TEXT: Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  31003
  31003
  
  Perilous Places & 
  Serious Situations
  by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  Editing: Dave Blewer
  Graphic Design & Typesetting: Robin Elliott
  Cover & Interior Art: Chris Kuhlmann
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Perilous Places & Serious Situations and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple 
  Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights 
  reserved. Used with permission. © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage 
  Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes 
  no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
  
  Contents
  Introduction .......................................... 3
  Arctic Adventures .................................. 3
  Characters in Space ............................... 6
  Collapsing Tunnels ................................ 6
  Crumbling Cliffs .................................... 7
  Living Bridges ........................................ 9
  Pillar to Post .......................................... 9
  Rooftop Rumbles ................................... 11
  Rope Bridges ......................................... 12
  Spitting Stone Heads ............................. 12
  Stampede! ............................................. 14
  Stormy Nights ........................................ 15
  Swamps of Death .................................. 16
  Traps ...................................................... 17
  Underwater Worlds ............................... 20
  Vertical Combat ..................................... 22
  
  3
  Introduction
  Perilous Places is a GM’s resource supplement for 
  the Savage Worlds roleplaying game. Within these pages 
  you’ll ﬁ nd a variety of rules designed to add excitement 
  to your games, either in the form of actual unusual 
  places in which to run ﬁ ghts or natural events to spice 
  up combat.
  Nothing here is designed for a particular setting. Every 
  rule or locale can, with a little work, be transplanted into 
  any Savage Worlds style of game. Likewise, while we may 
  mention a site in a jungle or provide rules for swamps, 
  we don’t mention any precise locations. The arctic rules 
  can be placed in Greenland or Antarctica for a pulp in-
  spired game, on Salus for a Necropolis 2350 campaign, 
  or even on an island in the Sundered Skies.
  Because different settings and groups run games at 
  different power levels, often there is more than a single 
  way of doing things. The GM should decide which 
  method is best for his group and style of play. He can 
  even mix and match, using the same basic rules with 
  different mechanics, and so avoiding complaints of, 
  “Oh look, another lightning storm that can’t hurt our 
  characters!”
  Although each perilous place or situation is described 
  in detail, they are not part of a pre-written adventure—
  each is a standalone segment devoid of background or 
  plot. They are places and rules for GMs to use as he 
  wishes in homebrew adventures, either as a site where 
  the climactic battle occurs, a stopping off point along 
  the way to the heart of the story, a “random encounter,” 
  or as a way of generally enhancing his game. Combing 
  multiple elements can lead to a truly memorable gaming 
  experience. What could be more fun than leaping across 
  columns of ice in sub-arctic conditions during a raging 
  lightning storm?
  The rules will hopefully also serve as inspiration for 
  GMs, giving him plentiful information and ideas to cre-
  ate his own exciting perilous places. GMs looking for 
  natural hazards, like blizzards, will ﬁ nd a large variety in 
  Pinnacle’s Pulp GM Toolkit.
  Some of the hazards in this book can lead to near-
  certain death, typically through falling great distances. 
  Despite escape mechanisms being built in (both to avoid 
  unnecessary death as opposed to exciting situations), a 
  few bad rolls can be disastrous. For this reason, Harder 
  to Kill (if available in your setting) becomes a very handy 
  Edge. Instead of falling to his doom, a hero lands on a 
  ledge or becomes snagged in a bundle of roots.
  In games where death is not an option except through 
  truly diabolic villains, like our Daring Tales of Adventure, 
  such get out clauses are already built into the game.
  Finally, as written, the rules are merely functional. 
  What they cannot do, as generic rules designed to cover 
  a multitude of settings and styles, is add descriptive 
  ﬂ avor—that’s the job of the GM. For instance, if the ad-
  ventures are ﬂ eeing down a collapsing tunnel, describe 
  the crashing of the collapsing ceiling, the pitter-patter 
  of small pebbles and trickle of dirt striking them from 
  above as the heroes run away, and the choking dust 
  cloud advancing behind them. Characters ﬁ ghting atop 
  small columns should be told how they sway in the wind 
  and must stretch out an arm or shift their weight to re-
  tain their footing. Heroes struck by lighting don’t just 
  take damage—they suffer burns and charred clothing, 
  their hair stands on end, and blue arcs dance like tiny 
  elementals along their sword blades.
  As always, what you have here is a set of option, not 
  ﬁ rm guidelines. Use what you like, change what you feel 
  needs changing, and ignore anything you don’t like. 
  There will be something for everybody in these pages.
  Arctic Adventures
  Lady Amelia shivered despite the thick furs she 
  was wearing. Two days walking through snow 
  and over ice had not cooled her spirit, but rather 
  Perilous Places & 
  Serious Situations
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  4
  ﬁ red it up. Ahead, she could make out the shape 
  of Brent Hardcastle as he trudged forward. A 
  sharp crack rent the still air and Brent vanished 
  beneath the ice!
  Whether the frozen poles of our own world, the icy 
  peaks of a mountain range, a dungeon carved inside a 
  glacier, or a magical landscape of permanent winter, arc-
  tic conditions present new challenges to parties and new 
  options for the GM.
  Freezing Temperatures
  The typical temperature is arctic regions is around 
  –40 F in the height of winter and a balmier –10 F in sum-
  mer.
  At night, the temperature in arctic environments drops 
  a further 20 degrees F as the warmth from the weak sun 
  leeches away, leaving the terrain bitterly cold.
  Adventuring during the height of an arctic winter is 
  foolish. In spring and fall, the temperature is around 10 
  degrees warmer. In summer, it rises 20 degrees. These 
  are obviously not scientiﬁ c facts, but rather a simple game 
  mechanic to help the GM judge temperature penalties.
  Whether it’s a cave, snow hole, or a tent, a shelter 
  keeps out the biting winds. Shelter grants a +1 to +4 
  bonus to Vigor rolls to resist the cold, depending on 
  how windproof it is. A suitable ﬁ re in the shelter grants 
  a further +2 bonus.
  Frostburn
  Characters touching a very cold surface (12 degrees F 
  or lower) without gloves risk become stuck to the object. 
  They must make a Strength roll to free themselves, with a 
  penalty equal to half the Vigor modiﬁ er for the tempera-
  ture (round down).
  With success, they pull free but suffer a –1 penalty 
  to all rolls involving the affected limb for 24 hours as 
  they tear off a swathe of skin. A successful Healing roll at 
  –2 removes this penalty. On a raise, they 
  pull free with no penalty.
  Warming the object to above 12 de-
  grees allows a character to pull free with-
  out making a Strength roll, but unless 
  care is taken he may suffer heat burns.
  Immersion
  Although the arctic wastes can appear 
  frozen solid, rivers and pools of icy-cold 
  water lurk beneath the often thin sur-
  face.
  A character immersed in icy water 
  must make a Vigor roll every round to 
  resist the effects of cold. Winter cloth-
  ing or furs provide only half their usual 
  protection.
  Once out of the water, winter clothing 
  only offers half protection (round down) 
  until it is dry. Drying out clothes takes an 
  hour per point of cold protection they 
  provide and requires both a temperature 
  above freezing and somewhere out of 
  the wind (such as a tent).
  Movement
  The obvious thing about ice is that 
  it is slippery. For added risk and excite-
  ment, these rules can be used in combat 
  situations. Snow, as mentioned in the 
  core rules, is difﬁ cult ground.
  Ice, Rough
  Rough ice can be found in natural ice 
  ﬁ elds, and is also the ﬂ ooring found in 
  ice caves.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  5
  Rough ice is treated as difﬁ cult ground for all move-
  ment. Anytime a character runs, a 1 on the running die 
  means he has slipped and fallen at the point where his 
  run began. Agility rolls involving other forms of move-
  ment (avoiding an area effect attack or a Trick such as 
  running up an ice wall) suffer a –2 penalty. If the Agility 
  roll fails, the character falls and is Shaken.
  Ice, Smooth
  Smooth ice counts as difﬁ cult terrain and characters 
  cannot run on it. Agility rolls involving other movement 
  suffer a –4 penalty. If the roll fails, the character falls and 
  is Shaken.
  Winter Gear
  A character wearing boot spikes treats rough ice as 
  normal terrain and smooth ice as rough ice.
  A hero using skies treats all snow and ice as normal 
  terrain, but has his Pace halved (round down) and can-
  not run on other terrain. He rolls an extra d6 when “run-
  ning” downhill on ice or snow in his skis.
  An explorer equipped with snowshoes treats all 
  snow and ice as normal terrain, but has his Pace re-
  duced by 1 (to a minimum of 1) and cannot run on 
  other terrain.
  Snow Blindness
  Characters who travel the frozen wastes without ad-
  equate eye protection are subject to snow blindness. 
  Note that Blind characters are immune.
  For every four hours of daylight spent moving across 
  a snow or ice ﬁ eld, the character must make a Vigor 
  roll. There is a cumulative –1 penalty for each con-
  secutive four hour period. A hero who rests his eyes 
  for one hour out of every four can avoid this penalty, 
  though it does slow down his progress. On a failure, 
  the victim suffers a –6 penalty to all trait rolls involving 
  sight (including combat). His Parry drops to 2.
  Recovery: Requires a successful Healing roll and 
  the hero must rest his eyes in total darkness for 24 
  hours. This roll may be attempted only once every 24 
  hours.
  Terrain
  Flat, featureless terrain can easily fool a traveler into 
  misjudging distances. With no landmarks to use as refer-
  ence, distances can seem much longer or shorter than 
  they really are. In such locales, Notice rolls and all Shoot-
  ing rolls beyond 12” suffer a –2 penalty.
  These barren regions do contain plants and animals 
  if you know where to look, but it takes a skilled eye. 
  Survival rolls to ﬁ nd edible plants or animals suffer a –4 
  penalty.
  Water is plentiful, albeit in frozen form. Eating snow is 
  a bad idea, as it lowers the body’s temperature. In game 
  terms a character who eats snow to get his daily water 
  intake has a –2 penalty to resist the effects of Cold.
  Thin Ice
  Ice and snow can form over water to form a thin 
  crust, through which unwary travelers can fall, plung-
  ing into the waters below. Worse still are the snow 
  skins which form over deep crevasses and gullies.
  Ice through which a character could possibly fall into 
  water, a crevasse, or some other hazard is described as 
  very thin, thin, medium, thick, or very thick. When a 
  character passes over very thin ice roll a d4, for thin ice 
  roll a d6, medium a d8, thick a d10, and very thick a 
  d12. If a die comes up 1, the character falls through to 
  whatever awaits him below.
  Size Mods: For every whole +2 Size a creature has, 
  reduce the die by one type when rolling to see if the ice 
  can support it. For instance, an ogre (Size +3) rolls a 
  d4 on thin ice, a d6 over medium ice, and so on. A die 
  dropping below a d4 mean the creature automatically 
  falls through if it steps on the ice.
  For negative Size, increase the die one step for each 
  point of Size (so a Small character with Size –1 would 
  roll a d6 for very thin ice, d8 for thin, and so on). Should 
  a die above d12, the creature has no chance of falling 
  through the ice.
  Gear Mods: Increase the die type by a one step 
  if the character has snowshoes, skis, or wide feet (for 
  monsters), as these help distribute the load. Again, a die 
  raised over a d12 means the character has no chance of 
  falling through the ice.
