The free Basic Fantasy RPG is yet another attempt to recreate the feel of the classic RPGs that so many of us grew up on. The author writes:
The Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game is a rules-light game system based on the d20 SRD v3.5, but heavily rewritten with inspiration from early RPG game systems. It is suitable for those who are fans of “old-school” game mechanics, and it’s simple enough for children in perhaps second or third grade to play, yet still having enough depth for adults as well.
FAST stands for Flexible Adventure System, Task Oriented. It’s a free, “throwback” RPG. As with so many of these, I think that there are ideas here for miniature wargamers to lift for skirmish games. I’m in the process of writing one myself.
Mini Six is a minimalist free RPG based on the old West End d6 system. The authors write:
Mini Six is a fast and flexible rules system that encourages cinematic play. It’s based on a popular multi-genre role playing game that was created in the 1980’s.
All the rules you need for fast play are included on the first page. The following six densely packed pages present options and advanced rules such as character perks and complications, vehicles, magic, and stock characters.
About Mini Six:
Mini Six is a pen and paper roleplaying game. We assume that if you’ve come here, you’ve played one of those before.
Mechanically, it is a clone of well-known system. We’d love to use the name of that system, but because we don’t own the trademark or have permission to use it, we can’t. The system was first used in a popular science fiction role playing game released in the 1980’s. That system has been made open for use by it’s owner, West End Games, but the standard trademark license (STL) to refer to that system has not been released.
It’s not exactly the same as the original system, however. Mini Six is a smaller, leaner game than the original. In addition, a few tweaks have been made here and there to streamline play.
Mini Six is just the rules. No setting is included, but we intend to release some of our own. It can be used to play just about any genre of game. A few examples of fantasy, science fiction, and modern game elements are included.
Talislanta is a fantastic fantasy world setting thats well out of the standard realms of elves, orks and dwarves. I always thought it more in keeping with the fantasies of Jack Vance, or another great setting, Tekumel.
At any rate, the various books, once available commercially now are available for download here.
Dyson Logos offers the Adventures in the New Kingdoms RPG:
Adventures in the New Kingdoms is the setting I’ve been running Fantasy RPGs in for most of my life. It has seen incarnations as a setting for Moldvay B/X D&D, BECMI, AD&D1e and AD&D3.x with side trips into RoleMaster and an abortive attempt to convert it all to GURPS 2e.
The setting itself owes a lot to my first exposure to fantasy novels – the works of Michael Moorcock (specifically the Elric saga). The elves of the New Kingdoms are a doomed and ancient race, warriors and sorcerers of Law who even created their own slave races towards the end of their empire.
The ancient empire of the Kale has collapsed under its own weight and is being replaced by the age of man. Of the three greatest Kale cities, only one still remains within their grasp, the other two being the centres of great human city-states.