D&D (2024) Deborah Ann Woll and Matt Mercer consulted on the 2024 DMG.

WotC consulted with celebrities including True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll and Critical Role's Matt Mercer when revising the upcoming 2024 edition of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Apparently another (unnamed) consultant provided advice on running game for kids.

That's it; that's the news.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

This post makes literally no sense in regards to the subject. Do you or do you not pick a ruleset that better facilitates the kind of game you want to run? Why or why not?

Then you aren’t reading to understand. Sorry.

If a D&D campaign has a heavy investigative element (both thematically and mechanically), that doesn’t messily mean that a game built for investigation is better for that game than D&D. Because the D&D game Likely also has other elements that any given other game won’t have. So the game that accommodates investigation and XYZ other stories/playstyle is better for that campaign.

You may not have noticed or may have forgotten, but my first comment was that many/most of the social media posts and such I see saying “x system would be better for this game than D&D” are cases where the thing the commenter is focused on isn’t the only focus of the game, and x system doesn’t accommodate the other things that game is about.

 

[Clint_L]

I've never watched Deborah Ann Woll. Is she fun to watch run a game?

Yes, I recommend. Delightful, in fact.

 

[Mournblade94]

I'm not a fan. I actually dislike Critical Roll and it's ilk. That of course is a personal opinion and that makes it a negative for me, but I can totally see why others love them. I like Deborah Ann Woll in True Blood, Daredevil and Punisher. I just don't like the 'watch D&D played' format that's popular with a vocal portion of the playerbase.

See it as, I don't want that streamer mentality in my core D&D.

This is 100% the same for me. I've tried to watch Critical Role for DMing techniques.. but that was a mistake. I'm not at all convinced they don't discuss what is going to happen before the production.

Streaming is performance, and I cab't imagine sitting through it. I've turned in to some Actual Plays to see how they handled situations and there are rarely any practical lessons there. It's probably how most of the new audience engages with the hobby at this point unfortunately.

 

[Seramus]

I've never watched Deborah Ann Woll. Is she fun to watch run a game?

She's very good. She does have an intense love of puzzles that causes her players to get stuck at least once per "story", but it's basically endearing at this point.

"Ohh, here comes the puzzle."

 

[Oofta]

This is 100% the same for me. I've tried to watch Critical Role for DMing techniques.. but that was a mistake. I'm not at all convinced they don't discuss what is going to happen before the production.

Streaming is performance, and I cab't imagine sitting through it. I've turned in to some Actual Plays to see how they handled situations and there are rarely any practical lessons there. It's probably how most of the new audience engages with the hobby at this point unfortunately.

They've stated multiple times that they don't rehearse, don't have a script. Personally I see no reason to disbelieve them. They are quite used to improv and of course they're talented actors. I assume some general issues and potential story arcs or changes for individual characters may be discussed offline, it's something I do with my own players. But in my experience it's typically a player saying something like they're thinking of multi-classing so we discuss the basic direction to take and then we'll work it into the story (like when Sam wanted to take a break from Scanlan and then brought the character back). But that's far different from discussing what's going to happen before the production.

I guess believe them or not but every DM has to find what works for them and what doesn't. Trying to copy another DM exactly is generally not a good idea.

 

[Clint_L]

They've stated multiple times that they don't rehearse, don't have a script. Personally I see no reason to disbelieve them. They are quite used to improv and of course they're talented actors. I assume some general issues and potential story arcs or changes for individual characters may be discussed offline, it's something I do with my own players. But in my experience it's typically a player saying something like they're thinking of multi-classing so we discuss the basic direction to take and then we'll work it into the story (like when Sam wanted to take a break from Scanlan and then brought the character back). But that's far different from discussing what's going to happen before the production.

I guess believe them or not but every DM has to find what works for them and what doesn't. Trying to copy another DM exactly is generally not a good idea.

Yes, they've addressed this issue many times. There's no basis in the accusations, which seem to be motivated by either jealousy or disbelief that talented, experienced actors are really good at roleplaying. Plus, some people on the internet also seem to feel like it's no big deal to accuse someone of lying based on no evidence. /shrug

I also find the comments criticizing WotC for hiring [gasp] ACTORS as consultants kinda hilarious. Because what would actors know about roleplaying?

So in Mercer, you have someone who's a trained, extremely experienced and successful actor (ie. role-player), and an extremely experienced DM, and a very successful writer and publisher of games in general and D&D material in particular, and knows your product well enough to create an multi-million dollar media empire based on it.

Yeah, why would you ever want to hire that guy to consult on your D&D project? What does he know?!

 

[Seramus]

Yes, they've addressed this issue many times. There's no basis in the accusations, which seem to be motivated by either jealousy or disbelief that talented, experienced actors are really good at roleplaying. Plus, some people on the internet also seem to feel like it's no big deal to accuse someone of lying based on no evidence. /shrug

The whole thing is silly to me, because (as @Oofta mentions) players have always been able to discuss things with each other between sessions! You might talk tactics about an upcoming fight. If two players wanted to have their characters take things in a romantic direction, you would certainly expect them to have a brief conversation OOC to get consent. Likewise, if you're going to have your character do something really dramatic and potentially endangering to the party, you might throw the other players a reassurance that everything is good OOC.

Spoiler

Heck, I'm pretty sure Sam didn't even warn anybody before Bard's Lament. Moderately jerk move, Sam!

 

[TiQuinn]

They've stated multiple times that they don't rehearse, don't have a script. Personally I see no reason to disbelieve them. They are quite used to improv and of course they're talented actors.

TBH, I would say that given how many times this season they’ve kind of spun in circles, it’s a strong indicator that they aren’t rehearsing this and it is them coming up with their ideas on the spot. No one would script this campaign to be this slow.

 

[Oofta]

TBH, I would say that given how many times this season they’ve kind of spun in circles, it’s a strong indicator that they aren’t rehearsing this and it is them coming up with their ideas on the spot. No one would script this campaign to be this slow.

I haven't gotten around to campaign 3 yet, I've heard it has ... issues. Which is too bad but it happens sometimes with all groups.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I quit when season 3 came off as more of the same.

Plus one guest DM just called for saving throws for everything. Need to listen at a door? Saving throw!