Tabletop RPGs That Dungeons & Dragons Fans Should Try

Summary

• Uncover TTRPGs beyond D&D to find new adventures, themes, and mechanics for captivating experiences beyond the norm.
• From eldritch horrors to modern techno-magic worlds, explore TTRPGs like Shadowrun, Call of Cthulhu, and Delta Green for unique experiences.
• Step into vibrant JRPG-inspired worlds with Fabula Ultima, or solve mysteries as teen sleuths in Bubblegumshoe for lighthearted storytelling.

Thanks to Dungeons & Dragons, fans of RPGs can embark on breathtaking fantasy adventures and save the world while doing all sorts of shenanigans. Interestingly, TTRPG fans would soon realize that more games exist outside D&D that might suit their fancy. Aside from Dungeons & Dragons are TTRPGs that explore other genres, tackle new themes, or even take place in some of the best worlds pop culture has to offer.

Unfortunately, the existence of a ton of TTRPGs may become overwhelming to newcomers to the genre. After all, what TTRPGs should they try that are similar to D&D but still different enough to offer new and captivating experiences?

Updated on January 6, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Dungeons & Dragons teasing its updated Monster Manual for a 2025 release, Dungeon Masters of the acclaimed TTRPG might be excited to finally be able to use their creatures with much smarter strategies and tactics to make more high-octane and fulfilling fights against their players’ characters. However, for those who want to wait for the Monster Manual release might want to consider giving other TTRPGs a shot — specifically those with new mechanics such as a post-apocalyptic military survival sim, a full-blown mecha experience, the recreations of an iconic sci-fi horror franchise for tabletop, and a conversion of a hit franchise where players can now become their own Teenagers With Attitude.

1

Twilight: 2000

Considered A Classic Perfect For Riveting Adventures

While the backstories of Twilight: 2000 editions differ in their major elements, some plot points remain the same — that at some point during Earth’s history, a catastrophic Twilight War (essentially World War 3) breaks out between the world’s superpowers that plunges the globe into an all-out war for survival. Characters in Twilight: 2000 are survivors of said war, with players having to help them navigate an alternate-history Earth where nothing is what it seems.

Compared to other narrative-heavy games, players of Twilight: 2000 editions will appreciate the RPG’s focus on survival mechanics. Whether it’s using the original iteration’s rules or the newer Year Zero Engine, players constantly have to track ammunition and supplies while intricately traversing a hex map. The game is just as compelling in its portrayal of gripping scenarios, with players forced to confront the consequences of stress (something they also track) or choices such as killing a wounded soldier.

2

Alien: The Roleplaying Game

Live The Horror In Space, Where No One Hears Anyone Scream

Triple ENNIE Award-winning Alien: The Roleplaying Game is the horror of the Alien franchise turned into a more personal experience. Set in the Alien universe, its titular RPG takes advantage of the straightforward Year Zero Engine to make both character creation and overall gameplay less demanding for fans. To simulate the thrill of having a multi-specialist crew, Alien: The Roleplaying Game allows players to create a character of different classes — such as the Colonial Marine, Company Agent, Medic, and Scientist – all of which have special Skills and Talents that can only go above a certain level.

Actions create a dice pool that players can roll, with an in-game Stress system that enables them to “reroll” at the risk of their characters becoming mentally unstable. It’s Stress and its underlying implications where Alien: The Roleplaying Game shines, as its mechanics count on players eventually over-Stressing themselves to overcome obstacles until the time when it “actually” matters. This is especially the case when facing Xenomorphs, of which there are many different kinds, amid environmental risks such as running out of oxygen, the chance of getting stranded in space, among others. Survival is not guaranteed in Alien: The Roleplaying Game, and with both Xenomorphs and one’s own mortality being enemies players face, true terror is at their midst.

