Do You Love WOTC? Yes/No - Lazy RPG Talk Show

[@Jorphdan]

Would love to have you play a DCC game over on my 2nd channel sometime!!

[@anonymouse2675]

Love your vids!

[@markbittinger4066]

The survey questions give me a vibe that suggests Hasbro might be exploring the idea to scapegoat and dissolve Wizards, and just roll D&D into their main games line alongside Monopoly, et al??

[@armorclasshero2103]

Yup, majorly

[@drewcourtney376]

"do you want to go with me to the school dance? [] Yes [] no"

[@Benz74M]

Except Hasbro has an even worse reputation than WOTC itself among many TTRPG fans, so would it help sales?

[@gedece]

If they do that, it'll be suicidal. Hasbro hasn't a good track of working with artists at all.

[@1970joedub]

Yep. The writing is on the wall.

[@torinmccabe]

The auto damage of MCDM and world without number mitigates AC maxers. A simple solution is just on a miss you do half damage

[@howirunit2033]

I’m not sure Daggerheart’s default setting feel is for me, but the mechanics are fascinating and I want to try it just to see if they can be adapted for other uses.

[@deviden13]

my feeling from reading the playtest materials is that Daggerheart's setting is about as baked into the rules as Forgotten Realms is for D&D 5e - i.e. a relatively light touch. So long as you're playing a campaign with sufficiently D&D-ish fantasy vibes you should be able to run it in Daggerheart or 5e, it would be a question of which game you prefer mechanically.

[@jcblebowski]

From what I've read, it's not really rules light, just narrative forward. The mechanics are there, and it looks like it was designed for GMs to maybe add a few house rules for more tactical play. At least that's what I've been seeing.

[@deviden13]

@@jcblebowski sorry - to clarify (I should have written it out differently), I didn't mean to imply that Daggerheart or 5e are "rules light", I only wanted to reassure @howirunit2023 that the "default setting" of Daggerheart isn't impacting the rules in a way that would prevent you from using it in your own world, just like Forgotten Realms being the default in 5e doesnt stop you from doing something like Curse of Strahd. Like... you could totally play Curse of Strahd in Daggerheart too. But yes, you're right - the bulk of mechanical rules text 5e spends on tactical combat play is replaced in Daggerheart by narrative-forward play. And neither is "rules light".

[@talscorner3696]

I would expect Daggerheart's default setting to be Campaign 4's

[@TheReaperXIII]

Great content as always! Out of curiosity, are there any plans to bring back your Shadowdark campaign prep videos? That was one of my favorite pieces of content. It felt like getting reps of prep in and really helped me to get a feel for the Lazy DM prep style.

[@SlyFlourish]

yep! We just didn't play last week. We have one this week on Friday.

[@Hacker-at-Large]

The company most likely to kill D&D is Hasbro.

[@drewcourtney376]

This needs to be higher up... It's so TRUE

[@Zr0din]

@33:00 chamber selection... So I have a table where the difficulty or exotic ness of the rooms go up with higher numbers. Just assign a modifier as you go... If the last three rooms were normal roll and apply a +3 modifier for the next room.

[@jacobvardy]

'... keeping monsters threatening...' The squad template from the Level Up Monstrous Menagerie works pretty well. I much prefer lots of low level creatures to a few high level ones. The squad template does this without cluttering up the initiative order. Instead of 50 gnolls protecting the witch-queen, have 10 gnoll packs.

[@Carnagepwnz]

Balancing combat to keep it challenging and not drag on is one of my biggest struggles. HP bloat is not the way, adding more numbers helps action economy. But I find what keeps the players engaged more than anything is flavour. Adding descriptions to attacks whether they hit or miss and conversation to the combat adds life to the game.

[@GateKeeperPat]

I really enjoyed the topic of "attacking multiple vectors". Other channels like to talk about PbtA doing this well, particularly Avatar Legends. This is why I like the new (now old) exhaustion rules for 5e. Easy to give the PCs a point of exhaustion rather than always taxing HP or spell slots.

