(no subject)

[technoir]

After a brief search I was surprised to find there was no one appears to have the license for a Harry Potter role playing game. I would have figured this for a natural choice for a game publishing company to seek. The world is pretty well defined and well it is one of the most popular series of books in the past decade. It would make an ideal entry level role playing game and pretty much would be guaranteed to sell if done with any amount of skill. The Serenity role playing game for instance sold quite well mainly cause it got a lot of non gamers buying it cause it had details on the Verse.

Does anyone know of a publisher talking about having the license?

It probably is a tremendous pain to get it licensed though. I just think it would be interesting to see it done. I know I have my ideas on how it could work.

Comments

[aetatis.livejournal.com]

I don't know of a publisher having the license, but I do recall seeing a Hogwarts-type game at GenCon a few years ago. It was a magic school and you chose your house and such. Not at all helpful in regards to your actual post, I'm afraid, but all I can contribute to the discussion. :)

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that the licensing fees could be enormous!

Not that it's stopped people writing their own (online and off)
http://hard-format.homelessirc.net/~aurora/sites.html

But you're right of course :-)

[comic-monkey.livejournal.com]

It's my understanding that it has been attempted by WOTC, who has the rights to the card game and such, but J. K. Rowlings or her agent/lawyer/someone doesn't like the idea of implicitly allowing and encouraging people to run around the Harry Potter world making up their own stories and such. Something about losing control of the property I would assume.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

i wonder if that might let up now the "last" book is out. Personally Wizards of the coast strikes me as poor choice if they would use their usual d20 system. D20 modern is a not very well developed. D&D works for its purpose but i am not sure if it would really well cover potters world. it might be adequate but not great.

Now Margett Weis publishings work on serenity was excellent. She could do it justice i think.

Of course there is also this littel company called Blue Devel Games which I think does good work. heh.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

muds and home brews break the rules?

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Er, what rules? I'm confused!

[technoir.livejournal.com]

Sounds fun at least.

[shieldhaven.livejournal.com]

I've given some thought lately to how I'd do this, actually. I'd approach it from a more collaborative-storytelling perspective than that of a game like D&D. A game mechanic that went out of its way to reward players for creativity, particularly in creating new charms and curses with ever-more-ludicrous mangled Latin, would be a good start. =)

[hoshiadam.livejournal.com]

Amber might not be a bad place to start from.

I don't think magic in that universe can be conveyed in a d20 system well enough. Maybe something similar to Star Wars, where a skill sets your results. Ooo...could do a skill for each class they took at Hogwarts...

[galateadia.livejournal.com]

I'd imagine though that WOC is probably one of the only RPG gaming companies out there that could even come close to affording the licensing fees involved in making an HP RPG.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

that was sort of my read as well. I quick system with some more story emphisis rather than heavy on the crunch. Maybe something like Serenity rpg's plot point system where a player might play a plot point for a minor change in story elements or to reflect luck or destiny taking a hand.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

The think with D20 is the level, character class, hitpoints and overall cotified system for combat dont fit to well into a more story oriented game that I think Potter requires. but that is my read.

The notion of casting different spells of course fits though. I was also thinking having different skills reflecting the different classes at hogwarts. I think that would very good for flavor and feel.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

They do have deep pockets thats sure, but unless it is ludicrous ammounts then a number of companies might be able to. White Wolf/ccp now has some decent pockets for instance.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

home brews and muds dont have to get licenses.

[galateadia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking WW might be in the general area of monetary ability too...

[tomdpimp.livejournal.com]

I looked into using GURPS rules for a Harry Potter game. It might work. What is your opinion of GURPS?

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Er, yes (still confused), that's what I said (though re-reading it I'm wondering if you thought I meant that people writing their own *were* paying licence fees, because that certainly wasn't my intention)

I'm guessing that the licensing fees could be enormous!

Not that it's stopped people writing their own (online and off)

Though I can see how that could be interpreted more than one way ...

[technoir.livejournal.com]

gurps is like tofu. You mix any particular setting into gurps for flavor, but it never comes out as good as the games written for the setting.

[justinjacobson.livejournal.com]

Bah! No interest in a Harry Potter rpg. (Except to the extent it would be a license to print money. That part would be nice, I admit.)

The game mentioned upthread is Redhurst Academy: http://www.humanhead.com/adventure/redhurst/index.html

[technoir.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing ads for Redhurst. It looked very Victorian. I may have to check it out for review purposes.

As to the printing money aspect, well that certainly seems like a worthy goal. But honestly when I think of a harry potter rpg I see a table full of kids and adults who sit there making motions with a wand or imaginary wand and saying “Stupify!” with felling. How could that not be a fun game?