The best D&D alternatives to try in 2024

[@waylonoconner9121]

Dungeon Crawl Classics if you want weird fantasy, Pathfinder 2 if you want fantasy, Shadowrun (3rd Edition if you can) if you want sci-fi fantasy, or Call of Chuthulu if you want something modern

[@demonic_myst4503]

Fallout d20 is great for if u want do post apicalypse the rules can easily be used for your own lore aswell it has fallout 4s settlmemt and modification crafting but simplified from all the specific components ro common , uncommon, raare , ultea rare crating components whoch u find based in a scavenger roll also perk system

[@AidanStewart9]

Would 100% recommend Shadowrun. My brother introduced it to me before I ever even played DND. Recently played BG3 and now I’m setting up an actual DND campaign with him and some friends

[@Madocvalanor]

"There are many DnD alternatives!" You could also try the following! Cyberpunk 2020, World of Darkness, Exalted, Star Wars d20, DCU, Aliens, Battletech! There's so many genres of TTRPG you can try that's just not fantasy. Sci Fi's awesome! Urban Fantasy is Awesome! Try em out folks!

[@EpicGnome23]

Second the recommendation for World of Darkness and Exalted and going to add Chronicles of Darkness if you want a slightly easier to get into world of darkness aesthetic at the cost of not having as much established lore.

[@galaxyfoxnightsky2042]

Kids on bikes cyber punk

[@NemoOhd20]

Mutant Crawl Classic is about ten times as zany as DCC.

[@onlynormalperson]

Obviously Blades in The Dark and descendants is very popular for good reason.

[@SigfridSWE]

Awesome comment! Happy gaming dude! Look into Free league aswell, can really recommend there rpg's - Symbaroum, Lord of the Rings, Vaesen, Mutaint year zero, Forbidden Lands, DragonBane, Corolis, Alien rpg, Blade Runner rpg, Walking Dead rpg and more

[@garryame4008]

0:00 Intro 0:30 Pathfinder 3:32 Dungeon Crawl Classics 6:14 Daggerheart 9:59 DC20 13:12 Shadow of the Demon Lord 16:58 Honourable Mentions

[@Leverquin]

GURPS ALL THE WAY

[@tanakathecowboy]

bless you

[@Dreznin]

It was thanks to your shorts that I found out about DC20 and introduced it to my play group, several of us have backed it and we're excited to try out the final system. Our systems of choice are Pathfinder 1e, D&D 5e, and Savage Worlds. We're also just getting into Battlestations, which is marketed as a board game, but operates as a TTRPG that just happens to have two boards - one for what's going on in space and one for what's going on inside the ship(s) involved. Personally, I love PF1e with the community-created Spheres of Power/Might systems that revamp magical and martial systems in a way that can supplement or even fully replace the existing systems and classes. It's not for everyone though, it does have a LOT of complexity and requires that the DM be rather knowledgeable about the Spheres system, but players and DMs that love the ability to create highly customized characters with creative spells and fighting styles will love it. Edit: Wait, there's a Root TTRPG!?! I've loved the board game when I've played it, now I need to check out the TTRPG!

[@bens3138]

I love Savage Worlds. Granted, I feel the best way to describe it is - You are the A-Team. You find the bad guys, blow stuff up, unalive about 50 minions, then have a big showdown with the boss. Its great.

[@SigfridSWE]

Awesome comment! Happy gaming dude! Look into Free league aswell, can really recommend there rpg's - Symbaroum, Lord of the Rings, Vaesen, Mutaint year zero, Forbidden Lands, DragonBane, Corolis, Alien rpg, Blade Runner rpg, Walking Dead rpg and more

[@Vaerceagoth]

I’m seconding both Pathfinder 1e and Savage Worlds by saying that people should try Pathfinder for Savage Worlds. It’s all the flavor of Pathfinder 1 in the fast and furious Savage Worlds system. Another great game is Palladium Fantasy (and the rest of the Palladium Megaverse by extension). I will admit, the book is very dense and hard to grok because of the (well known and complained about) layout issues, but once you can work past that you end up with a wonderfully simple yet detailed system that leans heavily on RP over combat. For those who love having a plethora of choices for your character, the core book alone has 14 races and 25 O.C.C.s (Occupational Character Classes, Palladium’s version of normal character classes since there’s Racial Character Classes [R.C.C.s] and Psychic Character Classes [P.C.C.s] as well).And you can even play as a dragon hatchling, provided that you have access to the Rifts Ultimate Edition book and permission from your GM.

