D6 System vs GURPS
Compare D6 System and GURPS side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| D6 System | GURPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Toolkit, Modular, Cinematic, Hackable, Skill-Based, Character Building | Crunchy, Simulation, Sandbox, Character Building, Tactical, Realistic, Grid-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Rate attributes and skills in numbers of six-sided dice, then roll that pool and total it against a difficulty number set by the GM. One die is the Wild Die: a 6 explodes and is rolled again, while a 1 can introduce a complication. Pips give +1 or +2 between full dice, and Character Points can be spent to add dice to a roll. | Roll 3d6 under target number. Advantage/disadvantage system via character traits. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | 3d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | Low | High |
| Runnability | High | High |
| License | Proprietary (licensed from West End Games) | SJ Games Online Policy |
| Cost | $$ | Free (Lite) / $$$ |
| Publisher | Gallant Knight Games | Steve Jackson Games |
| Year | 2024 | 2004 |
| Best For | Groups who want one adaptable engine they can take across genres — cinematic action, fantasy, cyberpunk — with modular crunch they can dial up or down. | Groups who want a single system for every genre with granular simulation and deep customization. |
| Highlights | Attributes and skills are rated in numbers of d6 that you pool, sum, and compare to a difficulty number, so improving a trait literally adds dice. One die in every pool is the Wild Die, which explodes on a 6 to push results higher and can trigger a complication on a 1. Genre Modules for fantasy, cyberpunk, superpowers, and more bolt onto the same core, so one engine spans many settings. | Highly customizable point-buy system, simulation-focused, one system for any genre |
| Considerations | Large dice pools mean rolling and summing many d6s per action, which slows resolution for highly skilled characters. The breadth of optional modules and rules variants means groups must decide which subsystems to use before play. Character creation allocates dice and pips across attributes and skills, requiring some up-front arithmetic. | Character creation requires significant point-budget planning, combat rules are granular with many modifiers to track, full system spans two 576-page core books plus supplements, GM prep is substantial for campaigns using multiple sourcebooks |