Hasbro And Wizards of the Coast Fumble Again With DnD 2024!
In early January 2023, I wrote about how Hasbro and Wizards of The Coast (WoTC) fumbled while changing its Open Gaming License (OGL). They were preparing to rescind the previous license (1.0a) and update it with a more stringent version, dubbed 1.1. The new license was leaked online, and the role-playing world exploded.
The uproar concerned the proposed licensing terms, which reserved Hasbro and WoTC’s right to third-party content. In other words, under OGL 1.0a, third-party publishers and homebrew creators could sell game modules and content for Dungeons & Dragons. In the new version, those publishers and creators could have their work taken (a.k.a. stolen) at the whim of Hasbro and WoTC.
👉 There are a ton of videos on YouTube that explain in greater detail the differences between OGL 1.0a and the now-rescinded OGL 1.1.
The blowback from this forced Hasbro and WoTC to abandon the new license and go into hiding for a while. Now, they’re back with a new edition titled Dungeons & Dragons 2024.
Dungeons & Dragons 2024
Dungeons & Dragons 2024 is being hailed as an update to the 5th edition, which was released 10 years ago. In one YouTube interview, the impetus for the change was to correct mistakes and polish the game.
I understand this completely because writing games and supporting documentation is never 100% right when released. Having the benefit of a long history and lots of community input to draw on is helpful to game designers in making the playing experience better. An update to “fix” the bugs can go a long way if done right.
Except this update is causing another uproar. This time it’s about D&D Beyond, their digital toolset for players and dungeon masters.
It appears that the 2024 upgrade to fix the bugs will affect D&D Beyond differently. It will destroy 2014 items in players’ accounts that are incompatible with the upgrade. So, instead of working around it, WoTC decided to just say, “Whoops, sorry, it’ll be deleted.”
This added insult to the injury from the OGL fallout, and players started to cancel their D&D Beyond accounts. The backlash was so severe that WoTC decided to reverse its decision.
Dungeons and Dragons is reversing its decision to remove the original 2014 spells and magic items from D&D Beyond with the release of its new 2024 core rulebooks. Though it originally intended to replace these D&D Beyond entries, Dungeons and Dragons will be keeping both in response to player feedback. — via MSN.
I don’t begrudge WoTC and Hasbro for looking into new revenue streams, but stop pissing off the community with these terrible rollouts.
The Way Forward — Open Source Gaming
As someone who works in the open-source technology world, I’ve seen the benefits that open-source can bring. On the contrary, I’ve also seen how open source is exploited by large corporations. That’s capitalism in a nutshell—figuring out how to make a buck off labor and then selling the product created by said labor to a waiting world.
We see it all over the digital world. Online games are rife with “in-app” purchases, subscriptions, and loot boxes. This method is a cash grab and has “trained” an entire generation of gamers to believe this is how to play games.
What if we were able to go back to a simpler time, a time when all you needed was a pair of dice or cards and your imagination? How expensive would that be in today’s money?
A good quality set of 10 dice is about $6 on Amazon. A deck of cards? That’s about $3. You could play a game with dice and cards or build one for free.
In general, many games are open-source—free to play and free to learn the rules. It’s the box sets, figurines, special cards, and books that are copyrighted and not open-source. This is exactly how WoTC has been making money with D&D.
The rules and mechanics were open-sourced in OGL 1.0a via the System Reference Document (SRD), which is free to download and use, but buying the books and merchandise was easier and neater. WoTC parlayed D&D into an open-source backbone with the OGL, creating an ecosystem of third-party publishers to build content faster and better than they could themselves.
Players, world builders, publishers, content creators, and everyone else just paid for the rules and loved their games until Hasbro and WoTC destroyed that goodwill.
After spending hundreds or thousands of dollars over the years, many players are starting to balk at the idea of shelling out a few hundred dollars for the new D&D 2024 rules, especially after the D&D Beyond debacle.
So how do you build that goodwill back? What do disaffected players and game masters do?
You either hold your nose and buy the upgrade, or you look for a true open-source game that has a strong community.
Rebuilding The D&D Community With True Open-Source System Reference Documents (Srd)
One way to rebuild the D&D community is by embracing true open-source System Reference Documents (SRD). These SRDs lay the groundwork for creating a game framework where the rules are free, and the content is developed by the community. The original OGL 1.0a allowed third-party creators to develop content and sell it without fear of corporate overreach.
The current D&D SRD is open-source but the community doesn’t trust the corporate overlords to keep doing the right thing. They’re waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop.
