What TTRPGs Excel At Not Having Combat?

[LordEntrails]

Cyberpunk Red is a game that can be run low-combat. In a lot of ways, how dangerous combat can be disincentivizes it (like Call of Cthulhu). And like Call of Cthulhu, it has a robust skill system.

I was thinking this. Our current campaign has some combat, but it's could easily have even less. My character is an exec who has almost no combat skills. Add in a fixer, a media, and a rockerboy and skip the solos and it would be very easy to run socio-political intrigues. The setting certainly has enough info in that space. No idea the adventures, as a player I haven't looked into the screamsheets etc.

 

[Blue]

Monsterhearts. Really that's just a well-known example of the various bespoke PbtA games that support a (sub)genre that isn't about combat. Spy/Espionage/Heist, Slice-of-Life, Romance, School/Academy, lots of tight genres where combat isn't a focus. Plus PbtA generally* do not have separate rules for combat, you use the same Moves you use for any other conflict or challenge so they really excel at giving you tools for use besides combat.

(* There are a some PbtA that have combat-specific rules, such as Avatar: Legends, and a good number can deal with conditions or wounds which can be gotten from combat but are more generally applicable.)

 

[billd91]

I don't have personal experience with it but my understanding is that Tales from the Loop de-emphasizes combat in favor of teens on bikes investigating weird science fiction mysteries.

 

[zakael19]

Yeah, like if the only criteria is "I don't want to have to deal with combat as my character" vs "no combat in the system" then like, a Blades in the Dark Spider or such would work.

For the latter, The One Ring as hobbits? The system includes combat rules and assumptions, but you could easily frame the game into more of a trickery/avoiding thing.

I believe Liminal Horror has space for fighting, but you really really don't want to because things can go down really fast (like most survival horror video games).

Oh, Triangle Agency in the tension/horror/side of bureaucratic and powers-related absurdity space.

 

[darjr]

The Dying Earth RPG has social combat and little to no physical combat. You all play rascals, con artists, and criminals who use social skills and wit to trick NPCs (and other PCs!) into deranged scams, obviously terrible ideas, and unhinged get-rich-quick schemes. The high point of the sample adventure is an eating contest where the goal is to find the most efficient way to cheat.

The Dying Earth RPG

Buy Print on Demand from DriveThruRPG A future, unimaginably distant… The sun, now in its dotage is a swollen maroon orb. It stutters and blinks. At any moment it may finally go out. Earth, immensely old… Dig anywhere and find a buried city or the shore of a vanished sea. Deodand-haunted woods...

pelgranepress.com

Love that game! Other than The One Ring i think it’s one of the best at making it feeel like your in the dying earth

 

[Autumnal]

Promethean: The Created. The PCs are constructed beings - like Frankenstein’s monster, the golem, animated mannequins, etc - questing to grow a soul and become human. It’s pretty bleak, but there’s room for good outcomes.

Deviant: The Renegades. The PCs were normal people before being warped by mad science into something strange. It’s one of those games with astounding range of character powers and complications. To many people’s taste, including mine, it’s the finest of the Chronicles of Darkness 2e.

 

[RenleyRenfield]

I am feeling the need to stretch my GMing skills beyond my comfort zone a little, and since I generally like high concept, high action games, I thought I would ask about games that don't rely on action, especially combat, to be compelling.

Whether it is romance, mystery, horror, politics or just slice of life, what games do you think excel at being engaging and compelling in play without being focused on action adventure or combat?

Pretty much ALL of World of Darkness. The best starting point is Vampire the Masquerade or Vampire the Requiem, as they have lots of adventures and support. If you don't want vampires, then the Chronicles of Darkness line has TONS of alternate stuff, from mundane cops in the 13th precinct investigating spooky shiit, to general odd assortment of immortals and such.

Some other games that make roleplay on its own fun =

Pasion de Las Pasiones = this game makes PvP social interaction a blast. Even if you have no idea what a telanovela is, just run it as any TV show (heck Dexter works in it just fine) where the characters are all aimed at each other and you are good to go!

My 7th Sea (link) hack of Passion is likely more comfortable to most people, as its in the typical setting and character context of swashbuckling.

Deadlands (link) does a great job, and Savage Worlds overall, of letting characters do interesting things with social and personality. And there is fear that actually affects characters and the world, so thats fun

Legend of the 5 Rings (current edition) (link) is the hands down best samurai fiction you can get. It has great rules for social, honor, and glory all outside of combat.

There are TONS more PBTA games that do this, like LOTS.... so if you can get into PBTA, then I have a much longer list...

 

[darjr]

The Baron Munchausen game isn’t a traditional RPG, more like a drinking game, sort of. But I def love it and it’s fantastic for this sort of thing.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Reynard]

The Punch-and-Judy thing is thst he has a player who wants to be useless in combat, a traveling Puppeteer.

That's not it. He wants to play in a game where tactical acumen does not matter at all, not that he wants his character to be bad at it.

 

[Reynard]

Pretty much ALL of World of Darkness. The best starting point is Vampire the Masquerade or Vampire the Requiem, as they have lots of adventures and support. If you don't want vampires, then the Chronicles of Darkness line has TONS of alternate stuff, from mundane cops in the 13th precinct investigating spooky shiit, to general odd assortment of immortals and such.

Some other games that make roleplay on its own fun =

Pasion de Las Pasiones = this game makes PvP social interaction a blast. Even if you have no idea what a telanovela is, just run it as any TV show (heck Dexter works in it just fine) where the characters are all aimed at each other and you are good to go!

My 7th Sea (link) hack of Passion is likely more comfortable to most people, as its in the typical setting and character context of swashbuckling.

Deadlands (link) does a great job, and Savage Worlds overall, of letting characters do interesting things with social and personality. And there is fear that actually affects characters and the world, so thats fun

Legend of the 5 Rings (current edition) (link) is the hands down best samurai fiction you can get. It has great rules for social, honor, and glory all outside of combat.

There are TONS more PBTA games that do this, like LOTS.... so if you can get into PBTA, then I have a much longer list...

Your list strongly suggests that I was not clear in my question, because neither Deadlands nor L5R should be viable answers to pretty much anyone had i explained myself correctly.

I am looking for a game that does not have combat, or combat is an inherent failure condition to the point of being effectively impossible without ending the game.