You've just taken over WotC, what do you do?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I can see that. I just sometimes feel there is this imaginary tug of war going on within the general RPG community.

In Europe and the English-speaking world (I can't speak for anyone else), we are definitely at a cultural inflection point, driven in part by communities of all sorts finding each other via the internet. Sometimes that's political groups, other times it's LGBT or other groups of people who, in the past, often felt like they were all alone.

Emboldened by finding their communities, they're speaking out and demanding to be heard. This is naturally a shock to everyone else, who assumed Groups X and Y were either almost mythical or lost to the distant past.

So we're having a big tug of war generally, in multiple directions. It's likely to go on for another decade or so, judging by the cultural inflection points of the 20th century.

And yeah, that is definitely reflected in pop culture, including the RPG scene.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I d become the leader in the new world of open source D&D.

I’d offer access to internal developers to C7 and KBP and other clone makers. Not to design for them not to answer questions or give insight.

I’d make One D&D THE open source version of D&D.

I’d double down on making books full of WotC owned IP that isn’t CC.

Move forward on the digital side as Kyle presented it and lean on proven software already out there, that DnDBeyond 2d table top would get released asap. And still work in the 3D one focused in getting it in steam and on phones and consoles. Still with the third party stuff as below.

I’d invite third parties into DnDBeyond. Even with outside markets for it like in the DMsGuild or itch.

I would restart D&D encounters world wide with emphasis on in store play and support to teach DMs. But also supporting conventions and other locales.

This is a pretty good list, man.

Getting the itch.io folks in the mix would be amazing, because it would instantly blow open the doors on how D&D is perceived and dramatically expand what the game can be. I don't think most itch.io creators would be in any hurry to be on D&D Beyond, but enough would, and that number would likely grow over time.

And for the love of god, buy an existing vtt as your starting point, WotC! You should have something up before the end of the calendar year. 2-D will be fine for a long time.

The only thing I'd add to this list is that Hasbro should strongly consider buying HeroForge.

 

[Scribe]

Take it private.

Absolutely, step 1.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

My thread on this topic (understandably but regrettably) got shut down, so I'll reformat it in a more preferable way.

Travis Henry, President of D&D.
​

There are three tiers of action I'd take as "President of D&D":

• Tier 1: Corporate/Structural Actions (e.g. spinning off the D&D RPG Studio as a separate B-Corp and/or Purpose Trust)
• Tier 2: Mid-Level Actions (e.g. Open licenses, DMs Guild)
• Tier 3: Design/Product Actions (e.g. D&D 7e, very-high quality compendium products, with academic-quality research; )

Tier One Changes: Corporate/Structural Actions:

These would be actions taken by Hasbro C-suite. (e.g. Chris Cocks and the Hasbro Board of Directors...and me, "President of D&D"):

First off, here is why I would take these drastic actions: Hasbro killed the golden goose. Hasbro dis-enchanted the D&D cultural dream. Hasbro burned to the ground 23 years of goodwill. I honestly feel that associations with Hasbro and WOTC are irredeemably tainted...and that shame-tinged emotional associations among consumers will continue for decades. (For example, just last night, I showed a player a D&D mug a friend had given me right before the OGL-debacle; but after I showed it, I felt a twinge of "shame"--like I was promoting Hasbro flunkey shtfuff.)

But if Hasbro/WOTC spun off the D&D RPG Studio as an independent entity, then the D&D culture..the D&D identity…the D&D lifestyle…would have the emotional space to become re-enchanted…to come back to life.

But, I would have Hasbro keep the rights to make D&D-branded films, computer programs, and D&D lifestyle merch.

So, I'm proposing differentiating the assets of D&D into two entities:

1) The D&D TTRPG Studio, which would be divested from Hasbro. This entity would own the D&D tabletop pencil & paper RPG. (Including paper RPG books, PDF RPG books, miniatures rules) There are a number of models for how this entity could be divested and embodied.

2) D&D Media Properties (aka D&D Media Holdings), which would remain a division of Hasbro. D&D Media Properties would retain the exclusive rights to produce and sub-license D&D-branded films, virtual tabletops, computer games, and lifestyle merchandise. These kind of endeavors are where a large corporation can shine—a big corporation does have the resources to make this kind of cool stuff.

