My 9 Favorite RPGs That Aren't D&D! 

I would love more videos focused on these individual rpgs, even if the videos were much shorter. One of the barriers to entry that I find is that there is such a small online community for anything other than 5e.

If you like sitting at a table with friends and telling stories, there is a game for you in this list! Into the Odd, Cairn and Mausritter are my jam for sure!

Our 3 alternative RPGs we played when we needed a break from DnD are: 1) Rune Quest; 2) Traveler; and 3) Call Of Cthulhu. Fun times.

You turned me onto Mausritter and it’s my new system for my kids and nieces and nephews. Not that it’s not great for adults, but the younger crowd loves it.

Mausritter is a masterpiece game. I am happy to see it get the recognition it deserves

Eyyy! :D Thanks for linking my Mothership review, Baron! I love videos like this, but especially when it's based in actually playing the darn things. Time for me to go re-watch your FATE video... 👀 Also, that was the smoothest imaginable transition into an ad read, hahaha. Very nice.

Ran Mausritter this Halloween with a group of 8 adults(4 sets of 2 players controlling a character each) where all but 1 player have never played any RPG and it went extremely well, players engaged easily into the mechanics and the mindset despite having no clue about the the fundamentals of OSR play. They were using the tools at their disposal and thinking like a mouse with a bare minimum introduction. Now making this into a regular group that is excited to play. If that isn't a hallmark of a well designed RPG then I don't know what is.

My favourite is a lesser-known polish system, Wolsung. I love how combat, pursuits and social encounters all run on the same set of rules, and it works great in the game's premise - steam/pulp action movie with lots of gadgets.

I'd like to hear more about how you use Cairn (or any RPG) for Corporate Teambuilding.

I can vouch for FATE . . . definitely hard to pick up, but I wanted to run an adventure based on the Dragonriders of Pern series for a few friends, and there were precious few systems that could handle that setting. I picked FATE and it worked well - the story necessitated more diplomacy and exploration than fighting, and my friends are all ex-theater kids, so they had a lot of fun building a narrative about their characters in the world.

Though West End Games were known for their d6 system, their Shatterzone used 2d10s and optional cards. It also had good detailed books like their Star Wars line. Had much influence on my later GMing of sci-fi style games.

Mausritter makes me think of Watership Down, and I love that. I'll have to play it. Thanks for the recommendations!

Savage Worlds has to be at the top of my list. It's a relatively light weight system-neutral game that excels at pulp action. So far I've used it for wild west, WWII, low fantasy, space horror, and even a Stargate rip-off, and it was a great fit for all of them.

One of my most influential RPGs is one I've never played: 'Elfs' by Ron Edwards. The point is there is 1) what the character wants 2) what the player wants and 3) these can be radically different.

Some of these games I never heard of but now I want to give them a look. Honestly I recommend people to play, at least once in a while, play games that are different from what you usually play. Don't just switch from D&D to Pathfinder for a oneshot, try Vampire, Call of Cthulu, go do wacky things on Savage Worlds or even GURPS. Getting out of the comfort zone can be quite good to expand your view on how TTRPGs can be played.

I just wanna give a shoutout to Shadow of the Demon Lord. Same author as the 3.5 D&D Elder Evils book. Easy and intuitive to play, modular character building in a way I adore. Lovely mix of fantasy, horror and apocalyptic. Also Riddle of Steel will always have a spot in my heart for being one of the crunchiest combat simulators I've ever had the pleasure of playing.

One of, if not the best guides for Gamemasters I've ever read is West End Games' "The Gamemasters Handbook". This is not a rules guide, it is a book of advice for gamemasters and, though it's a part of the d6 Star Wars RPG, it's advice and tips can be applied to any roleplaying game. One of my favourite sections is the one which covers running epic battles like The Battle of Hoth without a mass combat system and, at the same time, making the PCs actions the linchpin of the battle (or, at least, one of the most important ones). I haven't just read this system for running a cinematic battle in the game, I've implemented it on several occasions in both Star Wars and D&D. Not only does it work great but it doesn't slow down the game or turn a roleplaying session into a strategy game, but it also feels like a battle scene in a movie and makes the characters the heroes. When done right it is extremely rewarding.

