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Some of my favourites from days gone by:
- Ringworld
- Stormbringer
- Villains & Vigilantes
- Toon
I wouldn't classify Toon and V&V as "little known", but they're awesome anyway. :-)
Ringworld is a true masterpiece. The impulse system ran brilliantly once you got the hang of it.
I also love Stormbringer. Ah, the joy of a major wound.
I also enjoyed Superworld though Champions was the popular choice back then.
Wraith - I know it's Storyteller, but I've never heard of anyone actually playing it.
I've never done a real campaign, but I ran a few 2 and 3 shot games of Wraith, one of which was one of the most memorable gaming sessions for roleplaying ever.
As ghosts, the entire party struggled together to interact with the physical world to
1. Scare a dog.
2. Break a toaster.
3. Write a letter to one character's still living mother, and encourage her to leave her abusive boyfriend, for the sake of the character's infant brother.
Wraith - I know it's Storyteller, but I've never heard of anyone actually playing it.I've never done a real campaign, but I ran a few 2 and 3 shot games of Wraith, one of which was one of the most memorable gaming sessions for roleplaying ever.
As ghosts, the entire party struggled together to interact with the physical world to
1. Scare a dog.
2. Break a toaster.
3. Write a letter to one character's still living mother, and encourage her to leave her abusive boyfriend, for the sake of the character's infant brother.
I always wanted to play it, but could never get anyone else interested. It seems unique to me that it's a game effectively about being powerless, as opposed to virtually every other game where you're nearly a superhero.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I always wanted to play it, but could never get anyone else interested. It seems unique to me that it's a game effectively about being powerless, as opposed to virtually every other game where you're nearly a superhero.
I've had the same problem with my group. Once I explained the premise of the game to them, there was a pause and someone broke the silence with "That's depressing as hell. Why would we want to play that?"
...I didn't really have a good answer, but the game does seem like it'd be a lot of fun if you've got the right frame of mind for it. I guess my group doesn't. :)
Maybe I'll start a Wraith PbP on the boards here. Have the players make two aliases for it: One of their PC and one of another PC's Shadow. Naturally, the Shadow alias would post only in spoilers. Could be fun. This would require other people with intimate knowledge of Wraith, however, and would require me to shake the dust off my own knowledge.
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In no particular order:
Sorcerer
Dogs in the Vinyard
Afraid (DiTV variant)
Dread (uses Jenga tiles for fortune mechanic)
My Life With Master
Mountain Witch
Burning Wheel
Burning Empires
Al Qahiri Roach (I probably mispelled that)
Little Fears
Esoterrorist sounds awesome, but I haven't played yet.
SFB very muched loved by me, but not an RPG really.
Maybe I'll start a Wraith PbP on the boards here. Have the players make two aliases for it: One of their PC and one of another PC's Shadow. Naturally, the Shadow alias would post only in spoilers. Could be fun. This would require other people with intimate knowledge of Wraith, however, and would require me to shake the dust off my own knowledge.
If you do, I'd be interested in participating as a PC or whatever. Send me an email: shaun.kelso at gmail daught com.
Dread (uses Jenga tiles for fortune mechanic)
Now I have to look that one up!
Dread (uses Jenga tiles for fortune mechanic)Now I have to look that one up!
Won an Ennie last year. Designed by a guy named Eppy (board name) on the forums at www.nerdnyc.com. Worst case, you could contact him there.
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Fair is fair! How about some little know RPGs that you can suggest? Now I am not talking the big one like Vampire, Shadowrun, D&D or Traveler. How about some little known games that have that certain edge... that extra color... that fun that keeps you returning for more.
Once upon a time I used to run a game called Bushido, by FGU. The mechanics weren't great, but I loved the setting, and they had very interesting reputation/social interaction rules.
And I'll throw in a "me too" for those who have already said Toon. Back in the mid '80s I played an alligator who wore a polo shirt with a little human on it.
