I generally try to avoid business speculation about Wizards of the Coast. It would seem that a large vocal group of D&D players like to second-guess and pontificate about what is and isn’t good for the Dungeons & Dragons business. I don’t care. I’m in this hobby to play the game, not get my MBA. WotC’s business is their own concern, not mine. While the direction of a lot of computer and video games matters quite a bit – we all want the games we play to be something we enjoy – this isn’t as much of a concern for D&D. The game is flexible and modular; I can build the game I want out of the material they provide.
Elitism aside, I still pay attention to what WotC does with Dungeons & Dragons and I still have a desire to see them head in certain directions. I’m just not pompous enough to assume that my ideas are best for their business.
With all of the 2010 predictions going on, I thought it might be fun to look at the five things I’d like to see WotC do with Dungeons & Dragons in 2011. Why 2011 instead of 2010? It’s very likely the WotC production schedule has already fully planned out their line for 2010. Any desires I have will likely have to wait until 2011 to become reality. So I’m skipping 2010, a year filled with Dark Sun, the third set of core books, and lots of other interesting products to focus on the year after.
I will warn you now that these are likely to be contested opinions. I’m guessing every D&D player has a 3×5 note card in their back pocket with things they want WotC to do. But today we’ll simply have to suffer through mine.
Let us begin.
Publish a New Dungeon Delve
I’m a huge fan of the Dungeon Delve sourcebook but it’s quickly losing its value as I play through all of the three-battle scenarios contained within. This book has proved invaluable to me as a source for single-night one-shot adventures as well as quick additions to my own campaign. It’s a great modular book that ends up being far more useful than published full-length adventures. I would actually far prefer WotC publishes delves to DDI instead of full-length adventure paths.
In 2011 I would love to see WotC publish a new Dungeon Delve book in exactly the same format as the first with fresh encounters, fresh environments, and fresh monsters. I would love it to continue using D&D Dungeon Tiles and miniatures available in D&D Miniature boosters. Another book like this would see a lot of use in my game.
Publish a 4e Unearthed Arcana
In 2004, WotC published Unearthed Arcana for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons. This rules supplement contained piles and piles of house rules one could use to modify the game play of the 3rd edition of D&D. I’d love to see a new version of this book for 4e with supplemental rules to speed up combat, increase monster threats at higher levels, simplify character design, simplify known complexities in 4e, change annoying status effects like stun, and address a lot of the other areas in 4th edition that a lot of us aren’t generally happy with. All of these rules would be optional and, unlike the errata and updated rules we find in the DMG2, they can actually modify or remove rules printed previously.
No doubt this would be politically sensitive. A lot of players might use this to shout about D&D 4.5 but making it an optional supplement would avoid that point of view in more rational thought.
Publish a Monster Manual 1 Redux
I love where WotC has taken the Monster Manual 2 and hearing about the new format for monsters in the Monster Manual 3 from the D&D podcast has sure awakened my interest. That said, it bothers me to no end that the monsters in the first Monster Manual now feel so dated. In particular, I end up having to redo the math for an elite, solo, or minion I want to use in the book by changing defenses, changing hit points, changing damage output, and in the case of solos, coming up with some wild “bloodied” ability if they don’t have it. I’ve ended up re-skinning MM2 monsters more often than using monsters out of the MM1.
There are so many great iconic monsters in the MM1 that it’s a shame to watch them gather dust. In 2011 I’d like to see WotC publish a new updated version of the Monster Manual 1 using the mechanical changes from MM2 and, assuming we like it, the new formatting from the MM3. At the very least, I’d like to see a dungeon article that rebuilds the chromatic dragons using the new mechanics. Better, though, is an entirely updated book.
Flavor Text Everywhere
One trend I would love to see WotC develop is a concept of “flavor text everywhere”. Ideally, any paragraph of fluff text in any of the D&D books should be written so, as a DM, I can read it aloud to my players without having to re-write it. Books like Manual of the Planes and The Plane Below would be a lot more useful to me if I could whip it out and read aloud a description of the City of Brass without Forest Gumping my way through it ad-hoc or having to sit down and write my own prose.
