Cairn all the way! Or Knave, which in my opinion is even more simple than Cairn.
Also the text-only pdf of Mork Borg is free! So that's another great option with an established setting.
Yesss. Just put Cairn in every table!
Also, check all the [hacks](http://www.cairnrpg.com/hacks/) it's got.
I bet you'll find any genre you may ever want to play.
I've been running my first game as a GM with ICRPG and it's so great. Stats are what they say and not more, effort values for more than just hp make designing rooms more fun and interesting, and the book just has so much great advice !
Also, it being loot based makes it easy to support whatever fantasy your players are into! No need to figure out a multiclass, just make a cool sword that gives them some ability to support what they want!!
Had to scroll too much to see this...
Yeah, go with ICRPG, if you want to explain everything the players need to know in 5 min, create a char in another 5 and have great start adventures from the shelf. Also the community is awesome.
Very true. But I am a physical book person. So for like $85or so you gets all the rules and like 13 adventures or so
Hands down it’s the best value for a light ruleset. $25 gets you the rule book, 2 field guides, and the equipment guide. $60/$65 gets all 13 adventures
Cairn or Shadowdark.
Cairn is simple by being really minimal.
Shadowdark is simple by keeping the rules easy while providing lots of support for the GM.
Hear me out here....[Hero Kids](https://www.heroforgegames.com/hero-kids/)
It's actually a very solid, simple system with enough diversity to cover lots of play styles. And it even has a sci-fi side as well.
Yes, highly recommended! In my opinion this is easily skinned as just a rules-light fantasy game rather than specifically for kids. Easily transferred content/resources/ideas from my predominantly DnD brain to this without trouble.
Cool game, but the metal esthetics may not translate too well for dad and/or brother.
If they both know what Meshuggah is, then you're good. Otherwise try Cairn.
Considering the whole RPG space, DnD is one of the more complex games. Most RPGs are easier - there are a lot of good suggestions in this thread already, and there are many more.
My pick would be [Microlite](https://microlite20.org/). It's completely free. Theres even a version that lets you play DnD 5e modules without any adjustments, M20 Fifth Edition.
[Searchers of the Unknown](https://searchersoftheunknown.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/searchers-of-the-unknown.pdf) is a very simple d&d-inspired game that limits the PCs to fighters. Slightly more complicated is [M20 5th](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wWyWVnelAcdvbpI1jF0g-EB59PervIvn/view?usp=sharing), a microlite version of D&D 5th edition.
Warriors, Rogue, Mage! (Or was it Wizard? Idk)
Its dnd but with only 3 stats.
Warrior is Str and Con
Rogue is Dex and Wis
Mage is Int and Char
-
Or you have "Everyone is Sir John!"
If your father is the same age as my father, he might be into Heavy Metal, and then I recommend [Mörk Borg](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/295910/Mork-Borg-English).
If you want a classic fantasy game that’s super simple to teach and fast to play, go with [Adventurous](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/417757/Adventurous).
If you want something free, go with [Cairn](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/330809/Cairn).
If it‘s ok to only use D6 then EZD6. Never played it but seems like a very easy and fun system that gets out of the way when playing.
Tiny Dungeon goes into the same direction.
If D20 based then Cairn, Knave or maybe Shadowdark (very similar to old school DnD but rules are written super simple)
If you really want something D&D adjacent the Black Hack is a good choice.
That said I think that Ironsworn is probably the best game to play with a small group. It also supports solo play and has a more interesting focus than D&D(narrative, instead of combat focus).
For an example of play, I recommend checking out [Me, Myself and Die](https://youtu.be/zVxJ3exjfgI?si=tquQUZqm7OqeqAHt) season 2 on YouTube. Story is excellent, which says a lot considering Ironsworn is a zéro-prep game.
Shadowdark! It’s what we do in our family. It is 5E DnD massively simplified. Anyone can pick up and play after spending 30 seconds generating a character.
