Distance: Movement and weapon ranges are listed in inches. To translate that to regular distance, one inch is equal to two yards.
Time: When a fight breaks out, game time breaks down into rounds of about six seconds each. Ten rounds, then, equals one minute.
ROUND: A “round” is an entire countdown of Action Cards, from the Ace to the Deuce.
TURN: A character’s “turn” occurs when his Action Card comes up in the countdown. A hero with the Six of Diamonds, for example, takes his turn when that card comes up in the round.
ACTION: A single attack, skill use, etc. Characters may perform multiple actions on their turn.
The action in Savage Worlds is fast and furious. To help the Game Master keep track of who goes in what order and add a little randomness to the game, we use a single deck of playing cards with both Jokers left in to determine everyone’s initiative order. We call these “Action Cards.”
At the start of each round:
Deal each Wild Card a single Action Card (plus any extra cards for Edges). Allies under a player’s control act on his Action Card.
Extras should usually share an Action Card so they act at the same time. This makes them much easier to manage. She can also group Wild Cards with their minions if she wants. The goal is to do whatever makes running the battle as quick and easy as possible.
Shuffle: Shuffle the deck after any round in which a Joker was dealt.
Large Groups: In very large groups or time sensitive games, the Game Master can deal a single card per side (heroes and villains). On the heroes’ turn, simply start at one end of the group and work quickly around. This speeds things up dramatically if that’s more important than varying initiative order. If one or more characters have Level Headed or Quick, let that apply to the draw (but only once).
Once the cards are dealt, the Game Master starts the round by counting down from Ace down to Two, with each group resolving its actions when its card comes up.
Ties: Ties are resolved by suit order: Spades♠ are first, then Hearts♥, Diamonds♦, and Clubs♣. That’s reverse alphabetical order as used in many common card games.
JOKERS: Characters (or groups) with a Joker act whenever they want in the round, even interrupting another’s action. They also add +2 to all Trait and damage rolls this round!
Characters perform “actions” when their Action Card comes up each round. A character can move and perform one regular action at any point in their movement, attacking, using a Force power, and so on, without penalty.
Characters can choose from a multitude of actions on their turn. Common actions include Supporting allies, Testing foes, using a Force power, or attacking with Fighting or Shooting.
More complex actions like lighting a torch or digging through a backpack for a small item might require a set or random amount of time (such as 1d6 rounds—GM’s call).
Speaking a short sentence or two, moving up to the character’s Pace, falling prone, or dropping an item are all free actions. A hero can generally perform several free actions on her turn simultaneously (speaking and dropping an item while walking, for example). The GM must decide how much is too much.
Some free actions occur automatically at the beginning of a character’s turn and may only be tried once, such as recovering from being Shaken or Stunned.
Free actions that are “reactions,” such as resisting opposed rolls or powers, are unlimited and occur each time the situation presents itself.
Some actions are more restricted. A character may only perform one limited action on their turn. For example, a giant octopus can attack with all its tentacles as a limited action, but it can’t use Sweep as well.
A character may also perform one limited free action per turn. For example, if an item allows a character to fold space as a limited free action, he may not perform another limited free action, but may still use a limited action.
Characters can move a number of tabletop inches equal to their Pace each turn.
Each inch of movement spent climbing, crawling, or swimming uses 2″ of Pace.
Running: A hero can “run” as a free action once per turn, increasing her Pace for the round by her Running die (a d6 by default) at the cost of a -2 penalty to all other actions that turn. Running dice never Ace (the Running die is random to account for nuances of terrain not depicted on the tabletop and for the “risk to reward” decision players must make).
Out of combat situations, a character can move twice the sum of her full Pace + maximum running die for a number of minutes equal to half her Vigor die type. Thus a Fleet-Footed character with Vigor d6 can sprint at a Pace of 32 for three minutes.
Difficult Ground: Each inch a hero walks or runs over rough terrain such as thick forest, up or down a steep incline, slippery ice, etc., count as 2″ of her Pace. Crawling is unaffected by Difficult Ground.
