Cypher System vs Savage Worlds
Compare Cypher System and Savage Worlds side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cypher System | Savage Worlds | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Toolkit, Modular, Character Building, Player-Only Rolls, Theater of the Mind, Low-Prep, Strong GM Support, Narrative | Cinematic, Fast-Paced, Tactical, Pulp Action, Heroic, Miniatures |
| Core Mechanic | The GM rates each task from 1 to 10 and multiplies that difficulty by 3 to set the target number. Players roll a d20 and succeed on a result equal to or above the target. Skills, assets, and Effort ease the task before the roll, with Effort paid from the relevant stat Pool after Edge reduces the cost. | Roll trait die + wild die (d6), keep the highest. Target number 4. Raises every +4. |
| Dice | d20 | d4–d12 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Cypher Open License 2026-07-15 | Savage Worlds Adventurer's Guild |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Cypher Open License | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | Monte Cook Games | Pinnacle Entertainment |
| Year | 2026 | 2018 |
| Languages | English | English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Hebrew |
| Best For | Groups building genre-spanning campaigns who want broad character customization, player-facing resource decisions, and little mechanical preparation for the GM. | Fast-paced pulp action across any genre. Great for large groups and mass combat. |
| Highlights | Player-only rolls keep the GM focused on adjudication and scene management. Descriptor, type, and focus choices support broad customization across multiple genres. One-use cyphers continually rotate situational abilities through play. | Fast resolution, genre-flexible, handles large groups well |
| Considerations | Players manage Pool spending for abilities and Effort, so pushing a roll competes with other resource uses. Abstract distances and level-based NPCs leave many tactical details to table rulings rather than map procedures. The broad toolkit asks the GM to select genre modules and character options before play. | Exploding dice can produce extreme variance in outcomes, setting books vary in depth: some provide minimal mechanical content beyond a genre frame |