Character Discussion

Discuss your characters in this thread. Ask questions and brainstorn here.

Sample Character: Ol' Bill Codger


"Me mum taught me to kill people with kindness. So I named me gun ‘Kindness’."

Ol' Bill is a tinkerer in the Miners & Steamfitters Union. He lives and works at a contract town in the Northern Hills, where he toils away repairing and maintaining labor constructs. He is one of many enchanters who upkeep the very equipment that enables the Soulstone industry of Malifaux. He came through the Breach about a year ago, having scraped together every penny he had in order to afford a one-way ticket off-world. Once here, in short time his skills earned him employment in the Guild's mining operations.

Not much is known about Bill and his life before Malifaux. He lived on Earth... Liverpool, England, he'll say, but he doesn't specify much else. The man is tight-lipped about his past, and reveals only bits and pieces that tell very little about him. There is some whispered talk that Bill served in the King's Empire during the Black Powder Wars, hence his scars and damaged hearing. Others say he spent several years doing steamfitting in Abyssinia, which is where he learned his magic. And others still indicate that Bill once had a wife, but something befell her. An accident or an illness, and the Guild was involved somehow. Either the organization was responsible, or it let her die when it could've prevented it. Whatever the reason, Bill nurses a powerful grudge against the Guild of Mercantilers. And if you want to hurt the Guild, what better than to strike them at the beating heart of their power and profits: Malifaux.

When not performing his day-to-day duties as a tinkerer, Bill moonlights as an Arcanist. He works to undermine the Guild's influence with acts of sabotage and intelligence gathering, and helps the Union smuggle away small amounts of Soulstone for its own personal stockpiles. He builds and repairs unlicensed constructs, and helps design devices that will counter the Guild's technology. While he agrees with the Arcanist agenda and philosophy, Bill is not an ideologue and fights the Guild for his own secretive reasons. He is not afraid to engage in violence, and when necessary, he's shown himself capable of startling brutality.

Bill only learned of his Destiny several months ago during a strange encounter with a gremlin shaman in the Badlands. Though none too fond of gremlins, he helped the little creature escape a Guild patrol looking for trouble. In return, the gremlin recited Bill’s future to him in an odd, sing-song manner, before running off. Ol’ Bill initially dismissed the shaman’s words, but lately he’s been thinking more and more about them. Maybe it’s just the superstitiousness of an old Scouser, but for some reason, no small part of him takes the prophecy seriously. That said, Bill understands next to nothing about what his Destiny means.

Description: Bill is tall man with the solid frame and calloused hands of someone used to a life of labor. He has tan, weather-beaten skin, a shaved head, and a flat nose that looks as though it's been broken one too many times. His voice is deep, and he speaks with a thick Scouse accent. His smile comes easily, though those who speak with Bill often come away with the sense that there is something dangerous about him. His grin, they say, doesn't match his eyes, which unleash a stare that could curdle milk. Though Ol' Bill is well enough liked by his fellow laborers in the Union, there is a certain quality about the man that makes people nervous, and so most give him a wide berth.

Height: 6 feet, 1 inch (185.42 cm)
Weight: 200 lbs. (90.2 kg)
Age: 41
Sex: Male
Nationality: English
Rank: Novice

Motivation: Revenge
Destiny: After the branch snaps beneath your sorrow, you will be reborn of flesh and redemption, but the witless man fears the child. Poison will be the cure, and you will drive the chariot of winter.

AttributesHindrances
Driven (Major; Punish the Guild)
Hard of Hearing (Minor)
Mean (Minor)

Edges
Arcane Background (Enchantment)
Steamfitter

Powers
Smite
Damage Field

Gear
Full Outfit, Trade
Miner’s Helmet
Brigantine Jacket
Artefacting Tools
Sledgehammer
Double-Action Revolver
20 Bullets
Holster
Reciprocating Saw
Survival Knife

Notes
Spent 2 Hindrance points to raise Spirit d4 to d6
Agility d6
Smarts d6
Spirit d6
Strength d8
Vigor d6

Derived Stats
Pace: 6"
Parry: 6
Size: 0
Toughness: 5 (0) / 7 (2) with armor

Skills
Athletics (Climbing) d8
Common Knowledge d6
Notice (General, Detect Lies) d4
Persuasion (General) d4
Stealth (General, Tailing) d4
Language: English d8
Language: French d4
Fighting (Brawling, Blunt, Pneumatic Weapon) d6
Shooting (Shotgun, Rifle) d6
Trade: Artefacting d8
Trade: Armorer d4
Survival (Woodlands) d4
Intimidation d4
Weird Science d6

Don’t hate me, but I’m leaning strongly toward a gremlin character. Unless someone else wants to make one. In that case, I have plenty of other concepts I can run with.

