Who would you pick to design Fourth Edition?

[MulhorandSage]

I've just spent most of the last month working on a history of D&D from 1971 to 1977, and my read of contemporary accounts, editorials, forewords, and magazine articles before things became acrimonious, the only fair interpretation goes like this:

Gygax (with Steve Perren) writes Chainmail, including the Fantasy Supplement that contians many elements that are still in D&D, in 1971.
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I think you're thinking of Jeff Perren. Steve Perrin is the incredibly nice fellow who co-wrote Runequest, among other games.

Though the larger point stands.

 

[mythusmage]

I've just spent most of the last month working on a history of D&D from 1971 to 1977, and my read of contemporary accounts, editorials, forewords, and magazine articles before things became acrimonious, the only fair interpretation goes like this:

(snip)

I talked with Gary about this back in 93 at GenCon. He told me his attempt to cut Dave out with AD&D was a big mistake, and given the chance to do it all over again, he wouldn't. He also said one of TSR's big mistakes was not coming to an agreement with Arneson regarding Dave's suit against them for copyright violations.

 

[Razz]

I'll kill the designers for 4E.

I don't want to see it, hear of it, and I am personally tired of seeing 4E threads. There's no need for a 4E, we already have house rules, rule zero, and Unearthed Arcana along with d20 3rd party products.

You'd make all this obsolete with a 4E? Bad marketing decision. 4E comes, I quit D&D, I stick ONLY to 3.5E for the rest of my days and 4E will be hated, boycotted and spit upon.

 

[TheGM]

E. Gary Gygax
Dave Arneson
Jeff Perren
Rob Kuntz
James Ward
with money from Don Kaye


i'd leave the Blumes out of the picture.

Diaglo's list plus Frank Mentzer.

But since we're supposed to stick to people who haven't done it, I'll say "All new people".

There are hundreds of thousands of gamers out there, and if even one percent are viable writers and half a percent are viable designers, you've got as good a chance of getting both quality product and innovative thinking by holding open auditions as you would by going to people who are published repeatedly. The opportunity for the game to get better with this approach is huge - of course, you'd need an experience project manager to help determine what is crap and what is good new stuff.

 

[Michael Tree]

I don't know if I'd pick Mike Mearls for Design lead, much as I love his work, his strengths seem to be in making rules stronger - working out the kinks and seeing when something's broken beyond all recognition but fine on the surface. He'd be lead developer.

Steve Kenson would be a lead designer. He seems able to come up with novel mechanics out of thin air (he'd probably say differently, but from the outside looking in, he's da man).

While I'd like to see Robin Laws in there, I'd prefer him to have a pass over on the DMG, and insert the kind of advice into the DMG that he inserted into the DMG 2, from the beginning. KNOW THY PLAYERS! Maybe a design credit.

This sums up my feelings on it. Mike Mearls has lots of great ideas, and understands what it is about the D&D game that makes it fun. His ideas are sometimes a bit unpolished, and perhaps need some reigning in by conservative designers, but that's why its a design team.

Steve Kenson is a brilliant designer of game mechanics that are quick, fun, and suit the setting. He is also one of the few authors I trust to write magical materials that actually feel magical, rather than just a bunch of FX. He is the Peter Jackson to standard D&D's George Lucas. I'd like him involved so he can inject some traditional magical fantasy back into the game. I've had enough of spiked chains, dwarven samurai, and half-dragon half-troll vampiric celestial dire paragon oozes.

He who shall not be named, whose name rhymes with Monkey Book. He clearly understands the game system, and has already implemented several great ideas on how to improve its magic system. Plus, he's posted a number of columns on his website and blog about different ways of balancing magic as it increases in level, and I'd like to see those ideas fully developed.

 

[MacMathan]

Pardon the question but what has Steve Kenson done in fantasy RPGs? I know he did some Shadowrun novels and Mutants and Masterminds but I am unfamiliar with what else.

 

[Michael Tree]

Pardon the question but what has Steve Kenson done in fantasy RPGs? I know he did some Shadowrun novels and Mutants and Masterminds but I am unfamiliar with what else.

GregK runs down the major ones on page 2 of this thread.

The Blue Rose RPG (and the spinoff True20 fantasy system).

The Psychic's Handbook, Shaman's Handbook, and Witch's Handbook, for Green Ronin.

He's also written many Dragon articles, and contributed to numerous other books.

I haven't read his Shadowrun novels, but he wrote the Shadowrun 2e Grimoire, and the 3e Magic in the Shadows, which are essentially fantasy sourcebooks for shadowrun.

 

[Turjan]

Pardon the question but what has Steve Kenson done in fantasy RPGs? I know he did some Shadowrun novels and Mutants and Masterminds but I am unfamiliar with what else.

Michael has already given an answer, but I'd just like to add that for questions like this one it's always nice to have a look at Pen & Paper. You will see that there are quite a few fantasy credits .

 

[MacMathan]

Thanks for the info and site link, learn something new every day on dis' here intarweb thingy

 

[Aaron L]

Bruce Cordell, he just likes the same kinds of stuff I do (psionics, Lovecraftian monsters)

SKR, I like his style.

Erik Mona, he's a cool guy.

Chris Pramas, because he put a Bad Religion quote in a D&D book. And the book was about demons and devils.