D&D General If I had the D&D/WotC Worldbuider job, I would... (+ thread)

[beta-ray]

First seven things I’d do.

1. Bring back Dark Sun.

2. Bring back Mystara.

3. Bring back Nentir Vale.

4. Hire Latin American writers and artists to create a new, better, and standalone version of Maztica.

5. Hire Middle Eastern and North African writers and artists to create a new, better, and standalone version of Al-Qadim.

6. Hire Indian writers and artists to create a new Indian myth- and history-inspired setting for D&D.

7. Hire Japanese anime and manga writers and artists to create a new anime- and manga-inspired Japanese fantasy setting for D&D.

Would you incorporate the settings introduced in The Radiant Citadel or leave those be?

 

[Spectral Anomaly]

Instead of focusing on brand new settings, I'd want to start by fleshing out existing ones. Hire people of east Asian and Middle Eastern descent to work on Kara-Tur and al-Quadim, bring on Jeff Grubb to help flesh out Spelljammer, and bring in some sincere Dark Sun fans to make a faithful version of the setting that avoids some of the more problematic elements of the past.

I'm really not sure "hire a whole bunch of people to do the job that I was specifically hired to do" is the best approach here.

 

[Queer Venger]

If it hasn't been mentioned, Id re-hire Jeff Grubb to revamp Spelljammer and make it even more awesome.
Id also re-hire Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to do a full Deaths gate cycle campaign setting (box set and books).

 

[Endie]

First seven things I’d do.

1. Bring back Dark Sun.

2. Bring back Mystara.

3. Bring back Nentir Vale.

4. Hire Latin American writers and artists to create a new, better, and standalone version of Maztica.

5. Hire Middle Eastern and North African writers and artists to create a new, better, and standalone version of Al-Qadim.

6. Hire Indian writers and artists to create a new Indian myth- and history-inspired setting for D&D.

7. Hire Japanese anime and manga writers and artists to create a new anime- and manga-inspired Japanese fantasy setting for D&D.

There’s a pretty decent chance that items 1, 2, 3 and 7 would make sufficient cash as to subsidise the indie-niche sales of the terribly worthy others and have the entire line not get the CPO fired. Your seventh item is weird though, as you might as well have a Japanese person say “a setting inspired by Western graphic novels and animated movies.”

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would look at the most popular types of fantasy fiction today and look at whether existing settings can work for them without major surgery.

If not, I would create a one-off, maybe inside an anthology book similar to Radiant Citadel, and introduce, say, a cozy fantasy mini-setting or a Ghibli-inspired setting. If the response is good, I'd work up a setting book that still incorporates everything in the PHB.

Every setting, whether existing, revived or new, would have a justification in the present marketplace other than nostalgia, given that Gen Z and Gen Alpha players will often not have any for obscure settings (and those that do can already find the old stuff on DMs Guild).

 

[overgeeked]

Would you incorporate the settings introduced in The Radiant Citadel or leave those be?

Those were fairly small so they'd be easy enough to incorporate. Maybe put them in a slightly out-of-the-way area of the full settings so people who didn't like them could ignore them. I honestly didn't even think about those until you asked. I remember liking those, so approaching those authors first would be a good idea. They clearly can do the work.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Those were fairly small so they'd be easy enough to incorporate. Maybe put them in a slightly out-of-the-way area of the full settings so people who didn't like them could ignore them. I honestly didn't even think about those until you asked. I remember liking those, so approaching those authors first would be a good idea. They clearly can do the work.

San Citlan, in particular, feels like it's ready for the big time. But even it is just one nation (and may share a continent with another setting from that book). It could definitely be incorporated into some wider setting book that put all the pieces together.

 

[beta-ray]

If it hasn't been mentioned, Id re-hire Jeff Grubb to revamp Spelljammer and make it even more awesome.
Id also re-hire Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to do a full Deaths gate cycle campaign setting (box set and books).

I would have expected a big push for Venger in everything from you!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Expand the Forgotten Realms past the Sword Coast. I miss the larger world.

That is confirmed to be happening this year.

For new settings I'd take Arborea and turn it into it's own setting instead of being an under used chunk of other settings like Planescape & FR. Then I'd do that with other Outer Planes and do a City of Brass/Inner Planes setting book too. Not completely new, but new to being it's own setting.

Brand new settings I'd probably do one with more adult sexier themes, and one dedicated kids friendly/starter setting.

 

[beta-ray]

Do you think Hasbro/Wizards would want to push for something like Magic the Gathering worlds integration or has that ship sailed?