3

Power Rangers Roleplaying Game

Become Teenagers With Attitude

Power Rangers Roleplaying Game follows in the same footsteps of other RPGs for other Hasbro IPs, such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, and My Little Pony. It uses the Essence20 system, an in-house system where Essences (essentially stats) determine a slate of Skills that “rank up” in the form of die-type boosts. Similar to other TTRPGs, Essence20 skill checks require a d20 added to the die type of the Skill in question with Modifiers. Unfortunately, this rather “blank slate” system can make certain mechanics in Power Rangers RPG rather tame in comparison, especially when flavor is involved — something important for the Power Rangers franchise considering its innate wackiness.

Thankfully, the game does compensate in the form of an interesting conversion of in-franchise concepts into mechanics. Ranger Colors are now represented similarly to “classes,” each with their own bonuses and specializations that grow as players level up. Abilities are broken down into Perks that provide different bonuses as well as Grid Powers that are tied to one’s Ranger Color — the latter of which requires Power Capacity to use, which reflects how characters only use their special weapons differently. Zords can be summoned but have a time limit, which also reflects how they appear in the show.

4

Lancer

Become A Pilot, Build The Dream Mech

Set in the distant future after the formation of the galactic Union, which in itself was formed thousands of years after Cradle (Earth) ventured into the stars, the political intrigue among the factions in Lancer might make players feel as though they’re about to play a social-heavy RPG instead of a mecha title. And yet, this attention to detail in potential grand scale elements seemingly being a Gundam callback, is what makes Lancer delight to mecha fans. When players create their characters in the game, they only have to increase a License Level to make progress. Instead of “classes,” Lancer players build a Background and possess Triggers — both of which can be invoked in narrative play in a freeform manner like FATE.

However, it’s in building mechas where Lancer shines. Pilots having a separate Mech Skill for specific types of mechs is just the beginning. Aside from being able to choose mechs (and mech parts!) across different types, mechs also come from a variety of manufacturers with wildly different specialties (from generalist, to sleek, to interdimensional mechs). As players increase their License Levels, so too can they add more components into their mecha — allowing them to build machines of the same caliber as MechWarrior or as sleek as other mecha-centric anime.

5

Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game

Live In The World Of Benders, Where Violence Is Not Always The Answer

Thanks to Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, players can deep dive into the vast and extensive world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra as benders, martial artists, or even technological experts. Set across different time periods, players can take their characters to world-saving adventures, sessions of political intrigue, or help the Gaang defeat the Fire Nation from behind the scenes. As a game that uses the Powered by the Apocalypse system, Avatar Legends resembles its sibling Masks in terms of a more freeform system.

Unlike other TTRPGs, balance plays an important role in Avatar Legends. Characters work with four major attributes (Creativity, Focus, Harmony, Passion), all of which offer different abilities depending on the playbooks or templates chosen. Much of the game involves choices that affect a character’s inner balance, where decisions often lean towards conflicting ideals and have technical effects on gameplay. In turn, conflicts aren’t always in the form of combat and may involve more character-driven factors. Due to balancing concerns, the game doesn’t offer the opportunity to play as the actual Avatar — although this can be a blessing for players who want to explore the series’ more ordinary characters.

6

Ten Candles

Everyone Dies, But The Question Is How

Unlike other horror games, Ten Candles by Stephen Dewey is pegged as a tragic horror title rather than a survival horror TTRPG — this is because all characters inevitably die in the story. Hope is the central theme of Ten Candles, and the game equips both the game master and players with everything they need to try to succeed. The game is ideally played with ten lit candles, with each candle representing a scene. When situations result in challenges, players (and possibly the GM) roll communal dice to seize narration rights and dictate what happens next. However, losing a conflict will extinguish a candle, ending the scene.

