What to run when you are done with D&D?

[Parmandur]

Good question. I am obviously going through one of those exasperated anti-D&D phases where I am reaching for... something... and am not entirely sure what it is. It happens usually after maybe 18 months of D&D. last time I bought GURPS Dungeon Adventures and the time before that I bought Shadow of the Demon Lord, neither of which i could convince enough players to try.

I ran OD&D last night and it was fun but I can tell my player group is irked by the lack of crunchy player bits, so I don't think any old version or OSR game is going to be a solution.

DCC is usually considered under the rubric of "OSR," but it has a very different approach to character creation and abilities that may be worth a look.

 

[delericho]

More specifically, what do you run when you are done with D&D specifically, but still want something "D&D like" -- dungeons, monsters, traps, treasure, etc...?

Right now, my answer is tending towards "nothing". Alas.

But in times past, when I've been burned out on D&D I've run something completely different - Vampire, or Star Wars, or Firefly. That complete change of scene has done more to get me back on the horse than any attempt to find a close substitute.

 

[GMMichael]

More specifically, what do you run when you are done with D&D specifically, but still want something "D&D like" -- dungeons, monsters, traps, treasure, etc...?

Wow. "D&D like" means something completely different to me...

Level Up, of course!

I was thinking O.L.D., but that works too.

When I feel a little burned out on D&D, I fire up a game of Skyrim...I'm a big fan of using Arthmoor's "Live Another Life" mod ...

Try Wildcat. It makes combat a little more visceral, less bag-of-hit-points.

 

[Staffan]

Right now, my answer is tending towards "nothing". Alas.

But in times past, when I've been burned out on D&D I've run something completely different - Vampire, or Star Wars, or Firefly. That complete change of scene has done more to get me back on the horse than any attempt to find a close substitute.

I think I agree with this. Trying to find something that's like D&D but isn't D&D will just invite comparisons between the games, when players expect a thing to work one way and it doesn't and then get upset at that. Try a game that's different instead. I can strongly recommend FFG's Star Wars (and the beginner set + web enhancement for Age of Rebellion makes for an amazing mini-campaign) if you aren't allergic to weird dice, and The Troubleshooters looks like an amazing bit of light-hearted fun (and you can download one of the demo or quickplay scenarios here, complete with pregens and shortened rules).

 

[Reynard]

Wow. "D&D like" means something completely different to me...
.

That's why I defined it, so people didn't think I just meant "fantasy rpg."

 

[innerdude]

I've documented on these boards before that other than a handful of 1-3 session mini campaigns (1 in 4e, 1 in 3.5, 2 in 5e) I have played zero actual "D&D" or derivatives since 2011.

Since then I've played a ton of Savage Worlds (300+ sessions), but have also played GURPS, Dungeon World, Ironsworn, FFG Star Wars, Tiny Dungeons/Tiny Frontiers, Fate Accelerated.

I've also read but not played Fantasy Craft, Burning Wheel, Night's Black Agents, Court of Blades, Novus, The One Ring, Radiance RPG, Masks, and Level Up.

And the thing of it is, I've discovered that you either want "D&D", or you don't.

Me? I don't really want what "D&D" offers anymore. I don't want class and level, gamist focused, DM driven adventures. Like at all.

Whatever it is I want, it isn't "D&D". I only say that because in 2009 I got tired of looking around to find the ultimate "D&D but not D&D" system, only to become disillusioned as you seem to be, when I realized that to break the "D&D" malaise, I had to make a break with its core assumptions.

Take my advice --- try getting as far away from D&D as possible and see where it takes you. I am 10-12x happier with my gaming now than I ever was in 2011 or before.

 

[CleverNickName]

Try Wildcat. It makes combat a little more visceral, less bag-of-hit-points.

Woah, that looks awesome.

You should check out my Scrimshaw Expanded mod, btw. I haven't updated it in years, but I'm still proud of it.

 

[Reynard]

I think I agree with this. Trying to find something that's like D&D but isn't D&D will just invite comparisons between the games, when players expect a thing to work one way and it doesn't and then get upset at that. Try a game that's different instead. I can strongly recommend FFG's Star Wars (and the beginner set + web enhancement for Age of Rebellion makes for an amazing mini-campaign) if you aren't allergic to weird dice, and The Troubleshooters looks like an amazing bit of light-hearted fun (and you can download one of the demo or quickplay scenarios here, complete with pregens and shortened rules).

Except I explicitly want those things I mentioned.

To expound since that was a bit terse: I want to run a dungeon fantasy game specifically. Not just a general fantasy campaign. But I am frustrated with 5e specifically and D&D broadly. That why my ask in the OP was for "D&D like" which may have thrown people.
To

 

[innerdude]

From my experience, if you really really still want Fantasy tropes in your game:

Ironsworn (I seriously can't recommend this enough, it's awesome)
Savage Worlds + Shaintar
Genesys + Realms of Terrinoth

 

[Reynard]

:Ironsworn (I seriously can't recommend this enough, it's awesome)

I keep meaning to try this solo. But it's PbtA so I'm ambivalent.