Fun Obscure RPGs

[ZamielVanWeber]

I am in the habit of acquiring various RPG systems and my friend offered to get me one as a gift, so I was wondering if people had suggestions. I need the system to be available in book form, not strictly as a PDF. Thank you!

[DataNinja]

Disclaimer: I have never actually played it with a group, so I can't actually attest to any of that, but - even if you don't play it - Alternity is a pretty nifty system. It's got some really cool setting books, too - my particular favorite is Star*Drive.

Edit: It is long out of print, though, so you'd need to pick it up secondhand.

[JAL_1138]

Which ones do you already have? A list would help people avoid filling the thread with systems you've already got.

[Knaight]

If I had to make just one suggestion, it would be Warbirds. It's essentially a pulp game about flying aces in the Carribean, except for the Carribean is a bunch of flying islands around the eye of a gas giant. The mechanics are solid and non-intrusive, the setting is actually really good and surprisingly capable of covering a wide variety of games, and the "Go Gonzo" chapter is a beauty to behold.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Which ones do you already have? A list would help people avoid filling the thread with systems you've already got.

Fair enough. Just running down my not 3.5 DND or WW shelf:
Shadowrun
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
Deliria
Rifts
In Nomine
Unknown Armies
Deadlands
L5R
Nephilim
Continuum
Call of Cthulhu
Mekton Zeta
GURPS 4th Ed
D20 Modern/Future
Dark Heresy
Black Crusade
Eclipse Phase
Mouseguard

[JNAProductions]

Engine Heart? Engine Heart.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Engine Heart sounds amazing. I love robots and playing as robots.

[JNAProductions]

Engine Heart sounds amazing. I love robots and playing as robots.

It's free too! We should play a game on these forums!

[ZamielVanWeber]

It's free too! We should play a game on these forums!

I will need to find a PDF and a hard copy for later.
I added Mouseguard. I forgot I just bought it.

[Fri]

Ryuutama?

Ryuutama!

Also, before anyone mention it, not sure if this is that obscure, but Chuubo: Marvelous Wish Granting Engine

[JAL_1138]

Thanks for posting the list!

Savage Worlds is definitely one to check out, if the Deadlands version you're using isn't already the SW version. They have a Rifts conversion among other things, and are the main system for Deadlands now (if you're using the older version of Deadlands; also SW is sort of derived from the old version of Deadlands), and it supports a ton of genres and settings from fantasy to noir to sci-fi. The core rules are enough to homebrew something with as well, and easily moddable into just about anything. Also, fairly inexpensive.

Numenera is another interesting one, if just for the setting if nothing else. From a read-through it's a little wonky mechanically (because Monte Cook, but at least no god-wizards), but the setting is pretty cool.

[ZamielVanWeber]

I have the first edition of Deadlands. Got a lucky break at a local comics shop. Any suggestions that are good for mecha or robots?

[Fri]

I know the best anime-based mecha game that's quite obscure. By that I mean, it's obvious that the author actually enjoyed mecha series and know about it, and not just watched evangelion or TTGL and declared that he knows all about mecha.

The system is quite interesting as well. It's basically meant to be played as episodic game, where each session is an episode in tv series. It's both rather rules light but combat heavy, if that makes sense.

I think one of the reason why it's so obscure is the super generic title

It's titled Chris Perrin's Mecha (or actually just mecha, I put Chris Perrin's there so you COULD actually search for it).

[JAL_1138]

I have the first edition of Deadlands. Got a lucky break at a local comics shop. Any suggestions that are good for mecha or robots?

Savage Worlds would be easy to homebrew it for and I think there are mecha rules in the Science Fiction supplement for it. (And of course Rifts has Glitterboys).


Battletech has an RPG in addition to the wargames, called either MechWarrior, Classic Battletech RPG, or A Time of War, depending on edition and who was publishing at the time. I've never played any of those, nor have I played the wargame or read the books, so I dunno if it's good, bad, or ugly.

[ZamielVanWeber]

My friend just got me the new Palladium Robotech RPG as a house warming gift. The collection grows! Is Fate any good? I found a new edition cheap at the local shop but being encouraged to buy new dice for it made me feel meh.

[Fri]

It's good, there's a reason it's the "default" rules light game now (though there's also the tiredness on how it's recommended for anything, similar to how everyone default to DnD for fantasy game, but it's not either game's fault).

