golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

Maybe I'm not going to buy any Dungeons and Dragons products for a while.

What's your favourite non-DnD system?

KeroZelvin,
@KeroZelvin@dice.camp avatar

@golgaloth Favorites:

(Blades, scum, Band)

X_Borg ( , , , )

(a really great DnD replacement in the same fantasy genre/vibe skewed towards the superheroic)

starhawk,
@starhawk@dice.camp avatar

@KeroZelvin @golgaloth

I played a session of the (currently in playtesting) 2E of 13th Age and it is going to be spectacular when it prints.

ceoln,
@ceoln@qoto.org avatar

@golgaloth
GURPS!

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@ceoln Gesundheit.

zozo,
@zozo@dice.camp avatar

@golgaloth I hopped over to Savage Worlds as my “fuck around and run something quick” game that d&d used to fulfil and never looked back

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@zozo It's amazing how many systems there are that work so much better, and are infinitely more adaptable. But Dungeons and Dragons has that legacy name hook. Like, so many people play Monopoly, but it is a terrible board game.

libraryogre,
@libraryogre@dice.camp avatar

@golgaloth I use #SavageWorlds a lot; it's flexible enough to handle most sorts of games, and handles conversions pretty well, too.

Primo,
@Primo@donphan.social avatar

@golgaloth well, pathfinder is the most obvious alternative choice. Aside from that I enjoyed playing sword of cepheus (fantasy adaptation of traveller) and burning wheel.

xombiehamster,

@golgaloth I'm a long-time Pathfinder 1 DM, but I'll try anything. Pugmire, Household, and Genesys are all great systems that the regulars have enjoyed. But we do keep bouncing back to 3.75e for more of what we know best eventually.

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@xombiehamster Pugmire vs Mouse Guard for cuteness overload.

xombiehamster,

@golgaloth I actually liked Pugmire's rules better than Mouse Guard, but I concede that Mouse Guard is way more adorable.

JunkyardTornado,

@golgaloth Risus the Anything RPG comes to mind. I have many I like. Risus has come in handy for me for impromptu games, I once played a 3 hr sesh w a roommate while we were just standing in the kitchen. Game came out of nowhere.

Gurbintroll,

@golgaloth There are lots of non-D&D games out there, of course. But most of them have a rather different play experience. That's a good thing, of course, but not necessarily what you're looking for.

if you're specifically looking for a D&D-like game to scratch that same itch, you can't really go wrong with Pathfinder 2e.

Illuminatus,
@Illuminatus@mstdn.social avatar

@golgaloth

In general:

Paranoia
Call of Cthulhu
The Yellow King
Mörk Borg
Black Sword Hack
Trail of Cthulhu
Cyberpunk 2020
Old School Essentials
Blade Runner RPG

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@Illuminatus Paranoia! Yes. I have to get a Paranoia game running again.

Homebrewandhacking,

@golgaloth

My favourite D&D system that let's me run D&D without giving Hasbro money and which let's me use my existing adventures is Level Up: A5e.

https://homebrewandhacking.com/2023/06/14/how-to-explain/

My favourite system to run in that genre is 13th Age.

The system I'd love to run but haven't gotten the setting right yet is Stars Without Number.

I've enjoyed playing in Star Trek. The modiphius crit system is neat.

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@Homebrewandhacking Ooo! I like the hack! Also, Modipius have a nice, solid, core system there. It's a little soft around the edges, though.

Homebrewandhacking,

@golgaloth

It's Star Trek. 😀 Not being able to do a thing because of the rules would be very anti-genre. 😉

Here are two tech babble pages that @morrus wrote for it.

https://morrus.online/general/technobabble.php

https://morrus.online/general/medbabble.php

corvus_ch,

@golgaloth In order of my preference:

  1. Fate
  2. Savage worlds
  3. Cortex Prime
  4. Powered by the Apocalypse (for example Dungeon World).

I have yet to play a Cortex Prime game but from what I got from the rulebook, I probably will like this.

tissek,
@tissek@mastodon.nu avatar

@golgaloth

A quick and dirty list

Generic
Genesys

Fantasy
Ironsworn
Runequest
Mythras
Worlds Without Numbers
Shadow of the demon lord
Swords of the Serpentine
Burning Wheel
Torchbearer
Dragonbane
City of Mist

Sci-fi
Stars without numbers
Ironsworn: Starforged
Star wars: Edge of the empire (Age of rebellion, Force and destiny)

tasthesose,
@tasthesose@dice.camp avatar

@golgaloth Starfinder is a lot of fun if you’re into space, Pathfinder for fantasy. :)

biscuitsofdeath,

@golgaloth I've been playing starfinder and looking to get into call of Cthulhu. Wotc can fuck off.

