EZD6 vs Rifts
Compare EZD6 and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| EZD6 | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Rules-Light, Beginner-Friendly, Low-Prep, One-Shot Friendly, Fast-Paced, Theater of the Mind, Heroic | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 1d6 vs. a target number (typically 3 for combat). Boons roll 2d6 and keep the highest; banes keep the lowest. No attributes or modifiers: characters are differentiated by hero paths, species, and inclinations. Three strikes and you're down; armor provides a separate save. Karma earned on failures can boost future rolls. The Hero Die grants clutch rerolls. | Combat and saving throws use a d20 plus bonuses, with high results overcoming a target number or opposing roll. Skills use d100 and succeed when the result is at or below the character's percentage. |
| Dice | d6 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Low | Very High |
| License | Proprietary | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Noncommercial only — Palladium Books Internet Policy limited license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | Runehammer Games | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2022 | 2005 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want fast, fun fantasy with almost no rules overhead: pick a hero path, grab some d6s, and play. Great for new players and convention games. | Groups who want long-form science-fantasy campaigns that move from a ruined Earth to other dimensions. The game suits tables whose GM will decide which parts of the broad setting a campaign uses. |
| Highlights | Very easy to learn and teach, hero paths feel distinct without complex mechanics, karma and hero die create drama, runs well for one-shots and pickup games | Occupational and racial class packages assign distinct abilities and advancement tracks, giving each archetype a different role in the party. Mega-Damage places many supernatural creatures and war machines on a separate durability scale beyond the reach of ordinary Structural Damage Capacity attacks. Rifts and ley lines make dimensional travel a standing feature of the setting, letting campaigns move between devastated Earth and other worlds. |
| Considerations | Fantasy only: no official genre support, three classes per path limits long-campaign variety, minimal character advancement, no tactical depth | Character creation combines rolled attributes with extensive skill selection, making first-time preparation lengthy. Combat asks each player to track an action economy, active defenses, and which damage scale applies. Magic and psionics use separate point pools and power procedures, adding class-specific rules to the shared system. |