RPG Encyclopedia: English

Czech • Danish • Dutch • English • Finnish • French • German • Greek • Hungarian • Italian • Japanese • Norwegian • Polish • Portuguese • Spanish • Swedish • Index

The 23rd Letter

1st ed by Matt Johnston, John Fleming, Colin Johnston, Eamon Watters, Mark Lamki, Lesley McLarnon (1996) Crucible

A sci-fi conspiracy RPG, set in a world where psychics are real and becoming more and more commonplace. The PC's are psychics or humans caught in the secretive war between government projects and the corporate powers. It uses a simple skill-based system (the "ERIS" system), which includes rules for psychic powers.

3:16 Carnage Amongst The Stars

1st ed by Gregor Hutton (2008) BoxNinja

A science-fiction role-playing game, where the player characters are members of 16th Brigade, 3rd Army, of the Terran Expeditionary Force. They are soldiers fighting alien bugs that are trying to kill every living thing in the Universe to protect the home world.

.45 Adventure: Crimefighting Action in the Pulp Era

1st ed by Richard A. Johnson (2006) Rattrap Productions

A tabletop miniatures game of two-fisted action set during the era of the pulp magazines, with some role-playing aspects. It can be played without a gamemaster, with as few as 3 models per player.

7th Sea

1st ed by John Wick, Jennifer Wick (1999) Alderac Entertainment Group

A swashbuckling RPG set on an alternate world ("Theah") very similar to 17th century Earth with the addition of magic and various name changes. There are parallels to most of the major European countries ("Castillian" for Spainiards, etc.) but there is no New World. The system is a dice pool system: roll dice equal to attribute + skill, keeping a number of dice equal to attribute. There are also bonus dice of a different color.

9th Generation

1st ed by Jeff Siadek (1986) Jeff Siadek Enterprises

A tongue-in-cheek post-apocalyptic RPG, published in 3 books including an introductory scenario and a GM screen. Supplements include three extra scenarios, and a rules expansion packet that allows conversion of the plots into fantasy, western, or futuristic settings.

Abbeta: Fantasy Role-Playing Rules for the Twinflare Solar System

1st ed by Martin Hackett, Peter Bennett (1984) self-published

A scifi RPG set in a fantastical version of the solar system. It uses a percentile skill-based system, with attributes POW, FIT, AGI, LUCK and LEARN.

Abeo

1st ed by Jennifer Reynolds , Chuck Lauer (2005) Insomnium Games

A modern horror RPG, set in the modern world where nightmares and horrific fairy tale creatures can recruit or hunt humans. It uses a simple skill-based system where action resolution uses attribute + skill + a die roll versus difficulty, with the die type varying. It includes a sanity system tied into the magic system (feats called Pathos). A character has four Passion scores: Anguish, Dread, Fury, and Yearning. The higher the total of the scores (called Intensity), the more impressive feats of magic the character can do.

Aberrant

1st ed by Justin R. Achilli, Andrew Bates, et al. (1999) White Wolf

The sci-fi superhero RPG (a "prequel" to Trinity) set in an alternate history's 2008 (unrelated to the "World of Darkness"). An accident in 1998 flooded the world with strange radiation that created superpowered "novas". It uses a variant of the "Storyteller" system, introducing "mega-attributes" -- where rather than having strength higher than 5, you might have strength of 3 and also "mega-strength" of 1. Mega-attributes add mega-dice to your dice pool, which are rolled as normal but yield 2 successes if over the target number (or 3 if a ten is rolled).

Abyss

1st ed by Marco Pecota, Wes Johnson (1997) Global Games

An RPG set in the Hell of Dante's "Inferno", a spin-off of the miniatures game Inferno: Battles of the Abyss. Players roleplay demons, which begin as lowly sergeant class and ultimately work for the Archfiends. It uses a dice pool system, rolling (skill minus difficulty) d6's where any "6" indicates success. It has an action-point based combat system. Character creation is point-bought with templates.

A.C.E. Agents

1st ed by Steve Savage, L. Lee Cerny, Walter H. Mytczynskyj (1992) Stellar Games

A humorous espionage RPG, in which an UNCLE-like espionage organisation has to fund itself by selling the rights to films, toys and comics describing its agents' exploits.

Aces & Eights

1st ed by Jolly Blackburn, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, David Kenzer, Jennifer Kenzer, Mark Plemmons (2007) Kenzer & Company

A Wild West RPG using an original system, set in an alternate history of the American West. Combat uses a "shot clock" with a transparent cover and a silhouette of the target, with location determined by a 1d20 roll with modifiers and a card draw. The system also includes roll-over percentile skill tests, where skills start at 100 and go down to 5 for mastery.

Acquitane

1st ed by Carl Smith (1980) Adversary Games

A fantasy-genre RPG, originally published as a setting for D&D. The game apparently came in several books: "Acquitane", "Red Book of Nal", and "Sword and Shield".

Action! System Core Rules

1st ed by Mark Arsenault, Patrick Sweeney, Ross Winn (2002) Gold Rush Games

A universal RPG system, related to the earlier Fuzion system. Action resolution is attribute + skill + 3d6 vs difficulty. Character creation is limited point-based, with a pool of attribute points and a pool of character points (used for advantages, disadvantages, and skills).

Active Exploits Diceless RPG

Special Edition ed by Brett M. Bernstein (2002) Deep7

A universal diceless system. The basic diceless rules are published free, but the special edition is available 5.5x8.5 printed format with additional rules and notes. Action resolution is based on spending Luck, Discipline, and Revelation points. Skills lower difficulty, while attributes add to the total. Character creation is limited point-based. There are four free setting books, 20-30 pages each: a modern-day monster-hunter setting ("The Shaded Veil"), a dystopian sci-fi setting ("Overworld"), a modern conspiracy/horror setting ("Harlequinade"), and a medieval Europe setting ("The Kingdom of Norweign"). In addition, there are three commercial settings: HeartQuest, CORPS, and Dreamwalker.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

1st ed by Gary Gygax (1978) TSR

2nd ed by David Cook (1989)

The advanced version of the original fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. This is the dominant RPG on the market and has hundreds of supplements and adventures. It uses a class-based system with minimal skills, most resolution being by case- or class-specific rules. Character creation is random-roll, with level-based advancement. A 3rd edition reverted to the title of just Dungeons & Dragons, although it is not part of the separate D&D line.

Advanced Phantasm Adventures

1st ed by Troy Christensen (1992) TC International

A medieval fantasy RPG.

Adventure!

1st ed by Tori Bergquist (1985) self-published

A universal RPG system, using mechanics similar to Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying: attributes in the 2-20 range with percentile based skills. A short vehicle design and combat system was included (by Russ Heller). It includes basic stats on vehicles, weapons of old and new, and a short spell and psionic system. The rulebook is 48 pages with a plain tan cover, no cover art, and fannish interior art. It has a print run of 400 copies.

Adventure!

1st ed by Andrew Bates, Bruce Baugh (2001) White Wolf

This is a pulp-genre RPG set in an alternate version of the roaring 20's. This is the third in the trilogy of games including Trinity and Aberrant. This forms a prequel to the other two, showing the roots of the Aeon Society which in the future will change the world. It uses roughly the same variant of the "Storyteller" system as the others in the trilogy. It includes "Dramatic Editing" rules to represent the psychic luck of the PC's, which allows the player to change storyline continuity for a cost in inspiration points.

Adventure Maximum

1st ed by Dennis McDonald (1992) WorldMaster Designs

2nd ed (1996)

A self-published universal RPG system. Reviewed in Shadis magazine #10 (mini-review) and #15.

Adventure Quest: Jaern

1st ed by Robert Blake, Daniel Lawrence (1991) Lafayette Simulations

A universal RPG system, including a fantasy setting with sci-fi elements ("Jaern"). Jaern is an ocean planet that was shot out of its orbit and eons later (its inhabitants protected by psi shield and cryogenics) smashed through another planet ("Torandor") to take its place in that system.

The Adventurer's Handbook

1st ed by Bob Albrecht, Greg Stafford (1984) Reston Publishing Company Inc.

A small-press fantasy-genre RPG intended as an introduction to role-playing for beginning players. The cover shows a row of young players with their fantasy selves floating above them -- with similar features but medieval wardrobe. The system is a variant of Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying. It is an intentionally generic system with a pedantic approach, which includes in the end a list of other RPGs and RPG companies of the time, along with brief reviews of nine "major" ones.

Adventures in Delving

1st ed by Vincent Diakuw (2004) Thousandpress

An electronically-published fantasy RPG of the pulp swords and sorcery genre. It uses a simple step-die system with an emphasis on description. Character creation includes selecting step dice (d4 to d12) for attributes (Courageous, Wise, Mysterious, Solitary, and Charming) as well as a stereotype (such as "Barbarian Warrior", "Dashing Rogue", or "Arcane Student") which adds or subtracts a Fit Die to the total when the stereotype applies to the action.

Adventures in Fantasy

1st ed by Dave Arneson, Richard Snider (1979) Excalibur Games Inc.

2nd ed (1979) Adventure Games Incorporated

A medieval fantasy RPG. The system is class-based: warrior or magic-user. Social standing has a heavy influence on character creation. The first edition is 163 pages and included three books: Book of Adventure, Book of Faery and Magic, and Book of Creatures and Treasure, along with charts and dice.

Adventures in Science

1st ed by Vincent Diakuw (2004) Thousandpress

An electronically-published pulp action RPG. It uses a simple step-die system with an emphasis on description. Character creation includes selecting step dice (d4 to d12) for attributes as well as a stereotype, which adds or subtracts a Fit Die to the total when the stereotype applies to the action.

The Adventures of Indiana Jones

1st ed by David "Zeb" Cook (1984) TSR

A pulp-action RPG in the world of the "Indiana Jones" movies. The 64-page rulebook concentrated on playing actual characters from the movies. The boxed set included paper miniatures.

The Adventures of Luther Arkwright

1st ed by James Brunton (1991) 23rd Parallel Games

A UK alternate-timeline RPG based on the miniseries of comics by Bryan Talbot. The system is a percentile skill-based system similar to Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying.

Æternal Legends

1st ed by Stewart Wilson (2007) Mob United Media

A modern magic RPG, set in a modern world with a Pocket Kingdom where elves, dwarves, gnomes rub shoulders with witches and alchemists right under the noses of a mundane population. One in twenty people is Aware of magic, and a few are Legends who fight evil. It uses an original system, the "Ready 2 Run" system. This is a dice pool system with broad traits ("Aptitudes") like Soldier or Scientist. You roll a number of d6s equal to Attribute + Aptitude, and every 1 or 2 is a success.

Aftermath

1st ed by Bob Charrette, Paul Hume (1981) FGU

A generic post-nuclear-apocalypse RPG, supporting various sub-genres (mutants, survivalist, etc.). The system is a complex skill-based, where action is resolved by rolling a d20 under (skill/5) or (attribute/2). Character creation uses limited point allocation, with some random rolls. Notably, besides standard attributes it has "aptitudes" in skill categories: charismatic, combative, communicative, esthetic, mechanical, natural, and scientific. Combat is quite complex, with a two-page flowchart explaining the combat sequence(!!). It uses basic to-hit, hit-location, and damage rolls with armor subtracted -- but with many special-case criticals.

After The Bomb RPG

1st ed by Eric Wujcik (2001) Palladium Books

A post-apocalyptic RPG where mutated animals rule the land. This was formerly a supplement line for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG, but has been released as a standalone RPG. It uses a variant of the Palladium System, with limited point-bought character creation (via "bio-energy").

Afterwars: Roleplaying in Post WWIII America

1st ed by Timothy J. McFadden (1991) Stellar Games

A post-apocalyptic RPG, set in the U.S. 6 months after a large nuclear, biological, conventional war with the Soviets. The Russians manage to invade the U.S., with attendant resistance. One unique feature is that "U-joints" occurred where nuclear blasts met close together: creating gatewas to other dimensions. It uses the system from Expendables by L. Lee Cerny and Walter H. Mytczenskyj. Character classes are Mainstream, Military, and Fringe. Reviewed in White Wolf #33.

Against the Darkness: A Roleplaying Game of Vatican Horror and Conspiracy

1st ed by Christopher A. Field, Daniel M. Brakhage, Vicki Potter (2006) Tabletop Adventures, LLC

A modern horror game where the PCs are an elite group of priests and other personnel fighting demons, ghosts, and vampires. Character types include Modern Templars, Treasure Seekers, Dispassionate Experts, Sacred Hunters, Blessed Non-believers or others. Resolution is by attribute rating + skill or miracle rating + resolution die vs. target number. There are four attributes -- Corpus, Spiritus, Mentus, Fidelis -- each rated from 1 to 7 as well as having a designated resolution die: d4, d6, or d8. There are 12 skills and 19 miracles, each with a base attribute.

Agent S.E.V.E.N.

1st ed by Todd Downing (1999) Deep7

A very simple espionage mini-RPG published in electronic PDF format. It uses a version of the "1PG" system, which (as its name implies) fits on a single page. Resolution is rolling 1d6 and getting under attribute or skill, where 1 is always success and 6 is always failure.

Agent X

1st ed by Rob Stone, Sean Tisdale, Annette Tisdale (1999) Mind Interactive

A table-top and live-action espionage RPG. The PC's are FBI, CIA, and NSA agents. The system uses a custom deck of cards. Action resolution uses skill level minus difficulty to find the number of cards to draw from the deck. Success is determined by the number of success cards. Character creation is by picking an agency template and adding point-bought skills. The rules include essays on spy slang and surveillance.

Age of Chivalry

1st ed by Marshall Rose (1978) Avant-Garde Simulations Perspectives

A medievel knights RPG, concentrating on a unique system for combat, with a bare bones campaign system included. The combat system involves cross referencing tables to determine the modifiers to attacks based upon what combination of attack and defense each combatant chooses. It also has a jousting system simular to one in Chivalry and Sorcery.

Age of Empire

1st ed by Gareth-Michael Skarka (1996) Epitaph Studios

A fantasy RPG set in Victorian Europe with the addition of wizards, mad scientists, and monsters (including demons, dragons, elementals, lycanthropes, and even Martians). It uses a fairly simple system with 3 attributes (Mind, Body, and Spirit), attribute specialties, and various skills. Action resolution is by rolling a number of d6's equal to attribute + skill, compared against a number of dice rolled by the GM for difficulty. This has large variation, which is intentional for a cinematic genre.

The Age of Phaedrus

1st ed by Sean Bindel, Brian Fitzpatrick (1997) Moebius Adventures

A traditional fantasy RPG (with elves, dwarves, monsters, and dungeons). It uses a mix of random-roll and allocated character creation, and a pure skill-based system.

Age of Ruin

1st ed by Clay Gibbons (1990) Cutting Edge Games

A post-apocalyptic RPG, set around 80 years after the a third world war caused by lack of natural resources. The dominant weapon was called the Red Death, a plague which killed by mutating the DNA of the infected. If you survived, your children were mutants. It uses a simple percentile attribute and skill-based system. Includes a fast-playing vehicle combat system, and an introductory mini- campaign/adventure. Reviewed in White Wolf #22.

Agon

1st ed by John Harper (2006) one.seven design

A competitive RPG set in a fantastic version of ancient Greece, similar to the settings of the Iliad and the Odyssey. It uses a combat system where the player holds dice in their right hand to represent attacks, and in their left hand to represent defenses.

A.I.

1st ed (1993) Digest Group Publications

A science fantasy RPG -- never actually published. It was announced in 1993 as the next project for DGP. The game was set in a decayed future where Earth has been radically changed by nanotechnology, machine intelligence, and genetic engineering (attempting science as magic). The characters would be explorers working for intelligent starships that have returned home to find it inexplicably changed.

Albedo

1st ed by Paul Kidd, Steve Gallacci (1988) Thoughts and Images (a subsidiary of TAGG)

2nd ed (1993) Chessex

Platinum Catalyst ed (2004) Sanguine

A sci-fi RPG based on the comic book series "Albedo, Anthropomorphics" by Steve Gallacci. It is a hard-science starfaring setting, with the twist that the characters are anthropomorphic animals (from 1 of 163 species).

Albion: Celtesque fantasy roleplaying after the Shrug

1st ed by Tim Gray (2002) Silver Branch Games

A post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG set in Britain after a rapid climate change (known as The Shrug), social upheaval, and the return of magic to the world. Various factions have arisen with conflicting beliefs in magic and technology. In Britain the Order of Druids was rebuilt, and spirits from the Otherworlds of Annwn and Abred have returned. It uses a dice-pool system (the LODE system), with action resolution based on rolling a number of d6's based on skill + modifiers, where any result of 4-6 indicates a success. Character creation is limited-point based (spending points on Attributes, Skills, and Advantages) plus a selection of template.

Aletheia

1st ed by Lee Foster, Monica Valentinelli, Werner Hager (2007) Abstract Nova Entertainment

A modern-day occult RPG, where the player characters are members of the Seven Dogs Society, a detailed organization that investigates paranormal occurrences throughout the world with the belief that a single truth underlies everything. It uses a simple dice pools system where you gain automatic successes equal to your level in a relevant occupation or extracurricular skill, then roll d6s equal to your relevant attribute where every 5 or 6 is an additional victory. A will point may be spent to roll an additional 1d6. Character creation is limited point-buy, with attribute points for the four attributes (fitness, awareness, personality and reason -- rated 1 to 5); occupation points for skills; and supplemental points that can be used to buy powers as well as to buy increased attributes, addition descriptors, occupations and extracurricular skills. The nine powers are presque vu (intuition), deja visite (orientation), remote viewing, X-ray vision, postcognition, precognition, ghosting (insubstantiality), teleportation, and time travel.

Alice - Single Die Roleplaying System

1st ed by M. Redwood, D. Freegard, V. Piper, P. Scott, D. Barton (2003) Alice RPS

A complete RPG, focused on modern-day settings but designed for use in most genres with a little more work. It uses a simple skill-based system, rolling under Core Skill + Aptitude + Focus + modifiers on 1d20. Character creation is open point-based, allowing spending on the 16 different broad Core Skills (such as Athletics), the Aptitudes (narrower skills such as Throw, Melee, Unarmed, and Acrobatics), and Focuses (specializations).

Aliens

1st ed by Barry Nakazano, David McKenzie (1990) Leading Edge

A sci-fi action RPG based on the movie "Aliens". It uses an simplified version of the combat rules in Phoenix Command, although it is still quite complex.

Alien Summit

1st ed by Annie Rush (2004) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A sci-fi mini-RPG about negotiation between four alien races using Earth as neutral territory. It is partly live-action format, as the PCs are aliens in human guise similar to the players who are sitting around a room and discussing problems. Character creation is based on random draw of six playing cards: one determines race, while five others define personality Quirks. Players can trade cards back to the dealer to add some control. The core rules include descriptions of the four races mainly in terms of personalities and beliefs. Action is primarily discussion between the players. The rules include special powers and limited combat rules, all of which are diceless, spending certain tokens for effects.

All-Adventure Action Roleplay Game!

1st ed by Gareth Jones (unknown, pre-1991) Taupe Games

A small-press universal RPG (AAARG!) with an emphasis on pulp or swashbuckling cinematic action. The rulebook is 54 pages (A4 size) staple-bound, and includes a general bestiary, NPC archetypes, campaign ideas, and a simple weapons chart. Action resolution is a d20 roll modified by skill, attributes, etc. Character creation is cooperative rather than point-based or rolled -- the player and GM simply assign stats based on the role. It has 8 attributes (Brain, Muscle, Heart, Soul, Legs, Hands, Senses, and Mouth) rated 1-10, along with Skills, Passions, Hobbies, and Interests.

All Flesh Must Be Eaten

1st ed by Albert Bruno III, C.J. Carella, Richard Oaken, M. Alexander Jurkat, George Vasilakos (1999) Eden Studios

A zombie-horror RPG, covering a variety of possible campaign settings. There are notes on creating different types of zombies. The core book presents eleven separate campaign concepts, each with distinct zombie stats, background info and adventure seeds. These range from modern-day Romero-inspired reanimation to alien invasion, WWII, medieval times, post-apocalyptic zombies, and a Biblical apocalypse. It uses the skill-based "Unisystem" from Witchcraft, with open point-based character creation and resolution by stat+d10 vs difficulty. There are three basic character types: normal civilians, survival specialists, and the "inspired" who have magic-like abilities.

All Star Wrestling

1st ed by Paul Schulze (1991) Afterthought Images

A professional wrestling RPG.

Alma Mater

1st ed by Steve Davis, Andrew Warden (1982) Oracle Games

A grossly humorous RPG about high-school students of anarchic bent at a generic high-school setting, "Central High". The cover by Erol Otus shows juvenile delinquents gathered at the front door of their high school, with drug-dealing and fornication in evidence. The inside cover is a map of Central High School. The system is skill-based. Character creation is class-based with random-roll attributes. You roll 7d10 and assign one die to each of seven attributes: Strength, Coordination, Appearance, Intelligence, Learning Drive, Courage, Willpower, and Constitution. You pick one of seven classes: Average Kid, Brain, Cheerleader, Criminal, Jock, Tough, and Loser. You then generate your social level based upon your class and a d10 roll, which in turn generates your starting money and allowance. Your age (from 13 to 17) and birthday are then generated. You get attribute increases when you turn 16, 17 and 18. You then randomly generate problems, ranging from "Moderate Acne" to phobias and so forth, with increased problems for lower Appearance. You have initial skills based on class, including high-school specific skills such as Cheating, Drinking, Studying, and Crudeness. The core book includes rules for activities ranging from drug use, animal reactions, and dealing with the contents of the chem lab to pregnancy. Players score points for Social Success (for dating, partying, etc.), Academic Success (for grades), and General Success (including miscellaneous such as successful crimes for the Criminal and Tough classes). The game includes an explicit victory condition that whoever has the most Success Points after four years of game time wins the campaign.

Alternity

1st ed by Bill Slavicsek, Richard Baker (1998) TSR

A generic science-fiction RPG. It uses a skill-based system with restrictive professions (similar to Rolemaster). Character creation is by limited point-buying, with 5 classes. The resolution is standard roll d20 under attribute+skill, with a twist. Rather than fixed modifiers, the roll is modified by a second step-die which varies (i.e. -d4, +d4, +d6, +d8, etc.). Experience is divided into levels, but experience can be divided freely among skills. It also covers aliens (5 types), starships, psionics, mutations, and equipment to varying degrees.
Settings include "Star*Drive"; "Dark*Matter" (conspiracy); and "Gamma World" (based on the earlier game).

Altus Adventum

1st ed by Roderic Waibel (2004) Sacrosanct Games Ent.

An electronically-published "retro-style" fantasy RPG set on an original fantasy world -- the continent Algerian on the planet of Azorath, inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes. It uses the "InertiaX System" which emphasizes flexibility and speed of resolution for combat. Action resolution is a stepped dice pool (1d4, 2d4, and on up to 4d20, 5d20). Wounds are scaled in four steps. The full combat system includes a speed point systems as well as maneuvers such as charging, power attacks, critical hits, encumbrance, poison and disease, and fatigue. It includes a magic system with four types (Rune, Totem, Channeling, and Mental). Character creation involves percentile attributes and percentile non-combat skills, as well as selecting an optional guild occupation including warrior, knight, wizard, paladin, rogue, assassin, and druid. The core rules also includes over 100 monsters.

Amazing Engine

1st ed by David "Zeb" Cook, Karen S. Boomgarden, Michele Carter (1993) TSR

A minimalist generic system from TSR. It uses a simple percentile system where the players generate a "core concept" with 4 attributes (Physique/ Intellect/ Spirit/ Influence), which is fleshed out when it was adapted to a given setting. Two sub-attributes are then specified for each attribute, and skills are bought. Actions are resolved by rolling percentile dice under skill. Degree of success is shown by the "ones" digit of the roll: the lower, the better.
The 19-page system was included with many universebooks, including: "For Faerie Queen and Country" (Victorian Earth + faerie), "Bughunters", "The Galactos Barrier" (Space Opera), "Kromosome" (cyberpunk + genetics), "Magitech", "The Once and Future King" (Arthurian science fantasy), "Tabloid!" (Earth where tabloids are true), and "Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega" (a remake of the classic game: science fantasy on a generation starship).

Amber Diceless Role-playing

1st ed by Eric Wujcik (1991) Phage Press

A diceless RPG based on the novels by Roger Zelazny. The system makes action resolution entirely within GM discretion, with various guidelines given. Character creation is via a point system with a unique auction where players compete with each other to have the highest of each of the 4 attributes. Detailed writeups are given for many characters from the series.

Angel

1st ed by C.J. Carella (2003) Eden Studios

A modern-day monster-fighting RPG based on the U.S. television series, the spin-off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in modern-day Los Angeles. It uses a variant of the "Cinematic Unisystem" which was originally designed for the closely related Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. The Angel rules add more detail on various demons as player characters, as well as detailed rules for organizations, and some varied options in ads/disads and combat maneuvers to fit the series.

Apocrypha

1st ed by Barbara J. Webb, Heather Watson (2000) Frontiers Design

A fantasy RPG set on an original world. Choosing from the 11 original races and 11 religions determines the styles of magic and the advancement of technology to which a PC has easy access. The races range from pure energy beings to humanoid saurians. The system is 3d6-based and focuses on detailed character creation but simplicity in play.

Apokryph: le dernier Cantique

1st ed by Sofiène Boumaza (2003) Scriptorium

A French-language modern day occult horror RPG, set in the Vatican. The PCs are generally members of the Vatican, from five key orders: Augustine, Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit, and Carmelite. They are facing a possible end of the world coming, and various conspiracies and cults are working towards that -- both within the church and outside it. It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation is limited point-buy attributes and skills, with the chosen order giving advantages and obligations to the character, as well as a privileged attribute. There are 53 points to split among nine attributes rated 1 to 10 (Intelligence, Will, Education, Force, Memory, Charisma, Dexterity, Constitution and Perception). Then there are 450 points to distribute among the percentile skills. There are also three gauges: Mystique (perception of the world), Faith, and Vitality. The core rulebook includes background on the Vatican, opponents, and an introductory adventure ("The Conscience of Saint Pierre").

The Archaereon Game System

Mage ed by Wilf K. Backhaus (1980) Archaereon Games Ltd.

Warrior ed by Wilf K. Backhaus, Jan Vrapcenak, Richard Fietz (1981)

A medieval fantasy RPG based on feudal Europe -- growing out of a Chivalry & Sorcery) campaign in the world of "Arden". It was published as a magic system with mage character creation, and a combat system with warrior creation.

Archangels: In the Beginning

1st ed by Evangelos Hugo Paliatseas (2004) Plot Device

A freeform Live Action Role Playing (LARP) event game using a token system, set at the dawn of time. The players portray sixteen parts of the mind of God -- Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, Samael, Azrael, and more. Described as a mix of "divine power, infinite possibility, and boundless ego".

Arduin Adventure

1st ed by David A. Hargrave (1981) Grimoire Games

2nd ed (1981) Dragon Tree Press

The Compleat Arduin ed by David A. Hargrave, Mark Schynert (1992) Grimoire Games

A medieval fantasy RPG based on The Arduin Grimoire (Vols I, II, and III), which is a supplement for D&D and an outgrowth of Hargrave's long-running campaign. The system is essentially a variant of D&D with redefined races, classes, and other rules. Mages cast memorized spells, while priests have a ritual system. The revised version ("The Compleat Arduin") includes 20 distinct races, new rules, comprehensive equipment lists.

Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth

1st ed by Christian S. Moore, Owen M. Seyler (1994) Last Unicorn

A generic system published in three books ("Canticle", "Worlds", "Role-playing"), emphasizing GM or cooperating world design. The character creation is a somewhat complex point system. Action resolution is simple in principle (d10+modifiers vs difficulty), but with a host of modifiers.

Armageddon: The End Times

1st ed by C. J. Carella (1997) Myrmidon

1st ed (1999) Eden Studios

A near-future horror RPG where the world is at war with the hi-tech Church of Revelations, which worships an alien entity so horrific that Heaven, Hell, and even old pagan gods have openly joined in the battle against it. It uses the "Unisystem" from Witchcraft, which is a simple skill based system: skill+attribute+1d10 vs difficulty. The editing and layout have some problems, however (1st edition).

Armageddon 2089 Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Ian Sturrock (2003) Mongoose Publishing

A near-future sci-fi RPG concentrating on mek-based warfare and the mercenary/corporate companies who use them. It is set in a future where, in 2089, the world faces a devastating war between the United States of America and the European Federation. The PCs are mercernaries who own "WarMeks" -- human-shaped combat robots. This uses a variant of of the D20 System from third edition Dungeons & Dragons, with many additions for futuristic Mek combat. The rules include a system for generating the mercernary company as well as individual characters.

Armored Trooper VOTOMS

1st ed by Tim Eldred, Paul Sudlow, Mike Pondsmith, Benjamin Wright (1998) R Talsorian

A sci-fi RPG based on the Japanese anime series, set in the far-future featuring mecha combat and over-the-top action. It uses the Fuzion system (a mix of RTG's Interlock and Hero's Champions).

Michael T. Desing's Army Ants: The Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Michael T. Desing (1999) Teddy Bear Press

2nd ed (2001)

3rd ed (2006)

An anthropomorphic-animals RPG of playing ants, beetles, crickets, and/or ladybugs engaged with nefarious bees, wasps, spiders, stinkbugs, and other nasties. Warfare takes place in your own backyard (or other nearby plot of land), but uses miniature machineguns, tanks, etc. The system uses roll (based on attribute and skill) vs target number. It has random-roll, class-based character creation. Advancement is level-based.

Army of Darkness Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Shane Lacy Hensley (2005) Eden Studios

A darkly humorous fantasy RPG based on the 1993 Sam Raimi film, about modern-day misfits thrown into Earth's past with hordes of undead to fight. There is a selection of settings from ancient Sumeria to pulp era. Character archetypes include an archeologist, a swashbuckler, a gunslinger, a reporter, and a game designer (!). It uses the Cinematic Unisystem -- a variant of the Unisystem (originally from Witchcraft) developed for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG.

Arrowflight: The Edge of Fantasy

1st ed by Todd Downing, Ron Dugdale (2002) Deep7

An epic fantasy genre RPG, set in the Empire of Corvel where the King has just been assassinated. The system handles action resolution using a dice-pool system, rolling d6's equal to attribute against a target number based on skill. Character creation is point-bought attributes and skills.

Ars Magica

1st ed by Jonathan Tweet, Mark Rein•Hagen (1987) Lion Rampant

2nd ed (1989)

3rd ed by Ken Cliffe, Mark Rein•Hagen (1992) White Wolf

4th ed by Jeff Tinball, John Nephew (1996) Atlas Games

5th ed by David Chart (2004) Atlas Games

An RPG set in "Mythic Europe" where hermetic magi work secretly in hidden covenants. The system is fairly simple: attribute + skill + 1d10, but the main rules are in the innovative magic system. The magic works by a "noun + verb" system. Magi have ratings in 10 "Forms" (nouns) and 5 "Arts" (verbs), given in Latin as fits the setting. Any spell corresponds to a noun/verb combination (like "Creo Ignem" meaning "Create Fire"). Resolving a spell means comparing (Form rating) + (Art rating) + 1d10 vs level of difficulty.

Artesia: Adventures in the Known World

1st ed by Mark Smylie (2005) Archaia Studios Press

A fantasy RPG set in an alternate history 15th century Europe where monotheism is not dominant, based on the Artesia series of comic books written and illustrated by Mark Smylie. It uses a variant of the Fuzion system with a certain amount of tailoring for the specific genre.

a|state

1st ed by Malcolm Craig (2004) Contested Ground Studios

A dark science fantasy RPG set in a place known only as "The City". It has advanced technology but also is plagued by the remnants of a magical cataclysm from a thousand years ago known as "The Shift". It uses a percentile skill-based system -- roll under stat/skill on 1d100. Character creation is limited point-based (attribute points and skill points), with various origins and occupations offering suggested skills.

Asylum

1st ed by Aaron Rosenberg (1997) Clockworks Games

A horror game set 150 years in the future where everyone is insane after an biological disaster that darkened the skies with mutant spores. The majority of the world's population lives in Wards: city-sized secure areas where the population of inmates is fed, watched, and treated by the Warden. The mechanics are a simple skill-based system, which uses colored marbles instead of dice: draw out two marbles from a bag of 10 (2 each of 5 colors). The colors map onto numbers 1-5, but for various charts the individual colors matter. It uses point-based character generation.

The Atlantean Trilogy: The Arcanum, The Lexicon, The Bestiary

1st ed by Stephan Michael Sechi, Vernie Taylor (1980) Bard Games

A traditional fantasy game set in Atlantis of a mythic antedeluvian age. It uses a class- and level-based system using d20 and d100, similar to D&D in that there is no universal mechanic. There is a skill system, implemented as minor binary advantages (i.e. you either have a skill or you on't). Character creation is limited point-based, but dominated by race and class. It includes a distinct magic system, divided into Mysticism, Black Magic, High Magic, Low Magic, Divine Magic, Elemental Magic, Sorcery, and Enchantment.

Atlantis: The Second Age

1st ed by Scott Agnew (2005) Morrigan Press

A traditional fantasy game set in Atlantis of a mythic antedeluvian age, an adaptation of the 1980 from Atlantean Trilogy from Bard Games.

Attack of the Humans

1st ed by Devin Durham (1990) Rapport Games

A humorous horror-genre combat system / RPG based on "B-" horror movies, fighting alien brain men, evil stuffed toys, blind telepathic albindo sewer 'gators, and more. It uses a simple system of 3 attributes (Brains, Fitness, and Common Sense) which correspond to the classes of Brainiac, Athlete, and Typical Person. Character creation is class-based with point-bought skills.

Aurora

1st ed by Stephen Mulholland, Chris Page, Chris Mills (2002) Aurora Games

A hard science-fiction spacefaring game, set in a distant future where humans have colonised space in cooperation with six other spacefaring races. There is a focus on exploration and interaction among the highly-detailed alien species. Action resolution uses "failure dice", where you choose how many d10's to roll. You get a constant bonus equal to that number, but each roll equal to or less than that number subtracts 2 from your total. Thus, choosing more dice is riskier but gives a chance at a higher total. Character creation is open point-based.

Avengers of Justice

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1994) Better Games

A superhero game where resolution is based on genre and drama rather than stats, using the "Free-Style Roleplay" system from Crimson Cutlass. By the rules, it is a disadvantage for a Villian to eliminate the Hero as the comic line would then cease to run and the Villain would get canceled with it. The game includes tables of genre cliches, action resolution, etc.

Awesome Adventures

1st ed by Willow Palecek (2008) self-published

A role-playing game of over-the-top action adventure, using a variant of the FATE system (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment) from Spirit of the Century. The rules are written with the goal of quick, easy, fast-moving play. The game book is independently published via Lulu.com.

Babylon 5: Roleplaying Game and Fact Book

1st ed by Matthew Sprange (2003) Mongoose Publishing

2nd ed (2006)

A sci-fi game based on the TV series "Babylon 5". It uses a variant of the rules from third edition Dungeons & Dragons (aka d20). The book is not a complete game, and requires the D&D Players Handbook for character generation, skills, and experience. It includes descriptions for six races and eight classes, plus modified combat rules and rules for telepathy and spacecraft battles.

The Babylon Project

1st ed by Joseph Cochran (1997) Chameleon Eclectic

A sci-fi game based on the TV series "Babylon 5". The rules are reasonably laid out, with a straightforward skill-based system. The combat system is fairly complex, with a hex-pattern hit location chart and a table relating damage amount and type.

Bacchanal

1st ed by Paul Czege (2005) Half-Meme Press

A mini-RPG about a night of madness in 61 A.D., in the Italian harbour town of Puteoli. The god Bacchus and his satyrs have descended from the hills to induce an irresistable madness of drunkenness, violent crime, and lust. Three other gods are also present: Venus, goddess of love and lust; Pluto, who has come to see the most base crimes of men; and Minerva, enraged by the mindless brutality and of a mind to put a stop to it. The PCs have each been accused of a crime against the empire, and they need to find their lost companion and flee Puteoli before they are caught and killed by the soldiers that are looking for them. The game consists of rolling a handful of dice, with different dice representing the gods, the soldiers, the companion, and wine. Depending on which die is highest, the player is given directions to narrate the scene.

Barbarians Versus

1st ed by Nathan J. Hill (2005) Key 20 Publishing Mystic Ages Online

A mini-roleplaying game about medieval fantasy barbarians fighting reptilian invaders from beyond the stars.

Barony Fantasy Role-Play

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1993) Better Games

An oriental fantasy RPG, published in magazine format in three books. One book handles character creation and basic mechanics, one book walks GMs through developing scenarios, and the last one is on dragon battles. It uses the "Free-Style Roleplay" system from Crimson Cutlass. Reviewed in White Wolf #26.

BASH! Basic Action Super Heroes

1st ed by Chris Rutkowsky (2005) Basic Action Games

A superhero RPG with a simple system. Action resolution is by rolling 2d6 (with doubles open-ending), multiplying by attribute (1-5), adding modifiers, and comparing with difficulty. Skills are binary -- lacking a skill means -4 on the die roll before multiplying. In combat, if a hit is scored, the damage is the difference between a damage roll (usually Brawn + attack bonuses) and a soak roll (usually Brawn + Armor). Character creation is limited point-based. First, spread 7 points among the three attributes (Brawn, Agility, and Mind). Second, spread 9 points on powers. Third, pick a number of Agility skills equal to Agility, and Mind skills equal to Mind.

BASH! Fantasy

1st ed by Chris Rutkowsky (2005) Basic Action Games

A fantasy RPG using a variant of the system in BASH!.

Basic Role-Playing

1st ed by Greg Stafford, Lynn Willis (1980) Chaosium

1st ed by Jason Durall, Sam Johnson, Steve Perrin, Steve Hedrickson, Ray Turney (2008) Chaosium

This is a short universal RPG system, although as originally published it only supported fantasy or early history. The original booklet was intended as an introduction for beginners to Chaosium's RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, and Stormbringer games. These used roughly the same system which BRP explained. BRP is a percentile skill system: roll under skill(0-100) on percentile dice, or roll on the "resistance table" for attribute (3-18) vs difficulty. Character creation is random-roll attributes. In the introductory booklet, skills are fixed but can be improved with experience. In 1982, the booklet was packaged with 3 genre books in Worlds of Wonder.

Batman RPG

1st ed by Jack A. Barker, Greg Gorden, Ray Winninger (1988) Mayfair Games

2nd ed by Ray Winninger (1989)

A superhero RPG based on playing characters from the "Batman" comic series from DC Comics. It used a "lite" version of the DC Heroes system (aka MEGS).

Battle Born

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1992) Better Games

A sci-fi mini-RPG published in Space Gamer magazine, issue #1. It is based on a portion of the space marine RPG Era Ten.

Battlelords of the 23rd Century

1st ed by Lawrence R. Sims (1990) Optimus

2nd ed (1991)

3rd ed (1992)

4th ed (1993)

5th ed (1999)

A "deep space" sci-fi RPG that focuses on an Alliance of 27 alien races who desperately seek to ward off the threat of internal destruction while simultaneously exploring the vast uncharted regions of space. It uses a d100, skill-based system. Reviewed in White Wolf #35.

Battlestar Galactica Role Playing Game

1st ed by Jamie Chambers, James Davenport, Sean Everette, Patrick Kapera, Nathan Rockwood, Floyd C. Wesel (2007) Margaret Weis Productions

A space opera RPG based on the modern television series created by Ronald D. Moore that started in 2004. It uses the "Cortex" system adapted from the Sovereign Stone fantasy system and Serenity RPG. Attributes and skills are rated in a a step die system with twelve ranks: d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d12+d2, d12+d4, d12+d6, d12+d8, d12+d10, d12+d12. Action resolution is by rolling attribute die plus skill die. Characters have six attributes (Agility, Strength, Vitality, Alertness, Intelligence, Willpower), along with skills and advantages. It also includes a plot point mechanic. Plot Points can be spent before a roll for an extra die (costing 1 per rank), after the roll to raise the total (costing 1 per +1), or to manipulate the story (scaled from 1-3 for convenient coincidence to 11+ for "saving your bacon").

Battlestations

1st ed by Jeff Siadek, Jason Siadek (2004) Gorilla Games

A mixed boardgame and role-playing game which integrates character actions with spaceship actions. Players track their characters' positions on the spaceship layouts (also used for boarding actions) and the ships' positions on the hex map. If you want the ship to turn or speed up, a character has to take an action to make it so. If you want the ship's guns to fire at an enemy ship, a character has to take an action to fire the guns. Character creation uses six species and four professions (Pilot, Marine, Scientist, and Engineer).

Beach Bunny Bimbos with Blasters

1st ed by Richard Tucholka (1991) Tri-Tac Games

A humorous mini-RPG of alien invasion (a take-off of BTRC's Macho Women with Guns). Martians are taking over, reviving the horrors of plastic flamingos and Disco, and only California beach bunnies can spot them (due to their uncluttered brains). It uses a percentile skill system (roll under skill on d100), with mixed random-roll and point-bought character creation.

Beast Hunters

1st ed by Christian Griffen, Lisa Griffen (2007) Berengad Games

A game for two players set in an original fantasy setting where tribal hunters stalk mythical beasts through jungles -- combined with mystic rituals and spirits.

Beasts, Men, & Gods

1st ed by Bill Underwood (1980) Imagination Unlimited Imagination Unlimited The Game Masters

A fantasy RPG. Character creation has combined classes and races (like original D&D Advancement is level-based. It was a small-press offering published locally in Kansas.

Behind Enemy Lines

1st ed by William H. Keith, Jr., Jordan Weisman, Ross Babcock, Eric Turn, Steve Turn (1982) FASA

2nd ed (1985) The Companions

A military RPG set in WWII on the Western front. The system is similar to the original Traveller rules.

Best Friends: A Role-Playing Game About Girlfriends And All Their Petty Hatreds

1st ed by Gregor Hutton (2006) BoxNinja

A game where the PCs are "best friends". There are five stats: Pretty, Cool, Smart, Tough, and Rich. Each PC's stats are set by how all the other players rate your character. Each player answers five questions for her PC, of the form "I hate _____ because she is (Prettier/Cooler/etc.) than me". Then the number of PCs who hate your character for how Cool she is becomes that PC's Cool stat.

Beyond Mortal Men

1st ed by Christopher Helton (2005) Battlefield Press

A superhero RPG rules system. This is strictly speaking a supplement for use with the Action! System from Gold Rush Games.

Beyond the Supernatural

1st ed by Randy McCall, Kevin Siembieda, Erick Wujcik (1988) Palladium Books

2nd ed (2005) Palladium Books

A contemporary horror RPG, using a variant of the Palladium System. It includes supernatural and psychic powers, plus a magic system (including ley lines).

Bifrost

Volume 1: Faerie ed (1977) L.W.Felstead Ltd

Volume 2: Combat ed (1978) Skytrex Ltd.

Volume 3: Magic ed (1978) Skytrex Ltd.

Volume 4 ed by A.R. Chandler, B.D. Cooper, G.D. Evans, J. le Grabbe-Phipps, D.R. Henderson, G.J. Philp, A.R. Williamson (1979) Skytrex Ltd.

Bifrost ed by K. White, K. Minear, S. Johnson, G. Highley (1982) Skytrex Ltd.

A medieval fantasy miniatures combat system and RPG, using a fairly complex system. Originally published as a series of four separate rulebook volumes. These were eventually expanded and combined into a single volume, published in 1982. In addition to combat and characters, the system covers planar travel and divine intervention. Volume 1 ("Faerie") is 74 pages staple-bound with a dark blue cover with white illustration of a dragon. Volume 2 ("Combat") is 36 pages staple-bound with a light blue cover with white illustration of castle. Volume 3 ("Magic") is 84 loose pages with a purple cover with illustration of wizard. Volume 4 is 90 pages glue-bound, with a yellow cover with a black illustration of a goblin-like creature. Volume 4 contains rules on unarmed, mounted, and aerial combat, horses, fatigue, firearms and literacy, plus creature descriptions.

