Top Alternatives to D&D 5E
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- The top ten(ish) games I would play if Dungeons & Dragons were not an option.
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13TH AGE: amzn.to/3yc8nA2
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BASIC FANTASY: amzn.to/3xKYNTg
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DUNGEON CRAWL CLASSICS: amzn.to/3QykYo6
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FANTASY AGE: amzn.to/3Oxw76N
digital: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
FORBIDDEN LANDS: freeleaguepublishing.com/en/s...
digital: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
ICRPG MASTER EDITION: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
also on Modiphius: www.modiphius.net/en-us/produ...
IRONSWORN: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
digital: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
PATHFINDER: amzn.to/39HroRt
digital: paizo.com/products/btq01zp3
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0:00 - The Criteria
1:15 - 13th Age
2:39 - Basic Fantasy
4:26 - DCC
6:02 - Fantasy AGE
7:22 - Forbidden Lands
8:39 - ICRPG
9:57 - Ironsworn
11:28 - Pathfinder
12:48 - honorable mention 
Игры
This video is going to be invaluable to many people leaving D&D
And there are many that are leaving. I play in 3 groups each week, and 2 are moving to PF 2e and the other is testing Shadow of the Demon Lord.
@@stinkevil5327 Shadow of the Demon Lord is a great system I ran a post apocalyptic setting for it with my friends and they loved it. Highly customizable but also easy to navigate rules. The setting however is very dark but the mechanics are independant.
Prescient !!!
The 5e refugee crisis has begun.
This guy foresaw the issue about the OGL and it gave him the inspiration to make this video.
this vid aged like wine
“If dnd 5e were to just magically disappear overnight” this in the biz is what we like to call foreshadowing
Considering the OGL right now it’s really funny this is showing up on my feed
OGL leak drops and look what is popping up as a suggested video. Nicely done sir, your video was better timed than you may have even realized.
Seeing as I completely moved off of 5e to go to Old School Essentials for my fantasy itch I will have to say that.
I'm currently running Symbaroum and loving it. I'll also never stop recommending Blades in the Dark as it's wonderful.
Great game, the setting and adventures are pretty interesting, is kind of a shame that they port the setting to 5e instead of sticking to the uniqueness of the game itself.
@@AyameAkito I have all the books already and am not a huge fan of 5e so I'll be skipping the conversions, the bummer is the delay for the final chapter of the Thrown of Thornes Chronicle.
Symbaroum is amazing. It is currently the most fun and *successful* campaign I've ever run.
Symbaroum is preferable and beautifully made
This video just got WAY more relevant
Given the current events I feel like this video is going to be extremely valuable to folks like me who are looking for alternatives to 5e but don't have much experience in other TTRPGs. Great video good sir
Thanks!
For now, my favorite system is Savage Worlds, adaptable to any setting. So it'll be the one I'll choose to replace DnD.
There's also Savage Worlds Pathfinder for those who really want to scratch that D&D itch.
I'd second this. It's a very good system, and pretty simple. I haven't acutally used the magic system, so I'm not 100% sure about that, but the rest of it is pretty well done
@@bjhale There's also a Savage Worlds high fantasy setting called Shaintar, which is very well realised.
yeah we also jumped to savage worlds . Love it. Bought the Pathfinder version. But working on my own world/classses inspired by the class system.
@@MrSpleenboy I heartedly recommend Hellfrost. Totems of the Dead doesn't have as much material, but it looks good too.
Hey! Thanks for the breakdown of Fantasy AGE, we appreciate the mention!
After running a lot of Pathfinder 1, 2, and 5e, Pathfinder 2 has been one of my favorites. A different feel from Pathfinder 1, but overall streamlined. It gets complicated in Pathfinder 1 to look up a chart and say “what provokes an attack of opportunity again?” Instead, about 90% of creatures don’t even have AoO, and all players need to do is figure out what to do in 3 actions.
Some things I'm not so fond of, but the 3 action system is just the best approach I've seen in any D&Desque system. I also quite like the critical system.
Dungeon Crawl Classics and Forbidden Lands!!
