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Good Non d20 systems?


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There is Pendragon and the original Call of Cthulhu, both of which used Chaosium's system. Both are solid.

You can find many flavors of Traveller floating around, from reprints of the Classic Traveller books (in omnibus form) to GURPS to Marc Miller's recent redo of the game, plus all the Megatraveller stuff that is still relatively easy to find in second-hand shops.

Although I don't really have a lot of interest in FUDGE, it seems to have a relatively strong following, and you can find a lot of stuff for it free on the internet.
 

Flexor the Mighty! said:
Is the original Call of Cuthulu being put out? Or has it been stopped since the d20 version came out?

No, it's still around. Chaosium would probably have a conniption to know that some think it's gone.
 

Yeah... future Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green product will supposedly have both d20 and BRP content.
 

Rolemaster (and Space Master) is still around. ICE is actually in the process of releasing new sourcebooks and there are rumors of a new edition in the future... Which is just as well as I never liked RMSS and have so far stuck with 2nd edition.
 

White Wolf material is not "crap." Most of their systems are very well thought out and detailed and works infinately better in LARP then any d20 material. Need I remind you that White Wold makes the excellent Scarred Lands setting?

Anyway I have occasionally played the following non-d20 games:

Ars Magica--excellent magic system, love the Order of Hermes!

In Nomine--game where you play angels and demons, very entertaining and easy to understand.
Agone--neat little game adapted from a French game, not very popular but very innovative.
 

White Wolf's World of Darkness line has considerable problems, but its Aeon Continuum line is a line of good stuff (however bad the sales may be) and Exalted is excellent.

Hell, Exalted is everything that Feng Shui is with the addition of being possessed of a robust game engine and a well-balanced design. (Yes, there are provisions for a form of firearm so you can go Both Guns Blazing if you wish, but the game's built around over-the-top martial arts and sorcery to match.)
 

There are more non d20 systems games going strong out there than I can possibly mention but here's a few of my favourites (leaving aside any d20 and WW games):

Tribe 8 by Dream Pod 9 - Great dark post apocalyptic fantasy game that uses the Silhouette system. Dream Pod 9 do a whole range of games.

Mechanical Dream by Steam Logic - The most innovative and original fantasy game I have read.

Agone by Multisim - The French take on fantasy RPGs. Very evocative.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay by Hogshead Publishing - Its an oldie but still strong. Hogshead also do SLA Industries and Nobilis.

Blue Planet v2 by Fantasy Flight Games - Excellent sci fi game with a nice balance between playability and hard crunchy bits.

Unknown Armies by Atlas Games - Pulp Fiction meets Horror. Atlas games do a whole range of games.

Godlike by Hobgoblynn Press - WW2 superheroes with an innovative rule set.

Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium - Still going strong especially since WotC jumped on board with CoC d20.

Fading Suns by Holistic Design - Very popular and has a good d20 book if you don't want to use their system.

Also Seventh Sea, Legends of the 5 Rings, Deadland, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, Witchcraft, Little Fears, Whispering Vault, Kult, Hong Kong Action Theatre, Stormbringer and many many more...

Check out RPGnet for a good RPG website that supports a wide range of games.
 


I still love Earthdawn and Warhammer very much.

I believe the first has been out of the market for quite some time, but Warhammer is getting some support from Hogshead.

Earthdawn is, IMHO, still the best fantasy RPG system out there, SPECIALLY the way magical items are handled.
 

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