D&D General If you were made president of D&D, what would you do?

[Frozen_Heart]

They are talking about using Dark Sun to reinvigorate the edition

Oh yeah, I totally agree that Dark Sun isn't any 'edition saver'. Ultimately it's just another mid level popularity setting.

The only setting which I could possibly see being something to completely reinvigorate an entire edition, or even launch a new edition off, would be a brand new setting designed from the ground up to be DnD's future 'default setting'.

 

[payn]

Oh yeah, I totally agree that Dark Sun isn't any 'edition saver'. Ultimately it's just another mid level popularity setting.

The only setting which I could possibly see being something to completely reinvigorate an entire edition, or even launch a new edition off, would be a brand new setting designed from the ground up to be DnD's future 'default setting'.

Honestly, that would just add to the divisive pile of settings that already split the market in too many ways.

 

[Reynard]

Honestly, that would just add to the divisive pile of settings that already split the market in too many ways.

It isn't 1993 anymore. I don't see evidence for what you are suggesting here.

 

[Steampunkette]

Some odd ideas, but this is not possible in reality or hypothetical.

Reality, Roll20/DTRPG is not required by law to do what the owner of D&D says, "just because".

Hypothetically, Roll20/DTRPG does not even have the equipment to do this with.

I get what most of your ideas are going for, but some stretch things a bit out there like this one. I think the number of places that can make these books is very limited, so YOU as the D&D Pres, would just have to get a contract with a publisher that can make low run copies of the books like this. Still, you would not get anything from DMG, unless you buyout the author, doubley increasing your expenses making profit in 3 years harder to reach.

Releasing Braille Editions is not the same as requiring other companies to print-on-demand Braille Editions.

WotC doesn't own or control DTRPG or their printers. And I'd mostly be impressed if someone could make a functional Braille PDF for Roll20 rather than expecting it to be done...

 

[payn]

It isn't 1993 anymore. I don't see evidence for what you are suggesting here.

What is your contrary evidence?

 

[Shardstone]

I'd release a new B/X and a new 4E alongside One D&D and conquer the market.

 

[FrogReaver]

As president -

I’d scrap the 3d vtt and just make an amazing 2d one - can’t keep throwing money at an idea that I don’t see any more than niche value in. If it had more than niche customer value then someone would have explained what will make it soo awesome to me by now.

I’ll have to think on the rest.

 

[DammitVictor]

For the sake of this thought experiment, I'm going to assume that the job is "an offer I can't refuse", since I wouldn't take it otherwise; I would rather see the job done well on purpose than hope I might stumble blindly into getting it right myself.

First announce a self-deprecating mea culpa about more-or-less missing the 50th Anniversary before announcing my plan:

• The formation of the D&D Legacy Teams.
  • One Rules Team each for Original/Classic D&D rules, Advanced D&D rules (1e/2e), 3.PF1 rules, 4e rules, and 5.1 rules. (But they shall be deceived, for another team was formed, a Marketing Team that gives these projects better names.) Each of these rulesets will get a major upcoming Milestone Anniversary release with a deluxe collector's edition (limited edition, one time only), an evergreen/POD standard edition, and the release of a "full" SRD into OGL/ORC/CC-BY.
    • I can go into details about these "definitive editions"; I have ideas. These would be "core only" releases, but there will be free conversion documents for "original edition" supplements to the definitive versions packaged with PDFs/reprints of those supplements.
  • One Settings Team each for the Realms (includingZakhara, Maztica, Kara-Tur), Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Mystara, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, Planescape, Eberron, and MTG settings. I can be persuaded to include other TSR/WotC settings, but I would need to be persuaded. Their job is to work with the Rules Teams to produce a separate Player's Guide and a Campaign Guide (and precious little else) for their respective settings that is compatible with each Definitive Edition, staggered over a couple of years of each big anniversary launch. (Priority goes to the editions the setting originally existed in.)
    • Should go without saying, but nothing from the settings teams is Open; that's what DM's Guild is for.
• The opening of DM's Guild to any/every combination of edition and previous setting; these will comprise the vast majority of support for these rulesets and settings, except for an annual DM's Guild contest (cash prize, byline) for best rules expansions to be included in a rules supplement and setting content to be included in a multi-edition gazetteer for each setting. The real prize, of course, is having your job application contest submission judged by the "official team" that you're writing unofficial content for.
• Wizards of the Coast wants to be a lifestyle brand? Acquire manufacturers of quality novelty clothing and accessories and launch official D&D brand merchandise-- t-shirts, hoodies, and hats, bookbags and dice bags. License "official D&D" tablet/phone cases, official D&D three-ring organizers and binders, all of that.
• For years, TSR made more money off of their tie-in novels than they did their games. How much money did Baldur's Gate 3 put in their pockets? Build stable, long-term relationships with fantasy writers, digital games developers, novel and comics publishers and have other companies keep WotC's intellectual property on as many screens as possible.

I mean, hell, this is the same plan I've been suggesting since Hasbro declared war on their own feet in the first place.

Of course... part of this thought experiment is also self-indulgence. There are some things I want Wizards of the Coast to do that... they're not bad ideas, but they're just not vital parts of my plans for a sustainable D&D brand. I'm sure I can think of a few more, but here's off the top of my head:

• The 3.PF1 rules team is also responsible for putting d20 Modern/d20 Future back into print (and keeping it there) and coordinating modern/future one-offs for some of the D&D settings.
• An Alternity rules team. Hire Slavicsek and Baker back if possible, buy out Sasquatch. The "definitive" Alternity would be just be a tweaked Alternity 1.0, mostly the inclusion of the A-net house rules.
• Star Frontiers and Gamma World would both get at least settings teams to coordinate d20M and Alternity products. I don't have strong feelings about original SF or GW rules, but I'm open to giving them "the full treament". Likewise, Dark•Matter and Star•Drive would have settings teams.
• There are some licenses I'd really love to see TSR/WotC working on (again or for the first time) but my plans for building a sustainable RPG company are pretty much never going to involve other people's IP. Buck Rogers, Jupiter Hell, Phantasy Star, Starcraft... honestly, D&D isn't my first pick for Star Wars, but I'd love to see the Saga Edition rules genericized.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i don't know anything about marketing or company whatevers but

get the design team on:
-warlord class
-swordmage class
-psion class
with subsystems for:
-better exploration pillar mechanics
-mechanics for nuanced basic combat actions (stances, techniques, maneuvres)
-achieving 'supernatural effects' with skill checks (preternatural skill was it called in previous editions? like a rogue ballancing on a cloud) (and more experise for martials to play into that for them)
-weapons and armour gear crafted from alternate materials with alternate properties from those

 

[payn]

On the VTT topic...