Summary
Dungeons & Dragonsis the game that’s most likely to come to mind when talking about tabletop role-playing, but it’s far from the only good option on the market. Over the years, tabletop RPGs have proliferated for basically every preference, and there are a ton of alternatives that are definitely worth taking a look into.
While some of the best TTRPGs have essentially nothing to do withDnD, many carry over aspects ofDnDthat players love while leaning into their own strengths. For the right group, any of these games can end up being the perfect replacement forDnDentirely, but they can also be nice as something to simply try out every once in a while.
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10Forbidden Lands Makes Exploration Matter
Forbidden Landsis one option for a grittier version ofDnD, although that doesn’t mean that it adds more crunch across the board. WhilemodernDnDcan tend to handwave a lot of elements of travel, exploration, and resource management,Forbidden Landsputs a big emphasis on that side of affairs. Danger comes from a lot more places than just monsters and traps, forcing a party to take a consistently strategic approach if they want to survive.
Magic isn’t exactly a reliable tool inForbidden Lands, consistently incurring the risk of something going very wrong. There’s still a lot of room for interesting effects in the form of Talents, which emphasize the unique abilities of characters. IfDnDjust doesn’t feel perfect for a sandbox style of play,Forbidden Landsis definitely an alternative to check out.
9Ryuutama Is A More Relaxed TTRPG
DnDadventures are often bold and brash, but there’s room for a fantasy TTRPG that’s more about stopping and smelling the roses.The Japanese TTRPGRyuutamais often compared to thesensibilities of Ghibli-films or JRPGs that lean more on the slice-of-life side.The focus is definitely more on exploration than combat, but even exploration is more about seeing the sights and experiencing the world than it is about survival.
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A look at tabletop roleplaying gams with rules and themes similar to those of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and other console RPGs published in Japan.
Ryuutamacan be a good introductory RPG for players, with enough structure to keep options from ever becoming too overwhelming. It also takes the unusual approach of involving the DM directly with the party, traveling alongside them and offering some unique help along the way.Ryuutamadefinitely isn’t for everyone, but it fills a niche that some players will absolutely adore.
8Dungeon Crawl Classics Is Off-The-Wall
Something that’s not always fully appreciated about old-schoolDnDis just how unhinged and off-the-wall it could be.Dungeon Crawl Classicscertainly appreciates that, however, focusing less on the heroic adventure and more on the pulpy feel. Unpredictable magic makes for some particularly exciting moments, and the lurking threat of death encourages a lot of desperate creativity.
One especially interesting idea inDungeon Crawl Classicsis the zero-level character funnel, which has each player roll up multiple weak characters to bring a whole convoy into a starter dungeon built to chew through bodies. Whichever characters walk out the other end are the ones that will stick around for the campaign. It’s unforgiving, but it’s a great way to make things feel fresh from the very start.
7FATE Is Highly Flexible
FATEcan be a very different game fromDnD, but it’s an obvious answer to aDnDparty that’s getting tired of sticking to the setting and style. While a lot of RPGs offer a very specific flavor, whether it’s fantasy dungeon crawling or sci-fi crime,FATEis intentionally open to just about anything. At its core, it’s more about narrative than anything else, which can be easy to transition into fromDnD5e.
What’s particularly useful aboutFATEis its focus on mechanics that apply to situations beyond combat, making it easier to play out other types of events and encounters in a relatively structured way. It’s not going to be as satisfying for those looking to grab loot and dive into dungeons filled with monsters, but for anything else, it’s worth at least considering.
6Symbaroum Is A Beautiful Dark Fantasy
Of all the grittier takes on aDungeons & Dragonsexperience,Symbaroummight be the easiest to jump over to fromDnD5e. The underlying system of the game is fundamentally similar, so getting the hang of things doesn’t tend to take much time. For the particularly reluctant, there’s alsoRuins of Symbaroum5e, which converts things to the basic 5e system while retaining a lot ofSymbaroum’s flavor.
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There are actually two different tabletop RPG adaptations of the Dark Souls games in the West and Japan, and each has a few differences.
