Savage Worlds: One System to Rule Them All!

[@iamnottim.]

Savage Worlds is in my top 5 TTRPGs - it's such a unique, dynamic, and malleable system.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

There is very little it can’t do well. When you throw in the support available and it is incomparable. Thanks for the comment buddy!

[@TheFictionMan]

Love to see some Savage Worlds content! My group has said before that coming into a SW game always feels like coming home. I found this video fair about both the positives and negatives regarding the system and business.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thanks, I appreciate that. I always try to give my honest and full opinions. I love the game, but it doesn’t mean that it is perfect. I love Pinnacle, but they still struggle with the same things a lot of smallish companies struggle with.

[@freddaniel5099]

I came to SW/SWADE because so many of the settings available for this system intrigued me. This is a great video introduction to a game that definitely deserves more attention. Cheers!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

They certainly have a great selection. I am really thankful I picked up the Lankhmar collection the last day it was officially available on the PEG website. One of my favorites.

[@michaelwallace6851]

I've been running the Slipstream plot point campaign all year. I've owned it since it came out and I am happy to finally be able to run it.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

The plot point campaigns are an excellent way to provide maximum fun in minimum page count.

[@neuromancer9k]

I have been preaching the way of Savage Pathfinder to my 5e associates. They seem interested, although I suspect the change of systems may put them off. I hope that this system picks up steam. I don't get out to many conventions, so I'm not sure what the word of mouth has been for SWADE (decent at least, I would hope?). Great coverage, Justin. Thank you! ⚔🍻

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Well, living proof here it can be done… took my group from 5e, to Pathfinder 2e, now to Pathfinder for Savage Worlds…. Took a while to get here, but I have gotten them on board!

[@neuromancer9k]

@booksbricksandboards783 Excellent! Very happy to hear that, and if they're enjoying it, that's a huge accolade.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

They are!

[@johnsmithfrombackeast7376]

Love Savage Worlds! I got an itch for Rifts. Looked online and found Savage Rifts, and introduced it to our group. We now primarily play SWADE, Traveller.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

That is one of the great aspects of the game… if you get your group on board with the system, you can get them to try genres they haven’t played much easier… because they already know the mechanics. There are lots of other ‘universal’ systems out there, but none can cover all of the genres as equally as Savage Worlds, in my opinion.

[@corybanticfire]

I love the powers system, especially with the super hero power stunts.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Really covers a complicate topic with a simple solution.

[@dangarthemighty0980]

I fell in love with Savage Worlds in 2012 and it has been my favorite system ever since. Thank You Justin for this brilliant overview of the system that I love so very much. ❤

[@booksbricksandboards783]

You and me both Dangar. It hits all of the right notes, it’s easy to teach, and it plays really fast. Thanks sir!

[@mikec64]

GURPS was too hard, FATE was too soft, and Savage Worlds was just right. It hits the sweet spot between crunchy combat tactics, role play, and shared story building. I love that it's easy for new players to build exactly the character they envision whether it's pirate fantasy or modern weird war.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Yeah, the core foundation is extremely solid!

[@ZacSheehy]

Back in the day my group were running D&D 3/3•5 and found for us the system became to unwieldy around level 10, so I suggested Savage World's and we haven't looked back. In my opinion it's the best system since TSR's advanced marvel superheroes back in 1984.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Now there is a take that takes me back! A little FASERIP Marvel! Well you may want to give my upcoming video a look, because I’m finally getting around to covering the Horror Companion for SWADE. Will be using some aspects of it in my Halloween session for my Savage Worlds on the Sword Coast game. Thanks for sharing.

[@curseofyig6727]

It is the best rpg. Best combat and covers all the sorts of action you can visualize. Bam!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Truly amazing what such a simple mechanic can accomplis!

[@pralinor]

One thing you can notice is. I am an old fan of Pinnacle as i bought Deadlands 1e when it aired, back in 97/98, i have the very first edition, that cover with that dead man and its two peacemakers... To this days I stilll ADORE it (Brom its artist signed other gothic inspired covers like the one of Diablo 2 to 4-- Part of those artists like John Blanche from Warhammer who nailed RPG). Deadlands is with Shadowrun the games i read cover to cover probably 40 times. A lot of compagnies took over the years some "stances" with us the old guard. To this day, Deadlands has evolved, change, mutated. But to this day I still feel invited. Different games, different times. But all in all, a better game. (just call back Brom for the cover of the next edition). Deadlands was a mixture of western, steampunk, horror, distopian history, fantasy. Pretty much the DNA of modern SWADE. Deadlands was a product of its time (convoluted system, heavy of the IMHO totally useless meta-narrative), SWADE is a product of the modern time (clean, sweat, fast-paced) And one thing I hope is with Paizo opening its license for Starfinder we will have a Savage World Starfinder cause... if they kickstart that MAAAANNNNN.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Wouldn’t that be awesome… Lost Colony kind of covers it too, but get where you are coming from!

