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Role-playing Games That Aren't D&D

Role-playing Games That Aren't D&D

Name: Ian

Comments: Are there some recommended role-playing games that aren't D&D? I mean almost everywhere you go when someone mentions role-playing D&D comes up. What's the better alternative?

Dragons and Dungeons Arent Games Role-playing

Really? No other comments here at all by anybody? Why?

Working outward from the center, there are retro-clones: D&D-like games, usually free, like Labyrinth Lord (though a few are commercial like Castles & Crusades), emulating earlier versions like "Redbox"/BECMI or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st or 2nd Edition. There are also reprints or new releases of games that were available around the time D&D came out, such as Tunnels & Trolls. There are also now non TSR/Wizards of the Coast branches of the D&D 3.5 rules thanks to the brief OGL license, such as Paizo's Pathfinder or Crafty Games' Fantasy Craft, both of which are commercial and handily compatible with most 3.x rules or at least easily adaptable. There is also Green Ronin's Dragon Age (yes, just like the video game), which seems to be a hybrid of Redbox, AD&D2 and 3x and maybe even some 4e rules, with its own Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay like twist of grittiness, with a MUCH simplified system, using only six-sided dice, and getting rid of a LOT of the complexity of D&D. Personally if I had to play a new commercial D&D like game, this is one I would lean to, especially as one used to introduce new players to the hobby.

Backing outward a bit, besides D&D 4, which some have criticized as being the MMORPG or "World of Warcraft" of role-playing games (even though there was an actual WoW RPG), Wizards of the Coast also released a new version of Gamme World, their original sci-fi game using their modified d20 rules. They also have d20 Modern games, as well as Star Wars Saga Edition, for people who want something besides fantasy but are unsure about leaving a game system with which they're familiar.

Moving entirely away from D&D and WotC, there are nearly countless game systems, companies and genres. Superhero games include BASH, Mutants and Masterminds, Capes, Villains and Vigilantes and HERO (Champions), DC and Marvel Superheroes, to say nothing of the "generic" systems that can be tuned to this. Action and Pulp games are popular, like Pinnacle's Savage Worlds and Spirit of the Century. Storytelling games are still covered by White Wolf with Vampire, Mage, Changeling, Wraith and various other single-word titles, and they've even branched out into anime action games with Exalted.

Speaking of action games, martial arts action games are still around and still include such veterans as Atlas Games' Feng Shui and even Dan Bayn's highly narrative based Wushu (which has a free version). Again, plenty of other "generic" or universal systems like GURPS, ORE, Action! and various other systems also provide options. Then there's Post Apocalyptic games like Fallout (free fan made) and Atomic Highway (commercial) and odd things like Hot Chicks (the author posted here a few times somewhat recently). There are religious-themed role-playing games, some from a secular or objective point of view, such as Rapture, or others actually designed to promote Christian values, even if set in fantasy realms (though some are actually set in Biblical times).

There are a LOT of options for non D&D games, and places like John Kim's Encyclopedia of role-playing games has tons more, and 1KM1KT (1000 Monkeys, 1000 Typewriters) is a site housing free role-playing games submitted by people for regular RPG creation contests). There are bound to be games to capture anyone's attention.