Sword and sorcery RPGs
The famous Appendix N to the original AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide featured several seminal works of the sword and sorcery genre (including the writings of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, and Michael Moorcock), and their influence was felt on the fantasy settings of numerous early RPGs. However, the sword and sorcery spirit is very much absent from the contemporary mainstream games, the worlds of which should be described not even as high fantasy, but more precisely as “kitchen-sink superhero fantasy”. It seems that their foundational works are not literary texts (let alone those harking back to the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s), but rather video games such as World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy.
True sword and sorcery campaign settings are now rather niche products, which can be explained only in part by the genre’s fading out from the broader popular culture. For the newer generations of players, the very idea of having adventures in worlds with no colorful non-human races, little magic available to the characters, and no grand epic good vs. evil conflict may seem a dreary and uninviting prospect.
Fortunately, those who actually prefer picaresque adventures in exotic locales swarming with serpent people and inhuman sorcerers, can rely on a considerable selection of RPG products authored by like-minded enthusiasts. Many of these books are very recent, and it’s not a coincidence that the OSR movement is in large part responsible for this resurgence. Dangerous combat and harsh environments, problem-solving through cunning, a certain moral ambiguity, as well as character-driven narratives are the mainstays of both the OSR style of play and classic sword and sorcery stories.
This list features systems and supplements that are widely recognized as capable of delivering a sword and sorcery experience. Their approaches range from very purist to making allowances for modern sensibilities (such as giving the players access to powerful magic). While the majority of the items included are primarily inspired by the Conan stories, other strands of the genre (including the Elric saga by Michael Moorcock and Jack Vance’s Dying Earth) are also represented.
Barbarians of Lemuria
2d6-based system · Setting
5 figs out of 5
Hyperborea (AS&SH)
d20-based system (AD&D clone) · Setting
4.5 figs out of 5
Mythras
d100-based system (RuneQuest clone)
4.5 figs out of 5
Crypts & Things
d20-based system (Swords & Wizardry clone) · Setting
4.5 figs out of 5
Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of
2d20 System · Licensed setting
4 figs out of 5
Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC)
d20-based system
4 figs out of 5
Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells
d20-based system (inspired by The Black Hack)
4 figs out of 5
Low Fantasy Gaming
d20-based system (inspired by D&D 5e and OSR)
4 figs out of 5
Beasts & Barbarians
Savage Worlds setting
4 figs out of 5
Lankhmar
DCC licensed setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Lankhmar: City of Thieves (Savage Worlds)
Savage Worlds licensed setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Elric! / Stormbringer
BRP (d100-based) · Licensed setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Atlantis: The Second Age
Omega System (d20-based) · Setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Jaws of the Six Serpents
PDQ (2d6-based) · Setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Swords of the Serpentine
GUMSHOE (d6-based) · Setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Monster Island
Mythras setting
3.5 figs out of 5
Primeval Thule
Multi-system setting (D&D 4e and 5e, Pathfinder, 13th Age)
3.5 figs out of 5
Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures
d20-based system (B/X D&D-related) · Setting
3 figs out of 5
Sorcerer & Sword
Sorcerer supplement
3 figs out of 5
Blade of the Iron Throne
Xd12-based system (inspired by The Riddle of Steel) · Setting
3 figs out of 5
The World of Xoth
Multi-system setting (D&D 5e, Pathfinder/d20, Barbarians of Lemuria, Legend)
3 figs out of 5
Conan: The Roleplaying Game
d20 System · Licensed setting
3 figs out of 5
ZeFRS
d100-based system (derived from TSR Conan RPG)
3 figs out of 5
Worlds Without Number
d20-based system · Setting
3 figs out of 5
Weird North
Mark of the Odd (d20-based)
3 figs out of 5
On Mighty Thews
dX-based system
3 figs out of 5
Forbidden Lands
Year Zero Engine (Xd6-based) · Setting
3 figs out of 5
Black Sword Hack
d20-based system (inspired by The Black Hack) · Setting
2.5 figs out of 5
Swords Without Master
2d6-based system
2.5 figs out of 5
Heroic Fantasy Handbook
ACKS supplement
2.5 figs out of 5
Dark Sun
AD&D 2e setting
2.5 figs out of 5
Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu
ACKS setting
2.5 figs out of 5
Tales from the Fallen Empire
DCC setting
2.5 figs out of 5
Barbaric!
Cepheus Engine (2d6-based)
2.5 figs out of 5
The Sword of Cepheus
Cepheus Engine (2d6-based)
2.5 figs out of 5
By This Axe I Hack!
d20-based system (inspired by The Black Hack)
2.5 figs out of 5
Ironsworn
2d10+1d6-based system (PbtA derivative)
2.5 figs out of 5
Totems of the Dead
Savage Worlds setting
2.5 figs out of 5
Crimson Blades
Xd6-based system
2.5 figs out of 5
Carcosa
LotfP setting
2 figs out of 5
Blood of Pangea
2d6-based system
2 figs out of 5
The Midlands
Low Fantasy Gaming setting
2 figs out of 5
Scarlet Heroes
d20-based system · Setting
2 figs out of 5
The BoL Hack
d20-based system (inspired by The Black Hack) · Port of Barbarians of Lemuria
2 figs out of 5
Talislanta: The Savage Land
Multi-system setting (D&D 5e, Omni, OpenD6)
2 figs out of 5
Solomon Kane
Savage Worlds licensed setting
2 figs out of 5
GURPS Conan
GURPS supplement
2 figs out of 5
Red Mists: Swords Against Sorcery
Freeform Universal (Xd6-based) · Setting
2 figs out of 5
Iron Heroes
d20 System supplement
2 figs out of 5
Hubris
DCC setting
2 figs out of 5
Paleomythic
Xd6-based system · Setting
2 figs out of 5
Zenobia
Xd6-based system · Setting
2 figs out of 5
Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia
d20 System setting
1.5 figs out of 5
Legends of Steel
Multi-system setting (Barbarians of Lemuria, BASH!, Broadsword, Savage Worlds, ZeFRS)
1.5 figs out of 5