RPG-Lite Rules

[Leigh Metford]

I've managed to convince a female friend to give this hobby a try. Being a typical woman she has no interest in or knowledge of military history, so I thought a cinematic action genre would make for the best starting point. It happens that I have a large colonial collection, so it seems sensible that her initiation into the joys of miniature tabletop recreation should occur in a Victorian setting. We can always expand our games geographically (e.g Europe), and into the more fanciful aspects of the period with the addition of VSF-specific figures and models, over time.

What I'd like to mine the hive-mind for is suggestions of suitable rule systems that aren't exclusively about combat. It should be present, naturally, but all the other elements of the genre would need at least equal representation in play: battles of wits, feats of daring-do, use of non-combat technology, and so on. An emphasis on story-telling would also be a big plus.

Are there any in-print candidates?



 

[fred]

In Her Majesty’s Name - is a solid set of VSF skirmish rules - whilst it does have non-combat elements to it, it is still quite combat focused, but this does vary across scenarios.

Pulp Alley is probably worth a look for its non-combat elements - whilst it is aimed at 1920s and 30s I’m sure someone will have done a VSF mod or source book!

[v_lazy_dragon]

.45 Adventures is a pulp set, which is definitely in the RPG lite mould. Lots of 'search for plot points' kinda missions. But truth be told I found the rules somewhat clunky

7TV by crooked dice dedigned for cinematic adventure and might have more of what you are looking for?

[Michi]

Congo is very appealing and storytelling - and it is logically set in a colonial context. I bet you could convince her easily by showing the gaming materiel!

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Fistful of Lead just came out with the VSF rules.  They fit the bill.  The existing FoL rules would handle strictly historical colonial skirmishes in a cinematic fashion.

Songs of Blades and Heroes, or it’s d6 RPG Tales of Blades and Heroes are easily reskinned for vsf/musket games.  There is a specifically horse and musket module for it but the base rules are really all you need.  SoBH can be taught to a newbie in just minutes and delivers a very satisfying cinematic game.

[The_Beast]

My experience is that all combat games will be light even compared to lite scale on the RPG side, and full bore RPGs carry enough baggage to make getting to combat a chore.

I expect to be castigated on that, delighted to be shown wrong!

Mostly look for rules simple and adaptable enough to let you 'fill in the blanks' with color, and look for scenarios that add even more. For the former, descriptions above certainly are causing a 'Huzzah!' in my throat.

While I don't have specific examples for the latter, an RPG like Space 1889 comes to mind, though recasting Martians as appropriate Earth indigenous will be a task you can decide as doable.

Focus on characters and characterizations, and ways of adding non-battle interactions.

Let the flames begin.

Doug

[Red Orc]

I think I'd agree. Most tabletop battlegames are quite based on combat, it's kinda inherent. There's a reason Gygax, Arneson and the rest invented D&D to play 'what do these guys do when they're not being heroic on the battlefield?'

GASLIGHT has a chapter called 'Adventures by GASLIGHT' that is supposed to be a bit more 'adventury' than just combaty, in that there are missions and the scope is generally quite small (it's something like a tabletop simulation of an RPG setup of 'party v bad guys' rather than the usual tabletop battle of 'two more or less equal sides').

But i think almost any ruleset could work if you think outside the box re missions/adventures/scenarios.

Perhaps one player has to infiltrate somewhere and avoid being caught, while visiting different areas to get 'clues'. Meanwhile the other player has guards patrolling the area. 'Getting clues' could be 'planting bombs' or 'collecting resources' or anything, really. The mechanics are probably the same.

Maybe one player is trying to escape, or help someone else escape, and the other player is trying to stop them. Perhaps this could even use the same mechanics (patrols etc).

One mechanic I thought was cool about Kill Team from The Evil Empire That Shall Not Be Named(TM) was in how the guard patrols worked; if the 'stealthy' player was being successfully stealthy they could control the guards (send them in the wrong direction, etc); as the 'guard' player became aware of the infiltration team, they could exert more control over the guard patrols, getting them to converge on the infiltration team's location. I think more games should use that kind of mechanic - and I think it's easy to port over, you don't have to run Kill Team to use it.

[Patrice]

Argad is a mix of RPG and small skirmish, mostly intended to be played with a GM.
Often multi-players, but games are sometimes played with a GM and only one player.
Playing as GM gives you a better control of the game and of the storytelling than playing as two opponents.
The generic rules gives some suggestions for RPG actions and how to run the NPCs, etc.

There is no VSF extension, and a Victorian extension existed but is not online. But if not too picky you can use the shooting tables of other, earlier, firearms, and the Martians or whoever could use medieval weapons.

[The_Beast]

There is no VSF extension, and a Victorian extension existed but is not online. But if not too picky you can use the shooting tables of other, earlier, firearms, and the Martians or whoever could use medieval weapons.

So, I see you posted a battle from the 'teens that was 'colonial.'

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=60357.msg721974#msg721974

You no longer have the extension? Given how much I have lost in the past decade and a half, no surprise to me.

Still, the description of the battle may give one an idea of the set.

Thanks! I'll be checking them out.

Doug

[Leigh Metford]

Thanks for the responses, gentlepersons.

Looking at your suggestions, it seems to me that the closest one to what I'm looking for is probably 'Gaslight Expeditions and Adventures', however, I forgot to add that whatever I finally settle on will have to be playable without a GM. Do you know if this is a feature of GE&A, Red Orc?     

[v_lazy_dragon]

GASLIGHT: Adventures and Expeditions is a full (albeit light) rpg, based around (and compatible with) GASLIGHT. To use as the author's intended you'd probably need a GM. To use to add some non combat stats to GASLIGHT characters it should be fine without.

[Patrice]

So, I see you posted a battle from the 'teens that was 'colonial.'

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=60357.msg721974#msg721974

You no longer have the extension?

I still have it - and I see I had begun to work on it again three years ago, then forgot. It's not longer online because it needed updates and improvements (it was not fully tested, and other points of the ruleset have evolved since). Also it's still in French only (but these translations do not take much time). It's mostly the shooting tables and late 19th C. weapons effects that need some more study.