True20

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True20
True20.jpg
True20 Adventure Roleplaying
DesignersSteve Kenson
PublishersGreen Ronin Publishing
Publication2005
GenresUniversal, Fantasy, Science fiction, Horror
SystemsTrue20

True20 is a role-playing game system designed by Steve Kenson and published by Green Ronin Publishing. The system was first published as a part of the Blue Rose RPG before being published as a standalone universal generic role-playing game, True20 Adventure Roleplaying.

History[]

The True20 system was originally used in Green Ronin's award-winning[1] Blue Rose,[2] itself based on their multiple-award-winning Mutants & Masterminds RPG.[3] Later that year, Green Ronin released a PDF distillation of the Blue Rose rules, with an appendix of some modern-era rules, as a generic form of the game. This was followed by an expanded hardcover release in 2006.[4] A revised softcover rulebook, combining the rules section of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book with the True20 Companion was released April 25, 2008.[5][6]

Settings[]

The original setting for the system was the Blue Rose in which the system first saw print.[2] In its generic role-playing game, the original hardcover printing of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book included four sample settings. These were chosen among publisher submitted setting with the winners announced in Dragon Magazine:[7]

  • "Caliphate Nights", a fantasy version of the golden age of Islam, circa 800 AD. A full-color standalone hardcover was released for the setting at Origins 2006.[8]
  • "Lux Aeternum", a swashbuckling space opera.
  • "Mecha vs. Kaiju", in which giant robots protect Japan from giant monsters.[9]
  • "Borrowed Time", a setting of Kung Fu action and gunplay against a backdrop of time-controlling conspiracies.

The Revised Edition has four different settings:

  • Fantasy Adventures
  • Space Adventures
  • Horror Adventures
  • Modern Adventures

A follow up volume, True20 Worlds of Adventure includes five additional settings:

  • "Agents of Oblivion"
  • "Blood Throne"
  • "Land of the Crane", an Asian fantasy setting.
  • "Nevermore"
  • "Razor in the Apple", a horror setting in which kids face monsters lurking the neighborhood, inspired by films such as The Goonies.

System[]

Utilizing the Open Gaming License, True20 is derived from Wizards of the Coast's d20 System. Differences from the parent game include the following:[10][11]

  • There are only three character classes, referred to as roles: warrior, adept and expert.
  • A single 20-sided die is used for each roll.
  • Ability scores are given as simple modifiers (+1, +2, etc.) rather than as a statistic in the range from 3-18 (which in some other systems, such as d20, would then be converted to simple modifiers).
  • There are no class-specific or restricted skills, thus characters of any role can have any skill.
  • New feats are available at each level.
  • Magic spells are treated as feats and do not have "levels".
  • Instead of hit points, characters simply experience "damage conditions" like that of Mutants & Masterminds.
  • Instead of experience points, characters automatically increase in level at the Narrator's discretion, usually after one or two adventures.

Licenses and third-party products[]

Since before its release, the True20 system has been open to users under the terms of the Open Gaming License.[12] To use the True20 logo though required a separate license and license fee purchased from Green Ronin. Several companies have taken advantage of this to produce their own True20 titles.[8][9][13][14] On April 12, 2008, Chris Pramas of Green Ronin Publishing announced a new, free licensing agreement with third-party publishers to produce True20 products. Details were posted on the company's website[15] and forums,[16] and met with praise from publishers, freelancers and players alike.[17]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "2005 ENnie Awards Archives". ENWorld. Archived from the original on 2008-01-20. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  2. ^ a b Gray, Tim (2005-07-11). "REVIEW OF TRUE20 ADVENTURE ROLEPLAYING". RPGNet. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  3. ^ Grigsby, John (2006-09-20). "True20 Adventure Roleplaying Review". d20 Magazine Rack. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  4. ^ Richeson, Christopher (2006-06-23). "REVIEW OF TRUE20 ADVENTURE ROLEPLAYING" (Review). RPGNet. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  5. ^ Message by Chris Pramas concerning 2008 True20 products Archived 2008-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Amazon.com True 20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/193454714X
  7. ^ Strohm, Keith (February 2006). "True20 Adventure Roleplaying: Worlds of Adventure". Dragon. Bellevut, WA: Pazio Publishing. 30 (9–340): 19. ISSN 1062-2101.
  8. ^ a b "Paradigm Concepts News : d20 / True20 Archives". Paradigm Concepts. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  9. ^ a b Wright, John; Todd, Michael. "Mecha vs Kaiju". Big Finger Games. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  10. ^ "True20 Adventure Roleplaying". Green Ronin. 2005-06-16. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  11. ^ Schneider, Wesley (December 2005). "First Watch: Natural 20". Dragon. Bellevut, WA: Pazio Publishing. 30 (7/338): 20. ISSN 1062-2101.
  12. ^ Baichtal, John (2008-06-09). "True20: D&D With a Twist". Review. Wired. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
  13. ^ "RPGNow.com – True20 titles". One Bookshelf. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  14. ^ Robertson, Megan (2007-07-20). "RPG Resource – True 20" (Review/Analysis). RPG Resource. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  15. ^ Pramas, Chris (2008-04-12). "Licensing True 20" (website). Green Ronin Publishing. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  16. ^ Pramas, Chris (2008-04-12). "True 20 Licensing details" (post). Green Ronin Publishing. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  17. ^ "True20 Licensing Fee to Go Away" (Announcement). RPG Net. 2008-01-14. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  • Steve Kenson True20 Adventure Roleplaying (Green Ronin Publishing, 2006) ISBN 1-932442-57-X
  • Various Authors True20 Worlds of Adventure (Green Ronin Publishing, 2006) ISBN 1-932442-65-0

External links[]

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