So I'll be the first to admit I like Transformers, not the biggest fan ever but it's a Franchise I grew up with and have had some fond memories of.
I had a oneshot concept planned for a group of players, basically retelling a part of the Cybertronian war and the great exodus period. the objective of the game is for them to get a ship and leave cyberstron.
I burrowed a copy of the Hasbro Transformers RPG made on the Essence20 system and was pretty disappointed with it, since I think Essence20 is kind of baseline just a 5th edition D&D hack. which I don't think fit Transformers.
Anyway later I stumbled on a fan project through a few connections called Pax Cybertronia, which is a fan game covering everything Transformers related and a system built for Transformers in mind from the ground up, pretty sleek and I believe (though need to actually play with it to confirm) represents Transformers well.
The other officially licensed game I was not thrilled with was the Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG. it sucked pretty hard and being fairly generic PTBA slop.
Likewise anything good for Mystera nowadays is pretty much all fan stuff on the Vaults of Pandius or by Mr. Welch, though in that instance WOTC isn't really making anything for Mystera anymore so no real comparison to be drawn.
TL;DR: Any fan games which you have found to be better than the officially licensed version of?
I'd answer, but I'm afraid you'd only make another sandwich chart.
West End Games Star Wars is one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Full stop. No qualifiers.
The Alien and Bladerunner games from Free League are both excellent and some of the better Year Zero Engine adaptations since the first game, Mutant: Year Zero.
Dragon Age from Green Ronin is excellent as well. Despite the turn the company has made since then, I give credit where credit is due.
OTOH, Renegade Game Studios is a flaming pile of shit that can't die soon enough. I have their Altered Carbon book and I very much feel it was a scam. It's a full on rip off of Savage Worlds mechanics only inverted so the math breaks down.
Dragon Ball Universe is a fanmade RPG that is much better than the official one, which was a complete dumpster fire, so no surprise there.
Link here: https://dbu-rpg.com/ (https://dbu-rpg.com/)
Introduced it to a few friends, the Namekians were more popular than I thought.
When I only read the title of the thread, I thought, "Transformers".
Could you link Pax Cybertronica? I'd like to suggest it for the franchise RPG spreadsheet but it's not showing up lol.
If I run Transformers, it will be using Tiny-D6 Mecha and Monsters.
Star Wars would be Mini-Six: Bare Bones Edition.
Marvel Superheroes I go back to Tiny-D6 again. Tiny Supers
These games are all rules lite stuff, which is my preferred method. I don't have time for giant rulebooks that have night fighting, in the rain, while you're blind in one eye.
Quote from: Witch Hunter Siegfried on March 16, 2025, 01:26:06 AMCould you link Pax Cybertronica? I'd like to suggest it for the franchise RPG spreadsheet but it's not showing up lol.
Here is a google doc link to the rules (https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1QQvMgA-bJALre4EQ0LdIIvZzM0FresA47On_RpZxVgM/mobilebasic#heading=h.6gk9bloaqfnb)
Quote from: Socratic-DM on March 16, 2025, 03:14:32 PMQuote from: Witch Hunter Siegfried on March 16, 2025, 01:26:06 AMCould you link Pax Cybertronica? I'd like to suggest it for the franchise RPG spreadsheet but it's not showing up lol.
Here is a google doc link to the rules (https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1QQvMgA-bJALre4EQ0LdIIvZzM0FresA47On_RpZxVgM/mobilebasic#heading=h.6gk9bloaqfnb)
TY
Often. Ever see the "Fururama: Now with Dice!" game? The various Mass Effect fan-made games are better than any trash that present day BioWare (vomit) would approve.
In the Mass Effect category, I've had fun with Once More into the Void. It's inspired by ME2 and the loyalty missions. It might be too narrative for some, but it worked really well as a solo game for me.
That Transformers game is hot garbage, honestly. It uses the same rules as the GI Joe game, right? How do you fuck those up...glad I got my money back for that crap.
Anyway, while I like MERP quite a bit, I looked for a less lethal Middle Earth game. The One Ring sucks, in my opinion, and I sold it and everything I had for it because after a couple sessions of play I just found it to be super boring and lame. Adventures in Middle Earth is just D&D 5th with a thin veneer and again not that cool.
Lo and behold, something useful from RPG.net:
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/middle-earth-d6-rules-mostly-complete.190283/
That actually...works. Pretty well, I might add. It's a solid, free game.
Quote from: Brad on March 17, 2025, 02:49:55 PMThat Transformers game is hot garbage, honestly. It uses the same rules as the GI Joe game, right? How do you fuck those up...glad I got my money back for that crap.
