Grammaton training (Savage worlds)

The character is trained in quickly calculating shooting angles and committing rigorous gun kata to muscle memory. The character is an expert in snap shooting multiple targets. Only the most Agile and strong willed can master it's techniques.

Training is very focused on two core weapons. Medium pistols and combat blades, specifically the katana.

Grammaton training
Requirements: Novice, Agility d8, Spirit d8.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first attack when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make up to 2 attacks with the same weapon.

Advanced Grammaton training

Requirements: Veteran, Agility d8, Spirit d10.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first two attacks when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make up to 3 attacks with the same weapon.

Expert Grammaton training
Requirements: Heroic, Agility d10, Spirit d10.
When using a medium pistol or small to medium blade you can ignore the first two attacks when calculating multi-action penalties. The character can make any number of attacks with the same weapon.

Agent Benjamin Andrews

Agent Benjamin (Cuatro) Andrews

Andrews is an agent in the newly formed maelstrom division.

Agent Andrews is made up of 3 individual forms who are psychicly linked and form a single individual. If any one form sees you or knows your whereabouts, just assume all three do as well.

Agent Andrews nickname came as a joke, even though there are three of him other agents joke the only way to kill Andrews is to kill him four times.

(Though agent Andrews is a wild card each for has only a single wound. If two forms are killed only the final form has the incapacitated condition. In the time others would heal agent Andrews other forms will reappear as if they were never harmed.)

Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 

Strength d6, Vigor d8

Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, 

Notice d8, Piloting d8, Persuasion d6.

Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6,

Agent Andrews carries a service pistol, and has access to other equipment as needed as a maelstrom agent.

Pit Fiend for Savage worlds.

Pit Fiend

Pit Fiends are a blight. They destroy and build breeding pits in the ashes. Each pit can produce 3-5 new Fiends.
Each new Fiend will then move on and destroy and build a pit of its own. Pits are formed from death and destruction, equal parts ash and remains of the fiends many victims.

Pit fiends stand around 6' tall and weigh about 350lbs.
Average wingspan is 5' across.

Before ever seeing a fiend the smell of sulfer and ash is always present. The same can be said about a breeding pit with the added smell of putrid flesh. If they feel threatened they may band together in small groups. Even heavily armored units can fall to a few determined fiends.

Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d8
Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Tracking d6
Pace 6 (flying 12), Parry 6, Toughness 8 (2),

Natural weapons 2d6 claws (heavy weapons), tough hide armor (heavy armor). Spit fireball 6/8/10 (small template) 3d6 fire.

Dramatic combat rules (Savage worlds)

I've been giving the quick combat rules some thought. On one hand I want to try them, on the other I just don't see myself only using them in a game. So I began thinking about how I could use both. When would the transition make sense?

So here is my idea, any time the player making an attack or combat roll of any kind aces a set number of times they get to go into quick combat mode as a kind of critical.

For example a GM could set the number at 4, any combat roll in that game that aces more that four times the player describes the dramatic combat by totally going Martin Riggs or john McClane and wrecking the whole scene.

Quick combat rules

Bennies in my games (SW)

I made a cheat sheet for my players, I thought it might be useful to others as well. This is just for my games, not me expressing my belief that the core rules are broken and in any need of changing or fixing.

Ways of earning bennies:

*Any time a player "invokes" or uses their own hindrance to complicate the story. For example: they give in to an addiction and lose a suspect they were watching. A player descides her phobia comes into play without the GM imposing it.

*Players can gain a bennie by choosing to fail a roll to further the story. Sometimes losing in a car chase will just make the story more interesting.

*The GM can offer a player a Bennie as a 'story complication' in exchange for a Bennie. Players may refuse the completion and Bennie by giving the GM a Bennie in exchange.

*Players may propose a story complication, the player describes a complication in the story that works against the party as a whole. If the GM agrees and runs with it every player effected gets a bennie. Maybe a rival gang shows up, or a trusted contact double crosses the party.

Ways of using bennies:

*Players can gain a reroll as per normal SW rules.

*Players can spend bennies to soak wounds per SW rules as normal.

*Players can spend a bennie to "remember" a piece of gear they packed.

*Players can spend a bennie to gain the benefit of an Edge for a single round.

*Players can spend a Bennie and get a "lucky break" this is entirely up to the GM, if the GM doesn't feel it's appropriate he will return the bennie. Otherwise he will describe or let the player describe something that is discovered or suddenly noticed in the players favor. It's also the GMs discretion to allow players To describe the lucky break and allow it or veto it.

