Wow, do we stop playing D&D 5E?

WOTC OGL 1.1 - well that escalated quickly! 

[4 min read]

I am not going to discuss in detail the absolute fiasco that is Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) and their attempts to introduce a new Open Gaming Licence (OGL 1.1) - Dungeon Dudes and Nerd Immersion have done it better. But needless to say, this unforced error from WOTC is probably making tables around the world rethink their Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) of choice. Ours certainly is.

Here is how I feel about it. 

I love D&D 5e. Our group been immensely enjoying three different campaigns over the last two years. We are deep into the D&D Beyond ecosystem - I've personally spent hundreds of dollars on D&D content there and we use it in every session since it makes things so convenient. I even like the direction that One D&D was heading - tightening up some broken rules, creating greater consistency, introducing a 3D virtual tabletop. And we don't even use third party content in our games - everything is official D&D WOTC products so far.

So why does this affect us?

Because it feels icky. This pastime that we love has flourished thanks to content creators other than WOTC and now it seems like the big corporate entity is determined to monopolise the brand at the cost of their community. WOTC have lost credibility and trust, and now I don't feel like pulling out my wallet on their products. 

So what should we do it about? I see four options:

Options

• The feeling will pass - let's just keep supporting official D&D products, it's easier that way
• Let's play the content we've already bought but not buy any more, deferring any change until later
• Why not move to a third party D&D-adjacent system using D20 rules? Couldn't be that hard...
• Screw it - how about change our TTRPPG system completely? Make a clean break.

How are we going to come to a consensus? I guess a group call will be needed to see how we feel. Not everyone in the group is invested in the hobby at the same levels, or has the same goals and interests. I could see us needing to align on some criteria to help us move forward. For example:

Decision criteria

• Level of learning curve - and people's willingness to invest the time to learn something new
• Ease of online play - since we play basically 100% digitally across timezones, this will be key
• Degree of interest in that style of game - what inspires us? What matches our style of play?

We can't underestimate that last point - at their core, TTRPGs are a vehicle to having a fun time with our friends. It shouldn't feel like a chore - we have enough of those in our lives. Aligning on why we play and what is important to maximise the fun is something I don't think my group has ever done, but maybe this unpleasant moment is a catalyst to have that conversation. 

Because we have access to a plethora of TTRPG systems to choose from! Between our DMs we have:

D&D-adjacent, D20 systems

• Level up 5e - an advanced ruleset for D&D 5e
• Pathfinder 2e - a more balanced and crunchier version of D&D 3.5e, still high fantasy
• 13th Age - an alternate to D&D created by ex-WOTC staff, still high fantasy
• LOTR Roleplaying - a 5e ruleset based in the official LOTR, low magic Middle Earth setting
• Shadow of the Demon Lord - a horror-filled, grim dark setting
• Dungeon Crawl Classics - an Old School Renaissance TTRPG based on original D&D
• Cyberpunk - a d20 version of the classic Cyberpunk setting (which our group played decades ago)

New TTRPG rules systems:

• The One Ring - a d6 success system using the official Lord of the Rings setting
• Forbidden Lands - a d6 success system focused on exploration and survival in a fantasy sandbox
• Savage Worlds - a stepped dice, setting-agnostic system with a pulp action feel
• Ironsworn - a rules-light, narrative-driven, d10 challenge dice system in a Viking setting
• Blades in the Dark - a d6 success system with a dark fantasy theme built on heist gameplay
• Vaesen - a d6 success system filled with horror and mystery in a 19th century Nordic setting

Whatever my group does, I will still continue with my exploration of other TTRPGs. I will probably still play some of my solo D&D campaigns that I already own like Rime of the Frostmaiden (in progress), and Shadow of the Dark Queen (not started). But now I am not envisaging running a D&D 5e campaign in the future with the group, so whatever inspiration I get from these will likely be channeled in a different direction in the future.

Oh well, c'est la vie! I am grateful to have access to so much wonderful content to help scratch that creative itch, and no one can take that content away from me. The reality is I have so much that I could not buy a single new piece and I could play for decades!