You should check out "Old School Essentials" and "Worlds without Number" 😎
Agreed, dungeon crawl classics seems like a natural choice, inexpensive, rules light with plenty of mechanics to keep the gameplay surprising with a focus on theatre of the mind.
Also a big fan of Forbidden lands
Worlds without number is an amazing book for any system. The random generator tables are so good!! And OSE is great.
I tend to lump OSE in with others like Basic Fantasy because they're OSR games based on the B/X version of D&D. Near perfect compatibility between them. Although OSE's layout is just superb for reference so big thumbs-up there.
Shadow of the Demon Lord.
If it were to "magically disappear overnight." Or on January 13th.
😂😖
Pathfinder 2E, even if 5E is still available actually: PF 2 is just that much more easier to run as a GM. As for the players? Maybe a bit more to handle but my response to players is that you only need to make ONE character while I create an entire cast of encounters, NPCs, etc. So the priority should be in favor of better and more predictable balance for the GM like say, a challenge rating number that *actually works* and it's a predictable measure of possible challenge.
I don't find PF2e or PF in general easier than D&D. All of my experiences with PF have been bad.
Never heard of that "Basic Fantasy", so I checked it out on Amazon. You're right! VERY affordable, and appears to have an OSR vibe that appeals to me. Thanks for the heads-up!
I’ve been running it for a year. BFRPG is a lot of fun.
Yeah, you can get all their physical offerings pretty much at cost. It's old school B/X with just a switch to 3rd+ style ascending armor class. Rules light enough to house rule as needed without much peril.
Basic Fantasy RPG is absolutely fantastic
Try Mausritter! It's an OSR-style rpg where the players are all mice. Definitely a lighter fantasy tone, but even just the charts and tables are worth it!
I love mausritter. Really cute game. Got the box set recently. Sorta game I could get my mom to play
Been playing it with my kids. It's been fun. I like the inventory system
In getting away from D&D5e, I also got away from class and level systems for many reasons. My go-to's for a good fantasy TTRPG are Savage Worlds - Adventurers Edition (which has an excellent cross-over with Pathfinder that was just released,) RuneQuest: Adventures in Glorantha for the incredibly detailed world and the quick and deadly combat, and HarnMaster for low-magic gaming again in a very detailed setting and with a unique combat system that generates actual injuries. You don't come out of combat with a loss of arbitrary hit points, but with a collection of cuts, bruises, oh, and the concussion from when that mace bounced off your helmet.
Also recommend Runequest's cousin, Mythras, for a bit more generic, setting-agnostic fantasy setting. They've got a lot of historical fiction supplements that let you play in Ancient Rome, dark ages Britain, medieval Constantinople, etc. They even have Classic Fantasy, which is D&D feel and lore but Mythras d100 combat and a more flexible class/levelling system.
If you enjoy those kinds of skill-based RPGs with crunchier combat, I'd also recommend Against The Darkmaster (HARP/MERP evolved) and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. They both have more detailed combat crits and such.
@@NefariousKoel My copy of Against the Darkmaster just arrived! I'm excited to get into it.
Having played both of these systems in the past, I would probably go back to Runequest or GURPS Fantasy. Both of them were really fun! Both were somewhat complex, but the complexity of GURPS is front loaded, once you have created your character, it is simple to play. Honorable mention to Savage Worlds. all you need is the core rules and one of the two world books.
Honestly, I love the generic way the HERO System is implemented so that my friends and I have played it across many different genres, even official ones: Traveller HERO and Shadowrun HERO, both mostly home brewed in terms of plugging in HERO mechanics into those systems. That said, it’s a more crunchy approach than many will want to mess with it.
As a German viewer I'm a little bit sad of not seeing "the dark eye" (das schwarze auge). It was invented back in the good old days from the dnd translators in Germany and has great lore with different fantasy settings on one great continent. I strongly recommend it, give it a try, even if it is more complicated than other systems. At the end, thank you for this great list, I will definitely try some of them.
The version available in english (and many other languages) is based on the german 5th edition, too. I heard it was well received in the US for it certainly is a change on both sides, world- and ruleswise. It certainly IS very (some will say unnecessarily) complicated and complex, so I'd recommend it for people that like this aspect.
