Serenity RPG vs WARDEN
Compare Serenity RPG and WARDEN side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Serenity RPG | WARDEN | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Universal |
| Tags | Licensed IP, Ship-Based, Cinematic, Narrative, Character-Driven, Classless, Skill-Based, Character Building, Tactical, Strong GM Support | Cinematic, Classless, Character Building, Tactical, Exploration, Sandbox, Character-Driven, Grid-Based, Toolkit, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll a d20 plus a relevant Proficiency and modifiers against a Difficulty Value. A natural 20 or 1 shifts the result one tier, while a result at least 10 above or below the difficulty is a critical. In Conflict, player characters get three Action Points and one Reaction each round. |
| Dice | d2–d12 | d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | High |
| Availability | Out of print | Paid |
| Runnability | 3 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | ORC License |
| Third-Party Publishing | No verified route found | Commercial publishing allowed — ORC License |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. | Ghost Spark |
| Year | 2005 | 2026 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | 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. | Groups who want a tactical, classless system for genre-spanning sandbox campaigns. It rewards a table that enjoys campaign maps, setting alterations, and procedures for custom material. |
| Highlights | 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. | Classless characters combine Abilities and Feats from three 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 | 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. | Character customization spreads choices across more than 150 Abilities and 500 Feats, so players compare a large catalogue before committing to a build. Conflict procedure is dense: action costs, reactions, conditions, attack penalties, and effect rolls all matter during a turn. Game Wardens are expected to create a campaign map and choose setting alterations before the first session, so the game asks for preparation beyond character creation. |