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?

 

[Voadam]

Perhaps Castle Zagyg has found a new publisher?

If they do a full setting for CZ it could be seen as "stealing" Greyhawk away from WotC.

I think that would be fantastic, but highly unlikely. CZ is just not Green Ronin's style. Frog God Games with Swords and Wizardry and Pathfinder sandbox megamodule versions would fit much better.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

And who owns the gaming rights for Middle Earth these days?

That would be Cubicle 7 with their damn fantastic game The One Ring.

 

[Kaodi]

At lot of interesting speculation here. Because I do not think I can match or one up any of it on logic, I will go for a prediction coming waaay out of left field.

Jade Empire.

A BioWare IP, but one that has sat fallow for quite some time. A familiar trope, but one that has plenty of room for mystery. We do not 'know the whole story' for that setting, which might set it apart from other possibilities.

 

[mrm1138]

I'd guess Mass Effect were it not for the face that it's called Fantasy AGE and not Science-Fiction AGE or Space Opera AGE.

I'd actually be curious to see a Harry Potter RPG, and I'm surprised one doesn't exist already. Have people found the magic system too difficult to crack?

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'd actually be curious to see a Harry Potter RPG, and I'm surprised one doesn't exist already. Have people found the magic system too difficult to crack?

Can't cite a source at the moment, but I remember seeing that Rowling herself was the roadblock. She didn't want anyone else playing in the HP sandbox and creating content that wasn't her original work.

 

[mrm1138]

Can't cite a source at the moment, but I remember seeing that Rowling herself was the roadblock. She didn't want anyone else playing in the HP sandbox and creating content that wasn't her original work.

That makes more sense.

 

[TarionzCousin]

A reboot of F.A.T.A.L.?

 

[Hand of Evil]

Has anyone done a RPG on the world of the Witcher?

And who owns the gaming rights for Middle Earth these days?

No Pen & Paper RPG for The Witcher and just don't know if the interest would be there for it, would be a great niche game.

Middle Earth has a couple of games out for it, The One Ring being the major one at this time.

 

[RandomCitizenX]

Not sure how many of you are familiar with Wil Wheaton's show on youtube called TableTop, but as part of the kickstarter for the 3rd season there was a stretch goal for an RPG show. On Wil's most recent podcast he spoke about working on said show and that there would be adventures and a world book released for an existing RPG. Since before he has played the Dragon Age RPG on Tabletop, I am beginning to suspect that the Green Ronin's big announcement is that they will be releasing the RPG Show's setting and adventures for the AGE system.

 

[mrm1138]

Not sure how many of you are familiar with Wil Wheaton's show on youtube called TableTop, but as part of the kickstarter for the 3rd season there was a stretch goal for an RPG show. On Wil's most recent podcast he spoke about working on said show and that there would be adventures and a world book released for an existing RPG. Since before he has played the Dragon Age RPG on Tabletop, I am beginning to suspect that the Green Ronin's big announcement is that they will be releasing the RPG Show's setting and adventures for the AGE system.

If that's what it ends up being, I imagine a lot of people will be very disappointed/underwhelmed. The phrase "the biggest RPG story of the year" conjures up much grander thoughts.