Beyond the Wall vs Dragonbane
Compare Beyond the Wall and Dragonbane side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Beyond the Wall | Dragonbane | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Beginner-Friendly, Low-Prep, Collaborative, Character-Driven, Classic Fantasy, Low-Fantasy, One-Shot Friendly, Ascending AC, Worldbuilding | Beginner-Friendly, Tactical, Classic Fantasy, Solo-Friendly, Fast-Paced, Mana Points |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifiers against ascending Armor Class for attacks, and d20 under ability score for skill checks (with situational penalties). Three classes (Warrior, Rogue, Mage) with five saving throw categories. Character Playbooks generate abilities, backstory, and village details through a series of table rolls, building shared history and relationships before play begins. Scenario Packs give the GM a complete adventure framework with no advance preparation. | Roll d20 equal to or under your skill value to succeed. Boons roll 2d20 and keep the lowest; banes keep the highest. Six attributes (STR, CON, AGL, INT, WIL, CHA). Willpower Points fuel heroic abilities, class features, and spells across four magic schools. Combat uses initiative cards drawn each round for unpredictable turn order. Based on Drakar och Demoner (1982). |
| Dice | d20 | d20, d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | OGL 1.0a | Free League Third-Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Flatland Games | Free League Publishing |
| Year | 2014 | 2023 |
| Languages | English, German, French, Spanish | Swedish, English, German, Polish, French, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want to sit down with no prep and collaboratively create a village, a cast of NPCs, and an adventure in a single evening: especially those drawn to literary fantasy in the tradition of LeGuin, Cooper, and Lloyd Alexander. | Groups who want approachable, fast-paced fantasy with a mix of adventure and humor: great for new players and veterans of classic European RPGs alike. |
| Highlights | Playbooks collaboratively build characters, backstory, and the village map in a single session. Scenario Packs provide complete adventures with zero GM prep. Fortune Points provide rerolls and cheat-death mechanics. True Name magic system adds a unique magical layer. Further Afield supplement adds sandbox campaign tools with threat packs. | Approachable roll-under system, initiative cards keep combat dynamic, Willpower Points unify magic and abilities cleanly, solo play rules included, boxed set includes maps and cards |
| Considerations | Three classes only, with limited mechanical differentiation at higher levels. Playbook-driven creation is tightly structured, leaving less room for fully custom character concepts. Designed for low-level play (levels 1–10) with a flatter power curve than most OSR games. | d20 roll-under can feel swingy at low skill values, fewer character options than comparable fantasy RPGs, initiative card system adds components to track |