The Power System
Savage Worlds uses a unified power system that can represent everything from Doctor Strange's mysticism to Superman's abilities, from Harry Potter's spells to the Force! Same rules, different flavor - that's the magic of Savage Worlds!
The Universal Power Principle
A bolt of energy is mechanically the same whether it's Thor's lightning, Iron Man's repulsor ray, or Gandalf's magic missile. The difference is in the trapping - how you describe it. This lets you create any supernatural character using the same balanced system!
Arcane Backgrounds
🧙 Magic
Skill: Spellcasting (Smarts)
Power Points: 10
Starting Powers: 3
Examples: Gandalf, Harry Potter, Doctor Strange
"Words of power and mystic gestures shape reality"
🙏 Miracles
Skill: Faith (Spirit)
Power Points: 10
Starting Powers: 3
Examples: Clerics, Jedi (the Force), Paladins
"Divine power flows through the faithful"
🧠 Psionics
Skill: Psionics (Smarts)
Power Points: 10
Starting Powers: 3
Examples: Professor X, Jean Grey, Eleven
"The mind is the ultimate weapon"
⚡ Gifted
Skill: Focus (Spirit)
Power Points: 15
Starting Powers: 1
Examples: Storm, Elsa, Avatar benders
"Born with it - and for full-blown superheroes, see the Super Powers Companion"
🔧 Weird Science
Skill: Weird Science (Smarts)
Power Points: 15
Starting Powers: 2
Examples: Iron Man, Batman's gadgets, Doc Brown
"Science so advanced it might as well be magic"
How Powers Work
Activating Powers
- Declare the power and any modifiers
- Spend Power Points (unless your setting uses the No Power Points rule)
- Roll your arcane skill (Spellcasting, Faith, Psionics, Weird Science or Focus)
- Apply effects based on success/failure
Critical Failure
Power fails, and something goes wrong per your Arcane Background!
Spell explodes in your face
Failure
The power doesn't take effect
The spell fizzles out
Success
Power works as intended
Fireball hits the target!
Raise
Enhanced effect (each power lists its raise bonus)
Extra damage or duration
Core Powers
The Essential Abilities
🔥 Attack Powers
Bolt
Cost: 1
Range: Smarts x2
Effect: 2d6 damage
Lightning, fireballs, ice shards, repulsor blasts
Blast
Cost: 3
Range: Smarts x2 (Medium Blast Template)
Effect: 2d6 area damage
Explosions, dragon breath, sonic screams
Burst
Cost: 2
Range: Cone Template
Effect: 2d6 cone damage
Flamethrower, frost breath, shotgun blast
🛡️ Defense Powers
Deflection
Cost: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Effect: Attacks against the target suffer -2 (-4 with a raise)
Force fields, divine protection, bullet time
Protection
Cost: 1
Duration: 5 rounds
Effect: +2 Armor
Magical armor, thick skin, energy shields
Barrier
Cost: 2
Duration: 5 rounds
Effect: Creates wall
Ice walls, force barriers, stone walls
✨ Utility Powers
Telekinesis
Cost: 5
Range: Smarts-based
Effect: Move objects
The Force, magnetic control, psionics
Teleport
Cost: 2
Range: Special
Effect: Instant travel
Bamf!, apparition, portal creation
Illusion
Cost: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Effect: Create false images
Holograms, mental projections, glamours
Power Modifiers
Customize Your Powers!
Modifiers let you enhance powers for extra cost - making them stronger, longer-lasting, or adding special effects!
Additional Recipients (+1)
+1 PP per extra target, on powers that allow it
Mass healing, group invisibility
Armor Piercing (+1-3)
AP 2 for each point spent (up to AP 6)
Lightsaber cutting through anything
Damage (+2)
Adds +1d6 damage (e.g. 2d6 becomes 3d6)
Supercharged lightning bolt
Fatigue (+2)
Adds Fatigue to the power's effects
Draining, exhausting attacks
Glow/Shroud (+1)
Make the target glow (easier to spot) or shrouded (harder to spot)
Batman's smoke bombs
Lingering Damage (+2)
Damage continues next round
Acid, fire, poison effects
Trappings
Same Power, Different Flavor
Trappings are how you describe your powers - the special effects that make them unique!
