Play fantasy heroes tied to powerful figures called icons, with relationship dice, flexible talents, and fast, narrative-leaning combat.
d20Fantasyd20classestheater of the mindbeliefs and drivesworldbuilding togetherCampaignsNeeds a GM
6.2
Geek rating
From 9 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.4.
Player rating—/ 10
No visitor ratings yet.
Discussion6.3/ 10
212 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.
Rules weight
Medium. Hype 4.2 for its age.
Have you played it?
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Didn't work for usOne of our best
What players say
At the table
Firsthand play reports are thin: a handful of GMs across four threads. Those who ran 13th Age describe a fast, heroic, D&D-flavored game, and one ran a campaign of over two years. Tables disagree on how well the balance holds, depending on how optimized the play is.
What works
Players feel heroic from level 1, and combat runs about as fast as 4th edition D&D. (thread)
A 2.3-year *Eyes of the Stone Thief* campaign went well, with incremental advances used to pace levelling. (thread)
Gridless combat still feels tactical. One GM found turn-to-turn choices more interesting than in Fabula Ultima. (thread)
One GM syncs full recoveries with story beats, so skipped fights bring the full heal sooner. (thread)
A GM running the game more casually reports no alpha-strike problem, and commenters say it cushions weaker builds. (thread)
What tables struggle with
A GM who ran 115 optimized, full-information battles found builds and items, such as an Evil Way paladin or the ring of fickle fate, that break encounter-building math. Critics say that setup isn't typical play. (thread)
It is a framework, so the GM has to prep to fit it to the PCs and world. (thread)
Icon rolls take time to learn, and reaction-heavy classes (commander, occultist) and the chaos mage can slow combat. The martial/caster gap grows at very high level. (thread)
The rules suggest 3-4 encounters per full recovery, so GMs manage pacing. One player dislikes the in-fiction justifications for recovery. (thread)
Build customization is lighter than in some other systems. (thread)
Who it suits
Tables that like D&D-style play but want something lighter and quicker.
Groups comfortable with improv and collaborative worldbuilding.
GMs willing to prep and tune the game to their table.
In players' words
"Your players will feel like Big Damn Heroes. Combat takes about as long as D&D 4th ed" (thread)
"I am not running into this \"Alpha strike\" problem, as you call it, and from other feedback ive read, it seems not many people are." (thread)
"One of my players hates it and asks me not to do stuff like that." (thread)
The threads behind it
Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.
8.3
13th age or Weird Wizard?
The thread is mostly about choosing between 13th Age and Shadow of the Weird Wizard, and only a few commenters report actually running 13th Age. Those GMs describe it as a heroic, fast-moving game that suits D&D-style players. The one long-campaign report calls it the best they've run, and the complaints are minor. 4 firsthand · 50 comments
My feedback on the 13th Age 2e gamma playtest, after GMing 115 battles and 13 noncombat sequences, with logs for all of them
The thread is mostly about the OP's playtest methodology and reputation, not about table experience. The only substantive firsthand reports are the OP's 115 battles and 13 noncombat sequences with an optimization-heavy, full-information approach, which found broken build and item combos and alpha-strike problems, plus one commenter who says they haven't hit those problems in their own games. 2 firsthand · 149 comments
What are your thoughts on the 13th Age method of handling "short rests" and "long rests"?
The thread is mostly about rest and recovery mechanics in general. Many commenters describe running the same no-rest system in 5e, which doesn't count here. The two actual 13th Age GMs say it works for them and syncs well with story beats, though one player at a table dislikes the diegetic justifications. 2 firsthand · 151 comments
High-powered, heroic, non-simulationist, tactical (and yet gridless) combat RPGs similar to Fabula Ultima or 13th Age 2e without actually being those two systems?
The thread is mostly about alternatives to 13th Age and Fabula Ultima. The only firsthand play of 13th Age 2e is the OP's, who ran it extensively, keeps a combat diary, and prefers it to Fabula Ultima for its moment-to-moment tactical choices. 1 firsthand · 78 comments