I hate it. Totally cannot stand it, cannot recommend it at all after trying to like it after 20+ years of history with the previous editions, but this is my personal POV.
@@ags2030 I can understand everyone who doesn't like it. As you say it is great for people who love complex rules and don't want to be overpowered compared to the npc.
It’s a great system IMO. It’s complex in the sense of the mechanics but not in the sense of having too many rules. I think it’s better than D&D; however, I think many people want a less complex system than more. That said, a lot of the systems mentioned here are no less complex than D&D, they are just different.
@@doctorlolchicken7478 I like the dark eye, because it was the first system I was introduced to. I teached a lot of people how it works and everyone could play it well. As you mentioned it has a balance between complexity and easiness. I really love the lore and the fact that the PCs are not very much stronger or powerful as the regular citizens or spellcasters. The D20 underrolling system is great and easy to use, further more it gives you the possibility to be an expert in some fields. I would not recommend it as first pen and paper rpg unless you have someone who know the rules and can explain. Nevertheless I would strongly recommend the system if you enjoy rules and mechanics which line up great with the lore and fit perfect in the settings.
I'd give "The Dark Eye" a shot just because of it's origin. I've been playing the German CRPG "Sacred" since it came out. LOVE that game!!!!
*Other D&D(5e) replacements*
*The Dark Eye ( **_Der Schwartze Auge_** )* : German fantasy game with dense background lore and detailed fantasy world.
*Symbaroum* : Swedish Dark Fantasy OSR game set in a giant mysterious forest.
*Lamentations of the Flame Princess* : Scandinavian Dark Weird / Surreal Fantasy OSR (Rated Adult for mature content and controversial gory full color artwork). It's usually set in the historical Netherlands in the early 17th century (roughly about the time of the Thirty Years War). Interesting rework of the classic D&D core classes (Fighter, Cleric, Magic-User and Specialist), skill proficiencies (2d6 rather than 1d6 / d100 or d20), and the alignment system (both Lawful and Chaotic are minority opinions and both are tragically metaphysically wrong). Magic system is backwards compatible with D&D Classic and other OSR games.
*The Black Hack* : D&D Classic Heartbreaker OSR.
*Zweihander* : a customizable open source Heartbreaker version of Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition) without the Warhammer cosmology and game lore.
*Conan - **_Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of_* : "Blood & Thunder" Pulp Fantasy game set during the Hyborean Age of the Conan novels; uses Modiphius' 2d20 RPG system.
*Zeb's Fantasy Roleplaying System (ZeFS)* : an open source version of the variant AD&D system crafted by David "Zeb" Cook for use with the Conan the Barbarian (CB) movie tie-in modules for AD&D.
I don't believe Zweihänder is open source.
@@jdhbeph The Zweihander rules are published by Andrews-McMeel publishing but the game lore is agnostic because Warhammer's lore and IP is still held by Games Workshop.
Game material can be created by other creators through the Powered by Zweihander program.
*Flames of Freedom* is a horror / conspiracy game set during the Revolutionary War. The New World is full of monsters and dark magic. The revolution is being egged on by sinister forces on both sides that vie with each other for power. And behind them all is a group with otherworldly sponsors that have unfathomable goals.
*Blackbirds* is set in a fantasy world in which the armies of Good and Order lost. The heroes (nicknamed "Blackbirds") have to fight horrors and reclaim and reunite the world before a pantheon of evil demigods (the Oligarchs) returns to finish what they started.
Earthdawn - an awesome TTRPG that is set in a medieval fantasy world that has all the political intrigue, exploring and chathulu scale horrific creatures. original game was made by FASA.
