Epyllion vs Rapscallion
Compare Epyllion and Rapscallion side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Epyllion | Rapscallion | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Narrative, Beginner-Friendly, Family-Friendly, Rules-Light, Fiction-First, Character-Driven | Narrative, Pirates |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + stat (Courage, Charm, or Cunning): 10+ is a hit, 7–9 is a partial hit, 6− is a miss. Friendship Gems are passed between players to reward virtuous behavior and spent to power moon magic. A Shadow Track measures the Darkness's hold: fill it and you become your corrupted Shadowself until friends pull you back. | Roll 2d6 + trait (Blood, Vinegar, Polish, or Spitfire). On 10+ you succeed cleanly, 7–9 with a cost, 6– and things go wrong. Players choose from 6 character playbooks and 2 ship playbooks. Luck can be spent to Twist Fate (reroll), and the Ante system tracks escalating combat advantage. The Fates (GM) use worldbuilding moves to create a living fantasy pirate setting with magic rooted in Death, Demons, the Sea, and Books. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | Book tools not listed |
| License | Proprietary (PbtA) | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Magpie Games | Magpie Games |
| Year | 2016 | 2024 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Families and groups who want a heartfelt, friendship-driven adventure where everyone plays young dragons protecting their world from a creeping Darkness. | Groups who want a narrative pirate RPG with dramatic character relationships: where your ship has its own playbook, magic comes from dark pacts, and the dice swing between daring success and messy complication. |
| Highlights | Accessible gateway RPG for families and new players, friendship gem economy makes cooperation mechanical, dragon setting with its own lore, six playbooks with distinct Shadowself arcs | Ship-as-character with its own playbook adds group dynamics, Ante system makes combat escalation feel cinematic, worldbuilding tools (World With Laws vs World Without Laws), Magpie Games pedigree, free quickstart to try before buying |
| Considerations | Very niche: you must want to play young dragons, limited mechanical depth, tightly bound to its setting | Only a quickstart: full game not yet released, limited to 6 playbooks, pirate fantasy genre is narrow, requires buy-in from the whole table for PbtA-style play, light on crunch |