What rule system am i looking for?

[frankthedm]

Of recent I have been playing warhammer and looking at SavageWorlds & True20, but I don't know a lot of what is out there. If i was looking for the following qualities, which ruleset comes the closest?

1. A sense of simulation that allows for handwaving but does not assume it.
   
2. Math is fast.
3. Defender gets to actively roll to defend from being attacked.
4. Characters can grow in power to fight armies.
5. Lots of minis without using lots of time.
6. Being hit is bad, not assumed. The hits you don't dodge or soak should hurt.
7. Any hit could kill but probably won’t unless the attacker outclasses the foe, in which case the foe probably will die.
8. “Damage” is easy to track, but specific injuries are possible.
9. Falling hurts
10. Magic is hazardous to the wielder.
11. Magic is not an “I Win” button or a guaranteed success.
12. Character power not tied to gear.

 

[Treebore]

True 20 sounds closest. The others are worth playing though, they all just offer different things, but the bottom line is its all fun.

 

[scruffygrognard]

Of recent I have been playing warhammer and looking at SavageWorlds & True20, but I don't know a lot of what is out there. If i was looking for the following qualities, which ruleset comes the closest?

1. A sense of simulation that allows for handwaving but does not assume it.
   
2. Math is fast.
3. Defender gets to actively roll to defend from being attacked.
4. Characters can grow in power to fight armies.
5. Lots of minis without using lots of time.
6. Being hit is bad, not assumed. The hits you don't dodge or soak should hurt.
7. Any hit could kill but probably won’t unless the attacker outclasses the foe, in which case the foe probably will die.
8. “Damage” is easy to track, but specific injuries are possible.
9. Falling hurts
10. Magic is hazardous to the wielder.
11. Magic is not an “I Win” button or a guaranteed success.
12. Character power not tied to gear.

Actually... this sounds a lot like Pendragon. I don't think you were looking for a low-magic game where everyone plays knights BUT it fits the bill for a lot of your listed criteria.

 

[Treebore]

Actually... this sounds a lot like Pendragon. I don't think you were looking for a low-magic game where everyone plays knights BUT it fits the bill for a lot of your listed criteria.

True, but I think True 20 fits his bill best, because either it blatantly does as his list asks, or allows for things to be tweaked to where its done.

 

[TheNovaLord]

savage worlds is fairly close, DLR especially with magic having consequences

thankfully, SW doesnt suffer from the grind that is No 3. on your list

 

[Thanee]

Of recent I have been playing warhammer and looking at SavageWorlds & True20, but I don't know a lot of what is out there. If i was looking for the following qualities, which ruleset comes the closest?

1. A sense of simulation that allows for handwaving but does not assume it.
   
2. Math is fast.
3. Defender gets to actively roll to defend from being attacked.
4. Characters can grow in power to fight armies.
5. Lots of minis without using lots of time.
6. Being hit is bad, not assumed. The hits you don't dodge or soak should hurt.
7. Any hit could kill but probably won’t unless the attacker outclasses the foe, in which case the foe probably will die.
8. “Damage” is easy to track, but specific injuries are possible.
9. Falling hurts
10. Magic is hazardous to the wielder.
11. Magic is not an “I Win” button or a guaranteed success.
12. Character power not tied to gear.

Hmm...

Initial thought is... Shadowrun (if you don't consider cyberware "gear"; of course, it's not fantasy ).

World of Darkness might work for you, though there is no generic WoD rulebook, unfortunately, and while the system is easily adopted to any kind of background, the magic system is not so easy.

The d6 System (by West End Games, the old Star Wars system before it turned d20; it's oop, though) could also be a good fit.

The upcoming Cortex System RPG (as seen in Serenity RPG, Battlestar Galactica RPG) also seems like a good fit. Not sure about magic in there. The current books do not really have magic, since they are all "scifi" (or something like that).

Savage Worlds should fit as well. Have you looked at the rules already?

Bye
Thanee

 

[frankthedm]

Hmm, thank you all for the input. It looks like i am heading in the right direction with either true 20 or savage worlds. I own the true 20 and IIRC i have looked at Savage worlds, though i don't remember much of that one.

World of Darkness might work for you, though there is no generic WoD rulebook, unfortunately, and while the system is easily adopted to any kind of background, the magic system is not so easy.

White wolf did have a mini dark ages rulebook.
http://download.white-wolf.com/download/download.php?file_id=119 I've played a modest amount of WoD:Werewolf;Freak Legion and even a WOD~DA mortal stand alone, though I recall not being a fan of the initiative or dicepool system {IIRC the storytellers both streamlining these rules to make the game run faster}. Still, i do think i'll give this another look.

thankfully, SW doesnt suffer from the grind that is No 3. on your list

Well, the issue is a good portion of my group dislike the static defense notion. They really desire an active role{roll] in their own defense. Its why the group has switched over to Warhammer due to it's parry dodge system.

 

[Thanee]

In case you do not know about it yet...

Savage Worlds Test Drive Rules

Bye
Thanee

 

[frankthedm]

Now i remember one of the major things that got to me about WOD, the Freebie points were spent far differently than XP was spent.

In case you do not know about it yet...

Savage Worlds Test Drive Rules

Bye
Thanee

Thanks, I think i saw an earlier version of that one.

 

[YourSwordIsMine]

Sounds like GURPs to me. I would give GURPs 4e a try.