Tabletop RPG · since 2003 · #6 most discussed

Savage Worlds

Fast pulp action in any setting, using trait dice, card-based initiative, and bennies to keep combat quick and cinematic.

Savage WorldsGenericstep dicecardstokensclasslesstactical gridAny lengthNeeds a GM

6.3

Geek rating

From 34 firsthand play reports in 5 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 6.5.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion8.3 / 10

785 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 5.4 for its age.

Have you played it?

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What players say

At the table

Tables that have run Savage Worlds mostly describe fast, dramatic, two-fisted play, driven by card initiative, bennies and exploding dice. Opinions split on how it holds up. Some GMs have used it for years, while others found it a slog or dropped it after a few months. Most of the disagreement is about exploding dice, the per-roll arithmetic, and how long a campaign runs.

What works

Short and medium pulp campaigns, roughly 10-20 sessions to Veteran rank, run well, and one GM uses it as their quick one-shot system (thread).
Bennies let players control rerolls and soak damage, and one GM says the game runs fine with few handed out (thread).
It is flexible across settings and easy to homebrew, and optional rules like Wound Cap can add stakes (thread).
Tests and Support make improvised actions simple to resolve, and combat works on a battlemap with plenty of tactical options (thread).
Card initiative and exploding dice create memorable table moments (thread).

What tables struggle with

The power curve breaks down at the high end, so it fits zero-to-hero or multi-year campaigns poorly (thread).
Early on it is swingy, and Toughness means hits can do nothing. One GM found Shaken confusing and the system slow (thread).
Exploding dice can one-shot a PC or a boss, and a lucky player can trivialise challenges (thread).
Attack and damage math slows some players, and combat can be brutal for characters low on bennies (thread).
Many attacks end with nothing happening, and long campaigns can start to feel samey (thread).

Who it suits

Groups wanting short to medium pulp action who are happy to learn the rules, with quick-reference sheets for new players.
GMs who like building their own setting and tweaking rules.

In players' words

"I run a lot of SWADE. It fits what you want to do. It breaks at the very high end of the power curve" (thread)
"There are so many ways to just have nothing happen on an attack." (thread)
"I've become a SWADE loyalist after playing a lot of systems." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.0

Daggerheart vs Savage Worlds

Players and GMs who ran Savage Worlds call it a tactical, grid-friendly game with flexible Tests and Support rules. Their verdicts range from long-time favourite to 'not to my taste', with brutal combat and fiddly math as the main complaints. Much of the thread compares it with Daggerheart, and those comments were ignored. 8 firsthand · 90 comments

Open on Reddit

6.8

Help me decide a new system to GM: Savage Worlds or Without Number?

The thread is mostly OP weighing Worlds Without Number against Savage Worlds, so firsthand Savage Worlds reports are a minority. Those who ran it, including long-term fans, call it a flexible, deadly engine that works well with bennies and good setting work. Critics find the Shaken and Toughness mechanics awkward, and one GM found it slow and swingy. 7 firsthand · 93 comments

Open on Reddit

5.0

Choosing between systems (PF2e vs SWADE)

The thread is mostly a PF2e-vs-SWADE choice, and the SWADE players who report actual play are split. Fans praise its flexibility, speed and approachability. Others say exploding dice cause one-shots and lopsided fights, leaving little tension or strategy. 7 firsthand · 32 comments

Open on Reddit

6.5

Is SWADE actually what I want, or...?

Players who have run Savage Worlds say it suits pulp action well and runs fast once the group knows it, especially in medium-length campaigns. A few GMs found it a slog or a heavy mental load, and one stopped after six months when the players were ready to leave. Much of the thread is hype or recommendations of Cypher, Genesys and Dicey Tales, which I ignored. 6 firsthand · 37 comments

Open on Reddit

7.4

Savage Worlds: What's not to like?

People who have run or played Savage Worlds mostly enjoy it, especially for fast, dramatic pulp play with card initiative and exploding dice. Their complaints are minor: many attacks produce nothing, the math is fiddly, the game is repetitive over long campaigns, and bennies depend on GM judgment. 6 firsthand · 176 comments

Open on Reddit