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So, by some bizarre universal decree (yeah, this is pretty much just a silly beer-drinkin' question), you are told that you will only be allowed 1 RPG book (or boxed set) for each of the following ctegories.  You will not be allowed to acquire new product.  You can only game using those books for the rest of our life.  Which RPGs would you choose?
 
Here are the categories:
 
Fantasy:
Sci-Fi/Space:
Conspiracy/Horror:
Superheroes:
Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)
 
What's your combo gonna be?
 
I've posted variants of this before on other gaming sites, but it's always cool to see the responses...

Quote from: Zachary The FirstHere are the categories:
 
Fantasy:
Sci-Fi/Space:
Conspiracy/Horror:
Superheroes:
Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)

Fantasy: D&D 3.5 (this is multiple books, so I GUESS just the PHB)
Sci-Fi/Space: Ringworld
Conspiracy/Horror: Cthulhu (natch)
Superheroes: Champions
Wild Card: GURPS 2nd Compendium (which trumps everything on the above list, actually, except 3.5)

Fantasy: C&C

Sci-Fi/Space: Nebuleon

Conspiracy/Horror: Conspiracy of Shadows

Superheroes: M&M

Wild Card: Rifts

Fantasy: Taslislanta 5th (well, 4th, but I hear 5th has slight improvements)
Sci-Fi/Space: Fading Suns
Conspiracy/Horror: World of Darkness
Superheroes: Mutants & Masterminds 2nd
Wild Card: Spirit of the Century (yeah, I'm enjoying it that much)

QuoteZachary The First had these categories :

 

QuoteFantasy:

GURPS BANESTORM

QuoteSci-Fi/Space:

GURPS:TRAVELLER

QuoteConspiracy/Horror:

GURPS: ILLUMINATI

QuoteSuperheroes:

GURPS: POWERS

QuoteWild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)

Fine - then the boxed set of GURPS 4th edition with the 4th edition GM Screen pack trucked inside and a copy of the GCA.

- Ed C.

Fantasy:  Rules Cyclopedia - gives all my basic goodness
Sci-Fi Space:  D20 Star Wars - damn Star Frontiers for being 2 boxed sets
Conspiracy Horror:  Mortal Coil - not into horror but I could use it that way to get it on the list
Superheroes:  Marvel Advanced - my favorite superhero game
Wild Card:  Burning Empires - damn BW for having 3 books

Fantasy:  '81 D&D Basic boxed set
Sci-Fi/Space: Starter Traveller boxed set
Conspiracy/Horror: 3rd edition CoC boxed set
Superheroes: Advanced Marvel Superheroes boxed
Wild Card: '81 D&D Expert boxed set

Fantasy: Castles and Crusades

Sci-Fi/Space: Star Wars (WEG)

Conspiracy/Horror: All Flesh Must Be Eaten (or Buffy if that counts)

Superheroes: Not really interested, but I guess Marvel Saga just for a copy of the Saga rules

Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category) Savage Worlds

Fantasy: D&D 3.5

Sci-Fi/Space: Star Frontiers (This is a hard one for me ask tomarrow and I'll probably give you a different answer)

Conspiracy/Horror: All Flesh Must Be Eaten

Superheros: Heros Unlimited

Wild Card: GURPS 3rd edition (I have a bunch of 3rd edition stuff and cant justify buying 4th edition stuff to replace it) or After the Bomb

I assume we get a large number of suitable dice, too, right?

Fantasy: Warhammer FRP 1st Edition
Sci-Fi/Space: The MegaTraveller Boxed Set
Conspiracy/Horror: ? (see below)
Superheroes: Champions 4th Edition Deluxe Big Blue Book (or the 5th Edition Revised, if necessary)
Wild Card: Fudge 10th Anniversary Edition

I don't play much pure Conspiracy/Horror and would use the slot for something like Hudson City for Champions 5th Ed (or Justice, Not Law, the Hudson City book for Champions 4th Ed) if they are close enough.  Otherwise I'd probably consider Warhammer FRP 1st Edition my Conspiracy/Horror slot and choose Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set (the 3 core D&D 3.5 books in a boxed set) as my Fantasy slot.  If Warhammer FRP 1st Edition also doesn't count as Conspiracy/Horror then I'd just put GDW's Dark Conspiracy in the Conspiracy/Horror slot.