While rolling ties and losing candles will be in the GM’s favor, other mechanics support the players as much as possible. Characters possess Trait Cards that they literally burn and incorporate into scenarios to potentially change the results of a conflict, but losing all of them will result in the death of the user. Scenes also begin with establishing new Truths, or facts about the story that may work in the players’ favor. The more candles lost, the more opportunities are lost to the players: the GMs build their own dice pool, fewer Truths can be declared, and fewer dice are retained for players to use. In the end, all characters die, and a recording they prepared at the start of the game is replayed for anyone who manages to stumble upon their remains.

7

Slayers

A Fast-Paced Monster-Hunting RPG

Players who want the thrill of hunting monsters in a city whose name is lost to time will appreciate the urban fantasy setup of Slayers. Set in the ever-expanding reach of The City, Slayers characters take on the role of at least four Classes (the Blade, Gunslinger, Arcanist, Tactician) that serve as a straightforward template for methods of hunting monsters. Scenarios called Hunts take place in sprawling Districts, all made unique with a variety of NPCs and situations that may pique the interest of a party.

What makes Slayers rather interesting is its Rule of 4+, essentially a system that allows all Classes to approach combat in different ways with an ever-present rule: a roll 4+ is always a hit. This system allows players to become their own self-actualized monster hunters without relying on complex mechanics, ensuring more engaging sessions. Slayers also has a wide variety of supplements, including Dust which reveals a new location and a new Class, as well as Drifters which takes the game to a weird west setting.

8

Mutants & Masterminds

Create Heroes And Villains In A Technical But Fun Game

Comic book fans eager to bring their dream superhero or supervillain to life will appreciate the level of depth Mutants & Masterminds will offer players. Utilizing the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast, Mutants & Masterminds provides an interesting take on superpower-themed campaigns while maintaining familiar base mechanics through the d20 System as popularized by D&D. The superpowered focus of M&M means removing D&D staples such as Opportunity Attacks and Character Classes, but the game does incorporate new mechanics such as new Skills, Feats, as well as Super Powers that include equipment and gadgets.

Unique to Mutants & Masterminds are mechanics that simulate various aspects of stories revolving around superhumans. Characters begin at Power Level 10, which already provides them with points to allocate to strengthen their abilities – similar to how comic book stories often begin with heroes and villains already getting used to their powers. Damage is based on a damage source’s rank and is compared against a Toughness Save, reflecting how most attacks don’t damage heroes in comic books unless the plot states otherwise. Meanwhile, Hero Points allow players to simulate heroic acts in times of turmoil, with technical benefits such as rerolls and ignoring penalties.

9

Shadowrun

A Techno-Magic Future Overrun By Fantasy Creatures

While the Shadowrun franchise is best known for its trilogy of RPGs, all of them are inspired by the core Shadowrun TTRPG. The game is set in a dystopian version of Earth where a magical cataclysm has caused the “return” of magic to society, slowly mutating humans into traditional fantasy creatures. The political-economic collapse that followed this event paved the way for corporations to control much of the known world, relying on Shadowruns or feats of techno-magical industrial espionage to get ahead.

It’s in these Shadowruns that players get involved with the title. Players create humanoids of various origins and specialties that live a life of crime, be it as traditional bodyguards and mercenaries or even specialized deckers that can hack through the setting’s techno-mystical tech. The simplified combat mechanics allow players to fight a plethora of opponents, including agents and monsters, as well as robots, cyborgs, and even AI-esque Intrusion Countermeasures throughout their many missions.

10

Call Of Cthulhu

One Of The Best Approaches For Eldritch Horror

Inspired by the statement of H.P. Lovecraft that the greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG is likely the best resource players have for experiences that dabble into the maddening aspects of exploring the primordial. Technically set anywhere, the Lovecraftian RPG allows players to take on the roles of ordinary individuals who are slowly drawn into mystery through various situations. The crux of the gameplay lies in the slow reveals of the horrors of the unknown, where players have to contend with otherworldly forces using mysterious magic, knowledge, and artifacts at the risk of the very Sanity they are working to preserve.

