The Biggest RPG Story of the Year?

Green Ronin's Chris Pramas has offered some cryptic clues as to a product slated for Gen Con this year. "Our goal is to release Fantasy AGE in May. Then at the end of July we will release the game’s first setting book. This is our big GenCon release and part of something super exciting … that I can’t talk about yet. This will be the focus of our GenCon presence this year and perhaps the biggest RPG story of the year. Watch for an announcement in a few months." What could it be?

I mentioned Green Ronin's plans for 2015 a few days ago, including their whole product range. Fantasy AGE is the core rulebook of the system that drives Green Ronin's current Dragon Age roleplaying game. "This will be strictly a rule book with no attached setting. The core of the game will be well-familiar to Dragon Age fans but there are some differences, the biggest of which is the magic system. That of Dragon Age was meant to emulate how magic works in Thedas, so I am modifying it heavily for Fantasy AGE."

Is Steve Kenson writing it? Pramas says "Nothing we can talk about right now unfortunately, but stay tuned for some exciting announcements over the coming months. What has Steve Kenson been working on the last five months? Find out in April!" Steve Kenson is, of course, best known for superhero RPGs including Mutants & Masterminds and his own ICONS system.

So, a setting book for a fantasy RPG by Steve Kenson which might be the biggest RPG story of the year? I'm curious! What do you think it might be?

 

[Dahak]

I guess Conan's Hyboria is another possibility, though the last film didn't do well, and Mongoose had a time with licensing issues there. Pinnacle has Lankhmar locked up, which would be the only other former TSR setting of note that WotC doesn't outright own.

 

[BrockBallingdark]

Of 2014, definitely. This is about Summer 2015, though.

Fair enough Morris.

 

[Morrus]

That would be weird - a D&D setting licensed and used in a totally different game system. As wacky out-there theories go, I quite like that one!

 

[Nebulous]

That would be weird - a D&D setting licensed and used in a totally different game system. As wacky out-there theories go, I quite like that one!

Huh. That would be...crazy. And not in a bad way.

 

[M.L. Martin]

That would be weird - a D&D setting licensed and used in a totally different game system. As wacky out-there theories go, I quite like that one!

The individual components aren't unheard of--the conversion of Dragonlance to the (IMO superior) SAGA Rules System in 1996, and the licensing of Ravenloft to White Wolf in 2001. The two elements have never been combined in one, and I'm not sure how likely it is with the big 'mention every setting' push in the DMG.

Conan's possible, if the licensees are being more reasonable with the failure of the film. (IIRC, Mongoose was trying to negotiate a renewal before the film, which probably drove up the prices.) Shannara's another possibility I didn't think of.

 

[Dahak]

I suppose a "Gary Gygax's Greyhawk" set on a fantasy midwest US map, would qualify. Something closer to his home campaign, not stepping on the WotC setting. Licenses from both WotC and Gail would be required, probably. A long shot, to be sure.

 

[Dahak]

That would be weird - a D&D setting licensed and used in a totally different game system. As wacky out-there theories go, I quite like that one!

Speculation aside, WotC wouldn't even discuss licensing Mystara to Bruce Heard, though they obviously did license Dragonlance back to Weis in the past.

 

[lyle.spade]

AGE/Dragon Age is not d20 at all - I played it once at a local gaming day and it was easy & interesting. I've toyed with the idea of picking up DA many times over the years but was always invested more in other systems. Still, it was a fun and unique system that flowed well and made for a good translation of the story through mechanics.

That said...I've no idea what big property is still out there. Harry Potter, perhaps - no interest to me, but it's big. Conan? Doubtful, but perhaps. Shannara would be cool - I've still fond feelings for the original book. WoT? Ugh...not for this guy.

Maybe it's not a property at all. If we eliminate those, what's left?

 

[Hand of Evil]

I kind of think Harry Potter would be an interesting setting and be big news but just don't see it. Would be a big surprise if it was a WotC setting, like PlaneScape or Spell-Jammer.

 

[delericho]

The individual components aren't unheard of--the conversion of Dragonlance to the (IMO superior) SAGA Rules System in 1996, and the licensing of Ravenloft to White Wolf in 2001. The two elements have never been combined in one, and I'm not sure how likely it is with the big 'mention every setting' push in the DMG.

Are we still talking about Lankhmar? If so, it's already been done - Mongoose adapted it to Runequest in 2006.

Though I'm not sure if Lankhmar really counts as a "D&D setting" - wasn't it itself licensed from Leiber?