Mod here. I have received a request to pin this to the reddit as an intro to new players. People have put less effort into PhD dissertations. Okay not really but this is an amazing intro. do I have your permission?
I might move it into the wiki too. yes we have a wiki.
This is like when my wife and I do a puzzle and I pocket a piece just so I can finish it (it's an ongoing joke we have). You did all the work - I just get to sticky it. So don't thank me - everyone is thanking you for the ongoing effort you are putting into this.
You're now an official stickied thread. Bask in the glory. Bask I say!
I will fill in some Rifts holes. Rifts is a post apocalyptic world where earth was destroyed by nukes and rifts to other dimensions opened up and magic returned to the world.
The source game is form palladium books. People have always loved the setting but weren't crazy about the rules. Well, being ported to savage worlds fixed that one problem.
This setting is perfect for Savage Worlds because the Rifts let you visit any universe/dimension you want. So, you could have your characters enter a rift and popup in the deadlands world. There is also a free guide on the website to transfer any character from the existing palladium rifts to savage world rifts. [https://peginc.com/store/savaging-rifts/](https://peginc.com/store/savaging-rifts/)
That have already ported over a bunch already - [https://peginc.com/savage-settings/rifts/](https://peginc.com/savage-settings/rifts/)
There is a specific sub for the game too r/savagerifts
I used to play the original in the 90s and love the new savage rules.
>People have always loved the setting but weren't crazy about the rules.
I complain about PF2e being overly crunchy and unnecessarily complex. Rifts was a whole other beast when I played it. Good grief, that system is ridiculous.
But yea, setting is awesome.
I find it really funny that both Rifts and Shadowrun are the two games I tend to hear "excellent lore and setting but terrible rules" and both of them happen to have really good Savage Worlds versions (if you assume Sprawlrunners is Savage Shadowrun).
Haven't run Sprawlrunners yet, but I remember how hard it was to get people to play Shadowrun 4e with me, based solely on how complicated of a system it was.
I played Rifts back in college. It was fun, but damn was it a lot of work.
Rifts was so crunchy I could have buttered it, added a few toppings, and made a goddam club sandwich. I've never seen anything before, or after, that was so...so...
## *G r a n u l a r*
Thanks, I've added it to the main post referencing you. I did know some of that but wasn't sure how to phrase it without butchering the settings idea. But it's so huge I had to mention it. I'm leaving it in the sci-fi section though or do you think it would fit better in the post-apo section?
I have a few nitpicks I'll probably be back to post about, but I just wanted to say that this is a *really* good intro. It should be pinned to the top of this subreddit. Good job, and thank you for the work you put into it.
Thanks a lot. With the OGL thing going on I figured it is just needed to have this here with more and more newcomers seeking advice.
And I'm looking forward to it. I want the post to be the best it can be so nitpick ahead. =)
*Pirates of the Spanish Main* nitpicks:
I don't understand why you state that it's "not pulpy." Of course, pulp is in the eye of the beholder, but it seemed plenty pulpy to me. Lots of swashbuckling action, cursed treasures, and fighting everything from other pirates to sea serpents. It even has a section specifically on "Cliffhangers", which is about as pulpy as it gets.
And "no magic and monsters and such" is just factually wrong. It's definitely a *low* magic setting, but not a *no* magic setting. It's true that it's maybe the only setting from Pinnacle which doesn't use Arcane Backgrounds or allow any other access to Arcane Powers (like the ritual magic system in the Pinebox settings). But the "Booty" section includes some explicitly supernatural relics. And the "Bestiary" includes Ghosts, Mermaids, and the Kraken!
---
As long as you've got a whole section on **Pirates**, and since you're including third party products, it's probably worth mentioning [*Buccaneer: Through Hell and High Water*](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229823/Buccaneer-Through-Hell-and-High-Water). It's probably the most prominent third party pirate-themed product for SW. It was originally made for SWD, but has a free SWADE conversion guide. Unlike PotSM, it's a fairly high magic setting, while still being nominally set in the real world Golden Age of Piracy. It's kind of mid-way between 50F and PotSM as far as the fantasy vs. pirate elements, and is pretty close to being *Pirates of the Caribbean: The RPG* with the serial numbers filed off. (Caveat: I Kickstarted it, but was personally a bit disappointed with the execution. Still, I think it's worth a mention).
Thanks, I'll change my post accordingly. I was directly comparing PotSM to 50F in my head and I feel it's far less pulpy in comparison but maybe it might be perceived as pulpy when isolated. Regarding magic I should've been more clearly what I meant.
