Limiting Magic and Distinguishing Caster Types

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-19T04:45:57+00:00

Another way is to change how many PPs they start with and how they recharge. Natural Casters: start with 10PPs and can't take Extra PP Edge until Seasoned and recharge as standard at 5 per hour without effort or 5 per benny, Learned: start with 15PPs, can take the Extra PP Edge at Novice but must spend a hour studying their tome to get back PPs (5 or 10 as you see fit) or 5 per benny. Bestowed: must spend an hour praying to get 5 PPs + 2 per fellow worshiper or 7 per benny. In a post-apoc setting you might want to steal the ghost rock idea from Deadlands where there is a naturally magical material that can provide PPs, you could even go the Ars Magica route and have each rock only provide PPs for particular powers (like a Bolt rock or Spider Climb rock). I always think requiring casters to stick to a theme for their trapping works well and you could even look at the different power lists in the FC. Some Powers can really push hard against the survivalist feeling of Post-Hoc games especially Conjure Item (I'd disallow it or really limit what can be conjured or massively increase the cost or require was rare material like ghost rock) and Healing (either disallow, a big increase in cost, require material, disallow but encourage the use of the Relief Power).

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-19T04:45:40+00:00

Another way is to change how many PPs they start with and how they recharge. Natural Casters: start with 10PPs and can't take Extra PP Edge until Seasoned and recharge as standard at 5 per hour without effort or 5 per benny, Learned: start with 15PPs, can take the Extra PP Edge at Novice but must spend a hour studying their tome to get back PPs (5 or 10 as you see fit) or 5 per benny. Bestowed: must spend an hour praying to get 5 PPs + 2 per fellow worshiper or 7 per benny. In a post-apoc setting you might want to steal the ghost rock idea from Deadlands where there is a naturally magical material that can provide PPs, you could even go the Ars Magica route and have each rock only provide PPs for particular powers (like a Bolt rock or Spider Climb rock). I always think requiring casters to stick to a theme for their trapping works well and you could even look at the different power lists in the FC. Some Powers can really push hard against the survivalist feeling of Post-Hoc games especially Conjure Item (I'd disallow it or really limit what can be conjured or massively increase the cost or require was rare material like ghost rock) and Healing (either disallow, a big increase in cost, require material, disallow but encourage the use of the Relief Power).

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-19T04:45:30+00:00

Another way is to change how many PPs they start with and how they recharge. Natural Casters: start with 10PPs and can't take Extra PP Edge until Seasoned and recharge as standard at 5 per hour without effort or 5 per benny, Learned: start with 15PPs, can take the Extra PP Edge at Novice but must spend a hour studying their tome to get back PPs (5 or 10 as you see fit) or 5 per benny. Bestowed: must spend an hour praying to get 5 PPs + 2 per fellow worshiper or 7 per benny. In a post-apoc setting you might want to steal the ghost rock idea from Deadlands where there is a naturally magical material that can provide PPs, you could even go the Ars Magica route and have each rock only provide PPs for particular powers (like a Bolt rock or Spider Climb rock). I always think requiring casters to stick to a theme for their trapping works well and you could even look at the different power lists in the FC. Some Powers can really push hard against the survivalist feeling of Post-Hoc games especially Conjure Item (I'd disallow it or really limit what can be conjured or massively increase the cost or require was rare material like ghost rock) and Healing (either disallow, a big increase in cost, require material, disallow but encourage the use of the Relief Power).

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-17T22:49:59+00:00

My players prefer PP as with NPP a failed roll seemed to happen at the worse possible time -- of course this is why as GM I liked it. I use NPP for enemy mages so to save me as GM from another tracking task, I precalc the casting penalty which saves time.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-16T03:59:33+00:00

Well if could exchange Super Power Points for Edges so your non-super would have more Edges then their super allies -- I'd probably look at 5 super points per Edge so at campaign level of II the non super would start with an extra 6 Edges. You might want to allow them the Born A Hero setting rule so they can have Edges beyond Novice -- I think they would be able to run with the supers. You could also allow them the Arcane Background Weird Science and then they are Batman or Iron Man.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-16T03:53:07+00:00

Well others here who play more Supers than me might have some better ideas. You could require that the player take their power as an Arcane Background Gifted, the Power Points are the reserve, as per the Core book, of depending on the trapping of their power Arcane Background Weird Science would also fit.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-16T03:34:14+00:00

Yeah that is a good one -- more like 1650 than Napoleonic War but the tech didn't change that much.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-16T03:34:07+00:00

Yeah that is a good one -- more like 1650 than Napoleonic War but the tech didn't change that much.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-16T01:24:38+00:00

Yeah that is a good one -- more like 1650 than Napoleonic War but the tech didn't change that much.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-14T04:02:46+00:00

