#Fav7RoleplayingGames

You would think that with the explosion of the internet since its inception, that there would be more surveys, quizzes, and gimmicks that would actually be FUN.  I guess the lowest-common demoninator always wins, and that's usually an uninspiring place to be.

On my weekly perusal of all things Twitter (@viscounteric), I came upon on the simplest gimmicks of all:  the list.

#Fav7Roleplaying Games was the hastag, and the ability to simply list them proved too tempting.  I did a shorter version with #FourRPGs two years ago, so in more than 140 characters, here's my current list of preferred games:

1.  Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st or 2nd Edition)

The Grand-daddy of them all might have lost some steam over the years, but the discovery of the college AD&D game journal that I'm required to mention at least two times each week has rekindled the permanent romance for the system.  So much occurred in the game that we didn't have rules for and we simply made it up on the fly.  No perception checks, no diplomacy.  Hack, slash, and hours of role-playing in between, seasoned to taste

It may benefit a later selection, but I've just barely begun writing up some material to fill in some holes from the old campaign.  It's not completely system-specific, but it will be formatted best towards the high-Gygaxian standards.

#2. Call of Cthulhu (1st-6th Edition)

Dagon, please don't rend me limb from limb, for I've brough fresh sacrifices.... It has been six months since we finished Masks of Nylarathotep and put the CoC Campaign on long-term hiatus.   I do want to play something else for a bit before returning to Cthulhu, but I am jonesing to start researching again.

And with all the material I already own, I have zero need to pick up anything 7th Edition, a supplement's material interests me.  The rules updates do nothing for for me, and I'm already trained in "reverse math" for skill difficulty.

#3. Hackmaster 4th Edition

One day, I shall get the band back together to run "The Burning Trogs Redux," the long awaited continuation of the old Hackmaster Burning Trog games of the 00's (which in turn are descendents of the AD&D college game mentioned above).   The crunchiness fits the gamestyle we want and have forced me the expand my creativity as a GM.

#4. Talislanta 

I have a sweet spot for my second Fantasy RPG I ever played.  Got to play it enough to know I love it, but not enough to fully appreciate it.  Here's hoping the new Talislanta: The Savage Land will keep that spirit going with a lot magic turned down and the Conan-esque play style turned brutally up.

#5. Recon

The true soft spot on this list.  Haven't played it since '94, don't really have the right group for it, but I have a couple short campaigns I'd love to run.

#6. Risus

"The Anything RPG" with basic cliches for stats, six-sided dice, and a world of opportunity.  RISUS-IOU is on permanent hiatus, but perhaps I can get the group to play Toast of the Town as our palette cleanser.

#7. Savage Worlds

It's taken awhile, and it's certainly not as perfect as some of the hardcore fanboys declare, by I enjoy the pacing of the rules system, and the flexibility into as many settings as you can muster.  While the girls may shortly deviate from their Pulp Game, it's simple enough to start (my own T.IA.R.A system mirrored many portions by sheer ignorant accident) and I've been able to layer on cooler things as they come up.