Fallout: The Roleplaying Game vs Shadowrun
Compare Fallout: The Roleplaying Game and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Fallout: The Roleplaying Game | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Tags | Tactical, Exploration, Survival, Character Building, Cinematic, Crunchy, Resource Management, Mission-Based, Lore-Heavy, Licensed IP | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Classless, Espionage |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d20 against the sum of an attribute and a skill. Each die at or below that total scores a success. A roll of 1 scores two successes, and tagged skills extend this critical range to the skill rank. Meet the difficulty with your total successes. Extra successes become shared Action Points that can buy more dice or information. A roll of 20 creates a complication even when the test succeeds. | Roll d6s equal to an attribute plus a skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Reach the required threshold to succeed, or compare hits in an opposed test. Situational advantages generate Edge points that can fund rerolls or extra hits. Dice pool modifiers still apply alongside Edge. |
| Dice | d20 dice pool | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | Very High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | No verified route found | Commercial publishing allowed — Community content program |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Modiphius Entertainment | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2021 | 2019 |
| Languages | English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish | English, German, French, Portuguese, Russian |
| Best For | Groups who want Fallout campaigns built around wasteland quests, scavenging, and customizable survivors. Groups who enjoy tactical firefights and turning recovered junk into equipment upgrades. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists and enjoy mastering specialist rules together across a continuing campaign. |
| Highlights | Shared Action Points let the group turn strong rolls into support for later tests. Perks and equipment modifications let survivors develop distinct specialties without classes. Scavenging tables connect dangerous locations to supplies and crafting materials. | Specialist roles divide a heist across physical security, hacking, and magic, giving the team several ways into the same target. Edge turns situational advantages into a spendable resource for tactical choices. Reputation and Heat carry the consequences of conspicuous jobs into later missions. |
| Considerations | Attacks can trigger several damage effects alongside armor checks for the struck body part. Ammunition and carried weight require ongoing bookkeeping. The core setting concentrates on the Commonwealth from Fallout 4. | Character creation requires coordinating priority choices with detailed gear purchases. Cyberware reduces Essence, which limits magical development. Wireless equipment bonuses expose connected gear to hacking. |