totally new to savage worlds. been asked to DM a campaign and we don't have any system yet, been talk of the classical DnD as well as pathfinder but i really like the concept i have watched so far with SWADE. this is gonna be a warhammer 40k ruined fringe world setting so this video really helped me on whether i would need to buy any extra books. so thanks for this, gonna go with just the core rule book since i think it will cover enough that i can build on for the rest.
I don't have the most experience with SW, although i really like it, but i feel that the rulebook could focus a bit more on *How* to create mechanics for a setting, like you do in this video Like on how to create rulesets, how to adjust exsisting edges, how to create new edges, that sort of things
This is one video I was waiting for, because sometimes I feel to be one of the few who thinks that a game should be perfectly playable and enjoyable with just its core book and it's good to see that other people think it this way. Don't get me wrong, it's good to have many choices at your disposal, whether they are adventures, settings, companions, etc. Not everyone has the time to craft a campaign all by themselves and those works are (supposedly) done by professionals, hence better than the average player's. That's great, but sometimes you risk to be encumbered by all those books out there (aka over abundance of manuals at the table, it doesn't matter if their are paper or virtual ones), not to mention the cost (quality has its price after all). And sometimes it sucks when you buy a manual just for those 20 pages you are interested in. That's why I love Savage Worlds. It gives you the freedom to choose whether you want to go core manual only or head for the valley of the 100 manuals, keeping the quality of the game intact whatever choice you make. As for me, I play a fantasy and a scifi campaign. For the former I use the core book, the fantasy companion (mainly for Powers, magic items and bestiary, with setting rules a close second, but I could avoid the Powers section if I had the updated SWADE core manual) and PSW Bestiary (since I play in the Realms, those monsters look closer to their D&D equivalent, but I plan on making a serious comparison among them and the one in the FC). For the latter, I only have the SWADE core manual and the old Interface Zero 2.0 manual (pdf received for free during the pandemic, but I only used it as a reference for gear, Hindrances and Edges). I'm waiting for the Sci-Fi Companion to be available for us non backers, because I'm expecially curious about gear, spaceships and related rules (I love spaceships ^^) and of course Hindrances and Edges to add to my list. No setting manuals, as you can see, I prefer to use those of IP I like and to either tweak them to SWADE (if they already have their rpg) or to Savage them (if they don't have, at least to my knowledge, an official rpg).
I run my Fantasy game using just basic SWADE and some homebrew additions of my own (I made some free abilities the player gets at certain ranks depending on their Arcane Background, or if they don't have one). It's going quite well. There's no need for more than that, really. SW is so flexible and modular that you can easily homebrew up anything you need. I'm actually making spell scrolls and other fun consumables as rewards, for example. :P
A sum-up of my Arcane Background homebrew stuff: Gifted casters are now "adepts". They pick an Element/Focus. If they don't have any around, they cast at penalties. If they have an abundance of it around, they cast with a bonus. Their abilities reflect their "cast a lot" nature, or lean more into their chosen element, making them basically into Benders. Wizards get abilities that let them more freely mess around with trappings and modifiers (Can change the trapping for slightly more PP, Can tack on up to +2 in Modifiers on a Raise, a separate pool of PP for modifiers only, etc). Muses (Bards) can give an ally a non-acing d4 they can add to a roll, and get bonus effects depending on how their spellcasting dice (trait + wild die) numbers line up (Whether they're both even, both odd, or different entirely). Divine casters can sacrifice their Wild Die until their next long rest in exchange for a very potent action, depending on the god that empowers them (so, Vengeance would let them retaliate against someone that harmed an ally by retaliating with skipping straight to damage as if they got a raise. The healing goddess lets them nullify one instance of damage, no matter how high, etc). Enchanters (Weird science) get that "artificer" edge for free, where they can pre-cast spells during rests and crack them open at will later without a roll in combat, and in fact get to make and maintain a few free ones. And finally Fae Pact casters have Wild magic that fires off anytime they crit fail, or Ace a spellcasting roll. The higher their rank the more reliable the Wild Magic gets (ie, the more unpleasant results are removed from the table). Edit: Forgot non-casters! They get multiple choices of abilities, from "spend a benny to cleave/ricochet the same damage they just dealt to another nearby enemy" to "Here's a d6 Critical Hit die you can add to any damage roll once per session (can be invested in to make it better)" to "You can survive an additional wound and ignore a wound penalty." to "You can choose to make an attack into a Test on a Raise"
"you don't have to buy a setting for gear"... Me running Savage Rifts... 😅 Savage Pathfinder seems to be a good setting to transition players coming from D20 space.
totally new to savage worlds. been asked to DM a campaign and we don't have any system yet, been talk of the classical DnD as well as pathfinder but i really like the concept i have watched so far with SWADE. this is gonna be a warhammer 40k ruined fringe world setting so this video really helped me on whether i would need to buy any extra books.
so thanks for this, gonna go with just the core rule book since i think it will cover enough that i can build on for the rest.
