Welcome to your Savage Worlds quick reference! Think of this as your gaming GPS - all the essential rules and tables at your fingertips. No more flipping through books mid-combat!
Basic Rules Summary
graph LR
A[Roll Trait Die] --> B{Result?}
B -->|4+ Success| C[Success!]
B -->|8+ is 4 over TN| D[Raise!]
B -->|Less than 4| E[Failure]
F[Ace!] --> G[Roll Again & Add]
A -->|Die shows max| F
Core Mechanics
| Concept | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Target Number | 4 for most rolls | Roll 4+ to succeed |
| Wild Die | Wild Cards roll d6 with trait die and keep the higher | d8 Fighting + d6 Wild Die |
| Critical Failure | Wild Card rolls 1 on both dice | Can't be rerolled with a Benny |
| Opposed Rolls | Defender's total is the TN | Stealth vs. Notice |
| Aces | Exploding dice - max result: roll again and add | Roll 8 on d8, roll again! |
| Raises | Every 4 over TN = 1 Raise | TN 4, roll 12 = 2 Raises |
Trait Tests
Skill Defaults
| Situation | Roll | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Have the skill | Skill die + Wild die | None |
| Don't have skill | d4 + Wild die | -2 penalty |
| Core skills | Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, Stealth start at d4 free | None |
Dramatic Tasks
Quick Rule: Collect a set number of successes and raises (task tokens) within a limited number of rounds. Each raise earns an extra token, and drawing a Club for your action card brings a complication!
Combat Quick Reference
Initiative Order
Joker
Go whenever
+2 Trait & damage rolls
Every hero gets a Benny
Go whenever
+2 Trait & damage rolls
Every hero gets a Benny
Ace
Highest card
Highest card
King-2
Descending order
Descending order
Ties
♠♥ ♦ ♣
Clubs lowest
♠♥ ♦ ♣
Clubs lowest
Combat Actions
| Action | Effect | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Move | Up to Pace" | Run: add running die (d6) to Pace; -2 to other actions |
| Attack | Fighting or Shooting | vs. Parry or Range TN |
| Defend | +4 Parry | No other actions |
| Test | Opposed roll | Success = Distracted or Vulnerable; raise also Shaken |
| Support | +1 (success) or +2 (raise) to ally | Total support max +4 |
| Wild Attack | +2 Fighting, +2 damage | Vulnerable until end of your next turn |
| Gang Up | +1 per extra adjacent attacker | Max +4 |
| The Drop | +4 attack and damage | Foe unaware or helpless |
Multi-Actions
Example: Shooting twice in one turn
First shot: -2 penalty
Second shot: -2 penalty
Three actions (the maximum)? -4 to each!
First shot: -2 penalty
Second shot: -2 penalty
Three actions (the maximum)? -4 to each!
Damage & Wounds
graph TD
A[Roll Damage] --> B{vs Toughness}
B -->|Equal/Over| C[Shaken]
B -->|Raise| D[1 Wound + Shaken]
B -->|2 Raises| E[2 Wounds + Shaken]
B -->|3 Raises| F[3 Wounds + Shaken]
C --> G[Spirit Roll at Start of Turn to Recover]
D --> H[Wound Penalties Apply]
Wound Effects
| Wounds | Penalty | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | Healthy |
| 1 | -1 to Trait rolls and Pace | Wounded |
| 2 | -2 to Trait rolls and Pace | Wounded |
| 3 | -3 to Trait rolls and Pace (maximum) | Wounded, still fighting |
| More than 3 | Out of the fight | Incapacitated (Extras are out at their first Wound) |
Soak Rolls
Spend a Benny: Roll Vigor. Each success and raise removes 1 wound from that attack!