[@GlenFinney]

@@SigfridSWEI agree Free League is great!

[@Arlentric]

I've had a fair few people around me say Savage Worlds is something I need to give a go, so adding that to the list

[@eugenefender1279]

Keep doing these long form vids, Arlo, they're great!

[@One_Eyed_Man_]

I recommend getting Knave 2e and Shadow Dark. Even if you don't actually play them, they're worth having just for the abundance of tables they offer (lots of weird randomly generated stuff).

[@NemoOhd20]

ICRPG, too. Even if you never played it, it has the best DM section and frankly is many times as tactical as rules heavy games.

[@saltyseadog4719]

Wym

[@Konpekikaminari]

SotDL mentioned!! It has been my tables favourite system for a couple years now Something I want to add that wasn't mentioned in the video is the magic system: just like how the class system (a.k.a paths) is modular, so is each characters spell list- Spells in SotDL are grouped into themes called "traditions" (e.g fire, time, chaos, etc.) which you can pick to create the list of spells you can pick from (plus it can help flesh out how you learned your magic) In general this system is very focused on customization, you can make almost any character concept in it

[@squeethemog213]

Shadow of the Demon Lord sounds so fun. I watch a guy named Zach who talks about BitD so really want to play that too. Sadly my group refuses to play Cthulhu even thou it has a pulp variant that looks super fun 😃

[@saltyseadog4719]

Channel name plz?

[@TTM1895]

I wish I had a group that I could try some of these with. Not a lot of people want to play with a 65-year-old.

[@Rockethead293]

If I knew you, I 100% would play with you - and I'm saying that as a young person. I find it really annoying that sometimes, DM's or other groups won't play with someone just because of their age.

[@galaxyfoxnightsky2042]

I am 26 and would love too play with you i love playing with others all ages truly ❤

[@galaxyfoxnightsky2042]

​@@Rockethead293thats actually a thing???!! They are missing out

[@ChairyCrasher]

I wouldn't mind trying ttrpg. I dont mind being a player

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

Online games are a way to prevent any perception problems here. I'm in a shadowrun LC and the only people whose ages I happen to know are 50+

[@GryphonDes]

This was a BLAST! So much fun seeing a longer form video!!!! more please :D

[@PpAirO5]

Here are some great alternatives to D&D: Pathfinder 2E (Paizo) Shadowdark Romance of the Perilous Land Pendragon Crown & Skull DragonBane (Free League) Symbarum (Free League) Forbidden Lands (Free League) The One Ring (Free League)

[@veronwright1291]

Other great alternative TTRPGs I'd like to add on from the ones mentioned are Vagabond rpg, Tales Of The Valiant, Exalted 3e, Avatar Legends, Worlds Without Numbers, Twilight 2000 4e, and Tales From The Loop

[@SigfridSWE]

Love Tales of the loop. Anything from free league is my pick. A lot of awesome rpg's from them

[@veronwright1291]

@@SigfridSWE me too. I haven't played Tales of the loop, but I really love the dystopian vibes and the lore that carries on to the squeal game Things from the flood

[@mtknight5141]

I appreciate how this review has primarily positive things to say about all these systems. I’m excited for DC20 - I don’t think it’s a world changing new thing, but I feel like it is the branch off 5e like Pathfinder was for 3.5

[@Gyrocoptor]

13th Age is definitely worth a try, especially with the adventure Eyes of the Stone Thief that pits the players against a living megadungeon that steals locations from the surface to incorporate it into itself. I'll also recommend two systems to check out, Worlds Without Number and Honor + Intrigue. Worlds Without Number gives a pretty familiar D&D base but mixes it up with half-classes and a far future fantasy Dying Earth aesthetic, in addition to being about 75% GM tools on how to set up and run a sandbox with lots of adventure hooks and places to explore. The base game is also free and contains about 90% of the game's content. Honor + Intrigue is based on another game, Barbarians of Lemuria, but focuses heavily on 17th century swashbuckling tales. There's supplements to add in ancestries and high fantasy elements, but my group has had a lot of fun with the surprisingly in-depth dueling combat with lots of discrete and interesting maneuvers. My favorite maneuver is being able to re-arm your opponent should they lose their weapon, giving you a point of advantage to use against them.

