|
You
have reached the third page of the Adventurer's Atlas, which
includes
Here There Be Monsters, Sci-Fi
Realms, Slightly Spooky Lands, Time Tunnels, Toonopia, and
Systems
& Resources
  
Not all monsters are bad. That's
just a negative stereotype! Fight for the rights of monsters with one
of these RPGs, and show the world what good monsters can do.
| MONSTERS AND OTHER
CHILDISH THINGS |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
 x 7-8 |
Publisher:
Arc Dream Publishing
Cover Price:
$14.99 PDF
Availability: Buy
it here
at DriveThruRPG
Summary: Kids
and their secret monsters from
beyond time and space learn to cope with life, school, family, friends,
enemies, and other secret monsters from beyond time and space.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d10s [?]
Supplements: Dreadful
Secrets of Candlewick
Manor, Curriculum
of Conspiracy.
Review coming soon!
Return to the
directory
|
| MY MONSTER |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy |
| DICE: |
 |
Publisher:
John Wick
Cover Price: $5.00
Availability:
Buy it here
at Indie Press Revolution
Summary: Players
design monsters and send them on adventures.
Complexity: Easy
Dice
used: 1d6. You can play with just one, or have one for
each player. [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Very simple, story-driven roleplaying. Encourages artistic expression.
Provides many opportunites for exploring moral issues.
The Bad: Nothing, really.
Advisory: Nothing
here, either.
My
Monster is a storytelling game for young kids.
In it, players are encouraged to create the details of their monster
pet - their features, where they live, what they eat, and what they're
afraid of - and then send them out on adventures. The game system is
very simple - the player announces what they would like their
monster to do, then rolls one die. Rolling low (1-3) lets the player
decide what happens in the story, while rolling high (4-6) lets the
"grown-up" decide. If a monster has a feature that might help them
accomplish their task, such as tentacles that are good at grabbing
things or chameleon skin that helps them hide, the player can roll two
dice instead of one, for two chances to roll low.
Most of My Monster is
written for
young people - 20 of the 24 pages are devoted to explaining the game to
kids, allowing them to choose features of their monster, and
encouraging them to draw pictures of their monster. A three-page
section for grownups gives some brief tips on how to run the game, and
how to handle situations when a monster "wants" to do something bad.
I would recommend My Monster for
younger kids (and their grown-ups). It's a great introduction to
storytelling games.
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directory
|
| RAWR! |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher: Protagonist Games
Cover Price: $14.99
Availability:
Buy it here
at RPGNow
Summary: Monsters go on a quest to save King Snarlblat from the nasty Nightmare Minions.
Complexity: Easy
Dice
used: 2d6. [?]
Supplements: None as of this writing.
The Good: Colorful illustrations, simple system, fun mechanics, provides opportunities to go RAAAAAWR!
The Bad: Can't think of anything.
Advisory: Cartoon violence
RAWR! is a colorful, energetic RPG
that would be an excellent choice as a first RPG for any young people who are
fond of monsters. In this game's setting, monsters were once close friends with
children, and would play together every day - but over time, children grew
afraid of them, and no longer desire their company. The player characters are creatures
from the Land of Monsters who are drawn into a quest to save King
Snarlblat from an evil plot concocted by Nightmare and his nasty minions.
The game mechanics are rather
simple, and cover most of the basic concepts of RPG rules - players assign
fixed numbers to a set of four attributes, use points to buy skills (like Run,
Jump, Scare, etc.) and abilities (Claws, Fire Belching, Eye Lasers, etc.), and
calculate four derived stats from their attributes. Some younger players may
need help from more experienced players, if they choose to make their own
character. Characters then receive 30 drolblats (monster money) that they can
spend on equipment.
The core mechanic is a base 2d6
roll, plus skill modifier, versus a difficulty number assigned by the game
master. As with all RPGs of this type, I personally recommend using dice with
pips for younger players, and giving them the chance to "count the
dots" of their roll. (In this method, I give them a D6 of a different
color, and tell them to put it on the table with the face with their skill
level facing up. Then I have them roll 2d6 and add all of the dots that they
see - this helps them understand how higher skills help their roll.)
