You Dont Need D&D to Play D&D

Gary Gygax has a quote that goes something like "the only secret DMs must not know is that they don't need rules." Gary Gygax knew that once you gave the rules away (or sold them), they were not yours anymore, and once GMs figured that out, they didn't need to give you any more of their money. Ever.

Gary Gygax was also famous for answering DM questions by asking "what did you do?" Then answering "that sounds good to me." Because Gary understood that he was not the authority on the rules. There is no authority except the GM at their table.

This is well understood by people in the hobby, but WotC / Hasbro didn't when they tried to deauthorize the OGL and again when they tried to turn D&D into a digital only subscription service. The changes they've been making to the content are nothing short of infantilization. They disclaimed Gary Gygax and others. They made other missteps. May they fail, and may their failure serve as an example to all other publishers in the future. They were poor stewards of the game, and they burned all their good will.

I don't like Shadow Dark because it's still too much like 5e, but I wish Kelsey Deon and her game all the best. I want her success to serve as an example of how to actually be a steward. Kelsey's game is a work of art and passion. May 5e 2024 fall into obscurity, and may games like Shadow Dark carry the mantle and the torch.

Why? Because you don't need D&D to play D&D. We want quality products that respect us and our legacy and our heroes and our intelligence. We don't need to buy anymore. We can make it ourselves. Buying a good product is still great thought!