------------.

-----------e-A ROLE PLAYING GAM E"""'"

, H~ .; &

SHATTERED FRONTIER

C REDITS
A uthors: Jo lly R. Bhckh uf n. Brian Jelke. Steve Johansson. David Kenzer. Jennifer Kenzer, Mark Plemmons

Editors: Barbara Blackburn. Jennifer Kcnzer. Bev Shideler Expert Consultation: Sandy Horn. Mark Kenzer, Rebecca Tudor P b ytcstcrs: Doug Click, Steve Daniels. Luke Dowskc. Gi gi Epps. Nathaniel Garth. Ra y Javier. Charles Jewell
Mark Kenzer, Mark Lane. Don Morgan, Rand y Nelson. John O'Neill. Adam Nicpomnik. Mark Prater. Bryan Spcgcl. John Randecker, Jason Riddell. Mike Sta ub. Alex Stclford. Roscoe Stelford . David York, O.M. Zwcrg Art C redits: Frederic Remington, Chulcs Ru ssell and the o ther Old West artists who brought the fronti er to Jife aided by Bob Burke:. Ste ven Cummings. Brenda n and Br ian Fraim. Be v S hideler, George Vrbanic (, Craig Zipse

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO ACES & EIGHTS CHAPTER 2: THE BASIC GAME 2.1 - Basic Characters .,.".,., ............. 6 2.2 - Basic Scrapes .........................8 CHAPTER 3: T HE ADVANCED GAME 3.1 - Character Creation ...................16 3.2 - Advanced Scrapes ................... .39 3.3 - Wounds {, Healing ........... . ....... 67 3.4 - Braw ling ........................... 93 3.5 - Firearms ...........................99 3.6 - Horses ........................... .122 3.7 - Advanced Chase Rules .............. .131 CHAPTER 4: THE CAMPAIGN GAME 4.1 - The Aces {, Eights Campaign ........ .138 4.2 - Reputation {, Fame ............. . ... .181 CHAPTER 5: THE ON -GOING GAME 5.1 - Cattle Ranching ..................... 218 5.2 - Running a Cattle Drive ...... . .......225 5.3 - All that Glitters..................... 236

5.4 - Gamb ling ................. ... ...... 248 5.5 - Goods {, Se rvices ...... . ........... 255 5.6 - Frontier Justice ................... .265 5.7 - Drinkin' {, Drugs ................... 275
CHAPTER 6: ApPENDICIES 6.1 - History of the Shattered F rootier ..... 292 6.2 - Q ui rk {, Flaw Descriptions .......... .316 6.3 - Skill Descriptions .................. 332 6.4 - Taleot Descriptions ................ .378 6.5 - Detailed Character Backgrounds ...... 383 6.6 - Frontier Slang .................... .391

4.3 - Awards .................. . ........ .188 4.4 - Profession Paths .................... 193
Man ufactured in China

6.7 - Index . ........................... .394 Silhouettes ............................ .399

Q~es! io ns.

I!ENZER AND COMPANY

SI[ W. Greebwood Avenue Waukegab.l l 60087

Commeots. Product Orders? Phone: (847) 6626600 F u: (8'17) 6808950 cm~j l: qucs!iooskcozetco.com Visi! our website ~t

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Th .. book" pro'I<d d" ,.,,, ... d '01'1"81" b ... or ,he U."ed Su,.. of A",.,ic . No pm or 'h" book ouy be rep'od.w!. .."h."" ,b pr ... .,,,,,,. 'OOK.' of K...., ... eo"'pny. Pet"" .. 8".,ed 1<, 'he 1"',,1u.<, of ,bit prod"", 1<' reprodoc, ",,'ro.. "f ,b " book fo' pe"" 1 uK o.ly. s"k Of ,nd, of ,"c b reI"'od""".,.. .. strictly prohib"ed.

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A 6- ['Sh,s. ,b. A, .. 6- Eights 1080. Sho..do.... Sho, CI",klOd ,be K ,,, ,Dd C<>mp... y!<>go '" ,,,.,m.. k. of K' Ol,r , eo",p"'y. c) Copy"Sh, lOO7.lOO8 Ke.", 6- Co"'puy.I.,. All R,ghts R.Krvcd.

Wi'h "'pe<l '0 ".d.mark"

mONO PRINTING

11Introduttion

Welcome to Aces & Eights

hrough the gunsmokc and over the slumped corpse of a gambler, beyond the sprawl of grazing buffalo on the high plains, above the din of a saloon in full swing, and farther than the blue sky atOp the open range lies the Shattered Frontier of the Aas & Eights game.

A game about the daring adventures and everyday lives of people in the O ld \Vest, Aces & Eights lets you tell the talc of the \ Vest that could ha\'c been, in your own words, deeds and history. The Aces & Eights game allows for rugged cowboys, brave Indians, murderous desperados, determined lawmen, sturdy prospectors, powerful rail barons, and all of the characters we think of whe n we watch a good western movie or read books about the expansion of the American frontier. Although you don't need to know much about this time period to enjoy the game, western aficionados will certainly find it engrossing - to say the least. If you conside r yourself a western history buff, you might want to set aside what you know and open your mind. Aces & Eights is set in the West T hat Never Was, an alternative histo ry created to maximize the role-playing potential of the game by freeing the future from the inevi table reality of the true West. \\lhile the setting is firmly entrenched in historical accuracy, a few small changes in American politics (at significant moments in history) create a very believable alternative history of North America. Sprung from small changes are new nations, businesses, and a slight acceleration in ar ms technology.

strengths and weaknesses of each character, but his personality is in the hands of the player. T he rulcbook, the group of players, or one of the participants (designated as the referee, narrator or judge of the game) presents a scena rio to the other player cha racte rs (PCs). Each player then decides how his character will act in the given scenario. The judge, or Gamel\'[aster ( G ~r) , uses madc-up characte rs that arc not controlled by any of the players (these arc called non-player characters, or N PCs) to interact with the PCs. And so the game goes on wi th the players and the G?vl role-playing the characters they created, in a struggle for fame, fortune, or simple survival.

WHAT YOti NEED TO PLAY

To play Aces & Eigllts you need at least one sheet of scratch paper. a pencil, and a se t of standard polyhedral dice with the following sides : 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 . M ultiple dice of diffe rent colors (especially 10side rs) arc helpful but not necessary. Throughout these rules we may refer to the different die types as "xd6" where "x" is the num ber of dice of a particular type you should roll. So 3d6 means roll three six-sided dice. A d 100 (or d'>fo) means roll two d lOs, designating one as the "tens" SpOt and one for the "ones". A d 1000 means roll three d lOs, and so on . We also recommend YOll download a free characte r record sheet from our website. A standa rd deck of poker playing cards arc needed to resolve combat in the game, as is the Shol Clock HI ove rlay provided with the rules. Poker chips are also required, if you choose 10 usc the advanced brawling rules. O ther handy (but non -essentia l) items include a table to play on, a calculator, miniature figures to represent your characters, and terrain (such as model town buildings or simulated vegeLation or hi lls). Most game, model or hobby shops carry items li ke this to enhance your game experience. Finally, if you usc miniatures, you'll want to usc a ruler or tape to measure weapon ranges during combat .

Aces & Eights allows you to create a character from sc ratch, introduce him or her into this detailed frontier setting, and forge a new future like so many of the great pionee rs from the past. Your character's potential is limi tcd only by your imagination and your grit.

WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME?

A role-playing game is a lot like improvisational acting. The players create characters thai they pretend to be d uring the course of the game. T he rule book describes methods for dete r mining and recording the

21 The Basit Game

2.11 Basic Characters

f this is your first outing to the Shatte red Frontier, you may wish 10 quickly gene rate a character with which 10 begin play. Late r on, as you become more familiar with the mecha nics of the game, you will like-

WEAPONS
For basic gunfighting, weapons are restricted to a fcw gene ral categories of firearms (sec Table 2.1-1: Basic Firearms). You may cither choose your weapon from this list or roll a d6 to randomly dete r mine your armament. In a basic gunfight, there are no modifiers to Speed or Accuracy based on the type of fi rearm or the number of gunfights the charaCter's been involved in. Chapter 2.21 Scrapes describes the rules for basic gunfighting in detail.

ly want to flesh out your characte r's abilities, skills, quirks, flaws and so forth using the methods presented in Clwpter 3./1 Character CreatIOn, Bul if you want a sim ple bandito or marshal for a quick shoot-ern-up. just grab some dice and fead on, com padre. There's no need to invest the lime if all you ca re about is lead slin gin' (or "s hoatin'" to all you greenhorns .

BAC KGROUND
If you want to get a "feel" for your gunfighter, you may also choose to roll on one or more of the quick background tables found on the following page. O therwise, you're ready to go!

SPEED AND ACC URAC Y

To create a basic gunfighter, you need (0 know two things: Speed and Accuracy. \ Vitn an advanced character, this would be determined by a combination of the character's Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom scores, but we're not going to slow you down with all that he re. Instead, all you need is a single d4. Speed represent s how quick your gunfighter is on the draw - the lower the better. Accuracy is JUSt what it seems and higher numbers are beneficial here. To determine your gunfighter'S Speed, roll a d4. Record this number then flip a coin to determine if the value is positive (heads) or negative (tails). T he result is your gunfighter'S Speed score - somewhe re betwee n -4 and 4. Repeat the process to determine Accuracy.

For example, lei's say Ihal Mark rolls a d4 with a result oj 4 and then flips a coin (it lands tails). Th ir means his gunfighter's Spud SCOTt is - 4. That's pretty dumJast! Unfortunately, he then rolls a 3 for his Auura0' and a coin flip tho! again is tails, meaning this hombre has a - 3 /l uurary SCOTt.

HIT PO INTS
Each character has between 21 and 24 hit points (hp) determined by rolling a d4 and adding 20 . T his gives you a measure of how much physical damage your gunfighter can sustain before keeling over.

TABLE 2.1-1: BASIC FIREARMS

Roll (d6)
f irc u m
Dl magc

(bodd

Dl magdhead) No. of Shots

. ........ .6 ..

Reloid Speed

H .... .. P istol .......... d6+1

.......... .. 2d6 .

... .1 cu tr idgc per JO count

56 ....... Rifle ..........rl8+ ! ....... ....... 1dS ............. 10 ....... .I c.u tr idgc per 10 count

A LE) TAELE 2.12: QUICR N AM ES (FEM

Roll (dlO)
Nilmc
1 .............. Annil You ng

TAB LE 2.1-4: QUICR PROFESSIONS

Roll (d10)
I
P rofe ssion ........... Band ito

2 .............. Emily Abu ms 3 .............. Esthe r Matthews

1 . . ... . ..... Banku

3 ............ Bu ber

'1 .............. Hanu h Coronel

4 ............ Bar tender

5 .............. Holl y S.twycr

6 .............. b un S lone
7 .............. Rosa Muti ncz

5 ............ Cowboy
6 ............ Dabce Hall Girl

8 .. 9 .. 10 .

...... .Ruth G udner .... .5m h Snell ing .. . .

.Wiushu h Chu mani

7 .......... .. 00Cl or 8 ........ .... Engineer 9 ........ . ... Fumer

10

........... G ambler

II .......... Lawman, Deput y

12 .. ....... .Lawman. M H shal 1 3 ..... ...... M in er

TABLE 2.1-3: QUICR NAMES (MALE)

Roll (dlO)
Name

14

.... ... .... Poshl Worke r 15 .... . . . . . . .P rosti tute

......... .soldier ..........S uge Coach Dri ver ..........Telegraph Operator

I .... . . .. . ... A llen H am ilton

16 ........... Raneher

2 ........... .Sutch M o ntgome ry

w 3 ............ C assidy w Doc Wilso n 4 ............ D us tu Adi hy 5 ............ Ferna ndo Vasquez

17 18 19 20

....... ... .U nderta ker

6 .... . ... . . ..*H andsome Jac k Jones 7 ......... . .Josiah LedbellCT

8 ............ JU iD de Cisneros 9 ............ M all S antos

10

........... Zac har iah S mith

2.21 Scrapes
Gabe Smith (0011), fosstd 25 PISOS ililo Ihe large pol, raisillg "ll ptrspin'ng t'oqllfrO across from llim. !-It had uason 10 hi (Onjidtnl: no o/u had sun him pull tIlt . Iet rif SpadrJ from his s/uu, and Aus Or'tT Kings is a mighlJ' halld indud. Timl' sumtd to 11011 as II" table sat paficllj' siltnl. u'ailingjOr lilt .\lexiran (ow/ullld 10 make /iis mOL'f. Wiping his brou'. the (o1L'bC!)' filially calltd tilt bel alld hoth pla,}'tTs laid d01('1I Iheir
Gabe had the hetler halld. hul stopped short as lit ft(/{Iud for 'ht mon~); Th t .\lex;run J fOrds flad T<1:o Pair u:itll (III Act kirker lIlt . Iet oj SpadiSf hands.

TAKING ACTION
If you're an a\'id game playe r, chanccs a rc you're used to choosi ng an action o r actions on your 'turn" probably from a list of allowable aetions or categories of act ions. In contrast, ..Ius & E igftls allows you r cha racter to attcmpt any action he wants, at any time. In real life, to walk across the room, YOli thin k about walki ng ac ross the room. then you start mo\'ing and after a certa in numbe r of seconds you accomplish the task, Likewi ~e, in Aus & Eig"lJ, if your character \\'ants to take an action such as crossing the sa loon floor . ~o u ~ imply declare hi s intent and, after a certain amount of tim(' if there arc no unexpected obstacl es), he completes his action. Thus, Acts & Eighls has no artificialti nH.' "c~mcntat ion such as turns,' 'rounds," "~c~mcnh'" or phases,' In Aus & Eighls, your character's ;kction, arc measured by time and time alon e.

Looks tiki 01' GObi I/aJ gaUl'll Itillmf! in/a a j(rapr, From
litft, tIlt acli01l (ould film IIgly
ill

Slum! Wql'S. Gabt (ould filII

10 his horst. illiliotillg a riwSt, lu (ould drau' a Bowie knift alld oPljo' a kniftjight. he could draw a porkt/ pistol or m-.hoo/rr alld S!lQot it out or tT)' his lurk ill a brawl. III thtfOlloll'ill,~ sutions, /Lt 'Il (01"a Iht t'ariolls 1('a)'s f!! gming out rif a s(rapt .for hi'fta or for I(:Orst,

GUN FIGHTS

INITIATIVE AND SPEED

just ",hat actions arc possible in a gunfi~ht and ho" 10m;: they takc, it's impo n anl that wc co,cr JUSt who goes first. Se\'eral fa ctors affect how fast a character ca n take action, most notably the cha racter's Speed (the advanced ru les include ot her modifier s suc h as prior gunfight experience, Fame, weapon model and type, etc.), The final factor is a random d I 0 die roll to reprcscnt thc variat ion of one character getting thc drop on another. This die roll is called the Initiative roll. At thc onsct of thc action, each characte r rolls a d I 0 for Initiati,'c and adds it \0 their Speed score. The result i~ the characH'rs Starti ng Initiative. Du ring a gunfight. each character begins taking action based o n his Starting Initiati,e. Since actions take place based on time and the Count Up described later , it 's best to ha\'e a low Starting l nit iati,'c, :'\ote that ncgati,'c numbers arc possible for exnmplc, a Speed of 3 plus a "I " on thc Itli ti;H ivc roll equals -2}, but rare, The Shooting Actions section dcscribes the effects of Ihis more fully. Before
di~c u ssin~

The Acts & EigMs gunfight systcm is a realistic tabletop simulation o f a Wild \\'est ~ hootout. The fu nda menia l premisc of the system is that a shooter ah\'ays aims for a spC'cific location or target e.g., the "rustler's gun hand" ) rmher than an abstract wrget (e.g., th e "rust ler"). Th e worse the shooter's aim, the funher from his mark the shot flie s. T hi s also means that a "el)' near mi ~s ea n be just as deadly as a bull's ('yc. The shooter determines his pr('ci~e ~hot location h~ using the T arget Silhouelles and Shot Clocks that come with the game. A split sccond during a gu nfight can sometimes mcan the differcnce betwccn survival and a painful or e"en monal wound. Thus, while time in other areas of the game ocellrs in terms o f seconds, minllte~ or eyen days at a time, during a gunfight , timc is always handled in tenths of seconds. Each tenth of a seeond is referred to hereafter as a "Counl. " Everything from drawing a weapon to mounting a mustang to cra\\'ling behind the water trough occurs in temhs of seconds or Counts.

:w-

GUNFIGHT PROCEDURE
A
N~te ~.Il

the

1J~du/af

Rule Syste m

These sections appear in a modular fa shion so that your game need not inco rporate all of the rules at once. Play with o nly the rules you feel comfortable handling. When these become second nature, you can add mo re advanced rules, or nOt, as you prefe r.

Players gunfight s:

u~ e

the following proced ure to resolve all

L When a gunfi ght is aboul to erupt , each player rolls a d20. Playe rs declare actions in order of lowest score 10 highest score, In cases where gunfights erupt duc to declared actions ' Fo rget negot iations, I draw o n him

TABLE 2.2-1: GUNFIGIIT PROCEIlURES

I... .. Declue
;an

Ttmnt r. Clay will finish hi.s draw 01/ 8 (it takts 5 Count to draw and ht .slnrts acting on 3). ,1Yow. Clay can alro Opl to shoot from tlit hip and firt of! a shot on 8 Counl. Of coum. .sinet /iipshooling is fairly inaccuratt, Clay could dlOost 10 ignort tht quick shot opportllnilJl right riff tht draw alld actllally raist liP tht shoo/in' i,oll to makt lIlt shol mort Iikt(~ /0 hit. In Ihis cast, uhtn tht COllllt L ;p rtaches 8. Clay alll/Qlln(t.s lit's aiming IJis u:tapon (4 COllllt), alld whtn Iht COllllt (toches 12 (8 +4=12), htfim.
Arter a character ta kes his first action, that character picks another action and adds the Counts for that aClion to the cu rrent num ber in lhe Count Up (i. e., the same number as his last action occurred on). T he resultant number is when his next action occurs.

Action

2..... RoIlIDiti~l ivc (dlO)

3..... Calculate SUrling iuiliat i\'c ( Base Speed + Initiat ive) 4..... Add Action Couot s to dete rmine when first Kl ioD occu rs

5..... Take ac:t iOD when Coun t Up fCKhcs su m of SICP #4 above

now! "), Ihose blurting oul the ir actions \'oluntarily skip this first ste p. 2. All playe rs ro ll a dlO for lnitiati\'C and calculate their Starting Initiative.

3. All players add the CountS required for their action sec Tahlt 2.2-2: lJasi( SllOolillg Actions'" 4. One player or the G~ I begins the Count Up - a simple slow count up from one until Ihe Count ljp reac h es a number where a player has an action declared. 5. Wh en the Count Up rC'lchcs a player's sum total for his first action, resoke th at fir:;t action.

. \ 'ou~ lil'J J(!.J' Ihal Ollr oldfrirnd Clay Powell (frolll tilt prtl"ious ttamlilt) lI.'alils 10 firt his pistol again. That's 110 /Iud jor anollta In ilia/ht roll: Cltl) simp(), rorks ondfirts IIis piSlol again. Btcau$t ht laj/fired /Lilt" tht COIIIII Cp rtarhtd 12, ht firtJ his pistol agalll u-htn tht COII"I Cp rtoe/lts 17 (12+5=17).

Basic Shooting Actions Explained

Firing a Cocktd II tapon: Firing an already-cocked weapon is the simple act of pulling the trigge r; il lakes but a tenth or a second I Count. :\I ost other acti\itics already incorporate this modifie r, and it should nOt be added a~ an additional time delay 10 other actions such as dra\\in~ and aiming. It is listed he re solely for the case where a cha racte r has a cocked weapon trained on another ch<lractel". Cocking alld Firmg a Pail/ltd Weapon: It only takes 3 Counts to pull bac k the hammer and shoot at someone ir your gun is pointed in their direction and has not been fired for al \caSt one second . Corkillg and Firing a Pislol (2nd+ shots): After the first ShOI, it takes a half a seco ndS Count) to coc k a nd fire a pistol. Furthermore, a pistOl already brought 10 bear or aimed remains in that position while being cocked and fired. Corking and Firing a Riflt (211d+ .shots): Arte r the first shot, it takes 6 Counts to work thc lever <lnd fire a riOe. H urried shooters can opt to fire the second shot unaimed; this action ta kes o nly 6 Counts but is obviously less accurate see H ipshooling, below. Careful shoote rs wi ll opt to re-aim the rifle a 10 total Count. Corking and Firil/g 2"d Shotglm Barrel: After the first shot. it takes H Counts to steady the gun, cock the hammer and fire II ir already cocked. H urried shooters ca n Opt to fi re the second shot without aiming; this action takes only 10 Counts (7 ir already

SHOOTING ACTIONS
Shooting act ions include all actions related to preparing weapons and discharging them. The~e include loading (and reloading, firing. aiming, drawing, elc. Tablt 2.2-2: Basic Shooting Actions shows Ihe available act ions <lnd the Speed (in Counts) that it takcs to perroI'm eac h of thcsc <l clions.

Fi ring th' First Shot

The timc it takes to fire ofT the first shot depends on the actions or the shooter and whe re the gun is <It the time. If unholslercd a nd poimed, the weapon mar be fircd in a mere 3 Counts. Ir the weapon is holste rcd. the shooter first needs to draw the weapon rrom his holsler. Drawing includes cocki ng in one fluid motion. so there is no additional adj ustme nt ror cocking a weapon added to th e draw time. From thcre. a gunsli nger can Opt to shoot, thus firing rrom the draw o nly takes <IS long as the draw itself I. S o r 10 Counts. Actually aimi ng the weapon, or at !cast bringing it up 10 eye levcl, takes a nother 4 Counts.

For txamplt, Cia)' POII.,tll's Bast Spud is - I. His playr mmo/Illets lhal Iit'll draw his piSlol, tlull rolls 4 all tIlt Inilia/iLt, so CIa)' (all slarl (0 acl wlun Iht Count L ;p reaches 3 (4-/ =3). 011 3. lit begins /0 draw llis gUll 011 his mellO', Danitl

TABLE 2.2-2: BASIC SIlOOTING ACTIONS

Counts

a cumulative penalty if tWO wcapons are drawn at once (i.c" each gun takes 10 Cou ntS 10 draw).

Firins a cocked weapon ............... !Cocking and firing a pointed weapon .... Cocking and firing
i

pointed pistol

Drawing lVithout Holster: D rawing from a boot, belt, pocket, etc., affords an opportunity for the weapon to get hung up on clothing or other accouterments. Because the delay could vary from draw to draw, drawing without a holster causes a d4 Count penalty. Fm!firl1lg: Typically, a shooter uses the thumb on the hand holding the gun 10 pull back the hammer. In cont ra st, while fanning the hammer or fanfiring the shooter uses the hand not holding the gun, held palm down. to pull back the hammer in a fanning motion. Fanning allows for rapid shooting and affords a -2 Speed bonus. Note, however, that it provides a substantial Accuracy penalty as well. Fanned guns cannot be aimed. carefully or otherwise. /...Qading: Pistol (per cartridge): It takes 10 Count to load a cartridge into a revolver. Cap and ball revolvers requi re far more time to reload and arc nOt considered in the Scrapes section but see Loading: Replacing a Cylinder, /...Qading: Replaring a C)'linder: It takes 10 scco nds or 100 Count to remO\'e and replace cylinder on a cap and ball reml\"er or re\'oh-ing rifle. /...Qading: Rifle (per cartridge): It takes a 10 Count
a cartridge into a rifle.
\0

(2nd+ shots) ..... ............. ...... 5

Cocking and firing iI. rifle (2nd+ shots) ..... 10 (6) Cocking and firing 2nd shotgun barrel ... 14 (10)
Bringing
iI.

{ireum to bcarlaimiog

... "

Dnwing a weipon:
P istol/ Knifc/hand axe .............. 5

Riflc/shotgun/spcu/hncelaxc/Silbcr .. 10
Duwing two weapons it once .......... 5

Drawing with off hand ...... ..... ..... 5

Drilwing without holsler .......... ..... d4

Fanfiring
Loading:

.... 2

Pistol (per cut ridge) ................

to

Rcphcing a cylinder .... .. .... ....... 100 Rifle (per cartridge)

Shotgun (oDe shell )

............... 10
.............. 25(23)
. .... . d4

load

Shotgun (two sh ells) ................ 30 (28)

From she ll loop ............

"This action is free ,,-,hen combined with anorher shooringacrion.

/...Qading: Shotgun (one shell): It takes a 25 Count to load a shell into a shotgun. Thi s involves breaking open the shotgun and pulling out a spent shell. If no shells need to be removed, the time drops to 23 Counts. /...Qading: Shotgull (two shells): It takes 30 Count to load two shel ls into a shotgun . This involves breaking opcn the shotgu n and pulling out the spent shells. If no shells need to be removed. the time drops 10 28 Counts. Loading (From Shell /...Qop): Whil e shell and cartridge loops are handy for holding rounds, it takes a mite longer to rcmo\'c the cart ridge or shell from the loop than to si mply grab the round from a coat or vest pocket. T he penalty is equal to a d4 per round.

cocked) but is obviously less accurate (see H ipshoOling, below).

Bringillg a Firearm to Bear/Aiming: This is the time it takes 1O b ring a drawn weapon up to an aimed position or aim a pointed weapon. You need 1O take this action or else you'll be shooting less accurately. Drawl1lg a J1IeapOll: Pistol/ K nife/ H and axe: The act of pulling the pistol from a holster, knife from a sheath or hand axe from a belt loop takes around 5 Counts. Drawing a lVeapon: RiOe/Spea r / Lance/ Axe: T he act of pulling the rifle or sabe r from a scabbard , or hefting a spear, lance or axe takes about a 10 Count. Drawing Two Weapons at Ollce: Drawing two weapons a t once causes a sl ight decrease in draw Speed to the tunc of an extra 5 Counts (i.e., each gun takcs 10 counts to draw). Drawing with 011 Hand: Drawing with the off hand is slower than the primary hand by 5 Counts. Thi s is not

SHOOTINa PROCEDURE
Whencver any player decides that his character will discharge a weapon at a target, whether hipshooting, taking careful aim, bushwhacking, backshooti ng or othcrwise, he must follow the procedure outlined in this section :

}. Declare gene ral target

Wh en your character takes a shot , the first thing you'll have to do is declare a target. Simply pick out a

10

TABLE 2.3-3: SI!OOTING PROCEDURE

~

Declue gencnl urgct Placc the ccnfer of thc Shot C lock ovcr thc intcndcd urgct loc.uion on the TugCl Silhouette Add l l1 Accuracy modifiers Dnw I cHd to determine exltt sbot loclIion (if Decesu ry) Roll dlmlge (if necessary)

rr :r
IT
'IT

: r Tlkc the shot (i.e .. roll I d20 Ind Idd III modificrs to the roll)

target, point 10 the target's miniature or state which characte r you plan to target. ;\ote that in order to shoot at a target, the target must be \isible. Specific advanced rules for checking thi s sort of thing come under the Li ne of Sight rules detailed in Chaptu 3.2l Advallced Scrapes.

want 10 hit. For example, if you want to disarm a drunken brawler that drew on your partner, you can try to shoot his gun. On the othe r hand , if your target is a known horse thief you might feci a powerful urge to target the face or perhaps knee if you're of a mind to ha\'e a hanging. See also Cover & Visibility in Chapter 3.21 Advanced Scrapes.

2. PIac. lb. cenler of lb. Sbol Clo cl, over lb. inl.nd.d larg.t location on Ibe 'iiugel Silbouett.
Pick the appropriate Target Silhouelle based on the target's body position i. e., kneeling, laying p rone, standing, elc .. Place the Shot Clock over the Target Silhouelle in 1he exact spot you

J. Add aJJ Accuracy modifi. rs

:\ow that you've chosen the target and location, add your modifiers. ~ l odifiers arc covered in some detail hereafter, and include things like range, visibility, movement. personal Accuracy, wounds, etc.

4. 1l!ke Ibe shol

Roll a d20 'Tohit" your mark and add 10 it all of your modifiers. ~ot e: these modifiers ca n sometimes be negative, thus deducting from the roll). You ' ll need a modified 2S or higher to hit the exact SpOt you've target ed , while a roll of 14 or less is a miss. (Note: if you roll a 20 on the die, immediately roll a d6- 1 (one 6,s ided die minus one) and add the resultant o to S to your To-hit roll. Con tinue rolling and adding the results!) if you get a result of 6 on the d6. Thus e\'en at extreme ranges and with a poor shooter, there's a lways a chance albe it, pe rhaps a mite small one that a shot will strike t rue).

5, Draw a card to determine exact sbot location (i f n.c.ssary)

If your total To-hit roll was 24 or less, you'll need to draw a ca rd from a standard poker deck 10 determine where your shot went. ~ole that the closer you were to 25, the closer to cente r the shot was; the poker
Positioning the Shot Clock

If )'ou wallt 10 disarm a drunken brawler Ihal drew on your partner, you can try to shoot his gu n.

II

ca rd merely determines which direction the shot went astray (spades = high, clubs = low, diamonds = left, hearts = right)

Accu racy penalty, a shooter needs to look down the barrel of his firearm or very near it, but need nOt Take Care ful Aim (as defined later).

6. Roll damag'
If the shot hits anywhere on the target, roll damage (see "Wounding" on the following page).

MODIFIERS
Range: Range is simply the distance from shooter to target. If using miniatures, measure ranges from the tip of the firin g gun to the cente r of the target figure. Y ou can use whatever scale is appropriate to your game, but 1" = 5 feet is a mighty cOln-eniem scale. particularly if you have a I" hex grid or battlemat.

Fmifir/llg: Single action revolvers need 10 be cocked manually, and then ha\'e the trigger pulled in orde r to discharge. ,\I ost shooters pull the hammer back with th e thumb of the hand holding the weapon. In orde r 10 get a Speed advantage, some gunslinge rs prefer to use their ofT hand in a palm down fanning motion to repeatedly pull back the hammer (possibly while holding the trigger down). This causes highly inaccurate, though fast, firing. Fanfiring ca n be efTecti\'e if trying to eO\'er an area with many shots such as when CO\'e ring a fl eei ng partner, or making for cover across a Street. Grabbed by Opponent: If the shoote r has an opponent grabbing some part of his body, it'll throw ofT his Accuracy. especially so with a long gun .
GI/II orShootillg HaTld/Arm Crabbed by 0ppoTlenl: If some pesky vaquero actually grabs your shoot in' arm, it'll throw ofT your Accuracy a lot. especially with a long gun. Someone needs to grab any arm or hand to throw ofT a long gun, but ob\'iously only the hand with the gun for a pistOl.

Table No. ZJ ..nt

RAm 10DmERS 10MCURlCY

,,=,.
T " 1-'1 T "1 01-'1 T o 1-'1 T " .w 1-'1 To "' I-' To ,. I-'
5 15

p~

11"d.r

"'I"""'r
"

""'"'r-

" "
,z

"
" ,
d

Off Hand: A right-handed person throwing lefty o r \'ice-\'ersa afTords a -4 penalty to Accuracy. Throwing Two fl/iapolls: T hrowing a weapon from each hand at the same time incurs a - 4 Accuracy penalty for each weapon. :\lote that this compounds with the OfT Hand Accuracy penalty for a total penalty of -8 for the ofT hand. Rallge: Range is simply the distance from attacker to target. If using miniatures, measure ranges from front of the attacking miniature to the celller of the target figure. You can use whate\'cr scale is appropri ate to your game. but 1" = 5 feel is a mighty conven ient scale, particularly if you ha\'e a I" hex grid or battlemat.

"I-' 1501-'1 T. Uol-' To ""' I-'

T.
JOO r

T.

....
~

...

... ...

" "

juI

... ...

Off Hand: A righ t-handed pe rson shooting lefty :01" vice-versa) afTords a -4 penalty to Accuracy. Table 3. J/3: Handedlless in the advanced rules allows ambidexterity.) Fin'lIg Two CUllS: Using a pistol in each hand causes a -2 penalty for each weapon. Note that this co mpou nd s with the OfT Hand Accuracy penalty for a total penalty of -6 for the ofThand. Hipshooting: Hipshooting is a catcha ll term fo r pointing a nd shooting, but without taking any sort of aim, such as from the hip. HipshoOling provides a Speed advamage but also an Accuracy penalty. :\lote that revolvers fired from ncar the holster as well as long guns held at \\'aist height fall into this catego ry. Even firing chest high causes this penalty. To avoid this

Table No.

Z_ . 1-_ 5 .

SIIUA!IOm 10DIFIIRS T O ACCURACY

NI A

Hy.sJt....&.)

F=/""J
G..aJ,bMi
G""
ot

NI A

7- N..-.iNu,4 / (lA.m

.Jtodi".)

G..aJ,bMi

7- N",.,w

12

WOUNDING
Any time a resul t indicates a character is wounded, roll the app rop riate damage type for the weapon used (sec Table 2.2-6: Basic Game If(apons Chart). A characte r reduced to 0 or fewe r hit points d ies from his wou nds .

PENETRATION DAMAGE
Whenever maximum damage is rolled on a damage d ie (e.g., d6, d4, etc. , the roller immediately fe -rolls that die and adds the new die roll tota l mi nus one to the p revio us resul t.

Table No. J.:......L'

BAlIC GI!E WEIPONS

cam
DAm<lp
1~

tor.,.. .

.......
Au,

ca.)
(,"~1)

AlUf N."d.
-a~)

.tva.

For nOlllplt, Antonio ]UOII Julio M iguel M arlinU.jifts /lis rifle at ajluing Aparhe brave. ' Ie rolls all 8 OIl Ihe damage diL for a total r.if 9 points (d8+ I per Tabfl 2.2-6). Sinu hi rolled 11/a\imllm damage (an 8 on an 8-sided die). Antonio gels to roll the d8 again and subtract onl (i.e., a d8-1 ). If hi rolls a Jfor damagl. thl ('{tra damagl is +0 (I-I=O)Jor a total r.if 9. If for n:ampll. .-J ntonio rolled a 6. ht would add 5 damagt (6 /1/11I//J I} for a grand 10101 r.if 14 (Iht onginaI9+5=14).
This proass can contlllllf indljinite/y as long as Anlonio conlimIts 10 roll mo.\imlllll millis (i,e, . all 8 ill this (ose). In Ihal raSI, his totalu'OIdd hi 9 (onginal Toll) /)IIIS 7 (fiTst d8- I) pIllS allother d8-/ Toll,

.t l'ol. (l-af )

8",""
&.ow ... oY...
~f

.U'a.

cd,.,..,)
cd-f.)

t..p

v..;
-.t

1~

;wh>t """t', /,,,,,..-.1,

1~
fl'lL

c d"

C&.b, ,u..

F.J, .t-,

fJ

' '"J
cd,)

,~

""I'
u",,)

mL ,~)
1r&.

J-', - , p..w 1""

,...,. cd"
.t va. cd,.,..1)
L .... ,dl.-1)

~_u

...

R-'f< 5;_

.tva.

,.uri)

31 The Advanted Game

3.11 Character Creation

The SUI / beal down 011 Ihe weathered slagfcrJadl as it rallied over Ilu bumpy road. Johnny Illilinwrigkt pured eagerly 0111 the window, Il/fUryirlg Ihe approaching lown. This was la/lIln)' 's jirst Irip 01.11 west and. while the hastily-erected pille buildings drew doser. he vowed 10 make a new lifo for hilI/self l!fier all, he lI1used. he IlOd a flw dollars In !lis pocket along with a good deal of carpentry experienu. He could open his own bllsiness, find a wife, build (I
house and mise a Jam;!)'
~

all as dis/ant as possible from his

jalher's disapproving qes.

The crisp air swirled dusl ar(lUnd )Ollhl1) al/kles when he stepped off <if the siage, hiS senses taking il af! ill. The lailmrs gossipillg on the boardwalk, lI,e IIOTUS wailing at 111m hi/ching posts olliside Ihe SOIOO II, Ihe SOl/lid if a blacksmith pounding out horseshoes, a pair tljjollng boys rUllnillg through the street alld. /asl bill not least, Ihe prelty girl smiling 01 him from Ollt flj Ihl' holil willdows. A II ice, qlliet. peact/ul 10WII. l?s, Ihis u'as difinilt~) lht placefor him.
Acceplmg IllS bagfrom Ihl' driver alld lipping his hat 10 hisftllow passengers, JohnllY strolld toward the hotel. The girl at Ihe willdow was now gOlle, bul his speculation abolll I,er reasons for being there was suddenly cut short. Johml.J ttl/sed, starlled b}' Ihe sound flj gu/lfire eruplingfrom somewhere nearby, Johnny would later recoulIl the nexi fiw seconds on!) as a blur cif actioll, as Iwo masked desperadoes burst out cif the saIOOlI. S1l'lIng onto IllI'ir waiting horses alld tUTned 10 ride dOIt.'n thl' slrut - in Johnny's direction. They seemed almosl 011 lOp cif him It.htl/. f((Ol'erillg !lis nerve, JohllTl.J flung his bag away and ran for Ihe holel. slumbling over Ihe boardwalk to lalld face firSI on Ihe drug' plallks, the wind kllocked oul cif hUll. Harsh laugllter uhoedfrom Ihe n'ders, followed by a pistol shot that splintered the wood Ollry IIIches from Jol/lllIY 's head, Inslinclively, JohnllY flillchtd. co~'ering 1m head with his hands and mmtalry willing himself inlo as small a larget as possible. He Iqy fro<.en for what seemed like forew, only darillg to lift his head whtl/ Ihe sound cif galloping hooves Iwd 10llg since fadtd away 11110 Iht distanct. As he did so, he saw Ihal three pairs cif fil'l stood around him, Iwo if them in hard worn boots, and olle in a dainty pair of ladies' shoes. !..<Joking up, heftund himselj flanked by lu:o men, olle a gn;:.;:led sllQpkuper (IIld (IIIOt/,tT a halldsome }'OIwg cowboy. BoHI Iwd wide grills on Iheir faers, and Ihest got evell wider as he stumbled clumsily to his feet. The daillly sllQes were filled b)' an equalry daillly girl ill a prelty dress, slle who had smiled 01 him from Ihe holel willdow. Now, however. her e,prusion samed olle cif pity, perhaps eVlll cOlllempl. 1Vilhout so much as a word, she swished back through Ihe hOiI'I doors, the handsome }'o/lI1g cowbf!Y following close bellind. The griuled shopkeeper colltill/ud to grill at Johnny, thtl/ gave a short chuckle as l,e 100 IlIrned away, reltlfning to Ihe siorifront nexl door, l1 'e1l, Johnll)' thoughl, as he dusled !limselj off, so muchfor first impressiolls,

Welcome to the Shattered Frontier! Like J ohnny, your character may be new to the \ Vcst, or he may bc a born-and-bred native. Still, no matter what type or character you choose to play, you can be sure that it'll be the experience or a liretime. No\\; once you've mo\'ed beyond single-event "shoot -elll-up scenarios" and are pre pared ror a longer lasting experience, you're ready ror the Shattered Frontier, the Aces & Eighls campaign game. T hc hmdamenta l premise or the ongoing campa ign is that characters survive beyond a single night'S session and evolve o\'e r time. Beyond the rew mom ellis or a gunfight. what is your cha racter likc? Does he havc a job? A proression? A partner? Friends? Enemies? Famil y lire? The most in -depth or Aces & Eights games - the campatgn game first takes shape around on -going characters. These characters begin as a simple series or numbers and entries scrawled on a sheet or paper, but through your de\"elopment and choiccs they take on a name. a personality and come to lire bcrore you r ve ry eyes. Your character emerges as an aller cgo under you!" control. thrust into the Shattered Frontier to find rame. rortune or rate. Creating an Afts & Eights characte r is simplc enough ror e\'en the greenest tenderroot, since all you'vc got 10 do is roIlO\,' a re\\' simple steps. o r coursc, one or the first things you should do is figure Out j ust what type or characte r you want to play, and why this character (o r his parcnts) headcd out wcst. Ir you haven't read thc history appcndix yet, this might be a good time ror that. It 'll gi\'e you a good reel ror the Shatte red Frontier and the kind or people that live in il. You should also consider what type or cam pa ign you 'Il be playing in. For example, is it going to rows more on backstabbing politics, wilderness adventures, ranching, social mancuvering or prospccting? rr you're unsure, chec k with your compadres and sec ir they can gi\'c you some advice.

16

* CHARACTER GENERATION *
To generate an Arts & Eight; character, simply follow these basic steps, referring 10 the detailed sections fol10\\ ing for morc informalion. Be Pre pared . ;'\10\\, before you aClually sit down to rolt up }"our character. make sure you have at least one sheet of scra tch paper, a pendl or pen and a \'arieIY of dice d4 , d6, d8, diD. dl2 and d20. You'll also want to do\\ nload the free Acts & Eights character sheet so you can IramfeT th(' numbers from your ~cratch paper.
I ) Receive Building Points. Each c haracter receives 75 Buil ding Points (BPs defined below) for character creation. Thi s Sinning amount may be further modified by such things as ability scores. priors and particulars. quirb and naws. and so on. You 'll need to keep tnlck of how many BPs you earn .md spend during character creat ion .

menu from Building Points. especially any changes to ability sco res. One wa)' to increase ability scores with BPs is by buying fractional ability points. One BP can incrrase a fractional ability score by 5 points, up to the first 100 fractional points purchased for that abilit),. For example, raising a 15173 Strength to a 16173 Strength costs 20 BPs. After you\'e spe nt 20 building poims in thi~ manner, the ability increase drops to I BP per +points, and continues to dt'creasc in this manner each timo: you incre:lse Ihe ~aJllC abi ljty by another 100 fractional point~. Wh en a franional abilit} score ~oc~ O\'er 100, the base ~co rc is raised by one and the 100 i~ discarded. Sec Tobit 3.1- /0: SPilld Slarling

Building
:\"0\\

PUII/ts.

2) Roll Ability Scores. To determine your characabi lity scores, roll 3d6 for each of the foUowing: Strength. Intclligen ce, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution. Looks and Charisma. You'll also need to roll d ~'t1 In'prese nted by a dIDO. or twO dlOs of different colors, one each for lOs and Is for the fractional ability of each. This number determines how c1o~e the character is to reaching thl" next ability score. For example, a Strength of 13/45 means the character must increase his fractional ability by 65 points to gain a Strength of 14110.
ter'~

6) Calcu late Starting Rep utation and Bonus BPs. add the w\en :.bilit) ,co re, from Step 2 together and divide that ~um b) 'C\'{'11 round down any fractiam. If Ilece .. ~a.ry. adjust the result b~ the modifiers for your Chari~ma and Look ~ ~cores, background, or quirks and Oaws, Thi ~ is your starting Reputation. Record the rcsult on your character sheet. Be su re to check Tohfr 3. I -8: Rrplltntio1l to see if you rccci"e additional Building Points. 7) Determine Quirks and Flaws. At this point, you ma)' cho('lse 10 add quirk~ and flaws to your character in exthangc for honu~ Building Point ~. Quirks and fla,,, are not rt'quircd, but help bring more depth to a character, b~ ,lddin~ tho~e little traits and imperfections that make us all indi\'iduak Quirks include mcnta l traits such as habits and prejudices, while flaw s arc physicaJ traits such as poor cytsi~ht and hearing. To determine which quirks or flaws the character has, thc player may eitlwr roll randomly or choose ("cherry pick") specific Cluirk~ or Jlaws. 8) Purchase Sk ills a nd Talents. Now you can sl){'nd )our I'cma ining BPs on skills and/or talents. Each time yOlL purcha ~e a skill , you recci\"e one roll of Ibt, maste ry die to improve that ~kill. 9) Roll Hit Points. Each Aft.! & Eigllts character 20+ I d4 hit points. Thi~ IOtal may be furthe r modified by such thin~~ as talclHs, flaws and your character's Constitution ability score,
recei\'e~

If )'ou're unhappy with your roils, you can adjust th em. However, inc reasing an ability score by I point decreases another ability score by 2 points. For example, improving a 13/45 Stn.:ngth to a 1 '~/"5 Strcngth requires that another abil ity sco re reduce by two (such as a Wisdom 15173 to a Wi sdom 13173), 3) Ch oose a Nationality. AI this point, you should determine your character's place of origin. Is he a native of the USA, o r the CSA? Is he a Tcxican or Sequoyan, or is he a 1 3ritish or French citizen from their respective colonies? Did hc emigrate from somewhere in Europe? Choosing your nationality no\\ will give you more insight inlO later aspects of the character creation process. Howevcr, if you trul) want 10 roll randomly, the seClion on priors and particulars provides tablcs for your charactc r's nationality. 4) Roll Priors and Particulars (optiotlal) . If you're interested in spending the time to determi ne all the details of your character's background prior to heading out to seck hi s fortunc , turn to Chapler 6.51 Dt/ailtd ChoTar/tr Backgrounds. 5) Finali ze Ability Scores and Other Adjustments. Now it 's timc to finaliz e all your adjust-

10) Record Base Speed Ilnd Accuracy. A characte r's Base Spced is determined by his Wisdom and Dexterity modifiers. while Base Accuracy is determined by his Ill1elligencc aud Dexterity modifiers. II ) Equip Your Ch a ract er, You should reach an agreement with the other players and/or Gamc~la s ter to sec if you arc allowed to (''1uip your character by choosing off the equi pmt'111 liSIS in Cltapttr 5.51 Coods & Stroifil. Some groups may choose to limit certain itcms, or require you 10 role play your character's pllr-

[7

Record 75

Building Points (p. 18)

Option 1:
Generate Ability Points

Record Adjusted Characte r Ab ilities

(p.24) Option 2:
Generate Roll Ability Scores 3d6 + IdlOO

Extra Building Points (p.2425)

Calculatc Starting
Reputation & Fame (p. 25)

(p. 24)

Option 3: Spend Starting Building P o intS (p.25)

Record Additional Building Po ints ~s flcccss~ry from Tables 3.1-2,.3,7,8 (p. 2Q, 22-23)

Proceed to Priors & Particulars (p. 25)

chases during the game. If you pu rchase weapons, be sure to record their statistics on your cha racter sheet as well. Dexterity. Constitution, Looks, Charisma. Reputation and Fame. T hese building blocks provide the founda tion of your character, but they arc only the firs t glimpses of your western character as he or she begins to develop in your imagination . T hese character abilities are described below. Each description gives an idea of \\hat that ability encompasses, including tables with specific game effects and modifiers. Following the descriptions are details on how to create your ability scores.

ElIILDING POINTS
Players can differentiate and personalize their Acts & Eights characters by increasing their ability scores, purchasing skills and talents, and even influencing their heritage. Pl ayers accomplish thi s customization through expenditure of alloted points, known as "Building Poims" or " BPs". Players most often spend BPs to buy skills and talems, though they may also be used to modify ability scores. Furthe rmore, players can use BPs to buy re-rolls on unwallled quirks and flaws, or any of the Priors and Particulars tables ( I BP per reroll). A player need not spend all BPs during character creat ion; unused BPs may be held to spend later, or cashed in to improve starting money (\ BP = S5 . Each new character receives 75 BPs. As you can see on the various ability score tables below, a high intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma or Reputation score provides additional BPs. Giving your character quirks or flaws also provides bonus BPs, but with some physical or emotional penalty (more on this later). Once a campaign begins, characters also receive BP awards in return for accomplishing certain goals. See Chapter 4.3lAwards for more information on gaining BPs during play.

Strength
Strength (Str defines your charac ter's physical b rawn. It measures you r character's ability to muscle his way through life. Strength measures a character's muscle power, and determines the weight a character is able to lift and ca rry. Vi tally important to brawling and close quarter comba t, Strength inc reases or decreases the damage a character causes with handheld weapons such as axes, butt stocks, bottles and chairs. Is he as strong as an ox or weak as a lamb? Can he knock out a horse with his fist or barely lifl a bucket of fresh milk? Strength is also impo rtant for loading wagons, carrying sacks of grain and similar tasks. DaIllage Modifier: T his modifier appl ies to closequarter combat and weapons used in brawling. Add th is modifier to the damage roll in sllch situations. Lift: This figu re represe nts the maximum weigh t of an object that the character can lift off the ground and carry with difficulty for a few dozen yards be fore having to set it down to catch his breath . in no way can the character engage in any other activity while so encumbered.

AEILITY SCORES
Every character in Aces & Eigllts has nine basic characterist ics or abilities, most of these having corresponding ability scores: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom,

18

TABLE 3.1-1: STRENGTH

Ab.ility Store D~m~8e Modifier Ljft (lbs.) Cm.y_(J.b.s.) Dug (lbs.) 1 / 01 ............. 7 ............ .11 ..........9 .......... 28 1 / 51 ........ 6 ............25 ........ .12 .......... 63

....... . 4 ........... ~ ........ ~ ..... . ... ~

2/ 51 ....... 5 . . . ......... .51 ........ .17 . . ....... .128 3/ 01 ....... 5 . . ..........61 ......... 20 ........ .160 3/51 ............. 1 .76 .........22 ........ .190 1/ 01 ......... . ... 1 ............88 .... 24 ......... 220 1/51 ............. 1 ....99 ......... 26 ......... 248 5/01 ........ . 3 ........... .110 ......... ~ ..... 275 5/51 ............ 3 . ......... .120 ......... 31 ......300 6/01 ........ . .... 3 ........... .130 ......... 32 ......325 6/51 ............. Z ... 1 10 .........31 ......350 7/01 ............. 2 ............ 149 .........36 .........373 7/51 ........... 2 . .157 ...38 ......... 393 8/01 ........... . . 1 ... . ........ 166 .........39 ........ AI5 8/51 ........... .. 1 . . ........ . .173 ......... 10 ........ .133 9/01 ............ . 1 ............ 1 81 ...... 12 . . . . .. .153 9/51 ............. 1 ............ 187 ...... 13 ... . . .... 168 10/ 01 ........ . ... NoDe .......... .191 ........ .11 ..... . . . .185 10/ 51... . .. NoDe ........... 200. . ..... 45 . .. ... . ..500 11/ 01 ............ NODe ... . ....... 205 .... . ... .1S . . .. ... . .51 3 II/ 51 ............ NODe . . . .. . .. ... 210 . . ...... .52 ........ .525 1 2/01 ............. +1 ...... .. . ... 215 .........56 .........538 12/51 ............. +1 ............220 .........61 .........550 1 3/ 01 ..... . . . . .. .. +1 . . .......... 225 ........66 .. . ..563 1 3/ 51 ... +1 ............ 230 ........ .71 ........ .575 11/ 01 ............ +2 ............235 .........77 .........588 14/51 ............ +2 ............ 210 ........81 ......... 600 1 5/01 ............ +2 ............ 215 .........91 .. ..613 15/51 ............ +3 ............ Z67 ........99 .........668 16/01 .... +3 ............ 291 ........ 108 ..... .728 16/51 . +3 ............ 318 ... 118 ........ .795 17/01 ............ +1 ............ 317 ........ 129 .........868 17/51 . +1 ............ 380 ... 1'12 ....950 1 8/01 ............ +1 ............ '117 ....... .156 ... .1013 18/51 ............ +5 ............ 158 . .Ill ..... 1115 19/ 01 .......... +5 ........... 501 .. .... .189 ... .1260 19/51 ............ +6 ........... .551 ........ 209 ... .1385 20/01 ............ +6 ............ 612 ........231 ........ .1530 20/51 ............ +7 ............675 ........ 256 ....... .1688 21/01 ............ +7 .......... .7'17 ........ 285 ....... .1868 21/51 ............ +8 ............828 ........317 ........ Z070 22/ 01 ............ +8 ............919 ........351 ........2298 22/ 51 ............ +9 .......... .1021 ........396 ........ 2553 23/ 01 ....... . .... +10 ......... .1137 ........ 1'13 ........ 28'13 23/ 51 ........... . +11 .......... .1268 ....... .198 ........3170 21/01 ........... +12 .......... .1'117 ........560 ....... .3513 21/ 51 ............ +1 3 ........... 1 )85 ........631 ....3963 25/ 01 ........... +1 1 .......... .1777 ....... .714 ........ 1113

given with the presumption that the weight is e\'enly distributed a nd stowed in packs bo rn primaril y on the shoulders, back or wai st. Obviously, a character wi th 15 Strength ca rrying a 90-pound bag of sih'er coins in his arms is going to face restrictions on his ability to gunfight , so some measure of judgment is wa l'fanted . Drag: This is the maximum dead weight that a character can drag over a wooden Ooo r or hard packed soil at no more than a crawl speed. T he objec t mu st naturally possess some sari of hand-holds or have a rope fa stened about it. This fi gure should be reduced by half for unfavorable surfaces such as mud.

Int.JJig.ne.
Intelligence (Int) defin es your character's me mory, reaso nin g and abilit y to think th rough p roblems and situations. It measures your character's rational th ought process . Can he add up his ta b at the hardwarc Slore, pay for it and not ~et cheated? Does book learning come naturally o r is it a struggle? Intellige nce is \'e ry im portant fo r book learninge ngineering, science, history, medicine, etc.!. Intelligence is importa nt to all cha racters because it also affects shoo ting Accuracy, brawling agilit y and the ability to learn Academia-based skills. Accuracy Modifier: The Intelli gence Acc u racy modifier combine s with th e Dexterit y Accuracy modifier 10 provide th e charact er's Ba se Acc uracy. The Base Accuracy, of course, modifies a character's chance to hit a target.

BP Bonu s: This is a special one-time bonus rece ived at character creation. The Intellige nce BP Bonus may only be used on skills with Intellige nce as a relevant abilit y, so don 't mix them in wilh your other BPs. (BP bonuses arc explained later in the Skills section.)

Carry: This column lists the weight a character may carryon his person wilhout hindering his combat ability or limiting his movement. Thcse limitations arc

Skill Learning Modifier: The Intelligence Skill Learning ~ I odifier represents the case o r difficult y with which a character can lea rn skills based on Int elligence. A positive value indicates an addition al credit of BPs available any time a character attempts to learn a skill that requires Int elligence. Thus, an intelligent person will find learning advanced math easie r than a dimwit. Th e negative modifi ers show the diffi culty that slow

19

TABLE 3.1-2: INTELLIGENCE

AhiJi t.y5t.or.c Accumy..Modi.icr BP J:pnus SkilU. .wniDg Modifier 1 . ....... 3 .. . . .. 0 .............. -9
2 .,........ 3 4 . -3 . -3 2 ... 0 . . . . ....... -8 ..... 0.. . .. 7 ... 0 . . . ... .. . -6

(and worse) individuals have learning any Int-based skill. The Skill Learning Modifie r is described more fully in the Skills section following.

Wisdom
Wisdom (Wis) defines your character's common sense and empathic ability. It 's a combination of how practically a person thinks, his good judgment, willpower, stro ng headedness and how well he can sense the emotions and feelings of othe rs. Can he sense when a bear is ready to charge? Does he know bener than to chase buffalo through hostile territory? Is he a good listcner and does he notice when things are amiss? Wisdom is important for animal training, tracking and reacting to others, such as in a gunfight. Speed Modifi er: T he Wisdom Speed Modifi er combines with the Dexterity Speed J\'l odifier to provide the character's Base Speed. The Base Speed, of course , modifies Initiative and determines how quickly a character can react in a stressful situation . BP Bo nus: This is a special one -tim e bonus received at character creation. The Wisdom BP Bonus may only be used on skills with Wisdom as a relevant ability, so don 't mix th em in with your othcr BPs. (BP bonuses are explained later; see the Skills section of this chapter.) Skill Learning Modifier: The Wisdom Skill Learning ~ I odifier representS the ease or difficulty \\'ith which a character can learn skills based on Wisdom. A positive value indicates an additional credit of BPs available any time a cha racter attempts to learn a skill that requires Wisdom. Thus, an intuitively empathetic person will find learning to train animals easier than an insensitive lout. The negative modifiers show the difficulty that imperceptive individuals have learning any Wisdom-based skill. T he Skill Learning Modifier is described more fully in the Skills sect ion following .

S 6

-2 -2

... 0 .............. -5 ... 0 . . . . .. ' '1

7
8 9 10 11 12 13

..... 1.. . .. 0. .J .............. .\ . . .0.. .. 2 .\ .. . .. 0 -I . . . . 0 .......... 0 .0 . . . . 0 . . . . .0 . . . . 0 ... . ........ I ...... .! .............. 1 ... . ... I ............ 3 .2

"

14 ..... . ..... I .....6 . . . .3 IS.. . ... 2 ..... 10.. . ...... 4 16 .. .... 2 ....... [5.......... .5 17 .. . .. 1 ........21 . .. . .. 6 18 .. .......... 3 .... 28 ............. 7 19 .. 3 ..36 ... ..8 10 .. .. 3 ........... '15 .. 9 11 .... .55 .. . ... JO < ......66 ........... 11 < 13 4 ........ 78 ... .1 2 .. 5 14 ... ..... 91 .. . ... 13 ....... 5 15 ....... IOS .. 14

TULE 3.1-3: WISDOM

Ahilit):..Smr.c
I.

Spetd}.Jodilicr
..... 5

2 .............. S .. . 3 ........ S
4

Bf..honus Skill Lwning M.odi!icr ..... 0 .............. 9 . .. 0 ......... ..... 8

.. 7 . ... -6

5
6 7 8 9 \0
II 11

... 0.. 4 ..... 0... 4 ....... 0.. 4 ..... .. 0. .............. 3.. . .. 0. . 3 .......... 0 . . .... 3 . .. 0 .. .. .. . . 2 .. . .. 0 ...

.. S
. .. 4 . .... 3 .. -2 .. -1 .0 0 . .. 1

.. .. H.

13 14 IS 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

.. ..
..

.. -\

.. 2 .......... 0.. .1 . . . ..1 . .. ... I ..... 3 ... ... .2 I..... ..6... .. .. 3 ..0 .. 10.. ..4 .. 0 .. 1 5 S .. 0 .... 21. . ... . ... 6

Dexterity
Dexterity (Dex) defines your character's agility, coordination and deftness. It encompasses reflexes, balance, Speed and Accuracy. Can he draw fast and shoot straight? Is he good at riding and bronco busting? Dexterity is important for shooting, riding, roping and fighting. Speed Modifier: The Dexterity Speed i 'vIodifier combines with the Wisdom Speed Modifier to provide the character's Base Speed. The Base Speed, of course, modifies Initiative and determines how quickly a character can react in a stressful situation .

..... ... m

... 7

... . ... .

.. -1 .... .. ..... e ............. 9 2 ..... SS .. .10 -2 ....66 ... II -2 ..... .78 ..... 12

1 .......... .36

..... 8

3 ........... 91 ....
... .. 3 .......... IOS

. ... 13
........ 14

15.

20

TABLE 3.1-4: DEXTERITY

Accuncy 6 Sp_ t.cd..M.o.dificr IQ:hil.JnQ diLicr Ahilily.-SrolC 1/01 .... . .... 8 ..... , .. -5 1/51 .8 ....... 4 2/ 01 ............ 8 .... 4 ...... 7 . -4 2/51 3/01 .. .......... 7 . 4
3/51

The Base Accuracy, of course, modifies a character's chance to hit a target at range. To-hit Modifier: T he To-hit M odifier adjusts a character's chance to hit a target at close quarters.

ConsUiution
Constitution (Con) defines your character's health , hardiness and stoutne ss . It affects the character's hit points and chances of survivi ng surgery and wounds. How many wounds can he suITer before succumbing? Can he march through miles of bonebleaching desert without stopping for a breather? Does he shake ofT punches, or does he ha\'e what's called a glass jaw? Constitution is important for brawling, resistIllg physical lIlJury, recovering from wounds, and endurance. Hit Point Modifier: T he H it Point tvlodifier is added to, or subtracted from , the hit points for the character (base d. + 20).

TABLE 3 .15: CONSTITUTION

..ointModilicr AbiJily...5.rorc l:iit.P ..... 9 1 z ......... ... .. 8 . ...... 7 3 ..
4 ... 5 ..
6 .........

........ 7

. ~

4/ 01 ..
4/51 .. 5/01 ..

5/51
6/01 6/51

.......... 6 ....... . ....... ~ . ...... 6 .... . . .J ..6 . .. .J 5 ..... 2 5 .. 2

.. 5 ........... 4 .... 4 .. 4 .3 .. -2 .. -2 ... -J ..... .. -1 ............... . ]

... 6 .. -S 4

]/01 7/51 S/OI

8/51

7 8 9

............ 3 .. -Z . 1

10
11 12 13 ........ . 14 ..

... 0
... 0
2

.. -1 9/01 .3 9/51 .3 .. 0 10/01 .............. 2 ............... 0 10/51 ... 2 ............ 0 II/OJ ... 2 .".0 II/51 .. ..0 12/01 I .. ...... \ 11/51 ..... . 1 .1 \3/01 .. . ... 0 .1 13/51 " .0 .I 1-'1 /01 ... 0 "' ..... "...... 2 ., ........... 2 1-'1 /51 IS/OJ . -1 .2
.... . ] IS/51 16/01 .... 2 16/51 .. 2 17/01 ... 2 \7/51 .. ......... ... -3 .. . IS/ O ! .. .J .... . .2 .. 3 . ... 3

... 3
~

IS .............

16 . ..... ...
17 .. ...

.. S
. ... 6

IS 19 ... ZO .. 21 .
2Z .

23 ..
H.

2S ...

7 .8 . ....... 9 10 . ... II . ...... 1 2 13 . .. 14

.. .. 3 . ... 3

..

IS/SI. .

. . -3

1 9/01
I9/SI

.. - ~ .. - ~

..... 4 ..... 4 ..

, ,

Looks
Looks (Lks) defines your character's physical attractiveness and appearance. Looks indicates beauty, handsomeness and first impressions; it determines initial reactions to the character, even al a distance. Do all tbe ladies swoon as he makes his way past the church on Sunday? Do men propose whenever she's alone with them? Do artists and photographers seek this person out as a model? Is she best described as comely or homely? Looks is important for influence, initial reaction and interaction with the opposite sex. It is important to note here that Looks is not Charisma. Looks, however, can affect Charisma on a permanent basis. A character's Charisma ability score is modified by the character's Looks score, as seen on Table 3.1-6: Looks. Charisma Modifier: This modifier indicates the number that should be initially added to the charac-

ZO/Ol ....... - ~ .S 20/SI ............. S ............... S 21/01 S .S 21/S1 ...... S .S 22/01 6 ........... 6 22/SI 6 6 23/01 6 .. 6 23/SI 7 .. 6 HIOI ... -7 ........... 7 HISI ... ........ 7 .... . .. 7 25/01 ......... ~ .... . .......... 7

Accuracy Modifier: The Dexterity Accuracy modifier combines with the Intelligence Accuracy modifier to provide you with the characte r's Base Accuracy.

21

TABLE 3.1-6: LSSRS

Modifier \0 Stuting RepUIllioD STming FlInt AbiliTY Score Chnisnu M.odificr Modifier ! ........... -7 ............ 9 ....... . .... -9 I . .... . ..... -6 ............ -8 ............. -8 J ........... 5 ............ -7 ............. 7 4 ........... 4 ............ 6 ........ , .... 6 5 .. , ...... -3 ............ -5 .. , .......... -5 6 ........... -2 ..... , .... , . .'1 ........... , -'1 7 ........ 2 .. . ......... -3 ............. -3 8 .......... . 1 ............ 2 ............ 2
9 ........... .] ............ -1 ............. -1

Charisma
Charisma (Cha) defines your character's cha rm , wit, personal influence and leadership abili ty. It is not a measure of beauty but rather of persona! magnetism and thus IS affected by Looks. Charisma also affects Reputation and Fame. Can he negotiate a peace treaty between the hostiles and the camp? Can he influence the town councilor quic kly form a posse? Can he talk his way IntO a cheap poke? Charisma IS important for negotiation , running for elections, wielding influence and intimidating others. It dictates the total number of henchmen a character can retain and affects the loyalty of cohorts, henchmen, servants, Cfomes. sidckicks and others.

10

......... 0 ..... ....... 0 .............. 0

11 .......... 0 ..... .... ,0 ... .......... 0 IZ ........... 0 ... ... , . , . I .............. I 1 3 ......... . I . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ...... . .. .. ... 2
1 '1 ..... . 1 ............. 2 .............. 3

15 ........... 2 ............. 2 .............. ~ 16 ........... 2 .... .. ....... 3 .............. 5 17 ........... 3 ............. ~ .............. 6
18 ...... . ...
~

............. S .. . .... . .... . . 7

BP Bonus : T hese bonus BPs arc a one-time bonus rcceiyed at character creation. T his special BP Bonus may on ly be used on skills with Charisma as a relevant ability, so don't mix them In with your other BPs. (BP bonuses are explained later in the Skills section.)
Skill L earn ing M o di fier: Th e Charisma Skill Learning .\Iodifi er represents the case or difficulty with which a character can learn skills based on Charisma. A positi\'e value indicates an additional credit of BPs a\'ailable any time a character allempts to learn a skill that reqUIres Charisma . Thus, a cowpoke with a magnetic personality will find lea rning to

19 ........... 5 ............. 6 .... . .. . ...... 8

20 ........... 6 ............. 7 .... . ......... 9 21 ........... 7 ............. 8 .............. 10 22 ..... .. .... 8 ............. 9 .............. !! 23 ........... 9 ............. 10 ............ 1 2

24 ........... 10 ............ !! ........ . .. .. 13

25 ........... II ............ 12 ............. Ii

ter's Charisma (this is a one-time modifier. After character creation, if a characte r's Looks score IS raised or lowered, whether by disease, malmmg or some ot her reason, Charisma should be similarly affected on a point-for-point basis (a loss of one pOll1t of Looks results In one point of Charisma lost as well). Starting Reputa tion Modifi e r: The Starting Reputation ~ I odifier indicate s the number to be added to the character's sta rtmg Reputat ion (covered 111 del ail later). Like it o r not , physical beauty affects how people are viewed by society. Clearly, news of a striking individual can spread locally if nOt regionally. Starting Fam e Modifier: The Starting Fame i\ lodificr indicates Ihe number to be added to tbe character's starting Fame (covered 1Il detail later). Like the Reputation modifie r, news of a st riking individual may spread over a wide area.

TABLE 3.1-7: CHARISMA

Skill Lwoiog Ab,ilit.y S core BP ..Boous
MiX. Number Stifting Rq)lmtioD
Modifier Comp.iIIiols Modifier 1 ...........0 ......... .9 .............0 .............. 9

2 ...........0 ..........8 .............0 .............. 8 3 ...........0 ..........] .............0 ...... . ....... ] ~ ...........0 .......... 6 ............ .I .... . ......... 6 5 ........0 .... .-5 ........... J ...... . ....... 5 6 ...........0 .......... 4 ... . ... .I ............. . ~ 7.... . ..0 ..........3 .............2 ............. 3 8 ........... 0 ..........2 ............. 2 .............. 2 9 ........... 0 ..........1 ............. 3 .............. 1 10 ........... 0 ...........0 ............. 3 .............. 0 11 .......... 0 . ..........0 ............. ~ .............. 0 12 ....... .1 .... .1 ......... 5 .......... 1 13 ..... 3 ........... 2 ............. 6 ............. 2 14 ...........6 ...........3 .............8 ........... 3 15 ........... 10 .......... ~ ............ .10 .............. ~ 16 .......... 15 ..........5 ............. 12 .............. 5 1] .......... 21 ..........6 ............ .15 .............. 6 18 ........ 28 ........ .7...... ..20 ............ . . 7 19 ..... 36 ..........8 ............ 25 ... ........... 8 20 ......... .4S ..........9 ............ 30 .............. 9 21 ..........55 .......... 10 ............ ~O ............. 10 22 ..........66 ......... .11 ............ 50 .............. II 23 ......... .78 .......... 12 .........60 ............. 12 2~ ..........91 . ......... 13 ........... .70 ............. 13 25 ......... 105 ......... 14 ............90 ............. 14

22

fast talk others easier than a jerk will, The negative modifiers show the difficulty that socially inept individuals have tearning any Charisma-based skill. The Skitt Learning :\I odificr is described more fully in the Skills section below. Max . Numb er Compatriot s: The :\ Iaximum l\"umber of CompatriotS statistic states the number of non-player characters that can potcntially se rve under the character. Cohorts, followe rs. henchmen , cronies and sidekicks arc types that will serve freely in tough times and will follow that characte r bccause of who he is. In mher words, hired workers and the like do not fait under th is category or count toward the maximum allowed. Starting Reputation Modifi er: The Starting Reputation ~'l odifie r indicates the numbcr to be added to the character's staning Reputation covered in delail later).

TABLE 3J.B: REPUTATION

RCpU Ul ioll Buildiog.I'.oiDIS
I ...............0 2 ...............0 3.. . .....0 4.. . .....0 5.. . .....0 6.. . . ..5 7 .............. 10 8 .............. 15 9 ... . ... 20 10 .............. 25 II .............. 25 12 .............. 25 13 ..............30 14 .........30 15 .. .35 [6.. . AO 17..... .. . AS IS ..............50 19 ..............55 20 ..............60 21 .............. 65 22 .. . .. .70 23 ... . .. .75 24 ......80 25+ ....85

nat e CircumStances, might possess a miserable Reputation. Reputation IS more a measure of the deeds accomplished by the individual and so metimes his family ' , as well as those with whom he associates himself (his partne rs or gang). It is an indication of such things as success in gunfights or politics, loyahy, talent and success, qualities that can be held by anyone character regardless of disposinon.

Abilit y Checks
At certain times throughout the ad\'anced rules, we'l! mcntion ':A.bility Checks." These are situations where the affected character mu st roll a d20 under his re!evam ability sco re o r, for very difficult checks, under half his ability score rounded down. For example, a Wisdom check for a charactcr with 13 /50 Wisdom is successful on a 13 or less on a d20. The same character would succeed in a Wisdom check against half his Wisdom on a roll of 6 or less 011 a d20 half o f 13/ SO is 6.75 rounded down to 6'.

Repuiation
Reputation (Rep) defines how thc character measures up to society's ideal s of cou rage, integrity and inner strength. Can his partner count on him in a scrape? Is his word his bond or is he a liar? Will he let someone question his honor without a fight? Is he a cheat, backshoOter o r cowa rd ? Reputation is important because it innuences the way others treat your charaetcr and can affect your luck. As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the Reputation ability is treated a bit differently than the other character abilities. F o r one thing. you don't roll 3d6 to determine your Reputation. Secondl y, Reputatio n nuctuates depending on the character's actions and beha\ior. Reputation is not a judgement of good and evil. Individuals of high Repu tation are nOt ncccssarily good and those with low Reputation arc not necessarily evil. A cruel rail baron may vcry well possess high Reputation while a goodly prostitute, through unfortu-

T o truly ha\'e Reputation IS to command respect. " ' hen a characte r loses Reputation, he loses honor. Reputation is so essential to the character that it i~ renee ted in his \'cry countcnancc. People can sense hOh much Reputation a PC has just by sta nding in his presence. ,\ nd sometimes if his Reputation is through the roof' they can tcll JUSt by looking at him. Reputati on can also dictate what a character bound to such a concept will do in a gi\'en situation. For exam ple, when the men of the blue and the gray knowingly marched across that ' narrow deadly space at Gettysburg to certain death it was a matter of Reputation. Th ere was nothing else for such men of Rcputati on to do when placcd in that situation. Leaving the field of battle in the hands of the cnemy was unthinkable so th ey fought. How to create your starting Reputalion score is described in the preceding pages. Chapttr 4.21 Reputation & Faille deals with Reputation in more detail and how ii's uscd in thc game. It cxplai ns how you can earn Reputation and to what usc you can put it.

;ame
(Fame defines how well known the character is. Docs everyone in tOWI1 know him ? \ Vhen he rides into a new community docs word sp read of his arrival? Do saloons front him a generous tab to induce him to fre-

23

quent, as a way of anraeling new patrons? Fame begins low, or even at zero and increases throughout a character's carec!: How to create your starting Fame score is described in the following section .

Adjusling Abilily Scores

Now that you'ye rolled for each ability score, you have an opportun ity to adjust a ny of the first six scores. If you think of the first seven ability scores as your characte r's average potential, then co nsider raising and Iml"ering scores as practice and development of certain abilities at the expense of others. Kote that Looks cannot be modified in th is way; a cha racter is slUck with whate\'er beauty or bruti sh ness nature provided. Further, Reputation and Fame are handled differently and cannot be adjusted during this step. There arc three options to choose from when adjustou can choose any or all as many times as ing scores. Y you wish as long as you don't lo\,'cr an ability to less than I in the p rocess. Adjust01ent Option 1 - Generate Ability Points: This option allows you to sac rifice points from one ability score and increase another. Table 3.1 -9: Generalt Ability Points shows the relative costs to increase one ability score at the expense of another. T hink of this as a charac ter letting certain of her abilities degrade while she hones and impro\'es other skill s. For example. if your character had a 10 Str, 18 int, and a 13 \\'i5 you could sacrifice 2 points of i nt Ireduc ing it from 1810 16 and add I point to your Strength raising it from 10 to II In this case, your characte r might hm'e been born with an outstanding natural intellect, but chose to quit school at a young age in order to help with farm chores. O n the other hand, you could add a point to your Wisdom instead (rai sing it from 13 10 14), but this will decrease your Intelligence (or whatever score yot! chose) by 3 points. You can lower or raise as many abilities as you want with these few limitations:
'3r You can'l sacrifice points from an ability if it would result in that abilit)' being lower than 1.

CREATING ABILITY SCORES

Okay, let's get sta rt ed. The very first step in generating a character is rolling his ability scores. So grab three 6-sided dice, percentile dice a dlOO, or twO d lOs). a blank charac ter sheet and a pad of scratch paper. The first seve n ability scores are determined randomly (beginning Repu tation and Fame arc handled differently and will be created la st). Scores arc dete rmin ed by rolling three six-sided dice (3d6) to obtain a \'alue from 3 (the wo rst) to 18 (th e best) and then a percentage roll to show where in a particular number range you r charaCier's scores actually rest.

TABLE 3.1-9: GENERATE ABILITY POINTS

Currcnt Ability s.:orc 10 be Impro"cd
CoSI 10

7Olrkss... 8 10 .. 11-13 17 20. ... 21+ ..

Tudc Up . .. .I rorl

. ............... HOld ......3fOlrl

14 16 ........................>1fo,1 . .............5 for I .. .. . .10 for 1

Rolling Ability Scores

Roll the three 6-sided dice (3d61 for each ability; the tOtal shown on the dice is your character's ability score. Then roll percentage (dOo, d I 00 or two 10-sided dice, to ge t a number from I to 100). Record each fractional ability on your scratch paper next to the appropriate ability like this: xx/yy whe re "xx" is the result of the 3d6 and "yy" is the result of the dO,<:.. For example, let's say your 3d6 roll for Strength is II and you just rolled a fractional ability (d%) of 61 . Your Strength should now read I 1/61. Repeat this step for the first seven abilities in order (St re ngt h, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Looks and Charisma). For purposes of play, Ihe ability score is considered the lowest integer associated with the ability. For exa mple, a ga mbl er with 3/54 Strength would still be considered to have 3 Strength. :'-I"ote that it is possible to have a fractional ability of ! 00, such as a cowboy with 9/ I 00 Dexte rit),. When a fract ional ability score goes over 100, the base scorc is raised by one and the 100 is discarded (th e cowboy would now have I % I Strength).

You can't sacrifice points from twO different abilities - i.e. you couldn't take I point orr your Strength and I point orr you r Wisdom. All points must come off the sa me ability.
1fjST

"S.Ir Only whole integers arc adjusted. You can' t adjust Fractional Ability scores during this ste p. A Strength of 14/48 raised one point would result In a 15/48 Strength.

9r Looks may nOt be raised or lowered.

Adjustment Option II - Generating Extra

Building Points: This option allows you to sacrifi ce points from an ability score in order to generate extra Building Points (see the Priors and Particulars section for more on BPs). You'll receive a certain amOunt of

2'

Building Points later in the cha racter creation process. BPs are used to purchase such things as skills, talents, starti ng money, give you rerolls on ccrtain tables and ma ke improvcments to your character. Fo r eve ry point you sacrifice from one ability, you generate 7 Building Points that are recorded and later added to your starting quot a of Building Points. As with Option I , you can't sac rifice points from an a bility if it would result in that ability being lower than 1. ~ote that each option is a separate process. For example, dropping an ability score 2 points results in gene rating 14 Building Points OR 1 a bility point (which could be appl ied to another ability score curren tly at 10 or below). It 's one or the other - not b o th ! Adju stmen t Op t i on Buildin g Points :
III

add a 14/22 ability as 14.22), divide the total by scven and round to the neareSt integer. Now add a ny Reputation :'v[odificr provided by your Charisma and Looks. Next, add any modifiers from your character's background tables (if you chose to use these), This gives you your starting Re putation score. Kow you ca n consul t Table 3.1-8: Replltat/oll to see your additional Building Points. Again, reme mber that you can only use your staning BPs to help adjust your ability scores. BPs gained from Reputation cannot be used to funher adjust your ability scores. When a cha racter loses Reputat ion such that his score becomes negative , it is called Notoriety, ~otorietr has sim ilar categories as Reputation but See Chapter offers none of the same be nefits. 1.21 Replltation & Faille for marc information on
~ otoricty.

Spend

Startin g

T his option allows you to spend some of your starting Building Points in order to raise fractional ability scores . T he cOSt is one BP per fi\'e fractional ability points for the first 100 fractional points purchased for that ability. Thereafter, the benefit for further purchases in that ability begins to decrease as shown in Table 3.1 -10: Spend Startillg Bllildillg Poillts.

Calculating Slar!ing Rlm'

Your character's Fame begins at zero, plus any modifie rs from Table 3.1-6: woks. Fame might be furthcr modified by the background tables in Priors and Particulars, below. If this would bring your character's final Fame score to less than zero, round up to preciselY zero a character cannot ha\'e a Fame less than zero),

TABLE 3 .110: SPEND START INGBUILDING POINTS

~ PoinISJncrc~sed

up to l00'1i ........ ... ,.+5% per 1 BP 101 to 200% .. ..+4% per 1 BP 201 to 300'1t .. . ... .+~It per 1 BP 301to 400% .. ... .. .. .. ...+2% per 1 BP 4010/-+ '" .. +1 % per 1 BP

* PRIORS AND PARTICULARS *

Your character's ability sco res gi\'e you some basic insight into his raw ta lents, but it's only a skeleton of the character. By now you should be ready to put some fle sh on those bones and find Out mo re about you r character, The following tables determine such things as your cha racter's staning age, social class, ci rcumstances of birth, and so on . You and the ot her players may make use of this information during the course of your character's caree r to furt her detail his background. Of course, this won't happen overnight - it'll come to you slowly, over the course of many game sessions. You'll find that playing your character suggests background details that you might nOt have thought of otherwise,

For example, if SlIe "Ha/chet" 1ViLwn has a Dexterity of 12/86,)'OU call spend 3 BPs and increase ller Dex by 15fractiona! poillts to 13/01. If ),011 spelld allother 17 BPs (for a tolal rif 20), her Dex is now 13/86. Sillct)'Ol/'ve 1I0W pl/rchased 100 fractional poillts for Dexterity, to Improve her Dex fllrtlur will cost olle 8 ;>for evuy 4 fractional poillis so 4 more BPs will afford a Dex of 14/02 ( I BPs at +4% per BP is +16%).
Remember, you ca n only use your starting BPs to help adjust your ability scores. BPs gained later (from quirks and flaws, Reputation , elc,) canna I be used to adjusl ability scores.

Calculaling Slarling Repulalion

Calcu late your character's starting Reputation by averaging the prcvious scvcn abil itics. Add all scvcn abilities (Str, Int, Wis, Dcx, Can, Lks and Cha) tOgether (including fractional points as decimal places, e.g.,

For example, let's say that sheriff Andrew Lewisjinds himself cui qJf from his posse ill hostile territory wilh a savage grollp rif Apaches hOllnding his every footstep. He's low 011 hit poillts, and his sitllatioll isn't lookillg too good. At this POillt, his pla)'er might recollect that he's got a sister who's interested in saving the souls rif Ihese "poor heathms, ., as she calls them. SI/e headed Ollt inlo the Shattered FrOlltier )'ears ago and lIever relurned home (that's asJar as Ihe pla),erfleshed out the details),

25

Choose P lace of

Roll
S!arling Ago

Origin or Roll on Table 3.1.11 (p. 26)

y"

Ron H andcdncss (p. 27)

"'

2~
Spen4 1 8.P'

Sptnd I 8.P'

Roll
Heigh!

Roll
Weigh!

y"

Determine
So<; ial

0."

Roll Starting
Money

"'

2~

(p. 28)
Spend I B .P.

(p.29)

Spend I B .P.
",m

a..pcu6.5

No

Dc.:ide "l.y Chlr.1.Cler

Proceed to Quirks, Flaws , Skills and Talents (p. 30)

has tn'-ckd \X'est or

Ron on Table 3.1.17

"'

2~
backgroulld is now revealed. O J course, this could flOve an uno.pecled twist, such as Andrew arriving at Ihe mission only to find it a bumed oul ruill, wilh the weathiTed bOlles rif some poor soul (his sister?) lyillg in what used to be lhe cour!yard, or some other laliT twist Ihal makes the characlif's life more intereslillg.

At this point, a diver pla;er migltt suggtst to Ihe GamiiIJosler Ihal Itis devoted sister actually set up a mission in this very "hoslile ternlory" in the middle rif which hi now finds himself strandid. He informs lhe GAl that his sister wrote Itim a letter witlt all tile details whin he was )"Ounger, alld lhal Alldrew is carejidly making his u:ay to the missioll to seek refuge. Now, tlte GM mighl (or might not) accept that suggtstion. Still, it's worlh a shot. .I/ost GJ ls welcomi Ihe opportullif)'fo r a plo]er to expand llis backgroulld in SUell a creatiVl mallller. If the GM bzrys this suggtstioll, then another bit rif Ihe charae/iTS

Place of Origin
\\"ant to know where your character came from? You can simply choose your place of origin or roll randomly on TahIR 3.1-11: Place if Origin/Birth.

T ABLE 3.1-11: PLAC E OF ORIGIN / BIRTH

Birthphce 0110 . .. .. ... ... Outside No rt h Americl (sec sububle) lJJZ ... .. ... .. .Mexico (indigenous) 13-19 . .......... Mexico 20 Z1 .. ... ..... .Tens ( L ouisiln~n DiSlfitl) 22Z8 ... ..... .Teus (Gulf Cout) 29 ... ... .. ... .West Tens 3031 .. ... .. ... .5equopb 32-3'1 ... ..... .lndi ~ n (illdigenous) 3536 ......... Deserel 3739 ... ... ....Cll1~dl (Anglophone) '10'11 .. ..... ... .CllUdl (Q~ebewis) ' 4Z 47 ... ... .... USA: New Eng Iud (ME. NH. VT. MA. CT, RI) 48-56 . .. . . . .. . .USA: E~ SI (NY, PA. NJ. KN) 5763 ... .. ... .. USA: Cellini (OH. IN, IL. WI, MI) 6'1-69. .. ..... . . USA: South (KY, MO ) 707'1 .. . USA: West (MN. lA, territories) 7580 ... .. ... . .CSA: Nortbeu! (DE. MD, Columbi~ Count y (formerly DC)) 8187 . . ... . . . ..CSA: Athntic Selboud COld Soutb ~: VA. Cuolius. CAl 8891 .. ... . . . .. CSA: Southml (FL. CUbl) 92-99 .. ... .. . .. CSA: West (MS, AL. TN) 100 .... ....... . Frellch Orlel ns
Roll (dIOO )

O UTSID B NORTH AM B RICA SUBT ABLB

Roll (d20) Birthphce 0102 .... . ... Enghnd OJ. . .. ..... . . .Scotilnd 0'110 .. . . . . .... .lrehlld 1112 .. .. . .... .Chinl 1318 . . .. ..... .Germ ~ ny 1920 .. .. ... . .. St1ndin~vi~ 'Europ~a"s, M r",i(ans and Qutbttois are projicient in thdr nat;1Je fMgue. Tluy musl purrhasr (he Language (English) skill if Ihty wanl 10 (ommunirale with the Eng/ish-sJuding majority. British, S,oltish and Irish immigrants are naturally an e",uption. Charartas hajJing /rom Fre",h Or/rans are former Louisianans dissatisjird with French administration. They art all English speakm . ... German rharartrrs may a/ternati1Jrly ,hoost to have tmigralrd from Auurja, Switurland or other German sprding regions of untral Europ .

..

...

..

..

26

TABLE 3.1-12: AGING EFFECTS

Agc Middling (30 yeus) . .

35
'10 . . . .

Weight" . . . .+2 Bod y Mm Index Modifier ...... ... +1 Booy Mm Inde x Modifier . . .. .+1 Body Mm Index Modj(jer... . .... . .

Abilities
.po c h ~ pgc . .po ( hi Dge

. .DO elu pge

O ld Timet (45 reus) . .... .... .+Z Body Mm Modifi er . ....... . ..... . .. .... ,-' SIr/ Con: +1 Wis (no Spted bon us ); +1101: Geezer (60 yem) .. . . . ..+1 Body Mm Modifiu . . . ..... . .-2 Slr! Dex: -I Con: +1 Wis (no Speed bonus): +1101:
If us ing opliouJ Body l\hss Indo: 10 determ ine weight (see the H eighl l Dd We ight section)

Age
i\'iost characters start play between 15 and 26 years of age. Calculate your character's base age as 14+ldI2. If you roll a 12, apply penetration (add anothe r 0-11 (d 12- t) and continue to do so as long as you roll 125 on the die). If you don't like the result, you may pu rchase a re-roll for a cost of I BP. You may purchase as many re-rolls as you like, as long as you have BPs remaining. Alternatively, you may choose the age you prefer by expending 5 BPs. So if you really want to playa geezer, you can just spend the S BPs.

Roll on Table 3.1 - /3: Handedness to determine which hand your characte r favors. If you don't like the result, you may purchase a re-roll on this table for a COSt of I BP or choose your handedness for a COSt of 5 BP. You may purchase as many re-rolls as you like, as long as you have BPs remaining.

TABLE 3.1-13: IIANDEDNESS

Roll (d[OO) 0190
9 [9') .. .
H ~ ndtdnt SS

...... .. ... .. .. Right ..... .Ldt

100 .. . .... .. .. . ....Ambide xTrousAmJJjd~"tTOUl

As a characte r ages, his ability scores are directly affected . After all, life on the frontier isn't easy, and the hard life takes its toll on all men and women. Upon reaching 45 years of age, the character loses I point of Strength and I point of Constitution, but he ga ins I point each for his Intelligence and Wisdom. Upon reaching 60 years, he loses 2 more points of Strength, 2 points of Dexterity, and I more point of Constitution, but he gains I point of Intelligence and Wisdom. Even if an improved Wisdom score due to age would norma]!y improve his Speed, ignore this effect. He also gains a little more weight as he ages. All aging adjustments are cumulative. See Table 3.112: Aging Effects for a summary of those eITects.

rharo""f suffir a

~1

tINy often MI;tat. for ajTaaion 0/(1 strand.

(hoesing 'U'h;ch hand to WI.

Spud pmafty.jor aJ though

Heigh t and Weight

To determine the height of your charactel; simply roll randomly on Table 3.1-/-/: C/wracler Hright. If you don't like the result, you may purchase a re-roll on this ou may purchase as many retable ror a cost of I BP. Y rolls as you like , as long as you have BPs remaining.

TABLE 3.1-14: CHARACTER IIEIGIIT

Roll (d\OO) Fem ~ le Height (in ) M11e H eight (iD) . ....60[d[2 . ... . . .....6S-[dI2 OJ .. .. .58 ...... . ........ .. .63 0203 . 0405 . . ... . .59 ..64 ........ . . ..65 0612. . .. . .... . ...60 13-20 .. . ..61 .....66 2]29 ...67 .62 30'11 .. . .63 ... .. . .. ..... 68 . ....69 4261.. . .. .6'1 .. . .70 62-75. .. ... .. ......65 76-85 . .. ... .. .. .66 ... .71 ...... .. ... .72 8691 ......67 9296 ...... .... . ... .68 .. . .73 97-98 ....69 ..... .74 99 .. .70 . ... .7S ()() ..67 + [dlZ . ..... .. . . . .72 + [dll

Handedness
Knowing whether your character is left-handed, right-handed , or ambidextrous is important in formation in many situations .

Por example, let's say Texas Pete is lift-handed. if he gels a bllilet or a knife throllgh it. thai hand's g01/1W be IIseless for a while (maybe forever) . He's going 10 have to start usmg his right hand inslead, giving him a -4 Accuracy penalty alld a +2 Speed penal!)! for firillg with the off-hand.
Likewise, a right-handed pickpocket or locksmith would find it harder to operate (-20'% to related skill checks) without the usc of his main hand. Through time ( ld6 months), a charactcr forced to usc his non favored hand for tools or weapons can overcome these penalties.

Finding your character's weight is equally simple. Using Table 3.1-15: Character JIIeigM, locale your height range grouping and sex. T he chart lists a base weight

27

BO DY MASS INDEX
An alternative method of determining your character's weight is slightly more complicated. E rst, roll your character's Body ~bss Index on the Body ~Iass Index table. Next, multipl y this result by your height in inches squared, and divide by 1000. You now have your character's weight. For example, Sally J o, a female, rolls on the Body ~bss Index table for a result of 13, giving her a Body l\lass Inde x of 31. Sally stands 64 inches lall, and multiplying 31 x 4,096 (64 x 64=4,096) gives a result of 126,976. Dividing 126,976 by 1,000 results in 126.975, or 127 pounds.
Lei'S try another example JUSt so you've got the hang of it. Te xas Pete rolls a 20 on the Body l\ lass Index table, for a modifier of 37 + d12. H e rolls a 3 on his d12. This gives him a Body l\lass Total of 40 (37 + 3=40). Texas Pete stands 72 inches tall, and multiplying 40 x 5,184 (72 x 72 = 5,184) gives a result of 207,360. Dividing 207,360 by 1,000 results in 207.360, o r 207 pounds.

BODY MASS INDEX TABLE

Roll (d20)
Fem~le M~Je

01 .......... . .. 28 - Id6 .............30 - Id6 02 .................2] .. 29 0),04 . . .......... 28 ...30 OS-OS. . ... . . ... 29 .31 09\1 ..30 . .32
!H3 ..... . ......31.. . ..33
. . .. .....34

H ..
16 17 18 19 10 .. .

. .... .32

[S .................33

... .. .35

.... .34 ......36 .. .35 . ..... .37 .......36 ..............38 . . .3] .. .. ..........39 . .....35 + Idl1 ............37 + Idl1

If you don't like the results, you can spend I BP to purchase are-roll. You may purchase as many re-rolls as you like, as long as you have BPs to spend. You may alternatively choose you r starting BM! (from the possible range of 24 to 49) by spending 5 BI'.

:\Iust be all thai booze, plus the fact that he ain't as lively as he used to be. When Pete turns 35 years of age, his Body l\-lass Total of 42 becomes 43, and after recalculating his weight, it appears he now weighs in at 223 pounds (a gain of 16 pounds over his career. Then, at the ripe old age of 40, Pete's Body Mass Total of 43 becomes a 44. Again recalculating his weigh t, we see Ihal he now weighs 228 pounds. Pete has gained another 5 pounds.

Note that a character's weight also tends to increase slightly with age. When a character reaches 30 years of age, add an additional +2 Body :\Iass Modifier to his previous Body :\Iass TotaL For example, when Texas Pete reaches 30 years of age, his previous Body ;<..Iass Total of 40 increases to 42. l\lultiplying 42 x 5,184 (72 x 72 = 5,184) gives a result of 217,728. Dividing this by 1,000 results in 217 .728, or 217 pounds. Pete has gained 10 pounds since he started his career as a player character.

and a number of dice to roll to determine your actual weight. You may spend I BP and re-rolJ if you are not satisfied wit h the result. You may purchase as many re rolls as you desire, as long as you have BPs remaining.

STARTING MONEY
All player cha racte rs start with some amount of cash. This nest egg may be your pistOlcer's life savi ngs, a gift from his upper-crust parents, or it might be a bag of gold eagles looted from an unwary cowpoke. H ow he came by this money is nOt necessarily important , but you ought to invent some stOry that fits into your background, just in case. You'll probably spend most of this cash on equ ipment, but be sure to save some for accommodations. You don't want your character to blow all his money on that sweet new saddle and then find he's got no money for a hotel room . To fi gure out your character's starting money, roll a dlOOapply the modifiers from his social class background if you opted to determine those details) and consult Table 3.1 -16: Character Starlillg MOlley. This is the amount in dollars that the character has to obtain equipment and save for whatever else he needs on down the trail.

TABLE 3.1-15: CIIA RACTER W EIGilT

Heigbl
Fem~Je

Weigbt (Ib)

60" or less ......... .105 + ~d~ .. 61- - 64" . . . . .. .110 + Sd~ ..

65' - 68" .......... .121 + 5d6 69- - ]2" .. . . .. .\28 + 4d8 . 73" - 76" . .I~O + ~dlO 77- or more ... . .1SO + ~dlO

~'hle Wei gbl (Ib) . ... .109 + 4d6 . .... .120 + Sd6 ...... .135 + Sd8

. ...1.50 + ~d11
........ .170

+ Sdl2

. . . .185 + Sdl2

FAMILY & SOCIAL C LASS

Determining Ihe detail s of your cha racter's family and social class is of great interest to some, wh ile hardly a conce rn to others. T he latter a rgue that familial obligations and the strictu res of a rigid social order are principal reasons behind th eir decision to migrate west. The se reasons notwithstanding, such information can come intO play during the course of a campaign. Reference Chapter 6.5 1Detailed Character Backgroullds to determine these facts about any player character.

REASONS TO GO WEST
Why did your characte r come to the Shattered Frontier? Some of the most obvious reasons to head west include exploration, fortun e, land, a fresh start and a new identity. O thers may be somewhat less obvious - a character with poor health may have come west to escape the damp and humid air of his home,

28

TABLE 1.1-16: CHARACTER STARTING MONEY

Roll (diDO)
<0105 06-10

SUrtjog CHh....{l)
.HCfcdituy Dcbt .Busted/ Flu Broke

roll randomly on this table as well. You do not need to spend a BP to reroll on this particu la r table. You may also want to tic this decision in with your character's ability scores. For example, if your char acter has a low Constitution, you may decide he came west for health reasons. Likewise, a character with a high Charisma may be seeking poli tical office, or one with a high Strength may have been working on the railroads.

IJ.!5
1620

... .5
. .5+ld-'l

2125 ..... .10 26-30 ... .I0+ld4 31 -35.. . ....... .15 3640 .......... [5+ld6 41-45 . . . . . . . . . ..... 20 46-50 ..... 20+ld6 51-55 .................. 25 56-60 ... 25+ld6 61-65 ..30 6670 ... 30+1d8 7].75. . ......35 7680 ..... 35+ld8 8185 ......... AD 8690 ... 40+ld8 9195 ................ .45 96100 . .45+ldlO IOJ-IOS ............ .50 106110 ......5O+ldIO ltJ-llS .... 60+2dlO 116+ ... .70+3dlO
'Cb#r4<ftr is obfil4ud I. rl"'y h;s p4rt~ts d,bl w;lh;~ dll lam' m<nlhs. R,,.." thi' lorbl. 'lnd m"'liply tIK ,..,,,11 by 10 to d.t ..",in, Ih' "",O"nt __ d. GM duid" to w ham Ih' d.b! is """d "nd th. pmaltil' for d.fa"lting """,.nt.

TABLE 3.1-17: REASONS TO GO WEST

Roll (dlOO)
0102

RmollS

"n

"n

while a strongly religious character may want to save the souls of the heathens, or an emigrant from Europe may desi re to escape agricultural ha rdships, economic crises, politica l and religious discontent, or c\'c n population pressure. Ideally, you defin e your own reasons for heading into the Shattered Frontier. Some sa mple ideas are prese nted on Table 3. / -/7: Reasons To Go I+'esl. However, if you reall y need some inspiration (o r you a re a GameMaster creating a non player characte r), you can

.. Avoiding f,,,ory wOlk 0304. . .Open 1 bordel lo 0508 . .Open 1 sdoon 0916 ..Open I business 17-19 .Flee i plegDiOCY 2023 .. . .Build i IiDch 24-27 .. .Build i fum 28-30 ........JouloiliSl seekiog Slories 3132 .... Fleeing depressed economy 33-35 ........ Writer seekiog new topics 3637 ........ Arti st seekiog oew subjecTS to p,iot/sketch 3839.. .Flteing HliDged mil rilge 4043. . .. .Disowned by flmily 4447. .Freedom from strict fOimil y Sl/Utlurc 48-49 ...... Min ing co,l for llilrOlds 50-51 .... Fleeing miljUTy co nscriptioo 5253 . . .Bui ldillg "i lr olds 5459. . .scck iog hod ownnshjp 60-63 .Brought with hmi ly 6465 ....... T lioSerrcd to weSiern regimeot 6668 .... M iliu ry deserter 6970 ........ See kiog drin d imue for hnlth TClSOOS 7172 .S.viog the souls of Ihe huhens 73-77 .. .Fleeing crimioOi I proseculion 7887 ........ Lure of ldvcnture .Cold fe ver 8896 9798.. .Freedom from ncill persecutioo ... Freedom from religious perseculioo 99-100

29

* QUIRKS AND FLAWS *

Quirks and flaws represent those aspects of your character that make him a true individual - those little imperfections and unique traits that make us all human. Characters with quirks and flaws become more rcal, as we can all relate to people who arc different. Besides, learning to deal with challenges along the path to adventure gives role playing its true Oavor. Quirks arc mental in nature, and include habits, prej udices, and so on. These quirks affect how a character behaves in c\"cryday life and how he interacts with others in social situAtions. T hey make him \\"ho he is and often represent innate behaviors he-eannot COntrol.
~

TABLE 3.1-19: IlUlRB:S &. FLAWS

RoJJ (dIDO) I.l.ble 0107 ... .Roll on T~ble 3.119: Comh u Qu irks 0818. .Roll on T~bk 3.1-19: Eco nom ic Quirks 1927 ........ Roll 0 0 T~ble 3.119: Extrovemd Qu irk s 2838.. . .. Roll 00 T~ble 3.1-1 9: H ~bilud Q uir ks 39'17.. . . .Roll on T~hle 3.1-19: Hygie nic Quirks '1S56 ... Roll on Tlhle 3.1-19: Intro ve rled Quirks 5765. .Roll 00 T~ hJe 3.1-19: McotJl Quirks 6673 ... Roll 00 T ~b lc 3.119: ReS! ~od RehutioD Qu ir ks 7'1-8'1. . ... Ro ll on T.l.bJe 3.1-19: Soei~1 Quirks 8598. .Roll on T ~b Je 3.120: Commol! Fhws 99 .. Roll on T ~b Je 3.1 20: Rue FJlws 100 ........ Roll twice on T~b k 3.1-18: Q ui. ks Iud Fllws

Flaws, on the other hand, arc physical in nature. Some examples of flaws arc poor eyesight , facial sca rs, and even missing limbs. They rep resent hardships that need to be overcome and/or compensated for, in order for the character 10 function among people who do not have that same Oaw.
EARNIN~

Cherry Piclring
With this option, you can choose which quirks and Oaws you want. Unlike rolling randomly, howe\'er, you don't earn as many Building Points. Choosing your first specific quirk or Oaw only provides BPs wonh half the listed valuc. Choosing additional quirks or flaws also drops the BP \'a lue by half, as well as an additionalS BP pe nalty.

BP FOR QUIRKS AND FLAWS

You gain extra Building Points for your charaCters by ta king quirks and/or Oaws. You ca n choose "cherry pick") which ones you want, or roll for them random ly. Unless specified elsewhere in the rule s, the o nly time a characte r takes on quirks and/or Oaws for BPs is during the initial creation process. There may be other instances in the game wh en the character receives an additional quirk or flaw (s uch as if he loses an arm), but these don't allow tbe character to gain the bene fi t of the BPs associated with the co ndition.

For fxamplf. Hank Stram choosfS Deathwish for his first qui,k. DeathlL'ish is 1I0rmal!;' u:orlh 20 BP, bul Hank receives on!;' 10 BPs (20xO.5=10). _ \ 'ou'. let's say Ihal Hank chooses w::,), for his suolld quirk. w{Y is normally worlh 15 BPs, but hf loses half (15xO.5=i. rounded down) because III is cherry picking, alld thm he suffers a -5 BP pmalty (7-5=2) because it is his second chosen quirk). So, he receives Ollty 2 BPs for choosing the w{Y quirk.

Dedine

~i_~Q~Q~";i';k~'~&;R~';"~';}__~:::::::____~:;:::::__~1
Cherry Pick (p. 30)
Roll Randoml y on

& Flaws and Record add BPQuirks gained

to total

Choose
Skills (p.33--34)

Table 3. 1-18 (p. 30)

Record final H it Point [Otal modified by Con and/or

Roll Base
Hit Points 20+1d4
",1~

Flaws & Talents

Record Talents. Subtract BPs spent

Choose Talents
(p.38)

Rttord Skills and Mastery Level (p. 36) Subtract BP spent

Record Base Speed

and Base Accuracy (p. 17)
&juip Your Charncter ( Chap'" 5.) I Goods & S mittS )

30

TABLE 3.1-19: ClUIRIIS

RoIL(dlO.O ) Quirks. Cambi! Be 01-20 ........ Chupkcd . .. . .............. 20 2Ho.. ,.De,thwish ......... . .. 20 4]60. ....... Doppdg~nl!cr ................. 50 61-80. ....... Holhc,d .. .40. 81-100. ...... ,Yellow Belly ... '10

R<>lL JQQ)

RolL(.dlOO)
01-1 3
1426 2739

Quirks. Ec. ollomic .. Chc'pskuc ...

... Dude/D.ody ..

BP
,. ,40.
. . .10. .... 5

... Glutton

40-S1 ........ Greedy ............... . .IS 5263 ... lndi.n Giver .................. 20 61-76 ....... PHk Ru ... 20 ]]88 ....... Soh Touch.. . ..30 8910.0. ... SpendThrift .......60.
801L(.dlUO) Quirks. Extr.o.l'.cned BP 0116 ... Dehorn .. .... .. . . ...... 25 1732 ..... Fbnnd MOUTh ................ 20 3348 ....... HighSpirited .10 4964 ..... 1I.hdicine Tongue. . . .10 65-80 ..... Nos y ... 10 81-100 .. Obnoxious ... . .20

Qw.ks...soci.u BP ..... 40 0106 .B.d Lin 0711 ..... Boiled Shirl ...... 10 1216. .Buck Nun/Nun .20 17-22 . .Chiv. lrous .......... .. .20 2327 .Clingy .20 ....... ..... .. 20 28-33 .......Crude . 040 34-38 .F.nn;c 39-43 .Fourflusher ... Z5 44-48 ....... H.yseed .. .20 .............. 40 4953 .Jingoisl ... 30 54-58 .Lynch L.wmu . .. .15 5963 .N'ggiDg Conscience .. ....... 20 64-68 ....... Needy 69-71 .Prejudiced Townds Nnion1iily .40 .... Prc judic~d Tow1fds Profession .. 20 72-74 ..... R"isT ............ 40 75-79 8085 ... Selfish .25 8690 ..... Sluighl Shooter .............. 40 9195. .Th ic k Accenl ... .10 96-100 .TinhOfn .20

RolL(.dH10)

Quirks. Hlbitu.l

BP

TABLE 3.1- 20: FLAWS

RoIL(.dIOO) fh lV'. Common BP 0103 ... AcorD C.lf . . ... 35 0406 ....... Anim.1 Antipuhy . . ...... nri.bk 07-09 ....... Bufhlo Muge .15 \013 ... . .... Bushed ... . . ...........25 ........ .5 1419 ........ Colorblind ..... ConsumpTive ....60 2022 .......25 2326 ..... F"i.! Sc" ..... ... .. . .20 2734 ....... Fn sighted 35-37 ..... Cbss J.w ..... 20 38-39 ..... H.m-Fisted .......... . . .. 20 4043 .. .. .. . Hud of HeHing .15 ..... .10 44-47 ... Impotent ..... 20 4850 ....... Lisp .. 5154 ........ Low P.io Tolef1lioo. ...... 35 55-57 ... Miguines .... .15 ... vui. ble 5862 ..... Missing Digit 63-67 ... Missiog Eu ..... 20 . .......... 45 6870 ..... Missing Eye. 7175 ... Missing Limb ........ . ... vni.blc 7683 ... Nmsighted ..... 25 8486 .Ncryous Tic ..... 25 8790 ... SJcepw. lkcr ... 20 9193 ... STone De.f ... .30/60 9497 ....... Smoge Body Odo............ 20 98100 .Trick Knee ... .30 RoJJ (diO.O.) Fb'lts. Rue BP . .... 15 OI\J .. .Albioo .040 1426 .Blind in Doc Eye 27-38 .Dumb .. .. .... 50 39-50 ....... Epileptic ........ . .040 5162.. .No Depth Perception ..........35 .......90 6374 .Plumb Blind 7587 .Severely l\1.imed ... 88100 .Sterile . . . . .. . ............. 5

0.1 13 ........ Boor .. .10 1'125 ..... Euly Riser ..... . . .... 5 2637 .. .iotrus;Yc ... 10 38-52 ... l ue Sleeper ..... . ... 15 53-64 ..... LHy ........... 20 6576 ....... Pider .. .. . ..... ... .. . .. 10 77-88 ...... .s,rud~r ............... . .. 10 89100 ....... T . lk~r .... . . .... 20
RoIl(.dlO.O .) Qu.irk.s. H~gicni( OHO ... Clun Fmk 41-60 ....... H.les Buhing/ Crooming 61-100 ... Messy ............... . Ro.U (dlOO) 0120 2HO 41-60 61 80 81100

B P
.. ... 25 ... 20 ... 10

Qui[k.s..la.tLO.l'.eocd Sf ... Ambiv.lenl ............... .... 15 ... DlUnsy .. . ... .10 ... Hnduse ... ....... 5 ... Ornery .. . ......... 25 ... Touchy ..... 25

Roll (dIOO) Quirb.J',teJlu] Sf 01 08. . .. AbsenT-minded ........... 20 09-14 ...... An;m.l Pbobi. . .30/60 15-21 ... S.dm.n ... 25 2229 ...Cbuslrophohic ............. 25 3036 ...Conspimy Thori$! ........... 10 37-46 ... Feu of Heights ............... \5 4754 ... Gullible ......... . ...30 55-60 ... Loco ... AD 6166 ... Obsusive-Compulsive .........35 6776 ....... Pmnoid ... . ........... 25 7782 ....... SborTTerm Memory Loss ...... 20 8389 ..... .slul!~r ...... . .......... 20 90-100 ...... SuperstiTious ................. 15

Roll ('!QU)
01 20 21-40 41-70 7\\00

QuiIk.s.JkSJ 6 RchutioD

B P
....30

... AbstinenT ... Addict ... Chisder ... Lusty

... 040
.............30 .. .20

31

Random QU i rks and Flaws

When determining quirks and flaws by chance, you have vc ry little control o\'cr what quirks or flaws you receIve you must roll randomly on the quirk and flaw tables in this section (stan with Tablt 3.1-/8: OJtirks alld Flows). The one protection you do have is that )'OU may spend any of your existing BPs to fe -roll on any of the tables in this chapter. Spending 5 BPs allows you one re-roll, ignoring the previous result. You can do this as long as you have BPs \0 spend , afte r which you have to live by the results of your rolls. The upside of randomly determining quirks and flaws is that you can earn significantly more BPs than you earn with che rry picking. Each quirk and flaw and its BP bonus follows on Tables 3.1-19: Quirks and 3./-20: Flaws, with full details located in Chapler 6.21 Quirk and Flaw Df5criptiol/J. Th e BPs earned by ro!ling randomly arc gi\'cn in thc table. H owe\'er, lhc listed values are only for the fi rst quirk or flaw taken. Reduce the \'alue of each subsequen1 quirk or flaw rolled by an additional 5 BP.

array of uses and include such things as Gambling, Riding, Rope Usc, Tracking, and so forth. They can be especially valuable for survival, earning a living and helping a panner in need. In lois senion, we'll discuss how to acquire, improve and usc skills. A list of skill s is provided on Table 3.121: SJ:ill List, with ,heir specifics found in Chapter 6.31

Skill Descriptions.

SKILL BASICS
All skills use some basic principles that rcquire a little explanation. These are funher defined in the following text. Each ca n also be found as a column on the skill summary table, and is defined a~ follows:

-ar BP eost: This column reflects the amoulll of Building Points a player musl spend to have his cha racter train in a particular skill.
:T R el evant Abili ty Scor e: This column indicates the abilities associaled with that skill. You need to know your relevant abililY ~co re when you determine yOllr skill mastc ry. The abilities arC li sled in lhe ta ble and in the skill description. but the ahilil)' score varies from character to character.

For examplt, flank Stram randomly rolls the Dealhwish quirk and rereil'ts 20 BPs. Now. let's Sq)' that flank rolls the La;:,y quirk. This quirk is normally worth 15, but Hank SlYJers a -5 BP penalty because this is his suond quirk, so he only gets 10 BPs (15-5= 10). Now, lei's say thai Hank mllsJor a third lime and gels the Facial Scar Jlaw. Facial Scar is normally worlh 25 BPs, bllt Hank (m(y reuh'es 15 BPs (25-55=15, because thIS is Hank's Ihird quirk/Jlaw). Finallj; let's say thaI Hank lhell rolls Jor a fourth time GIld gets tlu Latt Sleeper quirk. Late Sleeper is /lsually worth 10 BPs, bUI Itt receives (l - 15 penalty (10-5-5-5=-5, or zero) as this is his 4t11 quirkljlaw. Ha nk gill ;:.ero BPs for the Late Slltper quirk. If he decides to push his hICk and roll pt ago ill, Itis I/ o:l qllirk or flaw rolled suffers (l lotal pt1lally cif -20 BPs, and so on.
When figuring this penalty for subscqucn1 quirks or flaws, do not count quirks or flaws forced upon a player (such as those from Abusive or IndifTerent parents, in Priors and Paniculars ). Finally, each player muSI create a ba ckstory for aU quirks and flaws. If a pl ayer fails to do so, his characler receives only .50% of the BPs earned (rounded down) for each quirk and/or flaw without a backstory.

For (xa mple, tlte relevant ability for . lgrtc/lltIl.Tl is Wisdom. Halik Itas a Wisdom qf 16, so tltat's Itis Tllevalll ability score for AgrirultllTl'.. Jim, OIllht otlter halld. Itas a !Visdom if 8, so Ihat's Jlm:~ rt/el'alll ability store for Ihal skill.
Some ~ kills have sc\'cral reicvan1 abilities. For cxam~ plc, Bronc Busting Iis ls Strength, Wisdom and Charisma. Each is important to a character hoping 10 bust a bronc, bUl the characler is ha ndicapped by his lowest relevant ability.
Let ~f sqy Halik wanls to {earn Brollc /Justing. If Hank'J Strengtlt store is 11, Itis J jfisdom iJ '6, and his Charisma is 10, tlten his relevant abilityfcorl' for this skill is 10 (hIS lowest rdeVOIII ability).

ri1r Master y Di e : Thi s e ntry indicates the type of die the player ma)' roll when training to inc rease mastel)' of a skill. rT U ni ver s al : This column notes whether lite skill is common to cveryone. Universal skills are those skills that most folks have had some exposure to during their life or otherwise can try to use without any kind of formal training. If a skill is not a universal skill, characters do not even know where to begin and may not even try to use the skill until they receive some training for it.
r?J"" Pre requisite Skill: Note that some skills require prior learning of a " prerequ isile" skill. Prerequisites must ha\"c been purchased at least once beforc the character can learn a skill that requires the

* SKILLS *
Skills represent learned knowledge your cha racter acquired over the years. For a novice character, your skills probably reflect years of training, work or study. For experienced characlers learning new skills or honing existing ones, increasing a skill reprCSCIlIS on-thejob training, experience and study. Skills have a vaSl

32

TABLE 3.1-21: SRILL LIST

SkiU Nimc
AccouDtiog Administruio o Agriculture .. Aui ml l Empuhy Aoi mll H erdiog .. Aoimil H usblodry Aoi mll Lore

BP Cost ... 3

Rclenot Ability Score MutelY Die

........ INT.

lliiYCUl!

Prel(quis i1C SkiJ]

. ... ld8 ........ No .. ... M uhemHics 850/, or hemT

.. .s
...... 2 . .1

...... J NT! WIS!CHA.

. ..... W1S.

Id6

..... Yu .... ,........ Yes ..... -

. ....... ldlO .... WIS! CHA . .. ldtO .. ldlQ .1 . ... WIS .... ... WIS .......... .. ]dlQ .. 1 . .. 1 ........... INT .. _ .. ldlO Anim.!1 Mim icry ... 1 ... WIS ... . ld8 Anim.!1 Tuining ............ .10 .... .. ... .INT/ WIS .. ldlD Appniul ....... .. .... 1 ... .INT/ WIS. .ldS ... 1 .. ld6 Anistic Abi lit y .. DEX/ WIS. Bhcksmi fh ing/Mmlworkin g . .7 ..........STR/ INT . .ld8 B O~ l ing .... . .. 2 .. .... WIS .. . . ld8 Bookb inding ...... 1 . .. ldlO .DEX/ INT Botloy ... . ..... 1 ............ INT ... . .ld8 Brewiog .. . .. 1 .. . . .INT.. . ....... ldl2 Brooc Bustiog ............... 2 ..STR/ WIS/C HA. .. Id6 C~lIigflphy/Sigom.!kiog ... 1.. . ... DEX. . ....... IdID C~moufhge .. . .. 6.. .. ..... .WIS. IdID Cupeolry . . . ........ 2 ............. INT IdID Clrloguphy ... 1 ............ .INT.. . IdS Chemistry ..... ...... .. A .INT. . . ..ld6 Climbiog ..... 2 ... .5TR/ DEX. . IdS Cobbliog ... . ......... 1 .. .DEX ............ ldl2 Cooking .. .. .1 .. ....... WIS ... id !2 Culture . . .. . . .1 .. .. .INT..... .... Id!2 Curreot Af hirs ... 2 ............. WIS . . ld6 Deception . .4 . . . .lNT/ CHA .. . .ld6 Demolition ......... . ....... 6 . . . .... .INT.. .. . ..... Id1 Deot istry ..... ..5 . ........... .INT. ............ IdS Diplomley .A .INT/ CH A . . . .. IdS Disguise... . ......1. .INT/ CHA .. . .ld6 .ldS DiSlmlion ................ .1 ............ CHA. Dr iyiog. Sl.igccolch/WlgOO .. .3. . . .WIS. .ld20 Eogincering Design . . . . . . . .7 .. . .INT . .ld1 Enginceriog Locomotiyc/Stumbou ..J. ..... .INT ............ JdlO Esc.lpe An ist . .....8 .DEX/ INT .......... ld6 Fw T.llking ......... . .I .CHA..... . ... ld8 F ir c - Buildiog/ E~ting uish;og ... 1 . . .. WIS . ... . . ... ld6 Fishing ..................... 1 ....... WIS ............ JdlO Forgery . .10 .......... DEX/ INT ... . ... Id1 Forlune Telliog ..... .1 ..... CHA ......... IdS G.lmbliog ... . ..... .7 .WIS/ CHA ......... Id6 Glmiog ............ .1 .DEX/ INT. .. .. IdS Geology ... .. .. ... .. ~ .. ... .lNT . .... .. ld6 Gino loformnioo .2 .. .. .lNT / WIS/ CHA. .. ld8 GrlCcful EDlrlDce/Exil .1 .... CHA. ld6 Gunsmithiog . ..8 ..... ld6 .DEX/INT .. Hidi oS .... . .........3 ... . Id6 . DEX/ INT. HiSTOry .............. .I ... .lNT ldl2 HUDTiog . ..... .... . . . .. .s .. ..... DEX/ WIS .. Id6 Idle Gossip .......... .1 . ...C HA ............ Jdl2 Inlerroguio D .. . ..'.1 ... .STR/WIS .......... ld6 ]ntimiduioo ... ... .2 .CHA... . .ld4 Jewele r ..9 .. ... .INT. .... ..... Id6 Joke Telli ng .. ... .1 .CHA.. . .ld4

.. No .. ..No ..
... Yes .. .. No .... .
.... y es ... .
.. No .. No ..

.ADimd Em plthy ud AO;ffill l orc '19% or hemr

... y ts .. .. . .. No ... . ........ y es . .No ..... LCllhcT'II'Olkiog ,ud SClmslress/T,ilOT 85Y I or bemT ..... No .. No ..... ... Yes ..... Riding SO % or bener .. No ..... Rnding Comprchcnsioll/ Pellm.!lIship 9O' 1t or betlcr .. . .. Yes .. .. .Yes .. . Yes ..... Re~ding Comprehellsioo/ Penmuship 90% or beller ... No ..... Muhem.l lics S5% or beller .Yes ..... . .... No ..... Lulherworking 85'1. or bemr . .. Yes .... . .. . .. No ..... ... Yes. .Yes. .Yes ..... ... No ..... ... Yes . .. ... Yes. ... Yes. ........ Yes . .. ... . . .No ..... Mu heml lies 60% or belief

... No ..... Engineeriog Design 80"1. or bemr . .Yes ..... . .. Yes . .. .. .Yes . .Yes ..... . . . . . . Yes ..... ReJdiog CompreheosioniPeomloship 65% or beller .Yes ............. No .....' .Yes. . . .No ..... ........ Yes .... . .... Yes . ........ No .... . .... Yes. . .RCldiog Compreheosion/ Peom.loship SO% or bCller ... No .. .Yes. .Yes . . ... Yes .... . .Yes .. . ........ No ..... Appuiul (miocr.ls) 90% or betIC .Yes .. .

33

TABLE 3.1-21: SltlLL LIST (CONTINUED)

SkiJUSmtC BP CoS! Rclcv~D LAb.i J j l y_S,o MUJn)'-Dic U..n.i'i.c.ml l':.tcl.Cqujsilc5kill JQurJuJism /Co mposilioD ...... 2 ... .INT.. ld6 .No ..... ReldiDg Comprehensioo/Penmlnship 80% or better Juggling .. 2 .. OEX ..... id8 .... Yes .. . bDgU~gt .... ..5 . .I NT ... , ......... IdS .No .. . .No ..... R e~ding Comprehension/Penmlns!!ip 60% or better Ll'Il ... .. ... .. .6 ............. INT. . ... . .... Id6 Lcuhcr'l'orkiog . . . ... .! .... . .. DEX ! INT. IdS .No Limning ...............S ......... WIS ... .ld6 .Yes. Lock Pickiog ...8 .DEX/IN T . . . ... Id6 . Yes ..... ListeniDg 8S% or better (prercq for oombin.ltioo locks only) LocksmiThing ...... 4 .... DEX/INT. ,ld6 . ...... No Loggins .................... 3 ...... STR/INT ... , ...... ldZO .. No .. . Ml thioc Opcwiog/ Rcplirio8 .2 , .... INT .. ... IdS ..No .. . Muhcmuits .....6 ..... INT . ... IdS .No ..... Rndio g Comprehension/Penmlns!!ip 90'; ' or better Medici ne ... .. 10 . ... .DEX/INT .. ... .. . ld'! ..No .... . Miliury Eogioeering ., ....... 2 .. . . .INT. .Id'l ....... No ..... Engineering Design 80% or bener Mili,uy S,'ucgyITltlics .... .INT.... . ... ld6 .. No ..... . Millinery. ,.... . . .1 ........... .INT ............ IdlO .... No . .... Mimic Didect .. . . .1 ....... CHA . IdS ... Yes . Nursing .... .. ... .. . .3 .WIS .... IdS . .. No Observuion ................ 6. .WIS .... IdS ... Yes . OruiOD ........... .2 .INT/CHA. ..ldS ... Yes ... . Photognphy .......... .1 .. .. .INT .... . . ... IdS ....... No ... Chemistry 8S% or better Pick Poeket ..9 ...... OEX .... . ..ld6 . .... Yes. Pottery.. .I .......... OEX/ WIS .ldlO ..... No ..... Primitive R ~nged WnpoD Usc .4 .... OEX. . .. Idl2 ........ No Primitive We~pon Mlking ....6 ............ DEX ..... . ... Id8 ... No Prospecting ............ . .. 9. . ... WIS .... . .... ld6 ... Yes ..... Relding Comp.lPcnm~nshjp ... ~ ... .INT.. . . . .... ld6 ...... No Relding Lips.. ..7 ............ '!f\T .... ......... Idi ... Yes .... Recru iting ... ~ ...CHA ... ..ld8 .Yes Religion..... . ... .Yes . .INT ............ ldl2 .. Resist PersuuioD ............ 2 .. WIS .. .Yes .. ld8 Riding ..... .. ... . .... 3 ... OEX/ WIS .......... Id8 .Yes Rope Use.... ... ..2 ..DEX ............ ld8 .Yes Sdesmmhip... ..7 ...... .INT/W IS/ CHA ....... ld6 .Yes Se~mSlrc ss/T~i lor . .1 ..........OEX ............ ldl2 .No SeHching ... S ....... WIS .. 1d8 .Yes Seduction. Art of .Yes .J .. CHA/LKS .ld6 Sct T rIps ......... . . .. 10 ..... OEX IdS .No Skinning/TInning ......... 3 ... STR/WIS .......... IdS ........ Yes Sbughter .... .. .2 . ......... STR/ INT .. . .ldlO ....... Yes ..... Sleight of HInd ... 2 ........ DEX .. . ..ld6 .. Yes. Slick TIlker .. .. ... ... .4 . .. INT/CHA.. Id~ ........ No SOClking .. ........... 08 ... OEX .. . ... Yes . .ld6 Socill Etiquette ... .4 ..... C H A .. . ..No ..... .ld6 Sionemuonry ..... No ..... .. .2 ...... STR/ INT. . .. ldlO Surviu i ..... . . .7 . .CON/INT/W IS ....... ld6 .Yes . Swimming .. . ..... 1 ... ..... STR/CON . Idl2 ..... No .. Telegup!! Opcruing .... .4 .... .INT.. .ldS ..... No ..... Reldiog Comprehension/Penmillship 90% or bemr Trlckiog .. ..9. . .... WIS .Idi . .. Yes . Ventriloquism .........8 .. .INT ............. Idi ..... Yes .. Weil!!er Sense ..........3 .. WIS ............ Idi ... Yes .. . Wtivjog .... .I .......... OEX/ INT . . ... Id8 . ..... No .....-

.s..

. ....

.s .

prerequisite. Some skills also indicate that the charac ler must have a ce rt ai n mastery of the prerequisite skill. We'll discuss imprO\'ing skills later in this section.

Acquiring Skills with Bonus Building Poinis [Advanced Rule]

Fo r a more advanced game, apply the BP bonuses in a prorated r."tshioll. For cJo.:amplc, a skill that uses Intelligence alone reeeh'es the full BP bonus for high Intelligence. A skill Ihat uses both Intelligence and Dcxtcrit} as the releva nt ability scores receives only half the bonus; the bonus applies on a basis of onc BP per twO BPs spe nt. A skillthaillses three ability scores, 011(' of wh ich is IllIclligellce, recci\'es the bonu s only all a ba si~ of one BP per three BPs spent.

FOT f).ampl" Ranger Stram onfy nuds to hav, purchased the the Riding skill Ol/le, bifoTt ht (all acquire tht Brollc Busting skill. On th, oth" hand, ht must l/are 60% or btlltr 11/ tht .\'Ialhematin skill bifort h, (QlI purdlase th, Engil/uring Design skill.

ACQUIRING AND IMPROVING SKILLS

Your character can acquire or impro\'c a new skill si mpl y by spending the indicated number of Building Points. Each time a c harac ter spends BPs to learn a new skil!, record one mark or "Tally" neJo.:t to that skill on the character record sheet. Charac ters that have been in play may also attempt
to acquire or impro\'c a new skill by spending thc

For t:mlllplt, JOSIah "Slirk" .lIcGTl/iler 11/1.1i a 16 IlIltlligellu StOTt alld /I/Us a I jpoillt BP bOIlIlS. This gi/Jt! him I j exIra BPs 1 0 spl'lld Oil skill.s that I/Jt IlI tdligtna as a rf/evolll ability store. Slick uus O llt qf Ilitsf. bonllS pOinl$ (0 pllrchase Brewillg (normal cost I BP), leavillg 111m IVilh 1.J bOllllS BPs. He decidu 10 also purchase Cookillg (lIorlllal COjl I 8P), bill Ihil rosts him 2 bOllllS 8Ps bemust Cookillg is baud 011 Inltlligrnct and lI';'sdom. I\'illl 12 BPs Iif!, III duidts 10 buy Gltan Informat/oll (lIorlllll( cot! 2 BPs). Howeur. this skill (osts hIm 6 bOil/if BPI btcallu Glfall Infirmation has (hTte rei nanl abi/j~) leorn (lnltlli.r:enu. I,'ildom alld Charisllla). .!/Itr makmg thlI puuhaft. he hal 6' botlUS BPs Itft OL'tr 10 lISt III a Jlmila' fafh/on. Df}I'/'l forgtt. Ilnustd BP bonllses orr 10M flrt/.'er.'

required BPs, bu t can't acquire or impro\'1~ a skilt that was not attempt(,d during game play,

For e:mmpft, Ranger Stram has bWI m/)/'lIIg a (011pie qf Maifan bandilosfrom O,e lerritories 10 a TuiwlI pnsOIl ..W,r a IIarrowingjourntj. h, arriL'es IIllht holdmg pm and d,liem his qllarry. If he tarned or had sOllie BPI to 5pend and u'unt ed to acqllire Iht Ltmguage (Spanish) skill. ht could do so only if h, (on~trStd or fisttned to til, banditos sptaking thtir nati/!t 10ngUt ~ or olhtnt'ist had bun txposed to or con~'mtd with someone sptaking Spanisll.
When a cha racte r wants to improve a skill, he simply purchases the skill again. However, each additional purc hase is marc eJo.:pensive than the last cumulati\ely add the o rgi nal HP cost each time }.

Skill Learning Modifier

Another way that Intelligence, Wi sdom and /o r Charisma srores affect skill acquisit ion or i.mprove ment is through the Skill Learning ?\ Iodific r. A posi ti\'e modifier l'cp resents .. character's natural ability to have a gift for learning skill s mo re easily, while a neg at ive modifier represent~ the difficu lty in learning things that require abilities in which the c haracte r is weak. In the case of positi\'e modifiers, a character Illay purchase an)' ~k ill that uses one of those relevant abili lies at a lower COSt b) an amoun t equal to thc Skill Learning ~I odjfier itsell). A minimum of I ac tual BP must be spent each ti me a characlcr acquires or improves a ~kill .

For txamplt, J=ilSt JOIIIIII)I bl!,Ys Ellginun'ng Design at its normal COJI rif 7 BP if Itt wallts to b,!), Engin"ing Desigll a StCond lillie, it (osls him 14 BP (7+7= 14). Bu)'illg Engilleering Design a third lime (Osts 21 BP (7+7+7=21), and so on.

Acquiring Skills with Bonus Building Poinis

Any character with a high Charisma, Intelligcnce a nd/or Wisdom scorers) begins with "bonus" Building ('ainu as shown on th e appropriate abilit), score tables above. Bonus BPs represent the cha racter's capac.it)' to learn skills lhal require abilities in which the character exce ls. When bu ying skills, pla)'er~ spend bonus BP~ just like sta nd ard BPs, but they may only bl! spent on skills thai usc the ability score from which the bonus BPs were ea rned.
L~t's say that Handsom, JII(k gains thru bonus BPsfrom a 13 Il'isdolll score. Ht must jptlld Ihost bonliS BPs on skifls that 1/(/It Wisdolll (alld onfy Wisdom) as tlltir relevant ability.

YOll must usc all BP bonuses during charactcr cre allan. Unused 13 bonuses arc tOSI forever,

For t'Campl,. Fast Johllny has a 16 Inltfligena SCOTt, thus giving him an Intelligtnce Skill l..Larning .110dijier of 5. If lit ll'Qnts to b!!)' Enginuring Dts;K" (normal cosl 7 BP), it onfy costs him 2 BP (75=2). if ht wants to buy Engineering Dwgn a suond time, it ol/(r (osts him 9 lIIort BP (145=9). BI!) il/g Engillurillg Desigll a third tillle 0119' (lists 16 lIlort BP (21-5=16), ami so 011. f/olL'fI.'er, if Fast Johmty wallts 10 bu)' o4nimlll Lore (normal cosi I BP), ht must bl!,Y it st/Jtral linlts IIl1til the 5 BP modifier if "e~ptl/('~d'~ alld I actual BP has been spent, Fast J ollI/llY /III/st buy Allilllal Lorf onafor I BR agaill

jor 2 BPs, and a third timelor 3 BPs, totaling 6 BPs. He can nowjully expend his 5 BP modifier, reducing the total BP cost to ilJ minimum rif 1.
A negative BP modifier is also applied to skills that use the relevant ability score, but makes it harder for a characte r to acquire a skill.

relevant abili0> .scorefor this skill is 10 (the lownt). He thus has a mastery rif 90% in this skill. He then spmds 2 BPs (the cost rif that skill) and roll.s 1d 10 (that skill's Mastery Die) for a result if "4". He sub/raclS this result alollg with his relevant abiliry score (J OJ.from 90 (his current maJtery levdfoT this skill) for a total rif 76 (90-4- I 0=76). Hank's mastery rif Animal Empathy is now 76%.

For example, lel'.s say thai Fa.sIJohnny ha.s a Charisma score

rif 6 (no wonda lit needs to beja.sl), giving him a BP Hurdle rif - 4. Still, he wants to acquire the Bronc Bu.stillg .skill (relevant abilitiu Strength, Wisdom and Chari.sma). The normal co.st rif thi.s .skill i.s Ollly 2 BF, but thallh to Fast Jolmny'.s poor ChaTi.sma, Ihe Bronc Busting .skill eo.s1S him 4 more,jor a total if 6 BE

Skill Kaslerf laval,

Table 3.1-22: Skill Mastery Levels categorizes various levels of skill maStery in order to help players understand how good a character is at a particular skill.

TABLE 3.1-22: SRILL MASTERY LEVELS

SKILL MASTERY
Before your character can use a skill, you need to determine you r skill mastery level - the indication of how good he is al a particular skill. i\'ow, in order to dete rmine a character's maste ry of a particular skill, you need to follow a simple little procedure. First, the character must expend the listed amount of BPs to acquire or improve this skill. T h is ea rn s the character a roll of the relevant skill mastery die, as list ed on the skills table. Roll one die of this type. ~o\\" subtraCt the result of this roll from 100. along with the relevant ability score (see Skill Basics on page 32. The total result is you r skill mastery level.
MUlel): R' bS' (Yo) Skill Level 1 00 .. .. ....... ... Unskilled. Ch, n Clcrs m,y only use uoivern l skills i t this leve/. 9975 .. . ..... .. . Novice 7'150 . . . .. . . . . ... .Avenge '1 925 .. .. ... . ... AdVlD ced Z'I.\3 .............Expert 12-0 ... . .. .... Mu tt<

A ~ovice has basic knowledge of the skill, only with no real training. He or she might have dabbled in it a few times. This range is typically where most skill mastery scores fall for skills with only one Tally. T he A\crage le\el character has typically had some schooling or training in the skill. He has a working knowledge and has a reasonable chance to perform routine tasks involving the ski ll though he is unable 10 effectively teach others what he knows. A cha racter with Advanced skill mastery has detailed knowledge and experience. Only the most complex aspects of the skill typically trouble him or he r. Advanced characte rs can teach basic elements of the skill to others willing 10 learn (students must still spe nd the corresponding BPs) but only to a skill maStery score of 49% . A character with Expert ski ll maSte ry has very detailed knowledge and expe rience. He can mastcr even very complex aspects of the skill much of the time. Expert characters can teach advanced elements of the skill to others willing to learn (students must still spend the corresponding BPs) but only to a skill mastery score of 24%. M aster characte rs have gone beyond what their teachers or mentors were able to teach them and have learned on their own . T hey are considered among the utmost authorities on the skill subject matter. They are capable of expanding the field by developing new ideas and techniques. Master characters can teach

FOT example, let's sqy thai ai' Hank buys the nOIl-univasal skill Blacksmithing (with relevant abi/tiu rif Strength and Intelligence). Heftrs! spends 7 BPs (the eo.st rif that skill), then rolls Id8 (that skill's Mastery Die) for a result rif "6". He subtracts this result along with his lowest relevant ability score (1 I, since Hank has all 11 Strength and a 12 Intelligence)jrom 100, for a total rif 83 (1006-1 I =83) . Hank's mastery rif Blachmithillg is now at 83 %.

If Halik buys the Blacksmithing skill a suond time, he would have to .sptnd 14 BP (recall that the second tally is twice as expensive). He then rolls a d8 (getting another "6"). He subtracts this result along with his lowuI relevant abiliry Store (1 I) jrom his previous mastery score. Sinre hi.s previous mastery was 83, he improves Ids mastery to 66% (83-6-11=66).

Buying Additional Tallies of Universal Skills

For universal skills, characters will already possess a mastery better than 100. Th is must be factored in prior to computi ng thc additional benefits from purchasing the skill.

For example, Halik wallis to buy a tally in 'lie universal skill Animal Empathy. First, he needs to know ilJ relevallt abiliry score. Allimal Empathy is based on lVisdom and Charisma and since Hank's Wisdom score is 16 alld his Charisma is 10, his

36

others (students must still spend the corresponding BPs) down to a skill mastery of 12%. A character's skill mastery may nOt improve below 0%.

USING SKILLS
Skill checks are required whenever a character attempts to perform a skill. To make a skill check, the player simply rolls a d I 00 (or 2d I Os as percentile dice, designating one die as the "tens" and another as the "ones"). If the resu lt is greater than or equal to his skill mastery value for that skill, the skill check succeeds and the character has accomplished what he sct out to do with a reasonable degree of proficiency. If the result is less than his or her skill mastery, then the skill check fai ls and the character is not able to accomplish the task. The situation may require the addition or subtraction of any conditional modifiers, depending on the level of difficulty of the task being attempted. The task level of difficulty is a subjective determination based on a variety of facto rs. Examples of factors to conside r when determining level of difficulty include weather conditions (rain , heat, cold), noise. use of improvised tools, restraints and being rushed or othe rwise distracted. The five levels of difficulty are Trivial , Easy, Average, Difficult and Very Difficu lt. T he skill check modifie r for each is defined in Tablt 3.1-23: Skill Check Modifiers.

good at individually. If charaClers have the same skill, and conditions allow for it, one character may attempt a skil! check to assist the Olher characte r in the task . A successful check indicates that the primary cha racter (usually the character with the greatest mastery of that skill) completing the task gains + 10% to his skill check. O nly one character may effectively assist in such a fashion. If twO characters have complementary but not identical skills, they may also attempt to assist one another at the discretion of the GameM aste r. An example of complementary skills might include a character with the Tracking skill helping another character with the H unting skill. T he definition of which skills are complementary to one another is left to the discretion of the GameJ\ laster. Another way to use complementary skills is when characters try to comple te a task for which they might nOt be qualified on their own.

For example, suppose a group if settlers is hting stalked by hos/ile natives. TIle settlers rtali<.t they nud to build a hasty fort to hdp defend themselves against the heathms, and quick{y discuss u'ha/ skills they havt as a group. One person has the .\lilitaT) Enginten'ng skill, another has the Engineering Design skill alld a third has the Admlllistralioll skill. . In addition, twelve if Iht settlers have the Carpmtry skill. As a group, they sum to have the neussary skills to build a wooden palisade. The skill mastery numbers are added foget/ur and averaged to delerlllint the effective mastery if lhe group 01 completing the task. Then a membtr of the group rolls the skill cluck using Ihe group's skill mastery as the target number to exceed.

TABLE 3.1-23: SKILL CHECK MODIFIERS

Diffic ulty Modifier to Roll Tri vid . . . ....+9(101. En r .+8{1% A\'er ~8e .... ...... .. +~O% Difficult ... .00 1. Very Difficult . ... . .. ..1 0%

PARTIAL SKILL FAILURE [ADVANCED RULE]

While a successful skill check means that the character succeeded in his skill attempt, and a failed check means fai lure, cha racters thaI "barely fail" at their check still have some measure of possible success. A GameMaster may al!ow that, if a skil! failed by less than 10%, the character can still salvage the failed check in some manner. Explanations of part ial ski!! failures should be reasonable and balanced, but always with a deleterious impa ct for the character. Partial skill failures are not a "cheat" for that character. Instead, they represent the truth that some good can come out of failure.

Universal Skills
\ Vhen a characte r attempts to use a universal skill for which he has no tallies, the calculation works slightly differently. To use a universal skill, the character rolls a d lOO and adds his relevant ability for that skill. If the mod ified roll surpasses 100, he has succeeded in his skill check . The calculation on universal skills is done this way to avoid the need to record every uni ve rsal skill on a characte r's record sheet.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
T wo or more characters may combine their skills and areas of expertise in order to accomplish a job or perform a task that they couldn't do, or wouldn't be as

For example, let's say t/wl Fast Johnny is brewing up some hooch. if he fails his Brewing skill check by less than 10%, the brtw is simp{y if poor quali!J, though a skilled liar may still be able to sell it at a rtduad rale. A Brewing skill checkfailed by 10% or more, however, indicates that the product is nasry and obvious{y unsellable.

37

In another example, RUllning ll'llter (an Indian) attempts to lise the Primitive l ~apon Making skill. Hefails his check by less than /0 %, illdlcating that the weapon is slightly q[f balalice (-J to Accurary checks with that weapon). A checkfailed by 10% or more means thallhe weapon is so poorly made as to be unusable.

TABLE 3.1-24: TALENTS

Taltal
BP
,"O.S J

.. ... . . . ......... .70 Advanced Sighting Astute Observ. u ion .............. ........ 50
Bl ind-shooT ing .......................... .'IS Couuge . ........ .............. .10 Cmk Shot .......... ..... ... _. _....... 50 Damage Bonus ....... .... _............ .75 Dead Eye .... _...... .... . . . .. ___ .. ..... 50 Dead ly Shot ..... ...... ... _. . . ..... ... 50 Dodge ... ... ... ..... . .............. 25 Endurance ........ . . . . . ... ........... .... 15 Fan Firing ...... ...... .... . . . . . . ...... .35 Fas! Hel ler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... 10 Forgetuble Face .. ........ .. . ........ 25 Grelsed Lig htning .... .... . . . . ....... 20 Great Ambidexte rity ........ ...... .. ... ... 25 Grit ........ ........ .... . .... ...... .50 Guardian Ange l ........ .. . . . . . . .. ....... 30 Hearty .... ........ . _ ... .. . .. ....... 50 H ip Shooter ............... ..... ......... 25 Hit Poin t Bonus ........... _. . _. ...... 20 Hold Your Liquor ......... .... ........... 10 Improved Arc of Fire ........ .. . . . ........ 15 IlIher iUllce ................ .. . ... ....... .10+ Jack Rabbit S peed .............. .... ...... 20 Kelltucky Windage ... ...... . . .......... 45 Mounted MHksmuship ...... . . . . . ...... .'10 Perceive Tendency .. ................... 20 Quick Aim. . . . . .. ..... . _. _. . .. . .. .'10 Q uick Thinking ...... ...... .............. 10 Rapid Reload . .............. . . _.. ...... 20 Re puwioo BODus .............. . . .......35 Resist Di seastl IofcClion ...... ............. 20 Shot 00 the Run ............. .. . . . .... ..50 Spr inter .................... . ... . .......30 Tough as Nails ......... . .. .. . . ........ 25 Veteran G unfigh te r ... .. ..... . .......... 20 Wcapoll Bonus ......... . ... . . .... ..... 50

* TALENTS *
Tal ents, like skills, improve your character's abilities in one manner or anothe r. However, unlike skills that must be learned, talents arc natural gifts that each cowpoke is born with . For example, a character with the Blind-shooting talent is capable of better marksmanship in conditions of poor or no light, than a character without this talent. Each talent costs a certain number of BPs. The talent and its cost can be found on Table 3./-24: Talenls, with full details locat ed in Chapta 6.-1 I Talent Descriptions.

3.21 Advanced Scrapes

far we've discussed the vcry basics of gunfig hting rules. To add more realism to your game, consider introducing some of the advanced concep ts desc r ibed in this sec tion. Some concepts are vcry simple, such as addi tional modifiers, while othe rs are more complex - such as mounted movement.

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T he Advanced Rules afC presented in a modular format so that any advanced rule that takes your fancy can be added 10 your game. With few exce ptions, the Advanced Rules are independent of one anothe r, but a couple build on one another and make more sense when used together. While the Ad\'anccd Rules build upon the basic game, ther introd uce enough new concepts and complexity to be considered an entirely new role playing system. :\10 mailer how experienced in western or ot her R PGs you feel your group is, we can't stress enough that you shoilid NOT try to inclilde the Advanced Rilles in your first game session . The result will inevitably be a game bogged down in minutia while you pore O\'er the rules again and again. The good news is that the basic game plays just fine and so you needn't learn all the Advanced Rules in one sitting; it's best to learn and add them grad ually. Add one or two new rules when you and your fellow players feel the need 10 expand the game or make shoot outs more realistic. In no time, they'll become second nature and you'll be ready for still more Advanced Rules.

Figure 3.2-1: Shotguns Shot Clock

fifth step determine exact shot location), things begin to change:

1. Declare general target

ACTION ORDER
Unli ke the random method employed in Basic Scrapes, each player in order of lowest Wisdom 10 highest Wisdom declares an ac tion when a gunfight is about 10 erupt. In cases where gunfights erupt due to declared act ions (" Forge t negotiations. I draw on him now!" , those blurting out their actions voluntarily forfeit this potential advantage.

2. Place t h e c enter of th e Shot C lock over the intended target location on the Target Silhoue tte 3. Add all Accuracy modifie r s 4. Take the s hot 5 . Draw a c ard to d e t ermine the ce nter of the s hot gun blast

SHOTGUN SHOOTING PROCEDURE

Shotgun shooting is only a bit more complex than rifle and pistol shooting. T he added complexity comes from tracking twelve (or twenty-four if firing both barrels) separate projectiles. To further complicate matte rs, each shot pellet heads in slightly different trajecIOries and thus moves fanher from center with inc reasing targe t distance. H owever, the early steps of shotgun shooting procedure arc ident ical to the first four steps of the general shooting procedure (declare target, place Shot Clock on target location, add Accuracy modifiers, take the shot (roll d20)). Starting \\'ith the

If your total To-hit roll was 24 or less, you' ll need to draw a card from a standard poker deck to determine the center of your shotgun blast. As with standard shoot ing procedures, the close r you were to 25, the closer to center the blast center was; the poker card merely determines which direction the center of the blast shot was located ( . = high, '" = low, = left, = right).
6. Place the cente r of the Shotguns Shot Clock on the center of the s h otgun blast

The dispersal pattern originates from this poin t.

7. Rotate the Shotguns Shot C loc k

10

Figure 3.2-2: Shot Clock ExtrapoLation

Draw a card and rotate the Shotgu n Shot Clock so that the edge of the Shot C lock that has thc card drawn is pointing directly up. ;"I ake certain to keep the center of the dispcrsal patte rn on the center spot as dctcrmined in Step #5.
8. De t e rmine dis p e rsal di a m e t e r based o n range and trac k shots

Find the range from the target on the Shotgun Shot Clock (each band has a maximum range listed. Follow the color codcs associated with the range to track individ ua l pellcts.
9. Ro ll damage (if n ecessar y)

If any shot hits anywhere on the target, roll damage (see Chapter 3.31 Wounds and Healillg as well as Chapter 3.5 1Firearms fo r information on determining damage and resultant incapacit ation).

PRIMITIVE RANGED WEAPONS

Use of prim it ive ranged weapons work a linle differently than firearms. While anyone can use a primiti\'e ranged weapon, accurate lise of the bow, spear, thrown axe and knife takes a lot of practice and skill. So before a man can shoot a target with an arrow, he'll need to sllcceed in a skill check for that particular weapon see the Primitive Ranged Weapon Csc skill unless he's reached E.xpert maslCry. If successful. he can use the shot clock to 1'011 To-hit as normal.

Table No.

J..J,~

PSlllmB WEAPON ACCURACY IODIFlBns

"-~p

SHOT CLOCK EXTRAPO LATION

In the basic game, all To- hi t rolls of 14 and lower automatically miss the target. Unfortunately, when targeting certain body locations such as the head or upper chest, this rule essentially eliminates the possibility of injuring the target's foot 0 1' vice ve rsa in the case of an aimed shot at the knee or ankle. Use this ad\'anced rule to bring those possibilities back into play. The Shot Clock E.xtrapolat ion rule works this way: whene\'er a shot has a result that would move it off of the Shot Clock, extrapolate the Shot C lock's radian lines by one inch for e\'ery num ber below 15 on the modified To-hit rol l. For example, if a shooter targeting the knee rolls a modified 12, measure 3 inches out from the Shot Clock. T he direction measured is. of course, determi ned by the random card drawing per usual.

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REPUTATION EFFECTS ON SCRAPES

Characters of low esteem tend to get rattled and lose their cool when the going gets tough. O n the other hand, those desen'ing of respect arc great individua ls that rise to the occasion, however difficult . In Ihe Aces

...

II

TABLE 3.2-2: REPUTATION EFFECTS ON SCRAPES

Disrepuublc: ...CUlt ... ............... Leave fight immcdi1lCly Low .......... 25% or more: HPs losl .. .Immediately seck cover uad flee: if shot at aga in Avenge: ....... SIJI'Io or morc: HPs lost .. .Immediately scck cover lnd flee if injured 19lia Grell ......... Any ...................Chuae!cr has fu ll cho ice to suy or ru n Lc:gcnduy .... .Any .. ................ ,Chancter may never run fro m .I l igh l
& Eights game, we measure Ihis by Reputation. If you\'c read the Reputation section of this book, you know that Reputation has a great many effects on the game, one of which is fighting. In gunfights. Reputation affects how a character reacls when faced with her own mortality. If a character has a high Reputation, he' ll sra nd taU in th e face of mortal danger. But those of lower Reputation will flee if winged or wounded. Table 3.2-2: Reputation Effects 011 ScrapfS shows just how long a character will stick around if wounded in a shootout.

they 're up aga inst, Fame has no effect.

XOu.) if the infamous killer. .\Iexican Bob, ambushes a cowbo)' ill a can)'Oll alld the cowpoke Ollfy sus gllllsmokefrom behind a rock, he's 1101 afficted by Mexican Bob's Fame. floweur, if ,\lexicon Boh had called him oul ill a saloon. aliT cou.poke might be shakin' in his boots.

For example, let's say Ihal Caleb Brown has an Average Reputation. In the pw.'ious example, u:t't'e alread), sun him gtl shot up for 5 points 10 Ihe torso. 2 poinls 10 the legs. "poinls to Ihe shoulder, and anothtr arrow hil for 2 points - a total oj 13 poinls. Xow, we alread) ktww ht only has 25 hit points. so he s losljust a /illie bil mou Ihal/ .50%. Caleb has to immedialeh seek cover and}lu if he gels S/IOt again. If lie Iwin'l gollell h~'l by Ilwl lasl arrow, he could still sta)' right u'here hes al and fig/II for a spell. Nole Ihal he doesn'l nud 10 flee Ihe fighl after he seeks cover; he can continue 10 shoot from behind cour. Bul if he suffirs so much as a gra<e, he'll IUed to skeedaddle and headfor long-Ierm safilJ:

. \ character of Ayerage Reputation suffers a + I Speed penally and -I Accuracy pe nalty for e\'ery 25 points of Fame he is below his opponem . A characte r of Low or Disreputable Reputation suffe rs a +2 Speed penalty and -2 Accuracy penalty for every 25 points of Fame he is below his opponent. A character with a Great or Legendary Reputation, or equal or greater Fame than his opponent, is never affected by his opponem's Fame in a gunfighl.

FACING
Clearly. it's a mite easier to shoot straight ahead than behind you. It's also a lot harder to sec an opponent "hose stalking at your backside than strolli ng up to your rrotll side. In order to take these mailers into account, we'll need to know which way a given charactcr is fac ing at a given momelll in time. T he Facing rules require miniatures for clean adjudication; wit h out figurines or markers of some SOrt it becomes much more difficult. If you don 't usc miniatures with your game. the G:\ I and/or other players must decide which way a character is facing based on the p layer's stated actions or positioning. Application of the Facing rules is the sam e if miniatures arc used or not. A moving character's front facing is almost always the direction in which that character is heading (only exceptions being when a character is sidestepping or

FAM E EFFEC TS ON SCRAPES

Even the sturdiest character can get flustered if faced with a famous opponent. Depending on the Fame and Reputation of a characte r, his opponent can ca use nervousness and panic before a gun is e\'en drawn. Of course, if the opponents have no idea \\ho

FIRING

ARc B
FIliNG FIliNG ARC C
Front (chest direction)

Ate B

FIRING
Figurt 3.2-30: Arcs qf Fift jor a right-kolldrd pistol skoour (also applicabltJor II 11l-halldtd rijltmoll) Figurr 3.2-3b: Arcs oj Firtjor a ngh/-handtd rifftmarl (also applicabltjor a 11l-handtd pistol shoo/a)

12

backing up. A stationary cha racter's frOllt fa cing is ALWAYS the d irection his chest is facing. A character suffers both Speed and Accuracy penalties the further Ih at charaeler fires from his front facing. Figurt 3.2-30 a nd Figurt 3.2-3b: Arcs 0/ Firt defin es Ihe specifi c arcs of fire. Tablt 3.2-3: Firillg Art .llodifitrS lists associated firing penahies.

For txamplt, Francis Dodgtr alld Wilbllr .\Iarshall artfirillg shots at tadl otlttr ill tilt Wlttr rif .\Inill Stmt. IVilbur's shots art gtlling pUll)' r/Ost, so Frallcis dtcidts to rUTI down a sid{ slrut, glancing ottr his shollldtr alldfin'ng balk at IVilbllr tht whole timt. Sina ht's shooting bthind himstif (in Arc D). Francis s~JJtrS a +5 Spud ptllalty alld a -5 Acrurary ptllalty.

TABLE 3.2-3: FIRING ARC MODIFIERS

LocHio n Speed Accunc ), Firing in Arc B ........... I ........... -1 Fir ing in Arc C ......... .2 ........... 2 F iri ng in Arc 0 .......... 5 ........... 5

Facing and 1 1 uget Acquisition

Facing also affects the Speed in which a character can change targets. Depending on a character's facing relative to the ne\\' target, he suffers a penalty to his Speed as listed ill Tabit 3.2- 4: Targtl Acquisition Penaltits.

TABLE 3.2-4: TARGET ACQUISITION PEN ALTIES

Acquisi tion Speed Penalt y Acquire new tuget < 30 from center . ...... .l Acquire ncw urget < 90 0 from ce nter ........ 2 Acquire ncw tuget < 150 0 fro m ce nte r ...... .4 Acquire ncw urget > 1500 from centcr .......8

Arc A is always in fro nt of the characte r, so there's no particular Speed or Accuracy pcnalty for firing there. Likewise, Arc D is always behind the character. Howeve r, the location of Arc B and Arc C \'ary depending on the shooter's weapon hand. For a righthanded shooter with a pistol. Arc B is on his right and Arc C on the left. For an hombre with a pistol in his left hand , Arc B is o n the left and Arc C on the right. Hold your gun hand out in front, and then swing it to the side. NO\\' swing it to the othe r side. Y ou'll find it easier to aim on the sa me si de as the gun hand. Of course, if you' I'c holding a long gun, Ares B a nd Care gonna swap. For a right -handed shooter with a long gu n, Arc B is on his Icft. For a left-hander with a long gu n, Arc B is on lh e right. That's because you 're stretch ing the off-hand out to hold the barrel. If you want to try it, bring up your arms like you're holding a shotgun in your off-hand and pu lli ng the trigger with your main hand. Swing your al'lns to one sidc, then to the other (with your legs and lower body firmly planted where they are, of cou rse). As you can sec, it 's easier to move to the side with the outstretched hand.

Further. an~ time the shooter looks away completely into a different .\re or the target goes out of view and reappears in a differellt location such as ducking behind a waler t rough and crawling 10 the ot her end before poppi ng back up , the shooter will need to reacquire his target.

For txamplt, Itt's say titat Frallcis Dodger stops TUlllling. alld tums to/aa II i'lbur. _ \'Ow ht'sfiring in Arc A again (no additiollal Spud or . Imlfary penaltits). Suddtnly, Frallcis decidu to changt targtts alld sltool at Charles Grant illstead. If IVilbur alld Charles art standillg right IItxt to each other, that's all wtll alld good silla C!wrlu is Ius than 30" /rom Frallcis'last largel (WilbuT), tltert's /10 Spud penall)'for acqllin'lIg a Ilew targtt. Bill wlial if Charles is //Iort Iltan 30' away, 011 the opposite side rif tilt slrut? I II lliailliis installce, Francis Itas to 111m his ga<.e, or tWI IItad and body, and look for and acquire his new target. In t!wt caSt, he suffers a +2 Spud pellall),
I II anothtr txamplt. Frands alld II 'ilbllr art on !lOrs{b alk, wilh Frallcis ill tht Itad alld II 'ilb"r in pllrsuit. Francis tUTIIS aroulld alld ai//ls his pistol at Wilbur a +B ptnalfy to Spud for utqllirillg a IItW largtt //IOrt thall 150 from (lllttr (in this cast aboul /BO '). Frands also gtlS an additional +5 ptnalty 10 Spud (+ /3 tOlaf) and a -5 ptlla/l)' to Auuracy for firing in Art D. I-IOWtttr. 011 his stfolld shot, Francis on!J sufftrs the +5 Spud ptllalty alld 5 Accuracy jJtllalty, since he's a/flatly acquirtd Il 'ilbur as a targtt.

01 2

0/ courSt, if Frmltis tur"s arollnd/or a whilt, Ilttll lit has to acquire I Vilbllr as a target agaill. a ll tlie otlier hand, if he stays looking at Wi/bllr, he dotsll'l ha~t to acqllirt him as a I/tW target, and his Spud alld AUllracy penaltits unwill tlte same.
Pe~ulli{1

LINE O F Sla HT
A characte r can only fire on another character if he has a straight line of sigh t to the target - if a player can pull an unobstructed piece of string or shoot a lase r pointer between the miniatures then the shooter has line of sight and may fire normally. Note that if line of sight is obstructed comp letely or by cover but is otherwise straight (i.e. , not firing around a corner), the shoote r may still take the shot and hope to shoot through th e cover (sec "Cover & Visibility") andlor cause the target to duck down or otherwise remain in cover (sec " Flinching").

etc. - simply place those over the Target Silhouette and you're ready to roll.) If the shO! hits cover, roll damage as normal and consult Table 3.2-5: Hardness V alues.

TABLE 3.2 5: HARDNESS VALUES

Mneri~J

One hp_Redu ted Per (iothes)

..... 1/2-

Timber/wood. hard (OJ.k. etc.) Timber/wood. soft (piDt. etc. ) Iroo (e.g .. skillet) ........... . W~ lcr (e.g., io ~ trough ) ,.
B~ ltd

..... ]1/2... l/S-

... 4.6-

Hay .. .... .

COVER AND VISIBILITY

It 's only natural that a right-minded pe rson wants to take cove r while returning fire rather than stand in the open. There arc no modifiers for CQ\'cr in the A rts & Eigflls game. T he Shot Clock system handles this situation very well without the need for separate modifie rs. If a CO\\1)oke is sta nding behind a bouldel; trough or in a window, simply use a piece of paper to obscure the portion of Ihe Target Silhouette that is behind cove r and use the Shot Clock overlay normally. (If you have a download or accessory with scale cmouts of various sta ndard items - barrels, troughs, windows, doorways,

SaDd ......... ..... . Lcnm/dirl .... Clay (e.g .. pottery) ............. Leather (e.g .. ndd le) Flesh (horse. humlo. tIC.) BoDe (mao or aoimal) .. TiD (taos. sigll. CIt.) ...

.. .. r
..ZI/i l/f ..... 11 /2.. ... l/f
. ..... 1/2-

Deduct one hil point from the damage for each inch or fraCiion of an inch of cover material as listed . If the damage number drops to 0, the bullet is lodged in the cover. If the remaining damage of the bullet is greater than 0, the bullet passes th rough th e cover and if th e shot would ha\'e hit the T arget Silhouette, injures the target in the appropriate location.

Figurt 3.2-5: Missed shots Ihal might (QUSt Flinching

For example, let's say that our old buddy Clqy Powell is slallding at Ihe edge if a porch, beilind a wooden barrel. Some ornery balldito hiding in the bushes takes a potshol at Clay with a rifle, but misses his chest and shoots at his legs instead, hilting the barrel for 6 damage. The empty baml is made qf hardwood and is a half-inch thick (remember, the bullet must travel through both sides). Instead qf dealing its normal 6 poinls qf damage, the bullet deals only 4 (6-1-1) points qf damage (assuming it wouldn't have gone between or around Clay'S legs).
Under certain other conditions, a target might be obscured due to visibility conditions but not otherwise under hard cove r. In these cases, the target is simply harder to see and thus harder to hit. Therefore, the ta rget rece ives no physical protection from its concealment, bu t the shooter suffers a visibility modifier to his To-hit roll as set forth in Table 3.2-6: Visibilit), J/odiJim .

TASLE 3.2-6: VISIEILITY MODIFIERS

VisibililY Modifier Sbooling blind. complete diTkness . . . . . . . . .. . ..g Poor visi bilily .. .. . ....... ... -\ 10 7 We ~ k moonligbl. dense foli~gc. OVCtC~SI fuJI moon -7 Full moonligbl _.. .... . .. ...... . ..... ......... .. .. 6 Tbick foli,gc. th ick cum ins . _. .. __ . ...... _.. ... . .. ...... -5 Dim lighting. dusk. silhouettes, hc~vy sbOldo"'s. vcry thic k fog .. - ~ fiTl y d~"'II. forchligbt. fog. Tbick smokc ............... _. -3 igbT . thick hue. smoke .. -2 0 1",n. hrighTligbts OUTdoors ~ t D Light smoke. hn e. Tbin fobg' .. .... ................. . .. 1

Using the same example as above, Itt's say that Clay was standing on that porch in the dark, taking a gander at the stars and musing on his lifo's work. The bandito gets a -6 penalty 10 Accurary, because the moon is full, tlu sky isn't clouqy, and Clay isn't hidden fry any shadows. If Clay's backlit by a window or open door, on tht other hand, he's no harder 10 spot than if ht Wert III Iht middle qf lHaill Street al II/gh I/oon.

FLINCHING
Flinching can occur whenever a character is shot or a missed shot comes close enough for the target to feel or hear the miss. These instances include the following:
":? Shots hitting a spur, reins, hat, clothing, saddle,

check his willpower by making a Wisdom check modified by deducting one for every gunfight the eharac ter's been in (sec the "Experience" section for more information on \\'hat is and isn't a gunfight). A failed result indicates that the target has flinched and ducked under cover (if available) or othe rwise turned his head and suffers a Speed penalty to his next non-Movement (see 'i\ !o\ement") action. Likewise, any time a character is shot, he must check his willpower by making a Wisdom check modified by deduCting one for every gunfight the characte r's been in and further modified by adding the wound severity/hit points suffered as a result of the wound. T he flinching penalty is equal to the number that the roll failed by_ If the target has cove r, the minimum flinch time for failure is 5 CountS as he drops behind the cover. Further, the ducking character loses line of sight, any acquired targets and any consecutive shot bonus.

gun or other accout rement.

: ? Any miss within one pie slice of a hit or graze to

the head as shown on the shot clock (see Figure 3.2-5).

9r Any miss that hits cove r or other hard terrain

within two pie slices of a hit or graze anywhere on the body as shown on the shot clock (see Figure 3.2-5). A shot that close to a man might give him pause to consider his own mortality. T he target's requi red 10

For example, Itt's say tltat Theodore "Thee" lVilry and Fernando I'ilsque~ had a bit qf a dispute that tllflltd into a bit

15

qf a gunfight in the salooll. Femando takes a shot at Th ee, alld Femalldo's playr rolls To -hil. He misses, bill IIie bullel passes wilhill Iwo pie stiers qf what would have beell a hit on Ihe SIIOI Clock, strikillg Ihe wall jusl behind Tlue. That sound ain'l exacl!>' cOl/if orting, so Thee has 10 make a I Vlidom dud 10 avoidjlinching. His IVisdom's on!>' an II, and he's on(y beell ill OIU gUlifighl. His pla)'ff rolls a 13, minus one Jor the gUIIfight, Jor a 10101 qf 12. He lleeded all 11 (Thee's Wisdom score) or lower, so Ihal mealls he failed. Thee flillches. He failed his roll by 1 (12- 11 = 1). so he's gala +1 Spud p(1lol!y 10 his lIeXIIlOIl-AJovemelll actiOlI. Alternalive(y, if Thee fwd ally cover to drop behilld, he would've had 10 use iI, Mding behind ilfor 5 CounlJ (instead qf slifftrillg Ihe Spud pellalfy).

TABLE 3.2-9: MOVEMENT A C TION RATES

ACTion CoUDIS

Drop prone . .

. ...... .3 Couo"

Cuwl/molJ ... . . ....... . . .5 (cl/ 20 CoU ll! W~ l k . .. .. . .... . ..... .5 fw / lD CoU DI Jog ....... .... ..5 fl/S Count
Run .. . .. . 1 /3 CoU OT Spri nt" ' ..... ... .10 fec!lS Count Hd l run/sp rioT ..... .. ......... ..... .. .10 feCI o,'cr 01 10 CoUOI Chaoge F,,;o8 (I h ee) . . .1 CoUDI Chaoge Flci n8 (2 h ees) . . ... . . . . . . .2 CoUOI

.s

ChOlRgC F" ing (3 fms) .

Sit/ kneel fro m proDe. .

. ...... .. .. . .3 CoUDI
. . .3 Couot

Knee l/siTfrom shn ding ....

Suod from sittio g (ground)

. .... . ...2 CoUOI

..... ..5 Co UDI

EXPERIENC ES
It's a well -known fact that slugs of hot lead heading in a body's direction tend to make folks uneasy. espe cially so when the man fi ring the shootin' iron is in a killing mood. Ofl times the difference betwixt li\'ing and dying is the ability of a man 10 stand firm under such d ire situations. While most neyer get fully co mfortable with being shot at, the edge dulls a bit the more a man gets exposed to such a hazard. Specifically, the more times a charactcr has fired on an opponent that eit her fire d first, fired back or was drawing o r otherwise fixin ' to fire back. the beller that character becomes at keeping his cool under fire. Table 3.27: Experiener M odifiers shows the Speed and Accuracy disadvantage s of inexperience and ad\'antages of experience. Note well that to quali fy for a gu nfight, the character must have been shOi at or be in real dange r of receiving return fire heading in his direction (such as in a showdown, quick draw, etc.). Sniping from a second Story window at a target doesn't count as a gunfight unless th at ta rget spots the yellow-bellied shooter and returns fire.

Suod from koccliog/silliog (chOi ir) .. ... .3 CoUDI Pick up dropped wcapon . . .. . . . .5 CoUOI Check .... clpon: ]nad .. . . ....... .[0 Coull!
Chec k wClpon: ..ot king order .. .. .. . .. ..2(1 Co nn!

'0 CoulH when combined with aDother move on this chart. " 5 seconds mal' pa hour Dodging/ol'uS Spetd by one increment {e.g.. Run becomes l og}

Counts associated with it. as listed in Table 3.2-8: :l lovemelll Aclioll Roles. Obviousl}; a charactcr ca n't sprint from a sta ndstill, nor stop on (l dime from a full sprint. From a st anding position. a character can begin to walk or jog immediately, but nOt run or sprint. A walking or jogging charactcr can mo\'c to a run or sprint. A character can halt a walk or jog at any timc and may halt a run or sprint over 10 fect and a 10 Count ( I second). Xote that if (l character docs not havc sufficient room in which to halt his run or sprint (e.g. a wall is in hi s way), he will still come to a stop - albeit it gracelessly. Running into a solid object req uires a Dex check. If this is successful, the character only suffers a 10 count penalty. If unsuccessful, he suffe rs d6-4 points of damage, incurs a 20 cou nt penalty and must roll on Table 3.2-1-/: .\ (m- Il eapon IlIjllry Localiol/. (Roll 3d20+24 to determine injury location and d6 for f\on \\'eapon Injury Type.) Sprinting into a solid object is usually more injurious. In this case, the characte r docs not receive a Dex check to mitigate the impact. He suffers d6~2 points of damage, a 20+d20 count pena lty and must roll on Table 3.2-14: Non- IVeopol/ Injury Localion . (Roll 3d20+24 to determine injury location and dlO for Non-Weapon Injury Type.) A standing, crawling or walking characte r ca n change fa cing at any time. A jogging character ca n change onc or twO facings per move, a running character may only change one facing per move and a sprinting character may not change facin g.

TABLE 3.2-7: EXPERIENCE MODIFIERS

G unfight s S ur vived

o(g reen )
1

Speed

Aceurlcy

.. .. .. A
...... . .2
.I

.. .2 .. .........0
..... .1

2-3
46 .. ..

.. .... .. ...0
..1. .. ..-2

710
11+ ... . . ..

..2 .. .3
.. ........ .'1

TACTICAL M O VEMENT
Despite the excitement of an in-your-face show down, at some point most characters want to do more than stand in one spot in a tact ical si tuation. T reat movement during a shootOut or other time-sensitive situations like d ischarging a weapon; the character declares where he wants to move and how fast , then moves. Of course, each move has a certain amount of

16

For example, tHigutl Marlinei! Garcia decides lie's gonna run down tile slrut and pick up a gun some fool lift selling in Ille dust. His pia)'er rolls a d 10 for initialive, gelling a 4, and Aliguel's base Spud IS a +3, so lie can start walking or jogging when Ihe Counl Up reaclles 7. On 7 Count, lie starts jogging (moving 5 fiet per 5 COllnt). I Vhen the Count Up rearlus 12 (7+5), he's moved 5 fiel. "vow he can kup jogging or start running (moving .5 fiet per 3 COUllt). Miglltl decides 10 rull. On 15 Count (12+3), he's moved another 5feel (lOfee! total). .l1iguel call keep running or start sprinlillg (lO fiet per 5 Count). He setS the pistoll,ying Oll[y about 15 feet awa)' alld knows he'll haL'e to slow down ill a bit, so he keeps rWllling. movillg another.5 fiet whelllhe Count Up reacltes 18. He starts slowing his mil (to halt at 10 fiet over a 10 Counl), stopping 0/1 28 COUllt almost rigll! 011 top d the pistol. He kneels dowlI to pick it up, which lakes 2 COUlltS. picks up the gUll for 5 COUllts and thell stands liP agaill, wltiell lakes 3 more Counts. 011 38, he's standing wilh the pistol in his hand. It look him 3.B seeo/lds (38 COUllt) to rlln to the pistol and pick it up.

TABLB 3.2-10: MOUNTBD TURNS

Horse Gl i! SOIfd ), Turn Up To: With Ri de Check CIDTurn Up To: Wl lk . .. . . ... Any . .. . . . ....... ..... N/A .. . 60 degrees / I fOieing . .. .. ..90 de grees I I 11I hei ngs Tro! . . ... ~5 degrees Il/~ h eing .....60 degrees I full hci ng Lop< ... 30 degrcts II11 filcing .... . .~S degrees I Vi heing GOIHop.

ing faster than a walk may be turned no faste r than once per second; the turn takes place at the cnd of any full second with no prior turn. The degree of turn \'aries by how fast the horse is moving. A trotting horse can turn safely up to 60 degrees one facing or 90 degrees (one and one-half facings) with a successful Riding check (fai!ure indicates the horse only turns one facing and requires another Riding check. failure of the second indicates the rider has been thrown from Ihe saddle). A loping horse ca n turn -1-5 degrees ('/4of a facing) or less without penalty, 60 degrees a full facing) with a successfu l Riding check failure indicates the horse only turns '4 of a facing and requires another Riding check. failure of the second indicates the rider bas been thrown from Ihe saddle). A galloping horse can turn 30 degrees one half facing) without penahy or 45 degrees '% facing \ with a successful Ride skill check failure indicates the horse turns one half facing and requires another Riding check, failure of the second indicates the rider has been thrown from the saddle . A skilled rider ca n make a special slide-stop maneuver to stop andlor turn a gaHoping horse faste r than normal. With a difficult Riding check, a mount going at a full out gallop can stop by gathering its legs under it, sliding with its hind legs (hooves still down) while its forelegs remain moving. The result is a ncar-complete stop oyer 3 seconds covering a mere fifteen feet with the horse turned 90 degrees from original position. Furthermore, at the horse or rider's option, the horse can lope right out of the stOP without moving through the othe r gaits (the decision to move to a lope mUSt be made immediately and the move continues as no rmal, i.e. , 2 CountS after the slide-stop is complete the horse moves'; feet in the new direction). Failing the Riding check indicates that the rider has been thrown.

1kctical Mounted .Vovemeni

J USt as soon as a characte r manages to buy (or stea l) a horse, you'll be needi ng rules for horse movement. Hand!e mounted movement in much the same way as movement on foot - decla re action and, after a certain amount of time. your character and mount have moved. Table 3.29: MOllllted "lovement Aclion Rates shows the rates of mounted movement and other actions.

TAm 3.2-9: MOUNTED MOVBMBNT ACTION RATBS

Speed Modifier ...5 fcc1l1O Coun1 . ..5 fil S Coun! ... . . ..5 feet/ 2 Count G~lloping .. . . . . .s fect/ l CoU ll! Turn sunding horse .. .. ..... ....... .3 Count per h eing Turn moving horse I fleing or less . ...0 Coun! Turn moving horse 2 hcings or less .. ... ..3 Coun! Turn moving horse 3 h eings or less .. ... . .6 Coun! Moun! horse ....... ... ....... .. .....20 Jump from horse's bOie k . .. .. ... .. ... . . . .\0 Count WIlking Tro1ling. Loping
~e 1ion

Horses accelerate slower than humans and must move through eve ry gait when accelerating; a horse must first move at a walk, then trOt, then lope then full gallop. A walking or trotting horse ean stop immediately. A loping horse may stop after! 0 Counts and .; feet of movement. A galloping horse can stop on ly after 20 feet of movement over 40 CountS (! 0 feel over 10 Counts followed by 10 feet over 30 Counts). A standing horse can change facing at any time (at a rate of 3 CountS per face). A walking horse may change up to 3 facings pe r 5 feet moved. Horses mo\'-

Nolt\ whal if Migllel lHarlinei! Garcia wants to mOl/lit a horse and gel tile lull Ollila !OWII? l'I'e saw 111 Ihe previous example thai lie was stalldillg ill the slrut wilh a pistol whm Ihe COllnl Up reached 38. I I'ell, let's sa)' he's 011(;' 5feel awa), from a horse tied 10 a nearby hitching post. He jogs (moving 5 feet per 5 Count) to the horse, reaching it on 43 COl/III (38+5=43). It takes him 20 COUllt to unhitch and moulIl the horse, so he's mOllnted when the Count Up reaches 63. He turns

"

Ihe slmlding horse 2jacings (3 COUll! each,jor a folal of 6), so if's fumed Ihe way he wanfs fa go when fhe Coullf Up reaches 69 (63 +6=69). He nudges lhe horse iI/to a walk (5 jeef per 10 COUI/f), so it's moved 5 feet when fhe CO/lilt Up rtaches 79. He speeds up to a Irol (5 ji per 5 Count), so Ihe horse has 'raveled anotiter 5 feet (10 feet loIal) when the Count Up reaches 84. Migud urges the horse illto a lope (5 feet per 2 COllllt), so il moves allolher 5 jeel all 86 (for a lolal if 15 jeet).

Loping: T he character suITers I d6-2 points of damage from the fall. He must also roll on Table 3.2-/4: Non-lVeapoll Injury Location . (Roll a d I 0 for Non Weapon Injury Type.) G a lloping: The character suITers I d6 points of damage from the fall. He must also roll on Table 3.2I.J: Xon- ll-eapon Inju ry LocatiOll. (Roll d8+2 for NonWeapon Injury Type.)

Thrown f rom Ihe S addle

Being thrown from a horse can result in serious injury. How serious depends on the speed of the horse. In all cases, a 30 COUIll penalt), is applied and any hand-held items are dropped. Further specificity depends on the horse's gait. Walking : The character suITers I d6--J. points of damage from the fall but recei\'es a Dex check to mitigate the impact. Failing this means must roll on Table 3.2-14: NOI/- ll-eapoll byury Location . (Roll a d6 for NonWeapon Injury Type.) Trotting: T he character suITers ld6-3 points of damage from the fall but receives a Dex check (made at a -4 penalty) to mitigate the impact. Failing this means must roll on Table 3.2-14: ..\ oll- ll eapon IlIju7)' Localion. (Roll a d8 for :\'on-Weapol1 Injury Type.

Note: For any Hyperextension injury to the back , roll a d20. A "1" indicates permanent pa ralysis. If such injury is suffered to the neck , roll a d I 0 with a "I" indicating permanent paralysis.

M ovin g 11ugets
Clearly, mO\'ing targets are more difficult to shoot. This truism is reflected in Table 3.2-/ I: Target Movemenl. T here is no Accuracy modifier for moving targets travelling in a direction less than 30 degrees (half a facing) directly away from or directly at th e shoot er. However, dodging modifies the shooter's Accuracy regardl ess of the direction of th e moving target. Furthermore, the Accuracy penalty for a dodging target compounds with any other Accuracy modifier for movement.

