Free RPGs Online

[AsenRG]

Basic Role-Playing Quickstart
https://www.chaosium.com/content/FreePDFs/BRP/CHA2021 - Basic RolePlaying Quick-Start.pdf
(pretty comprehensive 48 pg introduction to Chaosium's house system)
Recommendation ****High

I feel you're giving BRP short change by at least a star.

 

[AsenRG]

FASERIP (not really)
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177913/Faserip
(pretentiously-named retroclone of the MSH/FASERIP system with some elements taken from Golden Heroes)
Recommendation - Just get the originals (linked above)

4C System
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=50837
(MSH FASERIP retroclone)
Recommendation - Just get the originals (linked above)

I'd say that there's a lot to say for a cleaned-up presentation.

FINAL STAND
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/timdenee/FinalStand.pdf
(Minimalist Martial Arts action RPG)
Recommendation - *****Highest

Agreed.

Flying Swordsmen
http://lordgwydion.blogspot.com/p/flying-swordsmen-rpg.html
(D&D based wuxia RPG)
Recommendation - *Never Read/Played

Excellent, if you like D&D.

FU: The Free Universal RPG
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=89534?affiliate_id=239932
(Simple universal RPG)
Recommendation - ***Nifty

I'm sure you're shortchanging FU by at least a star, probably two.

 

[TristramEvans]

I'd say that there's a lot to say for a cleaned-up presentation.

I agree. The originals have WAY better presentation in this case. Streamlined, well-designed, and clearly presented.

I'm sure you're shortchanging FU by at least a star, probably two.

I've not used it, so I'll take your word for it

 

[TristramEvans]

ICAR
http://www.icar.co.uk/
(Percentile-based Science fiction RPG)
Recommendation - * Never read/played

Iconoclast RPG
http://www.iconoclast.org/rpg/
(Cyberpunk RPG)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

Imaginality
http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/archive/freerpgs/imaginality/imaginality_word.zip
(Universal RPG using playing cards)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

IMP
http://synsynister.tripod.com/imp/
(Simple fantasy RPG about faeries in medieval Britain)
Recommendation - ***Nifty

Imperial Magician
http://www.magicien-imperial.com/guide1.htm
(Medieval fantasy RPg heavily focused on magic)
Recommendation - Bizarre

Imperium
http://storygame.free.fr/
(French RPG based on Frank Herbert's Dune)
Recommendation - I don't speak French

Infinite Horizons
http://ih.trawna.com/
("revolutionary" - according to itself - multi-genre RPG)
Recommendation - No

Ingenero
https://ingenero.wordpress.com/downloads/
(D10-based universal RPG)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

In Media Res (aka Synergy)
http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/archive/freerpgs/inmediares/inmediares.zip
(skill-based universal system)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

In Spaaace....
http://www.gregstolze.com/inSpaaace.zip
(Humorous minimalist Science fiction RPG)
Recommendation - ****(High)

In the Name of Justice
http://www.mediafire.com/file/0m2kza25lmn/InTheNameOfJustice.zip
(Card-based superhero RPG)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

Into The Shadows
http://members.tripod.com/~into_the_shadows/
(Horror RPG based on WEG's D6 system)
Recommendation - ***Nifty

Iridium
http://members.tripod.com/~into_the_shadows/
(class-based universal RPG)
Recommendation - *Never read/played

Iron Empire
http://web.archive.org/web/20010725010456/www.postmort.demon.co.uk/Goods/Steam.htm
(Steampunk RPG)
Recommendation - ****(High)

 

[TristramEvans]

INSYLUM
https://www.scribd.com/document/326041512/Misc-Insylum-Rpg
(Minimalist High-concept Lovecraftian RPG where player are patients in an Insane Asylum living through the play The King in Yellow at night)
Recommendation - ********** (Best of the Best)

 

[TristramEvans]

Actually, the latest edition is 5th, but 5th edition isn't free. So, you can go free, if you're willing to be an edition "behind the curve", so to speak!

lol, you'll notice I said the last edition, not the latest...

 

[Stan]

In addition to BRP, there are quickstart versions of Call of Cthulhu which are fully playable. They come with an adventure and the rules are about all a player needs.
Call of Cthulhu 7th ed. Quickstart
(The horror and investigation game that started a genre. The latest changes a few things. The first version that's more than a reprint.
Recommendation - ****(High)

Call of Cthlhu 6th edition. quickstart
(Same great horror game, the rules closer to what most experienced players are used to.
Recommendation - ****(High)

 

[AsenRG]

lol, you'll notice I said the last edition, not the latest...

I take it you don't really like Ars Magica 5?

In addition to BRP, there are quickstart versions of Call of Cthulhu which are fully playable. They come with an adventure and the rules are about all a player needs.
Call of Cthulhu 7th ed. Quickstart
(The horror and investigation game that started a genre. The latest changes a few things. The first version that's more than a reprint.
Recommendation - ****(High)

Call of Cthlhu 6th edition. quickstart
(Same great horror game, the rules closer to what most experienced players are used to.
Recommendation - ****(High)

Strongly recommending the latest quickstart, BTW. The combat rules in the latest edition are much improved, and lend themselves well to what happens most in actual play, IME!