[@tabletophoenix]

I love your TikTok videos. Found you on KZbin BECAUSE of DC20. Hoping for more DC20 content in the future.

[@ANTX81]

I always recommend Symbarum. Very simple system with a lot of depth and outrageously cool art and world.

[@fwbean119]

I recommend Pathfinder for Savage Worlds.

[@elgatochurro]

SWADE SWADE allows any setting to with with one single ruleset that works with any classes or races or style of play you'll ever desire

[@gaming4life551]

Barely any progression in the game...

[@isaiahb605]

Legend of the Five Rings RPG is a system that uses symbol filled dice instead of a d20 or d6 system. It’s based to feel like feudal Japan but also some Mongolian, Egyptian, American, and Muslim influence in it. There was a CCG that used the same lore, and that game used two decks per player (a dynasty deck and a fate deck). Then there’s a “build your own RPG” system of FATE, which uses specialized d6’s with two plus symbols, two minus symbols, and two blank sides.

[@marsmandel42]

You should try "The Dark Eye" ("Das Schwarze Auge"). It has a very interesting 3d20 system and character creation encourages giving your character flaws.

[@Stephen-Fox]

The two D&D-likes I'm currently playing (although both of these campaigns are on hiatus for a variety of reasons) are PF2e, which you mentioned, and Mausritter, which is a game about Tiny Mice going on Big Adventures - Basically it's a very simple OSR (I believe it started out as an Into the Odd hack if that means anything to you) game which uses the Redwall novels as it's primary reference. Outside of D&D-likes those I'm running (and playing in a campaign of which is on hiatus) Animon Story - Think the Digimon anime as a TTRPG, am trying to get games of The Warren (generational game about rabbits, has Watership Down as one of it's reference materials for tone) and Briar and Bramble (A short campaign game about a group of animals forced outside of their home by human activity - Think The Animals of Farthing Wood if you're familiar with that novel/series), and am in a TTRPG Book Club where we play a different game each month, so I'm getting a wide variety of one and two shots in from that; 4 of the 10 systems I've played this year so far are from that.

[@Loukas_Paquette]

Shoutout to Candela Obscura and Midst. Haven't played them yet but I've glanced over the Candela Obscura rules, it's another product from Darrington Press. In Candela Obscura you are detectives in a steampunk/Lovecraftian world called Newfaire.

[@SigfridSWE]

I recommend Vaesen from Free league. Like Candela Obscura but better! Check it out

[@Unknownagon]

The thought of an army of wizards combining fireballs to create a fireball storm is terrifying.

[@NotThatVinny]

Did you see the vid about filling a notebook with Glyph of Warding? Depends on how the rules are interpreted, but you can essentially launch hundreds of fireballs all at once.

[@galaxyfoxnightsky2042]

Arlo makes videos longer than A minute ?? Its awsome love them keep em comming incredebly exited For DC20 Been playing with the free rules and me and my group LOVE it🎉❤

[@ThaCosmonaut]

Heyo! How you get the free rules ?? I wanna get into it, DM it (I’m a complete newbie, never played but wanna get into it)

[@atomikladdie]

Still loving the long form vids! The short vids are hilarious, so are parts of the long vids, but love the additional content in them and the sidebar Crack me up. Can't wait for your Call of Cthulhu vid as I Love that game!

[@kailenmitchell8571]

D&D 3.x was awesome. My favorite out Basic-5e. Im most excited for DC20. My only concern with DC20 tho is the low damage numbers making damaged based magic and magic items a lot more limited. I liked the large amount of upward granularity available in D&D3.x I can drop a +3 to +5 weapon and not break the game like +3 in 5e that messes up the bounded accuracy (Which I hate with a passion)

[@SigfridSWE]

Free league is my go to. My favorit company. You have both there own Symbaroum with there own rules or a 5e dnd rule version. Or LotR own version or 5e version. But soo many more like DragonBane! Or Vaesen thats basically a good version of Candela obscura. Or 6 other awesome roleplaying games. Unbeatble

[@LuizCesarFariaLC]

I love DC20! I've been playing it for 2 months now, I only wish I had jumped out from D&D to PF earlier

[@gaming4life551]

It's over hyped by try-hards , it's just like any other game.

