My gaming friends swear by D&D, but it’s way too flat for me. Every campaign ends with the paladin, rogue, monk and the one lousy backstabbing character on a path between two cliffs fighting whatever comes in the way. I’m too tired of this, and want to find a good rpg to introduce to everyone.
This means:
*character creation that has more than what dungeons and dragons has in terms of class, alignment, race, or better yet, the chance to alter your character so it will fit in this world. have disability be involved, or actually give a crap about looks, height, background, etc. all the parts of a character you work on but never care about.
* Any system or world where I could learn it fairly easily (month or so) and come up with some detailed campaign that doesn’t easily dissolve into "there’s a bad guy. kill it"
* Any world that isn’t pure fantasy. i’ve grown tired of mead.
Any interesting RPG games that aren’t D&D? i want to hear about them please.
Stuff I’ve played first…
Rifts & Palladium: although higher levels tend to get over the top quickly.
Shadowrun, 4th Ed: Released last summer I believe. Fun stuff in a near future setting.
Star Wars RPG: Revamped d20 system released in the past week or two. I’ve heard mostly good things and am anxiously awaiting my copy.
Deadlands: Horror & the Old West. I have a soft spot for this game since I got my first full party kill as a GM playing it.
Legends of the 5 Rings: Samurai RPG set in a feudal Japan era. d20 system or the original d10 system were both pretty fun.
Stuff I’ve glanced at…
Mutants & Masterminds: Superheroes were never my thing but with half the country watching Heroes, I’m sure everyone can find something they want to try in this game.
Stargate RPG: I’m a sucker for this show, story & RPG. It had a decent random world generator and looked worth trying.
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Not my thing but a few friends have a copy & seem to like it.
Most of the stuff listed here can even be found used which can save you 50% on the cost if you’re not a book snob. Getting a new core rulebook for $20 or less can jump start a game that’s getting stale or let you take a break from a campaign while trying something new.
Good luck!
Chad
6 Comments
Stuff I’ve played first…
Rifts & Palladium: although higher levels tend to get over the top quickly.
Shadowrun, 4th Ed: Released last summer I believe. Fun stuff in a near future setting.
Star Wars RPG: Revamped d20 system released in the past week or two. I’ve heard mostly good things and am anxiously awaiting my copy.
Deadlands: Horror & the Old West. I have a soft spot for this game since I got my first full party kill as a GM playing it.
Legends of the 5 Rings: Samurai RPG set in a feudal Japan era. d20 system or the original d10 system were both pretty fun.
Stuff I’ve glanced at…
Mutants & Masterminds: Superheroes were never my thing but with half the country watching Heroes, I’m sure everyone can find something they want to try in this game.
Stargate RPG: I’m a sucker for this show, story & RPG. It had a decent random world generator and looked worth trying.
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Not my thing but a few friends have a copy & seem to like it.
Most of the stuff listed here can even be found used which can save you 50% on the cost if you’re not a book snob. Getting a new core rulebook for $20 or less can jump start a game that’s getting stale or let you take a break from a campaign while trying something new.
Good luck!
Chad
References :
There is also White Wolf’s World of Darkness series; Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage. There are 2 versions both relatively similar.
They are set in modern day in a darker version of earth where vampires and werewolves exist. I’ve only played the original systems. Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and Mage: the Ascension.
They all had minor differences but shared the same basic system using d10’s.
Awhile back they were revamped and had their storylines changed (the new ones are Vampire: the Requiem, Werewolf: the Forsaken, and I’m not sure about Mage).
I haven’t played or read any of the new books so I can’t comment on them beyond that they seem to use the d10 system still with a few changes.
I’ll comment on the old system since it’s what I know
All in all it is a decent system. Character generation is pretty simple and you can make almost anything you want. There are traits and flaws you can take to give your character some additional flavor. The system is geared (imo) toward roleplaying more than combat though that’s mostly up to the GM as to what kind of campaign he or she is running.
References :
The problems you’re mentioning aren’t the fault of the game itself. Any RPG is only as good as the players and DM/GM/Storyteller make it. If you game lacks depth, maybe you need to encourage your players to put depth in their characters.
Granted, some systems encourage this, but other problems with the game becoming routine won’t be fixed unless you find ways to "make it more real".
What I use in my AD&D games (I run 2nd edition, as 3e and I don’t get along well) is a character questionnaire. Before I allow a character in my game, the players need to complete the questionnaire, and I need to be satisfied with the results. By using this questionnaire, it makes their character multifaceted, and gives me (as the DM) opportunities to cater to their weaknesses, enhance their strengths, and make the game seem more realistic.
As an example, the link below is for the House Rules & FAQ file for an online game I run. In the Appendix, I include the types of questions I need answered in the character background.
I know this doesn’t directly answer your question, but I’m hoping that you find this helpful.
References :
http://clovenshield.charsys.com/ClovenshieldFAQandRulesv2.1.pdf
Star Wars (be it the D6 West End game to D20 WoTC or the new Saga Edition)
Rifts - Can play from Super Heroes to Fantasy
Battletech/Mechwarrior
Legends of the 5 Rings
MERP
Dangerous Journeys
Iron Heroes
World of Darkness
References :
Never a dull moment with TSR’s old Boot Hill. A western RPG. Top Secret was also good.
Um.. Gamma World too….wow, lots of memories.
I would even dab in some others that my group played: Gangbusters( roaring 20’s) , Star Frontiers, and DC Comics…oh and James Bond the role playing game. I still have the Q manual for that oddly.
References :
Tried my best to create a game to please adventurers. Its all FREE and its here. Hope you like it. Dragonwizards RPG Role-playing Game. An independant system with pencil, paper, dice and cards. Played with d20, d10, d6, players role-play, dungeons, dragons, wizards, and fantasy situations with monster cards, game cards, weapon cards, and playing cards.