Breaking Away from the Dungeon

By: Molotov

I think that for most people, their first exposure to role playing games starts in one place. The classic fantasy, dungeon crawls and dragon slaying. It is what's familiar, it's what we know, but what about beyond that?

For some people the dungeon never gets old. Great GMs can weave tales that could make a players feel like they are stars in an epic Hollywood film. But I know I'm not the only one who has burned out every now and again on the goblin killing grind, yet still not wanted to stop the game night socials.

When I jumped into alternate options is when I feel like I really started to get to know role playing and my own gaming style a lot better. Non-fantasy role playing isn't a new concept but it might be one that hasn't been explored by newer gamers. I want to share a few of the systems I've enjoyed over the years and maybe help shake things up for adventuring parties looking for something new.

World of Darkness:
This was my very first game outside of Dungeons and Dragon or Pathfinder and it will always hold a special place in my heart. The creators, White Wolf, have gone through several versions, from “old” World of Darkness (OWoD) to the “new” World of Darkness (or NWoD) to it's newest version Chronicles of Darkness. If you haven't played this role playing game, you might still have gotten some exposure to it through video games like Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (whose haunted house level still manages to creep me out). While they've made a lot of effort to smooth out and simplify the system, the core concepts remain the same. There is the normal world and then there is the supernatural. Designed to fit into modern day with skills like "computer" and "science", a single universe can hold a variety of campaigns. The core rule book provides the base world and then you add your supernatural element. Each element is well fleshed out and provides an entire campaign setting of it's own. Choose between Vampires, Werewolves, Mages, Changelings and more, each with their own unique character design options and story telling opportunities.

I use the term "storytelling" deliberately here. White Wolf use the term Story Teller in place of Game Master, and I cannot think of a more fitting title. What I love most about this system is that it really is about the story. Player gives a description of an amazing feat they want to do? Storytellers can give them a bonus for the description. Your player wants to do something odd that there isn't a rule for? Pick a skill and an attribute from the character sheet, and that's their required check to pull it off.  For the die hard third edition Dungeons and Dragon players, it can be a jarring shift. White Wolf really steps away from the combat focused formats and extensive rules lists which takes some adapting to if you’re coming from some other systems. It's the kind of game that I could recommend even to new players because of it's flexibility. This system really is more about the player interactions with their group, the world, and the NPCs. If you're looking to get away from the hack and slash I'd highly recommend it.

Paranoia:
Before we begin on this system there is something I need to cover. If you are a die hard for an epic tale of friendship and questing you can probably skip over this section.  If you have ever felt like the lives of your fellow party members are worth sacrificing for personal gain, I’ve for the game for you.

Paranoia is a game of all for one, but not so much one for all. By "all for one" I mean all for Friend Computer. Think 1984 meets HAL, with a sick sense of humour. Players work together to complete their objectives in the name of serving the glorious Computer. Until their objectives collide, at which point it becomes who can pull the trigger the fastest. Or causes the "accidental" explosion. Or manages to poison a water supply. You get the idea.

In the game anything other than obeying the Friend Computer is treason, and you are low ranking plebs in it’s service where everything, including the game rules at some points, are confidential until you rise in rank. However, you are also part of an underground resistance. Your day job, your resistance work, and your teammates are likely to lead to your demise.

If you're a GM with creative players who you think would could do well with a silly setting and could use the stress relief of murdering each other, this might be a good campaign for you.

Star Wars RPG:
You know what? I'm going to admit it. I don't know much about Star Wars. I know the movies, but the expanded universe is a complete mystery to me. It is a major black mark on my "geek cred" that I have to live with. Not knowing about Star Wars made me really nervous about starting up in a Star Wars campaign.

Dozer picked up one of the Fantasy Flight beginner RPG boxsets, Star War: Edge of the Empire, and ran if for an all female group of gamers. It was a mix of experienced and completely new players. Now, seeing the name Fantasy Flight on the box didn't calm my nerves a lot. My experience with them has been some fantastic, but not exactly simplistic, board games. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. The beginner RPGs come with simplified dice, prebuilt characters, and storylines that don't depend on a knowledge of the Star Wars universe. After completing that one shot, I started looking into the rest of the universe and they really do have something for everyone. A fantastic array for beginners all the way to die hard fans and gamers. This system could be it's own entire post. If you have a group that knows the franchise, you can find a version of the system that works for them.

There are so many systems out there to choose from. Shadowrun for the cyberpunk fiends, Legend of the Five Rings for those looking for a well fleshed out Japanese themed epic, or Warhammer Fantasy for those who don't want to get attached to their character. The ones I've described are just a few of the ones I've played and enjoyed, and I hope help open you up to the wide world of role playing.

Experienced role player? What games do you prefer to break up the dungeon crawls? I'd love to hear what systems others have enjoyed.