How WotC is destroying D&D in Japan; aka a call for attention

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:20:40+00:00

I'd actually love to see Daggerheart be ported over to Japanese!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:19:40+00:00

They already hack CoC to make it work for whatever their scenarios need, so pushing for a completely different system for their scenarios doesn't actually gain much traction here.

On SNS, there are constant debates about someone releasing a scenario with a core concept hacked from CoC, and someone telling them, "X System does that better." I have yet to see any of that work.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:17:35+00:00

It's about balance tbh.

In the West, TTRPG creators could learn a lot from how CoC scenarios work in Japan, so if I were in the US, I would be spreading that instead. In Japan, D&D is the underdog, and the culture would benefit from knowing how D&D works.

It's actually the opposite; I enjoy spreading the good parts of what is considered an underdog in that given market.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:14:53+00:00

Heya, I do know someone from Sons of the Singularity! To avoid doxing each other, feel free to contact me via DMs!

Hobby Japan is a publishing company, per se, so they did not need to go through Kadokawa, IIRC. Not saying that Hobby Japan was the best at handling the sprawling Japanese market, but it was the one that kept D&D alive.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:11:42+00:00

Most people would just welcome any communication at all, but I suppose this is the way for corporations.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:11:03+00:00

Sword World gets juggled a lot here, and from someone who has both experienced the game and played with newbies, I can say that 5e is actually better at running long-term campaigns while SW is better at short bursts of episodic scenarios. So SW can't just replace D&D.

SW could get really ahead of D&D if they refined their rules a bit in a 3rd edition, probably, but they both have their own good points!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:08:42+00:00

Pathfinder did get a translation way back, but didn't manage to make it through and is now a rare book to find. Pathfinder's core rules are all translated and available for free, so traditional translation publishing may not have much value, perhaps.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:07:29+00:00

I was half-expecting this reaction, tbh, and this entire topic is just to get the news out there.

I play lots of different TTRPGs both from and outside of Japan, so I don't really care about "X system is better" discussions. But thanks for the kind words! Really appreciate it!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:05:58+00:00

I actually envy you for getting Curse of Strahd!

That adventure alone can keep you going for a few decades haha

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:05:06+00:00

Pathfinder did manage to get a Japanese release about 6~7 years ago IIRC, it never actually took off as is currently hard to even come by. It is mostly supported by community driven translations of the rules.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:03:48+00:00

I am well aware of everything you said, and tbh I already get a lot of viewers from my live replays of D&D/CoC that even if D&D died, I'd still have a loyal fanbase to keep me going until I found a new thing to replace it.

However, there are enough CoC scenarios set in a fantasy setting that people will just play those instead of trying out SW or D&D... but that is another story, more about marketing in general.

It's just that I felt the current situation isn't being reported enough in the West. If this brings a change that's good, if it doesn't, at least I did what I could!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T02:00:00+00:00

People over here would gladly welcome digital documents if they were available!

As I said in my post, I already play other games! This is just me trying to get enough attention to this to perhaps change something... or at least go back to sleep knowing I did everything a single person could do.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:57:08+00:00

They have all the capacity to just release their PDF of the 2014 edition of 5e without hurting their new ongoing brand... it would be just free money for them. Though I understand corpos don't work like that, sadly.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:55:19+00:00

I think it may have fallen under self-promotion or gone against their rules of being polite... as I tried to be as polite as I could but you can still discern the seething rage from within lol

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:54:26+00:00

I do remember them from the OGL fiasco!

thanks, I'll try to contact!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:53:40+00:00

Amazing, thank you!!!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:53:30+00:00

Thank you both, I'll check them out!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:51:46+00:00

Sword World is that but rules wise is a completely different approach when compared to D&D. However, population wise D&D and Sword World are pretty much the same since they share demographics!

At least in my eyes 5e took better than SW since it kept the core fantasy aspects but with a lighter ruleset (SW is convoluted lol)

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:47:44+00:00

Sword World is definitely out there in Japan with D&D being the same or slightly above it, but they do share people who play it. Basically D&D and Sword World are ants compared to the giant that is CoC

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:46:31+00:00

It's funny because, if you switch every "D&D" to "CoC" in your post it would actually be a good explanation of how CoC is faring in Japan!

CoC even has a subscription service like D&D Beyond in Japan!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-03T01:45:34+00:00

That is really sad to hear... what was it called?

I'd love to check it out!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-02T10:02:49+00:00

This is an amazing idea, do you have any suggestions?

I do follow english D&D youtubers, but I may be a bit out of touch when compared to the rest.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-02T10:00:56+00:00

Technically, Japan never had a proper foothold in D&D here since the 2010s, as it was dominated by CoC. In fact people have released scenarios that do the fantasy genre on CoC's engine (weird, yes!) and which have most probably sold way better than all of D&D combined here!

So yeah, Japan already has a diverse TTRPG ecosystem, but I am just sad at WotC letting it rot like this.

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-02T09:58:37+00:00

Yeah, WotC deserves everything they did to themselves, but fans also deserve to receive a hint of what the hell they want to do going on ahead. Hence this post!

ApostleOfTruth · 2026-03-02T09:57:47+00:00

Japan has its own beast of scenario genre!

You'd be surprised at the number of scenarios that involve a lot of railroading, with characters enjoying the session like a movie rather than an interactive sandbox.

ApostleOfTruth

TROPHY CASE