October 20, 2015

My Top 100 RPGs



Lowell Francis over at Age of Ravens has started to put up his list of top 100 rpgs. Here are mine... 

Didn't make the top 100, but I think are still relevant: Fuzion, Everway, Empire of the Petal Throne, Metamorphosis Alpha, Jorune, Dark Conspiracy, Talislanta, Fudge, The Whispering Vault

100) Chill -  Never played but was made by Pacesetter, a company I like, and has good buzz.
99) SAGA - Never played but has good buzz.
98) Tunnels & Trolls - Never played by a forerunner of the modern rpgs.
97) Chivalry & Sorcery - Never played but an early big name.
96) Behind Enemy Lines - Have it, never played. I like the concept of a WW2 rpg so this is good material for me to check out.
95) Gang Busters - Early rpg that showed a different genre.
94) Cyberpunk 2013 - Never played but have a few books that I've adapted for my Shadowrun games.
93) Dying Earth - Have but not played yet. Am curious about a setting based on the writings from which Vancian magic was adapted.
92) Unknown Armies - Have it, never played, but seems to be well liked by those who do play it.
91) Phoenix Command - Intricate combat system, too intricate for me to play but good to study.
90) In Nomine - Interesting setting. have it but not played.
89) Villains & Vigilantes - My first non-D&D game. Clumsy rules but can be fun.
88) Firefly - Love the setting and adventures. Don't like the rule set.
87) Immortal - Good setting, complex rules. My wife tried running it but we didn't get very far.
86) Fringeworthy - Never heard of it before seeing it mentioned on Age of Ravens. Looks interesting.
85) Underground - Looks cool and fun. Never got it when it first came out.
84) Castles & Crusades - Just recently got the rule books. Only checked them over and haven't made up my mind yet.
83) ICONs - I love superhero games. Have the rules but not read them yet. Not sure about the random character generation as that is something I tend to not like.
82) Pendragon - Well liked and has been around forever. Do not have the rules yet.
81) FATE - Really popular right now. Not sure its something I would like, but I should check it out anyway to see what the buzz is about.
80) Runequest - Another old time game that influenced later rpgs. Never played it.
79) Labyrinth Lord - A good solid retroclone.
78) Call of Cthulhu - Was huge while growing up and still has a lot of fans. Never played it, but it can not be ignored.
77) HarnMaster - Always been curious about this one. I have a version of the rules but haven't rad them yet. Reports say it is highly detailed and well constructed.
76) Twilight 2000 - Played but don't have it. Not bad and the setting is good. Rules might be too complex.
75) En Garde! - I really like swashbuckler games. I do not have this one but am curious. Also its an early rpg.
74) Godlike - Superhero game in WW2. The rules are difficult to get through for me.
73) Burning Wheel - Curious about this one. Do not have it yet.
72) Ghost Dog - Have it, never played. The setting is better than the rules.
71) DC Heroes - Have a bunch of the books (and there a lot of them released over the years). Its a superhero game so I have it, but I prefer other systems.
70) Space Opera - FGU space rpg. I have a soft spot for the FGU games. Do not have it.
69) Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes - I also like pulp and this works well for that.
68) Dune - Love the fiction books. Not really a good adaption but I got it anyway. Never played it.
67) Star Frontiers - Played it. Fun but I couldn't take it serious.
66) GURPs - Have it, played it. I don't really like it, but its affect and standing in the rpg community can not be ignored.
65) Pathfinder - Have the starter set. So many people like it. Not for me (not a huge fan of 3E etc) but it changed D&D and the rpg industry by successfully challenging the 100-pound gorilla. While I will probably never play it, I do get a lot of their Adventure Path books because they are fun to read.
64) The Fantasy Trip - I have it and played it long ago. Not a bad system, but not great. However, I have a nostalgic soft spot for it.
63) Agone - Just picked this up and it looks interesting.
62) Heroes Unlimited - Superhero game so I have it. Palladium so its hard to worth with.
61) Champions - Superhero game so I have it. Pretty good. It also changed the way some people look at rpgs with its innovations.
60) Aces & Eights - I really want to like this but it seems...daunting. I will have to sit down and rad the rules carefully at some point.
