Deal of the Day - Savage Worlds Adventure Edition

While I'm not a frequent player of Savage Worlds, it's a solid, flexible system that should be in every RPG player's (and GM's) collection, IMHO. Well, today's Deal of the Day is Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. Usually $9.99 in PDF, until Christmas morning, SWADE is on sale for $3. That is NOT a typo ;)

Create your own setting, convert an existing one, or pick up one of our amazing settings like Deadlands, Rippers, or 50 Fathoms. The rules give players plenty of depth to create their characters and keep bookkeeping to a minimum for the Game Master. If you’re looking for a game that’s fast and easy to set up, run, and play, Savage Worlds is for you!

Savage Worlds handles pulp action, gritty noir, supers, hard scifi, space opera, horror, and anything you can imagine! 

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition is the latest version of Savage Worlds. It does not, however, invalidate prior printings of the rules, which you can continue to enjoy.

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Humble Bundle - Deadlands Reloaded Megabundle

I first found Deadlands before it spawned the Savage Worlds system. Back then, DeadLands stood on its own. Nowadays, you'll need a copy of the Savage Worlds ruleset. Truth to tell, that shouldn't be an issue for most, as it seems everyone I know, even those who never play Savage Worlds, have copies of the Savage Worlds ruleset from one edition or another. 

To get the most out of the DeadLands Reloaded MegaBundle, you'll need a copy of the Savage World's Explorer's Edition (note - this is NOT the latest edition).

Gather your posse for an awesome TTRPG party with Deadlands: Reloaded. Roleplay as a squinty-eyed gunfighter or card-chucking hexslinger in this alternate-history, fantasy-based retelling of the American West before the end of the 19th century. Our Deadlands: Reloaded Megabundle offers countless hours of action-packed adventures, expansions, and more—like Deadlands Reloaded: The Flood and Deadlands Reloaded: Stone and a Hard Place. Pay what you want and help support the American Cancer Society with your purchase.

 

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Deal of the Day -Robotech: A Macross Saga RPG (SWAdE, Revised)

When I think of Robotech as an RPG, I tend to think of the Palladium RPG. I never played it, but I remember our GM brought aspects of the setting and system into Rifts back in the early and mid-90s.

I guess I really need to rewatch the originals, having only watched them in bits and pieces back in the day via pirated videotapes that were loaned to me. The quality was poor and I'm pretty sure I never watched any episodes in order.

So, Robotech was never my schtick. It was a love of many in my gaming group, and one even got the license plate Verotech. Good times.

Somehow I missed Robotech getting the Savage Worlds treatment. Shouldn't be a huge surprise after Rifts got the treatment a few years back.

Today's Deal of the Day is Robotech: A Macross Saga RPG (SWAdE, Revised). Sure, it's a mouthful, but it is marked down for $20 to $12 until tomorrow morning. 

Join us as we enter the exciting world of Robotech! Strap into your Veritech fighter and battle giant Zentraedi warriors for the fate of mankind. Defend the earth from invasion in your Destroid. Help maintain the fragile peace after the war that left most of the Earth devastated. Inside this book you will find a complete Savage Worlds setting for the Macross era of Robotech. Play as your favorite characters, Rick Hunter, Max Sterling, Linn Minmai, Breetai, Exedore and more. You can even make your own character to fight in the first Robotech War.

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ZineQuest 3 - Scrap Rats enter The Lair of the Manticore and find Anarchy!

ZineQuest 3 is possibly the easiest way to spend money on Kickstarter. It's one-stop shopping of gaming goodness in small packages that will fill my mailbox throughout the year. Christmas in July & December? Screw that - I want that special feeling of opening gifts of gaming goodness all of the time ;)

Today I'm covering three more ZinesThe first on I sat down for a Fireside Chat with this morning, the next I am sitting down with tonight, and the third I am sitting down with tomorrow morning. Livestreams for the win at YouTube.com/ErikTenkar! Subscribe and you won't miss a notification.

