Dave Thaumavore's RPG Links
Buying through these links supports me at no additional cost to you!
The following games and supplements are ones I have read, reviewed and/or played, and which I recommend.
Here’s a sort of directory:
DrivethruRPG.com, which is largely PDFs and sometimes print-on-demand (POD)
Free League
Indie Hits
3rd Pary Legends
Amazon.com, which is almost exclusively physical-only books without a digital version included. Inclusion of a PDF depends on each publisher’s policy.
Free League
Indie Hits
3rd Party Legends
Goodman Games
1. DrivethruRPG.com
a. Free League (DTRPG)
Free League (Fria Ligan) is based in Stockholm, Sweden. They have been creating exquisite English-language RPGs largely aimed at beginner and casual gamers since 2014.
Coriolis core rules: a science fiction tabletop RPG set in a distant star system, blending Arabian Nights-inspired themes with space opera, where players navigate political intrigue, ancient mysteries, and interstellar exploration.
Mutant Year Zero core rules: a post-apocalyptic RPG where players take on the roles of mutants struggling for survival in a ruined world, navigating both external threats and their emerging mutant powers. The first game to use the so-called Year Zero Engine.
Mutant Year Zero Mechatron: an expansion where players become sentient robots discovering their identity and purpose in a post-apocalyptic world once dominated by humans.
Mutant Year Zero Genlab Alpha: an expansion set in a post-apocalyptic world where players take on the roles of anthropomorphic animals rebelling against their human oppressors and the confines of their high-tech prison.
Mutant Year Zero Elysium: an expansion that delves into the final days of the enclave of Elysium, where human elites confront internal decadence and external threats in a post-apocalyptic world.
Mutant Year Zero Ad Astra: an expansion that takes the player characters from the devastated surface of Earth into orbit, out into the solar system, and perhaps further still. Can be played stand-alone or as a direct continuation of the Path to Eden campaign in the Mutant: Year Zero core rulebook.
Alien RPG core rules: Alien is a tabletop role-playing game set in the universe of the iconic "Alien" film series, where players face the tension and horror of surviving encounters with the deadly Xenomorphs and navigating corporate intrigue.
Alien RPG Starter Set: provides an introduction to the horror-filled universe of the "Alien" films, offering streamlined rules, pre-generated characters, and a cinematic scenario to immerse new players in tense, survival-focused gameplay.
Alien RPG Destroyer of Worlds: an adventure supplement that thrusts players into the roles of Colonial Marines on a rescue mission, only to confront deadly Xenomorph threats and unraveling military conspiracies.
Alien RPG Colonial Marines: this supplement equips players with expanded rules, gear, and missions, diving deep into the life and challenges of the iconic Colonial Marines as they confront Xenomorph horrors and interstellar conflicts.
Alien RPG Heart of Darkness: Weyland-Yutani scientists are sent to a remote space station orbiting a black hole to investigate a new lifeform. Upon arrival, they discover that the station has been damaged and the crew is missing. As they explore the station, they begin to experience strange and disturbing phenomena. They soon realize that the new lifeform is not what it seems, and that they are trapped in a nightmare scenario.
Alien RPG Building Better Worlds: a complete campaign module giving you all the tools you need to run a full open-world campaign as a pioneering explorer or colonist.
The One Ring 2e core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game where players create heroes and embark on adventures in Middle-earth, the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The game uses a variety of mechanics to create a sense of immersion and danger, including a detailed combat system, a variety of skills and abilities, and a focus on storytelling.
The One Ring 2e GM screen: a tool for the Loremaster (game master) that provides useful tables and information for running the game, while hiding their schemes from the players.
The One Ring 2e Starter Set: The One Ring 2nd Edition Starter Set contains everything you need to start playing the game, including a rulebook, pre-generated characters, item and stance cards, a map of Eriador, and a scenario book.
Tales From the Loop core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game about teenagers solving mysteries in a world where strange machines and creatures exist alongside everyday life.
Things From the Flood core rules: Things from the Flood is a standalone roleplaying game set in the same world as Tales From the Loop, but with darker themes and higher stakes. Players take on the role of teenagers facing supernatural threats in a world where the extraordinary is becoming commonplace.
