Tabletop RPG · since 2018 · #52 most discussed

Knave

Play fast, light fantasy dungeon delving with six ability scores, slot-based inventory, and no classes or character-building choices to agonize over.

Old-school (OSR)Fantasyd20classlessdungeon crawlrandom generationXP for treasurehigh lethalityAny lengthNeeds a GM

6.2

Geek rating

From 11 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.3.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion6.2 / 10

149 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Fits on a page. Hype 4.8 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate Knave from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

Didn't work for usOne of our best

What players say

At the table

Knave is a classless, raceless old-school game. Tables that report on it run one-shots and short campaigns, and most enjoy the creative, lethal play. Reports are mixed on new players and on fighters.

What works

Random career and item tables produce funny, ordinary-person characters, and race as pure flavor lets players try odd concepts like a puppeteering mermaid. (thread)
Ten-minute dungeon turns make retries costly and keep the whole table involved. (thread)
It is easy to extend with homebrew tables and high-HP enemies. (thread)
Classless play pushes players toward creative solutions instead of waiting on a class ability. (thread)
Swingy, lethal combat and absurd encounters, like animated dusters, produced memorable moments, and players accepted deaths as part of the style. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Brand-new players were overwhelmed because anything is possible and they didn't know where to start. (thread)
Some rules feel unfinished: relic magic needed house-rule fixes, and broken weapons are too brutal. (thread)
Players who want D&D don't find it here. (thread)
One fighter's player felt nerfed by slot-based carrying limits and thought every character was "the same". Another commenter said the system works well for fighters. (thread)
The many tables are hard to convey without printed rules. One GM called the game hard and harsh. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups that enjoy lethal, improvisational old-school play and accept character death.
GMs who like quick prep and adding their own tables.
Tables with some roleplaying experience, more than those who are new to RPGs.

In players' words

"I started as a new GM & players with knave, and it was actually overwhelming to my new players since PC powers are driven by player creativity." (thread)
"It was a resounding success, the players had fun the entire time and afterwards several of them thanked for such an amazing session." (thread)
"Over the next turns the dusters proceded to aggressively clean him until he died, which was honestly hilarious." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

6.0

Should I run 5E, Knave, or Shadowdark for a one-shot with brand-new players? (Details inside.)

The thread is mostly about choosing between 5E, Knave 2E and Shadowdark, so only a few commenters describe actually playing Knave. Those who did like the classless, creativity-driven play but report that it overwhelmed brand-new players and that some rules feel unfinished. 4 firsthand · 42 comments

Open on Reddit

8.5

I ran Knave 2e for the first time. It was a success.

Firsthand reports are very positive. The OP's first one-shot (a homemade dungeon) was a hit, and two other commenters describe long-running Knave campaigns that their players enjoyed. The only real friction was logistical: the OP forgot to print the rules, and one commenter called the game hard and harsh. 4 firsthand · 15 comments

Open on Reddit

5.5

Our group has just converted from LotFP to Knave 2e. Please share your sage advice and fav homebrew!

The thread is mostly advice for a group that just switched from LotFP to Knave 2e. The only play reports are the OP's, where the group likes it but one player (a fighter) feels nerfed and 'the same' as everyone else, and one commenter who says Knave 2e works well for fighters. Most replies are suggestions or about other games (DCC, Block Dodge Parry, BFRPG, LotFP), and those were ignored. 2 firsthand · 9 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

I ran a Knave 2e One-Shot and one of my players got killed by a duster.

The GM ran a Knave 2e one-shot where animated cleaning tools (dusters, mops, a vacuum) and a mimic killed two PCs, and the table found it hilarious. The deaths were taken as proof of OSR lethality, and the other players survived, some badly hurt. The thread is thin: one real play report plus the GM's follow-up replies, and one off-topic Curse of Strahd anecdote that I ignored. 1 firsthand · 5 comments

Open on Reddit