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awesome-tabletop-rpgs

Awesome list of free and/or open source tabletop RPGs
https://github.com/Zireael07/awesome-tabletop-rpgs

Last synced: about 6 hours ago
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  • Tabletop RPGs

    • Open source games

    • Free games

      • Adventurers! - an awesome 2d6 system that is free; no license specified
      • Builders' Guild - an awesome d12 based system with a crafting/invention focus; PWYW; no license specified
      • The Contract - an awesome d10 dice pool system that is entirely online; no license specified
      • Cortex Lite - a lite version of Cortex Prime released under Cortex's community license
      • Dark Coast - an awesome small system by the author of Troll, a dice probability calculator
      • Dominion Rules - Fantasy and historical based on d12; released under DRL (Dominion Rules License)
      • Dungeons the Dragoning 40k 7th - an infamous mashup of D&D, Warhammer, Exalted and some others; no licensing specified
      • FreeRPG - an interesting system that has four variants for the core mechanic, presented as a wiki site; no licensing specified
      • FUDGE - the other rules-lite system that has a ton of hacks (their own license, but it's pretty much "credit the original author")
      • Fuzion - the system that evolved from the one CP 2020 was based on. warnings, it's pretty much an attempt to marry CP with Hero System that... didn't really work. If you want an OGL version, look at Action! below
      • Idee Fixe - an awesome d10 dice pool system (warning, it's not English, [PL]!)
      • Iron & Aether - awesome free online system, licensing unclear
      • LUMEN - explicitly free to use, but no formal license applied
      • Knights of the Black Lily - an awesome d100 system with degrees of success; "making the full rules available is definitely planned for the future[...] in the meantime, [...] please send us an e-mail"
      • Mazes & Minotaurs - what the earliest RPG might have been like if Gygax had been into Greek mythology. A fully playable game with supplements and magazine; no license specified except that it's copyrighted
      • MetaScape II - an awesome game with an original "doubling die" (a specially marked d16); no license specified
      • Open Legend - a free system online with their own Open Legend Community License; unfortunately it's not clear what constitutes the OGC
      • Quasar - a hard sci-fi system that tries to avoid violence, relies on a lot of tables. "You may copy them as much as you desire so long as they are not modified. You may base any game products, whether for profit or not, on the Quasar game without any royalties, licenses, or other payments."
      • ParaŚwiaty - an awesome generic supplement about parallel/alternative universes (warning, not English, [PL]!); no license specified
      • Pits and Perils - various Pits and Perils stuff that is hosted for free (unclear licensing)
      • Planar Gaming System - an awesome roll and keep system, no license specified
      • Risus: The Anything RPG - an extremely simple d6 based system that spawned a number of home rules; their own community license
      • Roll for Shoes
      • Simple Universal System - looks to be a d20 evolution; the cards are awesome; no license specified
      • Shadowdark Core - quickstart halfway down the page; custom license for further content;
      • Skyrealms of Jorune - an archived RPG system from 1985, no license specified
      • Spiral Dice - an awesome system using custom dice, available for free, no license specified
      • Star Squad - awesome looking freebie worth looking at, no license specified
      • Talespinner - awesome online d10 system; no license specified
      • Trespasser RPG - fantasy tactical RPG that uses d20 for checks and a potency die (increasing with level) for attacks; no license specified
      • The Window - awesome minimalist reverse step die system, "You can take this text and do with it as you wish (for your personal use, mind you.)"
      • TriStat dX - a system that only uses three stats, AFAICT the author's current intention is for it to be freely distributable (GNU?)
      • Totem - a small system that uses a bag of differently colored tokens for action resolution; no license specified
      • VISORPGZ - Videogame-ish Solo Roleplaying Game; license
      • Witchcraft - a Unisystem based game straight from the publisher's page, no license specified!
      • TriStat dX - a system that only uses three stats, AFAICT the author's current intention is for it to be freely distributable (GNU?)
      • Dominion Rules - Fantasy and historical based on d12; released under DRL (Dominion Rules License)
      • Farhome - an awesome free system using custom dice (all d6); unclear licensing
      • Idee Fixe - an awesome d10 dice pool system (warning, it's not English, [PL]!)
      • Adventurers! - an awesome 2d6 system that is free; no license specified
      • Builders' Guild - an awesome d12 based system with a crafting/invention focus; PWYW; no license specified
      • ParaŚwiaty - an awesome generic supplement about parallel/alternative universes (warning, not English, [PL]!); no license specified
      • TriStat dX - a system that only uses three stats, AFAICT the author's current intention is for it to be freely distributable (GNU?)
      • Totem - a small system that uses a bag of differently colored tokens for action resolution; no license specified
      • Empyre - a fantasy with guns system, no license specified
    • Retroclones

