Alternatives to GURPS? Other tabletop RPGs to try?

Raekai · 07-22-2020, 10:18 AM

I wish I had started replying much sooner, but I got very side-tracked. Thank you to all of those who responded. I got a lot of great suggestions, a lot of great insight, and I learned what 'eclectic' actually means!

More and more, I think what's actually important for me (right now) is a system/setting that has lots of pre-written adventures (or, at the very least, a good amount of solid plot-hooks). I mentioned that before, but I'm feeling more and more like I would still be put off from a 'simple' system if I had to think really hard about the world and adventures. GURPS feels very front-loaded (especially with players who are averse to reading more than one book). Right now, I'm tired of trying to point to these advantages here, those guns there, that magic system yonder, etc. I'm honestly probably doing myself a disservice by not playing the Dungeon Fantasy RPG as-is because it's almost exactly what I'm asking for. Again, when I'm close to GURPS, I just want to tinker, which is my own... quirk.

I'm still not sure of what I want to do, but I feel much better about not feeling like I have to stick with the system(s) I already know and love. I've been the only one telling myself that I can't just run a four-session-long adventure with another system to try it out. I'm even more sure now that my players would very likely enjoy messing around like that too. It's funny because I don't have these hang-ups with video games—we switch between a handful of very different games when playing online together. I was overthinking things, which isn't a surprise for me.

I think I'll stick with GURPS for a little while longer as I just taught a new player how to play, and I would hate to flip their world upside-down right away. In addition to really considering the Dungeon Fantasy RPG, I saw a recommendation elsewhere for GURPS Discworld as a nice self-contained rule-set. Which is true! I bought my copy for fun, but I could use it to either run a Discworld-based game or remove the Discworld-isms for something else. The flexible magic is nice!

I hope others might find this thread interesting and full of great suggestions too!

07-22-2020, 10:18 AM	#7
Raekai World's Worst Detective Join Date: May 2011 Location: Columbus, Ohio	Re: Alternatives to GURPS? Other tabletop RPGs to try? I wish I had started replying much sooner, but I got very side-tracked. Thank you to all of those who responded. I got a lot of great suggestions, a lot of great insight, and I learned what 'eclectic' actually means! More and more, I think what's actually important for me (right now) is a system/setting that has lots of pre-written adventures (or, at the very least, a good amount of solid plot-hooks). I mentioned that before, but I'm feeling more and more like I would still be put off from a 'simple' system if I had to think really hard about the world and adventures. *GURPS* feels very front-loaded (especially with players who are averse to reading more than one book). Right now, I'm tired of trying to point to these advantages here, those guns there, that magic system yonder, etc. I'm honestly probably doing myself a disservice by not playing the *Dungeon Fantasy RPG* as-is because it's almost exactly what I'm asking for. Again, when I'm close to *GURPS, I just want to tinker, which is my own... quirk. I'm still not sure of what I want to do, but I feel much better about not feeling like I have to stick with the system(s) I already know and love. I've been the only one telling myself that I can't just run a four-session-long adventure with another system to try it out. I'm even more sure now that my players would very likely enjoy messing around like that too. It's funny because I don't have these hang-ups with video games—we switch between a handful of very different games when playing online together. I was overthinking things, which isn't a surprise for me. I think I'll stick with GURPS* for a little while longer as I just taught a new player how to play, and I would hate to flip their world upside-down right away. In addition to really considering the *Dungeon Fantasy RPG, I saw a recommendation elsewhere for GURPS Discworld* as a nice self-contained rule-set. Which is true! I bought my copy for fun, but I could use it to either run a Discworld-based game or remove the Discworld-isms for something else. The flexible magic is nice! I hope others might find this thread interesting and full of great suggestions too! __________________ Raekai's links: My blog about conlanging, GURPS, and other stuff! — Using Knowing Your Own Strength with Conditional Injury Simulating multiple attacks Wildcard Power Pool: a flexible magic/powers system Magic to RPM complete conversion v2 (incomplete) Perussinexian Magic 2 (outdated)