Lets have a thread introducing eachother to systems that might work for games we've been dreaming about running

I just pictured that girl getting down to Uptown Funk

You've probably come across it already, but this sort of thing is what Savage Worlds is made for and, imo, does pretty well.

I've been jonesing hard for Ars Magica, pic related. You play as a cabal of wizards in the middle ages.

It's got some interesting RP mechanics like the troupe system. The Wizard Gift makes muggles instinctively hate you, even if they don't know you're a wizard, so every cabal has a gaggle of muggle Companions who've gotten used to the revulsion and do stuff the wizards can't or won't do. You make your wizard and a couple companions, and link the companions to the other wizards in your group (as opposed to making your own wizard's companions) and then most adventures involve one or two wizards and the other players control companions.

Also the timeline is really long, wizards have means of prolonging their lifespans but even then a proper campaign will probably involve at least a couple generations of wizards, and many generations of companions.

But the magic system's what really makes it cool. It's got a noun-verb system, magic is 90% custom, and the rules are there to hash out what the numbers would be for whatever you made up. So Creo Terram (create earth) could create stepping stones to cross a ravine, or repair a broken statue, or summon a chunk or rock and fling it at the bad guy. (Throwing a pre-existing rock would be rego terram). Then there's ritual magic which is the same thing but more powerful and you can write it down in books and shit like Mordenkainen's Magnificent Bath House or Tenser's Resonating Dildo or whatever.

It fulfills my need to play a bunch of old-school pointy-hat wizards sitting in a tower and reading and writing. Also the combat sounds really sweet. Resisting a spell means you're completely immune, so that flying rock from before won't even get dirt on your robes if you pass the check, which means wizard combat is more about indirect attacks, or just distracting your opponent while your companion comes up and shanks him. Which is a fun reimagining of wizard combat.

Yeah, I've looked at Savage Worlds before. It definitely has a lot of things to like but it isn't quite what I'm going for. I do pick and choose a few of its ideas in my homebrews, though.

Jesus, there are some sweet recs in this thread. Definitely going to look at Ars Magica and WaRP and the diaspora social stuff.

Anyone got a good recommendation for a simple but effective combat system? I've tried The Window, and while its great out of combat it is too vague to make combat interesting

D6 Fantasy / D6 Adventure / D6 space all have a very simple, but effective + satisfying combat resolution system. Lots of options to pick from, and none are complex enough to feel unwieldy.

Thanks for the suggestion, will check it out

Feng Shui 1e.

Nemesis.

GURPS

>Anyone got a good recommendation for a simple but effective combat system?

I think the base system in Qin:The Warring States is pretty meat and potatoes for combat. It uses 2d10 for everything.

Barbarians of Lemuria is pretty straightforward too.

I personally enjoy ORE and L5R as well. Kinda depends on what you're looking for though as far as grittiness vs cinematic for combat.

I'm dreaming of running a Fantasy Space Opera heavily inspired by Cosmic Marvel.

I've long been looking for cool, exciting systems of melee combat, preferably old fashioned medieval fantasy in theme.

I don't give a fuck about realism, I just want a system with a lot of options in combat, with interesting character creation that allows me to design numerous unique characters with different shticks.

More than anything I just want a good melee combat system.

>Over The Edge / WaRP is pretty good for what you're describing.

That's interesting, because the general consensus on Veeky Forums is that WaRP isn't good for anything.

We get the point, the writer of WaRP posts on Veeky Forums and thinks his game is cool. Unfortunately, it isn't.

Go play WaRP like a fucking dumbass then.

Guy who posted WaRP here, what's the problem? I've played it multiple times and always enjoy it, and the reason I started playing was because of glowing recommendations both here and elsewhere.

Jeez dude, calm down, you don't like Over the Edge. We get it.

It's some dumb-ass fate shit with boring-ass hit points that leave strength-lrelated stats overpowered and has boring fucking dice pools.

