Ryan S. Dancey

OGL Architect

Ryan Dancey was the VP of Wizards of the Coast and Brand Manager for Dungeons & Dragons. He was also the primary architect of the Open Gaming License. This column is part of the D&D/RPG History series.

WotC, DDI, 4E, and Hasbro: Some History

Jan 05

After Vince Calouri was pushed out of Wizards of the Coast he was replaced by Chuck Heubner. Chuck basically had to manage Wizards on the downslope from the Pokemon salad days. Hasbro has been...

4 Hours w/ RSD - Escapist Bonus Column

Dec 29

As many of you know, the Escapist has recently run a 3-part series on the past, current and future of Dungeons & Dragons. The ENWorld coverage begins here. I contributed some insights to that...

4 Hours w/RSD: Run Away!

Dec 12

“The party is currently split ... in two different dimensions. Mei Ling is "mostly dead" and being dragged like a meat balloon through zero gravity tunnels by Marteen and Bog. Temper is very badly...

4 Hours w/RSD: Undermountain Update

Oct 18

Undermountain Update Since my last column we have played 4 sessions of Undermountain and I am happy to give folks an update. If you’re unfamiliar with the Undermountain concept you can read more...

4 Hours w/RSD - Introducing Undermountain (Ryan Dancey)

Aug 24

The past six columns I’ve been laying the groundwork to talk about my own personal home game and why I think it will be interesting to the people reading this column. I haven’t played in a...

4 hours w/ RSD: Get Some Feedback

Jul 03

The bulk of this month’s column is going to talk about development choices and marketing for tabletop RPGs. There is an important part that relates to our objective of getting more fun out of the...

4 Hours w/ RSD - Let's Have a Flamewar!

May 16

Lets Have a Flamewar! I have, from time to time, been accused of making comments designed to inflame passions and ignite debate. That may be true to some degree, but when it comes to the art of...

4 Hours w/ RSD - Take Note

Apr 18

Notes for Every GM and Player A Call to Action for GMs! I have a couple of old 1st edition modules covered in badly obfuscated handwritten notes from my earliest days of playing. I can remember...

4 Hours w/ RSD: Realtime

Mar 15

Realtime and the Game When we were working on 3rd Edition, one of the questions that we thought a lot about was “how long do you play the game in one sitting”. Most of us remember marathon...

4 Hours w/ RSD: Who Am I?

Jan 18

Who Am I & How Did I Get Here? Greetings! It’s been a while since I’ve been an active member of the ENWorld community or actively involved with publishing tabletop RPGs so I may need to make a...

4 Hours w/RSD: Who Is Sitting At Your Table

Jan 15

Who Is Sitting At Your Table? This might seem like a simple question to answer. Usually, you play with a group of friends whom you’ve come to know quite well. Even if you find yourself in a...

Ryan Dancey on the Goals of the Open Gaming License

Nov 23

The purpose of the OGL was to act as a force for change. In that sense I think it is an unquaified success. It changed the relationship of fans to publishers - any person with an idea could...

Submitted for Your Consideration: Changes to ORIGINS Awards

Jul 02

The following is a proposal I intend to submit to GAMA and the Academy for review. Following the widespread dissatisfaction with this year's ORIGINS Award process, I believe rapid, significant change is necessary to rebuild the stature and interest in the Awards that is required to make them meaningful and relevant.

Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR

Mar 16

In the winter of 1997, I traveled to Lake Geneva Wisconsin on a secret mission. In the late fall, rumors of TSR's impending bankruptcy had created an opportunity to made a bold gamble that the business could be saved by an infusion of capital or an acquisition with a larger partner.