The Farland Mass Combat System is designed to help role players resolve large scale conflicts. There’s also a great — and free — program to help you do so.
RPG Fantasy
d20 Barsoom Variant
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom novels are among my favorite guilty pleasures. Sean K. Reynolds has a page with material, including monster and character profiles from his d20 Barsoon campaign.
Wendy’s Fantasy RPG
Wendy’s — yes, the fast food chain — has released an RPG free for the downloading: Feast of Legends. From the description:
You are adventurers in the realm of Beef ’s Keep, where the nations have been splintered over major disagreements in how to treat the realm’s people. Creepingvale and the United Clown Nations have led their people into a collective darkness known as The Deep Freeze. While the world currently feels like a cold and desolate place, you reside in the one nation that remains a true beacon of hope: Freshtovia.
Creepingvale has a creepy king with a paper crown …
Mazes and Minotaurs Role Playing Game
Mazes and Minotaurs is a free role playing game of heroic adventure in ancient Greece.
Dark City Games’ Legends RPG
I am a huge fan of the old Metagaming series “The Fantasy Trip”, which included Melee and Wizard. I remember first seeing them in a hobby shop in Fort Collins, Colorado, and still get a warm fuzzy feeling when I get out my little plastic bags.
Sentimentality aside, they’re also great games. I’ve used them for both role playing, and miniatures skirmish games. Sadly, they are long out of print. Metagaming folded and inventor Steve Jackson went on to found Steve Jackson Games. You can find .pdf files of the games in various plaes on the internet, but I am sure that they are in violation of copyright. I’d love to host copies here on MiniatureWargaming, but have no idea who does hold the copyright.
Until then, there is a legal and FREE alternative: Dark City Games’ Legends RPG. It uses the same mechanics and has the same light tactical feel.