A great alternative (IMO) to D&D 5E is Savage Worlds. Each skill has a die associated ranging form d4 to d12, but you also get a d6 wild die that you roll with it. You roll both dice together and keep which ever one is better. If you roll the die's max value, you not only re-roll and add it to the total but you keep doing that each time you get the max value. For example I had to roll a d6 to make a perception check and wound up with a 33 (yes I got that many 6's in a row). This system is perfect for literally any type of setting you want to play in. I've only played in futuristic sci-fi settings but a friend is working on a high seas pirate campaign. Initiative is controlled via a deck of playing cars where the highest card goes first and in the event of a tie, the tie is broken in reverse alphabetical order (a spade goes before a diamond). All players start each session with 3 bennies (kind of like DM inspiration) that they can use to re-roll anything other than double 1's. Double 1's is called a botch and considered an epic and instant fail.
A brand new system that just came out recently (that I'm absolutely loving) is Farsight. A friend of mine backed it on Kickstarter and wee've been playing essentially the beta version. It takes the best of D&D 5E and Savage Worlds and combines them in a wonderful way. It's a 2d12 system which allows for greater variation in levels of success and failure. Rolling a 1 on your dies has additional negative consequences and rolling a 12 has additional positive benefits. For example if you roll a 1 and a 10 and have a +4 to that skill you could still succeed but something bad could happen such as a weapon malfunction or misinterpreting what you see/hear. There are only 3 classes: Delta (essentially fighter), Psi (essentially caster type roles), and Sigma (skill monkey). To make your character unique you pick up talents every even numbered level. Talents are a cross between D&D 5E's class features and feats. When you level you can either take another level in that talent or chose a new one. Most talents have several levels within them that you progress through as you level up. I was in a campaign where we had 2 Psi's (myself and another player). He built his Psi as an equivalent of an arcane caster whereas I built mine as more of a cleric equivalent, all due to the way we built our proficiencies and which talents we chose. The only real drawback to the system is that it's built for Sci-Fi and would take a massive amount of work to re-skin it to another type of setting.
Just my 2 cents.
I am glad I found this video. Because of current events, I want to get my players into a new system.
Always happy to see Basic Fantasy get a shout out, and Castles & Crusades is one I’m planning on running soon. I would also encourage checking out Old School Essentials and Low Fantasy Gaming.
You’re also the second person I’ve seen highlight ez D6… so I might need to look in to that one.
I play Iron Sworn. It's totally worth the effort. The moves took a little bit of practice but it's a really clean system. I've even converted a simple 5e adventure into some oracles to be able to play the module in Iron Sworn as a solo game. I used the Delve rules to do this.
The Dark Eye has a very similar setting to dnd and the character creation is amazing. I mostly run Cypher System games and that's my go to for any fantasy sandbox adventure
Cypher would be mine too...
If I wasn't making my own D&D replacement
I ran forbidden lands for a few session this past season, and I really enjoyed it. The random encounters in GM's guide in particular was amazing for a session was running short, and the game is quite pick up and play.
Good stuff! Thanks for the feedback.
And the Push to reroll mechanism is great for giving players control over their rolls, yet at a cost, so it is not done lightly
Dungeon Crawl Classics is amazing. Lots of tables but when you buy a book, you get the PDF free. So I have printed all the pertinent tables and put them in a 3 ring binder for easy reference. Have your players print out their spells and do the same for a really cool “spell book” they can reference. So much flavor and the game is designed to negate power-gaming, “optimal builds”, and min-maxing munchkinism (which a lot of people love, but I personally find is better for video games than TTRPGs).
Good tips on the printing! Also, just noticed the sticker about a free PDF on the inside cover. Gotta go redeem that now!
Personally I hate all the tables. It’s too rules heavy for my liking. Plus all the irregular dice required. I’m not saying it’s a bad system, I just prefer fewer rules.
It's nice to know something about what is out there in RPG land. One of my favorite videos I have seen.on your channel!
D20: World's Without Number. Bar none and free!
Dice pool: Desolation (ubiquity system)
Haven't seen Desolation mentioned in a long time. The dynamic magic system is what originally caught my eye.
WWN is my fave system to play in
Old School Essentials; Savage Worlds, The One Ring (Free League); Conan 2D20 (Modiphius); Blades in the Dark/Band of Blades, Trudvang.
Cairn is a something of a cross between Knave (classless, inventory-based old school D&D) and Into the Odd ("New School Renaissaince" D&D-like that reduces combat to a single damage roll) and is free for the PDF and sold at-cost for $5 on Amazon.