[@GlenFinney]

@@gaming4life551it is like other games but it’s a fun game. Worth trying out in my experience!

[@NotThatVinny]

I haven't played it myself yet, but I've been enjoying hearing about Abridgilliance's Digimon TTRPG that's based on the 'Boys & Bikes' system. Combat seems less complicated and it's possible to add more dice rolls to stat checks depending on your roll.

[@michaelmullenfiddler]

Perhaps you could do a video comparing the Spell Duel rules in DCC v DC20. DCC's Spell Duel rules yield an over the top result (no great surprise, I suppose...). How do the two "minigame" rules stack up when put side by side?

[@GlenFinney]

This would be a great topic!

[@Mortarah]

Loved the video. Great presentation of these systems

[@BIGBENMACDOUCE]

DC20 is my go to. So much promise and I believe them !!

[@gaming4life551]

It's over hyped , it'll be the same as the rest of them.

[@GlenFinney]

@@gaming4life551it shares similarities but also has some great features that makes for a great game. Been GMing and playing it since the 0.4 alpha. Have you played it yet?

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

I had an issue with players feeling like they blow their action. I would wait for the full release.

[@madhatter4056]

I’m getting into a ttrpg called, SURGE! (And yes it’s all caps and exclamation point), where It has an action point system, no classes, and the dice rolling is completely different from DnD. When rolling ability checks you base it on main stats or on skills that are independently leveled and depending on the level of that stat/skill is the dice you roll. Lvl 1 you role 1d4, Lvl 2 is 1d6, etc. when you roll the highest number you get to Surge and roll the dice again increasing you rolled total. You can surge continuously. Stats like intelligence reduces the amount of actions it takes to cast spells, Dex increases your ability to dodge and the amount of actions you have, strength is you attack and defense stat, charisma is used for persuasion and intimidation, and the Luck stat is used for random events and misc thing that the GM can throw at the party Like I said there are no classes because the creators didn’t want to restrict people to certain archetypes but also wanted to allow room for people to homebrew their own system so you can literally do whatever you want with the system. There’s an in-depth crafting system, and schools of magic which you can combo with other schools to inflict conditions on you enemies The system is free online though it doesn’t have any monsters you can use just yet and the pdf is very unique, but they plan to redesign the book so it looks much cleaner as well as they are currently making a monster manual of sorts listing all the monsters you can find in SURGE! And to let y’all know, there’s an entire section dedicated to different types of mimics. Lastly this system is being created by 3 guys who love ttrpgs so and want to create a really fun one so they appreciate feedback and they do respond to it. Here’s a link to their webpage where you can also join their discord: www.warpedtree.com/home

[@SigfridSWE]

Awesome comment! Happy gaming dude! Look into Free league aswell, can really recommend there rpg's - Symbaroum, Lord of the Rings, Vaesen, Mutaint year zero, Forbidden Lands, DragonBane, Corolis, Alien rpg, Blade Runner rpg, Walking Dead rpg and more

[@wavemaster4891]

Advance 5e and Tales of the Valiant are all I care to hear about going forward for now

[@emanuelbremi]

Why?

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

Have fun, but I encourage you to branch out.

[@ShadowrunnerSR3]

Well I got 2 options, but both dont really fit in this theme tbh. First one is Shadowrun, (who could have guessed) which is high sci-fantasy. The other one is Warhammer Fantasy (not 40k), but despite its name its low fantasy with a more down to earth world.

[@KnicKnac]

Whichever system your group plays and enjoys together is the best. Just roll dice and tell stories.

[@jwraper1498]

Dread, savage worlds (necessary evil), champions, Mithras, dragon age, lone wolf,

[@Warpedlight]

The root ttrpg is great, but it works best with the vibes and doesn't use many dice

[@deusvault5732]

Its really nice to hear shadow of the demon lord get more spotlight. It's so much fun. Especially when the game is so modular feeling almost if you take out 2 or three things it goes into a regular fantasy if you don't like horror/dark fantasy.

