I'm running a SWADE campaign right now! What are your awesome GM tips and house rules?

I pulled a few out other threads

1. have NPCs use smart tactics, things other than "attack" that more easily result in Shaken or the various conditions.
2. ok, that's it.

Quote from: PencilBoy99 on July 05, 2024, 11:55:54 AMI'm running a SWADE campaign right now! What are your awesome GM tips and house rules?

I pulled a few out other threads

1. have NPCs use smart tactics, things other than "attack" that more easily result in Shaken or the various conditions.
2. ok, that's it.

I have a simple rules cheat sheet out for each player. The one I've been using is this, but I think it's a little too busy, and might want to simplify.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BtqO_rqAPaw789JKTzfe9kA8owXMIbMT/view

I use a bunch of standard poker chips - white for Bennies, red for Wounds (-1 per up to 3), and blue for Fatigue (-1 per up to 2). I know there are special benny tokens sold for different settings, but those seem less visually distinctive to me. Big solid colors are good for ease of play, I feel. I've also used black for Vulnerable and green for Distracted.

I also put out an index card for each enemy, name written big so it can be read at a distance. When I deal out initiative cards, I put the initiative card in front of the enemy - so it's obvious to everyone at the table. I'll also write in the Parry and Toughness big on the enemy cards once it's known. I'll put poker chips on the cards to make it clear. I turn the initiative card sideways for Shaken.

In general, I try to keep things moving quickly, and always roll in the open for enemies.

Quote from: PencilBoy99 on July 05, 2024, 11:55:54 AMtips

Don't make enemies too tough. It slows play down drastically when players have to chew over every move they make or risk a tpk.

Help with character creation for new players, and make sure they all have some way to Trick or Test of Will. Attacking every round, or casting a spell every round, is not only boring but mechanically suboptimal and leads to frustration with the system.

Give players the benefit of the doubt on tricks and tests of will as they're learning.

On the other hand, consider a cumulative -1 if they end up spamming the same trick against the same opponent in the same combat.

Quote from: Dave 2 on July 05, 2024, 05:13:29 PM

Quote from: PencilBoy99 on July 05, 2024, 11:55:54 AMtips

Don't make enemies too tough. It slows play down drastically when players have to chew over every move they make or risk a tpk.

I'll second this. The best way to make a tough "boss" monster is to give him a bunch of minions they can plow through. If Toughness is super high, the players can get frustrated waiting for the dice to explode to cause damage.

Also, embrace the chaos of exploding dice!  There WILL be a time that your big bad boss gets whacked by one shot. Don't take that away from the players, it is freaking awesome and really shows how different Savage Worlds is from D&D.

House rules are somewhat specific to the setting or campaign, and that is the point. Customize the rules to match what you are going for; remove any edges or hindrances that don't fit your vision of the game and add others as necessary. For a more D&D like setting, Savage Pathfinder is a good source of edges that have been tuned to the setting instead of the generic core ones.