[@howirunit2033]

In terms of the question of getting your players to speak up more, I have started something I call “session initiative.” I have everyone roll an unmodified d20 at the start of the session and then I use those numbers as the order in which I call on players in out of combat situations when I need them to act and none speaks up.

[@boxxie]

Great show! I love DCC, been playing for couple of years now. Goodman Games is the best!

[@alanleckert1]

I used Shadows in a recent big fight (level 5 but large party). Most players dumped STR stat to 8, but the Paladin was the most logical target. Even with his high AC, the shadow hit. When I had the player roll a d4 for the STR drain, he rolled max. The player was upset about the challenges I implemented, but I reminded the whole group that 4 STR on almost everyone else is a MAJOR detriment compared to the 18 STR pally. Turned it into him sacrificing himself to protect the other PCs

[@sumdude4281]

DCC adventures are really really good. Even if you run it as OSE or 5e (yes you'd need to convert a bit) but well well worth it. Drain resources and add a time element to the battle where they have to finish it in X rounds or a CR monster way way out of their league shows up. Effigy is a good one. That's a resource eater.

[@solarisdevorak]

As a creator and a DM, I use AI and generate ideas to create stuff that takes away time such as random magic shop random taverns random name s random NPCs you know stuff like that or I will upload stories for player backgrounds or campaign ideas and have it at flavor basically it saves time for me I would not want wizards using AI to generate entire books. I'd be fine if they used it as a brainstorming tool. I would love to have a d&d chatbot on d&d beyond to ask a questions about lore and get feedback on the diverse history that is so massive. That would be incredibly useful as a DM. And as you purchase books you get more information about the adventures as well that you can ask questions about the adventure. But creating full content using AI I am definitely against. But it's slippery slope they start using it for small things corporate green will push them into using it for everything.

[@lucamonticelli267]

About 22:44 i genuinely think i can see where is going for, they talk about leveraging the creative process of the community? At what point they will just ask you a cut on any paid game you are gonna run after they have bought or made deals with the major sites to assure they have the least competition possible?

[@ivancarabano]

Great content! The DCC bundle seems great.

[@qua36]

Insightful as always. Your videos are always time well spent, thank you!

[@KnuthMaestro]

Can we get a link to this survey for WOTC? I cannot find it anywhere!

[@AlexnicholasBlakely]

I tried but it got removed, musta broke a guideline.

[@Lycaon1765]

The survey is closed now lmao

[@jasonhull8075]

Thanks Mike, excellent as always!

[@f.a.santiago1053]

I'm currently writing a product of random tables. It started as something that I was using for myself but a friend said it has potential to be useful to everyone. All that to say, I agree with you. Many table books are VERY broad.

[@RobertMorrisjrBog]

Running high level adventures can be a challenge for both the DM and player but I'm always up for tactics for running high level adventures.

[@paullehman9495]

saving throws

[@Wraithing]

Good show. Cheers Mike.

[@keithvanboskirk7327]

sly flourish & the cant miss weekly video!!

[@Grimlore82]

No I don't love them. More importantly... We are also living in another indie RPG boom. So let's encourage one another to get out and try these other games!

[@drdm2446]

@slyflourish re challenging high level characters. Could you do a gm prep video for that next big battle? That might help us less experienced GMs who gain the benefit of your experience via those prep vids

[@shadowspawn4338]

I really appreciate your live and let live approach in all of your videos. Agreed, some things may not be for me, but there is no reason for me to dump on them and I shouldn’t have any issue with the idea that others may enjoy them. Like you, I worry about what I like and not trying to convince others that what I like is what they should like. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@paulbigbee]

48:00 - Nailed it: have lieutenants and named foes with abilities that specifically target dump stats, *especially* to disrupt Concentration. Character with middling to low Wisdom? Have the Ghoul King hit her with a _Geas_ spell. And I agree with your point about taking away the players' feelings of awesome, so I try to give some of these abilities a "wind-up" (or provide some potential foreknowledge to the players if they pay attention).

