Fabula Ultima vs Rifts
Compare Fabula Ultima and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Fabula Ultima | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | JRPG, Narrative, Tactical, Beginner-Friendly, Character-Driven, Collaborative, Freeform Magic | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| 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. | 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–d12 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | 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 | Need Games / Rooster Games | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2023 | 2005 |
| Languages | Italian, English, Spanish | English |
| 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 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 | 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 | 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 | 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. | 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. |