Savage Worlds is flippin' awesome.

[Radiating Gnome]

I'm extremely impressed with how well it would work for fantasy out of the box. (To be honest, I'm impressed with how well it would work for most genres out of the box.) About the only limitation seems to be that almost no matter what you do, it's going to be a tad "pulpy." And that's great with me!

Probably one of the biggest differences is the idea that in a lot of cases the game will feel sort of "swingy" -- a lot of attacking and rolling damage but only occasionally having anything to show for it. Especially with high toughness targets. I've been doing some "practice" sea battles for my "Pirates of the Spanish Main + Horror" game, and what you end up with is a couple of sloops sailing around each other banging away on their guns waiting for some lucky dice to explode.

But with so much less bookkeeping, it's easy to stay focused on the game and keep things moving.

-j

 

[herrozerro]

After finally finishing off my 4e game that we had been playing the last 4 years I was hesitant on starting a new one, we had all decided we were going to go for shorter adventures than one long campaign but they I rediscovered SW.

It's perfect for our situation and so easy to run. and CHEAP! like how can they sell it this cheap! It's the first system I have ever run where i had considered buying the group the core book! (I still havent done it, but perhaps if intrest keeps up)

I had played some SW about a year back and at the time I dont know why but it left a bad taste in my mouth, it might have been the other players or the GM at the time but I did not have fun. But after buying the PDF on an impulse buy I instantly fell in loe with it. I love how abstract the entire game is setup to be, trappings and powers? Genius!

 

[amerigoV]

I love how abstract the entire game is setup to be, trappings and powers? Genius!

If you really embrace the trappings, you are not limited to powers. I worked up a follower for my Psionist in a Ptolus game (using SW of course). I basically wanted something like the old psionic warrior. Since everything was built on defense, it was easy to use psionic trappings for her skills and edges. Everything hinged on her having "foresight" - the ability to see a few seconds ahead in time. Her high Fighting/Parry/Danger Sense/First Strike/Block etc all now tie together without even using a magic edge. Great for flavor that I and the GM can use.

And fantasy is awesome once you understand how the system works and that its not D&D (you have to unlearn what you have learned...). I have run a Ravenloft campaign (the Return to) and I am playing in a Ptolus game that has gone from 0xp to Legendary.

 

[Stasis_Delirium]

I took a look at Savage Worlds after seeing the price of the core book and more than any other system I've ever looked through SW made me immediately come up with ideas spanning so many different genres.

My group and I tend to play fantasy strictly, mainly d20 games (D&D and its ilk) but Savage Worlds had the strange effect of truly making me want to try everything from an Indiana Jones style romp complete with Nazi bad guys, to a Steampunk investigative game, to a Solomon Kane game (especially due to this autumn time of year).

It was almost overwhelming.

I ended up asking if one player wanted to try out the rules in a Sci-Fi game since we had been talking about doing a Firefly style game for ages. It should be fun, its definitely a breeze to write adventures for so far. It feels a little weird going into a game that doesn't use a D20, but I'm really looking forward to running a quick game to test the waters.

I'd like to add that I'm really impressed with all the settings and forum support for the SW system, I found a lot of useful help there when I was confused over how wounds worked. Top notch stuff so far.

 

[amerigoV]

I took a look at Savage Worlds after seeing the price of the core book and more than any other system I've ever looked through SW made me immediately come up with ideas spanning so many different genres.

Same exact experience. If you want to know why I did not play 4e (and I know all of you really want to know ), all you need to know is I got the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition about the same time I go the the 4e PHB. One book gave me worlds of ideas, the other gave me tables upon tables upon tables of powers (and dryly written). One said "play", the other said "put me away"

It feels a little weird going into a game that doesn't use a D20, but I'm really looking forward to running a quick game to test the waters.

Fear table, baby! Don't worry, the d20 gets used

I'd like to add that I'm really impressed with all the settings and forum support for the SW system, I found a lot of useful help there when I was confused over how wounds worked. Top notch stuff so far.

Great folks, all of them. They come out in force at a number of cons. I go to Origins and Con on the Cob and they have a great showing. I have been Savaging it up at Con on the Cob this weekend - awesome. Asides from a number of people from their boards, some of the writers are here too (Hensley (the creator), Sean Patrick Fannon (Shaintar), Andy Hopp (Low Life - he runs the Con)).

