Weird Wars Rome Conversion

Weird Wars Rome was written for Savage Worlds Deluxe, but it’s easy to update for the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. Most of the rules can be used as-is. Those that require a little more work are detailed below.
Where core rules differ, the Game Master can use whichever version she prefers. Both versions will work just fine in your game, though those presented in SWADE are a bit more structured and streamlined.

General Notes

Racial abilities, skills, Edges, Hindrances, and gear should be converted to their SWADE equivalents. Knowledge (Battle) becomes Battle, for example, and Tracking is Survival. If a character has two skills that have been merged into one in SWADE (such as Survival and Tracking), use the higher of the two values for the new skill.

If a being has an Edge or Hindrance without an obvious equivalent in SWADE, you can either ignore it or give it a new one you feel has the same general theme.

Unless otherwise stated, intelligent beings have Common Knowledge and Persuasion at d6, and all beings have Athletics, Notice, and Stealth at d6. The War Master should increase this to the linked attribute (or higher) if she feels it’s appropriate.

Any bonus or penalty to Charisma is applied to the specified Persuasion rolls instead. Special Abilities such as Undead, or those that mimic Edges such as Frenzy, should use the updated versions presented in SWADE.

Creatio Militis (Military Personnel)

Traits

The following skills are not available to player characters in this setting:

  • Electronics

  • Hacking

  • Focus

  • Piloting

  • Psionics

  • Spellcasting

  • Weird Science

The Driving skill is used for the use of animal-drawn wheeled vehicles, such as chariots.

Hindrances

Slow

Use Hesitant from SWADE instead.

Foreigner (Major / Minor)

As a Minor Hindrance, the Foreigner is a Greek. He suffers -2 Persuasion with "proper" Romans but begins the game with the ability to speak Latin and his native tongue.

As a Major Hindrance, the character is from outside Rome (or from its recognized and civilized provinces). These foreigners have -2 Persuasion with "true" Romans and cannot reroll Persuasion trait rolls.

Edges

Background edges

Campaign Veteran

Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+, Spirit d6+, Vigor d8+, Fighting d8+, Athletics d6+
As a Background Edge, it may only be taken at character creation, and you must have the War Master’s permission to take it. Your soldier begins play at Seasoned Rank to represent his years of military service. Start with a standard Novice character, then give him four Advances. The price for this experience is that the advancements must be repaid. The first 4 Advances your hero earns are forfeited to "pay back" the debt.[1]

Equestrian/Patrician (Aristocrat)

Requirements: Novice
Rome’s social elites were Patricians (Senatorials) and Equestrians (knights). Such individuals have +2 to Persuasion trait rolls when they are dealing with those of lesser station in the Roman world.[2]

Combat Edges

Mighty throw

For the Edge requirements, replace Throwing d10+ with Athletics d10+.

Professional edges

Aquilifer

Requirements: Seasoned, Spirit d10+, Fighting d10+
His command range is equal to 5". For each of the following edges he takes, add +1" to the signifier’s command range:[3]

  • Charismatic

  • Work the Room

  • Work the Crowd

Arma

Shields

  • Treat the clipeus as a medium shield per SWADE.

  • Treat the scutum as a large shield per SWADE.

Table 1. Land Vehicles
Vehicle Size Mass up to…​ Height / Length up to… Scale Mod Handling Top Speed (MPH) Typical Toughness Crew

Chariot, racing

0

250 lbs

6'

-

+2

16

6 (1)

1 + 1

Chariot, war

1

500 lbs

8'

—

+2

16

7 (1)

1 + 2
Table 2. Galleys
Vehicle Size Mass up to…​ Height / Length up to… Scale Mod Handling Row Speed (MPH) Wind Speed (MPH) Typical Toughness Crew

Liburna trireme, light war galley

13

100 tons

100'

+6

-1

18

5 to 8

18 (4)

120 + 30

trireme, war galley

13

125 tons

125'

+6

-2

16

5 to 8

21 (4)

150 + 40

quadrireme, great war galley [4]

14

250 tons

150'

+6

-2

14

5 to 9

22 (4)

200 + 60

Praescripta Mundi (Setting Rules)

Awards and Promotions

Awards and honors

The individual battle honors can be won. When any major award is first granted, the character receives one advance. When worn, the soldier adds +2 to his Persuasion (+4 for the corona graminea) to anyone who recognizes the significance of the award.

