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 | Gritty, Deadly, Career-Based, Dark Fantasy, Roleplay-Heavy, Atmospheric, Low-Fantasy, Investigation, Corruption, Lore-Heavy, Licensed Setting, Random Character Creation, Roll to Cast, Grimdark | 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 | Medium | Medium |
| Community | Medium | Medium |
| 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 | Detailed grimdark setting, career system creates varied character arcs, combat carries real consequences | 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 | Tightly bound to the Old World setting, Success Level math can slow play, expensive supplement line | 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 |