I don’t think it would work everywhere. There has to be SOME DM-focused descriptions that help us tie everything together, but there should be a lot more flavor text throughout any sourcebook that goes into descriptions I’m going to end up having to read aloud.
Make Web Products More Webby
Dave the Game wrote a wonderful article called Changing the Way We Think About Published Adventures. While I don’t share the same point of view across the board, he has one really excellent idea I’d like to see WotC tackle in 2011. Right now it makes very little sense to have a web-based publishing platform like DDI that essentially pumps out .pdf documents I’m going to end up having to print anyway. Instead, I think it would be far more useful if WotC developed a wiki-like spiderweb of mini-adventures and encounters similar to Monte Cook’s Dungeon-a-Day. While any content from this wiki-like campaign should be printable, it might work very well right off of a laptop instead, saving me hundreds of dollars in ink printing those full-color pages. As it stands now, DDI simply passes the cost of printing over to me. Why not instead give me a product that uses the web the way it was designed?
I don’t know that WotC will follow any of this advice and, as I stated earlier, I’m not thinking about it from their business side at all. I have no idea if it would be popular or start some sort of silly RPG revolt or something like that. I only know the sorts of things I really want in new products from WotC. As fans of D&D that’s really the best direction we can head – play the game we love and tell them what we love and hate about it. That’s probably the best way to impact the game we love so much.
I’d like to see a rebalancing of the Player’s Handbook, too–like 3.5, the most broken (up and down) stuff was in the core. I’d like to see Warlocks brought up, Rangers somewhat deflated, and maybe options for making the Cleric, Paladin and Warlock A-shaped instead of V-shaped (that is, based on one primary stat and two secondaries).
I’d also like to see a flavorful and unique elemental power source, that doesn’t look like the sorcerer or wizard spread out into all four roles. More shadow classes would be great as well, but I’m betting we’ll see at least a few this year.
Hopefully we’ll also start to see the underlying design of the game by this point as well, so that we can get an idea of how to write balanced powers and paragon paths/epic destinies. WotC might want to keep that to themselves, though.
I like what you said about the Monster Manual needing an update. I’m not thoroughly up to date on all the changes to monsters and now I’m getting a little concerned because you mentioned your need to “redo the math […] by changing defenses, changing hit points, changing damage output, and in the case of solos, coming up with some wild “bloodied” ability if they don’t have it,” which makes me wonder how far behind or broken the encounters my girlfriend and I design. (I’m aware that more than one creature has had its hit points recalculated.)
However, I’m fairly certain that the naysayers that abound will probably cry foul about a Monster Manual Redux. “WTF?! They’re making me pays for an updated version of a product I alreddy has!!!”
.-= Matthew Arcilla´s last blog ..Review: Player’s Handbook Races: Dragonborn =-.
I’d love a monster builder that spits out playing card sized printings of stats formatted similar to the ones found with their mini products.
The fluff idea would be great. seconded on a new dungeon delve. surprised they haven’t announced one yet, maybe it’s because the focus on the caves of chaos and ddi content?
.-= Mike(aka kaeosdad)´s last blog ..[Review] King of RPGs =-.
@Mike(aka Kaeosdad): You can print monster builder stat-blocks on 5×8 cards easily enough and they work out really well. I highly recommend it.
.-= mike´s last blog ..Monster Optimization: Foulspawn Mangler + Foulspawn Seer =-.
I’d love to see all of that actually. Good thoughts!
.-= David´s last blog ..Gamers rock! =-.
All good ideas, I think! I wouldn’t be surprised to see a revised Monster Manual, or even revised versions of all three core books to incorporate errata, a few fixes and some bonus content to help the book sell. The 3.5 core books sold well despite complaints and probably drew some laggards into the edition.
If you’re running out of Dungeon Delve, that’s a good sign they should release some more.