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Al Qahiri Roach (I probably mispelled that)
Shab-Al-Hiri Roach! I really want to play that, saw some friends playing it a few weeks back and it looked awesome, but I was too dead from just getting back from work to join in. :(
If anyone needs selling on the game, you play academics possessed by telepathic roaches and the book comes with free (and utterly pointless) plastic roach, you know you want it. :P
Still really need to play Cold City too, it's sitting on my windowsill calling to me... too many cool new(ish) RPGs, not enough time...
My favorite has always been Alternity. I have some very fond memories of games run and played with that system.
Fringeworthy and FTL:2448 always caught my eye. Skill based, Level Based ala d20 back in the early 1980's. Fringeworthy also has Stargates similar to those from the TV show. Thanks Mr. Tucholka! You can still get his gems here.
and it because always gives me giggles Synnibar or
"How to make a roleplaying game that just makes you laugh when you try to make sense of it"
You can still buy it from here! I dare you to!
On the other hand I have also have HOL from Black Dog and I think it is a serviceable RPG system.
Ringworld is very cool as well.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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I think The Morrow Project looks pretty interesting, though I've seen nothing but the old Dragon ads. Wasn't there another zombie apocalypse game with ads in the old Dragon?
I recently bought Cyborg Commando (god help me) and plan to run a short campaign of it at the office. The problem is the game is almost incomprehensible.
I remember having a lot of fun with Twilight 2000, and I still think that would make for a compelling RPG today. I don't remember the system at all, but the books had wonderful break-downs of military weapons and vehicles and stuff. A real gem.
Torg was a very interesting concept. I bought all of the books for the first couple of years, but the problem was that the system was just awful. They had a totally innovative and interesting idea and then ruined it with a crap system.
The other one I'm really curious about from the old Dragon ads but never really had a chance to check out is Skyrealms of Jorune. Anyone have any experiences to share with that one?
Torg was a very interesting concept. I bought all of the books for the first couple of years, but the problem was that the system was just awful. They had a totally innovative and interesting idea and then ruined it with a crap system.
Really? I ran Torg for 4 years; once you get your head around the system it runs pretty smoothly - you do however need to ignore most of the additional rules that kept emerging with the supplements.
The card system is the hands-down the best mechanic I've ever seen for encouraging cinematic and inventive roleplay and it is consistent and tactical at the same time.If I could port the Drama Deck into the Pathfinder RPG, I would.
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My favorite has always been Alternity. I have some very fond memories of games run and played with that system.
Best contemorary / SF system ever IMHO. I still run it - and I don't plan to stop any time soon (the StarDrive setting is quite extensive - enough material there to lay for a lifetime...and rather good material on the webside)
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Harnmaster - I ran a long-term campaign in the time between AD&D and 3e. A great system for a gritty, realistic campaign. No hit points, individual wounds, and the system works. It also forced wizards to act like wizards (not now, fool, I'm studying!) It also has a pre-game where you determine what happens to your character from age 14 up.
Swordbearer - first RPG I ever saw that downplayed money and equipment. You could only have a certain number of items at any point, and there was no money, only wealth levels.
Stormbringer - I remember playing this in high school. A guy came to our school and gave a lecture after class on how D&D was evil. Our gaming group went, sat there with our RPG books that talked about binding demons, nodded a lot, and we may have giggled ...
I think The Morrow Project looks pretty interesting, though I've seen nothing but the old Dragon ads. Wasn't there another zombie apocalypse game with ads in the old Dragon?
i was just paging through my copy of Morrow project just the other day. i also started re-reading space opera.
im thinking of running morrow project with d20 modern. it was published in like 1980, so it definatly has its problems. i like that it looks and feels like a military manual.
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oh wow, what havent I played over the years is more the quetion...
but Faves include
for setting Harn is one of the best EVER!!!
but for ease of play...Marvel Super Heroes has most games topped with there universal chart....and its fun to shout "Its Clobberin Time" ;)
Dragonquest was fun
Top Secret....(who doesnt love to play a spy)
Twilight 2000 was among the best for background material...
