Role Playing Games

ArizonaTank · February 05, 2014, 08:52:23 AM

Maybe off the Wargame topic, but any suggestions for good role-playing board / card games? My wife and son don't like wargames per se, but I think I could get them interested in RPGs. But I really don't want to go down the full "D&D" game route. Something where three people could play in an evening and everything needed comes in a box. They both like fantasy / super-heroes

bayonetbrant · February 05, 2014, 09:11:39 AM

weateallthepies · February 05, 2014, 09:56:36 AM

The Pathfinder Adventure card game is worth a look. I't very light on mechanics, but has some of the feel of an rpg with character advancement, and items and so on. Everything in the box, with cheap addon packs of cards for further adventures, plus it's cooperative so you all get to play rather than having one person running the thing.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133038/pathfinder-adventure-card-game-rise-of-the-runelor

Nefaro · February 05, 2014, 10:30:13 AM

I've been on the lookout for Runebound 2nd Edition but since it's out of print, the prices have been going up. I regularly see the base game going for $100+ nowadays. Evidentally Betrayal at the House on Haunted Hill is also out of print because I'm seeing similar price inflation for that one. Same with Dungeonquest unfortunately.

I think Descent: Journeys in the Dark is a pretty popular mix of boardgame and RPG. I believe one player actually plays the "bad guys" while the rest play the heroes. I've been somewhat interested in trying this out but it may be awhile until I do.

The D&D board games are fully cooperative, with the monsters being moved and such by the game system. I like the one I have (Castle Ravenloft) and it's fun for the most part. The differing movement systems for monsters and characters is a bit odd but it works. I didn't feel there was a lot of variety regarding monsters in a single set or that there was much variety in what was going on every turn but I've only played it twice thus far. The family doesn't seem to enjoy purely Cooperative games as much as having some human competition, probably because it's more fun for the winner to do their victory dance. However, Co-op games have an extra advantage: you can play them solitaire. Which means you can get a lot more play time out of it since it's playable when nobody else is in the mood.

I would also suggest some of the Flying Frog Production games since they tend to have a good balance between interesting gameplay and manageable rules.

I've enjoyed A Touch of Evil for it's Legend of Sleepy Hollow feel. It has both cooperative and competitve rules so it's very flexible in how you want to play. The artwork is just stylistic pics of people in costume, which can be a bit jarring to those of us who are used to actual painted art in our games, but you get used to it.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35815/a-touch-of-evil-the-supernatural-game

They also have a zombies themed competitive one named Last Night On Earth. It's a competitive game, with two teams (Heroes & Zombies of course).
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29368/last-night-on-earth-the-zombie-game

These were both highly recommended to me and I don't regret picking them up. They're a relatively easy intro to Adventure Gaming but aren't as burdensome or lacking in variety as some. They've been around long enough and in such numbers that you can find used copies in good condition at a cheaper price (the Geek has plenty listed, for example).

There are others out there, of course, but I was trying to think of those that are a good entry into this type of game and can be finished in less than two hours.

I may also give Darkest Night a try sometime soon, despite what seems to be an unusually high price compared to the game's components. Reportedly similar to A Touch of Evil but with a fantasy setting instead of the late 18th-century one (and proper artwork).

Nefaro · February 05, 2014, 04:46:24 PM

Something I just picked up that may fit well into this category is Tales of the Arabian Nights from ZMan Games.

It hadn't hit my radar before, but after unboxing this heavy thing I'm quite impressed. It's an Adventure Game with some RPG-like facets (skills you acquire for example) however the big thing about this one is the narrative little mini-stories. It's kinda like an old school Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book but you can play it with a group, each attempting to become the richest hero (etc). The 'Tales' book itself is quite massive with lots of entries. All these Adventure Games have some kind of narrative to tell but this one seems to have a much higher dose than the others I've played. It may not have direct team-oriented gameplay however, if you're looking for a more cooperative experience.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34119/tales-of-the-arabian-nights

Jack Nastyface · February 05, 2014, 04:48:27 PM

I just bought Mice and Mystics, which looks interesting. I haven't played through it, but the games comes with some nice minatures and gameplay doesn't seem that difficult. There are also a number of other stories / adventures that are available.

Arctic Blast · February 05, 2014, 06:32:26 PM

Quote from: ArizonaTank on February 05, 2014, 08:52:23 AM
Maybe off the Wargame topic, but any suggestions for good role-playing board / card games? My wife and son don't like wargames per se, but I think I could get them interested in RPGs. But I really don't want to go down the full "D&D" game route. Something where three people could play in an evening and everything needed comes in a box. They both like fantasy / super-heroes

I'll also suggest the D&D Adventure games. They're absolute one-shot games, with nothing to write down or maintain from game to game. The first two (Ravenloft and Ashardalon) are purely co-op, but the third one (Drizzt) has some scenarios that apparently get into the whole 'betray your fellows for mad loots' territory. Good components, fun games, simple to learn.

