Setting Agnostic, Specific, and ... Modular?

[@LordRodri]

Most Universal Systems have no specific setting but they have a specific tone: Open Legend is for heroic fantasy GURPS is grounded in reality Savage Worlds is for pulpy action FATE is for storytelling As for rules, there's two opposing ends: A- Simple enough to cover anything B- Complex enough to cover everything Otherwise, you fall into "trying to please everyone" territory

[@asquirrelplays]

It would have taken me 5 pages to explain what you did in a short comment.

[@LordRodri]

And that's good Skrat we love to hear ya ramble 🥜 🧠

[@Luykosaurus]

I would actually say that most people prefer something between A and B. That is definitely my preferred style. I do not want soggy cereal or hard-to-chew biscuits. Cereal with milk and a bit of crunch is the favorite for a reason.

[@TalesFromElsewhereGames]

I thought you said today's sponsor was Acorns for a moment, and I got really excited! I feel like GURPS tries to accomplish that middle ground with mixed success. There are dozens and dozens of settings books for GURPs that let you leverage the core rules to play in specific settings. The issue with such customizability, of course, is the immense amount of work that's required to get started, both from a player and GM standpoint.

[@asquirrelplays]

Yeah, somebody else mentioned the issue of requiring work from players/GMs. There definitely does come a point where a system feels more like work than game/enjoyment.

[@Drudenfusz]

You are somewhat right, setting agnostic systems often cannot cater to every setting equally well because they are designed with a simulation mindset, that even if it is not realism still clings very much to a genre, like Savage Worlds will remain pulp regardless what setting you try to use it for. But, and it is a big butt, there is a way to have setting agnostic systems that nevertheless can provide depth, and even be really rules light. That is the more narrative systems, like Fiasco, since they do not try to emulate a fictional realism but are only concerned about the kind of narrative they produce they can actually be employed in many settings. And well, that is what I am trying to do with my own system I am working on as well. I am not going for world emulation, but for a narrative feel, namely that of tragic heroes, and thos exist in lots of settings and genre, but sadly are rarely covered in the RPE space (Yes, I call it RPE, since I replaced the word game with experience there).

[@SaintSolo]

That 😂 Fking ending lmfao! Omg I wasn't ready!

[@asquirrelplays]

Nobody tell the Prof

[@AvenueStudios]

This was such a great idea to flesh out man thank you for sharing! I love your videos; perfect ending 😂

[@BuilderB-dt1f8]

I pressed the ▶️ button to learn what agnostic means. Also, as a bonus I learned at 10:06 🐿️❤️🍕. I learned so much today!

[@asquirrelplays]

Pizza is the best

[@BCMZeroZero]

The middle ground sounds like Savage Worlds. It's a core rule system upon which you layer settings and rules. I'm itching to try Deadlands.

[@AvenueStudios]

02:45 Everybody drink! Skrat's making fun of 5e again and I am here for it 😂

[@asquirrelplays]

Ya'll gonna ruin your livers if you keep that up

[@AvenueStudios]

@@asquirrelplays #worthit

[@RVR121]

Not sure about honey on pizza but that does sound yummy. I go with the classic Aussie pizza here ham, tomato and a cheese with egg. I also had a really fancy pizza that was far off and i cannot recall what was actually in it but the place i got it from said the cook doing the woodfire oven was a world award winning dude. It was a darn good pizza but over priced.

[@asquirrelplays]

Egg on your pizza? Alright that's a new one for me. Can highly recommend a little drizzle of honey though. Even better if it's hot/spicy honey. So tasty

[@WhisperingWisp357]

Your videos have helped me clarify my thoughts on my own system so much. They are giving me touchstones and terms that allow me to navigate the initially confusing path of making a Game with no proper training or course 😅 Thank you for what you do.

[@asquirrelplays]

Glad I'm good for something! Maybe when I become a super famous KZbinr with too much money I'll start funding peoples' projects too.

[@WhisperingWisp357]

@@asquirrelplays Ha! That would be super cool. Art and editing isn't cheap if you go for it...much less finding options that fit your project. Just keep on keeping on and encouraging others. The nuts you leave behind will grow. Even I know that much.