OP should play something that actually runs well, like Dungeon World.

It's not that I don't like it, it's that it is shit, and you need to accept that.

it does nothing that another RPG does not do better. It rips off FATE, the hit points are lazy, uninspired, derviative crap game design, and it has nothing unique to offer.

That's all.

>dumb ass fate shit
>play dungeon world
It's a rules-light narrative game that has some traditional mechanics, a halfway point between something like Savage Worlds and HeroQuest 2. If you don't like it that's fine, but you sound like you've got an unreasonable personal bias against it. I think BRP is a bunch of unbalanced, half-baked, undercooked ideas that barely forms a coherent game but I'm not going to go around screaming "IT'S SHIT" to everyone who wants to discuss and/or play it.

>rips off fate
>uninspired mechanics
>nothing unique to offer
Haha wow, how do release dates work am I right?
>1st edition released 1992, second '97
Also, WaRP is WAY different than Fate. Derivative of whis? Clearly not Fate, unless time machines exist.

It's almost like you've never even read it. But you seem to have some vitriolic hatred for it, so perhaps it burned your mother to the ground and raped your hamlet?

>Gurps
Mah nigga

>Over the edge and fate are shit, play Dungeon World It's so good
>literally the worst incarnation of Apocalypse World, publically ridiculed by players as the worst version of the system
>yeah I know what I'm talking about guis
Kek

I want to run a game that is a mix of speed racer and the blues brothers but not sure what system.

I would suggest a system, but honestly I'm not even sure how to conceptualize that kind of campaign. What specifically would you want out of that game?

have you watched either?

I would call RuneQuest combat straight forward at the core.

Players have X actions per round and take them one action at a time until they are out. They can spend actions on reactions like parrying to defend against blows too. It's roll versus skill, then compare success/failure/critical against the defender (if the defender doesn't party it's assumed they fail).

With a successful attack you lay a special effect on the attack based on weapon. There's also rules for more complicated maneuvers and that's where it gets crunchy but the basic idea is simple and makes sense.

I've seen both, I'm just having a difficult idea imagining how they would go together. Unless you just mean blues brothers with a REALLY fast, crazy car?

Crazy car chase/race with lots of people chasing the players. Mostly courier missions with a not to serious tone almost a little campy. Main mission is running a object cross country with every group imaginable wanting the object as well. I was thinking using shadowrun but i don't know the lore well enough

That does sound like fun. How crunchy a system are you looking for? I would probably suggest something with good chase rules like Fate Core (also has the benefit of good social skill support, drive skill stunts, etc.) or GURPS (specifically GURPS Action 2: Exploits for great chase rules, simplified ranged combat, action movie stuff like parkour etc.).

Savage Worlds would probably do well too, but I don't know that system well enough to guarantee good vehicle or chase rules.

Car Lesbians. But, you know, with dudes playing blues-rock instead of bimbos making out.

I have tried to pass at gurps a few times but not sure what books i need to even play. Never poked my nose into fate core.
I had a bad experience with savage worlds but i guess i should look into it again.
What a interesting name for a system...

Guy who suggested the other three systems, here. I totally forgot that existed, great suggestion.

Catchall
>select all images with cars
How appropriate.

GURPS Lite is free, 32 pages, and will give you a good idea of what the full system is like (you can also play full games with Lite alone, it's surprisingly complete).

Full-game wise, you just need the Basic Set (two books or pdfs; called Campaigns and Characters), and whatever splat books you need ontop of that (MAYBE one or two, no more than 3 absolute tops imho).
For this particular game I would just use Action 1 and 2.

That said, full GURPS is probably too much to digest of you're only going to use it for this single game and not reuse the system elsewhere (GURPS Lite could still work though).

This is why you shouldn't let your friends post on the internet after huffing spray paint.

youtube.com/watch?v=VnG0JjzF7HY

There's always Car Wars.

