Why not Dune?

[rozark69]

Hi all, I got a copy of the Dune RPG, it is the most expensive book in my collection.
It cost me with postage and packing 295pounds.
postage was really high as I did an express most likely to get there situation. As where I was at the time buying from USA they had a 10% loss of product rate.

The book is amazing and richly detailed, that said I was curious as to why Black Unicorn (the company behind the book if memory serves) broke apart based on differences with the Herbert estate. They were working on their next instalment The Freemen handbook. But said the Herbert estate kept butting in, kept making demands, when their first book the main core rule book was awesome. So anyone gaining the license for the product would possibly suffer the same.

Which is sad as its an amazing setting, I would pay to get more books for it.

(I collect Rpgs)

 

[Apep]

that said I was curious as to why Black Unicorn (the company behind the book if memory serves) broke apart based on differences with the Herbert estate. They were working on their next instalment The Freemen handbook. But said the Herbert estate kept butting in, kept making demands, when their first book the main core rule book was awesome. So anyone gaining the license for the product would possibly suffer the same.

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium ?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune:_Chronicles_of_the_Imperium#Role-playing_games

From what I understand (from a good source) the issues with the estate were minor - The company was broken up, writers/developer laid off.... when the company was bought out.

Some of the developers work was put online and downloadable (including the Freemen Handbook) however the website has been down for quite a while.

Last Unicorn had the Star Trek licences and advertised Dune in the ST RPG and source books.

 

[Finarvyn]

I never found a website with downloadable stuff from the RPG, but I do remember at one point finding a site with some pictures of the covers of the anticipated books to go with the core rulebook. I think they planned 3-4 more books and had started work on them. Too bad someone can't just find this stuff and pass it along to the gaming world.

 

[Apep]

I never found a website with downloadable stuff from the RPG, but I do remember at one point finding a site with some pictures of the covers of the anticipated books to go with the core rulebook. I think they planned 3-4 more books and had started work on them. Too bad someone can't just find this stuff and pass it along to the gaming world.

The site has been down for some time 2001/2 was the last time I was there - I went through all the stuff I downloaded but I never downloaded any Dune stuff.

From what I remember when LUG "got consumed" a lot of the proposed books including the Dune material was uploaded very quickly by the staff that was laid off - Some was also very quickly removed...

 

[Greg Smith]

I was a big fan of Last Unicorn and their Star Trek game, so I followed what happened fairly closely.

Last Unicorn were bought out by Wizards of the Coast, just before they published Dune. WotC published a limited run of the RPG and the stated intention was to then turn it into a d20 game, but that never happened.

Most of the LUG staff worked on WotC games, including Wheel of Time and then subsequently went on to work for Decipher on their Trek and LoTR games.

 

[Judge Shaw]

"I think the trick for a successful Dune RPG is to focus on Arrakis..."

Could not disagree with this concept more. The reason I like the idea of LUGs "Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium" is the last part of the title. Dune is univseral in scope, I think it really silly to limit the game POV to one single planet. And the LUG was a good start, I only wish they had been able to at least put out the "Federated House of the Landsraad" supplement.

As to what happend to the line; LUG was bought out by WOTC just before the release date. I believe part of the contract was that WOTC would release the core book for the game as is...then WOTC planned to go into their own version. However, after the project was started Hasbro put out an order to drop the Dune line as the company would no longer be carrying any licenced properties. Which is unfortunate, as I feel the line would still be going strong, probably into at least 2nd edition. As to a system that I think would be perfect for the line, I have to apoligize to Mongoose as my vote goes to the Chronicle system (what is currently ASIAF rpg by Green Ronin.) It has an excellent Housse design system as part of the basic rules.