PDA

View Full Version : Anyone here play Savage Worlds?



lothofkalroth
2008-03-26, 09:13 PM
I've been playing D&D for about 9 months now, and I've enjoyed every minute of it, but one of my friends recently bought a book called Savage Worlds, which is turning out to be pretty fun so far. I wouldn't say it's better than D&D, but it's definitely got some interesting potential for things that D&D and d20 modern tend to fall short on. Anybody else here tried it? :smallsmile:

Skjaldbakka
2008-03-26, 11:49 PM
No, but I have recently been recuited for one. It looks like it will be fun, but I disagree with the DM on its status as the "One True System".

At this moment, BESM is my favorite system. I have unfortunately discovered that I am incapable of running it, as I have great difficulty balancing encounters (they all tend to be pushovers or TPKs).

So I run D&D and WoD, where I don't encounter that problem.

tyckspoon
2008-03-26, 11:53 PM
Savage Worlds

Never heard of it, I'm sad to say.


At this moment, BESM is my favorite system. I have unfortunately discovered that I am incapable of running it, as I have great difficulty balancing encounters (they all tend to be pushovers or TPKs).

An unfortunate side effect of most open systems. An equal-point opponent should be good against an equal-point character on a one to one basis, but there are almost certainly powers and abilities that are more and less valuable than their point costs (I haven't dug in deep enough to find out exactly which ones they are in 3rd edition yet. In 2nd/2E Revised, Melee Weapon Attacks had massive damage potential for the cost.) At least if you accidentally create a pushover you can pretty easily pretend you meant to do that.

Zincorium
2008-03-26, 11:59 PM
Never heard of savage worlds until now, although I'll probably do some research to find out exactly what it is.

As far as BESM, it seems balance-able as long as the characters are of the same 'genre' of anime, so to speak. I do suggest avoiding the swarm power and maxing out your health- I've done it and the results were far more powerful (if somewhat more situational) than the other characters in my point range.

Skjaldbakka
2008-03-27, 12:09 AM
I don't have much trouble with balance, I am great at building characters for BESM, and helping other people build their characters. I just have difficulty making encounters that are close. In D&D terms, I can make CR +/-5, but not CR = to party level.

lothofkalroth
2008-03-27, 12:36 AM
okay, humor the n00b, what's BESM?

Skjaldbakka
2008-03-27, 01:07 AM
Big Eyes Small Mouth, by the now defunct company Guardians of Order, currently owned by White Wolf. It is an effects-based system (you buy things you can do with XP, instead of gaining levels with fixed benefits), which uses 2d6 as its task resolution. Similarly to D&D 3rd edition, the latest edition of BESM switched to a "high rolls are good, all the time" system.

It is called BESM because it is aimed at running anime based games, but it really isn't mechanically tied to anime in any way.

Maxymiuk
2008-03-27, 05:50 AM
Ah, Savage Worlds...

I actually like the system. It covers any style from fantasy, to mecha, to space opera, combat both on the individual and mass battle scale, vehicular chases, and (my favorite) improvised actions with an intuitive, cinematic, and above all simple system.

The other good part is that there's none of that "shmuck to hero" progression of D&D - you start out as Big Damned Heroes and only get bigger. While at the same time remaining within the realm of being human (i.e. soft and squishy), strange as that may sound - just think about every action movie ever made.

A shame that the GM we had wasn't all that good - enthusiastic, certainly, but fairly inexperienced and in love with modules. Hmm... maybe I should see about getting the books myself and patching together a game one of those days...

lothofkalroth
2008-03-27, 06:52 AM
Skjaldbakka Big Eyes Small Mouth, by the now defunct company Guardians of Order, currently owned by White Wolf. It is an effects-based system (you buy things you can do with XP, instead of gaining levels with fixed benefits), which uses 2d6 as its task resolution. Similarly to D&D 3rd edition, the latest edition of BESM switched to a "high rolls are good, all the time" system.

It is called BESM because it is aimed at running anime based games, but it really isn't mechanically tied to anime in any way.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

that makes sense,, big eyes, small mouth...

thanks:smallsmile:

Matthew
2008-03-27, 11:42 AM
I like what I have read of Savage Worlds, but have yet to actually play a game of it. There was a very long thread over on RPGnet about a guy who tried playing only Savage Worlds for a period (a year or something, maybe?). Anyway, it was a pretty god thread. If anybody is interested in checking out Savage Worlds, they should probably click the below links:

Savage Worlds Test Drive Rules 4.0 (http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/SW%20Rev/TestDrive4.pdf)
Great White Games -Free Download Page (http://www.peginc.com/Downloads/Downloads.htm) (Check out the free adventure, Against the Orcs).
Savage Worlds RPGnet Review (http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9372.phtml)

There are also a bunch of free downloads on RPGNow, which can be found here (http://www.rpgnow.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Savage+Worlds&search_here=1&search_filter=0_0_0&filters=0_0_0&search_free=1&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1).

