Silven Crossroads/Harry Potter RPG speculation

[seankreynolds]

Be sure you check out Bradford Ferguson's speculations about a Harry Potter RPG: http://www.silven.com/adnd.asp?case=show&id=211

Now that you're back from reading that....

Brad -

Excellent reasoning. I'll point out that WotC _did_ have rights to the HP property (they made a trading card set out of it). And WotC wanted to make an RPG. I probably can't say exactly what happened, but let's just say that JKR didn't let it come to fruition, despite some really cool ideas by the design team. It's not WotC's fault at all. Some IP-owners have some very strange ideas about what other people (whether companies or kids just wanting to play "let's pretend") should and should not be able to do with their IP.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

and it still amazes me that I havnt heard word one from her about all the freaky fanfics people write.

 

[Desdichado]

I've heard her comment on fanfics in interviews before. As she gets closer to releasing the final two books, she may not have the same position on "creative control" as she does now. We'll have to see, I suppose.

 

[Gez]

Here's a site detailing a bit JKR's attitude toward fanfics.

And which, by the way, says something very important about HP licensing:

Warner Brothers, who owns the copyright to much of the Harry Potter franchise, is not always as kind. (For more information on who really owns, click here. JK Rowlings apparently abandoned her application.)​

 

[Zappo]

I clearly remember reading on some magazine that JKR didn't want an RPG to be made, because that would have forced her to disclose much information about the setting which should not be revealed until the series is over. This sounds pretty reasonable to me; the alternative would be having possible contradictions between the RPG and the last few books. Maybe we will see a HP RPG shortly after the release of the last book.

I'm sorry I can't provide a source for this information, it was at least a year ago.

 

[JimAde]

I clearly remember reading on some magazine that JKR didn't want an RPG to be made, because that would have forced her to disclose much information about the setting which should not be revealed until the series is over. This sounds pretty reasonable to me; the alternative would be having possible contradictions between the RPG and the last few books. Maybe we will see a HP RPG shortly after the release of the last book.

I'm sorry I can't provide a source for this information, it was at least a year ago.

I can't quote the source either but I read the same thing. As cool as the HP books are, I don't know if they're really gameable. The style of magic is pretty overwhelming. Little kids who can throw paralysis spells (apparently without saving throws...) are a bit much.

 

[francisca]

I dunno. I just can't see a Harry Potter RPG being such a big hit.

That guys seemed to wax on and on about how awesome it would have been for the future of RPGs, and I just don't see it.

 

[Zappo]

I dunno. I just can't see a Harry Potter RPG being such a big hit.

That guys seemed to wax on and on about how awesome it would have been for the future of RPGs, and I just don't see it.

Agreed. There was a pokemon RPG, but I don't see millions of people playing it. Understanding and enjoying RPGs takes a bit of a mental switch, liking the subject isn't enough.

 

[Gez]

Little kids who can throw paralysis spells (apparently without saving throws...) are a bit much.

Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix has passages about resisting spells. In RPG mechanics, it would best rendered with skills -- just like spells themselves.

Maybe each spell would be keyed to two skills, one for casting it, one for resisting it. With some exceptions, like the famous adava kedavra, for which no resistance is possible, but which is supposed to be very hard to cast.

 

[JimAde]

Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix has passages about resisting spells. In RPG mechanics, it would best rendered with skills -- just like spells themselves.

Maybe each spell would be keyed to two skills, one for casting it, one for resisting it. With some exceptions, like the famous adava kedavra, for which no resistance is possible, but which is supposed to be very hard to cast.

That's true. I guess I was balancing it in my head against non-wizards. You know if you had PCs with this spell the first thing they'd do is go down to the local Qwik-e-mart and start paralyzing people that annoyed them