Obscure RPGs

[Edgewood]

I was going through my collection of RPGs I have amassed over the past 20 years and came across an obscure rpg I don't think I have ever seen anyone mention on these boards. It's entitled ALBEDO and is a para-military rpg where all of the main characters are highly evolved animals such as cats, foxes, rabbits, bears, and the like. The boxed set comes with the players manual and GM's guide. It also came with a field tech manual with technical illustrations of all the vehicles and weapons. The illustrations of the vehicles was pretty good actually. i'll upload a pic of the boxed set in a bit.

This got me to thinking. What other really obscure RPGs are out there? Does anyone want to share a blacksheep in their collection as it were? Anything out there that you purchased that a majority of us may not of heard of before??

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Ravenstar

Possibly obscure, but likeable on my part: Tales from the Crupt (WEG, using the MasterBook system)

 

[The_Gneech]

In my collection:

Macho Women With Guns (the original release)
Extreme Vengeance (Action Hero Roleplaying)
Pandemonium (Adventures in Tabloid World)
Noir: The Film Noir Roleplaying Game
Deliria

I also played one session of the original Bunnies and Burrows, but was frustrated when I was the only one who wanted to play it straight instead of doing pirate bunnies or whatever.

-The Gneech

 

[Roadkill101]

I have a game called Ultra Combat. It's based on a futuristic high-tech setting. I wouldn't go so far as to call it sci-fi, except where some of the technology is concerned. It's completely humanocentric. Too many of the game mechanics only make sense when using the provided setting fluff without a lot of work on a GM's part to make it more generic.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

One of my favorites:

Khaotic
1st ed by Kathleen Williams, Joe Williams (1994) Marquee Press
An alien invasion RPG, where the PC's psychically project themselves to a distant planet to possess monsters who are invading Earth. The "Trans-Ego Device" used was invented in 1944 by Dr. Isabella Bayne, who is also the evil mastermind behind the invasion from the "tech noir" world of Xenos. The PC's are members of the International Society of Enlightened Scientists (ISES) who took charge of the TED. The catch is that the whole party possesses one creature: only one member of the party at a time can control the host, while those who are not in control can use psychic powers and offer advice. It uses a variant of the system from Legendary Lives.

I thought it such a cool hook... Everybody makes their characters, normal human beings... And then everyone gets thrown into the same "host" body. One person is "in control" and all the other PCs are designated "crickets;" that is, little chirpers in the background.

So in a given encounter, you might have the face guy begging for control of the host body, while in the meantime the psyche in charge belongs to the party bruiser, who intends to fight his way past the guards...

Yeah. Anyway, it didn't work out the one time I tried to run it. It's been 10 years-- I might have to dig it out again for a Game Day or something.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

One of my favorites:

It sounds like something a couple of PhDs in Psychology and/or Sociology would come up with. Oooh...let's create a role-playing exercise where people have to step outside humanocentric norms and engage in cooperative problem-solving.

Me, I just want to blow stuff up real good.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

This got me to thinking. What other really obscure RPGs are out there? Does anyone want to share a blacksheep in their collection as it were? Anything out there that you purchased that a majority of us may not of heard of before??

I played 'Powers and Perils' and liked it. Lords of Creation, too.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Bushido: The Lands of Nippon!
Project A-KO: the Roleplaying Game.
Teanagers from Outerspace and a bunch of other anime inspired games from R Talsorian books.

 

[Huw]

Maelstrom: Published in the UK in paperback form. Set in 17th century England.

Lands of Adventure: A 30 page A5 booklet which still manages to contain a complete RPG system.

Warlock: A D&D variant published back when TSR didn't take kindly to D&D variants.

Legend Quest: To tell the truth, I've never properly read through this one.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Yeah. Anyway, it didn't work out the one time I tried to run it. It's been 10 years-- I might have to dig it out again for a Game Day or something.

You'll have to run it as an EnWorld pick-up game for us at GenCon next year. I'd be interested in playing.