Ask HN: Which roleplaying games do you play apart from Dungeons and Dragons?
As the title says. I'm particularly interested in any games not using a D&D-derived system, and even more in any less mainstream titles.
19 comments
It's not exactly a traditional role-playing game, but I've been very taken by Microscope. You can play it with a trello board it's pretty simple. It's more like world-building story-telling I guess.
http://www.lamemage.com/microscope/
http://www.lamemage.com/microscope/
GURPS - though not often, no one else will run it and I don't have time these days.
Dungeon Crawl Classics - D&D-esque, but not really. Worth checking out, it's fantastic. Some of my favorite games come from this one. Start with a zero-level funnel (each player has 3-5 PCs all 0-level). The magic system is awesome. The recently published Mutant Crawl Classics but I haven't got it yet. Tons of pre-made modules.
Castles & Crusades - This is a D&D-derived system, something like a streamlined 1E/2E in mechanics, but retains the themes and character. Also a lot of good pre-made modules (not as many as DCC, but enough to run you for a while if you can't play often).
Fiasco - No GM. All storytelling. It's fantastic, you build up the world and story collaboratively. This is my go-to these days if I can get people interested in RPing.
Dread - Low mechanics, focus on storytelling. Mechanic is a Jenga tower, if it falls the PC whose player pulled is dead (or otherwise out of the game). Story set up is a set of questionnaires the GM gives to players beforehand with guiding questions intended to connect the various PCs (the players don't know what the others wrote, this leads to neat developments). Good for one-shots, not campaigns.
Dungeon Crawl Classics - D&D-esque, but not really. Worth checking out, it's fantastic. Some of my favorite games come from this one. Start with a zero-level funnel (each player has 3-5 PCs all 0-level). The magic system is awesome. The recently published Mutant Crawl Classics but I haven't got it yet. Tons of pre-made modules.
Castles & Crusades - This is a D&D-derived system, something like a streamlined 1E/2E in mechanics, but retains the themes and character. Also a lot of good pre-made modules (not as many as DCC, but enough to run you for a while if you can't play often).
Fiasco - No GM. All storytelling. It's fantastic, you build up the world and story collaboratively. This is my go-to these days if I can get people interested in RPing.
Dread - Low mechanics, focus on storytelling. Mechanic is a Jenga tower, if it falls the PC whose player pulled is dead (or otherwise out of the game). Story set up is a set of questionnaires the GM gives to players beforehand with guiding questions intended to connect the various PCs (the players don't know what the others wrote, this leads to neat developments). Good for one-shots, not campaigns.
I'm pretty fond of White Wolf's games like "Scion". Where you get to play the offspring of a god and mortal.
Also, you can't go wrong with a good game of Cyberpunk
Also, you can't go wrong with a good game of Cyberpunk
Oh, yeah. A good game of CyberPunk.
Every single game in the Final Fantasy series, even some of the silly spinoffs like World of Final Fantasy.
https://kotaku.com/world-of-final-fantasy-the-kotaku-review-...
https://kotaku.com/world-of-final-fantasy-the-kotaku-review-...
I played:
* Dungeon World (and World of Dungeons)
* Apocalypse World
* Blades in the Dark
* Scum and Villainy
I blame mostly Steven Lumpkin and Adam Koebels streams with J.P. Mc Daniels on twitch.
One day I would love to play the standard 5E dnd, or maybe Stars Without Numbers, but the games in my list were fast-paced enough to have meaningful 2 hour sessions, which was often a must :-)
* Dungeon World (and World of Dungeons)
* Apocalypse World
* Blades in the Dark
* Scum and Villainy
I blame mostly Steven Lumpkin and Adam Koebels streams with J.P. Mc Daniels on twitch.
One day I would love to play the standard 5E dnd, or maybe Stars Without Numbers, but the games in my list were fast-paced enough to have meaningful 2 hour sessions, which was often a must :-)
My first experience with pen and paper RPG's is from JP's streams, I used to be obsessed with them, watched all R&D, Swansong and MirrorShades, hard to commit enough time to watch 4 hour long episodes tho.
Recently I played my first game where I DMed Dungeon World for a few mates, was great.
Recently I played my first game where I DMed Dungeon World for a few mates, was great.
Paranoia is a great game that's a lot more freeform. And you get to kill off your players as well!
Paranoia and Teenagers From Outer Space were both seriously crazy games, and were so mentally taxing that I could only play them about once per month.
Most of the rest of the time, I played the West End Games version of Star Wars RPG, or Marvel Super Heroes RPG, or sometimes the Amber RPG.
