What to replace DnD with?

Sup tg, I kindly seek your wisdom.

In a nutshell: my group is running into too many disagreements while playing Pathfinder so we (I) would like to explore alternate game systems.

We have been playing the same game with varying DMs for 7(?) years quite casually and have tried 3.5, 4e and Pathfinder. Our group consists of long-term friends and playing is an important excuse to actually get together and meet up.

The real problem is that this game was the first RPG most of us played and while some members of the group have only played it during the years, and others have tried numerous other games. So our group is quite heterogeneous both in role-playing drive and skill.

Once we get the current story arc out of the way, we'll have a discussion on what kind of a game we want to play. At that time I would like to be able to offer some suggestions on a new system.

Our setting is quite generic high fantasy with magic being pretty much straight out of the DnD manuals and being very common. Fluff isn't that important, since things can be re-fluffed.

The things we are looking for in a system are (some of these are contradictory, because of differing wishes by players):

- Rules light, as few splatbooks as possible
- Characters are not built around combat like in DnD
- Possibility to implement a somehow structured magic system
- No need for a grid
- Alternatively tactical grid-based combat
- Bonus points for PDFs

So far I've been thinking about FATE or Praedor, but neither of these really is the optimal solution.

Thank you, o great hive mind.

Enjoy old arguments in a new package.

That does seem like the most probable outcome, but I'm willing to try.

GURPS

Well, for general fantasy systems I always recommend Warhammer 2nd ed. It's fun, easy to learn and quite simple, but has pretty much everything you need. It also works well for pretty much any fantasy setting if you don't want to use WHF. Just note that unlike DnD, the PCs are usually not heroes on epic adventures here, you usually start as basically a peasant with weapon and have to work your way to become someone powerful.

I've been thinking about that as well. The problem is that the characters have already become quite heroic so getting too down-to-earth isn't really an option. That's also the problem with Praedor.

"Having" to continue the same game does make this thing quite difficult. Otherwise I could just find another group to play PnPs with and do something else with that group of friends. But as I already stated, I'm willing to try.

Thanks for the input though.

5e
Fantasy Craft
Savage Worlds

Ah, sorry, I haven't got the continuation part. Yeah, that won't work then, but I still recommend the system for future. A campaign going on for 7 years is pretty impressive, congratulations on that. Unfortunately, switching systems mid-game rarely works well.

>- Rules light, as few splatbooks as possible
>- Characters are not built around combat like in DnD
>- Possibility to implement a somehow structured magic system
>- No need for a grid
>- Alternatively tactical grid-based combat
>- Bonus points for PDFs

Except for your second point, all of this applies to D&D 5E.

At first we started with 3.5, then moved on to 4e and then to Pathfinder. Each time there has been a hassle and the integrity of the world has taken a hit.

The problem with playing for this long is also that everything about the game is kinda showing some age. The setting was created by us in our early adulthood and reflects that quite strongly. That kinda is the appeal as well...

I was quite hoping to be able to stay away from DnD, but I guess I'll have to take a look.

Barbarians of Lemuria has everything you need

So you want to convert your campaign that was built on 7 years of uninterrupted D&D and all the combat-focused-ness that comes with it to a system that is not combat focused D&D?

How is that supposed to work?

I agree that this might be an issue for more coherent game. However, ours has been DMed by many players who have made their adventures without knowing how the previous on ends etc. So consistency has never really been a strong suit there.

The reason why I for one want to change to a less combat oriented system is that the actually meaningful and interesting things currently going on don't need a set of rules like DnD's. Using DnD makes all encounters a lot more cumbersome than they would need to be and that distracts us from the actually interesting things.

Of course this thing is more complex than just what system we'll use, but I think that switching to a system that really supports the things we want to do might be a good idea.

I suggest "Eating Bullet". It's great solution to your problems. Dozens of people tried it already with almost 100% success rate of conversion from D&D

>Barbarians of Lemuria has everything you need

Basically this. I've fallen in love with the system because character generation takes about five minutes, and combat is simple enough that a fight actually feels like a fight and not an episode of Law and Order.

WaRP is my fav system, here is why;
>Free and OGL (on mobile, so can't upload pdf, sorry)
>Rules lite, it's like 30 pages
>Characters are built around after their personal strengths, weaknessness, and experiences
>Magic system is simple but sound
>Easy to modify
>Dice pools, but with a low number of dice

Things that might not fit what you want;
>Generic, and I don't have a personal experience with how it handles fantasy
>Magic system is simple and sound, but more creative about spells, but could certainly be modded

>a system that really supports the things we want
Well, what exactly is it that you want to do?

Another thing that's bugging me is the power level of your characters. If you want to keep it, that makes finding a system all the more difficult.
What level (and tier) in PF are we talking about?

Seems quite good. I'm certain that there will be complaints about the ugly artwork though.

I'll take a look.

>Seems quite good. I'm certain that there will be complaints about the ugly artwork though.
Are you looking at the Legendary Edition, or the Mythic Edition?

Mythic is newer and I can post it in a couple hours if you need it.

>Well, what exactly is it that you want to do?

That is good question. We have some varying opinions at the moment and we haven't discussed this in detail. Anyway, I feel that the general sentiment is to play something with simpler rules and definitely lighter combat encounters. And focus more on interpersonal stuff than just killing fodder-level enemies.

>Another thing that's bugging me is the power level of your characters. If you want to keep it, that makes finding a system all the more difficult.

Agreed.

>What level (and tier) in PF are we talking about?

The party is currently level 9.

I'm apparently looking at some old version. That would be highly appreciated.

>The party is currently level 9.
...how?
I started with 3.5, switched to 4e halfway through and we went to, like... level 11 in two years.
And the 3.5 campaign I started at a much later date hit level 14 in even less time.

>something with simpler rules and definitely lighter combat encounters. And focus more on interpersonal stuff than just killing fodder-level enemies.
Sounds like a job for Apocalypse World. There is an official fantasy version of it (2e preview "Fallen Empires"), but it's a pretty big shift in tone. And magic is definitely nowhere near D&D. More like undefined psychic stuff that's as likely to fuck you over as it is to help you.
Keep it in mind in case you cause the world to end.

Oh, and you didn't mention the tier.