Navy DM

Navy Vet (Subs), Gamer geek, musician, writer, and creator of DnD content. International Man of Mystery.

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

Conversely, your fun isn't wrong. #DnD

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@patrick_dixon @Auso_ @SandyofCthulhu Nor mine

[Larry Correia @monsterhunter45]

These are the releases and projects I've got coming up-
American Paladin Kickstarter - September (release in 2026)
Academy of Outcasts - October
Heart of the Mountain audiobook - November
Monster Hunter Files 2 - March
Monster Hunter #9 - Late 2026
MH Files w/ Les Johnson - 2026
Magic and Bullets (Academy of Outcasts 2) - 2026
Gun Runner Kickstarter - later in 2025 (I'm not sure, they're working on art)

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@titMcGrit2

[NewbieDM @newbiedm]

I'm beating a dead horse at this point but my god, what the hell happened to the art direction at WOTC? Those new Realms books have such uninspiring art. It's like the characters are posing for instagram.

At least have them doing something heroic. Geez.

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@chainsaw_mode @SuperShotgunLuv That isn't the problem with the campaign, the problem is the AI being poor being made up for by cheese in the level design and the extremely boring non story missions

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@HumbleFlow Swing and a miss

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@mikemearls Yeah but we'll need to see who actually *plays* it. I remember when the 5e CR books came out, and that was both at a higher peak of CR and TTRPGs and finding those supplements being used at the table seemed to be incredibly rare.

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@osgamer74 @OsborneJeremy2 Still needed to hit a hit or weakspot, bolt is not making it through the armor itself, heck even some early firearms couldn't

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@Grand_DM Yeah I just meant more it's very difficult to suss out why certain dms run into issues with certain systems and others don't.

Preference is some of it of course, but I also wonder how much of the relatively isolated nature of the game in it's play environment

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

This is obviously happening for some, I just wish I could figure out and quantify why this has not happened to me in the decade or so I've been running 5e

Table variation obviously plays a part, but it's curious what the missing link is.

[Grand DM @Grand_DM]

I DM’d 5E avidly for ten years. I had fun and loved the stories we told. But over time, the system wore me down. Most monsters stay flat and predictable. The action economy leans hard toward the party, and even major villains feel like speedbumps unless reworked from the ground up.

Outside of combat class features often short-circuit social and exploration challenges. I spent more time trying to make the game more interesting than actually enjoying it. The fact that an entire cottage industry of DM advice books, blogs, and workarounds emerged - including my own posts and tips - says a lot. Eventually, I realized 5E isn’t a game for the DM. YMMV.

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@newbiedm Odd, I've certainly seen many pcs lose fights and die over the years.

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@newbiedm You know what's crazy though, it's been down hill since mearls left

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@newbiedm @mikemearls

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@Lairofthelich I don't think it's particularly secret, it's just people not liking wotc and then exaggerating the systems flaws.

It's the most popular and widely played edition of DnD ever, and for plenty of good reasons

[Navy DM @Navy_DM]

@pearsesd Make?

[Mike Mearls @mikemearls]

Whether it's a dead character or failure in whatever context the session presents, the bigger the threat, the more meaning play has to us emotionally and spiritually. Removing it from the game turns it into time-wasting slop.

[Mike Mearls @mikemearls]

The meaning of play comes from the sense of risk. We roleplay because it is a place where we can experience risk, loss, and defeat without enduring tangible harm. We're wired as humans to roleplay to learn how to navigate life's twists and turns.

[Mike Mearls @mikemearls]

Because I'm at Gary Con and feeling salty - I think the idea that younger gamers want a "safe" game - whatever that means - is utterly wrong. Participation trophies are there to make the parents feel good about themselves. The kids know it's a show.

[NewbieDM @newbiedm]

I always assumed the seven dwarves were just like, Tolkien dwarves. I have never ever assumed them to be humans.

Am I alone here?

[Mike Mearls @mikemearls]

Looking at Hasbro's 2024 results, I think this might be the first time that D&D tabletop RPG revenue has decreased with the release of a new edition. How'd that happen? It lines up with a lot of what I've seen in the marketplace: (1/5)