Forbidden Lands core rules: Free League's take on the Old School Renaissance (OSR) style of roleplaying, featuring a dangerous setting, lethal combat, and a focus on player choice. Players create characters and embark on adventures in a world full of monsters, ruins, and lost treasures, using their skills and cunning to survive and uncover the secrets of the Forbidden Lands.
Symbaroum core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game set in the dark and mysterious world of Ambria, a land of ancient ruins, dark forests, and hidden treasures. It uses a unique ruleset that combines elements of D20 and narrative systems, creating a game that is both fast-paced and immersive.
Mork Borg: a pitch-black apocalyptic fantasy RPG about lost souls and fools seeking redemption, forgiveness, or the last remaining riches in a bleak and dying world, presented with a unique skater magazine punk artwork style.
CY_BORG: a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game based on the rules of Mörk Borg, with the same brash and atmospheric artwork as its mother game.
Twilight 2000 4e core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game set in an alternate timeline where World War III has begun, and players take on the roles of survivors struggling to survive in a devastated world. Players must use their skills and cunning to find food, shelter, and weapons, while also avoiding hostile forces and the dangers of the post-apocalyptic world.
Ruins of Symbaroum Player’s Guide: a tabletop roleplaying game that combines the D&D 5e ruleset with the dark and mysterious setting of Symbaroum, where players embark on adventures full of intrigue, danger, and magic. Using their skills and cunning, players must survive the treacherous land of Davokar and uncover the secrets of the ancient ruins that lie within.
Ruins of Symbaroum GM’s Guide: The GM Guide includes information on the setting, rules for creating custom artifacts and monsters, and a variety of optional rules and resources to help GMs create their own unique experiences.
Ruins of Symbaroum Bestiary: a comprehensive bestiary for the Ruins of Symbaroum RPG, featuring over 100 unique and terrifying creatures from the dark and mysterious world of Symbaroum. From the towering Trollbrutes to the insidious Night Swarmers, the creatures of the Bestiary will challenge players of all levels and create unforgettable encounters.
Blade Runner core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game set in the dystopian future of the iconic film, where players take on the roles of Blade Runners, tasked with hunting down and retiring rogue Replicants. Players must use their skills and cunning to track down their targets, while also exploring the dark and dangerous streets of Los Angeles and confronting the moral complexities of their work.
Vaesen core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game set in 1889 Sweden, where players take on the roles of investigators tasked with hunting down and defeating supernatural creatures known as vaesen. The game uses the Year Zero Engine ruleset, creating a game that is both fast-paced and immersive. Vaesen has been recognized for its artwork, which captures the dark and atmospheric tone of the game.
Vaesen A Wicked Secret: expansion featuring four standalone mysteries set in the dark and mysterious world of 1889 Sweden.
Vaesen Mythic Britain & Ireland: an expansion featuring new vaesen creatures, adventure locations, and mysteries set in the British and Irish Isles.
Vaesen Seasons of Mystery: an expansion featuring four standalone mysteries set in the dark and mysterious world of 1889 Sweden, each themed around a different season.
Into the Odd Remastered: a rules-light, flavor-heavy roleplaying game of industrial horror and cosmic strangeness, set in the dark and mysterious world of Bastion. Players take on the roles of explorers, braving places too far for maps and too old for records, in search of riches and Arcana, mysterious devices with unnatural powers.
Death in Space: a tabletop roleplaying game set in the vast and dangerous expanse of the cosmos, where players take on the roles of survivors of a disaster on a remote space station. The game uses a lightweight ruleset that focuses on narrative gameplay, and is known for its stunning artwork that captures the dark and atmospheric tone of the game.
b. Indie Hits (DTRPG)
In recent years, independent publishers have been making some of the best tabletop RPGs EVER. Here are just a few, which I have reviewed on my YouTube channel.
Maze Rats: a minimalistic fantasy OSR-style dungeon crawler. Maze Rats has a magical system, but no default spells. Instead, spellcasters roll on a table to get a title of a spell, and then players must discuss how the spell works with their GM. Spells are generated anew upon character creation (for characters with spell slots) and every in-game morning.
