Confusion over Savage Worlds Rulsets... Which to buy?

[Jingo]

Hiya folks,

I'm interested in possibly getting started GMing with Savage Worlds in FG2. I own FG2 (full version). But from the store, I'm confused about which product is the actual SW ruleset that I should get.

There's this one for $12
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=DGA040

And there's this item for $8
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=DGA064

I've never played SW before, so I'm not too familiar with it. From their website, they sell the SW Explorer Edition version of the rules (the latest right?), so it sounds like the $8 item is what I need, right? Yet the $8 item sounds like a module that runs inside the $12 item. Is that correct?

The issue is further confused if I go to the RPGNow website and they show the SW Explorer Edition for $12, but not as a module:
https://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56915 with this note,

"This product is the Savage Worlds Ruleset for Fantasy Grounds II that contains the Explorer Edition rules (not the original SW Core rules, as released with previous products). There are NO NEW products here. This is a re-packaging that our customers have been requesting. If you already own the SW ruleset and SWEXP modules, do not buy this package."

And then there's a diff $12 ruleset here...
https://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=50304 says,

"**NOTE**: This download is the FULL version of the v2 ruleset release, containing the recent upgrade improvements. THIS IS NOT THE UPGRADE FILES for previous buyers of the product. This download is for new customers of the Savage Worlds Ruleset."

*scratching head* :confused:

Help?

Thanks,

[VenomousFiligree]

Savage Worlds for FG2 was first released using the "Revised Rules (https://www.studio2publishing.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25_74_124&products_id=1905)". Later the Savage Worlds "Explorers Edition (https://www.studio2publishing.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25_74_124&products_id=2394)" was added as a module and then as a full ruleset.

Sooo, There are now 2 complete rulesets one using the Revised Rules and one using the Explorers Edition (both priced $12) and there is an Explorers Edition module (for $8 dollars).

I believe all versions of the ruleset should be at V2.

So you need to choose whether you want the Revised Edition rules or the Explorers Edition (I would recommend this one) or both!

Hope that helps :)

Phil

[Orpheus]

You want the $12 Explorer's Edition. I'm just now getting into SW and considered picking up one of the rulesets so that I can, you know, actually play some SW for once.;) I went looking at the rulesets and kind of went, "Ok...which one?" I came to the conclusion which MurghBpurn stated above: There's Revised and Explorer's Edition AND copies of the Explorer's Edition rules FOR the Revised Ruleset so that those owning that one didn't have to pony up the cash for a completely new ruleset.

In short: https://www.digitaladventures.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=100

[Griogre]

I just wanted to point out that all most all Savage World settings up to Shaintar use revised rules (PotSM basically uses the explorer rules plus). However, it is pretty easy to convert revised to explorer.

Should you want both sets of rules then you want to get the revised ruleset and then $8 Explorer rules add-on as the cheapest way of getting both.

I totally agree that if you want just one ruleset the explorer one is the way to go.

[Jingo]

Thanks all for your explanations. I'm most interesting in getting started with the Rippers setting and getting some FG2 modules for that. Can I use just the Explorer Edition ruleset by itself as a baseline for this? Or do I need the original Revised Rules with the Explorer Edition module?

[Griogre]

You can use the Explorer Edition ruleset to run the Rippers setting. A couple of points - the only difference between the Revised & Explorer rulesets is the reference materials. One comes with Savage Worlds Revised rule library reference modules, the other comes with the Savage Worlds Explorer rule library reference rule modules - both now use the V2 "guts" of the Savage Worlds ruleset.

So you should really pick the ruleset with the rules you are going to use when you run your Rippers game. The Rippers Setting itself was made with the revised rules. If you are familiar with D&D then the analogy would be Revised SW rules = D&D 3.0 and Explorer Edition SW rules = D&D 3.5 and the Rippers Adventure Module/Setting was written for 3.0. It wasn't a big deal to run 3.0 modules using the 3.5 rules.

[Griogre]

Sooo, There are now 2 complete rulesets one using the Revised Rules and one using the Explorers Edition (both priced $12) and there is an Explorers Edition module (for $8 dollars).

I believe all versions of the ruleset should be at V2.

Actually, there are really 3 complete SW rulesets from DA. Shaintar is a standalone ruleset with different art - though it doesn't come with either revised or explorer library rule modules and needs one or the other for a complete reference library. If you liked the art better you could run any of the other Savage World Settings from the Shaintar ruleset, plus you get the Shaintar setting. You would still need to get the Explorer Edition Module if you wanted the reference material. The Shaintar ruleset has a slightly different version of the SW ruleset with a few more features but nothing that breaks backwards compatibility. [Note - I did work on DA's conversion of Shaintar.]

[VenomousFiligree]

Actually, there are really 3 complete SW rulesets from DA.
I stand corrected! :)


Thanks all for your explanations. I'm most interesting in getting started with the Rippers setting and getting some FG2 modules for that. Can I use just the Explorer Edition ruleset by itself as a baseline for this? Or do I need the original Revised Rules with the Explorer Edition module?
Rippers was written for the Revised rules, however it shouldn't prove problematic to tweak it to the Explorers Edition.

[mac40k]

The biggest change (and the only functional one that I'm aware of) between Revised and Explorer's edition is that melee damage went from fixed modifier to a die type modifier and the roll is no longer considered a trait roll, so no wild die is used. In other words, Str+1 becomes Str+d4, Str+2 becomes Str+d6, etc. If you want to run an older module using the latest ruleset, it should be relatively easy to make these changes to the module and re-export the module. That's what I did with the 50F module.

[demonsbane]

Actually, there are really 3 complete SW rulesets from DA. Shaintar is a standalone ruleset with different art
I can't find any screenshots of Shaintar SW ruleset here in the gallery. I would like to check how it looks.

[Griogre]

I made some screen shots and posted them to the Gallery so they wouldn't get lost in the Tavern. They are here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=76197#post76197

This is an old thread. While there are three ways to get the Savage World ruleset there are really just two rulesets: the one bundled with either the Revised or Explorer rules or the Shaintar one. I did a better explaintion of the Savage World rulesets here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10587&highlight=Savage+Worlds