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, Combat-Heavy, 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 | Medium |
| Community | Low | 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 | Unique cyberpunk-fantasy setting blending megacorporate intrigue with magic and metahuman races. Dedicated subsystems for Matrix hacking, magic, rigging, and astral space. Edge system replaces many situational modifiers with a spendable tactical resource. Decades of published lore spanning in-world history from 2011 to the 2080s. |
| Considerations | Setting tightly coupled to core rules, shares most mechanics with Shadow of the Demon Lord | Matrix hacking runs as a parallel subsystem that can leave non-decker players waiting. Multiple supplemental rulebooks needed for full coverage of magic, Matrix, and rigging. Published books have documented editing and layout issues. |