Scrap Rats - Zak Goins - A zero level sci-fi RPG that uses the D&D 5th edition rules as its engine, then jettisons all of the bloat? I think I'm in love :) Catch the Fireside Chat and watch me swoon ;)

There's a lot of different game types and themes you'll be able to draw from during play, but here's where we think Scrap Rats excels:

Horror|Thriller // Playing as level-0 characters, there are a plethora of things that can kill your party. Heck, even a feral cat can mess you up if things sour quickly. Putting your players up against something that can surely spell their doom is a great way to incite panic and make for a memorable session.

Suspense // Level-0 salvagers aren't exactly "skilled", but they do possess a certain set of skills. Sometimes it’ll require quick thinking and an out-of-the-box mindset to survive. There can be many times in your party’s career that they’re faced with “do or die” situations.

Pulpy Action // Not everything has to be dour. Some can be raucous, ridiculous good fun. Of course it’ll also be dangerous, but that’s just part of living!

Comedy // If your table is anything like ours, this one hardly needs to be said. Any time a group gets together, hijinks may ensue. The over-the-top artifacts and bizarre denizens can become excellent fodder for the confetti cannon.

Anarchy! - James Carpio - Sometimes you just need to let your hair down, or spike it up or shave it off. Anarchy! appears to be that kind of game. Somewhere in heaven, Joey Ramone is rolling some dice... Watch the Fireside Chat

Oi! It’s the year 1983, and the world is gone! Well gone… You see, the big three (Reagan, Brezhnev, and Thatcher) decided that it was a great fucking idea to start poking bombs at each other, and then BOOM! One day in October, it all goes to shite! It was nothing like that late-night movie said it would be. The radiation brought about something they call Dark Mana; it was worse than anything we could imagine. You think a bunch of yuppie fascists were bad when they were swilling imported beer, try imbuing them with dark magic, then all hell breaks loose, literally!

Now they try to rebuild their capitalistic utopias with fanatical cults, CEO demons, and a well-armed police state trying to oppress our music and freedoms. Well, not if we can help it! The underground is alive and fighting back. We have also gathered the power of this dark corruption to throw it back in their faces. They call us the Anarchists, those of us who have sworn to fight the power in a whole new way. They may have the armies of the damned at their side, but we fight back with our music, courage, and anarchy!

The Lair of the Manticore - Frank Tufler - An adventure, a mini-setting, and fantastical diseases? This is an example of why I blew through my $250 ZineQuest 3 budget and haven't even looked back. Good stuff!

A Micro-Dungeon Adventure and mini-campaign setting for Savage Worlds, 5e, Swords & Wizardry, and Tiny D6

"Lair of the Manticore!" began as a free black and white map designed as an adventure starter for a short one-page adventure. It has since grown and expanded to 24 pages and continues to grow. 

It still retains the charm of a one-page adventure and is designed to be quick and easy to run with very little prep, but now includes a mini-setting, the Keep on the Barrow Lands, and some new challenges for players, such as The Dark Flower Sickness which also includes optional disease rules.

I'll be back with more ZineQuest picks on Monday - as well as two ZineQuest Livestreams on Monday and two more on Tuesday. Seriously, subscribe to YouTube.com/ErikTenkar so you don't miss any of them :)

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Bundle of Holding - Savage Rifts

I backed the Savage Rifts Kickstarter a few years back and was very happy with the result. Great setting with a usable system. Go figure ;)

Well, Savage Rifts is currently available on Bundle of Holding. It's 13 bucks for the Starter Collection and a hair over 20 bucks for the Bonus Collection.

This is updated to the latest Savage Worlds edition (the prior edition is also available currently on Bundle of Holding)

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News - Paizo Licenses its Adventure Paths to Pinnacle for use with Savage Worlds

I seriously did NOT see this coming. Sure, Paizo converted one of its previous projects to 5e, and yes, Pinnacle has licensed Rifts from Palladium, but Pathfinder Adventure Paths to Savage Worlds? Damn. I actually have the first 2 or 3 adventure paths from Paizo. They made for a good read.

