Free Games

[Jorgo]

What are the best free RPGs out there? i am too cheap...

[Thrudd]

D6 system - http://opend6.wikidot.com/
D6 base system, Adventure (modern), Fantasy, Space

Fate - https://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core-downloads/
core system and accelerated (lighter rules)

Goblinoid Games - http://goblinoidgames.com/index.php/downloads/
has four free retro-style games - Labyrinth Lord (basic/expert D&D), Advanced Labyrinth Lord (AD&D-ish), Mutant Future (Gamma World-ish), and Apes Victorious (A retro style Planet of the Apes setting)

OSRIC (1e AD&D lite) - http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/

GURPS Lite - http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/

5e D&D Basic rules - http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules

Mazes & Minotaurs - http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html
retro D&D-ish style with a Greek mythology fantasy setting

Also, just go to Drive Thru RPG and search for free or pay what you want games - http://www.drivethrurpg.com/

[Mutazoia]

WEG's Star Wars (http://d6holocron.com/) (Uses the D6 rules mentioned above)

Star Frontiers (http://www.starfrontiers.com/) (TSR's first foray into Sci-fi)

Or you could also check out this article (https://sillyhatbooks.com/about/games/)

[Aran nu tasar]

If you want some less traditional games, check out John Harper's games (http://www.onesevendesign.com/) (especially Lady Blackbird). Grant Howitt makes lots of free games, most of which you can find here (http://lookrobot.co.uk/games/) - I especially recommend Havoc Brigade and Warrior-Poet. You can find Dungeon World free here. (http://book.dwgazetteer.com/) Kevin Crawford releases free versions of most of his games - I've heard great things about Stars Without Number (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/86467/Stars-Without-Number-Free-Edition?) and Godbound (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/185959/Godbound-A-Game-of-Divine-Heroes-Free-Edition). For a post-apocalyptic Mad Max-style game, there is Atomic Highway. (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/70124/Atomic-Highway--Post-Apocalyptic-Roleplaying)

There are tons of great free rpgs out there, but those, along with the rest of this thread, should get you started. Of that list, Harper and Howitt's games tend to be built for one-shots, while the rest are built for longer-term play.

[Knaight]

I'd add Fudge and WR&M to the list, while also noting that searching Drivethru RPG for free and PWYW games works pretty well.

[Slipperychicken]

Pirates don't have to pay for rulebooks. A lot of people will pirate games during hard times, then support the developers later by buying when they've achieved financial stability.

Not that I've ever done anything so dastardly, nor could I ever in good conscience recommend such a horrible crime.. after all those poor Hasbro executives can scarcely afford their corporate jets as it is. You wouldn't want to be the delayed sale who causes the sales chief to miss his next bonus, would you?

[Anonymouswizard]

Nemesis (http://drivethrurpg.com/product/90427/Nemesis) is a free horror game using the One Roll Engine. It's worth checking out at least, and uses madness meters like those in Unknown Armies.

Eclipse Phase (https://robboyle.wordpress.com/eclipse-phase-pdfs) is transhumanist science fiction horror, released on a creative commons licence.

[thorr-kan]

TSR's 80s/90s Marvel superheroes game, Marvel Super Heroes. Otherwise known as FASERIP.

www.classicmarvelforever.com

[Knaight]

Not that I've ever done anything so dastardly, nor could I ever in good conscience recommend such a horrible crime.. after all those poor Hasbro executives can scarcely afford their corporate jets as it is. You wouldn't want to be the delayed sale who causes the sales chief to miss his next bonus, would you?

There are some very limited cases where you can argue that piracy is making an insignificant dent in a giant pile of profits, but RPGs aren't in that category. Even WotC and Paizo don't have massive budgets that lead to massive salaries, especially not when dropping MtG from consideration. Outside of those two companies money's thin on the ground indeed.

[Anonymouswizard]

There are some very limited cases where you can argue that piracy is making an insignificant dent in a giant pile of profits, but RPGs aren't in that category. Even WotC and Paizo don't have massive budgets that lead to massive salaries, especially not when dropping MtG from consideration. Outside of those two companies money's thin on the ground indeed.

I'd argue it only makes an insignificant dent when you actually go and buy the product. RPGs being expensive (for understandable reasons) I can see why someone might want to have a look before actually putting down money. This is why a decent quickstart or preview and free setting information is useful, it allows us to effectively judge it without having to put down money first.

[Mutazoia]

I'd argue it only makes an insignificant dent when you actually go and buy the product. RPGs being expensive (for understandable reasons) I can see why someone might want to have a look before actually putting down money. This is why a decent quickstart or preview and free setting information is useful, it allows us to effectively judge it without having to put down money first.
{Scrubbed}

[Grod_The_Giant]

I wouldn't call Pathfinder a "best" game, necessarily, but it's freely available in SRD form and-- unlike most indie games, sadly-- you're likely to find other players in your area without having to train them yourself.

