The Transformers RPG might convert you into a believer | RPG Review

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[@MrStrikecentral]

The reason the Essence20 system is virtually unchanged between these franchises is because they're designed to work together if you want. You can literally have a party with GIJoe running around with the Autobots, maybe even throw in a Power Ranger for the hell of it. Yes, this does mean that the rules sets are compatible with the My Little Pony RPG as well. So if you want to reenact the Death Battle of Starscream vs. Rainbow Dash...you can. But please don't.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Oh I think I will.

[@alphabladelm2011]

Oh, I’d tune in for that 😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@alphabladelm2011 time to start an actual play series on this channel!

[@Torque2100]

Finally, my childhood roleplay with my GI Joe and Transformers toys can be formalized into TTRPG rules!

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@Torque2100 that’s right!

[@kamenridertheblueknight5313]

16:28 I think it’s because it’ll let the GM chose which version of the character they like the most instead of just trying to force them to only use one version, like take Blitzwing for example, it’s true that G1 had a unique story about him, but let’s say someone loved the animated version of him more, this let’s them do it

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah that’s a good point.

[@kamenridertheblueknight5313]

@@DaveThaumavore I mean just imagine role playing as animated blitzwing, it’ll be so funny haha!

[@partyrock4144]

@@kamenridertheblueknight5313 Pretty sure that’s why he knows german

[@kamenridertheblueknight5313]

@@partyrock4144 I didn’t even see that HAHAHA!

[@Joseph_Drew_III]

That works for the Decepticons, but Autobot versions should probably be decided by whoever’s playing as them. As an example, I would want to play as the version of Star Saber from Victory, and would chafe if an always-IDW GM forced me into knight templar decisions.

[@samfirth1592]

They did a Transformers/Star Wars cross over range of toys, it could be really fun to use these rules for a campaign based around that concept.....

[@DaveThaumavore]

Ah, I hadn’t thought about that. Totally. Really any of the unusual toys could open up unique play possibilities.

[@evrypixelcounts]

I used to have some of those, thought they were so cool back then, too bad they were lost to time

[@rcschmidt668]

Shame they could not license such a crossover today.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@rcschmidt668 Yeah I could never see that happening now.

[@GamerOC]

they did back to the future and ghostbusters crossovers like a couple years ago

[@Enkye_CA]

8:20 Riptide would have something to say on that lmao When you’re a boat it sucks for the majority of the time, but when you NEED to be a boat you’ll thank the allspark that you were one.

[@DaveThaumavore]

I guess with the size change ability you can just expand and have the rest of the party hop onboard, too!

[@radioed_head]

@@DaveThaumavore or you could always take a page out of idw prowl's book and launch your vehicle mode at people somehow

[@mecaxs658]

I wish this book had some stuff for people that want to make a decpticon campaign. Otherwise the GM has to look at the decpticon enemies and figure out their autobot equivalent. Would be fun having Optimus with a hang up similar to Megatron’s villainous monologue, probably a heroic hopeful speech that can strengthen his allies, while also leaving him open to getting hit mid speech

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah he talks a lot too!

[@KrillerCrab]

I believe the next book that's releasing will be Decepticon based! I saw it mentioned in the Renegade Discord server. No release date or details yet, but someday it'll be out

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@KrillerCrab well that will be cool. I’ll check that out for sure when it comes out.

[@muigokublack6487]

@@KrillerCrab Well the next book is actually an adventure book called "The Time Is Now". Even so with just the core rulebook I can make a Decepticon character. Takes some tweaking yes but it can be done.

[@KrillerCrab]

@@muigokublack6487 I made this comment before The Time Is Now was announced lol, regardless a Decepticon sourcebook was mentioned in the discord. True you can tweak what's in the core rulebook to flip factions, but at some point we'll get an official Decepticon faction book.

[@Raziel312]

I actually liked the Bumblebee movie. It was Spielbergian in that a troubled youth befriends a fantastical being and has an adventure.

[@DaveThaumavore]

I need to watch that one.

[@aircraftcarrierwo-class]

Admittedly Bumblebee wasn't directed by a hack, so it's already coming out a step above the Bay films. As for "Spielbergian"-- Spielberg was the producer! So the E.T. influence is pretty on point.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@firefly44220 Oh the humanity!

[@aircraftcarrierwo-class]

@@firefly44220 I mean, I don't blame anyone for writing off live-action Transformers films after Return of the Fallen.

[@PG2994]

Yeah, at this point, Bumblebee may very well be a reboot of the movie series. Within the first three minutes, it tears apart the canon established by The Last Knight. Not to mention it's better than any of the Bay movies in terms of writing and characters. In fact, my only real problem is a particular scene on Saturn's moon. You'll understand when you watch. People, keep quiet about the scene. No spoilers in case he hasn't watched it at this point.

[@thayenryan7448]

I never knew this existed, and now I want all of it. I’ve wanted something like this for SO LONG, this is AWESOME!

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah this is a pretty cool product, all said and done.

[@listentocoach15]

I need someone to play with lol dm me

[@arrow1985]

So far, my only problem would be the lack of Autobot stat sheets. I completely understand why, since they're the good guys and you shouldn't fight them. My issue is just a lack of freedom to make your own story because of it, since you would have to homebrew most of them. I tried to do a Transformers campaign with a different system, and my players first chose to play Decepticons.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah it would be a lot of work to write up a bunch of Autobot stats.

[@talesfromaprofessionalnerd]

@@DaveThaumavore ; Don't fret... we have a LOT of Autobots statblocked up as NPCs/Threats for an upcoming Decepticon sourcebook (like how we did a bunch of Decepticons in the CRB).

[@joeyginise6051]

I assume such a thing makes it difficult to have a battle where Optimus is with the party.

[@martl8615]

​@@joeyginise6051no, he just does as the story demands, like any good NPC

[@-hazardzone-7641]

I noticed at least Blitzwing has English and German, and he had a german accent in animated, and his tank is supposed to be German in origin, likely the bots have the languages to show a cultural inspiration. And Junkion is just another version of cybertronic, so those more of an exploratory/high ambitions may have other colony languages

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah that’s as good a guess as any. Blitzwing turns into a Japanese tank and a Soviet jet though.