This game is filled with fun
elements - monsters can regain wound levels by "having a snack," for
example, and the entire book is filled with vibrant illustrations that are reminiscent
of the Tim Burton animations, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and other
cartoons - all of which make the game more fun overall.
RAWR! is a perfect choice for young
people who love monsters, and would enjoy the opportunity to have some
monstrous adventures - it's quick and easy to set up and play, and comes with a
great starter campaign.
Return to the
directory
|
 Strange aliens, sentient robots,
distant planets, massive starships, and advanced technology - if these
sorts of things are up your alley, you should try one of these sci-fi
RPGs.
| EXOSUIT A-OK |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about cyberpunk adventures.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Exosuit A-OK is a cyberpunk themed RPG that would be a great match
for any young people who enjoy near-future movies and anime like Bubblegum Crisis. Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
| STAR FRONTIERS |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
TSR
Cover Price: FREE!
Availability:
Available at starfrontiersman.com
Summary: A
classic sci-fi RPG
Complexity:
Medium
Dice
used: d10s [?]
Supplements: Many
adventure modules and supplemental material (much of it fan-created)
available at the above website.
Review coming soon!
Return to the
directory
|
| STAR
LEGION |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about the wild west.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Star Legion is a sci-fi RPG that would be a great rules-lite alternative
for any young people who enjoy sci-fi movies and television series like Star Wars and Firefly. Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
Ghoulies, ghosties, long-legged
beasties, and things that go bump in the night - these are the sorts of
neighbors you'll have in the Slightly Spooky Lands.
| SHADOWS |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy |
| DICE: |
| Any |
Publisher: Harlekin-Maus
Cover Price: Free
Availability: Free
on the web - PDF version available here
Summary: A VERY
rules-lite RPG where each character has a "shadow" that acts against
their wishes as they attempt to do things.
Complexity: Easy
Dice used: Two of
any type of dice, each of a different color - preferably a pair for
each player. [?]
Supplements: None
The Good:
VERY rules lite - as in, the rules fit on just a couple pages, and can
be taught in a matter of minutes. The rules encourage and reward
co-operative play.
The Bad: No
setting, background, or scenarios to play - you will need to concoct
all of these things yourself. But, most gamers feel that's a big part
of the fun! No skill system is in place at all - rather, characters are
expected to be able to do anything that the players can do. No rules
are present for competitive actions - two characters fighting over an
object, for example.
Advisory: Possible
supernatural themes.
Shadows is an
excellent starter RPG for young people. Players take on the roles of
characters who are just like they are, except that each has a shadow
that acts against them whenever they try an action. A player announces
something that they would like their character to do, then announces
how their Shadow is trying to thwart their action. The dice determine
the results of their efforts - if the Shadow rolls higher, then they
fail, if the character's die meets or beats the Shadow's, then they
succeed. Tokens are used to help other players - each token donated to
another player after a roll allows them a chance to re-roll.
Shadows
encourages co-operative play through the token system, and creative
thinking and artistic skills. A character is generated by drawing a
picture of them, their Shadow, and the dice that they plan to use for
each - this gives young people a clear picture of their character and
how the game is played. Because the most difficult game mechanic is
comparing two numbers to see which is the highest, Shadows
could be played with very young children to introduce them to the
concept of role-playing games.
Be aware that Shadows
contains no skill or ability system - every character can do anything
as well as any other, and there are no superpowers or extraordinary
abilities. All games begin with the characters waking up for one reason
or another - other than this, the game contains no background, setting,
or scenarios, so you will have to create all of these things
beforehand, or as you go. Since the whole idea here is to run something
simple and fast, that shouldn't be too difficult, even for a
intermediate gamemaster.
Return to the directory
|
Take a step back in time to bygone eras. Experience histories (or alternate histories!) firsthand in - The Time Tunnels!
| BLOODE
ISLAND |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about pirates.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Bloode Island is an RPG about swashbuckling pirate adventures that would be a great match
for any young people who enjoy movies series like Pirates of the Carribean.Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
| DAISHO |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about samurai.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Daisho is a historical RPG that would be a great match
for any young people who enjoy ancient Japanese history and culture.Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
| GURPS
SOURCEBOOKS |
|
GURPS stands for Generic Universal
Role-Playing System, a set of rules created by Steve Jackson Games.
that are designed to accommodate any sort of
genre. Along with the basic rules, Steve Jackson publishes a wide
variety of sourcebooks for the game that cover many genres, including
several historical ones. There's even a Time Travel sourcebook to help
adventurers jump between time periods!
|
|
|
A small sampling of GURPS sourcebooks published
over the years, from all four editions of the game. This is only a
small fraction of the variety of GURPS books that are available.
|
For more information on GURPS sourcebooks, visit the entry in the SYSTEMS & RESOURCES
section.
