Conan: The Hyborian Age vs Rifts
Compare Conan: The Hyborian Age and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Conan: The Hyborian Age | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Classless, Combat-Heavy, Cinematic, Licensed IP, Low-Prep, Resource Management, Skill-Based, Strong GM Support, Sword & Sorcery, Tactical | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Roll the relevant Stat die (d6 initially for heroes) and add its Stat value and modifiers. A total that meets or exceeds the difficulty succeeds. A Stat die result of 1 fails unless Stamina or a Flex result rescues it. Player characters also roll a separate Flex die on most rolls. Its maximum result grants a choice of boons such as rescuing a failed roll. | Combat and saving throws use a d20 plus bonuses, with high results overcoming a target number or opposing roll. Skills use d100 and succeed when the result is at or below the character's percentage. |
| Dice | d4–d12 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | No verified route found | Noncommercial only — Palladium Books Internet Policy limited license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Monolith Board Games SARL | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2025 | 2005 |
| Languages | English, French | English |
| Best For | Groups who want heroic Conan adventures built around tactical battles and treasure hunting in ancient ruins. | Groups who want long-form science-fantasy campaigns that move from a ruined Earth to other dimensions. The game suits tables whose GM will decide which parts of the broad setting a campaign uses. |
| Highlights | A maximum Flex result gives players a choice of immediate benefits. Stamina lets heroes boost a roll after seeing its result. Minions die after a decisive blow or two damaging hits, reducing enemy bookkeeping. | Occupational and racial class packages assign distinct abilities and advancement tracks, giving each archetype a different role in the party. Mega-Damage places many supernatural creatures and war machines on a separate durability scale beyond the reach of ordinary Structural Damage Capacity attacks. Rifts and ley lines make dimensional travel a standing feature of the setting, letting campaigns move between devastated Earth and other worlds. |
| Considerations | Sorcery disciplines are restricted by character Origin. Casting spells can consume the same Life Points that keep a character alive. Wealth is abstract rather than governed by equipment prices. | Character creation combines rolled attributes with extensive skill selection, making first-time preparation lengthy. Combat asks each player to track an action economy, active defenses, and which damage scale applies. Magic and psionics use separate point pools and power procedures, adding class-specific rules to the shared system. |