Canes Belli vs Mothership
Compare Canes Belli and Mothership side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Canes Belli | Mothership | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi, Horror |
| Tags | CC-Licensed Rules, Cinematic, Combat-Heavy, Fast-Paced, Mission-Based, Resource Management, Rules-Light, Strong GM Support, Tactical, Theater of the Mind | Rules-Light, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Survival, Atmospheric, Low-Prep, Cinematic, Fast-Paced |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a d6 pool equal to one attribute plus one skill. Each 5 or 6 is a success, and the GM sets difficulty by the successes required. In combat, matching Armor Value scores a hit, and each excess success adds to the weapon's base damage. | Roll d100 under stat/skill. Stress and panic mechanics escalate tension. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d100 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Runnability | Low | Medium |
| License | CC BY-SA 4.0 | 3rd Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — CC BY-SA 4.0 | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | $ |
| Publisher | Sebastian Hahn | Tuesday Knight Games |
| Year | 2025 | 2022 |
| Best For | Groups who want focused military-science-fiction missions where cinematic one-liners and mission generators extend play beyond the included starter scenario. | Terrifying sci-fi horror one-shots and short campaigns. Panic table creates unforgettable moments. |
| Highlights | Archetype abilities spend the same Energy that absorbs damage, so every use reduces the reserve against later attacks. One-liners grant once-per-session effects such as full-party healing or extra actions, reinforcing the game's action-movie tone. Mission and sidequest generators pair goals with complications to frame assignments beyond the included starter scenario. | Rules-light, well-regarded module library, panic system creates mechanical tension |
| Considerations | All four archetypes are fixed military roles with preset abilities and equipment, so character concepts stay within the elite-soldier premise. Each combat round permits either an action or movement, so crossing from Long range to Close range takes two rounds. Advancement grants one attribute point and three skill points at GM-chosen intervals, keeping progression to numerical increases. | Panic table can cascade and end sessions abruptly, limited long-campaign support in core rules, stress mechanics can feel repetitive over extended play |