I play the miniatures game but never tried the TTRPG.

I'll definitely be a human. I'm gonna need some time to read all the info you've posted though.

Yeah sorry, I went overboard. Depending on what you choose to make, you can likely get away with not having to read too much.

The Character Creation thread is the main thread you need to read. Char gen looks more involved than it really is.

If you aren’t a magic-user, then you can skip the entire Magic thread if you want. The World info is useful, but you don’t need to read all of it; just read the intro for the City and maybe the factions (you can skip the detailed descriptions for each district). The Equipment and Fate threads are simply to aid with character creation.

The Rules Reference is just so I can quickly look up rules on the site. If you have never played Savage Worlds then don’t worry, you’ll learn as we go.

I’m ready to do draw for my character’s Destiny.

Go for it. The Fate Deck is ready. Just be sure to set your cards so I can see them.

I had a couple of ideas, but I think I will go for the destiny before the character.

Go ahead and draw your cards when you’re ready

Just to give a heads up. I’m still working on the Equipment thread. I should have it completed in a couple of days, so don’t select your gear quite yet.

For my concept, I’m considering a gremlin enchanter. He builds lots of weird but dangerous contraptions. I’m inspired by all the Malifaux artwork that shows gremlins wielding absurdly large guns and riding jet packs. He’ll have some Cajun flavor, most likely.

But if someone else wants to do an enchanter, I have plenty more ideas.

Howdy!

Sorry, just now getting hooked up and starting to read through stuff... kind of excited for the game for sure. :)

What's the input command here?

Next in line for the Fates, please, when Appalahi is done.

I might have forgotten to select you name for access to the deck. Try it again. It’s under the Advance option for the Rolls.

Go ahead, when you’re ready

I went a little crazy with the threads. Don’t feel obligated to read it all. I still need to finish the Equipment thread.

It's been awesome to learn more about this world, etc! Thanks GM!

I'm thinking of trying a powers based character, with rogue/thievery skills. The gifted class is typically limited to 1 or 2 powers. As a novice character, does still limit my powers to novice rank or open up to other ranks during character creation? Or would I have to take the New Powers edge? Im also thinking of possibly taking the necromancy edge, that seems pretty different and neat.

Welcome aboard! You can ignore Rank requirements for Edges at character creation, but not for powers, so you'd be limited to Novice powers. The New Powers Edge will give you additional powers, but you'd still be limited to Novice rank. In Malifaux, gifted characters are known as Manifesters.

Just be aware that Resurrectionists (i.e. Necromancers) are universally hated and feared in Malifaux, so you'd need to be very subtle with how you operate. You couldn't walk around in public with a zombie entourage, for instance. Most likely, you'd try to pass yourself off as another type of magician, or maybe even hide the fact that you have know magic altogether. Not trying to discourage you from the idea, just want to point out the drawbacks.

Lol "Petite Merde" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

One thing I miss on this forum is the ability to like posts :D

I'm ready for fates. Otherwise, I've been sick the last couple of days and I'm still not feeling well today (Some stupid stomach bug). I'll get caught up tomorrow and this weekend...

@Knighthawke

The Fate Deck is ready for you to draw.

Witch Hunters tend to be ruthless, capable, and pretty diehard. They’re an elite within the Guild, and not just anyone has what it takes to be one. They are a dedicated group so it’s rare for one of them to go rogue. That said, it could happen for any number of reasons. It might even be as simple as the Witch Hunter developing a conscience and not wanting to arrest or execute innocent magic-users anymore. Maybe a family member came out as a magician, or something like that. Etc.

The concept could totally work, but keep in mind that the Guild doesn’t tolerate traitors, especially a traitorous Witch Hunter. So either you faked your death (reflected by the Secret (Major) Hindrance), or you likely have the Wanted Hindrance.

Here is the Witch Hunter professional Edge if you’re interested.


Witch Hunter
Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Sorcery), Spirit d8+, Spellcasting d6+

The third order of elite specialists used by the Guild to fight its enemies — after Death Marshals and Neverborn Hunters — are the Witch Hunters, men and women specialized in hunting down rogue spellcasters. Since the Guild considers all magic to be its own purview, any magician operating without Guild permission is a "witch" in their eyes.

