Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay vs Whitehack
Compare Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Whitehack side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | Whitehack | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Play Style | Career-Based, Grimdark, Deadly, Investigation, Corruption, Licensed Setting | Rules-Light, Narrative, Hackable, Mana Points, Freeform Magic |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll d20 under your attribute to succeed; the face value of a success indicates quality. Positive double rolls (roll 2d20, pick best) and negative double rolls (pick worst) replace flat modifiers. Characters are defined by Groups (species, vocations, and affiliations) which grant advantage on relevant tasks. The Wise class casts miracles by spending HP, with effects triangulated by their groups and wordings. |
| Dice | d100 | d20 + 3d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Low |
| Accessibility | Low | Medium |
| Runnability | High | Very High |
| License | No open license | Proprietary |
| Cost | $$$ | $$ |
| Publisher | Cubicle 7 | Christian Mehrstam |
| Year | 2018 | 2023 |
| Best For | 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. | Experienced players who want a concise, elegant OSR system that rewards creative play: where freeform character groups replace rigid skill lists and miracles are flexible but costly. |
| Highlights | 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. | Concise yet deep (~136 pages), Groups system replaces both skills and feats, compatible with old-school modules from 1974 onward, Auction mechanic adds tension to extended contests, miracles system rewards creative description, four editions of refinement |
| Considerations | 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. | Dense writing requires careful reading: not a quick-start game, assumes familiarity with old-school play, no bestiary or setting included, rare classes may feel underdeveloped |