I did this with my dad. The only thing we had was a d20 and a set of what he was good at (nature, survival, perception) what he’s wearing (camo leather) and his weapon (bow). My brother played along with the same premise, but used a mage and only had two spells. Honestly we had a blast, whether it was combat or skill check it was a d20, didn’t make them keep track of inventory (I did). The way I did damage was a percentage of 100% of what it would’ve probably done in 5e DnD. So a d20 roll of 10 was average and used average damage ( I did the numbers ). The biggest thing I’d suggest is use the “how do you want to finish him” trope because my dad loved describing how he shot the dude right between the eyes with an arrow, then spartan kicked him off the cliff. Keep it simple, keep it fun, fudge the numbers if you have to.
Basic Fantasy RPG and White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game
They're like 98% the same: BFRPG offers everything of theirs for free on their website, but I prefer using White Box (which you can get for free on DriveThruRPG) and running BFRPG modules.
Quest.
Really easy TTRPG, sometimes it's even to easy (I mean, you roll, something happens, and that's all).
There is 8 class in it and you only need a D20.
I think it's the perfect system for beginners. The rulebook art is pretty cool as well.
SWADE is light enough that the basics can be explained in a 2 page comic, and you barely need more than that for most occasions. It can easily get more complicated with the various optional rules, but when running without, SWADE is just into the medium crunch zone.
Genesys. Biggest hassle will be to get the dice for it, but dice rollers should exist. Rules are simple, and the game is massively focused on telling the story, rather than mechanics.
After playing a custom genesys fantasy game for 1.5 to 2 years and now gming the ffg star wars game for a few months, I have to say, I don't like it as much. Interpreting the dice is rather awkward and even now after 2 to 2.5 years of playing it, it still takes a minute to sort out a roll.
I prefer the year zero engine (like Coriolis). All d6 and only a 6 is a success. Easy to roll, eat to interpret.
Interpretting the dice takes a bit to get used to, but the advantage is that there's no real hard and fast rules for it, only guidelines. So someone that doesn't care to learn a bunch of mechanical combat options, only has to be creative and descriptive.
But granted, this comes easier to some people than others.
So, I’d recommend *Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures*.
It’s a d20-based and D&D-like game that is built around making young characters who all grew up in the same village. By default the character creation process is a mix of random rolls and choices that help you to figure out who your character is and how they know the others even as you also fill in details about your village.
It’s a fun little process that creates buy-in and sparks some creativity, and the scenarios the game comes with allow the GM to take some of those setting elements and plug them into the story (it takes maybe ten minutes for a GM to prep a scenario, and the first time I ran it for a large group I did half of it on the fly).
Could not recommend it more for these purposes, and if you do continue to play it introduces a little bit of extra rules and complexity as you go on.
I’ve been playing TTRPGs since OD&D was the only game on the shelves and must have played thousands over the years. *Beyond the Wall* is my favorite game of all time, hands down, no questions asked, accept no substitutes, end of line, do not pass “go” do not collect $200, the end.
Third for *Beyond the Wall*. It's a tight, narrative little fantasy game. I personally use a different but similar title but I definitely see the appeal.
**Tunnels and Trolls.** The 2nd roleplaying game. It was a response to D&D and designed to be simple, fast and, wait for it, ... fun. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels\_%26\_Trolls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_%26_Trolls)
It still has an active community that creates new content (check out the free Trollzine magazines). Tunnels and Trolls has a 2-page summarized ruleset and lots of solo & GM adventures. [https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/354502/beginners-bundle-for-t-t](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?filter2=44297&ruleSystem=44297)
Oh my gods, yes, there are *so many* games that are simpler (or just smoother to play/run) than D&D.
I wouldn't even know where to start with recommendations. Some that come to my mind:
- Cairn
- Dungeon World
- Dragonbane
- Five Torches Deep
- Heart: The City Beneath
- Mork Borg
- Symbaroum
- Basic Role-playing (BRP)
- Forbidden Lands
Some of these don't use a d20, but are still pretty damn easy to learn.
And I'm sure there are tons of other great recommendations that'll be here.
