Possibly trying Savage Worlds: Deadlands or other Settings

[catsclaw227]

Hey gang!

What with the 5e announcement and our group burning out a little on 4e and D&D in general, I am thinking of roping them into a Savage Worlds game.

I've read a couple of the archived "Tell me about Savage Worlds" threads here and here. And there is some good stuff in there.

I am also curious about a Plot Point campaign or setting for SW and I was eying Deadlands since I think our group might like a Weird West kind of setting to play in while we're on a D&D hiatus.

What are your experiences with Deadlands? Are the two new books basically a split of the Reloaded rules? What one-page adventures have you tried? Have you looked at The Flood (I assume it's a detailed area for Weird West California). Or any of the Trail Guide's for Deadlands yet?

I know there are a lot of Pinnacle and 3PP settings for SW. What are your favorite and which ones should I avoid? I am interested in trying anything that isn't D&D like high/mid fantasy. No typical elves and dwarves and dragons and wizards and clerics and rogues.

Any and all comments accepted!

Thanks in advance!

 

[AstroCat]

I like the Savage Worlds system a lot and a really great low magic, gritty Sword & Sorcery setting is Beasts and Barbarians.

Good support and I've had a lot of fun with it. I too was burned out on D&D and was pretty much done with 4E GM'ing. Deadlands can be good times as well if your in the mood for the setting.

 

[Relique du Madde]

I sadly haven't had too much experience playing it (I only pbp), but I did like what I saw when I read through the books. For me the only problem for me is that what I want to do with the system is not covered by the main books, but are covered, albeit in bits and pieces throughout multiple settings.

 

[Treebore]

Started up a Solomon Kane campaign just yesterday. Most of my group seems excited about it. The rest are willing, so a good start for a group of 7.

 

[Treebore]

I sadly haven't had too much experience playing it (I only pbp), but I did like what I saw when I read through the books. For me the only problem for me is that what I want to do with the system is not covered by the main books, but are covered, albeit in bits and pieces throughout multiple settings.

Savage Worlds Deluxe may have collected some of those together, but on the whole the bits and pieces stay in their respective setting book.

 

[Treebore]

The Solomon Kane PDF is just $12 for 3 more days at drivethrurpg. Along with 19 other great games. Traveller, Wild Talents, Mutants and Masterminds 3E, and much more.

 

[amerigoV]

Deadlanes is a great break from D&D - it puts you in a completely different mindset than typical fantasy (and it will help show off the system instead of players trying to compare back to D&Disms). I have run a number of the One-Pagers - Hanging Tree, the one with the Succubis, and Feast of Famine. All good stuff.

I have read some of the Flood. It is a full plot point campaign set in and around what was Cal-i-forn-i-a (for those not in the know, it had the Big One and a good clunk fell into the sea). It did look interesting. You might look at the stand alone module Coffin Rock - a nice module that can kick things off and really shows the ramp up in the Fear element of the game.

Yes, the new books just split the the Reloaded into a players and GM's books. I believe both are available in the Explorers sized (soft bound, smaller and cheaper than the hardbacks).

I'll say this - I have not run into anything I have not liked (and this is from someone that used to be 100% D&D fantasy). I have more settings now than I will ever have a chance to run. Ones that are of particular interest:

• Day After Ragnarok (Atom Press I think) - WWII ends with the Nazi's summoning the World Serpant and Truman Nukes it. Now, all sorts of fun post-apoc including magic is in the world
• Deadlands - you know
• If you like Eberron - SW fits hand in glove with what Eberron wants to be
• Iron Dynasty (Reality Blurs) - Japanese Fantasy with a steampunk element. I am playing in that setting now and it really is sweet
• Realms of Cthulu (Reality Blurs) - check your sanity at the door
• Weird Wars - WWII or Viet Nam. You could run them as a straight period game or add the wierdness as you like
• All sorts of Pulp stuff at Triple Ace Games (1930s, space oprah, cyberpunk)
• Space 1889 -- all the cool 1889 stuff in a ruleset that works
• Agents of Oblivian (Reality Blurs - yes - they have great stuff) - Think Men in Black with some dials to make it either more CIA to "Things that Man should not Know," etc
• Rippers - 1880s Europe - and the monsters are real (my appreciation for this grew with reading the original Dracula, Frankenstein, Land of the Lost, etc)
• Solomon Kane - Howards works in Savage Worlds. The main book is a bit pricey as the core rules are in there due to the license agreement. There is a full plot point campaign there and in a new book The Path of Kane. Both look really good and capture the feel of the source material
• They just updated and rerelased 50 Fathoms - a fantastical pirate setting (I have not read much on this)
• We are current gaming in Ptolus using SW. Its soooo much easier to work in firearms than in D20.

Plus so much more. Best of luck Savaging your players! (and head over to PEGINC.com - they are friendly folk that will help you along).

 

[Relique du Madde]

but on the whole the bits and pieces stay in their respective setting book.

What I've been wanting to try to build is somewhat of a gaslamp fantasy setting. I'm pretty sure I could borrow pieces of information from Space 1889, Iron Dynasty, Rippers, and/or Deadlands.

Without raiding into those books to check out prices for certain period items and weaponry, or seeing how they handled airships/constructs, the only bit of rules I would need beyond the Deluxe edition and the Fantasy Companion would be rules for building/upgrading vehicles/mecha, which I assume would be in a Sci-Fi companion if it were ever released.

 

[catsclaw227]

Thanks for all the responses. I have SW Explorer (print and pdf), But I am going to get the PRNT-PDF bundle of SW Deluxe* because I am concerned the updates are more important.


I am also getting two Deadlands Players Guides (print) and one PDF for my group of 5. No Offense, they can share. I'll get myself a Marshal's Handbook Combo (pr&pd). That should be enough for now. I Dl'd the one shots and We'll go from there.

I think the system and setting have matured enough now that I can fill my players egos and still have a relatively balanced game,

 

[catsclaw227]

What I've been wanting to try to build is somewhat of a gaslamp fantasy setting. I'm pretty sure I could borrow pieces of information from Space 1889, Iron Dynasty, Rippers, and/or Deadlands.

Without raiding into those books to check out prices for certain period items and weaponry, or seeing how they handled airships/constructs, the only bit of rules I would need beyond the Deluxe edition and the Fantasy Companion would be rules for building/upgrading vehicles/mecha, which I assume would be in a Sci-Fi companion if it were ever released.

Rippers is supposed to fill that "niche". But it misses the Sherlock Holmes Steampunk mystery setting just a bit.

Borrowing from other settings is good.