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.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Disney (Marvel) does have some superhero RPGs.

The Batman game that no one ever talks about. A very weird choice all around.

If Disney would want to leverage its fantasy (folklore) movies for an RPG, like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Aladin, etcetera, with medievalesque witches, fairyfolk, genies, dragons, and princes charming, Disney can do it.

It does feel like an underserved subgenre right now.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The best thing to come out of this whole mess is that competitors like Paizo are stepping forward to do what Wizards has now shown us they are incapable of doing. Does this mean we're going to see a mass exodus back to Pathfinder?

Apparently there's been a run on PF2 rulebooks, so maybe.

 

[Haplo781]

Disney (Marvel) does have some superhero RPGs.

If Disney would want to leverage its fantasy (folklore) movies for an RPG, like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Aladin, etcetera, with medievalesque witches, fairyfolk, genies, dragons, and princes charming, Disney can do it.

Kingdom Hearts: the TTRPG would be baller

 

[overgeeked]

The best thing to come out of this whole mess is that competitors like Paizo are stepping forward to do what Wizards has now shown us they are incapable of doing. Does this mean we're going to see a mass exodus back to Pathfinder?

We already are. The various places Pathfinder fans tend to congregate are being flooded with newcomers. The users on the PF2 reddit have shot up. The main book and Beginner’s Box are selling out across the US and in Europe.

 

[Yaarel]

The best thing to come out of this whole mess is that competitors like Paizo are stepping forward to do what Wizards has now shown us they are incapable of doing. Does this mean we're going to see a mass exodus back to Pathfinder?

Because creatives will have the ORC license, they will be able to modify the PRD content to taste.

This makes possible an exodus from Hasbro-WotC to Paizo et al.

 

[Clint_L]

If Disney wanted to do an RPG for some reason, there's nothing Hasbro could do to stop them and it would get ugly if they tried. (Honestly, I'm always surprised at how many geek-friendly franchises don't have an RPG. Up until this month, making a 5E-compatible game was a good way to get some insta-sales.)

There's no money in making a new RPG. Not by Disney standards. The only way I see Disney getting into RPGs in a serious way would be them buying Hasbro to get D&D. Which would not surprise me in the least. It would be bad though - if you think Hasbro has a problem with open content, imagine what Disney would do. There'd be lawyers at your door the first time you home brewed a monster! (Exaggerating. A little. But they have threatened legal action to force pre-schools to stop using Disney murals).

 

[Clint_L]

Also, if WotC are not working on AI DMs...they should be. Someone else is gonna drink their milkshake.

 

[Yaarel]

Also, if WotC are not working on AI DMs...they should be. Someone else is gonna drink their milkshake.

DnDBeyond is working on a VTT (virtual table top).

Hasbro-WotC is intentionally trying to get "recurring revenue" from players (rather than from DMs who already put out money).

It is likely, DnDBeyond would offer "solo adventures" for individual players and groups of players to go thru a VTT adventure.

These "solo adventures" would have algorithms determining the behavior of VTT monsters.

In this sense, there might be an "AI Dungeon Master" − even if there is no "voice over" from an "AI DM". There would be AI-run monsters and traps and maybe social encounters that a player would interact with.

 

[BrassDragon]

DnDBeyond is working on a VTT (virtual table top).

Hasbro-WotC is intentionally trying to get "recurring revenue" from players (rather than from DMs who already put out money).

It is likely, DnDBeyond would offer "solo adventures" for individual players and groups of players to go thru a VTT adventure.

...and for only 29.99 USD, Matt Mercer will narrate the box text for you. #dystopiand&d

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It's a whole thread. I'll try to get it all capped.
My trust in wotc is very low.

Links embedded in the images.

Edit to add: below I've posted that I believe these tweets. I do.

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We're weeks too late for this kind of firefighting at this point, but it is interesting because it shows the reputational damage to WotC has been extremely high, in that they're worrying about some of the more far-fetched rumours.

Also that they're not addressing 1.0a shows it ain't no misunderstanding.