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Post by ilina on Jun 5, 2016 18:50:55 GMT -8
here is a thread for common mistakes Savage Worlds GMs make. list any ones you commonly see. here are 3 my GM Commonly does.
1. Bloating the Target Numbers for the Sake of "Adding Drama". bloating the target number of a task does not add Drama, it merely serves the purpose of extending the amount of time wasted on a particular action. some actions also shouldn't even require a roll. like making a Sandwhich or something similarly mundane and routine. i would agree or even suggest the idea that making the Military Survivalist Roll to craft arrows or bullets during downtime is just a stupid idea. some tasks are completely routine and not worth a roll. this can be as annoying as increasing the toughness numbers provided by armor to make armored characters nearly invulnerable.
2. Ignoring Common Sense for the Sake of Creating a Challenging Encounter. a 22 year old Library Assistant who is going to college with the intent to become a Doctor, probably shouldn't have much fighting skill. if she is small and sickly, she probably has a d4 strength and vigor to represent her small and sickly body but a d8 agility and smarts to represent her sharp wit and reflexes. if she took dance as her elective in middle school and does some daily dancing, i can understand a d4 fighting and acrobat to represent the evasiveness developed from dancing. just don't give the librarian d12s in all physical stats, d12s all combat skills, d12s in stealth and all athletic skills, every combat edge in the game, riot gear and an AK-47. that isn't the concept that was pitched.
3. Extreme Stinginess with bennies. Joker's wild fixes this to an Extent. but no point in picking hindrances that fit your character's personality when the benny reward for roleplaying hindrances is ignored. it is up to the player to remind the GM of their hindrances, like when the mute character actually pulls out that blackboard and writes their words upon it in character. props can help this, but shouldn't be needed.
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Post by jonas on Jun 6, 2016 1:58:31 GMT -8
Number one, that everyone does: Playing Savage Worlds instead of GURPS. :-P
In all seriousness though, one of the most common mistakes in my group has been the 'malfunction on a 1'-rule for Weird Science-powers. Explosions have started to be more common since we remembered to implement that rule. :-)
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andreasdavour
Patron (Supporter)
Posts: 257
Preferred Game Systems: M0, Savage Worlds, Over the Edge, Warhammer FRP 1st ed.
Currently Playing: None
Currently Running: Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate
Favorite Species of Monkey: Llama
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Post by andreasdavour on Jun 6, 2016 2:18:11 GMT -8
More explosions surely must be a good thing?
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Post by ericfromnj on Jun 6, 2016 2:50:04 GMT -8
I keep forgetting about Righteous Rage in Solomon Kane. Fortunately my players remind me.
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Post by OFTHEHILLPEOPLE on Jun 6, 2016 9:01:40 GMT -8
Not making enemies as dangerous as they should be for the sake of "fairness".
I'm sorry, my mooks all have tommy guns and they're going to spray the shit out of you if you just stand there. Oh and they have Marksman because they've gotten good at spraying accurately in drive by shootings. *rolls dice*
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Post by ilina on Jun 6, 2016 9:18:16 GMT -8
Not making enemies as dangerous as they should be for the sake of "fairness". I'm sorry, my mooks all have tommy guns and they're going to spray the shit out of you if you just stand there. Oh and they have Marksman because they've gotten good at spraying accurately in drive by shootings. *rolls dice* you would need Rock and Roll to Negate that Penalty; Marksman only applies if you make one shooting roll without moving during that turn. if you make 2 or more shooting rolls, marksman doesn't apply. Rock and Roll is good for Spray and Pray. it negates the full auto penalty. but is more of a thing for wild card mob bosses than it is a thing for common extras Marksman is good for Snipers. Marksman isn't a Flat +2. it is the Aim Manuever if you don't move that round, and only fire a single shot. or do a 3 Round burst, which is close enough to a single shot. your Typical Mobster with a Tommy Gun has a d6 shooting, because a d6 is the average level of skill for somebody who is proficient in that field. if these were hypercompetent mobsters, they might have d8. but giving them all a d10 or d12 cheapens the specialness of a d10 or d12. i'm not saying you shouldn't spray them if they stand there, but the spraying is done at a -2 recoil penalty for full auto, wastes 9 rounds to make 3 shots, will require you to spend the 4th round reloading, and if you are doing that, marksman wouldn't apply, because you are making multiple shooting rolls, and if you were firing full auto in a drive by shooting, another -2 for unstable platform. so you are looking at needing an 8 to make your drive by full auto shot, unless you have added 2 very specific edges to negate 4 points of penalty, where now, you are still wasting 9 rounds of ammunition to fire 3 shooting rolls per mook per turn, which isn't always a smart thing to do. because it draws attention, because it wastes precious ammo, and because firing that fast is wildly inaccurate and bound to accidentally hit one of your buddies.