Big Bang Comics Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Chris Carter (2006) Pisces All Media

A superhero RPG based on the series of comic books of the same name, a retro take-off series of many classic comics of the Golden Age and Silver Age, founded by Gary Carlson. It is a standalone game using a variant of the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D called the Golden System. It uses the standard ability scores, levels, attacks and skills, and class mechanics -- while adding disadvantages ("Negative Feats") that allow a bonus feat, as well as a large selection of 200+ new feats including various superheroic abilities. The core book includes statistics for many of the Big Bang characters -- the Blitz, Ultiman, Knight Watchman, Thunder Girl, and others -- as well as background on the universe, gadget rules, mass combat and vehicle combat rules, and alternate dimensions.

Big Eyes, Small Mouth

1st ed by Mark MacKinnon (1997) Guardians of Order

2nd ed by David L. Pulver, Mark MacKinnon (2000)

A universal Japanese anime role-playing game, intended to cover subgenres from giant mecha to romantic comedy. It has a very simple system (the "Tri-Stat" system) with three attributes and ads/disads -- the base game has no skills. Action resolution is by 2d6 against modified attribute. The 2nd edition incorporated skill rules, lots of advantages/disadvantages, and mecha rules into the core rulebook.

Blackwatch Technical Reference Manual

1st ed by Ted Greer, Peter Christian (1989) Different Worlds Publications

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG, about members of a freelance trouble-shooting organizations ("Blackwatch"). Besides humans, there are 4 alien races described. It uses a skill-based system, including rules for starship combat and robots.

Blood: The Roleplaying Game of Modern Horror

1st ed by Norley Tucker, Stephen Osborn (1990) Underground Games

1st ed by James Desborough (2006) Postmortem Studios

A modern-day horror RPG where PC's face various film-based creatures including zombies, Angels of Pain (from Hellraiser), Candarion Demons (from Evil Dead), The Blob (from the film of the same name). It uses a percentile system. Character creation is d100 for each attribute, and skills chosen by a career package plus points based on attributes. The combat system is quite gory, with 400+ weapons and 25 critical hit tables. It is a 112 page book, with 2 scenarios to help you get started.

Bloodbath

1st ed by Rick Slawson, Troy Christensen (1989) TC International

A fantasy mini-RPG set on the barbaric world of Helboria. The PC's are warriors who explore this world, while killing stuff along the way. The combat system is based on a hex-map, and includes graphic descriptions with various critical hits. It uses "Bodily Mutilation Capacity" in place of hit points. Published in a set of 24-page rulebook (complete with a sample dungeon adventure), a world map, hex grid map, and counters. A companion game, Bloodchant, added spellcasting rules to the system.

Blood Dawn

1st ed by Lawrence R. Sims (1996) Optimus

A post-nuclear-apocalypse science fantasy RPG set 60 years after the devastation, in a world of "magic, mutations, and machines". The PC's are prophets seeking to restore civilization from the reigning barbarism. It uses a basic roll-under-stat with modifiers. Character creation is limited point-bought.

Bloode Island

1st ed by Todd Downing (1999) Deep7

XPG ed by Todd Downing, John Sullivan, Mark Bruno (2002)

Diceless ed (2004)

A mini-game of swashbuckling pirate action, set in a historical pastiche of varied periods from the Age of Exploration and the golden age of piracy. The original game used the 1PG rules from Deep7, where resolution is rolling 1d6 and getting under attribute or skill, where 1 is always success and 6 is always failure. Later editions used the "XPG" system and then later the Active Exploits Diceless Roleplaying rules. The last includes new rules for Mojo and Naval Combat.

Blood Games: Occult Horror Role-playing

1st ed by Clash Bowley, Jason Ludwig, Wesley Fornero (2004) Flying Mice LLC

A modern-day horror RPG, set in an alternate reality where a evil demons are rampaging. In the past, a god-like figure ("Norandon") saved mankind from the demons, giving humans magic. However, Science has eroded the belief which is necessary for magic, via a process called "Nullity". There is no great conspiracy, but scattered hunters work for the Force of Light to fight vampires and demons. The rules use a percentile skill-based system. Character creation has random-roll attributes and a lifepath mechanic for each year over 10, which generates skills, metaskills, and attribute improvements. Characters may have a "path" -- which are supernatural powers of a variety of sorts.

Blood of Heroes

1st ed by Tony Oliveira, Ray Hedman, Joshua Marquart, Christopher Tatro (1998) Pulsar

A superhero/supervillian RPG. It uses the "MEGS" system from DC Heroes, where everything is rated in exponential "AP" values. Actions are resolved by rolling 2d10 on a universal table of offensive AP vs defensive AP.

Blue Planet

1st ed by Jeff Barber, Greg Benage, John Snead, Jason Werner (1997) Biohazard Games

2nd ed (2000) Fantasy Flight Games

A post-ecological-apocalypse game set on a lush alien world nearly entirely ocean-covered. The majority of the very thick book is a very detailed description of the world, history, and culture. It is set in a future where Earth discovers a wormhole just outside the solar system which leads to a waterworld dubbed "Poseidon". Colonization had just begun, spurred by the discovery of a longevity ore called "Long John". Contact is interrupted by a catastrophic grain blight on Earth, leading to 75 years of rough independent life for the colonists. The 1st edition rule system is a semi-complex percentile skill-based system. The 2nd edition has a completely new system which uses dice pools: roll d10's equal to your aptitude (1 to 3), take the lowest roll, and try to get less than your attribute+skill+modifiers. In both, character creation is semi-random attributes and point-bought skills.

Blue Rose: The Roleplaying Game of Romantic Fantasy

1st ed by Jeremy Crawford, Dawn Elliott, Steve Kenson, John Snead (2005) Green Ronin Publishing

A fantasy genre game set on an original world, Aldea. It is populated by various races including the ancient and mystical Vata, the Sea-folk; the Night People; and the Rhydan (psychic intelligent animals). The rules are a standalone system (the "True20" system) loosely based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D, adding in rules variations from Mutants & Masterminds. There are only three core classes: adept, expert, and warrior -- and variety instead comes from more and more variety of feats. It also includes a wound track damage system based on a 1d20 roll to resist damage, and a new magic system based on feats, where spells cost fatigue. The combat system is modified to remove full-round attacks and attacks of opportunity, and adding some non-attack options.

Bob, Lord of Evil

1st ed by Kevin Davies (1993) Peregrine

A humorous RPG set in the "Dark Lands" with a techno- fantasy horror theme. The game is intended particularly for characters from other game universes to drop in for light-hearted adventures.

Bones the Role Playing Game

1st ed by Andrew J. Martone (2004) Peregrine

A fantasy role playing game in which characters, monsters, equipment, and obstacles are all represented by customized six-sided dice. These can be made by gluing printed icon sheets onto dice, marking on blank dice, or simulated with a computerized dice roller utility. Each die has icons such as "Universal Success", "Physical Success", "Mental Success", "Universal Hindrance", "Damage", and many icons for skills, magic, and special circumstances. Action resolution is by rolling your set of dice and counting applicable success icons, compared to the result of Challenge dice (if unopposed) or the opposed entity's dice (if opposed). Challenge dice have 2 out of 6 faces as "Null" which cancels one success. Character creation is open point-based of a sort: the player chooses icons for his four starting dice. One face is always "Universal Success", and one face is either "Physical Success" or "Mental Success", while the other four are freely chosen from the other choices.

The Book of Jalan

1st ed by Albert Bailey, Clash Bowley, Klaxon Bowley (2004) Flying Mice LLC

A fantasy game set on a Renaissance-to-Restoration era alien world where humanity has magic-like psionic powers. This is a standalone fantasy variant of the science fiction RPG Starcluster. There are four races: human, Alari (humanoids with supernaturally deep but engrossing memories), Khali (orc-like barbarians), and Bani (short, agile miners). It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation has either random-roll or point-based attributes; and a lifepath mechanic for each year over 10, which generates skills, metaskills, and attribute improvements.

The Book of LARP

1st ed by Mike Young, Gordon Olmstead-Dean, Miki Tracey, Mike Pohjola, Jeff Diewald, Ryan Markle, Sandy Antunes, Mike Beddes, John Kammer, John Kilgallon (2003) Interactivities, Inc.

A guide to writing and running live-action role-playing games (LARPs). It includes six sample games: "Trapped", "All the President's Zombies", "I Shall Not Want", "Michael Clambino's Fundraiser", "Humans vs Monsters: Diplomacy", and "Lost in the Stacks".

The Boomtown Planet

1st ed by Richard Parkinson (2005) Better Mousetrap Games Timeless Games

"Saturday" ed (2007)

A pulp style RPG set in the fictional city of Boomtown during the "Dirty 30s" of the U.S. -- with a focus on investigative reporting for its daily newspaper, the Planet. It is an over-the-top setting with ghosts and other supernatural influences, where there are only two countries: the corrupt Capital State and warmongering Klankeruberalles. It uses a dice pool system where you roll either your attributes in d6s (if you have the appropriate skill) or 1d6 (if you don't); and also declare odds or evens. The number of successes is the number of dice over the difficulty and matching your odd/even call. The six attributes are Strength, Endurance, Fortitude, Perception, Essence, and Agility. There is no character generation system -- only sixteen pre-generated members of the Boomtown Planet's staff.

Boot Hill

1st ed by Gary Gygax, Brian Blume (1975) TSR

2nd ed (1979)

3rd ed by Steve Winter (1990)

An early western RPG. It uses a mostly percentile resolution system. Character creation uses random-roll attributes (Strength, Coordination, Observation, Stature, and Luck) in the 1-20 range. Skills are point-bought with points based on your attributes. The third edition majorly changed the system, revising resolution to use only d6's and d20's instead of percentile rolls. There was a GM's screen and five 32-page adventure modules published for it from 1981 to 1984: "Mad Mesa", "Ballots & Bullets", "Lost Conquistador Mine", "Burned Bush Wells", and "Range War".

Bram Stoker's Dracula

1st ed by Barry Nakazano, David McKenzie (1993) Leading Edge

A cinematic vampire-hunting game covering periods from medieval to the present, based on the 1992 film. It's mechanics include the accumulation of "Clue Points" which allow the PC's to progress to the "Search Stage" and "Confrontation Stage" with various random encounters along the way. The system has an extremely simplified version of the combat rules in Phoenix Command, which is still quite complex.

Brave New World

1st ed by Matt Forbeck (1999) Pinnacle

1st ed (2000) Alderac Entertainment Group

A superhero game in an alternate timeline, where the heroes are "deltas" that are fighting against a repressive U.S. government. Powers are handled by pre-building power packages (10 given in the basic game). The system is a fairly simple open-ended attribute+skill dice pool (d6) vs difficulty, similar to the D6 or Icon Systems.

Breaking the Ice: A Game about Love, for Two

1st ed by Emily Care Boss (2005) Black & Green Games

A game of romance designed for two players. Each of the two players creates a character which is in some ways a reversal of themselves -- such as another gender, culture, or orientation. After playing out three dates, the players add up their characters' Compatibilities and Attraction Levels. In general, five or more of both is Love Triumphant, but players are encouraged to discuss things. Players take turns gamemastering the date for each other, awarding dice to roll for those Levels based on story events, cleverness, and agreeing to the GM's ideas. The game awards dice for letting complications mess up your character's date, or otherwise adding in twists.

Broadsword

1st ed by Jeff Mejia, James Stubbs, Todd Downing (2007) Deep7

A 16-page self-styled "beer & pretzels" RPG emulating fantasy barbarian movies of the 1970s and 1980s, such as "Conan" and "Hawk the Slayer". It uses the 1PG mechanics from other Deep7 games. Action resolution is rolling 1d6 and getting under attribute or skill, where 1 is always success and 6 is always failure. This game adds brief systems for "advantages" and "magic", and also includes nine 1-page adventures.

Bubblegum Crisis

1st ed by Benjamin Wright, David Ackerman-Gray (1997) R Talsorian

A cyberpunk RPG based on the Japanese anime series, including a lot of background information on the show. It uses the Fuzion system.

Buccaneer

1st ed by Carl Smith (1979) Adversary Games

A pirate mini-RPG (16 pages), covering 17th and 18th centuries. The terse rules cover character creation, man-to-man and ship-to-ship combat, and treasure-hoarding.

Buck Rogers: XXVc

1st ed by Mike Cook, Michael Dobson, Jeff Grubb, Jim Ward, Warren Spector, Jeff Butler (1990) TSR

A sci-fi RPG loosely based on the comic and TV series, rewriting significant background. The setting is post-apocalyptic, with many dark elements. In 2456, Earth is devastated by war and recently freed from the tyrrany of Russo-American Mercantile (RAM) by the New Earth Order (NEO) and, of course, Buck Rogers. It uses a variant of the AD&D system with a more advanced skill system.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1st ed by C.J. Carella (2002) Eden Studios

A modern-day monster-fighting RPG based on the U.S. television series. It uses the skill-based "Unisystem" from Witchcraft, with open point-based character creation and resolution by stat+d10 vs difficulty. There are two basic character types: heroes (like Buffy) and "white hats" (like Willow and Xander).

Bulldogs!

1st ed by Brennan Taylor, C. Austin Hogan, David Sklar, A.J. Hernandez, Jeremy Simmons (2004) Galileo Games

A science fiction / space opera game, published as a supplement for third edition Dungeons & Dragons (aka d20). It is set in a distant small galaxy. It includes ten races, including a colorful near-human race, the Arsurbans. There are six new primary classes, including Bounty Hunter, Space Pilot, Engineer, and Space Pirate. It also includes starship combat rules.

Bunnies and Burrows

1st ed by Scott Robinson, B. Dennis Sustare (1976) FGU

2nd ed (1982)

A rabbit-adventure RPG in the genre of the Richard Adam's novel Watership Down. It uses class-based character creation, including herbalists (capable of concoctions like "Snuffball" sleep grenades), seers, and empathic healers. It has a rudimentary skill system and even martial arts rules (the humorous "Bunfoo").

Bureau 13: Stalking the Night Fantastic

1st ed by Richard Tucholka, Chris Belting (1983) Tri-Tac Games

2nd ed (1984)

3rd ed (1990)

A light-hearted supernatural conspiracy game about agents of a super-secret U.S. government agency dedicated to hunting down evil supernatural creatures while also protecting innocent supernaturals by keeping them secret. The system is fairly complex, including extensive damage rules.

Burning Empires

1st ed by Luke Crane (2006) self-published

A science fiction system based on the graphic novel series Iron Empires by Chris Moeller. It is set in a far future where human civilization of eight vast interstellar empires is on the verge of collapse in the face of an alien invasion. It uses a variant of the dice pool system in Burning Wheel. The system is greatly expanded in the World Burning process to jointly create the setting, and a staged system that creates different types of scenes (Color, Interstitial, Building, and Conflict) in response to strategic maneuvers in resisting the alien invasion.

The Burning Wheel

1st ed by Luke Crane (2002) self-published

A generic fantasy system, with an unspecified default setting -- feudal medieval with the usual dwarves, elves, and orcs. It uses a dice pool system, based on rolling d6's equal to stat against a target number of 2, 3, or 4 (depending on the "Shade" of the stat tested). The number of successes then must be greater than the task difficulty. Character creation is based on generating a year-by-year lifepath according to profession. Attributes are bought from a pool of Mental Attribute points and Physical Attribute points based on age. Skills are bought with skill points accumulated via the lifepath. There are two mental attributes -- Perception and Will -- and four physical attributes -- Power (i.e. strength), Agility, Speed, and Forte (i.e. endurance).

Burros and Banditos

1st ed (unknown) Sierra Madre Games

A semi-roleplaying game set on the Mexican border.

Bushido

1st ed by Paul Hume, Bob Charrette (1980) Tyr / Phoenix Games

2nd ed (1981) FGU

A fantasy RPG set in mythic Japan ("Nippon"), using a combined class and skill-based system.

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

1st ed by Frank Chadwick (1990) GDW

A post-nuclear-apocalypse game in the strange world of the comic "Xenozoic Tales", where dinosaurs have reappeared on the Earth.

Cadwallon: The Free City

1st French ed by Arnaud Cuidet, Bruno Bechu, Damien Desnous, Franck Plasse, Gregoire Laakmann, Ivo Garcia, Jean Bay, Nicolas Raoult, Sebastien Celerin, Vincent Kaufmann, Willem Peerbolte, Xavier Spinat (2005) Rackham

1st English ed (2006) Rackham

A tactical fantasy role-playing game in French and English, designed for use with miniatures and compatible with the Confrontation fantasy miniatures game. The game world is a traditional fantasy world ("Aarklash") inhabited by Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and Wolfen. The game is set in the free city of Cadwallon, which was founded by a mercenary company and leases troops to the various nations surrounding it that are in the process of entering a massive war, the Rag'narok. It uses a d6 dice pool system where characters have "attitudes" rather than standard attributes. The attitudes are Pugnacity, Style, Sleight, Opportunism, Discipline, and Subtlety. Character creation is by picking a race and culture (which modify attitudes from their base of 2), distributing some flexible points for skills and raising attitudes, and then picking 3 trade ranks from the 37 trades. Tasks are resolved by rolling a number of d6 equal to your skill level, taking the highest and adding the appropriate attribute to compare against the difficulty. In action scenes, dice are split between an action pool and reaction pool -- which are refreshed according to the character's trade scores.

Call of Cthulhu

1st ed by Sandy Petersen (1981) Chaosium

Designer's ed (1982)

2nd ed (1983)

3rd ed (1986)

4th ed (1989)

5th ed (1992)

5.5th ed (1998)

5.6th ed (2000)

20th Anniversary ed (2001)

Miskatonic University ed (2001)

6th ed by Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis (2004)

25th Anniversary ed (2006)

A prolific horror game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, where PC's are investigators into the unknown who deal with horrors beyond comprehension. The basic game is set in 1920's U.S., but there are also well-supported lines for 1990's U.S. and 1890's England. It uses the Chaosium Basic Role-Playing system, with the notable addition of "Sanity". Sanity is a percentile stat which is damaged when encountering grotesque or other-worldly things. It can be regained only with difficulty: by psychiatric treatment or by knowing that horrors have been defeated. It also has a maximum that is the inverse of your "Mythos Knowledge" skill (max SAN is 100-skill), so the more you know about the truth the less sane you can be. Character creation involves random-roll attributes and percentile point-bought skills.

Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (D20)

1st ed by Monte Cook, John Tynes (2002) Wizards of the Coast

A horror game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, where PC's are investigators into the unknown who deal with horrors beyond comprehension. The rules are a standalone system based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D. It adds rules for insanity, but is still more combat oriented than the original game from Chaosium.

Caper!

1st ed by John O'Brien (2006) self-published

A 'Host a Heist' party game of co-operative storytelling, where 2-6 players take on the roles of thieves who join forces to pull off a crime. The type of caper is up to the Mastermind, while of course the results are cooperative. Caper uses the "21 System" rules which require a deck of playing cards and poker chips to play. The game is independently published via Lulu.com.

Capes

1st ed by Anthony Lower-Basch (2005) Muse of Fire Games

A superhero RPG with no gamemaster per se. Instead, there are mechanics for narration of conflicts. There are a set of conflicts represented by index cards, each with two d6s (of different colors) on them.

carry. a game about war.

1st ed by Nathan Paoletta (2006) Hamsterprophet Productions

A short-form RPG where players play soldiers from a squad of U.S. Marines in the Vietnam war, who end up turning on each other amidst the tensions of war. Each PC has a single pool of dice, and has one of six profiles: Accuser, Brawler, Invincible, Warrior, Companion, and Soldier -- though profile can and will change during the game. Resolution works by a simple dice pool system where you roll a single die from your pool, but each time you roll you have to give away that die. The size of die (d4 through d12) is limited by the combination of your profile and the Approach you use (which is one of Violent, Strategic, Tactical, or Peaceful). The game is short-form, and has a fixed progression which ends when all the NPCs of the squad have been wounded, evacuated, or killed -- at which point all the PCs turn on each other.

Cartoon Action Hour

1st electronic ed by Cynthia Celeste Miller (2002) Spectrum Game Studios

1st print ed by Cynthia Celeste Miller (2003) Spectrum Game Studios Z-Man Games

An RPG designed to emulate the action-adventure cartoons of the 1980s, such as Thundarr the Barbarian, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and so forth. Character creation features an open-ended system for designing special abilities such as magic, psionics, gadgets, etc. Action resolution uses stat + 1d12 vs difficulty. It also includes genre rules for features like after-show messages ("...and knowing is half the battle"), character advancement between "seasons" of the series, and so forth.

Cassiopean Empire

1st ed by Raymond Norton (1982) Norton Games

Advanced ed by Raymond Norton, Ray Moats, James Gowan (1985)

A spacefaring sci-fi mini-RPG. The 1st edition was 16 pages; 2nd was two books 32 pages each. It was set in a Traveller-like space empire. The system included rules for the usual sci-fi conventions of starships, robots and aliens.

Castle Falkenstein

1st ed by Michael Pondsmith (1994) R Talsorian

A Victorian fantasy game, set in an alternate Earth with magic, elves, dwarves, and other strangeness. The genre is rather adventure pulp rather than period Victorian fiction. The system uses cards rather than dice, where both players and GM have a hand of cards that they play from for resolving actions.

Castle Perilous

1st ed by James T. Sheldon (1980) West Wind Simulations

A fantasy-genre RPG, emphasizing storytelling aspects. The system is class-based (9 classes), and has modifiers on resolution for acting and enthusiasm on the part of the players. Includes an introductory adventure and setting (related to novels by John De Chancie?).

Castles and Crusades

1st ed by Davis Chenault, Mac Golden (2004) Troll Lord Games

A fantasy-genre RPG with a simple rules-lite system, similar to and roughly compatible with pre-third editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Character creation involves rolling up six ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma), choosing a race (from 7 options) and a class (from 13 options). Action resolution is based on 1d20 + attribute modifier + level - penalties vs target number. Target number is 12 for primary attribute rolls, or 18 otherwise.

Cat

1st ed by John Wick (2004) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A modern fantasy game appropriate for children and adults, where the PCs are cats who protect people from Boggins -- evil creatures that people can't see (like the Man Under the Bed) which feed on children's fears and rejoice in men's shortcomings. Cats also venture to the surreal Kingdom of Dreams. It uses a narration-focused dice-pool system, the "Advantage" system, where extra dice can be acquired by looking for advantages your character has in a particular situation, each of which earns an extra die.

Cendres

1st ed by Stephan Chapuis (2002) Editions du Matagot

A French-language post-apocalyptic science fiction RPG, whose name translates as "Ashes". It is set in Europe a hundred years after an asteroid strike (?) swept all the coastal regions in a tidal wave and ashes turned the sky dark for a year. It uses a skill-based system, of roll under stat on 1d20. Character creation is random-roll or point-bought stats (4d6 among seven main attributes, or distribute 100 points). There are also six personality attributes. It includes a detailed combat system including hit locations and a split of shock and wound damage.

The Centre of the Universe

1st ed by Richard Parkinson (2004) Timeless Games Better Mousetrap Games

Special ed (2004)

A science fantasy RPG, where gunslingers right alongside sapient suits of armor and sorcerors. It is set in a time when the fabric of reality is unraveling, at the Centre of the Universe -- a small fantasy region with floating islands (called marques) and small towns, with a mixture of medieval and early modern technology. Evil forces are undoing the whole of creation. It uses a skill-based system using d6's for resolution. Character creation is class-based, choosing from eight profiles: Adventurer, Architect (Wizard), Bard, Crusader, Dream Crafter (Illusionist), Gunslinger, Sentinel (Ghostly Armor), and Story Teller. Each class comes with a starting skill sets, but new skills unrelated to class can be added with experience.

Chainmail

1st ed by Gary Gygax, Jeff Perren (1971) Guidon Games

2nd ed (1972)

An early set of medieval miniatures rules which was the precursor to the original Dungeons & Dragons.

Chain of Being: The Fantasy Roleplaying Game of Epic Absurdity

1st ed by J.T.T. Williams, Cory Katzenmeyer, Dan Geyer (2002) Limestone Publishing

A humorous fantasy RPG set in a fantasy world ("Paranesia") where the gods have been replaced by drunken louts who have messed up the gameability of everything. It has the usual fantasy elements such as elves, dwarves, orcs, and mages -- along with many humorous additions. It is available using the original "Higher Arc" system and also as a supplement for third edition Dungeons & Dragons (aka d20).

Challenges Game System

1st ed by Tom Moldvay (1986) Challenges Game Systems

A medieval fantasy mini-RPG (8 pages), similar in mechanics to AD&D.

Champions

1st ed by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson (1981) Hero Games

2nd ed (1982)

3rd ed (1984)

4th ed by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Rob Bell (1989)

A superhero roleplaying game, later (in the 4th edition) converted to a generic universal system (aka the "HERO" system). Action resolution is roll under skill on 3d6, with special target numbers for combat (11 + offense - defense) and pure attribute rolls (9 + attribute / 5). Character creation is an innovative open point system, the first of its kind. A pool of points can be spent on attributes, skills, and on customizable superpowers. The power design metasystem is a complex but highly-regarded piece which can be used for almost any power.

Champions: The New Millenium

1st ed by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Ray Greer, Mike Pondsmith (1997) R Talsorian

2nd ed (2000) R Talsorian

A comic-book superhero RPG set in a revised version of the Champions universe, where nearly all of the prior superheroes of the world have been wiped out by a cataclysm, and a new generation of heroes (including the PCs) must replace them. It uses a completely revised set of mechanics, the Fuzion system.

Changeling: The Dreaming

1st ed by Brian Campbell, Jackie Cassada, Richard Dansky, Chris Howard, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Angel Leigh McCoy, Deena McKinney, Neil Mick, Wayne Peacock, Nicky Rea, Michael Rollins (1995) White Wolf

2nd ed by Ian Lemke (1997)

A modern fantasy game about faeries struggling in the modern world. "Banality" of current existance threatens them. It uses a variant of the "Storyteller" system.

Chaos on Campus

1st ed by Chris Engle (2005) Hamster Press

A pregenerated scenario book using the minimalist Engle Matrix Game system. The first game has students at Miskatonic University in the 1920's fighting Lovecraftian horrors. It also includes another scenario, "The Grave Yard Shift", about mad scientists, juvenile delinquents and spooky undertakers walking in the graveyard at night? The system has explicit negotiation of arguments and results, but leaves the chances for the negotiated outcomes entirely up to the GM.

Chaos University

1st ed by Jennifer Schoonover (2005) Firewater Productions

A tongue-in-cheek modern-day fantasy RPG, set in an alternate future where in May of 2008 a rift tore opened in Binghamton, New York which returned magic into the world. As part of the rift being tore open, Merlin was freed from his magical bonds. He subsequently came to America and founded "Chaos Univisity" on the site of the rift. It uses a simple system of rolling under attribute on 1d30 (alternately, 3d10 or 5d6). Character creation is by deciding on a clique (Jock, Goth, etc.); plus random-roll attributes (Cunning, Grit, Nimbleness, Appeal, Hocus-Pocus, Lady Luck, and Vitality); and a selection of courses which you are going to take at the University. It includes a detailed magic system, and a simple combat system.

Chi-Chian the Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Chris Adams, Barbara Manui, David Fooden (2003) Aetherco

A science fantasy RPG based on the comics and animated series of the same name, by animation auteur Voltaire. The series is set in a fantastic 31st Century New York City, where giant worms offer a clean form of public transportation, and New Jersey has become an armed and deadly enemy. The series explores the political and spiritual tensions among the City's dwellers: its Japanese elite and their rogue security force, the Patahn Pahrr; sentient insect races like the cultured Cockroaches and the nefarious Caterpillars; and outsiders and freaks like the teddybear scientist Dr. Yoshimoto and the title character Chi-Chian, a half-Japanese girl with an invincible organic suit of armor.

Chilren of the Sun

1st ed by Lewis Pollak, Dan Ross, Jac Grenfell (2002) Misguided Games

A 'dieselpunk' fantasy RPG set on an original world, called "Raevich". The world is full of technology as well as magic. It uses a step-die system, the "Token System", where each of nine attributes (3 physical, 3 mental, and 3 social) have a die type associated with them (d4, d6, or d8). Action resolution varies among three types of tests, roughly the attribute roll plus skill (0 to 10) vs difficulty. There is also a speical mechanic where character has a "token" that can be spent once in each round of combat, either to support another character's action or to interrupt an action.

Chill

1st ed by Gali Sanchez, Garry Spiegle, Mark Acres, Ethan Sharp, Michael Williams (1984) Pacesetter

2nd ed by David Ladyman, Jeff R. Leason, Louis J. Prosperi (1990) Mayfair Games

A generic horror roleplaying game. The PCs are members of a centuries-old organization called S.A.V.E. dedicated to fighting evil, which includes a number of psychics. The monsters are mostly traditional (vampires et al.), which use different powers from a unified set of "Evil Way" disciplines.
1st edition uses a percentile skill-based system, checking degree of success vs difficulty on a universal table. Character creation is random-roll attributes and point-bought skills.
2nd edition uses a completely revised system.

Chimaera Roleplaying Universe

1st ed by Michael D. Murphy, George T. Singley (2008) Mongoose Publishing

A superhero role-playing game set in the universe of a new comics brand of the same name, headed by George Singley. It uses a new percentile skill-based game system. Basic resolution is the 1d100 + stat + modifiers must exceed 100. For opposed rolls, the opponent with the higher stat rolls d100 plus the stat different, while the opponent with the lower stat rolls a flat d100. Character creation is a mix of random-roll and point-bought mechanics. There is a core list of over one hundred powers with general descriptions.

Chivalry and Sorcery

1st ed by Ed Simbalist, Wilf K. Backhaus (1977) FGU

2nd ed (1983)

3rd ed by Ed Simbalist, G.W. Thompson (1996) Highlander Designs

Light ed by Edward E. Simbalist, Wilf K. Backhaus, Steve C. Betney (1999) Brittania

Rebirth ed (2000)

A fantasy-genre role-playing game, based on medieval Europe with the addition of elves, dwarves, etc. The original uses a complex system with skills and level-based advancement, including an involved combat system. The complex magic system mixes fantasy magic like fireballs with authentic alchemy, witchcraft, and enchantment. Mages must spend time enchanting materials and tracking degree of enchantment.
The 3rd edition introduces a unified mechanic (the "Skillscape" system) using 3d10: a percentile roll under skill for success, and a "crit die" determines quality of success/failure. There are min and max chances of success, but skill below min or above max counts by modifying the crit result. The "Light" rules are a simplified version of the 3rd edition rules (in a 40-page booklet).

Chosen

1st ed by Aaron Rosenberg (2001) Clockworks Games

A science fantasy RPG about a far-flung future where the PC's are people imbued with the spiritual powers of the archetypal Beasts -- dragons, gryphons, manticores, etc. -- who fight evil conspiratorial Wizards.

The Chronicles of Ramlar

1st ed by Tony Lee, Alana Abbott, Benji Blailock, John Prescott, Michael Johnston, Pyran Taylor, Shane Wilson, Wayne Sykes (2006) White Silver Publishing, Inc.

A medieval fantasy RPG, set on the continent of Eranon on a world created by the creator god Ramlar. It is populated by elves, dwarves, halfling, and others. The game uses a percentile skill-based system known as the A/B System, short for Armor/Body as shown by the hit location chart on the character sheet. Resolution is by roll under skill on percentile dice, with level of success being the roll itself. Character creation is class-based with level-based advancement.

Classroom Deathmatch

1st ed by Jake Richmond, Matt Schlotte (2007) Atarashi Games

A modern-day action/horror RPG based on the Japanese film "Battle Royale" where a class of high school students are forced to fight each other to the death for televised entertainment. It uses a dice pool conflict resolution system (using d6, d8, d10, and d12), with special rules for narration -- a variant of the system in Panty Explosion.

Cloak of Steel: Gigantic Metal Warriors Clash in the World of Tierplana

1st ed by James Desborough, Steven Mortimer, Raven Morrison (2004) Postmortem Studios

An electronically-published fantasy RPG, using a variant of the Live System -- intended to be a more free-flowing variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is set on the original world of Tierplana, a fantasy world with magic-powered giant robots and airships inhabited by humans and human-animal hybrids called Half-Men. Character creation replaces classes with packages of skills and feats.

Code of Unaris: Chat Roleplaying

1st ed by Gary Pratt (2004) Goldleaf Games

A science fantasy roleplaying game designed for play over online chat. The basic game contains rules and background for two fantasy ages -- both set a billion years ago on Earth's own moon, but divided by 5000 years. The Third Age of Unaris is magically rich, when the world is covered in shallow oceans with a medieval culture undergoing renaissance under the eye of a pantheon of gods. The Fourth Age of Unaris is set in the freezing world where the remnants of civilization are backsliding in a giant tower which wards off the cold.

Codex: Story Gaming for Creative People

1st ed by Malcolm Sheppard (2007) Mob United Media

A universal mini-RPG system aimed at text-based games, especially those played by forum or weblog.

Cold City

1st ed by Malcom Craig (2006) Contested Ground Studios

A modern-day horror game about supernatural investigators in Cold War Berlin circa 1950, fighting monsters amidst the national tensions. It uses a contested dice pool system where you roll a number of d10s equal to the most applicable of three attributes: Action, Influence or Reason. You may add one die for an applicable Trait. The side with the highest die wins.

Cold Space

1st ed by Albert Bailey, Clash Bowley (2005) Flying Mice LLC

A science fiction game set in an alternate history between 1949 and 1989, where anti-gravity and faster-than-light (FTL) technology was been discovered by scientists following World War II. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviets then played out in space as well as on Earth. This uses a version of the percentile skill-based system from the Starcluster RPG. Character creation can be either random-roll or point-bought attributes, and a lifepath mechanic for each year over 10, which generates skills, metaskills, and attribute improvements.

Cold Steel Reign

1st ed by Patrick Ellison (2005) Mad Hermit Games

A Wild Western Fantasy RPG set into an alternate history/reality where the world has been plunged into a dark ages by a comet strike in Northeastern America during the height of the Civil War. The nominal start time is two hundred years later in a Wild West of a transformed world, including demonic mechanical constructs ("Vyl"), a repressive New Roman Church, gunslinging Templars, and more. It uses an original system, the "Fatalist System". It uses roll under skill on percentile dice, or stat + die versus a target number for combat. Character creation uses attributes with a random-roll base plus 100+1d100 of points, random-roll advancement cost per level, selecting one of ten classes, and rolling three random skills based on class. The classes are Bladesman, Gambler, Gunman, Mountain Man, Revivalist, Rifleman, Scout, Shootist, Brave, Gunslinger.

The Collectors: The Burning House

1st ed by Thomas MacKay (2003) Rogue Publishing

A modern-day horror game where the PCs are demonic (but not necessarily evil) beings who perform tasks required for them. It uses a variant of the FUDGE system, and includes an introductory adventure entitled "The Burning House".

Colonial Gothic

1st ed by Richard Iorio, Monica Valenrinelli, Matt McElroy, James Maliszewski (2007) Rogue Games

A supernatural historical horror roleplaying game set during the dawn of the American Revolution. Resolution uses rolling 2d12 under a target number based on stat.

The Colonies

1st ed by Brett M. Bernstein (2002) Politically Incorrect Games

A science-fiction RPG published as a downloadable PDF. It is set on Mars in the year 2099. There are five distant colonies established on other systems from seeding ships launched in 2030 when disaster loomed. The PC's are colonists seeking to reclaim the Earth from aliens who invaded it. It uses a simple rules set of roll under stat on 2d6. The rules include systems for biotech, nanotech, and psionics.

Combat!: A Military Action Game

1st ed by William Andersen (2005) ComStar Media, LLC

A modern military action RPG using a variant of the Action! System from Gold Rush Games. It includes rules for mass combat to handle command of units, ships, or complete armies.

Commando

1st ed by Eric Goldberg, Greg Costikyan, John Butterfield (1979) SPI

A modern military tactical wargame and RPG, set in WWII. It used a complex table-driven percentile system. Combat was action point based.

The Committee for the Exploration of Mysteries

1st ed by Eric J. Boyd (2007) Eric J. Boyd Designs

A storytelling game of exploration inspired by pulp novels and Victorian adventure tales, where play consists of characters recounting to each other about the adventure they have just had. It is designed to be playable with no pre-game preparation, with play resolving in a single evening or continuing over multiple sessions. Players take turns recounting scenes, where you describe how you overcame a hazard chosen by another player who acts as your opposition. You roll dice based on the attribute used and special traits, then you put forward a die and start narrating the scene. After a bit, your opposition gets to add a complication, you put another die forward, and the cycle continues until you meet the hazard's difficulty or run out of time. There is a three minute maximum. You receive varying amounts of Acclaim points depending on how many dice you used in meeting the hazard's difficulty.

The Complete Warlock

1st ed (1975) The SPARTAN

1st ed by Robert Cowan, Dave Clark, Kenneth M. Dahl, Nick Smith (1978) Balboa, Inc.

This was a variant of Dungeons & Dragons. It which originally appeared in issue #9 of "The Spartan" simulation gaming journal as an article entitled "Warlock: or How to Play D&D Without Playing D&D". It later appeared as a product from Balboa, Inc. It had two supplements, "Warlock's Tower" in 1979 (with new monsters, new rules for thieves, and many new magic items) and "The Warlock Menagerie" in 1980 (with over 100 new monsters and other new material).

Conan: The Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Paul Tucker, Ian Sturrock (2003) Mongoose Publishing

2nd ed by Ian Sturrock, Gareth Hanrahan (2007) Mongoose Publishing

A fantasy RPG based on the novels by Robert E. Howard. It is set in the "Hyborian Age" -- a mythic time in what will become modern Europe and Northern Africa. Various precursors to early cultures and races are found. This is a complete game using variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D. It adds rules for fate points, reputation, and corruption. PCs start with 3 fate points, gaining 1 per level, which can be used to avert death ("Left for Dead"), added damage ("Mighty Blow"), reduce corruption ("Repentance"), or to impose a plot twist ("Destiny"). Combat is changed by having armor which reduces damage (i.e. DR instead of raise Defense); and special combat maneuvers, which are qualified for by prerequisites of attributes, skills, and/or feats.

Conan: The Role-Playing Game

1st ed by David "Zeb" Cook (1985) TSR

A fantasy RPG based on the novels by Robert E. Howard. It uses a very simple skill-based system aimed at beginners. A d100 roll is cross-referenced with modified skill on a universal table (similar to Marvel Superheroes) to give a color-code result: green(easy) / yellow / orange / red(hard). The boxed set includes a 2-page adventure based on Howard's "Tower of the Elephant" story and a "World of Hyboria" booklet set up in glossary style.

Confederate Rangers

1st ed (1989) SoLar-Way Games

A near-future sci-fi RPG in a future where 13 Southern U.S. states secede after federal corruption becomes intolerable, forming a new Confederacy. The PCs are Confederate Rangers: high-tech lawmen with old-time values.

Conspiracy of Shadows

1st ed by Keith Senkowski (2004) Bob Goat Press

Revised ed (2005)

A mixed fantasy genre game, described as "X-Files meets grim historical fantasy". It is set on a fantasy world, Polian, similar to medieval European history and legend. There is a demonic conspiracy at work, though the details of this are not specified but left partially open for the GM to define. Action resolution uses 2d6 + attribute + skill vs difficulty. You get an extra dice if a positive descriptor comes into play, and one less if a negative descriptor. Character creation is limited point-based, with professions defined as packages of skills.

Conspiracy X

1st ed by Rick Ernst, Shirley Madewell, Chris Pallace (1996) New Millenium

2.0 ed by David F. Chapman (2006) Eden Studios

An alien-conspiracy role-playing game (i.e. X-files), focusing on members of a secret government organization which defends against an alien menace. The system is a simple granular one where skill (1-5) is compared to difficulty (1-5). If skill equals difficulty, roll 7 or less on 2d6. If skill equals (difficulty+1), roll 4 or less. The damage system, on the other hand, is more complicated. cf. the official website.

Contenders: A Role-Playing Game of Blood & Sweat, Pain & Hope

1st ed by Joe J. Prince (2006) Prince of Darkness Games

An RPG about boxers, with an involved system for boxing matches.

Continuum: Role-playing in the Yet

1st ed by Chris Adams, Barbara Manui, David Fooden (1999) Aetherco

A time-travel game where the time-travel machine itself is the human body: just "span" and you're there. There is a community of time-travellers, but the past is essentially inalterable. The skill system is a simple one of roll d10 under skill. A d10 is also useed for all damage and other rolls. Character creation is point-based, distributing 25 points over 3 attributes (Body, Mind, and Quick) and skills, plus ads and disads.

Control

1st ed by Lee Garvin (1997) Reality Cheque Games

A conspiracy-genre RPG focusing on characters not in-the-know learning about the Truth. As part of character advancement, players can to advance to become GM (aka "Controller"). The mechanics are built on having binary qualities, where the number of appropriate qualities you have determines your dice pool, and take best roll (d20's).

Cooperation

1st ed by Charles J. Walther (1998) Cooperation

A sci-fi space-opera RPG, where mankind and five other alien races stand against the Yadeze, giant evil aliens with the requisite space armada. It uses a percentile system with a lot of stats and skills. Character creation has attributes point-bought (from a pool of 250+6d10), and then a lifepath-like acquisition of skills.

Corporation: The Roleplaying Game

1st ed by James Norbury (2006) Core Games Publishing Ltd

Revised ed by James Norbury (2008) Brutal Games

A science fiction RPG set in 2500 A.D. where five monolithic corporations have taken over the globe, which has been badly damage by corporate wars over the centuries. The technology ranges up to biotechnology, AI, plasma weapons, personal teleporters and invisibility shields -- as well as limited telepathy. It centers on enhanced corporate Agents who take on missions for their corporation. It uses an open skill-based system. Action resolution is by roll under attribute + skill on 2d10, where attributes and skills both range from 0 to 10 for normal humans.

CORPS

1st ed by Greg Porter (1990) BTRC

2nd ed (1995)

Originally a modern-day conspiracy genre game, this was expanded in the 2nd edition to be a universal generic system. It uses a basic d10 roll of skill vs difficulty, with free point-bought character creation. The damage system is notable for not having hit points, but instead impairment of body parts (which can be unlimited) combined with bleeding and a chance of instant death.

Correlya

1st ed by Matthew Davenport (2004) self-published

2nd ed (2007)

A fantasy genre game set on an original world of the same name, inhabited by elves (the primordial race) and the various races they created to be their slaves including humans, gnomes, channelers, elamorphs, elapidons, mantids, oakbellies, shellbacks, triclops, and zepherai. There are also three outlier races not created this way: vampires, aeternalifs, and gremlins. It uses a complex system. Skills are divided into three "spheres" -- Mental, Visceral, and Rogue. As you advance in each sphere you gain a variety of special abilities. The basic game includes details on life in Correlya and its features, though no monsters. The second edition is self-published via Lulu.com.

Cortex System Role Playing Game

1st ed by Jamie Chambers (2008) Margaret Weis Productions

A universal system "toolkit" book, based on the step-die mechanic system used in the Sovereign Stone fantasy system, Serenity RPG, Battlestar Galactica RPG. Attributes and skills are rated in a a step die system with twelve ranks: d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d12+d2, d12+d4, d12+d6, d12+d8, d12+d10, d12+d12. Action resolution is by rolling attribute die plus skill die. Characters have six attributes (Agility, Strength, Vitality, Alertness, Intelligence, Willpower), along with skills and advantages. It also includes a plot point mechanic.

Cosmic Enforcers

1st ed by Mike McCune, Gary Sibley, Jerry Holland, Eric Nikkila (1995) Myrmidon

A sci-fi superhero RPG set in a universe where in 2025AD a galactic alliance finally unites 7 races. A dark force seeks to bring chaos by striking down the alliance, resisted by the superhero "cosmic enforcers". Includes magic, psionics, superpowers, and various ultra-tech.

Covenant: a story game of failing conspiracies

1st ed by Matt Machell (2006) Realms Publishing

A modern day conspiracy game about members of a conspiracy whose predicted apocalypse never happened. It uses a narration mechanic where conflicts between characters are resolved by players taking turns describing how positive and negative traits impact the outcome of situations. It also has a mechanic for bringing in recurring motifs and highlighting agreed genre conventions.