As for how the D&D TTRPG Studio could be divested. As "President of D&D", I'd ask for your feedback, and I would also be talking closely with the larger creators and stakeholders in the TTRPG community. These are the models I'd consider:

1) The B-Corp model: Divesting and incorporating the D&D RPG Studio as a B-Corp, headed by the existing creative team. Here are some draft ideas of what I'd be aiming for: Though distinct corporations, there would be a perpetual, irrevocable, and mutual right of the two "D&D companies" (the RPG Studio and Hasbro's D&D Media Holdings) to use each others' creations within their own field of work. For example, the D&D TTRPG Studio would be forever free to use our Hasbro D&D films and television shows to produce RPG content off of that IP (e.g. an RPG sourcebook that ties into each movie). And likewise, Hasbro would remain forever free to make D&D films, VTTs, computer games, and lifestyle merch using all D&D Studio IP (e.g. to make a movie based on any adventure or worldbook). No further permissions would be required. They wouldn't even have to coordinate with each other, though it would be mutually-profittable and sensible if they did (e.g. the Media Holdings share film images with the RPG Studio for use in their film-sourcebook).

The mutual supportiveness of this relationship would be ensured by a perpetual and irrevocable royalty scheme, whereby both entities give, say, 10% of their revenues to the other. The royalty amount (income-sharing) would of an equal percentage both ways.

This would be an unusual but doable legal regime--kind of like how the makers of the Star Fleet Battles game have an irrevocable right to make games based off of certain elements from the original Star Trek series. But, in the case of the two D&D companies, the regime would be comprehensive and mutual.

Most of the product categories are pretty clear:

• Hasbro's "D&D Media Holdings" would retain the "big hardware" items: films, television shows, computer programs (video games and VTTs), and manufactured commodities (plush toys, action figures, etc.)
• The newly independent "D&D RPG Studio" would retain the actual RPG. Designing and publishing the pencil & paper game: its paper books, PDF books, skirmish/mass combat/miniatures rules, and game aids.

But some categories don't fit clearly into either: novels and short fiction, Endless Quest gamebooks, audio books, video shorts, in-house actual play videos, miniatures production (and sublicensing, e.g. to WizKids), boardgames, and cardgames. And what about online character builders for the paper & pencil RPG?

Either the categories would be fully divvied out in complete clarity, or, in some cases, perhaps both entities would retain a right to produce (and sub-license) in the same category, so there could even be friendly "competition" between the two entities in this regard. In the same way that there have been Star Fleet Universe ship-combat games and Star Trek Universe ship-combat games in production at the same time.

Those questions and provisions would also apply to options #2, #3, or #4 below.

2) The Patagonia model. A B-Corp, but with the ownership divvied into two entities: 1) a D&D Purpose Trust, and 2) a D&D Charity Collective. However, who would make up and manage these two entities is as yet unclear, since unlike WOTC's D&D Game Studio, Patagonia was, and still is, stewarded by a single family.

3) The Non-Profit model. Transferring the D&D Game Studio (and ownership of the RPG itself) to a Non-Profit Organization.

4) Selling the D&D RPG Studio to an existing TTRPG company with a better track record of devotion to the pencil & paper tabletop RPG culture, such as Paizo or Kobold Press.

5) If I failed to enact one of those options, then I would close Hasbro's D&D RPG Studio, and instead gift the D&D TTRPG brand to all 3PPs and the wider community—but in regard to RPG production only. This option would involve releasing not only the SRD, but also the D&D brand itself into some sort of commons license. In that case, I would seek out an existing license which enables Hasbro to let go of all rights within a certain medium only: namely, TTRPG production (paper, PDF, and other closely associated mediums). I would then also revise Hasbro's D&D Trademark so that it does not apply to RPG products. In this option, there would be no single "successor" corporation which holds the D&D TTRPG; rather, any and all companies (such as Paizo and Kobold Press, and you yourself) would be free to brand themselves as "Dungeons & Dragons." The crème would rise to the top. Hasbro would continue to benefit from this creative ferment, by creating films, computer programs, and lifestyle merch with the D&D brand, for which we would retain exclusive ownership in those fields of production. This option would possibly involve either mothballing One D&D, or selling off the One D&D progress so far to another company. We would also wish to facilitate the transition of the design team to other workplaces.

