&D Actual Play series, including Dice, Camera, Action and Force Grey. Dice, Camera, Action was their flagship D&D program for years until it unceremoniously ended due to a scandal involving two of its players.

 

[Sulicius]

I tried watching a few episodes. I think it is a neat way to advertise some products.
In the end, I feel like I am watching a commercial. I question if that is cognitive bias on my end because of lingering feelings about other aspects of what WotC is doing, but it seems like WotC is paying people to show me how to play the game in the way that they want to be able to sell it to me. If a certain expectation is impressed upon a person as the 'official' way to play, I can see that being a sales tactic. Not much different than a WotC or a Dragon Magazine article being 'official,' but I am stuck in thinking like I am trying to watch a commercial as entertainment.

The people in the show are doing good at what they are doing. I will try a few episodes again after giving my brain a break from current events of the company.

I don’t think your feelings are wrong. I am pretty sure this show wouldn’t be there if part of the pitch was without the “play-along pack for people who pre-order”-deal.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I am pretty sure this show wouldn’t be there if part of the pitch was without the “play-along pack for people who pre-order”-deal.

Fair, but how many people here are ride or die for the Masters of the Universe, GI Joe or the Transformers cartoons? It's a valid model that can produce entertainment that people enjoy.

 

[nyvinter]

Honestly, I think it's both. The people who made it behind the camera has made actual plays before — Joe Starr who produces it is an employee of DnD Beyond and GM'd an excellent Call of Cthulhu anthology for HyperRPG a few years back and he was doing actual plays when the company was at Fandom. The people there like actual plays. It's just that the play-packs pitch might have convinced the higher ups to approve the budget for it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Honestly, I think it's both. The people who made it behind the camera has made actual plays before — Joe Starr who produces it is an employee of DnD Beyond and GM'd an excellent Call of Cthulhu anthology for HyperRPG a few years back and he was doing actual plays when the company was at Fandom. The people there like actual plays. It's just that the play-packs pitch might have convinced the higher ups to approve the budget for it.

It's definitely part of their marketing budget for the books. But I'm not sure why that would be a problem.

If WotC was sponsoring an actual play series and didn't feature upcoming books, I think everyone would ask why they weren't using that opportunity to do so.

 

[SothFan]

The combat was skipped, now Paladine appears. Is the supposed to be Ravenloft or Dragonlance?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The combat was skipped, now Paladine appears. Is the supposed to be Ravenloft or Dragonlance?

Both in a way.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

The combat was skipped, now Paladine appears. Is the supposed to be Ravenloft or Dragonlance?

 

[SothFan]

Both in a way.

I know Sithicus, but Solace, Paladine, things that should have no meaning to characters from Baldur's Gate. Chekov's gun comes to mind.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I know Sithicu , but Solace, Paladine, things that should have no meaning to characters from Baldur's Gate. Chekov's gun comes to mind.

Saying "Paladine should have no meaning to characters from Baldur's Gate" sounds like "Zeus should have no meaning to someone from Rome."

They know the same god by another name.

 

[SothFan]

Saying "Paladine should have no meaning to characters from Baldur's Gate" sounds like "Zeus should have no meaning to someone from Rome."

They know the same god by another name.

No they are different "people".