Master Class: How NOT to write an article (And my future with D&D)

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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:34 How NOT to write an article
6:20 My future with D&D

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[Datavore]

I want to say several things.

1) Thank you, so much, for being a consistently levelheaded voice in this discourse. Your perspective and opinions have been an anchor through the chaos. I really appreciate that.

2) Thank you for leaving your old videos up. I have used those videos, both for myself and for some friends, as a way to track the progression of this whole fiasco in a rational, levelheaded way. I'm sorry you feel embarrassed for trusting WotC, but to me, your reasoning then was sound. I really find it valuable to be able to go back and see the change in your perspective from the fireside chat to the leaks. It's much easier, to me, to show how justified the current fan outrage is given this background.

3) Please, do what you have to do to support yourself. Whether you stick with 5e, go to One D&D, go to Pathfinder 2e, or anything else in the TTRPG space, I support you. I've been reading Treantmonk guides since 3.5 and they've been consistently well thought out and useful for all this time. Whatever happens with the systems and the politics, I trust you to continue to do good work, and I'll be watching.

4) If you do decide to go to a new system, I would be interested in the process you go through to learn about it. I'm totally new to Pathfinder 2 also, and I'd enjoy learning along with you. I understand if that's not the kind of content you want to produce though.

TLDR: thank you for your work, and I'll follow along whatever the future holds, even if there's some transition we all have to endure.

[coffeetoaster]

Honestly a side series about the basics of another system you find your self liking would be great. Even if I don't end up moving my group to it I always find interesting things to steal from other systems.

Learning a new system is daunting, so having someone else making content about their process of going through the basics would be at the top of my watch list.

[paytonmiller]

I love that you read and analyze their article with the same attention to detail that you do for class features. Really utilizing the optimization brain 😂👍

[eXyliad]

You are a paragon if integrity for acknowledging the first video you made where you "were deceived" and not deleting it, but addressing it here, with a clear and concise description of your feelings. I applaud you and respect you more than ever. Thank you.

[MarthMarthy]

As someone that has enjoyed your guides since Pathfinder 1e, I would not particularly care that you would be new to 2e for your videos. In fact, seeing how you would model and test assumptions would be intriguing and interesting. There are so very few optimizers in the 2e space right now, there is plenty of room for you to discover and normalize even more build paradigms.

[Porphyrogenitus]

What was left unsaid is probably the most telling - they did not say the old OGL was going to be treated as irrevocable. They did not say the new 2.0 version would not include language that allowed them to alter it further in the future for any reason or none. They gave no 3PP any guarantees - which leaves the sword-of-Damocles of uncertainty hanging over the heads of every 3PP, making them unlikely to have any confidence whatsoever going forward. These are the things that have everyone...concerned. I'll just say concerned.

No one is going to do anything when they can be rugged at any time.

[davidecolucci]

I applaud you for keeping that old video up. Too many people prefer to hide their mistakes, even when done honestly.

[SpikeRosered]

You could make your journey into exploring other systems part of your content. Personally I'd enjoy that. Could experiment and see how they do. Feels like the iron on PF2 is hot right now, but I don't know that for a fact.

At the very least seeing "pure DnD" creators making some content of other systems could be your version of protest if anyone at WotC is keeping score. (and based on how the last content stream addressed most of your issues with OneDnD maybe they are)

[Chris_the_Nerd]

I totally understand the difficult position you're in and why you can't be onboard with #DNDBegone and the like. I think that as long as you're out here telling folks how you feel about these rotten moves by WOTC, that's still doing a service to the community while also protecting your ability to still create content and take care of your family. Anyone who could fault you for that isn't as principled as they think.

[Leydenification]

I understand your hesitation. Many of those who complain you are taking the easy way out have only ever had to worry about themselves. Harder to be rash/fired up when there are others counting on you. Easy for those who stand not to lose much to take the moral high ground.

Instead I can lift you up - I’ll cancel my subscription in your honor.

Good luck Chris - hopefully in a year this will all be sorted and WotC will be done putting their creators in this impossible situation.

[ardenthtv]

I would like to say that you currently have a unique position to create content on the process of learning a new system and how you approach optimisation. I personally found your monk attempt video extremely good and insightful even though the process wasn't the smoothest. You can articulate your points and beliefs very well, and seeing the hypothesis within a new system sometimes going wrong for system specific reasons could help other players also learn the unique aspects in new systems.

