Pathfinder for Savage Worlds vs Shadowrun
Compare Pathfinder for Savage Worlds and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Pathfinder for Savage Worlds | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Heroic, Combat-Heavy, High-Fantasy, Character Building, Tactical, Fast-Paced | Crunchy, Tactical, Combat-Heavy, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a trait die (d4–d12) plus a Wild Die (d6); keep the highest. Dice 'explode' (ace) on their max value. Beat a Target Number (usually 4) to succeed; each raise (4 over) improves the result. Playing cards determine initiative. Bennies let you reroll or soak damage. Class Edges capture Pathfinder archetypes as progressive talent trees. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | d4–d12 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | Medium |
| Community | Low | High |
| License | Savage Worlds (Proprietary) | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Pinnacle Entertainment Group / Paizo | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2023 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who love the Pathfinder world of Golarion but want faster, more cinematic combat — Savage Worlds' exploding dice and Bennies replace Pathfinder's tactical crunch with pulp-action heroics. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Fast combat compared to standard Pathfinder, Golarion setting fully supported with ancestries and deities, Class Edges capture iconic Pathfinder classes, Bennies keep heroes in the action, compatible with Savage Worlds Adventure Paths | Unique cyberpunk-fantasy setting blending megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races. Dedicated subsystems for Matrix hacking, magic, rigging, and astral space. Edge system replaces many situational modifiers with a spendable tactical resource. Decades of published lore spanning in-world history from 2011 to the 2080s. |
| Considerations | Requires Savage Worlds familiarity — not standalone for new SW players, some Pathfinder depth lost in translation, not compatible with standard Pathfinder adventures without conversion | Matrix hacking runs as a parallel subsystem that can leave non-decker players waiting. Multiple supplemental rulebooks needed for full coverage of magic, Matrix, and rigging. Published books have documented editing and layout issues. |