Howdy folks -
Just thought I'd ask the hivemind here for some suggestions - as the title says, I am looking for a good tabletop RPG that focuses in on ancient Greece, but without any of the "fantasy races".
Call me crazy, but I prefer not to have standard Tolkien races in my ancient Greece. Humans, Satyrs, Nymphs, etc. that stuff is fine. I've seen recent games come out that are influenced by ancient Greece: Arkadia, Theros, etc. but they've all shoehorned in standard fantasy races into the mix. While that's great for others, it's just not my preference. My group is looking to run a campaign like the Odyssey or Iliad, or Jason and the Argonaughts. (I am aware there is a dnd 3.5 game like this) - but it's been difficult finding something that fits what were looking for.
If anyone has any suggestions on this I'd love to hear them!
Thanks!
MAZES & MINOTAURS
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/
I prefer the original 1972 rules, but others enjoy the completeness of the revised rules. It's also available on DriveThruRPG and has many supplements and adventures. And its 100% free.
I've run M&M for many years and its tremendous fun.
You could just not have other standard D&D races like elves and dwarves if you don't want them. There is nothing about D&D that forces you to have elves and dwarves in your campaign, the Monster Manual has other things from Greek myth that are appropriate such as minotaur, centaurs, cyclops, pegasus, medusas and the like, why not just use those?
I am familiar with M&M, that was one of the first I checked out. I do see that there is a fair amount of stuff for it, so it might be an option.
>You could just not have other standard D&D races like elves and dwarves if you don't want them.
Honestly, I'd rather not have to weed through all that stuff - It's just not for me. I don't want a game with all that stuff in it, plain and simple. In many games, you just can't selectively omit the fantasy stuff as it's all woven throughout the game. As I said above, that's fine for some, but I'd prefer a game without it. I remember there being games out there, but my memory eludes me at the moment.
Quote from: Spinachcat;1134948MAZES & MINOTAURS
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/
I prefer the original 1972 rules, but others enjoy the completeness of the revised rules. It's also available on DriveThruRPG and has many supplements and adventures. And its 100% free.
I've run M&M for many years and its tremendous fun.
That one is a complete d20 game and it's fun, as a source book GURPS has an ancient Greece book.
Has anyone taken OpenQuest and done a Greek fantasy?
RuneQuest is already Bronze Age Fantasy so I would imagine HarryhausenQuest would be an easy creation.
Quote from: Spinachcat;1134954Has anyone taken OpenQuest and done a Greek fantasy?
RuneQuest is already Bronze Age Fantasy so I would imagine HarryhausenQuest would be an easy creation.
None that I know off
Have you ever given GURPS a try? I say this because they have a great deal of their older books in digital format, and they have ancient greece setting(s). I think you could do most anything in those settings with the gurps lite rules (used to be a free download).
Quote from: oggsmash;1134957Have you ever given GURPS a try? I say this because they have a great deal of their older books in digital format, and they have ancient greece setting(s). I think you could do most anything in those settings with the gurps lite rules (used to be a free download).
Still is, it's in the 4th edition.
Quote from: GeekyBugle;1134959Still is, it's in the 4th edition.
4th is the latest edition, I think the Greece book was 3rd, but conversion is really, really easy, and with alot of the digitized books they give quick notes to convert. I run a Conan setting with GURPs which is a kissing cousin to a greek mythological setting, and GURPs runs it well. The advantage of shields is BIG in GURPS vs no shield, and the Martial arts book even has Hoplite as a style (I think they use the greek word, so can not remember).
To have heroic combat, I would say have mooks drop when their hit points are 0, or when they are dealt a major wound they try to get away/surrender/play dead. Let the named antagonists have the more standard health checks for dropping and dying. but GURPS can simulate something like Achilles taking the beach with his myrmidons in the movie Troy, and the fight with Hector just by doing that.
Quote from: oggsmash;11349604th is the latest edition, I think the Greece book was 3rd, but conversion is really, really easy, and with alot of the digitized books they give quick notes to convert. I run a Conan setting with GURPs which is a kissing cousin to a greek mythological setting, and GURPs runs it well. The advantage of shields is BIG in GURPS vs no shield, and the Martial arts book even has Hoplite as a style (I think they use the greek word, so can not remember).