Give me a game like Mothership any day of the week. I was looking into Traveler at the time Mothership was coming out, and I am glad it caught my eye. Such a good, creepy and challenging game that can be such a reward having a character actually live to another situation. It is the only other TTRPG my wife and friends play aside from D&D.

Was very stoked to see ICRPG showcased here. It's so fun and flexible and somehow manages to stay simple in the best way. It's how introduce new players to the hobby, but I always feel free to make it my own. Breadth AND depth!

Stellar coverage on so many amazing games that I truly wish more folks would try out! ICRPG in particular was the main reason I decided to get into RPGS full time because of its no fuss ruleset that still delivers on amazing stories and intense gameplay. Looking forward to more videos like this, fantastic content as usual Baron!

My favorite rpg is the Mountain witch. It's short, simple and good at producing interesting stories

That is a good list. I also like taking a look at games I do not like and finding the gems in them.

I wish you'd take a look at Amber Diceless RPG, I think you'd like it.

I have tried and failed to wrap my head around Fate several times. Is there anything you can recommend to get enough of an understanding of how it works to benefit from the insights you are talking about? Anything similar with Burning Wheel? It seems pretty intimidating from the books and feels like I'd need to spend a lot of time with it to fully appreciate what's going on. Currently, I'm not planning to run either system, but I do want to get a broader perspective on things that make me think about the games I do run in a different way. (That said, I *am* part of an improv troupe and your elevator pitch here has me kind of curious about whether we could take some of these ideas and make a show out of it.)

Some great recommendations. Thank you! I have to say, Apocalypse World (and the many games it has now inspired) have had such a dramatic impact on me that I honestly find it difficult to look at RPG design without it. It fundamentally reshaped the way mechanisms and narrative feel like they should interact within a game and what elements of a character ought to be emphasized. Add on to that all the various GM tools that the system introduced to help manage a game so fluidly and consistently...yeah, it's hard for me to return to more traditional system designs anymore. Even when I do, I can't help but borrow so much of Apocalypse World's sensibilities and structure. I think it was the most influential RPG lineage that I've encountered since I started in the hobby some 27 years ago. Seriously.

Games that aren't D&D that I cut my teeth on and would go back to include, but aren't limited to: High Fantasy, Traveller, Boot Hill, and Champions. Later in my gaming history include: Call of Cthulu, WEG Star Wars RPG, Leading Edge Games' Phoenix Command, and Palladium RPG. Space Opera was an early entry and fun, so a good runner-up to Traveller. Lately: The Expanse RPG. I like the mechanics for that game.

I wanna play Mothership so badly

I have to ask. What's your take on Hero System? It's been my favorite system for a good ten years, but I am fully aware that I will likely never get to play it on a regular basis due to the rather high barrier to entry because of it's very detailed rules system. What I've learned to appreciate about the system, however, is just how creative a player/gm can be with their character/noc/setting choices -- there's a way to build just about anything with the system. It's like working with Legos where dnd might be equivalent to wood blocks. However I'm not delusional enough to miss the fact that that freedom of choice can be paralyzing or that the game can get bogged down by its realistic-ish rules. It requires a GM that knows the ins and outs of the system almost by heart, which is difficult, and a GM that knows how to set boundaries for choice and when it's appropriate to forgo the rules, which will also require the GM to know the players and what kind of game experience the players want - which is even harder, usually.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Traveler!

I would love to hear your take on Ars Magica

Thanks Baron, ICRPG is awesome, Five Torches Deep has some awesome rules. I am looking forward to my Mothership Kickstarter. Mausritter seams really cool!

I'm so jealous of Alan Bahr's Tiny D6 series; I independently developed a nearly identical game system decades ago, but never had the courage to publish it. Now if I did, I'd look like a copy cat.

I hate D&D: the class system, the "swinginess" of the d20, the setting being ANOTHER Tolkien ripoff... Thanks for this video. I seriously needed it.

I know that you only brought it up for a moment in the video right before Mausritter, but thank you for bringing my attention to Liminal Horror. I have been wanting to put together a Backrooms campaign for my friends for a while now and it's been hard trying to figure out how to make it work like I envisioned it. D&D just wouldn't work for the type of gameplay I wanted and Liminal Horror seems to be already hitting exactly what I want just by reading a little bit about it on their website. I mean, heck, it's literally called LIMINAL HORROR. Which is exactly what the Backrooms is all about! So thank you for bringing a light to it. I think I've found the system for my next game! 🥳😄

I've followed you since your first video, and despite having a high standard from the very start you have managed to improve greatly. I can't wait to see how far you will go.