Covert Generation

1st ed by Caz Granberg (2006) Hefty Wrenches Game Design

A modern espionage game about child secret agents rebelling against The X, a secret cabal of ex-slackers who now rule the world through coercion and legalistic thuggery. Teen and tween agents collaborate in Cells across the world to fight the man in all his forms. It uses a narration-based dice pool system, with a core pool of three dice with added or subtracted dice for applicable "Core Components" (Core Value, Attributes, Specialty and Cover Identity).

Coyote Trail

1st ed by Brett M. Bernstein (2005) Politically Incorrect Games

An RPG set in the American Old West, an update of an earlier game called "Shady Gulch". It uses a variant of the genreDiversion system also used by HardNova ][. Action resolution is by rolling under attribute + skill on 2d6, with special rules for "Triumph" and "Calamity" criticals. Character creation is limited point-based, spending 10 points on five attributes ranging from 1 to 5 (Fitness, Awareness, Reasoning, Creativity, and Influence); 30 points on broad skills; and selected Gimmicks (i.e. ads and disads). It includes simple rules for chases and combat, with 5 wound levels in 3 types (Injury, Fatigue, Intoxication). The basic game includes a set of Wild West personalities, ready-to-play adventures, story ideas, reference sheets, and numerous character, horse, and wagon templates.

Creation's End: A Religious Horror RPG

1st ed by Michael Holder (2005) Creation's End Management Group Winterwolf Publishing

A modern-day religious horror RPG, inspired by films such as Stigmata, Prophecy, The Seventh Sign, Constantine, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Character creation includes a choice of seven bloodlines: fallen angel, darkling, dustform, angyl, prophet, aboreth, and slayrre.

Creeks and Crawdads

1st ed by M. Martin Costa (1986) Crustacium Games

A humorous post-nuclear-apocalypse mini-RPG (24 pages) where the PC's are mutant semi-intelligent crawdads. After nuclear war wipes out all human life, these crawdads attempt to rebuild. However, the crawdads are still quite stupid, and thus require IQ rolls to attempt almost any activity.

The Creep Chronicle

1st ed by Richard Parkinson (2006) Better Mousetrap Games Timeless Games

A horror RPG where the player characters are children trapped alone in a warped version of the modern world where gods and monsters stalk city streets and lurk in farmers' fields.

Crime Fighter

1st ed by Aaron Allston (1988) Task Force Games

A police RPG with simple rules; simulates the sort of campy police story found in TV shows such as "Adam-12". The rules were counters/miniatures oriented, and 104 playing pieces and 12 mapboards were included in the boxed set.

Crimefighters

1st ed by David "Zeb" Cook (1981) TSR

A pulp adventure mini-RPG (23 pages) published in Dragon magazine #47. It uses a simple percentile system. Character creation is random-roll attributes, point-bought binary skills, and a 5% chance of a random special power.

Crimson Cutlass

1st ed by George Rahm, Joseph Hilmer (1979) Better Games

2nd ed (1989)

A swashbuckling RPG using the "Free-style"/"Quick & Dirty" game system. The 1st edition was published in magazine format, while the 2nd edition as a boxed set of three 5"x8" perfect-bound books. Action resolution uses a homemade Spanish tarot deck included with the boxed set. The system has 4 "traits" (Dashing, Cunning, Stout, and Lordly); four backgrounds (Soldier, Commoner, Aristocrat, and Noble); and various skills based on background (fencer, briber, goldsmith, equestrian, etc.). Books 2 and 3 cover scenario design, including extensive tables of randomized storylines and encounters.

Crimson Empire

1st ed by Chris Loizou (2002) Crimson Empire

2nd ed (2004)

A fantasy-genre RPG set on an original world: the world of Thargos. It is set 150 years after the Crimson Empire was destroyed by the Great Cataclysm. Now the Northern region seeks to rebuild the empire, resisted by the South. The world is inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, and dergs along with various other creatures such as centaurs, dragons, and various original creatures. It uses a detailed percentile system, with a combat system that strives for realism. It also includes a magic system. Character creation is random-roll attributes, choice of race and class, and modifiers for region, childhood, and inheritance. The second edition was renamed Cursed Empire. It features a "Points of Renown" experience system, where some characters can align themselves with a faction instead of themselves as individuals. Then if their character dies, the player can create a new PC with the same faction at a head start.

Critter Commandos

2000 ed by Paul Arden Lidberg (2000) Crunchy Frog

A humorous miniatures combat game where the combatants are modeled after Saturday morning cartoon characters, and that the damage caused by the weapons isn't really real. The "2000" edition includes role-playing rules including 10 pages of mechanics and 35 pages of background.

Cthulhu Dark Ages

1st ed by Stephane Gesbert (2004) Chaosium

A variant of the classic Call of Cthulhu horror RPG set in Europe around 1000 A.D. Rather than randomly rolling for attributes, players allocate 100 points combined to the eight attributes.

Cthulhu Live

1st ed by Robert McLaughlin, Dan DePalma, Scott Nicholson, Cyndy Schneider (1997) Chaosium

2nd ed (1999) Fantasy Flight Games

3rd ed by Robert McLaughlin (2006) Skirmisher Publishing

Live-action role-playing rules for Call of Cthulhu, intended mainly for large groups and/or convention events.

Cthulhutech

1st ed by Matthew Grau, Fraser McKay (2008) Wildfire LLC Catalyst Game Labs

A storytelling game that mixes the genres of cosmic horror (such as H.P. Lovecraft) and giant mecha Japanese animation. It is set in the year 2085, when the world is emboiled in the Aeon Wars fighting alien horrors and three-quarters of the world's population has been wiped out. Resolution uses a dice pool system where you roll a number of d10s equal to attribute plus skill, and take the sum of the highest matching set or straight (i.e. rolling a pair of sixes gives total 12, or a sequence of 4-5-6 gives total 15). The system also uses drama points, which can raise or lower any dice pool by one die per point spent. Character creation is limited point-based.

Cursed Empire

2nd ed by Chris Loizou (2004) Spartans Unleashed

This is the renamed second edition of the fantasy genre RPG, Crimson Empire.

Cutthroat Roleplaying

1st ed by Nathan Kaylor, Eric Goldberg (1988) StormWorld Games

A dark fantasy RPG where characters are thieves in the medieval city of Skaev. The world is immersed in chaos, as the peaceful 75-year reign of Emperor Ghalish has come to an end. A skill-based resolution system using d20's.

Cybergeneration

1st ed by Mike Pondsmith et al. (1993) R Talsorian

2nd ed (1995)

A post-cyberpunk futuristic game featuring nano-technology and an anime-style feel, with super-powered "cyber-evolved" and a mix of grim reality and light-hearted adventure.

CyberGladiators

1st ed by David L. Pulver, Marc A. Vezina, Scott Bennie, Patrick Sweeney (2004) Firefly Games

A duelling game, not really role-playing per se, about gladiatorial combat between cyborg combatants in the far future. It uses a scaled back version of the Action! System from Gold Rush Games. There are four races: humans, Tuara (a lizard-like race of primitives), Kisa (a bipedal cat-like race), and the Crigg (a primitive insect-like species with deadly mandibles and natural armor). Character creation is limited point-based and includes various cybernetic options.

Cyberpunk

1st ed by Mike Pondsmith et al. (1988) R Talsorian

2020 ed (1990)

A cyberpunk role-playing game, focusing on paramilitary violence and netrunning. It uses a simple attribute+skill+1d10 roll system (the "Interlock" system).

Cyberspace

1st ed by Tod Foley, Terry K. Amthor, LaDell, Kevin Barrett, S. Coleman Charlton (1989) Iron Crown Enterprises

A cyberpunk RPG set in 2090 in the San Francisco Sprawl. It focuses on netrunning, and on personal biotech enhancements which are very common. The classes include Jockey (generalist), Killer (combat), Net Junkie (computer), Sleaze (social skills), Sneak (subterfuge), and Tech Rat (technical). It uses a slightly streamlined variant of the Space Master system (but not as simplified as Middle Earth).

Cyborg Commando

1st ed by Gary Gygax, Kim Mohan, Larry Mentzner (1987) New Infinities

A sci-fi RPG, playing cyborgs soldiers fighting an alien invasion of Earth by Xenoborgs in 2035. It included background on both the cyborgs defenders as well as the invading aliens (biology, society, and culture). The system used a roll of 1d10 times 1d10 for an odd probability curve that is referenced on a universal chart. The system had a handful of supplements, including "Film at Eleven" (by Guy McLimore, Greg Poehlein, and David Tepool).

Cycle of Existence

1st ed by Christopher Ashe (2006) Broken Doll Studios

A modern fantasy/horror RPG, set in the modern world with creatures and magic inspired by Japanese anime. The PCs are part of a secret war of Light against the forces of Balance and Darkness. There are four races: humans (known as the Lirie-Kana or "People of the Struggle"); the childlike and graceful Asana-Lea (known as Eternal Children); the man-like rats called the Oraki known for their craftsmanship and love of adventure; and the elf-like Silana (the People of the Ether). It uses an original percentile skill-based system, called the seven13 game engine. Each action is given a rank from 1 to 7, which corresponds to a chance of 13% times the rank (13% to 7x13=91%).

D20 Modern

1st ed by Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan (2002) Wizards of the Coast

A generic modern-day fantasy RPG. There is no canonical setting, but three brief sample settings are included in the core rulebook: "Shadow Chasers" (secret monster-hunters), "Agents of PSI" (secret agents with psychic powers), and "Urban Arcana" (D&D advanced to a modern age). The rules are a standalone system based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D. The classes are redone, with a generic set of six classes for beginning characters: Strong Hero, Fast Hero, Tough Hero, Smart Hero, Dedicated Hero, and Charismatic Hero. Also, there are abstract wealth rules, additional rules for firearms, and altered nonlethal damage. There is an expansion supplement called "D20 Future" which covers science fiction settings.

d4-d4 roleplaying game system

1st ed by Kyle Schuant (2004) Better Mousetrap Games Goshu Otaku

A generic role-playing system, described as best for modern or future campaigns, of relatively short duration. (Longer campaigns may result in the characters becoming too proficient.) Action resolution is a die roll of two four-sided dice, the one subtracted from the other and added to a Trait, and compared to a Difficulty level. Traits are rated with a 11-step descriptive scale such as "Djim is an Outstanding Cook," or "Jane is a Middling Swimmer". This is similar to the 7-step scale in Fudge. Character creation is point-based, speding 20 levels (or variable depending on power level) on your character's traits. You may take up to 5 levels of "Bad Stuff" (standard disadvantages), gaining you that many extra levels to spend on other abilities.

The D6 System

1st ed by George Strayton (1996) West End Games

A universal RPG system based on the system used in WEG's Ghostbusters and further developed in WEG's Star Wars. The universal D6 system book was published much later as an alternative to WEG's less popular MasterBook universal system. The universal system adds advantages and disadvantages to the point-based character creation.

Daemornia

1st ed by Michael Lirko (2005) Better Mousetrap Games Daemornia Games

A post-apocalyptic science fantasy game, set in a future where demonic forces invaded Earth but were beaten back with the help of strange new races. Now the Earth is under seige, with guarded "techno-communities" while most learn melee weapons, magic, or psionics. It includes a system with 7 character races, 16 different career paths, magic and psionics, and a collection of demons and monsters.

Dallas

1st ed by James F. Dunnigan (1980) SPI

A card-game / RPG based on the TV soap opera. The boxed set includes cut-apart cards for major characters from the series, along with a 16-page rulebook, 16-page book of characters, and a 16-page "Scriptwriter's Guide". Character attributes include power, persuasion, coercion, seduction, investigation, and luck.

Danger, International

1st ed by L. Douglas Garrett, George MacDonald, Steve Peterson (1985) Hero Games

A modern espionage/action RPG, using the 3rd edition Champions system. This is the retitled 2nd edition of Espionage. It does not include any of the powers rules, and instead has information covering a host of modern action genres: from crimefighting to post-apocalypse and alien invaders. It introduced vehicle chase combat rules and specific martial arts rules, later adopted into 4th edition Champions.

Dangerous Journeys

1st ed by Gary Gygax, Dave Newton (1992) GDW

A three-volume fantasy-genre RPG ("Mythus", "Mythus Magick", "Epic of AErth"). It uses a skill-based system. Character creation has random-roll attributes, and skills determined either by picking a "vocation", or by creating your own vocation. There are 18 attributes: 3 categories (Physical/ Mental/ Spiritual), each with 2 subcategories (Muscular+Neural/ Mnemonic+Reasoning/ Metaphysical+Psychic). Each subcategory has attributes for capacity, power, and speed: each determined by 2d6+8. There were three additional books published over the next year: "Necropolis", "Mythus Bestiary", and "Mythus Prime", plus two magazines (Journeys and Mythic Masters Magazine). After that the game disappeared over legal dispute with TSR (cf. the GDW entry for details). cf. the official website

Danger Quest: Pulp Adventures in the 24th Century

1st ed by Dave Matalon, Andy Mello (2002) Torchlight Games

A pulp science-fiction RPG, set in the 2330's where a long-standing anti-technology trend has resulted in old-style appearing gadgets such as flying cars. The game centers on Newmerica, which is threatened by a Nazi-like empire in Europe and others.

Daredevils

1st ed by Bob Charrette, Paul Hume (1982) FGU

A pulp-era action and mystery game. It uses a variant of the Aftermath system, with simplified combat and the complex elements made optional. Character creation is skill-based and point-bought. It includes a detailed skill list, source material on the 30's, and a section on special powers (a la "The Shadow").

Dark Conspiracy

1st ed by Lester W. Smith (1991) GDW

2nd ed (1998) Dynasty

A near-future horror role-playing game, in a future where environmental devastation, urban sprawl, and corporate greed are worsened by little-known supernatural alien horrors that have taken over swaths of land known as "demonground". The system is a skill-based (a variant of the GDW house system), using d10 (1st edition) or d20 (2nd edition).

Dark Continent: Adventure & Exploration in Darkest Africa

1st ed by David Salisbury, Mandy Smith (2001) New Breed Games

A historical roleplaying game of Victorian era adventure within Africa, inspired by the work of Burton and Livingstone. The boxed set included two paperback books: the 112-page Player's Guide and the 144-page GM's Guide. There are also two A5 booklets (5.75 x 8.25"): a Victorian traveller's guide to exotic Zanzibar (A Gazeteer of Zanzibar) and a catalog of the fictional Topan Trading Company (Catalog of Goods). The set also included two A3 (11 x 17") player maps of Maasailand and of Abyssinia. It uses a simple skill-based system, with action resolution by rolling under character's skill on 1d10. There are details on long-term movement, outfitting, mass combat, and morale. An expedition has stats derived from its collective membership which are used to resolve large-scale tasks.

The Dark Fantasy of Sundrah

1st ed by T. Glenn Bane (2007) Scaldcrow Games

A fantasy RPG set in an original world, Sundrah, ruled by evil gods resisted by human rebels -- along with other races including angels, dwarves, goblins, gremlins, hobgoblins and trolls. Player characters may also include a sorcerous hybrid of human and any animal, designed by the player. Character creation involves choice from 23 professions including hoplite and galloglaich.

Dark Realms

1st ed by Ryan S. Johnson, John L. Ross (1997) Guild of Blades

2nd ed (2004) Guild of Blades

A generic fantasy RPG system. The first edition was printed as a 96-page digest-sized book. It uses a universal results table, crossing skill minus (difficulty or opposing skill) with a 1d12 roll for a degree of success. Character creation is class-based, with ten classes including archer, woodsman, and knight, as well as warrior, wizard, and rogue. Advancement is level-based, with randomized skill points for each skill slot gained.

Darksword Adventures

1st ed by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman (1988) Bantam/Spectra

A fantasy RPG set in the world of Weis' and Hickman's Darksword novels, sold in trade paperback format following the novels. It uses a simple system ("Phantasia") with only five stats: Combat, Prowess, Information, Shape, and Life. It uses "paper-rock-scissor" to resolve conflicts.

DarkTown: The Apocolyptic Cycle

1st ed by Roger McReynolds & Ben Reading (1998) Propaganda Publishing Gold Rush Games

A science-fantasy RPG set in a future on the verge of cataclysm, as science begins to falter and rumors of mystical and mythical occurences come about. The "apocalyptic cycle" are Science, Religion, and Magic which are in conflict.

DarkUrthe LEGENDS

1st ed by Colin Murcray, Matt Yarrow (1993) Black Dragon Press

A "dark" fantasy role-playing game, set on an original world. Character creation is class-based, including race-specific classes, guild-associated classes, and generic classes. It includes a magic system of designing spells from various defind components. A 2nd edition is planned under the title "Myth & Legend".

Darkus Thel

1st ed by Donald C. Moehlenkamp, Kurt Moehlenkamp, James August Mohow (1986) Sorcerers Guild

Book Two ed (1994)

Book Two ed (1986)

A fantasy genre mini-RPG, with an original world background along with monsters such as dragon-equivalents called "drakens" and "sabercats". The system is based solely upon D6 dice.

Darkwood

1st ed by Steve Garnett (2001) Tower Games

A fantasy role-playing game set near Sherwood Forest of the Robin Hood legends. The system uses roll under attribute + skill on 1d20. Character creation is limited point-based.

Dawnfire

1st ed by Jason Marin (2000) Committed Comics

A fantasy genre RPG set on an original world. Each PC uses magic from a type of "Flow" -- magical energy that radiates from the three suns above Dawnfire. The three flow types are Warrior, Shaper, and Rogue. Races include humans, Garin (fox-creatures), Dracos (half-dragons), winged Aerials, Trolls, Makir, and Minotaurs. It uses a skill-based system with 10 attributes. Action resolution is by rolling under stat on 1d20, where 20 is a critical failure and 1 is a critical success.

Dawn Patrol

1st ed by Mike Carr et al. (1982) TSR

A WWI air combat game and RPG, a version of the boardgame Fight in the Skies with expanded rules giving more emphasis on the pilots as characters. cf. the semi-official website.

DC Heroes

1st ed by Greg Gorden, Sam Lewis (1985) Mayfair

2nd ed by Ray Winninger, Thomas Cook, Dan Greenberg (1989)

3rd ed by Bryan Nystul (1993)

A superhero RPG set in the DC comics universe. This uses a unique system (later dubbed "MEGS" for "Mayfair Exponential Gaming System") intended to handle attributes ranging from Robin (2) to Superman (50) on the same scale. Resolution is by rolling stat+2d10 versus 2d10 + difficulty modifier. cf. Josh's DC Heroes FAQ.

DC Universe Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Fred Jandt, Nikola Vrtis (1999) West End Games

Another superhero RPG set in the DC comics universe. It uses a variant of the "D6 Prime" system (from Hercules & Xena. It is a dice pool system rolling d6's where 3-6 is a success (special dice are provided with red and blue faces for this) plus a special "wild die". Character creation is point-based.

deadEarth

1st ed by J.T. Smith, Chris Hagness, Michael Helfman (1999) Anarchy inK

A post-nuclear-apocalypse survival RPG, published electronically. It uses a d6 dice-pool system with random-roll character creation including a vast selection of hundreds of mutations.

Dead Inside: The Roleplaying Game of Loss & Redemption

1st ed by Chad Underkoffler (2004) Atomic Sock Monkey Press

A horror RPG set in the modern world alongside a fantasy setting, the Spirit World. The PCs by default are "Dead Inside" humans who have lost part of their souls, though there are also options to play Ghosts, Magi, Sensitives, or Zombies. They collect soul points for spiritual cultivation, for acting good in various ways, following Virtues and overcoming Vices. It uses a simple system called Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) system. Character creation is by choosing a type, 2 to 4 keywords which give bonuses, and a weakness. Action resolution is by 2d6 + bonus vs difficulty.

Deadlands: The Weird West

1st ed by Shane Lacy Hensley (1996) Pinnacle

A western fantasy-horror game, set in an alternate history where magic and monsters begin appearing around the time of the Civil War. The system is a skill-based dice-pool system, where attribute determines die type (d4,d6,d8,d10,d12,d20) and skill determines number of dice.

Deadlands: Hell on Earth

1st ed by Shane Hensley (1998) Pinnacle

A post-apocalyptic fantasy-horror RPG, set in the year 2094 in a possible future of the Deadlands universe. In 2081, the Reckoners (masters of the evil manitou spirits) break through into the world. It uses a variant of the Deadlands system. New character types are psionic "Sykers", mutant "Doomsayers", magic warrior "Templars", and mad-scientist "Junkers".

Deadlands: Lost Colony

1st ed by John R. Hopler (2002) Pinnacle

A sci-fi/fantasy/horror RPG, set in a distant star system in a possible future of the Deadlands universe. Thirteen years ago, the colony, known as "Faraway", was cut off from Earth by the Last War. Now three million humans are trapped on this world alongside ten times that many angry aliens. It uses a variant of the Deadlands system.

Dead Night of Space: Psibertroopers

1st ed by Ron Fricke, Scott Palter (2003) Final Sword

A space opera RPG, set in a future where a group of psychics (known as "Psibers") sought a better life in space. They were captured to serve as hosts for a dying alien race called the Cey. The Psibers were able to thwart the Cey's plans and in the process take over their planet and all of the Cey's technology, including giant robots and ships with wormhole-like technology. Now they are increasingly in contact with their ancestors, the humans, as well as other species. The PCs are on the front line of these scenarios as the "Psibertroopers". It uses the D6 System originally developed by West End Games, with the addition of the "Chesspiece Goon System" which simplifies handling of minor NPCs by eliminating die rolls.

Dead of Night

1st ed by Merwin Shanmugasundaram, Andrew Kenrick (2005) Steampower Publishing

A horror movie role-playing game published in a small, "pocket" format for ease of pick-up games. It is based on classic horror movies (vampires, zombies, werewolves, and the like), and nominally set in the generic American town of Chaddlestone. It uses a very simple system, with options for playing the victims or monsters, as well as for distributed game-mastering. Resolution is by rolling 2d10 versus a target of 15 (for standard rolls) or 10 + opponent's stat (for contests). Characters are defined by four stat pairs: Identify/Obscure, Persuade/Dissuade, Pursue/Escape, and Assault/Protect. There are no separate skills, but a stat may be specialized in an openly-defined manner. Characters also have Survival Points, which function both as damage and hero points. Each failed combat roll costs one point. Survival Points can also be spent for different effects: to reroll, gain initiative, flip a stat pair, find a clue, or cancel another Survival Point expenditure. Characters begin with around five, and more are earned for rolling doubles (or rolling 13 for monsters), advancing the plot, cool descriptions of your actions, resting for a full scene, and by acting out horror movie cliches. Character creation is limited point-based.

Dead Reign: Zombie Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Josh Hilden, Joshua Sanford, Kevin Siembieda (2008) Palladium Books

A zombie horror role-playing game, using a variant of the Palladium System. The game includes six character classes (O.C.C.s), including the Reaper, Shepherd of the Damned, Hound Master, Apocalyptic Soldier, Scrounger, and Ordinary People. There are seven types of zombies plus the Half-Living described as opponents.

Deathstalkers: The Fantasy Horror Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Mike Whitehead (2001) Cutter's Guild

2nd ed by Mike Whitehead, Joe Meyers (2003)

A fantasy horror RPG set on an original fantasy world, inhabited by 18 races including the typical dwarf, elf, and gnome plus others including lizard-man, minotaur, half-dragons, half-dead, and half-cat. Action resolution is percentile skills and stat + 1d20 for combat. Character creation involves choosing a racial archetype and a character class (out of 32), along with point-bought skills. The racial archetype gives special abilities, languages, class restrictions, and the basic number of d6's to roll for each attribute. The ten attributes are Knowledge, Mental Tolerance, Leadership, Courage, Strength, Endurance, Beauty, Agility, Speed, and Hit-Points. Advancement is level-based.

Decartha Prime: Science Fantasy in a Shifting World

1st ed by (2000) Hubris

A storytelling game.

Deeds Not Words

1st ed by Scott Lynch (2002) Cryptosnark games

A superhero RPG using a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D.

Deepsleep

1st ed by William Levy (1988) Godiva Productions

A post-nuclear-apocalypse RPG where players play themselves as visitors to a secret government research installation when World War III breaks out. The players then place themselves in suspended animation and wake up in some bizarre setting of the GM's choice. (Rule system unknown)

Deliria

1st ed by Phil Brucato (2003) Laughing Pan Productions

A modern fantasy about mortals in the modern world who interact with the faerie domain. Action resolution uses stat + random modifier vs difficulty -- using either cards or dice to allow for live-action play. It includes a faerie magic system, and extensive rules for social and spiritual conflict.

Delta Force

1st ed by William H. Keith, Jr. (1986) Task Force Games

A modern military/espionage RPG about elite anti-terrorist units, including U.S. Delta Force, British SAS, etc. The system includes lots of detailed weapon statistics. It includes 3 hostage adventures.

Demon City Shinjuku RPG

1st ed by David L. Pulver (1999) Guardians of Order

A supernatural action/horror RPG based on the Japanese animated movie, where in the near future the heart of Tokyo is transformed by the tyrannical Levih Rah into a "Demon City". The game uses the "Tri-Stat" system introduced in Big Eyes, Small Mouth.

Demon's Lair

1st ed by Dan Hensel, Al Seeger, Dave Schmitz, Gino Holland (1997) Lasalion

A medieval fantasy RPG, set in the world of "Terrania" with 6 continents each with a tower at the center. It is inhabited humans, elves, and dwarves as well as other races such as dakhans. It uses a step-die system. Character creation has classes (fighter/thief/mage/cleric/...) and skills, and a mix of random-rolls and point-bought stats.

Demon: The Fallen

1st ed by Carl Bowen (2002) White Wolf

A modern-day horror RPG, where the PCs are demonic spirits who have been incarnated in human bodies within the "World of Darkness" setting of Vampire: The Masquerade and other games. The demons are partly sympathetic in that they fought against God to empower humanity. Being trapped in the pit for thousands of years, they are now alien and only understand the world through the human part that they inhabit. It uses a version of the Storyteller dice pool system used by the other World of Darkness games.

De Profundis

1st [Polish] ed by Michal Oracz (2001) Portal

1st [English] ed by Michal Oracz (2002) Hogshead Games

A modern-day horror RPG designed for play over mail. Originally published in Polish, and translated into English. The players write in-character letters to each other, describing their progressive exploration of (or victimization by) eldritch nightmare forces. There is no GM; it's up to the players to interlink their stories. It also suggests the option of "field psychodrama" -- where the players use elements from their real life in the stories.

The Deryni Adventure Game

1st ed by Aaron Rosenberg, Ann Dupuis, Jennifer Brinn (2005) Grey Ghost Press

A fantasy RPG based on the popular "Deryni" series of fantasy books by Katherine Kurtz, about a race of humans in medieval times with the gift of magic -- the Deryni. The system is a modified version of the Fudge system.

Desperados

1st ed by Dave Schacter (1991) Skycastle Games

A western genre RPG, using a skill-based percentile system.

Diana: Warrior Princess

1st ed by Marcus L. Rowland (2003) Heliograph, Inc.

A curious, and humorous, modern fantasy game. It is set in the present as re-imagined thousands of years from now -- in a manner parallel to how "Xena: Warrior Princess" treats ancient Greek myth and culture. So it is a romanticized fantasy of our present, which conflates and confuses all sorts of information about our present. Thus it centers on the mighty heroine Diana (recently divorced from Bonnie Prince Charlie) and her sidekick Fergie running about, thwarting the machinations of the evil Queen Elizabeth, as well as those of the dark god of war, Landmines.

Dice & Glory

1st ed by Robert A. Neri Jr (2007) Ranger Games

A generic rule system focused on fantasy. Action resolution uses 1d20 + skill versus difficulty. Character creation uses random-roll of attributes, choice of class, and point-bought skills. The generic classes are: Brick, Fighter, Adventurer, Rogue, Mage, Psychic and Clergy.

Digital Burn

1st ed by T.R.Williams, Joe Chan, Ryan Kelley, Sean Kelley, Toby Leonard, Gary McBride, Jason Middleton, Austin Mills, Patrick Quarles, Aaron Robb, Brian Spencer, Tico, Mike Williams (2002) Living Room Games

A cyberpunk game, intended as a setting and general cyberpunk sourcebook for use with the D20 Modern system. It is set in a near future (circa 2017) where a series of natural and man-made disasters between 2008 and 2012 killed off about 30% of the world population in a period commonly known as "The Burn". Deaths include disasters involving genetically modified crops as well as a new lethal sexually transmitted disease dubbed "Black Molly". Genetic engineering is now widely banned and replaced by cybernetics. The rules include nine advanced classes as well as new rules for cyberware, netrunning, and other advanced technology. The advanced classes are Blank (i.e. anonymous but connected street-dweller), Cop, Fixer, Ganger, Hacker, Icon (i.e. celebrity), Medico, Merc, and Spanner (general technician, esp. electronics).

Dime Heroes

1st ed by Todd Downing (1999) Deep7

A very simple 1930's pulp action mini-RPG published in electronic PDF format. It uses a version of the "1PG" system, which (as its name implies) fits on a single page. Resolution is rolling 1d6 and getting under attribute or skill, where 1 is always success and 6 is always failure. Character creation includes rolling 1d3 to determine attributes (Moxie, Glitz, Cunning, and Grey Matter), then spending 1d6 points your skills, with no skill higher than 3. The basic game is 11 pages, and has a 15 page "Jungle Adventures" supplement.

Dinky Dungeons

1st ed by Denton R. Elliot (1985) Doc's Games

A fantasy-genre mini-RPG published in a 3''x5'' ziplock bag(!). It has 2 attributes (Physical and Mental) which are randomly determined, and 3 classes (Fighter, Wizard, Bard). All rolls are on 2d6. Combat is by comparing Physical of attacker and defender on a chart. Other rolls (Muscle or Idea rolls) are all the same chance of success, but higher attribute lets you try more rolls per day. There are no skills per se. cf. Steffan O'Sullivans Dinky Dungeons page.

Dirty Secrets: a game about crime

1st ed by Seth Ben-Ezra (2007) Dark Omen Games

A game based on the film noir crime genre, with narrative control mechanics where one participant plays the main character, and the other players take turns as the primary game-master. When not being primary GM, they act as advisors with veto power over the primary. The conflict resolution system is a slightly modified version of the Liar's Dice game, where everyone rolls a number of dice secretly and take turns bidding higher numbers for a total. There is a "crime grid" where suspects are included, and the guilty party is determined semi-randomly among the suspects.

Discordia!: A Little Game About a Lot of Chaos

1st ed by John Wick (2005) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A modern-day conspiracy RPG, where players take the roles of Discordian double agents infiltrating the world's greatest conspiracies. It uses a dice pool system where you find "fives" in the die roll. It also includes a system of "dogma" (the power your Illuminati grant you) and "catma" (your degree of Discord) that determines what magic powers your conspirator has. Characters have freeform stats reminiscent of Robin Law's Over the Edge. Every time a character uses a "dogma" power, she runs the risk of flipping to the dread Triple Agent status. The game includes a number of scenario ideas, with a nod to Robin Laws' "Cut-Up" story mechanism using randomly drawn words on slips of paper.

Doctor Who RPG

1st ed by Michael Bledsoe, Wm John Wheeler, L. Ross Babcock, Guy W. McLimore (1985) FASA

A time-and-dimension travelling sci-fi RPG based on the TV series. PC' are from the Gallifreyan Celestial Intervention Agency, usually a Time Lord/Lady and some humans travelling around in a TARDIS. The system is related to FASA's Star Trek. Actions are resolved using 2d6 on and "interaction matrix". Attributes and skills both range from 1-7 (written as roman numerals), with point-bought character generation.

Dogs in the Vineyard

1st ed by Vincent Baker (2004) Lumpley Games

A western-genre game where the PCs are religious guardians (God's Watchdogs) in the community of the Faithful, which is based on 19th century Utah. Demons roam about the world, and can attempt to move in on towns which have given way to sin. Characters have four main attributes, which are each pools of two or more d6. They also have traits, relationships, and equipment which are rated as pools of other dice (i.e. d4, d6, d8, d10). Resolution is by conflict resolution: establish "What's at Stake" and then roll the dice for all stats related to that. The alternate sides then go through a process of a "Raise" using two of the dice, which must then be countered by the opposing side. You can alternately "Escalate" by switching to a different form of combat, such as going from social to physical. This raises the amount of "fallout" which can occur from the conflict.

Dog Town: The Ultimate Crime Experience

1st ed by Jonathan Ridd (2004) Cold Blooded Games

A modern crime RPG about goodfellas, wise guys, and other criminals from the 1970s era of mob rule in New York City. Specifically, it suggests that each PC be a crook who just got out of jail and who, while behind bars, was given the opportunity to make some fantastic business deal that requires one hundred grand within 90 days. It uses a skill-based system (the "Split System"), which resolves actions based on rolling over a target number on 1d20 determined from a universal chart of skill vs difficulty. Character creation is point-based, with 10 attributes, ads/disads ("Talents/Flaws"), and 33 skills. The attributes are rated from -2 to 5 in value: Bulk, Power, Toughness, Reflexes, Sense, Brains, Control, Style, Experience, and Luck.

Domination

1st ed by Blaine Pardoe (1989) StarChilde

An alien invasion RPG set in an alternate 1992 where the evil Kalotians and their allied aliens are invading Earth. It uses a percentile system (roll under attribute plus skill). Character creation is class-based, with random-roll attributes and point-bought skills.

Dominion Tank Police RPG

1st ed by David L. Pulver (1999) Guardians of Order

A futuristic RPG set in the world of the mange/anime series "Dominion Tank Police". The system ("Tri-Stat") is very simple, with three attributes (Body/Mind/Soul) and skills. Roll 2d6 under your stat, modified by skill. The rulebook also is a "resource book" on facts, trivia, and background about the series.

Donjon

1st ed by Clinton R. Nixon, Zak Arntson (2002) Anvilwerks

A fantasy-genre RPG with an emphasis on narrative control for the player. It uses a dice-pool system, rolling a number of d20s equal to attribute + skill and taking the highest. The GM rolls a number of d20s based on difficulty and the results are compared. Each success lets the player freely declare one statement about the action. For example, a successful search for secret doors roll allows the player to define that one is there to be found.

Don't Look Back: Terror is Never Far Behind

1st ed by Chuck McGrew, Richard Van Ingram (1995) Mind Ventures

2nd ed (1997)

A modern-day horror role-playing game. It uses an unusual dice pool system where you roll a number of d6 and keep the 3 highest or lowest depending on your Success Rating (found by comparing ability to difficulty).

Don't Rest Your Head

1st ed by Fred Hicks (2006) Evil Hat Productions

A modern-day horror role-playing game where the player characters are all insomniac protagonists with superpowers, fighting -- and using -- exhaustion and madness to stay alive and awake. It is set in a dark alternate reality called the Mad City. It uses an abstract dice pool system with stats for Discipline, Exhaustion, and Madness.

Don't Walk In Winter Wood

1st ed by Clint Krause (2006) Clint Krause Games

A short folkloric horror RPG set in an unnamed 18th-century village, where something threatening is in the nearby woods that the PCs must deal with. There is no character sheet, since characters have only one stat -- the number of Cold Points they have accumulated, representing emotional, psychological, or physical damage. The GM may ask yes or no questions, and if the player may answer yes only if they roll over their current number of Cold Points on 1d6.

Dragonball Z RPG

1st ed by Mike Pondsmith (1998) R Talsorian

An over-the-top martial arts RPG based on the Japanese animated series. It uses the Instant Fuzion system, with the addition of a "Power" stat and no upper limits.

Dragonfire

1st ed (1992) Heartbreaker Games

An introductory role-playing/board game, similar in format to Milton Bradley's better-known HeroQuest game. It features simple rules for role-playing, some adventures, a set of interchangeable room and corridor tiles, dice, plastic miniatures and a few other goodies.

Dragonlance: The Fifth Age

1st ed by William W. Connors (1998) TSR

An original fantasy game set in the Dragonlance fantasy world (fiction spin-off from D&D). The system ("SAGA system") is story-oriented, usng a special 82-card tarot-like deck instead of dice. Similar to Castle Falkenstein, actions are resolved by players by adding attribute plus the value a card played from their hand.

Dragonquest

1st ed by Eric Goldberg, David James Ritchie, Edward J. Woods (1980) SPI

2nd ed by Gerard Klug (1981)

3rd ed (1989) TSR

A fantasy-genre RPG focusing on hex-map-based combat. For its time, this featured a number of new system features in skills and action resolution. cf. John Kahane's DragonQuest introduction.

Dragonraid

1st ed (1984) Adventures for Christ

An evangelical Christian RPG which is aimed at getting players in to learn "Biblical priciples". Spells are cast by the player reciting "WordRunes" which are passages from the Bible. cf. the official website.

Dragonroar

1st ed (1985) Standard Games

Fantasy miniatures combat system and RPG, published as a boxed set including stand-up figures, dice, map, an introductory adventure ("A Matter of Honour"), and a cassette tape with instructions. It uses an introductory level system which emphasizes combat with various monsters. Hit points are shown as marked-off circles on a body diagram sheet. It has a single supplement, a boxed set entitled "The Zhevezh Gauntlet".

Dragons of Underearth

1st ed by Keith Gross (1983) Metagaming

This is a mini-boardgame/RPG using a variant of the rules system from The Fantasy Trip, produced after TFT author Steve Jackson left for his own projects. All actions are considered to have happened simultaneously, so DX is not as important in getting a chance to do damage.

Dragon Storm

1st ed by Susan Van Camp, Mark Harmon (1995) Black Dragon Press

A fantasy-genre RPG, where players play shape-shifters such as Human/Dragon, and other traditional fantasy creatures. The system is card-based. Character creation is point-bought: choosing an illustrated "character card", and then spending remaining points on other cards for background, flaws (which give back points), and special abilities and/or magic. cf. the official website.

Dragon Warriors

1st ed by Dave Morris, Oliver Johnson (1982) Corgi Books

1st ed (2008) Magnum Opus Press Mongoose Publishing

A fantasy-genre RPG which came in a series of 6 paperback books. (1: "Dragon Warriors", 2: "The Way of Wizardry", 3: "The Elven Crystals", 4: "Out of the Shadows", 5: "The Power of Darkness", 6: "The Lands of Legend"). cf. Cynewulf's Dragon Warriors page.

Dread

1st ed by Epidiah Ravachol, woodelf (2005) The Impossible Dream

A horror RPG which uses a diceless, numberless resolution mechanic centered on a tower of blocks such as the game, Jenga. If you can pull a block from the tower without it falling, the actions succeeds. If you choose not to pull, the action fails. If the tower collapses, your character is removed from the story (i.e. dies, goes insane, etc.). Character creation is by answering a series of questions about the character, with no numeric stats.

dread: The First Book of Pandemonium

1st ed by Rafael Chandler (2002) Malignant Games

Unrated ed by Rafael Chandler (2007) Neoplastic Press

A modern-day demon-fighting RPG. The PCs are a small team ("Cabal") of people who were exposed to demons and then recruited and trained in magic to fight them. It uses a simple dramatic system based on a d12 dice pool. Action resolution is roll (attribute + skill) d12's, where ties add +1 to the total, and try to get over the target number (2-14). Character creation is limited point-based, with 9 points to divide among the three attributes of Body, Mind, and Spirit. You then get skill points equal to 2x Mind.

Dream Park

1st ed by Mike Pondsmith (1992) R Talsorian

An RPG based on the sci-fi novels by Larry Niven, where the characters play in a futuristic big-budget, live-action role-playing games. The book is geared for beginners, with board-game-like introductory scenarios and pre-made character cards, spell cards, etc. The system is quite simple, a variant of "Interlock", using skill+1d6 vs difficulty. Character creation is by choosing a class (which gives a package of basic skills), then adding points for advantages and skill modifications. The base system is for unrealistic cross-genre in-Park "game-play"... where medieval knights fight gun-toting cyberpunks on semi-even footing.

Dreamwalker: Roleplaying in the Land of Dreams

1st ed by Peter C. Spahn, Michael Patton, David Griffin (2002) self-published

A modern magic RPG where you you play a psychic in the employ of a government project (Project Dreamwalker), who enters the dreams of others to rid troubled minds of the Taeniid infestation. It uses a percentile skill-based system, which is adaptable as guidelines for dream-based adventures in any system.

Droids

1st ed by Neil Patrick Moore, Derek Stanovsky (1983) Integral Games

A sci-fi mini-RPG (digest-sized) about robots trying to survive after humanity destroyed their world. Character creation is by assembling your droid piece by piece (legs/wheels/treads, powerplant, sensors, etc.). It includes a sample scenario of exploring an abandoned military complex.

Drowning & Falling

1st ed by Jason Morningstar (2006) Bully Pulpit Games

A parody of other RPGs, in particular detailed rules for drowning, falling, and other such hazards. It includes fifteen attributes, five character classes (Warrior, Wizard, Cleric, Elf, and Dwarfling), two alignments (Good and Evil), and over twenty three spells and prayers.

Duck Trooper

1st ed by Richard Tucholka (1991) Tri-Tac Games

A humorous combat RPG (64 page) about re-taking your planet from alien Duck invaders from another dimension. "Now they have the planet and you have the firepower and the will to take back your homes."

Duel

1st ed by Bruce Harlick, Ray Greer, Paul Arden Lidberg (1992) Crunchy Frog

A universal RPG system, although geared mainly for the fantasy genre. It uses a simple skill-based system with 3 attributes (Body, Agility, Mind). Character creation is by open point-build, spending 35 points on attributes and skills. Action resolution is by rolling under skill on 1d10, with special cases for combat. It also uses d5's (1d10/2 or 1d6 reroll 6) for damage, initiative, and some other cases. The basic game is 36 pages and includes a brief magic system, a 3-page sample fantasy world, and a 5-page solor adventure. It has a genre book ("Wooden Suits and Iron Men", by Sam Witt, 1994), an advanced rules supplement ("Mega-DUEL"), and a fantasy adventure ("Secret Liaison").

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

1st ed by Owen M. Seyler, Christian Moore, Matthew Colville (2000) Last Unicorn Games

A spacefaring science-fiction RPG based on the novels by Frank Herbert. It uses a variant of the "Icon" system developed for the Star Trek: The Next Generation RPG. This was only published in a "Limited Edition" before the publishing company disappeared.

Dungeons and Dragons

1st ed by Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson (1973) TSR

Basic Set 1st ed ed by J. Eric Holmes (1977)

Basic Set 2nd ed by Tom Moldvay (1980)

Expert Set 1st ed by David Cook (1980)

Basic Set 3rd ed by Frank Mentzer (1983)

Expert Set 2nd ed by Frank Mentzer (1983)

Companion Set ed by Frank Mentzer (1984)

Master Set ed by Gary Gygax, Frank Mentzer (1985)

Immortals Set ed by Frank Mentzer (1986)

Rules Cyclopedia ed by Aaron Allston (1991)

3rd ed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (2000) Wizards of the Coast

Adventure Game ed by Bill Slavicsek (2000)

Version 3.5 ed (2003)

Basic Game ed by Jonathan Tweet (2004)

4th ed by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt (2008)

The original fantasy role-playing game, a swords-and-sorcery genre game vaguely based on Tolkien, Howard, and Lieber. The first edition in 1973 was an add-on to Guidon Games' Chainmail miniatures rules. It was a boxed set with three booklets ("Men & Magic", "Monsters & Treasure", and "The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures"). This used the term "hobbits" which was changed to "halflings" in the reprint after a clash with the Tolkien estate.
Later, after AD&D was released, the "Basic Set" was re-introduced as an easier first introduction to AD&D, covering only levels 1-3. Races were "simplified" to each be their own class (i.e. so elves are "elf" class instead of being forced to be mixed Fighting Man / Magic-user). In 1980 this was then expanded into a separate line of game sets: Basic / Expert / Companion / Master / Immortal. The first two sets went through several editions, and then the first 4 sets were later collected and edited into the "Rules Cyclopedia". This line was dropped in the mid-90's.
The "3rd edition" is really a new edition of AD&D with a wholly redesigned system, known as the "D20 System". The "Adventure Game" is a standalone boardgame with 8 pregenerated characters along with 3 premade adventures and random dungeon generators, but with no character generation rules.

