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Other 3.x OGL systems
- Thread starter NotZenon
- Start date
Voadam
Legend
Not sure what you mean by sword and sorcery . . .
Arcana Evolved gives you a bunch of new races and classes including a semi-new casting system.
The races are good and come with racial levels similar to ones in Unearthed Arcana and WoWd20. Of note are giants who become large at level 3 and feyn who can become tiny and flying at level 3.
The magic basically works by making every spell caster a spontaneous caster, giving everybody full access to their class spell list, but only a limited number of prepared spells from their spell list a day. Metamagics mostly work without level increases but often with a material component. Spell slots and caster level stacks in multiclassing but spells known (including spell levels of spells known) come only from individual classes with lots of spell list crossover. No arcane/divine split, spell lists are mostly from one pool but divided by descriptors.
Classes are mostly fun, they have a great swashbuckler class, an interesting tapping into the world memory skill class, specialized witches, a non CODzilla green healing caster, etc.
It also gives one extra feat at first level and ties a lot of stuff into true names and rituals through a bunch of feats.
No alignment.
Basically 3.0 skills with hide and move silent collapsed into stealth.
Aus_Snow
First Post
While many a system (or supplement) has had claims made in earnest that it is hardcore "sword & sorcery", or whatever, Conan OGL actually is. Well, maybe not hardcore, but yeah, it's S&S alright. Captures the Conan feel quite well, I think.
If you prefer full colour, get the Atlantean Edition. If, on the oither hand, you are after a bit of extra rules content, get the 2nd Edition.
One of the most notable aspects is the magic system. This is not your D&D-style magic, by any means. Sorcery can benefit from a few things, such as sacrifices. It also, however, can lead the practitioner directly into the depths of madness, and other side-effects of Corruption. Runaway Magic can be fun, too.
"Races": All just humans from different areas, different cultures. Some small mechanical variation, at times reaching the D&D races level of such.
Classes: Barbarian, Borderer, Noble, Nomad, Pirate, Scholar, Soldier, Thief. I believe the 2nd edition book also has the Temptress, which was originally found in a 1st edition supp. Multiclassing is "free", and favoured classes (from "races") - rather than penalising deviation, as per 3e - reward sticking to the standard archetype(s), by granting bonus feats, at 1st, 5th and 10th level, assuming a favoured class has been adhered to for that time.
You still have skills and feats. Some feats are quite neat, with good combat (or other) flavour. Abilities not only get individual inceases at every fourth level, but an increase to all of them at once, every sixth level too.
Fate Points are very cool - they offer Left for Dead, Mighty Blow, Repentance or Destiny, as the player wishes. You start with three FP, and once used, they are gone forever - more can only be gained by accomplishing major goals; that kind of thing.
Weapons do more damage. Armour provides DR, not AC. You have Dodge and Parry scores, which increase according to class(es) and level. Mostly, you'll be wanting to pummel your way through said DR, but those treading the Finesse path can instead try and exploit chinks in the armour, thus bypassing it altogether. Another twist is that some weapons have an AP (armour piercing) rating, to help somewhat with, that's right, piercing armour. Armour can also be reduced in effectiveness, if it takes a large amount of damage in one go.
High Living has to be my favourite rule in the Conan RPG. Basically, PCs must spend a considerable portion of their ill-gotten gold on. . . well, ale and whores. More or less.
Hopefully, that is enough to give you an idea.
edit --- Oh, and if you want a gazetteer of "the lands of Conan", get the Road of Kings supplement, or Return to the Road of Kings (2nd ed. expanded version). Either one is by far good enough to use with whatever system you favour, should you find that world at all compelling.
If you prefer full colour, get the Atlantean Edition. If, on the oither hand, you are after a bit of extra rules content, get the 2nd Edition.
One of the most notable aspects is the magic system. This is not your D&D-style magic, by any means. Sorcery can benefit from a few things, such as sacrifices. It also, however, can lead the practitioner directly into the depths of madness, and other side-effects of Corruption. Runaway Magic can be fun, too.
"Races": All just humans from different areas, different cultures. Some small mechanical variation, at times reaching the D&D races level of such.
Classes: Barbarian, Borderer, Noble, Nomad, Pirate, Scholar, Soldier, Thief. I believe the 2nd edition book also has the Temptress, which was originally found in a 1st edition supp. Multiclassing is "free", and favoured classes (from "races") - rather than penalising deviation, as per 3e - reward sticking to the standard archetype(s), by granting bonus feats, at 1st, 5th and 10th level, assuming a favoured class has been adhered to for that time.
You still have skills and feats. Some feats are quite neat, with good combat (or other) flavour. Abilities not only get individual inceases at every fourth level, but an increase to all of them at once, every sixth level too.
Fate Points are very cool - they offer Left for Dead, Mighty Blow, Repentance or Destiny, as the player wishes. You start with three FP, and once used, they are gone forever - more can only be gained by accomplishing major goals; that kind of thing.
