Questgiver vs Rifts
Compare Questgiver and Rifts side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Questgiver | Rifts | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero |
| Tags | Comedy, Rules-Light, Beginner-Friendly, One-Shot Friendly, Improvisation, Strong GM Support | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Describe an action and roll a pool of d6s equal to your level in a relevant skill, then compare the total against an opposing roll. Opposition is either another character's roll or a difficulty pool the GM rolls, from 1d6 for easy up to 4d6 for nearly impossible. Rolling all sixes earns a new, more specific skill one level higher than the one just used. Every failed roll grants 1 XP. Spent XP turns a die into a six to raise a skill, but never rewrites the roll that earned it. | 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 | d6 dice pool | d20, d100 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | Very High | Medium |
| Runnability | Low | Very High |
| License | ORC License | 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 | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | Kent Malosh | Palladium Books Inc. |
| Year | 2025 | 2005 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Comedy-focused groups who want a low-prep competitive party game built around performing absurd challenges for points, rather than a traditional fantasy campaign with combat and character progression. It works well for one-shots or short runs, and even for dropping a familiar character from another game into a single guest episode. | 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 | Rolling all sixes on an attempt grants a brand-new skill one level higher than the one used, so characters grow directly out of the actions players choose to try. Every failed roll banks a point of experience toward upgrading a skill, so failing at the table always feeds progress instead of stalling it. During the solo Endeavors, each contestant's attempt is submitted in secret and then played out in an order the host chooses, building game-show reveal tension into every round. | 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 | Character creation carries no mechanical weight, since the creature type, quirk, and personality options are roleplay flavor that never affects a roll. Most quests are scored however the host decides unless the quest states its own criteria, which can frustrate players who want transparent win conditions. There are no rules for combat, injury, or death, so groups wanting a mechanically consequential fantasy adventure will not find one here. | 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. |