I may need to give my Savage Worlds ruleset another look. I never really grokked their spells and powers...

Press Release

It’s Thanksgiving here in the United States. For our international friends, that’s a time when we come together as friends and family and tell everyone what we’re thankful for.

Today, Pinnacle Entertainment Group is INCREDIBLY thankful to our good friends at Paizo for letting us play in their amazing world of Golarion, setting of the phenomenally successful Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!

Following the incredible reception we had with Kevin Siembieda’s phenomenal world of Rifts®, we’re bringing Pathfinder’s fantastic Adventure Paths to the Savage Worlds™ system, starting with the best-selling Rise of the Runelords™!  

The Kickstarter begins mid-January, 2021, and will feature the Savage Pathfinder core rules, a boxed set with all the usual Savage Worlds accessories, AND the Rise of the Runelords boxed set with all six books of the Adventure Path and other deluxe accessories!

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Bundle of Holding - Beasts & Barbarians: Steel Edition (Savage Worlds)

I've heard good things about Beasts & Barbarians (for Savage Worlds). This might be my opportunity to try out the setting. Then again, I just snagged The One Ring / LotR Humble Bundle. So much to read, so little time ;)

Hero! Conjure the pulp fantasy of the 1930s with the tabletop roleplaying campaign setting Beasts & Barbarians from GRAmel Publishing that uses the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds game rules from Pinnacle Entertainment. With our bargain-priced Beasts & Barbarians Bundle you'll channel the vintage spirit of Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, and Fritz Leiber for adventures of iron-thewed heroism, sanity-twisting sorcery, and base treachery. Venture into ancient ruins to battle pre-human beastmen -- fight in the sun-scorched arenas of Faberterra to appease the crowds of the decadent Iron Empire -- and stop mad sorcerers from invoking demons in temples older than humankind. 

For just US$12.95 you get all seven titles in our Starter Collection (retail value $68) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the complete full-color 2017 Beasts & Barbarians Steel Edition (the 144-page Player's Guide, the 144-page Game Master Guide, and the Heroes of the Dominions collection of pregenerated player characters); the Beasts of the Dominions bestiary; the introductory adventure Soul in the Water; Steel Edition Figure Flats print-and-fold character standups; and the Game Master Screen. (We also include the free Savage Worlds Test Drive introductory rules.) 

And if you pay more than the threshold price of $25.10, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with seven more titles worth an additional $70, including three location sourcebooks (Dark Places of the Dominions, Jalizar - City of Thieves, and Tricarnia - Land of Princes and Demons); three character supplements (Gladiators of the Dominions, Pirates of the Dominions, and Tattered Banners - Bandit Lords and Mercenary Captains); and the full-length Steel Edition adventure Enyia's Song.

Kickstarter - The Dark Hold Goblin Adventures RPG for Savage Worlds

Savage Worlds is a bit of a paradox for me. I don't fully grok the system (powers / magic make me scratch my head) but I love the releases FOR the system. There is just so much good stuff for the Savage Worlds system out there.

The Dark Hold Goblin Adventures RPG for Savage Worlds is another excellent release for Savage Worlds. How can I say that when the Kickstarter still has 22 Days left it its funding period? Because Rebel Minis put the beta of The Dark Hold Goblin Adventures in my hands so I could see for myself.

First, that means you know the product is ACTUALLY written and laid out. None of this "4 1/2 years later" shit. It exists.

Second, it reads well. Part setting, part campaign, it all comes together nicely. In truth, it would be easy enough to convert to an OSR system of choice and would play well with old school tropes. Just need to remember you are playing goblins ;)

Third, I love the cover. Yet another reason to suggest (hint hint) an OSR treatment sometime in the future.

Stretch goals add short (1 to 2 page adventures) to the project. Three such have already been added. There are even minis you can get at higher support levels.

