Help spread the word - Share my post on X and tag @elonmusk x.com/EsperTheBard/status/1863962259392721025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1863962259392721025%7Ctwgr%5E94e72bcdd99320d94a3188b801f269c484536c20%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FEsperTheBard%2Fstatus%2F1863962259392721025 Note: I am reading as many comments as I can. One thing I have to reiterate here-I'm neither a Musk hater nor a Musk fan. I simply don't know enough about him to form a strong opinion. Whether he's an angel or a devil, a LG wizard or a CE red dragon, I would want to speak with him for the sake of our game. Our game that is more than merely a game. I'm fighting for RPGs, I'm fighting for the soul of mythic storytelling. As crazy as it sounds, I feel a calling to try to help and to play whatever part I can to keep the torch of inspiration burning.
@EsperTheBard if you DO want to get Elon’s attention, lose the prose and get to the point. If he ever did give any of his time it likely wouldn’t be much. 🤷♂️ Comes across harsher than it is, but well meant.
In your outro on this video.... just a suggestion if you make another one. Refer to him as Elon at the end.... instead of Musk. And if your going to ask to bring it to his attention.... Might want to say Mr. Musk's attention. Or preferably Elon's attention. I personally don't get inspired when people use my last name. Just a suggestion. Good luck on your fight. Wizards has been killing Magic for years. I had high hopes when they acquired TSR. Could bring the worlds of D&D and Dominia together. How could it fail? When they never did anything with it. And I knew it was just a matter of time before they messed up D&D. Bright side.... can always go back to 2nd edition and tell them to pound sand. Actually, the players have more power than Elon right now. Stop buying their shit, and they will either right the ship, or sell at a discount..... which would probly interest Elon a bit more.
For all the content you have made Esper. I'm amazed you have never ranked or tier listed all the 5e books even after all of classic has been wrapped up! I'd be curious to see you rank each book by letter tier or % scale.0-10 etcetera with the year in caption attached. I personally think late 2021 releases was a mixed bag & 2022 was is were it went down hill for Dragons of Stormwreck Isle was good & Dragon-lance felt like a watered sown version compared to 3rd edition but everything else in 2022 was not my taste. I'd find your takes on all the content you have likely read & experienced more to be interesting as you tend not to go for the crowd pleasers.
Esper - Whatever you do.... don't listen to Chili. 😂😂😂 What a moron. I guess because people know Elon is pro 1A he is somehow a bad guy? I guess because Elon bought Twitter and stopped the squashing free speech he a bad guy? 😳 Wow. I guess because Elon bought it and saved the company from going under he's a bad guy? What logic. If anyone could fix DnD, Esper could. I would vote for you! Making DnD Great Again!!! Making DnD medieval again! 😅😅😅 Non neon, killing the sanitized nonsense again!
@ChilleBruh - Esper did get exactly to the point. The prose is exactly what a genius would grab onto. The art is exactly what Elon would be drawn to. The sharp intellect, polar opposite of what WotC is today, is exactly what would get Esper hired. Our country is crumbling. And now the Left is killing our fantasy. We need a Bard badly. Looking at the comment section in the last 5 to 10 years makes it obvious people are sick of the disease that has become Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Bud Light, Hersheys, Jaguar, etc.... and now our hobbies? "I say thee NAY!" 😡 ("keywords that activates Algarths Embattlement")
As a Warhammer 40k enjoyer who only casually follows the D&D scene, I completely agree that it seems like WotC has been sacrificing D&D's spirit (along with the spirit of other RPG/card games they control) on the altar of corporate profit and 'following the latest corporate trend'/'sanitized for mass consumption'.
every hobby was "infested": manga/anime/comic; board/card/miniature/video games; fantasy/scify; etc worst is, the original fans never tried to "keep anyone outside", indeed, most of us were VERY welcoming. and look what it brought upon us, being chased out of the things we "raised"
@@AlexAlex-zt3hi To be fair, it's d&d, there's not much the community has to do with your home game a majority of the time. Do I agree with a lot of the stuff WOTC has done to the lore or the do I like the culture surrounding d&d? not particularly, but I just don't put any of that in my games.
I can confirm he was the first D&D channel, because I started my first channel at the end of 2009 right after he did, because of him. Esper has always been at the forefront of the game and its improvements. Thanks Esper for all you have done and continue to do.
I cannot truly say that Esper was my FIRST D&D UA-camr that I started watching... But if he wasn't? He definitely was ONE OF the firsts... I truly cannot actually say how long I have been viewing his stuff, but definitely watched him for a LONG time now. Fun stuff.
I was telling my son last night, who is about to start DMing for friends at school, that I first played Keep on the Borderlands back when I was about 8 years old and it was probably one of the most defining moments of my life. Role-playing has been a major part of who I am for the 36 years since.
@@raytheerudite5252 I tried that once, and it was a mistake. I've been stuck in this labyrinth forgetting what's on the next page ever since... I just want to go back to the goblin cave...
Esper is what we need in dnd. Someone who genuinely cares about the game, the dm, and the players. You're not here to convince anyone to vote one way or the other and you're not trying to appeal to people who have zero interest in the game. You're here for the people who love Dungeons and Dragons, it's mechanics, it's lore, it's art, and it's potential. Godspeed Esper and I hope you're able to keep working on what you love and sharing it with the world.
Much appreciation for this comment. That's it-whoever is running the show, I want to do my part to help for the sake of the game, for the sake of the wondrous mythic tradition that we share in.
@@esperthebard For what it's worth, you're the only fellow into D&D that brings some maturity to the game. As for being weird, bud, it's a sign of ill health to be adapted to environments that are run by the demented. You're fine.
@theblueflame2221 - Everyone in DnD is weird, geekish, dorky. I know.... I am too. My whole group were geeks. I try telling people what DnD is and they look at me weird. 😅😅😅 Every time.
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@@esperthebard Isn't that activism? Isn't that politics? You are making a case and hoping to influence the powers that be to keep your hobby fun and accessible for hopefully everyone that loves role-playing.
@@esperthebard oh, I see. You aren't against The fem in ist infiltration that has been wrecking the hobby with THEIR political agenda of man h8. It's only a problem when Musk threatens to take it over. Musk LACKS the h8 for guys that the current people have. So it has to improve
@esperthebard what do you think of Elon Musk supporting a military fascist coup in Bolivia? I'm sure he'll do wonders with DnD. 😂😂 Americans are so stupid and gullable. Jesus
Wow. The dnd UA-camr is how I found out after decades that people were still playing these games - I hadn’t seen anyone interested or playing til I saw them here. Now I have a community
Yeah. I am in 3 different games, own about 10 others, and just bought a new (to me) system's set of books... we aren't online much... but the commumities ae healthy for the most part. If you have one near you... find and go hang out at your local game shop if you can.
I met Esper when I was a young lad, about 15+ years ago, he worked with my dad. He is a great guy with a bright soul and kind heart - He used to let me play on his PsP, and I have a fond memory of him showing me how to turn a dandelion stem into a little trumpet :) Ironically, I didn't start getting into D&D and MtG until just a couple years ago. I admit, in moderate shame, that my first big experience with this IP outside of MtG was Baldurs Gate III. I love the game, I still play actively. However, entering this realm, I was surprised by the amount of slop content. MtG is especially riddled with *Multiverse TM* crap, which I just accepted, but the more I learn about the current state of D&D, the more disappointed I am that I didn't get to experience D&D in it's more pure forms of the past. I've always been a fantasy geek, and I adore stories of adventure and peril. I agree wholeheartedly with Esper that modern D&D seems to be more about appeasing the new-media crowd rather than building upon the foundation. I wanted to get engrossed in a fantastical world full of danger, populated by heros and flawed adventurers, scary and gross monsters - instead I see so much watering down of this world, becoming slowly absorbed into this absolutely terrible age of media that has frankly lost the plot. I think Esper's message here, speaking from the heart, is one that NEEDS to resonate with D&D fans if this tradition is going to survive. Nothing would make me, as a new fan, happier than to be able to experience D&D in it's former glory.
hey dude, why would you feel shame about where you started with a hobby? Don't let any comments get you down, Baldurs Gate 3 is as good an entry point into D&D as any other, in fact it's probably a better experience than buying the core books back in 2014 and playing back then. Feel proud of your past experiences and don't invalidate them for yourself.
I agree that WOTC D&D is going in a corporate mush direction. I’m not so sure that Elon wouldn’t shepherd it into a digital AI game. There will always be a relatively small group of ttrpg players with indie games or older editions to cater to or join. D&D and the ttrpg hobby has had and will always have limited appeal.
WotC themselves have been trying (and failing) to push D&D into being an online game where they can monetize more of it for nearly 20 years. That was one of the briefs of 4E, after all. I'll give Musk this: If he wanted to fully digitize and microtransaction D&D, he'd succeed! So I truly don't get the grognards thinking that Musk will save them just because he hates the same people as they do.
Musk understands the value of gaming, he's not going to destroy it for greed. He's not even a greedy person, look what he said to the disney ad execs who were trying to have him corrupt twitter for them.
@@Winterclaw42 well because it is a demonic bastardization of the hobby that adds nothing of value and no one wants. He doesn't keep garbage around just because it isn't technically broken.
What a great and highly accurate quote "they look like modern American cosplaying, they look like Disney Marvel, they look like McDonalds, they look like World of Warcraft"
In what way is that how they look? The art in the new PHB is full of people casting spells, swinging swords, dwarves at the forge, tieflings gambling, etc. etc. It’s very full of fantasy heroes doing fantasy hero stuff. You just don’t like the specific art style?
@@evieeevee everything is sparkly, clean, and sanitized, everyone looks like LARPers doing things like sitting around eating tacos, dwarves are baking bread and smiling, everyone looks like giggly modern cosplayers ripped out of 2024 comicon, nothing looks heroic or dark or like true fantasy. It's awful, and anyone who's been around long enough knows it.
@ Why wouldn’t dwarves bake bread and smile? I just opened my PHB to a random page and it was a black dragon melting a fighters shield with its acid breath. Pretty gritty and epic tbh. Flipping through I’ll admit most of the illustrations don’t have visible dirt in the illustrations. But when I open the 1978 AD&D PHB most of the illustrations also lack explicit dirt on the characters. Lots of these illustrations are pretty cartoony, tbh.
I agree with your sentiments Esper. Considering the current trajectory of WOTC and Hasbro, we have nothing to loose. I would love to see DnD handled with the care and intention that many (if not all) 3rd party creators do within the ttrpg hobby.
Esper should be Creative Director of WotC. Full stop. Now that I've heard the full video: You should be the CEO of their competitor Esper. I believe in you.
Esper is one of the very few people who approaches TTRPGs, and D&D in particular, with a deep reverence and understanding. I don't believe there's anyone else out there who will bring Joseph Campbell into a D&D discussion - but more should. It's something I think about from time to time in my games; archetypes and The Hero's Journey and all that. It's why Esper's content resonates so strongly with me. D&D is a game about throwing dice and chopping down the bad guys, sure. But it's so much deeper than that. Esper can see this and, even better, he's very good at communicating that concept to people who are willing to listen. I don't expect Musk to actually buy Hasboro - but he could, and if he does, I would be thrilled to see Esper involved in some way. Preferably in charge of the entire creative process. I haven't played D&D in a decade (I've moved to other systems for a variety of reasons), but if Esper were in charge I'd come back home.
