Discworld TTRPG Kickstarter to Launch October 15

Modiphius Entertainment will launch its Kickstarter campaign for the upcoming Discworld TTRPG in October. The previously announced Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork, the first TTRPG for Discworld in 20 years, will launch on Kickstarter on October 15th. Modiphius has not said whether the Discworld TTRPG will use its 2D20 system or a new RPG, but those who sign up to the Discworld mailing list will have access to a Quickstart guide later this month before everyone else. (UPDATE: A GamesRadar+ article confirms this will be a new game system, which includes no modifiers to dice and is narrative-focused.)

Discworld is the beloved fantasy world created by Sir Terry Pratchett. The Discworld novels written by Pratchett weren't a unified series per se, but rather a collection of different characters and storylines that all took place in the same world and were unified by Pratchett's beloved whimsical storytelling manner. The first Discworld book, The Colour of Magic, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

More details can be found below:

Publisher of tabletop RPGs, wargames and board games, Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. has today announced that its Kickstarter campaign for the TTRPG Discworld: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork will launch on 15th October 2024. Fans can be notified when the Kickstarter launches by signing up here.

Modiphius recently announced that it had secured the rights to produce the first new roleplaying game for Terry Pratchett’s internationally bestselling Discworld series in over 20 years. After negotiating an agreement with the estate of the late Sir Terry, Modiphius looks to publish tabletop games that honour the humour, satire, and darkly entertaining fantasy series.

With this year marking the 40th anniversary of the release of The Colour of Magic, Modiphius’ roleplaying game will be the first RPG for Discworld since 1998, when Steve Jackson Games published a sourcebook using its GURPS rules.

Those who are signed up to the Modiphius Discworld mailing list will have an exclusive preview of the Quickstart rules 24 hours earlier than the rest of the public, when it previews later this month.

Modiphius has a reputation for creating authentic and immersive licensed tabletop games around global IPs, having produced award-winning games for Conan™, Star Trek™, John Carter of Mars™, Fallout™, and The Elder Scrolls™.

 

[TrippyHippy]

In the US, he's a relatively minor figure (although Good Omens raised his profile), but apparently he's a much bigger deal in the UK. (That's why they knighted him!)

There was a point - when and where I cannot recall now - where it was shown that something like a fifth of all books sold in the UK was written by Terry Pratchett. I think he's been overshadowed in recent decades by Harry Potter though.

For me, I am happy to keep my copy of GURPS Discworld. It was probably the best single GURPS book made. Beyond this, I'm not that enthused by another inevitably delayed Kickstarter campaign, to be honest.

 

[amethal]

"Modiphius’ roleplaying game will be the first RPG for Discworld since 1998, when Steve Jackson Games published a sourcebook using its GURPS rules."

Seems a bit misleading, given it then became the Discworld Roleplaying Game (powered by GURPS) which had an update to GURPS 4th edition in 2021.

 

[Parmandur]

You never, ever see Pratchett for sale in used bookstores, despite his books being very available new a decade after his death (most authors do not stay in print long after they pass on).

"Selling 100 million copies of a single book series is a huge achievement. In science fiction and fantasy, this feat has only been accomplished previously by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Stephen King's interconnected (but loose-knit) universe of horror and fantasy novels, J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series and Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games saga. The figure catapults Pratchett past the likes of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin."

"The figure puts Pratchett's lifetime sales at probably well over 110 million (Pratchett published more than 20 non-Discworld books as well, including popular collaborations with other authors, and even more non-fiction), making him one of the ten biggest-selling SFF authors of all time."

"Both Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series are not far behind though, with the former estimated to have sold well over 80 million copies (and potentially more) and the latter on well over 90 million. TV adaptations of both series have helped fuel a recent boom in sales, which could also soon put them into the 100 Million Club."

Sales of Sir Terry Pratchett's DISCWORLD series pass 100 million copies

This isn't new news - it was alluded to in 2020 - but it did slip under the radar somewhat at the time. Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld fan...

thewertzone.blogspot.com

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"Modiphius’ roleplaying game will be the first RPG for Discworld since 1998, when Steve Jackson Games published a sourcebook using its GURPS rules."

Seems a bit misleading, given it then became the Discworld Roleplaying Game (powered by GURPS) which had an update to GURPS 4th edition in 2021.

Was it changed beyond updating the GURPS engine inside it and giving it a new cover/title?

 

[Phantom_Belcher]

the first TTRPG for Discworld in 20 years

Apparently they forgot the Powered by GURPS Discworld RPG from 2016. Discworld Roleplaying Game

 

[Phantom_Belcher]

the first TTRPG for Discworld in 20 years

Apparently they forgot the Powered by GURPS Discworld RPG from 2016. Discworld Roleplaying Game

 

[DoctorPip]

Apparently they forgot the Powered by GURPS Discworld RPG from 2016. Discworld Roleplaying Game

Is it not just a revised version of the same GURPS book they mention?

 

[gban007]

Is it not just a revised version of the same GURPS book they mention?

from the blurb:
'It includes the material from the previous edition of the game and its supplement, Discworld Also – all of it updated to reflect the events of the Discworld novels released since then, as well as the rules of GURPS Fourth Edition.'

 

[amethal]

Was it changed beyond updating the GURPS engine inside it and giving it a new cover/title?

Yes - see gban007's post above.

That's the same game I'm talking about (I mistakenly used the date it became available for POD on Amazon).

Also, in case it isn't clear, one of the things that happened was that the GURPS Light rules were integrated into the text, rather than being included as an appendix. I think that in itself would be enough to make the implication that SJG hadn't touched it since 1998 misleading.

It was then updated from 3rd edition to 4th edition, which seems to have included some setting updates as well.

 

[TrippyHippy]

One final ‘selling point’ for the GURPS version of Discworld was that it was actually co-written, along with Phil Masters, by Terry Pratchett himself. He has sadly passed away now.