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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Lets talk Savage Worlds!!!!

    I am trying to get together a Mass Effect game at the moment. Had a questions and figured i would try and rouse some Savage World chat!


    Q: I keep seeing the note *SP* used in range weapon notes. Generally in fan made stuff. its always followed with a number. I am guessing from the context its a bonus to your shootin' roll (the number being the bonus) but i can't find any confirmation and my google-fu has failed me. Anybody know for sure?
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    In an attempt to pull this thread out of the nose dive.

    I have been thinking about an idea that gets regularly pushed in SW; handing over control of NPCs to the players in combat situation. (to clarify; letting the players control allied NPC's during battle)

    Has anybody done a lot of this and how has it worked out (doesn't necessarily have to be in SW)?

    Do the players tend to just use the NPC's as shields and cannon fodder?

    I am considering using this technique in a situation where the allied NPC's are only very temporary allies of the PC's. Then i would base the NPC's attitude towards the PC's after the battle on how many NPC's survived.

    Opinions? personal experiences? varied perspectives? I would love them all.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Librarian in the Playground Moderator
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    I'd have to see it in context, so I can't comment on the SP part.

    As for giving allies to the players to run, I can see it working quite well. And I think basing their reaction on how many of them survived works well, and is right in line with Mass Effect, too (I'm thinking of the Virmire expedition). OTOH, I'll also say that using the NPCs as shields and fodder isn't, necessarily, a horrible thing. After all, in SW, they're likely to be non-wildcards. They're not the stars of the show. The NPCs are Ensign Ricky, who beams down with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.
    The Cranky Gamer
    *It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
    *Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
    *Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
    *The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
    Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Hall View Post
    I'd have to see it in context, so I can't comment on the SP part.
    Yeah i came to the conclusion it was just this one guys way of marking the shooting bonus for a weapon. I have only found it in one old SW fan made source book.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Hall View Post
    As for giving allies to the players to run, I can see it working quite well. And I think basing their reaction on how many of them survived works well, and is right in line with Mass Effect, too (I'm thinking of the Virmire expedition). OTOH, I'll also say that using the NPCs as shields and fodder isn't, necessarily, a horrible thing. After all, in SW, they're likely to be non-wildcards. They're not the stars of the show. The NPCs are Ensign Ricky, who beams down with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.
    Yeah, at the moment i am just going to run it and see what happens.

    I was wanting to do it the first time with NPC's the PCs might actually care about, but that option isn't available.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Related to Mass Effect. Is there any decent non-official canon for the Elcor?

    One of my players (after my many failed attempts to convince him otherwise) wants to play an Elcor. Unfortunately he is now frustrated by the lack of information about the race.

    If anybody has read any decent non-official Elcor cannon i would love to get a link to it.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Librarian in the Playground Moderator
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Unfortunately, I don't. I tend to live entirely on the Mass Effect Wiki.

    http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Elcor

    Otherwise, it gets made up.
    The Cranky Gamer
    *It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
    *Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
    *Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
    *The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
    Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
    There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.

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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Are you using a Mass Effect fan source book? Or is it a custom job for your group?

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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sparx MacGyver View Post
    Are you using a Mass Effect fan source book? Or is it a custom job for your group?
    He's mentioned using some of my stuff (on the Cranky Gamer in my sig) and some other material.
    The Cranky Gamer
    *It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
    *Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
    *Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
    *The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
    Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
    There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.

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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaun View Post
    Q: I keep seeing the note *SP* used in range weapon notes. Generally in fan made stuff. its always followed with a number. I am guessing from the context its a bonus to your shootin' roll (the number being the bonus) but i can't find any confirmation and my google-fu has failed me. Anybody know for sure?
    Well, AP is armor piercing; the number is how many points of armor to ignore when doing damage. So I wonder if its just a typo. It probably shouldn't be a bonus to the shooting roll. Flat bonuses to a die roll are extremely powerful in Savage Worlds, and the only weapons with a bonus to shooting rolls in the core book are shotguns.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaun View Post
    I have been thinking about an idea that gets regularly pushed in SW; handing over control of NPCs to the players in combat situation. (to clarify; letting the players control allied NPC's during battle)

    Has anybody done a lot of this and how has it worked out (doesn't necessarily have to be in SW)?

