Draw Steel vs WARDEN
Compare Draw Steel and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Draw Steel | WARDEN | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Universal |
| Tags | Tactical, Grid-Based, Combat-Heavy, Character Building, Crunchy, Resource Management, Attacks Always Hit, Cinematic, High-Power, Strong GM Support | Cinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d10 plus a characteristic modifier for a power roll: 11 or less gives tier 1, 12–16 gives tier 2, and 17 or more gives tier 3. Edges and banes modify the roll or its tier. Tests and abilities specify results for each tier. | Roll a d20 plus a relevant Proficiency and modifiers against a Difficulty Value. A natural 20 or 1 shifts the result one tier, while a result at least 10 above or below the difficulty is a critical. In Conflict, player characters get three Action Points and one Reaction each round. |
| Dice | 2d10 | d20 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free core rules | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | Draw Steel Creator License | ORC License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Creator license | Commercial publishing allowed — ORC License |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | MCDM Productions | Ghost Spark |
| Year | 2025 | 2026 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want heroic fantasy campaigns with coordinated grid combat and extensive character customization. | Groups who want a tactical, classless system for genre-spanning sandbox campaigns. It rewards a table that enjoys campaign maps, setting alterations, and procedures for custom material. |
| Highlights | Each class builds and spends its own heroic resource during combat, opening stronger abilities as the battle develops. Negotiations track an NPC’s interest and patience, giving arguments and motivations mechanical consequences. Encounter budgets and objectives help Directors build battles with goals beyond defeating every enemy. | Classless characters combine Abilities and Feats from three Paths, letting builds develop without fixed classes. Campaign Maps use places, secrets, threats, and clocks to structure an open-ended campaign around player choices. Setting Alterations and Game Warden creation rules provide procedures for adapting the game to a chosen genre. |
| Considerations | Combat requires a grid and careful positioning. Each class has its own resource rules to learn and track during battle. Exploration uses tests and cinematic sequences rather than detailed travel supplies or encumbrance. | Character customization spreads choices across more than 150 Abilities and 500 Feats, so players compare a large catalogue before committing to a build. Conflict procedure is dense: action costs, reactions, conditions, attack penalties, and effect rolls all matter during a turn. Game Wardens are expected to create a campaign map and choose setting alterations before the first session, so the game asks for preparation beyond character creation. |