Anyway, while I like MERP quite a bit, I looked for a less lethal Middle Earth game. The One Ring sucks, in my opinion, and I sold it and everything I had for it because after a couple sessions of play I just found it to be super boring and lame. Adventures in Middle Earth is just D&D 5th with a thin veneer and again not that cool.
Lo and behold, something useful from RPG.net:
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/middle-earth-d6-rules-mostly-complete.190283/
That actually...works. Pretty well, I might add. It's a solid, free game.
Back when I was playing 5th edition I really liked adventurers in middle earth due to it having non-magical class alternatives, allowed you to bring the power-level of 5th edition down to something closer to an old school game. Though I don't really play 5th at all anymore so to each their own.
But indeed it seems RPG.net is good for something, just skimming these rules I might just have to run this! they do look quite solid.
Quote from: Crazy_Blue_Haired_Chick on March 14, 2025, 04:35:17 PMDragon Ball Universe is a fanmade RPG that is much better than the official one, which was a complete dumpster fire, so no surprise there.
(in best Krillin voice) Not gonna argue with you, Bulma. I mean, crazy blue-haired lady and all....
OH GOD NOT IN THE FACE!!!!!
(WHAP!!!)
Quote from: Brad on March 17, 2025, 02:49:55 PMAnyway, while I like MERP quite a bit, I looked for a less lethal Middle Earth game. The One Ring sucks, in my opinion, and I sold it and everything I had for it because after a couple sessions of play I just found it to be super boring and lame. Adventures in Middle Earth is just D&D 5th with a thin veneer and again not that cool.
Lo and behold, something useful from RPG.net:
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/middle-earth-d6-rules-mostly-complete.190283/
That actually...works. Pretty well, I might add. It's a solid, free game.
Looks interesting. I've scanned through it looking for stuff to put into my Savage Worlds Middle Earth games, and I added in some of the formatting. Here's the result:
https://darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/lordoftherings/middle-earth-d6-rules.html
Quote from: Socratic-DM on March 17, 2025, 07:46:55 PMQuote from: Brad on March 17, 2025, 02:49:55 PMThat Transformers game is hot garbage, honestly. It uses the same rules as the GI Joe game, right? How do you fuck those up...glad I got my money back for that crap.
Anyway, while I like MERP quite a bit, I looked for a less lethal Middle Earth game. The One Ring sucks, in my opinion, and I sold it and everything I had for it because after a couple sessions of play I just found it to be super boring and lame. Adventures in Middle Earth is just D&D 5th with a thin veneer and again not that cool.
Lo and behold, something useful from RPG.net:
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/middle-earth-d6-rules-mostly-complete.190283/
That actually...works. Pretty well, I might add. It's a solid, free game.
Back when I was playing 5th edition I really liked adventurers in middle earth due to it having non-magical class alternatives, allowed you to bring the power-level of 5th edition down to something closer to an old school game. Though I don't really play 5th at all anymore so to each their own.
But indeed it seems RPG.net is good for something, just skimming these rules I might just have to run this! they do look quite solid.
More like back in 2005, rpg.net was good for something! (LOL)
I think we should make original IPs rather than promoting corporate IPs. In fact, I think we need more public domain material so that we aren't held hostage by those evil corpos.
Every fan-made alternative is better than the steaming pile of shite that is Exalted's native system.
Quote from: weirdguy564 on March 16, 2025, 09:28:04 AMThese games are all rules lite stuff, which is my preferred method. I don't have time for giant rulebooks that have night fighting, in the rain, while you're blind in one eye.
Ha!!! I agree. Life is short. Game while you can.
Quote from: Kiero on March 26, 2025, 10:23:10 AMEvery fan-made alternative is better than the steaming pile of shite that is Exalted's native system.
Absolutely.
Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on March 25, 2025, 12:09:30 PMwe need more public domain material so that we aren't held hostage by those evil corpos
I mean, a few really big Disney characters have recently been liberated.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdXFvcGl2dmlha2dlZHdxc3Z1amxhaGFqcTM2YzlkdWtiNG90NmdxZiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/SFK0oEtuU9eGRuRrPz/giphy.gif)
Quote from: Socratic-DM on March 13, 2025, 11:56:19 PMTL;DR: Any fan games which you have found to be better than the officially licensed version of?
I'm gonna second Transformers. I've got a homebrew system I've been tinkering with since the 80's. But that's niche of a niche. A homebrew for a not-D&D setting.
I figured with an official RPG, I might be able to get people more interested in playing.
But the system is so not-Transformers, it's criminal.
Quote from: D-ko on March 27, 2025, 08:12:33 PMQuote from: BoxCrayonTales on March 25, 2025, 12:09:30 PMwe need more public domain material so that we aren't held hostage by those evil corpos
I mean, a few really big Disney characters have recently been liberated.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdXFvcGl2dmlha2dlZHdxc3Z1amxhaGFqcTM2YzlkdWtiNG90NmdxZiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/SFK0oEtuU9eGRuRrPz/giphy.gif)
All do-able with TOON!
