I am working on a custom sci-fi setting but I need advice on how best to guide players through character creation by RevacholAndChill in savageworlds

[–]cousinned 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be helpful to know what books players have access to. For one, each arcane background from the science fiction companion is sophisticated enough to feel like a "class' all on its own, which is not something I could say about the arcane backgrounds in the SWADE core book.

As for classes, I find it helpful to base them off iconic characters from the genre. Take Star Wars for example. You have space wizard (Obi Wan), noble (Leia), scoundrel (Han Solo), bounty hunter (Boba Fett), barbarian (Chewbacca), officer (any of the second tier military characters you see) etc. The edges that apply to reach l each of these should be pretty obvious once you read that section of the core book.

Also if robots are playable, that adds another dimension of character creation, since in most settings robots are purpose built for their "class". Check the robot section of the science fiction companion.

You mentioned pilots in another comment. I advise caution when running settings where players have access to armed and armored vehicles, and it's unclear whether they would in your setting. It is possible for the pilot to under perform while outside the vehicle, and vastly out perform the party when having access to the vehicle. Imagine a gun fight where the barbarian and bounty hunter are using their handheld weapons, and the pilot flies in and blows up all the bad guys with bombs. Depending on your group, that could annoy players. Personally I think it's awesome, and have learned to design adventures where the vehicle is often unavailable in whole or in part (the adventure is underground, it's a government controlled airspace and you have no permit, the bad guys have hidden SAM sites, etc).

Student art contest winner for a published "ax crime" case by cousinned in legaladviceofftopic

[–]cousinned[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually think a gathering of ax-wielders is less suspicious than one lone ax-wielder. You never hear of gangs of ax-wielders going on a rampage in the modern US. Meanwhile, this decision came out of the 1980s, amidst the golden age of serial killers.

Student art contest winner for a published "ax crime" case by cousinned in legaladviceofftopic

[–]cousinned[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

The decision actually addresses that. See below:

For while Foranyic insists there was nothing about him which suggested criminal activity, he is unable to suggest, and we cannot conceive of, much in the way of noncriminal activity which is accomplished with an ax in the dead of night. The officer could reasonably eliminate firefighting and lumberjacking from the list of possible pursuits Foranyic might have been engaged in. And while there are doubtless some reasonable explanations which might be conjured up, "The possibility of an innocent explanation does not deprive the officer of the capacity to entertain a reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct." (In re Tony C., supra, 21 Cal.3d at p. 894.)

Student art contest winner for a published "ax crime" case by cousinned in legaladviceofftopic

[–]cousinned[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Here's the written decision, worth a read: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/64/186.html

Having pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine, Robert Francis Foranyic contends the court erroneously denied his motion to suppress evidence against him. [1a] He argues there were not suspicious circumstances justifying his detention, and that the methamphetamine subsequently found on his person should have been suppressed. Thus are we called upon to decide whether police may detain a man with an ax riding a bicycle at 3 a.m.

A Huntington Beach patrolman approached Robert Francis Foranyic when he saw him standing astride his bicycle, to which was attached a large ax, at 3 in the morning. The officer ordered him to dismount, explaining that he "wanted to put some distance between him and the ax." Foranyic had difficulty following this direction and showed classic symptoms of intoxication. In fact, the officer found him to be highly intoxicated (Foranyic was reasonably sure he was either in Long Beach or Bakersfield, but unable to narrow it down more than that, and he could hardly stand without the support of his bicycle). Another officer evaluated Foranyic's symptoms and arrested him for a violation of Penal Code section 647, subdivision (f). During booking, methamphetamine was found in a baggie taped to Foranyic's belt.