Promotion

When a character receives an award, roll a d20 and add +2 for each Leadership Edge he possesses and a bonus equal to the Persuasion modifier his combined awards grant him (such as that granted by the corona muralis, for example).

Triumph

Should a character be awarded a triumph, he gains a point of Conviction and gains an extra advance, and makes many powerful friends and enemies.[5]

Spoils

Remove the Experience action

Add the Celebrated action.

Celebrated

The soldier finds someone who is willing to tell the stories of the soldier’s prowess and success. The soldier becomes a minor celebrity in a specific and limited place (e.g., quarter of a city, limited territorial region). He receives a +1 to Persuasion rolls if a target is friendly and knows who he is (a Common Knowledge roll modified by how likely the individual is to know the celebrity).[6]

Arcana (Secrets)

Arcane Background (Cult of Mithras)

Powers List:
The SWDEE Quickness power is removed; in SWADE, Quickness is a modifier of the Speed/Sloth power.
Add Arcane Protection [7]

Changes to power names

  • Havoc (was Pummel in SWDEE)

  • Protection (was Armor in SWDEE)

  • Relief (was Succor in SWDEE)

  • Light (of SWADE Light/Darkness)

  • Speed (of SWADE Sloth/Speed)

Beasts et Monsters

Arbor Bellum

Add the Entangle special ability. The creature adds +2 to any Grappling rolls.
Stomp should be Str+d8 (i.e., not Str+8).

Corpse Raven (swarm)

Flight: Pace 12.[8]

Harpy

Flight: Pace 12.[9]

Jaculus

Add Athletics at d8.

Kludde

Add Athletics at d8.

Manticora

Add Athletics at d8.

Mermaid

Add Performance at d12.
Siren Song: The mermaid’s song is like a narcotic for men. The mermaid sings and the character(s) who hears the song must resist (Performance versus Spirit) or fall under the spell of the song.

Strigoi (Dacian vampire)

Use Vampire from SWADE p. 189 but with the following changes:
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d12+2, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13(3)
Edges: Block, Combat Reflexes, Command, Fervor, Frenzy, Level Headed, Aristocrat, Rich, Sweep
Gear: Bronze breastplate (+3), medium shield (+2 Parry), great falx (Str+d10).
Special Abilities:

  • Bite: Str+d4.

  • Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe; immune to disease and poison.

    Other abilities for the Strigoi as the entry in Weird Wars Rome.
Stryge

Flight: Pace 12.[10]

Werebear

Add Athletics at d8.
Bear Hug: A werebear who hits with a Fighting attack and also succeeds a raise has pinned (i.e., Entangled and Bound) his foe and may bite at +2 until the foe is freed. The opponent may only attempt to escape the hug on his action. To completely break free of the bear hug, the victim of the hug must improve his status so that he is no longer Bound nor Entangled. The werebear resists attempts to break free using Strength. The werebear is not subject to the customary -2 penalty when using Strength in grappling.

Keep in mind the "Size Matters" rules under Grappling on SWADE p. 101.
Wolfman

Add Athletics at d8.

1. This was framed in terms of experience points in SWDEE.
2. There may be an occasion here to leverage the settings rules for status from Rippers Resurrected to handle high status classes versus the plebeians.
3. This replaces the use of the SWDEE Charisma stat to increase the command radius.
4. The uses the stats for the quinquereme from the SWADE Vehicle Guide P14
5. For "making many powerful friends and enemies", there may need to be some mechanic with reputation/glory/renown.
6. This functions like a more limited Fame edge from SWADE p39.
7. I added the Arcane Protection power because Quickness was removed; the Mithras cultist has the same number of powers available as before.
8. In WWR, the harpy and the corpse raven had flight pace of 8; in Pathfinder for Savage Worlds Bestiary p.73, the harpy is listed with a flight pace of 12 so I have use the same for the corpse raven.
9. In Pathfinder for Savage Worlds Bestiary p.73 , Harpy is listed with a flight pace of 12.
10. In WWR, the harpy and the stryge had flight pace of 8; in Pathfinder for Savage Worlds Bestiary p.73, the harpy is listed with a flight pace of 12 so I have use the same for the stryge.