GI Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony RPGs Also Confirmed For 2021

Renegade Game Studios and Hasbro confirmed to Forbes that GI Joe, My Little Pony, and Transformers will be coming as official RPGs, following the already announced Power Rangers tabletop roleplaying game.

While they were hinted at in their press release this week, it hadn't been confirmed that - other than Power Rangers -- these other games would be tabletop RPGS.

Casey Collins at Hasbro told Forbes "“The tabletop and roleplaying games Renegade Game Studios innovated for the Power Rangers franchise have proved to authentically connect with both gamers and the Ranger Nation and we are confident that G.I. Joe, Transformers and My Little Pony fans will love the exciting games coming soon.”

Renegade Game Studios' Scott Gaeta elaborated a little more, confirming that the games would be powered by the D&D 5th Edition rules. "Part of the strategy here is that if we want a GI Joe fan to play an RPG. We want to use the system that’s most common and widely known. Fifth Edition at this point is the common language in RPGs. We went back and forth on our discussions but we landed on Fifth Edition being what we wanted to use to achieve our design goals.”

The games should be released in 2021.

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These aren't the only animated properties seeing new RPG revivals. Recently D&D Beyond owner Fandom announced Legends of Grayskull: The Masters of the Universe Roleplaying Game, and a Dragon Prince RPG, powered by the Cortext Prime system. Additionally, Monolith Edition recently announced a Batman roleplaying game.

 

[JPL]

Yeah, GI Joe gets boring if you take it too seriously.

Like I said, for me, it's all about having a somewhat grounded (or at least informed) version of the U.S. military in the middle, and then all of this comic book craziness --- ninjas and sci-fi and supervillains --- orbiting around it. Get enough verisimilitude going with the Army stuff, and you can throw stuff like Serpentor and Transformers and M.A.S.K. and frikkin' Rom in there.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In April's Fool WotC could publish a planeshift article about a fantasy panzerpunk(/Spelljammer) version of G.I.Joe. where Cobra-La is an alien invader race. (I hope reptilians who live among us may not feel offended )

My suggestion is to create a completely fictional world where to can use the characters of the "hasbroverse", maybe the world of visionaries.

Today not only young adults but also teenages can notice Cobra as terrorist group in the 80's cartoon was too "incompetent" to say it softly. A real terrorist group or a dictator from the third world with an army like this could cause a lot of damage and suffering. Or Spektra and other James Bond's enemies could be worse menaces with the same resources/means. And lots of shooter videogame players can't believe when evil guys can't hit a shot not even with a bullet rain by a militar platoon. And the color of the uniforms. Who would dare to wear anything not even for a paintball game?

The 80's cartoon had got some episodes with supernatural elements.

 

[wingsandsword]

Here's hoping that G.I. Joe ends up being a decent engine for some other modern action games. And I hope it finds a good sweet spot for the Joes, which for me is that Larry Hama combination of real-world military detail, 80s ninja mysticism, and straight-up comic book nonsense.

Oh yeah, that's the right tone for GI Joe:

Military realism and attention to detail. Preferably written by someone who actually served. Relatively accurate and realistic depiction of the military (at least by comic book and TV/movie standards). . .80's Ninja and Action movies mentality. A lot of old cheap ninja movies and big Hollywood action movies. . .and comic books

It's best to remember that GI Joe was basically a SHIELD spinoff comic rebranded. When Hasbro came up with the idea for a new GI Joe line circa 1982, they went to Marvel comics wanting a comic book created to market it. Marvel asked about details of who the characters were, who the villains were, what the plot was. . .and Hasbro really didn't have a firm grasp of that yet. They didn't have a clue about villains, and were fuzzy on characters. They just knew they wanted GI Joes in the 3 3/4 inch scale that Star Wars figures had made popular. So, Larry Hama went to an idea he'd shelved. He'd proposed a comic book a couple of years before called Fury Force, which was Nick Fury leading a paramilitary SHIELD task force around the world hunting Hydra. Marvel declined the concept, but he kept his notes and drawings and such for it around, and he pulled them out, and Fury Force became GI Joe.

A LOT of the original 80's GI Joe characters were basically originally written to be SHIELD agents, just slightly rebranded. Hydra became Cobra Red Skull became Cobra Commander. Baron Zemo becomes Destro. The entire concept stayed the same except instead of an international SHIELD task force, it was an American special operations team.

When you realize this, the tone of GI Joe. . .of basically a Marvel Comics tale of SHIELD vs. Hydra, except without superheroes and more military realism, becomes a lot more apparent.

 

[Blue Orange]

"And you want to join the Zhentarim why?"

"After my colleagues were ambushed by a force of Autobots--they're the enemy, they're a bunch of holier-than-thou types who look down on economically creative types like the Black Network--I woke up here. As you can see, my physical qualities are more than adequate for frontline duty, and as Air Commander I effectively led the Seekers in many battles. I feel the Zhentarim would be the best fit for my strategic skills and flexible mode of operations."

"That's quite excellent. But you do know loyalty to the Zhentarim is expected."

"Oh, I've always been known for that."

"Yes, I'm sure you'll fit in very well here, Mr.--"

"Starscream. I was named for my speed."

 

[bedir than]

But GI Joe predates the 80s?

