Savage Worlds is my favorite rpg for non-supers. However, I almost passed on it, because I did not like the quickstarts. It was award nominated and award winning d20M third party companies Adamant, Battlefield Press, Dog House Rules, RPGObjects and others switching to Savage Worlds that got me to give the full product a look.
First thing to know is that many people coming from other games shoot for a high skill die. However, skill die are really for accessing edges. Many edges grant a +2 bonus and, against a standard TN 4, that bonus means you are only going to fail if you a roll a 1 on both the skill die and the wild die. The bonus also brings you closer to a raise.
Combat:
1. Ranged Attacks: Against ranged attacks you don't want to be out in the open. You want to be behind cover! Standing out in the open is a good way to get oneself killed.
2. At first glance, Savage Worlds combat does not seem to have as many options as D&D 3e and 4e. However, first impressions can be deceiving (see this for d20 Combat maneurers in
Savage Worlds). The Deluxe version now has Push maneuver. Add to this Tricks and Tests of Wills and there are numerous options
3. Lethality under the Deluxe edition is a dial. People say the game is pulp, but the default is a little more deadly. A lot of people try to control how the deadly game is by the amount of bennies. However, examples from PEG (e.g. Crime City) tend to control lethality through Setting Rules by adjusting the rules for wounds and incapacitation.
The core book, however, does not present a lot of dials for lethality. Here is a
list of dials posted online by Clint Black, SW's brand manager that cover Cartoon violence to super gritty by adjusting incapacitation dials (unfortunately, it was not included in the Deluxe edition).
Skills: The game has a skill list. However, as with Lethality, the GM is supposed to adjust the list based on the campaign. This might be renaming a skill, introducing a new skill, etc. A general rule is that, if a skill will not appear every couple of sessions, have the skill instead be handled as Common Knowledge (provided it fits the character's background). If you want to read more, check out this
post by Clint
Trappings play an important in the game when it comes to spells and altering powers based upon trappings is a key part of powers.. Sometimes trappings can be confusing for players coming from D&D. For instance there is no Illusion Spell. Illusion is a trapping for Puppet (if you are trying to get a the target to react). If it is supposed to hide, it is the Obscure power. Unfortunately, Illusions as trappings was not covered in the Fantasy Companion nor in the Deluxe Edition despite having been covered by Clint on
here on rpg.net
Setting Rules: If not obvious from the above, setting rules to tailor the game for your campaign is a key aspect for running the game. The Deluxe Editon provides several examples.
Settings: the game does many settings very well and between PEG and third party companies there are a lot of sources.
From PEG
1. The Fantasy and Horror Companions from PEG. Sourcebooks with edges, hindrances equipment, monsters, advice and more for creating a variety of campaign based on the genre (Note: The Science Fiction Companion is supposed to be released soon).
2. Pirates of the Spanish Man
3. Deadlands Reloaded which is Wierd West
4. Deadlands Noir: Hardboiled Detective in the Big Easy of 1930's Deadlands
Many genres are covered by great third party products including
Cyberpunk: Interface Zero (Gun Metal Games)
Espionage: Agents of Oblivion (Reality Blurs) The default assumes Men In Black, X-Files and similar, but drop the weird and you can do straight espionage.
Fantasy, High: Hellfrost (Triple Ace Games)
Fantasy, Post Cataclysmic: Sundered Skies (Triple Ace Games)
Fantasy, Robin Hood: Sherwood (Battlefield Press)
Fantasy, Swords and Sorcery: Beasts and Barbarians (GRAmel)
Fantasy, Three Musketeers meets Cthulhu: All For One (Triple Ace Games)
Horror, Cthulhu: Realms of Cthulhu (Reality Blurs) which provides 4 different takes
Horror, Zombie Apocalypse: War of the Dead (Daring Entertainment)
Planetary Romance: Mars: Savage Edition (Adamant)
Post Apocalypse: Darwin's World (RPGObjects)
Pulp: Thrilling Tales 2e (Adamant)
Urban Crime and Corruption: Streets of Bedlam (Fun Sized Games) think Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Four Brothers
Victorian Age Urban Fantasy: Gaslight (Battlefield Press)
Possible Drawbacks
1. Unless you have a campaign in mind (and even then), in addition to the $10 core book, you will want one of the Companions or a Setting Book.
2. Some people have an issue with Acing (rolling max on a Test or damage roll and getting to roll the die again and add to the total) when the TN =the die type. A small statistical anomaly, occurs. However, lower dies also increase the chance of a critical failure.
3. Some people think powers are too "samey"
4. Some people have an issue with "death spiral" and "swingy" combat.