Hello...new to the forum...returning RPG'er. I was brought up on D&D (red box) and most of my rpg's have been D&D. Life took a detour from gaming and just recently i got back into it.

This past summer i got back into role playing. I got together with a few people and played Exalted (2nd). I wasnt crazy about all the ten sided dice i needed to roll, but i did enjoy the imagery that the game had. The group had fallen apart for real life issues and one person needed to be on World of Warcraft the day that our exalted game was being played...its ok...now i play Warcraft on the same day with him. Ha Ha

I am looking for some advice on a game system and setting.
I have expressed to a few friends that i want to start up a group and was looking for their input on what type of game they would want to play & what games they have played in the past. I am doing all of my research to see what is available and what might be a good system and setting to try out.

One of my friends is more of a fantasy buff (D&D style of player) and the other leaning the other way into Sci-Fi (D&D, Rifts). I am more in the middle. I tend to like the sword & mage fantasy than a good old blaster, but i am willing to broaden my horizons to try new things.

I would like a pretty flexible system. I would rather have the characters play how they want and not be forced "to use a sword because thats what their class" uses type of game. The game can be rules heavy (we have played GW Warhammer/Warhammer 40k for years so...were used to arguing rules LOL, we would just like to avoid it), but should have a decent pace for combat and social activities.

What are your reccommendations???


What are your additional thoughts on:
Shadowrun
Call of Cthulhu
Rifts
Palladium Fantasy

What did i miss???

Thank you,
Pia.

Quote from: PiaevoHello...new to the forum...returning RPG'er. I was brought up on D&D (red box) and most of my rpg's have been D&D. Life took a detour from gaming and just recently i got back into it.

This past summer i got back into role playing. I got together with a few people and played Exalted (2nd). I wasnt crazy about all the ten sided dice i needed to roll, but i did enjoy the imagery that the game had. The group had fallen apart for real life issues and one person needed to be on World of Warcraft the day that our exalted game was being played...its ok...now i play Warcraft on the same day with him. Ha Ha

I am looking for some advice on a game system and setting.
I have expressed to a few friends that i want to start up a group and was looking for their input on what type of game they would want to play & what games they have played in the past. I am doing all of my research to see what is available and what might be a good system and setting to try out.

One of my friends is more of a fantasy buff (D&D style of player) and the other leaning the other way into Sci-Fi (D&D, Rifts). I am more in the middle. I tend to like the sword & mage fantasy than a good old blaster, but i am willing to broaden my horizons to try new things.

I would like a pretty flexible system. I would rather have the characters play how they want and not be forced "to use a sword because thats what their class" uses type of game. The game can be rules heavy (we have played GW Warhammer/Warhammer 40k for years so...were used to arguing rules LOL, we would just like to avoid it), but should have a decent pace for combat and social activities.

What are your reccommendations???


What are your additional thoughts on:
Shadowrun
Call of Cthulhu
Rifts
Palladium Fantasy

What did i miss???

Thank you,
Pia.

Rifts is great and Palladium Fantasy is still one my favorites.

From your post maybe the best choice in games for you is Warhammer Fantasy 2ed (the new one).

Welcome to the forums and back to gaming!

Given tastes in WoW and Warhammer, Warhammer Fantasy 2ed would be a good choice.  

Call of Cthulhu is horror inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.  The rules are set up to either play in the 1920's or modern times.  The basic concept is the group of characters find themselves dealing with gravely disturbing monsters and then most of them risk dying or going insane.  There are rules that cover the slide into insanity.  There are two version - the original version and the D20 version, both are great.  The original is a little simpler, most of the time you try to roll percentile dice under your skill level.  It's usually best for one shots and short campaigns.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that there is a Warhammer 40k PRG comming out in the next year as well. So that would cover the Sci-Fi side.

Given your tastes, I would agree Warhammer 2e is a strong candidate for what you're looking for, but I still love Palladium Fantasy.  The world has an old-school feel to it (though it can easily be subsituted with another setting), sort of an endless, boundless enthusiasm a lot of settings today I think are missing, and I loved their unique spin on races, the large amount of divergent classes available, and the fact that if you want to play a Kobold, Wolfen, Goblin, Ogre, or even Troll, PFRPG was where it was at.

Oh, and their are several different magic systems, from Power Points-using Wizardry (not the Office app) to Wards, which allow you to use different components to create and invent hundreds of unique effects (still one of my favorite magic systems out there).

