Green Ronin is going to release a revised True20 book witch fixes some of the problems with the first book, and ditches the setting material. The empty space will be filled by the complete text of the companion.
IMO. this is the way the book should have been done in the first place. However, I already have all the new stuff, so it's hard to say if I'll be willing to buy it again. Probably not.
in other news they're going to open up the license and allow people to produce true20 material for free under the rules of the OGL.
Anyway, for the 1.7 of you that are interested, the whole story is here.
http://true20.com/
I'm excited about this. And I agree, this is what it should have been from the beginning.
Although, other than a clearer explanation of the damage rules and such, there's not a lot awful wrong with it, is there?
Excellent moves on their part! Throwing it open as OGL, especially with 4e looming, might help in making it a continuously popular, viable system and design of choice for some.
Quote from: KazI'm excited about this. And I agree, this is what it should have been from the beginning.
Although, other than a clearer explanation of the damage rules and such, there's not a lot awful wrong with it, is there?
No, not really. I'm happy to see the settings go, because they sucked.
The only thing really wrong with the book besides the not so great explanation of the damage system is the anemic beastary.
The only True20 setting that I thought was truly original was the uh.. "Razor in the Apple" one. (Is that right? I may have made up the name. Kids, horror, rules for different stereotypes of parents, etc.)
This new book would be damn near perfect if they jettison the fantasy archetype bit. The system is pretty seriously predicated on the idea slimming things down, especially in character creation, and the Companion adds this weird subset of rules for characters filling common fantasy cliches. It's so weird and out of place.
Quote from: Zachary The FirstExcellent moves on their part! Throwing it open as OGL, especially with 4e looming, might help in making it a continuously popular, viable system and design of choice for some.
We can but hope.
True 20 has been my generic system of choice for a while now, and I'm hoping this shift in licensing policy will open the gates for more experimental products by other publishers.
The corebook changes sound cool, too. Although I own both the component publications I'll probably buy it anyway. Hopefully they'll spruce up the presentation a little-- I'm thinking of something along the lines of M&M's glossy, full colour layout.
Regardless, it's great to see that GR are still taking the game seriously.
Quote from: KazThis new book would be damn near perfect if they jettison the fantasy archetype bit. The system is pretty seriously predicated on the idea slimming things down, especially in character creation, and the Companion adds this weird subset of rules for characters filling common fantasy cliches. It's so weird and out of place.
Agreed. I'd rather see a decent point-buy alternative for character creation.
Great news! D6, True20 what's going OGL next? My plans for systemless settings and system-specific stat pdf's grow ever closer to fruition.
Quote from: walkerpGreat news! D6, True20 what's going OGL next? My plans for systemless settings and system-specific stat pdf's grow ever closer to fruition.
Well, under CC or OGL, we have FATE, True20 (coming soon), d6 (coming soon), Action!, TSOY, FUDGE, Iridium, YAGS, and Mongoose RQ, to name a few. Others?
Quote from: AosIMO. this is the way the book should have been done in the first place. However, I already have all the new stuff, so it's hard to say if I'll be willing to buy it again.
I found the only thing I needed to learn (and hopefully someday run) True20 was the softcover Player's Guide. Hard to say at this point if the new edition will make that redundant.
Quote from: HaffrungI found the only thing I needed to learn (and hopefully someday run) True20 was the softcover Player's Guide. Hard to say at this point if the new edition will make that redundant.
I ran it for over a year with just the core book (same as players guide +useless settings and pitiful, mostly useless beastary) before the companion came out and did just fine. However the companion has some pretty nfty stuff in it, and has proven to be pretty useful to us.
If i get the time and i can find someone with the inclination to publish it, i might just see if i can get some stuff done myself once May comes round.
Quote from: Zachary The FirstWell, under CC or OGL, we have FATE, True20 (coming soon), d6 (coming soon), Action!, TSOY, FUDGE, Iridium, YAGS, and Mongoose RQ, to name a few. Others?
I can only hope one of them takes off, it'd be nice not to have to play D&D when I move.
I might pick up the new True20.
Well, this seems to be an improvement from what they originally released; the settings they included were all ass, and worked badly against the system.
