Recommendations on pen and paper system for a newbie group, veteran GM

[Magnimost]

I'm looking for a game system to do a test run with my board gaming friends who are curious about pen-and-paper RPGs after I've talked to them about my Achtung! Cthulhu CoC campaign. This would not be run via FG, but in person.

I like running action-heavy games in a rich world. Coming from board games, the players can handle complex rules. I prefer cinematic combat which is rules-light - also so I don't spend a hundred hours learning a system and then they realize they don't like RPGs. Setting or system itself doesn't really matter, as long as it is fun.

Note I'm not at all familiar with what has been released in the past twenty years, as CoC is my regular group's system of choice.

So, what is your recommendation for us?

[vodokar]

Savage Worlds would be my top choice based on your description. Try out the Daring Tales series by Triple Ace Games. Everything is prepared to run for you already without much fuss including pre generated characters and they are a blast. SW is nothing but Fast, Furious and Fun.

Another recommendation which is quite timely is Champions. There is a once in a lifetime sale going on right now on bundle of holding (https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Champions4Essentials).

[Black Hammer]

I would recommend against Champions for beginners to RPGs. Bit clunky on the mechanics.

Savage Worlds is a good starting point, since it has a lot of setting options available once people know the system.

Gumshoe, whether Nights Black Agents or Trail of Cthulhu, run pretty fast and smooth.

D&D is always a decent starting point, but it ain't simple combat from the DM's seat.

[damned]

Dungeon World or D&D 5e.

[Jay_NOLA]

FATE would do, but I found as I played it it had problems.

Labyrinth Lord which is is an easy B/X retro-clone.

Feng Shui heavily cinematic. Rules are simple. 1st edition is better than 2nd IMHO. 2nd edition changed up a lot to make things more rules lite and threw out a lot of character customization stuff and didn't fix well known errors or take them into account in 2nd edition.

The D6 system is another that is fast and doesn't take long to get started playing.

Kuro good system and mechanics are easy. Check the errata thread on the 7 Circle website. The main official campaign of adventures is a little slow at first but the pace pics up heavily as it progresses.

Stars Without Number is one that is quick when it comes to game play.

[Varsuuk]

I would say 5e isn't too difficult, but Castles & Crusades is even simpler.

Savage Worlds definitely makes combat pretty easy to run, it isn't ALL that simple compared to the ones above - I just think it runs faster so that may be a nice plus.

[Honken]

I would recommend any of the Apocalypse World Engine games. I have myself read Dungeon World, and bits and pieces of Apocalypse World. I am listening to a Masks AP, and there is a "70ties cop" game out there too.

/H

[vodokar]

I would recommend against Champions for beginners to RPGs. Bit clunky on the mechanics.



I mainly brought it up because there is a huge mega sale right now, which won't be available ever again.

The only thing I find difficult about Champions is character creation, but that is going to be true about just about any superhero game I can think of. That complexity doesn't necessarily need to be passed on to the new players; as the gm can provide pre-gens or help the players extensively in character creation.

As for the combat system itself, it's pretty straight forward. roll 3d6 vs a target number. roll #d6 damage and add them for stun damage, then count the die and add 1 for each 6 and minus 1 for each 1 to determine body damage.

Maybe I've just been playing these games too long, but that doesn't seem to complex to me. Champions is a very fleshed out and vibrant game world and has tons of adventures pre-made for the GM to run. Besides, Champions is classic.

[Habenero]

As a tabletop gamer for the last 20 years I just started playing pen and paper RPGs and D&D 5e is actually a pretty simple system compared to other ones I have looked at. Some of my group of friends run the world Championship for Eclipse at Gen Con yearly so complex board games are our thing but 5E is definitely not bad, my 14 year old son likes it as does a good selection of our group that plays both board games and bought the original mid 70s D&D white box.

[Answulf]

Savage Worlds sounds like exactly what you are looking for.

[GunbunnyFuFu]

I'd vote Savage Worlds as well. Plethora of great settings, and it's a fast, easy system to learn. Handles cinematic very, very well.

GB

[Answulf]

Also worth mentioning that Savage Worlds has a free Starter Kit called the Test Drive and a lot of free adventures, so there's no financial commitment to learning.

[Ken L]

Dungeon World or D&D 5e.

Simple and lightweight systems; Dungeon World's rules are free iirc. There's also the open 5eSRD.

[Louis Blumiere]

Here in Brazil I started playing RPG with a system called 3D&T Alpha, it's really easy to understand and with a few "expansions" (Class system), it is a good system for newcomers.
But I don't know if it's translated into english.

