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Simple/easy to get into RPGs
CangoFett
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I'm trying to find the simplest tabletop RPG possible. Something that I, along with 2-4 friends can take, sit down at a table, and have the rules explained and characters made and start playing that night. Im not caring so much about if its d20/d6/whatever, just something with simple character creation, and simple rules. Preferably one that comes with a sample adventure/campaign/whatever, or has one available online.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
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It's The World's Easiest Role-Playing System. You have one stat, one ability.
Anything on the D6 system (Westend - now defunct) is really easy also.
caffron said: "and cat pee is not a laughing matter"
All explaining you need to do:
-If I ask for you to roll a skill, you give me a d20 plus a skill number.
-If I ask for you to roll an attack, you give me a d20 plus your BAB (one or zero at this point) and the appropriate stat.
-If I ask for damage, you roll whatever is written right there.
-If I ask for a save, you give me a d20 plus your save bonus.
-When I roll an attack, I'll say AC and a number. You then notify me whether or not it exceeds or matches your AC. Then, if it does, I'll roll damage.
-During a turn, you get to actions. You can do anything like attack, cast a spell etc. for one, and then you can move or do minor things like draw weapons with the other. Or you can use both and move further.
-And then explain what each person's special abilities and spells and what not does. Since everyone will have like, one or two abilities and can only memorize a couple of spells, that shouldn't take too long. Maybe explain what each person's role as Fighter, Mage, Cleric, and Rogue is, but if they play video games, the only role that needs any explaining is probably the rogue.
Then here goes:
"It's been three days, and now you're finally here. The source of the undead that has been sighted is here, and you've rushed to take care of them." This leads to a five or ten room dungeon with a couple of locked doors, a pit trap or two, three or four skeleton encounters, and a level two or three cleric at the end.
They will have to use spells, maybe a turn attempt or two, kill some things, and use skills. Then you can start moving into more complex ideas like making your own characters/gaining levels, fighting harder enemies, using more advanced rules, etc.
You're going to need to know the most, because when they get stuck, they're going to look to you. If they want to do soemthing, then use whatever skill sounds right. If they want to jump, make them roll jump. If they want to kick, make them attack, etc. If they want to try and push people, that's called a bull rush. Shadowrun is quite a bit more complex than DnD. At least if you wanted to go from reading the book to playing the game. Maps are good if you can scrounge it up, but it shouldn't matter too much.
What I think would be better is if you played a game with someone else GMing first so you understand the basics. Ignore the specifics, and if someone asks a question, index first unless you already know where it is
EDIT: The man above me speaks lies. GURPS has a point based system who's chargen system works by looking at 100 advantages, 100 disadvantages, and 100 skills and saying, "Does my character have an acute sense of smell, yes/no?" "Does my character have an acute sense of sound, yes/no?" and so on. GURPS lite is great, it's a simplified rule set, but I think it best serves it's purpose as an introduction when the DM has played it before. D6, however, might be a good system. But I don't really know about that.
I think D&D is really what you need. You can throw in some pregenned monsters, have people roll up characters by rolling stats, picking a class, and then picking their class + int skills (2 to 4 for everyone but the rogue), and two or three spells. Modules make anything easier, as you have some monsters for them to fight, traps and stuff prewritten, etc. Someone else will have to suggest a good mini module, however.
Which makes me think that a good pure "new to DnD" module would be a good idea.
EDIT2: I kind of lied. If you had a GURPS 3e book, that would be good. There was a supershort adventure like those "if you like cocks turn to page 8, if you like dicks lol, turn to 22" in there that tells you what you have to roll and what to do. Good for teaching yourself or someone else, but too short for a whole game.
d20 isn't always easiest or best, all said, but it is kind of the universal system, and you can pretty much find something in every genre that has been turned into a d20 system.
Other than that, the best I can say is go to a site that has reviews of games and look those over. RPG.NET is a good place to start.
Try the Fighting fantasy Storyteller rulebooks.
Its just Skill and Stamina, with a few especializations. And a few ready campaigns.
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Also, has anyone heard anything about if WW is gonna go a nWoD Hunter?
I've been GMing for 10 years and I STILL find SR difficult to run, but it is rewarding.
Shadowrun is hard mode imo.
Good game, especially if you can find a competent GM.
You want an easy game? Check out Savage Worlds. Super simple, and it's a joy to play.
The system takes a little paraphernalia, though: You'll need counters (pennies, glass stones, poker chips, etc) and playing cards.
Check it out here.
The website also has test-drive rules, and sample characters and adventures if you want to try it out before you buy it. I highly recommend doing so.
Thank you, Rubacava!
That could be cool, you could easily divide it up among many people, so that at the end of it, we'd have a few interesting NPCs, the descriptions of interesting locales around town, and a full-fledged dungeon that the players could explore.
I'd be into it, anyone else?
My group is considering getting it for when we want to take a break from our D&D campaign for a night or two.
You could use pretty much any published module and just make up a four PCs to package with it and add in sections explaining what needs to happen in every scene.
Hell, I might make that up based on the Eberron mini-adventure in the back of the campaign setting.
There's more info here:
http://www.westendgames.com/html/plyd6.html
D20 may not be the best system but it works well for people who havn't played any table top rpgs befor.
Mainly cos of the reward system... in gurps and vampire you get some points for exp and you can spend them on this or that each thing being worth a certain value. How ever in D20 its alot more like a video game, once you have earned enough exp from doing what ever you lvl and what lvling gives you is much more stright forward. Sure there is still alot of choices to be made but its not ..."hmmm should i spend these points or save them for something beter or is this the best way to spend them?".
D20 is just stright out ... you get one feat chose one now. you get so amny hit points and so many skill points spend them now. I think D20 eases you into chr progresion a lot beter then other systems.
i think i may have just rambled but im to lazy to read it over...
sorry
Then I realized, its not about what I like, its about what I hate. Zombies
And I started thinking about how awesome a huge post-apocalyptic Zombie rpg would be. Think 28 Days Later meets Fallout. Captain K immediatly ridiculed my idea, thinking it'd be just "Okay, tonight we kill zombies. Okay done." I pointed out that with his logic, every game of Vampire would be, "Okay, lets go feed. Alright, done."
In most zombie movies, it only looks at the short term time frame, and small picture. Survivors getting out of town, getting to an island, and thats it. Theres no worry of how this could change the entire world.
So, anyone know of any good Zombie RPGs?
This thread needs more All Flesh Must Be Eaten.
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That being said, I'd be up for a game of All Flesh Must Be Eaten.