Blue Rose vs Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Compare Blue Rose and Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Blue Rose | Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Character-Driven, Corruption, Tactical, Crunchy, Social Intrigue, Strong GM Support, High-Fantasy, Lore-Heavy, Heroic, Roleplay-Heavy | Crunchy, Tactical, Character Building, Exploration, High-Fantasy, CC-Licensed Rules |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 and add the relevant ability, skill, or arcanum modifier against a Difficulty set by the Narrator. Attacks use the same procedure against Defense. Successful damage forces a Toughness save that moves the target along an injury track instead of reducing hit points. | d20 + modifier vs. DC/AC with advantage/disadvantage. Adds expertise dice, combat maneuvers with exertion pool, and structured exploration/social systems. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Paid | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | Open Game License Version 1.0a | CC BY 4.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open Game License v1.0a | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Green Ronin Publishing, LLC | EN Publishing |
| Year | 2005 | 2021 |
| Languages | English, Italian | English |
| Best For | Groups who want hopeful romantic fantasy campaigns where personal motivations, political intrigue, and heroic service matter alongside tactical conflict. | 5e players who want deeper character builds, meaningful exploration and social pillar mechanics, and combat maneuvers without changing the core d20 framework. |
| Highlights | Acting on a Calling and either nature restores Conviction, turning personal motives into a renewable resource. Reputation and Influence give past deeds and changing attitudes mechanical weight in social scenes. Sorcery risks Corruption that erodes abilities and can culminate in madness or unlife, making forbidden magic a sustained consequence rather than a binary choice. | Backwards-compatible with 5e adventures, much deeper exploration and social pillars, combat maneuvers for martial classes, rich origin system (heritage + culture + background + destiny) |
| Considerations | Character creation combines a background and role with several layers of customization, requiring choices across multiple chapters. Combat tracks actions, modifiers, saving throws, and damage conditions instead of a single hit-point total. Sorcery's Corruption rules attach moral consequences to forbidden magic, so groups must engage with the setting's Light and Shadow framework. | More complex than base 5e, some players find the extra systems overwhelming, Requires the separate Trials & Treasures book for GM tools and magic items while monsters are in the Monstrous Menagerie book. |