Savage Worlds is generic role playing system that focuses on pulpy action. Unlike most other generic systems that try to be adaptive to several different play styles, Savage Worlds puts its action heavy focus front and center while instead being generic in the sense you can play an action heavy game in pretty much any setting.TQWhich of the SW companions do you feel give you the most bang for your buck?
I like the Fantasy and Sci Fi companions but honestly just pirate them. PEG have been kind of shitty for a while and I am still ass mad that they spent years printing Pathfinder and Rifts for SWADE instead of making the genre companions that people actually wanted. SWADE Deadlands is shit though. They absolutely butchered the setting because of current year politics and god forbid a fantastical historical setting not have modern sensibilities.
>>98797035To be fair RIFTS is pretty popular, having the south lose the Civil War was the least egregious lore change, and SPF is actually superior to regular PF and might convince people to get into SW.>>98796941Fantasy Companion is better than Savage Pathfinder if fantasy is your jam.Sci-Fi expanded an improved vehicle rules to the point I consider a must own if you are going to be having vehicle focus on any way. Horror is easy to blend into any other setting.So the weakest is Super Powers because you can't really advance it beyond a certain power level. Meaning if you start as street level, you kind of need to stay there because the step above street is pretty dramatically more powerful and it just gets worse the higher you go. This limits what you can do pretty hard with that kind of setup
I'm honestly about to make SW my default system even though I don't really love it, just because it has so much support. And better then DnD
>>98799402SW has its faults, no doubt.If your group prefers action heavy stuff the ease at making stuff with it given how braindead easy it is just slot in stats and such for desired enemy creation is a pretty massive benefit from a GM perspective. Couple that with the amount of content from the companions and it gets piss easy to make a setting with the kind of does and tech you want to make just about any cohesive setting.
>>98797303>Sci-Fi expanded an improved vehicle rules to the point I consider a must own if you are going to be having vehicle focus on any way.The SWADE vehicle rules are still missing a ton compared to deluxe which is really annoying when there's nobody else trying to fix it and I'm lazy.
Are there any good pirate books I should look into for SWADE? Doesn't have to be completely historical because I intend to do fantasy pirates with magic and a couple races.
>>98802253There is a Freeport Companion for SW. Don't know if it's using SWADE or Deluxe though.
>>98797035>SWADE Deadlands is shit though.Nope, new version is 100 percent better, way less shitty 90s metaplot.
>>98799856Personally like SWADE vehicle stuff because having to juggle three different stats and fuck huge table space doesn't offer much in terms of making the game interesting. Boiling that shit down to one skill (handling) and focusing on chases and such accomplishes the same thing from a gaming standpoint. I'm a big opponent to multiple systems being used for specific elements (driving, netrunning, etc) because they just slow shit down while one guy just gabs with the GM for an hour and makes checks and shit based on skills that useless outside that single mini-game instance.
Personally, I don't care for the Horror Companion. It was rather bland and, as is usual for modern PEG products, the production quality of the adventures is atrocious. I like SPC for what it is. Its designed around how I want a supers game to flow, but again horrible adventures. SciFi has been my favorite, and I've enjoyed many of the adventures. I've run cyberpunk, star wars, startled, and giant mechs with it and my group wants more.Fantasy suffers from keeping the worst aspects of powers from core and not accepting the best from pathfinder. I don't do Rifts or Deadlands.
>>98796941For 15 bucks for the player's guide and another 15 for the GM guide, Interface Zero is a fuckton of Cyberpunk lore.I'm still dropping my Interface Zero module on Github this weekend by the way.>>98776361Finished polishing my character sheet tool's code earlier today, got v1.0 ready, just need to drop my module's NPCs there. But for now, character sheet tool looks like this with my table's player characters:https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbxffNQjDuAL8hli2ldC1s0oafCk_fP-KprdxpJxNW1Ls8mIC0cEtZ5WZFFu-3aoYRZi/execIt's also very adaptable for other SWADE settings. Change the CSS sheet and the cyberware database for something like powers or whatever, and it's working in 10 minutes.
