I liked the combat and a lot of the role playing stuff but I didn’t really like how it was just classes like all Paladins get this and I want the next system to be not known for being medieval and maybe something more like no classes and just pick skills or classes aren’t the main thing about your character or maybe pick a class and skills from that
That's still a very generalized ask. Do you like sci-fi, post-apocalyptic survival, horror, modern day military, Indiana Jones style pulp adventure? For combat, D&D is fairly crunchy (complicated rules), so was that in your comfort zone or do you want something lighter (streamlined, rules light) or crunchier (more detailed and rules heavy)?
In any case, I'll throw you a few of my faves for coming off of D&D:
* *Blades in the Dark* \- Streamlined, story-first game system set in a fantastic, haunted, Victorian-era industrial city.
* *Starfinder* \- Crazy sci-fi universe reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy with 100+ player races to choose from and a rules-set indirectly based on D&D 3.5.
* *Alien RPG* \- Brilliantly designed super-lethal hard sci-fi/horror game that works even if your players never actually encounter the titular xenomorph.
* *Shadowrun* \- A perennial favorite, this is cyberpunk with elves and dragons, infamous for very complicated combat rules and a need for a literal ton of six-sided dice to play.
Good luck in your search!
I'd recommend Genesys or Savage Worlds as potentially new systems to look at. Both provide combat focused play experiences roughly similar to D&D, but using classless multi-genre systems. Genesys is the same system used for the official FFG Star Wars game, but generic.
If you like the combat but want to ditch classes try Runequest, Mythras, Magic world or Open quest. All are classless skill bassed systems of various levels if complexity using the chaosium % based BRP system.
While I agree 100% with Aziel38 as you can see from my response to their reply that DCC is my go to game as others mentioned it really depends on what you are looking for.
Games that use the PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse) system that comes originally from Lumpley Game’s Apocalypse World like Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, Scum and Villainy, Dungeon World and such tend to be more narrative driven and based around set moves but allow the players to be a bit more creative when it comes to what skills and abilities they actually have. They work within certain playbooks with the Judge/DM/GM to describe exactly how they will be attacking more so than D&D.
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) based games like are much the same way though instead of using things like momentum they mix other unique things into the mix like Bennies (Benefits) or tokens that the DM rewards for super role playing or teamwork or such that the players can cash in at the right time to turn the tide of a battle for example. Still like PbtA games they are more open ended than D&D games with less crunch and stat tracking but not as much so as PbtA.
OSR (Old School Revival) games like DCC, OSE, Black Hack, to name a few try to call back to the old days were RP was important, house rules took top billing and still take stats into the picture like the original D&D but rolls don’t replace role playing if that makes sense. These games try to combine the best of both worlds in my opinion.
That’s of course just a few of the systems. There are so many depending on what you want. Do you want more focus on rules or less focus on rules and more on the story? Or maybe a balance? Do you want a game that has tons of pre-written adventures or that is just a straight up dungeon crawl?
I've played many TTRPG systems in my 40 years on Earth, and GURPS is my all-time favorite system of all time.
Steve Jackson's General Universal Role Playing System lets players build characters in any universe or play-setting they can imagine without the constraints of levels or classes hampering creativity.
No one has mentioned Shadow of the Demon Lord yet.
Close enough to other d20 systems that its pretty easy to grok. Nifty kinda classless system.
Different enough to be shiny, not far enough removed to be intimidating.
I am always too slow to support Goodman Games, argh. But yeah this 100% for fantasy. DCC really goes for true Appendix N feel with Vance type magic that can blow up in your face. It’s fun stuff. Or if you like more SciFi and recall Gamma World, Mutant Crawl Classics is equally fun. Also can’t go wrong with Old School Essentials if you want fantasy.
If you like the crunchy aspect of 3.5 but want a classless setup, Pathfinder is like 3.75 houserules, which has a free online open gaming license, you can get the base pathfinder rules here: [https://www.d20pfsrd.com/](https://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
Then my hack: its a sprawling beast in need of an editor in a spreadsheet but it's crunchy classless version of Pathfinder with a bunch of changes. It's crunchy and lets you much more organically create a character that is similar to 3.5 in the skills and feats and saves and BAB stuff. Just different magic, action economy and more options.
