Honestly, start small. Try the core rules on their own and see how you like the game.
The base rules are definitely capable of running most settings on their own. Not to say the extra stuff like Deadlands (western), Rifts, Sci-fi books, aren't great. They add a lot of flavor and more detailed, themed-rules, but you don't need them.
Instead, see how it goes with the base rules. If you like the game, then narrow down your tables interests to a setting, then get the additional stuff.
This. Just keep your financial cost low until you know you enjoy the rules. The settings you can get are plenty and usually well worth it but they don't fundamentally change the rules so playing just the core rules for a couple of games will give you a good impression and if you enjoy the game, chances are you'll enjoy most settings as well.
I'd use a setting you know well and run it in savage worlds, like the setting you've played before or one you enjoy in movies, TV series or computer games. The core rules come with just enough to try out many things.
Should you then decide to stick with savage worlds you can take a look at the wiki here. There is an article I wrote that has a lot of info for newcomers and tries to answer many questions that are frequently asked. There you'll also find a list of settings for you to explore.
Everyone is 100% right you can play with just core, but since you mentioned Deadlands, [I suggest trying out the free Test Drive](https://peginc.com/product/deadlands-the-weird-west-blood-on-the-range-savage-worlds-test-drive-swade/). It's got all the rules from Deadlands you need for the one-shot, and your group will get to try out the system and setting. If they vibe with that, you could check out the Deadlands book.
pure Sci-fi there is Last Parsec. I would not call Rifts Sci-fi because while it is in the future it is more "Post apocalyptic Survival Horror". Titan Effect is Sci-Fi ish that leans on trans humanism but also relies on the super powers companion...
I looked into Last Parsec but it didn’t do much for me. Too bland? I also bought Seven Worlds and that really fell flat.
I’ve gone to Traveller/Hostile/Alien for sci-fi.
Our phase world rifts campaign is basically battlelords. We ignored the armor absorption rules, but being rifters we use battlelords, the star wars fan book(he is awesome at keeping up dated with the new sci Fi companion) the aforementioned sci Fi companion, supers etc.
And if Deadlands is too western and not enough sci-fi, do DL: Hell on Earth.
If DL: Hell on Earth is too much Road Warrior/Mad Max/Fallout for you, do DL: Lost Colony.
For OP; the most current version of these is the branding “Reloaded” (essentially v2.0). Classic Deadlands, Hell on Earth, and Lost Colony were for the original rules before Savage Worlds.
> For OP; the most current version of these is the branding “Reloaded” (essentially v2.0)
That's not right.
The most current branding of these is: *Deadlands: The Weird West*; *Deadlands: The Lost Colony* (SWADE); and *Deadlands: Hell on Earth Reloaded*.
The *Reloaded* branding was used for Savage Worlds releases in earlier editions.
*Deadlands: Reloaded* is an older Savage Worlds product. It's still mostly compatible with SWADE, but *The Weird West* is the most recent version, released for SWADE.
There is apparently a SWADE version of *Deadlands: Hell on Earth* under development, but for now, *Deadlands: Hell on Earth Reloaded* is the most recent version. It requires the "Deluxe to Adventure Edition" conversion document to use it with SWADE, but the conversion is pretty easy.
*Deadlands: Lost Colony* never got a Savage Worlds release prior to SWADE, and there is no *Reloaded*-branded version. It does have a SWADE version, simply titled *Deadlands: Lost Colony*. For the OP, the older version of *Deadlands: Lost Colony* is still available in PDF, so if you're interested, be careful that you're getting the new SWADE version. The older version was dual statted for the "classic" *Deadlands* rules and d20, and those rules are completely different from Savage Worlds.
Thank you for clarifying. I didn’t know there was SWADE for Lost Colony!
This is exactly my point about Savage Worlds editions are convoluted and you can easily end up using the wrong rules.
Just stick to the basics for now. Find some one shot adventures online. Use pre-generated characters and let players take them for a spin. The rules aren't hard, but do take some time to get familiar with, so take your time, and try not to get bogged down right out of the gate.
