TT Ep 123 Savage Worlds Tests Rules Deep Dive for Gamemasters and Players
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2024
- Tests are a great way to make combat fun and add variety to gameplay in Savage Worlds tabletop RPG. Eric and Carl chat about the rules and how to optimize Tests play--including edges that help build your Testing effectiveness. Great information for gamemasters and players. #savageworlds #weplaysavageworlds #gamemaster
0:00 Intro
1:25 Test Basics
5:30 Test Rules Quirks
11:00 Creative Skill Use
14:25 Tests vs Support
16:40 Tests vs Attacking
20:40 Main Test Skills
28:40 General Test Edges
30:55 Taunt Edges
36:55 Intimidation Edges
38:20 Shooting Edges
44:00 Fighting Edges
47:14 Build Advice
50:30 "Confusion" Power
53:25 Creative Combat Setting Rule
Check out the video on "Support" too: • TT Ep 116 Learn to Max...
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The whole section of the Tests rules quirks is incredibly helpful to me. Thank you for covering that! It makes me feel better that it isn't just me who also trips up over some of the wording in the book when it comes to Actions vs Attacks and the fine print wording inconsistencies and vast interpretations that can come from it.
I honestly think Taunt is just as usable in RP as Intimidation, even for streetwise checks, it's just a difference in approach for any social situation (and goes hand-in-hand with Persuasion in that sense). I think of Taunt as similar to Spiderman, or that lovable sarcastic friend. It isn't necessarily just sticking out your tongue and wagging your hands at your ears, if you know what I mean. It can be great put-downs, teasing, pointing out a flaw in a passive-aggresive/sarcastic way ("Bless your heart" is kind of that Southern version of a Taunt in the right context, for example). So to me it's all the same for a role-playing social context with the only real difference being the approach. Persuasion is nice and friendly and trying to be convincing (may not work well on the types that think you're a "used car salesman"/cynical types). Intimidation is being the bigger threat (and may not work well on someone who just gets easily scared and, thus, actually clams up, for example). Taunt can be a subtle go-between to those approaches, or it could be a straight up "nanny, nanny, boo, boo, you can't catch me" or the like (which may not work well for those who just don't "get" sarcasm, but might be persuasive to the cynical type that Persuasion might not work well with). In other words situational modifiers may apply in the use of a social skill on the individual, whcih I definitely use in my games where the "right" approach might get you a bonus, the "wrong" approach gives you a negative and the leftover is just straight up. Creative uses are definitely all a part of any of them, though, and all very usable in Tests.
Great point on the value of level headed.
Sure, I'll play Devil's Advocate and name the one instance I could think of for notice, lol. If you roll for notice as a test, you could say that you spend a moment observing the enemy to see if they have a weakness; a bad knee, one hand weaker than the other, so on. For the next attack you do, you're targeting that weak spot, but the enemy will try to guard it. There's the one way I can think of
You just demonstrated how much fun it is to build a narrative for Tests and Support to use the skill you really want to. Great stuff!
So I made a Non-Magical Mentat archetype that focused on Notice for the purpose of Tests and Combat.
Predictive Parry - Notice d6, SMT d6
You may calculate Parry using Notice instead of Fighting.
Combat Detective - Seasoned, Notice d8
When a foe fails a SMT vs Notice Test, they remain Distracted and/or Vulnerable to you for the rest of the scene.
Interesting topic.
Ego boost! I've definitely used Fighting and Shooting to Test, even Shooting in a running gun battle. It definitely has its uses.
I do question why you wouldn't use an Arcane Skill in a Test. "I flare sparks into the monster's face, giving it a harder time seeing." That's easy flavor for a Distracted or Vulnerable result. I'm sure someone more creative than I could come up with something niftier.
That is a good point, I look at it as Arcane skill's only function are to activate powers using power points, similar to how Shooting is there to 'activate' guns or bows using ammo (Elemental Manipulation is a good cheap test power) . A gm is probably not going to let you Test with Shooting if you don't have some type of ranged weapon in hand as an example [still good for supporting though]. A lenient Gm could certainly let one use Arcane Skills for tests , I don't see it as game breaking or anything. If one were to let Arcane skills be used for tests, I think the Cantrip mechanic from Savage Pathfinder\Fantasy Companion is the best way to do this, as it is written to allow this very thing...
For melee focused settings the GM should really consider using fighting tests since the Gang Up modifier applies. Often you get lots of gribblies that can't do much against the frontline fighters because of low strength, but they often have decent/ok agility/fighting. Add the gang up bonus to that you're doing alright. Usually they support one or two bigger baddy(s), or even if alone they can set up a push to attempt to knock a character prone. And since gribblies often go on the same initiative you don't need to think too much about setting it up.
Thank you for the insight!
I love Taunt. You can totally Taunt foes without saying a word. Now I want to build a mute taunter (maybe a saucy mime ridiculer).
Remember the old Smarts tricks from SWDEE? Those were fun and now, if you run SWADE RAW, they're no longer available.
Would you please elaborate?
Cool episode. SW is such a creative system if you want to. Did you have any idea how to fix power stacking magic. I have 3 players with mostly buff powers. I was thinking about a cosentration system were you can only have one timet power up a a time.
The concept of "RAW" really doesn't apply to SWADE. It's a Common Sense system to the core.
Eric "needs" to stop stepping on your Carl. Repeatedly I've ntoed that you are in the middle of making a point and he'll step on you verbally. It really interferes with the point you are trying to make.