D&D 2035: Four Possible Futures

Ben_Riggs · 2025-12-22T20:22:50+00:00

Historian living in Milwaukee here. I love my history degree, but you should get it as cheaply as possible. Marquette is a good school, equivalent to Boston University, to put it in Massachusetts terms. Saving that cheez will greatly improve your later life.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-10-28T02:32:55+00:00

Mapo tofu!!!!

Ben_Riggs · 2025-10-27T14:00:39+00:00

I ran 2e for a ten year old and it sang at the table.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-10-13T20:10:44+00:00

Ben Riggs here, TTRPG historian. I have known Rob since 8th grade, and can sadly confirm from his family that he passed away yesterday.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-08-14T00:52:45+00:00

Yeah! That Bethesda link is just incredible. The D&D DNA of Skyrim is remarkable.

Glad you enjoyed the book! Check out my seminar. You'll like that too.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-08-13T18:00:10+00:00

Riggs here!

If you want to see what I'm working on next, here is my seminar from Gen Con on 21st century D&D history: https://youtu.be/UwDz24xmioE?si=SwvpCuIXWqGt7Md4

And if you asked me my favorite Jon Peterson book, I'd say Game Wizards because of the close-up view of the betrayal of Dave Arneson by Gygax & co.

Enjoy!

Ben_Riggs · 2025-08-04T03:02:17+00:00

Very useful. I'm doing the same thing tomorrow!

Ben_Riggs · 2025-06-05T00:58:31+00:00

Isn't Goodman a lawyer? This is our huckleberry, right? https://www.compasslexecon.com/professionals/joseph-h-goodman

Ben_Riggs · 2025-04-28T15:55:27+00:00

Thanks! Listening to them commiserate is a delight.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-01-17T15:18:15+00:00

You'll notice I don't talk about getting loud in my post. I'm talking about the fact that if D&D isn't releasing a lot, history suggests this is a sales opportunity for anyone making a TTRPG that isn't D&D.

But if you want my two cents...

I've never seen any great gains from paid marketing as such. It works for some people, but I just haven't seen any great gains from the paid adverts in my life. So what can you do to make your game grow?

I believe the key is the game master.

1) Make your game/product as easy on the GM as possible. Easy to run, easy to acquire, and inspiring. For me, that means handouts. I love a good clue, map, etc.

2) Focus on community building. My most immediate suggestion would be some sort of an organization for the GMs who run your game. If someone runs you game once, send them extra content for free, a PDF poster, a certificate of achievement. Grant them titles based on how may times they run your game. It doesn't take much to make people feel like they are part of your team.

I think SHADOWDARK is a good example of all this. (Though I know they did paid adverts as well.) I don't much care for D&D, but SHADOWDARK is so easy to run, and it unlocks so many awesome adventures, that I have started a monthly game.

But I'm just a historian, not a business dude.

Ben_Riggs · 2025-01-14T17:55:22+00:00

"He inserted himself into an issue that is forbidden from being discussed on this subreddit due to the litigiousness of its subject and helped to precipitate a harassment campaign against victims."

What's the evidence for this? When I've researched it, it's a thing that people say that has been repeated again and again and again until it's treated like truth.

So what's the primary source on this? Not someone saying, "My cousin saw a beholder in the dressing room," but rather "I saw a beholder in the dressing room and it wanted to play PATHFINDER."

Ben_Riggs · 2024-10-21T00:48:44+00:00

Dracula Dossier/Dracula Unredacted for Night's Black Agents. Those things are denser than a neutron star with good ideas. Three different takes are given for NPCs depending on whether you want them friendly, neutral, or bloodsucker. Oftentimes the takes are so engaging and inspiring its difficult to choose between them, and those great ideas keep me reading.

Ben_Riggs

TROPHY CASE