You are in charge of what WOTC puts out for DnD.

[Glyfair]

I'd go for a variety of Compendiums, to continue the utility trend of the Spell Compendium. Classes, Feats...maybe creatures.

I have to admit, I have absolutely no interest in most "Compendiums." Yes, I really liked the Spell Compendium. I don't think it works for most of these, though. A book of Feats is just so dry and uninteresting. However, I wouldn't mind some of these books that seem to be Compendiums, but are much more.

Magic Item Compedium - Make this a book that compiles all the magic items from 3.X sources, and maybe brings some earlier magic items into the 3rd edition (we know we have 4 books of pre-3rd edition magic items, that isn't even complete).

However, add in chapters on creating magic items. Explain options for tweaking magic items in your campaign. Have a chapter on limiting magic item creation without straightjacketing them. Have a chapter on customizing them. Have a chapter on more flavorful research rules, etc.

Class Compendium - Yes, collect the classes from 3rd edition sources. Clean some up, perhaps combine some of the overlapping concepts, etc.

Then, add in sections on creating classes. How to balance classes against the existing classes. When to make something a class ability, and when to make it a feat. When to make a class a full class, and when to make it a prestige class. Maybe a section on taking a prestige class that's campaign specific and moving it to a different campaign.

Yes, this could have been done with the Spell Compendium. Sections could have been included with balancing, researching and creating spells. It was pretty chock full as it was. I'm not conviced the other books would be that full of richness without more depth, though.

 

[Sammael]

Let's start off with...

D&D Miniatures

I would retain the current release schedule of three sets per year. Additionally, I would ensure that every fourth set (counting from Harbinger) was a starter set, and every fourth set (counting from War of the Dragon Queen) was a huge set (if economically viable). I would push for the increase in the number of thematic creatures per set to about 35% while at the same time doing my best to limit the number of "weird" creatures that cannot proxy for anything else to a minimum (maximum of 2-3 per set).

Additionally, I would take measures to improve quality control and do my best to raise the level of paintjobs to what it was before War Drums. If necessary from a financial point of view, I would rather reduce the number of minis per booster by 1 or increase the number of creatures/rares per set (requiring people to spend more cash to complete a set) than further degrade the minis' sculpts and paintjobs.

Core races and monsters would receive a limited number of dedicated slots per set. This would ensure the following: A) newcomers to the game could always count on getting needed PC minis/monsters; B) old-time collectors wouldn't be swarmed with too many repeated figures. For instance, there would be three slots for humans, one for dwarves, and one for elves; a combined slot for gnomes and haflings; a slot for orcs, gnolls, and bugbears; a slot for reptilians (lizardfolk, troglodytes, etc.); and a slot for hobgoblins, goblins, and kobolds.

The Icons line would remain limited to two creatures per year, one released in early December (in time for the Christmas craze), and the other in late May. I would also offer repainted versions of the Icons minis at GenCon.

Monster books

Monster books apparently sell, so, despite my personal preferences, I wouldn't stop producing them. What I would do is try to strike a balance between creating new monsters and converting old favorites, as well as try to make the number of different monster types about even in any given monster book. So, no more 30 new humanoids and only 2 new fey. I would also push futher the idea of advanced monsters, perhaps including as many as 20 fully-statted advanced core monsters in every new monster book. And I would hire Blackdirge for this job. Oh, and every single monster would have at least one sentence about its suggested placement in Eberron and FR.

I would continue with the creature codex series (Draconomicon, LM, LoM, FC1, FC2), first publishing a third Fiendish Codex that would deal with yugoloths, rakshasas, night hags, gehreleths, and so on. Two such books per year seems about right.

Splatbooks

Splatbooks sell as well, although I am not convinced they sell enough to justify their current number. To avoid saturation, I would publish about two new regular splatbooks per year (160 pages), and one "mega-splatbook" (224 pages). I would revise the current PrC format and reduce the filler text to a reasonable amount, while keeping the crucial "fluff" parts. I would also ensure better "hyperlinking" of the splatbooks, with every PrC having a list of recommended feats, equipment, and so on. Finally, I think the PrCs could use a set of "alternative" prerequisites to avoid shoehorning all their members to look exactly the same (e.g. "either Iron Will or base Will bonus +4"). The mega-splatbook would be in the style of Unearthed Arcana and try to cover as many systems as possible ("the kitchen sink approach"). It would always include new warlock invocations, new incarnum stuff, new weapons of legacy, new psionics, and so on, and so forth.

Environment Series

The current trend seems fine.

Campaign Worlds

Despite my ambivalence towards Eberron as a consumer, I would push it really hard as a publisher. On the other hand, I would do my best to publish an equal amount of material for FR. Basically, for Eberron, i would go for 2 regional/organizational books, 1 splatbook, and 3 adventures every year. For FR, I would do 3 regional/organizational books, 1 splatbook, and 1 adventure per year. I would also absolutely refuse to publish a campaign book that was less than 192 pages in length.

Oh, and the first FR organizational book I would do would be a 320-page Faiths of Faerûn, combining the holy trinity of 2nd edition religious sourcebooks (F&A, P&P, DD). This book would include no deity stats whatsoever. Not even avatars.

Special Books

Twice per year, I would publish "special" books, covering topics not easily included in other books. These would include one-off campaign settings, mega-modules, and so on. One of the first would be a 288-page book on Sigil (PRE-FACTION WAR). This would be followed by a Castle Greyhawk sourcebook (i.e. a cunningly disguised Greyhawk campaign setting that even non-GH players would be inclined to buy).

