What should I choose for my next system?

[CaptainChaos]

I'd try True20. It can handle multiple genres with ease, and the revised core rulebook (which is $30) includes additional material on four genres: fantasy, horror, modern action, and scifi. The way powers works is well-suited for psionic villains. I've been running a True20 Freeport campaign for awhile now and my players are having a great time.

 

[Thanee]

I do own the explorer's edition. Maybe it's something about the way it's written or presented, but I'm just confused about the rules. I find it far more complex than GURPS or d20. And something about passing out bennies, collecting tokens, and dealing cards ...

Bennies are simply Action Points (that can also be cashed in as Experience Points), that can be used to get a bonus to an important roll.

The cards are used as a quick way to do initiative. Everyone gets a card and the order of cards is the initiative order (aces first, then kings, queens, and so on) with jokers offering some special boon. It's really straightforward and easy in practice.

Well, if you have any specific problems in understanding the rules, just go ahead and make a thread here and ask about it. I'm sure you will get plenty help.

Bye
Thanee

 

[greatamericanfolkher]

Cheap and relatively uncomplicated? Or, at least it's complication you already know? Modern setting? Psionic threats?

Here's the entire d20 Modern system reference document from Wizards' site. d20 ModernSystem Reference Document

It's got everything you're looking for. Plus, you can import anything from D&D that you might need just in case.

If you like it, the investment is still relatively minor; the core rulebook and maybe one or two splatbooks should cover you.

I want to second this. Were it not for one of my players, my rebooted spelljammer game would have been run using d20 modern.

 

[Mercule]

Savage Worlds is incredibly simple. I'll agree that the Explorer Edition has a few omissions, though. I found that the quick start download that was linked above filled in the gaps. Heck, the quick start rules is almost all you actually need to play it.

If I wanted a simple, fast-playing, generic system, Savage Worlds is the only entry on the list. If I want a detailed, generic system, it'd be Hero. GURPS is right next to water-boarding on my list of preferred activities.

If you like the 3.0/3.5/d20 rules, then d20 Modern might be a good fit for what you're looking for. Worst case is that the 3.5 psionics material should be compatible or easily converted.

I haven't played the nWoD, yet (but we're starting a new game in January and that's on the menu). I played a lot of oWoD, though, and it's a pretty easy to play system that is useful for a lot more than vampires. The nWoD looks to be a smoother, tuned-up system that would be great for mortals. When I GMed oWoD, I would sometimes prepare characters for the players and hand them a text-only dossier on their character while I handled all the numbers and dice rolling. The system is easy enough that I didn't feel much of a burden in doing that. You don't have to play that way, but it's a pretty good indicator of how straightforward the system is.

As I indicated, nWoD is a possibility in the near future. I've put it on the table for my group because most of us are huge Supernatural fans and it looks to be the best system on the market to handle that style of game well. I've heard nothing but great things about the Second Sight book and it sounds like it would be perfect for what you're looking for, but it was hard to find for a while.

So, I'd say your best bet is the nWoD. Second place depends on play style: light and fast goes to Savage Worlds, D&D-like goes to d20 Modern, no-compromise gaming power (i.e. can do literally anything and stay fun) would be Hero.

Unfortunately, I haven't played Chaosium. If that's the one that drives Buffy and Angel, then it might be a good choice. I can recommend nWoD with confidence, though.

 

[Gothmog]

Ask yourself this question- "Do I want to play D&D in modern day?" If the answer is yes, then go with D20 Modern. If not, I'd strongly encourage some other system, because in the 10 or so times I've played D20 Modern (and Spycraft for that matter), it truly plays like modern-day D&D, even with no magic or supernatural stuff involved. While that is a strength to some folks, to me it was a huge weakness, and turned me off D20 Modern completely.

Savage Worlds would be my recommendation- its incredibly easy and quick to prepare and play. While the cards and bennies seem a little daunting at first to some folks, they become second nature REALLY quickly, and add a lot to the game. In fact, I've spent the last three Saturday nights running demos of SW at my FLGS to people who have never tried SW (and three ladies who never gamed, period). All of them picked up the game within 20 minutes, and had no trouble keeping up. I've used SW for dark fantasy, hard sci-fi, victorian horror, Deadlands, Soloman Kane, Pirates of the Spanish Main, Rippers, Fading Suns, RunePunk, Fallout (post-apocalyptic), zombie survivial horror, and a Silent Hill knockoff, and it worked perfectly every time. Its truly the most versatile and robust system I've ever played.

Second recommendation would be for NWoD, Its a really nice, streamlined system that is considerably darker in tone than SW. While I've only played a total of maybe twelve sessions using it, I really do like the NWoD and would love to use it more in the future. Especially highly recommended is the mortals version of the game, and with sourcebooks like Second Sight (psychics), Antagonists, Haunted Places, and Urban Legends, it would make an awesome modern game of subtle horror.

 

[Knightfall]

I suggest you take a look at True20.

I'd try True20. It can handle multiple genres with ease, and the revised core rulebook (which is $30) includes additional material on four genres: fantasy, horror, modern action, and scifi. The way powers works is well-suited for psionic villains. I've been running a True20 Freeport campaign for awhile now and my players are having a great time.

CaptainChaos said it best, already.

 

[drothgery]

My usual plug for a system that's surprisingly flexible and multi-genre capable is Star Wars Saga Edition. File the serial numbers off of Force powers for psi, turn blasters into guns, and you're 95% there.

 

[RFisher]

In the past we tried GURPS. It didn't work because of the advantages and disadvantages system (example: alcoholic character "roll to see if I'm getting drunk.")

For what it’s worth, the last time I ran GURPS I banned disads, and it worked just fine.

Well, I actually just said that all disads were worth zero points. The players could take one if they really wanted to, but I don’t recall that anyone did.

So, outright banning them should work fine too. I don’t see that ads are particularly required either.

 

[dm4hire]

I'm going to pitch my new game of interest: Hollow Earth Expedition. It is pretty simple and streamlined, using a dice pool and successes are determined by the number of evens you roll. They even have fans and publishers converting stuff over from SW for it. It's a pulp era adventures game but the system can easily be switched over to modern. There's only two books out right now, the core book and Secrets of the Surface World. They will be coming out with another book soon called Mysteries of the Hollow Earth. Also there's a fan magazine called Danger Magnet which I've seen posted here in the forum by one of the contributors.

I've found in my experience that it is some times best to try to convert limited resource games to what you want than try to convert something with lots of books to pull from. HEX would definitely be easy to make your own rules for.

 

[I'm A Banana]

True20

True20

True20

Whenever I want a lite system that can fit almost anything, I go with True20.

It's just...so...bleedin'...elegant...