How to Choose RPG Rule Systems and Build a Core Game Library

[@aretwodeetoo1181]

I'm 3 mins in and this is already the sermon I didn't know I needed. Amen brother.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Now all the Baptists in the back join in!

[@Toadsage77]

You’re a very smart guy and you have a very clear delivery. I’m creating a TTRPG in the Naruto universe, and this helps a lot. Thank you

[@TheMadVentriloquist]

The Bluegrass at the end really sells the show. And I use PBTA as my base, when I find the creative urge.

[@FacetiousFlamingo]

Just recently found this channel but I’m absolutely loving it so far, keep it up man, really helps me and plenty others out

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thanks so much for your kind words, glad to have you here!

[@SalihFCanpolat]

Hello there! Superb overview! I would also recommend a system that is generic but at the same time allows you to simply use any genre/setting you want. That is Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, SWADE is also compatible with older versions. Take an adventure from 2007 then just use it with SWADE (2019). The core book has all the information to get you started just within 200 pages. Moreover, it has information to get you started with your own settings if you like. The best part is, there are hundreds of settings (free or paid) to use with SWADE. System is also modular; you wish to make your game nitty bitty gritty use Gritty Damage, add fear mechanics now it is Cthulhu! Remove fear mechanics and magic, now it is film noir detective story! Add Heroes Never Die, in a pulp setting then you get a Bond movie! How about Conviction and Wound Cap? Especially in a Sword and Sorcrery setting, you have warriors and mages fighting with dragons! There is a lot to talk about but it would be going into fan boy rant territory. You have an excellent taste in games (especially with Castles and Crusades) so you might find the system helpful. Thanks for making such a wonderful almost an hour long overview of systems!

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thank you!

[@carec4818]

this is the exact info dump i needed to create my ttrpg hodgepodge frankien-monster for the red rising universe. thank you, kind sir!

[@RandomEncounterShow]

@@carec4818 awesome!

[@Phoenix_On_Fire]

I have t&t deluxe and now I feel like I need to pull it off the shelf and look it over again!

[@m8trxspydr4rl75]

Recalling the one time I played Role Master. What a nightmare. My character was shit because after a few hours of everybody creating their individual characters, I basically just stopped caring. So many books. Then came the game which took another life time. Reminded me of games like Aftermath with various hit location and armor coverage or even the technical insanity of Space Opera which were their own levels of misery. I prefer simpler rules (and bastardizing) even if they do have a level of sophistication. Lots of OSRs and NSR games with quick character generations are great for getting right into a game. All those detailed backstories can come later, first survive a few quests. I have Castles and Crusades and the people that run that company are awesome with free updates on PDFs but yet to get a game of it going. Enjoyed the commentary and great explanation of various system. Keep er going.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

I love the d100 system behind Rolemaster, check out the new revised HARP rules, sorta like Castles and Crusades meets Rolemaster 3rd edition

[@galinor7]

Ever played Chivalry and Sorcery? Man that is the Fantasy version of Space Opera. It's a good game but talk about difficult.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

@@galinor7 I never got into C&S but it has always looked interesting

[@WardStroud]

It’s like you were talking directly to me. I just stared this amazing universe and it’s a bit overwhelming as anything worthwhile should be. Thanks man! Looking forward to more and more!

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Well you definitely found a home here, the community is fantastic! Love your art by the way!

[@WardStroud]

@@RandomEncounterShow Thank you most kindly:) … much appreciated

[@Phoenix_On_Fire]

If you don't have it. I'd love a video about different rpg families / systems!

[@Phoenix_On_Fire]

I love this. Your talking about rpg's the way I do. I have been reading a bunch of systems and trying to find the one that fits me. And I also I guess am more a hobby rpg gamer. I also don't let the rules lock me in. I have read so many it's like I got all sorts of mechanics stuck in my head now that I can insert when ever where ever haha.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

This is the way!

[@grimguygames449]

Great suggestions here! You've put words to something I've been feeling about more abstract games for a while now.

