WotC WotC to power other IPs with D&D and M:TG

In Hasbro’s recent conference call, a few things were mentioned.

• Using D&D and Magic ‘play systems’ to power other IPs via their ‘Universes Beyond’ initiatives
• Using D&D Beyond as a hub
• Other physical and digital tie-ins

The Universes Beyond initiative has been running since early 2021 for Magic: The Gathering, and initially featured a The Walking Dead expansion (grandfathered in from 2020), and a Stranger Things set (2020). 2022 will see Warhammer 40K, Fortnite, and Street Fighter; and a Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth set is going out in 2023.

In addition, properties like Godzilla and Dracula have featured as MtG sets, but not as part of the Universes Beyond initiative; and in 2019 there was a My Little Pony crossover. There have also, of course, been D&D/MtG crossovers in both directions.

Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment President Cynthia Williams said:“You'll see us continue to expand the number of formats and reach new customer segments by expanding our Universes Beyond initiatives, which brings IP from outside of Magic into the Magic play system, We've talked a lot about universes beyond in Magic, which is this concept of thinking about Magic as a play system and bringing in outside brands or outside IP into that play system. We see potential for that with D&D as well."

She also talked about other tie-ins: "And then we see a lot of e-commerce and direct opportunities working in partnership with our Hasbro Pulse team to have physical digital tie-ins that are unique to the platform".

Hasbro’s Chris Cocks mentioned the recent D&D Beyond acquisition: “And then we’ll add on top of that the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons in 2024, where that entertainment, consumer products, and gaming momentum will continue. So, we see a lot of growth vectors and a lot of lifts for D&D with the D&D Beyond platform being central to that.”

IcV2 has a good summary.

WotC Plans to Use 'D&D' Play System for More IPs

And More from Hasbro's Q1 Report

icv2.com

 

[Parmandur]

I thought that WotC had lost the rights to that...

Nope, they defended the trademark, and are currently selling the old stuff in Print on Demand.

 

[Parmandur]

I could see this meaning a new d20 Star Wars.

 

[jgsugden]

We're not really talking news here - this is just slapping a different coat of paint on the mechanics of D&D and M:tG. People have been doing this for a long time. Gamma World was originally just D&D in a post apocalyptic setting.

However, I think that trying to play Walking Dead (or other non-medieveal fantasy IP) with D&D rules is going to be very accessible, but not very good. It'll be great for a 'dabble' one shot or short adventure, but not great for a campaign - because the mechanics of D&D have evolved over 5(+) editions to suit that genre. I find that for many settings - especially more modern or futuristic ones, I prefer a different system, like GURPS. The idea of explodingly more powerful PCs as they advance from level 1 to whatever in those settings is not quite right to me, but the gradual development of skills and abilities over time in GURPS works better.

While you can heavily modify the D&D core to make it work better, but then you're heavily modifying it and negating the use of D&D as the core, right?

 

[Nikosandros]

Nope, they defended the trademark, and are currently selling the old stuff in Print on Demand.

Yes, I'm quite aware of that. It was a joke what with all the Nu-TSR ridiculous claims.

 

[Undrave]

It's a great system for mix-and-matching kits to create unique characters, no dead levels (as you see) and every character develops along the same progression (which some won't like, of course).

What about level 9?

Yeah. My expectation is, if the games prove popular, they will either not renew and publish their own version, or like DnDBeyond, buy it outright. However, as all three feel like niche products, I can't really predict what will happen. That said, how many books would you want of any of these properties?

I cannot speak for GI Joe, as that’s not my wheelhouse, and keep in mind that I haven’t seen the books yet, but I can think of quite a few resources I would feel would make great expansion to Transformers or Power Rangers.

For Transformers: Eventually, space travel becomes an important aspect of the franchise, so rules for that might be necessary. What if you want to fly from Earth to Athenia in a single episode? Or engage a Quintesson spaceship in battle?

The next thing are the different kinds of ‘-master’ Transformers: Headmasters, Targetmasters, Powermasters, Actionmasters, and their Japanese counterparts like the Godmasters, Headmasters Jr., Brainmasters, and let’s not forget the Pretenders.