@@aramis8836 matt colville has described many times how creative people are silenced and have their craft worked over by investors. This isn’t new, it’s a constant in dnd history.
Plz repost it and keep doing so with regularity and musk directly we must get this message out. Plz it would be a dream to see someone who cares about the game in charge of the game once again
@@matthewwhite9643 One of Esper's big points here is that D&D is too corporate and driven too much by greed, why do you think that having the worlds richest man in charge of it would ameliorate that?
@@dhammer5842 Simple a true fan as Musk and myself and Esperanto would stay true to what the founders invisioned and not whatever cartoon amalgamation it is becoming.
@@matthewwhite9643 He only commented on the "woke" stuff that "disparaged Gary Gygax" all the rest of your assumptions are just wishcasting, but ok. Still no answer on why you believe that it won't be corporate or Greedy. You don't become the richest man in the world without at least a little greed. Its cool tho, we can all see that you are a Trumper, sad that I can confidently make that assertion by only knowing that you are an Elon stan. Tribalism sux.
Was there really not enough sucking up to fascist oligarchs in the world? Esper is proposing using power to IMPOSE his will on D&D and help a narcissist destroy it and remake it in his own image. Nothing currently stops Esper from playing the way that he wants. This is an appeal to allow him to impose his desires on everybody else.
I wasn’t sure what to expect here. But a lot of espers opinions reflect my own here. Well said Esper, and I want to laud him for his neutral and matter of fact statements. Kudos to you sir
@RetroDawn - In Esper's case, I think you are right. The problem tho is, eventually politics HAVE to be involved. One side wants to tell you what you can say and doesn't care if you like their content or not. Elon wants free speech. There is no real choice in the matter. People are sick of the Left and their woke nonsense. It has destroyed Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Hersheys, Target, Budlight and tons more. Now they want to destroy our fantasy game too?
@@redfaux74it’s not dying though. At all. He wasn’t a fascist to help him impose his will on other people. Esper can currently play however he wants. He’s asking for a dictator to give him the power to impose HIS desires on the whole community. This is straight fascist.
@@redfaux74 D&D is 20x more successful than it has ever been. Musk 100% lied about what WotC was doing - they have venerated Gygac and Co. for the 50th anniversary. Fascism is always based on lies. Esper the Fascist notably does not criticize his Dear Leader for the lie that started all of this.
Just talking positively about Musk is a risk to a channel, and I’m so glad there is someone who isn’t afraid to not care about that and talk about this with nothing but passion for the hobby. Here’s hoping this somehow actually makes it’s way to Musk.
The Algee rhythm will try to shadow ban it because boogle sides with the activists.....I kinda think Elon wouldn't listen to activists but customers instead
Imagine going back ~8 years ago when the same people who foam at the mouth hating Musk these days, used to worship him. Biggest example being Kyle Hill and "Musk Watch!". But the guy drops some basic b!tch centrist Libertarian politics about liberty and freedoms and suddenly they all turned on the guy making reusable rockets and electric cars while trying to cure neurological problems and combat a Rogue AI future. The D&D community has been completely hijacked by the vocal minority of far leftist activists and the old boomers that started the hobby succumb to the be-niceisms that always only flow one way. "You're not nice if you don't agree with me, but I'm still NiceTM when I aggressively disagree with you."
You're not alone brother. I'd back you for this. Old-school gamer here (stress the OLD part... 54). DnD is going in a direction that I don't want to follow. Something has to be done or the hobby that we love will go away (or at least be unrecognizable to those of us who have loved it for most of our lives). From the bottom of my heart, if there is something I can do to help, you let me know!
The last time Dungeons and Dragons was a labor of love, not just a product to be profitable, was when WoTC was independent and bought the game with the money they were making from Magic The Gathering, and bought it explicitly for the purpose of saving it forever for everyone. It was this idea that inspired the first OGL. That WoTC doesn't exist anymore, they are no longer privately held, they are owned by Hasbro, who only sees D&D as a product and a bottom line. So if Elon Musk bought it with a similar intent, to save it from Hasbro, the same way WoTC did from TSR, then he could save it. D&D is in trouble with the current stewards of the IP.
And D&D was, before an independent WotC bought it, very much NOT a labor of love. Well it was for the designers, or at least a creative endeavor for them, but the suits in late Williams-era TSR? Forget about it!
You are expecting a man *habituated* to making the decision to fire thousands before lunch to maximize profits to go *against* the bottom line to “improve” D&D or MtG? Show me ONE *TRULY* selfless act Elon Musk has ever done that cost him more than he calculated he could reap in benefits elsewhere. The man just exploited an enormous number of homeless people to see elected a man who has been documented to say the government shouldn’t be spending “One penny of taxpayer money on People Who Refuse to Help Themselves.” Handing the sick lamb that is WotC over to the 21st century’s Wolf of Wall Street is NOT the answer.
I'd argue it needed saving at the time because of the politics of its previous owner, namely TSR under Lorraine Williams, who didn't play herself and actively hated those who did, thought playing on company time was a waste and thus virtually eliminated playtesting for predictable results. I can't help but draw similarities with how D&D is being handled now, particularly with hatred of the fanbase.
Remember back in the good ol' days when you could make a video about Elon Musk and NOT have put a political disclaimer in it. But please do let us know if he responds. (Unless he makes you sign a NDA.)
Esper is one of a very few people I've seen in this world who really are genuine and mean what they say about being above or beyond petty things like politics and publicized controversies. I would certainly hope most of his fans are the same way.
As a professional chef I do something that's called "manage by menu" and it's how I create a menu that my team can execute and that the "menu mix" is profitable as a whole. What I keep telling folks is that on the WotC menu that D&D is a "loss leader" for the business. It's the item on the menu that puts butts in seats. Until those who own the property realize this then nothing will change.
@@meisterhyperion207If we really want to go here, D&D is currently spearheaded by a conglomerate of left-wing minds and that has become increasingly obvious in recent time. If our options are politically motivated and hates the game they own and wants to milk it for every penny… vs politically motivated and is a nerd and is so rich that he can buy social media platforms and popular IPs amidst running a tech company (meaning he doesn’t need money and has no reason to over monetize things)? I’m taking Elon over WOTC. Edit: It appears the comment I replied to was removed or I was blocked or something to that effect, so to clarify, the person I replied to said (paraphrasing) “And you think a right wing billionaire is the right choice?”
@Double_DAW funny. Didn't you see what he did to Twitter? He monetized the verification. He is greedy. You need to be greedy to be that rich. Rich people are the most disgusting people in the world.
@@Double_DAW The overton window moved so far that numerous left-wing voices are considered extreme right. Like Musk, RFK Jr., Gabbard, and even Trump. Yeah, Trump's stances are still where they were as a 90s Democrat by-and-large.
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I'm at the point that D&D could be purchased by my dog and it would be truer to what the mythology and story that it was meant to be. I quite frankly view Wotc staff of writers and system designers as vile racists who see black people in orc monsters. That said, idc nor do I think Elon is going to buy them, and I don't think if he did it would change all too much. The issue is the racists in the development team, its a creative narrative work, who works on it is all that matters.
What’s their target audience? The human population? As a straight white dude, I don’t recall in the early 80s only straight whites dudes playing. I’ve played with gay men, lesbian women, POC, Christians, Wiccans, Atheists, a couple of Military officers, a girl with Dwarfism, and we had a professed Satanist and a Hells Angel on two occasions(not one and the same). So I can never understand who the fuck is this target audience. It seems like some made up bullshit created by fragile children who think they need to gate keep. Are you OG? I was 10 when I started playing 1979 and the group I spoke about were all older than me when I joined them at 15. They were OG and they had a pretty good bastardized system. It was ADnD, Arduin, Emperor of the Pedal throne and a bunch of their own works and individual worlds and like the diversity of people, it worked. The only group I ever recall truly trying to destroy DnD were the evangelical Christians. Nobody else is threatening this game in which people can create their own worlds and if that nostalgia was sitting in mommies basement, farting and making sexist racial slurs, nobody is going to take that away from them except maybe mom who wants them to get a job and move out.
@@AnubidLiterally proving his point lmao people like you are the reason gatekeeping is a great activity if you want your interests to not go to absolute shit.
@@wraithlord9879 I bet I've played rpgs much longer than you and indeed, we should have gatekept chuds like you from participating 100%. Also would love to hear how I proved his point, I'm not WOTC. That's just how you whiners sound.
I was done the moment I heard that they would move away from the term "race" and "racial" traits because they were "problematic" terms and concepts. XD
Most of us long term gamers learned long ago that D&D is neither the best RPG or the most interesting RPG and nobody but you can control what you do at your table.
Was positively surprised by this video. Congratulations for daring to address Elon Musk on a positive manner; this seems to be extremely frowned upon on YT and specially TTRPG communities
I feel the same. I asked other D&D UA-camrs about how they felt about the removal of half-elves and half-orcs. I got the NPC answer, which was, "I'm happy with it." Then I said, "Races like half-elves have been in the game since 1st Edition. Don't you think that removing them is not in the spirit of the game and disrespectful to veteran players such as myself?" Again, all I got was, "Half-elves and half-orcs are boring, so I'm happy with it." I have lost a lot of respect for D&D UA-camrs such as Treantmonk's Temple.
This was super heartfelt and I really like that you put it out there. Unfortunately, with someone like Elon Musk, you have maybe 30 seconds. Not 15 minutes. If you clip this down to a short, it could maybe reach him.
@popularopinion1 yeah, dudes a wierd one, in both good and bad ways. He's done stranger things and acknowledged random stuff. There is a chance e he may see this.
You're one of the few creators out there that I have actively financially supported through all your Kickstarters. Keep it up, great video, very genuine. And no, you are not alone!
This is how you do it, you see a situation developing and instead of pissing and moaning you try to turn it to your (and your communities) benefit, I wish you all the luck in the world!
Thank you for being passionate, but not immediately resorting to shouting, and being willing to hear different view points to your own, this is how we will keep the hobby alive.
I have unsubbed from almost every major DnD channel. Most have kissed the ring. I just subbed to you because you want to focus on quality and a return to mythic tradition in games and storytelling. Iron Age spirit. I'm moving on to other systems for now, but I'll be glad to see DnD saved from WOTC. Good luck.
But why have you left them? It sounds like people here want to pretend the entertainment media hasn't been infiltrated by people with an agenda. Ignoring the failures of cinema, of big game companies and why they have been failing. The same things that have been infiltrating DnD and have been degrading it.