[@asquirrelplays]

@@WhisperingWisp357 Wise words from the whispering wisp

[@robw4736]

Another good discussion. One of those topics that keeps coming up again and again. One of the first reviews for Traveller when it first came out criticized it for not having any setting background, and now, 45 years later, there have to be at least 10,000 pages of Traveller setting materials published. For Sci Fi, your in-between, I would suggest, is Classic Traveller/Cepheus Engine. Traveller started out as basically a generic Sci Fi game with the one really setting specific thing being the Jump Drive. A core part of the original game was/is all the rules to randomly generate an area to set your game in. The entire Third Imperium setting grew out of background for some of GDW's board games and popular demand for more and more setting-based products. Cepheus goes back to that original Classic Traveller, setting agnostic concept, which can be pretty easily adapted to any specific setting you want to play in. On the narrative side of things, there is Cortex, which was originally designed as an engine to run RPGs based on various TV shows. It is now a very broad set of systems that can be combined in any way the GM wants to emphasize different things. It really is a game design tool kit, rather than a game system at this point. Unfortunately, Cortex really needs a software support package to help manage the Contruction process, because there are definitely some options that align better with other systems, and don't work well with others. The book does a good job or pointing that out, but it is still a lot to keep track of if you are trying to set it all up yourself. Final one that comes to mind is the Broken Compas/Outgunned/Outgunned Adventure family. They are basically a generic set of cinematic adventure rules with lots of setting specific adaptations that add specific character types and systems based on the specific type of adventure you want to run.

[@zadmar]

I was going to mention Cortex as well. Although I've not played it myself, I've heard a lot of people describe it as a modular toolkit for designing your own game.

[@asquirrelplays]

I could go for a few TTRPG sessions in a sci-fi setting. I don't ever get to that. But anyway, it sounds interesting. I got me yet another list going from the comments here of "tool kit" like games or whatever we decide to start calling these things. Also, if it's that complicated, I'd be surprised if somebody hadn't already made an automated spreadsheet for it or something. Wonder if there's a Foundry module.

[@robw4736]

@@asquirrelplays There is a fan made Foundry module that I found, but it is very bare bones. The older, original Cortex game was much more streamlined, but less modular. I would recommend it over the newer one, at least at first. I ran a generic Fantasy one-shot game with it, and it worked great. It was a little clunky, because it uses and polyhedral dice pool system, and they were trying to push it all the way up to D-20, so they had these odd + steps between D-12 and D20. They've used it for settings from Supernatural, to Smallville, to Firefly. It's worth taking a look at, but it's not for the faint of heart.

[@actortimmah42]

I laughed too hard at the Deathbringer bit.

[@asquirrelplays]

I'm still checking over my shoulder

[@quban234]

There is also the approach Starfinder 2e is going to follow (and as I presume DnD's Spelljammer also followed). It is in essence still a Setting-Specific system but built on a chassis shared with another system that uses the setting from a different genre. If you like the flavor these two systems provide, you can play games in a vast range of different worlds and still have appropriate rules for them. Using your analogy, If you like that pepperoni pizza there is another fast food with similar flavor right next door. But If you don't enjoy it, then too bad because that's all you can get in this neighborhood.

[@asquirrelplays]

Terrible neighborhood

[@cafecrayon0]

Hi all, I'm a big fan of the Fantasy Age rule system. It has a stunt system: any double on the 3d6 check allows to you to trigger a manoeuvre, whether it be in combat, interaction or exploration. That and its skilltribute list (9 specific abilities, or 9 wide skills) make it widely adaptable, if you tweak the stunt system to your setting and/or adapt the magic system. You may still need the Modern Age rulebook if you wanted firearms and such, and maybe a hacking system, but I'd say it does hit that sweet spot "somewhere between the two", as flexidular as anyone would wish. And no pepperoni inbetween pages.

[@asquirrelplays]

Alright, I'm adding "flexidular" to my personal dictionary. That's pretty great. Also thank goodness for no pepperonis on the page.

