My game has ended...What next?

[Thyrkill]

I need some advice.

I just ended my 2 year long 3E D&D game and now the group is looking for an alternative game. We play every other week and want to continue doing so. And we also want a break from D&D (especially me, at least running it anyway).

What I need advice on is, what other game would be a good replacement for the previous campaign. And since I don't have to run it, something that I would enjoy playing after all these years behind the screen. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Matt

 

[Crothian]

What genre? Do you want to stick to the d20 system or something else?

Personally, I'd try to go with Paranoia if you can find the books. That always was a great game. CoC is great also, although a slightly different feel to it then Paranoia. Two very different games, yet character death is common in each. Strange.

 

[Umbran]

Paranoia is good for a short break. It's not a good game for extended play.

If you aren't sure exactly what you'd want to try... you might choose for a little while to run one-shot experiments with different systems. Look around a bit until you find one people like.

If, however, you want to launch into one single game... Well, we'd need to knowmore aobut what your group likes. There's no one single system that's clearly a good replacement for a D&D campaign.

 

[Thyrkill]

Good point. I'm not really sure what we want to play actually, part of the problem really. My group has been spoiled by the fact that I've been running the game for the whole D20 explosion that no one had considered what to play when mine ended.

My particular tastes run to CoC and the science fiction genre...though I have yet to find a SF game that I really liked enough to replace fantasy. I would also like to play D&D since I haven't actually played 3e yet...feels odd to say that. The rest of the group is a mixed bag: one player is a big World of Darness fan, another loves Star Trek, Robotech, and GURPS, and the rest are relatively open to anything.

Matt

PS. Paranoia is definitely fun but is probably only a "one nighter" and none of us own it.

 

[Privateer]

Ork, from Green Ronin publishing. It's a simple game, requiring only about 10-15 minutes to learn how to play. Campaigns are fun, short, and brutal, but with a bit of GM finesse and planning they can be full-fledged campaings.

Two things sold the game for me: first, the fact that the GM is also Krom, god of Orkishness. All DCs in the game are opposed rolls, the number of dice determined on the difficulty of the task and how much Krom hates you.

Also, you get to actually say, in character, "Me am eating the Squishy man's heart. Raaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggh!" It's only $13-ish, and well worth it. Ork is a wonderful change of pace from a normal, long campaign. Look around for it on Green Ronin's website.

No, I don't work for Green Ronin.

Risk is nice, too.

Edit: Neither game is CoC-ish, but I think variety is the spice of life, eh?

Hmmm... wonder what a CoC Ork campaign would be like? "What am this Yellow Squiggly on wall? Me am wish me read word written three times under it."

 

[Cutty Sark]

How about Shadowrun? It's got some sci-fi elements your group might like, but with a twist of fantasy. The rules aren't too hard, you get to combine some of the paranoia from Call of Cthulu or Paranoia with (assuming your players learn how to take cover behind dumpsters) better survivability, and it lends itself to campaign storylines that can last a good long while. Plus, you only need one book.