GM-less (GM plays as a player), Dice-less, uses pennies and slips of paper. Theater of the Mind.
Players are amnesiacs trying to regain their memories in an asylum. A great one-shot pickup game.
GM-required, roll 1d10 + skill level to succeed, point buy skill progression.
A zombie survival game. Always had fun playing this game.
GM-required, roll 2d6 + stat to succeed, character templates with individual moves, point buy skill progression.
A cool post-apocalyptic Road Warrior game designed more for one-shots or several sessions, not a system built for a long campaign.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to skill level to succeed. Point buy character creation, leveling up based on experience points adds hit points and more skill points.
A tongue-in-cheek and deadly serious version of investigative horror. The equipment and bad guys are humorous and deadly. Tennis shoes with C-4 explosive inside, James Bond-like vehicles, and an innovative hit location and damage chart that is almost like an anatomical overlay where you trace a bullet through skin, bones, and internal organs.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to skill to succeed. Lots of charts that mimic Medieval European feudal society. Apparently there's a 4th edition.
Used to play this in high school. I only remembered that after you spend half an hour rolling up your character, you then see if you die in childbirth with something like a 25% chance (which I can't find in the book, so maybe it was a terribly twisted house rule?).
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to skill to succeed, point buy character creation, progression is achieved by keeping track of skill successes and at end of session, make one skill check, if fail, add 1d10 skill points to that skill.
Investigative horror in various eras, but the base game is set in 1920s. Currently my favorite game.
GM-required, roll 2d20 each die gives a success if you roll equal or below a Target Number, additional success if you roll equal or below your focus skill number, so you can get up to 4 successes rolling two dice. Point buy character system. Character progression is through point buys.
Combat heavy game with mechanics borrowed from modern RPGs such as Fortune points, Doom points, combat Effects, Momentum. Fortune points can be spent for character progression or for an extra 1d20 which is automatically a 1. Interesting and enjoyable system.
GM-required, roll 1d6, 2d6, or 3d6 but take the max.
Investigative horror mostly applied to modern era. Rules light, great for one-shots.
GM-required, roll 1d20 above or equal to Target Number. Pick from menus character creation. Character progression is through point buys.
GM doesn't roll dice. Characters roll attack and defense dice. Characters are handed Cyphers, one use items and assets that reduce difficulty levels. Characters spend Effort (Might, Speed, Intellect) to reduce difficulty levels. XPs can be spent for character progression or a dice re-roll. As a GM (actually in general), I like rolling dice.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to skill to succeed, point buy character creation. Character progression is through a skill test at end of a session on skills that critically succeeded (uses old CoC 6th edition rules).
Modern era Call of Cthulhu with conspiracy theories and a burn it all down attitude. There's a new edition (2016) that didn't license the new CoC 7th edition rules which has some nice new rules on character Bonds.
GM-required, roll multiple dice take max, use poker cards and chips. Character templates.
Thematically very cool, Indians and cowboys, undead things and strange creatures, and ghost rock.
GM-required, handfuls of d6 (two colors).
Playing in a dream powered world where you gain power as you buy into the dreamworld and go crazy. Great one-shot game.
I just wonder how many times can you go through the roleplaying of first not believing in the dreamworld and then finally coming to grips with it. It may wear thin, but I love the various dark entities that rule the dreamworld. Worth exploring.
GM-required, roll 3d6 (2 dice are the same color, 1 is different), Character templates and character progression by leveling up.
This game is based on the video game. I liked the use of the Dragon Die (the one different colored die) as a stunt die. If you get any type of pair, you get stunt points to spend equal to what's on the Dragon Die.
That said, the game seemed like it was based on combat. The video game is mostly combat with character choices and dialog, so this RPG does mirror that. There are stunt points for social interactions and magic casting also.
GM-required. Dice-less, Uses a Jenga tower.
The physical tension of collapsing a Jenga tower mimics the story arc of a horror game. Shear genius. One of my favorite one-shot systems.
Can be applied to any setting, but mostly used in modern era.
GM-required, roll 1d20 equal to or above a target number to succeed. Character templates. Character progression is through leveling up, generally by killing things and taking their stuff.
Mostly Tolkien-esque fantasy role playing.