Bolt Power - Many Forms
⚡ Lightning
Crackling electricity arcs from your fingers
User: Thor, Storm, Emperor Palpatine
🔥 Fire
Blazing fireballs streak toward enemies
User: Human Torch, Gandalf, Roy Mustang
❄️ Ice
Frozen shards pierce through armor
User: Iceman, Elsa, Sub-Zero
🔫 Energy
High-tech blasters fire plasma bolts
User: Iron Man, Cyclops, Mega Man
🧠 Psychic
Mental force strikes minds directly
User: Professor X, Psylocke, Mob
✨ Holy
Divine light smites the wicked
User: Paladins, Clerics, Angels
Maintaining Powers
Keeping the Magic Alive
Some powers can be maintained beyond their initial duration!
How Maintenance Works
- Pay Power Points again before the duration runs out to extend it (see the core rules for exact costs)
- Each power you keep going makes further arcane skill rolls harder
- Can maintain multiple powers
- Let it lapse and the effect ends
Common Maintained Powers
- Fly: Keep soaring like Superman
- Invisibility: Stay hidden like Sue Storm
- Protection: Keep shields up like Green Lantern
- Beast Friend: Maintain animal control
Power Points
Managing Your Magical Energy
Starting Power Points
- Magic, Miracles, Psionics: 10 PP
- Gifted, Weird Science: 15 PP
- Can increase with Edges (Power Points)
Recovering Power Points
- Natural: 5 PP per hour
- Rapid Recharge Edge: 10 PP per hour
- Soul Drain Edge: pay a toll in your own vitality for extra PP
- Power Surge Edge: a big refill when you're dealt a Joker
No Power Points Variant
An official Setting Rule that drops the PP pool entirely
- Costlier powers are harder to activate
- Failure carries a risk instead of a PP cost (see the core rules)
- More cinematic, less bookkeeping
Backlash
When Magic Goes Wrong
A Critical Failure on an arcane skill roll (a 1 on both the skill die and the Wild Die) can have dramatic consequences! Each Arcane Background spells out its own backlash; the table below is optional house-rule flavor for groups who want more chaos.
Optional House-Rule Backlash Table (Roll 2d6, not from the core rules)
| Roll | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 | Catastrophe! Major story complication | Portal to hell opens |
| 4-5 | Backfire - power hits caster | Fireball explodes in face |
| 6-8 | Short circuit - lose all PP | Magical exhaustion |
| 9-10 | Stunned - also gain Fatigue | Psychic feedback |
| 11-12 | Overload - Shaken, end all powers | System reboot needed |
Example Power Builds
Iconic Character Powers
Spider-Man Package
- Wall Walker: Spider-climbing (Gifted)
- Entangle: Web shooters (Weird Science)
- Deflection: Spider-sense (Gifted)
- Boost Trait: Spider strength (Gifted)
Jedi Knight Package
- Telekinesis: Move objects with the Force
- Puppet: "These aren't the droids..."
- Deflection: Lightsaber defense
- Boost Trait: Force-enhanced jumps
Wizard Package
- Bolt: Magic missiles
- Teleport: Dimension door
- Illusion: Mirror image
- Detect Arcana: See magic
Powers Quick Reference
Activation
- Declare power & modifiers
- Spend Power Points
- Roll arcane skill
- 4+ = Success
- Critical Failure = Backlash
Duration
- Instant: Immediate effect
- 5 rounds: Most buffs
- 1 hour: Long-term effects
- Maintained: pay again to extend
Key Numbers
- Starting PP: 10 (15 Gifted/Weird Science)
- Recovery: 5 PP/hour
- Common range: Smarts x2
- Bolt damage: 2d6