Deadlands - what is needed?

[calseeor]

Hello all,
I'm new to using FG (just bought it yesterday) but I've been trolling the forums on and off for years. I'm thinking of running a deadlands game for some friends that are across the country from me but I have a few questions before I put more money into it. Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere or seem like common knowledge:

• As the DM, I need a full license of FG (which I have) and...the Deadlands Players AND Marshall guides, correct?
• For my players - do they need to own their own copy of the players guide?
• If they do not need their own copy of the players guide - I assume they will be able to make characters once they connect to my session, is that true?
• When buying the FG addons (such as the deadlands books) will I as the GM, be able to read through the "books" or are they more like backend mechanics for FG rather than actual books?
• And finally - I own the PDF printing of the Savage Worlds Core Rules from a few years ago. Now I see talk about a SWEX (explorers?). Do I need the explorers guide (in real life, not as a FG module) to be up to date with the Savage World version I got with FG?

Thanks all.
Regards,
--Eryk

[Doswelk]

Welcome!

As the DM, I need a full license of FG (which I have) and...the Deadlands Players AND Marshall guides, correct?

You also need the Savage Worlds Ruleset (Deadlands ruleset is an extension to that)

For my players - do they need to own their own copy of the players guide?

Nope - but owning the PDF version is helpful (to speed up character creation) but not necessary as the whole books are in the ruleset.

If they do not need their own copy of the players guide - I assume they will be able to make characters once they connect to my session, is that true?

Yes

When buying the FG addons (such as the deadlands books) will I as the GM, be able to read through the "books" or are they more like backend mechanics for FG rather than actual books?

They are the whole books converted from the PDFs and all the NPCs entered as FGII NPCs

And finally - I own the PDF printing of the Savage Worlds Core Rules from a few years ago. Now I see talk about a SWEX (explorers?). Do I need the explorers guide (in real life, not as a FG module) to be up to date with the Savage World version I got with FG?

If I read that right you have the revised edition (2nd printing or maybe even the first).
If you want to be "up to date" you want to have the Savage Worlds Deluxe rule book, that said the Deadlands ruleset (and books) were written for the Savage Worlds Explorer's edition, so if you do not need the books (unless you hate reading rules from FGII)

The main difference (that I know of - I started with SWEX) is the way damage was changed - it is no longer considered a trait roll, and melee damage is different as instead of being str+1 or str+2 it is now str+d4, str+d6, etc. The dice can explode. Getting a raise "to hit" now means you get to add +1d6 to the roll (regardless of how many raises you got)

Hope that helps

[calseeor]

Thanks very much Doswelk.

Ignore what was previously here. Somehow I missed that you gave me the extra info I was just asking for. DOH!


Thanks again!
--Eryk