D&D General Dan Rawson Named New Head Of D&D

Hasbro has announced a former Microsoft digital commerce is the new senior vice president in charge of Dungeons & Dragons. Dan Rawson was the COO of Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Hasbro also hired Cynthia Williams earlier this year; she too, came from Microsoft. Of Rawson, she said "We couldn’t be bringing on Dan at a better time. With the acquisition of D&D Beyond earlier this year, the digital capabilities and opportunities for Dungeons & Dragons are accelerating faster than ever. I am excited to partner with Dan to explore the global potential of the brand while maintaining Hasbro’s core value as a player-first company.”

Rawson himself says that "Leading D&D is the realization of a childhood dream. I’m excited to work with Cynthia once again, and I’m thrilled to work with a talented team to expand the global reach of D&D, a game I grew up with and now play with my own kids.”

Interestingly, Ray Wininger -- who has been running D&D for the last couple of years -- has removed mention of WotC and Hasbro from his Twitter bio.

 

[Cadence]

"I'm so excited to play for the first time, I got a great deal on a used PHB from this edition. ... Why does everyone sell the used PHBs for this edition so cheap? Anyway, I made my half-elf ranger using my book for this edition and then went to enter it online like you said ... and nothing matches!?!? Was my PHB labeled wrong?"


But seriously, if they have a free download of all of the errata to make the first printing work (like they do with new printings) and the average player would have little trouble using an OG book with the errata file, then I buy it's just the same edition. If not, then it seems to fail any reasonable definition of same edition to me.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

That is not why 4e failed though.

And it had nothing to do with a computer game on top. Was just slander by people who barely read the PHB one time... or less...

 

[TheSword]

Wow, I’m of just about the opposite opinion. I’ve loved the direction the last few years.

That’s good. I’m not sure Product line heads go quietly into the good night when all things are rosy though.

Or more likely, the products just aren’t aimed at me and I find my itch scratched by 3pp.

 

[Cadence]

That’s good. I’m not sure Product line heads go quietly into the good night when all things are rosy though.

Family emergencies, health problems, personality clashes, desire to relocate, not liking the stress of the job, ready for a change, busted for breaking a corporate policy or law,... all feel like things too.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Family emergencies, health problems, personality clashes, desire to relocate, not liking the stress of the job, ready for a change, busted for breaking a corporate policy or law,... all feel like things too.

I'll add a job that pays more

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

That’s good. I’m not sure Product line heads go quietly into the good night when all things are rosy though.

Not sure what that has to do with anything, but ok!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

"I'm so excited to play for the first time, I got a great deal on a used PHB from this edition. ... Why does everyone sell the used PHBs for this edition so cheap? Anyway, I made my half-elf ranger using my book for this edition and then went to enter it online like you said ... and nothing matches!?!? Was my PHB labeled wrong?"


But seriously, if they have a free download of all of the errata to make the first printing work (like they do with new printings) and the average player would have little trouble using an OG book with the errata file then I buy it's just the same edition. If not, then it seems to fail any reasonable definition of same edition to me.

even then, if your 'errata' is to change multi class features including what levels you get subclass, and the base way conditions work, and some spells (inlcuding your spells known class becomeing spell prep from a list) you end up with "this book is useless"

I can make a 3.0 ranger go to a 3.5 game and try to update him... but it would take about the same amount of time to just make a new character. In that way I could take my 2e Wizard/theif to a 4e table and just 'update' him by making a new character.

 

[gorice]

Note that 2022 is not 2008. Vtt producer/consumer ecosystem has been steadily growing. And with everything becoming a service, it's easy to imagine DnD going that way.

I wonder how third parties will interact with D&D-as-a-service, if and when it gets to that point. Seems like 3pp might be getting cut out of the action to some extent.

'One D&D' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, either. People using the OGL generally use '5th edition' as a euphemism for D&D; how do you indicate compatibility with a game that no longer has edition numbers?

 

[Morrus]

'One D&D' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, either. People using the OGL generally use '5th edition' as a euphemism for D&D; how do you indicate compatibility with a game that no longer has edition numbers?

A common term will emerge. It always does!

 

[Parmandur]

"I'm so excited to play for the first time, I got a great deal on a used PHB from this edition. ... Why does everyone sell the used PHBs for this edition so cheap? Anyway, I made my half-elf ranger using my book for this edition and then went to enter it online like you said ... and nothing matches!?!? Was my PHB labeled wrong?"


But seriously, if they have a free download of all of the errata to make the first printing work (like they do with new printings) and the average player would have little trouble using an OG book with the errata file then I buy it's just the same edition. If not, then it seems to fail any reasonable definition of same edition to me.

By any reasonable definition of edition, 5E is way more than the fifth edition of the game. TSR and WotC have always pulled shenanigans with the terminology, whi h is why theybare avoiding it now. They poisoned the well.