Weapons do more damage. Armour provides DR, not AC. You have Dodge and Parry scores, which increase according to class(es) and level. Mostly, you'll be wanting to pummel your way through said DR, but those treading the Finesse path can instead try and exploit chinks in the armour, thus bypassing it altogether. Another twist is that some weapons have an AP (armour piercing) rating, to help somewhat with, that's right, piercing armour. Armour can also be reduced in effectiveness, if it takes a large amount of damage in one go.
High Living has to be my favourite rule in the Conan RPG. Basically, PCs must spend a considerable portion of their ill-gotten gold on. . . well, ale and whores. More or less.
Hopefully, that is enough to give you an idea.
edit --- Oh, and if you want a gazetteer of "the lands of Conan", get the Road of Kings supplement, or Return to the Road of Kings (2nd ed. expanded version). Either one is by far good enough to use with whatever system you favour, should you find that world at all compelling.
Psion
Adventurer
Flexible system with an emphasis on GM (and player) customization.
Largely based on the Spycraft 2.0 system (which was based on Spycraft 1st, which in turn was a 3.0 ogl product), it's a bit further from the core d20 tree than many other offerings you see here.
A few features:
- Characters feature talents and specialties, which give you a tool to further customize your character at 1st level.
- Entirely different spate of classes, with some less combat centric choices like keeper and courtier.
- More emphasis on the skill system. You can crit and fumble skill checks, for example. Skill list is much shorter, knowledges have been moved out to an interest system, and no classes less than 4 sp/level, so the skill system is much more valid as an avenue for gameplay.
- Very few feats are the same as in 3.x. Feats are arranged into trees that make expanding classes easy. Trees are shallow (none more than 3 deep) and have few prerequisites.
- Vitality/Wounds type damage system. Due to action dice (see below), this plays very different from Star Wars d20, though.
- Action Dice - each PC (and the GM) has a pool that lets them add to dice roll, confirm crits and fumbles, and alter the flow of the game in other ways.
- Abbreviated/scaling NPC system. Writing up NPCs is quick and easy, and the same NPC can be used to challenge low and high level PCs.
- Combat plugs more strongly into the skill system, and a variety of actions are available to all PCs beyond "I hit". Want to trip your enemy or tire them out? It's a viable option if you have the right skills.
- No attacks of opportunity or iterative attacks; defense is based mainly on class and level; armor absorbs damage.
- Point based spell system. Magic is entirely optional and the game operates just fine without it.
- Campaign qualities, a selection of plug-in modular rules that tweak the flavor of your game.
RPGObjects Legends Series...
(Legends of Excalibur, Legends of the Samurai... there were others, but those were the one that there were print books for).
Books emphasizing myths and legends. Largely 3.5 compatible, but with a whole new selection of classes, new subsystems (like honor), and a point based magic system. The Samurai book also has a 3.5 compatible version of RPG Objects famed Blood & Fist martial arts system originally written for D20 Modern.
Voadam
Legend
Castles and Crusades, combining some OGL and old edition D&D.
Stats have different bonus progression, 8=-1, 9-12=0, 13-15=+1, 16-17=+2, 18-19=+3.
AC goes up like in 3e as opposed to down like in AD&D.
No feats.
No skills.
One save for each of the six stats.
BAB is on different progressions, Fighters get +1/level. Rangers and barbarians and knights and paladins and monks get +1/level after first, clerics and rogues and druids and assassins and bards get 1/2 or so I think while wizards and illusionists get 1/4 or so.
No multiclassing in 3rd printing of PH, 4th reportedly has one but I don't have that printing yet to say how it works.
Saves and class abilities and skill type checks work on an ability check type mechanic. Each character has two abilities as prime (humans get a third) and the rest as secondary. Base DC is I think 18 for secondary and 12 for prime (would have been a lot more straightforward IMO to simply say primes get a +6 bonus) plus DM discretion modifiers. You get ability bonus on check plus level if appropriate (such as a class ability or DM discretion). One prime is determined by class. Lot of DM discretion.
No multiple attacks unless you are a fighter, then you get multiple ones against creatures with 1 HD or less or a second full attack at level 10.
Monsters have no con bonus on hit points, just HD and do roughly only the dice damage as 3e counterparts, no str bonus to damage.
I think Rogues do double damage on sneak attacks instead of +X and are limited to using smaller weapons when doing so.
Different xp progressions for each class based on class power as a rough balance option.
Initiative works a little differently than in 3e. No crits. different mechanics for grappling and knocking people down.
Generally a mechanically and power wise stripped down quick running 3e or a combination basic/AD&D with AC going up instead of down.
Lots of room for easy mechanics tinkering such as throwing feats or non weapon proficiencies back in the game.
Stats have different bonus progression, 8=-1, 9-12=0, 13-15=+1, 16-17=+2, 18-19=+3.
AC goes up like in 3e as opposed to down like in AD&D.
No feats.
No skills.
One save for each of the six stats.
