Nimble vs Shadow of the Weird Wizard
Compare Nimble and Shadow of the Weird Wizard side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Nimble | Shadow of the Weird Wizard | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Tactical, Fast-Paced, Heroic, Combat-Heavy, Grid-Based, Character Building, Classic Fantasy, Beginner-Friendly, Strong GM Support, Low-Prep | Heroic, Beginner-Friendly, Short Sessions, Strong GM Support, Character Building |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll d20 + modifier vs. target number 10. Boons and banes (d6s) modify the roll. Luck replaces traditional experience, driving both advancement and dramatic moments. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | Book tools not listed |
| License | Nimble 3rd Party Creator License v2.0 | Weird Wizard SRD |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Creator license | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Nimble Co. | Schwalb Entertainment |
| Year | 2025 | 2024 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | 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. | Groups who want a lighter, heroic take on the Shadow of the Demon Lord engine with fast play and deep character options. |
| Highlights | 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. | Streamlined rules with few exceptions, novice/expert/master path system offers deep character combinations, Luck mechanic doubles as advancement and resource currency |
| Considerations | 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. | Setting tightly coupled to core rules, shares most mechanics with Shadow of the Demon Lord |