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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 6068486" data-attributes="member: 23240">1. Dungeon WorldShares a lot of tropes and setting assumptions with D&D, but uses a light, simple system. All rolls are made with 2d6+stat, with 10+ as complete success, 7-9 as success with complications ("yes, but...") and 6- as failure. The game strongly focuses on fiction; the fictional situation guides and controls the use of mechanics. Use of maps (both large scale and tactical ones) is strongly encouraged, but there is no need for grids and miniatures.Strengths:- Fast and simple character creation, followed by ease of play. All a player needs to know is two pages of general rules and their own character sheet (that contains all information necessary for character creation). It's possible to start playing in 10-15 minutes.- Very solid GM advice, with strong focus on following the consequences of events in play, not trying to guide them ("play to see what happens"). The GM is given useful tools for introducing escalating dangers while keeping the game player-driven (fronts) and for building up on players' actions (soft and hard moves).- Focuses on essential parts of various class archetypes, without bogging play down with multitude of abusable rules. Ease of handling helps immersion.- Rewards good in-character tactics and intelligent play, not mastery of the game system.Weaknesses:- Little support for mechanical character customization. You get stats and class moves - and that's all. Characterization must be done through fiction.- The mechanical system is definitely not simulating anything, nor works as an arbiter between players and the GM. It resolves fictional situations and guides play. It won't replace a shared vision of how the game world works.2. Mistborn Adventure GameBased on Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (great books, by the way). Features a grim, dangerous world, heroic scoundrels as PCs and an extremely fun magic system, completely different than what D&D uses. The default style assumes a balanced mix of sneaking, combat and social interactions and the rules support it.Strengths:- Uses a brilliant setting- Very good system support for player-driven urban sandbox game. Schemes let players direct the action and give the GM advance info on what must be detailed because PCs will interact with it. They also help players feed GM ideas and inspiration.- Tragedy (worst thing that happened in your life) and destiny (what you believe to be your ultimate purpose) as personal plot-hooks built in every character - and a great characterization tool. Character advancement is strongly tied to resolving these arcs.- Magic that is very strict and well-defined in what it does and extremely flexible in what it can be used for. Really encourages player creativity.- Abstract representation of character wealth, influence and luck/intuition. Gives players nice tools and, at the same time, simplifies handling things so that players can focus elsewhere.- Similar engine used for combat, social and mental conflicts, with elegant treatment of long-term consequences and recovery.Weaknesses:- Playing in a novel-based setting may limit creativity of some players and GMs.- The game book offers support for only one style of play among several that are compatible with the novels.- Rules encourage strong GM control, which may be confusing when contrasted with tools supporting player-driven style.3. Mouse GuardBased on the Mouse Guard comics. Non-magical fantasy, with strong focus on character cooperation and wilderness survival (combat and social interactions are present, but secondary). The game uses simplified Burning Wheel engine; you roll pools of d6s, getting dice from your skills, traits, tools and helpers.Strengths:- PC Beliefs, Instincts and Goals as a tool for characterization and a guide for the GM.- Truly heroic playstyle, with vulnerable characters taking real risks to defend what they care about. - Introducing complications instead of simple failures. Failing pushes the story in new direction, making things both harder and more interesting, instead of blocking avenues of play.Weaknesses:- No thought given to balance in character creation. When used by players with optimization tendencies, it will distort character concepts. - Conflict resolution based on selecting several actions in advance, secretly. For less tactically-minded people, it easily gets confusing. For tactical experts the dominant strategy quickly becomes obvious. Fortunately, it's easy to play with just basic rolls, no conflict resolution.- The "fail forward" approach, while very fun for some players, may be counterintuitive and immersion-breaking for others.</blockquote>

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