I like to piece together a mech ruleset by using the size chart, Arcane backgrpunds and Edges, haven't done play test but it's a nice exercise!
A lot of great reminders and suggestions. Not that it'll stop me from buying interesting settings, of course.
I agree. I love reading settings and use them when need to provide deep flavor and feeling for a game.
I don't have the most experience with SW, although i really like it, but i feel that the rulebook could focus a bit more on *How* to create mechanics for a setting, like you do in this video
Like on how to create rulesets, how to adjust exsisting edges, how to create new edges, that sort of things
This is one video I was waiting for, because sometimes I feel to be one of the few who thinks that a game should be perfectly playable and enjoyable with just its core book and it's good to see that other people think it this way. Don't get me wrong, it's good to have many choices at your disposal, whether they are adventures, settings, companions, etc. Not everyone has the time to craft a campaign all by themselves and those works are (supposedly) done by professionals, hence better than the average player's. That's great, but sometimes you risk to be encumbered by all those books out there (aka over abundance of manuals at the table, it doesn't matter if their are paper or virtual ones), not to mention the cost (quality has its price after all). And sometimes it sucks when you buy a manual just for those 20 pages you are interested in.
That's why I love Savage Worlds. It gives you the freedom to choose whether you want to go core manual only or head for the valley of the 100 manuals, keeping the quality of the game intact whatever choice you make.
As for me, I play a fantasy and a scifi campaign. For the former I use the core book, the fantasy companion (mainly for Powers, magic items and bestiary, with setting rules a close second, but I could avoid the Powers section if I had the updated SWADE core manual) and PSW Bestiary (since I play in the Realms, those monsters look closer to their D&D equivalent, but I plan on making a serious comparison among them and the one in the FC). For the latter, I only have the SWADE core manual and the old Interface Zero 2.0 manual (pdf received for free during the pandemic, but I only used it as a reference for gear, Hindrances and Edges). I'm waiting for the Sci-Fi Companion to be available for us non backers, because I'm expecially curious about gear, spaceships and related rules (I love spaceships ^^) and of course Hindrances and Edges to add to my list.
No setting manuals, as you can see, I prefer to use those of IP I like and to either tweak them to SWADE (if they already have their rpg) or to Savage them (if they don't have, at least to my knowledge, an official rpg).
I run my Fantasy game using just basic SWADE and some homebrew additions of my own (I made some free abilities the player gets at certain ranks depending on their Arcane Background, or if they don't have one). It's going quite well. There's no need for more than that, really.
SW is so flexible and modular that you can easily homebrew up anything you need. I'm actually making spell scrolls and other fun consumables as rewards, for example. :P
A sum-up of my Arcane Background homebrew stuff:
Gifted casters are now "adepts". They pick an Element/Focus. If they don't have any around, they cast at penalties. If they have an abundance of it around, they cast with a bonus. Their abilities reflect their "cast a lot" nature, or lean more into their chosen element, making them basically into Benders.
Wizards get abilities that let them more freely mess around with trappings and modifiers (Can change the trapping for slightly more PP, Can tack on up to +2 in Modifiers on a Raise, a separate pool of PP for modifiers only, etc).
Muses (Bards) can give an ally a non-acing d4 they can add to a roll, and get bonus effects depending on how their spellcasting dice (trait + wild die) numbers line up (Whether they're both even, both odd, or different entirely).
Divine casters can sacrifice their Wild Die until their next long rest in exchange for a very potent action, depending on the god that empowers them (so, Vengeance would let them retaliate against someone that harmed an ally by retaliating with skipping straight to damage as if they got a raise. The healing goddess lets them nullify one instance of damage, no matter how high, etc).
Enchanters (Weird science) get that "artificer" edge for free, where they can pre-cast spells during rests and crack them open at will later without a roll in combat, and in fact get to make and maintain a few free ones.
And finally Fae Pact casters have Wild magic that fires off anytime they crit fail, or Ace a spellcasting roll. The higher their rank the more reliable the Wild Magic gets (ie, the more unpleasant results are removed from the table).
Edit: Forgot non-casters! They get multiple choices of abilities, from "spend a benny to cleave/ricochet the same damage they just dealt to another nearby enemy" to "Here's a d6 Critical Hit die you can add to any damage roll once per session (can be invested in to make it better)" to "You can survive an additional wound and ignore a wound penalty." to "You can choose to make an attack into a Test on a Raise"
"you don't have to buy a setting for gear"... Me running Savage Rifts... 😅
Savage Pathfinder seems to be a good setting to transition players coming from D20 space.
For fans, Rifts is more than a setting...it's a way of life.
😂 Very true
Best advice ever!
Except for superheroes, SWADE is just enough for anything! Reasons? Watch the video, all my tought were mentioned! ;)
You keep saying no need for a setting. Everything has a setting (even homebrew). You just don't need a setting book. 😃
Of course you are right! I was optimizing my words a little too much by dropping the "book" part.