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SW
Nov 20, 2013 4:34:45 GMT -8
Post by Luckstrider on Nov 20, 2013 4:34:45 GMT -8
What Savage Worlds products do you suggest for getting into the system?
I currently own the explorer's edition, Deadlands players guide and marshall's handbook. I have been debating the fantasy companion but wanted to know what others think. Should setting books be prioritized before companions?
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jpk
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 58
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SW
Nov 20, 2013 14:19:28 GMT -8
Post by jpk on Nov 20, 2013 14:19:28 GMT -8
If you want to write your own campaign, I'd probably go with Companions over settings. If you want to pick something up and run with it, I'd probably go with settings over Companions.
As for what Companion to get, I'd say that depends on what you want to do and how you want to approach it. The Horror Companion is a pretty good toolset for making anything dark or for settings where the players are usually outclassed by the opposition.
The Super Powers Companion is probably the single most useful for folks with an open mind who are interested in making any high-powered setting of their own. Pretty much any time your players are expected to be able to do great things at will, that's where you want the Super Powers Companion, and it includes enough tweak options to set that power level as you like. Super heroes? Of course. Wuxia? The differences are often cosmetic, so, yes. Urban fantasy a la Dresden or so? Works out great to keep your PC wizards, golems, werewolves, and what-have-yous on a pretty even keel (including the "normal" when you realize just how super a lot of the normals in those stories are).
Depending on what you want out of the Fantasy Companion and what core rulebook you've got, that might not be your go-to buy. The expanded spells and race creation guidelines were a large part of what made the FC a go-to book for folks, but nearly all of that is in the Deluxe editions now.
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SW
Nov 21, 2013 7:28:16 GMT -8
Post by ericfromnj on Nov 21, 2013 7:28:16 GMT -8
Considering you have the explorer's edition, I might suggest looking for the updated rules to deluxe. www.peginc.com/store/savage-worlds-core/It is down towards the bottom. I second the super power companion. It is awesome. The fantasy companion has races and magic items galore, which did not excite me as much as others. For fun you might just want to download some deadlands one sheets and have a go with that... www.peginc.com/product-category/one-sheets/
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SW
Nov 21, 2013 8:13:52 GMT -8
Post by Houndin on Nov 21, 2013 8:13:52 GMT -8
I've heard that the Supers companion and the setting book for Necessary Evil are both good and serve much the same purpose. I have the Fantasy and Horror companions and find them both useful in running games in many genres.
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SW
Nov 21, 2013 12:13:20 GMT -8
Post by shadrack on Nov 21, 2013 12:13:20 GMT -8
Supers companion and NE are quite similar. The main difference is the companion doesn't have a cool plot point campaign, and NE doesn't have the more 'team' related things like bases. (as far as I can remember, I haven't looked at those in awhile).
I second ericfromnj re: savage worlds deluxe, it's awesome and well worth it.
For getting into the system, I would need some help on what you're interested in running/playing before I opined on that. I'd hate to nominate something that because of the genre or approach was a buzzkill for you.
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SW
Nov 21, 2013 13:25:17 GMT -8
Post by jazzisblues on Nov 21, 2013 13:25:17 GMT -8
I would actually pick the genre I wanted to run and go in the following order
Core (Deluxe) rulebook Companion Book(s) for the genre Setting Books for the genre
That way you get a broad to progressively refined picture of the game as it applies to what you want to do.
Also remember JiB's Savage Rule #1: Use ALL of the rules, don't cherry pick.
JiB
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SW
Nov 21, 2013 16:22:32 GMT -8
Post by Luckstrider on Nov 21, 2013 16:22:32 GMT -8
I would actually pick the genre I wanted to run and go in the following order Core (Deluxe) rulebook Companion Book(s) for the genre Setting Books for the genre That way you get a broad to progressively refined picture of the game as it applies to what you want to do. Also remember JiB's Savage Rule #1: Use ALL of the rules, don't cherry pick. JiB Thanks guys for all the comments and suggestions! My only issue is I'm not sure what genre I would run first. I think I will discuss this with my gaming group and come to a conclusion before moving to the purchasing phase. JiB: What exactly to you mean by all the rules? Are you talking about the setting specific rules and/or the core SW rules?
