D&D General You're In Charge of D&D -- 2025 Edition

[Reynard]

I’m saying why are third parties putting on better D&D shows (live streams, podcasts, arenas) than the D&D people?

It seems like everything WotC does is aimed at people who are already playing the game.
Sure you get an article in Time Magazine every few years that read like someone’s grandma trying to explain the game to her sewing circle. But are regular people reading that article or is it the gamers who are just happy to see their thing out in the wild?

Here’s my final words on the subject….
Golden Arches….Guy with a monocle (both Mr Peanut and the Monopoly guy)…Where’s the beef?…the iPod adds with the dancing shadow people or….theres an app for that…Colonel Sanders…Geiko lizard…all iconic marketing. When you mention D&D to a casual bystander they don’t sing a jingle or recite a catch phrase they think….do you live in your mom’s basement.

I think your information is 10 years out of date. But to each their own.

BUT, since this is a "what would you do" thread, let's bring it back on topic: how would you manage marketing in a way consistent with what you have expressed here?

 

[KYRON45]

I think your information is 10 years out of date. But to each their own.

BUT, since this is a "what would you do" thread, let's bring it back on topic: how would you manage marketing in a way consistent with what you have expressed here?

Well my first step would be to hire people who could make my point about marketing better than I seem to be able to.

 

[Remathilis]

20 on any roll is auto-success. 1 on any roll is auto-fail.

Ah yes, the 5% chance to perform brain surgery..

 

[ezo]

Ah yes, the 5% chance to perform brain surgery..

 

[Lanefan]

Ah yes, the 5% chance to perform brain surgery..

Well, you have a 100% chance of performing brain surgery; but only a 5% chance it'll be anything close to successful.

More seriously, in theory the DM isn't even going to call for a roll if the intended action is, for that character in that moment, impossible (or, flip side, cannot fail). However, if the DM does call for a roll that means there's always going to be a chance of succeeding and a chance of failing on that roll; which seems to make sense to me.

 

[Chaltab]

Not that I'm remotely qualified to be making such decisions... but first I'd look at market research to guide my hand for one. I don't want to be TSR all over again

Ideally what I'd want to do is:
1. Launch a setting overview source book that includes settings like Dark Sun, Mystara, Nentir Vale, Krynn, and Spelljammer. Each of the 5 gets about as much setting detail as Greyhawk got in the DMG. The other ~100 or so pages would be new mechanics for these settings like Ship Combat for Spelljammer, Defilers and Psions for Dark Sun, Warlords for Nentir Vale, new Species, etc.

2. Rotate which settings the hardcover adventures are for so stuff other than Forgotten Realms gets the spotlight.

3. Try and keep Hasbro from going belly-up so Elon Musk can never get his grubby hands on D&D.

 

[Gorg]

I would pull a new 2024 revision out of my butt- and then do the Jedi Mind trick on the current one "This is not the D&D you're looking for."

This "new" revision would return to the old lore, classic fantasy art (no man buns!!), etc. And apply the rules/procedure changes to that. Dropping all references to modern social politics, and oddities like "safety tools". In other words, it would be a revision of the 2014 rules- addressing problems, adding errata, adding nifty-neatos, etc. reinforcing and improving what's already there-WITHOUT throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

One area of major attention would be high level play. Inc beefing up high CR monsters.

It would then replace the 2024 books on the shelves.

Or, call it the 50th anniversary Edition. With an emphasis on the classic tropes, characters, settings, not fixing what isn't broke, etc. Best of all- it actually WOULD be backwards compatible with the original 5e release. Just for fun, I'd also add a chapter to the DMG on how to run a "classic old school" style game with 5e rules.

Then perhaps sourcebooks for classic Campaign settings- from the standpoint of people who played- and loved- them. With unique spells, subclasses, monsters, items, lore, adventure hooks, etc. And excellent maps! Everything you need to launch a campaign. Using the 3e Forgotten Realsm sourcebook as an example. I'm thinking:

Greyhawk
Mystara- as an old B/X player, I HAVE to!
Ravenloft- the Domains of Dread was a heck of a place to find yourself in. The OG boxed set was fantastic!
Forgotten Realms
Dragonlance
etc.

Maybe even a return to the classic style adventure, instead of the $$$ textbooks we get now. I would continue the anthology style adventure books, though. Those are great tools for DM's to plug n play adventures, side quests, and cool epic encounters into their campaigns.

If that all didn't get me fired- we might be on to something!

 

[mamba]

I don't have to imagine, I pulled the trigger and got my own version printed.

is that a product or just for your own table?

 

[mamba]

I would pull a new 2024 revision out of my butt- and then do the Jedi Mind trick on the current one "This is not the D&D you're looking for."

the second part already worked on me

 

[Stormonu]

is that a product or just for your own table?

Just for my table (but I'm elated I actually got myself a printed copy).

But I have two monster books that I've been print testing and hope to have on Drivethru soon.