Best system for historical roleplaying?

[Doug McCrae]

Real world historical with the addition of some supernatural elements. Particularly medieval or early modern Europe. Is this something Zweihander can do?

 

[theapoapostolov]

GURPS for the extreme simulationism, but there's too much work involved to make it happen. I would suggest GURPS 3rd instead of 4th because the core book feels more historical than generalized powers/scifi mix.

 

[3catcircus]

Harnmaster. Accept no substitutes.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Mythras is another good system. GURPS for sourcebooks!

 

[GMMichael]

Real world historical with the addition of some supernatural elements. Particularly medieval or early modern Europe. Is this something Zweihander can do?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you just defined Zweihaender. Although, if those are your only criteria, a lot of games would fit the bill.

 

[dragoner]

Basic D&D can do this, in fact we did it a long time ago. I also have done it with Mythras more recently. A lot depends on how one wants to run it, and the depth of the setting material.

 

[Umbran]

The best such game I've ever played was done with GURPS, using, IIRC, the Middle Ages and Vikings supplements.

 

[Campbell]

For this sort of thing I'm partial to RuneQuest. Either RQ6/Mythras or Mongoose RQ/Legend. Mythras has some great historical supplements.

 

[Ketherian]

Harnmaster. Accept no substitutes.

Seconding Harnmaster.
It's set in a fictional world, but it is strongly historically based + great maps. See: Intro to HârnWorld - Columbia Games for an introduction.

 

[Tony Vargas]

RuneQuest and GURPS are solid choices, RQ is the lighter option, BRP lighter still if you want to use your own take on whatever supernatural stuff is out there, GURPS the more detailed. Both are fairly decent at realism for the periods in question - ironically, you'd be using GURPS "high tech" rules. (Well, I thought it was ironic, back in the 80s, anyway, IDK, if they still have separate high-tech and ultratech supplements...)