Basic Fantasy RPG vs Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert

Compare Basic Fantasy RPG and Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Basic Fantasy RPG	Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert
Genre	Fantasy	Fantasy
Tags	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Rules-Light, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting, Deadly, Exploration, Resource Management, Random Tables, CC-Licensed Rules	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Hexcrawl, Resource Management, Deadly, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Domain Management, Sandbox, Random Tables
Core Mechanic	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.	Roll 1d20 with the relevant modifiers and meet or exceed the target shown on the attack or saving-throw table. Attack targets account for the opponent's descending Armor Class.
Dice	d20	d20
Complexity	Low	High
Availability	Free core rules	Paid
Runnability	5 of 5 book tools	5 of 5 book tools
License	Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International	All Rights Reserved
Third-Party Publishing	Commercial publishing allowed — Creative Commons license	No verified route found
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	The Basic Fantasy Project	TSR Hobbies, Inc.
Year	2023	1981
Languages	English, Portuguese	English, French
Best For	Groups who want straightforward fantasy dungeon expeditions with lethal combat and careful management of supplies.	Groups who want dangerous fantasy expeditions built around exploration and managing supplies. Campaigns can grow from dungeon treasure hunts into wilderness travel and ruling a territory.
Highlights	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.	Ten-minute dungeon turns make searching and resting consume supplies under wandering-monster pressure. Reaction and morale rolls give encounters outcomes beyond fighting to the death. Stronghold construction and settler taxes turn adventuring wealth into territorial responsibilities.
Considerations	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.	Playing through level 14 requires both the Basic and Expert rulebooks. Class-based advancement offers little customization beyond equipment and spell selection. Characters die at zero hit points, and some failed saves kill them immediately.