bedir than
Hero
Synnibar
WotC non-OGL alternative to D&D
- Thread starter Tales and Chronicles
- Start date
Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
Whoah. That's...interesting. I find the DW (AW) system tremendously appealing, but when I've tried to GM it...it doesn't go as I imagined. I don't think it plays anything like D&D.
EDIT: But for anybody thinking about playing an AW/DW game, take a look at Stonetop.
Thomas Shey
Legend
Exactly my point. Without knowing what part about it was problematic to you, it'd be hard to answer the question, even if the proper answer was "Yes". People can find just one element of a rules system so intrusive and unpleasant that it makes a game "awful" or it can take a lot more than that.
Aldarc
Legend
I assume that this thread is about looking for D&D-like (heroic) fantasy adventure TTRPGs that are not under the OGL? I will focus on games that qualify for this "out of the box" and then throw in a few that are generic tool kit systems that can be customized for fantasy.
Fantasy AGE (Green Ronin): It's new player friendly IME. The 3d6 stunt point system is fun for many new players. There are three, soon to be four, broad classes with subtype like Specializations. Magic is organized in themes (e.g., fire, illusion, plant, healing, etc.) and is not as "dense" or overwhelming as it can be in D&D.
Index Card RPG: a super light and stipped down version of D&D that uses the Creative Commons License. Incredibly hackable.
Worlds Without Number (Kevin Crawford): If B/X, Traveller, and True 20 raised a baby together, creating a mix of OSR and modern sensibilities. Has tools and advice for running sandbox games. The implied and default setting is Dying Earth.
Dungeon World: a Powered by the Apocalype game that tries to evoke old school D&D. However, I would recommend the more polished and free variant Homebrew World (Jeremy Strandberg), albeit modified for longer campaigns, or Freebooters on the Frontier (Jason Lutes). The latter two authors have carried the DW torch whereas the original authors of DW have moved on.
* Stonetop (Jeremy Strandberg): a more focused and polished DW-adjacent game focusing on adventurers being residents of an Iron Age village who quest to improve the lives of the village.
Fabula Ultima: a TTRPG based on and inspired by JRPGs. The game is also influenced heavily by tabletop games like 4e D&D, Fate, Cortex Prime, Apocalypse World, and Blades in the Dark.
Shadow of the Demon Lord (Rob Schwalb): dark fantasy love child of D&D 5e and Warhammer Fantasy RP. A lot of character-building options even within 10 levels, as characters pick a Novice, Expert, and Master "paths" that can be mixed in all sorts of combinations.
* Shadow of the Weird Wizard is on the way soon, with the Kickstarter hopefully in March 2023. It will be Rob Schwalb's ode to Greyhawk and Gygaxian fantasy.
Generic Toolkit Systems
However, if I had to pick which games that I would run for groups of more casual players? Fantasy AGE, Index Card RPG, or Dungeon World.
Fantasy AGE (Green Ronin): It's new player friendly IME. The 3d6 stunt point system is fun for many new players. There are three, soon to be four, broad classes with subtype like Specializations. Magic is organized in themes (e.g., fire, illusion, plant, healing, etc.) and is not as "dense" or overwhelming as it can be in D&D.
Index Card RPG: a super light and stipped down version of D&D that uses the Creative Commons License. Incredibly hackable.
Worlds Without Number (Kevin Crawford): If B/X, Traveller, and True 20 raised a baby together, creating a mix of OSR and modern sensibilities. Has tools and advice for running sandbox games. The implied and default setting is Dying Earth.
Dungeon World: a Powered by the Apocalype game that tries to evoke old school D&D. However, I would recommend the more polished and free variant Homebrew World (Jeremy Strandberg), albeit modified for longer campaigns, or Freebooters on the Frontier (Jason Lutes). The latter two authors have carried the DW torch whereas the original authors of DW have moved on.
* Stonetop (Jeremy Strandberg): a more focused and polished DW-adjacent game focusing on adventurers being residents of an Iron Age village who quest to improve the lives of the village.
Fabula Ultima: a TTRPG based on and inspired by JRPGs. The game is also influenced heavily by tabletop games like 4e D&D, Fate, Cortex Prime, Apocalypse World, and Blades in the Dark.
Shadow of the Demon Lord (Rob Schwalb): dark fantasy love child of D&D 5e and Warhammer Fantasy RP. A lot of character-building options even within 10 levels, as characters pick a Novice, Expert, and Master "paths" that can be mixed in all sorts of combinations.
* Shadow of the Weird Wizard is on the way soon, with the Kickstarter hopefully in March 2023. It will be Rob Schwalb's ode to Greyhawk and Gygaxian fantasy.
