Open Letter to Chris Cocks

[Note: The contents of this post are hereby released to the Public Domain, via Creative Commons 0: https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/cc0/ ]

To Chris Cocks:

D&D is no longer cool. Your leadership killed the golden goose. Several attempts were made to firmly monetize, 'digitally enclose', and corporatize a vibrant 50-year cultural community. Which resulted in cultural destruction, and a flight of refuge into other communities, more nourishing.

I speak as a D&D refugee myself. DMing since 1983, I thought nothing would quench my love for Dungeons & Dragons. When, just before the OGL debacle broke, I watched the One D&D celebration with Ginny Di--even though I hadn't even planned on switching to the new edition--I was on board.

Yet the brutish OGL debacle, the myopic push toward an AI micro-transactional enclosure, the unapologetic corporate-toned half-measures...these have turned me to a staunch opponent and lifetime boycotter of D&D and Hasbro. On rare occasion, I will still purchase a used/second-hand D&D branded item. For new RPG products, I only buy from Paizo and other companies with integrity.

Yet, I truly believe in amends. You still could turn it around. You could be remembered as a D&D hero, on par with Ryan Dancey, Lisa Stevens, Eric Mona, Peter Adkison...and even in the circle of Gary and Dave.

Here is the main suggestion:

-Separate the D&D RPG from Hasbro. The association with Hasbro is inherently tainted and toxic within the cultural legacy of D&D.
-But, at the same time...retain for Hasbro the perpetual rights to produce D&D-branded hardware and media products: including film/tv rights, toys (action figures, plushies), merch/swag, video games, and animated digital products. That is actually what Hasbro is good at: making cool stuff. Cool hardware/toys and big media tie-ins. Do that.

As for how to separate the D&D RPG from Hasbro, I offer a few different ways:

A) Certify the D&D RPG Studio as a Certified B Corp whose mission is truly devoted to fostering the long-term culture of D&D, in palpable ways, laid out in a public mission statement. It is possible to certify just one branch of a corporation. This is the only option I can see for keeping the D&D RPG within Hasbro/WotC's fold, and still sharing the same office space. Though it's the least drastic of my offerings, I personally would consider ending my boycott if the D&D RPG Studio were explicitly bound to be devoted to something other than "corporate shareholder profit above all."

B) Sell the D&D RPG rights, in full, to Paizo and Paizo Workers United.

Please note that I suggest an innovative arrangement whereby Hasbro (D&D Media Properties) retains a perpetual (forever) right to use the contents of any D&D RPG book (past, present, future) as a source for their toys, hardware, and media productions. And vice versa: Paizo D&D RPG Studio would retain a perpetual right to make RPG products (books, PDFs, cardstock play-aids and pawns, and non-animated digital tools) based on any Hasbro D&D media/toy product. There would be a perpetual profit-sharing agreement between the two D&D entities, negotiated up front. Not even requiring future "approvals" for using each other's D&D IP.

C) Fully divest the D&D RPG Studio as a distinct (non-Hasbro/non-WotC) B Corp. With the existing D&D RPG staff as the basis. No longer based in the WotC's office. Unless significant business/support staff were brought in, it might not be viable.

D) Keep the hardware/media rights with Hasbro...and keep the Hasbro D&D trademark registered for use in film, tv, video games, and toys...but open the D&D RPG trademark to the Public Domain, within the fields of paper books, PDFs, cardstock play-aids, and non-animated digital tools. This could even include the truly magnanimous gesture of releasing all of the pre-5.2E D&D PDFs, artwork, and logos to the Public Domain, via Creative Commons Zero.

Mr. Cocks, you would become a D&D hero.

Sionainn T. Mac Innéirghe
Twelvefold Works Publishing

You are welcome to contact me at: twelvefoldworks@pm.me