I want political intrigue. I mean running whole nations and orchestrating events. Shady backroom deals, assassinations, voting for members of councils.
And I want things in the background to affect this as well.

Not a request per say, but does anyone have experience with the Unisystem rules as presented in Conspiracy X? Are they light enough to use or full of fiddly bits? I'm mechanically retarded, but the concept of Gov agents fighting aliens and other shadowy government agents sounds awesome.

>Company hires couriers to get package across the planet.
>package can't take high altitudes of aircraft so it needs to be shipped by ground
>Players are broke but can make cash in joints along the road to keep up their maintenance .
>companies after them for package. government after them for package.
>employer willing to give them billions but only gives them a souped up car sun glasses and a half pack of cigarettes

REIGN.

There are two Fate Core games designed around this: Romance in the Air and House of Bards. I believe they're both Pay What You Want, as well as Fate Core itself.

GURPS: Boardroom and Curia, Social Engineering, and Social Engineering: Pulling Rank plus maybe GURPS City Stats would do great at this too.

Sound interesting or too cheesy?

Here,
Is a fantastic suggestion I forgot about. Reign is probably the best first choice.

What's a good system that emulates unarmed/wrestling-style combat?

Too AWESOME

GURPS Technical Grappling, or Riddle of Steel are the only two I can think of that even attempt to simulate realistic wrestling/grappling.

Gladiators. A system with some fun combat but also accounting for style, theatrics and how much you entertain the crowds.

That sounds insanely fun. There could be some really great chases built off that, even especially with the altitude thing--like the players having to get the package back from enemies who are trying to take it up in a plane or helo.

Really cool concept.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjpXbMiCtg
>the car they give you looks like shit

All together though i'm thinking the campaign would only be 2 players

>images of cars

I can't decide if that's the signature car of Veeky Forums or /diy/.

Veeky Forums and /diy/ make a car

GURPS is great for gladiators. It even has several Gladiator-specific supplements and Pyramid articles, which cover both "theme matches", common gladiator gear, animals likely to be implemented, pleasing the crowds, the "behind-the-scenes" machinations of the slave owners, etc.

Ran three sessions of gladiator matches in the middle of a campaign once, one of which was a huge flooded coliseum naval setpiece battle between two ships, two teams, and a helluva lot of blood and killing (oh and alligators in the water).

Your best bet is to look for stage wrestling rpgs and just adapt them to the setting.

Perhaps something like Blood & Honor
System is you get pools, wager some dice away, roll, then dice wagered become extra levels of success

I'm not a footf fetishist but your picture sure is trying to make me into one.

Anyway: a great navy RPG. I'm the captain, you're the gunner(s), he's the medic. More roles, one ship, one destiny.
Doesn't need to be some Maturin/Aubrey thing, can perfectly be a Star Trek-ish setting.

Not sure how it could be done, but I've never seen it.

One of my players want a turn at being a DM is looking for a system that can handle Mechs. The eastern style mech like for example Gundam, that is, agile mechs that fly around and do anime things. Each mech is single pilot and autonomous.

Battle Century G. It's not really a "simulation" style mecha game where you're crunching numbers and tweaking your machine, and instead mostly revolves around using mecha tropes (I can't think of a better word) and themes to create your builds. I can't find the right words to explain it, but it's basically the perfect system for running an anime style mecha game. It's also really simple and easy to learn (you basically just roll 1d10+stat and compare to target number).

Looking for a game that could handle Charmed/Supernatural-style angels.

In other words, beings with inhuman physiology sent by a vaguely defined higher power that investigate things and have both ritual and quick-cast powers, ideally should have a high level of damage resistance compared to everyone else.

Should have crunch somewhere in the ballpark of D&D 5E, Savage Worlds or Double Cross.

Needs a sanity/humanity mechanic that can handle becoming increasingly attached/detached from humanity.
You could try to use M&M or Tenra Bansho Zero for that.