A Witch Hunter immediately learns the dispel power, ignoring its Rank requirement. If the Witch Hunter has not used his action in the current round, he can use dispel to counter an enemy’s spellcasting as though he were on hold. This uses his action up as normal. Finally, a Witch Hunter gains a +2 bonus on Trait rolls made to resist hostile powers that target him. (Unlike the Arcane Resistance Edge, the Witch Hunter need not apply this as a penalty to friendly spellcasting rolls.)

That's all pretty well what I had in mind. :) Something about his last official target just pushed him over the edge and put him in "I need to disappear" mode. Definitely was planning on the Secret (Major) :) Would a Connections (Other Witch Hunter) be allowed? Am thinking of someone who was like a brother, that is the only one that knows he didn't die on the hunt...

Yep, having a single Witch Hunter as a contact is fine.

My character concept is beginning to take a more solid form. However, I wanted to ask - given the game's setting, subject matte and general tone, is it safe to assume that the game is going to be 18+? In terms of violence, language, gore, etc?

Yes, it’ll have mature content for sure. I won’t be too excessive with the violence, but Malifaux is definitely not a friendly place. Life is pretty hard there.

I have a question. You've removed Repair and replaced it with Trade, however Repair was tied to Smarts, and Trade - to Agility. The edges that improve on the Repair (now Trade) skill still require high Smarts, or Smarts-dependent skills, which now makes them rather expensive to take. Is that intentional?

EDIT: Nvm, you've removed the edge I wanted to take.

Which Edge were you thinking about? I removed a few Guild-related Edges that I thought no one would be interested in

It was McGyver.
It's ok, it's just a bit hard to be cross-referencing the forum and the pdf on mobile and I seem to have missed some things. I'll fix it up when I get home.

I’m using a fan-made conversion document. For whatever reason, that was one of the Edges that the creator of the document decided to ban from the setting, thought I’m not quite sure why. Reading it over, it doesn’t seem too bad.

By the way, my apologies. I’m still finishing up the Equipment section. Turned into more work than expected, and I’ve been spending extra hours at my job the last few days. I’m hoping to have it done my Tuesday the latest.

Also, I’ve made a correction in the Character Creation thread, under Edges. I mistakenly mentioned that there are major and minor Edges. However, Edges have no such distinction. Major and Minor designations only apply to Hindrances.

Sorry, more questions.
You say that for Languages and Trade a PC can't use a specialisation they don't have. But also there's this:
Which makes me think that taking more than one spec in those skills actually means taking the skill a second time and advancing them separately. Which makes sense. If you've been a bricklayer all your life and you suddenly pick up blacksmithing, you don't start that completely new trade at the same level as the one you've been practicing for years.

No problem, ask as many questions as you need.

Yeah you’re correct. There is an exception for Languages and Trade skills. Those two skills don’t really have specializations; each type of language or trade is intended to be treated as a distinct skill. Which means that each has its own skill level. I’ll clarify that better in the thread.

That said, I would allow characters to attempt a language or trade that they don’t have, if it’s close to a language or trade that they possess. I’d allow a Portuguese speaker to try understanding Spanish, for instance, or someone with Trade (Leatherworking) to attempt Trade (Cobbling), albeit at a penalty.

Might I make a suggestion?

For Languages, what about putting the Multiple Languages Setting Rule into play instead?
So, without putting any points into Smarts (i.e. a d4), a character would have their Native Language at d8, then 2 languages at d6.

Seems like that would reflect a more modern/steampunk setting for adventurers at least. :)

I was thinking to play either a duelist, a character a la Widow of the Badlands, or something else. I read psionics aren't a things, right? I was also tempted by a shaman.

If you are interested in playing something magical, check out the Arcane Backgrounds at the bottom of the character creation thread, particularly the Sorcery background. A duelist would also woprk well. But yes, there ais no psionics, per se, in Malifaux.

I had glanced over that rule recently. I'm going by the conversion document, but I have no problem with using the Multiple Languages Rule if people are interested in it.

Still working on the crunch, but thanks to Midjourney, I think I have a couple of images for my concept, Dane Gerard.