Dust Devils: The Truly Gritty Old West Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Matt Snyder (2002) Chimera Creative

A wild west RPG. It uses an unusual playing card system. The character draws a number of cards based on the sum of two attributes. Highest poker hands across opposed characters determines who wins a conflict, but highest single card determines who narrates the outcome. Players also have chips which may be spent to draw extra cards or other effects. Each character has a Devil representing his "worser nature" which can modify actions.

The Dying Earth RPG

1st ed by Robin D. Laws, John R. Snead, Peter Freeman (2001) Pelgrane Press

A fantasy RPG set in the world of the novels by Jack Vance -- an ancient world populated by a desperately extravagant people, rich with magic. It uses a simple system where a single d6 roll determines the results (1=worst to 6=best), where higher ability gives you a number of rerolls (your "ability pool") which refreshes every 2 to 8 hours. Character creation is open point-based, where you can gain bonus points by accepting random choices. It has an in-depth magic system based closely on the series.

Dystopia: America 2155 A.D.

1st ed by Gavin Hadaller (2001) Politically Incorrect Games

A science-fiction game set in 2155 A.D. America, where you are part of the oppressed masses fighting against the totalitarian control of the megacorporations. The system is skill-based, based on rolling under your stat or skill on 1d10 (where 10 is a botch and 1 is a critical success). Character creation uses random-roll attributes and point-bought skills (with modifiers for Social Class and Lifestyle).

EABA

1st ed by Greg Porter (2002) BTRC

A universal system, published as a 150-page downloadable PDF file. It is a open-ended d6 system similar to the previous BTRC game CORPS but intended to be more heroic in scope. Character creation is limited point-based, with separate points for the six attributes (Strength, Agility, Health, Awareness, Will, and Fate) and skills. It uses a universal logarithmic scale where each +3 doubles the effect.

EarthAD.2 RPG

1st ed by Brett M. Bernstein, Peter C. Spahn (2007) Politically Incorrect Games

A post-apocalyptic science fiction RPG, set in a future where the remains of earth is plagued by cyborgs, mutants, plague carriers, and sentient animals. It uses a variant of the genreDiversion system also used by Coyote Trail.

The Earth & Sky Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Scott C. Hungerford, Jesse McGatha, Richard Thames Rowan, Bahia Rowan (1999) Lamplighter Design Studio Rubicon Games

Collector's ed (2001) Gaslight Press

An RPG of modern urban faerie tales and fantasy, where the power of belief brings to life fictional characters. PC's include wizards and dream walkers. The background includes a faerie realm (the Borderlands), along with unicorns, dragons, and so forth. It uses a rules-lite system.

Earthdawn

1st ed by Greg Gorden, Louis J. Prosperi (1993) FASA

1.5th ed (1994)

2nd ed (2001) Living Room Games

A dark fantasy RPG set in a prehistoric mythic era of the world of Barsaive (a parallel Earth), where various "Horrors" have destroyed or corrupted most of the world. From strongholds ("kaers"), the people are slowly reclaiming the land from these Horrors. Races include elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls as well as windling, obsidimen, and lizardmen. It uses a combined class/skill based system. Resolution is by a "step-die" roll vs difficulty: skill + modifiers on a universal chart determines your die roll (d4,d6,d8,etc.).

Eclipse Phase

1st ed by Rob Boyle, Brian Cross (1994) Posthuman Studios LLC Catalyst Game Labs

A

The Edge of Midnight: A role-playing game of mean streets and lost souls

1st ed by Rob Vaux (2006) Edge of Midnight Press Studio 2 Publishing

A fantasy noir RPG, set in a world based on film noir mixed with magic and horror. The primary nation is the United Commonwealth, a parallel of post-war USA, but it is plagued by inhuman "gaunts". It uses a skill-based system, where the players rolls 2d10 and adds one die to skill (the skill die) and one die to attribute. If both the skill total and attribute total match or exceed the difficulty, it is a full success. If only one does, it is a partial success (either by skill or by raw talent).

Eldritch Ass Kicking

1st ed by Nathan J. Hill (2001) Mystic Ages Online

Extended Remix ed (2004) Key 20 Publishing Mystic Ages Online

A humorous fantasy game about "arcane action and old men with sticks". The characters are wizards in the former fantasy realm of Anhelm, which has been torn apart and cast into a strange void. Now the wizards of the realm duel, gossip, and meet in taverns. It uses a simple system with three attributes: Agility, Endurance, and Concentration. Action resolution is by (skill or attribute) + 2d10, with zeroes counting as zero, and compare to difficulty. Success gives you limited ability to narrate the outcome. Magic is divided into schools, with the defaults being Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Magical effects are largely freeform. There is an optional rule for "Hubris" points which may be spent to alter rolls.

Elemental Axes

1st ed by Eric Seaton (2003) Crosstime Games

2nd ed by Eric Seaton (2007) Crosstime Games

A fantasy genre system. It includes an original fantasy setting, describing the history and geography of a great empire, along with savage creatures of the world. It uses a percentile skill-based system using a single skill-vs-skill action table for all challenges. Character generation uses a limited point-buy system, where you assign separate points for skills and backgrounds. There are no attributes, only a large skill list.

Element Masters

1st ed by Kenneth Burridge, Robert Finkbeiner, Kevin Nelson, Brian Pettitt (1982) Escape Ventures

2nd ed (1984)

A fantasy-genre RPG, set in a medieval fantasy world ("Vinya") into which aliens are pouring from a interdimensional gate (related to magical transporters which interconnect the continent). It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation is primarily random-roll with a few choices. PC's are assumed to be militia with some magic. The 3rd edition, or remake, of this game was published as Gatewar.

Elfquest

1st ed by Steve Perrin, Sandy Petersen, Yurek Chodak (1984) Chaosium

2nd ed (1989)

A fantasy role-playing game set in the world of the comic series "Elfquest". It uses a variant of Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing system.

Elfs

1st ed by Ron Edwards (2001) Adept Press

A humorous mini-RPG poking fun at elf stereotypes in fantasy RPGs. The mechanics are intended to allow for unintentional consequences of PC actions. Illustrated by Jeff Diamond.

El-Hazard

1st ed by Jesse Scoble (2001) Guardians of Order

An RPG based on the Japanese anime series El-Hazard, directed by Tenchi Muyo! co-creator Hiroki Hayashi. The series details the adventures of high school student Makoto Mizuhara after he is pulled into an alternate dimension, the fantasy world of El-Hazard, where he must battle against an evil insectoid empire. Like other GOO adaptations, the core book includes detailed background on the series. It uses a variant of the Big Eyes, Small Mouth system.

Elric!

1st ed by Lynn Willis, Richard Watts, Mark Morrison, Jimmie W. Pursell, Jr., Sam Shirley, Joshua Shaw (1993) Chaosium

A dark fantasy role-playing game set in the world of Michael Moorcock's Young Kingdoms series. This is really an edition of Chaosium's Stormbringer with a different name, which was released between 4th and 5th editions. It uses a version of Chaosium's percentile system, Basic Roleplaying, notably with fast character creation and very high skills -- recommending combat skills of 100% or more.

Elric of Melnibone

1st ed by Lawrence Whitaker (2007) Mongoose Publishing

A dark fantasy role-playing game set in the world of Michael Moorcock's Young Kingdoms series. This is to some degree an edition of Chaosium's Stormbringer with a different name, released after the 5th edition. It uses a variant of the RuneQuest system developed by Mongoose Publishing.

Ember Twilight

1st ed by Troy Costisick, Peter Evan, John Gordon, Brian Hagerty (2002) Twilight Press, Inc.

A fantasy role-playing game set in an original fantasy world, It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation uses a system of many professions -- including warrior, paladin, archer, scout, essence bender, and intercessor.

Empire of Satanis

1st ed by Darrick Dishaw (2005) self-published

A horror role-playing game, where the characters are fiends which live in a hellish universe called Yidathroth, or visit the human world (known to them as Sha-la). The content is offered free from www.cultofcthulhu.net, but there is also a print-on-demand version. There are fourteen races of fiends -- and all are unfathomably evil, and strive towards godhood through dark magics. It uses a dice-pool system, where resolution is by rolling attribute + skill d6s, and taking the highest -- where sixes are open-ended. Also, once each scene a player can roll 1d6, and if the result is a six, the player can declare a statement to be true in the game.

Empire of the Petal Throne

1st ed by M.A.R. Barker (1975) TSR

2nd ed (1983) Gamescience

A non-traditional fantasy game set on a unique alien world called "Tekumel". Set 60,000 years in the future, Tekumel was settled by Earth, but a great disaster threw Tekumel into a pocket dimension where gods and magic existed. The setting has a strong Hindu and Aztec flavor rather than European, and is lavishly detailed. There are three other games set in this world that were published later: Swords & Glory (1983), Gardisayal (1995), and Tekumel (2005).

Enchanted Worlds

Starter Kit ed by Matthew Rodgers, Daniel Price (2001) New Worlds Gaming

This is a fantasy RPG set in an original fantasy world called Unlond. The system is a simple skill-based system, where resolution is by rolling under attribute or skill on 2d8. Character creation is by allocating a pool of attribute points among the 8 attributes and a pool of skill points among the skills. The system includes a brief magic system. The starter kit includes the 32 page rulebook, a 20 page adventure: "Autumn Harvest", a reference card, a full color map, two eight sided dice, and a dice bag.

The End

1st ed by Joseph E. Donka (1997) Scapegoat Games

A bleak post-biblical-apocalypse RPG, where characters are the survivors of the Rapture whom God has abandoned: the Good being taken to Heaven and the Evil to Hell. Characters are ordinary people in a world where chaos reigns.

Enemy Gods

1st ed by John Wick (2003) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A mythic fantasy game, where players take dual roles of both a mythic Hero and a watchful God. The God guides the Hero and friends through adventures, and as the Heroes' popularity grows, the power of the Gods does as well. The more powerful the Gods become, the more they can aid the Heroes. It uses a narration-focused dice-pool system, the "Advantage" system, where extra dice can be acquired by looking for advantages your character has in a particular situation, each of which earns an extra die.

Enforcers

1st ed by Gary Bernard, Charles Mann, Larry Troth (1987) 21st Century

A sci-fi superhero RPG set in 2046 after superpower mutations began arising in 1999. It uses a percentile system. Character creation is random-roll attributes, and point-buy of superpowers and of binary skills. Reviewed in White Wolf #11.

En Garde

1st ed by Daryl Hany, Frank Chadwick (1975) GDW

2nd ed (1977)

1st ed (1989) SFC Press

A tabletop game of duellists in 17th Century France. As originally published, it is primarily a set of duelling rules with rudimentary rules for membership in regiments and social interaction (carousing). It has been greatly expanded as a PBeM game, however. cf. the En Garde homepage and SFC Press.

Engel

1st (German) ed by Oliver Graute, Oliver Hoffman, Kai Meyer (2001) Feder & Schwert

1st (English) ed (2002) White Wolf

A biblical fantasy RPG, set in the 27th century after the Biblical End Times has fallen over the land. The PCs are either "engels" or their human allies -- where engels are essential angels created to battle insectile demons known as the Dreamseed. The original German edition uses a system (the "Arcana" system) using tarot cards, with an emphasis on storytelling. The English edition uses a standalone system based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D. Engels have five new classes, while Humans may be Fighters and Rogues priests of the Angelitic Church tend to be Experts or Aristocrats (the OGL NPC classes).

Eoris Essence RPG

1st ed by David Torres, Alejandro Cárdenas, Nicolás Acosta (2009) Visions of Essence, LLC

A fantasy RPG emphasizing high-quality art in an original world. It uses a dice pool system, rolling a number of d20s equal to skill or attribute, where every result over the target number (base 15) is a success. Each rool includes an additional d20, the "essence die," that modifies success or failure.

EPIC Role Playing

1st ed by Chris Organ, Kent Davis (2005) Dark Matter Studios

Revised ed by Chris Organ, Kent Davis, Andrew Mertz, Andy Monroe (2007) Dark Matter Studios

A fantasy role-playing game set in an original fantasy world, Eslin, centered on the high feudal kingdom of Rullaea along with the Scandanavian-like icy lang of Rimenor and the region of Ursyos-Elkiknon where men are enslaved to by cruel invaders from another dimension -- the seven-foot tall, grey-skinned, mentalist Buruk. Action resolution uses 2d10. Character creation uses a life path at the end of which the player selects a profession, guild, lone master, or teacher is chosen from the specific realm of the campaign.

EPICS: Deserve to Survive

1st ed by J. Scott Pittman (2000) Dragonslayer Games

A universal RPG system, an acronym for "Easy, Player-Initiated Game System". It uses a system of developing characters as you go. Players earn Survival Points for thinking fast, good role-playing and adding detail to their characters during the course of play. The basic game includes a sample setting, "A.N.G.E.L.S.", a modern world where heroes with rare inhuman powers fight against supernatural creatures and government plots.

Epiphany

1st ed by Greg Porter (1996) BTRC

An Atlantean-age fantasy game using a unique diceless system. Players match against the GM by splitting their stat into fingers of each hand (i.e. stat 5 could be 3 in one hand and 2 in the other, say). This is similar in principle to rock-paper-scissors, but accounts for a range of skills and difficulties.

Epoch: Age of Magic

1st ed by Chris Rutkowsky (2001) Basic Action Games

A fantasy RPG using a percentile system which mixes pure skill and trade grouping. Skills are grouped under three trades: Warrior, Rogue, and Scholar. Each character designates one trade each as Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. The priority determines a multiplier: x6 for Primary, x5 for Secondary, and x4 for Tertiary. Action resolution is by adding attribute + skill, multiplying by trade multiplier, adding difficulty modifier, and then rolling under that number on percentile dice. In combat, a hit roll is by a roll modified by targets avoid percentage -- followed by hit location and damage (using d6s) upon success. Character creation is a mix of random-roll and point-buy, where skill points can be used to modify the results of random rolls for race, social class, handedness, and attributes. Remaining skill points are used to buy skills within the three groupings.

Era Ten

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1992) Better Games

A sci-fi space marine RPG, set in a future where humans and their four alien allies (known as the "Tetra League") have been infected by a "pacification virus." The PC's are rare members of the species who are immune to the virus, and are thus pressed into service as powered-armor marines who defend the league from outside attack. It uses the "Free-style Roleplay" system from Crimson Cutlass, and also comes with extensive guidelines for generating random missions and other scenarios. The Space Gamer magazine published two mini-RPGs based on this: Battle Born (in issue #1) and Guardians of Sol (in issue #5). The PC's gain abilities by downloading capabilities into their spacesuit. Use of these suit skills are the only types of rolls the player makes during game play.

Eric Flint's 1632 Resource Guide and Role Playing Game

1st ed by Jonathan M. Thompson (2005) Battlefield Press

An role-playing adaptation of the time-traveling novel by Eric Flint, where in May of the year 2000, a six-mile sphere, centered on Grantville, West Virginia, was displaced in space and time to 1631 Germany. The system is a variant of the Action! System from Gold Rush Games.

The Esoterrorists

1st ed by Robin D. Laws (2006) Pelgrane Press

A modern-day horror RPG where the PCs are investigators in a secret conspiracy cell, fighting the Esoterrorists -- a loose affiliation of occultists intent on tearing apart reality itself. It uses a new system, called the GUMSHOE rules. It uses diceless point-spending to resolve investigative skills, and die rolls modified by points for core skills. Character creation is limited point-based, with no attributes and splitting between the 39 investigative skills and the 13 core skills.

Espionage

1st ed by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson (1983) Hero Games

A secret agent RPG, using a variant of the 2nd edition Champions rules. This was revised with a new title as Danger International in 1985.

Eternal Soldier

1st ed by Chris Arnold, Rob Arnold, Joe Mays (1986) Tai-Gear Simulations

A universal system, providing combat rules usable in any genre or time period. It uses a skill-based percentile system, using other polyhedral dice as well. Character creation allows attributes to be generated by several means, with point-bought skills. The rules were later made available free from Tai-Gear's website. Reviewed in White Wolf #9.

Etherscope

1st ed by Nigel McClelland, Ben Redmond (2005) Goodman Games

A modern fantasy RPG using a variant of the D20 System as found in D20 Modern. It is set in the year 1984 of an alternate history where psychic technology using the ether was discovered in 1874. Modern etherscopes are devices by which human minds could enter Etherspace, a psychic parallel to the Internet. There are many other steampunk and cyberpunk elements, including eugenically-modified humans. The strains include the standard Betas, improved Alphas, ratlike Gammas, doglike Deltas, and horselike Epsilons. In the larger world, there are three superpowers: Britain, America, and Germany's New Reich. Among all, Victorian virtues like social stratification, imperialism, and scientific progress rule unchallenged. The system includes six basic classes (Broker, Combatant, Enginaught, Pursuer, Savant and Scoundrel) and twelve advanced character classes (Cybernaught, Explorer, Tab-Jammer, Thief, Industrialist, Occult Investigator, Program Crater, Scope Rider, Scope Warrior, Spy and Street Mercenary).

Everlasting

Book of the Unliving ed by Steven Brown (1997) Visionary Games

Book of the Light ed (1998)

Book of the Spirits ed (1998)

Book of the Fantastical ed (2003)

A modern-day urban fantasy game, which comes in several parts detailing the "Secret World" of eldritch creatures unseen in everyday life. The fantasy elements are much more traditional than White Wolf's similar series (i.e. based on folklore rather than recent fiction like Anne Rice, neo-paganism, etc.) The shared system uses a pool of d12's (based on attribute) rolled against a target number based on skill and difficulty. The game(s) also have diceless and percentile-die variants.
"Book of the Unliving" details Ghuls, Revenants, and Vampires. "Book of the Light" details angels and divinely-inspired humans fighting demons and werewolves.

EverQuest Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Steve Wieck (2002) White Wolf

A fantasy genre RPG based on the popular multiplayer online computer RPG. It is set on the world of Norrath, inhabited by humans, elves, and dwarves as well as reptilian Iksar and aquatic Kedge. The rules are a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D, although it does not use the D20 trademark and includes complete character creation and combat rules.

Everway

1st ed by Jonathan Tweet (1995) Wizards of the Coast

1.5th ed (1996) Rubicon Games

2nd ed (unknown) Gaslight Press

A dimension-hopping fantasy game, using a story-oriented diceless system. The game features a fixed deck of "fortune" cards, similar to a tarot deck, which is used to subjectively influence the GM's resolution. There are collectible "image" cards with various original artwork on them, used to inspire character creation and adventure design. Character creation is guided by a set of image card draws, using a loose point-based mechanic to buy attributes, special powers, and magic. There are four attributes: air, earth, fire, and water -- with each element representing a side of character ability.

Exalted

1st ed by Geoffrey C. Grabowski, Robert Hatch, Ken Cliffe, Richard Thomas, Stephan Wieck, Andrew Bates, Dana Habecker, Sheri M.Johnson, Chris McDonough (2001) White Wolf

A fantasy RPG set in a mythic age when the Exalted ruled a vast empire which controls the world. The Exalted are those who can channel Essence for magical powers. It uses a variant of the "Storyteller" dice pool system.

Excursion into the Bizarre

1st ed by Wolfgang Trippe, Brian Carlson (1985) Blind Dog Games

A tongue-in-cheek cross-genre RPG where some denizens of a fantasy world are carried by "Vorpal Winds" into a strange new world: twentieth century Earth. There are two home dimensions: Oort, a dimension of treasure-obsessed, dungeoneering elves, orcs, and the like; and Chon-Blu, a parallel universe where furries rule the earth. Character creation is by rolling best 4 out of 5d6 for the five attributes (Strength, Constitution, Agility, Intelligence, and Wisdom/Intuition); then dividing 250 points among a set of percentile skills (with a minimum of 5 skills and a maximum of Intelligence/5). The basic game includes a magic system and division of humanity into enemies, allies, and neutrals.

Expendables

1st ed by L. Lee Cerny, Walter H. Mytczenskyj, Michael A. Thomas (1987) Stellar Games

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG, where PC's are explorers hired to find new planets to be exploited by the monolithic company they work for. There is not much background except for extensive equipment lists. Character creation is class-based with random-roll attributes and point-buy skills (assigned a number of dice to different skills). Advancement is level-based. Reviewed in White Wolf #10.

Exquisite Replicas

1st ed by Lee Foster, Monica Valentinelli, John R. Phythyon Jr., Werner Hager, Todd Cash (2008) Abstract Nova Entertainment

A modern-day horror game set in a world where people and things are being replaced by mysterious duplicates. The player characters are people who have joined the Anonymous -- a loose movement mask-wearing rebels that is set on destroying the replicas and attempting to return the real versions to this world. Character creation is limited point- based, by declaring priority between physical attributes, mental attributes, occupation, and advantages. Characters are also rated in three psychological areas: Paranoia, Violence, and Immorality. It uses a dice pool system, rolling a number of d10s equal to attribute plus skill, where each result of "1" gives one success, each result of "2" gives two successes, and all other results are ignored.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen

1st ed by Baron Munchausen, James Wallis (1998) Hogshead Games

1st ed (2008) Magnum Opus Press

A storytelling game, part of a series of new games that are innovative, short (typically 16 pages), and quick-to-play(1 hour or less). The characters are 18th century nobles outrageously boasting of their accomplishments.

Extreme Vengeance

1st ed by Tony Lee (1997) Archangel

A highly cinematic action-movie game where players take the role of type-case actors in action movies. The game, in theory, allows the gamemaster to move the characters into any type of action movie. Characters are designed by combining a Descriptor and a Designator, which gives two attributes: Guts and Coincidence, along with ads ("Repertoires") and disads ("No-Goods"). It uses a simple dice-pool system, totalling a number of d6's based on attribute, modified by how exciting the GM rates the action. There are two supplements: a sourcebook titled "Maximum Damage" and a trilogy of adventures titled "Die and Die Again".

F20

Gamers against Cancer Edition ed by Timothy Jones (2004) Flying Mice LLC Chine Games

A brief (24 page) generic game system using a variation of the D20 Modern SRD. Action resolution is Stat + Skill + 1d20. Character creation is open point-based.

Fading Suns

1st ed by Bill Bridges, Andrew Greenberg (1996) Holistic Design

2nd ed (1999)

A dark-ages sci-fi game set in a decaying empire where technology is distrusted, dominated by the Universal Church. The system is based on rolling a d20 under attribute+skill, where degree of success is determined by the "blackjack" method (i.e. your actual roll equals your success level, unless you fail).

Fae Noir

1st ed by Justin Bow (2007) Green Fairy Games

A role-playing game set in an alternate version of America in the 1920s, with the addition of magic and fae beings -- elves, trolls, and so forth.

Faery's Tale

1st ed by Patrick Sweeney, Sandy Antunes, Christina Stiles, Robin Laws (2006) Firefly Games

Deluxe ed (2007) Firefly Games

An RPG aimed at young children about playing faeries in the enchanted forest of Brightwood, a mythic medieval setting. The PCs are one of four types of faery: Pixies, Brownies, Sprites, or Pookas. It uses a dice pool system, rolling a number of d6s equal to the appropriate attribute, where even numbers are a success, and a "6" allows you to roll an additional die. Players may also spend Essence Points for successes as well as magical effects or others. Character creation is by picking a type of faery, distributing 9 points among the three attributes (Body, Mind, and Spirit), and spending points on Gifts.

Fallen Alliance

1st ed (1999) Nebula

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG, set in the distant future 75 years after the great Alliance has broken down. The Frontier (a large section of the galaxy opposite from Earth) is a wild place where pockets of civilization are separated by parsecs of chaos. There are 10 races. It uses a skill-based system (the "ROPE" system) with hundreds of skills. Character creation is point-based.

Familiars

1st ed by Andrea Sfiligoi (2007) Ganesha Games

A simple, fast fantasy RPG where the player characters are magical animals working for a powerful wizard. Character creation includes choosing from among 14 character types (cats, bats, dogs, magpies, ravens, doves, mice, shrews, lizards, homunculi, owls, rabbits, snakes and toads); and selecting from among 40 magical powers. The core book also contains an introductory adventure.

Fantasia

1st ed by Matt deMille (2001) New Dimension Games

Revised ed (2003)

A traditional fantasy RPG set in an typical medieval fantasy world populated by men, elves, dwarves, and halfmen. It has varying core mechanics. For example, some actions use stats + 1d20 vs Difficulty, while ability checks use stat + 1d6 vs a Difficulty of 10, 15, or 20. Character creation is class-based, with level-based advancement. Human characters have classes Barbarian, Cavalier, Charlatan, Cleric, Druid, Holy Man, Mystic, Necromancer, Nomad, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Thief, Viking, Warrior, Wizard or Woodsman. Elves have classes: Animist, Champion, Shadow, Strider or Swordmaster. Dwarves have classes: Elder, Glandran or Urudar. Halfmen have classes: Bard, Burglar, Highman, Scout or Sherriff. There is also a "Story Point" mechanic, with points given to the player which remains even if the character dies.

Fantasy Earth

1st ed by Michael C. Zody (1995) Zody

A traditional fantasy-genre RPG, emphasizing realism. It uses a complex and somewhat math-intensive system. Skill rolls are skill + 1d10 vs difficulty, while combat uses 2d10. Character creation uses random-roll attributes (14 attributes rolled by 3d10/3) and classes (warrior, ranger, burglar, sorcerer, shaman, cleric) as modifiers to point-bought skills.

Fantasy Hero

1st ed by Steve Peterson (1985) Hero Games

4th ed by Rob Bell et al. (1990)

A generic fantasy-genre RPG using the 3rd edition Champions system. It includes the full powers meta-system, used for designing magic spells (including only a short list of 15 predesigned spells). No background is included, but it has a short introductory adventure. The newer Fantasy Hero book is a supplement for 4th edition HERO rather than a stand-alone game: it is 60% larger (256 pages) and includes no core rules.

Fantasy Imperium

1st ed by Mark O'Bannon (2006) Shadowstar Games

A fantasy RPG set in medieval Europe, in the default year 1121 A.D. It uses a percentile skill-based system (roll under stat or skill on 1d100).

Fantasy Legend

1st ed by William F. Lorenz, Mike Katzenberger (1998) Black Knight Games

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG and miniatures system.

The Fantasy Trip

Melee ed by Steve Jackson, Howard Thomson (1977) Metagaming

Wizard ed (1978)

In The Labyrinth ed (1980)

This was originally a series of two compatible pocket-sized games of combat and dungeon exploration, only nominally role-playing. They are notable as precursors to Steve Jackson's GURPS and other games. Actions are resolved by rolling 3d6 under 1 of 3 attributes: Strength (ST), Dexterity (DX), and Intelligence (IQ). There are no skills in the basic game. Character creation is point-based: distribute 8 points to raise attributes above base. "Into the Labyrinth" adds advanced rules, including binary skills, more complex point-buy options, and an optional critical hit location chart for hit rolls of 3-7. The advanced system has two classes: hero and wizard, extended from the character generation in Melee and Wizard. There are also advanced rules for targeting specific locations, at a DX penalty.

Fantasy Wargaming

1st ed by Bruce Galloway, Mike Hodson-Smith, Nick Lowe, Bruce Quarrie, Paul Sturman (1982) Stein and Day

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG. Over half of the book is dedicated to describing the medieval period and folklore in great detail, and the rules reflect this. There is a lot of medieval authenticity, such as the importance put on astrology and the Christian church. The system is complex and table-driven, comparing stat+modifiers with a percentile roll for a result. Unfortunately, there is no universal table, and the different tables and formulas are poorly laid out. Character creation is based on astrological sign and a random number of points. Each character has 3 experience levels: Combat, Religious, and Magical.

The Farm

1st ed by Jared A. Sorensen (2004) Memento Mori Theatricks

An electronically-published game "of hunger and horror", previewed in the Halloween 2004 issue of Daedalus magazine. The PCs were captured and brought to a place called only "The Farm" so they may eventually be slaughtered and eaten by a mysterious group of people called the Headmasters. They are trying to escape, obviously. It uses a simple dice-pool system which allows pooling and sharing of dice. There are two stats (Stamina and Psyche) which average 4 and determine the number of six-sided dice you roll. There are six skills, each of which has an individually-assigned number. Rolling a number of d6s equal to your stat, you get successes equal to those which roll exactly the assigned skill number. An assigned leader may be given dice, and hand out appropriate numbers to those who need them within certain limits. There are rules for strain and torture as well as combat.

Farscape

1st ed by Ken Carpenter, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Gavin Downing, Lee Hammock, Kelly Hill, Christina Kamnikar, Rob Vaux (2002) Alderac Entertainment Group

A spacefaring RPG based on the U.S. televisions series. The rules are a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D. Complete rules are not provided: basic rules for character creation, combat, and advancement refer to the D&D Players Handbook.

Fastlane: Everything, All The Time

1st ed by Alexander Cherry (2004) Twisted Confessions

An RPG system based on the use of a roulette wheel (with an alternative mechanic using d6s). It has no setting, but rather a meta-genre. It is about characters prone to indulgence, consumption, diversion, and amusement. Players have a bank of casino chips which they bet on the wheel over conflicts. Winning not only lets you succeed in the conflict, but can allow you to narrate the results of your success by spending extra. Character creation is by design. Each character has five Facets: people, assets, nerve, guile, and sobriety. Each Facet also has a Style descriptor. In addition, characters have motivations and favors.

Fates Worse than Death

1st ed by Brian St.Claire-King (2003) Vajra Enterprises

A post-apocalyptic/cyberpunk RPG, subtitled "Suspense Horror and Hope in 2080 on the streets of Manhattan". It is set on Manhattan island in 2080, which is largely deserted with 50,000 inhabitants. Gangs draw lines and protect their own, existing because besides welfare, there is little the government does to protect human rights. Most are afraid to venture to the streets, and live as shut ins, playing in VR rather than living. It uses a detailed skill-based system, the "Organic Rule Components" system. Character creation uses classes and limited point buy. In order, the players chooses personality traits and worldviews, splits 80 points between eight attributes, chooses from amont 46 classes, and split 100 points among skills (with costs based on class). Action resolution is attribute + skill + 1d20 vs difficulty. It has a detailed combat system with maneuvers and three Health attributes: Blood, Body, and Incapacity.

Feng Shui

1st ed by Robin D. Laws (1996) Daedalus Games

2nd ed (1999) Atlas Games

A (mainly) modern-day action-movie genre game, taking after Hong Kong action films with wild martial arts, magic, and other strangeness. It uses a simple system of skill+1d6-1d6 vs difficulty. Combat is emphasized, which works on an action point (or "shot") system. Unusually, there are full character creation rules. Instead, there only are a set of tailorable archetypes which fit the genre.

Field Guide to Encounters

1st ed (1982) Judges Guild

A science fantasy RPG, using a class-based and level-based system similar to D&D, published as a two-book set. The first book covers character creation, which is mostly a huge list of classes and races. The second book is a collection of monsters. The options provided range from traditional fantasy to the bizarre (Attack Blink Cows, or the Acupuncturist class).

Fifth Cycle

1st ed by Robert Bartels (1990) Shield Laminating

A fantasy RPG set on the world of "Dolphinis", which is at a point in history where the long-lost art of magic is returning to the world. The first cycle was the era of creation. The second cycle was an era of magic. The third cycle was dominated by Tyrant Mages which created elves, dwarves, lizardmen, and dogmen along with subhumans including trolls and goblins. The fourth cycle was an era when all magic was shunned. The system handles character creation by selecting a profession and then picking skills within that profession. It includes a central magic system which is point-based. Reviewed in White Wolf #29.

Fighting Fantasy

Fighting Fantasy ed by Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson (1984) Penguin Books

Dungeoneer ed by Marc Gascoigne, Pete Tamlyn (1989)

A traditional fantasy-genre wargame and RPG, published as a series of books aimed at beginners. It is primarily a solo adventure book series of fighting orcs, dragons, zombies, and vampires. The role-playing rules (i.e. guidelines for creating your own adventures) were in "Fighting Fantasy". This has 3 attributes: Skill, Stamina, and Luck. The rules were expanded in "Dungeoneer".
Note that this "Steve Jackson" (UK author) is unrelated to "Steve Jackson" (US author, head of Steve Jackson Games). cf. the official website.

Fireborn

1st ed by Rob Vaughn (2004) Fantasy Flight Games

A modern fantasy RPG set in the near-future where the PCs are human reincarnations of dragons. It is set about 10 years in the future in London, where over the past year magic has come out into public knowledge. It also supports flashback sequences to when the PCs were true dragons back during the mythic age. It uses a d6 dice pool system similar to Shadowrun.

A Fistful of Dice

1st ed by Judas I. Zeh (2002) Azathot LLC

A universal RPG system, using a dice pool system. Action resolution is by rolling d6's equal to your talent and comparing the total vs difficulty. There are modifiers in extra dice which are not kept (i.e. +2 modifier on 3d6 means roll 5d6 and keep the best 3).

Flash Gordon and the Warriors of Mongo

1st ed by Lin Carter, Scott Bizar (1977) FGU

A game which handles the Flash Gordon story as a sequence of programmed choices, similar to a "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" book -- billed as a "game of schematic role-playing". Each player takes on the role of an Earthling who has landed by rocket on the planet Mongo, and attempts to be the first group to reach Mingo City and defeat Ming the Merciless. There is no GM. Instead, they consult the rulebook for description of the challenges faced at each region of Mongo: such as the Cave Kingdom, Frigia, or the Fiery Desert. Characters are defined by four attributes: Physical Strength and Stamina, Combat Skill, Charisma/Attractiveness, and Scientific Aptitude. Each is determined by rolling three "average dice" (six-sided dice with values 2,3,3,4,4,5).

Flashing Blades

1st ed by Mark Pettigrew (1984) FGU

A swashbuckling combat system and RPG, set in 17th century France: the time of the musketeers. It emphasizes both combat and social status. The duelling system is naturally rather complex and involved. Character creation is random-roll attributes and point-bought skills (modified by class: Rogue, Gentleman, Soldier, or Nobleman) and profession.

FlipQuest

Quest for the Princess' Crystal ed by Rolando Mei (2001) Shadowcraft Imaging Group

A collectible card game with some role-playing elements, where you build the game board as you play. There are square tiles for locations, characters, monsters, and treasure. It has some resolution using d6s.

ForeSight

1st ed by Tonio Loewald (1986) self-published

A sci-fi RPG system. It uses a percentile system similar to James Bond 007. A simplified version of the original rules is now available free.

Forge: Out of Chaos

1st ed by Mark Kibbe (1998) Basement Games

A traditional fantasy-genre RPG, using a class and level-based system with skills.

Forgotten Futures

1st ed by Marcus L. Rowland (1999) Heliograph, Inc.

A Victorian adventure RPG based on early science fiction writings: not only Jules Verne, but also "forgotten" sci-fi works such s George Griffith and Rudyard Kiplings. This appeared as a shareware download on the Internet for several years, and later was published in print. Although the rules are cheaply downloadable, the core rulebook is 151 pages - illustrated with an index. It uses a rules-lite system with 3 attributes and broad skills. There are both printed and downloadable supplements on various early sci-fi works. cf. the official website.

The Forgotten Hunt

1st ed by John Josten (1996) Board Enterprises

A modern dinosaur-hunting RPG where living dinosaurs have been rediscovered. Modern scientists are racing to study the creatures, both in their native environments and in their labs, but hunters and adventurers are the main focus. It was apparently released in a Limited Edition as a three-ring binder at GenCon in 1996.

Forward... To Adventure!

1st ed by The RPG Pundit (2007) Flying Mice LLC

A medieval fantasy RPG focusing on tactical play in dungeons, drawing from the original Dungeons & Dragons game, as well as some derivatives like Nethack.

Freaks and Friendlies

1st ed by Denton R. Elliot (1986) Doc's Games

A post-apocalyptic mini-RPG featuring the usual assortment of mutants and other beasts and includes rules covering both psionics and magic.

Freedom Fighters

1st ed by J. Andrew Keith (1986) FGU

A modern military RPG about guerillas taking back America from invaders, subtitled "North America Invaded!". The game presents two options: either Russian or space-alien invaders. The core rules are broken into two books: "The Character" (96 pp) and "The Resistance" (80 pp). The boxed set also includes a 32-page booklet of character creation charts & tables, screen, character sheet, a sample adventure called "The Errant Knight Gambit" (pamphlet 8 pp), Stan Johansen Miniatures (pamplet ad for miniatures), a pin with the Freedom Fighters logo.

Frenzy

1st ed by William E. Worthey, Gregor Hutton, William E. Worthey (1995) Venture Press

A small-press universal role-playing and skirmish wargaming system. It included a sci-fi setting ("Stone Killers") and a modern US setting ("Crime Story"). It uses a special percentile system, the "Reverse Roll", where the ones die determines success, and the full percentile roll determines level of success. Character creation is limited point-based, with points for the six main attributes and separate points for the binary skills. The basic rulebook included two sample scenarios, one for each setting.

Fringeworthy

1st ed by Richard Tucholka (1981) Tri-Tac Games

2nd ed (1984)

3rd ed (1990)

A near-future interdimensional sci-fi RPG. In 2008 an interdimensional portal is found in Antartica, and U.N. teams are sent to explore these other dimensions -- consisting of those elite capable of crossing the interdimensional "fringes". It uses a variant of the Tri-Tac system: a percentile skill system. Character creation is random-roll attributes, skills are generated by assigning dice to them. Advancement is level-based, giving extra hit points and raising skills.

Frontier Zone

1st ed by Stuart Lynn Sexton (2006) self-published

A space-faring science fiction RPG, set in the 22nd century in the United Systems Alliance Frontier Zone. The Zone is only lightly patrolled by the United Systems Navy, whose seven fleets are spread very thinly. Rival powers include the Mordum Hegemony and the Shardon Empire. It uses a simple skill-based system. Resolution is based on 1d6 + skill versus difficulty, with die rolls open-ending on a "1" or a "6" result. Character creation is limited point-based, including choosing a race, modifying attributes by spending Bonus Points, and choosing up to three profession templates.

FSpace RPG

1st ed by Martin Rait (1991) FSpace Publications

KAPCON Edition ed (1995)

SpaceRPG Concise Rulebook v4.0 ed (2001)

SpaceRPG Concise Rulebook v4.2 ed (2008)

A space-opera RPG, in a background set in the late 22nd century, where humanity and others are defending themselves against the expansion of the Stotatl Empire and other menaces. The original edition was titled the "Federation Science Fiction Roleplaying Game Rulebook", later known as the "Fed RPG". The name was changed to FSpaceRPG since most testing players refered to the game as "FED Space". The concise rulebooks (v4.0 and v4.2) and a range of supplements are available in hardcopy, as ebooks or on CDROM.

FTL:2448

1st ed by Richard Tucholka (1982) Tri-Tac Games

2nd ed (1985)

3rd ed (1990)

A space-opera RPG, set in a far-flung alliance on the edge of war. On one side is the Hagonni Empire, on the other is humanity and its numerous allies (the "ISCO"). It includes 28 alien races plus humans, uplifted animals, and androids. The system is a fairly complex percentile skill system, based on Fringeworthy.

FUDGE

1st ed by Steffan O'Sullivan (1995) Grey Ghost Press

Expanded Edition ed (2000)

10th Anniversary Edition ed (2005)

A free-form, generic, minimalist role-playing "engine". At times, this is intentionally more of a "how to design an RPG" guide than a pre-made game. There are no fixed attributes or skills, and multiple options are provided for almost everything. There are sample psionics, magic, and clerical magic systems provided with the core rules. The Expanded Edition provides a pre-determined fantasy role-playing game with fixed attributes, skills, and new magic system. The Anniversary Edition provides a host of other pre-made and/or optional systems: a new magic system ("Degrees of Magic"), superhero rules, cybernetics, netrunning, vehicles, dogfighting, detailed weapons, and two alternate martial arts systems.

Furry Outlaws

1st ed by Lise Breakey, Bruce Thomas (1994) Furry Games

An RPG set in an alternate 12th century England where anthropomorphic animals act the Robin Hood myth. It uses the "Halogen System" - a percentile skill-based system shared by the game Furry Pirates. The game includes a magic system as well as stats for key characters including Sir Guy of Gisbourne (a rottweiler), Richard Lionheart and Prince John (lions), The Sheriff of Nottingham (a boar), and the Bishop of Ely (a horse). The cover is a parody of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, with an anthropomorphic fox preparing to fire a flaming arrow.

Furry Pirates

1st ed by Lise Breakey, Bruce Thomas (1999) Atlas Games

An RPG of anthropomorphic animals sailing the high seas as pirates in a quasi-historical environment. It has an alternate history similar to our own, but with twists to suit the anthropomorphic animals and the dose of added magic. It uses the "Halogen" system, a percentile skill-based system. In combat, the attacker has a skill level which is added to the defender's skill level to generate a score which the attacker must beat (i.e. lower attack score is better).

Future Worlds

1st ed by Patrick Lester (1987) Stellar Gaming Workhop

A spacefaring science fantasy RPG, set in the far future which has both an interstellar society and magic-using "Mystics".

Fuzion

1st ed by "The Fuzion group" (1997) R Talsorian

A universal system which fuses R Talsorian's "Interlock" system with Hero Games "HERO" system (from Champions). The core system is available for free download. It has not been released in print as a universal RPG, but the rules are included in numerous printed games including Champions: The New Millenium, Sengoku, and other games. It uses attribute + skill + 3d6 vs difficulty. Character creation is by limited point buy ("characteristic points", "option points", and "power points").
"Instant Fuzion" is a simplified version of the Fuzion system used by the Usagi Yojimbo and Dragonball Z games. cf the official website.

Fvlminata: Armed with Lightning

1st ed by Jason E. Roberts, Michael S. Miller (2001) Thyrsus

2nd ed (2002)

An RPG set in an alternate history where the Romans discovered gunpowder. It is set in AD 248. The divergence point is in AD 79 when Aufidius Caelus and Pliny the Younger survive the eruption of Pompeii by visiting the Misenum shore, and Caelus then devotes his life to pursuing the secret of volcanic power. It uses an original system which includes a magic system based on Roman superstition.

Gamma World

1st ed by James M. Ward, Gary Jaquet (1978) TSR

2nd ed by James M. Ward, James Ritchie, Gary Jaquet (1983)

3rd ed (1986)

4th ed by Bruce Nesmith, James M. Ward (1992)

A strange post-nuclear-apocalypse sci-fi game where mutants (both human and animal) and ultra-tech gadgets abound. It uses a system similar to AD&D, with 1d20 roll under a chart result for combat, and percentile rolls against attribute*factor. Character creation is random-roll attributes and mutations (there are no skills). The 3rd edition used an unrelated set of mechanics, similar to Marvel Superheroes, but this was abandoned for 4th edition. A Gamma World supplement was later published for the Alternity system.

Gangbusters

1st ed by Mark Acres, Rick Krebs, Tom Moldvay (1982) TSR

3rd ed by Scott Haring (1990)

A police/gangster RPG set in the "Roaring '20s", with characters as private eyes, city cops, prohibition agents, reporters, or gangsters. The game encouraged players to pursue their individual goals rather than operate as a unified party. For example, a gangster character's goal might be to hold up a bank, while a policeman character would try to stop him -- and a journalist might tag along with the cop to cover the story, but wouldn't want to interfere either way. There were five 32-page adventure modules published from 1982-1984: "Trouble Brewing" (fictional 'Lakefront City' setting), "Murder in Harmony" by Mark Acres (a murder whodunnit set at a high-class party), "Death on the Docks" by Mark Acres (gang war over control of the Lakefront CIty dockworker's union) "The Vanishing Investigator" (protecting a witness in a trial involving organized crime), and "Death in Spades" by Tracy Raye Hickman (a murder mystery with a random plot and ending based on draws from a deck of cards).

Gangster!

1st ed by Nick Marinacci, Pete Petrone (1979) FGU

An organized crime RPG covering from 1900 to the present, which allows both criminal and police PC's. It is co-designed by a former New York policeman, and includes details on criminals, forensics, legal issues, etc. The system is skill-based, with six attributes and lists of various police and criminal skills. The combat system uses multiple tables.

