Your hero (a player character), and unique allies, villains, and monsters are collectively called “Wild Cards.” These beings have a better chance at doing things, are a little tougher to put down, and are generally more detailed than common guards, minions, or lackeys—collectively called “Extras.”
Wild Cards are noted with a Rebel symbol before their name.
Wild Cards have two special abilities in the game:
Wild Cards can take three Wounds before they’re Incapacitated.
Wild Cards roll a Wild Die (usually a d6) along with their Trait die when making Trait rolls and take the highest of the two as their total (see The Wild Die below).
To make a skill or attribute “check” or “roll,” simply roll the die assigned to it. If the result is a 4 or better (the “Target Number” or TN), the action is successful. For example, if a character’s Strength is a d6, he rolls a six-sided die. On a 4 or better, he’s successful.
Modifiers: Circumstances modify the die roll, such as shooting at something far away or finding a well-hidden clue. Some things, such as ranged attacks, have standard modifiers. It’s up to the GM to determine any modifiers for more subjective tasks, such as spotting an ambush or eavesdropping on a conversation through a door.
In general, an easy task, such as finding tracks in the mud, is made at +2. A difficult task, such as finding tracks by torchlight, is made at -2. A very difficult task, such as finding tracks in a rainstorm, is made at -4.
Multiple Dice: When a character rolls multiple dice, such as when firing a machine gun, check each die separately.
Extras roll a single die when making a Trait roll. Wild Cards roll an extra d6 and take the highest of their Trait die or the “Wild Die.” Both of these dice can Ace (see below).
One Wild Die Per Action: When Wild Cards roll multiple dice for a single action, such as when firing a machine gun, they roll only one Wild Die.
The Wild Die may replace a Trait die or be ignored—it never adds another action or attack to the roll.
All Trait and damage rolls in Savage Worlds are open-ended. That means that when you roll the highest number possible on a die (a 6 on a d6, an 8 on a d8, and so on), you get to roll that die again and add it to the total. This is called an “Ace.” Any modifiers to the die roll should be tacked on after adding up an Aced roll.
Sometimes it’s important to know just how successful a Trait roll was. Every 4 points over the Target Number is called a “raise.” If your hero needs a 4 to shoot an opponent and rolls an 11, he hits with one raise (and would have two raises with a roll of 12). Figure raises after adjusting for any modifiers.
A single raise always provides an additional effect of some sort, such as bonus damage when attacking or a benefit determined by the GM for other rolls.
Sometimes rolls are “opposed” by an opponent. The attacker gets a Trait total, then the defender attempts to beat it.
The exact skills or attributes used in a contest are specified in each circumstance, or the GM can decide what makes the most sense. If two characters try to pull something from each other’s hands, for example, they make opposed Strength rolls. Sneaking up on someone is a Stealth roll opposed by Notice (which is detailed in the Stealth skill description).
The acting character in an opposed roll always gets his Trait total first (including spending any Bennies), and must get at least a basic success (TN 4) or he fails. The defender rolls next and must meet or exceed the first character’s result or the attacker wins.
The winner also uses his opponent’s total for purposes of determining raise effects.
A Critical Failure occurs when a Wild Card rolls a 1 on both the Trait die and Wild Die of a Trait roll. The attempt automatically fails and something bad happens—a weapon is dropped or gets stuck, the attack hits a friend, the vehicle crashes, and so on.
Critical Failures can only be rerolled by spending a Benny. The failure still happens in some way, but the character can spend one Benny (and only one) for one more roll. The hero still drops her weapon, flubs her Taunt, or otherwise “fails” the attempt—but if the reroll from the Benny is actually successful, it somehow still results in whatever success the new roll provides.
A character trying to pick a lock might break the lock on a Critical Failure, for example, but only after cracking the lock. Or a warrior who fumbles a Fighting roll might hit a foe as if he’d thrown the weapon!
Extras and Critical Failures: If an Extra rolls a 1 on a Trait check and it’s important to know if it’s a Critical Failure, roll a d6. On a 1, it’s a Critical Failure. Otherwise it’s just a normal failure.
Multiple Dice: Some abilities allow characters to roll multiple Trait dice, such as the Frenzy Edge or firing a weapon with a Rate of Fire higher than 1. A Critical Failure with multiple dice occurs when more than half the die results are a natural 1. If the character is a Wild Card, the Wild Die must be a 1 as well.
If a character doesn’t have a skill for an action he’s attempting, he rolls a d4 for his skill die (and a Wild Die if a Wild Card) and subtracts 2 from the total.
The GM may decide certain tasks cannot be attempted unskilled, such as performing complex surgery or flying a commercial jet.
Some Edges or abilities allow a character to reroll Traits (as long as they’re not a Critical Failure). To do so, roll all the dice again and get a new total. You may keep any of the totals generated, so rerolls never make things worse unless you roll a Critical Failure. This ends all rerolls immediately and becomes the result of the attempt—that’s the risk one takes in pushing the limits!
Multiple rerolls are allowed from different Edges, Bennies, or other abilities.
When you want to make a Trait roll for a group of Extras with like Traits, roll one Trait die as usual along with a Wild Die and treat this as the group’s result. This gives a decent average without making rolls for every individual.
Every now and then, dice rolls may not work in your favor. That’s why Savage Worlds gives players a little control over their hero’s fate.
Players start each game session with three “Bennies”, represented by tokens that signify a little bit of good luck or fate.
Bennies are discarded at the end of each session—use them or lose them!
Bennies are awarded in two ways:
AWARDS: The Game Master should occasionally reward players for clever actions, roleplaying their character (especially any Hindrances), or a great feat of heroism. She can also award players a Benny for telling a great story in character, delivering a fantastic line that makes everyone laugh, or creating an emotional moment.
JOKER’S WILD: When a player character draws a Joker during combat, all player characters receive a Benny!
Game Masters get Bennies too. At the start of each session, the GM gets one Benny for each player character. These may be used for any of his characters (including non-Wild Cards!) throughout the course of the game.
Each of the GM’s Wild Cards has two Bennies (plus any from Edges such as Luck) when they appear in the game. They can use these or any of the Bennies in the common pool as the GM wishes, but can’t share them without an Edge or ability that allows it.
Heroes get Bennies when they do something clever, roleplay, or are affected by their Hindrances in a scene. The GM doesn’t reward “herself” when roleplaying her villains, but her characters do benefit from drawing Jokers in combat:
JOKER’S WILD: Anytime the villains draw a Joker, put one Benny in their general pool and give another to each enemy Wild Card.
Bennies may be spent at any appropriate time and don’t incur any sort of penalty. They may only be used on your own character.
Here are the ways characters can use their Bennies.
REROLL A TRAIT: Bennies grant a hero a reroll on any Trait, 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. Such is the price of tempting fate!
RECOVER FROM SHAKEN: This is instant and may be done at any time, even interrupting another’s actions if desired.
SOAK ROLLS: Bennies can also be used to prevent Wounds or recover from being Shaken.
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 a Force Sensitive 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 nonplayer character into being a bit more agreeable.