Played a Free RPG?

[Dyson Logos]

This poll is basically a repost of Rob Lang's similar post over at the 1km1kt forums - Have you ever played a Free RPG? - 1KM1KT Free RPG Community

Have you played a free RPG?

If you answered yes to the poll, please consider answering the following questions.

If you answered no to the poll, thanks.

• What game was it?
• Who wrote it?
• Where did you find it?
• How did it go?
• How did you convince your players to play, or how were you convinced to play?
• What problems were there?
• Were there any good things about it being Free?
• Did you print it?
• If not, how did you get at the rules?
• Did it make the players want to play more Free stuff?

(wait for it! the poll is incoming!)

 

[resistor]

I ran a one-shot Firefly game using the free FATE 2e rules at a mini-con. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

 

[Glyfair]

A number of Free RPG lists show the d20 system as free since the SRD is free and pretty much has what you need to run the game. If so, yes. Otherwise, no. None have really caught my interest.

 

[Treebore]

[*]What game was it?
Alternity, Shadowrun 4E, GURPS 4E, and Rolemaster Express. From their respective company websites or the alternity fan site.

[*] Who wrote it?
[*] Where did you find it?
[*] How did it go?

They went well, I think.

[*] How did you convince your players to play, or how were you convinced to play? We were/are all interested in giving them a try.

[*] What problems were there? The rules were breif, so we had to decide how to handle some things.

[*] Were there any good things about it being Free? Yeah, we got to see how the basic mechanics work, it gave us a "feel" for whether or not we wanted to buy into it more. For GURPS, Shadowrun, and Alternity we did.

[*] Did you print it? Yes.

[*] If not, how did you get at the rules?

We also used it as a PDF.

[*] Did it make the players want to play more Free stuff?

Yes.

 

[Shades of Green]

What game was it?

Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game (BFRPG).

Who wrote it?

Chris Gonnerman.

Where did you find it?

Heard about it here (ENWorld). Got it from the above-posted link.

How did it go? How did you convince your players to play, or how were you convinced to play?

Gameplay and prep go far more smoothly than 3.0E D&D, and it fits out playing style very well.

What problems were there?

Getting out of the 3E mindset and returning to an "old school" mindset too some time and effort.

Were there any good things about it being Free?

Lots of fan-made material available for it from the net.

Did you print it?

I ordered it printed from LULU (the author does not profit from this; the LULU price only covers the printing/shipping costs).

Did it make the players want to play more Free stuff?[/i]

Yes, the quality is good, on par with that of many commercial products, proving that you don't need a profit motive to make a good game and that free games could be very good indeed.

 

[jdrakeh]

I've played many free RPGs (e.g., There Is No Spoon, Red Box Hack, Danse Macabre, The Totally Unofficial Hellboy RPG, ZODIAC, Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, The Pool, The Window, GURPS Lite, et al). And of course, I've played all of the free games I've written, as well (if only to work out some kinks).

I don't think I could answer all of those questions for each of them without filling a small book. That said, I do usually pay the local copy shop to print the games and spiral bind them. When I don't print them, I load them onto my tablet PC.

 

[Nameless1]

I have played FATE and Shadow of Yesterday. I enjoyed FATE more becaue it is a generic game, but there are some fun things about the SoY game engine that I like. I will check out more free RPGs, but really, the bar has been set pretty high by FATE. Not sure I ever need another game.

 

[Wombat]

I have played FUDGE in free incarnations, as well as The Window, JAGS Wonderland (great setting, lousy system), and multiple "test drive" versions of games. I actually have looked at playing several other systems that I already have downloaded (or copied) and would love to play, but have yet to find players for them...

 

[Aus_Snow]

Nope. I'm not sure why, if there even is a reason. I've kept some free music from here and there, and in fact, even given some out (of my own). Certainly, free artwork, I have tons of. And, come to think of it, I have frightening amounts of free supplements / add-ons / settings for other [non-free] RPGs. . .

Hm. Maybe one day.

edit --- . . . Oops, just realised I voted (and posted) incorrectly! Actually, I've run homebrew systems (so yeah, free), and played in one (another local homebrew). Still no freebies from, say, the interwebs.

 

[the Jester]

Only systems homebrewed by myself or friends, which I don't think is the intent of the poll, so I shan't vote.