Hazards: If the GM feels movement is hazardous for some reason — climbing under duress, swimming a fast-moving river, walking a tightrope—she can require an Athletics roll to move. Success means she continues on normally. With a Critical Failure the character takes Fatigue from Bumps & Bruises, falls if climbing or in a precarious position, or drowns if swimming.
JUMPING: Characters can jump 1″ (two yards) horizontally, or 0.5″ vertically as a free action. Double these numbers if the hero can run at least 2″ (four yards) prior to the jump. If the hero chooses, she may make an Athletics roll as an action to increase her horizontal distance by 1″ (2″ with a raise), or half that vertically. Jumping does not allow a character to exceed her total Pace for the turn.
PRONE: A character may fall prone as a free action during her turn. She may crawl while prone. Standing is a free action but reduces total Pace for the turn by 2.
The Target Number to hit an opponent is equal to the opponent’s Parry score (2 plus half his Fighting die type; 2 if he has no Fighting skill).
The Shooting skill covers everything from bows to blasters to missile launchers and flame cannons. Throwing grenades, daggers, spears, or other thrown projectiles uses the Athletics skill.
All ranged weapons have a Range statistic written like this: 5/10/20, or Short/Medium/Long Range.
The base Target Number to hit something at Short Range is 4. Firing at longer ranges inflicts the range penalties listed below.
Range Modifier
Short -
Medium -2
Long -4
Extreme -8
Extreme Range: Extreme Range is up to 4x a weapon’s Long Range. Firing at such a great distance requires the Aim option. When used in this way, Aim doesn’t reduce any penalties, it simply allows the character to fire at such a great distance. The penalty is -8, or -6 with a scope.
Characters may not throw weapons at Extreme Range.
Rate of Fire: Rate of Fire is how many shots (Shooting dice) a ranged weapon can fire in one action. A blaster pistol with a RoF of 1, for example, can fire one shot per action. A blaster carbine with a RoF of 3 can fire three shots per action.
For weapons with a Rate of Fire of 2 or higher, declare how many shots you’re putting into each possible target. Then roll that number of Shooting dice and assign them in whatever order you like to the targets you declared.
Wild Cards roll their Shooting dice plus a Wild Die, which can be assigned wherever they like after seeing the result of the roll. They still can’t hit with more shots than the weapon’s Rate of Fire, however.
Recoil: Firing more than one shot in one action from a weapon subtracts 2 from the attacker’s Shooting rolls.
Unless a weapon says otherwise, a shooter can fire less shots than his weapon’s maximum Rate of Fire.
After a successful melee or ranged hit, the attacker rolls damage. Ranged weapons do fixed damage as listed in the Gear section. Blaster pistols, for example, cause 2d6 damage.
Hand weapons cause damage equal to the attacker’s Strength die plus a second die, which depends on the weapon. A Gamorrean with a d12 Strength and an axe (d8 damage) rolls d12+d8 damage.
Even though Strength is used to determine melee damage, this isn’t a Trait roll so Wild Cards don’t add a Wild Die to the roll.
All damage rolls can Ace.
Unarmed Damage: An unarmed combatant rolls only his Strength die unless he has an Edge like Brawler or Teras Kasi Artist that grants him a damage die.
Well-placed attacks are more likely to hit vital areas, and so do more damage. If your hero gets a raise on his attack roll (regardless of how many raises), he adds +1d6 to the final total. Bonus dice can also Ace!
Bonus damage applies to all attacks, including Force powers and area effect weapons.
If the damage roll is less than the target’s Toughness, the victim is beaten up a bit but there’s no game effect. If the damage is equal to or greater than his Toughness, he’s Shaken. Each raise on the damage roll also inflicts a Wound:
SUCCESS: The character is Shaken. If he was already Shaken and the second result is from physical damage of some kind (not a Test that results in Shaken, for example), he remains Shaken and takes a Wound.
RAISE: The character suffers a Wound for every raise on the damage roll, and is Shaken.
