Savage Worlds

[oldboy]

Alright, so I've warmed up to the card based initiative system, but I get the feeling I'm doing it wrong and the book feels a little vague. Do cards get dealt out each round? So players/npcs are going in a different order every round? Or do you get one card for the entire encounter? The former, while random, actually sounds really cool, since a player could get a lucky draw and essentially get two turns in a row by being the last on the first round, and first on the second round.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Alright, so I've warmed up to the card based initiative system, but I get the feeling I'm doing it wrong and the book feels a little vague. Do cards get dealt out each round? So players/npcs are going in a different order every round? Or do you get one card for the entire encounter? The former, while random, actually sounds really cool, since a player could get a lucky draw and essentially get two turns in a row by being the last on the first round, and first on the second round.

Cards are dealt each round. When the card is actually used, as opposed to being held, it is put into the discard pile. When you run out of cards, or are about to, reshuffle the deck.

 

[Mythtify]

Cards are dealt each round. When the card is actually used, as opposed to being held, it is put into the discard pile. When you run out of cards, or are about to, reshuffle the deck.

Actualy you shuffle the deck at the end of any round in which a joker has been played.

 

[Princesskeyblade]

I was reading about the initiative systems in SW just earlier and was a bit put off by the card based system, Does it actually play out really well? It seems like extra work and a little too random?

I love it! This is one of the mechanics that I think works really well!!! I know what everyone is going on and it excites my players to get a Joker.

Savage Worlds is porbaly my favorite system. The core rules cover just about all that you need. That said, the extra books that Pinnacle has are fantastic.

The pirates suplement is awesome and I had a blast running the adventure in the back!

The "adventure deck" supplement made me very nervous, as they give the players the ability to manipulate the game in ways that the gm may not be ready for. In play, it is awsome, and really challenges me as a Gm.

It is really great and quite the challenge!

Last year I was using them at a convention and the player used it so that the zombie daughter of one of the NPC's ate the father so that they could have the treasure all to themselves. The card turned all my damage on the attack into d20's and we kept aceing. We did something like 105 points of damage.

Alright, so I've warmed up to the card based initiative system, but I get the feeling I'm doing it wrong and the book feels a little vague. Do cards get dealt out each round? So players/npcs are going in a different order every round? Or do you get one card for the entire encounter? The former, while random, actually sounds really cool, since a player could get a lucky draw and essentially get two turns in a row by being the last on the first round, and first on the second round.

The cards should get handed out every round. I love the "luck of the draw" feel it has. The players and NPCs go different times each round. I pull a card for the minor NPC's and a card for each major one, and that works incredibly well for me.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

We are considering to run a Savage Worlds online game. The suggestions for handling cards are ao good start, and I like Thanee's "Wild Card Skill" house rule, too.

We would be switching from a d20 Modern game. There is nothing wrong with the d20 Modern Skill System, I think, but the combat system is ultimately very dull (or high-feat intensive).

Savage Worlds seems to have the advantage of being fast paces, but it doesn't seem to me as if there was much ... "tactics"/"Resource Management" to it, either. (Beyond figuring out how to stunt to open an enemy up for a nasty weapon attack, and the usual "take cover".) Or are Bennies enough to change this?

 

[ValhallaGH]

Tactically, Savage Worlds in a modern setting has base combat rules plus:

• Double-Tap and 3-Round-Burst to change up your basic attacks.
• Automatic fire to try and either hose down one guy or Suppress an area.
• Clever use of grenades, ally mooks, and any other supporting equipment you allow; this provides a lot of flanking, area attack, and potentially morale destroying options for the players to utilize against their foes.

Resource-management is a great deal sparser, amounting to Allies, Ammo, and Bennies. If you've allowed powers, and someone is using them, then that player also has to manage their power points.

Good luck.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Tactically, Savage Worlds in a modern setting has base combat rules plus:

• Double-Tap and 3-Round-Burst to change up your basic attacks.
• Automatic fire to try and either hose down one guy or Suppress an area.
• Clever use of grenades, ally mooks, and any other supporting equipment you allow; this provides a lot of flanking, area attack, and potentially morale destroying options for the players to utilize against their foes.

Resource-management is a great deal sparser, amounting to Allies, Ammo, and Bennies. If you've allowed powers, and someone is using them, then that player also has to manage their power points.

Good luck.

Seems pretty much the same as d20 Modern, to be honest. With a little more "teamwork" aspect thanks to the morale/trick/stunt options...

Hmm.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Well, you always have the option of adding more rules to provide more options and management. The downside is that this usually (but not always) increases the resolution and decision-making times by an order of magnitude.

How the characters interact with the environment (especially environments as interactive as the video-game-staple exploding barrels, but more creativity is encouraged) can massively alter how an encounter goes. I once ran a gunfight, and one of my players decided to hop in her car and run fools over; it was cool and memorable, and altered the tactical goals of the other PCs (scare the guys out of cover so that Yoko can get at 'em).

The problem is that while real life has dozens of tactical choices which can matter a lot, most of them get lost in the translation to table-top. This then leaves the basics of fire and maneuver. The one advantage SW has over d20 Modern in this arena is that it only takes a couple of shots to put down most targets, and everyone fears the frag grenade; this speeds up the actual encounter, makes real-world tactics more valid, and keeps a dangerous feel for all characters involved.