Dungeon World vs Rifts
Compare Dungeon World and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeon World | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Fiction-First, Playbook-Driven, Classic Fantasy, Rules-Light, Heroic, CC-Licensed Rules, Strong GM Support | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + ability modifier. On a 10+, you succeed. On a 7–9, you succeed but with a complication, cost, or hard choice. On a 6 or less, the GM makes a move (something bad happens) and you mark XP. Moves are triggered by fictional actions: describe what your character does, and the rules tell you when to 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 | 2d6 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Very High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Noncommercial only — Palladium Books Internet Policy limited license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | Sage Kobold Productions | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2012 | 2005 |
| Languages | English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese | English |
| Best For | Groups who want D&D-style fantasy adventure (dungeons, monsters, treasure, classes) but with fiction-first PbtA mechanics that keep the pace fast and the spotlight on the narrative. | 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 | Full text available free under Creative Commons, playbooks let new players start playing within minutes, GM chapter provides structured principles and moves for running the game, bonds and end-of-session questions award XP for relationships and discoveries rather than only combat | 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 | Combat lacks tactical positioning or grid-based options, long campaigns can expose repetitive move structures, damage dice are class-based rather than weapon-based which limits gear choices, no longer actively developed by its creators | 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. |