Blades in the Dark vs Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Compare Blades in the Dark and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Blades in the Dark | Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Narrative, Fiction-First, Heist, Playbook-Driven, Collaborative, Low-Prep, Improvisation, Drama, Dark Fantasy, Faction Play, Mission-Based, Character-Driven, Roleplay-Heavy, Cinematic, Open Source | Gritty, Deadly, Career-Based, Dark Fantasy, Roleplay-Heavy, Atmospheric, Low-Fantasy, Investigation, Corruption, Lore-Heavy, Licensed Setting, Random Character Creation, Roll to Cast, Grimdark |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a pool of d6s equal to your action rating; keep the highest. 1–3 is a bad outcome, 4–5 is a partial success with consequences, 6 is a full success, and multiple 6s are a critical with additional advantage. Before rolling, the GM sets position (controlled, risky, or desperate) and effect level, which determine the severity of consequences and the impact of success. Players can spend stress to resist consequences or trigger flashbacks to retroactively establish preparation. | Roll d100 under skill or characteristic. Success Levels measure degree of success by comparing the tens digits of the target and the roll. Advantage accumulates during combat, adding +10 per point to attack tests. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d100 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Community | High | Medium |
| License | CC BY 3.0 | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Evil Hat Productions | Cubicle 7 |
| Year | 2017 | 2018 |
| Best For | Groups who want structured criminal heists with shared narrative authority, where the crew's reputation and entanglements matter as much as individual characters. | Groups who want dark, gritty fantasy where ordinary people face extraordinary dangers in a richly detailed setting. The career system creates unique character arcs from rat catcher to witch hunter. |
| Highlights | Flashback system lets players establish preparations retroactively instead of planning before a score. Position and effect framework gives the GM a structured way to set stakes on every roll. Detailed faction game tracks rival gangs, noble families, and institutions with their own agendas and territory. | Detailed grimdark setting, career system creates varied character arcs, combat carries real consequences |
| Considerations | Stress is the currency for flashbacks, resistance rolls, and special abilities, so characters who use these tools heavily accumulate trauma faster. The faction tracking layer between sessions requires more GM bookkeeping than the score phase itself. Downtime phase has several interlocking subsystems (payoff, heat, entanglements, vice, projects) that take time to internalize. | Tightly bound to the Old World setting, Success Level math can slow play, expensive supplement line |