Top 5 favorite RPGs

[Lisa Nadazdy]

What's the cream of your RPG crop?

For me-

Talislanta- an old favorite, with simple mechanics and an incredibly detailed world.

Aces & Eights- best western RPG ever made (at least to date), with amazing production values, flavorful text and interesting mechanics.

Scion: Hero- despite the flaws, I really like the concept. The PCs are children of the gods, caught up in a war against the Titans of old, where they gradually ascend to godhood and fight the Titans themselves (or maybe turn on their parents? Not out of the question). From what I'm seeing, the PCs can end up insanely powerful- at the start (Scion Hero), a super-strong character can lift a car. By the third book (due out later this year) a super-strong character might be able to lift mountains. Maybe Atlas holding up the sky isn't so far-fetched, after all...

Castles & Crusades- Essentially AD&D 1e with simplified and streamlined mechanics. Not for everyone, but for those who like something more freeform, with easily modified mechanics, it's quite nice.

d20 Modern- Despite it's flaws, I actually like this game, and have a large range of books for it. I can use it to repalce the craptastic rules of Space 1889, or a Steampunk Mystara, or... it's actually fairly versitile.

Okay, I'm gonna sneak a sixth in here: BESM 3. This system has grown on me, and I might use it for the basis of my Mecha Knights of the Round Table concept.

[Kwalish Kid]

No particular order:

Earthdawn. This game blended it's narrative metaphysics with it's game engine in an inspiring way. Only one game did this better...

Legend of the Five Rings.

Both of these games had a game world similar to our own, yet refreshingly different.

Star Trek TNG: RPG. A fairly simple rules system. What surprised me is that the game really brought out the best in some players, even those who were only minimally familiar with the series.

D&D, Various Editions. I've just had a lot of fun playing D&D.

Mage: The Ascension. Many people, I think, played this game wrong. For a while, I took over a Mage game and ran it right. Done right, this game allows a flexible, do anything magic system, and still manages to keep the mystery of magic in the game. It was almost a meta-game for the rest of the World of Darkness, and it could exploit the supplements from every other WoD system. I loved the flexibility and the scope.

[Keeper of Secrets]

Favorite RPGs. I guess this is different than 5 Best RPGs (because we do not always like things which are good).

Let's see . . .

Call of Cthulhu: A fun game with easy mechanics. It actually works well and a fun game can be played in an evening with minimal effort.

Mutants & Masterminds: An all around fun game which replicates supers combat situations very well.

Paranoia: Do I need to even make an argument for this?

Marvel Superheores: I really, really loved this with its easy and friendly system.

1st Edition AD&D: What a fun game with many memories. In retrospect, this had a lot of fun times. Of course, not everything worked as well as it does in 3e but the system was fun. I suspect all of us have played it at some point and may have been our introduction to D&D depending on our ages.

[Maddman]

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: No surprise there. Not just for a love of the show but I feel the game just works on so many levels. The idea of the Hellmouth allows you justification for whatever you feel like throwing in. The kind of gamer jokes that are a distraction in other games work perfectly. Hell tonight someone thought two players were off on a tangent talking about Warcraft until they realized the whole conversation was in character. The game really encourages drama and conflict and the episodes just about write themselves. If I only could have on RPG for the rest of my life, this would be it.

All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Though it shares the same base system as Buffy, the two have little in common. Rather than cinematic, this system can be very gritty, yet not bogged down by rules. I think I like it for the immediacy. Its one of the few modern games where you can be gaming in five minutes. Hand everyone an archetype, put them all in a diner, and tell them a horde of zombies is trying to eat their face. Guaranteed fun.

Exalted: Both this and Buffy are cinematic, but this game really taught me how much system matters. The stunting rules have deep effects in the game that I had to see in play to really understand. It also shows that you need to say yes at least as much as you say no. Don't try to shut the players down, but let them run with an idea and deal with the consequences.

I guess I only have three. HEX and M&M both really look good, but I've not had a chance to try them out yet. I don't really wax nostalgic for old games, the rules usually felt wonky to me. I'd rather run old ideas with a modern system than try to use something from the 80s.

