I was playing Skyrim the other day, thinking about how good the lore and the world are. So good, in fact, that I was wondering why there is no official tabletop rpg based on TES yet. There is already games based on video games, books and movies such as Star Wars, Everquest, Warcraft, Supernatural, Stargate, A Song Of Fire And Ice and many other, so I think TES would make a very fine game. Another reason I'd like this is so we could get the lore all in one convienent package and really, who wouldn't want to roleplay in such a fine setting. So who else here would also like that? and to add to the discussion, who would you like to handle the license, or what kind of system would you think could work to simulate a TES feel ingame?

Most of the RPGs Connected to a licence like Star Wars are D&D based, TES calculates it's things different and isn't really dice based to begin with. And even Daggerfall was to a degree based on player skill rather than character skill. Even PC games based on D&D rely solely on dice rolls and the player only chooses his actions rather than perform the task himself.

It may be possible, but only if the mechanics differ much from the games. I believe someone at Beth has already thought about an RPG like that. The fact that it didn't happen should say something about the "promising" success.

Not really, it mostly just say that it did not happen yet.

For the rest of your post...sure, d&d and the d20 system is probably a wrong choice to emulate TES but thankfully, there's plenty of other rpg system out there. By the way, many licensed games are not d&d-based, unlike what you seem to think. Of course, video game that carry the d&d license will use the d&d system, if not, why bother with the license at all. As for game based on d&d? If what I read is true, TES are based on on of the dev d&d setting, making it...a d&d based game. Anyway, even if in most of the game player skill is what matter most, character skill still matter as it set how difficult a task is and the system has some variation between game anyway, like how in Morrowind there was a chance of an attack missing even if the player had hit.

What I'm trying to get at (poorly), is that saying that it can't be done because it would abstract player skill into a die roll is a bit like saying it can be done because the gamemaster will decide what the guards say instead of repeating that they took an arrow to the knee.

It can probably be done. Having all the Lore in one convenient place however can't be done. So if you want that, then I'm sorry but tough luck.

Now I never played D&D games or any kind of table top RPG of any sort or form, so I'm not entirely sure. But it seems to me like the gamemaster has huge power and ability, and should know things others don't, which with the current state of the Lore is going to be quite hard.

I didn't know that table top rpg's were still popular. I remember this kind of entertaiment were huge back in the 80's when videogames where beginning to make their name.

I don't know if they're "huge," but they're still popular enough that 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons is currently in the works.

And, yes, I'd love it if this were to ever happen. If World of Warcraft can have one then it's definitely possible to do one for Elder Scrolls

There are a few TES conversions for D&D and d20 out there.

Here's one: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Tamriel,_TES_%283.5e_Campaign_Setting%29

And another: http://www.freewebs.com/arthmodeus/

Your party arrives at Winterhold College admiring the mountain of dragon skeletons strewn about the grounds when suddenly 1d6: 5 dragons appear in the sky above you. The local mages groan "Not again..." as the dragons swoop towards your group.

Dragon Age also has a table-top RPG. There's no reason you couldn't adapt some type of dice system for TES. It just hasn't happened yet. I'm with the OP though, I'd love a table-top RPG based on TES. I'm a svcker for these types of games and, come on, who wouldn't want an Elder Scrolls Monster Manual?!

Me, or well it depends on what is in the manual. A lot of the ES lore is left vague on purpose if a manual would suddenly make everything clear then that would svck. If not, then I have no problem with it.

There are quite a few tabletop settings that still leave parts of their lore/mythology vague, both for the sake of mystery and giving room to DMs to come up with their own lore. I mean; Planescape exists doesn't it?

Brilliant!

I find this thread somewhat sad. A former RPG series needs a RPG spin-off.

My sentiments exactly. When I first saw the title of the thread, I thought someone was "jokingly" referring to making the next TES game as an RPG (like Daggerfall, and to a lesser extent Morrowind), instead of the ACTION/rpg-lite that it's steadily becoming.

That's not the issue at all. He just wants to convert the cRPG to Tabletop experience. All Bioware games come from tabletop, cutting that out.

Yeah, ok. That's fine I guess. I'm firmly convinced that I could post a thread titled "Water is Wet" and I'd get some explanation detailing the contrary.

I have two names for you to consider, buddy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Imperium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkham_Horror

EDIT: Hmm, sorry. I didn't notice that you were discussing RPG's specifically, just table top games in general.

Oh well. All gamers should be aware of these two games.

Does the dice mechanic really matter? As a non-PnP gamer (I have read/skimmed several books though), why couldn't you use something like Gurps, D6, BRP, or Savage Worlds?

You're right. There's another thread for what I said, I think.