D&D General The Best Non-D&D System for Each D&D Setting

[Aldarc]

The settings of D&D were obviously designed for D&D or with D&D in mind, but what if they weren't? Or have you ever thought that there were other systems out there that could take a setting and capture the spirit of the setting, dare I say, better than D&D can? That's what this thread borne from boredom and shooting the breeze is about.

What is the best non-D&D system for each D&D setting?

When I say "non-D&D," I also would clarify by stipulating no retroclones, fantasy heartbreakers, or any system where you are basically just picking an off-brand D&D or D&D-based game with the serial numbers filed off. Try not to quibble about this too much, as the point is not to try to cheat the spirit of the premise of this discussion.

For example, I believe that Keith Baker has said that Savage Worlds would be a suitable non-D&D system for running Eberron.

 

[uzirath]

I ran an extended (10+ year) GURPS Fantasy campaign in the World of Greyhawk in the '90s and early '00s. More recently I've used GURPS for D&D 5e content in both Greyhawk and the Realms. (I've run Saltmarsh, one of my favorite introductory adventures, with GURPS more than I've run it with D&D, though I've run the Sinister Secret at least once in each version of D&D.) I'm currently planning out a GURPS version of Rime of the Frostmaiden.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Call of Cthulhu for Ravenloft.

 

[TwoSix]

Reign seems like a easy fit for Birthright.

It would require a fair amount of hacking, but Mage: The Ascension has a lot of tonal fit with Planescape (factions jockeying for their philosophy to take control of reality), and everyone being some kind of caster fits better with the setting, I think.

Dungeon World and Greyhawk seem to go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

Ravnica would be an interesting place for a Forged in the Dark type game.

Forgotten Realms seems to have a lot of famous characters of very disparate power levels, so maybe a Cortex type game? You could have Elminster, Drizzt and Volo in the same party.

 

[Shardstone]

Reign seems like a easy fit for Birthright.

It would require a fair amount of hacking, but Mage: The Ascension has a lot of tonal fit with Planescape (factions jockeying for their philosophy to take control of reality), and everyone being some kind of caster fits better with the setting, I think.

Dungeon World and Greyhawk seem to go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

Ravnica would be an interesting place for a Forged in the Dark type game.

Forgotten Realms seems to have a lot of famous characters of very disparate power levels, so maybe a Cortex type game? You could have Elminster, Drizzt and Volo in the same party.

That Ravnica idea...that is good. I like that. I like that a lot!

 

[Aldarc]

It would require a fair amount of hacking, but Mage: The Ascension has a lot of tonal fit with Planescape (factions jockeying for their philosophy to take control of reality), and everyone being some kind of caster fits better with the setting, I think.

Ravnica would be an interesting place for a Forged in the Dark type game.

NICE! There is a Forged in the Dark game on Kickstarter (Sig) that's clearly Planescape-inspired, but Ravanica would also work well for a FitD game too! I could see a game like Burning Wheel also working for Planescape, where you are constantly having to test your beliefs/ideologies against reality.

Nentir Vale: Exalted

Greyhawk: Iron Heroes, Torchbearer, Forbidden Lands

 

[jmartkdr2]

NICE! There is a Forged in the Dark game on Kickstarter (Sig) that's clearly Planescape-inspired, but Ravanica would also work well for a FitD game too! I could see a game like Burning Wheel also working for Planescape, where you are constantly having to test your beliefs/ideologies against reality.

Nentir Vale: Exalted

Greyhawk: Iron Heroes, Torchbearer, Forbidden Lands

Honestly, I'd rather just play Exalted using the 4e ruleset...

Torchbearer would be a great fit for Dark Sun.

 

[Laurefindel]

I could see a Ravenloft game played with the original Cubicle 7's The One Ring system. Emphasis on light and darkness, fear and despair, and the ways to counter them. It would also put more emphasis on the fantastical elements by having more mundane charatcers.

 

[Voadam]

I felt that Ravenloft matched up well with a lot of concepts from Mage the Sorcerer's Crusade with having a Not-Dr. Frankenstein, a Not-Mr. Hyde, and so on plus the general mage match up to D&D classes.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Great thread!

13th Age for Dragonlance. It delivers the type of big damn heroes you see in Dragonlance's epic fantasy, and the Icon system could model the forces at play in the War of the Lance. 13th Age often has a gonzo tone, but that has more to do with the voice of the authors than the system itself.

Cortex could also work for Dragonlance, too.