Christmas is coming

[BJP]

So after many years in the wilderness I got back into RPGs and, frankly, it's like being a kid again

When I was younger (early 80's) there seemed to be a multitude of games, most of which at least one person in our group owned and played. Since coming back into the hobby I've really concentrated on 3.5, but I still have than hankering to play with other systems. So - with Christmas looming (what can I say, I get excited early) I'm starting to think about what systems might be of interest.

I own a lot of 3.5 gubbins, as well as Paranoia XP. What I'm after now is a range of settings / styles / mechanics, to give me the widest range of options. Preferably games that are actually worth playing (no f.a.t.a.l. please). At the moment I'm considering Mutants and Masterminds and Call of Cthulhu (aren't there 2 versions of this? Any agreement on which is superior?).

What I'd like is any recommendations from the esteemed ENworld audience. I know there's not a huge amount to go on here - so what I'm after is games that you have enjoyed, and fill a slightly different niche to that filled by traditional swords and sorcery 3.5.

So - Fill my christmas stocking and make my life complete!

Jim.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

For computer games I'd suggest Planescape Torment and Knights of the Old Republic both should be in the bargain bin. Planescape may not run well on XP though, the spells will be messy.

For paper games if you're going to get CoC, I'd look at getting the older, chaosium editions unless your players don't like anything non-d20 (like my guys). If you can find it, I highly reccomend an out of print copy of "Delta Green". Basically, that's CoC meets the Men in Black, only there's no comedy and everyone dies horribly and alone. Delta Green is considered by some to be the best setting book in gaming. Wheater you decide that's true or not, it's very likely to make your top 10.

You could also take a gander at Serenity if you're a big Firefly browncoat, but the mechanics are reputed to be clunky and fans of the setting swear by Traveler d20 instead.

Sorceror is one to pick up if it's ever 2am and you're at a dive bar hanging out with a bunch of indy gamers who curse WotC's name. The game is cool and can be played on many levels. Plus, it'll help you pick up indy gamer chicks.

Those are my out of the way picks. Although if you can get Crothian to respond, he has quite a list of lesser known gaming products worthy of reading.

Happy gaming!

 

[Desdichado]

Christmas coming? In mid-October?

Yeah, M&M or CoC--both good choices, IMO. There is not any agreement on which version is better for CoC; I'm a very strong proponent of the d20 version over the BRP version, but it is out of print, sadly. But you can probably pick it up for a decent price from an Amazon store, or eBay, and once you've got that, the rest of your d20 material is great fodder to fit into the game. CoC + Book of Fiends is a particular favorite of mine.

I'd also recommend Delta Green very highly, but it's also out of print (rumors of a dual stat re-release coming out any day now have been floating around for, oh, at least a year or two now.) I also agree that it's one of the best gaming books ever published for any system or game. Lots of people will claim that Delta Green: Countdown is even better, but IMO, you really need the basic book first. DG is primarily a setting book, so getting it and d20 CoC is not a problem; there really aren't many mechanics in DG that you'd need to use, if any.

 

[Crothian]

Things you want:

HARP
Thieves World
Sorcerer
Capes
A State
nWoD

 

[amazingshafeman]

The best two non-RPG things at my house to save game night any time an absence occured are Munchkin and Lunch Money card games.

 

[Ed Cha]

My top 10 recommendations from Indie Press Revolution (IPR) at the moment:

1. Denizens of Avadnu (now 50% off, 2004 ENnie-nominated for Best Monster Supplement of the Year)
2. Capes (GMless superhero game with heart, one of our top sellers, 2005 ENnie-nominated for Best Game AND Best Rules)
3. Polaris (poetic gaming at its best, recently released)
4. The Burning Wheel (an indie gamer favorite, 2005 ENnie-nominated for Best Rules, Ken Hite's Best New RPG)
5. A/State (funkiness)
6. Fastlane! (risky, high stakes gaming with a pulse)
7. The Mountain Witch (our #1 seller, a really great adventure/game that can be replayed over and over)
8. Conspiracy of Shadows (demons and conspiracy, great mood)
9. With Great Power... (a new supers game designed by Michael S. Miller, co-designer of Fvlminata)
10. The Village of Oester (now 25% off, 2004 ENnie-nominated for Best Adventure)

All can be found at the site here.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Hmm. For an RPG fix:

HARP
Pendragon (a new edition is coming soon! Woohoo!!!)
Ars Magica (a brand new edition was erecntly released for this, too)

Beyond RPGs, I can only tell you what I'm hoping to see in my Christmas stocking as far as board games go:

Monsters Menace America
Heroscape

 

[BJP]

Thanks for all the recommendations so far! And any more are gratefully received.

Delta Green : Hmm, this looks like a must-have. The setting seems awesome (at first glance, CoC meets Deus Ex - my kind of game).
Serenity : Possibly not, I've never really got into Firefly (although lots of people keep telling me how good it is). Sci-fi is probably my least favorite genre as well, to be honest - although I did enjoy Star Frontiers as a young-un.
Sorcerer : another one that sounds very interesting, and more than one recommendation. Unfortunately, my wife probably wouldn't be too keen on me picking up indie-gamer chicks
CoC : Going to have to browse a little for this one, do a little more research. I'm probably going to get at least one version though.
HARP : Not sure - if it's ICE, does that mean it's like the old MERP? I enjoyed that - a slimmed down Rolemaster - but setting-wise, it's probably too similar to other things I have in mind.
Thieves World : another one I've heard a lot of good things about, may well look into this.
Capes / Astate / everything Ed Cha listed : Wow - I think I've found an appreciation for indie RPG's. I can see at least a couple of these arriving down the chimney in a couple of months time. Thanks for the link.
nWoD : I'm playing in an nWoD campaign at the moment, as human heros in modern-Japan - it's definitely interesting being low-down on the food-chain for once. Fantastic setting, made even better by the fact that none of the players really knows anything about WoD - means that we are learning as our characters should do. However, because of this I'm holding off on getting any WoD material, because I don't want to spoil the fantastic job the GM is doing by learning things that maybe I shouldn't.
Pendragon / Ars Magica : based on their Wikipedia entries, they sound like they have some interesting quirks. Something else to look into; although the settings may not be what I'm looking for, certainly the mechanics (the magic system and the generational quests) sound like something I could play with.

So - thanks again for the comments. Much appreciated.

Jim.

Edit : darn, didn't mention the board games. Munchkin - I admit, I really don't get this. My wife and I play a lot of board games, and we really don't get this one. Admittedly it may be because we play most games as just the two of us, and you probably need more to get the most out of it. Monsters menace america is something that's caught my eye a couple of times though.

 

[BSF]

Hong Kong action movie style RPG - Feng Shui

You are supposed to try over-the-top actions that are as much about style as effectiveness.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Mutants and Masterminds 2.0 or Spycraft.

Failing which, a subscription to Dungeon magazine is always the best gift - and it keeps on giving.