Burning Wheel vs Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Compare Burning Wheel and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Burning Wheel | Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Crunchy, Roleplay-Heavy, Character Building, Drama, Low-Fantasy | 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 (ability exponent = number of dice). 4+ counts as a success. Meet or exceed the obstacle number. Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits earn artha rewards. | 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 | High | Medium |
| Accessibility | Low | Medium |
| Community | Low | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | BWHQ | Cubicle 7 |
| Year | 2011 | 2018 |
| Best For | Groups who want character beliefs and drama to mechanically drive play, with deep subsystems that reward mastery. | 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 | Beliefs mechanically drive play, skills advance through use, Duel of Wits and Fight subsystems offer detailed resolution | Detailed grimdark setting, career system creates varied character arcs, combat carries real consequences |
| Considerations | Steep learning curve, meant to be played as written (not hackable), print availability limited | Tightly bound to the Old World setting, Success Level math can slow play, expensive supplement line |