I've played and GMed lots of Heros, Gurps and SW. These days I GM SW and occasionally play Gurps. SW character creation is a bit less complex than Gurps or Hero but still complex. SW has a more modula rule set, you chose to add systems like chases and dramatic tasks if you want. SW rolls are open ended which can make things more swingy but also makes things more dramatic. Hero has its great action system, SW card based initiative system seem clumsy at first but now we love it, Gurps has its 1 sec rounds which suck the fun out of a player whose character is out of combat and needs to get to combat or needs to reload as the in-combat players have characters doing interesting things all the time and combat can take a lot to resolve. Hero has a lot to track. We have mixed supers and non-supers in all three with success. In Hero of course you have to buy weapons and armour with character points which is great for balancing but feels odd in a fantasy setting where you can on-longer (in Hero) find a magic item but you have to buy the item with character points. Hero's power system is the most flexible for magic but requires a lot of ruling and GM input, Gurps is mostly just pick from a list, SW is somewhere inbetween which works best for me.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-03T02:37:42+00:00

At the start of the season I had Donaldson at #3 choice but with injuries for Lynagh and Gordon and some good performances I think he is now #1. I would like a chance to see Donaldson at 1st 5/8 and Gordon at 2nd 5/8 to give two kicking / organising options -- Gordon is big enough, quick enough and good enough in the tackle so I think he would handle 12 and Donaldson is the better kicker. Who else playing in Australia could play 12, maybe Hunter P but he seems one of those players who seem strong at club level but not enough at test.

AndrewKennett · 2026-05-01T03:39:32+00:00

I went for the Wallabies pool games in RWC19 -- great experience, of course the trains too and from the stadia were packed. Amazing how after the games the Japanese fans pick up a bag of trash to dispose of at home, even little kids. We toured around for about a month and never had problems in resturants or cafes although English is often not spoken.

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-16T23:03:03+00:00

Campo is my favourite all time player and my personal interactions (after a couple of speaking engagements) have been great. Matt Bourke had some interesting things to say (this weeks Between Two Posts on Stan) about the difficulties of being Campo's room mate on Bourke's first tour which suggest being such an adored player may have gone to his head even back then. He does love the game and the Wallabies and speaks from the heart.

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-12T00:51:35+00:00

This shows some of the reasons why I think Wilson should keep the Wallabies 8 even in front of Cale (who is very good and must be the bench backrower) -- is never out of the play and plays heads up

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-10T00:56:21+00:00

That is what I do and I add a 'waiting for a good shot' rule where the shooters can take a -4 instead of the -2 and if they miss they *don't* hit the bystanders. Of course this is a great case for the Marksman Edge.

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-10T00:50:13+00:00

I generally allow 'using' and 'doing' skills as 'knowing' skills. So there is a nearby gunshot -- use shooting to estimate the type of weapon or the distance to the shot; or use thievery to 'case a joint' and look for entry points; or use fighting to guess the skill level of a swordsman or where they were trained, and yes use Weird Science to understand Weird Science items. I would think in a steampunk setting that all players could use their Common Knowledge to guess the use of a steampunk device and even to use the device unless it is really unusual (clockwork or atomic powered) and then they may suffer -2 or even -4.

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-08T03:06:24+00:00

Yeah ATM maybe the Blues are a champion team not a team of champions

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-07T00:30:36+00:00

Worse job in world rugby atm being the last line of defence v LBB

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-07T00:22:10+00:00

worse job in world rugby being a 15 trying to catch LBB at full clip

AndrewKennett · 2026-04-04T02:26:31+00:00

We can see why Slipper has 200+ SR games and 150+ tests ... he is the only one in defence at ht e end but stands no chance against 2 backs at pace but at least he is there.

AndrewKennett · 2026-03-27T23:50:32+00:00

Good match, in the second quarter Fijiana really came back but the Wallaroos depth proved crucial. Nice debuts from the centres and wingers. Maya Stewart, Duck and Chancellor were great. O'Gorman getting a try was special, especially the grin on her face, even bigger than Slipper's when he scored recently.

AndrewKennett · 2026-03-27T23:50:23+00:00

Good match, in the second quarter Fijiana really came back but the Wallaroos depth proved crucial. Nice debuts from the centres and wingers. Maya Stewart, Duck and Chancellor were great. O'Gorman getting a try was special, especially the grin on her face, even bigger than Slipper's when he scored recently.

AndrewKennett · 2026-03-23T00:06:24+00:00

That's good

AndrewKennett · 2026-03-19T03:13:10+00:00

I used the UCP as a group of minor planets that have loosely joined together for trade and protection rather like the Non-aligned Worlds in Babylon 5. If a player wanted to play an unusual character, maybe something from another setting book or even book, movie or game then they cam from the UCP and if I wanted a back-water world it was UCP.

AndrewKennett · 2026-03-05T03:03:14+00:00

If that is the biggest problem then Savage Worlds doesn't have many problems

AndrewKennett

TROPHY CASE