[Keeper of Secrets]

Oh and I hope to put Witch Hunter and the new 40k game on this list in due course.

[shabois]

AD&D- 1st and 2nd ed. I know 2nd had issues but these are the versions I played growing up so they hold the most fond memories for me.

CoC- Horror is tough but this game is a classic that stands the test of time. I think this game does the best of any RPG of being a complete final product that met the goals of the original vision.

Mutants and Masterminds- Best Supers game out there, combat may be long but I think people miss the point. The game is designed for high adventure supers with cinematic action- not for tracking the reduction of hit points.

Palladium RPG- Great fantasy game that was overshadowed by D&D and ultimately lost support from the creators as they focused on Rifts.

Shadowrun- Sci- Fi games have taken a beating over the years. But I think this game has done a great job of creating an environment for power gamers and those who like more roleplaying as well. Plus it can be great fun to carry around 20 guns...

[Northcott]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Very basic, yet manages to acheive a flexibility and 'realism' that much more complex systems utterly fail at. Play moves quick, and the mechanics are a nigh-perfect fit for the setting.

Big Eyes, Small Mouth
I know it has it's flaws, but I think Pulver did an amazing job with this. I haven't seen v.3 yet. V.2 would be my choice for either high fantasy or superhero stuff.

Marvel Super Heroes
The old FASERIP system. It was flawed as Hell, but looking back, somebody who's decent at house rules could jimmy that system into shape pretty quickly, and you'd have a fast, smooth, simple system that models the genre pretty well.

MERP
Middle Earth Roleplaying: aka, Rolemaster Light. In truth, it's a cumbersome beast, and it didn't model Tolkien's world worth a damn, save in the grit and fear of hand to hand combat. Magic was far too D&D. But it was my first gaming experience, and my buddies and I had a blast with it for years.

FATE and/or Dogs in the Vineyard
My current preference is dead simple little storytelling-based systems. In both these games the players have a certain amount of control over the narrative, depending on the strengths and weaknesses they've assigned to their characters -- and just like characters in literature and movies, a weakness can be just as compelling a character trait as strengths, and give a certain degree of narrative control. Not everybody's cup of tea, but if you're feeling like something story-driven instead of simulationist/gamist (which I enjoy too), then either of these can be a blast.

[Dr. Paragon]

Not in order of preference:

Unisystem (Light and Standard)
Elegant and effective.

D:10 (WoD/Streetfighter/Aeon/Exalted)
It is much like the engine Tom Dowd built for Shadowrun,
but more linnear and easier to learn.

D:6 (WEG Series: Star Wars in particular)
So simple even the token "Uninterested Girlfriend" can learn it.
Yet it still manages cover everything from mystic powers to
planetary bombardment.

Hero (Remember math is your "Friend"...)
The ultimate "Source Code" rules engine. If you can take a rules
system and ballance it out in "Hero math" then you know damned well
it is a ballanced game. For the record D:20 does very, very poorly
when it comes to this challenge but that is a rant for another thread.

D:20 (DnD, everything else it seems)
It is simple enough on the surface it seems intuitive to most gamers.
Especially if you get both Dnd and Modern. Yet it has a potential for
great complexity. It also has a great pontential for one trick twinkery
beyond the scope of most games.

[Harry]

1. Castles & Crusades - Been playing for over a year. Very satisfied.
2. AD&D 1st Edition - The game I played longer than any other.
3. Dungeons & Dragons, D20 3.x - Still a favorite even if I no longer play it
4. Aces & Eights, although I admit I haven't played it yet.
5. Classic Cowboys & Indians, First Edition, with the American Civil War expansion, and community made mods for Star Trek, World War I & II and Spiderman.

[Bagpuss]

Favourites as in had the most fun playing (unfortunately this probably has more to do with the people I was playing with in some cases). These are based on the fun I've had playing the actual game, they aren't a comment on the rules or setting which in some cases suck.