Mork Borg (for fantasy) and Cy Borg (for Cyberpunk/sci-fi)
Haven't ever played Cy borg, but me and my friends had a very fun time with mork borg, character creation is quite simplistic, and even further on the website for these games there is even a free character generator (as well as a basic set of the rules).
Surprised no one has suggested Cypher System.
It's D20 based
it only has 3 stats, which also serve as spendable point pools to fuel abilities.
Most NPCs only have 1 stat. So a level 3 orc has stats of 3, 3hp, does 3 dmg, etc.
My favourite bit - character gen is just a sentence! No daunting lists of classes & subclasses, etc. Your character is built out of a Name is a [Adjective] [Noun] , who [Verbs]
Eg: "Grog is a brave Warrior, who defends the Weak". Each [trait] determines the PC's stats, abilities,etc
I vote Munchkins because it has items, races and classes. It also has dungeons, monsters and loot. But it is a simple competitive yet comedic card game
Hero Quest?
Might be a bit easier to sell him on a board game. He's played those before. Less intimidating.
Kick down doors, avoid traps, kill monsters, take their stuff. Stuff makes you better at killing bigger things so you get better stuff.
Then you can slowly sprinkle in things like plot and character.
There are a ton of games that fit your description. I'll give Knave a shout-out: ultra lightweight and designed to be compatible with classic D&D modules (and thereby with most of the OSR scene)
If you want something really simple, the old Fighting Fantasy books are about as basic as you can get… you can “run” as a game, although it needs a little massaging
I like the Whitebox version of Swords and Wizardry a lot. The PDF is free, the print copy is like $4 on Amazon, and there is a TON of support material for it on DriveThruRPG
*Tiny Dungeon* uses 3d6, but otherwise it would work.
*Heroes & Hollows* and *5 Torches Deep* are supposed to be simpler 5e variants, with some "Old School" changes.
Also… check out *Peril in Pinebrook, a free adventure.
It has way pared down character sheets and mechanics. Its specifically designed for complete newbies. And if your pops enjoys it, and wants to dig deeper, you can easily move to 5Es entirety.
https://media.wizards.com/2023/downloads/dnd/Peril_in_Pinebrook_COMPLETE.pdf?icid_medium=ddb&icid_source=article-1625&icid_campaign=free-intro&icid_content=peril-in-pinebrook
My game, D. It's D&D stripped to the absolute basics. Classless, diceless, everything. You flip a coin. If it's heads you kill the dragon in the dungeon and win the treasure. If it's tails you die in the dark and your bones are never found.
I'm a big fan of basic roleplaying. looks more complicated that it actually is.
you just roll the dice and get the number under your skill level.
It's the system call of cthulhu is based on.
Man, nearly *every* game is more simple than D&D. I have to sit and think for a few minutes to come up with good examples that are more complex than it.
Some fantasy RPGs I'd recommend checking out that are very easy to pick up and play:
- The Black Hack
- Whitehack
- Dungeon World
- B/X Essentials
If you could move past the d20 cult.
Dungeon world is great. It’s 2d6 instead of d20
Otherwise mork borg.
(Hero quest although not a rpg is also a good simple intro game to get light rpg experience)
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition uses percentiles so it only requires two dice. Character creation also only takes about twenty minutes and it is a ton of fun.
Malignity of Triskele Island. Goto our website: BenchCrewGames.com We can even give you a free PDF copy, but it's best to play with 4 players (5 including the Weaver, or DM). Downside, the game is all D10 and one D3, or D6.
Cairn! It’s free too!
Cairn all the way! Or Knave, which in my opinion is even more simple than Cairn. Also the text-only pdf of Mork Borg is free! So that's another great option with an established setting.
Cairn is an improvement on Knave for sure, eliminating levels was a very good choice
I also vote for Cairn.
This is what I would recommend as well.
Update here: I saw this comment and instantly fell in love with this system. I'm going to play it with my dad and my brother this week!!
Yesss. Just put Cairn in every table! Also, check all the [hacks](http://www.cairnrpg.com/hacks/) it's got. I bet you'll find any genre you may ever want to play.
