Savage Worlds RPG

I recently became a player in an ongoing zombie campaign using the "Savage Worlds" RPG system. I'd heard a lot about this system in various reviews and from gaming colleagues, so I was eager to experience it as a player with a view to possibly using it in the future as a gamesmaster.

The first thing I noticed was how easy and intuitive the system is. The game is played with a variety of dice. The die indicates a level of skill and is rolled against a target difficulty of 4. For example, I might have a skill represented by a D6, or a higher level of skill in something else for which I'd roll a D8. A success would be a roll of 4 or above. Also, as a player character, I roll a D6 alongside any roll I make and get to choose whichever is higher. If I roll the maximum number possible,I get to roll again and add the number to my previous roll. Initiative is handled with a regular deck of playing cards.

This all works really well and makes for a fast-moving game. As a GM that tends to struggle with combat systems this is very appealing to me as an option for future games. I usually have large gaming groups and my sessions lean to action-adventure, so it's definitely time for me to try something that fits better with that style.

From a character perspective, you have "Edges" (feats or special characteristics) balanced out by "Hindrances" (ongoing penalties or tendencies towards danger). Again, very simple and it translates nicely into actual gameplay. The game encourages heroic,risky,headfirst playing, which is my preferred way as a player.

Savage Worlds has had a number of interesting settings published, all which take a genre and add a spin to it. "50 Fathoms" takes the pirate genre and transports the players to another world, one which is drowned and has a "Jules Verne" feel to it. "Slipstream" is pulp 1930s style science fiction, much in the vein of "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers". My personal favorite is "Rippers", a Victorian Steampunk Gothic Horror game that blends "Van Helsing" and "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman".

Finally I must mention "Realms of Cthulhu", the Savage Worlds setting for a game I've been running for years. What strikes me is how great this system would fit one of the more pulp,epic campaigns like "Masks of Nyarlathotep". The characters would have a much greater chance of surviving till the later stages of the campaign and the action sequences could be fantastic. I can easily imagine this adaptation being my game for 2014.

I highly recommend trying this if you want a generic system that lends itself to fast and furious games.