If you are a Savage Worlds fan, at $10 for the PDF or $15 for Print plus PDF, I think this is an excellent project to back. If you are an OSR fan with some Savage Worlds background, you could probable convert this fairly easily, as the crunch is much less important than the setting elements. That being said, if there were an OSR version, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

From the description:

Dark Hold Goblin Adventures is dedicated to the small groveling races which scratch out an existence in the dark catacombs through which other heroes stride like unto gods. Can you survive as one of a lost culture of Goblins living in the abandoned tombs of a long forgotten empire? 

Dark Hold Goblin Adventures is a Savage Worlds compatible sourcebook (You will need a copy of the Savage Worlds core Rulebook) allowing players and game masters to run a campaign revolving around low level goblin characters.

Inside you will find a detailed history of the Dark Hold campaign setting as well as new character classes and templates to use Goblins as player characters. There is also a short adventure to whet your whistle for the challenge of playing low level goblins in a world of high level dangers. 

Are you up for it? 

What’s Inside
- A detailed history of the Dark Hold Campaign setting
-       New character classes and templates to use Goblins as player characters
- New Edges
- New Creatures
- An exciting starting adventure... Goblin Faire!
- Crystal Smything
- 5 Short adventures and much more! 

A Freebie - Savage Worlds: Test Drive 2015

Since Savage Worlds: Rifts is surging through Kickstarter, I figured it might be a good time to link the Savage Worlds: Test Drive 2015. It's a beautiful piece of work (but don't even dream of printing it out, as you'll use up all your ink) and a fine introduction to the Savage Worlds system.

It also highlights Pinnacle's Lankhmar license, so if you have a soft spot for Lieber, it does a fine job with that too.

Best of all? It's free...

Kickstarter - Rifts® for Savage Worlds - $85k in 3 hours

Yep, Rifts® for Savage Worlds is set to break some records. It's at over $85k in less than 3 hours of funding.

My old group in college had a blast playing Rifts (yes, I'm omitting the "®", fucking sue me Kevin). Heck, my copy of Rifts was signed by the Palladium crew. Great setting. Broken system.

And now we have it for the Savage Worlds system, oh so many years later.

I guess I need to learn me some Savage Worlds ;)

Really, what else can I say? This is an awesome setting and a strong system. Its like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Perfect together.

This shit sells itself.

The only question is, how much pain do I inflict on the wallet...

Kickstarter - The Folio #7 Deadlands Edition (Hell on Earth)

Savage Worlds is the game I'd love to love and I almost can grok the system at this point. My OSR wired head still gets confused with the spells and powers aspect of Savage Worlds. When I retire I'll need to get someone to give me a crash course in the system ;)

That all being said, I have some major love for the settings that have been released for it and Deadlands in no exception. I still have my copy of the the pre Savage Worlds Deadlands that was a stand along game. I also have the Savage Worlds setting for Deadlands and Deadlands: Hell on Earth and some of the other supplements. While I can't say I'm an expert on the Hell on Earth setting (or Deadlands Noir) I can say I can easily get lost for hours just reading the setting material. If any of it sneaks into my StarSlinger setting, I'm hoping it's inspiration only ;)

Imagine my surprise to find out that the same folks behind the Folio Series of OSR / 5E adventures have secured the license to release an official Savage Worlds Deadlands: Hell on Earth (Folio #7) adventure via Kickstarter.

I really enjoyed the first six releases in the Folio series, as they weren't only well written, but the art was top notch and the layout was professional. Looks like I'll be adding Folio #7 (Deadlands) to my collection.

Damn, I really need to bring that retirement date up so I can have all the time to read the things I want to and already own, let alone the stuff I'll be getting in the coming months.

Sadly I just have the original Folios in PDF, but there is a support level to get all 7 in print and PDF. Delivery estimate is March 2016. I retire at the end of March. The gods have spoken and I must obey...

From the Kickstarter page:

Art of the Genre is proud to partner with Pinnacle Entertainment Group in bringing our fans Folio #7!  After completing the Roslof Keep Campaign it seemed a perfect point to sidestep to Savage Worlds for an adventure in the Deadlands: Hell on Earth setting.  It is an absolutely fantastic setting with an award-winning mechanic that I hope all our fans will give a shot.  