Stars and Worlds Without Number come highly recommended when it comes to worldbuilding.

Wow, didn't know you've done a shout out to Tiny! Alan Bahr is amazing and everyone should look into his stuff ^^ My favorite one is Tiny Frontiers (sci fi)

Two games that radically changed the way I look at RPGs and how rulesets influence gameplay and roleplaying choices are Amber and the first ed of Conspiracy X. Amber is great for allowing you understand that quantifiable abilities can be used to determine outcomes without resorting to a RNG, that relative abilities and narrative can be used to determine encounters without seeming abitrary. ConX is damn near impossible to play like a standard fight and loot game. But it makes influence and machinations so much more fluid and an integral part of what the players do. Who you know, who you can influence, and what resources you can call on become far more important than effective you are in combat. We used the system in a modified form to run a small politics and intrigue adventure in Waterdeep.

What you said about fate hits home, I loved the idea of it when I first learned of it a few years back. I ran a session for a group and one player did not enjoy it so I didn’t play for a long time. And present day I’m about 5 sessions I to a campaign and it’s good fun but I can’t help but feel like I’m falling short when playing it, I dont think my players are goblin skull cracking only type players, but I do see that you really need a narrative motivated and narrative/“put your ideas out there” confident group to really let fate shine. With aspects, compels, stunts. Everyone says they enjoy it and are having fun and they love the world we made together, and I’ve had my Players express that they like just thinking what they want to do and it happening because of aspect permissions, and the “what do you want to achieve” nature of the actions. Compared to DnD which can feel restrictive. That being the only other ROG they played and have ever played as their brand new to TTRPG but I can’t help the feeling I still don’t have a great grasp on fate even after going back and forth a few times through many resources. It’s not that it’s mechanically complex it’s more unexpectedly obtuse to ME at times . It says rules lite but there’s quite a bit there especially in core, contests conflicts and challenges, team work rolls, different NPC types. Etc. I like it and wouldn’t say it’s bad but maybe I would say the execution of it all could have been better, I just feel like fate could have achieved a lot more and be a part of more conversations up there with DnD and pathfinder etc. I will note that some of my criticisms might come from a bias of inexperience in my end and my own ability as a GM and role player

Curious what you think of Savage Worlds, its become one of my favorites!

If burning wheel isn't here 😤

Love Into the Odd, and I definitely need to play Mausritter at some point. Its just such a dang charming game. Also Momboat is incredible

I would throw in Ars Magica for it's.... 1. Worldbuilding using a historical setting (which makes it super-easy to research), but in a way that can integrate supernatural elements. 2. The best example of troupe-style play that I've seen (each player has a primary mage character, but ALSO has a secondary character that usually is linked to a different player, and ALSO can create minor characters to supplement a scene whenever they feel like it.) Plus, other players are assumed to be running adventures for the group, in addition to the primary Gamemaster. 3. Character progression as something that occurs over years and decades, as opposed to individual episodes in the PC's lives. Taken as a whole, Ars Magica lets the players create an entire community, which takes on a life and story of its own.

RPG's I have played since 1982. EVERY version of D&D, including Skill & Powera. Gamma World, Star Frontiers, Boot Hill, Mechwarrior, Twilight 2000, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, Space 1889, Car Wars, Top Secret, Lords of Creation, Paranoia, Pathfinder, Palladium and GURPS. That is just the ones I can think of.

Have you brought your analytical abilities towards how monsters and magic would alter warfare? I've thought about it from time to time but it feels like almost every spell rewrites the rules.

Hi! It'd be great to see 'Blood and Doom' included in an upcoming clip! My fiancée is one of the head writer of that new dark fantasy tabletop roleplaying game’, distributed by Modiphius Entertainment. There’s a free primer bundle with playable excerpts totaling 500+ pages out of the final core rulebooks, a full-color map, Character sheets, and a soundtrack sample available through Drivethrurpg. Our Kickstarter campaign will be launching on the 4th of April and we’ve been trying to get in touch to ask you if you’d be willing and able to cover the project, but we haven’t had any luck so far. It’d be great if you can get in touch with us to see what we would be able to do together!

