Your most underrated system.

[Sanguinarious]

I think that Basic Role Play is the most sadly underrated system on the RPG market today. It's the best generic system out now, better than hero or gurps. I just looked up CoC 7e and it's even better than the official BRP rules. I wonder if 'burp' as a name hurt it.

What system do you think is the most underrated system on the RPG market?

 

[overgeeked]

Best that’s out now? Over the Edge, 3rd Edition. It’s an ultralight, almost free-form game that can handle any genre. It’s a story-focused and fiction-first game. Absurdly underrated.

Best that’s out soon? Fabula Ultima. I say out soon as it’s only had a PDF release and a very limited print release. But it should be widely available by the end of the year. This is a tabletop JRPG inspired by Blades in the Dark, PbtA, and D&D 4E. Huge character customization options. Light and easy to use system. Enough system that you know it’s there, but it gets out of the way. Very collaborative and fiction first. Designed as a player-driven game. The GM is explicitly reactive. Made to deliver the JRPG experience at the table. It’s utterly fantastic. It’s getting some traction here and there, but this should be blowing up.

 

[jdrakeh]

Monster of the Week is a very, very good specific implementation of PbtA. I see relatively little praise for it, though.

 

[JEB]

Monsters & Magic, basically a hybrid of OSR D&D and Fate, which had some really interesting ideas while still remaining compatible with classic D&D material. Shame it never got much attention; I wonder if it came out too close to D&D 5E.

 

[aramis erak]

Best that’s out soon? Fabula Ultima. I say out soon as it’s only had a PDF release and a very limited print release. But it should be widely available by the end of the year. This is a tabletop JRPG inspired by Blades in the Dark, PbtA, and D&D 4E. Huge character customization options. Light and easy to use system. Enough system that you know it’s there, but it gets out of the way. Very collaborative and fiction first. Designed as a player-driven game. The GM is explicitly reactive. Made to deliver the JRPG experience at the table. It’s utterly fantastic. It’s getting some traction here and there, but this should be blowing up.

PDF is up on DTRPG. Just outside my remaining games budget for the month. $17.90

Fabula Ultima TTJRPG - Need Games | Fabula Ultima TTJRPG | DriveThruRPG.com

Fabula Ultima TTJRPG - This is your world,this is your story. Make a choiceand fight for what you believe in. FABULA ULTIMA is a Tabletop

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[jdrakeh]

Monsters & Magic, basically a hybrid of OSR D&D and Fate, which had some really interesting ideas while still remaining compatible with classic D&D material. Shame it never got much attention; I wonder if it came out too close to D&D 5E.

Well, dang. That looks like it'd be right up my alley. And this is the first I've ever heard of it!

 

[Tonguez]

Princess World:Frontier Kingdoms - based on Forged in the Dark but with no playbooks, and its about magical princesses.

Duty & Honour - RP in the napoleanic era per Sharpes Company

 

[Celebrim]

Chill 2e is the best game nobody played.

 

[jdrakeh]

Chill 2e is the best game nobody played.

I played the HELL out of Chill 2e. It is still my preferred edition of the game and it was a crying shame that the "SAVE corrupted" storyline that they had been weaving throughout the books never saw a conclusion. Still, a truly great horror RPG.

 

[Jahydin]

Hackmaster 5E. I know for many it's so crunchy they wont even attempt to play it, but it does so many things right it's hard not gush about it every chance I get.

Just look at how the attributes are used:
Strength: Damage, Encumbrance, Feats of Strength, Weapons that can be held
Intelligence: Attack Modifier, Building Points (used to buy skills, feats, or raise attributes)
Wisdom: Initiative, Defense, Mental Saving Throws, Building Points
Dexterity: Initiative, Attack Modifier, Defense Modifier, Dodge Saving Throws, Feats of Agility
Constitution: Physical Saving Throws, Hit Points, Threshold of Pain (withstand large blows knocking you out)
Looks: Charisma, Starting Honor and Fame
Charisma: Turning (Cleric), Morale, Building Points, Starting Honor, Maximum Proteges

Some other brilliant touches:
No combat rounds, everyone takes turns depending on fast their attack speed
Fighters have to level up to become a Paladin
Armor makes you easier to hit, but absorbs damage
Shields are really good at blocking hits, but powerful blows can break them and carry over to you.
The longer you go without a rest, the higher your EXP bonus will be
Attributes have a chance to improve every level
Gold always in demand thanks to being needed for better gear/repairs and leveling up
Intricate Wound system, making combat dangerous and gritty, no matter HP values
Exploding Dice! (if you roll the highest value, roll again at - 1 and add it to the total)

I could go on and on. If you enjoy clever takes on D&D rules, I think this is worth it just to read through for houserule inspiration.