Which of these five options do you prefer and why? Do you have an even better idea?

As "President of D&D", with regard to Hasbro (an entity which have no great love for), I'm seeking a future where:

1) The shame which Hasbro marked on the D&D brand is healed.

2) You go see Hasbro's D&D movies and television shows, and buy some of our cool D&D merch.

3) You let us Hasbro off of your lifetime boycott.


Tier Two Changes: Mid-Level Actions:

It would take at least six months to divest the D&D RPG Studio. In the meantime, as President of D&D, I would not sit around like a lame duck. I would show you how the creatives on the D&D Studio team, in cooperation with the higher-ups at WOTC, would step up and offer healing actions toward the shared D&D / Tabletop RPG cultural ecosystem. These actions will go into effect over the course of the next six months:

1. I'd add the "irrevocable" wording to the OGL1.0, to make OGL1.0b.
2. I'd also release the 5.1 SRD under the ORC license. Even though I haven't even seen the ORC draft yet, I'd be committed to "re-joining the party" in this way. We trust in our colleagues at Paizo, and in the ORC Alliance, to craft a wonderful, robust, inspiring license.
3. I would release the 3.0 SRD, 3.5 SRD, d20 Modern SRD, and the 4E SRD and Revised 4E SRD (limited though they are) into all three open licenses: OGL1.0b, Creative Commons, and the ORC license.
4. All editions of D&D will be allowed on DMs Guild. I'd have some clear tags; for example, all titles would start with a bracketed tag as to what edition they're for: [OD&D], [Holmes BASIC], [1e], [Moldvay/Cook B/X], [1.5e UA], [BECMI], [2e], [Classic RC/WotI] (“Classic D&D” Black/Tan Box/Rules Cyclopedia/Wrath of the Immortals), [2.5e Options], [3.0e], [3.5e], [4e], [4.5e Essentials/Rules Compendium], [5e], [5.2e]. I mean, if WOTC had done this years ago, they could have directly profitted from the Old School Renaissance. They still can.
5. I'd ditch the name "One D&D." It's now ruined with associations with the "One Ring" of Sauron. I'd lower expectations, and call it "D&D 5.2e." Nothing says "backwards compatibility" more than a drab name like "5.2."
6. In indirect support of the all-editions DMs Guild ecosystem, I'd slap together an SRD for each of the older editions, and release those via OGL1.0b, CC, and ORC. We're committed to getting that done within six months.
7. All worlds of D&D will be opened to DMs Guild. (For example, Greyhawk, Nerath, Mystara, Dark Sun, and Birthright.) We are not waiting for the release of some future worldbooks. We'll ask you to help us identify obscure worlds and mini-settings which can also be explicitly included, such as Council of Wyrms, Ghostwalk, Thunder Rift, and Jakandor.
8. All of the Classics PDFs will be changed to pay-what-you-will. And we will grant special, irrevocable permission for Internet Archive to host them as well.
9. I would initiate a partnership program for restatting the D&D Classic PDFs in other game systems. As a way of lucratively raising all ships, including WOTC's. Though I would "give away" the Classic PDFs as they were originally statted, I would provide newly profitable versions of them in this way: through a cooperative effort with many TTRPG companies (large, medium, and small), I would gradually have the D&D Classics re-scanned, reformatted, and recreated using modern publishing software. These refurbished versions would then be made available to other publishers for converting to other TTRPG systems, with their own statblocks, and other essential mechanical re-workings (e.g. rebalancing of encounters according to each RPG system, etc.). Their versions of the PDFs would retain the storyline, lore, artwork, and font, but the pagination might change due different sizes of stat-boxes and other re-workings. The conversion work would be done by those companies, and they would receive a generous portion of the proceeds. WOTC would also benefit from royalties, and by furthering interest in the D&D brand / lifestyle / mass media. A group who plays Savage Worlds in the World of Greyhawk (using converted SW WOG Classic PDFs) are more likely to be interested in D&D films, television shows, and lifestyle merch. It's a win-win-win situation.