[@joshs_boxes]

You’ve got some really great points here, especially your points about versatility. Well done!

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thanks!

[@Tampahop]

It's pretty much a golden age of gaming right now. If you've seen it in a book, on tv, in a movie, whatever, there's an rpg for it. There are plenty of great "tool kit" games as well. There's also a wide variety of detail level or "crunch." When I was younger, I thought reality was important, so I wanted a detailed system. I eventually settled on the Hero system because I could build anything with those rules from it, however, as a tool kit game, I had to build almost everything. It was rewarding, but a lot of work. Now that I'm older, the story is the thing. I don't need reality. I'll settle for a good tale. I'm using Fate Core now as it is pretty easy to build a game based on any genre. BTW, from a practical standpoint, I don't use a physical library. I buy PDF's of everything. I keep them in my dropbox online. I use my Ipad with Adobe Reader to view the files. I no longer need that suitcase or back pack of books. I just need my Ipad and some dice. Yes, I still use physical dice even though I could roll on my Ipad. It's much more satisfying.

[@cybermerlyn2]

Loved the video, I have been playing ttrpgs since 1981, I am one of those people who for the longest time was a rules jumper. I have in my old age decided to focus on systems that I like the mechanics for and that can do multi-genre games. I have three systems you may like that I use now almost exclusively. One is Savage Worlds (the GM section has some light modifications to give you the flavors for different settings). One is Cypher the base book also has (the GM section has some light modifications to give you the flavors for different settings). These work for me, I run a very narrative game. For solo I use those two systems (depending on mood) and use the tables from Ironsworn. The last system I use with new gamers is EZD6.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thank you, glad to have you on board!

[@sethpeterson8261]

Ironsworn is fantastic, truly great. Cypher I'm unfamiliar with. Savage worlds has some fantastic core mechanics and great balance. Unfortunately it's playing card mechanics and unthematic terminology (like Smarts and Bennies) just ruins it for me for any genre other than Pulp/Modern-ish settings. Still I'm waiting for the the new Fantasy Companion to see if it helps address any of the theme disconnects for me

[@d3DMediaPaintStudio]

Thank you for the breakdown. I am starting to understand this about Castle and Crusades and their series. This video will help new people coming into the hobby.

[@michaeldejesus4982]

D6 fantasy is one of the most flexible and easy game to run. I ran merp, rolemaster. Gurps, basic D&D and many others. I love them all.Great video by the way.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thanks, sounds like we have similar tastes!

[@sethpeterson8261]

The OpenD6 system in general is pretty great

[@kyrnsword72]

I like and own too many TTRPG's for my favorite hobby. I like D&D, Dungeon World, DCC and 4AD and found a game system I love that combines the best of all 4. This TTRPG system is called D100 Dungeon by Martin Knight.

[@ΜαρίνοςΛούρος]

Wow, that was an eye opener! Any videos/advice on modular systems?

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Keep an eye out! The d100 system I.C.E. used for Rolemaster is my favorite, through time they have expanded the rules into Fantasy, Pulp, Modern, Post Armageddon, Near and Far Future Scifi, Horror and Cyberpunk

[@jeddak]

You're more of a story-oriented RPG gamer than a game-oriented RPG gamer, where the ruleset is a tool framework. I like to think of this as a continuum, where at one extreme end is a pure game (where it's all about the rules), and at the other extreme is creative writing (no rules, pure imagination). Because I know you like some crunch, and you've named Rolemaster and Runequest as systems you like, I highly recommend Mythras. I think you'll dig it big time.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thanks, I will check it out!

