Which are the major RPG rule systems?

[Morgath]

warhammer

Warhammer FRP
KULT
Pendragon (But thats maybe BRP!?)
Paranoia
Tunnels and Trolls (who can forget that one?)
Harnmaster (mentioned above - but can't be mentioned enough!)
HERO

 

[S'mon]

Current major systems would be d20, GURPS, WW's Storyteller system (World of Darkness, Exalted), and Eden's Unisystem (All Flesh, Buffy etc).

Edit: I would no longer count the BRP % System (Call of Cthulu, Elric, Runequest) but in its day it was certainly a major system. There have been others I'd have once been tempted to call major systems too, like the d20-based system GDW used for Twlight:2000, Traveller New Era, Dark Conspiracy etc. or WEG's d6 System (Star Wars).

The rest (Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, Riddle of Steel etc) I'd say were minor systems, being limited mostly to 1 or 2 games.

 

[JoAT]

I'd say the major systems would be d20, GURPS, the Storyteller System, Tri-stat dX, Fuzion (the love child of Interlock and HERO) (and, though I really hate to admit it) the Palladium System - these all see use over a multitude of genres. Of course, I'm not really familiar with any genre-spanning games outside those systems, and of those one does not seem to be doing very well any more...

 

[Calico_Jack73]

The rest (Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, Riddle of Steel etc) I'd say were minor systems, being limited mostly to 1 or 2 games.

Actually the rules set for Cyberpunk evolved (they aren't identical but share many elements) into the FUZION system which is a generic system. It's great for a gritty, realistic combat system (Though I've only ever played Cyberpunk with it). Mekton, Bubblegum Crisis, and Dragonball Z also use the system but there are several other settings out on the net that you can get for it. Record of Lodoss War was a fan created setting on the net for it but it got yanked for copyright infringement. One of the best things about FUZION is that the rules are free for download, you pay for the settings. It's great if your players don't want to invest money to just try out a new system.

FUZION main page

 

[Chacal]

There are also diceless systems like amber. Do larp rules count ?

I'm not sure if paranoia and toons respective systems were used outside these games.


Chacal

 

[Hand of Evil]

Earthdawn
Torg

 

[VorpalBunny]

Due to lack of support and poorly written rules, however, I think this system will be dying soon.

Probably not. There's rumors abound of the license being switched over to another company *cough*GW*cough*...

Anyway to answer th original question - the game systems I play:

CODA
d20 (D&D, Star Wars, Spycraft, Conan, B5, etc..)
Shadowrun
GURPS
BRP
HackMaster





[Edit: Forgot a few...]

 

[Mercule]

IME, the major systems/settings are:

• d20
• Storyteller (specifically WoD)
• GURPS
• HERO
• Shadowrun

Storyteller and d20 are so far above the rest, again IME, that they are arguably the only major systems, but that's a pretty short survey.

Other systems that you could include, but I'd classify as minor:

• Amber
• old Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium BRP?)
• Deadlands
• Talislanta
• old Star Wars (d6)
• Aria
• Fuzion
• Traveller
• Paranoia
• Toon
• Fudge
• TriStat
• Buffy/Angel
• Lord of the Rings
• Castle Falkenstein
• The Everlasting

Well, here in germany you'd have to count DSA (Das Schwarze Auge - there is also an english name for this, but I'm not really aware of it...)

It translates quite literally, IIRC: The Black Eye.

 

[xanatos]

Has someone named Warhammer? (it was an RPG)

--- bye

 

[Breakdaddy]

I've got to throw in an old favorite here, especially since it's been reprinted recently: Twilight 2000