Ye Olde Inn

Here's a thought, if you could re-publish HQ as a game system, how would you change the back ground gumph so as not to step on any copyrights toes.
The original is set in GW Warhammer world. What would you do to change this, what creatures inhabit your worlds, are there Fimir for example (are they still under copyright?) ect.

I'm actually in the process.
I replace for example any terms GW put their filthy paws on. I don't have chaos warriors, I don't have fimir, I will even find a different term for chaos, although I plan on incorporating a similar concept into my world.

Interesting question...

Frankly, I feel that any "Generic" fantasy world can easily be substituted for the WH back drop (not too much was really incorporated into HQ anyway as I recall?). The basic background of such a world could be easily created and then added to with expansions and the like. Especially in today's hyper-digitized world where fluff can be simply uploaded via PDF to a web-site. Soo much easier than the old days where a company would have to wait for a new edition or a promotional spread in a gaming mag to add or update such things.

However, to truly distinguish itself, I think that the new game would need all new quests, which would also add to the back drop of the new world.

And again, if we are talking essentially about creating a new game here, one that is protected from corporate lawyers... heh, but maintains the feel of HQ, I'd have to say what the monsters are called, or the world for that matter, is much less important than coming up with a very basic system that has the flexibility to do interesting things with.

maj!

knightkrawler wrote:I'm actually in the process.
I replace for example any terms GW put their filthy paws on. I don't have chaos warriors, I don't have fimir, I will even find a different term for chaos, although I plan on incorporating a similar concept into my world.

The Masters of Untidyness threaten the realm! Will you answer the call?

I see what you did there

Due to lack of the models, I replaced Fimir with beastmen, and Chaos Warriors are being shoved into being Evil Knights as I get better models to replace the horrid monopose ones. I don't reference Zargon or Morcar at all during games. Even the Chaos Sorcerer is usually referred to as a regular sorcerer. This wasn't a conscious decision to un-GW the game, even if it effectively has done so. The setting is pretty generic anyway, so it doesn't take much to get rid of the GW influence.

Yeah chaos sorcerer is easy. Just make him a sorcerer. Fimir... Cyclops!!!! and Chaos Warrior... Demon Knight. Don't like using the word evil itself as it doesn't have the same level of imaginative awe. The rest would be free to use.

One could even play up the elemental theme and have four evil sorcerers, one being a necromancer and what ever earth, wind and water are for the others.

The combat system very similar, even with skull dice, just new logos with more possible outcomes and weapon modifiers etc.

I think even Morcar and Zargon are free to use.

Even the Chaos Warrior is so generic it can't be claimed.
The only thing that is really invented and owned by GW is the Fimir.

The rest is free or owned by Hasbro.

So you are pretty free if you invent your own story.
For me the advantage of a home brewn story is that i don't know everything beforehand. I remember my shudder when i first encountered Karlen. What kind of knowledge could turn a sorcerer into a Zombie?
It stayed present a long time because it was a riddle and i couldn't solve it even when i was reading fantasy books to find the Background snippet.
A year later i was getting to know GW. The Background story i expected was merely half a page badly written. The riddle was somehow not really solved but rather lost.

So, by inventing your own stuff, you could make it better.

Chaos Warrior = Warrior of XXXX (evil place, evil god, or evil lord) Then you can upgrade and downgrade with "Soldier of", "Knight of", "Champion of" … That one is too easy. "Anti Paladin" is another term that has not been used yet in this thread.

Goblin = Goblin
Orc = Orc
Fimir = Troglodyte (sufficiently generic to be any figure you want)
Skeleton = Zombie (dumb and slow)
Zombie = Skeletal Warrior (remembers how to use a sword and shield and has a sword and shield!)
Mummy = Wight or Wraith or if you really like Mummy… (masterminds small ambushes with other undead)

The story arc is pretty easy to replace. I would be more concerned about copyright / trademark on copying the format of the board to include all of the current fan made quests.

You don't even have to make the bad guys 'evil'. The bad guys are working for another King than the liege of the Heroes.
That way you could have the villains running around accusing the heroes of being evil.
"You are evil".
"No, you are evil."
"Well my master demands that I secure the artifact".
"You'll get that artifact over my dead body!".
"En Guard' monsieur."