Tag: DnD

  • Catacombs of the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    Catacombs of the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    After the intrepid explorers find the formerly sealed secret door they descend down into a small chamber using a ladder. That chamber is connected to a catacomb with 36 remaining alcoves for remains, four small doors to private burial chambers and a double door.

    The walls weep. Now somewhat below the waterline of the bog-city of Sheljar there is a heavy amount of moisture, plus the southwest corner is open to the brackish waters of the area. Outside of the open pool are a large pile of bones. It is clear that the opening is natural, not manmade.

    Created using Dungeon Scrawl.

    Possible learnings

    Intelligence checks attempting to understand what could make such a large opening could use Nature, History, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that damage was done by a Tunneling Nightmare (DC 15).

    Intelligence checks attempting to understand the alcoves and small doors could use Religion, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that the small doors are for former leadership of Sheljar (DC 10).

    Inspecting the bones using Survival or Perception would find that they are recent to the area, not covered in dust (DC 10) and there are now 4 skeletons attacking the group.

    Complications

    If 50% of the group takes enough damage to fall unconscious making death saves the roar of a Tunneling Nightmare echoes, partially muffled by the water.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • Winning LEGO Ideas D&D project is miniature adventure

    Winning LEGO Ideas D&D project is miniature adventure

    Of course I voted in the LEGO Idea x Dungeons & Dragons event. Back in high school I used LEGO’s castle and pirate sets while playing D&D. When LEGO announced the contest the one I liked best brought back those memories. But it also brought back memories of stereotypical D&D. And it won.

    From the original entry, where you can see the cave with the Beholder and a diverse D&D party.

    Let’s work from left to right, bottom to top.

    That may be a house, but it’s probably an inn or tavern. “You meet in a tavern” is a D&D trope.

    Next is a bit of wilderness adventure. There’s a stream and a tree. Because you have to travel to the castle.

    Inside that castle is also a cave system, with a Beholder. Beholders are giant floating eyeballs with extra eyeballs that shoot magic spells at you. They are one of the classic monsters in the game.

    Of course there’s also a traditional castle. That castle’s tower is wrapped up by a dragon. Finally we have the dragon of Dungeons & Dragons. The party is split, of course, because despite the axiom to not split the party they frequently do split. One is climbing the exterior of the tower while another walks along the halls of the castle.

    The six minifigs make a great party. Again from left to right, they look like a half-orc rapier wielding fighter/rogue, a Black human wizard or sorcerer, a likely elven bard, maybe a fire genasi barbarian, a tiefling paladin, and a rogue or ranger.

    That’s pretty good variety of role, of identity and of mini-figs.

    I cannot wait to get this. It will be great on my desk for me to look at or on the shelf behind me so that people on video calls can see it.

  • Temple of Oun and Obscon, the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    Temple of Oun and Obscon, the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    After the quick, safe ride on the sky-cable, you arrive at the top of a small tower. On the isle with the City Center this temple was abandoned when all of Sheljar turned their backs upon Oun and Obscon. These twin gods of death, endings, and darkness were rejected when the dead started to walk the earth again.

    The gondola stops atop the pillar shape of the temple, in a haphazard wooden frame, with large hole knocked out of the roof.

    Map by Dyson Logos, released as part of his commercially available project.

    This narrow temple is cramped for hobgoblins, mulgoblins, goliath and large animals. These tight turns in the cold stone pass quickly as most try to exit the dark temple to dark powers as fast as they can. Though the Necromancer had nothing to do with Oun and Obscon the stench of death is too strong.

    On the ground floor a search can result in finding the sealed secret door with an Intelligence check (DC 18). Intelligence, Culture (Sheljar), Religion are proficiencies that may apply if the characters act in ways that would connect them.

    That secret door is sealed tight with iron bands. A Strength check (DC 20) can break through. Athletics and certain tools will help open it. Magic could be used as well.

    If there is a desire to see how long that secret door has been sealed those that succeeded on the various checks would know that the seal is 25 years old, just as the Necromancer was coming to power. Is there a connection? Why not open the door and find out?