Oldmanstan,

@golgaloth
#TTRPG
Delta Green because I like the bonds mechanic & Blades in the Dark.
Mostly I go for settings rather than rules. I used to buy gurps sourcebooks, but use the basic role playing rules booklet that came with the old Runequest/Cthulhu boxes.
BRP rules can be adapted to pretty much anything, and it's great for first timers coz everyone understands having a % chance to do stuff.
What I don't like is spending half the session looking up specific rules spread over half a dozen books.

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@Oldmanstan You may have to create your own streamlined rule books for your games. That's how most game designers get started with their own systems.

Textj,

@golgaloth
Call of Cthulhu (horror)
Mothership (Sci-Fi Horror)
Blades in the dark
Old School Essentials (Old school D&D)

apontious,
@apontious@dice.camp avatar

@Textj @golgaloth Another vote for Mothership. Geared towards a fairly specific Space Horror genre, but does it well.

astrojonny,

@golgaloth if you prefer d20 games then Pathfinder 2e crunchier but tons of feats & ancestry options. My personal Favorites are Fantasy Age 2nd edition, once you know the rules you pick up any age system game in minutes.Its easy to learn but still very customizable. For my more advanced players it Fantasy hero. Runequest is also good but the combat can get deadly.

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@astrojonny I do like the deadly combat of BRP (RQ,CoC,etc) But it does make campaign games more difficult. I'm hearing a lot about this AGE system. I'll have to check it out.

astrojonny,

@golgaloth on https://freeronin.com/ there are quickstart guides for dragon age and modern age which can give you a picture of character creation, very little changed between versions. digital dungeon master has some old but good videos on combat https://youtu.be/bf-r8SFnpRc and spells https://youtu.be/X0mtlt-a4bM

misfitkotld,

@golgaloth I'm running a kitbashed Shadowrun that seems to do what I want it to. I spent over twenty years running and playing Palladium, but I won't run that system again and probably won't play it either. So I'm system neutral at the moment. There are settings I LOVE, like Rifts and Gamma World 4th Ed, though.

Dionysus,
@Dionysus@dice.camp avatar

deleted_by_author

sonic81,
@sonic81@nerdculture.de avatar

@Dionysus @golgaloth

We just tried dragonbane and it's a definite "yes, please more of this"

RUNEQUEST is a bit different because it's Bronze Age Hero Fantasy but definitely worth a look as well.

Both have ducks in them and both have free quickstarts.
Just saying.

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@sonic81 @Dionysus Ah, yes! Ye olde Runequest! One of my favourite BRP systems back in the day. Dragonbane looks interesting. I'll definitely check that out.

sonic81,
@sonic81@nerdculture.de avatar

@golgaloth @Dionysus Excellent. Make yourself a character with high endurance. It lets you fight on when you're broken.

Glupinickname,
@Glupinickname@dice.camp avatar

@Dionysus @golgaloth

This.

Even if you're specifically looking for a non-WotC D&D alternatives featuring epic medieval fantasy action, you're really spoiled for choice!

dampscot,

@golgaloth one of my own, naturally

But what sort of experience are you after? Anything goes fantasy? Try Basic Fantasy

Dark sword and sorcery, "Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerors of Hyperborea" or "Shadow of the Demon Lord"

If you can stop the options getting out of hand, GURPS

For Lord of the Rings, The One Ring

Swords of the Serpentine is also really worth a look

golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@dampscot Swords of the Serpentine looks interesting. I'll check that out.

Hazelgnash,

@golgaloth haven't played it yet, but I am preparing a campaign for the "Cypher System". The system seems very lightweight, fast and interaction-focused.

BeefGriller,
@BeefGriller@dice.camp avatar

@golgaloth Egads! I don’t really have a favorite, per se, but I have systems I very much like.

#Fudge
#Fate, a subclass of Fudge
#PbtA, Powered by the Apocalypse, as diverse as the previous two
#BitD, a subclass of PbtA, and just as diverse

There are plenty of other systems I could recommend, given some input. You want genre neutral? Setting agnostic? Crunch heavy? Crunch light? Oh so many dimensions to consider. 🙂

weston,
@weston@techhub.social avatar

@golgaloth Didn’t I also see something about them not allowing AI art in their DMs guild books?

dwc,
golgaloth,
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

@dwc I am fascinated by the possibilities of the ultralight systems, Pirate Borg in particular. I may have to descend that rabbit hole.

owlchemist,

@golgaloth @dwc have you played much #MorkBorg? #MörkBorg is the base of pirate and such an amazing and open-ended system. I run 3-4 sessions a week and it never gets old.

If you’d ever like to play MB, I run an open table, TotM style, every Friday evening. Come have a drink, toke, or avacado toast and with us!

But def play MB before PB, just to get the tone right :)

dazpaints,

@golgaloth Shadowdark is nice and bridges the gap between OSR and 5e

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