Savage Worlds - Our First Game

[jcayer]

What it boils down to is the test drive rules leave out quite a bit, particularly with options in combat(taunt/intimidate). The other side of the coin is the Eye of Kilquato adventure isn't written to go with the test drive rules. IT references things in the SWEX that are not in the test drive.

I actually started a thread about this over at peginc. The PEG guys were great with their responses.

I'm itching to give SW another spin.

 

[Connorsrpg]

[MENTION=76960]jcayer[/MENTION]: Ah, so it was your thread. I had read your queries on the adventure somewhere and was aware of the fact this was not a 'test drive' adventure, but hey, there are Pulp! pregens and a free Pulp! adventure, so I went with it. I needed something to try, before we went into Deadlands.

[MENTION=83096]AngryMojo[/MENTION]: Thanks for the info. Those options look good. So basically, Three Round Bursts negate the autofire penalty (the +2 att) to get +2 damage vs one opponent.

Oh, and on the basic Taunt/Intimidate, etc. What is the basics for these checks? Opposed rolls? That was also something that came up.

We had the 'Combat Survival' chart, but it did not say HOW to do tricks. I can't remember if the 3 Rd Burst of Supressive Fire were on there either...

 

[TheClone]

Nope, neither double taps or bursts incur a shooting penalty.

So when does the penalty apply then? What fire options are available in addition? I remember only area attacks with auto fire.

 

[amerigoV]

[MENTION=76960]jcayer[/MENTION]:

Oh, and on the basic Taunt/Intimidate, etc. What is the basics for these checks? Opposed rolls? That was also something that came up.

They are opposed rolls. Taunt vs. Smarts; Intimidate vs. Spirit

Success = You get +2 vs next action
Raise = Shaken also

These can be used out of combat as well, with roleplaying effects (so you could try to intimidate a leader of a gang and scare everyone off).

On opposed rolls, the defender rolls first. If they do not like their roll, they spend Bennies. Then the Taunter/Intimidater rolls and spends Bennies, as desired.

 

[ValhallaGH]

So basically, Three Round Bursts negate the autofire penalty (the +2 att) to get +2 damage vs one opponent.

No, actually. Instead of the autofire for multiple targets (with -2 penalty), you make a normal Shooting roll (one target, as if you were only firing single shots) with a +2 to attack and damage and expend three bullets. Similarly, double tap has no penalties, you simply make a Shooting roll with a +1 to attack and damage, and expend two rounds of ammunition.

Suppressive Fire is an autofire attack against a medium burst template (deviation as normal). Everyone in the area needs to make a Spirit roll or be Shaken (can't cause a Wound); if they roll a 1 on their Spirit die then they take damage as if they had been shot (the stood up in the way of the bullets instead of ducking). This is a great teamwork arms tactic, using suppressive fire to shake multiple foes and then having allies use targeted fire to inflict additional damage (second Shaken = Wound) to swiftly drop large numbers of extras and wound wild cards.

 

[AngryMojo]

So when does the penalty apply then? What fire options are available in addition? I remember only area attacks with auto fire.

The penalties for automatic fire apply whenever your gun is on full auto, either firing at it's full ROF or using suppressive fire. Neither a double tap nor a 3RB incur any penalty, but they only target one person.
Think of a 3RB as kind of like a ranged Wild Swing. You make one attack with a +2 to hit and damage, but you take a penalty for doing so (run through more ammo).

 

[Connorsrpg]

So suppressive fire and 3RB are available even to weapons without autofire? Perhaps I am reading this wrong?

 

[coyote6]

Suppressive fire is only available to automatic weapons; Double-taps and 3RB are only available to specific weapons. Any semi-automatic gun can do a double-tap, while many real world assault rifles and submachine guns have a setting that fires 3 round bursts. (Indeed, the main US military assault rifle & carbine only fire semi-auto or 3RB nowadays, IIRC. No full-auto rock & roll.)

Edit: the SW weapon tables note which weapons are semi-auto and/or capable of 3RB.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Thanks coyote6. That certainly makes sense. (I was worried there for a moment - and wondered how players were meant to know this). Thanks.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Deadlands

Some players didn't show last week, so we held off our 4e Campaign again and this time tried Deadlands.

Game ran well, but with a Blessed having to access to all the powers and others needing a few this was a little slow, as we only have the PDFs of Deadlands at this stage (and the SW Test Drive worlds). Still awaiting the Marshal's HB to print and then our shipment will arrive...can't wait.

As GM - I found running the game awesome. As players hadn't invested so much of the character sheets in combat, they were more willing to use other means to deal with encounters...that and the fact I have told them getting shot could be very bad (as you have no certainty like with hps).

They negotiated their way out of at least 2 fights, but we finished with a combat vs some undead. I was hoping undead wouldn't be the actual 1st fight, but we did do heaps before then. Overall I loved it and can;t wait for the printed books - I am not that good at reading PDFs. The combat was a lot of fun, but the PCs pasted the enemies pretty quick, though one went down when an undead closed to melee.

Fun, and having read Shane's Diary of the Creation of Savage Worlds - I am in a very similar boat and finding that it does all the things he set out to do.