What licenses are left?

Tonguez · May 13, 2026

cranberry said:
The other option to obtaining a new license is to buy one the owner is willing to sell. (assuming, of course, the price is reasonable, and the results of your forecast are favorable/meet your expected ROI)

The other option is to look at stuff that is now Public Domain - The Land of Oz for instance, HG Wells Time Machine, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, The Black Arrow, Treasure Island

RyeVsWorld · May 13, 2026

Tonguez said:
The other option is to look at stuff that is now Public Domain - The Land of Oz for instance, HG Wells Time Machine, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, The Black Arrow, Treasure Island

I’m pleased to say there is a TTRPG based on Oz already out there… Still waiting for it to be fulfilled but it’s out there!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/freeforall/the-lost-chronicles-of-oz

Whizbang Dustyboots · May 13, 2026

RyeVsWorld said:
I’m pleased to say there is a TTRPG based on Oz already out there… Still waiting for it to be fulfilled but it’s out there!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/freeforall/the-lost-chronicles-of-oz

I'm a backer!

There's also Andrew Kolb's Oz setting (officially 5E, but basically generic D&D stats) and the two-book Adventures in Oz 5E setting by Double Critical, which seems to have only existed to get the books and screen into the world, and then vanished. They're pretty snazzy, though.

What? I don't have an Oz problem. You have an Oz problem!

aiouh · May 13, 2026

I feel like one of the more early Gundam Series/Universes (more or less Universal Century) would do incredibly well. Mecha Combat lends itself really well to TRPG mechanics that are basically already inspired from warship games and I think people would enjoy piloting a bunch of known iconic mechs. Sure, Lancer already exists, but I think a first-party product using actual "historically accurate" mechs would sell really well to fans.

Players would be part of a small squad with a handful of mechs fighting through a bigger theater on either side. Lots of potential theaters of conflict to adapt, hell UC is based on "Real Earth" so there's lots to work with. Could even build maps using google maps.

Doctor Futurity · May 13, 2026

Count_Zero said:
So, Guardians of Order, back in the day, had been in negotiations to do an Ultimate Fan Guide for Evangelion - only for everything to fall through when GoO issued a press release saying the deal was done before anything had actually been signed. The story even ran in KoDT Magazine.

Gainax (which was still a going concern at the time) backed out of the deal.

Interesting, I did not know that! They did release Bubblegum Crisis, Armored Troopers Votoms and Dominion Tank Police rpgs as I recall.....all of which deserve a second life (imo, even though they are super ultra 80s and 90s era series).(edit...actually I think RTG released those)

Count_Zero · May 14, 2026

Doctor Futurity said:
Interesting, I did not know that! They did release Bubblegum Crisis, Armored Troopers Votoms and Dominion Tank Police rpgs as I recall.....all of which deserve a second life (imo, even though they are super ultra 80s and 90s era series).(edit...actually I think RTG released those)

RTG did Bubblegum Crisis and VOTOMS. GoO did Dominion Tank Police (also, the rights holder for the anime is out of the commercial video production business and has no interest in re-licensing it - hopefully the masters are intact somewhere).

As far as Gundam goes, there is an officially licensed Gundam TRPG in Japan based on the Mekton rules, which RTG has licensed the rights to translate at some point, but for whatever reason it doesn't appear to have reached a state where they were able to release it.

Maxperson · May 14, 2026

I'd like to see a Xanth RPG for some goofy fun. A more serious IP would be an RPG based on the Sword of Truth setting.

Greg K · May 14, 2026

Maxperson said:
I'd like to see a Xanth RPG for some goofy fun.

In that case, I also want a MythAdventures RPG

Whizbang Dustyboots · May 14, 2026

Maxperson said:
I'd like to see a Xanth RPG for some goofy fun.

I don't think Piers Anthony can withstand the inevitable scrutiny that would bring in 2026.

pnewman · May 14, 2026

Morrus said:
You mean just buy the IP outright? At that point, it’s not a license. You’re just using IP now own.

You could buy the IP and then you license your own IP to a second company so that when if and one of them fails it won't take the other company with it. (Planning this ahead of time to skip out on your debts would be shady, but covering the risk is a sensible business practice.)