Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia vs Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Compare Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia and Werewolf: The Apocalypse side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia | Werewolf: The Apocalypse | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Horror, Modern, Fantasy |
| Tags | Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Exploration, Random Tables, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Domain Management, Crunchy | Atmospheric, Base-Building, Character Building, Character-Driven, Corruption, Drama, Lore-Heavy, Strong GM Support, Superpowers, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Characters make attacks by rolling 1d20, adding applicable modifiers, and meeting the target number for Armor Class. THAC0 offers an equivalent subtraction method. Saving throws are d20 class-and-level targets, and spellcasters memorize limited spells that are expended when cast. | Build a d10 dice pool, usually from an Attribute plus a Skill. Each 6 or higher is a success, and meeting the Storyteller-set Difficulty wins. Each pair of 10s counts as four successes. Rage dice replace regular dice up to current Rage and can cause Brutal outcomes. |
| Dice | d20 | d10 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Storytellers Vault |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | TSR, Inc. | Renegade Game Studios |
| Year | 1991 | 2023 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese |
| Best For | Groups who want a single reference for a long-running classic fantasy campaign that can move from dungeons to dominions. It suits readers comfortable learning optional detail alongside the baseline rules. | Groups who want long-form modern horror about shapeshifter packs defending communities from ecological and spiritual threats, with violent power constrained by moral and social consequences. |
| Highlights | Chapter 1 walks a player from ability scores through class, equipment, attacks, and saving throws. Separate combat procedures support personal fights, large battles, and sieges. Stronghold and dominion rules turn accumulated resources into rulership procedures. | Brutal outcomes can force destructive failures or add four successes to actions the Storyteller judges can benefit from Rage. Choosing a Garou form changes a character's capabilities, creating tactical and narrative options. Caerns give the pack an improvable spiritual home whose traits connect campaign advancement to territory and community. |
| Considerations | Character advancement reaches 36 levels before optional high-level paths add further decisions. Rules depth spans personal advancement, large battles, and domain administration, requiring a group to choose which procedures will matter. The game retains class-and-race restrictions and descending Armor Class rather than a universal skill resolution procedure. | A Crinos-form Garou who did not kill in the previous turn must spend Willpower at the start of the next turn or enter frenzy, making the war form difficult to sustain outside violent scenes. Harano and Hauglosk can remove a Garou from play when despair or absolutism fills either track, making moral decline a campaign-level consequence. The game centers mature environmental and spiritual horror, including graphic violence and themes of exploitation and extremism that require deliberate table boundaries. |