1. Call of Cthulhu
2. AD&D (2nd Ed, while I enjoy the tactical character building options of 3rd, it plays more like a board game, and is too focused on killing and looting)
3.= Cyberpunk
3.= Shadowrun
5. Star War d6

Some of my favourite RPGs I've never really played, or only for a short time. Favourites based on setting

1. 2300AD
2. Fading Suns
3. Mage: The Ascension
4. Werewolf: Wild West
5.= Traveller: New Era
5.= Conspiracy X

[Hastur T. Fannon]

1) Risus: I've just ported my Feng Shui game to it and it's as much fun as I hoped it would be

2) WoD 2nd Edition: Great update, shame the "worlds" aren't as flavoursome as the original

3) Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Great world, great system. Must get the new edition

4) WoD 1st edition and updates: spent way too much time in this world

5) Shadowrun: love the world, hate the system. I wonder what it would be like if I used Risus...

5) Feng Shui: again, love the world, but the system just kept getting in the way.

[Northcott]

Hmmmm. Crap. I forgot to mention Changeling... I liked the old game, and I've a feeling the new edition has fixed everything that was broken in the original.

Damned lists.

[Keeper of Secrets]

Why no love for FATAL?

[obryn]

(1) D&D 3.5 ... How could I not list a game I've been running for a few years in several flavors? My favorite variant is probably Arcana Evolved.

(2) Call of Cthulhu (d20 variety) - I think the campaign I ran in this was the best campaign I've ever run.

(3) Paranoia. Everyone still talks about the one-shot I ran 2 years ago, and I had at least as much fun as everyone else.

(4) Star Wars Saga - so far, so good. It's a slick implementation of d20 that's easy to run and easy to get used to.

(5) WFRP2 - Amazingly fun system. I'd be running it now if I weren't running a few other games already, and if most of my players were up for a new system.

-O

[ColonelHardisson]

D&D - just about any iteration. 3e was the best of the bunch.
Gamma World - we had so much fun with this, even though we didn't play it all that often.
Boot Hill - We would basically sit around and make up characters and have shoot-outs with the stock NPCs from the GM screen. The Marshal managed to kill just about every PC.
Traveller - the Little Black books were the shit.
Call of Cthulhu - both the BRP and d20 versions. Each has its own "feel," and both are very cool.

[Janos]

I have to break mine into two catagories, favorite world and favorite rules. I hate the systems of most of my favorite worlds, but LOVE the games.
Worlds (in no particular order):
Talislanta
Shadowrun
Fading Suns
Exalted
WHRPG
Iron Kingdoms

Rules (in order):
D&D 3.x
True20
Unisystem
WHRPG
Exalted

[GreyOne]

1) AD+D: I've got to give this props for the massive amounts of time spent and fun had. It's the grand-daddy.

2) Savage Worlds: Easy and cinematic generic system that is so fun to play. The only thing I want to play now. I could easily port any game setting or idea into it. As much crunch as you want.

3) WFRP: Neat, atmospheric setting, with lots of cool ideas.

4) Alternity: Loved Star Drive and Dark Matter.

5) 2300 AD: Another cool setting. System was clunky and uninspired though.

[Dr_Avalanche]

In no particular order:

Exalted

Burning Wheel

Call of Cthulhu

Pendragon

Unknown Armies

[ColonelHardisson]

Pendragon


Pendragon is definitely very good, one of the most beautiful RPGs ever made. The setting is wonderful. The Pendragon-specific mechanics - traits and passions, specifically - are great. I just never felt very inspired by the BRP system.

[Northcott]

Pendragon is definitely very good, one of the most beautiful RPGs ever made. The setting is wonderful. The Pendragon-specific mechanics - traits and passions, specifically - are great. I just never felt very inspired by the BRP system.


BRP system?

[Lisa Nadazdy]

BRP system?

Basic Role-Playing. It's the system behind Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, and Superworld.

[Northcott]

Basic Role-Playing. It's the system behind Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, and Superworld.

Ahhhh. I see. Yeah, I had a very similar feeling about Pendragon. I loved the setting-specific mechanics, but the combat, skills, etc left me kind of flat -- though I did like the fact that it was skill-based, and that skills increased by use. I also liked that basic failure wasn't built in. Once you had a 20 in a skill, you no longer missed. As the skill progressed over 20, your chances at critical strikes/amazing success grew proportionately -- which very neatly models the idea that a novice swordsman may have a 50% chance of succeeding in his roll, but his chance to defend against a master swordsman is much less.

