If you like D&D but want a different gaming experience, there’s a rich world of RPGs waiting for you. Here are 5 role-playing games that offer some similarities to D&D, but which also differ in fun and interesting ways.
1). Pathfinder
Pathfinder started life as Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, but if you ask anyone who has played it, they’ll agree the game has a life of its own.
As in D&D, Pathfinder allows you to create highly customizable fantasy characters, choosing from various races and classes before you go out on adventures. Many of the rules and mechanics are similar, but Pathfinder offers more customizable character builds as well as more rules.
If you like D&D but want more complexity and customization options, Pathfinder and the new Pathfinder 2nd Edition may be perfect for you.
2). Zweihänder: Grim and Perilous RPG
Let’s say you love fantasy, but your tastes have always skewed towards grimdark, Game of Thrones-style stories. Zweihänder: Grim & Perilous RPG has you covered, with a dark and gritty world perfect for morally dubious adventurers.
The mechanics of Zweihänder are fairly easy to learn: it’s a percentile-based rules system. The real meat of this game, with its 700-page core rulebook, has to do with the professions your character can assume. There are over 100 of these, and they include jester, animal tamer, necromancer, and inquisitor.
3). Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of
Where would we be without Robert E. Howard’s classic stories of Conan the Cimmerian? Dive into the pulpy world of sword and sorcery fantasy, complete with swashbuckling heroes, magic, and exciting adventures in the lost world of the Hyborian Age.
Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of is a 2d20 system in which players contribute to a shared bonus pool called Momentum. The GM has a pool called the Doom, which they can use to create additional challenges.
4). Numenera
In the far-distant future, humanity has returned to Earth after the rise and fall of eight previous great civilizations. In Numenera, players explore the ruins of these long-lost civilizations, seeking to ignite a new age of discovery and rebuilding.
Numenera is a rules-light game that puts a premium on flexible narratives and player engagement in a weird and fascinating alternative to the classic fantasy adventure.
5). RPG Battles
Do you like D&D, but want more battles? Maybe you want an accessible, session-friendly version of D&D or Pathfinder to play with your friends or family.
Welcome to RPG Battles, a card-based RPG that plays a bit like a cross between Pathfinder and Exploding Kittens. Players choose pre-created characters, each of which has 3 hit points and a dagger.
You then spend the game collecting cards to help keep your character alive, and battling a variety of monsters as they appear.
Your cards may include weapons, armor, magic, and special cards that can help you plan or strategize—for example, by looking ahead in the deck or stealing a card from another player. The objective is to be the last player left alive.
Learn more about RPG Battles, or play the game online for free here.