.-= Jonathan Drain´s last blog ..World Building 101: A Primal Primer =-.
I don’t want to start a version war either, but the fact is there have been many tweaks, changes, corrections, and updates to all the core books so far, plus by the time any updated versions would be published WOTC would have ~5 years of serious world-wide playtesting and feed back, so yes, maybe it is time to consider updating and re-releasing existing material.
My idea: when PHB4 is released in 2011 or 2012 it be an inclusive book that includes all the new PHB4 content and all of updated PHB1-3 content, including all of the errata, tweaks, etc., into one super PHB4. The same thing could be done with the DMG4 and MM4 as well.
1) I would try to avoid any talk of V4.1 or V4.5 (PHB4 = 4E!). Just say we have been listening to players (i.e., customers) in regards to what works and what doesn’t and it is time to condense all of this material over several books and the corresponding updates and corrections into one.
2) What to do with the old books, or the ones still sitting in the warehouse? Well, it’s not like they’re no longer valid, so they can still be used. Discount the hell out of the as-of-yet unsold ones and let’s move on. How about donating a core book set to every public library in the country?
3) Size and price? I don’t mind a thick book, but then I am a sucker for books to begin with. The Pathfinder HB (575 pages) and MM are both considerably thicker and more costly than the WOTC books so it’s not like there isn’t a precedent. Say … $39.95 apiece, $99.95 for a box set … and then start throwing in discounts (e.g., DDI members get a 10% off coupon, etc.).
4) What about online? I use the DDI tools and must say I think that WOTC has done a good job with the monster tool, character builder, and the compendium. But nothing beats a book. Do potential new players (i.e., new customers) prefer to start with on-line content or a book? Which is more likely to get potential new players hooked, enticed, or even just curious to try playing?
5) Since we’re going down this path anyway I would also suggest combining all the various powers books (martial, arcane, primal, etc.) into one inclusive version also, as well as the Adventurer Vaults books.
I think that there is a point where there really are enough races, classes, powers, etc. I just don’t think that type of content growth is sustainable, so there must be a plan to shift to providing more world content. I am currently reading The Manual of the Planes and am looking forward to Underdark, Dark Sun and Ravenloft (someday).
My $.02.
Mike,
I’m going to focus on your second point.
For a variety of reasons, 4E has spawned more and bigger edition wars than previous edition, as well as fueling the whole OSR response. 4E does what it does very well, and is an excellent game in and of itself. However, backlash/edition wars/self-created opposition is real and can be measured.
I’d like to see hybrids rule options offered by WotC to offset some of this. It does not have to be so ‘our way or the highway’. I would like WotC to be able to start to reclaim some of the flock who want to play D&D but don’t like the direction for whatever reason.
Basically, I am for whatever makes the hobby as succesful as it can be, and I believe having the flagship of the industry increase their ‘rules umbrella’ by creating official hybrid rules options (Official Houserules sounds wrong…) would do this.
.-= LordVreeg´s last blog ..edited races =-.
I always figured that these two facts were related:
1) they never published a second Dungeon Delve
2) they fired Dave Noonan
=> it must not have sold well. Because Delve format has been Dave Noonan’s thing all the way back to the Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde.
I’d like to see a more substantial monster manual specific to outer planar adventures. There is a big push to get Characters out there “plane-hopping” during their Paragon and Epic tiers and I don’t think that there has been enough focus on the critters that could be out there waiting for hapless adventurers.
Personally, I would have preferred to see less monsters and more planar content in “The Plane Below”, and a completely separate monster manual with planar baddies – but don’t get me started again on the page length and allocation in that book!
.-= Neuroglyph´s last blog ..Review – The Mark of Hubris by Alea Publishing =-.
@ Noumenon, I had suspected that as well. I note that they are putting more delve-style mini-adventures in books like the Underdark which is nice.
.-= Mike Shea´s last blog ..Monster Optimization: Foulspawn Mangler + Foulspawn Seer =-.