[@nocturnalsblade8121]

Since the setting takes place on earth, the languages assigned to the Decepticons seems to give the gm a hint as to where this character operates for mission encounters. If you have a mission in Germany, then you may encounter Blitzwing. I guess it's to play into the fact the war is being waged everywhere since neither side have a country of origin or allegiance to any particular nation. Autobots want to protect all of humanity and Decepticons want to conquer it all. The nations shown so far all have the necessary resources both sides need to create energon as well.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah. Maybe. If I were GMing, I’d 100% ignore these languages and set the action in whichever country it needs to be set it for the session. The language choices by the author seem like an inside joke or homage to something esoteric and not useful for the facilitation of fun.

[@gyrrakavian]

And here my guess was that it was a reference to Animated's version with three faces.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Errata: When using a Skill Specialization, you roll all those dice but only add the highest roll to your d20 roll. Support the channel by joining my Patreon! www.patreon.com/thaumavore Sign up for my newsletter! bit.ly/ThaumavoreNewsletter

[@PlayerZeroStart]

I think this is the first time I've heard the Unicron Trilogy be referred to as "beloved" lmao

[@DaveThaumavore]

To each their own I guess.

[@CapnShades]

Armada? Great stuff, namely after S1 Energon? Lol. Lmao, even. Cybertron? I mean, it's not as solid as Armada but its highs are pretty friggin high.

[@jasonnewell7036]

I stopped watching them after the second one too. My wife was so scarred by it that her brain refuses to remember anything about it. To this day she denies that she ever watched it.

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s a brain trying to heal itself.

[@soleyen7539]

Definitely give the Bumblebee movie a chance. It's a different universe than the Bay movies and is such a nice nod to the fan base. You know, instead of the Bay movies "car go vroom bomb go boom" thing they were going for.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@soleyen7539 I did in fact circle back to watch it and it’s everything I wished the original Bay movie was.

[@hollyfalk1753]

Seeing zombie prime freaked me out as a kid too, still like transformers though.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@hollyfalk1753 Zombie Prime? lol

[@AHeru-zt5qd]

I'll say that I'm not a huge fan of Essence20 so far but the system seems to grow on me with each release, as each successive release actually uses it better. G.I. Joe was way better than Power Rangers and I find Transformers to be leaps and bounds ahead of G.I. Joe. I don't see a crossover happening at my table, mainly because I don't think I've ever liked the idea of Transformers and G.I. Joe crossing over, and I just don't see Power Rangers as being anything that needs to touch the other two properties. Great review and information. Keep it up!

[@williamchamburgh8316]

But cobra was constantly appearing in G1

[@AHeru-zt5qd]

@@williamchamburgh8316 Maybe but that doesn't mean I've ever liked it. Haha.

[@ribbitribbit4707]

There was a GI Joe/Transformers crossover from Dreamwave I think that I thought was really good.

[@salsatheone]

I have the same opinion, Power Rangers is currently just a pretty book on my shelf, because good God that was almost offensive to the intelligence of fans.

[@lockjaw467]

TLDR; weak backstories may be intentional to let the gm flesh them out the way THEY invision. I assume backstories are thin because they might want those characters to be moldable when they show up. Fleshing out npcs too much can run into the problem that they can't always evolve down the road. Or it could be just trying to make them general enough to not solidify which version the player might have bias for. Blitzwing for example from g1 is very different from Blitzwing from TF Animated, and writing out to much from one backstory can limit taking elements from the other version's backstory while the gm might want to pull elements from both.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Good point. Committing to a single storyline here is just problematic.

[@lockjaw467]

@@DaveThaumavore one of the key parts of transformers right? Be apatable

[@rdubayoo]

Hard disagree. If I want to throw some well known enemies at the players for a quick encounter, it would be nice if I had their stats on hand. Also, the characters tend to be similar in many respects despite different timelines. Like TFA and G1 Blitzwing both can turn into a tank or plane, have an absurd amount of deadly weapons, and we could assume their combat stats are above average at least. Any differences can be mended with a bit of quick tinkering rather than starting from scratch.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@rdubayoo well the original comment was about backstories, not stats. Stats are indeed provided in the book.

[@ChrissieBear]

3:26 That's wrong, there's several official canons in a shared multiverse.

[@toddleavitt3366]

There are PDFs that have some example characters actually fleshed out using the character generation…if you order the hardback book which looks awesome you can download all the available PDFs

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah I should have mentioned those.

[@kernsanders3973]

Nice havent seen a lot of people cover this! a Few of my TRPG friends are big transformer fans and did a few campaigns with this. Honestly very easy to include the other universe transformers. Unfortunately it takes a bit of time on the DM's part to prep stats for them but very do able. We did tweak some stuff to make it more streamlined. So if the RP took unexpected turns and had unexpected Autobot or Decepacon show up we had a straight forward process to quickly prep stats for them. We as well added some stuff to make it more interesting like Combining Transformers.

[@Sixela963]

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of streamlining did you do?

[@kernsanders3973]

@@Sixela963 Now worries! Templates, a huge help. So they already give you quite a few G1 stats, a lot of those cover varies different types of transformers. So we basically had different templates for various different types of transformers. If we would bring in a transformer that wasnt listed in the book we would have their general stats. Although would tweak them on a case to case basis depending on the transformer we would adapt. As some of them in general would be more bulky or agile. That you can easily determine from knowing a bit of the character. There was a few types of transformers that wasnt listed in the book. That we would create a template for from scratch like the Beast Transformers. But once we had the template it was just about adjusting the numbers depending on the certain transformer we would adapt.

[@altondazmon3683]

If you would like to get a good peek at the society of the Transformers beyond just the combat I would recommend picking up Transformers : Exodus by Alex Irvine. He does a great job showing there is a cast system within Cybertron prior to the great war. There is also a sequel called Exiles but it is more about the combat. Exodus does a great job really fleshing out the characters and ideals that lead up to the division of Autobots and Decepticons.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Excellent recommendations, thanks, Alton! I’ll definitely be tracking down Exodus, and maybe Exiles as well.

