Beam Saber vs Blades in the Dark
Compare Beam Saber and Blades in the Dark side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Beam Saber | Blades in the Dark | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Fantasy |
| Tags | Mecha, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Narrative, Faction Play, Mission-Based, Character-Driven, Collaborative | Heist, Mission-Based, Faction Play, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Dark Fantasy, Collaborative, Character-Driven, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Low-Prep |
| Core Mechanic | Forged in the Dark: roll a d6 dice pool based on action rating and take the highest: 6 is a full success, 4–5 is a partial success, 1–3 is a bad outcome. Position (controlled/risky/desperate) sets consequences. Pilots and vehicles have separate action sets and stress tracks. Vehicles have Quirks: narrative traits that grant bonus dice when invoked. Progress clocks track complex obstacles. Missions follow a structured cycle of planning, engagement roll, action, and downtime. | Roll d6s equal to an action rating and keep the highest result. A 1–3 produces a bad outcome, 4–5 succeeds with consequences, and 6 succeeds fully. Multiple 6s produce a critical success. Before an action roll, the GM sets its position and effect to establish the danger and intended impact. Players can add a die by pushing with stress or accepting a Devil's Bargain. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Forged in the Dark | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (SRD only) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Austin Ramsay Games | Evil Hat Productions |
| Year | 2022 | 2017 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian |
| Best For | Groups who want a mecha war drama where the pilot relationships, beliefs, and moral compromises matter as much as the vehicle combat: think Gundam meets Band of Brothers. | Groups who want a continuing criminal-crew campaign with improvised heists and consequences that change their standing among rival factions. |
| Highlights | Dual pilot/vehicle layer gives each character two distinct mechanical identities. Vehicle Quirks reward narrative creativity with mechanical bonuses. Faction system with supply points, trust, and entanglements models the politics of war. 10 pilot playbooks and 8 squad playbooks provide extensive starting variety. Includes a full default setting with factions, regions, and 24 vehicle models. | Flashbacks establish earlier preparation during a heist, allowing the group to enter the action without planning every contingency. Resistance lets players reduce or avoid consequences at a potential stress cost. Crew advancement changes the group's influence and resources alongside its relationships with rival factions. |
| Considerations | 438-page rulebook is dense for a FitD game and takes time to absorb. Vehicle and pilot systems are deeply intertwined, requiring players to track two character sheets. Setting-agnostic in theory but the default setting material is substantial and may overshadow custom worlds. | Action outcomes depend on table judgments about fictional risk and effect rather than fixed difficulty numbers. Recovering harm and clearing stress compete with personal projects for limited downtime activities. Filling the trauma track normally forces a scoundrel into retirement or prison. |