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I have a €50 voucher for my local shop, and I'm going to use it to dip a toe into RPG world for the first time. Unfortunately - much as I love it - the range in the store is limited.

My priorities are a) Straightforward to pick up and explain to others without having an experienced player to help, and b) Have everything I need to start a basic game for around fiftyish bucks.

So here are the available options -

1) DnD - Stranger Things - I've heard this is actually a pretty decent entry point to DnD. The Stranger Things theme doesn't really matter to me but could make the whole thing a much easier sell to my casual player friends, and I understand it's got "canned" character builds etc to run with. So out of the box it might be a particularly digestible jumping off point to build on later.

2) Shadowrun 6e Beginner Box - This setting appeals to me personally far more, but I've heard everybody hates this edition. I have heard it's also pretty good value for what it is though.

3) Warhammer 40k: Wrath and Glory - By far the setting that appeals to me most, but the worst value because all I'd get for my money-equivalent is the core book, though I could cobble together the other bits and pieces myself. I also see extremely lukewarm feedback on it.

4) Call of Cthulhu/Pathfinder/Starfinder - I know nothing about these, and all would be the book only. Of these, I'm inclined towards the Cthulhu I guess?

5) Hold out for the next version of Cyberpunk.

Can anybody give me some pointers?

I think go with the DnD, its the famous one and is easier to find a group who plays.

The most important thing in any RPG is the players. If you pick a lesser known RPG you're choosing a niche of a niche which could make finding them difficult!

Finding players is easy. You just play with your friends. The game doesn't matter.

That being said for 50.00 and being able to sit down and play without a more experienced player the dnd starter is going to be your best bet.

If you’re just starting, DnD is just the classic route. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to find second hand “older” editions you can pick up. I’m familiar with 3rd and 3.5, which were solid systems and quite easy to get familiar with.

The best part of any RPG is that you can house rule all you like. It’s less about winning and losing as it is about telling and playing a story. Your DM / GM / Referee can be as fast and loose as the group is good with.

My suggestion would be to first talk to the people you want to play with, and see what kind of setting you want to play in. Fantasy? DND. Space Fantasy? Star Wars. Modern era? D20 Modern (same system as DnD 3rd edition). Mice vs tiny world? I can’t remember the name, but there’s a system for that. Future dystopian satire? Human Occupied Landfill (H.O.L.)

Kobolds raiding a human village to steal babies? Kobolds ate my baby. I’m serious. By Level 8 games, if I recall.

Really, if your group enjoys the setting you’ll figure it out. So go with a setting you enjoy and the rest will sort itself out.

Definitely pick Call of Cthulhu.

Here is what the current starter box looks like:

https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set/

 Manchu wrote:
Definitely pick Call of Cthulhu.

Here is what the current starter box looks like:

https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set/

That looks good, but unfortunately I'm limited to the stuff the store has in stock, and they only have the book on its own.

Casualty wrote:


1) DnD - Stranger Things - I've heard this is actually a pretty decent entry point to DnD. The Stranger Things theme doesn't really matter to me but could make the whole thing a much easier sell to my casual player friends, and I understand it's got "canned" character builds etc to run with. So out of the box it might be a particularly digestible jumping off point to build on later.

My group is playing through this on days when we can't get the full party together for various reasons (basically depending on who doesn't show up, we have a different one-shot or boardgame that gets pulled out)

We are about halfway through it, and its a wonderful intro into DnD. If you have seen stranger things S3, it's the campaign that Will was trying to run for Mike and Lucas best we can tell. So basically the one-shot is entirely divorced from Stanger Things itself. It's just the idea that a character from that show wrote this module.

TBH you do not seem to have any good options. Spend the voucher on whatever else you play and get a better RPG another time.

The D&D core rules are free on the Wizards of the Coast website if you don't need the gubbins in the starter set, and come with more details and monsters and treasure, plus character generation for 4 classes.

There's a new D&D Essentials set coming out at the start of September if you can wait, it has character generation to level 6 for 5 classes.

I have the Essentials Kit and it is really good.

The Stranger Things box is not a good choice. The normal Starter is better — and it works together with the Essentials Kit (the EK is set in the same area and the adventure is a sequel to the Starter).

For RPGs, the system matters much less than the players. Who are you going to play with? Do they have preferences?

If you're looking to start a group, then you should have people in mind. What do they want to play?

If you're looking to pick up a system to join a group, what system to pick up is whatever that group is already playing.

Further, if you're looking to join a group - join. Then after playing, decide what you need. Of everyone I've played RPGs with in-person, only a small minority actually owned RPG materials for that campaign.

RPGs are social games. The rules are secondary. Figure out the social aspects, and what rules you need will be obvious. And you'll have people to help you with suggestions.

And if you really want to read rules for RPGs, there's always http://www.d20srd.org/. I own most of the 3.X books that site hosts, but still refer to it more often than the books. Very useful.

Casualty wrote:
2) Shadowrun 6e Beginner Box - This setting appeals to me personally far more, but I've heard everybody hates this edition. I have heard it's also pretty good value for what it is though.