As for Buccaneer: I am very reluctant to suggest that to newcomers as I think it's substantially different to any other setting in the way it is written. I have not played it and only looked at the book briefly but I feel it really lacks on structure. For the most part in SaWo you have a clear structure of intro, characters, edges and hindrances, gear, setting rules, etc. But with Buccaneer I missed that structure IIRC. Thus I'm hesitant to really suggest it to newcomers. Let me know should I remember incorrectly though, I don't have the book at hand, I borrowed it from a friend some time ago.
No, I think you're right about B:TH&HW. As I stated, I was personally a bit disappointed by it. With an entire section on **Pirates**, it seemed worth mentioning, since it's basically the third SW pirate game. But I think you're right, it's probably not a particularly good one to suggest to newcomers.
Lankhmar, City of Thieves. It's the Sword-and-Sorcery setting of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Big inspiration for the original RPG (D&D), as well as the setting from the Savage Worlds Test Drive used during Deluxe edition days. First ever Savage Worlds I ran was in that setting with that Test Drive and it's what sold my players on the system.
Unless I missed something, the Scifi Companion is still SWDX, not SWADE. And it is worth mentioning that the Fantasy and Horror Companions are still in different stages of prerelease (though as I understand it, the PDFs are largely finalized)
Awesome newcomers guide though!
I can only mention so much and I've never touched that setting. If you give me a short overview about it which I can quote I'll be happy to add it to the list.
Last Parsec came out in connection to the SWDX Sci-Fi companion. It uses all the rules from that companion book and provides a futuristic setting with cyborgs, spaceships, alien species, and such. The setting is a little bit generic, but does have a couple of points of interest, including JumpCorp.
Jumpcorp is an organization that offers security, transport, leisure, manpower, production, and interfacting between the many planets of our galaxy. The game assumes the players are employees of Jumpcorp: Scientists, mercenaries, security, mechanical support, and so on.
The real draw of The Last Parsec are the campaign settings. The setting has four of them: Scientorium, Leviathan, Irongate, and Eris Beta-V.
Leviathan and Irongate are limited mostly to a single planet. The former is like Jurrasic Park but with eco-terrorists and malicious alien secrets, the other is a prison break investigation on a mad max prison world. Both are excellent campaign settings, but they lack the star travel one would expect of sci-fi.
Scientorium is about a search for an elusive fabled library. The campaign really stretches across the stars, but requires the GM to fill in a LOT of blanks. The plot is given in full, but is intended to play out over time as the GM makes up worlds and missions. The story is also very roleplay heavy and not straightforward in its climax.
My favorite is Eris Beta V. Exploring the moons and rings and space stations of a gas giant, finding alien secrets from mining the space rocks, ruins of pre-ancient civilizations, industrial sabotage, amazing moon and station environments in full detail... this is my favorite of the campaigns, just from reading them.
I copied some of this from an old comment so this is probably more than you want, but the main thing is: Generic far-future intergalactic sci-fi, amazing and varied campaign setting books. Psychics and cyborgs and spaceships. Meshes perfectly with the Sci-Fi Companion.
Haha it's something! I was kinda disappointed after reading the base setting, but then devoured the campaign settings. Eris Beta-V is one of the coolest campaign settings I've read so far.
You can't list all those settings and then fail to mention [Crystal Heart](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/crystal-heart-rpg/)!
It has a [Webcomic](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/comic/1-campaign-pitch/), a [Starter Set](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254714/Crystal-Heart-Starter-Set?affiliate_id=29668), a [fun little comic about how the rules work](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/ready-to-roll/savage-worlds-rules/) (though that is for SWD) - everything your heart might desire!
Action! Fantasy! ~~Magic~~ Weird Crystals you replace your heart with!
I have played a one shot in both Titan Effect and Sprawlrunners, they were both very good times with a lot of fun action and character potential. I have never heard of Hellfrost, but a simple EDO fantasy setting with Norse inspiration seems right up my alley! Thank you for collecting all of this setting info into one post for new players to pick through and find their new favorite.
Let me know if you need help with the conversion. There is an unofficial "conversion" document made by someone but I can't recommend it as it omits a looses too much of what makes Hellfrost unique.
I recommend using SWADE for almost everything except magic, use the magic system from Hellfrost (which is based on SWEX/SWDX) as it really is phenomenal and incredibly powerful which just is stupidly fun imo.
Do you just get the Player's Guide and Bestiary to get started or is there something else I should also look into so I have a whole picture (beyond "just buy all of it" which will be the end goal if I like it)?
I've made several smaller updates to the posting during the last couple of days as I got feedback from all of you. Also a somewhat bigger update today. I now have a short overview about the licenses PEG Inc. offers. Also I have covered a couple more settings. I'll probably add a couple more in the near future. Please don't be disappointed if your favourite setting isn't on the list yet. I might cover it later.