Babbage talks a fair bit about Savage Worlds in his 1001+1 Arabian Nights free Ezine, which he occasionally advertises here. You can see the archive here: One Thousand and One Nights and One Night (http://1001nightsand1night.110mb.com/). In the one of the latest issues (#20) he converts a Changeling to Savage Worlds format.

lothofkalroth
2008-03-27, 03:18 PM
i've only played one campaign so far, and it's actually not done yet, but so far it's turning out quite good. I'm in a modern era detective/serial killer campaign. My character actually just died, but it's cool, cuz first, he killed a main NPC in one punch, pried open the bars of his jail cell door, stole a cop uniform and walked right out of a crowded police station after bluffing a whole squad of trained S.W.A.T. members. This game kicks ass.

I really like the system of hindrances too-for each hindrance you take, you get something in return. More fair than just getting feats to start. Plus it seems like it would work better with weirder campaign settings, like futuristic, or alien worlds, or even old school turn of the century (the LAST century) kind of stuff.

as far as i know though, there's only one book though. It'd be nice if anyone knows of any supplementals...

Maxymiuk
2008-03-27, 04:35 PM
as far as i know though, there's only one book though. It'd be nice if anyone knows of any supplementals...

Yes, yes it would. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds)


Although Savage Worlds is a generic rules system, Pinnacle has released "Savage Settings" - campaign settings or modules designed specifically for the Savage Worlds rules. These have included Evernight, 50 Fathoms, Necessary Evil, Rippers, and Low Life.

Raum
2008-03-27, 05:27 PM
I've been playing D&D for about 9 months now, and I've enjoyed every minute of it, but one of my friends recently bought a book called Savage Worlds, which is turning out to be pretty fun so far. I wouldn't say it's better than D&D, but it's definitely got some interesting potential for things that D&D and d20 modern tend to fall short on. Anybody else here tried it? :smallsmile:Savage Worlds isn't better than D&D, it's simply different. Instead of providing reams of options and a constant stream of expansions, it provides a framework in the basic rule set and tailors it to individual settings in a setting book. For the most part you'll only ever need two books - and you could play with one if you're willing to create your own background and setting. It also simplifies rules to the minimum required to play a tactical game. The simplicity makes combat fast as well as almost forcing use of tactics...play it like a hack fest and you'll probably die. Speaking of character injury and death, SW characters don't become 'unkillable' by novices at high levels like the D&D model. They do become tougher, but a lucky novice or a group of tactical novices can still hurt or even kill a 'Legendary' SW character.

I enjoy Savage Worlds, but it's not for everyone. If you want the plethora of splat books you're better off with D&D. :)

RamrodTheWizard
2008-03-27, 08:53 PM
i've only played one campaign so far, and it's actually not done yet, but so far it's turning out quite good. I'm in a modern era detective/serial killer campaign. My character actually just died, but it's cool, cuz first, he killed a main NPC in one punch, pried open the bars of his jail cell door, stole a cop uniform and walked right out of a crowded police station after bluffing a whole squad of trained S.W.A.T. members. This game kicks ass.

I really like the system of hindrances too-for each hindrance you take, you get something in return. More fair than just getting feats to start. Plus it seems like it would work better with weirder campaign settings, like futuristic, or alien worlds, or even old school turn of the century (the LAST century) kind of stuff.

as far as i know though, there's only one book though. It'd be nice if anyone knows of any supplementals...

That game has kicked quite a bit of ass, if you ask me. A common criticism we have heard about the system is that it doesn't handle roleplaying heavy games well, but in the few sessions we ran we only had one real combat other then a few swings being thrown around.

feghoot
2008-03-27, 11:22 PM
Speaking as someone who only has the test drive, I must say that I'm impressed with the sheer diversity of the campaign settings savage worlds (http://www.peginc.com/games.htm) has out.

Citizen Joe
2008-03-27, 11:26 PM
The guys over at Feartheboot.com are pretty big proponents of Savage Worlds. They recently held a con that had among other things a Savage Dukes of Hazzard game. They 'Savage' everything over there and it is sort of a running gag.