Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[strongbif]

Savage Worlds handles damage very elegantly, and I enjoy the practice of adding 1d6 damage to an attack if any raises are rolled. However, I have run into the situation a couple of times where Aced dice led players to score astronomically high on their to-hit roll. Their glee fades quickly when they discover that, mechanics-wise, it amounts to the same thing as rolling a single raise. I have pointed out that the intent behind the rule is to let players quit rolling after one raise to speed things up, but I find that players love rerolling aces under any circumstances and don't mind delaying the game for it. They're going to keep rolling anyway, so I want sustained player glee when they roll 25 or something on Fighting or Shooting.

In those cases, instead of counting raises, I propose a houserule that if a player obviously rolls way, way above one raise, it should confer some special benefit above and beyond +1d6 to damage.

A few such possible benefits have crossed my mind, and I'd like to run them by you:

* Everyone gets a bennie
* Player gets a second immediate free attack at no penalty
* Target gains a fatigue level regardless of the damage roll results
* Player may spend bennies on the subsequent damage roll
* Player may treat the attack as a called shot, even if it wasn't
* Player may immediately make a Test of Wills against any target as a free action
* Some combination or choice among these options
* Other?

What do you think?
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Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.
-John Wayne

[islan]

I'd say go with "Some combination or choice among these options," though I would specify that it is "your" (the GM's) choice. Feel free to reward players with varying prizes, I'm sure it would make it much more exciting.

I would say, though, to only give the bennie to player making the roll, rather than everyone. But really, just do whatever feels appropriate to any given situation.

PS

I really like that you went with a rewards system, rather than going with progressive damage bonus. It sounds like you really get the idea of Savage Worlds.

I think I will be, ahem, "borrowing" your ideas here.

[Dewbakuk]

I'd go with giving the player who rolled a benny and maybe throw in something that suits the situation.
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"The time from now until the end of the project tends to become constant"

[Clint]

[screenmonkey]

The original way it was handled (i.e +2 damage per raise on the attack roll) always kept my players happy (they didn't even notice the Called Shots hiccup) and we played that way for years.

[Poor Wandering One]

I like the "Everybody gets a benny!" option for 3 reasons.

1. It's like the fight is heating up and now it is time to bring on more awesome.

2. Rolling that many aces is a pure random event so it should not reward one player more than another or even one side more than another. Giving everybody a bennie provides everyone more resources with out giving anyone an advantage.

3. I tend to play a bit over the top and more bennies means more crazy stunts.

Mind you I would only avtivate this rule if a roll got at least 4 aces on the same die.

kneejerk thoughts
~will

[jpk]

We've actually had great success in our group by giving out a bennie reward for people who don't just keep rolling to see how irrelevantly high they can get a number. I've honestly been amazed at how much it speeds combat up. Truly.

I also realize this will not be the most popular plan out there. Sigh, if only you'd all think like I do. Oh, wait...please, don't do that. Please!

[Talison]

Players do love to keep rolling. I have one guy who keeps rolling aces so he can see that his total damage was 64 vs a human thug who is an extra. I'm like, "you rolled over 12, you are good."

[GranFalloon]

I give everyone the No Mercy edge. It doesn't give any extra bonus to folks that make many many raises, but it does help prevent the ol', "Hit with three raises! Yes! And I do... four damage..."

That's happened to my group more than once, including a called shot to the head where the attack roll was astronomical, but just ended up shaking the fella. I think you'll find your players will spend bennies on damage rolls when they hit with a million raises, rather than with one, just because they want to do that amazing attack roll justice.

Perhaps that should be it, after a certain number of raises, you get a benny that you may only spend on that damage roll.

[TeknoMerk]

I've wondered about what to do for the case of multiple raises for attacks. I just tossed a bennie to the player, but I kind of like the tiered damage idea as well. I will try that in our next campaign game.
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<> TeknoMerk <>

Creator of Savage Apocalypse
Savagepedia contributor

[islan]

[77IM]

Maybe, instead of +1d6 damage for one raise, say that for each raise, you may reroll damage once. So two raises, you are rolling damage 3 times and taking the best one (making it very likely to Ace on at least one of those). This sounds like it would slow the game down tremendously, but if most of your fights are between relatively few participants, it could work.

-- 77IM

[AtomicTeaspoon]

If people insist on adding dmg based on raises, I'd say +1 for each raise after the first. Of course this depends on the gamestyle, but I wouldnt be excited about adding anything else to bog down the gameplay. Considering impossible circumstances, like a character with high parry, dim lighting, etc. passing the threshhold is that much more effective with raises.

[77IM]

You could try adding a "special effect" per raise, such as:
- Knocked prone
- Sent flying 1" per raise
- Pace -1 per raise, on their next action
- Victim must make a Strength check at -1 per raise, or else drop their weapon (a softer version of Disarm)
- Victim is at -1 per raise against any Trick/Test of Wills you perform against them on your next action

These mix-and-match so you have to "spend" your raises on them. For example, if you get 6 raises on the attack, you could deal +1d6 damage, send the victim flying 2", and impose a -3 penalty to their Pace. This would obviously slow the game down, but may lead to more crazy fun attack results.

-- 77IM

[Takeda]

I like what Clint's put forward but the GM of the Weird Wars game we're playing in has gone for +1d6 dmg for 1-2 raises, +2d6 for 3-4 raises and +3d6 for 5+ raises. It is a bit more generous but doesn't come into it too often. Although I did roll a 43 to hit recently ... on a d10. Bizarre to Ace that many times on a d10 ... we practically shook the house with our roars of shock, surprise and glee.

Any Wild Card can do this though ... not just the PCs so this could be nasty for us too. Non-Wild Cards use the Rules As Written.

Apparently I hit the guy in the exact eyelash I was aiming for at 7" away with a 9mm Luger. It was pretty cool!
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Dean: "Ya' know she could be faking."
Sam: "Yeah, what do you wanna do, poke her with a stick?"
[Dean nods]
Sam: "Dude, you're not gonna poke her with a stick?"
Supernatural Quotes

[razorwise]

[Takeda]

Well, for GM's it's important 'during' rolling to say Hit and Raise as the numbers come up. If nobody knows the number they need to hit because of spells, powers, etc. of course the player will keep rolling.

I'm speaking of myself too so I'll be doing that from now on.
_________________
Dean: "Ya' know she could be faking."
Sam: "Yeah, what do you wanna do, poke her with a stick?"
[Dean nods]
Sam: "Dude, you're not gonna poke her with a stick?"
Supernatural Quotes

[chugosh]

I tried that at my latest game, letting the players know what they were rolling for, and it worked pretty well. Sped things up nicely.

[strongbif]

Wow- a lot of great ideas. Thanks!

I'm undecided between giving the player No Mercy for the subsequent damage roll, Clint's stepped bonus die, and giving bennies to players who forego excess rolls. I must ruminate.
_________________
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.
-John Wayne

[Clint]