The Heart of Savage Worlds
If Savage Worlds were a video game, these would be the physics engine - the fundamental rules that make everything work. From picking locks to piloting starships, from sweet-talking guards to surviving explosions, it all comes down to these core mechanics!
The Movie Scene Method
Think of any action scene: Indiana Jones swinging across a pit, Black Widow hacking a computer while guards approach, or Legolas sliding down stairs on a shield. Each of these is just a Trait Test with different stakes and modifiers. The rules stay the same; the awesome changes!
The Basic Dice Mechanic
How Every Roll Works
- Roll your Trait die: The skill or attribute being tested
- Wild Cards add a Wild Die: Roll a d6 alongside your trait (Extras, the minions, roll only the trait die)
- Take the best single die: Don't add them together!
- Compare to Target Number: Usually 4, sometimes higher
- Aces explode: Roll the maximum and you roll that die again and add it (and again, as long as it keeps acing)
No skill? Roll a d4 at -2 instead (Wild Cards still get the Wild Die). The odds: a Wild Card with a d6 succeeds 75% of the time and a d10 85%, while an unskilled Wild Card manages 32.3%. An Extra with a d6 is a coin flip (50%).
Example: Spider-Man (Wild Card) swings across buildings. He rolls Athletics d8 and Wild Die d6. Gets 7 on the d8 and 6 on the d6. The 6 aces! He rolls again, gets 4. Total: 10 (taking the d6 result). That's a success with a raise!
Raises and Degrees of Success
Going Above and Beyond
Every 4 points over the Target Number grants a Raise - extra success that makes things more awesome!
What Raises Do
Attacks
A raise on the attack roll adds +1d6 damage (like hitting a vital spot) - just one bonus d6, however many raises you get
Hawkeye's arrow finds the gap in armor!
Skills
Better results, faster completion, or additional benefits
Not just picking the lock - doing it silently in seconds!
Social
Exceptional influence, lasting impression, or extras
The guard not only lets you pass but offers to help!
Bennies - Your Hero Points
The Benny Economy
Starting Bennies
- Each player: 3 Bennies every session
- GM: 1 per player character
- Each Wild Card NPC: 2 of their own
- Extras: 0 Bennies
- Unspent Bennies don't carry over
Earning More
- Great roleplaying
- Making everyone laugh
- Heroic actions
- Playing Hindrances well
Spending Bennies
- Reroll a Trait test (keep the better result; not a Critical Failure)
- Soak wounds
- Recover from Shaken instantly
- Draw a new action card
- Influence story (GM discretion)
The "Spider-Man Quip" Rule: Peter makes a terrible joke while fighting Doc Ock. Everyone groans but laughs. GM tosses him a Benny. Later, when Ock hits him hard, Peter spends it to soak the damage. "My spider-sense is tingling... oh wait, that's just pain!"
Opposed Rolls
When Heroes Clash
Sometimes you're not rolling against a fixed number - you're competing directly! The defender rolls, and their total becomes the Target Number the active character has to meet or beat.
Physical Contests
- Arm Wrestling: Strength vs Strength
- Chase Scene: Athletics vs Athletics
- Grappling: Athletics vs Athletics
Thor vs Hulk arm wrestling - both roll Strength!
Mental Duels
- Taunt: Taunt vs Smarts
- Intimidate: Intimidation vs Spirit
- Persuasion: Persuasion vs Spirit
Loki's silver tongue vs Captain America's resolve!
Skill Challenges
- Stealth: Stealth vs Notice
- Sleight of Hand: Thievery vs Notice
- Bluff: Performance vs Smarts
Black Widow sneaking past Hawkeye's watchful eye!
Situational Modifiers
Making Things Easier or Harder
The world isn't always neutral - conditions affect your chances!
Frequently Used Modifiers
- Dim Lighting: -2 to attack and Notice
- Darkness: -4 to attack and Notice
- Unstable Platform: -2 to physical actions
- Multi-Action: -2 per additional action
- The Drop: +4 to attack and damage
- Ganging Up: +1 per additional adjacent attacker (max +4)
Critical Failures
When Things Go Terribly Wrong
Rolling Snake Eyes (a 1 on both your trait die and your Wild Die) is a Critical Failure: something bad happens, and a Benny can't reroll it! With a d6 trait it happens 1 time in 36 (2.78%); with a d4, 1 in 24 (4.17%).
Critical Failure Results
Combat
- Hit an ally by mistake
- Weapon jams or breaks
- Fall prone or drop weapon
Star-Lord accidentally shoots Groot!
Skills
- Make situation worse
- Alert enemies
- Break equipment
Trying to hack? You triggered an alarm!
Social
- Gravely insult someone
- Reveal secret information
- Make permanent enemy
Smooth talk the queen? You called her the wrong name!
Dealing with Groups
Handling Multiple Extras
When facing hordes of enemies, use these streamlined rules:
Group Rolls
For non-combat tasks (sneaking, searching, climbing), the GM can roll once for a group of similar Extras, adding a Wild Die as if they were a Wild Card
The dozen SHIELD agents sneaking into the base make one Stealth roll!
Enemy Groups
Groups of similar Extras share one action card and act together (each still makes its own attack)
Spider-Man faces 3 gangs of thugs - the GM deals one card per gang, not one per thug
Support Actions
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Characters can help each other succeed through Support actions:
- Declare who you're supporting and how
- Roll appropriate skill vs TN 4
- Success grants +1, raise grants +2 (all support combined caps at +4)
- Bonus applies to their next action this round
Creative Support Ideas
- Combat: "I'll distract him!" (Taunt to support ally's attack)
- Social: "I'll vouch for you" (Persuasion to support negotiation)
- Technical: "I'll hold the light" (Support for repair/lockpicking)
- Physical: "I'll give you a boost!" (Athletics to help climbing)
Tests - Disrupting Opponents
Making Enemies Vulnerable
A Test is an action (Taunt, Intimidation, a sneaky Athletics trick...) opposed by an appropriate attribute, such as Smarts against Taunt or Spirit against Intimidation. Success makes the target Distracted or Vulnerable (your choice); a raise also leaves them Shaken.
Distracted
-2 to all Trait rolls until the end of their next turn
Caused by: a successful Test (your choice of this or Vulnerable)
Spider-Man's constant jokes make villains lose focus
Vulnerable
Actions and attacks against them get +2 until the end of their next turn
Caused by: a successful Test (your choice of this or Distracted)
Batman's smoke bomb leaves thugs completely disoriented
Interludes and Downtime
Between the Action
Not everything is combat and crisis. Interludes let characters breathe and develop:
Rules Quick Reference
Basic Resolution
- Roll Trait die (+ Wild Die if Wild Card)
- 4+ = Success
- Each +4 = Raise
- Max on die = Ace (roll again)
- Snake Eyes = Critical Failure
- Unskilled = d4 at -2
Common Modifiers
- Multiple Actions: -2 each
- Dim Light: -2
- Darkness: -4
- Range (Medium): -2
- Range (Long): -4
Benny Uses
- Reroll Trait test
- Soak wounds
- Recover from Shaken
- Draw new Action Card
- Influence story (GM discretion)