>>106363900Step 1: Set it in an actual D&D world, either a canon one or one built just for the show - the latter offers more profit with sourcebook tie-ins.
Step 2: Make the focus be on the adventuring party. Critical Role and its imitators are already doing the "meta D&D party" schtick, it's not going to compete well with them. Stick the viewers in the world that's been built and make them invest themselves in that setting, instead of being distracted by stupid memes and idiot players.
Step 3: Party has to be natives to the setting. We can't do the original cartoon's "isekai style" because the well's been poisoned by all the bad anime, and frankly we care more about the world if the characters themselves care about the world.
Step 4: Party needs to be a mixture of "classic" and "weird" races & classes. The stereotypical "humans with a token demihuman" party went out of fashion back in the 80s - it's why Greyhawk flopped and the Forgotten Realms took off. Give the party some variety, be it by embracing "new stereotypes" (Dragonborn Paladin, Tiefling Warlock), or truly unusual combinations (Dwarf Wizard, Elf Barbarian, Halfling Sorcerer). Preferrably a mixture of both.
Step 5: Go with an epic backstory. WotC came up with all kinds of cool campaign outlines in 4th edition - pilfer one of those.
Honestly... if they'd done this when 4e was a thing, I'd have probably used Scales of War as a basis for the plot. Nentir Vale setting, obviously. For the party... Human Warlord or Swordmage, Forgeborn Dwarf Barbarian (basically a less-grimdark Warhammer Dwarf Slayer), Winterkin Eladrin Warlock, Warforged Artificer or Wizard, Gnoll Fighter. That way, you've got a mixture of recognizable and exotic races, an obvious Token Evil Teammate/Token Heroic Orc, and a set-up just tailor made for to carry viewers from their rookie days to the epic final battle against Tiamat herself.