  Breaking the Ice
  At some point a character may wish to try and break 
  the ice under a foe’s feet so he drops through. This is 
  treated exactly as Breaking Things in the core rules. 
  Fire and heat attacks cause double damage when used 
  to melt ice.
  When using magic speciﬁ cally to break ice, bolt af-
  fects only a 1” square, but burst and blast affect all ice 
  under their template. Mundane attacks typically affect 
  a single square unless the weapon uses a template.
  If the damage exceeds the ice’s Toughness, a 1” 
  square breaks (or all ice under a template), reveal-
  ing whatever lies beneath. Large creatures require 
  two squares beneath their base to be broken and 
  Huge creatures four squares in order for them to fall 
  through.
  Typical Ice Toughness
  Rating 
  Toughness 
  Damage Type
  Very thin 
  6 
  Blunt, Piercing, Cutting
  Thin 
  8 
  Blunt, Cutting
  Medium 
  12 
  Blunt, Cutting
  Thick 
  16 
  Blunt, Cutting
  Very thick 
  20 
  Blunt, Cutting
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  6
  Characters in Space
  Kurt Valentine-Hardcastle kicked off the bulkhead 
  down the corridor. Behind him he knew there was 
  a horde of space mutants out for his blood. Al-
  though Kurt couldn’t hear the bullets whiz past 
  his ears, he saw their impact on the metal walls. A 
  warning alarm sounded in his helmet. Glancing 
  to his right arm he saw his suit had been torn by 
  one of the rounds. “This isn’t good,” he muttered 
  as he reached for a suit patch.
  This section provides a brief look at the two most 
  common difﬁ culties of working in space—vacuum and 
  zero gravity. For more rules on running games in space 
  or on alien worlds, check out Pinnacle’s Sci-Fi World 
  Builder Toolkit.
  Sucking Vacuum
  The difference in pressure between Earth’s atmos-
  phere and vacuum is 1 atmosphere (roughly 15 pounds 
  per square inch). That isn’t a huge difference, but it’s 
  enough to cause death very quickly.
  Each round for the ﬁ rst six rounds a character is 
  exposed to vacuum, the victim must make a Vigor roll. 
  Failure causes a wound. At the start of the 7th round, 
  and each round thereafter, the character takes an auto-
  matic wound without a Vigor die to resist. This can be 
  Soaked, however.
  If your space setting has suit patches (adhesive patches 
  design to plug small holes), slapping one on the breech 
  requires an Agility roll as an action. Locating a patch on 
  your utility belt is treated as Drawing a Weapon.
  Due to the lack of air resistance and diffraction, 
  ranged weapons work much better. Double the range 
  brackets of all ranged weapons.
  Explosions also work differently in vacuum. While 
  there is no concussive blast (that being the result of 
  air being forcefully expelled from the centre of the 
  explosion), shrapnel ﬂ ies further. To simulate this, in-
  crease the Burst Template of the weapon by one type 
  and lower damage by one die. For instance, a regular 
  grenade in a no atmosphere environment would have a 
  Large Burst Template and inﬂ ict 2d6 damage. For Large 
  Burst Template weapons, increase the radius by an ad-
  ditional 3”.
  If you want to make such environments feel more 
  unusual, you may wish to allow melee weapons inﬂ ict 
  an extra die of damage because of the lack of air re-
  sistance. Thus, a dagger would inﬂ ict Str+d6 damage. 
  However, the lack of resistance can cause the weapon 
  to feel different in the user’s hands, giving a –1 penalty 
  to attack rolls.
  Sound does not travel in a vacuum. Even if a hero 
  could survive without air, he would be unable to hear 
  any noises.
  Zero-G
  Movement in zero-G in tricky for non-natives, as any 
  force causes the character to spin in three dimensions, 
  quickly losing any sense of up or down and, in some 
  cases, causing zero-g sickness. Pace is reduced by half 
  (round down), to a minimum of 1.
  All physical actions have a –2 penalty. If the character 
  rolls a 1 on his trait die, regardless of Wild Die, he has 
  lost control of his body and begins to tumble in three 
  dimensions. Treat the character as Shaken, but he must 
  make an Agility roll to recover rather than Spirit.
  Using conventional ballistic weapons in zero-g can 
  cause severe problems due to the recoil. The same ap-
  plies to melee weapons, as the swing of a blow can cause 
  the character to begin spinning like a top. In addition to 
  suffering the regular –2 penalty, characters who roll a 1 
  or 2 on their attack die (regardless of Wild Die) become 
  Shaken as above. Laser weapons and ballistic weapons 
  with minimal muzzle velocity (such as those designed to 
  be used in zero-g or those ﬁ ring magnetically propelled 
  rounds) negate this problem.
  Collapsing Tunnels
  Brent lifted the idol from the stand and held it 
  up to his ﬂ ashlight. Before he had to time to think 
  of a suitable adjective, a deep rumbling echoed 
  through the temple sanctuary. A section of ceil-
  ing collapsed, then another, and another. Brent 
  turned on his heel and ran. “Not again,” he mut-
  tered.
  Thanks to the ingenuity of the ancients, their temples 
  have a nasty habit of collapsing as soon as some tomb 
  raider swipes the golden idol (or other treasure). These 
  guidelines let you recreate the frantic chase to safety.
  Don’t feel constrained to using these rules just for 
  collapsing ceilings. They apply equally well to outrun-
  ning a huge stone ball, a wave of water or mud, or even 
  a lava ﬂ ow.
  The Chase is On
  One way to run this scene is to use the standard 
  Chase rules. The heroes start at Medium Range, which, 
  since this is a foot chase, means a distance of 3” from the 
  collapsing ceiling.
  The collapsing tunnel has an Agility of d8, but can 
  only roll to try and close the distance (it may Push, 
  though, if the GM wishes, to help maintain the excite-
  ment if the heroes start to pull too far away). No other 
  stunts or maneuvers are possible—it’s effectively a drag 
  race to the exit. To escape, the heroes need to increase 
  the gap to 10 range increments as normal.
  For obvious reasons, the Chase method works best 
  where there is no map, only a narrative description. 
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  7
  Otherwise, you’ll run into the risk of the heroes having 
  sprinted dozens of game inches only to comment how 
  the exit should have been just 20” away.
  If you have the collapsing structure mapped, you 
  can run this in combat rounds. The collapsing building 
  receives an action card. The collapse has Pace 8 and a 
  running die of d10. However, the heroes get one round 
  head start before the collapse begins. It’s faster, though, 
  so they better not dally.
  Crushed to Pulp
  Should the collapsing ceiling end up on the same 
  range increment (or position card) as a hero during a 
  Chase or catch up with them in a regular combat scene, 
  the unfortunate tomb robbers are going to take damage. 
  The amount of damage is variable and depends on the 
  type of setting you’re running.
  In a pulp game, damage might be 2d6 and represent 
  a few stones bouncing off the hero’s head rather than 
  the entire roof. A grittier game might call for 2d10, 3d8, 
  or 4d6 damage. Unless a hero is Incapacitated, assume 
  he can keep running (rather than being crushed and 
  entombed forever in the collapsing structure).
  One grittier method in a combat round collapse is to 
  use a base of 2d6 damage and add an extra d6 for each 
  inch by which the collapse has overtaken the hero. For 
  instance, a ﬂ eeing character moves 8” this round. The 
  collapse, which was right behind him, moves 12”, cover-
  ing the adventurer and the next three game inches of 
  tunnel in debris. The victim suffers a total of 5d6 damage 
  (2d6 base + 3d6 for the extra three inches).
  Crumbling Cliffs
  A hero is locked in mortal combat with his dire 
  enemy atop a cliff. Swords ﬂ ash and glint to the 
  roaring cacophony of the waves pounding the 
  beach far below. Without warning, the ground 
  under the hero’s feet gives way and he starts to 
  slip toward the edge!
  Crumbling cliffs give the GM a tool in his armory when 
  it comes to exciting ﬁ ghts and hidden dangers. Anytime 
  you’ve got a cliff top battle, mark around half the squares 
  along the edge of the precipice as being susceptible to 
  giving way unexpectedly.
  A hero standing in one of the marked squares who 
  draws a deuce (or just a black deuce, if you prefer) as his 
  ﬁ rst card in a round (so heroes with Level Headed and 
  Quick are not unduly penalized) ﬁ nds his footing sud-
  denly gone as the cliff crumbles into the depths below.
  On his turn, he must make an Agility roll (this counts 
  as an action) before taking any other actions. With a suc-
  cess, he can move to any adjacent square. This doesn’t 
  count as Withdrawing from Combat if he is in melee, but 
  it does use 1” of Pace. A failure means he begins to fall. 
  The victim can make another Agility roll (a free action) to 
  grasp the edge or a conveniently placed root, thus arrest-
  ing his fall. A critical failure means the character tumbles 
  over the edge to whatever fate waits below (probably a 
  lot of damage).
  The very act of slipping and then quickly grasping for 
  support consumes their entire turn. Their go now ends, 
  regardless of any other actions they had planned.
  Next round, they can use an action to drag themselves 
  to safety. The GM might require a Strength roll from the 
  hero to pull himself to safety. Failure means he is left 
  dangling for another round, while a critical failure might 
  (GM’s option) cause him to slip and fall (or perhaps the 
  root snaps). Helping a comrade back onto the cliff is a 
  Cooperative Strength roll.
  Alternative
  Instead of a hero who draws a deuce being targeted, 
  number some or all the squares along the cliff edge. Make 
  sure the numbers equate to one of the dice types used 
  in Savage Worlds. So if you want to use a d6, number six 
  squares between 1 and 6. The lower dice you use, the 
  more chance of a given square crumbling but the less 
  chances exists a hero will be standing in it.
  Now when a deuce is drawn have the player roll the 
  appropriate dice. If a character is in the indicated square, 
  he must roll Agility as above. Otherwise, the rock just 
  crumbles away without affecting anyone (but giving 
  them warning the area is unstable).
  The GM can either ignore duplicate rolls which indi-
  cate sections that have already collapsed or he can trans-
  plant the number to a square adjacent to the collapsed 
  section—once one area is weakened, those around it 
  likely suffer fragility as well.
  Endless Sands
  The shimmering haze was as endless as the desert. 
  Everywhere he looked, Senior Knight Peterson 
  could see nothing but sand and rocks. He wasn’t 
  sure how far they had traveled—judging distanc-
  es on the ﬂ at plain was difﬁ cult. A shake of his 
  canteen revealed the worst—maybe a mouthful of 
  water left. His men’s rations would be just as low. 
  Squinting at the burning sun, Peterson signaled 
  the group forward, praying they would ﬁ nd shel-
  ter or an oasis in the next few hours.
  Whether exploring the Atacama Desert in Peru, the 
  vast Sahara, the American southwest, or the vast sands of 
  Necropolis, heroes in desert conditions face great peril. 
  Aside from the constant heat, water consumption must 
  be carefully judged, for the endless sands and rocky 
  plains offer little in the way of standing water.
  This section covers special rules for adventuring in the 
  baking sands. GMs are free to use the rules as often as 
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  8
  they wish, though none of them should get in the way of a 
  good story if the heroes are taking sensible precautions.
