How will 4th ed. affect other d20-based games?

[Driddle]

I was thinking about Mutants & Masterminds last night -- I let my copy go many months back but now I've got a hankering for superhero fun again -- and it hit me that with several aspects of d20 D&D coming out, other related games might be affected as well.

Any ideas on that? Are those games tweaked so much already that they won't really be hit by 4th edition?

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

I wouldn't expect M&M to be affected in the slightest. It's got such a huge, existing fanbase, and it's not like M&M players are using D&D books for their M&M game anyway.

What will be interesting to see is what happens to big properties that are more tied in to D&D, e.g., Mongoose's Conan line. I hadn't seen if they made any announcement on that yet, but I'd be interested.

For my own part, the advent of 4e and, in particular, the currently vague plans for how/when WotC plans to release the rules to third-party publishers and the vague/distant plans for d20 Modern, leave me with some serious thinking to do about Dawning Star. I still haven't made a decision about what direction we're going to take it.

 

[Turanil]

the vague/distant plans for d20 Modern, leave me with some serious thinking to do about Dawning Star. I still haven't made a decision about what direction we're going to take it.

Maybe a joint-venture with RPGobject to adapt Dawning Star to their Modern20 latest release (that should eventually get a Future20 treatment).

 

[Goobermunch]

I was thinking about Mutants & Masterminds last night -- I let my copy go many months back but now I've got a hankering for superhero fun again -- and it hit me that with several aspects of d20 D&D coming out, other related games might be affected as well.

Any ideas on that? Are those games tweaked so much already that they won't really be hit by 4th edition?

Why should they be affected? It's not like the 4e gestapo are going to show up at your house and take away your 3.0/3.5e materials. It's also not like the OGL and d20 SRD are going to go away.

Obviously, for D&D settings, there will be repercussions, but that's a consequence of tying your IP into the game. Folks who did their own systems shouldn't be affected much at all.

Contrary to popular belief, the sky is not falling.

--G

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Maybe a joint-venture with RPGobject to adapt Dawning Star to their Modern20 latest release (that should eventually get a Future20 treatment).

Oh, we're exploring all kinds of options for both ourselves and as a possible partnership with other publishers. DS is my baby, so you know I'll treat her right. I'm just not sure exactly what "right" means yet.

 

[delericho]

Depending on whether WotC cancel the d20 license or just quietly stop supporting it, we may see any and all d20-branded products disappear, either being re-issued as OGL products, or simply disappearing entirely. We'll certainly not see any new d20 products being published.

For OGL products, I expect we may see a raft of new editions from some publishers, as they take the opportunity to bring their games into line with the new D&D mechanics, and not coincidentally gaining the sales boost that comes from a new core rulebook being published.

And, in some cases at least, we'll see things just carrying on unchanged.

 

[Driddle]

Why should they be affected? It's not like the 4e gestapo are going to show up at your house ...

Contrary to popular belief, the sky is not falling.

Wow. I didn't realize that level of concern was hidden in my initial post.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I think it kind of depends on the system. Games such as M&M should survive intact, as they're not tied to D&D proper. Games such as Arcana Evolved might suffer more, being a variant Player's Handbook. I think C&C fans are happy enough to stick with their system.

*shrugs*

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I'd say "to varying degrees". I doubt that anyone will switch wholesale (they're not using exactly 3.5 now). Some might use most new mechanics, some might use only some, some might completely ignore it.


And you don't have to look so far: Even some d20 Campaign Settings will have a hard time: Take Midnight, a setting where magic has a price - sometimes quite steep. You can't do that with 4e's "everyone has stuff they can do all day long". I'm sure there are other examples. It might be smaller stuff: Many will not include "Eladrins" as a base race (or maybe include the stats and just call them by name: Elves) or Tieflings.

 

[WayneLigon]

I would think that Mutants and Masterminds is sufficiently it's own system to the point that it might not change though I certainly wouldn't rule out a 3rd ed of M&M if they feel they can make the game better by using some 4E concepts; I'd say though that M&M already supports many of the more important M&M concepts. If they do another Masterminds Manual, I'd look for optional rules on static saves and the like.

As far as the vast majority of other third party* publishers, they'll go 4E. Despite a lot of wishful thinking, I don't see anyone of any substance sticking with 3E as the main body of their product. I'd even look for an 2E Castles and Crusades that simplifies the 4E system. You might have some PDF-only people that will stay with 3E to provide a niche service for people who say they won't switch. I'd say they might last a year or so afterwards.

* And in my mind that right now means 'everybody other than Green Ronin' -- and even they'll do some 4E stuff, I'm sure. I'd be surprised if popular things like the Witch supplement or racial supplements were not released for 4E - I'm sure they'll publish whatever they think will sell and find an unfilled niche to fill.