Return to the directory
|
| OG: THE RPG
/ LAND OF OG / OG: UNEARTHED EDITION |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
x ?
|
Publisher:
Wingnut Games (Land
of Og's webpage)
Cover Price: $7.95
Availability: In
print from Firefly
Games
Summary: A
prehistoric role-playing game where the players can only use a small
set of words to speak in character.
Complexity: Easy
Dice used: A pair of d10s and a few d6s [?]
Supplements: The
Complete Caveman's Club Book, also available at Wingnut's site.
The Good:
Rules-lite. Inexpensive. Funny. Speech limitations make for creative
use of language
The Bad: Nothing,
really.
Advisory: Cartoon
violence. The name of one ability in Land of Og
has a rude word in it, but it can easily be renamed to "Save Your Hide"
or simply "Luck."
A great "(root)beer and pretzels" game
for young people, Og/Land of Og is a roleplaying
game set in prehistoric times, where cavemen and cavewomen struggle to
get through their daily lives and avoid becoming dinner for some giant
reptile.
Og and Land
of Og are two editions of the same game. Land of
Og is the revised edition, with expanded rules, a set of
live-action guidelines, and a bonus reprint of the original Og
game (something closer to a wargame than a role-playing game). You do
not need the original Og to use the Land
of Og book.
Og/Land of Og
plays like most any other rules-lite RPG, with one twist - characters
can only speak with a limited vocabulary. When a player speaks in
character during a game of Og, they may only use
words from a 16-word list that includes "go," "you," "smelly," "rock,"
and "verisimilitude" (a bonus word NOT FOUND in the original Og,
by the way...)
So, a player speaking as their
character would not say "I'm going to throw a rock at that lemur over
there," but would instead say "Me go rock bang small tree thing."
Speaking this way is very challenging, and can make for some very
creative speeches during the game.
Because of the simple system and
subject matter, either of the two editions of Og would
make a great impulse game - something to play when the mood strikes, or
while waiting for players to show up to your regular game. Land
of Og's character creation system is more involved than the
original edition of Og, which would make the
earlier game a little better for on-the-spot gaming.
Return to the directory
|
| PAX
GLADIUS |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about ancient Greece.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Pax Gladius is a historical RPG that would be a great match
for any young people who have an interest in the history and culture of ancient Greece.
Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
| SIX GUN |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Deep7
Cover Price: $3.95
Availability:
Available at Deep7's website, deep7.com
Summary: A
mini-RPG about the wild west.
Complexity: Medium
Dice
used: d6s [?]
Supplements: None.
The Good:
Inexpensive. Great for one-shot adventures
The Bad: Character death is easy (though this could
easily be changed)
Advisory:
Cinematic violence.
1PG games are a series of role-playing
games with one page of rules, a character sheet, and a handful of
scenarios, all at a very affordable price. The games are rules-lite - in fact, the entire rule set fits on a single page.
Six Gun is a wild west RPG that would be a great match
for any young people who have an interest in classic western films and books.
Find out more about these
mini-RPGs at
the 1PG atlas
entry.
Return to the directory
|
Welcome to lovely downtown Toonburg,
where chaos and mayhem are the order of the day. The weather forecast
for today calls for sunshine, followed by the occasional shower of
anvils, and the department of natural resources has announced that
they're still not certain if it's duck season or rabbit season. The
mayor would like to remind you to please exercise extreme caution when
visiting Toonburg - it is a very silly place.
| BIG EYES, SMALL MOUTH |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Guardians of Order (BESM webpage)
Cover Price: $30.00
Availability:
Second edition revised is out of print, and Guardians of Order have
recently closed their business. Check your local game store or eBay
for a copy. A 'fastplay' trial version of the game is available here.
Summary:
Anime-styled adventures in any genre - mecha, sci-fi, fantasy, pocket
monsters, you name it!
