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Where do I Take This Channel? (aka the most important poll ever) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-12-29 11:43:14
Imported:
2026-06

Poll

Where do I Take This Channel? (aka the most important poll ever)

  • Home-brew, Independent & OSR content 361
  • Official One-D&D 15
  • 2022-12-29
  • 376 votes
{'title': 'Where do I Take This Channel? (aka the most important poll ever)', 'choices': [{'text': 'Home-brew, Independent & OSR content', 'votes': 361}, {'text': 'Official One-D&D', 'votes': 15}], 'closes_at': None, 'created_at': datetime.datetime(2022, 12, 29, 11, 31, 46, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'description': None, 'allow_multiple': False, 'total_votes': 376}

Content

I believe there will be a split between One D&D/D&D 6.0 and the rest of the TTRPG hobby.  Ben Milton at Questing Beast describes these camps as as the "Folk D&D crowd" (ie the Home-Brew Crew) and the "Official D&D Crowd." 

I now need to decide--do I invest the time and resources into D&D 6.0 or do I go full-tilt home-brew, focussing on OSR and Indie Games? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  

--PDM


Comments

Benjamin Pavier

The channel probably won't continue to grow in the short term with the new push. However you will be swept up and lost in the current of other channels if you focus the new.

Filippo Bettoschi

Always freedom and creativity over official game material. Let roleplaying games remain a product of our imagination.

Jimmy De Ruysscher

I listen and watch you for all your ideas, just do your thing!

Smarting

As far as I am concerned, I noticed you for the overall presentation of your videos, including the use of minatures. While it may have been me watching GM Tips by both Matthews and Seth Skorkowski, that made the algorithm pushing your content to me, I sticked because you deliver good content, not so much of the your relationship to one or another side of the D&D community. Because the thing is: As a German, I did not started this hobby with D&D! I got into it through German Fantasy RPGs like Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye) and Splittermond. You may never heard about these systems and truth be told it doesn't matter. I am hear because of Fantasy RPGs in general and only care for D&D as one system between many. And you deliver good content for running Fantasy RPGs and also, for me as foreigner, some insights in the business of American Fantasy RPGs.

baldrage

Since DungeonCraft is a passion project for you, the only way to be successful in the long term is to focus on what interests YOU, not your audience.

robert fransgaard

I kinda like that you balance between the two camps. Also think there is value of exposing each camp to the other viewpoint. Do you have to choose? If you do, do you think you could produce OneD&D only content strong enough to compete in what would be an increasingly crowded market ? Maybe worth adding a marketers view on this. If that's worth it, I suggest looking at https://businessesgrow.com/blog/ for input

Christopher Sievers

I think Moldvay D&D/OSR is where your heart is, so go with your passion. I occasionally dip back into 5e with my groups, but we are unanimous in not being at all interested in OneD&D. Currently running our first OSE megadungeon and having a blast. Happy New Year!

Gregory Helding

The split already exists. I think you do a great job now of being solidly folk D&D while still acknowledging and dealing with Official D&D as needed. As Official D&D becomes digital or mostly digital, it will be harder to talk about how to home brew your game. Keep the tabletop in TTRPGs and dance with the girl you came with. As you say, “it’s all D&D to me.” You’ll have plenty of material no matter where WOTC goes with Official D&D.

Morten Steindal

As others have said, follow the path you have the most passion for (and use this poll as advisory at best)

Karl

Your existing MO of showing mainstream players how to come over to us folkies is your strength. Keep converting them, as you did me! 😃

Stephen Kotowych

It was your homebrew/OSR-with-the-best-rules-from-5E ethos that drew me to this channel and reinspired my love of D&D in the first place. I hope you'll continue in that vein. For me, it's the simple quick fun of the OSR that reminds me of the Moldvay edition I grew up on. 5E is so expansive and complicated that it feels too much like homework.

JAM

I really wish you had an option for both! Your channel is not Official D&D right now. The channel seems to be Folk D&D with updates on Official D&D. I like the idea of hearing what is new along with your home brew take. There are no Official D&D games being played because everyone has some house rules.

Trouqe

PDM, your channel has always been for the Folk D&D group, so I say the answer is already obvious, ha. Anyhow, you can still incorporate information on both sides but still focus on the Folk clan. I look forward to 2023 and this channel.