*When players clearly have advantage against a weaker group, like a group of knight in disguise jumped by road side robbers. Or possibly a street gang trying to stop a party of prime street runners. Players can spend a bennie to use cinematic combat to resolve the combat.

Wild card villains and their minions.

I've been thinking about Bennie economy in my games. One thing I noticed is that I rarely give my wild card villains bennies. Often I forget or don't really find their use all that helpful. Most just get spent to soak or reroll and not much else.

Today an idea hit me, it may not be all that unique or useful to anyone else. I'm sharing it any way.

Most of my wild cards are leaders of a group of mooks. Like a goblin chieftain or shaman leading a mob of lesser non-wild card mooks.

From now on I'll treat the group of mooks as minions and an extension of the wild card. The wild card can spend it's bennies on the mooks in its group, not just on itself. Giving me a lot more opportunities to use those wildcard's Bennies.

Rippers: Resurrected, first look.

When the original Rippers first came out I had to have it. Rippers quickly became my favorite setting, at the time I was running nothing but Savage worlds....and a lot of Rippers.

As much as I loved the setting in the core book I equally hated the plot point that came in it. In my opinion the plot point destroyed the replayability of the game.

When the relaunch (resurrection) of Rippers was announced I was pretty exited, but getting in on the Kickstarter just wasn't in the cards for me.

Today I finally got my hands on the player and GM Guides.

These new guides are gorgeous. The art, layout, and feel of the books are perfect. I love the new two core book format. The plot point in the GM guide is a sequel to the original, which I find a weird choice.
The new books look to have more information and at least seems better organized.

I really look forward to getting a game of Rippers going again.

Ranged vs Melee (Savage Worlds)

I'm always drawn to perceived issues with systems. Things that my players or other people believe to be broken and in need of a fix.

One that has caught my eye is the supposed discrepancies between melee and ranged combat. Which goes something like this:
Difficulty to hit in melee is 2+ 1/2 your opponents Agility. While to hit with ranged is a set number of 4.
Which gives range an advantage over melee.

By itself, out of context of the rest of the system I can see where this could seem unbalanced. Lets examine both as they pertain to the combat system at large. First I'll examine melee.

In melee your parry of 2+1/2 of fighting skill is only applicable if you are not surprised by an attack and only if you have a proper weapon reddied to defend yourself. If you are unarmed, weilding an improvised weapon, surprised, or making a wild attack your parry will be lower. So the defalt melee defense is assuming you are ready, knowing, and armed. So I say melee by defalt assumes the defender is at advantage to defend against a melee attack.

Now ranged combat on the other hand has a defult difficulty of 4. This assumes that you are not surprised, within close range, and not in cover.
The proper tactic against a ranged weapon is cover (causing cover penalties). The proper weapon for a ranged attack is one that is effective at the range you need (to avoid range penalties). So I say by defult the defender is assumed at a disadvantage against a ranged attack.

In quick summery, in melee the advantage goes to the defender, with penalties to the defender for being unarmed or unprepared. By contrast ranged assumed advantage on the part of the attacker, with penalties to the attacker for conditions and defender tactics.

Within context of the rest of the system I don't find this unbalanced. If anything it seems fair and makes sense given the nature of melee and ranged conditions and penalties.

Bennies vs XP (Savage Worlds)

I've been putting a lot of thought into the use of bennies. Especially with regards to my "other uses" I've written about in the past.

The two additional used I've been trying out is using them as rewards much like Fate points for compels and GM intrusions.

The problem is I don't feel bennies are enough of a reward. If bennies are flowing and the game is moving along nicely a compel or intrusion are both complications to the story. Complications that must be delt with and overcome.

As an example; if one of the players is on a stakeout watching for a suspect to leave his home. If I offer a benny to compel the player to give in to his addiction by abandon his post for a minute to step over to a newspaper stand to get a pack of smokes, so the suspect can get away. A bennie just doesn't seem like a proper reward. Though my players are really good sports and almost always accepts the bennies its really out of interest in keeping the game interesting and not because the reward is well worth the complications.

My idea is from now on only giving 1xp to every player for just showing up. 1xp each player if a story milestone is reached during the session. All other xp will come from ones being offered from compels and intrusions.

AGA ChromeThunder 454-30 (Savage Worlds)

This gun was made famous by Oswald Singer a.k.a. OZ. Very few have been produced, the exact number has never been released.