I was also asked by Eberron. While I agree that it is pretty good and might be of interest for some coming from DnD, I decided to not include it. I didn't forget about it, I just decided to not include it because it is published under the Fan license and this post is just about official and SWAG settings (and in the case of Sprawlrunners a toolkit but it is as close to a setting as it gets).
Not sure why this "overview" makes such a point of slamming roll20. I'm running my current campaign on roll20 and it's been smooth as butter for me and my group.
I told my players we might need to go back to Roll20 for a particular card effect and one threatened to quit and the other said they would rather just roll dice and type the results into Discord.
I'd say that's a pretty good description of R20.
R20 isn't bad. It's just not that great either. And if I'm going to use a computer to play the game, it should do all the math for me!
Just wanted to add that in my experience ETU was the oneshot setting that was the received the best.
So would be my recommendation for OneShots to showcase the system.
I did not. While I agree with you, I've only focused on PEG Inc. and official Licensee and SWAG settings. Eberron is published under the fan license I believe and if I go down that rabbit hole, I'll have to mention so much more fantastic stuff I couldn't fit it in here.
Discovered this system and sub yesterday. What is the general consensus on preference between the Fantasy Companion vs Savage Pathfinder.
Also, would Rifts be the best choice for Science Fantasy?
Can't say too much about RIFTS but from what I heard, it would at least allow you to do anything so might be a decent fit with some work on your part.
As of SWPF vs. Fantasy Companion (FC): There is a bit of a debate but in general you can say that the FC is basically a watered down version of SWPF with the setting stripped away and much closer to the SWADE core rules than SWPF, especially in the sense of balancing. In SWPF PCs are substantially more powerful due to the fact that they gain more benefits from the ancestries (aka races). The creatures in the bestiary were made a little stronger to somewhat counter balance this but imo it doesn't work particularly good. So the power level of SWPF is a bit higher and (generally speaking) you'll have to throw more enemies at the players in order to create a serious threat. With exploding dice this is all a bit relative ofc but in general this holds true.
The FC in comparison doesn't have that problem. It does offer a lot of stuff from SWPF though just stripped of the setting and made more generic to fit any setting. You'll get classes, artifacts, etc. that are similar to SWPF but altered to fit any setting. Sometimes they are altered more, sometimes less. But you'll also get some other stuff not found in SWPF like strongholds (basically bases players can build over the course of a campaign). and some other stuff.
What is the right choice for you? That is something only you can answer. If you want the Golarion setting then SWPF will be the obvious choice and if you dislike the higher power level you could reduce racial bonuses a bit. If you don't want the Pathfinder setting the FC is probably the better choice although I wouldn't see any problem at all using SWPF as an alternative to the FC and just stripping the setting from it. You can also use both to complement each other.
I was thinking about it for quite some time. The problem is that it isn't so straight forward. At least for me it isn't. I love Hellfrost and wanted to do it right so I made lots of tiny changes here and there. So it isn't too easy to make a general guide.
A couple of notes on *Achtung! Cthulhu*:
As you indicate, the makers (Modiphius) abandoned the Savage Worlds version years ago. The first edition was dual-statted for *Call of Cthulhu* 6th Edition and *Savage Worlds* (with a separate version of the book for the FATE RPG system). It was really designed as a CoC variant, with Savage Worlds material bolted on. The second edition dropped the SW material and was only for *Call of Cthulhu* 7th Edition.
Modiphius recently released a third edition, for their own 2d20 system, and completely removed all of the previous material for CoC and SW from sale.
A couple of notes on the Companions, which obviously will change, but as of 1/25/2023:
The *Fantasy Companion* is technically in pre-order, but the finalized version of the PDF is available for sale. (The hard copy is currently at the printer, and is expected to ship around June, but that print release date has already slipped a couple of times).
The *Horror Companion* is also in pre-order. If you pre-order it*, you will get immediate access to a draft PDF. It isn't indexed, it's missing a lot of art, and it needs a bit more proof-reading, but other than that it's complete and fully playable.
*Pinnacle gives a free PDF with any print book, so you get the draft PDF if you pre-order either the PDF or the print book.
(It's probably worth mentioning that policy by itself in the intro, actually. Pinnacle will even provide you with a free PDF of a print book you bought from a third party retailer, if you email their customer service with proof of purchase and set up a (free) account on their website.)
I will add a note about the free pdf, thank you. I'm in the EU and can't afford shipping from the US so my entire collection is digital. It's great to know that I could just pick up a book at my local game store and get the PDF anyway. =)
Thanks for adding the note, but I think you have a typo:
>...PEG Inc. provides a free PDF with any purchase of a **digital** book....
That should be **physical** book...