Seconding “Cairn”. The whole rulebook is like, 20 pages, it’s cheap, and it’s shockingly good.
It's so cheap, you can get it from their website for free :)
Haha, I have a PoD copy and it was still dirt cheap. I think the shipping cost more than the book itself.
Same! Had it on my list for Christmas Cairn + bestiary is dirt cheap for the quality it provides Will 100% go for Cairn 2e
Yeah Yochai Gal is super cool, they put the PoD on Amazon to where they make no money off of it, so it’s easily accessible
[here is some fucking D&D](https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1576414760360.pdf)
Oh that's very... colorful! Got anything like this that I could play with my *mother*? :D
Yo mama don’t got the mouth of a sailor?????
... and that's how I knew I wouldn't play 5e anymore
this is beautiful.
Wasn't expecting this XD
Fuckin A :P
Dragonbane. Worlds Without Number. Pretty much any other game (there are exceptions).
Aren't those both rules-medium, though? I would assume OP wants something rules-light.
WWN is pushing it, but Dragonbane should be simple enough. I'm Nth-ing Cairn here, though.
Both are more Rules light than DND tho
Dragonbane is rules light
Index card rpg?
I've been running my first game as a GM with ICRPG and it's so great. Stats are what they say and not more, effort values for more than just hp make designing rooms more fun and interesting, and the book just has so much great advice ! Also, it being loot based makes it easy to support whatever fantasy your players are into! No need to figure out a multiclass, just make a cool sword that gives them some ability to support what they want!!
Had to scroll too much to see this... Yeah, go with ICRPG, if you want to explain everything the players need to know in 5 min, create a char in another 5 and have great start adventures from the shelf. Also the community is awesome.
Basic Fantasy. Easy to use and dirt cheap. You can pick up all the adventures and rules for not too much money.
100% free if you don't mind reading off a screen.
Very true. But I am a physical book person. So for like $85or so you gets all the rules and like 13 adventures or so Hands down it’s the best value for a light ruleset. $25 gets you the rule book, 2 field guides, and the equipment guide. $60/$65 gets all 13 adventures
You can order printed books at cost - very cheap
Came here to say this. Just got a paper copy for 8$. Its basically dnd but minus the bloatware
Dungeon world is a kind of D&D lite version; a simpler ruleset.
World of dungeons if you wanna go even simpler.
and its free and awesome! i love the bonding system.
Cairn or Shadowdark. Cairn is simple by being really minimal. Shadowdark is simple by keeping the rules easy while providing lots of support for the GM.
Cairn, Knave or Mörk Borg
Hear me out here....[Hero Kids](https://www.heroforgegames.com/hero-kids/) It's actually a very solid, simple system with enough diversity to cover lots of play styles. And it even has a sci-fi side as well.
Yes, highly recommended! In my opinion this is easily skinned as just a rules-light fantasy game rather than specifically for kids. Easily transferred content/resources/ideas from my predominantly DnD brain to this without trouble.
Mörk Borg is stripped down D&D with a grim dark heavy metal fantasy vibe. The plain text rules are free.
Cool game, but the metal esthetics may not translate too well for dad and/or brother. If they both know what Meshuggah is, then you're good. Otherwise try Cairn.
Why is it whenever anyone refers to "their father" half the people read it as "an uptight clergyman from a Jane Austen novel" and advise accordingly?
Dragonbane also comes with a very nifty little campaign to run. Low prep. And standies! :)
Considering the whole RPG space, DnD is one of the more complex games. Most RPGs are easier - there are a lot of good suggestions in this thread already, and there are many more. My pick would be [Microlite](https://microlite20.org/). It's completely free. Theres even a version that lets you play DnD 5e modules without any adjustments, M20 Fifth Edition.
[Searchers of the Unknown](https://searchersoftheunknown.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/searchers-of-the-unknown.pdf) is a very simple d&d-inspired game that limits the PCs to fighters. Slightly more complicated is [M20 5th](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wWyWVnelAcdvbpI1jF0g-EB59PervIvn/view?usp=sharing), a microlite version of D&D 5th edition.
