MiniWarGaming has posted a demo of “The Savage Soul” and an interview with its creator, Bogo. Dave Discovers The Savage Soul (youtube.com)
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New Peculiarities: “Mindless Hunger,” “Mindless Rage,” “Soft Spot,” and “SK: Savant”
The Errata section describes two new Peculiarities, “Mindless Hunger,” “Mindless Rage,” “Soft Spot,” and “Savant.” These Peculiarities will provide greater flexibility in character design.
New FAQ and Errata re: Divisible
There is a new FAQ pertaining to gaining “Divisible” through “Shape Change” or “Animal Form” (Spoiler: It won’t work). There is also a new errata adjusting the cost of “Divisible.”
NPC Interaction with Mutants
While every GM is free to define his world and his NPCs as he sees fit, the “default” setting of The Savage Soul (i.e., the aftermath of Yellow Mike and the Great Destruction) envisions a world where mutants are universally feared and hated by non-mutant humans. As a result, when a character has any “Mutation” Peculiarity, it comes with the built-in disadvantage of widespread prejudice. This is why Peculiarities such as “PW: Deceptive Appearance (1)” and “SP: Non-Mutant Augmentation” are valuable.
For each group of NPCs in his world, the GM must decide that group’s typical attitude toward mutants, which may range from murderous hostility to (in very rare cases) tolerance and acceptance. A group like the Combine (Section 2.7.8), for example, is openly hostile toward all mutants and seeks to eradicate them. This does not necessarily mean any given Combine member will mindlessly attack any mutant he sees (although he might); he will, however, likely refuse to associate with the mutant, subject the mutant to rude behavior, and seek opportunities to bring about the mutant’s eventual demise (possibly by reporting the mutant’s existence and whereabouts to Combine units better suited to engage with lethal force).
Most NPC groups (the average human settlement, for example) will not be quite so hostile toward mutants; but most (if not all) will genuinely believe one or more of the following:
- Mutants are dangerous and unpredictable and cannot be trusted.
- All mutants are secretly (if not openly) evil.
- All mutants secretly (if not openly) hate non-mutant humans.
- Mutants are unclean (or cursed) and exposure to mutants can cause disease or other maladies.
Keeping these deeply held beliefs in mind will help the GM decide how any given NPC would likely react to any given mutant. For example: On an ordinary day, merchants, innkeepers, bartenders, and the like might refuse service to mutants, and townspeople might seek to drive mutants away. In desperate times, however, these same proprietors and townspeople might grudgingly tolerate mutants that are willing to help solve problems . . . but be quick to fall back upon old prejudices once those problems are solved.
In any case, being a mutant should not be something a character can easily disregard. And the GM should make a point of reminding such characters that, for them, few places in the world are truly friendly.
Tutorial 3: Actions & Reactions
Please check out the latest installment in the “How to Play The Savage Soul” series. This one explains every Action and Reaction a character can perform during a Savage Soul combat round. Enjoy!
Savage Soul Video Trailer
Please check out the new video trailer for “The Savage Soul.” You can access it from the “Introduction” tab.
New FAQ and Errata
A new FAQ has been added regarding the maximum permissible Mass score for PCs.
A new Errata has been added regarding range-based Attack penalties for “Stretching” attacks.
Errata: Acrobatic Stike
There is an error in the description of “Acrobatic Strike” under “SK: Acrobat” in Appendix A8. Corrected language has been posted to the Errata.
NPC vs. NPC Quick Kill System
Bonus rules for an NPC vs. NPC Quick Kill System have been posted to “Generators & More.” This system is meant for battles in which fairly generic NPCs are fighting one another, either with or without accompanying PCs and/or less-generic NPCs. When resolving the attack of one generic NPC against another, the GM need only determine a modifier based upon the relative XP Totals of the attacker and defender (including an appropriate XP equivalent for combat equipment). The GM then rolls 2d10, adds the modifier (plus other applicable modifiers, such as IC, Fatigue, Range, etc.), and applies the result.
For example: If a 1,500 Total XP Royal Guard shoots his GR2 Rifle at a 300 Total XP Starving Rebel at a range of 30 meters, his total Quick Kill modifier will be +2 (i.e., +3 for the XP difference and -1 for the range). The GM then rolls 2d10 and adds 2 for a total of 14. The Starving Rebel suffers a Serious Wound and must discard his Ready Token. During the next combat round, the Starving Guard returns fire with his own GR2 Rifle and has a total modifier of -6 (i.e., -3 for the XP difference, -1 for the range, and -2 for being Seriously Injured). The GM then rolls 2d10 and subtracts 6 for a total of 9, and the Starving Rebel’s attack has no effect.
This rule is entirely optional, and a GM should feel free to use it always, sometimes, or never.
New Player Resources
New player resources have been added to the “Generators & More” page. The Wound Table is a handy cross-reference that eliminates a few steps when determining the Wound Rating of an attack. The Action/Reaction Quick Reference provides a list of all possible combat Actions and Reactions and is meant to serve as a single sheet handout (front and back).