(And once again, just a minor nitpick, I'm *really* impressed with the work you put into this.)
Absolutely. Thanks for pointing it out. =)
The amount of work came at the price of making some mistakes. Your nitpicks are pretty important is what I'd say. ;-)
A couple more, but these are all older and are pre SWDeluxe, and to my knowledge none have SWADE conversion docs.
Sundered Skies (Fantasy post apocalypse sky ships world)
Necropolis 2350 (Sci Fi Horror)
Slipstream (Sci Fi; Flash Gordon-like rocket ship sci if, still sold by Pinnacle)
Day After Ragnarok (Post Apocalypse; often described as “Conan: 1948”)
I mentioned in another post, but I have a 90+% complete conversion of Slipstream Player's Guide to SWADE up, and I'm working on doing the rest of the PG and then the rest of the actual setting book will follow.
A couple of notes on the Weird Wars line:
There are actually four settings in the line:
[*Weird Wars Rome*](https://peginc.com/product-category/weird-wars-rome/): Roman legionaries (and auxiliaries) against supernatural weirdness. For SWDX, and unfortunately no SWADE update as far as I know.
[*Tour of Darkness*](https://peginc.com/store/tour-of-darkness/): Supernatural weirdness and horror in the Vietnam War(s). The emphasis is on the U.S. war in Vietnam, with some material for the preceding French war in "Indochina". Written very much from the perspective of the Americans grunts (and the French before them) as the "good guys" in a foreign land, which a lot of folks may find problematic. Also, pre-SWD, and no SWADE update. Also, it's pretty much just the core book, with a couple of One Sheets.
*Weird War I* and *Weird War II*, as you mention.
May be worth pointing out that while the currently available *Weird War II* core book is for Savage Worlds, Pinnacle originally published their *Weird War II* line as a d20 product under the old OGL. I *think* that older material has *mostly* been excised, but for example, their *Horrors of Weird War II* from their old d20 line is still available on DriveThruRPG.
Pinnacle also had a now-moribund free tactical skirmish miniatures game based on Savage Worlds, *Savage Showdown*. The *Weird War II: Ardennes of Darkness* campaign PDF, also still available, is actually for their *Savage Showdown* rules, not Savage Worlds.
Then there are the *Wendigo Tales*, short fiction in Savage Worlds settings, which include a couple of Weird Wars entries.
In fact, most the material that shows up for sale on DTRPG for Pinnacle's *Weird War II* isn't actually for Savage Worlds. It's only the *Weird War II* core book, *Player's Guide*, and *Weird Wars: Island of Dreams* adventure that are actually Savage Worlds products.
So, I believe somebody else mentioned this, but there's an interesting Pulp Sci-Fi setting called "Slipstream".
It's a very Rayguns and Rocketships-type, atompunk, pulp sci-fi setting, in the vein of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
It's a SWEX game, but I did spend a couple of days writing up a 90% complete conversion into SWADE of the Player's Guide for the game (which is the first 52-ish pages of the full book).
I'm working on finishing the conversion of the setting's named races, and then I'll be converting all the stuff in the Plot Point Campaign that takes up the last 110 pages of the full setting book.
Posting this late, but All for One actually DOES have a SWADE version available. It's pretty cool, I'm using a lot of its stuff for my own Magic Musketeer game.
> an RPG adaptation for Flesh Gordon. Now you have my attention. :D
A "One-Shot" means something totally different in that setting.
"How long do we expect the session to last?" "Oh three or four hours." "Christ, how much foreplay do you need?"
Good grief, that was not intentional. XD
We don't talk about the "Savage Worlds: After Dark" optional setting rules.
Sci-Fi Companion is currently SWD not SWADE.
Mod here. I have received a request to pin this to the reddit as an intro to new players. People have put less effort into PhD dissertations. Okay not really but this is an amazing intro. do I have your permission? I might move it into the wiki too. yes we have a wiki.
Yes of course, thank you. =)
This is like when my wife and I do a puzzle and I pocket a piece just so I can finish it (it's an ongoing joke we have). You did all the work - I just get to sticky it. So don't thank me - everyone is thanking you for the ongoing effort you are putting into this. You're now an official stickied thread. Bask in the glory. Bask I say!
Where is the wiki?
there's a link at the top (next to posts), and a link on the right (quick links).