Complexity: Medium
Dice used: d6
[?]
Supplements: Many
to be found on the BESM
product page, including Cute and Fuzzy Seizure
Monsters (a spoof of the Pokemon
genre), Big Ears Small Mouse, Space
Fantasy, and BESM Dungeon, a treatment
of D&Desque high fantasy in the anime
style. Free supplemental material, including character sheets and a
couple of adventures, are available on the downloads
page.
The Good:
Can be rules-lite. Flexible rules allow for lots of different settings.
The Bad: No
substantial setting information - you'll need to cook one up or
purchase a supplement.
Advisory:
Depending on the genre being played, can contain swashbuckling or
cartoon violence, fantasy magic, and supernatural themes. The name of
one character attribute contains a minor expletive ("_ _ _ _
Healthy!"), which can easily be changed to something more appropriate
("Very Healthy," perhaps).
Named for the typical facial features
of your average anime character, Big Eyes Small Mouth
(or BESM for short) is a multi-genre anime
roleplaying game. This means that many different settings can be played
with the rule system - sci-fi, high fantasy, cyberpunk, mecha, or any
combination of the above.
BESM sports a
simple, flexible game system that works well with most genres. The
biggest downside to the game is that it doesn't contain a specific
setting, which means you will have to purchase a setting book, or
design one yourself. There are several short setting ideas near the
back of the book that will get you started.
Return to the directory
|
| CARTOON ACTION HOUR |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
 x 5 |
Publisher:
ZMan Games
Cover Price:
$18.00 PDF
Availability: Buy
it here
at DriveThruRPG.
Summary: A
multi-genre RPG that works to emulate the action cartoons of the 1980s.
Complexity: Medium
Dice used: d12s,
as many as five (for high-powered games). [?]
Supplements:
"After These Messages" e-magazine, Darkness Unleashed (a
sort of GI Joe with monsters), Metal
Wars (similar to Transformers), Star
Warriors (a space opera setting).
The Good:
Point-based character creation system helps teach simple resource
management. Customizable Special Abilities allow for lots of different
types of characters. Character death is extremely rare.
The Bad: More
sample Special Abilities would be useful, to speed up character
creation.
Advisory: Cartoon
violence, possible supernatural themes (depending on the genre being
played).
Cartoon Action Hour brings
the realm of 80s action cartoons to the gaming table - classic animated
shows like HeMan, Transformers, Thundercats, GI Joe, and
others. The rules are designed to make it easy to run any sort of
action cartoon - sci-fi, sword and sorcery, transforming robots, or
just about anything else you can imagine.
Characters are made by spending a set
amount of points on traits, abilities, and special abilities. To
attempt a task, a player rolls a twelve sided die and adds the
appropriate score (rated between -2 to +4) to the result, attempting to
beat a difficulty number set by the Game Master. A natural 12 (rolled
on the die before the modifier is added) gives an added bonus - the
character's "Oomph" score is added to the roll, for an even better
result. Characters can also have super traits, which allow for
additional dice to be rolled and the highest number counted. Characters
also have "Stunt Points" which can be used to improve rolls, or perform
drastic last-ditch feats.
The layout of the book and the
terminology of the game support the "80s cartoon" genre. Game sessions
are called "episodes," and a series of 10-15 episodes are a "season."
There's even an optional procedure for running the after-show
message, where characters from the cartoon instruct the
audience in safety, manners, and morals. If you're old enough to
remember the great action cartoons of the 80s, the Recommended
Viewing section will bring back a lot of memories, and may
even remind you of a few cartoons from that time that you might have
forgotten about.
"Iconia - Warriors of the Cosmos" is
included to start you out with a basic setting to play in, and there
are 23 "setting seeds" - simple outlines of different cartoon series
and the types of characters and adventures they contain - to give you
ideas for building your own 80s action cartoons. ZMan's site features Cartoon
Action Hour downloads, forums, a picture gallery, and more
- http://www.zmangames.com/products/CAH/
In all, Cartoon Action Hour
is a flexible game system that works hard to evoke the feeling of those
excellent after-school and Saturday morning cartoons, and is packed
with enough background and idea seeds to fuel many adventure sessions.