[@kametheturtle]

I have a suggestion from all the way year 2001. It's called Ironclaw

[@SnowyOwl369]

Im part of a dnd club that plays pathfinder. I didn't know it wasn't the same thing as dnd

[@ThaCosmonaut]

Heyo! Been meaning to get into DnD or anything adjacent, but where I live finding a group is… impossible, and everything else I find is payed. Any suggestions?

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

How?

[@PHJcz]

Awesome. 🙂👍🏻 Looking forward to more videos about DC20. 😊

[@gaming4life551]

Too much hype , it'll be just like the rest of them...

[@WastelandChef]

Let’s gooooooo 💪💪💪

[@Skimmer951]

I have a lot of ttrpgs i like ot play and run but not really any of the style here. Not much DnD Likes and more whimsy and weird. So my personal rant of stuff is maybe slightly off topic but anyways. However I am excited for the full release of wilderfeast in autumn, think the monster hunter games with cooking mangas track beasties, kill them, eat them and gain power ups and mutations based on their abilities (we played the quickstart and it was awesome). I just yesterday started running a campaign/saga of Household that is a italian rpg where you are small folk in a large house where basically each room is its own nation and cross politics and history of war and we had fun. And in a few days we do a small run of Good Society after the gm binged bridgerton recently and we are hungry for regency drama to roleplay out. Otherwise Im also looking hugely forward to Break!! for my jrpg loving heart, looks like a lot of care went into the system and setting and art.

[@FredFitzhugh]

There's an old rpg called Nightlife. I think you might enjoy given your fascination with the horror genre.

[@La-Cosa-Nel-Dungeon]

Un video veramente figo, mostri molto bene la problematica degli Elfi

[@patback2067]

Paranoia is one that everyone should play. It's perhaps the best one I've ever played. It's so simultaneously serious and silly at the same time.

[@zemethius]

It's been a while, but I remember having a blast with the Discworld TTRPG, which is based on the GURPS system. Anyways, have fun and enjoy!

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

Honorable mention to Shadowrun. The magic came back to restore the high/dark fantasy world... just AFTER the world became solidly Cyberpunk.

[@baldurthebucket1497]

I also recommend dragonbane. All the times I have run it, I've some of the best fun.

[@UlissesSampaio]

GURPS

[@Cubing_guy]

Love Ur work!

[@Wanderingsage7]

Can I interest you in 13th age by Pelegren press?

[@x3r0prime45]

Exalted 2E is amazing (use the 2.5 errata) 1E is good for straight up power fantasy but the 2E revisions were IMHO necessary. I haven't play 3E but from what I saw they oversimplified the game taking away what made it great. When you play Exalted you came up with a character concept and then build it with a point buy system instead of picking a classing and taking what it gives you. It's very free form in the character creation and in the leveling up after the fact, you spend XP to buy skills, abilities, and powers, there is no leveling up, there is only I want this, I train for it and then I spend the XP and now I have it.

[@machfront]

Age 50. Began game by in 1986 at age 12. I’m more of an old-school and rules-lite guy. I’m glad my fellow gamers have so very many fun options for rules-heavy and rules-medium play, though. 🙂 I prefer combats to not be ‘centric’ and when they occur, no matter how complicated, to be done in under a handful of minutes. Thus, I love D&D B/X, OD&D (personally by way of WhiteBox:Famtastic Medieval Adventure Game), or clones inspired by the original Fighting Fantasy rpg (like Troika!, though I far prefer Spellzard!). I’m a huge fan of ultra-lite games as well, like RISUS. Cheers to you, and whatever and however you find fun gaming! 🙂

[@GTSCRD]

Monster of the Week is also really good!

[@nickdejager8873]

Improvised turn order is a huge miss for my group. Too many issues on multiple levels. But I will spare you the rant. My favorite systems are GURPS and FATE. Definitely systems that need more fame/love. Especially GURPS, given its place in TTRPG history.