  Glare
  The glare from the sun reﬂ ecting off the endless sand 
  can blind travelers who do not take precautions. Note 
  that Blind characters are immune.
  Every four hours of daylight spent in the open desert, 
  or every 2 hours in the Salt Basin or Mirrorsands, the 
  character must make a Vigor roll. There is a cumulative 
  –1 penalty for each consecutive four hour period. A hero 
  who rests his eyes for one hour out of every four can 
  avoid this penalty, though it does slow down his prog-
  ress. On a failure, the victim suffers a –6 penalty to all 
  trait rolls involving sight (including combat). His Parry 
  drops to 2.
  Recovery: Requires a successful Healing roll, and the 
  hero must rest his eyes in total darkness for 24 hours. 
  This roll may be attempted only once every 24 hours.
  Temperature
  The key to surviving the scorching heat of the desert 
  is to drink plenty of water, carry a light load, and limit 
  one’s exertions to a bare minimum during the hottest 
  part of the day.
  For those who like details, temperature can be given 
  as a level deﬁ ned by a keyword, rather than in exact 
  degrees (though we give you a numerical equivalent in 
  Fahrenheit and Centigrade as well so you can see what 
  we’re talking about). Rather than messing around with 
  raising or lowering temperatures by X degrees, you can 
  simply change the description.
  The Vigor column lists the daily amount of water 
  character must drink to resist the effects of Heat, as well 
  as the penalty to Vigor rolls should this quantity not be 
  available (see Savage Worlds). If the entry says “Cold,” 
  refer to the Savage Worlds rules on Cold weather.
  Level 
  Temp (F) 
  Temp (C) 
  Water (quarts) Vigor
  Frigid 
  –7 to –12 
  –11 to –21 2 
  Cold
  Freezing 
  12 to 32 
  –10 to –0 
  2 
  Cold
  Temperate 33 to 89 
  1 to 32 
  2 
  0
  Hot 
  90 to 94 
  33 to 34 
  4 
  0
  Sweltering 95 to 99 
  35 to 37 
  4 
  –1
  Stiﬂ ing 
  100 to 104 
  38 to 40 
  4 
  –2
  Very Hot 
  105 to 109 
  41 to 43 
  6 
  –3
  Baking 
  110 to 114 
  44 to 45 
  6 
  –4
  Scorching 
  115 to 119 
  46 to 48 
  6 
  –5
  Infernal 
  120+ 
  49+ 
  8 
  –6
  Nighttime
  At night, the temperature in the open desert drops 
  rapidly. Reduce the temperature by 1d4 levels (to a mini-
  mum of Frigid). Even in high summer, the temperature 
  in some regions regularly drops below freezing at night, 
  allowing frost to form. In towns and cities and around 
  rivers it drops just 1d2 levels.
  Seasonal Changes
  Unless otherwise stated, temperatures are averages 
  for spring and autumn, the time when most folk travel—
  even farmers can do little while the crops are growing. 
  During winter, the temperature is one category lower, 
  while in summer it is one level higher (to a maximum 
  of Infernal).
  Shelter
  Whether it’s a cave or a tent, shelter provides protec-
  tion from the sun and desiccating winds. Shelter grants a 
  +1 to +4 bonus to Vigor rolls to resist the heat, depend-
  ing on how windproof and covered it is. With a suitable 
  ﬁ re, the temperature inside a sealed shelter at night rises 
  to a comfortable level.
  Terrain
  Flat, featureless terrain can easily fool a traveler into 
  misjudging distances. With no landmarks to use as ref-
  erence and constant heat shimmer, distances can seem 
  much longer or shorter than they really are. In such 
  locales Notice and Shooting rolls beyond 12” suffer a –2 
  penalty.
  Dunes, rocky plains, and soft sand count as difﬁ cult 
  terrain.
  Water Consumption
  At high temperatures, characters require more water 
  to resist the effects of heat. As stated in the main rules, 
  characters have to make Vigor rolls for Heat only if they 
  don’t meet their daily water requirements. Characters 
  who travel at night and rest all day base their water con-
  sumption on the nighttime temperature (but may face the 
  problems of freezing temperatures and nocturnal foes).
  Size
  Larger creatures naturally require more water than 
  smaller creatures, while small creatures need less than 
  larger ones. In most cases, animals and monsters get 
  water from devouring their prey, rather than lapping it 
  out of oases. Ignore them for the sake of fast play. Only 
  horses and camels are important because of their use as 
  mounts.
  Characters can have Sizes ranging from –1 to +1. A 
  Size –1 character (typically one with the Small Hindrance) 
  requires half the listed water per day. A Size +1 (Brawny 
  or Obese) character increases the amount of daily water 
  he must consume by +1 quart.
  Riding horses require +4 quarts a day, and war horses 
  require +6 quarts. Camels typically require the same 
  quantity of water as a Size 0 creature, but can go for long 
  periods without water, consuming vast quantities when 
  water becomes available. Camel stats can be fund in the 
  Pulp GM Toolkit.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  9
  Finding Food & Water
  In order to survive the harsh wastes, one needs regu-
  lar quantities of food and water. A hungry man quickly 
  lacks the energy to search for water and a thirsty man has 
  a life expectancy measured in hours.
  Finding edible food and potable water in the desert 
  uses the standard rules for Survival (see Savage Worlds), 
  but with modiﬁ ers—neither food nor water is plentiful 
  in the burning sands. Obviously, if one is at an oasis, well, 
  or along a riverbank, ﬁ nding water and some sort of food 
  is automatic, and usually in plentiful quantities (though 
  the resource may be owned by someone).
  Water Trap: A water trap is a specially coated piece of 
  material. It is erected at night, and weighted with a stone 
  to form a cone shape. Condensation forms on the trap at 
  night, and slides into the well, where it can be collected 
  in the morning. Users must make a Survival roll to set 
  it up correctly. Penalties apply according to the region. 
  Add +4 if the temperature drops to below freezing. Suc-
  cess gives 1d4 quarts of potable water and a raise 2d4+2 
  quarts.
  Mod 
  Region
  +2 
  Fertile region
  –2 
  Open desert (sandy or rocky)
  –4 
  Dunes
  –6 
  Ash plains
  –8 
  Salt Basin
  Living Bridges
  Brent Hardcastle looked around frantically. 
  ‘Gators surrounded the small island on which he 
  was standing, hungry ‘gators, and lots of them. 
  The river bank lay tantalizingly close, but it was 
  too far too jump, and too risky to wade through 
  the river. Then Brent noticed something—some of 
  the ‘gators were close enough… Without pausing 
  to think twice, less he talk himself out of his plan 
  of action, he began to leap from alligator to al-
  ligator!
  In the ﬁ lm Live and Let Die, James Bond escapes from 
  a “death trap” by leaping across the backs of alligators 
  which had conveniently lined up. While not suitable for 
  every game style, this sort of situation is a ﬁ ne example 
  of a stunt for pulp and swashbuckling settings.
  To use a similar stunt, certain conditions must be met 
  ﬁ rst.
  First, the alligators (or whatever beasts are present—
  you could use hippos across a river, or perhaps angry 
  elephants or dinosaurs to cross a small chasm) must be 
  adjacent to each other. There can be a 1” or 2” gap, but 
  remember, jumping is an action, so it can’t be repeated 
  in the same round. Unless you really want the poor hero 
  to end up stranded on the back of a very angry ‘gator, 
  place any such gap between the last creature and safety.
  Second, the ‘gators must be acting on the same action 
  card, and must either have all acted this round or take 
  their turn after the hero. Otherwise, you’ll get the situa-
  tion where the hero jumps one or more ‘gators, only to 
  ﬁ nd one waiting with its mouth wide open.
  Third, the hero must have the Pace to cross the line 
  of ‘gators in a single round. If he can’t, you’ll end up 
  with the same situation as above. He can run, of course, 
  but this is an action and imposes penalties to the Agility 
  roll.
  Now the requirements are set, the hero can make his 
  death-defying journey. This requires an Agility roll, as an 
  action, with a cumulative –1 penalty for each ‘gator in 
  the chain after the ﬁ rst. Alligators aren’t exactly stable 
  platforms at the best of times, they’re liable to thrash 
  around, and without any risk involved you might as well 
  have left a bridge for the adventurers to cross.
  With success, the hero bounds away to safety, the ‘ga-
  tors snapping behind him. This trick won’t work again, 
  though, as the alligators have wised up. Should a second 
  character attempt it, the creatures get a free Fighting 
  roll, exactly as if the hero was Withdrawing from Com-
  bat. With a raise, not only is the hero safe, but the next 
  person to follow can use the same stunt without risking 
  attacks. A failure means the hero fails to complete the 
  maneuver, leaving him stranded amid a bunch of angry 
  ‘gators. A critical failure means the hero is Shaken as well 
  (and possibly about to feed an alligator).
  The GM should decide where the hero is located if 
  the roll is failed, but he can’t have cleared the last ‘gator 
  (otherwise he’d have effectively made the jump success-
  fully).
  Rather than being arbitrary, the GM can use a simple 
  method for deciding where among the ‘gators a hero 
  ends after a failed crossing. If the hero failed his Agil-
  ity roll by 1, he stops short before the last ‘gator in the 
  chain. A failure by 2 means he has failed to clear the last 
  two ‘gators, and so on.
  Unless there is only a single alligator forming the 
  living bridge, the hero always manages to leap over at 
  least one creature, leaving him stuck between two of the 
  beasts. For single beast “bridges,” the character failed to 
  cross even that one ‘gator (so he’s where he began the 
  maneuver, but the ‘gators might get him unless the cards 
  are in his favor).
  Pillar to Post
  High above the ground, atop the pillars of a col-
  lapsed temple, a ﬁ gure leaps across the void. He 
  lands atop a nearby column, momentarily wob-
  bling as he ﬁ ghts to regain his balance. Looking 
  down, the stones and boulders he knows to be the 
  size of carts look like mere pebbles. Gritting his 
  teeth he prepares to leap again, for moving from 
  column to column is the only way to reach his 
  goal.
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  10
  These rules can be used anytime the heroes are ﬁ ght-
  ing atop a narrow column. It’s risky business, but it adds 
  a new element to a ﬁ ght and can be great fun. Such a 
  battleﬁ eld might comprise the columns of a collapsed 
  temple, the timbers of a semi-submerged ship, the ribs of 
  some huge skeleton, or even the supporting posts which 
  once held up a long-vanished bridge across a chasm.
  Mapping
  To create a suitable ﬁ ghting area, the GM needs to 
  design a map. Fortunately, this involves nothing more 
  than placing 1” diameter circles on a piece of paper or a 
  wipe clean battlemat or using tokens like poker chips to 
  represent the columns. No matter how big the token you 
  use to mark the pillar, the top of each one is only wide 
  enough to hold just a single character.
  Half the columns should be spaced adjacent to each 
  other. This allows a character to move at his regular 
  Pace by taking small jumps. About two-thirds of the 
  remaining pillars should have a 1” gap to the next col-
  umn. This requires a hero to use an action jumping, 
  which both limits his movement (since you can’t repeat 
  an action in a round) and forces a multi action penalty 
  if he wants to engage in combat or perform another ac-
  tion afterward. The remaining pillars should be placed 
  2” away (but no further) from their nearest neighbor. 
