Other Game Systems

[Dannyalcatraz]

Having just read your revised criteria, I'll restate my pleasure with Mutants & Masterminds.

Its close to D20, so if you're familiar with that system, your learning curve will be really flat.

Its fairly rules light.

Flexibility? Like HERO, it can be used to simulate any genre. I know of several posters here on ENWorld who have used it for running an FRPG campaign, for instance. One of the core features of the best superhero RPGs is flexibility because within any given major comic "Universe" you'll find high-tech gageteers, gods & demigods & wannabes, aliens, mutants, martial artists, detectives, swordsmen & spellslingers, just to name a few archetypes.

It's in it's second printing, and there are several support books.

 

[Jhaelen]

Atypical Fantasy: Pendragon for the Arthurian knights, or Ars Magica if you want medieval magic. Be careful of the latter if you want a break from D&D; it's very easy to fall into D&D-ish patterns.

Umm ??? I can hardly think of two systems that are more different than Ars Magica and D&D.

I've never played in an Ars Magica game that was even remotely similar to a typical D&D session. Combat in Ars Magica is almost non-existent and if it happens, it's very quick and simple and very deadly (for the grogs, that is...).

Even roleplay-heavy sessions in D&D hardly ever take place without combat and if it happens it's the session's high point, being very tactical and taking ages.

 

[Gomez]

Big Eyes Small Mouth, 3rd Edition

 

[Pepster]

one more for the Savage Worlds

I'll toss in another suggestion for Savage Worlds. I'll note that minis aren't required for SW,
but some of the rules are geared for minis, like the missile weapon ranges are given in inches (each inch is considered to be 2 yards).

I'll add that SW has great support on the Pinnacle forums. It's the friendliest forum I've ever seen; flame wars are non-existent.

I call SW "rules-lighter". Conversions to it are easier than bringing other systems to d20. It's a generic toolkit type system and just fun to play.

Pepster

 

[shurai]

Ah, you must be the other Mekton player I've heard of. Pleased to meet you.

Shurai flashes his secret Owns a Mekton Book decoder ring.

And then there were three.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

While I don't own it, Mekton is actually a pretty cool game. Played it once in Austin under a guy named Marlin.

 

[Prophet2b]

So... In perusing this fine thread, I found myself wondering... what is C&C? Sorry, but I've basically only ever played D&D (a little bit of Serenity, too), and I've never taken an interest in other systems to a very large degree. So... yeah...

Don't kill me for not knowing please!

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

So... In perusing this fine thread, I found myself wondering... what is C&C?

C&C is Castles & Crusades. It's an in-print rules-light FRPG that has the feel of old-school D&D. It's an OGL game, and is highly compatible with all the published versions of D&D (although that's more true of the out-of-print versions -- you can still use 3E material with C&C, but's its not quite as easy as using classic D&D or AD&D material).

Go here for more info.

 

[Prophet2b]

C&C is Castles & Crusades. It's an in-print rules-light FRPG that has the feel of old-school D&D. It's an OGL game, and is highly compatible with all the published versions of D&D (although that's more true of the out-of-print versions -- you can still use 3E material with C&C, but's its not quite as easy as using classic D&D or AD&D material).

Go here for more info.

Ah-ha! Thanks. I've read about Castles & Crusades, but for some reason didn't make the connection. Doh. All I could think of was "Command & Conquer" - and I knew that wasn't right!

 

[shurai]

Having just read your revised criteria, I'll restate my pleasure with Mutants & Masterminds.

Its close to D20, so if you're familiar with that system, your learning curve will be really flat.

Its fairly rules light.

Although M&M is very complete given its low pagecount (pretty much anything can be simulated), I wouldn't call it rules-light. It's about as complex as D&D, I'd say, and D&D is not rules-light.