I’ve written a handful of different articles pointing out some of the problems in the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but I haven’t done much to suggest any alternatives. I think that it’s time to change that. This is a short list of some games that are reminiscent of 5e, which may ease your group branching out into the wide world of tabletop roleplaying games.
Image Credit: Level Up Advanced Fifth Edition
Level Up 5e is a tabletop game designed to be an overhauled version of 5e, refining and expanding on the mechanics you’re familiar with. If you’ve already played 5e, this feels like a nice expansion to the game that offers some more depth without being difficult to understand. Plus, it’s a simple matter to convert any existing homebrew as well for use in Level Up 5e. It can be found Here, and the creators were kind enough to share most of the content in a freely accessible System Reference Document, available Here.
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Image Credit: Schwalb Entertainment
Shadow of the Demon Lord
Shadow of the Demon Lord is a dark fantasy roleplaying game created by Robert J. Schwalb, one of the original designers for the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The game uses a unique “path” system, where player characters can take on different roles as they grow in experience and power. A simple thief at the start of a campaign may end it as a powerful spellcaster. If you’re looking for something on the grim and gritty side, you can find Shadow of the Demon Lord Here.
Image Credit: Paizo Inc.
Pathfinder Second Edition
Pathfinder has close ties to Dungeons and Dragons, the first version of the game being a rebalanced, revised version of Dungeons and Dragons 3e. The second edition of the game has gotten a large update recently, and there’s a large community as well. One of the biggest upsides is that nearly all of the game content, both player and DM-side, is available officially on the Archives of Nethys. If you want to get the books for the game, it can be found Here.
Image Credit: Pelgrane Press
13th Age
13th Age has an easy-to-understand design that leaves lots of room open for roleplaying. Much of what it does will be familiar to players of 5th edition, with the differences serving to enhance the experience; Every player character has One Unique Thing selected by the player that sets them apart from anybody else, and they have a couple connections to Icons. These are powerful NPCs or factions that influence the world, and can help you immerse yourself in the experience. The game can be found Here, and the System Reference Document can be found Here if you want a sample of the game.
Image Credit: Burning Wheel
Dungeon World
Dungeon World is a game that leans lovingly into the roleplaying side of things. Using the “Powered by The Apocalypse” framework, this game is less about attaining victory through a specific build or lucky dice, and is more oriented towards crafting an interesting story. If your favorite part of Dungeons and Dragons is getting together with your friends and spinning tales that you’ll remember for years, then you can find Dungeon World Here.
What do you think of these suggestions? If you have any others you’d like to share, feel free to drop them in the comments below, or get in touch with us on Discord.
Featured Image: Level Up 5e
The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast About Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of The Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, Stephanie Klimov, LeRon Dawkins, and Pat Klein come together with their friends, colleagues, and fellow creators to talk about their week in video games, discuss industry topics, conduct interviews, answer listener questions, and more. New episodes every Monday. Get each episode one week early and more perks over on the Boss Rush Network Patreon page.
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