Andrew
>>98460007

I totally agree. I was just talking to my girlfriend's daughter over the holidays about this. She's deep 5th ed, and she's said she's most likely giving One D&D a pass. She's got the edition she likes. I think a lot of fifth ed players are going to be in this boat. Her gaming group is all over the country, so they are mostly online. That said, she also mentioned how badly they all miss in-person table top play. My advice---keep making great content that is mostly edition neutral, with great old school hacks that can apply anyone's game. This is where you seem most passionate. It's teaching people to get the most out of their gaming experiences. That's where your content shines.

Matt C.

Why don’t you just keep doing what you’ve been doing? I’ve never viewed your channels as either one thing or the other. Your best videos are when you explain the how and why you play ‘your version’ of D&D at the table as you do. Stop posting about what Wizards and Hasbro are doing and just keep telling us what you’re doing and enjoying.

Jason Carpenter

Ideally a mix to draw an audience but homebrew, craft and campaign is the reason I signed up. You’re the best at DM tips and inspiration.

SonOfSofaman

I've learned much about being a dungeon master from the tips and techniques you've shared with us over the years. Is that stuff Homebrew, Independent & OSR or is it Official One D&D? It is some of each, but mostly it's edition agnostic. That's what I keep coming back for.

James Hogge

I enjoy your current format. Sharing your experiences in blending available materials in the best possible Game experience. Coupled with your UDT, you have greatly influenced my gaming decisions. You’ve rekindled my love for the simple days of BX and my desire for engendering fun in roleplaying. I have taken to heart many of your concepts, and use a few ideas from Deathbrringer, and blended them with my 5e groups. They love it. So, I would like to see that level of understanding and support. Your continued “take” on all things D&D. In short.. yes focus on the home brew indie stuff, but give us a taste of the good concepts of newer game changes.

Eric from Bloat Games

I'd say do both. OSR and Indie stuff is where you'll find the coolest and most unique games/ content, but in terms of sheer audience size, you'll never beat the Official D&D, whatever edition it's on.

BrianV

I think taking what is useful from the new D&D one and incorporating it into folk home brews allows us to put new tools in our bag. Your take and spins on the original D&D material is gold. Why stop? Your methods and process are a treasure trove of DM options. I say be flexible and stay true to your channel foundations, but don’t completely shut out the new stuff. It may be useful down the road. Thanks again for all you do!

Brian Leet

I watch to get ideas and rules to add to my own games, which have 5E rules bones and OSR spirit. I get the most out of your cross-over commentaries. I think utterly ignoring One D&D would be a disservice to your own interests, but so would trying to adopt it wholesale. Keep doing what you’ve been doing. Keep your eyes on the new for good ideas (e.g. the new exhaustion rules) and keep offering your own play style as an alternative.

Craig Sutherland

I think you should go full tilt homebrew - its what I love your channel for! I also love your official D&D commentary too, but the heart and soul is your homebrew/OSR stuff. That said, I still think it is possible to look in on official D&D and keep up with the latest happenings there too, but I don't think it requires a huge investment on your part as you don't need to focus entirely on One D&D, just focus on what interests you from it and take what is useful, but focus on the homebrew/OSR, as that is where your passion is.

Bl4cklavnder

You inspired me to run a campaign with how much you seem to genuinely enjoy running games no matter the system. I don't mind the current DnD update videos once in a while as you have a unique perspective and that's makes them interesting but it's the discussions about various rules and systems and how they can improve your game that I really enjoy.

Rob Edgar

Why not 80/20 or 70/30 Folk D&D/One D&D? Mixing it up a little once in awhile is probably good for the Channel and good for all of us Dungeon Craft consumers - makes us poke our heads out of the sand to get the occasional lay of the One D&D land….

lars madsen

Given that new OSR content is being produced all the time and that One D&D is still very much a work in progress, I think I'd go with the OSR stuff and wait to see what One D&D turns into.

Cal Pearson

Your Channel Name and Moniker should enlighten your path. DungeonCRAFT and Professor Dungeon Master (PDM). "How To" of the entire hobby with occasional an sidebar trip into the "Industry" (like those quirky -off arc- episodes of "X-Files" or "Fringe"). Thank you PDM for your hard work and concern for us in the audience. Chive on into next year.

Mark

Please don't change anything you're currently doing -- I don't see the need to change focus in any way, honestly.