With Folio #7, we will be blending the same OSR specs that our fans have grown accustomed to with the previous issues while also blending in some aspects of the Deadlands: Hell on Earth design.  I truly hope you'll have a much fun playing this adventure as my players did, and as always thanks for taking the time to check out our latest projects here on Kickstarter. 

And as always, Instead of making gaming anvils, I’ve drilled the artistry of the game down, found the gems of a fast-paced adventure, and delivered it in such a way that both new and old gamers alike can enjoy and play without taxing their life schedules. In the end, isn’t gaming about being fun for everyone, not just the players? The Folio’s goal is to ensure that, and always give folks the very best quality ‘lean and mean’ adventures we can.

Kickstarter - The Thin Blue Line: A Detroit Police Story (Savage Worlds Modern Horror Setting)

The Thin Blue Line: A Detroit Police Story Kickstarter is a setting book for Savage Worlds (Horror Supplement required - don't say you weren't warned ;)

As you can probably suspect, I bring my biases to the table here. I've yet to see a well done RPG ruleset or setting that handles police work well. Notice I didn't say handled it accurately, because that would include a load of boring shit with occasional pieces or heart stopping adrenaline rushes. You want to stress the later and push the mundane to the background. So, making a police heavy setting into a horror setting is an excellent way to focus on the exciting.

I liked the video. Short and to the point. Less is certainly more when it comes to Kickstarter videos, and this video explains just enough. I'm not sure if the little girls who pipes in an answer was a plant or not, but it worked well.

Melior Via successfully ran and fulfilled a Kickstarter for Accursed (a dark fantasy RPG setting for Savage Worlds) in 2013. We learned a great deal from the project, and we are using the lessons learned in undertaking this one.

They also took a 2 year break more or less between the two Kickstarters, so I suspect they'll be ready for this one.

That being said, there is only one Kickstarter in their history. Amazingly, it was pretty much on time. With this Kickstarter, print copies are at cost via OneBookShelf, which is probably the way for all but the big boys to do core physical rewards these days.

Did I mention Rach loved the video pitch?

I'll probably be backing this, even if I can't fully wrap my head around Savage Worlds as a game system.

It's Official - Pinnacle will be pubishing Rifts for Savage Worlds - "Savage Rifts" in Time for Christmas

+Sean Patrick Fannon hinted at this overnight, but Pinnacle made the official announcement today:

Rifts is Coming for Savage Worlds! 

News from Pinnacle Entertainment Group 

For Immediate Release--April 21, 2015 

Pinnacle Entertainment Group announced today the development of Rifts for Savage Worlds, their award-winning tabletop roleplaying game system. 

Pinnacle released a mock cover, using art from Palladium’s 2005 Rifts Ultimate Edition with permission. The cover artist for the book was Scott Johnson. 

“We are thrilled to follow up Kevin’s post with this announcement that we do, indeed, have the license to develop Rifts for Savage Worlds,” said Savage Worlds creator Shane Hensley. “We are early in the process, but anticipate having a core rulebook for the setting released in time for Christmas.” 

The Palladium Books Weekly Update--April 19, 2015, written by Kevin Siembieda, recently made mention of a new roleplaying game system for the beloved setting:
“In an effort to truly expand Rifts® across the Megaverse®, in cooperation with Palladium Books, another role-playing game company is currently adapting the Rifts® Earth setting to that company’s RPG system of rules, as well as producing adventure sourcebooks.” 

Rifts is an exciting multi-genre post-apocalypse game that began publishing in 1990. Featuring elements of everything from cyberpunk and fantasy to mecha and mythology, Rifts has always been Siembieda's vision of a game with everything for everyone, tied together with a strong narrative. 

"I'm really excited to see what Rifts will look like in the Savage Worlds system," said Siembieda. "The Savage fans are great folks, and I think Rifts is going to be an amazing amount of fun for them, letting them explore all the possibilities of both the system and the setting." 