ADDED: I probably would have picked The [Classic] Traveller Book if I could have slipped a few supplements (at least Citizens of the Imperium) in with it.  The MegaTraveller boxed set is the most comprehensive Traveller package that I could think of.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstFantasy:

D&D Rules Cyclopedia

Quote from: Zachary The FirstSci-Fi/Space:

Star Frontiers

Quote from: Zachary The FirstConspiracy/Horror:

Call of Cthulhu

Quote from: Zachary The FirstSuperheroes:

Mutants and Masterminds

Quote from: Zachary The FirstWild Card:

Angel

Quote from: WerekoalaFantasy: D&D 3.5 (this is multiple books, so I GUESS just the PHB)

You can get all 3 D&D 3.5 books in the "Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set", which has all three core books in a slipcase "box" (I'd count that as a "boxed set" ;) ).

Role-players, of all people, shouldn't have trouble min-maxing their answers. :)

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia

Sci-Fi/Space: tough, but I would go with Star Wars d6 (this might change once the new version of Star Wars comes out, though)

Conspiracy/Horror: Nemesis

Superheroes: I'm not much of a superheroes gamer, but I think I would go with Godlike for this one, since it would let me do WW2 gaming too.

Wild Card: BESM 2nd, since it would let me do pretty much anything I want.

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia

Sci-Fi/Space: Rifts

Conspiracy/Horror: Call of Cthulhu

Superheroes: Advanced Marvel Super Heroes

Wild Card: Top Secret/SI

Man...this is a tough'un.  However...
 
Fantasy:  On balance, probably HarnMaster.

Sci-Fi/Space:  Fading Suns (though Star Frontiers is a close second)

Conspiracy/Horror:  Cinematic Unisystem (Angel, Buffy, or Army of Darkness), if only because it's easier to dial CineUni down to "ordinary folk" level than it is to dial up Call of Cthulhu.

Superheroes:  Mutants & Masterminds.  I love Silver Age Sentinels but I like M&M's rules better.

Wild Card: In Nomine.

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia

Sci-Fi/Space: Gamma World...4th (or 2nd)

Conspiracy/Horror: Call of Cthulhu d20

Superheroes: Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set

Wild Card: Tekumel GoO edition

QuoteFantasy:

Runequest

QuoteSci-Fi/Space:

Star Frontiers

QuoteConspiracy/Horror:

World of Darkness

QuoteSuperheroes:

Mutants & Masterminds

QuoteWild Card:

I'll make a random roll to see what I get before the "event" happens :haw:

Edit: What am I thinkin'....my Wild Card would be In Harms Way.

Regards,
David R

Fantasy: Warhammer Fantasy.  Not because I play it most, only because it's the one fantasy game that has never once pissed me off by being stupid. And it works great with just one book.

Sci/Fi: Fading Suns second edition. Not that first was bad, but Second includes the slickest optional lifepath character generator I have ever seen. Plus the game rocks on toast.

Conspiracy/Horror: Um... SLA industries, if only to keep hope alive...

Superheros: Champions. Any Edition works for me if someone will run it.

Wild Card: I cheat and say GURPS here, because, well, I can run anything with it.;)

Fantasy : Dragon Warriors - I know the system well enough to houserule it around and make it do what I want.
Sci-Fi : Gotta be Cyberpunk 2020 as its the only one I know well.
Conspiracy/Horror/Superheros : Never played them, so I'd take the GURPS sourcebooks that match closest. IIRC most gurps books have the Lite rules in the back anyway.

Wildcard : Words Largest Dungeon - because if this is one of those Desert Island questions, I'd prefer to avoid wiping my ass with leaves for as long as I could :D

Fantasy: RQ...2...no, III...no, 2...gah. III. And I'd houserule it.

SF: Classic Traveller

Conspiracy/Horror: Coc 5th

Superheroes: gor blimey...Golden Heroes

Wild Card: Amber

- Q

I don't really think in genre terms. Can I divide up the five games differently?

Fantasy: This is a difficult one, but I'll go with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2ed.

SciFi: Haven't really played much sci-fi, but Shadowrun 4th it is.

