I’m planning to run a homebrew RPG campaign set roughly in 16th to 17th century Europe with low magic, focusing on sandbox play with strong survival and exploration mechanics. I’ve considered GURPS but found some issues, and SWADE seems too cinematic for the tone I’m aiming for. Forbidden Lands caught my eye, but since it’s designed for a very different, more post-apocalyptic setting, I’m unsure how well it would fit. Does anyone have advice or suggestions for systems that could work well for this style?
5 Answers
Maelstrom and its Companion book literally take place in 16-17th century England and could be a perfect match. It’s designed with that timeframe in mind and can easily expand beyond England, which gives you a sandbox feel that fits your description.
You might want to check out Miseries & Misfortunes. It seems to fit perfectly with your low magic, early modern European vibe and emphasizes survival and exploration, which sounds like exactly what you’re looking for.
You might also want to peek at Hexxen 1733 — it’s lesser-known but gets some mentions for its tonal fit with the 16th-17th century setting. I haven’t played it myself but it could be interesting to explore.
I’ve tried using Forbidden Lands in a homebrew setting, and with some reskinning of random encounters, it worked out pretty well. Just keep in mind that Forbidden Lands has a kind of post-apocalyptic feel baked in, so it works better for sparser or less thriving worlds. If you want something with more emphasis on exploration but flexibility, Dragonbane is worth a look. Its system plays smoothly, has solid exploration mechanics, and you can add firearms without much trouble. Its magic system is inspired by Paracelsus, fitting your era, but it might be a bit prominent by default.
Yeah, I saw Dragonbane and like the mechanics, but I’m worried magic feels too central. Is it easy to tone down or tweak the magic system there?
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (either 2nd or 4th edition) could be a solid option. It has lots of fitting careers and equipment for your era, and while its default magic is quite flashy, you could easily modify the magic system to make it more restrained or just treat magic effects as rare, unique events. Also, if GURPS didn’t quite work for you, consider checking out EABA—it’s somewhat like GURPS but with its own unique approach, which might align better with your needs.
Thanks, that sounds promising! I’ll definitely dig deeper into Miseries & Misfortunes.