3) Warhammer 40k: Wrath and Glory - By far the setting that appeals to me most, but the worst value because all I'd get for my money-equivalent is the core book, though I could cobble together the other bits and pieces myself. I also see extremely lukewarm feedback on it.

4) Call of Cthulhu/Pathfinder/Starfinder - I know nothing about these, and all would be the book only. Of these, I'm inclined towards the Cthulhu I guess?

5) Hold out for the next version of Cyberpunk.

Can anybody give me some pointers?

2) Where have you heard that? I don't think the actual edition core book is out yet although it's been a few weeks since I last checked (iirc it was supposed to be first on sale at Gencon). Am I mistaken? It's possible I suppose. I did read some grumbling though about the simpifications in the starter set compared with 5th edition core rules but it's hard to judge as the starter typically has some leve of streamlining in it anyways. 6th edition is supposed to be easier to get into from what youtube channels like shadowcasters and complex action have previewed though... but IMO (and many othes), the game definitely needs steamlining.

3) DO NOT GET THE WANG (Wrath ANd Glory) BOOK NOW! At least not unless you're ok with the following and getting a big discount. It's being significantly updated in the next 6-12 months by the new developer Cubicle 7(?) as they've taken over further work on the line. Supposedly it will be compatible and they will release a free update pdf but you should know that, despite it's age of only about 12 months, it is effectively being revamped.

4) I can't comment on the others but I did try my hand at Starfinder. Despite the size of the core book, I found the content lacking in terms of variety for an ostensibly scifi game. I'd definitely classify it more as a science FANTASY game as it really does play mechanically and tonally like D&D in spaaaaace. Firing your super futuristic space laser gun is pretty much just firing a bow, tech powers are just space sorcerer spells, etc. If you're ok with that then it's a solid system with nice art and variety. I wasn't aware of it before trying it nor ok with it (the rest of the group wasn't keen on it either) so it didn't work out for us. YMMV.

Hmm hi there! As stated before D&D is a great system to play as a first RPG and I think 5th is even better for that than earlier versions. It has a pretty good character building...system which might, might encourage your group to be a bit more than dungeon-delving killers, but if that's all you want it's even better.

Ooooh Call of Cthulhu, being a huge Lovecraft fan I've both played and GM'd it and love it myself, but it isn't exactly the great system to begin on, your characters will either die or go insane quite quickly and that might not leave a great impression on first time players, especially if they aren't familiar with the mythos. It's also very rare on combat and more around Roleplaying although this can depend on the GM and the players too, but even on the smallest encounters, it can turn into a life-or-death struggle easily. For a more 'fun' and 'escapist' system around Lovecraft's work I suggest Pulp Cthulhu (But that isn't there, obviously)

Shadowrun, I've had a great time playing but haven't tried the newest version. I heard it might've been streamlined so could work for you and the world-building is pretty cool.

Haven't played any of the other systems you've listed, but I've heard Wrath and Glory's pretty good and easy to get into. I think it might be a good idea to limit your characters to a single 'tier' as balancing combat sounds impossible with a Space Marine, an Eldar Farseer and an Inquisition acolyte all working together. I don't have much interest in playing Wrath & Glory as I'm a huge fan of Dark Heresy and its spinoffs, even with all the faults. But it sounds like it's a good idea to hold off buying it for now.

Hope this helps!

High on role play, low on combat — an accurate appraisal of Call of Cthulhu (as intended) and IMO a perfect reason to start here rather than D&D!

Wanted to say thanks for all contributions.

My non boardy friends expressed a lot of interest in D&D and in the end that was the decider as a gateway drug.

Casualty wrote:
Wanted to say thanks for all contributions.

My non boardy friends expressed a lot of interest in D&D and in the end that was the decider as a gateway drug.

No, prob! I hope you have a great time and they do too!

Dnd as a gateway drug is an apt metaphor. You start with dnd. Then hopefully you branch out into other games and explore what pen and paper rpgs have to offer.

 Lance845 wrote:
Dnd as a gateway drug is an apt metaphor. You start with dnd. Then hopefully you branch out into other games and explore what pen and paper rpgs have to offer.

My group only wants to play dnd no matter how hard I try to push other systems. Does this make me a crack addict surrounded by weed users?

balmong7 wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
Dnd as a gateway drug is an apt metaphor. You start with dnd. Then hopefully you branch out into other games and explore what pen and paper rpgs have to offer.

My group only wants to play dnd no matter how hard I try to push other systems. Does this make me a crack addict surrounded by weed users?

It makes your friends idiots.

Not idiots. But probably normies.

 Manchu wrote:
Not idiots. But probably normies.

I jUsT pReFeR hIgH FaNtAsY.

There are other games with high fantasy. If you like cereal but only eat bran flakes there is a lot of other cereal you are missing out on.

D&D is a fine starter game.....

I hope you have fun and look forward to hearing about what you did.

I have no love or even opinion on current D&D as I have no experience with it at all. I loved 3rd but the followup 4th soured me on it and in part on WOTC in general despite my wanting a change/new edition. Regardless, I've heard good things about 5th editionand there is no doubt that it is by far the most recognizable RPG that exists. Those two factors help in bringing hesitant new players in so make it a good choice to start with.