[@xellosmtlm]

I always love hearing your thoughts on industry movements and theories. Keep it up!

[@geoffgodofbiscuits]

While the Start Playing Games partnership is good short term. If HAS/WOTC sees value in it, they’ll eventually try to buy it and bring it in house. I also wonder whether they might add a EULA rider that online games through this partnership or even all DND Beyond games can be mined for AI DM training.

[@kingsfan2099]

More TRPG gold...thank you Mike for contributing another great episode.

[@duncandomey8199]

Thanks Pal! Such good discussions. Thank you!

[@Elviador]

About high-level challenges: Often it is said that characters become superheroes at a certain level. One way to lean into that would be to challenge characters like superheroes, who often need to save others (think Batman vs. the Joker in The Dark Knight). Now, the threat is less about the characters and their lives, but instead the lives of NPCs. This can present some interesting choices in battle: who do the characters save, and who will they have to leave to die? Or can they find a clever way to use their abilities to save both?

[@davidburns9766]

This. You’re 20th level, you essentially cannot die. But these people can. A whole new challenge.

[@stewi009]

Every time I hear "Is this going to kill D&D?" in relation to ANY game the last year or so, I'm reminded of the mid-late 00s run on "Is this going to kill WOW?" every time a new MMO came out. D&D has already survived the death of TSR (if there was ever a moment in history where D&D might've died, it was then.) D&D has survived the release of countless other TTRPGs, in fact, D&D has survived the release of EVERY TTRPG that currently exists. I mean, D&D was the first one, right? As popular as Critical Role is, I don't think they're going to be the outlier in this regard. If D&D is going to die at all (and I strongly doubt that it will) it's going to be a long, protracted decline. It will go out with a whimper, not with a bang. Which reminds me, does anyone know how WOW is doing? I haven't been paying attention for the last decade or so.

[@SlyFlourish]

we said the same thing about Everquest and it was actually killed by WOW -- well, not really! Everquest is still around too!

[@lucamonticelli267]

To me the last problem is 100% ttrpg dependent and the problem is how they design themselves for higher level, how damage/hit points and actions are scaled. In 5e I have to plan hours to calculate the encounters for high level parties and bombard them with attrition since resources skyrocket exponentially (especially if you have a somehow optimized party). In other type I can have epic showdowns against the villain on a year long arc at lv15 and it rarely during over 45 minutes

[@cernunnos_lives]

WOTC needs to understand they are one if the most reviled modern companies.

[@deProfundisAdAstra]

"Is it going to kill Dungeons & Dragons???" "no-" well, it killed me lol

[@SlyFlourish]

I spent far too much time editing that "no" just perfectly...

[@deProfundisAdAstra]

@@SlyFlourish it was worth it 😂

[@Hacker-at-Large]

I can't imagine Mercer advertising for Hasbro when he has his own RPG to grow. Maybe they'll add another stream and see where the audience goes.

[@thrawncaedusl717]

We’re going to quickly see how much faith they have in Daggerheart. I’ll admit I’m skeptical and expect them to go back to D&D in less than a year (and would not be surprised if they did not even make the switch). D&D live plays just get more views on average, and I don’t know if they will be willing to give that up to take a gamble with their new system.

[@missmeaghanj2482]

In regards to changing up a campaign to prevent DM boredom, The first example I thought of for a story that changes radically halfway through is the musical Into the Woods. The first half is like the light-hearted cutesy fairy tales, but the second half is the dark and violent fairy tales.

[@johnsnyder4653]

Anther great episode!

[@craigofinspiration]

another good show, thanks Mike!

[@MavenofPinetree]

Thank you for another great video!