The most obvious expension, to me, is a Beast Era book. Beast Era transformers are smaller than the older ‘bulk’ models and they transform into organic beasts.

Next you have the Unicron Trilogy and all its powering up items. Minicons are a lot like familiars, Energon Stars and the Cyber Keys.

The Animated Continuity, besides its unique artstyle (R.I.P. Derrick J Wyatt …) features a rarity in Transformers: human super villains! It also has the Autobots at a severe disadvantage before the Decepticons, with them usually being bigger, more well-armed, and able to fly. Autobots in the Animated universe usually don’t have any sort of blasters or canon and often feature special abilities. The political situation is also different.

And while the Aligned continuity is generally in line enough with G1 to not necessitate a lot of changes, it does feature a vast collection of artefact and McGuffins with powerful abilities. It also has Dark Energon and its ability to turn Transformers into Zombies. And Rescue Bots is part of that continuity and could result in a COMPLETELY different style of game!

I could also see a Lost Light source book featurings all sorts of enemies like the Legislator robots, the DJD, Sparkeaters, scraplets, personality ticks, Amonites, the Black Block Consortia, the Galactic Council, and all of Scorponok’s monstrosities. And rules for space travel again.

For Power Rangers:

The obvious ones would be rules for the various villainous factions, rules for different power sources, and different kinds of Zords. After all, a Galactabeast isn’t the same thing as a Rescue Zord, or the same thing as a Power Animal, or turning into a Zord in Mystic Force, or projecting one like in Jungle Fury, and so forth.

Power Rangers in Space and Lost Galaxy feature space travel and there is probably room to turn Planet Onyx into a mini-setting. Maybe one for Terra Venture as well.

Power Rangers RPM features a post-apocalyptic setting so that might be worth some pages in a book (Maybe a book of mini-settings to replace Angel Grove?)

Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, SPD and Beast Morphers all feature Rangers parts of larger organizations. How does that get handled in game?

And ever since Lord Drakkon appeared in the comics, Power Rangers’ been on a multiverse bent. RPM and Dino Charge are both canonically in a different universe than the other Rangers shows. The Earth of Dino Charge still has dinosaurs now!

Of course, that's not counting any sort of adventures they might want to release.

Universes Beyond is things like Walking Dead, LotR, Warhammer 40k, but could easily include internal brands. They don't have to fit the MtG or D&D vibe at all.

They just need great art and a passionate audience.

Is there still a passionate audience for Walking Dead?

 

[Jer]

However, I think that trying to play Walking Dead (or other non-medieveal fantasy IP) with D&D rules is going to be very accessible, but not very good. It'll be great for a 'dabble' one shot or short adventure, but not great for a campaign - because the mechanics of D&D have evolved over 5(+) editions to suit that genre. I find that for many settings - especially more modern or futuristic ones, I prefer a different system, like GURPS. The idea of explodingly more powerful PCs as they advance from level 1 to whatever in those settings is not quite right to me, but the gradual development of skills and abilities over time in GURPS works better.

I suspect that a lot of folks who aren't already heavy roleplayers would be quite happy with 5e D&D in modern/futuristic settings. The core doesn't actually require as much change as you might think so long as your desire for a game is more cinematic than realistic and you're happy with superheroic action hero types as your heroes. The firearm rules in the DMG are sufficient if that's the kind of game you're running and IME familiar mechanics will win out over "better" mechanics with most casual gamers, which would be the target audience for these kinds of games.

5e is a lot more flexible in this regard than previous editions of the game IMO. I wouldn't have the same opinion of 4e or 3e - 3e had a ton of folks who tried to do exactly that and ended up with mediocre games out of it. 5e's de-emphasis on tactical combat and more emphasis on "theater of the mind" style play makes it more suitable to being a "good enough" engine than previous versions of the game were IMO.

 

[sevenbastard]

Gamma World was originally just D&D in a post apocalyptic setting.

Maybe inspired by (like 90% of early RPG), but it had different attributes, no classes, combat worked a little different, as did saving throws,, gaining levels did much different things as it didn't have classes, ect.

Different enough that I would call it it's own game and not a setting. But familiar enough you could explain to players in 15 to 30 minutes the difference and start playing.