    Learn more about the Faiths of the Six Kingdoms here.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • First Sky-cable of Sheljar

    First Sky-cable of Sheljar

    When the goblins and the Lorebook Hunters decided to make Sheljar into a Free City, where all thinking peoples were respectedm there was a vast, several mile separation between the suburbs and caves that the goblins discovered and the former City Center with its library, temples, city hall and palace.

    The First Sky-cable was constructed to connect these places without worry about bridges, or Tunneling Nightmares, or frightening island of zombies. Now it is the most travelled sky-cable. The gondola rides high, so high that its towers peak above the frequent fogs.

    So high the weather is different.

    Photo by Constantin on Pexels.com. Gondola image for example. It doesn’t look exactly like this.

    As the players ride this sky-cable gondola they are in their first “hallway.” This path is dangerous. They are in a space where weather is different. There are creatures that may threaten them. This fastest route to the City Center may not be the shortcut they expected.

    Hazards

    Roll 2d4 about halfway through the journey in the sky.

    2. Uninvited guest — There is someone aboard the gondola with the party. The illusioned elf works for the Proctors of Grace. It casts Detect Magic while Invisible. If it detect magic it attacks. Use the stat block for the Evoker Wizard if the party is in Tier 2. If they are only Tier 1 use the Evil Mage.

    3. Frayed cable — The character with the highest Passive Investigation notices the cable is frayed. The group will need to discover a way to get the gondola to the next tower 100′ away or fix the cable. Tinker’s Tools, Vehicles (air), Vehicles (water) offer some solutions. The DC should be 15. If no one succeeds in fixing the cable and it does break there are rudimentary parachutes that reduce the falling damage to one half on a successful Dexterity save of 10. They are 60′ in the air.

    4. High winds — The gondola shakes violently. Each character should make a Strength saving throw (DC 13) or take 2d6 HP of damage and fall prone. Those that save take half damage and suffer no other effects. This is frightening but should have little impact on their ability to travel.

    5. Freezing rain — Though it was a moderate day beneath the fogs there is freezing rain up in the sky. Each character suffers 3d6 damage. A successful constitution saving throw (DC 10) results in half damage.

    6. Isle of horrors — With a Wisdom Check of 10 the party makes out a small island in the bog-city that seems to be overtaken by skeletons with a leader on a skeletal boar. This island is not hosting a tower.

    7. What’s that? — 0ff in the distance, at the statue there is a large, white winged creature. An Intelligence Check, DC 20, recognizes it as a white dragon. Ken would role with advantage. Skills that could apply are Culture (Ken), Arcana. A player could convince the DM of other skills being applicable. The dragon does not attack. It lurks, watching.

    8. Sabotage — The group notices the tower they just passed being attacked by group (party size +1) of zombies. If half of the zombies are destroyed the others retreat. The characters start 90′ from the zombies. They are able to stop or reverse the gondola. If the zombies are able to do 65 hit points of damage to the tower (AC 12) the tower falls.

    If they complete the trip they stop at the bell tower of a semi-abandoned temple in the City Center.

    Our intrepid heroes have discovered the the Free City of Sheljar isn’t a place of safety. Sheljar may be a dreamy government of respect for all, it is also a place of undeath, dragons and technology too fragile to survive with not enough people in the city to maintain it.

    I’ll admit these DCs and language probably don’t match the standard D&D style. Today’s Dungeon 23 exercise came up against a my go-to-bed soon deadline.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar

    Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar

    When the Queen’s Fleet discovered Sheljar they landed in the NW suburbs where the cliffs become hills. There’s a cave system that they originally used to hide their aixips. Now, after the elimination of the Necromancer and the Tunneling Nightmares, their little neighborhood among the hills is a densely populated, for the Free City of Sheljar, space that is a transit hub by sea and sky. Each of the guilds are represented in the many dozen gobkons that have settled in the space.

    The main space where all peoples of the Everflow interact with these goblins, hobgoblins, and mulgobs is the Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar. It has space for seafaring vessels, multiple sky gondolla cables and a spire for airxips to dock as well.

    Chupmolea Transit Center of Sheljar

    Made with Canva’s Text to Image. The prompt was a “Leonardo da Vinci inspired transit center with airships, cable car gondollas and greasy smoke stacks.”
    The cable system scene connects the transit center to the Grand Entry of Sheljar.