Chambered in the powerful .454 magnum with a 30mm under grenade launcher. Its like a crack of thunder in every pull of the trigger.
Two very common loads for the 30mm is grenade and shotgun rounds.

.454: 18/30/60, 2d8+1,Rof:1, cost:800, wgt:9, min st: d6, shots:6 AP3.

30mm:(grenade) 10/20/40, 3d6, SBT
30mm:(shotgun) 5/10/20, 1-3d8 min str d10 one handed, d6 two handed.

Mask of Demonic form (Savage Worlds)

The origins of these masks are unknown. Only 6 are known to exist, all are identical in shape and size. Simply placing the mask over your face and peering through the eye sockets the user can see signs of demonic influence. Some examples are a red mist seeping from the ear of someone who is being manipulated by a temptation demon, those posesed are seen with a ghostly visage around them, and those who have given themselves over to demonic forced are seen with a vile black sludge oozing from their body.

Within the rim of each mask is a name. If the name is spoken while the mask is worn it bonds to the users face and transforms them into a demonic form. A grusome humanoid shape with bone spines from knuckles, knees, back, shoulders, and head. Worn armors and clothing are destroyed in the transformation.

 Form lasts for a number of rounds equal to x3 your level (3 rounds for novice, 6 rounds for seasoned ect). Changing can only be used once per day.

Demon form is Toughness 10, Str+1d6 dmg on a slam (shoulder, head butt, back) and Str+1d8 on a strike. +2 armor vs fire or necrotic sources. Horror 6.

Grayson's Clockwork bow (Savage Worlds & Amazing Adventures)

Jeremiah Grayson created the bow for one purpose, revenge.

Growing up at the dawn of the industrial revolution Jeremiah came from a long line of jewelers and clock makers. Jeremiah had a unique bond with mechanical devices, in both building and repairing them. He found work outside the family business as a machinist.

One night there was a robbery at the family business. The thieves took merchandise and the lives of Jeremiah's father and sister. Tormented with guilt and grief Jeremiah tracked down the stolen goods.

The thieves were well connected and Jeremiah grew frustrated with law enforcement for not acting on his findings.

Jeremiah withdrew into his worshop. He crafted this bow. It's diminutive size made it concealable in a long coat. Making no more noise than a humming bird. With the bow was crafted eight arrows desined to be used with the bow. The thieves were hunted down one by one.

 When using a normal arrow treat the bow as just a simple or short bow. But when the custom arrows are used use these custom profiles.

Savage Worlds: 10/20/30, 2d6, AP 4, wgt 3, st d4 +2 to all shooting skill rolls.

Amazing Adventures: +3 to hit, 1d8, 60', -6 AC worth of armor (worn armor only).

Gaslight, Savage Worlds setting (Review)

I am a HUGE fan of roleplaying in the victorian era. I'm a HUGE fan of Victorian horror. I'm a HUGE fan of sherlock Holmes.

I'm a HUGE fan of Gaslight. A victorian era fantasy setting for Savage Worlds. Published by Battlefield press, Inc. Although it weighs in at only 80 pages it covers a lot of groud in those 80 pages. Packed full of inspiration and useful information. My copy is a POD from Rpgnow.com. The covers are strong, the binding seems more than adequate, and the paper is heavy weight. Every bit of the book is quality. The art looks to be mostly from free sources. None of the art looks cheesy or out of place. It's plentiful enough to give the book a nice feel. And is well layed out and appropriate for its placement.

Chapter 1: (pages 1-27)
This chapter covers two major subjects. The world of gaslight, victorian themes for your game.
The second is Organizations and secret societies, from Holmes' Baker street irregulars to the secretive MI 7. Covered with (in my opinion) just the right information. Enough to inspire but not enough that it rambles on.

Chapter 2: (pages 29-43)
This chapter is all about making characters in the gaslight setting. Covering concepts, races, edges, and hindrances.
I find the races to be pretty interesting. Ratlings, Humans, Vampires, Werewolf, and Wildlings.
Each races is covered in a lot of detail. I love that it doesn't just give you a few racial packages and a sentence or two and leave you to it. It really fleshed them out with personality, description, relations, lands, religion, language, names, and adventures before getting to racial edges and flaws. Very nicely done in my opinion.

Chapter 3: (45-49)
This is a very small chapter entitled Worldly goods. Most of this chapter is menu style of charts with the goods and services avalible in the Gaslight setting. It's by no means exhaustive, but I feel it covers enough ground to get the job done. Every bit of it useful.

