When it comes to tabletop RPGs, none is more well-known than Dungeons & Dragons. Between the game’s longstanding legacy as the first commercially available TTRPG and its increasing presence in pop culture, even those not immersed in gaming culture are aware of D&D. But these days, there are a ton of great options for tabletop RPG fans to stretch their creative muscles and try something new.
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Like many people, Dungeons & Dragons was my first TTRPG. But once I discovered the joy of rolling dice and making up stories with friends, I was hooked. I needed to know what else was out there and how to convince my friends to play new games with me. If you, too, are looking for new games to check out, I wanted to recommend some of the best ones I’ve found. Based on what I and other TTRPG fans love about D&D, these games each have something unique to offer players who want to try a new TTRPG at their next game night. A quick honorable mention goes to Pathfinder, which I’m not including here due to just how similar the games are, and the likelihood that curious D&D fans are already aware of this closely related fantasy RPG system.
5. Delta Green
In many ways, Delta Green is nothing like Dungeons & Dragons. The game’s concept and overall design are much more akin to Call of Cthulu, in part due to the game’s legacy as a spinoff from that IP. Rather than a D20-based system, Delta Green uses percentile dice. Skill checks are determined by rolling a number below your total for a given skill.
Delta Green offers a more contemporary, real-world setting with a Cthulian twist, giving it a different flavor from D&D. Players are agents working keep the public from learning about the realities of cosmic horrors among us. Despite the wildly different premise, Delta Green captures the same creativity and expansiveness that I love about D&D. So, it had to be on the list of TTRPGs for D&D fans to try next. Just be prepared to encounter some cosmic horrors and risk your player character’s sanity at every turn. To get a sense of Delta Green gameplay, I recommend The Glass Cannon Network’s excellent actual play podcast, Get in the Trunk.
4. Vampire: The Masquerade
Before it was a beloved video game series, Vampire: The Masquerade was a TTRPG. And an incredibly enjoyable one, if I do say so myself. This RPG uses its own unique system, so you’ll need to brush off those learning skills to pick up Vampire: The Masquerade after D&D. It uses a multi-dice system that can take some getting used to, as you roll a certain number of dice based on your character sheet to determine the result of checks. As you navigate the world, you must always maintain the Masquerade, ensuring that mortals don’t learn that vampires walk among them.
While the dice rolling mechanics and overall character creation are quite different, Vampire: The Masquerade offers the in-depth roleplay potential that D&D fans adore. The World of Darkness has plenty of lore to uncover, and your character-building potential is expansive and customizable. For D&D fans who had a vampire phase (or who are still in one), this is a can’t-miss TTRPG. To get a feel for basic gameplay, you can check out the actual play podcast Vampires of Pittsburgh from Stream of Blood.
3. Marvel Multiverse RPG
As a massive Marvel fan, the Marvel Multiverse RPG naturally caught my attention. This updated take on a Marvel TTRPG uses a d616 system, giving players yet another dice roll combination to figure out. But if you enjoy a beefy character sheet full of powers and a complex rules system like Dungeons & Dragons offers, it’s well worth learning.
The key appeal of the Marvel Multiverse RPG is, of course, being able to become a superhero. The rulebooks offer a ton of options for stepping into the shoes of your favorite Marvel hero or building your own. Since its release, this game has gotten a mixed reception from fans, but for the Rules Lawyers and Marvel Fans among us, it’s well worth a go. To get a sense of what gameplay feel like, you can check out this actual play stream from Marvel and The Glass Cannon Network.
2. Avatar Legends
Are you the kind of D&D player who is forever trying to turn your Way of Four Elements monk into the Avatar? Just me? Well, at any rate, there’s an actual Avatar: The Last Airbender TTRPG to satisfy your need to step into the world of Avatar and roll dice at the same time. It’s called Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, and it’s been around since 2022.
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game leans into narrative over mechanics, using its own adapted version of the Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) system. The upside is that players who are already familiar will have an easier time learning. The downside is, the system is pretty different from D&D, so it may not be a fit for those who like a good, chunky set of rules to govern play. Even so, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans who also love a good TTRPG will want to give this one a go. To get a feel for the flow of the game, you can check out Ten Thousand Things, an actual play from Improv Tabletop.
1. Daggerheart
For many Dungeons & Dragons fans, the actual play podcast Critical Role looms large. And now, the folks behind those creative campaigns have their very own TTRPG offering, Daggerheart. This is a relative newcomer to the space, and it’ll require grabbing a new set of dice. But the systems are otherwise fairly similar, with a few key differences.
D&D lovers who are in it for the story will appreciate that Daggerheart leans into a combat system that prioritizes narrative over rules. This initiative-free approach can take some getting used to, but it can lead to an overall more collaborative, story-driven table. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like my kind of TTRPG. Darrington Press has a series of actual play videos that can give you a sense of the game, along with a robust “how to” video compilation.
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