 

[JVisgaitis]

This is a great thread. Hmmm, let's see...

1. I'd relaunch Dark Sun and Planescape. Maybe not as full lines, but at least as single campaign books.
2. I'd either fix D&D Online or get a new company to do another MMO and let the current one go quietly into the night.
3. I'd release more rules toolkit/option type books a la PHB II and Unearthed Arcana.
4. I'd make sure development on 4e was pushed back till at least 2010.
5. I'd buy out Code Monkey Publishing or at least invest in the company or start a new one so we could get good software support for d20 (and I'd support Macs!!!).
6. I'd get the rights to Dune and release a Dune RPG.
7. I'd create some sort of online delivery system for D&D to combat World of Warcraft. Something like a virtual table top where people can play D&D online with their computers. It would include graphical maps, sound effects, and voice chat. I would also have celebrity run games, organized play, and huge cash laden tournaments and contests to draw more people in.
8. I'd make a good action/adventure D&D game. People love Drizzt so much I'd give him to them in a Prince of Persia-esque adventure game for consoles.
9. I'd make a good D&D movie basing it off of either Homeland or Dragonlance.
10. I'd update the SRD and make sure it was supported.

Granted probably more then half of these things would be a huge financial risk and probably tank the company, but who cares! I'm da boss!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A book of Feats is just so dry and uninteresting.

Consider this: it may be dry, but it sure would be handy having every feat listed with all of its prerequisites and its dependent feats. How many depend on Power Attack? On Combat Expertise? On Improved Unarmed Combat?

And remember, some of these things have been reprinted with slight variants (because of editing or rules changes), or outright errors, or may even be redundant (because a better drafted feat has popped up).

1. I'd relaunch Dark Sun and Planescape.

Throw in a sensible health care plan and some fiscal responsibility, and I'll vote for you!

 

[Glyfair]

Consider this: it may be dry, but it sure would be handy having every feat listed with all of its prerequisites and its dependent feats. How many depend on Power Attack? On Combat Expertise? On Improved Unarmed Combat?

You won't have the PHB feats reprinted in this (for the same reasons the PHB spells weren't printed in the Spell Compendium). Every other prerequisite feat in core D&D (i.e. not campaign specific) is in the book with the feat that requires it (except, perhaps, XPH & the Complete Psionic).

Still, yes, it might be handy. I won't pay for it though. Give it to me free on the WotC site. Don't put it in a "Feat Compendium." I'm just not interested.

 

[KenM]

I'm updatre Birthright to 3.5. Also I'd have someone devolp a decent computer CD ROM for character creation and campaign management that will run good. I don't like PCGen or Etools.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

I'd make AD&D open content.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I'd release a do it your self adventure in the following format:

1 full color map depicting a farmstead and environs (with a 5' grid).
8 goblin models
4 civilian models
4 hero models
1 full color map depicting a small dungeon (on the back of the farmstead map.)

If it sold I make new ones.

 

[Gold Roger]

Let's see:

-Miniatures: Every fourth starter, every fourth huge sounds right. Quality control is a must. Push themes a bit more (Though WotDQ seems to go to far with this). Make sure there's one kind of humanoid per faction, per set that gets pushed a bit more. It was nice to buy Underdark boosters and get both a bunch of ordinary troglodytes and armored ones to lead them.

-For one of the two years I'd call out the year of the dungeon. Releases to that theme would be:

A dungeonbuilders handbook: A book for DM's that is completely focused on advice and new stuff to build dungeons and make them interesting

A Underdark enviromental book with little overlap with the FR one (actually quite easy)

A bunch of generic dungeon adventures/locales to drag and drop into any campaign, with stuff like battlemaps and miniatures.

A dungeon'y miniatures set

Dungeon'y Fantastic Location releases.


Other releases in my time would be:

More Fantastic Location releases

Some Eberron and FR stuff.

The Complete Villain and Complete Hero. Not so much books like the BoVD/BoED, but more splatbooks that help found those iconic roles in the game.

The Book of Elements. The elemental planes, elementals and outsiders and their role in the world are awefully underrepresented. A "elementalist" base class for each of the four elementals, statted archomentals, descriptions of the elemental planes and lots of crunch and fluff that makes the inclusion of elemental stuff as major part of a campaign worthwile.

The Goblinoidon. A book half Races of, half Monster book that takes a closer look at the most plentyfull kind of humanoid adversaries. Their culture, PrC's, magic and associated Monsters. A book that makes goblinoids true adversaries instead of things you slay before taking their stuff.

Full, high quality adventures for every level.

A splatbook for the four level ranges. With each level range-switch the game changes dramatically. This book/these books give help and rules to accomodate the various level ranges and variant rules for xp advancement.

Despite my personal love for the setting, I wouldn't bring out 3.5 planescape. I think most of the setting specific stuff goes well without any updated crunch, while most general planar stuff gets updated anyway. The rest would be a hassle over canon and people not getting what they expected. As is now everyone can play planescape how he wants it.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

The Book of Elements. The elemental planes, elementals and outsiders and their role in the world are awefully underrepresented. A "elementalist" base class for each of the four elementals, statted archomentals, descriptions of the elemental planes and lots of crunch and fluff that makes the inclusion of elemental stuff as major part of a campaign worthwile.

Now this would be really cool. I would buy something like this (if well produced and written) in a heartbeat.

A lot of the things being suggested ask for rehashing of old settings/modules/rulebooks. I could see a lot of backlash against WotC for doing this. Personally I'd like to see new material, never seen before, in lieu of rewrites of 'Against the Giants'.