5E burnout - looking for a summer RPG

[HawaiiSteveO]

The title says it all!

Like to try something different to GM for the summer, generally familiar with the ‘top’ offerings in the different flavours but nothing really grabbing my attention.

• break from swords & sorcery / fantasy would be great . Spies , espionage , sci-fi , etc
• rules light , good for online play - ToM or perhaps Zoom whiteboard or Owlbear Rodeo.
• low cost or free quick start rules would be great or low cost buy in
• thought about Delta Green, but 2 of my players are in law enforcement and are looking for fun, not crazy / disturbing game...
• don‘t ‘get’ Fate, but willing to read it again. Played a bit of Savage Worlds and liked it but perhaps too much to learn / teach group.
• checked out Achtung! Cthulhu (2d20 / Morphidius one), looks fun but would need to learn rules did quick skim. Think SW one might be easier to play as know my way around system already but $

-intrigued by Alien RPG seems very different and fun for one shots / different vibe but likely too crunchy as well

• Nights Black Agents sounds amazing, but again too much to just get going and $$
• Blades in the Dark - skimmed it but have no clue how to play it. Sounds like a lot of work
• Esper Genesis / Starfinder …. No

Any suggestions appreciated !

 

[Yora]

Blades in the Dark or variant hacks of it like Scum and Villainy should actually be decent picks. It takes a moment or two to really understand the basic gameplay system because its so different from many traditional games. But once it clicks, it's actually a really simple system with a very low workload for the GM in regards to preparation and things to track during play. All the different rulebooks I've read seem to have trouble with finding a good place to begin explaining the sytem, which makes them somewhat obstuse on first reading.

The basic idea is that players and GM are taking turns back and forth with the players stating an action they want to do and the GM replying what happens as a consequence. The action roll determines if the players get the result they wanted or not, and if there is any negative consequence to the action. Position and Effect for the action roll give the GM guidelines about the scale of the character's success and the severity of the consequences, but it is really up to the GM to make a choice of what exactly the consequence will be. The rules offer various suggestions, but it's the GM's choice and not determined by the rules.
Since NPCs don't have stats and there are no modifiers resulting from the geometry of the environment, it's a system where you can actually play without any preparation other than the GM having a good idea for the style, tone, and themes of the setting. Player's don't overcome pre-defined obstacles that the GM set up during preparation to reach the finish like like in most RPGs. It's really about an unfolding story that could go anywhere, but the mechanics of the action roll take over some control by determining when the actions chosen by the players for their characters succed and when they will encounter setbacks.

 

[Ulfgeir]

I would suggest The Troubleshooters from Helmgast. Based on Franco-Belgian comics like Tintin, SPirou, Yoko Tsuno, add a dash of Lupin III, The Saint. Set in a fictitious 1960s'. Mad science, evil villaneous organaization called The Octopus trying to take over the world.

If you go to their archive, you will find Quickplay rules, 6 example characters, and 4 Quick play scenarios + 1 scenario for demo-purposes.
If you want to buy it, do it either through Helmgast's or Modiphius 'webshops, or maybe in your FLGS.

 

[Reynard]

If you like the 2d20 system, Modiphius usually has pretty robust quick starts that not only teach the rules and provide an adventure but give enough info that an even moderately experienced group should be able to squeeze a couple months worth of sessions out of.

 

[innerdude]

Ironsworn: Starforged sounds exactly what you're looking for.

Sci-Fi with an assumed setting, but you and your players build it together.

If you want to get a feel for the base system, the original Ironsworn system PDF is completely free. Starforged is the sci fi expansion/update.

A buddy and I have been playing Starforged for three months now, without a GM in full co op mode, and it's some of the most fun I've had with an RPG in years.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Blades in the Dark or variant hacks of it like Scum and Villainy should actually be decent picks. It takes a moment or two to really understand the basic gameplay system because its so different from many traditional games. But once it clicks, it's actually a really simple system with a very low workload for the GM in regards to preparation and things to track during play. All the different rulebooks I've read seem to have trouble with finding a good place to begin explaining the sytem, which makes them somewhat obstuse on first reading.

The basic idea is that players and GM are taking turns back and forth with the players stating an action they want to do and the GM replying what happens as a consequence. The action roll determines if the players get the result they wanted or not, and if there is any negative consequence to the action. Position and Effect for the action roll give the GM guidelines about the scale of the character's success and the severity of the consequences, but it is really up to the GM to make a choice of what exactly the consequence will be. The rules offer various suggestions, but it's the GM's choice and not determined by the rules.
Since NPCs don't have stats and there are no modifiers resulting from the geometry of the environment, it's a system where you can actually play without any preparation other than the GM having a good idea for the style, tone, and themes of the setting. Player's don't overcome pre-defined obstacles that the GM set up during preparation to reach the finish like like in most RPGs. It's really about an unfolding story that could go anywhere, but the mechanics of the action roll take over some control by determining when the actions chosen by the players for their characters succed and when they will encounter setbacks.

Sorry, but this description seems to be missing some fairly important bits. It seems to be a really stripped description of the basic play loop (but oddly off) while ignoring the critically important agendas and principles of play. It feels like it's never been played and treating parts of the rules as "suggestions." The agenda and principles aren't suggestions.


Also, these games lay put play very clearly and cleanly. The issues come from bringing your own assumptions -- it's hard to understand if you assume you already know how to play RPGs. It's not if you don't.

 

[payn]

Powered by the Apocalypse games are fun and pulpy. Things like Monster of the week can be great for an episodic adventure feel and easy to wrap up as a campaign.

 

[Yora]

Sorry, but this description seems to be missing some fairly important bits. It seems to be a really stripped description of the basic play loop (but oddly off) while ignoring the critically important agendas and principles of play. It feels like it's never been played and treating parts of the rules as "suggestions." The agenda and principles aren't suggestions.

Yeah. A paragraph does not replace a 300 page rulebook. You still have to read the whole game to be able to run it.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Yeah. A paragraph does not replace a 300 page rulebook. You still have to read the whole game to be able to run it.

I'd lead with tge agendas and principles -- they're the major difference.

 

[overgeeked]

The title says it all!

Like to try something different to GM for the summer, generally familiar with the ‘top’ offerings in the different flavours but nothing really grabbing my attention.

• break from swords & sorcery / fantasy would be great . Spies , espionage , sci-fi , etc
• rules light , good for online play - ToM or perhaps Zoom whiteboard or Owlbear Rodeo.
• low cost or free quick start rules would be great or low cost buy in

Over the Edge.

• thought about Delta Green, but 2 of my players are in law enforcement and are looking for fun, not crazy / disturbing game...

Define the difference between fun and crazy / disturbing. Do you mean horror? Look at Over the Edge. If you mean anything that’s a bit weird, pretend Over the Edge doesn’t exist. It’s safer that way.

• don‘t ‘get’ Fate, but willing to read it again. Played a bit of Savage Worlds and liked it but perhaps too much to learn / teach group.
• checked out Achtung! Cthulhu (2d20 / Morphidius one), looks fun but would need to learn rules did quick skim. Think SW one might be easier to play as know my way around system already but $

-intrigued by Alien RPG seems very different and fun for one shots / different vibe but likely too crunchy as well

• Nights Black Agents sounds amazing, but again too much to just get going and $$
• Blades in the Dark - skimmed it but have no clue how to play it. Sounds like a lot of work
• Esper Genesis / Starfinder …. No

Any suggestions appreciated !

Check out 2400, Risus, Freeform Universal, Tiny d6, Cepheus Engine, and other light and universal systems. The buy in is generally low (free or cheap), and rules are light and easy to learn, and you can use them for any world / setting / genre.