Easiest start to running a SWADE campaign?

[bracken]

Hi,

In the current lock-down my group of work colleagues are looking for a quick way to get playing online. I have a FGU Ultimate license and have bought the SWADE ruleset. I have never played savage worlds before but liked the look of the automation features built into the combat tracker and character sheet in a couple of videos on the FG youtube channel.

My big issue now is that I want to buy something ready to play with minimal setup needed by myself, (preferably none ;) )!

Can anyone recommend a setting, module, whatever that has everything just ready to go ... genre doesn't matter too much. What I need is something where we can get started in a couple of days time and where I won't have to do any prep other than reading the module and won't force me to spend ages setting up encounters while we are playing? Despite my having had a FGC license for many years I never got around to using it and the others haven't even heard of FG until now, so we will have enough on out plates learning the UI without me slowing things down further.

Do any modules like this exist for SWADE? I don't mind buying a setting and some tokens to go with the module if necessary.

TIA, Bracken

[wyndhydra]

Hi there. You might want to look at the Eye of Kilquato. Mind you that is not a full on campaign but it is long enough for you all to get sorted on all of the SWADE rules (Was 4-5 hours when I played with my family a while back). Further it has a price tag of $0.00, so it won't break the bank. My thought is it would allow you to all get comfy with the savage worlds rules and get some RPing and combat under your belt. That adventure will be SWADE compliant, so don't forget to load that too. Then you as a group could decide on a bigger campaign if you like the savage worlds feel. The different published settings are all very unique and for my 2 cents it is better to get one that appeals to both you, the GM and the players, as there will always be some amount of reading and backstory that will need to be read. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to get my group to Weird Wars, but if it doesn't jive it won't be fun. Hope you have a great time with it.

[bracken]

Thanks, wyndhydra.

At that price I'll give it a go!

My initial goal is to prove that our group can actually function using Fantasy Grounds. To do that I am not too worried about genre or a long campaign. A one shot is definitely the way to go. Once we are comfortable with using Fantasy Grounds and Savage Worlds as a core game system I will be willing to invest the time into crafting my own setting and adventures. Having read the SWADE manual it seems geared up to do just that. The trouble is that setting everything up takes time and I want to run something while I get everything ready.

I have bought 50 Fathoms. I love the concept of the setting. However, while the Player Guide for SWADE contains a nice reference manual version, the GM guide does not. And there appears to be no rhyme or reason to the ordering of the sections inside the GM guide. I gave up trying to work my way through it. On top of that I would have to construct my own copies of the maps, npcs etc and set up all the encounters myself to actually run it. (Unless I am missing something ...).

I bought the Deadlands Reloaded setting as well. It doesn't have reference manual versions of either guide :(. But, hey, it comes with a starter adventure, 'Round the Mountain. I opened up the story panel to find the entries are all out of sequence; (Adventure Index) -> Chapter One: Tickets Please! -> Chapter Three: Night on Cold Mountain .... aaaaagh. Then I find that the bennies have disappeared, lol. Oh, they are replaced by something else. I'll have to put this setting on the back-burner until I have time to sort it all out.

So I'll give the Eye of Kilquato a go. I did see that there is also one called, Protomen of the Black Bog Post-Apocalyptic Savage Tale. One of the few items in the store actually listed as for SWADE. Has you tried that one?

TIA, Bracken

[Talyn]

Reference Manuals did not exist at the time Deadlands Reloaded was made, that's why. And since Pinnacle is making all-new SWADE versions of Deadlands, the developer hasn't deemed it worth the time and effort to retrofit it with one. Deadlands also uses a custom set of 'bennies' so you will need to enable the Deadlands Reloaded extension prior to loading into your session. (In fact, most of the settings have something customized where you will need the provided extension.)

Eye of Kilquato is a good starter adventure, and the price is certainly right! :)

DLC-wise, look at the release date of the DLC. "Most" of the stuff released 2016 and later should have more of the newer toys baked into it.

[Doswelk]

Thanks, wyndhydra.
I have bought 50 Fathoms. I love the concept of the setting. However, while the Player Guide for SWADE contains a nice reference manual version, the GM guide does not. And there appears to be no rhyme or reason to the ordering of the sections inside the GM guide. I gave up trying to work my way through it. On top of that I would have to construct my own copies of the maps, npcs etc and set up all the encounters myself to actually run it. (Unless I am missing something ...).
TIA, Bracken

50 Fathoms was upgraded to SWADE by me last month there SHOULD be a SWADE Player's Guide and a Captains Guide BOTH as reference manuals.

[bracken]

Hi Talyn and Doswelk,

Thanks for your replies.

I hope my comment wasn't seen to be too negative. I believe that some of the formatting issues I have seen are down to character set conflicts with FGU ... boxes instead of what I suspect are meant to be quote marks etc.

I understand that some of these issues are down to the age of the content as well. I can fully understand the lack of desire to upgrade a product that is soon to become obsolete. In the real world I am a software / database developer. The frustration is more with myself for not doing enough research ... I should probably have bought the setting material pdfs first and read them rather than jumping straight in and buying the FG extensions and assuming I could easily get up to speed from the in game material.

Doswelk, I have just created a new SW campaign and selected just the 50 Fathoms extension. Once loaded I can see 3 appropriate modules; "50 Fathoms (Swade) Player Guide", "50F GM Guide" and "50F Player Guide". I have only loaded the first two of these. Is that correct? (NB - I have the "SWADE GM Guide" and "SWADE Player Guide" loaded as well). When I look in the Library I can see two entries under "50 Fathoms"; "50 Fathoms (Swade) Player Guide" and "50F GM Guide". Opening the Player guide, the top entry is a link to the reference manual. Opening the GM Guide, the top entry I can see is "The Thousand Isles", nowhere in the list is an equivalent of the reference manual in the Player Guide. Am I missing something?

Despite my "moaning" I am having a lot of fun getting to understand FGU and how the SWADE settings are put together. I have bought the "Protomen of the Black Bog" adventure as well as grabbing the free "The Eye of Kilquato". I'll let my group decide which they like the sound of better; 1930's Raiders of the Lost Ark or Post Apocalyptic rescue mission. I did have a question about "The Eye of Kilquato", reading the introduction seems to imply that there are pre-made characters that can be used, Buck, Virginia, Doc Gold and Danny Dare, but I cannot find them. Is that something I am overlooking or are they not included in the freebie?

Thanks again for everyone's help,
Bracken

[Talyn]

Ah yes, FGU has issues with a specific range of characters and not all us have yet taken the time to downgrade our DLC for FGU yet. If I remember when I get home this week, I'll start doing that...

But aside from that, welcome to FG and I hope you enjoy everything and get some fantastic games going! :)