Genuinely free/ Creative Commons Pen and paper RPGs

[D]

Has anyone come across/ used any good Creative Commons 'pen and paper'
RPGs? I have Treasure RPG for fantasy/ D&D-a-like games/ settings. But
I'd like to find something similar for Sci-Fi and Modern settings.

I've been on the Net and looked at JAGS and Icar. They're both a bit
'rules heavy' and I'm after as many of the following as possible.
Free/ Creative Commons, editable, OK or better artwork, and easy to
'teach'.

The freerpgblog has a couple more but they're free 'lite' versions
with pay options. I'm looking for full RPGs that I can edit/ annotate
and post to students completely legally. It's maybe a tall order but a
system that's more roleplaying than battle game would be helpful. Any
recommendations/ links much appreciated.

TIA

David

Technology Tutor
Open University in Scotland

[Jim Peterson]

David,

Not to sound like a smart-aleck, but why not create your own? That's how D&D got started, and there's quite a bit of info out there on how to do it regarding rule setting, game flow, and form building. Maybe you could even turn it into a Teen Programming event or a study in social skill building and time management, "open-source" style . Yes, it takes time, but who knows -- you could be the next Dave Arneson or Gary Gygax, only still alive!

Jim Peterson Technology Coordinator Goodnight Memorial Library 203 S. Main St. Franklin, KY  42134 (270) 586-8397 www.gmpl.org Library Technology Blog

[Gillian Wiseman]

Well, the SRD (System Reference Document) Rule set for 3.5 is freely available to modify and use for any purpose, as long as you include the license with what you create so others can also modify it.

You might look at the microlite20 game for an example of how DnD 3/3.5 has been modified - it's very rules lite and there are lots of people adding all sorts of modern/sci-fi elements to it, which are also free for everyone to use. www.microlite20.net is the site. Everything there is freely available for use via the SRD. The only thing the SRD lacks is the rules/charts for advancing characters, and tehre are plenty of variant methods available for that!

[Jack]

You could try GURPS lite the rules are simplified. They are portable
to any universe you want to be in. And best of all it is a free
download. Just follow the link.

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG31-0004

[D]

Thanks for the links and the suggestion.

GURPS Lite and microlite are good starter packs. but Icar looks like
the fullest 'ready made' so far.

'Make your own' is an interesting idea and could make sense. Not
starting from scratch, but adapting Treasure to different genres. It
already makes it easy to gather quantitative data to evaluate player
interactions and decision making processes during play. A move to a
different system would mean a rethink there, including working out how
to get a valid comparison between systems and genres.

Converting parts of Treasure to a Sci-Fi setting could be the quickest
option/ collect the strongest data. I'll give it some thought. If
anyone could come up with any more alternatives that'd be good too.

100+pages or so is fairly necessary to evaluate a full RPG instead of
a Lite RGP. The principles may be the same but players' interactions
and decision making seem to change character when more options come
into play.

I should have explained 'rules heavy' more clearly. All the main
'features' of an RPG are needed, but at the level of a game like
Treasure or Traveller, i.e. not too many calculations/ kinds of die,
etc . . .

Thanks again!

[Allison Angell]

You could try Risus, available from Cumberland games for free (and the rules are only 6 pages long!).  Or PDQ, from Atomic Sock Monkey.  Both are available online.  I don't think the core PDQ is illustrated, and Risus has only stick figures (even if cute ones), but illustrating a game might be a fun teen project.     Hope this helps,    Allison Angell, Benicia (Calif.) Public Library    allison...@yahoo.com --- On Wed, 7/1/09, D <ned...@gmail.com> wrote:

From: D <ned...@gmail.com> Subject: {LibGaming} Genuinely free/ Creative Commons Pen and paper RPGs

To: "LibGaming" <LibG...@googlegroups.com> Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 5:25 AM

