Savage Worlds
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2026 11:09 am
I've sat on Savage Worlds for a good six months, because I was initially put off by the many combat modifiers the system has. However, taking a fresh look at the system, I'm finding that I'm enjoying it, for the most part!
The character creation is fast and easy. I really like how you have Attribute Ratings, as opposed to just Stats. You're Attributes (strength, agility, etc) are all determined by a dice size (d4 through d12), as well as your Skills (climbing, stealth, etc) You increment these using a set number of points during character creation. The system doesn't really have Classes, although, much of your character is defined by their Ancestry (race), and is further enhanced by Hindrances (flaws) and Edges (talents).
The base mechanic is simple. One die based on your Skill (or Attribute if there you're using something, like, pure strength), and a Wild die, a simple d6. Your goal, add these two dice together and have a result greater than or equal to four (4). Yes, there are a ton of modifiers to remember that add like +2 to your roll, but I'm sure there's a handy cheat sheet somewhere. One thing I will say is that magic isn't uberly restricted in this system. There's even rules to do away with using Power Points and you tack on a negative modifier to your spell roll, which allows you to get in on the action the same as your typical swashbuckler!
Speaking of magic and powers, while the core system is pretty flexible, I also took an opportunity to look at the Super Powers Companion. This book greatly enhances the default abilities list, and features all sorts of customizations. It's written with comic book heroes in mind, however, I easily applied the same concepts to magical girls easily by adding a few of the General Modifiers. I have yet to actually test my dream scenario of Fate vs Nanoha, but that's coming as soon as I get a block of undistracted time. (Yeah, I'm pretty bad with being distracted...
)
There's also a Science Fiction Companion that I'm getting ready to look into as well that looks fairly comprehensive-- which will be perfect for my Space Opera shenanigans coming soon to a Board near you.
The character creation is fast and easy. I really like how you have Attribute Ratings, as opposed to just Stats. You're Attributes (strength, agility, etc) are all determined by a dice size (d4 through d12), as well as your Skills (climbing, stealth, etc) You increment these using a set number of points during character creation. The system doesn't really have Classes, although, much of your character is defined by their Ancestry (race), and is further enhanced by Hindrances (flaws) and Edges (talents).
The base mechanic is simple. One die based on your Skill (or Attribute if there you're using something, like, pure strength), and a Wild die, a simple d6. Your goal, add these two dice together and have a result greater than or equal to four (4). Yes, there are a ton of modifiers to remember that add like +2 to your roll, but I'm sure there's a handy cheat sheet somewhere. One thing I will say is that magic isn't uberly restricted in this system. There's even rules to do away with using Power Points and you tack on a negative modifier to your spell roll, which allows you to get in on the action the same as your typical swashbuckler!
Speaking of magic and powers, while the core system is pretty flexible, I also took an opportunity to look at the Super Powers Companion. This book greatly enhances the default abilities list, and features all sorts of customizations. It's written with comic book heroes in mind, however, I easily applied the same concepts to magical girls easily by adding a few of the General Modifiers. I have yet to actually test my dream scenario of Fate vs Nanoha, but that's coming as soon as I get a block of undistracted time. (Yeah, I'm pretty bad with being distracted...
)There's also a Science Fiction Companion that I'm getting ready to look into as well that looks fairly comprehensive-- which will be perfect for my Space Opera shenanigans coming soon to a Board near you.