Knave: a rules toolkit for running old school fantasy RPGs without classes. It's designed to be compatible with OSR games, so if you have a library of OSR bestiaries, adventure, and spell books, you can use them with Knave with little or no conversion.
Worlds Without Number (Free Edition): a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game with robust GM tools for building worlds, adventures, and encounters, including a hex map generator, a dungeon generator, and a random encounter table.
Stars Without Number (Free Edition): a scifi tabletop roleplaying game with robust GM tools for building worlds, adventures, and encounters, including a hex map generator, a dungeon generator, and a random encounter table.
Electric Bastionland: a tabletop roleplaying game set in a city of bewildering skyscrapers, ancient ruins, and strange technology, where players take on the roles of explorers, braving the dangers of the city and the Underground beneath it in search of treasure and bizarre adventure. Players might encounter strange creatures like giant automatons, mutated animals, and even demons, or explore ancient ruins filled with forgotten technology.
Wicked Ones: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of monsters building a dungeon, launching raids on the surface to gather a hoard, and pursuing a nefarious master plan. Players must work together to construct their dungeon, trap and defeat adventurers, and expand their influence. Based on the Blades in the Dark rules paradigm, it’s is a game for players who want to experience the thrill of being the villain managing a dungeon.
Index Card RPG Master Edition: a simple, flexible, d20 D&D-like roleplaying game that uses gear and inventory to track character progress.
Mouse Guard 2e: a tabletop roleplaying game based on the comic book series of the same name. It uses a variant of the Burning Wheel ruleset, which focuses on narrative gameplay and player creativity. Players take on the roles of members of the Mouse Guard, a knightly order sworn to protect the mice of the Territories.
Ryuutama: a cute and friendly cottagecore RPG that uses a simple ruleset that focuses on narrative gameplay and player creativity. The game is based on the principles of challenge, success, and narrative. Ccharacters have a variety of skills and abilities, but they must also manage their resources and avoid the dangers of the road.
Masks A New Generation: a superhero tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of young superheroes grappling with their emerging identities and the challenges of growing up. Using the Apocalypse World system, Masks emphasizes narrative gameplay, character development, and interpersonal relationships.
Ironsworn: a dour and serious solo, cooperative or traditional fantasy RPG where players take on the roles of Ironborn warriors embarking on perilous quests. Using the Powered by the Apocalypse rules paradigm, the game revolutionized solo play.
Ironsworn: Starforged: a spiritual sequal to Ironsworn, this standalone scifi RPG uses all the innovative PbtA features from Ironsworn. Players take on the roles of oath-bound adventurers embarking on perilous interstellar quests. Can be played solo, co-op or GM-guided.
Monsterhearts 2e: a teenage monster tabletop roleplaying game that uses a variant of the Powered by the Apocalypse ruleset. Players explore their characters' motivations, flaws, and relationships while facing the challenges of adolescence. The game is known for its focus on teen angst and drama.
Legacy Life Among the Ruins 2e: a post-apocalyptic tabletop RPG where players take on the roles of families struggling to survive and rebuild. Using a complex rendition of the PbtA rules paradigm that focuses on two modes of gameplay, players embark on adventures, scavenging for resources, building settlements, and interact with other factions in the wasteland at both the individual and the generational level.
Blades in the Dark: a gothic gaslight fantasy tabletop RPG where players take on the roles of a crew of criminals embarking on heists. Using an innovative ruleset that focuses on narrative gameplay, player creativity, and heists, players coordinate as a crew to gather information, plan their moves, and execute their plans to create their own unique stories of crime and adventure. This game has spawned countless games that use the same rules paradigm, identified as Forged in the Dark (FitD).
Band of Blades: a dark fantasy tabletop RPG where players lead a band of soldiers in a desperate war against the undead. Using the Forged in the Dark ruleset, players create characters, form bands of soldiers, and embark on missions, gathering intelligence, planning their strategies, and executing their plans to create their own unique stories of heroism and sacrifice.
Scum and Villainy: a space opera tabletop RPG where players lead scoundrels, smugglers, and criminals in the galaxy's underworld. Using the Forged in the Dark ruleset, players create characters, form crews, and embark on missions, gathering intelligence, planning their strategies, and executing their plans to create their own unique stories of crime and adventure. It’s Star Wars with the serial numbers filed off.
Shiver core rules: a tabletop roleplaying game where players face the horrors of the supernatural using a unique ruleset that focuses on narrative gameplay, player creativity, atmosphere, tension, and character development. The game is highly flexible and can be used to play a variety of horror subgenres, from classic ghost stories to cosmic horror.
Spire: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of revolutionaries fighting against the oppressive regime of the Spire, a towering cityscape ruled by a tyrannical aristocracy. The game uses a unique ruleset which focuses on narrative gameplay, player creativity, and the challenges of resistance and survival. The game is known for its rich world-building, which draws on themes of class struggle, political intrigue, and magical realism.
Heart: a standalone offshoot of the tabletop roleplaying game Spire, set in the same world but beneath the titular city. Players take on the roles of desperate dungeon delvers exploring a surreal world of horrors, facing challenges and making difficult choices along the way. Heart uses a modified version of the Spire's Resistance gameplay system, but it is designed to be played without any prior knowledge of Spire.
Broken Compass: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of adventurers seeking lost treasures in a world of danger and excitement. The game uses a fun and unique ruleset called the Fortune System, which focuses on cinematic action and narrative gameplay. Players use dice to create pools of success, which they need to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
Household core rules: a tabletop RPG set in a large abandoned house inhabited by various factions of Littlings, where players take on the roles of these creatures to embark on adventures, face challenges, and explore the secrets of the house using the game's elegant ruleset (adapted from the same system as Broken Compass) based on rolling pools of six-sided dice with a focus on complications that add risk, excitement, and interesting storytelling opportunities to the game.
Bite Marks: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of werewolves in a pack, exploring the complex dynamics and social interactions of werewolf culture. The game uses the Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) rule system, which is known for its focus on narrative gameplay and player creativity.
Night’s Black Agents: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of secret agents fighting against the forces of darkness in a world of espionage and supernatural horror. The game uses the Gumshoe System, which focuses on investigative gameplay and player creativity. Night's Black Agents is also known for its great GM advice section, which provides helpful tips on how to run memorable and engaging games.
Swords of the Serpentine: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of daring adventurers in the decadent and dangerous city of Eversink. The game uses the Gumshoe System, which focuses on investigative gameplay and player creativity, and the extensive description of Eversink makes this game a remarkable achievement.
Old School Essentials Advanced Players Guide: a retroclone of the classic Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert (B/X) rules, with some elements of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). It is a comprehensive guide to creating and playing characters in this retro-inspired game, with rules for classes, races, equipment, spells, and adventure.
Old School Essentials Advanced Referees Guide: a comprehensive guide for running games of Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy. It includes rules for creating adventures, generating encounters, and managing the game world. The guide also provides a wealth of information on the game's setting, monsters, and magic items.
EZD6: a tabletop role-playing game with a brutally simple and flexible ruleset that resembles D&D, but stripped down. Players create characters by choosing from a variety of traits, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
EZD6 Book of Quests: a collection of 18 adventures for the EZD6 tabletop role-playing game. The adventures are designed to be easy to run and can be played in a single session or spread out over multiple sessions. Includes a variety of different adventure types, from dungeon crawls to social encounters.
Red Markets: a tabletop roleplaying game where players take on the roles of Takers, desperate mercenaries who risk their lives in the dangerous post-apocalyptic world of the Loss. The game uses a unique ruleset called the Profit System, which focuses on narrative gameplay and the harsh realities of survival in a world where money is everything. Red Markets is known for its gritty realism and its focus on economic horror.
Fluxfall Horizon: a Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) roleplaying game written by me, RPG reviewer Dave Thaumavore, where players take on the roles of Lancers who travel between parallel Earths using experimental technology. The game offers a unique experience that explores the possibilities of alternate Earths and the dangers of tampering with the multiverse.
Root RPG: a narrative RPG based on the Root board game, where players take on the roles of vagabonds in the Woodland, choosing to serve or oppose the various factions vying for control. Using the unique Vagabond Engine ruleset, players describe what their vagabonds want to do and the game master decides how difficult the task is and what the consequences of success or failure might be.