[Dr_Avalanche]

Pendragon is definitely very good, one of the most beautiful RPGs ever made. The setting is wonderful. The Pendragon-specific mechanics - traits and passions, specifically - are great. I just never felt very inspired by the BRP system.

I "grew up" as a role player with BRP. For me, it's what D&D is for most of you people. It's not so much that it is good, as it is familiar.

[shabois]

I mentioned this game in another thread, but I forgot how much I enjoyed Top Secret. A good game for a small group or 2 person game.

[Keeper of Secrets]

I mentioned this game in another thread, but I forgot how much I enjoyed Top Secret. A good game for a small group or 2 person game.


Which Top Secret? Original Top Secret or Top Secret SI?

[shabois]

Top Secret SI. I only played the original once so I have more exposure to the SI version.

[Keeper of Secrets]

Top Secret SI. I only played the original once so I have more exposure to the SI version.


If diaglo were here I could see it now . . .

my hat of TS SI no know limit . . . O (T)op (S)ecret is the only true Spy game.

[Sobek]

Not sure of the order, but:

-Hero -- This is what a universal system should be. I've never not had fun in a Hero campaign, whether Champions, Fantasy, or something else.

-D&D -- Hard to say which edition, other than not 2nd. That's what drove me away from the game. I've had fun in all the editions. 3.5 suits me best right now.

-WoD -- I was deep in the oWoD and haven't played as much nWoD as I'd like yet. I think I prefer nWoD, though. Cleaner system. Cleaner setting. My favorite oWoD game was Mage. I've got Mage and Promethian for nWoD and think I like both better than any of the originals.

-Shadowrun -- The only blend of magic and tech that I've ever not hated. I even like the system. I've been told that Shadowrun is my strongest game to GM.

-Too many at #5. Shatterzone, probably. It was a good setting, fair ruleset, and had a couple of neat ideas, like the drama deck.

Savage Worlds is looking promising, too.

[Ancalagon]

Hmmmm

Warhammer frpg (2nd ed)
Hero (more for the memories of an awesome campain than for the game itself)
D&D 3.X
SW Saga (so far so good!)
Spy Craft

AD&D 2nd ed deserves a special mention, again for the memories - it was my first D&D game.

Ancalagon

[francisca]

1) D&D 1981 Basic/Expert - still my favorite edition of the game
2) AD&D 1e - core 3 books + MM2 + FF + 83 Greyhawk boxed set, and I'm good to go
3) Gamma World - 1st edition wild, wooly, wahoo!
4) Traveller - Classic black box edition
5) Strombringer - 1981 boxed set edition

Some of you may dispute 1 and 2, but to me, they have been different experiences. Different enough to warrant listing them both, anyway.

[GreyOne]

1) D&D 1981 Basic/Expert - still my favorite edition of the game
2) AD&D 1e - core 3 books + MM2 + FF + 83 Greyhawk boxed set, and I'm good to go
3) Gamma World - 1st edition wild, wooly, wahoo!
4) Traveller - Classic black box edition
5) Strombringer - 1981 boxed set edition

Some of you may dispute 1 and 2, but to me, they have been different experiences. Different enough to warrant listing them both, anyway.


Old school!

[Kwalish Kid]

1) D&D 1981 Basic/Expert - still my favorite edition of the game
2) AD&D 1e - core 3 books + MM2 + FF + 83 Greyhawk boxed set, and I'm good to go
3) Gamma World - 1st edition wild, wooly, wahoo!
4) Traveller - Classic black box edition
5) Strombringer - 1981 boxed set edition

Some of you may dispute 1 and 2, but to me, they have been different experiences. Different enough to warrant listing them both, anyway.
You would love my collection of 1980s gaming magazines.

[Tetsubo]

D&D: 3.5 edition
Gamma World: 4th edition
After the Bomb: Updated version. Mostly for the setting and mutant animal rules.
Mutants & Masterminds: 2nd edition.
GURPS: Some of the best supplements done.