Here are just a few of many examples of publishers I'd invite to participate in the D&D Classics Conversion Project (in no particular order):

1. Paizo: D&D Classics for Pathfinder 2E.
2. Goodman Games: D&D Classics for Dungeon Crawl Classics.
3. Kobold Press: D&D Classics for Black Flag <Core Fantasy>.
4. Monte Cook Games: D&D Classics for Cypher System.
5. Green Ronin: D&D Classics for AGE.
6. Pinnacle Entertainment Group: D&D Classics for Savage Worlds.
7. Cubicle 7: D&D Classics for C7d20.
8. Necrotic Gnome: D&D Classics for Old School Essentials.
9. Level9: D&D Classics for MAZES.
10. Gold Piece Publications: D&D Classics for The Black Hack.
11. Runehammer Games: D&D Classics for The Index Card RPG.
12. Goblinoid Games: D&D Classics for Labyrinth Lord.
13. Chris Gonnerman: D&D Classics for Basic Fantasy.
14. Finch & Marshal: D&D Classics for OSRIC.
15. Troll Lord Games: D&D Classics for Castles & Crusades.
16. Steve Jackson Games: D&D Classics for GURPS.
17. Hero Games: D&D Classics for Hero System.
18. Chaosium: D&D Classics for Basic Roleplaying.
19. Mongoose Publishing: D&D Classics for Legend.
20. Modiphius: D&D Classics for 2d20.
21. Fandom: D&D Classics for Cortex.
22. Free League: D&D Classics for Year Zero Engine.
23. Flying Buffalo: D&D Classics for Tunnels & Trolls.
24. ENWorld Publishing: D&D Classics for Level Up, for WOIN, and for Simply6! (Note: A company that supports multiple game systems would be free to do various versions of the PDFs. As long as they put in the effort, they're free to do that!)

There could also be niche publishers who focus only on certain settings within the D&D Multiverse, for example:

1. Chaosium converting the Cormyr (2e) PDF for the Pendragon system, as the Forgotten Realm's equivalent of Arthurian Britain.
2. Legend of the Five Rings conversion of classic Kara-Tur PDFs.

It's all D&D. There's no better way to show real love for the TTRPG ecosystem as a whole, than to open the D&D Multiverse setting as mutual revenue stream for companies of all sizes to dip into, as they will.

(For part 3 of my post, see below.)

 

[Dungeonosophy]

(Continued from above.)

Tier 3: Design/Product Actions:

As "President of D&D", this is the approach I'd make to the product line:

1. As I said above, I'd dial down the hype and rename "One D&D", as the more right-sized and humble "D&D 5.2." I'd let this stably roll along.
2. Different playstyles in D&D (e.g. ultra-crunchy/simulationist vs. ultra-lite/math-lite/narrative/freeform) would begin to be met by the re-statting of D&D Classics PDFs into other (non-WOTC) systems as mentioned above (PF2, Index Card RPG, Savage Worlds, FATE, Apocalypse Engine, etc.) We would have access to their D&D Classics Conversions' sales numbers, and so we'd know what playstyle trends to tap into for future editions or D&D variants. If any of these were radically successful, I'd have sales numbers (and royalties) to justify a more intensive collaboration, whereby even new D&D books which are just coming out, would simultaneously be published in those rules sets. (e.g. PF2-statted D&D releases.) As long as it's lucrative for us both, then why not?
3. Besides D&D 5.2e, I'd begin development on a totally new edition (D&D7e). I'd skip "6e", since many people refer to the maligned OneD&D as "6e"; D&D 5.2 would be that. D&D 7e would have these design goals:
4. D&D 7e would NOT be compatible with 5e.
5. In 7e, every single trait/feature/ability of every race/lineage, background/kit, and class/subclass ever published by TSR/WOTC, every skill/proficiency, every feat, every spell, every piece of equipment, every magic item, every monster ever published, would be incorporated into the game from the start. This would require a huge feat of "scholarship" on our part. But that's what quality is about! It would all be footnoted or endnoted, documenting the textual source of each feature. (I look to @Echohawk 's Monster ENcyclopedia as an example!)
6. 7e would be digestible, in a hygenic way. You'd start off with no more than three traits/features/spells. You'd gain one feature per Level Increment. You'd gain a Level Increment at the end of every Session. Every ten (or maybe twelve) Increments (i.e. ten or twelve Sessions of play), you'd gain a Level, which is where you'd gain an Ability Boots and Hit Points.
7. In 7e, you'd be free to multi-species and multi-class at any time. The powers/traits/features would be listed in "power trees" which recreate each species and class (as synthesized from all editions). But at any time, you could take a first level power in that tree, and start to work your way up that power tree.
8. Though a group could choose "bean counting" modularities (e.g. XP, counting the GP and encumbrance of each piece of equipment), the baseline way of dealing with these would be "no bean counting". e.g. gain a Level Increment after every Session.