    • Quickstarts

      • Alternity - a free demo of a new version of Alternity, an rpg with an interesting dice mechanic (roll d20 and add or substract a second die)
      • Ashes of Power - a free intro adventure for Genesys (a system that uses custom dice)
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Beta Red - an awesome cyberpunkish system using a d6 dice pool
      • BOLT RPG - a system that uses one die for task resolution and another for complications (CC)
      • Burning Wheel
      • Carbon Grey - a derivative of Opend6 that is available for free, and the setting primer is PWYW
      • Coriolis - an awesome Arabian-themed space setting that runs on d6 dicepools
      • Dragonbane - Free League's successor to Drakar och Demoner (now on DT too https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/409397/Dragonbane-Quickstart)
      • Dwory Końca Świata - quickstart and some addons (character sheets etc.) for Dwory Końca Świata (warning, it's not English, [PL]!)
      • Dungeon Crawl Classics - quickstart and intro adventure for an awesome system that uses a reverse step die system, with imaginary dice such as d3, d5 or d7 (OGL) (note: the quickstart on drivethru is paid)
      • EABA Lite - a free version of EABA, an awesome generic system (the full system does have their own license allowing supplements)
      • Electric Bastionland - an awesome system, an evolution of Into the Odd
      • ELEMENTAL Discovery Guide - a quickstart for ELEMENTAL, a d6 system that has quite a lot of free adventures
      • Elite Dangerous RPG - an awesome system based on Elite: Dangerous, the space game
      • First Five Fantasy Roleplaying Player's Guide - a retroclone of OD&D, this does not contain monsters or treasure
      • Gangs of Titan City - looks like an urban reskin of Blades in the Dark, with a custom ruleset
      • GURPS Lite - a free starter for GURPS
      • HackMaster Basic
      • Heroes and Hardships - an awesome d10 roll and keep universal system
      • Index Card RPG - an awesome system in which you roll a d20 plus a stat die; the quickstart (3e upgrade) is CC licensed
      • Lancer - all the player facing rules (which are a majority of them) are free
      • Lex Arcana - an awesome system set in alternate history Rome with an interesting system that allows for linear, pyramid or bell curves
      • Liminal - quickstart for an urban fantasy system
      • Lost Eons - awesome solarpunk cross between BitD and 24xx, scroll down to see the quickstart download
      • Mistborn - based on a book series of the same name, a d6 dice pool based system where you attempt to match any dice showing less than 6
      • MORK BORG - an infamous system by Free League Publishing that uses mostly d20 rolls
      • Mutant Chronicles - an awesome 2d20 based system from Modiphius; starters for Dune and Star Trek licensed games are also available from DriveThru
      • Mythic d6 - a derivative of Opend6->Legend d6
      • Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland - awesome OSR post-apocalyptic futuristic system
      • Perstoria - a 2d6 based system
      • Pip System - another Opend6 derivative that went in a different direction
      • Shadow of the Demon Lord - a d20 derivative that has some awesome ideas (e.g. boons and banes)
      • The House of Blue Men - quickstart and intro adventure for Sorcery and Superscience, an awesome system that uses a "floating dice" system (basically step dice)
      • Stars without Number - has a Traveller feel. Has a paid version, too, with minimal differences.