I thought a lot about chiming in here but I think what I have to say might be useful. Esper, you stated that you didn't really know much about Elon Musk but you did know he was a polarizing figure. I think pitching your services to him to rework D&D on your channel without looking deeper into why he's so controversial was a preventable error. The internet is right there and maybe reading up on him from pro, con, and neutral sources might have changed the whole approach to this topic. If Elon Musk wanted to revamp D&D he could a) Buy the D&D IP, b) Buy Wizards of the Coast, or the most dramatic option, c) buy Hasbro. I really like your content and you are usually really thorough, so this took me by surprise. I have my own feelings about Elon Musk and the thought that he might want to throw his considerable, and increasingly political, weight around in my hobby isn't something I'm thrilled about. I also want to ask this question because I think it's worth thinking about. Does Wizards of the Coast decision to make the game more inclusive affect those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time? I'm Gen X. So are most of my friends. Other than having a (hopefully) improved version of the game mechanics, literally everything else in the new PHB is optional. Heck, even the rules are optional if we want them to be. Orcs aren't inherently evil in the new rulebook? We are absolutely allowed to ignore it. Also, in my games there are human cities that are cozy and kind and there are human cities of oppression, greed, and endless, cutthroat social climbing. Does it make D&D poorer to imagine that some Orc tribes are bloodthirsty raiders obsessed with conquest and some are friendly cactus farmers and boar herders who just want want to come to trade or some are somewhere in between the two? If making things more inclusive gets more people into the hobby and keeps it alive, isn't that a win for all of us? Doesn't new perspectives and ideas just give us the chance to make our games and worlds more interesting? I'm old enough to remember when Driz'zt Do'Urden became popular and everyone and their kid brother or sister wanted to play a good drow and the veteran players at the time constantly grumbling about how good drow are stupid and miss the point of drow and how it was ridiculous for them to have their own good goddess, Ellistraee. The current complaints really feel like the same old complaints repackaged, to me. People were annoyed that Planescape gave low and mid level characters access to the planes which a lot of older players thought was a right of passage for getting to high level play. In the end, whether it's TSR, WoTC, or any of the many 3rd party creators putting out the content, they're just giving us new ways to play that we can take or leave. So why does it matter? Isn't it all just optional? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Again, I hope it's helpful.
Shameless job interview. Nice! Good content starts at about 10:00, and sprinkled about thereafter right up to the end. Musk may not listen that long…. I got bored myself, and I’m not even important. Boil it down to under 2 mins and you may have a better chance. You’re on the right path. Best of luck!!!
DND will never die. We don't need WotC to play DND. We play DND every week, and WotC has basically nothing to do with our games besides thier core 5e rules, which we heavily modify to fit our preferences. There is so much non WotC content out there that we rarely use base clases and subclasses. Our group decided a long time ago that WotC can not ruin DND for us. I think you give them too much credit.
I love your passion for grand storytelling and I share it. Refocusing on crafting an epic story is why several other games and RPG systems have risen to popularity in the past couple decades, and D&D definitely needs a refresher on it. That said, I think you may have misidentified Elon's point of interest here. For the last few years, he's become increasingly interested in the so-called "culture wars" being stoked by various media outlets, large and small. His interest in D&D appears to have come when some fans objected to accounts of Gygax and the other creators of D&D as embracing aspects of the game that have later come to be viewed as troublesome. Since the view of them wasn't pure praise, those fans got upset and took to X to complain. Their complaints dovetailed nicely into Elon's focus on amplifying criticism of attempts at inclusion, so he lent them his voice and audience. I, for one, sincerely hope he does not purchase Hasbro or WotC and we as enthusiasts for the game can address the focus of the game without the heavy-handed interference of a billionaire intent on making his view the dominant one.
It's stories like Oohgie the honorary Dwarf and Obongo the lone Kobold that shows that D&D is more then a game. It sometimes brings out amazing characters. With the current state, we could lose those amazing stories.
Esper, your passion is beautifully expressed. Bravo friend! You are a true hero of D&D! I would love to sit at your gaming table! I hope this reaches Elon, and more importantly, I hope you stay this passionate, and continue to be the amazing creator that you are! Don't ever stop being you!!! Game on!
NAILED IT!! You freaking nailed it good job bravo. This popped up on my feed and is the first time ive ever seen your page and now im subscribed. Good job thank you for doing this.
I love the fact it's about the game. Your passion toward the product over anything anyone said or did outside of it...is commendable. For that I applaud you with a slight bow, and wish you luck.
I had no idea how id feel about this video from the jump, I am pleasantly surprised by how amazingly well spoken this video is. It is a sincere hope that Elon notices and joins you for saving DnD. Im tired of the pc, cartoony and immature DnD. I want epic battles and legendary heroes, evil monsters and vile villains Elon purchasing Wizards would be nothing but a good thing for something we all love so much.
I appreciate your passion for the hobby and I‘m not sure whether pleading to a guy who has already disintegrated a huge brand is the right path to follow. I feel almost the desperation to get into a great position after so many years of engagement that is probably not appreciated enough.
What brand? Twitter? Musk only valorized Twitter/x. It's the people withdrawing sponsorship for political reason that sank its value. Friendly reminder that: a) Musk remains the richest by far. Even with 90% of media against him he literally produces gold. b) Disney et co withdrew sponsorship allegedly because it would 'ruin their image'. Considering the recent USA vote and the fact X has many more user that Twitter at its peak (becaue not having 900 people there just to censor speech means more users overall), methinks only redditors and mainstream media think Elon is the one that lost money in the exchange.
I've gotten to the point with wizards where i am no longer really playing d&d. The foundation is more or less the same, but I've migrated completely over to a homebrew setting with homebrew characters, homebrew enemies, a homebrew pantheon of deities, exclusively homebrew magic items, and even homebrew progression built on top of the base 5E rules.
Honestly, that's how d&d is supposed to be in the first place- official d&d products should be a springboard to inspire you to improve on the base rules, not a hard-and-fast code on what the rules are
The only thing that I want for dungeons & dragons is that whoever has it, has the players, all of us and the pure experience of tabletop roll playing at heart. I don't want anybody shut out or only one group or your of person to like the game.
Love this video! It seems like we are quite alike in what we look for in D&D and similar systems (Pathfinder etc.) I wish you lots of success with this, and I truly hope that Elon can give D&D a new lease on life, a new chance to be reinvigorated and become a great social hobby again!
Hey Esper. First off, I really do agree with pretty much the majority of what you’re saying with the way WotC seems to be heading in terms of D&D 2024 and the future, and I personally will most likely never convert to D&D 2024 because I think it just has a vibe that is too gamey and much more focused on combat mechanics than other elements which make the game special. Also, the tone and style of the new edition seem off, like the new Monster Manual cover is like a cartoon mix of various iconic characters compared to the original Monster Manual cover, which presents only a few monsters such as the grick and beholder, but the art style makes them much more imposing and feel more real. In addition, the characters in the original Monster Manual cover appear to actually be like underdogs struggling against a beholder, which is a lot more interesting than the new cover, which, again, just makes the characters seem like fearless heroes. I agree with you that D&D should be taken back into a direction that more closely follows its roots, being much more focused on the adventuring and storytelling rather than primarily just straight-up combat. I really have enjoyed Monstrous Heroes, and in my opinion, one of the best parts of the book is how diverse the different race/classes are and how their class has a clear impact not only on combat but on other pillars of the game. The implications of playing a vampire in a campaign are so much more interesting because you gave it weaknesses like not being able to enter a home without permission. I know damn well if WotC added a vampire class (which they probably wouldn't anyway), these restrictions would most likely not be there so that players don't feel restricted and the game feels fair for everyone. It’s just disappointing because as new editions keep getting released, the focus is more on balance and symmetry rather than having a diverse range of characters and monsters with unique implications that make the game more dynamic and interesting. I get that I’ve kind of raved on a bit here about my bigger gripes about the new edition. I think it’s important to say so that you understand that I’m also very worried about the way the game is going. Obviously, the video is about Elon Musk and that if he were to theoretically gain ownership over D&D, you would like to talk with him about the changes you would like. I really think someone like you would bring some really good changes that I’d probably agree with. I also can really see that you genuinely want to change the game for the better, and not out of spite but so the whole game can thrive. But, from what I’ve seen from Twitter over the past couple years, I’m of the opinion that someone like Elon Musk taking over would lead to the game becoming possibly worse, solely because I think if Elon did take over, a lot of his decisions would be primarily focused on sticking it to both WotC and players who like the way D&D is going. I follow a bunch of political and nonpolitical accounts on Twitter, and I have for a couple years, and though I don’t use it to post anything myself, I see a lot of posts from Elon Musk and many of his supporters. I would say that a significant majority of conversation surrounding him is a lot of complaining and toxicity-not against Elon but specifically from his supporters and even himself, who often seem to complain and mock other people. While he isn’t always toxic, and he does appear to be successful in a variety of fields and genuinely innovative, he and his supporters seriously give off a feeling of disdain for those with differing opinions. Now, this is still my opinion, and this is the read I get off of him and his supporters, but it is enough for me to feel like his takeover of D&D would lead to decisions that are spiteful and hate-fueled. I feel Elon Musk's main motivation for buying D&D (or Hasbro) would be more focused on attacking people he disagrees with rather than actually just improving the game. Also, I don't think I’ve heard you talk about it before, but I feel pretty positive that Elon would support and use AI-generated content in new books, most likely for images and art. I mean I can almost guarantee it. I’m personally completely against AI art, because I’d much rather see artwork that was created by an actual person with their unique style rather than a bot with no soul, personality, or unique style. To be honest, I think it’s pretty much guaranteed AI will be used by Elon for any new books he publishes, and I also think a large amount of layoffs at WotC would be pretty likely, for better and also for worse. I’ve ranted a lot more than I probably needed to, but normally I don’t really leave comments or reply to pretty much anything online, but I felt like I really should here because you seem to have a really positive and inspiring drive in a lot of what you do, so I just wanted to share my opinion because I feel you have the right intentions, but you’re placing them in the hands of someone who may have very different intentions and motivations.
Thank you so much for taking the time to compose this comment. It gives me a lot to think about. Something I tried to convey in this video is that even if Musk is up to no good, I still would want to speak with him, to do my part and try to fight for the sake of our beloved game-that's-more-than-a-game.
Thank you for summarizing my own thoughts and opinions on this matter with your words here. I’ve also been in Esper’s community for about 5 years now and I have seen him occasionally touch on controversial topics, this being one of them. I think there’s a lot of real issues with the way that modern DND has decided to go. All of my friends rolled our eyes at whatever the heck that orc racial art is in the 2024 PHB. Orc Cowboys? Is that what we’re going with? Ok I guess. A lot of us would like to see a return to form with TTRPGs in the way that Esper champions. I think his heart is genuinely in the right place. At the same time, I have left comments in the past cautioning against aligning himself too closely with those who due pursue ideas in the name of hate like you’ve outlined Musk and his supporters tend to do. I hope that Esper continues to cover controversial topics like this in a way that is nuanced and insightful and does not tread into current culture war battles.
What specific action has Musk or his "supporters" taken that is driven by hate? You mention it as given, but dont provide evidence. Also, you do realize that this whole thing started because the people currently running WotC hate and attacked their own customer base that they want to erase, right? Seems a little ironic and disengenuous to be attacking and warning against Musk when all he did was shine light on the vitriol and hatred spewed by those who all but run the hobby.
Elon musk would fix the OGL problem as he is an open source absolutist. Elon Musk would 'stick ut to the libs' and would take out all this random woke stuff, stuff that wasnt in 3.5. You would essentially see a d&d 3.5 remake.
Look mate, i can understand the hate for modern D&D, i don't play it either. But knowing that he plans to use AI to make videogames, what are the chances he hires any real person to make D&D? He's gonna go like "GROOK! Make D&D 7th edition" and its just 5th edition with extra words and rules that make no sense Im gonna call it now that Forgotten Realms will have a new kingdom called Xandria with their castle on the Moon and the benevolent lawful good ruler will be called Elonidas and his pet is a dog called Doge and he has a rivalry with the forces of evil that is his ex-wife
@@jokersdemise How is calling out the use of AI being a troll? I've heard plenty of AI over the past year and most of it is stiff, emotionless and robotic
Місяць тому
Yea I agree with his defence of Gigax but i would be 100% against any ai
@SilverScribe85 Because no technology has ever improved ever in the history of media. That's why Star Wars' practical effects looked like shit. Because they were just as bad as they were in the 1930s. Totally. For realsies.
Been watching your vids for years now Esper, and I couldn't agree more with your assessment of where our game is at now. It's in the wrong hands, and that needs to change soon.
The issue here is, personally, I think that becoming a publicly-traded company is effectively a death sentence for any IP with a vision. Because once you become *legally beholden* to a bunch of investors who don't care about the integrity of the IP or the company, or really even the long-term survival of the company, it's basically impossible to prevent *some* kind of rot from setting in. I also think that Musk buying Hasbro or WOTC or whatever would basically be trading one annoying set of blunderers for another. Either way, I think we should be thankful that a vast majority of D&D content is open source (or, alternatively, stuff that they literally cannot copyright because of its very nature); and while "retreating" from D&D to create some clone might seem like surrendering, it might be a good idea for a variety of reasons. Also, there's always the inelegant solution that many Warhammer (either flavor) fans are very familiar with: The "plug your ears and pretend the window-licking changes or statements made by the parent company of your favorite IP is making never happened and continue on as usual" method. It certainly has its limitations, but especially regarding D&D I think it's a perfectly reasonable idea given how many people already eschew newer gameplay elements (or only interact with them on their own terms) and use older lore or mechanics from previous editions and/or homebrew.
Brilliant. May God grant you results. The decision making currently is deplorable and ghoulish. Change is needed. Advocacy against sweeping change or engagement with a possible agent thereof is base virtue signaling and moral grandstanding. There is courage and ambition in what you have recorded here. Merry Christmas.
Old-school 3e player here. I'm with you brother. I love the stories and adventures D&D has brought to my life. I'm very concerned for it's future. I hope that woke ideology doesn't ruin something so beautiful and honestly something so universally appealing to everyone.
I have gained a great respect for you over the years, and this has been the cherry on top. You are possibly the most unbiased D&D UA-camr I’ve encountered when it comes to Elon, and it is a breath of fresh air because everyone else seems to hate him due to him not agreeing with them. I do hope he does buy Hasbro, and I also hope he sees this video and takes you up on that offer.
I've followed Esper for years, and I can confirm that he is the #1 creative talent in this hobby. I say that as someone who has played D&D for 20+ years and seen every youtube video out there on the topic. Esper is a creative genius and loves D&D. I approve.
It's never a good idea to allow power to be consolidated in one place. To believe that Elon's giant corporation is going to save us from giant corporations is sort of delusional. We're slowly inching towards authoritarianism, and it's truly a scary thought. Esper, I hear you, I really do, but allowing these corporations to become even bigger is not the answer brother. All I have is my opinion, I can't change what will be. I can only hope that things don't get out of hand before it's too late.
A company in the hands of someone who cares about its product is always gonna be better than a company in the hands of a board that doesn’t. Maybe in the macro scale having a few companies control everything isn’t good, but in this specific scenario, having someone who actually caresabout DND running DND is just strictly better.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with a person who "cared". Learn from history, if you believe Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he "cares" you haven't been listening.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with a person who "cared". Learn something from history. If you believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he cares, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one person so much power.
@oriondye3212 Every dictatorship began with someone who "cared". Learn something from history. If you actually believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he "cares", and not because he wants to grow his corporate empire, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one man so much power.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with someone who "cared". Learn something from history. If you actually believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he cares, and not because he wants to grow his corporate empire, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one person so much power.
If you dont like the direction that D&D is going instead of hoping a multibillionaire buy a company and furter enrich themselves off of all the IP the company has acquired in hopes of a course correction in just one of those IPs. Why not follow the example of Paizo and several other companies? They didn't like the direction of D&D at various points of time and for varying reasons, so they took what they liked mechanically thanks to the open game license and made something they felt was better. This would also allow you to be creative on your own terms and not a corporations terms. Because I honestly dont know how much of the direction of the newer books are mandated by the parent company to WoTC
@@UltraVioletKnightThat is uncalled for, he feels passionate about D&D and may not currently see any other option to save something he is passionate about. I'm guilty of this myself I tend to focus on a single solution and may not see other options until they are pointed out to me.
@@JeffrahFett If he simply reached out and stated what he wanted for DnD that would be one thing, but he went on about how great and hard-working Elon is and how his father loves Elon. And DnD doesn't need "saving", Esper himself is already making his own books and setting that promote his ideal fantasy as are many others, we can just ignore Wotzee.
@@UltraVioletKnight no it doesn't need saving, but the video was framed as if he feels it does, and trust me I know we can ignore WOTC I did for all of 4th edition, and most of 5th, I went back to D&D last year because a friend asked me to teach her and her friends to play D&D, and the essentials kit was in the games section of Walmart for cheap, and they were adamant about learning to play D&D
So if you don't like the direction that something you love is moving, don't fight for it? Just quit and go in a different direction? "Play a different game" or "Just stick with the older edition" No. We can all admit that every edition has issues. But the newest version IS the game. That is what is getting support and new material. I want the mechanical problems of the old edition fixed, not a rewrite of the soul of the game.
Literally anyone would be better than hasbro. No more of this drow/orc drama, no more "stats are racist" bullcrap , no more "genetic determinsm" nonsense. Just have DnD be about fantastical adventurers, drawing upon mythology and literature that originally inspired the game. Elric of Melniboné Conan John Carter Fafhrd and Grey mouser Three Hearts and Three Lions And yes, Tolkien's works. And so many more influences. Modern fantasy is garbage Sword and Sorcery is awesome.
@@Ieatpaste23 Yeah doesn’t mean they have to be boring forever. Fantasy can do new things. We aren’t mad about drow existing or sea elves despite them not being in Tolkien. Why can’t we have cool unique takes on things that aren’t stuck in the same boring tropes for something that’s almost never done well.
Help spread the word - Share my post on X and tag @elonmusk x.com/EsperTheBard/status/1863962259392721025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1863962259392721025%7Ctwgr%5E94e72bcdd99320d94a3188b801f269c484536c20%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FEsperTheBard%2Fstatus%2F1863962259392721025
Note: I am reading as many comments as I can. One thing I have to reiterate here-I'm neither a Musk hater nor a Musk fan. I simply don't know enough about him to form a strong opinion. Whether he's an angel or a devil, a LG wizard or a CE red dragon, I would want to speak with him for the sake of our game. Our game that is more than merely a game. I'm fighting for RPGs, I'm fighting for the soul of mythic storytelling. As crazy as it sounds, I feel a calling to try to help and to play whatever part I can to keep the torch of inspiration burning.
@EsperTheBard if you DO want to get Elon’s attention, lose the prose and get to the point. If he ever did give any of his time it likely wouldn’t be much. 🤷♂️
Comes across harsher than it is, but well meant.
In your outro on this video.... just a suggestion if you make another one. Refer to him as Elon at the end.... instead of Musk. And if your going to ask to bring it to his attention.... Might want to say Mr. Musk's attention. Or preferably Elon's attention. I personally don't get inspired when people use my last name. Just a suggestion. Good luck on your fight. Wizards has been killing Magic for years. I had high hopes when they acquired TSR. Could bring the worlds of D&D and Dominia together. How could it fail? When they never did anything with it. And I knew it was just a matter of time before they messed up D&D. Bright side.... can always go back to 2nd edition and tell them to pound sand. Actually, the players have more power than Elon right now. Stop buying their shit, and they will either right the ship, or sell at a discount..... which would probly interest Elon a bit more.
For all the content you have made Esper.
I'm amazed you have never ranked or tier listed all the 5e books even after all of classic has been wrapped up!
I'd be curious to see you rank each book by letter tier or % scale.0-10 etcetera with the year in caption attached.
I personally think late 2021 releases was a mixed bag & 2022 was is were it went down hill for Dragons of Stormwreck Isle was good & Dragon-lance felt like a watered sown version compared to 3rd edition but everything else in 2022 was not my taste.
I'd find your takes on all the content you have likely read & experienced more to be interesting as you tend not to go for the crowd pleasers.
Esper - Whatever you do.... don't listen to Chili. 😂😂😂 What a moron. I guess because people know Elon is pro 1A he is somehow a bad guy? I guess because Elon bought Twitter and stopped the squashing free speech he a bad guy? 😳 Wow. I guess because Elon bought it and saved the company from going under he's a bad guy? What logic.
If anyone could fix DnD, Esper could. I would vote for you!
Making DnD Great Again!!! Making DnD medieval again! 😅😅😅 Non neon, killing the sanitized nonsense again!
@ChilleBruh - Esper did get exactly to the point. The prose is exactly what a genius would grab onto. The art is exactly what Elon would be drawn to. The sharp intellect, polar opposite of what WotC is today, is exactly what would get Esper hired.
Our country is crumbling. And now the Left is killing our fantasy. We need a Bard badly. Looking at the comment section in the last 5 to 10 years makes it obvious people are sick of the disease that has become Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Bud Light, Hersheys, Jaguar, etc.... and now our hobbies?
"I say thee NAY!" 😡 ("keywords that activates Algarths Embattlement")
I recommend making a shorter "elevator pitch" version of this, and link to this longer version. Good luck!
yeah, 7min in and I'm thinking "where can I fast forward to the point?"
Hard agree
And then distill it to to s two line X post. Twitter is now called X btw.
Exactly what I was thinking
This. 6 and a half minutes in and i have no idea what this is even about.
So your trunk was a mimic?
And a Muse!
It was a monster melee. Mimic vs Bard.
😂😂😂 DnD is angry at what it has become. 😅 It needs saving desperately.
It just HAD to get his attention somehow. 😈
Bard failed his spot check.
Top jej
As a Warhammer 40k enjoyer who only casually follows the D&D scene, I completely agree that it seems like WotC has been sacrificing D&D's spirit (along with the spirit of other RPG/card games they control) on the altar of corporate profit and 'following the latest corporate trend'/'sanitized for mass consumption'.
Bro same/ It's really sad seeing GW following this trend as time goes on
every hobby was "infested": manga/anime/comic; board/card/miniature/video games; fantasy/scify; etc
worst is, the original fans never tried to "keep anyone outside", indeed, most of us were VERY welcoming. and look what it brought upon us, being chased out of the things we "raised"
@@AlexAlex-zt3hi To be fair, it's d&d, there's not much the community has to do with your home game a majority of the time. Do I agree with a lot of the stuff WOTC has done to the lore or the do I like the culture surrounding d&d? not particularly, but I just don't put any of that in my games.
