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View Full Version : Your Favorite Indie RPG's?



wadledo
2010-03-07, 07:35 PM
Exactly what it says on the tin.
What are your favorite non-mainstream Role Playing Games, and what have you run to the enjoyment (or not) of your players?

I recently ran a Mouseguard The Great Mouse Detective game where one of the characters one-shoted the main enemy Weasel with an amazing roll, causing me to nearly black out from laughter.
Needless to say, they enjoyed it, and once everyone gets some time, we will (hopefully) start playing again.

The Dark Fiddler
2010-03-07, 07:45 PM
The Valley of Eternity (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141073) which is an RPG about penguins. Sure, I haven't played it yet, but reread that statement. And then realize that we managed to get together a group to translate it from Finnish to English.

Aik
2010-03-07, 07:53 PM
Don't Rest Your Head and The Pool have managed to carry most of our games, though we have vague intentions of diversifying when we stop being incredibly cheap/poor.
Ghost/Echo is pretty damn cool - we hacked it to run a horror game and despite us being terrible at horror, it panned out rather well.

Oh, and Archipelago II - it's awesome. Amazing how such a gentle out-of-your-face system can guide the game so well.

DementedFellow
2010-03-07, 07:58 PM
How do we decide if something is not mainstream?

wadledo
2010-03-07, 08:07 PM
Mainly, if the company that produces it is either A) Small press, or B) makes less than 6 RPG's or Card Games (not including translations).

Swordgleam
2010-03-07, 08:56 PM
I'm a huge fan of Midgard, the viking RPG: http://www.1km1kt.net/rpg/midgard-viking-legends

The rune casting system is one of the most fun resolution mechanics ever, though it takes a bit of getting used to.

Glimbur
2010-03-07, 09:02 PM
I've had more character deaths in the Wuthering Heights Roleplay (http://www.unseelie.org/rpg/wh/index.html) system than in dungeons and dragons 3.5. The magic seems to be taking somewhat familiar settings, and telling the players that their characters are high status and can therefore probably get out of trouble. This turns out to only sometimes be true.

It's also blast to run and easy to prepare for: just choose a setting and populate with NPC's with agendas. The plot develops itself.

Ravens_cry
2010-03-07, 09:08 PM
I only played it once at a con, but I really liked Dogs in the Vineyards. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DogsInTheVineyard) The moral choices were huge and felt very real. While the resolution mechanic was unusual, it felt incredibly versatile and cinematic. It's not so much about winning as it is about making the best story. I had a lot of fun and would love to play again.

TheLogman
2010-03-07, 09:32 PM
Bunnies and Burrows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnies_%26_Burrows)


Based on a book I loved, with a heavy focus on roleplaying, with bunnies!

Plus, it's the first RPG system to include rules for martial arts or skill checks.

Which kind of transformed what was Chailmail into the D&D we know today.

and it has BUNNIES!

Terraoblivion
2010-03-07, 11:31 PM
I absolutely love Weapons of the Gods. Over the top action in mythical, ancient China. It manages the impressive feat of never forgetting either side of this, allowing for both epic heroes and over the top action and keeping it very firmly rooted in traditional Chinese culture. The narrative system that let's the players buy plot twists and plot elements, is in many ways the core of this. While the epic kung-fu you can learn does a lot to ensure the action, the narrative system is where you can learn about everything from Confucian values to Chinese sexual values and ideals.

And as an entirely shameless plug, i am currently planning to run the intro scenario over here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144450) if anybody is interested.

Ravens_cry
2010-03-08, 12:03 AM
Bunnies and Burrows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnies_%26_Burrows)


Based on a book I loved, with a heavy focus on roleplaying, with bunnies!

Plus, it's the first RPG system to include rules for martial arts or skill checks.

Which kind of transformed what was Chailmail into the D&D we know today.

and it has BUNNIES!
Rabbits, good sir, rabbits.
That's another game I have seriously wanted to try, as I have loved Watership Down as long as I have read it. It would be relatively easy to convert it to a Duncton Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncton_Wood) style adventure, another animal adventure series I have loved.

valadil
2010-03-08, 12:10 AM
I keep hearing good things about Fudge and Burning Wheel. They're on my to-read list but I haven't had time to even look at either yet.

Superglucose
2010-03-08, 12:15 AM
Universal Decay is the only indie game I've ever played and the owner managed to completely alienate me over the course of three months by banning me from the table for playing an overpowered ubercharger...

after two years of batman wizards.

Longcat
2010-03-08, 06:37 AM
I like Wushu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_%28role-playing_game%29); it's a cineastic game that allows you to describe every action in detail, and award bonus dice for the level of detail chosen.

Totally Guy
2010-03-08, 07:32 AM
I keep hearing good things about Fudge and Burning Wheel. They're on my to-read list but I haven't had time to even look at either yet.

That'd probably be me then.:smalltongue:

This is my favourite system at the moment, especially since my players came to realise some of the things they could do to control the narrative. They've also just figured out that it can be fun to cause their own characters problems if those problems are what they find enjoyable about roleplaying.

Things are looking up.:smallsmile:

Swordgleam
2010-03-08, 09:29 AM
I like Wushu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_%28role-playing_game%29); it's a cineastic game that allows you to describe every action in detail, and award bonus dice for the level of detail chosen.

I love Wushu! I just ran a totally off-the-cuff Wushu one-shot for a couple of people last night, one of whom had never even heard of the game before. Went great. Such an easy system to pick up and play, and so much fun.

1of3
2010-03-08, 09:35 AM
I really like Capes (http://museoffire.com/Games/). Pretty non-standard: Somewhat competitive, no GM.

Indon
2010-03-08, 09:48 AM
I forget the name, but there was this awesome demi-RPG which involved storytelling around one of those old-school exploration organizations.

RPing sufficiently immersive boardgames like Arkham Horror's also kind of fun.

WalkingTarget
2010-03-08, 09:53 AM
Hmm...

I enjoyed the Riddle of Steel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riddle_of_Steel) demos I've played at various GenCons, but never got into an ongoing game.

InSpectres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSpectres) is always good for a laugh.

Of course, there is a game that a few of my college buddies designed (and a third actually did a write up with their permission). It's called Persona and it's free here (http://tckroleplaying.com/persona/). It's our favorite game for use in pick-up-games because other than having somebody willing to run and an idea for a setting/plot, you just start as you make up your characters on the fly. It works, trust me. :smallbiggrin:

nepphi
2010-03-08, 10:09 AM
Panty Explosion. (http://www.atarashigames.com/whatispantyexplosion.html)

This is an interesting game with a unique little mechanic. In addition to the player/DM setup, each player must pick a best friend and a rival from their fellow players (hence the game really needs three players and a GM at minimum). Your best friend will describe your critical successes, while your rival will describe any serious failures. It adds an extra level of narrative mechanic to the process that works well in serious or lighthearted groups equally well.

Caen'ir
2010-03-08, 11:27 AM
I haven't gotten a chance to actually play any indie games, unfortunately...but I have the books for Don't Rest Your Head, which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through and which I really want to play one day, if that counts.

Naryzhud
2010-03-08, 11:51 AM
I really enjoy Risus, which is pretty much the most basic rpg ever, revolving around picking a few stereotypes and getting dicepools for each. Played a pick up games with some friends the other night and it was the hardest i've laughed in months, with memorable incidents including the mexican wrestler/pseudoscientist setting fire to a house accidentally by using heat generated from his anger to melt the door (what? he rolled really high....)