The game’s skill system also encourages continuous usage of a character’s skillset, with their capabilities improving as long as they succeed in using them while in a healthy state. The lack of levels and recovering hit points through conventional “experience” adds a layer of dread to any session, making this perfect for a more horror-inclined experience.

11

Delta Green

Investigate Supernatural Phenomena

While certainly not a video game inspired by Cthulhu, the eldritch inspiration of Delta Green is evident in its first iteration as a setting for the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG. However, the setting eventually spawned its own roleplaying game given its focus on the activities of the eponymous Delta Green, an undercover organization placed in deep cover within intelligence networks to investigate supernatural phenomena.

Despite its Call of Cthulhu foundations, Delta Green specializes in giving players better control over the investigative aspects of their journey. Being part of Delta Green or the rogue organizations that are spawned from disgruntled members adds a more human flair to adventures, especially when risks of madness are integrated with risks of encountering other dangerous operatives.

12

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Engage In A More Brutal But Fulfilling Fantasy Life

In the Fated Place, or the world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the forces of the Chaos Gods have also wreaked havoc across the realm’s multiple factions, be it Mankind, Dwarves, Elves, or Lizardmen, among others. While not featuring the glorious Space Marines and their heretical xenos enemies, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay maintains the brutal but realistic flair its franchise is known for. Such are the challenges that players face in their heroic tales that the percentile dice used to determine the fate of their actions can often turn against them, with powerful magic potentially having consequences for the unversed.

However, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay does take into account its rich world when it comes to roleplaying options. Its Career System replaces the traditional class archetype in RPGs, this time allowing players to take on vocations and grow in rank as they progress in their career – with options to switch disciplines should the story require. This depth of character actions can help players get more attached to their creations, adding a more immersive appeal to the experience.

13

Fabula Ultima

Fulfill JRPG Dreams In Vibrant Worlds

Fans of Final Fantasy games who want to experience the vibrance of the JRPG in their own TTRPG settings won’t need to do an overhaul of D&D mechanics to accommodate a Final Fantasy-esque experience. Thanks to Fabula Ultima, fans may find a TTRPG especially tailored to JRPG mechanics. Emphasizing story-driven action, Fabula Ultima makes use of more simplified mechanics to perform actions as well as straightforward gameplay to easily get stories going.

Particular to the game is its implementation of Fabula Points and Ultima Points, both resources players and villains can earn as they do actions that affect the course of combat. With heroic deeds possibly pumping adventurers for wondrous moments while villains can use the extent of their evil for one last hurrah, Fabula Ultima‘s gameplay can be fast-paced but impactful for its players.

14

Bubblegumshoe

Become Meddling Kids And Solve Crimes

Those who want to take a break from typical dungeoneering and instead embark on solving various mysteries will delight in the story-fueled, straightforward mechanics of Bubblegumshoe. In this rather lighthearted-sounding TTRPG, Bubblegumshoe will have players take on the role of teen sleuths out to solve the most mundane or the most complex of mysteries plaguing parts of the town.

What makes Bubblegumshoe so intriguing is its practical setting and resource management, which allow players to take on mysteries just about anywhere without feeling overwhelmed; from the smallest of classrooms to the largest of cities. Given its mystery teen noir genre, the TTRPG also allows players to form intricate webs of relationships that give them a lot of room to deduce objectives, motives, patterns, and even alibis.

15

Feng Shui 2

Celebrate The Intense Action Of Chinese Martial Arts Films

Despite its 1999 release, Feng Shui 2 resonates a lot with fans of action flicks, particularly Hong Kong-inspired cinema, where martial arts blends with rich dialogue and exciting premises for rich cinematic storytelling. Its premise alone is intriguing. Players can travel through portals to get to various points in time — the Tang Dynasty, the Opium Wars, modern Hong Kong, and even post-apocalyptic settings.

Not only that, but these settings contain premises and stories similar to action flicks — emphasizing not just pure action but cinematically fluid martial arts. What’s intriguing about Feng Shui 2 is its straightforward gameplay. The game makes simple use of 1d6s (six-sided dice) and adds these results to their attributes and skills, making martial arts and other abilities much easier to perform.

