The Gaming Den

What game system is the best for running a beer and pretzels RPG (in the D&D genre)? You know the guidelines; relatively high MTP, simple rules for newbies, allows for players to go as deep or shallow into their backstory as they want, etc.

I've mentioned the Free Universal RPG System before. It has everything you described. You'll have no blank stares while explaining the rules. You'll have no slowdowns due to mechanics. You'll never have to look up anything. It inspires (even first-time) players to create content and become immersed. Perfect for non-gamer, beer-drinkers.

GURPS.

What was that game someone posted a while back? Something about ninjas delivering pizzas.

That struck me as perfect for a beer and pretzels game.

Ninja Burger isn't an RPG though.

Amber Diceless isn't bad. It's pretty simple, there are four stats and if your stat is higher than the person you're facing off against you win. You all bid for stats at the beginning of the game and then any points you have left over you spend on god powers.

I second that, though it's been a while since I've played.

virgil wrote:What game system is the best for running a beer and pretzels RPG (in the D&D genre)? You know the guidelines; relatively high MTP, simple rules for newbies, allows for players to go as deep or shallow into their backstory as they want, etc.

Adventurer Conqueror King has fast character generation and clean rules.

And it has rules for when your crazy wizard retires from adventuring and decides to spend months of his life and thousands of gold in reagents developing horrifying duck-snake hybrid monsters.

Kobolds Ate My Baby

Whatever wrote:Ninja Burger isn't an RPG though.

There are at least two different Ninja Burger RPGs.

One uses basically the same system as Kobolds Ate My Baby, the other is...PDQ or whatever it's called.

I don't know where to obtain the first one currently. Doesn't look like the developers distribute it anymore.

EDIT: WRONG THREAD

Capes would probably work pretty well if your group was into a game that was more about telling a story than having their own character. While technically written as a superhero RPG, I could see the system adapted to other genres reasonably well. Depending on what genre you think D+D is in... (Dungeon crawling, not so much. Evil villain messing with the kingdom? Totally works.)

(Players assume control of a character for a scene. Future scenes may involve a given character changing hands, some characters not appearing, and new characters being involved. Character creation is stupid fast too, since you'll literally need to create characters on the fly).

This has drifted away from DnD, so I'll toss Danger Patrol in there.

http://www.dangerpatrol.com/

Noone mentions paranoia?

For beer 'n' pretzels D&D, I'd probably just use regular 3E/Pathfinder with pregen characters and stopping at level 3 or something.

For "light" D&D rules, I guess I'd use something like Microlite d20 or Castles & Crusades (although I don't exactly know how C&C works, so take that with a grain of salt).

Lady Blackbird ( http://www.onesevendesign.com/ladyblackbird/ ) is pretty adaptable. Currently playing in a game of that adapted for the Mass Effect universe.

Encounter Critical?

(Also, was hoping for recommendations for actual beer and actual pretzels.)

If you want superheroes I started on M&M, it takes a somewhat experienced MC, but mine literally set up our game in a single afternoon and we all loved it. None of us really knew about the game, though we had all taken a look at the book. The hardest part is Char Gen, and admittedly our MC did have a wonderful char gen program, called hero lab, lots of games there even if putting new stuff in can be a little difficult, 20 bucks to buy it comes with one system, if anyone's interested. But anyway other than that if your MC knows the system, and is willing to give tips if you're in trouble, though it is a very low lethality system, you can afford to learn slowly.

I currently have Dungeonslayers as my go-to game. And so should you.