Hi TG. I’ve never played a ttrpg before but am looking to get started with some of the boys. I don’t want Mexican lesbian female orcs… looking for more of a 70s heavy metal style with high risk of player death. I’ve been reading a lot trying to find a system and so far dungeon crawl classics and Warhammer fantasy RPG 1st edition seem most in line with what I’m looking for, but hoping I can lean on you fine folks for some suggestions.
>>93241230My biased ass wants to tell you to play D&D 3.5e, but that's probably no the best fit for what you want.Go to the OSR general, I'm sure that there's something to your taste there.Plus, it's a relatively thriving community for those games, so you should be able to find a table if you don't have a group already.
DCC, OSR type games, and EZD6 all fit that bill nicely. EZD6 only feels lacking if you're getting into a long-campaign, but is excellent for one-shots or a mini-campaign.Warhammer Fantasy 2e is preferable, I think.Pathfinder 1e isn't terrible, but suffers from bloat. Pathfinder 2e is an abortion.
>>93241230Use D&D if you're trying to get people into the hobby. Everyone knows what D&D is and it has a baseline level of interest that simply no other game is gonna. Sounds like you'd prefer an older edition over a newer one. 2nd Edition D&D is dirt cheap on resale around ebay and things (or whatever older edition--2nd just has the most material and is cheap). Get the DMG, PHB and Monster Manual, and pick one of the settings you like the art of and get the campaign box set. The maps and art and DM screen make nice props to help you sell the concept to people who haven't played before, and give it some grounding. Set up a simple-ass first adventure.Make your first adventure something dead-simple. A simple adventure outline looks like this: find out about a thing threatening a place. Investigate/travel to the place that the threat is coming from. Dungeon delve that location. Don't get super intricate with it. You're all learning. Keep it simple and the first adventure will get all of you into it and then you can tell your epic story that you're excited about.
>>93241836You start your adventure with some introductory blurb that explains why the players are all already on the adventure when the game begins (for instance, tell them to make characters who are mercenaries, and the intro blurb is you reading to them about the job they're on, the small town they've travelled to for it, and the town elder who is currently explaining that the goblins attacked and kidnapped a fair maiden). For your first scene, your players should now investigate the situation. Put at least like 3 clues they can learn about. For instance: investigate where the fight took place and maybe find some berries from a knapsack a goblin dropped that, if they ask the herbalist you mentioned in your blurb, they can find out only grow around the caves to the south. They can investigate the bodies of the goblins, and find brands on them suggesting the goblins are being ruled by someone stronger and can learn a little about the local lore of "hey that's like the tattoo that old man spooky-guy used on his cattle before he died forty years ago." They can talk to the brave but now-wounded town hero about what kinda special attacks the goblins were using like poison, so they can go back to the herbalist and stock up on antidotes.
>>93241843Now your players set off on their first simple-ass quest. They've gotta travel to the location and encounter a roaring river to cross, some cliffs to climb or go around, an opportunity to hunt a magnificent beast they find in the forest, a random encounter with a minor monster, and a hermit they can barter with to get some minor magic item or kill to show that they're big bad bastards. They can also stumble across something story-relevant, like the old farm where spooky-guy once lived where they can find a dug up grave and go "hmm that's odd." Eventually the players get to the location and have to explore a dungeon with some goblins, the reanimated spooky-guy under a curse and enslaving the goblins, and rescue the fair maiden. Give them a decent amount of cash and a couple magic items with wacky effects that they don't know, and send them back to town where they get a celebratory feast and some more blurbs of congratulations you've already written. At this point your players might be comfortable enough to think about spending the treasure and talking to NPCs to investigate "what does this do?" magic items. And from there you're off and can open the game up a little more after an initial railroad that gives them things to feel good about, people to talk to, and reasons to do stuff.
>>93241230RIFTS has got you covered, friend
>>93241230BFRPG. read the rules.
I never played wh 1st edition, but have you considered 4th one? Setting is simmilar and you can easily play grimdark type of game with high risk for the players. My biggest reasoning for recommending the newest one is that combat is much better compared to second edition. There are some differences but with few small changes you can make system simmilar to second edition, but from my perspective, more enjoyable.
>>93241230Dungeon Crawl Classics and Mutant Crawl Classics are all you need, especially if everyone is new to the game. You usually start at level 0 and become heroes along the way. This gives everyone time to learn the game (including the GM). As for aesthetics, it's 70's heavy metal all the way.
>>93241230Rolemaster 4e may fit the bill. you might enjoy the crit tables and wounds.or GURPS fantasy, and grab dungeon fantasy parts to taste.>>93241388yeah, I like 3e too, but it doesn't sound like what OP is asking for.
>>93241836Wrong, starting players with D&D will teach bad habits that they'll carry to other games.
>>93241230I like Burning Wheel. It's based off stuff like Tolkien, Le Guin and sword and sorcery, and combat is very lethal. The core idea of the system is that the players drive the story with their characters' personal motivations and ethics, and the GM's job is to make scenarios that challenge those beliefs instead of entirely dominating the game's direction. If that sounds appealing, I'm pretty sure there's a .pdf in the Share Thread.
>>93241230Is that Caelid