    Paths

    1. A cable car gondola to the Grand Entry to the Free City of Sheljar.
    2. A harbor with regular small ferry service to the City Center.
    3. A cable car gondola to the City Center.
    4. Exit to the Chupmolea Square, the main plaza in the goblin suburb. There are hills to the Western Wildes beyond the plaza.
    5. A high, arcing bridge to a tiny island now occupied by a dwarven family.
    6. Swyns café.

    Peoples

    Chupmolea – Grand Mistress of cables, she rode with the Queen’s Fleet as part of a minor house. Her quick thought to connect the bog-city via sky-cable gondola earned her two flags. On her left shoulder are now five flags, two from her house and three she earned. She has a hook-spear used to guide gondolas to their spaces.

    Swyn – a mulgoblin that discovered the power of coffee. Their café is a center of gossip and a primary spot for non-goblins to meet goblins. Swyn is always in an oilcloth apron (effective as leather armor), has random burn scars from roasting coffee, and carries a small, for them, cup of coffee.

    Blerxa and Patha – two goblins of different guilds, these sisters are arguing over maintaining a connection to the Queen. Blerxa has many more flags on her left shoulder, nearly running out of space. Patha has a single flag for self and one for house.

    Umikdrael Honorfeet – one of the dwarves from the nearby isle. He seems a bit lost and flustered by all the damn noise. He is constantly glancing at his notebook and then at the skyline. There is a lantern drake sitting on his hat.

    Peculiars

    The air reeks of burning tar from tar trees. There are fresh trees in the hills. But here in the city they are burned to power numerous teknikal devices.

    A constant clamor of mekiniks hammers in the background and foreground. There are grinding gears, ratchets, pneumatics and other systems that cause this neighborhood always loud.

    Unfortunately the brackish waters of the bog-city in this area are covered with a thin film of soot and tar.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • Grand Entry to the Free City of Sheljar

    Grand Entry to the Free City of Sheljar

    This is the main gate to Sheljar is the Grand Entry. Before the Necromancer and the Tunneling Nightmares, the Grand Entry would see thousands enter and start the gentle switchbacks down the 500-foot cliffside. There is a massive waterfall from the river the road from Telse follows at this point. Stone gates covered in glass guard the switchback path down to the bog city. There are a couple rickety, but new, cable lines that run from a secondary gate to two separate bog-isles. There is also a rapid descent used by climbing and flying companions.

    Back to the Grand Entry to the Free City of Sheljar.

    Once through the gates the vantage point shows all of the bog-city and its surroundings, when the fogs aren’t covering the lowlands. There are four paths available, three personalities and a few things that someone new to the region is sure to remember.

    Paths

    1. The switchbacks have a low stone or wood edge with ropes every foot up for 5 feet along the outer edge. There are posts every eight to ten feet. The once cobbled stones are frequently loose.
    2. The river is low and slow, heading from the communities to the south by southheast, and what is now the shell of an active volcano. When the volcano erupted there was a mudflow the ripped through the old barriers preventing barges and rivercraft from going over the cliff.
    3. The main cable runs from the left of the river, if you are facing the cliff looking out over the bog-city, to the large island near the northern edge of the bog that has the old city center with the library of Sheljar, the palace, and a few other government buildings.
    4. The second cable heads out towards the northwest and the former suburb that is now where the goblins settled prior to the Free City being freed.
    A hex map of the region around the bog-city of Sheljar.
    A hex map that shows Entrytown, the bog-city of Sheljar, the statue, harbor, and what is now the goblin village to the west.

