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[Darkmakaimura]

People are always talking about Japanese role-playing games but two of my favorite role playing games happen to be made in Germany - Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye) and the Vyn series (i.e. Nehrim and Enderal). The later are Elder Scrolls mods Oblivion and Skyrim.

How did happen?

Europeans really know where fantasy role-playing game is that but of course it is because medieval culture is part of their history so I guess it's not a surprise.

It's like how Warhammer started in the UK.

Or how Witcher is by Pollocks so it may not be one of Archie Bunker's favorite games but they know where it's at.

But those German role-playing games are just amazing. It's almost a shame we're never going to see another game set in the Vyn series.

It's a little bit too bad we don't have more American translations of The Dark Eye with the exception of the video game based off the tabletop game. But maybe that's a good thing it stays in Germany because you know what happens to games once they become popular in mainstream.

I highly recommend checking out German role playing games if you haven't already.

 

[Con_Z_ǝdʇ]

The Gothic series comes to mind. Or whatever Piranha Bytes made.

Isn't Deck 13 a German developer? So Lords of the Fallen and The Surge should also qualify. Although i'm not sure about that.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Das Schwarze Auge was published in Italy and was, in fact, my first contact with pen-and-paper RPGs.
It was published by the same publisher that distributed the most popular single-player gamebooks of the era, probably because the rulebook contained an introductory solo adventure that could function as a Trojan horse to suck in the kids who loved gamebooks. What can I say? It definitely worked for me, ha ha.

I only played the sample multiplayer adventure once or twice, and that was my whole life's experience as a dungeon master, but I read the two rulebooks religiously for a while, and I even bought some of the extra adventures. I still remember the words of some magic spells. After this, D&D (that was barely in its second edition at the time) felt a bit rudimentary and uninspired, at least its basics did. The German authors nailed a lot of things better than D&D, in my opinion.

Oh, and Das Schwarze Auge was also the reason I even found out there were dice different than the regular D6. Fun times.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Das Schwarze Auge was published in Italy and was, in fact, my first contact with pen-and-paper RPGs.
It was published by the same publisher that distributed the most popular single-player gamebooks of the era, probably because the rulebook contained an introductory solo adventure that could function as a Trojan horse to suck in the kids who loved gamebooks. What can I say? It definitely worked for me, ha ha.

I only played the sample multiplayer adventure once or twice, and that was my whole life's experience as a dungeon master, but I read the two rulebooks religiously for a while, and I even bought some of the extra adventures. I still remember the words of some magic spells. After this, D&D (that was barely in its second edition at the time) felt a bit rudimentary and uninspired, at least its basics did. The German authors nailed a lot of things better than D&D, in my opinion.

Oh, and Das Schwarze Auge was also the reason I even found out there were dice different than the regular D6. Fun times.

I really like the setting for the Dark Eye. I love how rich the lore is and the whole cosmology. It's really well fleshed out.

 

[Hudo]

I remember how hyped everyone in Germany was for Drakensang, which essentially was the first (and only) real "modern" RPG based on the Dark Eye. In fact, it had to compete against Dragon Age Origins and was, in my opinion, better.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I really like the setting for the Dark Eye. I love how rich the lore is and the whole cosmology. It's really well fleshed out.

Absolutely! I was in love with the description of the Basilisk, and the big drawing of the three-headed dragon.

I'm talking about the first edition here. The art was still completely hand-drawn with ink on paper, and it was spectacular. German and Scandinavian artists in that period were just amazing at representing European folklore.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I really find the whole cosmology to be very enticing to me personally. I love anything that has to do with different planes of existence and the way they have it organized is very well done. It's sort of reminds me of the cosmology in Elder Scrolls.

What I also really like is how detailed and how rich the game is in lore. Lots of really good world building here that in my opinion surpasses Dungeons & Dragons. The problem with D&D that is while there is lore it's very loose. The developers take the Dark Eye seriously.

 

[Hudo]

I really find the whole cosmology to be very enticing to me personally. I love anything that has to do with different planes of existence and the way they have it organized is very well done. It's sort of reminds me of the cosmology in Elder Scrolls.

What I also really like is how detailed and how rich the game is in lore. Lots of really good world building here that in my opinion surpasses Dungeons & Dragons. The problem with D&D that is while there is lore it's very loose. The developers take the Dark Eye seriously.

It also helps that The Dark Eye isn't as bloated as Forgotten Realms (which is probably now the "canonical" D&D setting, while everyone seems to have forgotten Greyhawk, which is the actual OG D&D setting). That being said, my favorite pen & paper setting is still one that uses D&D: Dark Sun

Unfortunately, Dark Sun will most likely never be touched again. And WotC themselves have essentially said that Dark Sun is "too hot" to touch nowadays. Maybe for the better...

 

[West Texas CEO]

But those German role-playing games are just amazing.

But of course.

 

[ClanOfNone]

It also helps that The Dark Eye isn't as bloated as Forgotten Realms (which is probably now the "canonical" D&D setting, while everyone seems to have forgotten Greyhawk, which is the actual OG D&D setting). That being said, my favorite pen & paper setting is still one that uses D&D: Dark Sun

Unfortunately, Dark Sun will most likely never be touched again. And WotC themselves have essentially said that Dark Sun is "too hot" to touch nowadays. Maybe for the better...

Wotc thinking that Dark Sun is too “problematic” for the current day is Olympic levels of stupidity.
The setting doesn’t glorify slavery, it rails against it. Plus the huge environmental message behind why Athas is the way it is. The canon novels are all about the sorcerer king of Tyr being killed in a revolt, and it becomes the first free city state where slavery is outlawed.
So dumb, the best D&D setting, left to rot, because the people in charge are giant pussies.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Wotc thinking that Dark Sun is too “problematic” for the current day is Olympic levels of stupidity.
The setting doesn’t glorify slavery, it rails against it. Plus the huge environmental message behind why Athas is the way it is. The canon novels are all about the sorcerer king of Tyr being killed in a revolt, and it becomes the first free city state where slavery is outlawed.
So dumb, the best D&D setting, left to rot, because the people in charge are giant pussies.

I won't touch anything that's 5th (or 4th) edition. Most of the reason I won't touch fifth edition is because of this absolute insanity.

People say a good alternative is Pathfinder but it's just as bad so that's unfortunate.

 

[T8SC]

Oh you mean role playing games, my bad.

 

[Hudo]

Wotc thinking that Dark Sun is too “problematic” for the current day is Olympic levels of stupidity.
The setting doesn’t glorify slavery, it rails against it. Plus the huge environmental message behind why Athas is the way it is. The canon novels are all about the sorcerer king of Tyr being killed in a revolt, and it becomes the first free city state where slavery is outlawed.
So dumb, the best D&D setting, left to rot, because the people in charge are giant pussies.

Yeah, I agree. And anyone with a brain will agree as well. Problem is that no one on Twitter has a functioning brain, otherwise they would not use Twitter. And that garbage pile of humanity will be the first to scream their hearts out if Dark Sun was to be picked up again...

Fuck everyone.