If D&D didn't exist

[Bedrockgames]

Suppose D&D didn't exist. No variant or edition whatsoever, so pathfinder, 4E, basic, retroclones, 1E, etc; all gone. What game do you think you would play instead? Would it still be a fantasy RP? If so would it be something like runequest or more like dragon age? Or maybe you would go a completely different direction and focus on savage worlds or call of cthulu.

 

[trancejeremy]

Traveller, except they screwed it up with new editions. Sigh. Classic Traveller is probably my favorite RPG of all time.

Call of Cthulhu, a rare but wonderful example of a game that didn't drastically re-invent itself for the worse.

I really don't like any other fantasy RPGs, which is why I don't like D&D changed radically, it's all there is like it, other than retro clones...

 

[Dioltach]

I'd have spent years playing the Dutch version of The Dark Eye and cursing that the final set was never translated into Dutch from German (actually, that might have motivated me to pay more attention during German class). I'd probably have switched to the English-language version for later editions.

 

[jonesy]

Runequest or Kult.

But if you assume that the whole basis for the existance of D&D like games wouldn't exist, then we'd all probably be playing advanced murder mystery games or spy games. Jury Box is eight decades old now.

Or perhaps a modern arms version of Warhammer.

 

[Yora]

H. G. Wells was about 100 years late:

 

[jonesy]

H. G. Wells was about 100 years late:

Are those terrain tiles? That is cool.

 

[SteelDraco]

Without D&D and variants, I'd just play more Savage Worlds. Wouldn't put me out too much, though there are times I prefer the crunch of D&D.

 

[Nagol]

The more common rulesets at my table are Hero system, Uni-system, and recently Fate.

A lot of other games get played though.

 

[Piratecat]

Backgammon.

 

[Yora]

Are those terrain tiles? That is cool.

It had lots of accessories.
It was developed by a prussian army officer around the same time the prussian army developed the modern concepts of general staffs and academic training for staff officers. It was primarily a training and similation tool, but there are lots of slight remarks that indicate the king and his generals had lots of fun with it, playing all through the night.