Jonathan

I always love hearing your perspective on modern D&D because your opinion is informed by decades of experience in the hobby; but I think it’s your OSR and independent game coverage that is most valuable. When I came to your channel as a new 5th edition DM, I had little to no idea of what the OSR was or how old school games operated. I ran my games strictly as “Official D&D” before tuning in to Dungeon Craft and several others (many of whom I know are fellow patrons). The tools you’ve introduced me to show new Game Masters the value of treating rule sets as toolboxes and experimenting/tinkering with different mechanics and sources to Frankenstein together a more fun and dynamic experience for you and your players. There are cool channels like Dungeon Dudes, Nerd Immersion, and Treantmonk that cover Official D&D closely. I always love hearing your opinion on the industry’s direction, but I think you’ll have more fun exploring other systems and enlightening us on the fruits of your game alchemy from your Dungeon Craft mad science laboratory.

Staffaramus

Your gritty stories and how to setup situations like Goblin Lairs, Bandit Keeps, and the Caves of Carnage hooked me to join. As with any new addition there will be a splintering and I choose YOUR grit and Players Playing their character rather than their character sheet

Korth910

Homebrew rules and content are why I came to this channel in the first place. System natural information is always useful and stands the test of time. Just my thoughts...

Jim Van Cura

With the recent arrival of my OSE Kickstarter I couldn't care less about One D&D, Wizards of the Coast, or Hasbro.

Chuck Thorin

For content, I've always viewed the channel as being homebrew, independent with an old-school vibe while not really being edition specific. I'd dare say that even the older videos have material that would be useful to someone using One D&D in the future. The adventure and encounter design videos are great for learning. The ideas for efficiently running the game also great. Relatively simple and useful crafting projects like UDT. I can see doing news and analysis around major events surrounding One D&D as a necessary evil to feed the Youtube algorithm. Sad but true. IMHO, there's lots of grumbling about the future of One D&D and what will happen because of that I think the folk D&D/Homebrewing movement will grow.

Adrian Webster

Do official D&D when you feel like commenting but dont feel obligated to chase the trends. I may be in the minority but I also enjoy it when you stray outside of both D&D and OSR into other games that strike your interest. it is always fun to get another perspective on Call of Cthulhu, warhammer fantasy roleplay or other games.

Darrin Chandler
>>98468185

I largely agree. The YouTube channel has always been about playing the ultimate game of D&D, where "D&D" doesn't necessarily mean actual WotC D&D and often doesn't. So to me the channel doesn't really need to change! Rather, it can remain true to what it's been all along and that probably means diverging more from current WotC D&D. I'm fine with that.

Stewart n watson

I watch your content for the way you make D&D your own thing and your advice on how to 'hack' it. There are many 'official' WotC channels I could watch if I wanted that kind of stuff

Elvis Ramone

While I am firmly in the All Things Pre-One D&D camp, I would say mostly, keep doing what you are doing. Take the good ideas a-la-carte and ignore the rest. After 50 years we have a buffet of rules, classes, monsters and ideas. One D&D will certainly have some great ideas to plunder. WotC created the OGL to basically freelance ideas from the community when they were small. Now big, like Smaug they hoard treasure and know we are there, just not exactly where. That's my 2¢.

C. E. Housenick

I would suggest homebrewing your own path forward - you already do a lot for indie games and homebrew, and occasionally dip your toes into D&D 5E. I don't think that it's necessary to swear off One D&D entirely, but having it be a henchman to your BBEG of homebrew seems a better way forward.

David O'Neil

I agree with many of the above comments. I would still like to hear your insights and opinions on official D&D issues. You years of experience makes your perspective invaluable. So, as mentioned above I don't think you have to change anything. I personally prefer your home brew and indie rpg content.

Lee Caddick

Like a lot of people have said, do what you feel is right to do - your take on D&D right now is not particularly loyal to 5e and it doesn't need to be loyal to either camp necessarily. I think wherever we find ourselves, PDM will have some good advice for making our game the best it can be.

Andrew
>>98461908

I respectfully disagree. The problem comes with the financial commitment to One D&D. It's a commitment I don't think needs to be made in PDM's case. Let official One D&D DMs and players buy into it if they want to. I don't see how spending the money on endless micro-transactions that One D&D promises will in anyway improve PDM's life or game experience.

Brent Norton

I don’t if I like “Folk”, maybe “Home” sounds better.

Brad F

I think you should focus on homebrew stuff but occasionally covering a "breaking story" regarding One D&D is also cool. I think you've got a good mix on your channel right now and you shouldn't fix what isn't broken.

Graham Kane

Homebrew, OSR and Indy is my preference. But occasionally covering important 5E news and developments is also fine. Gotta keep the lights on!

