Worst RPG Ever?

[Eosin the Red]

I rate Champions and the Hero System as the best RPG and game system ever.

Ditto.


Worst has to be either WEG Starwars, Babylon5, or LUG Star Trek. To be fair, I read the intro chapter to ST in the store and put the books down. Looked wonderful, I wish other sci-fi games had that high of a production value. In SW I got to play one of the two caddies, it sucks when your x-wing isn't as deadly in combat as the weakest jedi.

 

[Corinth]

Right now, F.A.T.A.L. tops the list. The rest of the worst five RPGs, in no particular order, are: Spawn of Fashan, The World of Synnibarr, Senzar and RIFTS.

 

[S'mon]

So what is it? What is the worst RPG you have ever played or even just read the rules on?

Hate to say it, but...

"Cyborg Commando" by E Gary Gygax.

 

[S'mon]

Twilight 2000. Neat idea, and character creation, but fire off a couple rounds of a machine gun and you had problems (now roll 24 d6...)

I love that rule! I use it for my D&D games when machineguns crop up in dimension-hopping scenarios.

Guess I like buckets of d6 - Warhammer Battles, WEG Star Wars et al are some of my favourites. A d6 for every machinegun bullet works far better than a d20 for the entire burst IMO.

 

[Kichwas]

So what is it? What is the worst RPG you have ever played or even just read the rules on?

AD&D, either edition.

 

[Arken]

I don't think you can even call it an RPG but it was meant to be one...

WARHAMMER QUEST by games workshop

that was the most dire thing in history, there was no story, generic random dungeons, all interaction with the out side world was done on dice rolls and the random encounters created so many monsters that they couldn't fit in the dungeon

 

[Eternalknight]

Now I'm not sure if this even reached the critical mass to be called an RPG, but in connection with the Dark Sword Series (by Weis and Hickman) a paperback set of rules was published as a supplement or something like that.

Anybody else come across that book?

Yep, Darksword Adventures. The stories in the book were fine, but when it came to the game system... it seemed like a very half-hearted attempt.

Has anyone played Maelstrom or Dragon Warriors, both published in the mid-eighties in the wake of the Fighting Fantasy series? If so, thoughts?

 

[Rowenstin]

And the oscar for the most unplayable game ever goes to...

Wraith!!!

 

[Tsyr]

I like Rifts...

Putting aside Fatal or Synnibar for a moment, I would put in another vote for Champions.

 

[S'mon]

Yep, Darksword Adventures. The stories in the book were fine, but when it came to the game system... it seemed like a very half-hearted attempt.

Has anyone played Maelstrom or Dragon Warriors, both published in the mid-eighties in the wake of the Fighting Fantasy series? If so, thoughts?

Yup - Maelstrom had a nice 16th-century atmosphere and abominable, unplayable rules mechanics. Dragon Warriors had fairly simple, usable rules mechanics but little atmosphere - half-hearted attempt at a more 'real' medieval setting than AD&D, but basically a D&D clone. Maelstrom with decent rules would have been very nice. DW was fine as a game for people who couldn't afford the £36 to buy the 1e PHB, DMG & Monster Manual, or wanted simpler rules.