[@alphabladelm2011]

Definitely. Exodus was an amazing read and humanized the characters. I’d also say the games from High Moon Studios (War For Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron) and Transformers Prime did each side justice when describing their struggles and personal conflicts.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@alphabladelm2011 nice, I’ll watch a playthrough of those.

[@TabletopTiger]

WAtching through right now and HAVE to say if you haven't played War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, they were the best Transformer games and were fun for their time especially in terms of being well plotted inline with the lore. I think that there's a few clunky bits that could use ironing out like any licensed setting (or any system for that matter), but would have really liked even a summarized keypoints of notable characters' backstories so folks get lore AND can better RP. Overall, it was a good review was always and tempted me to draft a session. Thanks again!

[@VengefulJarl]

Multi-player on Fall was my best time. I would rather play that then cod or any other big name game. I'd be perfectly happy with a series of miles with that cinimatic cgi.

[@TabletopTiger]

@@VengefulJarl I missed the multiplayer train on it and that was a huge bummer to me. Playing their wave mode with the few people I could was incredibly fun, the animations were great and the mechanics solid. I 100% those both so quickly. If only they made another one.

[@Ryoku1]

@@TabletopTiger Good news. Fans have restored the multiplayer for WfC and FoC. Check out some videos by Orbital Bacon to get started. It's free.

[@TabletopTiger]

@@Ryoku1 best news I've heard in a while, thank you.

[@TopsideCrisis346]

So, what you're saying is, these guys effectively specialize in rule books for action figures. That. Is. Just. AWESOME!!! OMG, if we had this as kids, the conflicts that could've been mitigated, the name-calling and bickering that our parents would never have had to mediate, the real FUN we could have had! Something in me has always felt something like this NEEDED to exist, and now that it does, I just feel so vindicated! 😂 But seriously though, this sounds like it could make for some epic campaigns, and it gives us a reason to dust off our old toys and actually play with them. As adults. Because rules! 😃

[@DaveThaumavore]

I happen to agree with all of this.

[@17thknight]

You could have two battle maps going at once. One scaled to the transformer mode, then another that's very "zoomed out" where you use matchbox cars and similar to represent the alt modes, with maybe a token on the alt mode map to represent transformers who aren't in alt mode

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s such an obvious but brilliant solution!

[@LeeONardo]

Alternatively you can pick up "core" class figures which are small scale TF's that transform. There is a whole 3rd party market out there doing Legends (essentially core) class figures.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@LeeONardo that’s cool, I didn’t know those existed

[@SirFailsalot91]

I find it a little chuckle worthy that GI Joes get to take drones and Transformers get to have human companions, and considering that there's crossover potential with these RPGs and the Power Rangers one, you could pretty much have your Joe and Autobot RPG characters working together if the GM lets you.

[@bencox3641]

The multiverse was a really big part of the Transformers lore... than they got rid of it because it wasn't selling toys. And a other weird fact about the transformers is that female Transformers were almost a subspecies. You can guess why they got rid of that bit of lore. This doesn't have anything to do with the video or game but I just have nowhere else to tell people about these things.

[@DaveThaumavore]

You’ve come to the right place.

[@PlayerZeroStart]

From what I understand, they ditched the multiverse shtick not because it didn't sell, but because they felt restrained when working on the aligned continuity and wanted to freedom to do their own thing.

[@bencox3641]

@@PlayerZeroStart How can a multiverse restrained people? Just don't bring it up if you don't want to use it. There was supposed to be a INFINITE number of universes in the old multiverse.

[@PlayerZeroStart]

@@bencox3641 Well the issue is that, in that transformers multiverse, certain characters/events are the same across all universes. For example, every Unicron seen during the time of that multiverse was meant to be the same exact being. So if you wanted to include Unicron in a new story set in that multiverse, you had to make sure it didn't conflict with every other version of Unicron in that already existed.

[@bencox3641]

@@PlayerZeroStart No, not really. In the original G1 cartoon we found out that Unicron was created by this alien mad scientist but in other universes he is usually a god that have been around since the beginning of time. In one comic (I forget which one) Primus was a supercomputer used by the Quintessons while in other stories he was the planet Cybertron its self. This was before they got rid of the multiverse. These are supposed to be gods that exist on a multiverse level, you can do pretty much whatever you want and just go "that was just one part of them in this one universe". Or "This universe works differently because of this reason".

[@GergoErdi]

The deadpan delivery of the jokes is what really sells this review

[@DaveThaumavore]

Thanks. I'll try to do more of those. Why not.

[@jinxtheunluckypony]

My biggest problem with this game is that it mandates you to play an Autobot. You can theoretically just hand wave that element and let your players belong to whatever faction they want but the game doesn’t provide any Autobot enemy statblocks so that pushes you down a big homebrewing rabbit hole. I understand why they would prioritize the Autobot experience since that’s how most people will want to play the game but the lack of choice in a role playing game bothers me.

[@Courier-gq6ym]

Autobots got stat blocks for the decepticon expansion

[@stormquiver]

grew up with G1 as I'm sure many of us did. can't wait for this to deliver. Now I just need a group to play with.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah this hits a sweet spot for me too. Same reasons.

[@theanomaly3463]

Dude same, I just got my digital copy

[@blackbeltgamer98fire-spitt96]

Personally, I’m wondering how one could create a character based on Nova Prime’s design with a truck and trailer alt mode and the ability to fly in robot mode.

[@Hot_SpicyGrill]

Starscream was the Decepticon imbastor for japan. Comander radix did a lore video named "Transformers Lore: The Japan-Decepticon Alliance".

[@DaveThaumavore]

Nice.

[@sleepyandsleepin]

As a Transformers fan I think this is really cool I'm into D&D so I may one of these days pick this up I'm just not excited about the character creation process and learning a lot new rules It looks complicated but then again I play D&D so I'll hopefully get through it lol

[@DaveThaumavore]

Once you’re ready to branch out, Essence 20 is pretty great.

