Savage Worlds

First things first.

First - I'm a gaming whore and I know it. Knowing is half the battle.
Second - I'm not dropping the 4e campaign. I like it and hope to run it for a very long time.

With those caveats out of the way, let me speak a moment about the Pinnacle Entertainment's Savage Worlds: Explorer's Edition. I picked up down at Meta-Games during WARMACHINE Weekend. It was dirt cheap, $9.99 for the book, normal retail. It is a 160 page booklet style format that is crammed with what appears to be a great little rules system. Art is good as well, I would love to have a poster size print of the Rocket Man picture on page 5!

Why this sudden interest in the game? I have heard of folks playing in the past and been given some abstract descriptions. I had also heard that it was uber easy to convert a setting to fit the rules structure, plus it utilized a minion type system to ease the combat with the grunts of the world. I had heard folks used it to create an Iron Kingdom's setting and since I am a card carrying member of the Privateer Press Fan Boy Association I thought it would be cool to utilize it for that reason.

Well... Since reading it, I'm not sure I want to just do that! The possibility of running some interesting settings is just too cool. Two that I am thinking of tinkering with in my 'oh so available' free time are...

• Modern (Near Modern) Horror/Conspiracy like X-Files and Fringe
• Fictional High Magic Pirate Setting

Either of these might be way too cool to develop into a playable format. When would I have a chance to develop and run? Who knows... Maybe after the guys get in the apartment, a week night might present itself for a bi-monthly shing-ding. Only time will tell.

With that bit of an introduction let me tell you a bit on how the system works.

Each character has a set of five attributes (Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, & Vigor) and skills (many). Each level is represented by a die type. You buy more levels in each, increasing your die type with each purchase... D4 -> D6 -> D8 -> D10 -> D12. Each time you attempt to do something you roll the die type for that skill an/or ability. If you get '4' or over you succeeded. Players and big bad guys are 'wild cards' and always get to roll a D6 as well as the stat/skill die and take the best of the two. The target number can be modified by in game situations (cover/concealment/etc.). Players control their own minion/followers during combat, which frees up the GM to run the bad guys. Lackeys are either up, shaken, down. Easy peasy. Wild Cards have a toughness stat that keeps them up longer.

The book has rules for vehicles, chases, mass combat, and much more.

I just re-read that and I feel I did it no justice. The game just seems real easy to play, despite my horrible attempt to explain the character.

Any Hoo... I may start to work on the Modern Horror setting for S&G, just to come up with some ideas in case I can squeeze in the time with the guys! :)

jp
I'm John, and I'm a gaming addict.

Dark Knight and X-Files

This weekend I got a chance to see two movies. That is more then I get in three or four months. Thought I would throw down my little mini review on each, not that anyone is reading, but what the hey.

On Saturday Phyllis and I went to see the X-Files:I Want to Believe at the 1030 am show. Including us, their was 6 people in the theater. Overall, the movie wasn't horrible, but it was far from a great motion picture. I think Chris Carter's approach to do the 'creature feature' approach vice expanding the mythos of the X-Files was the single largest factor on whether this was going to be a good movie. The use of the overlying conspiracy theory that the X-Files is known for would have been a better story to grab the fans and non-fans. Without that this could have been an episode of X-Files or Kolchak: The Night Stalker or Night Gallery. The acting was good as was the general feel of the movie. I would have also like to see more of Skinner as he was one of my favorites on the show. Overall? Wait for the DVD release and rent it. If your a hard core fan, you will go see it anyways, the best part is that it should be quiet in the theater.

On Sunday we went to go see The Dark Knight. This was a very good movie and I did enjoy the experience. Was it perfect? No. Was it "Best... Movie... Ever!"? No. What did I like. Heath Ledger was the show. Plain and simple his performance of the Joker shined and made the movie what it is. The general story and plot I also liked. What did I not like? I thought that Bruce Wayne's angst was way underplayed. This is, after all, a Batman movie, not a Joker movie. Where was Bruce Wayne's pain and suffering over his inability to save Rachel? I think the 2:45 running time could have been cut down. Perhaps drop the 'Sons of the Batman' & Scarecrow stuff in the beginning and use that saved time to develop more depth of character for Bruce. Brooding will only take you so far. Where was the pain?

So anyways... That's my two cents...

jp
Movie Critic At Large