Savage Worlds was created by Shane Lacy Hensley. Savage Worlds and the Pinnacle logo are all trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. For more information, visit www.peginc.com or contact Jodi Black, Marketing Manager for Pinnacle, at PEGJodi@gmail.com. More about Palladium and the Rifts setting can be found on their website here: http://www.palladiumbooks.com/. 

Lankmar: City of Thieves - For Savage Worlds?

Color me surprised when I noticed Lankmar: City of Thieves released for Savage Worlds. The only Lankmar releases I knew were forthcoming were for the DCC RPG.

Needless to say I plunked down my $9.99 for the Lankmar Savage Worlds sourcebook in PDF and eagerly await to devour it in the week to come. Today I record a podcast for Far Away Land and after celebrate my 8 year old nephew's birthday, so I doubt I'll get much time to look at it today.

Exciting times for Lankmar fans like myself.

Talking About Free, Stripped Down but Functional RPGs - Savage Worlds Test Drive

I have a confession to make - I've only played Savage Worlds once, and I still managed to get my character killed. That being said, it's a lot like GURPS without the math and using polyhedrals instead of just d6s.

What makes the Savage Worlds Test Drive rules "functional" as a full if basic RPG? Advancement rules and basic spells for casters. Yep. Not bad for 16 pages.

And if you go the main SW products site and hit the sidebar on the right, there are some free "one-sheet" adventures, a Free RPG Day Adventure (includes the Test Drive rules) and some other free loot.

Questions (and Answers) as to Why I'm Going to Run Crypts & Things With My "Lapsed Gamers Group"

One of the players in my "Old Gaming Group" and very good friend of mine, sent me an email earlier tonight asking me why i chose Crypts & Things for the "Getting the Band Back Together" Sunday Morning Campaign.

The questions he asked were spot on, so I figured I'd share the questions (and answers)

Tony is asking the questions, and I'm the one providing the answers ;)

I have a soft spot for the 'dark' low magic fantasy worlds since during junior high / high school and college I was always reading novels such as Elric and F. Leiber stories as most of us were back then.

I know you talked about this on your blog a bit and again I think Crypts and Things is a great choice but I am curious why you didn't pick some of the other systems that I have read about on your blog.

Q - OSRIC - Was the main reason it too expensive for Chris and Barry to get into?  Is it a bit too complicated for a new player?   You gave me a copy of rules which I am thankful for but I never read it so I don't know much about the system but I planning on reading soon. 

A - OSRIC is AD&D 1e without Unearthed Arcana and the subsystems that no one really used. It's what i run on Saturday Nights - It's also a beast of a book to read (about 400 pages) - PDF is free, oversized pocket paperback is about 10 bucks ( think) plus shipping, but 400 pages is a lot of reading to expect for lapsed / returning / new gamers - smaller typset too.

Q - Pathfinder - Not old school like Bry wanted?  I don't own this but if I am correct it is based off of D&D 3.5 right?  So definitely not the D&D we grew up with but still D&D 3.5 is a cool system.  agreed?

A - It's a good system but very "crunchy" (heavy rules wise), much more crunchy than i enjoy these days. I would have loved it during my college years. The Beginner Box for Pathfinder is as crunchy as I'd ever go, but I feel more relaxed with the OSR games.

Q - Bry mentioned D&D 4.0.  I know you won't run that game and I don't like it either. Assume we both don't like it since it it too much like an MMO. I never played but with all of those rules a single combat must take forever (very much not like an MMO ironically).  I do own the books and I do like the fact that two players of the same class would be different because you select powers but it was way too 'crunchy' as I have heard you say in your blog. Is that the main reason you don't like 4? 

A - Combat as you have surmised is a horror. The crunch factor is huge, but the way the powers are set up, possibly not as bad as Pathfinder. But you need to use battlemaps and minis (some may say otherwise, but as written and designed, you do), and that's not how I roll. That, and "Healing Surges" still make no sense to me ;) If you want to listen to a podcast of actual 4e gameplay, try Drunks & Dragons - it's entertaining

Q - Adventurer Conqueror King - I don't own this one. why not this system?  Too difficult for a new player? Not enough like D&D for Bry?

