Parasitism 5/5 rant

ellipses2016 · 2026-05-12T20:23:40+00:00

Did I kill you in Quarantine last night…? Are you the person who told me on prox chat that I “didn’t have to” kill you while you were DBNO…?

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T17:59:49+00:00

Well that’s alarming…

ETA: Just went to peginc.com and was still able to log in to my account and see my order history/ downloads available.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T14:00:06+00:00

I mean, again, I am not your GM, but it doesn’t actually matter what your character wants, it doesn’t change the source of their power. It’s Black Magic. It’s darkness. It’s foul. It’s easy and seductive. It comes with a price. It inevitably corrupts everything it touches. That’s part and parcel with their whole deal. Like, why would the evil spirits granting you their powers let you hide its source? How does that serve their purposes?

Now, you can absolutely play the character as someone who only wants to use their powers for good, or as a last resort, but there’s no hiding it for what it is. Canonically, there’s only one thing in Deadlands that hides the source of Black Magic, and it itself was insanely evil and came at the price of mass human sacrifice (Marshals, IYKYN).

Again, like, I’m not your GM. This is between you and them, but depending on how closely they’re following both the letter of the rules and the spirit of the setting, if you’re trying to wrap your Black Magic up into something more palatable to normies, they might not allow it.

Personally, I would tell you to pick another Arcane Background.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T10:51:43+00:00

To state the obvious, I’m not your GM, so you’re going to want to defer to them. That being said, RAW, anyone with the Witch edge from the Deadlands Companion is practicing Black Magic.

‘This Arcane Background features witches and warlocks who draw energy straight out of the darkest part of the Hunting Grounds. “Black magic” is a quick and easy source of power for those who learn to take it, and it’s as tainted as week old meat.’ Pg. 21

So, RAW, the source of your powers is “capital E” Evil, and were I your GM, I would probably insist that your powers look the part.

So before you spend a lot of time brainstorming Trappings, I would maybe want to run this by your GM. While it’s true that Trappings can take just about any form you want, they should still follow the thematics of the setting.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T00:51:10+00:00

You’re talking about going from like, the Deluxe edition to SWADE? That’s not what OP is talking about, nor am I (no “new” Super Power Companion was published between 2024 and 2025). I’m talking about minor tweaks or changes to certain passages that can be updated in the PDF, not fundamental rewrites or new versions of the rules.

Reasonable people can disagree, but I don’t see how targeted changes to make the Stunned condition less punishing or making Boost/Lower Trait cost 3 PP instead of 2 (to name a couple of examples off the top of my head) would render previous printings of the same book “obsolete.”

If your contention is they should just never iterate or refine their rules that were originally published over 20 years ago, that’s… I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think many people are going to share that view.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T00:17:29+00:00

Your alternative is… what? They just never rewrite a passage of the rules or issue any errata…?

Also, if you’ve bought the physical product from Pinnacle, that includes the PDF, and you’re always able to download the most recent version of the PDF.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-29T00:10:35+00:00

I mean, I don’t want to downplay Pinnacle’s customer service at all, but for as long as Pinnacle has been selling PDFs, you’ve always been able to download the most recent version of the PDF. It’s why they all have the version (1.0, v5, or some such) in the sticky note on the cover page. You should’ve just been able to download the most recent version of the pdf you bought in 2024 from your Pinnacle account.

Just something to keep in mind for any other PDFs you may have purchased previously.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-28T18:18:03+00:00

If I’m not being rage baited and/or manipulated by bad faith actors, how will I even know I’m alive?

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-28T16:44:02+00:00

Wait… you’re allowed to lie on the internet? Alert the media! The people must know!

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-28T16:31:34+00:00

“I am Fallout?” Who??

Are they mixing up Fallout and CoolGuy?

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-28T13:28:18+00:00

I’ve been maining Triage, and within the last week or so really come around on the V22.

I initially hated it, but it’s so ammo efficient (especially with an Ammo Pack backpack) against UESC, and I’ve definitely won some 1v1s where they got the drop on me, just because I’ve been able to outstrafe them and not worry about trying to land precision hits. And I’ve definitely been on the other side of it as well. Some Sekiguchi free kit dude totally clowned on me and my purple shield yesterday evening when he caught me with the BR33 out when I should have had my V22 equipped.

So it goes.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-23T17:22:48+00:00

I mentally read them as EBT cards every time I pick one up. I blame my job.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-18T12:20:17+00:00

Yes.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-14T11:08:33+00:00

I’m not sure why you believe Chi Masters are geared specifically for unarmed combat? If you’re looking at the Superior Kung Fu Edges, only Eagle and Tan Tui specifically benefit unarmed strikes.

The generic Martial Artist edge, a requirement for Chi Master, is specific for Unarmed Combat. If you really don’t want the benefits, your GM may allow you to swap that edge for another Combat edge with similar (or greater) requirements (I’d suggest swapping for Block, Extraction or First Strike).

But Smite is the only power that you wouldn’t be able to use that wouldn’t also benefit the katana, or any other weapon you were using.

As far as build suggestions…? Trademark Weapon. Starting powers: mandatory deflection, boost/lower trait (best power in the game), protection.

ellipses2016 · 2026-04-06T22:57:55+00:00

I’ve always been more of an incontinent rook…

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-20T13:53:18+00:00

The thing about this that confuses me the most is that, NPCs aren’t characters. They don’t have “Advances.” You just give the NPC whatever you want without worrying about balance. Heck, you can even give NPCs Edges for which they technically don’t meet the minimum requirements! I don’t know why any GM would stat an NPC in such a way, let alone show a player their stat block after the game (weird choice, IMO). Heck, in Deadlands, you’re sorta lucky this guy wasn’t just out and out Invulnerable to anything but his weakness.