Here's the GURPS Lite 3rd Edition (http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG30-6094)
And here's the GURPS Lite 4th Edition (http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG31-0004)
Edited to add:
The free pdf to update from 3rd to 4th (http://www.warehouse23.com/products/gurps-update-1)
That is enough to roll with. I think the book is on their site as ancient greece. If you do not want to use the book, there are usually a good number of gurps fans out on the internet who can toss critters and templates at you all day long.
Quote from: oggsmash;1134968That is enough to roll with. I think the book is on their site as ancient greece. If you do not want to use the book, there are usually a good number of gurps fans out on the internet who can toss critters and templates at you all day long.
If I remember correctly it's called just Greece.
You should try Heroes of Hellas (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/117629/Heroes-Of-Hellas), powered by Barbarians of Lemuria system. Pulpy sword & sandal (& sorcery) action, plenty of mythical creatures, with nary a vanilla fantasy race in sight.
Didn't ICE/Rolemaster have a setting for Greece?
That's a little crunchy for me, but I'd like to check it anyways.
Quote from: aztecman;1134972Didn't ICE/Rolemaster have a setting for Greece?
That's a little crunchy for me, but I'd like to check it anyways.
Whew. It might be nice as a setting book, but rolemaster is not my flavor. When you pull out the 5 page character sheet packed with lines to write on you lose me a little.
I'm going to put a good word in for Agon (First edition, not second). The game is competitive with each player trying to outdo the others and the antagonist (GM) taking on quests delivered by the gods.
Quote from: nightlamp;1134971You should try Heroes of Hellas (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/117629/Heroes-Of-Hellas), powered by Barbarians of Lemuria system. Pulpy sword & sandal (& sorcery) action, plenty of mythical creatures, with nary a vanilla fantasy race in sight.
I second Heroes of Hellas. It's about my favourite "spin off" of BoL.
Quote from: Simon W;1135267I second Heroes of Hellas. It's about my favourite "spin off" of BoL.
I was going to put in a word for
Heroes of Hellas but I was too slow. So I'll third it.
There is a setting for
Savage Worlds called "Mythos" that is about a "heroic mythological representation of Ancient Greece."
One of the better d20 books from Mongoose was OGL Ancients. Basically rules for playing Greek or Egyptian fantasy. While still d20, it had a different magic system, different wound system
Quote from: aztecman;1134972Didn't ICE/Rolemaster have a setting for Greece?
That's a little crunchy for me, but I'd like to check it anyways.
Yes. Mythic Greece. It was for Rolemaster and Fantasy Hero.
2e D&D - H3 - The Glory of Rome.
This is a purely human only campaign and the only classes are Fighter, Cleric and Rogue, a few others are allows with DM permission and theres practically no monsters. Just people and predominantly animals.
I was going to suggest Mythic Greece for Mythras, but it still doesn't actually exist.
An alternative for Mythras, if a fantasy Greece analogue is close enough for your needs, is Shores of Korantia for the Thennla setting. Technically, something called orcs do exist in the setting, but they are fat, foreign, human slavers with a reputation for violence and depravity. I'd say Korantia is much closer to Classical Greece than their neighbour the Taskan Empire is to Rome.
I would like to mention a french game called Antika. The second edition is currently beeing funden on a fundraiser platform gameon tabletop. Not gonna post link even if its tempting, i dont know if its allowed. Anyway, it has a free great map of the mediterranean basin in ancient times on the site. You play as descendants of greek gods and fight your tragic fate while navigating adventures in the classical ancient greek mythos. Besides that there are big supplements like Argonautes, Troy and the bestiary. There are additional things in the second edition but it not realised so who knows if they will happen.
Quote from: Lynn;1136398Yes. Mythic Greece. It was for Rolemaster and Fantasy Hero.
I still have my copy. Mythic Greece was fun and it has good background info, even if you don't use RM or FH.
Lee Gold's Lands of Adventure has a nice ancient Greece booklet in the box.
Ken Hite is working on a Greek setting for 5e (https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/news/trail-of-cthulhu-designer-takes-dd-5e-to-ancient-greece-in-rpg/#:~:text=Kenneth%20Hite%2C%20the%20veteran%20roleplaying,in%20d20%20RPG%2013th%20Age.).