[Tetsubo]

I think Talislanta and Jorune need an honorable mention just for the original settings...

[GreyOne]

D&D: 3.5 edition
Gamma World: 4th edition
After the Bomb: Updated version. Mostly for the setting and mutant animal rules.
Mutants & Masterminds: 2nd edition.
GURPS: Some of the best supplements done.

New School!

[GreyOne]

I think Talislanta and Jorune need an honorable mention just for the original settings...

Which school?

[shabois]

No love for Star frontiers?;)

[Keeper of Secrets]

Despite the fact that I have never played, I hear Boob Hill is a lot of fun.

[Tetsubo]

New School!

I've been gaming since 1978, I own six different editions of Gamma World.

I define Old School Gamer... we can adapt and change however...

[Tetsubo]

Which school?

While I own the latest version of Talislanta, most of my experience with it is with the original. And Jorune is Old School all the way... with quite possibly the most beautiful illustrations in any gaming product...

[Tetsubo]

No love for Star frontiers?;)

I have mad love for Star Frontiers, I own the entire system. But you can only fit so many choices in a Top Five... Dralasites rock...

[francisca]

No love for Star frontiers?;)

#6 on my list. :)

[Dacke]

This thread should be right up my ally, but I am having difficulty deciding. But I'll give it a shot. In no particular order:

1. D&D 3.5 (and let's include 3.0 here too). Given how much I spend on it and play it, it had better be good dammit!
2. Exalted. The combat system has its flaws, but it's a kickass setting and I love the whole concept to bits.
3. Mutant: Undergångens Arvtagare (roughly Heirs to the Apocalypse). A Swedish game which is a new version of a game that was first published in 1983 (I think) as a Gamma World ripoff with a BRP system. The system is fast, chargen is fun, and the setting is what I'd call "post-postapocalyptic" - civilization is starting to rise from the ruins, with certain places being up to 19th century tech again.
4. Drakar och Demoner. Another Swedish game (well, the first edition was a translation of Basic Roleplaying + Fantasy World, but it's grown a lot since then). I don't care much for the latest versions (the changes were on par with AD&D 2e -> D&D 3e, but in the wrong direction), but I loved the early 90s edition (version 4 for those keeping track at home) to bits.
5. TORG. What is there not to like about a multigenre game, where six different realities (fantasy, cyberpunk + opressive Catholics, 1930s pulp with weird science, horror, near-future megabiz, dinosaurs) invade action-movie Earth, changing parts of it to match their preferences (and later they added three more? One of the few games where you can legitimately have a party consisting of a dinosaur-man, a pirate, and a ninja - or hell, after playing a while your character could even be a dino pirate ninja! Admittedly, the setting is somewhat short on playable robots, but you could pump yourself up with cybernetics to get close. Oh, and one of the main villains is called the Cyberpope.

[Droid101]

your character could even be a dino pirate ninja! Admittedly, the setting is somewhat short on playable robots, but you could pump yourself up with cybernetics to get close. Oh, and one of the main villains is called the Cyberpope.

Man, the fact that this isn't a joke makes it great! I want that!

[Droid101]

Anyway, I'll make my list.

1. D&D 3/3.5 My campaign run under this system was the most fun campaign I've ever had, so I have to rate it first.
2. D&D 2e Have a lot of good memories using this system, but could never figure out why everything seems so sucky. 3rd Edition made it right.
3. Vampire/Werewolf/etc. I like the feel.
4. RIFTS/Mutants system. Well, I'm running out of systems that I've played!
5. Human Occupied Landfill. :D

[Keeper of Secrets]

This thread should be right up my ally, but I am having difficulty deciding. But I'll give it a shot. In no particular order:

