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Delusion
2015-12-15, 01:27 PM
Hello folks.
Lately I have been thinking of what I want from a RPG. I sadly concluded that I can't think of any that fit the criteria. But then I thought: Hey! I could ask the good folks of the Playground if any know a system that fits.
Things my perfect rpg system would have:
-Can run high fantasy.
-Not too tied to default setting.
-Point-buy instead of level based. (soft levels like L5R insight ranks are okay. Just basically want to use XP to buy things instead of getting list of things every time I level).
-Lots of insteresting powers and options. Enough of which have to be out of combat utility things.
-Simple and fast to play after the character creation.
-Not too many narratist mechanics. Some are fine but things like Fate Core's compels take me out of the character's head as a player.
-Is reasonably balanced. Trap options are bigger problem than OP options to me though.

So basically I want L5R 4th edition that is not tied to Japan-inspired setting.

JNAProductions
2015-12-15, 01:38 PM
L5R 4th edition-just tweak the fluff.

Delusion
2015-12-15, 01:43 PM
I'd do that if I was better at homebrewing, but I think it would require lot more work than just refluffing. I mean lots of school techniques for example are tied into the honor system for example.

And I am not very good at homebrewing to tell you the truth.

Amphetryon
2015-12-15, 01:45 PM
Hello folks.
Lately I have been thinking of what I want from a RPG. I sadly concluded that I can't think of any that fit the criteria. But then I thought: Hey! I could ask the good folks of the Playground if any know a system that fits.
Things my perfect rpg system would have:
-Can run high fantasy.
-Not too tied to default setting.
-Point-buy instead of level based. (soft levels like L5R insight ranks are okay. Just basically want to use XP to buy things instead of getting list of things every time I level).
-Lots of insteresting powers and options. Enough of which have to be out of combat utility things.
-Simple and fast to play after the character creation.
-Not too many narratist mechanics. Some are fine but things like Fate Core's compels take me out of the character's head as a player.
-Is reasonably balanced. Trap options are bigger problem than OP options to me though.

So basically I want L5R 4th edition that is not tied to Japan-inspired setting.
Some options:


Hero System
Eclipse: The Codex Persona
Atlantis: The Second Age
High Medieval
Reign


I don't think any of these are perfect fits for what you'd like, but all come close to your various benchmarks, in one way or another.

Talakeal
2015-12-15, 02:35 PM
How do you define "high fantasy"?

Rakaydos
2015-12-15, 02:42 PM
Yea, I dont know about "High Fantasy", but Ironclaw with the Book of Mysteries expansion has a pretty good bredth of magic, you would just need to be starting as more experienced characters. (and possibly ban firearms)

The races are a bit atypical, but you can homebrew standard fantasy races with this simple formula:
Pick 3 gifts that make sence
Pick 3 racial skills.
The rest of it usually gets ignored even in the default setting.

Liodre
2015-12-15, 02:52 PM
I can toss in Savage Worlds as a system to look at. A good amount of options in the main book, companion books add more options depending on the genre.

Eisenheim
2015-12-15, 03:04 PM
Seventh sea, also by AEG, would give you most of what you want. It's more easily divorced from the default setting, except for the magic. You would essentially have to scratch build magic for each setting you want use, but it would otherwise fit your criteria, and it should be easy to learn if you're familiar with L5R

Delusion
2015-12-15, 04:36 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions :)


How do you define "high fantasy"?

Thats actually kinda difficult question. I'd say what I mean in this case is that I'd like to be able to play things like Wizards, Paladins and Druids and have my powers work at least semi reliably.

leodehn
2015-12-15, 07:40 PM
Yeah, i'd recommend Savage Worlds too, it's an awesome system, flexible, fast and fun

Blackhawk748
2015-12-15, 08:26 PM
Mutants and Masterminds Fantasy?

Knaight
2015-12-15, 08:42 PM
My suggestions have already been covered, but I'd second REIGN. It's perfect for this, and fulfills essentially all of your criteria. It also has some free web supplements (as in, 1000 pages of them), so you can dial in the complexity from middling (REIGN: Enchiridion) to middling high (REIGN) to high (REIGN + 1000 pages of supplements).

You should also take a look at Burning Wheel. It might be a bit too narrativist for your taste, but it's a lot more grounded than FATE, and there's flexibility in what it can do setting-wise. It might also be a bit cumbersome in a few places.

Milo v3
2015-12-17, 09:08 AM
Mutants and Masterminds Fantasy?

Seconding.

BootStrapTommy
2015-12-17, 11:47 AM
*shameless GURPS plug*

LibraryOgre
2015-12-17, 03:35 PM
Savage Worlds or D6 Fantasy. D6 is the engine that ran the old Star Wars RPG.

