‘Saga’ Supplement Revamps Combat for Pathfinder

Dec 5, 2013

Pathfinder GMs looking to add some narrative spice to their gaming should take a peek at a new supplement from Adamant Entertainment. In Saga the same old same old, time consuming battles take on a new story focused direction in an attempt to make combat less ho hum and more dynamic. Saga can be had for a cool $1.99 right now at DriveThruRPG.

From Adamant:

“Damn,” muttered the player. “How many of those things are there, anyway?”

“It looks like forty demons of various sorts, plus another 1000 orcs.” The Game Master gazed glumly at the large map.

Groans echoed around the table. One of the players shook her head. “This is going to take all night!”

It Doesn’t Have To.

***

SAGA gives Game Masters an entirely new combat system — one that moves away from the tactical skirmish-level miniatures game forms the basis of Pathfinder combat. This new system can be used with the existing feats and abilities, and can be used in combination with the traditional rules — each system governing combats with different emphasis.

In fiction, combat serves to highlight and resolve conflict. The scene shows us something important about the world, the characters, and their relationships with one another. Combat also acts as a symbol for danger, sharpening the tension in a scene by giving us a visceral sense the characters might die.

In a role-playing game, though, combat occurs so often it blends into the background. The scene tells us little about the characters or the world. Instead it serves as a way to work with numbers and explore various tactical options. We play a game of combat in which random chance, character building choices, and tactical savvy stand dominant over narrative concerns.

With SAGA we try to combine narrative flow and the game elements of RPG combat. The players make meaningful choices and face obstacles worthy of heroes in the pursuit of goals that mean something. Meanwhile, the game elements provide both play options and the dramatic tension associated with the possibility of failure.

This supplement contains:

An overview of Story-based Combat
A detailed new narrative combat system for Pathfinder.
A guide to the tools needed to design and manage encounters under this system.
A chapter of example encounter templates.
Feats and abilities from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide, Advanced Race Guide, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, Bestiary and Bestiary 2 translated into the new system–and guidelines for how to translate new feats and abilities from any other Pathfinder-compatible products.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...