Question: how much extra effort would it really take to write modules supporting multiple systems?

[Calthropstu]

I have been toying with this idea for a while. I am thinking of writing a setting neutral campaign able to support several different systems. ie: combat encounter x takes place in a volcano. Use these monsters:
5e fire elemental of x size
4e: fire elemental of x size
3.5 fire elemental of x size
Pathfinder fire elemental of x size
Gurps: Fire elemental basic
Etc,

How hard would that be to get published?

 

[Arilyn]

I love modules that are system neutral, either with all stats listed or just suggestions of what's there, letting me adapt. l often do this anyway, using Paizo adventure paths for 13th Age, for example.

 

[Fenris-77]

It could be done, but it's a lot of stat blocks. My temptation would be to provide somewhat edition agnostic stat blocks and let people convert for their system of choice. If you went with something close to BX or a similar OSR stat block the conversion work is trivially easy. On the other hand, providing a couple of extra bestiaries at the end of the text for other editions isnt too hard either. It might be a saleable feature if you pick the right systems. I'd say OSR and 5E would be first two, with maybe 3.5/PF after that. I don't think enough people play GURPS that I care (no offense). Savage Worlds might be a better choice for a non-D&D system.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Hot Springs Island does it. It’s an edition neutral island based hex crawl. It provides the setting and the factions and NPCs, and gives the specific numbers of creatures and the kinds of enemies the PCs will face. It just doesn't give any statblocks. They assume that whatever edition or retrocline you’re playing, you have th necessary statblocks already.

Linky link Gooooo!!!

It’s a pretty cool scenario. If I wanted to do a hexcrawl type game I’d definitely consider it.

 

[pickin_grinnin]

It isn't that difficult to do. There are people who have put out system neutral or multi-system modules and seen success with it, typically through Kickstarters. It is more difficult to get one of the bigger companies (ex. WotC, Paizo) to pay you to do it, though, since they tend to target specific game systems.

 

[Campbell]

It depends a lot on how similar the games are structured. Speaking generally I don't think most scenarios written for other versions of the game translate well to 4e for instance. Same for just porting Pathfinder First Edition scenario to Second Edition.

 

[Calthropstu]

It depends a lot on how similar the games are structured. Speaking generally I don't think most scenarios written for other versions of the game translate well to 4e for instance. Same for just porting Pathfinder First Edition scenario to Second Edition.

I don't see how that would be a problem.

The stairs below are trapped. See trap below.
Pathfinder 1E: trap description
Pathfinder 2E: trap description.

The stairs lead to a door opening into room 2A

2A: the room contains a large water basin on the north face. The center of the room is dominated by a crystal chandelier. To the west and east stand 2 large statues. The statues begin to move once the PCs enter the room.

Pathfinder 1E: Page reference for bestiary.
Pathfinder 2e: page reference for bestiary.

 

[Fenris-77]

The downside of that approach is having to wade though all that material for every room when it's surplus to requirements. I dont think its very user freindly. A less aggravating approach woupd probably be to include the additional ruleset material in a series of appendices.

 

[Lanefan]

The downside of that approach is having to wade though all that material for every room when it's surplus to requirements. I dont think its very user freindly. A less aggravating approach woupd probably be to include the additional ruleset material in a series of appendices.

The aggravation wouldn't be less, merely different: you'd be replacing the aggro of wading through the material with the aggro of having to constantly flip pages between the adventure and whichever appendix has the stats for your system.

To the OP: while I applaud your multi-system idea in principle, in practice* I wonder if the end result would bloat the page count beyond usefulness.

What I'd far rather see, at least for the D&D side, is WotC publish a fully-detailed rules-official guide for converting any edition of D&D to any other. Got a 4e module you want to run in a 1e game? Here's the conversion guide. Got a 2e module you want to run in 5e? Here's the conversion guide - same book, even! Want to run a Basic campaign using 4e's Points-of-Light setting? Here's what to do. And so on.

Yes you'd still have to do the actual conversion work yourself, but the guide would tell you exactly what to do and how to do it, and (I hope!) give some idea of what to expect as a result.

* - unless you're only writing for a couple of systems at once, in which case go for it!

 

[Argyle King]

I'd find it valuable to have an adventure which could be used with GURPS or GURPS Dungeon Fantasy.