For the last few days Dungeons and Dragons has live-streamed a show on Twitch to announce their newest book, The Descent. This is the third year they have done this, and each time it gets bigger and bigger.
The show opened on Friday, May 17th, with the D&D game Relics and Rarities with DM Debra Ann Woll. Then the Opening Ceremonies commenced with team Chris Perkins, Jeremy Crawford, and Kate Welch interviewed by Anna Prosser. They discussed the new book, The Descent, and what players could look forward to. They also detailed how this adventure was different than others and what unique challenges players would face.
What followed was two games set in the world of The Descent. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th held more goodness for fans of the tabletop RPG. Well-known players and creators for Dungeons and Dragons collaborated in multiple games that touched on aspects of The Descent. Streams and podcasts such as High Rollers and Girls, Guts, Glory took to the stage. Games featured some of the well-known cast of Critical Role to include Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, and Matthew Mercer. Actor Joe Manganiello also played in two games.
These games were interspersed with interviews regarding the new book and the NPC’s in it. While these were filmed ahead of time, the games were played live in front of an audience in Los Angeles, CA. The stream wasn’t without its issues. The power went off a couple of times and other times the stream went down entirely. There was also some audio issues with one of the stages used. Still, the show is young and growing rapidly, and some growing pains are to be expected.
The entire event ended with a large rock concert featuring multiple bands, including the famous Jason Charles Miller. Other bands included the Mountain Goats, the Magic Sword, and the Library Bards.
Overall, the Stream of Descent, or D&D Live 2019, was a great deal of fun. Players can continue to look forward to the surprises and fun next year’s stream will bring.