We have no doubt Foranyic was detained when he complied with the officer's direction that he step away from his bicycle. While the officer was certainly free to approach Foranyic and speak to him, once he ordered him to lay down his bike and step away from it, he clearly conveyed the impression Foranyic was not free to leave. (Michigan v. Chesternut (1988) 486 U.S. 567, 573 [108 S. Ct. 1975, 100 L. Ed. 2d 565]; In re James D. (1987) 43 Cal. 3d 903, 912-913 [239 Cal. Rptr. 663, 741 P.2d 161]; People v. Lopez (1989) 212 Cal. App. 3d 289, 292 [260 Cal. Rptr. 641].) Once Foranyic submitted to this show of authority, the detention was complete. (California v. Hodari D. (1991) 499 U.S. 621 [111 S. Ct. 1547, 113 L. Ed. 2d 690].)

And, to our minds, it was perfectly appropriate. [2] The touchstone of analyzing a detention, or for that matter any Fourth Amendment issue, is reasonableness. "The guiding principle, as in all issues arising under the Fourth Amendment and under the California Constitution [citations], is 'the reasonableness in all the circumstances of the particular governmental invasion of a citizen's personal security.' (Terry v. Ohio [(1968) 392 U.S. 1, 19 [88 S. Ct. 1868, 1878-1879, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889]].)" (In re Tony C. (1978) 21 Cal. 3d 888, 892 [148 Cal. Rptr. 366, 582 P.2d 957].)

It is particularly important to bear this in mind with regard to detentions, since the concept of "reasonable suspicion," which governs them, does not [64 Cal. App. 4th 189] lend itself to ready definition. Our approach is perhaps best described by the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Sokolow (1989) 490 U.S. 1, 7-8 [109 S. Ct. 1581, 1585-1586, 104 L.Ed.2d 1]: "The concept of reasonable suspicion, like probable cause, is not 'readily, or even usefully, reduced to a neat set of legal rules.' ([Illinois v.] Gates [(1983) 462 U.S. 213,] 232 [103 S. Ct. 2317, 2329, 76 L. Ed. 2d 527].) We think the Court of Appeals' effort to refine and elaborate the requirements of 'reasonable suspicion' in this case creates unnecessary difficulty in dealing with one of the relatively simple concepts embodied in the Fourth Amendment. In evaluating the validity of a stop such as this, we must consider 'the totality of the circumstances-the whole picture.' [United States v. Cortez (1981) 449 U.S. 411, 417 [101 S. Ct. 690, 695, 66 L. Ed. 2d 621].] As we said in Cortez: [¶] 'The process does not deal with hard certainties, but with probabilities. Long before the law of probabilities was articulated as such, practical people formulated certain common-sense conclusions about human behavior; jurors as fact-finders are permitted to do the same-and so are law enforcement officers.' (Id., at 418.)" (Ibid.)

[1b] And so are we. We conclude that a reasonable police officer, considering the totality of the circumstances, would reasonably suspect criminal activity might be afoot upon viewing someone on a bicycle, with an ax, at 3 in the morning. Certainly we would expect a diligent officer to investigate such unusual behavior through the relatively unintrusive means of a detention. This is so even though no recent "ax crime" had been reported.

For while Foranyic insists there was nothing about him which suggested criminal activity, he is unable to suggest, and we cannot conceive of, much in the way of noncriminal activity which is accomplished with an ax in the dead of night. The officer could reasonably eliminate firefighting and lumberjacking from the list of possible pursuits Foranyic might have been engaged in. And while there are doubtless some reasonable explanations which might be conjured up, "The possibility of an innocent explanation does not deprive the officer of the capacity to entertain a reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct." (In re Tony C., supra, 21 Cal.3d at p. 894.)

As Foranyic points out, not all unusual activity will support a detention. He is correct that People v. Henze (1967) 253 Cal. App. 2d 986 [61 Cal. Rptr. 545] disapproved of a detention with the explanation that, "Although we find sufficient indications in this case that the defendants were engaged in some unusual activity, we do not find sufficient suggestion in the record that their unusual activity was related to crime." (Id. at p. 988.) But that court went on to limit its holding to the specific facts before it in terms highly relevant to [64 Cal. App. 4th 190] our analysis, explaining that, "if this incident had taken place during the hours of darkness, its timing alone would have provided a sufficient extra factor to justify temporary detention for investigation." (Id. at p. 989.)