[@fwbean119]

So much agreement. I was also a huge fan of the OG Deadlands. When Savage Worlds originally came out, I bought and read it, but it didn’t really jive with me (though I didn’t play it then), and our group stuck with Deadlands. Now that i am older with my own family and less free time, Savage Worlds is a much better fit for me. And I would LOVE a savage Starfinder! I am hopeful that now that Starfinder 2e is in the works, the process to savage it is beginning.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@fwbean119 100%. I enjoyed Starfinder as a read, it did change some things up from PF1, but didn’t change as dramatically as PF2. I never got around to running it, but the options and fluff were pretty cool. Savage away!

[@pralinor]

@@booksbricksandboards783 I would keep my expectation low. As uptil now, they said it wasn't in the basket. But I still hope XD

[@migueeeelet]

As a newcomer to Savage Worlds, I feel like I haven't missed anything. It's not like how if you hop into Pathfinder you miss on AD&D and the like. SWADE just feels like an amazing case of refinement, refinement, refinement; and that makes me happy because it means that the base is and has always been solid strong

[@hawkname1234]

My group is testing SWADE Deadlands and has been having a good time. We normally like the crunchier D&D. And another buddy and I are unfulfilled GURPS players. SWADE gives some of the universality of GURPS without requiring GURPS' (I think detrimental) microscopic granularity. I've really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I would love it for a long campaign. It has 1 click too little complexity for me, but it's still fun. And I probably like a more complex games than the average gamer.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Probably partially a result that my group only meets once a month that the longer campaign is less an issue for me. 36 sessions is a very long campaign for us. Lol. If we played weekly a crunchier system might be needed.

[@migueeeelet]

I entered SW because I was looking for a system that let me run it alongside freeform roleplay, and what amazed me the most was how easy to grasp the rules and overall balance were. In 3ish months of book skimming and sporadic reads, I had a much better hang of the system than in 2 years of running Starfinder. Hell, it still makes me angry how other systems can ramble on about their capabilities and offer you 20 books to buy yet fail at conveying simple, critical things such as "how much modifier is very good odds?" or "I am level 5, what should I expect?". My favorite thing about the system, and why I stick to it, is how intuitive everything is to run and play. The fact that you can tell the threat level of an enemy just by examining them is, IMO, a critical thing that many TTRPGs miss - how often have you been sideblinded by a seemingly normal enemy who turned out to be a bunch of levels above you? The intuitiveness doesn't just mean easy analysis, but also easy "I want to do X, is it going to be effective" for the players. Coupled with how versatile characters are, it just feels like there's nothing I can't run.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Fully agree with this… once you understand “Pinnacle Logic” it is pretty trivial to remember the impact of all the different interactions, because they have a great consistency across the system.

[@michaelhill6453]

I played a very early edition of the game, probably the first. The thing that really stood out was D4 versus D6: D4 is much more likely to explode than a D6 making that cuboid, a lesser ability even though it is rated the higher level. Of course, that could have been fixed by now.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I have seen some probability tables, that better do the math than I do, but the gist is that: yes a d4 is more likely to explode, but no on average a d6 is still going to net a better result… that grows with each iterative die step. The real interesting part is wild cards always having a D6 for the Wild Die, which means that d4 skills with a Wild Die still have a better than 50% chance of succeeding before mods. The system is definitely favorable to action over mitigation.

[@fwbean119]

Considering that for the vast majority of actions, a 4 is the target number, a d6 hits that 50% of the time, while a d4 only 25%. If you are shooting for an 8 to get a raise on the roll, a d4 hits that 6.25%, while a d6 it is 13.89%. So d4 is pretty much always worse than a d6. There is the situation in savage worlds where you are trying to hit an 8 or higher for whatever reason, and a d6 is statistically better than a d8 in that situation. But an easy house rule is you can always choose to roll a lower sided die than what you have, just for those rare anomalies where it is statistically advantageous to do so.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@fwbean119 you answered this much more thoroughly than I did. Thanks Bean.

[@colerape]

The system really is easy. This was the first rpg I played with my kids. Sadly, we are now empty nesters and gaming with the kids is over. I have great memories of the system. I think SWADE is phenomenal. I've been lucky enough to know one of the more prolific and prominent writers of the game. Unfortunately he moved back to the east coast. The biggest problem with SWADE and Savage Worlds in general is finding people to play with.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Yep, I played with my kids and solo initially (it is a very good solo system), but have fully converted my existing group. If you can’t find a group, create one! 😉

[@Buzzerker_1775]

My favorite RPG system for almost two decades (although I have adapted and changed it so much for my table over the years)

[@booksbricksandboards783]

You will likely enjoy my next video… 😉

[@juauke]

Three ribbons in the companions :o? I will probably get the Core at least one day but would love for it to have ribbon bookmarks as well

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I assume that the new print does, as all of the other newer books seem to… I have old copies which do not.

