Simple RPG

[isdestroyer]

I have a question: is there an RPG that can emulate the feel of a very simple, 0 level adventure? Games like Pathfinder or even D&D all have very complicated rules out of the box, every class starts off a cut above the regular person in the "in game" world. I want to run an adventure based in a small village, where the biggest threats are goblins, and the heroes are everyday folks who know how to use maybe one weapon, or something to that effect. Magic should be extremely rare, and so should non-human races. Most fantasy games have rule sets that take the kitchen sink approach in order to appeal to the widest audience possible, but I just want something very simple. Maybe "quaint" is the word I'm looking for.

Does anyone know of an RPG rule set that can do that? Even a conversion of D&D or Pathfinder or something would work. I also have the beginners boxes of both those games, and it's still too much for what I want to run. I like the idea of the everyday person becoming a hero, but the mechanics of the most games makes your character exceptional right out of the box (as compared the the common folk in the game world).

Any help would most appreciated.

*Edit: I should clarify that I would like a rules system that can go to higher levels, while retaining it's quaint simplicity. I think the term is "zero to hero"? I could be wrong. The idea is the campaign would start with small problems in the village and surrounding environs, and eventually work it's way up to something bigger, like a quest for the king. Not a "save-the-world" quest, but a "save-the-kingdom/king's daughter/ something along those lines" quest.

 

[darjr]

Searchers of the unknow doesn't have a zero level, but you could do it by adding some of the ideas from DCC which does.

http://www.retroroleplaying.net/content/searchers-unknown-rpg-collection


http://goodman-games.com/dungeon-crawl-classics-rpg/

Oh here is an easy way to make a zero level DCC party.

http://purplesorcerer.com/create_party.php

 

[isdestroyer]

Thanks, I'll check those out.

 

[Gilladian]

I would try microlite 20. https://microlite20.net

 

[Unwise]

I like PDQ: http://evilhat.wikidot.com/pdq

Super simple and the "skill" system is just traits that an ordinary person could have. Here is an example character:

Olof Millerson
"As strong as an ox" +4
"As smart as one too" -2
"A good boy from a good family" +2
"Can't talk to girls" -2
"Good with animals" +2
"Was an Eagle Scout leader" +2

So, the player wants to do something, they just roll 2d6 against a challenging difficulty of 7 and add in any relevant modifiers. Here are some of the most complex examples:

Olof wants to persuade the local wisewoman to help him make a potion. He and his family have a good reputation, which counts for a lot in a village (+2) Her black cat seems to like him a lot, which counts a lot for the old lady (+2), so things are looking good, but then the wisewoman's pretty apprentice enters the room and Olof starts to stammer (-2). So he rolls 2d6+2.

Olof wants to fix a wagon wheel, he is not smart enough to know to use leverage properly (-2) but he is so damn strong he just just lift the corner of the wagon (+4). He is good with knots and whittling from his scout days (+2). So he rolls 2d6+4.

Each skill check adds character to the character. Each novel application of a skill or trait adds depth to the world and the character.

 

[isdestroyer]

Interesting suggestions, everyone! Thanks for all the input!

 

[Yaztromo]

So he rolls 2d6...

I love 2d6 systems as well, as you can really start playing in five minutes and lately I don't have much free time for passing an evening just to create a character.
During last few years I've been mostly playing Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2 and you can find the free quickstart game here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/108092/Advanced-Fighting-Fantasy-Quickstart
It's worth having a look at it.

 

[Razjah]

If you want to stick with 3.5/PF style; I'd suggest you go with NPC classes for a level or two and then have the PCs take class levels. But it would need to be part of the pitch, people aren't always a fan of this approach.

Shadows of the Demon Lord defaults this way. You begin as a character with a race and a profession. The professions do very little in adventures, but add flavor and can give you small boosts to a relevant skill. From there, you start focusing your character. The Novice, Expert, and Master paths are all things that let you focus on doing some specific or picking up new abilities to round out your character.

Savage Worlds does well with "greenhorn" style starting PCs. They might be caravan guards, but they just signed on to leave their small village.

Burning Wheel with 3 lifepaths captures this really well. The knight? He's a squire who was *just* knighted. Like last week. The ranger? He's a village huntsman. BW looks complicated, but you can wait on using all the subsystems until the players are ready. Then you can introduce them slowly as they become needed or the focus of their goals changes.

 

[pemerton]

is there an RPG that can emulate the feel of a very simple, 0 level adventure?

<snip>

I want to run an adventure based in a small village, where the biggest threats are goblins, and the heroes are everyday folks who know how to use maybe one weapon, or something to that effect. Magic should be extremely rare, and so should non-human races.

<snip>

I would like a rules system that can go to higher levels, while retaining it's quaint simplicity. I think the term is "zero to hero"? I could be wrong. The idea is the campaign would start with small problems in the village and surrounding environs, and eventually work it's way up to something bigger, like a quest for the king. Not a "save-the-world" quest, but a "save-the-kingdom/king's daughter/ something along those lines" quest.

Burning Wheel with 3 lifepaths captures this really well. The knight? He's a squire who was *just* knighted. Like last week. The ranger? He's a village huntsman. BW looks complicated, but you can wait on using all the subsystems until the players are ready. Then you can introduce them slowly as they become needed or the focus of their goals changes.

I'm a big BW fan!

Our campaign started at 5 LPs, not 3, and so I haven't seen this in action, but can readily see how a 3 LP character would be very raw, and give the sort of feel the OP talks about. Although BW doesn't use levels, it does have fairly steady character improvement through play, and can work up from small problems to something bigger but still grounded in everyday life, like saving the king's daughter.

One thing about BW, though - it is much grittier than D&D (at least as I've experienced it), and also by default it shifts much more authority over the "story" of the game to the players than is normal for D&D. To me that's a virtue, but it's something to look out for if a GM is wanting to run the players through a somewhat "pre-packaged" campaign, with the basic ideas for the quests already set.

 

[Razjah]

There is a Burning Thac0 pdf which helps. Link

The easiest thing is set up clear goals for the beliefs. You borrow from Mouse Guard and have a "mission" belief, a belief related to a party member, and then a goal that the PC wants. For example the human fighter: I will cleanse the river, the first step is getting aid from the bishop; I will earn the dwarf's trust, I will support his plans; I will be the greatest swordsman ever, I will need a fine blade.