RPGs that time forgot... Arcanum

Arcanum (2nd Edition)
Tag Line: Fantasy Role-Playing Supplement (which is odd because it's the game's rules system)
Makers: Bard Games, 1985.

What is it?
Just what the tag line says, really. Though largely disconnected from a background setting (to be found in The Lexicon and The Beastiary), it's still meant to be used in the world before the sinking of Atlantis (and Mu, and Lemuria, and Ys, etc.). The system itself could be described as a streamlined, but skill-based, AD&D with many more chargen options. It may also interest you to know it's the ancestor of Talislanta.

Neat Stuff
-Playable races are a bit more diverse than AD&D's, and include the winged Zephir and animalistic Andamen. There are gigantish Aesir for Viking lovers as well.
-32 classes (sorry, professions) easily trumps AD&D's measly handful, though to be fair, many are just combinations of other professions, or things AD&D 2nd ed. later worked in as "kits". Still, back in '85, my group and I loved the variety, including Alchemist, Beastmaster, Martial Artist and Witch Hunter. and the pool of magic-users is widened by...
-9 kinds of magic meant not only "schools", but different ways of casting and looking at the magical universe. There's both High and Low Magic, Black Magic, Astrology, Mysticism and more. Not to mention Alchemy (but see below).
-The system is a bit simpler than AD&D, with a well-developed skill system that covers special combat moves, and yet entirely recognizable as a D&D derivative (alignments, saving throws, similar attributes, etc.) though armor works by deducting damage rather than affecting "to hit".

Bad Stuff
-The last 50 pages or so are more a grab-bag than anything substantial, as if they ran out of space and started throwing stuff in there. Unfortunately, that means Alchemy isn't as fleshed-out as I would have liked, thrown in with lackluster magic items, optional rules charts, inventory sheets and lists of things that make no sens without the Beastiary (which I never owned).
-There are a number of pages given over to astrological/alchemical symbols and runes, but these aren't necessary for the game, or even integrated into the rules. It felt like a flashback to Fantasy Wargaming.
-I'm not gonna say anything about the very simply layout, because you know what? It's very readable even if I can do better with my home computer today. But I do find fault with The Lexicon (the world book) being totally different. They don't look like they're for the same game, and the Lexicon is so devoid of references to the system, that it still feels like you need to adapt it.

Quote
"In fact, they are quite fond of Dwarves, whom the Aesir call their 'little brothers'."

How I've used it
Found this book during one of my Texan summers, and my dad wanted to immediately find out what this role-playing business was and made me run a small game for the whole family. I don't remember anything about it except that my 6-year-old sister insisted on playing a Zephir with 18 Intelligence. When I got home, Arcanum became the system of choice for all our D&Ding, seeing as I didn't have all the AD&D books (mostly just the Monster Manuals) and we were mostly running homebrews. The new professions worked out well for us since we'd been adopting optional classes out of Dragon magazines anyway, and I know at least one player enjoyed the hell out of the Zen Archery skill. Just invented the world as we went along though. My Arcanum is dog-eared, but my Lexicon is pristine.

In conclusion
Bettered many times over by an evolving medium, the Arcanum is still, to my eyes today, quite playable. I'm almost sorry I didn't do more with it in my adult years (I can now see how to integrate a lot of the flotsam, for example). If you can find a copy, I'd still call it a fine introduction to D&D-style (i.e. old school) role-playing, certainly easier to figure out than today's DnD for the beginner, and with more character options up front. AD&D beat it on that front with 2nd edition kits, but let's just say those required a major investment.