    People

    • Guardian Bilth Ferien – wrapped in the cloak of the free city Bilth is a former ferryman who now is the senior government representative at the Grand Entry. His animal companion is a massive horned ox. A human, likely with some goliath in his ancestry, Bilth is 6’9″ tall and wields a staff only a fool would call quarter. The are five other guards with him in daylight hours. Bilth is strong and enduring.
    • Cablemistress Shelmigarii – a tiny goblin, Shelmigarii runs the cable system. She always has either a wrench or hammer in one hand. Aiding her are a crew of four mulgoblins (bugbears) Her hobgoblin husband often runs the nightshift. They are all done up in oilcloth and canvas with big floppy hats common for Kon. Shel is smart and charismatic.
    • Fek – a gnome fascinated both by the functioning cable system and by near-constant stream of Kin-ish returnees with their animal companions, Fek is slightly in the way, not helping. They are always taking notes in their notebooks. They clearly are able to cast spells, but none have seen it happen yet. They are smart and dexterous.

    Peculiars

    • The stone of the main gates is covered in colored glass baubles from Bel’an’faire off to the far south. These baubles can glow in the sunshine and now with magic’s return are frequently lit at night.
    • A giant statue, with a head level to the top of the cliffm can be seen at the edge of the harbor except on the foggiest days. From behind it is humanoid in the clothing of ancient Sheljar prior to it being the center of an empire, roughly 3,000 years old.
    • There is a frequent fog over the bog-city, hovering about 25-50 feet above the islands. Once called the Stench of Sheljar it is now purely natural, hiding the extent of occupation from those along the cliffs or at sea.
    • The gobkon on the cables are surrounded by mountain goats and scavenging birds. None are animal companions. These will follow people who choose to climb down the sheer cliff.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • “Mom, where do dragonborn come from?”

    “Mom, where do dragonborn come from?”

    That’s a question I didn’t have an answer for. A player wanted to be a dragonborn, but they don’t exist in the world as I built it. That’s not always a great reason to not allow a race.

    When you build a limited world players either need to buy-in completely or you can work together to figure out how the character fits.

    When a player asked to be a warforged he came up with an incredible backstory. They were the only warforged, built by those that became gods. Wakened for unknown reasons (we knew it was because of the rediscovery of the powers that those who created them used) the warforged is an outsider who knows that the myths of the founding are reality, that idyllic times of the past can be recreated using the same tools that the past used.

    This also made sense because the player wasn’t familiar with the world as it is. Instead they created what it was and together the player and character learned the current reality.

    When I was approached about a player being a dragonborn I wasn’t ready. We worked the character in with no backstory, knowing that at some point it will come up again.

    Then DnDBeyond presented the following idea;

    The Rise of Dragonborn and Kobolds

    As the Dungeon Master, you can craft unique origins for draconic folk like dragonborn and kobolds. You could decide that the burst of magical energy released by a dragon’s death could lead to the spontaneous emergence of these people in nearby areas. Just as mysteriously as a dragon egg could appear, a dragonborn infant could be found napping among resting sheep. In such a case, would the party be responsible for ensuring the child’s safety? And what will they do or say if the child has been imbued with some of the dead dragon’s memories? Such an ill-fate could lead the child to grow up to resent the party and even become a villain themselves.

    What Happens When a Dragon Dies in D&D?

    Now, my brain started flowing.

    The dragonborn PC would be the ‘child’ of the first dragon the party had slain. They would be the embodiment of some part of the dead black dragon, with others born of the slaying being all of the evil parts. Some would even be able to bond and break bonds of animals. Black dragons hoarding bondings, making them incredibly hated in the World of the Everflow.

    The player took this up, learning about his characters birthing through play. The group has encountered a few other dragonborn, always black.

    This also gives the group something to think about — they’re about to fight up to three more dragons. What will that mean for the future dragonkin? Will they be mostly evil as the first dragonkin?

    Lessons for any DM

    • When a player approaches to play something unallowed in your world try to discover a lore path towards yes
    • Is it just the mechanics they want? Re-lore the banned item into something that makes sense
    • Use this opportunity to build a world together, rather than have it be only the DM’s world
    • Every thing you read is prep for your next session

  • Barbers and bloodletters – hedge healers belong in your D&D campaign

    Barbers and bloodletters – hedge healers belong in your D&D campaign

    Waterdeep, Tear, Dragaera City, Tajar, Zobeck — whatever the city in your world, there are barbers. The technology exists, and the art of Dungeons & Dragons provides a dazzling array of hair and beard styles that go well beyond those from the real world. But how would you play a barber or stylist in D&D?