 

[Stan]

Instant Game
A decent Fudge-like game. But the really cool part is the tables for rolling up a setting and plot in a few minutes. If you like being inspired by random tables, this is a bargain at twice the price.
Recommendation - ***Nifty

 

[Gringnr]

Adventure Quest, a game developed by students at Purdue University. A friend of mine, himself a Purdue alumnus, introduced me to it 20-odd years ago. He said that once his group started playing it, they never looked back. I wasn't as enthusiastic, but YMMV. The creator has sadly passed away. Completely developed game and setting.

http://www.aquest.com/jaern.htm

Recommendation: medium

 

[Gringnr]

I assume that most people here are aware that pretty much every Talislanta product ever made is free now:

http://talislanta.com/

Recommendation: never played it, but it's an enduring game with lots of fans

 

[TalespinnerEU]

Ehm... Free online system:
https://talespinner.eu .
Setting-agnostic, simple, lots of options, non-linear classless progression, interactive character sheet.

Did I shill this elsewhere? I did. Tried to make it look good, too. I'm sorry if this is considered double-posting.

 

[Bunch]

Ehm... Free online system:
https://talespinner.eu .
Setting-agnostic, simple, lots of options, non-linear classless progression, interactive character sheet.

Did I shill this elsewhere? I did. Tried to make it look good, too. I'm sorry if this is considered double-posting.

Is there a PDF?

 

[TalespinnerEU]

Is there a PDF?

No, no PDF, but the website is smartphone-friendly. The idea is that you can find anything you need easily and quickly, without having to leaf through a book or scroll through a long file, and that the content is freely available for as many people as possible. We will be monetizing through ads and hopefully merch later, and if there is enough demand, we'll sell PDFs and printed in the future.
(Another benefit of having a site like this is that new additions can be easily added to it. The same is not true for static files.)
The website is purposefully lightweight in terms of data.

 

[Tommy Brownell]

The Legend of Zelda: Reclaim the Wild
https://reclaimthewild.net/
Free, fan-made Legend of Zelda game, based on Breath of the Wild, using its own unique system.

 

[Tulpa Girl]

Looks like the page hasn't been updated in about four years, but here's a metric buttload of older free RPG's.

 

[Marco]

I didn't see JAGS (Just Another Gaming System) here. It's a free universal RPG.

It has:
* Core Rules book (normal people type stuff)
* JAGS Archetypes (a big book of super powers)
* JAGS Wonderland (modern-day surreal horror world book)
* JAGS Have-Not (over-the-top post-apocalypse world book)
* JAGS Holiday City (supers characters and world book--coming soon)

 

[Gringnr]

I'm sure everyone knows that the prolific Blacky the Blackball has several free or PWYW games. Most are retro-clones, neo-clones (r-c's with new or different rules added), or mash-ups of different games.

-Dark Dungeons (OD&D r-c)
-Darker Dungeons (OD&D n-c)

-Blood, Guts & Glory (D&D+Rolemaster)

-Lightmaster (D&D+Rolemaster again, kind of a BG&G v2)

-FASERIP (Marvel Super Heroes n-c)

-Codename: Spandex (VERY faithful r-c of Golden Heroes)

-Masks (MSH+Icons+Fate)


And a couple of short supplements:

-Science Fiction Double Feature ("cinematic" rules for CoC, inspired by It Came From The Late, Late, Late Show)

-3.Y (what if 3.5 had stayed closer to earlier editions)

Some of this stuff is on DTRPG. Some is hard to come by, as he doesn't actively promote it to avoid stepping on the toes of designers who are actively promoting the originals or related stuff. So, if anyone wants something they can't find, I have them, and will share. These products are and always have been free in PDF. It can also be found in POD on lulu.com.

He has a couple of PWYW and low cost products on DTRPG. Throw the man a buck or two. He deserves it.

Edit: the quality of POD books by Blacky is great. Even at cost, some are thirty bucks due to their being glossy, full-color, illustrated books. But I haven't regretted a purchase yet.

 

[Marco]

We just launched JAGS Holiday City--a super hero worldbook for JAGS with ~100 illustrated characters. The PDF is free (so are the PDFs for the game system). The rules feature:
- A full background and world including a set up for three games: High School supers, Street Level Supers, and More Powerful Supers
- Rules for Random Power Generation
- Scores of scenario ideas that use the characters provided




Available here:
Home page: https://www.jagsrpg.com/
Holiday City Vol 1 and Vol 2 (scroll down) https://www.jagsrpg.com/books

 

[zanshin]

Tunnels and Trolls has a free official rulebook published for it

Tunnels & Trolls Free Rulebook - Flying Buffalo | DriveThruRPG.com

Tunnels & Trolls Free Rulebook - This is a short version of the full Tunnels & trolls Rules. It is sufficient to play the solitaire adventure, and to

www.drivethrurpg.com

Its a 5 star game in my (not so) humble opinion. Classic Fantasy RPG, very adaptable and the lightest of the first wave of RPGs.

 

[Stan]

Apparently this version came out in 2007 for free RPG day but I had never seen it. Too bad Flying Buffalo doesn't have the money for marketing. This version covers the rules basics in 5 pages and then has 2 solo adventures. You can't call yourself an rpg grognard without at least familiarity with T&T so get this.

One of these days when I need to decompress, I'm going to go through all the solo adventures I have (most of them came from a bundle).