Desert Island RPGs (or which RPGs would you play for the rest of your life?)

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's been 15 years since the last time we did one of these threads, so it's about time to do it again: What are your desert island RPGs?

(For those unfamiliar with the concept, Desert Islands Discs is a BBC radio program -- or "programme" -- that asks guests which eight records they'd take to a desert island, presuming that they'd never get to listen to any other music for the rest of their lives.)

So, let's hear it: What eight RPGs would you take with you to a desert island? And in keeping with the show, you can toss in a book and a luxury item as well, if you wish. We can also stretch "RPG" to cover campaigns and adventures, although you're going to have either have dice be your luxury item or carve them out of driftwood.

 

[Scribe]

Easy Shadowdark snap pick.

 

[Reynard]

Luxury Item: my giant bag of dice.

RPGs:
SWADE
Shadowdark
M&M 3E
Rules Cyclopedia (BECMI D&D)
A5E/LevelUp
Stars Without Number
Mayfair DC Heroes
Hero/Champions 4E (BBB)

Wow. I really like supers games.

 

[sevenbastard]

A computer and printer so I can build my own. I'm stuck on a island so plenty of time to create a masterpiece.

 

[John Lloyd1]

Fate accelerated.

 

[Theory of Games]

How are people listening to music on a desert island? Is this a desert island resort?

Anyway:

1. D&D Rules Cyclopedia
2. Mutants & Masterminds 2e
3. Freedom City, M&M2e
4. Star Wars 5e
5. AD&D 1e DMG
6. Occult Adventures, PF1e
7. Ultimate Equipment, PF1e
8. Sixth World Almanac, SR4e
9. Book: Wilderness Survival Handbook (M. Pewtherer)
10. Luxury item: Chessex 'Pound-O-Dice' (80-100 assorted)

 

[Ath'kethin]

1. DCC RPG Core Rulebook (Erol Otus cover, ofc)
2. D&D Rules Cyclopedia
3. Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperboria
4. AD&D 2nd Edition
5. Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game
6. Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme*
7. DCC Tome of Adventure Vol 1-4 Box Set
8. DCC #100: The Music of the Spheres is Chaos
   
   Luxury Item: DCC Poison Dice set
   
   *not an RPG, per its own core rulebook, but whatever

I definitely have a type.

 

[MGibster]

Eight doesn't sound like a lot but it's way too many for a desert island. i.e. There is little in the way of pain points when I can select eight.

• Savage Worlds (I can play a variety of genres with this one.)
• D&D (Because you know at least one of the castaways won't play anything else.)
• Traveller (Because someone will finally want to play this one after playing all the other games.)
• Pendragon (You got something better to do? Play the damn game!)
• Pathfinder (I'll never run out of kindling for the fire. This book is huge!)
• Star Wars - West End Games (Finally! I have you in my sights.)
• Deadlands - Savage Worlds version (This is my huckleberry.)
• Pirate Borg! (It seems like an island would provide a nice atmosphere for piratical action.)

Luxury Item: Cooler full of Mountain Dew. I'll carve dice from the bones of fish, whales, or seals.

 

[jdrakeh]

Adventure! by White Wolf. It does pulp adventure out of the box, but can be bent to other high action genres pretty easily.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

D&D (Because you know at least one of the castaways won't play anything else.)

Which raises another question: With a limited pool of players, do you just live with the problem players or resort to cannibalism?