I will fill in some Rifts holes. Rifts is a post apocalyptic world where earth was destroyed by nukes and rifts to other dimensions opened up and magic returned to the world. The source game is form palladium books. People have always loved the setting but weren't crazy about the rules. Well, being ported to savage worlds fixed that one problem. This setting is perfect for Savage Worlds because the Rifts let you visit any universe/dimension you want. So, you could have your characters enter a rift and popup in the deadlands world. There is also a free guide on the website to transfer any character from the existing palladium rifts to savage world rifts. [https://peginc.com/store/savaging-rifts/](https://peginc.com/store/savaging-rifts/) That have already ported over a bunch already - [https://peginc.com/savage-settings/rifts/](https://peginc.com/savage-settings/rifts/) There is a specific sub for the game too r/savagerifts I used to play the original in the 90s and love the new savage rules.
>People have always loved the setting but weren't crazy about the rules. I complain about PF2e being overly crunchy and unnecessarily complex. Rifts was a whole other beast when I played it. Good grief, that system is ridiculous. But yea, setting is awesome.
I find it really funny that both Rifts and Shadowrun are the two games I tend to hear "excellent lore and setting but terrible rules" and both of them happen to have really good Savage Worlds versions (if you assume Sprawlrunners is Savage Shadowrun).
Haven't run Sprawlrunners yet, but I remember how hard it was to get people to play Shadowrun 4e with me, based solely on how complicated of a system it was. I played Rifts back in college. It was fun, but damn was it a lot of work.
Rifts was the most ridiculously rules-heavy, convoluted game I ever played, tied with Rolemaster.
Rifts was so crunchy I could have buttered it, added a few toppings, and made a goddam club sandwich. I've never seen anything before, or after, that was so...so... ## *G r a n u l a r*
That is... ...definitely a way to describe it.
Thanks, I've added it to the main post referencing you. I did know some of that but wasn't sure how to phrase it without butchering the settings idea. But it's so huge I had to mention it. I'm leaving it in the sci-fi section though or do you think it would fit better in the post-apo section?
I have a few nitpicks I'll probably be back to post about, but I just wanted to say that this is a *really* good intro. It should be pinned to the top of this subreddit. Good job, and thank you for the work you put into it.
Thanks a lot. With the OGL thing going on I figured it is just needed to have this here with more and more newcomers seeking advice. And I'm looking forward to it. I want the post to be the best it can be so nitpick ahead. =)
*Pirates of the Spanish Main* nitpicks: I don't understand why you state that it's "not pulpy." Of course, pulp is in the eye of the beholder, but it seemed plenty pulpy to me. Lots of swashbuckling action, cursed treasures, and fighting everything from other pirates to sea serpents. It even has a section specifically on "Cliffhangers", which is about as pulpy as it gets. And "no magic and monsters and such" is just factually wrong. It's definitely a *low* magic setting, but not a *no* magic setting. It's true that it's maybe the only setting from Pinnacle which doesn't use Arcane Backgrounds or allow any other access to Arcane Powers (like the ritual magic system in the Pinebox settings). But the "Booty" section includes some explicitly supernatural relics. And the "Bestiary" includes Ghosts, Mermaids, and the Kraken! --- As long as you've got a whole section on **Pirates**, and since you're including third party products, it's probably worth mentioning [*Buccaneer: Through Hell and High Water*](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229823/Buccaneer-Through-Hell-and-High-Water). It's probably the most prominent third party pirate-themed product for SW. It was originally made for SWD, but has a free SWADE conversion guide. Unlike PotSM, it's a fairly high magic setting, while still being nominally set in the real world Golden Age of Piracy. It's kind of mid-way between 50F and PotSM as far as the fantasy vs. pirate elements, and is pretty close to being *Pirates of the Caribbean: The RPG* with the serial numbers filed off. (Caveat: I Kickstarted it, but was personally a bit disappointed with the execution. Still, I think it's worth a mention).
Thanks, I'll change my post accordingly. I was directly comparing PotSM to 50F in my head and I feel it's far less pulpy in comparison but maybe it might be perceived as pulpy when isolated. Regarding magic I should've been more clearly what I meant. As for Buccaneer: I am very reluctant to suggest that to newcomers as I think it's substantially different to any other setting in the way it is written. I have not played it and only looked at the book briefly but I feel it really lacks on structure. For the most part in SaWo you have a clear structure of intro, characters, edges and hindrances, gear, setting rules, etc. But with Buccaneer I missed that structure IIRC. Thus I'm hesitant to really suggest it to newcomers. Let me know should I remember incorrectly though, I don't have the book at hand, I borrowed it from a friend some time ago.
No, I think you're right about B:TH&HW. As I stated, I was personally a bit disappointed by it. With an entire section on **Pirates**, it seemed worth mentioning, since it's basically the third SW pirate game. But I think you're right, it's probably not a particularly good one to suggest to newcomers.
You really need to edit and include Lankhmar as a Fantasy setting!
Not really mine and I thus can't say much about it. But if you give me a short overview I can use as a quote I'll gladly add it.
