Starting powers and points

[Niles]

I'm looking through the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition pdf, and I'm trying to understand the arcane backgrounds. I understand each power uses a certain amount of power points. The book tells me such things as "Power points...the number of points that a character starts with" like it's defining the term. How many actual points does the character start out with and how many do they get as the characters advance? There's no tables like in the D&D rules that define how many powers and points you start out with and how many you get as you rank and advance. Are these tables in the Fantasy Grounds version of the book?

[Talyn]

SWADE Chapter 5.

That first page explains how the system overall works. From there, you choose which Arcane Background Edge you want. So let's say I make a character with the Arcane Background (Weird Science) Edge. That tells me I'll be using Weird Science as my arcane skill, which uses the Smarts attribute. I get 2 starting powers and 15 power points.

Then I go through the Powers list and choose two, and decide what trappings I want to apply to them, and boom, my character is ready to rock. Whenever she casts a spell, I've got a total of 15 power points to spend. When she gets some advancements, I can choose the Power Points Edge to increase her total power points (it stacks so I can keep choosing that if I want), and when I want her to gain a new power I choose the New Powers Edge, then the new power. (That also stacks; you'd grab that Edge each time you add a new power.)

[Niles]

Thank you, Talyn...if I may bother you to answer one more question. Where does it say how many power points are consumed by each power as theyre used up?

[Talyn]

Page 151 -- Activation

Read that whole section for the fiddly bits, but under Maintaining Powers it states that it costs 1 PP to maintain a power for its full Duration. (If it's a power that is maintainable, of course.)

From there, each power lists it's power point cost. So like the Barrier power costs 2 PP to cast. However -- and this is perhaps a fiddly bit the way I'm interpreting it -- it also has a duration of 5, so it's gonna cost 1 PP to make it last the full duration of 5, then if you want to extend it another 5, that costs 1 more PP.

Pretty sure that's how it works anyway? That makes sense based on the way I'm reading it...

[IceBear]

I don't think that's 100% correct Talyn. When you cast Barrier it costs 2 PP and lasts 5 rounds. When those 5 rounds are up the caster could expend another power point (1) to extend the duration by another 5 rounds

The Activation section is what you use when using the power - if successfully used the power comes into effect and for Barrier that means for 5 rounds. The maintaing powers section is for if you want to extend the duration

Here is the answer from Clint Black - official SW rules guru on this

https://archive.pegforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=51470&p=457842

[Talyn]

Oh good! I was hoping that's how it worked, but the more I kept reading it last night, the more it seemed like "no, you have to spend that 1 PP right away."

[Mgrancey]

A couple of extra things to point out, that weren't mentioned. (Arcane Backgrounds are on page 142)

Power Points edge can only be taken once per rank (Novice, Seasoned, Veteran, Heroic, Legendary); New Powers edge is NOT limited like that.

Maintaining a Power costs 1 PP per target, so if the caster is using ARMOR to help himself and 2 allies, it would cost 3 PP (1 for Self and 2 Allies) that the caster maintains it on.

Powers have 2 fiddly parts trappings and modifiers. Using Barrier from before as an example, a trapping would be making it a Wall of ICE. Trappings can be "negotiated" over between GM and PC, such as Fire Powers would be at a +2 or +4 to break it but Water based and Cold based would no harm or increase the size or hardness.

Power Modifiers (pg 152) which has the general type that can be used on most any power and each individual Power has Modifiers as well that CAN be selected UPON ACTIVATING a power. Modifiers add to the initial Activation Cost.
Continuing the example from above Barrier creates a straight wall 5" (10 yards/meters-ish) long and 1" (2 yards/meters) tall. It has Hardness 10 (think armor) and costs 2 PP and lasts 5 rounds; individually it can be modified:

Damage (1PP) contact causes damage
Hardened (1PP): Hardness 12
Shaped (2PP) change to another basic shape (Circle, triangle, etc)
Size (1PP) Double size


If a PC wants to Create a Wall of Ice that hurts and can trap the enemies inside it would cost 6 PP (2 Base + 1 Damage + 2 Shaped + 1 Size), if they decided to Maintain it past the initial 5 rounds it would cost ONLY 1 PP to maintain as counts as a single target. Mechanically, anyone that touched the Wall of Ice would take Cold/Ice damage (In case of Resistances or Vulnerabilities) and need to make a jump of 2" to get over the wall, break out, or use some other method to escape.

He could later then simply Activate his Wall of Ice with NO modifiers, only costing 2 PP which would be 1" high x 5" wide and cause no damage on contact.


Anyways I think that might be it for extra info.

[Lonewolfreloaded]

All of the above is correct.
Unless you choose to change it of course. It is a rules tool kit to build on.

Starting points is based on backround but can be changed with Power Point Edge p47. Some characters are just born more powerful.
They can also be used for character creation only with No Power Point setting rule on p142. Half the cost is now a skill penalty.

There choice in there mix things up and make games feel different. None of this rules out any of the advice given above. It just another fiddly part thown in for fun.