Gardasiyal

1st ed by M.A.R. Barker, Neil R. Cauley (1995) TOME

A non-traditional fantasy game set on a unique alien world called "Tekumel", with strong Hindu and Aztec flavor rather than European. The setting was previously published in two games, Empire of the Petal Throne (1975) and the imcomplete Swords & Glory (1983). In this game, the rules were wholly rewritten by Neil Cauley. It uses a percentile system where the base chance of success is 70% and the die roll is modified by (+difficulty) and (-skill). There is also another game set in the same world published by Guardians of Order in 2005, Tekumel.

Gatecrasher

1st ed by Michael W. Lucas, N. Taylor Blanchard (1993) Grey Ghost Press

2nd ed (1996)

A light-hearted science fantasy RPG, in a world where a 22nd-century prospector discovered an ancient transdimensional gate on one of Jupiter's moons, and let Magic back into the world, including dragons, angels, demons, elves, dwarves, etc. The 1st edition has its own rules, while the 2nd edition uses FUDGE rules as a base, with considerable world-specific character creation rules.

GateWar: Believable Fantasy Role-Playing in the World of Vinya

1st ed by Kenneth Burridge, Robert Finkbeiner, Kevin Nelson, Brian Pettitt (1994) Escape Ventures, Inc.

A fantasy-genre RPG set in the world of Vinya, first introduced in Element Masters. The genre is traditional fantasy with a myriad of strange monsters, more light-hearted than "dark". It uses a percentile skill system: roll under skill times difficulty multiplier on percentile dice. Results are often table-driven, including specific hitpoint tables included for each creature type. Character creation is random-roll attributes and point-bought skills.

Gear Krieg RPG

1st ed by James Maliszewski, Gene Marcil, Stéphane I. Matis, Marc-Alexandre Vézina (2001) Dream Pod 9

A two-fisted pulp action RPG, set in an alternate history's 1941 where weird Nazi science has produced walking tanks and other oddities. It uses a more pulp-oriented variant of the "Silhouette" system: a simple dice pool system: roll dice (d6's) equal to skill and take the best, and add attribute (-3 to +3).

Gemini RPG

1st ed by Johan Sjoberg (1999) Cell Entertainment

A dark fantasy-genre RPG, originally Swedish-language but also published in English. It is set in a medieval fantasy world where an ancient darkness threatens the land. The world features elven, dwarven, and human kingdoms along with an alternate Church, complete with Knights Templar. cf. the Gemini intro page.

Genesis RPG

1st ed by Kevin D. Clarke, Noel W. Clarke (1986) Inkeptum Ultra Visio

2nd ed (1990)

A space-faring science fiction RPG, from a small Canadian press. It is set in 2139, and the Earth has discovered and been discovered by ten alien races, including some with psionic powers. The history includes megacorps who ruled the Earth, first contact of Earth by an alien race, and the struggles for establishing a Polysolar Foundation. The PCs may be any of the ten races, and select an occupation in addition: including Pirates, Explorers, Investigators, Traders, etc. The game was published in two books, called the "Caudex Regulum" (Book of Rules) and "Caudex Centia" (Book of Data). The rules for most of the systems allow the players to select from three levels of complexity - ranging from a single die role to damage system tables calculated logarithmically.

Ghostbusters

1st ed by Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis, Greg Stafford (1986) West End Games

Ghostbusters, International ed by Aaron Allston, Douglas Kaufman (1989)

A simple RPG based on the movies, designed to be extremely easy for beginners. The mechanic is a simple D6 dice pool (the "D6" system later used in Star Wars), based on one of four attributes: Muscle, Brains, Moves, and Cool. Each character can have at most four skills: one per attribute. Action resolution is to roll a number of dice equal to attribute (2 to 6), with one die being a special "ghost die" whose "1" face indicates a fumble. If the number is greater than difficulty, you succeed. Results can modified by spending "Brownie Points" to reduce damage or improve rolls. In the original game, characters get three pieces of equipment which are detailed on cards. The International edition has no cards but has a longer list of equipment rated for size in "hands" (i.e. number of hands to hold). The original basic set included advice on straightforward ghostbusting adventures, including a two-page sample adventure about a taxi cab possessed by the ghost of a gigantic dog.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

1st ed by David L. Pulver, John R. Phythyon, Jr. (2000) Guardians of Order

A modern-day action RPG based on the film by Jim Jarmusch about a mafia hit man who lives by the ancient samurai code. The RPG focuses on one-player campaigns. It uses the Tri-Stat system from Big Eyes, Small Mouth.

Ghostories: Supernatural Mystery Roleplaying

1st ed by Brett Bernstein (2008) Precis Intermedia Games

A modern-day investigative game, using a variant of genreDiversion system also used by Coyote Trail.

The Gifted

1st ed by David Wood, David Wilson, Michael Fahey (1993) Dark Arts Games

A sci-fi RPG of psychic powers in a dark version of the modern world. The player characters are outcasts in a world that is paranoid of their psychic gifts. There is no organization for them, and they are constantly on the run to survive.

Gloire: Swashbuckling Adventure in the Age of Kings

1st ed by Pete Murray (2006) Rattrap Productions

A swashbuckling tabletop miniatures game with some role-playing aspects, based on the .45 Adventure system.

Godlike: Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946

1st ed by Dennis Detwiller, Greg Stolze (2002) Hobgoblynn Press

A superhero RPG set in the era of World War II. The PC's are Allied paranormal "Talents" with superhuman abilities who aid in the war effort. While Talents are definitely superhuman, it is more gritty than four-color superheroic. The PC's can still die, and they have little effect on the war as a whole. It uses a dice-pool system, known as the "One-Roll Engine". Actions are resolved by rolling d10's equal to stat plus skill. The number of matches (i.e. d10's with the same value) indicate speed of success, while the number matched indicates quality of success. Development and supplements to the system were taken over by Arc Dream Publishing in late 2002.

Godsend Agenda

1st ed by Jerry D. Grayson, Brian Vinson, Kimara Bernard, Matt Drake (2001) Khepera

D6 Edition ed by Jerry D. Grayson, Paul Tomes, Brian Vinson, Mike Fiegel, Matt B. Carter, Darren Miguez (2005) Khepera

A superhero RPG set in an alternate history where superheroes from another dimension walk among us after accidentally crash-landing on Earth. Some are government agents, some are costumed vigilantes, and others were considered gods in bygone days. They fight for and against many different factions but all have one goal; to stop the coming apocalypse foretold of many centuries ago. It uses a simple system, with action resolution based on 2d6 + attribute + skill vs difficulty. A later edition was published using West End Games' D6 System.

Golden Heroes

1st ed by Simon Burley, Peter Hains (1984) Games Workshop

A superhero RPG. It uses a fairly simple system. Character creation is fast, and either custom-design or random-roll (including random-roll powers). Combat uses a simple action-point system, where PC's and villians have 4 "frames" (as in comic-book frames) per round.

GORE - Generic Old-school Role-playing Engine

1st ed by Daniel Proctor (2007) Goblinoid Games

A generic RPG system book with a horror theme, using rules adapted from Basic Role-playing and the Call of Cthulhu game. These are published based on the related RuneQuest rules released under the Wizards of the Coast Open Gaming License.

Götterdämmerung

1st ed by Anders Jacobsson, Magnus Malmberg, Theodore Berqquist (2005) Riotminds

A mystery game set in the 18th century, inspired by "The Brotherhood of Wolves", "Vidoqc" and "Sleepy Hollow". There are many secret societies, and dark forces never spoken about. The core game consists of two books: Lex Libris and Codex Persona. It uses a percentile skill-based system based on Chaosium's Basic Role-playing.

The Great War of Magellan RPG

1st ed by Richard Hatch, Jonathan Bjork (2007) DGA Games

A space-faring science fiction RPG based on the comic book series of the same name. It is set in the Magellan Nebula, where a human civilization originating in the planet Kyron had established an interstellar confederation with nine governorships. Humanity was devastated by civil war and the post-war chaos, and evil alien spirit guides called the Nephilim that have turned species into war-mongering horrors including the Kitaan and the Dru-ack. It uses an original system where you roll 1d20, trying to get under attribute + skill but over difficulty. A second 1d20 determines special results.

Grey Ranks

1st ed by Jason Morningstar (2007) Bully Pulpit Games

A historical RPG set in Poland in 1944, where the PCs are teenager soldiers who join the Warsaw Uprising. The game has a pre-determined scene structure where each scene has a specific date.

Grimm: Adventures in a world of twisted fairy tales

1st ed by Robert J. Shwalb (2008) Fantasy Flight Games

A fantasy RPG system in the genre of fairy tales, specifically the Grimm brothers tales but also others. It is set in a fantasy world called the Grimm Lands, where a mysterious entity called Melusine has made their stories real. This was first published as a setting for use with Dungeons & Dragons (the D20 system) in 2003, but was released with its own rules system in 2008.

GruntBuggler!

1st ed by Mark Kibbe (1995) Basement Games

A fantasy-genre RPG system, a predecessor to Forge: Out of Chaos.

Guardians

1st ed by James Perham, Gideon (1991) StarChilde

A generic superhero RPG, available as the core rulebook or in a boxed set with one supplement ("Freedom Union") and a few character sheets. The core rulebook has no background setting but includes a sample adventure. Resolution is by percentile skill rolls. Character creation has a random number of points for attributes (with a set minimum), and randomly determining the number and category of powers.

Guardians of Sol

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1992) Better Games

A sci-fi police investigator mini-RPG, published in Space Gamer magazine, issue #5. It is based on the RPG Era Ten.

Guardian Universe Core Fuzion

1st ed by J. Parker, Jason Libby (2005) Dilly Green Bean Games

A dark superhero RPG, set in 1999 of the modern world where superheroes (known as "guardians") have been around for twenty eight years, only to encounter angels come to Earth to purge the superhuman phenomenon. It uses a variant of the Fuzion system originally from R. Talsorian Games. It includes new superpowers and psionics, character templates, gadgets, and other expansions.

Gunslingers & Gamblers

1st ed by Jonathan Clarke (2006) FJ Gaming

A game set around 1876 in the American wild west. It uses a dice pool system based on rolling six-sided "poker dice" (marked 9 through ace). Traits are rated 1 to 5 and 5/1 to 5/5. Resolution is by rolling five poker dice and attempting to make the best poker hand. You may then re-roll a number of dice equal to your first trait number. If you have 5/1 to 5/5, you may then re-roll again a number equal to your second trait number. There are 15 traits (i.e. stats), plus quirks. Quirks are each combined advantages and disadvantages that balance, with 72 defined in the base game.

GURPS

1st ed by Steve Jackson (1986) Steve Jackson Games

2nd ed (1987)

3rd ed (1988)

4th ed (2004)

"Generic Universal Role-Playing System" A universal system that focuses on realism, notable especially for its continuing line worldbooks and sourcebooks, which now number in the hundreds. It uses a skill-based system: roll 3d6 under 1 of 4 attributes, or under skill. Character creation is open point-bought with many options. The "Basic Set" includes a default magic system and psionic system.

Hackmaster

1st ed by Jolly Blackburn (2001) Kenzer & Company

A humorous RPG based on the comic strip "Knights of the Dinner Table". It uses a licensed variant of the 1st edition AD&D system, which adds on a set of more complex rules. Additional rules include an honor system, critical hits, and a percentile skill system. There is a character build point system, where points can buy skills, advantages, attributes, or starting money.

Hahlmabrea

1st ed by Daniel A. Fox (1991) Sutton Hoo Games

A small-press fantasy-genre RPG about professional adventurers hired by a Council City. It formalizes "adventurer" status as a special profession within the city. The system uses mainly percentiles but also a mix of d8, d12, etc. Character creation is by random-roll attributes and selection of profession packages (which provide skills with random levels). Reviewed in White Wolf #29.

The Hammer of Thor: The Game of Norse Mythology

1st ed by Joe Angiolillo (1980) Gameshop

A boardgame with some RPG-like elements, where you play one of 365 characters from Norse mythology (each with a character card). It includes a game board with stars and circles connected by lines, representing places in Alfheim, Vanaheim, Valhalla, Midgard, and so forth. Play evolves along two phases: adventures in the wilderness to gather forces for Ragnarok, the final battle between good and evil. The player who is on the winning side of this battle who has the highest Reputation wins the game. In addition to the character cards, there are card sets representing Offspring, Shape Changing, Magic Items, Forged Magic Items, Fates, Runes, and Predictions. There is also a color map, sheets of charts, sheets for character tracking, counters and a rulebook. cf. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3867.

Harc és Varázslat

1st ed by Tamás Galgóczi, Péter László (1990) Sportorg LLC

A light-hearted Hungarian-language fantasy RPG, whose title translates as "Combat and Magic" -- one of the first RPGs to be published in Hungarian. It is set in a medieval fantasy world, "Dragonfire", in roughly the genre of J.R.R. Tolkien, R.E. Howard, and fairy tales. The simple rules are similar to Basic Dungeons & Dragons. Character creation includes choosing a race (where choices include goblins and orcs) and one of four classes (fighter, ranger, priest and wizard). Character attributes are percentile ratings that increase with level. Unlike D&D, magic is based on a simple spell point system.

HardNova ][: Space Action Adventures

1st ed by Brett M. Bernstein, Matt Drake (2004) Politically Incorrect Games

A space opera RPG using a variant of the genreDiversion system also used by Coyote Trail. This is the more rules-lite retake on the earlier HardNova game. It is set in the United Sovereign Worlds (USU), with humans, human-like Centaurians, insectoid Kt'sorii, ape-like Digronians, the unsightly Migado (obese with redundant organs). In addition, there are the mutated Tarkosians, now dependent on nano-symbionts and grudgingly accepted into the USU after earlier hostilities. Action resolution is by rolling under attribute + skill on 2d6, with a possible bonus die (lowest 2 out of 3d6) or penalty die (highest 2 out of 3d6). There is also an advanced system with graded difficulties. Character creation is limited point-based, spending 10 points on five attributes ranging from 1 to 5 (Fitness, Awareness, Reasoning, Creativity, and Influence); 30 points on broad skills; and selected Gimmicks (i.e. ads and disads). It includes simple rules for combat, with 5 wound levels in two types (Injury or Fatigue). Ship combat is handled using a variant of the personal combat rules, with ships having stats and wound levels just like characters.

HârnMaster

1st ed by N. Robin Crossby (1986) Columbia Games

Core ed (1996) Columbia Games

Gold ed (1999) self-published

3rd ed (2003) Columbia Games

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG set in the original game-world Harn. Harn is a beautifully and extensively detailed world based on medieval England with a Tolkien-esque style. It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation uses random-roll attributes and background, including details of family and social role. Skills are based on a package for background, a package for the selected profession, and five option points. Combat is very detailed, including 38 hit locations and graphic injuries with different effects depending on type. "Harnmaster Gold" is a divergent second edition by original author Robin Crosby, which will be converted into expansions to the core rules. It includes an optional point-bought character creation system.

HARP (High Adventure Role Playing)

1st ed by Tim Dugger, Heike Kubasch (2003) Iron Crown Enterprises

A generic fantasy genre RPG, using an evolved and simplified version of the Rolemaster mechanics. It uses stat plus an open-ended percentile die roll, with result determining degree of success (where totals over 100 are a success). Character creation is class-based, with nine classes (Cleric, Fighter, Harper, Mage, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Thief, and Warrior Mage). Skills are divided into four categories: Combat, Outdoor, Subterfuge, and Mystic Arts. Race is also a factor -- the core rulebook includes Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, and Gryx (a strong but peaceful orc-like humanoid). A culture is selected separately from race, such as "Nomad" or "Underhill". Advancement is level-based.

Haven: City of Violence

1st ed by Louis Porter, Jr. (2002) LPJ Design

A modern crime and crime-fighting RPG set in a fictional city ("Haven") on the eastern coast of the United States. Action resolution uses rolling under attribute or skill on 1d20. Character creation is skill-based including templates for various professions.

Havoc! Live Role-Playing

1st ed by Clinton J. Staples, Wendy Speary (1997) Seventh Moon

A live-action fantasy-genre RPG system, printed in digest format. It has rules both for "boffer" combat with mock weapons and "static" no-touch combat.

Hawkmoon

1st ed by Kerie Campbell-Robson, Sandy Petersen (1986) Chaosium

1st ed by Gareth Hanrahan (2007) Mongoose Publishing

A post-apocalyptic medieval science fantasy RPG, based on the Michael Moorcock's "Hawkmoon" novels. It uses a variant of Chaosium's Basic Role-playing system. The second edition used a variant of the RuneQuest system developed by Mongoose Publishing.

HeartQuest

1st ed by Michael Hopcroft, Robert Pool, Dimitri Ashling, Ewen Cluney, Robert Boyd, Robert Bain, Ismael Alvarez, Travis Johnson (2002) Seraphim Guard

An RPG in the genre of shoujo manga and anime -- i.e. Japanese girl's comics and animated shows. The game describes sub-genres of high-school romance, "magical girl" (superheroic), and otherworldly adventure. It uses a variant of the FUDGE system.

Hearts and Souls

1st ed by Tim Kirk (2006) Better Mousetrap Games Silver Lion Studios

A superhero RPG with a simple narratively-focused system. Each character has a single motivation, systematized as "Drive", such as "Love", "Guilt", or "Spirit of Adventure". Players use Drive to gain a reroll by either improvising a monologue, or accepting Stress points. Once Stress maxes out, though, there are required failures. There are six attributes: Might, Deftness, Resilience, Brains, Prowess, and Resolve. Each attributed has a rank (Human/d4, Superhuman/d8, and Cosmic/d12) and scale (Ordinary, Extraordinary, Spectacular). The core book includes two sample settings. The main one is "Analog Prime", where the world's greatest superhero team were just wiped out in an explosion. The minor one, "Millenia", has reality slowly shifting over time.

Heaven and Earth

1st ed by John R. Phythyon, Jr. (1998) Event Horizon Productions

2nd ed (2001) Guardians of Order

3rd ed by Lee Foster, Michelle Lyons, James Maliszewski, John R. Phythyon, Jr., Lucien Soulban (2004) Abstract Nova Entertainment

A modern-day occult RPG, inspired by surreal TV series like "Twin Peaks", "The Outer Limits", and "Millenium". It is set in the quiet town of Potter's Lake, Kansas -- home to an Air Force base that hosts a "Project Grayscale" and many other odd denizens. There is a deep underlying secret outlined in the book. The first edition game uses a diceless system based on playing cards, where you first compared attribute plus skill vs task difficulty. If greater, you succeed automatically, but otherwise you draw a playing card. If it is a number card less than your total you add +1, and if it is a face card there are special results. Character creation is limited point-based: distribute 30 points among 12 attributes, and 30 points among skills and advantages. The second edition uses the "Tri-Stat" system from Big Eyes, Small Mouth. The third edition uses a step die system, where you add attribute number plus skill number plus a die roll versus a fixed difficulty of 9. The die rolled varies with difficulty, from a d20 for easy tasks to a d4 for nearly impossible ones. Third edition character creation is limited point-based, with 14 attribute points and 9 occupation points. Occupations vary in cost based on breadth, and have three ranks (Rookie, Professional, and Veteran).

Heavy Gear

1st ed by Jean Carrieres, Gene Marcil, Martin Quellette, Marc-Alexandre Vézina (1996) Dream Pod 9

2nd ed (1997)

3rd ed (2004)

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG and tactical miniatures game, set in 6132 on "Terra Nova", the first colony planet outside the solar system which was abandoned by Earth due to domestic strife. Terra Nova is split between the North and South factions which are on the edge of war. The factions briefly dropped their differences to repel an invasion from Earth, but are now again on the edge of war. "Gears" are human-shaped combat mecha about 4-5 meters tall. It uses the "Silhouette" system: a simple dice pool system: roll dice (d6's) equal to skill and take the best, and add attribute (-3 to +3).

Heimot

1st ed by Miska Fredman (2006) Ironspine Games

A Finnish-language "space noir" science fiction RPG, whose title translates as "Tribes". Heimot is set in far future 500 years after a great disaster decimated and divided humanity. At present known space is ruled by the nine tribes of humanity. Outer worlds are populated by the barbaric outlanders and aliens. Characters are by default outlawed "clanless" humans who live outside the tribal society, though tribal humans are available as options. Aliens species exist, but are only NPCs. The rules mechanics use 1d10 + Aptitude + Skill versus a Difficulty number or competing result. Character creation and advancement is point based.

Helix: The Post Apocalypse, High-Tech, Fantasy, Western Role Playing Game

1st ed by Adam J. Weber, Gloria Weber, William Parker (2008) self-published

A post-apocalyptic RPG set in the year 2081 after global war has devastated the world, and subsequently magic has been re-awakened. The world has broken down into city-states connected by the powerful Umbrea Corporation, and the Wastelands in between. Player character options include Cyber Mystics, Code Slingers, Gun Jacks/Jills, and Average Joe/Plain Jane. The game is self-published by Adam Weber, with information at helixrpg.wordpress.com.

Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone

1st ed by Michael L. Fiegel, Jerry D. Grayson (2008) Aethereal Forge Khepera Publishing

An epic space opera game, in a setting inspired by Greek myth -- where spaceships travel through another dimension called the Panthalassa or "Slipspace", deploying aetheric force screen emitters on cables to act as sails that pull them. It is inhabited by a variety of races, including the Nymphas, Myrmidon Goregon, and Zintar as well as humans ("Hellene"). It uses a version of the "Omni System" from High Medieval, licensed from Morrigan Press. Action resolution uses skill or attribute minus difficulty + 1d20, interpreting the results on a universal degree of success table. There is also a hero point system to change rolls.

Hellboy RPG and Sourcebook

1st ed by Phil Masters, Jonathan Woodward (2002) Steve Jackson Games

A modern-day magic RPG based on the comic series by Mike Mignola, about solving occult mysteries, beating up demons, and saving the world from Things Man Was Not Meant to Know. It uses a version of the GURPS system which is included in the basic rulebook. The PC's can be characters from the comics, or may create their own agents of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.

Hercules and Xena

1st ed by George Strayton et al. (1998) West End Games

A fantasy-genre RPG based on the two TV series. It uses a fast dice-pool system (the "D6 Prime" system), with special dice (included in the game) marked only success and failure. Roll dice equal to your skill and count the results.

Heroes

1st ed by Dave Millard (1979) Tabletop Games

A medieval fantasy RPG, set in Dark Ages Europe. It uses a mostly percentile system. Characters are defined by their country, social status, alignment, and five attributes (Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Charisma, and a Combat Value). The system is fairly detailed with the exception of combat.

Heroes and Hellions

1st ed by T. Dorsey (unknown, pre-1998) Travell Games

A small-press comic-book superhero RPG. It uses class-based character creation with 31 classes of superheroes. The combat system is involved, including special rules for critical hits and knockouts.

Heroes and Heroines

1st ed by James E. Freel (1993) Excel Marketing

A superhero RPG, which licensed characters from several comic companies including Image, Malibu, and Continuity. Character creation is point-based, including a long list of powers and weaknesses. Combat is resolved by cross-referencing a d20 roll on a universal table. The basic game includes no background, but has a short sample adventure. It has one sourcebook: "The Maxx", an adaptation of the independent comic of the same name.

Heroes Forever

1st ed (2001) Guild of Blades

A superhero RPG set in an alternate history where the world is carved into numerous empires by superbeings. It features a high-power system. Character creation includes kits, with Vampire, Werewolf, Mutant, Sorcerer, and Policeman kits included in the core rules.

Heroes of Olympus

1st ed by B. Dennis Sustare (1981) Task Force Games

2nd ed (1983)

A Greek-myth game which acts as an RPG, a wargame, and/or a boardgame. It includes background on gods, limited magic (from gods or magic places), sample races, and pregen characters from the Argonauts. It uses a skill-based system, with point-bought character creation. There are three combat systems: Noble (i.e. duelling), Melee, and Naval. They are fairly complex, although Melee is fairly fast.

Heroes Unlimited

1st ed by Kevin Siembieda (1984) Palladium Books

2nd ed (2000)

A fairly gritty "street-level" superhero RPG, using a variant of the Palladium System. Character creation is random-roll attributes with classes and levels. Some classes get random powers, while tech-based classes buy their cyberware/robotics/equipment with a pool of money.

Heroic Conquest

1st ed by David E. Blake (unknown, post 1990) Renaissance Ink

A superhero RPG. It uses a primarily percentile based system. Character creation is either point-bought or random-roll.

Heroic Do-Gooders and Dastardly Deed-Doers

1st ed by Mathew Van Dinter (1999) self-published

An RPG in a modern-day setting with pseudo-science and super-human powers. It is more of an action/adventure genre with powers, however, rather than mainstream comic-book superheroes. The setting is the real world complete with all normal features.

Heroic Visions

1st ed by William A Council (2002) New Vision Comics

A superhero RPG. The rules are a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D.

HeroQuest

1st ed by Greg Stafford, Robin D. Laws (2003) Issaries, Inc. Steve Jackson Games

A fantasy RPG set in the world of Glorantha, the setting for original for RuneQuest and for Hero Wars. This is essentially a second edition to Hero Wars with a new title.

The Hero's Banner

1st ed by Tim C. Koppang (2006) TCK Roleplaying

A fantasy RPG about the choices of a hero on the cusp of his greatness. It uses an abstract narrative system with a GM. Each character has three stats ("Influences") representing possible goals in life. The player can reroll failures by raising the highest score (possibly switching it), such that eventually one of the three goals will win out -- leaving the other two unachieved.

HERO System

1st ed by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Rob Bell (1989) Hero Games

5th ed by Steven S. Long (2002)

A universal RPG system, also published as the 4th edition Champions rules. Besides superheroes, several genre books have been published for it: which are pure source material, not repeating the core rules. These include "Fantasy HERO", "Cyber HERO", "Western HERO", and "Horror HERO".

Hero Wars

1st ed by Robin D. Laws, Greg Stafford, Roderick Robertson, Shannon Appel (2000) Issaries, Inc.

A fantasy RPG set in the world of Glorantha (originally the RuneQuest setting). It uses a skill-based system with a single universal mechanic. Character creation is (optionally) by writing a 100 word description of the character, then extracting skills and abilities from it.

Hexicon Fantasy Roleplay: Fantasy Made Real

1st ed by Kielan Yarrow, Dan Fitt (2005) Hexicon Press LLP

A fantasy genre RPG set on an original fantasy world ("Korin-Thar"), populated by elves, dwarves, and orcs along with various other races. Character creation includes 22 races along with 50 professions. Character creation includes a mix of random-roll and point-based elements.

Hidden Invasion

1st ed by Paul Arden Lidberg (1995) Nightshift Games

"Invasores" ed by Xavi Garriga, Dicky Miracle, Miguel Antón (1996) Farsa's Wagon

An alien conspiracy RPG, with reptilian "Greys" having taken over the government with the help of ancient human conspiracies. It uses a minimalist dice pool system, the "Cinematic Adventure System". There are no attributes, just "talents". You roll d6's equal to 2 plus your talent vs a difficulty number. Character creation is by allocating 10d of talents. There is a Spanish edition under the title "Invasores: La conspiración alienígena," which adapted the background information for Spain and added a new introductory adventure ("Convergence" by John Tynes, originally written for Call of Cthulhu).

Hidden Kingdom: A Fantasy-Adventure Game

1st ed by Jon McClenahan, Stan Dokupil, Gene Riemenschnieder (1985) New Rules, Inc.

A fantasy RPG set in Arthurian times, highlighting political and religious conflict. It was sold as a three-ring binder with a red and blue illustration of a knight holding a banner on a horse on the cover, and included fold-out color hex-maps of England. You can choose from over three hundered Arthurian characters whose statistics were given in the main book, including a mix of knights/kings and ladies/queens. Characters also have a spiritual/philosophical alignment based on the Arthurian cultural context. The four alignments Pagan Powerlord (i.e. extremist pagan), Pagan Chivalrous, Christian Chivalrous, and Christian Renunciate (i.e. extremist Christian). In combat, a 20-sided die determines whether you landed an effective strike against your opponent, a 12-sided die determines the hit location, and an 8-sided die determines the extent of injury. There is also a separate jousting system.

Hidden Legacy

1st ed by Mark A. Schultz (1999) Valiant Games

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG set in the primitive World of Korroth, populated by 9 races: insectoid Grrites, human-like "Humuns", dragon-like Hynchar, amazonian Inyo, lizard-like Koothron, weasel-like Kurk, lizard-like Moudunn, enigmatic Shii, and insectoid Zhontal'rai. It uses a d12 dice-pool system, using special icon-marked "Success Dice" and "Battle Dice".

High Adventure Cliffhangers: The Buck Rogers Adventure Game

1st ed by Jeff Grubb, Steven E. Schend (1993) TSR

A sci-fi RPG based on the original Buck Rogers comic strip. This is a new take on the same source material as TSR's earlier game, Buck Rogers XXVC. The setting is the 25th century, where there a war between the Han -- the Mongolian rulers of the Earth -- and organized resistance. The technology includes anti-gravity jumping belts, rocket pistols, airships, biplanes, and disintegrator weaponry. The system uses an additive d6 dice pool: roll a number of open-ended d6s (maximum 8d6) based on your attribute rank, +1 for applicable skill) vs a difficulty number. Each character has four attributes (Strength, Aim, Brains, and Health), which are each rated one of four ranks (OK, Good, Better, Best). They then pick five binary skills. Movement and combat are regulated by action points. Earned Experience Chips help increase your chances. The boxed set includes three booklets, maps, fold-up counters, along with ten six-sided dice and a bag of white and red poker chips.

High Colonies

1st ed by Edwin King (1988) Waterford Publishing House

A sci-fi RPG, set in 2188 where Earth is a wasteland and humanity lives in several hundred space stations scattered around the solar system. There are also "bio-gens" (biological androids) and a friendly alien species. The system is a percentile skill-based system, with random-roll attributes. Does not include rules for spaceships. Reviewed in White Wolf #15.

High Fantasy

1st ed by Jeffrey C. Dillow (1978) Fantasy Productions Inc.

2nd ed (1981) Reston Publishing Company Inc.

A fantasy-genre RPG, from makers of the AD&D scenarios "Fortress Ellendar" and "Moorguard".

High Medieval: Adventure Through History

1st ed by Scott Agnew, Jim Andrews, Aaron Dembski-Bowden (2005) Morrigan Press

A historical fantasy RPG published under the WotC Open Game License, adding fantasy and magical elements to late medieval Europe. It uses the "Omni RPG System". Action resolution uses skill or attribute minus difficulty + 1d20, interpreting the results on a universal degree of success table.

HindSight

1st ed by Tonio Loewald (1987) self-published

A variant of the Foresight sci-fi rules for the fantasy genre.

HIT

1st ed by James Overton, Jonah Miller (1999) Stormcrow Games

A generic "modern action" RPG system. It has several levels of rules complexity which work on the same stat scale and basic engine. The levels range from "freestyle" (LARP rules, almost diceless); "dramatist" (6 skills, point-build, d20 against stat+skill); "gamist" (more skills, more special cases, same basic rules engine as dramatist); and "simulationist" (still more skills and special cases, action point move-combat rules).

HOL: Human Occupied Landfill

1st ed by Todd Shaughnessy, Daniel Thron, Chris Elliott (1993) Dirt Merchant

2nd ed (1994) White Wolf

A blackly comedic sci-fi RPG, set on a dismal prison planet. The rulebook is hand-written (!!) and portrays the twisted world of Sodomy Bikers, Wastits, Jumpslugs, and more. The rules are basic attribute + skill + 2d6 vs difficulty, with the attributes being Greymatta, Feets, Nuts, Mouth, and Meat.

Hollow Earth Expedition

1st ed by Jeff Combos, Brannon Boren, Bruce Baugh, Eric Cagle, Jason Carl, Patrick Bradley, Steve Winter (2006) Exile Game Studio

A pulp action game set in the 1930s, inspired by the lost worlds stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It uses a dice pool system, the "Ubiquity System", which can use any even-sided dice. Action resolution is by rolling dice equal to skill, where each even result is a success. Results can be modified by spending Style Points.

Hollywood Lives

1st ed by Reiner Knizia, Kevin Jacklin (2004) Fantasy Flight Games

A semi-freeform live-action game which mixes party game, trading game, and role-playing elements. A group of 10 to 25 players take on the nominal roles of old Hollywood stars and producers, then break up into teams and collaborate to perform three-minute trailers for a set of films. There is an economy of cash and fame pips for the film production, along with bonus points from awards voting after all of the trailers are performed. The game provides a selection of parody names of stars and movie titles.

Holocaustic Dungeons

1st ed by Kristoffer A. Silver (1986) Silver Wolf Games

A dungeon crawl game, where the PCs delve into futuristic dungeons designed to protect certain artifacts while providing media coverage of the dungeoneers as entertainment for the masses.

Holy Lands: The Christian Role-Playing Game

Light Edition ed by Matthew Nigro (2004) Faith Quest Games

A Christian fantasy game, set in a generic fantasy setting. Action resolution is generally 1d20 + modifiers vs difficulty. Character creation is class-based, with ten classes: Bard, Cleric, Knight, Martialist, Saint, Scout, Spy, Warrior, Devil Hunter, and Soldier. Each class has attribute requirements, Life and Faith points, and skill selections. The nine attributes are determined by random-roll: Intellect, Wisdom, Patience, Strength, Agility, Speed, Endurance, Beauty, and Charisma.

Hong Kong Action Theatre!

1st ed by Gareth-Michael Skarka (1996) Event Horizon Productions

2nd ed by Scott Kessler, Nicole Lindroos, Jeff Mackintosh, Chris Pramas, Lucien Soulban (2001) Guardians of Order

An extremely cinematic RPG which emulates Hong Kong action movies. For example, your chance to hit an opponent is not based on range or armor, but solely on the Star Power of the opposing actor, or the character's importance to the current plot! The 2nd edition rules were adapted to be compatible with the Big Eyes, Small Mouth system, while still keeping many of the innovative features.

Hostage... a Pawn of Terrorism

1st ed (1986) Force Four Games

A modern-day action RPG narrowly focused on hostage situations. One can play a terrorist, a hostage, a policeman, or a civilian (negotiator, policy, journalist) within the framework of a taking of hostages. The 70-page soft-cover rule booklet includes an extensive list of equipment (up to rocket launchers), and an experience system based on specific objectives achieved for that role -- i.e. a hostage earns points for hiding and surviving, for example.

Hot Chicks: The Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Scott Corum, Victor Gipson (2008) Dakkar Unlimited

A near-future sci-fi game set in 2015 of a world where an alliance of corrupt capitalists, actual demons from the Netherworld, and sinster alien scientists who all have their own reasons to exploit human suffering -- especially attractive human women. It uses a skill-based system called the "Inverted 20" System, where resolution is by rolling under attribute + skill. Combat uses a damage save using a d20, where failing takes damage in "shrugs". The core rules include options for magic, psionics, cyberware, and super powers.

Houses of the Blooded

1st ed by John Wick, Storn A. Cook, Daniel Solis (2008) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A fantasy RPG set on an original world, where the player characters are nobles of the Ven -- the ruling race divided into a set of noble houses. It uses a variant of the FATE system (Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment) from Spirit of the Century, changing it into a dice pool system where the player can choose to risk some dice for a higher level of success. The system focuses on the intrigue within the nobles houses including social interaction, economics, and clothing style.

The Human Interface for Fantasy Roleplaying

1st ed by Martin Melhus, John F. Sasso (2002) IGS Games LLC

A fantasy-genre RPG set on an original world, published electronically. The commercial rules include 28 character races, 66 character background packages, 150 skills, 40 magic spells, and 85 creatures.

Hunter Planet

1st ed by David Bruggeman (1986) TAGG / HPAC Pty, Ltd.

A humorous sci-fi RPG about aliens come to Earth to hunt humans (or rather, come to "Dirt" to hunt "hoomans"), using a minimalist system.

Hunter: The Reckoning

1st ed by Bruce Baugh, Geoff Grabowski, Angel McCoy, Greg Stolze, et al. (1999) White Wolf

A modern-day monster-hunting RPG, where the PC's are normal humans who find that they have supernatural powers ("Edges") which allow them to notice and fight monsters hidden around us. It is set in the "World of Darkness", filled with vampires, werewolves, wraiths, mummies, and other supernatural creatures. The origin and purpose of the hunters' powers remains an unknown mystery. It uses the "Storyteller" dice-pool system.

Idyll: Romantic Fantasy

1st ed by James Stubbs (2007) Heyoka Studios

A romantic fantasy mini-RPG (14 pages), that emulates the fiction popularized by authors such as Tamora Pierce, Mercedes Lackey and Tanith Lee. It uses a licensed variant of the "1PG" system from Deep 7, Inc. -- whose basic rules fit on one page. Resolution is roll a d6 and try and get under your attribute or skill. The basic game also includes custom character sheets, magic rules and sample spell list, referee advise, six adventure scenarios and custom genre rules specific to the genre.

Imagine Role Playing System

1st ed by W. Michael Tenery III (1998) Imagine

A universal RPG system, based on the "Players Guide" (348pp). It uses a percentile skill-based system except for combat which is d20 based. Skills are broken up into class skills, racial skills, and social skills. Character creation is class-based (warrior / rogue / priest / mage), with random-roll attributes. Character advancement is level based.

Immortal: The Invisible War

1st ed by Ran Ackels (1994) Precedence

2nd ed (1999)

A modern-day-magic RPG about shape-shifting immortal beings from a long-past mystic accident which created them, fighting other immortals. It uses a step-die system, with limited point-buy character creation.

The Imp Game, Mischief & Mayhem

1st ed by Nate Petersen (2005) Neo Productions Unlimited

A humorous fantasy RPG where the player characters are imps -- tiny bumbling demonic henchmen working for a fiendish wizard played by the GM. It uses a simple system where the player must roll under a target number on 2d6. This is not based on the difficulty of the task, but rather is an absolute number which is independent of the player and circumstances. The target number is raised only by players spending "Guts Points," which are a sort of hero points for the game. The target number starts out at 2, is raised one-for-one by spending Guts points. After a successful roll, it is reset to 2. Character creation is class-based, including classes such as Big Dumb Imps, Smart Imps, Devious Imps, and Crazy Imps. Successful missions or quests can earn "Praise Points" from the Imp's master. The Imps can use Praise Points between sessions to purchase new traits and abilities, which range from firebreathing to kleptomania and pacifism.

In a Wicked Age

1st ed by Vincent Baker (2008) Lumpley Games

A sword and sorcery fantasy role playing game, with abstract mechanics that include random situation-generation mechanics to create characters and create dramatic conflicts for them. A game begins by generating four entries for each of the four Oracles (16 total), with the Oracles being predefined as "Blood & Sex", "God-kings of War", "The Unquiet Past", and "A Nest of Vipers." It uses a step-die system, where the attributes are the six Forms, namely: "Covertly", "Directly", "For Myself", "For Others", "With Love", and "With Violence". Each is rated from d4 to d12, and player-defined particular strengths are added as modifiers. Resolution is handled by highest die of two Forms plus modifiers, and the winner may impose penalties on the loser -- but the result in-fiction must be agreed on by both players.

Incursion

1st ed by Richard Tucholka (1992) Tri-Tac Games

A sci-fi RPG about humans abducted from Earth who escape their alien abductors. Set in the present, PC's are part of the masses who hardly realize that thousands of people are vanishing every year -- until they are woken from cryo sleep by a 4 foot tall cockroach and was asked "Help us!" The characters are lost in a fallen alien empire of a hundred million inhabited worlds, including 40 different alien races.

Inferno

1st ed by Gabe Ivan (1994) Death's Edge Games

A fantasy/horror RPG set in Hell -- with characters ranging from a priest hunting through Hell for souls wrongly imprisoned to a vile necromancer to a Hellspawn. Action resolution is roll under stat on 1d20. Character creation is by choosing race (mortal, shade, hellspawn, or imp); randomly rolling attributes with modifications for race; choosing a class (priest, layman, or necromancer for mortals and shades; demon for hellspawn and imps); and finally determining skills by a mix of class and point-spending. Class also determines faith status: Faithful, Doubtful, or Infernal. The game includes two types of magic: divine (for priests) and sorcery (for necromancers).

Infernum

1st ed by Gareth Hanrahan (2005) Mongoose Publishing

A fantasy game set in hell, where the player characters can be demons, fallen angels, mortals, or damned souls struggling to conquer and become lords within the Pit (as it is known). It uses a variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D.

Infinite Legends Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Jason Broadley, Robert Frey (2004) Darkharbor Games

A universal RPG system, including an involved combat system emphasizing realism, and a generic effects system for representing magic, psionics, cybernetics, and so forth. It uses a target number dice pool resolution -- roll a number of d10s equal to stat / 2, and each roll higher than difficulty (1-9) counts as one success rank. There are 18 attributes divided into Physical, Mental, and Spiritual -- where each category has six functions: fortitude, force, aptitude, interface, martial, and structural. For example, the Physical Force attribute is Strength. Character creation is open point-based, buying attributes, skills, and positive and negative traits with Development Points.

The Infinity System

1st ed by Derrick Charbonnet, Terry Podgorski (1978) Threshold Games

An universal RPG movement and combat system (36 pages), intended to encompass vehicles and weapons from the stone age to the future including fantasy. It was a skill-based system using d20's for hit and damage. Character creation was random-roll attributes (3d6), but had no classes or levels. The original rulebook included a very limited magic system. There were no supplements.

Inner City

1st ed by Chris Clark (1982) Inner City

A humorous modern-day action RPG, based on playing cops or crooks in a universe modeled after the really bad police shows of the 70's. It has 3 supplements: "Peacekeepers", "Pavement Pounders", and "The Mug Book".

In Nomine

1st [French] ed by Croc (1989) Siroz

2st [English] ed by Derek Pearcy (1997) Steve Jackson Games

A modern-day-magic RPG about the ongoing War between angels and demons, where both sides can be ugly and treacherous in trying to win the battle of intrigue over men's souls. The original French-language game came in two parts ("In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas"), and was much more tongue-in-cheek than the American game. The mechanics of the English game are a fixed roll of 2d6 versus skill, with the quality of success determined by a third die (dubbed "d666").

Inquisitor: The Battle for the Emperor's Soul

1st ed by Gav Thorpe (2001) Games Workshop

A "narrative wargame" set in a horrific future in the 41st millenium. This is a miniatures wargame played on a table-top with miniatures for each PC, but it requires the part of a game-master and has added narrative elements. It uses a percentile based system.

InSpectres

1st ed by Jared Sorensen (2002) Memento Mori Theatricks Wicked Dead Brewing Company

In a modern-day setting unabashedly owing much to Ghostbusters, the supernatural is on the rise and publicly acknowledged. The public's reaction certainly is: ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other horrors are a source of embarrassment rather than widespread panic. The game is about InSpectres, Inc. -- a franchise operation dedicated to "fighting the forces of darkness so you don't have to", and willing to employ just about anyone to do it. It uses a narrative dice-pool system where a roll determines whether the player or the GM narrates the results. Impairment can occur in the form of Stress Dice. There is also a "Confessional" mechanic, which allows players to narrate changes to the scene by narrating in-character as if from a later time. PC's have four broad Skills (Athletics, Academics, Technology, and Contact) which are point-allocated, plus a freeform Talent. The PC's franchise also has stats which affect rolls.

Interstellar Elite Combat

1st ed by Dave Miller (1990) Game Masters Associated

A sci-fi roleplaying line, including one supplement dealing with artic combat. Reviewed in White Wolf #28. The line may have been sold to Wizards of the Coast in 1994, but as far as I know they did not publish anything for it.

Ironclaw

1st ed by Jason Holmgren (1999) Sanguine

An anthropomorphic fantasy-genre RPG, in a neo-Elizabethan fantasy setting dealing with the rise of technology and the middle class. It uses a loose skill-based system, where attributes and skills are rated on a step-die system (d4, d6, d8, d10). Roll (attribute die) + (skill die) vs difficulty.

Iron Gauntlets: Heroic Fantasy Roleplaying

1st ed by Brett Bernstein (2004) Politically Incorrect Games

A simple fantasy-genre RPG aimed at beginners, using a variant of the "Impresa" system. Action resolution uses a d10 dice pool, rolling a number of dice equal to your attribute, with each roll under skill counting as one 'step'. Difficulty is expressed as number of steps required for success.