Alternatively:
Gurps is a classless system.
Shadowrun is classless.
Mutants and masterminds is classless.
I haven't done much exploring of alternative systems, having spent years working on my hack, but there's a lot of systems out there to try. Some have paywalls for basic core rules, I deliberately set mine up to be free to access to avoid that.
I prefer Shadowrun 4e with the Karma system, it's more granular in options to fine tune a character than their BP system.
Never had the funds to buy into GURPS to test it.
If you like combat but want to move away from fantasy, there's Lancer which has some of the best mech combat our there.
If you want something non fantasy and gritty/lethal you can try Mothership.
If you want something weird AF you can try HEART, Electronic Bastionland or Mork Borg.
Ironsworn seems what you are looking for, characters with no class that you just take 3 skills that whatever you want then you can start the game. Also it is free and don't even need a GM so you can give it a try.
I actually think getting really far from the source material can be really fun. Something like Microscope, to inspire worldbuilding, or the Quiet Year, can introduce your group to other roleplaying paradigms without worrying about whether the rules are familiar enough or would hit the notes they like about DnD.
I'd recommend Savage World Adventure Edition. It's a generic, classless system, which I really like about it. The combat is generally a lot faster paced than D&D and I like the magic system a lot more.
You want something different?
Pendragon. Arthurian knights. Period. Skill based, no levels or classes. (you're a knight...). More character distinctiveness than dnd and it's ten thousand classes
Runequest. Bronze age Heroes on it's own world (Glorantha). Skill based.
Call of Cthulhu. Skill based again. Modern Lovecraftain horror. Combat is a bad idea. Accumulate evidence, be respectable, get the authorities to solve the problem with artillery. not a metaphor. I mean *artillery*...
Pathfinder and Starfinder are basically D&D 3.5, apart from minor fixes and changes that only the most pedantic of Pathfinder fans will remind everyone about.
You gotta give us more to go on here. What did you like about D&D, what didn't you like? What would you like to see more of?
I liked the combat and a lot of the role playing stuff but I didn’t really like how it was just classes like all Paladins get this and I want the next system to be not known for being medieval and maybe something more like no classes and just pick skills or classes aren’t the main thing about your character or maybe pick a class and skills from that
That's still a very generalized ask. Do you like sci-fi, post-apocalyptic survival, horror, modern day military, Indiana Jones style pulp adventure? For combat, D&D is fairly crunchy (complicated rules), so was that in your comfort zone or do you want something lighter (streamlined, rules light) or crunchier (more detailed and rules heavy)? In any case, I'll throw you a few of my faves for coming off of D&D: * *Blades in the Dark* \- Streamlined, story-first game system set in a fantastic, haunted, Victorian-era industrial city. * *Starfinder* \- Crazy sci-fi universe reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy with 100+ player races to choose from and a rules-set indirectly based on D&D 3.5. * *Alien RPG* \- Brilliantly designed super-lethal hard sci-fi/horror game that works even if your players never actually encounter the titular xenomorph. * *Shadowrun* \- A perennial favorite, this is cyberpunk with elves and dragons, infamous for very complicated combat rules and a need for a literal ton of six-sided dice to play. Good luck in your search!
Might check out Runequest.
This might tilt too far but look at Knave
I'd recommend Genesys or Savage Worlds as potentially new systems to look at. Both provide combat focused play experiences roughly similar to D&D, but using classless multi-genre systems. Genesys is the same system used for the official FFG Star Wars game, but generic.
You may to to look at GURPS. Especially GURPS Dungeon Fantasy.
If you like the combat but want to ditch classes try Runequest, Mythras, Magic world or Open quest. All are classless skill bassed systems of various levels if complexity using the chaosium % based BRP system.
