Looking for a System

[PallentisLunam]

Can anybody recommend a good system for modern era gameplay? Preferably something available for free online.

I've heard that d20modern leaves much to be desired but I don't really know of any alternatives.

[kyoryu]

What type of game experience are you looking for? Fate (for instance) can be a great system in modern games, but it lends itself to a playstyle that may or may not be what you're looking for.

[PallentisLunam]

I was thinking action-adventure type play. Something more along the lines of D&D than Call of Cuthulu for example.

[JohanOfKitten]

You need to be more specific about what you're looking for. There are a lot of contemporary games and the style can change a lot from one to another.

Few things I can tell you quickly :

If you're looking for a game about atmosphere/horror or investigation theme : Call of Cthulhu could be good. Some templates can adapt it to modern day I think, or it can be done easily because there is not a lot to change between 1920 and today.

If you want to make impressive battles, with everyone imagining some awesome moves, go with Feng Shui. Modern era (there are others eras, but you can play without it). Good to enjoy with friends the creation of some [action movie/kunf-fu movie ]-like session.

If you're fond of TV shows, or seek to developp a lot the characters and their relations in the game, I present you SmallvilleRPG. Based on the said-serie, it can be the universe you want and have nothing to do with superman. The creation of characters and world is very interesting and it can lead to very great moments of roleplay. (I've played a campaign with vampire and few other things, vampire diaries-like, and I run another campaign with witches, charmed-like, but really much messier)

If you want horror, or action, or politic and intrigues, or big fights against supernatural, or munchkin time : World of Darkness as a big set of books. Mortals, vampires, mages, werewolfs, geists, changeling... You have a lot of choice with differents styles of play possible.


Well, all of them are not really free online (even if I think you can find them one way or another). SmallvilleRPG is not edited anymore, so there is only digital material. I don't know if they diffuse it freely or not.


edit : ninja'd
Well, my propositions are not really what you're looking for, except Feng Shui.

[PallentisLunam]

I suppose I should also specify low magic. whoops.

[ImNotTrevor]

I suppose I should also specify low magic. whoops.

FATE or Dresden Files RPG (the former was Pay What You Want for the pdf last I checked.)

I'm sure there's a PbtA system out there for you that is free, I'm just not familiar enough will all of them to say which, but I have access to an archive of them if you want to browse it. (All of them are either free or link to the site where you can pay for them.)

I'll keep looking, but I must admit that this isn't my genre of expertise for games.

[Gaiwecoor]

FATE or Dresden Files RPG (the former was Pay What You Want for the pdf last I checked.)

Fate's actually a free download from Evil Hat, though I highly suggest purchasing - it's worth it. The system is simple enough that I've used it with my kids (11, 9, and 6), but complex enough that my group enjoys it for impromptu games on weeks we don't run our normal game.

[Knaight]

I was thinking action-adventure type play. Something more along the lines of D&D than Call of Cuthulu for example.

Savage Worlds might be up your alley. If you're willing to go a little more towards Call of Cthulhu though, I strongly reccomend Nemesis. It does the whole Cthulu style horror thing, it does the psychological damage side (quite well), but the characters at least tend to go down fighting. Plus, it's really easy to take that side of it out, and it's free and only 60 odd pages, while still being surprisingly rules heavy for its length.

Fudge is also good for this, particularly with the rules added in the now defunct eZine for Fudge Firefight and Fudge Firefight II. Those can't be found online, but I can send them to you.

[PallentisLunam]

Savage Worlds might be up your alley. If you're willing to go a little more towards Call of Cthulhu though, I strongly reccomend Nemesis. It does the whole Cthulu style horror thing, it does the psychological damage side (quite well), but the characters at least tend to go down fighting. Plus, it's really easy to take that side of it out, and it's free and only 60 odd pages, while still being surprisingly rules heavy for its length.

Fudge is also good for this, particularly with the rules added in the now defunct eZine for Fudge Firefight and Fudge Firefight II. Those can't be found online, but I can send them to you.

That's very kind of you but I'm already knee deep in Fate and it seems like it might just be what I'm looking for.

[Roughishguy86]

Gurps??????

[PallentisLunam]

Never tried it but I've heard some bad things...

[Knaight]

That's very kind of you but I'm already knee deep in Fate and it seems like it might just be what I'm looking for.

Fudge Firefight and Fudge Firefight II do work with Fate, particularly the Knack system.

[One Step Two]

There's also Ops and Tactics which is free online, it focuses heavily on gunplay and armament, but is a pretty decent system. The books aren't the best edited though, but its very good on modern style play.

[Gaiwecoor]

Fudge Firefight and Fudge Firefight II do work with Fate, particularly the Knack system.

Makes sense. Fate is a derivative of Fudge, isn't it?

[Knaight]

Makes sense. Fate is a derivative of Fudge, isn't it?

It's arguably a homebrew that split off, even. The very first instance of Aspects was an article in the Fudge Factor ezine, as a replacement for the Gift/Fault mechanics previously in Fudge.

Plus, the Knacks in Fudge Firefight line up surprisingly well with Stunts, among other implementations.