I think you can take that philosophyand apply it with 5e. Keep things they know like terms and the action economy in combat and change some others.

For example

"Walking dead 5e is like D&D but you don't have a class you just pick a background, some skills, and two feats at first level. As you go up in levels you pick more feats some of them are in feat trees, and there arec100s of them. When you level your proficiency bonus goes up but Hit Points are much lower. To help with that you have more inspiration. Everything else works pretty much the same."

Easy to pick up and play by folks familiar with D&D.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Trying to imagine a Walking Dead game that doesn't have mechanics for relationships and mental degradation, and where 5e's focus on level-based progression coexists with a setting and tone where death is frequent and--in the case of zombie bites--inescapable. Plus, fighting a zombie horde would mean, what, just dozens of attacks on individual targets while plotting out precise movement rates on battlemaps, instead of some more narrative or zoomed-out mechanic that evokes the feeling of dealing with what's basically a semi-sentient natural disaster?

Seems terrible, but hey, the d20-ification of all RPG genres was a disaster the first time. Would genuinely love to see it crash and burn again.

 

[bedir than]

What about level 9?

I cannot speak for GI Joe, as that’s not my wheelhouse, and keep in mind that I haven’t seen the books yet, but I can think of quite a few resources I would feel would make great expansion to Transformers or Power Rangers.

For Transformers: Eventually, space travel becomes an important aspect of the franchise, so rules for that might be necessary. What if you want to fly from Earth to Athenia in a single episode? Or engage a Quintesson spaceship in battle?

The next thing are the different kinds of ‘-master’ Transformers: Headmasters, Targetmasters, Powermasters, Actionmasters, and their Japanese counterparts like the Godmasters, Headmasters Jr., Brainmasters, and let’s not forget the Pretenders.

The most obvious expension, to me, is a Beast Era book. Beast Era transformers are smaller than the older ‘bulk’ models and they transform into organic beasts.

Next you have the Unicron Trilogy and all its powering up items. Minicons are a lot like familiars, Energon Stars and the Cyber Keys.

The Animated Continuity, besides its unique artstyle (R.I.P. Derrick J Wyatt …) features a rarity in Transformers: human super villains! It also has the Autobots at a severe disadvantage before the Decepticons, with them usually being bigger, more well-armed, and able to fly. Autobots in the Animated universe usually don’t have any sort of blasters or canon and often feature special abilities. The political situation is also different.

And while the Aligned continuity is generally in line enough with G1 to not necessitate a lot of changes, it does feature a vast collection of artefact and McGuffins with powerful abilities. It also has Dark Energon and its ability to turn Transformers into Zombies. And Rescue Bots is part of that continuity and could result in a COMPLETELY different style of game!

I could also see a Lost Light source book featurings all sorts of enemies like the Legislator robots, the DJD, Sparkeaters, scraplets, personality ticks, Amonites, the Black Block Consortia, the Galactic Council, and all of Scorponok’s monstrosities. And rules for space travel again.

For Power Rangers:

The obvious ones would be rules for the various villainous factions, rules for different power sources, and different kinds of Zords. After all, a Galactabeast isn’t the same thing as a Rescue Zord, or the same thing as a Power Animal, or turning into a Zord in Mystic Force, or projecting one like in Jungle Fury, and so forth.

Power Rangers in Space and Lost Galaxy feature space travel and there is probably room to turn Planet Onyx into a mini-setting. Maybe one for Terra Venture as well.

Power Rangers RPM features a post-apocalyptic setting so that might be worth some pages in a book (Maybe a book of mini-settings to replace Angel Grove?)

Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, SPD and Beast Morphers all feature Rangers parts of larger organizations. How does that get handled in game?

And ever since Lord Drakkon appeared in the comics, Power Rangers’ been on a multiverse bent. RPM and Dino Charge are both canonically in a different universe than the other Rangers shows. The Earth of Dino Charge still has dinosaurs now!

Of course, that's not counting any sort of adventures they might want to release.

Is there still a passionate audience for Walking Dead?

It gets over 3 million viewers per episode and is cable's number one drama

 

[Morrus]

It gets over 3 million viewers per episode and is cable's number one drama

That actually sounds low to me? I thought it was like 10M+?