Sorry for double post, didn't check further postings while typing the previous one:

Quote from: KazKryyst, I want some sort of politick mechanic attached.

All my three suggestions lack them apart from skills as Diplomacy.

Quote from: KazWalkerp, I do like combat gritty and the world I am imagining is pretty gritty.

Blood Games is quite gritty, FTA is D&D-gritty (quick dying on low levels while you later jump off of 100m cliffs), while SW is so-so. PCs are clearly advantaged in comparison to most NPCs (can take several wounds and use bennies to re-roll), but when they get hit hard they may suffer critical damage as attribute loss.

Another thing that comes to my mind is The Riddle of Steel in the free quick-start version. Free-form magic, gritty combat and medium crunch in one package, but it also lacks political mechanics.

Skyrock, Real Politicks is a bonus, not a necessity.
Also, I probably should have mentioned this before, but I'm like Emperor Palpatine in my fantasy roleplaying. If it ain't human, I don't want it. Yuck.

I have read/heard about Riddle of Steel but I never gave it much thought. I'll add it and the others to my list of games to check out.

Thanks, again!

Quote from: KazOther important particulars:
1) I want a somewhat freeform magic system. Being able to have multiple magic systems is a major plus. (For the setting.)
2) I'd like it to be classless, but that's not a deal breaker.
3) I'm a medium crunch fellow. I like some extra bits here and there but just the idea of FATAL makes me cry.
4) I don't mind doing some tweaking.
5) I have no loyalties to systems.

Hmm, my Iridium system sounds like a possible. It has free form magic and what I consider medium crunch. You can download the Lite and Standard systems for free (they are OGL) at our store or YGN.

Also, I just released Roma True20 and we converted the Free Form magic system from Iridium to True20. If you like, I can send you a comp copy to evaluate. Let me know.

The little that I looked at Riddle of Steel, it seemed very limited, mainly focusing on duels.  
 
I really need to look more at Savage Worlds.  The free preview makes it look decent and their $10 rulebook sounds like a sensational deal.  I also like their one sheet adventures on their website - Here's a scene and some bad guys, go to it.

Quote from: KazHello. I'd like some wisdom/advice/directions to the nearest bathroom. If you would be so kind.

I want to create a homebrew, fairly generic fantasy campaign. Right off the top, let me say, I do not enjoy D&D. The Vancian magic is pretty much enough for me but I also don't like the massive glut of classes, prestige or otherwise. At any rate, I want to make it clear that modifying D&D to fit my needs isn't an option. So, let's not talk about that please.

Other important particulars:
1) I want a somewhat freeform magic system. Being able to have multiple magic systems is a major plus. (For the setting.)
2) I'd like it to be classless, but that's not a deal breaker.
3) I'm a medium crunch fellow. I like some extra bits here and there but just the idea of FATAL makes me cry.
4) I don't mind doing some tweaking.
5) I have no loyalties to systems.

Things I've tried/looked at:
1) I was pretty much hooked in on using True20 and the True Sorcery book as the magic system. I had some problems getting it to work. And my idea of adding a bell curve by using 2D10, made me worry that things might be out of balance. I'm not against this because I did work with it for awhile, but something about it just didn't feel right, so I started looking at other avenues.

....

I may have something for you, it's homemade but fairly more detailed and "complete" than other free generic systems on-line.

1) The magic system could be made Vancian but currently is point based.  The power of magic can be tailored by changing, for example, the mana point cost, base die type for effect, duration etc.  It could support using magic makes you weaker and spell casting failure if you wish.

2) It's classless in a way, more a constrained skill system with added perks for creation of a certian skill constelations.  I have a purley classless approach in the works.

3) The system has 3-levels of crunch that are interoperable.  I use the lowest level for say unimportnat NPCs and quick encounters and feel the highest level of detail is fairly medium crunch.  I'd call it medium crunch because there is not much conditional rule aspects, If this Then that, or  cascading rules.  

