Legend of the Elements vs Monster of the Week
Compare Legend of the Elements and Monster of the Week side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Legend of the Elements | Monster of the Week | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Horror, Modern |
| Tags | Narrative, Playbook-Driven, Beginner-Friendly, Cinematic | Narrative, Beginner-Friendly, Investigation, Playbook-Driven, Fiction-First, Character-Driven, Theater of the Mind |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + stat. On 10+ you succeed fully, on 7–9 you succeed with a cost or complication, on 6- the MC makes a move. Five stats (Natural, Hot, Solid, Keen, Fluid) map to elemental temperaments. Chi and Chakras fuel supernatural abilities; Oaths and Respect drive character relationships. | Roll 2d6 + stat. 10+ full success, 7–9 success with a cost, 6 or less the Keeper makes a move. Playbook moves trigger from fictional actions. Luck points turn failures into successes but never come back. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Low |
| Availability | Paid | Paid |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Generic Games Third Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | The Logbook Project | Evil Hat Productions |
| Year | 2016 | 2023 |
| Languages | English | English, French, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want to play Avatar: The Last Airbender-style supernatural martial arts stories with elemental bending, oaths, and chi. | Groups who want episodic monster-hunting adventures inspired by Buffy, Supernatural, and The X-Files: investigating mysteries, confronting creatures, and dealing with hunter drama. |
| Highlights | Designed for Avatar-style elemental fantasy, wide playbook selection (15+ including sub-playbooks), Chi/Chakra economy adds depth beyond standard PbtA, accessible to new players | Very easy to learn, mystery countdown gives the Keeper a clear prep framework, playbooks map directly to genre archetypes |
| Considerations | Very niche: requires buy-in to the wuxia/elemental genre, tightly coupled to its specific tone, MC section is dense for first-time PbtA GMs | No pre-written mysteries in the core book, limited mechanical depth for long campaigns, custom move design requires GM experience, monster creation guidelines are loose |