TABLE 3.2-11: TARGET MOVEMENT

.... ction tnwling/ strolling .... wI lking ... JogglDg ru np ing dodg ing" moupted" A((u rlcy

. . .-1 . ...-2

.. ....J
-4

.. .-2

WIlking
IrOlling . .

... ,2 ... . .. ...-4

loping . ... . g)lloping .. .

... . .. . ... .

. .-6

. ... .. ... ... .......... ..8

"Dodging adds IJ;ith other mOllCmlnt types "Con hit horse - ,hed, silhouette for misses

For example, a dodging target (-2 To-hit) moving at a run -..J. To-hit) will have a combined penalty of - 6 to the shoote r. If, in the foregoing example, the dodging runncr was running directly away from the shooter, the tOtal penalty would only be -2 for the dodge. T he - ..jfor running doesn't count because the runner is moving at less than 30 degrees (a half facing) relative to the shooter.

ut's say Ihal I\1Jiguel !\larlil/ e~ Garcia (from the previous example) IS still riding Ihal loping IlOne down Ihe slm! towards Ma rshal Cody and lhe Count is at 86. M arshal Cody already Iws his g"n drawn, so he aims it (4 Count) at Miguel, bill decides to Fire Deliberalely (+ 4 Speed, +2 Accura0'), so his

18

SIIOI goes W 011 94 (86+4+4=94). In Ihe meantime, Miguel's horse has slarled galloping (5 fiel per I Counl), mid all 94 he's alreaqy moved 40 fiel. He's passing the marshaL so Cody gets a - 8 Accuraq penalty 10 hil M iguel. He makes his To -hil roll alld adds his modifiers (including Ihe +2 Accurary for Firing Delibera/ely), bullu misses. Now, if M iguel decides 10 shoot at Coify, Miguel's penalties will be a little different, since he's Ihe one movmg.

Combining M ovemenl and Shooling

Once you've mastered th e rules ror shoot ing and movement , you'll naturally want to combine the two. This adds a whol e new level or complexity to you r Aces & Eights game, so please be certain that you 've mastercd th e shooting and mO\'ement rules berore using them both at the same time. BtH don't be put off too much; arter practicing these rules a couple or times mOSt playcrs easily master th ese as welL or course, combining movement and shooting gi\'es rise to a sct or new modifiers list ed in Table 3.2-12: .Ilol.'fmtnt Modifiers to Shooting.

Ht spends .j CO/lilt 10 aim, pIllS another 3 buause rif his galloping horse (from Table 3.2-1 2), al/d so can fire on Count 101 (94+ 7=1 0 ' ). In the meanlime, llis horse galloped allother 35 fiet (5 fiet per I Count), so M iguel's range modifier ml!)' fwv( gal/ell a lillie worst (as has Coqy's). When tlte Count Up reaches 10J, he fires a shot at a -3 Accurary pel/alty Jar gallop/llg - and misses. Normally he couldjiTe his six-shooler olue every 5 Count, but because if Ihe 3 CO/IIII Speed pmaltyfor galloping. he can'lfire again unlill09 (101+ 5+3 -=-109). He mous anolher 5 fiel 01/ 102. agalll on 103. J04, 105. 106, 107. and 108. On 109, he fires agaill alld moves allotlier 5 fief. alld so 011.
T he best way 10 keep track or these tWO types or actions is separately. ~I ost players find it easiest 10 keep a running tall y or when their next move occurs and when their next firin g action OCCllrs. \\'henever a modifier crops up that affects one or the other, simply add th e modifie r to the next action's Count numbe r.

MISHAPS & FAILURES

Any time a character rolls an unmodified " I" on his To-hi t roll. his shot automatically misses (ir it 's even fired at all and he probabl y suffers some form or mishap or railure. To detcrmine the problem, roll a dO,o 1-100 and consult Table 3.2 1 3: M ishaps and Failures locatcd on the rollo\\ing page .

TAB L B3.2-12: M OVEM B NT M O DIFIBRS T OSHOOT ING

Sutus Spt:td Penah):' Awmty Penalty t rawlins ..........Must stop .............. Must SlOp strolling ....0 .............0 ..alkins .. . .. .1 ..... .. ......... .. ... ~ 1 jogging ............... 2 .. -3 pistoV 6 rifle fUODlOg ... .. A . . -'I pistol! 8 rifJc dodging" .... ..2 ............ 'I pistoV 8 rif le MouDted studing .......2 ......................0 ....alking .. .2 .1 trolling . ........ 1 . S pistoV 10 rifle Joping ....3 .... .... . . 3 pistol! 6 rifle gaJloping ... . ... . ....3 ...... .. ... .J pistoV 6 rifle
'Mowmenl Spud penaltifs never modify move ment actions. only gunfight related actions. "Dodging reducts actual mowment Spud by one degree.

Mechanical Rlilure
Bclow are the descriptions or the possible mcchanical ra ilures ror firearms. Ir the table indicates a result that does not affect that type or weapon (ror example, broken cylinder rod for a gun without a cylinder), do nOI reroll; the shooter gOt lucky and there's no adverse effect ror that mishap . Butts tock/Grip: The buttstoc k (rine or shotgun) or grip (pistol) is badly broken. A long gun with a broken buttstock ca n no longer be shoulder fired or aimed (in other words, all shots are hipshots). A pistol with a badl y broken grip cannOt be fired. C ylind er Rod: Th e cyl inder will not remain in place and rall s ou! when the cyli nder rod is broken. Obviously, th e gu n cannot bc fired. No effect on gu ns without cylinders. Eje ctor / Extrac tor: A broken ejector (in thc case of a rine or most pistols) or extractor (in Ihe case of a shotgun) won't eject spent cartridge cases. A rine with a broken ejector cannot be fired since a casi ng remains lodged in the gun. T he affected shotgun barrel cannOt be reloaded. A pistol (or revolving riOe) can no longer be fired on ce oul or shots. HalDlDe r: Wh en the hammer breaks, the firin g pin or primer eannot be struck, rendering the gun useless

Since moving and shooling are completely separate act ions, all players need to keep track or their moving and shooting actions separately. T his is handled during the Count Up in exactly th e same way as each moving and shooti ng were handled bero re: declare your action and it occu rs at the time it takes to complete.

For example, M iguel Martine:::. Garcia (from the previous example) wants 10 ride his horse down Ihe slmt whilefin'ng as fast as he can from his six-shooler al Marshal Cody, wllo's slandlllg in the slrul. /..e/'s assume this gunjight is afread), in progress, the Count Up is a194, and Coqy hasjuslfirtd a shot on COUllt 94 - missing M iguel. Miguel already has his weapon drawn .

TAELE 3.2-13: MISHAPS 8. FAILURES

RclL(.dllill) Mi,b'pLE,mm
F~ilurcs

SUETABLE 3.2-13A: MECHANICAL FAILURES

BclL(.dJOO) Mi,b.pwil=
01-09 ......... Buttstock/ grip 1018 .........Cylinder rod 1927 ......... EjeClor/ exluctor 28-36 ......... Himmer 37'15 ........ .I ntern)l put 46-54 ........ Lever 55-61 ......... Loiding gile 62-71 ......... Migazine spring 72-80 . . ....... Miinspring 81-90 . .. ...... Sight 91-100 .. . . .. .. Trigger

01-02 ....... Consult Subublc 3.2-13A:

Mcchaic.J.l Ammo FJi/urc

03-]0 ....... Dud

11-12 ........ UnderlOid, minor 13-14 ....... UnderlOid, ffiljor 15 .......... Blown primer or overloid

(50% chi OCt of either) 16-19 ....... Cise scpH.l.tion

20-21 ...... .Incorrect sizing_ ffi.l.jor 22-23 ...... .Incorrect sizing. minor 24 ......... Ch.l.infirc
25 ......... Fhmillg debris Cedt Flijutc

26 ......... Boot/ foOlgCiT brc.l. ks 27-29 _. _.... S.l.ddlcb.l.8 bmks 30-32 ....... Belt / holster brc.l.ks
33 ... . .. Holster loosens

34-35

.... Shirt lem

36-37 ....... Vest rips 3840 .. ButtoD pops 41-42 ....... Hat torD 43-44 ....... Piots leH 45-47 ....... Sick/ big/ pucci bmks AcciacntlJ Shots 48-50 ....... Hil bystander 51 -53 ...... .shot neuby livestock/ horse 54-56 ....... Diffiige building 57 -59 _______ Damige uec/cicluS 60-63 _. _.. __ Fire during duw (dlO: I guze own fOOl; 2 shoot own fOOl; J.IO shoot ground) 6'1-65 ....... Acc idenlil disc huge Hindfilnce 66-69 __ .. __ SwCit in eyes 70-73 ....... Smoke in eyes 7'1-77 ....... Sun/ glire in eyes 7S-S0 _..... .smoke obstructs view Clumsiness SI-S4 ...... .stumble S5-S7 ....... Slip 8S91 ....... Off bilincc 92-94 ....... Dislm.ted 95-97 ....... Drop wCipon 98-100 ...... Non weipon injury

:iO

for shooting. Only affects one barrel of a shotgun (most recently fired). Interna l Part : An intern al part breaks preve nting the gun from revolving or cycling. No effect for shotguns. Leve r: When a rifl e's lever breaks the act ion won't cycle and the rifl e call no longe r be fired. No clTecr on pistOls and shotgu ns (or rifles without a levcr). Loading Gate : T he side of the cylinder rCIll<lins un covered whc n the load ing gate breaks. When the cylinder is uncove red, the cartridges fall out and /o r jam the cylinder. O nly affects re\'olving gu ns with load ing gates. M agazine Spring: 1\"0 effect unless the weapon is a rifle with a magazine. When the magazine spring brea ks, the cart ridges won't load from t hc magazine and shooler will have 10 hand load each bullet. Mainspring : When Ihe mainspring breaks, the hamm er won't drop and the gun cannot be fired . Only affects one barrel of a shotgun (most recently fired l. Sight: Rifle (or target pistol) has a broken sight no effect for a shotgun or other pistol). Rifle cannOt be aimed or aimed ca refully. Topl ever: Shotgun's topleyer breaks (no effect for rifles or pistols). Since the action can't open, th e gun ca nnot be reloaded. Trigger: The trigger mechanism breaks inside the gu n, which can no longer stay cocked. The shooter must now manuall y drop th c hammer or fanfire the gun (-2 to Accuracy). O nly afleets one barrel of a shotgun (most reccntly fired).

fired unt il the case is removcd (with a special tool). No effect for shotguns or on additional chambers. C bainfire: A chain fire ca n only occur with a cap and ball revolvcr or Remington re\'olving rifl e. Id6-1 addi donal shots fire . T he shooter suffers Id6-1 damage 10 the hand. Dud: T he cartridge or shell didn't ignite. Apart from the dead round being in need of ej ect ion , no other adverse effects. Fla ming Debris: Flaming debris shoots from the ba rrel , se tting firc to any cu rmi ns o r othe r flammabl es in the area. Inc orreC I Sizing, Minor: T he ca nridge was of the wrong sizc and the shot was never fired. The gun is now j ammed and must be recycled to clear the poorly sized ca rtridge. No effecl for shotguns, pis LOis o r riflc s with cylindc rs. Incorr ect Sizing, Major: The ca rtridge was of the wrong size and thc shot was nC\'e r fi red. T he gun is now jammed and must bc disasscmbled 10 clear the poorly sized ca rtridge. :'\0 effect for shotguns, pistols or rifles with cylinders. Ove rlo a d : The bullet or shell was packed with LOO much pm,de r causing it LO explode in the ba rrel or cylinder (for cylinder-based weapo ns). The gun is destroyed and th e shooter suffers I d4- 1 damage to Ihe hand. If this results in D, roll Id4- 1 10 the fa ce. If the fa ce result is also D. roll 1(14- 1 to the head. If this results in 0, roll Id4-1 10 th e nec k. If thc ncck result is also 0, the shooter escaped an ago nizing accident. U nde rload , Minor: A mum ed report lets [he shoote r know his shot failed to hit the mark beca use il dropped h<lrmlessly int o th e dirt due to an underload. Unde rloa d, Major: r\ major underload has virtually no report and moreover the bullet tra\'c!s virtu<llly nowhere; il is now lodged in the h<lrrcl rendering the gun useless until rep aired. Any shooter failing an Int check with a - 10 bonus to the roll will go ahead and fire fhe next shot. If thi s happens, the gun blasts open (destroying il) and Ihe shoot er su ffers Id4-1 damage to the hand. If this results in 0, roll Id4-1 to the face. If the face result is also 0, rollld4-1 to th e head. If this results in 0, roll Id4-1 \0 th e neck. If the neck result is also 0, consider the doh lucky. Of coursc, you ha\'c to be dumber'n cowcrap \0 shoot a gun again after a major u nderload. Fo r shotgu ns, treat this result as a i\'Iinor Underload result.

Ammo ll!iiure
Below arc the descriptions of thc possibl e ammunition failure s for firea rms. If the table indicates a result that does not affcct that type of weapon (for example, incorrcct sizing for a pistOl or shotgun), do not rero!!; the shooter got lucky and there's no adverse effect for that mishap. Blown Primer: T he primcr blows off causing gas and/or debris to shoot back into the shooter's facc. For pistol s: The shooter suffers Id4- I damage to th e face . If lhe fa ce result is 0, roll Id4-1 to the head. If this results in 0, roll Id4-1 to the neck. If lhe neck result is also 0, rhe shooter escaped a painful mi shap. For rifles and shotguns: usc th e sa me p rocess but replace lhe d4 with a d6. Cas e Separati on : T he case se parates and only the head of the ca rtridge is extracted. The rifle cannot be

GeBI Failure
Belt/Holster Bre aks: Buckl e breaks droppi ng belt or tears at se am (75/ 25 percent chance of e<leh).

,5 1

Boot/Footgear Breaks: Sale or heel panially separates or tears from top or cracks (50/50 percent chance of either). Button Pops: Shooter pops a button on shin, pants, vest or coat (50/50 percent chance of either). Hat Torn: Shooter tears his hat. If not worn. no effect. Holster Loosens: Holster loosens causing a +2d6 Speed pena lty to any d raw attempts. If not worn, no effecl. Pants Tear: Shooter tears his pants. If nOt worn. no effect. Sack/Bag/Parcel Breaks: A sack, bag or parcel rips open at the scam, spilling 1-10 percent of its conte nts per second. If more than one bag. roll randomly. If not worn, no effect. Saddle Bag Breaks: A saddlebag rips open al the scam, spilling 1-10 percent of its coments per second. If more than one saddle bag, roll randomly. If not worn, no effecl. Shirt Tears: Shoote r tears a scam or pocket on shi n (50/50 percent chance of ei lher). Vest Rips: Shoote r tears a seam or pocket on \'(Sl
(50/50 percent chance of either).

IIindrance
SDloke in Eyes: Shooter has smoke in his eyes and suffers a -4 Accuracy penalty for any shots fired during the next 15 Counts. SDloke Obstructs View: Smoke obstruc ts the shooter's view of the fi ring arc he's shooting in. Any additional shots fired that direction in the next 10 Counts arc at a -3 Accuracy penalty. Sun lGlare in Eye s: The sun, lamplight or a reflection temporarily blinds the shooter. He suffers a -10 Accuracy penalty for any shots fired during the next 5 Counts. Sweat in Eyes: Shooter has sweat in his eyes and suffers a -6 Accuracy penalty for any shots fired during the next 10 Counts.

Clumsiness
Distra cted: Something in the \'icinity distracts shooter: a bird flying past. someone he knows, a prostiulle calling, whateycr is appropriate al the time. Shooter suffers a 5 COUIll delay. Drop Weapon: Shooter drops weapon and must retrieve it. Roll a d 12 fo r direction (as a clock with 12 o 'clock the front facing of the shooter) and a d4 for distance in feet (penetration rules apply). Off Balance: Shooter falls off balance and suffers a -2 to Accuracy for 10 Counts. If moving at a run or sprilll, must make a Dexterity check or fall prone. Slip: Shooter slips 011 mud. blood, water, whiskey or whatever else mighl be nearby. If moving faSler tha n a stroll, he suffers a Speed penalty of 10. Additionally. if moving at a jog, run or sprint, the character must make a Dexterity check or fail prone. -4 to Accuracy for 10 Counts. Stumble: Shooter stumbles. If moving fasler than a walk. he suffers a Speed penalty of +5. If moving at a run or sprint, the character must make a Dexterity check or fall prone. -2 to Accuracy for 5 Counts.

Accid ental Sbots

Accide ntal Di scharge: Shooter accidentally discharges imo the air or ground. Damage Building: Shoote r accidentally shOalS out a window. door hinge. sign. or other building pan in field of fire. Randomly determine location, if necessary. If none available, no effect. Damage Tree/Cactus: Shooter accide ntally shoots a tree, cactus or other plant in field of fire. If none available, no effect. Fire During Draw: Shooter fires during draw (roll a d 10, I graze own fOO l, 2 shoot own foot. 3- 10 shot ground). Disregard if 2nd or later shot andlor the gun was drawn previous to shol.

Hit Bystande r: Shooter acciden tally shoots a bystander in field of fire. Randomly determine injury location. If none available, no effecl. Shot Ne arby Livestock/Horse : Shooter accidentully shoots a mount or livestock in field of fire. Randomly dete rmine injury location. If none available, no effect.

NON-WEAPON INJURIES
A non-weapon injury occurs when a character suffers a hyperextension, pulled muscle, sprain or twis!. First. to deter mine injury locat ion, roll d'l!o on Table 3.2- I 4: . \'i.m~ lI'eapol/ II/jIlT)' Location. The following general effects apply to non-weapon injury results. Hyperextension: A body pan bends or extends beyond its normallimi! to cause bone and lor ligament damage.

52

TABLE 3.2-14: NON-WEAPON INJURY LOCA TION

R Q 1L(dIOO)
07-12 ...... ..
LOC~lioD
.fOOT -

01-06 . ........ foot - rig hT

Sprain: A sprai n is similar to a pulled muscle, but with more stretching and tearing - and much more painful. Sprain in the back , hips or lower extreIDities: The character su ffers a +4 penalty to Speed for all movement related actions (but not mounted movement) for Id6 days. Sprain in the arID, shoulder, n eck or back: T he character suffers +2 Speed penalty for shoot ingrelated acti\'ities i.e., nOt movement) and a penalty of - ld4 to Accuracy for ld6-l days. Natu rally, if it is an arm or shoulder injury, he also d rops any items carried by that limb. Twist: When a characte r su ffers a twist, he slightly st retches a (non-joim) muscle. Twist in the back , hips or lower e xtreIDities: Th e cha racter suffers a + I penalty 10 Speed for all movement related actions (but nOt mounted mm'emen!) for I d3 days. Twist in the ann, shoulder, nec k or back: The character suffers + I Speed penalty for shoot ingrelated actiyities i.e., not movement) and a penalty of -I to Accuracy for Id3 days. ~aturally, if it's an a rm or shoulder injury. he immediately drops any items carried by that limb.

left

13-1 9 ..... 1Dk1C- rig ht 2026 ......... lDk lc - left 27-32 .... ... knee - right 33-38 ......... knee - left 39-4'1 ..... .... hip - right 4550. . . . .h ip - left 51-56 ......... wrist - rig ht

57-6 2 ......... wr is t

ltf!

63-68 ........ elbow - right

69-74 ........ elbow - left 75-80 ......... shoulder - right 81-86 .... .. ... shoulder - left

87-93 ......... nec k 94-100 .... .... back

After determining IOCHioD. fol1 a d/O to feuD whH type of injury results.

Boll(d.lO) Non:..W.cap.on Injul-r-IyjU: 01-03 .... .....Twist

04-06 ... ..... P ulled M uscle

07-09 .........Spuin
10 .... ....... Hyperexte nsion
Hyperextension in the bac k, hips or lower e xtreIDities: The character su ffers a +5 penalty to Speed for all movement related actions (but nOt mounted movement) for 2d6 weeks. Hyperextension in the arID , s houlder, n eck or back: The character suffers a +3 Speed penalty to shooting-related activities (i.e., not movement) and a I d4 Accuracy penalty for 2d6 weeks. Naturally, if it is an arm or shoulder injury, he immediately drops auy it ems carried by that limb. Pulled Muscle: \\Then a character pulls a muscle, one or more joint tissues stretch or tear. Pulled IDuscle in the bac k , hips or lower extreIDeties: The character su ffers a +2 penalty to Speed for all movement related ac tions (but not mounted movement) for 2d6 days. Pulled IDuscle in the arID, shoulder, nec k or back: the character sutTe rs +2 Speed penalty for shoot ing-related activit ies (i.e., not movement) and a penalty of -I d3 to Accuracy for 2d6 days. ~a turally, if it is an arm or shoulder inj ury, he immediately drops any items carried by that limb.

CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT

Whether a brawl gone bad, a knife fight, a savage attack or some other situation, at some point you will be faced wilh the situation of mortal combat in close quarters. Fighting in this manner is resolved in a similar fasbion to gunfights. Even ts still occu r over time, but typi cally, attacks are much quicker (sec Table 3.215: Basic C1Qse QjtaT(er Actiolls).

TABLE 3.2-15: BASIC CLOSE QUARTER ACTIONS

We~ponbOlSl:d

AlUck with

R t~dicd

Thrusting

Wc~poo

........ .

Atuck .... ith Rwlicd Swio ging WClpoD WClpons RCld)' Speed

Coupts . .2 ...'1
Rcco"cr S~td

. .1 .............3 . .5 .. .. .... .12 B l rODt!....... ..1 ..... 2 Bouk ....................... ...2 .. .4 Bowie Knife . .... .... ..1 .. ..2 Buttsloc k. pommel.............. ..0 . . ..2 C lub (uble leg. dllir. tIC.) .. ..2 .... . ... .. iO;lilJ Cub ........ .... ..0 ...... .......2 Kpj(c . .. .....................0 .. ..1 Axc. hlDd ..he. woo<kuttipB . .
Loog guo. swung. . .......S .

. .10

PiSTol whip .. ....... . ............... .1 .............3 PUDch/mike (fisi . shoulder. knee ) .......0 ........ .2 Spel' ... . . ........... .J ..... ..2

53

--To make an atlack in close quarter combat, follow the Shooting Procedure outlined previously, with one modification: the Target Silhouette for the defendcr must be chosen based on the type of weapon and/or attack made. Thrusting weapons (knife, bayonet, spear, buustock) use the standard T arget Silhouette based on the facing of the opponent (typically directly toward you). If you have additional Target Silhouettes (available separatcly), then use a Target Silhouette turned 90 degrees (to the side most likely) for hacking weapons (axes, bowie knives, clubs, swung long guns, etc.). A top view is also possible if the attacker specifically states a downswing.
Ready: Ready indicates the time it takes to move a weapon from a rclaxed hcld position to a ready-toattack position. For example, holding a club in your hand is not a Ready position, but holding it drawn back to your shoulder, ready to swing on some poor dude, is the Ready position (for a club). Attack with Readied Thrusting Weapon: It takes a mere 2 Counts to poke some feller with a readied thrusting weapon. T hrusting weapons include all

weapons that you primarily poke people with. T hese include fists, most knives, bayonets, spears, grabbing people, jabbed buttstocks, etc.
Attack with Readied Swinging Weapon: It takes 4 Counts to whack your rival with a readied swmgmg weapon. Swinging weapons include all weapons that you primarily hack, swing or slash at folks. These include clubs, bottles, bowie knives, swung long guns, axes, pistOl whipping, etc. Recover: Recove r indicates the time it takes to move a weapon, whether JUS t swung or jabbedlthrustcd, back to a ready held position. For example, the time it takes to fe-heft a woodcutting axe after taking a chop with it is the recovery lime (in this case 12 Count).

Clo se Quar!er Accuracy Modi fi ers

All standard Accuracy modifiers apply, including those for wounds and range (Accuracy is +8 for under 5 feet). Beyond Accuracy modifiers, twO additional modifiers apply to the attacker's To-hit roll: the attack-

51

er adds his Dexte rity Accu racy ~'I odifier and deducts the defender's Dex terity Accuracy Modifier.

tati ng the club hit, the more deep the knife thrust, and so on.

Lei's say Ihal Clay Powell is in a salooll, IInder attackJrom AnlOllio Jllan Julio J I/igllelll/arline.:, all al/g')' valjuero with (I wlliskry hollfe. It takes Antonio 2 Counls to rea1J' Ihis u'eapon and 4 Counts 10 swing i/ (as he would a hacking weapoll), so il lakes 6 Coullifor Alliollio s blow 10 strikt. Bolh comba/allts are within 5 fotl, so AII/ollio rueives a +8 hOlillS to Accuracy. adding a +1 bO/llls dlle to his 12 Dexterity scort and a -2 pmallj due 10 Clafs I" Dtxterify score. Alltollio's 10/01 To-hil modifitr IS -I (/-2=- 1) plus 8for A[cllra~)" ght.) hill! a +7 10101. Afltr his allark. illakes Antonio .j COllllts to bring [/lis weapon up IIgaill for (llI o/l,er IIllack. III allo/Jur example. Alliollio takes care rif CllIlllud moves on to tlu bartender. Bolh combatOllis are willJill 5 Jeel. so Alltollio rueives IIIe +8 bOl/us to ACCI/rary for rallge and adds a + 1 bonlls due 10 his 12 Dexteril)' Storr. Howel'er, Ihe barlrndrr has an 8 Dexterity (- I modifier). /11 Ihis case. AII/Mios lotal Tohil modifitr is +2 (1-(-/)=2) pltu 8Jor Aauracy gll"iS him a + I 0 modifier lotal.

NolL', fel's say Ihal Alliollio Jllall Julio Miguel Martint<:. pulls oul a Bowie kll!ft alld stabs tlte barttl/der in Ihe chtst. 01' Alltollio has (/ +1 Strenglh BOllus (12 Sirenglh), so he denls Id4+ I poinls rif damage, il/s/tad flj the standard Id4.

W reslling
Sometimes one or both opponents may want \0 grapple and wrestle rather than shoot, st ab or beat. Perhaps one opponctlt is desirous of subduing the other, or he might be unarmcd and is looking to grab his opponem's \\eapon. In thesc instances, the <lltac.ker makes a wrestling or grabbing attack. T hese are resolved the same "'ay as Close QuaneI' Combat with all grabbing attacks couming as thrusting wcapons. A result th<lt hits anywhere on the opponent's T<lrget Silhouelle indicates a successful grab in that location. Any Accuracy penalties for wounds apply to an to-hit and conteslCd rolls during wrestling.

Close Quarler Wounding

Close Quaner Wound damage occurs much like with ranged weapons. Each \\'eapon has a range of possible damage just as with guns, but unlike firearms the attacker adds his Strength bonus (or penalty, but remember that damage ca nnOt be reduced to less than zero). T hus, the stronger the attacker, the more devas-

For (.-.:amp":. Bill.;' Bob Oa.ens gets 11/ a salooll fight with Cluestrr Halt:kim. Cht.JfrrS pltl)tf dedares Ihal Cheslrr draws his piswt. Ralhrr tltUII 11"..1' to outdraw Clus/tr: Billy Bob's pla;'tr decidls tllat he'5 goillg If) grab for Cltester's gml !talld. Bif!y Bob's modified Spud alld dec/a red action tet him act wIlen the CoulIl Up rtadus 3, alld 011 this COIIIII. Bif(), Bob grabsJor Chester's wrisl.

--,

""

.~

55

Billy Bob's pla),eT makes his To-hil roll as normal, IIsillg Ihe Slwt Clock alld Targel Sillwutlle. His modified roll and his card draw are bolh good, so he successfully grabs Chester's wrist. Now, these two rascals are wrestlillg witll eadl other.
Arter grabbing an opponent, the attac ke r can altempt 10 lOSS him down (except arm results), fight for a weapon on the body pari gra bbed, hold him or injure him. Each of these requires the attacker to beal the defender with a contested attack roll using either Strength or Dexterity as the basis (attacker's choice). To make a contested roll, each player rolls a d 20 and adds her character's relevant ability (eithe r Strength or Dexte rity); the highe r roll wins, tied rolls (modified) go to the defender or otherwise result in a draw, but not a reroll. The defender may break away from the hold on his auack by making a successful cOllies led roll of the defender's choice. Additionally, the grabbed defender needn't make a successful grab a\tempt before making a wrestling attempt he's already locked-in thanks to his opponent's grab. Th e players take turns making contested roils, cach roll taking 20 Count in time.

Wisdom check or drop the weapon to the ground. Only two consecutive Dexte rity -b ased Fi ght for Weapon attacks will allow either wrestler to gain con trol of a gun dropped on the ground. Any playe r in cont rol of a p istol (but not a long gun) may attempt to discharge it at his opponent once per 20 Count while wrestling. If he wants to take this chance, he'll need to roll a d6 and consult Table 3.2-16: Pislol Discharge During IlImtliTlg.

Billy Bob 's determiTled to gel thaI gun awa)' from Chesler. so on his next aclioll, he tries tofightfor the weapon. Bil!y Bob's Stre1lglh score is 16, and he rolls a d20 for a resull oj II,for a 10101 oj 27. Chesler, on fhe other hand, rolls a 14, but his Strenglh score is OI/ly II, so his total is 25. Billy Bob willS again, looselling Cllesler's grip. When his next action comes up (afler another 40 COUlit - 20 Jar Chesler's aclioll 0I1d anolher 20 IIlIli! Billy Bob's IItxl action), Billy Bob can try 10 gellhe pislol olll of Clltsla's hand. In the meanlimt. however, Clusler decides to }ire Ihe pistol 01 Billy Bob while Ihey're strugglillgJor (olltrol. He rolls a 3 all a 1d6, meaning Ihe pistol }ires bllt misses Bil!;' Bob (and Chester himself, for thai mat/er). Chester can }ire or wrestle agaill In OIlOlher 40 Count, but Billy /Job 's turn comes bifore thaI. Bil!;' Bob still wallts Ihal Pislol, so 1I0W he makes anolher d20 roll (uith a mllit oj 6) alld adds his Dexteri!>, (ill Ifljs case. 12) for a tolal oj 18. Chesler has a 14 Dexterig; alld he rolls a 19 Jar a resull if 33. Cluster uills, so he keeps conlrol oj ti,e gllll. Billy Bob still wallis Ihal glln, bill what Billy Bob doesn't know is Ihat was Chesler's last shot; the glln is emp!>'. Chesler decides Ill's going 10 try and toss this big oaJ down .
Toss Opponent Down: To throw an opponel1l down, the attacker needs to sllcceed at either a contested Strength or Dexterity attack . Success with either throws down his opponen t. Success with a Strength-based attack inflicts damage up 10 a maximum of the attacke r's damage adjustment (the a11acker may choose 10 inflict less or zero damage on the defender). A tie indicates both opponents fall, but neithe r suffer damage.

Chesler's action COllies up lIexl, and II( duides to try to slip away Jrom Billy Bob IIsillg his Dexterif)' rather Ihml musele his way oul wilh his Strength. Cll(ster rolls a d20 Jar a mull oj 8, alld adds IllS 14 Dexlerity abili!>, score instead oj his 11 Strengtll,for a lotal oj 22. Billy Bob only has a 12 Dt.tleri(l score, bu.t ht rolls a 15. for a 10101 oj 2 i. Cllesta isnt goillg all)'wlwe.
I f a cha rac ter tries to grab another armed character and misses, that armed character can go ahead and shoot but might be delayed if he had to move his gun or body to dodge the grab. If the aHacker rolled a 15 or highe r on his grab attempt , that attack forced the armed defender to movc about and that a rmed character suffe rs a +5 Speed penalty to his next attack. Fight for Weapon: If the attacker attempts to wrest control of a weapon from the defende r, he needs to sLlcceed in one Strength attack to loosen his opponem's grip, then a second Dexterity-based Fight for Wea pon attack to grab co ntrol of the loosened weapon. If the first Strength-based Fight for Weapon attack succeeds and the Dexterity Fight for Weapon attac k fails, the defender must make a standard

T ABLE a.216: PISTOL DISCHARGE DURING WRESTLING

Roll (d6) Result
[ ........ Opponent m~y mempt ~ shot with Shot Clock but wilh no Accur~cy modifier for riDge 2 .. ......unno l dischuge 3-4 .. . ... .shot dischugcs indfeelivcl) .>-6 . .... . .shooter m~y mempt I shot with ShO TClock bUT wi th no A ccur~ty modifier for ruge

The sly Cllesla knows he's 1101 as strollg as Billy Bob, so he decides to u.se a Dexlen!>'-based attack 10 toss I,is OPPOlltllt. Cllester makes a d20 roll (witll a mult oj 10) and adds his 14 Dfxterity for a lola! oj 24. Bil!;' Bob rolls a 14, addillg his 12 Dexteri!>, for a resllit oj 26. Chesler's tossillg at/empt Jailfd. and bolll combalOllts rell/am upnghl.
Injure Opponent: To injure an opponcnt, the attacker needs to makc a contested Strength attack. Success injures his opponent in the body part held for up to a maximum of the attacker's damage adjustment

56

the attacker may choose to inflict less or zero damage on the defender.
. VOU\ Billy Bob's kinda IIpstt that Chuta trird to toss him, alld ht's gonna tll:ist Chtsttr's arlllwhm ht's holding it. Bil!y Bob rolls a d20 alld gits a 13, adding his 14 Strmgth for a total of 2 7. Chuttr rol/s a 7, al/d adds his I J Strmgth for a rrsult tif 17. BilO Bob dials 2 points tif dalllagi, s;nu his /4 /23 Strrllgth storr has a Damagt Alijustmtnt 4 +2. It IlIIrts, bul Chisltr a;II't givillg up )tl.

Hold Opponent: To hold down a cowpoke. the attacker needs to make a contested Strength attack against an al ready-grabbed opponent. Succcss indicates he's gOt a firm hold on him. There's nothing stopping more than onc or cven up to six guys from trying to hold onc man down. T hey each make a separate Hold O pponent attack on their turn . Attacks arc made at +4 for every additional body grabbing or holding the victim (including the attacker). O nce held , a feller can only try to break away and nuthin' more.
Sinft Chtsler's s/illjigllting. Billy Bob 's gonlla IT)' and hold him still. Billy Bob ralls a d20 and gils a 16. adding his 12 Slrrng/h for a total oj 28. Chrs/ir rolls a 5. adding his II Sireng/hfor a (otal4 16. Billy &b Ii'ins and managrs to hold Chtsler dowI/.

adva nced weapon s tables sec Chapttr 3.5!FiTlarms~ reflect these differences. Add itionally, certai n modifiers arc ba sed not on the weapon and modell)1)e, but the actual gun itself. Variations in manufacturi ng, care, sighting a nd feel ca use shooters (0 be morc accurate with their olIn weapons than those borro\\'cd pe rhaps from a fallen foe. Tablt3.2-17: Personai l l tapon .\ lodifitrs reflects this handicap in game terms. UnfalYlili a r With Weapon: Being unfamiliar \\'ith the way a weapon discharges carries penahies 10 both Speed and Accuracy. Any weapon fired br a character 100 times eliminates this penalty. Using Your We apon: After flring a weapon 100 times, the character no longer receives penalties fo r being unfamiliar Ilith it. T he character need not actually own the weapon ; it can be borrowed, for example. T he 100 shOis need nOt be fired in anger: simply taking a box of J 00 shells and practicing outside of (O\\'n will do the tric k. Using SaOle Weapon Make and Model as Your \Ve apon : While flring a nell' weapon alwars cau,es a penalty. the differences arc slimmer in the ca ...e where a characte r u~cs the same make and model of a weapon that he already fired 100 times. For example, a cha racter that owns a Colt Peacemaker can pull a different Peacemaker rrom a dead man"s hol ster and use that almost as effectively as his oll"n Colt. Using Your Signature Weapon : Each character ca n make o ne weapon that he's fired at least 500 times his signalUre weapo n. He mU Sl choose a particular make, model , caliber, et c. Gunmcn oftcn become known fo r carrying that particu lar gun. and there's good reason for that: a character gai ns a I point bonus to both Speed and Accuracy when using that weapon . A character call ncver change his signature weapon; once a character chooses a particular gun for this esteemed role, that particular \\'capon is his signa ture weapon rorcvcr.

Break Away : To break away from one or more foes, the held character needs to make a contested Stre ngth attack. Success loosens the hold of the other guy. If there are several dudes holding one guy he 'll have to beat each of them in a Strength a!lack.

if Billy Bob's holding Chesltr. film Ch esttr can't attack, but he can attempt 10 brrak away. Of CO/lrSt, he really nttds a good roll. Fortllnately, Glm teT rolls a d20 for a resllil oj 18, adding Ilis J J Stretlglh 10 gel 29. Billy Bob, 011 Ihe olher hand, onty rolls a 9, adding liis 12 Strength for a total rif 21. O ester breaks away.

* MORE ADVANCED RULES *

ADVANCED WEAPON-BASED MODIFIERS
O bviously, you ca n draw different wcapons at differC ill speeds, evcn wit hin thc sa mc category - such as revolvers. Fast d raw pieccs \\~th shorter barrels and a quick draw rig d raw far quicker than a long barrelcd model with a cross-draw holste r. T he statistics in the

ADVANCED AC TIO N-BASED MODIFIERS

Certain shooter action s ca n imp rove or reduce firing Accuracy as set ro rth in Table 3.2- 18: A ftion- Bastd
J/odifim.

TABLE 3,2-17: PERSONAL WEAPON MODIFIERS

AC lioD Speed Accu n cy Unfl miliu . itb wupon ................ . ... Z ... .. .. .. -2 UsiDg your .. upon . .. ... . .... . ......... . ... 0 ...... , .. 0 Using ume wel po n model 15 your wCl pon . ... . I .. .. . ..... J Using your sigD l turc wu pon .. . ............. 1 . .. , . . ... +1

St e ady Hand : This maneuve r im'oh'CS bringing a second hand up to hold steady a pistol held in the other hand. A slight loss in Speed is balanced by an increase in Acc uracy. A character ca n on ly perform a Steady Hand action if the second hand is free/empty. This action only applies to p istols. Fire Deliberately: T hose gunslingers capablc of taking their time in the face of enemy fire, in order to make their Accuracy more ce rt ain, are known as delib-

5i

TABLE 3.2-18: ACTION BASED MODIFIERS

Action Speed
" tCUrley

SIndy Hud (pislol onl y) . ... , ............. 2 ... ... . .. +2

Fi re DdibmtcJy. pislol .. . . ... .. ...... 4 ... .. .. . . +2 Ti king Cm ful Ai m. piSTOl .......... 10 ........ +3 Fire Delibmtcl y. rifle . . .... . ............... 8 .. . .. ... . +i Ti kiog urdul Ai m. rifle .. . .............. 20 ... +6

u y; ol! Prone ...... ... . . .. .. .......... 4 . ... .. ... +2 of Opponept .... . . .. . . ........ 10 ... . ... . 0 Restipg WCipoP ODsolid object , .... , ....... ," ..... . . +2 (+ 1) ResTing Wupon ODbOIse (live) . .. .. .... . . .. +1 (-4) lDd shOI i t Slrn c u rgtl ...... . ..............' ......... +1
UOiWUC

Jrd+ sbol i l $.l.mc UIgCI .. . ... . ............" .... +2 Second shol in <het ...... . .. .. ............." .......... 1

Taking C areful Aim: Taking carefu l aim invokes sighting a target for 1-2 seconds while maintaining relaxed or controlled breathi ng in order to ma ke the shot count. You cannOt combine this action with Firing Delibe rately. A man Firi ng Deliberately can choose nOI to shoot and conlinue aim ing to gain the Taking Careful Aim bonus, but only one bon us is thereby obtained (the greater one - Taking Careful Aim). Injuring the shooter disrupts the Taking Careful Aim aClion; he will have to begin the 1-2 second (10 20 Count action anew if wounded. Likewise, a charactcr forced to ninch also loses any careful aim bonus and must start Taking Careful Aim anew. Laying Pron e : Laying nat allows the shooter to brace himself against a surface be it street, hillock or rooftop. Such a gunman fire s a bit slowly, but increases his chances of a successful shot. Additionally, the shooter presents a much smaller target to his enemies. Unaware of Oppon e nt: If one hombre knows the other is there and catches him unawa res, it putS such an hombre at an advantage. Or, said another way, the one caught by surprise is at a disadvantage. Any lime an opponent knows a cha racter is there but the larget is unaware of the opponent, the target character suffers a one second 10 Count penaity.

Third shoe ill <bee... . ...................... .J Fourth shoe ;11 <2 sec . . . ......... .. . .. 6 Fiflh ShOTill <2 sec .. . ............... -1 0 SiXTh ShOT;1I <lsee ...... .. .. .. ............. . . . . -15

crate shooters. Firing Deliberately rewards with increased Accuracy those with the gutS to stand in there and ignore their opponen ts' gunshots. Injuring the shooter d isrupts the Fire Deliberately action; if wounded, he must begin the 4 Count action anew to gain the Fi re Delibe rately modifiers. A ninehing charaCler also loses any deliberate fire bonus 'or must start a new Fire Deliberately action.

38

Resting Weapon on Solid Object: A shooter resting his gu n on a water Irough, rai ling, windowsill , dead horse or olher solid object affords himself an Accuracy advantage, In most instances, such a solid object also has the hel pful side effect of affordin g cover, Resti ng the weapon against the s ide of a solid object affords only half the Accuracy advantage, Resting Weapon on Horse: A shoote r resti ng his gu n on a li,'c horse or othe r creature such as mule, sheep, dog, partner's shoulder or wounded and prostrate individual affords him a small Accuracy advantage, In most instances, such gun rest also has the helpful side effect o f affo rding CO\'e r, at least unti l the fir st shot hits. Note that resting across the rib cage of a living crealUre provides no bonus, bUl rather a -+ penalt y, so take care to usc the hind quarters, shoulder. etc. 2nd Shot at Same Targe t: A second shot at the same non-moving or steadily-moving target lets a shooter beller home in on his target because he can see how fa r off he was and adjust (o r keep doing the sa me thing in the case of a hit. If the target is dodging, moving irregularly or if line of sight is broken including the shooter flin ching or ducking this bonus does not apply. 3rd+ Shot a t Same Target: Each successi"e shot at the sa me non-moving o r steadily moving target letS a shooter bette r hone in on his target, but with a maximum adva mage at three shots. As with the second shot , if the target is dodging, movi ng irregularly or if line of sight is broken (including the shoote r flinching or ducking) this bonus docs not apply. Second, etc., Shot in less than Two Seconds: Firing more rapidl y than one shot e"ery 2 seconds ca uses inaccuracies due to fa ctors such as fast cocking and recoil. Failing to take the time to steady a weapon on ly inc reases the problem.

result. This allo\\'s for damage results of one or 0 minimum ; no negati\'c results in Cl ose Quarter Combat sit uations whe re the attacker has a Strength damage bonus. Thus, e"en characters with 18 Strength can sometimes injure a foe with a light sc ratch. One exceptio n: da mage from ranged weapo ns never penetrates down .
For tA-amplt, ThtodoTt 'I 'ilty, a strong folia with a +3 10 damagt Oil alCounl oj his Slrtllgll" whacks a cowpokt in Iht htad witl, his rifltjor 2d6 points oj damagt. He rolls a I and a 4 on tht damagt diet. This is 1I0rmoily 5 poinls of damogt pillS anolha Ihrtt (3)for his SITtllgih adjustllltlltJor a total of 8. 8111 sillet ht ,0Utd 0 I, lit rolls and sublracls a d6-1 {and gtts a 5 all tlu dit. or a 4 for tIlt d6-1 reslllt),for 010101 dam agt of 4 (8--1). TlIOI still smarts bllt could'a bftn a lot worst.

Finally. some dice that penetrate usc different penetration dice. The larger dice, d 20 and d% (or d I 00), pe netrate with a d6 and d20 respecti\ely. Examples of use of large r dice include rolling To-hit, Ability Ch ecks and Skill Chec ks.

PRIMITIVE RANGED ATTACKS

Ranged attacks with primiti\'e projectiles such as kni,es. axes and the like. are handled in the sa me fashion as firearm~ .. \ character may shoot arrows or hurl other weapons O\-er an obstacle to hit a target that is either behi nd cover or obscured. TobIt 3.2-19: II/dimt Firt describes the To-hit penalty for this t)'Pe of attack.

TABLE 3.2-19: INDIRECT FIRE

Cover AccUrlty Modifier Shooliag bliDd. tOmplele cover ......... PUlil1 Co\'u .............. 1 10 7 H c~d sho ..iag oaly .................... 7 Upper chesl lad neck vi sible .......... .(j Solu plexus ~ad lbove vis ible .. . ...... .,; Covered from the 'nisl ............... 4 Covet from midthigh ................ 3 KDees ud k lo ..... ................. . -2 Feel IDd uklu co\'cted . .............. -I

.s

ADVANCED PENETRATION DICE

With Adva nced Penetration Dice you fo llow the sa me rules for Penetration Dice gi"e n at the end of ChaP/~r 2.2ISaaPtJ') but for all rolls, i.e .. not merely damage rolls. Except during cha racte r creation, wheneve r you roll maximum on a di e e.g., 6 on a d6, 4 on a d4, etc.), you immediately re-roll that die and add th e new die roll total minus one to the pre,;ous result. Furthermore , in lhe Ad\'anccd Penetration Dice rules, all dice also penetrat e downwa rd, that is, whenever you roll minimum on a die (e.g., I on a d6, I on a d4 , etc.), you immed iately fe-ro ll that d ie and deduct the new die roll tota l minus ail e from the previous

:\'ote that CO\'e r o n the Target Silhouette should be placed from the pe rspective o f the incoming projectile typica lly at 45 degrees from abo,c. This means that the target, unless he has eo,'er from above, loses some cover from the front. Adjust your cover representation by loweri ng it on the T arget Silhouette by 50'0 to refl ect this fa ct.

La Reala
Use of 10 rtota, o r the la riat , wo rks a little diffe rent ly lhan most other ranged primi tive \\'eapons. Like other primiti\'e ranged wea pons, a man has to have skill,

59

especially to rope a cow or person. So before a cowboy tries to lasso a calf or an opponent, he 'll need to possess the Rope Usc skill at Average mastery (or Advanced if on horseback) and then succeed in a skill check. If successfuL he can usc the Shot Clock to roll his Tohit. But on a 25 or higher, he's not only successfully hit his mark, he's caught the body part in question. A roped mall is considered grabbed and suffe rs all penalties associated with being grabbed. Two ropers working together or a single mounted roper can control a roped man , but on foot a contested

Strength check is required to con trol a roped hombre. Note: Unlike other ranged primitive weapons, the lariat is limited to a maximum range of 30 feet.

be aimed neither Carefully nor Deliberately; further, all rounds a rc considered Hipshol with respeCt to Accuracy modifiers. Explosives. in the form of dynamite and nitroglycerin, arc much more common in the typical tOwn.

ARTILLERY &. EXPLOSIVES

Larger artillery may come into play, especially if a military force is im'olved in the action. although civilians might al~o capture or find these weapons. The typ ical weapons of this type to turn up in the Shallered Frontier arc Gatling guns and small cannons. Shots fired from it piece of arliUery may

Galling Guns
The Gatling gun is a ten- barrel rifle that call fire up to 400 rounds per minute unde r ideal eondi1Ions. Turning a crank revolves the barrels and fires ofT the ~hots. L" n fort una lely, the guns now

become easily fouled in action COunt all .\ Iishap results of Clumsiness and Ammo Failure as jams that must be cleared by the gun crew taking 100 Count to clear. Under careful usc, the Gatling gun fires one shot per 3 Counts, but can be fired as fast as one shot per 2 Counts. In the laller usage case, all :'Ilishap results count as jams. T he Galling gun ope rator can change his field of fire anywhere within his frOI1l three arcs of fire without Speed penalty, but the penalty to .\cc uracy for chan~. ing arcs is doubled.

TABLE 3.2-20: DYNAMITE MAXIMUM RANGES

II of Sticks Muimum RInge 1 ....................... 100 2 .......................90 3 .... ..... ... ...........Il!) ........... ........... .70

TABLE 3.2-21: EXPLOSIVES DAMAGE

a. EFFECTS

Cannons
.\ Iost cannons used in the Shallered Frontier hurl l2pound shells, but can also be llsed for mOrtars and grapeshot. An experienced anillcry crew can fire a cannon once per 30 seconds .300 Co unt. Cannons arc typically used for larger scale militar~ operatio ns and rarely come into play.

Dis\,au (fttl ) Cuds D.lm.lge Die Specid ,,3 ......... .10 .. . ......dB .......J:)Wcn. Stun.. 0111 Cold J 105 .... ..... J .........d6 ....... J:)Wcn. Sruo, 0111 Cold 1 010 ......... ..5 . ........d4 ....... J:)Wcn.SIIlD.0IIICOId 10 IS ..........4 ..... ....dJ .......Dc.lfen to 20 ......... .J .........dJ .... .. Dcden .. ....... 2 .........dJ ,,30 ........ . .1 . .... . ... dJ

",-,

TABLE 3.2-22: SPEED OF IIURLED DYNAMITE

II of Slicks

Ex pi,,;v,s
Explosi\es arc far more common in the Shattered Frontie r than art illery. Because they arc used for mining and other demolition pu rposes, nitroglycerin and dynamite may be found in any mining community. Of course, it's incvitable that creati\'c hombres will try to find a way 10 blow their encmies 10 smithercens using dynamite and possibly nitroglycerin. Dynamite, having the distinct advantage of stabilit)~ is dearly the better choice for throwing at a ri\al. Four is the maximum number of sticks of dynamite that can be thrown any considerable distance. Characters that insist on thl"Owing nitroglycerin run the ri~k of detonation merely by the act of tOssing the cxplosive ' 20% chance}. In either casc, the following tables gi\c the full results and etTects of explosives thrown a nd delOnated ncar li\'ing creatures. For set explosi\'cs that happen 10 detonate at a time when folk s arc nearby, skip on down to TaM, 2. 3-2/: E\plosit'n Damagt and

1 2 3

......................... .s {eel/Coupl ......................... .s fttl/CouPt ......................... .s fcct/ ZCounts ......................... .s fcct/Z ClUPIS
Disupce Modifier (fttl)

Mo'emenl Speed

TAB L E3 .2 23: HURLED EXPLOSIVE DII!ANCE MODIIIERS

RInge (feel )

10 ... ........... . . . ............." , 15 .............. ..... ...... ..... .1 20 ............ .................dJ

30 . ............................d4
'10 ..........d6 11l .... ....... .............. ....dB 60 ............................dlO 80 .... ....... ...................d12 1110 ........ ...... ...............d12

TABLE 2.324 : EXPLOSIVE DISTANCE IROM TARGET

To-hil Roll I"cremenls Off Tugel

1.1+ .........................0 (Direel hit) 2024 .............................. [

19 ..............................2 IS .............................. .J 17 .............................. .4 16 ... ..... . ....... ..5 15 .... ....... .. . ......... . .......6 10 [5 ..... . ... ..... .............. .7

t.. 1fra s.

....

Determining Loca.tion of lIurled Explosives

If a hurled explosive such as dynamite) docs not result in a direct hil, you need to know just where that rascal landed. The distance you ' re ofT when ),ou toss a stick or more of dynamite depends on your To-h it roll .\ ccuracy and the distance you a rc from the target. If your throw is otT by a lillie bit , and you 're throwing a short distance, there won't be much of an etTect. On the other haml. if you're throwing a long way, being otT by JUSt a tad will ca use your tosS to go far wide. If you 're otT by a lot, whether it's short or long distance,

you might be in trouble. Table 2. 3-23: /-Iurled Explosivn Dis/allu Modifim and Table 2. 3-24: Etplosives Dis/ali ce From Targel arc used toget her to let yOlL know just how far ofT a throw might be. D raw a card and usc the Shot C lock laid nat on the table, to dete rmine in whic h direction your toss missed the target.

For f mmple. lei's sa)' that Chn Ur It'allts ,eullgt 0 11 Billy /Job. alld joT some reasoll dtcides that &lIallli/e is lite wa)' to go. Late olle lIighl. Itt spots Bill)' Bob abollt 20 JUI away! slagga-

(i!

ing Itome l!fter a good night tif carousing. Cluster lights tlufuse and Ihmws Ihe stick! Chester makes his To-hil roll (for txploslves, just a d20 plus tiny Accllrary bonus willt no range modifiers), gelling a rnull tif 12. According to Tablt 2.3-23: Explosives Distance From Target, thai mians tht 51ick IS 7 increments r:ifJ the target. Billy Bob (wlto's 100 daTIl drunk to even notice). ChiSler's disltlnct modifier for 20 fiil is a d3 (Set Table 2.322: Hurled Exp/osivts Distance M adifiers agam), sa Chester's throw is r:ifJ by 7d3 flet - in this case, he rolls a 15 for a lotal tif 15 ficl. Cllester's plapr /lOW places Ihe Shot Clock on the table in frolll tif himselj, visualizillg ChiSter as bemg r:ifJ tlte chart, below the . quadrant. He now draws a rard - 5. , whicll means llwt Chester's throw is qfJ ta tilt right tif the largel by 15 Jeet.

Special: If a special injury (Deafen and/or Stun) is listed then there is a chance that additional special effects beyond damage affect the viClim as described below. Deafen: Victim loses all hearing. After one complete second , a successful Constitution check indicates that hearing has returned. Every succeeding second the victim may continue 10 attempt a Con check until successfu l. Stun: If any of the damage cards drawn were a J oker or IWO \\"ere fa ce cards (including Aces), the victim is stunned for 2d6 Counts. A stu nned character is dazed, disoriented and otherwise unable to respond to his su rroundings. After the 2d6 Counts have ticked off, a successfu l Wisdom check indicates that the characte r is no longer stunned. A failed Wisdom check indicates that the victim remains s1l1nned for another 2d6 Counts, at which point he may attempt another Wi sdom check and so on. Out Cold : If (lilY of the damage cards drawn were a J oker. or ,,'ere an Ace plus a face card, or three were face cards, the blast knocks the victim unconscious for 2d6 seconds. After the 2d6 seconds have tic ked off, a successful Constitution check indicates that the character is now stunned see above. A failed Constitution check indicates that the victim remains out cold for another 2d6 seconds, at which point he may attempt another Constitution check and so Oil.

Maximum Distance
;\l OW, a man can thro\\" a stick of dynamite only so far. Th at distance is 100 feet. Of course, the more sticks of dynamite you throw, the less distance you can get behind it. Check Tablt 3.2-20: DYllamitt Jlaximum Ranges to sec the full ranges for multiple sticks of dynamite. Remember, if you throw more than one stick of dynamite, you best tic them IOgether. Finally, it's importam 10 note that any particular toss can go somewhat beyond the maximum range as a result of an overthrow, and the results from Table 3.2-23: Hurled Explosivis Distance Modifiers and Table 3.2-24: Explosivn Distance From Target.

Explosives D amag'
Once you know the location of the blast relative 10 a person (be they friend , foe or the one that litltossed the explosive), you can determine the damage and any special effects via Table 3.2-21: Explosivts Damage alld EJftcts. T he procedure works as follows - first, draw the number of cards indicated by Table 3.2-21: Explosives Damage alld I:.""Jftcts. Second, for each card that is 10 or higher (i.e. , aID, J , Q, K or A), roll a damage die as indicated under the appropriate range (sa me row as the number of cards drawn). Finally, determine any special cffects as ind icated by Tablt 3.221: Explosives Damage and llfftcts.
Distance: The distance in feet between the explosive and the yictim at the time of detonation. Cards: Number of cards drawn per stick of dynamite (or vial of nitroglycerin) used to determine wound potential at that distance. Damage Die: Die rolled for each wound (as determined by the cards drawn).

l1'ell, as we saw in Ihallast txample, 01' Chesler's throw was To figllre 0111 if IllOt was close enough to do any damage, Chester's plrryiT consulls Table 3.2-21: Explosives Damage and Efficts and sus Ihat he nuds to draw fOllr cards. These iIId liP beillg a 2, 4, 7 and an Ace. Since onry one tif thest cards (the Ace) equals 10 or mort, he only Iluds 10 roll aile damage die. Checkillg that same tahle. we see it's a d3. He rolls, alld gets a rtsuit tif 2, so Billy Bab only takes 2 points tif damage (from tht txplosi01l aT Ihe fallout tif debris).
J 5 fiet off to (l,e riglll of Bilry Bob.

Hawever, checking that lable again, we see there's also a result

tif 'D tafen." Billy Bob loses all hearingfor one complete second (J 0 CaUl/Is). Billy Bob needs ta Tall a SIIccesiful Constitulion check each 10 Caunt. IVhen he succeeds, his hearillg retuflls.

Ti ming Issues
Dynamite call be set with a wick of varying length. A successful Demolitions skill check will let a charactcr delermine within d3-1 seconds of accumcy how long a wick will burn (50% chance of being off in either direction). If the characte r bas no competency in this area or fails his skill check, roll a d8-1 to determine how many seconds oIT in either direction. If the situ-

62

ation requires extreme accuracy, follow with a d I 0- 1 to see how ma ny Count s until the wi ck burns down (to give tenths of seconds). To determine where and whe n a Slick of dynamite explodes, you'll have to calculate the du ration of Ihe wick, then add the time it takes for tossed explosives to ge t to their target. T hrown dynamite travels at the rates set fonh in Table 3.2-22: Speed qf Hurled Dynamite.

~ Gabe Stnith: hp 2 1; Spd 4. Acc 2; SIr 12/24 , Int 12148, Wis 10/64, Dex 13/65, Can 11171, Cha 11/14; Lks 9/19; Rep I I (Low), Fame 0; Weapons Colt Bisley . '~5 caliber 5 1/2" barrel revolver (draw 5, aim +, d6+ I body, 2d6 head , 6 shotS); Colt 1868 shotgun (draw 10, a im 4, d4- body, 2d4 head, 2 shots) o n horse; Gun fi ghts I (+2 Speed , +0 Accuracy already factored in)
'I7T" Rodrigo Baca Guitierrez: hp 25; Spd I, Ace 6: Str 11173. [nt [6 / 4 I, \Vis [211 9, Dex 14/39, Con 11/12, Cha 10/67, Lks 11/69; Rep 13 (Low), Fame 0; Weapons Colt SA-\ .45 calibe r 4 31+" barrel re\'olver draw 5, :"lim 4-. d6+ [ body, 2d6 head, 6 shot s); Winchester 1863 .38 caliber rine (draw 10, aim 4, d6+ I bod}". 2d6 head. 15 shots) on horse; Gunfights 5 1+0 Speed. +2 Accuracy already factored in)

Now, how did Chester figurejllsl how 10llg 11101 dynam itl'J use would bllrn? Firsl he made a slIccl'siful Demolitiolls skill {hnk, so he knew wilhill d3 -I seconds (in this {ase. J S({Olld or 10 Count} how long i/ would take for thejim to bllrn dOlfn. On the other hand, if ht had Jailed that skill chcck, hl' might hau bUll d! bJ' a d8-1 seconds.
[lie also know how long it look that there t(ynamite 10 reach Billy Bob. Sill{t Chuter Ollly thrcw aile stick, it traveled 5 JUI per Coulli (Iclllh oj a second), for a tolal qf 20 fiet in less thall a secolld. if Bi/~)' Bob had I/otiud Clmler or the dynamitl' before it weill riff, he might flavt Iried to move awq}' bifore Ihl' explosion.. or maybe eVlI/ tried 10 shool Ihe stirk olltia the air.

Shooting .Dy namite

A bullet through a stick of dynamite is another good way to set it ofT. For those attempting this type of shot on purpose, it takes a keen eye and a steady hand you'll need a 25 on your modified To-hit roll to hit a stick of dynamite \I~th a + I bonus To hit for cvery 3 addit ional sticks. If the dynamite is in mid- flight such as it bcing tOssed in your direction , that 25 To-hit roll is further modified as if it were a targct that's running a nd dodging (so if it 's thrown directly at you, the running modifie r won' t apply, but the dodging will).

Since a gunfig-ht is about to erupt, the players must dedare actions in order of lowest Wisdom (Cabe 10) to highest \\"i sdom Rod rigo 12. Gabe's pla~'e r declares Cabe will stand :"Ind draw. then Rodrigo's player dedares that Rodrigo wilt also stand and draw. By simpl y declaring "dralling" . each can decide later if he'll hipshoot, aim, fire deliberately, etc. Noll'. both Cabe and Rodrigo's player~ need to rott a d I 0 for Initiative and add their base Speed. Cabc rolls a 6, adding +4 Speed for a total of 10, and Rodrigo rolls 5, adding + I Speed , for a tOlal of 6. At this point , the Count Up begins.
I. 2. 3. " 5.

Bark to our example wilh Chester alld Billy Bob, let's say Ihat Billy Bob had tried to shoot Ihe dynamite Ollt if tIll' air beftu il reached him. He'd lleed to get a 27 all his To -hit roll (becauSl' if tht - 2 dodging modifier) to hil Ihat 25. None too likely, especially since Billy Bob's Ihreer/uels 10 Ihe wind, but ils possible.

DETAlLED EXAMPLE OF A GUNFIGHT

On 6, Rodrigo can act. Rodrigo stands up from hi s seat at the table '3 Count) and draws his pistol (5 Count)' so th e pistol will be drawn on 14 (6 + 3 stand ing + 5 drawing = 14' . Bringing it to bear (aiming) takes another 4- Count, but Rodrigo also wantS to Fire Deliberately (another 4 Co unl, but a +2 to Accuracy), so his shot witt go ofT when the Counl Up reaches 22 (14 + 4 aiming + 4 Fire Deliberately = 22).

7,8,9...
On 10. Cabe stands and draws (keeping sec ret that he plans to hipshoot at Rodrigo's chest). Standing up from the table takes Gabe 3 Counts, and drawing his pistol takes 5 COUI1I S, so the pist ol wilt be drawn on ! B (10 + 3 standing + 5 drawing = 18). Aiming it normally takes another 4 Count, bur Gabe decided to hipshoot instead (0 Count s, bUI a -4 to Accuracy). Gabe's pistol will discharge when the Count Up reaches 18 (18 + 0 hipshooting [8).

Gab,. Smilh fllld the vaquero across the table stared down at 11M fwo hands oj cards - and tht two Am if spades! Looking liP. Gabe saw the expressioll on the vaquero'sJau, and he knew - there was no talking his wa y out if this ont.
T he following exam ple of play assumes only two players (for simplicity's sake, though there are usua!!y more ). T heir characters are Gabe Smith and lhe vaquero (Rodrigo Baca Gui tierrez), respectively. As we enter the action, Ihe players have just finished a hand of poker, and Gabe has been caught cheating. Each character's basic statistics are as foHows:

II , J2, J3. J..J. J5. 16. 17...

On 18, Gabe chooses to hipshoOI, aiming at Rodrigo's chest. Gabe 's player places the Shot Clock

63

on the Target Silhoueue, centering lhe bullseye on the chest (since that's where he declared he was aiming). Gabe rolls a d20 "To-hit " for a result of 19, adding his base +2 Accuracy. -+ for hip shooting and a +8 for a range within 5 feet (they are 3 feel apan ), geuing a IOtal of 25. The shot hils directly where Gabe aimed at Rodrigo's chesl, dealing d6+ I poillls of damage. H e rolls a "I" on Ihe die resulting, in this case. in 2 points of damage ( I + 1=2). The damage is slight. Checking the wound se\'erit}" table for the chest re\'cals that such a light wound has no se\'e rc effect on Rodrigo, and since th e \\ ound damage total equaled less than h"lf the number of total gunfights Rodrigo h"s been in (5), he receives no delay penalty to his actions. H owever, since th is wound dealt damage - a loss of less than 251)/0 of his hit points - Rodrigo suffers a + I Speed and - I Accuracy penalty to shooting aCtions umilthe wound is healed this penalty docs not apply to movement ). Because these pena lties lake place immediately, it delays Rodrigo's currelll :;hOl from firing when the Count ep reaches 22; il will no\\" fire on 23. On 19, Gabe declares he's going to walk backwards
li'olll the table (and Rodrigo), and fire again. His pistol is already drawn, but he will bring it to bear -I-

was the one that got shot. He may determine this based on where the players stated they tied up their horses, or with a random die roll. In any ease, it's not something that Gabe or Rod rigo wi!! be aware of until they go outside, or have it O!henl'ise made known 10 them. On 24, Gabe fires at Rodrigo. He places the Shot Clock over the Target Silhouettc, deciding to center the bullseye on Rodrigo's c hest. H e rolls an 8, and with his +4 range modifier (betwee n 5- 10 feet from Rodrigo), +2 Ac<.:uracy, + I Accllra<.:y for 2nd shot at same target, - I Accuracy fi'om walking, and addition al - I Accuracy from !iring 2nd shot in less than 2 seconds, he gets a IOtal of 13 - a miss. H is pistol still pointed at Rodrigo, Gabe decides that he']) COll\inue 10 back tOwa rds the door, rather than stop and do something clse. H e can fire again on 30 (24 + 5 cocking and firing + I walking penalty = 30). (While his weapon is brought to bear on Rodrigo, he doesn't need 10 add the 1 COUll! for aiming. ) 25. 26. 2i. 28....

Count) while sta rting to walk towards the open door. His pistol should then be brought to bcar on 23 19 + + aiming = 23). It takes 10 Count one second to walk back 5 reet, so Gabe will ha\'e moved 2 1/2 feet on 24, and the rest or the way on 29. H owever, walking adds a + I Speed modifier to aiming his weapon, so he can't fire his pistol until 24 (23 + I walking penalty = 24).

011 29. Rodrigo'~ next shot fires. Rodrigo's player puts the Shot Clock 0\'('1' the Target Silhouette, deciding to place the bullseye 011 Gabe's face. H e only rolls a 9. bill with hi~ +4 range modifier, +6 Accuracy, + I Accuracy for 2nd shot at same target, I Accuracy from the wound and I Accuracy for 2nd shot in less than 2 seconds. gets a tOlal of 18. (Since G abe is facing him, and moving directly backwards, Rodrigo does not rcce i\'e an Accuracy penalty for shooting 11 moving targcl.)
Rodrigo draws another card, getting a 240 ! Looks like he's hit Gabe's left shoulder - too bad it's not his firing arm. Rodrigo's player now rolls the damage to the shoulder d6+ I . getting a 3 for a total result of 4 ' 3+1=+ ! Gabe immediately loses + hit points. and his player checks the Wound Severity table 10 sec the effect or this hit. In the "Shoulder" lable, by the number 4, he sees that Gabe must make a Strength check or fal! down and drop all the items he's holding (in this case, his pistol). Since Gabe's Strength score is 12, he must roll a 12 or lower on a d20. Fortunately, he rolls a 9, so Gabe is still up. Because this wound caused hit point damage (a total loss of less than 25% of his hpj, Gabe suffers + I Speed and - I Accuracy penalties 10 shooting actions (not movement) until th e wound is healed. Since his movement is unaffected, Gabe will still finish his current movement on this count. H owever, he cannol fire again until 31, not 30 (24 + 5 cocking and firing + I

20,21,22 ...
On 23, Rodrigo has his revolver aimed and cocked, and he fires. Rodrigo's player pl aces the Shot Clock overlay on the "Luget Silhouette, choosing 10 place the bull seye on Gabc's face. He rolls his To-hit, and gets a resu lt of I on the die. Uh-ob - that's nOl good. Because he rolled that I, Rodrigo's shot automatically misses and he potentially suffe rs some form of mishap. He rolls percentile dice (a d I 00 or 2d I 0) on Table 3.213: .l'lislwjJs mid FaiiElfts, and gets a 53, which lists "Shot nearby livestock/horse." Since both characters arc inside a saloon, it seems that the shot must ha\"c gone out the window and struc k a horse hitched up outside. Still, the embarrassed Rodrigo decides \0 keep firing. He has to spend the next 5 Counts cocking his pistol for a second shot, and his wound adds a + I penalty, so he can't fire again until 29 (23 + 5 cocking and firing + I wound penalty = 29). Note: At this point, a Gl\'1 mighl secretly decide that it's a possibility that either Gabe or Rodrigo's horse

61

walking penahy wound = 31 ).

=-

30, but 30 + I Speed penalty from

moves at I foot per COllnt1 l1nti l the Count rcaches

(oJ5 + I facin g + 2 partial jogging = 48 .

~8

~ I eanw hi le , Rodrigo readies himself to lire again on . 35 (29 + 5 cocking and firing + I wound penalty = 351

46.47...
On 48, Rod rigo decides to ~lOp , ~tnd find s himself standing in the open doo rway (no I the smartCSI move he cou ld have madel. Looking Oll t, h" sees Gabe drawing his shotgun . Rod rigo decidcs to lise the sa loon wall fo r CO\'e r, so he takes one ~ t e p to the side figuring I Count to wa lk sideways 2 feet, where he will ani)' be \'i~ib l e to Gabe if he shows himself. Rodrigo wi ll then he completely concealed when the Count L'p reaclH:S 52 148 + oJ walking = 52 .
-19..

On 29, Gabe co mpleted his movc mcnt putting him 10 fect from Rodrigo with the door directly to hi s right. T his i.'! fortunate for Gabe, as he's just realized that he onl y had two bullets left in his pistol when the poker game began. II 's empt y! Gabc's plarer now holds Gabe 's actions and lets a f('\\ Counts slip b)' the dummy) whi le deciding whether 10 nee or dive into dose quarter com bat. Finally. he decides that it 's time to get out of here, so hc takes I COUllt (33) to change Gabe's fa cing towards the doo r. On 3'1, Gabe stansjoggi ng oUll hc open saloon door towards hi s horse (since he ca nnot Slal'l at a run), mO\'ing 5 feet every 5 Count. I-I e \\'ill hm'e moved 5 feet when th e Count Up reaches 39 3H5 = 39. On 35, Rodrigo's player places the Shot Clock O\'cr the Target Silhouette. Howeve r. because Gabe i~ facing sideways, in relation to his enem),. Rodrigo's player now uses the appropriate profil e T arge t Silhouette. He decides to place th e Shot Clock on Gabe's chest. He rolls a 13 on a d20, :lnd with his +4 range modifier, +6 Accuracy, +2 Accuracy for 3rd+ shot at sam e target, - 3 Accuracy from shooting a moving targel and 3 Accuracy (3rd shot in less than 2 gecondsl gets a result of 19. He now draws a ca rd the Ace :\lormally that would be a great shot , bm with Gabe turned sideways, Rodrigo didn't have a "cry wide target. It 's a miss.

On 50. Gabe has drawn his shotgun. He nOlI dec ides 10 aim it towards till' ope n door, in case Rodrigo co mes outside. This takes anOther 4- Count 10 bring it to bear on the ce nte r of the open doon"ay, so Gabc '~ ~hotgtln will he brought to bear on 55 50 + I aiming + I ,,'ound pena lty = 55 .
31...

.!

On 52, Rodrigo's player dcci:lres th at his cha racter I\ill pcek around the wall . brill1\' his gun to bear and fi re on Gabe 4 Count, thcn duck back in fo r covcr. His revoker is Slill drawn , so his shot will fi re when Ihc Count Up reaches 57 52 + + aimi ng + I wound penalty = 56). As he docs so, hc naturall)' sees Gabe aimi ng his shotgun at the doorway, but decides to remain where he is, hoping that his luck will hold OUi a nd that none of Gabc's shotgu n pelle ts will strike his exposed face and ~lIn hand. Also on 52, Gabe sees Rodrigo, and decides to bri ng shotgun to bear all Rodrigo's exposed chest. Howeve r, this fe-aimin g means that Gabe 's shol will go ofT on 57 (52 + 4- aiming + I wound penalty = 571 .
hi~

Rodrigo now decides to chase after Gabe. He stan s at a jog, and will be in lin e wit h the doorway \ I 0 fect away) by the lime the COlillt Up reaches 45 (35 + 5 jogging + 5 jogging = 45).

36,37, 38...
On 39. Cane has jogged 5 feet. and reached his horse tied up just outside the saloon door, while Rodrigo is still inside. Gabe brieny considers mounting his hor~ e and j ust riding away. bUi he knows Ulat doing so will take some time, and likely get himself shot in the back. Instead , Gabe decides to drop his cmpty p istol and take 10 Count 10 rlra\\' his shotgun from its holste r on the horse's back. He will have it drawn wh en the Count reaches 50 (39 + 10 drawing + I \I Dlmd penalty = 50).
-10,41,42,43. U ...

53, 54, 55, 56...

On 57, bOlh shots firc simultancously. )\ote that since Gabe and Rodrigo fo rmerly lost sight of each o ther and had to re-acquire their targets in new loca tions, they treat each othe r as new ta rge ts, meaning that Gabe a nd Rodrigo no longer receh'e Accuracy bo nuses for 2nd or 3rd+ shn l ~ at the same target. Rodrigo's player put~ the Shot Clock over the Targct Silhouctte, deciding to center th e bullseye on Gabe 's face. He rolls a d 20, and ge t ~ a 20! Using Ihe Ad\'fulced Penetration Rul es, II-e know tha t Rodrigo's pl a}cr must now roll a d6. and add the new die roll total minus one to the previ ou~ result. He rolls a 4-. so his fi nal "To-hit" result is 23 20+4-1=23. Adding in his base +6 Accuracy, +8 Accuracy fo r range Iwithin 5 fect) and - I Accuracy from the wound, Rod rigo's IOIaI is 36 (23+6+8-1 =36)! Th :ll's a hit dead center wher!"

On oJ5. Rodrigo is in line with the ~ aloo n doo rway. It s about 2 more feet 10 the door itself, so Rodrigo decides to change facing towards th e doorway (I Cou nt) and keep jogging those 2 feet (since j ogging

0.';

he aimed! Rodrigo's player now rolls the damage dice (2d6 for headlface shots), getting a 2 and 3 for a total result of 5 (2+3=5)! Gabe immediately loses 5 hit poims, and his player checks the Wound Seve ri ty table to sec the effect of this hit. In the " Face" table, by the number 5, he sees that Gabe's Dexterity temporarily drops by - 3 points (from 13/65 to 10/65). Because Dexte rity is a key component of both Speed and Accuracy, he recalcu lates his base Speed and Accuracy, which arc now Speed 5 and Accuracy I until this wound is healed. Gabe must also make a Constitution check, fall prone and drop all held items (in this case, his shotgun). Since Gabe's Constitution score is II, he must roll an II or lower on a d20. Unfortunately, he rolls a 16, so Gabe falls down and drops his shotgun . Of course, since both Gabe and Rodrigo fired simultaneously, Gabe's shot was already hurtling through the air towards Rodrigo, so these penalties and problems don't affect that shot. Gabe's player chose to fire one shotgun barrel at the visible area of Rodrigo's chest. Howe"er, since Rodrigo was part ially protected by the wall, Gabe first puts down a piece of paper over the Target Silhoutte. covering up the equivalent amount of Rodrigo's body that the players agree was behind the wall. He no,," puts the Shot Clock over the Ta rget Silhouette. ccntering the bullseye on Rodrigo's chest. This time. he rolls an II. He recei,'cs his base +2 Accuracy bonus. along with a +8 bonus for range and a - I wound penalty, fo r a grand total of 20. Gabe now draws a card to determine the cemer of the shotgun blast. He gets the 5. , and now places the center of the special Shotgun Shot Clock on top of the hit location (the crosshair where the 20 line intersects the 5 . line). Of course, since every shotgun blast is diffe rent, he now draws another card - in this case, the 2 . He then rOtates the Shotgun Shot Clock so that the 2 . line is pointing directly up, keeping the center of the dispersal pattern on the center Spot determined on the standard Shot Clock. To make the Shotgun Shot Clock easier to read, he removes the standard Shot Clock and determines the dispersal diameter based on range. Since Gabe was less than 5 feet from Rodrigo wben he fired, he checks the range on the Shotgun Shot Clock and sees that for ranges within 10 feet, he counts all twelve pellets on the Shot Clock that are within that

range. Gabe's player countS one on the neck and ten on the chest, plus another pellet that misssed Rod rigo and bit into the saloon wall. Gabe's player then rolls d4 damage for each of the eleven pellets that stru ck. For the neck, he rolls a 3. For the ten in the chest, he rolls I, I, 1, 2,2,2,3,3,4 and 4 for a total result of 23 points. However, since he rolled the maximum on IWO dice (4 on a d4), he foHows the penetration rule. He must now re-roll those dice and add the new die roll total minus one to the previous result. On these penetration re-rolls, however, he gets results of .J- and .J- again, for 3 (4-1 =3) and 3 (4-1 =3) morc point s a grand total of 29 (23+6=29). However, e,'en though those rolls only dealt 3 points of damage, the actual rolls were 4s, so penetration applies and he has to roll them again. T his time he rolls a 2 - and another 4! That's I more point of damage for the first d4 (2-1 = I), and 3 more 4- 1=3) for 33 tOtal (29 + I +3=33). He follows the penetration rule and rolls the d4 again, getting a 1 - no add itiona l damage (1-1=0; a wound always docs at least I point of damage, but penetration is merely additional damage, so a zero is an acceptable result). That's a total of 3.J- points of damage (33+ I =34) JUSt to the chest! It's already clear to both players that the shotgun blast will kill Rodrigo, but Gabe's playe r is determined to know every last point of damage dealt, so he decides to check if that last pellet (the one tbat struck the wall) hit Rodrigo. The GM decides that the walls of this cheap saloon arc made of soft wooden planks only '/2" thick. According to Table 2.3--/-: Hardlless VaiutJ, this type of wood reduces I hp per W' of thickness. Gabe now rolls a d4- to determine the damage deal by this pellet, and gets a 3. The wood absorbs I point of damage, so Rodrigo stlffers 2 more points (3-1 =2) to his chest from the pellet that passed through the wall. Since Rodrigo suffers a total of 36 points of damage from a close range shotgun blast (more hit poims than he possesses), he dies as the pellets rip into his body. His lifeless corpse falls into the open doorway, striking the ground with a sickening thud. Fortunately for Gabe, he's down but not out. On ce he staggers to his feet, he might be able to ride OUI of tOwn before the local lawman (or members of Rodrigo's gang) a rrive. And Gabe's day had started out so well. ..

66

3.31 Wounds & Healing

"Listen up, partner. There's nothing scan"u 10 a cou,'P0ke Ihon gelling shol up in a gurifight. II can hl/f/ as bad as flaving a branding iron slllck to )'our backside, bill pain has a way cif fading over time. The dangerolls part is that those holes ill )'0/11 belly Imd /0 foster. I I's a darned lucky man that can live lhe rest if his nolural days willI a big 01' ellUl/A- 'if lead where il ollght nol 10 be.

Now, I hope my ealltionary lale ain'l pul)'ol/ tiff atD'. Gelling shol is bad, 110 doubt 'bolll !I/O!. But le!lillg a mall had )'ou like Jome longllOTI! SlftT just 'cause }'oll're 100 plumb )'tllou) 01 Ihe though! of kim putlwg a bullel in JOllr coward!;' gills is a lot worst. if JOII tkink like Ihis,),oll oughllo have 5/0)'(d back in Connecticut alld bun happy [0 work dawn /0 dusk in somt jocl0T)' instead tif buolhing the fret opell air with the mt of 115. ih9'ways, Olily lilt lIIosl IImle brained among us is goillg to let a bad woulld jesler. That old sawbOllts may be a drl/llk and all, bill I'd sooller raise with a pair of dillas tlwn trl/st I'!Y doctoring skills over his. Heck, he might have leaf/lid his trade ill Ihe [lin I hiard lelllhat plmty of them soldiiTS Ihal gal shot up liud 10 Set Ihtir kin agaill. 'Collrse, I aill 'l met ant pemJllallj" Su, Ihem lit/Ii nicks and seralchts)"Ou /llIghl gfl ain'l I/olhing to soil )"ollr britclus over. Darned 'liar illiT)'one gets a CIII nou alld agaill. and )"ou don'l see all of Ihem kuling over. lI s I/u stnol/s wounds }"Oll have to pay allmlion to. Now, if .1011 'll jllSI sil heff a minule, I'll til/JOU a lillie more. Heck, il migltt jllsl keep }"ouftom mding liP ill a pine box ... ,.

GRAZES AND LIGHT WOUNDS

Sometimes wounds as indicated in the Shot Clock arc less seve re because theY\'e only winged or grazed the \ictim. Any time that a body pan fills less than half o f a Shot Clock "pic slice" (sec Fig1lrr 3.3-/: Shot Clock Pie Slices), the wound is a graze for one point of damage only (i.c., no damage roll is necessary). Further, any time that a body part fills more than half but less than all of a Shot Clock pic slice, halve the damage rolled for the wound (i.e., roll damage as normal then halve and round down).

J""'i.gure 3.3-1: Shot Clock Pie Slices

TABLB 3.3-1: WOUND MODIFIBRS TO SBOOTING

Type or Sneri ty of WouDd Speed Peu hy' Wounded < 25% of hp I Wounded - zs.SO'; ' of hp 3 Wounded - 51-75% of hp Woundtd:> 75% of hp 10 Elch grue in firing urn/ lun d' o(I)" Elch wound in (iring urn' Opr ' , (0)" Ed. wound in kg. foot or hip' Arrow wound' 2 EiCh held wound' I

Accurlcy PC D i hy 1 2

.,
6

1 3
2

WOUND EFFECTS
All wounds include penalties to Speed and Accuracy for each action taken as shown in Table 3.3-/: llimlld !lIodijiers. Note that certain modifiers compound. Percentages are the perccntage of the wound's damagc lotal from the character's original hit point total. Besides mcre hit points of damage and the aforementioncd penalties, cach wound may also impart specific debililalive effccts on the victim. Thcse range from dropping itcms carricd or falling prone to broken bones, scvcre bleeding, impairmems to mO\'cment or outriglu death. Thc sc\'crity of these specific effects is dctermined by the damage associated with thc wound; each wound is

[hUlllits compound wilh ofhu wounds

.. list porfnlhtlical nllmbt!rsfor shooting modifirn

assigncd a se\'crity level cqualto thc hit points in damage delivcred. T hus, a 5 hp wound is also a sC\'crit)' 5 wound. To dete r minc the additional effects of a wound, si mply cross rcfe rcnce the wound's severity level with the wound location and damage type on thc following tables. Kote that any spccial cffects of the wound (such as profuse bleeding) are unknown to the charactcr unless the

67

o.

~f

--.

\'ictim takes one second per scn:rit} level or the wound to examine it thus, 60 Counts ror ,I 6 hp wound. The ad\TrSC' effects should remain a mysterr until arter examination of Ihe wound. Even then, II ithout the aid or a doclor, internal bleeding and organ effects should always remain a mystery, A character lIIay assume he has internal bleeding or a chunk mi5~ing rrom a kidney due to thl' hole in his gut. but there'~ no way to peck inside and confinn it ror sure.
p01ll1 u'oulld to tht lorlO,

]+4+3+2+/ /5). and alIt do) (1 hp:sojuslOlltdoy)forlhl halld. Of (OllTSt, sina alf Iht u'OIlIIds Iltol simu/tOlllOIlJIj, P,'r jhOll1d ht c~mplrltly hea/,d in fiflull dQ)'J.
You d o n ' t use penetrati o n rules fo r h ealing.

IIealing and IIlt Points

As )'ou\e seen, the na~t} pan about wounds is that the more ~e\'t're they are. the longer Ihey lake to heal. An~ hooplchead can understand that. \\'h.\I im't so apparent i~ the rate at which they heal. Wounds take a number or da}. equal to their severity to Illl'nd and to bccome, in emct. a wound or one les!> severity. A ~cI'erily 5 wound. ;.fter lin" day~ ur recuperating, would bccome a sevcrit} -1 wound, and any pl'llalties .. ~sociatcd wilh the original injury then change to Ihust: ,Is~ociatcd \Iith a se\'crit) <Iwound. While this may entai l ;111 t'xtenclcd period of dowmilllc ror characters s llm' rin~ Ji:ril'vous injuries, )OU can take comrort in thc ract that your wounds heal simul taneousl}.
Fur t\ampll. Itlj re/1I111 to Iht afltrlllalll oj Ptlt j tllCOllllla u'illl lIlt bml(liloJ. Tht IIt'(l dll) afitr gtlllO' shot, his hlllld U'Q5 (ompl'lt!~ cllffd. il beillg a IOIl-!), / h/l s(m/(h. T1('o dq)'s 1(lltr (Illftt dqlJ /dtol). hi; artll gtlJ a bil btt/tr. droppillgfro/ll Q 3 hp II'allOd 10 a 2 hp it'lI/lOd. TiI'O d"-I'J {aln (fit'( d"-I'1 /01(1), lriJ 2 hp It'IJ/llld drops to a ! hp /(oulld. alld Ihr IIt\/ d"-) II drops h)' I hp 10 (j lip (hen/rd).
S{II/II gors for Ih, Ihlgh. Firt d(p's ajl" Ih, i1l1'li/lllfljury. hij j hp wOII/ld drops to -I hp. OIld Iht n/(Jl'l'lIlrnl pt/lo/~y ht Jujfrred u'c1I1 away It/ling him c(lith tht /odiu ht'.! bun rhosiag. Four d"-"l laltr (mnt lotal), Iht -I lip 1('olJt/d huomtJ (I 3 lip It.'oUl/d_ alld hu Ol\'lerll)' f!tllalty disappears.

Fo' t\amplt. Colth 8'01('11 has 25 I,il poillis. bul jl!i!m a jSillct a j-pomt lI'Olllld is 20~iJ oj 25. tIll UVJ//nd (OUIl.! a I point pnUJIIj' to Spud and II / 10 AcruraC:l: Ij /It lattr n!ffm anothtr 2 POll/ts f!f gm::,tJ 10 thl Itg:; and a -I point 111110 lIlt shollldn ({or a total of / / damagt). ht'd ht dou'" 4-1 % oj his lIps ( J / oJ! oj 25) allli 111111 IllS Spud W{JII!d hi modified (i,1 toto/) hy 3 arid IllS . lccllm(I' ~l' -2.

If /loor Colth 1(lllT sl@trJ Il/I orrOI/' 1('01(111/ for ollolhtr 2 poiots
//t'/I ftllt:t losl 52 .. f!/' 1m I,ps 01111 11111:> sllj[rr a SprtdlAcrllrac:r pt1lollj' W51-4. HOII 'E I 'ER, lioer Ihat last hit lI:as flam 1111 amm' io tht thigll (a paillflll aifair) ht sllffrrs all addilionol 21-2 (or a tOlalof 71-6),

oj dall/agl.

So aSjllml "Olt- Ihat Cafth tri~ to dmll' his Colt and Jl/(1al hock at tht /Ildioll Ihot shol Ihl onolt'. Sill(( his pmaltit5 !t'm 71-fi. dra1{'ing his pistol will lakt J2 Cmwl II/Iuod flj' Ihe flandard j (5 +7=12). Aiming lokl.! (1I/OI/llr 1/ COUII/ (-I .,/olldard +7 for Iht wOlmd) alld I/If ucond alld tach uddiliollll/ shol ((quirts orlolhtr J2 COIIllI as u'el/ (5 + 7. o.f!,oill). So il tokts ("llh 23 CoulIl 10 aI/II alld shoot hil firsl shol al/d Ollotllfr 12 10 shOal the suood shot. /11 Iht 35 COl/ol i/ loklS hI/II to]iTt a mm 2 shots cifJ a "eolt~r Caltb (ould ho{'( tmptltd his It'holt 6 shoottT! Additiollal!J\ (Mh shol is 01 610-hit.

HEALING TIME
It~ becn said that timc heals ,Ill wounds, and thcrc's certainly truth \0 that, particularly in the Shattered Frontie r. Assuming rour wounds don't gl't inrccted more on this below), they'll heal up ill due course. or course, the ratc or heal ing depends on how badly your character i.s hit.

AI IhiJ pOilll, Ptltjigum hl'd besl htod 0111 as hiJ si/l'(( is "III "ill' Jllo'l. .10 lit heads 0111 01/ (I" tr(1i/. TIm, lIIort d,!.Ij' (I1('rlu lotol) flllI/l,is Ihigh wOlllld drops to 2 lip, TlI'o df!Jls laler ([o" rl((o
!otol), Itis Illigh il/jll~Y htcomrJ II I "11 wound alld I},e Jallrm'illg do)~ ii's comp/tlely c/lred. J\ou.'.fiflun da..vs !tlltr. Pele 's ill primt cOlldi(ioll and ((at!;' 10 },tad riOlt'lI 10 Uti/Illahl/a ill $lordl of Teullgr.

Any wound your character takes will heal in a number of day~ equal to the damage the wound caused. You then grct one hit point back and th~ wound drops \0 tile next 10\lest 5l'\<c rit }'. t\ -\ hp wound will take 4 days or rest 10 bccollll' a 3 hp wound. Artl'r 3 more day, or rest, anOlher hI' is regained and the injur} become a 2 hp wound.
For namplt, It/'s sa)' /hal U\'(/S Pelt gelJ jhol up by a brlllch 0' balldilos. He lakes /lifer wounds ;'1 11101 scrap,. Firsl, ht lakts a 3 IIp woul/d 10 Iht arm. Steond. a j I,p 1('OIlIId 10 Ihe Ihigh alld. la~t{}l. a / I,p 1('OllIId in (ht halld. . \ ou. PtU mnaoglS 10 m(lke il hack 10 a 10ltll uilh jUJI (tIol/.f!,h .lItucolI jilin to hall up i'l afritlld~)- litlll 'Jlablishmtlll u:;lh plln~l' oj P"/~)' lodits 10 i!'Qil all 111m. p(1t lIud:. 10 ucuptraftfor Jix days 011 Q{(OIW/ oj Ihe hil 10 hiJ (lrm (3 lip; fO afartoria! oj 3 + 2+ /. or 6), jiftull dl!Js jar Ilu llil 10 lilt Iltigh (5 1,/1; lO

These rules for healine: as~umt' optimal conditions. Particularl}' sevcre \\'ound~_ lack or proper Ilursing, inrections and ancillary \\ouud effects all scrve to complicate mall("r~ making recover.... a more tCnllOll ~ affair.

Bleeding D amage and II.ali ng Tim e

Cenaiu wound~ ma> hal'e all ;Idditional effect of severe bll'cding, internal bleeding or inte rnal hemorrhaging. All of the~e have the potential \0 causc additional hit points of damage. In \0 far a healing time is cOllcel'lled assuming. or course, that tin' character has not bled oul . the additioual hleeding damagc is counted as a separate and distinct wound from the injury that caused the bleeding to occur.

69

For example. JosllI/(I. Sm.illt sl!lJers a " lip WOl/nd il/ Ihe abdom.en olldjails his 'A Co. \. chrek. Ht illCUTS 011 additional 4 hp rif blading damage from Ihe lI.'olllld (over tlu (Ollrse rif 3 hOIlTs) bifore il ceases bleedillg. III the same glllifight. lu also Slisioil/(d a 3 lip wound 10 Ihe neek u'illt accompall),illg severe bleeding 11/01 caused 5 hp bifore if was slarlllclted willt a pressuTe bandage, laIal rif jQllr waullds: a 4 lip wound 10 II,e abdolllm. a 4 hp bleedillg /I.QUlld 10 lite IIbdolllm, a 3 hp wOlllld 10 Ihe neck and II 5 11/, bleedirlg lI.'OIJlld 10 Ihe nuk.

TABLE 3.3-3: WOUND SEVERITY THRESIIOLD

Loc nio n Foo! , .... . ...... . A nklc .. .. ... . Lowcr Icg . . .
Knee

St\'crilY..Ihrcshold

..5
. .5 ..... .... ..... .5
.

To compule healing lime. Joshua 1/05

.s

II

T high..... ........... ... ..5 H ip/Bull oc k ......... . ....... .... ... .4 Groin.... .. . .......... .3 ........ .4 AbdomcD
B~ck

Con stit ution Bonus and Penalties

Very robust and healthy indi\'iduals as indic<lted by a high Constitution score will reeo\'(:r from injuries more quickly whilc sickly ones will languish. The healing acljusIIlletlt applies to each step of the hit point reco\'e ry process but cannot lower the time below one day.

.. . .4

C hcst .. Arm ...

Fo r~Hm

H ud Shou lder
Nc~ k

. .. .5 .. .5 ........... .5 ................. ....... .5

...... 4

TAiLE a,a2 : CONSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENTS 10 BEALING

CON scorc Helling Adjustmcnl

Flec H Cld

.... .5 .. . .5
....... ,6

1 7 -18 . .. ..... . . . 1 4-16 .. S 7 ........ , .

J- 4 ".

. ..-2 .. .....-1
. ..+1 . ..............+2

during the War of Southe r n Independence, so properly treating an injury can mean life or death. For any serious wound sustained, a charactcr must make a Constitution check known only \0 the C\I (or other players if playing without a C \I) 10 ascertain if the wound has the potential to become infccted. The base number to roll under is the character's Constitution . 2d lOis used for thi, chec k and the amount by which the wound exceeds the ~e\'erity threshold ,see 'Table 3.3-3: II /mild Sarrir) TlmshQId is added 10 the 2dl0 score.
Let;; 511.)' II dwraeter /I.'as sllOl illllle thigh (Sn'ui!! TllTfshold 5) alld Sllffers 6 IIil poil/ls rif damage. Sillce Ille damage exceeds the 1I 01llld Saenl)' Tlmsllold ~I' I (6-5=}), lie musl mil 2dl0 alld add I 10 the roll. if II,e rUlilt is liSS fhall or equal 10 flis COlislillltiQII abilil)' SCQre, tlu wOl/l/d has nof bewme il!fec/ed.

For example, a character SIIslaills a 4 hp wOlllld. Ordillllrilj, Iflis WOIJ!d take -I dfl)'s 10 ruot'(r tlu firsl hp. II,rII 3 dap Jor Ihe second, 2 dapJor the Ihird alld anoiller dll)'jor Ihe 10.51 poillt,Jor a /()fill rif 10 da),s. if ht had a 17 CQI/slillilioll, the tlllle 10 reCOl'ef)' each POlllt is reduced flj' 2 (It'ilh a minimum rif I daJ). He IhaifQre IlIkes 2 dap 10 regllirl lIisftrslll/! (4-2=2). I daJJor Ihe second (3-2 =1), alld I da.)'jQT e(lcll oj tlu {(malllillg 2 poillis (SlIIce IIQ sirp call be redllud in lime below I da.}') jQr a IQlal rif j da.\'J fQ recuperalr. COI/lJUseljt if he IlIId a " CQIISfil1JfiQII. 2 da)'s /I.:ould bt added tQ eadl ste/I. He /I.Quld Iwve IQ restJor 6 da)'s (4+2) to mOl'tr tlte first hp. 5 Jor the secol/d (3+2), "Jor file Iflird (2+2) IIl/d allolll tr 310 regaill I,is lasl pQm! (1+2). His IQlal rUQvtr)' till/eft' 1111 idmtical wQI/IId IS 18 da),s.

Nursing
Proper nursing is essential to ensure that any injuries heal in the quickest time possible. F oregoing nursing will cause wounds to heal more slowly. In game terms, add one day to the total for each hit point recovered. For example, an un nursed 3 hp wound takes 4 days to reco\'er the first point, 3 days to recO\'cr the second and an additional two days before the injury is completely healed.

Properly cleaning and dressing wounds in a timely manner generall} within an hour) C,lIl mitigate the chance of infection. For e\'ery 10% over the minimum neces~ary 10 wccessfully make th is skill check (Easy for :'\ursing and Tri\"ial for .\I edicine), the wounded character may sublrac t 1 from the 2d 10 roll abme. If it is determined that a wound is infected, the affected characte r must make a Constitution check two days later to 5ta\'C ofT the resultant disease. This chec k is made against 2d8 and a penalty of +3 is added to the 2d8 roll for ,Ibdominal wounds. A successful check results in the character having to endure a mildly d ebilitating illness for I d3 weeks during which time he suffers a temporary penalty of - 2 to his Strength, Dexterity and Constitution abilities. Fail ure, howc\'er, indicates that the wound has become grossly infccted. If the injury is to an extremity such as an arm or leg, it will be necessary \0 amputate the limb, If the infection is endemic to the torso or head, Ihe character will die of sepsis \\'ilhin 2d 12 days.

INFECTIONS
Infections arc a frequent side efTcct of bullet wounds "!ld particularly common to injuries caused by edged weapons such as knives, axes and arrows ..\I any more soldiers died of infccted wounds than of the original injury.

70

SPECIFIC INJURIES
Bear in mind that all wounds affect a character's com bat ability. T hese penalties are in addition 10 speci fic debilitations that may be listed in Ihe wound SC\'C ri ty tables located at the e nd of this chapter. Followi ng arc detailed specific injmies that may result from combat , their e ffec l~ and remedies the affected character may pursue.

The injured person s unc r ~ d63 hp of damage per hour. A lIatural "I" o n the damage roll means the internal bleeding has stopped on ilS OW1\. A char-tcter \\"ith at least Advanced mastery in the i\ ledicine ski ll may attempt surg!'!ry to halt internal bleeding. This call be a risky endeavor. It is both a Difficult skill check fo r the surgeon and injurious to the patient . This type of surgery ca uses Id4-1 hp of damage \penetration applies .. f\ dditionally, si nce onl), the most skilled medical practitioncn are aware of the latest advances in an tiseptic theory, the re is great risk of in fection. A pa tient must make a Consti tution check against half his score to avoid having his wound fe ster. Internal HeJnorrhaging: This is simila r to internal bleeding but fa r more severe a nd inevitably fatal. T he victi m sustail18 d4+ 1 hp per hour until he dies. As is the case with inlemal blcedin,l{. the \'ictim should not be informed of his hit poim loss unless it is diagnosed. Surger} ma, be ;Ittrmptcd to halt internal hemorrhaging but it i~ ~ \'ef) Difficult ~ kill check for the surgeOIl. Except lo r the increased difficult\" of the skill check, the surgery is handled as de"cribed under internal bleeding. Mangled: The e:.:t remit} in question has suffered damage beyo nd the ability of a medical practitioner to repair. This may take the form of severed ligamellls or tendons. nerve damage or catast rophic tissue loss. Regardless of the specifics. the body part will scab o\'er in the normal healing time for a wound of its sewrilY the .. e\,en ty of lhr wound exp res~ed as a factorial in days} but lIeyer a~'lill will it be functiona l..\t angled body parts affect those down~tr('am e.g. a mangled ~ h o u lder rende rs the entire arm u~eJes~ . Cha racters with a mangled arm use a shotgun or line with a -3 accuracy penalty. MoveJnent Type Not Possible: T he damage to the alll ictcd body pal"! makes the movcme nt type noted (or an)' fa ster muvement impossible until the wound is healed. Se vere Bleeding: The \\ound has opcned up a major \cin or artery resulting in profuse blood loss. Untreated se\'e re bleeding continues to cause damage a t the rate of d62 hp per minutc. Howeler, a natu ra l" I" on the damage roll indicates that the wound has clotted sufficiently on its 0\\ II to halt fu rther hp loss. ..\ character with ei ther the Nursing o r \ fedicine skills can ~l:lUn c h the bleeding wit h a pressu re bandage. This ~quires a minimum of 300 cou nts. Pressure must be maintained thereafter for at least 20 minutes or the ,,'ound will continue to bleed. U n consciou snes s: 10+2d20 minutes. Vi ctim is incapac it ated for

Broken Bon es: A broken bone requires a much longer reco\'cry time, typically a number of days equal to 60+2d8 minus twice .he character's Constitution score. Until Ihe bone is healed, all penalties of the wound continue to apply.

For example, if JOIIIIll)' I fain wright (Con 10) II/SIl/i,lS (/ 7 lip wOlllld tltal breaks his arm. ht conllol list Ihal limb until it is healed. If I,r had bro4t11 ilis (lnkfl~. lit would be unablt to walk wit/lOut the aid oj mllthts untlllht u;t)ulld Ilta/ed.
Recovery of hit points is also handled a lil1le differently. Ordinarily, the 7 hp wound mentioned abo\'(' would take 28 days to fully heal (7+6+5+4+3+2+ 1 . However. since a broken bone is involved, the recovery time is increased to 60+2d8- 1O-l 0 days. Let'S assume we determine that the broken bone and hence the wound will take 50 days to heal. We know that an 'ordinary' Ivound of this se\'e rity takes 28 days to heal see abme j. The differenc('" between Ih(' tim(' required to heal the broken bone 50 days and the ordina ry tim(' required to heal a wou nd of this ~e\"e rit } 28 days i.s 22 day ~ . This time is added to the time required to recover the first hit point mean ing that it will take 29 (22+7; days for the character to recover his first hit poilll of damage from the wound. Additional hit points arc then recovered as normal (i.e. an additiona l 6 days arc required to heal the second hit point and so fOl"lh ). To guarantee proper healing, broken bones must be set by someone I\'ith the i\ ledicine skill. lypically a doctor. Failure to do this risks a 50% chance that the bone will heal improperly. In such a case, a mishealed bone in the foot, leg or ankle will permanently limit the character's maximum mo\'eme m to " walk. Poorly set arm Dr hand bones permanently increase that character's speed by 5 and reduce his accuraq by 2. Untended broken ribs will result in a permanent + 1 Sprcd and - I Accuracy penahr Inte rnal Bleeding: The wound has caused damage to an internal organ, artery or ,'ein such tha t it is bleeding into the victim's body cavity. Such wounds are not immediately appare nt. If someone wilh the r-.ledicine or Nursing skill docs not diagnose th at the injured character has internal bleeding, all hit poiTH loses the characler suffers should be kept sec ret.

71

Lodged Bullets
~ I any of the more sc\'crc wounds liS! 'bulle! lodged' as an ancillary wound effect. T his encompasses only those bullets too deeply impacted for a lay person to easily remove.

Neilher rif lluse wounds ripresellted all immldiate chance oj dying so Pete's player waited unlil (ombal was rtsoh'ed to deal with the addi/iollal problems his wOIJllds lIIigllt entail. Their foray into t01L'1I resulted ill Ihe gang having to high lail il 10 a pre-arTIIllged meeling pOilll, ..11/ hO/lr aj/er sus/aillhlg his gill/sIlO! wounds, Peltji'lOfly has lilllefoT Jorgt to IlJUSS the damage.
u/

While not absolutely mandatory to Ireat , lodged bullets represent a sc\'crc infection threat. A day after sustaining ~ll("h a wound, the character IllUSt make a Constitution check \'ersu~ half his score. If unsuccessful. Ihe wound has begun to feslcr.
A fe stering bullet wound will cause I d+-2 hp per day. Every third day, the character may attempt another COHSlitulion check to determine if the wound has healed on its own. Howc\'cr, each subsequ('!11 check is made al a cumulative + 1 modifier. For example, a character with a 12 Constitution receives a gunshot that lodges a bullet in his leg. He must roll a 6 ,half his Con sco re o r lower for the wound not to fester. If it docs, he can anempt another Can check in three days time so set: if the wound has healed. However, he must add 1 to the d20 roll meaning that the lI'ound is only 25 0 '0 likely to have healed on its own.

Jorge /.-nows a lit/It aboul medicille (skilllel'el 85), sufficunl to a hroken limb, dress wounds and probabr.), de/crmi'll if Pete has sustaintd mort sm'olls ilyllTies.

Hisjirsllask is 10 dean and harldage up Pdt 's wounds. ThiJ is a trivial tasl-for him alld as such he gets a +90% modifier 10 llis j/.-ill chuk. He Tolfs II 76 for Prie's IIrlll wound and a 25 for his gill wound alld SIlC((S~fll/fY bOlldages tach. He trered hi.f II/inimllll/ SCQre h] 86%jor Iftt arm u'ound and 25%]or thegul woulld giving Pell' a +8 alld +2 bonus rnpecti!'t!J' wlun determillillg if lIlt] buomt irifecled. 77le G.\I tht'f/ rolls 10 detmmnt if the wounds htcomt infield Pete's COY JCore U 12. and hi.! arm /t.'fJllI/d ttueds Ihe wound srvtriry threshold hy 2. Ordinari{", Ihe wound would becollle infec/cd all all 11-20. Howa'tTj becamt il was (uoned so well Oorgt exued 'lli minimllm score fry 86%), onry on 1/ roll if J9-20 on 2d I 0 does fill i'!fiction st! ill. TIll' C. II rolls a 6. Tht gilt It'Oulld is a lillit trickier. TMJ Wail/iii e.tueds Ihe tltreshold h)' ont resu/ling in a I penalIJ1 10 the eh((k. Jorg( didn'l cleml this lim: qllite liS u'ell gll-illg Oll!l' a +2 modifier. Fae/orillg ill tluse 1II0difim. Iht u.t(J1md !t'ill buomt IlIfected 0/1 It 13-20 all 21110. Tht C.II rolls a. 13 IIItnrling thaI flt'l) days laler Pele uill h(//Ielo makt a Conslltlliioll rlllck againsl 2d8 to sa if Ite sun'ius tilt itiftetioll. Jorge I/ltl has 10 Sfl Pele'J broken arm. Even at his Xouiu master), if Iht ,,\Irdi(ll!(~kill. II,is is a lask fir can altemp! to perform. II's an ltl{l' cliuk so il is ulllikelyJorgr willfail. He rolls a 41 and suc((isjil/!~ sets Pdt's arm. r1'Ililf treatirlg Pete. JOlge 1I0ted Ihat he hnd a seriolls glllwOUl/d Ilnd mighl haue internal bleeding. Irhilt he ISII'I skilletl enough to lreat ill/tTl/al bluding, diagllosing il willallenslllla/.-t Pele aware of it. (Peft has alre(l(lj' sllstained I hp oj damage frolll the woulld durillg Ihe lost hOllr a jact ((Irwltry hring kepI from Mill.) This too is (III Easy check, Jorge rolls a 22 and ~P slicctsifully diagnosing Ihe inlernal bleeding leis Pete kllou; tile extenl rif his wounds. From now all, Pelt s pla]er is kepi il/firllled oj Ihe hp lie is losing dllt to illiernal bleeding. Jorge IlIIs now dOl/ e all he wllfor Pele. Remm"illg the Iwo lodged bllllets and trealing his intmllli bltt/II-ng art b~}'ond his skiflle!.e/ to lUll attempl . Fortllllately jor PeU. the gong knows if a Ilfel!} good doctor (" Jedicine skill mastery 15 %) aboul tII)O days ride aWa)l if Pelt can surllioe al/olher cou/lle rif dIllS, he might liue 10 Itll the talt if Ilu exp/oilS in tile Sha/lered FrOlilier. Pele ongillallj' had 23 liP. However, lie has sl!ffirld 12 lip from Ihe gl/nshot wOlil/ds alld 1 hp more from his wlemal hleedillg. OueT Ihe lIu/lhrtt hOllrs, he SIIffers I lip, thm J hp aIldJillalry I hp more whm heftlllliry rolfs a "I" indicating thallhf illteTlla! bludillg has

A medical practitioner can anempt to rcmo\'C the bullet by making a ~ l ediC'ine skill check although a ccrta in

mastery level is required, depending on the bullet's location: see the ~ I cdicille skill description. Upon succes~ful surgery, rhe pariellt must attempt a Constitution check to determine if thc wound becomes (or remains) infected. 2d 10 a rc used for this check and a penalty of + I is applied for e\'cry three days the bullet was in the patient be/ore being remo\'{d. If a wound becomes (or continues to bel infected after surgery to n'l1love a bullet. use the infcction rules abo\'c to determinc the result.

SEVERE WOUND S
While minor wounds wil] heal properly leaving no pcrmancl1l disability, the sallle is not always true for more serious itliu ries. ~ I any of the most severe inju ries list permanelll consequences that will remain with the charaCler evet] artc r the wound has healed (see the \'ariOl!' wound sC\'crity tables).

D etailed Exa!Jlpl, of Complicat , d Wou nds

Wer Iltaling from his lasf w()/I/Id, UX(1J Ptlt joins up wilh a lIew gang. Tflis lime/If lIIakts JUri 10 inelade someolle who k/lows a bit (Ibolll medicine (a Te;al/o namidJorgt). Sina he has 110 skills /t'itll wflich to pursue a lau:abiding career, he allempts a bank rob be~p - fhiJ time in ,I ll/skagit. L'nfortllllafe/y, t/lere art a lot mfm peoplt ill Ilu 10lL'n and Ihe at/tm/lled bank job r(Julu ill a wild gun bnllie. Pelt is shol ill Ihe ligM arm u.:ith a rifle bullet for 7 hit points that also hrokr I,is arm. He was also shot ill the abdolllenfor 5 hp. This u'OI/f1d has tIll po/mlialfor internal bludillg alld abo lodged a bl/lltl in his gUI.

i2

slopped on ils own. He has now suslained 18 IIp rif damage and is fieling il. if he Iwd 10 fire his pulol, his Spud penalty would be +13 alld his ;l ccurary -9. (Pele u wOlmdedfor >75% rif his hp lolal which per Table 3.3-1: iVoulld .Hadifiers la SllOolillg cauus a Spud penalty rif + 1 0 and all Accurary penalty of -6. To Ihis musl be added the penalties specific 10 allY wOlmds [if applicable). T he 5 hp wound 10 his abdomen, allhough il resulted ill inlemal bleedillg, does not imparl any addilional Speed or Accurary penalty. The 7 hp wound to his right [firillg} arm has na addltiOlwl penalty lisled 0" page 79 but per Table 3.3-1 : l\'imlld Modifiers 10 Shooting, "tacll woulld in firing arm/hand" imparls a +3 [shooting) Speed modifier and a -3 Accurary penalf)') Halfway 10 II,e doc (a day laler), Jorge checks on the condition Pete has 10 roll under or equal 10 half his Constitulion score 10 avoid having Ihe bulletsfesler ill his wounds. He ralls a 6 for his arm woulld wilh Ihe result lilat il scabs over without becomillg iifected, Should he so choou, he could leave Ihal bullel where il is without al/)'thing worSt omlTring lilan a nasty scar. UnJortunately he then rolls a 13 Jor h,s gut wound mealllng Ihat ils buome ;,iftCItd. Pete suffers ld4-2 hp (J hpj during Ihe secolld day's journl)' to tilt doc.

Pete has now TIm Ihe gauntlel rif medical help. He holes up in a holel room and hires the doc's nurse to take care rif Mm as he sweats aut Ihe infeclion. Forllmately she's liP 10 Ihe lask of nursing a severely mjlmd palienl (Xursing skill mastery 72%). Two days laler, Pete musl at/empt a entlcal Conslilulion chuk 10 see if ',e survives Ihe infection currently raging in his gill wound. Ordinarily he would have 10 roll a 12 or lower 011 2d8, However, since it's a gUI wound, a -3 pmalty u applIed. He rolls a 9 and is relieved that IllS fever breaks. Having survived his wounds, all he has 10 do now u bide his time while his i,yllries heal. To complile healing lime, Pele efficth'ely has Ihree wounds: a 7 hp gunshot wound 10 Ihe arm (complicated by the broken bone wilh Ihe resull Ihal illstead rif laking 28 days 10 Iltal [7+6+5 +4+3+2+1=28j, illakes 60 + 2d8 -2x Pete's CON score. He rolls "16" on 2d8 meaning it will lakes 60+ 16-24=52 days to hea!), a 5 hp gunshol wound to the abdomtll and a 6 hp bleeding wound 10 Ihe abdomen, His arm will take 52 days 10 heal. His gill wounds, however, begin 10 heal immediately. Sina he'll slill be feeling the residual if/tCIS rif his infection Jor another week (1 d3), he decides to remain in his bed. He rolls a " ~I"~ meaning 111U! af/er a week lu'U shakes W any remaining pmaltiesfrom Ihe mftction, A.fter 5 days. he gaills back I hp from his gill wound. The next day (day 6), lu gains a IIp back from the internal bleeding damage alld theJollowing day (day 7) eliminatts the -2 penalty he suffered to his Slrmglh, Dexterity and Constitution abilities as a result rif tilt iifec/ion. In eigllt more days (day 15) hIS gunshot gut woulld will be complelely' healrd bllt il u:ill be anollter six days (day 21) bifore he's fully TUouredfrom Ihl blood l()ss. However, it's still len days (da)' 31) bifore hl glts back fhi first rif hIS hil points loslfrom Ihe iI!J'lIry to his arm.

rif tile Iwo bullels Pele has lodged ill him.

Il'hen Ihey reach the doc, he Immediately has Pete lifted ontQ his table. Because he's performing an Advanced medical procedure, ii's essenlial 10 anesthelhe Pele so Ihal he can have the best chance Jor success dllring Ihe operation. This is all Average chuk and rolling an 87 easily accomplishes Ihis.

Removing a bulletff(jm the gUI is a Difficull procedure. Altlwugll he's pretty skilled, success is by no meal/s guarallleed. Th e doc lIuds to roll a 45 or higher to get the bullet out. Fortunately Jor Pelt. lit rolls a 48 and gets Ihe slug out. Because the bllllet is now removed, Pele gets a chana to see if this clears liP tilt iifeClioll. He at/empls a Constitulion chuk and fails, rolling an 11.

-----------------

73

LOWER LEG
Woubd Se verit y

Knee

Foot
no additional effect
Sprinting IlOl possIble
00

Ankle
additional effect
1\0

"
3

additional effect

Sprinting IlOl possible

Spnnung Of Runmng IlOl
"""ible

Sprinting DOl """,ible

Spnnung or Running IlOl

Spnnllng Of Runnong 001

""",ible

possible

, ,

Sprulting. RUIIfIIJII or lOUin' I'lOl possible

Sprinlln,. Runnm, Of lOU'lli noI possible

Sponllng. Runnmg or JOUm, not possible

Spriming. Runmng. louin, or Wal~ing IlOl possible Broken Bone

Sprinting. Running. JOCi,ni Walkmg not poss,ble Brulcn Bo,,"

Of

Spnnl,"g. Runmng. Jogsmg or WalkIng not pos"blt Brolen 80 .... CIwlocIer may .... ver Spnm .galn Spnnlln,. RIIIIIIlIII . Jon,nl Of Wllbn, IlOl possible: Broten Bono Se'~re Bkcdin, CIwlocIer may ,,"~r Sponl or Run qaLO Sponling. Runn,n,. Jou,na or Wall'"t not poss,ble Brulen Bo,," Se,c~ Bleed,ng Clw'actcr rna) ,,"'.r Spnnl or Run _,ilLn Spooling. Runn'ng . Jou,n, Wll);,ng IlOl po:ibk
Of

Sprin11llg. Runnm,. Joai,n, Of

Wa.lhng no! ",,"'ble BrokC1l Bone Se'"Cfe BleflIlIIg

Sponung. Runmng. Jonm, or Walking IlOl possible: Brokcn Bono So,...., BletdJn, O\mocltt may Ole'"'" Sponl ljatn

Sprinting. Running. JOSI,n, or Wal~ing 001 pos.ible

Broken Bone $c"ere Bleed,ng

Chanocler may nc"er Spnn(

.S~'"

Sprint.n,. Runn,na. JOUIOIl Wllling no! po,sible Bruhn Bollt So,.~ Bleedong Clw'ac!(r may 1It'~r Sponl Run again

Of

Of

Sprinting. RUM,n, . l OU'''I or Walkong noc pot.5ible Broken Bone

$c"en: Blee,hng

c::'IwKlC'r moy Ile" Spnnl or

Run ap.in

Sponling. RunnUlI . Jon,nll or Walk,ng noI poss,bk Brotm Boac So'-ere Bleedinl Owxltt may Ole'~r Sprint or Run again Sprinling. Running . JOIUl,nll Of Walking OO! po!;$ible Bru~cn Bo,," Severe Bleeding Chanctu may ... '-cr SponL. Run Of JOI again

Broken Boac Se,"ere Bleeding CIwacter rna) never Sprim. Run Of Walk again
Sprinllng. RUnn,"g. Joggms Of Walk,ng DOl po:ible Bro~en Bone 50,-.... Bleed,"g Characler may ,,"'-" Sprinl. Run Of Walk agam

Sprinting. Runn,",. 10Uini or Walking 001 possible

Broken Bone Severe Bleedinll

Chanoct .... may or Jog aga.in

1>C"~r

Spoot, Run

11

Spnnung. R\lIlnmg. JOUJ"I or

WaIkinj DOt ponible Broten Bone $c"ere Bleeding

Spnnung. Runn,ng. Jon,ng Walking IlOl poo>ible

Of

Clw'atler .... y nco'"tf Spont. Run

or Jog agwn Amputation Rtqu,re(\ CON check or unconscioul

Brot... Bone So"ere Bleed,ng ChaTlloClt'r may ooly .... alk .... Cf\JlChe!; 00<;. huled CON check Of unconscious

,ll!

SprinWlg. RLLIlIlLtII. Jon'", or Walking IlOl possible Broten Bone Severe Bleedinl Clwact.r may ooly walk. ",,"l! cnuche!; once bealed

CON check

Of

unconscious

",

Sprint;n,. Runnlll,. lOC,'nl

Of

po:;bI< Brotm Bono

WaIkin, IlOl
$c'-c~

BletdJn,

CIwacter may OlenT Spmu. Run Of Jog aa::lin

Foot $c\'c~ In CON check Of ulIOOfIscioul

Sprinllng. Runn,nll. JOCll'nll Walking IlOl """.;ble Brotcn Bono $c.-ere BIeed,ng CIwlocIer may ooly "''IIlk Cf\Jtcho:$ once healed Leg .se,cred at Anl:1e

Of

",ll!

Unconscious

Sprinllng. Runni"l!. Jogginll Of Walki", IlOl """.,b1o: Broten Bone Se,.re Bleeding CIwlocIer may only ",-al); .... ul! cnuche!; once healed L.el Se"cred 3,1 Knee Uncon..... iou.

74

- THIGH Wound
Severit y

Gunshot Wound
no additional tiT"",!

Slashing Wound
00 additional effect 00 additional effect no add,li(mal effect

Piercing Wound
no additional effect no additional effect no additional effect

Bludgeoning
Wound
no additional effoct
no additional effect Sprinllng not possible STR chk or fall pro"" & drop all held items

"
3

no additional effect
Sprinting 001 !X>ssible STR 'heck or fall prone & drop all held items

112 STR chk or fall pro .... & drop aU held items Sprinting or Running n~ pouible

STR ched. or fall pro"" & drop all held items Sprinting 001 possible

STR chk Of fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting no! possible

STR ched Or fall prone & drop all held items

Spriming nOi possible

Sprinting. Running or JoggIng 001 possible Fall prone & drop alll>eld items

STR ohed Or fall prooc: & drop

all held items o Sprinting Of Running not possible

112 STR check or fall prone & drop alilleid ilCms o Sprinting or Runoing not po"ible
o o

112 STR ,""ek or fall prone & drop all h<:1d l1eml
o

SprintIng or RunnIng nOI possible Fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Wal~ing not possible

Wal~ing
o

Spnnling. Running. Jogging or not possible Fall Jlf")M & drop all held items

112 STR chec~ Of fall prQlle &: drop all held ite"", o Sprinung. Running or Jogging not possible
o

Fall prone &: drop all held items Sprinting. Running or JoggIng IKII possible

o o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held items o Broken Bone
o

SprintJllg. Running. Jogging or n01 pos,ible Fall prone & drop all held items
o

Wal~lng

Spnnung. RunnIng. Jogg,ng or Walklllg n01 pos,ible o Fall prone & drop all held items

Sprinting. Running. Jogging Or Walking nOl possibk Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone

,
00

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held items o Broken Bone o $e,.... blding
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or WaI~ing not possible Fall prone & drop all held items

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone
o

Spriming. RUnning. Joggmg or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not ]XISsible o Fall prone & drop all held items o Broken Bo"" o $e"ere bl""dlng Character may ne,'er Sprint again
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not po"ible Fall prone & drop all held ,terns Broken Bone o Se"ere bl""ding
o

Sprinting. Running. Jog!ing or Walking nOl pos,ibk o Fall prone & drop aU held items o Broken Bone o Seyere bl""ding
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Fan prone &: drop all held items Broken Bone o Sewre bleedIng

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Fall"""", & drop all held items Broken Bone $e".re bleeding Character may never Sprint or Run again

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held items o Broken Bone o 5o"ere blee<ling o Character may ne,.r Sprint agalll
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held ;tems o Broken Bone o Severe bleeding o Charact.r may neVer Sprint agalll
o

Spriming, Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall proM &: drop all held items o Broken Bone o Se"ere bleeding o Character may ne,'er Sprint again
o

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Fan pn>II<' & drop all held ItemS Broken B<lne $e"ere bleeding Character may nc,'cr Sprinl, Run or Wal~ again

o Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walling 001 po,sible o Fall prooe & drop all held l1emS o Se"ere bleeding
o

u.g ""ered

o Sprinling. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held l1emS o Broken Bone o Se"en: bleeding o Character may ne,'er Sprinl or Run again

o Sprinting. Running. JoUing or Walking nol possible o Fall prone &: drop all held items o Broken Bone o Se"ere blding o Character may ne,'er Sprint or Run again

75

HIP/BUTTOCK
Wound
Severity

Bludgeoning Wound
1'10

Gunshot Wound
00

Slashing Wound
o no additional effect

Piercing Wound
no addiliooal effect
no additional effect Sprinting not jXl>sible STR check or fall prone & drop all held item.

" , ,
5

additi()llal effect

additional effect

no additio<tal cffect Spnnting nOt possibl~ 5TR check or fall prone & drop all held items

no additional effect
Sprinting not possible o STR check or ran prone & drop all held item,

no additiOllal effect
o

no additiOll.1 effect

In STR check or rail pro"" &

drop all held ite<m Sprinting or Running not ponible

In STR check or fall prot1e & drop all held items o Sprinting or Running I\O! possible
o

In STR check Or fall proIIC & drop all held items Sprinting or Running I\O! possible

STR check or fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting not possible

Sprinting, Running or Walking nOl possible Fall pro"" & drop all held Itcm,

Sprinung, RunnIng or Walking I\O! possible Fall prone & drop all held Items

Spnnting, Running or Walking I\O! possible Fall prone & drop all held Item,

Sprinting. Running or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held items

Sprin1lng. Running. Jogging or Walking oot possible Fall proIIC & drop all held items Effectivc STR 1

Sprinting. RunnIng. Jogging or Walking not possible Fall pro"" & drop all held items Effective STR 1

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking 001 possible Fall prone & drop all held items Effecti,'. STR 1

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or WalkIng not possible 112 STR check or fall proIIC & drop all held items Effective STR.I

Sprinting. RunnIng. Jogging 0.Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held items Effecti"e STR 2 Broken Bone Bullet lodged

Sprinting. Running. JoggIng or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held "ems o Effective STR .2
o

Spnoting. Running. Jogging or WalkIng not pos"ble Fall prone & drop all held items Effccti'e STR 2 o Brol.en Bone

Sprinting. Running . Jogging Of Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all tleld Items o EffcclI"c STRI o Broken Bone

o Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking I\O! possible Fall pro"" & drop all held ilems Effecti,c STR .J Broken Bone Bullet lodged Severe bleeding
Sprinting. Running, Jogging or Walking I\O! possible Fall proIIC & drop all held items Effecti"e STR-4 STR permanently1 Broken Bone 0 Bullet lodged Se"cre bleeding Charnetcr may ne"" Sprint agaIn

Sprinting. Running, Jogging or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held ilems Effecti"e STR3 Broken Bone Bullet lodged Seve'" bleeding Sprinting. RUlll1ing, JoggIng or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held items Effecti,'c STR 4 STR permanently 1 Brohn Bone Se'e", bleeding Charactcr may ne'-er Sprint again Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible o Fall prone & drop all held items o Effecti"e STR .4 o STR pennanently.1 Broken Bon<: Seve", bleeding o Character may nev.,. Sprint or Run again o CON check or unconscious Unconscions EffWi,c STR5 STR permanently2 Amputation "'quire<! $e'-e", bleeding Character may only walk with crutches 00<:<: healed CON check or unCQn",ious

Sprinting. Running. Jogging Or Walking not pos>ible Fall prone & drop all held items Effecll"c STR3 Broken Bone Se,-c", bleeding Spnnung. RunnIng. Jogging or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop IU held items Effectile STR -4 STR permanentl}1 Brokcn Bo"" Seve", bleeding Character may ne"" Sprint agaIn Spnnting. Running. Jog,ging Or \>"atking nOl possible Fall prone & dn:>p all held items EffeC1i"e STR-4 STR permanentlyJ o Broken Bone o Seve", bleeding Character may nev" Spnnl or Run again CON check or uDC:onsdous Unconscious Effecti,'e STR~ STR permanently2 Mangled Se"e'" bleeJing Charnet" may only " 'al).: " 'Ilh crutches on<:<: tlealed CON check or unC<)nsciOllS

SprintIng. RUnnlOS. Jogging or Walking IIOt possible Fall prone & drop all held items Effwi"e STR 2 Broken Bone

Sprinting. RunnIng. JoggIng or Walking not possible Fall prone & drop all held item, Effect;"e STR 3 STR permanently1 Broken Bone CON check or internal bleeding Character may ne"er Sprint again
o CON ctleck or uTlConscioos Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking I\O! possible Fall prone & drop all held Items Effecti,c STR-4 STR permanently 1 Broken Bone In CON cbeck or internal bleeding Characler may ne,'ct Sprint or Run again

Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking IIOt possible Fall prone & drop all held items Effecti,'e STR -4 STR permanently1 Brokcn Bo"" Severe bleeding o Character may never Sprint or Run again o CON check or unconsdoos UnCQn>eious Effective STR~ STR permanently2 Mangled o $e"ere bleeding Character may only walk with cnltches once healed

In CON check or uDC:on>eioos Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Fall prone &: drop all held items Effect;,'e STR 4 STR permanently1 broken bone internal bleeding Character may only walk with crutches once healed

76

GROIN
Wound Seve rity

Gunshot Wound
no additional cffecl

Slashing Wound
no additional effect no additi()J\al effect CO,,", ehed or fall prone &: drop all held nems Spnnting noI possible

Piercing Wound
no additional effect

Bludgeoning Wound
no additional effecl CON check or fall prone &: drop an held items 112 CON check or fall prone &: drop all held items Sprinting not possible

,
5

CON check or fall prone &: drop all held ilcm' 112 CON check or fall prone &: drop all held ilems Spriming n01 possible

no additional effect
CON check or fall prone &: drop all held items Sprinl1ng not po,sible

112 CON check or fall prone &: drop all hdd items Sprinling or Running nol possible Effecti,'e STRI

]12 CON check or fall prone &: drop all held items Spriming or Running noI possible EffeCl;,'c STR.I

112 CON check or fall prone &: drop all held il<m, Sprinting or Running not possible EffeCli"e STR .I

112 CO,,", check or fall prone & drop all held ilems Spriming or Running not possible Effec1i'e STRI

Fall prone &: drop all held ile ms Sprinting. Running. JQgging or WalkIng n01 pos,ible CON check or i"lcrnal bleeding Effec1ive STRI OOllelloogl Fall prone &: drop all held ilemS Sprinting. Running. JQgging or Walking n01 possiblc 112 CON chk or imernal bleming Effecti' e STR2 Bulletloogcd

Fall prone &: drop all held ilems Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking noI po"ible Eff.Cli,. STRI Fall prone &: drop all held items Spriming. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible EtJec1i~e STR2

Fall prone & drop all held ilems Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not po;;sibk EffeCli'e STRI Fall prone & drop all held items Sprinung. Running. Jogging or WailIng not pos5ible Effec1"'e STR2

Fall prone &: drop all held items Sprinting. Runnms, Joggmg or Walking I>Ot possible CON check or internal bl..,ding Effecli"e STR 2 Fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting. Running. logging or Walking not possible ]/2 CON cbeck or intcrnal bleming Effffii"e STR 21SO

Fall prone &: drop all held item, Sprinting. Running. loggIng or Walking nol pos,iblc Intemal bleeding Effwi,"e STR 3 Bullet looged

Fall prone &: drop all held Items Spnollng. Runnmg. Jogging Or Walking not possible Se,-".,.. bleeding Eff.cI,,e STR.3

Se,.....,

Fall prone &: drop all held ilems Sprimmg. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible bleming Effec1i"e STR3

Fall prone & drop alll>eld itemi Spnnl1ng. Running. logging or Walking I>Ot por.sible Internal bleeding Effecli'e STR 3

Fall prone &: drop all held items Spriming. Running. Jogging or Walking noI possible lntemal bleming Effective STR-4 Bulletloogcd CON check or u!>COnsciol" Fall prone &: drop all held Items Spriming. Running . Jogging or Walking noI possible Im.ma1 bleming Effecti"e STR5 STR pennancmly1 Bullet looged 112 CON check or unconscious

Se,.....,

Fall prone & drop all held i!ems Sprinting , Running. Jogging or Walking not possible bleeding Effe<:livc STR-4 CON cbe<:k or u"","scious

Fall prone & drop all held ile"" Sprinting, Running. logging or Walking not possible :;e,....., bleeding Effe<:livc STR-4 CON check or UOCQ<liiCious

Fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not possible Intemal bleeding Effe<:ti,"<= STR -4 CON check or unC<lnscious Fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting. Runmng. Jogging or Walbng I>Ot possible Intemal bleeding Effect"'. STR 5 STR permanently.l 112 CON cheek or unc()J\scious Broken bone

Se,.....,

Fall ~ & drop all held i!ems Sprinting. Running. Jogging or Walking not po.Iiible bleeding Effccli,'c STR 5 STR pennaDemly1 112 CON check or u!>COnsciou,

Fall prone & drop all held ilems Sprinting. Running. JoggIng or Walking not possible Se,~ bleeding Effecti"e STR5 STR permanentl} 1 112 CON check or unconscious

Unconscious Imemal bleeding Effec1i,c STR6 STR pcrmanenlly.2 Bullet looged Character may ne"er Sprint again

Se,....., bleeding
Effe<:ti,"<= STR 51SO STR permanently2 Character may ne~er Sprim or Run again

Unconscious

Unconscious

Sevm: bleeding
Effe<:ti"e STR ..(j STR permanently2 Character may neVer Sprinl again CON check or internal bleeding

Unc()J\scious Internal bleming effec1ivc STR(' STR pennanently2 Character may ne"or Sprim again
' Broken~

UnC<lnscious ImcmaJ bleeding EffeCli"e STR7 STR pennanenlly3 Characler is neulered Character may never Sprim or Run again

Se,....., bleeding
Effecti"e STR 6 STR permanently3 Character is neutered Character may ne".r Sprinl. Run or Walk again

Unconscious

s.,..", biffiJing
Effective STR 6 STR permanently3 Character is neutered Character may ne,'cr Sprint or Run again 112 CON check or Internal bleedIng

Unconscious

Unc()J\scious Intemal bleming Effecti"e STR7 STR pennanenlly3 Character is neutered Character may ne'.r Sprint or Run agaIn Broken bone

77

- ABDOMEN Wound
Severity

Gun shot Wound

no ilddilional
~m:<'1

Slashing \Vound
no addilional .ffecl no addilional effecl 112 STR check or ran prone & drop all held Ilems

Piercing Wound
no addilional effecl no addilional effecl 112 STR check or rail prone o CON check or inlemal bleeding

Bludgeoning Wound
no ilddilional eIT""1 00 additional "ffe<:l o 112 STR check Or fall prone & drop all held Items

"
3

no additional dfe<:1 112 STR cilcck Or fall prone & drop all held it~m s CON check Or imemal bleeding

Fall pro"" & drop allileld Uems 112 CON check or imernal bleeding Bullellodgl'd

Fall prone & drop all held Items

fall prone & drop all held nems 112 CON check Or in'crnal bleedIng

Fall prone & drop all htld ilems

Fall prone & drop aU beld ilems Internal bl""ding Bullel lodged

Fall prone & drop all held ilems

Fall pro""

Fall prone & drop all held ilems

112 CON check or internal

bleeding

Fall prone & drop all held ilems Inlernal bl:ding Bullet lodged

Fall pro"" & drop all htld Ilems Severe bl:dmg

Fall prone [olernal Bleeding

fall prone & drop all held i1ems CON check or internal bleeding

Fan pro"" & drop allilcld ilems [nlemal bleeding Bullellodgl'd CON check or unconscious

Fall prone & drop all held Ue"" Se'ere Bleeding CON check or unw o><: IOU.

Fall prone & drop all held "em. o Internal bleeding o CO N chec k or unconscious

o fall prone & drop.ll held ilems o CON check or unconsciou, - 1.'2 CON ch""k or Inlemal bleedIng

Fall prone & drop alll>eld il~ms Internal bleeding Buller lodged In CON check Of uoconsc;ous

Fall prone & drop all held ilems - Se'cre Bleeding o CON check or unconscious

Fall prone & drop.1l held ilems lnlemal bleeding o 112 CON check or unconscious

o Fall prone & drop all htld ilems o Inlemal bleeding 112 CON check or unconscious

Fall prone & drop all held ilems CON check or inlernal hemorrhaging (else imernal bleeding) Bull"t lodged 112 CON check or unconscious

Fall prone & drop all held ilems

112 CON check or uncon><:ious

Severe Bleeding

Fall prone & drop all htld items CON check or internal htmor rhagmg (else inremal bleeding) 112 CON check Or unconscious

Fall prone & drop all held ilems CON check or inlernal bcmor rllasing (else inlemal bleeding) 112 CON check or unconscious

Fan pro"" & drop all htld II"ms CON check or inlemal htmorrhaging (else inlemal bleeding) Bullel [odgl'd 112 CON check or uoconscious CON penn"""nlly lowered by I

Uoconscious Se'.re Bleeding CON ~nlly lowered by 1

o fall prone & drop alll>eld ilems o CON check or inlemal hemorrhaging (else internal bleeding) 112 CON check or unconscious o CON permanently lo",,red by I

o Fall prone & drop all htld ilems o CON check or inlernal htmor_ rllaging (else internal bleeding) 112 CON check or unconscious o CON perma .... mly low~red by I

12.

Fall prone & drop all held ilems CON check or in,,,rnal hemorrhaging (else imernal bleeding) Bullel lodged In CON check or unconscious CON penna""ntly lo",,red by 2

Dead (disemboweled)

Fan pro .... & drop all htld ilem,

In CON check or inlemal htm

orrhaging (else internal bleeding) 1/2 CON check or unconscious CON permanently lo\\"e",d by 2

Fall prone & drop all held ilems o CON check or inlemal hemorrllaging (else imemal bleeding) o 112 CON check or uncon><:ious o CON permanenlly lo"'ered by 2

78

ARM
Wound Severity
,2
3

Arm (Upper)
no additional effeet
o

Forearm
00 additional effect

Hand
00 additional effect STR check or fall prone & drop all held items
o

STR ,bed or fall prone & drop all held items

STR check or fall prone & drop all held items

In STR check Or fall prone

drop all held items

&

112 STR check or roll prone & drop all held items

STR cheek or fall prone &. drop all held items

, ,
3

Fall prone & drop all held items

Fall prone &. drop all held items

112 STR cheek or ran prone &. drop all held it.""

Fall prone & drop all held items

Fall prone & drop an held items

112 STR cheek or fall prone &.

drop all held lIemS

o o

Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone

Fall pron< &: drop all held Items Broken Bone

o Fall prone &. drop all held items Bro~n Bone

o o o

Fall pro ... &. drop all hdd items Brohn Bo ... Bullet lodged

Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone

Fall prone & drop all held "em, o Broken B()!le

Fall prone & drop all held items o Broken Bone o Bullet lodged

Fan pron< & drop all held items Broken Bone

Fall prone &. drop all held itelltJ Broken Bone

"

Fan prone & drop all held ilCm, Broken BOlle o Bullet lodged o ~vert" bleeding o CON check or Unconscious

o Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bo ... Se'"ert" bleeding

Fall prone &. drop all held lIems Broken Bone

Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bone o Bullet lodged o ~"ert" bleeding Arm mangled In CON check or Unconscious
o o

Fall prone &. drop all held lIem! Broken Bone Bulkt lodged ~"ert" bleeding o Arm mangled CON check or Uncon.>cious

o Fall prone &. drop all held items o Broken Bone ~'ert bleeding Haod mangled

".

Fall prone & drop all held items Broken Bo ... o Bullet lodged Se"crt" bleeding Arm must be amputated Unconscious

Fall prone &. drop all held items Broken Bone Bullet lodged o ~"ere bleeding Arm muSi be amputated 112 CON check or Unconscious

Fall pro ... & drop all held 'lems o Broken Bone o Bullet lodged Severt bleeding Hand mu,t be amputated CON cheek or Unconscious

79

- CHEST Wound Severity

Gunshot Wound
110 additional effe<:!

Slashing Wound
no addi{iOllal dfce!

Piercing Wound
no addit;OOlal effect
00 additional dfect Effecti'-e STR 2 STR check or fall prone & drop an held items

Bludgeoning
Wound
no additional effe<:t

"
3

no additional effect
Effecti,-. STR_2

no additiooal effoct

no additional dfe<:{
Effecti". STR 2
STR check or fall prone 8:. drop

Effe<:li'-e STR2
STR check or fall prone & drop

all held items

all held i!em s

Effe<;li,'c STR2 Broken bone CON che<:k or fall prone 8:. drop
all held items

Effe<:th-c STR 2
Broken bone CON check or fall prone 8:. drop all held items

Effecli--e STR 2
Broken bone CON check or fall prone 8:. drop all held items

Effective STR 2150 Broken bone CON check or fall pro"" & drop all held items

Effect;'-. STR 3 Broken bone

112 CON check or faU protl~ & drop alll>eld Items EIf..::t;"e STR -.l o 8roken bone o Bullet lodged o Fall prone &: drop aU l>eld items o CON check or internal bleeding

Effective STR 3 112 CON ehed or fall prone &

drop all Mid
n~m\

Elfeen'" STR 3
Broken bone o 112 CON checl; Of fall prone &: drop aU l>eld 'terns

Effect"-. STR .3 Broken bone o 112 CON cl>eck Of fall prone &
drop alll>eld items

Elfttth'e STR-.l Fall prone &: drop alll>eld items o CON check or internal bleeding

o Elfecti,-. STR-.l o Broken bone o FaU prone &: drop alll>eld items

o Elfe<:t;"e STR -.l o Broken bone o Fall prone &: drop all bcld items o CON check or internal bleeding

Elfe<:tive STR~ Broken bone o Bullet lodged o Fall prone & drop alll>eld itemS o 112 CON check orimemal bleedins o CON cl>eck or unconscious Effective STR-6 Broken bone o 8ulletlodged o Fall prone & drop all held items o Internal bleeding o In CON check Of unconscious
o o

Elfect". STR .5 broken bone o Fall prone &: drop alll>eld ltelIt> o CO", cMck or ulKOfls.cious
o o

o Elfecll'e STR 5 o Brolen bone o Fall prone & drop aJll>eld ,tems o CO'" check or Internal bloed,ng o CON cbec k or unoonsc,ous

o EIf..::ti,. STR 5 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop aU held items o 112 CON check or internal bloeding o CON ch..::k or unconsci()lls

o EIf..::lhe STR -6 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop all MId ilems o 112 CON cl>eck Or Se,..,~ bleeding o 112 CON cl>eck Of u!>Conscious

o EIf"::I;ve STR -6 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop all held ilems o 112 CON check or Internal bleeding o 112 CON check or unconscious o Severe bleeding o EIf..::t;,. STR.; o STR permanently.1
Broken bone o Internal bloedlllg o Unconscious o Se"ere bleeding

o EIf..::t;'e STR.6
Broken bone o Fall prone &: drop alll>eld items o Imernal bleeding o 112 CON check or unconscious

'"

o EIf..::ti,e STR .7 o STR permanently .1 o Broken bone

Bullet lodged o Internal bl=ling o Unconscious

o EIf..::ti,"e STR .; o STR permanently.1 o Broken bon. o Severe bldlltg o Unconscious

o Elfective STR-; STR permanently.J

Broken bone Internal bleeding o Unconscious
o

11

EIf..::tive STR 8 o STR permanently.2 o Broken bone o Bullellodged o Internal bldlO8 o Se'-ere blding Unconscious

o o o o

Effective STR.8 STR permanently.2 Broken bone

o o

Elfecti,'. STR .8 STR permanently.2

o o

EIf..::t;'e STR 8 STR permanently.2

bleeding o CON check or iIllernal bleeding o Unconscious

Se,=

o Broken bone o Internal bleeding o Se,= bleeding o Unconscious

o Broken bone o Internal bl=ling o Se'"re bleeding o UIICQfIs.cious

Dead (sl>ot through hean)

o EIf"::li,"" STR .9 o STR permanently .3 o Broke n bone o $c'-ere bl=ling o 112 CON d ..d or internal bleeding o Unconscious

Dead {aorta ruplured}

EIf..::the STR 9 STR permanenlly.)

o

Broken bone

o Internal bleeding
Unconscious

80

- BACK
Wound
Severit y

Gunshot Wound
00 addit;Oflal effect

Slashing Wound
no additional effect

Piercing Wound
nO additional effeel

Bludgeoning Wound
00 additionoJ effect

" ,

STR cM;k Of fall prone &: drop all held items

no i>ddnional df1

no addl100nal ~ffe<:t

no addiuonal dfttt

STR chl or fall prone

all bold items

&; drop

STR check or fall prone &: drop all held "ems

STR check or fall prone & drop all ""Id "cm~

STR m...-k or fall prone &: drop

all held "ems

1/2 STR chttk or fall prone & drop all held ilems STR temporanly.l Brolcn ~

112 STR choed or fall prone &: drop all held ilCms STR ttmporarily.) Broken Bone

112 STR ,hotel<. or (all prone &:

drop all held ile"'"

STR temporarily -I

Srolen Bone

112 STR d.eek or fall prone &: drop all bold items STR temporarily.j Broken Bone

Fall prone & drop all hdd lIems

STR temporarily_\ Broken Bone

Fall prone &: drop all held Item5

STR temporuil) 1 Stolen Bone

Fall prone &: drop all held lIems STR temporanl} 1 Brolen Bone

fall prone &: drop all held items STR l(mporanly.J Brolen flO!\(

Fall paw: & ckopall held ..... STR Iemporanly2

Fall paw: &: ckop III held III:mS STR temporarily2

M~lup\t' Brulen Bono:s $e,...." Bleeding

~ paw: &: ckop all held _ STR IemponrUy-2

Mulupll: Brulen Booes $e"en: Bltcdrng

CON che<:k or internal bleedlllJ

Bullet lodged

I'll paw: &; ckop III held .::ms STll tmIpOrVil)-1 Brol..cn Bono:

"

Fall f-"OO(: & Wop all hdd iIc:mi STR tcmporarily-2 CON chock or inlcrnal bl~ong Bullet lodged

Fall f-"OO(: & QoqI all hold Rm!i STR temporarily-2 Multiple Brot.cn
Bonc~

f.i pooe &: QoqI all hold IIttm STR tempornnl) -2

Multiple Brol;.cn BODOS $e"e", Bleeding

fall f-"OO(:&: QoqIall hold IICI11S

s."-c,,,

BI~lng

STR temporaril} -I a.Ql..cn Bones CON cMd or internal bleed,ng

~ pooe & <top all hold .....

STlllCmponrily-3 Internal bleedi", Bullet lodged CON chttk Of unronsciouJ

fall pme & QoqI all hold .....

STlltemponrily_3 1>bltlpll: Brulen Bono:s 5<:"cn: Bitcdong CON check Of unoonsciouJ

fall pooe & ~aII hdd lItmi

STlltemponn:ly-3 Muh,pII: Brulen Bones $even: Blredin, CON ehe<:k or unoonscioul;

filii pme& <top all hdd ..... STR temponrily-2 Consl,I\II_ che<:k or internal

CON check Of unronscinu.

-.

Fall prone & <top III hold Ik'mi - STR temporarily-3 STR perm"""ntly-I
Intemal bleeding Bullet lodged 112 CON dv:d or unconscious

Fall pooe &: Wop III hold ...... STR temporarily_3 Mult'ple Broken Bones Se,'en: Bleeding 112 CON check or unconJoCious

Fall prone & <top allldd !Itm'; STR lcmpornnly-3

M uh'ple Broken Bo"". 5<:"e", Bleeding 112 CON check or ullCQflsci()Us

Fall pme & <top all hold IICmS STR lemporanly-2

Multiple Brot.en Booes 112 CON check or Internal Bleed,nll 112 CON chec~ or unconsci()Us

11

fall prone &: <top. h::Id ...,..

STlltemporvily -4 STll pe~tlY-2 Internal bIced'"g Bullet Iodgtd 112 CON cltc:ck or unconsciouJ

5/:,-= BIotd,ng
CON permanently '""'-ned by I

UlICOfI5Cinu,

Fall prone &: drop all beld ilmU CON check or internal htmoot.aging (else mle:f1lal bJcN.rnJ) 112 CON che<:k or uro:onsciouJ CON perm10emly '""'~ by I

Fall prone &: drop all held ,tems

CON check or Internal htrnonh:ai,nl (else ,me-t'ml

bieNtI,g)
112 CON chttk or UnconSCIOUS CON permanently low(:!1!d by I

12.

Fall prone &: QoqI all hdd ......., STR temponrily-4

ST1l permanently_2 Inte-t'ml HCntOI'TaI\'lIi Bullet lodged UnconsciouJ

Dead (spinal cord severed)

Dead (spinal cord "'''erro)

Unoonsci()Us Internal hcl1lOl'Thaging

81

- SHOULDER Wound Severity

Gu nshot Wound
no Iddillonal dft
no ldduK'ln.aI cfl't

Slashin g Wound
00

Piercing Wound
no addItiOnal .fa no addiTIonal effect
STR chook or fall prone &. drop III held Ilcm!

Bludgeoning
Wound
no IIddJIIODIl eifect

" ,
3

adduional cfft

no adduional dft
proM &:;

CON chk Of fall ~" drop "'I bold ilt ....

STR d~~k or fall all Mid i,e""

drop

STR check or fall proM &. drop all held items

STR cbed or raU prone &: drop all held ;1(:....

112 STR check or fall prone & drop all held Ilems STR & DEX IC:mporarily .]

In STR check or fall prone & drop a11beld 'term STR &: DEX temporarily 1

112 STR cbeck or fall prone &: drop all Mid items

STR " DEX temporarily 1

112 STR che-ck or fall prone &: drop all held items STR &. DEX temporarily .]

Fall proM & drop all held items

STR " DEX temporarily .2/.]

o Fall prone &. drop aU hdd items STR &. DEX temporarily .2/.]

Fall prollC &. drop all held "ems

STR" DEX temporarily 2/1

Falll'f'Ol" & drop all held lIemS STR &: DEX temporarily .2/.]

Fall prone &: drop all held items

o

Fall prone
o

&;

drop all held items

STR &: DEX temporarily.2

STR &: DE>:: temporarily.2

Fall prone &. drop III held ilem5 o STR &: DX lemp:nrily.2

FaU prone &: drop all held Items o STR &: DE>:: tempomily2 o Broken boDe

o o o

Fall prone &: drop all hold l1ems STR &: DE>.:: lemporanl~' .).1 Broken boDe

Fall prone &: drop III held '~!N STR &: DE>.:: ~mporanl) )1

Fill prone &: drop III held Items o STR &: DEX lemporanl) ~1

Fall prone &: drop all held i,ems

STR &: DEX ICmporanl) ).'2

Broken boDe

o BroIo.en bone:

Fall prone &: drop all held lte"" STR &: DEX temponnly 312 Bullet lod~ Broken booc

Fall prone &: drop all held ite"" STR &: DEX ICmpomily 312
o

Fall prone &: drop all held ite"" STR & DEX ~mporanly 312 Broken bone

Broken boDe

Fill prone &: drop all held ile"" STR &: DEX temponnly 312 o Broken booc

..

Fall prone &: drop.lI held ilem

Fall prone &: drop all held i'entS

Fall prone &: drop all held itcms

FIn prolle &: drop all held items

STR &: DEX tcmpomily .)12

Bull.. lodged o Broken bor.e STR pl'rmanentl)' -I CON ~hod 01' unconscious

STR &: DEX tempomnly )/2

Bro~.n bone

STR &: DEX temporarily )/2

o o

STR &: DEX lemporarily -31.2

Broken oone o STR permanently_l

Bro~en

bone

STR permallent)y1

STR permanently.1

FlU prone &: drop all hold items o STR &: DEX temponnly -413 o Bullet lodged o Brokc:n bone o STR penl\lI'K"IItly.2 DE){ pennanently.1 112 CON chrck 01' unconscious

Fall proI'II:' &: drop all hold ,tentS STR &: DE)( temponrily -4.J Broten bone

STR permanently2 DE>:: permanently_I

CON chrck
01'

unronsciow

fall prone &: drop all held ,tems S11I. &: DEX temporanly -41-3 o Brolen bone o STR perm&ncnlly.2 DEX pmnanently -1 CON chrck 01' UJl('Oftscious
o o

Fall prone &: drop all held items

STIt &: DEX tcmporanly -41_3

Broken bor.e STR pennancntly1 DEX pennmenlly 1

UnconSCIOUS

Unoonscious ,.mporanly _y_)

UIXOI'ISCIOUI

UlIoCOfUCious
.~i3

STR &:

DE)(

STR &: DEX 'emporanly Y-3

Broken bone ,Sc,'ere bleeding STR permanently.J DEX pl'rmanenlly2 Arm l'eqUII'C, amput.',on

STR &: DEX t.mporanly

o Broken booc ,Sc"ere bleNlnll STR pl'rmanently_3 DEX perman<'nlly2

Bulletlod~

STR &: DEX temporarily .y.) Broken bone

o o

BroIo.en bone

,Sc,'.", bleeding
STR permanently3

,Sc"cre bleedlnll
STR permanenlly.) DEX permallently2
Manilled

DEX permallently2
Mangled CON chttk or internal bleeding

82

- NECK Wou nd Severity

Gunshot Wound
no addit ional effect

Slashing Wound
110 additional effcct no addiuonal effect
$e".n: bleeding STR ebtck or fall III held lie"",

Piercing Wound
no additional effect

Bludgeoning Wound
no additional effcct 110 Iddnional ,,!feet
no Id"lJtionaJ effcct

" ,
3

no addItIonal effect

no ..Jd'lional df1 Sc'"<=n: bleed,ng

~

Sc,-= blecdinS
Seven: bIttd,ng 112 STR check Of fall prone &: drop all held Items

&. drop

Se''Cre bleedln, 112 STR check or fan prone &. drop all held Items

Sev= blttd,ng
112 STR check or fall prone &
drop all held

,!tms

112 STR check Of faJl prone &. drop all hodd ,Ierm CON lemporanly-2

s.c'-en: bleeding CON chk or UncofllelOUs

Snert bl<.lms CON check or l:noon><ious

Sc,-c", bltedIng

CON check or l'ncoo;.coous

Sc,e", bld,ng CON chc<:k or UROOr'I!ICious

CON temporarily-2

s.c,~ bletdmg
CON check or UlI<XInKious

Seven: bIeed"'g

Seven: blecdl"ll
CO:-: check or U"""""",;""5

$e'en: blced'''1
CON dlk or Unconscious CON temp:nrily.3

CON check or UlIoCOmCious

$e'-e", bleeding

1/2 CON cllttk or UnoonsciOlis

$e"ere bkeding 112 CON check Of Uncon",;ous

St,Ut bleed;ng

112 CON cllttk Of Unron",;ous

In CON cl>cck 01" Unconscious

CON lCmporviJy
.~

St'ere bldmg

"

$ev= bleedln, UlICOft>Cious

St,-= blet<bng Unconscious

Sev=b~bn,

UlOCOI1l.I:ious

$evere blding

Se,ere blding

$e'ere bleeding

St'ere bld,ng

Unron"'ious

Unco"",ious

Uncon",iou,

Uncon",;ou,

"

Quadnpkgot"

Quadnplcgic

Dumb flaw

UlICOIISCious

UnconSCIOUS

UnconSCIOUS

12~

.",,,

.",,,

83

- HEAD Wound Severit y

Gunshot Wound
00 additional dT1
DEX temporarily_2

Slashing Wound
nO addnional effect no additional effect
DEX temporarily-I

Piercing Wound
no addillOnal effect no additional effect
DEX temporarilyl
I>()

Bludgeoning Wound
additional effect

" ,
4

DEX temporarily -I

DEX temporarily3

DEX temporarily2 CON check or fall p!'OlI(C &. drop

all Mid items

DEX temporarily-4

OEX :mporarily-2

DEX temporarily2

CON check

(I(

fall prone & drop

all held items

DEX temporarily-3 112 CON check or fall prone &. drop all held items

,
7

DEX temporarily.5 CON check or UnCQnsdous

DEX temporarily-3 CON clleck or Unconscious

DEX temporarily .J CON clleck or Unconscious

DEX temporarily-4 CON check or Unconscious

DEX temporarily6

112 CON choCk or Unconscious DEX permanently-I

DEX temporarily-4 112 CON check or Unconscious DEX pemunently_[

DEX temporarily -4

112 CON check or Unconscious

DEX permanently-l

DEX temporarily.5 112 CON <httk or Un<:OIll'Cious

DEX

t~mporarily_7

In CON check Of Unconscious

DEX permanentl}'-2 $e,'Cr'I: blding

DEX tcmporarily-~ In CON check or Unconscious DEX permanentl} _2 $e.-~r'I: bl""ding

DEX temporanl) 5 1'2 CON check or Unconscious DEX permanently-2 Severe bl""d,ng

DEX temporarily -6

112 CON cheek or UnCQnscious

DEX permanently_l Se'"ell: bl""d,ng

DEX ICmporarily_7

DEX temporarily -6

Unconscious
DEX p"rmanenlly-3 $e'-CIl: blffi1ing Bullet lodged Gain Epileptic flaw (no B p)

Unronscious
DEX p"rmanently-J $e"ell: bleeding

DEX temporarily -6 Unconscious DEX permanentlyJ Severe bleeding

DEX temporarily-7

Unconscious
DEX permanently.2 Severe bleeding Gain Migrane5 flaw (no BPi

DEX temporarily-6

DEX temporarily-7

DEX tcmporu.rily-8

Unconscious
DEX p"rmaneml) .J $e'-ere bl""ding

Unconscious
DEX permanently -liSO $evere bl""ding

Unconscious
DEX permanently USO $e,..,re bleeding Gain Migra""s flaw (no BP)

.",,,,

DEX tcmporarily-6'SO

DEX temporarily-7

DEX temporarily-8

Unconscious
DEX permanemly lISO $e'-ere bleeding

Unconscious
DEX permanemly-2 $e'"ere bleeding lnternall>emmorhaging

UlICOIlscious
DEX p"rmanently -USO $e,-ere blding CON check or internal hem momilling doe internal bleeding Gain Epileplic flaw (no BP)

.",,,,

84

FACE
Wou nd Se verit y
Gunshot Wou nd
00 additional effecl
DEX temporarily_]
DE:< temporanly_2

Piercing Wound
110 addi lionaleffect no additional d fect

Slashing Wound
no .dditiooal effect

Bludgeo ning
Wound
no IIddl1lonai effect

"
3

no add,hQll.ll\ effect
DEX It'mponrily .]

DEX rcmporarily.J
DE}( tcmporanly2
CON ~h.ck or faU prone 4:: drop

DEX rcmporanly-l

,II held U.1m

DEX tempon.rily]
CON check or fall prone &; drop

DEX ICmpcnrily_2

DEX t=lponrily_2

DEX ccmporarily 3 112 CON cheel:: or fall prone &

drop all held ncnu

all held items

DEX temporarily-4

CON check or Unconscious

DEX temporarily -3 CON .bed Of Unconscious

DEX temporarily3 CON check or Unconscious

DEX temporarily J CON ehk or UIICQIl,cious d6 broken Ith

DEX temporarily_S 112 CON chtck 01 Unoom.cious

DE:< ICmporanly-4 112 CON check or U..::orucious DEX permIDmIl}' .J

Glm Facial Scar n .... (00 HPJ

DE>.: tanpcnrlly -4

In CON check or Uncocucious

DEX temporarily-5 1/2 CON cllk or Unconscious

d6 brokm teeth

DEX permanently -I

"

DEX temporarily-6
112 CON check or UnronJtIOUS DEX permantntlY_1 .sc,-...., bJe<:,Jing

DEX temporarily.~ 112 CON check or Unconscious DEX permanemly-2 .sc,-...., bJe<:,Jing Gain Facial Scar flaw (no DP)

DEX temporarily-S

DEX tcmporanl)

..(i

112 CON check or Unron~ious DEX permantntly_2 Scvc~ bJe<:,Jing

112 CON check or Uocoo~iou! DEX perma""mly-l ScVt~ bJe<:,Jin& d8 broken leeth

DEX Il'mponrily -7 UI'ICOIISCi<':tii DEX & LOOKS perrna.nendy-2 $c,-...., bke<l,n, 0 1.111 Epileptic flaw (no DP)

DEX lemponrily -6 Uncomcious DEX pel1l1Ul(:otly-1 $c,'...., blding Gam Facial Scar fla,, (no DP)

DEX lemponrily -6 U...:omcious DEX pentIUItfIuy-1 $c,'...., bldina; Gaon Facoal Scar fllw (no DPj

DEX Itmponrily7
Unron~iow

DE>: permancmly-2 $e"ere bke<lill1 Oaon M,pmoes fla .. (00 DP) dlO brolen leeth DEX lemporarily8 Unconsciou, DEX perm.""n.ly -!ISO $cvcre bleeding Ga,n M'lJlI""s fla .. (no SP) d 12 broten leelh

DEX lempornrily' Unronscious DEX & LOOK S permant".ly-) ,Sc"ere bleeding Bullellodged Dt~ chc<:k or miss'lli cyc IlIw CON check or imemal bIeed,n& Gam Facoal Scar fla .. (no DP)

DEX temporarily--6 Unronsciou\ DEX permancolly-l Sc"ere bleed,ng DEX check or mi!0511111 car fla .. Gaon Facial Scar flaw (no DP)

DEX lemporarily7 Unconscious DEX perma""ntly _ISO $c,'''''' blee<,hng Oo:~ check or m,i,I'ng cj'e flaw Gaon Faclll Scar flaw (no DP)

II

.D<"

DE>: lemponrily -61SO Uno;orI5ClOlIS DEX permar,emly -\00 ,Sc"ere bke<ling 112 DEX check or miSlill1 car fl Oaon Facial Scar flaw (no DP)

DE>: lemponrily _7 UI'ICOIISCIOUS DEX pmnanently_2 $c,'...., bleed,"g Imemal hemmomagin, 112 Dtx check or misslllg O)'C fl,. Oalll Facial Scar flaw (no BP)

DE>: Icmporarily-$ UnronSCIOW DEX pmnanemly -2ISO $c,'''''' blccding CON check or inlemal hemmOltlllling else in.emal bleeding Gain Epileptic flaw (no DP) d 12 broken leelh

".

. D<"

.D<"

.D<..

.",,,,

85

* DISEASES *
T here is no true cure for diseases in the Shattered Frantic l; although there's a lot of home remedies and patent medicines, and each man or \\'oman is going to Ii\'c or die depending on how hale and hearty they are. The common diseases of the Shattered Frontier are listed below, along with details on how you catch them, and how you can gel rid of them.

TABLE 3.3-5: CONDITIONAL MODIFIERS

Sett lement Modifier lsolatcd farmhollsc .........................+1 Rllrai llow p ...............................+4 City ......................................+6 Crowdcd cpumpmcnl .....................+8 SaniU lio!l Abo,'c i'CUgC ............................... 1 A"cugc ..................................+1 Filtby ....................................+10
AS' Child <4 yUIS old ........................+30 YoulIg 1<14 ycu s old ....................... +15 Old 1 >60 yUtS old .........................+10

CATC HING DISEASES

E\'cry time a character eats undcrcooked food, drinks from a pond ,or othe r slow-moving/stagnant waler source I, spends a day in a settlement with crowded living conditions and inadequate sewage facilities or where disease is rampant, comes inlO contact with another character that's carrying a disease, he has a chance of contraCling an ailment. Contact is defined by the disea se . For cxamplc, it might be skin-to-skin contact or getting breathed/sneezed on, depcnding on the disease." To learn whethe r a character catches a disease, the player must first determi ne which disease the characler may ha\'c caught. Choose the disease appropriate to the town or the carri er in your campaign, or roll on Table 3.3-4: Common DistoJt$ when a random disease is needed.

Othcr Adjustmen" !ldc! <25% hp when exposed .......+1 0 ChanCIer U ChUitter alrud y hu i discisc ........... .. . .+10 Chmttcr hiS Buffalo Minge {II.... ..... .... ...+4 ChmtlCf has Consumplive (law ..............+10 ChUltlCr biS Resist Discasc/lnrectioll ulcllt ... 5

TABLE 3.3-4: COMMON DISEASES

Disusc ViTIIlcncc FlCIor 01-70 ............. No rcslllt ................. 71-80 ............. PD(umollia ..............28 81 -83 .............Crollp .................. Z5 84-86 ............ .lnUl/cPu ............... .Z5 87-88 ............. Broncbitis ............... 25 8990 ............. Maluia ................ .26 9192 ........ .. ...Consumption ... .. ....... 27 9394 ............. Meulcs .................26 9'>-96 .............$carlet FC\'er . ... .. ... .. .28 97 ....... .. .. .. ...Smallpox ... ............28 98 ................ Diplilheria ..............79 99 ................ Brain Fcver ............. .3O 100 ...............Cholera ............... . .J! Roll (dloo )

To tearn whether the character fights ofT the disease, roll a d20 and add thc characte r's Constitution ability score to the result. If the total result equals or cxceeds the di~ea sc's \'irulence Factor, the charactcr's immune system fighh ofT the ailment. Otherwise, the incubation pcriod be~n s. and Stage Onc of the disease begins after a certain amount of time see the various disease de~criptions belo\\ . Hit points temporarily lost to disease return at the same factori al rate as injuries.

COMMON DISEASES

Erain Fever
You might get brain fever "typhoid fc\'cr" to you sm,'bones from contaminated food or water, or from some hombre that's alrcady gOt it. So boil your water and cook your food, if you're smart. Stage One begins 8+ I d6 days after exposure. Stage One: Fever, weakness, stom ach pains, headachc, not feeling hungry, contagious (carrier) and flat. rose-colored spotS on the skin. CannOt pe rform stre nuous tabor/act ivity such as running, sp rinting, hca\'Y lifting. Duration: 4+ I d3 days. Stage Two: Same as Stage Onc, plus ski n eruptions, bone aches and inflamed bowels. Also has difficulty making ski ll checks a 20'0 penalty to all ski ll checks. Duratio n: 4+1d3 days. After duration, roll Id20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, character returns to normal in 1+ Id4 days. On a faile d roll, proceed to Stage Three.

!\"ext, the player shou ld roll a dIOO, noting any of the modifiers from Table 3.3-5: Conditional .lIodifiers that apply in this situation, and add them all to the roll. If the total result equals 71 or higher, the character caught that disease. Of course, if he's really healthy, he may be able to fight it oIT.

86

Stage Three: Roll a dIOO. On a roll of 0[20, charactcr dies. On a roJ[ of 2 [. [00, character returns to normal in 2+ld4 days. If the latter, roll another d I 00. On a resu lt of 0 I ~05, character is pe rmanently co ntagious.

After the duration. roll I d20 + Can against the dis ease's Virulence Factor. A failed roll means death in I d4 hours. A success proceeds to Stage T hree. Stage Three: Same symptoms as Stage One, but less severc, plus fever. Character still bedridden. After 6+ I d 12 hours, the fcver breaks. Penalty to skills reduces at the rate of 10'%) per day.

Broncbitis
You might get bronchitis from breathing in too much dust, smoke, or JUSt from some nasty germs. T he char~ acter enters Stage One I + I d 3 days after exposure. Stage One: Sore throat, chills, slight fever, back and muscle pain, fatigue, runny nose. Cannot perform strenuous labor/activity (such as running, sprinting, heavy lifting). Duration: Id3 days. Stage Two: Same symptoms as Stage One, plus cough. Character needs to sleep two hours later than normal, and has difficulty making skill checks - a 10% penallY to all skill checks. Duration: I d3 days. Stage Three: Cough (other symptoms disappear). Character's hit points drop by 25%. Duration: I d-lweeks. After this duration. roll Id20 + Can against the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success. c harac~ ter's body lights off the bronchits. On a failure, pro~ ceed 10 Stage Four. Stage Four : Cough. Duration: Id3 months. After Id3 months, the bronchitis seemingly disappears, leav~ ing only an infrequem cough for the next 4+2d4 months. After this time, the Stage One symptoms rcturn for a duration of I d3 months. T hey subside, then return after anothe r 4+2d4 months. Funhcrmorc, the G,M or another player should secretly roll 4d4, and subtract this amount from the characte r's maximum age - already defined in the Prio rs and Particulars section.

Consumption
While you can get consumption (what a sawbones might call "tuberculosis") from drinki ng infected \unpasteurizedl milk. it can also be passed to othe r folks through coughing and sneezing - so be careful who you partner \I'ith, Stage One: No sym ptoms. Duration: 2d4 weeks. After duration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, the disease becomes latent and the character su ffers no symptOms. Howc\'cr, if the character suffers another disease later, there is a 20% possibility that the late nt consumption becomes active. If the roll was unsuccessful, or latent consum pti on becomes aClin:. proceed to Stage Two. Stage Two : Weight loss. fever, fatigue, night sweats, not feeling hungry, contagious (carrier). Character cannot spri nt. Loss of 250 hit points. Duration: 3d4 weeks. After duration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, procced to Stage T hree. If unsuccessful, the character dies. Stage Three : Same as Stage Two, plus a co ugh and difficulty breathing. Loss of hit points incn:ases to 50%. Character cannot perform strenuous activity (includi ng running/sprinting). Duration: Id4 weeks. After duration , roll I d20 + Con against tbe disease 's If successful, the consumpt ion Virulence Factor. becomes latent. If unsuccessful, proceed to Stage Four. Stage Four: ConStant tiredness, wheezing, weight loss, bloody cough. shortness of breath. The can sumption has become chronic. Have the GM or anOlher player secretly roll I d I 00. On a roll of 0 I ~50, the character dies of consumptio n after thc next 3d6 months have passed. On a roll of 5180, thc charactcr dies in I d4+ I years. On a roll of 81 ~ I 00, the charac~ ter dies of consllmption in 6+2d6 years. Each time the character finishes a strenuous activity (such as running or sprinting), he must make a Consti tution check. If he fails, he mllst rest (and do not hing else) for 10 seconds (100 counts) per each sec ond of StrellUOUS activity. If he refuses to rest, he s uf~ fers severe chest pain and sho rtn ess of breath, losing I

Cholera
This disease is picked up primarily through conta m inatcd water or food, and not likely to spread through contact with a diseased person. Still. it's possible. Some I d4 days afte r exposure, the character enters Stage One. Stage One: The characte r ca n't perform strenuous activity, and suffers vomiting, seve re cramps in the gut and legs, diarrhea, and general weakness. He has great difficulty concentrating - a 30% penalty to all skill checks. Duration: 12+ld12 hours. Stage Two: Same symptoms as Stage One, plus the following. Character is bedridden. Very weak and fre q uemly thirsty, with ch ills, difficulty breathing and loss of voice. Character's hit points drop by 50%. Duration: 12+ld12 hours.

87

hit point per 2 seconds (20 counts) he continues to strain himself. The cha raCler's total hp is permanently reduced by 10% ,

form strenuous activity after Id4 weeks. Remain contagious for anoth er Id4 weeks.

Influenza Croup
Trouble breathing and a constant 'barking" cough might mean you've caught the croup. Th e character enters Stage One some 1<112 hours after exposure. Stage One: Difliculty breathing. infrequent coughing, contagious (carrier). Duration: I d 12+ 12 hours. Stage Two: Same symptoms as SUlgC One. Charaner needs to sleep t\\"o hours later than no rmal. Duration: 1d3 days. After duraTion , roll I d20 + Can against the di sease's Virulence Factor. On a failed roll , proceed to Stage Three. On a success. charaClcr returns to normal in another I d 12+ 12 hours. Stage Thre e : Same symptoms as Stage Onc and Two. T he charact er loses 25'0 of hi~ hi t points. Durat ion: 3+ I d<\ weeks. Also known just as the "flu ," this is another o ne of those diseases that sneaks up on you. The character becomes infectious within J d '~ hours after exposure, and enters Stage One some I + I d3 days after ex posure. Stage One: Infrequent cough, headachc, general weakness. contagious carrier). Duration: I dS days. After duration , roll Id20 + Ca n against the disease's Virulence FacIO!". On a failed roll, proceed to Stage Two. On a success, character returns 10 normal 111 another I d 12 hours. Stage Two: Character suffers il temporary - 1 \0 Strength, can't perform strenuous activity (including running/sprinting), a nd has frequent cough, fe\'cl~ sore throat. headache, extreme fatigue , contagious (ca rri er). Du ration: Id3 days. After durat ion, roll Id2Q + Con againsll hc diseascs Virulence Factor. On a failed roll, proceed to Stage T hree. On a success, cha racter returns to normal in anothe r I d 12 hours. Stage Three: Sa me ~ymplom~ as Stage T wo, plus loss of 10.1" hi t points. Duration: 2d 12 hours. After du ra tion, ma ke a Constitution check versus half Con. On a failure, proceed to Stage On e of Pneumonia , below. If successful, character rcturns to normal in 12+ld12 hours.

Dipbtberia,
Normally, a feve r and sore throat isn't tOO bad. If its diphtheria. though, you better start praying. The character elllers Stage One some 1+ 1d3 days alicr exposure. Stage One: Character can't pcrform ~ trenuous act ivity (including running/sprinting '. and has ~e\'ere so re throat , light f('\"cr, contagious carrier. Duration: 24+2d 12 hours. Stage Two: Same symptOms as Stagc On e, plus loss of 50% hit points. Duration: 2+ I d+ days. After duration, roll 1d20 + Con against the disease's Yirulence FacIOI'. On a failed roll, proceed to Stage T hree. On a success, character returns to normal in 12+2d 12 hOllrs. Remain contagious for another Id4 weeks. Stage T h ree: CharaCter has diOiculty breathing, rapid heartbeat, pale cold skin , anxious appeara nce. Hit points drop 10 25% of normal. Duration: Id 3 days. Afler duration , make a Constituti on check versus half Can. On a failure, proceed to Stage four. If successful, hit points now relurn at the rate of l/day. and the character can perform strenuous activity in 12+2d 12 hours. Remain contagious for another I d4 weeks. Stage Four: Roll IdIO. On a result of!. character dies. On a 2 through 9. the character shakes olT the disease. The character's total hp is permanentl y reduced by 10%. Th ere is a 10% chan ce Ihe character also loses 1 point of Strength and I point of Constitution (roll for each). T he character can per-

Malaria
You get malaria from infected mosquitoes, though the folk s of the Shallcred Frontier aren't aware of that yet. You ' ll have a fever (eal!ed the 'ague "), and may feci like you're gell ing a flu. St:\ge One begi ns 10+ I d20 days a ft er getting bit. Stage One: Chills and headache. Duration: 3d20 minutes. Stage Two: Temporary loss of 1 point of Strength and I point of C onstitution. Character cannot perform Strenuous activity (including running, sprinting), a nd has fe,e r, nausea, vomiting, headache, and int ense th irst . Duration: 2+ I d4 hours, Stage Thre e : Feve r with profuse sweating, fatigu e (no strenuous activity). Duration: 1+ Id3 hours. Stage Four: Roll ld20 + Con against the discascs Virulence Factor. On a success, continue to repeat thc above stages cvery Id 3 days, for the next lel4 weeks. Afterwards. charactcr returns to normal in 24 hours. On a failu re, th e malaria becomes chronic. There is a 20% chancc the character permanently los!::s I point

88

of Strength and I point of Constitution (ro!! for each). The character can perform strenuous activity after I d4 weeks. Remain contagious for another I d4 weeks. Character must roll I d 100 eve ry day for the rest of his life. On a result of I, character has a relapse and suffers Stages One through Three.

Virulence Factor. On a success, character returns to normal in I d 12+ 12 hours. O n a failure , proceed to Stage Three. Stage Three: Th e character suffers comp licat ions roll a d I 00. On a result of I, cha racte r suffers inflammation of the brain and dies. On a result of 02-14, proceed to Stage One of pneumonia, below. In either case, characte r becomes immune to future exposures of measles.

M easles
You can spOt this springtime disease from small, red. irregularly-shaped spots with blue-white cente rs inside the mouth. Of course, since most folks don't look inside your mouth too often, you might have to wait a while to see the large flat red to brown blotches that start popping up all O\'er the skin. Stage One begins 6+ I d6 days after exposure. Stage One : Runny nose, cough, slight fe"er that rises slowly ove r duration, contagious (carrier). Duration: 4+ I d3 days. Stage Two: Fever, red blotchy rash, contagious ca rrier). Character has difficulty concentrating - a 100 penalty to all skill checks. Duration: 4+ I d3 da\s. After du ration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's

Pneumonia
O nce you catch pneumonia, you'll have some sort of cough, at least. It really depends on what kind you caught yersclf. Roll a d20.
"Br On a 01-06. it's bactcrial. rF On a 07 - 16. it's "iraL
:T On 17-20, it's "walking pneumonia."

Of course. to the folks of the Shattered Frontiers, there's no difference - it's all just pneumonia . Stage On e begins I + I cl3 days after exposure.