      • Worlds without Number - vastly expanded compared to Stars. Has a free and paid version, with minimal differences.
      • System DL - a diceless system
      • Tiny d6 - a small d6 system
      • Tunnels and Trolls - free version of one of the first roleplaying games, that can also be played solo
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Heroes and Hardships - an awesome d10 roll and keep universal system
      • Mistborn - based on a book series of the same name, a d6 dice pool based system where you attempt to match any dice showing less than 6
      • The House of Blue Men - quickstart and intro adventure for Sorcery and Superscience, an awesome system that uses a "floating dice" system (basically step dice)
      • Worlds without Number - vastly expanded compared to Stars. Has a free and paid version, with minimal differences.
      • Tunnels and Trolls - free version of one of the first roleplaying games, that can also be played solo
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Alternity - a free demo of a new version of Alternity, an rpg with an interesting dice mechanic (roll d20 and add or substract a second die)
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Beta Red - an awesome cyberpunkish system using a d6 dice pool
      • Burning Wheel
      • Carbon Grey - a derivative of Opend6 that is available for free, and the setting primer is PWYW
      • Coriolis - an awesome Arabian-themed space setting that runs on d6 dicepools
      • Dwory Końca Świata - quickstart and some addons (character sheets etc.) for Dwory Końca Świata (warning, it's not English, [PL]!)
      • Electric Bastionland - an awesome system, an evolution of Into the Odd
      • ELEMENTAL Discovery Guide - a quickstart for ELEMENTAL, a d6 system that has quite a lot of free adventures
      • First Five Fantasy Roleplaying Player's Guide - a retroclone of OD&D, this does not contain monsters or treasure
      • Gangs of Titan City - looks like an urban reskin of Blades in the Dark, with a custom ruleset
      • HackMaster Basic
      • Heroes and Hardships - an awesome d10 roll and keep universal system
      • Index Card RPG - an awesome system in which you roll a d20 plus a stat die; the quickstart (3e upgrade) is CC licensed
      • Lex Arcana - an awesome system set in alternate history Rome with an interesting system that allows for linear, pyramid or bell curves
      • Liminal - quickstart for an urban fantasy system
      • Mutant Chronicles - an awesome 2d20 based system from Modiphius; starters for Dune and Star Trek licensed games are also available from DriveThru
      • Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland - awesome OSR post-apocalyptic futuristic system
      • Perstoria - a 2d6 based system
      • Pip System - another Opend6 derivative that went in a different direction
      • Shadow of the Demon Lord - a d20 derivative that has some awesome ideas (e.g. boons and banes)
      • Stars without Number - has a Traveller feel. Has a paid version, too, with minimal differences.
      • Worlds without Number - vastly expanded compared to Stars. Has a free and paid version, with minimal differences.
      • Tunnels and Trolls - free version of one of the first roleplaying games, that can also be played solo
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Contact - a system that evokes X-COM so uses d100 for everything
      • Entromancy - a 5e compatible fantasy/cyberpunk hybrid
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
      • Aspect Prime - an awesome system using custom dice. If you missed the beta, this is the way to see how their dice work.
    • System Reference Documents