[@sethpeterson8261]

Mythras is pretty great if you want more simulationist. It's a BRP based game and you can get the original ruleset it was built from Mongoose's "Legend" for free (or at least you could, haven't checked in a while)

[@StarlasAiko]

For me, the most imprtant thing is having a physical book. Yes, I know, tablets are awesome bags of holding, you can fit a million books in it and it strill weights less than a quarter-pounder hamburger, but reading from a screen is a pain and trying to find specific pages on a tablet is even worse. Besides, a shelf full of awesome game books just looks great. That is why the first stop at any game convention for me is the Bring&Buy or Second Hand Shop. I managed to get hold of the first edition Palladium Fantasy, mint condition Bushido, almost copmplete set of HARP, Dragon Age and many more in physical of out-of-sale games just by going to the Bring&Buys. Yes, I can get many more systems on PDF, including out-of-sale games and supplements. BUt when I buy those, I always inevitably end up printing them and putting them into folders, because physical is important. Secondly, I prefer well thought out, complete rule sets. These "big picture", "abstract" "Story First" games like Fate or Monster Heart are not for me. In my oppinion, the best system is and always will be Rolemaster 2nd and 3rd edition, even though it is Experience Level bound. In a good system, the rules don't get in the way of the story and without rules, the story has no structure and everything is just arbitrary. Of course, the rules need to be concise and simple. D&D 1st and AD&D 1st and 2nd use a different rule set for each and any aspect of the game, combat uses this rule set, skills these rules, thief skills a different set of rules, magic completely different again. Rolemaster has hugely just one set of rules for everything. It looks highly complex because of all the tables and being extremely granular, but the rules themselves are simple and universal throughout all aspects of the game. But even there is a caviat. In The Dark Eye, everything is following the same rule convention, but that convention is as clunky as can be, every skill check brings the game flow to a full stop, and combat is four times as bad. As beautiful the campaign setting of the Dark Eye is, the system completely sucks. And Thirdly, I prefer the odler generations of games. That is not me being a hipster or anything, but the modern games seem to be "dumbed down" because the modern generations seem unwilling to make the effort. The excuse of the creators is that "simpler" games attract younger players. I call BS on that. I was a kid when I started roleplay and the old systems were not too complex for me to understand. The complex games back then attracted younger players just as much and there are no more complex games for older players. Even games like Call of Cthulhu and Rolemaster have been dumbed down in the last edition. I absolutely loath the D20 3.5e and D20 5e systems.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Well it sounds like you will fit right in around my table!

[@picardjeanluc]

Just found the channel, love the content! Keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing more.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Glad to have you Captain! I will be back tommorow or Monday for an update and back to the regularly scheduled program!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Enjoyed the video, I am a fellow hobbyist and often steal tools from rules lite and OSR systems as well as the bigger boys. White Hack in particular has a very cool bidding system for resolving opposed rolls. Just subscribed to your channel!

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Glad to have you!

[@galinor7]

BRP/D00lite/4C: Call of Cthulhu, Magic World/BRP/Mythras/Stormbriger, Frontier space, 1st ed Chill/Cryptword, Galactic Odessey, Heroes of the Pulp Age.... It is a long list. Generally percentage based, skill based, clear and at least slightly realistic.... Once you learn one. The others are pretty easy to pick up and run. Many games but one family of games. Err and Castles and Crusades because it is very good. Edit: then he mentions MERP, VS darkmaster........

[@AlabasterJazz]

Another subject worth bringing up is standalone supplements, or using just a part of certain systems, each for a certain aspect of gaming. For instance I often use a couple of different character background/lifepath generation tools, or random dungeon generators, or Oracle tables etc. Perhaps this is what you mean by hobby gaming? Using different parts of different systems as you desire to fulfil your needs?

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Thats definitely hobby gaming, I am gonna get into exactly that in a future episode. One factor I really should have added was cost, thats a big deal Lol.

[@stevecrompton9910]

Another highly informative video for new rpgers and those looking for new approaches to the hobby. Nicely done Deathstalker! Ok now a trivia question: what movie is the line from? "Hear that lads? Looks like we're an army..."