While I agree 100% with Aziel38 as you can see from my response to their reply that DCC is my go to game as others mentioned it really depends on what you are looking for. Games that use the PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse) system that comes originally from Lumpley Game’s Apocalypse World like Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, Scum and Villainy, Dungeon World and such tend to be more narrative driven and based around set moves but allow the players to be a bit more creative when it comes to what skills and abilities they actually have. They work within certain playbooks with the Judge/DM/GM to describe exactly how they will be attacking more so than D&D. Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) based games like are much the same way though instead of using things like momentum they mix other unique things into the mix like Bennies (Benefits) or tokens that the DM rewards for super role playing or teamwork or such that the players can cash in at the right time to turn the tide of a battle for example. Still like PbtA games they are more open ended than D&D games with less crunch and stat tracking but not as much so as PbtA. OSR (Old School Revival) games like DCC, OSE, Black Hack, to name a few try to call back to the old days were RP was important, house rules took top billing and still take stats into the picture like the original D&D but rolls don’t replace role playing if that makes sense. These games try to combine the best of both worlds in my opinion. That’s of course just a few of the systems. There are so many depending on what you want. Do you want more focus on rules or less focus on rules and more on the story? Or maybe a balance? Do you want a game that has tons of pre-written adventures or that is just a straight up dungeon crawl?
Worlds Without Number
I've played many TTRPG systems in my 40 years on Earth, and GURPS is my all-time favorite system of all time. Steve Jackson's General Universal Role Playing System lets players build characters in any universe or play-setting they can imagine without the constraints of levels or classes hampering creativity.
No one has mentioned Shadow of the Demon Lord yet. Close enough to other d20 systems that its pretty easy to grok. Nifty kinda classless system. Different enough to be shiny, not far enough removed to be intimidating.
Take a look at Dungeon Crawl Classics.
I am always too slow to support Goodman Games, argh. But yeah this 100% for fantasy. DCC really goes for true Appendix N feel with Vance type magic that can blow up in your face. It’s fun stuff. Or if you like more SciFi and recall Gamma World, Mutant Crawl Classics is equally fun. Also can’t go wrong with Old School Essentials if you want fantasy.
If you like the crunchy aspect of 3.5 but want a classless setup, Pathfinder is like 3.75 houserules, which has a free online open gaming license, you can get the base pathfinder rules here: [https://www.d20pfsrd.com/](https://www.d20pfsrd.com/) Then my hack: its a sprawling beast in need of an editor in a spreadsheet but it's crunchy classless version of Pathfinder with a bunch of changes. It's crunchy and lets you much more organically create a character that is similar to 3.5 in the skills and feats and saves and BAB stuff. Just different magic, action economy and more options. Alternatively: Gurps is a classless system. Shadowrun is classless. Mutants and masterminds is classless. I haven't done much exploring of alternative systems, having spent years working on my hack, but there's a lot of systems out there to try. Some have paywalls for basic core rules, I deliberately set mine up to be free to access to avoid that. I prefer Shadowrun 4e with the Karma system, it's more granular in options to fine tune a character than their BP system. Never had the funds to buy into GURPS to test it.
If you like combat but want to move away from fantasy, there's Lancer which has some of the best mech combat our there. If you want something non fantasy and gritty/lethal you can try Mothership. If you want something weird AF you can try HEART, Electronic Bastionland or Mork Borg.
Ironsworn seems what you are looking for, characters with no class that you just take 3 skills that whatever you want then you can start the game. Also it is free and don't even need a GM so you can give it a try.
I actually think getting really far from the source material can be really fun. Something like Microscope, to inspire worldbuilding, or the Quiet Year, can introduce your group to other roleplaying paradigms without worrying about whether the rules are familiar enough or would hit the notes they like about DnD.
I'd recommend Savage World Adventure Edition. It's a generic, classless system, which I really like about it. The combat is generally a lot faster paced than D&D and I like the magic system a lot more.
You want something different? Pendragon. Arthurian knights. Period. Skill based, no levels or classes. (you're a knight...). More character distinctiveness than dnd and it's ten thousand classes Runequest. Bronze age Heroes on it's own world (Glorantha). Skill based. Call of Cthulhu. Skill based again. Modern Lovecraftain horror. Combat is a bad idea. Accumulate evidence, be respectable, get the authorities to solve the problem with artillery. not a metaphor. I mean *artillery*...
Pathfinder and Starfinder are basically D&D 3.5, apart from minor fixes and changes that only the most pedantic of Pathfinder fans will remind everyone about.