89

Stage On e (Bacteria l): Chills, shakes, high fever, sweating, chest pain, cough with yellow/green mucus. No strenuous activity (including running/spril1ling). Duration: 7+1d6 days. After du ration, roll ld20 + Can against the disease's Virulence FaclOr. On a suc cess, characwr returns 10 normal in 3+ld~ days. On a failure , proceed to Stage Two. Sta ge One (Viral): Dry cough, muscle pain, fatigue, fever, headache. Character has difficult), COIlcentrati ng - a 15% penalty to all skill checks. No strenuous activity (including running/sprinting). Duralion: 7+ Id6 da}'s. After duration, roll Id20 + COil against Ihe disease's Virulence FactOr. On a success, character retur ns to normal in 3+ld4 days. On a failure, proceed to Stage T wo. Stage On e (Walking): Light cough, fe"cr, mild fat igue, headache. C haracter cannot sp rint. and suffers a 5% pena lty 10 all skill checks. Duration: Number of days equal 10 12+3d6, minus Constitlluon score (minimum 3 days. After duration , charaCler returns to normal in 3+ I d4 d:\ys. Stage Two: Same symptoms as Stage One, plus difficulty breathing, nausea, vomi ting, mental confusion. Duration: 3+ I d4 days. After d uration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success, character !"e turns to normal in anOlber 3+ Id4 days. On a failure, proceed to Stage Three. Stage Three : Same symptoms as Stage T\\o. plus loss of 25% hit points. Duration: 3+ I d+ days. After d uration, make a Constitution check ve rsus half Can. On a failure, proceed to Stage Four, below. If successful, symptoms fade in 3+ I d~ days. Stage Four: Same symptoms as Stage Three, for the nexi Id4 weeks, followed by death.

drops to 50%. D uration: 3+ I d4 days. After duration, roB Id20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success, symptoms and rash disappear in 2+ 1d3 days. O n a failure , character suncrs complications and dies.

Small pox
This is a terrible sickness, and even if you sUlvive it, you're going to be len with a right ugly face. Stage One begins 7+ld10 da~'s after exposure. Stage One: Feve r, fatigue , head and body aches, contagious (carrier), and small red SpOtS develop on mouth and tongue. Loss of 25% hit points. Character cannot perform st renuous activity (including jogging/running/sprinting). D uratio n: 12 + ld12 hou rs. Stage Two: Same as Stage One, but mouth rash ....anishes and rash spreads to all parts of the body. Hit point loss increases to 50 0 o. Duration:! 2+ 1d 12 hours. Stage Three: Fatigue, head and body aches, COlHa gious (ca rrier), with large pusfil!ed rash all over body. Hit point loss increases to 80/11 . D uration: Id3 days. After duration. roll I d20 + Con agai nst thc disease's Virulence Factor. On a success, proceed to Stage Four. On a failure. roll a d!OO. On a roll of 01-30, blood forms under the ~ kin , organs begin to bleed and character dies. On a roll of 31-65, character becomes blind as the Plumb Blind flaw. On a roll of 66-100, the disease weakens Ihe character, and he suffers a permane m I penalty to his SIn:.ngth and Constitution ability. Stage Four: Same as Stage Three, but bump s start to crust and scab. Duration: 4+ld3 days. Stage Five: Same as Stage Three, but bumps start to fall off, leaving pitied scar~. Duration: -I + I d3 days. After duration. roll Id20 + Can against the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success, character suffers a permanelH I to his Charisma and I Looks ability scores. On a failure, the penalty is -2 to Charisma and - I to Looks. III either case, the cha racter's total hI' is permanently reduced by 10% .

Scariet I!ver
T hose darn bacteria - there's not hing 10 be dune about them. Don't touch somebody with scarlet fever, or cat from the same plate , because you're sure to get it. Stage One begins I + I d3 days after exposure. Stage One: Sore throat, Oushed face, fever, chills, contagious (carrier). D uration: 12+3d12 hours. Stage Two: Same as Stage O ne, plus a rash of little red bumps. Loss of 25% hit points. D uration: 12+ld12 hours. After d uration, roll Id20 + Con agai nst the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success, character returns to normal and rash disappears in anothe r 3+ 1d4 days. On a failure, proceed to Stage T hree. Stage Three: Sallle symptollls as Stage Two, plus higher feve r, nausea, and vomiting. Hit point loss

* POISONS *
Th ere aren't toO many homb res who usc poison to gct rid of their enemies - after all, a bullet is a heck of a lot cheaper and quicke r. Of course, you still need to watch out for snakes .. \\'henever a character gets poisoned (what we call "pizened" ), he needs to roll a d20 and add his Constitution score. If this poison Tolerance roll is

90

TABLE 3.3-6: POISONS AND VENOMS

T,p<
Arscnic
Ddiver ~

Poison Oak
This vine or shrub has leaves like an oak tree, but it isn't nearly as pleasant to touch. Its oil rubs off on the body, causing rashes and blisters wherever it touches . Of course, if you wash it off quick you have nothing to worry about (no roll needed if character washes within 2 hours of exposure).

Fletor

Dlmlgc"

CosT

.. . .IDgwed ...... 26

.. Zel20 .... ,$0.08

Gilt monster
MOOllsced . .. . PoisoD olk ... .

SeorpioD. buk ScorpioD. o ther .sliog ... . .. .l+ld'l .. ,$Ol kt. coppc:rhcJd . ... Bile ....... . .23 .... .Z +ld'1 .. .$ol ke. co r ~ 1 . . . .. Bilt .. . ...... .22 ... . .l+ld4 .. ,.... SDth. CQ !lonmoulh ... Bile ...24 .... .2+2d4 $ol ke. rmJesDlkc .. ...Arrow. Bile ...15 .3+2d4 ....... Spidu. bbck ...idow ... Bile . .25 .... .l+!d4 ...... ,Spidu. brown reduse .. Bile ......25 ..... .Id'! ........" plus I lly listed dfecTs

. .. .Bile .... . .22 .. .. .2+2d~ .. ," .Iogested ......W ......Zd,! ... ,' .Coouel .IS ... .. . .ld4 . . .." .stiog ... . .. .25 ..... 2+Zd'1 ....

Scorpion! Bark
These little straw-colored varmints (about 2-3 inches long) like to live in trees and moist , dark places . Aside from the damage they do, you'll ha\e twitching facial muscles, cramps and nausea for I d3 hours .

greater than the Poison Factor, the character suffers only half damage (minimum I), Each poison and its damage is listed on Table 3.3-6: Poisolls alld Velloms, wi th details below. Hit points lost to poison o r venom return factorial rate as normal injuries,
at

Scorpion! Other
\Iost scorpions ha\'e colo rs anywhere from straw to brown to black. and length from less than I to 5 inches long. Fortunately. theyre a little less poisonous.

the same

Snake! Copperhead
A western copperhead a\erages about 3 feet long. Symptoms see rattlesnake begin within Sd20 minutes of the bite, and last for I d4 hours,

Arsenic
You can ge t this white, tasteless, odorless po\\-der down at the apothecary shop. Works great for killing rats, but I reckon you could usc it for people, too, Of course, I hea r that smaller than usual doses don't really affect folks. Lesser doses cause weakness, secretly reducing the character's hit points by 5% (regained normally).

Snake! Coral
The western coral snake lives in cent ral ~1 exico and the western Republic of Texas. Its coloration is red, yellow, and black, in alternati ng stripes. Just remember - " red before yellow and you're a dead fellow." Unlike most other snakes, this snake dcli\c rs its \'et1Om by grooves in the teeth, rather than injecting it. There is a 50% chancc that you'll take no damage if you pull the snakc off quick (within 2 seco nds). Five minutcs after the \enom enters, the characte r suffers drowsiness, weakness, blurred vision (~4 to Accuracyl and slurred speech for the next I d6 hours, If you roll a I on ),our Tolcrance roll, roll a dIOO. The charactcr has a 200 cha nce (01-20) 10 die from a heart attack.

Gila Monster
This big lizard lives mostly in northwest .\ Iexico, northwest Arizona, south )Jevada, eastern California and southwest Deserel. They are usually black and pink, or black and coral colored, and might be as big as 20 inches long. Its kin, the l\'Iexican beaded lizard, can grow up to 3 fect long. Ii 's hard to get bitten unless you pick one up, so I wouldn't recommend it. For symptoms, see the rattlesnake entry below.

Moonseed
Also called Texas sarsaparilla, this vine can grow up to 12 feet tall, with broad maple-like leaves. In J uly, small yellow or greenish-white flowe rs bloom, and small bunches of black, grape-like fruits appear in September. T hese fruits cause trouble, since unknowing kids sometimes pick and eat them.

Snake, Cottonmouth
If you find them in or about the water, you're prob~ abl), looking at what we call a "cottonmouth." They can get up 10 6 fect long, and have a dark brown body with a lighter yellowish body, SymptOms (see rattlesnake) appear within 5d20 minutes of the bite, and last for I d4 hours.

91

Snake, Rattlesnake
T his sna ke's rattle is the best way to figure Out if you're gelling 100 close. If bit, roll a diDO.
'i3r On a result of 01-25, the characte r only suffe rs damage from the bi te.
; ? On a result of 26-60, the character also experiences pain, sligh t bleeding and swelling.

Spider, Black Widow

T his shiny black spider has a reddish hourglass mark on its stomach. You tend to find them in old closets, allies, woodpiles, animal burrows, barns, and outhouses. The character feels pain around the bite within 3d I 0 minutes. Difficulty breathing, muscle twitching, eyelid swelling, headache, nausea, and pain in the abdomen, back and legs appears within I d2 hours.

'i3r On a result of 61-85, the character also suffers nausea, vomiting, fa tigue, severe pain, and the whole limb swells up.

Spider, Brown Recluse

Brown recluse spiders like dark corners - be carefu l whe re you stick your hand! The character feels aching around the bite after 4+ Id4 hours, and there is a 10'% chance that the character also suffers from nausea and high fe,er. for the next 4+ I d3 days. Afterwards, it becomes a black patch of dead tissue that rots and falls off after Id4 weeks. This deep wound takes 2+ld4 months to heal. There is a 10% chance (100% if bitten on the face that this causes the character 10 permanently lose a point of Looks.

On a result of 86-100, the character suffers severe pain and swelling, he has difficulty breathing. and must make a Constitution check \'ersus half his Con score. On a failed check, the character lapses into shock and dies. Symptoms begin within 5d20 minutes of Ihe bite, and last for I d4 hours.
'Gflr

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3.41 Brawling
hese rules cover situations where brawling itself is the center of the action. These situations might include a challenge to fisticuffs, a heated fi slfight between two arguing characters (especially if onlookers are there and honor is at stake), wrestling matches, bare- knuckl ed boxing matches or the classic barroom brawl. In these instances where the fight itself is the main encounte r or epicente r of the action, these brawling rules provide enhanced play and nexibility as well as a more protracted scenario. If you enjoy a good barroom brawl complete with makeshift weaponry (e.g., chairs broken over the back or a whiskey bottle to the head), these rules will do nicel\".

White C hips (Endurance ) represent your staying power in a fist fight. You get a number equal to the sum of your \ Visdom and Constitution scores. White chips reduce any damage suffered from opponents by 2 points per while chip bet.

For a shQr/er brawl, halve all slarting chips.

* BETTING *
Each round of brawling is structured somewhat like a poker game. Each combatant decides how many, if <lny. of his chips he wishes to utilize in any given round by tossing them into Ihe pot. H owever, every player must tO~~ in at lea~t one while " Endurancc" chip. Anyone controlling any non-player characte rs invoh'ed will ha\'e to t05S in one white chip pe r character as \\ell. Th ese "antes" are then swept and counted 10 make sure C\'cryone that wants to lake an action has paid a chip and remO\'ed from the fight. After anteing. each player utilizes his chosen number of red, blue and white chips by "betting" and tossing them into the ccnter of the table lor into the "pOI"). Each color is handled in turn and each round of "bclting" goes from the lowest to the highest Wisdom, thus the character with the lowest \ Visdom "bets" first. T he maximum chips that may be bet by any character in any given round of brawling is as follows: Red (Damage): '/7 Strength score Blue (Agility): '17 Dexte rity score White (Endurance): '17 Constitution score JVole: All scores are rounded do w lI . Titus, a character wilh an II Dexterity can bet a maximum of 5 Agili!J' cflips.
Looks ChH;sml

* SETUP *
E<lch ch<lracter begins with <I set numbcr of poker chips that represent that c haracter's ability to deal and withstand damage and hit others. These chips come in precisely three varieties . Each player begins with a stac k of chips defined by the ir ability scores as follows: Red Chips (Da11l.age) represent brute strength and you r ability to innict damage. You receive twice your Strength score in ch ips. Red c hips dete r mine the damage bonus of successful hits. Each red chip bet gives + I point of damage. Blue C hips (Agility) represent your ability to con nect with an opponent. You rece i\'e a IOtal numbe r of blue ch ips equal to the total of your Intelligence and Dexterity. Blue chips determine who swings first. Each blue chi p bet gives a + I "To- hil."

EXAMPLES OP INITIAL CHIPS DEAL!

A chiueter nimed Bill GHrett the following stlts: StrengTh .. Intelligence Wisdom De"terity CObstituTion Loo ks .. Chuismi .. .12/59 .15/93
h~s

24 Red (D ~m~ge ) : 2" Strength (12) 24 Blue (Agilit y): Int elligence (15) plus De"terity (9) 20 WhiTe (EnduUDce): Wisdom (6) plus Constitution (14)

. .7/ 03 .. 11/ 53
foJJo~' ing

.6/91

.. .9177
.14/73 .9/60 .7/ 11

AnOTher chuieter nimed Jike Cuson hiS the foUoll'ing Silts Strength ......... 11/66 Intelligence .. Wisdom De"terity

------ .12/ 63

Jl ke receives The prior to bnw ling:

chip touls

22 Red (D imlgc): 2 " Strength (II) 25 Bl ue (Agility): InTelligence (1 2) + De"teriTy ( 13) 22 White (EnduUDce): Wisdom (10)

Bill is therefore deilt out the follow ing quutities of poker chips prior 10 the brlw l:

.10/86
.13/47

+ Constitution (12)

Constitution ... . .12/32

93

* BRAWLING *
Players take th eir turns in order of the number of Agility (blue) c hips beL H ighest goes first (ties are brokm by Dexterity scores /0 fI,e 10011, place. Intelligence

' 'til

"20' for the attacker docs double Damage c hips and the extra Damage chi ps ignore any Enrluf(lIlce chips played by thc defender (but the first ones bet are not ignored). A natural roll of "20" by the defender doubles the value of the Enduran ce (white) chips played.

scores

(0

tlu JOOlh place. then a rf20 roll).

To hit anOTher character, the playe r picks any adjacelli target, rolls a d20 and adds a + I bonus for each Agility (blue ) chip bet (back at the sian of the round\. Tbe defender rolls a d20 and adds his Accuracy/ H it Probabilit y modifier gran ted by his Dexterity score. If Ihe attacker's roll exceeds the defende r's roll, the attack sllcceeds (i.e., tics go to the defender).

Results of th' First Punch and a Cou nter Wilh his suuesiful af/ack, .Jake deals oru point rif damage plus alit poiflt for tach red chip lit bel (fi~'e), for a 10101 rif 6
poiflls. However. Bill bel thru while c/u"ps, which remove 2 points rif da7llagefor each whitt cllip hrt. Thai's three chips X 2 poillts.for a lotalof 6. Bill slluesifully blocked 0/1 rif jake's damagt. ,Vow it's Bill's lurn 10 allark. Bil/ rolls a d20, gr/lillg a "slIll rif 8, olld adds + I Jar each blue chl/; bet (Iu'o). for a 10101 rif J0. To dgelld, .Jake rolls a d20 and adds IllS Dt>:lrriry dtfinst modifia (+1)fol" a to/aloJ 1-1. Sinct Bill ; rollJoiled 10 beat Jake; defin.ft', Ihe allac/; Jails.
After any round of fighling. a character with zero Damage (red) chips is too weak to injure a.nyone beyond one point. any ch,uacter with zero Agility (blue) chips is too fatigued to throw a really accurate punch and thus cant get a bonus to-hit , and any charaCler with zero Endurance white) chips is winded and muSt spend one round resting see below) or spend one each of D amage and Agility chips to gain an Endurance chip for ante. If at any limc, a character's ch ips arc down to zero ill all three categories, he's knoc ked and/or pas5ed out. Damage beyond the final ch ip is removed from the c haracter's hit point total. This hit point damage is actual damage - thus, a character without chips can be beaten to death if his opponent's are not stopped and of a mind to do so. Duration of unconsciousness is equal to I d 10 seconds. If the blow that knocked the charac ter un conscious dealt more damage than the defending character had chips (i.e., he would have a negative number of chips:, thai character is knocked unconscious for an additional 10 seconds pcr chip he was shy. Every 10 seconds, (he unconscious character may al\cmpt a COlHlitLllion check to regain consciousness. Th e character may not act the first 10 seconds in which he regaIns conSCIOusness.

Exampl, of }Jetting and the First Pu. "h

Bill Garrett ana Jake Carsoll aTe harill' "ltm.uh'('J a brau.f. Bolh plqyers loss in om! while (hip Jor milt. reducing Ih eir total by one. Now it's lime to prtpare. Jake decidts he's going (0 btl the maximum rei! (five) and blut (six) chips ht's allowed, plus aile wllite chip. Bill's gOl/lla be more constn'alille (md bfis only Iltru reds and two bllles, plus (lITer l}.:hife chips. SinCf Jake bel flu most blue (Agility) chipJ, fit' gets 10 roll his aifackjirsl. He rolls a d20, gelling a resull if 13, alld adds +1 for each blue chip btl,Jor a tolal if 19. To dffind. Bill rolls a d20 alld adds his AUI/rag/Hil Probabili~)1 (+0) from Dextaity for a lolal rif 14. Since Jake; foli beal Bill's difense-. fht allack succeedJ~
Th e injured player must remO\c Ihc damage total in chips from his lhree chi p stacks in any combination he chooses (e.g., 3 points of damage can be three red chips, or two red and one blue. or threc white, onc of each, ele). Damage dealt by a successful punch is one point plus the number of Damage ch ips (red) bet by the attacki ng player. H oweve r, if the defender bet any white chi ps. the damage is reduced by two points for each one Endurance chip (white) bet by the defending player (nOte this can reduce damage to zero from a would-be damaging blow). If {he defending character is damagcd, the defe nding playcr must remove a number of hi s own chips (not already in the pOt) equa l 10 the damage suffe red from his stacks. He places them <lside (the), are lost from the fight ). No hit points arc lost, just chips. A natur<ll "I' on the attacker's roll indicates a vcry poor miss: the attacker suffers the efTects listed on the ~1i s ll<lp s chan and the defende r may make a free, immediate coull\er-au<l ck that docs not count as his attack for that turn but is otherwise the sa me as his standard allack for that turn in all respects (i.e., usc the chip tOtals bel that round), A natural "I" on the defender's roll gives the attacker an immediate free allack (identical to his first attack). A namral roll of

THE RAKE
Th e highest natural attack roll (i.e., not modified

by chips) each rou nd wins thal round's pot. less the

rake (sec below). These chi ps arc then added 10 that character's chips and he can use them in futu re brawling rounds.

94

A percentage of eaeh type of c hip from each pot is removed as follows: one of each type chip for every I10 chips bet or fraction thereof, for every four brawlers that rolled dice or otherwise contributed !O the pOl. For example, if the pot consisted of 16 Damage, 21 Agility and 9 Endurance chips and there we re 2-4 brawle rs, two Dam age c hi ps, three Agility chips and one Endurance chip would be removed. If there were 5-8 b rawle rs double the c hips wou ld be removed. and for 9- t 2 brawle rs the players would remove triple . and so on. The simplest way 10 keep track of this is 10 stack the chips in color groups of 10 and remove one chip from eveq' stack (including fractional slacks I for every four brawlers. Thus, remove one per 10 for 1-4 brawlers, 2 per 10 for 5-8 brawlers. C IC. In the en'nt of a tic, the chips remain ill the pal and the winner of the following round wins bOth pOts!

Sillce there art Oll(y (wo brawlm and less Ihan '0 (ftip.r if each color, on(y onf if each (olor is put aside (raked). TIlt remaill der rif till' pol (seven ml, swen blut and jiue wltilt) all goes to Jake. sinet he had tilt highest nltack roll.

TIME
Each round of b rawling equals 10 seconds of duration. Ea ch rollnd of rest (inaction) ea rns back three chips of the resling character's choice.

Exam pJ e of a Time O ut
uls SIiPPOl( thaI. aptr afew rOllnds rif brawling, Bill runs Ollt of whitt (hipl. On hiJ ne.\ / round, he'll lakr no !lction (tilher IlUad. or d~ftllst). Allht beglllning rif the next roulld, ht rtWrel lIme 1{'IIilf' {hips. Hell hm'e to liSt one rif these white {ltipsJQr ante, unless he sprnds anotlla rOlllld flStillg.

Example of a Rake
Jake alld Bill hm'e bOlhjinishcd thfir attacks, so iI's til/ufor the rake. The pOI consists rif all tlte chips Ihey nnled alld bel. lo/allllg: eight red cflips, tigltt blue chips and sit; I1'lIilf (hips.

STUNNING
Any round 111 which a character suffe rs damage equal to half his re maining Endurance chips, he is partially st unned for the next round. Partially stu nned

95

characters may bet a maximum of '/2 their normal maximum (or II, the relevant original ability score). If in one blow a character suffers damage equal to or greater than his remaining endurance chips, he's stunned for one action and cannot take his next action (this round of inaction does not count as " Rest"), falls prone and is then partially stunned for the following round. Note that a charaeter's next action could be in the same round or in the next round depending on whether hc already attacked that round. Any character that is stunned (but not partially stunned) twice within two rounds is knocked unconscious for I round.

al/ack or deftnd dllrll1g his next action. bul gains no while chips jar resting. Tll ejoflowing fOllnd, lit is only partially stUll/ltd, (IS descn'bed above.

MOVING AND SPECIAL ACTIONS

l\ lost of the time, a brawl isjusl twO drunk hombres cuffing each other about the head and fa ce. However, if you want \0 spend some extra chips on your turn , you can decla re that you're making a special action. .\ Jaking a special action is the only lime you get \0 spe nd more chips than you're normally allowed, since their effects arc different. You arc essentially trading these extra chips in exchange for being able \0 perfo rm the special move. T hese chips are taken out of the game Ihey do not go into the "pot" with the others. You can only perform one special act ion per attack, and the special action is only successful if your attack hits.
Movjng, etc.: ~ I o\'ing is really a catchall for a special action that doesn't directly affect another character. The se include

ExampJe of Stunning
For example, let's suppose that Bif{ only' has four tdlile (Endurance) chips Iif!. If lit suffirs 111)0 poinls 0/ damage. he's partially slunned. 011 his next round. he can only belthrtf red. two blue alld three white chips. instead 0/ his normal maxi/llll/ll 0/ six ud,jollr bille and seun whitt. On the other hand, lel''s say Ihal Bill hasfour white chips Iif!, bill SIIffirs 4 points or //lore oj damage. He can't

96

such Ihin g~ as moving, jum ping behind Ihe bar, picking up a chair, swingi ng from the chandel ier, or grabbing a pull ofT Ih al whiskcy bottle that ot her feller see ms to have forgOl about a nd left unattended-like on the bar. Th ese actions a ll cost one blu e chip. Using a Weapon: Actions that do directly alleet anothe r character cost one of each type of chip. This includes using a wca pon or a makeshift weapon such as a chai r. hottle, gun butt. pock(t pislOl or bowie knife. Da mage delivered by hitting a character \\'ilh a wcapon , chair, hott le, and 110 on, i~ rolled per the weapon and modified by bOlh Stren~th modifiers like a norlllal hit l and Da mage chip" Thc damagc total witho ut Damage chips i.e. , the weapon damage plus St rengt h bOllll'i1 is removed from the defender's hit poi rllt otn l, and the IOta I damage is I'i.'mo\'(~d fro m thc ch aractcr's c hips \modifi ed by any Endur;\IlCC ('hips b e l , of course). Keep in mind, you '1Ilikcly have 10 lir't perform a ~Io\'ing action to g rilb ,I wcapon lInlcs~ you had a wcapon read~ whcn the oranl ~tarted .
~apon

white and twO red l when a nothe r adjaccnt cha racte r lries to pcrform a Special Action. ~ lI ch as pulling out Ok shoOl ing iron. At that poi nt, the cha racte r Using a " 'capon. or ~ I oving, or whatever (in our case dra\ling Ihe poc ket pistol with a )'I ovin g Action), may add as mallY blue (Agility) chi ps 10 his Special Action as desired. Then , the cha racte r playing thc Counter Actio n m a y bct as many hl ue chips as he desircs. If Ihe Counter. \ etion has mo n : blue Chips Ihan the ~p('dal .\ction, the Spf'cia l ,\ el ion player mar choo~e 10 add more blue c hips. This biddin~ process continues until one player i~ tOO COIl il rd ly to up the sta kes any further. f inall), the players each roll a d 20 .Itld add a + I pcr blue chip that that charactl'r played. If the Special .\ etion p layer\ tota l exceeds the Counter Action Player's totaL the Special ,\ ct ion may proceed (in this ca~e. he lila) fire hi, pockcl pi~101 at point blank. rollinl!: Til-hit and rollo\\in~ the' ~ulllighting mit's normally. If the Counter .\("Iion plilyer\ total equals or c ... (el'd~ the Special .\etion player'~ total, the S pecia l .\('(ion fai ls the player~ aft ~trll~g l ing o\'er the firearm. ~Ii s haps Is and natural tl\t'lltit'~ 205 arc h:lndlcd as described above in the ~ta ndard b ra\\ ling rules.

D amag'

:3J'" Usc !lta ndard wea pon damage

~ Chairs do ld4 for standard chairll, or Id6 for heavy c hai rs

Fir Boules do ld3 if empty, l eI! if half or more full

Exam ple of Usi ng a

I~"l Jf!}' ~mM~

~.pon

11,01 Jab dlt/arts h~ /L'a"ls 10 attack /Jillll'ilh all bot/II'. loki htls two fld and Iliru bl,u c/lips. plus ont uhiu dlip. 1/, also spcnds one addiriollol h/uf chlpfor ,\loving (0 pick lip Iht boltlt. Bill bets llL'O reds lind Ilt'O blues. plus two whilt chips.

Siner Joki btl t/it most hlue (Agili!YJ chips, ht gels fo roll his allockjirst. lit Tolb a d20, getting a mull W IOJ lind adds + I for Mdt bltu chip bel, for a 10/01 of 12. To deftnd. Bill rolls a d20 01111 adds !Jis AUl/fOry/lIit Probahilil.J (+0) from DO:ltrily for a lolnl of 9. Sincr la/" 'j roll btat Billj deftl/.It. tilt allock slI((uds.
II 'iln his SIICWljU/ attack. Joki' dtals , pomt oj damage, plus 2 points if damage for tnt tlt'O rtfl chip) ht bel. pluJ I d3 (ill this case, +2) for tltt bottle. (/lid +0 from Itis Strength bOlllls.Jor a tolal of 5/lOillls. Sillre Bill bellwo while c/tips. he TtmOt'tS 2 poillts qf damageJor tad, whilt' chip bel. TIw,/:5 two chipj .\" 2 /lOiflLl.jor a tolal qf 4. Bill slIrmsfully blocked off bUI I point qf Joke's damagt. so lit Oll()' losts 0111' chip oj his choiu. Ilolt:tur. sina Jake used II ll'tllPOII, Bill abo lOla 2 hil poinls (2 poilllS from lilt bollit. and 0 from Jake's Slrtng/h).

hiltin' him ldth n bottle, lit could hart stl oSldt 111.'0 red, Iwo blut. and Iwo I(;hill chipJ for II Coulller Arlion. Suillg Ihal. JnAe bell Ihru bltlt CIliPf agaiml Bill'f /It'O blue chips ill tilt COUllttT Aclioll. {ThtJe particula/" bllle rid/IS dOI/'1 add /0 /lis IIl/ack roll tht.v'rt jllsi 10 Iltlp hil/l 1'1111 t1J lilt sp((ial aC/1011 alld do 110/ go illio Ihr /Jol, bIll /h~v do disllpprllr Jrolll his slark 'II (flips.) If 8ill dotSII '1 be/ al!p IllOrr blur clu'psfllr lilt' COli Iller . Iclioll, Jake call pTocud willt his Special . Icliol/. TIlt biddillg gOlS bac/;, lind Jorlh. Bill adding 1I110lhtr 11/;0 blllt cllipl (follr lotl/I). /hl'll Jllkt addillg allothtr two (fitt 10101). 8ill drcidtJ 1/01 to add 0I~l' 1I/0ft blue chips (hefolds).

Example of Counter AcUon Xou~ if Bill had wallied /0 slOP Jllkt from

u'i,',

JaAt rolb a d20 alld addJ +5 (/ilt Sp((ial Aclioll blut chips), fo' a 10/01 qf 17, Bill also fOI/S a d20 and adds + 4 (follr CouIII" Aclioll blut cltipJ), jor a lola/ oj 16. Jakr'f Spuial Ac/ioll rail proeed.
Body Blow: A body blow is when yOLl throw a left o r right pu nch to the olher guy's ribs. to his g ut , to his slernum or th(' center of hi s bod y, \\ hal some folks ca ll Ihe solar plcx u s~ . You have to spend an extra two red c hips. bill if you hit, aside from thc rcsuhs of your norma l da m age, you r opponent al~o losl's o ne white chip from hi ~ stack of unuscd chi ps. Break Away : Need lO b rea k away from thai hombre that 's got a g ra b or a hold on you? Brea king awa)

Counter Action: To perform this aClion , a player simply sets aside two chips of each color (two bluc, IWO

97

from a grab costs two red and lWO blue chips, but breakin' away from a hold costs either four red chips or four blue chips. Cross : T he powerful straight punch from the back fist packs a might)' pop. It costs ya a blue and a white but adds two red chips to the attack. Grab: If you wa nt to grab that hombre, such as with the lefl hand to keep him from avoidin' yer pu nches from the right, then this move is fo r you. It costs two red chips, but your opponent can't play more [han one white chip al a lime (not includ in' ante, of course) until he breaks frec. Head Butt: Slammin' ycr hcad into the other guy's face is what's known as a head bU H. A head butt costs one of each chip, but reduces the other guy's next attack (in the same round, or the next one, de pending on whcthe r or not he already attacked this round\ by two blue chips and one white chip.

chips and one whi te chip, but your opponent cannOt reduce damage from this attack with white chips. Low Blow: A low blow is a hit to the "equipment" bel\\'cen the other guy's legs. T his doesn't really apply to the ladies, of coursc. A low blow COStS twO blue c.hips, but if it hits, the opponcnt can't bet more Ihan one blue chip on his next action. Using a Low Blow also reduces that character's Reputation by one, Push: A push, or shove, lets you put this rascal down on the ground where he belongs. It costs two red and one white chip, but the othcr guy ends up down on the ground, and he has to spend onc of each color next round to get back on his feel. (H e can't stand back up and altack in the same round. ) Rabbit Punch: A rabbit punch is a chopping blow to the back of the neck. It costs four blue chips, but if successful increases your attack by duee rcd chips. Spur : If yotl c\er find yourself standing above somc poor feller you really don't like, you can cut him with your spur. II COSts three blue chips, but docs an ext ra (wo points of weapon damage.

Prtlllcisco, he WIIOIJiS olle red, one blut alld olle It.'hilt chip from his pile. If f,is at/ack hits, DOli's IIlxl allack is redurtd by two blue chips alld one white (hip. If Texas Pete's attack lIIisses, he still loses the chips, bul Don sl!Utn 7/0 ptnalties.
H a ymaker: T his wild hook from the back fist carries a big wallop. It'll cost you two blue and two white but adds th ree red chips to the attack. Hold: Want to grab that varmint and hold him wh ile somebody else hits him? It costs two red chips and two blue chips and you can do it. Once held, that rascal can't play any white chips (except for ante, of course) or do much other than try to break your hold. Hook: Pivoting around and hitting the other guy on the side of his face with rour flush knuckles is wh at we call a hook . It costs one white chip, but adds one extra red chi p to your attack. J a b : T his quick, straight punch can be prelly useful whcn you need to keep a big feller at bay or just \\"anl to punch faster than the other guy. It costs two red chips but adds two blue chips to your attack. Kick : No, this ain't no fancy judo stull". This is kic.kin' a man when he's down on the ground. If you or one of your partners have pushed him down, and your next attack contes before he can get back up, you can kick him good. It costs three blue and three white chips but also adds an cxtra four red chips to your attack. Kidney Punch : T his is a punch to the lower back , aimin' for thc othe r guy's kidneys. II costs three blue

Example of a Head Butt If uxas Pett wants to head blltt DOli

Example of Spurring an Opponent

Let's say thai Jake has Bill dowlI on the ground, and want.s to kick him with his spur. Jake bets two red alld two blut (hips, and 110 white chips, /-Ie also spends three additional blue chips for trying to deal damage with IIis spur. Bill bets one red and 0I1l bllle chip, plus thru white chips.

If Jake's attack is success/ul, he deals i poinl of damage, plus 2 point.s if damage jr" the two red chips Iu bet, PillS 2 1II0re points for Ihe spur, and +0 from his Strtngth bonus,for a lotal if 4 poillts. Since Bill bet two white chips, which rtmovt 2 points if damagejor each witile chip bel. That's two chips x 2 points, for a total of 4. Bill sllaessjully blocked all if Jake's damage, so he loses 110 chips. However, since Jake struck llim with flis spur, Bill also lostS 2 hil points (2 poilltsftom the SPIlr, and 0 from Jake'S Stullglh modifier).
Trip: Need to trip your opponent up? All you have to do is stick out your foot at the right time. It costs two blue chips, but rhe other guy can't bet any more than onc blue and one white on his next action (he can bet as many reds as normal). Uppe r cut: Curling YOllr arm and elbow down by your side, and bringing the fist up ha rd and fast up into the other guy's chin is what's known as an uppercut. It costs one of each chip, but your attack stuns your opponent if your damage equals L/. of his remaining Endurance (\dtite) chips. (Normally, stunning requires thc damage to exceed Lh your opponent's remaining white chips),

98

3.51 Firearms
Contained in this chapter arc 43 separate firea r ms for usc with the "advanced" Acts & Eights game. Each de rringer, revolver, shotgun, carbine, fine or musket is listed with fu ll game statistics as well as a common retail price. Note that this price is only a guide; actual prices may vary wildly according 10 the laws of supply and demand. Accuracy adjustments arc applied for any distance up to the listed increment. For example, a ta rget 10' I" to 15' dista nt affords the wielder of a American Arms Derringer a -2 'To-hit' penalty. There is no absolute maximum range for any projectile even those shot from a humble derringer. W hile statistically improbable, the re is still an extremely miniscule chance of hitting a ta rge t a thousand yards downrange with a derringer bullet. If a character wishes to roll "To-hit ' in such an instance, he should be allowed to do so. As such, the stated penalty at the weapon's maximum range appl ies to any shot at a target fro m Ihat distance to the limit of the characte r's vision.

- DERRINGERS AMERICAN ARMS DERRINGER

Number of Shots Damage Draw Speed J\ lodifier .

.2
........ d3+ I .0 count

$8 . ~
If you're looking for a reliable backup piSIOI, this Al caliber, double-barreled, pocket model isn't a bad choice. It comes with blued barrels, square-shaped

Reload Specd (per cartridgt) ..... 20 walnUl ~rips and a brass fram e with a sih-e r-plalcd finish. \\'ith a barrel length of only 2 i/,", you can hide this gun j ust about anywhere.

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +H

10'

15'
-2

20'
-5

25' -10

30' -20

40 + ' -50

Ammo pricCi

S2.l..I/ho).: 100 camidgcs

COLT NEW LI NE
Number or Shots Damage

.... 5

.................. d3+ 1

D raw Speed M odifier ........ 0 co un t Reload Speed (per cartridge) ..... 20 Here's a good little ,41 caliber pocket gun, if you reckon you'll need a backup squi rreled away for emergencies. This 5-shot re\'olver usually comes with varn ished rosewood grips.
Ammo pricn

$ 14.2!l
You can get it blued with a case hardened rrame, or a nickel-plated fini sh instead. Barrels come in 2 I" " or 4" length, whichever you'd prefer.

$ 2 .l.I/hox 100 canndgcs

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +8

10'

15'

-2

20' -5

25'

-10

30' -20

40+ ' -50

99

KNUCKLEDUSTER
Number of Shots ............. 7

Damage

............. d3 . ... 0 count

Draw Speed Modifier.

Reload Speed (per cartridge) ..... 20

$9 P
Range 5' Accu ra0' adjustment +8 10'

At on ly .22 calibe r the hardest punch this little piece migh t have is when used with a r ight jab, which happens to be what it was designed for.

15'

-2

20' -5

25'
-IU

30'

40+ '

Ammo price.

-20

-50

$1 ,~/box [00 cartridges

MARLIN STONEWALL DERRINGER

Number of Shots ............. 1

Damage ..................... d3 + I
Draw Speed lvl odificr .... .. . .0 count Reload Speed (per cartridge) ..... 20

$ 7 ..IQ

T his single shot, .41 caliber, cartridge derringer fits real easy in the palm of your hand. The 2 lN' barrel swi ngs sideways to load , a nd comes with a brass frame, rosewood grips and blued fin ish on the barrel.

Ammo prites

S2.U/box 100 cartridges

Range 5' Accurary atijustmenl + 8

10'

15'

-2

20' -5

25'
-10

30' -20

40+ ' -50

REMINGTON DERRINGER
Number of Shots ............. 2 Damage Draw Speed Modifier. Reload Speed (per carlndge)

.. d3+!
. .. 0 count

.. 20

T his two-shot, .41 caliber model isn't much to look at, but it's a good backup pistol for emergencies. It comes with a blued or nickel fin ish and grips of ha rd rubber, rosewood or walnut. Barrel length is only 3" .

Range 5' Accu rary atijustment +8

100

10'

15'

20'
-5

25'

-2

-10

30' -20

40+ ' -50

Ammo prices

S2.U/box 100 cartridges

REMINGTON PEPPER BOX

Number of Shots. Damage

. .. 4
... d4

Draw Speed :\1odific r . ....... 0 count Reload Speed (per cartridgt) ..... 20

$15.2.2

T his little four-barrel, .32 caliber derringer is a favorite of gamblers. It comes with hard rubber grips and a blued finish, unless you prefer a combination nickel and blue finish. Barrel length is 3 '/3".

5' A ccurary mljustment + 8

Range

10'

15' -2

20'
-0

25' -10

30'

40+'

Ammo prices

-20

-50

S t .LI/box 100 cartridges

-REVOLVERS

COLT DRAGOON
.... 6

Number of Shots

Damage

........... d4+ 1

Draw Speed ;\ Iodifier ........ +1 count

Reload Speed (o'linder) ......... 100

$24 .""
Ammo prices

$2 .Qg for 100 lead balls. percussion caps & black powder

If you're looking for an intimidating firearm, this .44 cal iber, 6-sl1ot cap and baJJ revolver might be just what you need. It 's bigger than most, weighing in at just over 4 lbs, 14 inches long (7 'N' barrel length), and sure to scare the britches ofT most folks. It comes with a casehardened frame and hammer, blued finish, and walnut grips .

5' A ccura0' adjustment +8 50' -8

Range

10' ++ 70' -12

15' +2 90' -16

20' 0 120' -2+

25' -2 150' -32

30' -+ 200'

-w

40' -6 250+ ' -50

101

COLT NAVY
Number of Shots ............. 6 Damage ..................... d4

$16.
AO'lll'lo prices

D raw Speed . M odifier.

. .. +1 count

Reload Speed (cylinder) ......... 100

This .36 caliber, 6-shol, single-action percussion revolver is a favorite out here on the frontier. II comes with a casehardened frame, lever and hammer, blued finish on the rest, and walnut glips. Glip straps appear silver. Barrcllcngth is 7 W'.

$ 1 ,Ll for 100 lc;ld balh, percllssion caps & black powder

Range 5' Accurary a4Juslment +8

50' -8

10' +{ 70' -12

15' +2 90' -16

20' 0 120'

-u

25' -2 150' -32

30' -+ 200' -{O

40' -6 250+' -50

$21. QQ

COLT PATERSON
Number of Shots Damage

... 5
....... d4

Draw Speed ~ I od. (4" balTCl) ....... 0 count

Draw Speed .\Iod. (7 '1/' balTC1) ..... + I count

DrawSpccd i\ lod. (9"barrcl) ....... +3 count

DrawSpccdi\ lod. (12"barrcl) ...... +5 count Reload Speed (cylil/der) ............ 100

Although nicknamed the "Texas Paterson," th is .36 caliber, 5-shot cap and ball revolver actually comes from Paterson, New J ersey. It comes with a casehardened frame and hammer, blued finish on the rest, and walnut grips. Barrel length is usually 7 1//' or 9", but can be as short as 4" to as long as 12". S I .u for 100 lead balls, caps & black powder

perclls~ion

Amm o prict s

Range 5' Accur(l0' adjustment +8 (4"" 7//2" barrel) 50'

-12
Range 5' Accura0' adjustment +8 (9' barrel) 50'

10' +{ 70' -16 10' +4 70' -16 10' +4 70' -16

15' 0 90' -21 15' 0 90' -24 15' 0 90' -2{

20'
-I

120' -32 20' 0 120' -32 20' 0 120' -32

25' -3 150' -40 25' -2 150' -+0 25'

-I

30' -6 200+' -50 30' -5 200+ ' -50 30'

-{

40' -8

40' -8

-12
Range 5' ACCIlra0' adjustment +8 (12" barrel) 50'

40' -8

-12
102

150' -{O

200+' -50

GRISWOLD & GUNNISON

Number of Shots ............. 6 Damage , ............ d4 Draw Speed lvl odificr ........ + 1 count

$14,2.I!
T his 6-shot, .36 caliber revolver from Griswoldville, GA looks pretty similar to the Colt Kavy. il boasts a 7 W' partially octagonal, partially found barrel, with a brass frame and trigger guard, blued finish and one-piece walnut grips.

Reload Speed (cylinder) ......... 100

Ammo prit ts

S l.ll for 100 lead balls. percussion caps & black powder

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +8

50' -8

10' +4 70' -12

15' +2 90' -16

20' 0 120' -24

25' -2 150' -32

30'
-f

200' -40

40' -6 250+' -50

LEMAT TWO-BARREL
Number of Shots (Pistol) ...... 9 Number of Shots (Shotgun) .... 1 Damage (Pistol) .... d3 + 1

$ 7 5,M
This unusual 9-shot, .42 cali ber revolver has a second, shorter smoothbore 18 gauge barrel below th e first. T his second barrel is designed for firing buckshot. T he hammer is fitted with a pivoting striker that allows the shooter to easily discharge either the lead balls or shot barrel.

Damage (Shotgun) . , .......... d3 per pellet Draw Speed !vlodifier ........ + 1 count Reload Speed (cylinder) ......... 100 Reload Speed (sholgwl) ......... 150

Ammo prices

S 2.i.! for 100 lead ba!ls. percussion caps & black po wder

Range 5' Accurary mljuslmenl* +8 50' -8

10' +4 70' -12

15' +2 90' -16

20' 0 120' -24

25' -2 150' -32

30' -4 200' -40

40' -6 250+' -50

$ 1 .~ lor powder, shot & primers suflicient for 100 shotgun firint,'S

app/itS 10 b(llh (ap & ball and sh(llgun shells treat sh(ltgun as sawed'?!!

103

REMINGTON NEW ARMY

Xumbcr of ShOls ... Damage .. , ..
. ... 6

.d4+ 1

$19,~

Draw Speed ,\l odifier ........ +2 count

Reload Speed (rylilldtr) ......... 100

This 6-shol, .44 caliber cap and ball re"olver has a blued fin ish, sturdy steel frame and brass triggerguard. and most folks prefer the two-piece walnu t g rips. The octagonal barrel is 8" long.

Ammo prit ts

S2 ." ]()I' 100

pe lTu"joli t';IP~

I~ad

balk

& black powder

Range 5' ilccuralZ)' adjustment +H 50' -8

10' + 70' -12

15'

+1
90' -16

20' 0 120' -21

25' -2 150'
-32

30'
--\

200'
-I ()

40' -6 250+' -50

COLT 1 877 LIGHTNING

:\'umbcr of Shots ............. 6 Damage ,.38 caliber .......... d3+ I Damage (. 41 caliber Draw Speed :\ Iodificr . Reload Speed (pn taTtn"dgt)

.. ..... d4+1
.0 count

$25." (. 38) $27." (.41)

.10

T his 6-shot, .38 caliber is Colt's first double-action sixgun, and most come with hard rubbe r grips embossed with a bucking colt inside an oval. and a blued nickel finish. Otherwise, you can get nickel plating and lor checke red one-piece rose\\'ood grips. Barre1lcngth can be 2 Ill" or 3 //' without the ejector, or 4 I:" 10 6" with thc ejector. Thc .41 caliber \'c rsion goes by the nickname or the "T hundere r." It is available with sim iliar options and reatures or ih ~ll1aller COllsin.

AQ'lfno pritcs

S2 .lIfho\: 100 (.aR) G\nlidge~ S 2 .uhu\' I OO(. l l)caI1rid~t;:s

Range 5' Accuracy adjustment +8 50' -8

10

10' +1 70' .12

15' +2 90' - 16

20' 0 120' -21

25' -2 150' -32

30' 200'
-ft)

-.

40'
-6 250+ ' -50

COLT SISLEY
1\"umber of Shots Damage (.44 caliber)
.............. 6

........... .d5+1
.0 count

Damage (.45 caliber) ........................... d6+1 Draw Speed :\ 1 00. 4 'I," or 5 W' b.. 'l.rrcl
D ra\\"Specd ~I OO.7

,/' barrel .............. +1 count

$23.'" (.44) $24 .'-' (.45)

Reload Speed (/>n'w'ridg<) ...................... 10

This single-action 6-shot re"oh-er fire s .44 caliber caru'idges, and tends to ha\'e ha rd rubber grips embossed with a bucking colt inside an o\'al, casehardened frame and barrels wit h a blued nickel finish. It also has a la rge r than usual trigger guard, and a sl ightly wider hammer. Barrel lengths can be <I 1,",5 'h", or 7 Othe r than fi ring larger shells, the .45 caliber \'e rsion isn 't too difTerelll.

Ammo pricu

$2.U/hox 100 (A I) (a r1 1id ~es 82 .I..Iho.\ 100 (AS) cal1ridgcs

Range 5' Accllrary atljllslmenl +H 70'

10' +. 90' 8

15' +2 120' 12

20' 0 150' 16

25' 1 200'

30'

40'
.:3

50'

2
250' 32

300'

-.0

350+ ' -50

COLT FLAHOP TARGET

Numbe r of Shot s ..
. .6

Damage ..... .. .............. d6+1 Draw Speed :\Iodifier ........ +1 count Reload Speed (IX' cartridgt) ..... 10 T his prelly piece gets its name from the Oat frame top. It fires six .45 caliber cartridges, has an adjustable rear sight. and a slightly higher front sight . :\ IOSI folks have a Flattop with black rubber grips, a caseha rde ned frame. and that nice blued fi nish on the barrels, although you can also get checkered walnut grips if you're of a mi nd to. Barrel length is 7 'It"".

Ammo pricu

$ 2 .Ufhox L OO (. 1-.5) GII1 ridges

Range 5' Accurary atljllJtment +8 90' -2 (.H)

10' 40' 50' 70' 15' 20' 25' 30' -I (6) +. +. (+2) +3 (0) +3 (1) +2 (2) + 1 (3) oH) 400+' 350' 120' 150' 200' 250' 300' -50 (50) -6 (.16) -1 2 (21) -15 (32) -20 HO) -25 (. 50) -. (12)
partlltheticQ/ numbus QPply!<"htn hipshooting or otherwise unable to employ the sights

105

COLT SAA
Number of Shots.
. ............ 6

$17." (.44) $18.'" (.45)

The Colt Single Action Army rcvoh"Cf, also nicknamed the Peacemaker, or Frontier Six-ShoolClj is an a\\ful popular gun. It's a 6-5hOl pistol with an ejector rod on the right side of the barrel and available in either .44 or.45 caliber. It tends to have a smndard blued finish on a 5 'f," barrel, casehardened frame and hammer, and hard rubber grips. You can also find them finished in nickel, with walnut, ivory o r pearl grips these la:st lWO are rare), and 4 %" or i 'I," barrellcngths, although lengths can be as little as 2 'f," or as long as 16".

Damage (.44 caliber) . Damage (.45 caliber) .

. .d5+1 , .d6+1

Draw Speed 1\'lod. (4 %" barrel or less) ..... 0 count Draw Speed Mod. (7 W' barrel) .......... + 1 count Draw Speed .Mod. (9" barrel) . Draw Speed ,Mod. (12+" barrel) .

..... +3 count
. ... +5 count

Reload Speed (per cartridge) ..... , ... , .. , .10

Ammo price,

$ 2.U/hox 100 (AU cartridges $ 2.l.I/hox 100 (..\..j) ca!tridgcs

Range 5' Accurary atljuslment +8 (2~" - 7'12" barrel) 70'

-6

10' +4 90' -8 10'

+1

15' +2 120' -12 15' +2 120' -12 15' +2 120' -12

20'

25'
-I

150' -16 20' +1 150' -16 20' +2 150' -16

200' -24 25' 0 200' -24 25' +1 200' -24

30' -2 250' -32 30'

-I

40' -3 300' -40 40' -3 300' -40 40' -3 300' -40

50'
-4

350+' -50 50' -4 350+' -50 50' -4 350+ ' -50

Range 5' Accurary atljustment +8 (9" barrel) 70' -6

90' -8 10' +4 90' -8

250' -32 30' 0 250' -32

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +8 (/2" barrel) 70' -6

AmO'lo prices

S 2.l.l/hox 100 (.44) camidges

$22.M

REMINGTON 1875
Number of Shots .............. ,. 6 Damage. . .................. d5 + 1
1 / 2"

Draw Speed Mod. (5

barrel)

.0 count

Draw Speed ~ lod. (7 IN' b.'urd) . . ... + I count Reload Speed (per cartn'dge) ......... 10

Folks prize this 6-shot, .44 calibe r revolver for its reliability and smooth action . it's a favorite of outlaws, and generally has a 7 IH' barrel wi th walnut grips, a casehardened hammer and loading gate with blued finish, or an overall nickel finis h. T here's also a version with a 5 IN' barrel, but you don't seem them too often.

Range 5' Accurary acljustmellt +8 70' -6

106

10' +4 90'
-8

15' +2 120' -12

20' 0 150' - 16

25'
-I

200' -24

30' -2 250' -32

40' -3 300' -40

50' -4 350+ ' -50

S6W 44DA
Number of Shots
Damage

.6
.d5+ 1

Draw Speed :\ [00. all barrels .... 0 count Reload Speed (pa cartridgt) ..... 8

$ 18.1!.l!

Ammo pricCi

$2 .0/ho.'l: 100 (.11) cartlidges

This double-action sixgun fires .44 caliber cartridges, has walnut or hard rubber checkered grips, and a blued or nickel fini sh. Barrel lengths come in 4", 5", 6" and 6 '/1".

5' Accurary adjustment +8 50' -8

Range

10' ++ 70'
- 12

15' +2 90'
-16

20' 0 120' -2+

25' -2 150'
-32

30' -+ 200' -+0

40'
-6

250+ ' -50

Acuno prict .

$ 2 .fJ 'l)()\ 100 (.11l

c;u1rid~es

S6WRUSSIAN

$15 ..1.2

Number of Shots ...

. .... 6

Damage ...

..... d5+1

I hear tell that this 6-shol, .44 caliber Ora\\' Speed ;l. lodificr ........ 0 count rc\'oker was originally made for the Reload Speed (pn cartridge) ..... 8 Russian gO\'crnmcnt. Of course, mosl of the dif ferences all have to do with the bullet, and don', ma ke a difference to folks like you and me. All you need to know is that it's a good light-stopper. It generally comes with checkered hard rubber glips and a blued fi nish, but yOll can get it with walnut or nickcl if you'vc a mind to. Barrcl length is 5".

Range

5' 70'
-6

10'

Accuracy adjustment +8

+1
90' -8

15' +2 120' -12

20'

25'
-I

150'
-1 6

200' -2+

30' -2 250'
-32

40' -3 300'
-10

50' -1 350+'
-50

[ 07

Ammo prices

$ 2.l.I/ho:-. 100 (.I.S) camidges

S6W SCHOFIELD
Number of Shots. . . . . . . ... 6

$24.2..\

Damage ...

............... d6+ I

Draw Speed :'-. Iod ifier ........ +1 count Reload Speed {Jw carlridgt} ..... 8 This here 6-shot, .45 calibcr rC\'olver was named after ~lajor Geo rge \V. Schofield of the U.S. 10th Cava lry. It's what we call a "top-brea k" revoker, because when you release the barrel latch, you can pull down the barrel and eject you r spe nt cartridges. It tends to come with a blued fin ish and walnut grips. Barrel length is 7".

Range 5' Accurary atljustmellt +8 50' -8

10' +4 70' -12

15'

+2
90' -16

20' 0 120' -H

25'

30'
-I

40'
-6

-2 150' -32

200'
-10

250+'
-jll

S6W DA SECOND MODEL

:-.'umbcr of Shots ............. 5 Damage ........... . .. d3 + J

Draw Speed :'>.Iod. (all h."lrrcls, .... 0 count Reload Speed (per carlridgt) ..... 8

$11.2J!

Ammo prien

SVg/hox 100 (.:18) (O artridgcs

This double-action, 5-shol revolver fires .38 caliber eal1ridges. It comes with a blued or nicked fini sh, and checkered hard rubber grips. Barrel length is 3 IN' or 4".

Range 5' Accurary atljuslmenl +8 50' -8

1 08

10'
H

70' -12

15' +2 90' -16

20' 0 120'

-2-1

25' -2 150' -32

30'
--I

200'
--10

40' -6 250+ '

-jO

-SHOTGUNS BAKER DRILLING

Number of Shots (R ifle) ....... 1 Number of Shots (Shotgun) .... 2

Damage (rijle) ................ d8+ I

Damage (shotgun) .............. d4 per pellet

Draw Speed ldodifier ........ +8 count

Reload Speed (rifle) ........... 35

Reload Speed (shotgun) ....... . .25 jirst shdf/ 30 both

$150. 00
Ammo prites
S 2 .~/box

This three barrel long gun has twO 12-gauge shotgun barrels. and a .+ 1- caliber rifle barrel with its own trigger. By pushing the frolll trigger fo rward, you can unlock and open the breech, then fire the rifle by pulling Ihe rear nigger. T he hammer for the rifle barrel sits under the receiver and within the trigger guard . It 's made of Damascus steel, and has a checkered walnut stock.

[00 (A .\.-.W) Gulridges S 1.011 for 100 ShOIb'lLll s hc ll ~

Range 5' Accurary mijuslment +8 150' -3

10' ++ 200'

-+

15' ++ 250' -6

20' +3 300' -8

25' +3
350'

- 10

30' +2 400' - 12

40' +1
450'

-15

50' +1 500' -20

70' 0 -25

90'
-I

120' -2

600' 700+ '

-50

COLT 1 868
Number of Shots ............. 2 Damage Reload Speed

..... d4 per pellet

,"-_ _ _.J Ammo prices

Draw Speed Ylodifie r ........ +6 count .. 25 first shelll3 0 both

$ 1 .011 for 100 shotgun shells

T his double-barreled, 12-gaugc shotgun has two triggers, a casehardened breech , locks and fore end mounts, blued or brown finish, and checkered walnut stocks. Barrel length is 28" , 30" or 32. "

Range 5' Accuracy acljustment +8

90' -2

10' ++ 120' -+

15' ++ 150' -6

20' +3 200' -12

25' +3 250' -15

30' +2 300' -20

40' +1
350'

-25

50' 70' -I 0 400+' -50 109

L.C.SMITH

$60. QQ

Number of Shots ............. 2 Damage ..................... d4 per pellet D raw Speed .\1 odifier ........ +5 count Reload Speed ........ .25 firsl shell130 both

tI.._ __ JI AminO pri t es

$ l ..i>! for 100 Sh01PUl shells

H unters often carry this double-barreled, 12 gauge shotgun. It comes with walnut stOck, blued fin ish and 28" barrels.

Range 5' Accura0' arljustmenl +8 90' -2

10' +. 120'
--I

15' +. 150' -6

20' +3 200' -12

25' +3 250' -I j

30' +2 300' -20

40' +1 350' -25

50' 70' 0 1 400+' -50

PARKER
Nu m ber of Shots. Draw Speed :'vlodi fi e r . Reload Speed . .... 2 . +5 count T his hammerless 12-gauge double barrel shotgun, nicknamed the " Old Reliable," has barrels that come all the way from Brita in. It generally has laminated or Damascus steel barrels of 24" to 32", and walnut stock with straight grip .

Damage ..................... d4 per pellet ...... . . .25 jirsl shell/30 both

...._ __ ... Ammo prites

$ 1.J.JI for 100 Sh04,'llll shells

Range 5' Accurary atljustme1l1 +8 90' -2

10'

+.
--I

120'

15' +4 150' -6

20' +3 200' - 12

25' +3 250' -15

30' +2 300' -20

40' +1 350' -25

50'

70'
-I

o
400+' -50

110

REMINGTON
Number of Shots. . .
Damage

. ...... . 2

$57.g,j
This double-barreled, 12-gaugc shotgun is a fa\'orite among harde ned drovers. It comes with a blued finish, caseharde ned locks and actions, walnut grip and stoc k, and a hard rubber buttplate.

. .d4 per pellet

D raw Speed ;\lodificr .... ... . +6 count

Reload Speed (cylind(rJ ........ .25 first shdl130 bolh

""_ _ _J Ammo pr ien

$ 1.9 for 100 ,holgun ,hell~

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +B

90' -2

10' ++ 120' -+

15' +4 150' -6

20' +3 200' -12

25' +3 250'
-15

30' +2 300' -20

40' +1 350' -25

70' 50' 0 -I 400+' -50

$95.
""_ _ _.8 Ammo prien

00

WINCHESTER
Numbe r of Shots Damage ......... . D raw Speed
~I odific r

... 2
. .d4 per pellet
....... . +7 co unt
.... .25 ftrst shel1l3 0 both

$1 .0 for 100 shotgun shells

This double barrel, 12-gauge shOlgun is as reliable as they come. Has checkered walnut stocks and available in 30" o r 32" barrel lengths.

Reload Speed

5' Accurary adjustment +8 90' -2

Range

10' +4 120' -+

15' +. 150' -6

20' +3 200' - I2

25' +3 250' - 15

30' +2
300'

-20

40' +1 350' -25

50' 0
400+'

70' -I

-50

III

- RIFLES. CARBINES & MUSKETS $11 O.2.!!

BALLARD-CREEDMORE
Ammo prices

$4,U/box 100 (. ~S-IOO) cartndgcs

.:\'umbcr of Shots.

. ..... 1

This single-shot, .45 caliber fiflc has an a(Uustablc rear sight, walnut checked stocks, pistol grip, and a 34" ba rrel. T he perfect choice for the discriminating buyer.

Damage
Draw Speed
~ I odifier.

.2d8
.+7 count
_ 25

Reload Speed

Range 5' Accuracy a1justmenl +8 90' 0 500' -9

10' +4 120' -I 600' -10

15' ++ 150' -2 700' -12

20' +3 200' -3 800'

-14

25' +3 250' -4 900' -16

30' +2 300' -5 1000' -IS

40' +1 350' -6 1250' -20

50' +1 400'
-7

70' 0 450' -8

1500' -25

Ammo prices

32.tl/hox 100 (A

~- 28) GlIl1idgcs

HENRY RIFLE
Number of Shots ............. 15 Damage .................. .d6+ 1 Draw Speed

$48. 50
This .44 ca libe r rifle has a 15-shot spring loaded magazine slung under a 24" barrel. It weighs 9 1/4 lb5. and it doesn't have a woode n stOck at the front to protect your hand from a hot barrel. Still, it docs some serious damage at longer than usual range. It comes with a walnut buttstock, blued fin ish and plain brass frames.

r...lodilie r

.. .... . . +4 count

Reload Speed (per round) ....... 35 first / 10 thereafter

Range Accuracy a<!Justment

5' +S 150' -3

10' +1 200'
-f

15' +4 250' -6

20' +3 300' -8

25' +3 350' -10

30' +2 400' -12

40' +1 450' -15

50' +1 500' -20

120' 90' -I -2 600' 700+ ' -25 -50 70'

112

o
pcr('m~io n

Ammoprku

$2 ." for 100 lead ihl.lIs, caps & black 1 )()IHlcr

REMI NGTON REVOLVING RIFLE

~umbcr

of Shots ........ ..... 6 . .. , ... ,d6+ I This 6sha! , .H- caliber cap and ba ll rine has a casehardened hammer and frame, blued finish, and walnut buttStock. Barrcllc ngth is 24", 26" and 28", It resembles an ex tended six-shooter. From a maker rou can trust.

Damage ...

Draw Speed ,\l odifier ........ + I count

Reload Speed (C)'linder) ......... 100

Range
A ccuraq atljuslmenl

5' +H 90' -2

10' +1 120' -+

15' +1 150' -6

20' +3 200' -12

25' +3 250'
-15

30' +2 300' -20

40' +1 350'

50' 70' -I 0 400+ '

-jO

.:r>

Ammo prictl

$3." /box [00 (,

~.j.70)

c;utndgc,

$42.2.!l
T his rel iable .45 caliber, single-shot rifle has a ncarly 36" long barrel . It comes with a blued fin ish and walnUi stocks. T his rifl e was used by champion 5hootist C ha nce Hard ing at the C hicago Shoot orr last year.

REMINGTON ROLLING BLOCK

Number of Shots..... Damage Draw Speed :\I odifie r . . .. 1
. +7 count

............. 2d6

Reload Speed ................ 25

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +B 90' 0 500' - 12

10' +1 120'
-I

600'
- 15

IS' ++ 150' -2 700' -20

20' +3 200'

25' +3 250'
-I

30' +2 300'
-j

-3
800' -25

40' +1 350' -7

50' +1 400' -9

70' 0 450' - 10

900+ '
-jO

113

$2."-2
RICHMOND ARMORY MUSKET
The CSA produced morc of these sturdy long guns during the War than any other. This single -shot, .58 caliber rifle fea tures a one-piece forged barrel, military sights, a steel trigger guard and barrel band , a brass butt plate and nose cap, and a one-p iece walnut stock. Barrel length is 40". T hese weapons are cheaply available due to their obsolescence.
Ammo prices

;.Jumber of Shots.
Damage

.. 1

.. d8+1
~I odifier

Draw Speed

... .... . + 12 count

Reload Speed ................ 200

$S .Qg fo r 100 \ Iinie balls. percussion caps & paper eanridges

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +8

90' -2

10' +{ 120'
-4

15' +4
150' -6

20' +3 200' -12

25' +3 250' -15

30' +2
300'

40' +1
350' -2j

-20

50' 70' -I 0 400+ ' -50

SHARPS CARBINE CONVERSION

Numbe r of Shots ............. 1

$32.l!!
S3 .~/box

Ammo prices

100 (,5070) Glltridgcs

Damage ................... . .dl0+ 1

Draw Speed Modifi er ........ 0 count Reload Speed ................ 25

Like the Springfield T rapdoor R iOe, tbis is a percuss ion riOe conve rted to cartridge use. Th is single-shot, .50 caliber ri Oe has a shortened, 22" barrel, along with walnut stOcks, caseharde ned frame and blued finish .

Range

5'

A ccu rary adjustment +8 150'

-3

10' +1 200' -4

15' +4 250' -6

20' +3 300'
-8

25' +3 350'
- 10

30' +2 400' -12

40' +1 450' - 15

50' +1 500' -20

70'

90'
-I

a
-25

120' -2

600' 700+'

-50

114

SH ARPS LONG RANGE

A"umbcr of Shots ............. l

$llS.2Q
Ammo prit:cs

Damage
Draw Speed
~ I odifi e r

.. 2d8
... ... .. + 8 count

S 4 .H /I)()x 100 (. 1 .). 100) cartlidges

Reload Speed .. .. . ... ........ 25

This single-shot, AS ca liber rifle has a case hardened frame , buttplatc, le\'cr and trigger pl ate, straight grip and stock of checkered walnut, and barrel, bands and [cvellat eh of blued fini sh. Barrcllcngth is 34"

Range 5' Accurary adjustment +8 90' 0 500' -9

10' +-1 120' -I 600' - 10

15' +-1 150' -2 700' -12

20' +3
200'

-3 800' -1 +

25' +3 250' -+ 900' -IG

30' +2 300' -5 1000' - 18

40' +1 350' -6 1250' -20

50' +1 400'
-7

70' 0 450'
-8

1500' -25

Ammo prices
$2.~/box

100 (56/50) rirlllirc C<lnridgcs

$ 21.,iil
This 7-shol, .52 caliber wcapon was the primary rcpealing rifle of the Union duri ng the War. It ha s a blued finish , wal nut stocks, and casehardened buttplatc, receiver and ba rrel bands. Barrcllength is 30" . Dam age Draw Speed

SPENCER CARBINE
Number o f Shots.
~ I o difi cr

. ....... 7

.. . ........ d8 + I
. .... ... + 3 count

Reload Speed (Ptr roulld) .. . . ... 35 firs /II 0 !ltertafter

Range
A ccurflg Q(.(justmellt

5' +8 150' -3

10' ++ 200'
-I

15' +-1 250' -6

20' +3
300'

25' +3 350'
-I ()

-8

30' +2 400' -12

40' +1 450'
-I j

50' +1 500' -20

70' 90' 120' 0 -I -2 600' 700+ ' -25 -50

115

Ammo prices

$38.2.!l

SPRINGFIELD ROLLING BLOCK

Number of Shots. Damage Draw Spced
~ I odificr

S3.ilI/I)Ox 100 (.50-70) cartridge,

1
...... .2d6 ........ +9 count

Also comes frame, Barrel

called the " Big 50," this single shot, .50 caliber rifle with walnut slOcks, blued fini sh, and casehardcncd lock, lever, IC\'cr catch, trigger plate and brccchblock. length is 35 1// '.

Reload Speed

............. 25

Range
A ccura0' adjustment

5' +8 150' -3

10' +4 200'
-4

15' ++ 250' -6

20' +3 300' -8

25' +3 350' -10

30' +2 400' -12

40' +1 450'
-I.)

50' +1 500' -20

70'

90'
-I

120'
-2

600' 700+' -25 -50

Ammo prites

S3.1.II/l1O\: 100 (.15-70) cartridges

$ 22.2.!l
SPRINGFIELD TR APDOOR RIFLE
Number of Shots. . ......... 1 . . +7 count After the \ Var, both combatants were left with huge quantities of obsolete muzzic loading rifled muskets and insufficicnt funds to replace them. Springfield's solution was to retrofit a breach loading mechanism to make this inexpensive single-shot .45 caliber rifle. It has a casehard ened breech and tang, blued finish and 32 5/B" barrel with adjustable rear sight.

Damage" ................... dIO+ I Draw Speed i\'lodifier . Reload Speed ................ 25

Range
A ccura0' adjustment

5' +8 150' -2

10' +1 200' -3

15' +4 250'

-+

20' +3 300' -6

25' +3 350' -8

30' +2 400' - 10

40' +1 450' -12

50' +1 500' -15

70' 0 600' -20

120' 90' -I 0 700' 800+' -25 -50

116

WINCHESTER 1863 CARBINE

.321:;;llibu 12
d6+ I

;\umbcr of SholS
Damage D ra w Speed i'.l odificr Reload Speed (p" roulld)

,3:8: !,';(!liQ!.:[ 12 d6+1

+1 count

.4 -J caliber

12
d8+ I +2 count

$25." (.32) $32." (. 38) $42." (.44)

This 12-5hol , lever action carbine has a round 20 " barrel , caseharde ned buttplatc , ham mer and lever, blued fini ~ h and walnut stoc ks.

o count
10

10

10

It is available in thrcc d istinct calibcrs.

Range
ACCIlYaC)' mljllst mclll

5' +8 150' -3

10' +1 200'
-f

15' +{ 250'
-6

20' +3 300'
-8

25' +3 350'
- I ()

30' +2 400' -12

40' +1 450' -15

50' +1 500' -20

70'

90'
-I

120' -2

600' 700+' -25 -50

Ammo pficu (cub' ..c 6 rIf le usc .dcllliu l urtridges)

S 1.u,11()\ 100 UI2-20) ca l1iid l;(' ~ $ 2 .U,'hO\ 100 (.38-.10) car1ridl;c,

S 2 .u /hO\ 100 (.11-10) Glrtridl;c,

T his 15 -shol 1elcr actio n Tine has a round o r octagonal 24" (.38) barrel . sport ing fro nt and rea r (.44) sights, blued finish, C(lsclwrdcncd buttp Jalc, ha mmer and IC H r, a nd straight grai n unchcckercd I,aln ul siocks.

$39." (.32) $43." $45."

WINCHESTER 1863 RIFLE

.32 \.;!]liil!::[ X umbcr of Shots Damagc Draw Spccd .\ Iodificr Reload Specd (per roul/d) .38 (!]Iillt[
,tt c!]libc[

15
d6+ I
+2 count

15 d6+1
+ 3 count

15
d8+ I
+4 count

This rine can be chambered fo r either .32, .38 o r .44 caliber bullt'lS.

10

10

10

Range

5' 150' -2

Accumq adjustmellt +8

10' +1 200' -3

15' +{
250'
-f

20' +3
300' -6

25' +3 350' -8

30' +2 400' -10

40' +1 450' - 12

50' +1 500' -15

70' 0 600' -20

90' 120' -I 0 700' 800+' -25 -50

11 7

WINCHESTER 1 863 MUSKET

$40." (.32) $47 ." (.38) $54 ." (.44)

Ammo prices

032 !:;alit!:!"
Number of Shots Damage Draw Speed .\I odificr

17 d6+1
+4 c ount

.3:8: !,;alib!::[ 17
d6+1 +5 count

,H !,;alit!!:r
17 d8+1
+6 count

Reload Speed (prr round)

S 1,1..1. ho); 100 (,32-20) cat1lidgcs 8 2. u/bux 100 (.38-10) C;u1Iidge, S2.t.lJhm 100 1.11-10) Glr!rid ~~,

10

10

10

This musket has a round 30" ba rrei , casehardened bultplate, hammer and lever, blued finish and walnut stOcks. It 100 is available in calibers of .32, .38 or .44.

Range 5' Accuracy adjustment +8 90' 0 500' 12

10'
+1

120' 1 600' 15

IS' ++ ISO' 2 700'

-20

20' +3 200' 3 800' -25

25' +3 250' .+ 900+' -50

30' +2 300' 5

40' +1 350'

50' +1 400' 9

70' 0 450' 1 0

$ 27 .... (.40)

$3 9 .... (. 5)
$ 44 ." (.50)
Ammoprk es

$2.t.I/hox 100 (. IO.(iO) Gu1!iliIlC'

83 . l.!/ho.\ 100 (.I';-i5) {'am idgc, 8 4.t.I/ho.x 100 (.30-95) c;1I1ridl;cs

WINCHESTER 1 866 CARBINE

.40 caliber Number of Shots Damage Draw Speed .\ Iodifier 9

.45 caliber
9

.50 caliber
9

dlO+ I
+1 count

2d6
+2 count

2d8
+3 count

Reload Speed (per round)

10

10

10

T hi s hi ghl y des ireable carbin e's a bit morc powerful than the 1863 version. It's a 9-5hot, and chambered for .40, .45 or ,5 0 caliber shell s. Barrel length is usually 22" . It 's designed so you can qui ckl y add a bayonet to the front , if you need to.

Range 5' Accuracy ac(justment +8 ISO' -3

11 8

10' +, 200' -+

IS' ++ 250' -6

20' +3 300' -8

25' +3 350' -10

30' +2 400' - 12

40' +1 450' -15

50' +1 500' -20

70' 90' 120' 0 -1 -2 600' 700+' -50 25

$ 3 2. U (.40) $4 3 .u (.45 ) $4 9 .u (.50)

Ammo price.

... ~. --.~

$ 2.U/ho.~ 100 (.1%0) c;u1 ri dges

say hox 100 (.l5-7S) cartn{iges

S4."Ibo\ 100 (.J()'9S) cartridges

WI NCHESTER 1 866 RIFLE

tiD I:;/llibt:[ 12
dlO+ 1

Number of Shots

Damage

,1::2 c:alib!::[ 12 2d6

+4 count

,50 cali ber

12 2d8
+5 count

Draw Speed ,\ Iodificr

Reload Speed (ptT round)

+3 count

10

10

10

This rifle 's a bit morc powerful than the 1863 version. h 's a 12-shol, and available in .40, .45 and .50 cal iber varieties. You can get it as a spa rli ng rifl e with a 26" or 28" round or octago n barrel. It usually com es wit h a caseha rdened buttplate, fra me, hammer and lever, blued fini sh and walnut stocks.

Range 5' Accu rog adjustment +8 150' -2

10' +-1 200' -3

15' +-1 250'

20' +3 300'
-6

25' +3 350'
-8

30'

+2
400' -10

-+

40' +1 450' - 12

50' +1 500'
-15

70' 0 600' -20

90' 120' -I 0 700' 800+ ' -50 -25

Ammo pri t e.

$2,urbo'\: 100 (. I().6()) cartridges

S3. wh o x 100 (. ISi.5) cartridges $ 4 ,u!1)(),' 100 (.5095) caltlidgcs

WINCHESTER 1866 MUSKET

Th is rugged 13shot, musket co mes $6 1." (.45) wit h a 32" round S65 .Y (.50) barrel , and fi res either .40 , A5 or .50 caliber shells depe ndi ng on the model. Like the carbine, you can easil y add a bayonet to the front.
$5 8." (. 40)
.10 caliber

,45 caliber

.50 caliber

Number of Shots Damage Draw Speed

~ l odi fi er

13
dlO+ I

13 2d6
+6 count

13

2d8
+7 count

+5 count

Reload Speed (ptr roulld)

10

10

10

5' Accuracy adjuJtment +8 90' 0 500' -12

Range

10' +' 1 120'

-I

600' -1.1

15' +1 150' -2 700' -20

20' +3 200'
-3

800' -25

25' +3 250' -I 900+ ' -50

30' +2
300'

-5

40' +1 350' -7

50' +1 400'
-9

70' 0
450'

-10

119

.
56 W Sc60fidd
Mul

5,...., 11

Ot,,,.,.,

R....

0."'.'0<

o"o.

ColI DUBOOII
Remi'8'O'

S6W DA ".scw.d Moder

Nt. Arm,

Ctil.old 6 Cllllllisoll Col! PltefJO'

~

Colt 1877 LiB"'IlJII8

Co lI Bisle,

i,e" ~

Co/15AA

S6W RUSliu

S6W iiDA
R(llliB'O.I875

ji ;:"~~;;;::::::::~~~~~~::~w;'..:,~.~ cstet

DOl/ble-Butd 5bol8u,

Puket "Old Rdilble" DoublcBltTd 560lBoII

Remi'8'O' Doub/cButd 5b0l8uII

..
.~

Bl 1 hrd"Cr~ed m ot~

"
rI

Ri8bl Bottom Illd BOltom FI,iIlB PIBe; Compultive she, (or Vl(;OIlS lmmollitiOIl_ {Nol 10 selle 10 fi,el(mJ lbove.}

~.I :.j_I!~ :".~ .~.~_n.~.:_~:.~.o~_:~.:_~,JI.l_ ~:~ ~.~_~~.,:,!I. ~,c,_ :!-iL},~~"

...

~;~_

Winchem:r Carbine 1863

Winchester Rifle 1863

Winchester 1863 Musket

Remington Revolving Rifle

Richmond Armory Musket

Springfield RoJling Block

Sharps Carbine Conversion

Firearms Size Comparison

3.61 Horses
n the Shattered Frontier, a character's horse is one of his most important tools. A ho rse is much more than juSt a mode of transportation - a horse call pull wagons, shield its rider from enemies, help round up stray catlie, carry a rider across a river, and be a companion in the solitary open spaces. T he horse is also an assel that can be sold or traded. A man's Reputation may cycn rise or fall depending on the horseflesh he rides. After all, would you ha\'c greater respect for a man riding a well -groomed, muscular stallion or a diny old gray marc?

pounds. T he Arabian breed originates from the .\ Iiddle East, hence the name. Morgan: A very active and versatile breed, ~I organs ha\'e boundless stamina and a kindly nature. l\ [organs are frequently used as working trail and cow horses. T hey stand between 14.2 and IS.2 hands high, and weigh between 900 to 1,000 pounds. Known for their strength. they possess strong shoulders, short and sturdy legs, hard feet and an attracti\'e head set on a muscular, crested neck. The ~d organ Horse is the first documented American breed. beginning in 1789 \"ermont \I'ith a stallion that rece ived the name of his deceased o\,'ner _. J ustin ;" Iorgan. Quarter Horse: Adopted by ranchers and cowboys
to use with range cattle, the Q uarter Horse has an

T his section provides information Oll different breeds of horses, their colors and markings, temperament and behavior, and other important details about horseflesh. Note that a horse's height is defined in "hands." A hand is a linear measurement equaling 4 inches, the fractions being expressed in inches. T he hciglll of the horse is mcasured in a perpendicular line from the highest pan of the withers (the highest part of a horse's back; the area at the base of the neck between Ihe shouldcr blades) 10 the ground. On thc trail cach cowboy had SC\'cn horses - two for mornings, TWO for the afternoons. his best twO for night -work, and one to carry him 10 and from chapel or the saloon on Sundays, Like the Indian's, his mobility was based on the rcmuda system, sparc horscs being herdcd along by the outfit's horse-wrangler. Horses arc bred for speed and agility, strength and cal mness.

inherent instinct ("cow scnse") for herding and cutting cattle. p, [ost Q uaner Horses arc compact and attractive, with massive, powerful quarters, strong shoulde rs, and a short, muscular back. T he ave rage he ight is about IS.2 hands, while the average weight is around 9S0 to 1,100 pounds. The Quaner Horse's kind disposmon. intelligence and great agility make it an exceptionally good mount for \\'orking cattle, or as a popular all-purpose pleasure horse. Some Quaner Horses are raced extensi\dy across Xonh America, most of these being bred for speed. Quarter Horses are so named because they arc particularly dom inant in the first quarte r mile. T h oroughbred: Admi red for speed and endurance, the Thoroughbred is one of the most \'e rsatile horse breeds. They are popular as cow ho rses, hunters and jumpers, as \\'ell as racing horses. They stand between IS.l and 16.2 hands high, and typically weigh between 900 to 1,200 pounds. T horoughbreds have long smooth muscles, long forearms, long sloping shoulders and a long distance from the hip to the hock. It also has short cannon bones (the large bone that runs half way up the horse's leg to its hock). These fine animals were brought from Europe when popular horse racing distances increased beyond a quarte r mile.

* BREEDS *
Horses come in many shapes, sizes and colors. as well as various temperaments and q ualities. These characte ristics vary considerably from horse 10 horse but can be predicted somewhat wit hin the various breeds (for specific rules, sec the Equine Attributes section, below). Each character should choose the breed 10 buy, own or raise based on his profession or other interest. Some breeds arc versatile. while others are better suited for specific tasks like draft work or racmg.

MUSTANGS LIGHT HORSE BREEDS

Arabian: Arabians are known for their endurance, sUfe-footedness on rough terrain and the ability to exist on a sparse diet. ~ I ost Arabians have fine features, distinctive dished (concave) faces, and sil ky manes and coats. T hey usually stand bel ween 14 and IS.2 hands high, and \"eigh betwcen 900 to 1,000
~I'l ustangs arc feral ho rses li ving in areas with scrubtype vegetation. T hey travel in wild herds and arc fa\'orite mounts of the local Indian tribes. A small, inelegant, lightweight horse, the l\ l ustang stands between 14- and 15 hands taU, usuaUy weighs around 700 to 800 pounds, and possesses an intractable tempe rament. It is an extremely hardy horse, and its years of forag ing for food made it an economical feeder.

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T he ~ll ustang also bas the essenti<ll qualit y of "cowsense"; it always seems to know what a cow will do next. Once broken, ;\ Iustangs arc usually quiet, goodtempered mounts. Early se ttlers to the West mated their imported horses with i\ l uswngs to provide the foundation stoc k for the ~'I ustangs that now exist in the Shattered Frontier.

area just above the hoof), feath ers, and a sluggish temperament. Shires weigh about 2,000 pounds and stand 16.2 to 17 hands high.

HEAVY HARNESS OR COACH HORSES

T here are se"era l types of heavy harness horses, including: American Carriage, Cleveland Bay, French Coach , German Coach , Hackney, Russian OrloIT and l 'orkshire. As on e might suspect, these horses a rc primarily used 10 pull coaches. Howeve r, the Cleveland Bay can be used as a ge neral utilit), ho rse and (back East) th e Hackney is lIsed for park driving.

DRAFT HORSES
In times past , Europeans used Draft Horses for W<lr and as beasts of burden. T hus, they gained a low cen ter of gravity, large bones, and a generally compact and strong body. With muscle comes weight , and mOSt Draft Horses we igh between 1,500 to 2,000 pounds. In today's Shattered Frontier, farmers favor Draft Horses for their plow-pulling power. Percheron: T he Percheron has better balance, a nd is more refined , than many Draft Horse breeds. The ideal specimen is a medium-sized, hem'y-boned horse that ca rries its head high. Stallions sta nd 16 to Ii hands tall, and weigh some 1,800 to 2,000 pounds. i\ lares are smaller - only 15 10 16 hands tall and weighing 1,500 to 1,600 pounds. Percherons arc predominately black or gray, and are frequently crossbred with T horoughbreds to produce hunt ers and jumpe rs. Shire: Shire Draft Horses are somet imes crit icized for havi ng straight shoulders and paste rns the foot

* MARKINGS

&,

COLORATION

As you probably know, nOt all bandits ride into tOwn on black horses, and not all lawmen ri de white ones. In fact. color is probably th e last thing you should consider when buying a horse, However, a horse's colors and color pallerns will serve you as a basis for ide ntification . because tOgether they are one of the horse's most conspicuous traits. .\ fter all. if your character is tOld to be on the lookout for a particular horse, he ought to know the diITe renee between a roan \\-ith a star and a sorre l with a snip!

Irregular star

Snip

Star and connected narrow stripe

Star and connected snip

Bald/ace

Chin spot

Figllre 3.6-1: Head .\1arkings

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Figure 3.6-2: Ltg Markings

Coronet

H alf pas te rn

Pastern

Pas te rn alld part of ankle

Ankle

White to above allkle

Half stocking

Threequalters stocking

FilII

Heel

stocking

Outside of h eel

MARKINGS
The head markings of a horse u5ually consist of the presence of white hairs in specific areas, a~ noted in Figurt 3.6-1 : Htad .l larkings. The common leg marks arc shown in Figure 3.6-2: Ltg J larkings.

tern is known as a "'blackish hay" .\ jel black" horsc's coat docs nOt fadc due 10 Ihc sun. Bay: The bay color pattCI"Il is characterized by a black mane and tail, black hair below knec s and hocks, black muzzle, black tips on thc ears and a reddish hody. The ~kin color ,aries from a light to dark reddi~h color. . \ horsc \Iith the dark reddish color is called a 'blood hay" Chestnut or sorrel: This ho rsc has broll'n ~kin and rcd hairs. The li~htcr-colored horses arc called "sorrel. IIherea~ thc darker oncs arc chestnut" .\ "cry dark chestnut horse is called a Ii\cr chestnut." Gray: \\"hite hairs, mingled with hairs of Ihe basc color, cha racterize the coat color of gray horses. As thc horse gets older, more whitc hairs appcar in thc coat. Colored hairs arc cont inuollsly being replaced IIjth white hairs. so that older gray horses arc almost completely white. An iron" o r "steel-gray" horse is a black horse with the gray gelle Ihal has a higher proportion of black hairs than white hairs. Red grays arc modificat ions of

COLOR
A horse's coat can be of several basic colors, with multiple variations of patterns. Appa loosa: T hese horses have a "ariety of spotting patterns, always with mottling of the skin , striped 1100YCS and an unpigmented sclera Ihc whilc of the eye. There arc many coal color patterns, but IWO spotting pallcrns. The "leopard" color pall ern is a white coat with dark spots scattered over thc horsc's body. Thc blanket" pattcrn is a white blanket. usually conlaining dark SpOtS, crossing o,cr Ihe horse's croup rump, loin and/or back. Black: A black horse is of a un iformly black color on the body, mane and tail. T he horsc's skin color is also black. If Ihc black coal color of a horse fadcs whcn exposed to Ihe sun for se,cra l days, the color pat-

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the bay pallern, and chestnut grays arc modifications of the sorrel and chestnut colors. Grulla: These horses halT a black mane and tail, black ha ir below knees and hocks, black muzzle, black tips on the cars, and SOOty black hairs o n the rest of the body. Dun: This color is a modification of the dark bav color and may be described as a dingy yellow. Th~ ma ne and tai l may not be as black in some dun horses. Bucks kin: This color is a modification of the light bay color, which has a light ye llow body color with the black mane, tail and legs. Paint or pinto: Thc distingui~hit1~ character of th ese pattCl"l1s is the white ~ p olling that occur~. The wbiano pattern is white ~ p otting that crosses o\er the top of the horse's back and extends downward. In the O\e l"O pattel"l1, the whi te extends from the belly and legs tOward the back. Horses with black-pigmented skin and coat color arc call ed "pie bald ," and brown pigmented horses arc "skewbalds" The re arc four distinct types: pieba ld tobianos, piebald O\cros. skewbald IObianos and skewbald overos. Palomino: t\ palomino horse is characterized b\ ils yellow body color. along with a Ii~hter yellow ~ane and tail these may be almost white or Oaxen . Roan: Like grays, this coal color is characte rized by white hairs mingled \1 ith hairs of the base colo~. However, Ihese whitc hairs arc present al birth and do not increase in number as the hor:;e ages. In facl, unless onc knows the pedigree or history of a gray or roan ho rse, one ca nnot tcll them apart. A "blue roan" is a mixture of white and black hairs, t\ " red roan" is th e roan pattel"l1 supe ri mposed upon the basic bay pattcrn. "Strawberry roans" are sorrel or chestnut horses with white hairs mixed in. White: Whi te horses arc born whi te and remain white throughout their lives. They ha\e pure whit e ha ir, pink skin , and blue eyes. Two other subsets of the white coat color palle rns arc Ihe "cre mello" a nd the "prelino." C remel lo horses have an ofTwhite o r cream-colored body and blue eycs, while prelino ho rses have an ofT-while o r pearlwhite color. In bot h cases, the mane and ta il is a light rusl color.

* OTHER QtrALITIES *
AGE AND SEX
Young horses al'e referred 10 according 10 thei r age. .\ young horsc i~ a "foal' until il is weaned at about one yea r old. Th e male horse is ca lled a "colt" until il is three years old , when it is called a slallion. :\ young fema le horse is a "filly" until it is three years old , at \,hich time il becomes a "mare." :\ 'gelding' is a neutered Slallion. Generally, the best a,\,e 10 buy a horse is when it is betll"cen four and 12 years old. Before fou r rears of a);{e, the hor~e is not fully malllrc, and not ready for hard work and long hours of ridin'l'.
~ I ost folk~ make the mistake of buying a horse too you ng. ,"\ n inexperienced hor~eperson can spoil a young ho rsc, making it difficu lt for Ihe horse to e\Tr reach its pe rformance potcn tial. Beyond 12 ~'ears, the use fuln ess of Ihe horse is limited. The a\erage horse lives aboU! 24 years, but il has littl e value after 16 yea rs. There a rc. of course. exceptions to these ages.

The order of appearance of the teeth and the way they are \'orn down con~titlllc the most important a nd accurate clles for t,\timatinl:\" the horse's age, yet ot her characleri\li('~ play an important role in determining the horse's "'I'c. In estimati ng the age of a young horse, size is a principal factor. In older horses, the sides of the face are more depressed, the poll the area behind the cars is more prom inent and sags downward, t he joints are more angular, and white hairs appear around the temples, eyes, nostrils and elsewherc.

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BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT

When it comes to horses, there arc six general temperament ty pes: quiet, interested , nervous. ex tremely nc'....olls. stuhborn and treacherous. Each of these is detai led more full y helow. Quiet: A quict horse is slug&rish and has no inte rest in ils surroundings. Such horses arc usually safe for the ine xperienced horscpcrson. Because of their temperament , quiet horses seldom advance to a highly trained Slale. Th ey arc good for Icaching beginne rs how to ride. Interested : This is the most desirable t('mpcramc nt for a hor~c. These horses are inte rested in their surroundings, and pay allention 10 what happens around them . If this ho rse hears an unexpected noise. or sees an unexpec ted sudden movement, it rc~ponds by pricking its ca rs but do('"s not shy or try to cscapf'. These hor.\>cs arc usuall y easy to train and a rC' \\ illing pcrformers. Th ey h;1\'(' sufficiem spirit 10 give animaTion and style to th eir performances. Nervous: ;'\"e n 'olls horses are easily exci table and shy away from strange objects. mO\'cmcnt and noise. They are safe horses for knowledgea hle riders. but not recommend ed for novices. ;\'c rvOliS horses will respond to training, a nd arc usually capa ble o f reach.

ing a highly trained state, but become excitable, flighty, and snon when exposed 10 new surrou ndings or unfamiliar objects. As these horses get older and gain experience, their nen'ous dispositions improve. Extre m e ly Nervous: The extremely nervous horse is sa fe Dilly fo r "ery experienced horsemen who understa nd horse be havior. These horses shy at the least pro\ocatio n. nee without concern for thei r own safcl), and without regard for their handler), and have been knml"ll 10 run into fences, equipm ent and buildings. Stu bborn: H orses with swbbo rn tempcram ents are difficult to train. They arc slow to learn, a nd require tac t and patience from the trainer. Trea c h e rous: O ccasio nally, a character might encounter a treacherous ho rse. Thc ~e horses have a bad temper a nd are very resen tful. T he)' often strike, bite or kick (sometimes without appal'cnt ca use and \\ hell lea;;1 {'xpcl'Icd .

VICES
bU I t"e n ain ly nOI all, havc one or more bad ha bits. T hese poor behaviors, o r '\-ices, " come in Ihree categories: a~gres.i\e. f1i~ht. and sta ll.
:?' Aggressi\'e vices include c h a rgin~. strik.ing, kicking, bitin~ a nd bucking. and a re usually directed al~ainst a ha ndler. but can also be directed against other hor~es.
rF Fli g ht responses include re,lI'ing, balking, shying, halte r pulling, and running away, and arc pote ntially dange rous for the rider or handle r.
t:ir Stall vices include wood chewing, c ribbing, weavi ng, slall wa lking, bolting food , pawing a nd lail rubhing, and usually arise out of bo redom from lack of exercise.
~Iosl horse~.

Othe r causes of \ices arc poo r management, mis handli ng or bad treatment on so me previous occasion. Once a horse has a vice, it is diffi cult to eliminate. iVlany vices ca n make it unpl easant to work with a particular horse, and all vices dctract from a horse's value and usefuln ess. Your G~I will usually dete rmine when thcse behaviors occur, a nd their effects. \\,ilh work, a trainer can eliminate a "icc fro m a horse. Scc the Animal Training skill for more detail s. Attacking: This horse deliberat ely charges or sa\ ages a pe rson or horse. Bitin g: }\ horse with thi s vice bit es handlers, bystanders o r other horses. Thi s "icc often occurs because of incompetent handling. Bolting: Bolting takes place when a horse gulps down its grain wit ha m che\\ing. Th is vice is undesir-

126

able because the whole grain passes through the digesti\c tract wililOu t being digestcd, lead ing \0 digestive disturbances such as colic. Bucking: Bucking is a serious vice. A rider can be buckcd ofT, possibly trampled and injured. Cribbing: When cribbing, a horse selS its upper incisor teeth against an object, archcs its neck, pulls backward and swallows large quantities of air. This vice leads to colic and other digestive d isturbances caused by excessive air in the digestive tract. Difficult to Catch: Horses that are difficult to catch arc a big nuisance. It is quite time-consu ming, not to mCl1lion frustratin g, to own a horsc with thi s \icc.

Howc\'e r, it wastcs cnergy and digs holes into the fl oor that must be filled periodically. Rearing: Rea ring is one of thc most dangerous viccs a horse can ha\c. Whcn a horsc rears up, the flailin g forelegs can cause se rious injuries to the handler, especially to the head. Resists Groo ming: Somc horses simply do not like be groomed. The horse might ki ck, bite, shy, shakc, and gene rally make the handler's life mise rable. Howcvcr, if a ridc r gives in and fail s to groom this horse, he's looking for se rious trouble. Lea\'ing dumps of mud , burrs or o ther debris on the mount can cause saddle sores. It can also make the hor~c ornery, and cause other vices (particulal"iy Bucking and Resists Saddling. :\ot picking, cleaning and trimming the horse's hoo\'cs could ca use it to go lame -- rendcring it useless until healed.
10

TABLE 3.6-1: liGaSE VICES

Roll (dlOO) Viet Aggressivc O].{12 ... ............ Aluckulg 03-0'1 ............. . .... 8ilillg 05--06 . ..... . ... ......... .. .8ockulg 0708 ... .......................... r ighting 0910 ....... ............. ....... Kiekillg 111 2 . ... ................ . ... .. ... .slriki ng Flight IHi ..

Resists Saddling: . \ horse with this vice does not like to be saddled. Such a horse may inhale and hold the air whi le it i~ hcim; ci nched. After the horse is lcd a round or ridden for a fcw minutes, the saddle bccomes loose. pUlling the rider at r i ~ k. Shying: ..-\ horse easily spooked by unfam iliar objects is dangerous to ride, even for expericnced riders. Striking: Striking with the fo rcfect makes the handler vu lnerable to injury while leading, grooming or saddling the horse . Tail Rubbin g: This vice usuall y starts when a horse's tail areas is irritated by interna l parasites, or a skin affiiction. Once thc \icc is acquired , thc horsc may contin ue to rub its ta il e\'en after the origina l can dition has been co rrectcd. Weaving: Weaving is the rhythmical shifting of the weight of the forehand from onc forefoot to the other. This nervous habit takes a tremendous amount of energy. It results from tOO much food and insufficient regular exe rcise. Wood Chewing: Wood chewing is one of thc most co mmon vices, and quite dange rou s becausc the horse ca n swallow splinters of wood.

. .... Difficult to ~t tb . .... HIller Pulli pg . _... RC1fing 1 921.. . 22-2'1 ..................... . ...... Rcsists Saddling

161 8 ..

Sull

25-V 2830 31 33 3'136 3739 40'12 'l3'IS

... _.... _.................... Boltillg ........ .. ..................Cubbillg ....................... . .... PI1rlllg ......... . .. .... ..... .. .. .Resists Crooming ............................Shyillg ................ .. .....Tail Rubbing .... ................. .. . .. ...Wclvillg

46-50 .. ..............Wood Chewing

Spctid

SI9S ................... .. %100 ... ............... .

. .. HotS( bls 110 vice . .. Rolltwo morc limes on Ihis Uble

Fi ghting: Figilling is aggressive behavior by dominant horses. This vicc typically occurs bcfore thc dominance hierarchy is established , and ends once established. Ha lter Pulling: Halter pulling can injure the horse 's neck muscles (and can injure the handler as well). Kicking: This vicc is usually the result of incompetent handling. Needless to say, a horse that habilUally kicks at other horses or people is dange rous. Pawing: lrrc1e\'ant in a paSlUrc or co rral, pawing thc sHIll floor is marc of a nuisance than a serious vice.

GAITS
A horse has fivc natural gaits: walk, trot, lope, gallop and back. Each gait is defincd se parately below. Walk: There arc scvcral form s of the walk, but all show an even four-bcat gait. The scquence of hoof bcats is I left hind, 2 left forc , 3 right hind and 4 right fore. Trot: The trot is a two beat gait in which the paired diagonal feet strike and lca\'c the ground simultanc-

12i

au sly. I ntcrestin~ly, there is a period of suspe nsion between beats, where all four fcct arc 01T the ground. Lop e o r cante.r : Thi s is a three-beat gait, in which the first and third beats oenlr when t\\'o legs stri ke the ground independelltl)'. and Ih e second beat is made by twO limbs striking the ground ~ imuhan cous l y. The legs that stri ke the ground independently arc called the lead limbs. each hearin~ the enti re wl'i~ht of the hor~e for a short pL'dod. Therefore. the lelld limbs are more subject to fatigue than the other two legs. In the left kad, the sequence of beat~ is I, right hind leg. 2 lefr hindlcg and right foreleg, and 3 left forclt'g. A period of suspen sion follows the bt~at of the )(oft foreleg. Gall op or run : This i ~ a [our-beat 'l'ait ~imilar to the lope, except that the paired diagonals do nO! land simuhaneotlsly. Instead. the hindlcg hih jlL~t before the foreleg. The lead limbs bear the full \\ei'l'ht of thc horse. [ n the ld'\lcad. tht "equenec of bea" is I right hindlcg.2 len hindle/{, 3 right foreleg, and I left foreleg, A period of suspe nsion follows the fOll .' beats.
Ba ck : ..-\ hors!' backs by trotting in reverse. using a two-beat gait in which [he dia~onal pair~ of legs work together. Bal'k speed j~ the sa me as a walk.

kicks, sna ke-bites and rain ). T he sp urs have huge rowels, more humane than prick-spurs, making a distinc tive clink that a h or~e recogn izes. The lariat is used for roping cattle, lying- bel wee n lI'ees 10 make a temporary corral. ~Irin ging up horsethic\'es, and any number of other purpmes. ;\ I o~t cowboys \\ear a gun to dispatch a horse or cow with broken lc~, and to scare ofT coyotes, cou~ars and rustlers.

,I

Hae kamore: A hackamore i)), essciltially, a bit-less bridle. They arc made of a braided ra\\ hide no ~eba nd with twO le;lIher 5t l'ips, one on each side of the horse's head. to act as check platcs. The check plates arc \'ery close to the hor~e's cye. The} nm down from the top of the head, where thl'), arc attached to a light leather headHall ~Hld a braickd ropc running around the hor~e'~ neck. The cheek platcs art' attached high on the noseba nd ,I( the twO ('X lrenW$ of the nose bUlton, the cxtra braiding on the lOp of the noseband, The ends of the noseband cotlle together under [he horse 's chin. T he reim a rc tied to this point. H a lte r : A halter is a hcmp rope headpiece with lead rope atlached. II is used for leading a horse without a bridle. or for tyinlJ up a horse in the stable. Pa d : The pad i~ a ~add l e blanket placed in between the ..addle and the hor~e. Rei n s: This pair of lon~ narrow .. traps anaches to the bit or bridle. The rider use~ the reins to guide and controlthc horse. Saddle : The co\\bo)"s ~addle is designed to be comfortable on a long day's ride. to prevent inexperienced riders from causing galls ;' open sores, on the horse's back, and to make it easier to sit on a difficult horse. A saddle is a cowboy's trademark, ;lI1d he la kes particular pride in having the best and most elaborate ~add l e he ca n alTo rd. Cowboys with fancy saddles and poor hor~es arc sometinll'S derided for "plltting:l S'W saddle on a S I 0 hor~e." Due to it., size and weight, the stoc k sadd le has two cinches, fore and aft, which hold it firmly in place, Th ese ;n'e made of horsehair or lamp-wick so as not to cause galls on the bell). The outstanding virtue of the stock saddle is that it, and iu rider's weight, arc distributed over a large arca. Thus. dc~pite its we ight, it is comfortable on the horse for long rides. Sh oes : It is import31H for horses 10 be shod. primarily to increase traction and protect th(' hoof wall from exces~ive wear and damage. Once a horse is shod, it is equally importalll to maintain the horse's hooves by regularly cleaning and trimming them , and replacing shoes as needed. If a horse remains unshod. or is shod but not taken c:1I'e of properly, the hor~e wilt likf'l y become lame, o r worse Igreatcr risk of injurYl.

* CLOTHING &. EQUIPMENT *

This section describe~ some of the mo~t important pieces of co\\bo) gea r. Sec tht' ba~ic price Ii" in Chop'" 5,51 GoodJ & Stmct.1 for more information. Bit: This sma ll bar, normally made of metal. aHaches to the bridle. It is placed in the horse's mouth so as 10 regulat{ the position of it~ head. and to help control its pace and direction . BridJ e: The bridle is the part of a horse's saddlery or harness that fit s around the head. C lot hin g: A cowboy usually weil rs a wide-brimmed hat with a flat c rown. This shelt ers him from the ~un and rain, protects his head and face when hc forces his way head dowlI through thorn-scrub, a nd se rves as a pillo\\' at night. ..-\ large silk 0 " cation square. knotted loosely round the neck , ~e r\'es as sweat-rilg, bandage, water-filter. dust-mask and mo~quito net. A flannel shi rt with close-fitting curr~ is Wa1'll1, yet le~s sweaty and conslricti\'e than a jacket. In willler. a sheepskin coat might also be necessary. The cowboy's trOllsers arc loose, tucked into high-hecled boots. Th e~e booLS can be dug into the ~mund to help hold a roped steer. and don 't slip through the wide wooden stirrups. Leather chaps gi\'e a good grip o n the ~add le. are used as a groundsheet at ni ~ ht. and protect legs against the friction of long di<;tancc riding I,U \\ell as thorns.

[26

*HORSE RANCHING *
The first step in planning a horse ranch is determining the size and makeu p of the horse population to be kept. It is extremely important to plan for expansion and future changes in the herd. Determi ne the amount of space needed for open and fenced areas.

SITE SELEC TION

Th e first thing that should be considered is water supply. An adequate all -year water supply must be a\'ailablc at the site. Wind breaks may be important. Consider the natural protection from the clements provided by wooded areas, knolls, hills and ravines. A minimum of two ac res per mature horse is necessary.

Another method of capture is called "c reasing." Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. Th e act of creasing consists of shooting the wild horse with a rifle so precisely that the bullet grazes only the cords in the top of the animal's neck (jUSt in front of the withe rs about an inch or so deep, close to the spinal column. This wound temporarily paralyzes a ner"l"e center connected to the spinal cord and the brain, and knocks the horse down. He is thus stunned long enough for the hunter 10 tie him down before he recovers. Success with this method calls for incredibly expert marksmanship and an abunda nce of good luck. for every horse captured this way, fifty arc killed. A much more suc~essful method than creasing is "snaring'- A cowboy makes a noose with his lariat and places it ncar a lure, such as a salt lick, then draws it up when the ho rse steps on it. ,\ noose may also be dropped from a tree, where the hunter sits hiddcn. The most common method of capllI re, howc\cr, is the chase. The chase is usually long, for a wild horse moves with great swiftness and agility. The c hase is kept up day and night, leaving the \\'ild little ones littlc time to cal o r ~lce p . The hunters do allow them to reach water at reasonable intervals, because taking on water slows them down. \\"hen rounding up horses in rough country, t,,o men arc a 101 better than one, for a long, hard relay rlln is usually required to exhaust the heart of a mustan~ and get him cornered.

CATCHING A WILD HORSE

ProCessional hunters usc a \'aricl), of techniques to catch the powerful and alert wild horsc~, which like to slay in their own tcrritory. The hunters camp near the herd and, if possible, between the horses and their \\'ater su pply. T he white man learned from the Indians 10 encircle the quarry on their own mounts, causing the wild animals to make increasingly shorte r turns until they can be driven into a box ca nyon, or sur rounded by men. a nd roped.

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BREAKING A HORSE
A young hOl'sc can be "forcfootcd" roped around both forefeet as he runs rOllnd the corral. This brings him down with suc h \"io!cncc that the stuffing, and sometimes the frOIll leeth, arc knocked OUi o f him. While on the ground , he is sadd led rolled from side to side to tighten the ci nch a nd then mOlllllcd. tr the cowboy can stay on until the horse Stops bucki ng, it's been "b roke n." Alternatively, the horse might be saddl ed and mounted when tied \0 a post, or held by a strong man, IIjlh a rope found the lower jaw. Once mOlltHed, the ho rse usuall y starts buc king. Each time he bucks, he's hit on the nose with a quirt (a short, stout stic k with a braided leat her la sh). Soon he'll stop bucking. at which point he's deemed broken. In yet anothe r method. the ho rse is roped by the front feet and thrown to the grou nd . .,..\ hackamore is put on the horse's head, and then a 20-foot-long rope is tied around the neck and run through the base of the hackamore under the horse's chin. The other end is tied to a tree o r a StOli t post. The horsc, not liking the restraint, is then allowed to fight it out. .,..\ horse might st ruggle for a day or twO bcrore giving lip, all of the while watched by a cowhand. By then his neck and legs arc sore, and nothing will induce him to pull back on the rope. T he co\\'boy may also tic a hind foot to the shoulder, known as "side lining" a horse. When a horse accepts without protest, he is broken and ready for the saddle. Finall y, a ranche r can tame a wild horse and gel the animal accustomed to the corral by trimming his hooves so close that it is painfully difficult to walk, much less to run or buck. No matter what form or breaking you choose, a success rul Bro nc Busting skill check is required. See

* EQUINE ATTRIBUTES *
To determine you r mount's statistics. roll 3d6 for each horse statistic: Short Speed, :\Iedium Speed, Long Speed, Agil it y, Endurance, H orse Sense, Te mperament, ~ I ettlc, Soundncss and Strength. Roll 4d8+20 for the horse's hit points. , "ou should also roll once on Tablt 3.6-1: florst "ius. Several sample horses arc provided for you . They are li sted following the ;\PC stat ist ics in Chapttr 4./1 TIl( Am & Eights Campaigll.

TABLE 3.62: HORSE STATISTICS

Auributc Descriptioll Shorl Speed ..... 'i, mile Medi um Speed ... 1 mile lollS Speed ...... 5 mile ASilily .. " .... ,AbiliT y TO lur ll 011 i dime. jumpillg. surdootedlless o,'cr rocky tertiill Enduullce .... , ..Speed o,'cr 10llg disuaccs. CiD survivt on lill ie food ~nd wuer. perform ,n ~dversc: .. utber. Cle. Horse: Scnsc: .... RiIIse. from rIlD'lato w~llsO TO -smut ~s ~ dogTempeumelll .... RillStS from 'orllery' 10 ' IO"uhleo T tiillibility ..... Ringes from bitely miubk- 10 tiSiJy Itiiaed" Mellie ......... .RIDSes from -usily spooked" TO 'sTudfUT(even if wbipped) SollDdllCss .... " .RiDSes from -sickly/welko to 1lC"er gets sick/hurt Strellgth ....... ,AbIlity to pull or cury huvy lo.ds

Chap/tr 6.31 Skill Descriptions.

TABLE 3.63: BREED MODIFIERS

AnribulC Short Speed Medium Speed Lollg Speed Agility ElldutiDce HorK Scfl5C Temper.meDT Tniubility Menle Soundness StrellgTh Quuter Horse Aubiia Thoroughbred Morgill MllSUIIS Percberoll 6 Shire

+. +1 +1 +. +3 +, +, +, +3 +2 +1

+1 +3 +, +3 +, +3 +2 +3 +2 +3 1

+1 +, +1 1 2 +1
0 0

2
0

+1 +1 +1 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +1 +3 +3

+1 +2 +3 +3 +, +,

, , , ,

Heivy Huness 6 web I

3 1

, , ,

+3 2

+1 +2 +, +3 +, +3 +,

+1 +2 +, +3 +, +3 +2

130

3.71 Advanced Chase Rules

hese a(kancccl c hase rules arc used for instances where a mounted chase or race is Ihe plima lT focus or a major cn:nt in an (,H'nings pla~. For basic chases. rerer to the slandard rules.

A chase is broken imo se\'eral difTcrt'ut pha ses: Tactical, Shon, ~kdium , Long and Extreme. T he di ~ lance between the pursued and the pur~ucr, as well a~ the O\'craJl distance of the chase, determines which phase you start with, as noted 011 Tahir 3. 7-/: Dtlmllinlllg
CJW$t PlIUStS.

i\'ote that if the chase cont inues far enough in distance, the lerrain may change for example, from hill ~ to mountams. The actual campaign map or local area map of the region should detnminc hO\\ Ihe te rrai n cha nges.

SETUP
To play out the chase. you need one sllllmed deck of sw ndard playin~ cards include Ihe two jokers and a ~et of marke rs or chip, II ith at ka~l three different colors. Each horse mount ill\'ohed in a chase l'ecei\'es a certain numbe r or chips to stan Ihe chase. The number or chip$ depends on the horse's allribules. so SOllle horses will be better or worse than other hor~cs al ce rtain aspects of the chase. Each ho~c recei\'cs a !lumber of red ch ips a ~ ~ hown on Tabl! 3. 7-/, abo\'e, blue chips equal 10 double ih . \({i!ity. and while chips equal to double it s Endurance. See Cha/ller 3.61 Horst's for information on mount~ and their ~t"t~. .\ fter all player, ha\'('lhcir chip~. the chase begins with the pursued characters dra\\-ine; ~ix playing cards and placing them ill a straight line on the whle, race up and end to end or side 10 side as shown in I-igUft 3.7-/. Thi ~ rcpresents the path of the chase. ;'\late that using a straight pa1h docs not necessarily mean th<lt the aell1<11 chase always takes place in a straight line it is simply an casy way 10 visual ize the chase wit hout wasling tOO much table ~pacl'. O nce the ca rd~ are down. the pursued characters then place their marker~/min ia1Ures on the 6th c<lHI while the pursue n place their miniatures/ markers before the first card on card "/.ero" as show n in Figllrt' 3.7-/, Exception : if the chase begins in tactical mode at less than 300 feet. by agreement of the playe rs, place only one card per 50 feCI di stance between the pursuers and the pursued, rounded lip,

TABLE 3.71: DETERMINING CHASE PHASES

Su n i"g D is tI nct Iktween Pursuer/Pursued
Phnc

Speed Chips (# 6 color)

UarleT 300 reel .........Tutiul ............1I01lt

Vader 1/4 mile ......... .short ..... 1x ShOTI Speed (red) Uader I mile ..........Medium ....2x Medium Speed (led) Under Smiles ... """, .long ....... 2x Long Spd (red) ..... E ~lrcmt ., .. .Z~ Endur,ncc ( ... hile) O ver S mile,

For example, if the bank robbers and the po~se arc le~~ than 300 feel from each olher, you be({in th(' chasc in Ihe Tactical Phase. The Tactical Phase i~ typically resoh-ed using the standard combat rules and tllU~, with a fel\ exceptions, will not be CO\'ereel under these chase rules. A chase can move 10 Ihe Short Chase Phase and out of the Tactical Phase at any time if bOlh the pursuer and the pursued agree. Howe\'er, if the chase begi ns afte r the bank robbers already ha\'e a good lead of bet\\een 300 feet and a qua n cr mile, then you begin the chase in the Short Chase Phase. Likewise, if the posse <lnd ba ndits arc between a quaner mile and one mile aW<I}; the cha~e begins in the :\ Iedium Chase Phase, and so on.

TERRAIN
In a chase, it is important 10 know what type of terrain your mounts arc traveling on, because cert <lin hazards <lnd obstacles can appear. Terrain types include plains, descrt, hills, badlands, fores!. ~lI'amp and mountains. Obviousl}; Ihe harsher the terrain is, the greater the opportunity for the riders to face obstacles and diniculties. See the Dangers section below for more information.
7r~

For a mI/pit. lei s say tho! lu:o pla),trS. 7et; (plaJ'illg Ihe slttriiJ) alld Halik (PlfIJ'illg a halldil), Ia,}' dOlt'1I (/ roU' rf six cards for a rims! (ill order. tllm art (/ hla(k 10. Ma(k 8. red Q.: red 8. r(d 6 alld ud . 1 ). Halik is Ilu pl/rslltd. so ht starts on tht rtd A. I hmA slarts btfort tht red 10 it u'iif bt tht first (ard ht lands 011.

(shrriJ!)

Han/.: (handil)

Ngurt 3.7-/: bUlial (hair .(Ilip

131

BEGINNING PLAY
Once setup is complete, it's time to begin the chase! T he chase takes place over a series of turns where the players will "move" along the cards (cards re prese nting the path or road that the pursued characters have taken). Each mounted character will have the oppon unity to move their mount once pCI' turn. Each mounted ride r can move at the standard rate of 3 cards per turn. The 3 card mQ\'C is the "base" speed, and mar be reduced by hazards, obstacles, or player choice. Likewise, the 3-card move may be increased by one additional card for every 2 fed chips (Sec Table 3. i-I. above) used. To add an elemcm of suspense and unpredictability 10 Ihe chase, the characters simultaneously declare speed. This is done by secretly palming a number of chips: 2 reds for every card above 3, no chips for precisely thrce and onc white chip for cvery card slO\l'er than 3. Red chips palmed in this way arc considered bid or spent, while white chips are merely sho\\'n and returned 10 Ihe horse's allotted white stack.

lapses and must make a Soundness check (roll a d20 and get a number equal to or less than its Soundness); if the mount fails the Soundness check, it dies.

For example. let's suppose our lwo pll!)'ers, Tex and Hank, are involved in a chase through the hills, slarling from a distance r.if 300 feet (i.e., starling in tlli Short Phase). 80lh plq;-rrs decide to go as fast as possible, bul Tex's horst has a Short Speed r.if 10, wllile Hank's Iwrse has a Shorl Speed r.if 16. Th is mtallS Ihal Tex can on(}1 bid up to 5 red chips. but Hank call bid as many as 8. So. Tex decides to bid" rtd chips (mounts onty move + I card for every 2 rtd (hips. so lu kno/1:s Ilu 51h chip would be wasled). Hank the bandit, lIatllral{y, duides to bid 8 chips.
Now that both playe rs know how many red chips they want to bid, each puts that number of red ch ips in his dosed hand, and holds it up or out over the table to indicate he is ready to go. When all players have their hands out. they re\'ealtheir chips and the chase begins! The from-runner pursucd) draws and places a number of additional cards based on his speed face-up on the table. then mO\'es his mount along the cards (as if the ca rds were spaces on a playing board. After the leade r has moved, the next lead horse moves a number of cards equal to his speed - he does not dra\\" cards unless his speed would move him past the leadn E\'en then, he only draws as many cards as necessary 10 move his remaining speed i.e., enough to fini sh out his fu ll move). \lO\'emcl1l continues until all riders ha\'e mO\'ed their pieces.
ul's go balk 10 our example with Ttx and Hank (Figure 3.72). Since Hank u:as the fr0llt-runller (pursued), he moveSfirst.

For example, a pla)'er ml!)' choose 10 move less than 3 ((lrds by sl/owing onr white chip (but not discarding tht chip!) during the dedarefor each ((lrd he plans to reduce his speed. As sud" 3 while chips illdicale the rider has stopped, 2 white cltips illdicale Ihe base speed is reduced by 2 (to I card) for Ihat turn, and 1 whilt chip indicates a speed reduced by' 1 (to 2 cards base spud}for that tum. For each wltitt chip shown and speed reduced Ihallum. the pla)"er receives allollter chip r.if m!)' color. See Ihe Dangers sedion below for more informalion on redl/{illg speed due to ha<.ards and obstades.
A player can spend or bid no more than half his mount's relevant ability score (in this case, Shon, Medium or Long Speed). All chips bid arc immediately discarded (but return at a rate of 3 per hour of game time).
~o te that you can use any two chips in place of one chip of anothe r color. If a horse runs out of chips, it col-

His bandit's mounl moves 7 cards (3 cards + I card for every 2 red chips he bid) ahead. Halik draws 7 cards and adds Ihem 10 the path, ready 10 move his horse ahead. Tex, however, can move aluad onty 5 (a rds, so he still has a u:ays 10 go.

--,
~
.... . .... .

~
132

-0 -. . . . : ; 0 D -~ D' "D-D D _ ~ "..

Figurt 3.72: H(lnk, th( pursu(d. opts 10 movt Sf:1:m wrds (buH rnoL'(rnml is 3 wrds plus I for (l;ffY 2 ((d chips pla)'d - Hank pla)'ed 8 rd chips). He thus draws w:tn cards /rom Ihe deck (lnd pl(lets them infront of his mark(r.

D ~
::.0: .

_.

'""+

..,.

TABLB 3.7-2: CARD DISTANCB RBPRBSBNTATIONS

~hn(: DiS!luct Tltljell .......... 1 ;lIt b - ,; fttt Short .......... J cud - SO fccl Medium ........ .1 cud - 100 fw Loog ......... .1 cud - 500 feel

TABLB 3.7-4: HAZARDS

Card
Joker

Extreme ........ .1 u rd - 1 / '1 milt

TABLE 3.7-3: HAZARD AND OBSTACLE RANGES

Te rn;1I SUlldud Ringes WiTh ROld Plains ...................Joker 6 2. .... . ... Joke. D~n ................Joker. Z. J 6 " ........... Joker 6 2 H iliJ ................J0ker. 2. 3, " 6 5 ......... Joker. 2 (] J Bldbbds .. ....Joker. Z. 3, 4. 5 6 6 ....... Joker. 2. 3 6 " Forell ................Joker. 2. 3. 4. 5, ......... Joker. 2. J. 4.

Huard ...... Hole Red 2 ...... .............. Roo t Red J ..................Hick brush Red 'I .....................Gull y Red S.............. . . .Log Red 6 .................... Bunc h Red 7 ........... . ..Tree Red 8 .......... ....... .sharp Slope Red 9 .................... Boulder Red 10 ............. .. .... Hillock Red J ........... .small building/ dirt ....111 Red Q ...........UfgC building/rock ....a11

....... ...... .........6, 7. S. 9 6 JO ........... 5, 6. 7 6 8

MOUDU;II!, SWlmp ..........Ally ............ Joker. Z. 3, 'I. 5. 6,

........................... _............... ~al ~J.O

DANGERS
In a chase, the cards do not exist simply to define the path. The)' also indicate what hazards or obstacles, if any, have presented themseh-es. Hazards can slo\\ a mount's speed, while obstacles mar ~Io\\ a mount's speed, cause damage, or even force the rider to StOP and track! Riding checks, speed and othe r factors determine whether one of these dangers actually affects the ride r.

equal to or greater than the card must make an immed iate [difficult] Riding check. Failure reslIhs in the forfeiture of one blue chip and a -I to base speed for the next turn mo\'e only 2 cards + I card for e\'el)' 2 rcd chips . A successful Riding check indicates that yOll a\'oided the hazard at no penalt): I-I o\\'c\cr. if the ch:mlctcr succeeded in his Riding check bm his 1l10unt'~ Hor5e Sense di\'ided by 2) is less than the hazard card\ number2. the character must make an additional Riding check. Failure results in loss of aile blue chip and a - I to his next turn's base ~pced. :\OIe that terrain does nOt affect the Horse Sense check.

i1Jmiliar 1}.iJ
If the route ridden is a famil iar tmil lO a characte r, that character has an advantage. He kno\\'s whe re the gullies, IO\\,*hampng branches and such arc and can react appropliatc1). Thus, familiality reduces the cffect of hazards. Specifically, if a character is \'ery familiar with a trail has ridden it daily in the past or many times recently), his speed is considered two lower for determining which hazards affect him and his mount. If a character is familiar with a trail e.g., has scomed it out as an escape route and ridden it a few times in preparation for fleeing pursuers '. his speed is considered one lower for determining which hazards affect him and his mount.

Table 3.7-3: Ha;:.ard and Obstacle Ranges defines when a card is an obstacle or hazard. in the plai ns, for example, only Jokers and 2 cards may be a danger. In the hills, the danger is greater Ookers, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cards and in the mountains, any card may be a danger!
If the chase follo\\"s a road through this terrain, the value of hazards and obstacles is reduced by t\\"o. (T he J okers are always a danger.) l\ l ultiple dangers encountered in the same [Urn each require an additional Riding check i.e., one check for one danger, twO checks for the second danger, three checks for the third danger, elc). For example, three dange rs in one move results in six lOtal checks. Players mUSt make extra Riding checks regardless of success or failure for earlie r checks, and loss of base speed is cumulative. You only make Horse Sense checks 'sce below I once per hazard, even if there were pre\ious hazards that turn.

Hazards
Red playing cards (heartS or diamonds) as well as J oke rs indicate a hazard (sec Table 3.7-4: Ha<.ards'l. Howeve r, mounts moving with a speed less than the card \'alue l , or in terrain where the hazard does not exist see Table 3. 7-3: Ha<.ard alld Ohstacle Rallges, above}, bypass the hazard without incident. Characters mO\'ing at a speed
/.Jpt na?,ards mal fill'" bt bypassed without ifl(idml

Te.\ is still rhasing flallk tllrollgll tilt hills. so let S Set how tht)"re doing. III the last exampfl. Halik /(:0$ movillg ahtad 7 cardJ. !Lhile u:c u'as 1II0r'ing ahead 5 cartiJ. Thlre is no road hm. so u'e know that uxalld Halik uill ellto/mtfT all ohstacle or ha;:.ard if they reath a card IIlImhmd witlt a Joker. 2, 3. 4 or 5. Halik is movillg 7, so af! these IlOzardJ aNIy to him. Ttx is movillg 5, so tacit rif these IlOzards also applilS to IIim. If either rharacter was familiar !L'itll this trail. tlley cOllld ignore those red .5 IIO<.ards (being l'fTy familiar would iglloTe both red 4 and red 5 ha(,ards). L-nfortullately for them. thl)' are 1I0t.

Hank starts witll 110 trouble, movillg OUT a bind 9. red K alld red Q., hilt theflllrtli card lie rrosSfS is a red Joker a Iw<.ard. fie
2 Irtat}i1u cards as nm:iflg
1/

I Jol.:"

,'a[ut of 10

133

Pigur( 3. 7-3: Ifallk mons JeNII (ards. tcountenllg Iwo ha::ards. Ttt //loves fit"( cords mid (II(ounlers 11011'.

Jhjai/s ~, .. Ii,,""~ ,h,d;,

h",.
I"i"~

hi.,(hip, a, 1I

sus his horse IS aboullo slep in a hole.' Forlllllalely. Halik makes a suc(fsifut Riding dud and lIIanagts 10 at-oid il. Lu(ki~, I/O horse has a Horse Sense low mough 10 be unda a}oka so I/O Hrme Sense Check is required. U'!/orlullale!y, Hallk'sJ!flh card is a red ., - all aptJroacllillg gutry. Tillie for allolher Ridillg dud.' This lillie, Hankfails his Ridillg cherk, so he is ullable to slop his horsefrolll slowing dolt'n illlhegllllJ. lie loses olle blue chip from I/IS pile alld, lIexl 111m, cal/ onry mOlle 2 ((Irds (+ I c(IId for et'tly 2 red chips. tif rourse) inslead tif 3 cards. r lone. sillce Ihis is hi.'; strolld !w;:ard ill Ihe same turn. he IIIlIsl II/ake a second Riding check. Halik grillds his leelh as !II fails Ihe secolld Ollf as /l'ell. He has losl allollier bille {hip and ((III O!l~' II/O /"t J card (+ I cardfor eveo' 2 rid chips) IIttllllm. 8 111 HallkJ Iloljilluliedy l he slill has lu'o 1II0re rards to corer. Fortullatebi thtse are a red 7 and a black Q Halik stops 011 l/ie black Qalld hrealhfJ a sigh tif relief it's Yex's lurn. He mous ahead 5 cards, over a black 10, black 8, red Q.; red 8. alld eliding all a red 6. . \ 0 ha::.ards for lucl.y Teo'd Oil his lIex/ lum, the}irsl ((Ird he lands on will he the red A llie uf)' card Hank slarled 011. Forlullatel;, Ihere are I/O obslacles befu'ulI llim and Hank. and III call easi~)- flllol/' his trail.
~\QW

sLlers must stop at the next obSlacle and attempt to track Ihe pursued*. They cannot proceed until a successful Tracking roll picks up the trail.

TRACKING
Until line of sight is re-established (i. e., zero obstacles bel\\"een Ihe pursuers and the pursued), the pursuers must attempt to Irack Ihe purslled at every obstacle encountered. Tracking checks made by more than 35% allow Ihe Irackers to ayoid ha"ing to slo\\" do\\"n while lc~ser degrees of ~uc("ess rcsul! in a pcnalty to subsequelH mO\Tlllent "ee Table 3.7-3: Trarking Slou-douws' . Three failed allcmpts in a row by each Iracking character indic;lIe Ihat Ihe pursued 11<I\'e given the pursuers the slip the trail is losi. Inclement weather such as ligln rain reduces this to \\\"o failed attempts. while heavy rain reduces it to one failed aHemp\.

TAB LE 3,75: TRACKINGSLO WDOWN S

Degree of Success
Peb~h y

O bstacles
Black cards (clubs and spades) represelH obstacles. Typical obstacles arc slIch Ihings as boulders, or ILIrm and bends in Ihe Irail. T hese obstruct Ihe viewing of the pursuers and may present a danger to riders with ornery mount s (low Temperaments), who take Ihe opportu nil), to maneU\'cr their rider imo Ihc obstacle. If a moum's Tempcramem (divided by 2 is less than the obslacle card's number, the character must attem pt a Riding check. On a failed Riding check ,'ersus obstacles, the player suffe rs the forfeiture of one blue chip, a temporary -I to his base speed (move only 2 e ard~ + I card for e"ery 2 red chips on next move) and I point of damage. If allhe end of any turn there arc 1\\"0 or more ob5lacles between pursuing and pursued characters, the pur* Hf lilt

35% 26Y, to 3S% ..... . 16% to 2S% . .. . O'I, tO 15%

:>

hilure

.......none . ..1 10 next turb's bue speed . .2 to uextturn's bue speed ...3 10 nextturn's b~se speed .... C~UBOI proceed

011 his net/lllrn. Hank can Ollry mm'e J card (+ 1 cardfor eV(1)' 2 red chips}. Still. he tiffidrs /0 moL'( asfasl as possible ill hopes if /ojillg Iht sheriff He bids 8 red clii/)s 10 1II01-'r aluad 5 cards. Five lIe/1..' cards are llOW drO/t'lI alld laidfare 11/) on the lable toforlll Ihe IIe\t pari tif Ihe trail.
Crossmg tasi!>, our a red 9. Halik lands 011 !IIS secolld card a black 3. His mounts Temptramflll diddfd h)' 2 equals 5. which is greater Ihall lhe obslacle card:r IlIIlIIber, so his horst avoids Ihe obslaclt withoul illcitiellt. He crosses a red K allti !llfII hits his fourth card a blark 5. This lime. his mOIlIlI's TrmpeTfllllflll di;;ided by 2 is equal/o Ihe obstadl cards lIumber. so he mllsilllake a Riding dwk (pIllS allother Riding duck, sill(( Ihis is flis second

Tradillg jkill dncriplioll 10 gallgr 1M diffi(UI!~

of III' duck based IIPOIl III, Sill/alioli.

13+

dangff Ihis lurn). /-Ie succmis alone. bul f ails Ihe Olher. lal.-ing I poilll qf damage as his ortlery horst slams Halik's Itg inlo a passing bouldtr, and losing al/olher blue chip alld slifJtring a - I 10 his base spud. ~\ (xltl/m, he ((III move Oil!)' I ((Ird (+ I ((Irdfor t/'l'IJt 2 red chips) inslead qf 3. _ \'OU~ ht mous on 10 his fifth alld lasl card a red 3 ha::,ard. This is his IMrd dallger Ihis roulld, so ht mll.sl make Ihree mort Ridillg checks. /-Ie SI/rcuds al Olle, andfails Ihe olliff lU'o. so he 10Sts Iwo more bll/e c/I//JS alld slifJtrs a - 2 10 ilis bast spud. After all is said and dOllt, Ilallk morts rards (+ I rardfor t/:er)" 2 rtd chips) inslead oj 3, 011 llis lIexl lum.

regai ns one chip of any color but nC\'cr more than the maximum allowed). This includes stopping to track.

III Tex and Halik's gaml, for e>:ampll, 18 ((Irds havt bUll pla)"td (Iht inilial 6, plus Ihe i from Halik's firsl mowntllt al/d lilt 5 fiom iJis secolld). II nOI Hank rtachu card 20, he /Ljll tIIlntlu.l /edium Chase Phasf. Hank's hom onvt Iws 0.1Iidillm Spud if 6, so ht rtcrim 12 addiliollal red (iJips. Likt'U'ist, if 7,x rrac/ud card 20, ht would riceive addilional red (hips bastd 011 his horse's .I1edill1ll Spud. Howa'er. Tex 's horse has a :llldill1ll Spud oj 1-1. so he Il'o/Iid rereh'l allolher 28 red (Iiips.

Ttx bid his maximum qf .j red chips.. bul he u'os nol sloll:td ~)' mV' hazards losllum. and can /1lOl:t 5 cards (3 tards + I cardfor tUIJ' 2 red ellips). However. ht looks oul illio lilt dislmlft alld sus lallk (dut to tlte 111'0 obslades betweill IlIalllt has lost sighl qf 1 Ihem). Still, ma)'be lu'l/ gel lllcl.)'.

ElD!NG THE CHASE

.\ chase ends when either a pursucr movcs 10 within 300 feet of the pur~ued in which case, mo\'c to normal combat and ("('soke . the pursuer gi\'es up the chase or falls hopelc5sly behind. :\"ote that after twO inte r\'ening ob~tacles, the pursuer, must attempt to track, possibly leuing the pur~ued ("haraClcr~ mO\'e further and further ahead. At some point they will find the pursued perhap~ campi n ~, lose the trail by three failed T racking checks in a ro\\' or the pursued will make it to a populated arca 0(" other safe havcn , making tracking impossible.

PHASE DURATION AND GAINING NEW CHIPS

Any ti me during a Tactical Chase Phase Ihat characters arc more than 300 feet apan , move to the Short Chase Phase. After 20 cards tOtal are drawn, move to the ,\ Iedium C hase Phase. The i\l edium Chase Phase lasts fo r 34 cards (i.e., until the deck has been used emirely\. Afler the first deck has entirely played-out, 1110\'C to the Long Chase Phase and play OUI another entire deck. Following that, 11100'e to the Extreme Chase Phase until the pursuers gi\'e up, or lose the trail. Once play moves from the Short Chase Phase to the i\ ledium Chase Phase, pla)'ers reccive additional red chips equal to 2x :\!t'diul11 Speed of their mount. Similarly, once play moves from the ~ I edium Chase Phase to the Long C hase Phase, players recci\'e additional red chi ps equal to 2x Long Speed of their mount. Any lime a rider moves less than 3 cards, his horse

Ltt's go back to /Iallk alld Tt:tfor a IIIOlllelll. w sl /1'e knell( 7tx U'as a good disla1lre blhilld Halik /l'ith 1/1'0 obsladu betll'UII Illem. Ttx uillllm'I 10 slop alld lrack al bolh qf tlust. alld dial with all tlu ha::,ards ill hiJ /l'I!): lit kllou's Ilis TracJ..-illg skill is lariblt, alld IIis hont i)/I'! !"e~)" smart, so Ite llirou's 11/) his hal/ds /1/ di~t:ust and gil tJ liP Ilu chase. . \ ,\! time Itt has to c!IflSt a bandil. hi '{{ kllOll" 10 bnllg morl "'til /L'itlt 'UIII. . 1 paSSl usuallY Itas at ltast a (ouplt if fast hOflts.. alld jomt IIItII u'i!h bttlff Trackillg skills as utll. Also, il rouldll't hurt Ttt: to gil a better hom ...

Figurt 3.74: lIank mous jiu cards uounlrrmg litO obJ/adtJ and a ha;:ard. I h Ju({udJ in losing Ttx ~, rir/ut of Ihm bdng 111."0 obJla({tJ blluull IIItm al lilt trill of Iht lurn.

If" ....".,

" ~'&~ ,w.'Wh I. ~,.~It

T,...,......""

If,,,

~ ~

,-------.""

Ih" "",,11.

""" """" """"t< ~.tI

/I,d,,,, ,.t.Yt< H. ,oJl", tI...

_I." ..... e, '"

ttl ., . /H.t, ,

't"

.1111......;~,tI N ... t
"",,,II) .~" liu

I .'"'

~ 111",

RuI"" ,40-,h '" '"if'" ~,"" ....."",.,

I/o" "''''

"'I"""

(~'p.<.

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4.11 The Aces & Eights Campaign

This is unfortunate. As a setting, the Old West pro vidcs an abundance of untapped adventure opportuni. tics. And although Aas & Eights lends itself well to oncofT adventuring, it has primarily bcen designed with the on going campaign in mind. This scction will help gu ide you in these pursui ts and morc. The information provided here is intcnded to help players and Game~ l asters alike get their cam paigns underway while waiting for additional .'l as & Eights supporting material to come.

TYPES O F SESSIONS
1-o r those of you new to the world of role play ing games (RPGs) the following is a quick oYcrview of concepts common to mOSt RPG s.

. Ias & Eights can be played in one of three ways the skirmish, the oneotT adventure or tbe on goi ng ca mpaign.
Ski rDlis h: A skirmish is simply an cxcuse to ha\'e a big gunfight. Players get together, splil into team\, and decide on an objecti\'e or victory condi lion. The \'iclory condition may be as simple as "Last man standing wins" or somcthing more noble like " Fight otT the outlaws and prevent the bank from being robbed." 1\ot only arc skirmishes a lot of fun, but they are a great teaching aid in introduc ing new playe rs to the combat rules and whctting their taSte for some good wcstern roleplaying. :-JOt only will it teach them the advantages of such things as taking cO\'er and laying down suppressing fire , but it'lI also show the players JUSt how deadly a gun is. .'\Jot e: T he Aces & Eights primer, Showdown, was released with the skirmish player in mind. It presented just the barebone combat rules and a handful of sce narios for players to rUIl large sprawling gun battles.
One-Off Adve nture: T he one-off adventure is just that. t\ group of players get together, roll up characters and se t about completing an adventurc with some SOrt of specific goal in mind.

..
kay. So you and your friends have rolled up your fancy new characters. You're full of hope and have a burning desire in your gut to sct Ihe world on fire and show it what you're made of. You 've got sand , kid. That 's admirable - but before you hit the trail and Start slapping leather there's a few things you should know. Unlike their fantasy role-playing counterparts, western rolc-playing games have traditionally been limited \0 one-off ad\'clHllrcS, with players ge ni ng tOgether. rolling up some characters and quickly finding an excuse 10 fire their guns and shoot things up. Robbing a bank, taking on the evil cattle baron and his men, or ambushing the payroll stage can be great fun, but usually lead 10 the death of several (if nOt all) characters. Whcn the sessio n is finishcd so is the adventure .
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It may be dri\'ing a herd of longhorns hundreds of miles to a rail head, robbing a Slage, or eliminating a band of notorious cutthroats that have taken over a small town.

T he action begins and ends in a single evening's playing session. It 's anothe r great way to introduce new players to the game who may be hesit ant to try it

OIhcrwise. Like an aClion ad\'cnlUrc movie, oneoffs tend 10 focus on illlense action and lots of gunplay, with playcrs knowing their characters ma} not come out alive. Oft limes a one-off a(kenture is simply an excuse to lead the players into a climaCtic skirm ish. W hen first playing ActJ & EighlJ, players may find they arc content with just rolling up characters and ru nning skirmishes and one-om. As mentioned ahon. Am & EightJ lends itself well to such activity and let's face it, therc's nothing quite so impulsi,'(' as a n('\\ player with a gun he's j ust aching to u<;c.
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LET COMMON SENSE PREVAIL

Be awa re that no set of rules can fully cover 'o r even a nticipate) evcry situation that will come up in a e<lmpaign. Especially in a gam e with such a broad range of advcn turing oppo rtu nities as the Ol d West.

We couldn't cram eve ryt hi ng into one book so there ,,-ill be times when a situation comes up that isn't CO\'cred by a specific rule. For example: How much water does a steam locollloti"e need to take on to tra\'cI 30 miles? Ca n a buggy withstand the weigh t of the 100 bars of gold the players arc atte mpting to load it down with? How much lumber does it take to build a saloon? For that matte r, how much does it COSt to bui ld one? Trail Dust Knickerson announces he's going to jump from a train 01110 the back of a galloping hor~e while firing two six -shooters and then gra b the reins in his teeth. These situ at ions a nd more can come up in a typical session . So what to do while you're waiting for the next su pplement or olli cia l call ... ? First ofTdon't panic. I f you fi nd yourself in a si ruation where the ru les are silent let common sense be your gu ide. Co \vith what -feels' right and let the action continue to flow. If you don't feci comfortable doing that, pallse the game and discuss how it should be ha ndled and take a \'ote. Aft er the game YOll can look for a more substantial answe r. \ 'isiti ng the offi cial Am & Eights in te rne t fo rums ar hnp:! !www. kenze rco.com is a good place to start. own, stake his desti ny and ra ise a family while making an honest li"ing_ T he re's no one way to play ArtJ & EightJ. Players are free to choose their own goals and pursue them with nothing stopping them but the iron of thcir own de termination and the ir god-gi"en a bilities. Run ning a full cam paign takes more \\'ork for evc ryone il1\'oh'ed but it's also more rewarding.

gu)'J, is that a baTIk? LttS rob it. ..

E"eiHua lly, it'll sink in that g:unplay is lethal. and that robbing banks and raising hell every session results in little more than high mortality rates and rolling up lots of characte rs. If your group enjoys this SOrt of mayhem and finds it appealing, more powcr to you. Ha\'e at it and ha\'e fun.

THE ON-GOIN~ CA MPA!~N

When you grow tired of racking up a body count a nd sta rt longing for something more su bsta ntial, you'll be happy to know that AaJ & EightJ has bee n designed from thc ground up with the on-going campaign in mind. T his book' and later supplements will allow you to do much morc than stumble down the pall1 of an outlaw, or simply finding yourself gelling gut shot week after week. A campaign is a se ries of sessions or ad"elllures where e\'ents and action from the previous session carryon to the next. Rob a ban k one weck and you r chat';tcters must deal with the conseque nces (or avoid them) the fo llowing wee k. If a character dies, a new one is introduced to join up with the othe r survi\'ing characters and the campaign continues_ In thc campaign, players conce ntrate on establ ishi ng the ir characters in the world they li\c in and making the m more powerful and successful. Players can pursue just about any profession their hearts desire, or any avenue of opportunity that presents itself. ~ I a}'be your character would like to 0\"11 a saloon, or run fo r mayor. How 'bout both? O r maybe rumors of a gold strike in Ind ian te rritory suddenly have you th inking of trying your luck at prospecting_ Perhaps the land grabbing antics of the much hated callie baron is more your style. How about founding a new town and naming it after ),olll'Sclf? Then again, pe rhaps your character has simpler ambitions. J ust to OW I1 a piece a land hc catl call his

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THE CHALLENGE OF RUNNING A WESTERN CAMPAIGN

The SlOries and traditions of the Old West arc as ingrained in most American psyches as baseball and barbecue. In that case, you'd think it would be a snap to sil down and start running a western R PG. After all, most of us were bombarded with western TV shows and movies growing up. In fact, when trying to explain how a role-playing game works 10 a nongamer, the example of <, it's like playing 'co\\'boys and Indians' only with rules" is one of the best you can
(Urn 10.

put, events took a different turn al key moments in history, resulting in a very different political landscape. Why an ahernative history as opposed to a hislOrieal setting? T he benefits of an alternative histo ry selling arc manyfold. For one, it frees the playe rs/G :\I from history and allows them to fill in the blanks and write their own. :\'0 worry of a player pointing out, " H ey! 1\0 fair. Smokeless gunpowder wasn't invented until 1886!" It also prevents players from acting on kno\dedge their characters wouldn't ha\e. <'Gee, I think I'll look for gold O\'er here ncar Cripple Creek. I've got a funny fecling about that spo!." :\ Iost importantly. it adds a bit of mystery to the setting. It gives that feeling of embarking into the unknown that would otherwise not be possible. For those players and G:\ ls who prefer a real history setting - no problem. T he rules themselves apply to both approaches and the library (or the internet for that matter) is filled with material covering every aspect of the American Old West in minutia .

Surprisingly, many experienced role-players look a little lost after rolling up their first characters for a western RPe . ]\'1051 likely they've been weaned for years on fantasy rolc-pla)~ where racking up a body count and looting the co rpses was the surest way to get ahead and move up in levels, achieving almost god-like powe rs and becoming more or less untouchable as their careers progress. They're used to running characters that have been pigeon-holed into pre-defined c haracter classes or templates. T he thief character picks pockets. The mage casts spells. T he fi ghter fights. A character's chosen class more or less dictates how the character behaves and how he carns his keep for life. Its understandable that mallY players find it a little unsettling. at fi rst, that most of that is gone in Aces & Eights. In addition, some players quickly learn that they rea!!y don't know nearly as much about day to day life in the Old WcSt as they thought they did. Other than acting out the plots of their fa\'orite western movies and television shows, they find they really don't knoll' what to do or where to turn once Iheir character is dropped into the game. Again , this seClion will help nudge you in the right direction and arm you wilh some ideas. In addition, it will provide a wealth of useful information for both the player and Gl\ 1 to get started.

A BRIEF O VERVIEW OF THE SHATTERED FRONTIER

The "Shattered Frontier" was a term coined by a SI. Louis newspaper publisher, Shawn Griffith 1\c\son, when describing the lands west of the l\ lississ ippi River. A few months ago, ~I'l r. 1\elson made a journey from SI. Louis to the front ier boomtown of M uskeegie and chronicled his experiences by telegraph. In his we e kly published updates. he harped on and on about the 'God-gi\'en' opportunities presenting themselves out West that were, in his opinion, being "squandered " by the Union.

THE SHATTERED FRONTIER

While you're free 10 run your campa ign in any setting (historical or othe rwise), the official sert ing for Aces & Eights is the Shattered Frontier. T his is where most of your campaign will unfold . It 's also the default setting for any future Aces & EIghts supplements and adventures. T he Shattered Frontier is based 011 the American Old \\"est, but with an alternative history spin. Simply

Shawn Griffith Nelson ,. Vast expanses of lalld Newspaper Publisher alld valuable resources claimed by evel)"OI/e yet controlled by 110 one lie ill this shattered frontier. ,. he wrote in one piece. "Neglertillg l!!is lerritory is akil1 to lettillgjields rif Jerlile soil lay fallow while the slarvillg farmer picks tllrough the trash for his supper. It's shameful." The 'Shattered Frontier' as he dubbed it, is a region with overlapping claims and contested borders - land

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coveted by Imperial :\ Iexico, the Republic of Texas, Deseret and the United States, but occupied by "heathens, squatter towns, Indians and bandits". Known by the l\ lexicans as " EI Diablo's Caldera" (o r simply "th e Cauldron ") this area of polit ical unrest is the stage for your beginning ActS & Eights campaign. It is here, around the squatte r towns of Lazarus and l\luskeegie, that your adve ntu re is ce ntered . Once an area deemed suitable only fo r outlaws in hiding and fo r trappe rs running the occasional trap line, the San Juan ~ I ountains now ha\'e the eontinelH 's undi"ided attention. Gold was discovered here in reeem momhs and the rush is o n.

bend it to their will - all taking place wh ile you r players attempt to find their place in it all and gain a foo thold. Your first job as G:\'I, however, will be coming up with a few starting adventu res and introducing you r players to the Shattered Frontier. Before explo ring some ideas for adventu res let 's take a few moments and CO\'e r some basic RPG concepts.

TIME AND THE C AMPAlliN

"Timt is mono, boys!!! Alld right now u:t'rt bludil/g lIitktLs like a situ. lOll btst (ommma to lIaulill' ass."
- Freight master to his wagon ell'ivers Since keeping track of tillle and record keeping is important in role-playing games. it bears mentioning here. There are twO type~ of "time" discussed in this book: Game Time and Real Time. Game time i~ the ima~nar\" timc that passes fo r the charactc rs '"in'" the game. Real time is the passage o f time in the real world, the time that physically passes for the players and Gi\ 1 as they pl ay the game. For the bene fi t of those readers who may not have played a role-playing game before, let's take a closer look at both con cepts.

* RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN *

Lucky you - if you' re reading this section you probably drew the short straw and will be taking on the role of Gamel\ laster (GM). If not, you can skip ahead to the Player T utorial seClion or keep reading, so you'll be ready to help out your G~'I when called upon. As the GM it 'll be your job to weave the story and guide the players along on their adven tures. If you've eve r played a role-playing ga me before, you already have a pretty good idea o f what the job of G:\ l emails. The Game:\'laster is th e ma n wi th the script. He a rrives at the tabl e with an adve nt ure and ar med with intimate knowledge of the ca mpaign setting a nd rules of the game. It ' ll be your job to present the adventure to the players and then respo nd accordingly based on the playe r's actions. 1\01 only th at, but you'll also be winding the clockwork that keeps the gea rs whirring as the world the players stomp a round in stays in motion - rumors of distant wars, the sounds of men and hammers as new rails stretch westward, rich easte rn bankers leaning over thei r maps determined to hammer the west and

Game Time
Time passes within the game world as players about , taking on the role of thei r characters.
mO\'C

For txamplt, if Ftlch Alldusoll wallw illto a bar, ordt rs a drink and slams it back whilt makillg O'u with Iht whort sittillg ill tht corntr - a fiw millutts of game limt just licked by. And lattr, whtn Ftlch plops dowlI 011 a hale of hay illfumt rif tilt [hay stable to cltan his gUll allothtr twenry mil/utes or so pass. :\ Iinutes fade into hours. Hours fade into days. Days become weeks. Weeks become months ... well , you get the idea.
J USt be aware that game time and real lime don't always pass at the same rate. For examp le, that twenty minutes spe nt cleaning a ri fl e only took a few seconds of 'real ' time. About as fast as muttering the phrase " I'm cleaning my gun. " That's because game time is often sped up in the interest of keeping the game lively and interesting. Take the above example. 1\obody \\'ants to sit around the table fo r twenty minu tes wh ile Bob explains in detail how he's brea king his gun down and clea ning each part. Nor do th ey want to hear him desc ribe how his charact er shaved and picked out the clothes he's

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CO-()P GAMEMASTERING
Considering the scope of the typical ACtS & Eights campaign, one thing you may want to eventually consider LS the concept of Co-Or GameMaslcring, with different players laking on the role of G~vl at different points and sharing the load. When a player takes the hat from the acting OM, his player character ta kes on NPC status until he, in turn, gives up the role of OM.
It 's not for everybody. It requires experienced players who arc able to referee eve nts without giving the other players (and their own characters) special treatment. But, it can (and has) worked.

Real Time
Rcal time is just that the passage of time in the r e al world. While your game session may ha\'c lasted only a few hours in 'real time ' it is quite possible that your characte r experienced the passage of weeks or months of 'game time' during a single night'S session. It 's not really all that complicated, bUI some neophytes confuse the two types of time.

Recording Game Ti me
The passage of game time is \'cry ImpOrtant III a campaign and sho uld be diligently tracked and recorded. Choosing a player to be the designated Tim e Keeper is always a good idea. Keeping track of time tends to reinforce the consequenccs of wasting it. Time waits for no one and marches on regardless of how it's spent.

In such a campaign, the players work in pannership, with one player being the primary GM and the others providing their own input along the way. Various aspects of the cam paign, slIch as countries, tOwns and even Indian tribes arc treated like N PCs, each with their own agendas and motivations. For example, one player may want to run the town of Cortez, making decisions on how that town will reao when :\luskeegie lays claim 10 the newly-d iscovered gold fields that lie between the twO towns. Another playe r may be responsible for Gi\ l ing Red Sleeves and his Apache warriors deciding if they honor their agreement of not harassing Lazarus' supply lines. Perhaps another player is G:\1ing the railroad company and deciding in which direction new tracks are laid as they creep west. As your campaign evolves, you'll have an opportunity to add many layers of activity. Co-Op GMing is a way of handling the workload. going to wear in the morning. Such trivial details can be glossed over. The same goes for characters pulling an eight hour shift tending bar al the local saloon. Unless something eventful happens or the player wants to do something specific that needs to be resolved, you can jump ahead. On the other hand, game time sometimcs slows down where the seconds (and even tenths of a second) creep by. Take that running gun battle which took an hour of 'real' lime to unfold for instance. i\lost likely all that mayhcm only represented a fraction of a minute in 'game' time.

For example. Frank's character, Kansas Joe. spends six weeks panningJor gold ill the wrollg seclion rif the Allimas River based 011 some bad iliformation. Nirefor him if Ihe rest rif Ihe world slood still u.-hilt he was wastmg llis time, bllt he doesn't have it like thai. IVhell lit e/"eIIlualty crawls back inlo (OWII empty handed and Itilh a glla/Ll1Ig beIU'. he discovtrs a half dO<:'(11 ntw buildings hau risen up In /Liwt l1.'rrt previousty tmpty lois. Evt!ll worSt!. I/u girl he IWS pining for has moved on fa a !ltW beau and Iht oU'/Ier rif Ihe hOlel u:on't let Mm in his room or al Ius properIJ until he forks our six werks ' back rent.
Keeping track of game time is important for a variety of reasons. That bullet the drunkard of a town doctor was kind enough to pry out of your shoulder, for instance. It'll be weeks, maybe months, before you'll have full usc of your arm again. Maybe even longer if the quack botched the job. Thi s is time that must pass within thc game. Recording time during com bat (referred to as the "Action Count "; also "Count Up" or simply "Count") is especially important since it dete rmines when players can perform shooting and moving actions. Action Count is cO\'e red in detail in the Scrapes sections.

llJe Impacl of Ti me on Ibe Campaign

Of coursc, the passage of time has an impact on the campaign and the characters themselves. For characters there will be expenses. Even if th ey aren't actively role-playing every hour, day or week, they must still pay for expc nses such as room and board, ammunition, care and stabling of borses, etc. For campaign realism, the world around the players should march on. Buildings will risc up, seasons change, rail lines extend, and much more. The world doesn't lie dormant waiting for the players to inte ract with it.

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INTRODllCIN~ THE PLAYERS TO THE SANDBOX Okay, so it's the first session of your first campaign. The players have assembled and arc raring to usc those sh iny new six -shooters they've purchased. Understandably, your players are going to be a bit disoriented if this is their first session. They know nothing about the world around them and arc unsure what to do first. in short, they're going to be lost.

2. Noon Stage: The players have just completed a long o\"Criand trip by stage and arri\'ed at their final destination. T he session begins as they disembark from the stage and gather up their luggage and belongings. The nice thing about this approach is thai it assumes the PCs have gotten to know each other on their journey. Perhaps they've already decided to join up and seek their fortunes tOgether. 3. Birds of a Feather: T he campa ign begins wilh the players in jail. T heY'\'e all been picked up for minor offenses - public intoxication , brawling, loitering, or whatt'\er.. \ s the session begins, they arc being released as Ihe players arc roughly roused from Iheir sleep by a very intimidating she riff and his deputy. After a stern lecture from the sheriff, any belongings that may ha\'C bcen confiscated arc returned . The G\ ! may eyen want to han' certain c haracte rs pay a fine. The sheriff informs the PCs they must be gainfully employed within 48 hour, or lcm'e IOlI"n no \agrants. Thi s approach is good for lighting a fire undcr the players' butts and gi\'ing them some moti\ation to find work while a\'oiding run-ins with the law. 4. End of the Trail: The players all hired on as cowboys to d ri ve a small herd to lOwn to satisfy its appe tite for fresh meat. The cha ractcrs ha\'e bonded on the long journey and are looking forward to celebrating ajob \I'cll done with drinks at the local saloon. This will also gh'e them a chance 10 raise some hell while they wait for the trail boss to settle up (to bring Ihem their wages).

Likewise, you may be feeling a bit lost tOO, Don't sweat it. You'll find your fect in lime. The key will be keeping the action (and the players) moving. If they're sta nding around looking bewildered, throw an e ncount er or two at them and force them to react. To kick off you r first session, you may want 10 COIlsider having the characters arrh'c In a group as newcomers to the area,

The re arc several tried-and-t rue ways of start ing a new group of players that will mak e things go smoother. 1_ Parc hed Strangers: T he players start off in a bar where it is assumed they are st rangers to olle another. Perhaps one player is a local boy down on his luck and looking for opportunity to shOll" its face, Another player is sim ply passing through town and has stopped to quench that 'powerful thirst' that's been nagging and to shake off the trail dust. Another player still is hitting the faro tables and 'chasing the tiger' - hoping to fatten his coin pouch before pressing 011 . This is a good way for the players to introduce their characters to one another. Perhaps a loud-mouth NonPlayer Character (N PC) bully picks a fight with one of the players and one or more of the PCs jump in and come to his aid. Afte r all, nothing bonds a grou p of characte rs like a good barroom brawl.

The G\ l may opt to pay each player $30.00 (giving the playcrs some nicc starting cash and an opportunity to buy equipmcnt). Altcrnati\'c1y, he may Opt lO have the trail boss slip out of lOwn on the sly and st iff the players on their pay providing an ad\'enture opportunity as thc players head out to find him and settle the score . 5 . End of the Line: The players signed on to work for the railroad, bust ing their backs laying rails on a new spur stretching into the West. Work was suddenly halted (lack of financing, weatbel~ elc) and the characters were given their walking papers. After hoofing it to Ihe nearest town they find they arc coin-shy and in need of work. 6. Every Gun has a Story: The abm'e, of course, arc simply suggestions to explain how the players haw come to find themseh-es in each othc rs' company. Another a pproach is lO simply le t the players dccide why they've thrown in lOgether.

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In the Character Creation chapter, each player had an opportunity 10 pick a reason why he came west (o r to rol! for one random ly). If two players arc running from the law, perhaps they were partners back East and arc fleeing together. Perhaps two or more characters arc siblings, or even fathe r and son. Allowing players to share their backgrounds be fore the campaign begins is a good way for them to suggest how and \\'hy they happen 10 be travelling togethe r. Regardless of which approach you usc starting out, you'll find that after the playe rs have a few adven tures under their belts they' ll begin to get a better feel for the lay of the land and be more familiar with the setting. As charaCters die and new ones arc brought in to replace them, players should be able to hit the ground running.

weeks, and firearms. So tbere will be an investment of money as well. T he stranger is running a scam. T he claim is bogus. T he stranger and his partners arc flat broke and attempting to push through the Shattered Frontier to California. The plan is to wait at the 'claim' and ambush the group when they arrive and steal their p rovISIons.
T AC KLE :

By drawing the playe rs out of town and into the wilderness the stranger and his cronies hope to hedge their bel.

Big 1!ouble Comes in Big Packages

SETTING :

Town/T rail Beginning Characters)

ADVE N TURE HOOKS

Coming up with nell" adventures for your players is the next order of business. I\'ote that adventures don't have to be fully fle shed-out works brimming lI"ith details. Coming up with a basic plodine, details on the I\' PC(s) im'oked (as well as fo r others likely to be encountered), and some idea of whal success or failure in the adventu re means, is often enough \0 get you started. T he important thing is that you keep tile players challenged and engaged. T he following arc some ad\'enture hooks in our popular Bait and Tackle nI format to help gi\'e you some ideas.

BAIT: A local businessman approaches the players about ajob. He wams them to deliver a steamer trunk to a nearby town . He's providing a wagon and two horses for the job (10 be returned after the job). He explains the trunk holds an expensive china set and is 10 be delivered to a specific person who will pay them. The job pays 550 if the dinnerware arri\'Cs unbroken.
T ACKLE: It may seem like easy mane), but , unfortunately for the group. wagging tongues ha\'e complicat ed the ~ituation .. \ fal se rumor has sp read that the businessman is actually smuggling a shi pment of gold out of town he owes money to a lot of people).

BAIT AND TACKLE "

Bait: to lur e, te mpt, o r entice. Tack le: to knock a n opponent to th e gro und.
Bait and Tack leT.\1 presents a se ries of brief adventure hooks that a GJ\ l can take and flesh out on the fly. T hey can be useful if the G!\ I finds he's short on ideas when preparing an adventure, or finds his group has outpaced the night's adventure and he suddenly finds himself ha""ing to improvise. Each hook is presented in a simple three-part format.

Golden O pportunity
SETTING:

Town/ Wilderness (Beginn ing CharaCle rs)

BAIT: Soon after hilling town the characters arc spending time in a loca! watering hole sa loon wilen Ihey are approached by a stranger wilh a proposition.

He produces a claim for a dig site barely a day's ride from the town. A site, he cl aims, that has shown color and looks p romising. T he problem is that he has just recleved news from back East that his wife is dying. He needs to return on the next stage, Since the rights to any claim that 's not worked at least once a month are forfeite d , he's in a bit of a tight spot. His proposal? He asks the group 10 work his claim umil he returns. T hen they will split any gold recovercd, they will shake hands and he' ll take over the digging. The group may find the p roposal to be a no lose situation. All they are really ris king is time. T he stranger explains they'll need 10 heavily provision themseh-es. He suggests mules, a wagon, food enough for sevef(ll

Setting: T his is simply a tag identifying the setting or type of ad\'enture hook, i.e. wilderness, city, subterranean, etc. Bait: Exactly that - the situation or carrOt used 10 lure or 'bait' the players and prod them in the righ t direction. Tack le : T his is the hammer or twist that makes the situation dangerous, exciting, or challenging. \\ilhout Ihe tackle what's the point? Y ou can find more Bail and Tackle adventure hooks on our Acts & Eights website and forums at http://www.kenzerco.com.

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E.ven berore the group has rolled out, word or the "shipment' has sp read all O\'er the area. Clueless, th e players soon find they have a target on their backs.

aluables? Do the body by the trailside and claim th e I" they take the body with them to the nearest town for identification and turn O\'er the valuables to the authorities? The I'ictim was a \'e ry well -known gambler Ilamed Harry Fontaine. When traveling, he liked to don his tfa\'cling clothes and put his fan cy duds in a satch el. Ir the players turn in the valuables and body, they will be rell arded ror thei r t rouble by Harry"s widow (S I 00.00),

SErrING:

Town Beginn ing to :\I oderate Characters

B AIT : A new saloon has opened in town. Unrortunately ro r the owner the competition isn't too happy about it. Twice someone has attempted to burn him out, and his gi rls have been lured 0 1' scared away. Then , a rew nights ago, his barkeep was se\'e rcly beaten wi th an axe handle. Customers arc now avoidi ng his esta blishment like the plague. His ruture looks bleak.

After the characters wander in unaware of what's been happening " the friendl y owner begins s lidin ~ drinks down the bar on the home. Once they arc good and liquored up, he makes them a n ofTe r. He needs muscle. He'll prO\'ide room, board and a percentage of his profit s for the next 30 days if they'll stick around long enough ror him 10 ge t things under control. T he competit ion is just hoping he'll run without a fight , he bclieves. If he takes a sta nd they 'll soon back down.
TAC KLE: If th e players accept the job, they'll find they 'll have their hands rull ror the next 30 days. Hired thugs sent to cause trouble begin frequeming the bar, a nd when the playe rs make their way out on the tOWI1 they find trouble rollows them. If they make it through the 30 day period and the owner hasn't been burned out - he may exte nd his ofTer. If succe5sru l, the group may even be able 10 le\'e rage their talents ro r part ownership in the bar, making a ni ce base of operations for future advcntures.

If the), choose to keep the \'aluables and don"t report finding the body, it could go bad ly ror them. Anyone who knel\" Harry will rccogniz(" hi~ distinct i\'(' hat/boots ir they ,e(' someone cl ~e wearing them. Thi ~ \\ ill obviou<;ly rai~e que~tions, especially since Harry is long O\'crdue, The players may hm'e ~ome explaining to do and will be suspected of foul play.

Posse ibrming Up
SETTlNG: To\I' 1l

The 1!ouble witb JIarry

SETTING:

Wilderness/Trail Beginning CharaCters

BAIT: While traveling along a remote trail, the characters stumble upon a half-decomposed body. Lying nearby is a satchel filled with banknotcs (S250.00 in Texican dollars), a fine pair of boots and a fancy hat with a sih-er hat band. Ir the charac ters examine the body, the)' notice a broken stirrup rrom a saddle wrapped around one ankle, and that the corpse has a broken leg. T he playe rs shou ld be able to quickly deduce that the poor unrortunate was thrown from his horse, got his ankle slUck in the stirrup and was dragged to his death,
TACKLE: The d ownside of this enco unte r all depends on what the cha racters do next. Do they bury

BAIT: The players arri\'e in a small town that seems largely desertcd, ). Iost of the businesses arc closed do\\ n and the only townsfolk wandering the street arc women, old men and children.

After noticing the saloon is still open, the charactcrs decide to get drinks. After bellying lip to the bar, the)' learn rrom the bartender an old man that most everyo ne who cou ld carry a gun joi ned up with the posse Ihe sherifT formed up that morning. He explains that Three Whiskers Jake and his notorious gang tried to rob the bank that morning and th e posse was determined to track him down.
TAC KLE: The G:\ l should emph asize the fa ci that the town is mostly deserted hoperully the characters will take the bait and try to rob the bank themselves. If they don 't take the bait , no worries, for Three

147

Whiskers J ake has outwitted the posse. The bandit has backtracked to town and plans on another attempt. This means that the players may ha"e to step up and be heroes and defend the bank. If, however, they choose to rob the bank themselves, it could be a race to see who hits it first.

poster is for a nOlOrious outlaw known as "Three R ivers Jake i\'IcCoy." and a S500 .00 reward is being olTered for his capture - dead or alive. As much as J ack !ooks like the man on the wanted poster, the truth is he's an innocent man. Of course, chances are the players won't be convinced and will want to go for what looks like easy money.
I f the players decide to return 10 the shack and attempt to ca pture Jack, they will certainly nOt f.~",,_;;; be very \\"anniy recei\"t~d. Despite Jack's earlier assertion. he has been finding gold in the claim that the previous owne rs thought had been 'played Out' . Its not much (S300 .00 in gold), but to him it's a fortune and he 's convinced it's just the beginning.

Rai se Ibe Color s

SETTING:

Town

BAIT: T he players are in a crowded bar soaking up the suds and looking for work when they draw the attention of some local men. One of the men olTers to pay a S5 gold coin to whoe"er will elimb the nag pole across the street and raise the nag he hands them. He even gives the coin to the bartender and instructS him to pay the man who gets the job done. TAC KLE: If they fall for it, the players are about to become the victim of a local practical joke. The saloon (whose custOmers are mostly Confederates) has been embroiled in a long-term feud with the Saloon across the street (whose custOmers are mostly Union sympathizers).

For the past several months theY\'e been raising the Confederate nag on the nag polc and tearing do\\"n the Union colo rs. At first, it was all fun and giggles. but the Yankees in town eventually gre'\" tired of the game. They have become quite hostile and arc insisting the prank cease.

When the players ride up, J ack is convinced they have returned to rob him and boards himself up in hi s shack. He has a rine, is a fair shot and will fire on the group in an attempt to dri\"e them away. Should the group capture or kill).Jack and baul him in to collect the reward, the mistaken identity will be revealed and there may be some unexpected consequences.

W anled M an
SETTING:
BAIT:

Wilderness

The characters arc tra"eling in a remote area and stop to water their horses at what first appears to be an abandoned miner's shack . While tending to their business. a rough -looking charaCter rides up with a pair of rabbits slung across his saddle. Th e stranger seems annoyed to see the characters. Still, he invites them to stay and share a meal with him. Even if the players decline the olTer and mo,'e on, they are struck by the stra nger's se nse of presence. If they accept the meal, they learn the stranger (he introduces himself as J ack) is extremely chari smatic, loves to talk and seems a bit lonely. He explains he's from back East and trying his luck looking for gold. He makes a point of the fact he's found no color and is abou t to throw it in and give up.
TACKLE: \Vhen the players arrive at the next town lhey ride by a sherilT who is tacking up a wanted poster. To their astonishment, the likeness on lhe posler bears an uncanny resemblance 10 Jack. The

Family Losl
SETTING:

Wilderness (Semi-experienced Characters)

BAIT: A local general store owner came \Vest to seck his fortune until, finally, be is able 10 send back 10 Kentucky for his family 10 join him. However, they are now a week a nd a half overdue. The poor man is fran tic and is olTe ring a reward to anyone who will help him find thcm. He has posted signs all over lawn olTer ing a reward of $200.00 (or $500.00 credit at his store) to anyone \\"ho finds his family and brings them back safely. The last he heard from them, his family had telegraphed that they were a mere five days away. TACKLE: :"10nt hs ago, the sto re owner's father, mother, and you ng wife (who is expecting their fir st child) started travelling in a wagon loaded down with all of th eir worldly possessions. Just after sending the telegraph, they were approached by a couple of drivcrs heading in the same direction. The pair suggested the family travel in their company for proteetion,

148

expla ining the road ahead was fi lled with bandits. \ Vhen the weather took a turn for the wo rst, the group got lost and turned off the main trail, becoming mired in the mud. To make matte rs worse, Ind ians stole the ir horses d uring the night. T he players need to usc their T racking skill and negotiate with Indians to retrieve the family without gun play, T he rogue tribe demands a ransom for safe passage out.

Indians sevcral hundred miles away and swi ndled them. He doesn't real ize the selliemcnt he intends to trade with now is comprised of many of those same Indians. As soon as he arrives he will be recognized, and those he has hired will be considered guilty by association.

M ystery on Ih' Ranch

SE"ITI NG : BAIT:

Ranch (Beginning Characters

A local cattle baron seems to be losing se\'eral bead of cattle every night. Other strange incidents are happening around the ranch as well, such as saddle straps being cut and causing injuries. horses coming up ill, elc. Since he suspeclS one or more of his hired help arc involved, he wanlS to bring in outsiders to imestiga le. He has se nt his trusted fo reman into town to hire some new me n with no bonds of frie nds hip with his crew. They' ll be given orders to keep the ir eyes and cars open, a nd will be pa id a handsome bon us if they turn up anything, The cattle baron doesn't trust any of his own men right now, with the exception of his foreman.
TAC KLE : As it turns out, the ranch owne r's youngest son is secretly working with a ri,al ranch owner to sabotage his dad's ranch, resentful of how much attention and responsibility his father gives his oldest brother. O\e r the past year he hired ranch hands who answe r to hi m and help him cause havoc around the ranch.

La nd G ra b
S ETTI N G :

Towl1

B AIT : Lazarus IS booming and thc townsfolk arc JU St giddy about their 1O\\n's future. 50 much so in fact that they've been celebrating. A wealthy banker and land speculator, Terrence Brice, arrivcd tOO late to cash in on the bona nza, so he's looking 10 found a new lown of his own,

He has come up with a surefire way 10 make money. He has adyen ised in several small-town newspapers back East that hl' wilt be hosting a land-grab con test in a 'new' town that he promises will be 'booming" in no lime. The winner of this contest. he Mates, lIill recei\"l' fi,'c free lOIS of land in " Briceburg," and the winner will get 10 pick the lots he wants. All are imited to participate. The entry fcc for this contcst, he ad,'cnises, is a mere 51. Terrance is hoping
10

T he ranch owner will not want to hear that his so n has been sandbagging him. If the son discovers the new "ha nds" are snooping around and are close to revealing the truth to his father. he may lake drastic measures to p revent this,

rake in thousands.

1}oub), f rom Ih' Pasl

SETTI NG:

TAC KLE: In order to win the contest, a pe rson must compete and win several e,"ents. T he G;\. I can decide the nature of the contest. A horse racc using the chasc rules, a shooting contest, or a bare knuckles b rawl could all be popular with the townsfolk and the players.

Indian sctt lement (Begi nn ing Characters'

BAIT: A merchant wants to hire several workers to

accom pany him on a trading expedition to an Indian selliement, a th ree days' ride. He needs good men to perform various tasks, from guarding the merchandise to loadi ng and u nloading wagons, translating etc. T he pay is a generous 515.00 fo r a wec k's wo rk .
TAC KLE : The merchant has made a career of trading 'and cheating people. Unfortu nately, in this situation his reputation p roceeds hi m when it comes to the Indians. A few years ago he traded with a group of

The person who willS this contest will indeed win the deed for free land, but whethcr or not it ends up having any real value depends if Briceburg gets ofT the ground,

Rl si 1}acks 1 0 1}oub),
SE"ITING :

T rain

BAIT: The players are riding a train and enjoying the magnificent scenery stream ing by outside the windows of the passe nger car,

149

They picked a bad day for a train ridc, Bandits arc waiting in ambush where the train has to slow down to make a bend in the rails, They board the train just behind the engineltender and begin making their way to the rear of the train (going from car to car) robbing passengers.
TAC KLE :

and personal and nOt just rumors of e\'cnts far removed. Gold claims could be in jeopardy. ;\ot to memion thc very existence of squatter towns. But it can also c reate opportunities for those say\'}' enough to recognize them . Instability tends to heighten tension in the campaign just the thing to keep your players on their tocs.

Their ultimate goal is to get to the mail car toward the end of the train and seize the payroll shipment they\re been tipped oIT about. Hopefully, the players wi!! Step up and be the heroes of the hour and take on the outlaws. This is a nice adventure hook when the G :\! wilm s a simple linear adventu re with cinematic feel i.e. lots of gunplay and action). Combatants will h,l\'c plenty of cover as they fight from car to car as \\'ell as other options (such as going up on the roof).

Political Upb eaval

Since playcrs tend to g ravitate tOward towns and usc them as their base of operat ions, the political arena is a great \\"ay to get them involved in the welfa re of the community itself. As the playe rs busy themselves with adventuring, all about them is the buzz of an upcoming election. Up for g rabs is the oflice of mayor, sheriIT and other postions of prestige and powe r. Strong personalities arc involved (perhaps even one or mo re of the players) and the campaigning is getting heated. The potemial for \'oting fraud and other dirty politics makes this camp;:llgn C\'ent ripe for advcnture oppo rt unities.

C AMPAIGN EVENTS
In addition to the acl\-entures you'll be rUllnlllg session to session. you'll also need to think aboUl the o\'erall campaign and backstory that drives all the action. T he following arc a few campaign elements that can propel cvents in your campaign and suggeSt or c\'en create) new adventu rc opportunties for your players to ta ke on. You can usc one or se\'eral.

MU5KEEGIE
.. _ " ' _ . ...... _

Thundering Rails
The railroad is coming and nothing can stand in its way. Yet, with progress co mes turmoil, as those in the way get shoved aside. Depending on terrain and the le\'cl of dete r mination some rail crews arc able to lay a mile of track per day. With this campaign e\'el1l, the G:\ ! decides \\"hat communities the railroad links, and ac\\'ances the railline as game time passes by, A mile a day is a bit ambitous, so figure 2d3 miles a week and adjust for difficulty of terrain, such as mountains and ri\'er c rossmgs. " 'ith the railroad comes throngs of people: adventure seekers, opportunists, laborers and morc, All of these can ha\'e a huge impact on the <lrea.

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HERALD
'"-7 - . .... , ::en<

APACHE UPRISING!
RBJ)

SLEEVES 8t'RNS OUT SE'l'TLEMENTS!

CUTS OFF SUP?L'l ROUTES TO SlI,vER TOWN!!

clllmm WI! CBIIF raLLO.S mam

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IBm!! !

Rumors of

~r

This is usually a given for the Shattered Frontier, but with this clement one or more politic<ll or cthnic groups <Ire in a state of uphea\al. Perhaps the Indians arc upset o\'er a treaty violation, or m<lybe Imperial :\! exico is upset th<lt so many Gnion settle rs arc filtering imo Ihe Cauldron. Such political unrest should always be churning in the backdrop of your campaign, but with this campaign elemem, it's suddenly up close

150

Gold Strike
This is already a major campaign clement in the Shattered Fronti cr, but having a new sOll rce of gold or silver pop up is good way to mix things up ,'and to change the face of your map).

.\ s soon as word hits that gold has been found, people flock to Ihe area. Boomlowns rise up o\ernight. New Irails arc Cut. Supplies begin pouring in. Of course, none of this guarantees how long the colo r will hold out. Gold busts were a common occu rrence.

The lOwn Builders

One of the most fascinating cam paign opportunities is the creation of new lowns and com munities where none existed before. This can be e\'en more exciting when players gct in on the action.

A new town can shift the center of power in a region and have a fa r reaching impact both politically and economically. T he Old West was all about expansion, and the re's no reason yOllr players should be lefl Out of the act ion. T he foll owi ng pages provide more information about to\\ ns in the Ae($ & Eights campaign, and even provide \wo sample towns for your usc!

Be it to exploit a local resource gold, lumber. ealtlc. etc), 10 fill a niche :such as taking advantage of Ihe nO\\ of people and materia l along a trade rout or simpl~ to gain a footho ld in an open territory for sponsers o r ilWCSlO f S back cast, there arc many reasons why a new town may spring up.

152

* TOWNS &. THE CAMPAIGN *

As small enclaves of civilization cast in the sea of an untamed wilderness, towns are all importal1l in the Shattered Frontier. The only real source of protection from the dangers that abound at every turn, towns attempt to bring order to the chaos of the wilderness. Outside a town, players arc largely on their own .

to start their cam paigns in a larger town. J ust be aware that the Lazarus suppleme nt will be detail ing lhe town in greater depth.

BLACK HORSE
As already mentioned, Black Horse is something of a blank slate for a GM to make his own and run with. A[[ that's provided here is a brie f history of the settlement to give the GM a feel for the to\\ln, a town directo ry, and a map.