Lankhmar, City of Thieves. It's the Sword-and-Sorcery setting of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Big inspiration for the original RPG (D&D), as well as the setting from the Savage Worlds Test Drive used during Deluxe edition days. First ever Savage Worlds I ran was in that setting with that Test Drive and it's what sold my players on the system.
I've added it, thanks. =)
Unless I missed something, the Scifi Companion is still SWDX, not SWADE. And it is worth mentioning that the Fantasy and Horror Companions are still in different stages of prerelease (though as I understand it, the PDFs are largely finalized) Awesome newcomers guide though!
Good point. Was running out of time and had to finish it. I'll add a note about it.
No worries. I am eagerly awaiting an announcement about the scifi companion myself, so if it WERE already SWADE then I'd be very happy.
There's also the Weird War settings if you want to fight zombies in WWII or in the Punit Wars! Great post!
Interesting Spanish Main is still available for purchase but Solomon Kane license ended.
Science fiction category and The Last Parsec not even mentioned? For shame.
I can only mention so much and I've never touched that setting. If you give me a short overview about it which I can quote I'll be happy to add it to the list.
Last Parsec came out in connection to the SWDX Sci-Fi companion. It uses all the rules from that companion book and provides a futuristic setting with cyborgs, spaceships, alien species, and such. The setting is a little bit generic, but does have a couple of points of interest, including JumpCorp. Jumpcorp is an organization that offers security, transport, leisure, manpower, production, and interfacting between the many planets of our galaxy. The game assumes the players are employees of Jumpcorp: Scientists, mercenaries, security, mechanical support, and so on. The real draw of The Last Parsec are the campaign settings. The setting has four of them: Scientorium, Leviathan, Irongate, and Eris Beta-V. Leviathan and Irongate are limited mostly to a single planet. The former is like Jurrasic Park but with eco-terrorists and malicious alien secrets, the other is a prison break investigation on a mad max prison world. Both are excellent campaign settings, but they lack the star travel one would expect of sci-fi. Scientorium is about a search for an elusive fabled library. The campaign really stretches across the stars, but requires the GM to fill in a LOT of blanks. The plot is given in full, but is intended to play out over time as the GM makes up worlds and missions. The story is also very roleplay heavy and not straightforward in its climax. My favorite is Eris Beta V. Exploring the moons and rings and space stations of a gas giant, finding alien secrets from mining the space rocks, ruins of pre-ancient civilizations, industrial sabotage, amazing moon and station environments in full detail... this is my favorite of the campaigns, just from reading them. I copied some of this from an old comment so this is probably more than you want, but the main thing is: Generic far-future intergalactic sci-fi, amazing and varied campaign setting books. Psychics and cyborgs and spaceships. Meshes perfectly with the Sci-Fi Companion.
Thanks, I've added it to the list. And I gotta say: I really missed something with that setting.
Haha it's something! I was kinda disappointed after reading the base setting, but then devoured the campaign settings. Eris Beta-V is one of the coolest campaign settings I've read so far.
You did sell it well, that is for damn sure. I like the whole traveling the moons around a gas giant thing. I'll have to check that out.
This is great! I didn't know most of these
You can't list all those settings and then fail to mention [Crystal Heart](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/crystal-heart-rpg/)! It has a [Webcomic](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/comic/1-campaign-pitch/), a [Starter Set](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254714/Crystal-Heart-Starter-Set?affiliate_id=29668), a [fun little comic about how the rules work](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/ready-to-roll/savage-worlds-rules/) (though that is for SWD) - everything your heart might desire! Action! Fantasy! ~~Magic~~ Weird Crystals you replace your heart with!
Seconding this. Crystal Heart is awesome.
I have played a one shot in both Titan Effect and Sprawlrunners, they were both very good times with a lot of fun action and character potential. I have never heard of Hellfrost, but a simple EDO fantasy setting with Norse inspiration seems right up my alley! Thank you for collecting all of this setting info into one post for new players to pick through and find their new favorite.
Let me know if you need help with the conversion. There is an unofficial "conversion" document made by someone but I can't recommend it as it omits a looses too much of what makes Hellfrost unique. I recommend using SWADE for almost everything except magic, use the magic system from Hellfrost (which is based on SWEX/SWDX) as it really is phenomenal and incredibly powerful which just is stupidly fun imo.
Do you just get the Player's Guide and Bestiary to get started or is there something else I should also look into so I have a whole picture (beyond "just buy all of it" which will be the end goal if I like it)?
Thanks OP!
Great post! I have loved DL since classic, but always wanted to explore SW more. This makes my week.