I would buy a new Unearthed Arcana in a heartbeat. It is my absolute favorite book from the 3x era.
Definitely agreed on all fronts, especially Dungeon Delve and Unearthed Arcana!
.-= adamjford´s last blog ..adamjford: RT @mm53bar: Agile app development now mainstream: Forrester http://bit.ly/c80kHV — Nice! =-.
Wow, Mike. I wholeheartedly endorse all your wishes. I, too, think an Unearthed Arcana book with “house rule” options would be great.
Well Hears my thoughts:
1) Yes, most definitely yes on a new Delve. Or, as another poster mentioned, maybe dropping a handful into other products on a regular basis so you’d have some specifically themed delves to tap during a mini-arc or what not.
2) For a 4E Unearthed Arcana, most of what you mention is grey level mechanics tweaks, but I’d love to see some truly massive rearrangements as well. Maybe a system for determining your characters accumulation of AW/Enc/Dly powers (My 5th level Wizard doesn’t use any Encounters and grabbed an extra At Will, while the Fighter has grabbed 5 different At-Wills. Not exactly sure how that might effect power balance and what could be done to rectify it, but could create some interesting party dynamics). Also some campaign level thematic changes. Some basic tech rules (Late Dark Ages, Renaissance, Near Modern, etc), or maybe a Stunt system for some swash-buckling Errol Flynn style games.
3) I think a full MM1 reboot would draw a lot of fire. It might be better to go for the long bet, and hope WotC saves a couple pages here and there to give all those poor first run baddies a much needed facelift. Maybe they could even mask this a little using their sub-titles on the monsters. This isn’t just a revamped Adult Blue Dragon, this is an Adult Blue Dragon Ravager!
4) I definitely like the idea of more flavor text, story hooks, and general fluffy bits. One of the things I loved the most about the L5R RPG books were all those little border bits. Tangentially linked to what was on the page proper it would often help fill in little points, or give you some piece of game lore you could reasonably use (like the 10 rules of the ninja), or even simple religious/philosophical quotes or parables (The Clan Scorpion book was great for those. I’ve used some of them in RL). I think a key point for adding more direct flavor text would definitely be some sort of obvious visual key. The Orange box is the read aloud portion, the blue box is the DM short overview, the green box has any ‘Knowledge’ check details that are pre-planned. These could be scattered around a little, but it’d probably be good to keep all of them pertaining to a given room/encounter/skill challenge on a facing double page spread if possible.
5) I am still waiting to see this damned virtual game table. I have not been able to game nearly as much as I would like primarily because my core gaming buddies are 400 miles away. But if they can’t get that floating, I think it would be really nifty to create not just wiki-styled internally recursive adventures, but to provide a tool to let the DDI constituency build their own. Maybe use the Dungeon Tiles as the root for encounter location building (with some generic corridors to string em together). Drop in monsters from your Monster Builder files (with special conditions tagged on them if you want). A decent Skill Challenge Wizard that can help a DM build a challenging but achievable scenario, and if you have your Player Party pre-loaded for an ongoing campaign, maybe it could dip into some deeper library and suggest pre-made ones that gives every player at least one ‘shiny’ skill use in the challenge so no one just sits there and says “I aid the Wizard…”. Any handouts or physical props that might be needed would be held in a special folder, and flagged when it’s supposed to show up, so you only print what you have to, or if playing online or if everyone has a laptop in visual range you can just IM them or something via a pre-set distribution list.
@yesnomu: I actually have been working on (at least what I think is) a nifty and unique 4 class Elemental source group. I’ve gotten alot of it together, but stuck on the heavy lifting part: Writing all those damned powers.