[@crallsfickle2994]

I can’t believe it took you this long to feature pizza to this level. To probably to no surprise to you, I had a very similar journey and have come to a very similar conclusion. Also, and this is a spoiler for those who haven’t watched yet.. but I can’t believe you told Professor Dungeon Master to subscribe to your nuts

[@logon-oe6un]

As been pointed out before: before setting comes genre, before genre comes tone and tone comes from the system's "philosophy". The author's brainworms prevent them from thinking about certain design decisions. "Not every author can write every book" type of thing also affects the rulebooks. But on the point of "setting" specifically? Most systems can enter most settings, because of how monsters and items work to allow weird DM additions. There is vanishingly little preventing you from statting out fighter planes for 5e, declaring a "dead magic zone" and playing out an invasion of modern day Earth by fantasy heroes. "Fox 2" * casts Fireball with extended range *

[@oldgrognardsays]

AD&D 2nd Edition did the in-between thing. The game was set up more as game engine with lots of plug ins rather than being built for a single setting. That's why if you read the rulebooks, there isn't a default setting. You can go from playing Dark Sun to Spelljammer to Birthright and still use the same system. It just has lots of plug-ins, or "setting specific" content. It is clunky as hell and archaic, but the part where the system is set up like a game engine with plug-ins is nice.

[@asquirrelplays]

Something like that does sound a little a clunky. But hey, if it works, it works I guess.

[@AlanoDantas]

I get what you meant, I also spend a lot of time looking for something like that, so far I've been happy with Fate Core, but I think it's worth mention that tho Fate is incredible flexible for what kind of setting you'll play, it's focus on a dramatic play style. All the materials are on their site for free and it's very much worth checking.

[@asquirrelplays]

To the list it goes! I'm telling ya, I'm gonna have to learn to read a lot faster...and actually comprehend what I read.

[@Joshuazx]

Woohoo! 😃Validation!

[@asquirrelplays]

It's the best!

[@the10thiris]

Its like there are multiple axis. One axis how setting specific it is and the other axis is how easy it is to adapt. Both 7th Sea (2nd ed) and Blades in the Dark are setting very specific and pretty hard to addapt. I think DnD leans a bit to the setting specific and leans a bit toward the easier to adapt side.

[@asquirrelplays]

It might just be my aversion to 5e, but I feel like it'd be pretty hard to adapt to anything outside a fantasy setting due to all the magic. But I guess if you can make it work, more power to you.

[@the10thiris]

@@asquirrelplays agreed that magic makes it hard to adapt outside of fantasy (or science fantasy). The main reason I think I would consider to lean to easier to adapt is not because of WotC printing but the decades of fan hacks that can be easy to find. I do not want to ever run DnD again, I have run 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and Pathfinder 1st Ed and I am over that style of system.

[@ToothacheAZ]

Blades in the Dark isn't setting specific so much as genre specific. Have a look at all the forged in the dark games out there. Scum and Villainy uses it in a sci Fi system. But they are all centered around a crew doing a heist.

[@Geffro]

I agree, and I'll add that even more than an axis for 'how easy it is to adapt' there's also a "family" of settings and genres that are easier to adapt towards based on what you started with. I.e. Pathfinder 2e will adjust more easily towards certain settings/genres than others. Like, if you have a Pepperoni pizza but want a Sausage pizza, you might be able to get exactly what you want without too much effort with some seasonings or just adding sausage with the pepperoni. But if you want a Hawaiian pizza then it's going to be real hard unless you start with something closer than Pepperoni.

[@indan]

That system of modular fantasy is available in Fantasy Craft, the game includes "Campaign Qualities" which add or change fundamental game rules as well as sub qualities for complex ones. Sorcery is one, it even has a Wild Magic sub option, so its basically exactly what you were talking about.

[@asquirrelplays]

you know, I'm not sure I've ever seen Fantasy Craft mentioned before. Not just on this video, but any of them. Maaaaaaybe one time before, but I don't see it in my ever-growing list.

[@indan]

@@asquirrelplays Its a fairly niche interest as one of those old 3E OGL spin off games but it had a lot of good ideas, worth looking into for some unique takes on the usual fare and you said yourself - asking is a great way to get obscure recommendations. Gotta crowdsource the internet sometimes to get a weird one lol

[@BCMZeroZero]

I find myself most drawn to setting specific systems. The mechanics can be lovingly crafted and refined to evoke a certain experience or feeling, and extraneous or unnecessary bits can be burned away like chaff in the fire. I'm thinking of Luke Crane's games, like Mouse Guard. It's a very specific fantasy, and every design choice reinforces that fantasy. I also like testing out new systems to see how they achieve their desired experience. It's a win-win.

[@asquirrelplays]

Somebody showed me Mouse Guard not too long ago, and it looks awesome. I don't remember anything about the rules but the setting looked awesome and it gave off a really fun vibe.

