Over the last two years, Wizards has been at the center of controversy, facing allegations that AI tools were utilized to produce some of their official artwork. The FAQ released by the company explains their approach to managing such allegations and emphasizes their preference for handling matters internally to protect the privacy of the artists involved.

According to the FAQ, Wizards of the Coast acknowledges that mistakes have been made in detecting AI-generated art but also notes that instances have occurred where public accusations have misidentified legitimate art as AI-generated, leading to false alarms. The company outlines its reliance on both public and private channels to identify potential issues, with a reiterative process that involves direct communication with the artists.

One of the more notable points in the FAQ addresses the lack of transparency in their processes, a decision Wizards defends by stressing the importance of protecting individual artists from public backlash and harassment. This stance, however, has not satisfied some fans who would prefer more openness and accountability, particularly when it involves artists who might have violated the company’s guidelines.

Wizards of the Coast also reveals that they have employed specific handbooks for artists working on Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, which detail the expectations and prohibitions against using generative AI tools in their artwork.

The FAQ coincides with instances where AI-generated art was identified in promotional materials for Magic: The Gathering, highlighting the challenges and complexities of enforcing these guidelines.

The dialogue around AI art in gaming continues to evolve, and Wizards of the Coast’s recent FAQ is just one step in addressing the broader concerns about the role of AI in creative industries. Whether this will appease the community or lead to further discussions remains to be seen.

Williams, who took the helm at WotC in 2022, replaced Chris Cocks when he was promoted to CEO of Hasbro. She brought to WotC a background from Microsoft, where she managed the Gaming Ecosystem Commercial Team, and prior to that, a tenure at Amazon. Under her leadership, WotC focused on digitizing its major brands and streamlining operations, a strategy laid out in their Blueprint 2.0. A strategy that certainly not all of the tabletop community was happy with.

Her time at WotC was not without its controversies, most notably the mishandling of the Open Gaming License for Dungeons & Dragons which faced backlash from the gaming community. Despite this, Williams also saw through periods of record sales and significant product launches.

Hasbro is actively searching for Williams’ successor, considering both internal and external candidates. The company has expressed its gratitude for Williams’ contributions and looks forward to what she will achieve next. “We’re excited for Cynthia to take the next step in her career and grateful for the contributions she has made,” a Hasbro representative commented.

The resignation comes at a critical time as WotC celebrates the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, amidst planning a major reboot of the game’s core rules set to roll out later this year. The transition in leadership will be closely watched by the industry and community alike, as the company aims to maintain its leadership in the ever-evolving world of tabletop gaming.

The adventure begins in the Forgotten Realms and takes players through several other universes, including Planescape, Spelljammer, Eberron, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Greyhawk. The objective is to prevent Vecna from erasing goodness, obliterating the gods, and dominating all worlds. Players will join forces with renowned archmages, explore distant locales, and endeavor to reassemble the legendary Rod of Seven Parts.

Offered at a steep $69.95, “Vecna: Eve of Ruin” comes in both digital and physical formats. The physical edition includes a 256-page hardcover book, a double-sided poster map, and introduces over 30 new monsters. Additionally, the package features detailed dossiers on significant allies from previous D&D adventures.

Pre-orders provide early digital access to the content on D&D Beyond starting May 7, at a whopping $29.99. Pre-order benefits include a digital dice set, 11 frames, and 4 backdrops.

An exclusive D&D Beyond digital adventure, “Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye,” accompanies digital pre-orders. This single-session prequel introduces the main campaign’s themes and is available from April 16, 2024.

The 2024 Core Rulebooks, scheduled for release alongside “Vecna: Eve of Ruin,” will update and expand the fifth edition with new player and Dungeon Master options. These updates are designed to be compatible with all existing fifth edition materials, based on nearly a decade of feedback from the D&D community.

In a narrative that starts in the beloved town of Phandalin – the location many D&D enthusiasts will remember from the acclaimed “Lost Mine of Phandelver” adventure – a new challenge has risen. A nefarious cult, devoted to an ominous deity, intends to convert Phandalin into the epicenter of their evil empire, instigating an epic quest to thwart their plans and safeguard the town and its denizens.

Here are some compelling features of “Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk”:

• A quintessential dungeon crawl experience, offering an engaging platform for both new and experienced Dungeon Masters and players.
• A harmonious blend of the cherished “Lost Mine of Phandelver” quests and an all-new adventure, mixing time-honored D&D themes with an element of horror.
• An extensive bestiary boasting approximately two dozen new entities exhibiting psionic magic, morphing horrors, and more.
• An expanded magic appendix introducing novel consumable metamagic items and the arcane arts of the duergar.
• A handy double-sided poster map illustrating the Phandalin region on one side and the key points of interest in Phandalin town on the other.

