This really isn’t about evangelizing Savage Worlds. This is about some key philosophies of the game. Mainly, don’t sweat the little stuff.
Here’s one of the things that just bug about d20 in all it’s iterations, the amazing number of conditions. You’ve got things like Dazed, Dazzled, Fascinated, Frightened, Fatigued, Shaken, Staggered and the list goes on. To put it bluntly, there isn’t really that much difference between most of them. Most of the time these conditions only manage to eat up time (Someone just has to look the exact wording of the condition.) and it ends up limiting the GM’s ability to describe a scent. It’s happened more than once in our games that the GM describes the scene and someone dives for the rulebook because the GM used a one of the key words in his description. In Savage Worlds, there’s basically just Shaken for just about any disadvantageous condition. Simple, quick and easy. It’s just not worth the effort delve through all this minutiae for a minor and temporary modifier.
The other thing is Powers. These provide the crunchy bits for spells and the like for Savage Worlds. So many games have a long list of spells or similar abilities that when really start comparing them aren’t that much different other than some flavor text. While a rigid definition of what a spell can and can’t do as well how it may be avoided add some mechanical fluff and add a tactical aspect to an encounter. But when the dice meet the table, you’re still doing X amount of damage. Depending on the setting and style of game, these things can be important. But common sense and simple system to adjudicate game balance should take care of the little stuff. You know just like Powers in Savage Worlds.
And while I’m on this rant, I am so sick of games feeling they have to clarify that dead characters can take no actions and the like. If a player really wants to debate the point, I think it might time for that person to look for another group.
Maybe it’s just my good old grognard sensibilites but I just want games where the action and story keep moving without worrying about the little shit.
So the two big things rattling the cages of the D&D blogosphere are D&D Essentials and the new Favor Cards.
I admit that I am not a 4th Edition fanboy. I bought my Core Books, ran an adventure and pretty much shelved the whole thing. There just too many things that made me scream, “WTF!” But from what I’ve seen so far, I just may give Essentials a chance. But I still feel like the guy who burned his hand on a hot stove and then immediately tried again just to make sure it was still hot. So, I approach the Essentials line with some trepidation.
Some folks are saying/complaining that the new builds are too much like previous editions. That’s a good thing, IMHO. The Monster Vault and Rules Compendium right now I’m luke warm on. Much of it is rehashing/updates of old material so I’m in a wait and see pattern. The two Heroes of . . books just should have been one book for players.
The Starter Set sounds good and I’ll probably pick it up. But being a creative grognard, I just might pick up the Start Set and house rule/reverse engineer everything else from the core books.
Now what can I say about The Fortune Cards? You’ve probably heard the old saying, “It’s good and original but that part that’s good ain’t original and the part that’s original ain’t good.”
A deck of cards to give players a little control over scene. You know like the Savage Worlds Adventure Deck or the Paizo Plot Twist Deck. It’s a really cool idea and can add a ton of fun to a game.
It’s collectible. What? Wait. $4 for a boost pack. Really? C’mon, guys. I know you need to pay the bills but don’t you think that this pushing it? Since I already have the Paizo and Savage Worlds deck, an imagination and a printer, I’m pretty sure that brew this up on my own.
Of course, some might say, “Hey dude, you don’t play 4th Edition. What do you care?” Because I still want to like 4th Edition. There many mechanics that I think are great but too many that just don’t suit me. I still hold out hope.
Once again Banesfinger showed up and inspired me again with his comments on the old Savage Worlds: Whiff & Ping. This got me thinking about the crunchy bits of games and who I choose what rules to use for which campaign.
Since these thoughts started with Savage Worlds, I’ll start there. I totally admit that I love Savage Worlds but I also know that it’s not the best fit for every game. Savage Worlds is great at handling big fights. The combat is quick and easy to manage. Most folks think that it’s just a pulp style game and it works great for that. You throw all the cinematic options and it can be a fun and high speed game. But it also works great if you to the opposite end of the spectrum and go total gritty. I’m talking you need to show up with three ring binder full of characters just in case. Just look to Realms of Cthuhlu to see some nasty tips on turning the screws. It can be a fast and bloody game, too.
Of course, I can’t really do this without talking about a few other games too. Yeah, Dungeons and Dragons and it’s current forms. I’m including both 4th Edition and 3.55/Pathfinder in this. Here’s the thing. As D&D has evolved it’s become it’s own genre. Yes, there are house rules and third party supplements that barely change the game when it boils down to it. It’s still pretty much the same game with its own unique feel. There’s nothing wrong with this. As a friend of mine says, “It is what it is.”
And a little on one of my new favorites. Of course, I’m talking about FATE. I’m also including it because it’s so different than Savage Worlds or D20. Fate is not tactical or minicentric. You’re not planning feat trees to optimize your character. The basic rules are very lite and lean towards narrative or story type games. Yes, you can tell stories with any game. It’s just FATE has good mechanics to encourage this and back it up.
Let’s take high fantasy, D&D’s normal genre. For Savage Worlds, you can take Hellfrost and the Fantasy Companion and there you go. A High Fantasy Campaign. Let’s use Legends of Angelerre for FATE. Now as Game Master you can create the exact same game world with each these but end with vastly different campaign atmospheres. None of them is better or worse than the others. Just different. Pick and choose what is important to you and players and run with it.
I’ve been around the game table a time or two and know that just because you love a set rules it may not be the best for the campaign. Sometimes you just have to pick which of your children are your favorite.
