A BATMAN RPG Has Just Been Announced

Play as vigilantes, criminals or Gotham City cops in the official Batman tabletop RPG! French publisher Monolith Edition has announced Batman Gotham City Chronicles: The Role Playing Game, to be powered by the d20 System. The company already produces the boardgame of the same name, which they successful Kickstarted for nearly $4.5M last year.

It's not clear whether by "D20 System" they mean the d20 System (from the early 2000s) or if the game will be powered by the 5E ruleset; I'm guessing the latter. The announcement below does refer to it as a "fully adapted D20 System Rulebook". The game will be coming to Kickstarter, though the date has not yet been revealed.

"Gotham City. This city can do things to people. Change them. I've seen it happen too many times. That's why I'm here. I've seen too many people become monsters."
- Batman - Gotham Knights #23 - Here Be Monsters

Let’s celebrate Batman Day by releasing exclusive news from Gotham City!

Monolith’s roleplaying game set in the Universe of the Caped Crusader allows you to dive into this imposing city in depth, defending Gotham as a vigilante or a police officer.

Remaining true to the essence of Batman, as portrayed in the comic books, was our overriding vision. It’s allowed him to survive 80 years as a Pop Icon, living through multiple media and platform transformations.

So, with that goal firmly in our minds we have assembled a team of Batman Universe Masters and roleplaying games Masters to bring you 5 Batastic books.

• Gotham’s Heroes by François Verstraete - A fully adapted D20 System Rulebook -
• Gotham City Guide by Xavier Fournier and Alex Nikolavitch, helped by François Hercouët, editor for the French publisher of DC Comics. A mighty reference tome, detailed and exhaustive, an insight into the City and the world of the Bat.
• Gotham’s Chronicles by Nicolas Texier, Olivier Caïra and Mahyar Shakeri – A book of scenarios to test your resolve.
• And, in order to provide the broadest roleplay experience possible, the remaining 2 books will be Campaign settings revealed during the Kickstarter campaign.

You can play as the city's well-known vigilantes and criminals, but also your own creations, or face the tough calls and grind as a Gotham City Police Department officer, who have much to be pitied for in a city like Gotham City.

It is an ambitious project and we’re looking forward to telling you more about it. International artists will be illustrating the books and here’s some teaser sketches for Gotham’s Map by Olivier Sanfilippo as well as rough sketches by Anthony Jean. Stunning!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

You can imagine whatever after the events of Death Metal.

I wish them a great success but, I have said it many times, d20 system is a great challenge for DM about power level when there are firearms and modern tech, and beside that, the superpowers. Munchkin players will want something like a power armour (as the battle suit by Lex Luthor or the batsuit "rookie" by Gordon). And many Batman stories start with investigation as first step to find the criminal.

Do you think the next will the suicide squad or teen young titans?

 

[EthanSental]

I think Luis is on point about d20 and power levels. If they keep it to Batman and his rogues gallery it’s not as big of an issue but once the justice league and their villains enter the picture it would be difficult to balance that I think. I’ll be checking this out after starting with Mayfair games Dc heroes and marvel superheroes in the 80s and the various reboots cine then.

 

[Imaculata]

I think any such system needs to have rules in regards to super powers, especially for character creation. I'm very curious what they do with that.

 

[ugavine]

As a DC and Batman fan I'm very interested.
Although I'm not sure D20 is be the best system for this. I tried DC Adventures and didn't like it.
Then there is Kickstarter. I don't like it when big name brands use Kickstarter.
And then there is Monolith. If this is priced anything like the ludicrously over-priced board game they can forget it.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess the most of batman villains aren't overpowered. We shouldn't worry about that too much.

I have thought about d20 system would need to establish three different pillars. The level of power, the level of knowledge (all learned by PC and keeped in the memory although she was nerfed, or mind loaded into a new body as in Altered Carbon or Eclipse Phase RPG) and level of opulence (when you are like a christmas tree because you have got too many magic item, or expensive gadgets as iron mar power armoured). If an nPC is more powerful thanks "special help", for example weapons, then the challenge rating/XP reward should be higher, like a creature with an added monster template. (I warn Killer-Moth also had got his own vehicles, for example a moth-car).

* What if this is only a test to know the reaction by the fandom, and later they dare to publish its own DC system? Today Warner also has got some links with Hasbro, and the TTRPG could be used to promote more forgotten pieces of the IPs, for example secondary heroes and villains.

* Will we see any podcast game-live show? I feel curiosity about the other members of the batfamily and the Gothan City from other parallel worlds, of the negative universe.

* Do you think this could open a door for a future TTRPG of other DC lines as suicide squad, teen titans, but also Green Arrow, Doom Patrol or Stargirl?

 

[Birmy]

This represents the collision of several of my interests.

 

[Weiley31]

Now we can all roleplay the return of Gotham City Imposters!

 

[TheIdeaOfGood]

Could be interesting, although I am a die-hard Mutants & Masterminds fan. If the system flows smoothly and allows for minor street-level powers, it would present a nice alternative for street-level games.

 

[diceexmachina]

So, it appears to be based on a French-language derivative of 3.5 d20 called "Chroniques oubliées Contemporain" (roughly "Contemporary Forgotten Chronicles".