Ironhedge

1st ed by John Brooke (1987) Empire Wargames

2nd ed (1989)

A fantasy system with supplements for other genres: "Ganghedge" (inner city gangs), "Starhedge" (space opera), and "Westhedge".

Iron Heroes

1st ed by Michael Mearls (2005) Malhavoc Press

The core book of a fantasy genre RPG, a variant of the third edition D&D Player's Handbook that focuses on warriors and weaponed combat more than flashy magic.

It Came from the Late, Late, Late Show

1st ed by Bradley K. McDevitt, Walter H. Mytczenskyj (1989) Stellar Games

A bad-movie parody RPG.

It Was a Mutual Decision

1st ed by Ron Edwards (2006) Adept Press

A story-oriented game about romantic break-up, with the possibility that one is an evil were-rat.

Jadeclaw

1st ed by Jason Holmgren (2001) Sanguine

An anthropomorphic fantasy-genre RPG, in fantasy setting based on Chinese mythology. It is a new worldbook for Ironclaw, using the same system.

James Bond 007

1st ed by Gerard Christopher Klug (1983) Victory Games

An espionage-adventure RPG, based on the film series (which were based on the books by Ian Flemng). It uses a percentile skill-based system, with a universal chart that gives four Quality Ratings of results. Quality Ratings are emphasized over success/failure in the system. It also includes a Hero point system where points can be spent to modify the outcome of rolls. Character creation is open point-based, allowing characters at "Rookie", "Agent", and "00" levels.

Jeremiah: The Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Scott Agnew (2005) Mongoose Publishing Morrigan Press

A post-apocalyptic RPG based on the graphic novel series by Hermann Huppen, and subsequent television series adapted by J. Michael Straczynski. It is set in the United States fifteen years after a mysterious disease called The Big Death wiped out everyone over the age of puberty. It is a complete game using variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D. The basic classes are Brainboy, Guardian, Jock, Mystic, Scavenger, Shepherd, Thief, Trader, and Wanderer.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars

1st ed by M. S. Matheny (1978) Heritage Models

A pulp sci-fi miniatures system and RPG, based on the novels by Edgar Rice Burrough's. It is primarily wargame in flavor, but does provide background on Barsoom and its cultures.

Journeyman: A Science Fiction Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Frederick Goff (1989) Infinity Games

This is a space-faring hard science-fiction genre RPG. There is no specific campaign setting, but it discusses various space-faring campaign options. It includes description of 3 human sub-races and 6 detailed and realistic alien races, rules generating solar systems and planets, and rules for soceity tech levels. The system resolves actions by d10 + skill - difficulty vs a flat value of 10 to determine success. Character creation has seven random-roll (3d6) attributes and profession templates which determine starting skills. Skill increases are point-bought. It has an extensive section on space travel and space combat, including appendices with the real-world equations they are based on.

Jovian Chronicles

1st ed by Phillippe Boulle, Jean Carrieres, Wunji Lau, Marc-Alexandre Vézina (1997) Dream Pod 9

A spacefaring mecha RPG, set in 2210 after an optimistic expansion into the solar system has founded the "Jovian confederation" of space colonies. Earth is now dominated by a central government ("CEGA"), following a long period of depression and unreset caused by pollution and ecological disasters. In 2210, CEGA lost a brief war with the Jovian confederation, fought over an Earth scientist defecting with the secret of "cyberlinkage". It uses the "Silhouette" system: a simple dice pool system: roll dice (d6's) equal to skill and take the best, and add attribute (-3 to +3).

Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game

Boxed Set ed by Marc Gascoigne, Rick Priestley (1985) Games Workshop

Hardback ed (1989)

A futuristic sci-fi RPG set in a dark urban nightmare, based on the comic book series by Alan Grant and John Wagner. In the future, urban crime has become so rampant that elite autonomous "Judges" are employed who act as policeman, judge, jury, and executioner. It uses a simple percentile system, with involved combat rules including 10-phase turns and hit location. Attributes are Strength and Initiative; skills are Drive, Street, Tech, Medical, Combat, and PSI. There were four supplements: "Judgement Day" (Scenario 1986), "Slaughter Margin" (Supplement 1987), "Judge Dredd Companion" (Supplement 1987), and "City Block" (Supplement 1987) . cf. Ivan Hanley's Judge Dredd page.

The Judge Dredd Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Matthew Sprange (2002) Mongoose Publishing

A futuristic sci-fi RPG set in a dark urban nightmare, based on the comic book series by Alan Grant and John Wagner. In the future, urban crime has become so rampant that elite autonomous "Judges" are employed who act as policeman, judge, jury, and executioner. The rules are a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D. Complete rules are not provided: basic rules for character creation, combat, and other systems refer to the D&D Players Handbook.

Juggernauts: A Gun Stroking Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Kevin R. Brown (2003) Collision Entertainment Design

A humorous action-genre RPG set in an ultra-modern Earth soiled with the supernatural. Now, werewolves, aliens, vampires, and more have set the world awry. The PCs are heavily-armed and nearly unstoppable forces. It uses a simple skill-based system with three attributes and d10's for resolution.

Justice, Inc.

1st ed by Aaron Allston, Steve Peterson, Michael A. Stackpole (1984) Hero Games

A generic pulp action RPG, in a two volume set: rulebook and campaign book. The system is a variant of the 3rd edition Champions rules, but instead of the superpowers meta-system, there were skill-like psychic powers. The campaign book includes a discussion of different pulp genres, a campaign setting (The Empire Club), an overview of the 1930's, and a half-dozen pulp adventures.

Justifiers

1st ed by Gideon, Blaine Pardoe (1988) StarChilde

A sci-fi RPG in a dark future where "Transmatts" (i.e. stargates) allow limited teleportation to a host of Earth-like worlds. Megacorporations hire mercenary teams ("Justifiers") to "pacify" new worlds for colonization and exploitation. Justifiers are uplifted animals with limited rights, trying to eventually buy their freedom. It uses a simple percentile skill-based system, including a choice of 28 anthropomorphic animal races (from albatrosses to rhinos!).

KABAL

1st ed by Ernest T. Hams (1980) Kabal Gaming Systems

2nd ed (1982)

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG, using a math-heavy system and including detailed dungeon maps. The title is an acronym for "Knights and Beserkers and Legerdemain". It uses a percentile system. Character creation is random-roll attributes (6d20 for eight attributes). The boxed set includes four booklets: player's guide, rules, magic spells, and creature catalog.

Kayfabe: The Inside Wrestling Game

1st ed by Matthew Gwinn (2002) Errant Knight Games

A pro-wrestling RPG using a storytelling-emphasized system, published electronically. The fights are actually faked and are resolved as such -- while the players work on promotion, showmanship, and other aspects of being a wrestler. It uses a simple d6-based dice pool system.

Kevin & Kell Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Jamie C. Borg, Michael Hopcroft (2005) ComStar Media, LLC

A anthropomorphic animals RPG based on the long-standing webcomic by Bill Holbrook. It is set in a twist on the modern world where there are only animals instead of humans, with the canonical characters being a married couple who happen to be a wolf and a rabbit -- now with kids in school and a mix of problems of domestic and wild problems. The system is based on the Action! System from Gold Rush Games.

Key-RP

1st ed by David Sharrock, Wyn F Dawkins, Suzanna Hope (2007) Forever People Digital Press

A universal RPG system, designed primarily for use with play-by-email games, as well as tabletop. The basic rules are intended for modern-day and horror genre, but an appendix includes optional rules for fantasy and science fiction genres. Action resolution is roll under stat + skill on 1d20. Character creation is limited point-buy: 35 points among the five attributes (Stamina, Muscle, Skill, Academia, Sense), plus five points among skills.

Khaotic

1st ed by Kathleen Williams, Joe Williams (1994) Marquee Press

An alien invasion RPG, where the PC's psychically project themselves to a distant planet to possess monsters who are invading Earth. The "Trans-Ego Device" used was invented in 1944 by Dr. Isabella Bayne, who is also the evil mastermind behind the invasion from the "tech noir" world of Xenos. The PC's are members of the International Society of Enlightened Scientists (ISES) who took charge of the TED. The catch is that the whole party possesses one creature: only one member of the party at a time can control the host, while those who are not in control can use psychic powers and offer advice. It uses a variant of the system from Legendary Lives.

Kill Puppies For Satan

1st ed by Vincent Baker (2002) Lumpley Games

A tongue-in-cheek game where the PCs are low-class demons who exist to cause minor pointless misery and annoyance to the world. By committing evil, they collect power for low-rent miracles to further their work.

Knights and Magic

1st ed by Arnold Hendrick (1980) Heritage Models

A medieval fantasy miniatures system, which included some role-playing rules and notes on use with other RPGs.

Knights of the Round Table

1st ed by Phil Edgren (1976) Little Soldier Games

A miniature system and RPG set in Arthurian Camelot. Each figure has a single stat, Prowess, which starts at 1d10 but can be raised to 100. It could be improved with experience. The rules suggested 1-7 points per adventure, although it could be reduced through unchivalrous behavior and temporarily lowered by wounds. The game had three related combat systems: jousting, hand-to-hand, and melee. Combat resolution worked by both players secretly selecting one of 10 maneuver cards. Comparing cards gave a target number to hit on 1d100, where the figure with higher Prowess adds the difference to his roll. Damage is based on the action and the difference between the roll and target. The game also included a description of the code of chivalry, some encounter tables, and rules for falling in love. The campaign section suggested that PCs could found baronies, learn magic or develop spiritual power, although very few details were provided.

Know Your Role! - World Wrestling Entertainment Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Tony Lee, Cynthia Celeste Miller, Eddy Webb, Christopher McGlothin, Marcelo Figueroa (2005) Comic Images, Inc.

A professional wrestling RPG using a variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It has six classes, one for each primary ability: Aerial Superstar (Dexterity), Power Superstar (Strength), Rough Superstar (Constitution), Savvy Superstar (Charisma), Technical Superstar (Intelligence), and Manager (Wisdom). Each has appropriate talent trees as in D20 Modern. Combat is handled by separate damage to Endurance (which increases with level) and Trauma (equal to Constitution). The game includes a system for developing unique maneuvers, and character limits on maneuvers.

Kobolds Ate My Baby!

1st ed by Christopher O'Neill, Daniel Landis (1998) 9th Level Games

A humorous beer-and-pretzels RPG about playing kobolds sent on a mission to steal as many babies they can from the humans. It uses a very simple skill-based system including a Kobold Gruesome Death Chart and a magic system with 12 spells. There are several supplements for this game, including "More Things to Eat and Kill!".

Kult

1st [Swedish] ed by Gunilla Jonsson, Michael Petersen (1991) Target Games AB

1st [English] ed (1993) Metropolis, Ltd

2nd ed (1997)

3rd ed by Nils Gullikson, Stefan Ljungqvist, Terry K. Amthor (2004)

A surreal modern-day horror RPG, where the horrific underlying reality is a gnostic fable.

Labyrinth Lord

1st ed by Daniel Proctor (2007) Goblinoid Games

A variant of the original D&D game, mimicking the original basic game circa 1980 based on the third edition rules released under the Open Gaming License.

Lace and Steel

1st ed by Paul Kidd (1989) TAGG

2nd ed (1998) Plainlabel / Pharos

A swashbuckling fantasy RPG set in an alternate world parallel to our 1640's, populated with humans and civilized centaurs. It uses a skill-based system which uses cards in addition to dice. Tarot cards modify character creation (which is mixed random-roll attributes and point-bought skills), and special cards are used in combat.

Lacuna Part I: The Creation of the Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

1st ed by Jared A. Sorensen (2004) Memento Mori Theatricks

An experimental roleplaying game set in modern-day psychic world of black-suited Mystery Agents and shadowy spidermen. The PCs are "Mystery Agents" in the modern day, who go into a dream-state where they can explore a collective unconscious. This go to a place called the Blue City. Characters have four abstract attributes: Force, Access, Instinct, and Talent. These are rated in a five-step scale: 2d6, lowest 3 of 4d6, 3d6, highest 3 of 4d6, 4d6. There is a reward (Challenge Points) equal to difficulty for a successful roll that can be used to increase attributes. Since all action is psychic, there is no damage but PCs heart rates will rise with every roll. Character generation has random-roll age and mentor, freeform strength/weakness keywords, and optional picking a proficient/deficient attribute.

Land of the Rising Sun

1st ed by Lee Gold (1980) FGU

A fantasy RPG set in medieval Japan, using a variant of the original Chivalry and Sorcery system.

Lands of Adventure

1st ed by Lee Gold (1983) FGU

A generic fantasy RPG, with "culture packs" for specific settings. A short booklet covering mythic Greece and medieval England was included with the game. The system is percentile skill-based, with complex sub-systems for combat, encumbrance, movement, etc. Characters track Energy Points (EP, lost by fatigue), Body Points (BP, lost by wounds), and Life Points (lost by bleeding).

Laserburn

1st ed by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell, Tony Ackland (1980) Tabletop Games

A sci-fi miniatures combat system: not really an RPG, but an ancestor of Warhammer 40K by the same authors. It features power armour, dreadnought armour, hand flamers, needle weapons, "sunguns", conversion beam projectors, bolt rifles and so forth.

The Last Exodus

1st ed by Nicholas Van Zandt, Jaz Michele (2001) Synister Creative

A modern-day magical/religious apocalypse RPG. It is set shortly after the millenium, where the PC's are all "Scions" -- powerful miracle- performer who act as either Messiahs or Antichrists. The rules system uses a standard playing deck and difficulty numbers for action resolution. Character creation is limited point based, with players spending points on four qualities: Mental, Physical, Cultural, and Spiritual, along with various other choices.

Lawnmower Man

1st ed by Barry Nakazano, David McKenzie (1993) Leading Edge

A cyberpunk RPG based on the 1992 movie about a treatment of drugs and virtual reality which unlocks genius intelligence and psychic powers in a retarded man, loosely based on a novel by Stephen King. The system has an extremely simplified version of the combat rules in Phoenix Command, which is still quite complex. It includes cybernetic enhancement rules.

Legacy: War of Ages

1st ed by Brandon Blackmoor, Susan Blackmoor (1993) Black Gate Publishing

A modern-day occult RPG in the "Techno-Gothic" genre, about secret immortal beings the 21st century (in the style of the movie Highlander).

Legacy

1st ed by J.D. Frazer (1992) Discordian Games

A "hard science" sci-fi RPG.

Legacy

1st ed by David A. Feldt (1978) Legacy Press

A universal RPG system, which uses a complex skill system where the GM creates statistics for the civilization.

The Legacy of Zorro

1st ed by Mark Arsenault (2001) Gold Rush Games

A swashbuckling action game based on the popular series of books and film. This uses the "Instant Fuzion" game system, and is intended for beginning players. It includes four pre-made characters, an introductory adventure, and cut-out cardstock figures.

Legendary Lives

1st ed by Kathleen Williams, Joe Williams (1990) Sage Lore Productions, Inc.

2nd ed (1993) Marquee Press

A fantasy-genre RPG, set in a light-hearted Celtic-flavored world thick with faeries. The system uses a universal Action Resolution Table (ART), included on the character sheet. You find the row for skill (modified by difficulty) and rolling percentile dice to find degree of success/failure (5 levels each). Character creation is largely random-roll with a choice of profession, developing a random "life-path" of the character's history.

Légendes

1st ed by Stéphane Daudier, Marc Deladerrière, Philippe Mercier, Jean Marc Montel, Guillaume Rohmer (1983) Jeux Descartes

Légendes des 1001 Nuits ed by Jean Marc Montel (1984)

Légendes Celtiques ed by Philippe Mercier, Stéphane Daudier, Guillaume Rohmer, Jean Marc Montel, Marc Deladerrière (1985)

Premières Légendes ed (1986)

De La Table Ronde ed by Anne Vetillard (1986)

Vallée des Rois ed by Christian Caroli (1987)

Des Cités ed by Didier Franque (1993) Antre du Dragon

A French-language historical fantasy RPG system, released as several games focusing on different time periods. "LÉgendes Celtique" was also released in English as "Celtic Legends". The original game has complex rules and focuses on very detailed historical/legendary background. "1001 Nights" also uses these rules. A simplified version of the rules ("Premières Légendes") was later released, which the later supplements use. The simplified version has 3 basic attributes, each of which has 3 sub-attributes. There are 8 Gifts, each of which govern a set of skills. Action resolution uses a d20. The official settings included "LÉgendes Celtique" (pre-Roman Celtic civilization); "LÉgendes de la Table Ronde" (Arthurian Britain); "LÉgendes Mille et Une Nuits" (based on 1001 Arabian Nights); and "LÉgendes de la Vallée des Rois" (ancient Egypt). There was also a third-party supplement for ancient Greece, "Légendes des Cités".

Legendmaker

1st ed by Howard I. Scott III (1998) Chaos Enterprises, Inc.

A traditional fantasy-genre RPG. It uses a percentile skill based system, also using Xd10 for damage and other rolls. Character creation is by random-roll attributes, and choice of race and class. Class (Fighter/ Thief/ Cleric/ Mage) determines your central skill -- increase in that skill brings you up a level which improves saving throws and hit points.

Legend of the Five Rings

1st ed by John Wick, D. Williams (1997) Alderac Entertainment Group

2nd ed by Ree Soesbee (2000) Alderac Entertainment Group Wizards of the Coast

3rd ed by Rich Wulf, Shawn Carman, Brian Yoon, Seth Mason, Fred Wan (2005) Alderac Entertainment Group

A medieval fantasy-genre RPG, set in the world of Rokugan where clans struggle for dominance. The names, appearance, and other features are Japanese-based, but there are also European influences. The "five rings" are the elements of Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void which group the basic attributes. It uses a dice pool system where you roll a number of d10s equal to attribute + skill, keep a number equal to attribute, and sum them. This is modified: rolls of ten add an extra roll, and in contests you throw out dice less than the opposing attribute. Character creation is skill-based, with a choice of 7 clans and 2 professions: bushi (warrior) or shugenja (mage).

The Legend of Yore

1st ed by Brennan Taylor (1997) Galileo Games

A fantasy-genre RPG, which allows PC's of giants, goblins, and trolls as well as elves, dwarves, and humans. It uses a simple skill-based percentile system: roll under (skill * 5) + attribute. Character creation has random-roll of race and attributes, followed by selecting a career (1 of 30) and picking skills from that career's list.

Legend Quest

1st ed by John Josten (1991) Board Enterprises

2nd ed (1994)

A generic fantasy genre RPG system, including rules for magic and "mentalism", but no background material. It uses a simple skill-based percentile system (roll under attribute*10 + Skill*5) for all tasks. Character creation, however, is point-bought and time-consuming.

Legends of Kralis

1st ed by Levi Davis (2005) Fantasy Makers Industries, LLC

A fantasy genre game with some science fiction elements, set on an original world ("Kralis"). There are fifteen races: Acires, Aelwyn, Ba-liyan, Centaur, Dwarves, Elves, Firbogs, Gnomes, Humans, Jakara, Kanus, Manax, Minotaurs, Sprites, and Trolls. The world is late Renaissance with the addition of magical war machines, airships, and related elements. It uses a percentile skill-based system (the "Talarius Gaming System"). Action resolution is roll under skill on d100 where successes (skill - roll / 10) must be greater than Target Successes. Character creation is limited point-based. Distribute 200 points plus racial modifiers among eight attributes: four Physical (Strength, Stamina, Agility and Perception) and four Mental (Intelligence, Wits, Willpower and Charisma).

Legends Walk!

1st ed by Tim Gray (2002) Silver Branch Games

An electronically-published superhero RPG set in a near-future world in the year 2020 where certain people have become empowered by creatures of popular myth. Each hero represents a single being from legend: a God like Thor or Athena; an Angel like Michael or Gabriel; a Hero like Hercules; or a Monster like Fenrir or a Spriggan. The setting is described, but the true reasons behind the event are left up to the group. It uses a dice-pool system, rolling a number of d6's based on skill + modifiers, where any result of 4-6 indicates a success. Character creation is limited-point based (spending points on Attributes, Skills, and Advantages) plus a selection of template, i.e. a pre-define mythic source which provides your powers. The core rulebook includes Greek, Norse, Celtic, and Angelic sources, plus there is a supplement for Aztec, Maya, Sumerian and Babylonian sources.

Lejendary Adventures

1st ed by Gary Gygax (1999) Hekaforge

A fantasy RPG, packaged in several volumes ("Lejendary Rules", "Lejend Master's Lore", and "Lejendary Earth"). It uses a fairly rules-lite percentile skill-based system. Character creation is point-bought attributes. Skills are picked and then ranked in order of importance -- the picks add to attributes, and then attributes and rank determine individual skill values. There are class-like packages ("Orders") which enhance your picks if you qualify.

Lemuria

1st ed by Anders Blixt, Krister Sundelin (2004) Rävspel

D20 Modern A Swedish-language action-oriented "dieselpunk" game, set on the lost continent of Lemuria in the 1930s. This is a sourcebook for use with the D20 Modern system, and is the first D20 game made in Swedish.

Little Fears

1st ed by Jason L. Blair, Greg Oliver (2001) Key 20 Publishing

An RPG of childhood terror, set in a world of bullies, curfews, tattle-tales, werewolves, vampires, and things much worse. The PC's are children below the age of 13, who have the gift of Innocence which monsters hunger for. Upon passing 13, they lose their Innocence and are safe from the monsters -- but they become blind to the terrors of their youth.

Live System: Modernised OGL System

1st ed by James Desborough (2004) Postmortem Studios

An electronically-published universal RPG system, intended to be a more free-flowing variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. Character creation replaces classes with packages of skills and feats.

Living Legends

1st ed by Jeff Dee, Jack Herman (1999) Unigames

A superhero RPG, a 3rd edition / revision of the classic Villians and Vigilantes.

Living Steel

1st ed by Barry Nakazono, David McKenzie (1987) Leading Edge

2nd ed (1988)

A sci-fi post-apocalyptic RPG, set on an alien world called Rhand in 2349. Alien "Spectrals" assaulted the corrupt human Imperium, and invaded the isolated tourist world of Rhand. The invasion craft was destroyed, but chaos reigns after the devastation. The PC's are human champions equipped with power armor called "Living Steel", dedicated to restoring civilization. The game focuses on realistic powered-armor combat, using a version of the system from Phoenix Command. The second edition featured a simplified version of the rules, which is still quite complex.

Lone Wolf the Roleplaying Game

1st ed by August Hahn (2004) Mongoose Publishing

A fantasy genre RPG, based on the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks and novels. The original gamebooks were co-authored by Paul Barnett (aka John Grant) and Joe Dever. The game is set in the kingdom of Sommerlund, grandest nation on the world of Magnamund. There, Kai monks with mystical powers defend the land against the Darklords of the west. The RPG is officially set some 50 years before the plot of the gamebooks (wherein all but one the Kai monks are killed in a war with the Darklords). It is a standalone RPG, while the rules are a variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D. Combat has been made faster by the elimination of Attacks of Opportunity and Feats, and there is special magic appropriate to the setting.

Long Live the King

1st ed by Mark Rein•Hagen, Stewart Wieck, Dale Cook, John Dashler (2006) White Wolf

A strategic live-action role-playing game for five or more players, which uses cards and three sets of points (Gold, Status, and Favor). It is set in a generic historical kingdom where the prince is dead, and a new heir must be chosen by the ailing king. There are eight named characters: the King, Queen, Royal Bastard, Archbishop, Steward, Ambassador, Baron, and Treasurer. Each has a card with stats provided for it. The game is played with formal rounds for diplomacy and council.

Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Steven S. Long, Christian Moore, John Rateliff, Matt Forbeck (2002) Decipher

A fantasy RPG based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. It uses a version of the "CODA" system (also used by Decipher's Star Trek RPG). Action resolution is by attribute + skill + 2d6 versus difficulty. Character creation uses random-roll attributes (with a point-bought option), and chosen skills -- taking 'picks' of skills from racial background and selecting an 'order' (i.e. warrior, wizard, rogue). There are also Edges and Flaws (advantages/disadvantages).

Lords of Creation

1st ed by Tom Moldvay (1984) Avalon Hill

A dimension-hopping game about characters rising to become masters of their own dimension.

Lore: Origins

1st ed by Troye W. Gerard, Bryan P. Donihue, Jeremy L. Huffman, Daniel E. Beatty (2001) Lore Roleplaying

A small press fantasy-genre RPG with the usual elements of elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. It is not yet released.

Lost Souls

1st ed by Kathleen Williams, Joe Williams (1991) Sage Lore Productions, Inc.

2nd ed (1992) Sage Lore Productions, Inc. Marquee Press

A supernatural RPG of playing ghosts trying to reincarnate, fighting evil ghosts and other creatures to improve their karma. It uses a variant of the system from Legendary Lives. The system is percentile-based, with degree of success indicated by a universal chart printed on the character sheet. There are five degrees of failure (from Catastrophic to Poor) and five degrees of success (from Passable to Awesome). Character creation has many random rolls, but the key selections are profession in life and lost soul type -- which may be either rolled or chosen. Creation begins with generating appearance, then profession, then how you died, and then the type of ghost you become (which determines your powers). There are 22 types of ghosts, including Bansee, Doppelganger, Haunt, Shade, and Spook. There are also 12 attributes, each of which has 4 associated skills. Ghosts have "will-to-live" points, which when you run out of you have a chance to reincarnate. Experience is via karma, which grants powers as well as improving your luck in reincarnation.

'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' Role-Playing Game Book

1st ed by Greg Farshtey (1997) Putnam Publishing Group

This is a card-based RPG for young children (ages 7 and up). The book contains three interactive adventures, which use 24 punch-out cards. Some cards portray characters from the film, while others contain facts about dinosaurs or the Jurassic era. Each character has four attributes (agility, strength, perception, and mind) which are used with a d6 roll to determine action resolution.

Luftwaffe 1946 Role Playing Game

1st ed by Jonathan M. Thompson (2003) Battlefield Press

An RPG set in alternate-history Europe of 1946, based on Ted Nomura's comic book series of the same name. It uses a variant of the Action! System.

Machineguns and Magic

1st ed by William L. McCord, Jr. (1992) M.G. Games

2nd ed (1994)

A fantasy RPG about modern-day soldiers stranded in a medieval fantasy world by some spacewarp. It includes an original magic system with 30 spells, where spellcasters can cast as many spells as they like until they fail a roll. The 1st edition has a paper cover, while the 2nd edition has the usual softcover and better art.

Macho Women With Guns

1st ed by Greg Porter (1988) self-published

3rd ed (1994) BTRC

4th ed by James Desborough (2003) Mongoose Publishing

A hilarious parody RPG which features the battle of "macho women with guns" against over-the-top post-apocalyptic strangeness. The background is that in the nineties, the world began to collapse due to "male chauvinist leadership". The fabric of society collapsed, the states and nations crumbled, and Hell itself vomited forth a plague of lawyers and tax collectors to ravage the land. The 3rd edition incorporates two sequels to the original: "Renegade Nuns on Wheels", and "Bat-Winged Bimbos from Hell". It uses a simple system of roll under skill on 3d6, with a hex-based combat system. It has point-based character creation, including ads/disads like "Look good in armor" and "Top-Heavy". The 4th edition was completely rewritten by a different author, and uses the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D.

Mach: The First Colony

1st ed by Michael Lange (1983) Alliance Publications Ltd.

A science fantasy RPG, in a universe where humankind in the 1980's is "rescued" from a pending supernova and deposited on an alien planet, which they share with 3 other refugee races. They are then left to fend for themselves with weapons smuggled in. The game takes place after 200 years of war and technical atrophy. PC's can be of one of the refugee races, native Machs or a very non-humanoid alien race who made it to Mach on their own with unknown intent. It uses a skill-based system, with attributes and races similar to AD&D. Experience is based on adventuring, practice, or study. Reviewed in "The Space Gamer" #69.

Maelstrom: The Turbulent Role-playing Game of Thieves, Rogues, Magick, and Mayhem

1st ed by Alexander Scott (1984) Puffin Books

1st ed (2008) Arion Games

A historical RPG about life in 16th century England, in pocket book format (in a line of "Adventure Books", ISBN 0-14-031811-9). The system uses percentile rolls as well as d6's. It has limited point-bought character creation, with packages for chosen profession. The 10 attributes each has a base of 30, you could distribute 50 points among them plus bonuses from your profession package. Witchcraft was handled as semi-freeform Willpower roll vs difficulty, with an extensive chapter on herbs. The second edition was published electronically via RPGNow.

Maelstrom Storytelling

1st ed by Christian Aldridge, Seth Lindberg (1998) Hubris

A fantasy RPG of pseudo-science, Leonardan magic and gunpowder set in a different reality which constantly shifts as a magical storm passes over it. The system (" Story Engine") is a cinematic dice pool system which has no numerical stats. Instead, the size of the pool depends on the number of textual "descriptors" (like "strong") the character has that apply. Success is determined by the number of odd numbers rolls ("Odds") vs the difficulty.

Mage: The Ascension

1st ed by Stewart Wieck (1993) White Wolf

2nd ed (1995)

A modern-day game of secret magic, where magicians from nine rebellious traditions struggle against the Technocracy -- a group of magicians who are trying to control all magic within reality, enforcing the limits of mundane science for everyone except themselves. It uses a variant of the "Storyteller" system originally used in Vampire: The Masquerade. It has a magic system with effects in several broad spheres, where due to the Technocracy, magic is made more dangerous if the effects visibly break physical laws -- but are allowed if there is a plausible mundane explanation.

Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade

1st ed by Phil Brucato et al. (1998) White Wolf

A companion RPG to Mage: The Ascension set in 1430 to 1550, prior to the founding of the Technocracy. The rules are similar, but the magic system is significantly altered to reflect the different mystic laws (i.e. "Paradox" is changed). In this time period, the "Daedalans" (predecessors of the Technocracy) are innovators who seek to change the old ways, with strong religious beliefs.

Magic Frontiers Explorer Edition

1st ed by Wyant (1999) Event Horizon Productions

A science fantasy genre RPG with no setting per se but provides support for both magic and advanced technology side-by-side. Character creation uses random-roll attributes, but assumes each character is from a unique race. Race is created by a number of selections of abilities and templates. Skills are based on character class. There are also rules for magic in three varieties (Arcana, Elementa, and Mindra) as well as robots and cyborgs and special powers.

Maid RPG

1st ed by Ryo Kamiya (2004) Sunset Games

"which you love" ed (2005) Sunset Games

1st English ed by Ryo Kamiya, Ewen Cluney (2008) Kuroneko Designs

A humorous Japanese-language RPG about women cleaning the house of a master where wacky events occur. There is no physical combat system, but there is a conflict system where the loser accumulates Stress points. When a maid has greater Stress than her Spirit rating, she has a Stress Explosion. Maids also gain points of Favor from the master, which can be used to boost rolls, reduce Stress, to raise attributes, or invoke random events. There are three charts of random events for Outer Space, Modern, and Fantasy -- including many game-changing events. There are two supplements: Koi Suru Maid RPG and Yume Miru Maid RPG. Koi Soru Maid RPG has an introduction and errata, rules for playing a head maid or butler, rules for generating a master, tables for designing a mansion, rules for "romance and enticement," comforting (to reduce someone else's Stress), costume changes (a table of 36 alternate costumes, each with a Favor cost and special rules), items (in a D666 table of 216 of them!), and a total of 13 different random event tables. Yume Miru Maid RPG is mostly a scenario collection, but it also has rules for complexes and apprentices, tables for two new settings (Old West and Old Edo), a second table of costume changes (including plugsuits, Gundam uniforms, and hero suits), and a weather table.

Manhunter

1st ed by Ramon P. Moore (1987) Kingslayer Publications

2nd ed (1993) Myrmidon

A sci-fi adventure RPG in a multi-species interstellar federation (the Aglio-Terran Planetary Defense System). It uses a complex system: skills are percentile rolls under rating, combat is (attack stat+d20) vs (defense stat+d20), with table-driven damage. Character creation is random-roll attributes and point-bought skills.

Man, Myth, and Magic

1st ed by Herbie Brennan (1982) Yaquinto

A mythic fantasy RPG ostensibly drawing from 4000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. Earth legends. The game mixes many elements from this wide period. Character nationality and class are determined randomly, so a party might have an African witch-docter, a Greek sybil, and an Oriental shaman. It uses a class-based percentile system, where you roll and add stat to beat 100. The basic game includes a starting adventure set in a gladiator school.

Manual of the Eternal Sages

1st ed by Scott J. Compton (1993) self-published

A small-press fantasy RPG, published as a spiral-bound book of photocopies. It uses a percentile system, with a complex tree structure of attributes.

Marauder 2107

1st ed by Christina Laird, Delbert Laird (1994) Maelstrom Hobby

A post-nuclear-apocalypse anime-genre sci-fi RPG, set in a chaotic Japan filled with Nomads, Newlords, a great Citystate and Breeders (humans mutated into creatures resembling both demons and conventional fantasy monsters).

Mars: A Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance

1st ed by Gareth-Michael Skarka (2007) Adamant Entertainment

A retro science fantasy RPG based on the Barsoom stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs and other early sci-fi authors. It uses a variant of the D20 System as found in D20 Modern.

Marvel Superheroes

1st ed by Jeff Grubb, Steve Winter (1984) TSR

2nd ed (1988)

The first superhero RPG liscensed from Marvel comics. This used a simple system based on a universal table and attributes rated in broad worded categories (from "Typical" to "Unearthly"). Zan's superhero rules page has the complete original rules available online.

Marvel Superheroes Adventure Game

1st ed by Mike Selinker, Michele Carter, Bill Olmesdahl, Steven Schend, Steven Brown (1998) TSR

A superhero RPG on the same subject, but an unrelated system (the "SAGA" system). The system uses a special 96-card deck rather than dice. Each player has a hand of cards, and actions are resolved by attribute+(card) vs difficulty. Wounds reduce the size of your hand (so the number of cards you hold is also your hit points).

Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Dan Gelber, Jeffrey Simons, Evan Jones (2003) Marvel Publishing Group

A superhero RPG set in the universe of Marvel Comics, unrelated to the two earlier RPGs published by TSR. It uses a diceless system, where players spend "stones" of effort out of a pool. Action resolution is by stat plus stones of effort vs difficulty. Character creation is point-based.

MasterBook

1st ed by Ed Stark, Bill Smith (1994) West End Games

A generic RPG system, packaged with various worldbooks but not as a standalone product. The system is a variant of the Torg system, using 2d10 instead of 1d20 on the bonus chart and a modified drama deck. Worldbooks include Indiana Jones (1994) Bloodshadows (1994), Tank Girl (1995), Necroscope (1995), Tales from the Crypt (1996), Species (1995), and Aden (1995).

Masters of the Universe

1st ed by L. Ross Babcock, Jack C. Harris (1985) FASA

A fantasy RPG/boardgame presented in comic book format, based on the animated children's TV series. It uses pre-generated characters ("He-man", "Teela", etc.) only.

Mean Streets

1st ed by Mark Bruno, Todd Downing (2002) Deep7

A film noir RPG, using the "XPG" rules system published in electronic PDF format. It is a very simple system designed to immediately jump into play. The default setting is New York City in the 1940's, during WWII. The basic game includes a sample adventure, "A Tangled Web".

Mecha Aces

1st ed by Anthony Ford (2005) ComStar Media, LLC

A mecha anime RPG built using a variant of the Fudge system. It includes rules for mecha treated as characters on a different scale from human characters.

Mechanical Dream

1st ed by Benjamin Paquette, Francis Larose (2002) SteamLogic Editions, Ltd

An "industrial fantasy" RPG, set on Kainaas, a circle of light nearly 30,000 miles in diameter surrounded by a mysterious black wall. There is a mix of modern technology for the elite, while in slums and far-flung villages life is still in the medieval stage. It uses a dice pool system where attribute determines the type of die rolled (d4,d6,...) and skill determines the number of dice. The highest roll is the result. Character creation is open point-based.

The Mechanoid Invasion

1st ed by Kevin Siembieda (1981) Palladium Books

2nd ed (1985)

A sci-fi game about invasion by evil aliens with robotic bodies. This introduced the basic Palladium RPG system, later used by Palladium Fantasy and a number of other games. It uses random-roll attributes and class-based character creation, with advancement based on levels. Action resolution is by d20 (combat and saving throws) or d100 (skills), similar to AD&D.

Mechwarrior

1st ed by L. Ross Babcock, Jordan Weisman, Walter H. Hunt, Evan Jamieson, William Keith, Patrick Larkin, Richard K. Meyer, Kevin Stein (1986) FASA

2nd ed by Brian Nystul, Lester W. Smith (1991)

3rd ed by Brian Nystul (1999)

"Classic Battletech RPG" ed (2004) FanPro

A sci-fi RPG in the world of the Battletech boardgame, set in a 31st century where constant wars are fought by giant robots ("mechs"). The 1st and 2nd editions focuses on PC's as pilots and crew of battlemechs, while the 3rd edition expands the scope. The 2nd edition system uses 2d6, roll over target number (based on attribute) minus skill. The 3rd ed system uses 2d10 + skill vs difficulty. Character creation is by a life path, choosing skills and rolling for random events for different stages. The 3rd edition was later reprinted by FanPro as the "Classic BattleTech RPG", since the title "MechWarrior" was used for a related collectible miniatures game.

MEGA Role-Playing System

1st ed by Allon, Brakas (1987) Mega Games

An heroic fantasy RPG, English-language published in Norway. It uses a complex system with numerous tables. Players are required to write up a character background, and the GM then assigns skill development levels based on the background. It had a single adventure module: "Ogre Forest".

Meks 'n' Mekanoids

1st ed by Denton R. Elliot (1987) Doc's Games

A sci-fi mini-RPG from the publisher of Dinky Dungeons, published in a 3''x5'' ziplock bag(!). There were three supplements, all written by Stu Wagner: "Beasts 'n' Bots" (animal forms for robots), "Weapons Wastebucket" (new weapons and other features), and "Chaotic Combiners" (mega-robots formed from smaller robots).

Mekton

1st ed by Mike Pondsmith (1985) R Talsorian

Mekton II ed (1987)

Mekton Zeta ed by Mike Pondsmith, Mike MacDonald, Benjamin Wright (1995)

A far future sci-fi RPG, in the Japanese anime giant mecha genre. It includes a brief mecha-genre far-future setting (Algol) and GM notes on running anime adventures, but the dominant part is treatment of the mechs themselves. The first edition was predated by a earlier Mekton game in 1984 which was not really role-playing. Editions "II" and "Zeta" use a variant of the "Interlock" system, which is skill based with actions resolved by attribute+skill+d10 vs difficulty. Character creation is limited point-based, with a random number of points (distribute 10d10 points to attributes, skill points determined by your "Education" attribute). Various random-roll "life path" tables add background color to the character.

Melanda: Land of Mystery

1st ed by Lee McCormick, John Corradin (1980) Wilmark Dynasty

2nd ed (1981)

A fantasy genre RPG set in an original fantasy world. The character creation system has attributes determined by the character's childhood studies. The magic system has spells which are cast by combining runes, each of which has a different purpose: nouns, prepositions, and adjectives. The fewer number of words used, the better chance of success but the more general the effect. The more words used, the more precise the effect, but the less chance of success. It has a few supplements (including an adventure module) made before it went out of print.

Men in Black

1st ed by George Strayton, Nikola Vrtis (1997) West End Games

A humorous alien-conspiracy RPG based on the movie. The game background and source material concentrates on silliness and slapstick elements. It uses the "D6" system from the Star Wars game. It adds "Cue Cards", given to each player with an action or line of dialogue written on them. If the PC can do or say what's on the card in the context of the adventure, they get a bonus.

Merc

1st ed by Paul D. Baader, Walter Mark, Lawrence Sangee (1981) FGU

A military action RPG.

Merc: 2000

1st ed by Loren Wiseman (1990) GDW

Not a standalone RPG, but rather an alternative campaign supplement for Twilight: 2000, featuring a world where the big ugly nuclear war never came, but brushfire wars, rebellions and other minor conflicts are fought all over the world, thus offering plentiful employment for PCs.

Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes

1st ed by Michael A. Stackpole (1983) Blade (a division of Flying Buffalo)

A generic modern-day mystery and espionage game. Uses a simple skill system with level-based advancement. Action resolution by attribute plus skill plus 2d6 (re-rolling doubles open-endedly) vs difficulty.

The Metabarons Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Peter Schweighofer (2001) West End Games

A space opera RPG based on the French series of graphic novels written by Alexandro (El Topo) Jodorowsky and illustrated by Juan Gimenez. The series is a galaxy-spanning space opera focused on a clan of powerful warriors. The RPG uses the "D6Legend" variant of the D6 System. It uses special six-sided dice where 3-6 is a success. You roll dice equal to your stat, count the number of successes, and compare to the difficulty.

Metalface

1st ed by R. Wallace Garner (2001) Eternal Tempest

A scifi RPG set on a far-future Earth where people are able to transfer their souls into robotic bodies known as 'metalfaces.' Past wars have ravaged the planet and reduced the population, and free-enterprise now rises and battles for control of the solar system. The game uses a six-sided dice system and a free version of the rules can be downloaded in Adobe PDF format.

Metamorphosis Alpha: Fantastic Role-Playing Game

1st ed by James Ward, Brian Blume (1976) TSR

A sci-fi game set on a 30-mile long generation starship ("The Warden") gone awry. A radiation storm causes mutations to occur to its occupants creating outlandish mutated humans and animals. The concept was wandering around the interior encountering strange creatures in a dungeon-like way -- including many concepts that would later surface in Gamma World. In 90's, a universebook for this setting was made for the Amazing Engine system.

MetaScape

1st ed by Blake Mobley, David Webb, Anthony Pryor (1993) The Game Lords, Ltd.

A space opera RPG. Its background is the "GuildSpace" setting, which mixes far-future technology with medieval elements of sorcery, psionics, swordplay, knighthood, and evil supernatural villains. There are six character races, none of which is strictly human. Each has focuses in one special ability: psionics, the Sorce, psychosomatics, high-tech powered armor, bioware, and cybernetics. The base mechanic uses a "doubling die" which open-ends on a 16.

M-Force: Monster Hunting in the 21st Century

1st ed by Leighton Connor (2002) Hex

A modern-day monster-hunting RPG, set in an alternate Earth where horrific monsters have been around throughout history. The PCs are agents for a modern-day monster-hunting organization called M-Force, founded as a non-profit organization in 1952. The rules are based on Hex Games' QAGS system, adding character design rules, and skills. There are three attributes (Body, Brain, and Nerve) along with three traits (Job, Gimmick, and Weakness): all rated 1-10. Action resolution is to roll under attribute + skill on 1d20, while contests require rolling higher than your opponent's 1d20 roll but still under attribute + skill. It also includes a hero point mechanic (called "Yum-Yums").

Mhâr Fantasy RPG

1st ed by Greg Older (2008) Fool's Moon Entertainment

A fantasy genre RPG based around an original setting, the Kingdom of Anæland. It uses a straightforward system that handles resolution by rolling under skill plus modifiers on 1d20. Character creation is a point-buy system, including the option of flaws for additional points. Seven races are available: human, dwarf, gnome, halfling, goblin, Hood (fox-people) and Nicila (cat-people). Several pre-built character archetypes are provided. It includes a magic system, divided into faith (used by priests) and magic (used by wizards, alchemists, and spellweavers). Faith is more reliable but more structured, where each faith has a few rituals that are unique to it. Magic is more flexible but more dangerous.

Middle Earth Role Playing

1st ed by S. Coleman Charlton (1984) Iron Crown Enterprises

2nd ed (1993)

A game set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy series. The adventures are set prior to the trilogy, around the year 1640 of the Third Age. This is before Sauron had re-established himself at Dol Guldur in Mirkwood and the Dwarves had awakened the Balrog in Moria. It uses a simplified version of the Rolemaster mechanics: open-ended percentile die rolls, resolved on extensive tables.