Damage Victim is Unshaken Victim is Already Shaken
Success (0-3 points of damage over Toughness) Shaken 1 Wound and remains Shaken
1 Raise (4-7 points of damage over Toughness) 1 Wound and Shaken 1 Wound and remains Shaken
2 Raises (8-11 points of damage over Toughness) 2 Wounds and Shaken 2 Wounds and remains Shaken
3 Raises (12-15 points of damage over Toughness) 3 Wounds and Shaken 3 Wounds and remains Shaken
Damage can result in three effects: Shaken, Wounds, and Incapacitation.
Shaken characters are nicked, bruised, or otherwise rattled. They may only take free actions, such as moving (including running). At the start of their turn, Shaken characters must attempt to recover from being Shaken by making a Spirit roll. This is a free action.
FAILURE: The character remains Shaken. She can only perform free actions.
SUCCESS: The character is no longer Shaken and may act normally.
Spending Bennies: A player may spend a Benny at any time to remove her Shaken status (even when it’s not her turn).
Every raise on the damage roll inflicts a Wound. Extras are Incapacitated if they take a single Wound (and aren’t Resilient). They’re dead, injured, or otherwise out of the fight.
Wild Cards can take three Wounds and still function (more with certain Edges or abilities). Further damage doesn’t cause additional Wounds but Incapacitates them instead.
Wound Penalties: Each Wound a character suffers causes a -1 cumulative penalty to his Pace (minimum of 1″) and all Trait rolls, up to a maximum penalty of -3.
Timing: Characters sometimes take multiple hits on the same Action Card. Resolve each damage roll separately and completely before moving on to the next (including any Soak rolls).
Incapacitated characters may not perform actions but are still dealt Action Cards for the remainder of the encounter in case they recover or must roll for other effects such as Bleeding Out. Edges or Hindrances that affect card draws, such as Quick, Level Headed, or Hesitant are ignored when the hero is Incapacitated.
If Incapacitated by damage or injury, he must make an immediate Vigor roll:
CRITICAL FAILURE: The character dies.
FAILURE: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury is permanent and the character is Bleeding Out.
SUCCESS: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away when all Wounds are healed.
RAISE: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away in 24 hours, or when all Wounds are healed (whichever is sooner).
Characters cannot take actions and might be unconscious (GM’s call). The victim makes a Vigor roll each day thereafter and is no longer Incapacitated (or unconscious) if successful. They may also heal Wounds during this time.
Bleeding Out: The injured character is dying and must make a Vigor roll at the start of his turn. Failure means he perishes. With success he survives but must roll again next turn (or every minute if not in combat). With a raise, he stabilizes and no further rolls are required.
Other characters may stop a victim’s bleeding by making a Healing roll. This is an action, and if successful the patient is stabilized.
The vital transfer Force power can also stabilize Wounds, as can a successful “natural” healing roll by a being with regeneration of some sort.
2d6 Wound
2 Unmentionables: if the injury is permanent, reproduction is out of the question without miracle surgery. There is no other effect from this result.
3-4 Arm: the victim can no longer use his left or right arm (rolled randomly if not targeted).
5-9 Guts: the hero catches one in the core, roll 1d6:
1-2 Broken: Agility reduced a die type (minimum d4).
3-4 Battered: Vigor reduced a die type (minimum d4).
5-6 Busted: Strength reduced a die type (minimum d4).
10-11 Leg: gain the Hindrance Slow (Minor) or (Major) if already Slow or injured in either leg.
12 Head: a grievous injury to the head, roll 1d6:
1-3 Hideous Scar: you now have the Hindrance Ugly (Major).
4-5 Blinded: an eye is damaged, gain the Hindrance One Eye (or Blind if you already have only one good eye).
6 Brain Damage: massive trauma to the head, Smarts reduced a die type (minimum d4).
After rolling damage but before applying wounds, a character may spend a Benny to make a “Soak” roll. This is a Vigor check, with each success and raise reducing the number of Wounds suffered from that attack by one.
If the character Soaks all of the Wounds from an attack, he removes his Shaken condition too (even from a previous source). Don’t count the Wound modifiers he’s about to suffer when making this roll, that hasn’t happened yet.
Characters can’t Soak more than once per attack, but may spend Bennies as usual to reroll the Vigor check if they aren’t satisfied with the results.
Shaken: A character can also spend a Benny to immediately eliminate a Shaken condition. This can be done at any time.