Old-School Essentials vs Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Compare Old-School Essentials and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Old-School Essentials | Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Dungeon Crawl, Deadly, Sandbox, Low-Prep, Beginner-Friendly, Gritty, Ascending AC, Descending AC, Vancian Casting | Career-Based, Grimdark, Deadly, Investigation, Corruption, Licensed Setting |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 vs. descending AC via attack matrix (THAC0). Five-category saving throws. Side-based d6 initiative each round. | Roll d100 under skill or characteristic. Success Levels measure degree of success by comparing the tens digits of the target and the roll. Advantage accumulates during combat, adding +10 per point to attack tests. |
| Dice | d20 | d100 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | Low |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | OGL 1.0a | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Necrotic Gnome | Cubicle 7 |
| Year | 2019 | 2018 |
| Best For | Groups wanting a clean, beautifully organized take on classic B/X D&D with decades of compatible old-school content. | Groups who want dark, gritty fantasy where ordinary people face extraordinary dangers in a richly detailed setting. The career system creates unique character arcs from rat catcher to witch hunter. |
| Highlights | Clear layout and organization, wide B/X and OSR compatibility, modular supplements, highly hackable | The career system structures advancement around trades, moving a character through jobs that shape both skills and story. Success Levels measure how far a d100 test beats or misses its target, turning every roll into a degree of result. Advantage accumulates during a fight, rewarding momentum with stacking bonuses to attack tests. |
| Considerations | No domain play or mass combat in core rules, treasure-as-XP requires careful GM economy management, limited character options in Classic edition without Advanced supplements | The rules assume the Old World setting, so moving WFRP elsewhere means reworking its careers and tone. Comparing tens digits for Success Levels on every test adds a math step that can slow combat. Advancement is career-gated, so a character often must finish or leave a career before branching into new skills. |