Not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but....

[Dessunri]

My D&D group and I have been playing 5e for a couple of years and we're just finishing up our most recent campaign in the next couple of sessions. We've been talking about what we want to do next and a couple guys in the group want to play something less fantasy based i.e. no to little magic, more realistic, and not set in D&D universe. The problem is that we're all really comfortable with the 5e rule set and, admittedly, are too lazy to learn something drastically different. So I'm looking for advice or suggestions on a new RPG we can play that uses the 5e rules if possible. One of my friends seems to think that there are 3rd party source books that basically use the 5e rules for settings like the wild west, space, or steam punk (not Eberron though, as that is still D&D). I'm hoping there are some playground members out there that can help guide me in picking an alternative for my group so we don't take the dreaded break that can kill a party.

[Demonslayer666]

I don't know of any based on 5th, but d20 modern is an option. It's based on 3rd edition.

[Myth27]

I think you would be interested in something like this, but it's not out yet.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1034101316/medieval-tales-from-europe-a-5e-rpg-setting?fbclid=IwAR0EM58z1JxjTRD1JaXAKKWN1tINYWM9Q wHvA-tRl0mYKntx68qLzBE4MjM

by the way I'm playing a modern day campaign based on this UA (https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA_ModernMagic.pdf)but I needed to do a lot of additional homebrewing

[col_impact]

Just do 5e in a non-fantasy setting. You will simply need stats for the weapons of the setting, e.g. guns. Make magic exceedingly rare, but whatever magic and monsters are included should hold up with a little re-flavoring. Consider for example how timeless a vampire storyline is, whether it occurs in D&D or in Santa Cruz.

[Bobthewizard]

If everyone agrees to it, you could use 5e rules but limit the races/classes players can play. I wouldn't do this unless everyone is enthusiastic about it though.

For races limit to humans, halflings, and Goliaths. No elves, gnomes, dwarves, half-orcs, Tieflings, Dragonborn, or exotic races. You could add dwarf, half-orc and any of the monster races if you want to, but I left them off due to darkvision. Or maybe the 3 races above with Grung, Aarakocra, and Lizardfolk as other available races.

Only use fighter, rogue, barbarian and monk, and only certain subclasses.

Fighter – no eldritch knight. Champion fills in for paladin
Rogue – no arcane trickster. Scout fills in for ranger. Thief with healer's feat fills in for cleric
Barbarian – berserker only (just get rid of the exhaustion, it's stupid)
Monk - open hand or Kensei only, these are your mystical characters.

Without magical healing, gritty realism rules would be appropriate. No magic feats either, of course.

This would be a fun high-level game. You could let the martials shine without spell casters stealing the spotlight.

[PhantomSoul]

Just do 5e in a non-fantasy setting. You will simply need stats for the weapons of the setting, e.g. guns. Make magic exceedingly rare, but whatever magic and monsters are included should hold up with a little re-flavoring. Consider for example how timeless a vampire storyline is, whether it occurs in D&D or in Santa Cruz.

One thing to consider if going this route is either to limit spellcasting (whether that's banning spellcasting classes or reducing spell progression or removing specific spells depends on the feel you want) or to reflavour [at least some] spells (and maybe only give access to the reflavoured spells). Also worth considering what magic-y classes are ok (e.g. do you feel monks are too spellcasterish? is the spell-less ranger maybe a reasonable compromise?).

[micahaphone]

While I've heard some balance complaints (every party practically needs a ranger, low magic, etc) I've heard good things about "Adventures in Middle Earth". It's Lord of the Rings in 5e, but with different races, adjustments to the classes, and more rules for adventures to include the travel and journey as a part of it.


https://www.cubicle7games.com/our-games/adventures-in-middle-earth/

It's still technically fantasy, but it sure ain't DnD style fantasy. Much less magic, getting lost while travelling is actually a thing, player races are most likely elf/human/dwarf/halfling, classes are probably fighter/rogue/ranger/barbarian.