Midian Dark Fantasy Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Golgotha Kinslayer (2003) Lost Souls Publishing

A dark fantasy genre RPG, where the PCs include humans, dwarves, elves, trolls, and gaijin (a sort of barbaric human). It uses a skill-based system, with optional classes purchased with skill points. Character creation is a mix of random-roll and point-based, including ads and disads. Action resolution uses 1d20.

Midnight at the Well of Souls

1st ed by Timothy R. Green (1985) TAG Industries

A sci-fi RPG based on the eponym Jack L. Chalker's novel series. It features 150 character races and a partial map of "Well World".

Midway City

1st ed by Eddy Webb (2005) Spectrum Game Studios Z-Man Games

An RPG set in a far future on a space colony 50 miles diameter where the dictator mandated that everyone live in what he calls "the Golden Age of humanity" -- meaning pre-World War II America. The dress, speech and technology are strictly regulated by the government to conform to this. This has been the status quo for roughly 120 years, and most people just accept what is going on and lead their normal lives out. Besides normal humans there are aliens (the Kyrhee), rare psychic half-breed aliens (known as "Gazers"), androids (known as "Blanks"), and mutants (known as "Flips"). Further, wounded people are sometimes given cyberware replacements. It uses a variant of the rules from Cartoon Action Hour. Character creation features an open-ended system for designing special abilities including steelware, flips, and psychic powers. Action resolution uses stat + 2d6 vs difficulty.

Millenium's End

1st ed by Charles Ryan (1992) Chameleon Eclectic

2nd ed (1993)

A techno-thriller RPG, in the style of novels by Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy. It uses a percentile skill-based system. The damage system uses a transparent overlay on silhouette figures for hit location, and a table which includes determines blood loss and stun from location, damage type, and amount.

M.I.S.S.I.O.N.

1st ed by Ernest T. Hams (1982) Kabal Gaming Systems

A modern espionage RPG, using a complex system and including detailed floorplans. It includes a secret base design system where the GM spends a fixed budget of money on guard dogs, steel doors, laser eyes, guards, etc. The PC's then attempt to break into the installation and get to the protected secret. The basic game includes seven 17.5" x 23" full-color maps and four 15.5" x 23" building interiors.

Mob Justice

1st ed by Malcom Craig (2006) Contested Ground Studios

A game of modern crime, set amidst mafia violence in America during the time of Prohibition (the 1920s). It uses a playing-card based system where you assemble poker hands after drawing a number of cards based on skill. In addition, each player has "story chips" which can be used to manipulate the scene and bet on success. Character creation is limited point-based. Two key stats, Reputation and Stature, are chosen freely. There is also a Loyalty rating and a Code which has both a numerical rating and a description (such as "All of the crew on my jobs come back alive"). There are also broad skills bought using points.

Modern 20

1st ed by Charles Rice (2008) RPG Objects

An electronically-published standalone system based on D20 Modern. The variant aims to make the base system smoother and faster-playing. It replaces the Basic, Advanced and Prestige Classes with six Core Classes. The skill list has been changed, along with new rules for backgrounds, occupations, and hobbies. Wealth is used, but is not used to roll wealth checks. Critical hits are replaced by a hit location system that modifies damage.

Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot: the Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Chad Underkoffler (2004) Atomic Sock Monkey Press

A tongue-in-cheek RPG based on a board game where cartoon-like characters try to foil the plots of cow-napping aliens, gain Mojo, and lay their hands on the all-powerful sweet, sweet Uranium! Mojo is the peculiar power of being cool and funkily awesome, and is used to be cool, and gained by being cool -- as well as by eating uranium (naturally). The game uses a variant of the Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) system introduced in Dead Inside. Character creation is by choosing race, a Goal, 2 to 4 freeform keywords which give bonuses, and a weakness. Action resolution is by 2d6 + bonus vs difficulty.

Monster Horrorshow

1st ed by J.H. Brennan (1987) Armada

A humorous horror RPG, written by the British author of the GrailQuest and DemonSpawn fantasy adventure books. The GM is called the "WereWizard", and must qualify for the position by passing through a solo adventure entitled the "Labyrinth of Squat". The book includes a simple system, monster cards, and the adventure.

Monster Island: The Game of Giant Monster Combat

1st ed by Bruce Harlick, Patrick Sweeney (2002) Firefly Games

A miniatures/role-playing game of giant monster combat.

Monsters and Other Childish Things

1st ed by Benjamin Baugh (2007) Arc Dream Publishing

A horror RPG about kids who each have a monster that does things for them. It uses a simplified variant of the One-Roll Engine rules found in Wild Talents and Godlike. As in other games, the d10 dice pool is used to resolve conflicts, looking for number of matching faces. Character creation is limited point-based. There are five attributes (Feet, Wits, Hands, Guts, and Attention) and related skills. Character also have rated relationships, which could be to parents, friends, or even stuffed animals. Lastly, they create their monster according to another limited point system.

Monsters & Slayers

1st ed by Clifford Raymond Fagan (1991) Atlantis Enterprises

An RPG set in a mythic version of the British Isles in 527 A.D. (with faeries and monsters). It uses a d6 based system: roll 3d6 under attribute, or roll 2d6 under 8+mods for combat. Characters have 7 attributes (Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Intelligence, Luck, Persuasiveness, and Attractiveness).

Monsters! Monsters!

1st ed by Ken St. Andre (1976) Flying Buffalo

A fantasy RPG spin-off from Tunnels and Trolls. This is a traditional fantasy game reversed with players play the monsters fighting human heroes.

Monte Cook's World of Darkness

1st ed by Monte Cook, Luke Johnson, Sean K. Reynolds (2007) White Wolf

A modern dark fantasy/horror RPG, a variation of the World of Darkness setting where extra-dimensional horrors known as the Inconnu opened a gate hundreds of miles wide in the central United States. Now one year later, the U.S. has collapsed into dealing with its internal problems, and horrors stalk the fringes. The Inconnu create vampires, werewolves, and demons -- while there are also mages and the Awakened (extraordinary humans). It uses a rules variant based on the D20 system, where character type (such as vampire or werewolf) functions as both a race and a class.

Moros Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Jurjen Stellingwerff (2006) self-published

A fantasy genre RPG using a simple dice pool system. It is set in a medieval world, where mystical powers can be obtained easily but has side effects and is often illegal. The book is self-published via print-on-demand service Lulu.com. An earlier free version is available on a Geocities site.

Morpheus

1st ed by Devin Durham (1990) Rapport Games Crunchy Frog

A virtual reality RPG set in the near-future, where PC's are players in Morpheus Mind Park virtual reality games. Characters have 4 attributes (Imagination, Confidence, Ego, and Reputation), 3 skills (Reality Control, Accuracy, and Defense), and various virutal "powers" (which include more regular skills). You have a pool of dream points, which can be used to buy new powers - even in mid-play. It uses a percentile resolution system, which is slightly math-heavy (i.e. damage = (100% + (Attack - Defense) * 10%) * Xd10).

The Morrow Project

1st ed by Kevin Dockery, Robert Sadler, Richard Tucholka (1980) Timeline, Inc.

2nd ed (1980)

3rd ed (1983) Timeline, Inc. Abacus Dimensions

A realistic post-apocalyptic RPG. The PC's are agents deliberately frozen to rebuild the world after nuclear war, as part of a private project by Bruce Edward Morrow (aka "The Morrow Project"). However, something went wrong with the project mechanisms, and the PC's wake up alone 150 years after World War III. This game has a lot of attention paid to detail and hardware, reflecting the survivalist genre. The system is combat-focused, with other issues covered only after the 3rd edition. cf. the Morrow Project home.

Mortal Coil

1st ed by Brennan Taylor (2006) Galileo Games

A modern fantasy role-playing game inspired by Miyazaki's film "Spirited Away" and Neil Gaiman's comic "Sandman". It allows a range of fantasy backgrounds. It has a diceless mechanical system, where players spend from four pools of tokens: Action, Passion, Power, and Magic. Characters have four attributes (calls "Faculties") named Power, Grace, Wits, and Will; as well as player-defined aptitudes like "Barfly". The mechanics work by bidding tokens on conflicts.

Mortal Combat

1st ed by David John Morris, Steve Foster, Andrew Murdin (1979) Waynflett House Ltd (UK)

A generic "historical or fantasy" RPG rules system (softcover booklet, 64 pages). Nine attributes: Strength, Constitution, Manual Dexterity, Agility, Speed, Looks, Intelligence, Learning and (magical) Talent. Advancement is level-based. Magic works with spell points and success chance for spells, organised in 8 spell levels, around specialties : Alchemy, Antiquities & Languages, Demonology and Artificery.

The Mountain Witch

1st ed by Timothy Kleinert (2005) Timfire Publishing

A role-playing game with a built-in adventure: a group of ronin samurai are hired to assault and kill O-Yanma, the dreaded Mountain Witch of Mount Fuji. It uses a simple resolution system, with player-created Fates for their characters and a system of Trust which focuses play on trust and betrayals among the PCs.

MSF High RPG

1st ed by Joseph Fanning (2007) self-published

A humorous anime-inspired RPG set in MSF Highschool, a training ground for teenage superheroes, including both alien and magical races. The book is self-published via print-on-demand service Lulu.com.

MuggerHunt

1st ed by Kevin Dockery (1983) Firebird, Ltd.

A light-hearted solitaire game -- not really an RPG -- about unting down muggers in urban "game preserves". The only "attribute" of hunters/muggers is what they are armed with.

Multiverser

1st ed by E.R. Jones, M. Joseph Young (1997) Valdron Inc.

2nd ed (2000)

A dimension-hopping RPG where players play themselves with the discovery that they reincarnate in a new universe / scenario upon death (via personal energy known as "scriff"). The skills are divided into "biases": Technology / Psionics / Magic / Body. These are also the categories of rating dimensions (i.e. some universes are high-magic, low-technology).

Munchkin RPG

1st ed by Andrew Hackard, Steve Jackson (2003) Steve Jackson Games

A humorous parody of D&D and other fantasy RPGs based on the card game "Munchkin" card game. It uses the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D. Complete rules are not provided: basic rules for character creation, combat, and other systems refer to the D&D Players Handbook.

Murphy's World

1st ed by Kevin Davies, David Brown (1995) Peregrine

A humorous RPG about the world where the junk of many universes collects, intended particularly for characters from other game universes to drop in for light-hearted adventures.

Mutant Chronicles

1st [Swedish] ed by Magnus Seter, Henrik Strandberg, Nils Gulliksson, Michael Stenmark, Jerker Sojdelius, Stefan Thulin, Fredrik Malmberg (1993) Target Games

1st [English] ed by Matt Forbeck, Paul Beakley (1993) Target Games Heartbreaker Games

2nd ed (1996)

A techno-fantasy RPG and miniatures system from Sweden. It is set in a distant future where Earth has been destroyed, and the solar system is colonized by soulless megacorps. A discovery on Pluto unleashes "The Darkness", which makes computers go crazy and throws the solar system into chaos. The fanatical "Brotherhood" arose to resist the taint of "Dark Symmetry" in an Inquisition-like manner -- later leading the crusade when a tenth planet was found, unleashing a horde of "Necromutants" which nearly wiped out humanity.

Mutant City Blues

1st ed by Robin D. Laws (2008) Pelgrane Press

A near-future police RPG set in a future where ten years ago, 1% of the population gained mutant powers such as flight, telepathy, and energy bolts. The PCs are members of the police Heightened Crime Investigation Unit that investigates crimes in the mutant community. It uses a version of the "GUMSHOE" system that first appeared in The Esoterrorists. It uses diceless point-spending to resolve investigative skills, and die rolls modified by points for core skills. Character creation

Mutants & Masterminds

1st ed by Steve Kenson (2002) Green Ronin Publishing

A generic superhero RPG. The rules are a standalone system based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D. It includes a point-based character creation system and an assortment of feats, super-feats, and powers. The basic rulebook includes 12 "ready to play" hero templates, aloing with sample villians and an introductory adventure. The damage system is streamlined to require only a d20. Damage is handled by a saving throw against the damage value. Failing accumulates "hits" which incur penalties, while failing the save by 5 or more can stun or knock unconcious an opponent.

Mutazoids

1st ed by Ken Whitman (1989) Whit Productions

2nd ed (1991)

A post-apocalyptic RPG, set in the year 2073, sixty years after the world was swept by the accidental release of the man-made plague virus. The government is the "Second Republic", which suppresses the mutant majority, with political and racial overtones. The PC's are "Enforcers" who hunt the dangerous mutants ("mutazoids"). The system uses 2d6 roll vs stat on a universal table. Character creation is by random-roll attributes, and semi-random lifepath approach for skills.

My Life With Master

1st ed by Paul Czege (2003) Half-Meme Press

A horror RPG where the PCs are all deformed minions of an evil, demented genius -- in the vein of Igor or Quasimodo. It uses a set of strict rules on the dramatic progression of the story, which depends on the stats and rolls made. Each minion character has two descriptive traits: "More than Human" and "Less than Human". There are also three numeric traits: Self-Loathing, Weariness, and Love (though Love always starts at zero).

Mystic Forces

1st ed (2000) Positive Roleplaying

A fantasy RPG, set on an original world ("Oryathar"). The PC's are "Shinkai" who have been granted mystic powers by the Light to battle the Shadow which threatens the world. There are five races: the telepathic Brightlings, the stout and durable Grak, the agile and long-armed Loremek, the cat-eyed Valkin, and the giant and stone-skinned Warlum.

Mythic Role Playing

1st ed by Tom Pigeon (2003) Word Mill Publishing

An universal improvisational game, which has rules for spontaneously generating adventures. It uses parameters determined at the start, combined with randomly determined answers to yes/no questions. It is designed to be playable as a standalone RPG or also as a supplement for GM-less play using other RPG rules.

Mythic Russia: heroism and adventure in the land of the Firebird

1st ed by Mark Galeotti (2006) Firebird Productions

A standalone fantasy RPG, using the HeroQuest engine in the setting of the ancient Russia of history, legend and folktale. The setting is a cinematic one where the PCs are rare magical heroes. All magic is based on theism in HeroQuest, with a single Otherworld common to both pagan and Christian worship. Religion is a pastiche of paganism and Christianity. For example, one character might worship Volos the cattle god, and argue with his brother, who insists on calling him Saint Vlasii -- while both agreeing on many details. The game includes extensive notes on the body of myth and folklore including many villains and heroes, as well as maps, an introductory scenario, and many adventure seeds.

Mythworld: Realistic Fantasy

1st ed by Paul Cardwell, Jr. (1986) Hippogriff Publications

A generic fantasy RPG aimed mainly at playing in times of myth -- primarily late bronze age to early iron age. It uses a detailed rule system. The original was published as a boxed set with six books (Rules, Bestiary, Outfitter, Skills, Spells, and Robber's Cave), along with five 4-page character sheets and three dice (d6, d8, d20).

Narnia - Das Rollenspiel

1st ed by Ulrich Drees, Oliver Plaschka (2008) Brendow Verlag

A German-language fantasy role-playing game set in the world of Narnia, based on the book series by C.S. Lewis. It uses a simple though not minimal set of rules aimed at beginners.

The Nearside Project

1st ed by Stephen Herron, Tom Bisbee, Barry O'Connor (1996) Nearside Games

A sci-fi RPG of parallel earths, set among 13 parallel dimensions of the modern world caused by unknown forces. The "variants" (as the dimensions are called) are traveled by people known as "Nearsiders", who have a neural anomaly allowing them to find and penetrate the doorways between variants.

Nebuleon SF RPG

1st ed by William Corrie III (2004) HinterWelt Enterprises

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG with a percentile skill-based system (the "Iridium System"). It is set in the RFW (Republic of Free Words) which establishes regular diplomatic ties, encourages trade, keeps shipping lanes open, protects traders, and maintains peace. Alongside it, the Andromedaen Council of Guilds, the Grou-Lynn Empire, and the Kolkesh Empire seek to strengthen the galaxy from the threat of the Jiran Theocracy. Character creation is random-roll attributes (best of 3d20), followed by choosing a class which influences skills.

Neighborhood

1st ed (1982) Wheaton Publications

An RPG where the PC's are kids role-playing fairly normal childhood adventures.

Nemesis: A Perfect World

1st ed by Malcolm Harris (2001) Maximum CNG

A post-apocalyptic superhero RPG, set in the modern world after a supernatural disaster (the "Nemesis event") which gave certain people supernatural powers. It uses a skill-based system. Action resolution uses 2d6. Character creation is either an original character, or creating a version of yourself with powers. There are six templates for superpowers.

Nephandum

1st ed by Massimo Bianchini, Mario Pasqualotto (2005) Asterion Press

1st [English] ed by Massimo Bianchini, Mario Pasqualotto (2007) Mongoose Publishing

An Italian-language dark fantasy / horror RPG, using the D20 system, later translated into English and released by Mongoose Publishing. Set in a fantasy world where five dark cosmic entities rule over five different aspects of fear: Disease, Madness, Blood, Darkness and Savagery.

Nephilim

1st [French] ed by Fabrice Lamidey, Frederic Weil (1991) Multisim

2nd [French] ed (1992)

1st [English] ed by Fabrice Lamidey, Sam Shirley, Greg Stafford, Frederic Weil (1994) Chaosium

An occult RPG where characters are immortal creatures that awaken in human form. First edition was French-language, later translated into English.

NeverWorld

1st ed by Erin Laughlin (1996) ForEverWorld

A fantasy-genre system, focusing on a variety of fantasy races and cultures. The world is one where the various races are closed off from each other, casting the PCs as explorers. It uses a skill-based system with complex character generation.

Nexus: Live Action Roleplaying

1st ed by Rick Dutton, Walter O. Freitag (1994) Chaosium

A live-action RPG game/scenario intended for 44 players and 5 referees. The scenarios is about aliens who manage to land their meeting right in the middle of a sci-fi convention, and accidentally mistake the con-goers for their comrades. The book comes complete with characters, handouts, and a brief rules set.

Nexus: The Infinite City

1st ed by Robin D. Laws, Jose Garcia (1990) Daedalus Games

An interdimensional action game, set in a city which extends across dimensions and constantly changes its geography and connections. It uses a precursor to the system in Feng Shui, with stat+1d6-1d6 resolution and a point-bought character creation system.

Nightbane

1st ed by C.J. Carella (1995) Palladium Books

A modern horror game about supernatural shape-changers who can appear human, but are really creatures from another dimension (the "Nightlands"). PCs are "Nightbane" who fight to protect humanity from the "Nightlords" who are poised to take over the world, with human sorcerors and vampires somewhere in the mix. The system is a variant of the Palladium Fantasy RPG system. It was formerly known as "Nightspawn" but the name was changed for legal reasons.

NightLife

1st ed by Bradley K. McDevitt et al. (1990) Stellar Games

2nd ed (1991)

3rd ed (1992)

A modern-day horror game where the characters are various monsters: vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc.

Night of the Ninja: Reality Role Playing Game

1st ed by Tom Wall, Sandford Tuey (1986) IIE / Mastery Manual

A martial-arts RPG in a modern-day setting, with an emphasis on combat. The opponents are terrorists and organized crime.

Nine Worlds

1st ed by Matt Snyder (2004) Chimera Creative

A science fantasy RPG with an original setting, a fantasy solar system with elements of Greek mythology where aetherships traverse the swirling mists of space between the nine planets, each ruled by the Eternals (Aphrodite ruling Venus, etc.). The rules use playing cards, where each player has a deck of cards to draw from. Characters draw based on their Arete or Hubris attribute, with bonuses for related Muses; then select a number of cards of the same suit. Winning conflicts results in the accumulation of Tricks.

Ninja Burger: The Role-playing Game

1st ed by Michael Fiegel, Kenshiro Aette, Christopher O'Neill (2001) 9th Level Games 9th Level Games Aetherial Forge

2nd ed (2006)

A humorous RPG system where the PC's are ultra-powerful ninjas who have taken day jobs as fast food deliverers. They go on missions to deliver the food in 30 minutes or less (even to inside a high security installation) without being seen by the customer. If they fail, they must commit seppuku. It uses a very simple system. Four stats are generated by rolling 3d6 (Strength, Agility, Ki, and Endurance). Resolution is by rolling under your stat on a multi-d6 roll, with more dice rolled for more difficult tasks. The second edition uses a variant of the Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) system introduced in Dead Inside.

Ninjas and Superspies

1st ed by Eric Wujcik (1988) Palladium Books

A cinematic modern action/adventure game, using a variant of the Palladium System. Most of the book is dedicated to combat of one form or another, especially martial arts.

Nobilis

1st ed by R. Sean Borgstrom (1999) Plainlabel / Pharos

2nd ed (2002) Hogshead Games

A game of theological conflict, where the characters are Powers each set to defend some aspect of reality (like Joy, or Duels, or Calenders Days, etc.). They are fighting "Excrucians" who are trying to destroy all of the larger reality, of which our world is only a small part. It uses a diceless system where players spend "miracle points" to accomplish their actions. The second edition greatly expands the text with examples of play and GM advice.

Noctum

1st ed by Mischa L. Thomas (2005) self-published

A Swedish-language modern horror game similar to the earlier game Kult. cf. http://www.ad-noctum.com/.

noir

1st ed by Jason Inglert, Jack Norris, Curtis Werner (1997) Archon Gaming Inc.

A film noir RPG (i.e. pulp-era mystery and intrigue). It uses a free point-build character creation, with an additive dice pool resolution (roll d6's equal to trait plus skill and total them vs difficulty). The combat system is fairly involved.

No Press Anthology

1st ed by Luke Crane, Alexander Cherry, Michael S. Miller, Kirt Dankmyer, Daniel Solis, Matt Machell, Jeffrey Schecter, Mike Holmes, Ben Lehman (2004) Key 20 Publishing

A collection of eight short roleplaying games published as a single volume, edited by Luke Crane. "Snowball", by Alexander Cherry, is a variant of the free RPG "The Pool" which works backwards in time from a strong image. "Discernment", by Michael S. Miller, is an RPG where the players puts someone in differing situations in order to discern the overall soul quality of the one being examined. "Pretender", by Kirt Dankmyer, is fantasy game about supernatural beings hidden as normal people in the 1980s. "WTF", by Daniel Solis, is a surreal game with many GMs and only one player. "The Agency", by Matt Machell, is about characters fighting the supernatural in the 1960s. "Pagoda", by Jeffrey Schecter, is a game of Chinese wuxia (kung fu fantasy). "Cell Gamma", by Mike Holmes, is a game where the PCs start out in prison cells, with no memory. (The rules are GM-only.) "Over the Bar", by Ben Lehman, is a combined RPG and drinking game.

Noumenon

1st ed by Caias Ward, Chris Welsh, Darren Maclennan, Darwin Leary, Jens Rushing, Josh Benton, Khairul Hisham, Lee Foster, Monica Valentinelli, Nathan Hill, Nick Bousfield, Robert Hansen, Thomas Eliot (2006) Abstract Nova Entertainment

A strange fantasy role-playing game of mystery and abstraction. Players assume the roles of the Sarcophagi -- strange insect-like creatures trapped within the Silhouette Rouge, who encounter bizarre entities and explore strange locations. It uses a domino-based task resolution system that enables players to build upon each other's successes, emphasizing player cooperation.

Now Playing: Roleplaying the World of Television

1st ed by Bradford Younie (2004) Carnivore Games

A universal system for roleplaying which adapts from a television series, or just emulates the style. The mechanics are a variant of Fudge. The core rulebook includes a sample series (the "Foundation for Paranormal Investigation") and a sample episode.

Nylon Angel

1st ed by Cary Lenehan (2006) White Mice Games

A cyberpunk role-playing game based on the books by Marianne de Pierres. It is set in a near-future cyberpunk Australia.

Obsidian: The Age of Judgement

1st ed by Micah Skaritka, Dav Harnish, Frank Nolan (1999) Apophis

2nd ed (2001)

A mystic post-daemonic-apocalypse science-fantasy RPG, set in the year 2299, after the manifestation of Hell upon the Earth Plane in 2029. It is set within the "Zone", a massive monolithic structure housing the remains of Humanity. They are threatened by "Daemons" from outside which feed on sin, and sympathetic "Kultist" within. Characters have the option to play heavenly characters imbued by the Divinity, daemonic characters who serve the daemon hordes, or neutral characters that serve only themselves or the megacorporations within the Zone. It uses a skill-based dice-pool system: total (attribute + skill) d6's vs. difficulty.

octaNe

1st ed by Jared A. Sorensen (2002) Memento Mori Theatricks

A post-apocalyptic RPG set amidst "trash-culture" America. It uses a dramatic system based around Plot Points, though it also uses die rolls. There is one supplement, "Against the Reich", which adapts the game for two-fisted pulp serials fighting Hitler, including 30 new character Roles.

Odysseus

1st ed by Marshall Rose (1980) FGU

A fantasy RPG set in an indeterminate period of ancient Greece. Includes brief rules for warships and naval rule.

Oem Prime

1st ed (1997) Omnimarcus

A fantasy RPG system. The system uses the special icon-marked 12-sided dice ("Success Dice", "Battle Dice", and "Body Dice") that it uses.

The Official Superhero Adventure Game

1st ed by Brian Phillips (1981) self-published

A generic superhero RPG, focusing mainly on combat.

Of Gods and Men

1st ed by Jeffrey Konkol (1997) Non-Sequitor Productions

An epic fantasy RPG. The system is level-based with some skill templates and only human characters. During character creation, the player draws three divinity cards with the "divine power" their character has (Skill Gain, Flight, etc.). Character creation uses random-roll attributes (take 5 highest of 7d10 for each of six attributes) and point-bought skills.

Og: The Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Aldo Ghiozzi (1995) Wingnut Games

2nd ed (2000)

Unearthed ed by Robin D. Laws (2007)

A humorous beer-and-pretzels mini-RPG about cavemen vs dinosaurs. Players choose 1 of 5 types of cavemen: strong caveman, smart caveman, fast caveman, hitting caveman, or healthy caveman. The twist is that players are limited to a 17 word vocabulary at all times: you, me, rock, water, fire, tree, hair, bang, sleep, smelly, small, cave, food, thing, big, sun, and go.

OGL Ancients

1st ed by Adrian Bott (2004) Mongoose Publishing

A game covering the broad genre of ancient history and legend, focusing on the Egyptians and Greeks before the rise of the Roman Empire. It uses a variant of the D20 System from third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is, however, a complete core rulebook released using Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License (OGL).

OGL Cybernet - Cyberpunk Roleplaying

1st ed by August Hahn (2003) Mongoose Publishing

A game covering the broad genre of cyberpunk and netrunning, using a variant of the D20 System from third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is, however, a complete core rulebook released using Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License (OGL).

OGL Horror

1st ed by Gareth Hanrahan (2003) Mongoose Publishing

A game covering the broad genre of horror, using a variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is, however, a complete core rulebook released using Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License (OGL).

OGL Steampunk

1st ed by Alejandro Melchor (2004) Mongoose Publishing

A game covering the broad genre of steam-age science fiction, using a variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is, however, a complete core rulebook released using Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License (OGL).

OGL Wild West

1st ed by Gareth Hanrahan (2004) Mongoose Publishing

A game covering the broad genre of wild west action, using a variant of the D20 System of third edition D&D and D20 Modern. It is, however, a complete core rulebook released using Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License (OGL).

Omnigon

1st ed by Dennis Craig, Scott Groves, Alan P. Widtmann, Glenn Zaroski (1989) Omnigon Games Inc.

A sci-fi RPG system. It uses a simple class-based system with six classes: warrior, rogue, infiltrator, scout, psionicist, and alpha knight (semi-psionic warrior).

Once Upon a Time in the West

1st ed by Beck, Spencer (1978) Tabletop Games

A western-genre skirmish combat game which came in 3 booklets, which was officially developed into an RPG with the fourth booklet ("Return of OUATITW").

One Can Have Her

1st ed by Jonas Ferry (2007) self-published

A game inspired by film noir, designed for play in a single evening for a GM and two or more players. Each character is guilty of a crime, and they are competing to get what they want done before their time is up. It uses a resolution system based on playing cards, where hands of cards are played off against each other one at a time. Character creation begins picking one of 10 character types (including Politician, War veteran, Journalist, Gangster) and one of 10 attributes (including Paranoid, Depressed, Idealistic, Hardboiled). The player then decides upon their character's life goal (what they hope to achieve before they die). The GM then chooses who each character's enemy is, and introduces the femme fatale, the one woman each player wants, but only one can have.

Open Core Role Playing System

1st ed by Christopher Helton, Jamie Borg, Ewen Cluney, Richard Gazley, Tim Huntley, Jonathan M. Thompson (2004) Battlefield Press

An open-license system based on the D20 System used by 3rd edition D&D. It eliminates class mechanics, replacing it with open point-based character generation. Action resolution uses 3d6 + Attribute + Skill vs. target number.

Opening the Dark

1st ed by Malcolm Sheppard (2007) Mob United Media

A modern dark fantasy/horror RPG, closely based on White Wolf's World of Darkness games, with the core mechanics released under an open gaming license. The player characters may be investigators of dark mysteries, or monsters at the heart of the secrets. The basic game includes guidelines for set powers, freeform magic and spirits. It uses a dice pool system, rolling d10s equal to attribute plus skill, where every result from 7 to 9 is one success, and every result of 10 is two successes. Total successes are compared to difficulty.

Open Versatile Anime RPG

1st ed by Clay Gardner (2005) Wise Turtle Publishing

A universal RPG which aims at broadly emulating Japanese anime genres. It uses a rules-lite dice pool system, the "Richochet" system. Character creation is by simply picking a number of freeform traits and flaws, rated numerically. For action resolution, you roll a number of d6s based on which freeform traits apply to an action. You add together doubles or take the highest die and compare to a GM-set difficulty number.

Orbit

1st ed by Jeff Diamond (1998) 6-0 Games

A light-hearted spacefaring sci-fi RPG, including dungeon-like labyrinth worlds. It uses a simple skill-based system, where character creation is based on 1 of 8 professions. The resolution is percentile based. Experience is based on creatures killed and money acquired.

Ork!

1st ed by Todd Miller, Chris Pramas (2000) Green Ronin Press

A satirical play-the-monsters RPG, where you play a murderous, back-stabbing psychotic interested in naked, merciless power. It uses a simple system rolling a number of dice (1-5) based on skill and die type (d4-d20) based on attribute vs a number of d6's based on difficulty (2d6-5d6).

Orkworld

1st ed by John Wick (2000) Wicked Press

A fantasy genre RPG based around a hunter-gatherer race called "Orks", set on the world of Ghurtha. The culture and background of the Orks is heavily detailed. The system is a dice-pool system, taking the highest of skill+attribute d6 -- except multiples of the same number add +1 to the that number. e.g. A roll of 1,1,2,3,5,5,5,6 would keep 5's for result of 5+1+1=7. Also, a special rule for ties is that you compare all the dice until the tie is resolved. Character creation is done by the players collectively creating a household with a single pool of points. Advancement is by managed fana (fame) points handled by the group's tala (bard).

Orpheus

1st ed by Bryan Armor, John Chambers, Genevieve Cogman, Richard Dansky, B. D. Flory, Harry Heckel IV, Ellen Kiley, James Kiley, Matthew McFarland, Dean Shomshak, C. A. Suleiman (2003) White Wolf

A modern horror game, where the PCs are ghosts (or Laments) who are working for a company called the Orpheus Group. The company has ghost employees who do various jobs ranging from occult investigations, to spying, to assassination. It uses a variant of the Storyteller system.

Orx: Nasty, Brutish, and Short

1st ed by Ravenscrye Grey Daegmorgan (2003) Wild Hunt Studio

A darkly comedic fantasy game about playing orcs, creatures hated by the gods and doomed to die. It uses a narration-based dice pool system. Each orc has three attributes: Nasty (social), Brute (physical), and Grok (mental). They also have a Fate stat, which starts at 1 and rises as they choose to tempt fate. Players can roll extra dice on any roll, but this raises their Fate stat, which is used to check if they die when defeated. Character creation is by assigning a d6, d8, and d10 to the three stats, as well as picking three player-defined descriptors such as "Fast-Talking" or "Distance Spitting Champion". Play is in scenes, where the GM has a limited amount of opposition dice available per scene.

Other Suns

1st ed by Niall Shapero (1983) FGU

2nd ed (1989) shareware

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG, set in an interstellar empire (the "L'Doran Hegemony") with 11 species of anthropomorphic animals. Centuries ago, humans fought a devastating war with the Hegemony and eventually lost, reducing Earth to ash. Now, scattered human worlds (former colonies) have joined the Hegemony in re-exploration and settling of the galaxy. It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation has random-roll attributes. cf. Ermine's Other Suns Online page.

Outime

1st ed by Marc W.D. Tyrrell (1983) Valhalla Simulation Games

A time-travel RPG for adventures on alternate Earths. The system is similar to original Traveller, covering psionics.

Over the Edge

1st ed by Jonathan Tweet (1992) Atlas Games

2nd ed (1997)

A modern-day "psycho-surreal" RPG, set on a fictional island in the Mediterranean where paranoid conspiracies, alternate realities, and bizarre strangeness collide. It uses a minimalist system where each character is described by 3 narratively-defined traits and 1 fault. The number of dice you sum for a task depends on which (if any) of your traits it falls under.

Paladin

1st ed by Clinton R. Nixon (2003) Anvilwerks

A fantasy RPG in which the PCs are holy warriors, fighting not only against evil, but against the temptation to turn to hatred, lust, fear, and anger and capture the power that evil can bring. It is designed to be easily adapted to a variety of settings, ranging from Shaolin monks to Jedi knights. Characters creation is point-based, dividing 9 points among Flesh attributes, 6 among Light attributes, and 3 among Dark attributes. In addition, there are two freeform binary skills. It uses a simple narrative dice pool system. Roll a number of d6s equal to attribute plus number of applicable skills plus any animus points spent. Every 5 rolled is one success; every 6 rolled is two successes.

Palladium Fantasy Role Playing Game

1st ed by Kevin Siembieda, Erick Wujcik (1983) Palladium Books

2nd ed (1990)

3rd ed (1998)

A traditional fantasy-genre game. It uses the "Palladium" system (actually first introduced in The Mechanoid Invasion). The system uses random-roll attributes and class-based character creation, with advancement based on levels. Action resolution is by d20 (combat and saving throws) or d100 (non-combat skills), similar to AD&D. Differences are variety of percentile skills (advanced based on level) and combat with separate attack roll and parry roll.

Pandemonium! : Adventures in Tabloid World

1st ed by Stephen Michael Sechi, Robin D. Laws, Joel M. Kaye (1993) MIB Productions Atlas Games

A comedic modern RPG, set in a world where Elvis is alive, aliens kidnap our women, and other tabloid reports are all true. It uses a simple system of attribute + 1d10 + modifiers where 6+ is a success.

Pantheon and Other Games

1st ed by Robin D. Laws (2000) Hogshead Games

A 24-page book containing 5 mini-RPGs, all by Robin D. Laws. It uses a dice-and-counter story-telling system (the `Narrative Cage-Match') for all 5. There is no GM, instead each player can make up whatever events they like for their PC -- but other players can challenge using a set of counters as stakes, then resolved by a dice roll. Scores for each player are resolved by scorecards pre-written for each of the 5 scenarios.

Panty Explosion: a psychic schoolgirl adventure game

1st ed by Jake Richmond, Matt Schlotte (2006) Atarashi Games

A modern-day horror RPG about Japanese schoolgirls who secretly fight demons, some of whom have psychic powers. Each character has "Godai" stats based on five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Void) which which represent different ways of resolving conflicts. For example, Fire is aggression and resolving issues with violence, while Water is wit and social. Character creation is by setting these traits, picking an agenda, another PC as Best Friend, and another PC as Rival, then voting for most popular. A secret random draw determines which PC is psychic. It uses a dice pool conflict resolution system (using d6, d8, d10, and d12), where successes are narrated by the Best Friend player, and failures are narrated by the Rival player.

Parabellum

1st ed by Martin Lindholm (1996) October Productions

A Swedish-language modern crime-thriller RPG.

Paranoia

1st ed by Daniel Seth Gelber, Greg Costikyan, Eric Goldberg, Ken Rolston (1984) West End Games

2nd ed (1987)

"5th" ed by Ed Stark, Greg Farshtey (1995)

"XP" ed by Allen Varney (2004) Mongoose Publishing

A hilarious dark future comedy game, where characters are pawns of an out-of-control Computer in a post-nuclear-apocalypse complex. The atmosphere is on black comedy and slapstick, with the notable feature that each character has 5 clone backups -- such that they can die multiple times (and they usually do). 1st edition used a percentile skill system with skill trees. 2nd edition completely revised this. The XP edition again majorly revised the rules, eliminating attributes in favor of six skill groups (Management, Stealth, Violence, Hardware, Software, Wetware). Action resolution is roll under skill on 1d20, with chances modified by "Perversity Points" which are spent before the roll to modify the chance.

Passages: Adventures Penned by Literary Giants

1st ed by Justin D. Jacobson, Richard Farrese (2006) Blue Devil Games

A modern fantasy game based on the fiction works of the late Victorian Era, including Carroll's Wonderland stories, Baum's Oz books, Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", Doyle's Holmes stories, Kipling, Wells, and more. The cover is a scene from "Alice in Wonderland", with scenes from other famous works done for interior illustrations. It uses a distant variant of the D20 System from 3rd edition D&D. There are no classes or levels. Rather, character creation is template-based. All characters must choose one culture (Arab, Asian, Easterner, frontiersman, native or Westerner) and one caste, their social class (slave, servant, freeman, bourgeois, noble or royal). Advancement is by "creative energy points", which are used to buy new advantages. There is no combat bonus. Rather, there is a Combat skill, with three sub-skills: Attack, Defend, and Initiative. Damage is done by the difference between attack roll and defense roll, modified by weapon and armor. It also includes "plot points" which can be spent to control narration.

Pathfinder RPG

Beta ed by Jason Buhlman (2008) Paizo Publishing

1st ed (2009)

A variant of the 3.5th edition of D&D, published under the Open Gaming License. It consolidated and simplified skills and changes certain rules features such as how favored class and class skills worked, but it is intended to be compatible with supplements and adventures designed for 3.5th edition.

Pax Draconis

pre-release ed by Justin Dagna (2001) Technicraft Design

premiere ed by Justin Dagna (2003)

A spacefaring science-fiction RPG, set in a galaxy where the "Draconian Empire" is fighting a civil war with the "People's Republic". There are three major race groups: humans, the draconian races, and the treeber species (a diverse group with variations like four arms, infrared sight and under-water breathing). It uses a simple percentile skill-based system.

Pelicar

1st ed by Lewis Nicolls (1996) Pharaoh

A traditional fantasy-genre game, using a class and level-based system with skills.

Pendragon

1st ed by Greg Stafford (1985) Chaosium

3rd ed (1990) Chaosium

4th ed (1993) Chaosium

4th (Reprinted) ed (1999) Green Knight Publishing

5th ed (2005) White Wolf

A game of Arthurian romance, based on Malory's L'Morte d'Arthur and similar sources. The PC's are knights who will go on quests and journeys, but also engage in building families and raising heirs. Campaigns may span generations. The mechanics are roll 1d20 under (skill or attribute), using the roll as level of success (i.e. "blackjack" method). Combat is a contest where only the combatant with the higher level of success does damage. It uses a detailed system of personality traits and passions, such as Pride/Modesty and many others. Character creation is only knights under the original edition, and magic was only done by NPCs. Under the fourth edition, the options are expanded. The fifth edition returns to more limited initial character generation, and starts in the year 485 (during the reign of King Uther) rather than 531.

Perfect

1st ed by Joe McDonald (2006) Inciteful Entertainment

An alternate-reality crime game, set in a world akin to Victorian England that is under oppressive rule. The PCs are criminals within this world who strike out against the system.

Periphery: Science Fiction Roleplaying on the Edge

1st ed by Gareth-Michael Skarka (1994) Epitaph Studios

A sci-fi RPG.

Persona

1st ed by Kevin Munoz (1997) Tesarta

A universal, diceless RPG system. While diceless, it uses detailed numerical attributes and skills which are compared to find results. It also includes a powers system for designing magic, psionics, superpowers, etc.

Phantasy Conclave

1st ed (1984) Phantasy Conclave

A medieval fantasy RPG, set in the world of "Arth". Character creation is class-based, advancement is level-based. The classes are healer, wizard, scout, and fighter. It is a boxed set of three booklets, ten dice, and some notes and erratta. Illustrated by N. Taylor Blanchard.

Phase VII

1st ed by Dennis Drew II (1982) Cheshire Games

A science fantasy mini-RPG (16 pages), set on a damaged space station where characters try to fight monsters and collect treasure.

Phoenae: The Fierce Joy of Being Alive

1st ed (unknown, pre-1990) Ian Press

A fantasy RPG set on an alien world whose inhabitants are a mix of anthropomorphic felines and various human races (who are somewhat elfin in appearance). In this world, ancient peoples ascended to become angels and demons. Now a new set of races have been created by a god to try again. The PC's are members of a the last faction of their race whose memory was wiped out.

Phoenix Command

1st ed by Barry Nakazono, David McKenzie (1986) Leading Edge

2nd ed (1987)

3rd ed (1989)

4th ed (1991)

An ultra-complex, ultra-realistic combat system and RPG of modern-day military combat.

Pie Shop

1st ed by Mr. Toad (2004) Leisure Games

A horror roleplaying game.

Pirates: The Great Adventure Game

1st ed by Matt deMille (2001) New Dimension Games

Revised ed (2003)

A cinematic pirate action RPG, based on an amalgam of classic pirate eras and movies. Action resolution uses 1d12. Character creation is class-based, with level-based advancement. In addition to traditional experience, there are reward systems for fame, fear, and privateering ranks and titles.

Pirates and Plunder

1st ed by Michael S. Matheny (1982) Yaquinto

A historical pirate/swashbuckling RPG set in the Carribean, aimed at beginning players. Published as a bosed set with 3 booklets: players book, GM book, and sample adventures.

The Pirates of Dark Water

1st ed by Lee Agosta, Jasper K. Cummings (1994) Mindgames, Inc.

A fantasy-genre role-playing game based on the Hanna Barbara animated television series of the same name. It is set on the fantasy world of Mer, which is dominated by seas but being devastated by the strange "dark water" substance which is oozing from the fissure where magical treasures were stolen. Pirates and others roam the seas in ships that can both sail and fly. The basic game includes a 64-page "World Book" containing background information, locations, and character creation rules, plus 105 3-hole punched sheets detailing the creatures of Mer and a 31 3/4" x 22" color map of Mer.

Pirates of the Spanish Main

1st ed by Paul Wade-Williams (2007) Pinnacle Entertainment Group

A game of romance and adventure on the high seas based on the WizKids collectable strategy game Pirates of the Spanish Main and Pirates of the Crimson Coast. It is set in a nebulous time around the early 18th century. It is a standalone game system based on the Savage Worlds rules system, adding a ship combat system.

Pixie

1st ed by Geoff Tuffli (1992) New World Games

2nd ed by Geoff Tuffli (2005) Jubal Online Games, Inc.

A modern fantasy RPG where the PC's are pixies who want to take over modern-day human homes -- but humans (and their pets) see the pixies as bats, rats and pests. Action resolution is by rolling 2d6 under stat. Character generation is mostly random with some skill selection. The first edition is only 20 pages. The second edition is 150 pages and includes a dozen different types of fey folk including sprites, spriggans, goblins and trolls. The 2nd edition system is pure talent-based, so instead of having separate attributes, skills and spells, everything is simply a talent.

Pocket Universe

1st ed by Jeff Dee, Amanda Dee (2001) Unigames

A 16-page mini-RPG with complete rules. Action resolution is by rolling 2d10 under either attribute or skill -- where doubles indicates either critical success (on a success) or critical failure (on a failure). There are four attributes, which range from 7 to 14 for humans: PHYS, DEFT, INTL, WILL. Skills add to the Attribute score the skill is based on.

Pocket Warrior

1st ed by Guy McLimore, Greg Poehlein (1997) Plaid Rabbit

This is a simple generic RPG using a skill-based system. There are 4 attributes: Strength, Coordination, Intelligence, and Health. Actions are resolved by rolling 2d10 under skill. Character creation is limited point-based.