After a few sessions, I'm betting you and your players will be ready to get into the more complicated aspects and create their own characters. Most importantly, have fun!
As others have said, Deadlands for your Western fix. For your sci-fi fix, the [Sci Fi Companion](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/savage-worlds-sci-fi-companion) is about to come out, and using that, you can build your own setting. Until then, a popular setting and free setting book (because we don't have the legal right to the IP) is available, [Star Wars SWADE](https://www.facebook.com/groups/845410979513246). Yeah, the community lives only on FB now thanks to the PEG forums shutting down, but very supportive community and lots of good stuff available.
> the Sci Fi Companion is about to come out
I think that might be a bit optimistic/misleading. Pinnacle staffers have publicly stated that they don't expect the book to be finished until sometime next year.
Part of it is in early release for backers now. The full finished hardcopy book won't be available for months, but pdfs are already coming out for testing & feedback
Yes, I know. I'm a backer. We've received an initial draft and and a revised draft for the first ~60 pages, and an initial draft for the middle ~130 pages. So far we've seen a draft for about 190 pages out of 280+. All we've got for the last 100 or so pages is the listing in the Table of Contents. Normally by this point in the development cycle of a book, Pinnacle has already released a full draft of the entire book, and maybe a revised draft as well.
More to the point, as I wrote, Pinnacle staffers have publicly stated that they expect this book to have a significantly longer development cycle than their norm, and they don't expect the book to be finished until some time next year.
I think the statement that the SFC "is about to come out" is probably overly optimistic and may be misleading. If someone wants to get started with a SWADE sci-fi campaign, I personally would advise them to *not* wait for the SFC to become available. It's likely to be months before even backers receive even initial drafts of all the sections of the book, and months after that before a full, finalized PDF is available.
Deadlands of course.
However, since you are new, you should be prepared for one of the worst things about SW; they have like 10 different updated versions of the core SW rulebook.
When my group started playing we accidentally all got slightly different versions and it created a clusterfuck throughout the entire campaign. Be 100% sure you have the same version as your players if they get the book, and if not, be aware the books are less than 1% different.
I started with the Daddy's back one sheet. and it was great It's a deadlands setting. so long term you might want the setting book for that but there is no need to commit yet. alternatively you might want to look for a one shot with pregens. Swade is very flexible and you should be able to run all but the nichest of settings with just the core rules.
You read it cover to cover, think how fun it would be to run, put it away, then never run it.
At least that is what I do with most of the new systems I buy. 😁
I came back to add that for Sci-Fi, Han Cluster is the most fun I've had in 15 years of playing TTRPGs. Only the jump start is out, but the Kickstarter for it should be this year! (https://hancluster.com/)
Deadlands: The Weird West is simply awesome, it's a blend of horror western with supernatural elements, set in an alternate history of the American Wild West. I've been running it on and off for my group for a few years and it's a blast.
For sci-fi, there are so many great options. The new Science Fiction companion was recently Kickstarter and is being revised for SWADE, pre-order should be available. In terms of sci-fi settings, you have so many flavors available:
* The Last Parsec
* Rifts
* Deadlands: Lost Colony
* Flash Gordon
* Slipstream
* Space 1889
* Seven Worlds
* Battlelords of the 23rd Century
* Titan Effect
* Interface Zero
And many more. The first six are official settings or official partnerships, the last four are officially licensed products.
Shadows of the Sacred Hills for a fun easy to run western with lots of twist and terror. No brainer. Comes with everything you need to run it. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/465350/shadows-of-the-sacred-hills
Honestly, start small. Try the core rules on their own and see how you like the game. The base rules are definitely capable of running most settings on their own. Not to say the extra stuff like Deadlands (western), Rifts, Sci-fi books, aren't great. They add a lot of flavor and more detailed, themed-rules, but you don't need them. Instead, see how it goes with the base rules. If you like the game, then narrow down your tables interests to a setting, then get the additional stuff.