Mothership is friggin' amazing, y'all!

I'm very much looking forward to this...

Damn! That windowpane fabric is tight as hell.

My favorite fantasy RPG right now is Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool Edition. It uses a dice chain system. You start with a D4 in something that upgrades to a D6, D8, D10, and ends with D12. Yes, no D20 here. You roll an Attribute + Skill dice, and often a few more dice for Talents your class gives you, roll all of that, pick the best 2, add them, and see if you equal/beat a target number. Hit Points are not insane. A warrior starts with 5 HP, and end with 8. Armor is just treated as 1-3 more HP per fight. Weapons are just light and heavy (aka 1 or 2 damage, so no rolling it). So, using a 1-handed sword isn't better than using a 1-handed mace or spear. Warriors and Wizards both get about the same choices for Talents as each other, so one isn't clearly better than the other. So Warriors can be a bit more complex, but Wizards are not overwhelming the other players with their firepower. It is written with grade school kids in mind, so the rules are very simple to pick up.

I love all the choices that you listed. I would add, for variety the following for your consideration. Tricube Tales, EZD6, Neon City Overdrive, When the Moon Hangs Low, Crescendo of Violence, They Came From Beyond the Grave!, and Knights of the Round: Academy. Many of these games are great with unique mechanics and if you like alternatives to the d20 they are great choices. I also like the 2D20 system, but I have only read Dishonoured and DUNE. Both are good settings but I did not care for some of the mechanics around combat (just me personally the systems are great and I hope they come out with a game I will enjoy in the future).

WEG Star Wars was an amazing game. I loved it as a kid. Never let me down.

YA! UP NEXT, MY FAVORITE MILKS THAT DOESN'T COME FROM COW! NUMBER ONE: ALMOND! THAT'S A GOOD MILK!

You know what you should check out? Defiant by Game Machinery. A little obscure bit with a lot of interesting ideas.

I just started a Tiny d6 campaign.

Have you ever played any rpg games from the Ubiquity roleplaying system? Like Hollow Earth Expedition or Leagues of Adventure?

You are so right about Burning Wheel. Would love to see Critical Role use it as the base for its future campaigns.

I would never get burning wheel to the table. It's not really a game you can play without everyone reading the book, and that's just not the culture of tabletop rpgs. I'm not sure what game would be best for live plays, but it's definitely not DND.

I have a feeling this video is about to blow up...

CORE RPG is my go-to. It's a little more straight forward than Fate, but still has mechanics in place for very narrative play. Just like Fate too, it's entirely universal. I've played it as classic medieval fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and modern. Mausritter is now on my radar! Absolutely giving that a look through.

The most nerve wrecking RPG I played recently was DREAD, a Jenga based RPG system, perfect for oneshots.

While we wait, I'll list MY favorites: GURPS ( no, it's not for everyone ) and Marvel Super Heroes ( FASRIP ) *TSR.

Oh man I appreciate what you do, but when I hear corporate team building, I just have a mini stroke. I freaking hate those words and dread anytime I have had to push it as a manager and also when I was an employee and had to do it.

I feel like this video needs some clarification. I dont remember the force dice mechanic in the west end version of starwars. It is definitly in the fantasy flight version. Likewise the hunger mechanic is in vampire 5e but he showed vampire 2e on the picture. I feel like when recomending games to people you should be clear aboit what game your recomending.

Star Wars d6, eh? An elegant system, for a more civilized time.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a classless/skill-based system with the least amount of crunch? I looked at Gurps and Mythras, and while they looked great, it wasn't what I was looking for. What I'm looking for is something more freeform and skill-focused to sell 5e players on.

Now I want to see Old School Baroque happen xD

Paseed on Mothership, Alien RPG fills that roke for me. The Dying Earth RPG is tough to find but worth it. Ah, such a fun topic for discussion.

Fate core is a game designed for GMs and group of GMs who never get to play can ham it up and have a blast. The team building character creation is awesome. GURPS is the best RPG system ever. thanks for mentioning West end games star wars it is a very very good game.

Have you ever tried HERO System? Would love to see your take on it. It's... genius, but the complexity and heft of the books turn a lot of folks off. It's a system that can "do anything" and the word count reflects such :D

Super-dense with great info! I’m going to pickup mothership today, and research the others a bit more. Thanks!