Older folks who remember those classic cartoons would easily have just
as much fun running adventures for young adventurers who have never
experienced them firsthand.
Return to the directory
|
| TEENAGERS FROM OUTER
SPACE |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
R. Talsorian Games
Cover Price:
$10.00-$12.00 (used)
Availability: Out
of print - check eBay
or Amazon
for a used copy.
Summary: Teenagers
attending an inter-galactic high school find all kinds of wacky
adventures.
Complexity: Easy
Dice used: 1d6,
preferably one for each player [?]
Supplements: Rare
The Good:
Rules-lite. Younger kids love to play teenagers. Contains photocopyable
play money to use for allowance and transactions. 'Episode Guide' at
the end of the book is great for story inspirations.
The Bad: Layout
makes for difficult reading (the sample characters are parked in the
middle of the rules, for example)
Advisory: Cartoon
violence. Minute amount of racy material.
Teenagers from Outer Space (or
TfOS for short) is an
anime-styled RPG set in an integrated high school - one that integrates
teenagers from all over the galaxy. Players can create characters from
any part of the galaxy they choose, with one or more of 23 different
strange powers.
TfOS uses a very rules-lite system,
and the focus is on fast and funny play, rather than serious
number-crunching. Players roll 1d6 and add an appropriate skill score
when they attempt something - the GM then rolls 1d6 and adds the skill
score of their opponent, or a difficulty number if it's unopposed. The
higher roll wins, and the GM wins any ties.
One unique feature of TfOS
is the copyable character sheet, which includes images of play money
that you can cut out and hand to players as allowance, income, rewards,
et cetera. This could easily be used as a tool for teaching money and
resource management.
Games like TfOS
are popular with young people, especially kids and tweens, who are
always eager to play the roles of teenagers.
Return to the directory
|
| TOON |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Steve Jackson Games
Cover Price:
$16.95/PDF edition
Availability: Out
of print, but available as a PDF on Steve Jackson's e23
site. For a print copy, check local game stores, Amazon,
or eBay.
Summary: The
cartoon roleplaying game - players can make most any sort of cartoon
character they wish, then jump into a game of complete lunacy.
Complexity: Medium
Dice used: 2d6
[?]
Supplements: Three
big books of extra material - Tooniversal Tour Guide (new
settings and adventures), Toon Tales (more new
settings and adventures), and the Toon Ace Catalog
(more new settings and items). All are out of print - the Tooniversal
Tour Guide is available as a PDF on
e23 - for a print copy of it or the others, check your local
game store, Amazon, or eBay
for used or backstock copies.
The Good:
Fast, light-hearted play. No character death. Random plot tables allow
for spontaneous playing with little or no preparation.
The Bad: Try as I
might, I can't think of a single thing.
Advisory: Cartoon
violence, fantasy magic (in some of the supplements)
(This discusses the 1991 edition of Toon,
a thick, 212-page book - not the thinner book that was published in the
mid-80s. Both are lots of fun, but the deluxe edition has much more
information in it. Try to find that one over the older edition, if
possible.)
Toon is the
cartoon roleplaying game - a fast, light-hearted game where action and
chaos beat out plotting and planning most every time. Players can
choose ANYTHING for their character type, from a wisecracking cat to a
robotic toaster, and the skills and "Shticks" (special abilities) allow
them to build the kind of character that they like.
Toon features a
couple of unique game mechanics, such as the Fall Down rule - if a
character loses all of his hit points, rather than die, the character
Falls Down. He becomes burnt and crispy and crumbles into a little pile
of ash, or he is squashed flat by the steamroller and has to find a
bicycle pump to re-inflate himself, or any other sort of appropriate
character demise. When a character Falls Down, the player must sit out
the game for two minutes (in real time) while the rest of the players
go about their business. When the two minutes are up, the character is
back in the game, as good as new (or with telltale signs of the
previous misfortune - anything goes, as long as it's funny).
Other cartoony rules include the
Walking Off Of A Cliff rule (if this happens, your character must make
a Smarts check to see if they realize they're walking on air - if they
make it, they start to fall, but if they miss it, they're still too
dumb to realize that they should be falling), and the Back Pocket rule
(everyone has a back pocket where they keep things, even if they don't
wear any clothes).
