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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 10, 2009 16:23:17 GMT -5
Well, maybe not quite although an expensive card printed glossy screen would be nice, that just isn't going to happen.
What I mean is, is that while I'm as much of a fan as the next person of the old school method of narrating a modification matrix (e.g. subtract one for every three levels you are below the opponent and add one for every two levels you are above and all that sort of thing), sometimes a chart speaks a thousand words.
I've taken to drawing up these charts myself to help the game go faster (e.g. an opposed skill check chart for thieves) but I'd pay good money for someone else to do all the drudge work of finding all the text where it says "add X per Y", converting that into a table and selling me the results as a nicely packaged "Referees' Reference".
Leaving it as a text based description, in my view, reduces accessibility to the modern gamer looking for the refreshing breath of air of the handsome back-to-basics approach S&S engenders.
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kersus
Junior Member
Toying With Destruction
Posts: 67 
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Post by kersus on Jul 10, 2009 18:59:58 GMT -5
I love the reference sheets in the boxed sets. Invaluable! I just wish they were with the original tables  I like a refs screen - although - if you just make the pages available - I have no problem printing and gluing them to cardstock and gluing some related art. Others could snag the universal Savage Worlds screen and you could make sheets to fit in that! Having said that - if you made a full fledged GM screen available, I'd buy one. |
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Post by Jason Vey on Jul 11, 2009 12:10:23 GMT -5
I've really no way to have full fledged GM screens printed at this time or I'd totally do it. I am tempted to make the reference tables available, but am concerned that would cheapen the boxed set for those who have it.
I have some extra "irregulars" of the reference screens (perfectly usable, just some ink smudge on the edges of the card stock). I could be convinced to mail them out for a nominal fee; say a buck or two plus shipping, if people are interested?
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 11, 2009 16:09:02 GMT -5
Yes, it was the generic Savage Worlds assemble it yourself screen that I exactly had in mind. Print it yourself pages that you stick to your own cardstock. Clearly it is beyond the economics of Elf Lair to fund a glossy card screen but converting all the blocks of verbiage into tables helps speed the game and cuts the haggling over some of the ambiguity narrating such a thing rather than presenting it as a table introduces.
It's also an opportunity to address some of the inconsistencies, e.g. the climb mods for thieves are narrated in a text block rather than listed in the advancement table as the others.
I know I could do it myself but I'd rather pay someone else to do it as then it gives Jason an opportunity to make money.
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Post by greyharp on Jul 11, 2009 16:24:26 GMT -5
I've always seen GM screens as the perfect DIY project, since no two people agree with what should go on one.
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 12, 2009 15:15:36 GMT -5
Ah yes, but as I said it's not really a ref's screen that's the point, although you could certainly use that as an objective and this as a kicking off point. My target is the conversion of all the semi-ambiguous narrative "charts" (and how wonderfully old school that is) into actual charts. Yes, I could (and am, but slowly) do it myself, but I'd rather not. I'd rather someone at Elf Lair did it for me and then sold it back to me and a couple of hundred other folks and made some money out of an easy (but dull) job. There's a lot of blurb in the class descriptions as well that could simply be integrated into the level table to cut down on needless verbiage (opposed skill checks), and in some cases reduced ambiguity (turning) or just weird oversight (climb). Here's a little something I knocked up along these lines, a crib sheet for thieves, basically everything you need to run a thief in one handy place. As well as all the stuff from the thief class section, there's things like difficulty bonuses and opposed skill blurb is turned into a handy lookup table. There's also a sight of one of my house rules in there: non-human thieves pay an XP surcharge to compensate for there being no level limit and them being generally better thieves than humans. I offer it here, free for all to use. Jason, you can stick it up on your Lulu store if you like and think others would find it useful. Enjoy. S&S Thieves' Reference Sheet: www.mediafire.com/file/jg3lmmja0uz/S&S Reference Sheet - Thief.pdf |
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 12, 2009 15:23:06 GMT -5
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Post by greyharp on Jul 12, 2009 16:17:16 GMT -5
Very nice shadowwarrior, they would be good to give to players being introduced to the game.  |
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 12, 2009 17:19:46 GMT -5
Thanks, greyharp, that's exactly what I use them for. I also use them extensively myself as it summarises all the information I need as a ref in one place as well. I'm currently working on the assassin one.
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Post by Jason Vey on Jul 13, 2009 9:49:56 GMT -5
These are very nice, shadowwarrior. Excellent work. And thanks for the offer to throw them up on the lulu store. I think I will actually do that (for free, naturally). How would you like to be credited?
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 13, 2009 10:05:56 GMT -5
Thanks, Jason, I'm glad you like them. I find them invaluable, especially the thief one. New players really seem to find it helps them pick up the nitty gritty quickly as well so I'm glad to help.
They aren't quite everything you need in one place - it doesn't have the stat modifiers for example (I'm working a general usage one with the multi-purpose data in it to close that gap) - but a very good start.
Be aware that thief one has my house rule data in it whereby non-human thieves are charged an XP surcharge to compensate for the unlimited progression potential and skill kickers. I've found unless you do this no one plays a human thief.
I'm currently working on one for assassins and will crank out the others in due course, including my house rule clarifications on how you do actually crank the mechanism for turning undead, dispelling evil, etc.
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Post by Jason Vey on Jul 13, 2009 10:08:20 GMT -5
Ah. I didn't notice that. I can't put one up in the Lulu store that has someone's house rules in.
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Post by shadowwarrior on Jul 13, 2009 16:44:04 GMT -5
Ah well, it's here for anyone who wants it, house rule 'n' all.
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I like a refs screen - although - if you just make the pages available - I have no problem printing and gluing them to cardstock and gluing some related art. Others could snag the universal Savage Worlds screen and you could make sheets to fit in that!