I used to play this a lot when I was younger. My issues are with the philosophy behind the game. You get better by killing things and taking their stuff to increase your hit points and increasing the damage you do. To get to higher levels, you must kill stronger things to gain the experience points you need to get to the next level. This leads to min/maxing your character and promotes killing things as the way to solve issues. When you have a hammer, everything can be solved by pounding it into the ground. This one dimensional way of playing is now boring to me. I like talking to creatures and solving problems in more creative ways.
D&D 3.5 got really complicated and had issues getting new customers who were new to the hobby, and the publisher decided to rewrite the game system and make it more like a video game and created D&D 4.0. By that time, they had open sourced D&D 3.5, so Pathfinder was born as an extension to D&D 3.5 which people sometimes call D&D 3.75. D&D 4.0 failed in the market place by alienating its existing customer base, so D&D 5.0 was created which basically ditched D&D 4.0 and returned to its D&D 3.5 roots and upgraded it. I hear D&D 5.0 is doing well in the market place. And so is Pathfinder.
GM-required, roll 1d20 above a target number to succeed. Character templates. Character progression is through leveling up.
Tolkien invented Middle Earth and M.A.R. Barker invented Tekumel, a Meso-American world.
It's a metal poor world, so it's mainly obsidian weapons. I love the world, but it was created soon after D&D 1.0 and suffers from the same kill things philosophy, but the social issues and restraints add a nice cultural flavor to the game.
GM-required, roll lots of d10s equal to trait plus attribute (sometimes 20d10), each 7+ on a die roll is a success, total number of successes for effects. Character templates with build trees.
Very anime superhero level of combat. Lots of skills and combos to use. If I didn't have a pre-gen to play, I would have been lost.
GM-required, roll 1d20 above a target number to succeed. Character roles plus point buys.
Sci Fi gaming. A lot of interesting world building with high tech and feudal societies mixed in.
GM-required, roll special Fate dice which result in +1, 0, -1, positive total for success. Characters are free form and have aspects which can be tapped.
Can be used for any setting. I've played in some very good Fate games, but on average the dice will just roll 0, so how people play the game is have the supporting characters add advantages and when it's the hero's turn, the hero will tap all the advantages to do the killing blow. Who the "hero" is can rotate between characters based on their specialty or trait. So, my issue is mainly with the system that on average rolls 0, so why bother rolling?
GM-required, roll 2d6 of different colors, one is negative the other positive and you add it to your skill. Character templates. Progression is through point buys.
Modern era Kung Fu and John Woo gun fights. Lots of Asian cinema action. Lots of Theater of the Mind as you have to create your action scene by using whatever may be present - which you may have to make up on the spot.
GM-less, roll d6s (pile of two colors of dice, half positive, half negative), 4d6 per player is put into the pool. Theater of the Mind. Requires pre-printed play sets.
Mostly modern era depending on the play set. An easy one-shot pickup game, but requires imagination from the players and a sense of dark humor as the game's inspiration are Coen Brother movies where bad luck and horrible situations ensue.
GM-less, Dice-less, uses playing cards. Theater of the Mind and characters are based on their relationships with each other and a simple tagline.
Can be any era as long as there's a reason why people are dying. A great one-shot game. As you play, various characters are killed off until one is left. You get to play any character you want in each scene, so you can rotate between characters, when a character dies, you are not out of the game, you just have to pick a surviving character in the next scene. Requires imagination and a love for slasher movies.
GM-required, roll up to 10d10 per player and more d10s for the GM. Successes are based on matches rolled. Point buy character creation. Progression is through point buys.
WW2 superhero game where the superhero has only one ability and can easily get shot in the head. Uses the amazing ORE system (One Roll Engine). Very brutal and deadly game with lots of crunch and uses only one die roll to determine initiative, action result, hit location, damage.
Great game, but really hard to run a campaign. Characters died before I could finish their character arcs. And remember, you should always wear a helmet, a beret looks cool, but it won't save your life.
GM-required, roll 1d6 to match skill level to succeed. Character templates. Progression is through point buys.
You're playing kids in a twisted version of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Very imaginative world. I love the world and game.
GM-required, roll 2d6 below or equal to skill to succeed, modifiers affect your skill. Point buy character creation. Progression is through point buys.
GURPS stands for Generic Universal Role Playing System, so it can be used for any setting, any era, but you must buy separate setting books unless you want to make everything up yourself.
I rarely play this anymore.
