Rifts vs Stars Without Number
Compare Rifts and Stars Without Number side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Rifts | Stars Without Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Post-Apocalyptic, Scifi, Fantasy, Horror, Superhero | Scifi |
| Tags | Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Fear & Stress Mechanics, Gonzo, High-Power, Mana Points, Mecha, Superpowers, Tactical | Sandbox, Exploration, Low-Prep, Faction Play, Tactical, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | 2d6 + skill + attribute ≥ target for skills; d20 + modifiers for combat. OSR-inspired. |
| Dice | d20, d100 | 2d6 / d20 |
| Complexity | Very High | Medium |
| Accessibility | Medium | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Noncommercial only — Palladium Books Internet Policy limited license | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | Free |
| Publisher | Palladium Books Inc. | Sine Nomine Publishing |
| Year | 2005 | 2017 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | 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. | Sandbox sci-fi campaigns with comprehensive GM tools for faction turns, sector generation, and adventure creation. |
| Highlights | 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. | Free version is generous, comprehensive sandbox tools, faction system |
| Considerations | 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. | OSR combat can feel flat compared to modern tactical systems, B/X heritage means limited mechanical support for social or narrative play |