[@waltascher]

These RPGs were originally created using the 5e system before Hasbro decided they should have their own system instead, so a lot of the Essence20 system is just 5e with different terms.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@waltascher that’s… hmm. Okay.

[@saraphys5555]

7:50 In regards to the "Hunter"; while I dont have the PDF of this RPG, I would imagine its derived from the archetype of Jazz, Prowl, Mirage, and Bluestreak... All of whom were Autobot special operatives, and are seen in the original G1 TV Show and Comics (both US & UK) as being part of the Ark's Security force directly under Optimus Prime (and occasionally Ironhide). Since there are actually a few Autobot Security Operatives who have the ability to either Turn Invisible or Camo themselves, the "Hunter" does actually fit with that. I think also that they were basing some concepts on the Multiplayer Transformers:Fall of Cybertron video game; which had a few achetypes like this to work within.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Everything about the hunter in this book is described in that one page shown in the video. I wish they would have added more detail. But your added context helps. Thanks!

[@hollyfalk1753]

Guess you never heard of the aligned continuity. The covenant of primus has a lot of info if you can find it. Walmart just got a second set of roughly inch and a half tiny transformer figurines that are die cast i believe, I think they are called nano metal figs. I got the first set just need to wait for payday to get the second.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Nice, I’ll check that stuff out.

[@kingmasterlord]

2:22 "got no time to read reviews while I'm working on the sequel" - ERB version Michael Bay

[@DaveThaumavore]

He certainly made a fortune on each one. So reviews be damned!

[@TheBloodyMutt]

A thing to note. The Renegade website also has a sort of scenario generator for Starscream's scheming. It is intended to be used to also work with the other various rogues in the franchise. As the core book doesn't (imo) have a good built in scenario generator itself I like to point this out, not to mention it is a free resource!

[@DaveThaumavore]

Oh wow, I didn’t know that!

[@TheBloodyMutt]

@@DaveThaumavore There's that, and I think one or two other things. Enjoy and happy gaming!

[@bearnaff9387]

In order to keep track of all the various continuities, a multi-versal description system was developed. While it's mostly used to keep track of meta-narratives and how continuities relate to one another, it's robust enough to include ways to describe both the former universe of the Go-Bots TV show, as well as a universe where Transformers are toys, comics, TV, and video games, but moral behaviors are generally reversed. One convention-told story takes place in that alternate evil real-world universe.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Sounds cool. I didn’t really see much of that in this book.

[@anarchomando7707]

@@DaveThaumavore Oh it's fine. We have hundreds. We've been going on since the '80s and we're still fighting A good example. However, how even something as minute can have major impacts Optimus Prime, G1 he was a regular dock worker, got shot because He was a bit of a fanboy of Megatron. Then became Megatron's Arch enemy Transformers Prime Optimus was a data clerk He was actually friends with Megatron.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@anarchomando7707 Lol. It’s always evolving!

[@rimjobsteve3264]

They make small scale versions of a lot of the characters and minicons were a whole thing back when I was a lad, they’d make nice minis on a map

[@TechMeister-1993]

I feel like the thin Lore would be a strength instead of a weakness. Transformers, like Dungeons and Dragons, is a franchise that you can have multiple books written about just one specific Transformers timeline or setting. Having a thin lore in the main book allows people to use whatever timeline lore they want or create their own lore for their own world.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah that’s what I figured.

[@project4061]

16:29 My best guess is to have the Decepticons get in contact with corrupted people who could aid them. Like in the example of Astrotrain, he could contact a North Korean dictator and request their assistance.

[@VengefulJarl]

I've been working on a Transfirmers rpg off and on over the years lol I was very excited when I heard about this

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah this one is not perfect but it’s pretty good I think.

[@davidrhode7019]

There was an unofficial Transformers supplement for the Mekton Zeta RPG. Mekton Zeta is published by R. Talsorian Games, and while not actively supported, is still maintained and available in print and .pdf. The Transformers material was written by Mark Chase, who has a website and is apparently now an author. I don't think the Transformers material he wrote is easily available anymore, but may still be accessible for clever gleaners of the internet...

[@DaveThaumavore]

Very cool. Thanks!

[@chasonlapointe]

There was also a decent D20 book from Fantasy Flight called Mechamorphosis is their Horizon line that was pretty interesting as an off brand Transformers game.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@chasonlapointe someone mentioned that. I need to check it out.

[@Tremadog102]

An interesting concept but with so many transformers out there I think I'd struggle to come up with something unique. A golf cart? A hot air balloon? All the good alt modes are already taken. :p

[@DaveThaumavore]

They don’t need to be totally unique. And remember you can be a battleship or an iPad too!

[@anarchomando7707]

They also have descriptive or bonkers names That even a porn star or bond girl would blush Optimus Megatron Bumblebee Ironhide bulkhead Swift twitch, The list is practically endless

[@Armageddonsteellegionioneri]

Not really and they're can be multiple trans formers with the same alt mode

[@Tremadog102]

@@Armageddonsteellegionioneri True, but it's always more fun to have an interesting, memorable alt mode than to be another seeker with a slightly different colour from the other ones. An extreme example perhaps, but hopefully a valid one.

[@AngelusNielson]

There is currently a humble bundle that contains physical versions of this game.. and dice. :P

[@WelshGiraffa]

I’m mainly getting this to use for D&D sessions the character backgrounds and traits aswell as how to efficiently handle alt modes and story

[@FrostyMac]

I figure the copy-pasted rules are for crossover ease, since the idea of crossing over the various E20 games is part of the appeal for a lot of people. Getting to throw a transformer and a megazord together is an admittedly badass thing to be able to do in a ttrpg

[@danieltorresgonzalez462]

I struggle to get into the DnD setting, But I'm well versed in the transformer lore. So much of what I struggle with in dungeons & dragons doesn't happen with the transformers, kinda happy about it. Only problem is between my friends I'm the only one who knows a thing about transformers

[@DaveThaumavore]

You might have to find some people to play with online.

[@Darthvegeta8000]

They really should have provided some ready-made stats for a lot of canon Transformers on the Autobot side.

