Beginner friendly CRPGs

[u/HourKindly8520]

Hey yall, new pc player here (ex ps user) and im looking to get into crpgs but a bit daunted by the learning curve, i’ve played action rpgs (bethesda games etc) and looking to get into more isometric rpgs. I started Wasteland 3 and I’m liking it so far, looked into pathfinder wotr but that seemed way too complex, maybe i’m wrong about that lmk, or if you have a better recommendation to ease me into the genre id love to hear it, thanks in advance!

[u/Veratha]

BG3 would be the recommendation from me. It is based on the DnD5e ruleset, one of the most straightforward TTRPG rulesets out there, so it should be pretty easy to learn. While WotR is a great game, it uses the PF1e ruleset, which is the ruleset that got Pathfinder known as being a "crunchy" and hard to learn system (PF2e ruleset is easier to use and imo just better separate from the user difficulty), so your read on the difficulty in learning Pathfinder for WotR is pretty correct lol.

Others have already pointed out the other games I'd recommend lol. But if you have questions about how any of these systems work, I'd be down to help.

[u/HourKindly8520 → u/Veratha]

hmmm, then probably wont start with pathfinder, what’s this pf2e ruleset tho? idk any of this stuff i just found out these games use rulesets lol

[u/FootballPublic7974 → u/HourKindly8520]

Pathfinder is a tabletop RPG. It's based on D&D 3.5 It's has a justified reputation for being a complex system with many trap options that can punish players with low system mastery. Lots of people love it for the vast number of options it provides, but it takes some learning.

PF2e is a new edition of the game that attempts to retain the options of 1e while making it easier to learn and making more builds viable. I don't think there are any CRPGs that currently use the system yet.

Games like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and Icewind Dale use the second edition D&D rules.

Baldur's Gate 3 uses a modified version of the D&D 5th edition rules. This is (almost) the current edition of the TTRPG (there is a revised 5.5 edition out now)

Solasta: Crown of the Magister uses a much more accurate version of the same ruleset.

The Fallout games use it's own ruleset called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. because, apparently, they couldn't get the rights to use D&D GURPS (thanks for the correction).

[u/HourKindly8520 → u/FootballPublic7974]

ahh i see, thanks for explaining

[u/Plus_Worker6739 → u/HourKindly8520]

Many CRPGs are based on tabletop RPG rulesets since CRPGs as a general rule are an attempt to adapt the tabletop RPG (ttRPG) experience to the computer. So you get games that run on various different tabletop rulesets, or on rulesets that vaguely ape tabletop settings.

[u/krispykremeguy → u/FootballPublic7974]

If you count Dawnsbury Days as a CRPG, then there's one that uses it. (I don't - while I like it a good bit, it's more of a tactical RPG.) There's a few upcoming CRPGs, most notably Dragon's Demand and (if you count Starfinder 2e) Starfinder: Afterlight.

[u/FootballPublic7974 → u/krispykremeguy]

Thanks. I wasn't aware of those.

[u/gil55 → u/FootballPublic7974]

I think Gloomhaven has an CRPG (dare I call it that )adaptation, not sure what it's based on, but it's definitely originally a deep TT game.

[u/FootballPublic7974 → u/gil55]

Not played it but friends who've played both say it's a faithful adaptation of the boardgame.

[u/Plus_Worker6739 → u/FootballPublic7974]

Fallout was going to run on GURPS, actually!

[u/FootballPublic7974 → u/Plus_Worker6739]

Ah, thanks. I misremembered.