BAB is on different progressions, Fighters get +1/level. Rangers and barbarians and knights and paladins and monks get +1/level after first, clerics and rogues and druids and assassins and bards get 1/2 or so I think while wizards and illusionists get 1/4 or so.
No multiclassing in 3rd printing of PH, 4th reportedly has one but I don't have that printing yet to say how it works.
Saves and class abilities and skill type checks work on an ability check type mechanic. Each character has two abilities as prime (humans get a third) and the rest as secondary. Base DC is I think 18 for secondary and 12 for prime (would have been a lot more straightforward IMO to simply say primes get a +6 bonus) plus DM discretion modifiers. You get ability bonus on check plus level if appropriate (such as a class ability or DM discretion). One prime is determined by class. Lot of DM discretion.
No multiple attacks unless you are a fighter, then you get multiple ones against creatures with 1 HD or less or a second full attack at level 10.
Monsters have no con bonus on hit points, just HD and do roughly only the dice damage as 3e counterparts, no str bonus to damage.
I think Rogues do double damage on sneak attacks instead of +X and are limited to using smaller weapons when doing so.
Different xp progressions for each class based on class power as a rough balance option.
Initiative works a little differently than in 3e. No crits. different mechanics for grappling and knocking people down.
Generally a mechanically and power wise stripped down quick running 3e or a combination basic/AD&D with AC going up instead of down.
Lots of room for easy mechanics tinkering such as throwing feats or non weapon proficiencies back in the game.
rgard
Adventurer
While many a system (or supplement) has had claims made in earnest that it is hardcore "sword & sorcery", or whatever, Conan OGL actually is. Well, maybe not hardcore, but yeah, it's S&S alright. Captures the Conan feel quite well, I think.
If you prefer full colour, get the Atlantean Edition. If, on the oither hand, you are after a bit of extra rules content, get the 2nd Edition.
One of the most notable aspects is the magic system. This is not your D&D-style magic, by any means. Sorcery can benefit from a few things, such as sacrifices. It also, however, can lead the practitioner directly into the depths of madness, and other side-effects of Corruption. Runaway Magic can be fun, too.
"Races": All just humans from different areas, different cultures. Some small mechanical variation, at times reaching the D&D races level of such.
Classes: Barbarian, Borderer, Noble, Nomad, Pirate, Scholar, Soldier, Thief. I believe the 2nd edition book also has the Temptress, which was originally found in a 1st edition supp. Multiclassing is "free", and favoured classes (from "races") - rather than penalising deviation, as per 3e - reward sticking to the standard archetype(s), by granting bonus feats, at 1st, 5th and 10th level, assuming a favoured class has been adhered to for that time.
You still have skills and feats. Some feats are quite neat, with good combat (or other) flavour. Abilities not only get individual inceases at every fourth level, but an increase to all of them at once, every sixth level too.
Fate Points are very cool - they offer Left for Dead, Mighty Blow, Repentance or Destiny, as the player wishes. You start with three FP, and once used, they are gone forever - more can only be gained by accomplishing major goals; that kind of thing.
Weapons do more damage. Armour provides DR, not AC. You have Dodge and Parry scores, which increase according to class(es) and level. Mostly, you'll be wanting to pummel your way through said DR, but those treading the Finesse path can instead try and exploit chinks in the armour, thus bypassing it altogether. Another twist is that some weapons have an AP (armour piercing) rating, to help somewhat with, that's right, piercing armour. Armour can also be reduced in effectiveness, if it takes a large amount of damage in one go.
High Living has to be my favourite rule in the Conan RPG. Basically, PCs must spend a considerable portion of their ill-gotten gold on. . . well, ale and whores. More or less.
Hopefully, that is enough to give you an idea.
edit --- Oh, and if you want a gazetteer of "the lands of Conan", get the Road of Kings supplement, or Return to the Road of Kings (2nd ed. expanded version). Either one is by far good enough to use with whatever system you favour, should you find that world at all compelling.
That's a great recap of Conan. I guess I've given you xps recently as the system says I need so spread some around.
Also, the pdf pocket version of the Atlantean version is on sale here:
Conan the Roleplaying Game (pocket Version) - Mongoose | EN World PDF Store
at $11.97. That's inexpensive enough to figure out whether you want to splurge on hard copies.
Thanks,
Rich
rgard
Adventurer
High Living has to be my favourite rule in the Conan RPG. Basically, PCs must spend a considerable portion of their ill-gotten gold on. . . well, ale and whores. More or less.
Which reminds me:
"I spent 90% of my money on women and drink. The rest I wasted"
- George Best
Freakin' AMAZING system. The authors changed just the "right" things to make 3.5 damn near perfect.
I'm talking about Conan 2E. It's based on 3.5, but it incorporates several changes. Multiclassing is very easy. The class choices are neat. The magic system is completely revamped from D&D, changed into a very dark, gritty system where blood sacrifices will help a sorcerer cast bigger spells. Armor protects the wearer from damage--not makes the character harder to hit. Lots of good stuff.
Other d20 based systems, similiar to Conan, that I've seen and like are The Black Company and Thieves World.
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