7e product series:

1. In 7e, the core product line would consist of a Basic Game/Starter Set, a 7e Rules Compendium (combined PHB/DMG, including only the core species and classes, core spells/skills/feats/gear, and covering all the rules situations ever covered in any edition), and Monster Manual I (containing all, and only, the monsters which are found in the core monster books of each previous edition).
2. Beyond that, the 7e product line would consist of a massive series of hardback compendiums:
3. Species Handbook (multivolume). All the PC races/lineages ever published. Including the 3e Savage Species monster PCs with Equivalent Levels, BECMI Creature Crucible PC monsters, and 3.5e racial paragons, all folded into 7e stats.
4. Class Handbook (multivolume). All classes, subclasses, kits, and backgrounds ever published. In 7e, all Kits/Backgrounds would be folded into their synonymous or essentially synonymous Classes. E.g. the features of the 5e Knight Background would be folded into the features of 1.5e Cavalier Class, 3e Knight Class, 4E Knight Class, etc., to make the 7e Knight Class.
5. Arms & Equipment Guide (multivolume). All the D&D weapons, armor, and gear ever published.
6. Skills & Feats Compendium. All the proficiencies, skills, and feats ever published in any D&D book. There were, historically many, many different skills (e.g. AD&D non-weapon proficiences, BECMI GAZ skills, Rules Cyclopedia skills) -- all this flavor has been collapsed and genericized in recent editions. In 7e, this flavor would be returned via skill trees and/or skill focuses.
7. Spell Compendium (multivolume). All the D&D spells ever published. Would include known verbal components, as heard in D&D novels. e.g. “Shirak!” = Light spell. And also known somatic components, e.g. as depicted in the recent D&D Rock, Paper, Wizards card game, or as described in novels.
8. Encyclopedia Magica: The Book of Marvellous Magic (multivolume). All the magic items ever published.
9. Monster Manual: A Creature Catalogue and Monstrous Compendium (multivolume). All the D&D monsters ever published.
10. Manual of the Planes (multivolume). All the planes, demi-planes, dimensions, and realities (i.e. edition-based/rules-based lenses, from an in-world perspective) ever published.
11. Worldbuilders Guide. Containing all of the random worldbuilding charts from the 2e Worldbuilders Guide and 2e Spelljammer Planetology books. Along with a systematic way of building a world, starting from a local sandbox adventures.
12. Cultural Adventures (multivolume). Split into more granular cultures (i.e. China = one book; Japan = one book; Korea = one book, etc.) All of the lead designers and artists for each volume would be representatives of that real-world culture. Includes a "gamer glossary" for all of the species, classes, equipment, spells, magic items, and monsters, translating those into the key language(s) of that culture. You can see my research on the Earth-parallel cultures of the D&D Multiverse (here), where I started to gather a (still very incomplete!) list of all the real-world cultural motifs which can be found in D&D.
13. Deities & Demigods: Legends & Lore of the Gods of the D&D Multiverse: 7e stats for all the gods of the D&D Multiverse.
14. Immortals Rules: Divine Ascension. Extends the PHB to cosmic-level play. Folds in all of the powers from Gold Box, Wrath of the Immortals, and divine-level rules from later editions.
15. Rogues Gallery/Shady Dragon Inn: D&D's version of the "Who's Who in the DC Universe" series. Includes a one or two-page bio, statblock, and illustration of all the iconic characters from all the worlds. Morgan Ironwolf, Aleena, Bargle, Drizzt, Elminster, Mordenkainen, Regdar (and all the 3e iconics), the characters from the novels, etc. Gives names, world-specific bios, and stats to all of the unnamed characters seen in illustrations found in all editions. (Some of these from the 2e era were probably named in obscure Spellfire cards.)