Jared Davis

What brought me to the Dungeon Craft YouTube channel and Patreon was your homebrew approach to D&D, your “D&D is what I want to make of it” approach. WoTC will do what it will do. In short, continue to do what you’ve done so well. Express your views on D&D, whether that’s homebrew D&D or your views on the latest WoTC developments. I’ve also learned about many independent RPGs from you, and have purchased a lot of them. Finally, do what brings you joy as a YouTuber. I think it will benefit you and your channel in the long run. Good fortune to you!

Hardy LeBel

Is this even a question? PDM - you’ve been a proponent of Folk D&D since the beginning. Heck, you have your own rules-light system! IMO you should focus on high production-value retellings of your campaign content just like Bone Road or Reviled Society. I’m sure they are much harder to make, but they are world-class trpg content!

Jay
>>98459603

I don't believe anyone could have stated this better.

Ernesto

keep doing what are you doing, if you see something to analyze/comment about one dnd and want a video about that is fine for me.

Joel A.

Selected Homebrew, Independent, OSR because it'll incorporate all versions of DnD by its very nature.

Flowers

My expectation is that to a large degree one D&D’s actual game content will have some sort of subscription required and will focus heavily on the walled garden digital marketplace. I can safely say that most of us here don’t want to go anywhere near that. D&D is DIY. What Hasbro ends up cranking out in will be a soulless simulacrum.

Timothy J. Mallory

This is your channel, so you should do what you like doing. Anything else is a path to ruin. But I've never thought of this as a "5e" channel, so I don't see how it could ever be a "OneD&D" loyalist channel.

Evil Chad

I think the Poll and the responses from your FANS, are spot-on, and from the heart. We are here because of your way of delivering this content. Thank you PDM.

Adam Maag

I think your WOTC videos will always be a good source for increasing your viewer count. As you have said before a strong WOTC raises all ships. Find inspiration where you will. I will b a long for the ride. Best value of Patreon dollars I’ve seen.

Steven Roman

I'm curious if you're also offering this poll to people beyond patreon, people who only watch on youtube, and if so, how those numbers compare to these results. Addendum: (Also wondering how much insight you can offer on One D&D unless you intend to buy/read the books and engage with the online player space.)

MrGunn

PDM since none of us have seen the final D&D 6.0 product, I feel it is premature to take any specific stance. So far I see very little I like but I am taking a wait and see approach. Now while we are all waiting for WotC to ruin a good thing let’s talk about game design, crafting, and how to be an OSR player and GM.

Ode to Toad

Ultimately you have to do what you want, but I think you should avoid getting stuck in on One D&D. It isn't easy to transition back away from the more mainstream thing, but I do think commenting on it from time to time when you feel like it is still fine, but generally those videos I find the most boring out of anything. Just hearing you talk about your folk D&D gets me jazzed up to run and play games of my own.

Jay

Perhaps you could just keep doing what you like doing. If that means commenting on some aspects of One D&D then make a video regarding what you choose to address. If you want to experiment more with Home-Brew ideas then do that too. I don't see the need to draw a line in the sand. Ben has recently commented in a video regarding the legalese of making D&D compatible material and the need or lack there of for an OGL. I believe XP to Level 3 has also commented in a recent video about the OGL and following what he stated I have read the recent Unearthed Arcana for One D&D and really like some of the new prospective new rules such as combining spell lists into Divine, Arcane, & Primal. Therefore, will likely be making some homebrew rules "inspired" by their potential new rules from One D&D if they are sound. I just won't be playing the game by subscription or online. End of the day, this is your channel. It has always been your ideas mashing together with concepts from various people, subscribers, other creators, games, movies, and literature that have made your channel into a creative place for others to find inspiration for their own games. I wouldn't stress. This isn't really a binary choice between one or the other. In my opinion many but not all people voted for Homebrew, Independent, and OSR because of the freedom to tailor the game to what they and their players want. At least that was part of the reason I voted as such. Just what I think for what it's worth.

Daniel Gray Webb

You've always done OSR and homebrew stuff, why change now. If it works with one DnD great if not just keep the course.

Jack Byers

So I actually don't see what the panic here is about. Your channel focuses on issues like terrain, designing adventures, story design, world building, pacing combats, etc. None of that is really necessarily tied to the mechanical system of D&D. I haven't even played with the D&D rules in years and have found your channel helpful whether I'm running in a retroclone, or something else entirely like Traveller.

