What Property Do You Still Want to See Get a TTRPG Adaptation

Werthead

Explorer
Been playing a lot of STALKER 2 this week and that feels ready-made for a TTRPG conversion. Given the immense success of the series (this is the fourth game in the series, despite the name) and of TTRPGs in eastern Europe, and the ongoing popularity of Stalker the movie and Roadside Picnic the novel (the OG inspiration/source material) it's surprising there already isn't one.

You could probably do a conversion using something like Mutant easily enough though.

You are not alone. I also thought that RM would be quite gameable as a setting.

As for other properties...man, where to beginn?!

  • Malazan Book of the Fallen - Steven Erikson
  • Prince of Nothing - R. Scott Bakker
  • Arcane - NF Series
Arcane and the wider League of Legends universe are covered by the free Runarcana TTRPG.

Malazan originally stemmed from an AD&D 2E campaign that started in 1982, but they ended up hating the rules and switched to GURPS around 1987, so there's certainly scope for an adaptation back to TTRPGs. I believe they've come close 2-3 times to signing a deal, but each time they've backed out. I think Erikson in particular doesn't want to give up control of the setting or set things canonically in stone before they have to (also the reason why there's no canon world map or even a map of Stratem or western Seven Cities yet). I get the impression SE has odd views on what the property is worth and how to exploit it; a colleague of mine went to negotiate the CRPG licence for Malazan and outlined a campaign involving multiple characters, species etc with a roleplaying focus and SE instead asked them to make first-person shooter as he liked those, despite that not being the focus of the company and obviously a very poor fit for the setting (remember the Wheel of Time first-person shooter? It didn't set the world on fire).

Prince of Nothing / Second Apocalypse also started as an AD&D campaign setting for 2E in 1986, there's even maps of OG Earwa floating around mentioning gnome and elven kingdoms. But then it rapidly changed and got darker. I think the sheer darkness and philosophical nihilism of the setting and the extreme commercial failure of the last few novels makes any hope for TTRPG improbable in the extreme.

In a different timeline, we'd have gotten the movie version from the Golden Company team, it would have done well and we'd be having a very different conversation, but alas that did not come to pass.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Autumnal

Bruce Baugh, Writer of Fortune
A few thoughts on approximations, while we all wait. :)

Shogun. Less books and books of rules on katana fighting and more focus on diplomacy and strategy. Use a birthright type system. Probably Free League since what I’m thinking is pretty specific thematically which is what they do well.
The Loner book Kwaidan provides a lot of resources in this vein. (The creator uses AI art, to save some people the time. I find his use of it extraordinary, but absolutely not hoping to spark a fight, here or anywhere.)

A Carpenter Brut RPG. I'm not sure how you'd even do this, but I do know that I need it in my life.
The Fate Core supplement Rockalypse rips out the combat system and throws it away. In its place, there battle of the band mechanics. It’s glorious.

Pirates of Dark Water or Thundarr, but if I'm speaking for my kids, probably One Piece.
Masters of Umdaar, for Fate Accelerated. It is 100% in the groove. Maybe more.

I'd always wondered what a TTRPG inspired by David Bowie would be like...
Starchildren. Aliens received broadcasts of our glam rock and came to say thanks. They arrived to find Earth under totalitarian tyranny. They have joined up with likeminded human to fight the power. I’m not crazy about the mechanics in either edition, but the setting is so great.
 

jdrakeh

Front Range Warlock
Starchildren. Aliens received broadcasts of our glam rock and came to say thanks. They arrived to find Earth under totalitarian tyranny. They have joined up with likeminded human to fight the power. I’m not crazy about the mechanics in either edition, but the setting is so great.

I own the first edition of Starchildren (you can pick it up for a tenner all over the Internet). I did not know there was a second edition. And I agree that, while the system isn't great, the setting is AMAZING.
 


Aldarc

Legend
Yeah, there’s a heap of ’70s and ’80s cartoons I’d love to see as RPGs.

He-Man. She-Ra. Pirates of Dark Water. Thundarr. Dinosaucers. Dino Riders. C.O.P.S. Sectaurs. Thundercats. Silverhawks. Tigersharks. Galaxy Rangers. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriff. BraveStarr. BlackStar. Galtar and the Golden Lance. Inhumanoids.
Really I just need a fun and robust enough game to cover the mishmash of '80s post-apocalyptic science-fantasy cartoons: e.g., Masters of the Universe, Visionaries, Thundarr, Thundercats, etc.
 


A James Bond Spy Action RPG would be fun. They could do setting books for the 1960s, 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. Let the group choose their preferred era of play. Modiphius could do that with their 2d20 system.

The license must cost a fortune.
 

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario
A James Bond Spy Action RPG would be fun. They could do setting books for the 1960s, 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. Let the group choose their preferred era of play. Modiphius could do that with their 2d20 system.

The license must cost a fortune.
Id prefer a John Lecarre type spy system thats more about discovering conspiracies and outing moles. Or a more modern version based on Homeland or Lioness.
 


Aldarc

Legend
Or a game light enough.
Possibly, the lightness or heaviness of a game doesn't really tell me how well it can scratch the particular itch. I do appreciate the fact that we likely have different preferences and philosophical perspectives on this matter, and I don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all solution here.
 

Remove ads

Top