[@stormshadow5555]

So what are some of the regular multiplayer rpg's that you think play well in solo mode? Thanks

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Rolemaster 2nd and 3rd editions are some favorites along with HARP, Castles and Crusades, Tunnels and Trolls for versatile fantasy. Traveller 2nd edition Mongoose Publishing is my go to for Scifi

[@nogirpg]

New Channel I created here, and I’m catching up on your videos I’ve not watched from my old channel… Question: what are your top core systems NOW as compared to TWO years ago when you posted this? Castles & Crusades still? I know you’re hugely into HOSTILE/CEPHAS UNIVERSAL… any others?

[@RandomEncounterShow]

@@nogirpgSame systems rolling! Rolemaster/HARP being my favorite. Castles and Crusades still in and Tunnels and Trolls. Scifi I have always been a Traveller nut so Cepheus games are of the same family!

[@nogirpg]

@@RandomEncounterShow thanks for responding!

[@Cronirios]

Thanks for the video, it was quite interesting

[@dungeondumbo]

Fun video thanks. Don’t agree completely though. The point about families of games and saying D&D doesn’t do that? 5th Edition (and other editions) has a glut of settings just like the Siege engine…just not sold by the official publisher because they opened up the playing field with the OGL….making it very much a hobby style game, when you take self-publishing into account. Also I think MERP is very usable as a generic fantasy system…just rename the races, change the location and hey presto…you’re good to go…just a simplified Rolemaster. I like all the games you are promoting btw…nice one 😎👍

[@RandomEncounterShow]

5E has tons of random stuff published by random publishers, notice my game families are games that are published by the game publisher themselves. They are also easily backwards compatible with all editions of the rule system. 5E doesn't meet any of the criteria for what I laid out though thats my fault as I am horrible at speaking on camera haha.

[@dungeondumbo]

@@RandomEncounterShow hi, yes I get where you are coming from but it’s a little more involved than than as C&C is itself a derivative of D&D 3rd edition and the OGL. All these games including Castles & Crusades and it’s Siege engine are hobbyist home brews of D&D. 5th Edition isn’t D&D…just Hasbro’s reskin…so I think other publishers involvement in content is fair game to be honest. Still, enjoyed your video and direct style. Good stuff, thanks.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

@@dungeondumbo I agree, we could boil down all rpgs down to the original dungeons and dragons I would think. But for beginners who are just coming in, I don't want to muddy the waters to much, they need to go through their first edition war first! 🤣

[@dungeondumbo]

@@RandomEncounterShow haha! Yes I forgot myself, very good. We like a lot of the same games…you have impeccable taste lol 😎👍

[@SergioLeRoux]

I remember back when I played the old D&D games, it never quite felt like it let me try different styles of play even in the same genre (I once heard "some systems are good at emulating Conan, others are good at emulating Tolkien. D&D is good at emulating D&D"). Started looking into other games, I was introduced to Rifts (I could write a book about how much I hate the Rifts ruleset), later checked GURPS and was kinda hooked at all the area it covered. But there is some truth that it can feel incomplete (also is very detailed, probably as slow as Rolemaster). And the "genericness" felt more like it was designed to emulate an exact type of time traveling game with specific rules for all Eras, rather than something flexible. But eventually I got tired of tables and lists and swingy dice mechanics, started looking into more rules light games, where the stats decided most of the outcomes and the dice offered just a little variation (unlike D20 where 95% of the time your +1 doesn't matter). I found FUDGE, fell in love with the dice mechanic and Skill flexibility. It also suffered a bit from feeling incomplete, or aimless. Eventually Fate Core got released. I knew a bit of the previous editions, but the previous one wasn't exactly setting agnostic. I really got into it and started caring about all my other books less and less. It gives me unlimited flexibility, doesn't really require me to buy any settings, but there's a plethora to choose from if I want them, or even if I just want to borrow extras from them. I've played swords and sorcery (what "medieval fantasy" should probably be called), cyberpunk, a game where a wizard trapped us in TV land (where we played a different setting every couple of sessions whenever we managed to change the channel), a game where the world didn't exist until our characters created it with some sort of godly powers, a game that was basically Gamma World with the numbers filed off. We even played a session in a Dresden Files game where our characters played D&D in-character, using Fate rules. It was quite satisfying. I've been doing this with the same table for several years now and it's been a blast. I sometimes look at my old books with some nostalgia, but quickly it turns thinking about running those books using Fate. Anyway, I don't know if I'm exactly the target audience for this video, but some of what was said here really resonated with my experience with games. I suppose all this time I never found my Core game until now, it just happened to be a single game that I use for everything...