[@matthewgoettel2798]

If there is any language within contracts made with contributing artists or authors that allows WotC/Hasbro to take their contributions and add them to the LLM as per some sort of IP usage clause, without asking permission or providing any kind of compensation or renegotiation of the terms of use...well as an artist that would feel like being hobbled by Kathy Bates and being forced to write my novel differently, except... maybe swap Kathy with a Mind Flayer and hobbling with enthralling.

[@CharlesKhan]

Not even sure we like them anymore, let alone love them. 🤣

[@slycoop1997]

I get the impression that the OGL aftermath with all of these different system releases is going to create something akin to the "console wars." Enthusiasts are going to insist that there is a correct system we should all be playing.

[@ungainlytitan1460]

On the AI topic, I think, given the current hype, Chris Cox pretty much has to say that they are investigating AI. Even if the current Large Model generative Ai goes nowhere, it could be refined and there are other approaches. I think that AI in one form or another will be a live issue for years to come.

[@mooxim]

For a sec I thought Mike was going to overlook the dungeon chambers tables in the DMG. I was like, "no way!" but he mentioned them.

[@armorclasshero2103]

This why when that push was on to spin off wizards from hasbro they should have made it happen.

[@ichifish]

Haha, good thing Hasbro didn't leave a space for comments on that survey! Seriously though, and this may come off as pedantic, but it seems like quite poor survey design -I'd expect better survey design than this out of a massive company. We do far better in our tiny department of five people. The survey reads like the creators have If they want to ask about branding, they should ask the questions directly. Also, was it just sent out to influencers, and if so, where are the questions related to that?

[@southron_d1349]

Random tables are a lot of fun. But there's one kind which has never worked well for me. Both the original 5e DM's screen and Shadowdark's have random syllables to create NPC names. The results aren't often good enough and most of the time are rubbish. Lists of names are better.

[@eDDyL666]

Daggerheart is gonna kill itself

[@JERKIMBALL1]

Love Wizards, hate CEOs and Hasbro 😂

[@direden]

I don't blame them for researching AI. It's not going away. (I'm not a Hasbro fan... but let's think about it from their perspective.) Let me give you one scenario... Another company starts making a D&D like game. This company uses AI and makes their new game super affordable! It's so cheap that they completely undermine D&D's sales. The way Redbox and Netflix put Blockbuster out of business. As a company, it's smart to get ahead on the technology... to at least know what it's s capable of doing. I don't begrudge them protecting themselves from being blindsided. Blindsided by another company using AI in a way that creates an unstoppable competitor.

[@SlyFlourish]

I blame them for lying about it

[@tylern3696]

I don’t consider Business Insider a real news source. Muchof their content is aggregated from other sites, rewritten just enough make a copyright lawsuit impractical, and they even do paid articles. There is a small amount of original news articles put out by good reporters, but most of the staff was fired/left after they were acquired some 7-8 years ago. I would not give any credence to a Business Insider article because you never no where it came from.

[@skerbgs]

"they lied to us" yep, they was the point of the summit.

[@donwebster9292]

There is only Zuul.....I mean Hasbro.

[@VestigialLung]

Will it kill D&D? Wrong question. Of course not; D&D is the Preparation H of the TTRPG world. Could Daggerheart cut into the margins of D&D enough that Hasbro either offloads the property or overreacts and makes things worse for itself by trying to offset the market loss with more monetization? I dunno, maybe. If it taught me nothing else, 2023 taught me that if Hasbro has an opportunity to misunderstand the market and shoot itself in the foot with an eminently preventable PR gaffe, it’ll jump on that opportunity with an enthusiasm that would be impressive were it not so sad that they’re dragging a game a lot of people love down with it. So could Daggerheart existing precede the collapse of D&D in a vaguely causal but really just correlative way? I dunno, I could see an avenue.

[@armorclasshero2103]

Of course the business lied to you. they're only obliged to tell investors the truth. And even then corps often lie to investors.

