Recomend A Game System?

[SiderisAnon]

I am doing some research into game systems to run my next campaign in. I've got some months before my current game ends, but I want to start looking into the game systems so that I have time to read several and then learn the one I choose. I am looking for some recommendations of systems that might work well for the setting.

The setting is a resurrection of an old campaign setting I used in D&D. Instead of a whole world, there are pieces of worlds floating in the void. The pieces are continent sized or smaller. You travel from piece to piece in a ship. (There are waterways between the pieces, basically.)

When I ran the D&D game, a couple of the players really got into the aspects of inter-world trading, ship building, and generally building up an economic power house. Most of the party wasn't interested, so it didn't get as much time as these two wanted. I rather enjoyed those elements as well, so I've agreed to run a game focusing on them. It will be totally different characters and even a very different part of the setting, so there will be minimal overlap.

Unfortunately, the mechanics of D&D do not lend themselves well to creating a Dutch East India Trading Company. (Not sure if i have that historical name completely correct there.) While there will be some combat, the game will focus far more on mercantile and ship skills than combat skills.


I am looking for some recommendations for a decent rules set that are appropriate to a fantasy setting and can be used to handle merchants and politics and such. I do not need an economic simulator as I can handle that on my own, though I'd be happy to read through one.

A recommendation on a good sailing ship combat system/game would be very helpful as well. The weaponry will range from early medieval on up to cannons. I am more than willing to adapt a solid war game type system for our use. (The players are fine with getting away from the hole we sank into in the D&D game where most pirates were not a threat because the two high level wizards could devastate their ship in a few spells.)

I'm already looking at FATE. I've played it and liked it, though I'm not sure the other two players will enjoy it as well. We've already crossed off some of the gaming systems we've been using in the past five years, which include D&D 3, Shadowrun 3, generic World of Darkness, Star Wars D6, and Battletech.

Anything anyone could recommend?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You can't go wrong with a toolbox system like HERO or M&M, and I understand that, despite my historical dislike of GURPS, the current edition "fixed" many of my concerns, so I'll suggest it as well.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Some things that spring to mind:

GURPS (should work fine, with the right supplements; not a system I like)
7th Sea (should fit like a glove, from what I hear; haven't tried it, however)
Reign (might work for most or even all of it, particularly with organisations; again, haven't tried it though)

Or yeah, some other generic/toolbox system with appropriate house rules and/or supplemental material. . . Hm. I'll have to think this one over some more.


edit --- Frank Brunner's new system (Spellbound Kingdoms) could be good for this too, whenever that comes out.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll second 7th Sea, as well as its D20 counterpart, Swashbuckling Adventures.

In addition, you might want to check out Northern Crown and Nyambe (2 independently designed games that were subsequently linked by their authors).

 

[jdrakeh]

If you're more interested in system transparency or fast play, I'd take a look at Fudge (or its spin-off, Fate), Savage Worlds, or The Window (an updated version of The Window is attached to this post). These are all 'tool box' systems, as well, though they spend considerably less time trying to mechanically mirror genre conventions than GURPS and HERO do. That said, if you prefer very 'crunchy' rule sets or a heavy focus on mechanical simulation in the games that you play, I would stick with GURPS and/or HERO.

[Edit: Ignore the Introduction to The Window. As I mention in another thread, it's rubbish. ]

 

[Kristian Serrano]

I'd consider Savage Worlds simply because it helps to get the rules out of the way of roleplaying while also using it's rules as a scaffold for stronger roleplaying. In other words, the rules as designed actually encourage roleplay because they aren't as concerned with micromanaging the game, and they allow the DM and the players to describe their own actions and events.

 

[xechnao]

I think you should check Reign for running companies and stuff. Regarding ship combat the only specialized product I am aware of is an old miniatures game of Games Workshop called Manowar.
Perhaps adapting clues from Manowar in the Reign game you could get the right frame regarding the fleet dealing business you want.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_O'_War_(game)

EDIT: I see there are supplements for reign now dealing with ships and pirate business.
http://www.gregstolze.com/reign/supplements.html

 

[Scribble]

I'd go with GURPS as others have suggested.

If you're the type (like me) that tends to start missing the ability to roll more then just 3d6es then GURPS will get old quick... But if not, GURPS would work great for this campaign model.

 

[rogueattorney]

Doesn't Savage Worlds have a spin-off pirates game? Pirates of the Spanish Main, I believe.

That might be just what the OP is looking for.

 

[jdrakeh]

Doesn't Savage Worlds have a spin-off pirates game? Pirates of the Spanish Main, I believe.

That might be just what the OP is looking for.

Such a product does exist, but I'm not sure that it handles "merchants and politics and such" any better than any other system so far recommended. In fact, I'm not sure that any of the systems so far recommended (including those that I mention) contain substantial mechanics for addressing these things past a simple skill check.

In other words, when you get right down to it, none of the systems so far recommended will handle the social aspects that the OP addresses much differently than D&D will (i.e., by asking the players of the interacting characters to make X skill checks and compare results).

There aren't too many game systems out there with highly developed rules for handling social interaction. AFAIK, only Burning Wheel and Exalted 2e have explicit resolution rules for social interaction that are notably different than the respective core task resolution system of each system. Well, and maybe the old Baron Munchausen game — but a lot of people don't consider it to be a RPG.