[@GlenFinney]

Wow that’s quite the swing between GURPS and FATE but it makes sense as they can cover between them a wide range of play experience!

[@GrandOldDwarf]

I love running DC20!

[@ClementiasQuests]

Whew. I was afraid you weren’t going to shout out ROOT which is really giving 5e some heavy competition in my world.

[@Zanji1234]

i am a simple nerd. I see Shadow of the Demonlord in the thumbnail i HAVE To give a like. I play this for now 2 years i think (when it came out in German) and currently play the Strange Aeons Pathfinder Adventure path which acutally fits WAY more to SotDl than to Pathfinder :) i mean horror and sanity are already in the rules (and the rules are easy) i also played some older warhammer fantasy modules with it 🙂 also you not "turn into a demon if your corruption is too high" ... your soul is simply too corrupted and the devil will claim it for you.... also you get some negative physical changes.

[@jayman3122]

I would like to hear your thoughts on Arcade Arcanas Fallout TTRPG. I got it downloaded, prunted and bound in a 3 ring binder and I'm going through A.A's Fallout Zero. But you have FAR more experience than me when it comes to TTRPGs and I would like to hear what you think about it. ❤

[@NemoOhd20]

It isnt that the math in 3.5/PF (any version)is hard. How hard can +2 be? IT IS THAT KEEP TRACK OF ALL THOSE +2s AND -2s IS A PAIN IN THE ASS. And the most common thing I here is damn it Ive been forgetting to add my whatever modifier. If there were only 2 games in the gamestore, Hasbro and PF, Id choose PF. Luckily there are far more games available. There is nothing worse than Slow Ass Game. Rules Light is the way.

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

When you run pf2e it is fun to throw lower level monsters at your pleys and watch them love the 10+ crits.

[@thekaxmax]

Dungeon Fantasy. ;)

[@Darklight689]

Gonna recommend acks 2, from autarch. Like damn its my new replacement for dnd

[@DF-vr5ou]

U going to go A video about one dnd/dnd 2024?

[@themrfj]

No love for Realms of Terrinoth? ;)

[@nabra97]

My reason to turn away from the Pathfinder was the toxic community (at least where I live). I'm an adult now, and I can afford staying away from people who call me an idiot for my preferences, so that's what I do. I lended on Index Card RPG for me, but it's a system made by a single person and all materials for it are fan materials. I tried to avoid getting into some forums that look like they are older than me, but I guess I will not avoid it. Also I was told that I'm playing it wrong if I don't like critical fails on everything

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

Sorry you have d bags around you. Normally crit fail and regular fails are the same thing. Unless your game master is using alt rules with crit fail cards.

[@nabra97]

@@lord-of-the-unfinished-project in Index Cards RPG critical failures are RAW. I don't do it in my game because I don't like it, but the community of this system believes that they are integral part of the system. Not something bothering me personally, just mantioned as a part of my opinion on the system

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

I was talking about pf2e sorry.

[@jeremymerkt3982]

Pathfinder math is as simple as third grade math when you get down to the actual calculating.

[@badmojo0777]

Best D&D alternative? D&D 2024

[@p-leif630]

Why do you feel not save home brewing in pathfinder if it is as easy as 5e I just don’t like systems that require system mastery and make the ones that spend hours Theorie crafting more powerful then cachuals 😊

[@lord-of-the-unfinished-project]

I feel the numbers tell a better story in pf2e. The 10+ crit system is something my players love.

[@Pewpèw3234-r1x]

R there any good mobile dnd games

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

Discord works well. Or do you mean video game RPGs?

[@Pewpèw3234-r1x]

@@Isaac-hm6ih I ment rpg

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

@user-fi9sn4pr9b video game ones? Or interpersonal ones? I'm not entirely clear what you mean. I suspect you're looking for something like Baldur's Gate but designed for a phone, but your question could equally be asking about role-playing games which don't require large rulebooks or maps.

[@davidbovill9204]

Castles and crusades. Has alot of d and d 1e with better mechanics

[@Agent-ym8ke]

So why don’t you mix some Coke with your Pepsi- no one’s gonna do that that’s stupid

[@GlenFinney]

That’s…actually a surprisingly good question…does anyone mix Coca-cola and Pepsi cola?