Dungeons & Dragons

Although it feels like it can be said every year recently, it’s hard to imagine a better year in terms of its influence than 2023 has been for Dungeons & Dragons. A movie, TV channels, a video game that has dominated the world, and of course a not-insignificant glimpse toward the game’s own future. But for all those highs, they are contrasted in lows that have nearly sundered all of that goodwill in the process.Google’s AI Isn’t a Gimmick, It’s the Future | AI UnlockedEven since a combination of the rise of Actual…

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an epic game of choice and consequence—who lives, who dies, who tells your story, who fails every possible perception check they can. But I fear, fellow wanderers across virtual Faerûn, some of you are making the choices of cowards.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedNow that Larian Studios has offered its latest—and seemingly concluding—major content patch for its smash hit Dungeons & Dragons game, the developer has released another round of analytics going over a swath of player…

What would National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation look like if Clark and his family had to fight a bunch of killer elves? You can get a very, very close approximation in the new movie There’s Something in the Barn. It stars Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Silicon Valley) as a happy-go-lucky father who moves his family to Norway only to find that an actual elf lives in their barn. The elf is cool with the family being there... until they start breaking his rules. Then all hell breaks loose.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by…

When Baldur’s Gate 3 released this summer, its ending was one of the rare moments where praise for Larian’s take on the world of Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t united in effusive lauding. Abrupt, a little messy, and lacking in closure to characters players had just spent hundreds of hours with, it was both interesting and full of friction in equal measure. Should we ever know everything about a story’s end? What should be left to imagination?“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedWhile fans have spent three…

Fans have been trained to expect the worst from Hollywood adaptations. Anytime something you love is announced as the next mega blockbuster, your heart sinks. Surely, they’re going to screw it up and ruin your childhood. Which is what happens 90% of the time.Go Behind the Scenes of Fantasy Classic Dragonslayer in This Special Edition Sneak PeekBut that 10% of the time? When Hollywood doesn’t screw it up? It’s glorious. And that’s what happened, rather surprisingly, earlier this year with Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among…

I can’t help but imagine the words “study the blade” spoken in the most nasally, pre-teen voice possible, but when Gizmodo asked staff what kinds of gift guides they were interested in writing this year, I couldn’t help myself. I’m using this opportunity for those who want to study the blade to, ahem, do just that.Inspiration Behind the Reality-TV Style for The Hunger GamesI’ve been training with a group of fine folks in Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA, for about two and a half years. They’re an eclectic bunch.…

Including the unusual, hard-to-find, totally new and strangely wonderful, we’ve got a selection of gifts and games that will be appreciated by both hardcore tabletop roleplayers and people who are curious about TTRPGs but might not know where to start. Most—if not all—of these products physically came out this year, which means that they’re less likely to be part of a collection already.What Will VR Solve, Anyway? Packed into this list is a mix of indie games, unique accessories, fun books, and gifts for the people who…

Invite Matthew Lillard to your D&D-themed parties.Image: Dungeons & Dragons: AdventuresThe day has arrived to gather your party and venture forth to Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures, Hasbro’s free, 24-hour ad-supported channel celebrating the wildly popular tabletop roleplaying game. Launching today on Amazon Freevee and Plex (with more to come), the channel will debut three original series this week—and has shared a trio of new clips to entice curious fans.Gillian Jacobs Reacting to Her D&D Character Sheet…

Image: Wizards of the Coast | Dungeon Masters GuildDungeon Masters Guild, a subsidiary of OneBookShelf and the largest digital third-party Dungeons & Dragons marketplace, officially announced a policy change that would restrict the sale of “standalone” AI-generated products. Additionally, it is enacting a “Creation Method Filter” which requires sellers to indicate if any part of their “game, rulebook, or adventure contains AI-generated content.”Gillian Jacobs Reacting to Her D&D Character Sheet From Community |…

“In Likeness Machines, you draw tarot cards to determine the future the growing career of a fictional actor. But as your actor faces hardship and failure, the heads of studios scheme to replace your actor with an AI replicant. To win, you’ll have to race against the snowballing power of your AI self and get out of the industry while you can. The game showcases a speculative, satirical dystopia—but one that’s unfortunately within reach with further union busting, profit seeking corps, and streaming’s enshittification.”“In…