Kannik
Legend
Have you played or run the Silhouette system? It's the rules system used by the RPGs of Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Tribe 8, Core Command, and Gear Krieg, as well as being released as a standalone core/generic rulebook. If you have, what did you think of it?
First released with the Heavy Gear RPG, the Silhouette system burst onto the scene in 1994 with a roleplaying game that included an integrated hex-based tactical combined arms combat rules as well as a lavish and heavily illustrated rulebook with an evocative graphic layout. The setting/worldbuilding was also strongly detailed, which would be continued in future games that explored additional sci-fi with Jovian Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic earth with dreaming magic in Tribe 8, an alternate history earth with Gear Krieg, and the space operatic Core Command.
The core of the Silhouette system is a d6 pool that is read differently than most: the highest value rolled counts as the test’s total, with additional 6s adding +1 to the result. Compared to a target number, the roll also determines a Margin of Success or Margin of Failure, with narrative or mechanical effects (including damage) directly tied to the result of the roll.
As noted in the previous “Grade…” threads, “the D20 System is the undeniable favorite for tabletop RPGs today, but there are plenty of options out there for those who don't like D20 or might be looking for something different. The goal in these little surveys is to highlight the different systems and options available to tabletop fans...not bash on anyone's favorites.”
So! If you’ve played one of the Silhouette games, I’d like to hear about your experiences. What do/did you like or dislike about it? If you haven’t played, was there something that dissuaded you from giving it a try?
And as before, just for fun I’ll take the responses to give the system a “grade.”
Grade: C
Of those who voted, 53% have heard of it, and about a third (32%) have played it.
Of those who have played it: 0% love it, 30% like it, 53% are lukewarm, 18% dislike it, and 6% hate it.
Previous entries:
Grading the Cypher System
Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System
Grading the Savage Worlds System
Grading the Fate/Fate Core System
Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System
Grading the GURPS System
Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System
Grading the D6 System
Grading the Hero System
Grading the Storyteller System
Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System
Grading the Basic Role-Playing System
Grading the SAGA System
Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System
Grading the Rolemaster/Spacemaster System
Grading the Cortex Plus and Cortex Prime System
Grading the Burning Wheel System
Grading the Genesys System
First released with the Heavy Gear RPG, the Silhouette system burst onto the scene in 1994 with a roleplaying game that included an integrated hex-based tactical combined arms combat rules as well as a lavish and heavily illustrated rulebook with an evocative graphic layout. The setting/worldbuilding was also strongly detailed, which would be continued in future games that explored additional sci-fi with Jovian Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic earth with dreaming magic in Tribe 8, an alternate history earth with Gear Krieg, and the space operatic Core Command.
The core of the Silhouette system is a d6 pool that is read differently than most: the highest value rolled counts as the test’s total, with additional 6s adding +1 to the result. Compared to a target number, the roll also determines a Margin of Success or Margin of Failure, with narrative or mechanical effects (including damage) directly tied to the result of the roll.
As noted in the previous “Grade…” threads, “the D20 System is the undeniable favorite for tabletop RPGs today, but there are plenty of options out there for those who don't like D20 or might be looking for something different. The goal in these little surveys is to highlight the different systems and options available to tabletop fans...not bash on anyone's favorites.”
So! If you’ve played one of the Silhouette games, I’d like to hear about your experiences. What do/did you like or dislike about it? If you haven’t played, was there something that dissuaded you from giving it a try?
And as before, just for fun I’ll take the responses to give the system a “grade.”

Grade: C
Of those who voted, 53% have heard of it, and about a third (32%) have played it.
Of those who have played it: 0% love it, 30% like it, 53% are lukewarm, 18% dislike it, and 6% hate it.
Previous entries:
Grading the Cypher System
Grading the Pathfinder 2E (D20) System
Grading the Savage Worlds System
Grading the Fate/Fate Core System
Grading the Modiphius 2d20 System
Grading the GURPS System
Grading the Powered by the Apocalypse System
Grading the D6 System
Grading the Hero System
Grading the Storyteller System
Grading the Megaversal/Palladium System
Grading the Basic Role-Playing System
Grading the SAGA System
Grading the Warhammer 40K RPG System
Grading the Rolemaster/Spacemaster System
Grading the Cortex Plus and Cortex Prime System
Grading the Burning Wheel System
Grading the Genesys System
Last edited: