Fantasy gaming that isn’t d20?

[wicked cool]

So my gaming group had a mild argument if there was a better alternative than a d20 as one player felt it was very swingy. One had proposed 2d10
What fantasy settings rely on other dice?modiphius 2d20 seems to want you to roll low

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Fantasy AGE and Tunnels and Trolls both use d6s, albeit in different ways.

 

[Umbran]

Savage Worlds uses a bunch of different dice.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Free League has several flavors of fantasy games, including some that rely on d12 and d6.

 

[Bacon Bits]

It's hard to recommend a system on the basis of "fantasy, but not d20" alone. Most other systems of note tend to focus on a particular style of play. What is it your table is looking for? How much crunch do you want or need?

Savage Worlds (including Savage Eberron and Savage Pathfinder) uses d6+dX, but I don't think I would call it "not swingy". It almost focuses on being swingy.

Free League's The One Ring uses a d6 and a d12 basically. But not everyone wants Middle Earth.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar is d6-based, I think. But not everyone likes Games Workshop's settings.

Blades in the Dark uses d6s, but it's difficult to run long campaigns in (IMO), and not everyone likes the "narrative first" design that Evil Hat favors.

 

[Retreater]

RuneQuest, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying, Age of Sigmar Soulbound, Dragonbane, Fantasy Trip, The One Ring

 

[hawkeyefan]

I'm currently involved in a couple of Stonetop games, which is a Powered by the Apocalypse game. It uses 2d6 plus stat versus static tiers (10+ is a full success, 7-9 is a success with a consequence, 6- is a failure). It uses the core 6 D&D stats. It has some really evocative playbooks (classes) which correspond pretty well to the D&D classes, although probably a bit toned down overall. The setting is a quasi-iron age land, with the PCs all inhabitants and champions of one village. The game revolves around the village.

Swords of the Serpentine uses the Gumshoe system, which is a D6 pool system. It's also focused on a specific location, the city of Eversink. It has a very sword and sorcery vibe to it... very Lankhmar. That might be suitable for your group. I haven't yet played this game, but I've read it, and it's an evocative setting.

 

[Staffan]

Earthdawn is pretty D&D-like in its setting and uses the full set of platonic solids plus the abominable d10 (when making a roll, your value is converted to a die combo that's supposed to average about the same as that value, so if you have Dexterity 7 and 2 adds in Melee Weapons, your total Melee Weapons value is 9 which means you roll d8+d6 when using that talent). I like to describe Earthdawn as "D&D if it made sense". You have classes (disciplines) and levels (circles), but they are things that exist in the setting in a Watsonian sense. Your class gives you access to certain talents (skills and special abilities), and you can spend XP to increase these, and when you have increased them enough you are ready to advance to the next circle which will unlock other talents. The world has plenty of "dungeons" in it – many of which were essentially shelters built to protect people from the Scourge, a period of time where the magic level was so high various extradimensional nasties could enter the world and eff things up. And quite a few of those shelters failed for one reason or another, leaving underground settlements filled with dangers and riches.

 

[Darth Solo]

Barbarians of Lemuria is a fun rules-lite "Sword & Sorcery" game that uses 2d6 + Ability + Combat trait or Career. I can't recommend it enough.

 

[innerdude]

So my gaming group had a mild argument if there was a better alternative than a d20 as one player felt it was very swingy. One had proposed 2d10
What fantasy settings rely on other dice?modiphius 2d20 seems to want you to roll low

If you want to see a relatively close resemblance to D&D using a unique 2d10 die mechanic, check out Novus on DriveThruRPG.