Shadowrun vs White Box: FMAG
Compare Shadowrun and White Box: FMAG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Shadowrun | White Box: FMAG | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Cyberpunk, Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Crunchy, Tactical, Heist, Character Building, Faction Play, Lore-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Urban Fantasy | Rules-Light, Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Deadly, Hackable, Beginner-Friendly, Random Character Creation, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Hexcrawl |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll d20 + modifiers against a target number derived from the defender's Armor Class (descending AC by default, ascending AC optional). Attribute modifiers are compressed to −1, 0, or +1. Each class has a single saving throw number that improves with level. Side-based initiative is rolled each round on d6. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | d20 |
| Complexity | Very High | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Very High |
| Runnability | Very High | High |
| License | No open license | OGL 1.0a |
| Cost | $$$ | Free/$ |
| Publisher | Catalyst Game Labs | Seattle Hill Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2016 |
| Best For | Groups who want cyberpunk-fantasy heists with deep mechanical subsystems for hacking, magic, and combat. | Groups wanting the simplest possible version of original D&D: four classes, compressed modifiers, and intentional rules gaps that invite house rules and Referee creativity. |
| Highlights | 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. | Attribute modifiers compressed to −1/0/+1 keeps math fast and reduces stat dependency. Complete game in 143 pages including monsters, treasure, spells, and wilderness/dungeon procedures. Free PDF and under $5 in print makes it one of the most accessible OSR games. Intentional rules gaps and a blank House Rules page explicitly invite customization. |
| Considerations | 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. | Four classes (three without the optional Thief) limits character variety. No formal skill system: the Referee adjudicates all non-combat actions. Level tables cap at 10, requiring house rules for extended campaigns. |