59) Hackmaster - Silly, complex, looks fun. Its a through-back, not sure if its worth the effort but I do like the concept.
58) James Bond 007 - Famous spy game that is well liked. Do not have it.
57) Psiworld - Have it, never played. A solid attempt to create an rpg based solely on psionics.
56) Palladium Fantasy - Early strong game, but with Palladium rules.
55) Star Wars d6 - Played it, do not have it. Solid game.
54) Justice Inc - FGU pulp...soft spot entry.
53) Leverage - Loved the show, not a fan of the Cortex system. Might convince myself to try it again because I loved the show and concept so much.
52) Fireborn - Liked the concept, haven't been able to finish the rules as they can get complex.
51) Amber Diceless - Have it, played it. Not a huge fan of diceless games but the setting is strong for me.
50) Legacy: War of Ages - Highlander knockoff, love Highlander so I got it. It does a good job of potraying the setting but is overall weak.
49) Rune - It is one of my "in the mood for" games. It is all about raw violence and not much else.
48) Brave New World - Superhero game. Have all the books but never played it. It has depth but its not my go-to superhero game.
47) Lace and Steel - Loved the setting. Rules were more complicated than they needed to be but it looked like it might be fun. Have it but never played it.
46) Bushido - Played once, have all the books for it as I went and searched for the ones I didn't have. Complex but in a good way.
45) Mutant & Masterminds - Superhero game. I have almost all the books including 3rd party books. Never played it and probably never will as I find the system too complex for my needs. However, I really enjoy them
44) Star Trek (FASA) - Have all the books and played it a few times. It was fun without being too complex.
43) Hercules & Xena - Underrated in my opinion. Sure the series were camp but the game didn't have to be. Have it but never played it, though I might some day.
42) Rifts - Have some of it, never played. Not a fan of Palladium games, but I might just try this one sometime soon.
41) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Have it, played it, used it for a Gamma World game. Yes, its Palladium which I generally dislike but I had fun with this.
40) Toon - Have it, played it. Its a "in the mood for" game. Does it genre well.
39) Mage - Played it, liked it. Unbalanced the way we ran it.
38) Lord of the Rings (ICE) - Huge LotR fan so I played it of course...many times. Have the newest version from Cubicle but haven't read it yet.
37) Paranoia - Have it (went and looked for it). A lot of fun. A "in the mood for game".
36) Top Secret - Played it a lot. Was fun but it's been some time since I played it so I don't remember much of the rules.
35) Dresden Files - Have it, haven't read it yet. I will use it to determine if I like the FATE system.
34) Earthdawn - Have some of the books. It has a diligent following so I am curious about it.
33) Houses of the Blooded - I like this style of game, though the rules are a bit too narrative for my tastes. I will likely look at it again and give it an honest try.
32) The Riddle of Steel - Good combat and magic system. I have tried adapting the system to run in other games/settings but always end up going with the default rule set of the other setting to save time.
31) Space 1889 - Love the setting. Rules were okay, not great, not bad. Have all the books but haven't run it yet.
30) Grimm - I so want to run this. Need to find a group of players who would "get it".
29) Traveller - Grand-daddy of science fiction rpgs. Have a bunch of the books from scattered editions. Never played it.
28) Elric! - Loved the books and it looks like this would fit seamlessly with the books from a play-style approach. Almost ran a game a few years ago but we went with something else instead. Maybe someday.
27) Warhammer Fantasy - Another early days of rpgs entry. Have most of the 2nd edition, just need to run a game someday. Slightly intimidated by the setting as it has a lot of depth.
26) Marvel (TSR) - Played it like crazy back in the day. There are other superhero games I prefer now, but gosh-darn-it we played it a lot.
25) 13th Age - Solid system. Just have the core rulebook. Not likely to play it as a system anytime soon, but there are a lot of good ideas in there.
24) Fantasy Age - On order. I have the Dragon Age Set 1 and 2. Never played them but they look like a solid system. Needs more support.
23) Werewolf - Ran a bunch of good games in Werewolf.
