D&D Next Next

So, WOTC has announced that the next version of D&D will come out in 2024, ten years after 5e was released.  From what they're saying, the new version will be 100% compatible with 5e, making it more of a 5.5 than a brand new edition.  

Ten years is a pretty good run for a D&D edition.  Third only went three years before 3.5 came out, and 4e came out five years after that.  Hopefully 5.5 will be strong enough to last at least another decade.

To me, the longevity of a system's rules is one of the most important factors.  When you ask your friends to play Monopoly, nobody ever replies, "You mean Monopoly 3.5 or 5e?"  And really, that's what I want for D&D.  I want a set of rules that lasts for so long, that it just becomes "D&D".  D&D 5e had that sort of potential from the start, with its extra-long playtest and the "bounded accuracy" keeping the numbers in check.  Now that they've had 10 years of errata, tweaks, and customer complaints, I'm hoping that 5.5 is strong enough to keep D&D the most recognizable name in tabletop RPGs.

I don't care if it outshines other RPGs.  Different RPGs are better at different things, and that's great!  D&D doesn't need to be the best RPG, it just needs to be the most accessible.  Let people start with D&D, then move on to other systems once they know which aspects of tabletop RPGs are their favorite.  People who want more crunch can try X.  People who want even fewer rules can try Y.  People who want a system more optimized for sci-fi, westerns, or modern eras can try Z.  

In this role, D&D could actually benefit all tabletop RPGs, by bringing new people to the hobby.  And honestly, I think they tried to do that with 5e.  By simplifying the rules, and making an abridged version of the rules free on their website, they pulled in a lot of new players who might not have tried it otherwise.  D&D has experienced a boom in the last decade, and while I know there were other factors (such as Stranger Things, and the general mainstreaming of geek culture), I do think 5e's simplicity was a big draw.

So what do I want to see in the new version?  Frankly, I'm not the best person to ask.  My ideas for RPGs are all over the place, and I have no idea how to make one that appeals to the masses.  So let's start with the obvious:  Integrate all the errata from the past decade, address the most common complaints, incorporate the new stat bonus rules presented in Tasha's, and put a better version of the Ranger in the PHB.

Beyond that, I want 5.5 designed in a way that appeals to newcomers more than the old guard.  Experienced gamers already know about Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, and a thousand other RPGs.  If they're not satisfied with D&D 5.5 (and let's face it, they won't be), they already know what games they're going to play instead.  While 5e tried to appease everyone by offering alternate rules all over the place, this time I think the alternate rules should be confined to the DM's guide.

I want Standard Array to be the default way to generate stats.  I just heard some of you groan, but hear me out.  Point buy and rolling stats would still be listed in the DM's guide as valid alternate rules.  But Standard Array is the simplest way to generate stats.  It could still list a couple of alternate arrays for those who want a more specialized character, and those who want more average numbers across the board.  I would also like stat bonuses to be tied to class or background instead of race.  The Tasha variant is fine, but it feels like a patch.  

I want them to at least attempt to future proof their language.  "Race" should now be called heritage or ancestry or something along those lines.  Look, I don't personally think "race" is a dirty word; in fact I think the word makes more sense the way D&D uses it than the way real life uses it.  But it is a politically-charged word, and it already was so before 5e hit the shelves, so WOTC has no excuse for ignoring trends.  If they change it in 5.5, there will be some grumbling from grognards, but newcomers won't care.  And newcomers are the future of the hobby.

This won't happen, but I want books divided by category.  Instead of splatbooks that contain 8 new subclasses, 4 new races, 20 new monsters, and some lore, I want a book of races, a book of subclasses, and so on.  

I'd like the Bard to have a specific "Bard Song" feature by default, or at least have a subclass in the PHB with that feature.  Just a song they can sing, instead of Bardic Inspiration, that gives a small buff to one ore more members of the party.  See the "Battle Hymn" feature in the EN Publishing's "Level Up" playtest for an example of this.  I love Bards, but 5e's version never felt Bardy enough for me. 

I want more app integration.  Apps are probably the future of tabletop RPGs.  I don't want to have to pay for the physical book and then buy it again on D&D Beyond.  Have each copy of the PHB include a sealed envelope with an online code inside.  

Beyond that, I think 5e is a perfectly lovely system, and I'm looking forward to the updated version.  I hope they didn't shoot themselves in the foot by announcing the update so early.  Early announcements like this have been known to be self-sabotaging, as consumers put off purchasing the current product in favor of waiting for the new version.  I wonder what their book sales will be like for the next three years.  Only time will tell.