D20… As Cat in Red Dwarf once said, “So what is it?”
Basically it’s a chance for any company to use (royalty free) the system at the heart of Dungeons & Dragons (probably the most popular RPG of all time). This gives all the people who don’t want to learn a new system a chance to try all the other games they have been missing out on. It also allows other RPG companies a chance to tap into the huge D&D market.

Why has it come about?
I could try and explain my thoughts on this, but instead I’ll simply use the admirable Wizards description of what it’s all about:

The company [Wizards of the Coast] believes that one of the major factors which caused the collapse of the commercial tabletop RPG market from 1993 to 1996 was the proliferation of different, incompatible, core game systems.

The company [Wizards of the Coast] believes that when many different game systems proliferate in the market, they cause significant problems with the shared rules knowledge and preferences between communities of players necessary to sustain a long-term, commercial market for RPG products.
The company [Wizards of the Coast] has decided it is possible that consumers can be educated to understand the problems of system over-proliferation, and for those consumers to apply pressure to publishers to use standardized systems.

To jump-start that effort, Wizards of the Coast has created the System Reference Document, and the Open Gaming License (OGL) to allow royalty free, nonexclusive use of the game system at the heart of Dungeons & Dragons by anyone who wishes to do so, for both commercial and non-commercial works.

Wizards of the Coast believes that by doing so, and by educating consumers about the benefits of Open Games, the fundamental economics of the tabletop RPG category will be improved. One (obvious) consequence of this strategy is that if it works, Wizards will see significant, long-term financial benefits. Thus, the company sees this as a win-win situation, where it can benefit along with, rather than at the expense of, other publishers.

From the Wizards of the Coast website which can be found here www.wizards.com

So what do you think?
I must confess, usually I wade into one side of an argument with a vengeance, but to be honest I’m currently building a comfy seat on the fence for this one.

The downside for me is the system itself. I’m by no means an adoring supporter of the D20 system and I believe that as systems go it’s not great and something else would probably have done a better job. I have also never been a D&D player. It always seemed very messy whenever I looked into it, with hundreds of books and loads of different settings (not to mention the hostile view a lot of the 'old skool' players seemed to have for new gamers). I’ve always tended to go for Earthdawn or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay when I wanted a fantasy setting.

I also think that people are really missing out if they just stick to D20. The bright shining example of this for me is Deadlands. This game is so much better when you use the playing cards and current system than the D20 version.

It’s also a source of mild annoyance for a lot of gamers to find they now have large wedges of D20 stuff in their new sourcebooks, taking up space which could have been used for other things. Or even worse – their favourite game is put on hold or cut off as the company pursues the D20 golden cow.

So you hate it then right?
No. I said I was on the fence, remember.

Firstly I love the fact that Wizards of The Coast are leading the way. They have the money to do it and it’s great that they are supporting other companies – nice one chaps.

They have also done a really good job with the D&D game, which really needed tided up (especially as it’s kind of the flagship of the RPG community).

We have also gained some great new companies (Mongoose) and a host of brilliant new (and old) game lines (Star Wars, Judge Dredd, Slaine, Conan, Stargate, Spycraft, Dragonstar) which may not have been anywhere near as popular without the D20 brand to give them a head start.

So when the time comes, which side do you think you’ll end up on?
I think I’ll end up with D20, not against it, provided we all keep a few things in mind:

If it brings more roleplayers into the hobby, this is good.

If it means existing (or new) companies can make some money and survive in a tough industry, this is good.

If companies keep supporting their old (popular) game lines (Deadlands, 7th Sea, Legend of The Five Rings, Call of Cthulhu, etc. etc.) and don’t go totally D20, this is good.

If companies still continue to make new non-D20 games (like Deciper’s Star Trek, all White Wolf and Eden Studios games and The Black Industries Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay), giving people a choice of systems, this is good.

Basically, if it does roleplaying a favour, I’m with it all the way and in the end only time will tell whether it's been a good or bad thing. At least while were waiting we can get some quality gaming in.

Jon Simpson