>>98803766>Still no PoD for the GM guideYeah, fuck interface zero, that guy is a cunt. Glad you are enjoying your game though, anon.
>>98803771Thanks anon. My mainly AD&D2.0 table is really having the most fun we've had in years with it. Conversely, I tried to do Horror Companion a couple years ago, and it ended up fizzling out by the second campaign, despite them previously loving my runs of Kult and CoC. Maybe because I was new to SWADE, or maybe because horror only works live and not online. Interface Zero though? Some sessions have gone 8+ hours, and my DnD GM is refusing to GM DnD because he's really enjoying playing IZ.>Still no PoD for the GM guideAt 45 bucks at best for the Player's Guide PoD and the GM Guide being like 1/3rd bigger, fuck that. Digital is best.
>>98803837I wish there was a better option for SWADE cyberpunk, I also just don't really like the IZ setting. Cyberpunk with what amounts to fantasy races doesn't really do it for me, and the setting is dated in a weird way that I don't really dig.It'd be cool if someone would do a cyberpunk companion. Or, I guess maybe I'll just have to do it, when I'm not focused on ten other things.
>>98804057If you just wanna run the Cyberpunk world over SWADE, I think you just need to grab the 50 page RED Easy Mode book from GOG (it's free with the videogame, don't know if you can buy it alone though) and change the rolls so they depend on the SWADE style.
>>98805096Oh, just checked and it's actually free on drivethru.
I really wish I could have an AI mass-convert old game modules to SWADE. Like just take every Traveller product ever made and SWADEify them.
>>98804057>Or, I guess maybe I'll just have to do it,No, me.Caveat, it'll be another attempt at CthulhuPunk>>98807198Figure out a conversion guide, feed it to the AI, then feed modules to the AI.
I want one-hit duels. Should I just give whoever wins the draw The Drop?
>>98804057What are you looking for in a cyberpunk game?
>>98810055I want something similar to Cyberpunk Red, but with a less clunky system, I guess? There are ways that I could see SWADE working for that.
>>98809780Nah, put them in an incapacitated state of maxed out wounds.Same skill level in the relevant skill? Each draw one card from the action deck, highest card wins. Each level above the other guy? Draw another card taking the highest value after all cards drawn. (So d4 vs d6, the d6 character draws two cards. d4 vs d12? The d12 character draws 4 cards vs the d4 character's 1 card, so on an so forth).
>>98810289No, I mean are you looking for a bunch of Chrome add-ons affecting stats and weapons and such or is it more of just a flavored setting where the characters are perpetually broke schmucks outclassed in every way by corp-backed entities trying to plan heists and such?I'm asking because the former is going to be mainly gear driven stuff that can be cobbled together from RIFTS and the Sci-Fi companion. The latter is mainly enemy scaling and tone.
>>98809780>>98810306Isn't it just a Shooting vs Shooting (or Fighting vs Fighting if it's something like fencing) Test with the Incapacitated status on the line? The winner doesn't get The Drop because his opponent wasn't surprise-attacked, but if the duel is named as such, betting the Incapacitated status sounds logical.
>>98810963>>98810306Having a character get killed in a single roll seems like it's kinda lame. There needs to be some other shit for them to do around it.
>>98811868No, that's incredibly retarded.A duel is something that should be resolved fast with your life on the line. If it isn't, then it's not a duel but just a straight up fight.
>>98812018But don't forget you can definitely use bennies.
>>98810963>>98810306>>98809780The Drop is just +4 attack, +4 damage. You can KO people with it, but you can also ignore that part as the GM.
>>98812021You mean to soak the Incapacitated or what?
