Creating a setting guide or a campaign guide based on an established property is surely a formidable challenge for any RPG company. For many years I have looked at Maragret Weis Productions as the standard bearer for the RPG industry, especially their Serenity and Battlestar Galactica product lines and even Smallville. More recently I have delved into Green Ronin’s A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying and gained a new respect for that company. I especially like the new Campaign Guide: A Game of Thrones Edition because, well, its relatively spoiler free!
From the Introduction:
“Specifically, the game focuses on the last year before the start of A Game of Thrones. As a result, no details about the plots and fates of the various characters are revealed, and each house and individual is presented as they are at the opening of the novels.” (p. 4)
I really appreciate the effort Green Ronin is making to avoid railroading characters into actions and settings. The real challenge will not be the setting, but players who have read the books or watched the series and use that meta-game knowledge.
Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 