4) Designed to support my own "vanilla" swords & socery/fantasy setting, not much tweaking there.  Setting specific stuff is fairly modular and separated from rules.  Obviously that can be tweaked.  When it comes to accoutrements I have I think well over a hundred magic items, and well over a hundred monsters stated up and ready to go.

5)  It's based on adding 2D10, so have that bit already.  You are right to be careful on importing 2D10 into d20, it's not so much the base target number but the modifiers that can throw it all out of wack.  +6 on d20 is much less powerful than on 2D10 (in general).

Quote from: SkyrockBlood Games would need a bit of tweaking as its magic system is aimed at real-world religions (or demand that you run something in the style of Ghosts&Ghouls/Castlevania with real religions). Moreover, it lacks the stock fantasy races (elves, hobbits etc.) and is very short on fantastical beasts other then horror beasts as vampires.
It can be done, but would probably demand the most work of my three suggestions.

What I meant about flavor. I ranked my suggestions in a vanilla fantasy to gritty reality order. Iron Gauntlets could be a drop in replacement for most D&D games, without any of the hassles that running D&D entails. FtA! has a specific wildernessy flavor to it, much more like OD&D than current D&D, with a slick, modern system and lovely stunting. Blood Games is perfect for post-medieval games, especially those set in the real world, and very gritty.

-clash

Quote from: HinterWeltHmm, my Iridium system sounds like a possible. It has free form magic and what I consider medium crunch. You can download the Lite and Standard systems for free (they are OGL) at our store or YGN.

Also, I just released Roma True20 and we converted the Free Form magic system from Iridium to True20. If you like, I can send you a comp copy to evaluate. Let me know.

Roma is great, and the magic system is neat and classy. It would require a bit more filing and fitting than IG or FtA!, but no more than Blood Games II. You do realize you tied a lot of stuff nicely into the setting, Bill!

-clash

Quote from: HinterWeltAlso, I just released Roma True20 and we converted the Free Form magic system from Iridium to True20. If you like, I can send you a comp copy to evaluate. Let me know.

That would be amazingly awesome.

Quote from: KazPundit, (or anyone who knows) is the political part of EPIC robust? (I see, fairly high up here, a blank for Titles/Ranks on the character sheet. Is that superfluous?)

Hi Kaz -

I'm one of the authors of Epic, and I agree with Pundit that it might be what you're looking for.  

Regarding your specific question about Titles/Ranks on the character sheet: after growing up, the primary adventuring skill set for a player comes from affiliating with a profession or organization (or lone wandering master or informal collective of like-minded individuals) inside of the setting.  Essentially, they're the folks who trained the character.  It works well to situate PCs in-setting immediately, and helps GMs out with conflict and story ideas.

After that initial start, characters can set out on their own from the organization or rise inside of it.  If they stick with the profession, there are mechanics for acquisition of ranks that provide social, material and mechanical advantages.  So it really does mean something to get knighted, for example.  Hence the spot for title/rank on the character sheet.

Also, the magic system does have a number of options.  It's not completely free-form, but there are six different disciplines of magic, running the gamut from shen (hopped up Crouching Tiger body magic) to alchemy (reality-smashing manipulation of gas, liquids and solids).

We've had a number of people use the system in their homebrews.  Basically, you just need to take the bad-ass organizations and professions that already exist in the homebrew and add skill sets and masteries.  Here's an interesting example of a port from a guy who is using the old PC game Darklands as a starting point.

I'm also a big fan of IG!

Quote from: KazThis is a huge help! You guys have actually increased the number of possibilities. Thank you very much, as I will now try to give these all a looksee.

Some specific questions.

Kryyst, I want some sort of politick mechanic attached. In True20, I was just going to lift the Influence system straight from GoO's A Game of Thrones (the D20 version) and replace the Reputation mechanic. Thoughts on that, if any?

Walkerp, I do like combat gritty and the world I am imagining is pretty gritty. (It centers on the cultural and personal conflicts of two different nations sorta  'discovering' one another, hence the need for multiple magic systems, I want the two to be very different.)

Pundit, (or anyone who knows) is the political part of EPIC robust? (I see, fairly high up here, a blank for Titles/Ranks on the character sheet. Is that superfluous?)