The package includes both a printed adventure book and a digital copy available on D&D Beyond. An early bird offer provides pre-order customers with early access to the module on D&D Beyond starting September 5, 2023.

In this supplement, Bigby the Great, a beloved character within the D&D universe, recounts his extraordinary journeys into the history, myth, and society of giants. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of both Bigby and the demigod Diancastra, offspring of the All-Father of giants, Annam, revealing the secrets of Annam’s mighty progeny.

“Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants” offers players a wealth of giant-themed character options. Adventurers can tap into the power of these colossal beings with a new barbarian subclass, two backgrounds related to giants and their mysterious runic magic, and new feat options that channel the strength and primal magic of the giants themselves.

Dungeon Masters haven’t been left out either. They will find inspiration for bringing the towering giants to life through an assortment of tools such as maps of giant-built sites, new monsters, colossal treasures, and intriguing trinkets from a giant’s bag.

“Giants have always held a special place in the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, and this book celebrates their iconic stature,” said a spokesperson from Wizards of the Coast. “We hope to deepen the understanding of these towering figures, offering players and Dungeon Masters alike new perspectives and storytelling possibilities.”

The book delves into previously undisclosed giant lore, including a detailed overview of the hierarchical structure of the ordning, giants’ religion, and societal organizations across the multiverse. Players can also look forward to a treasure trove of over 30 magic items, including three illustrious artifacts.

Moreover, the book presents a significant expansion to the D&D bestiary, devoting more than a third of its pages to monster descriptions, lore, and stat blocks. Discover a vibrant ecosystem teeming with new types of giants, over 70 new monsters, and other gargantuan creatures.

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Each deck is dedicated to a specific Doctor, with the Classic Doctors getting their own deck, and the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Doctors getting their own as well. There’s even a deck dedicated to the villains of Doctor Who. Each deck contains 50 new cards and a new set of Planechase cards featuring famous locations from the Doctor Who universe.

In addition, Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who will also include Collector Boosters with special treatments for cards found in the decks. Fans can get a first look at the upcoming release on July 28, with the official debut set for October 3 and the global launch on October 13.

The set will feature timeless artwork from renowned artists such as Luisa J. Preissler, David Auden Nash, Pauline Voss, Lenka Šimečková, Simon Dominic, and Syd Mills. Fans can already pre-order the set on the official Magic: The Gathering® – Doctor Who website.

Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who promises to be a must-have for fans of both franchises, as they can now experience the adventures of the Doctor and his companions in a whole new way. So mark your calendars and get ready to travel through space and time on October 13 with Magic: The Gathering® – Doctor Who. Allons-y!

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The set features fan favorites like Jeweled Lotus, The Ur-Dragon, and Capture of Jingzhou, and several other amazing reprints, including Personal Tutor and Selvala, Heart of the Wilds. The set also reintroduces the textured foil treatment, along with foil-etched cards in Collector Boosters, to showcase some of the coolest cards in Commander Masters.

One of the most exciting aspects of Commander Masters is the new-to-Magic cards found in the four ready-to-play Commander decks. Each of these 100-card decks features ten new-to-Magic cards, including new commanders to lead the way. The decks include Eldrazi Unbound (Colorless), Enduring Enchantments (White-Black-Green), Planeswalker Party (White-Blue-Red), and Sliver Swarm (White-Blue-Black-Red-Green).

While the Display commander cards are not for sanctioned gameplay, extended-art versions of these Commander Masters commanders are available in Collector Boosters.

Fans can preorder Commander Masters now through online retailers such as Amazon or at their local store using the set code CMM. The set is tabletop-legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander formats, but unfortunately, it is not available on MTG Arena.

The Commander Masters launch is set to debut on July 11, with previews starting on July 17-20. The complete card image galleries will be available on July 21, and the set will be featured in a pre-prerelease with Loading Ready Run on July 22. WPN Premium Store Preview Events will take place on July 28-30, and the Command Zone Podcast’s Extra Turns Gameplay will be held on August 2. The global tabletop launch is set for August 4.

Commander Masters is expected to be a must-have for Magic: The Gathering fans, offering a unique draft experience with friends, a chance to build out their collections, and the opportunity to level up their coolest Commander decks.

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One of the biggest announcements from the summit is that the 2024 core rulebooks will be a continuation of fifth edition and not a new edition. The team is working towards a more integrated experience for players across all modes of play, which they refer to as “One D&D”.

Another important topic discussed was support for schools and clubs. The team has several initiatives in place to support D&D for kids, students, schools, and clubs, including D&D-Inspired Teaching Kits, D&D Afterschool Club Kits, and a D&D Beyond Educator License.