[@DaveThaumavore]

It’s a real headscratcher why they didn’t.

[@zephyrstrife4668]

Honestly... I feel like the rather thin lore gives GMs the opportunity to run a more homebrew-version of their take on the Cybertronian war. you're not limited to what the movies and comics have gotten... and let's be fair, for many people, the sole reason why they're getting it is because they're already a fan of the brand itself. There should at least be a decent summary of each character, but that would also increase the size of the book and likely the cost. So it's a toss up as to whether more lore or having it as is would be better.

[@HandlesAreStupid2025]

We used to play a Transformers RPG and adapted the World of Darkess D10 system for the rules.

[@lexxstrum]

I had almost forgot about this; then I got worried I pre-ordered and forgot about it (looks like that's a no). Thanks for breaking this down for me; pretty much a theoretical gamer (buy a book, toy with system, store book until end of time), but I do have several co-workers who are old enough to have watched G1, so maybe this gets used. I've seen a lot of homebrew Transformers ttrpg stuff: my favorite was someone who created Beast Wars using White Wolf's rules circa early 2000's; just the sheer amount of lore they produced (stuff like how they moved from the smaller Beast wars forms from the OG Transformer bodies, and the 3 places Sparks come from), was worth the read!

[@DaveThaumavore]

Wow, that homebrew sounds cool.

[@joshuaheller784]

I actually used to run games with that homebrew years ago after I found it online. It was a lot of fun

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@joshuaheller784 Nice!

[@shockwavethewarlock]

5:26 I love Elita-1’s evergreen design

[@averylarsen2511]

Okay so to explain something. The reason the book seems light on lore is because it is written with the evergreen designs in mind. With transformers being so long running and taking on so many iterations, Hasbro and fans by extension don't really view anything as a long running continuity or reboots but instead view the world as a broad setting and cast of characters that can be played with and rearranged to create many different stories, as such Hasbro consolidates the brand not by creating one strict canon that all series follow but instead maintaining a core set of ideas and principles which guide the series. These are the Evergreen designs and Hasbro mostly uses these for product which doesn't fit into any given continuity such as the Authentics line or party balloons. Because this system is supposed to be a general overview of how to run a transformers game, it doesn't focus the specifics of every continuity but instead sticks the big beats of the story. We will probably see more in depth looks on specific continuities as supplements are published. Also could you perhaps explain the logic behind the damage in the game? is there something im missing? All the weapons only do 1 or 2 damage and im not quite sure i get the logic.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Good explanation! I think the logic behind the damage has to do with their design goal of characters never dying. But that being said, certain abilities and more powerful weapons do pack a punch.

[@MiniPainterGamerDadD20]

Been on the fence about this one.... now I'm convinced I need to get it.

[@GamingMafia_id]

Is that building 3D printed? Where did you get it?

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah it’s from Corvus Games’ cyberpunk collection.

[@originaluddite]

As a Transformers collector, I couldn't help smirking at the comment about using the toys as you would game miniatures "as long as they're in scale". :)

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah, that’s ridiculous now that I think about it. The whole franchise threw scale consistency out the window on Day One.

[@originaluddite]

It's part of their charm ;)

[@tennozeorymer]

I understand WHY they used a mutant D20 system for this game, but I'm not happy about it. Transformers toys have included RPG-friendly stats since the very beginning! To not use them for an official RPG just seems dopey. (grumble grumble)

[@DaveThaumavore]

They love their little rules system!

[@supanerdreviews4056]

I think the thin lore is a good thing because there’s so much to draw from. Sure most people know the bare bones of the transformers but you can string pieces of different continuities together as long as they don’t step on each other’s toes to make your own setting for transformers Honestly I wish it promoted more gameplay in war on cybertron settings. Like during the aligned continuity

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah it would have been cool to see the aligned continuity. I’d buy a book on that if they made one.

[@supanerdreviews4056]

@@DaveThaumavore I mean honestly while I haven’t read the book I just learned about it today I could totally see making homebrew rules to replace the human Allies and human aspects with minicons because of micronus being one of the 13

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@supanerdreviews4056 That’s a really fun idea. A whole supplement could be devoted to that concept.

[@supanerdreviews4056]

@@DaveThaumavore aligned continuity is one of those things where since we’ve seen the content unfolding you could hypothetically hop in anywhere as long as certain milestone events still happen. Plus with the history we know from the shows and games you can make a ton of fun locations such as a cybertronian history museum. Something with predacon fossils for shockwave to send goons to ransack

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@supanerdreviews4056 So much fun potential. I really hope Renegade comes around and embraces this.

[@marksteelman7747]

Hunter is a classic hero archetype, big bad wolf, little red riding hood, snowy white, hunter is extremely similar to a ranger.

[@ellagrant6190]

If I run a campaign, it will be original cartoon continuity (minus the unnecessary deaths in the movie motivated to sell new toys) and the Bay films will exist in universe as Hollywood adaptions of real stories. The films will be justly maligned and derided by both humans and cybertronians. I hate it when character sheets don't have enough room. Just add an extra fucking page. It's not a big deal. I'd rather have a 3 or 4 page sheet than a 2 page sheet + 2 pages of additional scrawled notes. If someone brought out a line of very small scale transformers, that would be ideal. I'm thinking 6mm / 1:300.

[@acsound]

Maybe some Action Masters...?

[@DaveThaumavore]

I love how you’d include the Bay movies like that. Built-in hilarity.

[@kevinharris6650]

Renegade is obsessed with languages. Just count between the three E20 books the number of role abilities and perks that grant languages. The weird thing is languages rarely come up in any of the shows these games are based on.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Haha! So weird. I guess language barriers are supposed to be a big part of play for them. Most RPGs actively avoid them except in cases where it’s important to the story.

[@jamesstaggs4160]

Why nobody has done a video game Transformers RPG by now will forever remain a mystery to me..

[@DaveThaumavore]

The lore is certainly rich enough at this point.

