Gamma World vs Rifts
Compare Gamma World and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Gamma World | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Superpowers, Random Character Creation, Classless, Gonzo, Comedy, Tactical, Grid-Based, Combat-Heavy, Beginner-Friendly, Deadly | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a d20 and add a modifier, then compare the total to a target number or one of four defenses: Armor Class, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will. Two randomly rolled character origins combine to set starting ability scores, skills, and powers instead of a chosen race and class. Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech cards drawn from a shared deck grant each character's most powerful and unpredictable abilities for the session. | 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 | d20 | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | 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 | Wizards of the Coast | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2010 | 2005 |
| Best For | Groups who want a silly, fast-paced pickup game with randomly generated mutant heroes rather than a long-term character build. | 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 | Alpha Mutation and Omega Tech cards replace a fixed power list, so a character's abilities shift unpredictably as cards are drawn, used, and discarded between encounters. Rolling two random character origins instead of choosing a race and class produces unplanned combinations that push players toward improvised character concepts. A hundred-item Ancient Junk table turns ordinary scavenging into a steady stream of small, flavorful rewards between the rarer Omega Tech finds. | 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 | Character origins are rolled randomly from a fixed table, so a player who wants a specific concept must ask the Game Master for permission to choose origins instead. The starter box's 80 cards are the only power pool for groups without the two out-of-print expansion kits, capping how many distinct Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech items a table can draw. Running combat means tracking multiple readied and discarded card piles for each character in addition to the four defenses, conditions, and forced movement of the underlying 4th Edition engine. | 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. |