Simply D&D--based on the My Little Pony system.

[Dungeonosophy]

Great review of the system used in My Little Pony Storytelling Game: https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/17/17131.phtml

Mike Mearls has talked about making various versions of D&D, such the D&D Cooperative Boardgames, and a "D&D Tactics" based on 4E.

WotC ought to publish a "Simply D&D" game which uses the My Little Pony system. Talk about rules lite!

three abilities: Body, Mind, Charm
used for Physical, Mental, and Social tests.
uses all the polyhedral dice
DCs range from 1 to 20, and can be reached through "Exploding Dice."
no XP bean-counting: level up after every adventure

three kinds of ponies > three or four classes: Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, Cleric
maybe pick a race: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling
But for each class and race, get only one or two abilities to keep track of.

That's about it.

Publish ultra-streamlined versions of existing adventures for Simply D&D, e.g. Simply Return to the Keep on the Borderland, Simply Temple of Elemental Evil, Simply Isle of Dread, etc.

Release it as OGL. Voila!

 

[KahlessNestor]

I picked this up this weekend, but haven't had a chance to read it. I wouldn't want a dumbed down D&D, though. What you describe isn't D&D. If you want it simplified, just use the Basic Rules.

Sent from my SM-G900P using EN World mobile app

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Basic Rules are too complex for me. I got too much on my mind.

Simply D&D wouldn't be the mainline of D&D, but it would be another branch of the D&D suite of games. Are the D&D Co-Operative Boardgames "D&D"? Not really, but they're still pretty cool and fun for some people. Are they dumbed-down? In a certain sense, yes; but in another sense, they're just a super-streamlined lense into the D&D Multiverse. YMMV.

 

[Sunseeker]

Obviously the target market for "ultra-simple" D&D is the same target market as MLP: 40-year-old me...I mean little kids.

Which is great. I don't think I'd want to play an actual D&D game with this, since I enjoy the complexity, but applied to other youngling-targeted products this could be a great area for crossover and expanding the RP market.

 

[Salamandyr]

Sounds like Microlite20.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Sounds like Microlite20.

Yeah, but even more streamlined.

And with no math.

That's a thing I like about this system. As far as I can tell from the review, there is literally no adding together of die rolls, or adding bonuses. You always just roll one die at a time, and that's it. I'm burnt out on math.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Aren't there a lot of people who complain D&D is too complicated?

 

[KahlessNestor]

At what point does it stop being D&D though when you make so many changes? Like getting rid of the 6 ability scores? Can you really market it as D&D if you rip out the guts?