Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition vs Basic Fantasy RPG

Compare Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition and Basic Fantasy RPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition	Basic Fantasy RPG
Genre	Fantasy	Fantasy
Tags	Character Building, Classic Fantasy, Crunchy, Descending AC, Dungeon Crawl, Random Tables, Tactical, Vancian Casting	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Rules-Light, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting, Deadly, Exploration, Resource Management, Random Tables, CC-Licensed Rules
Core Mechanic	Roll 1d20 to attack and meet or exceed THAC0 minus the target’s descending Armor Class. Ability and proficiency checks roll a d20 against an appropriate score. Spellcasters choose spells to memorize before casting.	Roll d20 plus attack and ability modifiers to meet or beat ascending Armor Class. Saving throws use d20 against targets determined by class and level.
Dice	d20	d20
Complexity	High	Low
Availability	Paid	Free core rules
Runnability	4 of 5 book tools	5 of 5 book tools
License	All Rights Reserved	Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Third-Party Publishing	Not yet researched	Commercial publishing allowed — Creative Commons license
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	TSR, Inc.	The Basic Fantasy Project
Year	1995	2023
Languages	English	English, Portuguese
Best For	Groups who want referee-led fantasy campaigns with class-and-level characters, prepared spells, optional proficiencies, and detailed combat procedures.	Groups who want straightforward fantasy dungeon expeditions with lethal combat and careful management of supplies.
Highlights	THAC0 expresses attack chances as a single target-number calculation against descending Armor Class. Parallel PHB and DMG organization and a DMG index covering both books make rules topics easier to locate. Optional proficiencies add chosen weapon and nonweapon capabilities to class-based characters.	Separate race and class choices allow elves to combine spellcasting with fighting or thieving. Encounter reactions and morale let negotiation or retreat resolve threats without fighting to the death. Dungeon stocking and wilderness encounter tables help the GM prepare expeditions.
Considerations	Core rules remain split between the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master Guide, including DM-only procedures. Descending Armor Class, initiative modifiers, and special combat procedures require reference beyond a basic d20 roll. Optional proficiency rules increase character choices and exception handling.	Characters normally die at zero hit points unless the GM adopts an optional survival rule. Racial ability requirements and class restrictions limit character combinations. Casting can be interrupted by an attack on the same initiative count even if it misses.