GM-required, roll number of d6 equal to skill and each die that equals or beats the difficulty level is a success. Character templates with point buys. Character advancement through point buys.
1936 pulp adventure into the Hollow Earth with dinosaurs, natives, and Nazis. Loads of pulp action fun a la Raiders of the Lost Ark.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to a target number to succeed. Point buy character generation. Progression is through point buys.
You're playing a secret agent. And I loved the supplements such as the QManual. There were some innovative things in the system such as wound levels. I have a number of published scenarios, but never really got to run it.
GM-required, roll 1d20 equal or above target number to succeed. Character templates. Character progression is through leveling up.
This is a stripped down version of D&D, no feats, no cantrips, etc. More rules than D&D 1.0 and less rules than AD&D.
I enjoyed the game I played in because the min/max options have been removed.
GM-required, roll multiple d10s and keep several, totaling the ones kept. Success is if the total reaches a target number. Character is generated with point buys. Character advancement through point buys also.
The setting is based on the collectible card game. It's an ersatz Japanese medieval setting with a taint from the Shadowlands that poisons the area with undead and monsters. Hmm, sounds like a familiar trope. I do like this game more than Exhalted.
GM-required, roll multiple d6s, pick best 3 and add them together. Point buy character generation. Progression is through point buys.
Modern era. You're kids dealing with parent issues, school, and monsters.
GM-required, roll 2d6 + stat to succeed, character templates with individual moves, point buy skill progression. Uses the Apocalypse World engine.
Modern era teenagers in high school who are monsters: vampires, werewolves, witches, vampire hunters, Frankenstein monster, fae. It's an interesting game, but I found it creepy. Part of the game are "sex" moves where you gain advantages over other PCs and NPCs by exploiting your sexuality. Too much high school drama and PCs trying to have sex with each other. Not my type of game.
GM-required, roll 2d6 + stat to succeed, character templates with individual moves, point buy skill progression. Uses the Apocalypse World engine.
Modern era adult monster mash. Similar in concept to Monsterhearts except there are no sex moves. Sort of like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. System works for a one-shot or a short series of scenarios.
GM-required, roll 1d6, the higher number the better. Quick character generation for one-shot. There is no character progression.
Players are ronin in medieval Japan sent to solve a mystery. This is a one-shot game. There is no replay-ability I really enjoyed this game as it is more about a character's relationship with others and the rigid culture.
GM-required, roll up to 10d10 per player and more d10s for the GM. Successes are based on matches rolled. Point buy character creation. Progression is through point buys.
This is the horror version of ORE. Freely available by the publisher here.
GM-required, roll 2d6 + stat to succeed, character templates with individual moves, point buy skill progression, system based on Apocalypse World engine.
You're playing USSR female bomber pilots during WW2. You're flying old biplanes. I found playing interesting especially with the card add-ons with pictures of the female pilots and their planes. Not sure about replay-ability, but an interesting game. Beware, there is adult content in this game as it relates to death and possibly homosexuality.
GM-required, roll dice and die, rules? I'm afraid that is above your security clearance citizen, please enter the suicide booth to your left. The good news is you have clones to try again.
A very fun and funny game, filled with puns, joke items, and random death.
GM-required, roll 1d20 equal or below skill to succeed. All characters are knights and are generated with point buys. Character progression is during the winter phase through point buys and some through failing at skill rolls.
Set in King Arthur's world. A very different game where your character is your noble house and your knights grow up and die, mostly in battle.
I'm playing in The Great Pendragon Campaign and after about 1/2 way through, I think it's getting a bit repetitive.
GM-required, roll multiple d6s, the higher the total the better. Character templates with skill point purchases.
Future urban fantasy with computers and guns, and dwarves and trolls, and magic. Most of the games are capers where Shadowrunners need technology and magic to steal something. The only drawback is that people playing hackers are usually left out of the action.
GM-required, roll type of dice based on your skill, 4+ is a success. If opposed roll, high wins. Dice explode if max is rolled. Point buy character generation and point buy upgrades dice type. e.g. Smarts 1d6. You can spend points to upgrade your Smarts to 1d8.
Generic system. Combat is an opposed roll, so combat can be very swingy and unpredictable.
GM-required, roll 1d6 or multiple d6s and compare against a target number. Point buy character generation.
Victorian steampunk setting. I love the setting, but the system sucks. I tried one combat and it became an unending fistfight. I recommend keeping the world, but replacing the system with something else.
