Interlude: Discussion of Setting

We are using the Savage Worlds Deluxe rules (soon to be made obsolete by the introduction of the next edition of Savage Worlds, but we may stick with what we know). House rules are minimal, currently the only one that springs to mind is the use of Spirit as the default for the Guts Skill (which players can overspend to boost but are advised not to be so silly).

I have individual rules for various Weird Science devices that cause issues, like Matt's goober gun. When fired for 2 points it very obviously uses his Shooting Skill roll, the rules are clear on that, but he can overcharge it to convert it to a burst template effect. I've ruled that if fired in this mode, the hit is guaranteed but the targets get the usual template chance to dodge.

So when he SHOOTS, he rolls a 4 or better, then makes his WEIRD SCIENCE roll to determine the level of effect as per the ENTANGLE spell. If he overcharges the weapon, he "hits" automatically but his WEIRD SCIENCE roll is matched vs the targets' Agility for escape purposes before being used to evaluate the level of gluey entanglement the enemy has suffered. I should probably have just ruled that he had no overcharge ability but I like the mayhem.

The Red Sands setting is a rather thin book that covers some of what's needed to play an enjoyable variation of the game of Space 1889. We also have the legacy GDW book to hand for more in-depth discussion of various in-world matters such as Martian waterway construction and more complete fauna lists. Getting players to reference this book BEFORE the SWD rulebook was a challenge. There are several neat options in the Red Sands book that can be made impossible to achieve after building out a character to SWD rules. A matter of available edges and prerequisites.

All the books I mention are available as PDFs from DrivethruRPG, though the PDF of the original GDW Space 1889 rulebook is an optical scan only with no OCR behind it, with no usable chapter index sidebar, which makes finding stuff very tedious indeed. I have yet to find a proper PDF of this book.

Savage Worlds has the significant advantage over all other versions of Space 1889 I've seen in that the system is very easy to pick up and quite straightforward to understand. It has only one way of approaching tests and challenges (unlike the original system which uses different mechanisms for skill checks and combat resolution).

If there's a downside it is that the magic system can seem rather lacklustre when compared to High Fantasy game engines like Pathfinder or D&D. That can be retrofitted by the GM of course, but the SW take offers much and from a small set of "template" spells a vast number of variations can be quickly run up using the concept of trappings. Thus lightning bolts and fire balls can start as the same basic spell with the same basic way of figuring out what happens to who, but the trappings make the effects of each quite different. Those interested might benefit from seeking out the Explorer's Edition which can be had for under $10.

One might think magic plays little part in the Victorian Steampunk world of Space 1889, but Weird Science is actually a pseudo-technological wrapper for the magic system of Savage Worlds. As per the rules that is all it is, but I know GMs who allow all sorts of wild ideas to be floated under the concept. I fall closer to the "as written" camp, at least for now, so as the game progresses you can follow along using the rules to see what's going on "under the hood" without assuming "hand waving".

I'll be coming back to this again in future interlude posts.

Resources:

Space 1889:Red Sands setting rulebook
Original Space 1889 Rulebook (GDW)
Savage Worlds Deluxe Rulebook

All links point to DriveThruRPG but RPGNow also carries the same titles.
PEG carries the Savage Worlds rules on their own site.