Oh yeah, that's the right tone for GI Joe:

Military realism and attention to detail. Preferably written by someone who actually served. Relatively accurate and realistic depiction of the military (at least by comic book and TV/movie standards). . .80's Ninja and Action movies mentality. A lot of old cheap ninja movies and big Hollywood action movies. . .and comic books

It's best to remember that GI Joe was basically a SHIELD spinoff comic rebranded. When Hasbro came up with the idea for a new GI Joe line circa 1982, they went to Marvel comics wanting a comic book created to market it. Marvel asked about details of who the characters were, who the villains were, what the plot was. . .and Hasbro really didn't have a firm grasp of that yet. They didn't have a clue about villains, and were fuzzy on characters. They just knew they wanted GI Joes in the 3 3/4 inch scale that Star Wars figures had made popular. So, Larry Hama went to an idea he'd shelved. He'd proposed a comic book a couple of years before called Fury Force, which was Nick Fury leading a paramilitary SHIELD task force around the world hunting Hydra. Marvel declined the concept, but he kept his notes and drawings and such for it around, and he pulled them out, and Fury Force became GI Joe.

A LOT of the original 80's GI Joe characters were basically originally written to be SHIELD agents, just slightly rebranded. Hydra became Cobra Red Skull became Cobra Commander. Baron Zemo becomes Destro. The entire concept stayed the same except instead of an international SHIELD task force, it was an American special operations team.

When you realize this, the tone of GI Joe. . .of basically a Marvel Comics tale of SHIELD vs. Hydra, except without superheroes and more military realism, becomes a lot more apparent.

 

[Aldarc]

But GI Joe predates the 80s?

Maybe the GI Joe line as a whole, but not the GI Joe line that was reinvented in the '80s. It was this latter rebranding of GI Joe with an associated comic and cartoon that became a megahit in the '80s.

 

[Undrave]

"And you want to join the Zhentarim why?"

"After my colleagues were ambushed by a force of Autobots--they're the enemy, they're a bunch of holier-than-thou types who look down on economically creative types like the Black Network--I woke up here. As you can see, my physical qualities are more than adequate for frontline duty, and as Air Commander I effectively led the Seekers in many battles. I feel the Zhentarim would be the best fit for my strategic skills and flexible mode of operations."

"That's quite excellent. But you do know loyalty to the Zhentarim is expected."

"Oh, I've always been known for that."

"Yes, I'm sure you'll fit in very well here, Mr.--"

"Starscream. I was named for my speed."

This could lead to some fun crossover products... There's a Black Arachnia toy coming in the War for Cybertron: Kingdom toyline that would make a good agent of Lolth.. and if they give us a dragon (or re-use one of the Beast Hunters dragon) there could also be some fun stuff.

There's also a new Cheetor! Paint his alt mode black, give him a new head and BOOM: Crossover Drizzt!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Not too off-topic:

RENEGADE GAME STUDIOS TO PARTNER WITH EC COMICS — Renegade Game Studios

Analog game studio to publish jigsaw puzzles featuring fan-favorite cover art from the groundbreaking comic publisher.

www.renegadegamestudios.com

Do you think we could see a d20 RPG based in EC Comics if these projects work?

---

The G.I.Joe from 2020 can't be as the 80's show. It is not only about militar technology, as the remote-control drones bombing targets from other continent, but also the own fandom, most of this too used to shooter videogames. In the movies the stormtroopers have got an horrible marksmanship but in the videogame they can hit you from long distances, even when the other player is a preteen child. Also many fanboys are used to stealth tactic videogames as the Spanish saga Commandos, Assasin's Creed or Metal Gear by Konami.

And the "Joes" are members of the elite forces, the best soldiers. PCs with low level of Str and Con shouldn't be allowed.

My Little Pony is maybe the easiest option to be adapted into 5e but it's a too innocent franchise for teenages.

It's very hard to create a d20 version of Power Rangers, G.I.Joe and Transformers to be totally compatible for crossovers with D&D, not even with Spelljammer with a right power level.

Could Batman d20 defeat the Cobra troopers d20?

 

[nyvinter]

The biggest issue is that none of the toy lines are built to be zero-to-hero in the way that DnD is built, they are all pretty much competent from the start. So while power levels for crossovers are problematic, to are the internal competence of the characters you want to play. Are you going to start characters at level 8 or possibly even higher?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

It would be funny a game-live podcast about Cobra army invading Eberron.

The level 1 transformers could be "pretenders", with medium size, something like the original PC can change into a robot head, and the rest of the body would be something like a "monster mount".

A level 1 Joe wouldn't be a true member of the elite group but of a supporter squad. Later after some special operations they could ascend. Or an alternate earth ruled by Cobra and the Joes are the members of the just created resistance.

Sometimes I wonder about the 6th Ed should use something like a pillar of knowledge and a pillar of opulence. The first would be like the Ego from Eclipse Phase RPG, all the learnt things in your memory. The second would be all the item you can war and use like the RPG videogames where the PCs are like Christmas trees. Then a d20 superheroes would be where the PCs can't leveling up more, or slower very much, because they are just enoughly powerful, but spending storytelling points they could unlock levels of paths to know more things, for example better hackers, or better investigators.

* Will 3PPs can publish in DM-Guild titles based in Renegade's games? Some manga publishers may dare to sell the d20 version of their own franchises of monsters, kaijus and like this.

* After this I would dare to say a Walking Dead d20 is closer to be a videogame than a TTRPG.

* In your next secret missions you have to infiltrate into Hasbro's offices to discover who was the responsable to create a "My Little Pony" version of Hero Quest.