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My favorite RPG's
1-Cypher, 2-Teenagers From Outer Space, 3-Gamma World 4E(not based on D&D 4E), 4-All Flesh Must be Eaten, 5-Battlelords of the 23rd Century, 6-Pathfinder, 7-5E, 8-Palladium system, 9-AD&D, 10-Shadow of the Demon Lord and 11-Star Frontiers
Great video. Really nice to hear about games other than D&D, don't get me wrong, loved 1st and 2nd edition, but 4th and 5th seem to be cash grabs. Used to love playing Paranoia, WOD was great, but one of my favorites is Palladium megaverse, mostly Beyond the Supernatural, Palladium Fantasy, Nightbane and Rifts.
Which one of these (or maybe a different game) would you recommend for someone (like me) just trying to get into this genre? Something light, with not a lot of rules and easy to jump into? Thanks in advanced 🙂
A little late for this video, but loved the RPG coverage! Any other content creators you would recommend for rpg coverage? I've recently been getting interested in trying them out.
Loved the two Westend systems. Fond memories of Marvels faserip too! Loved Palladium’s TMNT. My Fasa gaming was Mechwarrior, but that was more for Battletech than the rpg…
Thanks for the video, I
have seen ROLE GENERATOR, do you know more sites to become a game director?
I love Paranoia so much, and barely ever see it mentioned on ttrpg lists. It's honestly the most fun experience you can ever had if you go into it with the right mindset
Sorry in advance for the naive question, I'm very new to this. What is the difference between RPG and Narrative Board Game?
My group is currently playing Leverage the RPG, Mutant Chronicles, Call of Cthulhu, Spelljammer, and Traveller
Try Leverage. Character creation 10 minutes. Great game mechanics.
We have the same tastes…like you, In Nomine is number two next to D&D. <3 And yes, Mage over Vampire everytday. 🙂
In Nomine is based on the french Rpg In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas wich is one of my favorite RPG. The french version is a lot more goofy, funny, satirical, tongue in cheek game than its american counterpart. The game is mocking religions, nations, greed of the industry and capitalism, communism, all kind of extremists and terrorists, wars, mass media, disease and making fun at everything it can through crazy satire. It's both hilarious and thought provoking.
No Traveller? I've also played Star Frontiers (TSR) and Universe (SPI) but I think Traveller beats them all. The big negative, though, is the different versions. It can be hard for a newbie to get into because there isn't a "standard" version.
Bushido (Tyr Games) was my favourite. I ran a campaign for many years during the 80's.
what version of vampire do you recommend ?
Samurai RPGs: Bushido, Legend of the Five Rings, Lone Wolf Adventure Game, etc.
Superhero RPGs: DC Adventure, DC Heroes, Capes Cowls and Villains Foul, Heroes & Heroines, Marvel Superheroes, Mutants & Masterminds, Sentinel Comics RPG, Villains & Vigilantes, etc.
Informative vid and frank opinion, subscribed!
I kept waiting for classic Traveller!
I completely agree with you on Mage. The rest of your list is really good too!
Paranoia Tabletop RPG also came out in a new edition, just a fews years ago 🙂 so not completely gone.
No FATE core? A great sandbox rpg that I run and think folks should try for a one shot. Great list.
It’s an interesting list. You’re clearly a 90s gamer, given your list – insofar that this seems when you picked up most of the games you chose. Me too.
For me, I’d also mention Traveller which has a remarkable character generation system, in fact allows you to design everything in the game – the starships, the planets and star systems, the alien encounters. It has it’s own space opera setting which is a bit more scientifically grounded than Star Wars – but was largely the sci-fi game that gamers played before West End Games released Star Wars. It’s still in print (Mongoose)and well supported through, with some terrific campaigns written for it. I’d also prefer Cyberpunk to Shadowrun, incidentally, as again it’s a bit more grounded. Paranoia is a third major science fiction RPG for me, but is entirely different not least because it’s a comedy game.