(for those interested, this is the prompt I used:
cinematic, close up, Realistic, ultra - detailed photorealistic, steampunk, full body, young chris daughtry as last witch hunter, clean shaven, trenchcoat, sword over shoulder, 8k,mists in background, light blue-white glow around body

along with this image in the prompt:

)

Working on putting something cohesive together...

Figured I should post so no one thought I dropped or anything. I'm still here, just between learning the setting, trying to make something out of my prophesy, and working on a character, I've been a bit quiet.

@MaJunior and @Knighthawke, thanks for the update, both of you. There's still another week to finish characters. I'm endeavoring to wrap up the equipment thread.

There are some edges dealing with tech implants. Are these available during character creation? Are they part of the equipment?

Yep, sorry, there are steam augments. I’m including them in the Equipment thread tomorrow.

I was thinking her, upping combat as much as possible

@Jesus.Chrysler.Supercar - Looking at Gear, should the Duster/Long Coat also cover Legs in addition to Torso and Arms? I'd be willing to pay even more for that.. LOL

Oops, let me correct that. I missed that part of the body.

I see that the equipment is quite battle-oriented. Is there any crafting tools/kits and materials? Also any special crafting rules?

Good question!

Most of the general equipment is listed in a separate post under the post for the weapons. This will include tool kits. I just havent had a chance to input all of the prices yet. Apologies. I plan to get to it tonight. Work has been kicking my ass this last week. I also need to include descriptions for some of the unique weaponry.

As for crafting rules, it depends on what you'd like to build. Savage Worlds tends to keep things simple, so crafting is fairly straightforward. It typically just involves one or more rolls on a relevant Trade skill. If you are trying to build a particularly complex item, the task might require several skills to complete. There are bonuses or penalties based on your tools and the situation. You should have the specialization for the type of item that you wish to produce (i.e. Trade (Armorer) to make a sword, Trade (Jewelry) to make jewelry, etc.). Obviously, time and materials cost will also depend on what you are building.

Building a magical item requires the Arcane Background (Enchantment) Edge, which has its own rules. Those who want to dabble in Alchemy need AB (Enchantment) with the Alchemy Edge.

No worries, I'm gonna save my money until it's clear what I can afford 😆. Just wanna say that Bart has a regular poor-person prosthetic. And won't be armed to the teeth, unless you say he has to be, for some reason.

On the more roleplay side of thing, should we try and work out if and how our characters are connected to each other?

The gold is the starting one, I wager?

And yes, I would second us to have established connections already

Sorry for the late character addition, haven't had time to fully commit. That said, think I'm going to change my character idea a bit, after being inspired by this image, to more of a gremlin gunslinger, who's also manifested.

I'll have the character completed by this weekend.

Established connections works for me too.

Established connections works for me too. :)

@Jesus.Chrysler.Supercar - Question, would it be possible to add a Ballistic Lining to a Duster/Long Coat? Gareth has Trade (Armorer) at d4, so I imagine that would have been something he could have done. Alternately thinking it would be say 25$ to modify it. :)

As far as established connections go, that's my recommendation. It just makes everything easier in my opinion. Your characters most likely run in the same roguish circles - mercenaries, freebooters, criminals, freethinkers, etc. What might be classified as "Outcasts" in Malifaux faction parlance.

I ultimately leave that decision to each player. The beginning adventure will provide an excuse for all of you to be together, so that can also serve as a way for PCs to meet for the first time.

In terms of the game's structure, I'm going to be running this as a series of short adventures rather than one, long story arc. Through the Breach has a large number of great one shot adventures that explore different aspects of the setting.

Yeah that seems reasonable to me. This would easy enough for an armorer to do. Go for it. My only input would be that it probably raises to minimum strength for the duster to d6 (as if it were stacked armor), so as long as you have at least Str d6, you're good.

haha nice to have another gremlin. You should work something out with Morgan_Freemans_Voice, since your characters likely know each other or might even be related.

Okay, I finally finished pricing all of the equipment. Sorry for the delay. I included as many generic goods and sundries as possible, but if there's something that you want and it isn't in the thread, let me know and I'll figure out the price.

Sounds good!

I should be finished up by the end of the weekend. I'd say today, but... today is going to be a very long day already.

Same here.

Here is a summary of the PC group thus far…

Ok... working on wrapping up my character, but I have a few questions (mostly just to make sure I'm not messing up).

Strain is based on your die... am I correct that it's the full value of the die, not a roll? So a d6 would mean you can handle a flat 6 points of strain?