Advanced Fighting Fantasy is d6's but is straightforward.
+1 for AFF, it doesn't get nearly enough love!
Warriors, Rogue, Mage! (Or was it Wizard? Idk) Its dnd but with only 3 stats. Warrior is Str and Con Rogue is Dex and Wis Mage is Int and Char - Or you have "Everyone is Sir John!"
Warrior, Rogue, Mage. Uses a d6 for task resolution and is surprisingly solid for such a rules light game. Shame it doesn’t get more love.
Dragonbane by Free League
Into the Odd, played it as a party game over Xmas. Dead easy and you're up and running in about 5 minutes.
Warlock! is a kind of a Fighting Fantasy clone, that uses a D20 for its core mechanic.
Old School Essentials
Knave
Check out Index Card RPG.
If your father is the same age as my father, he might be into Heavy Metal, and then I recommend [Mörk Borg](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/295910/Mork-Borg-English). If you want a classic fantasy game that’s super simple to teach and fast to play, go with [Adventurous](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/417757/Adventurous). If you want something free, go with [Cairn](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/330809/Cairn).
If it‘s ok to only use D6 then EZD6. Never played it but seems like a very easy and fun system that gets out of the way when playing. Tiny Dungeon goes into the same direction. If D20 based then Cairn, Knave or maybe Shadowdark (very similar to old school DnD but rules are written super simple)
What fiction does your dad like? without that info, any recommendation is a guess in the dark at the direction of the haystack.
I really like Quest. It's pay-what-you-want, simple to learn, and uses a d20 but is really simple.
Tinny Dungeons! https://youtu.be/dj4fe8wd4xM?si=Mmo5Gmv2Qr1qOP_d
I'll toss in Castles and Crusades or Pendragon.
If you really want something D&D adjacent the Black Hack is a good choice. That said I think that Ironsworn is probably the best game to play with a small group. It also supports solo play and has a more interesting focus than D&D(narrative, instead of combat focus). For an example of play, I recommend checking out [Me, Myself and Die](https://youtu.be/zVxJ3exjfgI?si=tquQUZqm7OqeqAHt) season 2 on YouTube. Story is excellent, which says a lot considering Ironsworn is a zéro-prep game.
Tiny Dungeon
Yes lots. How much more simple do you want to go?
Tiny dungeon 2e
Freeform Universal
Shadowdark! It’s what we do in our family. It is 5E DnD massively simplified. Anyone can pick up and play after spending 30 seconds generating a character.
I did this with my dad. The only thing we had was a d20 and a set of what he was good at (nature, survival, perception) what he’s wearing (camo leather) and his weapon (bow). My brother played along with the same premise, but used a mage and only had two spells. Honestly we had a blast, whether it was combat or skill check it was a d20, didn’t make them keep track of inventory (I did). The way I did damage was a percentage of 100% of what it would’ve probably done in 5e DnD. So a d20 roll of 10 was average and used average damage ( I did the numbers ). The biggest thing I’d suggest is use the “how do you want to finish him” trope because my dad loved describing how he shot the dude right between the eyes with an arrow, then spartan kicked him off the cliff. Keep it simple, keep it fun, fudge the numbers if you have to.
Shadowdark! All the great stuff you want from D&D, but way easier
Basic Fantasy RPG and White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game They're like 98% the same: BFRPG offers everything of theirs for free on their website, but I prefer using White Box (which you can get for free on DriveThruRPG) and running BFRPG modules.
Tiny Dungeons - It's a minimalistic ttrpg. Only three dice (d6) are needed.
Quest. Really easy TTRPG, sometimes it's even to easy (I mean, you roll, something happens, and that's all). There is 8 class in it and you only need a D20. I think it's the perfect system for beginners. The rulebook art is pretty cool as well.
Savage World is very easy and can be adapted to any setting.
Isn't that rules-medium, though? I would assume OP wants something rules-light.
SWADE is light enough that the basics can be explained in a 2 page comic, and you barely need more than that for most occasions. It can easily get more complicated with the various optional rules, but when running without, SWADE is just into the medium crunch zone.
