13th Age
2nd EditionBest For
Groups who love d20 fantasy combat but want more narrative freedom, improvisational play, and story-driven character connections baked into the mechanics.
Core Mechanic
Roll d20 + modifier vs. defense. The escalation die (a d6 that increases each combat round, adding to player attacks) builds momentum. One Unique Things and Icon Relationships tie characters to the setting and drive story.
The d20 combat core is familiar, but an escalation die rewards staying aggressive as a fight wears on. Story hooks like One Unique Thing and Icon Relationships tie characters to the world and feed skill checks. The real depth is class powers and feats, which vary widely from class to class.
- Free to tryNothing freeNo free rules or starter
- Get it nowSold newIn print or as a legal PDF
- ✓IndexFind any rule by page number
- ✓GM guidanceA chapter on how to run the game
- ✓Examples of playRules shown in action at the table
- ✓Quick referenceCheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
5 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
The escalation die keeps combat moving. One Unique Things and Icon Relationships create narrative hooks. Streamlined monster design makes GM prep fast.
Considerations
Tightly coupled to its default setting through the Icon system, some classes have complex trigger systems
Rules license ORC License
Similar systems
- Starfinder — Tactical sci-fi adventure blending magic and starships in a far-future galaxyCompare 13th Age vs Starfinder
- Dungeons & Dragons — Heroic fantasy adventures of magic, monsters, and dungeon explorationCompare 13th Age vs Dungeons & Dragons
- Blue Rose — Romantic fantasy envoys defend an egalitarian kingdom from corruption and ShadowCompare 13th Age vs Blue Rose
- Five Torches Deep — 5e skeleton, OSR soul: streamlined dungeon crawling with real resource tensionCompare 13th Age vs Five Torches Deep
- Scarlet Heroes — Sword and sorcery adventures for a lone hero: solo, duet, or classic playCompare 13th Age vs Scarlet Heroes
- Nimble — Heroic fantasy with three-action turns and attacks that skip the to-hit rollCompare 13th Age vs Nimble