@@skirk248if you think they’re somehow sanitizing 40k or something you’re nuts
The ironic thing is that this approach doesn't actually become profitable. Go woke, get broke.
I can confirm he was the first D&D channel, because I started my first channel at the end of 2009 right after he did, because of him. Esper has always been at the forefront of the game and its improvements. Thanks Esper for all you have done and continue to do.
It's so wild that in 2009 there weren't any DnD UA-camrs. There are so many now that it's hard to imagine!
I cannot truly say that Esper was my FIRST D&D UA-camr that I started watching... But if he wasn't? He definitely was ONE OF the firsts... I truly cannot actually say how long I have been viewing his stuff, but definitely watched him for a LONG time now. Fun stuff.
I was telling my son last night, who is about to start DMing for friends at school, that I first played Keep on the Borderlands back when I was about 8 years old and it was probably one of the most defining moments of my life. Role-playing has been a major part of who I am for the 36 years since.
@@raytheerudite5252 I tried that once, and it was a mistake. I've been stuck in this labyrinth forgetting what's on the next page ever since... I just want to go back to the goblin cave...
@ Truly, it must have been a land of dreams and nightmares.
I began with the keep on the borderlands as well. About 1981
@ excellent, was born in 81 myself so I had to wait a bit.
@@invictuscenturion8468 BulLLshsist
Esper is what we need in dnd. Someone who genuinely cares about the game, the dm, and the players. You're not here to convince anyone to vote one way or the other and you're not trying to appeal to people who have zero interest in the game. You're here for the people who love Dungeons and Dragons, it's mechanics, it's lore, it's art, and it's potential. Godspeed Esper and I hope you're able to keep working on what you love and sharing it with the world.
Much appreciation for this comment. That's it-whoever is running the show, I want to do my part to help for the sake of the game, for the sake of the wondrous mythic tradition that we share in.
@@esperthebard For what it's worth, you're the only fellow into D&D that brings some maturity to the game.
As for being weird, bud, it's a sign of ill health to be adapted to environments that are run by the demented. You're fine.
@theblueflame2221 - Everyone in DnD is weird, geekish, dorky. I know....
I am too. My whole group were geeks.
I try telling people what DnD is and they look at me weird. 😅😅😅 Every time.
@@esperthebard Isn't that activism? Isn't that politics? You are making a case and hoping to influence the powers that be to keep your hobby fun and accessible for hopefully everyone that loves role-playing.
@@esperthebard oh, I see. You aren't against The fem in ist infiltration that has been wrecking the hobby with THEIR political agenda of man h8. It's only a problem when Musk threatens to take it over.
Musk LACKS the h8 for guys that the current people have. So it has to improve
Sorry for the head injury man. I too have been on the bad end of a rogue trunk lid
It was a sneak attack for sure.
@esperthebard what do you think of Elon Musk supporting a military fascist coup in Bolivia? I'm sure he'll do wonders with DnD. 😂😂
Americans are so stupid and gullable. Jesus
Wow. The dnd UA-camr is how I found out after decades that people were still playing these games - I hadn’t seen anyone interested or playing til I saw them here.
Now I have a community
You have no idea how deep that rabbit hole goes. Dungeon Dudes is a solid starting point.
Yeah. I am in 3 different games, own about 10 others, and just bought a new (to me) system's set of books... we aren't online much... but the commumities ae healthy for the most part. If you have one near you... find and go hang out at your local game shop if you can.
The soul of DnD has been getting corrupted by politics and greed for some time now. Hopefully we can change that.
xDDDDDDDDDD
Sir.... have you seen Elon?
TSR was always corrupt.
When money is involved its always about greed and politics.
what do you mean by politics?
I met Esper when I was a young lad, about 15+ years ago, he worked with my dad. He is a great guy with a bright soul and kind heart - He used to let me play on his PsP, and I have a fond memory of him showing me how to turn a dandelion stem into a little trumpet :)
Ironically, I didn't start getting into D&D and MtG until just a couple years ago. I admit, in moderate shame, that my first big experience with this IP outside of MtG was Baldurs Gate III. I love the game, I still play actively. However, entering this realm, I was surprised by the amount of slop content. MtG is especially riddled with *Multiverse TM* crap, which I just accepted, but the more I learn about the current state of D&D, the more disappointed I am that I didn't get to experience D&D in it's more pure forms of the past.
I've always been a fantasy geek, and I adore stories of adventure and peril. I agree wholeheartedly with Esper that modern D&D seems to be more about appeasing the new-media crowd rather than building upon the foundation. I wanted to get engrossed in a fantastical world full of danger, populated by heros and flawed adventurers, scary and gross monsters - instead I see so much watering down of this world, becoming slowly absorbed into this absolutely terrible age of media that has frankly lost the plot.
I think Esper's message here, speaking from the heart, is one that NEEDS to resonate with D&D fans if this tradition is going to survive. Nothing would make me, as a new fan, happier than to be able to experience D&D in it's former glory.
I can't tell you how much of a joy it was to read this comment!
hey dude, why would you feel shame about where you started with a hobby? Don't let any comments get you down, Baldurs Gate 3 is as good an entry point into D&D as any other, in fact it's probably a better experience than buying the core books back in 2014 and playing back then.
Feel proud of your past experiences and don't invalidate them for yourself.
I agree that WOTC D&D is going in a corporate mush direction. I’m not so sure that Elon wouldn’t shepherd it into a digital AI game. There will always be a relatively small group of ttrpg players with indie games or older editions to cater to or join. D&D and the ttrpg hobby has had and will always have limited appeal.
WotC themselves have been trying (and failing) to push D&D into being an online game where they can monetize more of it for nearly 20 years. That was one of the briefs of 4E, after all. I'll give Musk this: If he wanted to fully digitize and microtransaction D&D, he'd succeed!
So I truly don't get the grognards thinking that Musk will save them just because he hates the same people as they do.
He would absolutely turn it into a crypto trading game or some shit. With Esper sucking his boots the whole time.
If Elon bought Wotc, he'd get the vtt they are working on so I don't see why he'd dump it if it works.
Musk understands the value of gaming, he's not going to destroy it for greed. He's not even a greedy person, look what he said to the disney ad execs who were trying to have him corrupt twitter for them.
@@Winterclaw42 well because it is a demonic bastardization of the hobby that adds nothing of value and no one wants. He doesn't keep garbage around just because it isn't technically broken.
"Screw WOTC" - me, for the last 12 years.
Imagine a D&D edition made by Esper.....
@Stratplayer05 True, true
That would be a dream come true.
@@luchirri - Imagine the updated Libris Morticus, book of the undead. 😝
@redfaux74 ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️!!!!!!!!
D&D 5.NWE (No Wizards allowed edition)
What a great and highly accurate quote "they look like modern American cosplaying, they look like Disney Marvel, they look like McDonalds, they look like World of Warcraft"
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who dislikes the newer art style.
Its a bit cartoony as well.@chrisjones6002
In what way is that how they look? The art in the new PHB is full of people casting spells, swinging swords, dwarves at the forge, tieflings gambling, etc. etc. It’s very full of fantasy heroes doing fantasy hero stuff. You just don’t like the specific art style?
@@evieeevee everything is sparkly, clean, and sanitized, everyone looks like LARPers doing things like sitting around eating tacos, dwarves are baking bread and smiling, everyone looks like giggly modern cosplayers ripped out of 2024 comicon, nothing looks heroic or dark or like true fantasy. It's awful, and anyone who's been around long enough knows it.
@ Why wouldn’t dwarves bake bread and smile? I just opened my PHB to a random page and it was a black dragon melting a fighters shield with its acid breath. Pretty gritty and epic tbh. Flipping through I’ll admit most of the illustrations don’t have visible dirt in the illustrations. But when I open the 1978 AD&D PHB most of the illustrations also lack explicit dirt on the characters. Lots of these illustrations are pretty cartoony, tbh.
I agree with your sentiments Esper. Considering the current trajectory of WOTC and Hasbro, we have nothing to loose. I would love to see DnD handled with the care and intention that many (if not all) 3rd party creators do within the ttrpg hobby.
Esper should be Creative Director of WotC. Full stop. Now that I've heard the full video: You should be the CEO of their competitor Esper. I believe in you.
Could you imagine if some one who actually cared wads in charge?
The Idea is to remove wotc
Esper is one of the very few people who approaches TTRPGs, and D&D in particular, with a deep reverence and understanding. I don't believe there's anyone else out there who will bring Joseph Campbell into a D&D discussion - but more should. It's something I think about from time to time in my games; archetypes and The Hero's Journey and all that. It's why Esper's content resonates so strongly with me.
D&D is a game about throwing dice and chopping down the bad guys, sure. But it's so much deeper than that. Esper can see this and, even better, he's very good at communicating that concept to people who are willing to listen.
I don't expect Musk to actually buy Hasboro - but he could, and if he does, I would be thrilled to see Esper involved in some way. Preferably in charge of the entire creative process. I haven't played D&D in a decade (I've moved to other systems for a variety of reasons), but if Esper were in charge I'd come back home.
Me too!
@@aramis8836 matt colville has described many times how creative people are silenced and have their craft worked over by investors.
This isn’t new, it’s a constant in dnd history.
That was beautifully put, Esper.
My hat's off to you.
Already shared this on Twitter.☺️
Thank you!
Plz repost it and keep doing so with regularity and musk directly we must get this message out.
Plz it would be a dream to see someone who cares about the game in charge of the game once again
@@matthewwhite9643 One of Esper's big points here is that D&D is too corporate and driven too much by greed, why do you think that having the worlds richest man in charge of it would ameliorate that?
@@dhammer5842 Simple a true fan as Musk and myself and Esperanto would stay true to what the founders invisioned and not whatever cartoon amalgamation it is becoming.
@@matthewwhite9643 He only commented on the "woke" stuff that "disparaged Gary Gygax" all the rest of your assumptions are just wishcasting, but ok. Still no answer on why you believe that it won't be corporate or Greedy. You don't become the richest man in the world without at least a little greed. Its cool tho, we can all see that you are a Trumper, sad that I can confidently make that assertion by only knowing that you are an Elon stan. Tribalism sux.
When the world needed him the most - he stood up and spoke out.
We love you Esper!
Was there really not enough sucking up to fascist oligarchs in the world?
Esper is proposing using power to IMPOSE his will on D&D and help a narcissist destroy it and remake it in his own image.
Nothing currently stops Esper from playing the way that he wants. This is an appeal to allow him to impose his desires on everybody else.
I wasn’t sure what to expect here. But a lot of espers opinions reflect my own here. Well said Esper, and I want to laud him for his neutral and matter of fact statements. Kudos to you sir
It was far from neutral. His voice was cracking. This was passion.
He's seeing something he loves die. It hurts him.
@@redfaux74 I'm pretty sure he meant politically neutral WRT Musk and WOTC/D&D. He isn't coming at this from a political angle.
@RetroDawn - In Esper's case, I think you are right.
