Arrhenius vs Lancer
Compare Arrhenius and Lancer side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Arrhenius | Lancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi, Post-Apocalyptic | Scifi |
| Play Style | Tactical, Survival, Resource Management, Inventory Management, Character Building, Classless, Crunchy, GM-Friendly | Tactical, Mecha, Character Building, Heroic, Crunchy |
| Core Mechanic | For skill checks, roll a d20 and add the two relevant Talents plus the applicable Education score. A total of 21 or higher succeeds. Before a non-damage d20 roll, Luck Points can add +1 each to its bonus. | Narrative scenes use d20 roll-over (10+ succeeds), with backgrounds granting advantage and triggers adding flat bonuses. Mech combat is grid-based and tactical: no initiative, players and NPCs alternate turns. Pilots progress through License Levels (LL0–LL12), unlocking new chassis, weapons, and systems across five manufacturers with 30+ mech frames. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 + d6 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Lancer Third Party License |
| Cost | $ | Free (PDF) / $$ |
| Publisher | Dungeonteller, LLC | Massif Press |
| Year | 2025 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who want a survival-focused science-fiction campaign where characters cross frozen ruins, manage limited equipment, and resolve fights on a tactical grid. | Groups who want deep tactical mech combat with meaningful customization layered on top of accessible narrative play: giant robot enthusiasts seeking a modern alternative to BattleTech. |
| Highlights | Frost Points turn prolonged exposure to subzero conditions into resilience checks, so shelter and protective gear shape expeditions. The optional Tuning Session assigns Talent scores through a short character-memory scenario, tying early choices to the resulting build. Combat uses a 2-meter grid with optional Perks that award attack bonuses for flanking or high ground. | Free core PDF, extensive mech customization with 30+ frames, clean split between rules-light narrative and crunchy tactical combat, alternating activations remove initiative so both sides stay engaged |
| Considerations | Exposure to subzero temperatures triggers a Resilience check every 20 minutes of real table time and failure costs one Frost Point. Broad equipment archetypes rely on the Dungeonteller to define the specific items characters encounter. Combat resolves each attack through opposed rolls before damage is rolled. | Mech combat dominates: narrative half feels thin by comparison, steep learning curve from sheer volume of mech options, genre-locked to sci-fi mech fiction, requires grid/VTT for combat |