Ratskinner
Adventurer
I have to hop in and mention FATE Core. The kickstarter is destroying stretch goal after stretch goal, and the stuff you already get for $30 is mind-boggling, including a downloadable PDF right away. This is the FATE version of the Reaper kickstarter, is what I'm saying. It's also a damn fine non-D&D rpg.
-O
Yes it is. To continue the "blurb" part. FATE's strength is story with speed. The mechanics are also simple enough that there are people playing with kids as young as 7. Focusing on story, the new FATE Core version makes it very easy to play in a wide variety of genres. Because of the way the system works, GMs or even individual characters can expand upon different themes with ease. That is, you can fiddle with how much "system" you want in your magic, psionics, or whatever. In fact, the Core game as written can have any or all of that in your game with no modifications. Its only when you really want to make something like "The function of magic items" an important part of what your game or character is exploring that you really need to do much work at all to detail it. When you do have to detail it, its very simple and easy to balance. In fact, FATE is rather hard to knock off-balance accidentally.
FATE's big weakness, IMO, would be fiddly-bit combat. If you're really into moving that mini 3 spaces like so, a detailed action economy, and having 20-odd different codified conditions in your game, FATE is likely not your bag. FATE can get you a get you a combat narrative that looks very much like a 4e combat narrative, but it doesn't do it in nearly the same way. Similarly, if you want to have a finely-detailed snowflake/Christmas tree characters with all manner of tweaks...probably not a good choice. (Unless you'd be satisfied with a character that has "magic item christmas-tree" as an aspect.) FATE characters tend to be painted with fairly broad strokes with some sharper edges where they want their narrative focal point to be.
