Using the 4th Edition system for other genres.

I've been thinking here lately that you could use the 4e system for just about any genre. With the flexibility and not baked in fluff 4e could be  easily tailored for just about any game. If I remember this correctly there is actually a supplement that makes 4e a futuristic sci-fi game. But I've also seen other games, of different genres being heavily inspired by 4th Edition design. Even recently I found a Pokemon TTRPG that used a similar attack and power system that I thought was cool (There maybe be even more similarities). So I think that alone shows that 4e can be used for other genres, but can it be done successfully? My main concern with doing anything outside of fantasy with the 4e system is that it may be not be rought enough in some situations, mainly in horror games.

What are your thoughts about playing 4e as, effectively, a different game? What do you think would work and wouldn't work?

Ultramodern4 ... recently put out their SRD has me looking in to this idea too.

There's a book published by Goodman Games called 'Amethyst'. It's 100% 4e compatible, and it's a sci-fi crossed with fantasy game not unlike Shadowrun in theme. Basically, it's about fantasy stuff (magic, elves, dragons, orcs, etc.) bleeding into a 2100 A.D.-ish 'earth'. So...you have computers, guns, and power armor vs. magic, monsters, and dragons.

Looked pretty cool, actually. They put it out well before 4e was canned, so I'm guessing they thought 4e would be around for a while longer...

Lets also not forget WotC's alternate offering using 4e rules: Gamma World. That can be fun. My group plays it sometimes between 'real' 4e campaigns. Just in short 1-2 session games though; keeping it light, ie: silly and deadly.

I agree. 4e's elegant and balanced system, being so easy to re-flavor/re-fluff could be used in almost any genre. It's a shame there aren't more publishers doing that.

I haven't played a star wars TTRPG, but I could see 4e working perfectly with that type of 'space opera'/heroic sci-fi themed universe. Same thing with a TTRPG based on stuff like Indiana Jones, Alan Quartermain, or the Tomb Raider video games. In my Dark Sun campaign, the PC's are professional grave robbers/ancient ruin looters. 4e could work with super heroes, too. The Avengers, X-men, BPRD/Hellboy, or something like that could translate well. I'd love to play a true steampunk (not just with elements of steampunk, like eberron) adventure game using 4e rules.

There are a few things I don't think it'd work with, however. Call of Cthulhu being one. I can't see 4e's heroic rules working in a world where the PCs need to be weak as hell (physically and mentally)  compared to the powers that be. To me, CoC +4e = HellBoy! and that would be an awesome TTRPG to play, IMO. It just wouldn't be a true horror game. When you can punch a great old one in the face, and actually hurt it, it's a different genre altogether.

I've run a fair few number of games for 4e that were "Urban Fantasy" set in the present day. It was basically Hellboy! The PCs were all government agents or had some connection (or in the case of one of them arrested and dragged along to the mission then set free to help) and it played very well. Basically, 4e is very easy to reflavour, so the bow becomes a gun etc. Slap some magic explanation on why swords are still used (more honorable, some sort of charm inherent in the setting that keeps those weapons useful) and boom you have 4e non-"fantasy".

cyvaris wrote:

I've run a fair few number of games for 4e that were "Urban Fantasy" set in the present day. It was basically Hellboy! The PCs were all government agents or had some connection (or in the case of one of them arrested and dragged along to the mission then set free to help) and it played very well. Basically, 4e is very easy to reflavour, so the bow becomes a gun etc. Slap some magic explanation on why swords are still used (more honorable, some sort of charm inherent in the setting that keeps those weapons useful) and boom you have 4e non-"fantasy".

Sounds fun. I could see sword carrying in the 'real' world. Imagine if gun control laws worked in the US, lol, and the NRA lobby switched to the SCA lobby .

Carry permits for swords, daggers, etc. all around! Not to mention the fashion/style of it. Plus, it'd give the rich something else to bling out and pimp. Rappers with diamond covered sword hilts and scabbards....

One of the "genres" I thought would work well might be Marvel Super Heroes. In fact I have seen Ironman created using 4e standard rules and I was working up Doctor Strange and Dare Devil at one point in 4e terms the results were rather more reasonable than one might expect.(DS as a Wizard and DD as a martial sorcerer - it worked honest)

i have seen My Little Ponies RPG rendered with the 4e Engine ;p

seti wrote:

cyvaris wrote:

I've run a fair few number of games for 4e that were "Urban Fantasy" set in the present day. It was basically Hellboy! The PCs were all government agents or had some connection (or in the case of one of them arrested and dragged along to the mission then set free to help) and it played very well. Basically, 4e is very easy to reflavour, so the bow becomes a gun etc. Slap some magic explanation on why swords are still used (more honorable, some sort of charm inherent in the setting that keeps those weapons useful) and boom you have 4e non-"fantasy".

Sounds fun. I could see sword carrying in the 'real' world. Imagine if gun control laws worked in the US, lol, and the NRA lobby switched to the SCA lobby .

Carry permits for swords, daggers, etc. all around! Not to mention the fashion/style of it. Plus, it'd give the rich something else to bling out and pimp. Rappers with diamond covered sword hilts and scabbards....

Our opening game featured a grisly murder.....in the LARP area of a Convention. It was absolutely hilarious forcing players to roll bluff checks to sneak their weapons in and diplomacy checks to convince convention goers that their outfits were "authentic". It was quite the riot....then the convention hall burned down.

Doesnt every Larp feature a grisly murder ;-p

Depends how much you've been drinking.

That thought made me imagine drunken LARPing. There's a lot of fun, danger, regret, and general awesome wrapped up in that idea. I've only met one cool LARP group, and that was back when I was a teenager in the 90's.

I'd LARP again, but I wear glasses...and would be worried about them. Seems like a fun hobby, though. Acting like kids, but with cooler toys. Kind of like paint ball...But better; as I prefer melee combat. (was on a fencing team...not a shooting team) I only know a group here in New Mexico that is a bit hard core for me...they're more SCA jocks...err..'athletes'...They use wooden and metal weapons, and wear realistic (metal, boiled leather, and lots of cloth padding) armor. They are also all 200+ lb. dudes with beards.

Scared of them, honestly. Gimmie some guys and girls in fake armor with foam latex weapons who wanna have fun in the woods and go out for cheap food and beers later, and I'm in.

Garthanos wrote:

One of the "genres" I thought would work well might be Marvel Super Heroes. In fact I have seen Ironman created using 4e standard rules and I was working up Doctor Strange and Dare Devil at one point in 4e terms the results were rather more reasonable than one might expect.(DS as a Wizard and DD as a martial sorcerer - it worked honest)

I have thought the exact same thing myself. It just seems like it would so simple to reskin the classes and powers whole cloth to make any kind of Marvel superhero you wanted. Some creatures might be pretty tough (Galactus comes to mind!) but overall it could be pretty easy - just a lot of 'grunt work' coming up with names and descriptions for the reskinned stuff.

I could see 4e working for almost any setting hat contained ranged weapons or magic, honestly. The powers are so flavor-versatile.