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?

 

[JohnnyZemo]

How about a Hunger Games RPG? Does anyone have the rights to that?

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Maybe its not a new licensed setting at all. Maybe its something like M&M Superlink, a OGL of sorts for the AGE system.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

I would also like to add the Malazan book of the Fallen to the list. The books were based off of a D&D campaign Erikson ran that eventually changed to GURPS. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

If that's it and Erikson is part of the project I'm going to explode out of sheer happiness.

AR

 

[MadmanMike83]

It is the first setting for "Fantasy AGE" and most of the "major" fantasy book series are already licensed. I think the video games route might be the right track.

Elder Scrolls is a good bet, particularly with ESO moving to F2P and coming to XBone and PS4 in June.

Fable might be another interesting choice.

Given the pre-existing relationship with Bioware something with the upcoming Shadow Realms might be another good fit. Particularly since Shadow Realms is "...finally bringing the magic of tabletop RPGs to the digital realm." (link)

 

[TrickyUK]

Continuing the video game idea; Final Fantasy, Zelda?

 

[Dragonblade]

Chris Pramas is writing Fantasy AGE and Jack Norris is the line developer. If Kenson is involved, he likely isn't the principal.

We know he's been working on Freedom City 3e and the Cosmic Handbook for M&M 3e, so one of those two projects is probably what Pramas is referring to for what Kenson's been up to.

As far as big RPG news goes, the only licenses that AGE might have that I could see rocking the RPG community from a news standpoint would be Elder Scrolls, or a new WoW RPG. I just don't see any other properties out there moving the needle that much. Even the Dragon Age RPG, which is a license they already have, doesn't even really move the needle to biggest RPG news of the year IMO. Likewise, Shannara or Kingkiller might get some buzz but I doubt I'd put them in the category of biggest RPG news of the year. It would have to be a license that really has mainstream mass market appeal, IMO, and they already have Game of Thrones.

Also, no way that WotC licenses them an existing D&D setting that wouldn't use the 5e rules, so I'd rule those possibilities out.

 

[Ezequielramone]

so much expectations.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Finally: Narnia!

 

[Celebrim]

Of the properties in traditional Fantasy that are hot right now but not as far as I know licensed, Brandon Sanderson's own work and settings (Mistborn, Elantris, Stormlight Archive, etc.) is the only big name I can think of that makes any sense. He's got very gameable world building with clear game influences, he's as prolific as Steven King, he's relatively young, and aside from GRR Martin is probably the biggest name in tranditional fantasy right now. Aside from Sanderson, the only name that even comes to mind is Patrick Rothfuss, but that's already going from like a B rate IP to a C rate property (no offense, Patrick).

Elder Scrolls would have been big 2 years ago or so. I don't think its a hot property now. Dragon Age is a much hotter property, and I don't see why they'd go for a second video game inspired IP. I don't see the gaming community wowed by WoW right now.

But personally, I think the traditional fantasy setting market is saturated. A smart company right now would IMO be trying to position itself in Urban Fantasy or Steam Punk, so this may be something nothing like we expect. I can't think of a IP in the genera though that would be really worth it. The ones that are big mainstream don't seem like they'd interest gamers, and I can't think of one that is a big part of the gaming subculture at present.

On another note, does anyone know who has the Star Wars license?

 

[Morrus]

O

On another note, does anyone know who has the Star Wars license?

Fantasy Flight Games.