Weak o r strong, good or bad, even the most self. reliant individuals in the Shattered Frontier need 10 stOp into town evcry now and then. They may need to rcprovision, sell goods, or JU St to blow orr a little steam. Regardless of the direction your campaign ends up taking, you'll find a great deal of the players' lime is spent in lawn. Two starter towns are provided in this book: the smal! backwater town of Black H orse and the boomtown on the rise, Lazaru s . Either town should be sui table as a starting off point for your campaign. The advamage of using Black Horse is the fact that we ha\e no plans to officially flesh OUI or develop the town. The Ca m e~ l aster is free to take it and make it his own without fear of the designers later releasing materia l that steps on his toes. No details beyond those presented here will be published. As something of a two-horse town, Black Horse is poli tically insignificant and should remain so if you decide to develop it. Another advantage of picking a sma[[ town to base your players is that the re will be fewer N PCs to ma nage and fewer ca mpaign issues to juggle from events going on in the outside world. Lazarus is planned to be the first fully fleshed -out town/campaign setting for Acts & Eights. J ust the basic town map and list of businesses and townsfolk are presented in this book - enough for those who may want

The His tory of Bla ck Horse

Bl ack Horse. like so many dwindling towns in lhe Shattered Frontier, has an uncertain future. It is a dusty collection of buildings that almost became a rcal town - if only history had been kinde r to it. In l85! a prospecto r by the name of J ake Peters was passing through the area (avoiding a group of bounty hunte rs on his trail, so the story goes) when his horse, tired of being gouged by spu rs, th rew him then gal loped out of sight. For the next several hours J ake sat in the sparse shade of a large rock, wrapping three broken ribs and cursing the animal that had betrayed him. When a pai r of vultures perched nearby, anticpating an easy meal , Jake picked up a rock and was about to toss it at one of the scavengers whe n he froze. The re in his clenched fist was the glint of gold. When J ake eventua lly made it out of the desert, news of his discovery soon had folks flocking to the dry gulch dubbed Black Horse in hono r of the animal that had thrown him) to stake their claim. Unfortunately, just as the town was booming and rising up from the earth, the gold boom wem bust. As it turned out, J ake's gold was from the tailings of a Span ish mine abandoned seve ral hund red years before.

153

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BLACE HORSE TOWN DII\ECTOI\Y

I. Lewis & Poole Company Store House 2. Covenant Presbyterian Church 3. Jake Peter's Residence 4. Shy Dog Saloon

Ite Dls of Inte r est C oncerning Black Horse

W- T he Lewis & Poole i\ l ining Company (based

out of Amarillo) recently sent age nts to town to buy up as many claims on the cheap as they could and set up an office. Rumor has it there arc plans for the r"i lroad 10 eventually push th rough [0 Rancho Bucarelli 12 miles nonh and th"t the ~ J ining Company has hopes of bringing in big equipment 10 process the ore.

5. Barn
6. Lewis & Poole it. l ining Company

7. T he Turquoise Star
8. Assay Office 9. Bisbee Restaurant 10. Curran's Booter & Leather Works II. Sackett's D ry Goods 12. Black Ho rse Bank 13. Sheriff's Office/Jail 14. Telegraph Office

'IT Jake Peters slilllives in Bl ack Horse. Older, but none the richc r, he spends most of his lime telling his tale in exchange for free drinks at the Shy Dog Saloon. He likes to brag that he has a small fortune in gold 'squirreled ,,\\"ay' but fe\, take him se riously. ;;:;g- Last spring, the Black Horse Bank invested money and had a Telegraph spur run to Black Horse from the main line in Rancho Buc"rell i.
~ Doc Barri~lcr recently announced he is closing his office and mo\-in~ to ~luskcegit'. meaning the town will no longer haw a doctor.

15. Barrister: Doctor of

17. Elliot's Hardwa re

~ I edicine

16. Desert Rose l-I otcll Bathousc

;;:;g- J esse Grummun proprietor of Grummun's General Store is rumored to be a "anted man back in the CSA.

18.

~ I iss ~ I ablc's

Baked Goods & Eatery

19. Grummun's General Store 20. EI Terrui'io Smithy 21. Negro Baya Livery 22. D usty Spur Cantina

LAZARUS
Lazarus is located in a narrow fertile valley on Ihe southcrn edge of the San j uan ~ I ollntains, formed by the rippling mountain waters of the Animas R iver. Those who li\'C here arc fortunate in that the \'alley noor and nearby mesa tops arc \,'cll mit cd for farmin g and the grazing of Ihestock. Hardwood forests su rrounding the \'alley pro\'ide a good source of lumber for construction "s \\"ell as fucl fo r fi res. The fore sts are also popu lated by an abundance of game and fur-bearing animals. ~ I ost importantly, the streams and rocky canyons feeding into the \'"lIey are rich in mineral resources slich as copper, sil Yer and gold. There arc also known deposits of coal which haycnt been exploited ret.

The site hadn't been completely played Ollt, but the o rc was of poor qualit y and took more sweat and blood moving hell and carth to gel at than most were willing to endure. C laims were quickly sold ofT or simply abandoned. Buildings stood half-built as the hammers fell silent. Black Horse isn't a ghost town, however.. \ handful of fortune seekers inciuding J ake himsclr stayed on to work the mines. They remained convinced there was sti ll a fortune uncler the ground, pcrhaps in that next spade full of rocky soil. Later, when gold \\'as disco\'Cred a few days' north up the trail in ~Iu skeegie and L'lzaurlls, the !Own was given a new lease on life as a stoppi ng-ofT point for cattle he rders driving much needed beef to the gold c"mps. Today, Black Horse is a quiet town (except when the cattle herders descend upon the community). It 's occasionally used as a hideaway fo r those on the run , or a brief stop for those between destinations.

lIistory of Ani mas V all,y

T hc first known inhabitants of the Animas Valiey area ,,'ere the mysterious Anasazi. Lillie is known of them today other than the tell-talc ancient remnants of their clifT-side fortified dwellings that litter the c"n),on walls. T hese ruins of broken stone-slab walls locat ed in high , nearly ina ccess ible places arc rumored by the local Indian s to be haunted. In addition, the Anasazi also left be hind stra nge conical towers on the mesa tOpS that resemble watch towcrs. What formidablc enemy may have lead to their painstaking construction has been lost to time.

155

For hund reds of years, Anasazi farmers made good use of the land, planting crops o n the tOpS of nearby mesas to supplement their diets of fish, berries and ven ison. Then, around 500 years ago, the Anasazi disappeared . T hey \\ere replaced by the Navaj o and Utes, who would lay clai m to the va ll ey and the surrou nding area for the next several hundred yea rs. It was only very rece ntly (t he last fi fty years) that they in turn were more on them later. forced out by a new invade r Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to reach the area. T hey a rrived in the Animas \'ally in the mid - 1700's. Sea rching for gold and silver, they were led by Ule scouts fo llowing the old Anaszai trails up the Animas River. T his trail is known as 'T he Old Spanish T rail" and is still used by trappe rs and prospectors traveling through the San j uan .\I ountains today. T hese Spanish explorers were the first 10 map the region, and they lert thei r indelible mark on the area by naming the rivers, mou ntai ns and passes - many of which a re still known by their Spanish names today. For example, Animas Rive r was origi nally named the Rio de Las Animas Perdidas Spanish for "River of Lost Souls"). The Spanish officially claimed the area on paper anyway) for the next sixty years. In reality, the area was la rgely cont rolled by the Ule who held a powerfu l sway over the region and were unchallenged (for the most

part. Howeve r, Spanish missionary work, along with careful diplomacy, managed to exte nd Spa in's influence into the region. Several Spa nish settlements, as well as silve r and gold mines, were established along the Rive r of Lost Souls. T hese were eventually abandoned, however. Ha rsh wi nters and hostile India ns - who had tired of Spa nish attempts to meddle in their way of life e\e ntually drove the Spanish OUI. By 1838 the political landscape changed dramatically. The Republic of Texas a nd t he burgeoning ! \l exica n dictatorship began solidifying thei r powe r to the Sou th a nd the Southeast. Bands of Apache displaced from those borde r regions began 10 mmc nort h and encroach into the Animas VaUey region - challenging the Utes and Navajo. Aner a decade of war, tbe great C hiricahuan chief, .\l angas Coloradas (known to whites as " Red Sleeves") managed 10 get the upper hand. With a plemiful supply of rood and their control on the region uncontested. the .' pache used the area as a staging ground to ba~c attacks on the ir old enemies: ?\ Iexico and the Republi c of Texas. Each success brought more guns and prestige to Red Sleeves. as \,.eU as more warriors. Braves from the .\lescalero andJ icarillo joined up with Cbiricahua and, by 1849, they became a formidable presence in the Shattered Frontier.

156

In 1852, tired of the Apache raids across its western border, the Republic of Texas launched a punative sweep of the Sanjuan Basin in an attempt to eradicale the Apache menace. In a series of ski rmishes, the g reatly feared Apache army of Red Slecves suffered repeated defeat and was again forced to withdraw to the west of the Rio Grande. Now, caught between Deserel. :\Iexico and T exas. Ihe Apache have been forced into hiding and must choose their battles wisely. However, the Apach e threat is not gone - far from it. From his mountain strongholds in the San J uan mou ntains, R ed Sleeve's warriors continue to harass both the Texicans and Mexicans. Because of the constant threat of reprisals, Red Slee\'es keeps his peoplc on the move roving over a large area that extends from the Colorado ri ver in the west to the Rio Grande in the casl. Largely an army of guerilla Style hit-andrun raiders, the Apache provlde for themsel ..'Cs b~ ' taking fmm their neighbors - a taclic that continues to this day. Red Sleeves' swo rn agenda is to recapture the traditional homeland of bis people to the south , namely Apache Pass and Apache Springs. Ahermllively, he hopes to force a settlement that relUrns the lands to Apache hands. In tht meantime. he is bent o n slowing ,he tide of settlers movi ng into 'he area. Barring that , hc will exploit thcm for guns, money and trade items to support hi s cause. Evcn with the Apache threat, however, selliers from Deserel, :\Iexico and the Republic of Texas continued to trickle into the area. Then , when gold was d isco\'ered along the Animas River in 1865, that trickle became a torrent, with all three powers as well as the U.S. and the Conft;:de racy all clamoring to lay claim 10 the region.

Boureaux managed to negotiate an uneasy treaty tributes of weapons and food in with the Apache e.xchange for the se ttlemenl rcmnining unmolested. By 1854 the town had g rown to a popUlation of 175, when the Apache raids began. Why the truce was shattered is unclear, but many belicve Red Sleeves was unnerved at the rate the tOwn was growing. and the fact that other settlements were spri nging up along the Animas R iver. The settlers of Boureaux spe nt a great deal of timc, mOlle)' and labor erecting fortificat ions. They even convinced the Republic of Texas 10 scud a small contingent of Range rs to IOW11, as a signal to Red Sleeves that they had the COUlllry'S backi ng. Yet, it was all to no avail. In the winter of 1855, Red Sleeves and his warriors retu rned to Animas Valley ;\I1d massacred the IOlI'n's inhabital1ls and burned Boureaux to the fitround. :\e\\'s of the atrocity struck fear in the other settlemenB \Ihich had riscn up in t he region. ':\'Iany sett lers pulled up stakes and returned to Deseret and the Republic of Texa~. For the next decade the Apache held an iron grip over the region. The only se ttleme nts managi ng to keep their footho ld were those stationed along the San J uan Road, which enjoyed the presence of heavi ly armed patrols, keeping the supply lines up and runni ng. That would all change in the spri ng of 1865. when gold was d iscovered along the Animas, not far from the ruins of Boureaux. In .\ Iay or that year, Harm Henrrik .\luskee, a :\ Iormon exile from Deseret, made his \\ay il1lo the area I,'ith his three wives and rour ~ons 10 try his hand at trapping along the Animas. Ancr plucking a two and a half ou nce nugget of gold out of the rippling waters, any thoughts or further tr:!pping were quickly abandoned. Two weeks later, Harm arrived in the tOll'n of Rancho Buca rcli with a pouch or placer gold, which he promptly used \0 buy supplies including picks, shovels and gold pans). The secret was out. Har m Muskee had barely returned to his camp and started erecting a ca bin when other fortune- seekers began to arri\-e. \\'ithin weeks, the valley was filled with the sounds of felled cree;), rip saws and hammers as building after building began to go up. The gold camp quickly became a town (named i\ l uskeegie in ho nor of Harm) and immediately became the spigot that thousands of fortune seeke rs poured through and into the surrounding mOlLntains in search of gold. In the surrounding hills and ca nyons, men began to attack the rock \I>ith pick and ~ h o\'eI searchin g for the gold's sou rce (the elusive mother lode wh ich has yet to be found 24 months
157

A 1111. af Three 22>w ns

In 1853 the notorious trappcr Luke Boureaux al.5o known as " Barbe Rouge ") came down out of the mountains and settlcd in the Animas Valley. With the help of his Ute wife he built a trading POSt near the southe rn mouth of Animas Valley (about 12 miles north of current day Lazarus. The aging Boureaux had been crippled the previous winter (b)' a bear, according 10 legend) and his days of gathering pelts in the high counlly were ovcr. It was his intention to barte r for furs from other trappers at his trading post in exchange for su pplies, and then seillhem for a higher price at the Texas markets further east. Soon, the trading POSt was joined by a blacksmith, a ranch and several farms that sprung up along the river. T hus, quite by chance, was bol'll the town of Boureaux.

later). The placer gold in the river was soon exhaust cd, but several successful mines were soon producing good quality ore. As for Harm himself? His luck soon ran out. The elaim he sta ked didn't produce for more than a few months. Eventually, he hired on as a miner in the Luck of the Draw mine where he was later killed in a collapse. All but one of his wives returned to Deseret with his sons. Fidela ;\ht skee (known as the Widow Muskee locally) noll' runs Fidela 's Boarding House in the boomtOwn of .M uskeegie. As ;\'i uskeegie began to g row and prosper, Ihe old ruins of Boureaux (42 miles to the south became a natural stopping off point for freight wagons and dril'ers heading up the pass. Soon, a new tOwn lite rally rose up from the ashes of Boureaux and II"a5 named. fittingly enough, Lazarus. Little more than a colleClion of saloons and Oop houses, Lazarus was never cons idered a destination, but just another dusty barter t01l'1l among dozens of others scatte red along the route between Amarillo and ;" luskeegie. That is, until the much sought after 'yellow stuff' was found in the sur rounding hills six months ago. Lazarus quickly transformed into a boom town overnight. Although the deposits don't seem to be as rich as those near ;" ]uskeegie, many are betting the surface has barely been scratchcd and that Lazarus has a bright future. Today, Lazarus has a telegraph line connecting it to the outside world and is a station on the KinnardLowe ry Stage route. JUSt a few wee ks ago the first town counci l was elected, along with a sheriff. In a few months, the tOwnsfolk will elect their firs t mayor (and with th ree candidates having tossed their hat in the ring it's su re to be a heated contest). T he current favorite to win is banker Jack Wesley ;"'IcCabe, who recently engineered a peace deal with the Apache that helps guarantee the safety of Lazarus and its inhabitants. Whoever is elected mayor will have his hands fuB, for Lazarus is plagued by problems - some that threaten ils very existe nce if mishandled.

Lazarus and the O n-G oing Campaign

As a boomtown st ill in the carly months of its growth and development, Laza rus is an ideal pl ace for players to eventually descend upon. Th ere are sho rtages of businesses, as well as Ihe ski lled tradesmen needed for a tOwn to grow. Th ere are many niches waiting to be filled. Empty lots are also available (although they are going fast ), so characters with a little sand and determination should be able to grab their piece of the dream here. As lIilh mOSt boom tOwns, Lazaru s is as short on law and order as it is long on opportunities. As the town grol\S. so do its troubles, but the determination of decent folk to tame their community is strong.

Items of Interest Concerning Lazarus

In hopes of curbing the \'iolence and maintaining the peace, the neIdy-elected to\\"n cou ncil recently approved the funds to hire tWO additional full -time deputies. Details of J ack ;,,'IcCabe's deal with Red Sleel'es hal'c recently leaked Out - angering ma ny tOwnsfolk. It turns out the Apache were bought off. In exchange for a bi-annualtribute of guns, grain, meat and othe r commodities. the old war chief agreed to let Lazarus li\'e in peace. T his is a tribute the tOwnsfolk of Lazarus must burden and, with the Apache still harrassing supply wagons and trails between Rancho Bucareli and ;",Iuskeegie, many feel the the deal was a mistake. Lazarus is a den of corruption. Competing gangs wrestle for control of the town's trade for fl esh, alcohol and gambling. Chief among them is the One Spurs gang - who saw to it that several of their members swept imo the Town Council in the recent electi on. Some weeks after gold was discol'ered near Lazarus, Jack ;"IcCabe and his partner formed the new .\IcC abe -Langdon Land Company, and bought up most of the availa ble lots in town.

ISB

Lazarus Town Directory

LAZARUS @SPECTATOR

Courtesy of the Lazarus Spectator

Titan P. Corrigan III Publisher

B!aclt J
LOTII
U SACE

E!02 S
O W!SEJI '

LOT"

US.\CE

LOI
L02 L03

LO'

L05
L06

L07 L08
Block 2
l OT"

Vacant Lot ........ .\IcCabe-Langdoll L1nd Compan~ \';Ieanl Lot ..\IcCabe.Langcloli La nd Compan~ Vacant Lot . . . . . . . . . . .\IcCabe-L 1ngdon L1nd Compan~ \ "acam Lot . .\IcCabc.Langdon Land Compall" \ 'ileam Lot ...... Uo..d " Pap!>'" Patterson "aeam Lot . .\IcCa be -La n~on 1_11\d Compan~ Vacant Lot . .\IcCabe-L.1rll!;don L1nd Compan~ Vacant Lot . .\IcCabe-Langdon Land Compam

LOI
1.02

L03

LO.
Ul5
UJ6

Ul;
L08 L09
Blo2 6
LOTII

Carlos Fatjstillo; Blacksmith .Carlos " ~oxr" Faustino \ 'acam Lot ............. ,Carlos " ~oxr" Faustino ~IcCabe Place ... , . Jack Wcsley ~IcCabe Fau.tino R('_idenC<' .....Carlos " Foxy" Faustino \aCant Lot , J acob "Zcc" Zcdock Zedock Re.idcnce . Jacob "Zee" Zedock \lc Cabe Balik of uuart,s Jack \\"e~I~' ~ IcCabc J Zedock 's Barbe rs hop . ......... j acob --Zee" Z('dock Aforgall 's G illiS . . . . . . . . . . . . , A tu~u\tu~ "Gus" ,'d organ

U St.CE

O.:l'..'<R"
:\ IcCabe.Langdon L'l.nd Compall)

LOI
L02 L03

Yucan! Lot

Us..\CE

O OWSER

\ 'acant Lot ........ .\IcCabe-L1ngdon Land Company

Vacant Lot .\ IcCabe.Langdon Land Company Vacant Lot . . . . . . . . . ........ R. T "Doc" ~d crrick Vacant Lot . . Juan :\"avarro Vacant Lot .... Juan Xavarro Vacant Lot .\ IcCabe-Langdon Land Compam Vacant Lot ....... , :\ IcCabe-Lano;;don Land Compam

LOI
L02 L03

LO.
L05
L06

LO'
Blo:k 7
LOT"

Vacant Lot ....... . ~IcCabc.L"lngdon Land Company Va(ant Lot .. :\IcCab(- Langdon Land COmpall) Vacant Lot ........ ~kCabc .La ngdon Land Company Va(anl 1...0 \ .......... Carlos " I'oxy" Faustino

L07
L08

USM;[

O.Ei:U"

Block J
LOTII WI
U SAGE

LOI
L02 L03
Vacant Lot , McCabe-Langdon Land Com pan)' Residence Empty' ...... ..... ,Victor ;\ lacKennal \ :"lcant Lot ... ".". ;\IcCabe-La ngdon I~"lnd Company Vacant Lot ... "IcCabe.Langdon Land Company \'acant Lot .. ".". "IcCabe-Langdon Land Company Vacam Lol ... "IcCabc.Langdon Land Company Vacant Lot , , , . , , . McCabe-langdon L"lnd Company

L02 L03 L04 L05

IJl6

LO" LOS
L06

1))7
L08 L09

L07
Block 4
LOlli

LIO
Black 8

Ya<:alll \ 'a(am Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant

Lot , , :\ IcCabe- Langdon Land Comp-any Lot .. ;\ IcCabc-L."lngdon Land Company Lol ..... ~IcCabc- Langdon Land Company Lot ... ... . . ;\IcCabc.Langdol1 Land Company Lot .... , '\lcCabe-I..angdon Land Comp."lllY Lot ~ IcCabe.Lan~don Land Company Lol .... ~ IcCabe-Langdon Land Company Lot ~IcCabe-La ngdon Land Company Lot , , .Cla)'lOn "Clay" Sloanc Lot ...... , . ;\IcCabe-Langdon Land Compan)

Us.-\C
Residence Empty ..... . ..... , .. , . ~ I o rgan Reside nce ........ .... Augustus "Gus" ~ Iorgan Patterson Residence. . . . .. Uo)'d " Pap~" Panerson Patte rson 's LiWlry Stable . ... Uo)'d " Pappy" Panerson Patte rson 's Co rral . ......... Uo)'d " Pappy" Pattcrson ................ , . Jacob "Zee"' Zedock Vacant Lot Harper's Hardwa re ... .... J esse Harper James R . Ilfljllins, A ttorney .. James R. ~luUins Back Lot ..... " . , . . ... James R. :\lulJins

LOTII

USACE

OWNER "

LOI
1 1)2

LO I
1))2 L03

L03

LO.J
L05

11l.J
L04a

LOG
L07
L08 L09

L05
L06

L07
L08 L09

Lt O

Thaddeus T.Jackson: Underta k er ,.T. T. J ackson . . James " Patch" Coyer Coyer Rc~idcnce ."... Sloan e 's uather Goods .. Clayton "Clay" Sloane Sherriff's Office , , . , , .. "hmicipally Owned Jail . ....... . .................. ~ l unicipally O wned Garret 's Dry Goods ..... Henry " Hank" Garret Moynihan 's Meat A1arket .Cornelius " Red" ;\ Ioynihan Thunde r Horse S aloon . , .. ,Charles "Charlie" "lceker \'a(a nt Lot ,."., ... ~kCabc-L"lngdon I_"lnd Company l o li\'l:r"s l'lace .. , . , , . ~ l cCabe-Langdon Land Compall) ~ I eckcr Residence, . . . , .Charles "Charlie" " ' eeker

159

\ .. ..

,:

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00

43 Miles

10

Lot
L02 L03

Muskeegie

t"'

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K

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LO! L04

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27Miles
to RUlCho

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Bucmlli

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Lazarus
at'Ma
McCabe- Langdon Land Coo>pany

LO!

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. 1867
LEGEND
EldPTYLOT

I ', 0 I

25

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50

Distance in Feel

L10

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Block 9
LOT-

fJlo:k JJ
USAC

LOT' USAGE

Barki" g Alad Gflmbling Hall ... Forest R. Langdon L02 \ 'acam Lot ......... ;\IcCabe-Langdon Land Company L03 Trimble Rc\idclICC ... Douglas " Doug" Trimble LO' \"acalll Lot ........ , :\ILCabc-Langdon Land Company LOS ~oundcr'! Shad. .. . . ... Hanholemc"W T Hancock Palfl clI HollIl , ................ , J acob "Zee" Zedock L06 L07 R , T. Aferrick , Doctor .. , .. R, T "Doc" "ltrriek L07a Sy rus Flay d ll ruunI, De ntis t . , .. R, 1: "Doc" :\ Icrrick L08 Trimble 's 8 ak llry .,. . .Douglas " Doug" Trimble , . " . " . Juanita Sanchez L09 JIIII1';tll '. R lls taurant ,
B~ck

LOI

LOI
L02 L03
U).I

LOS
L06
1.1)7

IJlB
L09 LIO

LII
10
USt.CE V:l(;am Lol .. ~IcCabc-La ngdon L"lnd Compan) Vactlm Lol ......... ~ Ic Cabc- l..a ngdon Land Compauy Langdon Rc~idcncc ................ tOrcsl R. Langdon L"lngdotl Ranch I'louse .. FOfCSl R . L"lngdon
LOTII

LOI
L02 L03

Ll2 Ll3

Assay OffiCII ... , . " . " .. , .. Republic of Tcxas Cove" tmt Pusby te rilm Church . . Presbylcrian Church :\\cAllistcr Placr Parish.".".". ,I'resbytcrian Church \ 'acam Lot ................... Clayton "Clay" Sloane Vacant Lot ......... "IcCabe.L"lngdon Land Company Langdon ]Jam/Corral ... , .. , ....... Forest R. Langdon Boo thill .,. . . , .. , . , .. ~Iunicipal \'acam Lot ."." .........Thoma!! "Tommy" :\IcCabe \'a(,lIll Lot ....... , :\IcCabe-Langdon Land Company \'acant Lol .. ,., :\IcCabe-L"lngdon Land Compan) AfcCo.be.Ltmg doPl Lttlld Company . . , ...... . l'Oresl R. L"ll1gdon/J ack \\bkl ~ l cCabc M cNuir Tll iegraph OffiCII ... ,:\IcX"ir Tclegrnph Lilw La~arus Spectator, The ..Titan 1'. Corrigan II I

!Jlock 14
LOTII

LO.

Block 11
LOTII

IJlI 1..02
O'l;SU"
1..01 ... , ... ~IcCabe.Langdon

USAGE

LOI
L02 L03 1M

LOS

\ 'acant Vaeam \ 'acant Vacalll Vacant

Lwd Compan~ Lol ., .. ,.,. :\IcCabe-Langdon Land Company Lol. ., .. , ..... , .. Charlco; "Charlie" "'eeker Lol .. , . " . :\IcCabc-Langdon Land Comp.."lll) Lot ........ , .. , .. ,Jacob "'Zec" Zedock

L03 1M

LOS
L06

W7
L08 L09 LlO Lll

USACE Vacant Lol \'aC;\UI LUI \'ae-am UJ( Vacam Lol \'<tUlli Lot Vacant Lm Shinborn Ri:sidellec

B!a:k J}
LOT'

USAGE

:\IcCabc" _"lngdon Land Company ~IcCabc- '_"lngdon Land Company . , .Thaddeus T.Jackson :\IcCabe-Langdoll Land Company ~IcCabe.Langdon Land Company ' . , , . , .. , . J esse Ha'l>er . , . , .. J oseph Shinborn R.e~idenrr: Em])l) .. ,Charles -Charlie" ~ I eeker Vacant Lol ., .. " . " ., . " ... Charles "Charlie"" :\ Iet:ker . ,Charles "Charlie"" ~ ' ttker Vacam Lol .. , .. , .' " .. " ..Charles "Charlie" ~I ttker \ acam Lol .".

LOI
L02
UJ3 l1l4

LOS
L06

Kinnard-Lo wny Co nal . ,Kinnard-Lowrey Stae;e Line . ..... ChC"t("r "Tap.' RoUin, Rollins' Residence. , . Ly n chlld Ox SlIloon, Th e ., .. ,." .. ,. Juan ::\"a\"arro Kinnard_Low rey La:: fl r u", OfficII , . .K-I., Stage Line Kinnllrd.Lo llJny Blink Ho u se , , . X-I., Stage I..ine Kin,lard.Low rey Stage Line Burn . .K-I.. Stage Line

. Note the indicated owner of the property isn 't necessarily the resident.

NOTICB LAND FOR SALE!

IN THE BOOMING MINING COMMUNITY OF

LOCAL aGENT IN MUSEURIE TO IANDLE TRaNSACTIONS SEE - L&W!tENCE DATNE - aTTORNEY' PRaTT & MaIN
UTS rulS LlnLE 15 S laD, FlIMr LaC&TIDIf5 DIM&1I5T1U'I' 15 LlnLE 15 SlOG

LAZARUS
McCabe-Langdon Land ~ompany

PAY BA!J' UP I'BONT III BESliBVIi 1M - IIAlJ' UPON TUNSl'liB Dr OIliD.

*
162

LDAIS CUll &BIlRDED TO noSE Gr DODD S'I'&1D11fI AID 5II'1'ULII COLUTEIlL.

Townfolk
he following is juSt a sa mpling of somc of colorful characters who inhabit the to\\n of Lazarus. It is by no means campleu: hut should provc useful in funning adventures in the town.

1\on- Playc r CharaClcr~ arc listed as being "r-;otablc" 01' ";-' Iundanc. " :"ratable ~PC s art' just that c haracters who ha\'c an inOucncc in the lown on some len'i or impaCt OIhcr~. For example, Syrus "Yank" Flaydcrman is a dcnti~1. but he al~o serves on Iht" '1'011'11 C ouncil and i" a Illo\'cr and sha ke r behind the political \CCIlt', , \ mundane ;\' PC is someone who 1i'"('5 in the town but has lillte power or influence 011 otbers . . \ listing of sample N PC statistics (arranged by profession is also provided for yOu.

Name

Occupation/Trad e

Nrc Type

J oe Bob Briggs
Aggie Bristol
~:llhan

.......... 28 ... Gummilh .................. i'.lale .......... Xot<lblc

.............. 23 ... Whore ....... ... .......... Female ........ \ Iund<lne

"N<lte" Bueller .......... +1 ... Outl<lw ....... ......... .... \lak .......... Xot<lblc

Tom Big Cobb

............ .2i ... Horse Thief ................ \lak .......... Xotable

Titan P. Corrigan III ............ 33 ... Newspape r Publisher/Editor ... \blc .......... Xotable
~

Occupation/Trad e

ill
......... 1>. lale .

Nrc Type
.... Notable

J a mes " Patch" Coye r ............ 64 ... SherrifT ...... .

He nry " Indiana" Dobbs ........ . Ii . .. Outlaw .................... \Iale .......... Xotable Dowdy " Doubting" Fagin ........ 31 ... Bartender ............ ...... i'.lale .......... Xotablc Ca rlos " Foxy" Faustino .......... +7 ... Blacksmith

.. ... ...... 1>.lale .

......... \l:\le .

.... Notable .... Xotable

Loy " Bloody \ Iouth" Fe rgeson .... 26 ... Outlaw ..... .

~ ~

Occupation/Trade

ill

NrC Type
........ Xotable . .. Xotable .... Notable .... ).Iundane

Brom " Blade" Fergesoll .......... 30 ... Outlaw.

. ................. ,\l aic

Syrus " Yank" Flayderman ........ 63 ... De ntist .................... \Iale . i'. laria Fuente ................. 19 ... Whore .................... Female Alfredo Garcia ................ 30 . Bartender .. Henry " H ank" Garre t ........... 6+ ... \lcrehalll , D rygoods ........ )'lalc

.......... \ Ialc .......... Xotable

163

An

Occupation/Trade

Nrc

Type

Priscilla " Babe" Garrison ........ 31 ... Whore .................... Fema le ........ ~lundan e Bartholemew T. Hancock ........ 34 ... Pi mp ..................... Male ......... Notable Donny " Dutch" Harker ......... 27 ... Deputy, Tracker ............. ~1 ale .......... ::"{otablc J esse Harper .................. 32 . .. ~ l erchalH , Hardware ......... ~Ial e . . . . Beatrice Harper .... ..... ...... 39 ... Housewife,
~ ( erc h a nl

. .. ~lund a nc

......... Female ...... .. ~Iundan e

An
JuliaJackson ........... . ...... 32
~ l a ry J ackson

O ccupation/Trade

NPC Type

Thaddeus T. J ackson ..... . ...... 35 ... undertaker ................. ~'lal e .......... ~ I undane .. H ousewife, Underta ker's Asst ... Female ........ l\ lundanc .. Land SpeculatOr .. ........... l\hl e .. .... ... .Notable ................. 7 ... . N / A (child ................ . Female ........ ivl undane .... . . . ...... 58 ... Cook .... ................. Male .......... Mund ane

Forest R. Langdon ............. 55 Alejandro Lopez

&ml:
~ll organ

An
"Reverend"
~ l cAlli ste r

Occupation/Tra d e

ill
. ..

Amilia Lopez ................. 2<l ... Outlaw ....... . ....... .... . ~Ialc .......... ... 56 ... Re"erend .................. .\lale .. Samantha .\IcAllister .......... .42 ... Housewife ................. Fe male ....... J ac k Wesley l\IcCabc ............ 39 . .. Bank Owner ................ Male .......... Eleanor
~fcCa be

............... 28 ... Housewife ................. Female ........

NrC Type Notable Aotable .\ (undane :\otable M undane NPC Type :\ Iundane :--iotable Notable Notable Mundane

&ml:
Thomas "Tom my"
~IcCabe

An

Occ upation /Trad e

., ,10 ... ':\ /Achild

............. ~Iale.

. ......

Charles "C harlie" l\ leeker. , ... ,. Al ... Saloon Owner .... R. T. "Doc" l\fcrrick ............ 43 .. ,Doctor

. ... .\ Iale, , . , ......

, , . , ............... .\ Iale ... , , .....

Augustus "Gus" M organ ......... 51 ... Gunsmith ... , .............. .\ Iale. , , , , ..... M atilda "Mattie" l\ lorga n ..... , ,.46 ... Housewife ................ . Fema le ........
~

Occupation /Trade

Nrc

Type

Katherine " Kate" Morgan ....... 11 ... N/ A (child) ... , , , ... , , , , , , , . Female ........ J\'lundane Daniel " Danny" M organ ........ 9 .... t" / A (child ... . . ..... , , .. Male .......... l\lundane Moxy ....................... 27 ... Ranch Hand ........ J\'lale .......... :...Iundane Cornelius " Red" Moynihan ...... 28 .. ,Butcher ...... , . . . . ..... 1'Iale .......... Mundane l\'[egan "l\lay" l\loynihan ........ 25 ... Housewife ................. Female ........ Mundane

&ml:

Age

Frank l\lyers .................. 40 Juan Navarro .................. 37 Lloyd " Pappy" Panerson ......... 56 1'Iaria Patterson ............ ... 32

NPC Typ e .Ranch Boss .................\Iale .......... .\ (undane

Occupa tion /Trade

ill

.Bartender/Owner ........... l\l ale .......... t"otable .Livery Stable Owner ......... Male .......... ;\lotable .Housewife ................. Female ........ l\ lundane

Luke Patterson ....... . ..... I 7 ... Stable Boy .. ............... Male ..... , , , , . Notable

164

An

Occ u pation/Trade

ill
...... .?-..! ale ... . .. Female .. .\ Iale . ...... Fe male

Nrc

Typ e

Nathanel "),Iacagdocus Nat" Pavey .35 ... Telegraph Operaor Curdy " Red" Pickens ........... 29 ... Piano Player ...... . Benjamin " Ben" Pierce .. Dorotha Pierce ...
..... 44 ... Hotel Owner .... 39 ... Hotel Owner

... l"otable .. :\ Iunda ne . ... .\ Iunda ne . .. .\ Jundane

. .... }d ale . ......... Notable

Emma " Emmie" Pierce .......... 24 ... Whore ...............

An

O ccu patio n / Trad e

Nrc

Type

Chester "T aps" Rollins ......... 41 ... Telegraph Operator/i\ lanager .. i\ lale. Brian Rocny .................. 28 ... Bartender/ Bouncer .......... M ale . Rachel Ross ........... . .. " Rio" Running River. . . .24 ... Housewire ...

. ...... i\ lundane . ..... i\ t undane

.\ Iackey Ross .................. 42 .. .Thief ..................... .\ Iale .......... Notable . ... Female ........ ,\l undane . .... 22 ... Ranch Hand ............... i\ lale .......... " Iundane

l'!Jom<
Juanita Sanchez

An

O ccu patio n / Trad e

ill
.... Female

Nrc

Type

.26 ... Cook/Waitress ....

.. Notable

Joseph Shinborn ............... 32 ... Stage Station Chier .......... ).Iale .......... ,\l undane Abat ha Abbey Shinborn ......... 26 ... Housewire .......... . ...... Female ........ i\'otable Clayton "C lay" Sloane .......... 29 ... Leather Worker ............. Male .......... Mundane William " Roa ring Bill" Swain ..... 58 ... Circuit J udge ............... i\ lale .......... Nolable Winirried 'J ustice" Toliver Dan by " Big Dan" Trask Douglas "Doug" Trimble ...... Deputy/i\ lerchant ........... M ale .......... Notable
... 27 ... Faro Dealer ...... .

. ... i\ laic .... .. .... Notable ........ l':olable . .... Notable

... 29 ... Baker ..................... " Iale .......... :\ Iundane

Fernando Vasquez ................... Rancher ................... :\ l ale Gus \\'iley Windle ...... .. ...... 25 ... Horse T hief .. ...... . . . ..... ~ I ale.

J acob "lee" Zedock .... . . ..... 34 ... Barber .................... ~ I ale .......... i\ lundane

Passers Thru

N
l'!Jom<
Susan

ot all NP Cs encountered will be residents of Lazarus. Hundreds or people pass through the lOwn each day. T he following is j ust a sam pli ng or individua ls who may be round in that numbe r.

An

O cc u pati on/Trade

ill
.... :\ Iale

NPC Type

J oseph Caffco

............ 32 ... Stage Driver ..... .

... Notable .... j\ Iundane ... Notable ....... Notable .... M undane .. Notable ....... Notable

Aclk Yellow Fawn .............. 26 ... Whore ...... .

. ......... female ...... i\ l undane

J ack "Wormy" Masters .......... 29 ... Driver, Freight .............. .\ Iale Witliam " Bloody Bi ll" Pavey ...... 38 ... G un Fo r Hire ............... .\ Iale
~ l i l es

.................. 23 ... EllIertaincr/ Actress .

....

~ I ale

Tommy "One BOO1 " Perry ....... 31 ... Vagram ................... Hank Witchem ............... 38 ... Snake Oil Salesman ..........

~ I a le

Yancey Kind le ................. 25 ... Ou tlaw .................... !>. Ia\e

~ I ale

165

* SAMPLE NPCs *
Some bask cxamplc~ of cOlllmon non-pl:tycr characle I's (N PCs) arc included below. Note that these sample characters :He assumed to have been a'ti\'(~ for some lime. T hc~ may han." engaged in gunfights, pnll"lice:d their i>kills. achieved personal goals, built a reputation for themselves, and ~o on. Thus, their skills and ahilities will differ from a similar, newly created player character. Any money or weapons arc whal they h<lvc on their person when encountered, not necl:"s~arily their IOlal wealth or worth. Feel free \0 modir, these characters for rOllr own campaign a~ you sec iiI. Baker: hp 21; Speed 5, .\ ccuracy -I; Sir IINO, IIlI 9/52, \Vis 10/16, Dcx 14/72. Can 9131. Us 9/86. eha 1U/51; Rl'p 36, F:ul1c 0; Quirks lazy: Flaws none; Skills cookin g 140, reading comprehension/penmanship 88 u,o, mathematics 870, riding 310. 0 , salcsman~hip 630; Talents guardian ~1Il~cl; Gunfiglm 0; 52,30; Fire;lrms none. Sample Description: This bakn's wares arc mighty tasty, and he know~ how 10 sell them. bUI he's not too smart aboul much else. Bandito: hp 22: Speed I, Accuracy I: Sir 12114. Int 8/74. \Vis 10/83. Dex 11/45. Con 11 / 87, Lk.. 10/ml. Cha 9/63; Rep - J, Fame 3; Quirk~ hothead: Fhl\\-~ none; Skills gambling 79o, illlimidation 10 0. reading comprehension/penmanship 89'0, riding 51,'0., rope u~e .1-7' 0: Talents quick aim, tough as nails, \'ctcran gUIllighter; Gunfights 5; 513; Firearms lWO Colt SAA ,43 ... Sample DC<icription: This bandito is not someone you want to rile up. He'll put a hullet through your eye <l5 soon as look at you. Banker: hp 20: Speed 12. t\ccuracy I; Str 11/69, lilt 13/33, \\'is 12109, Dc..... 3143. Con 8/47, Us 9/43, Cha 9/58: Rep 46, F,lITH! I; Quirks nagging conscience; Flaws nOlle: Skills accounting 48'0. mathematics 29%, reading comprehension/penmanship +7>},,~ Talent s courage, fa~t healer: Guntighh 0; S 12: Firearrn~ none. Sample Description: This banker has a good head for mone)" but he's clumsy, m<lking him the butt of m:1l1y jokes. Still, he has a good hean, and always apoJogiles for any mistakes. Barber: hp 21: Speed 7, Accuracy -I ; St r 10173, Inl 10/39, \\'is 10/14, Dcx 12161, Con 9126, Lks 10176, Cha II /52: Rcp ~ 9, Fame 0; Quirks nOlle: Flaws glas~ jaw; Skills accounting 85%, current affairs 54"0, gaming 28%. idle gossip 16 u o, joke tdling 52'0, mathematics 72'u. nursing 8;'0, reading comprehension/pellman-

ship 74'-'/0, riding 52 '0. slick talker 88%, weathe r sense 78'0; Talents dodgt", quick thinking, resist disease/il1fee tion; Guntight~ 0: 53.75; Finafms none. Sample Description: If you want 10 know what\ going on in IOwn. you might wanl to get you rself a haircut. Just make sure you don '( lell him more than you ought to - he's got a way of whc(:dling secrets Out of folk. Bartender: hp 21; Speed 6, Accuracy I: Sir 10173, Int 11/51 , \\'i~ 10/06, De:.: II/ 'H, Con 10119, Lks 10/11. Cila 13/61: Rep 30. Fa me 1: Quirks nosy; Flaws none: SkjJls current affairs 54%, diplomacy 700, gambling 48" 0 , listenin,l!.: 77o, reading compro::hcnsioll/pen tl1an~hip R3u: Ta!t:nts astute obse lvation, \'eteran gun fi~hter: Gunfi~lm I: S6: Firearm~ nOlle. 'iample De~criplion: T hi~ nosy fellow keeps his eyes and cars opcn for all the 1;II~SI news - and he pours a mighty fine drink. Blac ksmith : hp 22: Speed 8, Accuracy -I: Str 12108, 11119/29. Wis 7/03, Dex 12170, Con 11/(j9. Lks II/52, Cha 18/60; Rep 2B, fame I: Quirks abstinent (alcohol), touchy; Flaws colorblind; Skills accollnting 72%. animal empathy 60 0 ' 0. black~ll1jl hin g/mctalll'orking 40o, intimidation 36 Q o, mathematics 69'0. reading comprehen~i o n/p e lllnan ship 86'<1 . riding 550, ~alesman~hip 740. 0 : Talent~ lou~h a" nails; Gunlighh 0; 53: Firearms no ne. Sample De~cription; Fir~1 off. Ihi~ fello\\ doesn't drink liquor. whic h i~ unusual. Second. he has this hrawny animal tll;lgnelism th;lt seems to dra'> the womenfolk in from Illiles around. Thing is, he gets irritable ve ry last, and scares them off 'IS often as not. ;'\Iaturally, this makes him even \I orse to be around. Per wnally, I think he needs a drink to calm his nerves. but he isn't having any. Bounty Hunter! hp 23; Speed +, Accuracy +: Str 12113. 1m 12134, \\'i~ 9/46. Dex 12NO. COil 11/60, Lks 10/76. Cha 10/51: Rep 2i, Fame 4: Quirks ornery; Flaws none: Skill~ camouflage +70, medicine 66%, reading comprehen~ion/pclllllanship 82%. riding 3" 0, :0; 1"'1Ient~ courage, f~1.St heal ~urvival HU'u, tracking 800 er. hip shOOle r: Gunfights 6; SI; Firearms two Colt Ri skys .H ), \\"inch('~tcr 186+ Carbine (.44). Sample De ~criplion: This bounty hunter claims to ha\'c brought in dozens of bounties, but no lawman around here will \'ouch for it lcasr",ays. not in public. Burralo Hunte r : hp 2i: Speed 7. Accuracy 1; Str 1/56, Int 16/18, \ \"is 11/42, Dcx 12105. Con 16/47, Lks 12/09, eha 13/'19; Rep 39, Famc I: Quirks louchy; Flaws none; Skills ca mou flage 69 0 o, huming I Ufo, mediJ

166

ci ne 63'0. reading compre hension/penmanship 65" ", riding 46 11 0, skinningltanni ng 73 0, slaughter 46 0: Talent ~ crack shot; GunfightS 0; 55; Firea r ms Shal"p~ Long Range, Sample Descri ption: T his he rc's an irritable hombre. but he brings in more buff.'llo hides than any other hunte r I know. 'Course, he spends most of it in the saloon a nd the whorehouse, so I gue~~ he has to. Bu s hwhac k er: hp 21: Speed 3. Accuracy I; Str 11128. i m 9/56, Wis 10124, Dex 14 /89. Con 9/43. Lks 9/87, Cha II /54: Rep -6. Fame 2; Quirk:" picker nose); Flaws bufi""a lo mange; Skills hiding 55 0 o. intimidation 52%. reading comprehension/penmanship 81:1-'0, riding 52 0.0, !"Ope use 46%; Talents a(h-anced sighting, V Cle ran gunfightcr; Gunlights I; S7; Firearms S&\\' H DA. Colt 1868 shotgun. Sample Description: You never kno\\ whe re this nasty fellow will spring from. Keep your t'yes ~kinned \\"I1el1evcr you leave town. Butc her: hp 2 1; Speed 7.. \ cC UJ"a0 - I: Str 12/74. iot 10128, Wis 11 /39, Dex 12186, COil 9/15. Lks 8/34. Cha I % I ; Rep 22, Fame 0; Quirks chiseler; Flaws none; Skills accounting 73 0 .'(" cooking \60, gambling 54%, mathtmatics 76%. reading comprehe nsion / pe nmanship 77%, salesmanship 870, skinning/ tanning -18'0. slaught e r 25'0; T aknts courage. resist disease/ infection: Gunfights 0; S 1.25: Firea rms none. Sample Description: If you\t= got a carcass that needs handling, this hombre wi ll take carl' of il as nice as you please for a small fee. of course. Carpe nte r: hp 24; Speed 7, Accuracy 0: Slr 12/52. 1m 13179, \Vis 10 /39, Dex 12150, Con 10118, Lks 5/ I 7. Cha 8/ II ; Rep 39, Fame I: Quirks r<:leis!: Fla\\"~ none: Skills accounting 67 11', carpentry 2611'0, engineering des.ign 7 10/0, mathematics 51 11'0, obse rvation 740~. readi ng comprche n ~ion /pell ma n s hip 69'0. riding 7+'0: Talents heart)': Gunfights 0; 52; fire:wms none. Sample DesCliption: You 'd think a man wou ld be more tole rant of folks. OtH here in the frontier where you need all the help you can get. Not th is fellow, though. I-I e hates everybody th a t doesn't havc his skin color. I reckoll he's a good carpcnter, though. Circ uit Judge: See J udge. C laim Jumpe r: hp 21; Speed 5, ,\ ec urae) I: Sir 9/43, Int 11 /65, Wis 11/67, Dex 12124 , Con 9/25, Lks 8/33, Cha 10/07; Rep -3. Fame I; Quirks none: Flaws facial scar; Skills deception 540. fast talking 52%, hiding 50%, intim id:Hion 53%. prospecting 50 0, sneaking

+6%: Talents guardian angel, vetera n gunfighter: Gunfights I; Si: Firea rms Colt 1877 Lightning (.38. Sample Description: Prospectors beware this owlhoot! l\ lake sure you\'e got your claim filed all nice and kgal, or you might JUSt come back to ca mp and find this rascal in possession. C ook: hp 25; Speed 7, Accuracy -3; St r 9/41, 1m 10/13, Wis 15/84. Dex 8/58. Con 13/68. Lks 10/40, Cha 12128: Rep 41 , fam e 2: Quirk.~ yellow belly: Flaws none; Skills cooking 10 o. fi shing 300, driving, stagecoach/wagon 60 0. listening 35"'0, medicine 850 ,, reading comprehcnsion/penlllan~hip 74'0, religion 80%, riding 42%, skinningltanning 39 0, , laughter 7-'0; Talents dead eye, heal"ty; Gu nfights 0; S2; Firearms none. Sample Description: Whoa doggies! T his cook rustics up some or the best vittles you ever tasted. She likes the chuck wagon more than the restaurant scene, though, so about the ani) ways to gCI some of her cooking is to join up \\ith a ranching ou tfi t. Cowboy: hp 22: Speed 4. ' \ ('curacy 1: Str 1-1123, 1111 9/04. \\is JUn, Dex 8/49, Con 10/26. Lks 11/27. C ha 10/66; Rep 29. Fame I; Quirks none: Flaws nearsightcd: Skills animal herding 29", hronc bust.ing 18%, medicine 72%. reading comprehension/penmanship 850, riding 2%. rope usc 78%; Ta lents COUr.lgC, fast heale r, quick thinking, rapid reload, veteran gunfighter; Gunfights 7; SI; Firearms IWO Colt :\a\'ys. Sam ple Desc ription: This hombre has the squint eyes. but he's a pretty good gunfighle r and all-around cowboy. I hear he quit the ranch life and is looking for a b',lIlg lO ~i~n on with. but Ihat might ju~t be talk. D e nrist: hp U: Speed i . Accuracy -I; SIr 9/45, 1m 13/01. \\"is 13/04, Dex 10/66, Con 12147, Lks 10/84, eha 12156: Rep 4+. Fa me I; Quirks bad liar; Flaws none: Skill, c urrent affairs 4 1o, dentistry 49'0. joke tellin~ i5 0. mathematics 70 0, nursing 83'0, reading comprehension/ penmanship 52 0; Tale nts endurance, fast healer. Repu ta tion bo nus; Gunfights 0: S 12; Firearms none. Sample Description: If youve gOt an ache ill yoU/" mouth , stop by and see this fine fellow. Be careful, though. You might find his jokes more painful than your tooth. D e puty: hp 22; Speed 4, Accuracy 2: St r 10/59. l ilt 11/01, Wi ~ 11/84, Dex 12117, COil 10/40. U s 10/72, Cha 11/ II; Rep 53, Fame I: Quirks touchy; Flaws none: Skills current afT.'lirs 7Y' o, gambli ng i5'0. graceful entrance/exit 75%, reading comprehension/ pen< manship 72'0, recruiting 480, riding 4800, searching

167

74%; Talents deadly shot , veteran gunfighter; Gunfights 2; 58; Firearms Colt Bisley (.45).
Sample D escription: I never saw a deputy with more grace than this one. H e's a good shot, too, but he's got a bit of a gambling problem. I hope it doesn't lead him into trouble. Doctor: hp 2 1; Speed 8, Accuracy I; Str 121 14, Int 16/23, Wis 9/55, Dex 12142, Can 9/.32, Lks 9/63, Gha 8120; Rep 23, Fame I; Quirks gullible, straight shooter; Flaws none; Skills accounting 78%, chemistry 41 %, glean information 49%; mathematics 62%, medicine 28%, nursing 74%, observation 53%, reading comprehension/penmanship 39%, riding 72%, Talents none; Gunfights 0: 54; Firearms none. Samp le Description: This fellow is a right good sawbones, and he'll always tell you the truth and not beat around the bush doing it. Of course, if you're shot up reill bad, you might not want to hear that you' re not going to make it, but he doesn't see m to think of that. H e's prelly easy to fool , too, and 1 think he docs most of his work on credit - and nc\'er gets paid for it. Driver: hp 22; Speed 3, Accuracy I; Str 12172, l nt 9/67. Wis 10/ 40, Dcx 14/5 1, Can 10/77. Lks 9/65 , Cha 11/84; Rep 39, Fame I ; Quirks none: Flaws trick knee; Skills animal empathy 70%1, animalloJ'e 72/0, bronc busting 77%, driving, stagecoach/wagon 100, gambling 78%, intimidation 760"0, mathematics 85%. observation 75%, reading comprehension/penmanship 76'0, resist persuasion 52%, riding 79%, tracking 78%; Talents deadly shot; Gunfights I ; S4.50; Firearms Colt 1868 shotgun. Sample Description: This fellow 's trustwonhy enough to manage your can, stage or wagon, but only as long as he's driving it. Every lime he steps ofT to put fOOl to ground, he's apt to tumble down in the dust. l'''faybc a mulc kicked him in the head, or maybe he's just clumsy - r don 't know for sure. Entertainer: hp 22; Speed 7, Accuracy -2; Str 9125, Inl 10/54, Wis 10/84, D ex 11 /62, Can 10/19, Cha 11/22, Lks 10/49; Rep 33, Fame 3; Quirks high-spirited, tinhorn ; Flaws none; Skills artistic ability 8% (choose one performance type), current affairs 77%, gaming 76%, graceful ent rance /exit 2.3%, joke telling 52%, mathematics 86%, primitive ranged weapon use (knife) 66%, reading comprehension/penmanship 74%, riding 176%, sleight of hand 50%; Talents blind-shooting, hold your liquor, quic k thinking; Gunfights 0; 53.70; Firear ms Griswold & Gunnison revolver. Sample Description: This pe rson's act is quite a sight - mighty entertaining. H e doesn't quite fit in out here in the frontier, but I reckon that most folks of his so rt

don' t. They don't really have many uses other than performing for us working folk. Still, he's a nice cnough fellow - and a good drinker. Farmer: hp 19; Speed 10, Accuracy -I ; Str 13/83, lilt 14/22, Wis B/03, Dex 9/58, Con 8129, Lks 11 /08, Cha 7/33; Rep 22, Fame 0; Quirks Jaz)'; Flaws none; Skill s accounting 84%, agriculture 16%, animal e mpathy 87%, mathematics 82%, reading com pre hension / penmanship 46%, riding 79%, slaughIeI' 72%, skinningltanning 55%, weather sense 88%; Talents fast heale r; Gunfights 0; SO.50; Firearms none. Sample Description: This farmer came down from Deseret a few yea rs ago to set up a little farm outside of town. I reckon he's doi ng okay with ii , but he hasn't been to town in a while. I hope nothing'S happened to him. Of course. he's probably juSt too lazy to make the trip into town, unless he really has to. Faro D eal e r : hp 21; Speed 5, Accu racy I; Str 10/11, Int 12/41, Wis 10/63, Dex 11/82, Con 9/H. U s 9/23, Cha 10/79; Rep 31, Fame 0; Quirks lusty; Flaws none; Skills decep tion 77%, fast talking 76%, gambling 5%, mathematics 75%, reading comprt;hension /penmanship 70%, riding 48%,; Talents vcteran gunfighter; Gunfights I; S 11.50; Firearms none. Sample Description: This fellow will talk your ear ofT if you let him. I\'e never known him to cheat at faro, but maybe that'sjusl 'cause cheating at poker is a heck of a lot easier. Fur Trader: hp 23; Speed 9, Accu racy -I; SIr 9/42, 1 m 12107, Wis 8/58, Dex 10 / 43 , C a n 11/13, Lks 9/39, Gha 11 /63; Rep 24, Fame 2: Q uirks greedy, ornery; Flaws none; Skills animal lore 4%, camouflage 52%. reacling comprehension/penma nship 83%, riding 51 %, rope use 76%, sel traps 50%" slaugh ter 61 %; Tale nts tough as nails; Gunfights 0; 54; Firearms C olt Navy, Wincheste r 1866 rifle (.40). Sample Description: T his hombre's a good trapper, from what I hear, but he 's got a mean streak a mile wide. Plus, I don't reckon he's ever heard the word "cheap." All his furs sell fo r as muc h as he can ge L Gambler: hp 23; Speed 6, Accuracy I; 511' 9/43, 1m 12/01, \Vis 11/65, D ex 7120 , Can II /59, U s 7/86, Cha 8/58; Rep 9, Fam e 3: Quirks bad liar, chiseler; Flaws none; Skills gambling 35%, reading compre hcnsian/penmanship 82%; Tal e nts guardian angel; Gunfights 6; I; Firearms K nuckledusrer. Sample Descr iption: T his gambler gelS himself run out of town every couple of months, but he keeps coming' back. I guess folk s tolerate him becausc his lies

168

make eve rybody laugh, even when Ihey catch him cheating. Gun for Hire : hp 24; Speed 5, Accuracy 4; Str II/53, Int 12184 , \Vis 4171 , Dex 10 / 46, Con 13 /65, U s 9/12, Cha 12152; Rep -2, fame 4: Quirks crude, touchy; Flaws none: Skills animal mimicry 77'0, intimidation 86%, military s lralcgy/ ta c tic~ 85'0, reading comprcl lension/pe nmansb ip 860 /0, recruiting 160/0 . riding 42%; Talents fast heale r, hip shooter, quick thinking, veteran gunfighter; Gunfights 9; 3; Firearms Colt Bisley,.45. Sample Description: H ere's a pretty irritable hombre, so watch your step around him. H e-s bee n known to belch a cloud of stillk in a man-s fa ce. and then claim he's bee n insulted when the other man makes a face. He's trying to round up a gang of hi~ own. but so far. he hasn't had any luck. Gunsm.ith: hp 19; Speed 6, .\ ccuracy I; Str 11/13. Int 14 / 65, Wis 10/39, Dex 11 /43, Con 8/13, U s 11125, Cha 9/6 J; Rep 44 , F.-lnlC 3; Quirks clean frcak; Flaws none; Skills ,lccoulHing 83%, animal empat hy 71%, gunsmithing 39 % , mathematics 6-!o. medicine 83io. reading comprehension/penman~hip 65'0. riding 75%, salesmansh ip 720; T alents hip shooter; Gunfigh ts I; 2: firea r ms none. Sample Descriplion: You've neve r seen a shop as c1can as this fellow's, nor a gu n as d('an. Every item in hi ~ shop looks like it's becn spit polished to perf('ction. Of course, he tends to bump the prices up a little too. but sometimes you can haggle him down . Horse Thi ef: bp 22; Speed 5, Accuracy I; SIr 10/84, Int 11/73, Wis 11/87, D ex 12/07 , Con 10/85, Lks 9174, Cha 10/ 19; Rep 6, Fame I ; Quirks selfish; Flaws none; Skills appra isal animals) 70%, animal lore 85', hidi ng 860 '0, listening 520,'0, mathematics 850 '0 . reading comprehe nsion/ pe nmanship 85 0 '0. riding 22 0 '0. sneaking 50'0; Talents guardian angel, \'etc ra n gun fighter; Gunfigh tS I; 1.25; Firea r m~ Re mington 1875. Sample Descriplion: Wish I could get my hands on varmint. I JUSt know he's responsible for ruching two of my best horses. not to mention lots of other horses all O\'er town, but no one can seem to lay a fillge l' on him.
thi ~

68 0 '0, nursing 85'0, reading comprehension / penmanship 70%, reading lips 72%, socia l etiquette 77'0: T alclHs heany; Gunlights 0; 5 13. 30; Firearms none. Sample Desc riptio n: T his dandified fellow keeps a clean hotel, and expects you to do the sa me. I don't know how he kec p~ his calm when the cowboys and their fihhy boots cOllle calling. Housewife: hI' 20: Speed 8, Accuracy -2; Str 9 / 45, lilt 11175, Wis II /51, Dex 10 /30. Con 8/64, Lks 10/46, eha 12178; Rep .J.l, Fam(' 0; Quirks none; Fla\\'S far-sighted: Skills cal Jigra ph y/~ i~nmaking 85 0 o, cooki ng 3 0 , curre nt affairs 72 0, diplomacy 740. gaming 760. gracerul entrance /exit 450. idle gossip _ 10o, intimidation 71",0, listening 50%. m:uhematics 850, nur~in~ 8~o 0, ob~c rva tion 84%, reading comprehcnsio n / pelllnan~hip .)9'0. resist persuasion 720. seam,tres$ltai lor 770. ~ocia l et iquette 700 '0, swimming 82'0. \\t'"avin~ 71 II 0: Talent~ fast henle r: Gunfights 0; S 1.80; Firearms none. Sample Description: Hcre'~ a female any fellow would be proud to court if ~ h e wasn't already marlied. that is. Sccm~ lik(' ,he's gOt all the refinements and beauty a filly lik(' her ~hould ha\c. Indian: hp 22: Speed 6, Accural') I: SIr 12172, Int 11 173, \Vis 9/25, Dex 12/62, COil 11 /43, Lks 10/45, Cha 9124; Rep ~i , Fame I ; Quirks none; Flaws mi ssing car; Skills hiding 75% . hunting 59%, language (English 85 0,0, primitive ranged weapon u ~ e (spear 80 0io, searching 760, sll rvi\'al 580 '0, tracking 61 0 0 ; Talents jack rabbit speed , quick thin kin~, veteran gunfighter: Gunfights I; SO; Firearms Winchester 1863 musket .38. Sample D cscription: Better hope Ihis sa\'agc doesn't com e upon you in til(' dark. YOlll' scalp will be decOl'ating his belt come dawn. lnve sto r : hp 2U: Speed 9, Accuracy - I; Str 9/69, Int 13/82, Wis 11/23, Dex 9/62, Con 8123, Lks 10/0+. Cha 12172: Rep 13, Fame 2; Quirk ~ Indian giver; Flaws none; Ski ll s accounti ng 83%, appraisal (choose one) 7011 0. currcllt affairs 50%, fast talking 72%, mathematics 69 11 0, o ratio n 73'0, reading compre hension/penmanship 68.'0. resist persuasion 73 0 '0, riding 560/0, slick wIker 59'0; Talents Reputation bonus; Gunfights 0; 534; Firearms nOlle. Sample Desc ripti on: If you need some money to start up a business, Sla ke a claim, or some other such dealings, you migh t \vant to talk lO th is lellow. Just make sure he gives you fair terms, and you might find yourself wilh a bit of a profit.

Hotel Owner: hp 23; Speed 8, Accul"acy - I; 5t r 9/82, Int 12/28, \Vis 10/ 01 , Dex 10/3 1, Con 10/93, Lks 9/44, Cha 10/54; Rep 26. Fame 2; Quirks clean rreak; Flaws none: Skills accounting 85'0, administration 880'0, carpentry 42'0, cooking 22'0, gaming 48'0, idle gossip 48%, language (Spanish 82"'0. ma thematics

169

Journalist: hp 25: Speed II, Accuracy -1,; St r 9/15, 1m 12/45, \ris 13/66, Dex 5/36, Can 10124, Lks 10/08, Cha 9/+7; Rep 37, F me 2; Quirks conspiracy theorist, nosy; Flaws none; Skills fast talking 53%.journalism/composition 39%, reading comprehension/ penmanship 35,0, rl'ligion 78%. riding ++%, slick talker 6[%; Talents fast healer, hit point bonus; Gunfigills 0; 53; Firearms none. Sample Descri ption: Watch what you saw to this journalist or you're likely to sec it in prim in the ncar fUlHre. Of course, e"en if you stay away from him, he's bound to find Out your business sooner or later. J ust Gm't keep his nose out of anything. He's got all kinds of c razy stOries, 100, but nobody much listens to him. Judge: hp 23: Speed 7, Accuracy -I; Str 9/68, Int 13/54, Wis 13/65, Dcx 10/OS, Con 12/34. Lks 10/3-1-. eha II/52; Rep -1-0, Fame 21; Quirks fear of heights, hardcase; Flaws none; Skills law 51/a. mathematics 83%, oration 74 '0, reading comprehemion/penman,hip 52%, liding 520; T alents hearty; Gunfights 0; 59; Fi rearms none. Sample Descript ion: This fe llow serves as judge for several towns hereabouts. so he only shows up evel1' couple of months or so. Beller not find yourself standing in his courtroom. though. He's not exactly what I'd call easygoing. Land Speculator: Sec InveslOr. Lawtnan: See Deputy or SheriIT. Lawyer: hp 26; Speed 8, Accuracy -I; Str 10/83, tnt 12/79, Wis 11/87, Dex 10/39, Call 10/73, Lks 10/07, Cha 12/14; Rep 35. Fame 2; Quirks chivalrous; Flaws none; Skills graceful e ntrance/exit 73%, law 40%, mathematics 81 %, oration 44%, reading comprehension/penma nship 57%, riding 76%; Talellls hit point bonus; Gunfights 0: 54.80; firearms none. Sample Descliption: T his fellow's gOt a siker tongue ir I've ever seen one. H e seems 10 know all about the law, and the womenfolk :!round here all adore him. It 's gotte n him illto trouble a few limes, I ca n tell you! Leather Worker: hp 21; Speed 10, Accuracy -.J-: Str 10/27, 1m 9/78, Wis 7/32, Dex 8/64, Con II/SO, Lks 9/50, Cha 9/84; Rep 22, Fame 0; Quirks obnoxious; Flaws none: Skills :!nimal lore 72%. hunting 6S%, Jcathc rworking 67%, mathcmatics 87%, reading comprehension/penmanship 87%, skinning/tan ning 64%, slaughte r 77%; Ta1ellls damage bonus; Gunfights 0; SO.75; Firearms none.

Sample Description: If you're looking for sOllie decem gcar. Stop by and give this hombre's goods a look. There's nothing spectacu lar about them. but don't tell him that. H e's got a mean light hook. Live ry Stable Owner: hp 23: Speed 8, Accuracy 2: Str 10122, 1m I 1/62, \Vis 10/9 I , Dex 10/6-1-, COil 12/88. Lks 9/60, Cha 8/11: Rep 30. Fame 0; Quirks none; Flaws hard of hearing; Skills administration 800, (lnimal empathy 76%, animal lore 68%, appraisal ' ~nimals \ 71u, bronc busti ng 8 1%, carpcntry 46u, driving. stagecoach/wagon 420. fire -building/extinguishing 34'0. gambling 62 u o. mathematics 85%. reading comprehension/penmanship 73%, resist persuasion 76%, riding 30%. rope lise 52 0: Talents tOugh as nails: Gunfights 0; S6; Firearms non e. Sample D escription: This fellow loves horses, and I ha\'t~n't hea rd a nything bad said about him. or course, neither has Ill'. Speak lip when you're t(llking to him, or he mig:ht not hear a \,'ord you say. Mayor: hp 24: Speed 10, Accu racy -5: Str 9179, Int 9/6 1. \ris 12106, Oex 6/14. COli 10/16, Lks 10/95, eha 12/30: Rep 44. Fame 17; Quirks dude; Flaws none; Skills administration -1-7 0 0, current affairs 46%. fast talking 7u o. gambling llJ.u,o. mathematics 72%, oralion 60u ,0, reading comprehension/penmanship 73%, recruiting 72"'0 . religion 8-1-'0. riding 77 % , seduction art 01' 75 '0 : T;,d ents hold your liquo r: Gunfiglns 0: 59; Firearms none. Sample Description: Our mayor always d resses in raner clothes. and I don't think too much of anything he says, but I reckon that's true of any politician. T he man's a good drinker, though. Merchant: hp 24; Speed 7, .\ ceuracy -I; Str 10/41, Int 13/'12, Wis 13/01, Dex 10175, Con 12117, Lks 9/44, eha 10/86; Rep 30. Fame 0: Quirks none; Flaws low pain toleration; Skills accoullting 80%, calligra phy/sig-nmaking 85 '<), carpentry 69"/0. current atTairs 7! 0,<), gaming 52%, mathematics 68%. reading comprehension/penmanship 68%, resist persuasion 69%. riding 76'0, salesmanshi p 3 I %; Talents forgettable face; Gunfights 0; S7.75; Firearms none. Sample Description: Thi s fellow's your typical plain f..ced storekeeper. He's gal a \'aricty or goods at decellt prices, but he's a bit tender. Ju st step on his foot and you' ll hear a ho\\ I like a coyote. Mine Owner: hp 22; Speed 10, Accur~ey -2; Str 8/55. Int 12/83, Wis II/59, Dex 7/92, Con 11/10, Lks 6/32, eha 5/21; Rep 49. Fame 7; Quirks none; Flaws buITalo mange; Skills accollllting 85%. appraisal

170

land 350, currelU an"airs 490, demolition 240, mathematics 6800, prospcCli ng 750. reading comprchcmion/pcnmall~hip 53 0, riding 76(1'0 ; TalelUs !lOlle; Gunfight~ 0: 28; Firearms Remington Pcpperbox. Sample Description: This old fellO\I owns mo~t of the land her{"aboub. Some folks call him Scr:uch partl) becau~e he seems lik(" Old Scratch the dc\il . always wanting more, and partly calise he's al\lays scratching his head like hc-'s gOt 'Otnc powcrful though t ~ on his mind. Newspaper Publish er/Editor: hp 23; Speed In. . \ ccuraC)'3; Str 9/4 1, Int 10/50, \\"i s 9/38, Dex 9/02, Con 12127. Lk.s 10102, Cha 11/41; Rep 55, Fame 5; Qui rb latc sleeper; Flaw ~ none; Skills accounting 86 u,o, .Idmini stration 79;., ,alligraphy/signmakillg 86%, cur rent affairs 58" 0. hiding 79 0. history 77 0, journalism/compos i tion~8" '0, machine opcnlting-/repairing printing equ ipmelll 72'0. mathematic ~ 85" o. readin~ comprehension/pcnm:mship 47 1>, ridinl!; 78 o. ,lick talker 88"0: T."llent ~ courage; Gunli~ht, 0: S-1-..50; Firearms none. Sample Description: The man who rum our local papt'!" is onc of the bravcst fcllow~ I knOll". Hc' lI print <,toric\ about an,bod)", and doesn't carc one whit Ilhet lwr Ihey might get oHe nded. Best call on him after noon , though. I think he's always \\'orkin~ late 011 night. Oul1aw: hp 24; Spe('d

Sample Desc ription: This red-haired hombre has a mighty fine set of fingf'!"s on him. I often go down to the saloon ju~t to lislen to him pia}". Pimp: hI' 22; Speed 9, ,\ccumc)" 2: Str 7/90, lnt 11 /45. \Vis 9167, Dex 10/84. Con 10nO, Lb 12182, eha 13/12; Rep -10, Famc 5; Quirk.~ badman; Flaws none; Skills deception 50"0, ~ raccful entrance/exit 12(1, intimidation 72%, interrogation BOo,o. listcning 790. mathemalics 85%, readi ng comprehension/penmanship 86 0. resist persuasion 56" 0, riding 78'0. ~l i ck talker 860: Talent~ damage bonm: Gunfights 0; S9; Fi rearms Colt .:\"a\'y. Sam ple D e~cription: If you '\'e got a hnllkc ring 10 pay for some female companionship, seck this fellow out. J USt don't t1') 10 ~kip OUI on the bill 11(" il lind some II'ny \0 make you pa~. Preach e r: hI' 21: !-'pet"d 10, .\ ccura(y -2; Str 6/65, Inl 12N8. \\'i~ 9/40, Dex 9/22. Can 10/12, Lks 10/.')9. Cha 11/89; Rep 33. Fame I: Quirks boiled ~hin. daustrophobi('; Fla\I'~ none; Skills diplomacy 740, ob~cn;ation tit-on, oration 70, reading comprt" hCllSion/penmalhhip .HOI,o, rc1il{ion 53 11 0: Talents perceive lendency: GlInfi~hls 0: 52: Firearms nonc. Sample Descri ption : This man of the cloth's got a bit of an altitude problem , see ms to me .. \Iways acting like he\ betlcr than the rest of liS, even though he gets the jitters if you try and take him in a little room. Reckon it's a good thin~ lu' doesn't me one of those "confes sional" hoxf's. Prospector: hp 14: Speed H, "\cCllraq -3; Str 9/86, 1m 8/34, Wi~ IIt:W. Dex 7/17. COil 10/54, Lks 9126, C hn 11/88; Rcp :19, Fame 0; Quirks messy; Flaws none; Skills prospecting I Q 0, reading comp rehemion/pen. Illanship 86 u0, ridi ng ]5"-0; Talents fast heal er; Gunfighb 0: S I: Firearms 1l01le. Sample Description: You can alway, tell this hombre's dig ~ite from eve ryone clse'~. T herc's clothes and pan!\ and tools and ,,11 mnnner of th ings scallered about like a whirlwind's JUSt blown through. He says he's ~oillg 10 strikc it rich ~omcday. but \\ ho knows? Ranch Boss: hp 21; Speed .), r\ Ccumq I; Str 11/05, Int 12137, \Vis 11 /60, Dex 15/66, COil 9/45, Lks 8/59, eha 6/14; Rep 45, Fame 2: Quirks chunked ; Flaws nonc; Skills accounting 84%, administration 70%. "!l imal empathy 89'0, animal herding (Cat Lie} 68 0, gambling 55'0, mathematics 72'0, reading comprehension/pellm:m~hip 850, riding 740. rope lIS(' 66 0; T ale nts cou ra ge; Gunfights 0: S4: Firearms

+, Accuracy 2; Str 7/13. 1m

10148, Wis 11/93. Dc:.: 11/22, COli 12128, Lks 9/92.

Cha 10/13: Rcp I S, Fame 10: Quirks crude; Fla\l ~ none; Skills fast talking '40 '0 . gambling 57 01 0, readinl!; comprehcnsion /p('nma nship 89'0, recruiting 29 0, riding 320: Talent~ forgettahle face; Guntights 6: S5: Fin'arms Lc.\ la\ Two- Barrel, L.e. Smith shotgun. Sample Desc ription: This plain-facl'd utillaw has a longue on him Ihat'd make the dcvil himself blush. \Ihat wi lh all the insult.s and foullans,;-uas,;-<. thal spill out. \\'onl has it that hc '~ uy ing to rai se some mOlley b~ gambling: so he can form his own gang, but I ca n't speak to the trUlh of thnt, one way or tht: olhe r. I prcfe r to stn), away from folks with prices on their head. Piano Player: hI' 2 1; Speed 6, .\ ccuracy I; Str 7/67, l ilt 11/39, Wis 9/92, Dcx 10175 , Con 10/68, U s 12164, Cha 13/01; Rq> 29, Fame I; Quirks dude; FI :1\\ ~ none; Skills artistic ability Ipiano playing\ 16%, dtccption 75%. gnm bling 79%, gaming 52(1,'0, joke telling 72'0, listening 580, mathematics 85". mimic dialect 70%. reading comprche nsion/pen manship 86% riding 660; TalclH ~ guardia n angel. \'eteran gUIlfi'J:hter; Gunfights 3: 3; Firearms America n .\ rms derringer.

171

Griswold & Gunnison revolver. Winchester 1866 carbinc (.45). Sample Description: T his ranch boss doesn't lei anything stand in his way. Ir hc's gOt something to do, or somcwhere to go, he will. I hear tell that his wire handles things most or the time, and if she didn't, his ranch would raid within a month. Ranch Hand: hp 23: Speed 5. Accuracy 0; Str III! 7, lilt 10/84, \\'is 10/53. Dex 14179, Can 12/64, Lks 9/48, Cha 10175: Rep 37, Fame I; Quirks ornery: Flaws none; Skills animal empathy 70%, animal herding (cattle) .~ I %, animal husband ry 25%, artistic ability (harmonica playing) 54%, carpentry 76%, gambli ng 77%, joke telling 78%, riding 28%, rope use 68%, tracking 78%; Talents hearty. hold yOllr liquo r; Gunfights 0; S3; Firearms Remingtoll r\ew Army. Winchester 1866 rifle (.45). Sample Description: Ir you're looking for a helping hand OUI on the ranch. this rellow might be a decent choice. He's a bit orne ry, but those late nights in the saloon don't affect him as badly as thc)" do some folk. Range Boss: hp 23; Speed 4, Accuracy I; Str 11125, Int 10/44, \Vis 10/51 , Dex 11/82, Can 12/51, eha 11/68. Lks 8149; Rep 28, Fame!; Quirks none: Flaws impotcnt; Skills administration 77%, animal empathy 86%, animal herding (cattle) 54'0. animal husbandry 74%, animal lore 85,u. artistic ability (fiddle playing) 77%, gam bling 78 '0, reading comprehcn~ion/penman ship 76%, riding 52%, rope use 51 %, wealher sense 78%; Talents Kentucky windage, vcteran gun fight er; Gunfights 2; S3; Firea rms Colt Navy, Sharps Carbine Conversion. Sample Description : Ir you need someone to mind your cattle and cowboys, I'd recommcnd this hombre, Sometimes he gets a little moody 'cause he and his missus don't have youngsters, but otherwise he 's a good egg. Reverend: See Preacher. Saddler: hp 2..J.: Speed II \ Accuracy -3; Str 7/59, Int
11/01, Wis 9/54, Dex 7/57, Con 9/77. Lks 11/34,

I reckon he thinks the sun doesn't set on him , but ir I have to listen to his boasting again, he might be soon be boasting about thc biggest black eye he's ever had. Saloon Owner: hp 23: Speed 8, Accuracy -I; Str 13/18, Jnl 10/50, \Vis 9103, Dex 9/33, Can 12124, Lks 9/67, Cha 10/40; Rep 42. Fame 6; Quirks intrusi\'e; Flaws none: Skills accounting 65%, current affairs 68%, glean in/ormation 40%. mathematics 53%. reading comprehension/penmanship 78%. riding 75%; Talents hold your liquor, reputation bonus; Gunfights I; 525; Firearms Krmckleduster. Sample Descript ion : Here's anothe r rellow that just can't mind his own business. \Vatch yourselr when in his saloon - he's always got one ear turned your way. Srill, he stocks some or the best whiskey for miles. Scout: hp 27; Speed 7, Accuracy 0; Str 7/36. 1m 13173, "'is [0/30, Dex 8/62, Con 15/32, Lks 6/39, eha 8/83; Rep 43, Fame 2; Quirks pack rat; Flaws none: Skills fire-building/extinguishing 36%, hiding 35%, hunring 50o, reading comprehension/penmanship 68%, riding 15 0 . rope use 80%, slaughter 66%, sneaking 78 u ,0, survival 82'(0, tracking 78%; Talents none: Gunfights I: 54: Firearms Colt Bisley (.+4), Winchester 1863 rifle .44. Sample Description: Ir you want to get somcwhere sare and sound, you might want to call on this hombre. He claims to be the best rrontier scou t around, but I've ne\'er tested his abilities myself. His pockets arc always bulging with little pieces of junk, and I think he might pay good money ever for the most worthless bit of fluff. l\Iaybe that 's why he's always broke. Sheriff: hp 26: Speed 2, Accuracy 4; Str JOI 14, 1m 10/90, Wis 9/1 l. Dex 14/65, Can 10109 , Lks JOI [6. Cha 12/53; Rep 51. Fame 5; Quirks obnoxious; Flaws none; Skills diplomacy 70%, observation 54%, reading comprehension / penmanship 77%, recruiting 51 "to, riding 4-6%, slick talker 87%; Ta.lents rast hcaler, hit point bonus, hold your liquor, vete ran gunfighter; Gunfights 6; 3; Firearms Colt 1877 Lightning (.41 ), Sample Description: I reckon this is the best dang sheriff we\'e had in these parts for a long time. Oh, he can get under your skin something fierce, but he's real good at his job. He seems to know when to shoot first or when to ask questions instead. Snake Oil Salesman: hp 22; Speed 7, Accuracy!; Str 9/35, Int 17/69, \Vis J0/47 , Dex 12/82, Con 11/30, Lks 12/60, C ha 13/10; Rep 27, Fame 2; Quirks Indian giver; Flaws none; Skills accounting 59%, brewing 63%, dcmistry 86% . rast talking 10%, joke telling

Cha 10/15; Rep 34, Fame I; Quirks flannel mouth ; Flaws nOlle; Skills accounting 82%, leathcrworking 18%, mathematics 67%, reading comprehension/ penmanship 67 %, riding 76%, salesmanship 55%, skinningltanning 55%; Talents hit point bonus; Gunfights 0; S8; Firearms none. Sample Description: According to this rellow, he makes the best saddles in whole dang frontier, and there's nothing you can say to convince him otherwise.

172

7%, mathematics 3710, mimic dialect 2%, oration 23%, reading comprehension/penmanship 18%, riding 71 %, sa lesmanship 31 '0; Talents forgettabl e fa ce, quick thinking; Gunfights OJ S3; Firearms i>. larlin Stonewall derringer. Sample Description: This hombre claims to han: schooling in abom every su bject you could think or, and says his elixir will cure any problem from cholera 10 consumption. I don' t know about that, but it sure does taste good. :\ Iakes the whiskey in the saloon taste like horse trough water. Soldier: hp 24: Speed 5, Accuracy 2; Str 14/56, lot 14/37, "~ s 12163, Dex 8/39, Con II / H, Lks 11/56, Cha 10179; Rep I. Fame I; Quirks carly riser, hardcase; Flaws -j Skills gam bling no, histol)" 80o, interrogation 730, m'llhematics 80o. military 'tratt~/ tactics 83 0, obse rvation 62'0. reading comprehension/penmanship 82%, riding GO" 0, tracking H O 0: Talents fast healer, guardian angel; S4; Firearms Hcnf) rine. Sample Description: This young man seems like most of his fellow s bright and brave, with maybe a yca r' ~ experience under his belt. I just hope he's got a guardian angel looking arter him . A ~o ldi cr's life ain't easy out here o n the rrolllier. Sold ier, Officer: hI' 22; Speed 6, Accuracy I; SIT 11/65, Inl 14/83, Wis I 1/89, Dex 10127, Con 11 /92, Lks 10/43, Cha 12119; Rep 3, Fame 2j Quirks chivalrous; Flaws -; Skills administration 75%, ca rtography 67%, gaming 85%, mathematics 590111, military engineering 84%, militaf)' strategyltactics 64%, reading comprehension/penmanship 68%, riding 70%; Talents guardian angel, veteran gunfighter; S7.25; Firearms Colt SAA (.44), Henry rine. Sample Description: I reckon this you ng rella's got a backbone to match any grizzled old war hero. Oh, he's as smart and well-spoken as you please, but there's somet hing in his eye that makes me think I wouldn't want to cross him. Spy: hp 22 ; Speed 2, Accuracy 3; Str 9/ 48, Int 16/19, \Vis 15 /85, Dex 13/53, Co n 10/33, U s 11/36, Cha 13/97; Rep 37, Fame I; Quirks paranoid, superstitious; Flaws none; Skills current affajrs 30%, deception 5%, diplomacy 25%, disguise 4%, escape artist 66%, fast talking 9%, glean inrormation 26%, listening 36%, lock picking 67%, mathematics 59%, medicine 61 %, observation 62%, reading lips 30'0, reading com prehension / penmanship 2+ 0, resist persuasion 330. riding 38%, slick talker 69'11, sneaking 70"0, social ctiquell c 64%; Talents rast healer, rorgetta ble race;

Gunfights I; 53; Firearms Colt S&W Russia n.

~ew

Line derringer,

Sample Description : Here 's an hombre I don't know tOO much about. He keeps to himscJr 1ll0St or the time, and he's always looking ove r his shoulder like he expects to see somebody rollowing him. He's real supersti tious, too. Some owlhoot shot out Ihe saloon mirror a couple days ago, and I hea rd him muller something about seven years bad luck. He went kind or pale. too. Well, I reckon it's harmless enough. SLable Boy: hp 24; Speed 7, Accu racy -2; Str 11/15. 1m 10/01, "'is 10/32. Dcx 11 177. Con 11 /34, Cha 9/55, Lks 8f-.1.9: Rep 19, Fame 0: Quirks greedy; Flaws none; Skills an imal empathy +-1%, animal lore 400, animal training 7 1Q 0. climbing 34"'Q, di~traetion 56 o. hiding- 540. readin~ comprc hension/penma nship 870, riding 520, ,\\imming 690; Talents endurance: Gunfights 0: SO. 50; Fi rearms none. Sample Description: This young ma n's got a way with horses that many a cowboy would eIlVY, but he won't work for peanuts. He's always trying to find a way to lighten your purse. Stage Dri ve r: See Driver. Stage Station C hief: hp 24: Speed 7, Accu racy -3; Str 9/H , 1m 10/35, \\is 15li2. Dex 8/6 1, Con 13/52, Lks 10/38, Cha 11 / 13; Rep 52, Fame I; Quirks boor: Flaw:,; none; Skills accounting 86'0. administration 54%, driving, stagecoach/wa~n 61.0, mathematics 72.'0. reading comprehension/penmanship 74'0, riding 60%; Talents astute observation: Cunfights 0: S6.50; Firea.rms none. Sample Description: I'll say it straight Out J ca.n't stand th is man. Oh, he's all right at what he docs, but he's a prell)' unpleasa nt rellow to be :lround. TeamSLe r : hp 21: Speed 8, Accuracy -2; Su 7125,
1m 9/67, Wis 7149. Dex 8/68, Con 11 /82, Lks 10 /6 1,

Cha 5/12; Rep 27, Fame I; Quirks messy, ornef); Flaws none; Skills animal empathy 88%, dliving, stage-coach/wagon 13%, medicine 85%, reading comprehension / penmanship 85%, riding 48"/0: Talents quick ai m; Gunfights I: 3: Firearms LC Smith shotgun. Sample Description : lr you hire this hombre, it's best to talk (Q him as liltle as possible. He doesn't say much except to argue. And ror heaven's sake don't complain abOllt his appearance, or how he leaves a trai l or jUllk e\'erywhere he gocs. He'll bite your head off. Telegraph Ope rator: hp 20; Speed 9, Accurary -I : SIr 11/04. fill 10125, Wis 12174, Dc): 7190, Con 8/52, U s 7/67 . Cha 5/30; Rep 38, Fame I; Quirks dehorn;

173

flaws none; Skills current affairs 680. idle gossip 80'0, reOlding eomprehension/penman~hip 64 0 10, riding 55% , telegraph operating 20 0'0, tracking 72'0; Talent s improvcd arc of fire: Gunfigh t ~ 0; 2; Firearms none. SOImplc Desc ription: Hest of lu ck sending a private message in this town. UnlC'ss you ha\'c somet hing real urgent. you better ~end a leuer. or you can be sure that he'll tell ~ome body sooner or latcr. That fe llow likes talking about othe r folks morc than anyliling except drinking and quarreling. Thief: hp 22: Speed 5, AccUl"aCY 3; Sir 9/10, Int 17/5 1. Wis 10/05, Dex 12155, Con 11/ I 7. Lks 10/62. Cha 12/20; Rep -I, Fame 3: Quirks superstitious: Fla\\ ~ none ; Skills currcnt a!T.1irs 500, deception { {U o, hidin~ 19~),u, listening 77%. rending com lll'c hension/ pcnmansh ip 60 0 u, riding 55 1 \1. slll>;tking 63,'~; TalC'llIs great ambidexterity. \'etcran gunfightcr: Gunfights I: 511.45; Firearms Remington derringer. SOImple Description: I've SCCII th is feUow lurking around town. but I'm not sure \\h) he's here. Maybe he'sjusl passing through. I d id sec him turn !ail when he saw a black cat in the st reet, though. so I guess if he's ~ca rcd of cats he's not milch of a danger to an)Ollc. Undertaker: hI' 23; Speed 7. Accuracy -I: Str 8/10. 1m 13/46, \Vis 13122. Dex IO/8.t.. Can 11/39. Lk~ 10/57. Cha 12/63: Rep 50. Fame I: Quirk.~ medicinc tonguc; Flaws lIone; Skills accoul1lin~ 630. carpentr~ 170, chemistry 68'0, malh(' matics 61 0. 0, reading comprehension/penmanshi p 53 0', religion 55%. riding 43%; Talents fast healer, hold }'our liquor, resist disease/infection: Gunfighl ~ 0; S4; Firear ms none. Sample Description: Our undertaker is full of stories aboul the folks he's buried oV("r the years. and it doesn't take much to get hjm started blalhering on about Ihem. Still, it pay'l to be nice to him. After all. might no\ he tOO long before you're in need of his services. and you walll to look nice in that pine box, right? Vagrant: hp 27: Speed 7, Accuracy -2; Sir 9/16, Inl I, \Vis 10/65, Dex 11175. Can 12177, eha 11175. Lks 8/45; Rep 4, Fame 0; Quirks none; Flaws strange hody odor; Skills animal husbandry 230, hiding 30%, hunling 54%, prospecting 77%, read ing comprehension/ penmanship 87iO , riding 52%; Talen ts endurance, gua rdian angel, hit point bon us; Gunfights 0; 50.05: Firea rms none.
IO/~

Waitre ss: See Cook or Housc\,ife. Whore: hp 24: Speed 5, Aecuraq 2; Str 9/08, l ilt 1.')/59, \Vi s 10179, Dex 14 /53, Con 13/69. Lks 13/8~, eha 13/48; Re p I~, Fame 3; Quirks paranoid; Flaws none; Ski lls accounling 57%, current affairs 5210 , glean info r mation 20 '0, idle go~sip 390, mathematics 73 v/o. pick pocket 69() o. reading com prchcn~ion / penlllanship ~9 'Q, riding 550, seciu('liol1 art ol~ Ou fl. sleight of hand 38 o. slick talker 51 0; Taleill s resist diseascl infection ; GunfiglHS 0: 56; FirCOInm Knuekleduster. Sample Dcseription: This female owns the whol'eand know, just aboUi cverYlhing going on ill to\\ n. one way or OInolher. If you're looking for a good time, or information abollt ~ornehod)', she can help you. For a price, of course.
hOll~("

Wra n gl er: hp 21; Speed 5, Accuracy - I: Str 11/06. Int 9/58, \ris 10/36. Dex 11 /65. Con 914-5. Lks 9176. Cha 11/73; Rep 33. Fame I: Quirks none: Flaws colorblind; Skills animal herding 69'0 . bronc busting 54 0 o. gOlmbling 770. reading comprchension/penmamhip 88'0. ridi ng 2'0: Talents endurance, quick aim: Gunfights 0; S1.75; Firearm s Colt Sr\.A... I kc(' p tcJlin~ this fellow Ihal he oU1:I\I 10 wear a grCCIl Ilecket'{:hicf so he \\'on't upse t that hull a~ain. but he keq} ~ \\'t:arin~ his red one. I suppo~c he just doesn't likl' takin~ advice. Sample
De.~e ription:

* SAMPLE HORSES *
Coach Hors e : hp 38; Cleveland Bay; Short B. Medium 7. Long -2: A'{ililY 6: Endurance 11: Horse Sense 12; Tem peram('tU 14; Trainability 13; " Ielllt' 14; Sou ndness 13; Strength 12; Vices cribbing. Hunting Horse: hI' 36; Thoroughbred: Short 12, i-. ledium l-l. Long II; Agility 9; End urance 8; Horse Sense II: Temperament 10; Trainabilit), 10; i-. lellie 8; Soundness 10; Strength 9; Vices kicking. Nag: hp 29; Quarter H or~e; Shan 4, !>.lcdium 7, Long 7: Agility 9: Endurance 9; H or~c Sense ~; Temperament 10; Trainability 9; Mettle 9; Soundness 8; Strength 7; Vices shy ing. Plow H o rse: hp 36: Pen:hcron ; Short 7. t>. lcd ium 6, Long: 5; Agility 6; Endurance 1 I; Horse Sense 12; Temperament 13; T rainabil il), 12; ),I ettle II: Soundness 13; Strength I I; Vices pawing. Prize Stallion: hp 46; i-. lorgan; Short 12. ), Iedi um 16. Long 16; Agility 17; Endumnce 18; H or~c Scnse

Sample Descript.ion : This odife rOliS fellow is not someone you wall( to stand next to or even ncar. He sti nks to high hca\en. Worse, he doesn't work, and just wander~ around town looking for an cas) way to pick up some free food or money

IH

19; Temperament 16; Trainability 18; Soundness 17; Strength 18; Vices-,

~ l ctt1c

17;

Race Horse: hI' 37; Arabian; Short 19, :\Iedium 20, Long 15; Agility 14; Endurance 18; Horse Sense 13; Tempe rament 13; Trainability 14; ) \ I cttle 13; Soundness 15; Strength 10; Vices tail rubbing, Range H o r se: hp 39; Quarter Horse: Short 14-, i\ledium II, Long 9; Agilil)' 13; Endurance ,<I; Horse Sense 14; Temperament II; Trainability 13; i\ lettle 12; Soundness 12; Strength 1 I; \ "ices resists grooming,

Wild Hors e: hp 42; ~ I ustang; Short 12, ~ I edium 12, Long 13; Agility 13; Endurance 14; Horse Sense 14; Te mperament 6; Trainabilitr 5: :\lcttle 6; Soundness 13; Strength 8; Vices diflicult lO catch, resists saddling.

* PLAYING THE CAMPAIGN *

As mentioned previously, one of the cballenges of an Old West campaign is that players sometimes don't know what to do next. A good Clivi can certainly remedy the situation by nudging the players with a good adventure and interesting encounters, but what if the players arc simply standing around waiting to be prodded into action? Whcre's the fun in thai? To gel the most enjoyment oul of the campaign, players need to take charge and be proactive. This brief tutOrial wi]) gi\'c you a few examples on how to do just that.

SETTLING IN
Chances are rou spent most or your money on your stage ticket and only ha\'c a few dollars left to your name. First order of business is finding a way to make some money. You might as well know from the very slart - il's sink or swim lime. :'\obody is going to hold your hand here. You came here looking ror opportunity. It 's up to you to seek out those opportunities and make them work for you. Although every campaign is different, some things arc a given. You'll need to find a place to stay and something to eat. You']] also want to arm yourself. Of course, all of this takes money. You may have to make some tough choices, since it isn't likely you can afford everything you need at once. The gun may have to wa it. You might have to settle for a bedroll in a haylort until you can find work. Meanwhile, you have to survive and make your way in the world. Here's some advice on how to do just that.

THE FIRST STEP

O kay, so you've rolled up your first character. .'\ow what? Let's assume the campaign is starting OUt in Lazarus and the Game:'l laster has decided you start ofT by having your character step off the noon stage with 55 in his pocket. For whatever reason, adventure has called you westward and you've answe red that call. Perhaps it was the siren song or gold and all the possibilities waiting someone who strikes pay dirt. or maybe you're running from trouble back East and you've heard it's easy to lose oneself in the San j uan .\l ountains. You step off the mud-spattered stage that carried you nearly 600 bone-jarring miles from Amarillo to the streets of Lazarus and step into a strange wild world. Your back aches from thc week-long ride you just endured. You're stiff and hungry as hell, but glad to be in one piecc. As the stage driver tosses your bags down at your feet, you take in your surroundings. Your senses are overwhelmed. T he air is filled with a thousand noises. T he bellowing or an ove r- worked mule team straining to pull a freight wagon buried up to its axles in mud. T he pounding of dozens of hammers nearby driving nails into hand-hewn beams as new build ings a re raised. The d runke n shouts or a group of miners making their way out of the tavern theY\'e JUSt been expelled rrom, and in search or a nell' watering hole. Then there are the smel ls: a mixture of sweat, ripe meat, animal urine, fresh baked bread and a few odors you can't identify. Everywhere you look, there's activity and motion - so much, in fact, that nobody gi\'es you any notice. You're just another rortune-seeker from back cast stepping into a IOwn already choked with a thousand othe rs who arrived before you.

FRIENDS AND ALLIES

"Being alone iJ a not a way 10 live, JOII. II'JjuJI a quick way die." - Advice from one cowhand to another

10

You'll find the row you have to till a bit easier if you have like-minded individuals to fall in with. Be they true friends with your best interests at hean, or fairweat her rriends o f convenience, having someone around who has your back can be a good thing. Perhaps you made a few acquaintances on that long stage ride you just completed. Or.. maybe you and your rriends set oUI for the west together with the idea of pannering up. If that's {he case, you've got a good head start. O ne of the first rules of the Shatte red Frontier is that everybody needs to belong to a group, be it a gang, a small circle of friends, a church, an outfit or

I i6

even a social club (or secret society). You need some one that has your back whcn the chips are down . So, if you find yourself alone and friendless , you should be putting some immediate thought into remedying the si tuation. Two of the surest ways of making acquaintances with others is at the local saloon and on thejob. J ust be careful. Making nell' enemies is oftcn easier than making nell' friends. Be mindful of the fa ct that here out west it 's not considered proper for a st ranger 10 ask a lot of questions. j"lany come to the west because they're running away from trouble elsewhere, so people who sm ile toO much and ask tOO many questions are often met with suspiCion. \Vhen you do choose your friends , do so Q- " I Vlwt's )'our name, wisely, People tend to partner?" judge a person by the company he keeps. Your A: "Wha! the hell business reputation can be helped is that rif )'ours?//" along, or harmed , by those you hang with. :-':ot to mention that some unsa vary types change their friend s like they change last week's socks.

KEEPING nEATI! AT ARMS' LENGTI!

"lou aill't bullet prorif, SOli. And )'011. ain', immortal. Them that keeps that ill mind art tlte Olles who end up as little old men." ~ I arshal Fraim to a depuTy
~o one enjoys investing hundreds of hours into a character only to have him blown away by the business end of a shotgun - all becausc you looked at someone 'funny' and they tOok exception to it.

On the other hand, it's hard to take much pride in a character who has no worries when it comes to death. Without the threat of death looming over a player's head there are really no challenges 10 face. However, there are some things a player can do 10 hedge his bets and help ensure his character lives to fight another session. As your charaCTer rises in stature and power, think about insu lating that character from harm. Would J ames C, Fowlel; the aggressive rail baron go Out personally to 'muscle' a local landowner into giving up his landrights? Of course not. He'd send out hired guns to do his dirty work for him. Hiring others to do your dirty work or simply to shield you from harm is key to your long-term survi\'al in the campa ign. Don't worry - hiring help doesn't mean you ha\'e to miss all the fun (or gunplay), Running cronies, hired help and other NPCs under your character's control as secondary player characte rs is a great way to extend the fun, And should the worst happen and your PC bite the dust? You'll have a stable of interesting char acters you'vc already fle shed out and played to step up as your new character. pOSing terms. The important thing is to get a roof o\'er your head and food on the table.

MEALS AND LODGING

"The price of an item isn't worth the slip rif paper it 's 11;rittm on. Barter, haggle and deal.l Show me a poor man without a hat and I'll show)'ou a man who (an', work a deal, "
Old ranch boss

When it comes to meals and lodging, finance s may dictate your being a creative thinker, A room in the hotel would be nice, but they can run a dollar a night. That's S30 a month - more than a month's wage for moSl people (although at many hotels that dollar includes a meal). Another option is one of the boarding houses in town, A bed here will set you back 25 to 50 cents a night. Plus, you'll be sharing a room with five to twenty others, packed in tOgether like sardines in a can. Flophouses are notOrious for their foul smells and lice infestations - not to mention the risk of communicable diseases. They're also famous for petty thieves. You just might wake to find your boots gone. Occasionally, livery stables will trade out space to people so they can roll out a bedroll in the hayloft in exchange for shoveling manure or pitching hay. In fact, bartering for a place to sleep (and if you're lucky a meal) is a common practice. So don't be shy about pro-

FINDING WO RK
It 's time to get some money coming in, which usually means getting ajob. Unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you'll find any money you may have squirreled away will rapidly fade - especially in a gold camp where outrageous prices are the norm, If you've decided up front you'rc going 10 be the outlaw type and live off the sweat of the brow of othe rs, then an honest day's work probably isn't in the ca rds for you. Howeve r, you may still want to read ahead.

is

Even an out law fi nds he must lay loll' and blend in from time to time. When looking for \\"ork, the first thing you'll want to do is get a feel for the town. Walk around and explore. Tip your hat and ma ke pleasant conversat ion, read the paper if you c an read, that is" listen for oppo nun ities wonh pursuing. Try to gel a feel for what's going on. Who arc the movers and shakers locall y? Who thinks he runs the tOwn and who r ea lly runs things? Wh at arc the main issues the town confronts? E\'en though a lot of ad\'entu res in ..l as & Eights take place in the wilderness, most campaigns telld to be towll-cemri, since that's where the real action is. \\"hile looking for work a nd seeking opponunities 10 better you rself, it pays to always keep your eyes open and an car \0 the wall. T he more you know about your surround ings, the better equipped you'll be to pounce when a n opponunity comes by. The more people you meet the beller. ~ I ake a mental note as to who seems to be trustworthy and \\'ho see ms to be trouble. The nature of any work you decide to take largely depends on your character and hi s skill s, as well as what his goals arc. To be sure, you may be ambitious and have lofty goals you may be particular as 10 what SOrt of \\"ork you' re wi lling to do, bu t if your pockets a rc empty and your stomach is knOl1ed up from hunger, you may have to take what you can get until you find you r footing. Offering to help the proprielOr of the general ~tore unload th at wagon of ncwl),-arrived goods in cxchange for a mea l a nd a cot in his back room might be well rceeived. Likewise, toti ng wood or coal for the blacksmith's forge, sweeping out the jailhou se, o r haulin ' the slop bucket from the cafe out to th e hogs might put a roof over your head for anoth er night , or provide a meal. In lieu of mone)', a good strong back and a willingness to use it can often get you through a tough patch. Slopping the hogs and shoveling horse manure may not be glamorous, but it's a good way to keep your head above water while you look for someth ing bctler. Especia lly since suc h unskilled jobs are pl entiful. In the West, no one faults a man for be ing willing to do an honest day's work.

Arc you handy with carpell ters' tool s? Then finding work build ing houses or businesses rna)' be the ob\'ious rou te for you sla ni ng OUI. Did you learn how to ~hoe a horse on your pappy's farm ? ~ I aybe the blacksmith could usc some help. ~I a ybc a job at the local saloon as a bouncer is more to your liking. Do you find town life a bit stifling? Then head Ollt for the gold field s to try your hand at prospecting. Or, sign on with a cattle out fi t and help drive a he rd to the railheads in Sequoyah. Good with a gun? Perhaps the sheriff has need of a deputr ~ I aybe you r character has aspira-

tions to be the sheriff him~c1f driving to running a business nca rly limitless.

~o meday.

the

pos~i bilitie s

From catl lc are

It rea lly falls to you to seck out and C\'cn create) job opportunitics. Working for others and lea rning a trade is fine, but your ultimate goal should be working for yourself.

PUTTING YO UR SKILLS TO WORK FOR YO U

You may find skills in Act.!' & Eights a rc fa r more important to a charac ter's liYelihood th an in some R PGs YOll 'VC played in the past. Sueccss o r failure of any endeavor you decide to purSlie can often hinge on the ski lls you have.

You should vie\\ any job as simpl y anot her ste p o n you r climb up that ladder a way to pay the bills while you look for an adva ntageous move to appear. You will be presented with an endless choice of opportunities during the cam paign, T ake the ones that appeal to you. Y ou may e\'e n want to try your hand at se\'eral differcnt professions during the cou rse of your PC's lifeti me. Freedo m is the spiri t of the West, and it is available to PCs in spades here. Wh at if you lack the skills needed to obtain the goals you arc striving for? Learning and growing such skills is onc obvious answcr. Still, kcep in mind you can always part ner up (o r cycn hire) others who have the ski lls you lack.

l i9

MAKING YO tTR O WN OPPO RTtTNITIES "If Lady Opportunity dQun't c01lle knockin' on )'tr door Ihm
il S limt to go find htr ond drag htr ass sutaming across ),ollr thrtshold. " General Welcome T. Pcniford , C.S.A.

a lot of damage, very quickly and permanently. There are no tap backs in A m & Eights. Dealh is forever. Also, don't forget that even though the \\'est has a reputation of lawlessness, Ihat doesn' t mean that anyone ca n do whalc\'cr he wantS and not expect to pay the piper. Those who pu sh their luck tOO far can find themseh'es behind bars, or dangling from the end of a rope. Don't make yourself a target. The Shattered Fronti er is filled with mcn looking for an easy mark and wanting to do others harm.
~ lany playcrs come to western RPGs with the mistaken belief there's little to do but rob banks, rustle cattle or en'J:agc in an endless SIring of gunfights. While going down the outlaw trail is certainly an option, and one many players will no doubt take) it isn't the only opt ion . .'\0\ by a long shot.

The most importalll lesson yotl can take away from this section is to dc\"clop the habit of making your own opportunities. That 's what this tutorial has been all about. Life isn't always about sitting around on your fat duff waiting for that golden ring to come around. There arc coun tless ways for you to make a name for yourself in the Shatlcrcd Fronticr, and each inyoiYc their o\\'n unique challenges. Some examples include: Starting a business

Prospecting for gold Herding catt le

Entering politics
BOllnty hunting Trapping or hunting Using your skills to turn a dollar Upholding the taw Running a farm or ranch Founding a town And th:u'sjust the tip of the iceberg. Become familiar with the Personal Goals and Profession Path~. They' ll provide you with a wealth of ideas to pursue.

If your chosen career path is the outlaw trail, then go for it. J USI keep in mind that such careers are often short and end violently.

STAYING O tTT O F HARM'S WAY

Speakin~ of violence, you will find it hard to avoid. Even upstandin~ characters will find they are templed to cross the line and break the law from lime 10 time, when in need or an opportunity presents iucle.

STAYING ALIVE
All the plotting and planning in the world isn't worth a hill of beans if you get yourself killed in the process. Remember thaI bullets (as well as arrows and knives' do

Besides. i:-. it really illegal if the bank you arc robbing happens 10 be in ~Iexico? ~Iany historical figures from the Old West rode bOlh sides of the fence during their careers. Of cou rse, no matter how careful you are, you can be slife IfOuble is going 10 come looking fo r you eventually ...

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4.21 Reputation & Fame

n the Shallcrcd Frontie r, a character's Repu tation among ot her folks is no small part of how he measures his worth. On lonely nights b) the rire, a man might find himself a~kil1g all sons of questions. Ho\\ much money do I h"\'e? What kind of borscncsh do I own? What kind of hombre do lolks see me as? Do others place their trusl in me?

This section describes hO\I ArtS & Eigllls characters can estahlish their Reputations. what their Reputation means 10 other folks, and how they can usc it in the game. II also discusses what some may consider a basic human desire the need to be \\ell liked or well known.

A ch:mlcte r's Repu tation score shou ld not bc confused with othcr abi lities used for soda l interaction such as Charisma o r Looks. Charisma is a measure of a character's leadership ahi lity and his abilit), to impose hi s will on ot hers. Looks simpl}' mcasurc how :utractl\'c he is. A character with good looks has a "ell-proportioned body. good symmetry, nice teet h and bone stru cture and few, if any, skin blemishes. Charisma and Looks can .,fTect a character's Starting Reputation. However, after character creation. the character\ actions determine his Reputation.

INDIVIDUAL REPUTATION
.\ l-haraeter's indi\idual Reputation score is what most players concern thenhekes with, because they have direct control on~r it. .\l 05t players find it an ongoing challenge to maintain their character's Reputation. During a t~ pical game session, the character earns or loses Reputation Points as he makes his way in the world. A character's Rcputation can rise or fall during a gaming session or between sessions. It is up 10 the participants 10 determine if th ey want to award (or penalize . a chamcte r\ Reputation Points as e\'ents unfold in the game. This i~ ea~i('r ror Ihe players or available Gamc).l.l$I~r 10 k~ep track of. and adds an immediate effect 10 game pia" but may tend to slow down play for some groups a5 the)' stop to change their statistics in the middle of play. Ahernati"el), keeping track of Reputation score adjustments anc! awarding them afte r the session docs not ~Iow down play with ability changes, but docs require the players or G~ I to keep track of which character, should receive bonuses or penalties, and why. The choice is up to your indi\'idual Style of play.

* REPUTATION *
As mentioned in the character creation section, individuals of great Reputation are not necessarily upstanding citize ns, and those widl low Repmation are nOI necessarily low-down, diny banditos. T he crucl owner of the Bar K Ranch may very well possess a high Reputat ion score while an honest cowbo), through unfortunate circumstances, might possess a miserable Reputation. With high Repuull ioll come$ respect. power. influ ence and position. Without it, characters can expect disrespect, shame and insults. Reputation is so essential to a ma n that it is reflected in his very countenance. People can som eti mes tcU what kind of Reputatio n a character has JUSt by being in close proximity to him. Reputation is something the character carns through his actions, much like Building Points BPs. ~Ioreo"er, Reputation can aha be lost, depe nding all the actions of Ihe ch<lracter. In fact, Reputati on is casier to lose than it is to gain, so ch aracters must carefully consider the cOiln'quences or their actions. Breaking a n oath, back shooting, cheating, cowardice aud un:wengcd insult s result in a loss of Reputation. Bravcry, ncr.e, sel f-sacrifice, mastery of skills and honesty earn the characte r Reputation. Player charaCters and ordinary citizens alike benefit li'om having a high Reputation score. The ~c characters art' perceived as trustworthy, honorable and reliable. Other folks are more likely LO listen to and bclie\'e such a person. Conversely, a me rchant or cowpoke \\itb a low Reputation score might find it difficult to keep hi~ job or to engage in p rofitable new business deal ings.

GROl1P REPUTATION
"'hel1e\'cr twO or more charactcrs partner up and begin spending time togethcr. they ~hould calculate thl"ir group Reputation score (a n averagc of the Reputation values of those characters comprising the group). Group Reputation includes the Reputation of any henchmen , si dckick ~ or cronies in the group. Group Reputatioll also applies 10 military units, outlaw gangs, secret organizations, elc. After each ga ming session the cha racters spend together, the players should recalculate their group Reputatio n score always found down. Each player must then adjust his character's individual Reputa tion

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one poi nt closer to the group Repmation score. This means those characters with low Reputat ion will ben efit by being part of the group and ha\'ing their Reputatio n raised. Those with high Reputat ion will find their Reputat ion being slowly dragged down by the others. Remember that any henchmen. sidekicks or cronies who a rc part of the group also mO\'e one point toward the new average.

C ATEGO RIES O F REPUTATION

Depending all a character's Reputation sco re, they fall into a particular Reputation category. The cate gories arc: Disreputable, Low, t\\e rage. Great and Lege nda .}'. A character can only exist in one category at a timc, a nd the effects of these categories whet her penalt ies o r bonuses a rc nOt cumulative. ~o r example. a eh:u'acte r in the Disreputable category su ffers a .\ penaity to all die rolls. If he mO\'es into the Low Reputati on category, Ihis penalty disappears. Likewise, a character with Greal Reput ation receives a + I bonu s to all die rolls and gains an additional 10'0 on any BPs earned. If he moyes into the Legendary Reput ation ca tegory, he loses all Greal Reputation bonuses and ga ins the Legenda ry Reputation bonu ses instead . Di s r eputabl e (05): Disreputable characters arc looked upon as the dregs of society. They sufTer harassment and ridicule at the hands of most other people. Shopkeepe rs arc more likely to take ad\'antage of these charaCters, barroom bullies arc more likely to pick fi~hh, and innkeepe rs arc more likely to turn them away. Character~ in the Disreputable category ,ufTer a -\ penalty to all die rolk

For t.\ample, lel$ SO)' tltal Billy, /-lank and Ttl; are lIlt onb' membm 0/ IllIir gang. After a nighl of rolepla)"ing, lIlt Repllialioll SCOTtS of 111t.Si dtamclUs art 10. 15 and 9. ThO' delermine Ilitir group Reputalion SCOTt is II (JO+ 1 5+9~34. and 31 dh-ided b)' 3 ~ 11.3, roundrd dou'nlo II). Billy GIld ux imp fOl'e Iluir scores ftom 10 10 11, and 9 10 10, resper Ih'eb'. However. Texs Rtpllialion drops 10 /4. Thai's whal he gels/or hanging around wilhfillas of lower Repulation.

FAMILY REPUTATION
'f he Reputation of relations affects the Reputatio n of a cha racte r, and vice versa. Family Reputation is on ly import ant to those characters that are reared from an established family or h",'c kin that li\c nearby. Certain r('suhs on the cham in Chapler 6.5 1Delailed Character Backgro/lnds affect Starting Reputation.

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~~'=:''"~""''''''''~~'''''bo ''__ ''_-7

If )'OU hl/llg out will, bar/nUll. killers mid samges, dOIl'1 br sllrJ!ristd if )'our Re/mlalioll score drops right alollg wi/Ii Iheirs...
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Low Reputation (6-20): Characters wilil low Reputation arc often distrtlSled, mistreated or ignored. Since this is the category in which many characters begin, they haHn't necessarily done anything to deserve allY unjust treatment They just might not have gotten a chance to prove Ihem~elve s yet. Average Reputation (2 1-70): Charactcrs with an ave rage Reputation are mostly ordinary citizens who make an honesi living. They ha\'e can'ed out a foothold in the Shattered Frontier and are making a way for themseh-es one small step at a lime. Great Reputation (7 1-100): Characters with Reputation have proyen repeatedly Ihat they what it takes to defend their hOllor and act illlegl'ity. Others know thnt someone \\ith a Reputat ion is not to be trifled with. great haw with great

Reputation Poims can be used to gain a re-roll to sway a critica l ollicome. At an)' time, a player may deduct 10 Reputation Points to re- roll one of his combat rolls, ability checks or ski ll checks by simply declaring that he desires to do so. Hc can also expend 10 Reputation Poin ts 10 make others re-roll a roll that directly affects his person (such as a shot fired at him). The onl y limit to the number of limes a player can do this is the number of his Reputation Points. For example, a player can deduct 30 Reputation Points to re-roll three times. He need not spe nd all the points at once. He can simply conti nue to expend 10 points to re-roll each time until he gets the desired resuh. A character's Reputat ion Points may never be reduced 10 less than zero in this manner. In any case, once a point is spe llt. it is gone for good!

All characters in the Great Reput ation category rcceh'c a + I bonus to all die rolls and gain an addi tional I BP for every 10 HP earned. They also receive a "mu lligan." This is one free re-roll per game session that can be used for any die roll combat, damage, initiati\'e, skill rolls, mastery dice, etC, I. Lege ndary Reputation (101+): When a characte r's Reputation score reaches thi s le\'el he inspires stories, legend s and gossip. Some make up stories that make the cha racter secm larger than life, while others may thi nk the cha racte r has gotten too big for his britche~. This le\'('1 of Reputatio n can be risky. because young tenderfoots sometimes seck these characters out to try their luck at taking them do\\ n a few notches. Legendary Reputation docs not make a cha racter fam ous, but those who meet this character a rc often strongly affected by the experience. All characters in this cillegory rece ive a + I bonus to all die rolls and gain an additional 10 0 0 on any BPs earned. They also receive two "mulligans" per scssio n. A mulligan is a free re-roll that can be used for any die roll combat. damage. initiati\'e, skills, whatc\'er . Howevcr. characters in this category draw the ire of any host ile character encou ntered. If a random determination is needed to detcrmine whom adversaries target, count characters in this category twice.

For tramplt. ltls st!J tlwi J tbtdiah Smith has a total of 23 Rtplltation PomiJ. If Jthedialt fails a comhat roll (or abili!)' e"tek or skill chtek), ht can sptnd 10 Rtputation Points (rtdllcing his total to / 3) alld rt-roll. If ht sucutds, guat! If lit fails, ht can accept the failure or sptnd allothff 10 Reputation Points (dropping his 10101 to 3). Ht (an'l try a t"ird lime sina Ite needs 10 Reputation Poinls to do so. bllt on(y has 3 Replltation Poillts lift.
Spending Reputation Point s helps bring an clement of cin('matic drama into Ihe game and allows characters to do truly larger than life feats. It can also help pr('\'cnt the premature death of a character in which you\'e invested a lot of time. but doesn't necessa rily guarantee safety as the re-roll could strike true once again, for exa mple.

REPUTATION SCORE AND REPUTATION POINTS

Beginn ing at character creation, a character is assigned his Replllation score and an identical number of Repumtion Points. If a character's Reputation score mo\'('s up or down, the Reputation Points arc adjusted by the same amount. A charactc r may spe nd Reputation Points without a<ljusting his Reputation score) in order to gain advantages in the game.
II III/Illifiating way 10 lost Nepull/lion Poil/ls.

183

NOTORIETY
When a ch;lr:t('lc r loses RCpul;lIion such that his score becomes negative, it is no longer called Reputation , but ralher, ;'\'otoricty. ;\l oloricI), has similar categories as Rcpulation hut orrcr~ nOlle of the same benefits. The categories arc: Notorious (-I to - 10) Low Notori e ty (-11 to -20) Average Notoriety (- 2 1 to - 70) Great Notorie ty (-71 to - 100) Lege ndary No tori e ty (-101 and lower) .An)' character that allows his Reputation 10 rail 10 zero or less is in for sOllle trouble. Th e characte r can ~ I ill perform acts Ihal incrc;.m: hi~ Reputation ~co r{'. hut he gains no corresponding Reputation Points until hi~ Reputation becomes POSiliH' ag-,lin. In gunfiglHs. Reputation atlecH how a ch;UOKtCf reacts when faced \Iilh his 0\111 monalir). If a char.tttel" has a high Rep utation . he'll \ta nd tall in the fa ce of mortal danger. while those of lo\\er Re p Ulalioll tend to n ee. HO\\c\'cr. Iho~c with negative Reputation NOlOriery' ~ hould take the absolute \'alue of their ::\otoriet) score in order 10 determine the eneCt of Reputation on how wounds arc handled in scrape ... For example, a character with a 10 :'\otorit't} ~(orl" should con~ider hi~ Reputat ion ~co re ;h 10 for pllrpo~ es of hi s reaction to wounds. Sec {,hapla 3.21 Adt'Ollml S(ra/Jts for more details.

proprirtor. Nt nllgs tht bell 01 lIlt COllllter and It'htn 110 alit is SUII/lltolltd jorlll daides 10 Itavt alld suk lodging elsewhere. 1/ iJ IIis bad Ilirk Ihal a deputy oll/mtrol SUJ Itim lem:ing lIlt hole!. Laler, u:hl'll lite body rif the IIIlIrdmd ric/illl iJjOulld. Ihe deplI!J remembiTS suing Ftrnando. FtTntlllda ij immedia/elJ' arrtsltd and charged wilh Iht (filllt, alld his Ileplltalion drops berar4.f( lit is pmtil'td to ht g/lil~)' - and IiktlJ' cOIll"icled buaust rif il/

OATHS
There Illa} be times when your character and his associates may need to swear an oath. Oath s in the Shattered Frontier arc taken \"cry seriously. A man',:; \,'ord is his honor, ilnd breaking an oath the strongest \\ord of honor a charaC(cr ca n gi\'e has din- eon~e quenee~. \\'lll.: n a character ~\\'cars an oat h. he i ~ literally swearin~ by his Reputation. Oaths arc usually made ....hell a charaCter promises to aecompli~h something of extreme importance to him or another c harancr. If he breaks the oath intentionally or otherwise). and \\ord gets out about il. the char:lctel' loses respcct and mllst immediately roll on Tablt .J.2-1: BrtakillK All Oalh to determine the result. Ah\ays round down. Xotl' that keepi ng or making good on an oath has no extra benefit other than a possible increa se in Reputatio n a ~ ~et forth in the .\wards section in Chapttr .J.3I J 1('Ofdr" \ person is e xp ect e d to kee p hi~ word. ,0 no incenth'(' i~ ~i\en.

Reputation and NPCs

Reputation i~ just a~ imponant to NOIl- I}layer Charaner, XPCs as it is for Pla.ye r Charac ters. Fo r {'xample. no \('Ir-rt'~pcctin~ gunslinge r is going to take lip or back- ~a" from the guy standing next to him in the ~ alo on. \dwther he's an N PC or not. If tilt') feel their Reputat ion has taken a dent , YOll ca n he sure they're ~onna come up for air and attempt to settle the :.core. The Reputati on category of an N PC can suggest a lot. It i, a good indication of just how important Reputation is 10 such an individual, and can wmetimes be u~ed to determine ho\\ he reacts to the group. F o r exa mple, a disreputabk :'\PC has obviomly been ha\'in~ a tough time of it. i'. lore than Likely, he 's in a foul mood and looking for a way to rai se his Repmation. What better way than to pick a fight or attempt to steal Reputation from someone else? Of course. it's important to remember that Reputation is not indicath'(' of personalit}. but it can suggest a c haracter's intent and mOlivation when considen-d with other faClor~.

GAINING AND LO SING REPlTTATIO N

When awarding or docking Reputat ion. the oth("r players and/or Camei'. lasler con~ider both the individual act ions of a character and the actions of his partners as a whole. Like\\i se. when a gang decides to tak(" a specific action as the result of grou p co n se n su~ or the leader simply decides \dHH the group is going to do and no one objects ', the ga ng is treated as a character and awarded or docked the points appropriately. Typical Reputation awards an' li sted on Table.\ 4.2-/ through -1.2-8. The awards li ~le d arc by no means complete. It is impossible 10 con'" every situation that might occur ill a t}11ical g:lme session. The players and/or Game~ l aster must rely on their judgment. using this lisl as it guidelint: for situations that arc not co\'ered. :-.lever forget that Replttatioll is largely based on the perception of thosc who \iew the cha ractcr. Fal~e rumors and misperceplions can taint such perception';.

Sr/ppoJt. jOr twmplt, Frrnando Corle: (111m a holtl JrUI mOll/ttlls qfttr oul/arts }WI't robbtd lilt place alld murdtr,d 1111

TABLE 4.2-1: B REAKING AN OATil

RoJJ (dZO) % of RepufitioD S CO.IC LQSJ I .. . .............. .75% 2-5................. . .. 65%
6-9 ...... . . . . ....... 50% 10-1 3 ........ _ _...... .'100/. 14-17 ..................30% 1 8-1 9 ....... . . . ...... .20%

TABLB 4.2-3: SAMPL EREPUTATIGN/ FAIiIE AWARDS - SOCIAL/ BNCGUNTBRS

ACiion RcpUUlion Flme AlIo...mg I patOnll s1igbt/illSUll 10 80 uacbillcnged ...... 1 ...0 Allowing .n inferior (suell u servanlS .nd hired h.nds) to disrespect you .. 2 . .1 AD ouuider bugllillg/ modlillg you or I complnlon .1 ,.. . ...0 BeiDg ldmoaished by lDOther for l wrongdoing, ..... -1 ........0 Beillg publicly ,"sulted or displ.Ugcd by III illferior .2 ........0 BeiDg puhlicly insulted or dispmged hy," superior .. ] , ... " ..0 B.elking your .... ord ......... ,', ................. 3 ........0 Ch.llellging I slighl TO Olle's Repuutioo .......... ,.1 ........0 Esa.ping from imprisonmenT., .... , .... , ... , ......2 .. .2 uught blsely cl.iming 'bugsiog rIghts' tbll beloDg 10 lDOTber ...... .......... ...... " ...-3 .. .3 HlviDg l book .... rittcn lboul you ., ............... .1 ...5 HlViDg I ne'llS Htide wrillCD IhoUT you ...........0" . ".1 Keeping l dIfficult promise ....... " .. , .......... .l ....... .1 Killing. host 'IIho h.s pro\'ided you food or shelter. " ........0 LetTillg someone uke ld,'uugc of you , .... , .. " .. -] ........0 Muryillg IlItO IIlgher soci.1 tlw ." ...............2 ....... .1 Negleeliag to properly hury l compUlloT .. , ... " ... ] ........0 Plyi ng off III extortionist 0' 'hlkedown ...........3 ........0 Perpemle hum ililling prlllk on ellCmy ., .... , ... , . .1 , .... J Pickillg up the fUl>C.r,j expenses of somtOI>C you killed ..2 ........0 Public iDIOxicuion .......................... , ...1 ... , ....0 .. .1 Publicly humilialing. wrKler of i lIigller Rq>ulilioll .2 Ruh or improper soci.! beh.vior ....1 ........0 Requesting I bvor/chuilY ....................... -I ....... ,0 s.,iTcltiIIg or rmins ()O,II HNlJCtcr 10 .uthorities!enemy .. 2 ... .. ..0 T,kiog' b"be .......................... . ... 1 .. " ....0 Lose l tontcsl ., .... " .. ,', .. " ... , ..............] ....... .1 Refuse I flit cOlllcu/c b.!lellgc .................. , 2 ....... .1

20 _........ . ............. 10%

TAB LE 4.22: SAMPLB R EPUTATIGN/FAMBAWARD S .S C RAPES

AClioll
R ~pUUljOIl

Flme

Allow diSirmcd opponeDI 10 pick up his we_poD .. .I _.......0 .:Z ....... J Allow ( llemy 10 dr .... firsT... ....... Allow (llemy to rcmo'~ their dCld/woulldcd from the fidd ............................ .I ........0 Amck unumcd or ob\jously inferior opponeDT ... ,-3 ........0 Ehckshootillg ...................................-5 ....... J Bein8 ill gUllfighl ..............................2 ........2 Being Illten pnsoner/surrendering ................ 2 ....... ,0 uplure b.mle 5undud or flag during comblt ... , .. .5 ... " .. .1 Deliver deit h blow to l helpless opponent " ... " ...1 .,', .. , ,0 Dir ty fighting (docsn't ,pply i{ the other guy fighl5 diTly first) .. ".,', ... " ... , ... , .... , .... ,-2 .. , .... .1 Enleri llg illto a Ielhll fighl without cover ........ .3 ........2 Exercising your 'brlgs;ng rigbli U I ",loon or hOlel .. .1 .......2 Figbtingl 'W()o'Ihy .-I>'eJSU)" or b.1I1Jc.1wdo:ncd ~\'O'SIt)' .t .. " ... .1 Flee l fig ht wilh In equII opponent .... , ............J ....... .1 Flee l figh t with l superior opponelll ... , ......... ,-I .. , .... .1 Flee I fighlwilh I weiker opponenl .............. -5 ....... .1 Flee l lnnle thlt's obviously going poorly ... , ... , ,1 .. , .... .1 Flee, Inttle Ihu's still in qucstion ................ -3 ....... .1 Refuse medicd trutmellt for the good of l frielld ... 2 ........0 S,ve the lifc of ,nother u greu ris k 10 own self .... .5 " ... , ..3 Save I life .................. ,', .. " ............ .1 ........2 Survi~ l gunWIol or primiti\1: ~ wool!d .... woul!d r."C:tiry ic>1:i .I Tlke. prisoner (J) ....... , ... " ... ,.... . ... .1 ....... .1 Purposely uke n lrrow or bullel wound mc.nt {Of someone else , ........ ,. .. ... .s ....3 Tau ll t In ene my ;nt o fig ll ti llg , ... ,', .. , .. .. -I . ...0 Unjustly slaying I prisoncr or unumed oppollent who hu yielded ...... " ... ,.. .. 5 .. .I Victorious 19linlt overwhelmillg odds ........... ,.s , .... , ..5 Blck dowlI from' chdlcngc' .... , ................ -2 ........2 \Vin I btlII'I ... . ........ , ... " ... , .... .1 ., ... .1

Such as losing a haggle or paying good money for shoddy producl, " Includts authority figures liltt deputies. politicians. etc. AWQrcI RepulDlion Points only if the figure INing disporagcd is in a position 10 do something about it. For txample. publicly ridiculing an Indian chief imprisoned INhind bars does IIOt WlJrrDnl poinls.

blown out of proportion if he is good at sprcading word of his deeds or alleged deeds. ThllS, you might nOt want to belieye e\'erything you hear. .\"OtC that Fame is not an indication or how well respected or liked a charactcr is, or whether or not he is a good or bad person. It si mply indicates how \,'ell known the character is. Famous characters may find that opportunities seck them out, it's easier to get loans, easier 10 obta in an audience with others of high Fame, hangers-on and side kicks arc lurcd 10 them, they get offcrs and fa\'ors "come to my saloon and get free drinks" , and so on. They might also find it casier 10 be elected, and harder 10 be cOlwicted. Howe\'cr, you ma)' also find that people recognize thc cha racter whcrC\'cr he gocs (regardless if he wants them to or nOt, his rcputation good or bad oftcn pre cedes him, people spread gossip and rumors about him, and folks often seck the characte r out, wanting something from him. The C:\ [ and/or othcr players
185

Remcmbu thai perception often INlays intent. A character thai oilers 10 buy a drink for someone ",'ho has just challenged him to a fight could IN construed as 'backing do".'n from a fight.

* FAME *
Fame is a measure of how far knowledge of a char acter and his exploits extends beyond his own immedi ate social circle, Howcn' r, a character's Fame can be

may have th eir charactcrs seek him out for th ese vcry reasons. Each character's Fa me stans at zero, though thi s may be modified by his Looks score. See Chapter 3.1 1 Character Creation for morc information.

also cau ses the adjustm ent of the Fam e of individu al members of the group on a periodic basis. Follow the same process for adjusting indi\'idual Fame due to group Fame as you would for Reputation.

Calegories of iIlme
Little Kn own (0-10): Only a few peopl e know you exi st.

Individual, Group and iIlmily iIlme

Group or famil y Fame can be calcul ated in much the same way as group or family Reputation . Likewise. it

TABLE 4.2-4: SAMPLE REPUTATIONi PAME AWARDS - CRIM ES

Misdeme~ nor

Crime $e1',r;IY' Fe1oo): Hagiog Offe~se

Trnsoo

R, p Flme R,p F~me R,p R,p F~me Flme Publi<:ly OICCU!lI:d of crime (ioDOCC:ol or 001) .... [ .. 1 .... ....3 ........ 2 ........S .... .... 3 .. ..... .S .. ... ..A Chuged wilh I crime ................ .1 ....... .1 .... ....3 ........ 2 ........ -S . ..... .3 ........S ....... .'1 Coovicted of 1 crime ..... . ....... . .. .. .0 ....... .I .. .. ..... [ .... .. .. I ... .....2 ... .....3 .. .... .10 .......5 Crimes typically considered misdemeanors in the Shattered Frontier include &mery. bribery. ciIJil disobedience or disorderly conduct. manslaughter. trespassing. vagranC!J. vandalism and similar crimes. Crimes considered felonies in the Shattered Frontier include block mail. embezzlement. extortion.forger!J.fraud. grow robbing. kidnapping. perjur!J. rope. theft. banditr!J and robbery and similar crimes. Hanging offenses include arson. horse thiecing. cattle rustling. murder and similar crimes.

Ci"umst~oces

TABLE 4.2-5: SAMPLE REPUTATION/ FAME AWARDS - PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS a. FAILURES

AClioo RepU lllion F~ me Acquiring 1 DeW skill ... ... ...... ...... ............ ... .. .1 ... .. ... .. .0 Acquiring Uod (per 1T1IlS1CTioo) ... .... . ... .... . ........ .3 . .... . ... .1 Chiming Territory from olD el>ClTly .. ................ ... 5 .......... .! o,llecting ~ rewvd . .... ... ........ . ................... 1 .......... .1 Complc:ting 1 pcnow.I mission .. ........... ............ 5 ... .. .... .0 Enttring inlo debT .............. ....... .... .. .. .... .1 ..........0 Fliliog 1 pef5()ll.ll quest ..... ....... ......... .... ..... .. ..S .. ........0 Gaining mISlay bel in ~ skill .................. ..... .4 ......... 1 [n ~ion of ~ fUllOUSor historiu.l item (ptr item) .... .8 .... .... .3 Losiog 1 siglUlUrt \\"Upon .......................... .... ..-1 ......... .0 l.o5iog iI\1.npOD ...... .... .. .... . .. ....1 . .... ... .0 Mlking olD item of extrrordilUry cnftsmmship .... ..... . . .1 ... ...... 1 Wioniog HOIIlest ............. ... ...... .I .... .. ... .1 WLM.ing olD drxtion ........ ......... ........ . .. ........ 5 .. ...... A

TABLE 4.2-7: SAMPLE REPUTATION/ FAME AWARDS - NPC &PLAYER RELATED

AC T ioo RepuuTion Flme AccepTing 1siguifiaoTgill .... .. ....... ...... I ........ . .0 Asking olD importolDt b\l()f .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ..... ... . ... .. .. ! .. . Civing ~ sigoifiuul gift ................... .1 .. ..... .0 Crlnling olD importolDI 1.,'Or . ............ ..... .......... .1 .. ........0 Phycr mempliog to KT on knowlc:dgc his dW1Ctcr docsn r1UVc. ......... ........ .............. .5 ... .. ..0

..........

... n

..

..

.................

TABLE 4.2-S: SAMPLE REPUTATION/ FAME AWARDS - FAMILY a. GROUP RELATED

Action Rtp uurioo Flme Avenging murder of bmily rrw:mbtr . ... ... .. .. .. .. .... 5 .... ... .. .1 &nishcd by family. . ........ . ............................5 ........... [ Dde.llill8 ~ hc:Tediury el>ClTlY ......... .... .... .... .... .10 .... Formiog ~o ~lli.lDCt wiTh mothc:r family .. ..... .......... 1 .. ....... .0 Fulfill fWlily debT ....................................... . .4 ......... .0 Losing 1 birthrighT or olD inhaited item ....................-6 . ....... .0 Mcmbtr of fWlily dies wilh grt.il RtpuuTion. .... .....1. ... . .....0 Murder of ~ family member . .............. .......... .. .~ . .. . .. . .1 Ikoo-.-cring or 1\1:0gingl stob or destroyed family hc:irloom ..................... .... .. ......... ... 5 .. ...... .0 Refusing orr.s flmily bdtr ................ .. ......... .. .-5 ... ......0 &nishcd/oosred by gwg/company ............. . ...... ..-5 ......... .0 Oath of ~ fellow wiTh Crat Rtpuutioo ...................1 ......... .0

................

TABLE 4.2-6: SAMPLE REPUT ATION/ FAilE AWARDS - PROFESSIONAL

ACTion RepuUlioo Fl mt Btiog tlkto WVolDUge of ... ................. .. .......... 1 ..........0 Showing off billie 5Qt'S .... ..... .... . ............. ... 1 .. ....... .1 Crnting ~ DeW useful iOVCIlTioo ... ... ................... 5 .. ...... 1 First TO find w.1 ll1h1e ore deposiTS ................. ... .. .. 1 ......... .3 Ceiling uughl chating . ... ... .. ... ...... ....... ..-3 .. ...... .1 Hiring 10 employee ..... .............. ....... . ......... .1 . ........ .0 Losiog signific.tntly IT gunbling ......... ..... ... ... ..... [ .. .. .... .0 NUtsingl dwuter T Ohc:.ihh ...... ... ... .. ...... .... ... .1 .. ....... .0 Performing 1 successful surgery ....... ............ .. .... .1 ..... .... .0 Publishing/writing for 1 PIper (per month) ......... ......0 ..... .... .I Sllkiog 1 mining ,him ... .. ......... .......... . .... 1 .......... .1 SI1rtiogl busillCSS .. ........................... .... .... 1 ..... . ... .1 WinDing signifiUllTly i t gvnbling ... .... ...... ... .. .... .1 ..... .... .I WriTing/publishiog I book ........... .............. .... 1 ..... .... .I

.... n

..

.....

Group Reputation aWQrds/ptnalties are 9AA-n for those actions the 9f01lP performs as a groop or thfOllgh 9f01lP consenSli5. Points are added to {an removed from) the 9f01lp Reputation. not from individual Reputation. At the end of the sess.i:.m. each 9f01lP member's Reputation moved OIle point doser to the 9f01lP Reputation foctor (before individual Reputation is rero/culateci per the Repalation roles)

186

Local (11-20): Seems like everyone in town knows who you arc and your deeds, Minor Celebrity (2 1-70): E,'en the wranglers in the next territo ry know about you, \ rhen a character's Fame reaches SO for the first time, his name begins appearing in popular songs and stories as a minor or local hero (or villain of mention, In addition, there is a 10'0 chance per week that a notorious foe starts boasting of his ability to whip the character in a gunfight, an election, or any OIher profession-relat ed activity), For example, an outlaw may c hallenge the marshal to a shootout, while a carpenter boasts that he creates beller woodwork than thc character, On the ot her ham!. a earpe mer who was once a gunfighter may find himself challenged by either. If such boasts reach the charaCler's cars, and he refuses to seck Out and defeat the foe, he surrers a loss of 200 of his Reputation Points, For every 50 points of Fame a character has, others surre r a - I penalty to Accuracy and a +1 penalty to Speed when facing him, Major Celebrity (7 1-100): You're extremely well known. For example, the person working on the docks in New York City has hcard of you, and how you ShOl four Indians with a rusty revolve r whilc blindfolded, Famous (101-200): You and your deeds arc occasionally heard of c"en in lands across the ocean. Epi c (20 1+ ): When a character's Fame reaches 201 he is co nsidercd a gre;ll hero, suitable material for epic songs, lengthy folktales and the like. Those who might like the c harac ter arc more di~posed to trcal him with respco, while those who arc morc famous now stan to treat him as a peer. All penalties when facing this character a rc doubled.

get the most daring deeds! In game tcrms, this is re presented by the fact that Fame decreases at a rate of I point per month. Fonunately, Ihis loss of Famc can go no lowcr than 20 0 of the highest Fame the cha rac ter ever obtained. :"aturally, the characte r ca n continue to perform activities that increase his Fame,

For ('(amplt, ltl:r sa)' l/tal UX /tas a Famt scort as high as I i3. bill hi losn inltusl ill dramalit duds and U'tnt into SttfllJion. Ort( tht nl,\1 fiu' )'tarJ~ his Famt dttrtast$ b)' I lur IIIonth aJ jolks gradllal/;' SIOI) talking about },im, 111IIil it SlOpS at31 (2f)~~ oj I i3. rOllllded doum). isn't quitejorgollen, but ht S 1101 lItar(), as big a/Willi (/j' ht 011(( U'(/S.

ux

Sample ReputaUon/Fame awards

Tablts 4.2-2 through 4.2-8 provide some guidance on ci rcumstances warranting such an award.
A note on a wards or p e nalties for c rim e: The Rcputation of the accused and the accuser affects these modifiers, For every Reputation calCgory the characters are away from avcrage Reputation, add or subtract one Reputation Point from those listed on Tablt 1.2-1: Samplt Rtputalioll/Famt Awards - Crimts, depelldill~ 011 \\ hethcr tiley arc abo"e or below average, respecti\'ely. H owc\'er, if the accuser or the accused is of legendal'\' Reputation and the other is not, doubl e the modifier after addin~ or sublracting the original modifiers,

GAINING AND LOSING FAME

Fame is affected by a character's actions in mllch the sa me way as Rc putation. H owc,'er, yo u can become famous for things yo u haven't even donc, In 01 her words, o ne 's fame may not reneCt reality. This could be by accident people mistaken ly atlribute deeds to you o r it could be by design you go around bragging about things you\'e nevcr done or taking credit for somcone else's deeds . !-I o\\,cver, just because a chMacter docs somcthing to boost his fam e docs nOI mean he can sit back and coasl on that e,"el1l forever, E\'entually people may pUl a charactcr in the back of their mind and perhaps e\'en for-

JOllr Fame IItll survivts )'Ol/r death - for a wllilt.

l8i

4.31 Awards
here arc many types of awards in life, be they monetary, fame, position or success. So 100 arc there a va ri cty of awards in Ihe A rt.{ & Eights ga me. CIHlractcrs may rece ive awards in fjyC catcgones: monetary (from success in business, im'cstmen IS, gambling, bounties, robbery, eIC. ), Reputation Points for followin g the Code of the West), Building Points (from learning while using skills and sllcceeding at a profession o r experiencing life), experience (from sUIYiving gunfights), and Fame Points (from news of a character's activities spreading f;:lf and wide).

AWARDING FAME POINTS

Fame Points arc awarded ror activities that arc not significant in t.hc eyes of othe rs, but arc also widely reported. Such reports may be transmitted by any means. but transmillcd the)" must be. The method can be as simple as an eyewitlH:ss telling the tale to friends and relations \\'ho then spread the news. The news can sp read by newspape r or wire or eyen by dime novel. Each of these manners of publicity for a significant achievement will help increase your Fame. though difrerent situatio ns in crease Fame at diITerent rales.
onl~

* How

AWARDS WORK

Each 'YI)t of award affects a different a~peCI of your cha racter. Reputation Points provide your character with luck and a sixth sense to help in sur\'i\'al and adva ncemellt. ~ l onetary awards directly correlale to power and freedom. Those with mOlletary resources can work for themselves and aCI ually hire others to do their bidding, an important ability in a land where violence and death come swift to men or act ion. Building Points increase Skills and Ta1ellls. Experie nce increases your c haracter's odds of su rvi\'al in a confrontation. Finally, Fame can aITett many a~pects of the game. including those mentioned before. This section describes these various methods of rece iving awards and their significan ce to the charatte r.

For e.rample. if your character sillgle-Iwlldedly savts all illfollt from II !J.tfimpt:dt. his mother migltt tffltlte news rif )"our sllillthood to '("t~)'0/U' thatwillli!J.t(ll. On the otftrr hllnd.. I'Ollr fame "In Ihot IIIlIch tht hella !f II.., bratlltr ftapjJflls 10 be the loenl IltU'JPaperj O llrnalist.
T he various amollnts and types of Fame awards arc discussed in Chaptlr -1.21 RrpllflIti(1/I alld Fame. Fame can be earned at any time in a game session. as long as a proper triggering event has occurred.

MONETARY AWARDS
Characters recei\c monetary awa rds (cash and ot her like ~old. deeds to land, claims, goods, ctc.) at any lime in a game ~es~ion that they earn it. Certain monetary gains occur al a set time. Exam ples include sal ary from paid positions, income from businesses whose books arc adjllsu:d monthl~' and so forth. Other t}1)CS of income happen when they happen. For cxampic. ir your gam bler \\"ill~ a pOI of money, he adds that 10 his total cash immediately.
\aluablt:~

AWARDING REPUTATION POINTS

Reputa tion Point s arc awa rded for following the Codc of the Wesl. The variou5 amounts and types of Reputation awards arc discu~sed in Cftllpter 4.21 Reputlltioll and Fal1ll!. Reputation Points may be gained at any rime in a game session, as long as a proper trigge ring evcnt has occul"rl'd. Characters of honor and upstanding quality should look for any opportunity to obtain Reputation Points. T hey are the ea~iest of all a\vards to gain. and the easiest to lose. Reputation Poims are extremely important 10 the character because rh ey can allow him to avoid fate and sway events ever so slig htly in his favor. The diITerc uce between a gunshot to Lhe forehead and a hole in your new Stetson can be measured in inches or e\'cn fractions of inches. Reputation Points ca n help )'ou with that on rare occasion. In short, do what you can to build up a solid Reputation score and many Reputation Points. Out in .he Shattered Frontier, you'll need them.

EXPERIENCE AWARDS
Whilc charatters receive all sorts of awards rrom experic'ncing all SOrtS of ('\'eI1lS in the Shattered Frontier. experience awards is really a tcrm that refers to one specifi c kind of e\'ent: surviving a gunfight. Each time your characte r survives a gunfight (as described in Chapter 3.2IAd~'(l/!red Scra/m, record that fact becausc all characters improve their nerve afte r survi\'ing a gunfight. This irnpro\'etllcnt is reflected in increased accuracy and speed modifiers (or decreased penalties). Of course, the more shoolOuts your charaCter survi\'es, the less dividends experience pays, with the first few being the best learning experience and later it getting LO be old hal. T he details of this improvcment arc desc ribed in Cfta/Her 3.2l Advallced

Scm/Jes.

,"8

Beyond a meager and decreasing impro\'ement in handling yourself in a scrape, your character will not earn much for scrapping and bra\vling. The only other rewards in those activities will be in the figlll itself and learning how to handle yourself and your weapon. Besides, learning how not to get your ass kicked is a reward in itself. As you'll soon learn, gunfights are incredibly lethal not to mel1lion unp redic table. The more d iligcnt you arc in a\'oiding gun play a nd bar fights the better YOllr chances of li"ing to sec the rise of the sun in the morn. ?\ Iakc no mistake there will be limes aplenty when you'll havc 10 shoot. But as a general rule you shouldn't makc a habit of looking for one. Especially si nce there i~n't mtlch to be had as an incenti\e.

and develop. ~cithe r are those who tend to follow rather than lead. In life, those who get off their duffs and get out and carve a niche for themselves in the world are going to fare bette r. You can earn Building Poims in three ways:
gr Profession Paths
rdir
~

Pers onal Goals Re markable E vents

Profession Paths
A Profession Path i, simply a staled commitment by a player that indicates ho\\ his character is going to make hi~ way in the \\orld. ,\t the onset of each gamc session, evcry player at tbe table should announce (or record for the \'ie\\ing of others his character's profession. It is quitc all rig:hl. though perhaps not \'(" 1) ' prodllcti\'e, to change pro fession~ at the ~tart of each ~ame ~e\sion. \\'hat\ mo re , your chal'acter is free to pUI"lIe any profc~\ion his heart desires. Keep in mind hi~ ~kill5 or lack thereof \\"ill probably ha\'e a lot to do with his ~uecess in any gi\'en profession.

BUILDING POINT AWARDS

Building Points BPs are awarded during the campaign as a cha racte r applies himself by taking on challenges, pu rsuing personal goals and life experience. The amount of BPs garnered and the ~peed in \\'hich they arc earned is entirely tip 10 the player. Slackers who arc sim ply content to eke by aren't likely to gro\\

JVhell )'ou

begill ),our Prrifession Path. )'Olt'll probably IWL't 10 slarl small.

189

A Profession Path may be a specific professional occupation like a dOClor or a lawyer, but beyond the vcry few "professio ns" ex ist a whole world of vocations, jobs and behaviorally defined lifes tyles (like Outlaw). Your character's Profession Path can also be an unpaid position , stich as a scat on the town council (politician), or perhaps a scientist (naturali st). It 's realI}' up to you what your cha racter's Profession Path entails and how you pursuc il. Once you 've chosen a profession you must stick with that path for the duration of the current session. At lhe cnd of the session the Gi\ 1 and lor players will consult with the Profession Table for your profession and will award BPs based on YOllr mcccsses during that session . Any ObjeCLi,'c achieved on your Path will afford you one or more BPs. Note well that the Objecti\'c must be obtained during that session. So if or Hrll1k Sharper just became a Lawman. but had previously caught and hung a horse thief, he doesn't gain BPs for that. He'll ha\'e to catch another onc while he's declared Lawman as his Profession to gain the BPs.

Multipl e O ccupations and the Profession Path

It's cnti rely possible, even probable, that characters making ~ome headway in the Shattered Fronticr will take on more than one profession. For exa mple, the local hardware dealer may be elected sheriff or mayor: After that. he might ope n a saloon while still maintaining the hardware store, a position on the (own council and the sheriff's job. Thi s is a very good situation for the character to be in he can gain Fame. Reputati on and moncta!)! awards hand-aver-lIst and likely shape the fultlre of the (Olin. Howc\'er, he still can ha\'e only olle chosen Profession Path at a rime (although he can still Chatl ge that at the start of any game ~essio n l . Therefore, he only ca rns BPs for completing Objectives listed on his current Profession Path. In other words, characters can't double-dip with respect to BPs earncd from professions. Each Profession Path libts Obj ectives that you will monitOr (and th e other players andlor G,\-I will verify) to dc tcrmine if yO\1 are awarded Building Points. The P rofc~sion Paths and their Objccti\'cs arc listed in Chapter 4.41 Prqfrssio/Z Patlts.
SaITlple Profession Path: GaITlbler

For example, Jolzmzy Coopt'{ has just jllmped riff the stage in ,\luskeegie,]i"eshjrom llu Mst. With O llly aftit' d(l!l(lr~ ill lIis pocket his immediate cOllu rn isjiudillg aJob and crltmg a fOO/ Ol!er IllS head. JolLnnJ' tll/u(d the gallic /Iitl! sOllie carpu/Uf and blncksmi[h skil/.r JO he decidn to II]' to .find a .lob that Illili':l'l those skills. For this sessioll I,e flllllOUnctJ to lIlt table thai hiJ Prc!ftwol/ Path is Blacksmith. &ing a blarkSllllth lIIay //01 be J o/imzy'J long lerm goal; ii's simply a way to establish himself alld get his jooting IIl1til hL t all mOl't on /0 olhLr things. He asks arO/md and finds a blarksmith shop IlInt needs extra htlp shoeing horses. The job pqys S / a d(I)' wilh a fiee room over the J/ud. Jollm!} is /lOW actively working his rholul /mifusion and call work his way thTIJugh the Blnchlllitlt Prifessio/l Path (a 'plaiIlLd below). The following msioll, Johnny rail thoose Blacksmith agaill or he can lIIove to allollter lint if 1(ork.
Profession Paths arc all about your charactcr pushing and im proving himself. If you choosc to bc a cowboy and end lip working for an established rancher you may garner a few BPs the first few sessions. Should you bc content to round up cattle for someone else, scraping up enough just to pay lor a couple of nights a month of raising perdition , you'll stop sllccessfully attaining objectives and earn ing BPs for that Path. That is, until you apply yourself, taking on more responsibility, obtaining ),ou r own herd or partnering rather than working a job. A Profession Path is just that a path. You must stay in mOlion, otherwise rou may find your characte r in a rut and nOt growing.

Improve to 49% ill relevant skill. Improve to 49/0 or better in G ambling skill. Award: I I~P. Obtain faro board/box, bird c age or c raps table & dice, c ards atld poker chips or roulette wheel . Purchase or oth e rwi ~e obtain a gambling toolkit for your preferred game. Award: 2 BP. R.",! a high-stakes faro/poker/dice/rolliette gan1e. Run a game whe re the minimum bet is 55. Award: 3 BP. Run a per-mtutetlt jaro / poker/dice/roulette game. Game must be diligently ope rated for onc mOl1lh. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in ofT-hours. but mu~t run the game as a se rious matter for 4-0 or marc hours per week for a solid momh. Award: 4 BI'. Manage others running high stakes faro/poker/dice/ro1l1ette g am es. At least one other employee/apprentice runs a high stakcs game from which you take the house's winnings. Award: 5 BP. Own gambling establishntent. Set up a per manent building fo r operation of the gambling business. Award: 10 HP. Open two more gambii1lg establishments. In the same town or in another, purchase additional lots and build additional gambling establishments (lor a total of thrce). Character must actively manage each for a month or longer. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in ofT-hours, but must pursue business management as a se rious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 20 BP

Following a Profession Path

T he Pro fession Path must be followed roughly in order; no more than one Obj ective may be skipped without completion. Skipped Objectives may be completed later and another Object ive then later skipped.

For example, Stanley 'junior" Frttsoul htil thosm Gambler as llis Priftssion Palh. After improvillg his Gambler skill 10 49 % (lower is beller wilh Skills). he obtains ajaro board alld gains 2 BPs. The next smion. Ju lJ' II 'ilkts. oU'n" rif tht Bucking Tiger Saloon agrus 10 It I JUll ior u'Ork as a pnmantlll jaro draler in Ihe Tigrr (for 50% rif Ihe lake. rif COlmtj. Junior, although ht skipptd rUlming a high slakrs jaro game, grls tht 4 BPs ht's tarntdjor a prrmanrnl galllt and 1110), tun slarl u'Orkillg 0 11 filldillg SOllie tmplo)'us 10 mQlmge in ordrr 10 gain his 5 BP Objrctive. If Ite sOlllellow got mougll mOlley 10 buy llis own galllbling hall, he u:ouldn't gtl tht 10 BPs for that Objrctivt as he'd hat't now skipped two Objrctius fIInning Iht Iligh slaku gamt alld m(lI/aging otlttrs. Ju niord bt best oJ! (from a BP-tarnillg persprclivej if III lL'l1l1 hack alld rail Iltat high staku gamt.
Re-Entering a Profession Path

Buying your first horse might be a good goal early in the game, and it might e\'e n help you catch o n at the next cattle dri\'e for your chosen profession of cowboy, but it is not considered to be directly related to your profession. On the other hand , capturing an outla\, is not a Personal Goal if your profession is lawman it 's part of you r profession and not a Persona! Goal.

TABLE 4.3-1: SAMPLE PERSONAL GOALS .P,

SUrl l hmi ly (ldopt/ hHe I firslbom ) ........ . ..... 1 Buy I .. elpon ....... ..... .... .................... 1 ClplUre I budito/ robber .. ...... .................. 1 Survive gunfight .. ,., ............ . .. ..... . .. .. . 1 store ..................... .. ... . . ... . . .. 1 eela~b ............. . . ....... . . ... . ... . ... 1 eet muried ., ............. . .... . .. ....... .... 2 Rob
J

Bu y J horse ............... . ... .. ............ 2 Clpture I minor outll .................. , ... ... ... 2 Rob a bank ................. .................. 2 Sponsor J festivll .......... , ............. ....... 2 Ploy off 111 debls ............... .. .......... , ..... 2 Keep I ,ob (for one month) .................. ... ... 2 Rustle clt tle herd ................................ 2 Buy bnd ............................. . ..... 2 Buy, house ................... . . . ......... . . . .3 Capture, mljor outllw ........... . ...... .... ...3 Become, II'I"mln ..... . ................... 3 Become 1 lou l offici, 1 ............................ 3 Bu y I 5ugecoach ., ...... ... ...................... 3 Succcss(ul long-disIUlCc delivery (ala Pony Express) ..........3 Rob, Inin ........... , ...................... . ... 3 Successful Utile drive ............................ .4 S uccessfu lly opentc busi ness ((or one monTh) ....... .4 S uccessfu ll y opeUle fum (for one monTh ) .......... .4 Bu y I business ............ , ..................... .4 S uccessfu lly open!e !Inch (for one monTh ) ...........5 S uccessfully operate, mine (for one monTh) ..........5 Buy I finch ...... , ........................ .. .....5
. y.m~........ ... . . .....J

As we mentioned above, your character can change Profession Path anytime your hea rt desi res it.

Now, let's suppose/1m/just qflrr tarnillg his BPsfor rumlillg a permalltlltjaro gallle. 01' Stanley 'jullior" F (ill the previous txamplt) duidts 10 quil the lift oj a gambltr in ordrr 10 buomt a polititian for a Sptll. This is perfictly all nghl. Now let's assume jurlher Ihal JUllior tires rif being a politician shortly aftrr losing his first eltction In an embarrtilsing landslide due in no smail part to a standal involving a house rif ill repule. So now Junior wants 10 go batk to gamblillg and reenlers Ihe Gamhlillg Priftssioll Palh. Tlt is is quilefil/e alld aokay. He tall pick right up where he lift off as a gamhler (hut can't repeat previously tompleted objtctivlS for additional BPs).

P,rsona1 (;oa1s
Personal Goals represent your character's objectives that arc unrelated to his profession. Each is a component of whe re he hopes to get in life and what he wal1lS to accomplish. They a ren't ends in themselves. Once achieved, the character simply chooses another one to pursue. A character's Personal Goal may be incred ibly ambitious (" marry the president's daught er") or a little more modest ("get hitched" ). The rules for choosing a valid Personal Goal arc:
:T It must be a speci fic goal that can be measured or achieved
gr It can 't be related directly to a Profession Path 91'"' It can', be repeated to earn BPs

Bui ld, house ................ ... ...........6 Become a state offiei, l ..... .... ... . .... ........6 Open a husiness .... ..... ......... . . , ....... .... ..8 SUfi' hrm ......................... , ...........8 OpeD pub lic institUTion (school. museum ) ............8 Buy 1 locomo tive ............ , ....................9 SUfi a unch , ........ .. ................... , . , .... 10 Become, nuioul offic i, l ....... ................. 10
~'.m~..W

191

To get you started with your first Personal Goal , take a look at Table 4.3-1: Sample Personal Goals. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, as the possibilities arc nearly endless. If a particular goal docs not appear on the list, bring i1 to the next game session. A majority vote and/or Gi\! consent will allow it. Your cha racter receives Building Points at the end of Ihc session when he accomplishes his chosen goal. Every player shou ld declare his character's Personal Goal be it building a house, finding a spouse, opening a business, and so on before each game session . We do this partly to refresh everyone's memory and partly to prompt other characters into helping - or hindering your e!Torts. A Personal Goal must be fully completed in order to receive BPs for it.

For example, suppose James "'hite has a Personal Goal rif blf}'ing a house. Hefinds olle available bllilhe pm'ious oU"l/er only Iwff-fhlished il. if James blip andjinislus the hOl/se. he u'on't receive the BPs for bll)'lng a IWI/Sf until he (or somtone he hires) jinishes it. . \ ow lei's suppOSt fIIat in the abou sallario, JamiS' Personal Goal was to build a houst. For this PerSOllal Goal he'd receiu IW BPs at af! since he Oil!; finished buildilig a house and did 1I0t aetuall;' build the wllOle hOl/se IlImse{f

Remarkable Events
Sometimes, perhaps often, certain unplanned e\"cnlS outside of your character's goal and profession force your character to reckon with them. They are challenges the cha racter must confront or a\'oid, but weren't sought out. For example, suppose a character's goal is to purchase a house near a town and further his profession as a rancher. While he's heading for the next town to evaluate some livestock, he meets a group of settlers who have been ambushed by a band of savages. One of the pioneers' children has been kidnapped. You accept the ir plea for help and head otT to retrieve the child. After a long journey that involves tracking the band, negotiating her release, and an aCt of betrayal, you manage to return the child to her family. The event had nothing to do with your cha racte r's current Profession Path or Personal Goal, but you learned something from the experience that built character. In this case, you're awarded one BP and likely greater rewards in the areas of Reputation and Fame. Remarkable Events can occur at any time and in any frequency, but in all cases the reward is a maximum of one BP. Further, no more than one BP can be earned per month in this manner; the lion's share of your character's BPs will be earned through allaining Personal Goals and success in her Profession Path.

192

Chapter 4.41 Profession Paths

As stated in ChaP/a 1.3ItlwardJ, a Profession Path is a commitment by a player that indicates ho,\<his characte r is going to make his way in the ','orld . Once a p rofession has been c hosen. the player mu st Slick with that path for the dur"tion of the current session. At the end of th e session. the Gamei\ laslcr and /or pl ayers will co nsult with the Profession Tahle for that professio n and awa rd Building Pa ims ba~cd on the character's sm:cesses durin~ that session. Any Objective achic\'ed on the Path provides one or more BPs. Each Profession Path lists Objecli\'cs thai you will monitor (and the other players and /or G:\I will verify) to determine if you arc awarded BPs. The Profession Path must be follo,\ cd roughly in order; no more than one Objective ma~ be passed oyer wit hom completion. Skipped Objectjvf's Illay be complet ed at a late r time a nd another Objec tive the n late r skipped .

APOTHECARY
Set up for business . Setting up in a known area

Hold a vi e wingl display in another town. H old a vie\\ing/an show in another tO\\,n to display your \\orks. Itcms shou ld be up for S<l1e. f\warcl: 3 BP. Crea t e an extrao rdinar y work recognized by Eas t Coast. Create an ext raordinary item in the profe ~sionexceed .\rti~tic Skill roll by 100'0: . An item with a modified skill roll in excess of 1250 is recognized by the East Coast as a wonhy contribut ion 10 the arts. Award: 5 BP.

for ~a l e and/or c reation of wares. For Starter~ this can be and typically is a rellted locatio n, (',en a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BI~
Get a permanent business . Setting up a permanent slore front/building for operat ion o r the business. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49/. in rel evant s kiU . Improve to 491)'0 o r better in the .\pothecary skill. .\ ward: 3 BP. Hire an apprenti ce/ e mployee. Taking on a ne\\ e mployee o r an apprentice. It need nOt he a paying

Create an ex traordinary work recognized by Europ e. Creat e an extr3ordinaI)' ite m in the profes~ ion exceed Artistic Ability skill roll by 1000 '0). Art

it e m with a modified skill roll in excess of 14-90 is recin Europe a~ a \\'onhy contribution (Q the an s. .\ ward: 10 BP.
o~nizcd

posi tion (especially in the case of Award : 2 BP.

;Ul

apprent ice).

ASSASSIN
Assassinate unknown p e r s on n ea rby.

Create a n ex t raordina r y ite m. Create an ex traordinary item in the professio n (exceed Apothecary skill roll by 100/0: . Awa rd : 10 HP.

Assa<;sinate a Little Known or Local personage Fame 20 or less, without being seen or caught , in exc.hangc fo r moncy or other compensation. Award: I BP.
Assassinate a Minor Ce l eb rit y nearby.

ARTIST
Display publicly. Create a work a nd display it for

sale in public. Award: I BP.

Gel hiredl commissioned. Get hired or commissioned to complete a work not-yet-stancd. Award: 2 BP. Imp rove to 49 % in r e levant skill. Irnpro\e to

. \ ~s a ss i nate a ~ l i n or Celebrity (Fame 21-70), wilhout be in~ seen or caught, in excha nge for money or ot he r compensation. Award: 2 BP.
Assassinate unknown person in n ext town .

+9% or better in the Artistic Ability skill. Award: 3 BP.

Hold a viewing/display. H old a "iewi ng/art show in town to displ ay your works. h e ms should be up for sale. Award : I Bl~

a Linl(' Known or Local personage (Fame 20 or less) in a nearby town, without being seen or caugh t, in exc hange for money or other compensation . Award: 3 BP.
Assassinate a Major Celebrity in next town .

Assa~s inate

Assassinate a ~ I ajor Celebrity , Fame 7 1-\ 00) in a nearby town, without being seen or caught , in exc hange fo r moncy or other compensation. AW<lrd : 4 UP. 193

Assassinate unknown perSOD out of territory.

Assassinate a Little K nown or Local personage (Fame 20 or less) in another territory, without be ing ~ee n or caught, in exchange for money or oth er compensat ion . Award: 5 BP.
Assassinate Famous person out of territory. Assassinate a Famous personage (Fame 101-1 99) In

Hire an apprentice/ employee. Taking on a nell! employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Crea t e an e xtraordinary signature baked good.

another territo ry. without being seen or caught, In exchange for money or other compensation. Award: 6 SP.
Assassinate multiple people in ne);t town.

Create an extraord inary item in the profession (exceed Cooking skill roll by 100%). Thi s becomes the character's signature food. Award: 10 BP.

BANKER
Get a partner/hacker or funding. COIn-incc another person to act as your partner, or provide you with funding [Q set up shop. Award: I BP Set up s hop. SCI up in a known area for transac-

Assassinate at least two persons (Fame of J + ), without being see n or caught, in exchange for money or other compensation. Award: 7 BP.
Assassinate multiple Famous people out of tel.""dtory. Assassinate at least twO Famous pe r ~onages (Fame 101-199) in another territory, without being

tions. T his can be a rented location, though it must be secu re so that custOmers haw: no fear of losing their money. Awa rd: 2 BI~
Make first transaction. AI least one person opens an account at your bank. This pe rson should not be an employee 01" relati\'e of an emplo)'ec. Award: 2 BP. Buya lot. Purchase a lot in tall n suitable for building. Award: 2 SP. Operat e business for on e month . Bank must be

seen or caught, in exchange for money o r other compensation. Award: 8 BP.

AUTHOR
Write first hook.

Write a book of 20.000 to

40,000 words. Award: 2 BP.

Get article published . Have an article published

in a newspaper or magazine. Award: I BP.

Improve to 35 % in relevant skill. Impron: to 35%. or better 111 the Reading Comprehension/ Pen manship skill. Award: 3 BP. Write a full-length book. Write a book of at least

operated for one month. Character may pursue other intt'"rest~ and Personal Goals in ofT-hours, but mu~t keep bank hours and pursue operations as a serious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 3 BP.
Hire employees . T aking on a new employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Build bank .

djlig('ntl~

90,000 wo rds. Award: 3 BP.

Sell a book to a publisher. Convince publisher to buy and publish one of your books. Award: 5 BP.

Set up a permanent bank building.

Award: 5 SP.

BAKER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area

for sale and/or creation of baked goods. For starte rs this ca n be (a nd typically is) a rented location, eve n a ramshackle tCn! on a mere lot. Award: 1 BI~
Get a permanent business. Selling up a perrnanent storefront/ building for operation of the business. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant skill .

Operate bank for one month. Pe rm anent bank must be diligently operated for one month. Character may pursue other interests and Pe rsonal Goals in ofThours, bur must keep bank hours and pursue operations as a se rious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 3 BP. Hire employees. Take on one or more new employees to act as tellers and clcrks. Award: 2 BP. Repel/foil a robbery attempt. An attempted robber y on your bank fails. due to you r foresight (such as a vault with an impassable lock, hiring a parti cu larly bra\'e teller or guard), or your personal intervention (using you r wits or weapons). Award: 5 BP Build another bank in each of two or more other towns. In two or more other towns, purchase

Improve to

49% or betler in Cooking. Award: 3

BI~

Operate business for one month. Business lTlust be diligently opc~ r atcd for o ne month . Character may pursue other interests and Personal G oals in ofT-h ours, but mUSt pursue business operations as a se rious matle I' for 40 or more hours pcr week for a solid mOlllh without interruption. Award: 3 BP.

addidonal lots and build additi onal banks (for a lotal minimum of three). Character must actively manage

194

each for a month or longer. Character may pursue o ther in terests and Personal Goals in off- hours, but must pursue business management as a serious ma iler for 40 or morc hours pe r week for a solid month witho ut interruption. Award: 15 BI~

posttton espec ially Award; 2 BP.

III

the case of an apprcntice"

BASKETMAKER
Set up for business. Selli ng lip in a known area

BARBER
Set up for business. Se lling up in a known area for pro\'i ~io n of services. For sta rters this ca n be and typically is a rented location, evcn a ramshackle tCnt on a me rc lot. Award: I BI~ Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suita ble for bui lding. Awa rd; 2 BP. Operate business for one month. Business musl

for sale and/or creation of wares. For starters this can be and typically is) a rented location, eve n a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I HI~
Get a permanent business. Selling up a penna!lent storefront/ building for ope ration of the business. Award : 2 BI~ Improve to 19 % in relevant skill .

49

or better in Carpentry skill.

Improve Award: 3 BP.

to

be diligently operatcd for on e month. Ch:'filctcr may pu rsuc othe r interests and Pe."sonal Goals in ofT-h o u r~, but must pursue business operations as a serious mattcr for J.O or more hou rs pcr \\eek fo r a ~olid month. Award; 3 B I~
Build permanent storefront. SCt up a permanent

Hire an apprentice/emp loyee. Ta king on a new employec or an apprelllicc. It need not be a paring

position especially in the . \ ward: 2 BI~ extraordinary item in the by Jf)Oo o \ward: 10 BP.

ca~e

of an a pprentice. Create an exceed skill roll

Create an extraordinary item .

profes~ion

sto refront /buildi ng for operation of the business. r\ ward; 5 HI~

Hire an apprentice/eRlployee. Taking o n a nC\1 employee o r an apprentice. It need nOt be a paring

BLACKSMITH
Set up for business. Setting up in a known a rea for sa le a nd /or creation of \Iares. For Starters this ca n

195

be and typicall) is ' a rented locat ion, e\'en a ramshackle tem on a IlWI't lot. Award: I BP. Get a perDlanent business. Setting up a pcrmancnt ston:fro nt /building for ope ration of we business. .\ward: 2 UP. Improve to 49-/_ in rel evant skill. Improve to 4911 0 or hetter in Black ~ mi t hin g skill. Award: 3 BP. Hire an appre ntic e/employee. Taking o n a nc\v employee o r an apprentice. It nced not be a paying pOSltiOll especia lly in the case of a n apprentice. Award: 2 SP. Create an e xtraordinary iteDl. Create an extrao rdinary item 1lI the profe~sion (exceed Bla cksrnidling skill roll by 100\l'Q I. Allard: 10 BP.

Publish firs t hook. Publish your first boo k of at least 20.000 words. Award: 3 BP. Discove r a new a u thor. Bu)' a book from unpublished author a nd publish it. AWOlrd : 2 BP.
0111

Publish a best seller bac k East. Publish a popular book in the profe ssion lauthor exceeds Reading ComprclH~nsion/ l}e nma llShi p skill roll by 100'0 . A modified skill roll in cxccs~ of 1250 is recognized by the Easl Coasl as 01 bcst ~dlcr. Award: 5 BP.

BOOTMAKERISHOEMAKER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for ~a l c (Ind/or creation of wares. For starters this can be 1011)(1 typiCOllly is) a rent ed 10cOllion, even <l ram ~hacklc tent on <l m cre lot. Award: I BP. G e t a p e rDlanent business. Selling up a perma nent ~ tort'frolH / huildin g for o peratio n of th e business. .\ ward: '1 BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant s kill. Improve 10 -19'0 0 1' better in the Cobbling ~ kill . . \ ward: 3 SP, Hire an appre ntice/ e mployee. Taking 011 a ne\\ e mployt'e 0 1' a n apprentice. It need not be 01 paring posttton c~pccia ll )' in the case of an apprentice" AWOlrd: 2 B I~ C r e ate an extraordinary iteDl . Creale an e xtrOlo l'din;lr) ilt'm in the p .. ofcs~io n exceed Cobbling skill roll by IOOon . .\\\ard: 10 B I~

BOARDING HOllSE OPERATOR

ill~.

Buy a lot. P llrchOl~e a lot in town A\\'ard: I BI~

~uitable

for build-

Build p e rDlanent structure. Build or pUf'{"hasc a house with at lcast two bedrooms. Award: 5 BP. Set up for busines s . Open boarding hOllse to payin g lemlnl S. Award : I BP. Hire eDlployees . T a ke o n a ne\\' employec. such as a d o m eslic servan t. Award: 2 B l~ Operate for one Dlonth. B oa rdin~ hou~e nm"! he dil igemly operated for o ne month, Character Iml) pursuc other interests and Pe rsonal Coals in ofT-hours, but must pu rsuc business ope ration s a s a serious mOlttel' for 40 or more' hours per week for a solid month. }\\vard: 3 BI ~ Person of Gre at or Legendary Reputation stays. A ehar<lcter of Gre<l! or Lcgendary Reputation (o r Grea l or Lege nda ry Notoriety) livcs at your boarding house fo r no less than one \Icek. Awa rd: 3 BP . FaDlOUS person stays . ..-\ Fa mous person (Fame 101-1 99) li\'e5 Olt your bO<lrding h ou~c for no less thOln onc week. Award :,) BP .

BOllNTY HlINTER
Capture a c riDlinal. Cap\llre a person accused of a crim!. Awa rd : I UI~ Bring in a loc al crimin a. 1. Capture a pe r ~o n a ccused of a c l'illl t' and take h ill! 10 an o fficiallOlwman 1'01' )'ou r reward . Award: 2 HI'. Bring in a Notorious outlaw (Reputation -lor worse) , d e ad or alive. Capture or kill a Noto rious outla\\ Rq)utation -I o r worse ! Olnd take him to 0111 olTi('iOllla\\nlOlIl for you r reward. Award : 3 BP. Bring in a Notorious outlaw (Reputation -lor worse ), alive . Capture 01 ;-\olOrious outlaw Rcputatio n -I or worse Olnd take him to itll official lawman for roul' rc\\tlfd. Award : 4 BP. Bring in a Notorious outlaw (Reputation -lor worse) out of the t e rritory/state, dead or alive. Capture o r kill a ~o to ri ous olltlaw (Reputation - I o r worse) who dwells outside of Ihe lerritory o r stale where you reside, a nd take him to an official lawman for rou r rcward . Award: 6 BP, Bring in a Notorious outlaw (Reputation -l or worse) out of the territory/state, alive. Capture

BOOK PlIBLISHER
Ope n for business . Ope n business in a knO\\'Il area. For smrtt I~. this ca n be 01 rented building. Award: 1 BP. Acquire equipme nt. Purchase printing equi pment and learn how to lise it. Award: I BP. Buy a lot. PurChOlSC ing. Award: 2 UP.
01

lot in town suitable for build-

Build a shop. Build a permanent st ructure for opcrOlti o n of the b u s inc s~. Award: 2 BP.

196

a Notorious OUi law Reputation -lor wor:>e j who dwells ou tside of the te r ritory or stal(' where you reside, and take him to an oflicia[ lawman for you r rewa rd . Award: 8 BP. Bring in a whole gang (4+ m.embers ), dead or alive. Captllrc or kill a gang of crim inals consisting of at lea~t [our members. and lake them or their bodie~ to an official lawman for your reward. Award: I 0 BI~ Bring in a whole gang (6+ numbers), alive. Capture a ga ng of crimi nals consisling of at least six members, and take them to an official lawman for )'our reward. Award: 15 UP.

BUFFALO HUNTER
Equip yourself. Purchase:t rine and bullets, plus any other equipment you desire (hors(" for travel. food, cart, ctC i. Award: I Hr. Find a herd. Locate a buffalo herd without assistance from anyone e lse. Award: 2 BP. Shoot buffalo. Shoot and kill at least onc buITa lo. Award: 2 BP. Hunt for one month. Character mllst hunt diligently for onc month. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in oIT-hou rs, but must hunt a~ a "erious mailer for W o r more hours per \\eek for a solid month . . \ward: 3 IJ I~ Transport hides. Brin~ 20tH buO:tlo hides 10 a known area. Award: 2 SP. Sell hides . Sell all of the bufT.'llo
hide~ .. \\\ard:

BREWER
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area for sate and/or creatioll of wares. For staners this can be ami typically is', a rented lo,ation. e,en a ramshac kle tent on 11 me re 101. Awa rd: [ BP. Get a permanent business. Setting up a permanent storefront/building for ope ration of the businC$S. Awa rd : 2 BP. Hire an apprentice/ e mployee. Takin 't on a nc\\ cmployee or an apprentice. II need not be a payinR" position (especially in the case of an apprentice. Award: 3 Br. Improve to 49-/_ in relevant skill . Improve to 49% or better in Rrewinl! ~ kill. Award: 2 13 1~ Create an eJl:traordinary s ignature brew. Create an extraordinary item in the prof('~sion exceed Brewing ski ll roll by 100%). T his bc'comes thc character's signatu re beer or other liquor. Award: I 0 BI~

5 BP.

Hire e mployees. T ake on an apprtlltice or hdper. It need not 1)1' a paying position ,espcci'llly in the case of an appr("ttllre .\I\a1'(l: 2 BI~

BUSINESS OWNER (CAFE. HARDWARE STORE, GENERAL STORE, ETC)

Set up for busines s. Setting lip in a kno\\ n arca for sale and/or crcation of ware:). For starters this can be (and typically iSI a rented location, cI'cn a ramshackle tent on a Iller(' lot. Award: I UP Buya lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 BP. Operate business for one month. Bu s ines.~ must bt: diligent ly operated for one month. Character may pursue other interests and Pe rsonal Coals in oIT-hours. but mu~t pu rsue busi uess operations as a serious lIlatter lor -10 or more hours per week for .. ~olid month. A\\ ard: 3 UP. Build p e rmanent storefront. Sct up a permancnt storefront/building for operation of ,he business. Award: 5 BP. Hire an apprentice/employee. Take all a 11(,\1 employee, manager or an apprentice. It need not be a paring position especially in thc case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BI~

BRICKMAKER
Set up for business. Setting lip in a known area for sale and/or creation of wares. For starters Ihis can be (and typically is) a rented location, ('\'e n a ramshackle tent on iI mere [Ql. Award: [ B I~ Get a permanent business. Setting lip a permanent storefront/building for ope ration of the business. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in rel evant skill. Improve to 19% or bette r in Stonemasonry skill. Award: 3 Br. Hire an apprentice! emp loyee. Taking on a nc\\ employee or an apprentice. It necd not b<. a paying position (especially in th e case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Creat e an eJl:traordinary item. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (exceed Skill roll by 100"01. Award: 10 BP.

BUTCHER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for sale and/or creation of \\ares. For staners this ca n be and typically is a rented location, el'en a ramshackle tent on a mcre lot. Alvard: I HI'. Buy a lot , Purchase a 1 01 in town suitable for building. Award: 2 BP.

