Savage Worlds Race Building

[Werebat]

A couple questions about race building:

It costs one point for natural weapons like claws that do 1d6 plus Str damage. Do you have to spend per natural attack? In other words, does a race with claws on each hand and a bite have to spend three points?

What if I want a race to be immune to fire? One point buys a +4 bonus to attempts to resist environmental fire damage, but what about simple immunity to all damage with the fire trapping?

How could a racial that granted power point to fuel Weird Science devices work?

I'm trying to give the "Mr. Fix-It" edge as a racial ability, but it technically requires Weird Science as a prerequisite. I was thinking that this would be worth 3 points as a result.

Would a flat -2 to Shooting, Throwing, AND Fighting skills be worth -3 or -4 points?

I am trying to Savage the races from the FTL game, if that helps. If you know the game then you can guess at which races I'm talking about!

 

[innerdude]

A couple questions about race building:
It costs one point for natural weapons like claws that do 1d6 plus Str damage. Do you have to spend per natural attack? In other words, does a race with claws on each hand and a bite have to spend three points?

There's no right or wrong answer, but I'd rule that claws would be one spend, a bite attack would be a second.

What if I want a race to be immune to fire? One point buys a +4 bonus to attempts to resist environmental fire damage, but what about simple immunity to all damage with the fire trapping?

That would probably be fine, as long as it was balanced by the fact that it took double damage from cold. A simple immunity to fire would probably be a 4 point trait.

How could a racial that granted power point to fuel Weird Science devices work?

Mechanically you just give them the edge and call it done. If you're looking for some logical reason for that edge to function in the game world . . .

I'm trying to give the "Mr. Fix-It" edge as a racial ability, but it technically requires Weird Science as a prerequisite. I was thinking that this would be worth 3 points as a result.

Depends. I don't think you necessarily need to have the prereq for the standard edge to give as a racial ability.

Would a flat -2 to Shooting, Throwing, AND Fighting skills be worth -3 or -4 points?

I would imagine so, yes.

 

[Zadmar]

It costs one point for natural weapons like claws that do 1d6 plus Str damage. Do you have to spend per natural attack? In other words, does a race with claws on each hand and a bite have to spend three points?

The usual approach is one natural weapon that inflicts Str+d6, or multiple natural weapons that inflict Str+d4, although both hands combined are considered one natural weapon (presumably because they could otherwise wield a weapon or shield, while your teeth couldn't). You can see an example of this approach by looking at the Rakashans and Saurians in SWD.

It should be noted that the Martial Artist Edge also gives Str+d4 weapons, but it would be classified as a +2 racial ability. Some racial abilities are half the price of the equivalent Edge, while some are the same price. Furthermore, the new Science Fiction Companion has significantly changed some of the racial ability prices. But as long as you use the same pricing system for all of your races, you should be fine.

What if I want a race to be immune to fire?

If you use the Super Powers Companion as a guideline, a +4 racial ability would make you immune to background damage from one source (such as heat/fire) and halve the damage from direct heat/fire-based attacks.

How could a racial that granted power point to fuel Weird Science devices work?

You could have it grant the Power Points Edge for +2. The Fantasy Companion also includes a +2 racial ability which grants 10 Power Points (making it twice as good as the Edge), although that option was dropped from SWD, so I'd be inclined to ignore it.

I'm trying to give the "Mr. Fix-It" edge as a racial ability, but it technically requires Weird Science as a prerequisite. I was thinking that this would be worth 3 points as a result.

Edges granted as racial abilities can ignore the requirements aside from rank. The racial creation guidelines in the Science Fiction Companion ignore rank as well. However I wouldn't personally give a Professional Edge as a racial ability, instead why not just give them a bonus to the Repair skill?

Would a flat -2 to Shooting, Throwing, AND Fighting skills be worth -3 or -4 points?

Probably, but I'd recommend against such a racial ability.

You might also find my Savage Abilities fan document useful for balancing your races and abilities.

 

[Connorsrpg]

What is the FTL Game?

We have kinda developed our own system, heavily based upon Savage Worlds.

Here is a link to the races page on our website if that helps: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/b-b-races

\m/ Connors

 

[Werebat]

What is the FTL Game?

It's a very cool Indie space game available on Steam, at GoG, and elsewhere. It runs on the iPad too. Recently got a big update. It's basically a Roguelike and it is very well done.

Races and their general rundown include:

* Humans: learn skills a little faster than other races

* Zoltan: low hit points, can power ship systems with self-generated energy

* Engi: repair systems twice as fast as other races, but do half damage in combat

* Mantis: fast movement, do double damage in combat, repair systems half as quickly

* Rock: slow movement, 150% hit points, immune to (environmental) fire

* Slug: telepaths


There are some RP facets to each race as well - Rocks are xenophobic and apparently focused on their religion, the Mantis are a race of rapacious space pirates, and the Slug are generally known for being less than trustworthy (ie manipulative bastards), for example. However there are genuinely helpful members of each race present in the game who will sign on with your crew.

The question is how to best Savage them all?

 

[Werebat]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I am unable to reply much in kind due to being away from home and using an iPad to type. Sounds like I should check out the SciFi companion to SW - what is it officially called?

Edit: Never mind, found and ordered it already. Just came out a month ago, eh?

 

[MatthewJHanson]

The one thing I'll add is that you shouldn't feel compelled to duplicate every last detail of a race. Try to get at its core and go for the spirit of it.

 

[Werebat]

The one thing I'll add is that you shouldn't feel compelled to duplicate every last detail of a race. Try to get at its core and go for the spirit of it.

Sure -- the FTL races are pretty simple though (although Slug telepathy would be ridiculously OP in most games -- they can sense all life forms and identify their race through space at whatever distance starship-to-starship combat happens, which would effectively make them impossible to sneak up on). I'll try to post what I come up with for them after I get the Sci-Fi book and have time to check it out.