16. Again, if it was justifyable from a business perspective, I'd facilitate the conversion (or even simultaneous production) of some or all of those Compendiums into other lucrative rules-systems (e.g. our own 5.2e, PF2, etc.)
17. Besides those rulebooks, I'd publish these rules-free, system-agnostic, coffee-table-sized books:
18. Atlas of the D&D Multiverse. (multivolume) Including: 1) a map of the Multiverse, showing the location of all the planes and deific dominions (and dimensions, realities, etc.) ever mentioned; 2) a map of how the named D&D worlds are located in the astral sea and/or phlogiston and/or galaxy (depending on which edition-based Reality we're speaking of), and a world map of all of the D&D Worlds. For those worlds which don't have a complete world map, I'd get the map filled out by gosh! Let's drawn in some continents, so that we know what we're seeing when our Spelljammer ship arrives! Further volumes of the series would cover each world in detail, down to local maps and buildings interiors, like Karen Wynn Fonstad's (RIP) lovely atlases. Also, all of the "generic" (unplaced) adventures ever published would be official placed on the map of some world or another, such as the key world of their edition. Adventures which had suggested placements in multiple worlds, would be located in all of those worlds, as uncannily parallel fragments of the First World.
19. Grand History of the D&D Multiverse (multivolume): A chronology / timeline of all the D&D worlds. I'd synchronize all of their calendars in a scientific way, taking into account that some have years longer or short than 365 days. (I'm well aware that the 5e timeline is basically a rebooted alternate timeline, compared to the Legacy timeline. And that the 4e timeline may be distinct as well. This would all be taken into account by alternate realities, etc. It would all be laid out.)
20. Eye of the Beholder: Art of the D&D Multiverse (coffee-table book series + online database): A searchable collection of all the D&D art and illustrations ever published. With a geographic tag showing where and when the scene took place in D&D atlas and timeline. Intended to be used as a resource for showing illustrations to players during an adventure.
21. Comprehend Languages: The Languages of the D&D Multiverse (multivolume): A phrasebook, glossary, and basic grammar of all of the core languages of the Multiverse. The glossary for each language gives their name for all of the species, classes, gear, spells and spell commands words, monsters, etc. The phrasebook would include key phrases used in battle, parley, and gear shopping. Affirms the fantasy linguistic principle (as found in 2e Planescape), that all of the Common languages of the core worlds are actually the same language (they developed in uncanny parallel via divine influence). Uses the Thorass Script as the actual Common script of the Multiverse, which is only translated by TSR/WOTC editors into the English Roman Alphabet (or other earthly Language of Translation). Affirms that the other core languages (e.g. Elvish, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Orcish, Primordial, etc.) are essentially the same across the Multiverse, though there may be some "local flavor words." Would include a phonetically systematic way of slightly altering those languages in order to represent their “dialects” (e.g. Aquan variety of Primordial, Dryad variety of Sylvan, and the many other species languages which were considered to be distinct languages in earlier editions.) Also, the various alphabets (including Auld Gnomish and Hin Runes from BECMI GAZes), and how to write them letter-by-letter (English Alphabet Mode), or phonetically/phonemically (Phonetic Mode). I'd research the D&D books (incl. novels) for each and every word any any D&D language. Also addresses Alignment Languages which exist in some realities.