With augmentations, is strain cumulative? If you take a crystal eye, and get all three enhancements... is that 3 strain for one eye? Or is the eye itself 1 strain, regardless of how many upgrades you end up with?

Yes, Strain is based on the die, not the roll. So yes, a d6 means 6 Strain. No roll needed.

And yes, Strain is cumulative. It’s not the total number of implants that matters. It’s the total Strain from all the implants combined.

As for Crystal Eyes, you get 1 Strain for each type of vision. So all three vision types would equal 3 Strain. Sorry, I’ll clarify that in the implant description.

Cool cool. That's pretty much what I figured. The one I was the most unsure about was the eyes... ... and 6 strain for two fully loaded eyes seems pretty steep. But it also seems like a good way to limit the augmentations, since this isn't Shadowrun with books upon books of cyber and bio augmentations.

Yes, the Strain for two eyes is steep, though one eye is all you’d typically need. Mechanically, having one or both eyes replaced won’t make much difference.

But Strain is quite restrictive. I think it’s because cybernetics could get out of hand in earlier editions of Savage Worlds. I’ve seen it happen with Scrappers (steampunk cyborgs) in Deadlands.

The trade-off, however, is that pneumatic implants (or at least some of them) are fairly potent. A few provide free Edges or stat bumps, which makes a big difference in SWADE.

The various Through the Breach books do have tons more implants, but I only included a handful of them, since I was already running short on time. I will probably include additional gear and implants at some point for people to acquire as they advance.

Sounds good to me.

Outside of spending my Script, I think I'm done? Submitted for review. Let me know if there are any questions/problems. I'll post when the money is spent, just to keep you up to date.

How thorough do we need to be with the equipment? I got clothes, a knife, trade tools and the rest is some random stuff I'd like to have, but I don't think Bart just carries it around.

You don’t need to be too detailed. Just purchase the notable items, especially things that you are likely be carrying around or using on a day-to-day basis. This includes any adventuring equipment such as weapons, armor, survival gear, etc.

I wouldn’t worry much about clothing. I’m going to assume that each character has a small selection of very basic clothes (mostly items under $1) back at his apartment. You will have to spend scrip if you want a something formal or fancy, or if you want something that offers protection (such as a duster or chaps).

I’ve still working out my backstory. I’ve also been thinking about how my character is connected to everybody, though I don’t know much about the other PCs. I’m aware that Gareth is a former witch Hunter, but don’t really know anything about everyone else.

Would people mind posting a short blurb about their characters? Stuff that an acquaintance or loose associate might know? That’ll help me develop some ideas about how I met you all.

My character worked for The Guild for a while, before walking out on them over their totalitarian approach... things like the suppression of any newspaper that wasn't just a propaganda machine didn't set right with him. So he left, and found himself in The Little Kingdom, working to be accepted and becoming part of their order.

Still figuring out on my end as well, but should have something tonight.

In general, Gareth worked for the Guild, but his Witch Hunter status he would only have shared with those very close/in the know. He says that he just walked away after a job for them went wrong. In reality, he was sent after a "witch", got almost killed, and ended up getting to know the person behind the "job". So, as far as the Guild is concerned, he died.

@MaJunior - Maybe "Gaijin" is someone he met as he was working for them?

Bart is a reasonably skilled Steamfitter, but the general opinion of those who know him is that he'll never get anywhere, because he lacks assertiveness. Also because he seems to have a huge bleeding heart and allows people to take advantage of him, whether by letting them stay at his place for free (he's already been kicked out once by a landlord because of his freeloading "guests"), giving people money or just doing work for free. He's still relatively new in Malifaux, just a couple of years, no one knows why he's come but it doesn't look like he's trying to make his fortune. Probably running away from a personal tragedy or atoning for some sin.

@Nighthawke Wesley walked out on The Union, and ruffled some feathers doing so. You could have caught wind of it, been told you keep an eye out for him while you were still there, or been inspired to walk out because of him. Even just went looking for him, sort of a "birds of a feather" situation.

Just to inform everyone, you have till Friday to submit or finish tweaking your characters. I plan to start the game by the end of the week.

I think I'm good to go (except backstory details, natch). Got my carried gear purchased.

Thanks for the blurbs everybody. That helps a lot.

My Character: Remy "Petite Merde" LaCroix is a gremlin enchanter and inventor. He left the Bayou and came to the big city to be around other inventors, see the sights, and earn a rep among the humans. "Fame" is his primary motivation.

