Poll: What TSR RPG Should Be Revivified by Wizards?

[atanakar]

When I say universal I mean easy adaptations without worring too much with those special rules.

Not sure I understand you. If you don't have special rules per setting every thing will by bland, similar and boring.

 

[R_J_K75]

Not sure I understand you. If you don't have special rules per setting every thing will by bland, similar and boring.

What would you need in the way of specific vs generic rules? I havent played much but D&D, Alternity, d20 Modern and Star Wars so I dont have alot to compare.

 

[hawkeyefan]

What would you need in the way of specific vs generic rules? I havent played much but D&D, Alternity, d20 Modern and Star Wars so I dont have alot to compare.

I think it really depends on the genre and setting.

For example, despite loving the Marvel game from TSR, I don't think that Hit Points (or Health, in the case of Marvel SHRP) are the best way to handle health/character status in a super hero game. Another method may make more sense. Something that reflects the against-all-odds comebacks that superheroes often pull off.

For modern games, does Armor Class make sense? Armor isn't the same as we think of it in D&D terms. Should the term be tweaked? Should AC or the equivalent be calculated in another way? Is there some other mechanic that may make more sense?

There's no reason to accept that HP and AC are the best ways to facilitate these elements of the game. They may be, but there are others, and which are best will really depend on the setting and the desired vibe of the game.

 

[atanakar]

What would you need in the way of specific vs generic rules? I havent played much but D&D, Alternity, d20 Modern and Star Wars so I dont have alot to compare.

For example the system behind Coriolis the Third Horizon and Forbidden Lands is the same generic system by Free League but each game has setting specific modifications that influence how the game is played.

In Coriolis (Firefly+Arabian Nights+Chtuluh) Darkness Points accumulate against players during the session. Also 12 Iconic ancient aliens grant boons when you pray to them.

In Forbidden Lands (Dark Fantasy+Hex Crawl) you don't have those. Instead you can «Push your Roll» to get extraordinary results but risk suffering extra damage, exhaustion and even destroy your weapon if you roll 1s. Also, there is a setting specific Magic System. These magical powers do not work the same way as the psychic powers in Coriolis.

Both games share the same DNA but they feel very different when played at the table.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

A d20 superheroes should be something like Marvel Noir where many famous characters started practically "nerfed".

Firearms are too powerful for d20. With the right weapon you can kill an elephant with only one shot. In the first movie a xenomorph was enough to kill almost all Nostromo crew, but in the sequeles marines could kill dozens, maybe hundreds, with a sentinel gun turret from other room. With a truck you can hit over an horde of zombies. In Sylverster Stallone's movie "Cobra" the girl (playbed by Briddgit Nielsen) couldn't face the main antagonist, the night stalker, only hide and run away like in a survival horror game, but the Cobretti, the main character, with enough weapons and ammo as an one-man-army could kill all members of the New Dawn Cult. If you have played Fortnite: Save the World you may know what happen when all ammo is spent, even with the ninja, the best melee warrior.

Modern Technology means a different Challenge Ratin/XPs reward system. To survive shooting by a sniper should be like a trap, not like a standar monster. Think about a nPC with better firearms... and wearing a high-tech exosuit, a powered armor or within a mecha. Those gadgets as extra help should be like adding monster templates.

Some D&D worlds have got their own special rules.

 

[R_J_K75]

It seems like a lot of people on these threads want more specific rules based on specific genres and settings. Often times I wonder if an extremely simplistic core system might be able to accommodate more genres. Trust me I have no idea what that might look like or any suggestions. Just seems the more moving parts you have with a specific system the less flexible it might be? IDK just kind of spit balling here. I think that if they ever come close to a one-size fits all rule set there gonna really have to think outside of the norm and most likely break a lot of what we consider sacred cows down to their lowest common denominator.

 

[R_J_K75]

In Sylverster Stallone's movie "Cobra" the girl (playbed by Briddgit Nielsen) couldn't face the main antagonist, the night stalker, only hide and run away like in a survival horror game, but the Cobretti, the main character, with enough weapons and ammo as an one-man-army could kill all members of the New Dawn Cult.

How the hell do you remember this? Only thing I remember from that movie was the stupid match and that his name was Marion. Id rather suffer through Stop or My Mom Will Shoot.

 

[hawkeyefan]

It seems like a lot of people on these threads want more specific rules based on specific genres and settings. Often times I wonder if an extremely simplistic core system might be able to accommodate more genres. Trust me I have no idea what that might look like or any suggestions. Just seems the more moving parts you have with a specific system the less flexible it might be? IDK just kind of spit balling here. I think that if they ever come close to a one-size fits all rule set there gonna really have to think outside of the norm and most likely break a lot of what we consider sacred cows down to their lowest common denominator.

It’s certainly possible to have a core game and then add rules or processes for different genres. GURPS does that, and Fate does, too. Many games use the Powered by the Apocalypse system from Apocalypse World but alter things to fit their desired setting.

There are other examples, too, but those are the three prominent ones that spring to mind.

 

[R_J_K75]

It’s certainly possible to have a core game and then add rules or processes for different genres.

Im not the audience for this type of thing as I generally play few games these days, and usually d20 based. I agree and doubt that they will ever build a universal system, but think if they did theyd have to start from the ground up.

 

[Sketchpad]

While I love Top Secret and Alternity (which has a 2nd ed out), I would really like to see a new FASERIP book/set, and see both Gamma World and Star Frontiers brought into a 5e conversion of some sort. I would really like to see Dark Matter as well, but more the setting than the old rules.