[@juauke]

​@@booksbricksandboards783Ohh, that's great news! Thanks! I'm keeping this in mind

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Welcome.

[@CaDIXON67]

I can confirm that the current printing of the SWADE Core book does have ribbons in it

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Excellent!

[@ibarker182]

11 / 10 for the Liverpool FC shirt ;)

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Awesome, totally forgot I even wore it that day!

[@jesternario]

Savage Worlds is a great simplification of the original Deadlands game, based on that and the Great Rail Wars system. Overall, I agree with everything you said. Good and ill.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thanks Jester, I am glad I gave a fair assessment. That is always the goal going into a video!

[@the-patient-987]

My GM wanted to run a post-apocalyptic/moderm fantasy game and was looking for a new game to base it on. He started working with Rifts but felt the setting was not the better choice. Then I introduced him to the Cypher System and he really liked how the books guided him to create was he needed. I've run 2 short Numenéra campaigns for another groups. He's been a D&D DM for over 20 years but this is the first campaign he's running after 3 years of being only a V20 player. We already played 4 sessions, the friction is noticeable for the players used to a lot more complexity in the rules but they are getting the hang of it. I try to take the initiative in showing them the ropes to take full advantage of the creative freedom CS provides. At some point I'd like to run at least a short campaign of Deadlands. For this group I'd probably use Cypher System if they end up really liking it. It was hard enough to convince them twice to leave D&D. But for another group I may consider using Savage Worlds, I like the points you present in the video.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I’ve run cypher and like it. The folks I play with struggle with the level of abstraction in the effects with the pools being “hp” and resources. Good game for sure though.

[@the-patient-987]

@@booksbricksandboards783 I love the way it represents that exertion drains you and giving your max effort has consequences.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@the-patient-987 I can see that… we had a good couple sessions of Cypher. I ran a fantasy one shot and a modern game based upon Big Trouble in Little China. My players didn’t really like the resolution mechanics, as every action seemed to feel the same, and they didn’t like that HP/Resources were the same pool. I liked that different attacks could target different aspects to hinder the enemy in different ways, and I liked the character creation which felt extremely freeing compared to most systems. I know the Cyphers are a big part of the balance and the design of the game (hence the name), but after playing a couple of different genres with them, they felt a little shoehorned to me. I also have the PDF for Ptolus for Cypher (had the book but sold it). That book is amazing.

[@the-patient-987]

@@booksbricksandboards783 What happens with cyphers is that sometimes they can feel hard to justify in-game. It's part changing the paradigm. When explaining cyphers to new player i present them as a "one-time special ability" to understand the function what matters the most is the mechanics, everything else is RP elements. Experienced D&D players usually relate them to magic potions or scroll which is not wrong but it's restrictive. In our current game we have a character that is like a preacher. So I mentioned they could, for example, ask for a favor to one of their gods, the result can also be treated as a cypher. I am planning to run a campaign in Ptolus and I'm already thinking of ways to get into Praemal some parts of MIdgard, the Iron Kingdoms, and other worlds.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Yep, totally agree. In the fantasy game I did scrolls and potions… in the BTILC game I just basically made them narrative energy… like mojo. It worked, it was just like “weren’t these scrolls last time?” 😀. Ptolus will be a blast!

[@obadiah_v]

I have to agree with everything you said. Unfortunately here in Australia the system is virtually unknown.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

It’s not an easy sell, partially because it is so different… hard to explain. Harder to explain than to teach. 😂

[@dannylampron9879]

It is true that this is one system to rule them all. It is great in everything except for superheroes setting, even if I have the superpower companion.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I have read, but not ran the Supers Companion… do you have the SWADE version of the Super Companion, or the old version? If I recall, the old version kept the super power system much closer to the regular power system, whereas SWADE made it much more its own thing. I have run modern games and TMNT (which depending upon your definition is Street Level supers), and both worked well. Is it scaling up to the cosmic level supers where you didn’t like it, or just any? When I was running my TMNT game I was thinking “gee, Batman would run very well in this”. I’d like to hear what specifically you didn’t think worked if you are willing to share.

[@dannylampron9879]

@@booksbricksandboards783 I have the SWADE version... I Think it scale well for street level superheroes to avengers level supes... But it does not scale well with power level like superman or silver surfer. Even what they call '' cosmic '' level is not near the strengh that the man of steel could have... It is not bad but when you look what the cosmic level supes could lift in weight... it is not sufficient.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@dannylampron9879 ok, ok, that makes sense now… when I was doing TMNT and thinking about how it could apply to Batman or X-Men, I was looking for crossover opportunity and it felt right… I have never been a fan of the Superman level heroes, so I never thought about how those would play… I probably agree with you on that then. Thanks for the detailed response!