I'd make all sorts of agreements which bring forth worldbooks for D&D worlds which have only been glimpsed in official publications so far:

1. Gary Gygax's and Dave Arneson's Great Kingdom. The OD&D-era, pre-WOG continent map(s) were very different.
2. Rob Kuntz's World of Kalibruhn
3. Jeff Grubb's World of Toricandra, the OD&D source of the gods of Dragonlance, and of the name of the planet of the Forgotten Realms.
4. Tom Moldvay, Lawrence Schick, and Bill Wilkerson's Original Known World, the shared world of Akron, Kent State, and Cleveland, Ohio, c.1976. The OD&D source of the World of Mystara. As reported in ENWorld news, I met with Bill in Akron, Ohio during a snowstorm, and scanned Tom's Moldvay's hand written and hand-typed campaign notes, which Shannon Appelcline then reformatted into the OKW PDF booklet.
5. Francois Froideval's Empire of Lynn: The Black Moon Chronicles of Southwestern Oerik.
6. Frank Mentzer's Continent of Aquaria. (May be unfeasible due to social fallout. Maybe amends could be facilitated.)
7. John Eric Holmes' and Chris Holmes' Globe of Peril: The BASIC World of the Boinger and Zereth Stories, 1977-1980. Name provisionally coined by me from the phrase "Humans and non-humans from all over the globe meet here." (at the Green Dragon Inn) Holmes BASIC, p.41...plus the Tales of Peril: Complete Boinger and Zereth Stories book, which I've read and heartily recommend. Thus world does have a couple of Greyhawk placename references, and so may or may not correspond with, or overlap with, OD&D Oerth or Folio Oerth. I've corresponded some with Chris Holmes, JEH's son about this.
8. Gary Gygax's World of Ærth. WOTC reportedly owns this world due to TSR's successful litigation of Gary Gygax.
9. Stephen D. Sullivan's World of Illion, including Narrion and the Land Surrounding from "The Pit of the Oracle" AD&D Module in DRAGON Magazine (1980), of the Enchanted Lands of the Marvel/DC D&D Comic Strips (1981-1982), and of The Twilight Empire: Robinson’s War Comics from DRAGON Magazine (1990-1994). I've spoken with Steve at length, and he affirms that these various facets are located in the same world. (See conversations here and here.)
10. Bill Willingham's World of Ironwood: the Epic Illustrated Series of D&D Comic Strips (1981-1982) and the Eros Comix Series (1991-1996). It’s adult-themed though.
11. Tom Moldvay and Zeb Cook's B/X World of the Continent, 1981-1982. There are implications that this is really a distinct world from later (Mentzerian and Heardian) iterations of Urt or Mystara. Moldvay’s Atruaghin Clans were Scottish Gaels, and Principality of Glantri was Welsh. Ierendi was Ireland (not Hawai’i).
12. Frank Mentzer's BECMI Age of Magic / The Realm of Man / World of Urt / Atlantis / Pangaean Jurassic Earth, 1983-1986. This is really a different world and timeline than Bruce Heard's World of Mystara, with a very different cosmology and planetary configuration.
13. The Realm of the D&D Cartoon Show, 1983-1985. There are two sticker maps of this world.
14. Mike Grey's Motherland: The World of the LJN AD&D Action Figures and of the Fantasy Forest boardgame and gamebooks. This world was named and mapped by Mike Grey in personal correspondence with myself. (unpublished)
15. Rose Este's QuestWorld: The World of the Endless Quest, Super Endless Quest, and HeartQuest gamebooks. In personal correspondence, Rose Estes picked out a name and world map for this world. (unpublished) The Endless Quest gamebooks (except for those which are set on a specific world, such as Krynn) are located in a leminiscate shape starting from the center of the world map, going clockwise, evenly spaced, with last game book being near the world center. The recent Endless Quest books are not part of this world since they're explicitly located in the Forgotten Realms.
16. The World of Pelinore: The house setting of TSR UK's IMAGINE Magazine. Like all TSR UK publications, has exceptionally well-crafted black & white line art. And an unusual cosmology: a flat world, surrounded by numimous gray mists on all sides.
17. The Dream Land of Symslvch: The World of the Hebrew Companion Modules (HCM1 & HCM2), 1991
18. Colin McComb's Thunder Rift: The Valley of Adventure. The dimensional gateway to the Known World is described as leading to another world. Which implies that it's its own world, not part of Mystara.
19. Douglas Niles' World of Karawenn. Seen in the First Quest novels. The novels do say that it's its own world. Not part of Mystara.
20. William John Wheeler's and Peter L. Rice's Islandia Campaign. BX1: The Islandia Campaign was advertised, and a cover mockup was posted, but it was vaporware.
21. Bruce Cordell's World of Neverness. The implied setting of several late AD&D 2e books.
22. James Wyatt's World of Pharagos. And other worlds of James Wyatt's which were glimpsed in WOTC books and magazine articles in the 3e era.
23. Chris Pramas' Dragon Fist: The World of Tianxia
24. Chris Pramas' The Sundered Empire of Northwestern Oerik
25. Chris Perkins' World of Iomandra.
26. I'd make perpetual agreements with as many Appendix N literary estates that I could, allowing for us to reference those worlds as being part of the D&D Multiverse, irrevocably. (e.g. Lankhmar)
27. I'd publish the second-place winner of the WOTC Setting Search (which placed second after Eberron).