Conspiracy/Horror: CoC D100 or Delta Green, but because I've only read delta green and have played D100 I´ll go with CoC D100.

Superheroes: Mutants & Masterminds 2ed

Wild Card: This is the easiest choice Qin all the way.

Quote from: droogI don't really think in genre terms. Can I divide up the five games differently?

Alas, no.  You must make your answers fit within genre definitions as much as you can.  Them's the rules. :)

Quote from: Zachary The FirstAlas, no.  You must make your answers fit within genre definitions as much as you can.  Them's the rules. :)

I'm gonna go play some other game.

Fantasy:
Definitely the D&D boxed set mentioned earlier. :p

Sci-Fi/Space:
Alternity.

Conspiracy/Horror:
Dark*Matter (setting for Alternity).

Superheroes:
I haven't played much in this genre.  I guess I'd just pick HERO -- I've never played it, but if I turned out to like it, I could probably get a lot of milage out of the core book.

Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)
GURPS 4th edition boxed set.

SciFi:
MegaTraveller boxed set

Conspiracy/Horror:
Dark Conspiracy

Fantasy:
Rules Cyclopedia

Superheroes:
Rifts

Wild Card:
My Battletech stuff

Fantasy
Expert D&D Boxed Set (Moldvay Edition)

Sci-Fi/Space
Fuzion

Conspiracy/Horror
This is a hard one...I keep vacillating between Call of Cthulhu 5th Edition, World of Darkness, or Angel.

I guess I'll choose Angel.

Superheroes
Advanced Marvel Super Heroes

Wild Card
Another really tough one... So many games with evocative settings and cool stuff.  But in order to provide a fun miniatures game I can use with just about anything, I'll choose:

Savage Worlds.

Fantasy:  Hm, a toughy, probably Runequest 2e but further reflection may change that.  Rules Cyclopedia might work too.

Sci-Fi/Space:  Traveller Deluxe Boxed Set.

Conspiracy/Horror:  Call of Cthulhu, 3rd Edition.

Superheroes:  I don't really play Supers games, hm, I'll go for Savage Worlds core book here as that can do supers and does tons of other stuff too.

Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)  Space 1889.

Quote from: droogI'm gonna go play some other game.

Do what you gotta, hoss. :p

I considered Qin as my wild card game, and even as my Supers game, but I've not played it yet which makes that a bit of a high risk strategy.

Quote from: BalbinusI considered Qin as my wild card game, and even as my Supers game, but I've not played it yet which makes that a bit of a high risk strategy.

I understand the temptation.  I did the same thing with Angel for my Conspiracy/Horror game simply because I'm vaguely familiar with Unisystem from AFMBE and WitchCraft - not that I've actually run either one yet - I'm very familiar with the show, and people have made such glowing statements about it.  I don't actually own the book yet, much to my chagrin, but it sounds just about right.

Quote from: mysterycycleI understand the temptation.  I did the same thing with Angel for my Conspiracy/Horror game simply because I'm vaguely familiar with Unisystem from AFMBE and WitchCraft - not that I've actually run either one yet - I'm very familiar with the show, and people have made such glowing statements about it.  I don't actually own the book yet, much to my chagrin, but it sounds just about right.

Apparently if you intend to buy just one of Buffy and Angel, Angel is the one to get.  It's supposed to be extremely good, and to have the good stuff in the Buffy book plus extra.

Quote from: mysterycycleConspiracy/Horror
This is a hard one...I keep vacillating between Call of Cthulhu 5th Edition, World of Darkness, or Angel.

I guess I'll choose Angel.

Damn...yeah, Angel is a very good choice...I could do a lot of damage with Angel :D

Regards,
David R

Quote from: BalbinusApparently if you intend to buy just one of Buffy and Angel, Angel is the one to get.  It's supposed to be extremely good, and to have the good stuff in the Buffy book plus extra.

Cool.  I always liked the "Angel" TV series more than "Buffy" anyway, so that suits me just fine.

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia (although I'd have to get a copy first, as I currently only have all the individual box set books)
Sci-Fi/Space: Mekton II
Conspiracy/Horror: no interest in this genre
Superheroes: Marvel Superheroes Advanced Set
Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category): Mekton Z Plus

Fantasy: Rules Cyclopedia (would have been the Dragon Warriors set if not for the 1 book rule)

Sci-Fi/Space: Silhouette Core Deluxe (would have been Mekton Zeta & Mekton Zeta Plus if not for the 1 book rule).