Thanks for sharing Nate! My group is currently taking a pause with our DnD campaign while a player is on paternity leave, so the rest of us are going off world and going to play Starfinder.
EZD6 - This is now my go-to rule set for quick games, I enjoy this system more than TinyD6 and Tricube Tales. Fun read. Spend more time playing and less time worrying about the rules.
for OSR feel I also like Mazes by 9th level games
Yeah this video is about to get a fairly noticeable bump in views again. Can't believe he posted this six months ago. That's a trip, cause not even a year goes by and here we are. O.O
Blades in the Dark is awesome, highly recommend. Outside Xbox has a series of games they've run in the system and its tons of fun, definitely worth your time.
A rules light system that I really enjoyed playing and was loved by my group which was a collection of new players, 2e players and 5e players, was Beyond The Wall. The whole game is controlled by D6, players each contribute 2 NPCs and GM prep, character building and a one shot can all be done in one sitting. It's pretty cheap as well, the PDFs are available online for just a few quid each.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I would strongly recommend you check out Torchbearer or Torchbearer 2E. The system is designed to replicate the feeling of old school playing, but with a interesting design aesthetic and a system totally unlike D&D.
What a great video. I'm sure taking the time to bring all this together into a concise and informative script wasn't trivial but I appreciate it. I think it's long overdue that we think of "D&D" as something that goes far beyond what Hasbro produces as a product. I'd enjoy seeing more of this content!
Forbidden Lands and 13th Age would be the ones I'd want to try first. Thanks for the rundown of these!
Thanks for the mention. Although EZD6 is very new it is finding a following of people who value rules you can learn quickly, lightning-fast play, and lots of player choice.
SAVAGE WORLDS!!!!!
Savage worlds rule system is very easy to learn and then it is just a matter of choosing the genre you want in this case fantasy then either use their published materials, use your own or chose a world setting from a 3rd party publisher. The thing I find that is wonderful is that when you and your table know the rules the genre are just flavor changes totally wonderful
Savage Worlds is among my favorites. It's so versatile, easy to learn, and the system just kicks ass.
The One Ring second edition for sure. Amazing rules, amazing art and Tolkien vibe
What's different from 1st Edition? I really liked that version, honestly. It captured the 'feel' of Tolkien far better than D&D has in decades.
@@madaxe606 Honestly I haven't played the first edition, but everyone who is playing the second edition says it's an improvement over the first.
@@Zotob1975 Cool, will have to check it out then. Thanks!
Thank you for the vid. Trying to keep my options open because of the new ogl for One DND (unfortunately)
Castles & Crusades or Old School Essentials, for sure
My group just recently started a campaign in Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition by EN Publishing. Really excited about the options and opportunities it provides! It's the first time ever actually enjoying playing a bard!
Ah Dungeon Crawl Classics, my beloved. If you guys have never check it out, DCC Lankhmar is my favorite supplement for anything I have ever read. Lots of love put in there.
That's what I run for my weekly game
Good vid and yes, three I would add:
Hyperborea
Hyperborea
and
Hyperborea.
EZD6 looks fun, and Knave is a novel system with a focus on inventory items.
Valuable info Nate...I've been focused on D&D, but living rurally with dodgy internet, I've also focussed on solo ranged games...over an hour drive, each way to get to a group & DM...hasn't been practical...this shows me options I will pursue...Thx
Castles and Crusades by Troll Lord games. Gygax called it his thoughts on a 3rd Ed AD&D. Great system and game.
I'd of said PF but that's just D&D.
Great video! I just tried Monster of the Week for the first time and LOVED IT! You can set it in any time period but be are playing in the 1990's. I know it's not fantasy style but more like Stranger Things and it was AWESOME! Thanks for the great content 🤓
shadow of the demonlord :) well it's from Robert Schwalb and he DID some stuff for D&D also you don't have to play the whole "apocalypse is now here" scenario, it's just the world how it's presented in the supplement is more... gray and dark than "happy and glory". also the class system is great
Funny how relevant this video will become again.