GURPS can possibly work. Angelic durability is as easy as setting the PCs to d-scale (normally for super-heroes; short version is that they're phenomenally tougher and stronger, even at starting default values). GURPS: Monster Hunters has a freakin' sweet investigation system, and its magic system sounds right up your alley too; spells take time to cast, but preparing them ahead of time is an option, as is drawing on personal energy reserves or simply eating a penalty if you can). The only sticky bit is the humanity mechanic. Could you give some details on what you're looking for specifically — e.g. is the scale Humane/Compassionate vs. Callous, Heaven-focused vs. Earth-focused, etc.?

WoD may be worth a shot too. Can't make any claims about the magic systems, but the system would already have precedent for stupid levels of durability from vampires and the humanity mechanic literally exists under that exact name and purpose. Reskinned vampires as angels just seems ironic as well.

>Could you give some details on what you're looking for specifically — e.g. is the scale Humane/Compassionate vs. Callous, Heaven-focused vs. Earth-focused, etc.?
Yes, this, essentially. Giving a shit about mortal affairs vs going full CLEAVE AND SMITE on people's assess or summoning locusts on nignogs you don't like.

>WoD
Yes, I've been thinking about that.

Demon: The Descent, maybe?

>Demon: The Descent, maybe?
Descent might be good but I'd have to rip out the entire Cover mechanic and replace it with something else.

The ideal is for quick, cinematic struggles where the players have a high ability to influence the outcome via choices made.

Not just "attack, roll good, they die". I will look into the ones you've mentioned and see what fits

Cheers, will take a look and see if it fits what I'm after.

>Giving a shit about mortal affairs vs going full CLEAVE AND SMITE on people's assess or summoning locusts on nignogs you don't like.
It's very houserule-y,* but I have an idea. You could add a Compassion stat that would work like HP and have it based off of your Will (±3 points per ±1 Compassion). It would also have similar benchmarks as HP — you're in trouble at 1/3 HP, risk unconscious at 0, have chances to die at -1xHP, -2xHP, etc., and automatically die at -5xHP. In this case, dropping to 1/3 Compassion gives -2 to understand, read, interact, or empathize with humanity, 0 Compassion means apathy — the angel temporarily loses whatever Sense of Duty they had to Humanity; all they have left now is Duty to God — and at negative intervals of Compassion the angel picks up traits like Megalomania, Callous, Low Empathy, Bad Temper, Bloodlust, and similar disadvantages (roll Will to see fi they're permanent?) At -5xCompassion, the angel has totally lost all faith and becomes a Fallen Angel; retire the character, they're a mindless smitebot that'll come back later as an antagonist.

*Aping the HP system is actually a pretty common thing for official GURPS writers, though, so I don't feel too bad doing it here.

Would it be hard to swap Cover for Humanity? That may be the easiest solution. Depending on how weird you want angelic powers to be, the Storyteller's vague approach will be easier to game that something detail-focused like GURPS.

Riddle of Steel or one of it's successors might work.

I want to like Ars Magica, I really want to, but the whole 'cabal' system is shit. I want to play a wizard, I don't want to have to deal with a wizard's gormless Igor.

I want to play after the bomb because i like the ideas it presents about animal people in the appocalpyse
Unfortunately it's Palladium TMNT system and is also about FURRIES
That or Iron Claw.

Other user here. I really enjoy Over The Edge and it's system. It's very simple and can be mastered pretty quickly. My only regret regarding in regard to game mechanics is that fringe powers are quite underwhelming. If I remember correctly, they start at 2 dice if they are the main trait, and at 1 if they are a secondary trait. That's pretty weak. Personally, I find that OtE system fits perfectly with a new retro 1980's setting, but I probably wouldn't use it for a sci-fi setting.

For what you describe, I'd probably go with TriStat/dX (also BESM) or Fuzion. They all work pretty well with "less serious" gameplay and both have sci-fi settings.