[@BCMZeroZero]

@@asquirrelplays if you've read Burning Wheel or Torchbearer, it's very similar. Skill based, d6 dice pool, 1-3 are failures, 4-6 are successes. One of your attributes is actually how "Mouse-like" you are, which can be used to modify your rolls when you're doing Mouse-like things, such as hiding or escaping. You earn various metacurrencies to spend on bonuses to rolls or to get extra actions on your turn by pursuing your goals or acting out your traits, conditions, and beliefs. It's probably my favorite system, and that's specifically because of the setting and how much it uses the mechanics to reinforce the theme.

[@asquirrelplays]

@@BCMZeroZero Maybe I just like mice, but I feel like Mausritter did a really good job too with using the mechanics to reinforce its theme and tone. Definitely need to give Mouse Guard a go

[@dreamwanderer5791]

As a few of the comments have already mentioned, Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) may be the level of modular you want, with a sheet with optional rules you can add or subtract built into the rulebook. One thing is though when it comes to various systems and adjusting it to fit what you need is there's a weird....."tactile" feel to various systems. Technically you *can* make systems like Call of Cthulhu work on a d20. But it won't have the same *feel* as a d100 system. And then there's systems like Freedom Flight Games Star Wars where they redesigned from the dice up for a narratively rich storytelling experience. I think by default both strict and plug-and-play systems (as I've called them for years) aren't one-size fit all from the basic standpoint of, well, some players and DMs like rolling different dice. And more power to them, I certainly get bored rolling the same d20's around, and it's my job to. (Pro Game Master, I push for other systems when I can. Doing some SWADE for October, funnily enough.)

[@asquirrelplays]

oooo a pro GM. I dunno how you guys do it, man. I had enough struggle trying to do one 5e campaign, and I wasn't even getting paid. I was supposed to be having a good time with friends lol The only other professional GM I know is Jacob over at Avenue Studios and that guy stays BUSY. Got to though. Got kids to feed! He's in the same boat though. He's always eager to jump into another system to break the routine, because that d20 does get old.

[@dreamwanderer5791]

@@asquirrelplays literally just finished our SWADE game. Takes a lot of passion to do it pro, but my players just thought my job was good enough to warrant it. Is how it is.

[@stm7810]

What I'm working on is closer to specific, whilst the sort of characters you can make can be incredibly diverse in options, the mechanics support the vibes of isekai anime, shockingly this means Pulp Cthulhu of all things was good inspiration of how to do the luck mechanics, because both have the plot sort of manifest, and both take guns seriously. I don't believe there's really setting agnostic as much as there's games where the setting is more about the meta vibe than the specifics of the world. how seriously it takes getting shot, how complex it thinks social situations is, how much of an edge heros have to win etc. Whilst Gurps can do many specific settings with different vibes that's because it has like 50 books, so it's kind of cheating, heck it's basically what modular is, you choose which rules, advantages, disadvantages and skills are relevant, do you want bleeding? hit locations, will you use wildcard skills instead? it claims to be many things because it's a bag of lego. I will make the book keeping sorta rules modular in the game design, as in testing the different options, but I won't pretend that something is a rule if it hasn't been tested, I will warn what levels of power or health go beyond the tested range, since I don't know how I'd rule moon destroyers and such, that maths looks too scary.

[@asquirrelplays]

Yeah, I didn't want to get into it in the video, but I feel like when you have to start removing rules or sills for your setting because they don't fit (or adding new ones), then the game isn't actually setting agnostic. Flexible, maybe, but if it's not just pick up and play, then it can't be used with every setting like some advertise.

[@stm7810]

@@asquirrelplays agreed, I like games to ad least have a vibe, how deadly is it? how much is combat a thing? what rating would this be if it were on TV?

[@jonskowitz]

Oh golly gorsh darn it, dat darn squirrel has gone and done it again! You got to talkin' bout 5E / d20 being setting specific and it got me noodle noodlin', "how would I do a modern / post-modern / near-future setting in 5E". The single biggest difference I can think of is the proliferation and capabilities of long-range weapons in modern times. That means ZOC would expand making opportunity attacks occur anywhere within that radius. That would lock-down fights pretty fast unless the party can get creative with mobile cover; or making cover mobile. An option would be to divide combats into two types; house-to-house (long ranged) and room-to-room (short-ranged / CQB). Under house-to-house rules a square is 25' so your average handgun would have a range of 2 grids and we can give PDW's a range of 4-6. Maybe give grids a defensive rating and allow characters to stack in the same grid. Oh, another idea is if the character's do a retreat move they can use a healing surge? tangent. The CQB rules would go back to 5' grids, all weapons would effectively have infinite range (even handguns would get a 10-grid range). Grenades like smoke / flash-bangs would be needed to break these lines-of-sight up. High-powered weapons could be used to try to shoot through walls and cover, but moving behind walls / furniture would not trigger Opportunity Attacks. Well, there's a start... Maybe I'll start putting some real work into it and see what falls out, though its already diverging from d20 outside of resolution mechanics... Huh, I've always loved Shadowrun but hated the Shadowrun rulebook. Maybe this could be a start to making my own version?

