Arcanis and 5th Edition D&D

I too really like the ARG. There are some details that need to be cleaned up here and there but it is overall a very solid game that fits the setting and campaign very well.

Personally, I would leave if the campaign was converted to D&D (thank you for stately strongly that ARG would not go away – I hope that also means the living campaign using ARG). I’ve long been tired of the 3.x mechanics (and found 4e refreshing but wouldn’t want to see Arcanis in 4e either) and have no interest in seeing Arcanis converted to 5e either.

Hello,

Personally, I would leave if the campaign was converted to D&D (thank you for stately strongly that ARG would not go away – I hope that also means the living campaign using ARG).

Correct. The current iteration of the campaign is staying in place. So to be clear, the Legends of Arcanis campaign will remain powered ARG.

The object of this experiment is to see if others are interested in the world setting. Increasing the player base, not decreasing it is foremost on my mind.

I would also stay with the campaign regardless of ruleset, but as with many others I am a big fan of the versatility of the ARPG system.

I personally do not think that it would be a good idea to dual publish for two rulesets. There are issues with the speed of product release as it is now, trying to do it twice would only exacerbate the situation.

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that it would be easier to attract new players by switching to a mainstream ruleset, but that isn’t the only (or in my mind, best) way to do it. I vote to stick with ARPG.

While I’m still learning the ins and outs of the system, in general I like the current mechanic and actually prefer it in some ways over Pathfinder. As for 4e or 5e I have no interest in either system. Tried 4e and in the end dropped it. As for 5e I’ve yet to hear enough good about it from people I know and trust to consider dropping money on it. One of the strengths of the current system is the multiple ways to achieve a character goal . I like that a lot. That said Pathfinder has such a large player base it’s a shame we can’t rope in some of those players. I could probably get a home game going a lot easier with that system. Of our local player base no one I know plays or even owns 5e, yet everybody does Pathfinder. Also they have just released or are releasing a Green Ronin Pathfinder Freeport book. I know it’s off the table but I dearly miss having fun in that pirate town! Some of my fondest memories are mods set in Freeport and Old Coryan. Miss those days…

In any event I wish you the best of luck with this. See you at Origins Henry. Take care.

YES!! YES!! *$%^ YEA!

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE A:RPG as a system. I will not willingly play another system. But in terms of promoting the Arcanis Setting in Cincinnati, the single biggest resistance I run into is the new rules system. Folks just want to play something they like with a good story to it.

As it stands we are running one full table every two weeks in the A:RPG rules set in North Cincinnati. I could easily see converting interest into between 5-10 tables per week if there was a 5th Ed option to play. PFS interest in the area is waning, and folks are actively looking for a new organized play system to get involved with. The market is crying out for a dual release.

The quicker you can do this, the better. IF the mods are ready to run a very small 5th ed trial at CincyCon, let me know and I will offer all support that I can.

I just ask that NEW STORIES be released in A:RPG first for at least the next few years.

Regardless of the system, I’m staying. The greatest strength is the world and the storytelling and I know that will come through regardless of the system.
I agree with everything Paul said, but especially in how it’s the stories and role-playing that make Arcanis great. I play Arcanis for the depth of the world, the shades of grey, the moral dilemmas, the mysteries, the uncertainties, the politics, the intellectualism, and the quality of players who are drawn to such things.

I’ve heard both good and bad comments from players about the ARPG game mechanics. I haven’t heard very many complaints about the quality of the stories.

When I first tried Living Arcanis, I was more willing to try it because it used D&D rules, and I’d have been more hesitant to try it if it were “yet another” game with its own rules. OTOH, sometimes I try a new game at a con with the attitude of focusing on role-playing and letting the GM tell me when I need to roll dice (though that’s much easier when pre-gen characters are provided).

In New England (where I live), Pathfinder is extremely popular, though D&D 5e is growing in popularity. We sadly have no ARPG here. I’ve noticed that Green Ronin’s current model is to publish rules-agnostic material for Freeport with rules-specific addenda for download with game stats.

I respect Paradigm’s decision to experiment. I look forward to more great stories, enjoyable adventures, and great new players regardless of the game mechanics.

The idea to increase the pool of players that we can draw on is a great one. By keeping both systems any location (and any GM) can use the system that their players prefer.

On the other hand I’ve quietly thought that the primary hurdle to growing our base in Portland is a lack of modules. In my experience people want to play a slot or two every month. So to be healthy, IMO a shared world campaign should put out 18-24 rounds per year. Arcanis doesn’t hit those numbers. It really doesn’t hit those numbers if you don’t go to Arcaniscon or Origins to see the BIs or special events.

So I also tend to worry a little about any projects eating into the time that might otherwise be spent producing adventures or PCI products.

Don’t forget if players interested in 5E join Arcanis, then so will module writers, monster builders, encounter builders, and any number of creative individuals that are familiar with 5E, to help get more products out as well. I’m pretty sure the Invisible Kings was an example of that. We had so many people looking for more modules, and PCI was able to get enough volunteers to make 10 unique location based story lines. And in total those volunteers made 55 modules in a two – three year window on top of the regular number of Hard Points and Soft Points that the PCI staff published.
I think it’d be great to have enough people to make that an option again. Sure it won’t happen right away but the more people we attract the more likely it is to occur.