I think Vampire’s new edition (5th) addresses the issues you raised in a way, but personally I like the grimmer aspects of playing a vampire. I think you are right that gameplay is about politics and ‘gangsters’ in the way you describe, but for me the blood and hunger aspects of being a vampire is like a drug addiction. That’s how we played it anyway, and I think it heightens the drama rather than being depressing. An even harder hitting horror game than either Call of Cthulhu and Vampire is the Swedish game, Kult, which is similar to In Nomine in that it has a Judeo-Christian premise – but also similar to Mage in that it draws from Gnosticism. That is, your characters are trapped in an illusory reality, imprisoned by a Demiurge with grotesque angels and demons acting as jailers. The current edition – Kult: Divinity Lost – uses a variation on the Apocalypse World system and looks amazing. Definitely not for kids though.
Shadowrun is by far one of my favorite games, 3rd and 5th ed are the best eds. It can definitely get complex but the heist game is pretty great. Paranoia is pretty crazy. For many years now a friend of mine runs a live action game of Paranoia at convention it is madness and amazing. CoC is ok but, basically you are going to go crazy given enough time lol. VtM was a go to game all through the 90s and early 2000s. The game has its super highs and also extreme lows, game runs into some broken stuff people exploited. Mage was probably the most interesting of White Wolfs WoD games. Old school Star Wars was just great! Loved that game and we played the crap out of that for many years. Hahahaha In Nomine, wow interesting choice for #1, don't get me wrong I think it is a really fun game, course I also worked for Steve Jackson games as a MiB at cons for years good stuff.. Have you ever played Legend of the 5 Rings? Man, that my be one of the best RPGs out there imo cannot go wrong with any edition except maybe 2 and even the current reboot by Fantasy Flight games is really, really good. My first RPG was actually TSRs Star Frontiers, I still own the original game in box with all the books, it is not a good game but, it has nostalgia value I just cannot let go of. There are some surprising new RPGs out there are that are outstanding if you get a chance to play them or get the books. One recommendation would Symbaroum, dark fantasy deep story stuff. Great list as always!
If you liked The Quiet Year, you may want to try the spin-off called The Deep Forest — the same mechanisms, but the theme is one of monsters and decolonisation!
So… has your friend Dane considered publishing Conveniently Far Future?
I'm a board gamer that has played a few sessions of RPGs. 2 D&D, and about 5 Conan. How've, my absolute best experience has been the 10 sessions I GM'd of Doctor Who. I took a lot of time prepping each scenario, but when I got in there and the characters started playing in the worlds I created and doing the mysteries I developed it was so fun and exciting. I gotta go back to this one day.
Hmm if I had to pick a quick 10 rpgs?
10. Rifts
9. Hero System
8. Earth Dawn
7. Star Wars (d6)
6. Hunter: The reckoning
5. Call of Cthulhu
4. Vampire: the masquerade
3. Shadowrun
2. Legend of the Five Rings
1. D&D 3.5 or 5th
Quick list but these are the most memorable to me right off the top of my head
Dark Heresy is such a great game, both 1st and Second editions. my Favourite of all time is Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader. Its percentile based, but I do rather love the mechanics behind the theme so very much. I love how Rogue Trader is a bit of a sandpit for players to play in, allows the GM to improvise and try new things really easily. That and the 40k Lore is a wonderful setting to play a "normal" but moderately powerful human in. Considering all the political intrigue and xenos to deal with however you see fit.
You didn't mention two that I like; Cyberpunk 2020 and Mythic. I'm sure you're familiar with the former. If you don't know what Mythic is, it's a pen 'n paper RPG system designed to be played solo. What makes Mythic unique, is that it's core engine, Game Master Emulator, can be applied to pretty much any pen 'n paper RPG. Meaning you could play D&D or Shadowrun solo. For those of us who don't have the luxury of properly dorky friends to play RPGs with, Mythic is quite the asset.