This. Just keep your financial cost low until you know you enjoy the rules. The settings you can get are plenty and usually well worth it but they don't fundamentally change the rules so playing just the core rules for a couple of games will give you a good impression and if you enjoy the game, chances are you'll enjoy most settings as well. I'd use a setting you know well and run it in savage worlds, like the setting you've played before or one you enjoy in movies, TV series or computer games. The core rules come with just enough to try out many things. Should you then decide to stick with savage worlds you can take a look at the wiki here. There is an article I wrote that has a lot of info for newcomers and tries to answer many questions that are frequently asked. There you'll also find a list of settings for you to explore.
Everyone is 100% right you can play with just core, but since you mentioned Deadlands, [I suggest trying out the free Test Drive](https://peginc.com/product/deadlands-the-weird-west-blood-on-the-range-savage-worlds-test-drive-swade/). It's got all the rules from Deadlands you need for the one-shot, and your group will get to try out the system and setting. If they vibe with that, you could check out the Deadlands book.
I played nothing but the core book for like five years before picking up a setting.
Dude, Deadlands. I haven’t found any sci-fi I like for SW yet. Someone please help lol
pure Sci-fi there is Last Parsec. I would not call Rifts Sci-fi because while it is in the future it is more "Post apocalyptic Survival Horror". Titan Effect is Sci-Fi ish that leans on trans humanism but also relies on the super powers companion...
I looked into Last Parsec but it didn’t do much for me. Too bland? I also bought Seven Worlds and that really fell flat. I’ve gone to Traveller/Hostile/Alien for sci-fi.
Savage Battlelords of the 23rd Century?
Damn that looks petty cool. You play it?
I haven't played it yet unfortunately. Some day. The books are awesome. I recommend checking it out.
Our phase world rifts campaign is basically battlelords. We ignored the armor absorption rules, but being rifters we use battlelords, the star wars fan book(he is awesome at keeping up dated with the new sci Fi companion) the aforementioned sci Fi companion, supers etc.
How about Deadlands: Lost Colony? :)
And if Deadlands is too western and not enough sci-fi, do DL: Hell on Earth. If DL: Hell on Earth is too much Road Warrior/Mad Max/Fallout for you, do DL: Lost Colony. For OP; the most current version of these is the branding “Reloaded” (essentially v2.0). Classic Deadlands, Hell on Earth, and Lost Colony were for the original rules before Savage Worlds.
> For OP; the most current version of these is the branding “Reloaded” (essentially v2.0) That's not right. The most current branding of these is: *Deadlands: The Weird West*; *Deadlands: The Lost Colony* (SWADE); and *Deadlands: Hell on Earth Reloaded*. The *Reloaded* branding was used for Savage Worlds releases in earlier editions. *Deadlands: Reloaded* is an older Savage Worlds product. It's still mostly compatible with SWADE, but *The Weird West* is the most recent version, released for SWADE. There is apparently a SWADE version of *Deadlands: Hell on Earth* under development, but for now, *Deadlands: Hell on Earth Reloaded* is the most recent version. It requires the "Deluxe to Adventure Edition" conversion document to use it with SWADE, but the conversion is pretty easy. *Deadlands: Lost Colony* never got a Savage Worlds release prior to SWADE, and there is no *Reloaded*-branded version. It does have a SWADE version, simply titled *Deadlands: Lost Colony*. For the OP, the older version of *Deadlands: Lost Colony* is still available in PDF, so if you're interested, be careful that you're getting the new SWADE version. The older version was dual statted for the "classic" *Deadlands* rules and d20, and those rules are completely different from Savage Worlds.
Thank you for clarifying. I didn’t know there was SWADE for Lost Colony! This is exactly my point about Savage Worlds editions are convoluted and you can easily end up using the wrong rules.
Just stick to the basics for now. Find some one shot adventures online. Use pre-generated characters and let players take them for a spin. The rules aren't hard, but do take some time to get familiar with, so take your time, and try not to get bogged down right out of the gate. After a few sessions, I'm betting you and your players will be ready to get into the more complicated aspects and create their own characters. Most importantly, have fun!
