Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Greg K]

I thought it would be helpful to have one place that collects Clint's insight into SW's design philosophy and the modifying of existing rules, his advice on trappings, and his variant rules and new rules options (including maneuvers like Push/Trip) from the House Rules and Chat sections. So, here is where I will be keeping track of such things.


Design Philosophy The why's behind why things are as they are

What every new GM should know

Cooperative Rolls

Why a +2 bonus is pretty big deal

Explanation on why raises are capped and use a die instead of a flat bonus

Why some skills are broad and other are not

why taunt and intimidation are not a part of persuasion

Why running is a die roll

What Notice represents (or Why notice is a skill and not derived from smarts)

Ambidexterity and Two-Fisted: A response to someone thinking Ambidexterity is underpowered and wondering if giving everyone Ambidexterity would be overpowered

The purpose of Professional Edges and also a response to concern of Champion's requirements

Are the Incapacitation rules too harsh and a look at Incapacitation in Explorer's Edition vs. the previous edition

Why puppet is not overpowered

Why rate of advances are based on 80 XP and not 100 XP


Why your fighter/mage will never be as good as a dedicated fighter or dedicated mage in their specialty

Setting Rules
Setting Rules: Severe Wounds and Follow up

variant: adjusting Incapacitation by setting Several options for dialing incapacitation from cartoony to harsh!

Relationships: 2 new edges and setting rules suggestion


Skills

When to include knowledge skills in your game vs. common knowledge

On combining Climb and Swim, what to consider

On splitting Skills

variant: Alternate Method for handling common knowledge

variant: Background Skills

Noticing traps and movement

examples of using Taunt out of Combat

Edge, New

New Edges: Avoidance, Improved Avoidance, Rapid Fire, Improved Rapid Fire

New Edge: Sieze the Day Spend a Benny after initiative is dealt to act as if on hold

New Edge: Maul Smash

New Edge: Tricky Fighter

New Eges: Noviate and Priest 2 tiered edge for priests and a follow up

Mcgyver Edge as Cybernetic tools Renaming an edge as trappings

Hindrances
Habit(Minor) vs. Quirk

New Hindrances gained through play: Suggestions in response to a GM asking about giving a player an edge for a new hindrance that resulted in play

New Hindrance: Unfocused

Bad Sight as one possible way to do the blind martial artist whose senses help them fight in close combat



Experience and Advances
Retraining On retraining as per 4e DND

Initiative
variant: Initiative inherently tied to Agility and Smarts, Initiative as derived stat: Advice given to someone wanting Agility and Smarts to play more of a role in initiative. Also contains advice on modifying some Edges to fit the changes

variant: using d20 for initiative instead of cards

variant using d6 for initiative instead of cards

Combat Maneuvers: New Maneuvers, Variants, and how to use existing rules

New Maneuver: Push/Trip

Charging attacks How to handle in Savage Worlds

Tackling a variant grapple involving running and grappling. Check it out for the effects.

Throwing a Grappled Character

Garrote Attack

Combat Adjudication/Situation advice

Using Wild Swing and Called Shots for martial arts maneuvers

Sneaking in Combat

Attacking from higher ground Using cover to simulate this

Called Shots on Vehicles

variant limiting wounds in response to someone wanting to limit acing damage for something heroic (note: Clint then suggests another option- adjusting Incapacitation (see the variant below))


variant: area effect without a map

variant: Simple Area Effect Deviation Determination and a follow up to lessen the chance of hitting an ally

variant: tiered raises

variant: players make the combat rolls

Combat advice, analysis, misc

Is Wild Attack too powerful

2-handed weapons vs. other "styles" an examination in response to someone asking if 2-handed weapons are underpowered

An examination of archer characters vs. melee characters

Rough estimation for determining combat difficulty and the risk of "balancing mechanics"

Dealing with NPCs that have high damage and high toughness


Healing (Note: also see Setting Rules above)


Equipment
caltrops A possible suggestion for handing caltrops

Garrote Attack

Rubber Bullets

Setting Rule: Threaded Construction for Modern Armor

Vehicles
The inverse soft obstacle rule (or what happens when a vehicle without Heavy Armor collides w/ a stationary object with Heavy Armor)

Keeping track of fuel: use a variant of ammo rules for allies


Powers

Design behind, Blast, Bolt, and Burst

Bolt and Trappings based on PPs used(from Rpg.net)

Bolt w/air trappings modifying bolt for an air trapping


Illusions as Trappings (from Rpg.net)

variant: Switching Magic Trappings

variant: Fatigue for extra power points

variant: Permanent Powers (no power points)

Constructs
Robot does not always mean construct: If a robot can be affected by a called shot and suffer a wound penalty, it is not a construct.

Environment
Handling Hail Storms

Falling
Free fall speed to paces

Hunger
More "realistic" hunger rules

Cybernetics, Decking, implants
ideas for cyberdecking

Probability Determination implant

Mecha
mecha and piolot: handling damage

Monsters
New Special Ability: Big Bad Give your big bad more staying power

Angels: as retrapped demons

D20 DC conversions
Guidelines on converting d20 Difficulty Classses to Savage Worlds

D&D combat options in SW terms

Fanasy Companion
clarification regarding trappings and penalty to vigor and guts

Supers Companion
Altered Form-New Modifier: Binding/Constricting

[Ultimoose]

I think a collected FAQ (unless I've missed it?) should be available. It's pretty amazing to me how many times the same pool of questions are asked (I know this from doing searches on several questions I had ).

