Dungeons & Dragons vs Worlds Without Number
Compare Dungeons & Dragons and Worlds Without Number side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeons & Dragons | Worlds Without Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Tactical, Heroic, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Classic Fantasy, Vancian Casting, Ascending AC | Sandbox, Exploration, Faction Play, Worldbuilding, Tactical, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting |
| Core Mechanic | Make a D20 Test by rolling d20, adding relevant modifiers, and comparing the total to a target number. Ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls use this procedure. Advantage and disadvantage use two d20s and keep the higher or lower result. | 2d6 + skill + attribute ≥ target for skills; d20 + modifiers vs. AC for combat. OSR-inspired with modern refinements. |
| Dice | d20 | 2d6 / d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | CC BY 4.0 (SRD); core books proprietary | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Open license | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast | Sine Nomine Publishing |
| Year | 2024 | 2021 |
| Best For | Groups who want heroic fantasy with configurable tactical combat, broad character options, and campaigns that span multiple levels. | Sandbox fantasy campaigns with deep worldbuilding tools, faction turns, and an OSR-flavored system from the creator of Stars Without Number. |
| Highlights | Advantage and disadvantage resolve common situational effects by selecting the higher or lower of two d20 rolls. Backgrounds, classes, subclasses, and feats distribute character choices across creation and advancement. Weapon Mastery gives qualifying weapon users distinct tactical effects without replacing the action economy. | Free version is very generous, comprehensive sandbox and worldbuilding tools, faction system, compatible with SWN |
| Considerations | Spell preparation, spell slots, class features, and conditions create several interacting resources for players to track. High-level characters combine many spells and features, increasing adjudication work for the DM. Bastions add a separate downtime procedure for campaigns that use the stronghold rules. | OSR combat can feel basic compared to modern tactical systems, limited mechanical support for narrative or story-arc campaigns, no built-in social encounter system |