Shadow of the Demon Lord: a grimdark fantasy tabletop RPG with streamlined mechanics and an engaging character progression system, offering a fast-paced and rewarding experience for players in a dark and dangerous world. Compared to D&D 5e, Shadow of the Demon Lord features fewer rules and more focus on player choice, with a character progression system that allows players to create unique and powerful characters.
Thousand Year Old Vampire: a unique and award-winning solo journaling RPG where players chronicle the many centuries of a vampire's existence, from the loss of mortality to inevitable destruction. Through prompt-driven play and simple resource tracking, players explore their character's human failings, villainous acts, and surprising victories.
Fabula Ultima: a tabletop RPG that uses a unique and award-winning game system to emulate the classic JRPG genre, offering players an easy-to-learn and rewarding experience in a vibrant and fantastical world, with mechanics specifically designed to capture the feel of classic JRPGs.
Brancalonia core rules: a tabletop RPG set in a spaghetti fantasy world inspired by Italian tradition, folklore, and pop culture. Based on D&D 5e rules, players take on the roles of knaves, adventurers who live by their wits and blades in a land full of pitfalls and money-making opportunities. The core rulebook includes rules for character creation, combat, magic, and exploration, as well as a detailed description of the setting, factions, and monsters of Brancalonia.
Across a Thousand Dead Worlds: a tabletop roleplaying game set in a bleak and hostile universe where players take on the roles of Deep Divers, scavengers who explore alien ruins and spaceships for valuable resources. The game mechanics focus on the physical and psychological rigors of deep space exploration, and the book is jam-packed with tables and generators for creating an infinite variety of travel events, alien ruins, and alien enemies.
c. 3rd Party Legends (DTRPG)
I consider all publishers who are bigger than a few people but smaller than Wizards of the Coast to be "3rd party." Here are some of the best games I've found, the core rules of which I've reviewed on my YouTube channel
Traveller Core Rulebook (Mongoose)
Warhammer Fantasy 4e Starter Set
Warhammer Fantasy 4e core rules
Legend of the Five Rings core rulebook
Vampire the Masquerade 5e core rulebook
Dune Adventures in the Imperium
Achtung! Cthulhu Player’s Guide
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rules
Call of Cthulhu 7e Investigator’s Guide
Star Trek Adventures core rulebook
Dungeon Crawl Classics core rules
Mutant Crawl Classics core rulebook
Dying Earth for Dungeon Crawl Classics
2. Amazon.com
a. Free League shop (Amazon)
Mutant Year Zero core rulebook
Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide
At the Mountains of Madness Vol.1 (illustrated storybook)
At the Mountains of Madness Vol.2 (illustrated storybook)
Blade Runner RPG starter box set
The Walking Dead Universe RPG core rules
b. Indie Hits (Amazon)
In recent years, independent publishers have been making some of the best tabletop RPGs EVER. Here are just a few, which I have reviewed on my YouTube channel.
So You Want to Be A Gamemaster
Shadow of the Demon Lord core rulebook
Mythic Gamemaster Emulator (2e)
c. 3rd Party Legends (Amazon)
I consider all publishers who are bigger than a few people but smaller than Wizards of the Coast to be "3rd party." Here are some of the best games I've found, the core rules of which I've reviewed on my YouTube channel.
Call of Cthulhu 7e Player guide
Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD
Warhammer 40K Wrath and Glory core rulebook
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound core rulebook
Achtung! Cthulhu Players Guide
Numenera Discovery (core rulebook)
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) core rulebook
d. Goodman Games (Amazon)
Goodman Games is the creator of Dungeon Crawl Classics and its popular spin-off Mutant Crawl Classics. Both games are famous for their level 0 funnels, funky Zocchi dice and unique OSR gameplay.
Dungeon Crawl Classics core rulebook (hardback)
Dungeon Crawl Classics core rulebook (softback)
Mutant Crawl Classics core rulebook (hardback)
Jack Vance’s Dying Earth all-in-one novels
DCC Funky (“Zocchi”) Dice. Each of these sets include a d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8, d10, d12, d14, d16, d20, d24 and d30.
DCC dice set (Polymorph)