Savage Worlds vs WARDEN
Compare Savage Worlds and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Savage Worlds | WARDEN | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Tags | Cinematic, Fast-Paced, Tactical, Pulp Action, Heroic, Miniatures | Cinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Roll trait die + wild die (d6), keep the highest. Target number 4. Raises every +4. | Roll a d20 plus a relevant Proficiency and modifiers against a Difficulty Value. Natural 20s and 1s shift the result tier, while a result at least 10 above or below the difficulty is critical. In Conflict, characters have three Action Points and one Reaction each round. |
| Dice | d4–d12 | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | Savage Worlds Adventurer's Guild | ORC License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — ORC License |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Pinnacle Entertainment | Ghost Spark |
| Year | 2018 | 2026 |
| Best For | Fast-paced pulp action across any genre. Great for large groups and mass combat. | Groups who want a tactical, classless engine for genre-spanning sandbox campaigns. It suits Game Wardens who want campaign maps, setting alterations, and procedures for custom material. |
| Highlights | Fast resolution, genre-flexible, handles large groups well | Classless characters combine Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats across their paths, letting builds develop without fixed classes. Campaign Maps use places, secrets, threats, and clocks to structure an open-ended campaign around player choices. Setting Alterations and Game Warden creation rules provide procedures for adapting the game to a chosen genre. |
| Considerations | Exploding dice can produce extreme variance in outcomes, setting books vary in depth: some provide minimal mechanical content beyond a genre frame | Character customization spreads choices through multiple chapters, so players compare a large catalogue of Proficiencies, Abilities, and Feats. Conflict procedure is dense: action costs, reactions, conditions, attack penalties, and effect rolls all matter during a turn. Game Wardens make choices about campaign maps and setting alterations when preparing a campaign. |