How Tabletop RPGs Adapt Their Original Sources
Not long after the original version of Dungeons & Dragons proved that tabletop roleplaying games could sell, media companies started approaching tabletops game developers to create officially licensed RPG adaptations of classic fantasy novels and franchises such as Star Trek and Star Wars.To this very day, tabletop RPG adaptations such as the upcoming Batman: Gotham City Chronicles and Dune: Adventures In The Imperium are published to coincide with new movie releases so fans can enjoy their favorite franchises in new, creative ways. But what makes a good tabletop RPG adaptation, and how can designers of these RPGs can both respect and transform the source materials they're working with?
Most (but not all) of the RPGs that adapt something look to the market of famous science fiction/fantasy franchises – RPG adaptations like The Witcher or Star Wars are prime examples. Both Tabletop RPGs and speculative fiction narratives have traditionally been seen as «nerdy» forms of entertainments, making roleplaying adaptations of a sci-fi/fantasy film or film adaptations of a sci-fi/fantasy RPG no-brainers for publishers and studios. Furthermore, the Dungeons & Dragons DNA embedded in the rules of most tabletop RPGs make them good mediums for telling stories of spectacular, fantastical adventure. Still, designing a tabletop RPG adaptation is no simple task.
Related: Exalted Is The Tabletop RPG Most In Need Of A Video Game Adaptation
To paraphrase Chris Birch, founder of the Modiphius Entertainment game studio, players of a Star Wars RPG don't want to role-play as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia or retell the stories of the original Star Wars movies; instead, they want to create characters inspired by the heroes of Star Wars and tell
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