Best single volume RPG?

[Wystan]

I also will have to vote Spycraft 2.0... And that is without even finding a GC that will run it... SAD

 

[Imaro]

Let me throw a vote in for BESM 3e. Everything you need to run a game, even multiple settings that can be combined into one. It is what I consider a "complete" game to be.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

For me, hands down the best 1 book RPG is DragonQuest, 2nd Edition. Great fantasy game with lots of flexibility, a creative method of character creation, magic that is interesting, and dragons that are creatures to be feared and avoided. Lots of fun, I played it for years.

We logged more time in DragonQuest than in any other single RPG, I think. I loved that game. Once we started playing it, all the little things in 1st ed. D&D that used to just annoy us became intolerable.

Ahead of its time in many respects, although the magic system was nigh unplayable.

 

[Ganeldil]

McWOD

Monte Cook's World of Darkness, definitely falls into the short list of great single volume RPG's.

 

[HellHound]

Runner-up is Rifts. Yes, even with all its wonky rules; it's all still there in one book.

My lovely wife would take issue with this.
Kevin S. gave her a copy of RIFTS Ultimate Edition last year. She went to make a character for the game and came across the section on alternate races and D-Bees... The section that says there are no limits to the races you can play in RIFTS, but due to lack of space, you will have to get the other RIFTS books for the various D-Bees besides Dragons.

 

[HellHound]

Strangely, there are no single volume fantasy equivalents I can point to, because most often monsters/creatures are sold separately in another book. There are a few examples (BFRPG and OSRIC being highest among them), but I'm just not familiar enough with them to say that they are the best single volume RPGs on the market.

Check out WHFRP2.

I've been running it for over a year with only using the core book and some modules. There is a monster book, sure, but there are more than enough monsters in the core book. Sure, I own every other book out there for it, but I haven't actually used ANY of the material from them except adventures yet.

 

[Glyfair]

Ahead of its time in many respects, although the magic system was nigh unplayable.

Interesting, since we used to use the magic system in other games where we disliked the magic system.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned D20 Modern as yet. It has character creation, spells, monsters, and everything, all between two covers.

I wanted to mention d20 Modern for all of those reasons. However, since I could never actually get a d20 Modern game together to play, I didn't feel qualified to vouch for it.

 

[Festivus]

The 1st edition of Gamma World from 1978. The rulebook is only 56 pages long! Here is my review of it: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12358

I was going to say the same thing about 1st edition boot hill. I love that game.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Scion: Hero

Doesn't that need the main nWoD book, too?

I honestly don't know one way or the other, as I've never even seen the book (FLGS doesn't stock it, f'rex.)

Why do folks like CoC 5th > 6th Ed? Just curious.

Yeah, me too!