Descent 2nd Edition is a decent game, but it is a one vs. many style game where one player needs to be the Overlord. It's also REALLY built for campaign play. There isn't a ton of stuff to track from session to session, but if you aren't looking for something longer term, this might not be for you.

The Pathfinder card game is decent, but...it got old for me fairly quickly. If it looks like something that all of you could get into, awesome. I would definitely suggest checking out some review/gameplay videos first, though. I found that it got quite repetitive, and I've since traded it off.

I'm not sure what the print status is of it right now, but Catacombs is also worth a look. It's again an overlord vs. players game, but it's a dexterity dungeon crawler. The heroes and overlord player move their monsters/heroes around, and launch ranged/magic attacks, by flicking discs around a board. It's a surprisingly fun game, and it has the smallest box size of everything I've mentioned here by far.

If you're looking at Flying Frog stuff, I heartily recommend Conquest of Planet Earth. Each of you is a competing alien race, all warring to be the first to enslave the Earth (and mankind is also fighting back). The basic rules aren't too complex (though I'm not sure how old your son is), but there are a lot of 'stab you in the back/front/face' type cards, so don't look at it if you guys aren't going to be down for that. You can also play a co-op version of the game, and both are included and work right out of the box.

BanzaiCat · February 05, 2014, 09:42:52 PM

Try checking out Lords of Waterdeep. It's a D&D-themed game where you recruit adventurers and do quests to gain rewards. You can also construct buildings that you can use (or others can too, actually) to help you out or trip up others. It's easy to learn, but there's a lot of routes you can take and different quests to reward you. Each Lord also has special abilities that make them each unique. It's a lot of fun and has a high rating on BGG.

https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd/products/dndacc/388510000

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/110327/lords-of-waterdeep

QuoteThe Adventurers
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43868/the-adventurers-the-temple-of-chac
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/98315/the-adventurers-the-pyramid-of-horus
think of these two as the opening scenes of an Indiana Jones movie, trying to grab all you can and escape the 'dungeon'. Pulp adventure, solid mechanics, play in 45 minutes or so after the first time learning the rules.

I second Brant's recommendations here, as well. I have Pyramid of Horus also and we have a lot of fun with that one here. 8)

Funny, I have Runebound too but I never played it...

Nefaro · February 05, 2014, 11:20:29 PM

Quote from: Arctic Blast on February 05, 2014, 06:32:26 PM

The Pathfinder card game is decent, but...it got old for me fairly quickly. If it looks like something that all of you could get into, awesome. I would definitely suggest checking out some review/gameplay videos first, though. I found that it got quite repetitive, and I've since traded it off.

That got kinda old for me, too, in short order. I don't think it's a problem with card variety but the mechanics for hunting down the bad guy in each scenario. Grinding away at a few stacks of cards to shut them down before you discover the big guy kinda makes the exploration side of things rather dull. And for a game where you can keep your characters and the items/skills you find in each adventure, I rarely found anything very good or interesting in the first few scenarios so I kept starting with pretty much the same set of items.

I think, as far as card games go, I'm finding more action-packed ones where your deck mix is different every game. That makes a big difference, especially if even the same character deck has a good variety so that your strategy can even vary using the same character deck. Reportedly Sentinels of the Multiverse is like that ( a Superhero card game where each player plays as a specific hero in the set). I have it on order, looks like lots of thematic fun.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/102652/sentinels-of-the-multiverse

ArizonaTank - I would suggest narrowing down whether you want a more narrative style with some minor character hit point/spell point/etc tracking with counters & such or just something with character themes and lots of action. There is a lot of fantasy stuff out there and a little superhero stuff (mostly card games I think).

bayonetbrant · February 05, 2014, 11:54:20 PM

For card-based self-contained adventure action, you can also look in Dungeoneer. They're single deck sets that can be strung together and have solid simple mechanics. Not collectible. Really fun and play smooth

bayonetbrant · February 05, 2014, 11:55:41 PM

Just a thought - have you considered any of the Munchkin games? My wife had a ton of fun playing the few times she joined in.

weateallthepies · February 06, 2014, 05:39:27 AM

Quote from: Nefaro on February 05, 2014, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on February 05, 2014, 06:32:26 PM

The Pathfinder card game is decent, but...it got old for me fairly quickly. If it looks like something that all of you could get into, awesome. I would definitely suggest checking out some review/gameplay videos first, though. I found that it got quite repetitive, and I've since traded it off.

That got kinda old for me, too, in short order. I don't think it's a problem with card variety but the mechanics for hunting down the bad guy in each scenario. Grinding away at a few stacks of cards to shut them down before you discover the big guy kinda makes the exploration side of things rather dull. And for a game where you can keep your characters and the items/skills you find in each adventure, I rarely found anything very good or interesting in the first few scenarios so I kept starting with pretty much the same set of items.