Examples are Clints ever patient post and re-post of answers on the basics like damage, wounds, shakens, knockdown, spending bennies to remove shakens, first strike, leaving threatened squares etc.

Just this weekend I couldn't find something on dual wielding sawed off shotguns in the book or on the forums but in the end after I'd posted my question I found a reference to someone wanting to use two carbines in each hand and found the answer. Since mine was only the second time it had been asked perhaps it wasn't a FAQ though. But most of the above are asked over and over.

And Clint keeps cheerfully answering them for which I award him major kudos and a virtual Community Manager award of the highest calibre.

[Greg K]

Yeah, the idea started after I was trying to search for the illusion trapping at rpg.net and other useful advice and not recalling where I saw it.

[Greg K]

I am back to updating and just updated the following from the Chat section

Skills
Notice Traps when Moving

Hindrances
Habit (Minor) vs. Quirk

Combat
Combining Wild Swing and called shots to reflect different martial arts attacks

Throwing a grappled character (why didn't I see this before yesterday when I posting my own version among my grappling options in the House Rules section?)

Called Shots on Vehicles

Equipment
Thoughts on caltrops

Experiences and Advances:
Retraining skills

Environment:
Handling Hail Storms

Conversions
Guidelines on converting d20 Damage Classes

[Greg K]

Added Higher Ground as Cover under Combat
Added an examination or archers vs. melee characters to combat

[Greg K]

added several things including

When to include knowledge skills
Why raises are capped and use a die
Using Ammo for allies as an example of how to track fuel

[Greg K]

Added more under the skill section, a link to several suggested new edges, plus more.

Sixteen more pages (4-19)to go through in the chat session and then back to house rules.

[The GIT!]

Is there any way to make this topic a sticky?
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Ejector seat? You're joking!

[Greg K]

Added the following:
Rough estimation for determining difficulty of combat
Why a +2 from an edge is a pretty big deal

More additions:
The inverse soft obstacle rule (or what happens when a vehicle without Heavy Armor collides w/ a stationary object with Heavy Armor)

Even more additions
Additional effect to Block and Improved Block Feats
Beast Friend to summon animal allies in combat

[Greg K]

A fourth set of updates for today.
New Maneuver: Push/Trip
Design Philosophy behind Cooperation Rolls
Modifying Blast for Air Blast trappings
and more that I have forgotten.

I also created a new heading Design Philosophy and moved some previous entries behind it

[Greg K]

More additions including
Garrote rules
Charging in Savage Worlds
variant: d20 initiative
variant: d6 initiative
variant: Tiered raises
variant: area affect w/out a map
variant: simple area affect determination
variant: players make all combat roles
Examples of using Taunt out of combat
Why Puppet is not over powered
Why running uses a random die roll
New Special Ability: Big Bad
Angels as retrapped demons
D20 maneuver equivalents in Savage Worlds

[Greg K]

Edge, New: a two tiered priest edge- Noviate and Priest
Hindrance, New: Unfocused
Combat Maneuver, New: Grappling variant- Tackling
Equipment: Rubber Bullets
Falling: Determining Free Fall speed in paces
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My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight

[Greg K]

Design Philosophy: Why some skills are broad and others not
Equipment: Setting Rule-Threaded Construction for Modern Armor
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My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight

[Greg K]

Last night I added:

Edge: Tricky Fighter

Today, I renamed the thread.
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My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight

[Lord Lance]

GREAT IDEA FOR A TOPIC! YEAH, FINALLY THE "WORD OF CLINT", CATEGORIZED!
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"Balance is the key, Trapping is the word." - - Lord Lance

Proud creator of the SAVAGE FREE BESTIARY

[Greg K]

variant: limiting wounds

variant: adjusting Incapacitation by setting. Adjusting the dial from cartoony to harsh!

Fatigue for Extra power points

Suggestions in response to a GM asking giving an edge for a new hindrance gained through play.

Switching Magic Trappings

Ambidexterity and Two- Fisted: Clint explains both of these in response to someone asking if Ambidexterity is underpowered and would giving it to everyone be overpowered.

Are the Incapacitation rules too harsh? and a look at Incapacitation in Explorer's Edition vs. the previous edition

Is Wild Attack too Powerful?

Why the rate of advances is based on 80xp rather than 100xp

Why fighter/mages will never be good as either a dedicated fighter or wizard in their speciality.

The purpose of Professional Edges and also a response to concern of Champion's requirements
_________________
My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight

[Greg K]

added the following:
bolt trappings based on power points (from rpg.net)
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My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight

[Lord Lance]

PS: you put Garrotte 2 times. Do you love garrotte too??
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"Balance is the key, Trapping is the word." - - Lord Lance

Proud creator of the SAVAGE FREE BESTIARY

[PenBoy99]

Can we add all this to the Savagepedia?

[Greg K]

Added the following
1. New Category- Fantasy companion and a link to the clarification regarding the -2 penalty to vigor and rigor rolls

2. New Category- Super Companion and a link to a new altered form modifier binding/constricting

3. Using Bad Sight as a possible way to do a marital artist that uses other senses to compensate in close combat
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My compilation thread of Clint's advice, rules options, and design insight