What Licensed RPG Do You Wish Existed But Doesn't?

[Corinnguard]

The world of Mordant as seen in Stephen R. Donaldson's The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through. In this setting you have group of Conjuration Wizards known as Imagers who use mirrors to summon people, monsters, and objects from other worlds, just by seeing their image in one of their mirrors.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

I'd also enjoy seeing a book or even supplement for one of my favorite fantasy settings: Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series.

Title: Dzurlord

www.isfdb.org

 

[deganawida]

Thundarr the Barbarian Savage Worlds. Didn't see if anyone had made an official RPG, and my understanding is that Shane Hensley has been trying to get the license to make it but the owner hasn't been willing to license it out. Still, that would be awesome. Thundarr was seminal in my love of fantasy.

 

[Teo Twawki]

Uh... huh. ... Buckaroo is the sort of omnicompetent hero you wouldn't want anywhere near your PCs, that's for sure!

In Conan-branded games, is having Conan in the game a problem? Only if they fight him. In Stormbringer, is Elric an issue for the PCs to be around? Well, yes and no; Elric isn't the problem, it's that damned sword of his. How about Kirk or Picard in Star Trek? Sherlock Holmes!? No, thank you; all are too competent (but can still be fooled)!
Titular IP characters are not who PCs play as--nor even often face in such games... How often is Cthulhu in a CoC scenario?
It's not like Buckaroo is immortal, especially burly, nor highly resistant to pain or capture.
But not to worry--we won't let him near your game table!!

I'm having trouble imagining adventures other than dealing with aliens from Planet X.

Hm. Perhaps you should get your imagination to exercise more?

At least we know the imaginary holders of the Banzai IP shouldn't bother selling their non-existent game to you. At our table, we're ready to join the Blue Blaze Irregulars (who, presumably, would be the organs and skeleton of playing characters in the game)... They're like less competent, even less well-equipped--but far more sane and appropriately light-hearted--than Delta Green Agents.

 

[TheHand]

Title: Dzurlord

www.isfdb.org

Fascinating! Was this an rpg or more like a 'choose-your-own-adventure' type books? (1987... very early in Brust's career too)

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Also, illusions, which Skeeve got a whole lot of use out of.

The magic system did drift a bit with time... The first book did a lot with ley lines, which were pretty much completely dropped thereafter. But yeah, Skeeve's magic pretty much boils down to telekinesis and wards. Some people seem to be able to do mental magics as well.

Oh yeah, along with Jack of Shadows and a bunch of other literary wizard-type characters. That one has been sitting in my TBR pile.

Aahz and Skeeve were statted up for the RoleAids module Wizards.

 

[The Shadow]

But not to worry--we won't let him near your game table!!


Hm. Perhaps you should get your imagination to exercise more?

At least we know the imaginary holders of the Banzai IP shouldn't bother selling their non-existent game to you.

I seem to have offended you, that was not my intent. Your suggestion intrigued me enough to respond, and I was giving the first response that came to mind. I was planning to consider it more and post on it again.

Also, illusions, which Skeeve got a whole lot of use out of.

D'oh! Yes, of course.

 

[deganawida]

Title: Dzurlord

www.isfdb.org

Brust also had an article in Dragon in the early/mid 90s where he statted out Vlad. That's actually how I came to be aware of his work.

 

[Davies]

Fascinating! Was this an rpg or more like a 'choose-your-own-adventure' type books?

While it was closer to the latter, it used D&D stats (with Wisdom doubling as Luck) with "roll under" for checks and had some basic combat rules. Not as "gamey" as the Middle Earth Adventure books (which used a slightly cut-down set of the MERP rules) but more than some of this style.

 

[Aldarc]

Any LEGO setting would work, really!

True, but I think that Bionicle has a pretty neat fantasy setting, heroes who go on adventures, and different ways to customize characters.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

While it was closer to the latter, it used D&D stats (with Wisdom doubling as Luck) with "roll under" for checks and had some basic combat rules. Not as "gamey" as the Middle Earth Adventure books (which used a slightly cut-down set of the MERP rules) but more than some of this style.

Yep, and there were a dozen or so of them in various properties. I need to hunt down a copy of the Morgaine & Vanye one someday...

 

[James Gasik]

Ok this might seem a little out there, but how about:

 

[Celebrim]

Necromunda - For those of you who don't know, Necromunda was a skirmish level table top miniatures war game released by Games Workshop originally released in 1995. The game takes place in the underhive, the lower portions of a hive city, massive structures plumbing the depths of the planet and kilometers into the sky, and the players control their own gangs vying for territory and power. Like a lot of GW properties, it's the setting is rich, interesting, and there's a lot of things you can do in Necromunda.

I'd settle for a campaign oriented videogame that captured the game feel of the skirmish level game. The licensed video game version was extremely disappointing for not capturing the game mechanics as well as for example the video game version of Bloodbowl did.

I don't think I'd want to play Necromunda without the skirmish rules, but did spend quite a bit of time sketching out campaign rules for building a gang empire in Necromunda with extensive exploration and income phases.

 

[Undrave]

I'd settle for a campaign oriented videogame that captured the game feel of the skirmish level game. The licensed video game version was extremely disappointing for not capturing the game mechanics as well as for example the video game version of Bloodbowl did.

I don't think I'd want to play Necromunda without the skirmish rules, but did spend quite a bit of time sketching out campaign rules for building a gang empire in Necromunda with extensive exploration and income phases.

Neromunda with 4e style rules?

 

[RareBreed]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but I would love to see a Rurouni Kenshin game. But it has to include the Netflix stories, and not just the anime and manga. Second would be Attack on Titan.

One Punch Man would be kind of hilarious if OPM would come out of nowhere like some Deus Ex Machina to save the players. Or make them play a class C hero like Mumen Rider (aka the bicycle hero).

Unfortunately, Avatar by Nickelodeon has been licensed out by Magpie Games, but it uses the PbtA system, and none of the Playbooks really fits the genre in my opinion (I don't even think PbtA is a good fit honestly).

The other Avatar would make a pretty cool RPG game too.

 

[Teo Twawki]

I seem to have offended you

I don't get offended by words. Especially words on the internet.
I did find it a curious concept to dismiss a (non-existent) game because the title character would be over-powered in comparison with player characters since that is a common theme in myriad licensed IPs.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There are some old fogies posting to this thread!

 

[Dioltach]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Hiero's Journey (and not just because I want to play a Senior Killman riding a telepathic horse/moose).

Also: Earthsea.

And so I don't show my age too much: Skulduggery Pleasant.

 

[gban007]

Because Gurps New Sun exists, I'll have to go with a Malazan Book of the Fallen RPG (though, I'd go for an RPG based on the unfinished Kharkhanas trilogy, too).

I would like that too, but is a funny one as Malazan came from a GURPS campaign, so in theory perhaps you could argue it is already there? But I would love a dedicated Malazan RPG in whatever system it comes in

 

[jmartkdr2]

Pirates of the Caribbean, if you can get ship combat to work.

While the plots got wacky and Jack Sparrow gets on one’s nerves after a while, the ideas were generally pretty solid adventure hooks, and there’s more where that came from.