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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6244219" data-attributes="member: 87792">Right.Taking this from the top.  I don't know about you, but as a child some of my play was about as complex as Calvinball with precedents.  Designing worlds, creating stories, and designing elements within those stories is fun.  Stop telling people they are having BadWrongFun just because you don't enjoy it.On the other hand so too is using the dice and the rules as lubricant in what is basically a freeform game.  And this seems to be what you are interested in.  I have no problem with this idea.  It's often my favourite, when I'm not in the mood for high tactics.  Now D&D is not set up to do this (sorry, RC and OSR fans.  It simply isn't - there's always been far too much logistics involved).  You also want a character sheet that can fit on an index card and contain all the things you need to know that aren't basic rules.So what I believe is that you are playing the wrong game to suit you.    I'm going to suggest a list of games below that I think would interest you.  They all have two things in common:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">If boiled down the character sheet would fit on an index card and contain everything you needed (in some cases the official ones don't because they've chosen to spread the things out - but they could)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">All the rolls made are made using the same system.  There are no separate subsystems for combat and the dice resolution system is pretty simple.</li> </ol>So what are my suggestions?  Below.FateSuggested first because it's top of the hot games pile right now.  <a href="http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core-downloads/" target="_blank">Fate Core and Fate Accelerated</a> are the two games in question that have both the most elegant rules and the best description of them.  (Older versions of Fate such as Spirit of the Century are a little clunkier).  It really is a game where you can turn up with just 4 Fudge Dice/Fate Dice (6 sided, two sides marked +, two -, and two blank), a collection of post-it notes, and wing the whole thing while never ignoring a single rule because the rules of the game are all refined through use.  Half the character is made up of freeform characteristics called aspects, and the game plays fast.  The rules to Fate can <a href="http://phreeow.net/images/Fate%20Basics.pdf" target="_blank">fit on a trifold</a> (and the more modern versions I linked are even more elegant) - and if you want a big setting for Fate, The Dresden Files is pretty awesome.Powered by the ApocalypseI'm going to start this with <a href="http://www.dungeonworldsrd.com/" target="_blank">Dungeon World</a> despite thinking that it isn't a terribly good implementation of the rules - this is because Dungeon World is designed to be very like D&D so for your players it will be the smallest jump as the characters and the objectives remain almost the same.  The core mechanic in any Powered by the Apocalypse system is 2d6+stat - on a 10+ you succeed, on a 7-9 you succeed with consequences or have a partial success, and on a 6- you fail and the GM makes a "hard move" as something goes badly wrong.  This injects uncertainty into the setting because not even the GM plans everything in advance (in fact in DW the GM is told to "Draw Maps, Leave Blanks" - and the other games have equivalent advice).  In most PbtA games, you only ever roll when taking a risk like that (Dungeon World has damage rolls as well because it's D&D based).  The games are all class-based (meaning it's simpler to play with archetypes, with a setting that you outline in the first session and all including the GM explore in play.Other PbtA games worth noting are <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://nightskygames.com/welcome/game/ApocalypseWorld" target="_blank">Apocalypse World</a> - the game the system itself was designed for.  The setting is post-apocalyptic with possible threats including the environment and Mad Max style motorcycle gangs.  But again this is discovered in setup and play.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/monsterhearts/" target="_blank">Monsterhearts</a> - IMO the best implementation of the system.  High school teen drama/paranormal romance and it is awesome and very, very immersive (I've had more bleed from Monsterhearts characters than all other games combined).  Your gaming group might not be one to introduce it to.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://realityblurs.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24" target="_blank">Tremulus</a> - Lovecraftian horror in a system where any dice roll can fail entertainingly.  I haven't actually played it so <a href="http://kfmonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/tremulus-horror-storytelling-game.html" target="_blank">I'll link to John Rogers</a>.</li> </ul>Cortex Plus<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/85727/Leverage-Roleplaying-Game" target="_blank">Leverage</a> is the best game I know of for running or playing cons/heists ever.  Any roll can produce complications (any 1 in your dice pool), and the system is very light and fast playing.  With very solid rules to allow the GM to create a target mark at the start of a session in 30 seconds flat unless they've forgotten the rulebook (which they might because they won't need to refer to it for anything else).  Also in the family:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallville_Roleplaying_Game" target="_blank">Smallville</a> - teen action drama starting off by creating a massive relationship map between the PCs that makes the setting you are actually playing in.  Fast playing and very much more interested in the questions "Who are you?", "What do you want?" and "Who do you serve and who do you trust?" than in "What can you physically do?"</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Heroic_Roleplaying" target="_blank">Marvel Heroic Roleplaying</a> - the only game I've played that makes comic book supers actually work like comic book supers.</li> </ul>One offsThose were the three families of games I'd recommend you look at.  But there are plenty of other games that don't fit into families.  Here are some of them.<a href="http://www.bullypulpitgames.com/games/fiasco/" target="_blank">Fiasco</a>:  What can I say against Fiasco?  Ah, yes.  It isn't immersive.  Instead it's an awesome storytelling engine to create a heist gone wrong in 1-3 hours.  How does it work?  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuJizhyf-y4" target="_blank">Watch</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_609480&feature=iv&src_vid=uuJizhyf-y4&v=WXJxQ0NbFtk#t=3m21s" target="_blank">Tabletop</a>.  And then remember that that's a good game of Fiasco but not an especially awesome one.  Right now it's in my rotation as the game I bring out whenever we're missing people.<a href="http://dreadthegame.wordpress.com/about-dread-the-game/" target="_blank">Dread</a>: The only mechanic in this horror RPG is a jenga tower.  Which leads to awesome levels of tension in this one-shot game.  Instead of a short paragraph I'll turn things over to <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?194714-Dread-Jenga-beat-up-my-dice!-My-results-from-the-indie-horror-RPG" target="_blank">Piratecat and the rest of ENWorld</a>.<a href="http://mythenderrpg.com/" target="_blank">Mythender</a>: Do you want to play an utter badass beating up Thor?  Do you want to roll lots of dice?  Then here's a game for you.  <a href="http://danielbayn.com/wushu/" target="_blank">Wushu</a>: For all your simple, destructive action movie needs.  Who needs realism?  Instead Wushu rewards you and gives you more dice (up to a scene cap) for describing more things, meaning that an RPG that's barely twice as long as the Creative Commons license it's released under gets interesting and detailed descriptions out of just about everyone.<a href="http://theunstore.com/index.php/unstore/game/1" target="_blank">Dogs in the Vineyard</a>: A simple game where everything you need fits (as always) onto an index card, Dogs is a game about how far you are willing to go and how much you are prepared to risk before backing down.  It's designed to produce escalations with both sides trumping each other until either someone gets shot or someone backs down.  And do it again and again.  Fast, furious, intense.<a href="http://www.bullypulpitgames.com/games/grey-ranks/" target="_blank">Grey Ranks</a>: From the fast, furious, and intense, Grey Ranks is about being child soldiers in the Warsaw Uprising.  Simple, elegant, and almost everyone's going to be on a tragic story arc in this pre-plotted game where you can't control the major events.  See also <a href="http://thoughtfulgames.com/montsegur1244/" target="_blank">Montsegur 1244</a> in which everyone is a Cathar and in the end you need to decide between you who burns, who recants, and whether one of you escapes into the night.(I'd also nominate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Life_with_Master" target="_blank">My Life With Master</a> - but don't actually own a copy.)Anyway, I'm fairly sure that in there somewhere is a game that will suit you pretty well.  Have a look round and see what you think.  And happy gaming!</blockquote>

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