  This forces adventurous heroes to risk a Strength roll 
  to clear the gap.
  With such a small platform, the lack of running room 
  means a character can only leap 1” between columns, 
  or 2” if he makes a successful Strength roll as an action. 
  Hence, pillars 3” or more away from their nearest neigh-
  bor can only be reached by heroes with the power of 
  ﬂ ight or if the GM has left a handy rope dangling from a 
  structure higher up.
  Catching the Edge
  Characters who fail a jump roll may be allowed to try 
  and catch the edge of the target pillar to arrest their fall. 
  Whether this is permissible is up to the GM and should 
  depend on the type of game he is running—for action 
  and pulp games it makes great cinema (which is part of 
  the gaming experience), but a gritty game might mean a 
  long drop.
  If it is deemed possible, catching the edge requires 
  an Agility roll (a free action). If the hero has only one 
  hand free, a –2 penalty applies. Holding items in both 
  hands gives a –4 penalty. A hero may let go of items he 
  is holding once he realizes his jump has fallen short. As-
  suming he grabs the platform successfully, his turn now 
  ends—all planned actions after failing the leap are lost.
  Scrabbling onto the platform from this position next 
  round requires an action. As always, GM’s may opt to 
  make this harder by requiring a Strength roll, though this 
  should be reserved for grittier games—pulp and action 
  games should be fast paced, not involve long struggles 
  to rejoin the fray.
  Added Dangers
  Although the risk of falling presents an obvious 
  danger, GMs can add further hazards to this locale. 
  One obvious choice is to place the pillars over a natu-
  ral hazard, such as a spiked pit, deep chasm, or even a 
  river of lava. Those who fall risk severe injury, possibly 
  even death.
  Knocking Foes Off
  Normally, being struck by a weapon in Savage Worlds 
  does not cause knockback. However, standing atop a tall 
  pillar with a narrow top while being hit by an opponent 
  and buffeted by the wind is rather different to standing 
  on a wide open plain.
  Characters Shaken or wounded by an attack must 
  make an Agility roll to retain their balance after mak-
  ing any Soak attempt. With failure, the hero falls off his 
  perch. Heroes may try to catch the edge to prevent a fall 
  as described above.
  Collapsing Pillars
  Another option is to make the pillars unstable and 
  subject to collapse. Wooden posts may be loose or 
  rotten, and stone pillars may start to crumble. When-
  ever a hero draws a deuce as his first action card in a 
  round, the pillar he is on begins to collapse.
  A red deuce means the pillar collapses after his 
  actions are taken. Only if he is still on the post does 
  he risk falling. However, it counts as an Unstable Plat-
  form during this round. With a black deuce, the pillar 
  begins to tumble immediately.
  Such a pillar is treated as being on Hold and must 
  interrupt the hero. It has Agility d8 for this purpose. 
  With success, the pillar collapses before the hero can 
  act, causing him to make an Agility roll (an action) 
  to leap to an adjacent pillar. If there is no pillar ad-
  jacent, the hero must make the roll at –2 to leap to a 
  platform within 1”. (He can’t leap 2” to a column, as 
  this requires some preparation and concentration by 
  the hero.) With success, he reaches the pillar and can 
  carry on his turn as normal. Failure causes the victim 
  to fall. However, heroes may be allowed a last chance 
  Agility roll to grab the edge.
  A fallen pillar should be removed from the map 
  (though be sure not to cut off the last route across 
  the pillars!).
  One tactic players might embark on is to attack 
  the pillar on which a foe is standing, causing it to 
  collapse. A wooden post typically has a Toughness 
  of 10 and a stone column Toughness 15 or 20. How-
  ever, this can only be achieved with Heavy Weapons 
  (a bullet, no matter the damage rolled, won’t smash 
  a stone pillar). Sure, you can chop through a wooden 
  post with an axe, but generally this takes more than 
  a single swing and is thus best used outside combat 
  situations.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  11
  Walls, Not Pillars
  Rather than actual columns, the same rules can be 
  used to run ﬁ ghts along the tops of walls. For instance, a 
  collapsed roof or ﬁ re might leave a castle or fort as noth-
  ing more than lines of walls. For convenience, the walls 
  are assumed to be 1” wide. Some walls may have gaps, 
  where the stonework has collapsed, and there should be 
  other walls nearby to allow heroes to leap around and 
  reach different parts of the battleﬁ eld.
  For mapping walls, just devise a series of lines inside a 
  square or rectangular boundary (representing the outer 
  walls). As with pillars, there should be gaps between wall 
  segments, in this case to represent doorways and corridors.
  Rooftop Rumbles
  Brother Thomas leapt across the alley onto the roof 
  of the adjacent building. His twin daggers carved 
  deep gouges into the tiles as he sought to steady 
  himself on the wet, pitched roof. From the street 
  below, far enough to break his neck should he fall, 
  he heard a dog howl. Up ahead, he watched as 
  his quarry bounded away, far steadier on its feet 
  than the portly monk.
  Fighting on a ﬂ at roof is no different to any other 
  combat. The available space might be smaller, but it’s 
  still a horizontal area. This section covers running ﬁ ghts 
  on pitched roofs. If you want to run a ﬁ ght on a vertical 
  surface, check out the rules on page 22 (Vertical Com-
  bat). For added danger, see the section Stormy Nights 
  (p. 15).
  Several things can apply when ﬁ ghting on pitched 
  roofs which you don’t ﬁ nd on a regular battleﬁ eld. These 
  are dealt with individually below.
  Pitched Roof
  The most obvious danger is the slope of the roof. Sav-
  age Worlds handles this with great ease—simply treat the 
  roof as difﬁ cult ground. If the roof is wet, the combina-
  tion of water and angle cause a hero who rolls a 1 on his 
  running die to slip and fall prone.
  Cover modiﬁ ers apply if you’re attacking someone on 
  the other side of the roof due to the pitch.
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  12
  You Broke My Roof!
  Roofs are usually quite solid structures, but that’s no 
  fun in a roleplaying game. Whether the surface is thatch, 
  slate, or wooden tiles, a hero has a chance of putting his 
  foot through the roof (probably to the annoyance of the 
  owner).
  A character drawing a black deuce as his ﬁ rst card 
  in a round has just such an accident. Until the foot is 
  extracted, the hero can’t move. Extracting his wayward 
  limb requires an Agility or Strength roll (the character’s 
  choice) at –2.
  Slippage
  Although roofs are sturdy enough to allow workmen 
  to maintain them, they weren’t intended as stage for 
  combat. A hero who draws a red deuce as his ﬁ rst action 
  card during a round causes the tiles or thatch to begin 
  slipping, which threatens to drag him over the edge. 
  Use the rules for Crumbling Cliffs (p. 7) when this 
  occurs.
  Alleys
  Fighting on a single rooftop can be exciting, but using 
  multiple rooftops is much more fun. Some buildings will 
  be adjoining, thus creating a long but narrow battleﬁ eld 
  with no gaps worth mentioning. Other structures will be 
  separated by alleys or roads. Assume an alley involves 
  a jump of 1”, while a road, street, or avenue requires a 
  2” leap. Remember, you can’t repeat an action during a 
  round, so only one jump each turn is possible.
  Heroes who fail a jumping roll may make try to catch 
  the edge of the roof. Use the rules for catching ledges 
  under Pillar to Post (p. 9).
  Rope Bridges
  The swaying of the rope bridge caused the swords-
  man to glance downward to check his footing—a 
  mistake. The hero had no unease with heights, but 
  he did not need reminding of the danger of fall-
  ing. Behind him he heard the sound of the hostile 
  tribesmen. Ahead, more blocked his path. Wrap-
  ping one arm around a guide rope, the fencer 
  gritted his teeth and prepared his steel.
  The ﬁ nal scene from the second Indiana Jones ﬁ lm 
  is a great example of how much fun, and danger, a rope 
  bridge can be in a game.
  Rope bridges are generally found in more remote 
  places, where the local terrain or technology of the in-
  habitants prohibits wood or stone structures. A typical 
  bridge has two thick ropes strung across the chasm, a 
  plank or rope framework as the base, and countless sup-
  porting lines linking the main ropes to the base (both to 
  hold up the base and provide stability).
  The Bridge
  Because of the constraints in building a rope bridge, 
  they are 1” wide, allowing for single ﬁ le trafﬁ c only. He-
  roes can pass through squares occupied by their allies, 
  though. With little room for maneuvering, this should 
  count as difﬁ cult ground.
  The main supporting ropes have Toughness 10, but 
  can only be hacked by slashing weapons—you can’t 
  bludgeon one into unraveling! The smaller ropes have 
  Toughness 6, but again must be slashed.
  Rope bridges count as Unstable Platforms due to their 
  constant swaying and bouncing.
  One Rope Cut
  When one main rope is severed, the ﬂ oor suddenly 
  becomes near-vertical. Heroes on the bridge must make an 
  Agility roll to grab the rope. Characters who had already 
  grabbed a support, perhaps in anticipation of such a ma-
  neuver, must make a Strength roll at +2 to maintain their 
  grip. Note that characters holding a support strong enough 
  to save their life can’t move in the same round. They may 
  have wrapped their leg through a rope or simply be clutch-
  ing it in their hand, but that anchors them in place.
  With failure, they get to make an Agility roll to catch 
  hold before gravity does its job. Heroes who pass the 
  Agility roll are hanging from the bridge. On their next 
  turn, they may use an action to secure their position. 
  Again, the GM has the option of having characters make 
  a Strength roll, instead.
  Movement along the bridge is now virtually impos-
  sible—a character can move at half his Strength die in 
  game inches, but no faster. This requires him to use one 
  hand, thus preventing the use of some weapons.
  Both Ropes Cut
  If both lines are cut, the bridge collapses. Characters 
  get to make an Agility roll to grab hold or something, but 
  this is done at –2. If that wasn’t bad enough, the bridge 
  smashes into the side of the cliff (or the ﬂ oor, depending 
  on the depth of the chasm). Swinging into a cliff might 
  cause 2d6 (or more) damage to anyone holding on for 
  dear life, cause them to make a Strength roll to maintain 
  their grip, or even both. If the bridge hits the bottom, 
  regular falling damage applies. Assuming the bridge is 
  still hanging, you can now use the rules for Vertical 
  Combat on page 22.
  Spitting Stone Heads
  Hidden deep within the steamy jungle are the 
  ruins of an ancient civilization. Swept aside by 
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  13
  invaders, crushed by rivals, obliterated by dis-
  ease or famine, or left corrupt and weakened by 
  decadent and despotic leaders—whatever fate 
  befell the once might nation is now lost to his-
  tory. Aside from a few temples and other ruined 
  buildings, the most notable constructions are the 
  gigantic stone heads which stare from the vegeta-
  tion covering them.
  Each stone head is free standing. The top of the stone 
  heads is rounded and stands 8” above the jungle ﬂ oor. A 
  pair of eyeholes is located 6” off the ground and spaced 
  1” apart, while the lower jaw of the mouth is at ground 
  level. Both the eyes and mouth allow access to the inte-
  rior of the head.