    That’s easy, via backgrounds. They’re what you were before. Maybe some heroes, especially rogues and bards, would learn to use their common implements as weapons. But anyone could be a stylist or barber before.

    Get your shave and a haircut for two silver.

    Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

    Barber

    Whether in a big city or travelling between cities, you are an expert at maintaining hair whether on face or head. With your scissors or razor you create art with hair. Additionally you are capable of non-magical healing. Depending on your practice you may use leaches, your blades or some other form of blood letting.

    Barbers, under any name, are also strong conversationalists. When others are in your stool or chair they feel welcome, sharing the conversation of the neighborhood and their own life.

    Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Medicine
    Tool Proficiencies: Barber’s Tools, Healer’s Kit
    Languages: No additional languages
    Equipment: Barber’s kit, two Healer’s Kits, two vials of perfume, a stool, pouch with 5 gold.

    Feature: Bloodletting

    Whether via razors or leaches, using an action the Barber grants a willing creature the ability to expand a hit die to heal or recover from certain non-magical conditions (Charmed, Frightened, Incapacitated, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Unconscious). The creature takes on a level of exhaustion.

    Personality traits would be similar to the Folk Hero, the Acolyte and the Fisher.

    Barber’s Kit

    Cost: 25 gp | Weight: 2 lbs

    Proficiency with Barber’s Tools means that you are familiar with how to style hair — cutting it, braiding it, etc. You can color it with various dyes as well. The kit includes a couple razors, scissors, a silver mirror, lotions, dyes, hair ties and other small items to help the barber.

    Photo by Nikolaos Dimou on Pexels.com

    Design Goals

    Once upon a time I read, played and DMed in al-Qadim. The Arab/Turk/etc-ish setting included a barber, part healer and part friendly ear. That barber and their role in post-Renaissance England as “surgeons” fits many of the worlds of D&D.

    They aren’t common in literature and games that inspire our games. That’s okay. They should be. Visiting a barber should be part of the story, even in magical worlds. Mending and Prestidigitation don’t trim your locks or beards.

    Have a conversation, look better, maybe get a tiny bit of natural healing (no, it doesn’t work like this in real life). Also, I really like my stylist Chamaine.

    Custom Backgrounds for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons

  • D&D Gifts of Many Parts: A Holiday Shopping Guide

    D&D Gifts of Many Parts: A Holiday Shopping Guide

    There are a lot of great deals available on line. Which is fine if you must save money. But, I strongly recommend supporting your local games shop. My favorites are Destiny City Comics, Wizards Keep Games, Shane’s Cards, Tacoma Games, Mox Boarding House, Krampus Kave, Book and Game, and Digital Heroes.

    Supporting a local shop introduces you to great people, encourages them to host games and helps your city continue a culture of discovery and creation.

    Here’s some general overview of gifts before we head into my particular callouts as great purchases to amplify fun.

    Every suggested item is something I’ve purchased myself or from a company I have purchased from .

    Starting Up

    Stormwreck Isle (review at Strange Assembly) – The current Starter Set launched at Target, but is now available everywhere. It’s cleaner, simpler than the initial Starter Set (Lost Mines of Phandelver). If you have someone in your life who hasn’t played before but should this 10-20 dollar purchase is perfect.

    Stranger Things (review at Polygon) – Millions of people had their love of Dungeons & Dragons reawakened by Will in the Netflix series Stanger Things. There’s a box set available written as if the group wrote it. It can be hard to find, with eBay prices over $60.

    Player’s Handbook – Amazon has it so cheap you may as well give it to a friend who hasn’t said they’re interested in D&D.

    Adventures

    Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (review at Polygon) – Send your party to war in the world of Krynn. The adventure’s main opponent is a death knight that rides death dragons and lives in a flying citadel. As war rages around you, you will have to deal with the chaos of war to attempt to save a kingdom as dragon armies ready to conquer the world.

    Journeys through Radiant Citadel (review roundup at ENWorld) – What I love about Radiant Citadel is that it doesn’t tell stories that I am familiar with — these are new tales by mostly new talent, all BIPOC. The art is vibrant and fantastical; the stories well written.

