Barbarians of Lemuria vs Index Card RPG
Compare Barbarians of Lemuria and Index Card RPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Barbarians of Lemuria | Index Card RPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Universal |
| Tags | Rules-Light, Pulp Action, Sword & Sorcery, Beginner-Friendly, Fast-Paced | Fast-Paced, Dungeon Crawl, Low-Prep, Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Combat-Heavy, Pulp Action, Ascending AC, Tag-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + attribute + career (or combat ability), 9+ to succeed. Four attributes (Strength, Agility, Mind, Appeal) and four combat abilities (Initiative, Melee, Ranged, Defence) rated 0–5. Careers replace individual skills: if your career is relevant, add its rating. Boons roll 3d6 keep best two; flaws roll 3d6 keep worst two. Hero Points fuel dramatic escapes and heroic feats. | Roll d20 + stat vs. a single Target Number for the whole scene. On a hit, roll an Effort die (d4–d12 by type) to chip away at a task's Hearts (10 HP each). Timer dice count down each round to create urgency. |
| Dice | 2d6 | d20 + d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 3 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | 3rd Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Beyond Belief Games | Runehammer Games |
| Year | 2015 | 2019 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want fast, pulpy sword and sorcery in the vein of Conan: career-based characters, boons and flaws, and combat that resolves in minutes. | Groups who love D&D's d20 feel but want something faster, lighter, and more improvisational. Excellent for high-energy dungeon crawls with minimal prep. |
| Highlights | Career system is intuitive and fast, combat resolves in minutes, Hero Points enable pulp heroics, simple to learn and teach, spawned the Everywhen universal toolkit | Very fast play, extensive GM tools, five genre settings included, highly hackable, timer dice create real tension |
| Considerations | Tightly coupled to its Lemuria setting, limited character advancement, combat lacks tactical depth | DIY philosophy can overwhelm new GMs, loot-as-progression feels punishing if gear is lost |