I promised a few more thoughts and well here they are. The Pathfinder RPG is pretty darned and cool my group has been playing since the beta test and we’re all pretty happy with it. This book turns it up to 11.
First chapter is Character Races. This is pretty neat stuff. This is alternate racial bennies based on Favored Class. Finally, something besides an extra Hit Point or Skill Point. Some the benefits are pretty powerful like human sorcerers gaining a spell. But it’s livable and a good additional option.
Next chapter the New Base Classes. If you’ve been following Paizo they released beta tests of the new classes and there have been a few changes to final versions. We’ve tested the Witch, Oracle and Inquisitor. And I think these classes did pretty well. Personally, my favorite is the Oracle. But then I’m a fan of spontaneous casters. The GM did throw us a curve ball too. He used an Alchemist as a villian. We found the encounter interesting and were thinking “What the hell is this guy?” We eventually figured it out. So, the new classes are pretty cool. We haven’t messed with the Summoner or Cavalier yet but their mechanics seem decent. Overall, more goodness.
Third Chapter is archetypes for the Core Classes. This really reminds of the kits from Second Edition (Yeah, I’ve been playing that long.) Basically, these let you customize your class even more. It boils down to this. You gain a new class ability but lose something else. In our Spelljammer, the Kender Bard has swooped down on the Court Bard. He doesn’t give us bonuses but gives the enemies penalties. Personally, my Changeling (Eberron type) Rogue/Fighter is now a Spy/Two Weapon Warrior. As a Spy, I gain a bonus to Bluff and Poison Use but lose Trap Finding and Trap Sense. The Two Weapon Warrior loses Armor Training and Weapons Training but picks up bonuses to hit, damag and AC while fighting with two weapons. Most classes got some great stuff. Rangers and Barbarians did very well. But I think sorcerers got the short end of the stick. Just some new blood lines and none of them really impressed me. I got to say this is one of the best chapters in the book.
Next up is Feats. All I can say is OMFG! Good feats abound no matter your race, class or concept. This is just awesome and there’s just too many neat things in this chapter. Let me put this way. You remember all those splat books you bought for 3.5. There were like three dozen feats in each of them but each book had only about two good feats. Imagine they took those two feats from each of those books and just put them into one book. That what it is like.
Next Chapter covers Equipment. This is lamest chapter. If you picked up the Adventurer’s Armory then your covered. Over than that nothing really grabbed my attention.
Then comes the Spells Chapter. This is pretty good but not to the level of the Feats Chapter. The spells are good and there are some that are mostly for villians. Like Cup of Dust which is basically a curse that makes you die of dehydration. Most adventuring parties won’t wait around around that long for their enemies to die. This is a solid and useful chapter.
Of course, we have to have a chapter on Prestige Classes. I never really like PrC’s, so this was just meh. But it’s there so take it as you will.
And more Magic Items, too. Most of the items presented are linked to either new feats or classes from the APG. So it’s kind of necessary. Like the Spell Chapter this is solid and useful.
And there’s some new rules, too. The main gem is more Combat Maneuvers. This adds to your list of things you can do in combat besides just “hit it”. Before we had Bull Rush, Disarm, Feint, Overrun and Trip. Now add Dirty Trick, Drag, Reposition and Steal. This should make combat much more interesting. There’s also a Hero Point system presented as an optional system. This is pretty much your usual Action Point/Karma Point/Fate Point/Bennie type system. Useful and handy if no other system suits your fancy or just need to have something that is “official”.
So that’s about it. It’s damn good book. If you’re already playing Pathfinder, you should have already picked it up. If you aren’t playing Pathfinder then heck just give it chance and then maybe pick this up.
I don’t often shill products but once in a while I hear about something that I just think is a really cool idea.
LPJ Design has this pretty neat setting for Pathfinder. It’s called Obsidian Twilight. It’s a cross between Ravenloft and Dark Sun, a post apocalyptic horror setting. It’s actually pretty cool. He’s planning on to a supplement to add the Cthulhu Mythos to the setting. It’s called A Place Beyond Hell. Like any small publisher, sometimes you need a little help to get a project from concept to consumer. Mr. Porter is doing this as a Kickstarter Project. And yes in this is a case, I have put my money where my mouth is and backed this project.
I’ve bought a bunch of his stuff; Haven: City of Violence, some d20 Modern stuff, and various other d20 products. And I’m happy with what I got. So just go and check it out.
A Place Beyond Hell Kickstarter Page
Louis Porter’s Blog
Let me get the formalities out of the way. I don’t know Louis Porter Jr. And the only connection I have with LPJ Design is they occasionally buy some ad space here. This has been an unsolicited plug for this project. I just think it’s freaking neat.
I thought that this was going to be cool. I was wrong. It’s just fantastic.
If you’re playing Pathfinder just pick this up and drop every one of your old 3.5 splat books. You won’t need them. I’m still trying to digest all the info that is in this book. Tweaks and new abilities for the original base classes, the new base classes, new feats, new spells, new gear, more options in combat, character traits. Like I said, Paizo crammed a ton of information in this one book. There’s something for everybody here.
Of course, the power gamers, munckins and rules lawyers will dissect it with clinical precision. For those of us who like to run with character concept and worry about plotting out feat progressions and calculating probabilities there’s plenty of options to easily build the character you want.
Yeah, I know this is short review. Just go out and get the book already. It’ll give you something to read while all the cool kids are at GenCon.
Commenting Now