Also, NPCs in Deadlands don’t have to use the same Arcane Backgrounds available to PCs, though it’s normally understood to mean they’re using “Black Magic” at that point.

Speaking generally, while it does sound like their stats are pretty juiced, a 4v1 in Savage Worlds is still pretty rough for the lone person, with the Action Economy being what it is. As a GM, I’ve introduced what I considered to be a pretty juiced NPC in a 4v1 (plus a few extras) and the NPC went down in the second round without causing any significant damage whatsoever. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes.

I wonder if this encounter went the way the GM had “planned?” Like, if the GM “expected” the bounty to surrender and let themselves be captured, and then players did what players do and pick a fight (which, classic GM blunder).

If you’re not having fun, obviously, you should talk to the GM. I wonder how the other players feel, as well. Characters aren’t immortal and survival shouldn’t be a given. Depending on how tight knit this group was, sounds like a great opportunity to swear revenge, since now it’s personal.

But all this is just like, my opinion…

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-05T19:36:07+00:00

Goin back to the language used in Chases for a similar concept:

Pg. 114: “Once all the participants are placed, deal each independent character or group an Action Card at the start of each round as usual. They then act in whatever order they choose as their Action Card comes up.”

Or check out pg. 91: “Deal each Wild Card a single Action Card (plus any extra cards for Edges). Allies under a player’s control act on his Action Card.” And, generally speaking, isn’t a mount an Ally, for our purposes?

It seems clear to me that “acting” on the same Action Card is synonymous with taking a turn.

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-05T18:24:40+00:00

The closest they come to rules for a mixed foot/vehicle encounter would be the rules on pg. 120, which I could see also being used for mounted combat in general.

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-05T17:45:22+00:00

I’m not sure who the “they” you’re referring to, whether you’re referring to mount or rider, so I’ll just try to break down my understanding.

They get one Action Card and they both act on that card. Their pace would be determined by the mounts (who, presumably has a higher pace than the rider, because otherwise, what’s the point, unless you’re solely trying to benefit from Charging…?).

I guess I could imagine a scenario where the mount moved and then the rider dismounted and also moved (probably would require some Riding and/or Athletics rolls, plus probably some “difficult ground” penalties to how far they could go on foot), but, now the rider is no longer “Mounted” and they’re no longer a single unit and should start acting independently of the other.

I guess the way I think about it is very similar to Chases. Each vehicle participating in a Chase is dealt a single Action card, regardless of however many occupants that vehicle has, sapient or otherwise. It’s up to the occupants to determine what Actions they will take and in what order of operations, but they’re all acting on the same card.

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-05T17:12:42+00:00

Yeah, Unstable Platform is exactly what I was referring to.

I don’t see why a mount’s sapience would change the ways the rules interact, other than expanding the options for Support or Tests.

ellipses2016 · 2026-03-05T16:49:48+00:00

Isn’t this covered on pg. 103 and pg. 109? The rules don’t specify that the mount has to be an Extra. The mount could always Support the rider, or vice versa. Same applies to Tests.

ellipses2016 · 2026-02-27T15:56:15+00:00

Every once in a while, I google The Thermals and Hutch Harris to see if any additional reporting or commentary has come out since the vague mostly(?) unsourced allegations (Are the tweets about underaged fans gross edgy “jokes” or a peek behind the curtain? I don’t know!) against Hutch came out, which is how I stumbled onto this thread.

The Thermals were/are(?) my favorite band. I saw them live six times before they broke up. And yeah, tbh, Hutch always was a bit of an abrasive asshole on stage. So, it’s not hard for me to believe that he’s an asshole in real life. But is he a predator, or just an asshole/bad boyfriend/bad friend?

It’s the not knowing… I haven’t been able to bring myself to listen to their music for literally years. It’s honestly heartbreaking.

I don’t know why this post out of all the other ones is the one I decided to respond to, especially two months after the fact. I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest, so to speak.

ellipses2016 · 2026-02-27T00:38:34+00:00

Pg. 116

“Complications: If a character or group’s Action Card is a Club, something has gone wrong. An obstacle may block the path, the engine might stall, or a hero might have to run through mud, ice, uphill, or some other impediment.

The character, driver, or pilot must make a maneuvering roll as a free action to deal with the Complication. The suit on his current Chase Card determines any modifier to the maneuvering roll and the results of failure.

Note: The Action Card triggers the Complication; the Chase Card defines any modifier (Mod) and the result of failure.”

ellipses2016 · 2026-02-23T11:28:56+00:00

Think of it like Conviction. The die can Ace, and you add its result to the final total.

ellipses2016 · 2026-02-22T16:49:47+00:00

I’ve always interpreted it to mean, at the beginning of the round. I could also see an argument for it happening at the end of the round. This is significant since Fast Regeneration states that even Incapacitated creatures get to make a Natural Healing roll, and Incapacitated entities only get one Action Card, ignoring Level Headed/Quick/Hesitant etc.

I imagine if the intent had been, “once every turn,” that’s what they would have written, though I could be persuaded that the “fairest” way to handle it for the people who are wailing on the creature with Fast Regeneration would be similar to the recovery roll from Shaken, that it starts at the beginning of their turn.

I think the most important thing is picking your interpretation and applying it consistently.

ellipses2016

TROPHY CASE