[@asquirrelplays]

Make your own version! And call it "Guns and Grenades"

[@jonskowitz]

@@asquirrelplaysHmmm, Handguns and Hand Grenades? Fools and Firearms? Story of the SINless?

[@asquirrelplays]

@@jonskowitz awww dang it Fools and Firearms is great

[@chameleondream]

Good Vid Squirrel! I think it all boils down to the matter of how much work we are asking people to perform. I think that's the problem with the pizza metaphor. There are no pizza guys willing to do the work for you. Instead it's more like you are in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do for dinner. Do you bake a whole new pizza or do you just try to peel off the anchovies and ignore the lingering aftertaste? So I don't want to say that people are lazy. But people are lazy. It's the reason why I don't play Swords & Wizardry. Great game, but with too many options. Too many things to talk about with the rest of the group and try to figure out how to play. The people who just want to play other games with the 5e system? Once again, they're being lazy. They're trying to conserve as many calories as possible because winter is coming and we all eventually need to hibernate.

[@asquirrelplays]

People do be lazy, that's for sure. And the more I think about this "in between" system, the more I'm inclined to think it'd work better the more "specific" it got, with just a handful of internal moving parts that were designed from the ground up to be completely optional. But again, still with that more specific setting and tone in mind. Confusing stuff, but interesting. And it probably just becomes semantics at some point.

[@Luykosaurus]

Ishanekon: World Shapers has something similar to what you describe in the end and a lot of alternative rules to adapt the game to the needs of your story. The default rules aim for strong heroes who are still vulnerable and have a clear power progression. But it also has the option called Mere Mortals that lets you start off the same but severely limits your growth potentioal. Great for grim dark/Horror/more realistic settings but where your characters can still do cool stuff. Then there is the option Only Human, which limits you to being a normal human. Great for cosmic horror or detective games. But what about power fantasy? Then you go with Epic Heroes, which makes your characters way more powerful. All of it is easy to adjust and can be achieved by just adjusting one option in the character sheet. There is even more like starting with Level -2 for all those who want to start off as a peasant or a cinematic ruleset, which cuts out most of the mechanics to the degree that you can run it with six-year-olds (Yes I have done that sucessfully). The only thing missing that you mentioned is the questioner for the GM.

[@asquirrelplays]

Dang that sounds pretty awesome. But really that kind of is the questioner bit I was getting at for the GM. It might not be so much about the setting in regard to magic being wild or controllable, but it's still tuning rules and mechanics to fit your table's desired playstyle. Adding it to the list!

[@SeldonnHari]

11:35 yeah this is gurps

[@Drudenfusz]

GURPS sure has a lot of modularity to it that allows for many kinds of pizzas...but not all pizzas, I usually call it the 90s nerd boy fantasy system (yes, I know it is older than the 90s), since no matter what you do, it always feel like all the elements are looked through a specific lens that simply is not my kind of pizza. But then, I am more of a narrative system girl, so it was never going to work for me.

[@SeldonnHari]

@@Drudenfusz I agree but would take the metaphor a different direction. It allows you to make any type of pizza, but only pizza. If you want to make any type of food all bets are off. Similarly, any generic or modular system is still going to only make a specific type of food. There are some people who want fermented yak's milk, that is what we call a super niche and specific game.

[@Ultrapub]

An a la cart agnostic system with modular mix-and-match rules would literally just be GURPS, the rules are insanely long precisely because you’re meant to not use most of them in any given setting.