16

Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game

Become Azeroth’s Savior Or Destroyer In A Pre-World Of Warcraft Setting

It should come as no surprise that a world as expansive as Azeroth would attract players of TTRPGs. Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game brings Warcraft into the realm of TTRPGs with an official ruleset and toolkit. Fans of D&D will feel right at home with Warcraft RPG, especially since it uses the Open Gaming License — meaning D&D’s signature D20 System will be in use most of the time.

What makes Warcraft RPG such an attractive game is the rich world that comes with it. Set just after the birth of the Alliance and the growing threat of both the Horde and the Burning Legion, players can embark on globe-trotting adventures that can change the course of history. And with the richness of Warcraft lore throughout the MMORPG, players can mimic storylines happening there and see if they could make other decisions as well.

17

Dragon Age RPG

Explore Thedas Outside The Video Games

Considering the richness of the world of Thedas, it makes sense for fans of Dragon Age to want to have grand TTRPG adventures set there. Luckily enough, Dragon Age RPG has an entire toolkit developed for this – alongside a straightforward set of rules that makes this TTRPG extremely easy to pick up.

What’s interesting about Dragon Age RPG is how the TTRPG makes use of Thedas as a huge setting for unique adventures. Players can take the role of warriors, mages, and rogues to either save the world or make a name for themselves. With each class having a unique set of specializations with unique abilities, players can have a fun time customizing their teams and making use of their archetypes’ skills both in and out of combat with their flexible systems.

18

Index Card

Create Stories On The Fly With Lightweight Mechanics

In keeping with its simplistic name, Index Card poses one of the most flexible and straightforward TTRPG systems out there. Similar to the likes of Fate and GURPS, Index Card aims to provide a system that prioritizes storytelling, with mechanics flexible enough for players to adapt to various settings and genres.

What’s cool about Index Card is how the system is made to quickstart one-shots and campaigns on the get-go. Its straightforward “skills-that-matter” outlook into toolkits allows players to quickly think of character archetypes and emphasize their innate strengths on the fly and can make for quick and delightful stories.

19

Fiasco

Create An Elaborate Story With No Complex Mechanics

Players who want to exercise their creative juices in quick one-shot sessions would appreciate the lack of complexity in Fiasco. Unlike most TTRPGs, Fiasco doesn’t need a GM (Game Master). At its core, Fiasco allows players to play out their “caper-gone-wrong” film subgenre. To give an example, the players may be unrelated characters trying to steal the same artifact — only to fail because of their machinations.

Unlike most games, Fiasco barely needs any preparation. Players will almost always make plot elements on the fly. In turn, players decide on characters, types of relationships, their character’s needs, as well as potential objects and locations of interest. With Fiasco‘s rules, each player gets to act out a scene. Interestingly enough, said player succeeds or fails in the scene at the behest of other players, with other cards opening surprise scenarios. In the end, players only succeed in Fiasco if they end up telling an interesting, entertaining, or hilariously wacky story.

20

Pathfinder

The More Stable Alternative To D&D

Originally a modification of D&D 3.5e based on the Open Game License, Pathfinder branched out into its own TTRPG. Now with a second edition, Pathfinder serves as a more streamlined alternative to D&D. Essentially, players will appreciate Pathfinder for a more straightforward take on things such as action economy and even stats — resulting in a simpler and more entertaining experience.

As with D&D, players of Pathfinder can play in their own homebrew worlds. However, where things drastically change lies in combat mechanics and character progression as a whole. Instead of having multiple action types, Pathfinder will have actions that cost certain points in a limited action pool — effectively simplifying turns. Moreover, all skills scale according to stats and player level, which in turn also simplifies roleplaying. Players who want to experiment with rule-tinkering with D&D can look at Pathfinder for some inspiration.