Players are rewarded with Plot Points
whenever they act out their character appropriately, cause another
character to Fall Down, or whenever the player does something that
makes the GM burst out laughing. They can use these points to improve
their character's skills, buy new Shticks, or even buy one-shot Shticks
which can be used in the next game, but only once.
(As a house rule, I allow players to
re-roll a skill check by spending a Plot Point, mostly because
characters aren't re-used often enough to make character improvement
very valuable.)
Toon can be
played with a prepared adventure, or completely off-the-cuff. Because
story and plot take a back seat to madness and fun, a story that makes
sense isn't really necessary. In fact, the Toon
rulebook contains an "Instant Adventure Generator" that will help you
create a wacky scenario to play in just a few die rolls! This makes it
a great game for those times when you have a bunch of players, but
nothing ready to run for them.
Toon is a great
game to play with kids - it's easy to learn, plays quickly, and it's
full of laughs.
Return to the directory
|
 One of the
great things about roleplaying games is how the GM and players can mold
and shape them into something all of them can enjoy. If the rules of a
game are too complex or confining, with some work, they can be stripped
out and replaced with something new under the hood.
Below are
some examples of RPG systems - just the rules, and little or no setting
material included - that could work well with young people, and replace
any clunky rule sets that you don't care for. Because these are just
rules, no setting or story content, there are no Advisories listed.
| FUDGE |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy-Medium |
| DICE: |
(Special Fudge dice) |
Publisher:
Grey Ghost
Cover Price:
$34.99, though there is a free lite version available
Availability: In
print (check your local game store or online at Grey Ghost Press),
and also available as a free
PDF
Summary: An RPG
toolkit that uses adjectives instead of numbers to describe skills,
abilities, and success rolls.
Complexity: Easy
to Medium
Dice used: dFs -
Fudge dice, special six-sided dice with two faces each of pluses,
minuses, and blanks. You can get them from Warehouse 23 in basic
or bright
colors - $15.00 for a set of 20 dice (5 different colors), plus a dice
bag. [?]
Supplements: A few
available on the Fudge
product page, plus supporting material on the web (Fudge Factor)
The Good:
Rules-lite. System uses a series of words in place of numbers to
describe abilities and skills.
The Bad: Uses
special dice that are mostly unusable with other games (dice are
inexpensive, and with some extra effort, the game can be played with
regular d6s or d4s - but this can be confusing to kids)
Fudge is a
role-playing "kit" as well as a system. Gamemasters can decide what
abilities and skills are available to a player, depending on the genre
of game that is going to be played. Because the system uses words
instead of numbers, it is easy to convert material from other games
into Fudge.
The game uses seven levels to describe
skills, attributes, and successes - Terrible, Poor,
Mediocre, Fair, Good, Great, and Superb, and
four specially marked six-sided dice. In place of numbers, each die has
two pluses (+), two minuses (-), and two blank faces. When a player
attempts an action, they check their appropriate stat, then roll the
dice to see how much it should be modified. Pluses and minuses negate
each other, so a roll of + + + - would
factor out to two postives (the negative cancels one of the three).
Blanks count as nothing.
So a player with a Strength of Fair
would modify it by two steps up the Fudge Level chart, to a final
result of Great. If the difficulty of the action was Great or lower,
then the check was a success - if it was Superb, he didn't make it.
A handful of Fudge supplements
are available in print, such as Terra Incognita,
a great exploration setting. You can find even more material online,
especially in the online magazine Fudge Factor.
On the downside, Fudge
uses dice that are unique and mostly unusable with other games. The
dice aren't very expensive, however, and there are alternatives
available that use more common dice (though these can be confusing to
kids). A Fudge Factor article on making your own
Fudge dice out of regular six-siders with pips can be found here.
Fudge is great
for using in place of any system that you feel may be too complex for
your players, and the word-based system is excellent for those who
think more in terms of words than numbers.
Return to the directory
|
| GURPS
SOURCEBOOKS |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium-Complex |
| DICE: |
|
Publisher:
Steve Jackson Games
Cover Price:
Variable
Availability:
Variable
Summary: VERY
variable!
Complexity: Medium
(GURPS Lite) to Complex (standard GURPS), or variable, depending on the
system being used
Dice used: d6s, at
least three, preferably three for each player. [?]