  No ladders or steps allow access from the outside. It is 
  possible to climb up the face and through the eyeholes, 
  though. Because of the vines and creepers covering the 
  face, climbers move at their regular Climbing Pace (half 
  Strength die type) and do not need to make a Climbing 
  roll under normal circumstances.
  Climbing up into the head via the mouth is possible, 
  but only by bracing ones’ back against one wall and legs 
  against the other. Climbing Pace is as per normal, but a 
  Climbing roll is required each round to make any head-
  way. Characters in the mouth when a ball is launched 
  (see below) are automatically struck (no avoidance roll) 
  and knocked 1” clear of the mouth.
  The top of the head is actually a small chamber and 
  spacious enough to house three fully-grown human 
  adults or six smaller creatures (such as goblins or pyg-
  mies). In the center of the ﬂ oor is a round hole, which 
  connects to the mouth via a smooth, curving chute.
  The stone heads were not constructed for religious 
  or decorative purposes. Rather, they once formed part 
  of the outer defenses of a now derelict city or temple 
  complex. Indeed, they are only found along the line 
  of overgrown roads leading to the heart of the ancient 
  civilization’s settlements.
  Rather than facing straight forward, parallel to the 
  roads they guard, the heads are placed facing the road at 
  a 45 degree angle. Often they are found in pairs, though 
  along major routes multiple pairs form a kind of ceremo-
  nial guard.
  To this day, the heads are still used as watch posts. 
  Whether the defenders are goblins, pygmies, degenerate 
  natives, pirates watching over their treasure hoard, or 
  Nazis protecting an expedition, they know the true pur-
  pose of the stone heads and make use of them against 
  any outsiders.
  Rules
  One of the defenders stationed in each stone head 
  peers out across the approach, ever watchful for intrud-
  ers. The deep recesses, always in shadow, give the sen-
  tries excellent cover and prevent intruders from spotting 
  them.
  Once the ﬁ rst attacker gets within 10” and is in line 
  with the mouth, a brief shout is given by the sentry. Time 
  to check for Surprise!
  As soon as the signal is given, a pair of defenders be-
  gins rolling stone balls into the chutes. Every round on 
  their action card, a single ball launches from each head’s 
  mouth. To those approaching the idols, the heads seem 
  to be spitting stones! Each head contains ﬁ ve balls.
  The balls follow the paths shown on the map. Each 
  ball has enough momentum for three rounds of travel. 
  At the end of the third round, the ball rolls to a halt. The 
  distance the ball covers in a round, the roll required to 
  avoid the rolling stone, and the damage it inﬂ icts when 
  it strikes a foe is shown below. Making the distance trav-
  eled variable does add an extra die roll to the game, but 
  it also prevents players from calculating where the balls 
  will move each round and easily avoiding them.
  Balls move on the action card of the defenders inside 
  the head. (Should they be dead, give any moving balls 
  their own card). Always move balls already rolling before 
  checking the Pace of newly ﬁ red projectiles.
  Any other defenders in the head attack with ranged 
  weapons through the eyeholes, gaining Medium Cover 
  as they peek through.
  Once the heads are out of ammunition or the attack-
  ers move out of their line of attack, the warriors clamber 
  through the eyeholes or, in the case of smaller creatures, 
  jump into the hole, slide down the chute, and start a me-
  lee. Using the slide counts as an action, but still allows 
  the warriors to move their full Pace and even run if they 
  wish once they reach ground level.
  Stone Ball Table
  Round 
  Pace 
  Avoidance Damage
  1 4+1d4” 
  Agility at –2 
  4d6
  2 2+1d4” 
  Agility at –1 
  3d6
  3 1d4” 
  Agility 
  2d6
  Creatures in the path who fail their Agility roll suffer 
  damage as listed above, are knocked back 1”, and fall 
  prone as the ball runs over them or knocks them aside.
  Unless a ball strikes a creature of Size +4 or larger (or 
  a stationary stone ball), it simply knocks aside those it 
  strikes and keeps rolling. Its Pace is unaffected by these 
  lesser collisions. Against creatures of Size +4 or larger, 
  the ball stops dead in its tracks when it hits one (but 
  inﬂ icts damage as normal to the target).
  Variants
  Rather than stone balls, the heads could disgorge a 
  variety of weapons or objects. Some examples are listed 
  below.
  * Barrels of oil or dozens of small marbles. Barrels leave 
  a 1” wide trail of slippery oil behind as they move, 
  whereas marbles ﬁ ll a Cone Template. Anyone pass-
  ing through the area treats it as difﬁ cult ground. A 
  running die roll of 1 while in the affected terrain indi-
  cates the traveler slips and falls prone.
  * Barrels of gunpowder (with a burning fuse) which 
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  14
  explode in a Medium Burst Template for 3d6 dam-
  age after 1d4 rounds (they explode at the start of the 
  round, before any action cards are dealt). Victims who 
  notice the fuses may make an Agility roll at –2 to avoid 
  damage as per the rules for Area Effect Attacks.
  * Flaming, pitch-covered stone or wooden balls. In ad-
  dition to the regular damage, those struck also have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  * Giant spiders or ants, a swarm of insects or rats, or 
  some other suitable critter.
  Stampede!
  Brent’s ears caught the sound of thunder despite 
  the clear sky. Dodging the spears of the savage 
  tribesmen, he glanced toward the low ridge 
  nearby. A thick cloud of dust swirled in the gentle 
  breeze, forming ever-shifting shapes. Then he saw 
  them—wildebeests, an entire herd, and they were 
  stampeding!
  Herd animals can be jittery creatures. Sometimes they 
  even stampede. Stampedes are caused when herds of ani-
  mals panic and charge across the countryside. These may 
  be large animals, like buffalo or elephants, or in certain 
  pulp settings, weird herds like stegosaurs! Regardless of 
  size, the large herd poses a danger to all in their path.
  This section covers ﬁ ghting your foes while caught in 
  a stampede.
  Rules
  All characters caught in the stampede are treated as 
  being on difﬁ cult ground—it simply isn’t possible to 
  move quickly while dodging horns and hooves.
  Each character who draws a Club suit may make an 
  Agility roll as an action at the start of his turn to avoid 
  being jostled, bumped, crushed, or gored. Unconscious 
  heroes still in the area of the stampede are dealt a single 
  card to see if they are trampled. With success, the charac-
  ter has used an action but has avoided injury.
  On a failure or if the hero doesn’t want to (or can’t) 
  make the roll, the character is kicked and gored by a few 
  animals as they thunder past. He suffers 
  damage equal the animals’ Strength+4. 
  A herd of adult elephants (Strength 
  d12+5), for example, would typically 
  cause d12+9 damage.
  Should the character roll a critical 
  failure (or, to make it more deadly, a 
  1 on his Agility roll, regardless of Wild 
  Die), he is caught in the path of the 
  stampede and trampled. He takes dam-
  age equal to the herds’ Strength die + 
  twice the Size modiﬁ er in damage and is 
  knocked prone. The elephant herd (size 
  +5) would cause d12+15 damage, for 
  instance.
  Shoving someone into the path of 
  a stampeding beast is a perfectly valid 
  maneuver. Use the grapple rules. Instead 
  of binding the victim, however, a success-
  ful grapple indicates he was shoved or 
  thrown straight into the path of a beast. 
  Damage is as above, with a raise on the 
  grapple indicating higher damage as the 
  poor sap is crushed underfoot.
  As a Hazard
  Rather than involve them in combat, 
  stampedes can be encountered as a natu-
  ral hazard.
  Characters caught in a stampede have 
  little hope of outrunning the herd, and 
  so must seek cover. Finding cover in time 
  requires an Agility roll at –2. On a failure, 
  the character is kicked or gored by a few 
  animals as they thunder past, and suffers 
  the animal’s Strength+4.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  15
  Stormy Nights
  Atop the roof of a crumbling castle two ﬁ gures ﬁ ght 
  to the death. Swords clash in echo of the thunder 
  crashing above. Sparks ﬂ y as steel meets steel, a 
  mortal mockery of the lightning arcing through 
  the broiling clouds. The air is rent with the smell 
  of ozone as a lighting bolt strikes the roof near to 
  the scene of the action, momentarily stunning the 
  combatants.
  Let’s face it, a climactic battle against a vampire or 
  locking blades with a deranged noble on a castle roof is 
  much more exciting with sporadic ﬂ ashes of lighting and 
  the rumble of thunder than on a bright, sunny day.
  Fights during a storm may have minor game effects, 
  such as a –1 penalty to all physical actions due to the 
  wind and rain, but often they are used solely for ﬂ avor. 
  Lightning strikes can be used to spice up any battle and 
  add a new element to the scene. 
  Presented below are some optional rules. Note that 
  these are various rules presented, allowing the GM to 
  mix and match to ﬁ t his game style. He can even use 
  different effects at different times, representing intense 
  or weak storms.
  Strike!
  First you need to determine how and where the light-
  ning strikes.
  The simple option is to declare that any hero 
  who draws a certain card, say a deuce or Ace (or just 
  the black suits of those cards), is struck. Only the 
  first card dealt to a hero is used to see if a lightning 
  strike occurs. Otherwise, heroes with Level Headed 
  and Quick have a much greater chance of being 
  targeted. Thus, a hero with Improved Level Headed 
  who draws cards in the following order, Ace, deuce, 
  and a ten is not affected, since the deuce was not 
  his first card.
  Another option is to mark a number squares on the 
  GM map of the battleﬁ eld. The numbers should match 
  the types of dice used in the game. So, if you want to use 
  a d6, number six squares with 1 through 6.
  The smaller the battlefield, the fewer numbers you 
  should use. A d4 or d6, for instance, is great for a 
  small area, such as a single roof, or if the lightning 
  affects an area (see below). Of course, the fewer 
  numbers used, the more chance lightning will strike 
  the same area twice (or more). A battle raging across 
  the roof of an entire castle (or cathedral), might well 
  warrant a d12 or even a d20. Don’t show the heroes 
  the location of the numbers, though, or they’ll avoid 
  those squares!
  When a deuce (or just a black deuce) is drawn by any 
  player, roll the appropriate die. Lightning strikes that 
  square.
  Frying Tonight!
  Depending on the type of game you are running, 
  lightning can be very dangerous, mildly harmful, or just 
  annoying. This is reﬂ ected in the damage you assign.
  Several options are given below. The GM should pick 
  the one which suits the style of game and the strength of 
  his party—being killed by a monster is an acceptable risk 
  to most players, but being fried alive by a random effect 
  may cause grumblings.
  * Damage: Lightning may cause physical damage. 
  The damage can range from 2d6 up to whatever the GM 
  wishes, though obviously the higher the damage the 
  greater chance a Wild Card will fry. Remember, the aver-
  age of 2d6 (ignoring raises) is 7, enough to Shake most 
  Extras. At 3d6, death is very likely for an average Extra 
  and even a Wild Card is likely to suffer a wound. Armor, 
  even magical armor, shouldn’t protect against lightning 
  unless it has some innate resistance to electricity.
  Alternately, lighting does not cause damage, but in-
  stead automatically Shakes those affected. In a high-ac-
  tion pulp game you might rule that victims get a Vigor 
  roll to avoid the effect.
  * Area Effected: There are three ways lightning can 
  target the battleﬁ eld.
  First, it can hit a single square or creature. Only the 
  poor sap in that square takes damage or is Shaken.