[@twilight_phantom2969]

If I had to guess the languages the Decepticons speak is based on which countries their vintage toys were sold, though that's just a guess.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Everyone’s guess points to a non-diagetic inside joke or piece of trivia. Fan service for the most elite of fans.

[@roboticgamer1174]

For the language stuff, it can vary from what Im guessing. Blitzwing speaks German, makes sense, German esque name and his whole deal was hit hard and out of nowhere, like the blitzkrieg. As for other characters and their languages, could go from they just like that culture to they hide there.

[@alexsolomon7991]

If i remember correctly, there was a bit where they tried tying ALL the Mattel stuff together..for instance, transformers went up against GI Joe..which led to the US military (and certain rogue factions) getting the tech that would be used for M.A.S.K. And let's not forget that era where Transformers was part of Marvel.

[@DaveThaumavore]

I didn’t know about a MASK tie-in. Sounds fun.

[@keikan300]

@@DaveThaumavore MASK as an RPG might be interesting

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@keikan300 I’d like it. Not sure if it would resonate on the Nostalgia-sphere.

[@Patrick-Sears]

The character profiles are probably so truncated because of the endless web of different continuities that you touched upon earlier - Blitzwing being a mass-produced drone is only canon in the G1 cartoon & maybe some of the mid-period comics, if I remember correctly? He has a very different backstory in the Unicron trilogy, Bay movies, and early Marvel or IDW comics So they presumably attempted to talk about each character in EXTREMELY general terms, so as to avoid alienating or confusing players with a preference for one of the other contiuities~

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah that’s what I say in the video. lol So yeah, I totally agree with you!

[@RSBrowning74]

I have my own version of Transformers. Well they are not technically Transformers, but like Transformers, They are aliens that are artificial life form/robot with minor powers: Giant and wingless flight and major power: Techno-Form. Unlike the Transformers, these aliens are conquering planets and turning life forms into artificial life forms to grow their army. There is also a mutant that has similar powers to these aliens, I give him the name of Diaclone. What RPG game system allows such creation? Why Heroes Unlimited along with three addons books titled Powers Unlimited 1,2, and 3. But here's the Real kicker, The Makers of Heroes Unlimited also did an rpg titled Robotech in the 80's. And true fans of both Transformers and Robotech knows the history of Jetfire.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Sounds cool. Heroes Unlimited is quite the classic.

[@midnightplatypus1973]

IDW and a few others have done some pretty good G.I. Joe/Transformers crossovers, like you think it's going to be a joke, but actually turns out to be a pretty smart comic. One thing I'm not sure on. While both games use the same mechanical system, I'm guessing they're not really scaled to go together. I mean I'm guessing some of the Decepticon alt modes would translate into some of the most powerful weapons in the G.I. Joe/Cobra arsenals. Sort of like how Palladium with Robotech and eventually or most infamously with Rifts had the SDC and MDC damage systems. Would be an interesting supplement, something that allows the games to be played along side each other. Anyway, thanks for the review, my nostalgia has me curious about both games, and it's good to see that they're being hosted by what sounds like a decent mechanical system. The scaled dice reminds sort of how Free League's Twilight 2000 system works.

[@richardbrooksshnee]

Honestly, it's an interesting list to build up from... But it's light and has some weird restrictions. Transforming into vehicle mode and ramming somebody or bot mode and grappling are super common animated moves which the action economy doesn't seem to allow. It also greatly restricts things being specifically from an autobot perspective. Furthermore, if it's officially licensed, there should be no restriction on the word transform. Robotech isn't Hasbro and uses it for their transforming mechanical armors. Veritech fighters, the cyclone motor cycles. Pretty sure the timidness towards the word doesn't add up.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah what a strange legal blip. Just awkward.

[@BetaRayBill32]

I believe the core issue is Hasbro believes using the word transform for going from one mode to another runs the risk of causing the word Transformers to become generic and would endanger the copyright.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@BetaRayBill32 that sounds plausible.

[@richardbrooksshnee]

@@BetaRayBill32 which doesn't make sense as entities beyond Hasbro use the terminology already. Veritech Fighters transform into Guardian or Sentinel mode. Transform as a mechanical form shift is already beyond Hasbro.

[@ChrissieBear]

This game did Windblade dirty. Official arts says she's as tall as Bumblebee and shorter than Starscream, and that she is "Large", but the official G1 height for her is 26 feet tall. A whole 11 feet taller than Bumblebee and 10 feet taller than Starscream!!

[@maxthompson8591]

My theory with the languages is that it has to do with either different interpretations of characters or where the characters originally came from, Starscream speaks Japanese, and was originally a part of Diaclone

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s probably what it is: esoteric connections.

[@DS-si5cp]

Upshift on Know Direction have 2 of the people who helped make it discuss things and decisions made

[@Witandwitless]

Transformers is one of those series that even as a kid I just nodded along and turned my brain off plot wise. The original cartoon ends season 1 with the Decepticons creating the Constructicons and Devastator on Earth as their new go to super weapon. Establishing that they're from Earth. A few seasons later they have an episode with a flashback that shows prior to the war on Cybertron the leader of the Constructicons was buddies with an autobot despite the fact that he shouldn't have been even built for like tens of thousands of years. End of the day it was a kids show in the 80s designed to sell toys so I just shrugged and moved on, but it helped me lock in early some series don't care about canon.

[@jonathanward8967]

For clarity, the Unicron Trilogy is really mainly popular with the early 20 somethings. Those of use who grew up in the 70s and 80s, G1 and Beast Wars is what its all about

[@DaveThaumavore]

Just G1 for me. lol

[@jonathanward8967]

@@DaveThaumavore I'm an 80s baby, so I grew up watching both G1 and Beast Wars, and Beast Machines as a matter of fact. The art style I could had done without, but the controversial genocidal theme and dark tones makes Beast Machines and underestimated show.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@jonathanward8967 I love the janky art of G1!

[@jonathanward8967]

@@DaveThaumavore I have the 1st mini series in comics, it's just amazing un all its janky glory

[@biostemm]

So why ever be a car? Does it cost more to be a jet, or are you more fragile/vulnerable?

