After a delay due to unfortunate circumstances, RenegadeCon 2021 is set to begin today (Friday, 27th August 2021) at 3:00 PM Pacific time.
Held virtually by Renegade Game Studios, the event will span for two days with content from Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Power Rangers franchises.
Message from Renegade Game Studios (external links included):
Behind the scenes of Renegade’s upcoming Power Rangers, G.I. JOE, and Transformers Roleplaying Games lies a brand new system, Essence20. Read on to learn a little about this new system, and tune in to RenegadeCon VIrtual Special Edition this weekend to see it in action in the new games, and learn more about it from the creative team! Senior RPG Producer Elisa Teague also sat down with Forbes magazine to talk about Essence20 and the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game, which you can find here.
First off, as you may suspect from the name, Essence20 is a d20 based system. The core mechanic for resolving a roll is for the player to roll a d20 along with their Skill die (ranging from a d2-d20). The result of the d20 and skill die must exceed the difficulty of the test in order to succeed. Characters with a specialization in the skill being tested get to roll their skill die and all dice below it, and pick the highest result to add to their d20 roll, increasing their odds of success! What’s more, a max value roll on ANY die is a critical success, leading to more chances for crits and more opportunities for great roleplaying incorporating them.
Character creation follows a three-pronged approach, based on their Origin (what type of person are they?), Role (what is their place on the team?), and Influence (what experiences have led them to this point?). Character’s abilities and skills are based on the 4 S’s, Strength, Speed, Smarts, and Social. These options give an amazing depth and breadth to the variety of characters that a player can create!
The character backgrounds, character flaw system, and Story Point system (awarded for mission success, special heroics, and spectacular roleplaying) lend themselves to a cinematic and cooperative roleplaying experience that is a great fit for settings like Power Rangers, G.I. JOE, and Transformers. We are excited to show this system off, so please join us for RenegadeCon Virtual Special Edition this weekend for more information and to see it all put on the table in our premiere of Day of Destiny, a Power Rangers Roleplaying Game Actual Play!
You can check out the schedule, attached with this news post.
Terradives
No tech specs no sale. How do you miss so bad?
Thinktank
Pretty much every rpg on the market ever, needed more editorial time and effort before publishing. This is especially so since 2010-2015. I am trying not grognard-trap myself regarding this product, but I find myself unfortunately skeptical quality-wise of what will be released.
Duskool99
Here's hoping the launch version is better than the Power Rangers RPG, because that definitely needed more time with editors
MapleSamurai
Some news for those who've gotten annoyed by the number of times this game has been delayed: in light of that, Renegade Games has announced they will be releasing the digital edition early for those who preorder.
Wyldmaxx
Latest news from Renegade Games.
Duskool99
Not a whole lot beyond "still in development coming early next year." Most of the live streams and Q&A's revolve around the Power Rangers rpg using the same core system, which makes sense considering its coming in January
MechanovaKing
Has there been any more word on this?
Thunderclash Fanboy
Last response, since we're straying very far from on-topic, but:
Because you didn't like her initial portrayal they slammed her down our throats?
I must not be a comic connoisseur such as yourself, I never had a problem with her portrayals in IDW, esp her mini-series. Yeah, she took some development. Talking to titans was an interpretation of her 'telepathy' ability in the fan poll. And gave way to a really cool character aspect that multiple characters have now.
They made toys of a character? *gasp* good thing they have never done that with any other character. Good thing I don't have a shelf of over 20 soundwaves. nuh-uh. Nope. they don't make toys of other characters guys. They didn't want to 'cram them down our throats' Transformers is saved!
In fact, in generations we've had 2 molds. (One of which was a retool)
Cyberverse had 2 molds
RiD 2015 had 2 molds
A character, who is 8 years old at this point, has had 6 molds? They must be cramming her down our throats!
You're resentment sounds like someone pretending 'the man' ruined their childhood, when in fact you just don't like anything to change.
artiepants
and we ended up with the Homer car. (same with the goofy combiner set they fan polled on)
I don't really have a problem with Windblade, I have a problem with the way Hasbro tried to cram her down our throats in every line and how IDW tried to make her just the bestest character ever who was ever-so-very important (she can talk to Titans!), except they forgot to give her an actual personality in the early appearances I read where she was totally outshined by her sidekicks.
they wanted her to be a popular new addition ala when Wolverine was introduced and became part of the new X-men, but my point is you can't manufacture that, it has to happen organically and nothing about the way Windblade was worked into the franchise was organic, it was manufactured corporateness at it's worst.
Thunderclash Fanboy
The character made from a fan poll is the manufactured popular character… almost like a large group of fans used a popularity contest to create her… hmm…..
Windblade is great. She's a good addition to the franchise. Maybe a little too much spotlight too quick, but I enjoy having her around, for sure.
Hooper_X
good thing you aren't the entire fanbase, much less the entire casual audience, isn't it?
I think she's fine, as long as they can nail down some consistent personality that isn't just "The Other Girl"
Diamondback
Funny, a friend over in Germany and I had discussed back when BB's first launched how they BEG to be expanded into an RPG and boardgame…
Suboptimal Optimus
I see her more as Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel (as opposed to the original Carol as Miss Marvel).
artiepants
Windblade will always be the Transformer's version of Poochie to me.
They tried to manufacture a popular character, and that mostly NEVER works.
Suboptimal Optimus
By the way I find it funny they are still trying to pretend people care about Windblade by putting her on the cover. She's not the most popular or iconic female Transformers and hell she's not even that popular outside of a subset of the IDW fanboys. Anyway, weird side rant but I find it funny everyone on that cover is from the G1 era (all from the original toyline, except Chromia who was show-first) and then there's Windblade. What, is Hasbro ashamed of Arcee? Because I'm starting to think they are.
Hooper_X
TBQH I'm glad that it isn't a tactical miniatures game masquerading as a tabletop RPG. I'm much more of a "theater of the mind" GM and knowing that I won't have to have a fucking ruler on the table to adjudicate combat (and that the game isn't necessarily entirely combat-centered) is nice.
I want a system that can run "Buster Witwicky & the Car Wash of Doom" just as readily as it can run the Battle of Mission City or one of the chattier issues of Lost Light or a given episode of Rescue Bots, not just the soulless action slog of the WFC cartoons.
Hell, gimme a PDF BotBots expansion, just to see what they come up with for it.
Thunderclash Fanboy
Well, I'm in. I put in a preorder for the transformers core book (and dice and Deckbuilder!). Even if it gathers dust like my Marvel Civil War book that I bought in college, it'll be a nice part of my rulebook collection. But here's hoping I'll actually get to play!
Duskool99
Alright, so after watching part 2 the Power Rangers live play thingy it does definitely seem like the system's combat leans more towards narrative than tactical. Not as much as I thought, it does seem like certain attacks innately target one defensive stat instead of the defender trying to pick one. They have miniatures and maps, but it never felt super important, which could be them hand waving stuff to fit into the 90 minute time slot.. Combat did have a very cinematic flair, but that mostly comes down to the group. Most of my observations past that could be seen as specific to Rangers and not the core system, such as certain abilities or different special attacks.
DaveWire
Ah, I missed that. Well, $20 for a screen and $8 for a starter adventure is reasonable so I amend my previous statement. The bag and dice combo for $30 is still ridiculous, though. $15 for a dice set I get, but $15 just for a bag to put them in? No thanks.