Preferred game system that isn't built on the OGL

Hello,

With all the hubbub about the OGL, and publishers look for a plan "B" if Hasbro/WotC truly does go nuclear with the new 1.1 agreement, what are some games people like that aren't OGL?

Let's remove D&D, Pathfinder, Old School Essentials, and many others. I think the hobby is sufficiently large that even if every OGL game dropped into the abyss tomorrow, we could all still carry on gaming quite happily.

Personally, if I was forced to step away from d20 based games spawned by the OGL, I'd probably start running Savage Worlds (pretty sure that isn't OGL, but I could be wrong) games more often. It's a neat, tidy "generic game" that can handle all of the pulp action people look for in fantasy rpgs like D&D.

What about all of you? What are your preferred systems/games to play that are NOT tied to the OGL? Players that might not know the gaming landscape might appreciate the opinions of all the people on the knowledgeable veterans on GP.

Dragonsbane hands down!

GURPS & BRP are amongst my favorite games with more generic rules.

Ars Magica is my go-to for fantasy.

That is a game on my bucketlist. I have heard so much good about it

I've ran it via PbP a few times & it's on my list of games to run on GP. First up for me tho is ShadowRun via Chronicles of Darkness.

Yes, we did try that didn't we? Any chance of a resurrection?

I would assume that the entire gaming world is moving away from the damned OGL, sheeeet it should be called the CLOSED Gaming License now.

I have (re)discovered Dungeon World- someone run a game here?

I think I joined two DW games in my time on GP and neither got out of character creation...

As for the original question, I do like Savage Worlds a lot. That's definitely up there. Aside from that, I usually just get my attention caught by random indie games

Here's a running list of everything that's been named so far in alphabetical order for anyone interested:

Ars Magica - fantasy
Basic Role-Playing - generic
Chronicles of Darkness - horror
Dungeon World - fantasy
Dragonbane - fantasy
GURPS - generic
Savage Worlds - generic
Shadowrun - cyberpunk

I'll add to this as people contribute. I didn't add "indie" because it's too broad a category, but there are loads of good games that fall under that umbrella.

It was really hard to name just one that is not released under the OGL (PtbA Stuff, Blades Stuff, everything von Chaosium, The Dark Eye which is super popular where I live).

I will go with West End Games Star Wars d6 since I played it so much and never seam to tire of it (with Apocalypse World coming close behind).

I was going to name Fate as well but shockingly it uses the OGL, which I still don't know why :D

The OGL 1.0a was a well-vetted license many people used over the decades, even if their prodict had nothing to do with DnD. It is doubtful that WotC can have any affect on these unrelated games. (but IANAL)

Looker here:

Even the Bundle has an opinion.

World of Dungeons
Tiny D6
Maze Rats
Knave
2400

- all can support one shot or long term gaming in a variety of settings; all work for fantasy or for various sci-fi / cyberpunk / magepunk settings.

For games less concerned with "leveling up":
Risus
ATRIM
Tricube Tales

I am having a good time with the resistance toolbox thus far.
Its under my favourite license (creative commons)

I'm not sure that I would even notice if OGL became legal quicksand. I'd greatly prefer even today to play SWADE, Fantasy AGE, Symbaroum, Conan 2d20, or even Zweihander or Rolemaster United than a d20 game (depending on the crunch I crave atm).

As of Fate Core, Evil Hat dropped the OGL, or at least made it optional -- advice on their website is now to use it only if the designer is referencing WotC material.

Mystifying to me as well why games completely unrelated to Wizards used it (See: early Fate games, a couple of Arc Dream books). It shouldn't hurt them now, but it was pretty naïve to use a license someone else controls when they weren't required to.

Recently for the first time I saw a quick summary of 2d20 ... and yes, please, that looks like a cool core for a game.

On the other hand, for swords & sorcery Barbarians of Lemuria is close to my heart.

I think that everyone on here knows that my game of choice is Savage Worlds.

Raises his hand and points agreeingly to WhtKnt about Savage Worlds...

No one’s mentioned Torg which has a serious amount of option/Inspiration. Straight up Pondsmith cyberpunk is always great! Runequest and pendragon (which 6e should be released any time now). Old Stormbringer is readily available in pdf for anyone wanting that sweet Moorcock pulp fantasy glory. Fantasy trip, House of the blooded, Orc world, LOTFR, etc.

This list could go on forever! They don’t own our game. The originator of the first OGL has already gone on record saying that "in his opinion" wizards has no power to revoke the previous OGL. In the original wording of the OGL, once a game was open under the license it would remain open. Pretty sure this is all just smoke and mirrors. Our very own satanic panic playing out.