I also hope they roll back some of the changes to the system from the True20 PDF to the True20 print book, especially the "special class powers" which are completely inappropriate to many settings.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditWell, this seems to be an improvement from what they originally released; the settings they included were all ass, and worked badly against the system.
I also hope they roll back some of the changes to the system from the True20 PDF to the True20 print book, especially the "special class powers" which are completely inappropriate to many settings.
RPGPundit
I don't have the old pdf, do you mean the core abilities for the roles, or something else?
FWIW, they said that there will be no major rule changes, just a clean up.
This is a good move.
I'm happy that I didn't buy the Companion now!
Quote from: HaffrungI found the only thing I needed to learn (and hopefully someday run) True20 was the softcover Player's Guide. Hard to say at this point if the new edition will make that redundant.
The Companion just (IMO) helps in weird situations. Like people who want to play martial artists, who are kinda hybrid Expert/Warrior, and it lets you create that sort of class. (In fact, IIRC, martial artist is an example role.)
But the original book is plenty to play. And this revised edition would be able to set you up quite nicely, I should think.
This is fantastic news!
Quote from: KazAlthough, other than a clearer explanation of the damage rules and such, there's not a lot awful wrong with it, is there?
Yeah, but that one little thing was enough to completely kill True20 for me. The completely garbled damage rules in the corebook made the game unplayable as written, IMO. I also love the idea of replacing the craptastic settings with the excellent Companion material. I honestly don't know WTF Pramas & Co. were thinking when they picked Borrowed Time, Mecha Versus Kaiju or Lux Aeternum...
KoOS
Quote from: AosI don't have the old pdf, do you mean the core abilities for the roles, or something else?
FWIW, they said that there will be no major rule changes, just a clean up.
Yes, the "core abilities"; a game where any adept can use ANY power just by spending a conviction point won't make sense in about 90% of the settings I can imagine.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditYes, the "core abilities"; a game where any adept can use ANY power just by spending a conviction point won't make sense in about 90% of the settings I can imagine.
RPGPundit
Fair enough. Adepts are mostly NPCs in my games, so this has literally never come up in over two years of using the game. I could see how it could, though.
On the other hand, with the companion, you could easily (in about 10 minutes) make up your own adept style role with another core ability. Hell you could probably just take the adept as written and cut that part of the core ability and not fuck the game at all.
Over at the True20 forums, there has been much debate over that core ability with people trying to come up with alternatives. I think before they release a revised edition, they might want to consider this.
But I guess that would make it more of a second edition.
Quote from: RPGPunditYes, the "core abilities"; a game where any adept can use ANY power just by spending a conviction point won't make sense in about 90% of the settings I can imagine.
RPGPundit
I've been considering limiting access to a number of powers equal to the adept's will save. Of course they would be selected prior to usage, and represent powers that require the adept to exert supreme concentration to execute.
Well, now. I was just about to buy the core book, too! Thanks for the heads up!
Quote from: DrewI've been considering limiting access to a number of powers equal to the adept's will save. Of course they would be selected prior to usage, and represent powers that require the adept to exert supreme concentration to execute.
Any easy enough fix, I should think.
Quote from: Zachary The FirstAny easy enough fix, I should think.
if nothing else it's a pretty easy game to modify- which I guess is part of the point of it.
Quote from: DrewI've been considering limiting access to a number of powers equal to the adept's will save. Of course they would be selected prior to usage, and represent powers that require the adept to exert supreme concentration to execute.
That's actually a really elegant solution; I'd definitely use that houserule in my True20.
Quote from: Aosif nothing else it's a pretty easy game to modify- which I guess is part of the point of it.
Very true, as I think the numerous suggestions/changes for the damage system we've seen might suggest. :)
Quote from: WarthurThat's actually a really elegant solution; I'd definitely use that houserule in my True20.
Cheers. :)
The inherent flexibility of True20 makes it a very easy game to houserule. I initially thought my Exalted conversion would snowball into a nightmare of subsystemic juggling. In reality it was remarkably straightforward. Kudos to Steve Kenson and co. for writing such a user-friendly template.