There’s not much to say about him. He’s your classic gremlin in the sense that he is foul-mouthed, a little chaotic, and loves his moonshine. He’s also intelligent and eager to fit in with "les humains". He builds devices that are effective but unpredictable. I’m going to play him as the mad scientist type. He speaks with a French accent as the first humans he met were Francophones. Oh, and he owns a construct named Napoleon.

"Petite Merde" (a name given to him by humans, and one that he bears proudly) is somewhat oblivious to human bigotry, though he is aware enough to avoid upsetting the Guild. I’m guessing he met the rest of the PCs in his attempts to frequent human establishments, such as bars, or while taking jobs to earn scrip.

Don't have a name or backstory yet, but character submitted!

Because this setting is new to most of you, I thought I’d summarize a few of the notable laws in Malifaux City. These are things that all your characters would know.

- The big one is magic. Only those authorized to use magic by the Guild may do so. "Authorized" magicians include Guild members or people working for them. Unauthorized magic use is punished with imprisonment, execution, or worse fates.

- Those who develop spontaneous magical powers (manifesters) are apprehended and brought to the Guild to be assessed. They are generally given the "option" of working for the Guild. Those who refuse often disappear, but the lucky ones are released and told that they may never use their magic again, on pain of death. This is a set up for failure, since early manifesters can’t usually control their powers and will inevitably use them again by accident.

- The Guild only permits its members to practice its own system of magic: the Thalarian Doctrine. No Guild magician may practice any other Magical Theory.

- Most other Magical Theories are illegal, though a few have received special dispensation. The Darlin Theories, the Oxford Method, and the Lifewell Doctrine are all allowed, to varying degrees. Practitioners of other theories have no choice but to keep their magic hidden.

- Necromantic magic is incredibly illegal. Any spells that involve raising the dead are forbidden, regardless of the practitioner’s Magical Theory. Necromancy is very taboo, and not only the Guild feels this way. Nearly everyone fears and hates Necromancers.

- Use of magic items is perfectly legal. Even encouraged by the Guild. This includes constructs, pneumatic limbs, pneumatic weapons, wands, etc. Only items of a dubious nature or made by dark magic are illegal.

- Weapons, including guns, are legal to own and carry around. However, when in public, owners are expected to keep weapons sheathed or holstered at all times (except for self-defense situations). Similarly, pneumatic weapons should be kept turned off.

- Civilians are not permitted to carry around heavy weapons, explosives, or incendiary devices. This includes grenades, rocket launchers, machine guns, flamethrowers, etc. Basically, most military grade stuff. Galvanic weapons are similarly illegal.

- Pneumatic implants are legal, but implanted weapons are not. Constructs owned by civilians also may not be armed.

- Constructs may never be augmented with flesh and blood components (a crime known as "amalgamation").

- Soulstones may only be purchased from sanctioned sellers or businesses, and the Guild may deny a sale for any reason, at any time. Those found in illegal possession of Soulstones are imprisoned and/or executed.

- Gremlins have no legal rights at human settlements, including Malifaux City.

- The Guild has an extremely complex legal system with countless laws. There are too many for the average Guardsman to memorize. Consequently, Guardsmen will often arrest someone based on little to no justification, and then let a Guild lawyer figure out the infraction later. Guardsmen are known to arrest people for reasons as simple as "not liking the look of someone" or being in a bad mood. Thus, the common wisdom in Malifaux City is to avoid sticking out or doing things that get you noticed.

Update: I will hopefully make the first post for the game either tomorrow or the day after. For those of you who are new to Savage Worlds, I will explain mechanics as we go. Likewise, I will explain various elements of the setting as the game progresses.

Let me know if you have any final questions.

As long as you've given my sheet the final thumbs up, I think I'm all set.

For those of you who are new to Savage Worlds, this is a short primer that covers the basics of the game. These are the core mechanics. If you are already familiar with SWADE, then consider this a refresher.

These rules represent most of what you need to know to play. I'll cover other mechanics, such as combat, as they come up in the game.


Trait Rolls

In Savage Worlds, "Trait" refers to a Skill or Attribute, so a "Trait roll" is a Skill or Attribute check.

Each Trait has a die value associated with it, which is what you use to make a Trait roll. For example: If you are making a Notice roll, and you have a d8 for Notice, then that's what you roll. Remember to include any modifiers from Edges, Hindrances, or Racial Abilities.

