Shadow of the Demon Lord vs Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Compare Shadow of the Demon Lord and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadow of the Demon Lord | Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy, Horror | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Grimdark, Fast Sessions, Beginner-Friendly, GM-Friendly | Career-Based, Grimdark, Deadly, Investigation, Corruption, Licensed Setting |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier vs. target number 10. Boons and banes (d6s) add or subtract from the roll, canceling each other out. | Roll d100 under skill or characteristic. Success Levels measure degree of success by comparing the tens digits of the target and the roll. Advantage accumulates during combat, adding +10 per point to attack tests. |
| Dice | d20 | d100 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Low |
| Runnability | High | High |
| License | Forbidden Rules SRD | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Schwalb Entertainment | Cubicle 7 |
| Year | 2015 | 2018 |
| Best For | Groups who want fast, dark fantasy with streamlined d20 mechanics and a sense of impending doom. | Groups who want dark, gritty fantasy where ordinary people face extraordinary dangers in a richly detailed setting. The career system creates unique character arcs from rat catcher to witch hunter. |
| Highlights | Fast character creation, quick sessions, single boon/bane mechanic replaces most modifiers, 11 levels keep campaigns short | The career system structures advancement around trades, moving a character through jobs that shape both skills and story. Success Levels measure how far a d100 test beats or misses its target, turning every roll into a degree of result. Advantage accumulates during a fight, rewarding momentum with stacking bonuses to attack tests. |
| Considerations | Dark horror tone limits genre range, setting tightly coupled to core rules | The rules assume the Old World setting, so moving WFRP elsewhere means reworking its careers and tone. Comparing tens digits for Success Levels on every test adds a math step that can slow combat. Advancement is career-gated, so a character often must finish or leave a career before branching into new skills. |