Basic Roleplaying vs Storypath Ultra
Compare Basic Roleplaying and Storypath Ultra side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Basic Roleplaying | Storypath Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Skill-Based, Modular, Simulation, Gritty, Roleplay-Heavy, Investigation, Low-Fantasy, Classless | Toolkit, Modular, Hackable, Investigation, Social Intrigue, Narrative, Classless |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 under your skill percentage to succeed. Critical success on 1/20th of skill value, fumble on 99–100. Opposed rolls compare results. Optional rules layer on complexity as desired. | Roll a pool of d10s equal to Skill + Attribute. Each die showing 8+ is a hit; 10s count as two hits. Add Enhancement (bonus hits from gear, abilities, or circumstances). Spend hits to meet the difficulty, buy off Complications (side effects attached to the roll), or purchase Tricks (extra effects like knockdown or critical hits). Failed rolls generate Momentum, a shared pool players spend for bonus hits, to turn failures into successes, or to introduce story facts. |
| Dice | d100 | d10 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Free core rules | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | ORC | Proprietary (third-party license pending) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Chaosium Inc. | Onyx Path Publishing |
| Year | 2023 | 2026 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | GMs who want a modular, genre-agnostic percentile system they can tailor to any setting with optional rules for powers, combat, and more. | Groups who want a genre-agnostic d10 dice pool engine with dedicated subsystems for action, investigation, and social intrigue: especially those building their own setting or adapting existing Storypath games. |
| Highlights | Highly modular: add or remove subsystems at will, intuitive percentile mechanic, unified system across any genre, skill-based progression through use, long design heritage | Three distinct play modes (action-adventure, investigation, and influence) each with dedicated mechanics. Complications and Tricks give every successful roll narrative texture beyond pass/fail. Momentum turns failed rolls into a shared resource that keeps the story moving. Modular building-block systems (powers, heists, vehicles, crafting, large-scale combat) plug into any game. |
| Considerations | Can feel generic without a specific setting, requires GM effort to select which optional rules to use, combat can be deadly and swingy | No included setting beyond three short examples: groups must build or adapt their own world. No free quickstart or SRD available. Multiple interacting subsystems (Enhancement, Advantage, bonds, Complications) take several sessions to internalize. |