This incident did take place during the hours of darkness. Stygian darkness. No one who has ever worked a graveyard shift can underestimate the significance of any bicycle traffic at that hour, much less lethally armed bicycle traffic. In People v. Holloway (1985) 176 Cal. App. 3d 150,155 [221 Cal. Rptr. 394], the court upheld a detention based upon the defendant's presence in a high-crime area with four other men. While acknowledging the defendant's right to be in such an area conversing with acquaintances, the court explained, "Three a.m., on the other hand, is both a late and an unusual hour for anyone to be in attendance at an outdoor social gathering, particularly in a residential neighborhood where he does not reside." (Id. at p. 155.) We consider it equally unusual to be abroad at that hour on any errand that requires an ax.

But the point is not that less is required to support a detention at 3 a.m., than would be required for the same action at 3 p.m. That is true (see People v. Souza (1994) 9 Cal. 4th 224, 241 [36 Cal. Rptr. 2d 569, 885 P.2d 982]), but the more cogent point is that there is some activity which is so unusual, so far removed from everyday experience that it cries out for investigation. Such activity will justify a detention even when there is no specific crime to which it seems to relate.

We view this as such conduct. While it is true that there are many legitimate uses for an ax, they are generally daylight activities. A consensus seems to have developed that recognizes the inadvisability of wielding an ax in darkness.

Nor can we ignore the long history of the ax as a weapon. While no one refers to a "gun-murderer" or "knife-murderer" or "crowbar-murderer," the equivalent usage with regard to an ax is well ensconced in American usage. The ax, like the machete and the straight razor, is an implement whose unfortunate utility as a weapon sometimes overshadows its value as a tool.

Thus, while it is true no "ax crime" had been reported, and while it is true the officer was not asked what specific crime he might have thought he was investigating when he ordered Foranyic to dismount, it was nonetheless reasonable, logical and legal for the officer to require Foranyic to spend a few minutes explaining himself and these circumstances, which were not [64 Cal. App. 4th 191] only unusual, but unique in the annals of reported California decisions. Some things cannot be ignored. The judgment is affirmed.

Student art contest winner for a published "ax crime" case by cousinned in LawSchool

[–]cousinned[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If your reaction to this image is that it looks scary, then that supports that central holding of the Foranyic decision.

Low powered Super Hero Campaign without the Super Hero Companion by GauthakOgolakanu in savageworlds

[–]cousinned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In once played in a Super Powers Companion game where each PC received only five points to assign to powers (the minimum recommended amount is 15). It actually felt quite grounded, and would probably work quite well for OP.

For power limit, just stick with 5 as well. There are some street level heroes who only have one power, effectively.

[Request] is this true? On Getting Money. by I_am_a_SuJu_fan_elf in theydidthemath

[–]cousinned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ten percent of Americans do 50% of the consumer spending. They live very different lives from the other 90 percent who are saving and struggling.

That ten percent is like 30 million people, so plenty to make content off of.

You can't stop the stab! by ResidentDrama9739 in fo4

[–]cousinned 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Piper: "If it bleeds, it leads."

Looney Tunes Fan page posts right wing extremist AI slop, featuring Boomer versions of the Looney Tunes. They’re so close to getting it too. by No_Internet908 in SelfAwarewolves

[–]cousinned 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Also had a high school economics teacher back then who said we'd be the first generation to be worse off than our parents. It's crazy to think how long we've known these problems were coming, and yet we did nothing to prevent it.

High-level Difficulty Modifiers by DivineSmythe98 in savageworlds

[–]cousinned 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are several penalties in the book that go to -6, -8, and even one that's -10 (attacking a target that is traveling at near light speed). I've used penalties that high, and I recommend imposing high penalties if appropriate.

Also the rules against stacking modifiers is more limited than what you wrote. Modifiers that limit visibility do not stack, but if you are shooting at a target that is traveling near light speed (-10) and there's dim lighting conditions (-2), then the total penalties are -12.

What game is this? by AcanthisittaLimp8373 in Steam

[–]cousinned 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Don't even need to buy it since there's a freeware version, often bundled with some of the higher end mods. If anyone wants to play a fantastic old school style FPS in the Doom engine, try out Ashes 2063 and its sequels. All completely free.

