Cortex Prime vs Fate Core
Compare Cortex Prime and Fate Core side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cortex Prime | Fate Core | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based | Narrative, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Collaborative, Tag-Based, Toolkit, Worldbuilding, Rules-Light, Social Combat, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Assemble a dice pool from trait sets (attributes, skills, relationships, etc.) rated d4–d12. Roll the pool, keep the two highest for your total vs. opposition, then choose an Effect Die from the remainder to determine magnitude. Plot Points let players add dice, activate abilities, or alter the narrative. Every mechanical element is a swappable mod. | Roll four Fate dice and add a skill rating to compare with the opposition. Spend Fate points to invoke a relevant aspect for +2 or a reroll. Accept an aspect-based complication to gain a Fate point. |
| Dice | d4–d12 dice pool | 4dF |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Cortex Creator License | CC BY 3.0 (SRD) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Dire Wolf Digital | Evil Hat Productions |
| Year | 2020 | 2013 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian |
| Best For | GMs who want to build a custom system from modular parts: homebrew designers, genre-mixers, and groups tired of forcing their stories into a pre-built framework. | Groups who want to build their own setting and follow capable heroes through personal complications and dramatic conflicts. |
| Highlights | Highly modular: 18+ mods for core rules alone, clear writing with worked examples, Plot Point economy creates dynamic give-and-take, powered well-known licensed games (Marvel Heroic, Firefly, Leverage) | Compels turn character weaknesses into story complications that earn Fate points. Creating advantages gives allies free aspect invocations to combine for decisive actions. Conceding a conflict preserves some control over defeat and earns Fate points for later scenes. |
| Considerations | The game is not playable out of the box and requires significant GM assembly. There is a steep learning curve to understand which mods fit your game. Every roll involves choosing which dice to keep plus an Effect Die, which slows resolution. | Aspect use depends on agreement about which fictional details apply. Full character and setting creation can take an entire session. Magic and other extras require group decisions about permissions and costs. |