Sword & Sorcery RPGs 2024

[NebulaMajor]

GURPS Conan still slams to this day. The system is so precise and yet so simple to play and the setting guide truly reveals the Hyborian Age.

TBH S&S isn't about the system per se. It's about the characters. They should be morally-gray opportunists and as such the "heroic fantasy" often presented by many systems falls flat. While he sometimes performed heroic actions, Conan of Cimmeria was anything but a hero.

I mention GURPS because the system's made a semi-resurgence in 2024 .... and the great majority of fantasy ttrpgs are terrible.

I've always wanted to play this!

 

[dbm]

I've always wanted to play this!

Not only is it still available in PDF, so are a set of four solo adventures for it.

 

[rhythmsoundmotion]

I find Sword and Sorcery antagonists to be different than High Fantasy and Grimdark ones. How do the Sword and Sorcery RPGs handle making these characters appropriate? Is there really good advice in any of these books?

 

[rhythmsoundmotion]

I stumbled upon Jaws of the Six Serpents by Serpents by Silver Branch Games, and Million-Colored Sun by Hex Games. I am curious what are these games like? JotSS is praised heavily in some reviews. I could not find much about MCS except that the free preview and play through were nice.

​

 

[rhythmsoundmotion]

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

Tales of Argosa is the Drive Thru RPG deal of the day. The RPG was recommend a few times in this thread.

 

[kronovan]

Looks like they put out an update for SWADE!

Yep, Battlefield Press did, but there isn't much to it. That said, IME there isnt much lifting required to adapt anything written for SWD to SWADE. I'd forgotten I bought everything written for B&B in a DTRPG sale. Comparing Gold to Steel, the latter is the one to get, if you're not bothered by having to buy the GM & Player guides separately..

 

[teitan]

I know of it but haven't read it, so little time- so many games...

but DCC will forever be my go to epic fantasy, and I associate S&S with a more gritty game.
Ironic, because I don't think many games can give a better experience of the genre staples

See for me, DCC is more dark fantasy ala Elric than high fantasy. But then you slap Lankhmar on it and it immediately goes into Sword & Sorcery. It's definitely not Kane though.

 

[coralwave]

See for me, DCC is more dark fantasy ala Elric than high fantasy. But then you slap Lankhmar on it and it immediately goes into Sword & Sorcery. It's definitely not Kane though.

I'm nowhere near qualified enough to talk about the distinction between all the bub genres but to me, Epic and High fantasy are different. high level DCC is INSANE, but the atmosphere is still not the same as 5E etc.



Moorcock is a very good touchstone, but also CAS and Leiber (even without the Lankhmar boox set, like Patrons and general vibes)