I'm late to this video, but a system I love and use almost exclusively now is GENESYS/Star Wars. I enjoy the narrative factor and the ability to create any setting I want. I'd like to give a shout to Tunnels & Trolls also, because it was the first RPG I ever played over 30 years ago. Great video full of some great information!
I'm going back through some of the older videos. I love seeing all the other systems available out their. The European ones seem to lean toward being more gritty, something I'd like to get more into with my group. Thank you for sharing.
SYMBAROUM hands down!
Actually that's what i'm preparing atm ;)
This is a great video! I keep forgetting about 13th Age, I really need to pick up a copy and try it. Ironsworn looks good too, and Pathfinder is worth it for the setting alone. Thanks Nate. Thanks also for the honourable mention of WFRP, this ensures that I won't accuse you of being a servant of the Ruinous Powers and dispatch the Witch Hunters to your door..... 🙂
Haha! I’m surprised you’re not mad at me for not mentioning Rolemaster. 😝
@@WASD20 Hah! Nah, being realistic, I love the complexity and customisability of that system, but it is just not accessible enough (or well-enough supported) for the average modern gamer looking for a D&D alternative. So you're forgiven 🙂
Of the ones you mentioned, I’ve run Basic Fantasy the most. I also own Forbidden Lands (haven’t played or run it yet. I’d also recommend Swords & Wizardry, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Hyperborea, and Symbaroum.
Well this video is about to become ever more relevant.
I really like basic rules TTRPG that doesn’t hold your hand when making a story/campaign. I like Old School Essentials, Knave and Dominion Rules - which is free with the best combat system.
Just started a game of Forbidden lands were using a VTT to play were 3 sessions in and were having a blast in this Dark Fantasy world for me it has replaced D&D fell in love with the setting and rules 😀
My go-to's when taking a break from D&D are Alien, Call of Cthulhu, Starfinder, Crystal Ordred, Forbidden Lands, and Rifts. Some of these games are either vastly different from D&D or seem to be a mish-mash of similarities but with a different take, which I really enjoy. I've tried most of the games on your list and the ones I've played are fun.
Savage Worlds is amazing not only for fantasy (it even has an official Pathfinder adaptation) but for any other genre
With the current situation this video has been incredibly valuable. Added a bunch of RPGs to my list that I want to eventually check out.
+1 for Old School Essentials Advanced edition
*Advanced Fighting Fantasy* is my current favorite. Very easy, fun and unique (classless and uses D12 among other things) as well as lots of background source material with the many Fighting Fantasy gamebooks from the 80s.
0:15
Mans a time traveler sent here before OGL to give us this video
I really like 3d6 systems. There is something about a bell curve and standards of deviation that really appeal to me. Had not heard of Fantasy Age - may have to check it out. Thanks!
I think the dark eye belongs on the list - as kind of an "anti-DnD".
1) inspired to some degree by DnD
2) nat 20 is a fumble
3) no character levels - you increase your skills by paying xp and (often) some kind of training sessions
4) It's a bit more low fantasy
5) The number of skills is insane^^ - good for people who like individual proficiency per skill vs. a general one, based solely on your level.
Shout out for 4th (4.1) edition The Dark Eye
@@sonkehagen8219 yes, but they didn't really publish much of it in English. Ulisses made a better effort with 5th edition
@@Vizeroy9 sadly that is true. And due to all the copyright issues 4th edition will remain a German p&p rpg.
@@sonkehagen8219 well, they don't have an incentive to republish 4th edition in English.
They are writing / publishing VTT modules of TDE 5th edition for Foundry VTT right now.
There is a community project to write a module for 4th edition - with Ulisses' blessing - but they are still in alpha
Nice to know, hadn't heard about that project.
Mausritter, Beyond the wall and Mörk Borg also come to mind, with the later maybe something for only short campaigns
So this has become very relevant (not that it wasn't great before) very fast :)
I rlly love Star Wars RPG by FFG, the dice system called Genesys is super narrative and I just love it
This video is coming in handy after the OGL leak...
i liked Shadowrun a lot, also The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge)
Though I mostly play D&D I also like the Cypher System. Another really cool one is Blades in the Dark.
