House Rules ToA

OOC
See also: Chain; Getting Started; Limits of Magic; Paradigm; Swift; Water Rules; Wheels

Please confer with Cinero on a character concept and basic backstory before finalizing creation (e.g., Attributes, Skills, Edges, etc.).

Advancement

You are responsible for your Advances. Cinero can help.

• After 1 session, you earn your first Advance.
• After 2 more sessions, you earn your second Advance.
• Henceforth, you earn one Advance after every 4 sessions.

Books

Cinero has PDFs he can loan.

Pre-Approved

If anything is in this list of books, then you don't need Cinero's permission to use it (except Gear):

• Savage Worlds Core Rules (Adventure Edition)
• Fantasy Companion (Adventure Edition)

Case by Case

Talk with Cinero about using anything from these books:

• We use some parts of Sprawlrunners, especially Arcane Background: Shaman and totems.
• We are starting to integrate the Science Fiction Companion (Adventure Edition). It's not available for sale (as of August 2024) but Cinero has the advance PDF.

Core Rules vs. Fantasy Companion

• We use the Wizard edge. (Disregard the sidebar in the Fantasy Companion, p. 35.)
• Powers: When in doubt, use the Fantasy Companion versions.
• We use the Arcane Backgrounds in the Core Rules and the Fantasy Companion.

Character Creation

You will create a character in Savaged.us (which is like DnD Beyond for Savage Worlds). Then Cinero will import that character in Fantasy Grounds.

Pre-Work

Savaged.us

1. Create a free account at: https://savaged.us/
2. Join Cinero's campaign (ask him for the link)
3. Create a character following the "Creation Steps" below.
4. (optional) If you later want to create an additional character, then just ask Cinero to add a character slot to your account. (Slots are free/unlimited.)

Fantasy Grounds

1. Create a free account at https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/home.php
2. Download and install the Free Demo version (Cinero owns the Ultimate Version, which unlocks all the features for all players).

Creation Steps

1. Confer with the GM on a concept and basic backstory. Most PCs are Unbound.
2. Choose race (see "Species" below).
3. Choose Hindrances
4. Buy attribute increases. Remember that human average is d6.
5. Buy skills.
6. Buy Edges
7. Buy Gear. Confer with the GM. You probably want to buy the Colonist Standard Kit (coming soon).
8. Savaged will automatically calculate Pace, Parry, and Toughness.

Fantasy Grounds

Portrait

Give this Cinero in Discord. He can edit it. (FYI: the Fantasy Grounds portrait size is 63x63.)

After Cinero imports your character into Fantasy Grounds

1. Cinero adds your Professional specialty (+1 to one skill)
2. Cinero adds the Swift Form
   1. Strength = Spirit
   2. Agility = Smarts
   3. Vigor = Smarts or Spirit
   4. The effect looks like: "Swift Form [Strength +1d, Agility +0d, Vigor +1d]"
3. Cinero adds your Unbound skill, which is the higher of:
   1. Arcane Skill -1d
   2. Highest Attribute -1d

Conviction

We use Conviction (Core Rules p. 136).

Conviction can be spent to add a d6 to all a character's Trait and damage totals until the beginning of her next turn. ... A character can maintain Conviction from round to round by spending a Benny (at the start of his turn, before it runs out).

You automatically gain Conviction when your action card is your personal card. The GM may award Conviction in other ways. You can suggest gaining Conviction when you think it's appropriate.

Edges

• We use the Wizard edge. (Disregard the sidebar in the Fantasy Companion, p. 35.)
• We use the Arcane Backgrounds in the Core Rules. However, the Arcane Backgrounds in the Fantasy Companion offer promising edges and powers, and thematic lists of powers and hindrances.

Recommended Edges

Consider:

• Epic Mastery (Fantasy Companion, p. 36). Requirements: Veteran; Arcane Background (Any); arcane skill d6+
• Mystic Powers (Fantasy Companion, p. 37). Requirements: Seasoned; other Requirements based on package

Expectations Management

A West Marches campaign has unusual aspects, compared to a typical tabletop RPG. Here are some rules and tips to manage your expectations and improve in-game success. (Cinero will update this section over time.)

