Hero Kids vs Nimble
Compare Hero Kids and Nimble side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Hero Kids | Nimble | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Beginner-Friendly, One-Shot Friendly, Grid-Based, Family-Friendly, Low-Prep, Heroic | Tactical, Fast-Paced, Heroic, Combat-Heavy, Grid-Based, Character Building, Classic Fantasy, Beginner-Friendly, Strong GM Support, Low-Prep |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d6 dice pool (pool size from hero card stats). Attacker's highest die vs. defender's highest die: equal or higher hits. Ability tests roll pool vs. target number (4/5/6). | Skill checks and saves roll a d20 plus the relevant skill or stat against a DC. A natural 1 always fails and a natural 20 always succeeds. Attacks skip the to-hit roll: roll the attack's listed damage and deal the total. On most attacks, a 1 on the leftmost Primary Die misses and a maximum on that die explodes into a critical hit. Advantage and disadvantage add dice of the same type and drop the lowest or highest. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d20 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Medium |
| Availability | Paid | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | Proprietary | Nimble 3rd Party Creator License v2.0 |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Creator license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Hero Forge Games | Nimble Co. |
| Year | 2012 | 2025 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Parents introducing kids aged 4–10 to tabletop RPGs. Simple enough for young children, with grid combat and pre-made hero cards. | Groups who want class-based heroic fantasy with tactical grid fights and no separate to-hit roll. Also a good fit for a group whose GM is running a game for the first time. |
| Highlights | Genuinely playable by young children, print-and-play hero cards and stand-ups, included introductory adventure, lots of expansion adventures available | Heroic Reactions such as Defend and Interpose normally cost one of a hero's three actions, so reacting on an enemy's turn leaves fewer actions for the hero's own turn. Assess spends an action on a skill check to ask the GM a question that must be answered honestly or to create an opening, bringing roleplay into combat turns. Legendary monsters act after each hero's turn and list HP per hero, so one boss scales to the size of the party. |
| Considerations | Too simple for older players, no character progression system, fantasy-only, requires printing materials | Movement, reach, and area effects are counted in grid spaces, so gridless play relies on one of the optional movement variants. Damage can swing widely because a single roll decides both whether an attack hits and how much it deals. Outside combat, social and exploration scenes run on skill checks and GM-built skill challenges rather than dedicated subsystems. |