Common Modifiers
Positive Modifiers
+4 The Drop
+2 Wild Attack
+1/+2 Support (max +4)
+1 per Gang Up attacker (max +4)
+2 Joker
+2 vs. Vulnerable target
+4 Parry when you Defend
Negative Modifiers
-2 Called Shot (Limb)
-4 Called Shot (Head/Vitals, +4 damage)
-4 Small target / -6 Tiny target
-2 per Multi-Action
-1 per Wound (max -3)
-1 Fatigued / -2 Exhausted
-2 Distracted
Range Modifiers
| Range | Modifier | Example Distance (Range 12/24/48) |
|---|---|---|
| Short | 0 | Up to 12" |
| Medium | -2 | 13-24" |
| Long | -4 | 25-48" |
| Extreme | -8 | Beyond 48" (needs Aim or similar) |
Cover & Visibility
| Situation | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light Cover | -2 | 25% covered |
| Medium Cover | -4 | 50% covered |
| Heavy Cover | -6 | 75% covered |
| Near Total Cover | -8 | Only small part visible |
| Dim Light | -2 | Torchlight, moonlight |
| Dark | -4 | Starlight only |
| Pitch Black | -6 | No light at all |
Powers Quick Reference
Power Modifiers
| Modifier | PP Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Recipients | +1 each | Affect multiple targets |
| Armor Piercing | +1 to +3 | AP 2 per PP |
| Damage | +2 | +1d6 damage |
| Range | +1/+2 | Double/Triple range |
| Selective | +1 | Exclude targets in area |
Backlash
Critical Failure on Spellcasting:
• Something goes wrong, per the caster's Arcane Background
• Check that Arcane Background's description for the exact effect
• Power Points recover at 5 per hour of rest
• Something goes wrong, per the caster's Arcane Background
• Check that Arcane Background's description for the exact effect
• Power Points recover at 5 per hour of rest
Essential Quick Tables
Die Types & Advances
| Current Die | Cost to Advance | New Die |
|---|---|---|
| Below linked attribute | 1 point per die type | Next die up |
| Equal/above attribute | 2 points per die type | Next die up |
| d12 | Advances only (Edges or setting rules) | d12+1, then d12+2, etc. |
Status Effects
| Status | Effect | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Shaken | Free actions only (may still move) | Spirit roll at start of turn, or a Benny any time |
| Stunned | Prone, no actions or movement, Vulnerable | Vigor roll at start of turn |
| Distracted | -2 to all Trait rolls | End of its next turn |
| Vulnerable | Actions and attacks against it +2 | End of its next turn |
| Entangled | Can't move, Distracted | Strength or Athletics roll |
| Bound | Can't move or act except to escape; Distracted and Vulnerable | Strength or Athletics roll |
| Fatigued / Exhausted | -1 / -2 to Trait rolls | One more level: Incapacitated |
Size Scale
| Size | Rough Size | Toughness Change | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -4 | Tiny | -4 | Cat |
| -2 | Small | -2 | Dog |
| 0 | Normal | 0 | Human |
| +2 | Large | +2 | Bear |
| +4 | Huge | +4 | Rhino |
| +8 | Gargantuan | +8 | Dragon |
Size adds directly to Toughness. The extra attack modifiers for very large or very small targets (Scale) are in the core rules.
Bennies
Each player starts every session with 3. The GM gets 1 per player character, and each Wild Card NPC has 2. Spend one to reroll a Trait test (keep the better result), make a Soak roll, recover from Shaken instantly, draw a new action card, or (GM's call) influence the story. Unspent Bennies don't carry over.
Odds of Success (TN 4)
| Trait Die | Extra: Success | Wild Card: Success | Wild Card: Raise (8+) | Wild Card: Critical Failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 25.0% | 62.5% | 19.3% | 4.17% |
| d6 | 50.0% | 75.0% | 25.8% | 2.78% |
| d8 | 62.5% | 81.2% | 24.7% | 2.08% |
| d10 | 70.0% | 85.0% | 39.7% | 1.67% |
| d12 | 75.0% | 87.5% | 49.8% | 1.39% |
Unskilled (d4 -2) for a Wild Card: 32.3%. Thanks to Aces, a d8 is slightly less likely to score a raise than a d6.
Ranks and Advances
| Rank | Advances |
|---|---|
| Novice | 0-3 |
| Seasoned | 4-7 |
| Veteran | 8-11 |
| Heroic | 12-15 |
| Legendary | 16+ |
There's no XP: the GM awards an Advance roughly every session. Each Advance buys one of these:
- A new Edge
- +1 die step to two skills at or below their linked attribute
- +1 die step to one skill above its linked attribute
- +1 die step to one attribute (once per Rank; at Legendary, every other Advance)
- Remove a Minor Hindrance, or reduce a Major one to Minor
GM Quick References
graph TD
A[Round Start] --> B[Deal Action Cards]
B --> C[Highest Card Acts First]
C --> D[Continue in Card Order]
D --> E{Fight Over?}
E -->|No| B
E -->|Yes| F[Scene End]
Golden Rules to Remember
- Fast! Furious! Fun! - When in doubt, keep the game moving
- Raises matter - Always reward good rolls with extra effects
- Bennies flow - Give them out for good roleplay and clever ideas
- Wild Cards are special - They get Wild Dice and Bennies
- Aces explode - Maximum die results always reroll