I’m after something with the same general feel as Mythras, especially detailed combat, culture and profession stuff, and a grounded world. The catch is that I bounce off dense rulebook prose, so I’m hoping for something that is easier to digest at the table.
I have looked at a few related games already, but I’m still not finding the right fit. I’d prefer something that keeps characters distinct without drifting into level bloat or heavy fantasy crunch.
If the main thing you want is Mythras-style combat without the wall of text, I’d look at games that strip the rules down to procedures instead of trying to rewrite the whole experience. A lighter BRP-style game can get you close on grounded feel, skills, and lethal combat, even if the cultural layer is thinner than what Mythras does.
The real tradeoff is that the more you simplify, the more you lose those built-in systems for profession, social identity, and the specific combat choices that make Mythras stand out. So if you want the same core but easier to run, you may end up with a toolkit job anyway, where you keep the combat rules you like and replace the rest with a leaner campaign frame.
You might be happier with something that is not an exact Mythras clone but still keeps the same priorities. Games with skill-based characters, no big level jumps, and a more grounded tone can scratch a lot of that itch, especially if they support historical or low-magic play.
The big thing I’d watch is how combat is presented. If the game treats fights as a simple attack roll loop, it will feel off no matter how good everything else is. If it has hit locations, maneuvers, injury, or some other way to make choices matter, it is usually a better fit for your goal.
Ink Harbor:
Yeah, combat detail is the dividing line. A lot of otherwise decent games lose this kind of player the moment damage gets flattened into a single pool and every fight starts looking the same.
Juniper Coil:
I’d also check how much of the book is actual rules text versus setting flavor. Some games have the right mechanics but bury them under long explanations, which is exactly the problem you are trying to avoid.
Honestly, rewriting Mythras into a cleaner reference format does not sound crazy. If the system already matches the feel you want, making your own concise play aid may be less work than searching forever for a close enough substitute.
That said, if you want something usable out of the box, I would prioritize clarity over completeness. A game that gives you a clean combat chapter and a modest skill list may serve you better at the table than a richer book that you never feel like rereading.
Fenn Rook:
This is the practical answer. A well-organized cheat sheet can fix a lot of what people dislike about denser systems, as long as the underlying rules are already doing the kind of thing you want.
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Thistle Arc:
That lines up with how I’d handle it too. Use a compact engine for the table load, then bolt on cultural detail through character creation and setting notes instead of hunting for one perfect ruleset.