The problem tho is, eventually politics HAVE to be involved. One side wants to tell you what you can say and doesn't care if you like their content or not. Elon wants free speech. There is no real choice in the matter. People are sick of the Left and their woke nonsense. It has destroyed Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Hersheys, Target, Budlight and tons more. Now they want to destroy our fantasy game too?
@@redfaux74it’s not dying though. At all. He wasn’t a fascist to help him impose his will on other people. Esper can currently play however he wants. He’s asking for a dictator to give him the power to impose HIS desires on the whole community. This is straight fascist.
@@redfaux74 D&D is 20x more successful than it has ever been. Musk 100% lied about what WotC was doing - they have venerated Gygac and Co. for the 50th anniversary.
Fascism is always based on lies.
Esper the Fascist notably does not criticize his Dear Leader for the lie that started all of this.
Just talking positively about Musk is a risk to a channel, and I’m so glad there is someone who isn’t afraid to not care about that and talk about this with nothing but passion for the hobby. Here’s hoping this somehow actually makes it’s way to Musk.
I doubt Musk will buy AD&D. But you're right. Liking Musk for anything draws screaming SJWs out of the woodwork.
The Algee rhythm will try to shadow ban it because boogle sides with the activists.....I kinda think Elon wouldn't listen to activists but customers instead
yeah. its actually kinda scary to talk good about something that is slightly right leaning opinion in DnD community.
Imagine going back ~8 years ago when the same people who foam at the mouth hating Musk these days, used to worship him. Biggest example being Kyle Hill and "Musk Watch!". But the guy drops some basic b!tch centrist Libertarian politics about liberty and freedoms and suddenly they all turned on the guy making reusable rockets and electric cars while trying to cure neurological problems and combat a Rogue AI future.
The D&D community has been completely hijacked by the vocal minority of far leftist activists and the old boomers that started the hobby succumb to the be-niceisms that always only flow one way. "You're not nice if you don't agree with me, but I'm still NiceTM when I aggressively disagree with you."
@@Anubid "It's not happening but if it is it's a good thing."
pulp fantasy should be protected
You're not alone brother. I'd back you for this. Old-school gamer here (stress the OLD part... 54). DnD is going in a direction that I don't want to follow. Something has to be done or the hobby that we love will go away (or at least be unrecognizable to those of us who have loved it for most of our lives).
From the bottom of my heart, if there is something I can do to help, you let me know!
PS: Watch out for those trunk-mimics!
What's being done in specific? Is it something that something like a muskrat will just make worse?
@@mattsayu8969'muskrat' empathy and respect? Gone. How do you want to converse with others? Fear and hate?
3:02 - Introduction
4:11 - Story
6:40 - History of this channel
9:08 - "is DnD a great product?"
11:27 - Core topic of the video
14:40 - Final thought
Thank you. Omg the stuff before 3;02 was very long winded
Hero
Thanks
The last time Dungeons and Dragons was a labor of love, not just a product to be profitable, was when WoTC was independent and bought the game with the money they were making from Magic The Gathering, and bought it explicitly for the purpose of saving it forever for everyone. It was this idea that inspired the first OGL. That WoTC doesn't exist anymore, they are no longer privately held, they are owned by Hasbro, who only sees D&D as a product and a bottom line. So if Elon Musk bought it with a similar intent, to save it from Hasbro, the same way WoTC did from TSR, then he could save it. D&D is in trouble with the current stewards of the IP.
if they were putting the bottom line first the focus would be making a fun experience rather than an ideologic one.
And D&D was, before an independent WotC bought it, very much NOT a labor of love. Well it was for the designers, or at least a creative endeavor for them, but the suits in late Williams-era TSR? Forget about it!
You are expecting a man *habituated* to making the decision to fire thousands before lunch to maximize profits to go *against* the bottom line to “improve” D&D or MtG?
Show me ONE *TRULY* selfless act Elon Musk has ever done that cost him more than he calculated he could reap in benefits elsewhere.
The man just exploited an enormous number of homeless people to see elected a man who has been documented to say the government shouldn’t be spending “One penny of taxpayer money on People Who Refuse to Help Themselves.”
Handing the sick lamb that is WotC over to the 21st century’s Wolf of Wall Street is NOT the answer.
I'd argue it needed saving at the time because of the politics of its previous owner, namely TSR under Lorraine Williams, who didn't play herself and actively hated those who did, thought playing on company time was a waste and thus virtually eliminated playtesting for predictable results.
I can't help but draw similarities with how D&D is being handled now, particularly with hatred of the fanbase.
Was that back in third edition or something?
Remember back in the good ol' days when you could make a video about Elon Musk and NOT have put a political disclaimer in it.
But please do let us know if he responds. (Unless he makes you sign a NDA.)
I just know the comments on this video are going to be civil.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Esper is one of a very few people I've seen in this world who really are genuine and mean what they say about being above or beyond petty things like politics and publicized controversies. I would certainly hope most of his fans are the same way.
@@Stratplayer05 skidibi
Are you being sarcastic? Because I feel you're not. Feels good to be able to discuss, even myself as an elon hater don't feel any animosity.
Esper, you are the champion this community needs.
I hope I get to see what you could do with the level of support you seek.
Good luck adventurer!
As a professional chef I do something that's called "manage by menu" and it's how I create a menu that my team can execute and that the "menu mix" is profitable as a whole. What I keep telling folks is that on the WotC menu that D&D is a "loss leader" for the business. It's the item on the menu that puts butts in seats. Until those who own the property realize this then nothing will change.
8:55 The answer is no. A resounding no. I would love to see someone at the helm who can course correct and lead D&D in a better direction.
And you think right wing multi billionare elon musk is the right person?
@@meisterhyperion207If we really want to go here, D&D is currently spearheaded by a conglomerate of left-wing minds and that has become increasingly obvious in recent time.
If our options are politically motivated and hates the game they own and wants to milk it for every penny… vs politically motivated and is a nerd and is so rich that he can buy social media platforms and popular IPs amidst running a tech company (meaning he doesn’t need money and has no reason to over monetize things)?
I’m taking Elon over WOTC.
Edit: It appears the comment I replied to was removed or I was blocked or something to that effect, so to clarify, the person I replied to said (paraphrasing) “And you think a right wing billionaire is the right choice?”
@Double_DAW funny. Didn't you see what he did to Twitter? He monetized the verification. He is greedy. You need to be greedy to be that rich. Rich people are the most disgusting people in the world.
@@Double_DAWwell said 👏
@@Double_DAW The overton window moved so far that numerous left-wing voices are considered extreme right. Like Musk, RFK Jr., Gabbard, and even Trump. Yeah, Trump's stances are still where they were as a 90s Democrat by-and-large.
I'm at the point that D&D could be purchased by my dog and it would be truer to what the mythology and story that it was meant to be. I quite frankly view Wotc staff of writers and system designers as vile racists who see black people in orc monsters. That said, idc nor do I think Elon is going to buy them, and I don't think if he did it would change all too much. The issue is the racists in the development team, its a creative narrative work, who works on it is all that matters.
I've seen sharper spoons
@@mattsayu8969you are just here insulting people? That doesn't put you above musk. Hate makes people ugly.
They decided their target audience was also their target enemy.
What’s their target audience? The human population?
As a straight white dude, I don’t recall in the early 80s only straight whites dudes playing. I’ve played with gay men, lesbian women, POC, Christians, Wiccans, Atheists, a couple of Military officers, a girl with Dwarfism, and we had a professed Satanist and a Hells Angel on two occasions(not one and the same). So I can never understand who the fuck is this target audience. It seems like some made up bullshit created by fragile children who think they need to gate keep.
Are you OG? I was 10 when I started playing 1979 and the group I spoke about were all older than me when I joined them at 15. They were OG and they had a pretty good bastardized system. It was ADnD, Arduin, Emperor of the Pedal throne and a bunch of their own works and individual worlds and like the diversity of people, it worked.
The only group I ever recall truly trying to destroy DnD were the evangelical Christians. Nobody else is threatening this game in which people can create their own worlds and if that nostalgia was sitting in mommies basement, farting and making sexist racial slurs, nobody is going to take that away from them except maybe mom who wants them to get a job and move out.
Haha sure bud sure. Insane,
@@AnubidLiterally proving his point lmao people like you are the reason gatekeeping is a great activity if you want your interests to not go to absolute shit.
@@wraithlord9879 I bet I've played rpgs much longer than you and indeed, we should have gatekept chuds like you from participating 100%. Also would love to hear how I proved his point, I'm not WOTC. That's just how you whiners sound.
@@wraithlord9879Then guys like that complain how they can't find any games 😂
Well said good sir! I liked the torch being passed analogy.
Let's see if Esper passes this charisma check.
Ooooohhhhh..... he passed..... 😂😂😂
He must have a Vorpal Rapier.
Fingers crossed, Esper. We need someone who will put a sense of adventure back into adventuring and heroism back into heroes.
Yes!!! REAL men! 🎈🥳🎈 Real adventures. Real horror!
yeah but who though exactly?
@@darkranger116 - Esper. Watch his other videos this week.
I was done the moment I heard that they would move away from the term "race" and "racial" traits because they were "problematic" terms and concepts. XD
Most of us long term gamers learned long ago that D&D is neither the best RPG or the most interesting RPG and nobody but you can control what you do at your table.
Yes, D&D is probably the least interesting RPG on the market and the least suited to exploring myth. Runequest and Mythras would both be far better.
Dang sorry to hear about your head man, hope ya feel better soon.
Still very nicely made man. Keep on rocking on
Was positively surprised by this video. Congratulations for daring to address Elon Musk on a positive manner; this seems to be extremely frowned upon on YT and specially TTRPG communities
Well said Esper, we have your back. You are not fighting this battle alone we are there with you.
A very touching and sincere message. The world can use more people like you. Big like from a fellow weirdo.
I feel the same. I asked other D&D UA-camrs about how they felt about the removal of half-elves and half-orcs. I got the NPC answer, which was, "I'm happy with it." Then I said, "Races like half-elves have been in the game since 1st Edition. Don't you think that removing them is not in the spirit of the game and disrespectful to veteran players such as myself?" Again, all I got was, "Half-elves and half-orcs are boring, so I'm happy with it." I have lost a lot of respect for D&D UA-camrs such as Treantmonk's Temple.
Very mask off of them to reveal racial purity is important to them.
Wait. There no half elves anymore?
@AtesSu2006.
Nope.
Half races gone for new edition
This was super heartfelt and I really like that you put it out there. Unfortunately, with someone like Elon Musk, you have maybe 30 seconds. Not 15 minutes. If you clip this down to a short, it could maybe reach him.
True, but sometimes people like Elon will obsess over a topic for hours. It still has a shot
@popularopinion1 yeah, dudes a wierd one, in both good and bad ways.
He's done stranger things and acknowledged random stuff.
There is a chance e he may see this.
You're one of the few creators out there that I have actively financially supported through all your Kickstarters. Keep it up, great video, very genuine. And no, you are not alone!
That really means a lot to me!
This is how you do it, you see a situation developing and instead of pissing and moaning you try to turn it to your (and your communities) benefit, I wish you all the luck in the world!