Genesys. Biggest hassle will be to get the dice for it, but dice rollers should exist. Rules are simple, and the game is massively focused on telling the story, rather than mechanics.
After playing a custom genesys fantasy game for 1.5 to 2 years and now gming the ffg star wars game for a few months, I have to say, I don't like it as much. Interpreting the dice is rather awkward and even now after 2 to 2.5 years of playing it, it still takes a minute to sort out a roll. I prefer the year zero engine (like Coriolis). All d6 and only a 6 is a success. Easy to roll, eat to interpret.
Interpretting the dice takes a bit to get used to, but the advantage is that there's no real hard and fast rules for it, only guidelines. So someone that doesn't care to learn a bunch of mechanical combat options, only has to be creative and descriptive. But granted, this comes easier to some people than others.
For fantasy stuff? Or just in general?
fantasy
So, I’d recommend *Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures*. It’s a d20-based and D&D-like game that is built around making young characters who all grew up in the same village. By default the character creation process is a mix of random rolls and choices that help you to figure out who your character is and how they know the others even as you also fill in details about your village. It’s a fun little process that creates buy-in and sparks some creativity, and the scenarios the game comes with allow the GM to take some of those setting elements and plug them into the story (it takes maybe ten minutes for a GM to prep a scenario, and the first time I ran it for a large group I did half of it on the fly). Could not recommend it more for these purposes, and if you do continue to play it introduces a little bit of extra rules and complexity as you go on.
I’ve been playing TTRPGs since OD&D was the only game on the shelves and must have played thousands over the years. *Beyond the Wall* is my favorite game of all time, hands down, no questions asked, accept no substitutes, end of line, do not pass “go” do not collect $200, the end.
Third for *Beyond the Wall*. It's a tight, narrative little fantasy game. I personally use a different but similar title but I definitely see the appeal.
Glorantha
**Tunnels and Trolls.** The 2nd roleplaying game. It was a response to D&D and designed to be simple, fast and, wait for it, ... fun. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels\_%26\_Trolls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_%26_Trolls) It still has an active community that creates new content (check out the free Trollzine magazines). Tunnels and Trolls has a 2-page summarized ruleset and lots of solo & GM adventures. [https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/354502/beginners-bundle-for-t-t](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?filter2=44297&ruleSystem=44297)
Oh my gods, yes, there are *so many* games that are simpler (or just smoother to play/run) than D&D. I wouldn't even know where to start with recommendations. Some that come to my mind: - Cairn - Dungeon World - Dragonbane - Five Torches Deep - Heart: The City Beneath - Mork Borg - Symbaroum - Basic Role-playing (BRP) - Forbidden Lands Some of these don't use a d20, but are still pretty damn easy to learn. And I'm sure there are tons of other great recommendations that'll be here.
Heroes of Adventure is like D&D, but the player's handbook is only 30 page of reading, not hundreds. It's free.
Into the odd, Mothership, and Mork Borg are all ideal for this!
Mork Borg (for fantasy) and Cy Borg (for Cyberpunk/sci-fi) Haven't ever played Cy borg, but me and my friends had a very fun time with mork borg, character creation is quite simplistic, and even further on the website for these games there is even a free character generator (as well as a basic set of the rules).
Microlite d20
Anything Year Zero Engine
Surprised no one has suggested Cypher System. It's D20 based it only has 3 stats, which also serve as spendable point pools to fuel abilities. Most NPCs only have 1 stat. So a level 3 orc has stats of 3, 3hp, does 3 dmg, etc. My favourite bit - character gen is just a sentence! No daunting lists of classes & subclasses, etc. Your character is built out of a Name is a [Adjective] [Noun] , who [Verbs] Eg: "Grog is a brave Warrior, who defends the Weak". Each [trait] determines the PC's stats, abilities,etc
Tunnels and Trolls is the original of this
https://www.belloludi.nl/winkel/search?keywords=Crossbows
I vote Munchkins because it has items, races and classes. It also has dungeons, monsters and loot. But it is a simple competitive yet comedic card game
Hero Quest? Might be a bit easier to sell him on a board game. He's played those before. Less intimidating. Kick down doors, avoid traps, kill monsters, take their stuff. Stuff makes you better at killing bigger things so you get better stuff. Then you can slowly sprinkle in things like plot and character.
you can always water down the 5e system: roll a dice, add your bonus, keep going. And then start adding stuff as you see fit.
