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TopRamen
2008-08-04, 02:45 PM
It's been about 5 years since I've seriously done any PnP role playing, but reading OOTS and the emergence of 4e has rekindled my interest. However, I'm so out of touch it isn't even funny. So, I'd like some advice on what you guys might think would be the most appropriate game to try out, based on my requirements.

Setting: Doesn't matter. Fantasy, Futuristic, Super-Hero. In my experience, most well-designed games are pretty adjustable, so not a big deal.

Difficulty Curve/ Complexity: My players are gonna be complete noobs, and, as I mentioned, I'm really out of it. I'd like something a little simpler for the players, where I can deal with most of the technical stuff myself w/o spending 20 minutes looking at rules for each move.

Expense: I'm not sure how into this I'll get (It really depends on how well everything goes), so I don't wanna spend a bunch to start. Maybe $60 at most. I have a buncha minis, so that's no problem. Later on, if I like it, I'm willing to spend more on supplements.

So that's it! Pimp your favorite PnP game, convince me! I'm not prejudiced against homebrew systems either. Also, some websites with resources for your recommended games would be appreciated.

Thanks!

T.R.

PnP Fan
2008-08-04, 03:15 PM
Okay, for Cheap games, go find the Atomic Sock Monkey Press (makers of the Zorcerer of Zo, a fairy tale game, and Truth and Justice, a Supers game). Some of the most fun I've had involved their PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) mechanics. However, their games are what you call "high trust" games. Meaning that the players trust the GM is being fair, and that the GM trusts that the Players aren't going to completely derail the game. You'd be surprised how many groups this doesn't apply to.

If you've got some comic fans in the group, Mutants and Masterminds v 2.0 is an excellent system.

If your people enjoy shows like Buffy and Angel, well there are systems for that setting specifically, but you could go for the World of Darkness games, or Scion (Children of mythological deities, born into a modern setting).

If you're looking for just a good old fashioned dungeon crawl game, there's always D&D. But you're looking at an investment of at least $40 per book. (Actually you're looking at a minimum of $35 for large print run games in general, the Atomic Sock Monkey stuff runs in PDF format for considerably less.)

If you want a nice, multi-genre, does it all kind of game, GURPs might be your style. Only as complicated as you want to make it, it has lots of options on campaign settings. It's not perfect for any particular genre, but it broad enough that you can do anything from fantasy to sci-fi to supers.

Jayabalard
2008-08-04, 03:56 PM
GURPS lite is free. It just takes D6's so they won't feel overwhelmed by the dice (I've known some PnP noobs who were), and the basic mechanic is very simple to learn. One technical person can help all of the noobs make characters. Basically the character creation is 90% describing what they want, while you figure out the points. In actual play you use all of the basic rules rather than the advanced ones, and as you all become more familiar with the system, you can add in optional rules until you are happy with the complexity.

GURPS lite gives you a chance to test it out without any cost, and since the game is very modular you aren't forced into buying any particular books other than the basic ones.