Deadlands reloaded is out...

[scourger]

and I can't believe there are no threads here nor a blurb on the main news page.

So, here's a thread since I'm really looking forward to getting this one. Anyone else?

P.S.: Here's a link:

http://www.peginc.com/Merchant2/mer...tore_Code=S&Product_Code=DLR&Category_Code=SW

 

[Gothmog]

Yep, I picked it up today at my FLGS, and have a leatherbound limited edition on its way from Pinnacle. I got on the Deadlands ghost rock train to Hell when the game first came out, and have been a big fan ever since. It took a while, but I tracked down every Deadlands book and supplement printed, and my gaming group loves Deadlands.

The book is gorgeous, full-color, 256 pages, written in the same style as the earlier Deadlands material, and has been updated to 1879. About the first third of the book is dedicated to background and character generation, as well as a universal list of powers for hucksters, mad scientists, shamans, the faithful, and martial artists. In addition, hucksters can draw a poker hand to cast spells and preserve their power points like normal arcan background characters. I'm not sure how I feel about this- on one hand it means as long as hucksters are using their power points, they have normal chances of spell failure, but in the original game the cards were a big part of the game and could end up doing some really incredible things for the huckster with his spells. The new effects aren't quite as potent as the old ones, and hucksters seem safer to play now. It'll take some time to get used to it and see how it plays.

The last 2/3rds of the books are the Marshall's Handbook, and detail the Deadlands world and major secrets(60 pages), as well as having about 80 pages of beasties from the original Rascals, Varmints, & Critters I and II. Contrary to the ads, there is no Plot Point adventure in the book, but I count that as a big plus- putting in a long adventure/campaign in the book would have cut back a lot on background material. Future supplements are promised, each detailing different areas, and those will have Plot point campaigns in them.

The art in the book ranges from average to exceptional, with most of it being well above average. I haven't had a chance to read a lot of it yet, but I notice a few interesting developments in the timeline as they brought it up to 1879. I'll be interested to see how Deadlands plays in SW rather that its original system- some things will be easier, but I'm afraid it might lose a little of its original charm in translation to SW.

 

[devilbat]

I'm also a huge fan of the original Deadlands game. I'll certainly be picking up Reloaded, but I won't be converting our classic campaign to Savage World rules. I'm just interested in reading the updates to the storyline.

 

[trancejeremy]

I was a big fan of the original game, but they pretty much lost me with the Hell on Earth stuff, which sort of made the original game pointless (since it seems the bad guys won, making what the players do meaningless)

Did they actually use new art? They used to always recycle stuff

 

[mcrow]

Woot!

the next $40 I have will be spent on a copy of this game.

 

[Gothmog]

I was a big fan of the original game, but they pretty much lost me with the Hell on Earth stuff, which sort of made the original game pointless (since it seems the bad guys won, making what the players do meaningless)

Did they actually use new art? They used to always recycle stuff

Some of the art is old from the original books, with color, but a lot of it is new (at least I never saw much of it before, and I have all the old books). It could be some was from the CCG, but I never got into that.

We played some HOE, and its a pretty good post-apocalyptic game. I didn't mind the Reckoners playing dirty pool so much- they did back in the Weird West. When you're dealing with demons/evil spirits/whatever that have a long-range plans and their fingers in many pies, its pretty hard for any mortal to stop them outright and see all the possible consequences. Plus, once ghost rock started being used to produce power and manufacture weapons, the Reckoners had pretty much won anway- there is no way people would give up the benefits of ghost rock once they saw it, which also means the Reckoners increased their power as humanity developed. I also always REALLY liked they didn't stat out the major NPCs of the setting (Stone, Raven, Hellstromm, Grimm, etc)- if you stat it, the PCs will try to kill it.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Is this a stand-alone book, or would I need the Save Worlds book to use it?

 

[mcrow]

Is this a stand-alone book, or would I need the Save Worlds book to use it?

IIRC its a stand-alone and while it is savage worlds it has a good amount of new rules and variations.

 

[Gothmog]

Is this a stand-alone book, or would I need the Save Worlds book to use it?

You do need the Savage Worlds core rulebook to use Deadlands Reloaded, but it does contain the complete campaign setting, as well as new Edges, Hinderances and lots of new supernatural powers.

 

[Gothmog]

Well crud, I read some more of Deadlands Reloaded, and I found one thing I strongly dislike- they statted out the major NPCs of the setting. While a lot of people will probably like that, I find it ruins the mystique and awe behind infamous characters like Stone, Grimme, etc. While these NPCs are still harder than hell to take down, they are also a known quantity now and in a book players are going to get their hands on. These characters aren't like gods in D&D (which shouldn't have stats IMO), but in the original game the infmaous NPCs were pretty much whatever the GM wanted them to be. Its a minor quibble, and one I can overlook, but this move seems counter to Shane's earlier statements and philosophy about Deadlands.