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Post by jazzisblues on Nov 21, 2013 16:50:48 GMT -8
I would actually pick the genre I wanted to run and go in the following order Core (Deluxe) rulebook Companion Book(s) for the genre Setting Books for the genre That way you get a broad to progressively refined picture of the game as it applies to what you want to do. Also remember JiB's Savage Rule #1: Use ALL of the rules, don't cherry pick. JiB Thanks guys for all the comments and suggestions! My only issue is I'm not sure what genre I would run first. I think I will discuss this with my gaming group and come to a conclusion before moving to the purchasing phase. JiB: What exactly to you mean by all the rules? Are you talking about the setting specific rules and/or the core SW rules? I mean all of the core rules followed by the setting rules. The game gets out of balance when the rules are cherry picked. JiB
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SW
Nov 25, 2013 10:05:23 GMT -8
Post by rickno7 on Nov 25, 2013 10:05:23 GMT -8
Except you can ignore the attacks of opportunity stuff and have MORE fun Anyways, I was underwhelmed by the Fantasy companion. A lot of what it has, IMO, can be gotten from the free Wizards and Warriors thing they have on the site. I have converted over W&W into Roll20 and played it with 2 groups of friends. If you really don't have a clue how to translate stereotypical PC race and class parts from D&D into SW, then it might be useful for you. In Savage Worlds, many of the campaign settings are also pretty much new rule sets for the game. I have some experience with fantasy settings they have. I have read through the first half of Shaintar(amazing, I want to buy it), all of Sundered Skies, and the first 2 books of Hellfrost. Out of those 3, Sundered Skies has the least amount of rule additions/changes, but has a very cool setting. Shaintar has overwhelming amounts of setting and a few changes that I've read. But Hellfrost. Hellfrost is awesome. They change the way many things work and add a lot of setting specific stuff, and their classes are really really cool too. I would compare it to how much Dark Sun changes D&D, that's what Hellfrost does for SW. If I was to make a new fantasy Savage Worlds campaign I'd probably use almost all of Hellfrost's stuff in whatever world I come up with. Hellfrost does not get enough recognition. Non-fantasy, the Super Hero companion is totally worth it.
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maxinstuff
Supporter
Posts: 1,939
Preferred Game Systems: DCC RPG, Shadowrun 5e, Savage Worlds, GURPS 4e, HERO 6e, Mongoose Traveller
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
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SW
Nov 25, 2013 12:19:50 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by maxinstuff on Nov 25, 2013 12:19:50 GMT -8
I like Rippers The setting is kind of a victorian era thing where you hunt down werewolves, vampires, mr hydes, etc. etc. I played it as a private detective game and the players didn't know there would be monsters That was quite cool.
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SW
Nov 26, 2013 6:31:08 GMT -8
Post by shadrack on Nov 26, 2013 6:31:08 GMT -8
I like Sundered Skies. Airships, fascist elves that have engineered a servitor race, a source of light from who knows where that never goes out... and will drive you insane if you stay in the light for too long. Oh, and a playable race you can basically take from kobold to dragon as you advance.
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SW
Nov 26, 2013 10:32:07 GMT -8
Post by ericfromnj on Nov 26, 2013 10:32:07 GMT -8
I like Sundered Skies. Airships, fascist elves that have engineered a servitor race, a source of light from who knows where that never goes out... and will drive you insane if you stay in the light for too long. Oh, and a playable race you can basically take from kobold to dragon as you advance. I have to also recommend Sundered Skies, since I am running a campaign in it right now. Though the guy wanting to be a dragon calculated how long it is going to get to get himself there and - it can take a while...
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SW
Nov 26, 2013 12:56:06 GMT -8
Post by shadrack on Nov 26, 2013 12:56:06 GMT -8
as it should but it's still an awesome goal.
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Post by savagedaddy on Dec 1, 2013 11:53:49 GMT -8
I'd recommend anything from Triple Ace Games and Reality Blurs. Both simply get it and their stuff is amazing.
I'd take a 180 degrees turn from the genre you and your group play most often. If you play D&D or Pathfinder, pickup Necessary Evil or Agents of Oblivion. Give the system a chance to shine without undue expectations.
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SW
Dec 1, 2013 21:47:48 GMT -8
Post by stork on Dec 1, 2013 21:47:48 GMT -8
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