Shadow of the Weird Wizard vs Shadowrun
Compare Shadow of the Weird Wizard and Shadowrun side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadow of the Weird Wizard | Shadowrun | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Heroic, Beginner-Friendly, Fast Sessions, GM-Friendly, Character Building | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d20 + modifier vs. target number 10. Boons and banes (d6s) modify the roll. Luck replaces traditional experience, driving both advancement and dramatic moments. | Roll a pool of d6s equal to attribute + skill, counting 5s and 6s as hits. Meet or exceed a threshold to succeed. Situational advantages generate Edge points rather than modifying dice pools directly; Edge is spent on tactical effects like rerolling dice, adding successes, or imposing penalties on opponents. |
| Dice | d20 | d6 dice pool |
| Complexity | Low | Very High |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | High | Very High |
| License | Weird Wizard SRD | No open license |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Publisher | Schwalb Entertainment | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Year | 2024 | 2019 |
| Best For | Groups who want a lighter, heroic take on the Shadow of the Demon Lord engine with fast play and deep character options. | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. |
| Highlights | Streamlined rules with few exceptions, novice/expert/master path system offers deep character combinations, Luck mechanic doubles as advancement and resource currency | The setting fuses megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races, so a single team mixes street samurai, mages, and deckers. Distinct subsystems model Matrix hacking, spellcasting, drone rigging, and astral space, each carrying its own rules depth. The Edge economy converts situational advantages into a spendable resource for rerolls, extra hits, or penalties on opponents. |
| Considerations | Setting tightly coupled to core rules, shares most mechanics with Shadow of the Demon Lord | Matrix hacking runs on its own timescale and can leave non-decker players idle during a run. Character creation spreads across attributes, skills, magic or resonance, gear, and lifestyle, making the first build long. Dice pools grow large at high skill, so counting hits on a fistful of d6s slows resolution. |