Savage Worlds?

[Grynning]

So, with our M&M drawing to a close, the GM was asking us what he should run next (to alternate with the 4th ed game I'll be running). I brought up Deadlands, because I've never played it before and I always thought the setting sounded cool. He said he'd want to run the new Savage Worlds version if we did that.

I've never used the Savage Worlds system before, and I wanted to glance over it, and I seem to remember someone linking a quick version of the rules on here once long ago. Anyone still have that link? My Google fu is weak tonight.

Also any opinions on the system itself are welcome.

[Raum]

Here you go. Enjoy! SW is one of my preferred systems.

Edit: I don't have time for much detail tonight but SW plays very quickly, has options for socially oriented characters even in combat, and requires very little book keeping. All reasons I enjoy it. The system is oriented towards a pulp style - you'll have to tweak it if you want gritty.

[Grynning]

Thanks very much. Only thing that's a bit unclear from the test drive rules - when do you roll a skill and when do you roll the attribute? Do you roll both, just the skill, or what? If it's whatever is higher, there would be no point in buying the skill lower than the attribute, but many of the pre-gen characters did just that, so I'm guessing that's not how it works.

So, assuming I want to roll a skill, say, Climb. I have 1d6 Strength, and 1d4 in the skill. Which do I roll to climb something (ignoring the Wild Die, I get that part):

1d6 for my Strength
1d4 for my climbing skill
1d6+1d4 added together
or 1d6+ 1d4 taking the highest result

Could anyone shed some light?

[Maxymiuk]

Thanks very much. Only thing that's a bit unclear from the test drive rules - when do you roll a skill and when do you roll the attribute? Do you roll both, just the skill, or what? If it's whatever is higher, there would be no point in buying the skill lower than the attribute, but many of the pre-gen characters did just that, so I'm guessing that's not how it works.

So, assuming I want to roll a skill, say, Climb. I have 1d6 Strength, and 1d4 in the skill. Which do I roll to climb something (ignoring the Wild Die, I get that part):

1d6 for my Strength
1d4 for my climbing skill
1d6+1d4 added together
or 1d6+ 1d4 taking the highest result

Could anyone shed some light?

You just roll 1d4 for the climbing skill.

However, were you to have 1d8 in climb and 1d6 in Strength, then you'd use the 1d6 - your attribute die determines the maximum size of your skill die.

[Grynning]

However, were you to have 1d8 in climb and 1d6 in Strength, then you'd use the 1d6 - your attribute die determines the maximum size of your skill die.

Then what's the point of being able to buy skills above your attribute die?

[Maxymiuk]

Then what's the point of being able to buy skills above your attribute die?

I don't remember whether there is one, actually. And I don't have my books with me to check.

[Shalist]

Attributes limit how easily you advance skills, not how effective they are. If you have a d8 climbing and d4 strength, you roll a d8 to climb...the 'penalty' is that you had to pay 5 points (1 for d4, 2 for d6 and 8) instead of 3 to get the d8 in the first place.

'trait test' is a generic term for abilities (stats) and skills. Actual ability tests crop up most often as saving throws or opposed rolls, but show up in tons of other places as well (str=>melee, lotsa derived stats, etc).

---

I played through a 'savage torg' campaign a while back, and as I found the system new and interesting, ended up being the resident rule munchkin after reading through all the FAQ's, etc etc. I gotta say, I love the system.

edit: Linky to official FAQ
edit2: Better linky
edit3: All done editing. Honest.

[kbk]

Savage worlds is a great system. It has a very fun flavor. I personally recommend the Deadlands setting in Savage worlds:

Its 1876, and the civil war is still going on, but its settled down. There are very few active campaigns into opposing territories (except during election years!)
After the battle of Gettysburg, both armies were swamped by risen dead.
There are hucksters who gain magic powers by gambling with demons.
There are truly supernaturally powerful Indian shaman.
Mad scientists have discovered a new, stronger coal that sounds like its screaming when they burn it. They call it ghost rock.
Some have found true faith and can heal through the true power of the Divine.
Some heroes and villains are too stubborn to stay dead, and got back up after being hung. These Harrowed fight a demon for control of their decaying, half-dead bodies.

And more.


On the skills vs. attributes: IIRC you don't always get to up an attribute, you get more opportunities to up skills. There is a difference between generic skill checks and specific skill checks as well (just like in DnD, you may roll int or you may roll knowledge: arcane, but in this case the limiting factor on the overall attribute is how high you can raise the skill, and not a specific bonus).

[Guinea Anubis]

I love Savage Worlds!

I run a Deadlands Reloaded Game and its a lot of fun! The rules are easy and flexible enought that they can handle just about anything a player can come up with.

[Raum]

Then what's the point of being able to buy skills above your attribute die?

You can only increase attributes a limited number of times (once per rank) so attribute choices will affect the cost of your skills as you level.

Don't ignore the Wild die, it makes a big difference. A d6 skill without a Wild die (minions) has a 50% chance of success. With a Wild die the chance of success is 75%. (Considering a standard roll with no negative or positive modifiers.) Add an edge giving +2 to the skill and you'll only fail when both dice come up as a 1 - a ~97% chance of success!

When it comes to play, attributes and skills matter far less than edges. A marksman with Aim and a d6 in shooting skill is a better shot than someone with a d8 (and probably even a d10) in shooting. Edges make your character.

[YPU]

Savage worlds is a very flexible game, and when you have a few source books it also has a nice amount of character options. Something else that’s really nice about it is that one can adopt many a setting fairly easy to it. ie, avatar the last airbender save style, no problem.
Deadlands specifically has my interest, I have been wanting to get a game going but we hardly have time for dnd anymore, let alone another game.
Perhaps a deadlands reloaded PbP? There seem to be enough fans. I’m afraid I couldn’t run it, my knowledge of American history is far to little to run a game with actual Americans.

and indeed that wild die makes the heroes (and big bad guys) what they should be.
[nitpick]Kbk, its ghost rock, not ghost walk, btw. [/nitpick]
And you forgot martial arts, they work just fine in the weird west.

That’s perhaps another fine point of the weird west, it’s a setting where people from all over the world gather in the hopes for a better life. making many a character possible. (ninja or ronin included)

[kbk]

[nitpick]Kbk, its ghost rock, not ghost walk, btw. [/nitpick]
And you forgot martial arts, they work just fine in the weird west.

That’s perhaps another fine point of the weird west, it’s a setting where people from all over the world gather in the hopes for a better life. making many a character possible. (ninja or ronin included)

Damn sorry.., fixed. That's a nasty mistake for me to have made.

I never cared too much for the martial arts rules, but they are there and they actually do fit in well, what with Chinese immigrant rail workers. Deadlands is an amazingly rich setting.

Savage worlds is a very flexible game, and when you have a few source books it also has a nice amount of character options. Something else that’s really nice about it is that one can adopt many a setting fairly easy to it. ie, avatar the last airbender save style, no problem.
Deadlands specifically has my interest, I have been wanting to get a game going but we hardly have time for dnd anymore, let alone another game.
Perhaps a deadlands reloaded PbP? There seem to be enough fans. I’m afraid I couldn’t run it, my knowledge of American history is far to little to run a game with actual Americans.

Deadlands has some information on settings across the pond, but honestly, its such an alternative history, that all you really need is an appreciation for cowboys and penchant for horror. I think most of our Deadlands games always involved taking the alt-history and altering it even more.