Palladium's old Robotech/Macross and TMNT RPGs did it right.
Was oddly unimpressed with gurps Lensman. And even less impressed with Usagi Yojimbo.
WEG's Star Wars is indeed pretty good as is Star Trek. Havent seen the TNG RPG.
The original Albedo RPG got across perfectly the "War is Hell" aspect. Lil weak on the socio-political intrigue side.
AD&D Conan was pretty good long as the DM kept the class and race access ruthlessly restricted. The TSR Conan RPG felt oddly off. Never could pin down what.
TSR's Indiana Jones RPG worked, but the format was... not great in places.
Tri-stats Votoms and Dominion RPGs felt oddly lacking.
Never got into the James Bond RPG.
2001 and 2010 for Star Frontiers were ok.
I know theres more I've actually seen or have. But drawing a blank.
And several heard of but never actually seen. Mayfair's DC Heroes. Apparently it won an award or two? Middle Earth. Dragonslayer. Sailor Moon. Werent there a Highlander and a Buffy RPG? Aliens. Prince Valiant? Amber (Have it, never had a chance to read it) Judge Dredd? Thought I had WWs Street Fighter RPG but cant find it. The old Doctor Who RPG. Dallas. Rocky & Bullwinkle. Cadillacs & Dinosaurs/Xenozoic Tales. Wasnt there a gurps Horseclans?
Dragao Brasil magazine did a bunch of adaption articles to convert this or that IP to AD&D or WOD. I recall one being Dino Crisis. Men in Black. Gurps Battletech, Ghost in the Shell, Swat Kats, Thundercats, and Parasite Eve. Highlander using WOD.
Quote from: Omega on March 28, 2025, 04:47:25 AMPalladium's old Robotech/Macross and TMNT RPGs did it right.
Was oddly unimpressed with gurps Lensman. And even less impressed with Usagi Yojimbo.
WEG's Star Wars is indeed pretty good as is Star Trek. Havent seen the TNG RPG.
The original Albedo RPG got across perfectly the "War is Hell" aspect. Lil weak on the socio-political intrigue side.
AD&D Conan was pretty good long as the DM kept the class and race access ruthlessly restricted. The TSR Conan RPG felt oddly off. Never could pin down what.
TSR's Indiana Jones RPG worked, but the format was... not great in places.
Tri-stats Votoms and Dominion RPGs felt oddly lacking.
Never got into the James Bond RPG.
2001 and 2010 for Star Frontiers were ok.
I know theres more I've actually seen or have. But drawing a blank.
And several heard of but never actually seen. Mayfair's DC Heroes. Apparently it won an award or two? Middle Earth. Dragonslayer. Sailor Moon. Werent there a Highlander and a Buffy RPG? Aliens. Prince Valiant? Amber (Have it, never had a chance to read it) Judge Dredd? Thought I had WWs Street Fighter RPG but cant find it. The old Doctor Who RPG. Dallas. Rocky & Bullwinkle. Cadillacs & Dinosaurs/Xenozoic Tales. Wasnt there a gurps Horseclans?
Dragao Brasil magazine did a bunch of adaption articles to convert this or that IP to AD&D or WOD. I recall one being Dino Crisis. Men in Black. Gurps Battletech, Ghost in the Shell, Swat Kats, Thundercats, and Parasite Eve. Highlander using WOD.
The Buffy one ain't bad, been running an old fan conversion (it's the Cinematic unisystem, mostly uses the buffy incarnation but takes from around and even a bit from World of Darkness)based on the series my pfp is from, Fate, and it's pretty interesting, a fairly simple system at it's root and thankfully quite easy to homebrew as I want to add new stuff to it (have permission)
Quote from: Omega on March 28, 2025, 04:02:44 AMQuote from: D-ko on March 27, 2025, 08:12:33 PMQuote from: BoxCrayonTales on March 25, 2025, 12:09:30 PMwe need more public domain material so that we aren't held hostage by those evil corpos
I mean, a few really big Disney characters have recently been liberated.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdXFvcGl2dmlha2dlZHdxc3Z1amxhaGFqcTM2YzlkdWtiNG90NmdxZiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/SFK0oEtuU9eGRuRrPz/giphy.gif)
All do-able with TOON!
Hey, man! We have to abolish copyright so uncreative doinks can attach their terrible projects to a name-brand.
Quote from: Ratman_tf on March 28, 2025, 11:31:42 AMHey, man! We have to abolish copyright so uncreative doinks can attach their terrible projects to a name-brand.
Oh so very very true.