Accessibility on D&D Beyond was also a key focus at the summit, and the team is looking into ways to improve the toolset for all players with disabilities. They plan to connect with experts and key creators in this space to develop more impactful accessibility initiatives.

The team is also working towards making D&D Beyond the “front door” for all things Dungeons & Dragons on the internet. This is a long-term project, and the team is gradually migrating the D&D website to D&D Beyond.

Another exciting announcement from the summit was the introduction of a marketplace for third-party creators to D&D Beyond. While planning is still in its infancy, the team plans to start rolling out updates, FAQs, and feedback sessions with creators and publishers.

Lastly, the team discussed the upcoming VTT for D&D, which is still in the early stages of development. The next step is to plan a pre-alpha test with a small group of players and expand from there.

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The D&D Creator Summit was conducted as a hybrid event, with some attendees participating in-person and others attending virtually. Writer and podcaster Daniel Kwan reported that the virtual sessions were plagued by technical issues, including problems with video and audio feeds. This prevented many virtual participants from engaging fully with the content being presented and raised questions about WOTC’s ability to manage such events.

In addition to the technical difficulties, the event seemed to be overshadowed by a focus on advertising upcoming D&D products rather than fostering a genuine dialogue between the creators and WOTC representatives. While the summit did cover recent developments such as the recently announced virtual tabletop, many participants felt that WOTC missed an opportunity to address crucial topics related to the future of the game.

A particularly perplexing aspect of the D&D Creator Summit was the discussion surrounding the future of the game, specifically the naming and branding of the next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons. During the event, WOTC revealed that the term “One D&D” was merely a placeholder, referring to the integration of 5th edition, the new Virtual Tabletop (VTT), and D&D Beyond. However, when it came to the next version of the game, WOTC made a surprising decision.

Instead of naming the upcoming release as “One D&D,” “6th Edition,” or even “5.5,” the company has chosen to continue calling it “5th Edition.” This decision comes despite the announcement of new rulebooks and a revised Core Rulebook set to release in 2024. This peculiar naming choice has led to confusion and frustration within the D&D community, as it muddles the distinction between the current game and the upcoming revisions.

Another major concern raised during the summit was the accessibility of the new D&D Virtual Tabletop (VTT) being developed by WOTC. The VTT will be built on Epic’s Unreal Engine 5, which, while visually impressive, can be taxing on older machines. This could create a barrier to entry for players with limited resources, effectively excluding them from experiencing this latest development in the D&D world. Despite WOTC outlining a roadmap for the VTT, no concrete plans were shared on how they intend to address this issue.

Another area where the summit fell short was in its approach to diversity and inclusion. When asked about their commitment to hiring and promoting marginalized individuals within the company and involving diverse voices in the creative process, Jontelle Leyson-Smith, WOTC’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Philanthropy & Employee Experience, provided a somewhat generic response. While Leyson-Smith emphasized the importance of hiring the best people for the job, she failed to address the need for specific actions to increase diversity within the company.

Moreover, the impromptu Q&A session between WOTC representatives and creators highlighted the company’s struggle to rebuild trust with the community after the controversial OGL 1.1 event. Although Executive Producer Kyle Brink addressed some concerns, many questions related to safety, mental health, and financial equity were left unanswered.

The D&D Creator Summit concluded with a glimpse into the future of D&D, including a new revised Core Rulebook set to release in 2024. However, the overall sentiment of the event was that WOTC failed to address the most pressing concerns of the community. While the summit did provide some insight into upcoming projects, it exposed a significant disconnect between WOTC and the creators who help drive the success of Dungeons & Dragons.

The game is still in the early pre-alpha stages of development, with only a select few individuals having access to it at this time. The development team has stated that there are still many bugs and missing pieces that need to be ironed out before the game can be released to a wider audience. It remains to be seen how well the virtual tabletop will function, or whether it will live up to the expectations of players.

While the team is focused on creating engaging content, there are concerns that the virtual experience may not be able to fully replicate the fun and excitement of playing D&D in person. Some fans may be disappointed that the game will not be customizable right out of the gate, with creation tools and customization features not being added until later down the line.

Furthermore, while the team claims that the virtual tabletop will be authentic to the rules and how people play the game, it is unclear how well the game will be able to replicate the unique experience of playing D&D with friends around a physical table. There are also concerns that the digital experience may lack the same level of connection and community that is present in traditional tabletop gaming.

In conclusion, while the Dungeons and Dragons virtual tabletop is an interesting development, it is important to approach it with skepticism until more information and playtesting become available. The project is still in the early stages of development, and it remains to be seen whether it will be able to deliver on its promises and provide a truly engaging and authentic D&D experience.