Generic Toolkit Systems
- Cypher System
- Savage Worlds
However, if I had to pick which games that I would run for groups of more casual players? Fantasy AGE, Index Card RPG, or Dungeon World.
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Voadam
Legend
Huh, with the monster single save I thought it was more of a Swords & Wizardry OD&D base type thing than a B/X variant. The stat bonuses only going to +2 instead of the standard +3 for an 18 in B/X also fed into that as well as all classes having d6 based HD. The monsters do have B/X type morale though.
Aldarc
Legend
I take the creator's word for it here, but it's not enough for me to quibble over. 1e D&D or B/X? As the Germans say, "Das ist mir Wurst."
D6 was released under the OGL.
Zardnaar
Legend
I thought they did there own version?
Anyway I'm sure you could do a non OGL D6 game if you really wanted to.
Yeah, it would be tough to argue additive dice pools are copyrightable. Now, if you used exactly the same attributes and skill break downs as another game, maybe? But then I am not sure where the line is (and I don't gather that anyone else can be sure either).
Zardnaar
Legend
Well it's also because WEG isn't around anymore so if you copied there system there's no one around to enforce any claims to the system afaik.
D6 fantasy bisnt very good but the D6 system isn't to bad. I'm sure someone could do a better job than D6 fantasy.
hojulation
Explorer
The AGE system has been mentioned more than once but really encompasses a lot of properties you can play in:
- Generic Fantasy AGE (which is getting a new, updated core rules manual), can be played in Freeport, Blue Rose, Lost Citadel, and Titansgrave.
- Dragon AGE (the progenitor of the entire AGE system) I ran a Dragon AGE campaign for years and it was a blast. There was even a Midgard bestiary produced by Kobold Press at one point. Ran a converted N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God in this system, it was awesome.
- The Expanse - Only played the Quick Start adventure but it was a lot of fun, a great refinement to the overall AGE system IMO. They've done a great job capturing the feeling of the novel series.
- Modern AGE - As the name implies, a Modern Setting implementation of the AGE rules, it can be used with their Threefold setting to have Modern, plane hopping adventures.
- Green Ronin also has a new campaign coming out on Backerkit for their Fifth Season RPG which is also powered by AGE.
And I'd be remiss to not mention Free League (though they've been mentioned already too), the Beta for Dragonbane has been released and looks like a lot of fun. The "Mirth and Mayhem" approach is right up my players alley. When the full game is released I will definitely be running a campaign using those rules
- Generic Fantasy AGE (which is getting a new, updated core rules manual), can be played in Freeport, Blue Rose, Lost Citadel, and Titansgrave.
- Dragon AGE (the progenitor of the entire AGE system) I ran a Dragon AGE campaign for years and it was a blast. There was even a Midgard bestiary produced by Kobold Press at one point. Ran a converted N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God in this system, it was awesome.
- The Expanse - Only played the Quick Start adventure but it was a lot of fun, a great refinement to the overall AGE system IMO. They've done a great job capturing the feeling of the novel series.
- Modern AGE - As the name implies, a Modern Setting implementation of the AGE rules, it can be used with their Threefold setting to have Modern, plane hopping adventures.
- Green Ronin also has a new campaign coming out on Backerkit for their Fifth Season RPG which is also powered by AGE.
And I'd be remiss to not mention Free League (though they've been mentioned already too), the Beta for Dragonbane has been released and looks like a lot of fun. The "Mirth and Mayhem" approach is right up my players alley. When the full game is released I will definitely be running a campaign using those rules
mamba
Hero
what is the difference between Dragon Age and Fantasy Age, sounds like they both work for generic fantasy?
Sorcerers Apprentice
Hero
AD&D. There's no OGL involved, and according to Gary Gygax it's a separate game completely unrelated to D&D.
Voadam
Legend
Dragon Age is based off the video game including setting and lore.
Fantasy Age uses the same rules system but is generic fantasy not set in the video game. I could not say how much races and magic and monsters and class type stuff varies.
mamba
Hero
seem to be similar enough, minus the Dragon Age game world
[Ronin Round Table] Fantasy AGE: What’s Different from Dragon Age?
Chris Pramas answers the question, "How is Fantasy AGE different from Dragon Age?"
greenronin.com
talks about the mechanical differences (8 vs 9 attributes, etc.)
Vaalingrade
Legend
In the first few years of this century, releasing your game under the OGL was a good will gesture as well as a way to generate a self-perpetuating cottage industry out of your fan base. It was a win-win for everyone as long as you didn't plan to replace your old OGL game with a deliberately non-OGL version a few years down the road.
CardCrest
Villager
OK thank you.
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