[@dannylampron9879]

@@booksbricksandboards783 My pleasure and tks for all your video on this wonderful system that is far better than d20 5e

[@InfinityCubed-sc7lf]

Excellent Review.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thank you!

[@dmsasquatch5761]

Have you made a video or have pdf downloads of your tmnt and other strangeness conversion for savage worlds? ... it sounds interesting... I'd like to see a video about the process you went thru to convert it.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I don’t. If I did I would need to redo it in a more generic fashion to not infringe on anyone’s IP. I might do a video on using the race creation rules from SWADE and share my process there.

[@AceneDean]

Awwwww yeaaaahhhh

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Dean, I take that as being satisfied with the result? Lol. I am looking to do a companion video, “How to Solo: Savage Worlds” as well. Not sure, but MIGHT have a mid week video for that.

[@AceneDean]

​@@booksbricksandboards783that would be excellent.

[@colerape]

So glad that Google translated this for me.

[@colerape]

@@booksbricksandboards783 Have you used Mythic, Mythic GME, or one page Mythic oracles. Just started using the one page oracles and really streamlined running a game. I have quite a few different solo products but these are my current favorites. Oh, and Mythic deck. That is really great if you want a streamlined game using Mythic without having to rely on sheaves of tables.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@colerape lol, I saw that “translate” as well.

[@wingusryu8289]

I was always more palladium than D&D back in the day. Along time I got ride of everything as I never thought I would play again. But kept all my robotech books. I too had all of rifts, turtles and several other palladium systems. I’m really tempted… But…I have all these nice free league books. I thought if adapting some old RPGs with Mutant Year Zero system

[@booksbricksandboards783]

You seem to be on the same journey I was on… Gen Lab Alpha was my first inspiration for TMNT conversion. I found that SWADE handles it better for me. Great system though!

[@DrWaites]

Honestly, Savage has never connected for me or any of my tables ... and I've been trying every couple years since 2007. The card initiative is slow and clunky because it's drawn every round. It puts an instant pause on every round of combat. Dividing by 4 to get degrees of success. It's just not intuitive. To find out if you wound something: 1 add all the weapon damage, which could be a half dozen dice or more depending on exploding dice; 2 add the opponent's Armor to their Toughness score; 3 subtract the armor piercing rating of the attacker's weapon up to the maximum of the armor score; 4 take the remaining damage and divide by four; 5 check to see if the target has a maximum number of wounds it can take in a single attack; 6 spend a Benny for the target to attempt to Soak the damage; 7 roll the Soak check and deduct wounds equal to the number of successes you rolled. (This series of computations is done nearly every combat round.) Despite having bought so many boxed sets (Rifts, Deadlands, Pathfinder), I can't see ever wanting to run this system again.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Definitely your opinion. Can’t say I agree with your comments on initiative slowing the game to a halt(seems as fast as any round based initiative to me), or that you are adding Toughness and Armor each round (it’s calculated already), or that you are rolling half a dozen dice for damage, typically going to be 2-3 dice there, or that subtracting the damage roll from toughness and dividing by four is time consuming either (since generally you are looking at 0-2 raises). Not for you and that’s fair, but you definitely went out of your way to make it seem far more time consuming and complicated than it is at the table. Enjoy the games you enjoy, just don’t exaggerate the “issues” of the games you don’t. It is not worth your time or your energy. Have a great day man.

[@danielward7747]

@@booksbricksandboards783 I agree with the comment that cards do create problems with initiative but not much more than tracking initiate and needing to order them. The cards do help with making sure no player gets skipped. The game dose rely on benny attrition. It is a top game though.

[@DrWaites]

@@booksbricksandboards783 sorry we disagreed on this one and that I posted so argumentatively. Thanks for sharing the games you love on here.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@DrWaites no harm sir! I didn’t like Savage Worlds the first time I tried it, and there are plenty of games that are quite popular which I don’t enjoy. I’m naturally inclined to Savage Worlds due to my background in miniature war games, so your mileage may vary. I appreciate the follow up comment, and hope you are enjoying the weekend!

[@MrGunnar177]

No thanks. Their company (and community) is a woke dumpster fire.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I have a pretty extensive collection of their products, and I have seen zero political statements in their books. Maybe they have said something in their social media accounts, which I don’t follow, but their games seem completely apolitical, which is my ideal place for my gaming. If you can point me to a product that is political in nature I might change that statement, but like I said, I have all the companions, all the new run of Deadlands, the entire Rifts line, all of the Lankhmar books, all the Savage Pathfinder books, and I haven’t seen anything with a distinct political leaning.