As a basement game publisher who makes his games available free of charge, I certainly believe that restrictive pricing is reducing the uptake of players into the tabletop role playing games scene. My stance is, however, that people who wish to take up role playing games ought to do as much comparison shopping as they do buying anything else. There are hundreds of free role playing games out there that do not enjoy the status of the Dungeons and Dragons label, but in the end are playable, and in many cases equivalent or better in their design or some aspect of the mechanics.
Fourth Edition showed us that the Dungeons and Dragons name is what is important now, and not the game itself, as the most recognizable pen and paper RPG it’s stranglehold on the market pushes other systems into obscurity and inviability. However, the recent development of hubs and directories for free RPG’s and the laid back and creative bent of the Independent RPG community make finding these systems easy for anyone with an internet connection.
In addition, Running a game using a free system reduces the limits on what players can be included and what can be done with the rules and the world. Most free games are developed in terms of a setting that forms the backdrop of the game and are independent of systems(mathematical formulas meant to help a character in game model life situations), or a system that is developed to be used with a setting. Either way, the relative independence of these two components makes the world in which the game takes place more flexible and allows the players to have a greater effect on the world. All in all, most players and GM’s find this style more enjoyable, but use the Dungeons and Dragons game as a base from which to work with. In reality, you can do this with any RPG.
As a 21 year old college student, I have found that playing a system for which all source materials are free makes for a more economically viable game in my demographic and also allows for more creativity from the GM and players in creating the world. Most players prefer to have the ability to look up rules and information pertaining to their characters for themselves. That requires multiple copies of the Players Handbook at least, and probably several Dungeon Masters Guides to use for larger groups. That can end up costing 150-200 dollars! In a free system, this is avoidable as well, just make more copies. Nobody cares, because the money isn’t made on the sales of the book.
For free Games, go to 1km1kt
For some reccomendations, I suggest this post @ my site
Top 5 Free RPG Systems
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