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Post by ilina on Jun 6, 2016 9:23:43 GMT -8
bullets are an expensive and cumbersome resource. and with a damned good reason behind it too. most mobs would train thier mooks to ration their tommy gun usage, because bullets are neither cheap nor easy to replace, and because it would give the mob in question a bad reputation if they showered everyone they met in bullets. they actually need to look good enough to fool the masses, that would be impossible if they spray and pray against everyone they run into.
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Post by OFTHEHILLPEOPLE on Jun 6, 2016 10:22:47 GMT -8
I can't hear you over all these dice I'm rolling!
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Post by ilina on Jun 6, 2016 10:29:03 GMT -8
I can't hear you over all these dice I'm rolling! i was pointing all the downsides of a bullet shower. and how a drive by bullet shower is even worse. people assume marksman gives +2 to shooting, when it only gives +2 under a very specific circumstance where very specific criteria have actually been met. in fact, most edges that provide bonuses to a combat skill or damage roll have very specific set of requirements or other restrictions attached. these restrictions are there to limit the bonuses you can add to a combat skill.
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Post by OFTHEHILLPEOPLE on Jun 6, 2016 10:54:07 GMT -8
Mooks with Marksman for their pistols and Rock and Roll for their Tommy Guns! PEW PEW PEW!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 11:16:13 GMT -8
Mooks with Marksman for their pistols and Rock and Roll for their Tommy Guns! PEW PEW PEW! I know for a fact that mook is a deadly combatant. I would definitely take cover.
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Post by OFTHEHILLPEOPLE on Jun 6, 2016 11:28:45 GMT -8
That's what I'm talking about. If you show someone who should be clearly dangerous then don't disappoint. If there are tommy gun wielding mobsters your first actions should probably be "Duck for cover" because you know, based on stereotypes, what they're gonna do next. Don't show a hulking mutant monster with bulging muscles if he isn't going to attempt to go full Hulk on someone. Savage Worlds' options make for damn sure that the players have the means to take them down, make sure that villain gives them a reason to use those options.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 11:45:10 GMT -8
Absolutely. Something that may not be a common failing but is occasionally overlooked is the roles of mooks and henchmen. Mooks should be effective, using covering fire, auto fire, etc but easy enough for the protagonists to take out handily. A henchman should be easily a match for the players, offering a challenge that the players have to overcome through teamwork, ingenuity, or luck....this sets up ongoing antagonists, epic battles, and memorable moments.
The problem is often that the henchman is either too overpowered where the character makes no sense or so ineffective that they are quickly forgotten.
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Post by mook on Jun 6, 2016 12:11:49 GMT -8
Mooks with Marksman for their pistols and Rock and Roll for their Tommy Guns! PEW PEW PEW! I know for a fact that mook is a deadly combatant. I would definitely take cover. Damn straight! Pew! Pew! See y'all in Overwatch.
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Post by ericfromnj on Jun 6, 2016 16:53:31 GMT -8
Oh, I thought this was a GM confessional but I finally got around to reading the first post. I didn't realize this was bash your GM thread.
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