My current favorite game is Hackmaster. Followed closely by the WOIN games.
I personally like Index Card RPG it is extremly fun and simple to play with an emphasis on DIY mechanics, which something I like as a GM!
I've never played a Tabletop RPG but I've bought a few books through the years thinking about jumping in. Love this type of video even if my wallet hates them. I've bought D&D 5th ed, WFRP 3rd and 4th ed, Pathfinder beginners box 1 and 2, Lone Wolf, RuneQuest, Numenera, Talisman RPG, AoS Soulbound, Dragon Age, Mouse Guard, Dishonored, Blades in the Dark, Heirs to Heresy, Beyond the Wall, and Mork Borg.
That's a big spend! There are some high quality free or very cheap games out there, too, such as Microlite 20 and Basic Fantasy.
The recent Talisman RPG doesn't get much attention, sadly. It looks like fast fun from my first read!
Just ordered Basic Fantasy. Thank you
Currently, my favorite RPG is Beyond the Wall. It's a great rules-lite OSR game. You can roll up characters, have an adventure up and running quickly and easily. Luv it!
I just picked up Basic Fantasy RPG, and it was kind of an impulse buy from the recent OGL news, but I am now glad I got it, as it seems really interesting. I have also downloaded all of the PDFs and even printed a few to put in a binder for character creation options. Honestly seems like an awesome system, and I like the idea of it being an Old School style game with some more modern mechanics. I will have to see if my group will go for it sometime soon, and give it a go.
Thankfully, I'm just now getting into the hobby, so I never purchased any WotC products before they turned shitheel. ICRPG is the system that has really captured my interest, and I'm looking for a group to play my first real game with!
Happy to see basic fantasy on this list, Its my most played RPG to this date, my all time favorite.
I am thankfully leaving WOTC 5e behind for my next campaign and am going to use Castles & Crusades.
Why did you pick CNC of all of the OSR games?
@@SteveSwannJr I grew up playing AD&D. When I first started looking into an alternate system I looked at OSE. Great books but mechanically there were a couple things I didn’t like. I then began looking at C&C and since then have found nothing I didnt like.
Enjoy!
@@Decado1628 I feel like it needs to be pointed out that he said OS"R" NOT OS"E"(which IS, I believe, an OS"R" game)! I haven't looked at too many of the OSR games but they have pros and cons, EVERY game does, but each that I have looked into has an old school feel that scratches the nostalgia itch for folks like us that grew up playing either(or both) editions of AD&D!
My favorite of them is Basic Fantasy RPG(not to be confused with Basic Fantasy, that tripped me up at first) that was mentioned in this video, probably because it is free unless you want the physical books and then it's comparatively free because the books are printed at cost!
You gotta check out Eyes Beyond the Torchlight! It's mostly new school rules with an old school feel. Very fun.
Forbidden Lands would be my answer too, but DCC and Ironsworn are also great.
A fantasy version of Fate would also be great
I had a blast at a friend's birthday party playing Gravity RIP by Luke Westaway, "a theatre-of-the-mind tabletop system for 1,200km/h sci-fi racing adventures, with distinct modes of play for both furious anti-gravity racing, and off-track drama" (DriveThruRPG). Just need a basic six-sided die.
We designed our characters - any species and origin you can think of - and ships on the spot, casual and creative. Fantastic roleplay, we solved a mystery, and during the racing part I pulled out a dry erase board and post it notes to track who was in what place, first to fifteenth. Basically, Mario Kart in space, intertwined with a mystery or other quest.
PDF is currently $9.99 USD, and full color paperback bundled with PDF is $25, book ships from the UK. Luke Westaway is co-host of the RUclips channel Outside Xtra, the sister channel of Outside Xbox.
I predict this video, and videos like it, are about to become very popular.