A - ACKS is a fine system. I ran it over the spring / summer of last year. We used some classes from the beta version of the Companion, which were slightly broken (too powerful). I'd run it again, but as many of the classes / races seem setting specific, I'm waiting on the setting to flesh things out.

Q - Dungeon Crawl Classics?  - again I don't own.  curious why it didn't make the cut?

A - I love DCC. I had a blast running some session in the summer and fall. The book is HUGE! (nearly 500 pages) and  would have scared folks away. All that being said, I plan on converting some DCC RPG releases to C&T down the line. I think they'll fit really well.

Q - Savage worlds ? - I don't' own this either.  Not enough like D&D?

A - Definitely not like D&D. I don't fully "grok" the system. That being said, I'm dying to run some Soloman Kane ;)

Q - LofP - you gave me the rules and magic book. I have looked it over.  looks cool but a bit over the top horror which is not really the way we played back in the day so I can see why you didn't pick that.  right?

A - LotFP WF was tempting and the rules are available for free in PDF. That being said, I'd have had to have houseruled the shit out of it to get me where I want it, and that kinda defeats the purpose. Also, I think folks would have complained with the "only fighters ever increase in combat ability" part among others.

Q - Dark Dungeons - you gave me this book - I have not read it yet but again wondering why you didn't pick this?  looks cool.

A - No particular reason except it hasn't been on my radar recently. Well, and it suffers from being huge in page count, which is fine for active gamers, not great for lapsed gamers.

Q - Finally - Tunnels and Trolls. I have an 1986 paper back called.  'tunnels and trolls' the complete fantasy game rule book.  I think you gave this to me.  I know you like the system.  why not this one?  not D&D?

A - I love me some T&T. I really do. I want to run the game and I'm looking forward to the new edition releasing this spring. Not D&D, which is what folks wanted. T&T 5e is NOT the clearest set of RPG rules ever written. Not what i wanted to use to entice folks back to the Dark Side after 16 years of not gaming ;)

A Kickstarter About Superheroes in the Middle Age - Exemplar: Tales of the New Roman Empire RPG

First, a confession. If memory serves, I was asked to look this Exemplar back when it launched and to give feedback, and in truth, I had nothing. I don't play Savage Worlds, and this is a Savage Worlds setting. I also don't play Supers. It is seriously not my bag, which is surprising considering how much I enjoy the comics and the movies of the same. I guess the idea of being Green Lanter or the like left me in my teens.

So, like I said, I gave it a quick peek and then never looked back. Now I'm taking a second peek at it with 8 days left in the funding cycle and I feel bad. It's not even at 10% of it's 18k goal. I don't think I, or anyone else that was asked to look it over in the beginning could have changed that much, but it's sad to see something that the creative team is obviously excited about fail to gather similar excitement from the gaming populace. Savage Worlds is a popular system with a loyal following and Exemplar failed to tap into that following. I have no idea why with the possible exception of the obscure combination of super powers and the Middle Ages.

I'd love to drag some quotes from the Kickstarter page, but most of their text is actually part of uploaded graphics, which makes it difficult. Ah well, I'll snag what I can:

Exemplar is a Savage Worlds Setting where you play Super Powered heroes bound by oaths of fealty during the Middle Ages.

Mini Review - Deadlands Reloaded Player's Guide - Explorer's Edition (Savage Worlds)

I must say that Pinnacle / Studio 2 certainly know how to put beautiful RPG books together.  The art in the Deadland's Reloaded Player's Guide is nothing short of amazing - everything evokes the atmosphere of the setting.  You are given express permission to print the PDF for personal use, but the ink cost would be insane.  Still, its a nice gesture. (Layer control for the win)

From a technical standpoint, the Deadland Reloaded Player's Guide PDF is aces.  Not only is it bookmarked, but the Table of Contents is hyperlinked.  Huzzah!

As for the contents of the book, we get the setting background from the player character's POV.  It should be enough to get most players IN character.  Character generation (including new hinderances and edges), gear and goodies, unique setting rules... it's all there.  Some GMs may feel there is too much there for the players, but as this is an alternate history setting, and the PCs are living it, I think it's perfectly fine to bring the players (mostly) up to speed.