>>98811868>Having a character get killed in a single roll seems like it's kinda lameNot if it's specifically referred to as a duel. That's why I mentioned the Test rule, it's pretty open to exploration, and its requirement is simple: the player has to explicitly call a Test. It fits the narrative of two characters facing each other.imo, it should work like this:- both characters roll shooting- both characters resist with agility- if your shooting roll passes and the opponent's agility roll fails, your opponent becomes incapacitated BECAUSE it was called as a duel- both characters can become incapacitated this way, which also fits duels- I think you can do something similar with melee weapon duels, but not for hand-to-hand fighting.That said, I did find official Deadlands duel rules, but they're convoluted as fuck. I'd go with just a Test really. But here's the Deadlands duel rules:https://files.catbox.moe/hcq9i2.pdfBut SWADE encounters should be fast imo, so all the fanfare in this ruleset feels kinda gay.
>>98812168Yeah what I don't like about the Deadlands rules is that you know it's exactly three rounds. If they're going to be that involved I'd rather it have mounting tension because you don't know when someone will finally draw.
I've been thinking about running a pulpy dieselpunk type setting inspired by Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Iron Sky, Porco Rosso, etc. Would Savage Worlds be good for planes zooming around and gunning each other down?
>>98813349There are dogfight rules, but I haven't tried them so don't know. But it looks like it's the chase rules anyway, so here's the chase supplement:https://files.catbox.moe/cskfm2.pdfyou decide if it works for your table
>>98810321Both of those things, lol.I remember not being very interested in what the scifi companion was selling, though.
>>98812168>But SWADE encounters should be fast imo, so all the fanfare in this ruleset feels kinda gay.Deadlands is at its heart a Spaghetti Western, so three rounds of staring each other down is to be expected. You can do one round if you want, but stacking hole cards makes the first hit much more decisive
>>98796941Fantasy and Sci fi are both nice.I don't care about Pathfinder, just play actual Pathfinder or D&D if you want that type of fantasy, fantasy companion is a toolbox and more versatile.I don't remember Horror being that useful, but some of the races were fun? Still, both Fantasy companion and Sci-Fi had cool playable species.Haven't paid enough attention to Super Powers because I don't care about the flavor, but the powers seem useful enough as reference for homebrewing enemies, although Fantasy companion already has such a big bestiary.I have no experience with Deadlands.
I ran 2020 for years in the 90s. I recently ran a few one-shots reviving the campaign using ghe cyberpunk stuff in the SFC. It worked out much better than expected. The only change I'd make for a campaign would be to increase the amount of Strain a person can take and bring on some of the IF0 chrone.
>>98815241You can install as much chrome as you want in Interface Zero. You can die if you fail a vigor check while installing over strain though.There's no cyber psychosis sadly, but I made a hindrance to cover it here >>98803766v1.0 should be released today I hope. Just gotta crop and upload the 20 portraits and make the github README.md. And fix some of the character sheets in the pdf, because I noticed some of them were wrong when I updated the online tool.
>>98815624Finished cropping, uploading and linking the images. Now I just gotta cross-reference the pdf character sheets, fix anything necessary, and then upload everything to github with instructions in a README.md file.If anyone wants to check it out and test it yourself, here's the app scripthttps://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycby-bPr03DlTuj001B0ECqpmNbnVkJJynbI-Rkz16x8ZnceP1QCTnnPV7D7ldQ2hH48n/execAnd the google sheet that serves as a free database:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lIWMbaGDFwCm61CMvXYg5hKTs7M8pgTO-46HQh38KPsIf you wanna re-deploy it (for example to use with your table's characters), just go to File > Make a Copy. Then in your copy, go on Extensions > Apps Script. Then for the code, at the top-right, click on Deploy, and then you'll have to agree to a fuckton of security questions to deploy it. It'll say "Google hasn't verified this app", so you'll have to click on Advanced and then in "Go To script ID (unsafe)". The code is pretty explicit and safe, but you can check it out or upload it to an AI to check for security issues. I use Gemini, it also drew all of the module's art. Once deployed, you can modify the google sheet for your own characters. You enter descriptions to the dictionary tab, and modifiers to the mods tab. You could also modify the stylesheet to fit other settings like Deadlands or Savage Pathfinder I guess, just gotta change any reference to cyberware for powers or something.But I'll explain all of this with screenshots and whatnot once I upload it to github, hopefully later today.
