Favorite RPG rules and why?

[Gene]

Hey all, I’ve been RPGing for a long time, and when my group plays a Superhero RPG we use the Classic Marvel Rules. They are good rules, but I’ve come to find that it isn’t a good system for my group. The Marvel rules are a little….Light I guess is the word I’m looking for. It’s a good game for groups that Roleplay more, and roll dice less.

My group is more in the middle of role playing and roll playing. They like a good game, but need some rules for structure.

So, I’m fishing for recommendations. I’ve dabbled with GURPS and Champions in the past, and neither one of those really ‘grabbed’ me. They seemed more towards the ‘roll’ side of things.

I’ve been looking at Mutants and Masterminds lately. Mainly because it’d D20 based, and most of the other games we’ve been playing are D20. Its seems ok so far, but I’ve only really been going through Character creation – recreating some of my MSH Classic characters to see how it works out.

Anyway, let me know

[Hammerknight]

Have your group get together, but instead of playing have everyone talk about their favorite rules from the other games. Then put that all in a hat and work up a set of your own rules. That is the good thing about RPG’s they are not set in stone, there is room to play around.

[The Atomic Punk]

GURPS is my favorite. When I would GM, that was my system. Yes, it is “dicey.” However, it is cross-genre. It is easy to move characters across time, space, and dimensions. And when you switch from say “cowboys and indians” to “trans-universe cyborg goblin hordes from the Lower Planes,” everyone is familiar with character creation and combat rules.

GURPS has more “real-world” application. Spending a half-point on a skill translates into basic familiarity. As an example, I am familiar with constellations. I am no astronomer. However, my basic knowledge of stars and their alignment helps me find my bearings and how late it is in a season. If my character doesn’t have that skill, I can’t apply that knowledge to set a course or predict inclement weather. To me, that’s role-playing.

Same with Champions. The system is also heavy on cubes, but ultimately it provides for a solid base and consistent play. Though I have found Champions / HERO System works best for superhero campaigns and really does not translate well for other genres.

Marvel Superheroes is fun if you’re not serious about a campaign. Good old Dungeons and Dragons is great for strictly D&D. RIFTS is good for combat-oriented campaigns. An oldie but goodie that is D20 is Gamma World. The Elfquest RPG is largely percentile-based. If you want to modify or create your own system, Elfquest might be a good platform.

[Herr D]

Hammerknight has the right idea–one of the reasons I’ve gotten into writing game mechanics is I don’t agree with most of them.
The beauty of the present time is that with all the work already done, you COULD adopt the combat system from one RPG system, weapons from another, skills from a third, races / characters imported through GURPS from everywhere, and even convert from d20 systems to d10s to whatever and back again. You can quite literally build an RPG Frankenstein with a minimum of preparation. Books, online resources, even some consultants like I used to be are out there for the low, low price of just too much, and some are free.
As for favorite rules? I’ve got a few. A GM I know who uses a lot of percentile dice gives an automatic success on rolling a 69.
Several GMs I’ve known give experience points for making them laugh. Some give XP for ‘being ready with the answer a noob needs,’ and helping give them a leg up. One GM said a crit. success rolled on a random rock toss was worth choosing where an avalanche went.
Least favorite? Rules about cover / concealment and called shots seem grossly inaccurate most of the time. ‘Veteran’ in low-power skills always seem grossly overpowered or ignored. Generally inflexibility or the unwillingness to negotiate / customize bothers me also.

[Gene]

Thanks all, I appreciate the feed back. I’ve been playing a lot of years, and have played most of the games mentioned. And 20 years ago, I probably would have sat down and built my own game from other games. But not today. Besides, If I build it, I’ll have to run it, and I wanna play

[Author]

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