Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition vs Shadowrun
Compare Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Tactical, Heroic, Combat-Heavy, Grid-Based, Miniatures, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Classic Fantasy, Crunchy, Ascending AC, Lore-Heavy | Crunchy, Tactical, Combat-Heavy, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier against a target DC or defense (AC, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will). Every class has powers organized as At-Will (usable any turn), Encounter (once per short rest), and Daily (once per extended rest), plus Utility powers. Healing surges are a daily hit point pool that characters spend during short rests or when healed in combat. Combat assumes a square grid with miniatures — positioning, marks, opportunity attacks, and forced movement are central. Skill challenges resolve non-combat encounters by accumulating a target number of successes before three failures. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | d20 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Community | Low | High |
| License | Proprietary (GSL for third-party content) | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2008 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who prioritize tactical grid combat with miniatures, want every class to feel mechanically distinct through roles (Defender, Striker, Leader, Controller), and enjoy heavy character optimization across 30 levels of structured advancement. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Standardized math across all 30 levels means encounter design and DC setting follow consistent formulas. Four combat roles (Defender, Striker, Leader, Controller) give every class a defined team function. Skill challenges provide a structured framework for resolving non-combat encounters. The Essentials line (2010) offers simplified classes with fewer per-level choices as an alternative entry point. | Unique cyberpunk-fantasy setting blending megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races. Dedicated subsystems for Matrix hacking, magic, rigging, and astral space. Edge system replaces many situational modifiers with a spendable tactical resource. Decades of published lore spanning in-world history from 2011 to the 2080s. |
| Considerations | Miniatures and a battle grid are effectively required; combat does not function in theater of the mind. High-level combat can run long due to the volume of conditions, statuses, and triggered actions to track per turn. The At-Will/Encounter/Daily power structure is a significant departure from earlier editions and from 5e, which can frustrate players expecting a traditional D&D feel. | Matrix hacking runs as a parallel subsystem that can leave non-decker players waiting. Multiple supplemental rulebooks needed for full coverage of magic, Matrix, and rigging. Published books have documented editing and layout issues. |