Future of the Iron Kingdoms RPG line still unclear

IK Character Guide coverRecently Privateer Press announced that they are going to release an updated version of their WARMACHINE and HORDE miniature games.

But alas they haven’t decided what to do with their roleplaying game line (or they are just not willing to tell their fans). In a short update on the official forums Doug Seacat told the community that there will be no updated edition of IK for D&D 4th Edition. That was back in August 2008. With Paizo‘s Pathfinder RPG at the horizon there’s hope in the community that there might be an updated version of IK using the Pathfinder rules but I am pretty sure that IK is dead as a doorknob.

Privateer Press is probably earning much more money with their miniature games than they ever made with the RPG line. And since the IK books where all using the d20 System License they can’t just reprint or release the books as PDFs either.

These are hard times for fans of the Full Metal Fantasy RPG. Rest well, you’ll be missed…

Michael Wolf is a German games designer and enthusiast best known for his English language role-playing games blog, Stargazer's World, and for creating the free rules-light medieval fantasy adventure game Warrior, Rogue & Mage. He has also worked as an English translator on the German-language Dungeonslayers role-playing game and was part of its editorial team. In addition to his work on Warrior, Rogue & Mage and Dungeonslayers, he has created several self-published games and also performed layout services and published other independent role-playing games such as A Wanderer's Romance, Badass, and the Wyrm System derivative Resolute, Adventurer & Genius, all released through his imprint Stargazer Games. Professionally, he works as a video technician and information technologies specialist. Stargazer's World was started by Michael in August 2008.

7 comments

comments user
Mad Brew

Yes, this is something I have been following closely: any hint of a re-release for Iron Kingdoms RPG. I consider myself lucky to have the Character Guide and World Guide (I once saw the World Guide for $120 on Ebay).

I am a huge fan of Warmachine and I really dig the mythos they have built up around Western Immoren. I don't think much work is involved in just stripping the STL, the question PP is asking themselves is whether or not the product is marketable enough to justify printing costs.

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comments user
Stargazer

They should strip the STL stuff from the books (as you proposed) and release them as PDFs. That would at least allow some people to complete their collection of IK books.

comments user
Sean Brady

I am very happy to have a complete set of the books for IKRPG. I have never actually played, but I have read both the World Guide and Players Guide cover to cover, and I found it to be amazing reading. I would love to see it redone.

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comments user
Kenn Gentile

I'm a huge fan of IK (I own all the books, etc) and to be honest, I twas the only reason I even flirted with the OG: 3.5 rules.

Personally, I think that Privateer should devise their own (non-level based) rules-system – perhaps even a simplified spun-off version of their Warmachine rule-set, with role-playing added.

With that said, Pathfinder might be the way to go if the wanted to continue to licenses a product.

comments user
Stargazer

@Kenn: A RPG compatible to the Warmachine and Hordes rules would be probably be best.

comments user
Kenn Gentile

@Stargazer: I agree, and as much as I hate to mention "those guys across the pond" coughcoughGamesWorkshopcough their deritive system worked well with WHFRPG for years. Something the Privateers should take into consideration.

And these guys are WAY too good to be using someone else's system anyway.