Shadow of the Demon Lord vs Thrive to Survive
Compare Shadow of the Demon Lord and Thrive to Survive side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadow of the Demon Lord | Thrive to Survive | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy, Horror | Horror, Modern, Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Grimdark, Fast Sessions, Beginner-Friendly, GM-Friendly | Survival, Tactical, Crunchy, Resource Management, Base-Building, Character Building, Simulation, Skill-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier vs. target number 10. Boons and banes (d6s) add or subtract from the roll, canceling each other out. | Roll d20 + skill ranks + the related attribute and meet or beat a difficulty set by the Apocalypse Master. An untrained skill adds half its attribute, while opposed checks compare totals. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Low | High |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | High | High |
| License | Forbidden Rules SRD | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Schwalb Entertainment | Caden Humpherys |
| Year | 2015 | 2026 |
| Best For | Groups who want fast, dark fantasy with streamlined d20 mechanics and a sense of impending doom. | Groups who want a long-form modern zombie-survival campaign built around tactical grid combat, body-location injuries, detailed crafting, and turning scavenged materials into a defended settlement. It suits an Apocalypse Master who wants tools for custom infections, encounters, and campaign goals. |
| Highlights | Fast character creation, quick sessions, single boon/bane mechanic replaces most modifiers, 11 levels keep campaigns short | Attacks pair maneuver-specific hit numbers with 2d10 location rolls, so armor, crippling injuries, and targeted strikes make each body part matter. Crafting links designs, material types, construction, generators, and storage, turning scavenged supplies into weapons and a working refuge. The Apocalypse Master chooses an infection model and modifies zombie templates, allowing campaigns to shift from base defense to a cure hunt without changing the core rules. |
| Considerations | Dark horror tone limits genre range, setting tightly coupled to core rules | Combat resolves attacks through hit checks, location rolls, armor reduction, location health, and injury effects, creating multiple steps for every successful strike. Characters track food, water, sleep, fatigue, carry weight, ammunition, and ten crafting materials, making resource bookkeeping a central part of play. The system assumes a modern zombie apocalypse, so adapting it to other settings requires replacing much of its equipment, infection, and campaign material. |