Fabula Ultima vs Kids on Brooms
Compare Fabula Ultima and Kids on Brooms side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Fabula Ultima | Kids on Brooms | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | JRPG, Narrative, Tactical, Beginner-Friendly, Character-Driven, Collaborative, Freeform Magic | Magic School, Freeform Magic, Roll to Cast, Collaborative, Worldbuilding, Rules-Light, Low-Prep, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Beginner-Friendly, Family-Friendly |
| Core Mechanic | Roll two attribute dice (d6/d8/d10/d12) paired from different attributes, sum them vs. a difficulty number. 15 mix-and-match classes (Arcanist, Elementalist, Fury, Guardian, etc.) let players multiclass freely. Fabula Points let players add story details. Bonds between characters unlock powerful combo effects. Villains have their own Ultima Points to fuel dramatic abilities. Clocks track escalating threats. | Each of six stats has a die from d4 to d20; roll the relevant die against a GM-set difficulty. A maximum die result that still misses triggers a Lucky Break reroll, adding the new result. Failed checks grant Adversity Tokens that players can later spend to raise rolls. |
| Dice | d6–d12 | d4–d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 3 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | No verified route found |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Need Games / Rooster Games | Hunters Entertainment / Renegade Game Studios |
| Year | 2023 | 2020 |
| Languages | Italian, English, Spanish | English, Italian |
| Best For | Groups who want to play a Final Fantasy-style adventure with dramatic boss fights, multiclass heroes, and collaborative worldbuilding: ENnies 2023 Best Game winner. | Groups that want to build a magical school together and tell adventures from its rumors and relationships. It suits tables that prefer a light check system and open-ended magic over tactical combat. |
| Highlights | Flexible multiclass system with 15 classes, collaborative worldbuilding via Eight Pillars, Fabula Points give players narrative agency, boss fights emulate JRPG encounters, ENnies 2023 Best Game winner | Players build their school together and seed its history with rumors that the GM can turn into adventures. Open-ended spells use the intended effect and scope to set a difficulty, letting students attempt magic without a fixed spell list. Relationship questions establish bonds among characters before play and give the GM personal story hooks. |
| Considerations | Collaborative worldbuilding via the Eight Pillars requires full group buy-in. Fabula Points can create pacing issues if spent unevenly. Villain design relies heavily on GM improvisation. | The GM judges target numbers for ordinary checks using example anchors rather than a fixed formula. Spell difficulty depends on four effect categories, asking the GM to price each new magical attempt. Combat resolves through opposed checks and an injury chart without tactical positioning rules. |