WotC: We Are Not Making AI Dungeon Masters

Adding to the recent spate of YouTube-based claims about WotC's plans for Dungeons & Dragons were some additional claims -- (a) that D&D Beyond would have $30 subscription fee; (b) that homebrew content would not be permitted on lower tiers; and (c) that DDB was actively working on AI Dungeon Masters.

Some of this was based on a (long ago debunked) slide from a presentation last year.

WotC has made some clarifications:

Hey, everyone. We’ve seen misinformation popping up, and want to address it directly so we can dispel your concerns.

Rumors of a $30 subscription fee are false.

No one at Wizards is working on AI DMs. We love our human DMs too much. If you’re looking for a DM, we suggest heading to our Discord where DMs and parties are looking for players.

We have designers whose core job it is to compile, analyze, and then act upon your feedback. Your feedback has made the game better over the past decade, and your feedback is central to D&D’s future.

Homebrewing is core to D&D Beyond. It's not going away, and we're not going to charge you for it. Your homebrew is, and always will be, yours. We’ve always been excited to see your creations both on and off D&D Beyond!

There is still no clear statement regarding the Open Gaming License v1.0a, however.

 

[Remathilis]

I think that's entirely consistent with how they've been managing things so far.

There is no 5D chess with these guys. They are screw-ups, plain and simple.

This isn't 5D chess. This is public relations 101. They were absolutely caught flat footed at how bad the OGL blew up in their face. They are NOT going to be cheeky at this point.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This isn't 5D chess. This is public relations 101. They were absolutely caught flat footed at how bad the OGL blew up in their face. They are NOT going to be cheeky at this point.

Oh, I think they have a lot more cheeky left in them. We'll see on Friday.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Not gonna lie, that’s pretty impressive. Depending on how long you go between trips of course.

I didn't buy that much... the (bad word not allowed on EnW) eggs are almost $5 a dozen, the hamburger is on sale for what it used to be not on sale ($3 a lb) and any fresh vegetables or fruit have shot up about 80% in the last month alone (and if you go back a year more then double that)

 

[The Stray]

Ah. Okay, Owlbears and gelatinous cubes are marketable, got it. If they're trying to kill the SRD just to get their hands back on those monsters, that's all kinds of horse puckey.

 

[Dausuul]

Wow, Jeremy Crawford is posting about the survey thing. Yet he's been silent on the OGL for weeks.

The 1D&D surveys are within his area of responsibility. The OGL is very much not. And if the OGL changes are being dictated by the Big Bosses, none of the rank and file are going to comment publicly if they don't have to.

(Privately, however, they have plenty to say, or more specifically leak.)

 

[The Stray]

This isn't 5D chess. This is public relations 101. They were absolutely caught flat footed at how bad the OGL blew up in their face. They are NOT going to be cheeky at this point.

Manipulative language and banishing criticism to the gulag isn't 5D chess. It's Standard Corporate Abuse Tactics

 

[Charlaquin]

Gelatinous cube SQUISHIES, like you squeeze because your boss is being a jerk!

Yeah, but that would have ruined my alliteration

 

[Matt Thomason]

I thoroughly believe them on the AI DM thing, at least. It's been pretty well established for some days that this is a misread/typo of AL (ie, Adventurer's League) DM, but it's gotten a frustrating life of its own because people keep amplifying it. A bit like that rubbish about Knights of the Old Republic a fortnight ago.

<misreads this terribly>
WotC are harvesting brains of Adventurers League DMs to implant in their new AI system!

 

[Reynard]

<misreads this terribly>
WotC are harvesting brains of Adventurers League DMs to implant in their new AI system!

Hey, free immortality.

 

[Charlaquin]

I didn't buy that much... the (bad word not allowed on EnW) eggs are almost $5 a dozen, the hamburger is on sale for what it used to be not on sale ($3 a lb) and any fresh vegetables or fruit have shot up about 80% in the last month alone (and if you go back a year more then double that)

Not gonna lie, I read as far as “naughty word eggs” and got stunlocked trying to figure out what the heck those could be.