A 'Beer and Pretzels' RPG?

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I'm looking for a casual RPG that can be easily learned and played without very much hassle or preparation.
I want it to be fun, lighthearted, and friendly to new players.

[Kiero]

Risus? BASH?

[Arutema]

Failure to mention Paranoia would be treason.

[NekoJoker]

BEER AND PRETZELS YOU SAY?

Kobolds ate my Baby is the way to go!

grab a few friends, grab some beers and get rather drunk while playing this masterpiece of fantasy gaming!

Become the greatest kobold hero ever know to history!
Master powerfull spells!
battle powerful chicken
Eat babies!

it's all here

http://www.koboldsatemybaby.com/

[bartman]

Does it have to be an RPG? what about a card game? I am particularly fond of Munchkin, and the many, many expansions. Of course, if you are looking for fun when your drunk, it doent get much better than Fluxx with the Inflation card... (every number is +1, every number spelled stays the same...)

[Loki Eremes]

BEER AND PRETZELS YOU SAY?

Kobolds ate my Baby is the way to go!

grab a few friends, grab some beers and get rather drunk while playing this masterpiece of fantasy gaming!

Become the greatest kobold hero ever know to history!
Master powerfull spells!
battle powerful chicken
Eat babies!

it's all here

http://www.koboldsatemybaby.com/

All hail King Torg!

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

BEER AND PRETZELS YOU SAY?

Kobolds ate my Baby is the way to go!

grab a few friends, grab some beers and get rather drunk while playing this masterpiece of fantasy gaming!

Become the greatest kobold hero ever know to history!
Master powerfull spells!
battle powerful chicken
Eat babies!

it's all here

http://www.koboldsatemybaby.com/

OMG! I love it!

[NekoJoker]

All hail King Torg!

ALL HAIL KING TORG!

[WitchSlayer]

Gamma World is pretty fun and light hearted.

[Dr.Epic]

Not an RPG, but still an awesome game that's a parody of RPG's:

Munchkin

[World Eater]

Failure to mention Paranoia would be treason.

I too must recommend the Friend Computer's glorious game.

[ninja_penguin]

Carnage 3:16 is also about as light as a game as you can get.

[Kiero]

Ninja Burger, if Munchkin is valid, is another.

[Kurald Galain]

Toon!


(and also, Paranoia! Not enjoying Paranoia is treason)

[SilveryCord]

++Gamma World.

[MickJay]

Doom and Cookies

Everybody is John

Wuthering Heights the rpg (very tongue-in-cheek)

all free, with simple rules to be found online; all of them are best for one-shots, though WH can potentially be made into a short "campaign".

[Mordokai]

BEER AND PRETZELS YOU SAY?

Kobolds ate my Baby is the way to go!

grab a few friends, grab some beers and get rather drunk while playing this masterpiece of fantasy gaming!

Become the greatest kobold hero ever know to history!
Master powerfull spells!
battle powerful chicken
Eat babies!

it's all here

http://www.koboldsatemybaby.com/

I wholeheartedly support this suggestion! Best ten bucks I ever spent. I read the rulebook like ten times already and I still crack every time I do it.

ALL HAIL KING TORG!!!

[mikkelsr]

Failure to mention Paranoia would be treason.

And treason must be punished, wouldn't you agree, citizen?

All glory to the computer!

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

What's Paranoia?

It seems to be very popular.

[Kurald Galain]

What's Paranoia?

It seems to be very popular.

Aaah, where to start. Tvtropes, probably.

Paranoia takes place in Alpha Complex, an underground and/or domed city run by a supercomputer known as The Computer. After most of the human race was wiped out by some freak accident, The Computer tried to figure out what went wrong. Unfortunately, The Computer's databases had been corrupted, and after finding some Cold War propaganda, it came to the conclusion that Communists caused the disaster.

Problems in Alpha Complex are solved by teams of Troubleshooters, whose job is to find trouble and shoot it. Threats include Traitors, Communists and other secret societies, unregistered Mutants, and Commie Mutant Traitors. This mission is complicated by the facts that Alpha Complex is a Communist state, and, thanks to years of clone breeding, overexposure to radiation and other snafus, every last one of its inhabitants is a mutant. Everyone is also a member of one or more secret societies (mostly) plotting to overthrow the order of Alpha Complex.

The PCs are (usually) Troubleshooters working for Friend Computer, grudgingly assigned useless, backfiring equipment and weapons, and dispatched to solve (often impossible) missions, all while navigating the endless deathtrap which is Alpha Complex, keeping their mutant powers a secret, advancing the cause of their secret society, and trying to earn promotion to higher color grades. Player infighting is encouraged, to the point that some editions recommend that there should never be a greater danger than each other, and turnover is so high each player gets several backup clones with which to replace themselves if when they die. Just remember, Citizen, Happiness Is Mandatory! Insufficient happiness will be punished by termination!

[Eldan]

You forgot that the Computer was (perhaps) originally a minor bureaucracy unit and generally unable to keep anything more than basic maintenance (and often not even that) working. While it has the best intentions, it's programming is not up to anything required in running a state. So expect hilarious complications as players are assigned forms they are not allowed to read under pain of death, which they have to fill in correctly (with their eyes closed) under pain of death, without being given a pencil (cost saving measure).

[The Glyphstone]

My favorite way of explaining Paranoia has always been:

"You know how if you die in an RPG, you make a new character? In a lot of older games, people died all the time, so you brought a backup character or a couple of character sheets to the game. In Paranoia, your character comes standard with five identical backup clones, which replace you if you die. It is not unheard of for a character to run out of clones before the GM is done explaining the mission to your characters. That's how lethal Paranoia is."

[GhoulPolitician]

BEER AND PRETZELS YOU SAY?

Kobolds ate my Baby is the way to go!

grab a few friends, grab some beers and get rather drunk while playing this masterpiece of fantasy gaming!

Become the greatest kobold hero ever know to history!
Master powerfull spells!
battle powerful chicken
Eat babies!

it's all here

http://www.koboldsatemybaby.com/

All hail King Torg!

KAMB is the 'Beer and Pretzel' rpg. My personal favorite thing about KAMB is that it has mechanisms that reward both rules lawyering and brown nosing.

[awa]

Paranoia is quite humorous very easy to learn (players don't have clearance to read the rules) in the edition i played it was extremely free form.

[Mordokai]

Another option, though not strictly RPG, rahter than card game is Aye Dark Overlord! It's fast paced and very amusing and that one time me and my group played we enjoyed it greatly. Tons of laughter as well

[Otogi]

Omega World is pretty sweet if you have the d20 SRD and you can find it.

[dsmiles]

Another vote for Paranoia, Toon, KAMB, and Pokethulu.