What types of D&D books do you want to see?

[Glak]

Well since the average campaign lasts under a year, I would come out with a new campaign boxed set every year. There would be aventure support for that year and then a new campaign setting would be released. Sometimes I would use an older setting, for example Dark Sun. I would start it back at the beginning of the timeline, rather than start where it left off or try to update it.

I would release those DM books that MerricB came up with. I would do the "lenses" idea too. I would definently release a bunch of stuff for making low magic settings work in D&D. There is zero support for that in the core rules. I'd probably release d20 Fantasy, which would be based on the d20 Modern rules, but set in D&D worlds. Then I would merge the two in 4e.

 

[Ivid of Rauxes]

and my favorite book...

I would start writing

*Game Settings for Dummies*
where I detailed older and less known game settings in such a way that a beginner group could test the setting without getting confused.

 

[Li Shenron]

I would definitely want many more DM-oriented books than player-oriented!

Ready adventures, full-length campaigns, setting sourcebooks, regional/location supplements all which make the DM's job easier when they are well written and there's a large number to choose from. And sourcebooks would have also estensive flavor material about the cultures in the settings, which would actually be useful for the players to read to improve RPing.

I would like to see rules supplement, such as small books to cover in depth one particular aspect of the game that a gaming group would like to expand. Just like you may want to introduce full psionics rules, a group may want to set the stage on open sea for example, and would need a great book about sea/naval environment, travel, combat, weather, everything... Or your group may want a much more detailed system for weapons and armors. Another group may want expanded rules about fantasy economy, trade, commerce and coinage. Also the quoted mass battle system would belong to this category.

Then books about twisting an entire campaign into something different, without switching to a completely different game. Perhaps this could include small accessories tied to a particular historical age, and how to adapt the technology level and the religious/cosmology view to a D&D game. Or otherwise, there could be books about varying the degree of magic, or combat, or good vs evil or possibly something else, with variant rules to try out to accomplish that according to what the group would like from the game.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

As a player, I would really like to have series of Wizards spell books... Mongoose put out a collection of Divine Spells... but, my DM has some beef with the Mongoose books...

so, I'd like to see just huge tomes of spells for all types of spell casters.

 

[Shallown]

I would produce my campaign/adventure book. I thought of the idea based on the last campaign I played and even if I didn't use that world I would write it in the same way Imagined I would for that campaign.

It would be a campaign setting, though a small one not a whole world but a single kingdom.
It would be a campaign including adventures from 1st - 20th.
It would have a large meta plot that the players agree to follow. Yes it sounds like rail-roading but if the players agree to board the train it doesn't mean it can't be exciting and scenic as well.

It would detail possible encounters listing perhaps 8 encounters with the gm only probably using 4-5. So when the characters are suppose to travel from point A to B most likely possibilities are covered.

It would be the frame work with enough flexibility the characters could do side treks and character specific stuff without impacting the meta plot. The Meta plot and adventure side of the book would have the major encounters and Major dungeons (Dungeons being more a controlled environment than a specific hole in the ground) detailed. It would be like 75% of what a GM needs to run the whole thing. the other 25% the gm would do and focus on playing to the players/characters wants and needs. That 25% is the personalization that makes it each groups campaign.

The campaign setting would cover all the places and things the GM would need to run the Meta-plot and gloss over most everything else. Giving him a solid base to personalize it to thier group.

I would also write it in a personal/conversational tone. More a series of suggestions like at this point you could do a, b or co and here is the info to run each. Or possible D and E leaving those things for the GM. The most likely possibilities would be covered.

The whole product would accept the fact not everything can be planned for but there is a Metagame contract that the players won't make it hard to run this campaign. They won't design PC's to derail the game/campaign/Meta-Plot. To me that's rude. We are playing a game to play together not be Pains in the hiney. But that's a whole different rant.

The campaign would have crunchy but most of it would be stats and stuff. A few new things here and there but not lots of New PRc's or spells. there is enough in the basic game to build a campaign. I would also write it so that the Complete books would be included. Sort of some people would have two stat blocks one for basic one for the complete books. Since this would only be like 1 in 10 Npc's it would matter for it wouldn't make the book that much thicker. I would include these because they are supporting the product line at WOTC and they are more easily available (in my mind).

My second book would be dual titled "Fireballs aren't the only Boomers in the Game" Or something to that effect and like a lot of old books printed inverted and with a different cover in the back would be "Everyday magic" . It would include in the front lots of damaging and attack spells for other specialties. I hate that evokers are the only big boomers. Yeah the other speciality schools have some effectiveness in combat but they need more. I would keep Evokers as the master's of destruction but I would add Transmutation spells that warped people doing damage and Divination spells that made you a nastier fighter. and Abjurations that cooked you when you hit me etc. Basically I would flesh out more direct damaging combat effective spells for other schools of all levels. The everyday magic would cover the some sampling a spells that mages have learned for years that don't help adventurers much. the Magic Cooler spells for butchers and lamp lighter spell for lighting a street. Or any number of spells that would have probably been created ina magic world to make life easier but that would be wasted space in the PHB which focuses on adventuring spells. A system for creating more mundane magic items of little worth to adventurer's. Sounds like it wouldn't be useful but think about the system would be set up to allow the Gm to flesh out their world and provide a lot of elements that could be interesting to some Adventurer's. Like Ward spells to protect the Adventurer's house while they are gone or the spells that strengthen the walls of the city to prevent attacks etc. Something the Adventure might use but wouldn't have been put into the PHB since it would be so conditional.

Just my basic Ideas.

Later

 

[Taneel BrightBlade]

A book of feats for 3.5 WITH AN INDEX OR SOMETHING LIKE IT.

 

[diaglo]

i would scrap the whole d02 dealio.

and put out a boxed set with 3 booklets and reference sheets.

 

[diaglo]

besides that...

if they don't want to shake the d02 logo.

i'd go with the Complete Idiot's guide to d02 Roleplaying

 

[arnoo]

A good regional setting, WITH a good campaign.
If i'd done something already done... it could be from "Enemy Within" campaign, "Middenheim" and "Power behing the throne" (Hi Carl, if you read) or "Night Below" (Hi Carl again) or GH's Iuz, Marklands, ... (Carl ? Come back, please).

So i would be Carl Sargent.

 

[Sir Elton]

Wow, a perfect world.

I'd start changing D&D so that it won't depend on Miniatures so much; I'd start weaning them off miniatures so that they won't be so useful. Not that I'd want them to stop, but I'd use the slogan "Games of your Imagination!" again to drive the point.

In other words, I won't be writing just one book, but a bunch of adventures. High Octane Adventures that literally resemble Action Movie sequences. Wait a minute, I'm doing that now.

Now, what was the question again? Oh yeah, a perfect world and Gary Gygax and Monte Cook worship the ground I walk on. I'd quit Wizards and get a great job being a Cryptozoologist and go looking for animals Science doesn't believe exists. I much rather write and sell what I like and not be driven by Market Research.