>>98815925scratch that, I still have bugs
>>98812053Absolutely can use them to soak or use them to add to attack and what have you. Never forget taking a round to the chest and then returning fire is an option. Hell, the USA had a president that did just that. His weapon dry fired. He caught a musket blast to his chest. He ignored the wound, checked his weapon, readied it again, and blasted the other guy while he stood there shaking in his boots as the tough old bastard took his time making sure his shot would definitely kill the guy who shot him.Andrew Jackson, I think, who was such a high level of batshit that he definitely feels like some kind of comic book villain made manifest.
Why would you pick up Savage Worlds instead of Genesys, GURPS, BRP, etc?
>>98803766>>98815925Released! >>98817542>>98817546Exploding dice, edges and hindrances, explicit fuck you to d20, shit like that.
>>98817546Savage Worlds is much more playable out of the box than any other of those games (admittedly, I don't know if that's true for Genesys, I've only ever played EotE, but Genesys has its own onboarding issues).
>>98817546Every system you listed is better.Every system you listed take way more work from a GM to make something playable and consistent compared to SW. SW is by far the easiest system to plug and play shit from any genre. If you got the companions, pretty much any hodgepodge abomination of a game can be made with DBZ characters and Space Marines fighting off the ghosts of alien dragons being easily accomplished even if it is incredibly retarded.
>>98817568Genesys is great, but it demands a retarded amount of work to make something out of and EDGE seems to hate the system so they never made any new content for it other than just finishing up shit that FFG was working on before EDGE was made. Think about that. They had an in-house system, with an installed base, and instead of making an Arkham Horror splat they made a while new system that was dog shit.
>>98817546Considering I actually like most of those systems, but haven't played BRP>SW over GenesysYou can't get hold of the dice>SW over GURPSYou want a fully analog game (I refuse to play GURPs without GCS)
>>98796941>TQ:Pirates of the Spanish Main player guide.Not because it is great or anything, but it provides a fully playable framework for SW and is completely free. Throw in some random enemies from the web and you are golden. You don't even need the base rulebook
>>98818641The player's handbook is $8 for a PDF and $20 for a physical book for SWADE. Hell, for a long time a new physical copy of SW Deluxe was $5. It's honestly one of those things where I have to question if people just outright refuse to support the hobby in any financial way when they won't throw in the bare minimum for entry.Unless you just come from a part of the world where that kind of payment is a month of rent or some shit, then I understand completely.
>>98818866Some people just pirate shit, anon. No matter what and will justify it in outlandish ways. Two prime examples are FATE core and Pathfinder/Starfinder. FATE core complete rulebook was available as PDF from Evil Hat with a 'pay what you want' model, including $0.00. For a price of absolutely nothing they were handing out their rules just to gauge what kind of audience demand existed for it and people still pirated it from other sources.PF/SF core rules and splat rules have existed online since the early days of those games and have been updated routinely with easily searched, referenced, and clarified entries. The physical books were for art, lore, and adventures. Guess what? All that shit was pirated to hell and back too. FATE absolutely proved pirates just flat out refuse to do anything through official channels no matter what and SF/PF proved it was never about access in any way, shape, or form.
>>98812168This doesn't really allow for different duelist archetypes, like the zen guy
Do you use themed card decks for your games? I nabbed pic related for a Deadlands game
>>98825074I've been wanting to get a SWADE-specific deck with 1-52
>>98825074I got a few of those big ass action decks from some of the box bundles for some of the different settings that I use.
>>98802974>Fantasy suffers from keeping the worst aspects of powers from core and not accepting the best from pathfinderCan you elaborate?
Is there any non-essential stuff you find yourself using when you run a game? For example, my group loves the adventure deck (random single use abilities dealt out at the start of a session).
>>98826039I haven't compared the two in a while, so I'm curious what they are talking about as well. Spells weren't too different from what I remember but class edges were VERY different. Class edges are unique to SP and were pretty damn bonkers in terms of how strong they were. Makes sense when you consider they were shooting for more of a high-power fantasy vibe instead of just a straight up high-fantasy vibe. It also made Fighters positively busted if you know the rules well.
