Why GMs and Solo Players Should Try Other Systems

It’s no secret that Dungeons & Dragons 5e has become the face of tabletop role-playing games for many people, especially those who started in the last decade. 5e is known for being beginner-friendly and straightforward, which is why it has captured such a large audience. But with that comes a certain level of attachment. For many, it’s not just the game they play—it’s the game that introduced them to the entire hobby. This creates a kind of “team D&D” mentality, where anything outside of 5e can feel off-brand, intimidating, or just not worth the effort.

But here’s the thing: for GMs and especially solo players, trying out different systems can have a massive impact on how you approach not only your games in general but even your D&D sessions. Now, I’m not saying you have to abandon 5e—far from it! In fact, broadening your horizons can help you appreciate 5e more while also bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the table.
One of the reasons people resist trying other systems is that learning D&D might have felt like a huge effort in itself. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with something, why venture into the unknown? I get that. But the truth is, exploring new systems isn’t just about learning new rules—it’s about discovering different ways to handle the same aspects of role-playing games. This can be incredibly beneficial for GMs, who are always looking for new ideas, and for solo players, who love tinkering with systems to find their perfect fit.

Personally, I’ve found that rules-light systems work better for my solo play sessions. They give me the flexibility to focus more on narrative and immersion rather than juggling complex mechanics. But that’s just me. Some people prefer the other end of the spectrum, and that’s what makes solo role-playing so great—you can experiment until you find what works for you. Systems like World of Darkness, Cypher, and Dungeon World have all influenced how I think about storytelling, even though I still love to DM 5e or Pathfinder for others.

The benefits of trying other systems are clear. First, you’ll see that there’s more than one way to tackle the same elements of a game. Every system has its own take on mechanics like combat, skill checks, and role-playing, and exploring those can give you new insights into what works best for your group—or just for you. Second, trying different systems lets you compare. What works for your style of play? What doesn’t? And for solo gamers, this comparison is even more vital because you’re constantly fine-tuning your experience.

Finally, when you have a palette of different systems under your belt, you can start painting your own picture. You might not design an entirely new game, but you’ll definitely find yourself incorporating new ideas into your sessions, whether that’s in role-playing, world-building, or story development. Even if you prefer to run D&D 5e rules as written, you’ll find that trying other systems can influence your approach in subtle but powerful ways.

In the end, there’s no pressure to try dozens of new systems just for the sake of it. But for those who enjoy diving deeper into the world of role-playing games, there’s a lot to be gained by broadening your horizons. It can be as simple as reading a new rulebook or as immersive as diving headfirst into a different game. Either way, it’s all about expanding your understanding and making your games—whether they’re D&D or something else—that much better. And for solo players, the benefits are even more apparent.

The Last City 1 - A really open sand box

I've run this campaign two times and I'm currently running it a third time. My goal from the beginning was to make it as free of a sand box as possible and I'm happy with the results so far.

The premise of this setting is to make it a sandbox where the player's choices shape the story. Each time, it would evolve into a different story and experience. To that end I choose the following characteristics:

- The campaign starts in the last surviving city after a magical apocalypse.
- There are multiple factions some in opposition of each other.
- The PC's are new to the city so they don't know what to expect.

Freedom in character creation
The choice in making it post world destruction, without necessarily saying which world allows characters to pick where they came from—any world or campaign setting—as long as they still follow the character creation rules for the campaign. Since there was a magical apocalypse, having people transported from other realms is no problem, or justifying magical mutations, or other ways the characters can just be different or unique.

I would add that I have a small restriction for the tone of the campaign: No divine casters. Players may choose to play divine casters, but I prefer they don't. Still the general premises work without this restriction.

Freedom to choose
Of course, there has to be a framework for a campaign to work, or else it would be just pure improvisation, which I think is possible but not optimal.

So, freedom to choose what?

Well, any class or species in general as part of character creation. Although, I would advise players to have similar alignments to avoid creating conflict.

Freedom to choose allies and enemies.

The factions that rule the different districts have their motivations, needs, hates, and personalities. So, as a basic premise, there are some that are practically irreconcilable. That means that befriending one will necessarily make you an enemy of one or more other factions. For example, there is a faction known as the cannibal brutes, who are enemies of a faction of enchanters. If you befriend one, the other will most likely become your enemy. There are others with territorial disputes and so on. Other options, like fighting or befriending certain monsters, will also affect how other factions see you.

Freedom of movement
There is complete freedom of movement, but with a caveat. To justify "Difficulty Progression" the starting district, Agarpe, is protected by an aura created by a mysterious character. So, monsters closer to Agarpe are weaker than those farther away. Outside the city, there are only epic-level threats. However, characters can still go wherever they want.

Freedom for the GM to create and adapt
Due to the nature of the catastrophe, everything under the city is magically scrambled, so I can easily add dungeons or almost anything else and wherever you deem necessary.

I’ll dive deeper into the origins of the apocalypse in a future article.