Paranoia for just good hearted fun
Here are some little known (I think) games that I remember fondly
Chill -- I played an asian stunt actor by day, supernatural mystery investigator by night!
Pendragon -- I ran an epic dynastic tale that spanned two-and-a-half generations, and concluded with the return of the british isles to darkness following the death of Arthur!
Doctor Who Role-playing Game -- I only ran a couple of sessions for a mysterious Time Lord and his dangerous musketeer companion. It involved foiling a plot of an evil Timelord trying to help the South win the American Civil War.
Rolemaster -- This was the trademark game of my best friend in high school. We once killed a dragon-type thing with a measly B crit and a 66 roll on the table!
Ghostbusters -- I took the players through the sample adventure involving trash cans being possessed and come to life to "eat" people, and a couple of less memorable adventures based on adventure seeds that also came with the game.
Kobolds Ate My Baby -- ALL HAIL KING TORG!
Also, pretty much everything chaosium: Cthulhu, Elric, Ringworld, Superworld, Runequest, and Hawkmoon.
The White Wolf "Aeon Trinity" line: Trinity, Aberrant, and Adventure. I actually ran a very long running online Aberrant/Adventure variant campaign heavily influenced by the Aberrant setting, the Wold Newton Universe, and every other crazy comic/pulp/sci-fi thing I could think of. I still have the campaign website up here: Aberrant Aquarian Age
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Don't Rest Your Head has always seemed really cool to me. I've got a copy, but haven't yet had the chance to use it.
In Nomine is pretty cool. The d666 mechanic is slick as all get out, too. It's really sad how this game won an Origins award and still wasn't profitable enough to keep making.
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The only lesser known game I've had fun with that I haven't yet seen on this list is All Brains Must be Eaten, which can be great for one-shots, though would be more difficult for an ongoing campaign (though still possible - see The Walking Dead).
Has anyone tried Nobilis? It looked like a really interesting concept, but I haven't been able to find a copy of it.
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Unfortunately my experiences of both Nobilis and In Nomine can be described the same way; awesome idea, interesting mechanics, but the game doesn't really work very well in practice, a real shame :(. But that's just my experience, and I would never regret owning the books, they're both beautiful and even if you never play the games, they're great to just read.
Victor[y] Games, James Bond
Ha! Two of us now!
Victor[y] Games, James BondHa! Two of us now!
I think James Bond is a great game too, but I don't know if I'd call it "little-known".
I think James Bond is a great game too, but I don't know if I'd call it "little-known".Victor[y] Games, James BondHa! Two of us now!
Until just now, I thought I was the only one that had ever played it.
Lost Souls.
You are a recently deceased person, returned as a ghost. You randomly determine your cause of death and type of ghostly form, plus some background events. Then you try to figure out how to use your ghostly abilities to complete unfinished business and earn good karma so when you are reincarnated, you'll come back as something better than pond scum. And if you are damaged, you lose Will To Live - run out, and you reincarnate immediated (removing you from the game).
Creating characters is a blast. And the action resolution mechanic is pretty ingenious, actually.
I have to second this. It's a great system that challenges you in unexpected ways. For example, being incorporeal means that you can't pick up items, or ride in cars without going to a lot of trouble.
And the character death tables are worth the price of the book alone.
I did a little internet digging and you can download the PDF for the Lost Souls RPG game for free from here.
Skyrealms of Jorune. There were a few editions; I think mine was the fourth one and it was published by Chessex. I've never played it, but it's one of my favorite rpg books to just look through. Most of the art was top notch, giving it this alien/classical feel to it. The rules didn't look to good, and I remember reading a review of it saying it was basically unplayable. Awesome flavor, though. I think I had plans to use it with Spelljammer, but that never happened. I'm going to have to go look for it, now.