The OGL debacle left many people, publishers, and game creators frustrated. They didn’t like the fact that Hasbro could make a money grab on their hard work. So, the community splintered. Everyone agreed that something needed to happen, but what?
Pathfinder creator Paizo Publishing proposed and created their open-source license called the ORC license. Basic Fantasy RPG removed any references to the OGL and WoTC content, as well as Castles and Crusades content, and released a 4th Edition under a Creative Commons license.
The community is speaking and they’re not putting down their pitchforks. Hasbro and WoTC have, unknowingly, created a gaming revolution.
Leaving The D&D System: Embracing Old-School Rules (Osr) And Open-Source Systems Like Basic Fantasy
For those who are tired of the corporate-driven direction of Dungeons & Dragons, leaving the system entirely and moving toward Old-School Rules (OSR) and open-source systems like Basic Fantasy is an excellent option. OSR games focus on a return to the simplicity of early tabletop RPGs, where imagination, creativity, and player agency were at the forefront.
Basic Fantasy is a prime example of an open-source, OSR-inspired game system that is free to download and easy to play. It uses mechanics inspired by early Dungeons & Dragons editions but has been streamlined for modern players. You can download the full rules for free, or, if you prefer, purchase physical copies at a nominal price.
By transitioning to OSR and open-source systems, players and game masters are no longer at the mercy of corporate decisions. Instead, they’re part of a community-driven effort to keep the spirit of tabletop RPGs alive. No more worrying about forced upgrades, disappearing content, or cash grabs. OSR systems like Basic Fantasy are built to be shared, expanded, and enjoyed without the influence of a corporate agenda.
The decision to walk away from the Dungeons & Dragons ecosystem is ultimately about taking control back. It’s about valuing creativity, community, and shared storytelling over profit-driven business models. Many players and game masters are already making the switch, finding renewed joy in tabletop role-playing with systems that prioritize their freedom to create and play without limitations.
Free Game Modules
Show me some love! I’ve been working on short D&D-type game modules that are Creative Common licensed and free for the past few years. I recently ported The Crypt of Zarathur to the Basic Fantasy RPG rule sets and you can get it on my Ko-fi Shop. Download them, play them, and let me know!
I first learned to play the card game Hearts while living in New Mexico. My ex-girlfriend introduced me to it, and I quickly became hooked. Not long after, I taught it to my friends, and it soon became a weekend ritual. We’d gather around a table, sometimes playing into the early hours, fully immersed in the game’s intricate strategies and thrilling moments like “breaking hearts” or “shooting the moon.”
Hearts is a game for 3 to 7 players, though it’s best enjoyed with 4 people. It’s a trick-taking game, meaning players take turns throwing down cards, with the highest card winning the trick. The rules governing the tricks are simple yet provide plenty of room for strategic play. If you’re curious about the mechanics of trick-taking games, Wikipedia offers a great explanation of trick-taking games.
All you need to play Hearts is a standard deck of cards (affiliate link). After removing the Jokers, you shuffle and deal the cards evenly to each player. The game starts with the player who holds the 2 of Clubs, setting the stage for the first trick.
The Basics of Hearts
In each round, players must follow suit by playing a card of the same suit as the one led. The player who plays the highest card of the suit wins the trick and collects the cards. The real twist comes with the Hearts and the Queen of Spades—cards you desperately want to avoid winning.
Special Cards and Scoring
Hearts are worth 1 point each, and the dreaded Queen of Spades carries a hefty 13 points. The objective is to accumulate as few points as possible because, in Hearts, the lowest score wins. However, there’s an exhilarating twist—if you manage to collect all the Hearts and the Queen of Spades in a single round, you “shoot the moon,” and instead of adding 26 points to your score, you add them to everyone else’s. It’s a risky strategy but incredibly satisfying when it works. At the end of each hand, players tally their points, and play continues until someone reaches an agreed-upon limit, like 50 or 100 points. The winner is the player with the fewest points at the end of the game.
How to Play Hearts
The game begins with the player holding the 2 of Clubs (2C). After the cards are shuffled and dealt, this player lays the 2C in the center of the table. The person to their left must then follow with a Club. The highest Club wins the trick, and the winner gathers the cards into their discard pile.
Hearts, first trick
The winner of each trick leads the next round by playing any card from their hand. For instance, if they lead with the 5 of Diamonds (5D), the player to their left must play a Diamond if they have one. This continues until someone can’t follow suit, at which point they can play any card—this is where things get interesting.