GM-required, multiple d6s, system sucked and yes, Storm Troopers can't hit anything with their dice pool, but heroes can.
The main attraction were the licensed source books with official pictures and drawings from the movies.
The Fantasy Flight Games version is much better, but requires custom dice.
GM-required, roll dice pool and add up special symbols on the special dice. Point buy character generation and point buy character progression.
The Star Wars system. Very Star Wars and very fun. People buy a dice rolling app instead of buying the expensive special dice that's required to play the game.
GM-requred, multiple d6s each die's value that is equal or above a specific skill level succeeds. Total all the successes. Character templates and point buys. Character progression is built into the system.
Crazy anime samurai sci-fi epic one-shot game. The game is designed to play in one sitting of about 4 hours and end in an epic battle. The characters ramp up so much in the session, they cannot be used again. A character may start with 10d6 and at the end of the game have 50d6 in an attack. A very innovative system. One of the more interesting innovations is the emotion matrix of how a PC will react when they first meet an NPC or other PC.
GM-required, special dice are needed. Character templates with customization. Character advancement is through point buys.
Playing in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. No strange Monster Manual that's a combination of all of history's mythological creatures. This is pure Middle Earth.
I disliked the use of special dice and the game seemed to be really focused on travelling from A to B and having some adventures along the way. Very Tolkien, but a bit dull for me, a non-Tolkien fanatic.
GM-required, roll 1d6 + modifiers, generally 4 or better suceeds. Character generation through point buys, character advancement is through point buys. Uses the GumShoe system.
Playing in all times and all places. You are part of TimeWatch an elite team that fixes history. This game is loads of fun and full of real history.
GM-required, roll 1d6 + modifiers, generally 4 or better succeeds. Character generation through point buys, character advancement is through point buys. Uses the GumShoe system.
Investigative horror set in the 1930s. I like the Call of Cthulhu system more, but I will run Trail of Cthulhu scenarios since IMHO they seem to be written better. My favorite campaign is Eternal Lies.
I would also check out their One-2-One system for one GM and one player, available in Cthulhu Confidential.
GM-required, it's been so long, I don't remember how the system worked. I just remember we built space ships, traveled, avoided pirates, and traded goods. Felt like a board game.
GM-required, roll 1d20 below or equal to skill level. Point buy character creation. Character advancement is through point buys.
Fantasy RPG based on Norse and Celtic myths and sagas. Think Beowulf. Beautiful artwork, interesting religions and magic system. Combat system is a bit crunchy. Minor annoying typos in rules translated from Swedish. My gaming group didn't enjoy the system.
GM-required, rolls 2d10 + skill modifiers to succeed, generally 11 or better succeeds. Character templates and point spends.
Victorian steampunk with poisonous smog and undead rising in London. I love the setting, but some builds are overpowered and are killing machines, so there's some balance issues with the character types.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to your skill level to succeed. Characters are created with point buys.
Modern era, urban fantasy. There are people who can use Magick, they draw power from items of historical significance like the dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang Happy Birthday to JFK. With that power, depending on the Magick, they can increase their attractiveness, or manipulate the President.
Really cool world and system. Innovative use of Madness Meters and Hardening against such madness.
GM-required, roll multiple d10s, 8 are successes, total number of successes. Point buy for character generation and progression. System uses World of Darkness system.
Modern era. You play vampires who live forever until someone kills you, but then you might still rise again. So, what do immortals do? They gather power, grow older, gain power, and jockey with each other for more power. A game of uber-backstabbing.
GM-required, roll 1d100 below or equal to skill level to succeed. Characters are randomly generated and get a random career. Every 100 experience points can increase a skill by 5%, once you've maxed out a career, you move on to your next career.
Medieval fantasy. It's a fight against Chaos which in the future turns into Warhammer 40k. Some interesting concepts such as careers and descriptive critical hits. But it is still generally a kill things and take their stuff type of game, but more gritty.
3rd ed added special dice and cards to keep track of abilities and spells. It basically turned a pen-and-paper RPG into a table top game with expensive components.
GM-required, roll multiple d10s, 8 are successes, total number of successes. Point buy for character generation and progression.
Modern era horror. Instead of being vampires, werewolves, fae, or ghosts, you're just a mortal and supernatural creatures wind up hunting you.
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