[@GenericJake]

The middle of the road approach is pathfinder 1e. Yeah it’s built on the core of fantasy adventure but they added supplement books for horror, social, survival, kingdom building, etc. D&D is also kinda middle of the road there. Think about it like this: D&D/Pathfinder IS the middle of the road as they are just FANTASY but not a specific fantasy world. While Legend of the Five Rings is very specifically samurai fantasy in the world of Rokugan. And on the opposite end is Savage Worlds, GURPS, or FATE. Totally generic in terms of genre with rules to suit the world to your needs

[@SeldonnHari]

6:53 I have only done gurps as a player but I wouldn't call it a game, I would call it a toolbox. The game of gurps is what happens when the GM selects tools from the toolbox and the players arrive at the table.

[@asquirrelplays]

I sure hear a lot about it and it sounds interesting. I'm just not sure it sounds like something I'd actually play and enjoy. Still definitely worth a read though.

[@TheIoPC]

Pizza is... the best food in the world. Pure fact. 😎 ~ Adam

[@asquirrelplays]

I'm glad we can agree

[@worthasandwich]

3rd choice, kind of D20 Modern. One of my favorites but flawed. There are a lot of optional rules for different settings and themes in just the core book that mostly work together. Add in splat books and there is a lot possible with this setting but it is not a perfect game.

[@virtem7686]

thanks... now I want some pizza

[@asquirrelplays]

same!

[@Algeyr]

Parts of settings are simply flavor, and different rules and systems matter more when you look at the activities a system supports. If you're playing (increasingly super-powered) mercenaries and treasure hunters (dungeon delvers) in a run of the mill fantasy D&D game, you could reflavor rules to fit playing mercenaries and treasure hunters in a futuristic setting, with high & experimental tech being a stand-in for magic. Mechanically that will work. Roughly speaking Cthulu is for investigating, Blades in the Dark for being a criminal gang doing scores / jobs for example. Most mechanics are activity related, not flavor related (though of course their descriptions match the worldbuilding!). Say you want to play political intrigue - D&D is ill suited for that, no matter if you play in a modern or a D&D-ish fantasy setting. A system for political intrigue will in large parts work for different settings, as long as this main aspect works similar in those settings. E.g. stone age politics might be quite different from modern day politics. But ancient roman and renaissance politics for example might share mechanics, though they would be expressed with different flavors.

[@asquirrelplays]

I agree with what you're saying, and that's why I instantly have doubts when I see a system make a claim like "works for any setting you can imagine" or something like that. Unless you have a massive index of rules to pick from, I just don't see it happening. A system works much better when it's specifically designed for something, which, again, is hilarious to say considering NUTS started off as Fantasy and then I decided to make it more generic so it'd fit more settings. I'm a hypocrite!

[@Ranked_Journey]

Setting agnostic/specific is not a yes/no binary, it's a scale, and any system falls somewhere on that scale. Maybe you could consider modularity a third axis.

[@dane3038]

I think GURPS works better for lower fantasy than any setting specific RPG I've looked at.

[@Chris3s]

I am still in search for my ideal TTRPG system, DC20 came so far the closest, streamlining the d20 system into something simpler and even more tactical. I would still prefer a completely classless system though

[@asquirrelplays]

searching can be the fun part though! Think of all the systems you get to discover for the first time. As for some suggestions ... I got nothing. I've kinda strayed from the d20 now that I think about it. Don't think I got burned out on it or anything. Just most of the systems I've picked up have been d6s. That said, I am gonna try out the Transformers game soon (hopefully), which is d20 and something they call the "Essence 20" system. It seems silly, and I'm pretty sure it has classes, but hey it's a d20. I'll make a note to keep an eye out for classless d20 systems. I feel like I should know of at least one but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. Not to self promote, but you might find some suggestions in the comments on my "Classes and Skills" video. There were lots of mentions of different systems there along with mention if they were class or skill-based systems. Might be a good look!

[@Chris3s]

@@asquirrelplays Thanks! I am not looking for a d20 system, I am ok with anything that has a simple resolution, my ideal system would be probably 2dX, possibly 2d10 or 2d12 + skills/mods. I might take a look at Daggerheart (and maybe open legend). But I have tried a lot of systems and I have researched.even more (what I tried: ICRPG, EZd6, Cypher, Forged in the dark, sword world 2.5, Break, Fabula ultima, DND 4e, 5e, PF2e, Lancer, DC20, and a few smaller ones) I think I enjoy for not as crunchy games DC20 the most and for casual or story focused games EZd6 the most

[@asquirrelplays]