How come the first D&D uterbr isnt better well known? I've never heard another of the other Dnd youtubers mention him
Thank you for being passionate, but not immediately resorting to shouting, and being willing to hear different view points to your own, this is how we will keep the hobby alive.
OMG I just got the "on the level" meme... Well Done!
I dig the positivity. I actually hope he sees this.
Also, Hasbro fumbled the bag for too long.
Well, you gotta give Hasbro credit. That activity is usually cut short, instead.
I have unsubbed from almost every major DnD channel. Most have kissed the ring. I just subbed to you because you want to focus on quality and a return to mythic tradition in games and storytelling. Iron Age spirit. I'm moving on to other systems for now, but I'll be glad to see DnD saved from WOTC. Good luck.
But why have you left them? It sounds like people here want to pretend the entertainment media hasn't been infiltrated by people with an agenda. Ignoring the failures of cinema, of big game companies and why they have been failing. The same things that have been infiltrating DnD and have been degrading it.
Same here!
“I took 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the face”. I love you man hahaha
This is wearing your heart on your sleeve. Your passion should be commended and I wish you the best of luck with your vision.
I sent him a tweet so your not alone.
I thought a lot about chiming in here but I think what I have to say might be useful.
Esper, you stated that you didn't really know much about Elon Musk but you did know he was a polarizing figure. I think pitching your services to him to rework D&D on your channel without looking deeper into why he's so controversial was a preventable error. The internet is right there and maybe reading up on him from pro, con, and neutral sources might have changed the whole approach to this topic. If Elon Musk wanted to revamp D&D he could a) Buy the D&D IP, b) Buy Wizards of the Coast, or the most dramatic option, c) buy Hasbro. I really like your content and you are usually really thorough, so this took me by surprise. I have my own feelings about Elon Musk and the thought that he might want to throw his considerable, and increasingly political, weight around in my hobby isn't something I'm thrilled about.
I also want to ask this question because I think it's worth thinking about. Does Wizards of the Coast decision to make the game more inclusive affect those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time? I'm Gen X. So are most of my friends. Other than having a (hopefully) improved version of the game mechanics, literally everything else in the new PHB is optional. Heck, even the rules are optional if we want them to be. Orcs aren't inherently evil in the new rulebook? We are absolutely allowed to ignore it. Also, in my games there are human cities that are cozy and kind and there are human cities of oppression, greed, and endless, cutthroat social climbing. Does it make D&D poorer to imagine that some Orc tribes are bloodthirsty raiders obsessed with conquest and some are friendly cactus farmers and boar herders who just want want to come to trade or some are somewhere in between the two? If making things more inclusive gets more people into the hobby and keeps it alive, isn't that a win for all of us? Doesn't new perspectives and ideas just give us the chance to make our games and worlds more interesting?
I'm old enough to remember when Driz'zt Do'Urden became popular and everyone and their kid brother or sister wanted to play a good drow and the veteran players at the time constantly grumbling about how good drow are stupid and miss the point of drow and how it was ridiculous for them to have their own good goddess, Ellistraee. The current complaints really feel like the same old complaints repackaged, to me. People were annoyed that Planescape gave low and mid level characters access to the planes which a lot of older players thought was a right of passage for getting to high level play.
In the end, whether it's TSR, WoTC, or any of the many 3rd party creators putting out the content, they're just giving us new ways to play that we can take or leave. So why does it matter? Isn't it all just optional? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Again, I hope it's helpful.
Shameless job interview. Nice! Good content starts at about 10:00, and sprinkled about thereafter right up to the end. Musk may not listen that long…. I got bored myself, and I’m not even important.
Boil it down to under 2 mins and you may have a better chance. You’re on the right path. Best of luck!!!
DND will never die. We don't need WotC to play DND. We play DND every week, and WotC has basically nothing to do with our games besides thier core 5e rules, which we heavily modify to fit our preferences. There is so much non WotC content out there that we rarely use base clases and subclasses. Our group decided a long time ago that WotC can not ruin DND for us. I think you give them too much credit.
I love your passion for grand storytelling and I share it. Refocusing on crafting an epic story is why several other games and RPG systems have risen to popularity in the past couple decades, and D&D definitely needs a refresher on it.
That said, I think you may have misidentified Elon's point of interest here. For the last few years, he's become increasingly interested in the so-called "culture wars" being stoked by various media outlets, large and small. His interest in D&D appears to have come when some fans objected to accounts of Gygax and the other creators of D&D as embracing aspects of the game that have later come to be viewed as troublesome. Since the view of them wasn't pure praise, those fans got upset and took to X to complain. Their complaints dovetailed nicely into Elon's focus on amplifying criticism of attempts at inclusion, so he lent them his voice and audience.
I, for one, sincerely hope he does not purchase Hasbro or WotC and we as enthusiasts for the game can address the focus of the game without the heavy-handed interference of a billionaire intent on making his view the dominant one.
I would ABSOLUTELY play an RPG made by Esper the Bard with Hasbro/Elon Musk resources. Would be epic
My respect you you , Esper, has tripled. ❤
Great video. There's really is something mythical about the tradition. It's so sad to watch Wotc torch it to spite the fan base
Subbed at the second mention of mythic tradition. Not sure why I haven't run across your before, but I am glad to finally have done so!
Go Esper! Best of luck on your grand adventure!
I don’t know what took UA-cam so long to show me your videos but I’m glad I finally found you, kindred spirit.
I love this channel. Feels like home in a lot of ways.
How have I never found your channel until now. I just subscribed. :)
Welcome Bravo!
It's stories like Oohgie the honorary Dwarf and Obongo the lone Kobold that shows that D&D is more then a game. It sometimes brings out amazing characters. With the current state, we could lose those amazing stories.
Chuckled at the 1D4 to the face...sorry to hear, but glad you are ok!
Don't worry Esper we are all here for you.
Esper, your passion is beautifully expressed. Bravo friend! You are a true hero of D&D! I would love to sit at your gaming table! I hope this reaches Elon, and more importantly, I hope you stay this passionate, and continue to be the amazing creator that you are! Don't ever stop being you!!! Game on!
Esper. 15 year channel. Most impressive. Your love for this game is palpable. May your adventures be many, my friend.
Most impress. Such wow. So myth.
Well said, Esper. I wish you luck in whatever this becomes, if anything.
NAILED IT!! You freaking nailed it good job bravo. This popped up on my feed and is the first time ive ever seen your page and now im subscribed. Good job thank you for doing this.
Thank you! Welcome!
You can't invent and build the future if you dont have imagination or creativity to think of the things we have not yet made.
I got the shivers when you said Hero’s Journey!! Bring back inherent Evil and the Hero’s Journey
I love the fact it's about the game. Your passion toward the product over anything anyone said or did outside of it...is commendable.
For that I applaud you with a slight bow, and wish you luck.
I hope beyond hope that this works Esper. I believe in you, and this statement only reinforces that belief.
Awesome video man appreciate your passion and maturity.
Elon will gut wizards and hasbro
That's what we want.
Let him use a vorpel for it.
Here Elon, take my +3 longsword. It's dangerous to go alone.
You make it sound like a bad thing...
@@ColdNapalm42
Given how AI would most likely pick up the slack, yeah.
I had no idea how id feel about this video from the jump, I am pleasantly surprised by how amazingly well spoken this video is. It is a sincere hope that Elon notices and joins you for saving DnD. Im tired of the pc, cartoony and immature DnD. I want epic battles and legendary heroes, evil monsters and vile villains Elon purchasing Wizards would be nothing but a good thing for something we all love so much.
I appreciate your passion for the hobby and I‘m not sure whether pleading to a guy who has already disintegrated a huge brand is the right path to follow. I feel almost the desperation to get into a great position after so many years of engagement that is probably not appreciated enough.
What brand? Twitter? Musk only valorized Twitter/x. It's the people withdrawing sponsorship for political reason that sank its value. Friendly reminder that:
a) Musk remains the richest by far. Even with 90% of media against him he literally produces gold.
b) Disney et co withdrew sponsorship allegedly because it would 'ruin their image'. Considering the recent USA vote and the fact X has many more user that Twitter at its peak (becaue not having 900 people there just to censor speech means more users overall), methinks only redditors and mainstream media think Elon is the one that lost money in the exchange.
I've gotten to the point with wizards where i am no longer really playing d&d. The foundation is more or less the same, but I've migrated completely over to a homebrew setting with homebrew characters, homebrew enemies, a homebrew pantheon of deities, exclusively homebrew magic items, and even homebrew progression built on top of the base 5E rules.
Honestly, that's how d&d is supposed to be in the first place- official d&d products should be a springboard to inspire you to improve on the base rules, not a hard-and-fast code on what the rules are
100% agree. Great vid
Get some cure wounds to this man!
At least I don't need a spare the dying.
@@esperthebard Good thing you made the saving throw for wisdom and intellect loss as well. 😂
No..... he needs a Paladin now. 🤣🤣🤣
Very well said Esper! You definitely just leveled up in my eyes ! 💯
The only thing that I want for dungeons & dragons is that whoever has it, has the players, all of us and the pure experience of tabletop roll playing at heart. I don't want anybody shut out or only one group or your of person to like the game.
Love this video! It seems like we are quite alike in what we look for in D&D and similar systems (Pathfinder etc.) I wish you lots of success with this, and I truly hope that Elon can give D&D a new lease on life, a new chance to be reinvigorated and become a great social hobby again!
Hey Esper. First off, I really do agree with pretty much the majority of what you’re saying with the way WotC seems to be heading in terms of D&D 2024 and the future, and I personally will most likely never convert to D&D 2024 because I think it just has a vibe that is too gamey and much more focused on combat mechanics than other elements which make the game special. Also, the tone and style of the new edition seem off, like the new Monster Manual cover is like a cartoon mix of various iconic characters compared to the original Monster Manual cover, which presents only a few monsters such as the grick and beholder, but the art style makes them much more imposing and feel more real. In addition, the characters in the original Monster Manual cover appear to actually be like underdogs struggling against a beholder, which is a lot more interesting than the new cover, which, again, just makes the characters seem like fearless heroes. I agree with you that D&D should be taken back into a direction that more closely follows its roots, being much more focused on the adventuring and storytelling rather than primarily just straight-up combat.
I really have enjoyed Monstrous Heroes, and in my opinion, one of the best parts of the book is how diverse the different race/classes are and how their class has a clear impact not only on combat but on other pillars of the game. The implications of playing a vampire in a campaign are so much more interesting because you gave it weaknesses like not being able to enter a home without permission. I know damn well if WotC added a vampire class (which they probably wouldn't anyway), these restrictions would most likely not be there so that players don't feel restricted and the game feels fair for everyone. It’s just disappointing because as new editions keep getting released, the focus is more on balance and symmetry rather than having a diverse range of characters and monsters with unique implications that make the game more dynamic and interesting. I get that I’ve kind of raved on a bit here about my bigger gripes about the new edition. I think it’s important to say so that you understand that I’m also very worried about the way the game is going.