Conspiracy/Horror: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (or maybe Angel, damn indecision)

Superheroes: Mutants & Masterminds 2e

Wild Card: Big Eyes Small Mouth 2e Revised

Quote from: Zachary The FirstSo, by some bizarre universal decree (yeah, this is pretty much just a silly beer-drinkin' question), you are told that you will only be allowed 1 RPG book (or boxed set) for each of the following ctegories.  You will not be allowed to acquire new product.  You can only game using those books for the rest of our life.  Which RPGs would you choose?
 
Here are the categories:
 
Fantasy:
Sci-Fi/Space:
Conspiracy/Horror:
Superheroes:
Wild Card: (Can be any RPG product for any category)
 
What's your combo gonna be?
 
I've posted variants of this before on other gaming sites, but it's always cool to see the responses...

Can I take just GURPS Characters and GURPS Campaigns (and maybe GURPS Powers)? I like tons and tons of games, but I know that I'm always happy with the way GURPS does things.

If you think I'm violating the spirit of the poll, tell me so and I'll pick a gaming book for every category.

Quote from: ClaudiusCan I take just GURPS Characters and GURPS Campaigns (and maybe GURPS Powers)? I like tons and tons of games, but I know that I'm always happy with the way GURPS does things.

If you think I'm violating the spirit of the poll, tell me so and I'll pick a gaming book for every category.

 Those are practically the same picks that I made.  I "cheated" a little and said the 4th edition boxed set that had both CHARACTERs and CAMPAIGNS in it.

- Ed C.

I'm gonna pretend this happens at the end of the year.

Fantasy: Arrrrrrrrrgh. REIGN, I suppose. Or the 1e AD&D PHB*.
Sci-Fi: Whichever of StarCluster and Nebuleon grab me more, unless I get a Traveller box set by then.
Conspiracy/Horror: CoC d20 for the essays, which I will use to run Nemesis games. Nemesis is free so it doesn't count, right? If it does, I suppose it'd be CoC 5th.
Superheroes: Wild Talents, the only superhero game I've ever liked.
Wild Card: Ex Machina, because in my mind cyberpunk is different from sci-fi.

* If this is the case, my wild card is the 1e AD&D DMG.

Quote from: David RDamn...yeah, Angel is a very good choice...I could do a lot of damage with Angel :D

Regards,
David R

In a way, I don't think that Angel belongs in the 'Horror' category at all (sure, it has vampires and demons, but they're more low powered superheroes/villains than 'horrific' creatures).  It's a system that can be used to run pretty much any kind of 'modern' adventure.  It's my system of choice for anything other than 'standard' fantasy.

Fantasy: The Shadow of Yesterday*

Sci-Fi/Space: Don't play 'em...so AFMBE

Conspiracy/Horror: Mortal Coil

Superheroes: Also don't play 'em...so InSpectres

Wild Card: In Nomine

*Since C&C is two books :)

Argh...um...okay, I'll take a stab at it.

Fantasy: Spirit of The Century (Well, Fate 3.0 when it's available.  In the meantime, this is close enough.  It also gives me a good backup Wildcard.)

Sci-Fi/Space: Hard Nova ][(EABA is actually my first choice, but it's nicely covered below)

Conspiracy/Horror: Code: Black  (My systems are all already covered in other options, so I'll go with an EABA sourcebook by BTRC here.  Covers conspiracies and horror quite nicely.)

Superheroes:EABA by BTRC (I don't play supers, so this also gives me a backup for any other genre.  And you can play supers with it if you like.)

Wild Card: Conspiracy X 2.0 (provides nice Unisystem backup and another universal engine)

Fantasy: WFRP 2e

Sci-fi/Space: Don't really play them, but if pressed I'd go with Cyberpunk 2020. There's a lot of mileage in that system.

Conspiracy/Horror: CoC/Delta Green.

Superheroes: M&M 2e.

Wild Card: Savage Worlds, with Exalted a close second.

Fantasy: Heroquest.

SciFi: Star Wars D6.