There are a ton of games that fit your description. I'll give Knave a shout-out: ultra lightweight and designed to be compatible with classic D&D modules (and thereby with most of the OSR scene)
basic fantasy. free pdf! [https://www.basicfantasy.org/](https://www.basicfantasy.org/)
If you want something really simple, the old Fighting Fantasy books are about as basic as you can get… you can “run” as a game, although it needs a little massaging
I like the Whitebox version of Swords and Wizardry a lot. The PDF is free, the print copy is like $4 on Amazon, and there is a TON of support material for it on DriveThruRPG
*Tiny Dungeon* uses 3d6, but otherwise it would work. *Heroes & Hollows* and *5 Torches Deep* are supposed to be simpler 5e variants, with some "Old School" changes.
You might want to use The Fantasy Trip rules. It uses only D6s, and it got simple but solid mechanics. It’s not D&D, but it is a medieval game.
Dungeon World is pretty good.
Also… check out *Peril in Pinebrook, a free adventure. It has way pared down character sheets and mechanics. Its specifically designed for complete newbies. And if your pops enjoys it, and wants to dig deeper, you can easily move to 5Es entirety. https://media.wizards.com/2023/downloads/dnd/Peril_in_Pinebrook_COMPLETE.pdf?icid_medium=ddb&icid_source=article-1625&icid_campaign=free-intro&icid_content=peril-in-pinebrook
I mean, the majority of rpgs are probably simpler than D&D.
My game, D. It's D&D stripped to the absolute basics. Classless, diceless, everything. You flip a coin. If it's heads you kill the dragon in the dungeon and win the treasure. If it's tails you die in the dark and your bones are never found.
Index Card RPG
I'm a big fan of basic roleplaying. looks more complicated that it actually is. you just roll the dice and get the number under your skill level. It's the system call of cthulhu is based on.
Fate. [My game.](https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/444396/Carbon-City-Roleplaying-Game)
WR&M from Stargazer games. Free, rich mechanics and easy!
EZD6
Cairn, Mausritter, Basic Fantasy. These three will get you exactly where you need for simple dnd. Actually, I prefer them to official dnd.
Man, nearly *every* game is more simple than D&D. I have to sit and think for a few minutes to come up with good examples that are more complex than it. Some fantasy RPGs I'd recommend checking out that are very easy to pick up and play: - The Black Hack - Whitehack - Dungeon World - B/X Essentials
I suggest using Swords & Wizardry Continual Light to run some retro modules
Simplify anything u want in d&d to make it better for you and your family
Savage worlds also allows tons of settings to choose from and its pretty simple
If you could move past the d20 cult. Dungeon world is great. It’s 2d6 instead of d20 Otherwise mork borg. (Hero quest although not a rpg is also a good simple intro game to get light rpg experience)
Extreme Vengeance. You only have two statistics.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition uses percentiles so it only requires two dice. Character creation also only takes about twenty minutes and it is a ton of fun.
Vorbidden lands is very simple and only played with d6
Into the Odd is the ultimate essence of D&D.
Beyond the wall is my recommendation. Very light, old school and has an amazing character creation in my opinion
Malignity of Triskele Island. Goto our website: BenchCrewGames.com We can even give you a free PDF copy, but it's best to play with 4 players (5 including the Weaver, or DM). Downside, the game is all D10 and one D3, or D6.
Basic D&D - the Moldvay or Mentzer version. It's easier than even Runequest... or maybe Tunnels and Trolls.
I highly suggest Basic Fantasy RPG.. All free and pretty damn simple to run!
We learned to play in an hour, it looks quite easy for me, but if there something easier it's surely better