      • 2d20 SRD - an SRD for 2d20 line of Modiphius games (custom license, see https://www.modiphius.net/pages/2d20)
      • Action! System - an archived copy of the publisher's downloads section, YMMV when trying to download (some links are 404) / [online version](https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/srd/srd_action/index.html) converted from the originals (OGL)
      • ARC - a doom tabletop system that also has a quickstart
      • Blades in the Dark - has an online SRD (CC)
      • Breathless - open SRD of the survival horror game of the same name (CC)
      • Caltrop Core - a d4 based system with an SRD (CC)
      • Charge RPG - a free and open generic RPG by Fari Games (CC)
      • CORE Micro - a dice pool based system with bonuses on top (CC)
      • Cypher System SRD - an SRD for the system powering Numenera (their own Open License which is extremely close to OGL)
      • DoubleZero SRD - a modernized version of the old James Bond RPG (OGL)
      • d20/D&D 3.5 - "the world's best known Role-Playing Game" aka Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 (OGL)
      • d20Hero - OGC from Mutants and Masterminds 3rd edition (OGL)
      • d20 Modern/Future/Arcana - three more derivatives of d20 have been partially made available (OGL)
      • Pathfinder 1,2/Starfinder - a d20 derivative that has a lot of content available - not just the core rulebooks, but pretty much all 1st party content (OGL)
      • D&D 5e - 5e also has an SRD, too! (CC)
      • Drama System - the system that powers Pelgrane Press Hillfolk (OGL or CC)
      • Dungeoncaster SRD - an OSR fantasy system (CC)
      • Entropic Gaming System - a step dice system which has separate dice for skills and attributes (OGL)
      • Fajerbol SRD - a d6-using system (CC) (warning, not English, [PL]!
      • Fortune System - (archived page) a 2d6 system with wagers (CC)
      • GUMSHOE - a system for running investigative scenarios from Pelgrane Press (CC or OGL)
      • Iridium System - an awesome system that has a Core Reference (OGL)
      • Level Up System - SRD for an attempt to improve on 5e, aka LevelUp5e (OGL)
      • Mark of the Odd - an SRD for the core system behind Into the Odd (the system itself also has a free edition)
      • Mannerism SRD - an SRD for a system based on what is colloquially known as "tactical Rock-Paper-Scissors" (CC)
      • Nuts and Bolts SRD - a simple system based on throwing any dice which have an equal number of success and failure faces (CC)
      • OpenQuest - SRD for the open portion of the Mongoose Legend RPG (3e to be exact) (OGL)
      • Runic SRD - looks to be an SRD of a Runequest adaptation (OGL)
      • D100II SRD - another Runequest-like SRD (OGL)
      • QuestWorlds - SRD for a modern version of HeroQuest (a d20 system with "masteries") (OGL)
      • Push - simple 2d6 system, has a free SRD (CC)
      • WaRP - the system used in Over the Edge (OGL)
      • WOIN - a dice pool based game where the size of the pool is determined by several factors; has optional rules converting to other resolution systems (OGL)
      • vsM Engine - if you played vs Monsters, vs Outlaws or any other in the series, this is the basic SRD. all original sites are down so the link is to somebody's copy on Dropbox (OGL)
      • Year Zero Engine - an SRD for YZE (OGL)
      • The Resistance System - an SRD for the system powering the Spire (CC)
      • Traveller - an SRD for original (non-d20) Traveller (OGL)
      • Troika! - scroll down past the download button to see the download link for the SRD
      • Iridium System - an awesome system that has a Core Reference (OGL)
      • Cypher System SRD - an SRD for the system powering Numenera (their own Open License which is extremely close to OGL)
      • Dungeoncaster SRD - an OSR fantasy system (CC)
      • Entropic Gaming System - a step dice system which has separate dice for skills and attributes (OGL)
      • Nuts and Bolts SRD - a simple system based on throwing any dice which have an equal number of success and failure faces (CC)
      • Action! System - an archived copy of the publisher's downloads section, YMMV when trying to download (some links are 404) / [online version](https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/srd/srd_action/index.html) converted from the originals (OGL)
    • Card-based games

      • C22 - an awesome card-based system that has an SRD (CC)
      • Capers - awesome game about superpowered gangsters in the 1920s, has an SRD (CC)
      • Enchanted Realms - "free for anyone to take an use as they wish"
      • Carta SRD - a solitaire-based game
      • Freelancer's Guide - a sci-fi card based game