@@Chris3s oooo how was Lancer? Also, if you like EZD6 and d12s, THEN HAVE I GOT A SYSTEM FOR YOU. Half kidding. I don't think NUTS would be for you BUT you might still be in luck. Not the next video, but the one after that is going to be on Ironbound, which just wrapped up a kickstarter/backerkit recently, and I got to play it once so far and really liked it. D12s with banes and boons, but with a few more resources to play with than EZD6 for a weeee bit more crunch. In the creator's words, "simple enough to pick up and play but still has some depth for advanced players". I had a good time with it and thought it was really interesting, so I'm looking forward to that one. If all goes according to plan, that video will drop on NOV 21st. So make a note! And now that I've said that, it probably won't happen

[@ToothacheAZ]

I am surprised there is no mention of Savage World or Fate. Both are great and modular SW more so than Fate, but they are great go to systems that handle most settings. GURPS is also modular.

[@asquirrelplays]

I have 0 experience with both, but they have been brought up before. I hear a lot of good things about Savage Worlds, as well as a lot of people eager to try it out. I haven't even looked at the books for either one. I need to though

[@ToothacheAZ]

@@asquirrelplays FATE has all of its rule books free and many great setting books free as well. It is a very different type of RPG where narrative elements have mechanical weight. It takes a bit to get your head around it but it can be a great low crunch, high narrative game. SW is more medium crunch and if you want more tactical combat and well defined mechanics it is a great choice. Both are very far from 5e.

[@Mussintertainment]

im dying to make my daughter like rpgs so maybe one of those agnostics system could be the thing

[@asquirrelplays]

If she's a youngin' you might have some luck with Tricube Tales. You can nab it for free on Drivethru if you want (or pay the recommended price). If I remember correctly, it was a game originally designed for the author's (small) child, and then it just grew from there. But it is very simple to pick up and lots of fun.

[@Mussintertainment]

@@asquirrelplays yeah she is 10 yo, i just need to understand combat and movement better its all arbitrary ? i mean the treat level and etc

[@jimmysisk4124]

This sounds like how people describe FATE and Cortext Prime to me. And also a little bit like Savage Worlds. Also Fabula Ultima has a similar system, however no matter what you are building a JRPG sim. You are just choosing is it Final Fantasy 7 or Ni o Kuni

[@asquirrelplays]

mannnnnnn I have both Ni No Kuni games sitting in my library. I fired up the first one a good while back and was like "yeah, this is awesome. I need to dedicate some time for this one." And you know how that goes. There it sets. Collecting digital dust. It sure starts off strong though.

[@TheRyujinLP]

As GURPS (bwahaahahaahah!!!) officially unofficial knirschenmeister, it is my officially unofficial duty to inform ppl that GURPS does in fact have settings and in fact during the last edition (3rd) they had a crazy amount including an official Hellboy setting, Conan and even firggin The Prisoner (you know, that mind screw 60's spy show with the bubbles). But, for whatever reason, they didn't sell super well so under they're not as common under the current edition (4th) but there still are some. Some high lights include: Mar Attacks, Disc World, Vorkosigan Saga, and Girl Genius (based on the long running webcomic who's run by another big time GURPS fan) as some of the licensed setting. Original settings include: Transhuman Space. Technically a game that came out at the tail end of 3rd ed, it does have 4th ed books which bring it in line with the current edition. The setting is kinda, Ghost in the Shell: A 100 years later. Diamond hard sci-fi with a lot of cybernetics, realistic space flight, AI run robots, and even generically engineered cat girls. Also has a background character who's concept I'm surprised hasn't made it into an anime yet; the AI of a space nuke and rail gun armed space superiority fighter who has a crush on its very human CAG and is trying to buy a humanoid body to make the moves on him with (My Space Fight Can't Be this Cute!). Reign of Steel. Another late 3rd setting that has 4th ed support. You know the future war parts of the Terminator movies? That but with the serial number filed off and some tweaks to make it more roleplay friendly such as having multiple AI's who are all trying to stab each other in the back to take over and some are even willing to work with the human resistance to do so. Infinite Worlds: The 4th ed "flag ship" setting. Think Stargate meets Sliders (the 90's tv show... not the burgers that come out as fast as they come in....). You're group gets sent in to explore and make content with parallel earths while looking for individuals to recruit. This lets you have a game where you could have an anime magical girl, a ninja vampire, a super mutant, and a time bending elf all be on the same team and have worlds that take place in any setting and make sense. For a system that can run anything, surprised it took them to 4th ed to do have an official setting that takes advantage of that fact. Banestorm: GURP's gritty low fantasy setting where an event called the banestorm sucked creates from different worlds (including humans from earth during the 11th century). This setting is also actually older then the version of GURPS we got and was going to be what GURPS was before the idea to make a universal system was made. Tales of the Solar Patrol: GURPS's pulp sci-fi setting (think Flash Gordan). There's more but I think you get the point heh.

