BioWare is giving players a whole new old way to experience Dragon Age: Origins, announcing a pen and paper role-playing game based in the Dragon Age universe.
Following in the footsteps of games like EverQuest and Street Fighter, Dragon Age is making the leap from video game to pen and paper role-playing game. Green Ronin Publishing, the company behind the 2nd edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Thieves' World, Mutants and Masterminds, and Freeport, will be in charge of transferring the world of the PC game into the minds of people sitting around a table eating snacks.
"Dragon Age: Origins has been described as the spiritual successor to BioWare's Baldur's Gate™, one of the most highly-acclaimed fantasy computer RPGs in the world, so when BioWare approached us to do a pen and paper version, we had to say ‘yes!'," said Green Ronin President Chris Pramas. "With our work on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Black Company, and Thieves' World, dark fantasy is in our blood and Dragon Age: Origins is the best in its class. An opportunity to collaborate with BioWare on Dragon Age: Origins was not to be missed."
The Dragon Age pen and paper RPG will start showing up at bookstores and hobby shops this summer. They'll be kicking things off with a box set containing everything players need to get started, with addition sets and supplements released on a regular basis.
It's always interesting to see video games being turned into pen and paper role-playing games, considering that role-playing video games were so heavily influenced by those early tabletop RPGs. Such juxtapositions generally gather a pretty strong following in role-playing circles, with the possible exception of Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game, which everyone bought just to giggle at.