John

Honestly while your content does mention mechanics from time to time, the most useful things by far for me deal with design philosophy, ways of managing groups and campaigns and other non-nuts&bolts items; the things that can be taken and then applied regardless of specific game system. As another red box starter DM, I appreciate the more broad view content stuff from someone with a similar frame of reference more than real hardcore mechanics. I can figure the latter out on my own or using a few other channels that really focus on that. Like some other commenters, I am NOT going to get involved in microtransaction D&D. The very idea nauseates me. Regardless of what you decide, I expect this channel to remain an excellent source of inspiration.

David Nelson

Dan, just do you. That’s enough. Follow your intuition.

Matthew Crismali

My favorite content of yours is on homebrewing/hacking "the game", and your reviews of indie & OSR games. To me, this is what makes your voice stand out amongst the ocean of D&D YouTubers. I would hate to see the channel become just another YouTube channel covering WotC brand D&D.

Kevin Beck

Don't go Official unless they pay you a galactic bucket of cash to do it.

Telarr

I play 5e but I enjoy your channel for your views on how to improvise and not be bogged down by the rules. I think you strike a good balance with being familiar enough with 5e to comment meaningfully on it while showing your preference for an "old school" flavour. I hope you continue to do the same with 6e - stay in touch enough to know what's relevant. I think a lot of other OSR content creators feel it's enough to just say how terrilble 5e is (in their opinion) which is an easy way out. TLDR: I would hope your channel strikes a balance but you should talk about your passions which is clearly the "old school" .

Robert Conway

What I have enjoyed about your focus thus far is that you have showed us how it really always has been a single game. You can take D&D 5e and do what you want with it, just like you it's always been. I like that you worked outside of the arbitrarily defined boxes established by other content creators. I would encourage you to continue to do that, and treat One D&D edition as in beta. I think your patrons will subscribe to OSR, as is evident by the current vote predictions. But a lot of your random hits are likely to come from the content you make that is either D&D or D&D 5e. Please continue to release content about either, but wait until the communities officially divide to draw your line in the sand. As a player that grew up on games that were primarily not D&D, I have always felt D&D players already set themselves apart from people that played other TTRPGs. I enjoyed videos where you mashed together concepts from OSR & 5E, and showed how compatible it ultimately was. Regardless, your content is great, and I will continue to support you. I wouldn't exactly call myself super interested in OSR, but more the overall coverage you presented.

Callias

My two cents is that I really don’t know. I joined your Patreon and watch your channel for two things: 1) Your analyses of the industry overall and insight into business aspects of various publishers’ decisions; and 2) Your suggestions and advice on how to GM certain scenarios, how to set up campaign arcs, how to establish “no perfect answer” scenarios for your players. I love all that because it dovetails with my interests these days as a 55-year old gamer who got started with Chainmail and the White Box.

Joseph Blondino

I'm an OSR guy all the way so those are the videos I enjoy the most. That being said, you've mentioned that videos on 5e/One D&D get the most views and are crucial to growing the channel. So I say focus on OSR/Indie stuff since that's what you're known for but put in your 2 cents about mainstream stuff too when it comes up.

Kerstan Szczepanski

I like your approach to applying OSR and 5e each to the other.

ViggenCA

I've voted for OSR & home-brew. I enjoy your content because you provide insight, tips & tricks for playing/running games, and other subjects that could easily be used as system-neutral resources.

christopher watts

I like both but if push comes to shove, I like your OSR & Homebrew better.

Bill Griggs

Is it an either-or? I'm sure there will be a way to play the new D&D where I don't have to have a subscription, mostly because a lot of the new people coming into the hobby will come in through One D&D. Though I am mostly personally focused on (and plan to stay focused on) the OSR. I voted OSR and hope you lean that way. I will stick with you regardless.

Marc Rougier

We all need an official d&d to hack, streamline and experiment with.

Tuska

I say stick to the true spirit of what made the hobby great! This new direction just does not feel like D&D. I have tried to give it a chance but the new stuff they are doing sucks.

James Archer

While I don't dislike the 5e ruleset, it does need serious reworking to keep the same spirit of the older versions of the game. I also feel that modern 5e culture is fetid garbage. Fairy Godmother fantasy and Fluffy Mew Mew, Wienie Hut Jr types who don't stick with the game. I've always appreciated your homebrew take on the game. Deathbringer is awesome!! Thank you PDM.