The Gaming Den

Has anyone tried out a new, still-supported fantasy RPG system outside of the D&D clusterfuck which seems to work pretty well?

I'm interested in hearing people's experiences with other new systems (preferrably stuff that came out within the past 5 years or so). Has anyone tried Warhammer 3rd Ed for instance? Any other good fantasy RPGs we should know about that's still supported/in print?

Well, saying stupid things on message boards seems to be quite a popular game lately......


And I've heard great things about HERO 6th, even if my group of grognards is sticking with FrED.

Josh_Kablack wrote:Well, saying stupid things on message boards seems to be quite a popular game lately......


And I've heard great things about HERO 6th, even if my group of grognards is sticking with FrED.

What's FrED? First Edition?

You should play Monsters and Other Childish Things. Everyone should.

Is that the new edition change after Essentials?

Groups in my area have run GURPS, HERO, Warhammer 3e, and one or two more that I didn't get the names for, all to pretty good reception. No complaints about any of them, but some of the groups I've been getting reports from are so uncaring about the math that they play DND3.0.

FrED stands for Fifth Rules Edition - it's a clumsy backronym of an in-joke: There was some argument over which changes to the prior rules counted and what the new-at-the-time edition should be called. The developer who had recently re-acquired the rights weighed in on a message board to say "I don't care if what you call it, It could be named Fred for all I care as long as we get it right and people buy it" (or something close).
And all in all, the changes from 1st ed oldskool Champions to HERO ReFred (5th, revised) are really only about equivalent to the changes between D&D 3.0 and D&D 3.5.

World of Darkness seems to be gaining popularity over in these parts, with the decline of D&D/rise of Twilight. So goths (and the people who game to have sex with goths) should probably be thanking Mearls, whatever-the-Pathfailure-guy's-name-is, Collins, and of course, the Retard Squad from SA.

Earthdawn is a really interesting Fantasy World. But, it's seriously tied to the background. The game mechanics are like a medium well burger. It's tasty, but it feels a bit overcooked. Exploding Step dice.. On the plus side, who doesn't love rolling 1d20+2d6 for damage

Zinegata wrote:Has anyone tried out a new, still-supported fantasy RPG system outside of the D&D clusterfuck which seems to work pretty well?

Just to clarify -- is 3.5 D&D out of the question because it's a clusterfuck, or because it's not supported?

Zinegata wrote:Has anyone tried out a new, still-supported fantasy RPG system outside of the D&D clusterfuck which seems to work pretty well?

I'm curious why the game has to be supported? The only viable reason I can see for this is having it possibly be easier to find a group.

Now that computer character generation programs exist, Rolemaster has a lot going for it.

I'm looking for alternatives beyond D&D that don't have a finite supply of gaming books.

Stuff that's still being published (even just reprints) is okay. But stuff like 2, 3, and even 4E D&D is out because they're out of print. Sooner or later, the supply of these books will run out.

This is for long-term gaming possibilities.

Zinegata wrote:I'm looking for alternatives beyond D&D that don't have a finite supply of gaming books.

Stuff that's still being published (even just reprints) is okay. But stuff like 2, 3, and even 4E D&D is out because they're out of print. Sooner or later, the supply of these books will run out.

This is for long-term gaming possibilities.

If you liked 3.5E, you might consider Pathfinder. The differences between 3.5 and PF have been exaggerated for comparison and humoristic purposes, IMO.

Love the title thread..

I just go back to pre-WOTC D&D. For supported ones I go for C&C or Dragon Age. I also use Savage Worlds but would be the last resort for running fantasy genre. Heck I'll just grab a free retro clone and point the newbies to it and get a game going..

I like the Runequest system (MRQ2) even though it gets hammered here for being a "roll under" system.

HERO System, E6, aWoD, Earthdawn, maybe a mix of Pathfinder and 3.5.

Mutants and Masterminds over HERO, but both are okay.

Why "still supported"? I would think that a dead system with no more supplements and the internet's vast cataloging of its peculiarities and shortcomings would make for a more long-term solution than a system that will inevitably stop being supported.

mean_liar wrote: Why "still supported"? I would think that a dead system with no more supplements and the internet's vast cataloging of its peculiarities and shortcomings would make for a more long-term solution than a system that will inevitably stop being supported.

That's why I (A) own these boards, and (B) play a 3.x/Tome hybrid.

Game On,
fbmf

mean_liar wrote:Why "still supported"? I would think that a dead system with no more supplements and the internet's vast cataloging of its peculiarities and shortcomings would make for a more long-term solution than a system that will inevitably stop being supported.

Agreed. While I was disappointed at first when 4.0 came out, I realized that I would no longer feel compelled to shell out money for books.

Hmm. Draws of an RPG system still being expanded:

- Books being produced will be talked about. This may mean increased interest in the RPG in your area and an easier time finding a game.
- It will be easier to get new books legally and in a way that benefits the people who wrote it.
- New stuff means that the RPG could change in unexpected ways, which could be a draw.


I've grabbed a few Pathfinder setting books and adventures, and they felt about as good as the 3.x stuff I'd bought before. If the major criteria are "new books being produced" and "fantasy RPG", there are worse choices.

Ars magica is still being printed.
But, it's.. Ars Magica, it's not for everyone. (Even if you skip the Troupe Play)

Huh, I'd like to try out Ars Magica sometime. I didn't realize it was still being made. Maybe I'll pick up a physical book sometime, if I can still find it in stores.

Ars Magic, like any system with freeform spellcasting, is a mess.

It's not entirely free form
There are spells with specific effects, and there are guidelines for success effects for doing spontaneous magic.