I agree with the others; you can't go wrong with WFRP.  You already know the world, its a game that's mechanic intensive but flows easily, its got a lot of great choices for careers, a great fun combat system, great magic system (in 2nd edition, 1st edition's was awful).

Its a good fit for you.

RPGPundit

If 4 people isn't enough, have a 5th.

I´d actually place my vote for any of the palladium systems. WFRP really doesn`t give you a very heroic feel for the first adventures, whereas in Rifts you can already do lots of awesome. This brings in the fun being a "Mo-Fo " earlier. Earning all this stuff in WFRP needs a lot of frustration-tolerance and survivalist traits, which might be not to newby tastes, although it will feel much more profound and earned in the end.

Welcome, Piaevo!

WFRP is a good choice for your fantasy needs.

If you want to try Shadowrun, be sure to pick the latest edition (4th).

I thought the 4th Edition was supposed to be nerfed?  Hasn't it reached a point whereby you have to be nuts to actually build a cybered-up character?  Doesn't everyone now go for adepts with bio-engineering?

Fair enough it's the march of technology but everytime a cyberpunk RPG removes the cyber- an angel loses its wings.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI thought the 4th Edition was supposed to be nerfed?  Hasn't it reached a point whereby you have to be nuts to actually build a cybered-up character?  Doesn't everyone now go for adepts with bio-engineering?

Fair enough it's the march of technology but everytime a cyberpunk RPG removes the cyber- an angel loses its wings.

Uh, nope. If anything, SR4 makes cyberware more affordable than in previous editions (prices went way, way down, for example). At the same time, bioware is a pricier, if Essence-friendly alternative. An adept with bioware is still going to lose part of his Magic power, though, just like in previous editions.

Also, wait until the next books come out. Surprises aplenty.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI thought the 4th Edition was supposed to be nerfed?  Hasn't it reached a point whereby you have to be nuts to actually build a cybered-up character?

Yes, all cyber and no bio makes for an unhappy samuari.  But having a mix is where it's at. There are a number of implant options that are still only available in cyber forms, cyber is definately cheaper on the pocketbook, and the way the Essense calculation works (the lesser totals of the two sources of Essense loss is halved) definately encourages having a mix.

QuoteDoesn't everyone now go for adepts with bio-engineering?

Half true.  The way the offical numbers shake out if you have an Adept and you want him to have extra IP the smart powerplay is to go with Synaptic Boosters.

All in all though I've been having good ol' rocking SR fun with it. They did a pretty good job of keeping the setting tone while giving the dice mechanics a much needed reboot.

EDIT: While I found the polish on the core book somewhat lacking, it still is a vast improvement over SR3 and the first splatbook out (Street Magic) is top shelf.

thank you for all the replies.

For Warhammer:
What are the core books needed to play?
Are all of the warhammer fantasy races playable PC's? as far as one player wants to be a night goblin and another wants to be a dwarf?

Warhammer sounds like an excellent choice to check out....

as far as Shadowrun:
What are the core books to play to get us started?
Shadowrun sounds like it is a mix of fantasy style & SciFi.....


thanks,
Pia.

Quote from: Piaevothank you for all the replies.

For Warhammer:
What are the core books needed to play?
Are all of the warhammer fantasy races playable PC's? as far as one player wants to be a night goblin and another wants to be a dwarf?

Warhammer sounds like an excellent choice to check out....

All you really need to get started is the Warhammer Fantasy 2ed Core rules. It has everything you need to start and even has a mini adventure in the back.  It has a small bestiary, but you will want more monsters if you will be running a custom game.

IIRC there are no rules for playing a night goblin, but you could easily let them use the goblin template though they will likely be pretty weak.

Quote from: Piaevoas far as Shadowrun:
What are the core books to play to get us started?
Shadowrun sounds like it is a mix of fantasy style & SciFi.....

It is loose based on (meaning stole from, without royalties ) William Gibson's Neuromancer and related cyberpunk. Then mixed in is fantasy-style magic and some iconic fantasy creatures (like vampires and ghouls, only they aren't "undead", just diseased people) and demihumans (called metahumans, because they were humans before magic twisted their bodies). Only they aren't exactly as the myths tell us, they are all projected fairly darkly.  Largely it is a bit over the top on setting, and has a long history of working in dark parodies of various things pop culture into the setting.

For SR4 just the core book itself is all you really need for some time, although I'd recommend Runner Havens for better setting info. The Dumpshock forums are the unofficial offical boards of Shadowrun.  http://www.dumpshock.com  You can ask around there if you want to dig any deeper into the setting.