Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert vs Swords & Wizardry

Compare Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert and Swords & Wizardry side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert	Swords & Wizardry
Genre	Fantasy	Fantasy
Tags	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Hexcrawl, Resource Management, Deadly, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Domain Management, Sandbox, Random Tables	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Deadly, Vancian Casting, Hexcrawl, Random Tables, Resource Management, Sandbox, Domain Management, Strong GM Support
Core Mechanic	Roll 1d20 with the relevant modifiers and meet or exceed the target shown on the attack or saving-throw table. Attack targets account for the opponent's descending Armor Class.	Roll a d20 with attack modifiers and meet the target number for the chosen Armor Class system. Ascending Armor Class allows a direct roll against AC; descending Armor Class uses attack tables. Saving throws use a single class-based d20 target number with bonuses against particular hazards.
Dice	d20	d20
Complexity	High	Medium
Availability	Paid	Paid
Runnability	5 of 5 book tools	4 of 5 book tools
License	All Rights Reserved	Swords & Wizardry Compatibility-Statement License (CSL)
Third-Party Publishing	No verified route found	Commercial publishing allowed — Swords & Wizardry Compatibility-Statement License
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	TSR Hobbies, Inc.	Mythmere Games
Year	1981	2023
Languages	English, French	English, German
Best For	Groups who want dangerous fantasy expeditions built around exploration and managing supplies. Campaigns can grow from dungeon treasure hunts into wilderness travel and ruling a territory.	Groups seeking dangerous dungeon expeditions and open wilderness campaigns. Higher-level characters can establish strongholds and govern surrounding settlements.
Highlights	Ten-minute dungeon turns make searching and resting consume supplies under wandering-monster pressure. Reaction and morale rolls give encounters outcomes beyond fighting to the death. Stronghold construction and settler taxes turn adventuring wealth into territorial responsibilities.	One class-based saving throw target replaces separate hazard categories. Treasure grants experience points, rewarding successful expeditions even when monsters are avoided. Stronghold construction and settlement taxes support campaigns that grow into territorial rule.
Considerations	Playing through level 14 requires both the Basic and Expert rulebooks. Class-based advancement offers little customization beyond equipment and spell selection. Characters die at zero hit points, and some failed saves kill them immediately.	Low starting hit points and death below zero make early combat dangerous. Damage during casting interrupts a prepared spell and expends it. Nonhuman ancestry restricts available classes and level advancement.