    Do the players tend to just use the NPC's as shields and cannon fodder?
    I've done it; it usually works out fine. Getting your allies killed has the drawback of not having them later, so I haven't seen it be a big problem. Otherwise I'm with Mark Hall; its not necessarily a problem. (If you were running Star Trek, it would even be a feature!) If you use the adventure deck, there's even a card that lets you transfer a wound to an Extra.

    It helps to define them beyond just "allies" though. Are they your ship's crew, your squad in a military game, the Noble PC's men at arms? In a military game using Savage Worlds I wouldn't hesitate to start the PCs as the active core of a squad or even a company. If they do insist on getting Extras killed, that just means they run short handed in later battles.

    Also, don't forget to check for the actual effects of Incapacitation. "Out" doesn't necessarily mean dead, and Extras can hang in a Shrodinger's cat situation until after the battle.
    Last edited by Saladman; 2014-07-27 at 06:58 AM.

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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Have you folks looked into updating the pulp toolkits to match better with the new SciFi Companion? I've got both, and I really want to play an a 'dieselpunk' setting or some such. Actually, kind of similar to Crimson Skies. A game with that general type of feeling.

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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Saladman View Post
    Well, AP is armor piercing; the number is how many points of armor to ignore when doing damage. So I wonder if its just a typo. It probably shouldn't be a bonus to the shooting roll. Flat bonuses to a die roll are extremely powerful in Savage Worlds, and the only weapons with a bonus to shooting rolls in the core book are shotguns.\.
    Yeah it was a a random ref i found in This fan made splat.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sparx MacGyver View Post
    Are you using a Mass Effect fan source book? Or is it a custom job for your group?
    As MH said i am primarily using his Mass Effect hack. Mostly because i like the way he did the races.

    I have re tweaked the Weapons rules, using that first fan made splat as a bit of a basis. I also re tweaked the integral heat sink rules a bit.

    I have stuck to MH's Omni tool rules as a base but i have expanded on them. Giving players the option to buy tech powers as applications that run from the Omni tool.

    I have taken some of the stuff from the Sci-Fi hand book and added them.

    The first session is this Saturday and it looks like i have 5 fairly keen players which is good.

    If your interested i will post the highlights here next week.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaun View Post
    I have been thinking about an idea that gets regularly pushed in SW; handing over control of NPCs to the players in combat situation. (to clarify; letting the players control allied NPC's during battle)

    Has anybody done a lot of this and how has it worked out (doesn't necessarily have to be in SW)?

    Do the players tend to just use the NPC's as shields and cannon fodder?

    I am considering using this technique in a situation where the allied NPC's are only very temporary allies of the PC's. Then i would base the NPC's attitude towards the PC's after the battle on how many NPC's survived.
    Well i have run through the first session and i handed over control of the "Allied" npc's to the players and it worked well. I let them decided who controlled which ones and it ended up that the two less combat orientated characters took control of most of them. They lost a few in the fight but as a whole the Players seemed to enjoy the concept, and it meant that they NPC's got to be more intelligent without worrying about over shadowing the PC's to much.

    For most of my players the hardest part of adapting to Savage worlds was getting used to declaring their entire action before doing any of it. There was a lot of "i will move here and shoot this guy" *roll, roll, roll* " and now im going to..." . By the end of the session they were getting better at it. I think it will just be a learning curve thing.

    I like the fact that i can quick stat npcs by doing something like; D6 (d8 Notice), and thats most of what they need. I have kept the armour and the weapons for the game base line generic but customizable so the players can feel like there weapons are unique, but i can quickly arm an NPC with out having to look it up.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Savage Worlds: General Discussion.

    So i gave the SW chase rules a go for the first time, for the purpose of a dog fight between two space craft in my mass effect game. I was using the additional rules from the science fiction companion and i have to say....

    ...i was amazed at how well such a simple mechanic makes the dog fight feel so much more organic and interesting.

    It made for some intense moments as the cards were drawn and everybody gathered round to find out if the ship had the advantage or not. If they were shooting or not this turn, or if their enemies had got the drop on them.

    I wasn't sure how it would work prior to using it but now I'm keen to get more of this kinda thing into my game. It almost makes me want to run a game centered around some sort of flight squadron.
    Aside from "have fun", i think the key to GMing is putting your players into situations where they need to make a choice that has no perfect outcome available. They will hate you for it, but they will be back at the table session after session.

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