Here’s a quick roll call for what I’ve come up with –
The Herald (Defender) – Typically wields a blade in one hand and a powerful elemental crest in his other. Instead of the usual Marking mechanic, he instead uses a reversed version: He can, every round, shield an ally with a elemental shield which functions sort of like a trap. It has little to no passive benefit but reacts to an enemy’s attack (fire scorches them, wind knocks projectiles out of the air sorta stuff), marks the enemy, and is then gone
The Partisan (Striker) – The Elementals mockery of the Paladin, he is a heavy armor, two hander striker. Almost a new ‘Anti-Paladin’ (The two builds are Maelstrom Knight and Abyssal Champion). A wrecking ball on the field, they don’t dart and jump like other strikers, but grind like an unstoppable glacier. Their key damage booster is ‘Vengeance’: Any enemies that even TRY to attack the Partisan are tagged by the ability, and he now has until the end of his next turn to use this. He can tag multiple enemies, but unless he has a multi-target attack he’ll only get to Vengeance one of them. Any who oppose them will be destroyed
The Witch (Leader) – My idea for the witch was to A) Focus on mythic witches like Baba Yaga for flavor and feel and B) counter the “god-centric” leader format most of this role follow. Their core base healing ability is useful but mildly dangerous, and they focus just as much on screwing the enemy as helping their allies (thinking of including a base class feature that lets them dampen any enemy attempts to heal). Their core healing power works like this: They place a ‘Blessing of the Wilds’ on a PC, granting a small flow of HP every round until end of encounter. However, the PC can choose to burn this low regen for a much larger one time heal, but it stuns/dazes on their next turn, as they writhe in agony as their bodies heal faster than nature ever intended. I would like many of their other powers that aid allies to have a sort of cost/benefit aspect: Bonus to Damage, but you burn 2-3 HP every round (end as free action). The witch is definitely a back rank combatant, with a secondary role of Controller using many Close/Area attacks or ‘Contagions’ that spread from one foe to the next
The Geomancer (Controller) – [Least shaped of all the classes] The two builds are based on two linked elements Earth+Water (Fury) and Fire+Air (Tempest). If the Controller role means to control the battlefield, then the Geomancer is the very pinnacle, as they literally warp the terrain and alter the weather to provide him and his allies maximum benefit.
So, what do yall think of this group for elemental classes?
I really like the idea about using the tech stuff more. Something I’m curious about, which may make me look stupid here. I’ve heard confirms and denies and anything else under the sun about Dragonlance 4e. I’d really like to see that happen.
.-= Marc´s last blog ..lawlDnD: http://www.shapeways.com/model/60445/dice_set.html want. =-.
Great article and a list I agree with mostly.
With the game getting more mature, I’d like to see more ‘advanced’ stuff. How to break the game’s engine and rebuild it to do cool things. I’m thinking stuff like the Book of Nine Swords and incorporating some of the Indie game movement’s hottest new concepts into D&D.
Yeah, I’m kinda saying I’d like to see the stuff I’d like to write about 🙂
Welcome Man!
.-= ChattyDM´s last blog ..Keeping up with the PCs: Part 2, What Not to Do and Quick Fixes =-.
“Make Web Products More Webby”– this is one of my biggest complaints about DDI. I would love to be able to create characters, tweak monsters, and run adventures using only a web browser, without having to have software installed on my computer. The database is already online (in the compendium), so surely there must be a way to turn the Character Builder and Monster Builder into web apps…!
@patrick: I bet if they provided some info on the various table schemas and how they are supposed to interact the community response could get a crowd-sourced, java based web app up and running in no time. It might lose a few of the more extraneous features, or have limited viewing capacity (like you have to individually open up powers to get there detail specs, but if you know them pretty well could build from memory).
@marc: While I have definitely heard a community desire to see Dragonlance 4E, I’ve yet to see anything approaching official. There was a big ground swell for it last year after a WotC insider dropped the hint that the 2010 setting books were based on a property that started with ‘D’. Plus, also not 100% sure about issue of IP rights between WotC and Weiss and Hickman…
Have to agree on most counts.
I don’t think they’ll re-do MM1 (at least for a few years anyways), but what they _should_ do is MM2-ify the MM1 monsters in DDI.
