[RPG] Downtuning lethality in Savage Worlds

combatsavage-worlds

My groups go-to system is Savage Worlds, and it works pretty well for our needs. But the system uses exploding dice, and that means that sometimes a casual encounter that should be a cakewalk for the party can turn suddenly lethal. On one hand, we agree that we kind of like this aspect of the system. On the other hand, it sucks when it actually happens.

My question is, are there any good hacks for this? I would especially like a sneaky way of doing it that keeps the impression that death can come at any time while it actually makes the chances of that slim to none.

Best Answer

Here's a good blog article about tweaking the lethality of Savage Worlds at The Geek Life Project.

In summary:

  • Be generous with bennies. Really generous. Give them out like candy.
  • When you spend bennies as a GM, don't spend them to "beat" the players, but to increase drama. Use them to re-roll encounter-turning skill rolls like Notice or Stealth, not for soak rolls or for attack rolls. Use GM bennies outside of combat more than in combat.
  • Don't use the Incapacitation chart and Injury table, just use the Incapacitated-on-fourth-wound status as written up on p. 76 of the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition. That is, they're out of the fight until healed.
  • Use the "toughing it out" rules from Winterweir: make a Toughness and a Spirit check to keep up and fighting despite Incapacitation.

My own suggestion would be to use the death spiral and Incapacitation chart, but treat all results as if they were nonlethal. Heroes and Wild Card enemies then can only be properly killed if they're first taken out and then served a coup de grace while unconscious.

That gives you, as the GM, lots of options for unconscious heroes, and it makes it easier for fallen heroes to be dragged off by their companions to get healing. It also puts heroes in a moral quandary when they defeat a villain: to kill in cold blood, or not?

Use the injury table if you want that kind of long-term Incapacitation consequence, or not.

Related Topic