Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Clash957]

I always liked the Veteran o' the Weird/Wasted West Hindrance from Deadlands and wanted to allow players the chance to take it for most settings if they choose. Here is a rough idea for a Veteran of Savage Worlds to cover most settings:

Veteran of Savage Worlds
The character chooses to gain 5-25 XP at the start of the game. For each 5 XP they Roll 1d6-1 up to 5d6-5. This number is compared to a table that the GM has. Be warned the results typically get worst the farther up the table (including death). These results are placed after the initial character is built as some Hindrances will void certain Edges.


Game Master's table
Veteran of Savage Worlds
0= The character got lucky and hasn't had anything too bad happen yet.
1= some minor battle scars maybe a trick knee but nothing too bad yet.
2= Minor Phobia as per Hindrance
3= Minor Enemy as per Hindrance
4= Wanted (Minor) as per Hindrance
5= Minor Addiction as per Hindrance
6= Major Phobia as per Hindrance
7= Bad Luck as per Hindrance
8= Major Debt, the character has Poverty Hindrance and owes money/favors to another person or organization.
9= Major Enemy as per Hindrance
10= Wanted (Major) as per Hindrance
11= Paranoid, the character jumps as their shadow (-2 Charisma and Notice)
12= Diseased, the character has a incurable occasionally debilitating disease that is potentially fatal. (Vigor at beginning or Fatigued)
13= Double Bad Luck, Only starts with one Benny at beginning of session.
14= Insane, character has some sort of mental illness that makes interactions difficult (-4 Charisma and behavior problems)
15= Mauled, Character was badly hurt and has Ugly and Lame Hindrances
16= Deaf as per Hindrance
17= One Arm as per Hindrance
18= One Leg as per Hindrance
19= Blind as per Hindrance
20= Yellow as per Hindrance
21= Reduce two skills at random one step
22= Reduce one Attribute one step
23= Forsaken, the character starts with no Bennies
24= Paraplegic
25= Make a new character this one is dead

I wanted the Hindrance to be sufficiently nasty as to not be automatic (as I believe Vet o' WW is) but not so bad that no player in their right mind would take it. Input?
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Playing: Deadlands Noir, Planescape via D&D 4th ed
Running: Nothing at the moment

[Edgeworth]

I too like VotWW and overall this looks okay. I like the player choice for how much exp he'll get. As for the things I don't like; it feels somewhat dull that most of the penalties are Hindrances. If I were to use this, I'd probably tailor it for the setting to get some interesting Veteran Table results. Also, I'd change that result of 25. I just don't find it fun or purposeful to kill a character before he has had that chance to shine in game. How about Terminally Ill Hindrance as per Necessary Evil or Ailin' (Major) as per DLR?

Those complaints left behind, good job.

[Sadric]

There are some more Hindrance that arent in the main rules, especially Dependent (spelling?) comes to my mind. A children or similiar charge.

Something like (bad) reputation comes to mind, too.
And maybe the first one or two entrys could even be positive.
Something like:

Windfall:your starting money is doubled.

Family heirloom:
You have one exceptional tool/weapon that gives a minor advantage (old map=story hook, exceptinal weapon with damage bonus die=d8, bibliothek gives+2 on knowledge rolls)



A other idea would be to connect it to card drawing. each 5 XP is one card draw. each facecard is a different table, connected to the suite of card or a die roll. Jocker could be positive.

[ValhallaGH]

[Clash957]

[Thunderforge]

Since Fear takes a backseat in most Savage Settings, I think that Yellow should be moved down to the single digits.
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[Edgeworth]

[77IM]

I like this a lot.

I feel that the upper ends of the chart should be harsher, giving out at least 2-3 hindrances apiece. This will offset that the player is getting as many as 5 advances! Maybe:
1-5: a minor hindrance
6-10: a major hindrance, or two minors
11-15: a major+minor hindrance, or three minors
16-20: two major hindrances, or one major+two minors
21-25: three major hindrances

I'd make the top item (#25) say, "Roll again twice."

EDIT: Remember that 5d6-5 is going to be roughly normally distributed so results should cluster around 12-13. The odds of getting a 25 are only 1 in 7,776, and the odds of 21-24 aren't much better, so those top items can be kind of bad.

-- 77IM
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