Fading Suns. Medieval europe in space. Another game I've never played but I did make up a character once. It looked pretty playable. I was going to try to convert it to the Cyberpunk 2.0 rules because that was the main system we used at the time. There were a few alien races that were pretty awesome. The Oban and Ukar were comparable to the Elvish/Drow dichotomy. I believe the company published a d20 version when the OGL first came out, but I wasn't playing at the time so I never sought it out.
Dallas, the Role Playing game. I'm not even kidding.
I loved SpaceMaster and its companion Armored Assault; not to many space games out there that help you create worlds and let you make a campaign in near future to way beyond; most futuristic games like Torg or Rifts are all in their settings and dont allow for much. With SpaceMaster a real gm can use his own imagination to create a lively space opera in any setting; my game used the setting of our solar system is now populated and we are seaking first star shot with newly developed FTL with the mainline thread of first contact.
Very cool.
Until just now, I thought I was the only one that had ever played it.
I guess my definition of "little-known" is "I've never played it". ;-)
Well we all can’t be self absorbed narcissists, now can we? Yes, I am well aware that I am calling the kettle black.
Well we all can’t be self absorbed narcissists, now can we?
Guilty as charged! ;-)
Seriously, what RPGs besides D&D (and maybe Vampire: The Masquerade) would NOT count as "little-known" to 99% of the population?
Ha! These days, D&D and Vampire do not even count. When you say role playing game, people respond with WoW.
When you say role playing game, people respond with WoW.
People under 40 think W0W. The older folks probably think of some sort of marriage-counseling recommendation...
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I think The Morrow Project looks pretty interesting, though I've seen nothing but the old Dragon ads. Wasn't there another zombie apocalypse game with ads in the old Dragon?
i was just paging through my copy of Morrow project just the other day. i also started re-reading space opera.
im thinking of running morrow project with d20 modern. it was published in like 1980, so it definatly has its problems. i like that it looks and feels like a military manual.
Been doing the same, but looking at spycraft 2.0 as the basis.
Love the old modules which spend more time explaining what the situation is that setting out the adventure, leaving it much more free flowing for the players and PD
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-Dark Matter, though I'm not sure if it counts as "little known"
-The Darksword Adventures by Weis and Hickman. I didn't even know it was a game until a couple of months ago, though i've enjoyed the trilogy of books for years. The really...odd, i guess would be the term, take on magic userms makes it really interensting to me.
-Risus. Not much in terms a setting or whatnot, but the rules are so simple (6 pages total) that it can't help but be awesome in my books. And easily the most adaptable rulesets I know. The can apply to any genre with equal ease.
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Delta Green - Cthulhu Now with a distinct x-Files feel. I'm currently looking to see if I can successfully merge the rules with Thrilling Tales by Adamant Press. I think the end result should look a little like a human-centric Hellboy story.
The general plan is to achieve a feel of Cthulhu meets Indiana Jones with a dash of Doc Savage.
I always thought Top Secret was quite a bit of fun back in the day.
Also, Talislanta (non-d20 version) is quite good!
Squadron UK (aka Golden Heroes)
Skyrealms of Jorune.
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Oh, and before I forget- Chill, second edition.
A seriously overlooked and forgotten classic- the skill resolution, while taking a bit to get used to, was one of the most elegant I've come across. Always came across as the lesser brother of Call of Cthulhu, but I think that was just unfair.
Oh, and the art was kickass too.
This brings a tear to my eye. I absolutely loved this game!
I must now go home and look for my book.
Artesia the Known World RPG (FuZion based, by Archaia Press).
Most complete RPG product ever. Great art, layout, rules, atmosphere.
I whole heartedly concur ... my name is in the credits too. Not thru any real work or input, I just threw Mark a few emails of praise and rpg thoughts and he was kind enough to put my name in there.
The only rpg my name is mentioned in, and it's arguably the most beautiful ever. What are the odds?
Seriously though, I do find it rather daunting. The setting is superb, but I fear Mark knows it so well, the rest of us will always come off looking second best, so the book has sat on my shelf unused ... so far. Perhaps in a decade or two, when we've got the story a bit more to base things around it will be easier to use?