>>98827968Tried posting this earlier but this site hates my tablet for the captcha. Trying again.My complaint about the FC powers is that it reverts to the each trapping is a separate power rule from core. That just isn't too fantasyish to me. I much prefer the SWPF rule of spending a benny to change the blast trapping from fire to ice. It's fine for a low fantasy game, but that isn't where my interest lies.I do like that FC gets edges out from behind the class wall. If I was going to start another fantasy campaign I'd go with FC while using the SWPF trapping rule and modifiers.
>>98828470>each trapping is a separate powerReally? I actually prefer it like this. In fact I don't even know how the opposite could even make narrative sense
>>98828470to be fair while the fantasy companion intentionally does away with the wizard edge nothing really breaks that much if you just put it back in, and there are the rules for temporarily swapping or adding trappings with downtime which I think was a decent compromise.>>98828669I do think its good to make people pick concrete effects for their powers but I do see how it can get a bit limiting if there was no way to swap or add trappings besides spending edges to learn new powers.
>>98828764>FC does away with Wizard edgeWhere does the FC say you are supposed to remove the to Wizard edge? I always assumed that anything in the core rules that fits your game is fine to put in there and the companions were just extra stuff for aiding you in fleshing out setting using the core rules as a base.The core rules explains the logic behind trappings being immutable for the most part. A guy slinging out earth based bolt powers encountering something weak to fire suddenly shooting out fire based bolts is pretty obviously just gaming the system instead of doing something his character would do. You can still mod effects though.
>>98828881on page 35 in the wizard edge sidebar, but yes "does away with" was poor wording on my part because obviously someone could still choose to use it but they designed the book without it.
>>98828912You're right. I just thought FC Wizard was an optional rule. Got to admit it is a bit to strong to change trappings all willy nilly in a game where elemental weakness exploits are par for the course, so I understand where they are coming from. Savage Pathfinder just lets all casters use the Wizard edge from SW CRB (can alter trappings for +1 power point). Given that characters are noticeably stronger in SP in general though, that isn't too shocking.
When I look at a generic system, I often ask myself "Can this system run "*Insert movie I.P. name*?" and SW can run a shockingly high number of those I.P. names well. Either it's a good system or I have a very narrow taste in movies.
>>98829217It's just a system based around running campaigns that feel like movies. Your characters are the "protaganist". It's baked into the system. Shit, it cant work without the meta currency, everything falls apart
>>98817546>Genesyskek>GURPSGood for more realistic games.>BRPLikewise.Savage Worlds is good for pulp. Genesys is a dogshit cashgrab with proprietary dice, and its shills have yet to name a single genuinely good unique mechanic from the game to make it worth playing.
>>98829698The dice are the unique mechanic in Genesys that the game runs off of. You think it's a negative though. It is, in fact, a pretty radical take on a resolution mechanic, one of the biggest in modern tabletop, but you shit on it out of principle.The system itself requires far too much effort to create something whole cloth using the core rulebook for me to ever recommend over Savage Worlds if I have to recommend a generic system. I got a lot of experience with it and even then it's a fucking chore because you can't plug-and-play half the content for basic enemies for shit. The rules are there for making stuff but it is DEFINITELY a game that needed a lot more supplements to flesh out quick creation and it just didn't get it. That being said, when you DO have something made? Easily one of the best systems to play and run.
>>98829698Oh and GURPS and BRP are pretty shit. GURPS is neck and neck with Genesys for being a bitch to make shit with. BRP isn't realistic for shit either unless you assume it's common for people to just constantly fail the most mundane shit unless you are autistic all obsessed with a particular trait. BRP is like playing as a group extreme autistics that fail at every task imaginable but are practically superhuman at one or two things. The guy sitting in his own shit, drooling, but making a 1:1 exact replica of the Mona Lisa using nothing but ballpoint pen is what happens when God makes a BRP character IRL.
>>98829660You can run without bennies. You can't really without the wild die
