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

And here's the GURPS Lite 4th Edition

Edited to add:

The free pdf to update from 3rd to 4th

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, powered by Barbarians of Lemuria system.  Pulpy sword & sandal (& sorcery) action, plenty of mythical creatures, with nary a vanilla fantasy race in sight.