Dungeons & Dragons vs Mythras
Compare Dungeons & Dragons and Mythras side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeons & Dragons | Mythras | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy, Universal |
| Play Style | Tactical, Heroic, Combat-Heavy, Dungeon Crawl, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Grid-Based, Beginner-Friendly, Classic Fantasy, Lore-Heavy, Ascending AC | Crunchy, Tactical, Realistic, Simulation, Character Building, Deadly, Sandbox |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier against a target DC (for ability checks and saving throws) or AC (for attacks). Meeting or exceeding the target succeeds. Advantage rolls 2d20 and takes the higher; disadvantage takes the lower, replacing most situational modifiers. | Roll d100 under your skill percentage. In combat, degree of success vs. opponent determines Special Effects — tactical maneuvers like Disarm, Trip, Bypass Armor, and Bleed. Action Points govern actions per round, damage applies to hit locations. |
| Dice | d20 | d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Community | Very High | Medium |
| License | CC BY 4.0 (SRD); core books proprietary | ORC |
| Cost | $$$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast | The Design Mechanism |
| Year | 2024 | 2016 |
| Best For | Groups who want heroic fantasy adventures with tactical grid combat, deep character customization, and access to more published adventures and supplements than any other RPG. | Groups who want gritty, tactical, and realistic combat in a skill-based percentile system, particularly for historical, mythic, or low-fantasy settings. |
| Highlights | Advantage/disadvantage system simplifies most situational modifiers to a single mechanic. Extensive class and subclass options across 12 base classes with 48 subclasses in the 2024 PHB. The largest third-party content ecosystem in tabletop RPGs. Free basic rules and starter sets lower the barrier to entry. | Tactical Special Effects combat system, classless skill-based progression, five distinct magic systems, adaptable to many genres, free intro version (Mythras Imperative) |
| Considerations | High-level play (tier 3-4) introduces significant spell interaction complexity and encounter balancing challenges for GMs. No official rules for non-fantasy genres. Three core books at $50 each represent a significant investment for the full rules. | Steep learning curve for combat, analysis paralysis when choosing effects, large combats become unwieldy, lengthy character creation |