[@deviden13]

Having read through the Daggerheart open beta material, I'd say the %chance that CR doesn't ditch D&D as their main actual play game is "zero". It's clearly designed to run the kind of game Critical Role likes to run, it takes enough of the (legally distinct) D&D vibes and elements that they can port their main setting/campaigns to it. Will it kill D&D? No... but for any creator who can stand on their own like CR surely can it's time to leave WotC-Hasbro's version of the hobby behind - they can't be trusted (lied to Sly's face in 16:15 segment), they want D&D to be Roblox, and they wont fix the real issues in 5e with "2024"/6e as they're much less interested in the tabletop game than they are the digital product.

[@abortedlord]

Until WOTC is no longer a Hasbro asset I will never buy another WOTC item again. I will never buy another Hasbro item again no matter what happens.

[@anonymouse2675]

Do I like WotC/Hasbro? Nope. I think they suck, and are ruining their own game. Do I really care if that particular company burns itself to the ground? Again, Nope. Not in the slightest. I already have all their books I think are even remotely worth buying, and I will not be buying any more from them. Any other books I want are third party. Any adventures I don't feel like home brewing, I will get from a third party. If in the future I want to "upgrade" my DnD game, it will be with something like Level Up: Advanced Fifth Edition, Shadowdark, Grimm Hollow, or other third party publishers. Or, I might even just homebrew my own version.

[@SageMasterRPG]

I don't play D&D, I play rolemaster systems. But I would go to the trove and download every module and walk away from Hasbro.

[@DazDiceDH]

Certain AI tools could be handy - A tool that could design an on the fly balanced hombrew CR monster stat block based on a few inputs would be useful, lets face it if they don't invent it I could defintley see someone else doing it.

[@SlyFlourish]

we can do it with a few tables in Forge of Foes! No AI needed!

[@snobgoblinDK]

This is Blizzard all over again for me. Used to love WoW and it’s such a mess today because Blizzard Activision fell deep into the capitalist degeneracy. They are doing this with baby steps at first and soon you can’t open your character sheet without a transaction.

[@SlyFlourish]

The big difference is our books are our own

[@jcblebowski]

no, switching to daggerheart. WotC's creatives are stuck making content for a company that was throttled by Hasbro.

[@mudge843]

WotC’s only lasting value to me is Chris Perkins videos. They made it such an easy decision not to give them any more of my money

[@turnipslop3822]

These days I feel like WOTC keeps getting forced to make bad decisions by the board of directors. I feel like they are a company that is passionate about D&D, even though they sometimes make things that aren't really what I want. If WOTC was separate from Hasbro I'd be happier as long as they still had control of D&D. That said, I am still going to be trying new TTRPGs just because I'm a little bored with D&D and I want to play something which reduces the burden on the DM especially with regards to storytelling. The mechanics of D&D are 90% around simulating combat and that can be frustrating when it's less than 50% of my games (based on what my players and I like).

[@cdfreester]

Pardon me for being cynical and skeptical, but WotC partnering with StartPlaying Games does not sound all that good to me. From the corporate perspective, that sounds more like a predator getting ready to swallow up its prey with an acquisition. They call it "partnering". What it really is giving them time to use a smaller company to when they learn enough to either buy it up or do their own version of that thing and stab the "partner" in the back.

[@gamervideos11]

No I dislike WoTC . They have betrayed the hobby on so many levels.

[@gregh5665]

I don't understand how you can say that public opinion about D&D doesn't matter! For goodness sake, it gets discussed ad nauseum on this channel and others. The KZbinr doth protest too much!

[@thejoester]

Big fat nope.

[@matthewmiller9806]

No.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

WotCism? I can has, bro, says the pup?

[@archersfriend5900]

No I dont!

[@boywithgirlsname]

Rather than (or in addition to) increasing the number of monsters for higher level encounters, you can increase and distribute a boss monster's action economy with bonus actions, reactions, legendary actions, and lair actions. I find this helps make the fight more dynamic and reactive, especially if the creature has at least one battlefield control option and multiple movement options... I also like having less monsters to plan for and run as a DM 😅

[@BigBunky]

I’m ambivalent. I love D&D