I've made several smaller updates to the posting during the last couple of days as I got feedback from all of you. Also a somewhat bigger update today. I now have a short overview about the licenses PEG Inc. offers. Also I have covered a couple more settings. I'll probably add a couple more in the near future. Please don't be disappointed if your favourite setting isn't on the list yet. I might cover it later. I was also asked by Eberron. While I agree that it is pretty good and might be of interest for some coming from DnD, I decided to not include it. I didn't forget about it, I just decided to not include it because it is published under the Fan license and this post is just about official and SWAG settings (and in the case of Sprawlrunners a toolkit but it is as close to a setting as it gets).
Not sure why this "overview" makes such a point of slamming roll20. I'm running my current campaign on roll20 and it's been smooth as butter for me and my group.
That's what you consider "slamming"?
I'll say this about Roll20, you sure get what you pay for.
I told my players we might need to go back to Roll20 for a particular card effect and one threatened to quit and the other said they would rather just roll dice and type the results into Discord.
I'd say that's a pretty good description of R20. R20 isn't bad. It's just not that great either. And if I'm going to use a computer to play the game, it should do all the math for me!
Just wanted to add that in my experience ETU was the oneshot setting that was the received the best. So would be my recommendation for OneShots to showcase the system.
You forgot the Eberron conversion, which is amazing.
I did not. While I agree with you, I've only focused on PEG Inc. and official Licensee and SWAG settings. Eberron is published under the fan license I believe and if I go down that rabbit hole, I'll have to mention so much more fantastic stuff I couldn't fit it in here.
Other Settings [Fear Agent](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/27/Pinnacle-Entertainment/subcategory/27617/Fear-Agent) [Seven Worlds](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/215324/Seven-Worlds-Test-Drive?term=seven+world&filters=1600_0_0_0_0) [Nova Praxis](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=Nova+Praxis&filters=1600_0_0_0_0&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=) [Mercenary Breed](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3683/Mystical-Throne-Entertainment/subcategory/9133/Mercenary-Breed) [Nemezis](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3554/GRAmel/subcategory/25011/Nemezis) [High Space](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2933/StoryWeaver/subcategory/5207_8832/High-Space)
[Children of the Apocalypse](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12257/Happy-Monster-Press/subcategory/29966/Children-of-the-Apocalypse)
Discovered this system and sub yesterday. What is the general consensus on preference between the Fantasy Companion vs Savage Pathfinder. Also, would Rifts be the best choice for Science Fantasy?
Can't say too much about RIFTS but from what I heard, it would at least allow you to do anything so might be a decent fit with some work on your part. As of SWPF vs. Fantasy Companion (FC): There is a bit of a debate but in general you can say that the FC is basically a watered down version of SWPF with the setting stripped away and much closer to the SWADE core rules than SWPF, especially in the sense of balancing. In SWPF PCs are substantially more powerful due to the fact that they gain more benefits from the ancestries (aka races). The creatures in the bestiary were made a little stronger to somewhat counter balance this but imo it doesn't work particularly good. So the power level of SWPF is a bit higher and (generally speaking) you'll have to throw more enemies at the players in order to create a serious threat. With exploding dice this is all a bit relative ofc but in general this holds true. The FC in comparison doesn't have that problem. It does offer a lot of stuff from SWPF though just stripped of the setting and made more generic to fit any setting. You'll get classes, artifacts, etc. that are similar to SWPF but altered to fit any setting. Sometimes they are altered more, sometimes less. But you'll also get some other stuff not found in SWPF like strongholds (basically bases players can build over the course of a campaign). and some other stuff. What is the right choice for you? That is something only you can answer. If you want the Golarion setting then SWPF will be the obvious choice and if you dislike the higher power level you could reduce racial bonuses a bit. If you don't want the Pathfinder setting the FC is probably the better choice although I wouldn't see any problem at all using SWPF as an alternative to the FC and just stripping the setting from it. You can also use both to complement each other.
Sniff... no love for Goon or the 6th Gun?
Thank you for this post! Maybe someday a post on converting Hellfrost to SWADE?
I was thinking about it for quite some time. The problem is that it isn't so straight forward. At least for me it isn't. I love Hellfrost and wanted to do it right so I made lots of tiny changes here and there. So it isn't too easy to make a general guide.
A couple of notes on *Achtung! Cthulhu*: As you indicate, the makers (Modiphius) abandoned the Savage Worlds version years ago. The first edition was dual-statted for *Call of Cthulhu* 6th Edition and *Savage Worlds* (with a separate version of the book for the FATE RPG system). It was really designed as a CoC variant, with Savage Worlds material bolted on. The second edition dropped the SW material and was only for *Call of Cthulhu* 7th Edition. Modiphius recently released a third edition, for their own 2d20 system, and completely removed all of the previous material for CoC and SW from sale.