One of the RPG that taught me the most recently was Degenesis. Especially about how it is "ok" to have statistically unbalanced characters and factions, if the roleplay behind it is rich enough to compensate, and how it blew me away by it's worldbuilding. Starting to realise midcampaign that your stats aren't extradiegetic but intradiegetic is wild.

Ended up loving Tiny D6.

What system would you suggest to someone who is looking to substitute 5e for something where acquiring new gear matters more than leveling up?

Damn I look at a lot of RPGs but this is the first time I've got a concise description of Into the Odd, seems like everything I like about Knave with a little more meat.

Good video, I'll try and check out a couple of these!

GURPS beats them all. One rule set to do absolutely everything with a fluid build system that rewards fleshing out a character, flaws and all.

@DungeonMasterpice it's one year later and DC20 the TTRPG currently under development is right bevor it's Kickstarter. What do you think about the comment I hear about it the most "It's the perfect lovechild of DnD and Pathfinder 2e"

5:40 100% I am not the same GM since I discovered that game... but I don't play it, sometimes during special events.

I highly recommend you check out Genesys RPG. It's so good and I prefer it over d20 systems.

What do you think about The Expanse TTRPG system?

Have you ever played something called Fantasy Craft?

I had a similar experience with Fate Core, but I feel like I came out the other side. I love Fate Core now and feel comfortable running it for or teaching it to other players. I feel like the biggest issue with Fate Core relates to not being like most role playing games. It plays nothing like D&D. Getting players to understand aspects and stunts is hard sometimes, but worth it when players finally grok the concepts. My problems were also compounded by confusing Fate 3.0 (Spirit of the Century) with Fate Core. I would recommend that anyone having trouble wrapping their head around concepts from Fate Core watch Ryan Macklin gamemaster Fate Core for Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day in one of their Tabletop episodes. Our most recent Fate Core game is set in the pulp/film noir style world of the 1930's. My character is essentially the Howard Hughes of zeppelins and is friends with Nikola Tesla. 😁 I was disappointed that you didn't mention the two joined-at-the-hip publishers who seem to have the most licensed games, Modiphius and Free League. They have rpg licenses for Conan, Dune, Alien, Fallout, Mutant Year Zero and others. We were playing a cool Free League Coriolis rpg campaign (think Arabian Nights in space) before our game group fell apart with real world issues. Modiphius has an interesting 2D20 system and Free League uses a fun and interesting D6 rolling system. Also, an honorable mention to Ironsworn/Starforged. Called a "solo rpg," the system works just as well with a few players and no gm. The best feature of the game is the "oracles," charts you roll on randomly to determine results for a wide variety of things like names, planetary features, the results of failed space travel, etc.

Have you tried Cypher System?

Curious omission on the whole "Powered by the Apocalypses" games. Not criticizing, just curious. Not your thing, Mr. de Ropp?

Hey love your videos, just found your channel. I was curious after watching this one, what do you think of Call of Cthulhu?

Runehammer, ah to be drinking beer from a jar in front of a 720p log fire again...

Have you seen Quest Worlds (used to be Hero Wars)?

I really like narrative games, but I never really clicked with FATE, just can't find my stride with the system.

Man You looks like a Kingsman agent. You're very elegant.

But I want to watch it NOW!

Good (lite) review of lots of games. I would like to hear your suggestions for incorporating the best parts into 5e.

Silverage Sentinels had a great d20 combat skill system. It was a crimes that game didn't do better

The boxed set of Mausritter is sold out.

Star Wars RPG is SO much fun, but I've found my friends having even more fun with the D&D variant Star Wars 5e!

Mothership looks cool. Im getting a chance to play next wk for the first time as a friend has just got a hard copy in the mail :)

Two old school rpgs that I love/hate. TMNT RPG, incredible for character creation and ARS MAGICA, amazing in it's intricate magic system. The flaw in both games is that thier combat systems make them virtually unplayable.

Thank u for saying Mausritter is your favorite rpg, it’s mine too.

Fate Core is great, but Fate Condensed explains it so much better!

Hey, wait, you were talking about RPG's and then, you talk about a "storygame" (or, as I prefer to say, "game for scriptwriters or novelists") such as FATE ;)