If you want, I can try to translate it, will take a few days but it's a good system. :)

[chanceboon]

Cypher systems. Simple, easy to make what you want (Character generation is literally just making a sentence to describe the character you want to play) and only the players roll dice...

[Magnimost]

After a lot of further research, I'm leaning towards Dungeon World, with Savage Worlds coming in at close second.

I'm not a fan of SW's bennies system, as it changes the outcome of a roll after-the-fact, thus lessening the importance of each dice roll, and seems incredibly unthematic, pulling me and my players from the world into the game table. Haven't played it, though, so it might work just fine.

Love the narrative gameplay of DW. It's main weakness seems to be lack of good settings. From what I've read about the setting that comes in the book, it sounds uninspired, and I'm being generous. I'm thinking of just running a one-shot in the Hyborian Age using a wiki as reference material.

Thanks for all the pointers!

[damned]

Hi Magnimost for Dungeon World - even in a one shot let your players help you build your story. Start with some (or lots) of detail and ask your players questions which will help you flavour the world/adventure. Ask the Wizard who he stole his first spell book from (maybe they will do a cameo or maybe they will be the big bad), the Ranger about his lineage, ask the Thief about his last job, ask the Fighter what he knows about something in your story etc. Its hard to include all these things in your story on the fly but it also saves you from having to build it all out and the players really enjoy their story biting them.

[Magnimost]

Hi Magnimost for Dungeon World - even in a one shot let your players help you build your story. Start with some (or lots) of detail and ask your players questions which will help you flavour the world/adventure. Ask the Wizard who he stole his first spell book from (maybe they will do a cameo or maybe they will be the big bad), the Ranger about his lineage, ask the Thief about his last job, ask the Fighter what he knows about something in your story etc. Its hard to include all these things in your story on the fly but it also saves you from having to build it all out and the players really enjoy their story biting them.

I do much of this with my regular group already. I wonder how that works with total RPG newbies, though. They might be timid to really go with it, and will probably need some help in the beginning.

[dragonheels]

Savage Worlds would be my top choice based on your description. Try out the Daring Tales series by Triple Ace Games. Everything is prepared to run for you already without much fuss including pre generated characters and they are a blast. SW is nothing but Fast, Furious and Fun.
bundle of holding (https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Champions4Essentials).
I agree. the bsystem is very good IMO and the book is cool and ready to play with a lot of action

[Answulf]

The Dungeon World "setting" (I'd go so far as to say it doesn't have a setting) is generic on purpose because you are supposed to collaborate on the details of a group setting during your first session (the details the players care about, that is). So for that reason it doesn't really meet your criteria of having a rich world, and it isn't very conducive to long-term campaigns if that is important to you.

Great game though, and it will just flat out make you a better GM regardless of your current experience level. Definitely not for everyone, although new players might actually respond to it better than experienced players because they don't have to fight against what they have learned from playing games like D&D.

[Magnimost]

The Dungeon World "setting" (I'd go so far as to say it doesn't have a setting) is generic on purpose because you are supposed to collaborate on the details of a group setting during your first session (the details the players care about, that is). So for that reason it doesn't really meet your criteria of having a rich world, and it isn't very conducive to long-term campaigns if that is important to you.

Great game though, and it will just flat out make you a better GM regardless of your current experience level. Definitely not for everyone, although new players might actually respond to it better than experienced players because they don't have to fight against what they have learned from playing games like D&D.

I don't see anything in DW which would make it not be suitable for longer campaigns?

Yes, I saw that you're supposed to build a setting on the spot. I don't like that. I'm sure it's great for one-shots, but I much prefer to build or use a solid setting which has a rich world. I could use any of the settings in any of the games, or come up with my own. Of course I would have to come up with stats for monsters, but that's no big deal.

Good point about new players possibly responding better, than battle-hardened RPG vets.

[Trenloe]

Speaking of Dungeon World - there is a DW adventure on "Deal of the Day" on DTRPG today. 62 page adventure for $2.55: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191480/Drought-in-Sulindal--A-Dungeon-World-Adventure?src=DotDem

[Trenloe]

After a lot of further research, I'm leaning towards Dungeon World, with Savage Worlds coming in at close second.
If you're still interested in Savage Worlds there's currently a Bundle of Holding going on for the East Texas University setting, including the Savage Worlds rulebook - included the base $9.95 bundle, which is the usual cost for the rulebook PDF. The complete collection is a bargain if you're vaguely interested in this type of setting. Which, coincidentally, is also available on Fantasy Grounds.