More recently, it's been primarily the FFG version of SWRPG, online via Roll20.net.
Most of the rest of the time, I played the West End Games version of Star Wars RPG, or Marvel Super Heroes RPG, or sometimes the Amber RPG.
More recently, it's been primarily the FFG version of SWRPG, online via Roll20.net.
I loved that game. Most amount of humor in a game I ever saw. Wish I cold find someone to play with these days.
Occasionally I play "Hero Kids" with my children. Three are six and really like it, but we have to do very short sessions. My daughter is 21 and has fun playing it with her brothers, but it's definitely geared toward younger kids.
Divinity original Sin 2: Ok it’s a video game but if you guys like table top games it is based off it it. It is based off tabletop games and it definitely shows
It’s great to play with friends but you can also play solo if that’s more your thing.
It’s great to play with friends but you can also play solo if that’s more your thing.
Baldurs Gate uses the AD&D rule set, as did all the Icewind games.
Personally I find the video games mentioned a bit contrived as it's clearly not the same, video games are always on rails compared to traditional RPGs.
Saying that, DOS2 is fantastic.
Personally I find the video games mentioned a bit contrived as it's clearly not the same, video games are always on rails compared to traditional RPGs.
Saying that, DOS2 is fantastic.
I stopped playing games 20 years ago. Mostly for lack of time.
I am curious though. If you are a gamer, how old are you? Do you have a spouse and kid(s)? How long is your commute? When do you typically play?
I am curious though. If you are a gamer, how old are you? Do you have a spouse and kid(s)? How long is your commute? When do you typically play?
I'm 32. I have a wife and 3 kids (two of which don't live with me). My commute is 1h30m (depending on traffic).
I play every Wednesday and Saturday.
Wednesday is a short game, usually 8p-10p. My wife doesn't get home until close to 10 because my daughter has dance class (game is cancelled if I take her).
Saturday is a game I run. It's typically 7p-11p (although it can run past 12 sometimes). I've been running this one for quite awhile since before I met my wife.
I'm extremely grateful that she lets me have this hobby. Besides woodworking it's my only other hobby. I needed something that wasn't more coding. I used to sit at my desk at work and then come home and sit at my desk working on a side project but I burnt out super quick.
The thing that makes it possible for me is Roll20[1]. I've never met my group in person. I've never even seen a picture of a few of them. We met on reddit and a dnd discord and the rest was history. We're actually planning on an IRL game in the coming month or two, so there's that.
[1] https://roll20.net
I play every Wednesday and Saturday.
Wednesday is a short game, usually 8p-10p. My wife doesn't get home until close to 10 because my daughter has dance class (game is cancelled if I take her).
Saturday is a game I run. It's typically 7p-11p (although it can run past 12 sometimes). I've been running this one for quite awhile since before I met my wife.
I'm extremely grateful that she lets me have this hobby. Besides woodworking it's my only other hobby. I needed something that wasn't more coding. I used to sit at my desk at work and then come home and sit at my desk working on a side project but I burnt out super quick.
The thing that makes it possible for me is Roll20[1]. I've never met my group in person. I've never even seen a picture of a few of them. We met on reddit and a dnd discord and the rest was history. We're actually planning on an IRL game in the coming month or two, so there's that.
[1] https://roll20.net
Not OP, but I can answer for me. I am early 30s, single, don't have a long commute (15-20 min).
I play D&D once a week for ~2-3 hours per session (this is at a local gaming store), and I find that I can just carve out a night a week for it. The store provides several nights that you can play once a week and at differing times (for different schedules). If I did not, I would not be able to play nearly as much. I also have friends that have spouses/kids, and we have been able to carve out typically once a month in order to play (usually it is an all day thing). We also take care of the kids (toddlers to tweens)and they are able to go out and do something as well.
I play D&D once a week for ~2-3 hours per session (this is at a local gaming store), and I find that I can just carve out a night a week for it. The store provides several nights that you can play once a week and at differing times (for different schedules). If I did not, I would not be able to play nearly as much. I also have friends that have spouses/kids, and we have been able to carve out typically once a month in order to play (usually it is an all day thing). We also take care of the kids (toddlers to tweens)and they are able to go out and do something as well.
Sadly stopped when married. Switched to EQ et el after that, as I could pick it up when I had time. No big guild w raiding etc. Mostly solo.
I always enjoy Path Finder, it's just so easy to get a game started. I've tried Mutants & Masterminds, but the powers can quickly get bloated and OP.
same thing here, stopped around 10 years ago, but the last game sessions were GURPS Swashbucklers and WoD werewolf.