June 6th has come and gone. The fanfare and trumpeting of a new edition fo D&D has arrived and passed. Now that the hype is over, why would I bother writing a blog post about a system that is not Savaged?

I received my books about a week ago due to a breakdown in communication between buy.com and WOTC.

Wait a minute? Did you just read that right? Did I just say that I received the 4e books?

Okay, put down the rope. I did not buy the books, they were a present from family. They had been pre-ordered for my 32nd birthday. I got lucky that buy.com broke the release agreement. They arrived at my door last week. Lucky for me, I had a chance to read through all three books.

I cannot help but think that I was reading through a bloated SW:EX core book. I do not want to make anyone angry with this post, that said, there are a lot of simularities with SW in the new edition of D&D.

If it looks like a duck:

Take the concept of minions. Basically, one hit wonders to ramp up the excitement of combat. They have exactly one hit point so your fighter can wade through them with that wicked grin and bloodied sword. Wait. I saw that before, right? Ah yes - extras.

Skills in 4e are considerably pared down. Basically you have a natural ability plus your bonuses for training and level. That makes all skills basically run off of level. SW has the same thing - except you choose your skill by the die you put into it.

Healing surges are kind of like Bennies to soak damage from rolls. Thing is, I may change how that comes out in my game, more on that later:

Then cook it like a duck:

I like the idea of healing surges. Basically, I would make it so when someone spends a Benny, they will automatically remove a wound or a shaken counter. I will still allow a “soak” roll, but I am sure that will only come up if a character is about to die. I would probably remove the vigor roll to make it automatic. This way, spending a Bennie will mean something.

I would like to change out all the spells/powers into the book into something like 4e. When you gain the arcane background edge, you have the ability to choose X number of powers based on your level. Those would be translated into at will, encounter, and daily powers. Something like bolt would be an at-will power. I like this concept because it shortens the bookwork from power points. I think it will open up the pulp feeling in a fantasy game, especially when you have the “wizard” firing bolts into melee.

Finally, I like the concept of resting. After an encounter, you rest five minutes to regain your encounter abilities. I would have a wild card remove a shaken on a five minute rest. If you rest 6 hours, you have a full day’s rest. (You may only take one in a 12 hour period though.) I would have this mimic the rules on pg 78 of the SW:EX book.

Some people may be gasping after reading this post. I came to SW because the action was Fast! Fun! and Furious! It is no secret that a lot of people were turned off of the previous edition due to the complexity and all out un-fun factor. I want to make my game experience as fun as possible, so if that means I would borrow something from another gaming system… so be it. As long as we all have fun at the table.

The preceding was the personal comments and view points of Jason Sandeman. Statements made in this article are not necessarily the views or opinions of Digital Adventures, LLC or its affiliates.

Life has been a box of chocolates lately in my household. My infant son is finally starting to realize that ACTUALLY sleeping through a night can be a good thing, Savage Worlds Online has started off as a success, and I have finally sat down and read the Savage Worlds Explorer’s Edition from cover to cover.

Now, I can say that I am entirely stoked about this system. You could say that I became jaded with other role-playing-games-that-shall-remain-un-named after years of play. You could also say that the current incarnation of the latter smells (reminds) me of the very system I set out to read. I just do not get how I should be exited about the hype going on in the industry today, when I have already heard the hype a couple of years back. See, it is like hearing a new song on the radio. Except you can already hum the chords to the tune because it is just like the top ten hit last year.

In fairness, I always reserve my judgement on anything until I have experienced both sides of the story. I think that I have had ample time since the announcement at the previous Gen Con to preview what is coming in store for us this June. I beg you though, show me what I need to get excited about. It has all been done before.

I need something fresh, Fast! Furious! and most of all, Fun! What I am seeing coming out of the other camp is a case of more stringent regulations, so-called-guidelines, etc. I have even heard that the game is supposed to become even “simpler”.

I may be showing my age here, because I remember when I did not have to worry about finding a rule on whether a Cleric who was prone behind the fighter would be subject to an attack from the ogre. Was he considered covered? Did he take half damage? Things were simpler back then-you asked the DM. You may have argued the logic behind it, perhaps got a little heated in the discussion, but the game went forward.

I do not advocate the whole rule zero approach to things. I do advocate a more free-form approach to the game. There does not need to be a FAQ that is over 100 pages long with the “official” response to every situation that comes up. There does not need to be rules to guide my hand in play. I just do not think the game is that fun after that.

What is coming in my future? I am trying right now to decide exactly what kind of game I will be running. Rest assured, I will make sure that it is Fast! Furious! and Fun! My goal is to keep the game going, and to have fun at the table. That will only happen if I see you having fun as well.

Take care, and have fun at the Virtual Table!

The preceding was the personal comments and view points of Jason Sandeman. Statements made in this article are not necessarily the views or opinions of Digital Adventures, LLC or its affiliates.

It is hard to find a movie related to role-playing games that does not mock the sport. It is harder to find a movie that remains cool even when it seems pro-gaming. Enter Gamerz, a Scottish indie movie that proves that if it “ain’t Scottish, it’s CRAP!”

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