197

MEAT MARKET

.1

Improve to 49/" in relevant skill. Improve to 49% or better in the Carpentry ski ll. Award: 3 BP. Hire an apprentiee/employee. T aking on a new employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Create an extraordinary item. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (exceed Carpentry skill roll by 100'' 10). Award: 10 BP.

COOK
Improve t o 49% in relevant skill. ImprO\'e to 49()'o or better in the Cooking skill. Award: 3

BP
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for sale and/or crealion of wares. For starters Ihis can be (and typically is a remed location, even a ramshackle tent on a mere 101. Award: I IW Get a permanent position I chuck wagon. Get a job at a restaurant, boarding house, ranch, etc. Award: 3 BP. Create an extra ordinary signature dish. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (roll exceeds Cooking skill by 100'). This becomes the character's signature dish. Award: 10 BP.

Operate business for one month. Busi ness must

be diligen tly operated for one month. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in off-hours. but must pursue business operations as a se rious mat tcr for 40 or more hours pC I' week for a solid mo nth. Award: 3 BP.
Build permanent sto refront. Sct up a permanent

storefront/building for operation of Ihe business. AW<lrd: 5 BI~

Hire an apprentice/ e mployee. Take on a new

employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice. Award: 2 Bf>.

COOPER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for sale and lor creation of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location, even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BP. Get a permanent business. Setting up a penna!lent sto refront /building for operation of the business. Award: 2 UI~ Improve to 49 % in relevant sk ill. Im prove to 49% or better in Carpentry skill. Award: 3 BI~

CARPENTER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known a rea for sale and lor crcalion of wares. For start ers this can be (and typically is) a rented location , even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: 1 BP.

Get a permanent business. Setting up a pennancm storefrom/building for operation of the business. Award: 2 BP.

198

Hire an apprentice/ e mployee. Taki ng on a new employee or an apprentice. II need not be a paying position (especia lly in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP.

Drive own herd to railhead/market. Drive your own herd to the railhead or market, and sell them for a profit. Award: 20 UP.

Create an extraord inary item III the profession (exceed Carpentry skill roll by 1000 0. Award: 10 BP.
Create an extraordinary item.

DENTIST
Set up for business . Setting up in a known area for sale of services. For sta rlers this ca n be and typically is a rented location, even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Awa rd: I S P. Tre at first pati e nt . Treat your first patient with a successful Dentistry skill chec k. Award: 2 UP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for build ing. . \ward : 2 UP.

COWBOY
Get a job at a ranch/herd. Get hi red to work on

a ranch. Award: I SP.

Work a round-up. Award: 2
BI~

Buy a horse. Purchase you r own horse. Award: 2 BP. Break a horse. Brea k a horse to the saddle. Thi s

need not be your own horse. Award: 3 BP.

Work a long cattle drive. Work on a cattle drive

Improve 49 or beller in Dentistry ski ll . Award: 3 BP.

in relevant skill.
(I

Improve to 49 %

to

from beginning to end (leaving the ranch, to market or railhead in a nother state or territory\. Award: 5 HI'.
Pointer on a drive. Work as the lead dri,er on a

Build permanent s tructure. Set up a permanent office for operation of your practice. Award: 5 UP.

DETEC TIVE
Op e n for bu s iness . SClling up in a known area for business. For starters this can be and typically is) a rellled location. even a ramshackle tent o n a mere 101. Award: I S I~

cattle drive. Award: 10 Bl'.

Buy/acquire own herd. Acquire a herd of your own at least 15 cows . . \ ward: 5 BP.

199

Get hired. Your cha racte r is hired to do a job in exchange for monetary payment. Award: 2 SP. Recover property/money/item. You recover your client's property, money or other item as YOlllI'ere hired to do. Award: 3 BP. Track down a local criIninaI. YOll seek out and find a local criminal. and place him in the hands of the law. AlI'ard: + HP . Solve a lTlystery. Find the truth behind an event or situation that is difficult to understand or explain. Award: 5 SP. Track down a Notorious outlaw. You seek OUI and find a Notorious outlaw (Reputation - ] or worse), and place him in the hands of the law. AlI'ard: 5 UP. Recover property/money/item from another state/territory. You recover YOllr client's property, money or other item from ,mother state or te rritory. AlI'ard: 8 UP. Track down a Notorious outlaw in another state/territory. You seek out and find a Notorious olltlaw (Reputa tion - lor worse) in another Stale or territOry, and place him in the bands of the law. Award: 10 HP.

Resolve international dispute/issue. You resolve a disagreement to the satisfaction of all those involved. Award: 20 BP.

DOCTOR
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area fo r sale of services. For Starters, this can be (and typically is) a rented location - even a ramshackle tent on a mere lol. "'\ward: I BP. Treat first patient. T reat )'our fi rst patient with a successful ;vledicine skill check. Award: 3 BP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve to 49%1 or better in the i-,Iedicine skill. Award: 3 BP. Build permanent structure. Set up a permanent onice lor ope ration of your practice. Award: 3 BP. Perfortn amputation. Amputa te a patien ( s limb (the patient must survive the operation). This amputatio n must require a (D ifficult) t-. ledicinc skill check. Award: 5 BP. Successfully perform a life or death surgery . Award: 15 BP.

DIPLOMAT
Get appointed at local level. Local gO\-ernmem hires you on a long-term basis to mediate solutions between the local government and outside parties. Award: I B I~ Resolve local dispute/issue. You resolve a disagreement to the satisfaction of all those involved. Award : 2 Bl~ Get appointed at state/territory level. State or te rritorial government hires you on a long-term basis to mediate solutions between them and outside parties. Award : 5 BP. Resolve state/territory dispute/issue. You resolve a d isagreement to the satisfaction of all those involved. Award: 4 BP. Get appointed at national level. National gO\'ernment hires you on a long-ter m basis to mediate solutions between them and outside panics. Award: 10 BP. Resolve national disputelissue. YOLI resolve a disagreement \0 the satisfaction of all those involved. Award: 15 BP. Get appointed at international level. l'v l ultiple international govenunents hire you on a long-term basis to mediate sollLlions berween them and other govc rn ments. Award: 10 UP.

ENIlI NEER
Set up for business. Selli ng up in a known area for sale of services. For starters, this ca n be (and typically is) a rented location - cven a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I UP. Design first product/ structure. Design a product. building or other structure fo r a paying client. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in re.levant skill. Improve lO 49% or better in the Engineering Design skill. Award: 3 Bl~ Get a position with a railroad or civil body. Award: 2 BP. Patent or create an extraordinary item. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (exceed Engineering skill roll by 100 0'0). Award: 10 BP.

ENTERTAINER
Perform publicly . Create an act and perform it in public. Award: ! BP. Get ajob. Get hired or commissioned to perform on a regular basis in an established vcnue. Award: 2 BP. Improve to 49% in relevant skill. Improve to 49% or better in the Artistic Abilit)' skill. Award: 3 BP. Headline. Pe rform at a local engagemclll where you arc the main atlraclion. Award : + BP.

200

Headline in another town. Perfo rm OIl an engage menl in a nearby town, whe re you arc Ihe main aurae tion. Award: 5 HI'. Form. a sm.aU troupe. Hire 3t least twO employees o r app rcnlice~. It need nOt he a paying posilion (espe ciaUy in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Headline in another nation. Perform with ),our troupe at an engagemclll in another nation. where you arc the main attraction. Award: 5 HI'.

Illlprove to 49"10 in relevant skill. Improve to 49., or better in the .\griculturc skill. Award: 3 BI~ Sell surplus. Sell any su rplus profit. Award: 3 HP.
CI'Op~

and make a

FARRIER
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area lor sale and /or creation of wares. For starters this call be and typically is) a !'cnled localion, e...ell a ram ,hackle te11l on a mere lot. Award: I BP. Get a p er manent bus iness. Selling up a penna nell! storcfrol1l/buildin,l{ for operation of the bllsine~s. .\ ward: 2 UI~ Intprove to 75;" in r elevant skill. Improvc to 75(00 or hCII{'r in Black~mithing skill. Award: 3 BI~ Hire an a pprenti ce/e m.ployee. Taking 011 a new cmployf"t' (,r an apprentice. It need not be a paying pmilion c~pccially in Ihe casc of an apprentice). .\ward: 2 BP.

EXPRESSMAN
Acquire transportation. Purcha ~e a a nd cart, or horses and coach .. \ward : I
hor~e, BI~

horse

Set up for husiness. Setting up in ;:, known area for sale and/or creation of wares. For slan ers this can be (and typically is) a rented location, even a ram shackle telll on a merc lot. Award: I BP. Operate business for one m.onth. Business must be diligently ope rated for one month. Character may pursue olhcr intereslS and Personal Goals in offhours. but must pursue business opcI"rllions as a serious mat tel' for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month. Award: 2 IW Buya lot. Purchase a lot in town su ilHble for build ing. Award: I BI~ Hire employee (s ). T ake on an employee or apprentice. It need nOt be a paying position ,especial. Iy in the Case of all apprentice ". Award: I BP. Build permanent office. Set up a permanent office where customers can come to se nd and rccei"e mail. Award: 2 BP. Build branch offices in two other towns. In two or more other towns, purchase additional lots and build additional busi ness offices for a minimum total of threc. Character must actively manage each for .. month or longer. Character may pursue other inter ests and Perso nal Goals in OfT.llOurs, but must pursue bll~i n ess management as a serious matter for 40 or marc hours pcr week for a solid month wi thout inter ruption. Award: 6 BP.

FREIGHT MASTER/TEAMSTER
Acquire equipm.ent. Purchase a horse. or and can, or horses and stage. Award : I B I~
hor~c

Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for sale and/or creation of wares. for St arters, this can be and tvpically i~ a rented local ion e\'cn a ram ~hacklc 1("1lI on a mere lot. A\~'ard: 2 BI~ Op erat e for I month. Business mu~t be diligently operated fOI one month. Character may pursue IItlwr interest:. ;lIld Personal Goab in ofT hours, but must pursue business operations as a serious matter for 40 or marc hours per week lo r a solid month without interruption. Award: 3 131'. Buya lot . Purchase a lot in town sui tahl e for build ing. Award : 2 HP. Hire employee (s ). Taking on a n('\\ employee or an apprentice. It nerd !lot be a paying position (espe cially in the case of an apprentice ). Award: 2 BI~ Build p ermane nt office. Set up a permancnt 5torc front /building for operation of the husines.... Award: 5 13P. Build branch offices in two other towns. In the sallie town o r in another, purchase additional loIS and build additional bu"iness offiees for a lotal of three l. Character must acti\'cI} manage each for a mOlllh or longer. Characte r may pursue other interests :md Personal Goals in on:'hou rs, but IllUSt pu rsue busi n c~$ managcmelll as a se rious matter for 40 o r more hours pcr wc('k for a solid month \\ ithollt intcrruplion. Award: 10 HP.

FARMER
Buy/claint land . Purchase or claim a parcel of land suitable for farming. Award: I B I~ Plant crop. Plant and harvest a crop. A\,-ard: I BP. Hire em.ployees/workers. Take on an cmployee or apprentice. It need not be a paying position (espt dally in the case of an apprentice). A\\ard: 2 BI~ Plant seco nd type of crop. Pl ant and han'est a second kind o f crop. Award: 2 BP.

20 1

GAMBLER
Improve to 49% in r e levant s kill. Improve to 49'0 or better in Gambling skill. Award: I BP.
Obtain faro b oard / box, birdcage or c raps table & dice, cards and poker c hips or roulett e

for a month or longe r. Character may pursue OIher interests and Personal Goals in off hours, but mu st pursue business management as a serious matter for 40 o r more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 20 SP.

wheel. Purchase or othc l"wisc obtain a gambling toolkit for rour preferred game. A\\'ard: 2 BP
RUD a hig h-stak es faro / poker/ dice/roulette

GRIFTER
Execute a scant. l ntelllionatly take somcone's money in exchange for false promises or bad goods. Award: 2 BP. Improve
10

ganle. Run a game where the minimum bet is $5. Award: 3 BI~
Run a p ermanent faro / poker/ dice/roulene gam.e.

49 % in r e levant s kill .

Came must be diligently operated for one month. Character may pursue Dlher interests and Personal Goals in off-hours, bl\( must nm the game as a sclious matter for 10 or more homs per Il'cd for a solid month. Award: '* BI~
Manage others running hig h s t a k es

49'0 or bctlcr in Fast Talking

~kill . . \ward:

Improve to 3 BP.

fa ro / poker/ dice/ rouleue games . .\( least one other employee/apprentice nms a high stakes game from which YOlltake the house's winnings.. \ ward: 5 BP

Hire an accomplice. Take on a new accomplice as an employee or an apprentice. 1\ need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an appre nt ice), "\\\'ard: 2 BP. Exec u te a diffe r ent unrelated scaD'l. Usc a new way to intentionally take someone's money in cxchan~e for fa.l~e promises or had goods. Award: 2 SP.
Bilk a g rifter. Intentiona lly take another grifter'S money in exchange for false promises or bad goods. Award: 5 HP.

Own gatnbling es ta blis hm ent. Set up a perm a nent bu ilding fo r operation of Ihe gambling business. Award: 10 BP Open two m o r e gaD'lbling establis hD'lents. in the same town o r in another. purchase additional lot~ and build additional gamblin~ cstabli,hments for a total of three. Character must actin'l), manage each

Make t.he big score. Intcntionally take someone's moncy in exchange for false promises or bad goods must be cnou~h money to allow you to liYC well for sC\'eral years .. \ward: 20 BP

- ..t

202

GUN FOR HIRE

Acquire a signature weapon. Your character acquires a signature weapoll (sec C'iWPftr 3.2l A dv{lllctil Scraprs for deta ils Oil signature wcapOIl~. Awa rd: I SP. Get involved in at least two gunfights. Your character panicipatcs in and sur.iv('s at least t\\O gUllfig lll ~. Award: 5 S P.

!caM three tOwns !. Character mU ~ 1 be a"ailablc ror eac h town , for a month or longer. Award: 3 BP. Hang a Major Ce lebri ty or Famous criminal. In },ou r position as hangman , onicially exccute a criminal of ;" Iajo r Cclcbriry Fame 71 to 100 or Famom Fame 101-200 \ stature . . \ ward: I BI~ Hang a crim.ina. 1 of Epic Fame. In your positi on as hangman, officially execute a c riminal of Epic ~ t:1ture (Fame 201+). Awarel: 5 BI~

Buy speed rig. Award: 2 BP.

Purchase a quick dmw holster.

WiD a fair gunfight. Your character wim a fair onca ll-one gunfiglll with another person. Award: S Br. Get hired for one job. Someone hires your character to perform a tempora ry service. Award: 2 BI~
Win a gunfight while on the (for hire ) job. Your

HOTEL OPERATOR
Buy a 101. Purc hase a lot in ing. Award: 2 I3P.
to\\

n suitable for build-

Build permanent structure. Award: 8 BP. Set up for business. Open for busi ness. Award: 3
BI~

character wins a gunfight in connection \Iith his perfor mance of the job he Il'as hired to do. . \ward: 5 BI~
Land a pe('manent position. You r character is permanently hired o n a job where hi~ abilities with a gu n will often he called upon . .-\ward: .5 BI~ Win a gunfight while on the (permanent) job. Your c ha racter wins a gunfi~ht Ihat occ urs because of hi~ duties in his permanent job. Award: 5 I~P.

Hire employees. Taking on al least two nc\\ employee,. such as domest ic sen ants . .-\ward: 2 UP. Ope rate for one month. Hotel must be diligelltly operatcd for one mont h . Character ma y purslIe other interests and Pe rsonal Goals in ofT-hour s. but IllUSt pursue bu sines~ operations a~ a S('rious matter for W o r more hours per wcek for a solid month "'ithout interruption. Awa rd : 3 BI~ Person of Great or Legendary Reputation stays. A character of Great or Legc ndary Rcputati()ll (or Great or Legendary NotorielYI resides at your hotel fo r no Ics~ than one week. Award: 3 BP. FaIllous person s tays . .-\ Famous person Fame 101-199 resides at your ho(el for no less than o ne wcek. Award: 5 B I~

GUNSMITH
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area for sale and/or c reat ion of wares. F o r starte rs this can be (and t)rpically is) a rented location, even a ram ~ hacklc tent on a mere lol. .-\ward: I BP. Get a pennanent business. Selling up a permane nt li torefront /b uildin~ for oper;uion of the business . \ward: 2 BP. Improve to 49% in relevant skill. ImprO\'c to 49% o r bette r in Gunsmithing skill. .\ward: 3 BP. Hire an apprentice/employee. Taking on a m~\\ employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position especiall) in the case of an apprentice !. Award: 2 IW

INTERPRETER
Improve to 75 % in a second l a n gu age. ltnpro,'c a sccond L'"tnguage ~ kill to 75 0 0 or bettef. Award: I BI'. Get a job at localleveI. A town hires yOll to ac t as intcrpreter betwce n the lown go\ernment and an OUIside parry. Award: 1 BP. Improve to 49 % in a third language. Improve a third Language ~ kill 10 ~9'0 or beltcl". Award: I BP G e t ajob at statelterritory level. A st ate or ttrlitory hires )'OU to aCI as illlerprctcr belween their gO\Cl"IUllelH and an o utside party. Award: 2 BP. Improve a Culture skill 1.0 49-/0. Improve a spe cific Culture skill ln01 you r own nationalit y or tribe) to 49'0 or beller. Award: 3 BI~ Translate an important local or regional dispute/t.reaty/negotiation docu.me nt. Translate a document of a local or regional di~putc, treaty, o r negotiation . . \ ward: 3 I~ P.

HANGMAN
Perform a hanging. Ac t ali official hangman after conclusion of a criminal casco Award: I 8 1~ Get a contract with town. Town hircs you to perform hangings and pars for your services. Award: 3 BI~ Hang a cr iminal of Great or Legendary Notoriety. In position as h;mgman , officially execute a criminal with Greal Rcp 71 to 100, or Legendary Notol"icl}, Rep 1() I or worsc. Award: 3 UP . Get a contract with multiple tow-us. In the sam e to\\ n or in another, se n'C as hangman for a total of at

203

Get ajob working an im.portant state or national dispute/treaty/negotiation. A state or nation hires you to work with opposing panics to translate and form a final printed version of a dispute. treaty. or negotiation. Award: 5 BP, Translate an important document for posterity. Translate a new document thaI is of such historic

noticed by othe r newspapers and reprinted or commented upon.\' Award: 3 RP. Get regular editorial. Characte r has a regular edito rial in each issue of the newspaper. Award: 5 BP.

JUDGE
Win election. Win a local election/appointment. Award: 5 BI~ Convict a erim.inal. Convict a criminal (docs not have to be death or imprisonment could be comnmniry service or othe r punishment). Award: 5 BP. Rule in a civil dispute. Make a ruling in a dispute bctween two persons o r pnrties. Award: 3 BP, Oversee a hanging of an outlaw of Great or Legendary Notoriety. Selllence a character of Creat (-71to -100) or Legendary Notoriety (-l01 or worse) to death by hanging. Award: 5 BP . Get re-elected. .\1nintain your StatuS as judge by getting rc-elected/rc-appointed. Award: 10 BP. Rule in a major case involving a character of Great or Legendary Reputation . Make a ruling in a case where a character of Creal (71-100) or Lcgendal)' Replltation (101 + ) is involved. Award: 10 BP. Get appointed in recognized state/country. A government appoints your character as a state /territorial. or federal judge. Award: 10 BP.

and legal importance it will be displayed in prominent locations throughout the te rritory. state or nation, kept in governme nt records and e,'en mentioned in schools/schoolbooks. Award: 10 BP.

JEWELER
Set up for business. Setting lip in a known area for sale and/or creation of wares. For starters this can be (and t}Vically is) a rented location, even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BP. Get a permanent business. Setting up a permanent storefront/building for ope ration of the business. Award: 2 S P. Improve to 49% in relevant skill. Improve to 49% or better inJcweler skill. Award: 3 BP. Hire an apprentice/employee. Taking on a new employee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Create an extraordinary ilenl. Create an ext raordinary item in the profession lexceed Je\\'elcr skill roll by 100%). Award: 10 BP.

LAND BROKER
Get a partner/backer or funding. Convince another person 10 act as your panner. or pro\'ide you with funding 10 set up shop. Award: I SP. Negotiate rights (or buy land) in local area. Purchase land from owner o r proyide owner/resident/claimant of land with money or other inducement to turn Dye r the land to you. Award: 5 BP. Set up shop. Setting up a permanent storefront/building for operation of the business. Award: 2 IW SeU first lot of land. Se ll an area of land in outside of 1011'11. Award: 2 BP.
0]"

JOURNALIST
Get first story printed. Get first story printed in a local or regional paper. This cannot be a paper owned by the character. Award: I RP. First five columns printed. After the first five colurllns/nrticles that sec print in a paper or ot lter journal, the character recei,'es 5 SP. However, this cannot be a paper owned by the characte r. Awnrd: 5

BP.
Improve to 49% in relevant skilL Improve to 49% or better in J ournalism sk ill. Award: 3 BP. Get regular column. Character has a regular column in each issue of the ncwspaper. Award: I BP. Get a major scoop. T he character writes, and the newspaper prints, a story that revea ls a startling fact or series of facts that cause emotional or violent repercussions among its readers. Award; 3 BP. Have a story picked up in multiple papers. One of the charncter's printed columns/articles gets

Operate brokerage for one month, Brokerage mllst be diligently operated for one month. Character may pursue other interests and Perso nal Goals in ofThours, but must pursue business operations as a serious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid m011lh without interruption. Award: 3 BP. Buy a lot . Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 BP.

204

LAWMAN
Get deputized, A sheriff 01' other similar lawman appoints your cha racter as his permanent deputy. . \ ward: I BI~ Arrest a cri.D1inal. Capture a criminal and place him in jail. Award: 2 HI'. WiD election/appointment. You are appointed or elected to a posit ion greater than Deputy. Award: 3
H I~

Each caught criminal convicted . For ('ach crimin al captured and co nvicted , the character carns this amount of I3 P~. Award: I np. Form a p o sse. You s u ec e s~fltlly recruit a possc to track down one or more criminals. Awa rd: I BP Track down known criminal. You succcssfull ), track down a known criminal and put him ill jail. Award: 3 BP. Build storefront. Set up a permanent building for your bu s illc ~s. Award: 5 UP Build another brokerage in each of two or l'I1ore other town s . In two or marc other towns, purchase additionullots and build additional business offices for a minimum total of three ,. Character must actil'ely manage each fo r a month or longer. Character may pu rsuc otlll'r interests and Per~o nal G oa l ~ in orr-hours, but mu st pursue busint'~s managcmc nt as a serious mallc r for 40 or more hours per weck for a solid month without interruption. Award: 10 B I~ Dispe rse vigilantes. You mana~e to convince a ,!roup of \- i ~ilant(' s to Il'a\'e justice in the hands of thc lall. rather tha n t:'lkc action themselves. Award:,) BP. Foil aD armed robbery. You successfully StOp an armed robbery. return the good~ to the victim and put any surviving c riminal ~ in jail. Award: 3 BP Hold critninal for hanging. You successfull} hold a captured crimin al ill jail until he is lI'ied and hanged. ,\ ward: 2 BI~ Foil a jailbreak. You successfully stop a captured criminal from e~cap ill g jai l ,)m\ capture at least one of his accomplic{'s, if any. ,\ward:;, SP.

LAlINDRER
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area for salt' of se rvices. For starters. this can be ane! typ ically is) a r('nted location - cI't' n a ra mshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I SP. Buya lot. Purchase a lo t in town suitable for building. Award: 2 S P. Operate laundry for one month. Business lIlust be dil igelllly operated for o ne month. Character may pursue Other interests and Personal Goa ls in off-hours, but nlU ~t pursue busi ness operations as a serious mat tcr for 40 or more hours p(:r week for a solid month without interruption . Award: 3 SP. Build permanent storefront. SCI up a pe rmanent laund l), building. Allard: 5 BP Hire a.n apprentice/el'l1ployee/l'I1anager. Ta ke on a nell manager, cmployee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especia ll y in the case of all app rentice). AWOlI'd: 2 HP.

LAWYER
Hang your shingle. SCt lip in a known area and put up a sign advertising you r se rvices. For starters this call be and typically i ~) a relltcd location, ('vell it ram~hackle tent on a mere 101. Awa rd: I BP. Win first case. "'in }our firsl
ca~e.

Award: 5 BP.

Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. ImprO\'e to +90 or better in Lall or Oration . AI\ard: 3 SP. Defend/prosecute a Notorius criminal. You arc asked, and agree. to represent or prosecute a NOIonus crimina l a n)' lc\d of :'\otoriety ,. Award: 3 BP. Represent a person of Great or Legendary Notoriety, or a Famous person in a civil case. You arc as ked, and agree, to represent a per~o n of Great Rep -71 to 1001 01' Legcndary (Rep - lOl o r worse ) Notoriety, or a Famous Fame 101+ person in a civil eil~e. Award : 3 BI~ Improve to 49% in relevant skills. Improve to 49% or better in both Law and Oralion. Award: 3 RP.

205

Win case outside of town. You wm a case in another town , territory, or so on. Awa rd: 5 BP. Win fa.nous case. \\'in a case where your client is

a person of Epic (Fame 201+) stature. Award: 10

B I~

LIVERYMAN
Set up for business. Setting up in a known area

Operate mill for one month. Business m ust be di[igentl y operat ed for one month. C ha raCler may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in off-hours, but must pursue business ope rations as a serious matte r for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without inte rruption. Award: 3 UP. Build permanent m.ill. Set up a permanent mill.

for sale of services. For staners, lhi ~ can be (and typically is) a rented location - cven a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: 1 BP.
Buy a lot . Purc hase a lot in town suitable for build-

,\ ward: 5 BP.
011

Hire an apprentice/employee/manager. T ake a ncw m<lnage r, employee or an appre ntice. It need

ing. Award: 2 BP.

Operate stables for one month. Stables must be diligentl y ope rated fo r one month. Characte r Ill<l)' pursue other i nlerc~ t S and Pe rsonal Goal s in off-hours, but m ust pursue business operations a s a ~ e r i o u s mattc r for 40 or more hours per week for a solid mon th without interruption. Award: 3 BP. Build permanent stable/barn. Set up a pe n na -

not be a paying position (cspecia1i y in the case of an apprelllicc '. Award: 2 BP.

MILLINER
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area for sale and lor creat ion of wares. For starters this can be and typica lly i ~ a rented location, even a ramshackl e te nt on a mere lot. .\ ward: I BI~ Get a permanent business. Selling up a penllanent ~ t of(."frolll/b uildin g for operation of the business . ,\\\"a rd : 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve to 49% o r bett e r in ,\ [illine ry skill. Award: 3 HP. Hire an apprentice/employee. Taking on a new employee or a n apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in lhe case of an app rentice). Award : 2 IW Create an extraordinary itel11. C reate an extraordinary ite m in th e profession (exceed Skill ro!l by 100'0) . Award: 10 S P.

nellt stable or barn. Award: 5 BP .

Hire aD apprent.ice/employee/manager. Take on a new manager, empl oyee or an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). A\\'a rd: 2 BP.

MASON
Improve to 49"10 in relevant skill. Improve 49% or bette r in Stone masonry skill. Awa rd: I BP.
to

Set up for business. Setting up in a kn own area for sale and/or creation of wa res. For stan er.':; this can be (and typi call y isl a rented locati on, e,'en a ra mshackle tent on a me re lot. All ard: 2 BP. Get a permanent business. Se tting up a pe rma-

MIllE OWNER
Buy/stake a claim. Purchase or lay claim 10 an area of land you wish to min co Awa rd: 1 BP. Start a m.ining corporation. Se t up in a known area for operati on of business. For starte rs this can be (and Iypically is) a rented location , even a ramshac kle tent on a me re lot. Award: 2 BP. Purchase equipment. Purchase all eq uipment (shovels, pi cks, buckelS, and so on) needed for miners. Awa rd: 3 BP. Hire crew. Hire on multiple perso us as min ers, in paying positions. Award: 2 BP. Hit a vein . St rike a vein of ore. See Chapter 5.31 1111 Thai C/il/en. .. for morc infor mation on mining. Award: 5 BP. Mechanize operation . Award: 10 BP. Hit the .notherlode. Find a vein that yields a profit o f at least S2.000 dollars. Award: 20 BP.

nent storefront/building for operation of the bu siness. Award: 3 BI~

Hire an apprentice/e.nployee. Taking o n a new employee or an app rentice. [t need not be a paying posicion (especially in the case of an apprc ntice). Awa rd : 2 UP. Create an extraordinary item. Create an extraordinary ite m in the profession (exceed Skill roll by 100%). Award: 10 UP.

MILLER
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area for sale and/o r creation of wares. For start e rs this can be (and t}1)ically is) a rcnted location , even a ramshackle tent on a mere 10l. Awa rd: I BI~ Buya lot . P urc hase a lot in town suitable for bui.ld-

ing. Award: 2 BP.

206

./

r-:-)7
,

V/

;/

) ~r

MOUNTAIN MAN
Equ ip yourself. Purchase a gun, knife and other you will need to su rVI\'C III the wilderness. Award: I BP.
10015

typicaJly is) a rented locatioll, even a ramshackle tem on a mcre lot. Award: 3 BP. Each paper printed. For each newspaper primed, a character carns this numbe r of BPs. Award: I BP. Get paying advertisers. Convince businesses to purchase ad\'ertising space in your newspaper, and receive their payment. Award: I BP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Awa rd: I

Pick! claim location.

C laim an arca of land for

yourself in the wilderness (as such, il is unlikely this land needs to be purchased). Award: 2 BP.
Build cabin. Sct up permanent cabin. Award: 3 BP.
Set traps and catch prey. Successfully set a trap (successful Sct Traps skill check I and catch prey. Award: 5 BP.
hnprove to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve to

sr.

Build a s hop. Set up a permanent building for your business. Award: 2 UP. Distribute to two other towns. D istribute your newspaper in other towm (for a tOtal of three). Character must acti"ely distribute in each for a month or longer. Character may pursue other interests and Pe rsonal Goals in off-hours, but mllst pursue business managemellt as a serious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month wit hout interruption. A\I'ard: 5 BP.

49% or better in Sct Traps skill. Award: 3 BP.

Attend rendezvous. ~ I cci other trnppers and mOUll\ain men at a prearranged location to sell, trade, and relax (drink, tell sto ries, gamble, etc.). Award: 5 B I~

Sell hides. Sell at least 50 animal hides. Award: 5 BP. Successfully defend personal hunting grouud from another person or group of people. Award: 5 BP.
Defend bunting grounds.

OUTLAW
Conunit a minor c rime. Commir a crime for which the punishment is a fine or temporary imprisonment. Award: I BP. Escape arrest. Award: 2 BP. E"ade capture for you r crim e.

Hire employees. Taking on a new employee or an apprent ice. It need not be a paying po~ilion especially in the case of an apprentice. Award: 2 BP.

NATURALIST
Equip yourself. Purchase writing implements, as well as a gUll, knife and ot her lOo1 s you wil! nced 10 sun'ive in the wilderness. Award: ! SP. Travel into wild. Travel at least 20 miles into the wilderness (solo or with an expedition). Award: 2 BP. Write journal. Completc a journal of at least

Evade a posse. Escape from a group of lawmen or other deputized persons chasing you for suspicion (or certainty) of a committed crime. Award: 5 BP. Get priee on your head. The law offers a rcward for your capture (alive). Award: 5 BP. Assemble a gang. T aki ng on at least two persons as p<lrtners to commit cr imes. Award: 2 BP. Commit a major crime. Commit a crime for which the punishment is death. Award: 2 BI~ Get price on your body. T he 10111' offers a reward for your death or capture dead or ali\e). Awa rd: S BP.

40,000 words, detailing some aspect of naturc or rour

journey. Award: 3 BP. Publish article. Sell an article 1O a nrwpaper. magazine or journaL which is then published. Award: 3

BP.
Write book. Award: + B1~ Writc a book of 90,000+ words.

Publish book . Convince a publisher to buy and publish your book. Award: 5 BP.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Purchase equipment. Purchasc a camera, plates and means of de\'elopillg pictures. Award: I BP. Set up for business. Setti ng lip in a known area for sale and lor creation of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location, even a ramshac kl e tent on a mere lo\. Award: 2 B I~ Get a permanent business. Sctting up a permanent storefront/building for operation of the business. Award: 3 BP.

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER
Acquire equipme nt. Award: I BP. Publish first paper. paper. . \ ward: 2 BP. Purchase a printing press. Pri nt, publish and sell your

Open for business. Set lip in a known area for salc andlor creation of wares. For staners this can be (and

208

Inlprove to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve to 49 0 0 or better in Photography skill. ..\ward: 3 BP. Have picture published locally. One or morc of your pictures is published in a local newspaper. Award: 5 BP. Have a n ex traordinary pi ct ure published statewide/nat.ionally/territory_wide. Take an extraordinary photograph lexceed Photography ~kill roll by 100 0'01. A photograph with a modified Photography skill roll in ('xce~s of 149 Q 0 is published in a paper distributed throughout the state/te rritoIl'/natio n. Award: 10 BP.

Have church built. building. Award: 3 U l~

Sct up a permanent church

Have church built in another town. In the same tOwn or in another. purchase additional lots and build additionaJ churches for a total of 1\10 ,. Character must ;:Ictivd) manage each for a month or longe r. Character may pur~uc other interests and Personal Goals in ofT-hour~, bUl Illllst pursue church management as a ~er iou s matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid l110mh II idl0Ut interruption. Award: I 0 nl~

PR!NTER/llINDER
Set up for busines s. Setti ng up in a known an'a for ~ale and / or nt'at ion of wares. For sta rters this ca n be and typical!) i~ a rented location, even a ram~hackle tt'1I1 on a mere lot. Award: I B I~ Get a perntan ent bus iness. Setting up a perm ancllt ~tOrcfront/buildine: fo r operation of the business. .\ 1\3rd: 2 BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Impro\'c to ~9" or beller in Bookbindin~ ~kill . . \ward: 3 BP Hire an apprentice/ entployee. Taking on a new employee or an apprcmicc. It need nOt be a pa~ing po~iti on especially in the case of an appremice. Award: 2 BP. Crea t e an e xtraordinary ite m. Create an extraordinary itt:m in the profes~ion exceed Hookbinding ski ll roll b} 1000 0. .\ ward: 10 UP.

POLITICIAN
Join/form political party. Become a member of, o r form, an organization that seeks to hold polilical power. Award: J HP. Run for election. i-. lake citizens aware of your dcsire to hold a position of political office . . \ward : 2

BP.
Win loca l election . Award: 5 Bil. Draft a bill / law/ordinance. Prescnt an idea or bill LO the political legislation with desire that it become a law or ordinance. Award: 5 BP. Get re-elected. Citizens re-clect you to sen'C another ter m in your prcvious position of poli tical office. Award: 10 BP. Win regional elect.ion. Award: 20 UP Push through a billllaw/ordinance . Convince the politicallegi~ l ature to ma ke your idea or bill into a law or ordin ance. Award: 10 BI~ Win state/territory election. Alva I'd: 50 BP Win national election. Award: 100 UP

PROSPECTOR
Buy equipment. Plircha,c pick, pan , shovel and any otitel' equipmcnt needed for mining. Award: I HP. Improve to 49"10 in relevant skill. Improve 10 49% or better in Prospeclin~ ~ki ll. Award: 3 BP. Find co lor. Award: 5 BP. Pan for one ntonth. Character must pan diligently for one month . Character may pu rsue other inter~ csts and Personal Goals in ofT-hour~, but must pan as a serious maHer for 10 or more hours per \\'eek for a solid mOllth without interruption. AI\'ard: 5 BP. File a cla.im . Report to the local go\'ernment or land office: that rou wi~h to be listed as the sole miner for a certain area of land. A\I ard: 10 UP Upgr a d e eq uipment. Usc your profits to buy nc\\ and/or better equipment. Award : 3 BP Make a strike. You find a dcposit of ore with a worth greater than what rou have spell! mining this claim. Award: 2U BP.

PREACHER
Give first public sermon. You preach for al least 30 minutes to at least a half-dozen people. Award: I BI~ Set up for Dlinistry (must give sermon each week). Each week. p reach in the same area. For starters, lhis can be oLltdoors or a rentcd location _ even a ramshackle telll on a mere lot. For each se rmon given, the character earns lhis amount of BP". Award: I BP. Build a congregation of 25 or more. At least 25 people appear each week to li sten 10 your sermons. Award: 3 BP. Buy a lot. Purc h a~e a lot in town sui table for build. ing. Award: 2 BI~

209

RANCHER (HORSE, COWS, SHEEp, PIG, ETC)

Buy/acquire a herd. Purchase or otherwise acquire a herd of your own (a\ least 15 animals of the same type). Award: I BP. Hire cowboys. Take on al [cast one new cowboy in a paying posi tion. Award: 2 Br.
Have a round up. Award: 6 Sr. Buy/claim ranchland . Purchase or claim an area of land for your ranch. Award : 3 BP. Drive herd to ranch. Purchase or find a herd and drive them from the market/railhead to your ranch . Award: 7 SP. Hire ranch hands. Take on al least one new ranch hand in a paying position. Award: 2 SP.

Operate for one month. 1 3usiness must be diligcmly opef<l1ed for onc month. C haracter may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in off-hours, but must pursue business ope rations as a serious mane r for -1-0 or more hours per week for a solid mont h without interruption. Award: 3 BP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 BP. Build permanent structure. Sct up a permanent saloon. Award: 6 BI'. Hire/ acquire entertainment. H ire entertainmen! for your saloon as a paying/comm ission POSItion. Award: 5 BP. Hire/acquire 2nd form of entertainment. H ire a second. different form of entertainme nt for your saloon as a paying/commission position. Award: 5 BP. Own multiple saloons. In the same town or in another, purchase additional lots and build additional saloons (for a total of three '. Cha racter must aCli\'c1y manage eaeh for a month or longer. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in off-hours. but must pursue business management as a senous matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 20 BE

Build/ develop ranch. SCI up a permancm ranch building, cookhouse and at !east one bunkhollse. Award: 8 BI~
Buy/acquire award-winning stud . You have a male animal that has won awards a t local shows and is in demand by other ra nchers for breeding purposes. Award: 20 BP.

SADDLER
Set up for business. Setling up in a known area for sale a nd/or creation of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location. even a ram shackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I S P. Get a permanent business. Selling LIp a perma nenl store front/building fo r operation of the business. A\\'ard: 2 BP. Improve to 49% in relevanl skill. Improve to 49% or beller in Lcatherworking skill. Award: 3 BP. Hire an appre n tice/employee. Taking on a new employee o r an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice. Award: 2 BP. Creale a n extraordinary item. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (exceed Skill roll by 100%). Award: 10 BP.

SALOON OWNER
Set up for business. Setti ng up in a known area ror sa le and /o r creation of wares. For starte rs this can be (and typically is) a rented location, even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BP. Hire employees . Ta king on a new employee o r an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprenticc). Award: 2 BP.

210

SAWYER/ LUMBERJACK
Find landllot. Locate an area of land where you can CUI trees. Allard: 1 HI'. Buy lumber rights. Purchase the ri~ht to cut and rCITIo\'c trees from a certain area, or purchase that area. Award: 3 BP. Set up for business . Selting lip in a knowll arca for sale andlor creation of warcs. For starters this can be (and lyp ically is) a rented location, cn:n a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: 2 BP.
Op e rate business for one month . H u ~i ness nllm be diligently operated for one month. Character Illa) pursue other interests and Pe rsonal Goals in ofT-hour~, but must pursue busi nns operations as a serious matlc r lor +0 or morc houn per week for a solid mOlllh without illlcrruplion. Award: 3 BP. Build perrnane nt sawmill . SC I up a permanent sawmil l. Awa rd: 5 BI~

Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve 4-9% or beller in Tracking skill. ,\ ward: 3 HI'.

10

Explort' local area. Spend al least 7 days nOI necessarily conseeutil'e) explo ring a local area unknown to you. Award: 3 SP. Gel hired to lead others th rough l ocal areas. Guide miter persons through a local area you explored, in exchange for money or olher compcnS<llioll. Award: 3 BP Explore regional area unknown to you. Spend at lea ~ 1 7 d:lYs not neccssnrily consecutive) explori ug a regional area unknown to you. Awa rd : 3 S P. Ge t hired to l ead others through r egional a.r ea. Guide otlwr perso n ~ th rough a regional area you explored. in exchange for mon ey or o ther compe nsation . . \ward: 3 SP. Explore far-flung area unknown 10 you. Spe nd al lea~t 7 dap not nece~,arily consecUlil'c ex ploring a distant area unkno\\n to you . . \\I-ard: 5 BP . Lead otbers through more t.han one territory aDd bac k . Guide pcr)ons through two UI" more territoric .. and rctum them to their starting point . in exchange for money or other compensation. Award: lO BI'.

Hire an apprentice/employee/manager. Take on a new manager, e m ployee or "n apprclHict. It need not be a paying position especialJ} in th(> casc of a n apprentice). Award: 2 SP.

SCHOOL TEACHER
Give first public lec ture. You give a public lecture on an academic subjeci 10 a crowd of at least a halfdozen people. Award: I UP.
10

SEAMSTRESS/TAILOR
Improve 10 49 % in relevant skill . Im prove to {go'n or bctter in Seamstress/Tailor skill. Award: I BI~ Se t up for busine ss. Selling up in a known :lrea for sale and/or crealion or \Iares. For st<lrters thi s cOIn be and typica lly i~ a rented location. even a ram shackle te nt on a I11cr(' lo\. .\ward: 2 UP. Get. a permanent business . Setting up a pcrmaneill storefront/building for operation of the bu~i n ess. Award: 3 HP. Hire a n apprentice/employee. 'f aking on a new employee or an apprentice. It need nOl be a paying positio n (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 HP. Create an extraordinary item . Create an extraordinary item in the profession exceed Seamstress/Tailor skill roll by 100% ). Award: 10 BP.

Obtain students. Parents come 10 you and ask you teach thei r children. All ard: I Br.

Obtain a lot . O bta in" lot in town ~ uitablt' for building. You may purchase this. or it may be a loan/gift from a pe rson or go\crnmCnI. Award: 2 BP . Build a school. Set up a permanent school bui lding. All ard: 3 SP. Equip the school. Provide the school with desks, books and chalkboards. Award : I BP Build a.nd equip a school in another town. In the same IOwn or in another, purchase a n additional lot and build addit ional school (fo r a lOtal of two '. Character must actively manage each for a month or longer. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goa l!! in o fT-hours, b u t must pursuc school management as a serious mancr for 40 or more hours per Ilcek for a solid mOlllh without interruption. Awa rd: 4 B I~

SIGNMAHER
Set up for business. Setting lip in a known area for sale and/or creation of W:1 rcs. For starters this ca n be <l nd t}1lically is} a rcntcd location , e,"cn a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BP. Get a permanent business. Selli ng li p a pennanent storefront / bui lding for operation of the business. Award: 2 UP

SCOUT/G UIDE
Equip yourself. You pu rchase a gun, knife ami other tools you will need to survive in the wilderness. Awa rd: I SP.

211

Improve to 49 % in relevant skill.

49% or beller Award: 3 BP.

III

Improve 10 CaUigraphy/Signmaking skill.

ing position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP.

Cheat 50 customers at o n ce. You sell your product to at least 50 persons in a single large crowd, Award: 5 BP.

Hire an apprentice/employee. Taking on a new

employee or an apprcmicc. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP.
Create a n extraordinary item. Create an extraor

SOLDIER
Join/volunteer. " au voluntarily accept or see k Out a position in a state, national or territorial army. Award: I BP. Report to duty/post. YOll report to duty for the

dinal), item in the profession (excecd your CaUigraphy/ SignmakingskilJ roll by 100%). Award: 10 UP,

SILVERSMITH
Set up for business. Sening up in a known area for sale and/o r creation of wares. For starters Ih is can be (and lypieaUy is) a rented location, even a ram shackle tcnt on a mere lot. Award: I Ill>. Get a permanent business. Setting up a permanent storefrol1l/ building lor operation of lhe business. Award: 2 BP.

firs t time. Award: 2 BP,

Engage enenlY. Under command of your su periors, you fight the enemy. Award: 3 Br Heroic action witnessed by others. You perform a heroic action that is wi tnessed and talked about by others. Award: 5 SP. Repel/invade enenly. Your enemy retreats, leaving your army to hold their position or take a new posi tion away from the enemy. Award: 10 BP.

Improve to 49% or better in Blacksmitiling/;\ It'talworking skill. Award: 3 B I~

Inlprove to 49"/" in relevant skill. Hire an apprentice/employee. Taking on a new

Spy
Get job at local level. Local indi\'idual or government hires you to ~py on a person or group. Award: I BP Report/smuggle on local dispute/iss u e. You repOrt 10 the local boss about what you saw or heard, or hand over an item you stole or smuggled from the pe rson or group you spied upon. Award: 2 BP. Get job at state/territory level. State/territorial government or government individual hires you to spy on a person or group. Award: 3 UP. Report/smuggle on state/territory dispute or other problem. You repon 10 those who hired you

employee or an apprentice. I t need not be a paring position (especially in Ihe case of an apprentice'. Award: 2 BP.
Create an e"traordinary itl'm. Create an extraordinary item 1Il the profession lexceed Blacksmith ing/ M etalworking skill roll by 100%). Award: 10 BP.

SNAKE OIL SALESMAN

con coction of liq uids purportedly designed to have a health ful effect on the human or animal body. Award: 2 BP,
11

Create a fornlula/concoction. You create

Y ou proclaim the benefits of your concoction in a public area to at least a halfdozcn people. You recei\'c this amount of BPs the fi rst lime you pitch a new product. Award: I BP.
Each nl'W publi c pitch g iven . Sell to at l east 25 c u stomers. You have sold your product to at least 25 people. Award: 5 BP. lmprove to 49% in relevant skill. Improve to 49% or better in Salesmanship skill. Award: 3 BP. G et a wagon/ cart . Buy or oth erwise obtain a wagon or cart for yo u and your goods. Each side of the cart/wagon displays a sign promoting your concoctio n(s). Award: 2 BP. Hire an apprentice/shill. Taking on a new employee/shill or an apprentice. It need not be a pay-

about what you sa\\ or heard, or hand over an item you stole or ~ muggled from the person or group you spi ed upon. Awa rd: 5 BP.
Gl't a job at national level. National government or government individual hires you to spy on a person or group. Award: I 0 B I~ Report/smuggle on national disputelissue. You report to those who hired you about what you saw or heard, or hand over an item you stole or smuggled II'om the person or group you spied upon. Award: 12 BP Report/snluggle on in ternation al dispute or other probJem. You report 10 those who hired YOll

about what you saw or heard in a foreign count ry or from a forei gn individual/group, or hand ovcr an item you stole or smuggled from the person or group you spied upon. Award: 15 B I~

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SURVEYOR/CARTOGRAPHER
Set up for business. Selling up in a known area for sale and/or crcation of wares. For starters this can be and typically is) a rented locat ion. e\'en a ramshackle tell! on a mere lot. Award: I BP,
Get a permanent business. Selling up a penna-

per \\eek for a solid month without interruption. Awa rd: 10 UP

TINSMITH
Set up for buslness. Selling up in a known area for sale and/or creat ion of warcs. For starters this ca n be and typically is a rented location. e'en a ram shackle tent on iI mere lot. .\\\ard: I Br. G e t a permanent business. Setting up a pe n na-

!lent slorcfroll\/building for operation of the busilless. Award: 5 B I~

Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Impro\'(' to

4go,u or better in Cartography skill. Award: 3 B l~

Hire a.n appr entice/employee. Taking on a new employee 01' an apprentice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP.

nent storefront / building for operation of the business. Award: 2 UP.

Improve to 49 % in relevant skill . Improve to 49% or better in Blacksmith ing/ i M etalworking skill.

Award: 3 BP .
Hire an apprentice /employee. T aking on a new employee Or an apprtlllicc. It need not be a paying position (especially in t ht' cas("" of an apprelltice). Award: 2 BP.

TANNER/ LEATHERWORKER
IOlprove to 49% in relevant skill . Iinpro\'c \0

49% or better in Skinning/Tanning skill, .\ward: I

sr.

Set up for business . Scltin~ up in a known area for sale and/or creation of wares. for Slarters this can be ,'and typically is a rented location. even a ram. shackle telll on a mere lot. Award: 2 DP.
Get a permanent business. Selting up a perma. nent storefront /bu ilding for opera lion of Ihe business. Award: 3 BP. Hire an appre ntice/ employee. Taking on a new employee or an apprentice. It need nOl be a paying position (especia lly in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BI~ Create an extraordinary item. Create an extraordinary item In the profession (exceed Skinning/Tanni ng skill roll by 10011/0). Award: 10 DP.

Create an extraordinar) it(~m in Ihe profession exceed Black~mi(hill~ / :\ l t(alworkilll.; ~kill roll by 100'0.. Award: I 0 BI~
C reat e an e xtraordinar y item .

TOBACCONIST
Set up for business . Setting up in a known area for sale and/or crealion of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location, even a ramshackle lent on a mere 1 01. Award: I BP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in tOwn suitable for build ing. Award: 2 BP. Operate business for one month. Business must be diligentl), operated for Ollt: month. C haracter may pursue Othe r interests and Personal Goals in ofT hours. but must pursue busi ness operations as a serious mat ler for 40 or mo re hours per week for a solid month. Award: 3 BI~ Build permanent storefront. Set up a permanent shop for operation of the business. Award: 5 BP . Hire an appre ntice/employee/manager. Take on a new employce, manager or an apprentice. It need nOt be a paying position \especially in the case of an apprcntice . l\ward: 2 BP.

TELEGRAPH OPERATOR
Acquire equipment. You pu rchase. rent or otherwise acquire telegraph equipment. .\ ward: 2 BP. Buya lot. Purchase
11

lot in town suitable for build.

ing. Award: 2 BP. You set up a telegraph line to another town . . \ward: 2 BP.
Set up line to another town. BuiJd permanent office. Set up permanent tele-

graph office for operation of the business. Award: 5 BI~

Build branch offices in two other lowns. In the same town or in another, purchase additional lots and build additional business offices fo r a lotal of three ). Character mmt actively manage each for a month or longer. Character may purSLle other interests and Personal Goal5 in olT-hours, but lUust pursue business management as a serious matter for +0 or more hou rs

TRAILBLAZER
Equip yourself. Pu rchase a gun, knife and other tools necded to suni"e in the wilderness. Award: I BP. Improve to 49 % in relevant skill. Improve 49% or better in T racking skill. Award: 3 BP
10

2 13

Explore local area. Spend at least i days (not necessarily consecutive) exploring a local area unknown to you. Award: 5 BP. Get hired to lead expedition to uncharted/unexplored regional area. Lead multiple persons th rough a regional area no one is known 10 have explored, in exchange for money or other compe nsation. Award: 5 Bl~ Lead expedition to find/blaze a new trail b eyond territory. Lead multiple persons into unknown territory, in exchange for money or other compcnsation. Awa rd: 10 Br. Lead others through n ew trail and back. Lead multiple persons o\'er a new trail you blazed into previously unknown territo ry and return them to their starting point, in exchange for money or other compensation. Award: 20 BP.

Find steady supply. You find an affordable, constant supply of at least one item you wish to routinely trade in. Award: 2 BP. Develop five or Dlore on custoDler/c1ient list. You make an agreement with five or more pe rsons to routinely supply a certain good in exchange for an agreed upon amount of cash or trade. Award: 2 BP.

TRANSPORTER (STAGECOACH OPERATOR)

Acquire equipDlent. Purchase a stagecoach and horses to pull it. Award: 2 BP. Set up for business . Setting up in a known area for sale and /or creation of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location, eve n a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: 2 UP. Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 SP. Hire employee (s ). T aking on a new employee or an apprcmice. [t need not be a paying position (especially in the case of an apprentice). Award: 2 BP. Build p e rDlanent office. Sct up a permanent building fo r operation of the business. Award: 5 BP. Build branch offices in two other towns. [n the same town or in another. purchase additional lots and build additional bu"iness ofliccs for a total of three}.

TRADER (LIVESTOCK, FUR, DRY GOODS, ETC.)

Find first custOnler. You make your first sell, trade or purchase with another person. Award : I Bl~ iDlprove to 49% in relevant s kill. Improve to 49% or be tter in Salesmanship skil l. Award: 3 UP.

214

Character must a.cti\ely manage each for a momh or longer. Character may pursut.' ot her interests and Personal Goals in olf-h ours, but must pursue business management as 01 serious mailer for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 10 BP.

WEAVER
Set up for business. Sctting up in a known area for sale and/or creation of wares. Fo r starters this can be ~ and typically is) a rcnted location. even a ramshackle tent on a mere lot. Award: I BP, Ge t a permanent business. Setting up a pcnnanent storefront / building for operation of the business. A\,ard: 2 BP. Improve to 49 /. in relevant skill. Impro\'e 4-9'0 or beller in Weaving skill. Award: 3 SP.
\0

UNDERTAKER
Perfor m a burial. You perlol'm a public burial as

undcrtaker. Award: I

Ul~

Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable for building. Award: 2 B I~ Ope n a parlor. Sct up a permanent burial parlor for ope ration of the" bu~incss. Award: 3 BP. Ope r ate parlor for one month . Business must be diligently worked for one month. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in off-hour~. but must pursue business opportunities as a se rious mailer for 40 or more hours per week for a. solid month withOUl interruption. Award : 2 BP. Hold a wake. You walch over a shon or overnight

Hire an apprentice/empl oyee. Taking on a new employee or an apprl:n ticc. It need not be a paying pO~1Iio n e~pcci allr in thc case of an app rentice). Award: 2 BP. C reate a n e "traordin a r y item.. Create an extraordinary item in the profession (excccd Weowing ~k.ill roll b) 1000 . \\\ard: 10 HP.

WHORE
Turn a tri c k. G et paid for sex act. Award: I BP. Become a Pro. Signal your professional availabili-

gat hering of the deceased's friend s and relatives in the funeral parlor or in a relati\'e's home. Award: I BI~
Make an e,;:.traordin ary coffin.

ty by whate\'er means will convey such intent to your

potent ial client base. Award: 2 BP.
Active in profession for one month . Business must be diligently worked for ont" month. Character may pursue other intcrc~tS and Personal Coals in offhours, but Inthl pursue business oppo rtunities as a seriam matter for +0 or more houn per week for a solid month without interruption . . \\,'ard: 3 BI', Buy a lot. Purchase a lot in town suitable fo r building. . \ ward: 2 BP. Bu.i1d a brotbel house/hote l. Sec to construction of an appropriately sized whorehouse. Award: 5 BP. Hire other entertainm e nt.

extraordinary coffin (exceed 100(l,(l i. Awa rd : 3 BP.

Carpentr~

C reate an skill roll by

M ake an extraordinary marker/stone. Create an extraordinary mark{'l" or gra\'estone exceed Stonemasonry skill roll by 1000,u. Award: 3 SP.

WAINWRIGHT
Set up fo r business. Sening lip in a known area for sale and/or creiltion of wares. For starters this can be (and typically is) a rented location , e\'en a ramshackle telll o n a mere lot. Award: I BI~ Get a permane nt business. Setting up a permanent storefront/building tor ope ration of Ihe busill(.' ~s. Award: 2 Bi>. Im.prove to 49 % in r e levant skill . Improvc to 4-9% or bette r in Carpemry skill . Award: 3 BP. Hire an apprentice/ employee. Taking on a nc\\ ('mployee or an apprclllice. It need not be a paying position (especially in the elise of an apprentice ). Awa rd: 2 SP. C r eate an e xtraordinary item. Create an extraordi nary item in Ihe profession (excced CarpeiUry skill roll by 100%' . Award: 10 B I~

employees to work for the

hou ~e.

Hire additio nal Award: 5 BP

Build , stock a nd m.anage t"wo more brothels. In the ~ arne lown o r in anothe r. purchase additiona l lots and build additional brothels for a total of three. Character mu st actively manage each for a month or longer. Character may purslLe other interests and Per,onaJ Goals in orT.llOurs, but must pursue bu s in(' s~ management a~ a serious matt er for 40 or more hOlLrs per week for a solid month \\'ithout interruption. Award: 10 UP.

215

51 The OIl-Goina

5.1 I Cattle Ranching

"You Set a Longhorll - I sa a IWfII/y dollar gold piece on legs. lOll Set 500 poullds if hell-s/wwnedjury u'ropped ill leallur sporlin' rib-brwkill' Iwo ves Qnd glll-gollgin' horllS - I Sf( a LOllghorn. "
~Iorgan I~

Hargra\c. Callie Rancher

Historians will undoubtedly debate [oren: r whether it was the longhorn that made the Repuhli c of Texas. or if il was the Texicans that made the longhorn. E.ither pe rspective has me rit, for the emergence of the unique longhorn varict), of Bos Taurus and the ascendancy of Texas arc inexorably intertwined. Perhaps no enterprise olher than gold :lnd silver mining is more luc ra dve in the untamed west than that of the cattle busin ess. The demand for beef in the indust rialized east, as well as in the booming nell' mining tOWIIS, is p ra ct ically insatiable - creating a seller's market for those in the business of raising cattle. And whereas those searching for gold and sih'e r must laboriously mo\'c stream and mountain to uncover this wealth , bcevcs can be found on the hoof in copious numbers. The expansi\'e open prairies of west Texa~. Arapahoe, Colorado and Wyo ming arc tceming \\ ith herds of milling longhorns in seemingly inexhaU'itib\c suppl y. Ironically, Texicans once conside red the vc ry longhorns now in such demand to be pests. Region al demand had been saturated for decades. and getting the cattle to distant markets where they might fetch a reasonable price was long deemed imprac tical - if nm downright impossi ble. New methodologies would, however, dramaticaHy alter the landscape and invigorate the eattlc raising busi ness. Shortly before the \\'ar Berween thc States. seve ral Texic'lIl ranchers took nOte of the fact that the herds of wild cattle roaming the outback of the Republi c \\'ere far hea rtier than their own stock of farm breeds transplanted froll1the Atlantic seaboa rd. Th ey discovered that these rugged longhorns could be successfully driven hundreds or even thousands of miles to market on foot. Driven slowly and allowed to graze along the wa}; the animals arrived at the far end of the trail fat enough to fet ch a decent price. Cattle worth only twO to four dollars locally cou ld bring anywhere from 20 to 40 dollars a head at a rail terminal. Ptrhaps the new economics of beef is beSl illmtrated by the fact that one rancher drove 1,000 head from west Texas 10 St. Loui s and (in his 011'11 words) "reti red in spades". l\ lost of the early Texican drives headed northeast to the Kansas Territory. Such drives were long and haz-

ardous. They ran a ve ritable gauntlet of obstacles including swollen ri\'ers, arid ranges with little forage or wale I' and hostile Indians. Even at some white setdements, farmers refused to allow passage of the herds - partially for fear of crops being destroyt:d , but more so from fcar of diseases like 'Texas fe\'er' infec ti ng their own he rds. A dri\'e beginning with sC\'e ral thousand head of catt le could ve ry well end up arriving at marke t with o nly a few hundred head remaining. Despite these ri~ks, the profitability of even a mode rately successful \'cl1ture ensured the continuance and cnlargcmcllI of ca ttlc drives. The \\'ar Between the States witnessed an infrastructural maturation of the callie industry. Not only did the Union \'astly increasc it s demand for the product , but central planning 011 thc part of the war depa rtm cnt put lilfough significant changes in logistics that could never have been accomplished by the sma I! and fiercely competitive pre-war players. Generous su bsidies built new rail lines and allowed favored compani es to greatl y e;.;pand their packing and distribution capabilities. These firm s continued to expand their reach after the war. as northern diet s were now accustomed to cheap \\ estern beef.
De~pi t e the fact that ranchin g had been big business in Texa;, fo r years, the real cattlc boom only came of a{:("c after the war. \ Vhen new railheads reached Sequoya h and Fort Worth , it didn't take long before they were read}' to recei\"e herds and ship them to the enormous plants in Chicago. No\\' hundrcds of thousa nd of longhorns arc driven up the long and arduolls traiL-. to the railheads each summcr.

Still a formidable drive from ranches of west Texas, the new railheads at cattle towns such as New Echota and Fan Worth cut the northern drives to U.S. markets by nearly half. NO! only do cattle arrive at market faster. but in beller condition and with fewer losses. The lure of reponedl}' easy money from raisi ng and driying cattic is irresistible to many folks arriving on the frontier. Fresh markets arc created with each new gold town that sp rings into existe nce. In addition. although most of the wild herds have long since been claimed , there arc still rogue herds to be found and rounded up in remote valleys and canyons.

THE TEXAS LONGHORN

Historians bicke r o\'er the fin er details of the origin of these rugged creatures, but they do agre(' on the basics. Like the horse. callie were first introduced to

218

.J

-"'..-..;

-~-

219

the new world by the early explorers from the old world. Columbus brought spotted range cattle from the Iberian Peninsula and nearly every subsequent Spanish expedition to the northern frontier of :'v1exico (Tejas) brought additional cattle that helped seed the herds that would one day nourish in the Americas. Some of those cattle escaped into the wilds, so the story goes, where (in spite of the odds) they sun'ived to form great wild herds. By the latter 1500s, ranching boomed in Spanish Tejas with some ranches ha\'ing as many as 150,000 head. i\ lany of these animals escaped and we nt wild or feral. Adding to the spread of wild cattle was the fact that many Spanish ranchers developed the habi t of cutting out sick or sore-footed cattle to give to the Indians as tribute when their herds crossed into their territories, and these cattle eventually seeded additional he rds. During the Pueblo Revolts of the late 1600s, virtually all of the Spanish colonists were driven from their settlements or killed. They abandoned their large herds, cont ributing further to the sp read of feral callie. When Franciscan missionaries later returned to the area, they founded missions and began operating ranches worked by Indian converts. By the late I iOOs, large private ranches again occupied the land on both sides of the San Antonio Rive r. Although the callIe were frequently rounded up, branded and counted for the benefit of Spanish tax assessors, the herds were otherwise allowed to run free , breed and graze alongside the wild herds. In 1822, the Mexican government allowed American colon ists to move to Tejas under the leadership of Stephe n F. Austin. T hese new settlers were mostly from farms and plantations of the Old South, and brought with them their best horses and cattle - li\'e-

stock of English ancestry. As the colony took root, ex isting herds of wild Spanish callie mixed with dle livestock from the cast. Since the re was no COl1lrolled b reeding, dle only factor that shaped these herds was natural survival in the tough unforgiving environment of Texas brush land. The result was the Texas Longhorn, a breed that dearly established itself in large scattered herds by the mid 1800s. Characterized by their long horns (that can span 4 to 5 feet wide from tip to tip), these beasts seem to have been engineered to be tough enough for the long callie drives that would follow decades hence_

* THE CATTLE BUSINESS *

There a re several ways for players to get involved in the cattle business. Th e mOSt obvious is for a charaCte r to stan at ground level as a ranch hand or cowboy and work his way up. Alternati\'ely, a pl<lyer with the appropriate skills (and a bit of seed capital) could stake out some land and begin a small ranch of his own. Very wealthy characters can simply invest their capital and buy, or collaborate with, an existing operation. :'Ilany wealthy Europeans, drawn to the business by its \-aunted profitability. favored this latter route.

STARTING A RANCH
CO\'ering eve ry facet of establishing and running a ranch is beyond the scope of thi s book, but a broad ove rview of the process can arm players with enough information to wo rk out the basics. Starting a ran ch from scratch is ambitious, but not impossible. Players wanting to go th is route must locate suitable land and secure it from potent ial competitOrs. They also need to build a he rd. T hese tasks require a great deal of capita! and lor ingenuity. If a player expresses a desire to stan a ranch, it is best handled though role-play, requiring the player to solve the hurdles and work out the details. In game terms, here arc a few of the basic tenets govcrning cattle ranching:
@"" Bee\'es require 10 acres of land (15 if the land is dry and scrubby) per animal O\'er the course of a year, to graze upon. The scrubland typical of the Cauldron (see Chapter 4.11 TIle Am & Eigllt.I Campaign ) supports about 40 animals pe r square mile.

~ Each head of cattle requires up to 30 gallons of water a day to remain healthy_ A large and permane nt watcr source must be situated no furt her than 10 miles from any grazing land. T he upshot of this is that suit-

220

able grazing land generally flanks rivers and streams. ~ I uch of the parched land 'out in the wilderness' is unsui table for ranching.
r:!ir ;-Jewborn calves take fou r years ani mals suitable for sl aughter.
10

mature into

This means a modest he rd of 100 cattle requires 4,000 w 6,000 acres (10 square miles' of grazing land located suitably close to a stream o r natural spring. Of cou rSt, prime grazing land is snatched up quickly and carlyon. In fact, most of the g reen rangeland in Texas and lile western territories is already under the control of a relatively small number of tattle barons and pro:;perous indepcndent ranchers. Consequenll), the wilds of the Shatte red Frontier arc the onl}' real option for those wanting to establi~h a ne\\ ranch. This can be a risky venture, con~idering that four nations and a handful of Indian u-ibcs cla imthe same land. With possession being nine-tenths of the law and a show of force being the other temhl, mall}' fortune~eekers are willing to take the gamble. Ranchers require room for their herds and are notoriom for their penchant to exert control O\-er broad areas by any mea ns necessary. Typicall~, a rancher makes his legal claim on a water source such as a ri\'er, lake or stream) and then extends the boundaries by extralegal measures to '\l least 10 miles on either side (about the distance a herd can comfortably travel without water'. One has to consider futu re gro\\ \h as well. As such, a ranch can extend 10 to 30 miles from end to end claimed territory 011 which no other rancher call move, graze or water his cattle without being challenged and coming under the threat of arms. Once an area opens lip to settlement , good rangeland is seized quickly. from then on, it's a fight for each character 10 kcep what he's staked claim to. Shortagcs of grass and water C;1I1 turn amiable neighbors into the bitter enemies. All it takes is one drought. Despite Ihe competitive nature between ranchers. there is often a large degree of cooperation though thi s typically exists only between large established claimants who've banded together to secure their ranges from interloping newcomers). Catllemcn associations rise up. Coordinated an nual round-ups arc organized. Mutual protection and enfo rcemcnt of 'ca ttleman justice' arc tWO of the ways ranchers work together for the common good of their business.

CallIe ca n be obtained in one of twO \'lays. The easiest method is to purchase a starling herd from another rancher. While this can be prohibitively expensive for a player just sta rting out, it is the hest option for a wealthy character eager 10 get his ranch up a nd running. These t ransactions arc handled like all)' other purchase. wit h suggested prices listed in Chopltr 5.51 Goods & Sen'ias. Caution is warranted, however. ~ I a n y highly successful ranchers a re known to be skilled negotiaton and won't hesitate to take advantage of a greenhorn. f or large purr-hases involving hundreds of head, it may be financially advantageous to contract a distant rancher and purchase a porrion of his herd which will be dri\'cll to the character's ranch rather than purchasing local stoc k. An aitl'rnati,e is to round up wild unclaimed caule from the wilderness and dri\'e them to the ranch. Of cour~e, players searching for ,,~Id cattle must devote time traveling to and exploring remote unsettled areas on the regional map. This undertaking is not a olle-man job. In general. it requires three or more trained men each ha\ ing lile minimum cowbor skill sel ali de~cribed helO\\ with several horses apiece a week lO !>earch a IOO-squarc-mile area.
maH'rick~

Success or failure is determined by whichever of the three cowboys has the best master) of Searching. Afler one week, that cowboy makes a Searching skill check for the grou p. This is generaiJy an Average check (+40%), though it may be reduced to Easy (+8011/0) if he also has the Animal Lore skill at Average mastery (74-50) or betler. The character discovers one mavcrick for e"ery percentage point by which he succcssfully excecdcd his skill check. ~ l crc1)" finding wild callie docs not, howe,cr, imply that they arc now docile. These mavericks must then be succes~ful1)' herded a Difficult check for wild call1e i in order to bring them into Ihe fold.
For tHlmplt, Itt's say that Tluodort ccThu" lVi/9 is dtltrmined to txplou a 100-sq/lort-milt /lnStllltd ouo in starch oj mauricks. As nald aballt, ht mllsl first sttld 0111 at kasl thru hiud lIIt'n (tach with Xavia or btlltr masury of Animal Hmlillg (coltlt), Riding and Rope l;st) ullh stlltral horsts apita. T1lu dtcidrs 10 go on Ihe senreh, along lL'i/h twa alhtr hirtd men. Thu pla)tr now alltmpls a Starching skill chuk 01 Ar:trage diffitull)' (+404 Thtt has 0 76% masury value in tht Starching skill, 51) !Ii musl rail a 36 or hig}ttr 10 mut or excud I/r ralls a 79, for a latal oj 119 his 76" masltT)~ (79+40=119, wtll abol.'t his mastrry vollu), so ht succUils.

STOCKING A RANCH
Once a player has staked out his ranch. lhe hard part begins. In order to make his ranch a going concern. he needs cattie and the ranch hands to work them.

To drttrll/illt how IIIt1I!)' lI1tlven"cks Tltu alld his mttl jol//ld, his pla)'er sjmpo' sublracts Thu's masltTy valllt (76%jfrom Ilu towl Toll (119) for 0 rtsult rif -13 (119, 76= 4.'1) . Thu and his

221

men located 43 mavencks. Now lujust lias to bring them into his own herd. Tlue's plq)'er now makes all Animal Herding (caule) skill (heck. However, tIlls is a Difficult check (+0%) with no bonus to his roll. Thee onlY has a 78% mastery value in lite Allimal Herding (caWe) skill, so he must roll a 78 or hlglur. He rolls a 68 ~ a failure. Since each repealed Animal Herding attempt per day (on the same herd) stifftrs a C/lmulalive + 15% penally to the skill check, Thu (an try again, bl/t he has to roll a 93 or higher. Looks like Thee needs (0 improve his Animal Herding skill before lu (ries /0 master the mavericks again.

GROWING THE RANCH

A ranch is more than a few hundred head of cattle and some grazing land, A raneh owner needs help tending to them, and to eventually drive them to market. He must provide for the needs of his men including shelter, food, basic equipment and horses. This represents a huge outlay of cash - all ban ked against growing the herd and eventually ge tting it to market to se ll the animals for a substantial profit. A smooth talking rancher just starting out and short on capi tal can often make do the first season by living on the cheap out of tents and the backs of wagons. And if he's real smooth (recall the note on successful ranchers being good salesmen), he can convince the hired help 10 \,'ork for shares of the herd, or eve n partial par, until the he rd is driven to market and sold. Some cowboys may agree 10 such te rms on a handshake, Others will demand a promissory nOte against wages owed . Some banks and financ iers might be willing to loan money against sha res in a herd, but rates can run from 2% 10 5% a month. A character's Reputation and role-playing has a lot 10 do with how successful he is in the above pu rsuits.

Though wild cattle are plentiful, there is not an infinite supply of longhorns grazing free ly, To simulate this, note the following caveats. Any particular area can only be searched once per year. Additionally. the players arc hardly likely to be the only characters seeking to gath er wild cattle. For e"er), ranch within 50 miles of the area sea rched, add one difficulty level to the Searching check - to reflect that nearby ranchers have conducted cow hunts of their own in this region, If the adjusted check is pushed beyond Very Diffi cult, there is no chance of finding mavericks in the area that year.

BRANDING
Bunding is ~ mens of eSllblishing ownership. The pr~ctice is not new to the Sh ~tTe red Frontier. however. Even the ncient Egyptins brlnded their cllt le. A mer ic~ n cowboys lelrbed the usk from MexiCln vlqueros ~ nd in time developed their own unique call igraphy. Brlnds cn be subdi vided into three mljor cllegories; I) Letters. numbers l nd the ir vui~ nt s. 2) Geometric symbols ~ nd 3) Pictoria l sym bols. With thOUSlnds of bunds in service. a complex etymology developed. with each containing a phuse or pun unique to the owner. Conventions hlve developed to discouuge the practice of venting ('rebunding') Cltt le, Cattlemen ue quick to dis couuge the ldoption of vuinls on their bunds for fear of callie rustl ing. For yyHas his example. 1 u ncher Ihltldopts H brand when his neighbor uses H y His look ing for trouble!

Methods of Cattle Branding

Earmark Wattle

O wners Brand Ve nt Brand

I
\

\
Jaw Brand Dewlap

Trail or Road Brand Jughandle De wlap

222

THE HIRED HELP

A good rulc-of-dlumb is thai c\'cry 250 head of cattle in the herd requires one ranch hand to manage them. The ,wcrage wage for a cowhand is S I a day usually paid as S30 at the end of each month. The most expe rienced hand fills the position of range boss - the man in charge of the daY-IO-clay work when the ranch owner isn't around. Range bosses cOlllmand a wage of S 100 a month. A rancher just starling OUI may Opt to fill the role of range boss himself, but he must devote his full attention to Ihe job and will probably have little time left o\'cr for anything clsc. E" c ry ranch needs a cook lO pro\'idc meals for the hands. A competent cook draws S40 or morc a month. A poor cook usually doesn't las! long enough to draw his pay. A'olhing annoys a cowboy more than a cook that can't properly stew a pot of beans. When hiring ranch hands, a player must take care 10 select men with a good range of skills. Picking men of good character and work ethic is equally important, but those lacking such qualities arc usual!y weeded out while on the job. Good men arc hard to find and hard men arc e\'en rarer. The success of any ranch is largely dependent on the men that work it. So hiring shouldn't be taken lightly. So, what makes a cowboy? While there a rc many aspects of an individual's personality that determine his sui tability for this line of work, it is important to define the ski lls required to successfully perform the work. At a minimum, each of the ranch hand positions has the followin g prerequisites:

R a n ch Boss:
AccounTing - 990IG or better AdminisTriTion - 74% or beller Animli Herding (Wile) - 99'J1. or beller Riding - 9'}0,4 or bwer Rope Usc - 9I}Oft or beller

Range Boss:
AdminislUlion - 99% or better. An; mil He rding (wrle) - 74% or beller Riding - 74% or beller Rope Usc - 740/. or beller Cowboy: Aotmil Herding (wrle) - 99% or beller Riding - 99o/t or bwer Rope Usc - 99% or beller

Range Cook:
Cooking - 99% o r beller Droving - 99o/t or beller

Wrangler:
Riding - <}9Oft or beller

While it is possible to for a character to bluff his way into a job by overstating his abilities, it will become readily apparent to his peers and supe rv isor that he lacks the necessary skills for the position. At that point, he can either slink away in sha me or take a less skilled position and diligently attempt to learn.

TABLE 5.1-1: RANC!! !!ANI) REllUIREMENTS

Posit ion Cowboy
R ~pgc

II N"dcd

W~gC$

Dillies
Aoylhio8 Ihl oeeds dOlO' M1u8el field work 10d cow bo y,

I per 250 bud

UO/ mOll lh flOO/mooTb

Boss

$'10 +/mOlllh
Wrugler' Bbeksmilh" Ruch Boss'" oprioul

Cooks mub
CUC! for The borsC! Shoes horses. rcp1i rs equipmenT
~ho'8U

ITO 2

125/ mooTb !125/mooTh !60/moDlh

Tuch bouse. huildio8', ' Id !

~lId d'Y lod~y

operuiool.

Keeps iovelllory of equipmcoT. Serves U p.ymuler.

"Nott: Th e lowly wrangler often doublu as go-fer for the range boss and cleanup boy for the cooK. "A lthough many cOb,-hands are to replact 0 thrown shot on a ho~ 0$ required. most lorge ranchu emplo~t a residtnt bloc/tsmith for tht job. In oddition to kttping the horsts wdl shod. Ihe blocksmith keeps equipment in a good stare of repair_ repairs wogonslwhuls. makes bronding irons. ttc. '''Largu ranches with numtrous buildings. hundreds of piuu of equipment ond household staff often require cloSt to home. serving as the owner's right hand man.
0

hired hand who stays

223

As a final note, it's standard practice for the rancher to cove r medical expenses for those he employs, as well as burial costs (should fate take a turn for the worst).

three cowboys total , even for smaller herds). One also needs the services of a cook, a stocked chuckwagon, a wrangler, and several horses for each cowboy. Life on the Irail is arduous work. Cowboys work 16 hours a day in order to move the prescribed 10-12 miles, and then take shifts on guard duty through the night. A perennial fear is that. something might startle \ 'ot only the herd and cause them to stampede away. j does it cost tim e to round up straggle rs, but a 'spooky herd' often arrives at the railh ead haggard and skinny - and of far less interest 10 a prospect!\'e buyer. There are al so the intrinsic dange rs of the trail , poor weather being the most common . Hailstorms on the wide-open plains ca n cause painful bruising to both man and beast, and lightning has killed more than a few cowboys. Even distant events can impact Ihe drive - such as \\hen flash fl ooding (fed by storms hundred of miles upStream occu rs at river crossings. Far more dangerous, ho\\,e\er. arc fellow men. The velY lawlessness th:l1 permits squatt er ranchers to co ntrol vasl swathes of land by force of arms also empowers all sorts of bandits, as well as un subjugated Indian tribes. While some Indi ans may be bought ofT with a steer or tW O, warlike tribes or bandits may force a co nfrontation - usually ending in gu nplay. It is fo r this reason Ihat callieme n pre fer the longe r southeastern trai\. despite its length being: half again as long as the northeast trail.

WORKING THE RANCH

The re arc 1:\1'0 annual evenls common to all ranches the spring round-up and thc fall drive.

Th. Round-Up
\'Vhile on the ranch, cattle are not penned in, but allowed to range freely. One might think that this would aHow them to wander off, but few do. Recall that a typical ranch 's grazing area is cen tered on a permancnt water source. It is the cow's need for water that tics a herd to the ranch, without the added expe nse of fen cing or supervision. In the spring, after the cows have given birth, it is necessary to round up the herd to take inventory. Doing so allows the rancher to gauge the deprivation of the winter (how many head we re lost to exposure and predators), a nd assess his curren t financial position. Some stray animals from neighboring ranches may also have wandered into his territory and mingled with his herd. In addi tion to performing an inventory, newly born calves arc branded and males arc castrated.

The Drive
While it is nOt absolutely neCeSSal)' fo r every rancher to conduct the long drive to the railroad stOckyards, it is the surest way to obtain the best possible price for one's beeves. A smaller ranch might opt to act as a 'feeder' (fattening up animals for sale to others \Vho \ViII bring it to market) or to specialize in breeding and calf production.

ECONOMICS OF RANCHING
At first blush , ranching seems a guaranteed profit maker. In theo ry, 100 cows could become a vast herd of 2,892 head in 10 year's rime (provided , of course, that most of the COli'S give birth each year and that their offspring follow su it within two years).

Driving Cattle to Market

Quality grasses and availability of \Vater are essential for driving cattle. It is these two elements thai dictate the feasibility of a trai l. In fact , scarcities of these (especially water) have limited the available trails to only a mere handful. Planning for a drive entails more than choosing a rOllte. This is a major operation and requires careful assembly of men and supplies. A herd moves about 10 miles a day - the upshot being that a drive to either Fort \Vorth or Sequoyah takes two months or more. As social animals, cattle !Cnd to cling togethcr and stay in a group. This makes the task of herding them easier, but a number of skill ed cowboys are Hill required for the task. A good rule-of-thumb is that every 250 head needs one cowboy (with a minimum of

Th e problem with thi s analytic computation is that it ignores many di stressing realities that occur on a ranch. Calves may be stillborn , any number of accidents might kill or maim , harsh winters can kill or weaken the herd (compounding losses by reducing the number of young), predators and pens may attack, and disease may thin the herd. With a successful Animal H usbandry check (Average difficulty), a well-managed herd with adequate grazing land can expect growth at an annual compounded rate of 20 percent. If the ranch has suflicient grazing land for the ever-increasing herd, an initial 100 cows will grow to nearly 250 in five years and over 600 in ten. Barring some catastrophe, an average t)'pical callie drive can expect to lose 11 % to 30% ( ld20+10) of its numbers due to accidents, stampedes, drowning, illweather and attacks by (or as gifts to) Indian s.

224

5.21 Running a Cattle Drive

This sulion PTOl:idu an in-depth gamt munanum Jor conducling a cal/le drivt. Rtad through tht tntirt chopler bifore heading oul on Ihe trail, unks$ )'011 j ust want 10 end liP broke - or worst...
spondingly more men . }\n optimal numbe r is o ne cowboy per 250 head of cattle (but ne\'er any fewer than three). A herd may be run with as few as one per 400 head but this makes things more difficult 'and in game terms will cause all f\nimal Herding skill checks to be made at olle level of difficulty g reater). What of the men? What constitutes a cowboy? To be an effecti\'e cowboy, the person in question mUSt posses the fo llowing skills at least at the l\""ovice level : Animal Herding (cattle), Riding and Rope Use. Lack of any of these skills means that the person is free to ride alon~ but cannot meaningfully contribute to the success of the dri\e.
con~idered

WHY DO IT?
The area of the Shattered Frontier around the San Juan ~I o umains provides mall )' excellent grazing lands charac terized by abundant \'cgctali\,c gro\\ Ih, mOSt notably in the spring and early summer. As such, it provides an excellent locale for raising beef catlle - so much so thaI local supply far exceeds Ihe demands of the relatively spa rsely populated arca. A mature steer may only command a price of 54 or $5 when sold within the region. With prices so low, it's dimcult \0 make a profit raising cllttle for Ihe local markel. However, there is an almost insatiable demand for beef in the g reat industrial cities of the Creal L.,kes and ea~t ern seaboard. Beeves can fetch tell times the regional pnce if only they can be delivered to the hungl), populace. Railroads mitigate this difficulty in that they prmidc a cheap form of transportation. However, the catch is that the rails on ly !Un to the cities of ~ ew Echota in Sequoya, and to F ort Wo rth in the Republic of Texas. To fetch the magical 540 to S50 a head for one's cattJe, it's necessary to get your beeves to these distant railheads. To do so means embarking on a cattle drive. Though long and arduous, the rewards for a successful cattJe drh'e are enormous. i-, Iany perils lie on the path, ones that threatcn both your valuable beeves as well as your own person, and success is nOt measured by mere completio n of the trail. Cattle arriving at the railheads as scrawny, mangy beasts are unlikely to receive top dollar - in fact, thcy might sell for as little as 52 a head. This outcome could be financially ruino us, since a cattle drive is a huge investment with an expectation of a big payoff at the e nd. The challenge is to drive your cattle to the railheads in the shortest time possible while maintaining the size and quality of the herd.

Other prepuations also need to be made, The journey is long and will tire both men and beasts. The beasts most likely to fee! the strain arc the cowboys' horses. In faCL \ou mmt have at least six hor~es per cowboy! Regardless of how good your horse is, you ca n't depend on a ~ingle steed to do the job. H or~es simply canllot be ridden and \\orked hard all da~ and still be expected to perform. It 's common fo r a cowboy to alternate horses at every mea l, allowing the othe rs to rest and graze so they' re ready whe n needed. You a lso need to bring along enough food . Cowboys on the trail are busy 16 homs a day with their various duties. It is inconcei\'able thai they can sustai n themselves by hunting and foraging for food. T herefore, yOll must bri ng along adequate provisions. While it i~ pos~ible to purchase preserved food, this is not o nly expensi\'e but also hurts morale, ~o one likes to

t3r Meal Planning

As anyone who's ever gone grocery shopping knows, it's far cheaper to prepare meals from scralch than purchase prepared meals. However, it's nOI so easy to look at a chart of bulk provisions and dceide what constitutes three meals a day. For planning purposes, )'ou may assume the following list of food is sufiicicnt to feed a cowboy on the trail for one day: I pound beans

BEFORE Y011 HEAD 011T

Conducting a cattle drive is a months-lo ng operation that demands careful preparation. It requires an adequately provisioned and skilled crew to have any hope of being successful. It is not a task that o ne can embark upon on a whim. What then constitutes "adequate preparation'? To begin wit h, there arc the men. Rega !"dless of the size of the herd , a cattle train requires a minimum of three men to work it a trail boss (which most likely wi ll be the PC) and a couple of cowboys. Large herds require corre-

I;, pound corn meal

II. pound bacon
1 / 11

pound coffee

A slaughtered cow may be substituted for the bacon, but this is generally not done. The available meat that can be eaten before it goes bad is not worth the loss of the profit it would have made at the end of lhe trail.

225

T"'I Bo..

R ..,md.

cal cold food out of tin cans for months at a lime. Characte rs forced to operate under Ihese conditions suffer a cumulative - 5% penalty per month to all their skill checks. This is a demonstrable effect of their constant grousing about the food and the surliness it inculcates. (This penalty does not apply to characters wilh a 35% or greater share in Ihe drive, since their desire to get the beeves to the railhead overcomes this lesser incoll\"enience.) T he upshot is, for any serious catlle driye. you're going to have to purchase a chuckwagon, twO oxen or mules to pull it, plenty of food and the services of a cook. So, before you make the first mile of your trek, you're already in the hole for quite a bit of money - dozens of good horses, provisions and sundries. Fortunately, the hired hands only expect their pay at trail's end.

dire consequences for your Aces & Eights character). On each turn" I day in game time" you have to manage the evellts that occur \0 your characters and herd that day (see the Daily Grind, following, keeping track of certain events on the Herd \\'orksheet. Do the same for each day until you reach your destination. ;\ow you can roleplay selling your beeves, or simply note the appropriate dollar amount on your character sheet and mow on. Your G:\I may decide which is best Remember. you need to know Ihe basics that we've already mentioned - the number of cattle in your herd, what characters are guiding the herd and their statistics), and how much food exists to feed those characters. Naturally, you also need to know where you're starting from (such as the town of Black Horse), and where you want \0 fini sh F ort Worth or New Echota). Consult the map at th e end of this section. You do not need 10 manage your cattle drive in the starting hex the first town you left) or ending hex (the hex contain ing the destination town/railhead).

THE TRAIL
At this time, no one else has dared to blaze the long trail from the Shattered Frontier. T he paths to the railheads can be dangerous, and your ranching pee rs have been content 10 make their meager profits locally. However, it won't be long before one of them takes the plunge, so it's time for you 10 be bold and be the first. The rOute ahead is depicted on the two-page spread map that can be found at the end of Ihis section. You'll notice that there are four terrain types: lush, adequate, sparse and bare . T hese represent the amount of forage available to your herd. i\'1ajor rivers are also listed on the map. These are a boon and a potential hazard. Although they are a guaranteed source of water, they are also an obstacle that may need to be crossed.

The Daily G rind

F or a simple way to manage your cattle drive, follow these steps. 1) Determine today's movement rale (or graze) 2) Make Animal Herding check for movemenl/graze - if failed, possible stampede - if successful movement, enter adjacent hex 3) Send SCout ahead to other hexes (if applicable) 4) Record how today's movement or grazing affected Quality of Beef 5) Roll lellO
\0

Hitting the 2I.il

For simplicity's sake, you may wish to think of the cattle drive as a "mini-game" (albeit a game that may have

check fo r severe weather

6) J\ [a ke Animal Herding check for river crosslIlg (if applicable) - success: roll d3 for number of cattle losl

226

- if railed, roll d 12 for number of caule lost - on 10-12, cattle stampede

7 Roll once on Tahlt 5.2-8: RandQm EncQunlm BJI Terrain or act upon the encounter roretold by scout for th is hcx

TABLE 5.2-2: DOUBLE-TlltIE ltIOVEltIENT

Tc.nia Lus h Adequuc Spusc Birc DI y I chccks Avcr lgc AvuIgc Difficult Difficult DIy l chccks Difficult Diffi cu lt Ve.y Difficult Vc.y Difficult Diy J checks Very Dif{ icu h Ver y DiHicu h Vcr y Difficu h Very Difficu h

8 Roll on Tahk 5.2-5: Chol/u ~ Findillg lI altf

- autOmatic success in ri"er hex - automatic success on day of rainstorm - add 40'0 bonus on the day after rainstorm
9 Record d ehydration effects ir applicable

aUl lity of Btef AII'tru ias

G.~azjng

.,

10 :\ Ia ke Riding check ror scout ir applicable

- ir success, scout returns with report encounter ror each hex the scout "isitcd roll

- if failed, scout relllrns with no inrormation ido not roll encounters, cannot usc scout the next day

GrazinJ{ allo\\~ cattle 10 recuperate from the rigors of the trail and to build back ~ome or thei r mass and stam ina. Opting to spend a day grazing affords the benefits listed on Tahlt 5.2-3: Gra;;.mg. Ir adequate water is a"ailable ~ee below. gral.ing red uces the effects or dehydration by two steps days without water for eyc')' day spCnt grazing.

DRIVING THE HERD

Thc meat and potatocs or the dri\'C is narurally mo\itH;: the herd on a daily basis towards the d estination. You have three movement options a"ailable: normal. d o uble-time and gra:.l:ing.

TABLE 5.2-3: GRAZING

Ternin

Normal Movem ent

T his type or movement is the prererred choice. It allows the herd to move along at their natural gait with time to do some grazing and watering at day's end. This pace permits movement or ten to twelve miles in a day (one hex on the map).

Lus h .................. +<1 AdequHe .......... . ...+ 2 Spuse . . . . . . .. . .. .. no ehage BHe ................ ... 2

Qll ALITY O F BEEF

Quality or Beef providcs a quantitative measu re or Ihe health and robustness of your cat tic. Beeves that are scrawny and emaciated from a rough dri"e yield unpalatable mcat and retch a low price. Becf quality and thc corresponding market prices are listed on Tablt 5.2-4: .\ /arktl

TABLE 5.2-1: NORltIAL ltIOVEltIENT

Herd ing Difficulty Lush ......... T.i vill ... . aUl lity of Bcef

. ...+1

Adequille ..... Euy ............... .. ... no chugc Spusc .. ...... Avengc .. . . ..............-1 Bue .... ..... Avengc .... . ....... .. ........J

Priu ~ Btif.

TABLE 5.2-4: ltIARI!ET PRICE OF BEEF

Qulil y Price (per held) Excepl ioul . ........... $50
Exce llent ..... .... ... ..$<10

Doubl,-Tim, Mov,m , nt
T here arc times when it is beneficial to spu r your callie and c rew o n to thc limits of their endurance. Chief amongst these is when you have to cover a long strcteh or bone dry country. Though it's grueling work and wearing on the herd, whcn raced wilh the alternative or massivc losscs due to dehydration somctimes it's worth the risk. Double time movement covers two hcxcs per day. T his pace can be sustained for a maximum of three days, with evcr increasing le\'e1s of difficulty ror your Animal Herding checks a s see n on Tablt 5.2-2: DOl/blt- Tim(
,\lovemml.

Good .... .............$30 Flir ...... ............ $20 Milnourished ..........$10 Poor ...... .... ... ... ..$5

Dcplonblc .............$2

D,tS!l1Jining Inili.l Quality of Besf

To determine the initial quality of your beeves' meat, you need to know what charactcr managed them !xrore the cattlc dri"e began. This was mostly li kely the PC, or

227

some i\,PC hired to care for the callie. If the character succeeded at his last Animal H usbandry skill check when caring for these beeves, they begin the call ie drive at Exceptional quality. If he failed his la st Animal H usbandry check, the quality of beef drops by one category for every 10% the check failed by (initial quality cannot drop below Fair).
For example, lei's sqy Ihal old Theodore "Thee " II 'il~ was caringfor these beeves, and he has an Animal Husbandry 67% skill maslery. if Theef ailed his lasl Animal Husbandry skill check b)' 10% or less (perhaps a resull rf 63%), Ifu callIe begin Ilu drive as Exrellenl quality beg 011 Ihe olha hand. if Thtf failed Ihal Animal Husballd~)' duck b), 11 % 10 20% (sa}t a remll rf 49%), Ihe callie begin Ille drive as Good quality bee] Allemalivery, if Theefailed his {asl Animal Husbandry skill check lry 21% 10 30% (ma),be a rlSull rf 38%), Ihe callie begin Ihe driu as Fair qualil), bee]

arc guaranteed to contain sufficient watcr bUllhc remaining terrain typcs vary in their likelihood to do so. Remember that, regardless of terrain type, there will be water available on lhe day it rains. Be sure to add 40% to your roll on Table 5.2-5: Chan ce rf Finding I'Valer the day after the thunderstorm , and reven 10 the standard chart thc reafter.

Effecis of Dehydration
Cattle denied their drinking water become increasingly restless and haggard. They are far more likely 10 stampede and prolonged thirst will shortly become fatal. Usc Table 5.2-6: Dell),dralionto determine the results of extended dehydration. The Hcrd Worksheet provides a handy row of boxes so that you can keep track of dehydrat ion; si mply check otT a box for each day without water.

Man agin g Quality of Eeef

Take a look at the Herd \\'orksheet, and you'll see each Quality of Beef header Exception, Excellent, and so on), each with a subset of 10 'check boxes' . Any penalties stemming from a day's movement is applied against these boxes. Each time a table or othe r result tells you that the quality of beef decreases, put a pencil mark in the uppermost box. If your quality of beef continues to decrease. mark the next box down, and so on until you have filled the entire column, then move on to the next column. The column your most recent pencil mark is in determines the current quality of beef. If your qual ity of becf increascs, simply work backwards, erasing the pencil marks in reverse order.
D~ y

T ABLE 5.2-6: DEHYDRATION

O u ~l iTy

OTber EffecTS

.. .-3 .... Herdin g cbec k difficulty illcreiScs by llevd

2 ......." .... Herding cbeck difficulty incrnscs by Zlcvcls

3 .. .. -8 .... AII herdiDg checks iTe Very Difficult.

dlO% of herd dies " ... .-10 .... AII herdiog checks d20% of berd dies
He

Very Difficult.

5 .....-1 2 .... Herd ~ uTom u i(~lIy sumpedcs TO wucr". d20% of be.d die s - CUTle Ci ll smell Wi T er from I disuDcc. If "'~ter ex isTS io i lly bordering bex. tbey sumpede TO iT. If 1101. They slimpede blck 10 Ibe liST koOWII source of wuer. If tbis ;s diY' ~w~y. subsequenT diY, sec ~ d200/t mOTU lity Ind - 15 OUi lity of Bed per diy UDTil Ibe survivolS ruch i wuering hole.

W ATER
Adequate drinking water is esscntial to the health of any herd . Beeves on the hoof can drink up to 30 gallons of water a day and therefore a herd must have acccss to regular sources of clean water. .lust as with humans, cattle can go for many days without food but the etTects of dehydration manifest in me re days. Finding wate r is one of the most important tasks you have in running cattle. Unfortunately, in the arid Shattered Frontier, this can be difficult. Hexes with rivers

Recovery from Dehydration

Upon reaching a watcring spot, the continuing negative etTects of dehydration end. That day (a nd each one following spent grazing at the watering hole) reduces dehydration etTects by one day, in addition to any other benefit s that the hex's \'egetation provides. Note that Quality of Beef is not restored merely by findin g water - th is must be regained by grazing.

SEVERE WEATHER
T he a rea of the Shallered Frontier is subject to about 40 thunde rstorms per year, often accompanied by hail. Cattle a re notoriously difficult to control under such con ditions and frequcntly stampede. O nce each day, roll a dlOO on Table 5.2-7: Swert 1'I'ealher. Now attempt an Animal Handling check with a difficulty as noted on that table. On a failed check, the herd autOmatically stampedes.

TABLE 5.2-5: CHANCE OF FINDING WATER

Tcrr~ in

%J.roll dlOOl

Lush...

. ........... 01-90 AdcqU1 IC .............01-60

SPilfSC .. . ............. 01-30 Blrc ........... . . . .. . .01-05

228

TABLE 5.2-7: SEVERE WEATIIER

Roll-ld IOQl 03OS ...
0610 ...

Wcuher
Slorm

Herd illS Difficu lt.)'

.... Very

0102 ... .... . Dust

Difficu lt

. .Th undcrstorm ............. Difficuh

. .Tb ulldcr,.orm .... jlh h~il .. Ver y Difficu lt

on that late r. Success means that only minor difficulties were encoulltered. Roll a d3 (a d6; designating thc 1-2 as I, the 3-4 as 2, and the 5-6 as 3. T his number represents a percentage of the herd that was lost 10 drowni ng, acci dent, maiming, etc. If this skill check fails, the ri,'cr crossing ,,'as a potential disaster. Roll a d 12 to determine the percentage of thc herd that was lost due to quicksand, current, an attack of water moccasins or some ot her disaster. If the result is 10 or abo\'c, the herd also stampedcs (see thc Stampede sec tion. In the case of a stampede, all cowboys must attempt an Swimming skill check (Easy). Those who f.'il, drOI\Il.

tHaD...

. .. No rc, ult ....... .. ...... Nol ~ppli c lbJc

Not e: For all its negative consequences, thunderstorms do have one upside. Regardless of te rrain type, there will be water available on the day it rains. Add 40 0 to your roll on Table 5.2-5: Challa rif Filldillg rl-a((r the day after the thunderstorm, and revcrt to Ihe standard chart thereafter.

RIVER CROSSING
A river crossing is a rcal hazard and seldom does evcrything go well. Cattle can become stuck so deep in the muddy banks that only a team of horses can pull them out. Spring rains may make the liver dccp, cold and swifL \\'aler moccasins may lu rk on the banks, To cross the river, the trail boss must attempt an .\nimal Herding skill check :A\erage. This chcck should be Difficult or Very Difficult in case of severe weather: morc

STAMPEDES
Callie can be jumpy animab and their reaction to get ting spooked is 10 sla mpede. It is difficult to cont rol this behavior OUI on Ihe open plains becausc stampedes have been known to occur from such innocuous provocations as a jumping deer, a horse's whinny or the flash from a cOII'hand 1i~hting a ciga rCtte. If YOU failed an .\nimal Herdin't check and need to deler;nine if Ihe herd stampede~. roll another check . This second check applies to a nell task. and so is made

229

with the same bonuses or pcnalties applicablc to the initial check (do not apply Ihe standard 15D o penalty for repeating a failf'd check). Failing this second Animal Herding chcck means the herd stampedes. The cowboys. must now attempt to rein in the stampeding cat lie. (Seldom is en'ry last head accoullIed for. ) T he number of head reined in on any given day is dictaLCd by .\nimal Herding skill mastery. The trail boss rolls d100+50 and subtracts his Animal Herding skill mastery. The result is the percentage of the remaining missing ani mals recovered on that day. These checks can be made once per day until the PC decides that he's just \\a~ting time looking for the remaining animals.

form their normal function as well as mind the beeves. This means that you'll be without a cook or a seoUl (or both), so be sure 10 have tinned food on hand and keep you r eyes skinned on the trail ahead. If you need game statistics for any NPC compadres, \\e've provided Cook, Cowboy and SCOll! :'\PC characters. Just flip to the Townsfolk section in Chapter 4.1 : TIit. Am & Eights Cnmpnign .

SCOUTING AHEAD
Having read this far. you may have noticed thai it 's a good idea 10 scout ahead of the herd before deciding which hex yOLl will choose to travel into. This necessitates an additional person over the minimum three-pcr~oll requirement for managing the herd.
To be an elTeni,'c seoUl, the person mUSt ride a full 10 miles ahead and 10 miles back to his companions, in order to rcla~ the information he gathered. T his requires a Riding check Trivial .

For eXllm/llf'. II Iiml rf 500 htad slall1pedn Trail bOI' Jake LillIe has Animal Herdillg skiIlIlJaJlf')' 11146~ o. Hl rolb a dlOO olld gets 77. Tltis plus 50 lIIillllS hh _I"ill/al Htrding jl.:illlllaJIff)' yields 8/ % (77+50--I6=8/). 7/uTifOrt. -105 {allit (500):0.81 =405) Wert ff(ot'l!ftd 011 lilt. inilinl df!)' S unr(h. S m llt' 95 {allle art still missillg.
Deridillg 10 WlltZill ill (he aretZ. lIlt 1 1f.'{ dqv Ite To/Ira dl0U and gets 61. ThiJ phlS 50 min/IJ his Animal Hadillg skill flwJler)' )Ilflds 65% (61+50-46=65). Thuifore, 61 head (95xO.65=61) /L'mfoulld 011 the strond df!)':S Sfnrch. TIllS leaves 34 head missillg.

To scout '1 acljacent hexe~. he must ride \0 miles to the first hex, a nother 10 miles \0 tlw ~eeond and yet anot her 10 miles back 10 lhe herd. This requires a Riding eheck of Average difficulty. Scoming 2 hexes where the second hex is adjacent 10 the first hex but not to the herd's hex) req uires a Veil' Dinicult check. The scout must ride 10 miles to the first hex. 10 milt's 10 the ~ eeond, \0 miles back to the first hex, and then 10 miles back to the herd 1 40 miles lotal). To scout 3 adjacelH hexes another -to-mile trip), he must ride 10 miles to the first hex, 10 miles to the second , 10 miles to the third, and another 10 miles hack !O the herd. Th i~ requires a Very Di nicult check .
A scout cannOt cover 4 adjacellt hexes, or 3 non-adja.
Cl'nt

A IIiird dn)' qf searching is condurled dllrillg a birh /1/1 lrail bOH rolls a dl00jOT /I ,e.mlt rf 39. ThIS pIllS 50 minu~ hi.!, _Inimal !-Jerding skill maSle~)')'ieldJ -13 % (39+5U-46=43). Thai mrallS o/Ily 14 /inld qf Ibt remailling 34 nllimais w ere found (34\"0.-13=14). The trail bO .lJ duides /0 /l'rilt riff Ihe remnillillg 20 lund (lnd (olililllif lilt ddt" .

CASUALTIES
Remember, it takes three people to handle aU tllO~e beeves, and each must han' the An imal Herding skill. So, if an cncoun!er with outlaws. a disasterous river crossing or some ot her event reduces your number of herders below three, you're in trouble. If you need some more hands, the smart thing to do is head rOUl" herd towards the nearest town and hire some replacements. Until you can replace your cowhands, hOll'e\"er, you lose d'10 head per day, per every 500 COli'S in your herd. ( f"hi s penally also applies for herds of less than 500 cows. )
\0

hexcs, in enough lime to get back

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the herd.

In most cases, a f..iled Riding check meam that the scout did not get bad to the herd in time before it moved into a new hex, or he obseryed nothing, and therefore can not impart allY information he's gained. Also on a failed check, the scout must rest and cannot be sent out the ncxt day.

For exam/Jle, let's sny IIial Joke Ulilf wsl all his cow/wilds in a rivtr ~Iomptde. Jnkt hdJ a -I50-fumi hud. so Itt. loses d20 (alllt per da;: if hf had a herd rf II/I"llt'htre from 501 10 1.000 head, Ilea wse 2d20 cOIlIt. per dl!..)c if Jakes herd was 1,001 /0 1,500 hiad. Itf'd WSl' 3r120 willi (/ do): alld JO 011.
As you can sec, it's better to hire some extra cowhands than sel out on a dl;,"e with 100 few. 11\ also a good idea 10 make sure that your cook and scout (if any) have the Animal Herding skill. so they ca n take the place of any fallen compadres. Of course. a cook or scout cannot per-

If you need game stat isti cs for an i\' PC scout, we've provided a Scou t NPC character in the TO\msfolk section of CfwP'tr 4. I: The A m & Eighls Camp/lign. Note: Ridi ng through an a rea docs not automatically mean the scout learned everything .. bout it. If he's looking for waler, he must make :m 0I1sel"\"ati011 (Easy) check. However, if he's looking for possible encounters and/or trouble, he must roll once Oil Table 5.2-6: RalldOlIl EllcUlllllm Iij' Terrllill 101" each new hex elllered (do not roll for the herd's current hex).

230

ENCOUNTERS
You and your beeves arc not the only inhabitants of the vast stretch of country between Lazarus and ;\cw chola or Fort \\'orth. If you roll an encounte r on the random encou nter tables for ),our current hex's terrain type, con sult the following information. Alkali: If wate r was found in this hex, it is polluted ancl unusable. Ignore this result in river hexes. D iffi cult Te rrain: The groUlld in this particula r hex is rough or muddy as the case may be. It takes an additional day to pass through. Dise ase : A cattle disease ravages your herd. It lowers you r herd's Q uality of Beef by d20 points. Friend : You encounter a lonely Indian or fur tracler. In exchange for some conversation and minor trade goods 'approximately SIO worth, he can inform you of certain things within the surrou nding 2 hexes. Roll a random enCOUlllcr, a nd rolt on Tab/t 5.2-5: Chanu oj Fillding fl attr, for cach surroundi ng lor appropriate, hcx. Your ncw frie nd relays this information to thc charactcr. If you necd quick game statistics for this encounter. you should consider usi ng the Fur Trader or Indian ~ P C char:lcters, from the Townsfolk section of Chapttr -I. J: Tht Aw & Eights Campaigl'. FarOle rs : Homeste:lders :Ire acti\'c!y farming this hex. They allow SCOutS to pass through, but once they becomc aware of the herd, they insist that it leave the area the way it came (exit the hex in the same direct ion you ente red). However, with a successful Salesmanship check Easy, they agree to tradc for beef. In exchange for d3 head {roll a d6; I or 2 = I cow, 3 or 4 = 2 cows, 5 or 6 = 3 COWSI, they supply your men with a wcek of frcsh food

and allow the herd to pass through the hex at normal mo\'emel\l. For quick game statistics fo r this encounter, take a look :It thc Farme r N PC cha r:lctcr, from the Townsfolk section of Chaptn 4.1: ThtAw & Eights Campaigll. G razed Out : This hex has been recently grazcd by othcr animals, pcrhaps buffalo, wild cattle or another herd. T he tcrrain is efTccti\'c1y one degree poorer lush becomes :lverage, etc. so far as feeding your herd is conccrned. T his docs nOt affect the water supply. Indians: A small band of India ns approaches your cattle train and begs for somc beef. Somc d4+ I head will satisfy thcm, but you can reduce this to d3 roll a d6; I or 2 = 1 cow. 3 or 4 = 2 cows, 5 or 6 = 3 cows with a succes~ful Salesmanship check (Avcrage). T hcre is a 250 chance 01-25 on a dlOO that 3d6 armed Indians arc located nearby. These Indians seck re\'enge on anyone that mistreats the beggars'. If you need quick game statistics for this encountcr, consider using thc Indian ~ P C charactcl; from thc Townsfolk section of Owptu -1.1: The . Im & Eights

Campaign.
O utlaws: .\ gang of d6+ I mounted outlaws is eyeing your herd. They ride up firing guns in an attcmpt to spook your herd. Immcdiately make an An imal Herding check or your beeves stampede. Ir thc outlaws stampede your hcrd, thcy attempt to round up stray an ima ls for themseh'es (see Stampede section). The outlaws' intcnt is nOt to get into a pitched battle. A seout must succccd at an Obseryation skill check D ifficult to SpOt the outlaws hiding in this hex. Othcr\\i~e, hc cannot report the cncounter. If you necd quick game statistics for this encounte r, Oip to Clwpttr 4.1: The Acts & Eights Campaign :I!ld use the Bandito, Busll\'Jhacke r, and lor O utlaw N PCs in the Townsfol k section. Soldie r s: You encounter a troop of soldiers from this rcgion. T hey ignore sCOuts, but if they enCounter the herd, their officer commandeers 5d4 head for a price of S2d6 each. Failure to agrce to these terms will pro\okc a dangerous cncounter the soldie rs back their dcmand with forcc of arms). O n the plus sidc, ignore any Outlaw e ncou ntc rs within a 2 hcx radius. If you neecl quick game statistics for this cncountcr, wC\'e provided both Soldier and Soldic r Officc r) i\" PCs 1I1 the Townsfolk section of Chapttr 4. I: Tht Am
& Eights Campaign.

TABLE 5.2-8: RANDOM ENC OUNTERS BY TERRAIN (DIOOO)

EDcou D ter

l ush

Adequate

Sparse

Alk ali ................' .... . . . .. . . 0110

. . .. . . . .... .. 01-06

DiHicu it TerraiD ... .. . .' .... . ... . . . 1120 . ..... .. .01 30 . . ..... 0726 Disease . ............01 20 .. . . .. ... 21 35 ... .. ....3H O ..... .. 2H6 F rie D d ... .. .... . ......' ......... . .. . ' . . ........ .'1170 ...... .'1770 Farmers ....... . .. . .21 -120 . ........ 3670 ... . . . .... ... . . ... .... .. G razed O ut . .. .. . . .. 1 21170 .. . .. . . . 71 95 ..... . .. .71 90 ... ...... . IDdia ll! .. . .. . . ..... .17 J.190 . .. ..... 96115 . . . ... ..9J.100 .. ... . .. .'

O utlaws . . ..... . .. .191 220.. . . . ... 1161 30 . ..... . .1011 50 . . ... . .7J.78
Sold iers ... .. .... .. 221 235 .... .. . 1 3H45 . . . . . .. .15J.J60

. _.79-83 . __ .84-98

St rays .. . . .. . .. . .. .236260 . . .. . .. 1'f61 60 . .. .. . .16J.J70

Wale r . .

. .. ....' ... .... ... 16J.J85 .. .. ... .171190

-290 _.... __1 86-205 _. . _. _.191 -200 Wolves . ... _.. _. .. .261
No eDcouDte r ..... .29HOoo . ... . . 2061000 .... . .2011000 .. ...991 000

231

St rays: You encounter 2d20 stray of wild cattle. You may attempt to round them into your herd (per the rules given in the Stampede section). Wat e r : You come across a natu ral spring and may water your herd he re. Wolves: A pack of wolves is stalking your he rd. ). Iake an Animal Herding check or your bccvcs gCt spooked and stampede. T he wolvcs kill 1-2 beeves pcr day (roll a d4; I or 2 = I cow, 3 or 4 = 2 cows) wh ilc you rcmain in this hex (i.e. if you rcmain here to round up you r herd).

Unless the PCs make peace with thc drivcrs (by agrce ing to Icavc the line, and doing so), the drivers will altcmpt to stir up trouble for thc pes with thc law and othcr drivcrs. (Kccp this in mind for future roleplaying adventures!) If you necd quick game statistics for this cnCOUllIcr, you can easily usc Ihc D river Nr c character, from the Townsfolk section of Chapter 4.11 The Aces & Eights

Campaigll.
Town : If you elllcr a hex cOlltaining a town or other setllement marked on the map, you may roleplay any appropriatc town cvCntS, such as visiting the general store to restock your supplies.

Special Encounters
Stagecoach Line: As you might cxpcct, drivcrs aren't rcal friendly 10 herdsman who tear up Iheir lines. If you choose to take your hcrd into a hex containing thc stagc coach line, there is a 10% chance per day that the herders cncounter a coach or wagon with two angry drivers. This chance is cumulativc (10% for one day spent on thc line, 20'Yo for IWO days, etc. until you cntcr a hcx not on thc linc.

Trail Boss Animal Herding skill mastery: _ __ Herd Dehydration Days: I 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0

aUALITY O F BEEF caOB)

[vent

Ini tial Herd Si le: _ _ __

Revised Herd Size

232

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235

5.3\ All that Glitters ...

old is a harsh mis/fus, [lid. A !/Ifill kill chase 'tT half way across Ihe RQckiu and courl '(r for a filousano moons ono Shi'll leol't him pt-llni/ns ond U'asltd tif soul. Thtn dtll)' lur kllowin' 'im if UII)'011t shollid ask about daimin' the bod),

G
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unknown prospector

Despit e such tales of gloom and disappointment, there truly are fortunes to be made in the frontier. The hill~ and canyons of the Sanjuan range arc laden with gold and silver deposits still waiting to be ullcovered. Anyone with a little luck can dip a pan and come up with a few Oakes of gold but prospecting requires a certain !e"e! of skill in order to make the enterprise worthwhi le. Every seasoned prospector has his own tricks of the trade, procedures that he guards closely, Acquit'ing the skills and kno\\-how of prospecting isn't something yOll can learn from a book or by simply buying some gritty old timer a drink at the local watering hole and 1;etting him to talk. It'~ something that's learned in the doing through time, sweat and patience,
It won't take long for players stepping off that stage
to notice a few who struck it rich re"eling in the for-

In the SluHtcrcd Frontier, one c.fIn hnrdl}' turn around without hearing the Irues! embellished sto r)' of a glorious new strike of gold and silver. The lure of precious metals and the promise of untold riches can inflict 'gold fever' on otherwise sensible men as they proceed to ab,melon home and family and race ofT 10 grab their share. Fortune seckers from as far away a,. Europe ha\'c come scrambling \0 the great expanses of the west to claim th eir piece of the action.

The rumormongers would have you believe that gold is just waiting to be scooped up by the pan or shovel and that nuggen so big they can trip a horse lie in nearby mountain streams. Unfortunately, when it comes to bestowing her blessings on those with a greed-laden heart, L"\dy Luck has a discerning eye and a mischievous heart. The sad truth is that for every prospectOr who ha~ dimbl'd back down Out of the hills loaded with gold. a thousand others with dust in their beards and aches in their backs have returned empty handed - sullen indi,.jduals who look as though they've had their very souls ripped from their ehesl. Hollow men ".jth nothing to show for the many months, or even years, they spent pawing and scratching at earth and stream looking for color. Still, these men are more fortun,lIe than othe rs. Many who sct OUI in search of gold found only death for their troubles - a fate some al'e glad to embrace if the ahel'llat ive is returning home in disgrace. Sheriff Patch of Lazarus once commented, " If ever I mel the man who steps off that \\'ednesday stage who doesn't immediately buy a damn shovel, and a damn pan I'll sha ke the bastard's hand and buy 'elll a drink, 'Cos he'll be the firSI slInll\,abitch I've ever met who's had the God-given good sense not get caught up in such foolishness. Gold , or the want of it, has dealt out more mise ry o n this sorry earth than any good mall can imagine." This opinion is, however, counesy of a man who spent four years stoopi ng in the cold waters of the Animas swirling a gold pan with nothing to show for it.

tune they've taken out of the hills and st reams. Despite admonitions to the contrary, some doubtlessly will get bit by the fever and want to try their hands ,,'hether they're prepared for it 01' not.. This chapter will give yOll a broad o\'en'iew on various minim.!; techniques as well as a basic system Ih at allows player~ to pursue prospecting. Note thaI large ~ca1e i.e, commercial mining is outside the scope of this work.

IiOLD
You don't ha"e to be a schooled geologist to find and identify gold. Even an illiterate prospector has a basic understanding of how gotd is found and where to look for it. Knowledge dating back to antiquity has been passcd dO\\'n by those who have dedicated their lives to finding their fortunes in the ground. At the dawn of time, so their understanding goes, molten gold-hea ri ng ore deep within the forge of the earth was squeezed to the surface by powers of biblica l proportions. It was a time of creation when forces capab le of building mountains thrust the earth upwards umit it touched the sky, This gold-bearing material late r cooled and formed worthless looking quartz or 'gangue'. Secreted within was the precious yellow metal that men would one day be so wilting to die for. This gold look several forms; thick threads (veins) that wou nd through the rock like golden lendl'il s, clumpy masses (nuggets., or a suspensio n of small dust-like panicles (flake s), I-ligh on mountaintops, portions of these quartz formations wou ld occasionally jut through the surface

236

exposing their vein-streaked surfaces. Such OlHc roppings are known as 'blowups'. As the ages passed and the mountains began to erode, the quartz would become fun her exposed. Erosion gradually caused the quartz to break apart and crumble away freeing its bounty of precious yellow metal in the process. Large pieces of q uartz would snap off and tumble down slopes where it would come to rest among beds of broken rock and gra\el. Thi s is called a 'float'. Smaller nuggets and flakes freed from their rocky matrices would wash short distances down slopes. E\cn smaller panicles of gold dust (flood gold would end up in streams and rivers to be carried miles a\,ar from their sou rces. T his simple understanding of where gold came from is the basis of e\erything that drives the prospector. Once the first traces of gold are found, e\ery attempt is made to me ticulously track them back to their source - the c1ushe ~ I other Lode. This is the ultimate dream of every prospector. Chasing the 'colo r' to its source is a difficult challenge. Streams bearing gold may have changed course a dozen times o\er the years or Illay no longer exist having dried up thousands of years ago. In his scarch that may consume months, years or even decades, the prospector becomes a detective. He follows clues and inevitable false leads as he explores e\"ef)' meande ring st ream and box ca nyon with no certainty of success.

Types of (fold
Cold is encountered in twO basic forms; placer and q uanz. Sim pl y stated , p lacer is gold that has been freed from its Slone matrix. Thi s is the 'casy' stuff. It appears in the form of dust, flak es or nugge ts and is typically found in stream beds or buried beneath dirt and clay in the banks or surrounding hillsides and slopes. Wizened prospectors kilO'" what 'sign' to look for in their quest for the elusi'e yellow metal. Quartz , black sand and gra\cl beds arc often present when placer is found. The word is Spanish and is p ronounced plath-air in Ihe mother tongue, but plaJS~er by Anglophones. Quartz gold (more commonly referred to as gold ore; is gold that is still encapsulated in Slone. Even a skilled eye can have difficulty determining whether or not a sample is a piece of gold ore. It all depends on its relative gold content. In both forms gold may be found either in a pure state or combined with other minerals as a gold alloy. Gold alloy must be liberated from those othe r minerals mechanically or chemically. High grade ore may have Yisible streaks or nakes of gold in it but more commonly the gold is visually undetectable and must be ta ken to an assayer to determine its quality. Ore containing \'ery little gold may be uneconomical to process, costing more in labor and capil al to ext ract than the value of the metal.

237

Gold are must be mined and mechanically crushed using stampers. These are large machines that lift and drop huge iron stamps on the ore to crush it into dust. Arterwards, a mercury amalgamation process is used to extract the gold from the pulverized stone. Th is type of mining requires an enormous amount of brute labor, expensive machinery and capita!. Only large mining companies ha\'c the financial resources to mount this Type or operation. Quartz mining is therefore outside the scope of the game.

Like go ld quartz mining, sil ver extraction can require enormous resources and labol~ often making it impractical ror individuals or even small companies to exploit. However, silver are often yields more value per ton than gold a re making it a viable endeavor for those with the resources to exploit a rich find. That being said, mining silver ore is outside the scope of this work.

* PROSPECTING TECHNIQUES *
In the well-known gold strikes of Georgia and later California, initial prospectors used primitive techniques and tools to good effect. Howeve r, once the supply of !a rge nuggets had been exhausted, miners quickly turned from simple panning to methods such as the cradle, the rocker, the long tom and ri ver damming. These technologies have been employed since the ~Iliddl e Ages and it was the Spanish who first imroduccd them to the New World.

SILVER
Silver isn't the first thing a prospector thinks of when searching for riches and ror good reason. An ounce of si lver is worth a mere sixteenth that of an ounce of gold. Additionally, silve r is much harder to identify and orten harde r to extract. Unlike gold that can stubbornly resist mixing with other clements, silver docs so readily. h appears in countless colorations depending on the minerals it's bonded with. For example, quartz bearing silver and lead is tarry black while other types or silver a re may be blue, yellow, white, red or even green. Silver is also a common by-product or gold ore processing. Ore suspected of containing silver has to be taken to an assayer and tested to determine if it has any silver content, and if so, how much. Testing in the field is impractical.

Pan ning
Resources Required: Pan, shovel, Prospecting skill Labor Requirements: 1 person P rocessing Capacit y: 1 ton/day Panning is the si mplest method or looking ror gold and the method that requires the least investment. It also lends itselr well to solitary work.

Fo .... m 4! n 0P4!""' e. .. Yo ck 4!Y box

238

A pro~pcctor can set him~clf lip in business whh only some basic provisions, a pa n, shovel and some unclaimed ground along the bank of a stream or river. (Though mules can come in handy hauling equipmcm and provisions into hard-to-reach places such a~ narrow ca nynns. The ani), things holding him back arc his own abilities and whe ther or not there 's any color gold to be found at the lo('ation he's working. Experienccd prospectors with a basic understanding of gold's o rigin (sec above) have a good idea where to begin their search. The) usually sIan in the streams looking for the telltale black sand that usually accompani es placer gold. . \ fter scouting out a site thai looh to ha\'c potential. the prospecto r kneels on the bank or wadc~ into the st ream, places some sand in a pan and 'works' Ihe pan by filling it wilh water and rocking it with a ~wirlin~ motion. He picks out the I:Irger stoncs and gravel a~ the water runs ow::r the lip of thc pan allO\\-ing the lighter sedimcnts to run ofT. Whal's Icfl is Ihe heavier black sand (called the drag) and. if he's lucky, ~On1e gold dust, flakes or nuggets.

This type of set up requircs fOllr people to work optimally, two to excavate and then sho\'e! the dirt into the machine, one responsible for the water supply, and another to rock the handl es. Unlike panning, th is technique for placcr retrieval is a group effon necessilating sevcral like-mi nded partners. Two or more cradles can be opcrated on a single site and ~o thi, type of activity often leads to the formation of small mining groups 0 1' informal companies comprised of th rec to ten men with equal shares in any realized ~old. Such safclY in numbers is an added attraction to lhis approach since working a claim can be a risky pursuit.

D ry Diggin g (aka Coyol ing)

Resources Required: Timber for shoring, Carpentry skill (materials can be purchased instead of built) , Engineering Design skill (advanced), Prospecting skill Labor Requirements; 2+ men.
Corotin~ in\"Oh(' ~ sinkinc; a deep \Ccnical shafl into ground known 10 contain placer gold. and then digging outward like spokes on a wheel. This is a method of accessing old stream sediments or placer gravel without having 10 dig away tons of overlaying din and rock.

It may sound like easy money but panning is notoriousl}' hard work requiring long hours slOoped over in cold "ater and exposed to Ihe elements whilc intently studying the pan for any sign of color in the drag. Results of panning can range from disappoillling no gold ! to annoying (jUSI enough scratch to cover )'our expenscs - o r not cven that) to exuberance whcn a big nuggel turns up.

T ypica lly, one mall works underground, whi le a panncr lifts the excavated material to the surface by means of a winch. When a sufficient quantity of din is eXlracted, 1I1e tcam pauses to wa~h it using a cradle or long tom. If there h water available near the dig ~ile, it may be brought to Ihe crad le or long 10m by digging ditches or cOllstructinlj aqueducts. If this isn' t possible, excavated material may need to be hauled 10 a water source by means of a cart or wagon. Unless propcrly dcsigned a Very Difficult skill check by a character of at least Advanced mastery in Engi neeri ng Design), this type of mining ca n be very hazardous.

1lle C radle (Rocker Box )

Resour::es Required: Lum be r, Carpentry skill (novice) (cradle can be put'ehased instead of built). Prospecting skill Labor Requirements; 2-4 men Processing Capacity: 8 tons/day This is a techniquc that is used once panning a sile known 10 have gold stops yielding color. It allows a sig. nificamly larger volume of dirt to be washed. A hollowed out log or halved barrel is used for initial screening. A handle is affixed on each side of the box allowing it to be 'rocked' to help agit:lIc the din and 10 keep it nowing. The honom of this 'box' is a sie\'e through which water and dirt arc washed. The sicve sorts out larger rocks a nd debris that arc lossed aside while the dirt falls through onto Ihe 'hoppers'. The box beneath the cradle is segme l1led with horizontal woodcn bars that slo\\ Ihe ,valer and trap any gold along the raised leading edges while allowing mud to exit at the end of the bOl( with the incoming water.

The Long Tom

Resources Required: Lu mber, Carpentry skill (average) (long tom can be purchased instead of built), Pl'ospectillg skill Labor Req uirements: 6 t.o 15 men Processing Capacity: 20 tons/day Similar in concept to the cradle, the long tom is larger and hence capable of processing even more material. It is trough shaped. but sign ifi ca ndy longer (anywhere from 10 to 20 fect and "idcr aholll 2 feel. Though still co nstructed of wood, a shect-mctal bot-

239

River Damming
Resources Required: Lumber, Carpent r y s kill (advanced) (da m mate rials/wo r ke r s ca n also be purchased), Prosp e cting skill, Engineering Design skill (average) (enginee r s can be hired instead) Labor Requirements: 100+ men R ive r damming, the mos t advanced mining techn ique of the day, req uires an enormous investment in time as well as a la rge labor force. A.s such, only individuals with <I n extensive amount of capital to invest or joint-slOck mining comp anies wou ld undertake a project of this magnitude. The first mining companies lO set up in an area usually take on the responsibility of establishing rules including malla~in~ gold claim~ and executive institutions that deal with legal issue~.
... SlUl(' rtqui'n a Jigni/imftl capilal in~'m"'tnl

tom has been added with a sieve and a 'ripple box' on the fa r end to catch the washings for further sifting, T he long tom is usually placed on a slope (such as a river bank) as it requires great er hydrodynamic pressure to operate efTecti\'c1y, One man shovels dirt into the uppc r end, while another controls the water now, Othcrs line up on both sides of the box removing any large rocks and debris and checking the wooden slats for color. Once tile ripple box is fille d \\'ith black sand (the rest of the dirt having been washed away), the long tom crew stop the water Oow, grab gold pans and sift through the black sand in the box for gold,

,-\ rh'e r is dammed up \\'ith V-shaped earthen or stone dam also-called win~ dam '. Sometimes the river is din'rted into a side valley or ('\"(: n into a neighboring stream . The goal is to dry out a section of the riverbed enabling prospectors to get at lhe river bottom and process the dirt using dozens of long tom gangs. Such an ope rating has 10 be properly planned, waiting until the rive r is al its lowest poi nt (usually late J une). Building the dam can take as long as four months leaving long tom gangs only a few weeks 10 do their jobs before seasonal rains wash away the d am.

Sluice
Resources Required: Lumber, Ca r pentry skill (advanced) (sluice can be purchased illstead of built), Engineering Design skill (novice), Prospecting skill Labor Requirements: 50+ men.
r\ slu ice is, in essence, a greatly enlarged version of the long tom. It requires an enormous flow of water usually achieved by setting up pi pes several hundreds of feet long on a Slee p slope. This requires partially damming a ri\"('r or divcrting its now. T he complexity of the operation usually limits its employment to those with significant rcsourees sltch as a small company.

It takes at least six to eight men to properly work a long tom and fully exploit its capacities, Enlarging the long tom and employing more men can increase the yield. Note: the jQ!lowmg techniques mqp be bryond 1111 sco/u qf mlln)' games, However, a basic descTiplion is provided here for the Teaner's edificatioll,

240

MYTHS AND MINING COMPANIES

A grcat romantic m},th surrounds gold and si\\'cr prospecting. It is the idea that a solitary prospector wandering ofT into the hills armed only with some grit, determination and a fe\\ simple tools can return rich beyond his wildest d reams. Self-reliance and a go-it-alone attitude is what mOSI fortune seekers envisage when they think of prospecting. For many, the lUTe of prospecting i~n't mere!) a bout the gold. It 's infused with the dream of becoming a self-made mall who answt'rs to no one and escaping a lifetime of being worked into the grou nd with li ltic 10 show for it. Unfortunately this na Ive expectation often collides head on with reality. The cycle of c\'cry gold rush follows a predictable pattern. T he first Ilood of pro~pec tO r ~, working alone or in small gI'OUP~, arrives at a ne\\ fi nd and quickly ~crapes up tilt' ;ea~y ~old on Ihe surface. T his gold is soon depletcd. While Ihere may be large quantities of Ihe precious metal remaining on the site. thc balance lies deepcr and is much marc difficult to get at. T hi~ req uires coordinated effort, specialized skills and all 100 oftcn significant inpUl~ of capital.

MINING DISTRICTS
Since many gold strikes arc located outside the jurisdicrion (or a t least out of reach) of any formal a uthor ity, the initial rush into a gold rield is noth ing short of c haos. Disputes over claims and the perpetual threat of being bu llied off a piece of grou nd quickl}' lead mi ners and prospectors 10 orga nize. ,\ typical ael -hoc government is the gold district. A council i~ appointed consisting of the most respected or vocal members of the distri c\. Their fi rst o rder of business is layinl; down some ru les. Everything from thc size of a claim to the punishment for claim jum ping needs to be laid do\\ 11. Enforcement of these rules is taken ,ery seriou~ly and punishments arc usually meted (lut quickly.

Gru bslaki ng
Dc~pitc or perhaps becausc of the fact ,hal anyone with a little knowlcd'l'e and S(lme ba~ic tooh can SCI OUI in ,earch or ~old. many fonune ~ceker~ arrl"e at a ne\d~ discovered gold field on I) to learn that thcy don't h,we the mann to equip (lr adequately provision thcm~ekes.

A natural conscquenee is the formation of partner shi ps and ~mall companics.

Initially, such mining companies arlO lill ie more than co-ops comprised of mine rs who own stock in the company and share the production costs and p rofits proportionally in an effort to overcome the tl'chnologica l problems and lack of capital for ilwcstment in the necessa ry machinery.
I nevitably the despised large mining companies squeeze thesc independent pro~pectors out as they mo,'e in with e"en more capital, heavy machinery and a myr iad of new rules and restrictions. T his end resul t is a sh ifl from indepcnde nt prospectors w waged labor with the lion's sha re of thc profits going to a fat few who have never dipped a pa n or gotten thei r hands dirty.

Since it can take weeks or c\'Cn 1l10nth~ befo re realiLing allY earni ngs from their work, a prospector can easily rind himself in debt or broke very quickly. Life in a gold camp, where a shovel can cost as much as twelvc dollars, isn't cheap. A fortune seeker who winds up in such a predicament can try to fin d a grubstake. ,\ common arrangement in gold camps, grubstaki ng occurs when one party puts up the money to cover p ro,isiom and equipmclH and the other pany does the actual work. If an} gold is found, they split it. Terms for such arrangemenls "ar), but the split is usually 50/50. Grubstaking may be agreed upon by a handsha kc or formal contract. Either way, trUSt is pa ramount and securin~ such a deal may hinge on one's reputation.

Disgusted at the situation, many prospectors simply move on to chase rumors of the huest new find. O thcrs stubborn ly choose to hold on, refusing to give up their freedom. Evcntually, the earnings from their cla ims become so marginal that they :lre forced to sell and join the ra nks of wage laborers. Barring that, they move on to a nother area to start over or simply accept defeat a nd retu rn home.

*
t hi~.

P ROSPECTING FOR GOLD

O K, nO\1 that you know a li ttle about the gold business, you might want to gra b a pan and a shovel and head up the Animas [0 snatch your own handrul. Hold up a minute so you can learn the mecha nics for doing T here's a map printed in this book thaI depicts the areas of the shatte red frontier that conta in gold. You'll notice that for each gold fidd, the mothe r lode is indj catcd along with regions radiating outwards from it that contain progressively lesser amounts of gold.

24 1

Now, as a bright player, your natural thought is that you'll JUSt hike Out to the mother lode, stake a claim , and live fat and happy the rest of your life. Well it isn't that easy. You see, this map is only a sample illustration of a gold field. You r G~ I may not choose to usc this map. In fact , there a re several variatio ns of this map on our website, a ny of which could be used in play. However, for instructional pu rposes, we'll use the map in this book. The first step is to purchase the necessary lOols and provisions you' ll need while prospecting. This may involve a substantial out lay of hard cash as you' ll require quite a bit of food a nd possibly a pack animal to haul this load. Once provisioned, you' ll then have to journey to the area you wish to prospect on. Using what you've gleaned from earlier in this chapter, that probably will be one of the streams running down from the San j uan ~ I ountain s . Let 'S say you\'e successfull y reached the SpOt you've chose n to prospect. Now, you have no idea what if any gold is the re. You need 10 attempt a Prospecting skill check that consumes a whole day. The difficulty of th is check is based upon the density o r amount of placer gold prese nt at the site. Obviousl}; if big gold nuggets are just lying on the grou nd, it isn't 100 taxing to guess that you' re in the midd le of a huge gold field. However, since you don't know if there's gold in the area you searched, the G~1 consults his map and makes this check in secret.

Scalier Chart ' as your aiming point instead of a human target. This special silhouette appears at the end of the chapter. Pl ace the Shot Clock over this cha rt and roll a d20 just as you would if firing a gun. Bonuses or penalties to t his roll are listed on T able 5.3 2: Prospecting Bonuses.

TABLE 5.3-2: PROSPECTING BONUSES

Cond it ion Bocus or Pccah-1 Unskilled Prospector ................4 Novice Prospecting skill mistcry Average P ros pecti ng skill mistery ..... +1 .... +2

AdVlnced Prospec ting skill mastery ... +4 Expert Prospcc ticg skill mwcry ..... +6 MlStcr Prospect icg skill mHtcry ..... +8 Eicb previous diY's success . .........+1 Each previous day's hilu rc*" ......... 2

subjtct to Q maximum cumulati~ +4 bonus subjtct to a maximum cumulativt8 ptnalt!J

Scoring a 'hit ' on a red box means that you're able to extract the full potential of the sile, orange mea ns 500 and yellow 250. Hitting a g reen box means that no gold was found and that you had a random encounter. These encounters arc liSled laler in the chapter. L.'l.nding anywhere else means you toiled away for naught.

TABLE 5.3-1: PROSPECTING nlFFICULTY

Zones Type Difficu lt.),:

GETTING THE GOLD

Th e amount of Place r gold you can recover from a particular site depends on two factors: the concentration of gold (this va ri es by zone and is listed in the Yi eld per Ton column on Table 5.3 3) and the amount of din you can process listed in lonslday under the particu lar mining technique). Panning, at I toni day, is the least effi cient means of sifting dirt. It docs however have the advantage of being cheap, portable, and easily perfo rmed by a lone prospectOr a nd so is oft en used for initial exploration.

A. Mother Lode: .......... triviil

B. Extremely Rich .......... CiSY C. Rich .................... easy

D. Modcutcly Rich ...... average E. Good Color ............ Ivcragc F. Fair Color ............. difficult G. Poor Color ............ diffi cult

H . Miscnb le ........... very difficu h

If you succeed at th is skill check, your character determined that th e site has the potential to yield gold. from then on, you may attempt to utilize one the prospecting techniques to actually secure some of the placer gold. Success is not automatic, you r PC's skill as a prospector will in large measu re determine his sue cess. To determine the effi cacy and productivity of your effo rts, you will have to utilize the Shot Clock. T his is simi liar in practice to targeting a weapon in combat , however, you make usc of a ' Prospecting

For ttamplt, a prosputor who sucusifully pans in a misty ablt 4.01lt (whtre tht gold dtn.sity is Id4 Slton) hits a rtd ana. Tht GM roiLs a ;4' and informs tht pla)'tr that ht was ablt 10 UCOL'ty 54 of goldjlakejor that day'.s labor. If ht had insttad hit an orallgt aua, Iht day's lakt would bt 52. Similarly, hit ling a )tllow aua would uduct Iht day's yitld to a mtrt dollar. Howtlltr. if the Qua was modtrattly rich, tht C.lf would ins/tad roll 2d20 and add 40 10 the ruult (let's Q.Jsume he rolltd 28 - adding 40 makts the pottntia/take S68). Results of red, orange GIld yellow would thtrifore yield 568, 534 or 517.

242

TABLE 5.3-3: GOLD FIELD DETAILS

Zones Yield per ton Toul Plletr Gold per quarter sqUHC mile A. Mother Lode: ....... 604 to 1000 (4dlOO+SOO)S/ loD .... .. ....... .1000 x dlOOO $ B. Extremely Rich .......32810 480 (Bd20+320) $/Ion ............... 400 x dJOOO $ C. Rich ..................88 to 160 (SdIO + 80) $/ IOD . .. ..... . ........720 x dlOO $ D. Modcutcly Rich ..... .. .42 1080 (2d20+40) S/ton .. .. .............. 270 x dlOO $ . Good Color ............ 2110 40 (ld20+20)$/ IOD ......... .. .... .. .'I5xdiOO $ F. Fair Color .............. 11 to 20 (ldlO+lO) S/tOD ....................9xdlOO $ G. Poor Color .............. .5 -10 (ld6+4) S/ IOD ...................... 2dlOO $ H. Misc:ubJc ................. .l-<l (Id'l) SltOD ........................ .Id20 $

PANNING A SITE 011T

A site wilt not conti nue 10 yield gold fore\'e r. Each square quarter mile (160 acres of a gold site contains a limited amount of gold. This is listed in the Total Placer Gold per quarter sq uare mil e column. O nce a character has begun to extract gold from a particular quarter square mile, the C:\! should consu lt the table and roll to determine the total amount of gold prese nL Only this amount can be reco\cred. Further prospecting will never be successful. Returning to the example abO\e in the miserable zone, the Gi\"l rolls a d 20 getting an II ) and thus sets the capacity of that particular quarter sq uare mile. Let's assume the characte r continues to have success panning the area. The first day he pulls out S4 of Oake, the next S2, the following S3 and S I on another day. He's now close to panning the area out. There's only S I len of gold to be found so if he's again suc-

ces~ful.

the most he can find is another dollar. Aftcr that. any further attempts eyen if he continues to hit red in his pro ~pect illg attempts will yield nothing.

COMPETITION AND CLAIM STAKING

It would be a perfect world if you cou ld go out and find a loaded goldfield and just take your time leisurely panning OUI whatcTer f.!:old you desired. Howcver, the minute you sho\\ up in town with your bag of gold nuggets you're goin~ to sct off a mad frenzy. Everyone and their brother is going to stampede out to the hills looking for your site. Others more sly wil! certainly tail you as )'OU try to return.

Face it, one way or another someone clse is going to learn whe re you got your gold . The best you can do is to ensure that you sti ll ha\"(~ a scat at the table. You can accomplish Ihi s by staking a claim.

243

Claims ca n bc made at the nearest IOwn with jurisdiction over the region in which the claim lies. If no such town exists. you'd best keep a pislOl holstered until you can come to terms with the prospeclOrs attracted 10 your site and fonn a mining district cou ncil. Though numerous mcthods were establi shed for delineating claims, for our purposes there is enough room for 20 productive claims to be located within each quarter square mile squa re area. Typical rules are that an individual may hold title 10 only one working claim at a lime. [n order for the claim holder to keep his title the claim must be worked al least 3 times a \\"cck ('working a claim' is defined as putting in at least five hours work on a given day). Any claim not worked for twO weeks is automatically forfeitcd and is given over 10 a new owner by way of loiter),.

17

You stick your hind ill the wroog dirk COrDer o f your TenT/cibin a brown recluse spider biles you. Sec ChapterJ.31 Wounds 6- Healing (or deliiis.

Weather
18-19

A fhsh flood reiches your nmp. No prospecting on sile possible for Id4+2 diYs. A hnvy downpour of uio (o r soow. io winler) occurs. No prospecting o n site for Id11 (minimum I) d.tys.
You spot smoke from .l brge forest fire moving in your direction.

20-23

2S

Your teol c.J.tehes

00

fire. No work possihle todlY.

26
27-29

Your teor/roof blows iWiy. No work possible Tod.ty. Ri ver Flooded. No prospecTing possihle for Id4 diYS.

Disease

JO

PROSPECTING EVENTS
As mentioned prc\iously, landing in a green zone dictales Ihal a random encounter OCClLrs. These \'ary in scve rity from innocuous herbivores (that might pro\"de a free meal \0 a properly skilled outdoorsman) d1fough various annoyances to potentially dangerous encounters wilh individuals seeking the charaCter's new found wealth.
I t is incumbent upon the G.\I to han' a few ~on Playcr Characters (NPCs' prcpared in achan("c 10 facilitate play. The N PC list in Chapltr -1.1 1Tht ..l UI & Eights cumjJaigll is an excelle nt source.

MUST hive been some bld food or wiler. beC,lUSC you mighT now hl\e Brlin Fever (Iyphoid). S ee Chapter 3.31 Wounds (; Healing to dmrmioe if you ~rd o ff the illoess. You may have coughT brochiT is. See Chapter J.JI Wounds 6 Healing 10 delermine if you fight o ff the illoess. MUST hive beeo some b.J.d food or wuer - you possibly wch eholen. Sec Chapter J.31 Wounds 6 Healing to deTermine if you WHd off The .J.ffliction. You surt coughing - you might h.J.\e nug htlhe crou p. See Chapter J.JI'Vounds 6 Healing TO deter mine if you I1'Hd off the illlless. A slight fever Ind sore Thro.J.t mighl devdop into diptheri~. See Chapter J.JI Wounds 6- Healing 10 delermine if you figbt off the .lff1iCfion. Exposed
10 lofluenn. Sec Chapter J.JI Wounds 6 Healing 10 deTermine if you wnd o ff Ihe illness.

JI

J2

3334

Jj

d 100 roll Encounter Animal Encounter

J6-38
3941

OJ
0203 0+06 07 08

A luge beH imblcs into timp. A lone sbeep w.lnders into your cimp. A lone. Stuggly. unbranded cow Winders inlo ump. A skunk w.lddles boldly iDlo Ihe midst of your C.J.mp. You find i common scorpion in your bool - ifter il stings you. See Chapter.lJI Wounds 6- Healing for det.J.ils. You see.l mallgy. halfsluved dog lurking on The edge of your u mp. You sec i COUgH sulkillg your ti mp. You see
i

Mosquitos He bId Ihis seasoo - you might C.J.lc h miluj~. See Chapter JJI Wounds 6 Healing 10 dClCr mine if you fight off the illlle~. (10 winTer: ' goore Ihis resuh .J.lld reroll on Ihis I1ble.) Lillie red bumps appear 011 your skiD - youve Clught melsies. See Cbapter J.JI Wounds 6- Healing TO deter mille if you wnd off The illness. Your sligh t cough cou ld d~ vdop into pneumooi~. S ec Chapter J.JI Wounds 6 Healing to determine if you wnd o ff The illoess. You brushed .J.g.J.insl Ihe wrong foliige - it 11'.J.S poison o.lk. Sec Chapter J.31 Wounds 6 Healing for dmils.

'2

09
10

11
12

rallleSllike sunning ilse lf on

neuby rock.

It ukes Id1 hours 10 nrcfully chue him iW.J.Y.

You shifted Ihe wroog woodpile -.l bbck widow spider biles you. Sec Chapter J.JI Wounds 6 Healing for details. You SpoT
i

People

46
'7-<8

Fur Trlder: hlils you and asks The way

10

neuesttown.

1316

deer on Ihe edge o( your cimp.

Prospector: shows up swing ownership of your claim. Indiin: one approaches your camp.

'9-5!l

244

51 -5~

ProspeCTor: SU fi S workins a cbi m above you rs.

Ann oyan ces

SS-59 60-61

Banditos: Three enlcr your ump and demand your gold.

M ys ter y: you hear .1. dista nt gunshot echoi og from

77-81

Bugs gCI

;1110

your food - lose half of it.

82-85

RodclIIS gct inlo you r food - DO more Ih.l.D o ne mn!'!

somewhere out o f sight. lovesto r: approaches pbyer about parlbcriog up.

worth rcmains.

B6-B8
89-93

Vagubt: offe rs to help WOrk , liim in excluDg' for food or shut s in the spoils.

You lwakco to (ind all your mining cquipmcnt smashcd or missing. Lu gest picce o( cquipment brcaks. No prospecting on site possible with it unlil rep,aircd (Avcragc diUicuhy check (or Ihc skill check rclued to repairing this picce o( equipmcol - prohably Carpentry). Your most (requenliy used piecc of cquipmcnt breaks. No prospcc liog on site possible with it unt il rcpaircd (A\'cugc diHicuhy chcck (or Ihe skill check rclued 10 rcpairing this piccc o( cquipmcnt . probably Carpentry). In jury: Make Dex C hcck. Fai lurc indicatcs chau ctcr in jurcd himself (sec Table J}Oc: Non -weapon Injury).

68-69
70-72

Cbiffi Jumper: e h.mcler atTn"cs to find Id4 Cbiffi

Jumpers IIlorkins the sile.
10

Bushwhacker: Jd<l Bush""hackcrs lie in hidi ng wailing ambush Chua"cr .J.nd rdic\'c him of his gold when he's upsuspecting. They atuck on his trip hack to 10111' 0.
1n

94-97

73-7~

Make me
sile.

oHeT: NPC makes offer on (l1im/ work

7S-76

Indians: stea l your mule/horse:.

98-00

245

Prospecting Scatter Chart

Red
Orange

Yellow
Crecn

Full Yield 50% Yield 25% Yidd Encounter

246

'Q)

>
0::

'" o
c
...J

'" o

Rive

to Roncho

Muskeegie Gold District .-.-.-- 5 miles

I ~-

5.41 Gambling
hether in a shady saloon or a gussicd.up gambling hall, a singl e hand can turn the lowest of men into a winne l: or the best of men into a poor wretch without a cent to his name. In the Shattered Frontic.; ca rd games arc king, but dice games and even the roulette wheel also have a place at the table. This section dClllils the most popu lar games and their fules.

After all losing bets are collected and all winn ings paid out, new players can join the gam e. Once all bets a rc down. the dealer chucks the dice again a nd the process repeats itself.

Playin' Chuck-A-Luck
To play chuck-a-luck, make a simple board or layout labeled with the numbers one through six on which playe rs tTlay place their bets. You should have ready access \0 the three six-sided dice the dealer requires.

*
CRAPS

DICE GAMES

HIGH DICE
T his si mple dice game is often called "beat the deal er," or Ihe "ba rtender's game," since it keeps drinkers occupied while they sit at the bar. Players simply bet I: I odds that they can beat the deale r. Play begins wlt h the dealer roBing two six-sided dice. On a roB of 2, each playe r immediately wins even money, while on a roB of 12, d1t: dealer takes all wagers. On any Dlher result rolls of 3 through II ), the dealer places a mnrker on a numbered layout or sim ply lIses chalk to indicate his sco re. The player on the dealer's far left then rolls Ihe dice versus the deale r's score. If the result is higher than the dealer's sco re, the player wins even money (1:1 ), Each remaining player (in o rder of the dealer's left 10 right), also rolls in an attempt to beat the dealer's score, until al! playe rs have rolled. T he dealer wins all tics. If one or bOlh dice falls \0 the (loor, all dice must be rerolled.

A vcry popular dice game in the Shattered Fromier is "craps." If the shooter rolls a 7 or lion the first roll, he wins. H e may throw and bet aga in, or pass the dice to another playe r. Howeve r, if he rolls a 2, 3 or 12 on the first rolt, he loses. If the shooter's first throw is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, he continu es \0 throw until he again rolls the sa me number and wins, or throws 7 ("craps out" ) and loses bOlh his bet and the dice.

Piayin' Crap'
Craps can be as simple or as complex as you wish. The common rules for crap5 listed aboyc) arc elementary enough for novices to q uickly play the game. Saloons will typica!!y add a host of options allowing for a wide variety of belting opportunities for both the shooter and observers. A bit of research on your part will discover a myriad of features that you can add to a gambling hall's craps table should you so choose.

UNDER AND OVER

Thi s three- to six-player d ice game (a lso known as "Lucky Xumbcr Se\'en" or " H il La") is popular in the sa loons of the Sh,ltte red Fronti er, and generally uses a rotating 'birdcage" wheel to roll two dice. Players simply place the ir wagers for a result of "lu1der seve n" (2 through 6) or "over seven" (8 through 121. On a win, they get even money ( 1:1 ), while the dealer tnkes all losses. Alternatively, punters may wager on a roll of 7, for which winne rs receive -l-: 1 odds. Varia nt house or dealer rules may include wagers on olh er combinations, such as 15: I odds on double 6s. Only the dealer is allowed to tOuch lhe dice or spin the wheel.

CHUCK-A-LUCK
T his dice game (also known as "birdcage" or "sweat," among other names), is played by throwing (" chucking") three six-sided dice. Punters ("playc rs") place thcir wagers on a layout labeled "one" through "six." When all bets arc down. Ihe dealer chuc ks three (and always three) dice onto the lable, usually 011 a felt throwing area. O nly the dealer is allowed 10 touch Ihe dice. If one or more dice falls to the fl oor, all dice must be rerolled. Players win eve n money ( 1:1 ). d Ollble (2: I) or triple (3: I) depending on the results.

For example, Billy ';:'ane wogered 82 01/ 0 result of 3. If one of the dit wulls is a 3, he willS 52 (and keeps his original fwo dollar bel, of course). If two dire come up 3s he willS 54, or if all three dire come up 3s, Bil(y willS S6. If none 0/ tile dice are 3s, the initial wager is losl.

248

Playin' Under and Over

This is another si mple ga me to simulate. ), [ake a simple board o r layout with the numbers two through twelve, pl us spaces for wagers on house rules. Instead of a gam bling wheel, simply lise a cup to shake and roll the dice.

example, if a player split s the I OJ ack (putting his chips directly betwee n the 10 and the J ack, he wins hi s full wager on a 10 or a J ack. Players who place their chips betwcen the 6, 7 and 8 a re betting the pot. " On the othe r hand, placing chips between fOlll" adjacent cards is kno\\n as a "square' bel. Once all bets arc down, the dealer d isca rds the top ca rd of his deck known as the "soda ca rd" ,. The n e xt card displayed is the losing ca rd , which the dealer places on his right, next to his deck or box. The dealer or hOllse' wins any bets placed on the losing ca rd. The next card drawn is the winni ng ca l"<L For exampte. if the winning card is a 7, all players who bet on the 7 eidler by backing. splitting or betting the pot) win. Players who bet on 01 her C<lrds may lea\'e their bets on the same card for the next draw, remo\e th em from the board or move the bet to another card. :;.Jew players can also join the game in between turns. Once all bets arc down. the dealer dra\\'s a nother winning ca rd , and the process repeats it~clr. Players lIlay also "copper" their first wager. by placing a penny or token on top of their chips. This

*
FARO

CARD GAMES

Th is card game is easy to learn and si mple 10 play. It is the most commonly played card game e\'en more than poker. After all, in an hone'H faro sometimes spe ll ed "pharo"} game, the odds of winning arc nearly [: [ not bad at all. Bets are also paid off I: I for example, a player who makes a dollar bet wins a dollar - in addition to retaining his origina l dollar bel, of course. In faro, one or more pl<lyers play against the dealer (also known as the 'bank"). T he dealer shuffies a standa rd deck of cards and places it face down (o r face up in a r",.nmnTlrrT1rT~ spring-loaded dealer's box on the table. Also on the table is a fa ro board, which d isplays each card rank usually A s, glued or painted on the board). Layout is in twO rows, with thc cards running in a co unt er-clockwise manner, so the upper row displays the 6 through the Ace (left 10 right), and the lower row the 8 up to the King (also left to right). Off to the left , betwee n the twO rows, is lhe 7. Th e Ace is always the lowest card in faro. Playe rs then place wagers (chips) directly on the faro board. A chip placed direcllyon a card means that the player is "backing" only that card rank. Players may also bet on multiple card ranks by placing a chip between a pair of cards (directly between them o r o n the diagona l, on the inside o r outside). This is called "splitting," but docs not mean a split wager. For

249

reverses the bet. The player now wins on the losing (fir st) ca rd and loses on the winning (second) card . Another option for the first wage r is a "high card" bet - belt ing that the winning (second) ca rd will be higher than the losing (first ) card. This bet may also be coppered (reversed). To keep track of which cards have been played, players make mental or written notes, or walch the coffin." The "coffin" (a [so known as the "case," 'counter," or othe r terms) is usually an abacus-like box where markers indicate how many cards of each rank have been played. For example, if the Ace has three markers on it, it means Ihal only one Ace is left in the bank. If a 7 has four markers on it, it means no 7s are left in the bank, and so on. A Oat board similar 10 the faro board may also represent the coffin with chips placed on each card played. If a player accidentally lea\es a ,,'ager on a "dead ca rd " (a card that has already been played four times) and forgets to remove it, the dealer or any ot her player may claim it at the start of the next hand by calling ;'dead card!" When the deale r reaches his last three cards, he may continue to run st raight hands as normal. Players who bet on the last card (known as the 'hock ca rd" are in hock" as the dealer takes any wager left on the board after tbe hock ca rel. Alternatively, the deale r may stop at this point and tell the playe rs the ranks of the last three cards. Players may then "bet the turn," i.e. betting on the order those last three cards will be dealt. For example, let'S say the last three ca rds arc a 4, 7, and Queen. There are always on ly six possibilities. In this case, they are: 4-7-Q , 7-Q-4, Q-4-7, i -4-Q, 4-Q-7, or Q- i4. T he dealer pays 4: I odds 10 the player who correctly "bets the turn." If two of these three cards are the same rank (such as a 4'" and a 4 . ). the dealer pays only 2:1 odds. Th is is called a "cat hop." If all three cards arc the same rank (such as a a 4. , and a 4 . ), the dealer reshuffies his entire deck for a new deal. This is called a "case."

the faro board and the coffin . One person acts as the "bank," while all others are players. Dealers keep their bank on their right side, behind the six. Players co nverting items ~)isto[s, gold, etc) for chips, or getting credit from the dealer, arc said to be "be bind the six." For novice bankers or crowded tables, the dealer may employ another person to act as "lookout" or "coffin dri\e r" to prevent cheating and to assist the bank by collecting and paying off bets and handling the coffin. T he lookout traditionally sits on the dealer's right side . Usefu l words to sling around the table are: "bucking the tiger" (p laying faro), 'piker" (a player who spreads lots of tiny bets across the board), "snowball" (a player 'snowballs' by spreading many large bets across the board, '" tiger alley' or ;'tige r town" (a gambl ing parlor where faro is played, and "whipsaw" (a player who wins two cards on the sa me hand.

POKER
Standard five-card draw poker (also known as "bluff ") is another popula r card game in the Shattered Frontier. Played with three to seven players, each player is dealt five cards. The players, starting from the left of the dealer. t hen bet or fo ld out. The remaining players each haw the opportunity to replace ze ro to four of their cards with new ones from the deck (typically the fourth card may on ly be drawn if the player shows an Ace). After another round of betting, the cards are revealed with the highest poker hand winning the pot. Unlike faro , poker is much more prone to cheaters, and the Shattered Frontier is rife with professional gamble rs who have the skill to do so.

Poker Hands
For those who may not al ready know the ranking of poker hands, see the brief summary below (listed from highest to lowest). You can find more information at your local library or with an interne t search engine.
rF Royal F lu s h: A hand contai ning an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, all of the same suit.

4 "'.

Another alternative is for the dealer to continue to run straight hands with his last three cards, not revealing their ranks but still allowing players to "bet [he turn" if they think they know the remaining card ranks. Even if a player misses the first of these last three ranks, the dealer may still allow them to ptay the remaining two cards as straight faro hands.

g r Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in sequence.

r ? Four of a Kind: Four ca rds of the same rank (such as four K ings). The fifth card can be anything. "Gr Full House: T hree cards of the same rank

Playin' Faro
Faro is an easy game to se t up and quick to play. Two decks arc suggested, the second deck used to simulate

(such as three 5s) and two cards of another rank (such as two Aces).

er Flush: Five cards of the same suit.

250

:r Strai ght: Five cards of mixed suits in sequence

(such as a 3 . , 4 . , 5 . 6 . and 74- .
:dir Three of a Kind : Three cards of the same

rank (such as three 7s) <lnd two other ca rds of any su it or rank.
9r Two Pa ir: Two cards of equal rank such as twO J acks), and one other card of any suit or rank.
:3f'" Pair: Two cards o f equal rank such as two 6s and three other ca rds whose ranks do not Ill<ltch the pair or each other such as a 3. 8 and Queen.
:dir High Card: When no hand fits any of the

A character may elcct to cheat by attempting a Failure accords no (Difficult) Gambling skill check pena lties but success allows the cheater to receive 5 addit ional cards drawn from <l second deck hereafter called the "cheating deck". It is important that this second deck be easily differentiated from the honest deck, preferably with a different design on the card backs. Any and all players may attempt to cheat. These attempts should be declared in the order that the players received their cards. The successful cheater may now build his hand with a combination of the cards he was fairly dealt as well as the cards he receiy(~d from the cheating deck. He may draw cards from the honest deck after any initial raises as pCI' normal poker rules. Z\ote that his final hand, comprising cards from both decks, can only be formed into lcgitimate poker hands. This means that five of a kind is not a legitimate hand C\'en if it is possi ble to build one. Obyiou sly these extra cards afford the player a advantage. Howe\'er, this comes with risks. If the player stays in to the end and reveals his hand , all other players shou ld obsen'e his cards to sec if any of the cards he may h,\\'e played from the cheating deck duplicate card~ in the from the honest deck. If a
tremendou~

above combinations, the one with the better high card wins a J ack beats a 10, for example. If high cards arc equal, compare the next highest card.

Playi n'

POk~!

Acts & Eights uses a blend of both player and character knowledge to offe r an abridged. ~'e l exciting and realistic, poker experience that incorporates a cheating mechanism. Each simu lated hand represents se\'eral actual hands of poker. Play is standard five-card draw. However, a player Illay only fold out on a successful Gambling skill check (Average difficulty.

251

duplicate card is noted, his fe!lo\\' players may noll' attempt to calch him red-handed. They do this by consulting Table 5.-1-1: Chanct to Notice Chealing. Players may roll on this table once per duplicatc card they a rc aware of. AI! players are eligible to roll for any duplicate cards that arc re\ealed when the pOt is claimed (which may be none if e\e ry other player folds! ) Individual players may also roll on Ihis chart if the winning hand contains a card that they held in their hand even if they subsequently folded. Anyone catching another player cheating may take act ion as he sees fit. Being caught cheating per Table 5.4-/ is unambiguous proof of Ihe deed and fulfills any evidentiary requirement of a Court. Once the winning hand is determined and any potential cheating is resolved, any cards from the chealing deck arc set aside. A player sti!l holding card~ from [he cheating deck which he opted not to play ma~ either keep these cards or discard them along \\ ilh any cheating eards that were used. The cheating deck should not be reshumed until it appears to be unable to suPPOrt the next hand's anlicipated cheating or less than half the deck remains. During the next hand, a playe r may once again attempt to cheat and draw cards from the cheating deck. He is, however, limited to having no more than five of these cards in his hand at any gi \en time.

[3 . 4 "' ,4 . , Q "' , A . J and so raises t\\"o dollars. Charlie, wilh a straight, sces Ihc twO dollars and raises fi\c. Deke has t\\"o pair [3 . , 5 . , 5 "' , J "' , J . J, a pretty good hand, and so stays in by tOssing seven dollars into the pot. It 's now back to AI. This is too rich for AI so he decides to fold. However, to do so he must make a successful Gambling check. His Gambling skill is 53%, but since it's an Average check he gets to add +30 to his roll. He needs to roll 23 or higher to fold and gets a 31 . AI's out of the game losing only his ante. Finally we reach Ban. He has to dHOW in five bucks if he wants to Slay in. He decides not to but must roll a 32 or higher to fold (Barl's Gamblillg skill is 62% and he gets a bOl/lIS rif +30 to the roll, since it's all Average chuk). He rolls 28 and Ihus cannot fold and must throw five dollars into the pot. :\-ext comes Ihe draw phase. Ban elects to discard e\crything but his pair and draws three nell' cards [5 . 9 ... . 10 . J. He keeps his discards in a stack in front of him .should he need to check for cheating at the end of the hand. Charli e decides to discard his J . and Q. in hopes of getting a flush. He draws a 2 . and i ... . He now have several options with \arying degrees of risk. By using 2 cards from his cheating hand, he can build a straight. By using three cards [2 "' , 4 "' , J '" J, he can build a flush. Finally. he can usc the two tWOS [2 . ,2 "'1 to make four of a kind. Th e last option is lhe riskiest since playing this hand will guarantee that e\e ry other player gets to check for cheating because he'lI be re\ealing a duplicate card in bis own hand! Again. let mt state thai Ihe (xtra card nlfchalIisln is merely a silnulaliolljor all kinds of chealiflg - rubbernuking, marking cards, spurious dealiflg, e/ ulera - in addilloll to Ihe 'au lip Ihe slttle' Irick. Plq)'ing two idflllical cards is perjecl[y legitimate though, rif courst, not legal. ) Deke is the last player to receive cards. He discards his 3 . and draws a J . He now has a full house - a vcry good hanel. Since AI is Ollt, Bart bas the first opportunity to raise. He declines and passes to Charlie. Charlie has a suspicion that Deke has a good hand and instead of scaring him off by raising wildly, opts to only raise four dollars. Deke. on his turn, sees the four dollars and, confident in his great hand , raises ten. Bart has had enough of Ihis game and tries once again to fold . He rolls a 67 and is able to do so. It's now back to Charlie. He sees Dekc's ten dollars and tosscs two S20 gold coins as a raise in hopes of scaring off Deke and coincidentally not having to reveal his ca rds. Dekc's not about to be bluffed so he calls by tossing in fony dollars of his own. He then reveals his full house [5 . ,

A Detailed Exam ple of Cheati ng

Four players arc playing a friendly game of poker Al, Ban, Charlie and Deke. The agreed upon ante for the game is two dolla rs and each player tosses his silver dollars into the pot. Deke is acting as the dealer this hand and deals five cards to each player beginning with Al who is sitting to his le ft. Upon receiving their cards, both Bart and Charlie announce they will cheat. Bart has a Gambling skill mastery of 62% and rolls a 22 in his attempt to cheat. Since this is a difficult check, the roll is made wilh no bonus and he fails. Charlic has a Gambling skill mastery of +8% and succeeds, roll ing 72 on his check. Deke deals him the lOp five cards off of the cheating deck. Charlie was fairly deah the following cards: 2 . , 3"' , 6 . , J . , Q . In addition, he received the fol lowing cards by cheating: 2 . , 2 "' , 4 "' , 5 . , J ... . From what was a mediocre h<lnd, Charlie now has some p romising options. He can build a stra ight by using IWO cards, the 4 '" and 5 . , from his cile<lting draw. Now it's time for some betting. Al has a lousy hand [2 "' ,4 . ,5 . , K . , A . J and checks. Ban has a pair

5. ,J. ,J "' , J ].

252

TABLE 5.4-1: CIIANCE TO NOTICE CIIEATING

Clmbling Skill MutelY

INT + WI$ 6,] 8-10

11-13

14-16 1 7-19 lO-22 2325 26-28 2932 lJJS 3638

""
2 6

'SO

,
2 9 13 17

"
2
11

, 70

>60

, Sil

,., ,'"
7 15 18 21 15 19 17

, 20
3 IS 17 35

, 10
3 13 38

><l 18
<S 63 71

I.

10

18

I' I'

3 6

2 5 8 12 16

<J

10
13 17 21 15

'"

oJ6
oJ9

20

33

"

33 37 41 45

53

"
61

55 63 66 69 73 77 81

SO
88 91 94
96

98
99

NOle: Pilfers .. ho dOB', possess Ihe CJmbJIIIg skill h,,'c 110 eblDtt of 1I0liclllg chcJllDgl

Charlie now realizes that his only hope of winning is to take the riskiest possible 1110\'C and sho\\ four twos. It's a S 137 pot, so Chadic takes the chance and reveals the following hand: 3 ... . 2 . , 2. > 2 "' , 2 . Cords l1:illi TlWllbuJ ill bold artjrom tne chealing deck. Since there arc two identical cards face up on the table, ('\'cryolle is entitled to check for cheating.. \]'s Int+Wis is 24 so he has a 100.0 chance to 1l00ic(' the cheat. He rolls a 31 and fails. Ban 's IrH+\\"i~ is only 19 giving him no chance to delcct the cheating since his Gambling skill mastery is on ly 62 0 0. Deke, howe\'er, has a Gambling maStery of 18 Q,o, and his Im+\\'is is 27, giving him a 690 0 chance to notice Charli e's cheating. He rolls a 71 and Charlie relaxes thinking he is homc frcc. AI , howevcr, reveals the 2 ... from his discard pile which cntit les him (only) 10 an additional check. He rolls a 07 and thus catches Charlie in the act. Since success on Table 5. 4-/ is unambiguous proof. AI , Bart & Deke immediately draw thcir pislOls on Charlie and commence firing. As an aside, let's assume that Deke didn't get a full house (in this scenario he got a 10 . instead of thej . resulting in a hand of 5+ ,5 "' , j "' , j . ,IO . Having only to beat two pair, Charl ie chooses the least risky opt ion a straight built with only thc ,, '" and 5 + from his cheating draw [2 . , 3"' , 4"' , 5 + , 6 . ). This option turns out to bc nearly as risky as playing the four twos. Deke's hand contains a 5 + as docs Charlie's. Everyonc is allowed a chance to check for cheating and Ban now gets an additional check since he had a 4 '" in his hand when he folded 10 110 1fict sinet he has no challet f!! detecling chealing .

MISC ELLANEO lTS GAMES

ROlTLETTE
Roulette, or "~mall wheel." is yet another popular in the Shattered Frontie r. Players one to six place their bets and then the croupier ~ pin s the wheel, rolling: a ,mall i\ory ball in the oppo~ite direction alon~ the \\hecl\ inner ed ~e. .\ .5 the \Ihecl slows down, the ball bounce_ into one of the ~Iots on the wheel, numbered from Olle to thirty-~ix, plus a zero and a double zero. Red slots alternate with black. Players may continue to place bets until the wheel slows down and the ball rests in place. The slot that the ball finally drops into is the winning slol.
~ame

Wagers include hets for single numbers ( I: I odds), twO adjoining numbers 17: I , three numbers across II: I" four corner numbers 8: I , six across numbers (5: I), a tweke number seCiion'2: I, or a tweh'e number column .'2: I Bets on one through eighteen, nineteen through thirty-six , red, black, odd or even are I: I odds.

PI. yin' Roulelte

Simulating a game of single num ber roulette is actually quite simple. Ha'e each player make his wager, then roll IdIO, su btracti ng four from the tOtal. A result of 0 or I means the "ball " dropped into the zero ~Iot, while a result of 2 or 3 simulates the double zero. Bets on I through 18, or 19 through 36, can also be accomplished with the sa me method. If a player wants to bet simply "red" or "black," roll Id4 , wi th odd results being red and even results being black. Belting on odds or evens also uses I d4. For the more complex odds, you may wish to consult all actual roulette wheel to sec where numbers arc located on the wheel.

253

THREE CARD MONTE

T hree card monte (also known as " Find the Lady" to the British, or "Bonncteau" to the French) is not rcally a game, but a scam or swindle. The appearance of the game is simple. It is played between the dealer (or tOsser), who manipulates the cards and takes the bets, and the player (or punter), a morc or less gullible member of the public who places a bet on the game in the unrealistic hope of winning some money. The dealer has three cards, one of which is a Queen. T hese cards a rc shown \0 th e punter and then simultaneously thrown face down on a table. The punter wage rs on which card is th e Queen , while the dealer employs various tricks, often with the help of accomplices, to ensure that the punte r loses. Three card montc operators include:
r? The Tosser (dealer): the sleight of hand man

~ The Lookout: watches for the law and signal s the ir approach so that the game can b e "folded up" quickly. @"" The Muscle Man: takes care of anyone who decides to complain.

T h e Roper: seeks out likely punters and e nco urages them to join the game. If you do bappen to bet on the righ t card, th e tosse r employs various tactics. such as accepting instead a wrong bet from a sh ill , and refusing your bet on the grounds that only one bet can be taken at a time. Other tactics include swapping the cards while your attention is d istracted, or simply arranging for the table to be knocked over and declaring the deal void.

PJa yin' Three Card Monte

Cnless someone at the ga ming table acts as tosser, the simplest way to simulate a three card mont e game is with opposed Gambling skill checks. The player must make a \ 'ery Difficult Gambling skill check to find the Queen . If he succeeds. the tosser may attempt to beat that result with a standard Gambling skill check of his own. If the tosser succeeds, the player loses. If the player succeeds, the tosser may attempt a standard Sleight of Hand skill check - if the tosser succeeds, he manages to swap the cards so the punter loses. If the tosser fait s his Sleight of Hand check, he o r an accomplice may attempt a standard Distract ion skill check. If that succeeds, the tosser changes the ca rds while th e punter is distraCted, and the play. er loses. If that also fail s, the toSSer either gives up and lets the player win, or calls in the muscle man to tail the punte r and take the winnings back by force.

who mixes the cards and takes the bets.

':!ir The Shills: accomplices who pose as punters making be ts, to give real punters the impression that the game can be beaten .

1~;=~~7l~~~~~~g~~~~ ~

254

5.51 Goods & Services

hesc costs incorporate a standard markup on the pa ri of the me rchant to cover his shipping, salary a nd other Q\'c rhead costs. When it comes to pricing goods and services, you can lypically use the prices listed below.

10. This generates a percentage you must add to the base price of any item. If the camp is in a remote location, you may need to calcu late an additional freight surch arge (as described above) bcfore applying the inflationary effect.

However, a few situations exist that require a modification of the li sted p ri ces. The fi rst of these occurs when the point of purchase is not located in dose proximity to a rail SlOp. Such goods need 10 be trallS ported to th e location by cart or wagon, and this addi tional freight cost should be reflected in the price. A good ru le of thumb to employ is to add 10% to the listed price for every 25 miles the sto re or trader is locatcd from a train SlOp or rail head. A second exte nuating circumstance occurs when sales ta ke place in the region of a gold (or silver camp. The abundance of ha rd curre ncy in such locales guarantees an inflationary effect, particularly when it comes to mining tools and similar hardware. To simulat e the inflation , roll 5d4 (using th e pe netration rul e), add 10, and then multiply the result by

ror o.ampfr, Jack .\lurph)l has had some success prospecting for gold and relums 10 Ilujictional boom town of Silva Glllch to h/9 a couple of items (a shoul and a mining pall). The 10101 for these items is Ihree dollars. However, Silver Gulch is 250 miles from the !learnt railfille alld so airy goods mllst be trailsported cia u'agoll. This adds 100% 10 the base pritt (25 0 miles/25:;: 10 x 10~D) . Addilional!;; Since Silur Guleh is a boomloll:n, Ihe ahllndallee of hard fUTTtnq has an Inflationary if[ect 011 prices. The C,\ 1 rolls 5d.J and gets 15 (including penetration). This means that prim ill Silur Gulch u:ill h, 250% ((15 + 10) x 10) of th, hose prire qfler th, transportalion slIrrharge is calculated. The shopkttptr u'11I therefore charge Jack 5/5 for the pan and shortl (hose price 53 + 100D" transportation charge:;: S6 r 2.5 inflationary if[eet:;: S/5).