[micahaphone]

Also I know you're looking to still play within 5e, but I personally felt that Stars Without Number (revised edition) is a very good game/ruleset, it was fairly easy to learn, and makes for a great sci-fi tabletop rpg

[Contrast]

Adventures in Middle Earth uses 5E I believe with much reduced magic and a setting you are presumably at least passingly familiar with though obviously somewhat difficult to describe as less fantasy based. You could simply use the classes in there and reflavour to your own setting though I believe there are some things linked quite heavily into the setting (haven't played personally).

That said...


The problem is that we're all really comfortable with the 5e rule set and, admittedly, are too lazy to learn something drastically different.

Anything doing what you ask (other than just refluffing all magic as tech and playing in a sci-fi setting) is going to involve a lot of learning new classes and abilities anyway. Have you actually looked into or tried other systems? 5E is I hear much simpler than previous D&D systems but is still generally towards the more complex rules/clunky end of systems in my opinion. Most are much easier to pick up.

Edit - Sniped. I really should learn to remember to refresh a page if I've left it open a while before responding :smallbiggrin:

[stoutstien]

You could limit it too half casters or even do a limit spell progression where instead of getting higher level spells they get more slots. Could work with limited change.

[Dessunri]

Anything doing what you ask (other than just refluffing all magic as tech and playing in a sci-fi setting) is going to involve a lot of learning new classes and abilities anyway. Have you actually looked into or tried other systems? 5E is I hear much simpler than previous D&D systems but is still generally towards the more complex rules/clunky end of systems in my opinion. Most are much easier to pick up.

Edit - Sniped. I really should learn to remember to refresh a page if I've left it open a while before responding :smallbiggrin:

Do you have any suggestions for an easy to learn RPG for some longtime D&D players?

[KorvinStarmast]

Do you have any suggestions for an easy to learn RPG for some longtime D&D players?
For good silly fun try Great Orc Gods. (The gods hate us!)

Honey Heist

Pirates and Dragons, the short version (one die version; a single d6 is the only die needed in the game)

[Anderlith]

Stargate has a new RPG that uses 5e as a base.

[micahaphone]

Do you have any suggestions for an easy to learn RPG for some longtime D&D players?

Stars Without Number (revised and original) has a free PDF (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/230009/Stars-Without-Number-Revised-Edition-Free-Version)so you can see the basic rules. Out of combat stuff is done with 2d6, like Dungeon World or the other PbtA systems. Combat is fast and lethal, and done with a d20.

There are just 3 classes - warrior, expert, and psychic (the setting's magic).
Warrior could be a tough barbarian from an uncivilized planet, or a space marine who's spent more time on a ship than in a place with gravity.
Expert is literally almost anything - a pilot, a doctor, an archeologist, an athlete, an actor, an inventor, etc.
Psychic disciplines are split into 6 schools, that level up independently, so you could be a generalist who has some healing, some teleportation, some telekinesis and some telepathy, or you can go all-in, becoming the best precognate possible.

[Sigreid]

Star Wars Saga Edition if you can find it isn't that different, falling somewhere between 4 and 5e in mechanics. And it's Star Wars!

[Contrast]

Do you have any suggestions for an easy to learn RPG for some longtime D&D players?

The Cypher system is d20 based, pretty easy to pick up.

I have personally recently really enjoyed playing a game of Monster of the Week (think Buffy/Supernatural/X-files) and City of Mists that uses Powered by the Apocalypse system which is very easy to get your head around. Depending how far down the rabbit hole you want to go there are systems which are literally a few pages (Honey Heist was already mentioned as an example but there are others that may be more suitable for filling out a whole campaign rather than a one shot :smalltongue:).


A lot depends what sort of games your party likes to play and how the DM runs their games in terms of system suitability really.

[JackPhoenix]

I understand you. I'm currently starting Warhammer fantasy game, but because some of my players are unwilling to learn a new system, I have to do with modifying 5e for my needs, as D&D does not fit thematically or mechanically.

For now, it means banning every race but human, (wood or high) elf, dwarf and halfling, limiting subclasses and banning pretty much every spellcaster (some... bard, paladin, ranger.... replaced with non-magic version I've found on the internet years ago, others, not so much), changes in equipment, adding lingering injuries, madness and similar variant rules from DMG, and there will be massive changes in magic system in addition to corruption and mutations that come with Chaos. And, of course, homebrewed bestiary.