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.

 

[Selas]

I'm midway through this episode and I think this show gets better and better with each episode. I don't know if this big fight encounter is a new monster or an updated monster from a book I don't own, but WOW is it flavorful and horror-centric. The entire location, its residents, its dark secret, the throwback to a CLASSIC adventure from 3rd edition. Just incredible. The moments for Crem and Zora. Jasmine keeps upping the stakes and upping the imagination... The new book must have really inspired her, because this is an incredible adventure.

And the players are clearly having a blast here. As am I. This is my favorite Actual Play. Thanks and kudos to the cast, WotC and Fly on the Wall.

It's a new monster called the Death's Head Tree. The lore from 2014's Death's Head mentions it, but it didn't have an actual stat block until now. Paired with Death's Heads, this is a nasty encounter. You can see it if you have the play pack

As for Strahd's appearance in this episode, apparently Horrors Within will have mechanics for DarkLords to temporarily leave their domain (from DnD discord). Anyone knows if VGR or earlier editions of Ravenloft had such mechanics?

 

[gnarlygninja]

Ma'am, this needs to stop. You can not have illiterate people working on transcription for on screen subtitles like this, or the main video's closed captioning. It is starting to look like descrimination or at the least neglect, if the person can not get the words correct.


The word is "ichor" as in the automatic closed captioning for this short, not the on screen copy.

Definition of ICHOR

a thin watery or blood-tinged discharge; an ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the ancient Greek gods… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

There is no such word as "icker".

It would sure be awkward if you'd misspelled something in a post calling people illiterate over their spelling.

 

[liteberer]

I'm just amazed by some people's constant and unrelenting negativity. And, yet, they continue to watch.

LaTia, I'm in the (I suspect) quiet majority who really enjoy the show. Everything is top tier. And you can see that the players and DM are really playing D&D, not just playing to the crowd, or being theatre kids. I especially enjoy the darkness inherent in the setting. It's not played for laughs like other actual plays often do.

I look forward to watching this show every week.

 

[Selas]

I think you hit the nail in the head; it's a serious campaign and the players take it as such. As a show, it reminds me of the early days of CR, and of Avantris' Folk Horror campaign that became Crooked Moon. It also feels like one of the horror home campaigns I've played in, so it's easy to identify the similarities of what people do at home in this show.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It's a new monster called the Death's Head Tree. The lore from 2014's Death's Head mentions it, but it didn't have an actual stat block until now. Paired with Death's Heads, this is a nasty encounter. You can see it if you have the play pack

As for Strahd's appearance in this episode, apparently Horrors Within will have mechanics for DarkLords to temporarily leave their domain (from DnD discord). Anyone knows if VGR or earlier editions of Ravenloft had such mechanics?

Strahd was implied to be able to leave for a short period in the older material

 

[Clint_L]

I got around to watching it - just three episodes in so far, but it's great! The characters are compelling, and there is some serious backstory. I love the little goblin kid - she is brilliantly voiced!

 

[plecostomus]

As a Cleric player, the Cleric standing around unbothered while everyone else is inside-out, petrified, and dead, and just saying on her turn, "I have Actions, and I have Bonus Actions " got me good.

The Death's Head Tree is a great enemy with the different monster heads it can use.

 

[BruceWright]

Another great episode. Once again I am blown away by the acting and the roleplay here, as well as Jasmine’s DM skills. Her quote about science!!!! That’s a line I’d like to have written, and she just improv-ed it!

And no combat in the entire episode. And the whole episode ALMOST taking place in one room of a tent.

Neil once again a standout as an actor. Just continually heartbreaking.

Are we getting to the end of the season? How can they wrap up all these threads? And if they don’t, will they stay stuck in Ravenloft when it’s no longer the Season Of Horror?

 

[BigZebra]

Is the show, still only reachable on Spotify and YouTube?
Weird it's not even on Apple Podcasts.....why not get it on as many indexes as possible?

 

[Sulicius]

Is the show, still only reachable on Spotify and YouTube?
Weird it's not even on Apple Podcasts.....why not get it on as many indexes as possible?

It might have something to do with them not wanting it to be a podcast, but a video.