Let’s say the trick has a 5D, 4D, and 10D, and you don’t have any Diamonds left. You decide to throw in a 6 of Hearts (6H). The player with the highest Diamond wins the trick, but now they’ve also collected that 6H, adding a point to their score.
When the first Heart is played, it’s known as “breaking hearts.” This unlocks the ability for everyone to start playing Hearts, which ramps up the game’s intensity.
Hearts, example play
One of the most nerve-wracking moments in Hearts is when someone plays a King or Ace of Spades, forcing the player with the Queen of Spades (QS) to play it. The unlucky winner of that trick will have 13 points added to their score—a significant setback.
Hearts, example play
The Thrill of Shooting the Moon
“Shooting the Moon” is the ultimate Hearts gambit. To do this, you must win all the Heart cards and the Queen of Spades in a single hand. If successful, instead of gaining 26 points, you hand those points over to your opponents while you remain at zero. It’s a risky move, but when executed perfectly, it can flip the entire game in your favor.
Achieving this feat requires keen strategy and a deep understanding of your opponents’ play styles. It’s not just about playing your cards well; it’s about reading the room, anticipating moves, and sometimes, bluffing your way to victory.
Seasoned players often employ strategies to prevent others from shooting the moon. One common tactic is spreading Hearts among other players early in the game, making it nearly impossible for anyone to collect all the necessary cards. Another strategy involves holding onto high Spades to avoid triggering the Queen of Spades too early, protecting yourself from a sudden point surge.
The Endgame: Why Hearts Is the Best
Hearts is more than just a card game; it’s a battle of wits, a test of patience, and a lesson in strategic thinking. It’s perfect for family game nights, gatherings with friends, or any time you want to engage in some light-hearted competition. And all it costs is a deck of cards, a pencil, and a piece of paper.
In a world filled with complex video games and high-tech entertainment, there’s something profoundly satisfying about the simplicity of Hearts. It’s a reminder that the best games don’t need fancy equipment or intricate rules—they just need people who love to play. So next time you’re looking for a game that’s easy to learn, endlessly engaging, and perfect for all ages, give Hearts a try. You might just find yourself, like me, staying up until the wee hours, playing “just one more round.”
Here’s another great write-up on how to play Hearts too, and here’s me talking about Hearts on Instagram
Note: the official rules call for passing 3 cards in round 1, my write-up is a variation from the official rules because it’s easier for newer players.
I Didn’t Survive the Tomb of Horrors
TSR released the Tomb of Horrors in 1978 and it became an instant hit with Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) players. Tomb of Horrors is a game module for high-level characters that was designed by Gary Gygax to be a “thinking player” type of game.
Instead of hacking and slashing your way through an adventure, this game requires critical thinking and careful review of the environment you’re in. It’s filled with traps and riddles that a party of characters needs to solve before coming face to face with the Lich named Acererak.
💡 Note: Spoilers ahead
One of my friends in our DnD group found the Tomb of Horrors in his old files. He asked if we wanted to play it as a one-off adventure and he’d offer to be the Game Master (GM). He suggested that we roll up characters that we didn’t mind having killed off, which we did. I finally got to play a high-level fighter named Thrax - who I’ve written about in two short stories before.
Tomb of Horrors was written using the original rules of DnD and was updated in recent years to the 5th edition. I find the 5th edition of DnD a pain in the ass and I’m not alone. All my friends think the 5th edition is too complicated and we decided to use the Castles and Crusades game mechanics.
Thrax was a kick-ass fighter. He met an untimely death, twice in the game. The first time he was resurrected after being steamrolled by this elephant-looking thing.
D&D Tomb of Horror Elephant Steam Roller
- Tomb of Horrors by TSR/WoTC
The second time was when he met the Lich Acererak. In a party of 5 players, we lost 4 players in the final encounter with the Lich, now a more powerful Demi-Lich. Considering it was an 80% death rate, the DnD community said we “defied the odds”.
We played that game for about 6 months, meeting once a month, and finishing it in early November. While it was incredibly sad that our characters and my Tharx died, it was a glorious time. It might be the maturity talking but we handled the deaths gracefully.
We all agreed that the deaths our characters experienced were a good deaths and I finally have an end for Thrax, if I ever decide to write more short stories about him.
Perhaps knowing the end of the game is not necessarily as important as the shared story you experience. The important part is how the game evolves as you play it and how the story writes itself. The beer, the pizza, the laughs, and the silly things that happen along the way, are priceless. It’s time well spent with friends and family that’s the real treasure in my opinion.
I didn’t survive the Tomb of Horrors but I loved every minute of it.