Supplements: TONS.
Far too many to mention here.
The Good:
A massive amount of quality sourcebook material that is usable with any
roleplaying system.
The Bad: System
can be very complex. Out-of-print books
can be hard to locate at times.
Advisory: Varies by book. Please use discretion when
presenting role-playing material to young people.
GURPS stands for Generic Universal
Role-Playing System, a set of rules created by Steve Jackson Games and
still in print today. The rules are designed to accommodate any sort of
genre - fantasy, superheroes, science fiction, historical - or mix and
match genres to create something truly unique (Kung-Fu Space Vikings,
anyone?)
GURPS is actually a game system, and
does not contain any setting material on its own. The system itself is
pretty complex for kids, and would probably have to be simplified a lot
to keep it from bogging down the game for them. A free, simplified
version of the rules is available in the form of GURPS Lite, which can
be downloaded here.
But this listing isn't about praising
GURPS - it's about praising GURPS sourcebooks,
which come in an amazing variety, are packed with information on their
subject matter, and - here's the best part - are great for using with
any other RPG that you prefer. Each GURPS book is like a gaming
textbook of information on the subject at hand, with facts, chronology,
history, and even tips on crossing the material with other genres.
|
|
|
A small sampling of GURPS sourcebooks published
over the years, from all four editions of the game. This is only a
small fraction of the variety of GURPS books that are available.
|
There are GURPS books devoted to
geography and culture (Japan, China, Russia, Egypt), historical periods
(Middle Ages, Old West, Ice Age), setting elements and characters
(Religion, Villains, Dinosaurs), genres (Cyberpunk, Horror, Space,
Steampunk), and even historical characters and "What if?" possibilities
(Who's Who 1 & 2, Alternate Earths 1 & 2).
It bears repeating that you
don't need to play GURPS to use most of this material, and the material
that is system-specific to GURPS is usually very easy to convert.
Each GURPS sourcebook is packed with enough information and ideas to be
useful to any gamer who is interested in the subject matter.
The list of GURPS sourcebooks is so
large that it wouldn't be feasible to post it here - plus, new books
are coming out constantly, so such a list would hardly ever be
up-to-date. Your best bet for finding a GURPS book to suit your needs
is to check out SJ Games site at http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/
to see what is available - and if you can't find it for sale on their
site or in your local game store, try an eBay search to see if you can
score a used copy.
Return to the directory
|
| RISUS - THE
ANYTHING RPG |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Easy |
| DICE: |
| x 6 |
Publisher:
Cumberland Games
Cover Price: FREE!
Click here for
your copy!
Availability: In
print, and available in mere moments
Summary: A simple
rule system that uses cliches instead of attributes, skills, or
character classes
Complexity: Easy
Dice Used: d6s -
at least 6 of them, preferably 6 for each player. Some rules allow for
other dice to be used for superhero or other powerful characters.
[?]
Supplements: Many, most are free, all are scattered all
over the internet. Visit the main Risus page for links to most of them.
The Good:
FREE! Lots of supplemental material to be found on the internet.
The Bad:
Intermediate and experienced gamers may find it to be too general.
Risus: The Anything RPG
is a rules-lite system that drops abilities and skills and replaces
them with cliches. A player gets ten dice to spend on as many of these
cliches as they like - each one defines what type of character they
are. So, if a player wanted to create a noir-style private
investigator, they might create the following cliches for him:
Private investigator(4),
Ex-Policeman(3), Jazz Enthusiast(2), Coffee Addict(1)
Those cliches create a basic idea of
the type of character he is. When a player tries to perform an action,
he uses the cliche that is most appropriate. This P.I. would roll 4
dice to search for a clue or fire a gun, 3 dice to know a specific law
or police procedure, 2 dice to recognize a jazz song heard through an
open window, and 1 die to talk someone into buying him a cup of joe.
Rules are included for Hooks and
Tales, which encourage players to flesh out their character even more
in exchange for more starting dice. There are also Pump and Double Pump
rules, which give emergency bonus dice to skills in exchange for a
penalty price in later rounds. Combat consists of cliche rolls compared
to one another - the losing roll loses a die on all future rolls, and
when one of a character's cliches reaches 0, they have lost the combat.