Absolutely agree on flavour text. I really miss it especially in the monster descriptions.
Definitely with you on Dungeon Delve II and Unearthed Arcana. Like so many others, I’d buy those in a heartbeat. As a DM, I’ve used my copy of Dungeon Delve more than any other book outside the Core three.
What I’d also like to see is a Dungeon Delve creator Adventure Tools app. Nothing too complex – set a level and type (Underdark, Ruins, Wilderness, etc) and it builds a random one for you with Encounters that’s playable straight off the screen and also lists the Dungeon Tiles you’d need to put it on the table. Add boxes to add a plotline/summary, and you’re done.
Oh, and a Magic the Gathering Campaign Setting. It’s a crime that they haven’t yet released one – it would bring the two fanbases together and spawn new fans of both games with not a lot of effort. I predict this would be their best selling Campaign Setting, ever.
.-= greywulf´s last blog ..Building up Speed =-.
I like the idea of Unearthed Arcana 4e, and that could be a perfect place to publish stuff like the power math (I’ve personally heard reference to it in some seminars I’ve been at, like Restrained being worth 2 dice of damage.)
However, I also feel like all us bloggers have already sort of made that book 🙂
I wish they would publish PDF’s of their books and use that to update things like MM1.
I’ve added to my comments on my blog.
.-= Dean´s last blog ..What I want WotC to do in 2011 =-.
Wait, I only own the three core books, I am about to start a 4e campaign, and now I learn my Monster Manual is dated?
I guess I haven’t been paying attention to 4e news for awhile, but this is kind of annoying.
Christian K: It’s certainly playable, I ran a game right after the core came out. But for more fun, you’ll probably want to drop elite and solo defenses, and cut their HP by 1/4-5 and increase their damage proportionately.
Christian, the biggest “issue” with the first monster manual is the elites and solos. Personally, I don’t think the elites that bad, but many solos are just big bags of hit points without a lot to keep the fight interesting as it progresses (especially dragons, which is sad). The encounter turns into a grind where the players are clearly going to win, but they’re down to at-will powers so it takes a long time to burn through the last 30% of the solo monster’s hit points.
If you want a simple way to run a MM1 dragon (or other solo aside from beholders) and keep it interesting, give the monster a reactionary attack like the black dragon’s tail slap and/or threatening reach, give it a free attack against any PC that starts his/her turn within its reach, bump its damage up by a few points, and reduce its defenses and hit points by 2 points and 20-30%, respectively. This will let it die faster, but present a much greater challenge to the party before it does.
For dragons, I like to change their bloodied breath attacks from blast to burst, so they hit everyone nearby (though I go back to blast after the initial bloodied breath triggers). If your party imposes a lot of effects, it might not hurt to give the monster a way to mitigate some of them as well.
Radio Free Hommlet has an excellent discussion on the subject of solos in one of their recent podcasts that includes this and other advice and ideas. It’s called “Always Outnumbered, Sometimes Outgunned” or something like that, and I believe it’s episode 40 or 41.
Oddly, it’s the fluff text request that I find myself agreeing with the most.
Although there’s a part of me that considers reading fluff text aloud to be the mark of a new/bad DM, there’s another part of me that acknowledges that WotC’s fluff text is currently impressive. I’d love to have more of it to rely on in a pinch.
.-= Colmarr´s last blog ..SSTL 37: By the Fires of Creation =-.
@Colmarr: I think you may have hit upon something there. While adventures can definitely benefit from designated read aloud text, most other types of material is better left to more generic fluff text. But given the fantastic team of fluffers (snicker) they have over at WotC, they may do well to make some semi-read aloud text (like monster descriptions, or paragon path introductions, etc), or even let the crunch guys fine tune the mechanics, then let the fluff guys take an editing pass, so even the mechanics get a good deal more evocative (so long as they don’t obfuscate the true meaning of the feat, heh). Might also help prevent mix-ups or errors in play since every one would have a much clearer picture of what exactly is going on when that rule gets used.