Deadlands & Earthdawn

[amerigoV]

Savage Worlds Version: Rock solid fun! The drawbacks are mostly in regards to finding the materials at this point.

1) Do SW version - it rocks!

2) On Pinnacle's website are a ton of "One Sheets" - adventures you can run in one or two sessions. A great way to get into the game quickly.

 

[AngryMojo]

Edit: Whoops, teach me to hit quick reply, then get distracted for ten minutes.

I'm like a ninja. A western, cowboy ninja.

 

[avin]

I got the original.

We've played some fantastic late night games.

My only advice is: don't focus on mad science, focus on horror instead, and you'll get a great game.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

I personally prefer Deadlands: Hell on Earth, but I LOVE the setting.

My groups play the original version of the games, and they can bog down slightly in combat, but the flavor is really, really strong and the players always have a blast with it.

I have not played the SW system, so I won't comment on the differences.

 

[Umbran]

I'll be a voice of dissent - I like (and am currently running a campaign with) the original rules.

The "fistfuls" of dice AngryMojo reports are generally 5 or fewer - folks who find White Wolf WoD games, or the old D6 system, palatable won't have any issues with the numbers of dice. The game does have a hit location system that some will see as a useless complication, but others will see as adding some gritty realism. Other than that, combat isn't all that complicated, and my group finds it runs reasonably quickly, even with the players still rather novices.

I love the setting - the original metaplot as written, I'm less fond of. There's one NPC in there that's rather built to make sure the characters ultimately lose. But that point is easy to change, and nobody says you have to use the metaplot in any event.

 

[Talysian]

I gotta agree with Umbran take the original, use the background throw the plot moving forward away and use your own. Deadlands is one of the best rpg's that I ever played. The only system I like better is earthdawn.

 

[beldar1215]

I'm both running and playing in a Deadlands game. I'm having more fun playing than I have had in a long time. The game is about over and I'm not ready to go back to 4E yet. I'm running "The Flood" for a group of kids that range from 13-17. They seem to be having a really good time. Both games are using the Savage Worlds version of the game. Savage Worlds is my game of choice.

Beldar

 

[purplexenno]

I gotta agree with Umbran take the original, use the background throw the plot moving forward away and use your own. Deadlands is one of the best rpg's that I ever played. The only system I like better is earthdawn.

oh wow, earthdawn. i haven't played in forever. I like both also but earthdawn has a special place in my heart.

 

[Enforcer]

I've only played the Savage Worlds edition, but it was lots of fun. And the Savage Worlds core rulebook is a stupid-good value for the money.

Edit: Savage Worlds core rulebook now eligible for the 4-for-3 promotion on Amazon! Just search "savage worlds" and it's the first hit (at least on the US store).

 

[ValhallaGH]

This game sounds awesome, with a fantastic premise and neat, flavorful mechanics. Has anyone played it? If so, what are your thoughts on the system itself, editions, and how much crazy fun (if any) it is?

This game is awesome. It comes in three mechanical flavors (Classic, D20, Savage Worlds). All use the same (amazing) setting, flavor, and world but have their own quirks due to the game mechanics involved.

Classic:
The mechanics can be ... involved, though they are fast to resolve (figuring out all the modifiers can take a bit of time). Like any game, the longest part of play is player distraction / confusion / ignorance.
The damage system is elegant, simple, but surprisingly survivable (death spiral or no).
Lots of fun, lots of knobs and dials to set up your own rules and variations with.
Only game for which I find myself wondering "should I buy another ten d12?"
Biggest flaws - limited starting character skills (especially for intellectual characters), can take a long time to resolve a single round of combat (as many as five actions per character, per round, before magic is involved), penalties can add up extremely quickly. Some of the game mechanics don't fit the flavor, at all (mostly an issue with their future settings, Hell on Earth and Lost Colony).

d20:
It's d20. You start off super-squishy and get a lot tougher if you survive. AC's are low, attack bonuses are huge, and it's much less of a horror game (though it's still trying hard).
It always felt forced and ill-fitting to me, and I say to pass it on by.

Savage Worlds:
Lots of fun, lots of knobs (almost as many as Classic), and a lot of "fast, furious, fun!"
Not quite as dangerous as Classic (can't "bleed out", fewer penalties, etc.), with more "critical hit locations" on the monsters (it's suddenly possible to kill a Mojave rattler with a Colt Peacemaker by aiming for its weak point, instead of having to Ace like the Red Baron to roll high damage).
Same flavor, all magic on the same sub-system (simpler to learn and run), very powerful Fate Chips, and some excellent (and flavorful) subsystems including the Showdown rules.
Unfortunately, they introduced a "critical failure" system that is obscenely each to fall into (natural 1 on your skill die, or 1 in [die type] chance per roll); 'bonus', it only matters on the rolls that you make to save the world (if you "critically fail" then you make things even worse).
Overall, good stuff but I have some poor feelings about a few of the subsystems. Still, if you have trouble locating the Classic rules (or affording the fifty-odd books available) then this is a fantastic second choice. Good enough that many would make it their first choice (and a cheap buy-in of one Explorer's Edition [$10], and either one DL:Reloaded [$40], or one Player's Guide and one Marshal's Guide with the re-print).

Good luck.