Other bits n' bobbles:

1. I'd do another Setting Search contest.
2. Maybe, just to switch it up, use the 1e MotP name for the Multiverse...the Polyverse. The D&D Polyverse.
3. I'd let Goodman Games do as many Original Adventures Reincarnated books as they wanted. And I'd support those just like any other storyline. (In contrast, in present-day WOTC, the Reincarnated modules weren't included in D&D Beyond, and weren't listed as 5E Storylines at DMs Guild)
4. I'd give Shawn Stanley (webmaster of the Vaults of Pandius, the Official Mystara Fansite) permission to post Jeff Grubb's 2e Mystara Worldbook manuscript, which Shawn has in hand. TSR's squelching of this document was the reason Jeff left TSR. I was the person who mounted the petition for WOTC to allow Shawn to post it. As far as I can tell, someone at WOTC gave Shawn a green light to post it, and then when WOTC saw the news report on ENWorld, another person at WOTC put out a stop order, for some unknown (probably lame) reason.
5. I'd scan and post all the "lost" works (e.g. 3e City of Sin) and draft notes which are sitting around the WOTC vaults and filing cabinets. If there needs to be some lucrative justification, they could be sold for a few dollars on DTRPG.
6. I'd reaffirm the existence of the Official Fansites for each world. I.e. Beyond the Moons (Spelljammer), Birthright.Net, Vaults of Pandius (Mystara), The Burnt World of Athas (Dark Sun), and Secrets of the Kargatane (Ravenloft; archived). And link to them via the official D&D website, like Jim Butler did back in the early 2000s.
7. I'd invite everyone who was ever credited in any D&D product to be a member of a D&D Legacy Council. Everyone from big names (like Ryan Dancey, Lisa Stevens, Monte Cook, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Eric Mona, Ed Greenwood, Chris Pramas, Lawrence Schick, Steve Winter, Rob Heinsoo, Zeb Cook, and R.A. Salvatore) to persons who were only credited for one little tidbit in one D&D book. It would be a symbolic cultural body, with its own website, featuring a bio page for each member, including promotional links to their present-day endeavors. Though a symbolic body, it would have an informally elected leadership, and would serve as the voice of the D&D legacy.
8. I'd apologize and make amends for the ugly racial aspects of GAZ10: The Orcs of Thar. See my newest research here: "Hasbro's Asian Yellow Orcs, Native American Red Orcs, and Black Orcs: A Research Document and a Course of Action" (PDF; February 13th, 2023)
9. I'd do the same thing for other problematic D&D Classics (e.g. Oriental Adventures). There's only so many wrong things. They can be identified, apologized for, and concretely amended via a Web Enhancement which is bundled with the PDF.
10. [Edit add on: Coins of the D&D Multiverse Kickstarter. Potentially covers all the known coinage of all the known nations in the Multiverse. e.g. various steel pieces from Krynn, Chinese-style Shou coinage, etc.]

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Id also get political agendas out of my company and run it politically neutral, but morally positive.

This doesn’t exist.

“politically neutral” is just implicitly supportive of the status quo, and and the status quo is mortally negative.

 

[Zardnaar]

This doesn’t exist.

“politically neutral” is just implicitly supportive of the status quo, and and the status quo is mortally negative.

Pretty much and in most companies it's virtually impossible to run them morally once you get to a certain size.

Even a few of the "good ones" fail at labour practices or something.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Added my "corporate mug shot" as President of D&D, to my comprehensive vision: OGL - You've just taken over WotC, what do you do?

Also added: Coins of the D&D Multiverse Kickstarter. (See description above.)

Chris Cocks, you know where to reach me! hehe

 

[bedir than]

I'd increase the blogging, the social cadence of the creators about what they're doing -- I'd have the people making the product be in touch with the community again. I'd also make my product's social be less about trending jokes and more about the actual product.

That's it, because that's all the big corporate experience I have.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Added my "corporate mug shot" as President of D&D, to my comprehensive vision: OGL - You've just taken over WotC, what do you do?

Also added: Coins of the D&D Multiverse Kickstarter. (See description above.)

Chris Cocks, you know where to reach me! hehe

Love the thought you put into your changes to be made, including the mug shot! Not sure if I agree with everything, but also got a bit glazy eyed at the tl;dr

But I liked most of what I read!

Agree with others though - what's one person's "political stuff we shouldn't talk about or acknowledge" is another person's direct identity and everyday life.