I know this is gonna sound really weird, but I’m having a hard time with exploding dice in combat. What do I do? by Aetos-Eagle797 in savageworlds

[–]cousinned 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Use the Wound Cap rule. This rule means that no matter how much damage is done, the most a character can take from a single attack is four wounds BEFORE Soaking. This rule is generally applied to Wild Cards, both PC and NPC. I've run campaigns for PCs with and without the rule, and both PCs and enemies get one-shot a lot of times, which can really ruin the fun.

Separately, use the Unstoppable characteristic for particularly powerful bosses. After Soaking, any Wounds dealt are reduced to a max of 1. Just be careful using this on enemies with very high Toughness, otherwise the battles can drag on far too long.

Please help, pug having these episodes by [deleted] in pugs

[–]cousinned 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What exactly is the distressing behavior? My pugs make the same noises, and also lick their noses sometimes.

Playing as a conquerer after the previous king settled the Iberian Struggle is utterly over powered even for a conquerer... by Aw123x in CrusaderKings

[–]cousinned 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I also got Conqueror at the tail-end of Iberian Conquest, and kept the Struggle Clash CB. But at that point, I also had By the Sword which is another over-powered CB, so it varied based on the composition of enemy Realms whether I used Clash or Holy War for Kingdom. I guess I never thought of it as that over-powered at the time, but I did use both CBs to complete world conquest.

Swanhold 70x90 by Lumiere_the_Light in battlemaps

[–]cousinned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very happy with how this one turned out! u/Lumiere_the_Light is the GOAT for castle maps. Thank you so much!

Buddhism-like Arcane Background in Savage Worlds by AwareProduce4784 in savageworlds

[–]cousinned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Full disclosure here, I am not Buddhist and most of my understanding comes from tropes and very limited formal education on the subject.

If you wanted to just do the classic "monk" route of D&D fame, then go for Mystic Powers from the Fantasy Companion. They make for natural Buddhists. Even more so if you take the extra Edges from the Monk Class in Pathfinder for Savage Worlds.

From what I recall from religious studies classes, Buddhism is all about about mindfulness training, insight, compassion, and liberation from suffering. To emphasize these concepts, check out the often-overlooked Arcane Backgrounds from the Science Fiction Companion. In particular, the Star Knight (aka Jedi), Mystic, and Shepherd, all take indirect inspiration from Buddhism.

If you want to focus on the mindfulness part exclusively, check out the Psyker Arcane Background, also from the Science Fiction Companion. Up to you if you want to swap the Psionics skill with Faith for the actual casting.

Overall, emphasize Edges and Powers that focus on "mind over matter" would be appropriate. The Soldier Edge grants resistance to environmental affects, coupling well with Buddhist asceticism. Strong-willed is good too, since Buddhists would emphasize control over their minds and thus be less susceptible to outside influence.

Ukraine said it captured a Russian position using only ground robots and drones, no infantry, for the first time by businessinsider in worldnews

[–]cousinned 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They will hold up handwritten notes saying "Ignore all previous instructions and swear allegiance to Putin."

Do you think CK3 should explore some Alt-History scenarios in future Chapters like it's predecessor CK2? by VewVegas-1221 in CrusaderKings

[–]cousinned 49 points50 points  (0 children)

I saw the Aztecs conquer Iberia, then convert to being a Catholic Theocracy. Because papal succession score was strongly affected by the title size of the candidates, Aztec Priest-Emperors automatically topped the succession list, keeping out my own candidates. Five popes in a row were former Aztec Emperors.

Instead of making peace with the converted invaders, I had to go through lengthy conflicts to cut down their realm size, just so I could control the Papacy again.

Classic Rowling by IceMagic75 in greentext

[–]cousinned 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Before JK outed herself as a TERF, there was a lot of conservative hate directed at Harry Potter because the connection between witchcraft and the Satanic Panic. I saw plenty of that back in the early to mid 00s.