I've always enjoyed your content mostly for the process of optimisation and the theory you have behind it, not necessarily for it to have the best outcome possible. I think this could translate well with authentic learning of another system in some ways?

[shanebernier]

As per usual Chris, your arguments are sound and reasoned. If I were to give any feedback, it would be that now more than ever is the time to try PF2. You have a large portion of your D&D audience looking to it as an alternative system, and while your optimization for it may not be something useful yet, it that is not the only content people would be willing to watch (for now). At the very least it would help to diversify your income so that, if D&D content becomes financially unviable as some fear it will due to a shrinking and fracturing audience, you aren't completely out in the cold.

[jherron]

I never comment on youtube videos. The situation is awful, and i really feel for the content creators that have been put in this situation. I think you have a very unique voice in the TTRPG space. While i am likely moving on from 5e, i still find the optimization interesting and plan to continue supporting your work. I also support you branching out into other areas- i really liked your video on being a youtuber.

[ZoroarkChampion]

Something you should consider is that you are a minor, but very established and respected voice within the community. If you decide to make content for another system (maybe multiple systems?) I suspect a sizeable portion of your audience will follow you. Especially if other creators and the community at large go the same direction as you. I, for one, respect your opinions on TTRPG's more than I do most others, and I'm sure I'm not alone there.

[gilbertbarnett]

I have a great deal of sympathy for the situation that you are in. I understand the logical steps that you've presented and I even agree with some of them. I would like to offer a few things to the conversation and perhaps some of them will be useful.

About a decade ago, a friend lost three fingers on his right hand in an accident. A change that would affect any of our lives, but he was a pianist.

These last two weeks have been really hard for so many in the community. I think we naturally want to like the people and companies who create the things that we love. We'd hope that they'd love these things and the communities around them as much as we do. Sadly, we are sometimes let down. Our relationship to D&D will change and each of us will come to terms with that in our own ways and in our own time. I'm not certain if it is possible for creators - someone such as yourself - to continue without changes because at the very least, your audience is going to go through change, even if your content doesn't.

I am quite new to TTRPGs, D&D and your channel. I have been watching your content for about a year. I have never used one of your builds. Not because I doubt they are good, but because I haven't been a player in a game yet and as a DM of new players, we haven't used multi classing. I enjoy your channel and your content because I like you and your personality and the all of those intangibles that are hard to quantify. I would never suggest that I represent a significant part of your audience, but I do think that perhaps you are under valuing your personal qualities that you give to your content and therefore to your audience. It is possible that some of your content might need to go in a different direction as everything finds a new equilibrium. Your personal journey won't be insignificant to us as we are making such changes too and we like you and will be routing for you.

Like my friend, each of us will adapt and learn to make and love our own music again.

[braddalrymple]

I love how listening to that shortened version that you had was actually exactly what I would have wanted to hear and I can't believe you didn't have to edit it just delete a lot of the bad fluff.

It's amazing what a few words can do that a lot fail

[Creslin]

Hi Treantmonk, I just wanted to say that you may have more value to offer in terms of PF2e content than you may initially think. You’re right that you aren’t going to be able to provide the top tier level optimization content for PF2e that you do for 5e, at least not for a while.

But what you can offer right now is a very unique perspective and commentary on the PF2e system as it compares to 5e. And I mean this just as someone learning the system.

I think that you’re one of the most respected voices when it comes to really understanding all of the intricacies of the 5e system, and I feel like people who are interested in PF2e will take your opinion in very high regard.

I know that I wound up subscribing to the Rules Lawyer’s patreon just because I wanted to hear what you thought of PF2e.

There are a lot of 5e players looking at other systems now. And I feel like this is a unique opportunity for someone of your reputation.

Not that I’m saying to stop making 5e stuff, im just pointing out where I think you offer value for PF2e content.

[Slyguy]

Kudos to you for explaining your principles, and all the best in these tumultuous and difficult times. You've no doubt helped many people enjoy D&D 5E and your videos will continue to help people enjoy it.

[MostlyAverage]

Hi Treantmonk, just wanted to let you know you are my favourite D&D content creator.

[Swedish_Viking]

I think like this. Your way of optimization is something I like. Even if I would quit buying d&d books. I would still follow and watch your channel. I would simply use it as inspiration for characters or NPC's in another system