Has anyone come across/ used any good Creative Commons 'pen and paper' RPGs? I have Treasure RPG for fantasy/ D&D-a-like games/ settings. But I'd like to find something similar for Sci-Fi and Modern settings. I've been on the Net and looked at JAGS and Icar. They're both a bit 'rules heavy' and I'm after as many of the following as possible. Free/ Creative Commons, editable, OK or better artwork, and easy to 'teach'. The freerpgblog has a couple more but they're free 'lite' versions with pay options. I'm looking for full RPGs that I can edit/ annotate and post to students completely legally. It's maybe a tall order but a system that's more roleplaying than battle game would be helpful. Any recommendations/ links much appreciated. TIA

[D]

Thanks, especially for Risus, which is a real treat. Hadn't occured to
me to deal with a dragon by cooking it before. We've decided to go for
Jim's suggestion in the end. We put together our own fantasy RPG in
the first place, so we're going to adapt that to get a free SciFi
option.

Cheers

David

Technology Tutor
Open University In Scotland

On Jul 3, 6:47 am, Allison Angell <allison_ang...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>    You could try Risus, available from Cumberland games for free (and the rules are only 6 pages long!).  Or PDQ, from Atomic Sock Monkey.  Both are available online.  I don't think the core PDQ is illustrated, and Risus has only stick figures (even if cute ones), but illustrating a game might be a fun teen project.    Hope this helps,   Allison Angell, Benicia (Calif.) Public Library   allison_ang...@yahoo.com

[laini greenstein]

I have begun playing a wonderful new paper and pencil RPG with my husband and some friends.  It is called Mouse Guard and does not involve magic, which I like.  I really want to bring something like this to the library but I need to be able to play with more like 12 kids at least.  Has anyone tried to put kids on teams with a traditional RPG that is only normally fun with 5-6 players?

---

Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. Try it now.

[D]

The book's beautifully made too.

I try to avoid larger groups, because each kid has to wait longer for
their 'turn'. Things maybe get a bit more 'directed' or 'handed down'
too, as the GM tries to keep things moving along. If there's an
enthusiastic kid who could run a second game it might be worth trying
that.

HTH

David

On Aug 3, 9:49 pm, laini greenstein <flinkyb...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I have begun playing a wonderful new paper and pencil RPG with my husband and some friends.  It is called Mouse Guard and does not involve magic, which I like.  I really want to bring something like this to the library but I need to be able to play with more like 12 kids at least.  Has anyone tried to put kids on teams with a traditional RPG that is only normally fun with 5-6 players?
>

> _________________________________________________________________
> Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®.http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/personalize.aspx?ocid=PI...

[Gillian Wiseman]

I have run groups of traditional pen and paper rpgs with up to 12 people. I would NOT expect teams to be a viable option. Better would be to divide the kids into groups of 6-10, and then appoint associate game-masters. You be the “master game master” and assist each “associate” as needed. The associate gms should be your older, more organized kids. Or recruit volunteer adults.

 

Gillian Wiseman

Electronic Resources Librarian

Waco-McLennan County Library

1717 Austin Ave

Waco TX 76701

254-750-5944

gwis...@ci.waco.tx.us

 

 

 

---

[Ian McKinney]

I have a blog that addresses various issues with RPGs in libraries - there's a lot about D&D, and some about some alternatives.  I haven't seen Mouse Guard yet, but I'll see about getting a copy.  I agree with Gillian that teams would be a difficult way to go.

The blog, if you want to sort through some of the ideas I've posted about: http://zardok.wordpress.com/

--Ian

[Andrew Fuerste-Henry]

Hopefully you’re using the Mouse Guard RPG as an excuse to make kids read the comic. It’s as lovely as the game book and appropriate for all ages. The second collection should be coming out soon.

 

As a side note, the lack of magic was the one drawback I saw in Mouse Guard. It takes all kinds.

