Mercurius
Legend
PREAMBLE
Mike Mearls' most recent Legends and Lore and the arrival of Wrath of Ashardalon in the mail, plus various other online conversations and ideas bouncing around in my cranium, got me thinking about a possible future for D&D. On one hand it is hard to imagine yet another edition cycle starting up in the next few years, with the same old round of the same supplements (I swear to Ra, I will never buy another copy of the Draconomicon again...well, unless it is really cool!).
On the other hand, the D&D community is more fractured than it has ever been, with Pathfinder vying for the top spot in the RPG marketplace, and as many as half (or more) active D&D players playing something other than the current version of the classic game. Even many fans of 4E (such as myself) feel that it has major flaws and would welcome a new edition, even sooner than later. To put it another way, something has to change; what exactly, well, maybe WotC doesn't even have a plan and is trying to figure it out.
PART ONE: TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A WOOD...
I would guess that we're going to see one of two paths going forward:
Personally speaking I would love to see the latter scenario play out, but I'm not sure it will happen. What I do see as already happening is that D&D is differentiating into three distinct, but related, areas of production: the tabletop RPG, D&D Insider, and board games etc (including possible card games, miniature games, and other stuff). I think we're going to see that trend continue, although a key might be finding ways to make them interchangeable, so that one could utilize any of the three domains, even with the same character and campaign.
Which got me thinking...
PART TWO: A PITCH FOR WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Imagine a board game box set that was essentially a random dungeon generator - it followed 4E rules (perhaps slightly simplified), but it had tons of interlocking dungeon tiles (ala Ashardalon), monsters, cards, etc, and one or more individuals could play through it, with many hours of possible game play and expansion packs for more tiles and monsters. It could even have an overarching theme like Undermountain or Castle Greyhawk, so there could still be fluff description cards to liven it up a bit. While it could be played as a random dungeoncrawl, there might be optional quest objectives - like find the stolen necklace of Baroness Thecla or slay the lich Xariot and steal his magical jewel, etc. But it would essentially be an exploration-based dungeon-crawl, no more or less - hours and hours of hack-and-slash, killing things and taking their stuff, with random things thrown in like fluff description cards that bring the dungeon alive.
To put it another way, anyone who grew up on AD&D probably tried their hand at solo play using the random dungeon generator in the back of the original Dungeon Master's Guide. Imagine that, but with visual props, fluff description cards, possible quests, and the option to play with friends.
I know this isn't that different than Castle Ravenloft or Ashardalon on face value, but it would be quite different in two ways: It would be focused on random dungeon generation so there would essentially be infinite possible game play, especially with expansion packs (e.g. "The Middle Levels", the "Lower Levels", "Further Quests," etc). Secondly, it would follow D&D rules so there would be levels and a sense of advancement; this would also allow for compatibility with "normal" D&D (is that an oxymoron?).
WotC could come out with one of these mega-box sets maybe two or three times a year, then a series of maybe three expansions for each box that would effectively serve as higher level challenges. Box themes could include: Undermountain, Castle Greyhawk, the Underdark, the Abyss, some kind of haunted forest, a ruined city, etc. The possibilities are endless. WotC could charge maybe $60 for the core box, then about $30 for an expansion set; this would mean that a box set and its three expansions would cost a total of $150 (or approximately $100 on Amazon). They could also come out with versions of some iconic adventures, like Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain, etc.
PART THREE: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The above series of box sets could be considered the new Basic D&D, with the traditional tabletop game being Advanced D&D, with all the usual books and the extraneous mass of flesh called the Dungeon Master. The key here would be modularity and flexibility: the Basic and Advanced games would be interchangeable; AD&D could use the tiles and minis but it wouldn't be reliant upon them; let's say the regular DM is burnt out and wants to just play, out comes a box.
So in this hypothetical new "5E" Dungeons & Dragons game, you have a few different layers, or tiers:
Basic Dungeons & Dragons - box sets with random dungeon generation, props, quests, etc, utilizing a simplified "basic" version of D&D.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - the classic tabletop game with the iconic Big Three books, the DMG, PHB, and MM, plus theme and campaign setting books and mega-adventure box sets.
D&D Insider - tools and expansion rules such as feats, items, etc.
An individual player could utilize one, two, or all three of the above, and still play with others that do things slightly differently. There might be many casual players that only play the box sets but that could easily move into "AD&D" if they wanted to because the two would be completely compatible. DDI would be optional but would also include many rules options that weren't available in books, giving people incentives to subscribe. It would also have different tiers of subscription with the more you pay, the more you get (e.g. a "Copper" subscription would allow access to just the Character Builder and maybe Dragon and cost just $5 a month, whereas a Silver subscription would give DM tools like Monster Builder, Dungeon magazine, and cost $10 a month, and a Gold subscription would give access to advanced tools and cost $15 a month; finally there could be a Platinum subscription that included quarterly print editions or compilations of Dragon and Dungeon...).
So what do you think?
Mike Mearls' most recent Legends and Lore and the arrival of Wrath of Ashardalon in the mail, plus various other online conversations and ideas bouncing around in my cranium, got me thinking about a possible future for D&D. On one hand it is hard to imagine yet another edition cycle starting up in the next few years, with the same old round of the same supplements (I swear to Ra, I will never buy another copy of the Draconomicon again...well, unless it is really cool!).
