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No links to the offical RPG? Is this Slashdot or what?! http://greenronin.com/sifrp/ It's Good Stuff(tm). It's almost brand-new too. I wonder if Green Ronin knew that other license talks were underway, because once we get videogames and miniseries, the value of that license is going to shoot through the roof.

As a small publisher of RPGs myself, I feel compelled to point out that there's much more out there than WOTC and White Wolf. There are a slew of small publishers putting out great, critically acclaimed material, both in PDF and print format. I draw your attention to the ENnie awards (complete list of 2006 winners can be found right here, which this past year rewarded not only big guys like Paizo Publishing and White Wolf, but smaller pubishers like Green Ronin and Guardians of Order, as well as really little guys like Atomic Sock Monkey Press (for the excellent super-hero game Truth & Justice and Dog Soul Publishing (for their Baba Yaga book, which I penned. Check us out. We may not be as well known as the other guys but we're just as good.

If they were playing Testament instead of just straight D&D, I'm sure they wouldn't be running into any problems. :)

This year we'll also see a second edition of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game by Green Ronin and Black Industries.

Actually, the CoC d20 rules are pretty good; they don't really destroy the tone unless you/your group let them. (With the noted exception of level-based hit points; just use HP==(STR+CON)/2 and you're set.)
And I've seen other d20/OGL games be quite creative with the d20 mechanic - Mutants & Masterminds from Green Ronin Press does Superheroes quite well, ignoring some of the horrid legacy rules that AD&D has.
However, the D&D rules suck pretty badly for any tone of game other than Epic-Heroic Saga. Given that they still can't treat "hit points" consistently throughout the system, after 3.5 versions, I really don't expect D&D to improve any time soon, either.

What it comes down to is that while a given RPG system/mechanic does not prevent you from playing a particular theme or tone for a game, the system/mechanics can influence how players direct and develop their characters. D&D pretty much only has rules for building and refining the ultimate combat monster, thus reinforcing that style of play and pushing other styles to the side.

Actually, the CoC d20 rules are pretty good; they don't really destroy the tone unless you/your group let them. (With the noted exception of level-based hit points; just use HP==(STR+CON)/2 and you're set.)
And I've seen other d20/OGL games be quite creative with the d20 mechanic - Mutants & Masterminds from Green Ronin Press does Superheroes quite well, ignoring some of the horrid legacy rules that AD&D has.
However, the D&D rules suck pretty badly for any tone of game other than Epic-Heroic Saga. Given that they still can't treat "hit points" consistently throughout the system, after 3.5 versions, I really don't expect D&D to improve any time soon, either.

What it comes down to is that while a given RPG system/mechanic does not prevent you from playing a particular theme or tone for a game, the system/mechanics can influence how players direct and develop their characters. D&D pretty much only has rules for building and refining the ultimate combat monster, thus reinforcing that style of play and pushing other styles to the side.