Nimble vs Rifts
Compare Nimble and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Nimble | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Tactical, Heroic, Beginner-Friendly, Low-Prep | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + stat for skill checks/saves vs. DC; attacks roll weapon dice directly for damage (1 on Primary Die = miss). Initiative roll determines starting actions (1-3). Heroes get 3 actions per turn with exploding critical hits. | 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 | Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Low | 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 | Nimble Co. | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2025 | 2005 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who love tactical grid combat but want faster sessions, less prep, and more teamwork: a streamlined alternative to D&D that keeps the crunch where it matters. | 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 | Attacks roll weapon dice straight for damage with no separate to-hit step, so each attack resolves in a single roll. A three-action turn economy gives every character multiple meaningful choices each round rather than one move-and-attack. Heroic Reactions let players spend resources to act on allies' turns, rewarding coordinated team play. | 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 | Fantasy-only with no genre flexibility, limited class options in basic rules (4 classes), grid play strongly encouraged | 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. |