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Nerdarchy > At The Gaming Table  > Dungeons & Dragons — Your Fun is Wrong?
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Dungeons & Dragons — Your Fun is Wrong?

Legendary Dragons Kickstarter from Jetpack 7 Takes Flight
Dungeon Crate Unboxing -- August 2018

As fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons YouTubers we get the question of whether content is official pretty often. Honestly the only time it really matters is when you are playing organized play like Adventurers League. Anything else really is homebrew Dungeons & Dragons even if you are playing prewritten D&D 5E adventures set in an official D&D campaign setting.

D&D 5E Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master

 

“Official” Dungeons & Dragons ends at game time

Once official D&D content hits your gaming table it transforms into something else — homebrew. As DMs we create magic-items, monsters, NPCs, and more.

“One of the greatest creative outlets in my opinion is being a Dungeon Master. Maybe you can’t draw, paint, sing, or play an instrument, but everyone can tell and make up stories.” –– Nerdarchist Dave

So why do some D&D 5E players feel like if it isn’t Wizards of the Coast official it’s playing the game wrong? There are a bunch of great companies out there putting out awesome content. Some of our favorites are Frog God Games, Nord Games, and Kobold Press, just to name a few off the top of my head.

Even here at Nerdarchy we create content for D&D 5E. [NERDITOR’S NOTE: Like, a lot. Have you seen how many videos, posts, Patreon rewards and digital products we have?!]

We pick up pretty much every product Wizards of the Coast puts out, despite the fact we almost never run prewritten adventures. We still like to cherry pick them for maps, NPCs, monsters, magic items, and whatever else we find for Dungeon Master inspiration in our own games.

I ran an Underdark game called Outkast for five sessions. It was a kind of an Underdark urban campaign. I leaned on the Out of the Abyss adventure heavily for different rules about the Underdark.

My friend Jen from Pixelscapes was running the Rise of Tiamat for three different groups. Her husband was playing in two of those campaigns, but she would alter the content and customize it for the players, creating a new experience every time.

At that point you have to ask “is it still official content?”

More importantly does it even matter. They are enjoying the game and as long as their group is having fun they are doing it right in my opinion.

Even the creators of official D&D 5E content advocate changing material at your gaming table. In the Dice, Camera, Action live stream campaign run by Dungeon Master Chris Perkins, the Waffle Crew’s adventures take inspiration from official Dungeons & Dragons adventures but with their own unique spin. The moment your group begins playing, you’re making the content your own.

There is no right or wrong way to play Dungeons & Dragons

A key to running a successful game of Dungeons & Dragons is having everyone on the same page at the table. Know your players, Dungeon Master. This might require a session zero and/or a social contract. These are helpful tools to make sure everyone is playing the same game. If the players in the group are cool with homebrew changes, there’s no harm done. A post on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Facebook group recently asked how people felt about using Constitution for a sorcerer’s spellcasting ability instead of Charisma. A lively discussion over game balance and unfairness to other classes followed. Posing the question publicly means the poster had an interest in how others weighed in but at the end of the day, if the players in their group are okay with it, there’s no harm in trying out the idea.

At Nerdarchy we believe an invitation to game together is an invitation of friendship. If you and your friends make great memories going on adventures straight from the source, whether adventures from WotC, megadungeon delves into Frog God Games’ Rappan Athuk, quests found on the Dungeon Masters Guild or your own creation cobbled together from dozens of sources, does it really make a difference if it’s official or not? If your homebrew rules aren’t perfectly designed and balanced, does it matter? Sure, if you’re planning to develop a product. But at a table of friends looking to have fun experiences creating stories together, you’ve got nothing to lose.

While there is no wrong way to play the game, there is playing in the wrong game for you.

Is Unofficial D&D Content Playing 5E D&D Wrong

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david friant

My name is Dave Friant I've been gaming off and on for over 27 years. But here is the thing it's always been a part of my life I've kept secret and hidden away. I've always been ashamed of the stigma that gaming and my other nerdy and geeky pursuits summon forth. Recently I decided screw it! This is who I am the world be damned. From now on I'm gonna be a geek, nerd, or however folks want to judge me and just enjoy life. Currently one of my greatest joys is introducing my 13 yr old son to table top RPG's.

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