255

Appl1c1 Bue Price Blthing suit ............ HOD Beh. hdies' .. ... 20t Belt.leuher ... lO c Blouse .............. . ...... SZ.sO Boots. hney .. ............ S20.00 Boots. riding luther ....!IS.OO Button. hpcl ... ..... SUO Cine. hickor y ........ . ..... 25 c , ,48 t Clp. hunting ........ . . Chps. Jeuher .i5.00 ..... ..... , .. ....$1.00 Chips. wool Con. wool ... .. .. . .. ... .SU5 Colbr. Jincn ............. . , .. \3' Comb. mens' or hdies' ............ lO c Corset. hdies' ... .. .75' Colton. weHing (per lb.) .. . ..... .16' Cuffs. linen (plir) .. . .. ... .\8c Duster (Ienher) ....................... . . ......$8.90 DuSler (oilskin slicker) .. .. ... .. . .... .. .. ... .$3.50 Dress. f.ney ., ..................................... $1.00 Dress. ph in ..... .n00 f lbric. denim (pcr yd. ) .lOt .......... 12' flbric. fhnnd (per yd.) f lbric. b.Jf wool (per yd. ) .... , ... . ........... 13e ........ .35' f lb ric. ribbon (per yd. ) ............ . f lbric. silk (per yd.) ........... , .. ........ .sOc f .bri" Spuis h lice (per )d.) ......... .7' F.bric. vehoet (per yd.) ......... .75c
f .brie. wool (per yd.) .. . .......... .... 29 C Glovcs. buckskin .78' Gloves. hdies' .......... ... ... . .. .....S1.25 Gloves. anned buckskin ........$1.00 Gnss suit (hunting umoufhge) ....... . . J1.75 H.ndkerchid. hncy broude silk ... 22' Hlndkerchief. pJ.in linen ...5t H.t. unlry .$1.37 Hit. conduetor's .. .. ................ , .. $1,45 Hu. co wboy or sombrero (low Clown) ............. . .$3.00 Hit. derby ................. . .51.50 ~J )Hi t. {edorl .. .............................. ::l Hu. bdies' f.ney .H25 Hit. sombrero {bigh crown} .$5.25 Hu.stnw ........... . .2St Ovenlls ........... . .95' P.ots. men's , .... $1.00 .... 2St Surf. common (lny color) , .sOc Smf. silk (lOy color) Sbirt. hncy .$1.25 Shirt. pbio .75' Sboes, lncy .$3.50 Shoes. hdits' dress ..... .$3.00

Shoes. mens' dress ...$2.45 .. ...... S1.75 Shoes. pl.in . Shoes. 1I'ork (miners . loggers'. etc.) ..... $1.98 Skirt. I.dies .. ..n50 Socks. wool .18' Stockings. bdies' silk .sUO .. ...... $6.75 Suit. .SIO.OO Suil. fincy , .$5.00 Suil. pllin . .... ,47' Suspenders. hoey sil k ..... Suspenders. ph in , .. 25' Thimble . ..... 1' ........... 10' T ic. b01l' .... Tic. Deck .............. . . ... .7' Tm'cling b.g (16 in .. dlig.lor skin) ... 65' Trousers. f.n'Y ............. . ... HOO Tlousers. work ........................... . .$2.00 Umbrdh . ................. . . JI.35 Underskirt. hdles' ... n65 . ....... ,45' UndeTlre .. Vest. hUDling .. .$3.40 Vest. men's hncy sil k ............ 55.00 ......... SU5 Vest. mcn's lutll" W.lIet. ltilher .......... . .92' Wig. hdies' ....... S15.00 ....$12.00 Wig. mens' ( tou pcc) ......... . . . . .............. S15.00 Wr'p ....................... . .. . Bue Price Domestic Items , ... .n50 BHomc"r .. ....32e BlSk" , .. ....... SIO.sO Bed room suit. simple wooden .......... . (Ior/udes bed. wuhsrlnd lod dresser) Bcd. cut iron ......................H85 Bcd. simple wooden. , ............. .. ..nlO , .51.50 Bbnket. bed (per plir) Book cue. wooden sl1ndins .$05 ( 4'/1" h. J1" w; four ~diusr~b1e shelves) BTeld box. . ........ . . . .... 65' Brush. h,ir ... .38' Brush. sblvins .$1..'i0 C.n opencr . .10' .. Be Cudles (box of 12) .$6.35 ClTri,se. blby ....... $12.75 Ch.ir. doth cHy ........... . Cb.ir. wooden ............. . .60' ....... $1.68 Ch.ir. wooden rockiog Clock. hncy wooden ubine! ....$6.15 .. ............ $1,45 Clock. pbio wooden ........ . ...........$liOO C ndle. rocking . ............... .10' ......... . Cup Cutlery .. .45' ( SCI of 6 hives/forks/spooos) Cutlery. silver-plued .. . ............ . . ...... $2.65 (set of 6 hives/fo rks/spoons) . .......... $11.50 Des k. sunding wooden office . (5'/008. nr deep. thrcc drl wers) .......$7.95 Dio ner se t. 100'piccc ,IIinl

OUR MAN,SHOEING DEPARTMENT

Shows the

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bcst~wtaring Foot~

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";!!~ at dosc. r-~ Ci"'o";; .,. ______~ ___ .l

256

Drcssn. si mple woodeD (Ihree dw.. ers) .... . ...........~6.75 Fhg. anioad (5 fl. 10Dg) .... . JUS Fhsk (I pt. ) ........... . .........5' Cl us ... "e. pili a tumblers (per dOlea ) ....... . ......30' C lmwue. phiD wner jug ( Ji gi l.) ...... 2St C luswue. phia ... iDe glus (per dOlea ) ......38C H lmmock. Mexiun ,",ovea sisll (6 ft. bed. 12 ft. 6 ip. toul ) 80C lamp. (ucy oil ................. . .$'1.30 bmp. phill oi l .... ................ . ....$1.75 la mp. refle ct iog ( wi lh hud uu chmenl) .... . .... $6.50 Mu chcs (LII'ifcr) . box of [SO .. ..sc M. 1I11Css. hed spri ngs .. $2.25 MUlress. (illed ................... . .H35 Mirror. ["ge woodeD fr l med phle ( ['lIn. x 24 in.) .......$1.62 M irror. smdl wooden frlmed plue (7 ia. x 9 iD. ) ......... JOt Mug. sbl vi.,g ...... . ...........H.90 Needle. sewiog (per dOleD ) ... . ..... .I0c Pl ii. s.qoue dioner ...... ........... . .......... 3OC PID. frying (II io. ) .. .. ... ..... . .. ........ ISc PiClllre. rImed. .................. . ....69 c Pillow. (wher ... $1.20 Pi lC her . ..-ncr ( MgI l.) ... ..... ... . ... A8 c POI. coffee (8 Ji qt.) ...... . ..... Soc Sewiog mlchioe .... . ...m.2S Sllve rwHe. siJ.crplued (per SCI) ..il.OO (c,,1t SCI eOOllin s si.r forks. kni'es. Or spoons) Slllc ............ . . ...........SOC SOIP (ODe bil) ........... . . ....... . .. .. .lOc Spilloon .... . .......... ........................ 2'lc Slave .................... . .... $10.38 T IMe. diaiDg .......... . .... $3.30 TlbJc. smlll pulor .......... ..... , ..... . ....... JI.35 Tlbk wooden diniog ......!Z.6'l Tu SCI ..... ' . . .... $10.80 T hermometer. house ....... 1'lc Thrud (p<:r spool ) ......SOc Too thbl llsb ............. . . ..... 28 c T llb. blth ( 1 h. lo og. lio ) .. . .... $3.73 T ub. bltb (6 ft .IODg. liD ) .......... . . ....fS.OO T ub. Wish (22 iD. x Irs iD. x 10.75 io.) ...... 70c Bue Price Field Gear ..... $3.10 BIg. ITn'elios ( [6 in.lcuher) Ciateea ................... . .. JI.OO Com pus. ph;n pocket ........... ... .... , ........... JI.lO Compus.IulIeyols' .. , ...... ..... , ......... J2I.OO Field gi mes ......... . ...... .$8.s0 . .ROO Flial l od steel... laDtern ....................... .... ... . ... .$Z.Z5 Mess kit ....... . ................ , ........ ~2.00 Note book {3 ia. x 1.5 ia.. wilh pen ti l) ................. 20c RlilrOld LIPlero ................... .soc ......... . ....... 113.00 Sleeping hIS ... S uitme (2'l iD. ) ... . . .........$1.10 TUI. miaer 's . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.70 T eDI. "ill... . .. $13.50 TeDI . .. edge (7 h . x 7 ft. x 7 ft .) ....... .............. HZ5 TlUDk (36 in. ) .................. . ..

Bue: Pr ice H untill8 6 Fi,billg: Fish hooks (box of 100) ............ . .....5c .... , ........... $1.00 Fishing flie s (per dozeD ) Fishing Ii DC (Z5 ft .. tOIlO O ) .... .. ..5c ..$U5 Fishipg reel (80 yd.) Fishi og rod. bl mboo .... ... n05 Net . . .$1.50 Stock muker ..... . ........ $1.25 ( TIHOO eu mukcr for ltoTSes. ' IHk s ..iac. slt eep. dogs. CIC.) Ti t kle box............................. .$Z.85 T np. btlr (spr,ag. chiin) ........................ $6.00 ............. .70c T up. beH'tr (spri ng. j.l .. s. chlio )

,i"'.

T np. fox/ m,ak (SpllD!!. ,i"S. chiio ) ........ . .. 'l5c Tu p. g<1ldy bur. moose. cougu (spriog. )1"". t hl iD ) ... $11.75 T np. Oller ('pflDg. ,1"5. chi'n) ................. . .60c T up ... olf (spllog. JI"S. chlla) ................ . .... $1.85 Wh is tle. bird till ............................ . .... 'lOC Wh iST le. dog ... . .... . . ............. 25'
WE SELL = ==-- _...... LADIES' AND MENS'
"T

WATCHES
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Bu e Prite Jewelry Bucclet. gold(dled ....... . .. . . ...... $lAS Brooch pio ........................ . . ...$l.85 . .............W Cuff liaks (piir) .................. . Eurioss. hncy ( [1kt w lid gold w/semiprecious stonel. piir )H75 [miags. p!. ia ( I'lkt golHillcd. piir ) ... 35' Emiags (piir) .. $UO Neck Cb l iD . go ld ... ...... . .$7.sa Opm ghsses ...... . .............. J3.75 Perfume. lih. blossom ('l Ol. boulc) .. . ....89 c RiDg. emblem/Muonit ( I'lkt solid go ld) ..............HZ.OO RibS. hncy set luse/ mnltipl e dilmoods .. . ....... $18.10 Ring. fn cy SC I hrse/multiple semi'precious SIObU ......$S.'IO ..H25 Riog. hDty sel sml ll dilmood Rillg. fu,y sc t smdl semi'preclous sioae .$1.50 .$1.70 RiDg. pilia ( IHt go ldfllled ) ............... . Ring. phio ( !'lkl solid gold ) ... . . ...HBD RiDS. ph in SCI hrse / multiple di, moads....... . .il1.75 Ring. phio set IITge/multiple se mi 'pre tious STapes .......$3.25 Riag. ph iD SCI smlll dumODd ... . ...........$3.25 Ring. phia set smlll semi'precious stone ........ . JUS . ..$5.25 St itk p'O. di,mood ........... . ....53c St ic k p,a. imiulioa diimond/emhlem Vw chi ao gold filled .......... . Vest thiill. gold pined ............ . WUch chum. hoey (11kt gold(illed ) . . Wu th ch rm. phin (l1 kl goldfi lled ) .. Wn eh fob . . Wu th. hocy pochl .. . Wn t h. phi a potket .. . . ..... .HOO . . . .Sl.2S . ....... $1.35 . ... 25c

. . noo
.lI8.85 .n.75

nos

257

Leisure heml 6 AC liviliu Bue Price Accordion ............ . ...... $'1.65 Bnjo ................................ . ...... UJO Bnjo cue ................ ........... . . .$2.00 Bneb,1I ...................... . .... JUS Bueb,1I bll ........................................ 4{jc Bmb,1I mill ......... . .......... ..... ...... .$1.80 Book. btajo ins!ruelioll .............. . ............. JSc Book. guil" inSlruuion ............... .... .$1.85 Book. music lolio (96 101lgS) ..... .. . .. AOC Book. pilnO illSlrutlion .. ..... ..... .i2.10 . ........ Joe Book. popu lu lieliOIl ....... Book. religioul .................. . ... . ...UOO Bugle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3.15 Cuds. fOlluDe IelliDg ................ . .............. joe Cuds. milked pbying (I ded ) .noo Cuds. pbyillg (I deck ) , .. .IS' CUU neu .. , ......... ,... . jOt Cheders ( boud Illd pieces) ..... ,.... .nso Chess ( boud tad pieces) ..... ..... . .. .15.00 CigJlS. HlvIIII (box of 50) ........................60c COllcellill' ....................... , ..... . ......... .i3.8S Dice ........... ,................. . ............. 25 t Drum. Sllile ........................... . .$6.15 Encyclopedil Briunni" ( full SCI ) ......$19.95 Fiddle ..... ........ . ................ . ..n25 Cuiur ............................... , . . . . .. $5.20 .H.OO Cu illr usc ........ . Humolliu ............................... ..JJ r-,Ioulh orgla (Je..... hrp) ......... . . .lOt . . .Ie Ne",splpcr ........................ . Novcl. pu lp ......................... . . .. .I0c Orgta. upright pulor .............. . .141.50 Pino. uprigbt .... . , .. $]25,00 . .15' Pipe ........... . .2St Pocket book ... .

Ox .............. . .... . .. . .. Pig ................ ..... . ..... Piglet RooST,r ........................... Sheep ........................... .

...... $25.00 .. ... .$3.50

. .... !l.50 .......... $1.50 ... "'1.00

Bue Price Med ical. Apotheu ry 6 Sciellifi, MediCI! Services .$1.00 10 $10.00 Advice givea. verbll (office vIsit) . . . . . . . .. . ... f5.00 to $20.00 Advice giYCD .... rillea ........ $2.00 Broken hoae (set) ............. . ......UOO Brokea boac (splinted) .............. ........... $2.00 Buckshol ( removed ) ............. . ..... $1.00 Bullet (removed ) .............. . .......... $2.00 Bull" hole (puched) . .$2.00 Bu.us (!reued) ...... , ........ CODcusslon (Hclled) . DisCise (mmd ) .............. . House nil (pcr m... !3 mlaimum ellItse) .. Leecb lng / bleedlllg , ........... . ......... . Limb (Impuuted) ..... ... Mid... ile (per delivery ) Po ... der buras (\fcued ) .......... . . ......... . Tooth (pulled) ... Wound (Stitched) ............. .

........ .sOc
. .... $2.00 .... $1 ....... 2Sc ..... $5.00

, .... U50

.$J.OO

. ...soc

.80 t

. .,

WE ------~~ ~
ARE JUST AS ANXIOUS to fill yo ur o r dor r lsh t, 811 you a ro . If you h ave a ny ca u llo for compl a int, yo u w ill do u. a favor b y n o tlfyln. u 8 promptly. and slvln. all n &eOIlea r l' I"formatlon. W o a r . a n xlo u ll

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.... t ~ u ..........~

Poker chips ( 1000) .......... . .n00 . ... AS' S lercoscopc ..... . Slerco"opc picture .. , .. , ......................... }, Stool. orgta or pitao . . . . .. $3.25 T icket. eireu. (,dmil one) ............ . .............. .soc . ......50c T icket. dilltc hIli (olle dllltc ) ............. T icket. sugc pllY (Idmil oae) .......... . .............$],00 World Atln ..................................... 54.50 Livellod: ,ad Olher Aaiml" Bue Price Bull ....$10.00 Burro ............................. . ...... $10,00 .....SOC Chick .......................... . Co .... " lIi1bud ............................ , ...$30 o. more Co.... uU ........................ .$3.00 Co.... yurfiag .................... . . ...........$8.00 Dog ........................... . . .. $1.50 .. 2{lC . ........ Dog coll u ........... Dog. herding ....... . .. , .. . ....... .... . .. . ...M.OO Hea ................... ..... .. . . . . . . .... $1.00 ... $2,00 LI mb ...... $20.00 M ule ...... , . ..... ..... . ...

MedICI! Equipmelll . ..... 2se Alcohol. chemi"l (8 oz, bOllle) .. .. ...... $'1.75 BIg. medi ell (16 ia .. Iwhcr ) . . . ... 20c Chlo.oform (" oz. bOllle) .... Crutchc$ (pli!) E,ber (I lb. bOil Ie) , ...........85' .29c budlD um ('lor. bOll le) .18' PucgofIC (" or. bOll le) Rn or. huber's ... JUS ...!LOO Rn or. "night ................... Stile,. bnd .................... .........50c . ...... .$2.25 SCiles. prCJCliplioa . JUS Scalpel ........... . Stlsrors ................................. ... . ... A2 C SCII .................................... ......... .1(1(

.... me

. ..9O c Sp"ltdcs. ruhber frlmcd ..... . .... U25 Spccuclcs. solid gold filmed ........ . ...... 90' Sp"ltdes. Sled fwned ...... . . ....$1.75 Tbermometer. mediul ( .. /cuc ) ...... . Tooth exlrIClor ...................... ............ .35' . ... lOt Toothtt be ... 1X ( I oz. honle ) ........... .....

258

Sciealific Equipmeal ~hgllifyillg glm ........... . ........ ILS{I ..is.OO Meuurillg su les. pcrsoul .... . Microscope. gem .................... . .$2.25 .!6.00 Microscope. household .. . .... ....... . Microscope. profeuiollli ........................... .l39.00 Microscope. uudellls' .. ..... . .... . . . .. . .. ... . . . ...$15.00 Telescope. uuoaom;ul Dr laadsupe ( .. ilb Tripod) ..... .$59.00 T descope. spy glm ................... ..............RSS Miaiag Equipmcal lpS (per dozen ) Blmill8 C Bucket (IZ ql.) . . . . .. .72e Dylllmile (per slick) .. . ...H50 Fuses (per dozen ) .. S1.30 Nitroglycerine. liquid (per oz.) ....... . . ......$2.00/ ...... .ISc Plil. ",ue r (wooden ) ho lds 3 Yo gliiolls PIn. mi ll illg. . .................................... 52.50 Pick ml1loc ks ....... . ...... Ase Sho"el (muad poill!. solid ueel ) ... . ........ jOe

P,iatillg EqDipmellt ..... . ... .lOt lak. hh ck (2 oz. hOll le) . .. 35t Ibksulld. siagle hOllle . . .......SSt Pell holder .................... . ...sc Pell aib (per dozen ) ............ . PCb. lied fouDui" (per dOlell ) .. . . . ......... . ..se Pellci l (pcr dozca ) .... ........ ....... .... . .... . .. 3oe Prialing pre". profess;oll1l .......... . ....i5DO.OO ( Comes wirh ] 9 sers of '!pe aaa mise eguipmellr) . ...... ..i3l.oo PrJII.ins press. smll1 ............. ( Prinl! an I! j Y, - x 8-: 115 Jbs.: seJ(iakias. comes with Olle SCI of

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rype)

IT IS AGAINST THE LAW ...

_ _ _ _ TO COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
n u t 1ou.,.n do bette. t han co in It o n 10 .... ow n h _ lt. 8"\' IT . W . ,b o w 70 " b o ....

Pbotogupbic Equipment: Amlleur Phologupher JaS IT UCI;on book .... 20e Box. lIeguive slorillg ................................ !JOe Clmerl ( .. ilh leas. shurter lad plue holder) ........... JI3.60 C,merl leas. replacemell1 . ....... . .... . .51 9.00 Clmerl pine fixiag hllh ...... . ...i3.!s Clmen plate holder ........... .$2.5S Clmerl tripod ................... . .......... i2.95 Collodium (I oz. borrle) ........... . .... 'IS' Developer. leuaer's OUl fil .............. . ..... il.35 (lad. RuJ IJmp. Ihru I N!I. beaker. frame. col/odium. si"'er ailrHe. IZ J Y;x4 Yo"prialiaB PJpcrs. Aml teur PholOBrlpbcr insrruaiollS)

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......... +++++++++++++++++++++++

The

Amateur ... Photographer

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A Completo and Simplo :: Instru c tion B OOk. T o iLs ...

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Lll1terb. red dIrk room ... ... ....... ......... . .. ..90t Plrx:r. pholosuph p';III;ag (per 9 ib. x 11 ia. sheet ) .......55e

([5.00 aozea)
PUle. pholo moulI.illS (1Ih.) Silver a;lrue buh SOIUlioll (I 'It. bailIe) . AS' ..$3.25

"-~--" P,oV;liOIlJ nd Food .....ge ..... pples (3 Ih. lIn ) .I0e BlCon (per lb.) .lIe BIking powder ('I oz. 110) ... .I2t Buas (3 Ih. lill) ..... . . .7e Bcd (per lb. ) ....... . Beef jerky (per lh) ......... . .2oe Beef. dried (per lb.) ...... . .2oe ..l3.SO Bm (10 gd. keg ) ........... . . .. lIt BhekbcrrJU (Z Ih. Ila) .......... . ............. Ue Cbcue. Pl ymoll.h chedd" (per lb.) .lie Chocoh" "u rn s. fney (per Ih. ) ..... ....... $1.80 C OCol (per S ibs.) Coffee (per Ih.) ................. . .30e . ........ 20e Corll dodgers (per doze n) . . Corn (3 lb. t;n) ............ . .7' . .. l2t Corned Bed (Ilh. lin) ... ...... . ...... 10c Flour (per lb.) . .. 1Ot H ~m. bOlle less (per lb.) ..... ............... .12e HIm ( )o! lb. lill) .. j O e H"d lick (per lb.) ......... . ASt Hoaey. N1V1JO (per gIl.) ... . ...... He Mlderel (l Ib. lin) .25' Mul. chup .......... . . ...... $2.00 Mul. haey ................... .. .. . Mul. suge SlUloD ......... ..... . . . . . . .....n.SO (Buoa. bc~al. bread lila coffee ltC sold H borne SlH;oas all I sr~Be IIl1e CO'''! 50 milcs.) Milk. cOlldelucd (Il h. liD) .............. ..... . . .... .IS' . . .13<' Muund. preplred (I '1 1'JDg) . . .. ASe Mumrd powder ( .Ii" Ih. I;n) ......... . . .. 1Ie Peu (3 lb. liD ) . .. ......... . . . ........ ... Pel ches (3 Ih I;n) ................ . .. . . ..... .ISe
Pem (3 lb. lin) ......... Pepper. hh ek (per lb.) Pepper. while (per lb.) Pic kl es (per pt.) ... Preserves. berry ( Il h. li n) ....

----,.

--

. .. .12'

......no.oo ... m.oo

.25 c .12'

260

Root beer. bottle of . . ........ . ... . .. .... .Ioe SIImoD (l Ib. l iu) ........ ... ..... . .... 11' S~It. uble (3 lb. emou ) ......8e Sollp. nrious (3 lb. tiD) ... ... ....................... 30< Stn ... berries (2 lb. tin ) .... ... .... .9' Tobl cco. ebe .. iug (per bIg) . . ..................... .I0e Tobl ceo. smoking ........ . . .15' Tomuoes (3 lb. tiD) ..... . . ...........08' Touic ... uer (pc. qt.) .. .......... . . . .......... $1.00 Tnil nliODS (per dly) ...... . . ..... $1.50 Wh is kty. bollle of co mmon ........ . ................ Whiskey. bOllle of good. . .HOO

noo

M.il ing I lwer (10+ mi. 1060 mi. ) .. ... .......... . ...8' Mliling I letter (60+ mi. ud li p) .... . ... 1Oe (ldd U lddi.ion.1 .01 celltS per 50 milts lbo ve 65) Medi"l ..................... , .................... vllious (see our MediClI. Apolllccuy .lId S ciclI.ifi, SU lioll .bo,'e) ShIve iIId I hlilCut ........... ,....... . ... 2,Se Ticket. suge (S t.louis 10 S.n Fnll cisco) .5200.00 (jourlley Ilkts J wccks) Wedd iD S .. ... , . ... ...... . ... .... .. ,$'s.00 . .IDe Wh iskey. shot of com mon (n esub lis hmcnt ) .. ....... ZO< Whiskey. sho t of good (n esub lishmeat) TelC Sf.ph q l;li pmell: TcJeSI. ph blltery ....60' Teles"pb ke y. Ju adud. TeleSliph relly. Slindud ............M,8's TeieSllpb sounder. sund .. d .. . ... TcJes"ph wm (pC! mI.) .,........... . , ...52'1.80 TcJesr.ph. leHnCl's Oul fil.............. . ...$3.00 ( lael. soullder/ key. bHler. .. "c. Che/tlKl ls. laslrue/lolls)

SduieJ ......... ......... .!50.00 BweDder (per month ) Coroner (pc. illque Jl ) ......... .......... ,i5.00 Co ...boy/Folemu (per mODtb ) ... ..$15.00 Cowboy / Rut b Hud (per moulb ) ....................$30.00 Deputies (pel month ) ..$50.00 (plus 11 pc, lIICSt/COII Vioioll) C un d. prisoD (per dlY ) .... . . ..UOO Hi,ed gUPfighter (per dl Y) ....... . ..15.00 ( .hese WOtit.s llso BU expenses) Llwmell (per mODlh. pIlls $2 per urcst /co nviCl,o D ) . J75.00 bw rer (per mODth ) .. ........... . . ... JlOO.OO to StoOO.OO Sdooll girl / .... itless (pel mODlh ) .. .. . . ....$18.00 ( .hese .O,JUTS llso 8et lips llld room llld bolTd) Scou t (per mODlh ) ......... . ... .$75.00 Tnchc. (per mOPlh ) ......... .......... .. ......$35.00 Tumslcr (per mOlll h) .......$10.00 Undcru ker (per bllrid) .... .... ...............$10.00

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YOU 11f III.:C II" WAY TIIAT 1'00 WlLL REOO.tOl.EN V 011, ANI) CONTINUE Otn'Of U us. l'it:C EIJII ITV OOll'P U liS T O O D8I RYW; YOUR I NTER t:8T8, ALL 0,. WU I C H

OUR BUSINESS

CAN ONLY. ,

rut. BY

1i ~\'1'S O

'<ee....

or

_____ -___.,,____ ___________. . .. _.. _..

-"'='==

18 F'O .. YOUR BI!NEF'IT. ____. .J

r~~ .~

S(lV icCi Bllh ...................... . ........ 7~ B ~ I h. fresh wiler .. . . . . .$LOO Beer. mug of (n u uhl ish menl ) ....................... .sO< Bondillg House. lYellge (per dlY. wilh mells} . . . . . .!LOO Borddlo. lvmge (per D ighl ) ... ... . .i25.00 Coml spIce (per dl y. for one hO'le ) .......$1.00 COl. folding .... . ..$1.50 Court COIU ...................... . . ........i2.00 10 f).OO

Tool. Illd olber H"d w"e Anvi l .. .$3.65 . .............. 6e A ... f ..... Axe ..... .. 60< ... .f3.90 Bellow ... Bellows. blld:smilhing ........... . . ....... .f3.30 . .. 8~' Btllsh. 1ll8e p. inl (,S in. ) ........... . Brush. sm. 1J p.int (Z.5 lb.) ..32' Brush. li ny p" nl ....... . ... ~, Chi in. log (pel ft.) ...... . ..... , .... 12' Cbisel ..... ......... . .... .... 23' FeDte. buhed ... ire (100 lb. bund le) .. ........ . .SUO File .............................. . .........6< Chss cutter ,.... ... . . . . .5' C.illdJlo ne (wi 'h fume ud (luk ) ............!2.2's Hltku ......... . . .7's' H.mmer. hu vy .. . .. .60' Hlmmcr. lighl .. ... .... ........... ... AO< H.mmcr. sledge .$1.05 . ......9' Hndle. Pick. etc... H. ,chct A's'

.... $2.00
. .....i4{).OO Crl ve sigll. haey 0' o.aue Sloae ......... . C,Ive siSa. sloDe ............... .. . .. $10.00 CII"e SiS D .... ooden ............... . . ....UOO Hotel. Ivenge (per nishl) ......... . ...... .75e Hotel. chelp (per night ) . ........ . ... .2S' HOlcl. cleSlal (pc. aighl ) ........................... .$1.00 Illstice of the PCltc. Fines. . ......$2.00 10 20.00 Ml iling ~ lCltcr (up 10 1 0 mi.) ............6<

. ........... $Z.~S Hoc .......... . Knif e. hll;,,s ... . . ... 28' Kn ife . poc ket (t ... o blides) .... . . .. 2's' . .. to' LCllhcr polish (8 oz. bottk 0' lin) ... l e.rh" 1001 SCI ........... .. ........... . .... .... ... .18' Me nullng upc. (ommon (50 ft.) ..... . .......... 2's' ... $tOO Musuri Dg upe. su rve yors ' linen (100 ft.) . ........... 3e Nlils. fr~m i ng (per pound) .... . ... 1,Se P.dlock. w.oughl i.on . .......... ... 2's' P.int (2 02. un ) ............ .
Plilll (I oz. tube) Phne. wood ... . Pliers .......................... Plo ... . . Rope (I yd. ) ....

...... .12'
. ..... .$1.~S
. ...... .l's'

. ...$9.7's
. ........... . ... l,Se

261

Safe. Sled combilulioa .............................$32.50 ( ,as,de: 19.75 iD. biSb. 14.15 iD . .. ide. 14.5 iD. decp; olltside J'I.75 ill. hiSb. 11.75 ill. lI'ide. lJ.l5 ill. decp) 5, ... buck .. . .................. .40e Sal. tUlld (22 in. ) ..RlO 5)11', ,,,,o' mln (6 fl.) ..... $1.00 Scre.. drive, ...... .18' Scaling Wu (" oz. stick) SnIps. 1IIIIIers .. . TOIIgs ....... . T.o.. eI .. Wbee/bHro .. ..... .lZe . .. $1.20 . .... 26' . .. .4Ot

Cm (box is 4 fl. loag. 2 fro 6

III ... ide. 6 la. high ) ...!6.00 Wagon cover. UDVn ...... .. . . . .. ... . .... .$4.50 Wagoo. fi rm ........ ...................... ....... !38.'15 ( Bo.T /J J It. 6 io. ide. fum "18011 is 5 ft ... ide f,om .. heel .-beel) Wagon. freigh t .... . ....... . .... .$50.00

/0

we A.RE

THE

. ....... ,.. .. ..... ... ......

. ....... U50

... ~beot~bI. "'doa to . ... roa _r oaeau..."CarforW_. -_______-.l. .-w. __ an ... -___________

LARGEST DEALERS VEHICLES

Wi.e Denillg (pc' blk 330 fl. 101lg. ZZ III... ,de) ... ...... $.'i.95 Truspottatioo Ho.ses .... ubil n ..... . MO.gID .. Quuler Ho. se .. Thoroughbred Wnpoll' Y firurms; DcrrillgCfs "meriuo Ar ms Derri ng" (.'II ) . . . ......... ,(8.25 Colt New Line (.41) ............... ... . ... . ...$[".00 Kouckledusler Rn'oh-cr (.n) ... . .$9.70 Mu],n StODe"'lll Derring" (."1) .................... ~7.50 RemlngToD Derrioger (.41) .........W.as Rem laglon Peppcrbox (.32) ........................ '!15.90 f ITurms; Rn o./vers Colt 1877 L'gilloilig (.39) ................... . .... $2.'.50 Colt 1877 Lighlaiag (.41) ................. . ... $21.00 Colt Bisley (.44) ............ . ...f23.00 Colt Bis ley (AS) ........ . ... $2'1.75 Col! 0"8000 (A4 ) ..... .iH65 Col! Fhl10p TITg" (.4S) .... ........ :28.00 Col! NH"v (.36) ... $16.95 Col! PlICnoa (.36) . . .!Zl.oo Colt SA A ( ..... ) .. ... .$17.00 Colt S AA (.4S) .................... . ... $18.75 G us ..old 6 C ua olso ll (.36) ............... ... . .. .$1".90 LcMu T .o-Burel (.42 ,ad 12 glUge ) .... .U5.00 .!22.00 Remlogloh 1875 (."4) .... ... ..... ..... ... ..... Rcmlaglob New Army (A4 ) .. . ....... $19AO S6 W 44 DA ( ..... ) ........... . .SI8.00 S6W DA Second Modd (.38) .... Sll.00 S6W Russiall (."4) .......m.50 S6W Schofield (." 5) ..................... . ...... .!HZ5 f ITeums; S hOl8uD5 Bake. Drilliag (IZ gluge ) ................... . .... .$150.00 Colt 1S68 (12 gauge ) . .. ........ ..... .... . .. m.50 LC. SmiTh ( 12 Sluge) ....................... .......MO.OO PIThr ( 12 glUge ) .. . .....WS.OO RemiDglop ( Ilgluge) .........!57.25 WiQehC51er ( 12 gluge ) ...... $95.00 f ITurms: Rifl es Bllhrd-Crccdmore (A5) ........ .... . .. $110.00 Heary (."4) .... .. .................... .. . ... .$48.50 . .... .$31.25 Remillgtoll Revolviag (.44) .. . .... ... .. . . . Remillgloa Rolliog Block (."5) ................. ......$.. 2.00 Richmond Armory M us ket (.SS) .. . . ...!2.S0 .......$32.10 S bups Cltbi oe COD"ersioa (.50) S tutP! Loog RiDge (."5) ... . ...WS.OO

. ....... $250
. .... S120

.......S80

... VUICS Muslug ................. ,. . ..... S6{l Per(hcrOIl ., ... ......... .. ,. . ............ , ......:t00 S h,re .. .. ........... ................ . ..HOO Heny HHaes, or Coltb ......... ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . ....HZO ( P,ices Ire fo, I typi'~1 horse of tbll brced. OIJrslladiD8 illdi~idu Jls ..iU ,ommlad I bisber pricc JS de/trmiaed by rbe seUer.) TICk ud Huoess IH,nkel, horse

....... $2.2S Brid le biu ... . ..................... 65' B.idle. IcuheT (6 ft. loas) ... ............. . .... .iJ.65 Comb. ho.se (10 01.) .. . .. ...................... . .. .1St Horseshoe IIlil ............................. . .I6'/l b . .... 30c Horscshoe. unfilled (full se t of 4) ........ Leuhe. skin ( l Ib.. Obe sided) ................. . ..3Ze tIol uulc. ho.se . ....80' Siddle bigs. fa Dey .... $6.78 Siddle bags. phia ... $2.90 Siddle hags. used .........Sl.50 Siddle bluket ....... ..... . . ..90e Sadd le. commOD ( .. /s tirrups) ............. . .. S26.38 Sadd le. faDCY (,,/slirrups) ........ , ................548.16 Saddle. Mexicaa ("/51irrups) ............. ...... . .H6.15 Saddle. used (,,/s lirrups) ...........................$9}O Spurs. faDcy (pair) . ... .. ........ . . .$9.50 Spurs. pl,ip (plir) ...... . ..... . . . . . . ... .$2.'10 Stirrups. luther coveTed sleel ... .... ..... . .$I. .. S Stirrups ... ooden ... .. .20t Whip. "",h ide (6 fl. 6 io. loog ) .... .75c Other Tnllspou Bicycle... ........... ., .. ......... . ... .. ~H95 Bou. uavu foldillg .. . ... _...... .... . , ... . .$35.00 Bou. hu ali llg ski(f ......... . . . .. ......... . ....~22.00 BuckboHd ..... . ...$35.00 BU8gy. covCled .... $40.00 Buggy. opeD ... $30.00 HHness. buggy ...... $14.00

262

Spemr Cubine (..52) ... . ............. $21.50 Sprinsfidd Rollins Block (.SO) ..... $38.00 Sprinsfield Tupdoor (.4S) ...... .. $22.00 Winchester 1863. CHbine (.32) .... ..... .. . ....$25.95 WintheSTer 1863. Cubine (.38) ......... .. . .....$3250 Winchester 1863. CHbi ne (.44) .. . .. .. .!42.50 Winthester 1863. MushT (.32) ... . . ..... J'10.50 Win chester 1863. MushT (.38) .... . ... .... !47.50 Winchester 1863. Musht (.'14) . . .. JHSO Wip t heSlCr 1863. Rifle (.32) ...... $39.95 Wipchester 1863. Rif le (.38) ..... . ..... J'I3.50 Winthester 1863. Rifle (.'1 '1 ) ............ . . . J'I5.50 Wipchester 1866. CHbille (.40) .......... . ............ $27.95 Winthester 1866. Cubine (.45) .. . .... $39.95 Wincbes teT 1866. CHbille (.50) ............ .......... 144.95 WipcheSlCr 1866. MU, keT (.40) .. . . ...$58.00 Winthester 1866. Musht (.45) ......... . .... . .... .... i61.50 WiDthes", 1866. Musket (..50) ........... . ........... $65.00 Winthester 1866. Rifle (.40) ..... . ........$32.95 Wipcbesltr 1 866. Ri fle (.45) .. .......... . .... H3.95 Willcbestc r 1866. Rifle (.50) .............. . .... .149.95

CmridSt .41 u liber pistol (100 rou nds ) .. ........ i2.25 Cutridse .44 cllibcr pis tol (100 rounds) . J2.65 C.J.TI. idSt .45 n libcr pistol (100 rouo ds) ..... $2.85 Cmridst .32-20 (100 .ouods) .........................$1.75 CHtridSt .38-40 (100 rounds) ....... ... ..... . .. 1l.00 . .. $2.95 C m .jdSt .4060 (100 rou ll ds) . CHtridse .44-28 ([00 rouads) ..... ......... . ....$2.25 Cm.idSt .4440 (100 rou ll ds) .... $2.65 Cmridgc .4540 (l00 rouods ) ... ........ .... . . . J2.65 CutridSt .4570 (100 rounds) ............... . ..... .. .!3.10 Cmridsc .'1575 (100 rounds) .. ... ........... . .$3.15 Cmridst .45100 (100 rouads) ........... . ..... . ...HOO Cmridsc .SO-70 (100 rounds) ...... . .....$3.40 Cmridst .5095 (100 rouads) . . .... ... . ..... $t05 Cm,idsc. R,mfm (56/50) (100 ,ounds) .. . ........ !Z.80 Brm Shot Sbells (box of 25) ............. . .i2.SO Piper Shol Shells (box of 100) .. . .......... . ........$1.50 Fireums; .i\"tUOtltS

&_, ....

. ..... . ....... AOO

010 You EVER GET SHOT ~\\UA~E~RICES AS

CA.'" " 00 H lTV A~"TT Il IXG

________ ____ . .0_0_ . ________ 0___________ ...... _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ Y O"" T il E l' IUCE8 Wl~ SELL

AT?

J1
n oo

F iTuT ms:...i\mmulli tioll MiDie bills (.58 u lib,,) + uP' 6 p~per mtridSes ( IOO) ...i5.00 ClP and b~ll . .36 "Iiber (100 rounds) .. .. . ...... !1.75 C.1.p lad bdl .4'1 ulibcr (100 rouads) ....... . ..... ClP ud bill - LeMu .42 uliber (100 rounds) ...........t2.95 Cmridgc .22 tl liber piuol (l00 rouads ) . . . .... .$1.50 C.rlridse .32 ulibcr pinal (100 rouads) ... . .. ..... $l.75 CUlTidge .38 " Iibe r piSloi (100 .ounds) ......$2.00

CUD belt ( .. iTboul bolsler) .... . ................ ... l2.00 C un srene (4 oz. liu ) ...... . .. Z 5e C UD oil (I oz. lubt ) .................................. lIe Holster. hip ShoolillS ( .. ilhoul beh) ................... $5.50 Holslcr. quick d'i" ( .. ilhoul beh) ....................12.50 HoISler. sp,iusslttve ( ... ithoul btlt) ................... $9.00 Holsle. suudud (wilboul beh) ..... . ... $3.00 Subbud. Cubiac .... !l00 SClbbud. Rifle ... . ............ U50
FlfcumJ; Embdl lJhmCDU EusrH lbS ... Sloc k ( Ivory ) ...... . .... .......... . STOck (purl) ............ . Trimmins (soldph tcd ) .. .

.+$1.50 TO $5.00 ..+$3.00 . .... ...... .+!4.50 . .. +$1.75

263

Sundr y We,pollS Buss knuc kle5 ........... . .................. $1.00 K n; fe. Bo.. ;, (w;lh blher stlb hHd) ....... H OO Kn ife. hu nt ing/righ ting ... .. ... SI.O O Kn ife. jlCk . . ...... ,.,. . ..... 17' Knife. lhro.. ing . .... 5\.50 LHiu (50 ft .. tO tlOn) ...... $2.00 S,her .. , ... . ....... 57.00

pletc instructions for dC\'c1oping, printing, etc. This package is suitable for amateur learner's use only. Professionals will require the better qualilY items listed in th is catalogue. In game terms, a charaClcr who experiments with this item may take the Photography skill. He must st ill pay any BP cost and meet any olher requi rements. See Ihe Photography skill for information on the use of photographic equipment.

* MISCELLANEOUS NOTES *
FIELD GEAR
C Oinpass, p lain pocket or s urveyors: A plain pockct compass is a 2-inchdiamc[cf bra~s device that show.~ direction (N, S, E, W, NE, S\\', etc .. Th c SUI"\'cyors' compass has a tripod, folding sig-hts. baH and socket joim (for movement 011 tripod and is 5 inches in diamete r. T e nt, min e rs, wall and wedge: A miners tent looks Oluch like a 1}1)ical Indian t{'nt, with a 9' base and an 8' height. Wall tents ha\'c a 9-foot.lenglh and b readth, 3loot-tall side walls and a 7 '/,-foot-taU pole, under [he angled roof. Wedge tents, aL~o known as :'\.~llapcdO< tents, ha\'e a 9-foot-length and breadth and a 7foolheight.

PRINTING EQ UIPMENT
Printing press, small: This fine :unateur instrument comes with olle fu ll set of type, one 4 oz, bottle of printing ink and complet!! book of inSlnlctions. This in strument is 5uilablc for sheets of 5 1//' breadth by 8" height only. Printing pres s, professio nal : T his great device is ideal for the publisher hoping to sc t up shop ill a thriving town. It comes complete, with 29 sets of type.

TELEGRAPH EQUIPMENT
T e legraph, learn er's instrwnen t: F or the benclit of those amateurs who arc not familiar with the telegraph, and \Iho are at a Joss to know \l'hat they .should have, should purcha~e lhis instrument, consisting of: full size sounder ,md ke~, mountrd on poli~hed cherry base: has full sized bauery, with II ire, chemicals and complete book of instructions, with el'crrlhing Ilcccssarr for operating practice. T his package is suitable for amatcur learner's use only. Professionals will require thc belle I' quality items listed in th is catalogue. In gamc tCrlllS, a characte r who experiments with Ihis item may take the T elegraph O perating skill. He must sti ll pay any BP cost and meet any other requirt>menls. See the Telegraph Operating ski ll for more in formation.

HUNTING AND FISHING

Stock marker: It is well known th at a mark taHooed into the skin of an animal wi!l remain visihle as long as the wearer lives, and will, therefore, pre\'ent fraud and stop all controversies as to the ident ification of registcred animals. It is Ihe only brand or mark which may be applied to a horse without disfiguring. T he marker is filted with three letters or figures which arc included in the price, T he letters arc interchangeable. and can be quickly removed and others atlached in their place. Th e letters arc !/,-inch-squart" and cu t out of solid llletai. If the lette rs arc kept oiled they should last a lifelimc. First, smear the tellers with the tauoo oil. punch the car, and then rub Ihe oil well into the punctures with the thumb or fingers. It takes three to five days for the car to heal ilnd Ihe brand to be clear and distinct.

TOOLS AND O THER HARDWARE

M easurin g tape, surveyors m eta lli c lin e n: T hese tapes arc made of linen thread interwoven with fine b rass wire, no so liabl e LO Slrcteh as Ihe usual linen tape and better calculated to withstand the etTects of moisture. T hey ha\'c a suhstantial leather casc with folding handle.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT
Developer, learner's outfit: For the benefit of those amate urs who are not familiar with pholOgraphy, and who arc at a loss to know what they should ha\'c, should purchase Ihis outfit fo r finishing photographs: a small ruby lamp for Ihe dilrk room. [rays fo r de\'clopi ng and tolling (three)) glass beaker for measuring liquids, printing frame (one), collodium (a 1/~ ounce bou le), silver nitrate solu tion (a <I- ounce bottlc ), and a dozen 3 'I,' x 4'I," sensitized papers for making p rints, along with one copy of the "Amateur Photograp her" which gives com-

WEAPONRY (FIREARMS)
All rines and carbines arc furnishcd with a bullel mould , screw driver and nipple wrench, free of cha rge. AU shotguns al'e furnished with wad cutter. screw dri\'e r and nipple wrench, free of charge. Price listed arc for fireanns arc for "sloek" unadorned pieces. Embellishments may be add ed to any gun as noted in lhe p rice lis!.

2G<J.

5.6/ Frontier Justice

0. matt~r I~ow ca refully a c1~arac~er candl.lets his alTalrs 111 the Shattered homlcr, there-s a chance thai, at ')omc point during his career, he's going 10 find himself 011 the \\ rong side of the law.

VIGILANTE J1TSTICE
In a rcgion wilh o"crlapping and unclear legal juris dictions, the dark specte ,' of vigilanteism is cermin to pUl in an appcarance. While this selr.appointed judicio ary is frequently st.lf-rightcous in derense or its actions, such 'justice' is capriciollS in application, highly errorprone and often (he enfo rcement tool or an influential mllloril)'.
Lynch mobs arc perhaps the most notorious rorm of vibrilantes. Often stirred to action by an agitator with an a~en da. their judgment is frequently im paired by alcohol. Their target's guilt is p resumed and the re is little olle can do to convince them otherwise. Justice' i~ usually ~\\"ift and bruwl. The Itreatest failin~ of \i~ila n tei.sm is that parties do not recl bound by it~ ~umrnary judgments. Instead of settlin~ a matter. \'igilantcism often sets in motion a series of til fortat killings lhat wind up with Illuch blood being shed and, ironically, lessened Ol'crall security. There's lillie wonder that most average citizens wel. come the rule or la\\.

Outlaws must accepllhis possibility when embarking on their dastard ly deeds. While no one expects to be cauglll, there is ah\ays the nagging fear that an escapade will go hon-ibly wrong and day's end will find iron shackles bindi ng one's limbs. Forewarn ed is fore . armed . The truly thinking criminal prepares for this ewntuality by doing some background work on the local legal establishment it's a good idea to know if the sheriff or judge is crooked and open to bribery. Greasing Ihe wheels in advance (:l11 make fo r an easi e r ride later. HowcvCf, even tht' most corrupt sheriff rna)' han' to respond to a public outcry and at least make a shOll of arrc~ting his underworld patron. That 's why it's 01 good idea to have a judge or two in your pockct as well, and IdlY it's a bad idea 10 operate in a territory with incorruptible lawmen. Knowing he has a real possibility or dea ljng with the justice system makes a smarter criminal prepare for his cventual legal duels. Not only hardened thugs get caught up in th is system, though. Ironically, the relatively law abiding citizell may he far Ic~io prepared and al a greate r disad\'arllage if he gel~ swept up into the system.
;'\iOW, )'ou'rc thinking to yourself, " If I keep my nose dcan, how can lhi~ be or illlerest 10 me?" " 'ell there <lrc a number or ways to fall under the wheels of jus. tice. T he most obvious is if you r c ha rilcter fled to the west to escape some youthful ind iscretions back cast. Whil e it cenain ly is more difficult to be brought 10 jus. tice in some small front icr hamlcl, it is not inconce iv. able ror a dogged victim to trace you to the Shattered Frontie r. There art." after nil, telegraph lines linking many towns to the rest of the nalion, and a few well placed dollars with the promise of more to come can work wonders in stim ul:lling the memories or clerks and shopkee pers rrom Kansas City to Lazarus.

RULE OF LAW
Rule of La" occurs when an impartial party with the pO\ler to enrorce it~ decrce~ establishes and rairly administers an ('~tabli5hed legal code. Such a system al'oids civil ~Irife by clearly delineating infractions of law and setting a prescribed punishment ror \<iolation. All pcrson~ are expected to <lbirle by the code, and those who do not are punished equally - regardless of status. Someone independent or the dispute is called upon to mete out jll~tice. thereby removing the temp. t:nion for either party 10 seek revenge and escalate the dispute. The typical method through which violations or the legal code are determined and justice meted out is a trial. For minor crimes, a judge may summaril)' issuc a judgemcl1l hut ~crious crimes require a jury trial.

Even ir you've lived rour whole lire on the straight and narrow, you ca n sti ll e nd up in J ohnny L-I\\ 's grasp. What ir that horse you purchased fair and sq uare a rew towns back turns out to be stolen and thc rightrul owner is nO\\ in your face? Or, more insidiously, one of your rivals may set you up by concocling a slOry rcplete with fake evidence and paid accusers. Thcre are twO types or justice in the Shattered Frontier: vigilante and rule of law.

* TRIAL PROCESS *
.-\t somc point in your campaign, you will undoubtedly run across a circumSlancc that calls ror a jury tria l. What rollows is a relatively simple mechanic ror resolving a trial, \1 hile nonetheless maintaining the exciteme nt and drama or watching two legal minds compete. Specific del;).i ! Ull pretrial discovery and related sleuthi ng has been left out of the following discussion.

265

Howeve r, if such gaming is to your taste, the Aces & Eights rules certainly support it. It will, howeve r, take a good deal of work on the part of the G ~'I or players to fully flesh out the cast of the mystery, as well as to weave the int ricate plot details. While perhaps a litt le out of ge nre, a murder investigation could be an exciting change of pace for trail-sore cowboys and an opportunity to utilize some underappreciated skills!

greater level of p roof than a case against a person of poor Reputat ion . See Table 5.6-3 Reputation Adjustment (Hearing).

TABLE 5.&-3: REPUTATION ADJUSTMENT (BEARING)

Re/1uutioo Legenduy Avenge Lo .. . . Disrtpuub1e Notorious . . . Roll Adjustmellt

.. .. .. . . 2

Gren . . ... .. . . .. ......... . .. 1

PLAYING A TRIAL
Each trial needs a judge, prosecutor, defending attorney, the accused and the jury. Ideally, these first four characters should be in the hands of different players, although a player may handle multiple characte rs if all players agree to this and can do so fairly. At a minimum, two players are required one for the prosecutor and one for the defense). ::-.JOle that a character without any legal training may choose to represent himself. The jury (and the judge, if need be) a re specially determined using the rules below.

. .. . .. .. 0 ...... ... +1 +1
.. .. .. +3

::'\ow, roll Id6, adding the above modifiers. A result of 3 or less indicates that there's insufficient evidence to hold the accused for trial, and the judge sets him free. Howe\er. if the result was 4 or higher, the accused must stand trial. The first step in staging a trial is to gather a jury.

The Jury Th e Hearing

In the hearing, the accused is brought before the judge. T he prosecutor (who mayor may not be a lawyer) brings evidence, and the judge decides if a trial is warranted. At this point, the prosecutor role-plays his case. All othe r players vote on the merits of his presentation, claiming it to be either Flimsy, Circumstantial, or Solid and Credible. Each merit is assigned a certain point value adjustment, as noted on Table 5.6-1: Case Merit. Each trial needs twelve persons for the jury (wi th each juror represented by a six-sided die). T hese twelve jurors may be chosen from existing characters the citizens of the town where the crime was committed , or created as abstract townsfolk. In either case, each juror is represented by a die.

TABLE 5.6-1: USE MERIT

Meri! V1Jue
Flimsy .. .... .............. 0 Circu mshotid. +2

Solid 6 Credible .... . .. . ... . . . +3

:iE 4
::l 5
4-~+---~~~~?-~

If the personality of the judge is nOt predetermined, it must now be determined per Table 5.6-2 Judge Selleri!y.

Z 6
lIC e

TABLE 5.6-2: JUDGE SEVERITY

Roll

(dl00) Metit 0120 .... ....... .Lcoiw

2\50
.Avmgd F l it

Roll Adjustmeot

51 -85 8600

. .steto . ... . .
.Hl ogiog Judge

. . . .1 .. . .0 . . .+1
. .. .. .. .. +2

The Reputation score of the accused also comes into play during the hearing. All things being equal, a case against a person of high Reputation demands a

..,
Figure 5.6 J: Initial plactm(lll of jurors

266

Take 12d6, and give 6d6 to each of the players serving as the prosecuting and the defending attorneys. Each attorney now rolls his 6d6. The die result is that juror's predisposition towards the accused - a "6" meaning convinced of gui lt , a "I" convinced of innocence and numbers in between denoting relati\'e leaning towards either, Ea ch anorney places his dice on the appropriate J uror Leaning eolumn - leftmost for "6" and one position right for every integer below that see Figure 5.6- 1). The position of each juror die is now modified by the Reputation of the accused , as seen on Table 5.6--/: juJ/mtlll (Trial). Reputatioll Ad

hooligan. Figure 5.6-2 shows thi s adjustme nt fo r a defendant with Low (+1 ) Reputation. Each die is moved one space further to the left towards Guilty) as if each number were one integer higher. Note that no die may be moved beyond column "1" or "6". Xow that the initial attitude of each juror is set, it's time to determine the strength of thei r convictions. To determine their strength of cha racter in Ihis situation, simply look at their \Visdom score. If jurors were chosen from existing NPes, their Wisdom score should al ready be pro\'ided for you. Otherwise, roll 3d6 10 determine each juror's Wi sdom score.

TABLE 5,64: REPUTAIION ADJUITMENT (TRIAL)

Rcpuution Roll Adjustmcnt Lc8cllduy ...... . ...] GrcII .. . , ................... 1 Avcragc ..... ,.. . .. 0 La...................... ,.+1 Disrcpuublc , .... , . ... ....... +2 Notorious.. .. ..... ..... .. .. +3

Tablt 5.6-5: Juror Pmollolity lists the slre ngth of each juror's comictions . ..-\S you determine each juror's alti tude, rotate their d6 so that the number on top inclicates thaI attitude while lea\'ing Ihe die's position in place. Sec Figurt 5.6-3 for the example. This number now provides a quick reference to show how easily a juror can be moved with J uror Points.

T his sets the jury's initial attitude towards the accused. As in the hearing, indi\'iduals with a high Reputation are more likely to be given the benefit of the doubt. Conversely, it is very easy for a juror to be prejudicially disposed towards a known deadbeat or
JUROR LEANING

TABLE 5,6-5: JUI\OR PERSONALITY

Wisdom Attitudc D,c Shou ld RCld

J.1 ........... .Illo8',d .................. .1

8,\0 ..........Con'cnhOlld ", .............. 2 1113 .........Colllcmp la li~c .... ...... ......3 14-16 ....... " ..Alldytiul ... " ............ .4 1 7+ ...........PcrsP',uous ................ ..s

I) Ulogical (WIS 3-7): This juror is persuaded by emot ion and can be easily influenced to disregard fac tltal evidence. Everyone (l)Juror Point spent on him moves him two spaces instead of one. 2) Conventional (WIS 8-10): This juro r is mOSt comfortable when taking a position in line with typical soc ial mores even if this entails discounting tangible facts. It takes one J uror Point to move this juror one space in eithe r direction .

I2i'r

JUROR POINTS

J uror Points are used throughout the trial process to sway jurors towards your line of reasoni ng (i.e. the defendant being guilty or not guilty of the charges brought before him). They are the de fa cto litigat ion currency and their wise expenditure is the key to success. J uror Points arc earned by successful opening and closing argume nts, strength of evidence and skillful legal artifice.

Figurr 5.6-2: Jllror plaamml (lj/tr fa(toring in QCcWld's (t/iu/a/ion

267

Jury 1ilmpering
JUROR LEANING

It is possible to influence jurors through either threats or money. T his must be made through associates of the accused or his attorney, and necessitates the usc of the associate's Intimidation or Salesmanship skills.

As a general rule, illogical jurors present an Easy challenge, conventional ones an Average difficulty and contemplat ive jurors a Difficult challenge. Analytical and perspicuous jurors are Very Difficult to influence.

:)

CI

Altempls 10 tampe r with the jury should be handled in a sepa rate role-playing session before the commenccment of the trial. In general, there arc insufficient judges for every small town to have a pe rmanent court. Judges preside over many courts in a district and therefore must attend to each one in turn. T he term "circuit court" de\"eloped from this praCtice. The time between the initial arraignment and the start of a trial is therefore dependent on the length of the presiding judge's circuit. If this is unknown, you can use the figure of d3+ I weeks. The accused will be locked up before the trial, so any attempts to influence the jury mUSt be carried out by an associate.

Figurt 5.6-3: Assignmml if" Juror ptTsQ/lalitus.

3) Contemplative (WIS 11-1 3): Thisjuror is determined 10 keep an open mind and base his decision on the evidence presented and arguments made. It takes twO J uror Points to sway such a juror one space in either direction. 4) Analytical (WIS 14-16): T hisju ror is no fool and relics upon credible evidence to make his decision. He cannot be swayed as a result of opening argumetHs. During the evidence phase, each point gained may be applied to move th is juror one space. At all other limes, it requires three juror points to move this juror's marker one space. 5) Perspicuous (WIS 17+ ): Although this individual, like all others, enters the juror box with some predisposition, he is committed to a strict application of the legal code. As such , he is immune to the empathetic siren's song of both prosecuting and defense attorneys. No juror points garnered during the opening or dosing phases may be applied to this juror. During the evidence phase, each point gained may be applied to move this juror one space. However, during deli beration it requires four J uror Points to sway him one space from his current position.

Any jurors coming under the successful influence of the prosecutor or defense should be secretly noted as suc h and will only be revealed when the jury entcrs into deliberation at the end of the trial. Jurors who failed 10 be bribed or intimidated may inform the judge of the bribery attempt. In this case, add + I to the judge's se"e rity (see Table 5.6-2: Judge Sevmry). He may also dismiss the entire jury and call a new one if he believes the tampering to be widespread. During the trial itself, it will be to the advantage of the side wilh a juror or two in its pocket nOt to waste jury points on said individuals.

Croo ked Judges

Despite their august presence, judges are mortal men and subject to the same temptations. H o\\"evel~ their e!e"ated status means they have much more to lose if discO\'ered to be "on the take". Accordingly, judges are only susceptible to bribery if the amOunt in question is significant. No absolute value can be given, as it depe nds on the severity of ,he crime and Ihe notoriety of the accused. A bribed judge can have several influences on a trial. To begin with, he may Opt to retain jurors despite knowledge that they are under the influence of the accused or his associates. Secondly, he can eliminate any Law skill checks during the Presentation of

268

Evidence phase of the tria l (see bclow) by overruling the attorney.

THE TRIAL
Court is in session! T he trial begins with ope ning arguments by the prosecutor, followed by the defense attorney.

Success Flilurc Or1lion , heck (poi nts ...on) (poinu I ....udcd to opposition) Trivill .... ....... ... .1 .. , ........0

Euy .................2 .....................0

A,'crlgc ..... . . .:'1 .....................0 Diffieu lt ............ .7 .................... .1 Vcry Difficult ....... .12 ....................3

Opening Arguments
As the first step in their opening a rgulllents, each lawyer must decide whether he wants to give a simple speech (a T rivial chcck), a complex argument full of legalities, trickery or emotiona l appeal a Very Di fficult check), or an argument somewhere in bel\,'een (an Easy, Average or Difficult check), Arter declaring his intent, each lawye r makes a n Oration skill check against that difficulty !e,'cl. If he succeeds, he ga ins a number of Juror Points as indicated on Table 5,6-6: Opening Argumtnt Points. If he fails, he gains no J uror Points and could award points to the opposing counsel (Difficult or Very Difficult only'.

ing argullltllts by ~'irtut tif their personalities so they are ignored. The most easi(r sU'a}'edjurors (#8 & #12) are already' in hIS camp so thry tu:o are ignored. He applies two points tojuror #2, mot'ing him two spares tou'ards guilty and Ollt point earh to jurors # 1 & # 11 moring thtm ont space towards guillj\ (Su Figure 5.6-4.) The dljtnding attorn9 thell attempts a risk), mot'( b)' attempting a l'try Difficult rheck. Fortlll/Qt~1y, ht suueeds, gaining 12 Jllror Poi1lts. He tlle1l applies tl/tm to tht jllry in the following manner: Jurors #8 & #12 are easilY swa)"ed. $0 the attorney applies tu:o points to each tif them. moving them 4 spaw tou'ards 1Iot gllill)'. He also (stmtly) knows tllat jllrors #4 & #10 hat'e bun intullldated and jurors #1 & #6 ha~e bun bought off lO ht doesn't bOlher u"ith them. He thell appliesfouT points to j/mr # 1 1. moring him four $paas towards not guilty and two points each to jurors #2 & #3 mo~ing them tu'O ond one spaces re.spective/y towards not gui/!J~ (See Figllre 5.6-5.)

For example, Itt's so)' that the prosecution chooses to make an Oration check tif Average difficulfJ, fie succuds, gaining 4 Juror Points. and applies them to thejury in thefollowing manlIeT: Jurors #5, #7 & #9 art immunt to influtnctfrom open-

JUROR LEANING

JUROR LEANING

::l 5

Z 6
7

II:: s

Z
II::

11:: ,

FIgU" 5.64: Juror SClhmml qfIn- ProsUIOTj oJ1mlng

FIgUre 5.6-5: Juror .fnIhmml ajkr Dtftndtrl Qpming

269

TABLE 5.6-7: EVIDENCE RATI N G

RUin g
I 2 3

Prosecu tor s cue

WIS.. .

Defenders C l SC ...

. .F1imsy . . .... .. o ffered lillie or bOThing 10 co olr ldiCl prosecu Tion .Wcl k .... ... . .. ....... .. .... .. . refuted onl y minor port ioos o f proseC UTors u sc . . .C ircumsUnt;11 . .. . rdutcd so me portioos b UI Dol eDough to que stion bls;c prem ise of guilt

4
.') 6

..Strong . . ... . tl iS(d serious questions lbou! Icgilimlcy of C1St ..... ... ... .very Compelling. . ....... rdutcd most of tbe cvidellCC .. .Iron Cbd .. . . . ... . .. completel y rdutcd i ll evidence 19iiosl ddcodl DI

Presentation of Evidence
With the opcning argume nts co ncluded, it's lime to present the evidence. As in the opening arguments, the prosecutor goes first, followed by the defender. Each side in turn role-plays their casco T he prosecutor now presellls evidence and may call witnesses to prove his case. All other players then secretly rate his perfo rmance on a scale of I to 6. Add each player's rating togethcr and divide tbe total by the number of players . (Round down any fractions. ) T he final rating is as noted on Table 5.6-7: Evidence Ralillg. O nce thc prosecuto r's rating is determined, the dcfender gets to offer a rebullal to the prosccution . Again, this is role-played and the othcr playe rs vote on the stre ngth of his re futation of the evidencc . This too is a 1-6 scale as noted on Table 5.6-7: El:idell(( Rating. O nce both cases have been presented and \'oted upon , cach lawyer has an opportun ity to make a Law skill check (sec Table 5.6-8: Law Skill Check). T his reprcsents their abil ity to call upon precedent or to ut ilize various legal mancuvers that favo r their side. The lawye r must choose at what difficulty level he wishes to make this check, knowing the benefi t thai will accrue to him if he succccds. A fa iled check results in no bonus, eve n if the d ie roll would have succecdcd a1 an easier Icvel.

Note thai only characte rs with Ihe Law skill may allempt this check. A dcfcndant o r prosecutor with no legal train ing docs not have the option to try for this bonus . If the check succceds, apply any bonuses to the rating each allorney received fo r his presentation of the casc. T he prosecutor's and de fendant's scores are compared and the highest of the two rcccivcs J uror Points totaling ten times lOx the differencc in their scores.

For example, let's say that the prosecution presmts a case 111 which he hrlllgs forth fifleen qewitllesses to a murder, mid receives a "6"for his iroll-clad preselltatioll of tvidmCi. Try as lie might, tile difellder has lillie to work with. The hesthe could q[ftr was a series r:if disreputable c/taracters that colltradicted Ih e l)tu:ilness accounts. He received a "1 '"jor his do/lise, as lie did /ittle to contradict tilt O1.'erwhdmillg nidellct agaillst his dimt. HOIJ:trer. hi is an E\Pallalt)"a (see the Law skill) and hopes
JUROR LEANING

TABLE 5.6-S: LAW BRILL CIIECR

P roficie/lcy Skill Check Bon us Novice . . ....... Very Difficu lt ... .+1 Iwenge .......... Difficult ... .. . .. . . .. .+1 Very Diffic ult. . ... . +2 Adv~need .. .A\"cr ~gc . ... . . . . .+1 Difficu lt . . . ...... .. +2 Very Difficu lt ..... .. .......+3 Expert ... . ... . . ... f~sy .......... ....... . .+1 A"er ~gc .. . . . ... . ...+2 Difficult ... .. . ... . ..+3 Ver y D iffi cuh .. ..+4 Muter ...... . .....Tri"i,] .. .. ... . .. . ..+1

f u y ..
Avenge.. Difficult .. Ver y Difficu lt

. ... ....+2
. . . .+3 . . . ... . . .+4

Figurt 5. 6-6: Juror smlimm/ ajler presm/(lliol1 rif a:idmc(

....+5

270

to minimize the damage by legal maneuvering. He attempts a Difficult skill cluck and succuds, gaining a bonus of +3 Juror Points. The prostcutoT, an Avtrage skilled law)'eT, attempts a Difficult chttk Oliff foils, gaining no points. Thtrtfort, the prosttution ends up with six Juror Points (from his prtstntation of tvidence), while (he dtftnse has a total of four Juror Points (onefor offering lillie to rifule Ihe prosecutiol', plus three points for his Itgal move). The difftrtntt between the scora is two (6- 4=2) IIltaning that the prosecution gtts 20 (2xI0) Juror Points to apply to lhejury. The evidence phast is when analytical and perspicuous jurors can most tosily be mOL'ed so the prosttutor taktS full ad~'antage of tI,e points gained in this phase and applitS two points to juror #5 and three points to juror #9. JVith his rtmaming fifleen POill/S, lie applies tleven poillts to the tIme modtratejurors (#2, #6 & # II) movillg themfuli.;' into the guill)' camp. He thm applies two points each to jurors #8 & # 12 mOL'mg them tach four spaces towards guillj!. It's looking like he's got the cast seu'lI up. A deunt closing targeted at juror #3 (auld mean the JUT)' may llOt roell hove to deliberate.

ing a contested Oration skill check. The difference be tween the two scores is divided by five (round to the nearest whole number) and that nu mber of juror points is awa rded 10 the character who best exceeded his skill maste ry.

For txamplt, the prosecutor's mastery of Oration is 011(; 80%. while tlu dtftndtr is a silvtr-longued fox whose mastery is 44 %. Each rolls dlOO (peruntile), the prosuutor rolling a 61 alld the dtftnder gelling a 66. The prosecutor failed his skill mastery by 19 (61 - 80= -19), while Ihe dtftndtr txcuded his skill masltry by 21 (66 - 44= 22). The dtftnder is Ihe victor. The difference betwulI the two adjusted scom is 41 (22 + (-19)= 41). Dividing this difference b)' jit'e givu 8 Juror Points (4115= 8.2, or 8) to the dtftnder. The prosttlltor now uses his eight Juror Poi'lts btJore the jury heads into deliberation. He applies three points tojuTOr #11, mating this Juror thm SpOttS towards Ille not guillj! column. He then uSts his Ttmaining four Juror Points on jurors #8 & 12, monng them (u'o spa{ts each towards the not guil!) (olumn. His last point is spent onJuror #2 to mou his out of tIle guil!) column (Su Figurt 5.6-7).

Closing Arguments
With the presentation of evidence complete, it 's time for the closing arguments - the last attempt to sway the jury. This is rep resented by the opposing lawyers mak-

Jury Deliberation
If the t ri al ends without all of the jurors convinced of guilt or innoce nce, as will likely be the case, its mem be rs must deliberate amongst themselves until they reach a verdict or end in a hung jury. A jury has five days to reach a unanimous decision or be dcclared a hung jury, after which a new trial is convened. Deliberation begins with the jury arranged as they were at the conclusion of closing arguments. Any jurors bought off or intimidated are now revea led. The d6 representing this juror is now moved fully into the Guilty o r ~ot Guilty colum n.

JUROR L.EAN'

II::

W2
:::!E

1'10U~U~=-'

1D 3

4 :tl/r1l1*!tt-r'-'"

For examplt, let's sa)' that jurors #1 and #6 were successful(; intimidated try Ihe dtftnse, and jurors #4 and #10 were bought oJ!. All of their dice are now moved fully into the .Not Guil!) column. (Su Figure 5.6-8)
Each of the following iterat ions represenls one game day. The deliberation no\\' becomes a contest of wills as each side attempts 10 move the opposing side into the ir camp. Each side receives Id6 for every ju ror in the " leaning towards" portion of their side and 2d6 for every juror fully convi nced or unconvinced of guilt as the case may be.

III this txample, the prosuution rteeives 1d6 for juror #2 and also reteivts 2d6 eachflr jllTors #5, #7 and #9 for a total of 7d6. The difense receives Id6flrjurors # 8 & #10 plus 2d6 ta{hfor jurors #1, #3, #4, #6, #10 and #12 totaling 14d6.
Fiprt 5.6-7; Juror st7Itimtnl qfkr closing argumtnls

Each sidt now rolls 'heir dice, with the difference bttween the high score and low score going to the villar as a number of Juror

27 1

JUROR LEANING

Powts. The diffnse rolls a total of 41, white the proseculion rolls 30. The diffnse is the victor, and receives 11 Juror Points (44-30=14). The diffllder expends his juror poinls such that each of Ihe prosaulioll's Jurors moves aile space towards 1101 guilty. aurar #5 requires 4 poillls,jUrOTS #7 & #9 require 3 poinls each alld juraT #2 requires a single poinl.) Thus after the first day's deliberntioll, thejury's posilions appear in Figure 5.6-9. For the second da)) the prosecution now only receh'es 4d6 10 roll agaillsl the diffllders 14d6. After rolling, the difforence is 36. TIle difellder IISes Ihese jllror poillts to move jllrOTS #7 & #9 completely into his camp (expeliding 24 poillis to do so) as well as juror #2 (this lakes a mm 3 poinls). lVith his remainillg 9 poilllS, he is able to slidejllror #5 two spaces to the nghl (this requires 8 POll/ts) andjllror #11 Ollce space (usillg his last point).
JUROR LEANING

111: '
W2

CD
Figure 5. 6-8:Juror Jrolimrol qfln boughl & inJimidalidJurors rcualtd

3
4

:I

Z 6
111: '
CD

W2

+-~~~~~-r--~~

:I

....

111: 8

~ 4

+-~---r~~-r--~~

0 9
III:

:1

5
~~~-Lr-~~-+---+~~

Z 6
Figure 5.6-/0: Juror srotimrol qf/ir u((md doy 0/ dtlib(Tolion

The third dO)' of deliberntion is a mm formality as Ihe difellder rolls 21d6 versus IIOlleftr Ihe prosecution (as he no 10llger relail/sjurors on his side). He Tolls 77, easily sufficienl to convince the final jurors.
Thi s example demonstrated how a trial functions and that a clearly guilty party, in league with an excel lent attorney and su ffi cient funds and muscle to comprOlmse a sign ificant portion of the jury, can escape justice.
Figure 5.6-9: Juror Jrolimrol afler firsl do] of dcliberotion

272

or course, not every defendant will have access to the resources that allowed this suspect to walk rree. Let's consider a second example in which only a pair of jurors were comp romised. Here we'll introduce the concept of juro r resistance. The figure below depicts anothe r trial as it enlers into th e deliberation p hase. Thejurors in red represe nt those who have been com promised either bough t off or intimidated.)

TABLE 5.6-9: JUROR SAVING TIlROWS

AltiTude Stvipg Th row to resiS Tpc:rsutsioll (d6 ) lIlogiul.... ..... ....... . . ... ......... .t Conve nT ioptl ......................... .\2 ConTemplative... . ......... .. . .1-3 Antlylicd............ . .... .\-3 (towuds guilty) or 1 '1 (Iowud inllocelll ) Perspicuous..... ..... . .............1-'1

maud (despile the fOCI thai each point mOL'es this juror two spaces) and saves twice. Ile is therefore onlY I1/OL'ed two spaces tou'ards guil!J~ Ttn points are allocated an jurors #4 & #12 who are mo~',dfuI1,;1 illto lite guilD' camp alld rueive 110 special resistallce to this since they u'ere neilher bought nor intimidated. Thejil/ol two poillts are expended ol/juror # 3 wlw S//ccesiful (y resists and remains put ill his position. (Su Figure 5.6- /2)
JUROR LEANING

~ '~~~--,-~=~+---+-~
W2
1D 3 ~~~~~~~ . ~~

:IE 4

Figurt 5.6- I I: Juror stntimmt upon fMginm"l dtliboatiDn in $tCond trial

In this installce, the proucution receives 12d6 while the defense gets 8d6. The prosecutors rolls 43 and the defense U. rhis gives the prosecution 19 j uror poinls to sway the jurors. 7ypicall,;j the prosecution can apply these 19 Juror Points as per Ihe rules given in tlujuror allilude section. However, intimidated or bought jurors are handled diJftunt/y. T hese jurors are harder to sway because they are aware if the consequences if they don't fu!fill their end if the bargain.
Juror Points are expended as normal against intimidated or bought jurors, but they get a saving throw to resist altering their position (see Chart 5.6-9: J uror Saving Throws.

Figurt 5.6'12: Juror Sl7Itimenl afkr fini d19 i

d~libuatitm

in Jond trial

In Ihis example, jive points are expended on juror #6 who saus 3 out if 5 times. Accordingly, he is onl;> moved two spaces towards guilD' inslead if the customary jive. Anolher two are expended onjuror #8. He gets a sot'efor each space pOlenlially

The process i.J repeated wilh the prosuutioll now getting 16d6 versus 4d6for the defense. rhe result i.J 47 versus 19 giving the prosecution 28 juror points. Four points are expended to bring juror.J #10 & #11 jid(y into the guilD' pool. l1'ilh 24 poinls remaining, Ihe prosecutor duidu to contillut to expend points juror by juror unlil he reaches a consensus. II takes four atttmpts to move j uror #6 thru spates (he sa~'ed once). Juror # 8 saves once but two more attempt succeed thereby moving him inlo tlte guilijl pool. That leaves 17 points to work 011 juror #3. fie saL'es 4 out of the eight attempts (a.J a conlemplalit'e j uror 1Wf)

273

lIangabl, Off,nses
JUROR LEANING

a:: ,
W2
111
3

Murder, Horse theft, Rustling, Claim jumping, Treason

Jailabl' Off,nses (Many Years)

Violent crimes, Theft or Robbery

== 4
;, S
Z 6
7

Minor Off,nses (Fines or },inimal Jail Time)

Drunkenness, Di sorderly conduct, Failure to obey rules or ordinances, Petty theft, Assault, Battery

a:: S

Figure 5. 613: Juror srolimml rifIu JUOlld dll)'l dtlihaalwn in S((ond lrial

POints are required 1 0 move him one space) moving him jour spau s towards guil9'. The prosecutor must discard his last poillt since it's insufficient to allempl to sway juror #3. Although it's close, there is still not consensus on guilt so the deliberation must go to dqy three - though it certainly will tnd there.

PUNISHMENTS
Legal punishment in the Shatlered FrotHier is harsh. After all, it's tough to keep order in a region with inadequate police presence and a my riad of temptations for those of criminal intent. The following list suggests punishments befitting vanous cnm es.

274

Chapter 5.71 Drinkin' & Drugs

hen your ch aracter's tired of wrangling beeves, managing your store's inve ntory, shooting banditos o r running fo r sheriff, you may find yourself bellying up to the bar for a drink. ),low, most folks out here in the Shattered Frontie r have a good tolerance for alcohol , it being mOSI characte rs' drink of choice.

\\' hether folks call it Coffin Varnish, Firewate r, Forty-Rod, Tanglefool, Tarantul a J uice, or Red Eye, whiskey's some pretty wicked slUff. J\ lost whiskeys afC 100 proof (50% alcohol), though you might get a litt le taste of ammonia, cayenne pepper, gunpowder o r chewing lobacco too - depends what the barkeep decides to C UI it with, or what the brewer makes it with. Any whiskey 86 p roof or less is considered to be fo r the ladies. ~ I ixed drinks arc mostly for dandies, eve n the M ule Skinne r (100 proof, half whiskey and half blackberry schnapps, unless you're so tough that no one's going to poke fun at you for ordering it. Believe it or not, what bartenders in the Shattered Frontie r call bee r can be anywhere from! to 90 proof, depending on the brewer. ~Iost beers are about 7 proof, though. Your average whiskey bottle holds 25 shots of liquor (taki ng a swig right from the bottle is usua lly the sa me as a shot). A typical glass of beer holds 16 ounces ( I pint) of liquid. A se rving of wine is 4-5 ounces, in an average wine glass holding 8-10 o unces.

For e\'el)' two fa iled rolls (where the total is less than the Tolerance Factor), the cha racter su ffers a + I Speed penalty and a - I Accu racy penalty, as well as a -2 penalty on all Wi sdom and Dexte rity checks (o r a \0% penalty for ski ll checks with Wisdom or Dexterity as a relevant ability) for IWO hours. T hese pe nalties arc eumulati\'e - the more a character drinks, the longer it takes him to sobe r up.

Ltt's sa)' that Sean O'Riiry, a thararltr with a 13 Constitulion score, GIld a recent arrival to Ihe wesl, decides 10 head down to the local saloonjor afiw drinks rif whiskO' The barlender serves him a shot rif 100 prorif hourhOll. iV/tr lak ing this drink, Sean's pla)'er rolls a d20. The roll is an 11, and since Sean s Conslitution is a J3, his lotal is 24. Since IlIis Toll is less Ihan the drink's Tolerance Faclor (30), it's afailed roll. Sean has one more of lIlt same. so it's lime 10 check again. SeallS player again rolls a d20 alld adds his Constilutioll,for a lolal resull of J 9. That s his second failed drinking roll, so

TABLE 5.7-1: DRINRS

N~m~

Prl)O[

Toltr~lIcc F~c lor

Whiske y Whiske y Whiskey Whiske y Tequib. Whiske y Mule SkiDDCf. Teq ui la. Whiske y Beer. Tcquib. Whiskey Beer. Tequib

Bm
Beer. Wille

171 1 0 200 HI 10 170 12110140 III to IW 10110110 87 1 0 100 71 to 86 511070 261050 25 or less

" "
<0 38

32
JO

29
2B

21 16

101erance
A character's rolerance for alcohol depends heavily on his Constitution and the proof (strength) of the drink. For every shot of liquor or glass of beer or serving of wine co nsumed, the character must roll a d 20 and add his Constitution ability, versus the drink's Tolerance Facro r.

275

Sean now has a + / Spud penalty, - / Accurary penally and - 2//0% Wisdom and Dexterity penalty. if he stops drinking now, this penalty disappears after two hours. Now, if Sean foils two more rolls, he has a +2 Spud pelwlry, -2 Auural)' penalty and -4/20% Wisdom and Dexterity penalty. if he SLOps drinking, the penalty drops to + 1 Speed, 1 Auurary and - 2/10% Wisdom and - 2//0% Dexterily after two hours. After two more hours ([rna hours total), the pellalty disappears. On lhe othff hand, if Semi fails two more rolls (he's had at least six dn'nks), he has a +3 Speed penalry, -3 Auurary penalry and - 6/40% Wisdom penalty. if he SLOps drinking, the penalry drops to +2 Speed, -2 Acmracy and - 4/20% IVisdom and Dexterity rifter two hours. Afttr two more hours, the penalry drops to + / Speed, -/ Accurary and -2/10% Illisdom and Dexten'ty. Jifter two more hours (six hours total), the pellally disappears.
If a character bas been frequently seen (roleplayed) 10 be a fairly heavy drinker, or has the Addict (alcohol) flaw, he suffe rs the effects only after eve l)' three failed rolls. However, characters with the Abstinent (alcohol) flaw, should they take a drink for some reason, suffe r the penalties after every failcd roll. In any case. the effects/penalties disappear at the same rate as for a\erage drinkers.

Lauda num
Folks say that laudanum (a concoction of opium and wine) is the perfect drug to calm their nerves, to stop coughing, relieve pains and irritations, and stOp the runs (d iarrhea). A dose of laudanum for pleasure usually ranges between three and four drops, though doctOrs may usc more for a sick patient. The effects of the drug begin within I d2 hours. Side Effects : Drowsiness. +2 Speed, and cannot perform any successful ability checks, or engage in any strenuous activity. Long_TerDl Effects : Every 3+ Id4 times a character lakes laudanum, he must take an additional dose to receive its effects. T his is cumulative, so a long-te rm user might need multiple doses simply to feci the effects. Wit hdrawal : An addicted character that goes without laudanulll for 24+2d 12 hours can't perform strenuous activity (including running/sprinting), and suffers sweating, feverish shaking, muscular cramps and diarrhea. Duration: IdlO days. After the duration, the character is no longer addicted. However, each time he encounters laudanum, he mUSt succeed at a \\isdom check to a\"oid using it. O ve rdos e : Wbeneyer a character takes a number of doses equal or greater than his Constitution score, there is a 60% chance he suffers an overdose. Symptoms include chills, nausea, vomiting, and slowed breathing. Duration: I d6 hours. T here is a further 80% chance that the slowed breathing leads 10 coma and death in another Id3 hours.

D RUGS
Now, if you reckon that alcohol was the only thing folks usc 10 feci betler, you're laboring under a misapprehension. Heck, in the G reat War, the sawbones were handing out opium pills like candy, and a lot of those soldier boys who survived developed a hankering for opium and mo r phine (derived from opium). Of course, they aren't the only ones. Lots of women take opium for morning sick ness or "female troubles," though laudanum (opium in an alcohol base) is usually their vice of choice. On occasion, even babies were spoon-fed laudanum to help them sleep, and in some cases became addicted to opium for a lifetime. So, if you've got a hankering, juSt stop by the local opium den and get yerself a pipe, or see your local apotheca ry. Odds are good he's got something for you.

Mor phi n,
This pain relieving drug also relieves any of your fears, and gi\'es you an intense feeling of euphoria. T he effects of the drug begin within] d4 minutes. Sid e Effects: + I Speed, -1 Accuracy, constricted pupils, itching skin , nausea, runny nose, constipation, joint ache, lillIe interest in sex a nd food. Long_Term Effects : Every 4+2d4 times a character takes morphine, he must take an additional dose to receive its effects. T his is cumulative, so a long-term user might need several doses simply to feel the effects. Wit hdraw al : An addicted character that goes without morphine for 24+2d 12 hours suffers a temporary -] to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, can't perform strenuous activity (including running/sprinting), and has fever/chills, headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramps/spasms. Duration: 4+ ld3 days. After the duration, the character is no longe r addicted. However, each time he encounters morphine he must succeed at a

TABLE 5.7-2: DRUGS

Nl mt u udl num (dunk) Ln di num (i njected) Morphint (injtcled) O pium (weD) Opium (smoked) PtYOlt (tileD) Durl lion 2+ldZ hours Z +ldZ hours Z +ld4 hours Z+ldZ hours 2+1dZ hours idtZ hours Toltrl nCt F1CIor 1\

10
J<1

10 10

276

Wisdom check to avoid using it (-2 Wisdom penalty for the first two months after addiction). Overdose: \Vhenever a character lakes a number of doses cqual to half his Constitution sco re (or more), or uses two o r more doses along with alcohol, there is a 50;0 chance he suffers an ove rdose. Symptoms include slowed breath ing, dizziness, weakness. confusion, f'Higue and chi lls. Duration: Idl2 hours. There is a further 60% ch:nlce that an overdose causes death at the end of this duration.

Peyote
Eating this cactus bud makes you see and hear things (what educated folk call "ha llucinations"). A dose of peyote ranges between Ihree and six (2+ 1d4) buds. The enects of the dntg begin within Id2 hours. Sid e Effects: Slight nausea and vomiting. Character sees hallucinations, and cannot distinguish berween the real and the unreal. Long- Tel'lll. Effects : :"lone. Withdrawal: :'Jone. Overdose : These cactus buttons taste nasty, so overdose isn't too likel)'. Of course, some hombres will eal anything. \\'h enever a character takes a numbe r of doses equal to or greater than half his Constitution score, or consumes peyote after having failed four or morc alcohol Tolerance rolls, hc suncrs an ovcrdose. This results to severe nausea and vomiting for the next 10+ I d4 hours. There is a I % chance that an ovcrdosc leads to death at the end of this duration.

Opium
This pain relieving drug gives you feelings of calm and euphoria. It also puts you Oat OUi on your back in a dream-filled haze. The effects of the drug begin within I d-t. minutes. Side Effects: Extreme apalhy. Cannot perform an}' successful ability or skill checks, or engage in any activity that requires even moderate effort (gunfighting.jogging, mounting a horse, etc .. Long-Term Effects: Every 3+ Id4 times a character takes opium, he must take an additional dose to recei\'e its effects. T his is cumulative, so a long-term user might need four or more doses simply to feel the effects. Withdrawal: An addicted character that goes without opium for 24+2d 12 hours can't periorm strenuous activity (including running/sprinting). and suffers diarrhea. loss of appetite, mood swings. nausea. sweating and vomiting. Duration: Id10 days. After the duration. the character is no longer addicted. C haractcrs who are addicts for 12+2d 12 months, whether a heavy user or not, automatically suffer withdrawal at the end of that time. In the future, each time the character encounters opium (or opium dens, etc. ) he must succeed at a Wisdom check to avoid using the drug. Overdose: \Vhenever a character cats a number of doses equal or greater than half his Constitlllion score, or eats two or more doses while suffering from the penalties of two or more failed alcohol Tolerance rolls, there is a 25% chance he suffe rs an overdose. If a character smokes opium wh ile suffering from the penalties of four or more failed alcohol Tolerance rolls, there is a 10% chance of an overdose. Sym plOnts include chills, nausea, vomiting. slowed breathing and uncontrollable drowsiness. Duration : I d 12 hours. There is a further 20" '0 chance that this drowsiness leads to coma and death at the end of th is duration.

ADDICTION
Each time a charaCier takes one of these drugs. its effectS last for the listed duration . However. if the cha racter takes a second dose within 24 hours of the previous dose's duration, the character must roll a d20 (plus his Constitution score) versus the drug's Tole rance Factor. If the result is greater than or equal to the Tolerance Factor, the character suffers the effects, but docs not become addicted. However, each future time the charaCler uses the drug, its Tolerance Factor increases by

+1.
On the other hand, if the result is less than the Tolerance Factor. the character does gain a craving for the drug (he recci\cs the Addict Oa\\', but not its bonus BPs). He spends ever) bit of spare cash on his habit whenever the opportunity presents itself. If he runs out of money, he may put up his horse for sale, beg. borrow from comrades or even steal. He may C\'en make deals that he'\I regret later.

For txamplt. iiuco Torm stumblts 0111 oj btd ant day u'ilh tht higgtst durn htadacht ht:r tVir had. Passing tht opium den, !u duideJ to pop all in and smokt a little opium. Il is headaclu Jadt$, and lho/night ht dtcidts to drop in again. evtn Ihough his htadoclu is gone. Bad idea. Vasco. Since his second use is within 24 hOIlTS oj II,e first, he Tolu a d20, adding hiJ Conslillliion modifitr (13) JOT a lotal of 19. Thil tolal iJ 1m Ihan Ihe drugs Tolerana Fallor, so r'/uco is lIOW addicud 10 opium. Ht JhO/.lda sla)'td ill hed...

277

61 APpendites
~ ~~.-----J 1'<.,; -

"'" ,. . .

...

-,

-~

.
- ' /

'

CONFEDERA TE STATES
The South Today

AT

A GLANCE".

Geography: Confederate States

Locatkm:
Area: Border Coontries: Climate: TltffiIin:

The Southern \ Var of Independence, while establishing the sovereignty of the Confederate States of America, did so at a terrible COSI. Untold thousands of her young men were killed in that conflict and many more were permanently disabled or disfigured. \ lore insidious was the damage Wartime necessity betrayed mally flict was extemi\ dy fought over. merely traded for a new master in done to the nation's institutions. of the ideals for which the conT he tyrant in \ Vashington was Richmond.

Natural Resources:

East Cootra l North Amarica. bordering both the Atlantic and Gulf of M(j~jco 431.757 Square miles Unrted States, Republic of Texas Warm temperate ranging to subtropical Low mountains in east, swampy coastal plains along gulf coast Sma ll deposits 01 iron and coal, e~tremely fertile agricu~uralland

People: Confederate States

Population:
Ethnic Groups: Religions: Languages:

9.172.305
Wh~e

54% , Slack 46% Protestant 80%, Roman Catholic 17% Engl ish 83%, Spanish 17%

Government: Confederate States

Country Name:
Governm&nt Type:

Conled8(ate States of Amelita

Confederacy

Capital:
~Districts;

Independence: Chief of State:

Richmond 12states December 3,1 851 from United States

President Zebulon Vance

The secession of we~tcrn Louisiana to Texas, an act that the national authorities \,'ere powerless to prevent, prompted fears that other states would follow when they deemed it to be in their best interests_ The gO\-ernmell1 was bankrupt at the close of hostilities yet saddled "ith enormous responsibilities. Union troops \fere still entrenched in New j ersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Arkansas. To secure the borders meant permanently garrisoning large numbers of soldiers along the northern frontier. ;'\laturally this did not sit lI'ellwith the men called upon 10 perform such service. \lany were \'olunteers eager 10 return 10 farm and f<lmily. Desertions were rampant prompting harsh discipline and the eventual nationalization of all ~tate militias and locally raised units into the Confederate States .\rmy headquartered in Richmond. With their hopes for emancipation dashed and with the certain knowledge that they no longer risked repatriation should they escape 10 the Cnited States. slaves attempted to escape their masters in unprecedented numbers. Whites in the deep south feared a general slave uplising a genuine fea r as much of the region's able-bodied men were either dead, disabled or deployed. T he paranoia beC<lme so pelYasive that many regions re,-erted 10 martial law as Army troops were sent in to quell re\'ohs and keep order.

Economy: Confederate States

Economic Overview: The Confederate economy is dominated by e~port oriented plantation agricultufll. very little ind usbialization as mOSt manufactUred goods purchsed from overseas. minor domestic iron woos and fabncatiOll facilities in northeast. subsistance farming prevelant in back country Collon. tobacco. sugar. rice France. Sritain Confederate Dollar

E~ports:

Export Partl1ers:

Qnerocy:

(1 oz. gold :c $CS 113.68) (1 oz. silver ~ $CS 7.10)

Military: Confederate States

Mi litary Sranches: Stand ing Forces:
AImy and Navy

150.000 The C.S . c laims ownership of all prewar territory belonging to Arkansas and Tennessee. cavalier attitude towards Mexican !!Ovareign~y has raised threat of war Aligned with France

Transnational Issues: Confederate States

Disputes -International:

It was hoped that the end of hostilities would bring about an economic renaissance as once ag<lin ,,-orld markets would be open 10 the cotton, tobacco and sugar cane that had previously formed the basis of the southern export economy. Such was not the case_ The new cotlon acreage brought under cuhi\'ation in Texas, Sequoyah, Kansas, Egypt and India during the war led 10 falling prices as Confederate supply once again became a,-ailable. By 1858, prices had "lllen to two-thirds that of the pre-war period with little hope of reco,'el").
Continual functioning of the gO\'ernment and debt service required sums vastly in excess of those collected prior to independence_ Tax burdens, including an unprecedented tax on income, became onerous leading 10 grumbling in the state legislatures and open talk of a second secession by Cuba. T hrough the use of emergency executi\'e powers, President AJexander Stephens instituted various measures that aggregated Richmond's control of the state 10 an unprecedented extent. In response to widespread evasion, revenue agents were gi\'en broad discretion with regards to tax evaders, and their powers were backed

Ablces:

280

by the military. To maintain a firm hand in Cuba, a naval base was built in Havana and garrisoned by troops from Virginia and the Carolinas. Kow with Ihe power of the purse and the sword firmly in Richmond's control, future notions of dissent were effectively stifled. Given the Confederacy's inevitable position \Iith an entrenched enemy to the north, an alienated population to the west and \I'eak internal finances, they are casting an a\,u;cious eye to :\ Iexico's insecure nonhern frontier. In an unprecedented diplom<ltic move, they have claimed Nuevo i\lcxico as Confederate territory. This has cau~ed a diplomatic row with both the uSA and Texas who though plotting such a mo\"C themselves have been more reticent in their official positions) and led to ncar open hostilities \I;th :\ lexico. CSA policy is to encourage migration to :\ue\"O :\Iexico and Aha California. This ser\'es a two-fold purpose. Dome~ticall): it aclS as a s<,fety vall-e for thc most disaffected of her population. Strategically, facilitating the resettlemellt of Southerners to the tcrritol), and suppol"ting their claims with official recognition and incorporation of their towns, the Confederacy hopes to lay de facto claim to the territol)'.

Southern Attitudes

T here can be no disputing that the past decade has been one of economic distress for the a\"Crage SoUlherner. Hunger and \'iolcnce hm'C touched far toO many of them not to ha\'e left a permanent mark all the national psyche. To outsideN, they come across as angl)', hard-bitten men. ). Iany feel pel'Sonally \indicatcd in that they successfully resisted the destruction of their traditional \I'ay of life and mOst are adamant about thcir Southern \;rtues, e\'en those who previously may not have held such resolute r"ith in Dixie ..\ lost of thcir anger is directed al :\"ortherners for starting the war that caused such cconomic hardships. Texicans are hardly \'iewcd in a bettcr light. i\ lany sec them as fair-weather friends who stOod idly by while thcir cou,ins were bled \I'hite by the F ederals and finally stabbed thcm in the back by taking Loui~iana while they lay pro~trate. Onc would think that the French, integral to the Confcderacy'~ e\"t~nlual freedom, would be seen most posili\'e\y but that's hardly the case. Diflerences in language and culture ensured that the twO allies never fully warmed to each Olher. The price of Kew Orleans for their aid also tainted the relationship, making it seem as if they wefe merely paid mercenaries rather than the benevolent Republicans of Lafayette.

SEQUOYAH

0 -- .., --

Non .. CAroIiIUl

.ATLANTlCOc

.-

STATES

_. "'"""
CON

AMERIC A

-.

.-

-281

*
AT
A GLANCE...
Geography: Oeseret
Location:

DESERET

Area:
Land BouJldaries:

Climate: Terra in: Natural Resources:

WB'St Central North Arnefk:a, roughly centered on the Great Salt Lake 125,680 sqllare miles (claimed) Deseret's cla ims lie entirely within the Mexican District of Alta Cal ifornia and the United States' Oregon Territory Semiarid to arid with m ild winters in lower inhabited IIlevations Mountainous north with Alpine-l ike riva!" va lleys, arid desert in sooth Copper. other ores, timber

0 ",.. 501,

DSRT
Altai California

. .-

Lob City

,
I

, -

.--1
I

People: Deseret
Population: Ethnic Groups: Religions' Languages: 86 , 044 Wh it8 99%

0ud1 cAJe.<usOrislcAl...aI!l'r4ly Sai1s99%

English

, ,

Government: Oeseret
Country Name:
Government Type:

State of Oeseret
Representative Democracy (Theocracy) Great Salt Lake City

Capital: MrrisIrative DisIr'cts: Founding: Chief of State:

Economic Overview:

6 count;es
July 2-4,1847 President Brigham Young Desare! engages in self-sustaining agricultural arid harldicraft production. Imports are discouraged and trade w~h non-church members is forbidden. All extemal comrn&rCe handled through Church-controlled Zion Cooperalive Mercantjle Institution. None Mormon Dollar
(1 oz. gold = $M 16.00) (t oz. sihler = $M 1.00) Mormon coins are notable for .99 fine metal content. Significant 'barter script' in circulaHon .

a result of thei r persecu tion, the M ormons have A sbecome a closed society suspicious of strange rs. Wellarmed units of the Nauvoo Legion regularly patrol all approaches to the Great Salt Lake basin and are brusque wi th travelers. T he few non-i\'lormons who enter Deseret are closely watched and made to feel unwelcome.

Economy: Oeseret

Exports:

Curen:;:y:

--' M"' ili= tary~ , "' .... ~....

M ilitary Branches: Standing Forces:

Nauvoo Leg ion (militia) Unknown Dese-ret asserts a terr~orial Claim to broad stretches of land principally w~h in the Mexican District o f Alta Cal ~ornia but also ove.1apping the United States' Oregon Tenitory. Neither nation recognizes said Claims nor the legrtimacyof Deseret Conflict periodically erupts w~h the Shoshone and Ute peoples displaced by Mormon seWement Deseret is recognized as a sovereign nation by the Confede-rate States of America. Diplomatic missions have been exchanged and a mutually benefiCial exchange o f arms for hard curre-ncyexi sts.

Transnational Issues: Deseret

Disputes - Intamational:

Disputes - National:

.AU1ces:

It is, however, a tenant of the faith that all ?vlormons mUSt go out into the world and proselytize. As such, Mormons are often encountered throughout the Shattered Frontier. T hey are wary to stay clear of ~ I exican authorities as an encounter is mo re likely than not to end in gun fi re. Most Yankees fear the l' '[ormons whom they regard as dangerous murdering zealots. The Confederacy, however, views the ivlormons as potential allies. Their cold war with both ~v[ exico and the United States, both rivals to Richmond's planned expansion in the area, serves as a vital distraction. Indeed, they arc the only North American power to recognize Deseret's claim to national sovereignty as legitimate and as such maintain some measure of a trading relationship with the M ormon State. The Texicans have had little direct contact with Deseret and for the most part see them as someone else's problem .

282

M EXIC O

N the terri tories of present day " lexico, the Republic of Texas 5.1.\'c for the rcnt addition of Louisiana , California, the Spanish Caribbean

ueva Espalia was the crown jewel of Spain's colonics and comprised

islands, and Central America up to and including Costa Rica. Spanish landowners and their while descendents dominated most of th is land. [\ was head]y (a"cd, ruled directly from Spain, and permitted 110 amonom~:
111(' seeds of ~ kxican inde pendence were plamcd when :\'apolcon COIl(jur red Spain in 1808. ' ''hen the French Emperor placed his brother on Ihe Spanish throne, " [exico's elite began \0 clamor for self-rule. An unlike!, alliance was thus formed. :\ Iexican Conscrvadores and rich [ando\>1\crs who supported Spain's deposed Bourbons and objected to the comparatively more libcral Nflpoleonie policies joined forces wilh Libcral(', who favored a dcmocratic ~lexico. TheS(' two e\emems a~rttd onl)' that ). Icxico must aehicve indq>endence and determine her own destin~. The war for indepelldenc(' started September 15, 1810, and wa~ instigated by ~ligue1 de Hidalgo) Costilla. a priest of Spanish de~ent. Though he was eventually captured and executed, Hidalgo's leadeT!ihip began a war or independence that culminatcd on Se ptember 27, 1821 , when the rebel leader \ iccllIe Guerrero and the royalist Agustin de Iturbide signed the Treatyof Cordoba. De It urbide, a former Spanish general who switched sides 10 fight fo r independence, proclaimed hirllself emperor - onidally as a temporary measure until a member of Eurol>ean royalty could be persuaded to become monarch or ~ I exico. A revolt against It urbide in 1823 establidted the Uni ted ~ I exican States and in 1824 Guadalup.. \ ictoria becamC' the iirst prcsidelll of the new couml)~
~ I exican

Geography: Mexico
Location:

A1ea: land Boundaries:

Climate: Terrain : Natural Resources:

Central North America. bordering both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, t, t65.224 squant miles Republic 01 Texas (NE). US (north) Varies from tropical to desert High, rugged mountains: Jaw coastal plains: high plateaus; deset1 Silver, gold. tllT1bef

People: Mexico
PopulatlOtl: Nauonality: Elhlllc Groups: 9.2SO.OOO

Mexican
Mestizo SO,*,. Spanish 12,*" Indian 35%. Black 3% Roman CatholIC (officia~ SpanISh (olficlal), nalMl languages spoI<en by many inhabitants esp. in south

ReIIQIOn$:
Languages:

Government: Mexico
Country Name:
Government T~pe: Capital:
~0isIrds::

Empire of Mexico
Monarchy Mellrco City 21 Depar1ments Septembef 16. 1810 (Irom Spain) M8J(rmlhan I. Emperor o f Mellico

Independence:
Chief of State:

T he wars of independencC' and the chaos lhat followed ruined the nation's economy and destroyed the legitimacy of its institutions. Bet,,C'en 1821 and 1850 only thC' first president, Guadalul>e \ ictoria, completed his term of officr. H is success was primarily attributable to the two large for(,ign loans ncgotiated in 1824 and 1825 that ga\"(: his administration financiallatitude. During the next twcmy years the Re public endured three constitution.~, twent), gm'Crnmcnts, and more than 100 cabinelS. As succeeding administrations provcd Ulmbie to maintain order and protect lives and propeny, the COUIllI) s.1nk inlO anarchy. Fear and uneertaimy became commonplace. Ex-soldiers turned bandits infested the highways, obstructing commerce and threatening small towns. "niese, and other manifestations or social dissolution, com ributed to ~ Ii:xico's instabilit}. T hC' situation worsened when political conOicl degenerated imo outright ci\il war in 1834.
1~1rge sections of the Country were ravagcd as federalists and centralists, liberals and conserl.':lti\"Cs fought for political control. D uring 1835-18-15, secessionislS established the n'publics of Yucatan, Texas, and the Rio Grande, but only "Iexas managed to consolidate its indel>endence. T he othe r regions, hOII'Cver, maintained their autonoms if nOt their independence, from the national go\'CTIlment by force of arms.

E conomy: Mexico
EconomIC Overvoew: The eurrent CMI war has stgnrfocant!y dISrupted economic activIty. Silvltr mIning - the principal SOOfCe o f foreign ellchaflge operates at one-filth the level o f a decade

past, most areas areas reduced to

subsistance Exports:

agriculture

Silveor
US, Spam
Peso. older Real in Clf'CI.jl8tion (1 oz. gold . 16 Pesos) {1 oz. silver. 1 Peso}

&port

Part~:

0J!rcy:

Military: Mexico
Military Branches: Imperial Army

Standing

FOfCes:

EJr.act figures unknown

Mellico considers Oeseret territorial claims to be illegal and It's residents outlaw squatters, numerous towns wrthln An.a California and Nuevo M4rlllCO that claim allegiance to the Unlled States, the Confederate States or Te)(8S are equally regMded as Ulegel settlements The Emporer is strongly aligned to France and to Britian and Spain to a lesser degree. the Juarez rebels dISPUte

Transnational Issues: Mexico

OispuIes -International:

of men such as Santa Anna cenainly contribuled to instability. in 1828 he used his military influencc to lift the losing candidate into the pres.ide1lC}i being n'warded in turn I,id} appointmcm as the highest.ranking general in the land. His reputa tion and influence wcre furthe r strengthencd by his critical role in defeating an 1829 Spanish elTon to reconquer the ir former colon)'~lCxico's

~ I achinations

~:

these alliar"lCes as illegal

In 1833 Santa Alina was ove rwhelmingly elected Presidcnt of l\lCxico. Unfon unatcly, what began as a promise to unitc the nat ion soon deteriorated in to chaos. From 183310 1855 ~ I hico had no fewer than thiny-six chan~s in il$ presidency; Santa Anna himself holding the office ele\"Cn times. He soon became bored in his firsl presidency, leaving the rcal work

283

\0 his vice-president who soon launched an ambitious reform of church, state and army. In 1835, when the proposed reforms infuriated vested interests in the army and church, Santa Anna reassened his aut hority and led a military coup against his own government.

Santa Anna's repudiation of .\Iexico's 1824 constitution and substitution of a much more centralized and less democratic form of government was instrumental in sparking Ihe Tcxican secession, for it ultimately com~lJ(:cd both Anglo colonists and many ~Ie." icans in Texas thaI they had nothing to gain by remaining uncler ~ I cxic:m rule. When the revolution came in 1835, Santa Anna personally led the .\Iexican counlcr-atlack, enforcing a "takc-no-prisoners" policy at the Alamo and ordering the execution of those captured at Goliad, In the end, however, his ovcr-confidence and tactical carelessness allowed Sam Houston to win a crushing victory at the baltle of San j acinto. Although his I:"lilure to suppress the Texican re"l"olution discredited him enormously, Santa Anna was able to reestablish much of his authority when he defeated a French invasion forcc at Vera Cruz in 1838. His personal heroism in battle, which resulted in having several horses shot out from under him and the loss of half of his left leg, became the basis of his subsequell\ effort to secure his powcr h:- creating a cult of personality around himself. Anglo settlers took funher advantage of ~ I exico's continuing imt'rnal turmoil when, in 1845, residents of Aha Californias Sacramcnto vallt'} declared an independent California Republic. :'\e\'enheless, Santa Anna remained the most powerful indiddual in ~!exico umil 1853, when his savage campaign against Deseret united liberal opposition against him . He was soon deposed and ne\"Cr again returned to political office.

at an early age by progressivism and consequently upheld se\'eral liberal policies proposed by the j uarez administ ration, such as land reforms and religious freedoms. He cherishes the vain hope that his liberalism will enable a reconciliation of the republican opposition and has offered j uarez and his followers an amnesty if they will swear allegiance to the crown. unfortunately, he does not seem 10 understand that the vast majority of ~ I e)deans do not want an emperor, no matter how liberal.

M exico Today Because the country again finds itself embroiled in yet another cidl war, little attention is focused on the northern states of Alta California, Xuevo ~ I Cxico, Sonora or Chihuahua. T hese territories are \;nually unguarded and what few officials remain are unlikely to receive aid or assistance from their national government. This \'acuum of powe r has encouraged settlement by pioneers from Texas, the United States and lhe Confederacy who ha\"C become so emboldened as 10 plant their re'l>cctl\'C national flags 011 ~lcxican soil. In poim of fact, these rouge IOwns arc usuall\' the only organized governments able to effectively admini~ter large swathes of the nonhern .\ Iexican states. [t is common knowledge thatlhe only effecti\'C lawmt'n in ;\'ue\"o .\[ exico are not the Federale~ but ralher the Texas Rangers. It is not uncommon for ~Iexican citizens 10 seck justice from the Rangers or 10 settle their dif fel'Cnces in a Confederate or American town's eoun. The average ~ lexican has endured o\"er thirty years of inte rmittent civil war during which they have seen their institutioll5 crumble and their li\cs become increasingly destitutc. Though mosl would prefer to live under a ~I cxican flag, they are pragnlatic enough to welcome anyone that can pfO\;de stability and order. As such, many al'C welcoming of the new immigrants to nonhern ~ I exico and generaUy inclined to panake in economic opponunities that the ncw selllement might afford.

In 1855, Ignacio Comonfort, leader of the ~I oderados (moderates), was elected president. They attempted to craft a middle ground between the nation's Liberals and ConseJVati\es, During Comonforl's presidency a new Constitution was drafted. T he Constitution of 185i retained most of the Roman Catholic Church's Colonial era pri\;lt'ges and revenucs but, unlike the earlier constitution, did not mandate Catholicism as the nation's exclusive religion. Such reforms were unac, Of course, thiny years of ci\il war has produced a generation of ceptable to both the Catholic hierarchy and the Conservatives. <;hiftless roung men, well armed and indoctrinaled in violence. ~ I any of Comonfon and his administration were excommunicated and a revolt these ha\e drifted to the lawless nonh fleeingjustice or seeking easy tar was declared. This led to the War of Reform from Dl':Cember 1857 to gets. Their own Countrymen and white settlers alike fear these banditos. j anuary 1861. This civil war became increasingly bloody and polarized the nfllion's politics. ~ [ any of the ~" oder.l dos came o\"er to the side of the Uberales, com;nced th at the great political powe r of the Church r-T~O::::::-------:----:-" ':-T-----T~?'::---" " "_ ~,, "\; . needed to be curbed. For some lime the Li berals and Conservatives _ had their own governments; the Conservatives in .\lexico City and the Liberals in Veracruz. The war ended with a Liberal \~ctory and the new President Benito j IH'trez mo\ed his administration to ~ I exico City.
DESERET ,.-

j uarez's forces were victorious, but the war bankrupted ~ [exico causing it to default 011 its foreign debt payments. An army of inter \elllion consisting of Spanish, English and French troops landed in ~ I exico 10 enforce payment of the huge obligations of the !\lcxican republic. The Spanish and English soon withdrew, but Xapoleon 11 1 retained French troops in ~ I b:ico in order to establish a comenative, pro French regime. To achieve this end, he decided to re-establish a monarchy. In October, 1863 a ~ I exican delegation of monarchists again offered the crown to Ferdinand .\ Iaximilian j oseph, Prince Imperial and Archduke of Austria. He had refused their initial offer in 1859 but now bowed to Napoleons pressure and the presumed legitimacy of a plebiscite. Upon his arrival at Vera Cruz, he was horrified to discover that his new realm was still embroiled in civil war. T he French had achieved the upper hand but the liberals and republicans were still offering bit ter resistance under their President, BenilO j Uil.reZ. If ~ I aximilian was disillusioned and disappointed, his supporters were soon equally disappointed in their new emperor, The Emperador had been influenced

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284

SEOUOYAH

**

** * **

Mis
Geography: Sequoyah

SEQUOYAH

,......

1r Fayeue viUe . """_

location:

Central North America, between

the United States and Texas

New EchOla

. S

Lin" R

Area: land Boundaries: Climate: Terraif1: Natural Resources:

62.947 square miles US to 1'lOI'th. T.)(as to $OI.jth Mild and humid, semi-and In NW
Flat plains and low hills Fertile soils

People: Sequoyah
Population: NatlOrl8lity: EttlnlC Groups: Religions:

79,263
Various Indian tribes

NatNeArnerica185%. White 8%, 6Iad< 7%

Tribal beliefs, not property categonzed a5 religionS per 58. are practICed by a mapnty of Sequoyahs though a !lIleable Christl8n mlllOl'1ty eXIsts Various tribal languages are spoken though Chetok" IS becomIng protrunant

cquoyah's hislOry begins with the expulsion of the five 'ci\;lizcd' tribes (the Cherokee, Chickasa\\j Choctaw, Creek. anel Seminole) from their homelands in the southeastern L"nited States. These expulsions were nOt a single e\"ent but rather the aggregate result of treaties, forced concessions and oUlIigh! war. Prior to resettlement, the fi\'e Indian nations were distinct entities wilh unique cultures, languages and !crrito!)'. T he C hoctaw were in f.1.ct enemies of the Creek and Chickasaw against whom they had fought SC\l:ral
wars.

Languages:

Government: Sequoyah
Countty Name: Government Type: Capital: Nation of Sequoyah Tribal democracy New Echota

MrrioItra!MI Dos!rds:
Independence:

28 districts
December 12, 1852 from United States

Chiel of State: None

What set these tribes apart from their northern kin such as the Shawnee, Ottawa, Fox or Sauk was an advanced farming culture that morc closely resembled that of their while neighbors. The Creek conrederacy consisted or over 50 towns with a national eoullcil and a governance structure based on a mixture or democratic and communal principals. h was the Cherokee, however, that integrated white culture most rully into their own traditions. In 1820 lhey adopted a republican rorm or government, and in 1827 they established themselves as the Cherokee Kation, with their capital at f\ew Echota under a constitution pl'O\;ding ror an electi\'e principal chier, a senate, and a house or representatives. The im'enlion or a Cherokee syllabic alphabet permitted literacy amongst the Cherokee. hs 85 characters, represel1ling the syllables or the Cherokee language, initially allowed ror the keeping of tribal records but later, once literacy became widespread, saw wide usc in newspapers and translated textbooks. The 18305 discO\'el"}' or gold by whites in Cherokee territol"}' (the Cherokee had long known of its existance and had been hoarding the precious metal for years resulted in pressure 10 obtain their lands. A treaty was extracted from a small pari or the tribe, binding t.he whole people to mO\'e Ix'yond the ~ I ississippi River \\;thin three years. Although the Cherokee (werwhclmingly repudiated this document and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the nation's autonomy, the state of Georgia secured an order ror their removal, which was accomplished by military force. President Andrew J ackson rerused to inten'ene, and in 1838 the tribe was depo rted to the Indian

Economy: Sequoyah
EconomIC Overview' Sequoyah's economy is dominated by subststance agriculture though plantation growth of cotton for export has become preva~t since the States War. The establishment of a rail line between Texas and the US has allowed Sequoyah to enter the sarvices sector and New Echota has become a rail hub speciallz.ng in cattle and SUpportIng a wide variety of related ;ooustries

Exports:
El<port Part~:

C<ltton Unrted State!!, United K"ngdom None fOfeign currency used at equivatent value

CUn!ncy:

Military: Sequoyah
Milltal)' Branches: Standing Forces: Tribal militia

None None

Transnational Issues: Sequoyah

Disputes - IntI!lfT'l8ticf'la
AIiIn:;:es:

Sequoyah disallOWS any political or military alliances thotigh it has it has strong ecooomIc ~es and linkages with both the US and Texas. The Confedaracy is stiR viewed with suspicion though current bord8fS and economic condltlOtl$ result in little interaction between the two.

285

Tenitol)'. Thousands died on the march, known as the "Trail of Tears," or from subsequent hardships. T he Cherokee made their new capital at Tahlequah, instituted a public school system, published newspapers, and quickly became the most prominant of the Five Civilized Tribes. \",Ihile the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw were uprooted from their lands with relatively little violence, the same was not true for the Creeks or Seminoles. The Creek War of 1813-14 resulted in the loss of two-thirds of their territory, while the First Seminole War of lB1B effectively banished Florida's Seminoles to the interior of that territory. T he Second Seminole \ Var began in IB35 and dragged on for nearly eight years, until 18+2 when the last Creek and Seminole tribes in Georgia and Florida were finally remoyed from American 'Ienitory. ]\ lembers of the Fi\,c Nations that su ni\"ed these brutal years of war and relocation did their best to rebuild their shattered societies in the arid land of the Indian Te rritory. Less than a generation laler, they ollce again found themsc.!ves threatened by whites seeking 10 take their land. Confederate militia in :\ Iissouri and Arkansas saw the Indian Territory as easy plunder and undertook to capture that territory fo r inclusion into the new Confederate States of America. The tribes had, however, learned a \'aluable lesson from their expulsions. Under the lax eyes of the few Federal forts located in the Indian Territory, the tribes had smuggled in thousands of rifles, many purchased with gold the Cherokee had recm'ered before being relocated. The wisdom of this move would be validated at the Battle of Muskogee in which an army comprised of members of aU five tribes repulsed the Confederate invasion. In the aftermath of this battle, the live tribal councils sent representatives to Washington to announce their de facto sovereignty. Circumstances being what they were, the United States had little choice but to recognize the new nalion of Sequoyah and accepted their promise of aid in the war against the Confederacy. \Vhile the Sequoyahs held true to their word and sent twO regiments to fight in the lower Mississippi campaign, the most dramatic effects of the war were to occur at home. The Sequoyahans took advantage of opportunities opened to them. \ Vhell Britain turned to Texas for the cotton her industries required, they immediately saw the potential wealth that could be gained from participating in this seller's market. Many of the tribes had experience in cOllon growing and within a year, COtton cultivation expanded from almost nothing to thousilnds of acres. Access to the gulf ports via the I-. Iississippi River was blocked due to the war so eOllon had to be brought 10 Galveston via mule-drawn carts. T his was slow and costly. The great d ream was 10 build a rail line that would be able to provide access to the gulf ports. :\'0 American, British or Texiean financie rs were interested in the project so the Sequoyahans set about 10 build one themsel"es. Communal participation saw members of all five tribes, men and women alike, undertake the vast project. T he last remaining Cherokee gold was sufficient to acquire the rails, but right-of-ways though Texican territory still
286

posed a formidable problem. T hrough dint of negotiation and the guarantee of free fre ight for any of the far-flung North Texican communities that would grant them passage, the Sequoyahans finally succeeded in building a gerl)'mandered rail line that connected to the fledgling Texas .\1ational Line north of HouslOn. But it was not only the British that demanded COl\on. New England mills were also desperate to purchase the white gold. They were, however, shut out from Texican ports by British exclusivity. Sensing another opportunity, the Sequoyahans started group work on another rail line to SI. Louis - now firmly in the hands of Union forces. By the end of the War between Ihe States, the Sequoyahan National line linked the United States with Texas \;a rail. Although POSt war prices for cotton fell dramalicall}~ the profitability of the line did not. The advantages of a rail link to the united Slates were enormous and as the Texican economy expanded so did the amount of freight carried on the line. Soon beef O\'ertook COtlO1I as the most important cargo. Because of the more communal economic order of Sequoyahan society, the profits were generally dispersed 10 the whole of thc nation that had contributed to its development. i\ Iuch is held in trust for future development. The experience and \\'ealth the Sequoyahans gained in building their first rail line has allowed them to extend the reach of their network into the western territories of the United States. As Indians with a predilection to fa\ur their own, they ha\'e faced far fcwer problems \\ith the Great Plains tribes than white settlers hm'e experienced.
Pe ople : The great national challenges the ci\ilized tribes have endured together f!"Om the Battle of Muskogee 10 the building of the railroad have bound them together as one great tribe. T hough the individual tribes still govern themselves, it is likely that in the not too distant future the Sequoyahans will unite under a single Chief- President. The Cherokee language is already displacing Seminole and Choctaw due to the wide dissemination of newspapers written in that language.

The Sequoyahans have learned 10 be a pragmatic lot. T hey recognize that they will never be fully accepted by white society blll that 10 sun'ive they must adapt certain aspects of those cultures to retain their own . :\ Iost prefer the company of their own races, forming few close friendships with whiles. That being said, many are fluent in English and certainly capable of operating within the confines of b!"Oader North American cultures. Howe\'er, they retain a deep loathing of the Confederacy. F ew would let their feeling show 100 overtly but the years of mIstreatment at SOlllhern hands makes it slow 10 be forgonon .

TEXAS

.-.
.--

-. .TEXAS

SQUOYAH

0 -- .-

AI

A GLANCE ...

-~

Geography: Texas

RPusuC OF

.-

Location: Area: Land Boundaries: CI,mate:

- -_. -D

-.

Terra,n;

Natural Resources:

South Central North America, bordering the Gulf 01 Mexico 360,503 $quare miles Rio Grande to west, US and Sequoyah to north, Confederacy to &aSt Subtropk;:al along gulf coast. increas'ng arid as O!"1e travels west Broad coastal plait! in SE. rough and intem"littant mountainous terrain in west Farm and graz<ng land, timber

People: Texas
Popul"lon;
Natoonality: Eth",C Groups:

1,439,358
Texocan
WI"Ote 3396, MeslII:o 3096. Black 3396. Indian 496 Protestant 6096, Roman Catholic 4096 English 7096, Spanish 3096

espitc the fact that a sizeable proportion of her most influential citizenry originally hailed from the states that were to secede and form the CSA, Texas remained officially neutral during the Southern War of Independence. or course, numerou s volunteer units fought in the ~ I is s i ss ippi Valley campaigns under Confederate colors. As mentioned in the historical section , th e reasons for her neutrality werc many. Certainly the most important was the intervention of Britain. Her texti le manufacturers, with royal support and under the protection of t he Imperial :'\a,)'. entered into contracts to purchase any and all cotton Tcxican growers CQuld supply. Agreeing to these terms put the you ng nation at odds with her eastern neighbor, whose self-imposed COllon emba rgo was mea nt to d raw Brita in into the conflict on the Confede rate side. T he wa r years were, ironically, a time of great prosperity for the young nation and a period in which she bega n to solidify a national identit y. The influx of British sterling and investment jump-started development and C alveston was tra nsformed into a first class seapo rt. The British influence had other fa r-reaching effects in Texas. Unde r pressure from a British Parliament uneasy with such dose relatio n to a slave holding nation , Texas abolished the inst itution in 1860. Texa s Tod ay The Texican volunteer troops fighting in the western theater were primarily stationed in Arkansas and ~\'I i ssissi ppi. Upon enact ion of the truce of 1854, most of the troops :Iecided to return to their homes. While the volunteers d is:::landed their units and began the lo ng trek home, the resi-

Religions:

Languages:
Country Name: Government Type:

Government: Texas
RepublIC of Texas
Republic WashingtO!"1 30 CO\J!1ties

Capital;
~

Oistric:ts;

Independence:
Ch~

01 State:

October 13. 1845 from Mexico President RIchard Coke

Economy: T exas
EconomIC

e>v.Mew: The War betwllllll the States ofI&fIId a

\iflique opportunity flY Texas' cottO!"1 plant61'S to both prosp&f and to establ ish inroads into the lucrative British market. ContractlOtl of that merkel has been more than compensated by a huge new rnarket made available fOf beeI. West Texas is undergoing an economic boom as vast stretch o f land are being developed for thiS industry. Beef, cotton, rice United Kingdom, United States. France
Te~ican DoIares (1 oz. gold ., S1)( 3UIO) (I oz. silver" Sf)( 2.00)

Exports: Export Partners:

Cunn:y:

Military: United States

Mihlafy Branches: Standing Fon:es:

Army. Navy and Rangers

Approximately 600

FIangets

Transnational Issues: United States

Oisputes-Imemationaj: Official demarkation and ownership of lhe Sanla Fe Ira;! rema,ns ... open Issue WIth the United States. Texas has sHowed its Rangers to operate as lawmen within Nuevo Mexico due to generallawlessoess. Mexico strongly disputes their authority but is powerless to CO!"1tend their pn!SIIOCe IY to property administef the district. Texas Is aligned with lhe United Kingdom and dependant upon the Royal Navy to ensure the neutrality o f the Guf of Mexico.

AIiIn::es:

287

dents or Lou isiana revolted against their government in Richmond and sought to join Texas instead or simply turning over New Orleans and its surrounding territOry to the French. T he Conrederate government sent troops to quell the disturbances but the)' were met by the texican volunteers. These ronner brothers-i n-arms now saw an opportunity to bea rs a rms ror their own nation , the Republic or Texas. The Cajun \\'ars (really just a collection or small skirmishes and guerilla activity) pitted these Texicans against Conrederate troops rrom Arkansas and ~ l ississippi as well as French regulars. Arter rour months, the war wea ry and bankrupt Richmond administration succumbed to the insurrection and agreed to the partition or Louisiana along the :'Ilississippi River. Foreign obse rvers remark that Texas is probably thc most truly ':American" or the three English-spcaking nation states on the ;..'orth American eominent. Founded by rronticrsmen and barely thirty years old, Texas does nOt have an entrenched upper class. Soc ietal standing is extrcmely fluid allo\\'ing the energetic young man plenty or room to belter himselr and improve his lot in lire. ~[c rit is the most important determiner or social standing and :'I,lexican born Texicans are accorded much the same opportuni ties as Anglos. In all strata or socict}: one is equally likely to encounter individuals with Spanish su rnames as British ones. Texicans on the who le arc brash and rorthright and not give n to min cing words. Even their leade rs are unusually outspoken . As a you ng nat ion, their world view is disproportionate ly shaped by recent events. While many Texicans had reh a bond or kinship with the Confederacy, the rronticr wa r with that nation has soured that bond in ra\"or of a heightened sense of Texican unity. If anything. these two nations a rc now rivals, though many have 110t yet come to sec that fact. The discove ry of gold and si lver west of the Rio Grande has spa rked Tcxicans' interest in expansion. To them, the lands or the Shallered Frontier lie wholly within Texas' sphe re of influence (despite the fact that it is Mexican territory). Th e general lawlessness of the region, due in large part from inattention by M exico, has prompted Washington to deploy seve ral units of Texas Range rs within the territory, nominally to protect the property and persons or its settler commun ities. Howeve r, they are almost unifo rmly recognized as the de facto authority by non-Texicans as well, ror they provide the only organized policing force within the frontier and serve to check the activity of hostile Indian tribes. Territorial claims by the CSA west of the Rio Grande have sparked a diplomatic row between the two nations. T he Texican legislature has reacted to these turns of events by encouraging the growth of towns sLlch as Santa

Fe, Albuquerque and EI Paso on their western frontier and unoflieially sponso rin g settlement t hroughout :'\u cvo i\l exico. No official move has yet been made to recognize these tOwns, as \Vashington docs not wish to provoke a war with Fran ce, the real power behind Emperador :'Il aximili ano I De i\ lcxico and possessor or a rormidable roree in nearby New Orleans. Rather, the Texicans arc laying the groundwo rk ror an eventual rait de accompli when their settlements and substantive governance of thc region will allow the entire rromier to be annexed at the stroke or a pen. A large factor in \Vashington's reticence to risk war is her lack of a standing army. From the earliest days of the Republic, the nation has encountered difficulties with rogue generals. Since President H uston furl oughed the standing army in 1836, Texas has depended upon the Rangers and militia units to de rend her territory. This practice has served her \\"ell, ror the militia is unusually capa ble and experienced. :'\onetheless, it is not all offensive force and its efficacy if used in that role is questionable. C Ollon continues to be the major dri\'e r of the Texican economy. Ho\\"cYCI", the reentry of the Confcderate States of Amcrica into the world cotton market has caused prices to fall from their artificially high \\-al" years prices. This has caused an economic recession in the Lone Star Republic and ro rced many marginal growers 10 seek aher nati\"c means or making a living. Many of these peopl e (fa rmers and their hired hands) have left the gulf coast in search or beller opportunities in th e sparsely populated wester n expanses or the country. The national government has actively, though not offi cially. encouraged many or its citizens hurt by the cotton crash to migrate to the wes\. :-digrants are given free pas sage to Santa Fe or Albuquerque and the opportu nity to be gi\'e n title 10 land thcre simply by occupying and improving it ror a period of two yea rs. or course, much of this land is barely arable and many of the settlers quickly abandon the thought of settling down in favor of seeking their fortune in the Shattered Frontier - all with a nod and wink from \\ashingtoll. Texas is still economically immatu re. Her natural resources are nOI comparable to that of the United States or the United Kingdom nor docs she possess the dense urban settlemcl1!s necessary for industrialization. She is dependant on those nations for most manufactured goods yct maintains a net surplus balance, such is the quantitative robustness of Texa s' farms and ranches.

UNITED STATES

Geography: United States

Location: Area: Border Countries:

CenttaI North America, bon:lering bom

the Atlantic and PadflC Oceans. 2,172,973 square miles Confederate Slates of America. Republic of Texas. Nation of Sequoyah. Mibico. Dominion of Call1lda, other British NOI1h

espitt her [ass in the War fo r Southern Independence, the t.:niled States remains rar and away the mOSt pOIH:r(u] nation in ;';onh America. Some ('\,en argue Ihal the secession of her agrarian south m;n have been a boon, in that it hastened the transition 10 an industrial cconomy by severing the IiI'S 10 her agrarian past.

American
Climate:

pos!~Sions

north of

Terr8Jn:
Natural Resources:

the truth of the maHer. there can bl' no qucHion that the United State! morc closd)' resembles the economies of ;';orthern Europe in rates of urbanization and prol>Ortion of the workforce engaged in indu"try than any other ~e\\ World nation. The city of PittSburgh is it rival to Shcflicid and Dortmund as it principal manufaClUrcr of sted, and a dense network of rail lines linkll the the southern Great Lakes and Ohio river \alley to the northeast. The loss of southern agricultu ral areas has focused devc!opment on the vast central and weStern plains. T hough not as lUcrali\c as cotlon, tobacco and sugar, corn and whcal production have becn far morc amenable 10 mechanization, and so this traditional seclOr of the economr ha~ benefitted greatl} frolll industrialization and now produces a consistent surplus. T he United Statcs docs, however, facc several chaUengn. Relations with her southern neighbor havc not improved appreciably since the conclusion of the war. T his may in large part be allributed to captured territory in the former westcrn theater that the United Slates has refused to relinquish. l\ l aintaining control of this terrilOry and the construction of the "SCOII Li ne" of fortifications on Pennsylvania's southeastern border has required a I>cacetime army of such magnitudc that the U.S. is hard pressed to maintain it from a conscription resistant populace. The westcrn terrilOries arc under-garrisoned and Federal Cavall)' is often unable to effectively blunt the many warlike India n Na tions Jiving therein or to dec idedly ejcct Mormon settlements. T he United States has eome of age on the international stage and is recogni<!:en as a pecr among the great nations of Eurol>C. She has strong finandallies wilh Britain owing to the relative immaturity of her ban king system. British neutrality in the War of Southern Independence abo scrved to mollify the ill-will resulting from the ArooslOok War. Frcnch invokement on the side of the Confederacy has imbued a deep seeded rescntment and the U.S. holds her as an enemy. An alliance with France's biller rival, Prussia, was a natural outgrowth. A long period of inward lookillg consolidation under the Douglass p residency has gi\en way to a morc expansionist mood under the Rcpublican dolfax. Though unwilling and likely unable 10 engage in a war with ~ I exico, the U.S. eycs the rich mine ral wealth lying south of her western erritories. With knowledge that both Texas and the CSA are casting cqual}' envious glances at ~ I cxico's no rt hern districts, the U.S. has encouraged :ettlcmcnt with the promise of full recognition of the righl$ and privileges If any of in citizens settling in the ambiguous western reaches of the ::olorado and Arapahoe tc r ritories.

\ \'hau~H'r

Columbia Rive!" or 48th p arallel Temperate east of Mississippi River. semi-arid in western temtories. wet but mild along Pacific coast Low mountalfls along eastern SBIlI::Ioaro, vast pIa,n nsong to rugged mountains In west Coal. iron. tunbar, precoous metals. vast fettile centrat pia,"

cent,..,

People: United States

Popul8tlOtl: NatlO!1aHty: Ethnic Groups: Religions: Laoguages: 28,787,101

Americal1

WhIle 96". Black 3.5". Ar!"Iemdian 0.5%

Protestant 93%. Roman Catholic 6%,

Jewish 0.4%

English 85". German 1296

Uruted States 01 America FeOeral RepublIC New York City 22 States and 11 terntones

Government United States

Country Name:

Government Type:
Capital:
~0isI;ric:t$:

Independence: Chiel 01

Jut,- 4. ln6 from Kngdom of Great Britian

State: President Scho..IyW Colfax

Economy: United States

Economic Ovetview: The Uruted StatBS. with its unparalleled advantages in raw materials, population If\d technology Is unql,lBStionab!y the leading economic power in the Exports:

"""""'.
~

Manufactured goods and equipment. graln$, processed meal$, teJdiIes

CU!wcy:

US Dollar
(I oz. gold .. SUS 20.67)

(\ OL silver .. SUS \ .291 Milltlry: United States

Military Branches: Standing Forces:

Army. Navy and Marine Corps Approximately 250.000

Simmering tensions with Confederate

Transnational Issues: United States

0isp.Jtes - Intamational:

States of America and France, claims all

pre-war temtory 01 Maryland, Delaware and Oietrict of <;dumbia. dispute with Oesefet over in~lng claims in Oregon
Tenitory, dispute With Texas over ownership and demarkaHon o f the santa Fe trail Connict periodicaIy eruptS with the Native Peopes of the territories Aligned w"h Prussia against France, non-bel!;gBrency pact wrth Bntian

Disputes - National:

AIIiIrooes:

289

_--l

BRITISH

Pc

)
California
o -~

DE:SE:RE:T
Alta C;ili" lornia

.-

~""

'

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55

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Chapter 6.11 History of the Shattered Frontier

The- dissolution of the American Republic had its roots in the Industrial Revohllion. Though there had been regional sparring in the naseen! dt':Olocracy dating back to colonial limes, the economic changes brought on by industrialization sen'cd 10 dh~dc the COlintry on a latitudinal a.xis. :\'orthern factory owners and, 10 a lesser degree, their workers demanded tarin' barriers to protect their fledgling enterprises from ruinous competition with Greal Britain's established manufacturers. SOUlhcrncrs by contrast depended on a cash crop for their li,"cli hooo and saw protectionism as wholly undesirable in twO regards. Retaliatory tariffs would reduce the profitability of their key export, cotton, while simult:meotlsly raising the price of manufactured goods. Imcnwincd in this growing cstrallg~m~nt was the question of labor, or more direcdy the South's 'peculiar instimtion' Qf slavery, As the nation maturrd economically, European demand fo r ra\\ colton increased exponemially. Free men could nOt hope to compete with the \<irtually uncompensat cd labor. The political bickering that ensued from the time of the founding of the republic umil the 1830s has been well doc umemed by other scholars and 10 rehash il here would serve no good purposc, ?>. Iany of the key C\'ents that would shape the political map of the North American contincnt and. in so doing. lead to the dissolution of the American Republic. occurred outside the borders of the young nation, Unfortunately, the western and southern boundaries of Louisiana were never officially delineated by Napoleon, for he did not wish to instigate a diplomatic row with the Spanish crown that he was courting as an ally. The Louisiana Purchase thus led to a dispute between the United States and Spain over the boundaries of the a rea the ronner had bought. The United States claimed that it stretched all the way to the Rio Grande and the Rocky i\ iountains, T his \"as wholly unacceptable to Spain, as it would mean all of Tejas and half of Nuevo ,\ Iexico, both Spanish colonies, would fall under it. There was also disagreement about the ownership of West Florida, a strip of land bel'o"een the ?>. lissLssippi and Perdido Rivers. T he United States claimed it too was included in the purchase; Spain insisted il was not, and that east of the ?>. ii,sissippi only the city of r\ew Orleans beloll'{ed to Loui~iana, Spanish authority over :\'ue\'3 Espana (as her North American colonies \\erc known would soon be assailed on twO fronts, In 1810, after a rel'olt in \\'est florida, the United States annexed the region between the ~ I ississippi and Pearl Rivers. L'uer that year. a series of rebellions were instigau!d b} ~ I ig\ld de Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest of Spanish descent. rhou~h he wa~ tTentually cilptured and executed, Hida1go's leader;hip began a \\ar of independence that culminated on Sepumber 2i, 1821, when the rebel leader Vicente Guerrt'ro and the royaiisl .\gustin de Iturbide signed the Treaty of Cordoba, TIle Spanish settlers of Tejas, called Tejanos. were Strug gling economically. One of their grievances was that man} of them earned livings by domesticating wild mules and mustangs and thell selli ng them in the neighboring Louisiana Territory. Howeve r, the Spanish crown had recently declared all wild animals to be the property of the crown, making this pract ice illegal. Around 18 1 1 the Tejanos, with ample prodding from the American rilibustcrs, finally joined the rebellion. J ose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara and Augustus William Magee, \\Iith the tacit support of the United States, organ ized an expedition of aboul 1,400 men composed of Anglos, Tejanos, Indiall5. and former royalists 10 wrest Texas from Spain, Adopting a "Green Flag" for a banner, the Republican Army of the North crossed from Louisiana into Texas on August 7, 1812, and soon captured several towns including San Antonio, where a declaration of indcpend enee was proclaimed on April 6, 1813. This lirst republic of Texas, however, was shorl l;\'ed, for J oaquin de Arredondo, commandant-general of the Prodncias imernas, organized an arm}' of 1,830 men and in August marched them from L'lredo Ittward San Antonio to quash the rebellion. T h(' decisivc Battlc of Medina was fought o n August 18, 1813, Under pressure by Tejanos \\'110 w;lIlted to spare San Antonio from the ravages of battle. the Republican Army

THE BIRTH O F THE LONE STAR REPUBLIC

In 1804, the United States Senate ratified the treaty by which America would lake possession of the French possessions to her west known as "Louisiana." This was nOt, as some 1I0W a~sume. without controversy. T he matter so infuriated F ederalists (who publicly fretted about war with Spain but privately fear'ed loss of political influence once the vast territory was brought into the Union) that they went so far as to plot the secession of Nc\\ England and New ' ''ork and offering Aaron Burr the Presidency of the new confeclera lion. Although Alexander Hamilton wisely put an end to his rellow pany members' machinations, it was at iI dear per~onal and political cost. Hamilton wou ld die that Silme year in a duel with Burr, while the secessionist seeds sown in Boston would blossolll in southern soilless than three score years hence. Prior to 1804, a small number of American traders. outlaws, and settlers had ventured to the area near the Sabine River called Teja~ by Spain. After the Louisiana Purchase. a steady stream or migrants began to join them. i\'umbered among these newcomers wet'e soldiers of fortune called fili busters.

292

opted to meet the Royalist army south of the city. T hey cllcamped about six miles from Arredondo's forces and planned to ambush the royalists as they tra\'eled through a dcfile along the Laredo road. The next morning, howC\.-er, Royalist KOuts encountered the Republicans andlurcd them into an ambush in a dense 0:0. forest where they had prepared breaslworks on f.'\\orable ground. After a furious (ourhour battle, the Republicans broke ranks and ran. The Royalist!; lost only fift) -fi\'c men. Arredondo subsequently established martial law in S:1Il Antonio and severely punished me rebels and their families. One of Arredondo's more notable ~ubordinates was Lt. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who would return to Texas with another army twenty-three ~'ears later. Ha\ing given up on attemptli to wrest Tt'jas from Spain by force, the United States resolved its territOrial claims with Spain through the 1819 Adams-Ollis Treat)' in 1819. T he treat)' provided for Ihe cession of Florida to the United States for payment of 55 million and established the border between Spanish .-md American lands \\estward to me Pacific - specifically along tht' Sabine. Red and Arkansas Rivers and the 42nd parallel. Under ih term~, tht' L'nitt'd States gav'C up il.~ claim to Texas, and Spain gave up iu, claim to the Columbia River basin in the Oregon TerritOry. Afler ~t exican independence, new immigral1l~ from the United Statcs, many 1.,,110 had been ruined in the Panic of 1819, scaled in me ~ I exjcall state of Coahuila yTejas, often with generous land grants from the roung l\ lcxican gO\'ernment. Most were grateful to ~ I t'l(ico for the opportunity to make a fresh stall. The majority of Te.'(ans, for the new American coloni~ ls outnumbcred the native Te-janos. immi grnted under the auspices of ~lexi can Constitution of 1824. Under that covenant, Mexican citizens enjoyed a republican form of government with mOst of the power of gO\'ermnenl residing at the depanmemal [state] and local levels. Relations belween the American ~ctt.lt'rs and their ~ I exican hosts would begin a prtcal'i ou~ downw;ml slide in April 1830 I."hen tht' .\icxiean gO\ocrmnent forbade further immigt'ation from the United States. l\lexican federalists had plenty of reasons to mistrust their nonhern neighbors. They recalled ,he filibusten' attempllO !Ccure Texas for lhe United States. l'lexicall Secretary of State Lucas Alaman expres~ed such concern succincdy. "Where othen send invading armies." he groused: "[the Americans] send dlt'ir colonists." He llllderslOod Ihal American newspapermen wrote incendiary articles calling for the occupation of Texas. He knew that ill 1829 President Andrew Jackson had dispatched the brulish Anthony Buller 10 .\lexico with an offer to buy Texas. He was also aware mat Americans almost constantly spoke of the "reannexluion of Texas," a belief that l cxas should have been a part of the Louisiana Purchase o\\;ng to the shon lived La Salle colony of 1685. Little wonder then thall\'lexic3n federalists viewed the colossus to the north and il!l wayf.uing citizem as a threat to Mexican nationhood.

As if to validate Alaman '5 concerns, the Bailie of \ elasco (June 26, 1832) witnessed the first bloodshed in the fonhcoming w"r between Tejas and :vlcxico. Domingo de Ugartechea, lhe .\ Iexican commander of a fon at Velasco, anempted 10 block attempts by the Texans to transport a cannon for what he believed was possible usc against ~ I exican forces at nearb)' Anahuac. After several days of fighting, the Texans prevailed when the l\{exicans surrcnder~d after exhausting their ammunition. Under the provi~iOH5 of a hastily negotiated truce, Ugartechca and his soldiers were al1ow~d 10 return to .\lexico. When ~lexican officiaJs dismissed the l'lexican commander at Anahuac, singularly the cause for the Texican's frustration with l' lexican authorities in the area, tensions apparemly east'd. The Texicans, however, roan beg-.1Il to take a political tact thal would provoke fun her dolt'nCl'. The Convention of 1833 was a gathering of politicians and leaders of the state of Coahuila y Tejas in San Felipe on April I, 1833. It 1\I"aS a successor meeting to the Convention of 1832. whose reforms had been rejected b) thc l'l exican go\ernmcnt. The \'C/latilc William H. Wharton presided over tht' met'tin,\" which was allended by numerom regional leadef", including Sam Houston and Stephen E Austin. The convention's agenda mirrored the Com'ention of 1832, with the exception of tht' addition of 11 draft constitution !patterned afler that of the United State~ to be submiued to the ~lexican congress. Austin tra\ cled to l\lexico City to present the pelitions to the government. After some initial success in his negotiations, Austin came to an impasse ;1I1d wa!> imprisoned in early 1834 without any speci fic charges. When Antonio LOpez de Santa Anna revoked the Constitution of 1824 and declared himself dictator in 1835, many concluded that liberali!m and rcpubliclInislTl in l'lexico were dead. i\'orteamelicano colonists considered themselvC5 bound to the old constitution and ullsurprisingly dissension and discord mounted. T hey were nOt, however, alone. Many Federalistias 1kl(ieans loyal to the Constitution of 1824 also took up arms 10 resist Santa Anna's tyrannic:.1 regime, The revolt that began near Gonzales in October 2. 1835. was a civil \Ial" not a bid for complete separation from~lexico. I~oth Anglo-Texans and the nati\'e Tejanos fouglll for seif-gO\'ernment within the federalist system created by the Constitution of 1824. On i\O\'ember 3, 1835 a m('cting was held to consider options for more autonomous rule for Texas. The ~Consultation~ drafted il document known as the "Organic Law", outlining- the organization and functions of a new "Provisional Go\ernment". Texa n leaders squashed an)' mention of independence, fcaring that such remarks might alienate Mexican federalists. The) wt're, howeve r, disappointed when F ed(,l'alisLS from the interior did not rush north to Texas to take up tile struggle and ~ independence began to be open l} spoken of.

293

Stephen Austin was a firebrand in the cause of Texas and leader of the independence faction. In a rambling letter dated J anuary 7,1836, he neatly summed up the situation.

"I go for Illdepmdmufor I have no doubt we shall get aid, as much as we lIud and perhaps more - and what is if equal importance - the informatioTl from Mexico liP to lal( in Dectmber says that the Fideral party has IInited with Santa Anna against us. owing to what has already bun smd and done in Texas in fa~"Or if Independence so Ihal ollr prtsenl position UlldeT the conslillition if 1824, dO($ liS no good witll Ihe Federalists, and is doing liS harm in this counlry. by keeplllg awl"!Y the kind if men we most need!.] [lV] m / in the convenliol,[.] / would urge all immidiate declaralion if /ndepmdmCf - wlless there be some news from Ihe [Jfexican] inlerior Ihal changed the face if things - alld eren theil, it would reqllire very slrong reasons to prevelll me from the cOllrse 1 now recommend. "
\ Vhen the well respected Stephen Fuller Austin spoke, Texans listened. Now nearly all of them believed that their best hopes for the futu re rested on complete separation from
~vl e x ieo.

so naive as to belie\'e that President Jackson would risk an international incident by openly supporting the Texas rebels against 1>. lexico. They did, however, hope to enlist the support of individual Americans who believed in their cause. T he ad interim go\ernment dispatched Branch T. Archer, William H . Wharton, and Stephen F. Austin to the United States to solicit men, money, supplies, and sympathy for the Texas cause. At New Orleans, in early J anuary of 1836, the agents found enthusiastic support, but advised that aid would not be forthcoming so long as Texans squabbled over whether to sustain the M exican constitution. Southerners wholeheartedly embraced the Texicans' cause for they anticipated that an independent Texas would remain so for only a few months before entering the union as a slave state. At Ihe time, the Uni ted States had an equal number of free and sla\e slates. Since both free and sla'e states \'oted as a block, it created a legislative gridlock with neilher side being able to gain advantage. Southerners believed that adding Texas to the block of slave states would tilt the congressional balance of power in their favor. Such was the strength of their conviClion that many Southerners

Texas leaders understood that they could not \\i n the war alo ne. If .\'lexiean federalists would not lend a hand, they must enlist assistance from the United States. They were not

BATTLES ron INDEPENDENCE The Texiean insurgency was of vital concern \0 Santa Anna and he aimed to personally deal a final crushing blow to the Noteamericanos. In the spring of I S36, he led a force of several thousand ~l e x ican troops northward. They first entered San Antonio and defeated a Texican force at the Battle of the Alamo, and then shortly aften,ards defeated a second Texican force near Goliad. ~ l ost of the captured men, O\1:r 350 all told, were considered outlaws and put 10 death.
Sam Houston, newly in command of the remaining Texican army, initially retreated cast towards the Sabine Ri\er, Ihe border with the United States, where a Federal army had assembled 10 protect Louisiana in case Santa Anna tried to invade the United States after quelling the rebellious Texicans. Howe"er, at the urgent coaxing of his civilian masters, Houston turned to the southeast to act as a blocking force lest the Mexicans capture the nascent Texican government. Santa Anna had been pursuing Houston and devised a trap in which three columns of :-'lcxican troops would converge on Houston's force and destroy it. However, the overconfident General committed a strategic error by diverting one column to attempt to capture the provisional government, and a second one to proteci his supply lines. Santa Anna's remaining forces caught up 10 Houston on April 19 near Lynch's Ferry. Believing Houston to be cornered, Santa Anna decided 10 res! and reorganize his army and attack in force on April 22. On the morning of April 2 J, Houston decided to launch a surprise attack that afternoon with his army of roughly 800 men, concerned that Santa Anna might use the extra time to concentrate his scattered army which already numbered about 1,400. The assault was a dangerous endeavor as it would be made O\1:r open ground where the Texican infantry would be exposed to Mexican volley fire. However, Santa Anna made another crucial mistake--.--.during his army's afternoon siesta, he failed to POSt sentries or skirmishers around his camp.

.-\14:30 p.m. on April 21, after a scout relayed the burning of Vince's Bridge cutting off the primary avenue of retreat for both armies ;, the main Texican battle line moved fon,'ard. They moved quickly and silently across the high-grass plain, and then, when they were only a few dozen yards away, charged Santa Anna's camp shouting "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!," only stopping a few yards from the ~lexicans to open fire. Sama Anna's army was composed of professional soldiers '''ho were trained in Europcan fashion to fight in ranks, exchanging volleys with opponents employing similiar tactics. T hey were not trained for hand-to-hand skirmishing and many were also ill-prepared and unarmed at the time of Ihe sudden attack.

Hundreds of the demoralized and confused )I,'Jexican soldiers routed, and many ran into the marshes along the river. Some of the :-'Ie."ican army rallied and futilely attempted to push the Texans back, but to no avail. General Juan Almonte, commanding what was left of the organized l\lcxican resistance, soon formally surrendered his remaining men. The rest of Santa Anna's once-proud army had disintegrated into chaos. During the short but furious engagement Santa Anna escaped. In a mere IS minutes of combat, the Texican army had killed about 630 ~lexican soldiers, wounded 208 and taken 730 prisoners. Santa Anna was captured the following day. He anempted 10 disguise himself by shedding his ornate general's uniform and was initially thought to be an ordinary soldier. However, when placed with other captured soldiers, he was cnthusiastically saluted as "El Presidente," and his true identity was revealed. Houston spared his life, preferring to negotiate an end to the overall hostilities and the withdrawal from Texas of Santa Anna's remaining columns. Texican independence was afoil accompli, although did not oflicially recognize it until years lalcr.
~ I exico

294

enlisted in the "Icxican army as organized regional units, the f\.entucky Rifles and Ne\\ Orleans Greys most notably. In ~Iarch of 1836, a comtiltltional com'ention was CO Il,'ened, This con\'Cntion, held at Washington, was quite different from the acquiescent Consultation of the pre\;ous year. The cOllvention delegates knew the)' must deda: indeJl('ndence or submit to ~ I e:o;:jcan authority, If they chose independence, they had to draft a constitUlion for a new nation, establi~h a strong pl"O\;~ional gO\'ernmenl, and prepare to combat the ~ I exican armies invading Te:o;:as. On ~Ia rch I. George C, Childress, \\ho had recently \"isitcd Presidelll J ackson in Tennessee, presented a resolution calling for independence. At its adoption, the chairman of the cOlwcmion a ppointed Chil{lress 10 head a committee of five to draft a dccJar;.uion of independence, \Vhen the committee mct that evening, Childress drew fi'Om his pocket a stat ement he had brought from Tennessee that followed the outline and main features of the United Smtes Declaralion of Independellce, The next day; !\ Iareh 2, Ihe delegates unanimously adopted Childre~s's suggestion for independence. Ultimately, fifty-eight member~ signed the document. Thus was born the second Republic of Texas. Da\id G. Burnet was chosell as interim PresidcllI of the Republic. Sam Houstoll. a former United States congressman and gO\'ernor of Tennessee and a clo5e friend of Andrew Jackson. was chosen commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army and kft the convention early to take charge of all troops in the ficld-mililia, volul1lcers, and regular army enlistees. \\'ith news that the Alamo had fallen and ~Icxicall armies were marching eastward, tht' convemion hastily adopted the constitution, signed iI, and cleeted an ad interim governmeill. The delegates then quickly abandoned Washington. The gO\'ernmem o m ce r~, learning that Houston's army had crossed the Colorado River on !\larch 17 and was retreating eastward, /led to Harrisburg and then to Gal"eston lsland. With news of the Texan victory al San J aeimo, the Burnet goyernrnent hastened 10 the battlefield and began negotiations to end the war. Oil i\ lay 14 at Velasco, Texas ofIicials had Santa Anna sign two treaties, one public and one secret. T he public treaty ended hostilities and restOred private property. Texan and i\ le:o;:ican prisoners were to be released, and Mexican troops would retire beyond the Rio Grande, By the terms of the secret treaty, Texas was to take Santa Anna EO Vemcruz and release him. In return, he agreed to seek ,\ lexican government approval of the two trealies and to negotiate a permanent rn':afy Ihal acknowledged Texas independence and n'cogniL('d ill boundary as the Rio Grande. Howen'r, word soon reached Te:o;:as that the _ \ l exican Congress had repudiated Santa Anna, rejected his treaties, and ordered the war \"ith Texas to continue.

men joined the three agelll5 [Austin, Archer, and Wharton) al ready there, Childress and Hamilton met with Secretary or State J ohn Forsyth, but Ihey carried no oAleial documents 10 pro\'t: that Texas had a de facIO government, and therefore he refused to negotiate. In ~[ay Burnel recalled all tht, agellls and appoil1led James Collinsworth, who had been Burnet's ~crctary of state from April 29 10 i\ la} 23, and Peter W. Grayson, the attorney general, to replace them. The)' were instnlcted to ask the L'nited States to mediate the hostilities belween Texas and ~ I exico and obtain recognition of Texican independence. They also were 10 stress the republic's interest in annexation.
twO

During the summer of 1836, U.S. President Andrew Jackson senl Hem) J \1. :>' Iorfit, a Stale Depanmelll clerk, as a ,pecial agent 10 Te:o;:as to collect information on Ihe re public's population, strength, and ability to maintain independence, In l\u~uSt, i\ lorfit fil ed his report. He estimated the population at 30,000 Anglo-Americans, 3,478 Tejanos, 14,200 Indians, of which 8.000 belonged to civilized tribes that had mip;rated from the L'niled Slates, and a slave population of 3,000, pith a few free blacks. The population was ~mall. Texas independence \,'as far from secure, Ihe gO\'efllment had a hea\) debt, and there was a vast tract of conte!>ted \'acam land bel\\'een the seulements and the Rio Grande. ~Iorfh ild\~~ed Ihe United State~ 10 delay recognilion. In his annual message 10 Congress on December 21, 1836, J ackson cited Mortie's report and stated that the United States lr.lditionally had accorded recognition only \\hf'1l a lIew cOlllmunit) could maintain its independence. Te:o;:as was threatened b~ ~an immense disparity or physical force on the ~ide or \l ex.ico," which might recover its lost dominion. Jack:.oll lert the di~po~ition of Ihe matter to COIlV-C<;S. By July, Burnet and his cabinet began preparations for the transition to a perm:li1elll government. The ad interim presidelll called ;111 elrclion ror the fi rsl Monday ill September 1836 to ~CI up a government under the constitution. The Voters were asked to (I) approve the constitution, (2) aUlhorize Congress 10 amend the eomtitUlioll, (3) clcct a president, ot her officers, and members or Congrt!~s, and 4) e:o;:press their views on anncxation III the United Siaies. The choice of a president caused concern. Hen!) Smith, formerly go\'Crllor of Thb prior 10 the Convcntion of 1836, became an lIIm;lling candidate arter being nominated by associales of his. Stephen F. Austin also enten':d the race, bUI he had accumulated enemies because of Ihe land speculations of his business associates. EIe\'en days before the eleclion, Sam Houstoll finally bowed to pressure and announced his candidaC)~ On election da), Septeml>CI' 5, HouS1on reeei\'ed 5,119 VOles, Smith 743, and Austin 587. Houston received strong support from the army and from those who believed thai his election would ensure internal stability and hasten recognition by world PO\\lCr!l and early anne:o;:ation ID the United States. He was also c:o;:pecled to stand firm againsl J\le:Gco and seek ["ccognition of Te:O;::ls independence. The people

Seeking Recognilion
1,\'0 days after the const itutional convclllioll adjourned. interim President S ume! ~cnt George Childress and Robert Hamilton. probably the wealthiest lllan in Texas, to Washington to seek recognition of the new republic. These

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\'oted overwhelmingly to accept lhe constitution and 10 seek annexat ion, but rlH~} denied Congress the power of amendment. The First Texas Congress assembled on O ClOber 3, 1836. It consisted of fourteen senalOrs and twenty-nine reprcsenlati\cs. The next day ad illlcrim President Burnet dcli\'crcd a valedictol)' address. He urged Congress 10 authorize land grants to the \'cter:lIl~ of the rc\'Olulion and reminded his listeners that the national debt -tood at 1.250.000. On October 22 Houoton took the oath of office as president before a joint session of Congress. In his inaugural. he stressed tbe need for 1 >C<lce treaties with the Indians and for constant vigilance regarding "our national enemies the I\lcxicam." He hoped to sec Tcxas annc.xed to the l ' nited States. HomlOll requcsted the Senate to confirm his cabinel appoiIHIllCIlL'i. He !lamed Stephen F. Au.tin to be ~eeretan' of ~tale; Henry Smith, secre tfll)' of the treasury; 'rhomasj RlI~k and Samuel Rhoad~ Fisher ~etTetaJy of war and secretan of th e navy, respecti\-ciy: and J ames Pinekne) Henderson, attorne}' gene ral. On December 19, 1836, the Texas Congress unilaterally set the boundaries of the republic. It declared the Rio Grande to Ix the southern and western boundary; e"en though ~Iexi co had refused to recognize Texas independence. The eastern bordcr with Louisiana prescnted problems. Houston took up the maltcr with the L'nited StalCs through diplonllltic- channd~. and a [rcan wa~ signed in Washi ngton on April 25. 1838, which p~ided th'at each goverllmelll would appoint a commi~ion{'r and a SUf\'cyor 10 formally demark the boullda!). National defense and frontier protection were paramoulll to Texans. Threats of a i\ lexican in\'asion and the fear of Indian raids kept the western coulllic~ in turmoil. Congress passed several acts dealin~ with froutier defense. In Decembe r 1836, it authorized a rnilita!), force of 3,587 men lWcl a battalion of 280 mounted riflemen, ;Ind appropriated lil\lds to build forts and trading posts to encourage and ~uper\'ise Indian trade. In case of a ~h::xicall im'asion, Congress empowered Houston 10 aceept 40.000 yolunteers from the United Statcs. President Houston look a more practical vitw of the ~i[u:llio n . He downpla)'ed :\lcxican threats, labeling thelll braggadocio and bombast. If the enem) invaded, he reasoned, l cx:ms would rush to defend their homes. Ranger unit~ on the frontier could handle the Indian situation. Houston's primary cOllcern was to negotiate treaties "'ilh the Indiam ensuring fair treatment. As for the army, Houston feared that Felix Huston. the commander and a militarr a(\vell1urer. might commit a rash dCI. He was proven .;orft~ct. Huston came to Houston and rai~ed a clamor for a campaign against :\Iexico. Houston treated him cordially. but promptly ordered acting secretary of war William S. Fisher to furlough three of the four arlllv regiments. The rema.ining troops 'Iere gradually disbanded. Houstoll planned to depend for defense Oil the militia, ranger companies, and troops called for special duty.

Houston dispatched William H. Wharton to Washington D.C. with instructiom [0 seck recognition on hoth de ju re and de facto grounds. If Wital10n succeeded he would presCllt hi ~ credcntials as minister. :\Iemuean H unt soon joined him. ThL')' reported that 1 10" h:U;ln Ellis, Unitcd States minister 10 :\ Iexico, had arri\'ed in Washington and stat ed that ;\I exic-o W:1.5 filled with anarch}; fC\olu[ion. and bankruptcy, It \\ould be impo~,ihh: for her 10 invade Texas. France, Great Britain , and the" United States were clamoring for the pa) ment of claims of their citizens against .\Iexico. On i\ larch I, 1837, the United States Congress. recei\'ing memorials and petitions demanding the recognition of Te xas indepcndence, passeel a resolution [0 provide money for "a diplomalic agent" to T!'xas. j ackson sibrned the resolution and appointed Alece Louis La Branche of Louisiana to be charge d'affaires to tht:: Republic of 'Icxas. The United States Con~ress mljounlt'd oll jul), 9, 1838, without acting upon the qU{'stion of annexation. Houston replaced \\'harton with . \ nson jonc~, a member of th(' T('xas Congress. J ones had introduced a resolution urging HnuSlOll to withdra\\ the offer of annexation, saying th:u Texas h:ld grown in strength and rcsou rces and no longer needed tics with the United States. In Washington D.C. 011 October 12, 1838, j ones informed Secretary Fors~1h [hat Texas had withdrawn its request for annex:llion. The i~su(' lay dormant for ,('\'('ral yt"ar~. In the fall of 1838, Homton scm J amt:s Pinckney Henderson abroad 10 seek recognition of Texas by England and France. The withdrawal of the annexation proposal in \\'a~hin1ilton hel~d facilitate his mi~sion. France. currently at war with Mexico. readily signed a treaty on September 25, 1839 recognizing Texican independence. England, in spite of slavc!) in the young republic and her desire 10 !iCe the abolition of ~ 1a\'C!)' worich\idc. could not stand idly by and see France gain influence and trade plivileges in Texas. Al ~o, since she h;td ju~t 5("uJed the J\lainc and Oregon bound,,!)' issues in the .\roostook War with the United States, recognition of Texas would be unlikely to provoke a diplomatic 1'0\\. In the fall of 1840, Lord Aberdeen annoullced that Her :\Iajesty's government would recognize Texican independence, and on No\'C'~mbcr 13- 16, th ree tre:nies were signed that dealt \"ith independence., commerce and navigation, and ~uppr('~~ion of the African slave trade. A month earlier. on September 18, l~xas had concluded a lI'eaty of amity. com mcree, and navigation II ith th e :'\ethcrlands. Houston named Ashbel Smith minister to Gre:11 Britain and France .md sentJames Reil\' to represent Texa~ in Washington. D.C. I-Ie instnlcted both men to urge the three nations to exert pres~ure on :\icxico for peace and ft:cognition. roward the end of HouSlOn's te r m as Preside III IPr{'sid{'llI~ of the republic could not succeed themsekes) Lamar announced his candidiler Houston supportcrs tried to gel Rusk to run, but he rtfused. T hey next endorsed Pc:ler w. Gra}'son, the attorn!!y gt'ncral, who had worked in Washington, but 011 his way back to Texas, Grayson C0111-

296

mined su icide. The H ouslOl1ite~ then approached Chief J usliee J ames Collinsworth. but in 1:lle J uly he fell overboard in Galveston lJay and drowned. I~'lmar campaigned on a promise to rellled}, the mistakes of the HouslOn administration and easil~ WOIl by a vote of 6,995 10 252 ovcr the relatively unknown state Senator Robnt WilSall. David Burnet, the former ad illlerim president, \\'as elccted vice president. At the Lamar inau/,'"u ral in Houston 011 Decembel 10, HouSlOn appeared in colonial costume and powdered wig and gave a three-hou r "Farewell Address," Algernon I~ T hompson, Lamar's 'iecret:u); reported that the !lCW president was indisposed .md read his inaugural remarks. In his message to the Texas Con~res..; on December 21, Presidelll Lamar spoke against annexation. Hc ~.\\\ no \',tlue in a tie with the United States and predicted that Texas would someday become a great nation extendinQ; to the Pacific. He urged that the lllu nicip:tl code be reformed to cOll!tOlidate ~ I exiean and United States la" in the republic. He also \\antcd incrcllsed prOteclion fo r the western froutier. L'unar recollllllended the building of militaf1 posts alon!!; the borden and the formatioll of a ~tallding army capable of prolecting the nation's borders. He promised 10 pro\t"("utc the wa r against ~'lc xico ullIil she recognized Texas independence. H(' also stated Ihat Texas needed a navy 10 protect iu. commerce 011 the bigh sea:. and urged legislation to reserve all minerals for go\'crnment use a ~ well as 1I program 10 turn them to the ach'alllage of the nation. Lamar favored continuing the ta riff, btl! hoped some day to sec Texas ports free and open. Conq-ress responded to his message by aut horizing a force of fifteen companies to be .stationed in military colonies at eight places 011 the fromier. Congress also set aside S5,000 to recruit and maintain a comp.1I1\ of fi ft y-six rangers to patrol the Rio Grande from El 1 )..ISo to SlInta ~~ and three mounted companie~ fOT immrdiatc !lenicc against the hostilc Apacht Indians. ,\ t the beginning of the i ...'lmar administration. ~ lexico was tempora ril}' distracted. Because of un resolved French cllIims, the French i\'av} had blockaded Ihe :\ lexiean coast and shclk,d and captured \'eracruz. The Centrali~t :--' Iexieall go\'ermnem also faced a revolt by federa lists in ils northern states. Tension increased \\ hen Lamar Ihreate ned to launch all offensive against i\ lexico if that nation refu~ed 10 recognize Texas independence. Tc.... an milita!) unih crossed the Rio G rande and joined the i\ lexic:m Federalists. ignoring Lamar's call to return. In Fcbruary 1839 Lamar increased the pressure Oil ~ I exico, He appointed Secre!:\I)' of State Bec minister extraordinary and plenipotentiary 10 ~kxico to n'quest recognition or Texas independence and to conclude a treaty of peace, amity. and commerce. Bee also was to seek an agreement fixing Ihe 1Ialion'l1 bounda!)' at the Rio Grande from ils moulh to its sou rce. If Mexico I'('fused these rC<luest,., Hee would offer 5 million fo r thc territo!)' that "Icxas claimed by the aCI of December 19, IS36, territory that Illy outside Ihe bounds recognized by Mexican law. " 'hen Bel' reached Veracruz, the Frclleh had wi thdrawn and till' Centl"3lists were strengthening their position. Howevcr,

J uan Vilalba, a st'cret agent of Sama Anna who was serving tempomrily as president, made o\'CrlUres and hinted at possible negotiations. L'lmar asked James Treat, a former residelll of :\ Icxico \"10 knew Santa Anna and other :--'I exican leader~, to 1Ie1 as a confidential agcnl and ;lltempt negotiations. Unfortunatd); Treat re.tched VeraCl"uz on Xovember 2S. IS39 jusl as the Federalim and their Texican allies approadlt'd the gates of !\ lalamoros. The alliance between the' rogue Tcxicans lind Ihe Fcdel":lles blocked his plan.~. When Treat proposed an extended armistice to the ~ I cxican minister of foreign affairs a year laler. he was again ignored. A Mexican invasion or Texas was now rumored. Gene!"al Felix Huston proposed sending :tn expedition of 1,000 men into Chihu ahua, beliedng the mov(' would fo rce any \ Ie'lican army that crossed the Rio Grande downslream to withdra\\. Congress did not concu r wil h this plan, however, and in ~ l aJ"ch 1841 Lamar appointed J ames Webb, forme r anorne-. ~enera l , to replace Bee as secreta!)' of Slate and selll him to ,\ Iexico "'ith another peace proposal. Webb was denied permi"sioll LO land at Veracruz. Slighted by this affronL thc P rc.~ident on June 29 recommended that Texas N'coll:nize the indeJlCndence of Yuc.tlan a nd Tabasco and join in i.I declllration of war a~lIinSL 1\ le)l.ico. Lamar also urged attcntion to the upper part of the Rio Grande. The Filth Congreo;s a~reed to finance all expedition to establish Texican authority over iL~ rar-westeru claims. L'lmar believed that Texas musl ('xtend its authority over its western elaims and divert a portion of lile Santa Fe -S\. Louis trade Ihrough ils porls. He abo sought 10 encourage the SO,OOO inhabitants of l'\uevo 1\ lexico 10 sevcr their lies with ~ I ex.ico and tUfIl to Texa~. If the li"nited States took control of ~ue\'o ~ lexico, it could extend it.~ influence to the P:uific and ~upercede Texican claims by forcc of arms. On J unc 20,1811, a large caravan. officially designated the Santa '"~ Pioneer~. I('ft the Austin \;ciniIY. Dr. Richard F. Brenham, William G. Cooke. lind J ose Antonio Naval'ro tra\'e!ed along as commi~ .. ioner~ to treat with Ihe inhabicants of Nuevo i\ lexico. Gen. Hugh :\ IcLcod comma nded a military escort of 270 men. T he civilian component included fifrv-olle persons. principally ll1erchallls, traden, and learnsters, with twellly-one wagons. After crossing the "a~t plains of Wesl l has under great hardship, on September 17 Ihe expedition reached the village of Anton Chico, east of Sa nta Fe. There they mel a small i\ lexican cavalry force and drove them ofT thus !"('moving Mexico City's influence from the \\est~rn Rio Grande. In the fall of IS41, Houston and Burnet were Cll ndidates fo r prt"sidenl. O n September 6, Houston easily won a second term, and Burleson br:at OUI Hunt ror \;ce president. In his second admin istraliun. HOU SIOIl reversed many of L'lmar's policics. He soug-ht peace treaties with the Indians, took a defensive stand agaiust :--'It-xieo, and encouraged tJ"3de along thc somhern and \\'estcrn borders, Houston WlIS vitally concerned with the location of the capi tal. AUSli n was on the frontier. fa r from the center of population. If Indian or :\ Icxican intruders captured and bumed the capital. the

297

prestige of the goyernment would suffer. In earl~ ~larch 1842. when J'\'lexican General Rafael Vasquez crossed Ule Rio Grande with iOO soldiers and raided San Antonio, Houston seized the opportunity to order removal of the national archives from Austill. but local citizens blocked Lhe move. DUling the session of Congress called to discuss the Vasquez invnsion. Houston pushed through moving the capital. In O ctober the government offices \\'cre moved \0 Washington . The Texas seat of government remained at \Vashington ever sinc(>. On October 9, 1841, Santa Anna reestablished himsdf as president of \ Iexico and determined to renew hostilities against Texas. In early J anuary of 1842. General ~ t ariallo Arista, commanding the Army of the Korth, announced his intcmioll of invading the "the Departmem of Tejas." After \'a..~quez seized S,Ul Antonio in i\ larch, the western coumies demanded a n:taliatory stlik~ at ;\lexiro. Houston knew that such a campaign was beyond Texas' means, but decidt-d to let the agitators learn for themselves. On March J 7 he approved the undertaking and SCnt agents to the United States to recruit volunteers and obtain arms. munitions, and provisiollS. The soldiers, assembling on the ~ueces ncar San Patricio, quickly became restless. Provisions were short, and ga mbling and drunkenness prevailed. Learning of the disorder, a \Iexican force launched a sur prise attack on the Texan camp on J uly 7 driving it off.
pro,~siolla l

lie. Earlir:r, in August 1842, Charles A. Warfield had received a simila r commission, recruite.d a small party largely in ~il issouri, and briefly occupied a 1\'lexica n toWll on the ovt:rland trail. Snilcly o rganized 175 mcn a nd in April 18.J.3 they rode north. From his camp about fort}' miles below where the Santa Fe T rail crossed the Arkansas River, Sni,c1y captured a ~ I exican patrol guarding the trail. The ensuing foray was short-lived. United States dragoons escorting merchant caravans through Indian country arrested ilnd disarmcd the Texans. allegedly for being on United Stlltes soil, and sent them home. The United States later paid for the arms they had taken from the Texans bur offered no apology: While in Perote Prison as a prisoner of the Battle of Salado Creek,,James W. Robinson, a former acting gO\ernor or Texas during the Consultation, sought an interview with SaTlla Anna. He stated thm if granted all auciiellce, he could show hOI\ to arr,U1gr a la.,ting peacr between l\'1cxico a nd Texas. Santa Anna, currently distracted by 1IlI" war with Yucat;U1. agreed to hear Robinson. Under his proposals Texas would become an independent department in the ;\lexican federation, be rcpresented in the ).Iexican Congress, and be allowed to make ilS own 1:1\\'5. Tex:ls would be granted amnesty for past acts against Me:-';1co, and ~ I exjco would station no troops in Texas. Santa Awm approved the proposals on Febntary 18, 1843, and released Robinson to com'ey them to Te.xas. Houston ~tudied the propo~al, a.nd reasoned that Santa Anna's Yucallin problem mi~ht lead the :'Ile.xican president to agree to more fmorable peace terms. Houston a~ked Charlcs Elliot. the British charge d'affaires to Tc..xas, to ask Richard Pakenham, the Blitish minister in .:'Ilcxieo, to seek an armistice. Robinson wrote Santa Anna that Houston wanted an armistice of se\ (' ral months to gi"c the people of Texas an opportunity to consider the proposals. " ' hen Santa Ann a received Robinson's lellrr, hr agreed 10 a trucr. Houston proclaimed an armistice on June IS. 18<1-3, and sent Samuel ~ 1. Williams and George W. H ock.lc~ as commissioners to meet their counterparts at Sabinas. ncar the Rio Grande. They were to arrange a general armistice and request that a commission meet in ~ l exico City to discuss a permanent peact. The Texas and \ Icxiran com missioners agreed 011 a permanent a rmistice on F ebruary 18, 1844. but Houston filed the document away without taking aCIion because it referred to Texas as a ,\I cxican department. In the Texas presidential race of 1844. \ ~ce President Edward Burleson faced Secretary of State AnsonJones, who had the support of Houston. J ones won by a large vOtc. I\ fter he wa..~ inaugurated on December 9, he launched a policy of economy, peaceful relations with the ci\~lized Indians. and a nonaggressi\c policy toward 1\ Iexieo. Jones favored annc..xalion to the United States but cIems would unfold in Washinl:,'ton D.C. IhM dashed his hopes. The an nexation of Texas had become a major issue in the United States election of 1844. F ormer Vice-President J ohn Tyler had Imed away a significant portion of SOUlhcrn democmts spllfllc-d by candidate Van Buren's anti-annexa

The Mexican gmernment '\a$ determined to keep the Texas frontier in turmoil. Santa Anna ordered Gen. Adrian Woll to again attack Sail Amonio and informed the \lexican Congress that he planned to resubjugate Texas. Woll crossed the Rio Grande and made a surprise attack on San .\ntonio on the morning of Septtmbcr 11. The defenders, learning that the soldiers were Mexican regulars, surrendered. On the eighteenth Wo!! moved \0 Salado Creek, assaulted the Texans assembled on the creek ~ast of San .\ntonio, then withdrew to San Antonio and shortly after,,"ard~ returued to Mexico. After the bailIe of Salado Creek. Texans demanded retaliation and rushed to San Alltoniu as indi\'iduals, in companies, and in small grou ps. Houston scm Brig. Gen. Alexander Somervell to take charge of the force there. On November 25, Somervctl headed for the border with more thall 750 mell and seized Laredo. III December, Somervell led the rCSt downriver, crossed the Rio Grande, and seized Gucrrero. Unable to find provisions, he recrossed into Texas and ordered his men to prepare to return home. The border wrtr would thereafter settle down into an uneasy and unofli cial tntce. Like Lamar, Houston expresse.d concern over the western boundaries of 'l has. In February 1843, his administration authorized J acob Sni,cly to raise a volunteer group to make a show of force in the northwest territo'l claimed by Texas. They hoped to prey on the Mexican caravans trave.ling that section of the Santa Fe Trail that crossed Texas tenitol)'. The men were to mount, arm, and eq uip themseh-es and share half the spoils; the other half would go to the repub-

29"

INDIAN RELATIONS
President HouslOn hoped, by kee ping military units out of the Indian count!)' and seeking treaties "ith \~rious tribes, 10 f\\uid difficu lties with the Indians. He sellt frie ndly "talks" to all of the tribes that had been re located from their lands in the east. The most pressing problem involved the Cherokees, who had Jellied on rich lands along the Sabine and elsewhere in East Texas. Neither Spain nor )'Iexico had gi\"cli them title to their lands. At the time of the l cx3s RcvolUlion, the Consuhation, hoping to keep the Cherokees and thei r associated bands quiet. sent Sam Houston to make a lTeluy guaramedng them title 10 their land, and Ihey had remained quiel during the dimwIt days. \\'hen Houston became pre~idem, he submincd the Cherokee II'c:uy to the Senate for ratification, which that body

ratificd in Deccmber 1837. After the defeat at SanJaeilllo, ). Iexico sought to stir up discomelll in Texas. )' Iexiean comm[lnden suspected \b[lt there were restless groups around among various Indi[ln lribes, and scm [lgems 10 Texas 10 promote dissension. While they had littlc success with tribes in the cast, the Ap[lehe in weSI Texas were eager to take the arms offered by ,\lexican agenu and were ~ ub scqucntly responsible for causing all som of mayhem.

Upon laking office in December 1838, Lamar was COIl\inced that the Comanches were in treasonable correspondence with the ~ le xican5, and launched a campaign that drove them from Texas. In 1839 ranger panics based in San Amonio invaded Comanche COUIlIII' and fough l several engagements. The Comanches sem a small delegation 10 San Amonio to talk peace. Texas authorities agreed to negotiate if the Indians brought in their white captives. On ).I arch 19, 18-10, si.'(ty-fi\"e Comanches showed up ....ilh one white prisoner, a twelve.)ear old girl by the name of ~J atilda Lockhart. ~ [ ;l1 i lda said the Comanches had other prisoner.s. T he Texicans demanded the remaining prisoners and tried to hold the Indiam as hostages. In what became known as the Council House Fight. Ihirt)-fi\"C Indiam and se\"en Texans were killed. Furious o\"er the massacre, the Comanches killed their captiyes and descended several hundred strong on San Antonio bUI were unable to coax a fight and thcrefore rode 3\\a). Beginning in j uly the Comanches hit the frontier coumies in force. In subsequent yeaN, Texas would build upon earlier treaties and develop dose diplomatic and trade tics with the Cherokeled nalion of SequO\"ah. The Apache and Commanche though would remain bim:r enemies and a comtam threat in west Texas.

tion platform. T his [lctiol1 split the democratic \ote and ensured that Hem,' Clay would become President. Though the Whigs a nd Clay attempted to obfuscate the position for political ~aso n s, once in office they were p repared to join with the European powers in brokering a peace with an independent Republic of Texas. T he Hritish Fo reign O ffice , with French support, a(hised Ashbel Smith, the Texan agelll to Great Britain and France, that a "diplomatic act" was necded 10 forcc :\ Iexico to make peace with Texas and recognize its independence. Houston also favored a "diplom,uic act," and Anson J ones, the president elect, with his hopes for US statehood dashed, reluctantlyagreed. The Bri[ish, French and American emissaries reached City in mid-April. Luis G. Cuevas, minister of foreign ~latio ns, placed their proposals before the :\ lexican Congress, and in late April :\ Iexico recognized Texas independence. The British minister handed a copy of the document to J ones on June 4, and he immediately announced a preliminary pellce with Mexico.
~ I exico

The e~tablishmem of an independent Republic of Texas was soon to have profound political effects on the United States. T he 3630' pro\'iso of the ).I issouri Compromise legally barred any further expansion of shwe territor}' as Texas now controlled land to the west of the USA below that line. Du ring the early years of the republic, the population of Texas increased about i ,000 per year, primarily from immigration. B~ 184i. the white population, including :\ Iexican immigrant" had ri~en to 102,961 and the number of sla\'cs to 38,i53. The growth was due largely to liberal land policies and expanding opportunitie~. Texas acquired a reputation as a !and of sharp dealer~ . lawlessness, rowdiness, and fraudulen ce. Land frauds were numerous and law enforcement agencies wcre wcak or nonexistent, but l exic:lns hmc developed an ability to handle challenges.

THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC

,\ Iexico paid lillie attcntion to its far-flung northern pos1845, when American settlers in the Sacramento \'alley, sensi ng the weakness in ;\ Iexico Ci[y due to the strife betwcen thc Fcderalist and Centralist fact ions, re\olted and established the California Republic. J ohn C. Fn: mont, a U.S. Army cartographer and trail blazer, arri\cd the following J anuary with a company of men inteill of mapping the Pacific coast. Though initially reluctant to involve himsclfand by virtue of h is commission the U.S. governmelltJ in an internal ~ I exican dispute, his subsequent alte rcation widl ;\lexican authorities O\"Cr an alleged horsc thieving incident changed his mind. T he rebellious settlers subsequelllly gave him command of their militia a mo\e
ses~ion until2\o\"(~mber

President J ones issued a call on )' Iay 5 for a convention [0 be elected by the people 10 meet in Austin on J uly 4. ,\ t his call, the Texas Congress assembled on J une 16 in special session at WashinglOn and accepted the peace treaty and approved elections for a com"Cntion. T he conYCntioll met in Austin on J uly 4 and passed an ord inance to accept the Smith-Cuevas treaty. It then drafted the Constitution of 1845 and submitted both the annexation agreement and proposed constitution to a popular \ote. O n October 13 annexation was approved by a vote of 4,245 [0 257, and the constitution by a vote of 4,174 10 312. T he fledgling rep ublic was now officially at peace.

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legitimized by Commodore Stockton, commander of U.S. Pacific naval forces. T he Centralist leader General Parades elltered M e~ ico City at Ihe head of an army on Janua ry 2,1846. Federalisl Presidelll Herrera ned. and Parades, who assumed Ihe presidency on January 4, set aboU! to quash any nascenl rebellion before Mexico's northern lCrritOlies were eroded any funher. InJ une, weall' of Ihe oppressive martial law administered by the IlC\V Anglo dominated republic, Californios precipitated a counter-revolt in southern California. What began a~ a number of separate ei\'il disturbances soon coalesced illlo a full scale insurrection under the leadership of Jose \I aria Flores. The Californios soon expe lled the AngloCalifornians fro m Los Angelt:s and San Di ego and by the end of September they were joined by l\[exican regulars under the command of Santa Anna. On Dccember 6,1846, Fremont, unaware of the arri\'al of Santa Anna, marched his militia south to put down the Californio revolt. En route to San Diego, he met Lhe Mexican force~ in all indecisiyc action al the Battle of San Luis Obispo. Though bolh sides suffered heavily; it was a victory for Santa Anna as Fremont 's militia retreatcd and most of southern Cal ifo rnia was now li berated from the California Rcpub[ic. On J anuary 13, Fremont met with Santa Amla al Sali ll a~ and signed the Truce of ;\'Ionterey. This truce only allowed for the cessation of regular and irregular military activity along the IClllporall' line of Monterey Bay. No formal recognition of the California Republic was gi\'en by Santa Anna. Seeing as how Santa Anna could weU march nort h into the SacramelHo VaUey, Fremont figured this was the best he could hope for. It would buy time to strengthen his position. In ,'day 184;, the self-proclaimed California Republic cOll\'cned a constitutional convention in San Francisco. Their drafted constitut ion paralled that of the United States, however it expre~sly prohibited sla\eI)~ It was ratified onJ ul) 4 by popular vote. Rich ard B. i\ lasoll was appointed as the first President of the Republic of California and his first offi cial act was to dispatch Colonel Stephen Kearny, the fonn er military governor of California , to Washington O.c. to ask for admission il1lo the Union. The pOlelHial admission of California to the Union provoked an imcnse period of crisis ill the United States during which timc the ncw Repub[ic continued along in political limbo. The Gold Rush thai began in 1849 was to bring matters 10 a head. It established California a~ a \1ab!c political entity. Before this. there were too few people there even to even consider slatehood. The distant Pacific Coast would have taken decades \0 acquin' the population nccessary 10 maintain a proper go\'ernment. The Gold Rush changed all lhat as hundreds of thousands of people flockcd there, walking the trails across the continent. or braving the perilous

IO.OOO-mile- ocean journey around Lhe treacherous Cabo de Hornos. Berore California was formally admitted into the U.S. as part of the Compromise of 1850. it occupied an ambiguous place politically. Nominally a free Repu bl ic, it's independence went unrecognized by major European powers and more importantly Mexico. The vast influx of colonists, howe\'er, madc the prospect of reconquest a distant hope at best. Finally, on May 30, 1850, it was admitted ill the Compromise of 1850 as the 31st state and a frce one as wdl. In order to abide by the Missouri Compromisc, a trealy was formally signed with l\ lexico delinealing the southern boundary of the state as 36 30' north.

DESERET
J oseph Smith founded T ht' Church of Jesus Christ of L'uter-day Saints in 1830 after years earlier claiming 10 have received visitations from an angel Ihal decried all other PrOtestant denominations as erroneous and revealing additions to the Christian scriptures later to be known as Ihe Book of \Ionnon. The sect attracted over 1.000 members during iti first year. Smith and a small band of followers first moved from western New York to Kirtland, Ohio " 'here an enti re congregat ion had cOllvcrtcd to the new faith. This church grew so rapidly that it became the epiccnter of Mormonism. Despite. ur perhaps due 10, heightening numbers and prosperity, the church alienated the local community who e\'enmall}' ta.rrcd and feathered Smith. This spurred the i\lormons' relocation to J ackson County, Missouri. Church members were again routinely persecuted, in part because their neighbors believed that the church was promoting the establishment of a religious dictatorship but more so because of the church's heretical belief that the Book of i\lormon was the revealed work of God. \'11h the same status as the Bible. The church was e\'clltually expelled and resettled in an area of western :\li~souri thai had been reser\'ed for them. The i\ lormons were nOI welcomed here either and within a year [7 l\lormon selllcrs were murdered. A public organization called the Dantiles was rormed ill t.he i\ lormon community to organize dcfcnse, construCt homes and obtain provisions. In latc [838, violencc broke out again, as the original settlers of the an'a attacked the \Iormons out of fear that the church might become a political majority in their county. T he j \ lissou ri statc militia became involved alier an officer in thc DanDtcs persuaded his men to become a "co\'en renegadc band" a nd to mount revenge attacks against the Mormons' adversarics. Faced wi III diminishing supplies, the approach of winter, and an extermination order from the Governor, 15,000 i\ lor mons capitulated and agreed to mo\e. Their destinatiOH was Commerce, lllinois (renamed Nau\'oo in 1839). Here local politicians a nxious for the \'Dtes of the communil)' unexpectedly welcomed them. At long last it seemed the church had fOll nd a place to Ii\'e peaceably.

Troub[e again surfaced though its genesis was internal. Smith began practicing polygamy ("'celestial marriages" in ;\ Iormon parlance that superceded 'earthly' OI1CS ) and later revealed it as doctrine. By 1844. this resulted in a schism as husbands of the women Smith sed uced challenged his leadership. These dissenters took their case to the community by publishing a ncwsp.. per that assllilcd his policies. Imbued with the intemperate spirit that had subtly begun to infihrate the church hierarch}, Smith instructed a group of loyal men to destroy the press used by the rogue ecclesia)tic~. for this act. SmitJ, and his brothel' Hyrum were charged with \~o lating the first Amendment. A mob later broke into the jail and as~assinated both of them. The death of the founder pro\'oked a major crisis. The Twelve Apostles of the church evemually dt.-cided thai Ihe rduclalH Brigham Young should be the sccond presidellt of the church. Having once again become el1\angled in a bloody conflict with the surrounding community, Young led most of Ihe church in 18-1-6 011 a long and difficult 1.300 mile exodus to the Creat Sal! Lakc in the ~Ic.xican Slatc of ,\Jta California where t.hey could establish a new Zion u:questered fmm di~ approving neighbors. Though the region was desolau~. it was not wholly unoc cupied. A moullIllin mall named Miles Goodyear operated a trading post along a wagon roild leading to the Oregon lhrilOry. He was of particular intcrest because he claimed to hold a 1\'lexical! territorial gram 10 the region. Establishing a legitimate claim was sufficienth imponant to the new immigrants that Ihey settled for a price of 52.0no with Goodyear to buyout any imerc~t he mi~ht claim 10 land within the new colony. Young christened the region Desere!. A General Assembl), met in January 1850 and imcrminently thereafter to enact ordinances ha\~ng the force of law. No judges were initially se!ecu'd, but a judicial system and a criminal code \H'Te later provided. Laws regulating elections were also passed. In practice, howe'l.'er, ''Oters simply ratified choices previously made by church leade rs. Functioning within the framework of the ecclesiastically created constitution. the Ceneral Assemb[y organized county governmen ts and i.neorporated Great Salt L."tke City, Ogden, Provo, and Mami . A militia (the Nauvoo Legion) was also established. Ta.xe5 011 property and liquor were alilhorized, gambling was suppressed, and the use of water, limber, ;lIld other natural resources was regulated. Brigham Young institutionalized racism within the Church of Latter Day Saints. Under his leadership, De.eret endorsed slavery and openly supported the Confederacy after il declared independence. Blacks were banned from the priesthood and interracial marriages werc PrQhibited under penalty of death. In May [851, officials left Great S(I[t Lake City to serve notice to Mexico autllOlities that the Churcb of L.'ltter Day Saints I\'as executing their property rights and seceding from

lhe Republic laying claim to an area encompas!iing much of Alta California. Earlier, a slate of officers. all 1\ lol'mol1, had been endorsed in a mass meeting and the Nation of Desertl had begun 10 function under President Brigham Young. Mexican offi cials were doubly outraged not only al the seizure of their territoI')' hy another band of American settlers but also at the affront the ~Iormon state posed 10 their Roman Catholic religion. The ~Iormous were quickly arrested and all but one was subsecllIcntJy executed .A. ~ingle representa.tive \'IIa~ permil1ed to return to Great SlIlt Lake City with noticc Ihal their illegal ;md heretical communities were to be evacuated and that the ;\lexican Arm} was within its legal righl.'i to kill any ~lorn1on that chose to remain within ~ I exican territory. Brigham Young look :'.Iexicos warning as an idle threa!. Sllma An:! would be hard pressed !O make good on his word. for Salt Lake was Oil the farthest fringes of !\ Iexican TerritoI')' and reaching it posed a considerable challenge - as most of the receutly arri\'cd !\I ormons knew only tOO lI'ell. In doin'l so he underestimated the effect Deseret had on :'. Iexicos Catholi c~ . Thi~ \\'L~ not ~imply a challenge to the ci\'il authoritie, a~ Ihe rr\'ohs in Texas and California had heen. A ht'rencal cult had rooted itsclf Willllll the nation and dared the church to respond. In 1852, \\.ith the bleuing of Pope Pius IX, a ;\Iexican army made its way from San Diego to the Great Sah Lake. Though the journey was arduolls. the soldiers \,ere filled with a religious 'ZeaJ that the large number of clergy accompall)ing them kept at a fe,'Cred pitch. The lirst :'.lormon settlement they encountered was :'.Ianl i. The frightened inhabitants understood no Sp;Uli~h and so sheltered Ihemsel"es within their home ~ rather than neein~. The t\,'O score membeh of the ~aU\'OO Legion fired upon Ill(" ;\lexicans but 10 no avail. The} wen." all quickly killed and the IOwn burned to the ground inciner.uing most of the women and children. Thc smoke lVas vi~ ibl (' from Pro\'o, alerting that town to the danger they now faced. T he men scnt their fllmilies 1I0nh 10 Great Salt L.'lke City and grimly awaited their fate. T\vo days later, the Mexicans would engage thcm in the Battle of Provo. Though they foug ht 10 the last man, the outnumbered Mormons were no match for professional soldiers. Provo tOO was put to lhe IOrch . Panic now ensued in Great Salt Lake City. Again, \,'ives and daughters I,'ere sent away, lhis time 10 Ogden, Every man and boy lhal could carry a rille remained behind to defend the city, When the ~Iexicans arrived, they fough t \\itlt bitter tenacity. When their first a~5auh failed, the ;\fexicans opened up with cannons destroying the tabernacle. Another two da}'s of fighting would occur, much of it brutal hand-to-hand combal in burning buildings. The Ml"xicans finally pre\'ailed though at great loss. After destroying what little remained of Ihe city, the ;\Iexican Army, having sustained significant casualties lind apparently unaware of Ihe existence of the Ia.n sizeable Mormon tOWI1 at Ogden, began the long march home confident lhat what-

301

e"er [\..(ormons remained would soon re!U rn to the United

State~.

In the aftermath of this terrible raid, the .M ormons vowed to rebuild. i\d udl as the Israelites had O\'ercome the Hittites ilnd Philistines to survive and prosper in Canaan, they would do likewise. Though Iheir reputation for industriousness would ne"er meet a g reater challenge, the remaining l' lormons rebuilt Great Salt J~,ke City within six months time. HowC\'Cr, a noticeable change had overtaken the people. T he once friendly .\Iormons, usually eager to trade agricultural commodities for manufactured goods, were now hostile and reluctant to trade. President Brigham Young issued a proclamalion of martial law that, among other things. forbade people from traveling through the terrilOl1' without a pass. The citizens of Utah were discoura~rd from selling food to immigrants, especially lor animal u~e. The N"a u\'OO Legion, which included e\'cry able-bodied man between the ages of 18 ;md 45. \fa, on full alert. StaO' officers, who were al,o church and civic o!licials, were dispatched to every remaining seulemenl under their command to explain and enforce militia decisions. George A. Smith, who commanded all of the southern militia units, began the task of preparing the people p"ychologicallr. militalily, and materially for \\'ar. It was during this limc of particularly high tension~ that the Mountain :'."leado\\'s ;\ Iassacre occurred: A group of ~I ormom. aided by Southern Paiute Indians. deceived and iI!lacked a group of 137 pioneers who we rc attempting to travel from Iowa, through Utah, on their way 10 California. T his act tliggered a condemnation from the United States Senate and in a rare act of unity with l'lexi co, a declaration of Deseret as an unrecognized rogue Slate.

Despite an oratorical masterpiece of an inaugural address, President Harrison's administration was besct by internal diomnity as would be expected in a party composed of disparate factions headed by Of chief executive whose political ability was held in low regard. Nonetheless, during the 27th Congress he signed into law several important pieces of legislation sponsored by the Whigs including the rechartering of the Bank of thc United States and stiffer proteclivc lariffs whose re\'enuc was earmarked for fed erally sponsored communication projects (subsidies for railroad and canal-build ing corporations). T his nationalistic economic policy (known as the "Amelican System" would be a source of future political fiiction. :'\orthern manufaclUrers and merchants were elearly the chief beneficiary of such policies in thai their fledgling enterprise.~ were guaralHet'd both profits and subsidized acce~~ to the rapidly de\'doping markets of the interior. Southern plalHation OWllers had lillIe need for infrastructure improvements as the most productivc land was already with in casy reach of the seapons from which their cotton was shipped to markets ill Europe. Further inflaming matters was the fact that their tax burden was disproportionately severe. As tariffs \fere structured along mercantilist lines of discouraging impo]"L~. the ~ou1hcrn states, with less than half of the nation's population. we]"e comlibuting over three-quarters of the fund~ ;l\"'liJa.blc to the national t r('asur~. The Whigs' activist economic program was quickly challenged by both increasing economic prosperity and democratic dissension thaI led to a disastrous showing in the 1842 congressional elections in which lhey lost control of the House. Harrison's pledge, "Under no circumS\<Inces will I consent to sen'e a second term" ensured that lillIe of substance would be accomplished during his remaining time in offi ce. .\spirants \0 the presidellt) began to mark out positions. \'ice-Presidentjohn Taylor advocated for the annexation of 1cxas much to the chagrin of both Harrison and Clay. Although the proposition was Ull1imel}; for it su rely would have bcen defeated in the Senate had it been brough t before that body, it forced the Wh igs to evoke the name of their nemesis Andre\\' j acksoll in stating that was and continues to he the policy of the United States not to engage in armed conflict wi1h the Republic of r., lexico. Tyler, after four years of ineffectually working against Whig policies, finall y sev ered his ties with the party and returned 10 the Democratic camp. As the DemocratS COIl\'cned their May 1844 presidential convention in Hallimore, the expected candidate was form er President \ 'an Buren. The question of Texas annexation had, howewr. by Ihis time gained a significant following, especially among southern delegates. These delegates reinstituted an old rule that required a two-thirds majority for nomination, which threatened to render it impossible for the ami-annexation platform to be adopted. Van Huren didn't receive the required two-thirds \'Ole until the seventh ballot.

PRESIDENTIAL POLITIC S
Scholars pOi111 to the election of 18-10 as the ~eminal point for events that would vcr)" soon lead to the American Ci\il War and the subsequcllt founding of thc Confederate States of America. Martin Van Huren had inherited a pending economic crisis stemming from his predecessor Andre" J ackson's \\'al' with the Hank of the United States. The storm broke in a serious depression that became known as the Panic of 1837. The resulting years of economic hardship and the international humiliation of the Aroostook War left the electoratc disgusted with " Martin Van Ruin" and opened lhe door for the newly formed' Vhig party. Henry Clay of Kent ucky was the early fa\'orite at the 'Vhig cOIl\'c111ion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in December 1839. He was, however, a )'1ason, and anti-mason feeling was strong enough to block his nomination. In the fin al ballot Harrison wa~ nominated wil h 148 votes to Clay's 90 and SCOIt'S 16. j o hn .Tyler was nominated as the Vice Presidential candidate.

302

Election of 1844

-"-_ ..
12

-........,

ELECTORAL VOTE

,- ."....,

Total: 17S

POPULAR VOTE Total: 1,698,605

Whig (Clay)
Democratic (Van Buren) Independent (Tyler)

Terr,tOrieS

AROOSTOOK WAR
The Treaty of Pari ~, which concluded hostilities between the British crown and her American colonists, .....as an inexact documen! lhal left a number of borders along the Greal Lakes and Saim Lawrence scawa)" open to interpretation. The subsequent War of 18 J 2 and the U.S. purchase of the Louisiana territory from France would bring these border issues 10 the forefront.

tOO late 10 prevent another blow to American pride. Shooting had begun between the two militia force$ in early 1838, perhaps catalyzed by liquor. Once initiated, a serit's of ,kirmishes quickly followed in the Aroostook and SI. J ohn valleys. The C.S. \\a5 at a considcrablc disadvantage, for :\laine had no good route into the territory "hile the British regulars, supplied along the Halifax road, repealed the trouncing given American militia soldiers in the War of 1812 when they la5t attempted an invasion of Canada.

In 1820, the state of Maine was formed from the discon ligou! nonh('rn ponion of ~lassa chuseIUl. Eagu 10 asscn their territorial claims, the puerile ~ I aine Icgi~lalurc began granting senlemcm claims nonh of the St.John's river in British claimed territory already inhabited by Acadians. ~ot ,,;shing 10 engage in a third connict with America, Britain sought to sculc the issue diplomaticall}; The U.S. Senate, perhaps ,,;th an eye 10 making another aHempt 10 wrest Canada, chosc to ignore this attempted rapprochement.
The issue reached a crisis PQint in late 1837, when New Brunswick oHicials arrested a :\taine census taker. :\ taine reacted by dispatching a company of militia to enter the di"puted territory and establish a fort along the Aroostook river. New Brunswick, fearing another American invasion, mobilized hcr militia and called for British aid from regular troops stationed in Quebec while :\ tail1C called up scveral thousand of her own militia 10 press her claims. Though General Winfred ScOtt, commander of the US Army, hastened 110nh to mediate a compromise before the belligcrent ~ l ainers dragged the United StalCS into war, he arrived

By the summer of 1839, the British were in firm control of the region, as well as the nearby disputed area of northern New Hampshire known as "Indian Stream". Their ease made, they then agreed to formal negotiations to settle the \'arious border issues once and for all.
In :-\o\'ember 1839, an agreement was reat'hed known as the Webster-AshburlOn Treaty. Having judged the terms concluding the War of 1812 too generous in hadng returned aU prewar tcrrilOry, the British presented the Americans with a border that granted the Aroostook valley 10 ~ew Bruns\\;ck, the Indian Stream region 10 Quebec and the Mesabi Hilb region along Lake Superior to Ontario. Though humiliating 10 the brash Americans, thcy could at least console themsdves that Britain had not pressed he r claims further as well she could have. Soon though, the dream! of acquiring more territory would become forgotten as the United States struggled \0 retain her domestic integrity.

303

In the wake of the divisive Democratic comcntion, fOflncr Vicc- Prcsidclll J ohn Tyler presented himself as a third party candidate that would be supportive of the annexation of Texas. Sizeable numbers of southern democrats feeling spurned by their party. rallied behind his banner. T he Whigs unanimously chose Henry Clay as their candidate despite his having lost two prio r presidential electiollS. Another candidate of histOlical irlterest was J oseph Smith, J r.. fou nder of The Church of J esus Christ of Latter-day Sain ts. The effort was aborted inJune when Smith was murdered along with his brother Hyrum in Illinois. The campaign itself was a sordid allair. l~'ler's candidacy inflamed sectional rivalries and newspapers made no small show of partisanship by vociferously denigrating the character of all but their chosen mall. The late entrance of ret another third parry candidate, the abolitionist James Biren): truly exposed the growing discontent wnjun each of the Ill;~or parties thaI Van Buren and Clay had both attempted to conceal. The 1844- presidential election ended \I~th Henry Clay amassing a mere 50.90 of the electoral college. Thc popular. or unpopular as some newspapers groused, \OtC was doser still. Clearly Tyler's candidacy had given the election 10 the Whigs as they won the states of Pennsylvania. North Carolina and llIinois with barely over forty perccnt of the popular vote. T he democratic party had been split along srctionallines, a rift that would soon \,iden. j\Jthough thc question of Texas annexation had ironically enough made possible his presidency, Clay dearly saw the danger in a.llowing this mailer to fester in the American body politic. Not only had it engendered palpable ill will among southerners but it also served as a rallying point for the growing abolitionist movement in the northeast. This \cxing issue LO which no compromise could likely be brokercd between increasingly entrenched interests had to be settled. Although a "war hawk" in his youth , Clay had known fo r years that annexation would provokc an unnecessary and costly war with i\ lexico, one he felt the nation was wholly unprepared for. Thc humbling experience of the Aroostook ' Var was still fresh in his mind and so he sought a diplomatic remedy. In Aplil 1845, Daniel \Vebster was dispatched to Mexico City to join his British and French counterparts in negoliating an end to the war that had been dragging on for over a decade. v"ebster informed the ~ I exican government that the United Stales was prepared to reco!,,'nize Texas as an indcpenderH Republic and 10 hereafter dispense with any notion of annexation. This promise was howe\er cOlllingem on the Republic of Mexico settling all claims on the territory and formally recognizing her sovereignty. On J une 23, 1845, ,'\'[exico signed the Smith-Cuevas treaty recognizing l exas independcnce. O n July 4, 1845 the Texa3 Senate, its hopes of annexation now foreve r dashed. acceplcd the SmithCuevas treaty (8-6). The Republic or Texas was now fo rmally at peace with Mexico.

Frecd of these international distractions, Clay was now ablc to !Urn his attention to domestic matters. ~Ian y of America's lenitories were quickly growing and had reached Ule state of political maturity Utat a generation ago would have guaranteed them statchood. r..h intaining the delicate balance between free and sla\c states, however, would be morc difficult than ever. Glancing at a map of the unorgan ized western territories, it was clear that the nation's futun: g rowth would be to the north and west, territory designated as future free states under the ;\ lissouri compromise. or the time being, the admission of Florida would be F paired with Iowa as the twO states joined the union on :\ Iarch 15, 1845 and Decembcr 12, 1846 as the 27th and 28th state~ respecti\e!y. On F ebrual) I, 18+8. '\"isconsin ratified its state constitution a.nd petitioned [0 join the union. Southern congressmen openly balked at the idea of another free state. When a repre~entati\'e from the territory addressed the COllgres~ and demonHrated that not only does the territory haV(' greater population bu[ also a more mature c1\ic structure ililm states now in lhe union, SOUlh Carolinian Senator J ohn Calhoun sarca..~ticallr announced that, then perhaps the more fortuitou~ course of action to present to this body would be to seck recognition of your national wvereigHty. ;1 approbation we gentlemen have of late graced with grcater aplomb than statehood. " :-';otwith<tandin,\" Calhouns block's intransigence, Clay SCt to I\ork building a quorum that would ratify Wisconsin's admission. Yarious compromises were oOcred including the admiuance of Kansas as a slave state jan idea \'ehcmemly opposed in the North, as it clearlr violated the :\Iissouri comprom i s~ and would set a precedent fo r the entire westcrn [rrritories to be opened to slavcry} and the purchase of Cuba to be earma rkcd as a slave Slate) fro m Spai n. It was the laner that gained the tacit approval of key Southern leaden who indicated their willingness to approve the \\tsconsin peti tion if this feat could be accomplished. Clay directcd his Secretary of State Daniel Wcbste.r to confcr with the United States ;'"Iinisters to Spain, France and Great Britain in order to decide if it was feasible to persuade Spain to sell Cuba to the States. while avoiding dissonances with France and Great Britain. T he four mcn came together at O stend, Belgium in the summer of 1848. The British were to extract a price for their cooperation. Since 1818, they had engaged in a joint occupalion of the Oregon TerritOry. In the early 18405 as large numbers of numbers of American settlers poured illio the disputed area over the Oregon TraiL their position wcakened. Rather than wailing for the inexorable tide of American settlement to transform the territory into a de facIO American possession, the British wanted 10 sec the southern boundary of British Columbia established al the Columbia RiVer and based their claims on the Hudson's Bay Company's long hislOl)' in the area.

30'

In retu rn for British aid illscl'uring Cuba, Webster agreed to the Oregon Treaty. S('nate mtificalion ,\'as, howevcr, con tingent on a .~uccessfu l concl usion to the lIegotiation ~ with C:; pain. Hadng secured Britaill's assistance, they publicly issued their dcliberalioll'i in August or Ihe same year. The diplomats propos('d to threaten Spain with the ilwasion of Cuba, ir Spain was not wiHing to sell the island to the United States. The document, known as the O stend .\ !anifesto, caused enormous rliMurl"'U\ces and selyed as a new rally cry for the growi ng abolitiOllist movement in the North. Oll September 30, 1818, aflcr tell~e sabcr. rattling o n the pan of the US from ,vhich Clay would have backed down ir hb bluff were called}, Queen Isabella II , her posit ion alrcad~ weakened by the Carlist Wars ~I\ld the implicit threat posed b)' a powerful British squadron moored al Gibraltar, drcided against war a nd a treat} wa~ negotiated wherein the L'SA would purchase thc i,land of Cuba for SIOO million. The nCII territories were to be granted statehood a.~ ~oon a.~ a consutution could be drawll lip. The constilUtional congresses. for the lerri tor~ was little mort" than a charade as wealthy Southern ari~lOcrats ha~til}' cmi~mted lO the i~land and subsequcud), dominated its body. ). Iuch of thi~ was overlooked as President Clay Irft oOice with a legacy or having: prc~cr.'Cd the Union.

Van Buren. The convention then called for another national con\'ention to unite the countr)' on a Free-Soil b'lsis. Thi s was scheduled for August 8. !\!eanlllhile, the ambiguous stance toward~ slaver), I<tken by tht Whig party led so-called "Con)(iellce Whigs", prominel1t among them William H. Seward, Schu ylt'r Colfax, C harles Sumner, Salmon I~ Chase and Horace Or(''1:le), to call the People's Convention of Fliends of Free l crritol), in Columbus, Ohio on June 27. Calling themselves the Frce Whig Part),. th(.", nominated T homas Corwiu as thei r p residential candidate.
Durin ~ thc lull after the breakaway conventions, \ 'an Buren made o\,ertun.s to Senator Seward seeking his support. He argued that the Whig and Democrat splinters ,~ere pUl"'uinf{ the ~ame goals a nd thm to run candidat e~ in parallel would iimpl\ dilute their potential strength , Since he f\ :,n Buren] had pre\iou~ly been chier execu li,c. it would onl\ make !>('n~e for him to lead the ticket. He was, however. milldftl1 of the Con~ienct' Wh i~s objeCli\'es and would do all in hi\ power 10 see their positiom incorporatcd, e\'en goint:;: ~o f.,r as to adopt their candidate as hi~ \1ce president.

THE ELECTION OF 1848: DEATH KNELL O F THE REPUBLIC

In ailing health, Hell!,) Clay declined to comider anOlher tcrm (he would die in the summer of 1849,. In his ~t('ad. the Whig5 chose Daniel \\'eb~ter as their candidate despite hi~ poor showing in the election of 1836. ~ l i\Jal'd Fillmore received the part)'\ nominaliOIl as \'ice President.
The DemOCr:lLS werc detel'mined not 10 repeat their misof 1844 by adopung either a di\1sin" candidale or platform. In SQ doing Ihey chose lite bbnd Lewi~ Cass, a forme r Governor and Sen:uor fro m )' Iichigan. He ;Idvocated "popular sovc reigIHY" on tlw slavery i~SlIc, meallin~ that (ach territory should d ecide the question for itS('lf. J efferson Davis, the junior St'llator from ~ !ississippi , was chosen as the vicc presidential candidatl'. Despite their l>esl eITons at unity, lll(' Democratic Part)' would oncc again c,xpericllce a ~plit only this time from their Northern ranks.
~ teps

When the free soilers lllet ror their national con\'enuon in August, Van Burens work appeared to have been fmitful. Seward and tlw Conscience "Vhigs were present :l.'l well as re presen tatives from the Libert)' part) and their National Reform allies. !\ Iuch cffon WIIS spetH by Van Buren in rci),.'1l. ing in the more radical element., of the barnburners so as to creatc a unified platrorm 10 whic h all of tht' parties could unite h<'hind. In the <'nd tltt' Free Republic party as they finally a~,.eed upon calling thel11~el\'e~ offered a platform oppo,ing :iny funher spread of ~Iavef), abolition of slavery in the Dislrict or Columbia, as well a 'i support for inrraslructural improvemcnts to be paid br continualion of Ihe high t:.riff policy. While Webster and Cas., refused 10 acknowledgc Iheir breaka\\:I)' kin and eonductcd a wholly civil cilmpaign whose blandness was in sta rk contrast to the raucous del'uon of I fH4, the Free Republic'llls felt no need to be so ellcum ben:d. Th rough Greeley's :-\cw Yorker and Colf.1...x's SI. Joseph \ nlley Regi~te r, the Free Republicans launched a CO IIst:lIlt barrage of all,lcks on the main parties seeking 10 inflame !Car tllat Kansas. Nebrdska and l'VCIl Minnesota could become da\-e states. To Greeleys eastern audience' this \1015 preached with moral O \'ertones, whi le Colr.,.x's Indiana press played to the fear thai the \Iest would be dominated by slave-run plantauons whose owners \\ould crowd out ;111)' opporlUnily that frec men would ha\'e 10 make II fresh sian in \'irgin lands. This inflammatOl'} campaign ser.'ed Cass beller than i{ did Webster. Antiabolitionism was it stronger force among Democratic vot{'r~, and the New Eng lande r Webster obliquely suffered from anti-Republican rhetoric, especially in the South. \\1lile Ihe Frl'e Republicans o nly managed to win one state, in illit'!r a remarkable achievement fo r lhe party though they did so by the barest of margins winning olll~ 36 percent of the pOJlular ,'ote in thaI ~ t;He l , thi ~ filet

Hat h of Iht' Illi\;or panks hoped to avoid the slavery issue'~ di,;siveness in 1848, This pron:d impossible with the emergencc or abolitionist po litical parties. T he Liberty Puty. which had some success o n with an anti-slal'ef)' platform in IIH4 , intended to tun again in 18<18. Defections fi'om the major parties would, hO\\e\'er, 5ubsumc the party's agenda under a new and more potent banner. The ;\'ew York Democr:ttic I'any had already fra ctu red along abolitionist lines in l8H. T he radical ' lhrnbul'1ler ' raction, together with delegations from Connec\1cut, ~ I a~sachusetl~, Ohio and Illinois, Inet in Uuea, NY on J une 22 to nominate their own candidate for Prcsident .\Iartin

305

denied Cass a nlajOlil} in the eleclOral college. For Ihe finc time in the history of the Republic, its l'residelll would be sclted by a \'ote of the H ou~e of Rcpre'\ClUativcs, Cass, ha\ing \Ion 16 of thc 28 sta tes. easily collccled the requi red majorilY (e,lch st.ut" c;' ~ting only one \,ote) and thus was dcclared vlctOrious, On i\ larch 5, 1849 Lewis Cass was sworn in as the 11th Presidelll of the United StaICS, His inaugural addre ~~ might ha\'e gone unnoticed save fo r the r."1ct that he chose this occasion to confirm 10 the nation the nlmor~ that had 1:x-en w:adily lll,\king th!'ir way eastward O\'er the past months, Gold had been di.scovered in California. This was no small find. Indeed. thOLisands of miners were aJread} pulling fortunes from the hills around San Franci~co, The fledgling Califom ia Repuhlic had p1'tilioned for statehood and llm\ was the ti llle to ta ke decisive action lest this bounty of nature f:lll pre)' to olher national imcff'sis.

California. southerners were unwilling 10 consider slalchood or el'ell admi~~ion a~ a territory for tile} knew il would simply he a mattcr of a few years before such a IcrriLOf! would simply havc 10 be admitted to statehood.

T he ma.ller was an open filibustering sore, Somhern Senaton had dug in Ihei r heels and ,,'cre prepared to wait forel'er if nece'lSary. SCllalOr Calhoun or South Carolina evell dared to go 50 far as to broach the subject of scce~sion.
Another related matter stood on the congressional agcnda, The or~a nizati o n of the I'ast Plaue Ri,'cr valley west of Iowa and :\I ;~~ouri was O\'crdue. As an isolated issue, territorial u r~anil.ati oll of this area \"a5 not pro blematic. It wa~, howe"er, irrel"ocabl} bound [0 the bitter sectional controver~y OVi'r the cxtcmion of da\"cf)' into [he territories. Under no circumstances would proslavcl1' Congressmen allow a rree territory wc~t of :\Ii ~.souri. The West was expanding rapidly and territorial or.c;anizatioll, dc_pile these difficulties, could nO longer bt postponcd. I'our attempL'; to organ ize a single territory for Ihi~ area had already been defeated in Congress, largely because of Southcl'n opposition. To break the impasse. CaS-) proposed to organize the Platte River valley into sc\'ernl smaller terrilOlies. T hrce tel"ritOlil'~ would be formed South of the Platte Rivcr: Kamas. .\mpahoc alld Colomdo. '1 '0 Ihe north and boundcd b~ the :\h\.SOuri ri,'er 1\\0 additional terrilOries, Nebr.I ~ka. and Ogallala, would al.o be created .. \ddilionall~, the balance of the old low,\ terrilor. would form the ne\,' :\linncsOla territory The-e ":\ew Territorie-" would dccide thc qucstion of ~Ia"ef) for Ihem~1'I\'c~. Thr- ob\;ous inference-at Icast to Southerners' was that rmmy of the lerritories would bc admit\('d as slaV!' states to maintain the fragile balance of slave and free states. After weeks or cajoling. [he California Aet was signed into law, Throuq-h this measure Ihe U,S. Congress established the new territOries of Kansas, Nebmska, Ogallala, ,\rapahoc, Minnesota and Colorado and admillcd California as the 31st statc, ThC' bill COIll:l incd the provision that the question of slm'ery should be left to the dcci~ion of the territorial settlers theulseh-cs. Thi~ was Ihe compromise principle upon which Ca~~ campaigned called popular sovereignty. The California ,\ 1."1 !lady contradicled the provisions of Ihe ;\ lis.)Quri Compromise under which slavcry would hal'C been h:lrred from all of thcse territories); indeed, an amendment I\;IS added ~pecifica lly repealing that compromise. Thi\ latu'r aspecl of the bill in particular enraged the allli~la\'el)' forccs, but after "cels of bitter debate in Congres., P re~ident Cass and the Southerncrs s.,\\' it adopted. Its cffecls were anything but reassuring to those who had hoped for a peaceful solution. T he popular sovercignty prm;sion caused both pro-~la\'CI)' and anti-sla\'cry fon:es to marshal slrellglh and cxcn full pressure to determine thc "popular" decision in Kamas in their own (;lI'or. T he result was the tragedy of "bleeding" Kansas. Northerners and Southerner.! WC1'C arouscd to such pass i o n ~ that sectional di\ision reached 1I poi lit that precluded reconcil iation,

THE CALIFORNIA Q UESTION

That California should bc admitted 10 the Union was a question be),ond reproach. Withi n a week of taki ng office, a squadron of \\'arships was embarked for Ihe dangerous voyage around Cape Horn to California, HmllaJ diplomatic nOlice was gi\en to bOlh ~ I exico a nd l exas that it was the will of the Californian people to join the L' nited State.s and all measures ncces~:u) 10 enlorce this will \\ould b<employed. l-'Ormal annexation would take some time 1\~lh California hming ytJ 10 adopl a constillllion and formally petition for admission. In the meantime, the admi,.ion of Wi~consin, tabled for over a ),(':ar. could be ..e. olved no" that Cuba h.ul becn acquired . On April IS, 18-19, \\'i~consin was admitttd as thc 29th statc. c\ month later. Cuba was admitted as the 30t h, Cali fornia prc~cn t cd some other difliculties. She was technically still at ,,'ar with f-.lcxico (who still regarded her as a rebellious h::n iLOry). CaS5' Secretary of $tate, joe Dude, was sent to i\ lexko Cit}' 10 lll'!~oti ate a peace trealy. T he ~ l exiCltns, realizing that California \\'as 10SI, were will ing to accept the line 360 30' N as the ~OUlh c rn border of the territory (a line Ihal would clearly 111<111 the territol) as a free state by vi rtu(': of the :\ I i ~souri compromise,. Howel'Cr, Ihey voiced gn~at conccrns OI'CI' tht' new settlemcnts around lhe Great Salt La.ke and the nllllOrs of impending recognition of thc settlen by \\'as h in~on. In return for ,\merica declaring the i\ l ormon~ to be illegal .squatters 011 ~o,,'Crc ign :\Iexican [errilOry and formal f(':cognition of the northern border of Aha California 10 be 42 0 N, the Mexicans would sign the treaty, 011 May 3, 18-19. the Treaty of :\Ionterey was signed fo rmalizing Ihe agr(':ement. In j une. California ratified a state constllluioll and ~C I1l rcprcsent:ltiws 10 formally petition fo r admission. Initial gold-fcvcr enthusiasm had waned amongst southern legislators as they realized tlw[ Cali fo rnia would dearly bc admil,ed as a rrec state. With no ready slave Slate to balance QU\

306

The rea{'liOIl ti1lm the Abolitionists was immediate. Eli fhaycr org.mized the Nell England Emigram Aid Company. which sent settleI' 10 Kansas to ~('cure it .IS a fret' territol)". B} the spling of 1850, approximately 1,200 l\"ew Englandcrs had made the journey to Ihe new territory, armed to light for freedom. The abolitionist minister Henr) Ward Ikccher furnished settlers with Sharps rilles, which camc to be known as "Beecher'~ B ihlt'~.~
Rum o r~ had spread thrOllll;h the South that 20,000 ~e\\ Englander<; were de~cending on Kansas. To blunt thi ~ mow:. thousands of Soulherllt'''$, mostly from !\lissoUl; . poured o\~r the line to l"Ote for a proshwery congrt""Ssion al dcll'!.\:alc in July 1850. Only half Ihe ba!lOls were ca~t by regislered \"Oterl, and .11 one location, olll~ 20 of o\"er 600 \'ot('n were le~al re~idents. Predictably, the pro~la\'ery forct's lIon the election.

of addilional ~Ia\"t' lel"ritol) lor acquisition, southern simes decided to secede from tht" Union. South Carolina is tinl on Dcc('mi:ter 3, 1851 followed quickly by ~ I is!t.is~ippi. Alabama. :\ lissoUli, Louisiana , Florida, G('o~ia, Tennessee. Cuba. :\'onh Carolina. Arkalls..u and Virginia. These 12 simes form Iht' Confederate Siaies of America. The sial"(' stales of K("ntuek}", ~ I al)'land and Delaware do not. howcvcr, join the ,('cession. The following J anual)', M~ycral western co untie ~ of Virginia vote 10 remain within the L"nioll and sever their tics with the state govcrnment in Richmond. Thcr pmpose to c;tlitheir nCI\ ~tate Kanawha and its admissiOlllO the union is completed within Ii\"e da)"~.
P re~id("nt Cas declared the~e ~t'Ces~ions illegal and federal warrallls we\"(' i~sued for all li'gislatiw mcmbers of Ihe~c qat("~. General WinlicJd Scali. head or the US Army. was ill'>tructcd to mobilize ;111 forcc~ under his command.

On t\ovember I, 1850, another election \I,,~ held to choost' member~ of the tl'rritorial Icgishuure. The ~ li 5sourian s. or "Border Ruman ~" ;I..~ the~ wert called by their opponents. again poured liver the line. This time their influence r('~ultcd in 6,307 actu3] ballots ea,t from a popul;,tion of 2,905 rcgi~t{"fed l"Olen,. Only i9l 11)ted a~aimt sla\'cry. The IICII stale legi~lalure enacted I\hat .\bo]itioni~l~ called the "Bogus l.."\ws." which incorpor".Illd the :\ lis~ouri slave (ode. Thes(' la\\"s ICl'eled ~e\'c re penalties against anyolle who spoke or wro\(' against ~la\'eholdi ng: those who as~isted fugitives \\ould he put to death or sentenced to ten ycars hard Idbor. The Nonhrl"ners weN' outraged. and st"t up their 0\1 n Free State ICf,'islalure al Topeka. There \\l'rc nOlI two 1-(0\'t'rnnll"nts cstablished in Kamas. each oullawine the other. President Cass cho~c 10 recognile thc pro~Lt\'ery legi'[;l1ure as legitimate. t\ s the twO f,"\ctions struggled for coll!rol of the tcrritory, tensions increased. In 1851. the prosla"cl)' territorial capital was moved 10 Lecompton, a lawn only 12 miles from Lawrence. a Frec ~Iate 5t ron~hold . In r\u~mt of that yt"ar. a three-man congressional inn:"stigating committ(T arri\"Cd in l.A:comptoli to invcstigate Ihe Kan<.an dUill i:::o\'("nllltent~. The majority report of til(' committce found the dection~ 10 bl" fraudulent and reported that the free statc gow~rnmelll reprc~emed Ihe I,'ill of the majority. The federal government agreed to follow its recommendations and altered its po~itioll to recognize tiLe free legislature as the legitimate government of Kansas.

In carly :\ 1.lrch 1852. rumor<; reached President Cass Ihal tht'" ,eee~,ioni~( stale~ W('I"{' planning to hold a eonstiwtioual com CTltion in Richmond, \ irginia. SCt'in~ an opportunilY10 end the rebellion m (Jnc frll ~\\"oop. and :llf<lill~t the acll'ice of Generod 'iCOtl Ilho u~ed that more time be .I:,';\"CII to prcpar.uilm. he ordered Federal troop~ to Illarch on Richmoud.
The L"~ arm) had not foue;ht a war ~inc(' 1812 and it .hOlled. The Ft'deral army lYa~ mini,culc and ill-equipped, with \\'eaIXln~ obsolete h} European standards. ScOIl was able to muster only 20,000 garrison troops 10 send to Richmond. The time- required \(l mobilize evcn this meager force got\C ample w.[rlling to 1111" Confeclefal'Y that. in lUi'll, ml}bilized local militi;, to lorm the inf."\l\t Confederale .\rmy.
LietLtCllanl Gem'ral Edward Blache-r was ).,';\"('11 field command of the Federal .\nm and tasked willI the mi~~ioll of caplUrin't Richmond. He propo~e-d <l 40-llIile da~h across country to Frederick~bun;. Such a maneuYer would po~ilion the Federal army 011 the direct mad to Riclunolld, the Confederate ('''piral, as wdl as ensure a S(,ClUt'" supply line to \\'aJ;.hinglOn.

Prcsident Cass appro-.'('d Blarh er'~ initial.i\'e hut ad\"i~cd him to march quickly. Blacht'r took Ill(" Presidcnt at his word and launched his a.rmy IOward Frederilksbu~ 011 ~Iarch 15. The bluedad ~oldiel-<; CO\'el"ed thr distanct at a brisk pace and 011 ~ I arch Ii the le<ld unil~ arri\ed opposite Frt'dericksburg on Slanord Heighls. The F i.-cltrals could nOI move ~oUlh. howcver, without fir~1 the Rappahannock Rivcr, the largc~1 of ~l""eml ril't'f h~u'riers (hat flowed across his path 10 Richmond. Blacher cro~~('d the rll-er all .\ Iarch 18, despite fierce lire fmm Confederate snipers concealed in buildings :llong the city's riverfront. \\'11("11 the Confcclemtes withdn'w, F eder:!.1 soldiers looted the tO\\I1, from which lhe inhabitants had been e\acuated. Hy :\Iarch '20, Blache r was prepared to launch a t\lo-pronged :lIlack 10 dril'(" Zachary Tarlor'~ forces from an imposing Sl't of hill~ just outside Fredt'lieksburg.
cros~ing

THE AMERICAN WAR, PT. 1: 1651-1652

With official sanctioning of thc anti-~la\ 'cry gov('["I)mcnt as lcgitimlllc., it became dear 10 501IIherners that the ":'I:ell Territories" will all evellwall} be admilled to the Union as free statcs. Their hope for Kansas, Arapahoe and Colorado to be admitted as slal"e states thereby bal;mcing out California. Oregon and :\ I inne~ota W;IS dashed. Already out numbered h) 1610 15 and wilh the pro~pect of being outnumbered b) perhaps 2'2 to 15 and with no dear pos~ibilit)

".... 011. I kn()ll' IdltT( TP..1/or'J flras aft. and I r'1lffl Iv 511rpllsr him. I trpullv (fOSS QlId OUIII!I' tht hills bifort ht CO/I bring aI!Jl/ullg
{(nOli) 10 fIInl TIIr. ,

307

Thc m:\I11 assault struck ~out h of thc cit). i>.lisulldcrstandinb" ami bungled leadership on the part of the commandcr of thc F edC"raIleft, i>. lajor General Talley, limited the attacking foree to tllO ~ma ll divlsions - Brigadier General Hilbun to IC<ld; Bligadicr General Smith in support. Hilbun's troop! broke through an um,ruarded gap in the Confederate linc~, but a corps kd by General Clarke expelled the ulISupponed Federals, illl1icting heavy losses. Blacher launched his second attack from Frederickshurg againsl thc Confederate left on ~lar')'C's Heighu. \\"ave after Wi\\'e of Federal attackers were mO\\ln dOll'll by Confederatc trOOpS firing from an unas~ai]; lbl e position in a sunken road protcctcd by a stone wall. Ovcr the course of the aftcrnoon, se\'cn sueccssi\'e F ederal brigades chargt'd the wall of Confedcrate lire. Not a single I~denll soldier reached the line. On :'I larch 22 . Blacher ordered his beatcn army back the Ra ppahannock.The Union had lost 6,000 soldiers in a battle in which tilt" d readful carnage was matched on l~ by its futility. Fedcral morale plummeted, a nd Hlacher was S\\~rtl)' relieved of his command. By contrast, Confedcrfne casualtiC'$ had been considerably liglHcr tha n the Union's. totaling only 2,500. Taylor'S substamial \ictor), at Fredericksburg, \\on with rdati"e ease, ~ubsta ntially ineri'ased tlw confidence of the new Confederate .\rm\.
acros~

I;cderal eneampmt'nt at Pittsburg l~lndi ng had no defenses other than troops 011 picket d uty, and \'CI)' few of those. In addition, the generals in the Federal command staff were convinced that i>. lorg.Ul and his army wert' bouled up in .'\'aslll"ille aW<l.itin~ \\'orth's attack. Wool was confident enough about the safel) of his position that he left the camp and hcaded uprin~r for a mccting Wilh Gener.11 \ \'onh. UllkllO\lt1 to the rcl a){in~ Fedcrals, by late :'I la}' 25th, Morgan had movcd hi ~ arm} within two miles of \\"ool's fo rces. and was preparing for a surprise allaek. The rebel force was close enough that they could clearly hear the drum~ of thc Union Army beating and Yankee bands play. ing in thc e\'Cning. Al the llppearance of faillt predawn light on !\pril 6th, :'I lorgan's 7,000 men charged screaming fro m the woods around Pittsburg Landing, (hiving the sleepy pickets back in confusion 011 thc Federa l camp, F ederal units rallied here and there to attempt to hold back the :\\taek, but many of the green troops simply /led the ficld, gathering by lhe river in frightclled gI'Oup~. Some e\'en waded into the livcr in an attempt to cscape the fighting. Units cngaged in the fighting on both ~ide~ had lillie organization. and fe\\' combat skills, rcsuhinj.J' in a fi~ht that many descrihed as something like a fi erce, blood) riol. De~p ite :or pcrhap~ because of) this confu"ion, the L'nion forec~ \\'rre able to hold back the Confedcrat!" ,l'sault~ lotl~ ('nou'1'h for " "001 to return, and to c,tablish a dden,i\''!' line aJon~ the ri\er. Gen. :'I lorgan halted the all,ld. ne.lr ('\Tnill~
By the end of the da\ more than 4,500 casualties of both on the battlefield. :'I lany of the wounded would die without re<:ei\~n~ am treatment, due to an inadequate medical organization. Some would die when the surrounding woodlands cau.e;hl fire, a horrific scene thaI would be repeated in other bflttlc~ in rollo\\'i n~ }'C:lrs. Both sides were learning ~omc hard les~(lns. As the SUIl s<:t, the Confederates had failed 10 at.:hic\e thei r objcctive of driving the Union force inlO lht" rivcl; but it appcared lhat Ihey would be able to make shan \I'ork of t.heir shattered fo(."s thc next morning, .\l ay 26th.
~ide$la}

At \\'ashington , the scenes that follO\\I."d the battle were disheartening for the i~dl'ra.1 cause. T he eit~ openly ",'O\\ed its ~ali;;f....("tion I'll the Confedcrate ,;ctory. The H)iunleers showed up badl)" after their dcfea.t. Di ~cipl in e wa< at an end: drun kennes, and disorder of the \\'or~t kind reigned supreme. T he gr.WCSt anxicl'} prevailed. at all {",ents from that momcnt it was rC'1:ognizcd b} lhe Administration that the militar')' problem was one for experts, and could not be solved by a handful of improperly organized three months' voluntccrs. This point would be driven home by the subsequent disaster in Terllless('e. In :'I lay 1852, h lajor GCllcral Wool , in command of thc 8,000 ma n Federal Army of the West. took Forts Hcnry and Donaldson alon~ the Tennessee River, AI about the ~a me time, i>.l ajor Gencral Worth ,mel his Arm)' of the Ohio IIcre advancing through Kentucky toward Nashvillt\ which \\as occupied by Confederat c General Morgan's Volumeer Arm~ of Telllle:>see. ~I orgall, sensing that Nasll\;lIe had become indefensible in thc f.1.ec of thi~ dual ad\'llllee, chose to abandon the city and tu rn to the offensive, instead. His plan \\a~ to attack and destroy une of the twO advancing I-c deral armies before they could link lip. He chose to artack General
Wool.

\\"001 had advanced his ann} to a place called Plltsburg Landing, Te n ne~see, 0 11 th(' banks of the Te nnessee Ri \er. Nearby \\'a~ a small chapel with the name of Shiloh. Wonh's Arm)' of the Ohio \\as mo\'ing to link up \\"ith \\'001 , but thc} wert' still on the opposite (eastern) side of the Tentlessee River. Neither side had any battle experience, In particulflr, the cornrnanden on both sides had the Napoleonic opinion that defensive struCtures like rine pits and trenches were unnecessary and demuralizing to the troops. As a rcsult, the

Had Worth been able \(llink up with Wool's beleaguered fo rces, perhaps the rcsult would have been dimrent. Howcvc l; the Union forcc5 did not possess sufficicnt riverhoa15l0 permit a strategic movcment of th is scale, The result was a foregone conclmion. Outnumbcred a nd O\'erwhelmed, the Federals su rrcn(\crcd to :'I lorgan's force~ that eWlling. The o\'erall ("a)uahr count had now risen to around 6,000 mell of both ~idts and Wool's Arm)' of the \\'est was eliminated. \\'Orth'5 forces arrived twO days aher Ihe battlc. A feeble Union pursuit sent 10 pur<ue the Confederate army, was stopped h~ Morgan's rear guard. Worth WliS forced to return to Pitlsburg Landing. After the batlle of Shiloh, General \\'001 was roundly criticized in the press for being surplised at Pittsburg L.1 nding. I-It- doubtless would have lost his commission hfld hl: not been a Confederate prisoner.

30H

Indian 11milory Tran sformed

The only military ~uccess "br.llllSt the Confederacy cluEing the first year of the war was ironically 10 be achieved by the Fi\'e Tribes of the Indian Territory and not a Union Army. In the wake of their ~UCC(,SSC5 ill \,irginia, the Confcdcr<lC) mO\'Cd to c..xpand thcir lcrrilorv westward. In August 1852. a force of 2500 militia rrom ~ I issouri and Arkansas commanded by Colonel I).mid JolulSlon crosSt'd the ,\lississippi into Indian Territo,)' with the intcmion of captUling rnat Icrr;to~ for ,h(' South. Succcu seemed fa\'orable, as in C\'Cly village they entered the I lldiall~ fled from the militiamen. On August 23, Johnston's men ,"('ached Fon Eglah, a ~mall garrison mallTled by Union troops. This \\'a~ quickly c.1pmred at the COSt of 16 men killed and anothcr 43 wOllnded,
In the Wolke of th(' inva~ion, General Pleasant Jameson, Plincipal Chid of till' Creeks, had set about organizing the dc/cllM: of,\l uskccg'ec. Fl'Om his own nation and the neighboring Cherokee and Seminole lIil>es, he was able to musler nearly 2000 8oldiers. Unbcknowmt to their Federnl O\erseef". ill lhe intcrvcning years ~incl' re~t:t!lj'mcnt. the tribes had stockpiled muskets and rinl'~ and no\\ they would bt: put 10 good usc.

take the Cherokee and Creek in the !lank and disntpt lheir defell"{' of Ule ~outhern crossing. The militiamen, once the}' had dosed with Ihe Indian, sel upon them hilh bmtal 5a\'ag-ery Of the 196 men J amcson had placed there. anI} four l'scaped. John~tons officers lost comrol of their men as thc) \\ildl} hacked the deold and d}im;: to pieces. Once order wru restored, the Confeder;ues proceeded to march on ;"!uskeegec. From ar.1r, the town appeared \0 be abandOIl(. -d. Thi~ illusion was quickl~ dispeUed once they approached 'Iithin line range. From conccaled points behind I\;ndo\\ ~ and rooftops, line ,md musket fire empted. T he 2nd . \rkan~IS was in Ihe lead and suffered devastating losses. H ere, [35 melT were killed including most of !Iwir cadre and another I i3 wounded. Tht' men brak!' under this barrage and john<lOn ,i~lal{'d ,\ tactical retreat to reassess the Sitll:Hion. RaUler lh;ln Ixing cJiscoul':"lgcd by lhis 5Ctbaek, the militiamen, particularly thO~e li"OllI . \ rkans.1S. were cnl':"lgcd and grimly detl'rmined to aH'I1I~e their kin by burning the \Own. 1\ plan \\":\S dl'\'iscd to approach the town from lour directions a\"Qiding Ihe solid dt'ft'nq:s in the lIonheast. The attack would be made under the cover of darkness ~o as to offer some mca,suN' Qf conCt,.ument from rine lire. J ohnstOn disliked lhe idea of .lllack.in~ at night ror it would make the a..Iready diflicultjob of controlling his often unml) force that much harder. HOI\c\'er, he kne\\ thi~ would ultimately be a hand-to-hand COnll'St in \,'hieh org'.lnil.cd lire lines would play no part. so he agrl'ed to the operation. At midni~ht till' Confi.dt'rate rorces mO\'ed on .\ Iuskeegee. 111C defcndl'l's wcre h:lllll>ered 1)\ the darkness and could do lillIe to "tem the ~ I\;lrm th'lI soon eJlL,'lIlfed tlwlll. The tOwn was 'oon abl:\Zt and '"ltJumindted in the fires or an angJy native god" .IS one ~ ur"i\'()r would later put it. The battle degenerated into a 'cries of indi\idu<l1 gunfights fought at arms lenglh, the combatants using pistols, kni\"es and e\'ell their bare fists. Both sides :llll:l<.sed appalling casualties as no quarter was giwil and many wounded men \\'Cre IC/i 10 burn alive in the fires from \\hidl thcy could not extricate themselves. When da~ bl'Ok(' OW l' thc charred remains of the town. J ohnston klll'\\ that he had lailtd. From his position ill lhe Epi~copalian church, one of the rew buildings 10 have csc.1pcd the fire_, he \f,lS inrormed that fe .... er than 700 able bodicd men LOuld he accounted for. Though they controUed the soulhern hair or the town, :tnd pos~ibl}' isolated pockets clse1\ here as ~poradic gunfirc would seem to mgge5t. he had not the forces remaining 10 U'CUfC the t('mtoTY. It had been .1 Pyrrbic \iclory for althou~h he had eiTccti,"C!y destroyed ,\l uskecgee, the Indians ,\ere still capable of defense. H is objccti\1~ was 10 subdue Indian resistance and in so doing !K:<:ure their tcrrilOl) for the Confederacy a goal that was now clearly out of reach. His only course now rlear,J ohnslon SCI about extrica ting his rorces from ;"Iuskcegee. Along the sixt}" mile trek back to Fon Smith Arkansas, his forces incurred funher losses as fresh Choctaw riders, belaledly answcring the mustering call of G('ncrnljameson, harri('d his beaten troops. From his original force of 2.500 onl\' ."IR:l men rcturned,

An adv'IIlC(-d gllard was posted along the shom of the Riwr whcre two rording sites of the l cxas Trail crossed thm waterway nonh and south of its confluence \\ith the Neosho. All ri\'(~r barges were withdrawn to the \\"t:~tern shun:s 10 inhibi! their capture i1nd subsequent use by thc Confederates. !'. Ieanwhile, j amcron sel about organizing the defense of ~ l u'kel'gee. The flat open land dictated that Ihe to ....'1 ibclf was Ihe only ]>O"iliQn \\orlh defending and <;0 his men po~itioned themscl\'l'~ within the building and awaited J uh nston's fOI"{;es.
....\ ri:;UNl'i

j o hnston me:mwhile, after consolidating his forces, del<lched .. group of Tiders to probe the Arkansas ri\'cr crossings. These men were fired UPOT ! by Cherokee and Creek rifle. men as they approached the flu' shore. Unprcpared fo r such stiff resistance, the Confcdcrat('"s broke and '';.111. Of the 55 men dispatched, 14 wcre killed and another 20 wounded. When informed of the amb u~h, Colond Jo hnston realized he had a fight on hi~ hands and that the tribes were not about to simply concedc. Upon performing a proper rcconnaissan{,l',johnston decided to split his forces in t\\O and attempt a simultaneous Cl"OS!;illg of the ArkaIlS:\S above and below the Neosho. It wa,; bte in Ihe year and the waters were low l'nough to permit mell to march across, but in so doing they would be at a great dis.ld\"aluage. Ha\ing no anillcl), he would ha\'C to depend on his OWJl men on the far ~hore to j>l"O\ide cO\'Cring firc during the crossing. He hoped lhat by cros:.ing at two points. the Indian force would be diluted and that the crossing could bt: accomplished with a minimal loss of life. The I;\,er crossing pl"O\'Cd les.s deadly than J ohnston had feared. The Indian rorces had conCentratl-d a\ the southem crossing "hel"e they had previously chastened j ohnston's scouts. Los.'jcs were ~ignificant but elll')' allowed the nonhern clement to cross rdatiw'I}' unharmed. l 'his group was able to

309

Aflerma!b of Ib, Ba11 1, of Muskeegee

Stories of Union drfcan in the cast had made their \\'a~ and from ,hcsl' repons it had become abundantly clear thaI the five uibcs could not depend upon \\'ash i n~on to protect them from fun her incursions by the Confcdcra('~.
we~ lward

E1eclion of 1852
T he bloody dba$tc rs of Fredericksburg and Shiloh doomed the Cas~ ildmini~tration. The debacle of Shiloh occurred just .. month before Ihe Democratic cDlwentioIl and a pall of defeat \\'"!I.5 ill the air. When Ca.ss stood to address thc dcJeg:lIes. he was so loudl} jeered that he could 1101 complele hi~ addTTss, Not nen the brilliant orato!") of Stephen Dougl.w. finally chmen as their candidate, eould altt'r tlwir mood. T he Frec Republic convention. by contrast, was a raucous aft1.ir. St'cc~sion ca u ~ed many .'Jorthcrners oUlside thl' abolitioni~t ranks to quc~tion the decades-long policy of compromi~c \lith thl' South. It had also robbed the Democrats of much of lheir ,trcngth. \\,ithi lL the confines of the shrunken Union. the ci()lt1in;tllt't or the Free Republican ~eemcd
as~ured.

The mo\cmCIl1 10 ~ecllre independence for the Indian Territory IX'gan in SCJltemlx-r 1852. with a COIl\'Clllioll in Eufaula con~i<;ling of I't'prcS('lIt.ujn:s of the Fivc Ci\ilizcd Tribc~. The N'pr6Clllali\'c ~ met ,,!.,rain in September [0 ufl;anizc .I constitutional con"elltion.

T he Comtituliotlai COlwcmion mel at the partia lly rebuilt \m\n of ~ I usk('egee in October 21. 1852. Gellcral Pkasant J allll:soll, PrillciplIJ Chief of the Cn;cb and \'ictor of Ihe Battk of ~hlskccgee, ,.,.as chosen president by the ckned delegatI'S from the s~\'f> nJ l districts. T he delegates decided that the \'ice-prc~idellts would be the executive ofli{"cr_ of the Fiw Civilized tribes. There were five \'ice-Presidents: Principal Chier of the Chcrokec~. Douglas~.J. Jencrson: .I unay, ;lppoitJIed b} Chieka~aw Governor Edward H . } Fredetick 1-1 . J ohmton \0 rt'pre,eIH the Chickasa\\;.: Chief Green \IcSh;lIIc of the Choct:ms: Chief Elmer White of the Seminoles; and J ohn H a.~kell. selected to represent the Cnck:. as GCller:.1 Jameson had beell elected Presidellt. Scquoyah, named in honor of lhe great Cherokee, Sequo}ah, was the name choscil fo r the new nation. The convention organized a go\"ernmel1t for Indian Territo!")'. wrote the constitution, dre\\ up a map of the counties. and e1ectl!'d a proposed ,et of delegatcs to Congre~ s. T ilt'S<' propos:.I ~ Ilere "cntto a \"ote b\ the citi2Cn~ of Indian Tcrrilo,) and passed o\Cr\\"hchnilH;:I~. -nte delegation recci\'t'd a eool n'ceplion in \\"ashin{{ton. howevcr. Having already lost the South to ~ece~~ion. no one "ie'I'ed kindly the :\spiration~ of another region to withdraw from the Union. Douglass .Jclferson, huwevrf, made clear in a speech to c.:unl{l"ess that "hal the Nation of Sequoyah desi red was to " . .. slalld logetlltf with Ihe {./Ilittd Siaies as bOfOm flllits utliltd flJ /lal"llItr~ (/,~ailIJl (I [Q/IIII/rlll villainy. Do u'c Crah,
ChtrQku, Choc/nlt', Osag~ and Stlll/1I0fe 1101 sllart a (0111111011 aillllflil u:itll lIlt jJroud {'"um? Ilau II,cfr JOlllflrm gellflml!71 /101 claimed domil/ioll our lallds Ihlll U'l'ft ollr lIaljoll as well? O/l~I' rumt(I' fI(I/'f. )"Olljelt Ihf. J(}IIIf./OJJ Iltol "!I' profllt hlll."e mdllTtdfor 0 go/frotirm IIOW. Gmfltmat. ria not disparagr fhis opt/l '!1ft! ~ jriflldship IlIld good will for ill crisis limn sur/, as tiltSt 0 will/11g II/~)' sm.t.1 )"olIr pllrposes btfItr IIttlll a (ollqllmd jM. ..

Gennal Winfield 5("011, ha\ing abandoned the now dcfunn \\llig Party. addres\ed the ao;sembled delegates Ull the ((ric,'Ou~ ~'rror~ of judgment forced upon him b) President Cu.-;s. The war h,ld b(.'en w;lgcd rashly in hope~ of a quick ,< ietor).
"Ollr jQtj IIff 1/01 lilt jrol//in Slll'agrs JO halldi(~ btatfll dlln'ng IItI' pasl tlmtscor( JtOTl. ROM(r, tltq af~ 1/11 "r/lat sih/ing jchooled 11/ Iht S(JfIl~ milila~r ar/J al OU1Jl'h,tj. 11 10 air thrrtfort mntchl'd Iry an oppo1It111 ul/(} is ollr ~qllal In tlltjil'ld. To IItil/1r otltUt1';St w01l1d ht 10 dt'!.v Iht Imf//ll rif Fr,daifIrJhll'.'4 and ~hilok H tjight.sfor Iti! I//Imt !Oil and 11/ Ihat II I' aTt' dillld/"lllltllgtli. /)() nllt. ntlu.n.tr. ht1il'l. t tJ/(I1 I ad, /Kalt fapillllalioll. 10 /llt dissolllt/(ln oj tlt( {/llOn. I hau ,pokcn litrll' u"Orrb ill litt Ilopt that }'(JII Kill oppftdalt thl' gral"i!l< oj OIl! Cummllll tas/.;. Ollr sOlllhun hrttltrfll, tlto/Igh Ihry IlOu !L"ilhstood our marlwl tlfort.s, art Ihtlllstlt,tJ disadml/II/grd. liar OIl lilt scalt u't cal/ttmplatt mllst bt u'aged~' armieJ ldlOl1y III/Iikl' IllOlt litis nalio1l nOll..'jiefds. Tlmt I/ew IIrmus IIIIISI bl' raistd, (mil/,d. armed (lIIdjed. TII;J difficlIll fflllW' is nol bg'oll/I IIJjOI" wt POSSfJS IIIf ca/labi!i!~ 10 mlll/lifaclUft lilt rijlts lind mllllOIl IIUlSsnTy 10 '1/111/1 fill intJistibi, IIm~)'. Tltt fr(flsio/ll~1.! It//t'l 110/ Iht IIItllllS 10 follow Sllil ond 11/ tllflilitrir doul!/ilIlIlIlLlllie. .,

Tht, confidence with which SCOtt spoke and his assurance of victor} ltd to a d:\l1lol" for him to accept the nomination tor prc,i<ient. He declined the oiler, citing the need to manage the grea! I!l"k he had <el before the nation. William Seward. "ith the backing of SCOtt, was subsequent!} choSi'1l as their c,lIldidatc. Despite scveral notewonh) debates betwcen Dougla<s and Scward. the election was a forgone conelmion. The electorate was in no mood for lalk of diplomatic solutions. The South had commiued the most grie,ou.;; of sins, treason, and sh(.' w .. ~ 110110 be lighdy forgi,en. S(''''al"(l carried all but the border states of Kentucky, :\ lar)I'\l1<1 ant.! Delaware and thus became !lit: 121h Prc~ident of thr United States.

J efferson had playt'd ;\ Sirong hand. The Union was in no po~i[ion to 'pare Ihe forces l1ece~s;. ') to prevent the sece~~ion of Ih(' Indian l hrilo!"). The alliance he olTered, however, could servc to fortI!' the Confederacy to di"ert some attenlion to tilt' we~t and away from the important castern front. It might also check advances illto the \\"e~tcrn territories. After \'i~orous, but ultimately pointless debate. there was but Dill' prudcnt course of action the Ulli t('d States agreed to recogni7.e Sequorah as a sowrei~11 nation.

310

An Armed Camp
Upon a!~uming oflicc, Seward was f.1.ced with many diflicuhies. The mo~[ rl'c~sin~. namc:ly ,he fonnalion of an expanded F cdt'ra! Arm}. was ultimately the easiest to accomplish. With Californian gold flowing illlo the national coffers, the currcnq ~hoflaKc~ thai had so hampered commercial dc\-eJopmclH ill the past were solved. This alone could
nOI provide the nccess;u) financing so an income and van-

th;u the United States would guarantee the aecessibi[it), of her ports to tlte European colton trade, This was dcmonstrably prawn in . \ugmt of 1853 when a Confederate ship the impounded revcnue cuner Washington) attempted to intercept a British merchant I-e_~.sd outside of Ga!l't'ston. She was prompd) Stt upon by thret' Union s.1.iling sloops and burned to the keel. l c:\:,U1 neutmlil}' prQ\-ed to be a boon for the young Republic. Shortages caused by the Federa[ blockade ensured that eager burtrs paid hand.-.omely for e\'e~' bale of canOn that could be dcli\'cred to GalveslOn. Conoll acreage illcrc;lscd h} IIcarl} lift)' percrnt in 1854. Sorely needed im'cstment cilpital al~o began to pour into the COUIlI!}'. British fimtnciers, ~reking a ~afc hm-en for manics once il\\-e~Ted in the now warring .\merican Sta tes, funded road and railway comt ructiOIl, The iunux of quantiTies of British ~pccie. especia lly thc silver shillin\{. al!cl'iated the nC('d to clt-pcnd ~olely on paper script and stabilized Ihc economy. T he COllon dearth al~o ilf'neiited the Indian Nation of Sequo}ilh. The Cherokee people v, ere e.'l:pcrienccd in plan. talion ..t~riculture from their period or assim ilation in the '>Outheasl. The dem.md for cotton ,timulaled a boom in lhe ("uhi\-ation of '1' hite gold' wiThin the young nation. They did not. hO\\t"I-er, have tilt" reach .lcce~~ to market:. Ihat so benc. fited T C:':<l-'i. The .\rkan$;\!i River ~,-a, clo~cd to them bdoll Fan Smith so cotton had TO tral'd by wagon to either Fan \\'orth, Tc:.:as or Omaha Cit>, Iowa. Thi ~ promptcd the can. ~truClion of an indigenou~ly built railway linc that would evcntually link the United Siaies and l e:\:as. Texan and SequQY;lhan cation fields could hardly salisl} The cnormous appetiTc of the mills in I.ancaster. l'\C\1 England and Fburmies. In an effort 10 pro\'oke the B riti~h and French into action, "collon bonds" were floated in London and Paris' stock c:.:changcs, Thcst bonds were rapidly bought lip for they were rede('mable in cotton far below the goi ng market price. They were, however, redcemilblr only in the Confhleracy. Gi\'cn these ecunomic incentil'es, individual ship captrtins ran the porous US b[ocbdc with general succeqs uut some were caught and their \'eqscls impounded and news imprisonr-d. Tension mounted between London, Paris and \ \'a~hinglOn over the coursc of the yea r. III ('arly I85.J.. Seward's e:\:lfl'mcl)' capable miniSI~r to England. Charles Francis Adams, the son of J ohn Quincy Adams and grand,oll of J ohn Adams, ~ uccessfullr brokered a diplomatic und('r~landing. The callan blockade was not as injuriou~ to BRitish financial illlerests as the Confedemc)' had wished. Soun::cs in l has. Egypt and India were able to fulfill much of the demand. Sober reflectiou rcvcaled that Britain's economic relations with the indUSTrialized .\I"orth far outweighed those WiTh lht" rlu.. 1 South, conan notwithstand. STomcr, providing a la rge ing. T he Union was Brilitin's best CU markct for British goods and am<lct ing large amoullts of British capital as im'estmclIlS in railroads, lands, and securities. It ;1150 exportcd large qu:tlllities or foodstuffs and raw matcrials to tht British Isles, T he conflict had greatly stim(l'

ous otlll'r laxes were instittllcd in 1853. These were, quite IHnumlly, unpopular but the 'war fe"cr' of the North was
~uch that these eliCited only passing grumbles.

SCOI1 had ad"OCOltcd a naval blockade of Southern pons to Slan'c her European cottOl1 tradt" If Ihi~ wert" allowed to continue, she could simply huy the mUllilion~ ,hal ~he could 11 01 produce hcrsdf. Indeed, F~deral a~f::nts in Europ~

repo rted Ih:1I lan;(' orders lI'ere already being placed witb British and Frcllch arms makers. The F ederal Navy, though, was woefully shon of ~ hips with which to dTectivciv blockage SOlLthern pOrt~, "'Ou r heav}' ~ide-wh('c1ers h~d been launched in 1850, T he balance of the nal'); however, consisted of sailing ships; line-of.ballle ships. frigates. doop', and brigs. Splendid vessels as the) had becn in their da\. these ships were nOlI olholcle as vessel" of war. ~spite their grave lulnerabilili('"s, the~c ~hips were capable of interdicting unarmed merchalll \'essd~ and so were deployed outside Ihe Soulh's pRincipal AIi:mlic and Gulf pons. The keels for si:.: nel" serell frigatcs had been laid dm\-n in the last days of thc Cass administration and orders IH!rC placed for another dozen. It would be 1854 before all) of these new ships could join the blockade.
A more polilical!} lethal development was the threat of

recognition of the Confederacy by England and Fmnce. Both nations had sent n 'presentat il'cs to Washington and Richmond follml ing lilt.' military sctbacks uf 1852. Cautious of picking the wrong horse, they Sat on the sideline awaiting a more decisive Outcomc. 'f he eSA WfL~, howc"er, rccogni~ed by the Repuillic of Texas in l:Cbnmry 1853. T hough il s mall gesture 011 the world stage, it uOlstcred the Confederate c;lUse for l(gi limac}.

SOUTHERN DIPLOMACY
Sympathetic ('a" in ~ I a!}-Iand wa rned that the US was gearing up for lOtal war. This was more than mere campaign rhetoric on thc pari of the Free Republicans. ,\ lreadr new armies were being fanned throughout the .\"ol1h as a flood of \uluntcel1l flocked to the colors. ~ I ore s('nsible members of the Confederate Congress knew that they could never withstand an omlau~ht of hundreds of thousand of Union troops. They might. with great effon, field a comparably sized army but they could not possibly hope to provide Ihe rifles and cannon necessary to make it an em~cti"e force. The Northern blockade, though still porous, was nonetheless beginning lO make it ~ effects fell. i-\ few BriTish firms had begun to trade exciusiI'Clr lI~th T exas, Seward had labored hard in courting l cxas 10 remain neul ral with the promise

;j I I

laled Irade belween the two coullIries. Hostilities would also have left the long border with British Ca nada vulnerable, Great Britain was also vel) much a democracy and her politicians lI'ere subject to an extraordinarily free press. The party in power was as susceptible to public opinion as any elected go\ernment. With the Napoleonic war (180{-1815) and the Second American war (1812- 181 5), stil! fresh in the cIder generation's minds, it may be fairly supposed that English people were tired of wa rs and the economic hardships they caused. No politician wanted to be the one to start another. The same could not be said for France, In i\ovember 1852, a new plebiscite overwhelmingly approvcd the establisllmem of the Second Empire, and Louis Napoleon became Empcror Napoleon III. France did \lot have the same access to altcmative so urce~ of colton as did Greal Britain and her indusuies suffered accordingly, i'\apolcon publicly cOildemned the war that had exhausted "Otl( if th(
moslfiuiiful tif (Frmch) industries."

fighting became pitched as the gray clad infantry arri\'ed. The next day, at dawn. fighting began again around Beech Hill liS a Union clivisioil advanced up the pike, halting JUSt before the Confederate line. T he fighting then stopped for a time. After noon, a Confederate division st ruck the Union left flank and forced it 10 fal! back. When more Confederatc divisions joined the fray, the Union line made a stubborn stand , coulHerattacked. but finally lell back with some troops routed. The Confederatc commander, :\Iaj or General Booker, did not know of the happenings on the lield, or he would have sent forward some reserves, Even so, the Union troops on the left fl ank, reinforced by IWO brigades, st"lbilized their line, and the Rebel allack spullered 10 a halt. Later, a Rebrl brigade assaulted the Union di\1sion on the Barksdale Pike but ,,'as repulsed aHd fdl back into H art~villc. The Yankees pursued. and skirmishing occurred in the ~tree15 in the ('yening befor!.' dark. Union reinforcements were threatening tht' Rebel left flank by now. Booktr. short of men and ~upplics . II~thdrew dwing the night. and, after pausing at Lebanon. continued the Confcderate retrograde by way of Cumberland Gap into eastern Te nnessee. Command of the F tderal .\rm y uf the POtOmac had been gi,'en to Daniel Roberts after Blacher had been relievcd in [852. Roberts reorganized the army and formed a cavalry corps. This work had been completed by the end of ! 853 but too late for that rear'~ campaigning season. In April 1854, a~ pan of the tripartite campaign. he \,as ordel"nl into \'ire;inia to bring the Confrdrratc forces to battle and destroy them. He wanted to strike at Taylor'S army while a sizable portion WliS detaehcd under Plice in the Suffolk area. T he F ederal commander left a substantial force at Fredericksburg to tic TlIylor to the hills where Hlacher had bern defeated two years earlier. Another Union force &~appeared westward, crossed the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers. ,md convcrged on Frederick~lmrg from the west. T he F ederal cavalt), would open the campai'l"n with a mid on Taylor'~ line of communications with the Confederate capital at Richmond. Cotl\'inced that Taylor would have to retreat. Roberts lru~ted thai his troops could defeat the Confederates as they tried to escape his trap. On .\prit 29, Robens' c<t\'all)' and three army COqlS crossed K.elly's F ord. His col umns split; with the ca\'U lr}' pushing to the west while the army corps secured Getrnanna a nd Ely's fords. The next day Ihese colu mns reunited at Chancellors\'ille. Taylor reacted 10 the news of the Federals in the Wilderness by scnding General Gideon .J. Pillow's division 10 im'csligate, Finding the Kortherners massing in the woods arou nd Chanccllorsvillt:; Pillow commenced the construction of earthworks al Zoan Clm rch, Confederate reinforcernel\lS under Dilvid Twiggs marched to hdp block lhe Federal advance, but did not rtrri\'e until ~ Iay I. T he

Emperor Kapoleon II I sympathized with the South and while Adams was securing British neutrality, he took the slep of recognizing lhe Soulll as a belligerent and expressed interest in mediating the connic!. T he North adamantly refused to consider the idea.

THE AMERICAN WAR, PT. II: 18541855

The Korth had spent 1853 rebuilding a \<ast nc\\ arm) and in April 185+ it would be employed. The first attack II'ould be a ll effort to eliminate the "Ii:>souri salient. T he Army of Illinois. having formed for battle at Camp J ackson, marched, uncier the command of " Iajor General "Iulligan, on J efferson City, Colonel Williams commanded the entrenched ivlissouri State Guard grmison of about 3,500 men ..\'Iulligan's men first cncountered skirmishers on April 13 south of town and pushed them back into the fortifications. Ha\'ing oOllltd the Confederate troops up in J efferson City, :\ Iulligan decided to await his ammunition wagons, other ~ uppli es, and reinforcements before assaulting the fonifications. By the 18th, he WliS ready and ordered 1I1l assault. T he Union troop~ mo\'ed forward amidst sporadic Confederate artillery fire and pushed the ellemy back into their inner works. On the 19th, the lIlinoi.~ men consolidated their positions, kept the ~ lissourians undcr heavy a rtillery fi re and prcpartd for Ihe li nal attack. Early on the morning of the 20th, ~ l lIlligan 's men advanced behind mobile breastworks, made of hemp, close enough to take the rebel works in a final rush. Williams requested surrender terms after noon, and by 2 pm his men had vacated thei r works and stacked Iheir arms. This Confederate stronghold had fallen. bolstering Union scntiment and consolidating Federal contl'Dl in the ~lissouri Valley. "-!ajar General Riley's Union Army of the Cumberland mounted a simultaneous push into Tenness{::e, On April 7, they converged on the \Own of H alts\~lle in three columns. Union forces first skirmished with Rebel cavalry before the

312

Conrederates had no imcmion or relrc,uin\l: as predicted,

Robcn~

had

Rohcrl.',' troops rC ~I("d at ChancclJors\'ille .. fter execuling whal is orten cOII~idercd 10 be Ill(' most daring: march of the war. They had ~ Iippcd acro~~ Taylor's 1'1'0111 undetected, To some the hardest pari or the camp<li~1l seemed til be behind them: 10 olheN, the mosl diflicult had )'('tlo be eneountcl't'd, The ("amlry 1~ l id IHld raltercd ill its il1ili,,1 ('nOm and Roberts'., main force wa.) trapped in Ihe tan~ll's or the Wilderness II ithoUl any c<I\'alr)' til alert lhem of T.\}'lor'~ approach,
f\ S the Ft'ckral arm} convc r~ ed 011 Chal\('t'IlOl'~\illc. General Roberb expt'cted "Ia} lor to retn':\! from his ri)rre~. which totaled Ilearl) IIS,OOI). Although hem'il)' OUOlUlllIx'rt'd \Iith just uucler tiO.O(}O lroop~ . T aylor had no intention of relreating. The Confeder:HC conuTlandcr dil'ided his army: olle part remaiucd \0 guard Fredcri(ksbur~, \\hill' the OIIlt"r raced we~t 10 meet R oherts'~ ad"tnce. \,'hen d1(' I'an of Roberts's column clashed Wilh thl." COllfideral{' ~' o n :\ Ia\ I. Robelt~ pulled his troop~ hack to Chancellor,.yille .1 lon(' tawl'n al a erossl'Oacls in a deme \\ood known locally a~ Tht' \\'ilderne~s. Hert Rubcrts took up .\ defen .. in." Iille. hoping Taylor' ~ need to carry Out all uncoordinated att;Jck through the dellse ullcit-rgrowth would leave the Conredel'ale rort'cs dborganized and vuln('rable.

111 ,July 185+. General Roberts proposed a plan for \111.115IXII1ing hi~ Iroop~ by SCi! 10 FOri :\Iollrot' at Ihe lip of Ihe peninsula betweell the York and J ames ri\'cr~:, and from therc adl'ancing 011 Richmond. Presidenl Seward, who pre fCI'TC(1 ;\Ilnt her overland ad,ance. relllcwmly a~rccd to Ro!x'l'Is' plan. pro\lded thai a lorcc \\'<1\ Ic/i behind to pmteet \\'ashin\(lOll. B) .\ uq:USt, Rohert\ had "bout loo.noo men at Fort Ralh('r than :1ltempting to b reak Ihl'Ough the Conre(\t'r<ltl: line acro~, Iht, penimula. he prepared 10 I)('~i('~e Yorktown, the ~trongt~t poi lit in Ill\' lim'. Howcver, Gcneral T\\'igg'~ t'\<lcu:ltcd YOl'kto\\,1l jll~t a~ RoherT, had completcd hi, Im'paralioll~, .\n inde(:i,.ivc. though sc\'crel) contested. rear-guard Mtion was rought .11 \\'illi.umburg lI\ugust II a~ the COllf"dcrate .. \\ithdre\\ IOward Rkhmond, The l'vaC(I;'lIion of YorktO\I n opened lip lilt' York Ri n'I'W tht' Union flect. and on ,\ug 25, Roberts CSI.lh li~h('d hi, ha .. e ,n White Housl' I... ,ndiug: about 20 miles caSt 01 Ridlllwnd on the Pa tllllllkt\ Riwl'.
~ I onme.

To relain Ihe initiative, Taylor rl~ked dividing hi~ lorce~ Slill rurlher, retaining two di\'i~ions 10 IOcu~ Roherts's ,11\('11tioll. \1 hil l." Dm'id Twi'l',,[s marched Ihe hulk oi" the Conrederate arm}' west acro"~ the from of th\, Ft'dcl'".Illin,' to a position oppo)ite ils expo~('d riq:ht n.mk. T\\'i~~~ e;>;('{'Ilted thi s darin~ and dam.~crous mallClI\"('r IhRlu~h(Jut the morning :Uld afternoon of :\Iay 2. SlIiking IWO hour~ before dusk, Twi~~' men routed tht' astonished Fcderal~ in their ramp~, In Ihe gadtering darkne~s. amid the brambles of Ihe \\,ildernos, thc Confederate line I){'cam(' confused and halted at 9 p.m. 10 rC\l:roup. On :'-.Ia) 3, Twiggs initiated the bloodie~t day of Ihe hal tie "hen atll'mpting to rcuuite his tlnops with Ta}lor's. Ocspite ,111 obstinatc d!'fl'nse by the Fc'dcrals, Rohcrts ordered them to withdFoI\\ north o f the Chancellor House. Thc Conrederatcs wCl'e cOlwerginK on Challcellor~\'illc to finish Roberts whcn l\ meS'i.1\{e came that Federallroop~ had bmken through al Frcdcri l'k~burg. At Salnll Chul'dl, Taylor thrt'\1 a cordon around thest' Fcderal~, forcing tht'llI 10 retreat across thc Rappah;mnock. Disappoint ed . Taylor returncd 10 Ch,lI)cellofs\'ille, only 10 find that Ro~rts had aim retrc:ued aero~s the rll'cr, Chanc('lIors\'ilie \I:\,S considered Taylor'S greatest "ktfH), althoug:h the Confcdcrale commander'~ daring and ,kill met little rt' ~istance from lht' inept ge neralship \Jf Daniel Roherts, L'sing ('unning, and dividill~ their foree repl"\led ty, Ihe massively olltn llmb('red Cunfeder.ltes dro\,(' the F('deral army from the battlefield. The CO~ I had Iken rri~III' rul. TIlt' COllf{'derat('~ suffered 14,000 cllsllahics, \\hik inflicting 17.000.

l ..alc in ,\Ur,.hl, ht'a\\ rain~ ~I\elkd Ihe Chickahomim ~o tklt t'ommunit:illiun ll('t"'cel1 Ihe IWU willl.,'S of Robert ~'s anm bec.une precarioll'<. On Septemher 9, T\\i\!1f' nloH'd [lgaillsl the left \\inl{ (Ill the sOllth ,ide or the ,in'r, where the lines eXlended 10 Fair Oaks, a railroad ~tation ~ix miles ca~1 or Ridnllond. The Confederall' attack was bOldly exccuted in 11ll' en~lIiTl\l: baule of Fair Oaks Scptcmbcr 10-11 . Wilh Ihe help fJf \onu' di\bions of 11 C:0I11~' which had mana~ed 10 ~tnll{l{k ;lCI'OSS the rivet', Iht' L'nioll ll'ii wing held it, \::flIl1nd. I'ht, d('fe;ucd T\\'i~I.,'" wi lhdrew his forees If) Rirhmr)lld. I.nlm. 'IJmm,mding 111\ Con!l'dl, ..lIl' ,\rm) of Xonhcrn \ irJ.!:inia. t1lflllllled ,Ill olTemiq, a~aimt the exposed II L'nilm Corpl in orrler to cut Rob('rt~ 01T from hi~ base al Whitt' H on~f' Landin\::, Iktlleen Sl'plember 26 and Onober 2, Lnion ami COllrerleral(' I()fn" fought a ~ries of battk,: .\hchani\,dlle ~t'plcll1bcr 26-27), Gaines's :\ Iill (Seplcmber 27, Sa\ac:e\ Statioll September 29, FraySt'r's Farm Sq)li: ml:x.'r 30 , aud :\1:,II'ern /Iill OClober l ~, In Ihe bailie of :\ lahf:'rlI Il ill. the L'uion troops repeatedly repulsed the Conr('derate ;ll1,uks in wnll;' of Ill(' hardest fi1\"hting of Ihe war. On !Ill' He;>;1 d;I)', howe\'('r. Rolwn~, dediuillg 10 take the oITI'n .. j\'e. \\lthdr('\\ to Il. lni'nn'~ 1 ... 1nding on the J ames Rj\'Ci' d1\l\ cuclill~ Ihe Pl'l1in~ubr Campaign, Taylor had suf fereo the hemlt'r I n'ise~, ;llId Ill' had been ull~ucces~ful in his allempts 10 dimll'mher Robert'", relreating arm).

,1 New Ally
The I'iclory al Chance\lorwille and in the Peniosul:lr Campaign, though they ('hecki'd Lnion acl\'ances in (he easlern theater. had bccn cosll~: Taylor had prt'\'ai1cd thl'Oligh ex('e\let1\ gencral~hip .. nd good fortune but in so doing his armies had I;eell sCrlou~l)' weakened. Further inclIl':iions by such ol'endlclming forc('~ would C\'elllua ll~ prevail.
A~ ir to prove Ihis poinl, Union advances w{'~ t of Ihl' ,\ppalachi.uh were procl'edin~ apacl. In July, the .\rm}' or

313

IUinois completed thei r capture of ,\I is~oUli by destroying the fortifications ;u New j\ [adrid thereby opening the .\ I is,is~ippi River down to F ort Pillo\\, Tennessee. Riley's Army of the Columbia had captured Knox\'i11e <lnc! were advancing on Chatlanooga.
,\~ fate would haw it, a diplomatic incidelll wou ld offer the South a desperately needed ally. Confederate ~ I inis\'crs J ames Berry and John Phillips. on their way to Frann' in October 1854, were "kidnapped" by a Fedl'ral gunboat off the French mail packet Jergl. T he Empcror reared up and roared. Napoleoll fired off an ultimalllm giving "'ashingtotl 5C\'cn days to liberate the emissaries and apologize. or else.

France and access to the gUlls and ammunition she needed to survivc. Howcver. the si tuation in the west was deteriorrlt ing. r-. lissouri, Arkansas and much of Tennessee were under Union control and /\rkansas was beillg threatened by bOlh a Union Army to the Non h and raiding Chactoll' a nd Seminole fi-om the wesl. Precioul lillie could be done about this for much of her militia was distracted balliing the rebellious Louisianans. If the war was to be won and her independence asstll"ed. she knew thaI she had 10 alter tactics and assume the offensive_ Only by forcing a decisin: bailIe and capturing Washington could ~he bring her enemies to the bargaining table Qcfore they slowly ground her down.

While Seward ;'Inc! his cabinet debated their respolhc_ Confederate President J ohn Hugh ~ I e"m authorized his remaining diplomatic mission in France \0 make a secrct offcr to the Emperor certain to appeal to the dictator's desires for a rCllIrn of ~apokonic glury. [n rcwrJI for war~hips, arms and Frcnch troop~, the Con federacy would return the City of Ntw Orleam and its surrounding CQUllty to the French. When Seward replied thal the Confederate ~[ini~t('r; would not be released liS they were guilty of \'iolatine; tb.' F ederal blockade, the dj(' was cast. On October 23_ Ih(' Empire of France recognized the ConJ(,-derate Stat('. of Amcrica and announced that ~he would aid lhe CSA in her war of Independence_ When Ihis news crossed the Atlantic, it appeared 011 the front pagc of every paper. All across the ;\'onh. j\-apoleoll and the French ,,",'rl' \'ilificd. Communities with franco phone names vOled to change their nallH's. In the SOllth, Ihe news brought a new hope and zeal to the war effort e.xcepi ill Louisiana. The de"l 10 carw off Orleans C:oumy Iwd been concluded withom their knowledge or cons<!nt. Rioting began almost immediately and a di\-ision of Confederate troops had to be dispatched from j\ l is~ i ssip p i to keep order, The Louisiana state senate d eclared the act illegal and dClll,utded its immediate reversal. Whell informed by Riehmoud Ihat thc deal was ne(:essary to save the Confederacy, the Louisianans immediately \'oted to seccde from the confederacy. Additional troops from :'I lississippi and Arkansas were dispatched 10 qucll lhe insurgellcy. Northern paper~ had good sport in reporting the irony. On December I, " squadron of French warships approached the Virgini,-\ coast escorting a SlIlall neet of rnerch.ant vessels. Though sighted by the Sloop of war Constitution, the venerable sailing ship offered no resiSlal1Ct" 10 thcir passage. AI :"Jorfolk. the ships omoaded Iheir precious cargoes of rifles and cannoll. T hey were reloaded with eOllon for the n!tuTIl journey 10 France. The ships of the line, ,\iarcngo and Algiers, along with their trained crews, rcmained in the Chesapeake. As 1854 drew to a dose, the silllalion was mixed for the Confederacy. She had held off all :Htempts at the invasion of her vital eastern coasl. She had also gained a new ally til

The Last Huzzab

On April 3, 1855. the invasion of the North by Gencl<ll Zachal)' Ta.ylor, the South's Conmuillder in C hief. had brought several componelllS of his army illlo the vicinity of G/~lIysburg, in southern Pennsylvania. A gl'llcnll engagement de\'clo p~d, which endurcd furiously for three days. O n the third. Taylor decided to ,llltmptlhe envelopment of the L"nion ri,g-hl. while his fresh reserves under General Twiggs were to attempt 11 direct break thfl)u~h the Union crnter at Cemetcl) Hill. Th(' former operation broke down, but th(' laner. in one of the fierc('~t actions in military histol)', StlCceeded thc :'\onh's line was penetrated and the commitmCIlI of his Frcnch f("serves allowed Taylor to follow up Twiggs' charge with the rout of the Union Army. Taylor's \~C[Ot)' at Gettysburg did not itself immediately settle the issue_ Further losses in tlte year would however bring the Seward administration to lhe bargaining table_ .\ficr a long. strenuous campaign through ,\ lissOUl-i and ,\rkalhas_ General john Cadwalader had finally comc upon tht cit)' that held the M i<;sissippi River for the Confederacy our times he had faikd in aw:mpling to bypass Vicksburg. F the city from upri\'er. After cOIllemplaling his alternatives for the campaign. Cadwalad cr finally decided to march overland to \-icksburg. Cadwalader o rdered numerous diversions to confuse Lieutenant General J ohn C. Pemberton, stretching the outnumbered Con federate force, into dangerously thin gray lines. After bitter struggles at Port Gibson, Raymond, and later at Champion Hill, Cadwalader was within site of his goal. C"dwalader's forces quickly surrounded the cit)' and opened an extended aniller)' b<llTage . At 10 a.lll. on i\iay 22. 1855, bligndes from thrce corps of Cadwalader's army assaulted dIe city. A long bitter struggle took place and although the assault showed some success at firs\, til(" Confederatcs quickly restored their o riginal lines of defen~e_ The Union army suffered 3,199 casualties, while Pembcrton's forces losl less than 500 mcn. Realizillg that the city could not he taken by assault, Cadwalader orde red his engineers to begin siege operations. The siege cut ofr all supplies going into the city and the COH-

stam hamlllerilH~ of ~iege anitkry drove many of [he citizens into eavc~ dug into the hilhidt . The siege fin.lll y ended when on J uue 15. 18.')5, a French force under Ccneral PJ.E IJmquct arri\'ed from :,\'ew Orleam. His 2nd D i\'i~ion wcre \'cteran~ of years of combat in Algirrs and their cxperit'nce ~howed. In the U.mle of the Yazoo Hills. the Fn.-ncll routed the Union X\' Corps that held open Cadwalader'~ vit.11 supply lines. The L'niOIl forces, ha\; ng suffe rcd in exces~ of 1.000 ca ~ualtie~. I\I'TC forced 10 retreat across the "'i Hi~~i ppi Ril'er to Louisiana leal1ng [heir siegc guns to fall inl(o Confederate hands. In the {'enter fl\")llt. Hragg's. \rmy of 1cnne,see. after their defeat in 185+, iwd estahlh hed a fo rtified lille 'llong the Duck Ri\'er from S h elb)'\~ ll e [Q ,\I(~ l inll\ille. T he Army of the Cumbt"dand mMle two major a'~"uh s on the line during the summer o r t 855 but wert' rl'pulsed II ilh heavy losses at the Battlt's of 11 00\(: 1' Gap and Libert) Cap n:spectin;ly.
grie,'ou~

On .\pril 7, tlu. ' drali ollice at Th ird and Forty-sixth was set fire by a mob or 11111(1) draftec~. "I mlilld t.?f pllllll//~ (lui lit, Jirt, a JiTr bngodt, o"Il~" thaI 11"lr jObf 1/(1 /Ollff" (IIlilllli If"m (0 (II/ tifjiC;111 ,\fmplioll {from IIIl "rq)! ,lOll/ttl fh, nmh~. F o r lour days the an);l'} Ne\\ \'orker~. mo~ t ly immigranb. rampag:ed throu~ h tire street.'; targcting: the chief of police and the office of till' outspoken abolitionist Horace Greek....

Aflermath
In the wake of illcrc'l<;ing rt'~i~tanet' 10 what wa,;; increasilll:(l) brin~ ~Ct'll ", a futile e:Ht~c. the Seward admill i~tration finally, ill Olwlwr. <lcquic,red \0 thc ''('"pe'lIcd Freudr pl('as to ncgoti:lIl' a truce. E'('II though host ilities had eea<;('d, the 11011' Ir .. d not. Buth C(lnkderate and Union a rmies began to entrench :Ind lortif~ tlwir positions. Northern l\ lal)'land bcc<llllc a no-nr;ur'~ bnd as a ~olid belt of fortifirations wa~ built from tire Che~apl'akl' to the J \IJ ("~ltcn i cs. Thirt cen mollth~ later, tht, peaee tillks had h ardl~ pro185i when the DellIocrat~ ('anl<" back into POI\{'1' under Stl'phcn Dout.:lass [hal a peaCt' trrat) wuuld finalh be "i~ned recogniting Sout hern Indepl'lldtnn".
gre~sed. It wOLLld nOt Ix' until

The war was now ,It ;1 ~ta l en mt('. Hoth ~i d es had suffered losses '111(1 war wI'arirwss was selling in.

In the Norlh, the enlisllllr11l rate had fallen off ~harp l y b~' .\ugmt 1851. Further calls for mt'n were adhered to b~ more [han 400.000 men between ~ I a\i and .July, but tIll' ratl' in which they appeared b(l'allle ,,101\, So in .\U~51. Congre" took the unprcu'dclUed ~\('p of authoril.irrg ,I dmfl for qatt'~ \\ho~I' cnli stmelll quotai WCI"(' nOt nwl. ;'\'orthcrn rc~ponse to thc drafl appt"ared wearing the ugly face of I~olenee and angry prote~lS in e\'ery slate of the Union, with .1 telling illustration of this corning from 1 '\ ('11' York Cit) in J uly 1855. l\ tuch of the oppmition to the dra ft stemmed from its inhercnt lInr.'lirn('~~ in one'~ ability to hire a suustitute .onl}" the rich men could Irul)" alford to do 1I1i~. Anot her issue lIas race rrlatiom.. \nd much of thi~ ten"ion was centered ill urb,lII iln'a~, the rl'sidence~ of Ihe working el il ~S and imrnigrant~. F or instance, " hitl' workingmen li~. terred to the oratories of folks like Democnl.lic Congressman Samuel S. Co:..: of Ollio, 1\'1)0 warned lhat tire result of their serving in the Arm }" \\ould be to End "blacks tilling their places" on the j ob.
~ew York City was a si.~n ifilant ami-draft center for other reasom. T he amiw;!r rnO"ement had many po\\erful \'oices in the city. including iu own mayor. The Governor, Democrat Horatio St'ymou r, had outwardl) expres~ed his opposition to the draft a nd ellullwrated his reason~ for it. Additionally. struggling immig-ra nt groups, particularly the Irish, IllIose lI a ~es werell't enough to ..dapt 10 risil1~ wartime inflation did not enjo} the thought of going to War to pcrpttu.ue their economic struggle. The}' also I;el\cd the rcplacemcllt of their striking longshoremell with blacks with g reat cOlllempt .

Confcdrrate two p' c~"Cllpit'd thc L-uion ~ t at(' of ~laryland wh.ile F("drral troop~ ,till held .\Jj""ouri and portions of l(-lIIrc~"Ct' .md .\rk,1I1"<I). Luui~iana al'>(} di .. puted the territorial claim, of the frt'1ll h ~()\"('mllu'n[ \0 ;'\'e\1 Orlean~. It I\as ag recd that tcrriwry in I>o\~e~sion of tire helligcrent POWI'"I'!i would form tlit' boulldalie, between tht' two nations. The L"nitcd States dccidf'llto mo\e the ('apital to NI'\~ York Cit) and til(' D i~triCl of Columhia was ab~orl)('d into ~Iaryland a." Columbia ('ount\: T hc ,\trallt or XC"I\ Orlt' ;Lll'i to Fr:mce lIas an act of tire Confl'dC"ratt' gO\I'flllllt'lI\ and the ~outhern delegates fclt the), \Iere in no pu~ition to cit-dan' the grant null and l'Oid lest the~ ;Ul~CI tlwir French allies who had ensu red tlrei r indrpcndl.:llI"e ,HId who~(" fin:urcia l a nd industl'ial backing "ould ~u ar'lnteC il. It tllll' lJeGIIlH' it domestic mailer for the Conrt'ckran to "oln'. Trul' tll tlwi !' word, the LouisianallS pressed ahead \\ith "l'("es~ion and petitioned to join the Republic of TC"l(a~. rhe Il'xa~ Senate ratified this in October 185b aftl'l ,I brit'f con llkt known as the "Cajun \\'ar" illustra[("d that thl' Conlcderacy would I>t' unable to hold the re!(ion b~ lorce of al"lll~.

011 ' \1'1; 15,1855. the fif'lt 1,236 names were drawn from a wheel to clett'l"mine 'Iho would be dra!ied into the army. T he next day as the C":tsulilty list from Gctly~burg was being posted, the names of these draftees were listed in morning papers ilnd posted around the ci t),. It did not take long for chaos to en~ue.

3 15

Chapter 6.21 Quirk & Flaw Descriptions

As Iloled in the section Oil character crc:nion, quirks and naW!; rcprcscllI (hose aspects of your characte r that make him a true individual; liule imperfections and unique traits that make us all human. Quirks arc mental in nature, and include habits, prejudices, and so on. Flaws, on lhe other hand. arc physical in nature. Some examples of flaws arc poor cyesight. facial scars, and even missing limbs. he was leaving each place he stopped , he may ignore this check for items. Items he recorded in the morn ing and did not movc do nOt need 10 he recorded again. Similarly. an Illlelligence check must be made to remembcr anything that the ch aracter did not specifically State he was writing down (assuming he ean read and write!). If he did write it down , he must make an intelligence check 10 find the picce of paper. Failure means he was unable to remember the information or locate the pic'ce of paper.
Abstinent (3 0 BP): This character swore 01T somcthing that most other folks seem to enjoy. No mallcr ho\\ much they cajole him, wheedle him or call him a "slick in the mud," he refuses to take any part of il.

The character creation tables divide quirks into several categories: Combat. Economi c, Extroverted, H abitual, Hygienic, Intro\'cnccl, J'd clltai, Rest and Relaxation and Social. Comhat quirks, for example. focus on a characlCr's reaction to tense situations. while hygienic quirks focus Oil aclions like picking and scratching, and hating to bathe. In this section. lIe list the full descriptions for each quirk in alphabetical o rder for case of use. followed by the ~ection on flaws.
The tables in the character creation section divide flaws into two ('ategorics: Common and Rare. As with quirks, full descriptions for each flaw arc listed here in alphabetical order. Foll owing the name of each quirk and flaw is the number of BPs (Building Poims,) ga ined upon recci"ing this quirk or flaw. Depending on how the character acquires this quirk or flm\ , he may not receive the fu ll BP bonus such circ umstances arc noted in the relevant rules sections {such as Tablr 6. .5-7: Upbringillg in

Roll a dB.

ar

If a I or 2, the cha racte r swore ofT alcohol.

9!"" If a 3 or 4. be's sworn olT tobacco.

gr If a 5 or 6, he's sworn ofT ga mbling.

:T If a 7 or 8, he's SWOI'l1 ofT sex.

Chapter 6.51 De/lliled Owrar/cr BlI.ckgrolilld.r).

All quirks and flaws require a backslOry explaining how the character bet:aml' that way. Any penalties lis!ed as "-x/-y''Io'' refer 10 penal ties deduCted from d20 and d%/dIOO rolls (for examplc, _21_10'11 means - 2 to a d20 roll and - 10% to a dOn/diOO rolil.

. \lcohol-absttnent characlers get drunk much fa ster than most folks, if they should take a drink for some reason. \\'hen drinkin~. such c haracters mUSt make their Constitution check "ersus half their abili!), score, instead of a standard Ability Check (COnstillltion modifier sti!! applies). See OWPlU 5.71 Drinkill' & Drugs for the details on drinking.
Addict (40 BP): An addict just can 't get enough of something that other persons simply enjoy on an infrequent or regular basis. This characte r spends every bit or spare cash on hi~ habit whcne\-cr the opportunity presents itself. After the first indulgence, he must make a Wi sdom chec k agaimt half his Wisdom score or repeal it. If he runs OUI of money, he may put up his horse. borl'O\\ from comrades or even steal. He may eYeIl make deals that he'll regret late r.

* QUIRKS *
Abs ent-Minded (20 BP): Characters with this quirk havc a hard timc remembering thing~. An absentminded cheater might come to a game without his ll1:lrked cards, an absent-minded prospector might head to his claim without his pan or a cowboy may forget to meet his girl for their special picnic. Any time this character walliS to retrie\'e somethi ng from his supplies, LIse something thai's not in his hands or remember a specific appointment, he must make an Intelligence check. Failure means he left the item at the last place he slOpped, be that a campsite or saloon or sto re, 01' missed his date. If the characte r stated and recorded on his character sheel the location of each ilcm he possesses as

Alcoholics tend 10 spend all their free time at the saloon, o r holed up in a hotel with a bottle of whisky,

Roll (d20)

1 -10 .....

AddiClioD . ... Akohol II ...... . ........... Drugs (uud~ D um) 12 ....... Drugs (Morphine) IJ ....................Drug5 (Opium)

11,18 .. .. 1 9 ........

. .. .......G~mb l iog . .....Whoring/&:o:

. ...Roll twice more 00 Ih;$ u ble

10 ............

316

while gambling addicts participate in any SOrt of gam bling activiry, from a cock fight to whcther or not it will rain before noon. Drug addicts may spend much of their time nat on their back in a candle-lit room smoking an opium pipe. Ob\'iously, sex addicts spe nd their time holed up in a room with their spouse, beau or any whore they can find bUl a rc nO{ above aCling upon their desires anywhere (inciuding publ iciy) with or without a p:mner{s).
Am.bivale nt (15 BP): This character can't reallr work up cnough fecling to get excited about somethi ng one way or the other, and usually rdies on someone else to make decisions for him. " Then the choice comcs down to him, he doesn't really care enough to decide and goes with whatc\'cr is status quo. An a m bivalent character call not choose Pe rsonal Goal~ because he doesn't have ambition enough to have any. Animal Phob; a (30 BPJ: A person with this quirk has an irrational fear' of a certain animal. \\'hen

e ncount erin g a feared animal, the character wilt attempt to Oee, or he will freeze. Roll a dlOO on Tobit 6.2-2 to determine \Ihat animal the character fears.
Bad Liar (40 BP): ::-:0 matter hml hard he trie~, thi!:> character just can't lie at leasl, not so anyone helieves him. Whenever he tries, he either tells a lie th at'~ completely unbelievable (due to cin;urnstanccs, the nature of the ,aU talc or whateyer or he might stammer, sweat, blush, or give 00' obvious telltale nervous ~igns that 1lC' speaks "ith a forked tongue.
Ba dman (25 BP): A cha racter with this quirk is not a nice person, and enjoys performing cruel acts against others. This abcrration may take til<' form of animal cruehy or it may become cven darker and nastier. Those associating: \1 ilh a mean-~piritcd character will find themseke~ Ihe victim of cruel jokes or painful 'aecidenu." "'hen thin~~ go wrotll:;, the badntan is oftcn sou~ht out first as the cau~e. He's 201)/0 more likely to be comiClcd and wh{'ncH'r he commit5 an act that low("r~ his reputation, he ~ufTcr, an additional loss of one all tOp of the standard reputation adju~tmelH for tht' e\'Cl1t.

TABLE 6.2-2: ANIMAL PllOBIAS

Roll (dIOO) An,md 0106 ........ B~t

0].(19 ........ Bur

1011 ., ...... Bw'cr

12 H ........Bob"'t 1.s.l6 ." .....Buffdo

1],18 ........ Bull
[H[ .. ...... C~I

22-ZJ ........Chickcg ~ad Rooster 2'1-26 ...... ..Co... 2]28 ........Coyotc 29-30 ........Dcer JIJJ ........008 J"35 ........ Donkcy ~ad Mule 36-J7 .. ...... E ~lI lt .pd H..... k (ud simib. birds of PICY) 3839 ........f ox '~H[ ........Co~t 42""13 .. , . HorK 'IH5 ........ Liurd
46-'17 .. ". _.. LocIl5I

Boiled Shirt (10 BP): Also known as a "~tifT shin." this character is a snob. H e looks down all everyune else and believes that his way of lile whaten~r it ma) be) is better. Boiled shirt!' usually comt from an upper das~ back~round. but e\,('n a dirt-poor farmer hoiled shirt wiJIlook down on others from anothe r region 01' relatives, for example or on another's way of living city living or cookinf.t or cleaning a certain way l. ,\ boiled shirt miner. for example, might think poorly of the local rich banker as sofl and unmanly became hc's not gifted mechanically or phy:;icallr Whatc\'cr the cause, the boiled shirt fecls compelled to constantly make his feelings known. Boor (10 BP): Whether it's thai plate of beans he ate last night, or a tOuch of an infection in his bowels, thi~ varmint frequently lets loose with loud belches and Oatulence no matter where he 's ai, or whal company lw's in. A person with this problem usually does not rise "er) high in society and most peopk tend to shun a boor; therefore. such a c haraetc r loses I point from his Charisma abi lit), score. Buck Nun/Nun (20 HP): Despite the name, this quirk has nothing to do with religion. R ather, it refel's to a reclusive man ("buck nun" or woman "!lun" uncomfortable a round other peopte, particularly those of the oppo~ite sex. Such a character finds it difficult to spe<lk out or voice an opinion evcn if they di~agrcc, and tOngue-tied when talking to an anraCLi\c member of the opposite sex. He or she also a\'oicis all ~ocia l engagements when possible, cven if that means offend-

'18'19 .. , ..... Moose ud Elk SO-5[ ........ Mounuin Liop 52,56 . ", ... Mou1C 57-58 ........ Prmic 008 5960 ........ R~bb,t 6[66 ....... , R~I 6768 ........ Ro~,h 697'1 ... , ....Scorpioa 7576 ........Sheep 17-81 . _, .... Skullk 8287 ........Sn. kc 8893 ........Spidcr 9'195 ... , ... Squirrel ud Chipmunk 96-98 .. _... .. Vulturc 99[00 .. , .. .. Wolf ...orth double the sUlldud imoual of Aaim.1

Pbobi~

BPs

317