On the other hand, the D&D community is more fractured than it has ever been, with Pathfinder vying for the top spot in the RPG marketplace, and as many as half (or more) active D&D players playing something other than the current version of the classic game. Even many fans of 4E (such as myself) feel that it has major flaws and would welcome a new edition, even sooner than later. To put it another way, something has to change; what exactly, well, maybe WotC doesn't even have a plan and is trying to figure it out.
PART ONE: TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A WOOD...
I would guess that we're going to see one of two paths going forward:
- WotC reduces their D&D design team, or re-allocates it to focus on board games and other non-RPG D&D products (this seems to have already happened). They focus on D&D Insider and board games with only a trickle of D&D print products coming out over the next few years. The D&D game itself gradually evolves through DDI; WotC subtly and gradually gathers information, patiently crafting 5E to arrive in print form sometime around or after 2015, if at all.
- We are in the calm before the storm. The above scenario is occuring, but we're going to see a Gen Con announcement for 5E as soon as 2011, probably more likely 2012, with core books to be out either in Spring of 2012 or 2013. They will market it as the "D&D edition to end all edition (wars)!" It will (be an attempt to) combine the best of Old School, 3.x, and 4E, with a flexible system that can be used without miniatures, with online tools or not, rules lite, medium, or complex. They will likely take a different tactic towards the splat treadmill and better utilize DDI to include new feats and such, with printed material focusing more on box sets, mega adventures, theme and campaign books.
Personally speaking I would love to see the latter scenario play out, but I'm not sure it will happen. What I do see as already happening is that D&D is differentiating into three distinct, but related, areas of production: the tabletop RPG, D&D Insider, and board games etc (including possible card games, miniature games, and other stuff). I think we're going to see that trend continue, although a key might be finding ways to make them interchangeable, so that one could utilize any of the three domains, even with the same character and campaign.
Which got me thinking...
PART TWO: A PITCH FOR WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Imagine a board game box set that was essentially a random dungeon generator - it followed 4E rules (perhaps slightly simplified), but it had tons of interlocking dungeon tiles (ala Ashardalon), monsters, cards, etc, and one or more individuals could play through it, with many hours of possible game play and expansion packs for more tiles and monsters. It could even have an overarching theme like Undermountain or Castle Greyhawk, so there could still be fluff description cards to liven it up a bit. While it could be played as a random dungeoncrawl, there might be optional quest objectives - like find the stolen necklace of Baroness Thecla or slay the lich Xariot and steal his magical jewel, etc. But it would essentially be an exploration-based dungeon-crawl, no more or less - hours and hours of hack-and-slash, killing things and taking their stuff, with random things thrown in like fluff description cards that bring the dungeon alive.
To put it another way, anyone who grew up on AD&D probably tried their hand at solo play using the random dungeon generator in the back of the original Dungeon Master's Guide. Imagine that, but with visual props, fluff description cards, possible quests, and the option to play with friends.
I know this isn't that different than Castle Ravenloft or Ashardalon on face value, but it would be quite different in two ways: It would be focused on random dungeon generation so there would essentially be infinite possible game play, especially with expansion packs (e.g. "The Middle Levels", the "Lower Levels", "Further Quests," etc). Secondly, it would follow D&D rules so there would be levels and a sense of advancement; this would also allow for compatibility with "normal" D&D (is that an oxymoron?).
WotC could come out with one of these mega-box sets maybe two or three times a year, then a series of maybe three expansions for each box that would effectively serve as higher level challenges. Box themes could include: Undermountain, Castle Greyhawk, the Underdark, the Abyss, some kind of haunted forest, a ruined city, etc. The possibilities are endless. WotC could charge maybe $60 for the core box, then about $30 for an expansion set; this would mean that a box set and its three expansions would cost a total of $150 (or approximately $100 on Amazon). They could also come out with versions of some iconic adventures, like Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain, etc.
PART THREE: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The above series of box sets could be considered the new Basic D&D, with the traditional tabletop game being Advanced D&D, with all the usual books and the extraneous mass of flesh called the Dungeon Master. The key here would be modularity and flexibility: the Basic and Advanced games would be interchangeable; AD&D could use the tiles and minis but it wouldn't be reliant upon them; let's say the regular DM is burnt out and wants to just play, out comes a box.
So in this hypothetical new "5E" Dungeons & Dragons game, you have a few different layers, or tiers:
Basic Dungeons & Dragons - box sets with random dungeon generation, props, quests, etc, utilizing a simplified "basic" version of D&D.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - the classic tabletop game with the iconic Big Three books, the DMG, PHB, and MM, plus theme and campaign setting books and mega-adventure box sets.
D&D Insider - tools and expansion rules such as feats, items, etc.
An individual player could utilize one, two, or all three of the above, and still play with others that do things slightly differently. There might be many casual players that only play the box sets but that could easily move into "AD&D" if they wanted to because the two would be completely compatible. DDI would be optional but would also include many rules options that weren't available in books, giving people incentives to subscribe. It would also have different tiers of subscription with the more you pay, the more you get (e.g. a "Copper" subscription would allow access to just the Character Builder and maybe Dragon and cost just $5 a month, whereas a Silver subscription would give DM tools like Monster Builder, Dungeon magazine, and cost $10 a month, and a Gold subscription would give access to advanced tools and cost $15 a month; finally there could be a Platinum subscription that included quarterly print editions or compilations of Dragon and Dungeon...).
So what do you think?