I will look at these other links and recommendations, thank you again. It might take me a few days to get through it all so I might be resurrecting this thread in the near future with more specific questions.

Oddly enough you're pretty much describing the RPG Reign to a T.  Only problem it's not free, not by a long shot.  Which is unfortunate because it would give you exactly what you want.  Political mechanics, basically free form magic, gritty level mechanics.  

Now back to the topic.  I don't see any issues in dropping in the political mechanics from GoO into True 20.  I however am not familiar with them so it's just a guess based on the fact that generally (effort may vary) any D20 mechanic from any game can be dropped into another.

Quote from: kryystOddly enough you're pretty much describing the RPG Reign to a T.  Only problem it's not free, not by a long shot.  

Are you saying "free" as in "free of cost"? Or generic?

Quote from: ReimdallHi Kaz -

I'm one of the authors of Epic, and I agree with Pundit that it might be what you're looking for.  

I haven't checked out that link yet but I have looked at the Web site and some of the promotional stuff (as well as Zachary and Pundit's reviews). And I've got to say, I'm very much impressed thus far. I don't really like randomizing character creation, but reading about the system in Epic has me excited to try it.

What would you say is the learning curve on this? The character log looks a bit intimidating at first glance.

Are there Hit Points involved?

(For those keeping score at home, the Kaz hate list:
1. Fire and forget spells
2. Non-human PCs or NPCs in a non-space setting
3. Hit points!)

You already thought of it, but I'm chirping in to recommend D6, which I found to be very easily moddable.

Quote1) I want a somewhat freeform magic system. Being able to have multiple magic systems is a major plus. (For the setting.)

Magic use could simply be skill use. Add as many skills as you want, have magical effects that require you to roll on several skills, do what you want.

Quote2) I'd like it to be classless, but that's not a deal breaker.

Yes.

Quote3) I'm a medium crunch fellow. I like some extra bits here and there but just the idea of FATAL makes me cry.

I'd consider D6 - at least 1st edition D6 Star Wars, which is what I have - to be more light than medium. If that bothers you, you can draw up large tables for difficulty modifiers, more complex rules for quickdrawing, etc. etc..

Quote4) I don't mind doing some tweaking.

Easily tweakable - a few months ago I used SW D6 for a quick conversion into another, though different sci-fi setting, and it took me a grand total of 10 minutes to come up with automatic weaponry and combat enhancing drugs, including writing them down.

Quote4) The thread here about D6 going SRD has me very interested. Star Wars D6 was one of the RPGs I cut my teeth on and enjoy the system very much. We never got that far, but I've heard it breaks down in higher levels.

I guess that might be partially because people come to it with D&D-based expectations. True, if you want a veteran (~D&D 5th level) to have five times the damage absorbing and enemy-hitting capacity, and a great hero (~D&D 15th level) to have 15 times the same, then D6 will let you down because it can't do that. But IMNERHO D&D's extreme power inflation should be the exception rather than the norm.
When using D6, I take my cue from the writeups on the main movie characters: in the rule system, the highest starting skill a human can have is 6D. In contrast, the highest values in these character sheets are around 10-11D, less than twice that. And that's, like, Darth Vader's lighsabre skill, Han Solo's piloting ability, C-3PO being fluent in god knows how many languages - epic stuff. In my opinion, a character with skills of 7-9D in the two or three skills most important to their job are already hardcore veterans. Its just a matter of scaling.

Take Fudge as your base system, add 5pt-Fudge for a complete fantasy character generation system (with a comprehensive list of skills and attributes), then throw in Carl Craven's Gramarye magic system for a truly flexible and genuinely freeform magic system.

Plus, all of this stuff is free.

If you have a bit of spare cash, you can buy the Fudge 10th Anniversary Edition, which includes Fudge, 5pt-Fudge plus a whole bunch of combat options to make your game as crunchy as you like.  You can also pick up A Magical Medley which includes a slightly more polished version of the Gramarye plus a whole bunch of other magical systems for Fudge.