[@asquirrelplays]

GURPS GURPS GURPS GURPS GURPS GURPS. Turkeys, I tell you, TURKEYS!

[@TheRyujinLP]

@@asquirrelplays Tis ThanksGURPSing don'tcha know?

[@asquirrelplays]

@@TheRyujinLP ok that was pretty good

[@portaldimensionsrpg2073]

While we definitely disagree on homebrew etc. id love to pick ur brain on ideas sometime in an intellectual discussion. Perhaps over our shared lobe. Hot honey pepperoni pizza

[@asquirrelplays]

Curious what we disagree about, but sure. Also, I just had one of those hot honey pizzas today. I'm so full.

[@MemphiStig]

I have a small problem with your terminology, but maybe it's generational. In my mind, there's a difference between "setting" and "genre." Genre is fantasy or sci-fi or horror, and setting is world, which is often but not necessarily sub-genre specific. Gurps, for example, is *genre* agnostic. D&D, and a lot of other fantasy rpg's, are genre specific, but "setting" agnostic in that they could (theoretically at least) be used in any sort of fantasy sub-genre, which is what it seems to me you mean by setting. In fact, when I hear setting, generally I think of Faerun, or Eberron, or Krynn, or Athas -- the worlds, the *settings* of the game, not the specific sub-genre, tho those are often inseparable from each other. But I'm old school, and I don't mean OSR. I started in the 80's, and terms and meanings change over the years. And I would say that agnostic or specific has nothing to do with how complex the rules system is. Just look at all the micro-games on DTRPG and all the genres/settings they cover. (Ever hear of TWERPS?) Those are distinctly separate concepts that should not be conflated imo, tho I do understand why you might think that. The issue of modularity, however, is to me about something (an adventure, or "module" as we used to call them) that works within a genre, but doesn't necessarily require a specific setting, tho it might fit best within a sub-genre, like high or low fantasy; and it may not even be dependent on any given rules system. I would say that all the various settings rules for D&D, for example, Spelljammer or Dark Sun, are what you are looking for to be modular in the sense you mean it, rules to drop in to make the game more fitting to your needs. And those are my little thought-nuts. I'm a bit of a squirrel myself, tho my brain occasionally switches into dog mode and chases everything that looks like a squirrel instead of staying on -- ooh! Deathbringer! Cool! He reminds me of this mini I had bitd, with a cleaver in one hand and a spiked shield, and minimal armor. His name was Dak Head-ripper. I inherited him from a friend who moved to Japan. What was I saying? Oh yeah... Game on!

[@asquirrelplays]

I agree with the setting vs genre bit, especially as a wannabe writer. But the TTRPG bubbles I've been floating around in all seem to agree that when they use the word "setting", they're talking about the genre as well as some the style/vibe. For example: "What's the setting for your one shot this weekend?" "I'm thinking some neolithic/stone-age type of stuff with a focus on survival." It seems to capture both the genre as well as the playstyle, if that makes any sense. Still, the word genre exists for a reason. Don't even get me started on how useless genres/tags are in the video game world.

[@MemphiStig]

@@asquirrelplays Yeah, a lot of terms have changed their meanings over the years, and part of the confusion and frustration I see in the hobby now is that the generations can't understand or accept each other's definitions. To pick another obvious one, "race" as a choice in games had a distinctly different implication bitd, one that more modern players simply can't use as it was once meant, and older players have difficulty changing because "I don't think it means what you think it means." But life is change, and it's inevitable. I think as long as we can discuss it and be clear with each other, we'll all be better for it.

[@SageMasterRPG]

Just go play Rolemaster 2nd edition. Universal gaming system that is skill based and it has modules for different Genre. They have companions rule of option rules.

[@asquirrelplays]

Somebody mentioned Rolemaster not too long ago and it sounded really interesting. Might have been you! Either way I did jot it down.

[@SageMasterRPG]

@@asquirrelplays It was me. It has moments of crunchy. But you get what you put into a game.