• There are no adventures to be found in the town (i.e., the Beta module).
  • This is similar to video games like Darkest Dungeon, in which you regularly return to the town but it's boring and predictable.
  • The NPCs will be busy building the town and staying alive. You can spend resources and downtime helping with that.
  • Missions go into the wild.
  • Your character concept might include doing stuff in town between missions (e.g., helping build). But I discourage choosing Skills, Edges, etc. if you only expect to use them during this downtime.
• Exploration is central.
  • No PC has been on Amethyst 3 before.
  • The GM will describe things and then the PCs can name them (e.g., landmarks, regions). The GM will then use those names.
  • The GM will never provide a global map. The PCs (and players) must make their own map. They may find in-game maps.
• Combat will sometimes be theater of the mind and sometimes on local tactical maps.
• At times, you may find yourself on the surface of the ocean, on dry land (e.g., island), underwater, underground, or underwater and underground.
• These are spoilers to help with character concepts:
  • You will discover that flying high is a bad idea. However, Cinero has not removed Piloting as a skill because skimming the surface may not be a bad idea.
  • You will discover that the Swift is dangerous. A PC can still use the Swift but they will need to adjust to some unique challenges.

Flair and Groove

Your Flair is your personal style, which could be an adventurer archetype that you lean into. Your Groove is your distinct contribution to the team, which might be in exploration, combat, or social encounters.

An Unbound's Flair and Groove are closely tied to their Source.

Earning Bennies

You can earn a Benny by doing something that matches your Flair and/or fulfilling your Groove. As a player, speak up when you think you've earned a Benny. You can also speak up when you see others earning, too!

Examples

From fiction:

• Han Solo: "I am a cocky smuggler, and I will defy the odds by making bold moves in combat."
• Black Widow: "I am a sly super spy, and I will mislead and disorient our enemies using tricks."
• Spock: "I am a brilliant scientist, and I will find solutions using tireless, cold logic."

Past or present Edgewar PCs:

• "I am a terrifying otherworldly presence, and I will get in our enemies' faces using Reckless Attack."
• "I am a cunning gadgeteer, and I will maintain situational awareness using my custom gear."
• "I am a merciful optimist, and I will defend my comrades using my Protection fighting style."
• "I am a resourceful arcanist, and I will overcome obstacles using my utility spells."

Hindrances, Banned

• Doubting Thomas
• Pacifist (Major)

Skills (Changes)

• Hacking includes social engineering.
• Survival includes weather forecasting.
• We don't use Research.

Magic Skills

SWADE uses the adjective "arcane" in a very broad sense, for everything from Miracles to Weird Science. When referring to the magic of Spellcasting, we say it's "hermetic." This basically includes any approach that treats magic like science or engineering.

Occult spans theoretical knowledge of all the arcane backgrounds and skills. Each arcane skill includes relevant theoretical knowledge and practical application.

New Skills

• Governing (Smarts): perceiving, understanding, and engaging in building and sustaining a community. This includes elections, leadership, policies, legislation, law enforcement, justice systems, and bureaucracy.
• Nature (Smarts): perceiving, understanding, and engaging with natural phenomena. This includes fauna, flora, ecosystems, and xenobiology. Nature overlaps with Academics (e.g., behaviorism), Science (e.g., biology), and Survival (e.g., biomes and weather).

Species (Races)

When possible, we say "species" instead of "race." You can use a Race from the Core Rules or Fantasy Companion as written. You can work with Cinero to modify a Race (especially any culture-based abilities). Savage Worlds also includes rules for creating new races.

Dragonfolk, Celestial Circle (Silver)

This new species is based on Dragonfolk (Fantasy Companion p. 12).

• Armor
• Bite/Claws
• Breath Weapon
• Cold-Blooded Warm-Blooding: Subtract 1 from Agility, Strength, and Vigor rolls after spending more than ten minutes in temperatures above 90 degree Farenheit.
• Environmental Resistance (HeatCold): Receive a +4 bonus to resist cold or cold-based effects and reduce damage from such sources a like amount.
• Environmental Weakness (ColdHeat): Poorly suited to frigid conditions. Subtract 4 from rolls made to resist heat or fire-based effects and take +4 damage from such attacks.
• Ill-TemperedLoyal and Vow: Dragonfolk of this subculture are very loyal to their families, clans, and communities. They revere and obey the Wyrm Princes of the Celestial Circle.