Lancer vs OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates
Compare Lancer and OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Lancer | OneDice Abney Park’s Airship Pirates | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi |
| Play Style | Tactical, Mecha, Character Building, Heroic, Crunchy | Pirates, Ship-Based, Licensed IP, Skill-Based, Cinematic, Pulp Action, Random Tables |
| Core Mechanic | Narrative scenes use d20 roll-over (10+ succeeds), with backgrounds granting advantage and triggers adding flat bonuses. Mech combat is grid-based and tactical: no initiative, players and NPCs alternate turns. Pilots progress through License Levels (LL0–LL12), unlocking new chassis, weapons, and systems across five manufacturers with 30+ mech frames. | Roll 1d6 plus one relevant ability and an applicable skill if any, then meet or beat the Gamekeeper’s target number. Opposed checks compare totals, while Doubloons can secure non-combat success, turn a hit into a miss, or power swashbuckling stunts. |
| Dice | d20 + d6 | d6 |
| Complexity | High | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | Lancer Third Party License | All Rights Reserved |
| Cost | Free (PDF) / $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Massif Press | Cakebread & Walton |
| Year | 2019 | 2014 |
| Best For | Groups who want deep tactical mech combat with meaningful customization layered on top of accessible narrative play: giant robot enthusiasts seeking a modern alternative to BattleTech. | Groups who want fast, cinematic campaigns about a shared airship crew, with boarding actions and procedurally generated Skyloft destinations. |
| Highlights | Free core PDF, extensive mech customization with 30+ frames, clean split between rules-light narrative and crunchy tactical combat, alternating activations remove initiative so both sides stay engaged | Doubloons refresh each session and turn danger into player choices by averting harm or enabling cinematic stunts. Airship combat uses abstract range bands to structure chases and boarding actions for the whole crew. Random Skyloft tables generate aerial settlements with distinct economies and local customs. |
| Considerations | Mech combat dominates: narrative half feels thin by comparison, steep learning curve from sheer volume of mech options, genre-locked to sci-fi mech fiction, requires grid/VTT for combat | The Gamekeeper sets target numbers and many situational modifiers, so table consistency depends on shared expectations. Player pirates reduced to zero Health by lethal damage die unless Medicine succeeds within three combat rounds; a Doubloon instead leaves them unconscious. The setting includes authoritarian oppression and slavery. |