This coupled with the Gamemaster's Guide and the core Savage Worlds rules are all that are needed to run a Deadlands game (and from what I've heard, you probably want the Horror Companion too).  I'm hoping to run a story arc or two using the Deadlands setting starting in the summer.  Hopefully it's enough  time to bring me up to speed ;)

But that's okay, as the Deadlands Player's Guide doesn't read so much like an RPG sourcebook but more like an actual guide to the "Weird West".  Therein lies half the fun ;)

From the blurb:


Strap on your six-gun and saddle up, partner. There's Hell to pay and the currency is hot lead!


The year is 1879, but the history is not our own. The guns of the Civil War are silent in a tense cease-fire. California is shattered by the Great Quake Quake of '68, a superfuel called ghost rock revealed in the new channels and cliff faces. Powerful Rail Barons strive to complete a transcontinental railroad, and the Great Rail Wars exact a bloody toll in the Union, the Confederacy, the Sioux Nation, the Mormon state of Deseret, and the Independent Commonwealth of California.

The Tombstone Epitaph has always been filled with lurid tales of daring desperadoes and deadly drifters, but lately the West's most-read tabloid claims there's something more sinister stalking the fronteir's lonely plains: monsters! Fortunately, where there are monsters, there are heroes. Squinte-eyed gunfighters, card-chucking hexsligners, savage braves, and righteous padres have all answered the call. And if they fight hard enough, they might just discover the identity of the mysterious Reckoners some say are behind it all.
The Player's Guide is the core rules book for player of Deadlands Reloaded. It includes new rules for shootouts at high noon, new Edges, Hindrances, and powers, and everything thing a cowpoke needs to begin his journey into the Weird West.

The Deadlands Reloaded Player's Guide is not a complete game. You'll also need the Savage Worlds core rulebook to play. The gamemaster will also need the Deadlands Reloaded Marshal's Handbook (target availability October 2010).

This full-featured PDF includes a hyperlinked table of contents and index, bookmarks, and layer controls so you only print what you need.

Another Game I Own and Never Played - Deadlands

Damn it!  I was pretty sure I ran a session of Deadlands, but as I can't recall the details, and the rulebook is copyright 1996-97, I'm pretty sure I never ran it.  My last GM'ing session was, believe it or , early March of 97.  March is when my days off switched from Sat / Sun to Wed / Thursday for six months.

The group was already feeling the pull of family and other adult responsibilities post college, and my working weekends would be the death knell for us as a table top role playing group (we did progress shortly thereafter to Everquest and the like, but that's a whole 'nother story ;)

Still, the setting of Deadlands was something I quickly devoured.  It was different.  It was exciting.  From the point of view of someone with a BA in History, it hit all the right buttons.

And yet I never played it.

That should change over the coming months.  I plan on running Deadlands: Reloaded (Savage Worlds) as one of the story arcs in my rotating system / setting game nights via G+ Hangout.

Deadlands - Night Train - Dime Novel #3

Back in the day (1997) you could get a Deadlands novella, a Deadlands adventure and a scenario for use with the Great Rail Wars for $4.95.  That is what Night Train is, a Deadlands three-fer.

It's funny, as I'm reading over the Deadlands Reloaded core books for Savage Worlds, I realize I never really played enough of Deadlands (I think I ran one session) to really learn the system, but I have fond memories of the setting.

Looking at the stat blocks in Night Train, I have absolutely no idea what they mean, but I think I could convert this easy enough to DL Reloaded.  It wouldn't be a straight conversion by any means, but a working one none the less.

Yep, still cleaning, still packing stuff up ;)

Crap, all this reminds me that I need to get a review of the Deadlands Reloaded: Players Guide completed.  Well, that and I think I need to get a basic charting of the story arcs I want to run with Savage Worlds and the Ubiquity system.  Planning in advance will keep the arcs running like a well oiled machine.  I hope...