Burning Wheel vs The Witcher TRPG
Compare Burning Wheel and The Witcher TRPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Burning Wheel | The Witcher TRPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Crunchy, Roleplay-Heavy, Character Building, Drama, Low-Fantasy, Social Combat | Crunchy, Combat-Heavy, Tactical, Character Building, Skill-Based, Social Combat, Dark Fantasy, Gritty, Deadly, Licensed IP |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a pool of d6s (ability exponent = number of dice). 4+ counts as a success. Meet or exceed the obstacle number. Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits earn artha rewards. | Roll a d10 and add the relevant statistic and skill. You succeed by exceeding the difficulty or the opposing roll. Natural 10s add another roll, while natural 1s subtract another roll from the statistic and skill total. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d10 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Proprietary | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Noncommercial only — Publisher homebrew policy |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | BWHQ | R. Talsorian Games |
| Year | 2011 | 2018 |
| Languages | English | English, Polish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian |
| Best For | Groups who want character beliefs and drama to mechanically drive play, with deep subsystems that reward mastery. | Groups who want dangerous Witcher adventures with detailed character options. |
| Highlights | Beliefs mechanically drive play. Skills advance through use. The Duel of Wits and Fight subsystems offer detailed resolution. | Nine professions develop through branching skill trees. Monster knowledge helps characters prepare equipment against specific vulnerabilities. An optional verbal combat system gives social conflicts their own resolve track. |
| Considerations | Steep learning curve, meant to be played as written (not hackable), print availability limited | Combat combines several calculations and reference tables. Critical wounds can leave lasting penalties even after treatment. Graphic violence and social prejudice are central to the setting. |