Branching Out (Tabletop Games Similar to D&D 5e)

BY: Lance Kleinman

Where Dungeons and Dragons may be the most popular of the tabletop RPGs it certainly isn’t the only one! There are so many different games that take place in different settings and timelines, varying in anything from a more intricate combat system of Pathfinder, to the spaceships and lightsaber battles of the Edge of the Empire. Here is a list of my recommendations if you want to spice up your tabletop RPG playing.

Star Wars (Tabletop RPG) there are several books in which you can focus on your favorite aspect of Star Wars. Do you want to focus on piloting a starship and blasting down your enemies across the Corellian Hyperoute? Go for it. Do you wanna use the force to strangle your enemies and throw them off a caverness depth? Easy enough. The skies the limit, in fact, the sky doesn’t even limit you here.

Link: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/starwarsrpg/

Pathfinder, this tabletop roleplaying game is the most similar to D&D out of all of these other RPGs. Whereas the other games focus on interesting and diverse facets, not usually covered by D&D, Pathfinder focuses on mechanics similar to older editions of D&D, with modernized mechanics and concepts. It’s definitely a more complex system, but for people who prefer to have more mechanics in combat and storytelling, this is the tabletop for you!

Link: https://paizo.com/pathfinder
Call of Cthulhu, this game focuses on horror focused concepts, often covering lovecraftian horror tropes such as ancient eldritch gods, and mutated humanoid individuals. When playing this, you’ll often find yourself dealing with maintaining your ever-faltering sanity, and dealing with scenarios even the most seasoned players can find unsettling.

Link: https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg/
Mutants and Masterminds, this game allows the player to develop powers beyond their wildest dreams. If you want to grow vines out of your fingertips and lash out at someone, that’s entirely possible. Some people may find themselves basing their characters off of other characters, like being a giant hulking monster, or a snarky billionaire with a robotic suit. Any superpower can be in your grasp, but whether you choose to be a hero or villain is entirely up to you.

Link: https://greenroninstore.com/collections/mutants-masterminds
Starfinder, last but certainly not least is our return to space in another tabletop RPG format. If you’re not a big fan of Star Wars, or you just want to focus on a science fiction experience, Starfinder will be for you. Fight aliens with lasers, build your own spacecraft, or discover a distant civilization off in the stars. Regardless of what you may pick, Starfinder is a fascinating and enjoyable tabletop RPG with vast exploration and combat possibilities.