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EltonRobb
Learned Scribe
 
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2025 : 01:21:53
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Hello fellow scribes!
I am wondering what Fantasy game system you use for your Realms game. There are a plethora of fantasy game systems out there. From Old School Revival games, to Dungeons and Dragons (any Edition), GURPS, Rolemaster, Runequest, and beyond!
I'd just like to know.
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HighOne
Learned Scribe
 
231 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2025 : 14:51:42
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I've only used D&D, because it's the only game I can find players for. Whenever I go to Roll20 and check the number of groups playing other games, there are at most 1 or 2, and often none at all. Too bad, because I'd really like to try Shadowdark, Old-School Essentials, or another OSR game. |
Edited by - HighOne on 07 Jul 2025 00:59:09 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
    
USA
12094 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2025 : 17:29:44
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I've only ever used various versions of D&D or pathfinder 1e for the realms, and the pathfinder was limited in time. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
    
USA
4216 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2025 : 18:09:49
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I had a long standing campaign that started out as 2e and went to 3.x before it finally drew to a close some years after that.
These days though, I pretty much only play AD&D in my FR games. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
    
United Kingdom
6405 Posts |
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EltonRobb
Learned Scribe
 
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2025 : 17:05:54
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quote: Originally posted by Gary Dallison
I use my own system, classless, leveless, single resolution mechanic, scene based play with narrative style meta currency to add to the randomness, and i can use any genre of game i want (although for realms stuff i keep it strictly fantasy).
Once i ventured down the rabbit hole of ttrpg design, i could no longer use other systems as they just have too many badly designed bits that i can no longer ignore.
*nod*
Yes, there is no perfect RPG system. Designing your own is commendable. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
    
United Kingdom
6405 Posts |
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Diffan
Great Reader
    
USA
4471 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2025 : 12:41:53
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quote: Originally posted by EltonRobb
Hello fellow scribes!
I am wondering what Fantasy game system you use for your Realms game. There are a plethora of fantasy game systems out there. From Old School Revival games, to Dungeons and Dragons (any Edition), GURPS, Rolemaster, Runequest, and beyond!
I'd just like to know.
Great question!
So I think it comes down to some concepts: what you envision your Realms to look like? Meaning, is it High Fantasy or maybe more Sword and Sorcery? The tricky thing about the Realms is that each author adds their concepts and ideals into the setting and story and they're not uniform. Sure, magic is pretty prevalent, but how it's used and who uses it (and the commonality of it amongst the people) are all different. For example, in R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt novels, healing magic isn't exactly showcased. None of the Companions of the Hall are clerics and they certainly don't seem to have an abundance of healing potions going on (as seen in, I believe it was Sea of Swords). But it's very gritty, personal, and dramatic.
On the other hand, you have novels like the Return of the Archwizards trilogy or the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy where magic is far more common amongst the characters and even people they meet.
Also, what aesthetics you're going for? The one thing the Realms is great at - Diversity. This means there's Pirates, musketeers, Knights, Wizards, Samurai and Ninja, eastern-stylized Monks, Friar-Monks, religious conflicts and Heresies, vikings and barbarians, all mixed into this weird pesudo-late Renaissance landscape and technology period. So how much of this plays into your game will definitely have an outlook on you're preferred Game System.
Probably why Dungeons and Dragons is the most often picked (name recognition aside), because it's the easiest RPG system to grab-and-go and apply on a broad scale and scope that has these elements in it.
I've used other systems with the Realms, namely Pathfinder 1e, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Microlite 20, and 13th Age (using their Icons concept as regional organizations/big NPCs).
If I had a willing group, I'd honestly play it far closer to gritty down-to-Faerūn style and go with a modified E6 version of 3.5 D&D. This means that normal people cap out at 6th level and then just advance via Feats and templates. It means that groups of Orcs are always scary, dragons and vampires are down-right terrifying and creatures beyond the Realms (demons, devils, far-realm monstrosities) are the stuff of legends and nightmares, unlike in normal D&D where they're simply generated random encounters that eats up some of your resources. Seriously, my 5e Group of approximately 13th level PCs steamrolled a Nalfeshnee and 5 goat-like Demons (Bulezau) like they were a minor inconvenience.
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Diffan's NPG Generator: FR NPC Generator |
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