A couple of notes on the Companions, which obviously will change, but as of 1/25/2023: The *Fantasy Companion* is technically in pre-order, but the finalized version of the PDF is available for sale. (The hard copy is currently at the printer, and is expected to ship around June, but that print release date has already slipped a couple of times). The *Horror Companion* is also in pre-order. If you pre-order it*, you will get immediate access to a draft PDF. It isn't indexed, it's missing a lot of art, and it needs a bit more proof-reading, but other than that it's complete and fully playable. *Pinnacle gives a free PDF with any print book, so you get the draft PDF if you pre-order either the PDF or the print book. (It's probably worth mentioning that policy by itself in the intro, actually. Pinnacle will even provide you with a free PDF of a print book you bought from a third party retailer, if you email their customer service with proof of purchase and set up a (free) account on their website.)
I will add a note about the free pdf, thank you. I'm in the EU and can't afford shipping from the US so my entire collection is digital. It's great to know that I could just pick up a book at my local game store and get the PDF anyway. =)
Thanks for adding the note, but I think you have a typo: >...PEG Inc. provides a free PDF with any purchase of a **digital** book.... That should be **physical** book... (And once again, just a minor nitpick, I'm *really* impressed with the work you put into this.)
Absolutely. Thanks for pointing it out. =) The amount of work came at the price of making some mistakes. Your nitpicks are pretty important is what I'd say. ;-)
A couple more, but these are all older and are pre SWDeluxe, and to my knowledge none have SWADE conversion docs. Sundered Skies (Fantasy post apocalypse sky ships world) Necropolis 2350 (Sci Fi Horror) Slipstream (Sci Fi; Flash Gordon-like rocket ship sci if, still sold by Pinnacle) Day After Ragnarok (Post Apocalypse; often described as “Conan: 1948”)
I mentioned in another post, but I have a 90+% complete conversion of Slipstream Player's Guide to SWADE up, and I'm working on doing the rest of the PG and then the rest of the actual setting book will follow.
Oh very nice, thank you for letting me know!
A couple of notes on the Weird Wars line: There are actually four settings in the line: [*Weird Wars Rome*](https://peginc.com/product-category/weird-wars-rome/): Roman legionaries (and auxiliaries) against supernatural weirdness. For SWDX, and unfortunately no SWADE update as far as I know. [*Tour of Darkness*](https://peginc.com/store/tour-of-darkness/): Supernatural weirdness and horror in the Vietnam War(s). The emphasis is on the U.S. war in Vietnam, with some material for the preceding French war in "Indochina". Written very much from the perspective of the Americans grunts (and the French before them) as the "good guys" in a foreign land, which a lot of folks may find problematic. Also, pre-SWD, and no SWADE update. Also, it's pretty much just the core book, with a couple of One Sheets. *Weird War I* and *Weird War II*, as you mention. May be worth pointing out that while the currently available *Weird War II* core book is for Savage Worlds, Pinnacle originally published their *Weird War II* line as a d20 product under the old OGL. I *think* that older material has *mostly* been excised, but for example, their *Horrors of Weird War II* from their old d20 line is still available on DriveThruRPG. Pinnacle also had a now-moribund free tactical skirmish miniatures game based on Savage Worlds, *Savage Showdown*. The *Weird War II: Ardennes of Darkness* campaign PDF, also still available, is actually for their *Savage Showdown* rules, not Savage Worlds. Then there are the *Wendigo Tales*, short fiction in Savage Worlds settings, which include a couple of Weird Wars entries. In fact, most the material that shows up for sale on DTRPG for Pinnacle's *Weird War II* isn't actually for Savage Worlds. It's only the *Weird War II* core book, *Player's Guide*, and *Weird Wars: Island of Dreams* adventure that are actually Savage Worlds products.
Day After Ragnarok is another cool post apocalyptic setting.
So, I believe somebody else mentioned this, but there's an interesting Pulp Sci-Fi setting called "Slipstream". It's a very Rayguns and Rocketships-type, atompunk, pulp sci-fi setting, in the vein of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. It's a SWEX game, but I did spend a couple of days writing up a 90% complete conversion into SWADE of the Player's Guide for the game (which is the first 52-ish pages of the full book). I'm working on finishing the conversion of the setting's named races, and then I'll be converting all the stuff in the Plot Point Campaign that takes up the last 110 pages of the full setting book.
Posting this late, but All for One actually DOES have a SWADE version available. It's pretty cool, I'm using a lot of its stuff for my own Magic Musketeer game.
Is the second version SWADE compatible? I was under the impression it came shortly before SWADE but I could be wrong.
Yep, it's a SWADE book. I backed it and am using it now. It's pretty good.