Quote from: Anselyn;1145081I agree. Options in the DMG: play on a hex grid with flanking and facing.

So... GURPS then?

Three other easy and fast RPGs I would recommend checking out include FUDGE/FATE, d6 Fantasy, and of course for science-fiction, Classic Traveller.

Savage Worlds.

Get the core rules. Go crazy. All their settings are being updated - but the core rules are more than enough for any basic GM and noob players to make characters and play in nearly any genre they want. I tested this out on my 10-year old nephew and 14-year old niece, ran them through the Keep on the Borderlands (yes that one) and converted on the fly. My nephew was over the moon - and now has organized his own group.

And so the torch is passed and another GM is born.

Hi, Strongaxe.

Judging by the board games you mentioned (I love all of those you mentioned, by the way), I believe you're all into science-fiction.

So I'd suggest either Traveller (the 2nd edition published by Mongoose) or Savage Worlds.

Traveller has a very interesting character creation system that is almost a game of its own, and a solid set of rules. It's also very customizable and you can add more complexity or options by using other supplements or sourcebooks. There are two versions of the game currently in the market, but I'm only familiar with the Mongoose 2nd Edition, so I cannot say anything about the other version.

Savage Worlds is a "generic system", which means it can be used with literally any setting or genre you like, and they have some fantastic sci-fi official settings, from Flash Gordon, to Space Opera to Hard Sci-fi to post-apocalyptic. The system is very robust but also very flexible and easy to learn. Its focused on action and having fun over simulationist mechanics, so it doesn't bog down neither the GM nor the players with rules minutiae like most other "generic systems" I know. It's also favors a very cinematic play-style.

Of course it's a matter of preference - if you prefer rules-heavy and/or heavy simulationist systems, GURPS might be a good option. I played GURPS for a long time, but after I started using Savage Worlds I never even looked back.

Quote from: Strongaxe;1145006Hi All,

My friends (and board gaming group) and I just played our first ever pen & paper RPG. We played the first part of the dnd 5e starter set and it went really well. We are going to start a longer campaign from the ground up of some type of pen & paper RPG. We are not going to continue the dnd starter set as everyone is very interested in making their own character. But beyond dnd 5e and pathfinder 2e it quickly becomes overwhelming because of all the systems available. Maybe you can help!

Our considerations:

1.) We like medium to heavy board games (Eclipse, Terraforming Mars, Twilight Imperium etc..).
2.) Character creation is really important to everyone, more options and customization is great! Although I don't want us to get in over our head with some insanely complex system.
3.) Combat is something that everyone really enjoys. Would love something more complex than move->attack.
4.) We will likely value system mechanics over everything else, at least until we actually learn how to roleplay lol.
5.) Id rather avoid having to spreadsheet spells, abilities, modifiers etc... We already have some people prone to analysis paralysis.
6.) Dnd/pathfinder fantasy setting is right up our alley.
7.) I am brand new to being a DM, so having good, premade campaigns for me to use is important.
8.) I think we would all like to have minis on a grid map of what is happening in the game.

So I am leaning towards Pathfinder 2e (although I hate the "Woke" agenda of the company and the premade campaigns don't seem great for 2e), but what other games/systems should we look at (and where can I find resources for your recommendation)? I am open to looking into anything!

Thanks in advance!

I would recommend a d20 game: Heroes Against Darkness RPG

(for sale on drivethru https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/107559/Heroes-Against-Darkness)

It ticks almost all of your boxes for a first ever RPG.


#7 on your list is the real kicker...

IMHO you can grab most any d20, D&D, or Pathfinder campaign and run it with the d20 fantasy system of your choice. yes you'll have to sub in monsters etc. from your system of choice, but d20 systems are comparable enough that after a few sessions you should be able to eyeball monster/NPC hp and roughly translate it to what kind of damage your players do in a fight. Say that the PF monster is 60hp - so for Heroes Against Darkness I rename and use this monster that is 45hp. Etc.

IMHO Using Heroes Against Darkness to run any published campaign from Pathfinder 1st edition, D&D3.0-3.5 or even D&D 4e, it should not be a big issue to sub out the monster stat blocks and fiddly bits with the Heroes Against Darkness version.

That's the only "hard" part about using other d20 campaigns. And it's a learning curve that will quickly become second nature after 2-3 sessions. The rest is pure roleplay which mot everyone wings anyway!

5e D&D hits a good middle ground between tactical and ease of play. The Essentials boxed set pretty much gets you going with the basics for like 20$. You can get off Amazon the core 3 books at fairly reasonable prices. 35$ each. Basic rules are free.

For a board game pretending to be an RPG theres 4e D&D. Or if you want more RPG (and CCG) in your board game there is 4e D&D Gamma World.

Quote from: FelixGamingX1;1145084There's a ton of systems out there, correct. Unfortunately it's all a bit of an optical illusion. Sense the genre largely orbits D&D, most rule systems are D&D modifications, therefore will feel like playing D&D just with a different label. I see two problems that consistently keep happening in the hobby and which pushed me to pursue other alternatives for a living. The self-destructive woke agenda is simply too toxic. And the other, frequent piggybacking of other people's successful franchises by phonies and those with a serious lack of creative thought. Whatever game you play, do some self-reflection and understand who you're supporting in this industry.

... and then there's that.

Well said.