Non-D&D Fantasy Games - the best and why?

[Desdichado]

Of the games you mentioned, I have Warhammer 2 & 3, Runequest (2E) and Exalted (2E). Have you had a chance to play any of the above games and if so, what was your opinion of them?

A bit of Warhammer 2nd and Exalted. For Warhammer, frankly I like the conceit of the setting itself more than the rules, and I'm not familiar with the 3e rules at all. But I'm more likely to borrow from the setting rather than use it strictly as is. Someone once said (maybe Piratecat, although I'm not sure) that WFRP is the game where you start out thinking that you're playing D&D, but realize before too long that you're actually playing Call of Cthulhu. That conceit appeals to me greatly, but I'm still not in love with the system itself; I'd rather apply that conceit to another system.

For Exaclted, I had a good enough time, but I'm not really that much of a animephile to have really loved the conceit of that setting either, and after years of fooling around with Werewolf: The Apocalypse I've come to rather dislike the Storyteller system (and dice pool systems in general) as well.

I mention them only because they're big names in the "not-DND fantasy" rather than because I love them myself. Personally, I'd rather heavily houserule 3.5, d20 Modern, or Pathfinder to hammer it into a system variant that supports a similar conceit to that of WFRP.

For what it's worth, in many ways Midnight is already a pretty good system variant on D&D for that goal as well.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Someone once said (maybe Piratecat, although I'm not sure) that WFRP is the game where you start out thinking that you're playing D&D, but realize before too long that you're actually playing Call of Cthulhu.

I don't know who said it but that's an excellent description.

Good Non-D&D fantasy games? Will I get things thrown at me for suggesting 4e?

Good ones missing:

Dogs in the Vineyard (in what way are Mormon Paladins who sometimes face real demons not fantasy?)
Legends of Anglerre (a.k.a. Spirit of the Century: Fantasy Edition)
Mouse Guard
Reign
Apocalypse World/Dungeon World

Oh, and WFRP 3E Advice: Get the dice. Get the rulebook (not the boxed set). Then start cutting it down.

 

[Obryn]

The new-ish Savage Worlds Deluxe corebook has pretty much every element of fantasy gaming baked into it. So much so that I think the "Fantasy Companion" is unnecessary.

I don't know if you'd consider it a toolkit or not; I think it looks rather playable right out of the box. Just ignore the bits about cars and guns.

-O

 

[Animal]

I really loved how Green Ronin's Saga of Ice and Fire RPG played out. A simple and clean system for handling single adventurers and entire households, pitting two duelists and huge armies alike. Intrigue mechanics were also much better than anything i've seen elsewhere.
Not to mention how awesome the setting is (if you loved the books of course).

 

[kitsune9]

I like:

1. HARP / Rolemaster - maybe crunchy but fun!
2. Runequest I, II, and Legend - really like this system
3. Warhammer 1e and 2e - as another poster said, this is a game where you start out thinking you're playing D&D, but it turns out to be Call of Cthulhu. The other aspect is that every character is absolutely cool. This is about the only game system where I will play any character I randomly roll up. I have Warhammer 3e, but haven't gotten through the rules yet.
4. Castles and Crusades - the only retroclone I like.

 

[Corathon]

There's been a few non-D&D/non-Pathfinder fantasy games that have come out in last few years and I'm the type whose keen to collect them. So I'm curious to know more about some of them and why others think so highly of them. I'm trying to steer away from universal systems (such as GURPS) and concentrate on those that are primarily rooted in being a fantasy game.

Here's a few I know of to get started. I own a few of these (those with a "*" beside them), but haven't really gotten to play them much. If folks could expound what the like from each, I'd appreciate it.

Castles & Crusades *
OSRIC *
Labyrinth Lord *
Dragon Age *
13th Age *
Conan RPG * (I think there's also another Conanesque game out...Hyboria something?)
Hackmaster, 4th edition
Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) Classics
Lamentations of the Flame Princess

I wouldn't really count OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord as "non-D&D". OSRIC is basically 1E AD&D (my favorite game of all) and Labyrinth Lord is essentially BECMI I think. Likewise, Castles & Crusades is a mixture of AD&D 1E and D&D 3e. I'd call that "D&D" as well. I think that old-style games are great because they feel less "superheroic" and more "heroic" or "pulpy" to me (due to slower advancement, limited numbers of HD, difficulty of creating or buying magic items, etc). I have only limited playing experience with C&C and no direct experience with LL, however.

Hackmaster 4E can be played as a joke or seriously, depending on what the GM/players want. Again, this is basically AD&D 1E with a dash of 2E, but with a number of different systems (e.g. honor) layered on. The 20 HP "kicker" really changes the dynamics of low level play. I don't like that change myself, but those who find beginning PCs too fragile might. I enjoyed playing it, and would play it again, but I'd never run it (looked way too complicated).

I own DCC but have never played it; I would love to play it, give the chance. It is very reminiscent of the stories that originally inspired D&D (which was its creator's goal).

I don't own LotFP, nor have I played it, but I have some adventures written for it. By what I can see, its implied setting is more Renaissance/Enlightenment than Middle Ages, and its going for a "weird fantasy" feel. Looks interesting.

About the other three I have little knowledge, and so can't really offer an opinion.

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

I am going to list Radiance RPG as another good d20 variant, and it is available for free at Radiance RPG so you can't beat the price.

As for non d20 fantasy I love Legend of the Five Rings 4e, great quality books and the setting of Rokugan is fantastic. A game not focused on material gain but Honor and Intrigue and Status and Glory. A game of Samurai and shugenja and courtly intrigue in a land with powerful spirits that are never really fully understood. I love it.

I will mention Dresden Files for a modern day fantasy, which I think. If run in likeep an ancient Rome or Greek setting would make for one really cool alternate setting.

 

[Kealios]

Check out Arcanis by Paradigm Concepts.

Its a good one, and a beefy, nice book to boot.

 

[Desdichado]

I will mention Dresden Files for a modern day fantasy, which I think. If run in likeep an ancient Rome or Greek setting would make for one really cool alternate setting.

Oooh, good call. I didn't think of that one.

I haven't played it, but I've read it, and it looks pretty cool. Plus... awesome setting!

 

[DM Howard]

I really enjoy Castles and Crusades. It's kind of a meeting of minds between 2nd edition and 3rd edition. It has a very easy to use Siege Engine which allows for ease of assigning challenge targets and has a very "the GM rules" attitude which I enjoy. Not to say that the game says he/she is the final arbiter, but that the GM should work with the players to create a great game experience. The system is very easy to add to and subtract from and has many different optional rules variants in different books to take inspiration from.