What other fantasy games are out there?

[Wofano Wotanto]

I haven't had the opportunity to play it myself, but I hear good things about the 50 Fathoms setting for Savage Worlds, and it seems to fit most of your criteria.

I've played extensively when it was new, and it should certainly qualify for consideration if primarily nautical games appeal. Nice level of detail to the setting, neither too dense nor too shallow for my tastes. I'd add Sundered Skies to the list as well if it weren't for the Dwarf/elf proscription. Pity, the drakin and wildlings are pretty neat, and orcs are playable without much the taint of Tolkein on them.

TSR released 2Ed D&D rules to play in Lankhmar, Fritz Lieber’s story word, which is almost entirely human-centric.

Barring a few rat-girls and invisible ghoul ladyfriends. The lads were very openminded when it came to romantic partners for a setting that is mostly plain old humans.

Oh my what is this amazing madness! The art alone! yes!

Jorune is indeed beautiful, but its also scifi to a larger degree than even the fantasy-mecha game I recommended. You will be shooting blasters at aliens using psionics as magic and looting ancient Earth-tech from ruins.

If that's not an issue and you can stomach the long-dead creator's ties to white supramcist/neo-nazi groups, the setting of Tekumel might be worth a look. The setting is scifi but it's buried so deep in history that it winds up feeling like fantasy, and boy, some of the non-himans are uniquely strange.

My advice would be to avoid everything sold by the Tekumel Foundation and search out 3PP without direct ties to the Barker cover-up. Jeff Dee produced Bethorm before the news broke, which has some lovely art and cardboard pawns because, well, it's Jeff Dee. Guardians of Order did just plain Tekumel, which was well made and also featured some strong, evocative artwork - but it's hard to get since GOO has been gone for years and the license even longer.

Talislanta was designed specifically to break from Tolkien/D&D norms, no elves, dwarves, or orcs. Instead, it has dozens of original, often strange cultures and species, many of which draw inspiration from global mythologies, pulp fantasy, and Moorcockian weirdness rather than Western medieval tropes.

I would contend that there's a whole lot of Jack Vance in that setting's DNA as well. Really becomes obvious in the short fiction anthology they did way back when.

That is, of course, another selling point, not that you have to pay for any but a few Talsilanta books now since the archive went up.

The Mostali are dwarves, too.

Anyone going into Glorantha expecting Tolkein-esque Dwarves or elves out of Mostali or Aldryami is in for the shock of their life. And wait till they meet the trolls!

 

[Black Dougal]

And wait till they meet the trolls!

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

Uz are nowhere near that terrifying.

 

[velkymx]

Check out Cresthaven RPG

 

[aramis erak]

Yeah, I guess like someone else mentioned, as long as I can either ignore it, or its quite different (which, to a degree, i am not even sure Warhammer Fantasy gets far enough away from it... hmmm)

I really want to try and dig deep here, find some gems - or at least some stuff that is decent.


Anyone =
Was there ever any non-human races in L5R?

There are a few dozen as NPCs, none corresponding to Tolkienian Dwarves nor to Elves. The most common being the bakemono (goblins) and trolls.

L5R 1 and 2 had way of the Clans books including two non-humans as playables: The Naga (snake people) and the Nezumi (Ratmen) I seem to recall there being 3e and 4e coverage, but I don't have 3e PDF handy, and don't have 4e except core.

There is also the Rokugan setting for D&D 3.5+OA; it's got some non-humans that are playable, including Nezumi and Naga... but it is primarily aimed at human PCs. It's not great, but it's at least clearly trying.

the 5th edition of L5R is the FFG one, and currently in reprint only from Edge; it lacks playable non-humans. (Plenty of NPC templates for non-humans, tho')

Edge's Adventures in Rokugan has a couple dozen playable nonhumans, but it's literally an expansion for D&D 5e... and isn't terribly faithful to the setting tropes, either.

 

[aramis erak]

I have only started watching age of vikings rpg and pendragon both by chaosium on the glass cannon network doesn't seem to have elves or dwarves yet

Pendragon has NPC dwarfs, but they're humans with growth dysfunction, and not available as PCs
Elves in Pendragon are classic medieval elves, not the Tolkienian nor Victorian-Georgian ones. Forces of magic and destruction. And not available as PCs.

 

[aramis erak]

So going through my hard drive...

Jackals: bronze age fantasy, set in a close analogue to the middle east, using a d100 based system, with both a system of awarded automatic advancements, and use-to-raise check rolls. No non-humans as PCs. Magic is linked to the culture of the caster. Several intelligent monsters as NPCs.

Angel (PDF only): PCs are usually humans who know demons, or demons. Not all are evil. Well, almost all vampires are evil; only the handful that the gypsies have restored their souls to are not evil. Such as the titular Angel. The system (Cinematic Unisystem aka Unisystem Light) is 100% interoperable with Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Ghosts of Albion. The differences are in character gen and the magic available. Note that it's modern "urban fantasy" - the supernaturals are hiding in the shadows...

Feng Shui 2: This is not of need silly. It can be run that way. Rules semi-light, several non-humans available, no elves nor dwarves. Does have time travel and simian PCs from the post-holocaust future; the time travel is to specific timeframes, not directly controllable.

Mouse Guard: A vaguely turn of the 12th century tone, but of anthropomorphic mice. Built to support the serious drama in play, and quite successful if one actually accepts the rules. Experience with other games from Crane and Olavsruud helpful, but not essential. No other playable species.

Lace and Steel: a fantasy setting in the Musketeer period style...
Civilized Races: Humans, Half-Horses (“Centaurs”)
Wild Races: Satyrs, Harpies, Merfolk
Faerie Races: Fairies, The “Halflings”, Pixies, Hobgoblins And Goblins, Trolls, Ogres
Note that the halflings are not Tolkien's halflings, but half-faeries.
I've not gotten L&S to table, but I have played a few fights out... its amusing. As a person who's studied Renaissance heavy-blade fencing... it feels right.

Mazes and Minotaurs: It's a very playable retrostyle game, the non-humans are race as class, specifically Nymphs, and in RM&M, Centaurs.

Paleomythic: Stone age RPG; custom system. Love the read, I'll never run the system.

Planet of the Apes: based upon the "classic" movies. Technically Sci-Fi, but the ape end of the timeline isn't high tech. 4 Species: Human, Chimp, Gorilla, and Orangutan... uses the classic D6 system.

Pugmire: All PCs are anthropomorphic dogs in a post-human setting. Mechanics are close to D&D 5, except how classes work and in using fiat leveling only.

Monarchies of Mau: Pugmire system, but with cats.

Pirates of Pugmire: expansion for pugmire and/or Monarchies adding birds and lizards and pirate theme.

Squeaks in the Deep: Rats and Mice in the pugmire system/setting.

 

[RenleyRenfield]

Pugmire has long been on my list. OH how I long to play a Corgi Paladin. I WILL HERD THEE TO RIGHTIOUSNESS!!!

 

[Koloth]

So, part of me as an old fart knows that GURPS has this... but I don't recall GUPRS going much into details for races. It's been a few years, lol. What are the best race books for that? DO they have a side Races and cultures book kinda like sword and sorcery used to?

GURPS Fantasy is probably what you would want. Yes, there are elves and dwarves listed, along with many other options. Most are racial templates you apply to the character in question. Easy to ban any you don't want infecting your world.

 

[aramis erak]

Pugmire has long been on my list. OH how I long to play a Corgi Paladin. I WILL HERD THEE TO RIGHTIOUSNESS!!!

I got monarchies to table, not pugmire... Juneteenth is the right time to play its corebook's adventure...