The Wild Die: Trait rolls benefit from what's called a "Wild Die." This is an extra d6 that accompanies every Trait roll. Take the highest of the Trait die or the Wild Die. You do NOT add the Trait die and Wild Die together. For example: To make the above Notice roll, you would roll both a d8 and d6.

If your Trait die and Wild Die are the same value (both a d6), then make sure to roll the Wild Die separately or to somehow distinguish it. The Wild Die ONLY accompanies Trait rolls; it is not used with damage rolls or rolls on tables.

Success: The Target Number for Trait rolls is always 4. A result of 4 or better means success.

Aces: Trait rolls and damage rolls can "Ace." This is when you roll the highest number possible on a die, before modifiers (a 4 on a d4, a 6 on a d6, etc.). When you Ace, you get to roll the die again and add it to the total. You can continue rolling as long as you keep Acing. Any modifiers should be applied after adding up an Aced roll. Both the Trait Die and the Wild Die can Ace.

Note that the Gamers' Plane dice roller will automatically reroll Aces for you. Just remember to check the little box that says "Reroll Aces" when you are about to make a Trait roll.

Raises: Every 4 points over the Target Number is called a "Raise." So if you need a 4 to succeed on a roll, and you get a 12, that counts as two Raises. Raises sometimes provides additional benefits to a roll. For instance, a Raise on an attack roll imparts extra damage.

Critical Failure: Rolling a natural 1 on both the Trait die and the Wild Die is a "Critical Failure," which indicates some additional negative effect beyond a simple failure. Bennies cannot be spent to reroll a Critical Failure.


Bennies

Each of you have three Bennies. Bennies give players some increased agency over the game. Normally, players get three Bennies per session. However, since this game is PbP and not operating by sessions, I will be replenishing Bennies on a "per chapter" basis, as well as awarding them to players for exceptional roleplaying posts or really clever ideas.

A Benny can be cashed in for the following effects:

• REROLL A TRAIT ROLL: Bennies grant a hero a reroll on any Trait roll, and best of all, you get to keep the best total from all your rolls. The only exception is a Critical Failure, which ends the attempt and must be accepted.

• RECOVER FROM BEING SHAKEN: A character who is Shaken can spend a Benny to remove that condition. This is instant and may be done at any time, even interrupting another’s actions if desired.

• SOAK ROLLS: Bennies can be used for rolls to soak damage, which help to prevent Wounds.

• DRAW A NEW ACTION CARD: When the game is in rounds, a character can spend a Benny to get a new Action Card. This occurs after all cards are dealt and Edges or Hindrances like Quick, Level Headed, or Hesitant are resolved. Then players or the GM may spend Bennies for an additional card as many times as they like and take their choice of all their draws. Edges like Quick or Level Headed do not apply to these additional cards drawn with Bennies. This continues until everyone (including the GM) passes. Then the round begins and no further cards may be drawn.

• REROLL DAMAGE: You may spend a Benny to reroll damage. Include any additional dice you may have gained for a raise on the attack roll.

• REGAIN POWER POINTS: A character with an Arcane Background can spend a Benny to regain 5 Power Points.

• INFLUENCE THE STORY: This one is entirely up to the Game Master, who may allow your character to spend a Benny to find an additional clue if you’re stuck, come up with some mundane but needed item, or push a non-player character into being a bit more agreeable.

One more thing before the game gets going…

When everyone gets a chance, each of you roll 1d54 on the dice roller.

Deck roll

@ctme2000

You drew this card from the adventure deck.

I will soon be posting rules for using these cards.

@Knighthawke

You drew this card from the adventure deck.

Alrighty... let's see what we see.

@MaJunior

You drew this card from the adventure deck.

I'm.guessing that only affects my stuff, right? I can't use it to cause someone else's gun to jam or device to fail?

No, this is something you play on someone else. So if an NPC is trying to shoot you, you could play this card to instantly make his gun jam, etc. Although you could apply it to yourself if you wanted for some reason.

I’ll be posting the rules for how to use these cards shortly.

I’m ready, coach!

@Morgan_Freemans_Voice

You drew this card from the adventure deck.

Groovy.

Yeahhhhhhhhhh…. Just what Gareth needed……… yea.. lol

Adventure Cards

Because player characters are "The Fated," they benefit from a unique relationship with Fate. This sometimes manifests as a bout of good or bad fortune at just the right moment, or a conspiracy of coincidences that inadvertently works in the character’s favor. Random and improbable occurrences seem drawn to The Fated, making such individuals magnets for weirdness.

