Summary
Dungeons and Dragonsis truly one of the most versatile TTRPGs, as DMs can flavor the world to their taste, or even tailor their very own if they feel none of the prewritten locations fit the story they want to tell with their friends. They can also choose what themes to use, from high-fantasy, steampunk, or dark fantasy.
The latter is quite popular forD&Dplayers looking for a bit of edge or even horror in their campaigns. For those wanting a taste of this darkness while waiting for their next game to begin or pick up, these RPGs are the best ones to play.
Meat-grinder campaigns inD&Dare adjusted rules to make things that little more challenging. Death saving throws have an increased DC, and all around death is a more pressing concern. Campaigns such asTomb of Horrorsimplement meat grinder rules which may not be for everyone, but hardenedD&Dveterans might enjoy this added difficulty.
It is not difficult to find difficult video games to play either, as all players need to do is look at FromSoft’s catalog of games and take their pick, most verging further into the darker side of fantasy.Dark Soulsis just as good as any place to start, as this would have been many other gamers’introduction to Soulsborne games. Brutal, unforgiving, but rewarding to those with enough patience to foster skills needed to not immediately die in each new area,Dark Soulswon’t be for everyone except those players who don’t want their games orD&Din easy mode.
ManyD&Dplayers sometimes branch out to other systems just to explore other TTRPGs out there, with one of the most popular outside ofD&DbeingVampire: the Masquerade. In this system, players are a vampire living in the shadow of human society, trying to maintain their own humanity in a world that seems deadset on stripping it away. Such an intriguing system was ripe for an RPG game, and it arrived in 2004, though its birth was a painful and laborious one.
As a newly fledged vampire, the player is inducted into vampire society following an illegal embrace, and are set off on jobs given by the self-proclaimed prince in exchange for his clemency. LA is agloriously gothic settingfor this dark game, as they see the underbelly beneath the glamor, and witness their share of monsters beyond their vampiric brethren, such as ghosts, werewolves, and flesh-crafted abominations. The story pulls players in, and doesn’t let go until the ending, when their fate will finally be decided.
They say a painting can speak a thousand words, but inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, they can kill a thousand people. Every year, a deity known as thePaintress works on her latest magnum opus, which depicts fewer people than the year before, resulting in everyone above a certain age inexplicably dying. This became known as the gommage, and every year an expedition is sent to slay her before she can complete her next painting.
After the latest expedition is ambushed, the remaining survivors must team up to accomplish the task they set out to do, just like anyD&Dparty, and the turn-based combat is just one more similarity they share. With an appropriately dark storyline, players can truly lose themselves in for hours.Clair Obscuris the perfect dark RPG for the discerningD&Dplayer.
In most fantasy RPGs, players take up the role of the hero who sets off on a quest to stop the evil forces from achieving their agenda, which normally acquiring more power, or fashioning themselves as the new ruler. This is whereTyrannydiffers, taking on a darker perspective of the fight between good and evil, asevil has already wonby the time the game begins.
Playing as the character known as the Fatebinder, it is up to them to aid one side of the rebellion, or further their own goals, as control, decisions, and the consequences that may follow are fully left in the players' hand, allowing for total of freedom of choice, just like aD&Dcampaign, as players are free to forge their own path on their journey.
One of the most expensive RPGs of all time,The Witcher 3could rival anyDungeons and Dragons campaignin terms of sheer scope. Playing one of the titular witchers known as Geralt, players travel across the entire continent on the trail of their adoptive daughter Ciri, who is fleeing the ice-cold touch of the Wild Hunt. While on a hunt of their own, players encounter a menagerie of monsters, such as hags, wraiths, and vampires, just to name a couple. As a warrior created for the purpose of slaying monsters, there will be plenty of quests involving felling these dangerous beasts.
Mistrusted and outright hated by a lot of people, the world ofThe Witcheroften feels less than welcoming, which only helps to solidify the dark fantasy feel, and not to mention the creatures which can teeter straight into nightmare territory.Critical Rolefans will also feel right at home here, as the witchers are what inspired Matthew Mercer’s homebrew class, the Blood Hunter.
By now, there probably aren’t anyD&Dfans who have not at the very least heard ofBaldur’s Gate 3, as its release was quite the celebrated event for fans. Choosing between an origin or custom character, the players are taken aboard a nautiloid and infected with the Mind Flayer tadpole, which is said to turn anyone infected into one of the tentacle-faced monstrosities, and thus they set off with fellow infectees to find a cure before it’s too late.
Players get to tour most of the Sword Coast high and low, seeing the beauty and also the darkness of the locale. Act 2 in particular, taps into the scarier side ofD&D, treating players to outright terrifying places and monsters, and not to mention theDark Urge character optionplayers can pick. Perfectly capturing the feel of aD&Dcampaign, especially with the possibility of co-op,Baldur’s Gate 3is definitely one of the games any fan needs to play, and replay.
One of the best RPG series of all time is without a doubtDragon Age, which started off to great success withDragon Age: Origins. The Blight has come to Ferelden, as the darkspawn spread their cursed touch across the land as they spill over it from the underground, slaughtering any innocents unfortunate enough to be in their path, led by a fearsome archdemon, a draconic creature with tremendous powers at its talons.
As the only faction able to truly stop them, the player joins the Grey Wardens, willing or not. Before that, players get to build their own character, even deciding on their background before they become an adventurer, their class, race and gender, a laD&D.TTRPG fanatics will be made to feel right at home as they adventure across Ferelden, delving into dungeons, battling monsters and bosses withthe help of a companion or twowho may banter with one another during their walks, simulating how players might RP outside of combat.
D&Dhas countless campaign settings to allow for even more creative and unique campaigns, with one of the more overlooked being Planescape multiverse, which encompasses multiple planes of existence, and is home to countless humanoids and other creatures, and in this case, the Nameless One. The unnamed player protagonist has been cursed with immortality, his resurrection costing the life of another to maintain the balance,with no recollectionof his past life. His latest resurrection has him out searching for answers as to who he is and why he defied death.
With this being an actualD&Dlicensed video game, this makes it the perfect RPG for fans, with just enough darkness in terms of themes and setting to satiate that hunger. Players can also recruit companions to give them that feeling of setting off on an adventure with friends and allies to help.