Gamgee
2015-12-17, 04:48 PM
Look into the cypher system. It does have levels, but it's a very soft system and it has a very broad level of customization available to characters. I would suggest Numenera the flagship game using the cypher system, but it might not be the right kind of fantasy. It's more... post apocalyptic future science fantasy. There is a generic cypher system core book though. As a GM you have no idea how amazing the system is to run. It's so easy to make and create npc's, monsters, and skill challenges on the fly due to how the system works. Great for GM's like myself who don't like planning because the players are all so chaotic. Planning was just a waste of my time back in the day. I would plan elaborate encounters and I would need to railroad them and they could see it was just a game or they would break out and ruin hours of work and planning. I run my world almost like a soft simulation now it's a living breathing place, and then I weave a story into this.

Now I keep a light frame work, I do very light planning, and then mostly improvise. Although I'm using the Numenera setting so it does have a lot of the setting already made.

Firest Kathon
2015-12-18, 05:10 AM
I would actually recommend Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye, 4th Edition), especially if you can read German. I think the English translations only cover a small subset of the rules, so it would be best if you could get your hands on the German rulebooks.


-Can run high fantasy.
Definitely. Wizards, Priests, Warriors, Elves, Orcs, the whole stuff.[/QUOTE]

-Not too tied to default setting.
There is little to no influence from the fluff on the mechanics. The default assumption is that you play in the default setting of Aventuria, and there is an enormous amount of fluff for that (including novels and a regular newspaper), but you could easily take it out and refluff.

-Point-buy instead of level based. (soft levels like L5R insight ranks are okay. Just basically want to use XP to buy things instead of getting list of things every time I level).
All abilities are bought with XP. You do have a profession, but it merely gives some abilities for free or cheaper.

-Lots of insteresting powers and options. Enough of which have to be out of combat utility things.
Yes. Even within the basic rules, and there are rulebooks for every type of character giving even more options.

-Simple and fast to play after the character creation.
The system can get very complex, especially when you play with the optional rules (such as location-based armor, fatigue) or get into special subsystems (alchemy, complex magic). But in my opinion the basic system is quite simple, though character generation can take some time. You can also start with the basic rules and introduce more complex rules later when you have a grasp of the basics. You could also check out the new 5th edition, which I heard is a lot simpler, but I have no experience with it.

-Not too many narratist mechanics. Some are fine but things like Fate Core's compels take me out of the character's head as a player.
None that I could think of now.

-Is reasonably balanced. Trap options are bigger problem than OP options to me though.
I feel the system is quite balanced. Also between roles, so a fighter is quite a risk even for an experienced mage.

8BitNinja
2015-12-18, 04:48 PM
Hello folks.
Lately I have been thinking of what I want from a RPG. I sadly concluded that I can't think of any that fit the criteria. But then I thought: Hey! I could ask the good folks of the Playground if any know a system that fits.
Things my perfect rpg system would have:
-Can run high fantasy.
-Not too tied to default setting.
-Point-buy instead of level based. (soft levels like L5R insight ranks are okay. Just basically want to use XP to buy things instead of getting list of things every time I level).
-Lots of insteresting powers and options. Enough of which have to be out of combat utility things.
-Simple and fast to play after the character creation.
-Not too many narratist mechanics. Some are fine but things like Fate Core's compels take me out of the character's head as a player.
-Is reasonably balanced. Trap options are bigger problem than OP options to me though.

So basically I want L5R 4th edition that is not tied to Japan-inspired setting.

Dark Souls: The Tabletop Version

It exists somewhere

Eisenheim
2015-12-18, 05:02 PM
I just realized, I think you want the generic Fantasy Age book. It's the generic version of the system for the dragon age rpg, and the system for Will Wheaton's Titansgrave.

Talakeal
2015-12-18, 05:36 PM
Well, I figured I might as well throw my hat in the ring. There is a free download for my system in my signature, it might be what you are looking for.

It is a non-narrativist point buy game.

It is gothic fantasy rather than high fantasy, but if you strip out a few options on the equipment list and make magic a bit more common you can easily use it for high fantasy, I have done successfully so several times.

The system is (imo) fairly balanced and lacks trap options, although it allows you to build characters who are going to be worthless in certain areas if you so choose (it doesn't have D&Ds everyone MUST be equally capable in combat paradigm for example), and the costs are built in such a way to encourage broader characters rather than hyper specialized ones.

It has a fairly detailed built in setting, but that setting has almost nothing to do with the rules and is easy to ignore.


Now, my only concern is what you mean by "high fantasy" and "lots of powers". The game has a ton of character options and abilities, but a lot of them are more mundane rather than blatantly supernatural, and those that are supernatural typically have some sort of a cost to keep them from being too common. If you want to play a Lord of the Rings style game it shouldn't be a problem, but if you want a more "fantasy superhero" game the system might give you some problems, although not ones that can't be house ruled away fairly easily.

Delusion
2015-12-20, 06:04 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions! That is a lot of them for sure.

Khaiel
2015-12-21, 06:59 AM
If you don't mind complex rules, I'd say Anima Beyond Fantasy (to say something that hasn't been said yet)

Bruno Carvalho
2015-12-21, 08:15 PM
Well, I do crafted an RPG that fits your bill. It is Final Fantasy-themed, but can easily be refluffled for any non-JRPG setting. You may find it at this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?420600-PEACH-New-FFRPG or at this subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffrpg/