Five Torches Deep vs Shadowrun
Compare Five Torches Deep and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Five Torches Deep | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Dungeon Crawl, Tactical, Resource Management, Rules-Light, Gritty, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting, Roll to Cast | Crunchy, Tactical, Combat-Heavy, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier vs DC 11 (most checks). Four classes (Warrior, Thief, Zealot, Mage), levels 1–9. Supply (SUP) abstracts consumables, load limits gear, and equipment can break via durability rolls. Magic carries mishap risk. Compatible with both 5e and B/X adventures. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | d20 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Community | Medium | High |
| License | OGL 1.0a | No open license |
| Cost | $ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Sigil Stone Publishing | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2019 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who like 5e's core d20 feel but want OSR resource scarcity, simplified classes, and deadlier dungeon crawling. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Bridges 5e familiarity with OSR lethality, supply system elegantly handles torches and rations, fits in 48 pages, dual-compatible with 5e and B/X content | Unique cyberpunk-fantasy setting blending megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races. Dedicated subsystems for Matrix hacking, magic, rigging, and astral space. Edge system replaces many situational modifiers with a spendable tactical resource. Decades of published lore spanning in-world history from 2011 to the 2080s. |
| Considerations | Very slim — GMs may need to house-rule gaps, limited character options compared to full 5e, magic mishap table can feel punishing, no bestiary included | Matrix hacking runs as a parallel subsystem that can leave non-decker players waiting. Multiple supplemental rulebooks needed for full coverage of magic, Matrix, and rigging. Published books have documented editing and layout issues. |