    Subscriptions

    DnD Beyond – The entry level (hero) subscription is perfect for people who create characters for fun. I have nearly 100 characters created because creating characters helps teach me about myself and the world.

    Warlock – Kobold Press is a third-party publisher that puts out unrivaled content mostly focused on swords & sorcery mixed with high fantasy. Their Warlock magazine-style subscription has the feelings of pre-2e D&D with rules perfect for modern play. I have several of their books, Tome of Beasts is an excellent collection of monsters.

    Arcadia – From MCDM, the creators of Kingdoms and Warfare and several other supplements, Arcadia is a full-color, fantastical to D&D-superheroes type of content. Many of their authors have freelanced for official D&D.

    T-shirts – I may just be including this because my body changed a bit during the years of stress related to the global pandemic. I need new shirts and frequently wear graphic T-s underneath flannel. Head to Heroes & Villains if you just want to give someone a one-off that’s stunning.

    Maps

    I cannot map. So I support these creators.

    Deven Rue creates amazing frame-able maps that equally belong on office walls and gaming table.s

    Dyson Logos focuses on dungeons. Most of their maps are available for free because of the strong Patreon support. Add to that support if you plan on using the art. Like Deven, Dyson has appeared in official products.

    For outdoor battle maps I love 2-minute Tabletop. They also create assets for a creator to blend and make their own maps.

    Watabou is where I head when I need a map fast and trust a procedural generator.

    Lifestyle

    Psuedodragon – I may get this one for myself. Who doesn’t want a smol draggo hanging out with you in the office? It’s about the size of a large textbook.

    Eldrador Creatures – These minis that aren’t official; they are perfect for fantasy play. You will need to stat them up. That’s one of the joys of playing D&D.

    My favorite fancy dice are from Artisan Dice. Their woods and stones are unique. For cases and Hope Shields I go to Wyrmwood. There are two places I suggest for people with personal 3D printers — Hero Forge for characters and mz4250 for creatures.

    As big of a coffee nerd as I am a D&D nerd, I’ve found one roaster that combines their passion for both to put out the highest quality — Found Familiar. Regular Gnoll is what I get when I want something with cream.

    Friday Afternoon Tea creates dozens of geek-inspired blends. Bard’s Blend is my most frequent purchase.

    What if you’re shopping for me?

    If you’re me you’ll enjoy everything listed above, as well as things on my wishlist.

  • Highlights from Geekwire’s interview with Wizards of the Coast President Cynthia Williams

    Highlights from Geekwire’s interview with Wizards of the Coast President Cynthia Williams

    Local tech website Geekwire has access to Wizards of the Coast, because they too are local. So sometimes, Geekwire dips into the world of tabletop gaming, the business. Much of the conversation between Cynthia Williams, Wizards of the Coast President, and Thomas Wilde is dedicated to big picture stuff. Now, I’m fascinated by that, but many of my readers just want to play Dungeons & Dragons.

    Williams has some thoughts that are important for players and potential players of the game that aren’t interested in business news.

    Yes, the word race is gone. But its replacement isn’t confirmed.

    I think it’s important to remember that One D&D (a new publishing initiative) is at the point of playtest. I don’t think that we have finalized that the word will be “species.” It’s a word being tested.

    Where D&D in the 80s was much more about escapism and simulation, modern D&D is about story and diversity, the amplification of teamwork.

    Our games teach that diversity is a strength. D&D in particular will teach you that together, you can overcome tasks, challenges, or an adventure that you wouldn’t have been able to on your own.

    …

    I love the stories of people playing Dungeons & Dragons and being able to express who they are in that game, which leads them to being able to express who they are in their real life. We’re very much cultivating that level of diversity as we’re inviting players in.

    There’s a push about the upcoming movie and mention of the next big video game release after Baldur’s Gate, too. Wizards owns six video game studios now.

    It’s interesting to see that Magic grew to a billion dollar brand even as it has issues with the fanbase. There’s also more evidence that the D&D side is hoping to hit that number, but through a different path that isn’t about microtransactions or a flood of book releases — instead D&D has a movie, a TV show and multiple video games to get to that number.

    Read the whole thing