Pathwarden vs Serenity RPG

Compare Pathwarden and Serenity RPG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Pathwarden	Serenity RPG
Genre	Fantasy	Sci-Fi
Tags	Tactical, Classless, Character Building, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Mana Points, Strong GM Support	Licensed IP, Ship-Based, Cinematic, Narrative, Character-Driven, Classless, Skill-Based, Character Building, Tactical, Strong GM Support
Core Mechanic	Roll d20 + the relevant Proficiency and modifiers and meet or beat a difficulty. Beating or missing it by 10 produces a critical result, while a natural 20 or 1 shifts the degree one step. Benefit and Detriment change the difficulty by 5.	Roll an Attribute die and a relevant Skill die and add their results to meet a difficulty or beat an opposing roll. Ratings use d2–d12 and add extra dice above d12. The Game Master chooses the Attribute paired with each Skill. Personal modifiers change die sizes; outside conditions change the difficulty. Plot Points buy bonus dice before a roll or add +1 per point afterward.
Dice	d20	d2–d12
Complexity	High	Medium
Availability	Paid	Out of print
Runnability	4 of 5 book tools	3 of 5 book tools
License	ORC License	All Rights Reserved
Third-Party Publishing	Not yet researched	No verified route found
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	Ghost Spark	Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd.
Year	2024	2005
Languages	English	English
Best For	Groups who want classless tactical fantasy with grid combat, build experimentation, and campaigns that alternate between exploration, conflicts, and long-term projects. It suits a Lorewarden comfortable preparing a regional sandbox.	Groups who want to play a working-class spaceship crew taking risky jobs on a Western-flavored frontier. It suits tables that like a light core roll, dangerous gunfights, and characters defined as much by their flaws as by their skills.
Highlights	Fast and Slow Turns let players trade one action for acting before enemies, turning initiative into a round-by-round tactical choice. Three classless Paths open Boons and Feats that let characters combine martial, magical, and skill-focused abilities. Exploration and Horizon procedures connect regional travel, threat clocks, and long-term Projects to the consequences of each adventure.	Playing up a mandatory Complication earns Plot Points, so a character's flaws fund the bonus dice and damage reduction they need in a crisis. Plot Points buy GM-approved story facts on a priced scale from inconsequential to major, giving players a measured say in the plot. The crew's ship has its own Attributes, Traits, and Skills, giving its condition and quirks a mechanical role in play.
Considerations	Grid combat asks players to track action costs, positioning, conditions, and multiple-attack penalties each round. Character advancement spreads options across Boons, Feats, Skills, and magical Disciplines, so players compare abilities drawn from several chapters. The campaign structure expects the Lorewarden to prepare an Adventure Map of regions and threats before play.	Severe Wounds penalize every Attribute die and can require surgery followed by days of recovery. Owning a ship adds monthly bookkeeping: a maintenance roll sets the bill, and each month of skipped upkeep lowers the ship's Vitality toward a breakdown. Social conflict uses ordinary Influence rolls with no dedicated procedure for arguments, negotiation, or deception.