Point Blank

1st ed by Eoin Connolly, Rob Brennan, Eric Nolan (unknown, post-1994) Wasteland

A cinematic modern action RPG, emulating over-the-top action films in the style of John Woo. Characters gain Honour points for performing cinematic stunts and saying good one-liners, which can be used to increase skills and heal injuries.

Poison'd: a pirate rpg

1st ed by Vincent Baker (2007) Lumpley Games

A ....

Pokemon Jr. Adventure Game

1st ed by Bill Slavicsek, Stan! (1999) Wizards of the Coast

A mini-RPG for young children, based on the Pokemon ("pocket monster") video and card games. Each pokemon has a card which lists its stats: attack roll, damage, and hit points - plus a power if its attack succeeds. Attacks are made by rolling 1d6 vs attack roll. The 60-page pocket-sized booklet mostly consists of 16 pre-made scenarios to play. cf. the official website.

Pokéthulhu

1st ed by S. John Ross (2000) Squishy Brain Games

2nd ed by S. John Ross (2001) Dork Storm Press

A humorous RPG which parodies both the Pokemon game/television show and Lovecraft's Cthuhlhu. The player characters are children called Cultists, each owning their own Pokéulhu which they must train and battle with while wandering the land of the dead. It uses a minimal dice-pool system where players roll a number of dice (D12s) dependent on difficulty (from 1 to 3). The roll is a success if one die is equal to or less than the relevant stat. There are special rules for Pokéthulhu battles, where 1 of 4 attacks are chosen. Character creation uses only 6 stats.

Polaris: Chivalric tragedy at the utmost north

1st ed by Ben Lehman (2005) Tao Games

A mythic fantasy game about knights of the Stars fighting the Mistaken demons of the Sun. It is designed for four players who split the gamemastering duties depending on which player character is spotlighted. A given player has a "new moon" (the player on his right, who controls personal and emotional ties), a "full moon" (the player on his left, who controls societal and hierarchical ties), and a "mistaken" (the player across from him, who controls enemies and has more control over conflict and story). As the players switch off spotlight, the roles switch around. There are also twelve "key phrases" that govern timing and decision-making. To start a scene, you begin with "And so it was"; if you object to a development, you interject "But only if" or "You ask far too much" (at which point you must negotiate the story, or sacrifice a Theme on your character sheet), and end with "And that was how it happened." When it is time for another character, you say "But hope was not yet lost, for [the next character] still heard the song of the stars" and start again.

Portal

1st ed by Olof Lindqvist (2005) Olof Lindqvist Games

A Swedish-language modern fantasy RPG set in an alternate Earth where through the ages mages have been opening portals to other dimensions and letting in strange creatures. The characters are members of a secret organization trying to stop these forces of darkness.

Power Grrrl

1st ed by Michael Fiegel (2004) aethereal FORGE

A superhero RPG in the style of an anime cartoon, where the PCs are superpowered teenagers who have to manage both fighting supervillains and surviving high school. It uses a rules-lite universal system (the "POW!" system) available separately. Action resolution is by attribute + 2d6 vs difficulty. Character creation is point-based, spent on powers and six attributes: Agility, Brawn, Cognition, Damage, Energy, and Fellowship (ABCDEF). There are "specials" which include advantages, powers, and other things rather than skills.

Powers and Perils

1st ed by Richard Snider (1983) Avalon Hill

A traditional fantasy-genre RPG, which includes magic and monsters. There is no world background in the core boxed set, but a separate boxed set called "Perilous Lands" includes a detailed fantasy world. The rule system has a complex and math-heavy system which uses percentile rolls under skill times multiplier, or in combat on a universal chart. Character creation is random-roll attributes and random ads/disads, with point-bought skills. Advancement is partly level-based (separate Combat and Magic levels) and partly skill-based (improving skills with experience).

The Price of Freedom

1st ed by Greg Costikyan (1986) West End Games

A survivalist game of freedom fighters in Soviet-occupied America. The system uses d20 rolled against stats and skills (rated 1-20), with semi-complex combat using a hexmap and counters. Character creation is based on occupation, which determines your skills. Character background includes filling out Soviet identity papers. The first adventure has the Soviets landing in your city and how you react to it.

Prime Directive

1st ed by Timothy D. Olsen, Mark Costello (1993) Task Force Games

This is a Star Trek RPG, based on an obscure independent license of the original and animated television series, derived from the first technical manual. Its vision of the Star Trek universe is much more militaristic than others, used in Star Fleet Battles and other wargames. The player characters are elite commando teams (known as "Prime Teams" in the Federation) dropped by starships to deal with problems on planets or stations. It uses an open-ended dice pool system, with an open-ended roll of attribute + skill d6s. The highest result is compared to the "tricode" for that task, three numbers indicating thresholds required for marginal, normal, and critical success. Multiple lesser rolls can take precedence over the highest roll.

Primetime Adventures: a game of television melodrama

1st ed by Matt Wilson (2003) Dog-eared Design

A diceless game of television melodrama, intended to simulate series like Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Six Feet Under. It uses a simple dice pool system to resolve conflicts, where players roll a number of d10s equal to "Screen Presence" for the episode (which varies from 4 to 6), plus possible dice added for spending "Fan Mail" points. Over a "season" of nine episodes, each PC gets to designate certain episodes as their focus episodes. Character creation is by designating an Issue, a track of Screen Presence, and several freeform binary traits.

Primitive

1st ed by Kevin Allen Jr. (2006) Kevin Allen Jr Design

A prehistoric caveman game, pitched as "Build a tribe, fight bloodthirsty dinosaurs, and discover untold mysteries in a game that features easy to follow rules, a uniquely simple turn based combat resolution syste, and character generation that focuses on group social dynamics".

The Prince's Kingdom

1st ed by Clinton Nixon (2006) CRN Games

A fantasy game aimed at children, set in the archipelago kingdom of Islandia. The PCs are a group of young princes who wander from island to island within their father's kingdom, solving problems. It uses a dice pool system, a simplified version of the rules from Dogs in the Vineyard.

The Princess Game

1st ed by Colin Fredericks (2007) Valent Games

A rules-lite, GM-less RPG where four players each take on an aspect of a magical girl's personality: Love, Imagination, Curiosity, and Fear. The girl is the only real person in the world, who creates things with her imagination -- thus the players divide the GM's duties between them. The Imagination player makes the world and describes the people and places that inhabit it, setting scenes and introducing characters. Love drives the girl to help people, defining objectives for the girl. Curiosity makes the girl want to look around and discover stuff, and the player can introduce new elements into the game. Fear makes the girl choose different paths and look for alternate options.

Prince Valiant

1st ed by Greg Stafford, William Dunn, Lynn Willis (1989) Chaosium

An Arthurian game by Greg Stafford (author of Pendragon). This is aimed at beginners with an extremely simple system using coin tosses. Each character has only two attributes, and throws a number of coins equal to the stat for action resolution.

Principia Malefex

1st ed by Alison Whetton, Ruari Armstrong, M. Retallack (1997) Principia Malefex

A dark psychological horror RPG, where the horror comes from what the human characters do to each other. There are few monsters (and the characters won't often run into them), there is little or no organised or identifiable opposition, and the characters often will not know whose side they are actually on. The system uses roll-under-skill on d20 and d200. Character generation is random-roll base attributes (modified by career choice), and point-bought skills and bonuses.

Privateers and Gentlemen

1st ed by Jon Williams (1983) FGU

A combined tactical miniatures rules and RPG, for Napoleonic-era naval warfare -- especially the British navy. It includes personal and naval combat rules. It uses a skill-based percentile system.

Privateers & Pirates

1st ed by Jonathan Clarke (2005) FJ Gaming

A historical RPG set in the Golden Age of Piracy (late 17th century) or the Age of Sail (mid-18th to early 19th century). The PCs are pirates or privateers, crewing a vessel trying to get rich. It uses a simple percentile system of roll over difficulty, with binary traits. If you have a trait, then you may switch the tens and ones dice in the percentile roll.

Project A-Ko RPG

1st ed by Jimmy Mah (1995) Dream Pod 9 Dream Pod 9 Ianus Publications

This is a comedy science-fiction RPG based on the Japanese anime TV series. It has a simple, rules-light system fitting for the goofiness and massive destruction found in the original A-Ko series, a rules-lite predecessor to the "Silhouette" system used in Heavy Gear and other games.

Promised Sands RPG

1st ed by Benjamin Rogers, Mike Rennaker, Robert Anderson, Kelly Slaughter (2003) BBRACK Productions

A fantasy RPG set in an original fantasy setting called T'nah: a magical, post-apocalyptic, vaguely middle-eastern desert environment. It uses a percentile skill-based system (the "Trinary System"), where you roll 3d10, the first two dice are percentile roll that determines success or failure and the third d10 is the Effect Die which determines degree of success. The 394-page core book includes extensive world detail, two magic systems (Ido and Qai), and a selection of monsters.

Proteus

1st ed by Bruce Gomes, Duncan Barrow (1992) Bruce Gomes Industries

A late medieval fantasy genre RPG with an original world setting. It has non-standard races of centaurs, rat-creatures, eagle-men, and others. The system is skill-based (roll under stat on 1d30). Character creation is random-roll attributes and point-bought skills.

Providence RPG

1st ed by Richard Binek, Nicolas Jequier, Jeff Mackintosh, Michael Scott, Lucien Soulban (1997) XID Creative

2nd ed (2001) Hubris

An unusual fantasy RPG, "a mix of fantasy and the four-color bravado of super-heroes". It has a separate rules book with the mechanics and a world book describing the setting. It is set on a former penal colony planet in another dimension, which was cut off from the original world and freed by a revolt. Much later, a crack in the world started to flood the world, forcing the inhabitants to look for the long-lost gates to escape. The system uses attribute+skill as modifiers to a 2d10 roll vs difficulty.

Psi World

1st ed by Del Carr, Cheron (1984) FGU

A game of psionic powers in a near-future setting with two options: Psi's fighting an oppressive government, or Psi Police protecting innocents from rogue Psi's. It uses a percentile skill-based system.

Psychosis

1st ed by Charles Ryan (1994) Chameleon Eclectic

A surreal game where character's reality is questioned, in the genre of movies like "Brazil" and "Total Recall". It uses a diceless system where action resolution is by tarot cards and GM discretion.

Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear

1st ed by James Carpio, Michael Smith, Jon Richardson (2005) Chapter 13 Press Dilly Green Bean Games

A game based on the serial pulp stories of the 30's and 40's, mixed with modern cinematic action. It uses an original skill-based system with eight attributes (Smarts, Vigor, Charm, Spirit, Brawn, Insight, Dynamism, and Quickness), a Stunt, a Schtick, Gimmicks, and Faults.

Puppetland

1st ed by John Tynes (1999) Hogshead Games

A fantasy/horror mini-RPG, set in a world of puppets where the evil Punch has killed the creator and rules over the other puppets with an iron hand. It uses a minimalist diceless system where players are required to speak out (in puppet-show style) what they are doing as dialogue (i.e. "I hit you with this stick, you evil nutcracker!").

Purgatory

1st ed by Jon Wilkie (2000) Atomic Hyrax Games

A conspiracy RPG, set shortly before a looming apocalypse. The PC's are "Penitents" who have returned from the dead with various powers to deal with the upcoming doom. It uses a card-draw mechanic for action resolution that allows both live-action and table-top play.

QAGS: Quick Ass Game System

1st ed by Leighton Connor, Steve Johnson, Dale French (1998) Hex Games

A tongue-in-cheek minimalist RPG system intended for use in any setting. A character has 3 attributes (Body, Brain, and Nerve) along with a Job, "Gimmick", and Weakness. An additional stat is "WSPHITM" (Who should play him/her in the movie?).

Qin: The Warring States

1st French ed by Neko, Florrent, Kristoff, Romain d'Huissier, Pierre Buty (2005) 7ème Cercle

1st English ed (2007)

A semi-historical RPG set in China in 240 B.C., specifically the state of Qin -- which in history will shortly conquer the other six states to form a single nation. It uses an original system. Resolution uses a "Yin/Yang" roll -- roll two ten-sided dice and subtract the lower result from the higher. Which color die is lower is used in damage calculation. Character creation is limited point-bought, spending 14 points on five attributes based on the five Chinese elements, choice of one gift and one weakness, spending 15 points on skills, and 15 points on maneuvers and mystic arts.

QUAD Live Action Role Playing Rules

1st ed by Hardy Darrell (unknown) Guild of Blades

A generic set of LARP rules, covered in 20 digest pages, with no background and setting information. The rules cover resolving tasks and conflict as well as skill advancement, and are short so as to be memorized easily for live games.

Questers of the Middle Realms

1st ed by Tim Gray (2006) Silver Branch Games

A fantasy genre RPG set on an original world, "Median", which wryly pokes fun at some fantasy cliches. It uses a variant of the Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) system used in Dead Inside and Truth & Justice.

Quest of the Ancients

1st ed by Vince Garcia (1988) Unicorn Game Publications

A swords-and-sorcery genre RPG. It uses a class-based system with percentile secondary skills.

Quicksilver

1st ed by Jeff Dee, Amanda Dee (1997) Unigames

A fantasy RPG published electronically through HyperBooks Online. It is set in the land of Seloria, inhabited by 3 goblin races and 2 faerie races as well as humans. The world includes psychic powers as well as a unique metal ("Quicksilver") that responds to mental commands, molding itself to any shape. However, as it is used, the metal takes on a life of its own -- potentially "going rogue". It uses a skill-based system, rolling 2d10 under attribute + skill. Character creation is open point based, including 5 attributes (from 7 to 13), skills (from 0 to 4), and ads/disads.

Rampant

1st ed (1999) Living Imagination, Inc.

A fantasy genre live-action role-playing system.

RandomAnime: The Definitive Anime Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Brian J. Perry (2002) Infernal Funhouse Productions

A universal system for anime-style play. Action resolution uses stat + 2d6 - difficulty, where a 10 or higher is a success. An additional die, the Luck die, is rolled to determine partial successes based on your Luck score. Character creation uses templates and limited point-buy. The player selects one of 21 templates (which gives a number of bonus points and luck points), then spends attribute points among the 8 attributes and skill points among the 30 skills. Experience is in "Style Points", given out during the game immediately if the player does a stylish move.

Rapture: The Second Coming

1st ed by William Spencer-Hale (1995) Quintessential Mercy

A game of theological horror, set in a futuristic biblical armageddon.

Rated G: The Roleplaying Game of Saturday Morning Fantasy Violence

1st ed by Vincent Diakuw (2003) Thousandpress

A simple diceless system emulating fantasy action cartoons. Characters are defined by ranked "Tags", such as "Legendary Strength" for Superman. Higher-rated tags win, with more specific tag winning in the case of a tie. Tags may be pushed to increase them, but they are fatigued (lowering one rank) after one push, or exhausted after two pushes. Character creation works by all players writing a word or phrase on five slips of paper, then drawing from all the slips put together, using the drawn slips to create the basis for their tags.

Raven Star

1st ed by A. Siddiqui (1994) Raven Star Game Designs

2nd ed (1997)

A science fantasy RPG, set in a far-future space-opera universe where magic has been found on a frontier world, via the remnants of an ancient civilization. In addition to humanity, there are aliens easily described as elves, dwarves, lion-men, and bear-men. The frontier world has a "wild west" feel as everyone converges to get at the new phenomena. The game uses a simple skill system: skill+d20 vs difficulty. d6's are used for damage rolls (i.e. 2d6, 3d6+2, etc.).

The Realm of the Gateway

Part One - The Magic Realm ed by John Griffin, Matt Nixon (1996) Griffin Games

Part Two - The Science Realm ed (1999)

A small-press fantasy RPG. It uses a system intended to be adapted to various "realms" for different genres, although only the fantasy one was ever published. Character creation is by random-roll attributes and point-bought skill with required profession packages. Action resolution is by rolling 1d20 under attribute + skill. The first book included 9 fantasy races, a magic system with 200 spells, and a psionics system with 20 powers.

Realm of Yolmi

1st ed by Ken Black, Marshall Rose (1978) Avant-Garde Simulations Perspectives

2nd ed (1978)

A spacefaring sci-fi RP set on a future Earth. The PC's are humans, although there are various aliens (including the evil "Yolmi"). The system is class-based: soldiers, cyborgs, scientists, and psychics. Advancement is level-based. It includes starship combat rules, and over 140 creature stats.

Realms of Wor

1st ed by Jeffrey Walker, Steve Ong, David Wainio (2004) Three Sages Games

A medieval fantasy RPG. It uses a skill-based system, with 1d20 resolution rolls. Character creation is class-based, with the option to build your own subclasses. Advancement is by skill improvement by use or training. Combat occurs in ten second rounds and actions are split up within that round as strike ranks, with armor reducing damage. The core rules come in four books: the Player Guidebook, Spellcaster's Guidebook, Game Master Book, and Encounter Encyclopedia.

Recon

1st ed by Joe F. Martin (1982) RPG Inc.

2nd ed by Erick Wujcik (1986) Palladium Books

Deluxe Revised ed (1999)

A modern military RPG and miniatures system set in the Vietnam War, playing U.S. troops against the evil V.C. The game was liscensed by Palladium for the 2nd edition, but does not use the Palladium RPG house system.

Red Dwarf: The Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Todd Downing, Mark Bruno, John Sullivan, Andrew Kenrick, Lee Hammock (2003) Deep7

A humorous sci-fi RPG based on the television series from Grant Naylor Productions, about characters trapped in an ancient Earth spaceship now lost in the middle of nowhere. It uses the "XPG" system. Action resolution is by rolling under attribute + skill on 2d6. Character creation is limited point based (attribute points and skill points), with adjustments for different types of characters: holograms, mechanoids, gelfs, simulants, and various types of evolved animals (cat, dog, rabbit, iguana, and rat).

Red Shift

1st ed by Paul B. Spence (1998) Grendel

2nd ed (2002)

A spacefaring sci-fi RPG, set in 3663 after an interstellar human empire collapsed.

REICHCRAFT : el juego de rol y t´ctico de fantas&icaute;a en la II guerra mundial

1st ed by Diego Martinez Ruiz de Gaona, Nora Ortega Rey (2003) self-published

A Spanish-language modern fantasy RPG, whose title roughly translates as "REICHCRAFT: The RPG & Wargame of Fantasy in the Second World War". Self-published in Bilbao, Spain. It is set in an alternate WWII, where orcs and undeads have joined the Italian army, sinister elves representing Germany have imprisoned humans in concentration camps, and the ratlings follow the orders of the Japanese emperor. Meanwhile the Allies are aided by elves, gnomes, dwarves, humans & golems. It uses a simple system which includes tactical miniatures rules using a metric ruler. Action resolution is based on attribute + 1d10 + modifiers.

Reich Star

1st ed by Simon Bell, Ken Richardson (1991) Creative Encounters

A sci-fi RPG set in 2134 of an alternate history where the Third Reich won WWII and dominated the world. The Third Reich and the Empire of Nippon are in the midst of an age-old Cold War with each other, even as they expand their empires to other star systems. The player characters are revolutionaries trying to overthrow the Third Reich and restore freedom and democracy to Erde and its colonies.

Reign

1st ed by Greg Stolze (2007) Schroedinger's Cat Press

A fantasy genre RPG using the "One-Roll Engine" from Godlike: Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire. It includes an original setting, magic system, and rules for resolving group conflicts. Actions are resolved by rolling d10's equal to stat plus skill. The number of matches (i.e. d10's with the same value) indicate speed of success, while the number matched indicates quality of success.

Renegade Legion: Legionnaire

1st ed by Michael A. Stackpole, A. Peters (1990) FASA

A small-unit tabletop sci-fi combat system, covering infantry to tanks. Part of a wargame trilogy with RL: Interceptor dealt with air combat and RL: Leviathan. It has a unique system for vehicle armor, where differing weapons affected different 2D shapes of armor blocks. Set in year 6830, PC's include starfighter pilots, grav tank commander, or other adventurer. Fight the oppressive Terran Overlord Government of the Roman-style empire centered around Earth. A few military units defected from the empire to protect the alien races of the Commonwealth and became known as the Renegade Legion. Legionnaire details the history of Earth and seven alien races and provides combat focused rules. cf. Therion's Renegade Legion page.

Rêve de Dragon

1st (French) ed by Denis Gerfaud (1985) Nouvelles Editions Fantastiques Nouvelles Editions Fantastiques Ludodélire

2nd (French) ed (1993) Multisim

1st (English) ed (2002) Malcontent Games

A French-language fantasy RPG, set in an ever changing and poetic world dreamed by dragons. The PC's are travellers there, who walk along the Low and High Lands of dream, and fight magic dangers and dream creatures. One of the best-selling games in France. A beginner's version of the game was also made, entitled "Oniros". There is also an English edition, published electronically.

Revelation: The Modern Superheroic Horror Role-Playing Game

1st ed by James C. Taylor Jr., Jason Knizley (1998) Happy Nebula Adventure Publishing

A modern horror game where the PCs are members of an ancient organization based in England dedicated to fighting the supernatural, and in particular demons known as the "Shaetan". The PCs are all superhuman, including five types: Child of the Vampire, Dead Man Walking, Eternal Hero, Nephilim, and Reluctant Werewolf. It includes four magic subsystems for witchcraft, sorcery, psionics, and faith.

Rhand: Morning Star Missions

1st ed by Barry Nakazano, David McKenzie (1984) Leading Edge

A science-fantasy RPG with an in-depth combat system, predecessor to Living Steel. It is set on the planet Rhand about 500 years after the "Apocalypse", where alien "Spectrals" are invading. It uses a slightly simplified version of the combat system in Sword's Path: Glory (which is very complex by most standards). It includes rules for magic, fantasy creatures, etc.

The Riddle of Steel

1st ed by Jacob Norwood, Rick McCann, Ben Moore (2002) Driftwood Publishing

A fantasy RPG set on an original world, Weyrth. It focuses on a realistic, turn-less combat system which is tactically demanding and deadly -- based on study of European Renaissance fighting techniques. It uses a dice pool system where you roll a number of d10's against a target number, counting number of successes. It also has a core system of Spiritual Attributes, which gives you extra dice for following defined goals or ties for your character (such as a destiny, a loved one, or a faith).

Rifts

1st ed by Kevin Siembieda (1990) Palladium Books

Ultimate ed (2005)

A science fantasy post-apocalyptic game about a world where nuclear strikes set off a magical transformation of the Earth. Visible ley lines of magical energy spring up, along with inter- dimensional "rifts" which brought in aliens and monsters. The system is a variant of the Palladium System. The game features many augmented humans and massive firepower (up to personal nukes!), facilitated by "Mega-damage" where each point is 100 normal "hit points".

Ringwielder

1st ed by Dennis Drew (1990) self-published

A shareware science fantasy RPG set on a giant generational starship using mystic "Psycho-Manipulative Energy" that had a catastrophic accident shortly after. The systems went haywire and rewrote the environment and people to match fictional characters and locales. The PCs are "Ringwielders" that have entered into an agreement with the central computer to protect all life on the ship, armed with rings that can have up to 36 powers. Character creation is random-roll, rolling for powers, the 8 primary abilities, and the 20 secondary abilities.

Ringworld

1st ed by Sherman Kahn, John Hewitt, Lynn Willis, Sandy Petersen, Charlie Krank, Rudy Kraft (1983) Chaosium

A sci-fi RPG based on the Larry Niven's novels: set on an artificial mega-world (a ring around its star) with a melting pot of races and technology. It uses a variant of Chaosium's Basic Role-playing percentile system. Character races are human, Kzin, or Puppeteer.

Road Rebels

1st ed by Dale L. Gordon (1989) self-published

A post-apocalyptic RPG in the genre of the "Road Warrior" films. It uses a percentile system (roll under skill on d100). Character creation has seven random-roll attributes on a 3-18 scale (STR, LOOKS, DEX, CON, SIZ, CHA, SPD), random-roll social class, and point-bought skills. It includes rules for repairing and modifying vehicles, done with flowcharts. Combat is table-based and complex.

Roanoke

1st ed by Clint Krause (2006) Clint Krause Games

Roanoke is a short alternate historical role-playing game of mystery and action, set at the Roanoke colony in America between 1587 and 1590 (when it disappeared). It provides several options for threats to the colony, ranging from conspiracies, monsters, zombies, and others. It uses a variant of the Wushu game system, by Daniel Bayn. It adds a Doom point mechanic, where players can trade success now for a grisly fate later.

Robotech the Roleplaying Game

Book One: Macross ed by Kevin Siembieda (1986) Palladium Books

A sci-fi RPG based on the Japanese animated TV series of giant humanoid robots ("mecha"). It uses a variant of the Palladium FRPG system.

Robotech II: The Sentinels

1st ed by Kevin Siembieda (1988) Palladium Books

This is a sci-fi RPG based on a proposed sequel to the Robotech TV series. It is set in the same universe, dealing with a starship seeking help for Earth against the Invid. It uses a variant of the Palladium FRPG system.

Robot Warriors

1st ed by Steve Perrin, George MacDonald (1986) Hero Games

A sci-fi RPG about giant robot combat. The rules are a variant of the 3rd edition Champions rules, scaled up for truly massive sizes. It also includes human pilot creation rules.

Rocky and Bullwinkle RPG

1st ed by David Cook, Warren Spector (1988) TSR

A humorous storytelling RPG based on the cartoon TV show. The boxed set includes 10 hand puppets (unrelated to the system). The system (such as it is) starts with storytelling using story cards, adding in action resolution using spinners.

Rogue Swords of the Empire

1st ed by Joseph Hillmer, George Rahm (1993) Better Games

A fantasy mini-RPG, published in Fantasy Gamer magazine, issue #2. It is based on the RPG Barony.

Rolemaster

1st ed by S. Coleman Charlton, Peter C. Fenlon, Kurt H. Fischer, Terry K. Amthor (1980) Iron Crown Enterprises

2nd ed (1984)

Standard System ed by Coleman Charlton, John Curtis, Pete Fenlon, Steve Martin (1995)

FRP ed by S. Coleman Charlton, John Curtis (1999)

A traditional fantasy-genre game, originally designed as a modular addition to other games ("Arms Law", "Spell Law", "Character Law", "Claw Law", and "Campaign Law"). The system uses skill plus an open-ended percentile roll resolved on a table, with tables for each weapon and skill. Character creation was originally random-roll attributes and limited point-buy skills, modified by choice of class. A given class had its own cost for each skill type (i.e. weapon skill costs 10 for a magician but 3 for a warrior). Later they added a separate attribute point-buy system.

Roleplayer

1st ed by Matthew P. King (1983) Roleplayer Enterprises

A universal RPG system, with sections on medieval fantasy, mutant powers, modern horror, and futuristic weaponry. As an example so GMs can design their own, there is a single sample monster: the argent wombat.

Roma Imperious: Alternate World History

1st ed by William Corrie III (2004) HinterWelt Enterprises

An alternate history where during the third century Constantine embraced Celtic magic and took over the Roman Empire. It details the world of 1461 in this alternate history, including pre-Viking era Norsemen, a Chinese empire called the Jade Empire, and African states like Axum and the Empire of Ghana. It uses a variant of the "Iridium" system, which originally appeared in Tales of Gaea. Character creation includes random-roll attributes (best of 3d20 for each of eleven attributes), followed by choosing one of 26 classes which influence skills. The basic game also includes over 30 Foes and 13 pregenerated templates for fast play.

Ruby

1st ed by Greg Saunders (2007) Fire Ruby Studios

A spacefaring science fiction game set in distant time and space, where the legacy of humanity is the modified NuMen and a binary star system of Golden and Red, initially established by privately-sponsored colony ships. http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13008.phtml

Rules To Live By

1st ed by John Kilgallon, Mike Young, Sandy Antunes (2001) Interactivities, Inc.

This is a universal system for live-action role-playing (LARP). It uses dice for mechanics (somewhat unusual for the LARP world), with resolution of attribute + skill + 1d6 vs difficulty. Combat uses the same basic mechanics, and assigns levels of damage marked as stars on the character's badge.

Rune

1st ed by Robin D. Laws (2001) Atlas Games

A fantasy-genre RPG based on the computer game Rune from Human Head Studios, set in a land of Scandanavian myth. The system is adapted from Ars Magica with simplifications. Resolution is attribute + skill + 1d10 vs difficulty (or vs other roll).

RuneQuest

1st ed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson, Warren James, Greg Stafford (1978) Chaosium

2nd ed (1979)

3rd ed by Steve Perrin, Greg Stafford, Steve Henderson, Lynn Willis (1984) Avalon Hill

4th ed by Matthew Sprange (2006) Mongoose Publishing

A fantasy-genre RPG set in the original world of Glorantha. Glorantha is a low-tech world (often bronze age) where religion, cults, and magic are of constant importance. It uses a percentile skill-based system which was later published separately as the Basic Roleplaying system. Action resolution is by rolling under skill (0-100) on percentile dice, or by roll on a "resistance table" which compares opposed attributes (with +/- 5% per attribute point). Character creation uses random-roll attributes (3-18), and skills selected by profession. It includes several magic systems, including a involved Runic Magic system. Magical power could be boosted by secrets learned in various cults. The third and fourth editions separated the system and magic from the setting of Glorantha, though Glorantha was still one of the setting choices.

Rune Stryders

1st ed by Matt Drake, Mike Fiegel (2003) Politically Incorrect Games

A fantasy-genre RPG, set on a gritty fantasy world ("Rhun") where wars are fought with magically-powered war machines of stone, wood or exotic materials (i.e. "Rune Stryders") -- an homage to giant robotic mecha of Japanese animation. There are no fantasy races (i.e. elves or dwarves) and few large monsters. Instead, there are wars and political intrigue among the various human nations. The PCs are by default expected to be a band of mercenaries. It uses a dice pool system. Action resolution is to roll a number of d10s equal to (skill + 1). Each die under your attribute score is one success.

Run Out the Guns

1st ed by Jason Hawkins, Todd McGovern (1998) Iron Crown Enterprises

A pirate swashbuckling-action RPG set in the historical 17th century: specifically the Carribean circa 1660. The game includes a wealth of historical detail and background on the era. The system is based on (and compatible with) the Rolemaster system, but simplified to be suitable for beginners. There are pre-generated characters provided but no character creation system in the basic game. The ship-to-ship combat rules are also sketchy.

Run Robot Red

1st ed by Annie Rush (2004) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A humorous sci-fi RPG about little robots controlled by totalitarian overlords. It is set on Widenet YT, a vast worldship ruled by the tyrannical and mysterious Cel Tron Stroma.

Rus

1st ed by Mark Chapman, Joe Caruso (1990) Rus Games

A fantasy RPG set in the mythic version of medieval Russia. It includes elemental nature priests ("Volkhvy"), necromancers ("Koldun"), and Christian missionaries. It uses a system with classes (Russia-specific) and skills, with skill-based advancement. The combat system is fairly involved.

Sailor Moon RPG

1st ed by Mark C. MacKinnon (1998) Guardians of Order

A schoolgirl-superhero RPG based on the Japanese animated TV series, which includes a thorough description of the series including characters and background. It uses the "Tri-Stat" system from Big Eyes, Small Mouth, altered only by giving genre-specific traits.

Sandman

The Map of Hamal ed by Mark Acres, Andria Hayday (1985) Pacesetter

Key to the Inland Sea ed (1985)

A surreal RPG scenario series where the (pre-made) player characters wake up to find they have no memory of who they are or how they came to be there. The published game was originally intended to be in a contest to identify who the PC's are, but folded. PC abilities would slowly be revealed in the published scenarios -- clues as to their identity. The system is a percentile system with a universal action table, a simplified version of the Chill mechanics.

Santa's Soldiers

1st ed by Bill Kte'pi, Todd Downing, Gavin Downing (2000) Deep7

A light-hearted 28-page mini-RPG about a paramilitary army of well-armed elves who guard Santa and Christmas against the power-hungry Easter Bunny, Halloween's Boogieman, and the insane Anti-Claus -- using ultra-violent techniques so Santa doesn't have to get his hands dirty.

Savage Worlds

1st ed by Shane Lacy Hensley (2003) Pinnacle Entertainment Group

2nd ed by Shane Lacy Hensley (2005) Great White Games

A universal system with a focus on fast resolution. It uses a step-die rules system related to Deadlands. You roll a d4 to d12 (depending on your stat) plus modifiers, and a result over 4 or higher than your opponent's is a success. Combat uses an initiative system using playing cards, where each player draws a number of cards each turn. The basic rules include seven races: humans, elves, dwarves, half-elves, mantids, saurians and Atlanteans. It also includes a short section on Arcane backgrounds and powers.

Scared Stiff: the B-Movie Horror Role-Playing Game

1st ed by Gene Stanley Pritchard, Mike Demetro (2002) Guild Hall Press

A humorous RPG about B-movie Horror films. The PCs (known as "Victims of Circumstance" or VCs) are rated in Flaws rather than attributes, so that rather than Strength and Dexterity they are rated in Weakness, Clumsiness, and Ignorance (Primary) as well as Cowardice, Paranoia and Superstition (Secondary). Action resolution is either dice-using or diceless. Dice rolling is to roll over your modified Flaw rating on 2d6 to succeeed. This is intended as the first of several B-movies backgrounds using the "RPG-13" B-Movie game system.

Scimitar

1st ed by Ewan Murray (1998) Lance and Crown Games

A fantasy genre RPG set on an original feudal-era world, Thaythorn, and published on CD-ROM. Thaythorn includes versions of Elf, Dwarf and Goblin races -- as well as the reptilian Cy Kell, the canine Yarinese, and the insectoid Ythari. It uses a simple skill-based system. Action resolution is based on attribute + skill + 2d6 (where sixes open-end) vs difficulty. There are four attributes (Strength, Agility, Intellect, Presence), each of which have two sub-attributes. Character creation is limited point-based.

Second Dawn

1st ed by Art Wiederhold, George J. Herget (1982) Arrose Enterprises

A fantasy genre RPG with elements of sci-fi, inspired by the The Avenger of Thule novel by Art Wiederhold.

The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men

1st ed by Annie Rush (2004) Wicked Dead Brewing Company

A simple RPG suitable for children as well as adults. The PCs are gingerbread men who become magically animated for the twelve days prior to Christmas, who rush around the home, having adventures, getting in and out of trouble. The setting includes a nasty cat, a helpful but hungry dog, the King of the Rats, the Oracle atop the refrigerator, and the Cookiesmith.

The Secret of Zir'An

1st ed by Jason Armenta, Martin Caplan, Marcus Flores, Aram Gutowski, Chris Hockabout (2005) Paragon Games White Wolf

A pulp fantasy RPG set on an original fantasy world, Zir'An, dominated by magical technology including zeppelins, guns, and so forth. It is in a state similar to the decade preceding WWII. There are powerful beings called Fanes which have started to dominate in the several millenia since the gods disappeared. There is now an uneasy peace between a number of allied nations who work together to keep the Fane dominated Tilerian Hegemony at bay. There are also the independent and mercenary empires in the south, and the Forsaken Lands such as The Periphery, a collection of islands in the far south. It is inhabited by the dwarf-like Dolonorri, the giant primitive Gogachi, the beast-like Neolli, the secretive and immortal Zhalanti, as well as the human Ianers. It uses a simple system which uses attribute + aptitude + 1d10 vs difficulty, where the four-level skills (basic/advanced/expert/elite) can give an automatic success. Character creation is by a point-based lifepath system, which includes various packages representing different nations and factions.

Sengoku

1st ed by Mark Arsenault, Anthony Bryant (1999) Gold Rush Games

Revised ed (2001) Gold Rush Games

A historical RPG set in 16th century Japan, with careful attention dedicated to historical background and information. It uses the Fuzion system.

Senzar

1st ed by Todd King, Johnny Bruner (1995) Nova Eth Publications

A fantasy RPG set in a multiverse ("Senzar") with numerous gods and immortals. It uses a variety of dice and mechanics (similar to AD&D). Combat is d20 + offense - defense : 9 or less misses, 20+ is a critical hit. Character creation is class-based with point-bought attributes, advantages, and disadvantages. Spell and combat advancement is level-based (although skill and attribute advancement is independent of this).

Serenity Roleplaying Game

1st ed by Jamie Chambers (2005) Sovereign Press

A space opera RPG, adapted from the Firefly TV series and Serenity feature film by Joss Whedon. It uses a system adapted from the Sovereign Stone fantasy game. Attributes and skills are rated in a a step die system with twelve ranks: d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d12+d2, d12+d4, d12+d6, d12+d8, d12+d10, d12+d12. Action resolution is by rolling attribute die plus skill die. Characters have six attributes (Agility, Strength, Vitality, Alertness, Intelligence, Willpower), along with skills and advantages. It also includes a plot point mechanic. Plot Points can be spent before a roll for an extra die (costing 1 per rank), after the roll to raise the total (costing 1 per +1), or to manipulate the story (scaled from 1-3 for convenient coincidence to 11+ for "saving your bacon").

Seven Leagues: A fantasy roleplaying game of Faerie

1st ed by Hieronymous (2002) Malcontent Games

A fairy-tale RPG including modern fantasy from magical realism to gothic urban magick. It uses a simple system, called "Roll 13". Resolution is by rolling 1d12 + attribute + modifiers, where a total of 13 or higher is a success. Character creation is by choosing a player-created descriptive Aspect (such as "a fairy princess" or "a mighty warrior"), and distributing 13 points among the three attributes (each rated 1 to 7): Head (mental), Heart (social/emotional), and Hand (physical). Characters may also have a number of Charms (magical abilities) equal to their lowest attribute, and optional Taboos (i.e. limitations/hindrances which increase their number of Charms).

The Seventh Seal

1st ed by Scott R. Mitchell, Edwyn Kumar, Mark Bruno, Scott Lynch (2002) Creative Illusions

Revised ed (2005) Morrigan Press

A modern-day fantasy RPG based on biblical mythology as presented in the Book of Revelation. Six of the seven seals have been broken, and demons are wandering the Earth in human guise seeking to bring about the final apocalypse. The PC's are Sentinels: mortal guardians of Heaven invested with supernatural powers. They are organized into different celestial orders corresponding to the archangels (Michael, Gabriel, etc.). It uses a dice pool system, where actions are resolved by rolling over a target number on a number of d6's equal to attribute plus skill. Character creation is limited point-based.

SewerSide: Are You Slimy Enough for the Sewers?

1st ed by Ashok Desai (2003) Eldritch Design

n A humorous scifi RPG published in electronic format, where the PCs are hideous mutants banished to the sewers below a modern-day town. The premise is that all ugly people were declared mutants and locked in the sewers, and since radioactive waste was also dumped there, soon there were even more hideous genuine mutants. There are eight strains of mutant: Bloaters (overweight and bloated humanoids), Bugs (insectoid monstrosities), Furries (humanoid animals prized as slaves by kinky folks), Goops (big balls of boneless slime), Hissies (reptilian mutants), Psychos (big-brained mutants with a knack for psychic powers), Skinbags (incredibly skinny mutants whose skin sags around them like some sort of cloak) and Sushi (fish people). There are a large assortment of humorous mutations described. Action resolution is to roll (skill) d10's and take the best, then add attribute. Character creation is either random-roll or selected.

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach

1st ed by Jason Morningstar (2006) Bully Pulpit Games

A darkly comedic horror one-shot role-playing game about an evil Sumerian mind-controlling cockroach preying on the faculty in a small New England university campus in 1919. It uses a GM-less narrational system, where players compete to gain academic Reputation by bidding to winning one of a series of narrated scenes, driven by drawn cards. The winner of the scene is the one who rolls the highest number on the dice. If you are possessed by the Roach, you roll a massive d12. However, if you end the game possessed by the Roach, you lose. To lose it, you have to regurgitate the Roach, by subliming away something you care about, which makes your dice weaker. The game comes with a packet of 40 cards and a rubber cockroach.

Shades of Earth: Earth History with a Twist

1st ed by William Corrie III (2003) HinterWelt Enterprises

An alternate-history RPG with a percentile skill-based system (the "Iridium System"), including a setting in 1938 Europe where secret organizations use magic powers to prepare for the coming war. Character creation includes random-roll attributes (best of 3d20 for each of eleven attributes), followed by choosing one of 23 classes which influence skills.

Shades of Fantasy

1st ed by Steven Bode (1993) IDD Co.

A "High Fantasy" genre RPG, which attempts a medieval feel with monotheistic religion and faerie influences. It includes 15 races including Fey Folk, Devilkin, Kobolds, Penitent Angels, and Changelings. It uses a percentile skill-based system. Character creation is random-roll attributes (modified by race), choice of occupation or occupations, and point-bought skills and advantages. Skills and advantages outside of your occupation cost double.

Shades of Heroes

1st ed by Jason Kirby, Jason Thomas, Dean Meuggenburg, Shiree Nabours, Jon Kawa, Brian Henrikson, Jon Kawa, Jason Thomas, Dean Meuggenburg (1998) Argonaut Game Studios

A fantasy genre RPG.

The Shadow of Yesterday

1st ed by Clinton Nixon (2004) Anvilwerks

Revised ed (2005)

A sword-and-sorcery genre RPG which attempts to meld the standard fantasy role-playing and "hard-charging narrative engine". It is set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world (known as "Near") where the apocalyptic creation of a moon has ravaged cultures and thrown the fate of the world into question.

Shadowrun

1st ed by Bob Charrette, Paul Hume, Tom Dowd (1989) FASA

2nd ed (1992)

3rd ed (1998)

4th ed (2005) FanPro

A fantasy-cyberpunk game, set in a future where magic returns to the Earth, and many people are transformed into elves, dwarves, and trolls. It uses a dice-pool system, rolling d6's equal to stat vs a target number of difficulty.

S.H.A.L.T.

1st ed by Brian F. Schreurs, Joshua D. Thompson, J.D. Falk (1988) Coltrane Publications

A humorous small-press sci-fi RPG, with 10 races including giant Neptunian Space Bears. It uses a minimalist system.

Shard

1st ed (2008) Shard Studios

A fantasy-genre RPG set on an Eastern-themed world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, known as Dardünah or the World of the False Dawn. It uses a d6 dice-pool system, where you roll a number of d6s equal to skill minus difficulty, and each die result of a 4, 5, or 6 is a success. It includes a ritual magic system.

Shards of the Stone

1st ed by Jared Nielson, Sean Patrick Fannon (2000) Obsidian Studios

1st ed by Jared Nielson (2001) InterStrike, Inc.

A fantasy-genre RPG using the Fuzion system. The setting is a multiverse where a primordial stone shattered into 25 elements: including Air, Earth, Fire, and Water but also Law, Creativity, and Love. These elements can be physically mined, grown, and so forth from the worlds which resulted from the shattering. There are usual races of elves, dwarves, orcs, ogres, and goblins -- plus winged folk, reptile-men, and beast-men. cf. the official website.

Shattered Dreams

1st ed by Matthew D. Grau, Christopher Dorn, Timothy R. Erickson, Lance P. Johnstone (1994) Apex Publications Inc

A horror RPG set in a dream-world, where Nightmares are evil beings that creep into our minds when our souls are bared and corrupt our beings. The PC's are Dreamwalkers who have powers within the dreamworld. There were 3 supplements/adventure books: "Awake and Alone", "Liquid Dreams", and "Of Sound Mind".

The Shattered Sky

1st ed by Paul Lucas (1997) Propaganda Publishing

A science fantasy RPG set in the shards of a Dyson Sphere which was broken 5000 years ago, with distances measured in "Earths". It includes aliens, centaurs, talking dolphins, and orcs: all created using genotech and "uplift." The magic is ostensibly based on nanotechnology. The system is percentile-based.

Shatterzone

1st ed by Ed Stark (1993) West End Games

A cyberpunk space opera game, set in the late 25th century after the accidental discovery of an unexplainable phenomena called the "Shatterzone". Space is controlled by the monolithic Consortium and Fleet, along with various megacorporations. It uses a variant of the Torg system, with modified Drama Deck, and rules for psionics, aliens, and space combat.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Dead Duke

1st ed by Chris Engle (2005) Hamster Press

A pregenerated scenario book using the minimalist Engle Matrix Game system. This includes several murder mystery scenarios where the players are Sherlock Holmes and associates. The system has explicit negotiation of arguments and results, but leaves the chance