I think, as far as card games go, I'm finding more action-packed ones where your deck mix is different every game. That makes a big difference, especially if even the same character deck has a good variety so that your strategy can even vary using the same character deck. Reportedly Sentinels of the Multiverse is like that ( a Superhero card game where each player plays as a specific hero in the set). I have it on order, looks like lots of thematic fun.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/102652/sentinels-of-the-multiverse

ArizonaTank - I would suggest narrowing down whether you want a more narrative style with some minor character hit point/spell point/etc tracking with counters & such or just something with character themes and lots of action. There is a lot of fantasy stuff out there and a little superhero stuff (mostly card games I think).

I tend to agree on Pathfinder, but in terms of getting family into it I thought the simple mechanics might help. I'd much rather play the Lord of the Rings LCG but it's a big step up in rules and difficulty, and it doesn't really have the RPG feel to it.

Runebound as mentioned would be a great choice if it were easy or cheap to buy.

I really like the Dungeons & Dragons board games, but they feel more like a cooperative puzzle than any sort of rpg or dungeon crawl.

Another that might be worth looking at is Quest: A Time of Heroes which is another rpg-like boardgame. You should be able to pick it up really cheap if you hunt around as I don't think it sold particularly well though I've heard if it's the sort of thing you are looking for then it works pretty well. Just too simple for a full blown rpg.

ArizonaTank · February 06, 2014, 06:01:21 AM

Thanks for all of the great suggestions everyone. Definitely a bit for me to look into. I'll let you know how it goes.

Nefaro · February 06, 2014, 12:56:26 PM

Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 05, 2014, 11:54:20 PM
For card-based self-contained adventure action, you can also look in Dungeoneer. They're single deck sets that can be strung together and have solid simple mechanics. Not collectible. Really fun and play smooth

I like Dungeoneer; picked up two of the larger start packs and a couple expansions, including some of the higher level stuff. I've not played the higher level ones yet, and haven't played the game much at all due to it being a competitive game. There just isn't a lot of multiplayer gaming to be had here for me so there is a lot vying for those limited play sessions. Despite that, it still plays solo fine especially with some solo variant rules I got from the Geek.

You have your character's normal hit point type of value but you also have a track with two different values - one for purchasing & playing your own cards and another for your opponents to spend on playing bad things & monsters on you. This is nice because having more than two players doesn't require extra team rules or anything since they can't gang up on you at once. Dungeoneer is also pretty cheap because they're just decks of cards. Which brings me to a couple complaints..

You have to cut up some of the cards to make impromptu cardboard standees for the characters included in the game. Not really standees but two-sided pieces of cardboard in a 'V' shape. Brant said he just uses some fantasy minis from other games but I didn't want to bust out anything extra so I cut up some cardboard and glued on a small piece to make a base, so that they're a bit sturdier and more stable. Not a big deal, but it took me some extra time.

My biggest complaint is that some of the packs of cards were cut differently. For example, I have two 'starter' packs which I would like to mix together for a mongo-sized dungeon crawl but the two sets are completely different card cuts. So they don't shuffle properly at all. What makes this odd is that I have a 2nd edition (reprint?) of the original and a second starter released a few years later. To make matters worse, I'm not sure which expansions fit closer to which ones. I will probably have to put some card sleeves on these to help with the uneven and slightly different-sized card stock. If you only get a single pack, you obviously don't have to worry about this but I can see an individual starter getting repetitive after a few plays.

I think the system is fun and it doesn't have a lot of rules to it, so if you want a competitive dungeon crawl card game where each player is exploring on his own and playing nasty stuff on his opponents, this is a good option. Just be aware of a couple things.

bayonetbrant · February 06, 2014, 01:10:38 PM

Quote from: Nefaro on February 06, 2014, 12:56:26 PMBrant said he just uses some fantasy minis from other games but I didn't want to bust out anything extra so I cut up some cardboard and glued on a small piece to make a base, so that they're a bit sturdier and more stable. Not a big deal, but it took me some extra time.

to be fair, I have a metric monkey-load of stray minis from all manner of D&D minis, MageKnight collectibles, old WH box sets, etc. Most of them were picked up at game conventions where folks are unloading warehouse stock dirt cheap. Bayonet Jr and I hit a few booths at Origins in 2010 and spent about $15 each, and we had probably 80-90 minis each out of those boxes, including a few MK dungeons box starters that included maps, treasure chests, admin markers, etc. That pile, plus the D&D minis I have, could let me re-create most of Braveheart's battle scenes at a 1-to-1 scale. So I'm not exactly raiding other games for minis, when I've got 4 boxes of them on the shelves in the man-cave :)