Chapter 4: (51-52)
This even shorter section is all about handling wealth and social status. Two very important topics in any Victorian setting.

Chapter 5: (53-54)
Beyond the veil is all about powers. Which one fits in which category. Which race or archtype is allowed which power. This is one area of the book I will say I disagree with. With the right trappings any power should be open to any type. But it's never bad to have options. If you so choose to introduce restrictions on powers it would not be a bad way to go.

Chapter 6: (pg 55-72)
This huge section is the Gazetteer of the Gaslight setting. Location by location of the world described in the Gaslight setting. So many great adventure seeds in here. I can't read this chapter without gleeming at least a little inspiration from it. Next is a timeline of the Gaslight world. From 1859 to 1901, again full of inspiring little nuggets.

Chapter 7: (pg 73-80)
The reliquary is full of wonderous items that can be found within the Gaslight world. The Ark of the covenant, crystal skulls, the holy grail, and the playing cards of wild just to name a few. This was one of my favorite parts to sit and read. Inspiration on every page. If the reliquary has any short coming, its that its too short. I would love to have even more.

Small but mighty. Gaslight is exactly what I like in a setting. Inspiring and useful. I didn't feel like I was reading a text book or some academic showing off. Hoping to see more in this line in the future.

Cards, Initiative (Savage Worlds)

Cards for initiative is often one of those "oddities" or in some people's words "gimmicks", of Savage Worlds that take some getting used to for new players. I for one have grown to love using playing cards and I would like to go over the key points of why I do.

Handing out a card to each player who in turn acts in order based on value is one of the most honest straight forward methods of initiative I've ever used. Its can't be manipulated or min-maxed. It never gets more complicated. And its a great visual reminder of who goes when. And it can crit! Drawing a joker gives you an effect akin to "critical rolling" on initiative. Everyone has an equal chance in every initiative to shine and an equal chance to be awesome....what is not to like?

The Savage worlds system for initiative can still be "gamed". There are ways to better your draw with edges that for example allow a player to draw two cards and pick one. These Edges don't add complication or manipulate the system in a way that guarantees their superiority over others. It just makes them better at what they have chosen to be good at.

The one criticism I do see time and again is that initiative is not tied to Agility or pace. That faster characters should have an advantage. My reply is that those (as mentioned above) who choose to take edges to act quicker can do so. That is who there character is, it should be part of the character beyond just attribute or skill.

Also I would argue that basing Initiative off Agility or fighting skill is double dipping. You get all the benefits of that attribute or skill plus a bonus to initiative. Its a short road that leads to min-maxing and dump stats. Rather than building a character from the concept up.

Also no other attribute/skill really makes much sense in Savage Worlds to limit or boost your "attack speed". Agility? Agility is eye to hand coordination and nimbleness. I'm sure in some small way it is a bit of quickness. But to say every person who is nimble or good coordination is quick in a fight is kind of a stretch. And to me its a hard argument to say its the ruling factor anyway. What about Pace? Pace is speed alright, but it's rather walking speed. Speed can be effected by a lot of factors. Most of all size effects speed. I'm not willing to belive walking speed should effect how quick you are in acting in combat.

After really thinking about it I do belive effects that manipulate initiative are best as edges. Detached from raw abilities and skills. Rather its attached to your character concept....which I think is just fine.

Attributes (Savage Worlds)

I've seen it asked many times. "If most active rolls in savage worlds is made on a skill roll, then why even have attribute scores?"

Lets take a look at attribute scores in the context of their function in Savage Worlds. What do they do? And are they pulling their weight as a function of the system.

First the most obvious. Attributes act as a limiter to skills who fall under their category. Climbing is a strength based skill, so buying climbing at a level greater than the characters rank in strength will cost two points each, rather than one.

Second attribute scores are factor in to derived attributes and formula. like toughness, as well as rolled along side a secondary die as melee damage. Attribute scores are a mesure of raw power or focus like range of a spell or limit for cyber tolerance.

Another often overlooked function of attributes is "saving throws". Overcome restraints? Strength roll. Dodge a bolder? Agility roll. Resist hypnosis?  Spirit roll. Resist poisons? Vigor roll.

I for one believe attributes pull their own weight. Their effect on savage worlds may not be as obvious and upfront as skills. But their effect and uses are no less important.