Obviously, the video is about Elon Musk and that if he were to theoretically gain ownership over D&D, you would like to talk with him about the changes you would like. I really think someone like you would bring some really good changes that I’d probably agree with. I also can really see that you genuinely want to change the game for the better, and not out of spite but so the whole game can thrive. But, from what I’ve seen from Twitter over the past couple years, I’m of the opinion that someone like Elon Musk taking over would lead to the game becoming possibly worse, solely because I think if Elon did take over, a lot of his decisions would be primarily focused on sticking it to both WotC and players who like the way D&D is going.
I follow a bunch of political and nonpolitical accounts on Twitter, and I have for a couple years, and though I don’t use it to post anything myself, I see a lot of posts from Elon Musk and many of his supporters. I would say that a significant majority of conversation surrounding him is a lot of complaining and toxicity-not against Elon but specifically from his supporters and even himself, who often seem to complain and mock other people. While he isn’t always toxic, and he does appear to be successful in a variety of fields and genuinely innovative, he and his supporters seriously give off a feeling of disdain for those with differing opinions. Now, this is still my opinion, and this is the read I get off of him and his supporters, but it is enough for me to feel like his takeover of D&D would lead to decisions that are spiteful and hate-fueled. I feel Elon Musk's main motivation for buying D&D (or Hasbro) would be more focused on attacking people he disagrees with rather than actually just improving the game.
Also, I don't think I’ve heard you talk about it before, but I feel pretty positive that Elon would support and use AI-generated content in new books, most likely for images and art. I mean I can almost guarantee it. I’m personally completely against AI art, because I’d much rather see artwork that was created by an actual person with their unique style rather than a bot with no soul, personality, or unique style. To be honest, I think it’s pretty much guaranteed AI will be used by Elon for any new books he publishes, and I also think a large amount of layoffs at WotC would be pretty likely, for better and also for worse.
I’ve ranted a lot more than I probably needed to, but normally I don’t really leave comments or reply to pretty much anything online, but I felt like I really should here because you seem to have a really positive and inspiring drive in a lot of what you do, so I just wanted to share my opinion because I feel you have the right intentions, but you’re placing them in the hands of someone who may have very different intentions and motivations.
Thank you so much for taking the time to compose this comment. It gives me a lot to think about. Something I tried to convey in this video is that even if Musk is up to no good, I still would want to speak with him, to do my part and try to fight for the sake of our beloved game-that's-more-than-a-game.
+1
Thank you for summarizing my own thoughts and opinions on this matter with your words here. I’ve also been in Esper’s community for about 5 years now and I have seen him occasionally touch on controversial topics, this being one of them.
I think there’s a lot of real issues with the way that modern DND has decided to go. All of my friends rolled our eyes at whatever the heck that orc racial art is in the 2024 PHB. Orc Cowboys? Is that what we’re going with? Ok I guess.
A lot of us would like to see a return to form with TTRPGs in the way that Esper champions. I think his heart is genuinely in the right place. At the same time, I have left comments in the past cautioning against aligning himself too closely with those who due pursue ideas in the name of hate like you’ve outlined Musk and his supporters tend to do. I hope that Esper continues to cover controversial topics like this in a way that is nuanced and insightful and does not tread into current culture war battles.
What specific action has Musk or his "supporters" taken that is driven by hate? You mention it as given, but dont provide evidence.
Also, you do realize that this whole thing started because the people currently running WotC hate and attacked their own customer base that they want to erase, right? Seems a little ironic and disengenuous to be attacking and warning against Musk when all he did was shine light on the vitriol and hatred spewed by those who all but run the hobby.
Elon musk would fix the OGL problem as he is an open source absolutist.
Elon Musk would 'stick ut to the libs' and would take out all this random woke stuff, stuff that wasnt in 3.5.
You would essentially see a d&d 3.5 remake.
Look mate, i can understand the hate for modern D&D, i don't play it either.
But knowing that he plans to use AI to make videogames, what are the chances he hires any real person to make D&D?
He's gonna go like "GROOK! Make D&D 7th edition" and its just 5th edition with extra words and rules that make no sense
Im gonna call it now that Forgotten Realms will have a new kingdom called Xandria with their castle on the Moon and the benevolent lawful good ruler will be called Elonidas and his pet is a dog called Doge and he has a rivalry with the forces of evil that is his ex-wife
@@luisroberto9416 le epic troll!! Xd blocks ur path
Prophecy
@@jokersdemise How is calling out the use of AI being a troll?
I've heard plenty of AI over the past year and most of it is stiff, emotionless and robotic
Yea I agree with his defence of Gigax but i would be 100% against any ai
@SilverScribe85 Because no technology has ever improved ever in the history of media.
That's why Star Wars' practical effects looked like shit. Because they were just as bad as they were in the 1930s.
Totally. For realsies.
Been watching your vids for years now Esper, and I couldn't agree more with your assessment of where our game is at now. It's in the wrong hands, and that needs to change soon.
The issue here is, personally, I think that becoming a publicly-traded company is effectively a death sentence for any IP with a vision. Because once you become *legally beholden* to a bunch of investors who don't care about the integrity of the IP or the company, or really even the long-term survival of the company, it's basically impossible to prevent *some* kind of rot from setting in.
I also think that Musk buying Hasbro or WOTC or whatever would basically be trading one annoying set of blunderers for another. Either way, I think we should be thankful that a vast majority of D&D content is open source (or, alternatively, stuff that they literally cannot copyright because of its very nature); and while "retreating" from D&D to create some clone might seem like surrendering, it might be a good idea for a variety of reasons.
Also, there's always the inelegant solution that many Warhammer (either flavor) fans are very familiar with: The "plug your ears and pretend the window-licking changes or statements made by the parent company of your favorite IP is making never happened and continue on as usual" method. It certainly has its limitations, but especially regarding D&D I think it's a perfectly reasonable idea given how many people already eschew newer gameplay elements (or only interact with them on their own terms) and use older lore or mechanics from previous editions and/or homebrew.
Brilliant. May God grant you results.
The decision making currently is deplorable and ghoulish. Change is needed. Advocacy against sweeping change or engagement with a possible agent thereof is base virtue signaling and moral grandstanding. There is courage and ambition in what you have recorded here.
Merry Christmas.
Old-school 3e player here. I'm with you brother. I love the stories and adventures D&D has brought to my life. I'm very concerned for it's future. I hope that woke ideology doesn't ruin something so beautiful and honestly something so universally appealing to everyone.
I am old. I remember when 3e was the new thing that the old guard hated. Took me a while to warm to it myself.
Anyone say you look like Kevin Sorbo?
You mean has anyone told Kevin Sorbo he looks like Esper?
I have gained a great respect for you over the years, and this has been the cherry on top. You are possibly the most unbiased D&D UA-camr I’ve encountered when it comes to Elon, and it is a breath of fresh air because everyone else seems to hate him due to him not agreeing with them. I do hope he does buy Hasbro, and I also hope he sees this video and takes you up on that offer.
I've followed Esper for years, and I can confirm that he is the #1 creative talent in this hobby. I say that as someone who has played D&D for 20+ years and seen every youtube video out there on the topic. Esper is a creative genius and loves D&D. I approve.
It's never a good idea to allow power to be consolidated in one place. To believe that Elon's giant corporation is going to save us from giant corporations is sort of delusional. We're slowly inching towards authoritarianism, and it's truly a scary thought.
Esper, I hear you, I really do, but allowing these corporations to become even bigger is not the answer brother. All I have is my opinion, I can't change what will be. I can only hope that things don't get out of hand before it's too late.
A company in the hands of someone who cares about its product is always gonna be better than a company in the hands of a board that doesn’t. Maybe in the macro scale having a few companies control everything isn’t good, but in this specific scenario, having someone who actually caresabout DND running DND is just strictly better.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with a person who "cared". Learn from history, if you believe Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he "cares" you haven't been listening.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with a person who "cared". Learn something from history. If you believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he cares, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one person so much power.
@oriondye3212 Every dictatorship began with someone who "cared". Learn something from history. If you actually believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he "cares", and not because he wants to grow his corporate empire, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one man so much power.
@oriondye3212 every dictatorship began with someone who "cared". Learn something from history. If you actually believe that Elon wants to buy Hasbro because he cares, and not because he wants to grow his corporate empire, you have not been listening. I'll never understand people's need to give one person so much power.
If you dont like the direction that D&D is going instead of hoping a multibillionaire buy a company and furter enrich themselves off of all the IP the company has acquired in hopes of a course correction in just one of those IPs. Why not follow the example of Paizo and several other companies?
They didn't like the direction of D&D at various points of time and for varying reasons, so they took what they liked mechanically thanks to the open game license and made something they felt was better. This would also allow you to be creative on your own terms and not a corporations terms. Because I honestly dont know how much of the direction of the newer books are mandated by the parent company to WoTC
His sycophantic bootlicking was truly pathetic.
@@UltraVioletKnightThat is uncalled for, he feels passionate about D&D and may not currently see any other option to save something he is passionate about.
I'm guilty of this myself I tend to focus on a single solution and may not see other options until they are pointed out to me.
@@JeffrahFett If he simply reached out and stated what he wanted for DnD that would be one thing, but he went on about how great and hard-working Elon is and how his father loves Elon.
And DnD doesn't need "saving", Esper himself is already making his own books and setting that promote his ideal fantasy as are many others, we can just ignore Wotzee.
@@UltraVioletKnight no it doesn't need saving, but the video was framed as if he feels it does, and trust me I know we can ignore WOTC I did for all of 4th edition, and most of 5th, I went back to D&D last year because a friend asked me to teach her and her friends to play D&D, and the essentials kit was in the games section of Walmart for cheap, and they were adamant about learning to play D&D
So if you don't like the direction that something you love is moving, don't fight for it? Just quit and go in a different direction? "Play a different game" or "Just stick with the older edition" No. We can all admit that every edition has issues. But the newest version IS the game. That is what is getting support and new material. I want the mechanical problems of the old edition fixed, not a rewrite of the soul of the game.
Literally anyone would be better than hasbro. No more of this drow/orc drama, no more "stats are racist" bullcrap , no more "genetic determinsm" nonsense. Just have DnD be about fantastical adventurers, drawing upon mythology and literature that originally inspired the game.
Elric of Melniboné
Conan
John Carter
Fafhrd and Grey mouser
Three Hearts and Three Lions
And yes, Tolkien's works.
And so many more influences.
Modern fantasy is garbage
Sword and Sorcery is awesome.
This is the best thing I ever saw.
Wow thanks!
I hope people listen to your message, rather than just the title or the first 2 minutes and decide to go forward with hate. :/
Dear Wotc please stop de orcifying my orc. For Wagggg sake. Oh nevermind.
Bring back the war monger orcs.
Oh no Orcs are cool and not lame generic ripoffs of an old mid fantasy book, whatever will we do?
@@Unknown-qj9sm That's where they came from, bud.
@@Ieatpaste23 Yeah doesn’t mean they have to be boring forever. Fantasy can do new things. We aren’t mad about drow existing or sea elves despite them not being in Tolkien. Why can’t we have cool unique takes on things that aren’t stuck in the same boring tropes for something that’s almost never done well.
@@Unknown-qj9sm They're war mongers. It's the dm's job to make it interesting. It should be unique when you find one that isn't.