This quality is partially represented by the Adventure Deck, which contains cards that provide players with added agency over the game.

Each card has a unique effect. A majority of effects are purely beneficial, though some cards are a mix of good and bad effects (Knighthawke’s "Betrayed!" Card is an example of this). Any negative effects imposed by a card are intended to make the game more interesting rather than punish the character.

Most cards offer mechanical benefits, but others have effects that are more narrative in nature, introducing new plot elements to the game.

Most adventure cards can be played at any time the player chooses. As the GM, however, I reserve the right to veto the use of a card that I feel is disruptive or just wouldn’t make sense. This is primarily in regard to the cards with narrative effects. Alternately, I may allow you to play the card, but delay the narrative effect until a more appropriate time later in the game.

Here are some basic rules for using these cards:

- Each player may only play one adventure card per chapter. Once you use your card, you get to pick a new card at the beginning of the next chapter.

- Cards carry over from chapter to chapter. A player keeps the same card until he uses it.

- A player may choose to discard his current adventure card at the end of the chapter. He may then draw a new card for the following chapter.

- Unless a card specifically says otherwise, most cards can be used on anyone, including other PCs and NPCs. Thus, you can bestow the benefits of a card on another PC, instead of yourself.

- Adventure cards are not always guaranteed to be useful. You may draw a card that doesn’t help to your character at all. For instance, you might draw a card that aids in magic, yet your character isn’t a magic-user. Likewise, you might draw a combat-related card, yet no combat happens that chapter.

- Players are permitted to trade cards with each other. This can happen at any time during the chapter. Feel free to meta-game the crap out of using adventure cards.

Neato!

Drawing a card

@Merivel

You drew this card from the Adventure Deck.

Nice.

Any progress?

Hmm, I'll take that as a no?

Sorry everyone. The game is now live. Let me know if the font is too small or you have trouble reading the post.

We also have a new player that I brought on to replace Appalahi. They will be jumping in as soon as their character is ready.

I’ve been working overtime this week, but I plan to make a post either today or tomorrow.

I'm just coming off of a Cold/Flu, so catching up on things. Will have something for Gareth asap. :)

Not a problem. Thanks for the heads up.

I've made progress on a character, but I'm still reading through the materials posted here. I'm aiming to have one completed within a day or two, and should be ready to join in by the weekend.

No problem. I know there’s a lot of material to get through

ANything we can to to help out too, please let us know. I'm sure would get all kinds of helpful help. :)

Been a fairly busy week in terms of work, but I'll get my opening post up in short order.

I also just realized I don't have a character image. I should find one.

I didn't realise we would be getting kicked out into hostile territory right away. Should we have brought food etc or would we have time to provision? Also, I've given Bart his gun, he would not have been carrying it around if we were staying in the "civilised" part of town.

Your understanding is that this assignment is short term, so no need for food or wilderness supplies. You will also be staying within the city. Since the Guild is looking for people skilled in violence, you can assume they probably want you armed for this.

Thanks, I appreciate that! I'm new to ttrpg's in general, but I purchased SWADE a few months ago and have been playing around with it solo (all thanks to MM&D), so I have a pretty good handle on the system. The work will be familiarizing myself with the Malifaux setting, but everything is pretty intuitive so far.

Should have my post up by end of today

Nice post, Merivel! I’m gonna try to post again today. I’m operating on the assumption that we all at least sort of know each other. Bart and Remy are both mechanically inclined, so that might explain how they are acquainted.

Sounds good, also Bart is very easily manipulated into giving away money and supplies to "those in need". They might have exchanged favours at some point.

My character, Roland Bramwell, is currently under review. Given the backstory I've written for him, it would make the most sense if you are all meeting him for the first time in this first chapter.

Don't mind me, just trying something.
Edit: Ok, a comma does actually work.

Testing, testing?

I'm gonna call it. If we get this game up and going again please let me know, but for now I'm pretty sure it died.

*sadface* Yeah, seems like it.

I've been having some issues that have kept me offline, but I definitely was hoping this would be continuing when I got back... looks a bit dead at the moment....

Too bad, because it's a really cool setting and it looks like Jesus put a ton of work into the prep. I'm also interested in playing in the future, in case this is just a temporary pause.

Same, I know I would love to see Gareth grow over the course of the game...