[@DaveThaumavore]

Chassis selection doesn’t really penalize you. You get an Essence bonus and an extra skill depending on what you pick. Alt mode in the game is pretty secondary to the gameplay for the most part.

[@biostemm]

@@DaveThaumavore I always felt like aircraft or military vehicles should consume more energon, and that's why Autobots could generally get by with less...

[@rpgchronicler]

Also you cant hang out in more civilian areas as a jet or a military vehicle in general. Although i wish to see some transform to a game console, a soda machine or even a traffic light (first two was from the first michael bay movie and the third from the cybertron anime with the cyber keys).

[@biostemm]

@@rpgchronicler I mean, unless you're a regular passenger car, you'd still stick out as a semi/firetruck/dump truck/etc, in many areas, but your point is taken. Given that they mentioned size/mass changing, I'd assume something like an iPod or tablet could be possible as well...

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@rpgchronicler it would be fun to run a campaign where all the PCs are small devices like iPhones and stuff, infiltrating various bases and facilities.

[@Stronghand-yw1lk]

I would love to play a dinobot triple changer in this! My dinoform would be a Ankylosaur and my vehicle form would be a M1A1 Abrams tank.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Nice concept.

[@Alverant]

My issue is that this is a class/level based game and I perfer point/skill based rule systems. IMHO class/leveling systems limit your character's growth and forces it down a narrow path with fewer options.

[@DaveThaumavore]

It’s hard to shake that class/level paradigm for some.

[@darthmelkor2809]

Just got the rule book today. Will love to play a head master

[@MrCOLBSTAH]

I think the decepticons want peace as well. They're just willing to go through tyranny to do it. Autobots believe that freedom is the right of all sentient beings and they're willing to fight for that freedom.

[@DaveThaumavore]

At the beginning of the G1 comics, the Deceps were mad because there was TOO MUCH peace.

[@tylamcgilverson3923]

It's a robots manufacturing place that determins its language. Some transformers are not takara brand but something

[@BonusEggs4Sale]

The rulebook art designer seems absolutely obsessed with Arcee. I mean, aren't we all.

[@Raziel312]

It would be interesting if they did a source book on Combiners. Which is to say, Transformers who merge to form a giant robot. Not sure how that would work. I can see some players chafing at giving up some of their control over their character because the party is all essentially sharing one massive character.

[@DaveThaumavore]

There’s probably a way to do it that makes it fun. It would take some clever game design though.

[@waltascher]

They would likely use a version of the Megaform rules in the Power Rangers RPG, which is the same basic concept.

[@rayvenkman2087]

I’d do it the way JRPG games does boost stats and Persona’s Persona Fusion System but with Combiners.

[@kernsanders3973]

Me and two of my TRPG friends did exactly this! We had our ALT Modes, but as well Combine Mode. To make it even more interesting, because we had 3 different Transformers, we had 3 different Combine Modes. Each of those would be controlled by a different player. So that player would control the over all giant bot but the different parts rolls would be done by the players. Example my friend player number 1 in control would be our Giant Transformer close combat mode, I would turn into extra arms and weapons. So those additional attacks is controlled by my friend but I would do the rolls if he hits or does different actions with those extra arms, third player would be Legs and also pair of arms so he would do the different rolls for out stability depending on our terrain and being hit as well all the rolls when the arms are commanded to do things which player 1 controls. Then player 1 is the head with some firepower on the shoulders. 2nd Player (me) Combine mode I would control the Giant Transformer long range mode, my friend would turn into a giant gun or for mid long range two guns, 3rd player would be our lower body and left arm, need to be able to save roll the huge knock backs of our massive fire power. Then second player me would be the head and right arm. 3rd Player would control the Combine mode of moving fortress which could go on land, water, air with some artillery. I would be the lower body with tires/wings, my friend the mid body with guns and 3rd Player top body controlling us with with guns. Both player guns could then combine to a gatteling which was super fun to shoot as two shots would be rolled by one player and another two by the other. Honestly not that hard to include any of the different universes of Transformers as even in the comics the multiverse cross over events happen. Our setting was pretty hectic. We freshly landed on earth but it's post Apocalyptic where the Deceptacons took over the planet. Humans and Autobots were either in hiding, in battles or on the run. So the potential for stories were endless just from that one campaign setting. Our combine modes werent set in stone and later in our campaign made more combine modes if only two of us combined (encase another player was knocked out or not present for RP reasons). Was really a ton of fun. Taking on whole deceptacon armies by ourselves or having a huge battle where two armies descend upon each other and us in Giant Melee Combine mode would directly take on another Deceptacon Giant Combined Transformer. Where as we are thrashing around we are kicking and stomping different transformers running around our feet while battling this other giant Combine Transformer.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@kernsanders3973 really creative!

[@Missingno700]

I think the languages may be references to certain appearances of the characters, Specifically Blitzwing knowing German is most likely due to the fact that hes very German inspired in animated

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s a good guess shared by many.

[@heavyheart9685]

Been waiting for my copy of the book.

[@DaveThaumavore]

It’s a pretty nice product.I only did PDF myself.

[@wallacebonner7939]

Transformers beat GI Joe out as my favorite childhood toy, but going through the book, I felt like there was something missing. Maybe it's the bridge between play as a kid to a more cohesive storytelling system; There aren't any plots that are inspiring me. Also, missing the combiner, Master and animal rules.

[@pigwigeonmagenta6981]

I can under stand why blitzwing speaks German, it being a reference to transformers animated where he had a German accent from memory, but otherwise the languages seem randomly given out.

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s a good explanation for Blitzwing’s German, thank you.

[@C03-T3]

I heard someone say it was fun to use their own toys, but a bit awkward to transform them in the middle of the game, the solution is to just not do that and to use your imagination, obviously, But my first thought was using that 2013(?) Bot Shot line, since they transform back and forth easily and quick. The problem is that they aren't selling anymore, but it's an idea.

[@DaveThaumavore]

A bit more cost and clutter, but you could also have a second toy or stand-in model that represents the alt form. But honestly, I say get good at transforming your toy. Just takes practice!

