What RPGs to you consider essential to own? Whether it's for the mechanics, the setting, the tables, or any other reason, what do you think are must-haves?
Well, I hate to say it, but D&D oids because so many people want to play them. Pathfinder, D&D 5e maybe.
GURPS maybe as a fall back if nothing else works.
Burning Wheel. I've never seen another system that does such a good job at gamifying narrative structures. You can have completely absurdly different characters with the entirely common-in-books differences in levels of competencies, but everybody can still feel like they're equally contributing to the story, whether they're a crippled slave gardener or a child soldier combat machine.
>>46841490
>D&D
If there is one game that is absolutely NOT essential to own, it's Dungeons and Dragons, because almost everyone you will meet in this hobby will have their own copy.
I don't really think there are any essentials. not for people just playing, at least. For people home-brewing a certain reference library is very useful.
Savage worlds is simple and easy to learn with great otions for homebrew and easy customisation.
>>46841230
I can't think of anything which is essential.
You'll likely want a copy of what your gaming group plays. Typically this ends up being Pathfinder or D&D5e at the moment, but there's nothing wrong with having a Shadowrun group or a WoD group. I find some good uses out of a version of Fate, although I wouldn't call that essential unless you frequently put together random concepts that don't fit a typical system.
>>46841230
Dnd cause classic
Wod/nwod cause interesting setting
>>46841230
Myfarog.
>>46841230
D&D 5e
"A" version of D&D, a version of Call of Cthulhu, A GURPS of some kind, something else more narrative-based. Something WoDish/Storyteller/ing.
Call of Cthulhu
Unknown Armies
Reign
Mouse Guard
Paranoia
Diaspora
Spirit of the Century
Don't Rest Your Head
Dread
>>46841853
That's why it's fucking essential.
You don't want to be the only asshat without the book. For more obscure shit, it's okay if there's only one guy with the book, because it's harder to find
>>46845777
This to be honest familia
Nice trips by the way.
>>46841230
I actually like to collect pre-2000 RPGs, particularly games from the 70s and 80s. Not because I have any interest in playing them, but because it's interesting to see the roots of the hobby and how different the landscape of the hobby and industry were before the WotC d20 SRD boom. So my idea of "essential" is less "what are you most likely to use" and more "what will most likely help you understand this hobby, where it came from, and where its going."
>>46853382
>not DnD
>obscure shit
Haha, yes, I used to know players like that.
So silly!
>>46852759
oh yeah, paranoia. definitely.
maybe only one fate derivative though.
>>46853526
Why?
The premise was essential RPGs, for mechanics, setting, or any other reason.
Both games are very distinct. They both tackle a genre, one Pulp, the other hard SF. One is gritty, the other heroic. Both manage to present the best way to play in the respective genre.
Just because they build on the same mechanism doesn't make them the same. By that logic we'd have to dismiss PF, OSR clones, 5e, 4e, 3.5, 3e, and ADnD, not to mention most homebrews, just because they all build on the White Box.
I wouldn't want to miss either Diaspora or SotC from my collection. They are both full games of essential relevance in their own right.
>>46853635
...Saga edition, Farscape, Starship Troopers, A Game of Thrones, Gamma World, Conan, Mutants & Masterminds, Spycraft, Ops & Tactics, Everquest, ...
>>46853695
...Wheel of Time...
CoC
German 5th
Goat leather edition
>>46853455
Trips for truth.
Gurps. No need for any others once it's on your shelf
Wild Talents
>>46841230
The core GURPS books + various sourcebooks depending on your tastes (for example, Tactical Shooting for operators or Ultra-Tech for sci-fi)
A dedicated superhero RPG (I prefer Mutants & Masterminds/DC Adventures)
A set of D&D core books from any single edition (3.X is garbage though)
A dedicated non-D&D fantasy game.
Pendragon
>>46841230
One of the 40kRPGs just for the critical tables.
Also Ars Magica should be required reading, even if you never intend to play it.
5E, GURPS, FATE.
Most popular system, best setting-agnostic simulationist game, one of the best setting-agnostic narrative games.
Anything else is a bonus. Savage Worlds might go on the list too, I've heard a lot about it being a useful middle ground.
>>46864100
GURPS vs Savage Worlds, perhaps, just like the DnD slot might be filled with a different edition of the game, depending on personal taste.
I like that setup, though.
(As a note, before anyone says it - GURPS only gets insane, rules-wise, if you try to throw everything in. Most systems and settings run perfectly fine with the limited rules needed for them.)
Bliss Stage.I'm serious. Everyone should experience this game for the first time, it's a real eye opener.
Mythic solo DM, the porn movie equivalent of rpgs
Gurps
Gurps space
Gurps Vehicles
Rhand morningstar missions