Mark is a genius though, seriously. And perhaps more important, a really nice guy.
I think The Morrow Project looks pretty interesting, though I've seen nothing but the old Dragon ads. Wasn't there another zombie apocalypse game with ads in the old Dragon?
I recently bought Cyborg Commando (god help me) and plan to run a short campaign of it at the office. The problem is the game is almost incomprehensible.
I remember having a lot of fun with Twilight 2000, and I still think that would make for a compelling RPG today. I don't remember the system at all, but the books had wonderful break-downs of military weapons and vehicles and stuff. A real gem.
Torg was a very interesting concept. I bought all of the books for the first couple of years, but the problem was that the system was just awful. They had a totally innovative and interesting idea and then ruined it with a crap system.
The other one I'm really curious about from the old Dragon ads but never really had a chance to check out is Skyrealms of Jorune. Anyone have any experiences to share with that one?
I agree re Twilight. I reread my books for the first time this century (heh) recently and I must say I was amazed at how truly excellant they were. Perhaps some of the best rpg sourcebooks ever imo. If anything I don't think I knew what a gem that game was way back when I was playing it.
Twilight was one of the few truly open-ended rpgs. There was the setting, detailed in the sourcebooks, and you could use the plot they gave you, or (more usually) the group just went in and adventured ... and it worked. As a GM, using the regional info in the modules, I usually just winged it, and it still worked. Even the sample (Escape from Kalisz) lasted us for a fair while, as the group crawled about dodging Ruskis, hid in barns, picked through deserted houses, and shot up 'marauder towns'.
The Morrow Project wasn't in the same league ... but there used to be a fantastic online fansite, merging the game setting with William H Keith's Delta Force firearm rules ... which we used with Twilight. Might still be out there somewhere.
I think James Bond is a great game too, but I don't know if I'd call it "little-known".Victor[y] Games, James BondHa! Two of us now!Until just now, I thought I was the only one that had ever played it.
No way, we played that game to death and then resurrected it and played it some more.
I still have it on my shelves, and have recently (after a reread of the Fleming novels) been toying with using it with a campaign beginning in 1960, and revolving around the various real world espionage events of those times. With Martin Borman as the arch villain, and a planned arc following Mad Mike Hoare's mercenary actions in the Congo.
I actually wrote the first adventure (set in Rome during the Olympics), but haven't yet found the time to play it. :-)
You want obscure games I love;
High Colonies - Still use bits and bobs nicked from this one in other games (generally my Battletech campaign).
Elfquest - Haven't played it in years, but we played one really fun long campaign, after we finally realised the best way to play it was to have combat pretty rare, but throw in a 'hunt' each adventure for the Wolfriders to hone their combat skills on. This was I think the first RQ system game I ever played (many years ago in front of a roaring fire place in my friend's parent's farmhouse), and I can still remember a giant spider in the (badly weighted) sample adventure snipping off arms and legs from party members like they were made of wet paper.
Delta Force - An incredibly prescient game in retrospect, written by the great William H Keith Jr, which warned of a coming global conflict with Islamic terrorists - written in the mid eighties. Featuring my all time favourite modern weapons combat rules - which we have since used with everything from Twilight 2000, Traveller 2300 (ouch those sci fi assault rifles were lethal as I recall when extrapolated into 'realistic' damage), Mechwarrior, and many another.
I still have it on my shelves, and have recently (after a reread of the Fleming novels) been toying with using it with a campaign beginning in 1960, and revolving around the various real world espionage events of those times.(snip)
That sounds delicious.
Pretty much everything GDW put out was excellent, but I love 2300 AD above all!
It had essentially a d10 version of skill ranks and DCs that we're familiar with, back in the mid-80s. And the background was so well put together... kinda OBE nowadays with the end of the Cold War. Although, with Russia kickin' it old school recently, its validity grows stronger! :)