Renegade announces new editions of Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers RPGs, using D&D 5.5E instead of Essence20

Renegade is ending support for its Essence20 game system, in favor of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. Today, Renegade announced it was planning on publishing new editions of its Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers RPG systems. However, the new editions will not use the bespoke Essence20 game system created by Renegade. Instead, the new editions will use a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. Renegade will also release Essence20 to 5.5E conversion guides for free on their website at a later date. Update: Renegade said on their Discord that they were ending support for E20 releases because sales were insufficient to continue with the system.

Renegade will release a BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for the new games, with Transformers and GI Joe running first and a Power Rangers BackerKit coming at a later time.

The Essence20 line seems to have been popular for Renegade, as they've been publishing content for all three licensed properties (as well as My Little Pony) since 2022. All three properties are licensed by Hasbro, which of course also owns Wizards of the Coast, the maker of Dungeons & Dragons. One could speculate that Hasbro could have pushed for a change to their big games system, but one could also argue that Renegade is looking to expand their playerbase by switching from a bespoke game system to a system with a massive existing playerbase.

 

[R_J_K75]

Probably a question for another thread, but whaaa-?

I think you may have an idiosyncratic definition of what a d20 system is. Shadowdark definitely is and plays like one

I meant to say, "I played GI Joe and one problem I found, as with games like Shadowdark that resemble d20, I kept wanting it to, and kept trying to make it play like 5.x, and it just didn't."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I meant to say, "I played GI Joe and one problem I found, as with games like Shadowdark that resemble d20, I kept wanting it to, and kept trying to make it play like 5.x, and it just didn't."

OK, that makes more sense. All of those are d20 games, but that doesn't mean they have the crunch of 5E, which is a valid preference. Only about half to two-thirds of my 5E group wants to play Shadowdark or Pirate Borg because they want that crunchiness.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

WotC 's marketing and reach makes abandoning your own design in favor of the lure of D&D Beyond very tempting.

That isnt the same as something falling to the corporate boot, home slice.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So, I was told it's not a new edition.

Something fishy here...

How does this news indicate any contradiction to that?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That version of 5E has lots of issues.

Lol it has vastly fewer issues than the 2014 core.

 

[R_J_K75]

OK, that makes more sense. All of those are d20 games, but that doesn't mean they have the crunch of 5E, which is a valid preference. Only about half to two-thirds of my 5E group wants to play Shadowdark or Pirate Borg because they want that crunchiness.

We definitely don't like a lot of crunch. On my first read through I will probably make notes to what rules we use and which ones we lose.

 

[GMMichael]

How does this news indicate any contradiction to that?

I was going off the "new" in the . . .

Look, it's not funny if I have to explain it.

 

[Weiley31]

So, I was told it's not a new edition.

Something fishy here...

 

[Weiley31]

My Little Pony not getting converted over doesn't seem like good news for that RPG.

On the plus side, we have Humblewood AND The Blue Rose Adventurers Guide 5E to cover MLP. Sprinkle some 5.5E magic spells and your all set!!

 

[Weiley31]

Third question can we get janky Mt. Nevermind versions of all the Transformers made by tinker gnomes to use in Dragonlance?

I can't wait for IDW Shockwave to start committing non-ethical war crimes and making it EVERYBODYS problem while the War of The Lance is occuring.