[@AlabasterJazz]

Great video. I reckon I like the way you talk. One of the game families I've recently stumbled upon is Powered by the Apocalypse. I like the much different feel "moves" have in that system. Definitely seems to be on the more abstract end of things. Similarly, checkout Ironsworn, it's free, and I've found a lot of decent inspiration in it's pages.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Nice!

[@colewrathman4472]

GURPS! :) The absolute best..

[@galinor7]

BRP dude, excellent too. GURPS is good though

[@drivers99]

Put them together and you get BURPS.

[@d3DMediaPaintStudio]

My man!! :-)

[@hueysimon2726]

Any new gamers that can find people to play with would save themselves a lot of headache if they just steered clear of D&D ever since 2nd ed. I've owned, played, and gm'd them all. I sold off almost all of my d&d books because I have so little interest in playing it that I would rather play on facebook. I loathe their system ever since I started finding alternatives. You want a less complex but still a little chunky system, try savage worlds. I still play that one, but still kind of prefer lighter rules, like in T&T or The Black Hack and many, many others.

[@garygrant6987]

Genesys is gimmicky. It’s specialized to create high drama. Can you imagine thinking the original dice set of D&D is “gimmicky” back in the 70s, because you don’t understand the system.

[@RandomEncounterShow]

Yeah sorta, atleast Ken St. Andre did back in the 70s! 🤣 Since its specialized to create high drama, can we call it a drama queen? I was just thinking it was a goofy dice pool mechanic game that does its best to keep you buying more books in hopes of getting a complete system.

[@drivers99]

There’s something to be said for using standard dice because they are progressively harder to find. d6 only (universal availability), then the standard D&D 6 or 7 (in the 70s they were hard to find, even TSR had to make versions of D&D using chits to draw from) but very common now, then 11+ dice sets (nice to have multiple d6s for rolling characters, multiple d20 for advantage/disadvantage etc), then ones with all the weird numbers of sides for DCC RPG (d3/4/5/6/7/8/10/12/14/16/20/24/30), and finally special dice like for Genesys, which EDGE doesn’t keep in stock! They briefly had some in November 2023! How can they make a game with special dice and not order them to keep them in stock!

[@hueysimon2726]

I started playing D&D when the red box originally came out. Even today, I could likely find some D&D players to play with, but I don't really consider most of them real rp gamers. They are fad jumpers that casually play if they have time between all of their other activities. To me, prg's are my desired primary activity and everything else takes a distant second. Most of my "freids" abandoned me during convid because I refused to put experimental drugs in my body. I still have a couple of friends that are more like me, but we now mostly play board games because it's harder to play with such few people. But D&D is off the table. I can't stand that system anymore. I've played every edition since the late 70's. I've owned them all and gm'd them all. Way too many unnecessary rules to bloat the books so they can charge more for their books. It started off as a game by gamers for gamers. Now it's a game for hobbyists with 2 hours to kill made by businessmen trying to make a buck.

[@Rombizio]

Completely agree. There are millions of better systems out there and to find a hardcore serious gamer nowadays is so hard. Commitment is zero for the most part I like long campaigns and it is hard to find a good group. In 34 years of RPG experience I end up moving away from anything that is too popular and mostly are garbage. Warhammer 2nd edition and Star Wars from FFG are my default systems nowadays though the number of players really committed to the hobby is small. I am trying to find someone for a d6 system campaign but it is impossible.