 

[amerigoV]

Just to show its flexibility, in the last couple of days I've played in the following genres

• Supers set in 1960s
• Space 1889
• Hell on Earth (post apoc based on the Deadlands setting)
• Epic Fantasy (Shaintar, by SPF, run by SPF)
• Low Life (see link). Well, lets just say I EXPERIENCED it by the guy that wrote it. Wow.
• A variation on the modern Vamps vs. Werewolves/secret organization to keep them under control
• 1930s Gangsters

I am continually pleased by that people get out of this little system.

 

[RobShanti]

It's very interesting to see this thread. Only a few days ago, I posted a thread to this forum inquiring What's the Best System for Running Lord of the Rings, and I got a fair spread of folks voting for each system that has ever been designed for it. One of the systems I even inquired about in my OP was whether Savage Worlds would be a good one for it. I'm interested to hear why you folks might think it would suit the Middle Earth setting well (or not!), either here or in my thread.

I played Savage Worlds YEARS ago...I feel like it had just come out. If I recall correctly, they had recently revamped "Deadlands" using the Savage Worlds rules, and we played that. Then we did a Pirates of the Caribbean game using Savage Worlds shortly thereafter. I recall liking the system, but I wasn't as impressed with it as those who have posted here seem to be. Have the rules evolved since I played it?

 

[amerigoV]

I saw that thread - one thing someone posted in the LoTR thread was the recent LoTR system "got" Tolkien wherein the journey was the most important thing vs. the individual events. Certainly the books were about the journey on multiple levels. I have not played the new LoTR system, so I cannot comment on that, but I thought it an astute observation that one should consider.

As for SW itself, it has gone through some revisions, but nothing major. Mostly some tweaks, streamlining, changing of Incapacitation and Chase rules. They've added some nice structure around social interaction/conflicts and dramatic tasks.

Given that you did try the system under Deadlands and Pirates, if it did not catch your fancy then it may not be the system for you. Since its been a few years, maybe give it one more shot to see if you like it (it came out in the heart of D&D 3.x - I did not play it until when 4e came out and probably would not have even tried it earlier). I just state that as tastes change over time.

As for SW and LoTR -- Fantasy is not SW "sweet spot" out of the box. However, I have found once people embrace the system (understand that it is NOT D&D) it does fantasy great abet differently. If you read the original Conan or Lankhmar books, it can capture these settings wonderfully.

For LoTR, I think it depends on the tone of the campaign. I could see it working very well or I could see it falling flat (but that is likely true for a number of systems).

 

[RobShanti]

...one thing someone posted in the LoTR thread was the recent LoTR system "got" Tolkien wherein the journey was the most important thing vs. the individual events. Certainly the books were about the journey on multiple levels....I thought it an astute observation that one should consider.

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, and intend to focus on that theme regardless of what system I ultimately choose to use to run it.

...As for SW and LoTR -- Fantasy is not SW "sweet spot" out of the box. However, I have found once people embrace the system (understand that it is NOT D&D) it does fantasy great abet differently. If you read the original Conan or Lankhmar books, it can capture these settings wonderfully.

That's interesting, amerigo. I am familiar with Conan through only the films and general pop culture references. I have never read the Conan books, and am not at all familiar with any of the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser stories, much less the Lankhmar stuff. If you don't mind elaborating, what, precisely, is it about these particular legendaria that make Savage Worlds suitable for them but not so much for other fantasy settings?

 

[mmadsen]

I am familiar with Conan through only the films and general pop culture references. I have never read the Conan books, and am not at all familiar with any of the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser stories, much less the Lankhmar stuff.

You need to remedy that, RobShanti. Order [ame=http://www.amazon.com/The-Coming-Conan-Cimmerian-Adventures/dp/0345461517/]The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian[/ame], read it, and report back.

If you don't mind elaborating, what, precisely, is it about these particular legendaria that make Savage Worlds suitable for them but not so much for other fantasy settings?

The whole sword & sorcery genre is "low" fantasy, unlike Tolkien-esque "high" fantasy, which fits Savage Worlds' mantra of fast, furious, fun adventures.