What other fantasy games are out there?

[Dannyalcatraz]

So going through my hard drive...

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.

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

I’ve often thought about that game, but never pulled the trigger. I can envision a Border Collie similar to your Corgi. Or maybe a Husky bard ( ).

OTOH, I recently designed a 3.5Ed Fey pc who was essentially a 2 headed anthropomorphic Samoyed fighter…

 

[aramis erak]

The one drawback of the Pugmire system (all 3 core games are one system and one setting, in 3 different subsettings) is that it's got some very heavy allegory on race-relations in the mid-20th C US, most visibly in the Monarchies adventure in the corebook. That can put it off of some people's lists.

I applaud them for actually having the chutzpa to do that. Like all good allegory, it sneaks up on one, then beats you with a large wooden piece of sporting equipment hard enough to wake the dead. (hyperbole, but it is pretty blatant in the latter half of the adventure.)

I especially like the class construction; you can have a party of 4 starting character all of the same profession/class, but each different in some meaningful way.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The one drawback of the Pugmire system (all 3 core games are one system and one setting, in 3 different subsettings) is that it's got some very heavy allegory on race-relations in the mid-20th C US, most visibly in the Monarchies adventure in the corebook. That can put it off of some people's lists.

I applaud them for actually having the chutzpa to do that. Like all good allegory, it sneaks up on one, then beats you with a large wooden piece of sporting equipment hard enough to wake the dead. (hyperbole, but it is pretty blatant in the latter half of the adventure.)

I especially like the class construction; you can have a party of 4 starting character all of the same profession/class, but each different in some meaningful way.

I've got all the core books because I find the concept completely charming. Too bad I hate Advantage/Disadvantage as a mechanic.

 

[Aldarc]

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

So no cute but Pugmire is okay?

 

[RenleyRenfield]

So no cute but Pugmire is okay?

Fair point. And to be honest, no we won't be playing Pugmire. At least, not for this particular concern.

At this point Talislantia is the winner, (Not sure yet on 4th or 5th editon) we will try that first, give it a good solid campaign and see where we go from there. It has the most "out of the gate, as per the book, no need to ignore swaths of lore" that we are looking for in terms of no elves, no cute, and want rich setting.

But there are several other games here that will will try as well. And if push come to shove I will dig GURPS back out of storage. (I am fine with GURPS, but I don't recall liking any of its settings+lore...)

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

Talislanta is certainly a good fit for your requirements. Being almost 100% free doesn't hurt any either.

 

[aramis erak]

I've got all the core books because I find the concept completely charming. Too bad I hate Advantage/Disadvantage as a mechanic.

Then just change it to a +3/-3. It's not a huge issue. I will say, Pugmire lives up to one of the failed promises of 5e... reducing the mods on rolls. It also cancels by the pair, unlike core 5e.

 

[xoth.publishing]

I am lookin to expand out, and try a few new RPGs.

I am looking to see what everyone here would recommend for a fantasy game that has =

• A rich and detailed setting (I don't want to write by own world or write my own races, etc)
• no elves
• no dwarves (I want to get far away from anything that feels close to Tolkien tropes)
• a variety of non-human races to play (but not cartoonish or things fungus or cactus or duck people)
• lean to the side of serious or darker (not looking for cozy or cute)
• Rules system does not matter, any is ok.

Odd mix of stuff right? Ok, so what have you got?

Cheers!

Check out the World of Xoth, available for 3E/Pathfinder, 5E, and several other systems.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Then just change it to a +3/-3. It's not a huge issue. I will say, Pugmire lives up to one of the failed promises of 5e... reducing the mods on rolls. It also cancels by the pair, unlike core 5e.

Its not just the die roll but the all-or-nothing element. Fundamentally, I think 5e went about reducing mod bloat entirely the wrong way. If I really wanted to run it, I'd probably see if SotDL boons/banes would port over without breaking anything.

 

[jian]

The one drawback of the Pugmire system (all 3 core games are one system and one setting, in 3 different subsettings) is that it's got some very heavy allegory on race-relations in the mid-20th C US, most visibly in the Monarchies adventure in the corebook. That can put it off of some people's lists.

I applaud them for actually having the chutzpa to do that. Like all good allegory, it sneaks up on one, then beats you with a large wooden piece of sporting equipment hard enough to wake the dead. (hyperbole, but it is pretty blatant in the latter half of the adventure.)

I especially like the class construction; you can have a party of 4 starting character all of the same profession/class, but each different in some meaningful way.

Having now read Pugmire (which is great, just a really well streamlined version of 5E, I’d definitely consider running it) and the Great Cat Conspiracy (the adventure), I’d say:

Spoiler

It definitely could be interpreted as a reference to slavery and the Underground Railroad, though the main piece of evidence there is that the resistance leader is named Harriet. But I’d actually mostly say not - the slaves in question are prisoners of war (cats) and poor people (dogs who went to the Dobermans for charity and were forced to work in the mines), and the main plot is about restarting a recent war by setting up a false flag murder (of the PCs). So I’d take it as references to lots of historical events mostly related to cruelty, capitalism, and exploitation of all kinds, certainly including US chattel slavery but also the Gilded Age, especially regarding exploitation of poor workers and manifest destiny warmongering.