Trappings (Savage Worlds)

Trappings is one of the concepts in Savage Worlds that most people don't take to right away. They take a little bit of work to get the hang of. It was a concept I had trouble fully grasping at first. As a matter of fact it was a major hurdle for me, the one thing I didnt like about Savage Worlds at first glance. I felt powers were too generic. Once I got a good grasp on how trappings work I found that I prefer to use them in everything.

It's easy to think of trappings as differences between types of powers like psionics or magic. That its the source of the power that adds the flavor. When in fact they are just the root of the trapping.

Trappings should not just embody the type of powers, but also accent or flavor the power based on your character concept.

As an example lets take the power Entangle. Entangle cost two power points and targets a single enemy to restrain. For two extra points it targets everyone in a medium area. Depending on the power source Entangle can be a mages hold monster spell, a super heroes web slinging, a mad scientists glue bombes, or even a psychics force field encasing someone. Taking it a bit further trappings can have effects beyond just being reskinned powers.
For example, one of my players is a Druid. As a matter of fact he is a Druid in every game I run. His Druid has Entangle. His trapping for the spell is roots and vines that shoot from the ground grabbing its target.
In one game the party was trying to escape from a castle while being unseen. The players had his druid climb to the wall and look over the edge and ask. "Could I cast Entangle on the ramparts? Have the vines attach to them and the rest the party can climb down?" Not just could he..he got a bennie for his cool idea. After all it fit the trapping so why not.

I've taken it a bit further and allowed a more freeform use of trappings as well. In another game the Druids players had entangled a theif who was trying to get away with an artifact. The Druids player asked "instead of using the 2power points to area effect can I instead spend the 2 to pull the target to me?" I allowed it....why not?

Same as entangle as a glue grenade could be used by other characters. Or even rigged to trapps or rolled into a room. Basically any maneuver that one could pull with a hand grenade.

Trappings are not just a reskinning of a power. But rather think of powers as liquids. And trappings are different shapped bottles.  If you pour the power into the shape of a grenade, treat it like a grenade. Not just a grenade in name only. If its shaped like a gun use aiming and cover rules. If its a jet of flames use the flame thrower special rules to light targets on fire. Give trapping substance. Give them effect.

RIFTS coming to Savage Worlds

I'm so shocked I'm speechless.

Spell refocused (trapping) Savage Worlds

Another character we are working on is a druid. Although he will have shape change he wanted a magical melee attack. The druids arms shift to bear like forearm and claws. We want this to be a supernatural attack and not dependent on the strength of the druid.

I will be mixing the effects of both smite and bolt. So the profile will use smite, minus the ability to effect others. Do 2d6 dmg like bolt, with a +2 to dmg on a raise like smite.

Spell refocused (trapping) Savage Worlds

One of my players has a cleric type character, too marshal to be a priest. Arcane background (faith) is included in his build.

He wants a "summoned soldier" as part of his build.

We chose to reskin summon ally, we are going to use only the bodyguard use and drop the others. Instead of stone the bodyguard is a hero of old summoned to our world to defend the believer. The toughness is pure supernatural energy. Every 3 power points spent another bodyguard is summoned. Number summoned is limited to caster level, one at novice, two at seasoned and so on.

Montu of Sansua Pregen/NPC Savage Worlds

At a very young age Montu was apprenticed to a medicine man. He learned of the spirits and the land. As exiting as it was, Montu was a restless young man and had dreams of his own. He often sought out those that traveled the trade routs and told tales of the foreigners and foreign lands.


Montu's life changed the day the British explorer and occult hunter Alister Cunningham stopped in the village to rest on their way to far off places. Alister told tales of the world he had seen and Montu was transfixed. Montu disguised himself as a servant in the caravan and stowed away.




Over the next years Montu proved himself an able spirit guide and warrior, saving the life of Alister and his men numerous times. Montu has made a place for himself within Alisters inner circle of explorers. Montu is Alister's most trusted confidant and adviser on all things to do with the spirits and the land.

Agi:d6, Sm:d6, Str:d6, Sp:d8, Vig:d6. Pace 6", parry 5, toughness 5, Charisma 0.

Healing d4.
Survival, Climbing, Throwing, Stealth, notice, Faith, fighting, d6.

Hindrances:
Curious (ma) Montu wants to see the world.
Loyal (mi) Ones traveling companions must all trust on another in the dark places.
Pacifist (mi) kill in defense only, Even the scorpion has a job to do in this world.

Edges:
 Brave.
Arcane background (Miracles)
-See with spirit eyes (Detect Arcane)
-Call of the land (Elemental Manipulation)