Trying to Find a Better Game System

[Broadhand]

My wife and I RP almost every night, and I've noticed four particular aspects that we would like to have in a gaming system:

1. Dice should be required for random results.

2. The main focus of the play should be realistic, with fantasy elements, and theater-of-the-mind.

3. Challenges should be calculable in the GM's head with a few details:
a. What level is the PC?
b. Is the class the PC is playing suited to the task at-hand (i.e., proficiency)?
c. Random elements as-necessary.
Similarly, average damage/hit points/etc. for random combat(s) should be as easily calculable.

4. Spells, constructs, effects, etc., should be primarily geared toward realism and general usefulness in- and out-of-combat, rather than geared toward "murderhoboing." For example, it's more realistic that a society should work out how to cure a headache or the common cold with spells and medicine over how to raise the dead. Societies do not function when entirely geared toward adventuring.

--

Currently, Pathfinder and D&D fail at (2), (3), and (4), with D&D Next/5e only really failing at (2) and (4).

Does anyone in the forum know of a system that's fantasy/medieval-based, but much more geared toward a proper society in which adventuring is only a minor part?

Thanks!

[TheOOB]

Honestly there is very little here to help suggest a system. Things like theaming, style, and what kind of campaigns the system is designed for are the real things that make system a different from system b.

For my 2cp, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings by AEG seem to fit what you're looking for alright, once you get used to it the rolling system is pretty simple, PC's can run through a variety of archetypes, and magic, while uncommon, is a clear part of society and defiantly is not entirely/primarily combat focused. 7th Sea is a swashbuckling action game, and L5R is a samurai fantasy story.

You could also do pretty much whatever you want with GURPS.

Fading Suns may be what you're looking for if Sci-Fi is your thing.

[slaydemons]

while I am not 100% sure if it will fit your qualifications, the old world of darkness might be up your alley it can get ridiculous when your character is ridiculous, but I always think its a good system.

Edit: also it doesn't fit 3 because world of darkness doesn't have classes.

[Broadhand]

Honestly there is very little here to help suggest a system. Things like theaming, style, and what kind of campaigns the system is designed for are the real things that make system a different from system b.

Hence, the problem.

For my 2cp, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings by AEG seem to fit what you're looking for alright, once you get used to it the rolling system is pretty simple, PC's can run through a variety of archetypes, and magic, while uncommon, is a clear part of society and defiantly is not entirely/primarily combat focused. 7th Sea is a swashbuckling action game, and L5R is a samurai fantasy story.

You could also do pretty much whatever you want with GURPS.

Fading Suns may be what you're looking for if Sci-Fi is your thing.

I'll look into 7th Sea and GURPS, for sure. Unfortunately, because my world can go from European-medieval to Japanese-medieval to Pirate-medieval to ... whatever, depending upon the location in the world ... sticking to a "thematic" RPG system tends to make choices a bit more problematic, as you described.

while I am not 100% sure if it will fit your qualifications, the old world of darkness might be up your alley it can get ridiculous when your character is ridiculous, but I always think its a good system.

I've debating getting back into WoD, because it does fit more of my style of gaming. Unfortunately, the way they handle magic isn't as easy as D&D/Pathfinder.

[erradin]

I haven't yet given it a shot- though I will within the next month or so. That disclaimer out there, Dungeon World is a very interesting system that focuses largely on narrative storytelling. Many of the abilities are a little open-ended. There are a good assortment of combat and non-combat abilities. Spells might be a little tricky because some of them define basic guidelines and then require GM calls.

It may not fit 3 perfectly, but as far as I can tell it's the best match I can think of for all the rest.

[Broadhand]

I haven't yet given it a shot- though I will within the next month or so. That disclaimer out there, Dungeon World is a very interesting system that focuses largely on narrative storytelling. Many of the abilities are a little open-ended. There are a good assortment of combat and non-combat abilities. Spells might be a little tricky because some of them define basic guidelines and then require GM calls.

It may not fit 3 perfectly, but as far as I can tell it's the best match I can think of for all the rest.

I am really seriously investigating this. Thank you.

[Hawkstar]

Despite its default "Funny Animals" setting and honestly godawful artwork in the books, Ironclaw is a surprisingly good medieval/Renaissance fantasy system. It's great for telling stories like The Princess Bride, Robin Hood, and similar stories.

However - while it does have classes, it does NOT have levels, nor significant scaling. That said, since it's all bound to the same d4-d12 scale, it's pretty simple. It's also damn lethal, though. Characters don't have hit points - they have a 5-level Condition track that they get shifted along. On the bright side... it can make a heist and chase as thrilling as any fight.

[Eisenheim]

You want fate. It lacks the particular metrics you mention for calculating difficulties, but difficulties are easy to calculate, you can tune it to the exact fantasy level you want, theater of the mind is easy, and, it's a great system.

[ImNotTrevor]

My wife and I RP almost every night, and I've noticed four particular aspects that we would like to have in a gaming system:

1. Dice should be required for random results.

2. The main focus of the play should be realistic, with fantasy elements, and theater-of-the-mind.

3. Challenges should be calculable in the GM's head with a few details:
a. What level is the PC?
b. Is the class the PC is playing suited to the task at-hand (i.e., proficiency)?
c. Random elements as-necessary.
Similarly, average damage/hit points/etc. for random combat(s) should be as easily calculable.

4. Spells, constructs, effects, etc., should be primarily geared toward realism and general usefulness in- and out-of-combat, rather than geared toward "murderhoboing." For example, it's more realistic that a society should work out how to cure a headache or the common cold with spells and medicine over how to raise the dead. Societies do not function when entirely geared toward adventuring.

--

Currently, Pathfinder and D&D fail at (2), (3), and (4), with D&D Next/5e only really failing at (2) and (4).

Does anyone in the forum know of a system that's fantasy/medieval-based, but much more geared toward a proper society in which adventuring is only a minor part?

Thanks!

1. 99% of systems meet this one. Lucky you!

2. Dungeon World does this really, really well.

3. I have never GM'd DW, but I have MC'd its mother-system, Apocalypse World. And it is good at this. The exact parameters aren't hit, but the overall concept of "it is easy to improvise" is alive and well.

4. I admit that this one seems like a flavor issue, not a mechanical one. 3.5 could hit this mark with very few tweaks.

I would argue that, unlike one poster said before, these are all (save for the last one) mechanical rather than narrative problems. And important ones at that.