As a student of anthropology I am always curious about when people will realize that culture cannot be owned. This is a myth of capitalism, Intellectual Property rights are for artists and creatives. Once things pass into broad multigenerational use the rules change, whether or not our laws want to recognize it. Dungeons and dragons is apart of our history, are they going to tell Luke Gygax he cannot publish things for Gary Con next?

The first third of this addresses my question, but the other two thirds are better suited for the GP Discird where we've been politely discussing some of the very issues you've brought up. Come join us!

Sorry, new to the forum, still figuring out where everyone talking. Ya those are my games lol.

Or if you want 5e but much better there's always Shadow of the Demon Lord!

If you want the old school flavor, Dungeon Crawl Classics is the apex.

My first inclination is to tout the old Marvel Superheroes system (aka "the FASERIP system"), and the TMNT game. Those are what I cut my teeth on, so... nostalgia.

From a more realistic standpoint... World of Darkness (any iteration) and Shadowrun. The Fallout RPG looks solid (recently snagged a physical copy), and my limited experience with SWADE seems pretty great too.

Ars Magica - fantasy
Basic Role-Playing - generic
Chronicles of Darkness - horror
Dungeon World - fantasy
Dragonbane - fantasy
GURPS - generic
Savage Worlds - generic
Shadowrun - cyberpunk
Tiny D6
Maze Rats
Knave
2400
Risus
ATRIM
Tricube Tales
Torg
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Shadow of the Demon Lord
Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP)
the TMNT game
Fallout RPG

The list keeps growing...we have options.

No worries @Priest_of_Turundor! I wasn't reprimanding you, but rather inviting you to come to hang out on Discord.

Looking at the list and seeing some fantastic games, I feel like life after the OGL will be just fine.

That said, I'm not totally keeping up with the legal drama... will it impact things like PbP websites? I always figured those were really no different than friends sitting around a kitchen table.

Classic Traveller and Mongoose Traveller 2e are two more awesome, non-OGL games to add to the list.

While strangely enough Mongoose Traveller 1e used OGL for its derived works license, so things like Cepheus (even the new one) fall under OGL 1.0a.

I like Anima: Beyond Fantasy. Never really got to play it but it has an interesting system. I looked in the book and couldn't find anything mentioning Wizards OGL, so I think it's safe.

Well everything seems to have been called off now, but even if it hadn’t I doubt it would’ve affected pbp in this form.

I'm generally pretty skeptical by nature. There was some sort of email leaked by an employee that essentially said something about backing off for now, letting things die down, and circling back to it later. I'm not sure I believe WotC has actually called the whole thing off.

Here's hoping, though.

I would have suggested various Free League games however just got a notice from their mailing list they've developed 2 new OGLs, one for Dragonbane and a separate one for their Year Zero Engine games. Regardless Free League games are fantastic.

Modiphius' Conan 2d20 has been mentioned but add to that Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20, John Carter of Mars 2d20, Fallout 2d20, and likely their most popular of all, Star Trek Adventures (2d20).

Ars Magica - fantasy
Basic Role-Playing - generic
Chronicles of Darkness - horror
Dungeon World - fantasy
Dragonbane - fantasy
GURPS - generic
Savage Worlds - generic
Shadowrun - cyberpunk
Tiny D6
Maze Rats
Knave
2400
Risus
ATRIM
Tricube Tales
Torg
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Shadow of the Demon Lord
Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP)
the TMNT game
Modiphius 2d20 games (Conan, Achtung! Cthulhu, John Carter of Mars, Fallout, Star Trek)

We have options, friends.

Are you still collecting? There are literally hundreds of great non-OGL games we could list...

(DCC, btw, is OGL.)

I was only compiling the list of stuff that people had posted here. I wouldn't dare try and build a list of all the options available. It's too daunting a task for me and my meager free time.

Indeed! Just for giggles: Against the Darkmaster, The One Ring, Pendragon, Prince Valiant, Free League's whole line of YZE games, Symbaroum, Supers!, Warlock!, Warpstar!, Feng Shui, Jackals, Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, ICRPG, Blades in the Dark, Mork Borg... I mean. Yeah. We could go on. ;)

Tweak the scope of our discussion? Since OGL is most closely associated with D&D in people's minds, what are non-OGL D&D-like alternatives? I can see how that's of great concern to people thinking D&D thoughts. (Or should this be a different thread?) That way we don't have to discuss all game genres.

Brilliant idea, and a much trimmer list.

Answering my own question. 13th Age is under the D&D OGL

Well, if we want to go with DnD-esque games not under the OGL, the one that immediately comes to mind is Rolemaster. (Personal experience is with 2E.) It predates the OGL by... a lot.