  Second, the lightning strikes a single square or crea-
  ture, but those adjacent are affected to a lesser extent 
  as well. If you’re rolling damage for lightning, anyone 
  in the targeted square takes damage as above, while 
  adjacent foes suffer 1 die less damage as electricity arcs 
  across to them. For lightning which only causes a Shaken 
  result, adjacent targets can be automatically Shaken or 
  be allowed a Vigor roll at –2 to resist the effect.
  Third, the lighting causes affects everything in a Me-
  dium Burst Template centered over the target square. 
  Again, it can cause damage or just Shake everyone.
  Added Complexity
  As well as frying ﬂ esh and scorching clothes, lighting 
  also produces blinding light and a powerful shockwave 
  when it strikes. At the GM’s option, anyone struck by 
  lighting must make a Vigor roll or be blinded and deaf-
  ened until the start of the next round. This works as per 
  the Major Bad Eyes and Bad Ears Hindrances.
  GM’s who want the ﬂ avor of this effect without the 
  extra roll or game mechanics can rule that anyone 
  Shaken is suffering those effects. Rather than use the 
  Hindrances, the effects are wrapped up in the Shaken 
  condition, which prevents any actions (because the vic-
  tim is blinded).
  Lighting the Sky
  Lightning needn’t just be used to fry unsuspecting 
  characters. Imagine a group of adventures trying to ﬁ ght 
  a deadly foe during a raging storm at night. Chances are 
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  16
  there’s a –4 bad lighting penalty in place. One way to 
  make the lightning serve a useful purpose is have it light 
  up the sky for a brief while.
  On any round an Ace (or red Ace only, if you prefer) is 
  drawn, a ﬂ ash of lightning turns night into day, albeit for 
  a single round. All darkness penalties are negated until 
  the end of the current round.
  Lightning can also be used in a more tactical manner. 
  When an Ace is drawn by any character, draw another card 
  for the lightning ﬂ ash. A Joker means the ﬂ ash occurs when-
  ever the GM wants, or he can rule it’s a powerful burst and 
  use the guidelines above. Otherwise, it goes off when its 
  card is called, providing very brief but powerful light.
  Characters who want to take advantage of the ﬂ ash 
  must be on Hold. They don’t have to roll to interrupt 
  the lightning, but they must act immediately afterward 
  (possibly forcing them to interrupt someone else) to use 
  the light to their advantage.
  Swamps of Death
  Brent drew his pistol the instant he saw the alliga-
  tor move. In a smooth motion he brought the pis-
  tol level and began to apply pressure 
  to the trigger. A fraction of a second 
  too late, he smelled the unmistakable 
  stench of ﬂ ammable marsh gas!
  Swamp is a generic term covering 
  swamp, marsh, bogs, and fens. Swamp 
  can cover the entire battleﬁ eld or there 
  can be safe paths through. The boggy 
  areas are treated as difﬁ cult ground, 
  whereas raised or dry areas, assuming the 
  footing is good, are regular ground.
  In a swamp dotted with dry patches 
  (possibly small islands or stepping stones), 
  the suggestion for leaping between col-
  umns (p. 9) can be used. Although there 
  is no risk of falling to one’s death, failing 
  a jump roll might leave a hero in deep 
  water or simply indicate he’s soaked, 
  potentially spoiling some of his gear (like 
  papers or blackpowder).
  Unless the water is exceptionally deep, 
  don’t allow a hero an Agility roll to catch 
  the edge of the dry land—at worst he’ll 
  be face down in murky water.
  Marsh Gas
  First decide how the marsh gas comes 
  into play. The easiest way is to mark 
  squares on your map with numbers, 
  exactly as per the rules for Crumbling 
  Cliff and Stormy Nights. When a deuce 
  is drawn as a character’s ﬁ rst card in a 
  round, roll the dice and see which area has exuded gas. 
  As always, multiple deuces mean different areas release 
  gas this round (reroll or ignore duplicates).
  The gas comes into play at the start of the round, 
  before any actions are handled, and remains until all ac-
  tions have been completed. It then dissipates.
  Marsh gas ﬁ lls an area. Unless you have a ﬁ rm idea on 
  how you want the gas to work, use the following system 
  based on the suit of the deuce. A club indicates a Large 
  Burst Template centered on the indicated square is af-
  fected, a diamond ﬁ lls a Medium Burst Template, a heart 
  covers a Small Burst Template, and a Spade means a just 
  a single square is ﬁ lled with noxious fumes. All those in 
  the area are affected.
  Marsh gas, at least for an RPG, comes in two forms—tox-
  ic and ﬂ ammable. The GM needs to decide which sort he is 
  using and its exact effects. Suggestions are given below.
  Toxic
  Toxic gas ranges from truly lethal to merely debilitat-
  ing (through choking and coughing). Lethal gas requires 
  a Vigor roll from everyone affected to avoid an automatic 
  wound, 2d6 damage, or whatever else the GM decides is 
  appropriate for his game.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  17
  Debilitating gas requires a Vigor roll to avoid becom-
  ing Shaken. Wearing a gas mask or being enclosed in a 
  suit with an independent air supply provides total im-
  munity. Wrapping one’s mouth and nose in cloth gives 
  a +2 bonus.
  Flammable
  Flammable gases explode. Two types exist. The ﬁ rst 
  spontaneously combusts on contact with air (making 
  it more deadly), while the second sort only explodes 
  if someone in the affected area has a naked ﬂ ame, uses 
  a ﬁ rearm, or produces a ﬂ ame or spark in some other 
  manner. Unless one of these triggers occurs, the gas has 
  no effect.
  Again, the lethality of the explosion is left for the GM 
  to determine based on his style of game. A roll of 2d6 is 
  enough to Shake most Extras (assuming an average roll 
  and no raises), but a truly deadly cloud might cause 2d8, 
  3d6, or even 4d10 damage.
  Alternately, the explosion is distracting rather than 
  deadly. All victims are automatically Shaken. This might 
  qualify as a physical attack (GM’s discretion), meaning 
  victims already Shaken would take a wound.
  Generally, the explosion is extremely quick, so there’s 
  little chance of anything but the most ﬂ ammable sub-
  stances catching ﬁ re. Even then, a roll of 6 is required 
  for combustion to occur (which is different to the core 
  rules).
  Variant: Jets of Fire
  The Princess Bride is a gamers’ movie. The swamp 
  scene can easily be recreated for use with Savage Worlds. 
  For those of you who haven’t seen the ﬁ lm, rather than 
  noisome gases, the swamp produces short-lived searing 
  jets of ﬁ re.
  First, the GM should mark his map with numbers 
  equating to a die type, as detailed elsewhere in this book. 
  When a deuce is drawn by any character (ﬁ rst card only if 
  a hero draws multiple cards), roll the appropriate die. A 
  jet of ﬁ re erupts from the indicated square. It is quicker 
  and easier to have to ﬁ re last the entire round, coming 
  into play before any actions are taken, but more fun to 
  have to last a brief moment, since the heroes won’t know 
  exactly when it will erupt. For the latter, deal the ﬁ re jet 
  an action card. Its ﬁ ery gout lasts for just a single action.
  Heroes on Hold in the affected square can try to inter-
  rupt the gout and move to safety. The jet has Agility d8 
  for this purpose only.
  Damage to anyone in or who passes through the area 
  while the ﬂ ame is present is 2d10, and victims have a 
  chance of catching ﬁ re.
  Quicksand
  Allow the lead character a Notice roll at –2 to detect 
  the hidden bog. Failure means he plunges in to his waist 
  (chest for Small characters) and begins sinking.
  Those stuck in the hazard sink completely in three 
  rounds unless extracted. Victims can make a Strength 
  roll (–4) to try and pull themselves out. A success stops 
  them sinking any further, while a raise pulls them clear. 
  On a critical failure, the character is sucked under and 
  immediately begins drowning (as per the Savage Worlds 
  rules).
  Heroes aiding a sinking comrade can make a Coop-
  erative Strength roll to drag the unfortunate being from 
  the quicksand. On a critical failure, they are pulled in 
  and begin sinking as well.
  Once a character is under the surface he cannot ex-
  tricate himself and must be dragged out by allies on the 
  surface. In order to ﬁ nd the character, those searching for 
  him must ﬁ rst make a Notice roll. Hauling a submerged 
  character out requires a Strength (–2) roll. This can be a 
  Cooperative roll, but suitable descriptions must be given 
  to warrant this.
  Vehicles sink to their axles. Getting the vehicle free 
  can be achieved through careful driving (Driving roll at 
  –4) or by digging it clear. The latter requires a Strength 
  roll at –6 and one hour of time per attempt. This can be 
  made as a cooperative roll.
  Traps
  Traps are a staple of pulp settings, but can also oc-
  cur in fantasy or horror games. These rules are a quick 
  and easy system of creating traps on the spur of the mo-
  ment.
  Draw two cards from the Action Deck whenever you 
  need a trap. These tell you everything you need to know 
  about its concealment, complexity, type, and lethality. 
  Occasionally you’ll need to draw a third card, but the 
  rules below tell you when to do this.
  The GM should add suitable ﬂ avor to these draws. For 
  instance, a “blade trap” could be a scything blade slicing 
  from the wall at knee height or a spear which thrusts 
  out from a concealed hole. A Spade result on the trap 
  might indicate multiple blades, hence the high Fighting 
  die and increased damage. A portcullis of the Club suit 
  might be heavily corroded or made of wood, whereas a 
  Spade indicates extremely tough and well-made bars.
  First Card
  The ﬁ rst card determines how difﬁ cult the trap is 
  to detect and disarm. This is shown on the Trap Difﬁ -
  culty table below as modiﬁ ers to Notice and Lockpicking 
  rolls.
  Note that truly magical traps (as opposed to weird 
  science or ones which mimic the effects of spells) can-
  not be disarmed (and so ignore the suit), but they can 
  be dispelled. Use the suit entry on the Trap Type table 
  below to determine the creator’s arcane skill die.
  Detecting: Detecting a trap requires a Notice roll. 
  Unless a character has Danger Sense, searching for traps 
  requires an action. A single roll is made in a round, 
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  18
  regardless of how far the hero moves. With success, he 
  detects a trap adjacent to him. He may halt his move-
  ment (even a run), if he spots a trap (advisable if it’s right 
  in front of him).
  Disarming: Disarming a detected trap requires a 
  Lockpicking roll and takes a complete round (no other 
  actions possible, including movement). On a critical fail-
  ure, the trap activates. Check for Surprise.
  Trap Difficulty Table
  Value 
  Detect 
  Suit 
  Disarm
  Joker 
  +2 
  Joker 
  +2
  2–4 
  +1 
  Club 
  +1
  5–10 
  +0 
  Diamond +0
  Jack–Queen –1 
  Heart 
  –1
  King–Ace 
  –2 
  Spade 
  –2
  Second Card
  The second card determines the exact type of trap en-
  countered. This is shown on the Trap Type table below.
  Wild Die: Traps with a Wild Die apply it to rolls to 
  interrupt and attack rolls when applicable.
  Area: Traps usually affect a 1” square on the battle grid. 
  Ranged attacks have a range of anywhere from 1” to 12”, 
  depending on their location and the type of missile. What-
  ever projectile is launched, range is always treated as be-
  ing Short Range. The distance listed for pits is their depth. 