[Doorhandle]

Wushu has an online wiki, (http://danielbayn.com/wushu/playing-the-game/index.shtml) and the Black-belt edition is Pay-what-you-want

[Knaight]

I'd argue it only makes an insignificant dent when you actually go and buy the product. RPGs being expensive (for understandable reasons) I can see why someone might want to have a look before actually putting down money. This is why a decent quickstart or preview and free setting information is useful, it allows us to effectively judge it without having to put down money first.

I'm just saying that the giant pile of profits doesn't exist at all. RPG writing is not a lucrative business.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm just saying that the giant pile of profits doesn't exist at all. RPG writing is not a lucrative business.

Yes, and I'm saying that if the user does buy the product, then the losses aren't major (because most people I know won't buy until a month or two before running anyway). The problem comes from people running games without paying, which I've known people to and consider ****** especially in this age of cheap pdfs. I also argue that if the publisher won't be getting money from your purchase (if, for example, the licence has expired and nobody has picked it up) it's not as bad, although still not great because I generally want to give the publishers money.

[Thrudd]

I wouldn't call Pathfinder a "best" game, necessarily, but it's freely available in SRD form and-- unlike most indie games, sadly-- you're likely to find other players in your area without having to train them yourself.

Can you really consider the SRD's to be complete games, though? They are free reference documents, but they purposefully withhold essential rules and guidance needed to actually run the game - character creation and advancement rules, and DM specific rules and guidance.
That's the reason I wouldn't include those in a list of "free games".

[Grod_The_Giant]

Can you really consider the SRD's to be complete games, though? They are free reference documents, but they purposefully withhold essential rules and guidance needed to actually run the game - character creation and advancement rules, and DM specific rules and guidance.
That's the reason I wouldn't include those in a list of "free games".
I think the Pathfinder one has everything but setting-specific full, actually; probably because of OGL stuff. I know it has the character creation stuff the 3.5 one lacks, at least. Fate Core's SRD is pretty comprehensive too.

[Knaight]

I think the Pathfinder one has everything but setting-specific full, actually; probably because of OGL stuff. I know it has the character creation stuff the 3.5 one lacks, at least. Fate Core's SRD is pretty comprehensive too.

Fate Core is available as a free .pdf anyways, and it's much easier to learn from that than an SRD.

[LibraryOgre]

Hackmaster: Basic is a free intro game from Kenzerco.

[1337 b4k4]

Dungeon World (http://book.dwgazetteer.com) is what you imagined a D&D game would be like before you read the rules. Don't be turned off by how incomplete that site looks, check the menus at the top, it's all there.

Swords and Wizardry (https://www.froggodgames.com/swords-wizardry-core-rules) is early basic D&D cleaned up and organized with some optional simplifications (single saving throws, ascending AC) and a heck of a lot of customizability and support for that customization. If you wanted a good D&D style rule set to hack into your own game, this is the one to get. There's also a "complete" (https://www.froggodgames.com/swords-wizardry-complete-rulebook) version of the rules which also has a free PDY and more or less adds in some of the AD&D style classes into the basic D&D framework and fleshes out more rules.

If Rules Cyclopedia (BECMI) style D&D was your bag, and you don't have the $10 to pony up for the official PDF or want the non-humans to be fleshed out to 36 levels like the rest of the classes, then you want Dark Dungeons (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177410/Dark-Dungeons?) which is an excellent compilation and organization of that era D&D rules.

If you like sci-fi, space opera and always wanted to check out Traveller but either don't want to buy the old versions or can't afford the new versions, you can always grab Cepheus Engine (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/186894/Cepheus-Engine-System-Reference-Document), a traveller clone that has support at the official traveller forums.

Others have already mentioned Stars Without Number for D&D style sci-fi/space opera and Eclipse Phase for Transhuman Sci-Fi.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Please avoid promoting, suggesting, or assisting in unauthorized file sharing on this Forum.

[Friv]

Lasers and Feelings (http://www.onesevendesign.com/laserfeelings/) is a pretty smooth, fun, one-page RPG. It's not really suited for long-play campaigns, but you can get a few sessions out of it.

There are a bunch of hacks of it all over the internet, using various other dual-stats.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Pirates don't have to pay for rulebooks. A lot of people will pirate games during hard times, then support the developers later by buying when they've achieved financial stability.

Given that Pen and Paper RPG have had their hayday I say it is more important than ever to buy as opposed to pirate. The only thing I am willing to admit is M+M 2 ed because my copy contains some nasty printing errors and the errata does not contain that information.

Tip: avoid Scribd as I know of no company that uploads their products to Scribd and I know for a fact people will charge for stuff that companies released for free. DRIVE THRU RPG, as mentioned, is a good resource.

[Psikerlord]

Low Fantasy Gaming RPG is a free PDF and cost price softcover. Here's a quick review: http://halflingsluck.blogspot.com.au/2017/09/low-fantasy-high-quality.html

[Mutazoia]

Tip: avoid Scribd as I know of no company that uploads their products to Scribd and I know for a fact people will charge for stuff that companies released for free. DRIVE THRU RPG, as mentioned, is a good resource.

I usually only recommend them as a way to preview a file before going to Drive Thru to spend money, as Scribd will show you a few pages out of a file for a free preview.