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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bacon Bits" data-source="post: 8135319" data-attributes="member: 6777737">Yes, I own SWADE. Yes, I have read SWADE. Yes, I have played SWADE. Yes, I enjoyed playing SWADE. I still I would not use SWADE to mimic D&D or Pathfinder styles of high fantasy.Setting aside Savage Worlds and just talking about systems in general, then I don't think it's ever a good idea to take a modular RPG system and swap it around to replace another RPG system that was purpose-built for a given setting and tone. I think generic game systems are almost always generic in terms of setting and not remotely generic in terms of genre, theme, pacing, or tone. I simply don't find it possible for any system to be appropriate for every conceivable game.I think the benefit of SW is that it's very swingy and that combat feels very chaotic and is typically over very quickly. If we change SW to be a system like D&D where it's much more attrition-based where attacks are used to more slowly wear down opponents over many rounds, then the core resolution mechanic of SW becomes immensely unappealing to me. Why? Because of it's math bug.For those unfamiliar with Savage Worlds: the standard target number in the system is a 4. When you roll an 8 or better, that's called a "raise" and it indicates one extra success or an extra degree of success. The math bug is that it's easier to roll an 8+ on an exploding d6 than it is to roll an 8+ on an exploding d8. Traits of d6 and d8 are extremely common, and a d8 trait is supposed to be an explicit improvement on a d6 trait. The d6 should always be worse than the d8, and it isn't when rolling for one of the most important target numbers.Now, I don't care if the core resolution mechanic has a math bug if the system is very pulpy and swingy. Indeed, a bug almost supports that narrative since SW is generally all about embracing chaotic die rolls! That's the tone of the system! I don't care when there's only one or two rolls needed to take out any target or overcome any challenge. However, if I intentionally move to a system where more and more die rolls become necessary to resolve something, then the math bug of the core resolution system becomes a bigger problem. The more rolls you need, the more the system regresses to the mean, and the more significant the bug becomes. Yes, I can simply subtract 1 from the result the first time a die explodes, but since the benefit of the SWADE system is that it's elegant and simple and fast, adding a fix to the problem feels like subverting the whole benefit of system. Furthermore, it would add a ton of feelsbad moments to the game when you explode your d6 and roll a 2.</blockquote>

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