  Magical traps affect an area as per the spell description.
  Duration: Traps are generally one-shot devices. Once 
  activated, they must be reset in order to work again. 
  Traps which use Power Points continue function each 
  time they are activated so long as they have power re-
  maining. Portcullises remain in place until lifted up.
  Trap Type Table
  Card
  Type
  Clubs
  Diamonds
  Hearts
  Spades
  2 (Red)
  Dangerous
  Draw again to determine the type. The trap has a d6 Wild Die.
  2 (Black)
  Lethal
  Draw again to determine the type. This trap has a d10 Wild Die.
  3
  Portcullis*
  Strength –1
  Strength –2
  Strength –4
  Strength –6
  4–5
  Pit Trap**
  10’, 1d6
  20’, 2d6
  30’, 3d6
  40’, 4d6
  6
  Spiked Pit
  10’, 1d6+2
  20’, 2d6+4
  30’, 3d6+6
  40’, 4d6+8
  7–8
  Projectile
  Sh d6, 2d6, #1
  Sh d8, 2d6, #2
  Sh d10, 2d6, #3
  Sh d12, 2d6, #4
  9–10
  Blade
  Fight d6, 2d6
  Fight d8, 2d8
  Fight d10, 2d10
  Fight d12, 2d12
  Jack
  Poisoned
  Treat as a Projectile of the same suit. Anyone Shaken or wounded must make a Vigor roll. Roll a 
  d10 once with failure. A 1–3 means all victims suffer a level of Fatigue for 2d6 hours, on a 4–7 
  they are paralyzed for 2d6 minutes, and on 8–10 they suffer an automatic wound.
  Queen
  Poisoned
  As above, except the trap is a Blade trap.
  King
  Falling block
  2d6
  2d8
  2d10
  2d12
  Ace
  Special***
  Arc d6, PP 6
  Arc d8, PP 12
  Arc d10, PP 15
  Arc d12, PP 21
  Joker
  The trap is faulty and does not function.
  * Portcullis traps either have a single gate (usually to block the way the party has come and so force them forward) 
  or drop two gates (one ahead and one behind the intruders to trap them in a small area). Due to the conﬁ nes of most 
  corridors, a maximum of two people can combine their Strength in a Cooperative roll to lift a portcullis.
  ** Alternately, a pit may drop the victims into a lower level of the “dungeon” rather than a small hole, thus separat-
  ing the party. Another version could be a chute, which drops the victim into a cell or monster’s lair on a lower level but 
  without inﬂ icting any damage.
  *** One spell of the GM’s choice. Such traps may be truly magical or a result of weird science. They can even be 
  mundane and still use the rules for spells). See below for some advice. Unlike a true magical effect, mundane traps which 
  happen to use spell mechanics for ease cannot be dispelled.
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  19
  Initiative: Most traps activate with little warning to 
  the unfortunate victim. Use the rules for Surprise. No-
  tice rolls to avoid Surprise use the same modiﬁ er as for 
  Detecting traps (see above). Traps have Agility d8 for the 
  purposes of interrupting. A trap catching a character by 
  Surprise also has the Drop (where applicable).
  Attacks: Traps which make attack rolls cannot use any 
  combat maneuvers—they simply roll their attack die.
  Notes: The following short codes are used on the 
  table. Arc = arcane skill. It is also used when a spell 
  requires an attribute die value for any reason and to 
  resist dispel attempts. Fight = Fighting skill. PP = Power 
  Points. Sh = Shooting skill (range is always assumed to 
  be Short). Strength –X = penalty to Strength roll to lift 
  the obstacle. XdY = number and type of damage dice. #X 
  = the number of attacks a projectile trap makes against 
  a single victim or can split among multiple victims (GM’s 
  call based on placement). Traps which use Shooting do 
  not suffer penalties for making multiple attacks.
  Special Trap Advice
  Special traps (indicated by an Ace for the second card) 
  give the GM immense freedom of imagination. Some ex-
  ample trappings are given below for individual spells to 
  get the GM started. For settings with powers not in the 
  core rules, the GM must decide which ones are suitable 
  for use as traps.
  Such traps may be based on an Arcane Background or 
  can be totally mundane but simply mimic a spell’s effect 
  for convenience. Which type is available depends on the 
  setting being played. In the latter case, special traps are 
  usually one-shot devices.
  Barrier: As with a portcullis, a barrier may seal off 
  one route of escape or multiple ones. A multiple route 
  blocking barrier normally comprises multiple separate 
  power activated simultaneously with a single arcane skill 
  roll (since the segments probably won’t be touching 
  each other). Each section thus has its own pool of Power 
  Points (though the GM may simply rule they share a com-
  mon pool of 10 for a short duration trap).
  As well as walls of ﬁ re, which can be magical or mun-
  dane, other options include sliding stone walls, bundles 
  of thorns, walls of ice, forceﬁ elds (all impassable, but can 
  be destroyed), or electrical ﬁ elds (which cause 2d4 dam-
  age to anyone passing through one, or 2d6 if they are 
  carrying metal items).
  Blast, Bolt, Burst: These three combat spells may 
  have different game mechanics, but all can share the 
  same trappings. Suggestions include ﬁ reballs or ﬂ ame-
  throwers, acid or caustic sprays, shards of ice, electrical 
  cannons, disintegrators, advanced explosives or ma-
  chineguns, and sonic attacks.
  Entangle: Arms of some kind grab the victim, a statue 
  reaches out and grabs the interloper, vines spout forth, 
  an electrical energy ﬁ eld paralysis him, a net or cage 
  drops from the ceiling, or the ground turns to mush 
  momentarily and then hardens again.
  You can even tweak the spell to affect a foe’s mind 
  but not his body, perhaps by using gas or ﬂ ashing lights 
  to confuse him. In this instance, he must use Spirit or 
  Smarts to escape, not a physical trait.
  Fear: Terrible screaming, psionic conditioning, illu-
  sionary monster, or hallucinogenic gas.
  Lower Trait: These traps affect a single trait, chosen 
  when the trap is created. Advanced versions may use a 
  single set of Power Points to fuel multiple casting simul-
  taneously (one arcane skill roll), or each have their own 
  Power Points.
  Standard traps would target traits like Strength, Vigor, 
  Fighting or Shooting (to weaken warriors), arcane skills 
  (to disrupt spellcasters), and even Lockpicking or Notice 
  (to reduce thieves’ effectiveness). Trappings include 
  curses, gas, unusual spores, needles full of drugs, and 
  hypnotic patterns.
  Obscure: These traps don’t aim to directly harm 
  intruders, but rather slow them down. Such traps may 
  simply turn off electric lights in the area, though typically 
  they protect some sort of light absorbing ﬁ eld. Alternate-
  ly, they may simply be dense clouds of smoke.
  Trap Example
  Buck Savage is exploring a ruined temple when 
  the GM decides to place a trap in his path. The GM 
  draws two cards. He gets a 3 of Hearts and the King 
  of Diamonds.
  The 3H tells the GM that there is a +1 bonus to 
  the Notice roll to spot the trap (indicated by the 
  3) and a –1 modiﬁ er to disarm it (indicated by the 
  Hearts). The trap is fairly complex, but not very well 
  disguised. Unfortunately, Buck isn’t looking out for 
  traps and walks straight onto it. The GM decides it 
  is a pressure plate mechanism.
  Buck rolls his Notice to avoid Surprise. He adds in 
  the +1 bonus for the ﬁ rst card’s face value, and rolls 
  a total of 8. The GM tells Buck he hears an audible 
  click as his foot hits the ﬂ oor and deals him an ac-
  tion card. Buck declares he wants to move clear of 
  the square he is on. Before he can do this, however, 
  the trap tries to interrupt him.
  The trap has a ﬁ xed d8 Agility and rolls a 9 after 
  Acing. Buck rolls his Agility and gets a lousy 5. Our 
  hero has been hit by a falling lump of masonry (as 
  determined by the value of the second card). He 
  suffers 2d8 damage (determined by the suit).
  Note that although the trap scored a raise over 
  Buck’s Agility total, this was not an attack roll and 
  so it does not deal +1d6 damage. Instead, Buck was 
  merely slow to dodge.
  Buck suffers 11 damage, which is enough to cause 
  him a wound. He silently vows to be more careful 
  as he steps over the rubble and descends deeper 
  into the temple.
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  20
  Puppet: Hypnotic voices, lights, or patterns, psionic 
  domination, or gas. Traps usually have a preconﬁ gured 
  instruction, such as “Run away!” “Move down the next 
  passage.” “Turn on your comrades,” or “Drop your weap-
  ons.”
  Another variety might create an illusionary monster, 
  which the hero must “ﬁ ght” (so distracting him for a few 
  rounds).
  Stun: High-intensity ﬂ ash of light or sound designed 
  to disorientate intruders, electrical discharge (nonle-
  thal), gas, or strobe lights.
  Teleport: Typically, these spells send the unfortunate 
  victim to a predetermined location. The distance traveled 
  to the holding area is up to the GM, and, with enough 
  Power Points, can be some distance from the location of 
  the trap. This may be a spell or a hi-tech teleport device.
  Zombie: Favored by necromancers with lots of mun-
  dane skeletons lying around the corridors, the zombie 
  trap turns the harmless scenery into deadly opposition. 
  The number of skeletons potentially animated depends 
  on the Power Point reserves of the trap.
  Underwater Worlds
  Brent’s spear penetrated the shark’s thick skin, 
  causing a red mist to spread into the water. Be-
  fore he had time to reload and ﬁ re again a red 
  light ﬂ ashing on his wrist distracted him. Doc 
  Davenport’s new underwater breathing appara-
  tus allowed him to operate beneath the waves, 
  but it still held a ﬁ nite amount of air. It was time 
  to surface, unless the wounded shark didn’t kill 
  Brent ﬁ rst!
  Swarms of SCUBA divers battling beneath the waves 
  with spear guns or diving to the ruins of Atlantis can be 
  a memorable gaming experience. However, life beneath 
  the waves is a different affair to life on the surface, espe-
  cially if a hero isn’t from an aquatic race.
  If underwater combat is going to be unusual in your 
  game, you might want to include a few changes to show 
  how different the environment is. For a game set largely 
  underwater, or where aquatic is a regular occurrence, 
  don’t bother adding the rules marked “*”—battles in 
  such campaign should use the regular rules for ease and 
  speed of play.
  Remember, adding exact scientiﬁ c accuracy to Savage 
  Worlds destroys the fast, furious, and fun nature of the 
  game. Players with diving experience should take these 
  rules with a pinch of salt and try to concentrate on the 
  story, not reality.
  Air*
  Unless a hero is aquatic, air is a major concern. 
  Oxygen tanks come with a ﬁ xed supply, say an hour for 
  convenience. Hydrogen-oxygen tanks are used for pro-
  longed or deep dives, and hold four hours of air.
  Holding one’s breath is a little more variable, as it 
  depends on the ﬁ tness and stamina of the character. As-
  sume a hero can hold his breath for a number of rounds 
  equal to double his Vigor die type in combat situations 
  (when he is burning a lot of oxygen). In more relaxed 
  situations, quadruple this. For Vigor above a d12, add 
  the modiﬁ er on to the Vigor die. This, d12+1 equates 
  to a value of 13, and a d12+2 to 14. Aquatic mammals 
  are better adapted to underwater life and double all 
  times.
  An average Joe (Vigor d6) can thus hold his breath 
  for 12 rounds (72 seconds) in combat and 24 rounds 
  (almost two and a half minutes) otherwise. With a d12 
  Vigor, a hero can stay underwater for 48 rounds (about 
  ﬁ ve minutes) in combat and 96 rounds (about nine and 
  a half minutes) taking it easy. That’s a long time, but 
  a d12 Vigor represents the pinnacle of human ﬁ tness. 
  Using short times if possible, but it places severe lim-
  its on what a character can achieve (like reaching the 
  surface).
  Once the limit is reached, a hero must make a Vigor 
  roll each round with a cumulative –1 penalty or suffer 
  a level of Fatigue. Unless he ﬁ nds air quickly, even the 
  hardiest adventurer will drown.
  Armor
  Armor is particularly dangerous at sea and will drag 
  the unwary to the depths. Any armor bonus is subtracted 
  from all of the wearer’s Swimming rolls. This is in ad-
  dition to any penalties from the armor’s weight. Even 
  leather armor is quite hazardous as its weight doubles 
  when soaking wet.
  Discarding Armor
  Discarding armor requires a number of rounds equal 
  to twice the armor’s bonus. Discarding plate mail, for 
  example, takes six full rounds.
  Adventurers who fall into deep water must make a 
  Swimming roll minus the armor’s bonus at the end of 
  the last round to remove the armor or keep trying until 
  successful.
  Decompression Sickness*
  Decompression sickness, also known as the “bends,” 
  can be lethal. Divers make decompression stops during 
  their ascent to reduce the nitrogen bubbles in the blood, 
  but this reduces the time spent diving.
  Assuming an oxygen tank holds an hour of air for ease, 
  10 minutes of air must be used in decompression stops 
  for each 10” of depth a diver reaches. Thus, a SCUBA 
  diver using a regular air tank who dives to his maximum 
  depth of 50” has just 10 minutes of usable air before he 
  has to start rising and performing decompression stops. 
  With helium-oxygen mixes, the diver must spend 10 
  
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations
  21
  minutes decompressing for each 50” of maximum depth 
  he reaches.
  For each stop a diver wants to miss he gains 10 min-
  utes more exploration time. However, he has to make a 
  Vigor roll for every missed stop. With failure, he suffers 
  a level of Fatigue for 24 hours. This can lead to paralysis 
  (Incapacitation) and Death.
  Explosions
  Explosions generate a pressure wave and chuck out 
  shrapnel. Down in the depths, the pressure wave is more 
  dangerous and the shrapnel’s effect reduced.
  To simulate this, increase the Burst Template of the 
  weapon by one type and lower damage by one die. For 
  instance, a regular grenade’s explosion underwater 
  would ﬁ ll a Large Burst Template but inﬂ ict 2d6 damage. 
  For Large Burst Template weapons, increase the radius 
  by an additional 3”.
  Pressure*
  Pressure increases by one atmo-
  sphere each every 5” (10 yards) you dive. 
  Humans without a life support system 
  don’t suffer crushed bones at extreme 
  depths—their lungs are crushed ﬂ at by 
  the pressure difference and their inner 
  ears rupture. Many creatures do live in 
  the deepest parts of the ocean, but they 
  don’t breathe air in the same way as 
  mammals, and so can be ignored.
  For ease, assume a normal human 
  holding his breath can reach depths of 
  just 10” before he starts to suffer pres-
  sure damage. By using oxygen tanks, 
  the depth increases to 50”. Breathing 
  a helium-oxygen mix (like Hydreliox) 
  increases the maximum depth to 250”. 
  Aquatic mammals can dive to depths 
  equal to their Vigor die x 20”. For fully 
  aquatic races, the GM should waive this 
  rule altogether and allow unlimited 
  depth dives in the name of fun.
  Divers suffer 1d6 damage per round 
  for each 5” below their safe depth. Thus, 
  a swimmer with no air tanks takes 1d6 
  damage per round at 11–15”, 2d6 dam-
  age at depths of 16–20”, 3d6 per round 
  from 21–25”, and so on.
  Senses
  The normal rules for darkness can ap-
  ply equally to conditions below the sur-
  face. Murky water might give a –4 penalty, 
  whereas swimming in tropical shallows 
  only a –1. Generally there should always 
  be a penalty, unless a character has Low 
  Light Vision or Infravision, as light is deﬂ ected and 
  dappled even in shallow water.
  Depth is also an issue, as sunlight doesn’t penetrate 
  very far. However, there are too many factors involved 
  (angle of the sun, time of year, depth, sediment in the 
  water) to provide an exact scientiﬁ c rule. If you really 
  need a ﬁ gure, assume the lighting conditions drop by 
  one category every 5”. At 15” and below, the environ-
  ment is pitch dark.
  Although sound carries well underwater, determin-
  ing the direction of its origin is difﬁ cult for non-aquatic 
  creatures. Apply a ﬂ at –2 penalty to Notice rolls when 
  trying to determine the direction from which a sound 
  originates. A +2 bonus applies to hear loud noises.
  Temperature*
  Water is an excellent conductor of heat. This is bad 
  for creatures not insulated against the environment, as 
  prolonged exposure can quickly lead to hypothermia. A 
  human is at risk if its core temperature drops to below 
  95 degrees F. Aquatic creatures are generally immune to 
  
  A Savage Worlds Handbook
  22
  temperatures in their native environment. Killer whales, 
  which hunt in arctic waters, don’t suffer from hypother-
  mia!
  Use the Cold rules in Savage Worlds, but change the 
  point at which the cold becomes an issue. Rather than 
  making a roll at 32 degrees F or lower, start making rolls 
  at 90 degrees F or lower. As usual, there is a –1 penalty 
  for every 20 degrees the temperature drops.
  Wetsuits provide a +1 bonus to Vigor rolls to resist 
  this, dry suits a +2 bonus, and hot water suits a +4 bo-
  nus.
  Weapons
  Most ranged weapons simply don’t work well un-
  derwater, if they work at all. Blackpowder weapons are 
  certainly of no use as ﬁ rearms, and most modern hand-
  guns aren’t designed to shoot ﬁ sh. If you decide to allow 
  conventional ranged weapons to work, reduce the Short 
  Range by a factor of 6 (so a pistol would ﬁ re 2/4/8 instead 
  of 12/24/48). Thrown weapons have their Range reduced 
  to 1” maximum.
  Thrusting melee weapons, like spears are more ef-
  fective than ones you have to swing. As such, thrusting 
  weapons remain unchanged. Swords, maces, axes, and 
  the like cause less damage, it being hard to get a decent 
  amount of power into a weapon while trying to over-
  come water pressure.
  Reduce both the Strength die and damage die by one 
  step. Strength cannot drop below a d4, but a weapon’s 
  die can drop to zero. For instance, an axe (Str+d6) in the 
  hands of a ﬁ ghter with Strength d8 would cause d6+d4 
  damage underwater.
  Vertical Combat
  Captain Armstrong clutched his cutlass tight in 
  one hand as he reached toward the next rung of 
  the rope ladder. He glanced upward, toward the 
  top of the cliff, from where other ladders hung. 
  “Dear Lord,” he muttered, “that pirate is coming 
  down!”
  Most combats take place on a horizontal battleﬁ eld. 
  There may be variations in height for stairs, ledges, or 
  hills, but moving totally vertically is not usually an op-
  tion. By changing the dimensions of the battleﬁ eld to run 
  vertically, the heroes enter an entirely new environment, 
  and one with its own perils.
  A vertical combat could occur for a variety of reasons. 
  Characters climbing ropes or rope ladders up a cliff or 
  high wall, scaling the rough face of a mountain, maneu-
  vering up through trees via their branches, dragging 
  themselves a collapsed rope bridge, or even scrambling 
  up cargo netting over the side of a ship (or building) all 
  face the same basic challenges.
  If you’re ever unsure when to use these guidelines, 
  use this simple rule—if characters can move without 
  using their hands, they aren’t about to enter vertical 
  combat.
  Movement
  Characters on a vertical battleﬁ eld can’t use their 
  Pace to climb. Assuming the battleﬁ eld has some plenti-
  ful easy to reach handholds, heroes move at half their 
  Strength die in inches per round without needing to 
  make a Climbing roll. However, they can’t run.
  To increase his movement, a hero may make a Climb-
  ing roll as an action. Success allows him to move his full 
  Strength die in inches. A failure prevents the extra move-
  ment, though the character may move half his Strength 
  as normal. On a critical failure, the victim’s efforts cause 
  him to slip. He must make an Agility roll (as a free action) 
  to grab hold of something or fall.
  Fighting
  Vertical battleﬁ elds always count as an Unstable Plat-
  form (due to the wind, swing ropes, or other characters 
  making the surface shift).
  A character cannot use a two-handed weapon and 
  move while ﬁ ghting on a vertical surface, since he must 
  use one hand to maintain his grip. If he remains station-
  ary and the terrain allows, he can use a two handed 
  ranged weapon (by looping one arm around a rope at 
  the elbow to secure himself). However, he suffers a –2 
  penalty to attack rolls in addition to the Unstable Plat-
  form modiﬁ er.
  Whereas a hero Disarmed of his weapon on a hori-
  zontal battleﬁ eld can retrieve it with ease, one ﬁ ghting 
  vertically must watch helplessly as it tumbles into the 
  abyss. Only if the hero is on Hold can he try an Agility 
  roll at –2 to grab the weapon before it falls out of reach. 
  This causes him to come off Hold. Other actions are 
  possible afterward, but these must be declared before 
  the Agility roll is made as multi action penalties apply 
  as normal.
  Falling Off
  One risk of vertical combat is that you can fall. Char-
  acters Shaken or wounded by an attack must make a 
  Strength roll to retain their grip (after Soaking). With 
  failure, the hero falls. At the GM’s discretion (and again 
  depending on the type of game), heroes may try to catch 
  hold of something and prevent a fall by making an Agility 
  roll as a free action.
  
  © 2008 Triple Ace Games. Perilous Places & Serious Situations and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31003
  31003
  $6.99
  $6.99
  This handbook contains ways to 
  liven up your games by looking at 
  different locales and the varying 
  dangers they present.
  Inside you’ll ﬁ nd rules for expanded 
  arctic and desert survival, the 
  dangers of collapsing tunnels and 
  stampedes, ﬁ ghting atop rooftops, 
  crumbling cliffs, tall columns, rope 
  bridges, underwater, and on vertical 
  surfaces, the hazards of stormy nights 
  and swamps, and expanded traps.
  Perilous Places & Serious Situations doesn’t contain deﬁ nitive, 
  “must-use” rules. Instead, it’s a toolbox, giving GMs plentiful 
  options to suit any style of game, and allowing them to use the 
  same backdrop at varying power levels.
  Players be warned—combat just got 
  a whole lot more... perilous!
  Got yourself in a difﬁ cult and perilous predicament!
  You need this Savage Worlds Handbook!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Daring Tales of Adventure/TAG31003 - Perilous Places & Serious Situations.pdf