Risus has
achieved quite a following, with many fan-made rules and supplements
available online - check the Risus website
to see what's out there.
Return to the directory
|
| SAVAGE
WORLDS |
|
Publisher:
Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Cover Price:
$19.95 PDF / $29.99 print
Availability: In
print and available as a PDF
Summary: A
fast-paced RPG system
Complexity: Medium
Dice Used: A
nearly-full set (without the d20) - d4, d6, d8, and d12 - with one
extra d6 for the "Wild Die." A set of standard playing cards with the
Jokers included is used for initiative, but this is optional.
[?]
Supplements: Many available online at PEG's website,
including 50
Fathoms (swashbuckling), Evernight
(fantasy), Necessary
Evil (supers), and more.
The Good:
Easy to convert other gaming material to the Savage Worlds
system. Has a very active and helpful online community (see below).
Game mechanics are very simple and straightforward. The use of playing
cards creates a familiar element to the game rules. Rules can also be
used to run miniatures wargames and large-scale battles.
The Bad: Core book
is somewhat limited in scope, but this is remedied by supplemental
material. Some of the text is a little racy, but never vulgar.
Savage Worlds
describes itself as "Fast, Furious, and Fun!", and they're not kidding
- the game system is quick, easy to learn, and has many elements that
make it fun to play. Skills and attributes are rated by die type - d4
through d12 - and actions are resolved by rolling the appropriate die
to beat a target number (usually 4). "Wild Cards" - characters that are
especially gifted (this includes all of the player characters and some
of the villains and monsters) get a "wild die," an extra d6 that they
can roll during every check, with the option of taking the better roll
of the two.
Bennies are
benefits handed out to the players at the beginning of the game,
usually represented by tokens, that can be spent to reroll an undesired
result. The gamemaster also gets a pool of bennies to use for the
villains and monsters in the adventure.
Standard playing cards are used for
initiative - determining which characters get to act first in a round.
The gamemaster hands a single card to each player and one (or more) to
himself for any opponents that are involved. The highest cards,
starting with the Ace, act before the others, unless someone draws a
Joker - then that character goes before all others, and gets a bonus to
her actions. There are even special abilities that can be used whenever
a Joker is drawn. Familiar elements like playing cards can be helpful
in teaching new players the rules of the game.
Savage Worlds
has a very devoted fan base. If you have a rules question, need help
with a conversion, or just want to talk to other players, you can join
the forum at www.peginc.com/forum.
The Savage
Worlds
Explorer's Society is the official game master's club, and
offers nifty playing aids like player's mats and tent cards, as well as
member benefits for running the game at conventions and clubs. There's
also a wiki - Savagepedia.
Return to the directory
|
| TRI-STAT DX |
|
|
| COMPLEXITY: |
| Medium |
| DICE: |
| Any x 2 |
Publisher: Guardians of Order
Cover Price: Free,
though a print version is available for a price.
Availability:
Downloadable at DriveThruRPG,
Summary: A free RPG system packed with a ton of options.
Complexity: Medium
Dice used: Any - the system is scalable to use any type
of die as the main die. Whichever die type you choose, you will need at
least two of them, preferably two for each player. [?]
Supplements: Many
RPGs have been built around this system, including Big Eyes Small Mouth (see
above) and Silver Age Sentinels.
The Good:
Free. Lots of material packed into a free game. Scalable system means
that you can control the power level of the game - or play using the
dice that are available on hand.
The Bad: Some of
the text is a little dense. The scalable system makes character
creation a little more complex.
Tri-Stat dX is a free RPG system that
gives you the most for your download. The core book is packed with
options - skills, defects, superpowers, even rules for creating
vehicles. The system is unique in that it is scalable - the setting
determines what type of dice are used, which, in the end, determines
how difficult actions will be for all characters. Tips are given for
scaling the system for 30 different genres.
Skills have variable point costs,
depending on the setting, which can complicate character creation a
little. But this could always be avoided by sticking to the Multigenre
costs and discarding all of the rest.
If you are looking to start a campaign
completely from scratch, and you would like to do it on the cheap,
Tri-Stat dX may be your best choice.
Return to the directory
|
Young
Person's Adventure League - Main
- FAQ - Adventurer's
Atlas - News
- Notebook - Toolbox
|
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