Shadowdark RPG vs Worlds Without Number
Compare Shadowdark RPG and Worlds Without Number side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadowdark RPG | Worlds Without Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Deadly, Dungeon Crawl, Rules-Light, Theater of the Mind, Roll to Cast, Random Tables, Resource Management, Inventory Management, Random Character Creation, Strong GM Support | Sandbox, Exploration, Faction Play, Worldbuilding, Tactical, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting |
| Core Mechanic | Roll a d20 plus the relevant stat modifier and meet or beat the difficulty class or Armor Class. Advantage and disadvantage use two rolls and keep the better or worse result. | 2d6 + skill + attribute ≥ target for skills; d20 + modifiers vs. AC for combat. OSR-inspired with modern refinements. |
| Dice | d20 | 2d6 / d20 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License Version 1.1 | Proprietary |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $ | Free |
| Publisher | The Arcane Library | Sine Nomine Publishing |
| Year | 2023 | 2021 |
| Languages | English, French, Italian, Portuguese | English |
| Best For | Groups who want dangerous dungeon expeditions driven by resource choices and player ingenuity. Suits campaigns where recovering treasure matters more than defeating every monster. | Sandbox fantasy campaigns with deep worldbuilding tools, faction turns, and an OSR-flavored system from the creator of Stars Without Number. |
| Highlights | Torches burn for one hour of real time, putting a time limit on dungeon exploration. Gear slots make carrying treasure compete with supplies needed to survive the return trip. Procedural generators let the GM create dungeons and encounters during play. | Free version is very generous, comprehensive sandbox and worldbuilding tools, faction system, compatible with SWN |
| Considerations | Low starting hit points make a few successful attacks potentially fatal. Class talents are rolled at odd-numbered levels, limiting control over advancement. Social interaction relies mainly on spoken arguments and GM judgment rather than a dedicated conflict subsystem. | OSR combat can feel basic compared to modern tactical systems, limited mechanical support for narrative or story-arc campaigns, no built-in social encounter system |