With pre-orders for the three new Dungeons & Dragons core books now live, Wizards of the Coast was kind enough to give me an early look at what you can expect from each. But while it's clear that a lot of work and passion has gone into these reimagined releases, I'm concerned that so much of what I'm shown feels stuck in tabletop gaming's past, rather than the foundation for a new future for D&D.
To be clear, I haven't read the full books yet—WOTC's presentation only offered a top-level view of what's to be found within, with key examples. But the parts the designers were keen to highlight felt, to me, hugely revealing of what they see as important, and though I did like some of what I saw, Wizards of the Coast doesn't seem to be addressing any of the game's core problems, or ensuring its game feels modern and relevant through these partial updates.
