Thursday, September 15, 2016

My Top 10 Role Play Games

After compiling my list of most played games I looked at the shelves (literally many) of role play books and materials I have accumulated since the 1970's.  Sadly I got flooded in 2001 and lost many books and magazines I cannot replace, but I'm still left with just a few, thankfully all of my favourites which I will will now share with you.

My favourites of all time (excluding the big one D&D)
I have excluded from my favourites the major player from my timeline the one that everyone would have and probably still plays, Dungeons and Dragons.

#1
EMPIRE OF THE PETAL THRONE

This is by far the RPG that if anyone I knew said "I'm going to run EPT are you interested in playing?" I'd be the first to sign on.  Or if I found a group of enthusiasts who were prepared to play in this setting I'd be jumping for joy.  Sadly all I have are my memories of enjoyable adventures and the occasional republication and fan works of this exceptional and unique world.

#2
RUNEQUEST

The most popular opponent to D&D during the early days of role play.  Streamline, very little chart searching, more emphasis on skills and the all important role play.  My wife could play this game, so if she could master the mechanics then this game was a winner and a keeper.  The universe of Glorantha had enough mystery in it to encourage game masters to develop their own story lines.  The later products helped flesh out some background materials for those that needed it.  Personally if you had enough imagination of your own, who needs extensive (or additional expense) expansions.

#3
CALL OF CTHULHU

Another personal favourite of mine.  The pulp era has been a favourite for some time (of which I've been drawn into Pulp Alley, a miniature game - see other blog for details and stories).  The real life settings and ability to relate to horror thanks to the many mediums which now inundate us.  My particular period for CoC is the Gaslight period of the 1800's, the period suits me as my understanding of London is familiar and that the players don't and can't access the weapons of destruction that the 1920's onward have available.  I see that a 7th edition has just been released, but my 1st edition is more than adequate to the task of role play.

#4
TUNNELS & TROLLS
MONSTERS! MONSTERS!


Serious about role play, to up yourself and your 20th level super snotty sorcerer, then T&T is probably not for you.  Simple, fun and there were solo adventures!  Yes this is what I liked about this game, people were creating the if this happened, go to this point.  For me in the 70's and the early days of computer programming, it was so simple, even simpler to write up an adventure for your Apple II and run with. Ah, feeling nostalgic, I must wipe away a tear from my glass eye...

#5
STORMBRINGER
Stormbringer LINK

Using the same game mechanics as Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest this made this RPG a no brainer in the day.  It was a box set, sadly I've lost the box along the way, this is the first edition as far as I can tell, ie everything in one book.  Michael Moorcock's universe has appealed to since the 70's I remember buying his novels at a second hand book shop at Burleigh Heads (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia for overseas readers) for the princely sum of $1 (quite a sum back then).

#6
GAMMA WORLD

Metamorphosis Alpha was the precursor to this game (which I sadly lost in the floods), this game I think was spent much of time developing characters and laughing at the silly mutations created.  Then there was the flow charts when we found some of the technology!  The first edition (I did get some of the later ones) is the one which for nostalgia I'd play if I was asked to today.

#7
TOP SECRET

Well the 1980's for us young people had us still living in the Cold War Era, spys and the threat of Nuclear Armageddon was all too real (and my home loan interest rate was 18%).  Now while I suppose that is just as real, we are more likely to have some extremist hack us to death, don't think that would make an exciting role playing game.  However, spys were exciting, James Bond was the king of them all, and why not try a role playing game, and TSR did.  My friend Michael M was the best GM for this game and many a night was whiled away battling foreign agents and goblins...

#8
SPACE OPERA

You know what I can't remember anything except the fun I had playing this game.  That's all I can tell you about this RPG.

#9
SWORDBEARER


An underrated game by all accounts by my faulty memory.  Remembering nodes for some reason...

#10
DragonQuest

Another underrated role playing game forgotten by many.  I've included this in my Top 10 as a nodding remembrance to my friend Gary W who was keen on the game and his group of friends of whom I played an occasional game.  This is to me a classic and collectable (to me) game which is why I've included it even though it's not been played as much as say Vampire:The Masquerade or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.


So there you go, my TOP 10, sort of in order, maybe my favourites, time does funny things to memory, but some things like the fun I did have with the people who were my friends at the time did count.

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