Horror/Conspiracy: Over the Edge I guess. . .I haven't played a lot in this genre.*

Superheroes: Capes.

Wildcard: Tough. I think I'm gonna go with Dogs in the Vineyard. . .though Big Eyes Small outh is tempting for versatility combined with simplicity.

*Dead of Night sounds cool, but I haven't read/played it.

Peace,
-joel

You realize I basically only play 1 or 2 games, right? ;)

Fantasy: Exalted
Science Fiction: Jovian Chronicles
Conspiracy/Horror: Tribe 8
Superheroes: Mekton Zeta (c'mon, convince me it's not a superhero game and if it isn't, what category does it fall under?)
Wild Card: Spirit of the Century or Fate 3.0 (when it comes out).

Restricting it to a single book cuts some of my favorites (like Rolemaster and 3.x out, since their base rules require multiple books. Hmmm...

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia. covers monsters, characters, and everything you need for all levels of play.

Sci-Fi/Space: Spacemaster

Conspiracy/Horror: Haven't played a lot in this genre, so don't know.

Superheroes: Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP version) Advanced Rules boxed set.

Wild Card: The complete Netbook of Books, a 5,000 gig file comprising all pdfed versions of all game systems. If that's not allowed, I'd probably pick a game that looks cool to me but I've never played before like Exalted, Amber, etc.

Fantasy: D&D B/X
Scifi: Megatraveller (or CT with the UTP from Traveller's Digest pasted in, but that'd be a tad precious)
Conspiracy/Horror: Tribe 8 (If Wil says it's Horror, who am I to disagree :D)
Superheroes: Fantasy HERO (Funksaw once pitched a game on the HERO boards where the PCs are almost but not quite Superheroic-level. I don't play supers otherwise, but that one got me hooked.)
Wild Card: QuestWorlds (as if)

Fantasy: Weapons of the Gods
SF: Castle Falkenstein (the way I play it; the way Verne and Wells would intend)
Conspiracy/Horror: AFMBE
Supers: Oh how i would love to say the original DC Heroes, what a box of delights that was, until some shitbag I knew 'borrowed' it. Or Golden Heroes.
Wild Card: Qin Warring states is pretty tasty.

Books that I already have on the shelves, eh? Tricksy.

Fantasy: Praedor.
Sci-Fi/Space: Fading Suns.
Conspiracy/Horror: Call of Cthulhu.
Superheroes: The Sailor Moon Role-Playing Game and Resource Book.
Wild Card: Nobilis.

Fantasy: Mythic Russia
Sci-Fi/Space: Blue Planet
Conspiracy/Horror: Over The Edge
Superheroes: Truth & Justice
Wild Card: Everway

Which neatly lets me bring several of my favourite systems for reuse.  :)

Fantasy:

D&D 3.5. This close to saying Grim Tales because of momentary burnout, but I'm sure I'd miss the magic. (Hmm... arcana evolved would be a fairly fresh replacement, gives me magic, and lets me avoid the gift set cop-out).

Sci-Fi/Space:

Traveller D20

Conspiracy/Horror:

Spycraft 2.0

Superheroes:

DC Heroes (2nd or 3rd edition)

Wild Card:

Hmph. Ptolus would give me some great one-book bang for the buck.

Fantasy: D&D Rules Cyclopedia

SciFi: D6 Star Wars

Horror: COC

Wildcard: GURPS core book

Okay, I broke down (slow weekend). But I'm going to have to subvert most of the genres to do it.

Fantasy: Burning Wheel. A bona fide fantasy game.
Sci-Fi/Space: Primetime Adventures. People keep saying it's the perfect game for Firefly or BSG. I don't think much of those shows, but if you say so folks....
Conspiracy/Horror: Sorcerer. Not really a horror game, but you can push it in that direction.
Superheroes: HeroQuest. Not really a supers game, but it would be dead simple to use it.
Wild Card: This is a tough one. I'll probably still be scratching my head and looking at Trollbabe, My Life with Master and Dogs in the Vineyard when they break down the door.

Fantasy: RuneQuest 3rd
Sci-fi: Blue Planet
Horror: Call of Cthulhu 5.5
Supers: GODLIKE, but I don't usually play supers.
Wildcard: Pendragon or Vampire, I don't know. Fuck it, Pendragon wins.