Now that I think about, I don’t think I’ve ever played a classless TTRPG. My big 3 for the past 15 years have been Pathfinder, Vampire: the Masquerade, and Shadowrun(til I lost my hero lab code at least); so I’m very used to narrowing down within a slate of options for a given archetype. A lot of it is I don’t think I’ve ever known a classless DM, my list of DMs for the past 15 is actually shockingly light. I like keeping the same table folks where I can.
For the best of both worlds try getting your hands on a copy of The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge 5. Edition for the original German version). On the surface it has a ton of classes but in reality those are just suggested presets on top of a classless system and you can freely mix and match almost anything with very few restrictions.
For some reason TDE hasn’t really taken off internationally but it has been the most popular TTRPG in Germany for over 30 years, beating even D&D. 5th edition is available in at least English and I think some other languages as well. The focus is on a rich fantasy world that has consistently evolved since the 80s and a rule system that is a bit less combat-centric than D&D.
Core rules as paperback and PDF. Note that the paperback is a scaled down (6"x8") version of the 8"x11" hardcover which I can’t find for sale anymore so only buy that if you’re okay with relatively small text.
Drivethru is the publisher’s official partner for the digital versions so they have everything that’s available. The official wiki has all the rules without the fluff while Wiki Aventurica has world descriptions and a list of available source books…
Edit: just found out that the English version of Wiki Aventurica has very little content compared to the German version. The official rules wiki is still usable though.
Now that I think about, I don’t think I’ve ever played a classless TTRPG. My big 3 for the past 15 years have been Pathfinder, Vampire: the Masquerade, and Shadowrun(til I lost my hero lab code at least); so I’m very used to narrowing down within a slate of options for a given archetype. A lot of it is I don’t think I’ve ever known a classless DM, my list of DMs for the past 15 is actually shockingly light. I like keeping the same table folks where I can.
For the best of both worlds try getting your hands on a copy of The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge 5. Edition for the original German version). On the surface it has a ton of classes but in reality those are just suggested presets on top of a classless system and you can freely mix and match almost anything with very few restrictions.
For some reason TDE hasn’t really taken off internationally but it has been the most popular TTRPG in Germany for over 30 years, beating even D&D. 5th edition is available in at least English and I think some other languages as well. The focus is on a rich fantasy world that has consistently evolved since the 80s and a rule system that is a bit less combat-centric than D&D.
Definitely going to have to see if I can lay hands on that; thanks for the recc!
Core rules as paperback and PDF. Note that the paperback is a scaled down (6"x8") version of the 8"x11" hardcover which I can’t find for sale anymore so only buy that if you’re okay with relatively small text.
Drivethru is the publisher’s official partner for the digital versions so they have everything that’s available. The official wiki has all the rules without the fluff
while Wiki Aventurica has world descriptions and a list of available source books…Edit: just found out that the English version of Wiki Aventurica has very little content compared to the German version. The official rules wiki is still usable though.
Try Divinity Original Sin 2 (video game from BG3 creators). I wished there was a TTRPG like that
Anarchy: The Tabletop Game. Where the only rule is that there are no rules!