[@omarcuevas439]

I wish they did something with Heroclix, that would have been cool

[@DaveThaumavore]

Agreed.

[@omarcuevas439]

@@DaveThaumavore not only that, the minis would have been cool, plus you could use them as minis for a table top scenario. .

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@omarcuevas439 It’s a nice idea. Heroclix were so fun.

[@skeletonwithagun2119]

My buddy and I have been enjoying how fresh this system is compared to 5e d&d, under rated game system tbh

[@Nolinquisitor]

10:30 The result of the roundhouse kick would be a 22, as you only keep the highest skill die result.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Ah, you’re right.

[@DaveThaumavore]

I’ve added an errata in the pinned comment. Thanks.

[@gmradio2436]

My play group was looking forward to this one, but it turned out to be not as good as we hoped. Not helped by finding a simpler fan made RPG that some how was much better for our group. It is a d10 dice pool system. Roll your pool against your skill, equal or under to pass. If a roll is opposed, same ropl, but beat your opponent's roll as well. It covers a lot of stuff. Basically everything up to Armada, so if you want to make a Spychaser, you can. Or recreate the Beast Era. Play as a Combiner and devastate the battle field or play as a city that turns into a metal Godzilla. The RPG has a personality. There is a minimum viable stat total, and if you don't meet it, Megatron kills your character. Faction does not matter. Autobot, he kills you in combat, Drcepticon, he kills you for incompetence. It happens early in character creation, is a way to make sure characters will not hamper the party and is humorous about it. That said, there a few holes that an edge case can fall into. Nothing to bad, but it is there. City bots/Titans that combine get smaller for example. It covers everything from character creation, to combat, to running campaigns, and it is about 60 pages with a decent amount of art. And it was free.

[@tank_0r]

If someone made a halfway decent TF MMORPG I may never be see in in public again.

[@DaveThaumavore]

But grinding in those really sucks.

[@karanseraph4726]

The tiny character sheet may be designed to sell the character journal they also sell.

[@DaveThaumavore]

That would be so lame.

[@tatsu280]

I wonder if they kept the rules the same because the G.I. Joe and Transformers have been having crossover events for decades in the comics, essentially existing in the same universe. Exact same rules means you can have Duke and Optimus fight Cobra Commander and Megatron lol As for the PDF price for this and Power Rangers, it may seem like a cop-out answer but maybe it's because of the licensing prices, just trying to get a return. Though, yes, the hardcover price seems reasonable to other core books for other games.

[@MICjordanTPR]

It wasn't just the comics either... season 3 of the G1 cartoon featured Cobra Commander (as "old snake") trying to trap Autobots in human bodies he could murder, and a recurring character was Earth Defense Command officer Marissa Fairborne, who is the daughter of GI Joe's Duke (Dashiell Fairbourne)

[@ruckusfitnesd7505]

would be great to have a Beyond style setup so it allows for the extra space needed on sheets and picking and laying out abilities, stats and types of transformation etc

[@DaveThaumavore]

Indeed. And I think Renegade would have the resources to do that too.

[@105thBattalion]

I think making a digital table game to play on Discord with a Shared Google Drive folder for everything aside from the current script would be better as you wouldn't have to worry about making your own figures or buying others, but I've never played a table top game so what do I know?

[@DaveThaumavore]

Pros and cons to every approach.

[@wolfmunroe]

One thing this review lacks touching on, which I really wish would have been covered, is... Since the Transformers RPG and G.I.Joe RPG both use the Essence20 System with very little modification, can they be easily cross-played? Or, being very little modified, does that mean that a G.I.Joe character is going to be as strong as a Transformers character? Does the Transformers RPG account for the fact that they're giant robots in the rules as compared to the G.I.Joe RPG? Can a G.I.Joe wrestle a Transformer and win, or does the game account for that possibility? Is conversion required for cross-play to make sense?

[@DaveThaumavore]

There’s inexplicable parity between human Joes/Cobras and the Transformers. So yes, you’d have to do conversion work yourself.

[@wolfmunroe]

@@DaveThaumavore Thanks. I watched the review and was like "But can I have a cross-over?!" The Transformers comics and G.I.Joe comics crossed over on occasion, so it's in the realm of possibility.

[@DaveThaumavore]

@@wolfmunroe It wouldn’t be pretty. Cobra Commander could beat any non-boss Transformer. lol

[@TheMichaellathrop]

My first thought is that Essence 20 has a lot of West End StarWars in it's RoboNuclaicAcid

[@DaveThaumavore]

That’s a noble source of inspiration.

[@MineCraftRoyalty]

Not sure if anyone has said this yet, but it seems there might be a call out to the Transformers Animated series with Blitzwing's language-German. In that show he had more than one face which spoke with a couple versions of basically a German accent. Could be pure coincidence-which I doubt since it is so on the nose, but the second I saw that I was happy for the reminder of quite the cool version of him! God bless and Jesus Christ loves you all very much! :)

[@beardofspiderclimb434]

I know this is not a majority concern, but like the Cortex Marvel, i find that if i am playing a game based on a licence i want to play those characters not make my own world, make your own world and generate your own characters is when i use games like Savage Worlds or Traveller etc. But with Transformers i want to play the autobots i grew up with, Jazz, Cliffjumper etc. I want their stats.

[@DaveThaumavore]

I can understand that sentiment.

[@gyrrakavian]

As for the price, it's probably to pay for that amazing art. All of those look to be professional pieces.

[@DaveThaumavore]

Yeah it’s top notch. There are three illustrations in the book that are the opposite of top notch though. Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker are bizarrely awful for some reason. It’s really strange.

[@gyrrakavian]

@@DaveThaumavore Weird. Maybe the artist wasn't a fan of the three or was having an off day?

[@Strutinan]

You should check out "The Harrowed Earth" RPG that DaemonEye Publishing is getting ready to put out, last I heard they are just waiting on the artwork to get done. It is a gothic horror rewrite of D&D using the old Open Gaming License, set in a historical fantasy version of Earth from 5,000bce up to 1,950. FINALLY a game where having a character that lives for centuries can MATTER!

[@DaveThaumavore]

Cool.