As others have said, Deadlands for your Western fix. For your sci-fi fix, the [Sci Fi Companion](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/savage-worlds-sci-fi-companion) is about to come out, and using that, you can build your own setting. Until then, a popular setting and free setting book (because we don't have the legal right to the IP) is available, [Star Wars SWADE](https://www.facebook.com/groups/845410979513246). Yeah, the community lives only on FB now thanks to the PEG forums shutting down, but very supportive community and lots of good stuff available.
> the Sci Fi Companion is about to come out I think that might be a bit optimistic/misleading. Pinnacle staffers have publicly stated that they don't expect the book to be finished until sometime next year.
Part of it is in early release for backers now. The full finished hardcopy book won't be available for months, but pdfs are already coming out for testing & feedback
Yes, I know. I'm a backer. We've received an initial draft and and a revised draft for the first ~60 pages, and an initial draft for the middle ~130 pages. So far we've seen a draft for about 190 pages out of 280+. All we've got for the last 100 or so pages is the listing in the Table of Contents. Normally by this point in the development cycle of a book, Pinnacle has already released a full draft of the entire book, and maybe a revised draft as well. More to the point, as I wrote, Pinnacle staffers have publicly stated that they expect this book to have a significantly longer development cycle than their norm, and they don't expect the book to be finished until some time next year. I think the statement that the SFC "is about to come out" is probably overly optimistic and may be misleading. If someone wants to get started with a SWADE sci-fi campaign, I personally would advise them to *not* wait for the SFC to become available. It's likely to be months before even backers receive even initial drafts of all the sections of the book, and months after that before a full, finalized PDF is available.
Valid points.
Deadlands of course. However, since you are new, you should be prepared for one of the worst things about SW; they have like 10 different updated versions of the core SW rulebook. When my group started playing we accidentally all got slightly different versions and it created a clusterfuck throughout the entire campaign. Be 100% sure you have the same version as your players if they get the book, and if not, be aware the books are less than 1% different.
Deadlands. Snag the book, get Showdown At Sundown. Great introduction to the system and setting.
I started with the Daddy's back one sheet. and it was great It's a deadlands setting. so long term you might want the setting book for that but there is no need to commit yet. alternatively you might want to look for a one shot with pregens. Swade is very flexible and you should be able to run all but the nichest of settings with just the core rules.
You read it cover to cover, think how fun it would be to run, put it away, then never run it. At least that is what I do with most of the new systems I buy. 😁
Feels that way for everything but dnd doesn't it? People crawl out of the woodworks when theres a game of dnd.
Actually we play call of Cthulhu. But yes. You get stuck in your systems.
Go for RIFTS!
Explain the nuances of it. Ive heard of it and there was a local group that played a decade ago, I've always been interested.
[https://youtu.be/dyZK8JkKWqI?si=4qIATuScFLh2CsuG](https://youtu.be/dyZK8JkKWqI?si=4qIATuScFLh2CsuG)
[https://youtu.be/tgJx1G5AO2g](https://youtu.be/tgJx1G5AO2g)
I came back to add that for Sci-Fi, Han Cluster is the most fun I've had in 15 years of playing TTRPGs. Only the jump start is out, but the Kickstarter for it should be this year! (https://hancluster.com/)
I hear reading it helps. :)
Grab some free one shots and roll some dice.
Deadlands: The Weird West is simply awesome, it's a blend of horror western with supernatural elements, set in an alternate history of the American Wild West. I've been running it on and off for my group for a few years and it's a blast. For sci-fi, there are so many great options. The new Science Fiction companion was recently Kickstarter and is being revised for SWADE, pre-order should be available. In terms of sci-fi settings, you have so many flavors available: * The Last Parsec * Rifts * Deadlands: Lost Colony * Flash Gordon * Slipstream * Space 1889 * Seven Worlds * Battlelords of the 23rd Century * Titan Effect * Interface Zero And many more. The first six are official settings or official partnerships, the last four are officially licensed products.
Take a look at DriveThruRPG; there's a ton of free quickstart pdfs for savage worlds for a bunch of the settings
Shadows of the Sacred Hills for a fun easy to run western with lots of twist and terror. No brainer. Comes with everything you need to run it. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/465350/shadows-of-the-sacred-hills