Eros System: Core Rulebook

Eros is, despite its name, not an erotic roleplaying game. It's a pulpy, medium-crunch sci-fi core system that should appeal to people who like d20 or Unisystem.

Eros is 62 pages, with some really great illustrations against a somewhat bare-feeling layout, and everything is easy to read.

It's also really direct. Reading Eros doesn't feel like grappling with a college textbook. If it intends something, it outright says it, and this is a huge breath of fresh air as a reader.

Eros does use mature language and mention mature concepts, though, and it does so pretty routinely. It seems aimed at an older audience, and while the engine is theoretically runnable for groups of any age, a fair bit of the example text is pretty earthy and the tone is sometimes dark and/or irreverent. Mostly this doesn't spill over into the rules text, but there's at least one exception.

Mechanically, this is one of those games that gives you a lot of pools of points, and then you use them to buy your attributes, skills, special features, starting gear, etc. Everything's got a good, noticeable crunch on it, and there are some formulas for derived attributes, but you have plenty of freedom to build in any direction you like.

If you're used to games that only care about gameplay insofar as it serves the narrative, Eros' engine is probably going to feel complicated---but if you've played BESM, Traveler, D&D 3.5, GURPS or the like, this is more streamlined.

The core resolution mechanic is 2d6 + modifiers, roll over the target number, but it has a nice flourish in that the GM is encouraged not to roll for enemies and simply assume they got an average result. This speeds things up considerably, and leaves the RNG mostly on the players' end.

Combat is tactical, and should feel very familiar to anyone who's played any d20. Eros expects a lot of PCs to be using firearms, though, with melee as a backup or an intentional thing you built your character for. Also notably, there's vehicle-scale combat and mega-damage (a la Rifts.) This means you can change the scale of your encounters without needing to switch systems, but also that the party can run into things they simply do not have the dps to kill, and they'll have to either run away or get creative.

Overall, if you like crunchy, old-style adventure games where you might have to do a little bit of math, but moving the numbers around feels good, it's worth taking a look at Eros.