1. D&D 3.5 (and let's include 3.0 here too). Given how much I spend on it and play it, it had better be good dammit!
2. Exalted. The combat system has its flaws, but it's a kickass setting and I love the whole concept to bits.
3. Mutant: Undergångens Arvtagare (roughly Heirs to the Apocalypse). A Swedish game which is a new version of a game that was first published in 1983 (I think) as a Gamma World ripoff with a BRP system. The system is fast, chargen is fun, and the setting is what I'd call "post-postapocalyptic" - civilization is starting to rise from the ruins, with certain places being up to 19th century tech again.
4. Drakar och Demoner. Another Swedish game (well, the first edition was a translation of Basic Roleplaying + Fantasy World, but it's grown a lot since then). I don't care much for the latest versions (the changes were on par with AD&D 2e -> D&D 3e, but in the wrong direction), but I loved the early 90s edition (version 4 for those keeping track at home) to bits.
5. TORG. What is there not to like about a multigenre game, where six different realities (fantasy, cyberpunk + opressive Catholics, 1930s pulp with weird science, horror, near-future megabiz, dinosaurs) invade action-movie Earth, changing parts of it to match their preferences (and later they added three more? One of the few games where you can legitimately have a party consisting of a dinosaur-man, a pirate, and a ninja - or hell, after playing a while your character could even be a dino pirate ninja! Admittedly, the setting is somewhat short on playable robots, but you could pump yourself up with cybernetics to get close. Oh, and one of the main villains is called the Cyberpope.

I always loved Cyberpope Malreaux!

[Tetsubo]

Anyway, I'll make my list.

1. D&D 3/3.5 My campaign run under this system was the most fun campaign I've ever had, so I have to rate it first.
2. D&D 2e Have a lot of good memories using this system, but could never figure out why everything seems so sucky. 3rd Edition made it right.
3. Vampire/Werewolf/etc. I like the feel.
4. RIFTS/Mutants system. Well, I'm running out of systems that I've played!
5. Human Occupied Landfill. :D

I think that 3.5 really captured the *feel* of D&D while still being a system that works. It isn't perfect by any means. You can't easily pull off a lightly armoured q-staff fighter for example. Nor is an archer build doable unless you start playing some uber-elf and tossing around PrCs like confetti...

I liked 2E D&D at the time, but 3.5 showed me the light! I recently sold off the bulk of my 2E books, though I did keep some of the "fluff" books for ideas and nostalgia. You'll get my 1E books when you pry them out of my cold, dead hands...

I have always HATED the Vampire system and it's offshoots. I actually once owned a copy of Werewolf because, hey you get to play a werewolf. But hard as I tried I couldn't find any *rules* in the book. Lots and lots of fluff, very little crunch. I sold it. But I am VERY interested in Monte Cook's World of Darkness. I'm selling some books next week so I can afford a copy. Heck, Cook could probably sneeze on a blank page and I'd buy it...

Rifts has some GREAT ideas. But the actual system is just suckville... Not to mention that the owner is one step away from being McKraken creator-of-Synibbarr crazy... I do like a lot of the art as well, great techie stuff...

Tell me you didn't actually try PLAYING HoL...? Did you make your san save?

[Droid101]

Tell me you didn't actually try PLAYING HoL...? Did you make your san save?

Nah, never got around to it. :) I did play the old Star Wars, but I never really had fun with it so I didn't include it in my list.

[Tetsubo]

Nah, never got around to it. :) I did play the old Star Wars, but I never really had fun with it so I didn't include it in my list.

I'm selling my D20 SW book next week. I have a copy of the new Saga system headed my way...

[Droid101]

I'm selling my D20 SW book next week. I have a copy of the new Saga system headed my way...

I never played d20 or Saga SW. Only the good ol' d6 version. :D

[Janos]

I never played d20 or Saga SW. Only the good ol' d6 version. :D

I'm so sorry. While they were so good at capturing details from the movies, they were HORRIBLE mechanically.

[francisca]

Old school!
WHat can I say? Guilty as charged.
You would love my collection of 1980s gaming magazines.
Yes, I probably would.

I'm not against newer games, I play in a D&D 3.5 game every other week and I'll give 4e a look, for example. Those I listed I simply have gotten the most enjoyment from.

[shabois]

I have mad love for Star Frontiers, I own the entire system. But you can only fit so many choices in a Top Five... Dralasites rock...

Sweet! This was the first Sci- Fi game I every played. We did not really know/follow the rules but we had a lot of fun. All we new before this was D&D so this opened my groups eyes to the possibilites that RPG's offered!