The dark fantasy setting has a lot of unique points of appeal, likeclever takes on fantasy races and an undeniably rich atmospherethat’s as beautiful as it is potentially oppressive. It’s the perfect choice for something darker that’s not principally interested in feeling mean, although combat can certainly be deadly.Symbaroumis even more streamlined than 5e in some regards, minimizing HP bloat and time-consuming combat.
5Worlds Without Number Is A Great Free Option
Worlds Without Numberhas a huge selling point that most majorDnDalternatives don’t —it’s completely free to get into, with a free edition of its core book covering all the essentials of the material and then some. Anyone who falls in love with it can invest in a paid version, but it’s not a case where the pared-down alternative feels more like a demo than a complete product.
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Worlds Without Numberhas some fun sub-systems that aren’t present inDnD, and it still manages to never get too bogged down in crunch. One cool idea is System Strain, which limits thing like how much a character can be healed in an interesting way. A nicely tuned skill system is the cherry on top, and it’s hard to imagine that most people who enjoyDnDcouldn’t also find some fun inWorlds Without Number.
4Dungeon World Emphasizes Improv
Dungeon master prep is a big part ofDnD, but it’s possible to run TTRPG sessions that cut back a lot on prep time without removing the fun.Dungeon Worlddoes a great job at emphasizing player-driven stories and creation on the fly, making it easy to keep the ball rolling without as much framework in place. It’s great for that kind of collaborative experience, although having some strong experience as a dungeon master is still helpful to be able to improv in the way that it requires.
Mechanically,Dungeon Worldis ultimately pretty far from theDnDexperience, but the classic fantasy flavor is certainly intact. It also doesn’t particularly lean into a traditional power curve, keeping things a little more flat in a way that allows parties of varying levels to functionally adventure together. If more traditional old-school approaches and modernDnDalike just aren’t scratching the itch, it’s worth checking out.
3Mörk Borg Makes It Darker
DnDgames can get dark, but it isn’t what the system is directly built around. The classic fantasy flavor ofDnDthrows plenty of disturbing threats at players, but it’s fundamentally heroic fantasy, and shining triumphs tend to be the innate trajectory.Mörk Borgis a game for those who really want it darker, with an unforgiving, grotesque world that makes decisions consistently threatening.
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Mörk Borgis a lot lighter on combat rules thanDnD, which, combined with the tendency toward brutality, can make it great for short adventures or one-shots. Throwing aDnDparty intoMörk Borgwithout checking in about the change in tone could be a bad idea, but a lot of players are likely to love it if given the choice. There are also some fun forks ofMörk Borgthat can take things in other directions, like the seafaringPirate Borgand the sci-fi horrorVast Grimm.
2The One Ring Recaptures The Tolkien Feel
There’s a lot of Tolkien inDnD, but despite the presence of elves, dwarves, orcs, and more, it doesn’t ultimately feel very much likeThe Lord of the Rings.Tolkien’s work is a lot more than its surface elements, and it’s ultimately defined by subtlety in a way that’s very difficult to replicate inDnD.The One Ring, on the other hand, does a shockingly good job at setting upcampaigns that actually feel like they take place in Middle-earth.
This might not be the most exciting option for players who want constant big moments, so it can take some adjustment when coming over fromDnD.To stick more directly to theDnDscript, there’s alsoThe Lord of the Rings Roleplaying,which is based directly on 5e rules while making its own tweaks to be more Tolkien-appropriate. Even so, nothing quite compares to how wellThe One Ringnails the tone.
1Pathfinder Is The Obvious D&D Alternative
It’s impossible to have any discussion of direct alternatives toDnDwithout bringing upPathfinder. As essentially a revised continuation ofDnD3.5e that proved to be a popular alternative to 4e, first editionPathfinderis essentially asDnDas it can get without bearing the brand name. Second edition steps out onto its own a little more, but both will be familiar in many aspects toDnDplayers.
Pathfinderis the perfect place to go forDnDplayers who are starting to find 5e a little thin. With tons of products and a strong community, it’s incredibly easy to jump intoPathfinder, even if a bit more crunch can require a learning curve. Character customization can be way more specialized, and combat has some real meat on the bones without requiring as much invention from the game master to make it exciting asDungeons & Dragonssometimes can.