Also, you can get the book for free. It's "pay what you want." for the digital version. You could get it, see if you like it, and buy it if you like it.

You can play it with a four normal d6, it's not like FFG star wars where the weird dice is really inherent on the system. Fudge dice is just normal d6 with two face as 0, two face as +1, and two face as -1 Just designate which two faces are 0, 1, and -1 (if you don't want to actually mark your dice) and you're good.

[ZamielVanWeber]

The PDF is cool to know TY. I will check out my local store again for it. Does anyone know anything about Remnants?

[Raine_Sage]

I have no idea if this is still in print but Wield! is a game where you play AS the magic item. Ever wanted to be the one ring? Well now you can! You get some disposable adventurers to puppet about to try and fulfill your magic item agenda either subtly or not so subtly.

[meschlum]

Mecha-wise, you might look at Jovian Chronicles.

I'm fond of Reve, the Dream Onieros - the core conceit is that everything, including the characters, is being dreamed by dragons. So as you travel, you come closer to your archetype - the version of yourself that the dragons have dreamed about before (and will later). Magic works by getting closer to the dragon's awareness, with risks, since waking them up means they're not dreaming anymore... The consequences of previous awakenings are that rifts exist between dreams, allowing travel between worlds with different contents and genres. Neat magic, resolution, and advancement systems, clunky early RPG mechanics.

[Pyle1105]

i think a good idea moviesonline.ac

[Mutazoia]

Teenagers from Outer Space
Star Frontiers
Aliens RPG (based on the movie)
Deadlands
Ironclaw
Albedo
Ringworld
Dune
Iron Heroes


Just a few off the top of me 'ed

[Pugwampy]

I think you would love to play Dragonstrike .

[ZamielVanWeber]

I think you would love to play Dragonstrike .

Any particular reason?

[Anonymouswizard]

Also, you can get the book for free. It's "pay what you want." for the digital version. You could get it, see if you like it, and buy it if you like it.

You can play it with a four normal d6, it's not like FFG star wars where the weird dice is really inherent on the system. Fudge dice is just normal d6 with two face as 0, two face as +1, and two face as -1 Just designate which two faces are 0, 1, and -1 (if you don't want to actually mark your dice) and you're good.

Yeah, my general rule with Fate stuff is 'get the pdf for free, read it, then buy the physical version if I like it).

Yeah, Fudge/Fate dice are just (d3-2)s. The official ones are fairly good quality, but there's no reason to get them and you don't need a chart if you don't. I think the best recommendation for marking ds I've seen were to make four and five +s, two and three -s, and one and six blanks.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Going through the Fate PDF now and feeling ambivalent. What little I saw of Chuubo's made me quite excited though, once I can afford. Going over those mecha suggestions. I grew up on mecha anime and I think that love has never waned.

[tensai_oni]

Don't Rest Your Head - if you like supernatural horror, this system is great at simulating a slow but inevitable descent into desperation and madness.

Also makes for a good Madoka RPG with minimal houseruling.

If you like giant robots, I second (Chris Perrin's) Mecha.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Don't Rest Your Head - if you like supernatural horror, this system is great at simulating a slow but inevitable descent into desperation and madness.

I remember reading about this. Thanks for the reminder. Also I picked up Chuubo's on my Kindle App. A lot uglier than be book but a lot cheaper too. Very different RPG system I must say.

[Max_Killjoy]

Planet Mercenary.

Spoiler: Links

Show

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/howardtayler/the-planet-mercenary-role-playing-game/description
https://planet-mercenary-rpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?525411-The-Planet-Mercenary-RPG-quot-Schlock-Mercenary-The-Roleplaying-Game-quot
https://www.reddit.com/r/PlanetMercenaryRPG/
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/209884/Planet-Mercenary-RPG

[Knaight]

I have the first edition of Deadlands. Got a lucky break at a local comics shop. Any suggestions that are good for mecha or robots?

Aside from Engine Hearts, there's always Remnants and Mecha Aces.

[ZamielVanWeber]

With Remnants and Warbirds mentioned can anyone give me a quick spiel on the Rapidfire System? The pitch for it reminds me eerily of what Framewerk called itself and that makes me nervous.