[Savage Worlds] New GM to SW and Sundered Skies...

[jcayer]

I would second the don't run a fantasy thing. You'll end up trying to play it like D&D. My group did and so have many others I've heard from.

There is a combat cheap sheet on the peginc site. Priceless with helping in combat.

 

[catsclaw227]

Can you talk more about tricks? I, too, will soon be running SW for the first time. Any hints are really useful.

When I was first reading the rules, I thought Tricks were the various Maneuvers, but from what I understand it's a catch-all, try anything within reason thing (sorta like pg 42 of 4e DMG).

Here's what it says in the rules:

Tricks

Heroes often attempt fancy maneuvers or clever tricks to distract their foes and set them up for deadly follow-up attacks. This might include throwing sand in an opponent’s eyes, ducking between a tall foe’s legs to stab him in the back, and so on. Tricks do not include weapon feints—those are already “assumed” in a character’s Fighting and Parry scores.

To perform the trick, the player must first describe exactly what his character is doing. Next he makes an opposed Agility or Smarts roll against his foe. The GM must determine which is more appropriate based on the player’s description of the maneuver.

If the character is successful, his opponent is distracted and suffers –2 to his Parry until his next action. With a raise, the foe is distracted and Shaken as well.

These penalties do not stack. Tricking a foe twice has no additional effect.

Example: Buck is backed into a corner by a very large and dangerous thug. Our hero pulls the oldest trick in the book. He says “Hi Virginia!” and pretends to smile at someone behind his less-than-brilliant foe. He and the thug both make Smarts rolls, and Buck wins with a raise. The thug swirls about, expecting an attack from behind, and is momentarily Shaken. The unfortunate goon also suffers –2 to his Parry until his next action, giving Buck time for a quick rabbit punch that just might put the big fellow down.

 

[masshysteria]

It has only been briefly covered, but the more bennies that are flowing between the players and the GM the better. As a GM, give them out for ever little thing imaginable. (You made everyone laugh? Bennie. You did something heroic? Bennie. You roleplayed well? Bennie. You came up with a clever solution? Bennie.)

Bennies turn your characters into heroes.

 

[Is_907]

Sounds like we have a lot of people diving into the Savage Worlds! Awesome.

I'm reconsidering the fantasy one shot... the advantage of that is the pregen characters. I want to avoid us making characters without knowing how everything works, if I can.

I see there's another one sheet on PEGInc.com that has pregens--some kind of modern horror. Any thoughts on that?

 

[catsclaw227]

Deadlands has pregens as well.

 

[Henry]

Can you talk more about tricks? I, too, will soon be running SW for the first time. Any hints are really useful.

If you haven't talked to [MENTION=99]Rel[/MENTION] yet, you aren't doing it right. The man's got GMing Savage Worlds to a science/art.

I am trying to drum up Savage interest with my local group, and all GMing advice is fine by me, as well.

 

[amerigoV]

I see there's another one sheet on PEGInc.com that has pregens--some kind of modern horror. Any thoughts on that?

This is what you want

http://www.peginc.com/Downloads/TheWildHuntDownload.pdf

 

[amerigoV]

Can you talk more about tricks? I, too, will soon be running SW for the first time. Any hints are really useful.

Tricks are awesome, especially for the player that does not want to run the Combat Monster (tm) but still wants to contribute to a fight.

Its a resisted check (Smarts or Agility vs. the same). A success lowers target's defense by 2 (which is huge) and a raise Shakes them as well.

To give you an example - I was running a little halfing rogue that was by the party cleric when a Gnoll came down a side passage unexpectantly. On my turn, I did an Agility trick - basically run between the Gnoll's legs to get behind them. I got a raise on the agility check (resisted) so it shakes the gnoll. The cleric was up next - the combo of Parry down 2 and +1 for gang up turned a hit into a raise for the cleric. She did not roll well, but the does damage to beat toughness - down goes the Gnoll (second Shaken = wound = Extra is out of the combat).

So cinamatically, the halfling darts between the Gnolls legs, the gnoll stupidly bends down to see where the halfling went, and the cleric crushes his skull.

The best way to get players into Tricks and Test of Wills is to do it to them They will quickly catch on!

Also the combat guide out on the website gives guidence when Tricks and ToW are good to use.

 

[Greg K]

Can you talk more about tricks? I, too, will soon be running SW for the first time. Any hints are really useful.

Tricks are, basically, maneuvers that give a momentary advantage whether by distraction or an attack that does no real damage. However, sometimes things that appear to be Tricks are Tests of Will (e.g, Feint is a special form of taunt (see the d20 maneuver conversion link below)

Three agility trick exampes:

1. nicking someone with the blade to draw blood and, momentarily, blinding them. There is no real damage, just minor enough to distract the opponent or get them to hesitate or lose focus.

2. A leg sweep or trip

3. Foot stomp

(edit: Just came across another that I had forgotten about: Throwing sand in someone's eyes)

Here is a post from Clint Black regarding handling D&D 3e maneuvers in Savage Worlds terms. There are a couple of mentions about Tricks- e.g., Aid Another (Smarts),


Here is a good explanation from Savagepedia that also explains the difference between Tricks and Tests of Wills with numerous examples of Tricks. It also introduces Strength Tricks (although the new Push maneuver in the deluxe edition may override some applications).

 

[catsclaw227]

Here is a post from Clint Black regarding handling D&D 3e maneuvers in Savage Worlds terms. There are a couple of mentions about Tricks- e.g., Aid Another (Smarts),

This is very helpful for 3.x/4e players to understand.