22) Scion - Have the books, love the concept. Will run it someday.
21) Deadlands - Ran it a lot. A lot of fun was had by everyone. Solid game.
20) Warhammer 40,000 - Have the rogue Trader books. Good game but need to run it.
19) Lords of Creation - Nostalgia. Love the concept of the books. I want to run it so bad but other games keep getting in the way...and the system is not the best.
18) Flashing Blades - Never ran it but it is a very good system that does a lot. Also the adventures are solid. Another game I want to run badly.
17) Fading Suns - Ran it and it was a lot of fun. The setting has some good depth. Its a shame it wasn't supported more...or more people liked it.
16) Gamma World - My wife runs a mean game of Gamma World. I love playing in her Gamma Worlds games. We also played it a lot in "the old days" and always had fun with it.
15) Changeling - Love the concepts and setting. I love the faerie tales genre. Have never run it but once I find a group that understands the genre I will.
14) Savage Worlds - Awesome game that I only have 1 issue with. have run a few games with the system and designed even more with it.
13) Feng Shui - Ho boy! Awesome game. Stoked that I have the 2nd edition as the first was so much fun.
12) GUMSHOE - Some good ideas here and the books are well written. I've run Ashen Stars and have Mutant City Blues and Trail of Cthulhu. I like what they did with investigation tasks but the rest of the system is lacking.
11) Numenera - Have the books, including the Cypher System Core Rules. I like the core die mechanic of player-facing but character generation and growth I find to be unduly scattered. I know it popular so I'm trying to get a handle on it.
10) Ars Magica - Deep and rich game setting. Haven't run it yet for fear the magic system will be too complex for my current group.
9) Vampire - Have run many a good campaign with this system. I prefer the 2nd edition rule set, if no the setting as much. It was also a game changer in the rpg field when it first dominated the industry.
8) Timemasters - Fun game. I have all the books, but have not run it.
7) Doctor Who - Ran it successfully. The system is a bit stilted but the source books are top notch. Its here more for my love of Doctor Who rather than being a good system.
6) Shadowrun - I love and hate this game. Love to play it, hate to run it. Currently running it and so far it is going well.
5) Rolemaster/Spacemaster - Played this many times, both in Middle-Earth and in a couple of my home brew settings. I love the concepts and execution though my players tend to find the math daunting.
4) Legend of the Five Rings - Have all the 1st edition books and ran a good, long campaign. Excellent rule system and excellently written sourcebooks.
3) 7th Sea - Similar to L5R, I love the system and setting. My wife ran an fun campaign with it.
2) Dungeons & Dragons - No matter what else I play, I always eventually come back to running D&D. Call it nostalgia or because it is the 100-pound gorilla and everyone else is playing ir, I keep going back. Also, I happen to really like 5E so far. Plus its the game that started it all.
1) Masterbook/TORG/Indiana Jones/Shatterzone - My official favorite system. I love the elegance of Masterbook. It has a bunch of front-end math, but once in place runs fast. I also loved running TORG and my players still ask every once in a while when I'll run it again. But really, Masterbook is awesome.

October 13, 2015

Cliche Tripe

Here are a few things that annoy me when I see them as part of the promo for a new rpg. All too often they are spouting things we've heard before, but are trying to present them as something new or unique.

-"They walk among us" or "History is a lie" or "The world's hidden history".

-"A new fantasy rpg with...
          "...no class or racial limits!".
          "...streamlined combat!"
          "...rules for role-playing instead of roll-playing!"
          "...hundreds of classes and races!"
          "...no levels!"

-"For people who want to spend less time arguing about the rules and more time playing!"

-"Create a character in under 5 minutes!"

-Here are some overused attention-getters that often fail to fulfill...
"Dark fantasy world!"
"Cinematic action!"
"Hardcore!"

-"Designed for X system but compatible with everything!"

-"This new system is based on system X, only better!"

-"This is the lite version of system X!"
-"This is the lite version of system X!" which is one no one has ever heard of.

-"Everything you need to play! Expect more supplements soon!"