 

 

Andrew Fuerste-Henry

Adult Services

Carnegie-Stout Public Library

Dubuque, IA

 

 

[D]

Checked out your blog and read the post on AD&D 4e. theRPGsite forums
have an interesting thread on the software for 4e. It's only forum
talk but it sounds like a clear lesson in how to throw cash at a
'vision', only to find that no one is sure what the vision is. From a
different source, they seem clearer on it now, and I gather that
iTouch apps for 4e are being developed. My concerns with 4e for
libraries are more to do with volume and cost.

[Andrew Fuerste-Henry]

"My concerns with 4e for libraries are more to do with volume and cost."

WotC is certainly publishing as many books as ever (and one of my buddies was looking forward to 4e alleviating the 3e book-glut. Ha!). But I don't know that a library needs to buy every book. It wouldn't be totally unreasonable to get the three core books and stop at that.

Has anyone combed through the D&D Insider terms of use or talked to Wizards about whether or not a library can buy a subscription to DDI and share it with patrons? I know one subscription allows 5 Character Builder updates. Between the Compendium and the Character Builder there's really not a ton of need for all the books they keep churning out.

Andrew Fuerste-Henry
Adult Services
Carnegie-Stout Public Library
Dubuque, IA

-----Original Message-----
From: LibG...@googlegroups.com [mailto:LibG...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of D
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 2:33 PM
To: LibGaming
Subject: {LibGaming} Re: Role Playing in Larger Groups


Checked out your blog and read the post on AD&D 4e. theRPGsite forums
have an interesting thread on the software for 4e. It's only forum
talk but it sounds like a clear lesson in how to throw cash at a
'vision', only to find that no one is sure what the vision is. From a
different source, they seem clearer on it now, and I gather that
iTouch apps for 4e are being developed.

[Gillian Wiseman]

There's certainly no reason that whatever Librarian was running the game couldn't do all the character updating him/herself. It doesn't take very long. The only problem is the slight bugginess of the software (IMHE).

I certainly would suggest that Libraries stick with the first three books only!

Gillian Wiseman
Electronic Resources Librarian
Waco-McLennan County Library
1717 Austin Ave
Waco TX 76701
254-750-5944
gwis...@ci.waco.tx.us

[D]

They've tucked a few of the well known 'classes' in the Player's
Handbook 2 and 3, which might be worth adding when they get
discounted?

Beyond that I don't see much more that 's needed. The new DMs Guide 2
seems to be about consulting with players about plots and settings.
Might be a good idea but it's maybe something a lot of DMs/ GMs do
already.

David

On Aug 17, 7:40 pm, "Gillian Wiseman" <gwise...@ci.waco.tx.us> wrote:
> There's certainly no reason that whatever Librarian was running the game couldn't do all the character updating him/herself. It doesn't take very long. The only problem is the slight bugginess of the software (IMHE).
>
> I certainly would suggest that Libraries stick with the first three books only!
>
> Gillian Wiseman
> Electronic Resources Librarian
> Waco-McLennan County Library
> 1717 Austin Ave
> Waco TX 76701
> 254-750-5944

> gwise...@ci.waco.tx.us

[Gillian Wiseman]

New players probably don't care about those classes (I mean, I fully intend to play a bard, soon, but would a brand new player even miss that role? I doubt it).

Ditto with discussing campaign setting options. If a person barely knows what a Pen-and-paper RPG is, they're not gonna be very effective discussing what variants they want to play, or what options should be available.

When I run a "shop" game or a "library" game, I tend to be fairly restrictive about the choices I let PCs have, anyway, just because I don't want people going crazy with options.

I'd be happy to discuss the scenario I used a couple years back, if you're interested.

Gillian Wiseman

[D]

I'd be very interested to hear about your scenario :)) I moved away
from AD&D a while ago, not simply because of the cost or the volume,
but because I was interested in looking at a particular set of skills,
(planning, decision making and collaboration related), and I needed a
system designed for that purpose. However, AD&D remains and will
remain the major tabletop RPG for years to come and it's helpful to
know how it's being used in schools, libraries and universities.

David