On the topic of Honorable mentions:
3 grim TTRPG's that are a little outside pure fantasy;
Delta Green: cosmic horror, low fantasy, sanity system, absolutely amazing with the right group
Blades in the dark: play as thugs in a ghost and demon filled city, all rolls are _d6, super high stakes, very dark and gritty
Scum and Villainy: based off of the blades in the dark system, this time in space, with a very star wars esc setting, if you feel like switching up the setting, this is the easiest d6 system to learn I have ever seen, would strongly recommend
Good list. I would definitely check out these as well:
A direct DnD 5e replacement for me is Pugmire. It is a modified version of DnD 5e (and I like the modifications) where you play uplifted dogs (or cats or mice depending on which set of core books you start with or add on over time) in a far future post-apocalyptic world that has returned to a feudalistic society. While it may seem like a "joke" game at first, it isn't and is actually a clever examination of nostalgia, loyalties, and memory. It is really great and my family loves it. Some of my favorite aspects are the "popcorn" initiative system (which could be stolen for any game) and the Tricks system (a sort of simplified feats system that plays into creating unique characters and advancement).
My favorite games that replace Dungeon World for me (I loved Dungeon World):
Ironsworn (with the Delve expansion) - I think of these as procedurally generated fantasy RPGs. It is almost like the table top version of a Rogue-like video game. Once you collaboratively do the world building and character creation, the GM can use that information, plus what happens at the table to just riff on adventures and create dungeons on the fly. It is amazing. It be played solo or co-op, but I still had a bunch of fun running it as a GM. The dice system, extensive moves list (which seem overwhelming at first, but naturally play off of each other and the fiction once you get going), and the extensive oracle tables (which could be lifted and used in any game) and nice aspects of the game. My teenage daughter lists it as her favorite game we have played together so far.
It is not out yet, but you can get a pre-order of Stonetop from their Backerkit site linked from their successful kickstarter and I believe you get instance access to the working copy of the PDF. Stonetop is an evolution of Dungeon World that emulates "Hearth Fantasy" where your community is almost a character in the game. It is beautifully illustrated and richly realized with a unique fantasy setting. It is definitely worth checking out. My favorite part, much like Ironsworn, is that it is an opinionated RPG design. The design, setting, and GM information pushes you to play in a certain way and that way helps to evoke a specific feel at that table (and it is great).
Also here are a couple of OSR-ish games worth looking at:
Old School Essentials
Five Torches Deep
Into the Odd
Torchbearer
Great comment. I'm taking notes!
in the labarynth the fantasy trip.... other then the magic item creation rules. its a simple and fun d6 system game and recently had a reprinting, compared to the old rules from the 70s... you should get one and read/create a character and run 1-6 one shots withit to get a good feel of it... i love it.... but dnd/pathfinder are my favorites
Agree with many choices. I like Forbidden Lands, Warhammer, OSE, DCC. I’d also honorable mention Mork Borg, Beyond the Wall, Into the Odd, and 1400 (hack of 2400).
I would also suggest Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells. Very lightweight and very easy to playing. Though the expansion book does help a lot.
The Cypher System from.Monte Cook games is going to be my go to game until I finish my own game. Cypher is genre less. Player facing rules, more cinematic but still has good supportive crunch
Good Ol fantasy age. Keep telling myself I should give it another go. That one campaign I had with it in school was super fun.
*Fiasco* and *The Burning Wheel* are good for theater groups or improvisational actors.
*Fiasco* creates random scenarios that the players have to work together to fashion into a complete story (even if they judge that their characters aren't going to cooperate or are actively going to be antagonistic to each other). It's like a play that is randomly being written. The dice pools and plot charts throw monkeywrenches into the smooth plotting and often change the balance of power or relationships between the characters.
*The Burning Wheel* Is where the players have a high degree of agency to determine the character's journey and eventual ending. The game master works with the players to weave a narrative that fits all of their characters' plotting and goals together while throwing obstacles and threats at them.
A fave of mine is the Palladium fantasy system and setting
I have played a lot of systems over the years, but my home was D&D 3.0/3.5 for a long time. I have moved on to Pathfinder now, but I also like GURPs a lot - especially within the In Nomine setting. I have only good things to say about Warhammer as well - haven't played it a lot, but it was always fun and easy to get into as a system.