Summary
There are plenty of ways to break up the tabletop game hobby. There are wargames, card games, puzzle games,games that play like escape rooms, and plenty more. One way to separate those games in the tabletop hobby is by system. There are die-hard systems that have been around for decades and systems that have been freshly created with a single game in mind.
One such system that has stood the test of time is that of the d100. Called such due to the hundred-sided die that runs the game’s rolls, they make up tabletop games (usually of the RPG genre) of all types. If you’re interested in this lauded subgroup, you may begin to wonder: which of these games stands out above the rest?
10Rolemaster
You Like Rules?
Rolemaster came around at the height of thetabletop craze of the 80s. It brought with it a game full of rules, tables, and lore for fans to peruse through. It’s the exact type of fantasy roleplaying game you’d expect to come out of that era, in all the best and worst ways.
There’s been some work to condense and clarify the rules since then, but even these late editions suffer from being rather complex. Each of them requires multiple books to run, and they’re far from rules-lite. But, if you’ve got the time and the money, there’s a uniqueness in breaking open a Rolemaster book and traveling back to the 80s to bring back some of the best fantasy roleplaying out there.
9RuneQuest
Magic Of All Types
Sometimes it’s best to settle down with the classics in the tabletop scene. RuneQuest has been around since the 70s, and it doesn’t plan on going anywhere. It may have jumped from one publisher to another, but after over half a dozen editions, it has honed its system down to a fine science.
Everything you could want from a fantasy tabletop game is here: diverse settings, plenty of magic, and decades' worth of lore. The d100 system lends combat a realistic component despite the fantasy setting, with exceptional roles making you feel like a hero and bad ones potentially ending in a new character.
RuneQuest may seem like a lot, with as much lore and as many books as it has, but it is surprisingly kind to new players thanks to its many decades of new and established player feedback, especially with later editions like Mythras.
8Unknown Armies
A More Modern Thriller
Set in the modern day with a focus on an unjust world full of creepy magic, dark arts, and rulers and corporations that don’t even know you exist, Unknown Armies is a more pointed look at a tabletop RPG world.
This uniqueness lends itself to your characters and adventures as well. Your characters are just as flawed as the world around them, and if they are heroic, it may not even matter in the grand scheme. The game doesn’t ask you to put much thought into the rules that run it; instead, it wants you to carefully consider your setting, characters, and tone.
It’s a fun design idea, and one that feels unique even in its own genre. The percentile system of the d100 allows for a more nuanced approach to success and failure, where all but the highest rolls allow for pure success, which makes sense with the world the game takes place in.
7Sigil & Shadow
Any Kind Of Creepy You Want
Sigil & Shadow takes place in the modern day… with a lot more of the supernatural added on for some extra excitement. You’ll fight off cults devoted to occult gods, investigate ghostly occurrences, and plenty of other plots as well.
Sigil & Shadow stands out from the rest of its genre by really letting you decide what you want your adventures to look like. Sure, they’ll be creepy and atmospheric, but there are options for combat, investigation, role-play, or whatever else you want to put priority on. This is all thanks to a system that looks more towards comfort than rules.
Technically, Sigil & Shadow runs on the “D00Lite” rule system, but that’s a boon, considering it was made with the idea of paring down some of the difficulties that d100 systems sometimes have. It’s all the d100s you love with a little less of a headache.
6Achtung! Cthulhu
Cosmic Horror & War?!
An offshoot of the Call Of Cthulhu game, but one that deserves its own place in this list for mixing genres and having plenty to offer for new and old hobbyists alike. Achtung! Cthulhu combines the cosmic horror everyone knows but with the added benefit of also taking place heavily in a fictional World War 2.
It mixes the classic wargamer setting with plenty of options for your TTRPG players, especially those with a preference for horror games. You’ll cross paths with ghouls, German tanks, soldiers, and plenty of eldritch monsters in this pulp-fueled d100 game.
5Eclipse Phase
The Final Frontier Indeed
Any list of tabletop systems is liable to have a lot of different settings, but there are a few staple tropes that seem to always come up. One such is the classic space-faring sci-fi game, and Eclipse Phase is, for many, the go-to for the d100 system.
Eclipse Phase takes place in a fairly open-ended universe, which makes it great for those who may not know what they want to do yet with their characters. It also gives you enough options if you’re well-versed in TTRPGs.
The system gives the game an edge, considering traveling through space is full of danger, and often gives you more options for survival at a cost rather than limiting you. It’s a fun game with a genre that is definitely sci-fi but it isn’t afraid to tap into the cyberpunk andpost-apocalyptic sub-genresas well.
4Mothership
Sci-Fi Meets Horror
Mothership is far from the oldest game on this list, but its youthful approach to the tabletop hobby shouldn’t be overlooked. It has still learned plenty of things from its predecessors. Mothership establishes itself by mixing horror and sci-fi in a fairly seamless way.
It runs off its very own “d100 Panic Engine”, and if that sounds like the perfect thing to run a horror game, that’s because it is. It has a fair balance of creation and tools for the GM and characters to go pretty in-depth with everything, but it has options for if you just want to hop in and get to playing.
Mix that with some pretty fun—but grim—art and some optional game mats and tokens, and you have a game that has plenty of appeal. As long as you don’t mind the vacuum of space, bloodthirsty aliens, and everything in between.
3Warhammer 40,000: Roleplay
Want War? That’s All There Is
Few tabletop games are as expansive as Warhammer 40,000. While many in the tabletop gaming community focus on the various wargames, the RPG definitely isn’t anything to scoff at with its diverse characters and expansive universe.
There are decades of established lore, which can be intimidating, but the game itself gives you a fair amount of background. It’s a grim-dark satire on the future of humanity, where war is around every corner, and everything is out to get you.
It’s a fun exploration into a d100 system that focuses on roleplay as much as rolls. It may not be the ideal first foray into this kind of system, but it’s one that will keep you entertained from creating your character to the end of the campaign.
The Warhammer 40k world is ever-growing. There’s nothing wrong with picking an in-game timeframe where everything is already established and playing there. This helps avoid having to stay ‘current’ with all the lore.
2Call Of Cthulhu
A Classic For A Reason
There aren’t many tabletop games that have the reach and name that Call Of Cthulhu has established over the years. That’s all thanks to a mix of established lore, cosmic horror vibes, an interesting system, and plenty of open-mindedness.
Your party takes the role of investigators (whether that’s their initial profession or not) as they look into someintense Lovecraftian occurrences. You have the option to create your own adventure or go with one of the pre-made ones usually set in the 1920s.
There are options for combat and plenty of other skills, but the main thing you’ll need that d100 for is maintaining your character’s sanity through various roles every time you come across a monster or other-worldly phenomena. It’s got a bit of everything, but plenty of horror.
1Zweihänder
All The Old Tropes, With A New Style
Many a tabletop RPG looks to fantasy settings (real or otherwise) in which to establish the characters you create. While this trend is decades old, Zweihänder mixes modern gaming ideals with some of the classic fantasy approaches to the hobby.
It definitely leans towards the darker side of fantasy RPGs, with a focus on combat and surviving in a world that doesn’t much care if you’re the hero or not. Sure, you do have various boons like “Fate” and “Fortune” points to help you survive, but still, survival isn’t a guarantee with a wide range of results thanks to the d100 system.
The book itself has some solid art, especially considering it was a Kickstarter project, and the starter book alone has everything you’d need to make a campaign from scratch. If you’re a fan of the more modern approach to dark fantasies, but still want to pay homage to the older ones, then this is one that should be on your shelf.