mg impol"wilt people. The character's Charisma is halved with respect to all social simations and he suITers a -20(1'0 penalty to all Social Eliqucltc skill checks. Cheapskate (40 HP): When given a cboice, a character with this quirk always buys the cheapest goods available. Whether or not it would save money in the long run is irrcle"an1. It 's saving money here and now that matters. For example, given the choice between a well-made S20 shOlgun and an S 18 shotgun wilh a loose stOck and a bil of rus1. the cheapsbte would decide to sa\'c the 32, and get the cbeaper weapon. Old rood. stale beer and more arc all common targt'ts ror this character. Chiseler (30 BP): A charaeter with tbis quirk uses unrair and downriglll underhanded practices to meet his own ends in any deal or situation. He always tries to get the most 100l or money recovcred rrom any business venture. He'll lie, cheat or change the tcrms of any deal and then adamantly insisl Ihal Ihese terms were the original lerms or the deal. He won't hesitate 10 take a(h'antage of rriends, acquamtances or strangers, especially those in ne(d. Chivalrous (20 BPJ: Only men suffer rrom this quirk (ladies. roll a~aill ) . Because or their galbnt

actions and politeness, chivalrous characters are well looked upon by mem bcrs of Llle opposite sex. but they also find themselves in harm's way more often than a less-trusting character. A chivalrous character always gives a woman the benefit of the doubt, and occasionally finds himselr shot in Ihe back or robbed as a result. Chunked (20 BP): Ir a character is "chunked," then he's bold and impetuous. and usually overconfident of his own ability to survive, He ncver reds outnumbered and will nc\'er retreat, hide or give up unless the number or enemies is at least triple those or his own group, and he's perfectly willing to stand there and fight it oul. Heck, ir he runs out of bullets, maybe he can da re the leader to take him on in a brawl. Claus trophobic (25 BP): People with this quirk haw an irrational fear of coufined or enclosed spaces. E\er\" time the character wants to enter. or finds himself in, a confined space such as a mine entrancc or even a small room), he either reruscs to enter or panics umil he's out in the open again. Ir escape is impossible, the character huddles in a corner or ru ns around in circles. also mITering a -2/-10% penalty on all die rolls and unable to take any actions. Cl ean Freak (25 BP): This character keeps himselr. his equipment and eyen his horse so neal and tidy you could almost eat 00' them. He bathes alld grooms himselr and his hor~e rrequelllly. and C\'en washes his dOlhe~ in a ~trealll \,hile he's out on the trail. T his character will refuse to go into dirty establishments, urging any companions to instead usc the high priced saloons. eate ries or bordellos instead. or course, this leads coarse r rolk to think (and remark) he's a little bit
~issified.

Clingy (20 BPJ: A character with this quirk necds to constantly be around othen. He neyer likes to go it alone and suITers a -2/ - 10 '0 pena!ty (-2 on d20 rolls and 10% on al! dO'o/dIOO rolls) whenever fo rced to do anything by himselr. The clingy character usually has a specific p(:rson that tht"} cl ing to. The first time this character encounters another character or any time a charaCter .~hows the dingy cllilJ"aCter an)' aCt or kindness, ron a d12. On a ! the character has chosen this character as his ravonte person to cleave 10. Once the clingy charactcr has round the object of his dinginess, he will prerer that individual above all others unless the clingce commits one act or cruelty toward thc clingy character for each week they'vc been together and lhe clingy charactcr meets another character and rolls a I on a dl2 as above. Conspiracy Theorist (10 BPJ: T his hombre believcs thai certain authority figures arc ra r llIore cleve r, powerful and manipulative than they could eve r iJ /10/ dead. tvell 011/ 011 Iiltfroll/ier. .. 3 1"

possibly be, In his mi nd, he interp rets uncorrelated events as part of a grand scheme 10 further some ncrarious end , Natur<llly, he tries 10 sha ft' his brill ial11 insighl with anyone who \I'illiisten, Pla}'ers should develop their own unique conspiracy theories early in their character's carccr: 0111' major (national or international le\'d and d3 minor local, The 1I1COriCS nced not interrelate in any way, As the gamc unfolds, it is incumbent upon the player to usc their creativity 10 incorporatc their l':"I:pericnccs as e:"l:amples of the conspiracies Ihcy\'e uncowrcclhuspected from the sta n, Thc player Illust jm'ent at least OIiC per conspiracy theol), per game ses~ion until he reaches the above qUOta, Furthermore, this cilal'::lcte r is vcry likely 10 believe other conspir.tcy theOI'ic~ related by others e\'en if they are olwious lies. Any rumors or stories heard about others will always be believed and fittcd into one of their conspiracy theories. Finally. ('\'0.'1')' month of game-time, roll a d 12. On a I. the cha raCter 11J.~ dc"eloped a new theory based on either roll a d6 local 13 or inte rnational t\'elllS (6).
C rude (20 BP): This characte r's language is crude

loves to argile 011 lOp of it. They often di.~al{ree JUSt for the sake of argument. If he were a bull. a sma rt ranch er would saw off those horns as soon as possible.
Do p pelg ange r (50 BP): Through a strange quirk of fate, this character looks just like a known outia\1 (appropriate to the campaign; chmen/devt:iopC'd hy tht G~ I or another player.

Roll a diO.
'Gr On a 1-6, he is completely unaware of this

strange coincidence,
:3r On a j-lO. he is already aware of' the fact.

Whether he takes advalllage of Ihi~ quirk or tries to hide it. the odd~ are good it']] catch up to him c\'entuaJl\",

D u d e/ Da ndy (1 0 BP): .\ dllde ,or a dandy. for you

in the 1lt"~1 and most expensive he call lind. While this might he aCfcpl.lble in tOll'll. thf' char-lcter ~ure looks a mite sill~ out nn Ihe ran~e. and folk~ alwa)\ pe:;:: him as a t{'nderfoot, ("\"cn if h("~ the fa~te:.t gUll in the tcrritory,
slort"-bou~ht dothl'~

f("mal{' ~ alway~ drt'<~e~

enough to make a whore blush. It see ms like evcry third \\'ord out of his mouth is prof.'\nity of some son. It 's a constant stream of "blankely-blank this" and "blanke ly-blank that" and "tho~{' blankt'ty-blank blanks" that he just ean't sh ut ofT: no m:mer who hc's talking to or what their social status is. \ crude character to~es I point of his Charisma ability becau~c of this qu irk.
D a uns y (10 BP): T his quirk may be caused hy a chemical imbalance in the br.tin of a charaCH: r (25 01. or a significant past cvt: nt (75%, in this case. create a plausible CVCIlI and record it on your record sheet), Either way, this character always secms depre~sed. and never sees the positil'e side of things. His bOil I" is always half empty. Each day, a dauns) char.tcter has a 20 u"o chance of having an episode where they refll~t 10 move or act in an}' way fO l' 30 minutes. D e athwis h (20 BP): Like daunsy (above), this quirk may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (25%), but it's also possible the character suffered a trauma!1c e\'enl in his childhood lhat scarred him for the rest of his life (75%, in this case, create a plausible event and record it on the record sheet). During each combat, the character has a 25-'(1 chance of taking all insane risk, believing il doesn't matter whether he lives or di es. De h o rD (25 BP): Characters with this quirk comhine a quarrelsome tem per willl a lo\'e of hard drink, A mean drunk always tries to out-drink everyone else, and

Early Ris e r (5 BP): Early to bed and carl} to rise fib this character to a 'T". He always gelS lip before the crack of dawn, and beds dowli ~hol'lly after ~unsc1. Worse, he ('"n't ~ta nd other folk who sleep later than he docs. and constantly p('~ter~ them to wake up and gCt going or purposd} makes a 101 of lIoise as Ill' packs, docs chorc~ or makes hreakfast often earning- himself a punch in the no~(' or a boOI thrown in hi~ face. If the early liser ,tap up late ha~ hcen :nlake 1i)1' 16+ can~eeuti\'C hours, he mlTcr~ a -2/-10"0 to alillis ani\iues. Fa n a tic (40 BP): A characler \\'ith this quirk is O\,{'1"I) zealous about a calise or a religion and extols ils "inues to everyone he ml'e15. It seems to be all he thinks about. and ("el"!ainl), what he usually talks about. The character should begin the game with d3- 1 unique causes (make up any calise of lhc player's choice), During pia), any time the character hears abou! a !lew cause that is not op po~ed to a current cau~e he suppOrts, he mUSI roll under hi) Wisdom or become fanatic about the new ca use as well. If Ihe new cause i~ relalcd or allied in some way with a cause he's ltlready fan:J1ically supporting, the Wisdom check i ~ made against half his Wisdom.

Fear of H eigh ts (15 BP ): Characters who ha\'c this quirk arc afraid of heights, They may be fin e inside a tall building, but fn:el.e up if they find themselves all the edge of a roof, high rock}' cliff or mountain. These charaClers refuse 10 cl imb anything highcr than their heads. If thev are fOl'ced to do so, Ihey suITe r a _2/_10'0 penalty on ~ny die roll, and look for an) cha nce to escape the situation.

319

Flannel Mouth (20 BP): Those with this quirk are llle worst kind of boasters and braggans. He brags abollt every big (or little) thing he's dOlle until eve ryone else is sick to death of hearing about it. :\Iost folks start 10 believe he invented the whole slOry just 10 gain attention. For e,ery 10 poilus of Reputation this character carns, deduct aile as folks don't completely bdic'e all thc stories (e,cn if heard from a third party). Fourflusher (25 HP): This character can't tell the truth from a lie. He lies about everything, even things that don't matter. J'd any of his lies arc so OUlrageous that only the most gullible believe them, but he insists they arc true, e\"(:n if presented with O'CI"\I helming e,idence to the contrary. l\"aturaHr, Ihis rattle~nake finds it hard to makc lasting, meaningful friendships. Glutton (5 HP): This charactcr ne,cr mCI a plate of beans he didn't like. He ha~ an insatiable appetite and can be bribed wilh food. Dinners seem to last for hours for this character. He requires twice the amount of food as a normal character to fUllclion. If he does not ge l this amount, he suffers a -1/ -5% penalty 10 all his die rolls. In this state, 11(:" will do anything in his power to find more food, including stealing ~lc('pi n g characters' rations for a lillie midnight snack. \\"hen rood i~ placed in front of him , he must make a \\'i~dom check

after finishing. If he fail s his chcck, he must order another helping. He also gains 0-0.5 pounds per \\leek ({d6- 1)x 0.1 ) up to a maximum of 2.5 times the charac1er's original body weight. Greedy (15 HP): Although most characters on the frontier live !O ob1ain wealth, characters with this quirk can ncve r have cnough. They do anything !O accumulaIC more and more riches, including lying to. stealing from, or deceiving people (bu! not fr ie nds. neighbors or close associates). Gullible (3 0 HP): If there 's a sucke r born every minute, this person must have been born twice. A character wilh thi~ quirk is the perfect patsy, and falls for anything he's tOld. He's an especially easy mark to chiselen; and di~hone~t shopkeeps. .c\ gull ible character pars 2d I 0,11 hight:!" than the listed price for any item he purchases. and docs nOt know thc difference bctween quality and junk. Hardcas e (5 BP): T hese characters arc hard and feeli ngless. They remain unmO\cd by emotion. Widows and orphans with sob stOries, for example, need not apply. The hardcase is tOugh 011 any in his employ and l'\'en on companions, pets and moums.

Tlte Flalllld Moutlt quirk exists among all cultures.

320

Hates Bathing/ Grooming (20 BP): People with this quirk arc unsha"en, uncombed, unkempt and gencrall) unappealing, Whether it stcms from a fear of wal('l' or sim ple COlli rarincss, this characte r sim ply hates to take a bath, Hl' always looks like he just spent a week on the trail, or a few days down a mine, Worse, he sti nk\ 10 high hcawn. A ch:lracte r \lith Ihi~ quirk loses a point of Looks. Hayseed (20 BP): A chal'a('tCT with thi 5 quirk i~ rough and ignornm. He is nOt n('ces~ aril) a boor C)r a jerk he simply kno\\ s nothin~ about soc'jet)' or the proper ways of doing things, and doesn't \,ant to leal'll. He's th{' kind of pcrson who bLLy~ a stOlen animal "ilhOUI inqui ring about tht' ob\'ious brand on its rump. or the person who sceks out thc mine owner 10 a~k for a job instead of going to the hiring office). High-Spiriled (to BP): A character with this quirk is festi\'(', and fun 10 have around fo r ;, ~ho n time. He drinks too much, laugh~ too loud, and ean't ilit still for morc than a few minutcs. Such a person is abo apt to douhle o\'er with laught('J' at the mosl inopponul1l' moments. For in~tan('l', if hii partner ends up tumbling O\'CI' <I hluff and breaking hi~ leg, the high-spirited character might stMt laughing and say something like "That first step's a doozy!" Such characters are often forced 10 engage in fisticuffs.

'on with this quirk t'n~gcs another in cOI1\'ersation, he trif's 10 be within onc to two fcct of hi~ audience. Evcn \\ hCIl sitting at a table. hc leans forward \0 be a~ ncar the listener as possible. Of course, lllallY folk dOll 'I take toO kindly to Ih:\I , and an intrusive character secms to ~Cl into morc brawls than mo\t.
Jingoist (40 BPJ: A character \,ith Ihis quirk fer\'end} bclie\-es that his nation of origin is superior to all other". ;" Iorco\'cr, he i~ quick In insult, harass and ahus!' a!lyone displayi ug or vocalizin ,~ support for a I;\'al nation, Thil> ~cornful bch:l\'ior is particularly dismissi\'(' to\\ard authority ligurcs, Such characters ha,,(' grcat difficult\ \\orking for, or taking orders from, an),011(' whom the) ,troll~l~ .l~sociatc with a ri\'aleountry ~tlch;h an ('x-'oldin. Howevcr, they are pmtle tn o\'erlook naw~ in fellow COuTl lr)l1lell ... an attitude that dis. r(,putable people 11M' take ad\-antage ot:

Late Sleep e r (10 BP): It nt.'arh takes a t('am of ,did to dra~ thi, charartl'r QUI of bcd, I-I c always mi~~e~ carh mornin~ appointmem,. and tl'nd~ to kt'ep mher folk ;l\\akc at night when Ihey'n' trying to ~l eep.
h()r~t: ..

Characters with thi~ quirk like to tell jokes Ihat aren'l funny and wait smiling for e\'eryonc to lau.'l'h. H e may e"en repeat the punch line after an ;1\\ h, ard silence. Additionally, this quirk makes a charactcr prOlll' to playing practical jokes on people they should nOt, such as pious p l;ests, marshals or Indian chiefs, or bluning out playful but imuhing comments ;It tlw wron,g: moment.
H othead (40 BP): Pcoplt with Ihis qu irk haw' a shot'! fuse, and can be puslu::d owr the edge with lillie pro\'ocation, TIH'Y end c\'ef)' argumem, no maller how minor, with brawling or the drawing of a knifc or gun. Indian Give r (20 BP): T his character always lind~ a way to back OUI of his agreements. if doing ~o would benefit him. Of coursc. Ill' Iries to wait unti l the ol her parly aln'ady completed their part of the hargain. and hc feels no ~ham(" for his actions. Aftcr all, the other per~on ~hou l dn't have bccn so foolish as 10 makt, the deal in Iht' firs t pbce. T his personality quirk is COIllman to land grubbers, certai n politicians back t'ast and robber barons, but IlOt limited to them. Each time an India n o';\'er backs out of a deal, wh ile hc might gain some finaneia1 benc fi t. he loses one point of Reputation, Intrusive (20 HPJ: T his characte r doesn 't understand the eoncept of personal 'pacc. \\'iIt'Tlc\'er a per-

Lazy (15 BP): Thb charaCle r's "git lip and go" donI! gOt up and went. r\ lazy eharactcr would rather take a ~il'sta th<lll join <I posse, even if Ihe job paid ha rd cash. fd. A E\'ery ta~k the character completes is half-aSS cilaraClcr with thi~ quirk putS little elTort into anydling, t',-en karninl{ It('\\ thinJ;!;s. EWI') skill thi~ characler al\emph HJ learn includill~ ,kill~ takcl! during characttT creation cor;t~ J additional BP.

Loco (40 BP): Thi~ person is ju~t plain craz~. Perhaps he was kick<'d in Ih(' head by a mull', or maybe something Iraumatic happened to him in the past. but now he's plumb mad. Players shollid roll a dB on Tabl, 6.2-3: l.(}Co to determine the extent of the ch;nacle r's quirk.

32 1

TABLE 6.2-3: LOCO

RQII (dS) I .. . Chm"cr thillks. .. ..He is, dime DO,c.lg ulIsliDgc r nd brigs ,bouT
iccompl,shmcn l5 ItU I i fCII" hIS.

2 ... . .. AnimlJs iTt people. ,ad he ulks 10 them J . ..... H e hiS in inlig;nuy fr iead. I lld 'ilh 10 him.
~ .. . .. .He ;5 01. persoll o f 1110' her " cc. 5 ......Somroac;s fo llo.,og h im. lll d he keeps ",hirlillg uouad 10 tuc h h.s !willa!. 6 .H is cyC$ITC Trl , k ' Dg bi m. so be (ODSUlltiy ISh

acter commilS an unl:m rul act or loses Reputation or Reputation Poims. he mUSt make a Wisdom check. If he rails, he must remedy the , ilUation. Until he docs so, he ~urrers a _I/_Sn,o penalt), 011 all his die rolls. These efTects arc CUlllulali\'e. so if the PC committed three :lCtS he mmt atone for, hl' sufic rs a -3/-15(10 penalty. and ~o on.
Needy (20 BP): A ehal';:lCler with this persona lit}' quirk attemplS to have all his emotional needs filled b} other<;. H e feels a strong ur~t' to be well-liked and a('cepted, so he constantly aucmpts to please the people he\ around and rcpeated!} asks them questions regardin~ hO\I thc}' red about this or that. He orten ask~ for help \\ ith thc ~imple~t tash, sometimes just lO ~ee ir the other person likcs him cnough to agree. Nosy (10 BP): Thi, pl'r~on i~ the nosiest d:ml hombre you cver sa\\ .. \ character with this quirkjmt has tu know c\'erybod)'~ 1)l\~illc~~ ~om('thing many rolk don', take kindly to. l'le's alway;; n!>king e\'c~'one what they're up to. listcning at keyholes or jusl plain making a nui~ance of himsclf. Obnoxiou s (20 BP): This character thinks hc's the rriendlit'<;\ ~I\\ and, ){l'ncrally. he is. Howc\"cr, hi~ !)ella\ior m.1kc\ him cxtremely unpopular. He want~ to be the ecnter or attcntion OIl an) ~ocial Kathel'in~, and does \1 haIC\'cl' hc can to get that attention. H(' always drinks too much, and mar perform some t}Ve or Olllrageolis behavior to gain allcntion. such as stripping to his long johns andjumpin. 1{ into a horse trough. He loses I point of Charisma becau~e or this anno)'ill~ bt'havior.
"orlcl'~

olhc u .. hu Ihe y xc. .He frcqucllily hu rs hii lUDICill Olber peoplc's

(OII I'trUlioa.J, ll1d l(lf lccord ingly. .He is roY lh y Ind ,cIS lIke .1.

Lus ty (20 BP): A character \Iith Ihis quirk i~ ah\av~ horny. H cjust can't get enough. and seems to know tl~c location of (,\Tll' bordello around. A lust\' character must take advantage of every \d\orchotls~'s ser\'icc~ whenclcr the opportun it} presents itself. Afu:r the first indulgence, he m ust roll under half his Wisdom or attempt to repeat it.
Lynch Lawman (3 0 BP): Th('~e character.. ha\'(' \\ hnt some folk might call an o\erd('\'('loped ~cme of jUSlicc. To them. ('\'ery olTelhe i~ a hangin~ or .11 1".1$t a jailing offense. A pe r);OIl \\ilh Ihis quirk ma) be a civilian who tries 10 innuellec local law enrorcement, or hc may be a rancher prolccling hi~ herd. H e is not required 10 be an actual lawman, but he,wen help thc local outiaw-:. if he is.

Medicine Tong ue (10 BP): Don't let the name rool you yOlL don't have to bt' an Indian or a dOClOr 10 have this quirk. A character with a medicine tolll{UC, al~o known as a "wabash," is olle or Iho~e folks \Iho arc on'rly talkative. They just can't seem to shul up. ('\'I.:n whell threatened with bodily harm. WhC!lC\'cr he ei\lcrs a cOllversation wil h a nothe r character ~, Iht' cha racter wilh this quirk must make a Wisdom check or voluntce r any information (thai he knows is nOt alreach known 10 e\eryone he is in conversation with. M essy (10 BP): T his charactcr is a pack rat's rn:st rriend. H e never cleans up after himself. and packs his kit so ~Ioppil)' that lillic doodad$ and gewgaws pipes. bullets, shell casings, bits or rope and ~o on) frequendy fall out. T his cha racter can't properly perroI'm certain tasks Ih at requi re diligent carc or maintenance, such a.~ looking after rarm or ranch animals. He also rrequentIy loses things in his desk, home or pack (depending on proression/ locarion . Nagging Conscience (15 BP): A person with this quirk is plagued b} a eonsci('nce that won't allow him peace of mind ir he's eOlll mitt('d certain crimes or acts or dishonor. H is conscience is a silent willless to his shame and accuses him constamly, Any time thi~ char-

Obsessive.Compulsive (35 HP): Thi~ anxicty disorder s;;vcs the character recurrent obscssions focLL~ed on awarene~s or pCfC'ci\'('d alarms or thrcat~. Hence. the ('haracter ("olllpul~ivd) perrorms certain repctilive acts in order to rcgain some measure of control o\'er the perceived threat. F or example, a charact('r may bc ob~e~~ed with dirt and thercror<' reel a compulsion to con~tantly scrub his surroundings or him~cJf. \1 hile a t:h;tracter obsessed with patterns Illay be compelled to linc lip like items into parallel ro\\'~. or a character with thoLlght~ of ~oc i all~' inapproprial(' bchavior (like shouting in chure h l ma), need to count 25 hats or tap h i ~ knee 100 times. Players may trcatc thei r own obses\ion, or roll on Table 6.2": Ob,en/u-(,'o/lljJIIlsiu. Ornery (25 HP): Pt'fsons with th is qu irk arc ju~t plain mean. They are stubborn. speak as lillie iI~ possible except 10 argue ;. sulk "h('n opinion goes al;ainst them. and arc simply unpleasant to be around. They ah\ays take every opportunity to a\'enge the ~mallcst slight against them.

322

TABLE 6.2-4: OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE

Roll (dI 2) Obsession Complilsiob 1 ......AfTlIIBCItlCbl. order. Of sy mmetry ..........O'8111;lC5 mulllpic items inlo pClfce! columns or .o..s

2 ......Being o"crwheJmcd ............................... Etch personal iTem belopgs in, pUlieu/u pltet tbd mUSI be kepI ,here 3 ......DoubtslFo.gc:tfullltsS ... ...... . .............Ow:chllg tOO recheckipg III Klion (ckKd "lIIdo... flke! WHlI.loi.dtd gun. (1,-) 4 .... fur of CQm mill'lIg iIOCilll y JupprOprillc behavior ... Repetitious counting or louchlllg
5 ......Feu 01 tommilllDB vio lclIl tCiS .................... FrequellT repullllg of I ulmlllg ...ord 6 ...... Feu o f offending The Lord ....................... ,Consllnl pr,yers I"d/or relIgIous ritutls 7 ......Loss of polcDlully v,lutble ilem ...................Houdl08 everyth,ng. neo worthless Ittms 8 ......Numbcrs/Quiohtits ........... . ..... Couots multiples 0bJttts/iltmS 9 ...... One: putiulu ,ttm ............................... Eucssivt pur(hlS,ng of Thit ,tern 10 ......Prescoce of dirt......... . ..................ChfOllic dunlPg Illd wIShill8 II ......Securit y ........................................CoIISIiO' door/ window / lnil WiTth,Pg. lock cheek,ng 12 ..... 5urvilJon/ Food III'Hlt .... . ..................Em evtry hil of food bought or offtte:d to him. 'Delud'lIg food kIt by olMr proplc:

Pac k Rat (20 BP): A c-haractcr with this quirk ca nnot throw anything a\\ay, and cannot keep hirn ..elf from gathering up just about cw.' rythinq: that i~n 't ckarl) owncd by ,o;om('one. When a pack rat comt'~ acro\~ a pile or equipment, he gathers C\'erYlhing he wants, "hether Ill' can ca rry it all or nol. Cnlike an ohsessivccompulsive, a pack rat gat hen items out or necessity. "pprcciatioo, or financial imestllwnt. He has no iot('rcst in items he pcrcei\'cs to be worthless, bUI ckarlr has a fear or losing something thai may one day bc valuable. Paranoid (25 BP): Paranoid characters think everyo ne is out 10 gel them. They trust no one ('ve n their own partners. The) usually think therc is some plot against thelll. They do~ely guard themselves ilnd their goods, findin g it hard to sleep for reM of heing harmed in some \\'ay (physically 01' financially Pi cker (10 BP): Thi ~ chara('t('r ('an'l stOp picking himselr, thaI is. A cha racter with this quirk fn'quemly digs into his nose, cars or navel like he's mining for gold .

Ill;!)

politc social runctions mor(' than OIWC, A choll'acter have no man" than two picker quirks e.f,;.. ears and
nO'ie . .

Prejudiced Toward Nationality (40 BP): A chara{\er "Jlh thi~ quirk ha ~ an unreasonable hatred for people or a (ertain nationality. Thi~ hmred has nothing to do \,'ilh the per<;oo\ race. but i\ ba~ed on ~o m e sligh t (real o r imagined) that the character ~ u!Tered rrom a person or that natioll, or Ihat person's go\crolllcnt, in the past. Roll randomly on 7abl, 6.2-5: Prrjlldirtd Tou.:ord X(Jlio1l(J1i~)' nOte that a character may in fhc t hatc hi~ ow n nation of ori~n .

If lilt' charactCJ' mu~t work with someone he is prejudict'd a~aiml, he ~ulTer~ a 1/ 5 u 0 penalty on all his skill roll, deal inc; with that per~on.
Prejudiced Toward Pro ress ion (2 0 BP): . \ cha racter with Ihi\ quirk has an unn.'asonable hatred toward all people or a ce rtain occupation, regardless or any other factor. Like those prejudiced against a certain nationalit}; thi.s prejudice i ~ ba ~cd on 'lome slighl real or ima~i ned lila! the charact('r sulTered rrom a similar person in the past. YOll may choose the profession or roll random 1) on Tab/t 6.2-6: Prf'jlldictd Toward Profmioll, If you roll your current prore~sion, ignore and roll again. Your character cannol become a member' of any profession he is prej udi ced against.

To det ermine, roll a dU,

rT lr a I or 1, he picks his cars

:T On .. 3-6, he picks his nosc

~

If a 7 or 8, he picks his na\'c\

Persons with this quirk lose a poillt of their Charhma abilit), score and, likc stin kers, arc ne\'er iTl\;led to

TABLE 6.25: PRSJUlllCEll TOWARll NATIONALITY

R oll (dlOO)
0[06 .....
NltLOD.dJ'Y

.. .Insh 071 2 , ......... , ... ,. 015 13 [7 .................GermiO$ IS-V, "., " ..........Cooftdcwcs 2837 ....... , ........ Mormolls J8.'IS ................ English -165.] ., ... ,', " Frcllch 54-63 ................ Mui(lns

Roll (dlOO) 6473

NU;ooil.ly

......TtXKlbS

H-8J .......... " ....&quophs 8'193 ................ Yl0kecs 9'1-1}6 .. , ............SlII'cdcs 9798 , .... , ... " ..... lrl li10s 99 ... ...............ChiDCSC
100 ., . , . " .. ,RoIl181JP (or ehooso:: 1I1liooilil1 1101 OD 1'51)

323

TABLE 6.2-6: PREJUOIC ES TOWARIl PROFESSION

Roll (dHlO) Profession OJ Apotbcmy
Roll (dIOO ) Profession

a - 10% penalty on all his skill rolls dealing with that person. Scratch er (10 BP): A scratcher is a charanCI" who constantly seems 10 be scratchi ng himsel f usually a pan thaI isnt 100 socially acceptable. Like pickers and boors, persons with this quirk lose a point of their Charisma ability score and arc off the bottom of the guest list for social eve nt s. Selfish (25 HP): This character thinks aboLlt no one and nothing elsc hut himsclf. He has no idea how anyone d se feels, nor does he carc. He assumes e"el)onc fecls either attracted to him , or jealous of him. He loses I point of Charisma ability because of his attitude. Short Term Memory Loss (20 HP): People with this quirk Illay be able to remember things Ihal happened to them as children. but will be unable to tell anyone what they had for dinner. They Illay forgel things like the fact Ihat they chccked into a hOlel room and lItey may 11)' 10 check into the room over again. They may forgct how they gOl to a particular location, and not remember how 10 get back.

02 ..... .AnisT
OJO~

S,351 ..... L~w yer 55 ...... Lluodrymlo

56 ...... Livc, ymlP

.. . .Assassin 05 .....Author 06 ..... Bahr 07 ...... Bloker 08 ...... Buber 09 .. . ..Bukctmlktr 10 ...... Bbcksmith II ...... Bouding H ouse Opcmor 12 ...... Book Publisher 13 .. ....800lmaktr/Sbocmakcr \4-\5 ..... BouPTY Hunter 16 ...... Brewer 17 ...... Brickmakcr 18 ......Bufhlo H UllltT
19 ...... Business O wner

57 ...... ~hso~
58 ...... Miller 59 ...... Millipe,

6061 ..... Mi~e OWDCr 6Z ...... Mounllin M.n 63 ...... NltUlllist 61 .. ....Ncwsplper Publisher

65 .....Outllw 66 ...... PhotogTlpher 67 . .... .P.inler/ Bind

68 ... . ..Prospector 6970 .....Politi~i l n

71 ...... P,elc her 7Z ..... RiDchcr 73 ..... .slddler
71 . S l loon Owner

20 ..... . Butther 21 ......Gupco!cr 22 , .....Cook 2J ......Cooper

H ..... .CO..,hoy 25 ...... DcP,i,!

2627 .... DCICClivc l8 .. Diploma,
29 .Doclor

75 ......~wycr/ Lumh<:rj.lck 76 ......School Teicher 77 .....Scout/ Guide

78 .sigpml ker

79 ......Silvmmllh
80-81 .....Snah Oil S. lesmin 82 .soldier 8J-8~ .... .sPY 8S ..... .surveyorlC.trIoguph,r

This character must make all Imelligence check any time he wants 10 remember something that happened within the Iasl -I hours of game time. Jr 86 . . .Selmstress/ T.ilor the check is ~uccessflLl, he has a good, but not per3J ...... E~prcssm .p 87 ....Tl nn,,/ Lelthcrworhr fect, recollcction of the thing or event. If the check J~ ...... Furner sa. ....Tdegr.ph Operollor fails. he has no memory or merely panial memory 3S ...... FanieT 8C) Tinsmith of the thing or evenl. The same ch eck must be 36 ...... ""feight/ Tu rnslcr 90 ......Tohicconist 37 ...... Gambler 91. . ..Tr.ilblllcr made if the character wants to loeate an item or 3&-39 .....Grifter 92 ......Transporler (mge) othcr piece of equipment that they used within the ~O 41 .....GuP For H ire 93 . . .Tuder last four hours. This check need not be made for 42 .... ,.Gupsmith 91 .. Underuhr items that arc carried in lheir hands or on obvious 13-11 ..... HllIgmlo 95 .. VetcripU;ID places on the ir person. or large. rarely moved items 15 ......Hotd Opcutor 96 ...... W.inw rigbl used in their profession ,such as 11 priming press for ~6 ..... .I ~terpreler 97 ...... Wener 17 ......Jewder 98-99 . ... Whore a primer, or a d isplay sta('k of can ned beans for a 18. . ...Jo~rpl l ist 100 . .. . .Prejudiced 19liruit 1"'0 shopkeeper \. This laller check can also be a\'oided 19 ......Judge professions. Rolligl in if the player states aloud that his cha racter records SO ...... L18d Broker (glio DO .ddilionll BPs) the location of the item used. This character has 515Z .....U.-mlP diOiculty learning from certain past mistakes and If the character must work with someone he is prejusuffers a -110 his \\'isdom score. di ced against, he su ffer s a -I /-5% penalty on all his skill So ft Touch (30 BP): Every drifter, beggar and con rolls dealing with thai PCrsOIl. anisl in town seems to have an eye on this character.
30 ., .... Engineer JI ...... Eogincer. Rli\to;ui 32 .... : .EnlcmioCf

Racist (40 BP): A chara<:tcr with this quirk has an unreasoned fedi ng of superiority over people of all other races, regardless of any other fanor. T his imagined superiority may come from his upbringing or some slight (real or imagined) that the character suffered from a similar pe rson in the past. If the character is forced 10 work with someone of another race, he suffers

SOrt

They're always approaching him for cash, aid or some of finan cial backing, and he JUSt hates to turn them away em pty-handed. In every case, there's a 50(1:0 chance he tries to fix their situation as best he ca n, and the othcr 50% of tht" time he at least gives them a cou pic of bucks to lidc them o\'er. Spendthrift (60 HP): Money seems to burn a hole in this character's pocket. He spends cw:ry cell t he ge ls

324

that's not nceded lor thc minimum daily food and lodging. Hcck, if he call go hunting and slc{'p under tht stars, he spe nds that money too. Booze. bordellos or bullets it doesn't seem to matter mueh jU~1 :15 long as he fed~ the thrill of ~pendi n g.
Straight Shooter (40 BP): A charaetcr with this quil'k is alwars upright and honest. Though this quirk might ~ccm like a good thing - and, for the most parI , it is somet imes being able to lic, cheat o r steal ('omes in prClly darn handy. }\ straight shoote r call't do any of those things, nOt e\"cn 10 sa\c his life.

too loud, too i'oft, or mumble. O ther~just can', ~ce l1lto close the lid on their voi(:(;box when they '1'0 to sleep. Roll a d I.
rT On a I , Ihe character is a "loud wlkcr."
~

On a 2. he's a soft talker.

~lccp.

: ? On a 3, he's a mumbler.
rT On a 4. he talks in his

This last one is especially dangerou~ if he's the kind of hombrt who like~ or needs to keep secrets. There i\ a 50(10 chance that a sleeptalker rc\'t' als Ihat norma ll ) he wou ld not \\<lnt anyolle 10 know. He mav declare his love for the local dance hall girl. He may ,pout the location of hi s ~ liIs h of goods. or let it out thai he 's the one who swipcdJedidiah 's derringer. T he thin ~ a cha racter sayll in his sleep, howev1 ' 1'. are questionable as 10 their act'uracy. Thos{' listen in~ arc unablt" to tell if Ihe character is talking about something real. o r ~umethin'l' in ;t dream.
thin~~

Stutler (20 BP): Characters who miller haw' a difficult time communicating. It takes them 2d20 percent longe r 10 communicate something. In ~tres\ful ~i\Ua tions, such as in combat ur wh('11 bein~ interrogated, thc extra lime is doubled. Smuners also lo~e I point of Charisma and arl' OftI'll taunted by blillie~. Superst.itious (15 BP): The ~(' character" feci they can (antral \dU\I happ en~ to them b) avoiding cen ain actions, or performing cenain ritual~. TIl('~e pt'opko put a lot of faith ill luck and Cll rry a lucky eharm of ~omt son this may be a lucky hat that they newr take off. or a lucky gu n they still carry evc n when it no longer work:;, Along with thc luck} charm of Ihe player's choice, roll titre/' times on Tahir 6,2- 7: Supmliliolls to determine

Thick Acce nt (10 BP): Th i~ character ha~ a thit'k acct"nt that immediately identilic~ him a~ a per~on of a p<lrticular region or nation. Th ough his 5pl'ech may be proper, ot lwr folks ~ till judge him bas(' d on hall' he talks. For example. a Northerner may as~ttme a ch:lraCler with a Southc rn accent is less cultured, or that a character from an Indian tcrritory is an ignorant primitive. Tinhorn (20 BP): ,\ character with this quirk i ~ about as cheap and nash~ as you can get. He always prctend~ to he much better at his profession than he actually is. ,Inel fakl' ~ what he doe$n't know. Sueh a person makf"s friends quickly ir they'rc looking to make friends with dudes that hal'e it lot of money " but the)" usually don' t stick around once they rcalize the truth. Touchy (25 BP): :\Iaybe it was the wa)' they werc raised , or just so methin~ in their nature, but characters \\ith this quirk are O\'crly se nsitivc and prickly 'touchy". Such a pcp-;on Illay trash a room bccau:./' his bed was lumpy or the person in the ncxt room madc too much no i ~c. He may cvc n turn uve r a table and storm 01T if he loses a g:ll1le of ca rds.
Yellow Belly (40 BP): A character with th i\ quirk doesn 't have a ~ingk brave bone in hi ~ body. H is COIllpanions ca n', count all him in extreme situations. and he alway ~ han~s back in a fi ght probably firin g blindly around a corncr, provided he didn't already sneak awa)'. An)' wound (cven a graze) in a gunfight ur bmwl callses a yellow bell)' charaeh.T to hide under cover, surrl'nder or to flee the situation in the quickest and safcst po~s ibl c mannel: When determining fli nehing. the character suffers a +j pcnait) to his roll.

TABLE 6.2-7: SUPERSTITIONS

Roll (dIZ) ChUlt!cr...
rI)ks on Ibe di)' of h,s luck\' number (roll I dZQ 10 dttcrmi~c ). 2 ......AhrlYs puIS h,s hi! on perfcclly sluiSh1. for luck. J ...... Always ...eus differeDT colored socks OD nch fOOl. for luck. ~ . .... .Nevel pUIS bis hi! OD I bed . be mighl he scriou.sly IPJured OT kIlled. S ......Avo ids Ihe color ydlo. "brings bid luck. 6 .....AIII"y5 sh,ves before going ;nlo I fiSht. for luck. 7 ...... Thinks dud !hillgs ue unlucky. AVOIds a:melcueJ. coffins. corpses. elC. S ......Thinks blllck CU$ Ite un lucky. eoc., 0111 of hisw,y 10 "'old lhern. 9 ......Thinks bruking I mltror UU5C! K\"Cn yursof bad luck. 10 ......Avold, ..,.Ik,ag vDder 1 bddcr. 11 ...... Tlkes no tlsk~ 011 Friday Ihe IJlb. 12 .. .. Tlkes DO risks olllbc dly of blS uu lucky lIumber (roll 1 dZO 10 dC lermillC).

1 .......Takes SIUI

what superst itions the characte r has. If you roll a superstition the chamcte r "I ready has, roll again until he gets a new onc. Talker (20 BP): Charac1('rs with this quirk just ca n't seem 10 gct a handle on their voiccs. The)' either talk

325

Furthermore, a yellow belly character receives only nine Reputation Poil11 s ror every ten Reputation Points gained, and loses on(' additional Reputation Point ror every 10 Reputation Points lost. Por o:ample, lei's Sq)' (/ J'el/ow btfly lIame(1 Jakr has 3 i?epulalioll I~illls" Jakr gaills -I /llOrt poillis i'l Ollr. gam/llg SfSS/OIl" and 3 mort points Ihe IIt>:/. gll'lng hjlll (I {o/lIl d 10 RC/Jlllfitio/l PO/llis. Siller hr Ita:. rrar/ltd a lolal of 10, Jake losl's onl' poilll of Repll/atioll and drops dOll'lI /0 9 Replltalioll Poinls. Whenever Jake r.arns 10 mort poinls (plI/lillg his SCOff. a/ /9). lit again 10UJ ont point (droppillg!Jim
dO/t'il /0 18)"

Addit ionally" the e>e~ or such a characte r arc \'ery 10 ~un l iltht and othe r bright light. These cha racters mu~1 co\"("r .1 11 paris or their skin any limc Ihe> arc out in the ~lln, u~c \\ ide-brimmed hats or \'eils to ~ ha de their eyes, and protect their heads rrom harsh
~emil i \'e
~lLn.

* FLAWS *
Acorn Calf (35 BP): A per~on known as an '"acorn calf,"' or the ""rUI1l or the litter,'" seem!> scrawny and weak to most rolks. Characters with this fla\\ suffer a I penalty to their Strength A;'\D Constitution ability. Albino (15 BP): Characters with this flaw han' a lack or melanin in the skin, hair, and eyes giving them an extre mely pale complexion, light blue eyes, and on some occasions pink eycs and pure white bail'. Some Indians call albinos "ghost pcoplc"' because or their somewhat ('eric appca ran("e.

An albino character that fail s to protcel himsdr sti rrers a se\'e re sunburn and a 5'0 penalty to all rolls ror the next 24 hours ror cvcry ;ncremeIll or + hours or exposure. T he)' also tempo raril y lose I point of Looks b<" causc or the bli~tering. For cvcr), five serious burns, this abi lity loss is permancnt. Animal Antip a thy (variable BP): Characte rs with this fla\\ somehow gained Ihe enmit), or a specific t}l)e or normally domesticated animal. These animals ca n sense somet hing about the character that disturbs them and arOllses their primal instincts. They may auad the charaetel" ir cornered, but prerer to flee when possible. Oddly, O\'CI' time this flaw seems to get worse" For e\'cry year a character possesses th is flaw, olher animal types begin 10 ~cnse the negati\'e vibcs e manating rrom the PC. l\ lake a )<,arly C harisma chec k, beginning \\'i th thc second ycar. A failed result means you should roll again on Tablt 6.2-8. Your character gelS no eXIra UPs ror additional flaws gained ill this manner.

326

TABLE 6.2-0: ANIMAL ANTIPATEY

Roll (d8) ADilild BP I .......Burro. Ooakty i Dd Mole ...... .30 2 ......ell ....................... . ....... .5 3 .. . ,ChickCD lIId ROOSTer ............... .15 'I ......Co ................................25

5 ...Dog .............................. 20
6 ......Cnu ............................. .15

7 .. .. .. Horsc .............. , ............ .50

8 ... Sheep ........ ......... 20

Buffal o Mange (15 BP): Characters with this flaw su ffer from an infestation of head lice. ~10 matter how ma ny baths he takes or clothes he changes, it seems like the darn crilters arc JUSt atlracted to him. Consequently, his head often itches and he seems like he's ah\ays scratching it. This irritation also increases the c hance of infection frOlll other diseases +-1- penalty to rolls when determi ning whethc r charactcr catches the discase . Bushed (25 BP): 1'\0 Ill.llter how much sleep this charactcr gCl.~, he ahlays fecl s tired. C ha racters with this flaw yal\11 fn:queml)", and often lose track of con\ersations. \ \'or~e, they suffer a constant I penalty to Speed. Colorblind (5 BP): Unable \0 distinguish betll'een colors, thest' charactc rs li\'(., life wi th little problem, H owcl'cr, there arc times IIhen such a condition can be frustrating. D istinguishing between anything with di fferent color type~, ~uch as plants or the red light signifying a bordello, can be hazardous. In addition, ther cannot correuly di,tin~ui~h the color~ used in signs and othcr importam information a big problem if the character is illiterate. C ons umptive (60 BP): This eha raCler suffers from consumption tubereulosis~, If not a n:Hi,'c of the wcst, this character probably traveled out west hoping the dry air would improve his condition. The character coughs frequc ntly, sO llletim e~ coughing up small amounts of blood. and often has fCl'crs and night sweats. \\'orse. yet, he 's cOlltagious. Tho~c who frcquemly associate with thi~ characte r ha\'C a 10 0 chance per week of catching the disca~(." with a latent period of d20 month s before the symptoms prescnt themselves. Each time the cha racter fi nishes a stre nuous activity (such as running or sprillling , he must make a Constitution check. If he fails, he must rest (and do nothing else) lor a I Q-second COUIlI per second of strenuous aeli,ity. If he refuses to rCSt, he suffers severe chest pain and shortness of bl'eath, losing I hit point pe r 2 scconds he continues to st rain himself. The player shou ld ask the Ci\1 or another player to secrctly roll a d 100.
'3r On a roll of 01 -50, the character dies of consumption afte l' the next 3d6 months have passed.

BHnd in One Eye (40 BP): . \ character with thiS nail' has hinde red \'i~ion, /-'';\'ing them a -2 penalty to Accuracy with ra nged weapons, lind 2 on To-Hit rolls when brawling or using melee wea pons. Roll a d4.
9r On a result of I or 3, the nail' is in the left eye.

:::iT" On a 2 or .~ . the flaw is in ril(' ri ~ht

crc.

The penalty 10 Accuraq with rangcd weapons doubles to + when r.rin~ a I\('apon in this left or right arc.

~ On a roll of 51 -80, the charaCler dies in d4+ I

years.
9r On a roll of 81 -100, Ihe character dies of sumption in 6+2d6 years.
CO Il-

Dumb (50 BPJ: Dumb characters can communicate only with gestures, or b)' writing. Sometimes mutes anger olhe l" people because they fail 10 understand why

327

TABLE 6.2-9: EPILEPTIC

Roll (dll) Type Erfw I ........ .s,mpleiSensory ............Sees lighls 2 .........S,mpk/ SeB50'Y .... ...... ..Hem ~ buUlllg sound 3 ........ .s,mpleiSeIlSO'Y ............Tull:S ISlnagc um 'I ........ .s'mplelSeuofY ........... .smells ~ strngc smell 5 ........ .s,mple/ Molor .............Coavu lsivc Itllts ,a kg (uanol Yllk) 6 ....... .simpk/ ~ loIOt .............Convu lsivc Itlks ,n um (ClnPOI use urn ) 7 ....... .s,mpk/ Molot .............Coawlsivc ,erk, ,n hCld {unBoi uke .\(I,on) 8 .........SimplclEmohOnil .......... Rollld6: iDgcr (I). fur (2-4)./oy (5). $.Idncss (6) 9 .........COmplclC/ Psychomotor ..... Bbnk look/sTire {d4 m,n) . hnl confllsion (2d~ mIn) 10 ........ ..Aton,C/Drop .............. Lose co~ioll$nc$S. (olllpse OdS !leconds) II .........Absence/Pc'"t Md ......... Blink look/mrc (d4+1 seconds). then npid blinking. bmlhiag or che y,ng ( d~+1 seconds) 12 .........Cncn l/Cnnd Mil ......... Unconsciousness. thcn lTuJOr 'on~u ls,ons (IICC1('(1)

th .. charaC{(T i'i not al1Sw("rin ~. In addition, the player of a dumb charaCtcr canllOt communicate \l~rball\ "itll other players al tht' table durins; important "imaliom such as combat. Epileptic (10 BPJ: Thi~ character has ~ome type of organic brain di~('ase or damage. cau~ing him to ha\'e se i zure~. :-:0 one i~ ~ur(" what triggers such auack:;, and they seem to be completely random. Therefore. each day, the player must ask Ihe G~ I or another player 10 seneti)" roll a d 10. On a roll or G or lower, the cha rac ler sufTt'N a seizure: the G~I or other player must nO\I secret!) mil a d 12 and a d4 . This delermines the hour of Ihe day ill Ilhil"h thl' ~t'izure occur, d12: hour: dl: ]2=am, 3-I::pm. If nt'cc~~ary, roll a d6 and dlO 10 determine Ihe exaCI minlile as Ilcll d6-1 for lOs diil and cliO] for milluu:s .. The (;;\. 1 or other player will not inform the aOlicted play('r of the result, bUI inSlead should interrupt the game when and if tIlt' hOLlr of lhe character's ,cizure comes around. \ \'hell it occurs, the pbycr himself ~hould roB a d 12 Oil -Titbl, 6.2-9: t.)il'/I/I(' Should n Cnmd ~Ial se izure: occur and no one is around to hdp, the c h"rncter ~wallows his tongue and nlay sufTocate after a number of minutcs eq ual to his COlHtilution dil'ided by 3: make iI CO:;\! c heck Ih ree tilUes; failure on all three means his lOng-lie remained lodged in his Ihroat .mel he dies. The characler ~hould en~l1rl' his panner\ a rc \\ell informed aboUl hi~ condition JUSt in case. Facial Scar (25 BP): Somcthing awful happened to thi~ c haracter. Ht, ,ufTe r' from a hideous scar thnl he cannot hide. Such 1I chnracter suffers -2 10 Looks, Far_sighted (20 BP): Filrsi~ ht ed people can ~ec obj(ns far away justlin(" bUI haw lrouble seeing thing~ thai art' ntar. A~ sudl, they suffer a -I penalty 10 brawling: and hand-Io-hand atlack rolls. For mOSt othe r pur poses, they suiler very liule ill e!Te(""\s, but when doing lhings such ,h playing poker, reading a wanted poster or

or(krill.'!: from a mcnu. they might have to strain and hold their citrcl~ or pOl])('r at arms-length. Glass J a w (2 0 BP): Thi~ cowpoke's 11011h<: best guy hal"(' Oil your ~idl' durill~ it brawl. If he loses 2011'11 or more of hi~ hi\ point~ ill a bloll to the head, he pass('s Out for d20 minutes minus half hi\ Constitution ability score ignore zero or Jlcgati\'e results.
to

H am-Fisted (2 0 BPJ: Thi~ charac ter is unusually dum~y. He often f: .I1 ~ off his horse. trips Ol'er rucks and drops hi~ gun al tlte WOht pos~ible limes.
:T On a ~kill dleck. tht characte r has an accidcm on a roll (If q I-lOt).

; r On an ability check. he fumbles on a

19 or 10.

'3r If running or dodging, this character mll~1 succeed 011 a Dexterity check or slUmble and fall.

: ? If ga lloping, the c haracter must Ride ~ k ilJ check or fall ofT hi, horse.
Br When brawling, he fumbles
011

~lIeceed

;11 a

a I or 2.

:T WI1('n in a ~ IH)olout, ht' has a mishap or failure on a roll of I or 2 :on a roll of '2, roll a d'20+80 inslead of dlOO on the ;\Ii shaps and Failures table.
Hard of Hearing ( 1.5 BP): A characte r with this na\' has a hard time hearing. Olher folks must re peat tltemsc1l-es st'I'era] timC's l,.Jlell trying to communicale wilh a IWilring impaired c haraclc r. The hard of hearin~ charartf'r ha~ trouhle in a c rowded or noisy place, beinl-: unable 10 pick OUt thc cOIl\'ersation of a friend from the din of Ih(" ("rowel or the sound of gunfire, In Ihe heat of battle, such an impa.irmelll might prove falllL During key times such as this, the character muSI make a n Intelligence check 10 sec if he was able 10 piek up the illl(:ndcd commu nication. Impotent ( 10 BP): Some men and women, no mat~ tcr h011 hard Ihcy u'}, J USt can'l scem to perform in the sack. This leads 10 I'rustralion and frequem self-chastisement. \\'orse, olher folk frequently make fun of th is (hal'actcr when the ~cc ret becomes known. Because of

31H

their O\ln ~dr-hatred and/or lack or selr-esteem . impotent rhrtracters hegin the game with a I penalty to Chari,ma.
Lisp (20 HP): 'fh c per~on \Iith a lisp ~uffer~ little in the Ilay or damage bccause or this nilll. lI ol\cver. a li~ping per~on loses a point or Charisma du(' to ~oci('ty's perception or this speech impediment. Additionally, others may h.we a hard time understa nding tht' ~pt.'edl of a pcr~on who li~ps. People ortrn make fun or those who talk runny, so li~pers may find them~eke~ in morl' br:lIIls than usual.

him to mil dice also incllr~ a one-point or 30 penalty. Once a week, a person with migraines i~ out of commission duc (() migr.. inc pain . .\ s defined on Tah/, 6.2- /0: .\/!:r:raillf Omlfrallu. roll .1 dS for each week of gan1(' limc 10 determine thc da}' I=Sunday. 2=~lol1da}~ 3=-Tue ~day, +=-\\'edne~day. 5=Thursday, 6=Frid;l), 7=-Sallm\;ly ;lnd 8=no migraine that IICt'k and so on. Roll a d 12 alld d ~ 10 determine exaCt hour and am/pm respectively. d12: hour; dol: 12=am, 3-I=-pm. If llCO',sal). roll a d6 and diD to delt'fmine the exact minutc a ~ well (16-1 ror lOs ami dlO-1 lor minutes::1 r~sult Or;) and fi =- 56'.
Missillg Digit (variable HP): ,\ person \lith thi~ nail is missin~ onc finger or thumb. This nail may be rolled 0 1' cherry-picked multiple limes ror additional mi~~ing digi15. Roll a d I 0 lor less for multiple occur!"t'llees to determine the missinl{ digit. Place your hands nat on tht., tahle. palms dmrn. ;mci count the digit~ rrom \eft to ri~lll. Thc numhn rllu rolled detl'fmines the mi~"in~ die;it. Refer to 1nMi' (j.:1-/I: .Il1ulIIg /Jlgit BP Blml/_' rol' ~pccilic BP bonu"e, gained.

In noisy or stressful ~i tuation s, an} character attempting to understand the lisper must make an illlelligcllcc check. Ir the ciu'ck ron equals or cxcced~ tllict. the checking character's Intel1 igtnte, he bdien'S the li~ per is telling him the oppo~it(' thing intl'nded.
Low Pain Toleration (35 HP): .\ charactrr with thi~ naw recls pain mor(' strongly than other~. A per,oll II ith Llrr is unable w stand even the smallest pain. H(' \1 inn's and romplains ju~t rrom ~etting a ~pliJller in hi~ finger. Those \Iith L ilT 10::'l' a point of Reputation l'very time they react (0 pain in public. In addition. characters with LPT are unable (0 r(' ~i::.t torture and quick to lell an inqlli~ilOr anything he wants to knOll.

TABLE 6.2-11: MISSING DIGIT BP BONUSES

Cumuln,vc D'gil u"s BP bonus 2 from ncb bud)

For every point of damage.- suncrcd. the effeni"e hit pointS losl itre doubled untillhc persall reaches zero or rewer hit points. However, once the combat i, O\'l'l; a person with this malady bnllncc~ back, ~ll nnin~ onl} aclual damagl' hair that recorded. In bra\1 I~, the character loses twice the requircd chips, but rcgaim chips at t\lice the standard I':U(,.
Migraines (15 HP): Characler~ who hal'e this na\1 suffer rrom cxcruciating headachc~ on a regular hasis. When a migra ine ~ Irikes a cha ranel; he will be unable to runction. He must reSI ror the entirc da) before rcsuming any acti\it)'. Ir hc OptS to continuc whiil' ill pain, all Accuracy and hand-to-hand damagt" roll s surfrr a -I penalty. . \nything tlsc h(' docs which cau~es

H fillllcr5 (no morc

.humb .humb thumb .humb thumb .humb

.b~p

OR 3 fipgen OP ,pdil ,du~1 h~Dd PLUS 3 ~ddi"OD~1 fipgcr! ( I h.lld) OR 3 fiagc" on iDd,~idu~1 b.nd. 12 fiDgers 011 o.lIer b~nd PLUS 3 ~dd,.iollll fillgC1S (I h.lld), 1 1 fingeu on o.her h~Dd OR 3 f,lgcrs on both h'lIds PLUS 3 ~dd,.,on.1 {'lIgm (bolh huds)

I Zl

30 30
31 1O 60

.\ dlaraCtcr mi~sin~ hi'i thumh cannol properly grip mOSt thin~ and cannot Ust' a pistol with that hand. Likcwi~c, a charar'l'f llIis~ing more than 111'0 fingl'fS cannot fire a gun II ith that hand but ca n grip mo~t 01 her thin~ .

For (\fIlI/pll. I('t j 1t!)I thai SlulI 'hitl' j- plu)'rr rolls thr .lli.l-\illg Digit jl(lu'. Ilf rolls a d J0 (for (/ mllll of I) alld /((lrlll

'I

TABLE 6.2-10: MIGRAINE OCCURRENCE

Rol~~dSJ

Dly 01 ........ SundlY

RolJ~~12 J

Hour

Rol! !~4)

Hour

RoJJ~JO IJ

M,DUlt ( Olla )

OJ . , .1:00

02 .......... Mond~y 03 ..........Tlltsd.y 04 .......... WedDescby

05 ..........Tburs~hy
06 .......... Fridly 07 ..........S,curd~y 08 .......... No m'lIulI.e this wtek

02 ..........UKI 03 ......... ,3:00 04 .......... 4:00 05 ......... .5:00 06 ..........6:00

07 ..........HIO

0102 .........AM 0304 ......... PM

RoJ~d6.1 ) Minut~ l' tlls)

00 ...............: 0
OJ . ~ I

02 ...............: 2

00.. .........~ 01 ........... :J 02 ........... ~1

03 ............:3

OJ ...............: 3 04 ...............: 4

OS, .........8:00 09 ..........9:00 10 ......... .10:00 IJ ......... .11:00 12 ..... , ... .11:00

04 , ...........:4 05 ............:5

05 ...............: 06 ............. _ 07 ................ 08 ........ , ...... : 09 ...............:

5 6 7 8 9

ftc is missing his liftllillky. This is w(}rth 5 BR As (hallce wo1i1d it. ftt roll.! Ihis flaw three addiliolla! limel witll Ihc additiOllalloss f!/ his lift rlllgjillger, righl pillkv alld right middle finger (ma)'be he was a plil/cli pms operator hark east .. .) ThtSe Jour indi;:idllal./laws, as a whole. still Ollly )'ield 5 BP sina Ihe ClllI/ulalit't digit loss does nol cross (Iu Iflres/lO(d alld so wammf
/WVt

~ 5\ % or more indicates I.he limb is seve rcd near the shoulder or hip. (\'aluc 50 BP)

additiollal BPs.
~ote: During character c reation , subseque ntl y gain ing the ~ l i ss ing Limb Flaw (specific to the limb on which the missing digit was once found , supercedes this flaw and negates an~' bu ildi ng poin ts gained.

Missing Ear (20 BP): T his n:lw affeCls only :I person's appearance and his abi lity to wl:<lr ce rtain types of hats. T hose who are mi ssing an car su tTer no loss to hearing except in noisy or stress ful (' irc lll1l ~ta n c es (i.c., comhat). In this case, they mUSt make an Intelligence check to understand anything said 10 them at a di~ t ant'e greater than 15 feet, on the side of the mi~sing car. Looks is also affected. Those mi~sing an car lose \ point per car from their Looks abi lity score.

How such <In e\'cll! tOok place should add a colorful SLOry \0 a character's past. \ Vhatc\'er the ca use, such a dlamcter sutTers signifi cant problems. A character with a missing arm cannot use t\\'o weapons al Ollce, and they certainly may nOt usc bO\Is. T hose with a funclional clbO\\ may. howe\er. usc long guns (Wilh a -2 accuracy penalty). ,\ Iany ot her limitation s exist. most of which should be ~clr- cvid e nt. fortunatel y, most people who lose the use of one limb compensate for the loss by dew'loping extremely st rong muscles in the other. T herefore. amputees missing an arm lose no Strength bonuses. Charaeters who lost a leg ha\'c compromised mobili t)' options as detailed in Tab!, 6.2-12: M issillg u g .\lot'tlllmi Effiels.

TABLE 6.2-12: MISSING LEG MOVEMENT EFFECTS

E:tleD! of D ,s~hj[iry Effee l aD ;\'Io''e menl a r possible Q ne kg bela ... knee ... .. .sprinting, Running or Jogg io g D Qoe k g l00"e knee ...... . .spriOhD J!. Runoiog or Joggi ng 001 possiblc Ch~u"n our ooly ... dk wilh clurches Both Le gs (10Y c_~lent ) .. . . Chu~c l er ml) ooly move ...ilh lid of whe d chm

Roll a M.
"Gr If 1 or 3, th e left car is missing.
gr If a 2 or .~ , th e right ear is missing.

Th is Oaw may Ix' rolled or c herry picked both cars missing.

1W1ce

for

Missing Eye (45 BP): T ho ~e Imssmg a n eye lose some vision, c;\Using them 10 suOe r a -2 penalt y La Accuracy with ranged weapons. and -2 o n To- H it rolls when brawling. Looks also ~ uffers, with the charact er in question losing 1 point from this attribute.

Near-s i ghte d (25 BP): These characters ca n see objects that afe near, but have trouble seeing things that arc fa r away. T herefore. Ihey suffer a -\ penalty Oll Accuracy rolls pc\' t'very tllO range increments to the target. Nervous Tic (25 BP): This flaw causcs a character to twitch in all un controllable way, espccially in stressful situatio ns s.uch as gunfights or card games. Usually such twitching: is limited to the face or neck. Someone with a tic may ha\'(~ one> eye that winks involuntarily, or 11 muscle on one side of his neek tightens. ca using his head to bob to thl" ~i d e. ~ l ost of the time, this condition causes no problems. H owever, imagine what would happen, sa)" if a per~on who has an cye tic is thought to be winking at the wife of some big, burly soldier. Nervous tics can also affeet a character's a bility to aim. There/ore, charactcrs wit h this naw suITer -I penalty to Accuracy with firearms and other ra nged weapons.

Roll a cli.
rT On a I or 3, the left eye is missing.

r3r O n a 2 or .~, Ihe right eye is missing. The penal ty to Accuracy with ranged \\eapons doubles to 4 when firing a weapon in this (left or right) :lrc.

Mis s in g Lilllb (variable BP): Characte rs with this Oaw arc missing eithe r an a r m or a leg. This flaw may be rolled 01' c herry picked multiple times for additiorml mi ssing limhs.

Roll a d4 to detc rmine th e mi ssing limb.

9r On a I, the left arm is missing.

rr If a 2, the right arm is missing.

V#r If a 3, the left leg is missing.

No D e p t h Pe rception (3 5 BP): A character with this lIaw is unable to distinguish whether objecls arc far a\\'ay or Ilea!'. T his character suffers a -2 penalty to all Accuracy rolls with firearms or othe r ranged weapons. PluInb Blind (90 BP): Blind characters ha\'e lost their vision. A player whose character has this devastating physical loss should invent an interesting background stOI)' to explain this. Remembe r that there arc \'arying le\'els of blindness . Some who arc considered blind can sec light and colors. as wcll as movement.

'Gr O r if a

+,

the righl leg is missing.

Roll a d% (d I 00) 10 sec how muc h is missing.

@'" 50% or less indicates the limb is seve red nca r the wrist or ankle. The clbow or knee is srill functional. (value 35 BP)

330

However. e\erything appears as a blur, with little, if any. ability 10 distinguish clewiL Some blind characters can see light, but nothinl{ else. Others arc consigned 10 constlln! darkness. In either case, blind charactCl'S suffer a 8 penalty 10 Accuracy rolls wilh firearms or other ranged weapons, but only a -4 on ;m<Lck rolls while brawling. Aitholll{h !tllch a dlaracu:r cannot sec, his other se nses arc hci~llI. encd, especially hearing and lOuch. (Characters sta rt ing off blind can hear twice as well as a normal per~on (they gain their first purchase or their Listcn int.!; skill for rree). i\lany who arc hlind have lillie difficulty getting around, but their movemt'ut is cu t in hair because they must \'elllure forth carcrullr Severely Maimed (variable HPJ: A person who is majmed has some sort or grou.'sque il1ju~ or malady that deci mated his appearance. They may he ca lled "freak.. " or "monster<;.' Children Ont'n run .lway \\hen they sec a maimed person, or they may taullt him, Bullies often pick on the c hara(ler. Theft is a. SOu (I chance that the public reacts with rear \Ihen first encou ntering a maimed person . Failing that, the~ will certainly be disrespectful. Players shou ld roll on TobIt 6.213: Sevtrt(r M aimtd to dct ermi nc hO\1 thc character has been affected. Sleepwalker (20 BPJ: Those who walk in thcir sleep often find them sel\'e~ in danger. This tlaw can bring a compktely new meaning to the phrase' "he dif'd in his ~h:cp.' This characler may walk out or a high \Iindow, into the middle of a cilmpfire o r into an outiaw encampment. Fricnds or Ihis character may find them selves being asked 10 tic the character down at night. Sterile (5 HPJ: ~ I aking habies i~ impossible for CO\\ pokes with this Oall , though there's nothing stopping them from t~'ing, While somc may find this flaw ben dicial. there's stil1lhat nagging voice inside land a few grinning rolk outside) that implies the sterile character is less than Ill" should be, This character slarts Out with a I penalty to Reputation. Stone Deaf (variable BPJ: Those who arc deaf can li\(' k.irly normalli\'es despite the loss of thcir hearing. Howe"er, life is a bit mOrt' difficult. Most deaf charae teTS 7So/a' arc deaf from birth, :ami havc a further 100 0 chance to ha"e a deaf parent (rollll'Q ror each parcnt l.

Thc othl'r 250 are dear a~ a result of some 'iO n or ocntrrent'C later in life, H ow ~uc h an e"ent tonk place should add a colorful ~tO I)' to 11 character's pas\. If the ch:1facter was born deaf (60 BP), roll \10. FC II' each deaf parent, there is a -30% modifier to this roll. On a result of 0110, the characU'r does nOl know how to speak ta ke the Dumb 03\\ and its additional BPs. Charaners who become deaf later in life (30 BP) know how to spt'ak, but do 'iO loudly takt, the Talker loud quirk and its additional BPs). Those who arc deaf and dumb ha\'e trouble commu nicatillg with anyone Ilho doesn't knoll' some 'ion of sign language, or cour<;c, if the clwracter can write, he can lise lH)tCS to communicate. provided the person he wi~hes to com municate \Iilh can reild. Thi ~ call also be .. rolcplaying challen~e ~i nce the player ~hou ld ;woid acting on information his cha racler mighl not have due to his condition, Deaf charactcrs an' una\I'are of any thilll:t happening outside their line of s i~h\.
Dt',lfne~, doe~ ha\'e an ad\'alllage, in that deaf char aCler, are unancued by loud noises. Also, because Ihc~e charactt'fs havc had to usc their eyes much more than mOSt people in order 10 compensate for the loss or their hearine:, thc\ gain a 25" '11 honu~ Oil all visiotHeiat ed rolls.

Strange Hody Odor {20 HPJ: Thi~ l'haracter has a d istinctivc stench nbollt him, A s tran~e odor ema natt's from his body; causing him to lose I point or Chari~ma. H e is unwt\com(' in most social ga t herin~s no matter how much he bathes. In addition, he lends to attract u!lIlanted attention. Tric k Knee (30 BPJ: 1\ pcr~on with a trick kne{' can be walking along and then \uc1dent)' h,l\'c his knee give way, The characte r with this na\\ suffe rs a + I penah) to Speed hecause he is cormantly war)' of falling down. Whcll climbing, jogging, running, sp rinting or car~" ng a heavy load, a trick knee gives out on ;J I in 12, causin~ the charactcr to lo ~c his balanct' and fall 10 the grou nd. Ir Ihe: character makes sha rp, rapid move ment~ such as dodging or dancing, the chance illcf(~as es to 13 on a d 12, Riding a horse is a good option for this cha racter.

TABLE 6.2-13: SEVERELY MAIMED

Roll (d1) ~1JimiDg [feci BP Vllb( I ." .... , . Mi55Ch~pclI hc~d .... ,',., .... , .... ,' ...Trc1t woulld scverity Ic\d (hud) as OP( level hl!jhtr, -Iro Looks $Core ., ... ZS 2 "',." .. Misslllpcn body , ...... , ...... , ........+1 Speed, 1 to bn... liag mltk/dlm~gc rolls. 1 to Looks Kore .. " ... , ... ,;IS 3 , ... .. .. vere h cil l h"u or IIIICIISC SCl UllIg " .. ,03 10 Looks Kore, . . . . ,., . , ... " . , . , , .. " . , ...... ;IS ... " ... , .. Misslng/dislorted nose:, nl ll1d eye .. " .. No SCIl.ou: of smell. Missing Eif ll1d Miss; lIg Eye fbws" (no um BPs) , ... ,75

"Botb eif lOd eve mll.'l1 be 011 the Slme "de of rbe held.

331

Chapter 6.31 Skill Descriptions

kill~ acq uired during char,lll a creation rcprcsrlll kmw,lrdgt lIml your chilrrtclCr :u:;(luil"c(1 in YCilrs I);I~L Skills have :1 I'ilsi 'L1TJ.> of IISI'S ;llld int"ludc surh things as BOI:II1~. llro!\c Bust ing, Gamblin!{. Ilunting, Oral ion, and ,0 on. ChW'l' skills Ih.1I best oompkml'!ll the Ch:U<lCICr )'t)U haw in mind. For l'xamplt, do 1101 choo~(' I\lining lUI a ~('huo!teachcr or EngiuN'rilll( for a fur [r;lder unless you elm arl icul:il(' a "cll thought-out rt'allan tx:hiud it.

* THE SKILLS *
ACCOUNT ING
Reh~"llI1t Ability: Intelligence Cost: 3 BP Uni ve rsal: No Prcrequisite: Mathematics 850/, Of better

:\ loSI ~ki ll s indudr I,,,) tablrs - a :\la51('1"\ (,Ibl(> and a Difficult\ table. The ~ I a'ler\ tahle defines "hal ~our character fan do with this skill; it ~hnw~ you r character's Iimil:lliol\' ba'il'll on his current le\lel of l1\aSICI). "1:,1.:(' the the Animal Lal'''' ~kill. for ex.un pit. :\ '\"o\"lc("" dlllnH:lcr can rt"cogni/e a lH)(' of ,ulimal b) s i ~hl, I, hil ... 11 ~ l ilstl'r can determine t!w 10("atiol1 of 11 water holt, ani Ina! h("rd~. pl"('daIO I"~. nr impending danger (5110"11 as a fornl firt') simply from obscrvin~ an animal'~ signs and beh:tviOl'. '\"me I hat I he ~ l asHTY table is nnl all-inclu~ i\T - such <lIable would he bigl{cr lhall this book! - bUI "'rI'e~:ls a guideli!lr for a charaelcr's skill lIsrs "nd rrS l ri("tinn~.

* MASTERY AND DIFFICULTY *

Mastery Die: ld8 This skill alln,,s 3. charnctcr (usually a busill<'SS owner) 10 audit, m,lint,lin ,Iud procrss financial information, mosII) with II doubleenln bookkccping s~<lern (ko:eping a d ebil enlr) and a credil em!"\" for i'vcry lr;mS,\tlion). Wilh this 'rsto:nl, lhe character can [he,'k It:)!" errors and keep his business r<"tmd.~ tiCal and lidy. Clmra\ters \dlh 3. bu~itH'sS ,hnuld altempt this 5ki ll check once per monlh. Failure HI usc this ~kill means thaI the c!laf:lcler is using- eitlwr no medlOd, or 11 "<:1")' primilive mel hod, of managing his bu~illc~s. Lack of Accountin~ d)~tS Ihe business a Id12% loss pcr momh in profits.
monlhl~ for business o\,nI]ICan5 thaI the charact cr can monilor prolilabilit),. det("cl (01" add) irregularilics, creale nel' financ ial records, and sn 011. A f:liled mOlllhl)'skill check indicales lhal the records are nawed in ~OIl1C way and Ihe LlUsine~s suffers a Id3% loss per monlh in prorits. Thnc loss,'s arc Ihe result of JlOCIf in,etrlory management (~tlch 'IS spuiled. darnagnl. Hul -of-dale Uf mismaldred paris), dishOlleSl \'endllr~. failure 10 pav bills on lime, failure 10 send proper i11\nin' ~, ,11' "HilI' ')llwr h~' lor t h,ll dues nlll hccornc apparent due to inlUrretl books and recurds. ,.\ I.. lel" SUCCt'~srll l check revcals ,Ul\ imbalallCl'S and 1I1eir c;\uses. btll Joes nOl relurn profits already lost.

r\ sucr essful skill check (perrormed

l'r~)

The l) ilTIeuh~ lab!.: pro\~d('~ somc cx:lmpl!-s of whal might mall a skill mure dimelill \() u~c (such a~ da ,kllt~~, exccsshe Ilois(', angry atlil1ll1ls or hosl ile Ch:1 raCll'rs, etc). I<"<w our c:<:,Hnplc, kt's lise the Animal Lore skill :11';::1in. I! would be Trivial (%) 10 i<kntil) an animal "hen il is o.:a,l:ed, eorr;tled or I,ilhin [Q fert i)f d ll" character, bm it ,hnuld he \'cry Difficult (%) 10 idenlif~ ,U[ .winwl al nigh I in lhe middle ofa dH!Ildl.'r~lurm. The Difficult, Ir\'cl is usually sel bl the G~I or olher plalo.:n.

* TIME AND FAILED CHECHS *

Since the skill uf'seription cannOt defille hOI, long II lakes to perform e\el") concei\'abic action, simph usc VOIil' common Sf'nse judgment HI";' grullp conSi:nsus. Fur e.\ample, <I pla)1'1" lan'l 0"0111IXlSf' an ope,'a lhat will be reh-v,Hlt for gcne ral iOlls in just une d:I'. bUl he mighl be abk 10 wr it .. a simple 1)Q!'I\l ill 30 minules.. On Ihe other hand, sume thillgs (such a~ recu~ni7.ing an animal b\ sil;-llI with Animal Lurd may b.. nearl\ inst3ntaneous. slrould ,tl~n usc ~our common ~rnse 10 determine "helher VI" not a d,a raCler ma) n'-altempl Ihe same skill dleek ancr" fai led result. For ".~ampk. the charaCler knows when he has faikd a Car pI'nU) (ur similM) ch("tk \0 create an it("m. since the ilem i, \"i,ibl~ btl1dwd or l1awf'd in some ""} .md till" rdulting piece i~ I"urthles~ excepl as kindling. [fhe still wam,; to build the ilem, hI.' ma~ try "Kain, but "ilh nc" tmucriftl~. '[0 give anuther example. a ph)'e !" should not l}"picallv rc t l") a fai led Accounting che("k. sinet' lht' character ~ef'~ no cr!"or~ "lid has no reasun to rl'(hcc k hi~ fir;ures.
YOIl

Le\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert

Mllster Difficulty Trivial Easy A,'erage Difficult

The character CIlII Not use this skill. '\Iaintain an accurate inventory Accurately monitor profitability of a small business venture Accurately monitor profitability of a large business such as a gold mine Accurately monitor profitability of a complicated financial trust involving numerous related business ventures Manage the financial affairs of a nation-state E:<:amples Determining what inventory is moving fastest Detecting losses due to theft or employee ])iifer-

'.' Auditing a business' books

Engaging in (or discerning) sim'ple financial fraud Engaging in (o r discerning) complicated finan cial fraud

Apply a CUll1tilati\c 15% IWnall) lu each n'peatcd skill ch('ck w 'lccornplish lhl:' S:lI1U; task. (This p<"llally don nOl apply \\"h("ll using the <,line skill 10 alll'mpt a dilTen'rH t3.sk.) If lhis Ilt'nalt) aC<"iUlluialCS lu thr point I,h .. n' til(" dlar .. clcr ean1l011)()~5ibl~ ~uc !'I'cd, he mIlS! improvc his ma~IO:') lewl in Ihis skill twfnn' attempling the sam .. lask agaill.

Very Difficult

ADM[NISTRATION

Releva nt Abi lity: Intelligence, Wisdom o r Charisma Cost: 5 BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mas tery Die: IdG

332

S" Wilt hll)il/(<Jmllll fQn ~ ..pt

A charactl."r IIses t his skill 10 unders tand lhe basics of how go,errllnental, private and ci"k organiLalions ol)!."taIC. lie can use such kmmlcdge to hi! ad\'anl:\ge "lIl."n he "anU to funct ion II ell ,.it hin a known go\'crnrn("ntal !)'Stem, nMnage 1m olliee, business or organi~;tl i on. T he character knows ho" to hire staff, ketp ,I budget and pf()\ide for san it,lIion and ~~'n'i erabl(> roadways. A sucensful (month l) skill dl('d: ml."ans tlw character is doing well, and the people under him arr rea.)Qnabl~ content. A railed skill check indic.. te that the char'lct("r has no id("a hOl\ his subordinates f("d, Additional ~kiJJ chcck~ ma~ ~ n::<luired withiu a mon t h for unusua l situations Ix)'Ond th (" standard monthl, adm i ni~l ra t ion (for e"ampl(", tltt local dam breals. or the railroad sur\'q1lfs an' choosinJ;' II lo\\n or a Ill'" business opens th .. t ofT("r'l higher wages Itl rom cmplo)!'es, etc.), Le,'cl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced E xpert Master Difficulty Trivial The thllrllrt er eun ... Manage an eml))oyee or two Manage a small group of employees or subordillates Rlln a fair-!ized pnvate business with many employees (such a8 a cattle ranch) Administer a medium-sized town Administer a large city or state Administer a nation-state (Presidential cabinet oCficer)

1Il1~quQ/t "l/tllliQn I"

001"

Example! ASSign someone to complete a minor task and mOllltor performance Easy Assign someone to complete! major task and monitor perrormanee Average Achieve organizational goals in situation that presents few challenges Difficult Achie\'e organizational goals in situation with active opposItion Very Difficult Achie"e organitational g oals despite extreme conditions such as war or natural disaster Min.# in -.m.text'i UI'troU j<JJ rtlptnl8Wility. TtJ '1 )lu,'i~l', mahng BUrt 8'}))ltvnl' unptit8 tlie fJ'lrOO.[Jf nlf1Y he '1 'Ill"i""r t'lsk. Fur a Master JI'/i'J8i! jih ill Se"relary 'if Stat, a min'})' task 'YItiyht he Iltyvti'ltillg a trade dupule u:itlt Denmark. A!11'il1, maj"r 18 i,l ..,miext ..j "veMU j,lI resp'!I1sihility.
ACRICULTURE

Master Difficult) Trivial Easy

ant farmers or hired hands. ~Ianage the agricultural economy of a nation-state.

EXam lJII'8 Performing minor farm chores Ensuring success (sufficient food to live off of fllr a small farmer, profItability for a cash crop plantation) in II year blessed with good weather Ensurmg success (sufficient food to live off oC for a small farmer, profitability for a cash crop plantation) given average IJrevailing weather condItions Ensuring success (sufflcient food to he off of for a small farmer. profitability for a cash crop Iliantation) despite drought, poor weather, or moderate insect infestation Ensuring success (sufficient food to )j"e off of [or a small Carmer, profitability C or a cash crop plantation) despite severe drought or massive insect plagues

Re le"a nl Abi li ty: Wisdom Cos t: 2 BP Universa l: Yes Prerequ isite: NOlie Mas tery Die: 1d10 Materials/Tools Required: Yes T his character understands planting. har.esllng and slOring crops, te nding farm anima ls and similar chon'~, .. \ dl .. racler can at temptloll'Ofk a traci or land to produce the 1I10S1 crop~. and he can "ark at managing a f,tflll a~ ifit \lere .. business, \lorking \l ith li\estock. 5upcni$ors and farm hands. The dlaraucr must ha"e too ls app ropriate to his lask (an a,,( for chopping ,,"Ood. a bucket for milkinJ;;\ COIl. ('tc). Le"el Unskilled Novice A\'e r age Advanced Expert The chllrader can ~. Han'est food crol)S. Manage a small plot or land 8ufficlent to feed his familr .Manage a small farm III) to 40 acres with a few slaves or hired hands. Ru n a large farm with up to 20 slaves or hired hands, Run a huge plantation with hundreds of slaves, ten-

Average

Difficult

\-ery Difficult

ANIMAL EMPATH Y

RelC1'an t Ability: Wisdom or Charisma Cost; 2 BP Ullil-ersai: No Prerequisite: None Maste ry Die: IdlO "\ C'har;tct("r II ilh lhi~ skill has Insight into an animal's emOlions - 111' III") bl' able to dc tnm in(' ir il i~ hUllJ;n'. frightcned, lIIadde ncd, defCII,i"c. "nti so on, and Iry 10 shllll any anim:1 l lhal 11l' dcsJrc~ " illwr frit'lld-;hip or e n mity. I It' can somc l imes allempl If)

333

\lS~ his ski ll 10 placalC angry animals or ta u nt t hcm in to attacking him, as he sces iiI. \Vild or rabid animals ca nnOl be ca lnl(~d. although they l;<ln be taunted or frightellClI. A sillgle .~uccc~sru l skill rheck indicates thaI the characte r succeeds in his lask. On a failed check, the charaCH'r docs nOI unde rstand the anin13I's mood , 01' the au imal does 110t understand or 1'ea<:1 in the wa> the characler hopes.

weather, and potential hazards (natural or human) Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult Examples Herding under perfect conditions (daylight, good weather, ample forage) Herding under favorable conditions Herding ill poor weather Herding excited or agitated animals, herding in a storm (heavy rain, etc) Herding angry or U]lSet animals, herding in a violent storm (dust. hail. etc)

Lel'el Unskilled Novice A\'erage Advanced Expert

Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

The character CH Il Not use this skill. Show animal that the character desires enmity Taunt animal into attacking the character, frighten domestic animal into fleeing from the character Determine animal's mood (hungry. frightened, angry, defensive, etc.) Show animal that the character desires friendship; frighten hungry carnivore into fleeing from the character Calm angry animals Esam ilies Empathizing with docile domestic \.)east Empathizing with domesticated animal (dog. milk cow) Empathizing with docile nondomesticated animal (range cattie, deer) Empathizing WIth wild, hostile \)east (bison. \)ear, cougar) Empathizing with rabid animal

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY (SPECIFY ANIMAL TYPE) Rele\'a nt Ability: Wisdom Cost: 1 BP Universal: Yes Pre requ isite; NOlle Mastery Die: Id10 Mate rials/Tools Required: Yes
This character und~r~t<lnds tIll' care .1Ild hrceding of nne 'ype olli\'cSlock. such iI~ Call1t, chidens, duck." gCl!so.:, go:tts, horscs, mul~s, pig" ,he~p or turke~~ (declarl'd 111lt'n the <kill is cho~en). A character nlll attempt to brerd hi, animals \0 produce the bcst stock. and can work at impro\'ing produoioll (i.c. eggs and nlilk) whcre appropr iate 10 I he animal. The cil'uaCler can also i[](; rea~e t he quantity of his ~Iock throngh brceding. as note{l on the chart (chc(k cvery Ihree months for ]lOuin:. anlliial check for olher animals). If siock increases \0 a point !l;l"c,lt<,r than he can manage- al his curren t master. 1,' \"('1. he tllU~1 rid himself 01 .111) olt'rstock (sclL shlllghtcr. etc) within Id2 \\eeb or automatieall) los,' Ihe over<toci.: to tlll'ft. ('(wote :ltt,llks, ,It. On II bilcd cheel.:. your stock d~pIeH's b, " pertenwg"e equa l to the difference bell,cen ,he rollcd rt'suh and ~our Animal Husbandr), mastcry. The character must have appropl'iatc tools (., buckd for milking co,""s, <I ~ho\'("1 for cleaning out siables, ("I C,). Le" el Unskilled Novice Average The charucter can ... Milk cOII's/goats, collect eggs from Iloultr~. Manage (feed. house) up to two animals. Manage (as above, plus breeding) up.to a dozen animals: increase quantity of stock through breeding (for poultry - quarterly check improves quantity x4; for others - annual check adds +20% stock), Manage up to 100 animals with a slave or hired hand; increase quantity of stock through breeding (fo r poultry - quarterly cheek improves quantity xl>; for others - annual check adds +25% stock), Manage up to 1.000 animals with a few slaves or hired hands; increase quanti ty of stock through breeding (for poultry - quarterly check improves quantity 1'8; for others - annual check adds ~30% stock). Manage thousands of animals with several slaves or hired hands; increase quantity of stock through breeding (for poultry - quarterly check impro\'es quantity :<10; for others - annual check adds +40% stock). Examples Keeping animal healthy with unlimited access to high quality food. water and housing in a disease and predator-free area of ideal temperature

Very Difficult

ANIMAL HERDING (SPECIFY ANIMAL TYPE) Relevant Abilit y: Wisdom Cost: I BP Universa l: No Prerequisite: None Must ery Die: 1dlO
Skill in this arca enables a character to exe rcisc a great cr lh:ln normal degrec of colHrol ovcr herds of c:Ittle, sheep or horses (d eclared when the skill is cho,en). Each t),pe of animal h:ls different characte ristics - for examplt, c:lI! le lend to Slick togclher, while shecp SC:lII('r, and horses havc a marc indcpende11l nato1"e tllOt makes Thcm hardcr 10 control. \ ViM horses cannot b.: herded.
A charact er Wilh Ihis skill also knows mller dewils about herding, regard lo.:ss of Ihe specifi c anim;11 chooell. Fllr (sample. a hrrde r mi~hl ride ahcad tOSCOU I Ollllh(' trait and thCll return to rel ay the information 10 th e tra il hand~. This is Oflo.:ll done from a distance, by using a ~>"Slcm of hand signals to rela) the informatiun ($i ning on a hurse fa cing right or left I,hik waving a hill means 10 lurn Ihc herd ill tltal direction).

Advanced

Le\'el Unskilled Novice

AI'erage

Advanced Expert

Master

The character can", Not use this skill. Guide the herd in a specific direction using constant personal supervision; understand the hand signals conveyed by other riders Guide the herd in a specific direction with some personal supervision; correctly convey hand signals t o other riders Find the best grazing land along the trail; reconnoitering best places to ford streams Guide the herd in a specific direction using little personal supcrvision; manage all aspects of a large cattle dril'e and act as trail boss Plan a cattle drive ahead of time that maximizes profit given the variables of trail forage, water,

Expert

Master

Diffieully Trivial

334

Easy

Keeping animal healt hy with access to good

food, water and housing in area where disease

Average

Difficult

Very Difficult

and predators are infrequent with mild temper ature changes Keeping animal healthy with accest to average quality food, water and housing in an area with common disease, predators and temperature changes Keeping animal healthy with little access to food, water or shelter in an area where disease and predators often appear and temperature is debilitating Keeping animal healthy with barel)' any access to food, water or shelter in a n area saturated with disease and predators and subject to intense e)imatlc vanatlons

T his _ki ll ,11 1 0\\5 \" IJaracters to itllilall' lIo i ~cs made b~ various animals. \\'hilt- a succcssful che(k mimics Ihe noise preciscl~. a Lliled chcck means 111:11 the sound di lfl'rs from the corn'CI nois,' in sOllie slight war. though Ihis does not ml:"an Ihat ;111 creaturcs heafing the noise Imo\\ Ihal tilt' sound is rake. \\'hile crcalUre~ lind p{' rsons f;lIlliliar \\ it h 1he noiSI:" kno\\ I his "U lull1;11 ira!I), olher crcaturt~ or dmr.tclers HI earshot rC(luire Wi<dom ( hed:s 10 dl'tc rmim: if they dltl:ct Ilw fak(. assuming Ihey know :Hl)thin/( al a ll ,cbout thr aelll<ll !<lunds. Thos(' cluclc~s .IS 10 thac p;lTti(u. lar b('a.~1 arc slill duptd. Banditus, Ilalil'('~, and S{Oll t ~ sometimes usr t hi~ abilit) to communicalr signah. l.ewl Uns killed NO\'jce Average Adl'anced Expert Master T he character ean._ ,';Iimic noises that sound a little like the real thing Mimic noises that sound close to the real thing Duplicate sounds With a reasonable degree of accuracy. ,';lImic cnes to fool experienced listeners ~ilmic sounds 10 that olher animals are fooled Duplicate sounds so that other animals of that type are fooled Examples Imitating an animal sound common to character's background (pigs (or pig farmer, etc) ~Iimlckmg the sound ot character's animal companion, or common animal (dog, cat) )limicking an uncommon animal the character has heard (or heard imitated) at least once MimIcking a specific animal (s uch as the sherier's guard dog, Rex) or tyl'l! of bird call Imitating an animal sound the character has never heard.

ANIM.J, L LO RE

Relevant Abilit y: Intelligence Cost: I BP Un hersal: No Prereq uisite: None Mas te r y Die: IdlO Tllb ~ki!l gilcs 11>(' charactcr knO\\lcdgc of ~nill1ills and hOI, to IIItl:"rpr('t Ih['i .. aCl ions. Wilh a su['cessful ~kilJ dlcck, Ih[' (har:u;- ter knows t lit' animal's !Wl1cral _ill'. coloml ion. ils prderrrd food, and habltal. hn\\" danl;"erou~ Ihe creatufe' is, and ~o un, ..\ ~uccu, f,,1 d lrck mCllIIS dl(" charaetcr i"l'lncmbe['cd his knowledgc of thl:" animal. A fa iled rhcck means Ihal du. ' rh.lraCler dOf'sn'l knO\' or Ju~t can'l secm to rcmembcr a ll),thi ng a bo ut I hi5 ani mal. In addition, a successfu l Animal Lore check givu a 10% bonus to an IJlllllcdialCI) fnllowillK Set Tr" ps rheck \\hcn sfttilll;" a Imp lor th,,' animal.
Lm l Unskilled Novice Average Advanced

Difficulty Trivial Easy

Dicticult Very DiHicult

ANIM .... L TR AININC (SPEC IFY ANIMAL TYPE)

Re lcvant Ability: Intelligence o r Wisdom Cos t: 10 BP L" ni \"e rsal: No Pre requis ite: Ammal Empathy 490,4 or better and Animal Lore 49'1. or better Mas ter y Die: ldlO
Char4(\C r~ wi t h Ihis skill G i ll Irain 0111' tYPI' of animal to pt'rform f('ats or to follO\\ spccilic Oldl:"rs. A charlner ilia) purchase Ani mal Training l11uluplt' lillle~ if he wishes 10 t rain othcl' types ofall imals as "dl. A Irainl'r can \\o .. k \\ilh onl) one animal al:l l ime, and t('ach il 10 fllllo\, general orders or petfOl'Ill specilic frats. lit can also dimil1at .. Iic('~, suc::h as tho~e in iOOie hor;e.!l (~('c CJI!lPII'1' .'I.6I Hur.ltJ). f\n anil1l:l 1 can learn Hn} .!Iimple order 01 simple feat. plus up 10 2do{ gcncr:ll orders or .pecific feats.

Expert Master

The cha ra~t l' r can_ Not use this skill. Recognize a type of animal by sighl Recognize a tYlll! of animal by description Rec(lgnize a type of animal by trllcks (lr a vague description: know animal's preferred foods and habitat: know how dangerous animal is Recognize a type of animal by its d roppings, scratches on a tree, etc. Know the locatIon of II water hole, animal herds, predators, or impending danger (such as a forest (ire) from obsen'lng an animal's signs and behal'iors Exa mples Viewing the animal in a cage or corral, or with in 10 feet Seeing the animal within 100 feet Viewing the animal through a fog Seeing the animal at night Seeing the animal at night and in bad weather (hea\'Y rain, etc )

f)j (ficully Trivial Easy Average Dirticult Very Difficult

It takt's 1+ Id3 "reb of work 10 train the :ln ima l lO fo llo\, a l>l mple order 0[' perform J simple fea t. out tr'lIning for a general order lal es th r"l:" monlll~. Training fo r a ~pcc i lie feal lclll1il'e. Z+2dO{ "ecls ..\ t Ihe elul uf Iht' t r;Lining lime, make a skill check. If successrul. the animal learns tlw order or fl:" a l. If the (heck f,lils. tht' animal does not ic;crn the ord('r or fCll1.
l..e~'e l

ANIMAL M IMICRY Rc1e"a nt Abili ty: Wisdom Cost: 1 BP Un hersal: Yes Pre requisite: None Maste r y Die: ld8

Unskilled Novice

Average

The cha rader ra n... Not use this skill. Within 1+-ld3 weeks: break horse of a stalll'ice (through daily exe rcise); train domestic pet (cal, dog ) a Simple order for indoor behal';or (scratching at the door when it needs to go outside, 110 jumping on furniture, etc.) Within 1.1d3 weeks: break horse of a flight vice; teach animal a simple feat (bear a yoke, come, sit,

335

Advanced

Expert

Master Difficulty Tl'ivial

stay, fetch, heel, speak, roll over, etc.) that it performs UPOD the character's nO!ll'erbal or verhal com mand Within 3 months: break horse of an aggressive vice; teach animal a general order (guard, attack, track, hum, etc) that it performs with verba) coaxing from the trainer Within 3 months: each animal a general order (gua rd, attack. track. hunt, pull, etc) that it performs for a third party (not the trainer) Within 2+2d4 weeks: train animal for specific feat (attack specific person, retrieve specific item) Examples Training an animal you already successfully trained in the same task/action category Training a bright, eager and friendly animal Training a newly acquired animal Training a frightened or abused animal Training a wild animal

Experl ;\1aster

Estimate the worth of the subject lI'ithin d20% of its true value Estimate the worth of the subjeet within d2010% of its true value, Exnmplcs Appraising an inexpensive common item Appraising an item for which there are many 110tential buye rs and sales of similar objects are common Appraising an item for which there are several potential buyers and sales of simila.r objects are uncommon Appraising a rare item for which the pool of potential buyers is very limited Appraising a one-of-akind or extremely unusual item

Difficu lty Trivial Easy

A\'crage Difficult Very Difficult

Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

ARTISTIC ABILITY (SPECIFY TYPE)

Releyant Ability: Dexterity or Wisdom Cost: 1 BP Ulli" e rsa\; Yes Prerequisite; None Maste ry f>i e: ld6 Materials l1'ools Required: Yes Characters us~ t he Art is1i1' Ahility sl.:ill fo r \'a riol.is form. of till' nns, and mllst select one categol) in Ilhiclt tire) arc proficient. Thesc call'gor)- l )'pn illdude such thing~ as: composition (,;ong. " 'rilurg), painting, jlcrfol'1nan('c, pol t r")~ prose ... lid sculpl ure. An iSl~ "ho choose lhc pcrformnnce ciIlq;ul")' mILst fun hIT speci. 'lltinl;!:. smg-rrll;-, or pl.l~in~ a sp1'("ifi(" l1ul>ical in~trurnerrl (OftC Il banjo. guilar or pi,mo).

APPRAISAL (SPEC IFY TYPE)

Rele"ant Ability: Intelligence or Wisdom Cost: 1 BP Universal; No Prerequisite; None Master y Die: IdS Characlcrs \\'idl lhi~ sl.:i ll have thc nbilil~ 10 f'~linwtr l he \~llIe of ilf'ms in C('rlain calf'gvr) t)pe~: animab, bu.irwssl's/land, mincrab (including mint,s, ~t."lJlS, 1"I,dry) or lither itl'lnS. (T h(' "other itellls" c;.tcgory l~pe irrcllldt."~ old I)(){,l~ ..1IlIiqu<", "'urI.:, of' art, and Ilrat ~Orl oflhing.) T he} ,1fl' ",-II \I'r~t'd in tllt'ir rC_pl'(" live fields. l'rlOugh 10 be abk 10 SpOI sid animals, poor gralinii hurd or lhe besl SpUI for;l new uus i l\e~s, .. ~;!IICd rnin('. 1,11' ral.:l? works of an, for I'X;ll11pll', A char.1l'1cr lhat wants 10 c~t j mate I he ",.Iue of somel hin(\' needs 10 bc null" to propcrl r f'x:1.m in(' lhe ilf'rl!. Tire met hod of inspection depends on III!: nill un' of t hl' item being appraised, Establ ishing llrc prite for; . gold mine \,ould I'nu,il;\ lenglh> onsile tour I,herea~ apprai~ i n.':' a piece oljcwclr) can be ;\Cf:mnplislred in l hc appraiser's affiec "ilh the aid of a jc\\('lcrs kits. A failed dwel.: rl!eans that lht." appraist."r has no ilka 01 thc objcct's tnlt." I'alue, T his docs nOI, ho\\"e\er.limil him from fabri caling a "alue, Difficu ll ), h'vels reneel l hc number of similar IranS;tCl ion~ t n). ieall)" occurring for lil.:!." ilcms. For a mine r'll appraiser lil'inJ; in 1\'C\\ \'orl.: City, ('stimaling thc valuc of;llarge dillnlUud would be Tril'i;.1 cheel.: bccause I;u'ge num bers of g'l'!TIslOnCS arc sold daily . Ihc rehy establishing . wry good h".is on Id,idr to j udge tilt' Kcmslone'~ \'<lluc, A fafe 1>1.101.: dcalcr I'fc<cnted wi l h an origirr:tl COP) of the Dcclar:1.1ioll of Independence would race ;1 Ver") Oi!1icult check 10 estimale its I'aillc, ,\ Iosl re,,1 cstate appraisals fnll in the Avcr-age \0 Difficult fnngc based upon lhe sii;c of lhc lot, bUI can be easy in arCas with largc nurnbt'rs of simila r sales.

r,

An iSh can al1cnrpt tu crcall' "orh ,)f ,ITI \,i\l, ,1 iuucssful Artistic Abilil} skill Chff'!.:. SUC(' CSS detl'rminl'S IhI:' quality of the worl.:, "hile a failed cheel.: indicille~ lhal lhe arthl ('allllOl m('CI his art istic id l'al, or othcrwisc become~ fnl~lr,ll ed :rnd tltr(MS his failed altt-mpt in Ihe trnsh. Charact('1'S lr1U~ 1 h:.rve tools "lUI mat.: rials appropriate 10 t hl'iT dlOsen art; a painler musl hal c painl and bm,hes, a sculp10r mu~r have SIOlle and chisel, and so nn.
Ani~lie Abilill a lso confers a 5% bonus (per lewl abo\'(' L'nskillt"(1) 10 ,\ppraisnl checks un ObjfCls of a rl rclated 10 lire cho~en an fUTm,

,I

1 ..eH'1 Unskilled Novice Average Adl'anced Expert Master DiHieulty Trivial Easy .o\verage Difficult

Tire character can ..,

Draw stiel.: figures, Make a lumpy clay ashtray, Sculpt a simple bowl; paint an abstracllandscape, Paint an attractive figure; compose a catchy rhyme. Create a photorealistic painting; write a I)oem in perfect meter. Write an opera; paint a masterpiece. Examples Replicating work already in common usage Producing work that is only a minor variation on artistry currently in vogue Producing innovative work that appeals to a small audience Producing innovative work that still appeals to a mass audience; completing a commission on time when patron is constantly inquiring as to the status of the project Producing ground breaking work that will still be relevant a generation hence

It" fraud is involl'~d. faise lhe Difficu lt y drrel.: (to a maximum of Very Difficuh).
Leyel Unskilled Novice Average Advanced

b~

one t;atcgor)

The character can ... Not use this skill. Estimate the worth of the subject within d20.30% of its t rue value Estimate the worth of the subject within d20.20% of its true value Estimate the worth of the subjeet within d20+10% of its t rue value

Very Difficult

336

lbSJi'uilr,( arlisliC' abi'i!)' d~J nal illlNrthal on~ iJfrif/,

BLACKSMITHING/ METALWORKING (SPECIFY TYPE)

Expert ;\Iaster

Releva nt Ability; Strength o r I ntelligence Cost: 7 BP Un iversal: No Pre requisite: None lUas ter y Die: ldS Materials/Tools Required: Yes A (h3 raCI(~r "ilh 111(" Blacksmilhing ~ki l1 can Rllempl 10 make simpit' lools ,md olher il~ms from iron and Sled, It I.. kes ;lIlcasl Ihree hours 10 creal'" Eas~ ilems, 'IX hours for .\\'Ir<l/o;e ilems. nine ho un for Di fficult items. and at it-;LSt 1'2 hour~ of \\or k lor \'rry Difficult items. Only aflrT Ihis time does the smith makc his skill c h ~ck. With R suce~ssfu l skill check, the eh:Haltt'T crafts tht' item. A failed rl'Sult indicates the ,,'ork ",as bolchcd or n;med in some "ay ,md th~ resultin~ piece is worth no more than Ihe ori~ ina lmaterials. Characters may a lso purchase t his skill to work with o\l1("r nWIals. such as sil,er or lin. Ho\\en"r, sueh skills (sudl as Sikcrsmi lhing or Tinsrnithing) musl lx- purehastd sep"ral,l). (lools arc required 10 do any bbcksmith or olher melalwor kinl\' t"sks.) A forge, be llows, tongs, "n,; I, a nd hammer arc common tools of the blaC' ksm ith. l...e\'cl Unskilled Novice The chara~ler can ... Not use this skill. Knol\' how to operate blacksmithing tools and equipment; cralt simple round or rectangular objects (balls, wedge. piton, ~hisel, etc). Craft simple objects with some curves (cl"1)w bars, horseshoes, nails, etc ). Cralt straight or curved bladed objects (scythes. plow blades, bayonets)

Craft compilcaled or simple multiple-pIece objects (sabers, hinges, etc) Craft complex or complicated multiple-piece objects (gun barrels, triggers, chambers. print ing press typesets, gears, etc). Examples Repair broken implements Craft simple tools Fa!m~ate mechanical parts based on sample part FabrIcate mechanicall)arts based on drawings Fabricate mechanical parts without drawing or samples

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average DiHicult Very Difficult

BOATING

Relevant Ability: Wisdom Cos t: 2 BP Uni\'ersal: Yes Prerequis ite: NOlle Mastery Die: IdS A dw.rallt'r u~ing the Hont inl:' skill can attcmpl 10 guide canoes, ka>:Iks .. nd SIII,, 11 bollS, amI "ell ,IS II) to pr{'vcnt capsi/ing in rough "alers, A ~uccessful ~ki ll chC'ck me"ns Ihal the char acte r guid,~ thl" C'raft "hen' he dcsires, \,hik a railed skill check indicales th:ll Ihe craft cap~ i zes, runs a'l'TOund, and sO on. XOle Ihatlhis skill is used for small er:L ft such as those u ~ed on smaillakcs, largC' ponds, and rin:rs. The Engineerin~ (SIC'amoo.lt) skill is rt<luirt'd for' sudl ships. Lewl Unskilled Novice Average The character can ... Guide a raft to follow the current Paddle a canoe downstream Paddle a canoe upstream 337

Advanced

Advanced Expert
~Iasler

Use canoes to transport goods Safely navigate a heavily laden barge on a large river Safely navigate. heavily laden ba rge (including livestock) on a large river Examples Boating in calm water Boating In slow or steady current Boating In average current with occasional minor hazards Bosting at night or in rapids Boating 1II rough water at mght

Ditriculty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

A character Ihal succeeds OIl a Botany skill check has .. knowledge of pla nts and how Ihey grow, whi le a failed check indicates that I h(' character eil her does 110t know or cannot remembrcr any thing about t haI pl:1II1. This kno" ledge is more ext('tlsive Ihan that provid('d under IIt(' Agriculture skill, as il also ex t('nds to plants "ithOlll ob\iolls ftXld or ttxtile uses.
Botan~ a lso cOllfcu a 5% bonus (per Icvel abo\'c Unskilled) Agriculture eht"cks rrlatcd to crop5 or plants.
10

BOOKBINDING Releva nt Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost: 1 BP Unh'ersa l: No Prereq uis ite: Leatherwo r king 85% or bWel and Seamstress/Tailor 8W. or hemr Maatery Die: IdlO Mate rials / Tools Required: Yes Thc charaCle r wilh this skill c,m repair and bind books (with paper or Il"al her backin g~). or COUT$C . I he charactcr mUSI havl' tools (se,,ing rrame, book press, glue, bruJhes, hammer, knire. needle, thread, measuring lape, saw. scissors. elc.) and malerials (doth, paper or Iralhcr) 10 do so I,ilh proficiency. As a general ruk, il lake~ Id3 hours 10 repair a book, and 3+ Id3 hours 10 bind or rebind a book. Onl)' after Ihis lime does the bookbinder make his skill check. On a JUcccssrul skill chcck, Ihc characlI'~r manages 10 rep'lir, bind or otherwise usc his Bookbinding skill to full ('ffect. A failed result indieat('5 Ih(' work "as botched or nal> ed in rome W8)' and tht bind('r must begin again from scralch.
clOI h.

Dirfi('ulty Trivial Easy A\'erage Difficult Very Difficult l.e\'el Unskilled Novice Average

t:xamplel Plant is in bloom Plant is whole IdentIty plant by fruit, lea\'es, tubers or seeds Parts of plant incorporated into mixture or food Ide ntIfy plant from charred remains

Adva nced Expert

~Iaster

The ( harader can... Not use this skill Recognize various species of common plants Know under what conditions common plants gro\\' best; recognize common IlOisonous plants from com mon non' lloisono us plants. Recognize various species of common plants from vague descriptions Recognize variouB specIes of rare or exotic plants. Know under what conditions rare or exotic plants gro ..... ben; recognize rare or exotic plants from vague descriptions or pictures; tell poisonous rare or exotic plants from non -poisonous varieties

BREWINC (SPECIFY TYPE) Relenn t Ability: Intelligence Cos t; I BP Unhersa): No Prerequil ite: }l'one Maiitery Die. Id12 Mate rials / Tools Required: Yes T h(' character krlol> s the art of either brewing beer, produdng or dis till ing s \li ri l~. Each of Ihese is a separ.uc skill, and Ihe character mU SI indicate I>hich specialt} he is pursuing. As a gene ral ru le, brewing one ,;-"allon b'llch lakes one day, a lt hough ferment ing one balch of b('('r takts 1+ Id2 weeks. fe rrnenting 0 11 (' batch of wine takc~ 5+ ldl wcds. and frrmcnting a batch of spiriu take$ 1+114 da~'5. 01 course, multiple J.,."ltches mar be fer mentcd simultaneollsll. and agtd for longer periods. A skill check must be perform ed after each batth has fe rmented. Success indicalts a successful balch (the amount by "hich one exceeds the minimum gtnerltlh indicating qual it). while failure indicates an unpa tatabl(' product.
\\11\1:

L<rel

Unskilled NOl'ice Average Advanced

Expert Master

The character can ... Not use thIS skill. Replace a loose page or signature (a 4page grouping); bind a Bmall pamphleL (less than 20,000 words) Repair a torn Ilage or loose hinge; bind a short boo k (up to 40,000 words) Repair a broken hinge; repair damaged or worn corners: repair wo r n spines; bind a book of 90,000 .. words Repair broken spines; bind a book of unusual size or shape Rebind or rellair a severely damaged book to look new again Examples Working with aceus to II full range of bookbmding tools and extra materials \\orking in dim light; working tn a noisy enl'ironment Working WIth poor tools Working with makeshift tools (e.g., a stack of brIcks instead of a book press, or upside-down chair instead of a sewing frame) Working with makeshift tools in dim light

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

Very Difficult

Aftcr it has be('n d('t('rminC'd that the balch is palatable, prope r aging to enhance nal'or require~ anot her 1+ Id3 weeks for standard beers, 6+ ld2 monlhs for \,hiIC wines, I yea r ror reds, and 30+ Idl2 Inonth, for the hard st uff. f or spc"cialt}' beers (doubk5, dunkds, etc. ). double the lime in all slepli cxcepl brcwing. f or red \,incs and spiriu, t xt emkd agmg for a like period ma} increase \alue \,rlh another s uce~sful Brewing skill check (with t h(' value iner!"a!irl,!; by a I)('centage equal to the margin by which the skill eheek \,;1.'1 successfu l). Bre"ers nCl'd untellsils and tools !Ilch as oak kegs, boltles. pans, bowls, mixi llg ~ I)(l{/IIS and ra\, ma terials such as hops, yeas t, grapes, malt ed barlc}~ ~ug .. r, clean wa ter, elc. The alcohol must a lso he storrd ina conI rolled cnl'ironmcnt du ring aging (usual ly a ce llar) 10 help it a\'Oid extreme temperatures and exposu re 10 sunlight.

BOTANY Rele\'a nt Ability. Intelligence Cost: 1 BP Unheraa l: No Prereq uisite: None Mastery Die: IdS

338

[.e,'el Unskilled Novice Average

Advanced

Expert

Master

The character call ... Not use this skill, Can brew olle balch of beer or wine per day Brew two batches of beer or wine per day; build a still {or brewing spirits; brew one batch of spirits per day; produce a drink capable of attracting a ilx:al audience Produce beer/wine/spirits unfamiliar to the region (sake, aquavit, etc.); brew three batches of beer or "'ine (or t"'O batches ot spirits) per day; manage an Olleralion capable of supplying a standard saloon (provides at least SIX batches per day); produee a drink callable of auraeting a county-wide audienee Manage a local or regional brewery, wine ry or distillery (Ilrovides at least (iO batches per day); produce a drink cal)able ot atlraeting a state-wide audience Produce beer, wine or spirits capable of attracting a national audience Examplcs Taste testing KnowlIlg hoI\' to operate apprllpriate equipment. Producing beer. wine or liquor (rom standard formulae Produeing beer. wine or liquor from non-Illdigenous plants the charaeter is unfamiliar with Producing trom very marginal saurees sueh as wild grasses

BRONC BUSTING
Rcle\'lInl Ability: Strength, Wisd om, or Charisma Cust: 2 BP Unil-ersal: Yes Prerequis ite: Riding 80% or better Mas te r y Die: ld6 This .kill ,,1101,$ a dl,lracU'r In bn'ak or busl " wild or orncry hor~e (i.I' .. nlak." lilt' hurse suhmjl III a sadd lr and rider), Busljug .1 bronco gene ral!) requirn :\1 k"~1 Ihrrc eharaclcl'> _ an anchor, ;1 mu~qeranJ Ihr nder, T he andlOr (or anchors) Irjc1 10 hold Ihc honf', while III<' mugl{ct' 'land, 1\1 froni and allclllpu 10 disl raCi it. Irho l h Ihrs~' c!t .. raclers ~uC(rrd Itl Ih(' Brollc BU$ling checks. Ihe rider \,j l h lilt' Brnn( BlI~lillg skill ma kes a Riding ched 10 ,:uldk and moun! Ihe horSt'. Once t he lidn i~ Ill()Ullled. Ihc anchor Hlcases the horst .llld il u' nllU;lo(c r rll n ~ oil, lea\'ing Ihe rider on his own, "sulec"rul "'eragr. Dinku ll nr Vcry Dimeu ll Bro n,.. B U~ l ing skill check :II this poin t indica1ts Ih.1 l, an t'\' some bucking. Ihe Iwrsc tina Jl ) aC(t'ph Ihr ridl' !' <Iud ~el il cs dOl.n.
Diffieull ), Tri"ial

Difficulty Tr ivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Easy Average Difficult Very Dift!eull

E:l:llmplcs Horse prel'ious]y busted or ot Quiet temperament Horse IS young, small or weak, or of Interested temperament Horse is Il{ Nervous temperament Horse is ornery or wild, or of E:l:tremely Nen'ous temperament Horse IS ornery and wild; horse is of Stubborn or Treaeherous temperament

- --

~--~

-.

;:,Al-

339

lA.wel Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

The cha rll ~ le r ~a n ... Act liS the mugger to distract the horse Act sa the anchor to hold the horse Bust a horse thst already lets one (and only one) ~haracter TIde it Bust a mare Bust a Slallion Bust any horse (including previous abused horses, etc.)

AIerage Advanced Expert Master

Write II long letter; make II small sign with some flourishes Write a complex document: make a medium or larger sign with 10Ui of flourishes Prvduce a work so admired that members of the local audience come just to look at it Produce a masterwork so attractwe that It will still be admired a generation hen~e Examples COPling letter or sign (rom sample Making new leuer/sign from pre-existing template Creating an innovath'e way of making a letter/sign Signl1etter 111 foreign language Signlletter uses non -Gree k characters and character cannot read the language (such as Chmese)

CAlliGRAPHY/ SIGNMAKING
Rele,'anl Ability: Dexte r ity Cost: 1 SP Unh'ersal: No Prerequis ite: Reading Comprehension/Penmanship

Diffieulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difftcult

90% or better Maslery Die: ldH)

Ma terials/ Tools Recluired: Yes

Cl ", rac' eu wi ,h t his ski ll ~all make jus, about an) letll-Tor ~igl\ look rca I n in'. [, I ,L k('~ ,I( II'a~1 Ollt minut., 10 cre:lle Ea~\ it"m~, 3U minule_ fo r .\ I'el'a/{e iH'ms, IWU h{ju r~ for Diflicult items. and alleas t 12 hou rs of wor k for V\"I) Di nie uh ittms. O nly after thi~ lime d~~ t he c:,lIigr.lpher/1igntnaker ma k ~ his skill check. ,\ suttl'ssful Call i ~ r<l"h}!S i l{nm"k i n'l' check means thai thl' styl,' uf each ~i\'tn k it er ur .. )rnbol is Ihe ~anll', ur.1 ~ i gtl is compleh,J. T he rfleet of the arl i brgcl) 1Il('anl to be eXI>crienced a ll ,II oncl', rathe r li k(' a paint rng. ,-\ fa i1c<tlheck indicates thaI t he callij{raph~ /s ign is difficuh to rf'ad, (,ithcr because the writing is poor, th(' I,ri ter fo'1(01 a lelttr or word. or 'hc ind i\'idualleltt'rs a rt' too e.'.:tr<tI,u(;ulIh embellished to be ca$ih rt'ad.
u>wl Undolled NOlice

CA{\'IOUFLAGE
Rclentnl Ability: Wisdom COilt: (l BP Ullh-e rsai: Yes P re requisite: None Mas tery Die: Id10
I~y u~ing t hi~ ~k i ll, Ihe lh.lractcrcan allempt to a id in COlleealinl{ him~clr. hi~ t;nll1panions and inanimate objects b~ using Iialur:c1 or lLl .. n-nl.lde m;Htrials. In fonsls. chc cha racte r can use ~hrubb....... mud ;lntl mhrr n adil~ a\"il;tble rcsources. Des('ru or ~illlil.1r11 harrrn lerrain~ u,ualh rf'quirl' spt'cia l clol hing. p..1ints or ulht'r ,lrtiIiClallll;'lH'fi.ll~ (;llthou'\"h -di~~ing in- IS an old trick th31 ma\ 1>1. ,IPl'lkabl(> m \uch Icrr.lin). h lakes a character a sucees~ful ~kilJ cherI.. plus a hall-hour 10 camouflage himself or all}

The character ca n ... Not use thill skill. Wnte a short note: make a nny sign or simple smaIl sign

ollwr pef$OIl, Id'i hour~ II> C0I1<:t';11 a carl Uf inanimate objt'ci of comparabk sil.t', and a half-d,l~ 10 hick a sma ll building. ,\ failed chec k indie;\I," th.ll Ilwre "a~ ~onl(" O,m. or that the object simpi) ca nnot Ut c.unnOilguld Il illl tl1(" ,1\;Lilable matc ri al~.

Average Advanced

Succ~sfLLII~ camuuflal:'ed cumlXlllIQUS alw go Unnoticed: olll~ OIlC skill ehed, is rt'Cju ired lor I he ('llI ire .l:roup. I hOlll:'h each C.XI ta pt'r~on or <\rca 10 Ix" (,unou fla l:'ed JIIrrca~{s Illc tim r IIcccssa!) for Ihc <lIICm pl . Cllnluullagillj{ has no clTect on prrdators Ih:n locate pre~ by 'l("Cnt or otht'r keen scn~r~: ,I grial~ ~au sti ll sniff OUI a (:amounagcd hunter. ,\ t'amoull.lgrd Il<.'uon h:ls no protection aga insl a p:\$serbl "ltu ae,idenl ally bru,hcs a!l:ain_1 or bumps into him. Uke\\isr, a GlnJuu nag"d lW'nun Illily rCl'cal himself if he ~mTI.CS, ctit's OUI or I1l.1!.:'~ ,In) other wu nd.
:\utc 11"'1 camuun:H(i llg is on I) nrn~.~<I'i for pafliolJ~ or e ntl re_ I) c.\po~cd l:lCrsons or (,hjnl~. A person hidin!.; bthind a SIOIU' wall doe~n'l Uee(iln he c:lmoulln.':eti lo (11'oid ti('l ccl ion, nor would iI cOlilpl e lcJ~ hurifd ol~j('n !l<'cd ;tn ) SI>cciallrt'auncnL
Level

Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy AI'erage Difficult

Craft a broom or a basket; build siml)le shelVe! or similarly sized objects: build a simple outhouse, cabl' net. table or similarly sized object Build a simple shed or one-room cabill; craft decorative cabineu. chairs, tables, or similarly sized vbjeeu; sUI)trvise up to a dozen other lesser skilled carpenters Build a large house. with plans. Build a large house, Without plans. Exa mple. Sawmg a board; hammering a nail All parts pre-measured and CUI: fixmg a broken table or chair Building with poor equipment Building with no specialized tools al'ailable (measurlllg device, miter liox, etc) Building with no carpentry tools available (using a rock for a hammcr, etc.)

Very Difftcult

Uns killed Novice Average Adva nced Expert Master Difficulty Tril'ial Easy Average Difficult

The character C 8n ... Camouflague in an area with a large amount of natural cove r (lush forest) Hide in an area with lots of natural COvet Conceal in an area With some natural cover Camouflague in an area with little natural cc,ver Use material uneommon to the em'ironment; carnouflague in a mustly barren area Use material foreign to the area (h:ly m a desert); camouflague in a barren waste Exa mples Camouflag111g a coin sited o>bject Concealing a watermelon-sized object Concealing a pers,," Concealing a cart or inanimate object of comparable size Hiding a small building

CARTOGRAPHY Helel"ant A b i i it ~,; Intelligence

Cost: I BP
UlliL-ersal; Yes P rerequisite: Reading <Ampf'l!nension/F\!nmanship 9O'1t or better Mas te r y Die: IdS
Ma te ria l ~ /Too i s

Itequ ired: Yes

Very DIfficult

This skill allow~ a charaCIt'r 10 aurmpt Ihe cr~alion of rclal il el~ "CtlLfalr and ,1I1I ;\Clil(' map!, \\ilhoUI Ihe use or surH')" equ ipmrllt (.llthou~h illfll') C(luipment such as a compass.... hain ilnd 1t'lr~wl>C !{i\r~ a dtaract('r a 20'\. bonus 10 his Carlugraph) ."ill (/teek). I k can dra\\ o\'erland roUlI'S, local a nd rt'gional n\;lps, ,lnt! ~o '1(1. prmid,'d Ill" r;1II I'i,il Ihe local ion or has ac('css 10 Ihe Ill', ''\\.In Inlorma l lon, II lak., ,1I Ira~1 fIIW minu1(' to dr.\\\ Ii-inal maps, ~ +2d4 m;nlilts It) tlr<ll\ t_,,~ nl.lp~. W+2dJO minules ror .\I'cragr m.lps, 1+ Ilil da)~ fill' Dinkuh nll1lh. and al Ir:hl 1+ ltH \,eek~ or work ror " r.-r\ Difficult map ... Onl) ;lftrr I hi ~ limc dot's Iht' cort0Mmphcr 1ll.lke his sk ill dlr<". f\ 'urc('~sflll ~ "ill check indieillCS thaI lh r charaCIt'l' corl'(,d l) dra\\'~ Ihc map, whilt a fail ed eltet k Illcnus lhat Ih r map h \\lIdl)' inarrlll'tll<'.
1.11.'1

CARPENTRY
Itelevant Ability: I ntellige nce Cos t 2 BP Universal: Yes Prerclluigite: NOlle Mas tery Die: ldlO Mate rials / Tools Required: Yes
t\ characle r witlt Ihe Carp<"1H1) ski ll i, famili'lr "ilh mam ,lspcrls of wooch,orking. It lakes al Il'a , 1 1+ Id4 hours 10 crt'.lIe EaS) ;I ems. H+2dl hOllr~ for AI" Tag' itrms, 1+ld~ da~, for Difficult il,ms, and a1 It'ilsi 2+ Id I lIer ks of work for \ 1:1') Difficu lt ilems. Onl ~ .111l'\' Ihi~ lime dOC'~ the carpenter makr h i~ s"ill c he!.:!.: . A ~ u(:(:c~sful chc<-" intil!.:ah'1 Ihal Ihc charaCll'r succcc(b at buildin~ till' objrct. I\hilr .1 filil ld result illdicalcs Ihe work "~lS botLll t d or fla\\ cd HI 50mr I\al ,mel the rcsult ing pitcc i$ wnrl hl e~) (':l.cept ;I~ l.iu(lIllIg. I lous('s and uther large or cumplt'.x items nerd a "haratln with the Ent; inetri ng De~ign ~ "ill It) fint prepa rc lilt pia liS.

Unskilled Novice Average Ad\'anced EXIJert _'l aster Ditfirulty Trivial

The charac ter C IlI1 ... Draw a rough. simple map (not to scale) Draw a fairly accurate map with prominent terrain reatures noted Create linearly accurate small map such as II plat of survey; use sll r vey equipment Create linearly accurate map of any size Create linearly accurate map of any size with rough topographical information Create an accurate topographical map to any scale EX. mlllell Terrain is perfectly flat (plains, salt !tau) With no distinguishing fealUres Terrain is fairly flat with one distinguishing feature (rIver, hill, etc) Terrain is va ried with a few distinguishing features Tetrain IS rough and varied with sel'eral distin, gUishing features Terrain is very rough and I'atied Ivith many distinguishing felltures

Common 100ls of .L ~'a!-pe m('t arl' " ilammrr. sail. nails, alld mC;lsut'ing devier. alt hough rnorr ~1:H:ci'lliJ:rd Iools mal be need.'d dt'J>cnding upollihe jub in (11U' ~ li (ln. u-,'cl Uns killed Novice The r haracte r C lln... Use carpenter'S tools and handle materials with su pervisioll Use carpenter's tools and handle materials without s uper vision

Average Difficult Very Difficult

3+1

CHEMISTRY Relevant Ability: Intelligence

Advanced Expert
~laster

Cost: 4 BP Unh'ersal: No Prerequisi te: Mathematics S5'Y. or better Maste r y Die: ldG Materials / Tools Requ ired: Yes
A chemis! gtne rall y s ludics maller and how it ill1rracts wid! "'hcr mallcl; and the distinctions lwtl,'een inorganic and ul1{anic substances, Wilh a successful check. he can tal k knol,kdgc!lbll about different chemical compounds and their propertil'S. A failed skill check indicates Ihat the chem ist simpl~ cannot recall the illrormation hc needs at tlw moment, 01' that his lab test produced an inaccurate result.

Climb a sheer cliff with rope or pitons Climb a sheer cliff without rOI)!! or pitons Climb a smooth brick wall Examples Using a ladder Using a knotted rope Using an unkllotted rope Climbing at night or ill rai nstorm Climbing at night in blizzard or rainstorm; climbing a greased surface

Difficultr Trivial Easy Average Difficult Ver)' Difficult

COBBLING Re leva nt Ability: Dexterity

Cost; 1 BP Universal: No Prerequ isite: Leatherworking 851/ . or better Mas ter)' Die: Id12 Materia ls/Tools Req uired: Yes The character with Ihis skill C,Ul try 10 repair and des ign boots and other footwear. Of coufSl', the characte r must have leatherworking lools (awl. hammer, knife. thread. needles and ~o 011) and rn:Heriah (leather) to do SU with proficiency, It lakes up to ldl hours to work on E<I~I items . .J + hl4 hours for Average itcms, one d;1I for Difficult itcm~. and 4+ ldl days ofl,ork for Vi:r: Diflicult items. Onh arter Ihis time dors the cobbh:r make his ski ll check. On a ~uccessful skill {heck, tht, ch;lractcr managcs to repa ir. craft or otlwrwi~(' usc his Cobblln~ ~kill to full eITect. A failed result indicates Ihe work ,,'as botched or fial,ed in some lIa) ami the rcsuhing piece is worthless. Le"cl Unskilled Novice Al'erage Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult The character CIIIl", Not use this skill. Use leatheTlI'orking tools and handle materials; shine shoes and boots; repair minor scuffs and scrapes ;\Iend broken soles; replace heels and straps Repair a severely damaged boot or shoe; make shoeslboots from rail' materials Design a style of shoe or boot that varies slightly from an eXisting style Design and craft a completely new style of shoe or

Level UnskiHed Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

T he character can", Not use this skill. Operate chemist's equipment; identify common substances and compounds in their pure state Perform routine chemical analyses Set ulwmanage a small scale batch chemical process (e.g, mercury amalgam gold extraction) Set up/manage a continuous process (to produce sulfuric acid or potash, etc,) Identify and determine properties of compounds or elements currently unknown to science Exam ples Analyzing common compound in a proper chemistry lab Analyzing rare compound in a proper chemistry lab Identifying common compounds in a field environment Identifying rare compounds in a field environment Analyzing compounds currently unknown to science

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

CLIMBING Releva nt Abilit y: Strength or Dexterity

Cost: 2 BP
Un h'ersal: Yes Prerequ isite: None Mastery Die: ldS Characters use [his skill to climb [rces, buildings and fences, as wdl as c,'ell larger obstacles. With a successful C li mbing skill chnk. the character succ(.>cds in climbing his targft. I l owc\'cl~ if the target changes si~nifit"ntly (such as a cl iITface changing from st urdy rock w loose shalt,) or tht' character changcs direction. he II1USt make anotlu: r Climbing skill check for th is 111'11 task. 011 <Illy f,!iled skill chcck, 1Ilf' character ("al1 climb no further [han one-fou rth his intended di5IaIlC('. A second failed skill check (fol. 100dng ,! flna failed check) mcan~ thai the character loses his grip ;lnd falls. Characters may need rope or climhing pitons, llcpendillgon the obstacle l'limlx-d. Le,'cl Unskilled Novice Average The character clln ... Climb trees; climb ladders Climb the side of a standard building that has windows or a flagpole Climb a steep hill with many roek handholds and footholds

boo<
Exam illes Performing repairs in fully stocked cobbler's shop Crafting footwear with aid of pre-existing pattern Crafting footwear without pre-existing pattern Crafti ng footwear from unusual materials (snakeskin) Crafting footwear with only improvised tools available

COOKING

Relel'ant Abi l it~': Wisdom Cost: 1 BP Unh'ersa l: Yes Prerequisite: None

Mastery Dic: ld12 Mate ria lslTools Req uired: Yes With his pots and pails and a successful Cooking skill check. a cook tan make last}' dtlights out of just ab,-,U1 any ed ible suI...

342

5lan('c, :lnd can produce hOi mcals on Ihe tl":lil. A failed check Uleans that thc charactl' r's foexl is disgusting and inedible. Cooking a meal gene.rall) takC5 no morc t han an hour, ahhoufl'h the prep<Hal io n of inl\"rcdients and di ~ h es may lakc sevcral. Out 1111 thfO rangc, tlic unspoken rllk is thai nobod)' app roachcs t hc chuck w:lgon without perm ission, and the range cook is generally "'ithin his rights to shoot such a man.

Easy Average DirIicult Very DiiIicult

Recalling well known customs Remembering common customs Recalling little-known customs Recalling obscu re tradttions

CURRE NT AFFA IRS Releva nt Abi lity: Wisdom Cost: 2 BP Un h-ersal: Yes Pre requ is ite: None Mastery Die: Id6 This skill helps a character know Ihe goings-on in th~ world a rou nd him. Ill' tries to krep informed of aI/the la test develop. ments in an) region. Th~ informat ion obtained is ah,ays publici) avai lable kn owledge and new!r secret or d :usifi ed inform.llion. With a successful Current AlTain s kill check, the character successful!) ash questions .md fintJ~ (or knows) ansl'en about the local af(lt. On a failed check, people refuse to answer the char;u; ter'~ questions or he can't seem to remo:-mbe r the kn OI\ ledge himself . The charllcter knows ... ~I.jo r development! (wars, wellpublicu:ed events) ocurring in his local area Names and faces of prominelll loeal c)tjz:ens, major developments county wide With lI'hom local eitizens associate and how fre quently; major de\'elopmenu state wide Politicalleaningsialliancel of prominent local citt z:ens; major developments nationwide Politiealleaningslalhances of prominent/powerful citizens th roughout the st&telterritory; major developments continent wide Politicalleanings/allisnces of prominent or powerful citizens throughout the civilized world; major devel opments world-wide EXlimplu Asking about obvious facta: character has spent over I month in the srea Asklllg about common kni>wledge; character has only lpent 3 to 4 \\'eeks 11\ the area Seeking detailed (though not purposely concealed) knowledge; character has only Spellt 2 to 3 weeks in the area Seeking detailed knowledge about someone who is actively trying to conceal their actions; char acter has i>nly spent I to 2 weeks in the area Seeking detailed knowledge about a secretive character known by very few persons; charac ter has spent less than I week III the area

L.wl Unskilled
Novice Average Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

The character can._ Boil water; peel potatoes; chop vegetables; wash pots and pans Perform basic frying, roasting and cooking Make cakes or cobblers; bake bread Properly preserve fruit and I'egetables Prepare gourmet meals fit for royalty Run a cooking school that trains worldclass chels Exa mples Preparing a meal in a proper kitchen with a well stocked pantry Preparing a meal on the trail with adequate food stores Preparing a meal from game and locally gath ered root! and berries Preparing nutritious and tasty meals from unfamiliar wild sources Preparing nutritiou! and tastr meals from ver ffim (rats. Insects)

Very Difficult

Novice Average

CULTURE (NATIONALITY OR TRIBE SPECIFIC) Releva nt Ability: Intelligence Cost: I BP Ull h'ersal: No Pre requis ite: None Master}' Die: td12
Characters "'ilh this skill knO\\ the customs and traditions of one specific n;.liOlllllit) or tribe hUl.:h liS Apache, Cherokee. British, Confederate, f re nch, and 50 on). The player characU'r must sdect tht' lIat iOllalit),or tribe he is a n expert on, thuugh he can purchase this skill multiple times for multiple ru ltures. t\mongother t hings, the character with this skill is able to Iecog nize (wilh a successfu l skill chcek) aspec\S of tllfO national ity or tribe about which he is an expcrt. With a Euled skill check, t he e haraetct is unfamiliar with that part icu lar aspect of the cuhure - dther hc nt'ver Jearned about it, or he has temporaril) forgot. ten it.

Advanced Expert

Master

Difficult,. Trl\'ia\ EalY Average

DiffH!ult Very Difficult

.'\11 characters are considercd rega rds to th t' ir 0"11 cu lture.

Le"eJ Unskilled Novice Average Adl'anced Expert

~ I a.'ltcrs

(12% ski ll mastery) in

Master

The ehllracter can ... Not use this skill. Remember famous persons of that culture Recognize famous legends, folk tales and songs from that culture Know common slang and stereotypes Recognize major aspects of craftlmanshlp (such as pOllery painting or metalwork designs); know the current fashion styles Know obscure regional folk songs and folk tales; recognize minor aspects of craftsmanship (stencil ing on the bottom of cla y pots, etc); know various fuhion $lyles Examples Remembering Ob\;OU8 facts

DECEPTION Rele"a nl Ability: Intelligence or Char isma Cost: 4 BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequis ite: None Mas te ry Die: ld6
This characte r is smooth. He can practically talk a miner into bdieving tlMt giving away gold is a good thing. He can even tell untruths in such a cotwincing manner thai those who don'l believe him look like idiOls. A succcssful Deception skill check means people bel itve his "stories." If the check Eli Is, tho:: lie i ~ SImply too outrageOlu or unbelievable in some way. Review the

DiIlieully Trivial

3-13

same mo<lifiers described fOI Fast Talking in 7abft 6.3-1: Fasl To/king .lIodifirrs, basn\ on the Intelligence and Wisdom of the subject and modify further by the beliel'abilit} orthe slOry. Len'l Unskilled Novice Average Adva nced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult The character can". Deceive a stranger Deceive an acquaintance Deceive a close friend or ally Deceive a guard Deceive a member of a hostile tribe or nation Deceive a sworn personal enemy Examples Telling a very likely untruth ("A new hardware store is opening next week") Telling a plaUSible lie ("J heard the local bandits are on their way here") Telling a possible, if unlikely, lie ('The President is coming to town to see one of his relatives") Telling a very unlikely he ("The bank is gil>ing away $10 to all customers!') Telling an absurd lie ("Feed a co ..... fruit and their cow pies will be tasty")

un- indicates th,~ possibility of an IIllexpectt-d ('xplosion. Aft er a failed ched when using dynamite paste or rods, or creating or using gunpowd er explosive devices, roll IdIO. On a I, the cxplosi\",~ detonates (often dlle to mish;,ndling or an unexpec ted spark). A failed chcck I, hen handling liquid nil roglyel"rin (SlIdl as "hen creating dynamite) is always an explosion. L(wel Unskilled Novice Average Adl'anced
Exper~

;\iaster

DEMOLITION Releva nt. Ability: Jntelligence Cost: {) BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prereq uis ite: None Mastery Die: ld4 Materials/Tools Required: Yes The Demolit ion skill involves handlin~ explosives (c.~. gunpowder, d~namit("" paste or rod. and nitroglycerine). Cn'ating or using any explosivc material requires a successful check . . \ fail-

The character ean ... Detonate prepared explosives Handle and move explosives lI'ilh no danger of explosion Affix blasting caps and fuses to dynamite rods or paste for safer ignition. Estimate the blast radius of any explosive within 50%; cylinder shape dynamite paste for dynamite rods. Estimate the blast radius of any explosh'e within 30%: mix proper quantities of liquid nitroglycerine with silica to turn it into a paste (dynamite). Estimate the blast radius of any explosive within 10%: determine the exact quantities of explosive material for the job (e.g., a small amount for crack ing a safe or a larger amoull~ for blowing up a building). Examples Working with eXIICriellced helpers in laboratory conditions Working with experienced helpers in field conditions Working alone Working at night or in poor weather Workl1lg with explosives while moving/riding

Difficult) Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

3'1-1

DENTISTRY
Relevant Ability: Intellige nce Cost: 5 BP Uni vcrsal: No P re requisite: None Masler}' Die: IdS 1\t:lterials/Toola Req uired: Yes Thc characlCT "ilh th i ~ _kill knows lum to pull t('eth. creale false leel h, ('Ie. I ll' kno,,'S the corren usr-s of anC~lhr-sia (usua ll ~ e ther) 10 keep the p:ltienl s till during Illl' operation, :lIld the neel'SSM) tools (pHtn, scalpels, liles. and ~\I UIl). A successful sk ill d1(~("k i~ nn:essal) for till' proc"dun' (but nOI fo r the annthetic). If a pallent requires multiple prOCl'dure~, make II \ki ll tht'tk for c .. c h. A failed c h('ck indlcaln that Ill<" proccdurr "a, un~IICt'l'~' ful. Lew l Unskilled Novice Average Adva nced Expert Master IJiflieully Tri'lial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult The chll racter can_ Not use this s kill. Pull front teeth Pull molars Use correct amounts of anesthesia to keep patient still Create false teeth: cap tooth \\;th gold or silver Drill and clean ca\'ities Example!! Performing operatiun in full y stocked operating room with special dental chair Performing operation in fully stoc ked operating room wi thout special de ntal chair Performing operation in field condItions Performing ope ration with faulty or mining dental equipment Performing the <)peration with with only imprQvised tools or materials available

Advanced Expert Master

Convince one or more enemiu to join in a slightly beneCicial agreement Convince one or more enemies to join in an agreement lhat favors one person or group oyer another Comilletely swindle an avowed enemy Exam ilies Negotiating Negotiating Negotiating Negotiating Negotiating

Dirticulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Cor a very likely result for a plausible result for II possible, if unlikely. result for II \'ery unlikely result for a ludicrous or outlandish result

DISGUISE Releva nt Ability: Intelligence o r Charisma Cost: <) BP

Unh'ersa l ~ Yes Prerequ isite: None Mas tery I)ie: ld(i

Mate rials/Tools Req uired: Yes Whilr am ('har.lul'r r:1Il U<l' this , kill, ,I tharacter wdl \ CI'srd in th(' art of' dis~i,c can alter his ;lppearant:(' 10 be tOI .. II> unrec"t.:llllable, Thrrr ,He. {If lOllr~t'. common sen~(' lim it~ lu thi, skill. ,\ hair., middlc-'l'l'rd ~I .. >;ilan r,Hldll'ro is goilll; 10 ha vc 0 11 (' hct:k I.j .J. timc pulling l,n di'l,'1.lisin~ hirmdl";h ,I 17-~t'ilr-01d sa loon girl. In ge na3!. Ihc following limitatiurh appl~': :E' Height: +1-25% of actual height r:ir Weight: +/50% of actual weigh t '3r Sex: Male or female 'IT Hair: Any color '3r E yes: Any color :2i'r Complexion: Any color :T Facial features: Highly mutable
;J

DIPLOMAC Y
Re le\'ant Abi lity: Intelligence or Charisma Cost: <) DP Unh'ersal: Yes Pre requ iSite: None Mas ter y Die: IdS
A character can use th is slililo a ttempt to negotiat e treaties,

A ,U{l:C~~ mrans that lhe t:h:trart('r's dis,l:u isr- is aCcural(:, "hilrfailure n1l'.1113 Ihal the charactrt' belieH's th.ll Ili~ dis~lIisl' is pl'rfl'lt - I,hl'n afluall~ it IS no\.

Looks cannot ilr- ait en'<1 up" ard~ I" 111('3ns (.f thi~ skill (I hou~h a hil;h Looks abilit) SCOft ' ma~ be cQllceakd). Ob\'iou~ I ~, Ihl: ahilIt) to speak Ihc 1,lIu~uage of til\' prr,(ln )OU HII!*r.wnatc is not granted either. T he character mal r1('ed \0 purchas,' special clolhes or othcr rlMterill ls (padding for slum.leh, f:lls(' IdK~' CII' dq)Cllding on his disguise.
I.A!, t"1

condull rel!l tions ht'I"(,"n I)()lilical enti t il'~ , rmlions andlor tribes, and cS l ab li ~ h trade bet\\cell ~ u ch !!f OUpS. He is abk to dr,ll effective!) "ith pcoplr. Hc kno\\ s \\ht: 1I to com promise ;\nd "hen 10 tale a h.. rd lint: in order 10 get "ha l h.. W:lIlIS. A ski ll check is required, nf rour~c,,, het1c,cr a charael e r w:tntS t o t'stahli~h diplomatic re!:lIions "ilh a m per$Oll or g roup.
A ~uccessfu l roll means the pt'rson being ncgol iat"11 \.ith I'caCb

Unskilled NOlice A\'erage Advanced Expert Master Dimculty Trivial

to the ('haraller .lIld his nITer. . \ skIll check IS alsn rr-quircd e\'Cr) )'car' afle r' rclallo ns hall' hecn r.~lablisltcd. A succcssfu l chcck me.lllS th'1I relation ~ are still f:l\'orablr. A failrd check, n:1IuI':I II)', mcans Ihat the c har :lc t er'~ dipkunnlir ..rfort~ we re IIn~II{'t;CSSrllJ. Le,'el Unskilled The character Cln_ Convince one or more friends to join in a greatly beneficial agreement COlJl'ince one or mo re friends to join in a slig htly beneficial agreement Convince friends or enemies to make a n agreement that does not favor any person or g roup o'ler another

fa\'or;l bl ~

The character ca n", Appear as a relatIve of the same race, sex and age category Appear as another indh'idual of the same race, sex and age category Alter one's apparent sex or apllIIre nt age Aller one's apparent race, Perform multiple combinations of above Impe rsonate a specifi c individual EXam l)les Fooling someone totally ignorant of the race you are impersonating (e,g. I)retending to 00 a Sioux Indian to a group of recent German immigrants) Fooling someone who does not approach closer than 30 feet Fooli ng someone wit h casual contact

Easy Average

Average

3,t5

Difficult Very Difficult

Fooling someone you must interact with at length Fooling someone from the same race, social stat us and geogra phical background

Lc\'e!

Unskilled Novice Average

DISTRACTIO N Releva nt Ability; Charisma Cost: 1 BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequis ite; None Maste ry Die: idS \ Vith" sllccessful s kill dlt:ck, ewryonc "ithin ~O fect must look at the d istracting ('haractt'r and suITer a Speed penalt) to tlll'ir curre nt action. O ther charactcrs that kno" about a particular distrac tion IH-fore it OCCll rs ma)' ignore it with a succcsslul Wisdom check with a -I bonus to the roll. On a fai led s kill check, the char:teltT fails to distr:tct his targets. lfhe fails his check b) 50 or morc, hc unfortunat ely distrac ts those" ho cxpected the distraction in adv311CC (if allY). Using this skill creatcs a loud speltade, T he itldi"idualusing this skill may not be engaged in a light or chase. Levcl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master The character can ... Make others glance at him (they suffer a +1 Speed penalty) ;\Iake othe rs look at him brieIly (s uffer a .ld2 Speed penalty) Make others look at him for a few moments (s uffer a +ld4 Speed penalty) Make others stop what they are doing and look at him (sufrer a +ld4 .. 2 SlICed penalty) Make others focus only on him (suffer a .. 1114+4 Speed penalty) Temporarily engage someone's undivided attention (suffer a +ld4+6 Speed penalty) Exa mples Distracting ment Distracting rnent Distracting ment Distracting ment Distracting

Advanced Expert Master

The character can.~ Handle a cart or wagon Handle the reins, friction brake and whip of a stagecoach Determine the shortest route between two locations in a familiar area Perform routine maintenance or repairs on a coach, including its twin thoroughbraces (rawhide springs) Determine the shortest distance or travel time between two 10eatiOlls Perform major repairs on a coach. including its twin thoroughbraces (rawhide springs); use alternative materials to make minor (Average) repairs Examples Driving between two towns on a very familiar road Drivlllg on a road Driving off-road Driving in an unfamiliar area Driving in 3 heavy thunderstorm

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

ENGINEERING DESIGN
Rclcl'8nt Ability: Intelligence Cost: 7 BP Unive rsal: No Prerequisite: Mathematics 60'1. or better Maste r y Die: Id4 This skill allow, Ihe cha racttr 10 dcsign complex or simple items or nc~arJ) any size imaginable. It lakes at least eight hours to dr3fl Easy plans, 16 hours for A\'crage plans, 32 hours fo r Difficul l plans, aud &1 hours of work for Very Difficult plans. On I) after the plans are drafTcd docs an engineer make his Enginecring Df'sign skill chcck, A successful chcek at this point means Ihat t herc are no error~ in thc pla ns, whi le a fai led check indicates tha t the cngin('er spots one or mort errors, If he finds errors, he mar spend half the pre\'ious design time checking his plans for more errors and correcting any he finds. After corrcctioilS, he must again make his skill chcck. If successful, he has rcmo\cd all the errors. If failcd, he must r('pcat the rC"ie" proo' " until he finds no errors in his plans. T he Locomotivc Engin('cring or Ste.lmbom Engineering skills. on the other hand, focus on operation instead of des ign, and are scparat e skills. FUJ thcrmorc, note that this skill docs not automatically provide com pete nt workmen to build the device, Level Unskilled Novice Average The character can ... Not use this skill. Read and draw up plans; remember engineering abbreviations, nicknames and jargon Prepare plans for a simple item or structure (shed, outhouse) with no moving parts, supervise and manage workmen carrying out the character's plans Prepare plans for a large item or structure (man sion) with no moving parts Prepare plans for a complex item or structure with several moving parts (mills, river locks) Prepare plans for a complex item or structure with many moving parts (locomotive. watch) Examples Designing a tiny or small object wit h no moving Ilarts Designing a medium object with nQ moving parts

Difficult)' Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

a single person in a quiet environmultiple persons in a quiet em')ron a single person in a noisy enVIronmultiple persons in a noisy em'irotlmultiple persons in a fight or chase

DRIVING. STAGECOACH/ WAGON Relevant Ability: Wisdom

Cost: 3 BP Universal: Yes Prerequisite: None !IIas tery Die: ld20

A driver hauls mail. cargo nr passcnger~ through trt'"acherous tcrrain ;;lIld often II.l?ardous "cat hel: i\ character uses this ski ll much like he uses the Riding skill, but with the rider silt illgon.! cart or coach, rather than on horscbaek. A successfu l ski ll check indicatcs t hat the charactcr succeeded in his Dri\'ilJg <lllenlpt. wh ile:l failed check means that he was unablc to accomplish the desi red ta~k for one reason or anot her. Notc that minor mainte nance gcncrally takes [14 hOUTS, wh ile major rcpairs may take up 10 a fu ll day, providing the character has Ihe corrcct replaccment pans.

Advanced Expert Master

Difricully Trivial Easy

346

Average Difficult Very Difficult

Designing a large object with no moving parts Designing a complex object De!iglling a novel and complex object (a new invention)

check meall\ lh;u IIH' chat'actt'r succeeds in his a HempI, "hile a faikd check ind ica le"! Ihal Ih(' engineer makes a miss t ep, becomes dist raCled, ,lIld so 011, r.c" el Unskilled Novice The character can_ Not use this !kill. Start up the locomotive or steamboat; know engineering abbrel'iations, !Iang, jargon Bring the locomotive or steamboat to a halt: supervise and manage workmen Bring the locomotive or stea mboat smoothly to a halt at a precise location (platform or dock); operate the locomotive or steamboat under normal conditions Attempt raster than usual speed increases or decreases Operate the locomotll'e or steamboat normally while !luHering mechanical problems Ex.nl lllea Operating in poor lighting OllC r ating in poo r weather (rain) OllCrating at night or in rog with working lights OllCrating old and worn machinery or with a few lazy workers; ollCrating in darkness or fog

ENGINEERING, LOCOMOTIVE/ STEAM BOAT Re levant Abi lity: Intelligence

Cost; 3 BP
Unh'ersa l: N o Prerequisite: Engi neering Design 80% or better Mas tery Die: ldlO T he charauer wilh this skill is t rai ned to operate stearn locomoti,'cs or steamboa ts (c hoose ont'), lie knows ho" to manage til(' pressure in the boi lt'r by operating t he safet)" "aives, monitoring the ,, :n er level 011 th e fi rebox, and so on, lie also kllows hO\\ to speed up and slow do" 11, ho" to watch Ihe ga uges, ho" much fuel (coal or wood) is requ ir<:d to remain a t a certain spt:ed , and othe r such details of l'nginf'l'ring for this mode of travel. T he e ngineer must still haW' COlllpe u 'rn workm('n (firescokers, mechanics, condu c tor~ and so on) to wor k under him, but Ire is trai ned to supervise ,Hld manage llreir' work, A successfu l s kill Adva nced

Expert Master

Difficultr Trivial Easy Average Difficult

347

Very Difficult

with no lights; operating in severe storms with working lights Operating with broken machinery or with lieI" erallazy workers; operating in severe storms with no lights

TABLE 6.3-1: FAST TALKING TARGET MODIFIERS

THge,'s INT Modifier T~rgc' "s WIS Modifier 3 or Jess .... .f~ilb rc ......... J or Jess ....+15%

ESCAPE A RTIST

Releva nt Ability: Dexterity or In telligence Cost: S BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None JUastery Oi!'; 1d6 This skill "nablcs a t:haractt:r to cscapt: from shackles or Olht:r conlim:ment, including handcuffs. ropes ~Ind ~n nil. This is usually accomplished hy lIsing deep inhalal iOIl~ or muscle I (,1lsing \\ hen confincd (so tha I the ropes l oo~cn "hen the Ixx.!} is relaxed), tcmporarily dislocating ajoiu t. rcmoving a l;onl;l;alcd lod:pid: frolll a hoot. or similar al;tion. \Vhl;tl performing this task. till' !'scape artist requires 2dl2 minutes of uninterruplcd concentrat ion. After this, widl a slIcl;cssful skill check. thc charat:tcr escapes hb bouds. On a failt:d check, the dmra.::ter remains trapped.
Lc\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

'1 -5 ....... hilure ............45 ........ +15';' 6-8.. .. ..+5% ... .6-8... .+5% 9-12 ......+0..... .. ..911 ....+0 IllS .........% ........... .1215 ..5% 1617 .......-100/, .1617 ., ...... ISo/, 1 8 ........ IS% .. .18 ... ..-15% J9 .....-20% ... .19 .. .. .35% 20 ........-15Y, ..... 20 .........-45% ...21+ ... .hilure 21+ .... ,' .hilure .
Le'; cl Unskilled NQvice Average Advanced Expert Master The character can ... Increase difficulty of Listening or Obserl'ation checks by 5% Increase difficulty of Listenhlg or Obserl'ation checks by one level Increa se diHiculty of Listening Qr Observation checks by two levels Increase difficulty of Listening or Observation checks by three levels Incrcase difficulty of LIstening or Observation checks by four ICI'els make successful Listening or Observation checks impossible Examples Fast talking Fast talking Fast talking Fast talking Fast talldng

The character can... Escape tied ropes Escape tightly tied ropes Escape with both hands and feet expertly bound Remove manacles. chains or handcuffs Remove multiple manacles, chains, cuffs Remove multiple manacles. chains or handcuffs while locked in a chest Examples Escaping from confinement with hands and feet free, and using prolll'r touls Escaping from confinement with hands and feet free, and using makeshift tools Escaping while bound and using makeshift tools Escaping while bou nd and confined with lIO tools Escaping while bound and underwater with no tools

Difficulty Trivial Easy Al'erage Difficult Very Difficult

Difficulty Trivial Easy AI'erage Difficult Very Difficult

for for for for for

less than 1 minute 1 to 2 minutes 3 to 5 minutes 5 to 10 minutes 10 to 20 minutes

FIREBUlLDING / EXTINGUISHING Rele\'ant Abi lity: Wisdom Cost I BP Universal: Yes Prerequis ite: Nonc Mastery Die: 1d6
t\ char,Htcr lIilh the Firc-Buildin::"I.tinguishing sk ill knoll''! \,ms 10 start :1 fire. cycn lIitho ... t matches. In fal; l. with sOIO, thing 10 ~et al ight and a fcw Slicks of dry 1I"00d (plus a sueccssful skill check), he can start a file in 2d 12 m;nulcs (3d 12 minutes for Dimcult or hi~hcr chccks). A failed check indicates the characler docs not have the knuwledgc he nceds, Qr is unable 10 stan a firr.
~e\"O'~ral

FAST TALKING

Rele\'ant Ability: Charisma Cost: 1 BP Unh'c rsa l: Yes Prerequisitc: None Mastery Die: IdS
~\ characl cr with Ihis s kill knows hOI\" to overwhelm someonc will} a torrent of \lords. If Ihe faSI lalker $lIcceeds al his skill check. the ta rgCI rl"lnain~ to hcar him ~pcak, and has mO)"1; dimcult)' slIcI:l;ding at a Listcning or Obs~'r,"ation chcck \"hile the fast talke r rambles on. On a failed chcck, thl' targ ... t is unancctcd J.,~ fast r:1Iking. :-'Iodi!i('rs to the skill died an' based un the Intt]ligencc and \Visdolll of t he target. as shown on Tabk 6.3-1: Fast Talking Targct ,\Iodifiers.

De tcrmining information about putling Ollt a firc al~o r('(]lIires a succcssful skill clwck, butlhc charactcr must act 10 put Qut the fire if he chooses 10 - slIcc('c{ling at Ih l" ~kill check does nut aulUmaJically ext inguish th e (in'.
!..erel Unskilled

:-'Iodificrs arc cumulat ive. CharaCH:n of Inlclligcnce 5 or Il'ss arc so dim lhat aucmpts to fa~1 talk them fail automatically because the} caliliOl fo llo\\ what is being said. Targets Ililh an InH'lIigcnce or Wisdom scorc of 21 or higher :In' impcrvious to Fasl Talking,

Novice

The character cu n ... Start a fire with matches or Qpen flame; detel'mine how long a stove will burn; know how to best extin guish a stuve ur lamp Start a fire with burning embers ur coal; determine how long a campfire will burn; know how to best extinguish a campfire Determine how long a man-sized bonfire will bUrn; determine how best tu extinguish (water, dirt, sand. etc) or halt (dig a firebreak. use water at key locations, and so on) a large (house.sized) fire's progrcss

34"

Advanced Expert

Master

Start a (ire (with sticks) without any ad\'erse conditions; determine hall- best to extinguish or halt a forest fire (mansion or town-sized) Start any fire with an adverse condition (e_g., high winds or wet wood); determine how long a large fire will burn Start any fire with two adverse conditions (e.g" high wind! and wet wood); determine how long a Corest fire will burn Examples Extinguishingllighting a stove or lamp Extinguishingllighting a campfire Extinguishing a bonfire: starting a fire with two sticks Extinguishing a large fire; starting a fire in high winds or \\-et wood Extinguishing a forest Cire; sta rting a fire in high winds and wet wood

Very Difficult

CatChing fish in steadily or strongly movtIJg water

fORGERY Relevant Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence

Cost: 10 BP
Unirersal: Yes Prerequisite: Reading Comprehension/Penmanship
65% or better

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Mastery Die: Id4 Mate rials / Tml]s Requ ired: Yes

Thi~ s kill enablt-s th(' o:haracu: r 10 detrct rorKcrir~, as \\cll as duplicatc documt'nts ,lIId handwriling 011 his Olin. On a successfu1 5ki ll chetk, a .;rcatt:"d fo'l!"("(} pas~cs as ~t:"lluinc exccpt b) olher dlaracler~ II hu an' intimalCI} f;lmiliar \I il h t ht, gcnuinc art Illc. or I oth!'r pasons wilh lhe J-o rgc l'Y ~ kill (~ee below). On ,I /:liled dlt'ek. the forger'~ work is so ~hodtl\ that it eannot 1J,;I~s examination 11\ :l.mOlle. Forging":t Si)o:ll:ttl1l"1' gencrally take~ 1<14 hours ur ptactin'_ "hile 1011rin~ a JUIl~ dOCUlllcnt t:tkes 1+ Id6 houn. I"orgin\:( ,. d,j(:unwnl "ilh ont or more St:tmp~ and ~ .. als Iflkes .J ... .Jdf, hour, pJu~ ,Ulothu fI hUnr, for.-adl nc\\ ~ t al11por seal that tlC('d~ 10 1)(' traftnl. [,Ich ~t,IIIlP or _tal :tlso re(Iuires ils own I"nn:c,", ~kill dltd.:.
;-';(,IC that pnWlh "llh llll' Forgcl"\ ski ll m,,~ cxamint:" a dot:umelli 10 learn if it is a [on;en . .-\1,0, this ~killllln\ be CQlllbillCd "ith Artisli!; Abilil> to Cft:"alt:" lorgaies of artllork (a suc<.:cssful eheek h (C{luired for buth skills).

FISHINC Re levant Ability: Wisdom

Cost: I BP
Unh'ersal: Yes Pre requisite: None Mas tery Die: IdlO The Char,KiCr "jlh lhc- fi shing skill is a gocxJ !;ompnnion tu have a looL;" "henc\er b.,dil:~ of"atl'r an: nearb). Roll a Fishing check for evcry til hour~ spe nl fishing. If successful. compal"(- thr difTcn'l1cc betwcen the roll and tlu:: ~k ill scon: 011 1ablr 6.3-2:
"-,shifll(.

A lI('t CaldlC~ Ihree lim(-s Ihr amoulI1s liSll'd 011 Tablr 63-:!: Fllhifllr Of cou n t', the bod~ ufw;l(t:"r InU'1 he populatcd "jth {i_h

w 'el Unskilled :-;r1lv1ce

for an}' hope: of succcss.

TABLE 6.3-2: FISHING

Rcsult Cucll <-20'1. ..........Old brlnch_ ""ood or Olher Imh 10'/,. 0 .. __ .. _. _lIothilig 01]0% __ . _..... _d3-] fish 11-2()'11. ... _.. __ ..d4 I fish 2]-30% .........2d42 fish 31-40% _.. _.. _ ..3<14-3 fish 4150"1. ... _.. _. Ad4-4 [ish 51Y&+ .... _5d4-5 fish
Level Unskilled Novice Average Adl'anced Expert Master Difficulty TriVial Easy AI'erage Difficult The character CIUt_._ Bait a hook and drop the line in the water Cast the line out into lhe water Determine the spawning seasons in familiar areas Determine the spawning seasons in unfamiliar areas Create new lUres and tackle based on existing designs Create innovative new lUres and tackle Examples Catching fish in a Catching fish in a wilh fish Catching fish in a ing season Catchmg fi sh in II spawning seaaon Average Advanced Expert

Master

The character can_ Identify common forger's tools (false ~eals and stamps. sets ut pen nibs, etc) Operate forger'S tools: ascertain the authenticity of any document if there is any ba5is to do so (sueh as having seen the ortgmal 01' knowing facts about ill; forge a signature Forge a short document (such as military orders) where the handWriting is not speeific to one person f orge a shurt document where the handwriting is slleciCie !.v one perSall: forge a simple seal or stamp Forge a long document where the handwriting is not specifIC to one person; forge a eomplex seal or stamp Forge a long document where the handwriting is Bllecifie to one person: (orge a highly detailed seal or staml) Examples Forging with proper tools and handwriting sample available forging with makeshift tools and handWriting sample available Forge a simple seal or stamp with a sample Forgmg a comp!ex or highly detailed seal or stamp with a sample Forging handwriting, seal or stamp without a sample (musL have seen the original at one time)

Difficulty Trh'ial Ea.sy Average Difficult Very Difficult

barrel small pond recently stocked river or pool during Sl)awnrIver or 1)001 outside of

FORTUNE TELLING

RelC"allt Abilit)'; Charisma Cost: I sr Ullh'ersal: Yes Prerequisite; None Mastery Die: IdB

319

This skill cover~ knowlrdgr of a varict) of met hods of ciivinat ion - all fak e. The chal"acter with tlJ(> Fortune Tcllingskill is familiar with tarol cards, palm rcadin){. interpreting Ihe flight 01 sparrows the arrangemcnt of a sacrificed animal's e nt rails, and so on. The charac H~r is f:llniliar enough with these praCliccs 10 make him appear authen ti c. Evcn if Ic~itim.ltc fonune tclling exists, this skill docs not aliow a character to mako:~ accurate I1rcdi(:lio11s: the charanc r invents the pre{liclion he wishes.

A cha raC lc r can attempt to cheat with a successrul G;\1nin~ ~ki ll check; success gh-t~ .t 10% honus to the check thaI indicates vic tory or dffclI\. Leve! Unskilled Novice Average The character knows ... Games with almost no rules or no experience needed (coin tossing, kick the can, tag) Games with few rules or little experience needed (checkers. house va ria nts of Unskilled games) Games with few rulu and little experience needed (billiards, Chinese checkers, dominoes. house variants of Novice or lower games) Games with several rules or some experience needed (Mah Jongg, house variants of Average or lower games) Games with many rules or mnch experience needed (chess. hOuse varrants of Advanced or lower games) Games with many rules and much experience need ed (house variants of EX!'l'rt or lower games) Examples Playing a game that the character invented Pla~ing a game common to the character'S childhood Pla)ing a Ilopular game in the region Trying a new game for the first time Trying a new game from another culture for the first time

A successful ehcck indicatcs thaI I he CUSIOtHer or clie nl bdie\'es th e fonune 10 be authenlic. Iflhe chcck fails, the sham is disco\ ercd, or the prcdinion is simply 100 unbelievablc in some wa) (Characler: ''Your siSler willmarr)" soun." R (-SI)<l!l.~C: " ~I y sister's hl'cn dt:ul fur years!"). I{eview the same modifiers in 1hhlt 6.3-/: Fasl 7idkinj! '/or!!,d '\/odifim. bascd on the subjects' lntelligencc and Wisd01ll, and modil1td by thc bclie\'abilit} of the fOl"lune. Tdling an igno r'ant, middkaged mine r thaI he will be President is somewhat ludicrous. hUI he will want to helieve th:u hi~ ne\\ born son lI"ill ant day be wealthy. Level Unskilled
Novice Average Advanced Expert Master The eharadcr ca n ... Have the listener !Jelieve a fortune that already has some basis ill fact Have the listener believe a very likely fortune Ha ve the listener believe a plausible fortune Have the listener !Jelieve. a possible. it unlikely, fortune Have the listener be.lie\e a \'ery unlikely fortune Have the listener believe a ludicrous or oUllandish fortnne Examples LIstener wants to !Jelieve in furtnne Listeller is uncertain whether or not to believe in rortune telling Listener is somewhat skeptlcal Listener is very skeptical Listener does not want to believe in fortune

Adl'anced

E:xpert Master

Difficulty Trivial E:asy Average Difficult Very Difficult

GEOLOGY

Difficulty Tril'ial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

GAt-1BUNG

ReJeyant .-\bility: Intelligence Cost: 4 BP Uni versal: No Prerequisite: None Master y Die: idH Materials/Tools Required: Yes Characters wil h Ihe Geolog) skill are cxt remcl~ knolllcdgeahle abmH Ihe Earth :wd ils properties. ~I('st orten, lIu'") arc hire(llo hunt out valullble orc, but tite> also slmh' \"1IIcall0('s and ('anhquake~. or hum for gemSIUllC~. TIlt'~ can anclIIpt to idcntiry rock I}lX'. their nature and structun', :lIld rccommcnd til(' best mining and dil!ginl; sites. A ~ueeessful skill dwck means Ihe geologisl ~\lccf"cds in his Illsk.llhilc a r.'liled eh('ck Indi(:atcs Ihat he cannot quill' grasp the knoll ledge he nceds at the moment. ;:\ot(": delermining gcnlogical informal ion reqllire~:1 successful skill chtck. hut tlH." characte r must act to mine Ihe c;.nh if he chooses to - slIccceding at the skill check does not automa!icall~ provide the ch:,Tacter with gold and get1lslO!lt's. H:lmmers. chi~,~1s. picks. ~lIIa ll sacks and a m:lgnirying gl:lss arc I}'picaltools of the geolol-;i~t, Lewl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert The character ca n__ . Not use this skill. Operate lab equipment and geologIst tools Identify rock types; notice signs of past water or ancient lile Locate are bodies, veins, or (coal) seams Determine direction and depth of established are veills for mining and digging; estimate time oC next eanhq uake based upon de finite time schedules and inspection of the earth Determine direction and depth of unseen are veins; estimate time of earthquake based on unconfirmed secondhand reports

Relevant Ability: Wisdom or Charisma Cost: 7 BP Uni versal: No Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: id6
Th~ ' charaet~'r knows mosl common games of chance and skill, such as blackjack, fa ro lind poker (also kn own as "bluir). This skill uses special rules instead of the normal masl('lY and difTit'ulty tables. See the gambling ruk ~ in Ch(lpltr 5.1IG(lmblillg ror mon

inror mation.
GAM ING

Relevant Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost 1 BP Unh'e r sal: Yes Prercquisite: NOlie !\Iastery Die: id8 The eharactcr is ratnili;)r with gam~s such as bil1iard~, checke rs. chess. and so on, \\hcrc gamhling is nOl usually a ra<:tor. A successful Gaming skill check indicates viclory, unless the pla}'en choosc \0 actuall y pla~ outlh,~ game in n'allilllc in~tcad of using the ski ll. If IWO characters Iha ! both have the Gaming skil l play each olhel; each pla)'cr rolls 5d20 and adds his Gaming ski ll -the highcst roll wins. Rc-roll any lies.

Master

350

Oirfieulty Trivial

Easy
Average Difficult Very Difficult

Examples Deter mining a common rock with access to textbooks and lab eq uip ment Determining an uncommon gem with access to textbooks and lab equipment Determining a common rock without access to textbooks and lab eq ui pment Determining an uncommon Slone without access to textbooks and lab equipment Determining a rare gem based on vague secondhand descriptions

Very Difficult

Gleaning information f rom a s worn personal enemy, gleaning information from someone who speaks a foreign language

GRACEFUL ENTRANCE/ EX IT Relevant Ability: Charisma Cost: i BP Uni\'crsa l: Yes Prereq uis ite: None Mas ter y Die: Id(i
A " haracte r can u~e lhis skill to ma ke :In cntranc(' (o r exil). lie

GLEAN INFORM_ .4,TION Re leva nt Ability: Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma Cost: 2 BP Unhersa l: Yes P r uequisite: None Maste r y Die: ldS
A charaC\l"r using this skill can listcn 10 OIhu~ talkifl~ and home in on secret i\'e informat ion. Hc can d.) this by Illkinr.; directly to the penon he wou ld like to ~el inrormallon from, or he can lislen to cOll\ersations being held ~ othcr pcople. H e i~ abk 10 pick up clues that liMy Itt'lp him fi nd OUI such Ihin.l. "S as I,hcrc an outlaw is hidinl!: OUi. Ilhat Secrel roule the stagecoach u~es. or the weaknesses of a parl icular mi lit ary rorl. The pos~ihililirs arc c ndlus. A i kill check needs to be made l,hellCVer thc clJ.lracler wishes to find out Some spt'cific seerelS or rumurs.

hOI' to Irale a room JO thai people will t alk about him artrnl-:.rds. li e leaves a n impresston in mos t sod :11 siluatiolls. \\' hen t his ~kill is sueccSiful, Ihe characrr rec iews a specifil.: ixInus w hi! Reputation (nOI Reputalion Points) in that soci:.1 ~i luali on (~ee the r;"ample table) .. \ , ~oon a< he leaves the room. his Repul.llion drop~ back 10 normal. On a failc(l dtrek. the cha ra~ te r lI!ains no te mporar-. Rrputation OOnu<. s ince no onr not ices or is impressed \,ith hi~ Ihcatrin. T his.'> kill is useful I,hen in ~ocial gatherin'l:~ and th .. p"ekin~ ordcr i~ bc i l1~ e~ tablished.
The cha ra cter Cltll_ Impress one person in a quiet environment (.5% to Reputation) Impreu people in a qUiet enl;ronment ( .. 10% to Reputation) Impress people in a standard emtironment (.2~ to Reputation) Impress a single person in a nois)' en\tironment (.30% to Reputation) Imp ress people in a noisy environment (+50% to Reputation) Impress a lar ge group or persons so that they stop their social aeti\'ity snd look at the character (. t()t.)% lQ Reputation) EXRm l,les Impressing Imprening Impressing Impressing nation Impressing

kno,,~

Novice Average Advanced E xpe rt Master

Si nce this ~ kil1 depends on a network or inlormants and COIllaelS. tltc character suffers a disad\'ant<ll{e when in an area other than his own territory. "Ter rilOl')'~ refers to his n:gul.. r b.. 1se or operal ion - a 10\111. one ne ig hborhood of a city, or evcn ,\ whole coun l ~. "-illa ll), any l im" a character needs to make a Glean Informa t ioll skill check, he must make a <mall itl\'(,'~tmcnl of mOlle)' for drinks, uri be and so forth, or he sulTefll an additional 15% penalt ). A typical effort lasts ld-J. hours and eO'15 Idll) dol lars, and this money mus t be spent IIhether or 1101 the desired mform ation is found . (Ir thc illrormation is st ill unknol\n, the characte r C:lIl cont inue his search the next day, spc nding more 11101lC)' and making anot he r chec k.)
For unmple. Jot Bob iJ III his l()Col sa/cl(m l(htll he htaTS rumors of a rwmlly dOIll miatr 10 Ihe "orlh. The corp$( J uen:1 mi"e rtmOlll.J ulldiuolJtTfd. bUI JOllie bragg;", bandllOS fl!)' /hal Ihe;jouml a mop lucked in his bools. Jot Bab opproachtilhr btlltdilos, lolh /tith them, allfi probnb(.' bup /htm str"al r/Tinb. Ht thtH matts a Glea" II/lonna/lOll ,h,d 10 I,orn 0/ tilt map find millt. ljhtJoils. he IIIf!.V approach oflo/htr ptNO/l or group n"d ITptaltht e:cptritnre, or [('I1i/ U/ltt! Ihe nul dOJ' (llId fry lire bondi/os 0'(0111.

Oifficulty Tri\;aJ Easy Average Difficult Very Dtfficult

a close friend or slly an acquaintance a stranger a member or a hostile trtbe or a 8wor n personal enemy

"".,

Unskilled Novice

Average Advanced Expert Master

The cha racter eall_ Glea n facts well-known to mos t locals Glean vague rumors ('a town official has a secret viee") Cather general rumors ("the sheriff i~ a drunk") Gather more specif ic information ("the sheriff often gets drunk in the jail") Gather verr specific information ('the sherill gets dru n k in t he jail every Tuesday at 11 pm") Glean general ru mors in hostile areas with vastly different language and culture Examl)les Gleaning information from Gleanmg information from Gleaning information f rom Gleaning informatIOn f rom hostile tribe or nation

GUNSMITHING Relenn t Ability: Dexterity o r Intelligence Cost: 8 BP Unh'ersal: No Prercquis ite: None Mastery Die: Id6 Mate r ia ls/ Tools Req u ired: Yes
This skill c nabk~ a eha ra C ler to engrave, rel'~l ir or modif)' a ny type of firearm. Use or this skill requires " unsmithing tools (scre\Hlri\'er, "rench. pliers and 50 0 11), and such a character usually Oll'IIS and operateS a gun shop. The eha r,letCr cannOI make gU lls from 5cralch (since doi ng su requires the aS5i~laliCc uf a blacksmith and woodwo rker), bU I can perfor m all SOrts of modi fications. These include: shortening lhe' b;lTrel ~, add in wadjustin g a si1;\'ht, removing Ihe trigger guard_ and _0 on. Wit h a successful skill check, the character makes the adjustmen ts to Ihr gun. On 11 fa iled check. l he cha racter is unable to dn

Dirncult,. Trivial Easy Average Difficult

a a a a

family member close friend or ally Btranger or guard member of a

35 1

~o,

lhe

and damagl's an~ modifications (like a sighl) he was addi llg ll) g U ll. He mUSI purchase or craft ;l nell modificatioll (if any). The character can ... Not use this skill. Recognize gunsmithing tools and equipment; recogmze all types of guns manufactured or commonly used in the territory; make one specific type of modification (choice of type is permanent) Recognize all types of firearms; make two specific tYlXlS of modification (choice of type is permanent) Make all types of common modifications Make improvements or unusual modifications to an existing design Design a new model of firearm Examples Repairing a firearm with access to a fully stocked gunsmith's shop Modif~;ng or engraving a firearm with access to fully stocked gunsmith's shop Working on a firearm in dim light, in a noisy environment. etc. Repairing a firearm with makeshift tools Modifying or engraving a firearm with makeshift tools

HISTORY Relevant Ability: Intelligence

Le,'el Unskilled Novice

Cost: I BP
Unh1!rsa l: No Prerequisite: Reading Comprehension/Pellmanship

80% or better Mas tery Die: 1d12

/\. charact("l' Ili l h th is skill is a real history bufT. I Ie's studied all of I hc maj or historical e\"ent~ thaI occurred in the world. lI e can usually recount stories of 1he rist. and fall of man)' kingdoms and nat ions. He ol"ten possesses detai led knowledge about major wars (particularl), tilt' ' Var Between the States) and llsuall) knows sOllll"thing aboul tile hislories of major ci l ie~ around the world. III.' rna\ even knOl' t he life storics of major hisloric.d fi.l(urcs. A succes~ful Hi,to1"Y skill check indic;\l es t hal the c:;hanlttcr remembers the kn(II,ltdge lit" st'cks, Ilhile a failed check means Ihat he m'ver kncw it. or c:;almot pre~ently r("call pcn ina nt details. Level Unskilled Novice The character can ... Not use this skill. Remember the opposing nations of a war (such as the War Betweett the States): recall knowledge from a personal history hook Recall the rulers or the opposing nations of a war; remember the most famous army leaders: recall knowledge read several times Remember each state/territory and which side of the war they supported; know the major battles Remember every battle; recount oral history or knowledge read once Recollect every regiment and its nickname (if any); recount obscure oral history Exam ples Recalling a well-known historical el'ent with a personal significance to the character Recalling a well-known historical event Recalling an obscure historical event Recalling an obscure historical event from another culture or language Recalling an obscure historical event while being fired upon O}r otherwise under severe distress

Average Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Tri\;al Easy Average

Difficult Very Difficult

Average HIDING Releva llt Abi lity: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost: 3 BP Universal: Yes Prerequ isite: None Mas tery Die: td6 .\ character lIse~ lhis skillw hide' behind or lIilhin v<lriou, types of coru.:ealmCIl(, ~\lch as Ctrrt<lirh. door"'. sagcbru~h. ~hadO\,~ . .rod ~o on. He cannot rno\"e. and C<ln nCI" cr initiate hicling from ~nmc onc IIh ilc thaI person is oh..crving. A successful skill check convcys a 10% pe n ah~ lU;m oPlx>ncnl's SCllJ"ching ski ll check, or a 111% h<mlls 011 the hiuingdl;lraete r"s H unting skill ch{'Ck..-\ failed chcck gives a 20% bonus to an opponent's Searchinl\" skill check. Le,'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master The character can ... Hide in total darkness; hide behind complete cover (huge boulder, etc) Hide behind curtains Hide in an unlit room at twilight Hide in a large shadow on an overcast day Hide in a man-sized shadow in daytime Hide in a small shadow in daytime; stand directly behind another person or similar size and mimic their movements Exam illes Hiding in complete darkness Hiding in twilight; hiding behind a large boulDjrficuttr Trivial Easy Average Difficult Advanced Expert
~Iaster

Very Difficult

HUNTIKG Relevant Abilit y: Dexterity or Wisdom Cost 5 BP Ullivt'rsal: Yes Pre requisite: None lIlas ter y Die: IdG T his skill allows the Char<ll'lcr to hUlll game in the wild outdoors. The hunlcr must make a H unting skill check (with a -5% penalty 10 til.' roll for <"vcry non-skilled hUllter in the group). If the die roll is suct:essful. the hunter (and those wit h him. ir any) man: within a ("(' rlain range of his pre), as nOled 0111he mastC!) lable below. If the hunter chooses lu mOl"c closer, he must succeed at anothe r Il unting , kill check to cQme liD fcet closer. If successful, t hc game docs nut not ice lhis movement. Any faile{l check means the game becomcs aware of the hunter's presence. Xatura llr, Ihis skill docs not automatically move the character ovcr ol):;ladc$ (such as a bcK:ly of water). He must find a wa), to cross Ihe ob~lades himself. A successrul Hiding or Stwaking check impal'h a lU'lb bonus to an imnwdiatt.'ly following Hunting skill chrck.

Difficult y Trivial Easy Ave rage

d"
Hiding in daylight with cover that does not necessarily obscure the character completely (bar rei, tree, etc) Hiding in daylight with lillIe cover (horse trough, small bush) Hiding in daylight with almost no cover

Difficult Very Difficult

3 "?

,.

AI'erage Advanced Expert Master

Lower Lower Lower IAwer

urget's target's target"s target's

Reputation Reputation Reputation Reputation

by by by by

Id3 ld4 IdG Id8

poinu poinu I)()ints IlOints

Diffil'ulty TriVial Easy AIerage Difficult Very Difficult

Examples Telling very likely rumors Telling plausihle rumors Telling possible, if unlikely, rumors Telling very unlikely rumors Telling ludicrous or outlandish rumors

TABLE 6.3-3: IDLE GOSSIP TARGET MODIFIERS

Tugc!"! INT Modiflcr Tuget'. WIS Modi(ier 3 or Its!! .....f.ti lure ......... .J or less ......+25% 1-5 .......bi lurc .. ......... :4-5 . .+15%

Lelel Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master l)iHitulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

The character can ... Corne within 303-600 ft (300.3dl00) of prey Come within 243-540 yds (240.3dll)tJ) of prey Come within 183480 ft (180.3dl00) of prey Come wIthin 123420 ft (120.3d100) of prey Come within (ig360 ft (6O.3dl00) of prey Come within 6-300 ft (3.3d100) of prey Exampl1l8 Walking over soft prairie gran at mght and ul)wind of the animal Adl'ancing over soft prairie grus in daytime and upwind of the animal Walking on dry ground in daytIme with changing winds Moving across a twig-strewn forest floor while downwind of the animal Walking acron dry crunching leal'eIl at high noon while downwind of the animal

6-8 ........+5% . .......... ..6-8 .........+5% 9ll ........ .+0 ..............911 .........+0 1J15 ........-5%.. . . ...... .12-15 ........5% 1617 .......-10'.4 . .161 7 . .. .....15% 18 .........-IS'!. .......... .18 .........ZS% 19 ....... . ZO';' ...... .19 .........-35% !O ......... !S"'............ .20 .........45% ll+ ..... .fll lurc ...... . .... 11+ ........f.ti lurc
INTERROCATION Re levan t Ability: Strength or Wisdom Cosl: 5 BP Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequis ite: None Maste ry Die: Id{l
t\ rharaclt'r u~e~ lhis skill to persuade uncooperative I~opll' to rr\"(',11 informal ion aK,l inst thl'ir will. Thi~ gtnlnt11) involvcs lhc use (If lhrl'ats. cocrlion. ur other such IlIl'lhods. A $ucce.'Ssful skill check i~ necn~an, modi lied bl thl' I"il'tim's Wisdom ~<;ore as dlo\.1l on TaMI 6.3--1: IfllrlT!l~ol!On .Ilotiijitrf.

Very Difficult

IDLGOSSIP Relevant Ability: Charisma Cust: t 81' U nilersal: Yes Prerequisite: None Master)' Die: td12
A IlCrson use$ lhis ~ killlO spn'ad rUlTIor~ about a ll ulhe r person and h:wc those rumors bdi('ved. A charaCtere;ln use Ihis ~killto ruin the dlame tc r of SOlllconf, tliere!'), lowering lhal p.uson's Reputation. The skill chcd: i.'S modified by the larget's Repulat ion (i.e .. deduct llll' Rl'Jlutation ~cu re from the roll). Ifil is succe.'Ssfu l, the rumors he .'Spreads arc bdiclcd alld p:!.~5cd on dO\\11 th l' line. If the ch('ck fai ls. the rumor is simpl) too OUlf:!geous or unbelievable in $Orne wa)-

II Ih t roll ii suu'cssful, thl' 1)("I",on tells I,hat Lhe character WlInh to knOl,. lhat is, if he alluall> kll o'H. A failed check indicat cs thaI the larget refu~cs to Icllthe character \lhm he knows. Onh one allempl mol) l>c: madc per target, pl' l" day.

TABLE 6.3-4: INTERROGATION MODIFIERS

V;, tims WiJdom Modifier 3 or b.'S ...............+9O'A

45 .............. .+50% 6-7 .................+25%

89 .................+1 0% 10 II ........ , .........+0

1213 .................5% li-1 5 .................-1 0% 1 6 .........250/, 17 ................. 5(lt.4 18 . .................-701;' 19 .............-BOt;, 20+ ........ _.........90%
l ,e\-el Unskilled Novice The cha racte r can_ Determine that the target knows something and refuses to tell Convince target to tell a secret with no consequences (or hllnselr

:\ Indificrs to the ski ll cheek are b..'l.Sed on till' lruel1igfl1c(' and Wisflom of Ihe target. as ~ ho\\n 011 1ablf 6.3-3: Idle Gomp 1a~~'f .lfodiJim. This skill check rna} onl> l>c: performed once I)("r "e('k on.j particular larg('1.
Le\"f.~ J

Unskilled Novice

Thll character can ... Lower target's Reputation by I point Lower target's Reputation hy Id2 points

353

Average Advanced Expert Master Dirticult y Trivial Easy Average Difficult

Convince target to tell a secret with almost no consequences for himself Convince target to telJ a secret with inconvenience for himself Convince target to teU a secret with major incon,'enience (death and torture) for self Convince target to tell a secret with major inconvenience for himself and family and/or friends Exa mplcs Target is bound in the darkness Target is incarcerated Target is alone Target has a higher Reputation than the character; target is in IlUbhc location surNullded by tough lleers Target is in Ilublic location surNunded by emllloyees or underlings

Average Ad"anced Expert

Master

consequences for himself Convince target to back down when there are almost no C0nsequences folr himself Con\;nce target to back d\1wn even though It means incoJll\'emence for himself CQn';nce target to back d\lwn even though It means maj<lr inconvenience (such as death and torture) for himself Convince target to back down even though it means major inconvemence for himself and his family/friends Exam illes Target is boulld in the darkness Target is incarcerated Target is alone Target has a higher Reputation than the char, acter; target is in public location surrounded by tolugh peers Target is in public location surrounded by emllloyees or underlings

Very Difficult

[)irticult y Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

INTIMIDATION Rele\'ant Ability: Charisma Cost: 2 BP Universal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mas te ry Die: Id4 Charactcrs usc this ~killto caus~' othero; to back <lOll n in a can, ICSI of wills. III' can makt, olhers afraid 10 fi~hl him or use his skill to help in interrogalion. A ~ucc('ssful skill check is ncccssarl, modified b~ Ihe vittim's Wisdom aeon' as ShOl,11 on Tahlt 6.1-./: illl(1TD(aIiOll.llrxiifins, abmc. If l hc Irllimidal iotl ~kill chcck is successful. Ihe d\;\racll'r gain~ a 10% bonus to his i rllerrogal ion skill, If unSlIccessful. no bon us i~ 'Iddnl. Len:1 Unskilled Novice The character can.., Convince target to temporarily back down when there are no consequences for himself Convince target to back down II'hen there are no

JEWElER
Rele\'a nt Ability: Intelligence Cost: 9 Bf' Ul1h'ersal: No Pre req uisite: Appraisal (minerals) 90% or better Mas ter ), Die: ldG Materia ls / Tools itequiroo: Yes Ch,lraelers wilh Ihi~ skill knO\, hO\, 10 apprabe, design and wor k "ilh Jl'I,e ll) :lIld jCI,elr.' lools (Vlkrs, lweeze rs, and so on). T hcy can cn'ale ring~, nt'lkl;lCes and olher ornamenlaJ jewell)'. T heir wo r k can f'l'leh price$ up lu len limes Ihe COSIS of t he raw m;llrriills used (nlt hough a buyer mUSI sl ill be found), A successrul ~kill check nH~mlS Ilml Ihe wor k is Icry well done. a nd wOl'lh I he \' XPCI'l cd ;1111111111 1 as $ho\\11 in 1abl( 6.3-5:Jewtlu ReSt/lis.

354

TABLE 6.3-5: JEWELER RESULTS

Modifier
Tr;\'ui
(+90'~)

Expert

VIJU(

Time Spent
Master

........ Rtpws onl y .....f>.haulcs \0 hour, E.uy (+80%) ......... .... 1.5x .... .. ... .. ..One dly A"crlge (+40%) ...........3x .............Two dIp
. ... Fou r dlYs Ver y DIffICult (-40%) .... .. \Ox ........ .. ..ScVCII (bys

Difficult (+0'.4) ......... .sx..

Tell a joke that is only similarly related to the crowd or requires similar knowled ge (a botany joke to a group of geologists); tell a joke that makes {un o{ the listener's friends Tell a filthy joke with an unexpected twist of social commentary; tell a joke that does not fit the listeners or their general knowledge (a chemistry joke at II gathermg of farmers); tell a joke that makes fun of the listeners or their families Exam ples Making a dose friend or ally laugh Making an acquaintance laugh Making a stranger or guard laugh Making a member of a hostile tribe or nation laugh :\1aking a sworn personal enemy laugh

A failed resu It indic-"tes 'he work "a~ bmchcd or na\\cd in some "'n) aud Ihe resulting piece is worth no more than the original mau~rbl~. J ewell) al~o confers a S% hom,s (per level alxl\'f' Unskilled) to Appraisal checks in\'ol\'in~ gem and jcwdl) (crafted b) OIher jewelers).
Le\'~l

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Unskilled Novice

Average Advanced

Expert

Master

The churllcter can Not use this skill. Operate jeweler's too ls and handle materials; finish rough gems; cut gems Repair minor damage to jewelry (usuallr replacing clasps and pins) Mend broke n jewelry (uaually crafting replacement pieces); copy an existing piece of jewelrr (WIth sam pie in hand) Repair a se\'erely damaged pIece of jewelry; desig n a piece of jewelry based on an existing st~'le (without a sample) Design II completely new style or pIece o{ jewelry acclaimed as a work o( Irt Exa mples Repairing an Item with access to a fully stocked workshop Modifying an item with access to a fully stocked workshop Wor king on an item in dim light, in a noisy enVIronment, etc, Working lI'ith bad tools Worklng with makeshift tools or inferior material!

JOURNAlIS ~I/CO:-'IPOSITION

Relevant Ability: Intelligence

Cost 2 BP
Unh-e r sal: No Prerequ isite: Reading Comprehension/Penmanship

80% 0 r bette r
Mas len' Die: idS

Difficulty TriVIal Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

A charaCI(~r ,,--ith Ihis skill is familiar with t hc an of journalism and dislribuling ne\\s 10 othcrs. or course, he may a lso rhoos!!' 10 abuse hiS 1)Q\\'!!'r fOl' propagandit or disinformalion, possiblr lowering a person's Repulalion by ld6 polnn. A skill chrrk is rcqull'ed modified by the targct's Repu la t ioll (i.c., deduci the Rcputation score from the roll). If il is succusful, a Illajont) of readers be licve the story, If the check rails, the sto~' is simply 100 outrageous or unbelie\'able for mOSI readers, and th e jnurnalis t (and his paper) ma\ suITer 11 lack of credibility in I he fUlUre because of it. Thi~ $l:;tI onl) com'C)'S the abilit} 10 craft a (Oll\ineing ncws anide: it docs not mean thai the gramma r and punctualion ;5 perfeel or filled wilh allracu\'c prose or poclry.
A S\lcce~~fIlI J ourna li 5rn check em plor" a 10% bonus to a character's immediately following Glean In fo r mation check.

JOKETELUNC Relevant Ability: Chamma Cost: i BP Universal: Yes Pre requisite: None Mas tery Die: ld4

L .", Unskilled
Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

A I;haract er uses this skill to become the life of the pa rt ~: I-Ie can tc ll a good joke Ihal can help him gel a good reaClion from folks and entertain ot hers. Ro ll aJoke Telling ski ll check whenen'r a cha raC lcr wants to tell ajokc, A successfu l check means Ihe joke is ,cry funn y and everyonc laughs. On a failed check, no unc "gets" the j oke, or they jU ~ 1 don', find il funn r
T he Gamc~laste l' determines the elTeel a successful joke has un an) XPCs. i..e'1'1 Unskilled Novice Average Advanced The eharader can .., Tell a joke Tell a joke that makes fun of the listener's enemies Tell a joke tha~ makes fun of a g roup that occasionally comes int.o conflict with the listener Tell a joke that requires no special knowledge of the subject (Ywhy did the chIcken eross the road?")

The character can... Not use this sklll. Conduct interviews.; verify reports; wnte up information about current e\'ents (including trends, issues and people) Publish a story where all facts can be verifIed Publish a plausible story where some facts can be \'erified Publish IIll unlikely (but possible) story where few bcts can be verified Publish a very unlikely story where no {acts can be venfied Exampltll Multiple witnesses/interviewees all leU the same story Multiple witnesses/interviewees telling slightly varying storIes Multiple witnesses/interviewees telhng greatly dirte r ing stories No witnesses; working WIth no sleep No hard facts are available

Diffic ul ty TrIvial Easy Average Difficult Very Dilfieult

355

JUGGLING
Relevant Ability: Dexterity

Average Advanced

Cost: 2 BP
Uni\'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: idS Characters onen use lhi~ skill tocrealC diversions, as I,ell as for the enjoyment of ot hers. With a successful skill check, lhe ch:uaeter juggles all the objcct5 without an ClTor. Failing a check means the juggler drops the objec l ~. If he fails while jug-gnn!.;" bbded objects, t here is a 10% cha nce for each dropped object (roll separately) to deal normal damage a5 il ~trikes him.
A successful check also allows a character 10 calch ~malJ items (dans, pebbles, ele.) thrown in orde r to harm him - I,ith a ~uc cessful ski ll dl('ck, of {:OUTse. Howel'er, the juggler ~till suffers half damage (rounded up). On a failure. IhejuggleT sufTer~ full damage.

Speak and understand a few common sentences ("my name is Billy," "how are )'ou," "thank you," etc) Speak and understand most sentences and normal topics of conversation ("tra\'el three miles south along the river", 'the bandits went into the bank,"
etc)

Expert

Master

Speak the language like a native; converse about complicated (cultu ral religion and politics, etc) topics; understand idioms Speak ihe language !J.etter than a native; converse about complex (scientific and lechnical) topics, with proper grammer, syntax and subtleties Examples Understand a person speaking clearly and concisely Unde rstand a person speaking with mouth covered COl\versing in 11 noisy environment Understand a person speaking with a thick accent Multiple djfficulties (persoll speaking with a thick accent in a noisy saloon)

Oifrkuliy Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Level Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert

Master

The character can .. Cateh items thrown to (not at) the juggler Juggle 2 objects in a Simple pauern Juggle 3-4 objects in a simple pattern: juggle 2 objects in a crossing pattern Juggle 5-6 objects in a simple pattern; juggle 3-4 objects in a crossing pattern Juggle 7-8 objects in a Simple pattern; juggle 5-6 objects in II. crossing pattern: juggle 3-4 objects in a complex pattern Juggle 9-10 objects in a simple pattern: juggle 7-8 objects in a crossing pattern; juggle 5-6 objects ill a complex pattern Exa mples Juggle small round objects Juggle small objects with corners Juggle pointed objects Juggle flaming objects Juggle bladed objects, catching an jtem thrown al (not to) the juggler

LAW Rebant Ability: Intelligence

Cust: 6 BP Unh'ersal: No Prerequisite: Reading Comllrehension/Penmanship

600;' or betic<
Mastery Die: Id6 :\ charatll."r "ith this skill (an recall COl'" la\\ accuratcly and aCI a.s plaimilT's atlornc\. rro~ecutor or dcrense in a (rial. No te that bceau~c or the di~tan(1." between 100,ns. <I frontier l:t .... )l."r musl be pn:pared 10 "ridf' circuit," ml."3ning to spend hours or days on the trail between W\H1S, taking what cases hI." can. The same is true for judges, " 'ho travel throughout their jurisdict ion to :'ippear in court Oil certain days. Judge~ ;1fe often for11ler lawye rs. Characters \,ith this skill gain a 25% bonus to their OraliOll skill checks "hen rela!l'd to la\\, such as dcfl."Jiding a client. Le\'el Unskilled Novice AI'erage Advanced Expert Master The character can ... Not use this skill. Conduct basie legal research Prepare standard legal documents Try a case (serl'e as defendlllg or prosecuting attorney) Prepare COml)lex transactions; write constitution Argue a case based on first impressions before the Supreme Court I:: xam ples Researching major legal cases that set precedents throughout North America and England in a well stocked law library Researching documented legal cases in a well stocked law library Remembering \\'ell-known legal cases without access to law books Researchmg a case with foreign laws; remembering obseure legal eases without access to law oooks Trying a case using foreign laws in a foreign court

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

LANGUAGE (SPECIFY TYPE)

Relevant Ability: Intelligence

Cost: 5 BP Ulliversal: No Prerequisi te: None

Mastery Die: IdS The charactrr "'ilh lids s kill has leanH""d to speak a particular languagc. The firS I time he buys (hi~ s kill, ho"'c\"(~ r, he must hllvc a teachcr. This could be ..mother pla)cr cha ract cr. a traveling Indian, or simply a local schoolmarm.

A successful skill check indicalcs that the character is ahlc 10 speak and understand Ihc language, whilc a railed skill ch~'ck means Ihat he has forgotten Ihe corrcct words - or cannot unders tand t he words.
Universal fo r the character's n<llil'e langu:lge. All ch aracler~ rc ceive skilllllaslcry c<loal to 37% - (OX, e< lllal to Intelligence scort' x2) - Id20%, ill regards to theirOlHl I:mguagc. Le" el Unskilled Novice The character cnn ... Not use this skill. Speak a fe w common words correctly and u nderstanding what they mean ("hello," ' goodbye." 'outhQuse," "water," etc.)

Difficulty Trivial

Easy Average Difficult

Very Difficult

356

LEATHERWORKI NG Hde,'ant Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence

Dirticulty TrivIal Easy A... erage Dirricult Very Difficult

Cost 1 BP
Uni\'ersal: No Prerequisite: None Ma ste r y Die: IdS Materials/Tools Hequire<i: Yes T he cllIlraClcr with Ihis skill can treat kalher to craft clolhing and ot her itcms (backp.lck~, reins, saddles, saddlebags, elc). or cour~e. Ihe Characler mUSI ltaH: Icatherworkinlj: tools (;.,,1. ham me r~ knifc', llcc'dk, Ihread, measuring lape. elc) and malerials (kalher) to dosowith proficiency. II lakes up to Id' houn loere ale Eas) items, 1+ Ill" hours for Ave r'age ilcms. one da) for Dilliwlt iU:ms, and 1+ Id 1 days of work for \'el")' Difficult ileITIs. O nl) after Ihis tim~' docs Ihe JcalhCl"worker m"ke his skill check, 011 a sI.lccts5fui skill check, the eh.lracter manages 10 repair, craft or Olherwise u~ .. his Lea t hef ... urking s kill 10 full cITec!. A faill'd result incl ica t t~ Ill(: "ork "as bOlchcd or Oa\\ed in sonl!: ... a) and t he resuiting piece is wo r'lh no more Ihalilhe original malerials, J.A,,el Unskilled Novice Average
Ad .... need

Examples Working with access to a rull range of leatherworking tools and extra materials Working in dim light; working in a noisy envIronment Working with poor toob Working with makeshih tools (a nail instead of an awl, tor example) Working v.ith makeshirt tools in dim light

LISTENING Reh!\'ant Abi lity: Wisdom

Cost: 5 BP
Universal: Yes Pre requisite: None Mas te ry Die: ldll Clmracl('rs usc this skill 10 focus Iheir se n ~c of hearing. Any lilllt a ch.lractcr ha.s an opponunil) 10 "h('ar something," he gt: l s a .$k ill ch('d to do $0. For example, a characler mighl he .. r ..... his pt' r in Iht darkne~s, or Ihe lo ne of spoken words become lighter or harder (possibly ind icating the speaker's emot ional slalc). A G ~I may also roll Ihis skill ch('ck lUI) lin1(' Iht:re is sonl(, subtle noise lhal a eharaell'r migh t Iwar (cvell if Ihe char .. cter did nOl speeif icall) stale Ih.1t he is usi ng Ihis skill). Iflhe character succeeds al his ~ k ill check, he hean the noise. Ifhc fails. he hears not hing. Le,'el Unskilled Noviee A... erage The character ca n_ Listen normally Discern subtle changea in tone, pitch, and inflection of musical notes Hear sounds as if they were 5 ft closer; discern subtle changes m tone, piteh, and inflection or animal sounds

Expert

Master

The character ellnm Not use this skill, Operate leatherworking toob and equipment; tan and treat leather. Crart simple leather objects (straps, bands) Craft standard leather objects (bags, saddlebags, etc); craft small pieces or clothmg (hats, etc) Craft complicated leather object! (backpacks, harnesses, etc); craft medium pieces of clothing (vests, etc) Craft complex leather objects (saddles, etc); craft large pieces or clothing (dusters. etc)

357

Adva nced

Expert Master

Hear Bounds as If they were 10 ft closer; discern subtle changes in tone. pilCh, and inflection of the huma n voice Hear sounds as if they were t5 ft closer; discern very subtle changes in tone. pitch. and inflection Hear sounds as if they were 20 ft closer; hear outside normal human ra nge (high tones, e.g., a dog whistle) Examplell Listening Listemng sation Listelling street Listening Listening

LOCKSM ITHINC Relevant Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost: 4 BP Uniw rsa); No Prerequisite: NOlie Maste ry Die: ld6 Mate ri als / Tools Required: Yes This ~kill allnw! a char:lrter to fashion or re pair padlocks and combinalion locks. !\ succl'ssful $kill check accounts for the fash. iOl1i n ~ of the lock ItSeir. wh il(' a fa iled rcsult indicates Ihe Jock wa~ botched or f1:mcu in ~omc wa~ and Ihe resu lti ng piecc is un usable. An add ilional LCM' ksmilhing skill check is required to placc th e lock in an ul1usual object.
A cha ractcr Ilith the Locksmithing skill gains a 10% bonus to Lock Picking ski ll ch!'cks. I-l ~ needs ldlOs 10 minutl's, a success ful Loc k ~ mithingskill chcck and th e propcr tools (fo r padlocks) to ma k(' a Lock Pickin g liItcmpl. ~ c<;au sc of his t raining ,\ith proper \Ools and such, his dimcuh y level (or working II'i1h improvised tools incrcaS!'$ frolll Average to Dimcult (sce th e Lock Picki ng <kill).

Difficult) Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult LOCK PICKING

in a quiet room over light wind or murmured converin a small talking crowd or bustling in a strong wind in a noisy crowd or storm

Relevant Ab ility: Dext e r ity or Intelligence Cost: S BP Unh'e rsal: Yes Prerequisite: Listenillg (for combination locks ollly) 90% or better Mallte r y Die: IdG Maleriala/ 'foola RI,.'<Iuired: Yes Th is skill a llow! a rharaclu 10 open loek$ withou t use of a kC) or romb ina lion. It takes Id I 0 minutes of uninterrupted concentration to pick a loek. l'ieking a padlock 3 10 requires lockpicks or imprtWised tools (a bil ofl,ire. a Ihin knife.Qr soon), I,hile opening a OOll1hill:ltiol1 Jock u\!tead n:quiru a Listen ch('ck (Easy) for a characler wi lh Ih(' Lock Picking skill. Both IVpt$ of lock.s ;"I,n require a successfu l Lock Pickin/( chcck On a fa iled Lock Picking clu:ck, the lock is ~impl~ too difficult to ope n and t he churaCler ('allliot II) 10 pick thi$ parlicular lock again until hI' improves tillS skill. [.e,el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master Dirfieulty Trivial Easy The character can._ Pick a Shoddy lock that he has previously observed (the same brand/m odel of) someone picki ng Pick a Shoddy lock Pick a Good lock Pick a Very Good lock Pick all Excellent lock Pick a SU llerior lock Example8 Working with a full set of lockpicks on a padlock and caring nothing about making noise Working with a partial set of lockpic.ks on a padlock; opening a combination lock; maki ng some noise while opening a lock Working with improvised tools (such as a bit of wire or a thin knife) on a padlock; making only a little noise while opening a lock Working in poor light (padlock); working in a noisy enviNl nment (combination lock); picking a damaged padlock or combination lock; making almost no noise picking a lock Working in darkness (padlock); unable to hear (combination lock); picking a rusted padlock or combination lock: picking a lock without making any no ise; multiple combinations of Difficult (sueh as quietly picking a dama ged padlock in poor light)

LeI"l!I Unskil!ed Novice Average Advanced Expert

Muter
Difficulty Trivial

The character can_. Not use this akill. Craft/repalf a Sh<Jddy leek Craft/repair a Good lock Craft/repair a Very Good lock Craft/repair an Excellent lock Craft/repair a Superior lock Examples Repairing a lock viith access to a fully stocked workshop Creating a lock with access to a. fully stocked workshup Working on a leek in di m light; working in a noisyen"lronment Crafting or repairing a lock with poor tools Creating or repairing a lock With makeshift tools or interior materials; working with poor tools in a dim light or noisy environment

Easy
Average Difflcult Very Difficult

LOGGING
Re levlllI l Ability: Strength or I ntelligence

Cost: 3 BP
Unhersa l: Yes Prerequis ite: None .Mastery Die: ld20 Male.r ialslTools Required: Yes
A charact er with Ihis skill has a basic kno\\kdgc of trc('s and

Average

Difficult

under wha t condltl01ls the) gro\\ best. Lo~gers knOll II'hat trees a re con~ id r red suitable for felling (ge nera ll y t hose wil h a si raight, most!, branchlrss trunk SOIllC 3 to:; fcet ill diameter). T he) also knO\I hoI', 10 1110\'(' them 10 the ri ver for the log d rive, and hOI\ 10 guide them down it. On a successful skill check. t he logger knows his beSI oou rsc of aelion or re members his kllo\\ Icdge, I\hile a fai led check indicates t hm h(' docs not. A logger should ha \'e an axe or saw 10 cut down trces. a nd ropes or ( hnins fo r pulling and dragging.

Very Difficult

358

l.e'-cl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

The charader can ... Cut down a tree Distinguish between various types of trees; determine which trees are Buitable for fetling Determine best path to move trees overland (usually to water) Guide trees over calm water on a log drive Guide trees over Bteady currents on a log drive Guide trees oYer rapids on a log drll'e Examples WorkIng with good tools Logging in dim light Logging in I)OOr weather (rain) or steady currents; working with dull tools Logging in bad weather (fog) or strong currents Loggmg in severe weather (sto r ms) or rapids: working with makeshift tools

(mosl l, found ha,k L l\I), tit> can USU;IJl~ c\'t"n repair inoperal iH' and dama"t-d tllarhitl('ry. A sucel'~srul ~k i1t cherk i~ required 10 t>crfel-II)- Ol>c rat " or to repair such m,Kh ine .... , ex(:cpt on cert:lin OC(:llsio ns" ht"rt" common Sl'nse di. lales 01 herwise_ (Simpl) dropping.l coin into ,j pbH'I' pi,ltIo is tHough to opcratl' il. and need~ no ~k ill cht"tk, bU1 repa iring it is somel hin/{ el~t, tnt ircly.) Lel'el Unskilled Novice The character can perform.", Not use this skill. Remember knowledge of machinery type and how to operate It Replace gears and miMr missing pieces of inope rative machinery Make minor repairs on inoperative machinery Make major rellairs on broken machinery Piece together and repair severely damaged machine r y Exa milies Making minor repairs on inoperative machinery in a fully stocked workshop Working in poor ligbting; working on broken machinery \\ orking with poor tools: working on severel y damaged machinery \Iurking on machinery similar to (but outside chvsen field: using ma keshift tools Working on machinery very dIfferent from chvsen field: using makeshift replacement parts

Advanced Expert
~laster

Very Difficult

Difficult~

Trivial

MACHINE OPERATING/ REPAIRING (SPECIFIC BUSINESS)

Relevant Ability: Intelligence Cost: 2 DP Unh'erslll: No Pre requisite: None Mus ter y Die: IdS Materials / Tools Required: Yes
A (: haraetrr wi lh Ihis <k ilt knows 111m to op'l'ralc IH)eS of comlllon 10 his bll~inr~~ ur tMckg rou nd. ~uch .lS prim ing prcs5ri, plaH' r pi:H\t)s, and other \VPCS of factory machinrs
l1lac hil1(~ t)

Easy AI'erage Difficult Very Difficult

vn

359

MATHEMAT ICS Re levant Ability; Intelligence Cost: G BP Unh'ersal; No P rerequisite; Reading Comprehellsiou/Penmanshil) 90% o r better Mastery Die: ld8
A characler ,,ith this sk ilJ has studic<1 m:uhematics. Dcpending on his skill master),; he mOlY a lso be familiaf Ilith dirficult malbemalics such as gcomCI r) ,Ind I rigOllomcl ry or integral calculus, and be able 10 calculal e eompk.\: equ;.tiolls, The :<. Iathcmatics skill also confers a 5% honlls (pe r le\'l:I abo\'eUlISkilled) w Carpenlry, Cartography, Engineering (all tYl)<'~)' or Stonemasonry skill checks.

Average Advanced Expert Master

Extract bullet from limb; anesthetize patient Extract bullet from chest eavilY Perform advanced surgeries; extract bullet from head; attempt to remedy internal bleeding Perform advanced surgeries using asepsis to reduce the potential of bacterial infection: treat internal hemorrhaging Examples Working in a fully stoekell, quiet and well-lit doctor's office Working in a fairly quiet and well-lit area Working in dim light: working in a noisy environment Working with poor instruments or materials; working on moving platform (e,g.. a train or ship) Working with makeshift tools or materials; working on a violently moving platform (e.g., a train or ship); working under severe distress (such as gunfire)

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

Lewl Unskilled Novice Average

Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Diffieuk

T he character C81l ... Not use this skill. General math (addition. subtraction, division, multiplication) Algebra (area , circumference. equations, fractions, variables. etc); geometry (lines, perimeters. points, angles. polygons, coordinates, etc.) Trigonometry (sines, cosines, tangems, triangles, etc); advanced math (probabilities, etc.) Calculus (paradox, differential equations, etc.) Advanced calculus and new theories Examples Work a math problem with no time limit and access to reference texts \Vork a math pI'oblem With no time limit Work a math problem with a reasonable time limit Work a math problem in head (Without access to writi ng instrument or paper, 1'11'.) Work a math problem under severe distress (such as gunfire)

Very Difficult

MILITARY NGINERlr\G
Rele'-a nt Ability: Intelligence Cost; 2 BP Unh'e rsa l: No Prereq uis ite: Engineering Design 80% or better Mastery Die: Id4 Characters "ilh Ihi~ skill arc esprT\s in designing forlS. bl'id~l's. road~, and mher offensil'e and dl'fenshe emplael'nu'nh. TI1l'Y kill'" Ih., toul~ <lnd ll'ehni<ltH'S of engineeri ng under COlli bat condilions Jnt!, in an cnH'r~en'l' can quickly creet some S01'l of makeshifl prolcCiion .IS I,ell. It tdkes ld I hours for TrI\'ial emplaU'Ulcn tS. ! + hI I hours for Eas) cmplacements. at least tI+-Jd4 hour~ for :\\'crage l'lllplacen1('nts, at least 16+4d4 hours flU Ditllcult emplacements, and al ll'ast 24+&14 h(')urs of work for Ve l;" Dimcult emplacements, A successfu l check mcans t hat Ihcre arc 1)0 errors in thl' dcsign, while a failed check indicates thai Ihl' character SpOIS one or more erron. If he finds errors. he mar h,n'c his workmen spend haIr t hl' prc\'ious lime correel ing: any prohlrlll~. Afler cOl'reclions, he must again makl' his ~ki ll chct k. If surcr.sflll, hl' has r,-.mo"cd all the problems. Ifl;.iJed, lie has not removed alllhl' problems. bUI is unawal'e orproblcms thai may be ""ploiltd by his enemy. Although this character can construct simple. temporary structures him~ clr, he nccd .. talenlcd workmen 10 compktc :my major project. He ha~ the 'killw super\'ise and manngr a cre" of slIch workers sueh thai th., pmjcct is cOlllpleled prope rl y and in the shortest :l1llOUIll of lime possible.

Very Difficult

MEDICINE
Relevant Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost 10 BP Universa l: No Prerequisite: None Maste r y Die: Id4 Materials / Tools Required: Yes
A character I,ilh Ihis skilllilis It'amcd common med ical procedures. Howel'e r, tile procedurl's ill' i~ able to perform afe h i ghl~ dependem on thl' skillle\'el he has oblained in t his field. Use Ihe table belo\> as a guide.

" lost, though certainly nOI all, doctors Ii;\\'e all a\'erag!' ~ki!l lewl. :<.Iedical knowledge is not, hOll'el'er, limit ed 10 th is profession, There ;ln' many people in the Shallf'red )-' ronller 111.11 have fudillll:nl;ll)' medical skills, induding a numb\'1' of Ind ian medicine men capable of' pCl'forminl:" tasks of up to Avcrage m:l.~tel-r
SoU: AI/(Slhtlizillg patinlls is ('1(I1Ii(l110 proddillg 11r, ksl challer iif SllectH II'lrm prljOmlinl!, Ju rgeo'. A,V' At/[taIlWI or 1I((h" IIIft/ieal fulrniqllt fJliformtd Ilpoll "(llIIseit)us poliml lIiffm a ~2()% pel/alty It) Ih .. JJ..ilI (hut

Le,et
UIlskilled Novice Average

Advanced

Expert

Level Unskilled Novice

The charader can", Not use this skill AmpUlate limbs; set broken bones; dress wounds; apply pressure bandages to severely bleeding wounds: diagnose injuries

Master

The character can ... Not use this skill. Design a simple emplacement (ditch, moat, pit) Design a small emplacement or shelter; supervise and manage workmen carrying out the character's plans DeSign a large emplacement (simple fort, road) on solid ground; design a small emplacement needing supporl (sma)! bridge) Design a large emplacement needing support (large bridge); design a complex emplacement (fort with multiple towers and othe r defensive fortifications) on solid ground Design a complex emplacement needing suppOrt and with moving parts (such as a large relractablel raisable bridge)

360

Difficulty Trivial

Easy
Average

Dirricult Very Difficult

Examples Ideal conditions (unlimited project funding, expert workmen. optimal soil eonditions) Project adequatelr supported (surricient budget, competent workforce, realistie timetable) No more than one detrimental condition impinging on project complellon (governmental interference, untrained labor, uncoo perath'e workers, inadequate lunding, severe time con straints or other similar impediments) Multiple challenges to project completion (see examples al>ove) Bridging a river "'ith green troops under a withering artillery barrage

[.e,,cl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

The character can_ Not use this skill, Command a cornl)any Command a regiment Command a division Command an army corl'S Command a field army f:xamp les Veteran or elite troops Regular troops Green troops (see below) (see below)

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult \' ery Difficult

MILITARY STR ATEGYITACTICS

Relennt Ability: Intelligence Cos t: 5 BP Universal: No Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: ldG
Ch;lrarten I,ith this skill knol' ho" 10 organize a military onit. keep troops properl)' ~upp li ed , and conHlland ;1 unit in ball It' . The) a lso kncrn hOI, to train their ann. 10 Kr' th(' bt-SI OU I of Ihem. They art el't'li expert ill the I;lclkal emplo\mcnt " 'caponr) as~illned to Ihc unit.

Situa tion Modifier Routed or poor morale + Night or llIclement weather Inadequately supplied ( food or ammo) Over ..... helming odds

+1 difficulty +1 difficulty +1 difficulty

+1 difficulty

.,r

Notl: If modifl(f"'; go btyond Vuy Difficult. Iht lroops /0,111 not obey ordu'S from any commandu, For uamp/c. grun troops thai Mt)f not bun rectivmg adcquatc ration~ and I4ho art ordertd 10 a/laCK a L~ry Slrong position (oL~rlChtiming odds) Iltal tMy ha~ bun bloodily repu/'itd from prevIOusly. would not obtylht al/acK Older tun If II came fro m Napolton Itimulf
M IL LINERY

Surn:ssi'ul liSt' of Ihi~ ~ k ill allOl's a chMaCtcr 10 cllceli,,' I, (ommand his unit. In bailIe, Ihi~ cnsurc~ Ihal his rOlmnand~ arc Glrried om , F:li lure meallS t hHt his Ir\.IUps do not heed his command, This rna} I,lke ,'ariou$ form:! ~urh as improl}{'r l~ ,'xe{uling ,ut nll nd:, dda y in contlllttillg a llIovelllt'nt. I'rlrealin~ trom an assigned position or ('\,cn 5l1rrendt-rillg,

Rele\'an t Ability: Intelltgence

Cost: I BP Unin'rsa \: No P re requisite: :None l\laste ry Die: ldlO

361

Materia ls / Tools Required: Yes

A ~har,Klel' with Ihis skill 'lwd:llilcS in designing and m:lking Iw[:; . Gktn ~onw material and tht' apprupriatt' \l.>ols, a sut:t:essful

Very Difficult

skill check a IJO\, ~ Ih ~' milliner 10 (ksign, rut, lit. :llto'r and se" alllloot allY sort of hat. .'\ failed n'~uh indicates the \\ork W:lS botched or fta"'t'(i in ,;onl!' way lll1d th(' rl'~ulting piece is worthle~s.

lived among speakers of that dia lect for a few years Mi mic effectively enough to fool a native speaker of that dialect

NURSING

Relevant Ability: Wisdom Cost: 3 BP Unive rsal: No Prerequisi te: None Mastery Die: Id8 T his ski ll allows the character to properly tend 10 the sick and injured. Whil l" some uasic medical knowledge is inhercnt in rhis skill , the nurse's role is to provide an opt imal en,.ironnwnt \0 rncilitale the body's 011'11 recu ptf;J tivt au ilities. This is ao::eOIllpli~hed h} closely monitoring I he pat ien1 :H1d tending to his needs ;t~ required. Tilt: Illost basic Heed for any pal icl'l is food and drink. A nur~e wi !l "nsure that the injured pany is drinking sufficicn t tluids and provickd \\ilh food that he cun keep down and in fm;t d(>(~ SIl_ Additional rC'pollsiiJili ti("s include changi ng barJ(i<lges, kt"cpinl:"" atch for i nfectiou~ auJ c xcts~ivc utl"cding, and appl} ing eotd o::()mprc~~!'s to rdklt kwr.
Hi ghl~ sk illed nurses arr ,lblc to perform uasic medical procedures and orr cn scn'c as rhe only ~ouree ofmedic;rl cart in remO l e loca ti ons.
Le\"(~1

A milliner nr('d~ tool~ ~ueh as needles/ pins and thre'ltL scissors, a thilllblt:, tape m ed~un. wax and pktlty of matrrial (doth). A taule or ooanl (large enough 10 b y the entire pallern upon) as well as paper. ~harp shear. and Ileighh art .Ibo ,l(ood tu h:wc.
L, .. I Unskilled Novice

Average Advanced Expert Master l>ifricully Trivial Easy Average

The character can ... Not use this skill. Operate milinery tools and handle materials: fiL hats for customers Alt.er hats: rel)air minor ril)S and tears Mend damaged hats Repair a severely damaged hat: design a pattern vI hat that va ries slightly from an existing style Design and craft a completely nO\'e] hat
Exan1p]e~

Difficult Very Difficult

Fit a hat with access to a fully stocked milliner's workroom Alter or mend damaged hats with access to a fully stocked workroom Working in dim light; working in windy eondi tions Repairing a hat with makeshift too ls Working on a hat with makeshift tools

MIMIC DIALECT Re levant Ability: Charisma

Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master DiUitully Trivial Easy

Cost: 1 BP
Universa l: Yes Prerequisite: NOlle (but see text) Mastery Die: Id8
1\ dmractcr uSO's this skill to pass himsf"lf on' as a member ot a

The eharacte r ~an ... not use this skill. Properly nurse a patient with a mino r wound Properly nurse a patient with a major wound Function as a midwife to deliver children; diagnose injuries Properly set broker) bones; amputate limbs Extract bullets from limbs Examples Ensure that a patient is properly hydrated and fed; dress wounds Ap ply pressure bandage to a severel~' bleedi ng wound Set broke n bones Diagnose injury Remove bullets from wounds

community wit h a diITerent style nf sllI'a kin g t han his OIl n, uut not a dilTerent 1 :lIlguu'\"e. For c)<ampte, "ith u suc("cssful check, a SCt Iler from 1 1-X.18 tall pass himsdf (lIT as it :'\t'W Yorkn. Virgiuian, Eugl ishman, etc.. but not a Frenchman unless he .:an ,pc<1k French. If II(" fails his check. I he listcner not iccs somct hing II rong "ieh the mimicked dialect. In order to usc this ~kilL a elw.racter must havc had heard the dialet:l lo be mimickl'd. Le\'el Unskilled Novice AI'erage Advanced Expert Master The character can... Mimic a dialect the character Mimic a dialect the characler Mimic a dialect the character Mimic a dialect the character Mimic a dialect the character native speaker of that dialect Mimic a dialect the character non-nath'e speaker

Average Difficult Very Difficult

OBSERVATION

Relevant .'\ bil ily: Wisdom Cost: 6 BP Unh'ersal: Yes

lived among for rears heard many times heard a few times heard once heard descrIbed by a heard described by a

Prerequisite: NOlle Mastery Die: ld8 Characters usc t his skill to rocus certain powcrs or obsen'alion - ~ ighr. smell. rnste and touch. An} tim .. ,lIr 0ppul tunit y [() no tice nonconformit ies with one of thcsc scuses occurs. rh e character m:"lkes th e s kill check. J\ charac te.r also uses thi s ~kill to not let' trap~. J\ G~I 111:')" rull an OU~tr\'a tion skill dH:c k an y lime th ere i ~ sOffie\hill l[ su btly askew rhat a ch:mll"tcr might not icc, cven if h(' did nor spcci fi ca ll y stat e Ihar he is sCl"utinil'ing his su rroundings. A failr'd dH:e k indicares rha t the cha rac ter is oulil'iuus until tht thing is point!'!] out to him.

Uifficu lty Trivial Easy Average DIfficult

Examples Mi mic effectively enough to fool someone never heard thai dialect before Mimic effectively enough to fool someone heard that dialect a few times before Mimic effectively enough to fool someone heard that dialect mallY times before Mimic effectively enough to foo ! someone

who who who who

N)r r.ramp(t, C5.-\ spy joshua Rad qlltJ/iollS a suppwtd carptll/tr.for Ihr
Clli0/1 copilOt buildillg. cif which J oshua is Jukillf( kl1ow(((fl~f. Joshua J p/o)"tr rolls a Jllccm(lI/ Obsin'alion check (1"1)' })i(fiCIIII) !/Ird nolim Ihol

362

hiJ halldJha~t iJ smOOlh and Jrif/. rnlirr{I'lacJ;ill~ ral/um. From IhiJ. ht may dtduu Ihallht lIIall if nrlual{r /lQJiI1,( aJ a rar/l'lIl"- 11t could bt a (on lIIan laking ndl'alllagt of afiUI", drinA-J, or ht m,!~ bt Q l. 'nion Jpy.

OR ....TION Re levant Ability: Intelligence or Charisma Cost 2 BP Unh'ersa l: Yes Pre requis ite: None Mastery Oil": ld8 A chanl(cl'r wilh maSCl'r) in chis ,kill is a l)(ml'rful spcak(,T with the abilitl co hold chI.' aU('ntiun of,~ crowd and swa~ public opin_ iou. Wich;1 ~1I(ccssful skill chl'cJ.:, Ihc characccr holds Ihe aU enlion of III(' crowd ,md .,"a\~ Iheir opinion or emOlion in a desired direccion. Dl'llendinl{ on Ihl' difficuhl>; a d1<lraCler mOl> "'''y a Howd one or mort "~I(,pS:' In ur<!I.'I, Ihese sleps arc: OUlrat:"l'd, An,:,r:~ .\nnolt'd. (;"Im (Amhil'aknl), Amiable, AUracled, and LOlin!o;". ,\ f:tikd dInk indical"S Ihal !Ill' spl'aker is unab le w '"al 111(' t'f(l\\tl', ft'('lint:"s 011 the suhject.
For flomplt .. 11,!)'Qr I ar~a IJ al/flllplin.!!. 10 lum 011 OUlragrd rroZJ:d il110 a Cnlm alit, Ijht did 1101 a/r('(u/.)' kno/(' Iht Jub)(cl riflht CT"Oll-d, al/ger (him,,(ft, hf m'!) lIIa~f a Nil-inl d"d luj/lld oul. Ill' I/OU' haJ 10 II/O/'t Iht (rollW Ihrrt ~J/(PJ ~ (Ol1t jlrp jrom Olllra,!!.td 10 .111.!!.~)', olle jlrp from AII.(ry' 10 . Inn~)rd. alld IInfl/f/! jmm . 1/1II~)yd to Calm) alld lIIusl su((ud 01 0 Diffirull (huk 10 do la. 1/ II/((m/il/, he (om illas the cTQl.d Ih(lllhty hau btrll lIIiJ/rd. alld Ih'.)' callll dOI('I1_ lj lit 1dslln 10 plllihe blnmt Oil $Omrollt tiSt, lit III!.!)' mdf UI/Olhrr Oralion chrrA 10 mQ~r Ihrm .lnnf!lyd. .411t:I)' or Oillragrd al somtollt ,1st,

Obscr..uioll rel'cals onl) Ihe faels, nOI Ihe 1ll00il:llion.

"""

Uns killed

Novice Average

Advanced

Master

The charade r can". Notice obvious details (lltrong smell, bright colors, excited movement, object weighing a great deal less/more than expected, etc) Notice mlljor details (distinct smell, large temperature change, unsubtle movement, (ootprint.s in mud, etc) Notice small details (picture frame askew, slight movement, footprinll; in dust, loose floorboard, small temperature change, etc) Notice minor details (tiny splash of mud on boots, mild smelt, object weighing barely more or less than ex]>ected, etc) Notice minute details (smooth surface on expectedly rough texture. absence of dust in a particular shape, etc) Notice miniscule details (objects arranged in a non, customary way but not askew or otherwise unusual ) Exam]lle8 Observing in more than sufficienllight while undistracted by su rroundings and without worry of being noticed or needing to hurry Ob3erving in dim light (visual); observing in busy surroundings Observing in noisy, chaotic surroundings Observing while ill; making qnick observation (e.g., sneaking a fast peek around a corner) Observing while intoxicated; making instant obse rvation; or at night (visual)

Difficult,. Trivial

Easy AI'erage Difficult Very Difficult

u,'e l Unskilled No\'ice Al'erage Adva nced Expert Master

The charader can Learn target of audience's anger/affection Know the words to calm or inflame the crowd Sway a crowd by one step Sway a crowd by two steps Sway a crowd by three steps Sway a crowd by (Qur steps

Ohun.'alioll CUI, IN I"ry' IISifll1 ill ol'oidillg alllhllJhts.

363

t\ photograph" fl'cord~

th~

f.uwlioll ojklloU"1I horst thiats.

Diffic ulty Trivial

Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Examples Orating from a platform to a quiet audience that came specifically to hear the character speak Outing from a platform to a fairly quiet gathering Orating without a platform to an audie nce that cares little about hearing the character Orating inside a noisy crowd that cares nothing about hearing the character Orating inside a noisy crowd that hates the character

pushing a button. Instead. the photographer mu~t coat the plate "ith collodium (cotton soaked in nitric ami sulphuric acids, thoroughly washed and dried and then dissolved in ethcr and alcohol), quickly load the plateholder, take the pict ure (exposing the plate for 2+ Id3 minutes), and {levclop the image in a darkroom by dipping it into ninate of silver before the collodium can dry. Furthermore, ht, must perform all of the above tas ks within -l+2d6 minutes, as I'arying weather, temperature and ligln all aliect 110'" fas t th(" collexlium dries. [f the photographer is distracted from completing these tasks within tha I amount of time, the photograph is ruined. Only after developing the image does the photographer make his Photography skill cbeck. Wi1h a successfu l skill check, the photograph is clearly visible. Afta the plate dries completely from Ihe silver nitrate hath (anothe r 2dl2 hours), the photographer eau make a print by placing tlte ntgatil'e on top of photo paper, laying it !lat in a glass frame, and allowing the print to develop in sunlight for approximately 2 minutes. A failed result indicates the photograph was botched or !lawed in some way and the resulting photograph is worthless. Glass plat es can on ly be used once and are usually around 9"' x 10" in size ("ith photographs that sil.e or smaller) . .\ Iost metal plates arc of simi lar size, bu t can be used for up to ciglH 4.5" x 2.5" photographs, then cut into individual plates. A failed check or delay

PHOTOGRAPHY

Relevant Ability: Intelligence

Cost: 1 8P Universal: No Prerequ isite: Chemistry 85% or belle. Master y Die: ld8 Mater ials / Tools Required: Yes A charactcr with the Photography sk ill can operate a camera to take photographs. ;\[05t photographns in the Shattered Frontier usc a "wet plate" camera that imprints a positive image on a thin plale of glass or metal. Howeyct; taking a photograph with such a camc ra rc([uires much more than simply aiming the lens and

36+

in del'clupmc nt rUIllS the full g l.15s pla,e, hut lion of Ihe me ta l plale, LcIl.'1 Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert MaSler Difficulty Trivial Easy

onl~

the used por.

The chllrllcter cau", Not use this skill Know hOIl' to operate a standard wet plate camera Take a pIcture and develop its photograph within 12 mmutes Produce a photograph so attractIve that local per sons come simply to Vlell' it Produce a photograllh so admired that it become.'! nationally famous Produce a I)hotograph so attracU\'e that it will still b(l admired a generation hence ESam l)les Taking II clear photograph with excellent light. ing and motionless subjects in a photographIc studio Taking R clear photograph with gOod lightmg and motIOnless subjects indoors with access to a darkroom Taking a clear photogra,)h with al'erage light ing and living subjects indoors or outdoors with access to a darkroom Taking a clear photograph with di m lighting and liloing subject! in lleld cotldithlllS (uutdoors) and with a makeshift darkroom Taking a clear Ilhotograph 1I'Ith poor lighting and moving subjects in noisy field conditions (outdoors) with makeshilt darkroom and improvised supplies

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average DIfficult Very DiffIcult

Examples Victim is asleep Victim is dru nk Victim is all'a ke but distracted; victim is in a large and bustling crowd Vic tim is awake; victim is in a small and allen gathering; victim knows character is there Victim is ale rt and expecting trouble; victim can see character

POTTERY Re lenult Ability: Dexterity or Wisdom

Cost: I BP
Unin!TSaI: No Prerequisite: NOlle Mastery Die: IdlO Mate rials / Tools Requ ired: Yes ",h;1ractt'" U\l" thl' Poltl'n ~ki li lO creat!' {'onta ltH'rs or d t'corat In' nhjects" l "pon.1 ~un:r~~ful skill (hcck, Ihe dwractcr succ('~ full~ (; r;lfl~ 'he ill'm, c\ Lliir<1 rcsu h indicates thl' wI)rk \\,;I~ bolched or llm'ed in 'orne wa\ <I nti th .. r('su ltitl~ pi('Le is ruincil. It I,lkcs four houn In t rt'Jlt' ,In il em 1,,\, titan :i fC('1 1,111, si,\ hours In cr('al(' an itt'm :).[ ro:-el 1,111, and ",1."11'(' hour~ 10 crratt' larger itrnl~" Each pi,', .. tIlII't th l'1I bt, fin'll ;n chr kilt1 fo r apprn,-.:j m,Hdl IJlll' d,H, brfnn' il i~ u~"bll', )' J"kinlt P(lII('1"\ n'quir('~ Ihal thl' (h,lraLler h:1\'1' a kiln and a POllt'T\ \.111'1'1, ;IS \,,,11 ,\~ ;I ~urpll of m;lt,'ri al~ (w. uall) d:IY), Lc," el Unskilled Novice Average Ad\'anced Expert .'.Iaster The (harncter cau,~ Not use this skill O]lerate ]Iouer's tools and equillmenl Cralt plain, small objects (bowl, plate, etc) Craft plam medium objects (vase, 110werllot, etc); craft decorative small objects Craft plain large objects (large vase, etc); craft decorative !mai! and medium objeets Craft dec"rati\'C large objects: cralt very decorative small and medium objects Example!! Working in a fully stocked, (Iutet and welllit large workroom Working in a lully stocked , quiet and well-lit tiny workroom with little space to move around

AI'erage

Very Dirricult

PICK POCKET
Relel'ant Ability: Dexterity Cost: 9 BP Ullin!rsa l: Yes Prerequisite: None Mas ter), Oil': Ide;
A chJ r:tucr can USl' I hr l'id., Pocket ~k i ll 10 Sira l itt"ms or plam (place ~o rnl'thit1 l{on someone Clsl') thclIl,li kc a nOll" ur a poisonous Sliake, t\ ~ucc("5s ful roll indicalu Ihal Ihe cha raclcr ,1ccom' pJis hed his t:l ~ k, ",hill" a fail .. d alteml)\ tIlcan~ Ihat IIH' character <lid not gCt or pian: an item (but dot's nOI mean Ih;1I Il1r larget deteetcd thc ,lIt cmpt ),

Difricult y Trl\'ial Easy

\\'ll(' tl l<'r SU('l'rssful or nut. if lilt, tJ!'):;el's \\'bdom ,'hilit} SC(l l't' is cqlLalw or gn:atc r , han Ihe ski ll chel-k, then Ihl' t;I~(,1 n<1l itcJ th t" character" atlcmpt, A Chafaltcr tall attempl 10 ptLk hi~ lar gl'I'5 pocket (or saJdkbag, ur backpack, or so on) ll1uhipll' limn, "hethct hc succced~ or faik LcI'CJ Unskilled No\oice Average Advanced Expert The character can""" Pick an item from another character's clothing/item~ lI'hen t he character i! not wearing them or anywhe re in sight Pick an item from the backpack another character is wearing Pick an item from a character's pouch; plant SQme thing in a character's backpack Apply -I tu target's Wisdom sCure; pick another character's outside pocket; plant li n item in a char acter's pouch Apply 5 to target's WIsdom score: ])ick another character's inside pocket; plant somethtng in a cha r acter's outside pocket Apply 10 to ta rget's Wisdom score; plant an object in a character's inside pocket

;"
Average Dirlicult Very Difficult Working in dim light; in a noisy envIron ment; too hot or cool room, etc, Working with poor tools or materials: working Oil mOloing platform (e,g .. a train or ship) Working With mnkeshiCt tools or replacement materials; working on a violently moving plat form (e,g", a table in a minor earthquake)

PRIMITIVE RANCED WE APON USE (SPECIFY TYPE) Relevant Ability: Dexte rity
Cost: 4 BP Uni\'ersul: No Prerequisite: NOlie Mas tery Die: ld12 This charactf'T b 'kilk,1 in th t' 1'll1plo)'lIIcnt Hf c;i11f'r :l knire, a..:c or sprar as a hurlrd pToljC!;liic, I-it" m'l} a l ~o opt 10 USC.I hOI',

Master

L s., of ,Ul> of Ihesl' wl'ap(ms dl'mand~ :l g rC llt dcal mo rc train ing eh;ltl ~;mpl} usin'I them m hand to-h:md combat. As SU('h.;1

365

pl.I)".T Ihat has 1101 reached [xpen rmls ler), musl succeed ,H a ski ll check bclore he can allcmpl ,1 "'lo-l1it" roiL A f<l il<::J skill chtck in(licaleS;HI ,.ulomalic mi~~ed allad. knives and throwing .I.>.:e, IllUSI Ix 'pecificall) designed fOl Ihis runt'l ion. Such weal)QIlS arc sptci<llly w,"ighll'd for tlight. Thcy.:;all be used in hand-to-hand combat a~ a normal 1,'C,IIX)I) but 'normal' knil'es and axes cannot Ill.' rfTcclivcly thf(l\\n illlO comb.lI unl il I he char.u;tcr rcacJlt"S Advanced mastnr Le,'el Unskilled Novice Average Adva nced Expert Master The charade r can." Not use this skill Use a spear as a ranged weaPQI1 Use a bow, balanced axe or balanced knife as a ranged weapon Use 'normal' knives and axes as ranged weapons Use a primitive ranged weapon without needing a skill check ('To-hit" roll slill required) Use makeshift objects as ranged weapons
Addilionall~,

Prerequis ite: None MllStery Die: ldG Materials / Tools Required: Yes This skill co\'(:rs t he basics of prospecting, and uses special rules instead of rht norm:rl m:rslery ,111d difficul ty t:rhles. Set' Ch(lPIeT 5./11'rosjlt'C/ill,g for information.
RE ADlKG COMPREHENSION/ PENM ANSHIP (SPECIFY LANGUAGE)

Rel evant Ability: Intelligence Cost 4 BP Uni ve r sal: No Prerequisite; None Mastery Die: ld6
T hl." dlarac tt'f l'an re:rd and wrile a single language. T here must be '01111.""11" ,LI';Lilabir 10 Icac h Ihe chara cter for him to earn his fir~l ta.lh. A ~ucccs,ful skill rlLcd givcs a character Ihe :rbiliI) to\\'rit(' I,dl ('nough 10 be undrrslOotl. 10 r..,ad and \\'rile 1cllcrs .tnu ~UdL, but doe~ not m..,,1Il Ihat his \lords persuade everyone who reads dwm. ,\ failt'u skill ch..,ck indicates that Ihe cha racler do..,s nOI trul) comprch..,ud the mc,l11ing of tlu." Ilords. l'w n if he can r..,ad tlll'm, or ha~ m.ldl' such a mistake in his pCI11Ili.nship Ihall", mus t begin his "riling again.

NOle: There arc no ~ped;\1 Difficull\ Il'wb for (.ISl \\ilh thl' Primitivc Rnul{ed W~apoll Us.., ~kill. ~imply -,pph anv modif1l"r~ If) Spe,..d ami At:rurat:) :l~ ((ormal.
PRIMITIV E WEAPON MA KING

Rel eva nt Abi lity: Dexterity Cost: G BP Unh'ersal: No Pre requisite: None Mast ery Die: ldS Mate riliis/ Toois Required: Yes
f\ dmr;lctcr \Iith rhis skill knOl'S hOI, ro fashion bo", land ,lrrol's), tomah;l\\k~ ;lnd other ~Imilar I'eapons, providrtllw has apprOpriilll" Inalcrials. A succc~srul chrt:k means Ih;ll t hc I,e;lpon i~;ln average version of Ihc same wcal)Q1l as listed in thl" equipme lll lis t , while a faikd check indicates thai rhe we,ll)Q1l is pood} crafred and u~elcss.

:\. characler a tt empting 10 wrilC a longer documen t or swry can write 2.000 words per da), bl' spendi ng 8 hUllrs writing" followed by a successfn l ~kill check. On a r.tilcd ( heck, lire char aClcr is diss,Hisfied \lilh hi~ wr iting :111d d es lroys his d;,y"s work or Il t'cds to le-"r!le it the nl'xi d'l). Lel'e) Unskilled Novice Average Advanced The charact er ca n.~ Not use this skill. Read and print common one" to three-letter words ("to," "dog ," elc.) Read and print II short one-page lelter Read and print or write (longhand) letters and stories Read and print or write flowerly prose (I)Oetry) Read and print or write technical or obsc ure papers. or 11lspiring poetry Examples Reading well-lit and excellent penmanship (including typewritten) Wilh simple words and grammar (such as a children's boo k); writing with good materials in a quiet and well-lit room Reading excellent penmanship with common words and grammar (s uch as a newspaper); reading exccllent penmanship in dim lighting; writing with good malerials and lighting in a room wilh minor backg round noise Reading a nOl'el; reading good llenmanship in dim light; writing with average materials and lighting in a room II'ith obvious baCkground nOise Reading material nOl parl of everyday speech (such as Shakespeare); reading dimly lit andlor poor penmanship: writing with poor materials and dim lighting in a noisy room Reading complex writing (such as a technical manual); reading IlOorly lit and waterlogged or otherwise badly damaged penmanship: writing with makeshifl materials and bad lighting in a very noisy environment

Le\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert MaSler Difficult y Trivial Easy Average Difficult

Thc character can", Not use this skill. Repair simple dose quarter weapons Craft simple close quarter weapons (clubs, tomahawks. knives); repair ranged ammunition Craft ranged ammunition (arrows. darts); repair ranged weapons Craft ranged weallons (bows) Design a new type of primitive weapon Examples Repairing a weapon with access to plenty of tools and materials Crafting a weapoll with access to plenty of tools and malerials Working on a weapon in dim light; working in adverse weather Repairing a weapon wilh makeshift/inferior tools or materials Crafting a WeallOI1 with makeshift/inferior tools or materials

Difficult}' Trivial

Easy

Average

Difficult

Very Difficult

Very Difficult

PROSPECTING

Relevant Ability, Wisdom Cost: 9 BP Universal: Yes

366

READING LIPS (SPECifY LANGUAGE)

Relevant Ability: Intelligence Cost: 7 BP Un h'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mas ter y Die: Id4 The r haracter can lell ,,11:11 01hl!r rharaClnlo art: ~a~ HI~, I!\cn if hr rannUl Iwar IhclII, On a succcssful skill chcck, Ihe cl!arat:lrr di.scerns pari of Ihr lOlwcr_:uion (lJ('e;llIse 'KIm..- sounds an: lUuch like 01 hrr'l!. lip rraders I1c\'e r IIndenl and a full 100%). 11le speak, cr IIIUS' be mos. I) facing Ihe li p rrad~'1 (al II!:ls' a Ihrce-qU<lflCT vir,,), Iflhe skill check fails, norhing is Ir arned,
w 'el

Dirrie-ully TrIvial
Easy

Aversge Difficult

Very Difflcult

EXall1lllee RecrUiting for a job with no hazards RecrUiting for a job with one or two hazards RecrUiting lor a job with several hazards RecrUiting tor a job with many hazards: recrUlllllg where imprisonment is likely; recruiting where death is a slight possibility Recruiting lor a jolb where imprisolnment is very likely: recrUiting where death is a strong I)()uibitity

RELIGION (SPECIFY FAITH)

Relevant Ability: Intelligence Cust: 5 BP Unhersa l: Yes PrerCtjuisite; NOlie Mllslery Die: Idl:! Char,I(\('. ~ kmm r h.. h,.~i~ b('lid$!lf'1 ITlig-ion commOI1 10 1heir hUIlWlo"ll "nd 1;lmilr, illl)l1g I>ill! 11llwr orrlinary inforrn,lliOIl (t\']>('ol r('lil{iou, ~\mbol 1I,('d, basil' .... ihlue uf the fa ilh. lte), ':ow.:h Imll\"('dg~' i~ 11I\~hh u~dull" pl~'.l<hcn I,hcn Ihc) nt'l'd In dl!al I, il h mt'ml"" ~ "I 0PI)!,slll't t:lilh~, UI It';lch rncml.x:r5 of 1hcir 01'" ra.ith, On.1 "In'e\~lul dln-L, tht' rh ... ra.ctrr kn(}l;s lhc iurur, m:lliol1 111' dc,irf'~, On.l lail,d (herk. Ihe lh ... rat'!('r "idler JUS1 e,l l1'l SCCI11 10 r'm~'mh.' r il ;]1 Ihr mOI1l~nl ur 11(','('r kne\\ it. I..e-'el Unskilled The rharacler ean_ Recognize well known persons and holly symbols or a religion commoln to the eharacter's family and home tvwn I\n,,1\' common beliefs and writings of lhe character's faith Recall obscure lIliormalion about lhe character's faIth; kn ........ e'JmmO!l '->eltefs of other religions tyPical of the character's place of angm

Uns ki lled NO\'ice Average Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difftcult

The eharadcr can", Determine a wo rd or two Read 10% of Lhe conversation Discern 20% of the conversation Read 50% of the conversation Establish 70% of the cOllversaliiln Determine 90% of the conl'ersation EXamples Reading the Itps of a well lit character facing you about 5(i feet away Readmg a well lit character facing you 7-9 feel away Reading a well lit character facing ytm 1lI-12 feet away Reading the lips of someone frequently movlIlg or with a peculiar paltern of speech (e.g" mum bling, lisping, slurring, shouling); reading a character occasionally obscuring his mouth (e.g" hands, cigaT!): reading a well lit character facing you 1320 feet away Reading some<Jne whose face you can barely see (20-S0 feet away; \'ery poor lighting, etc): reading It character frequently obscuring his mouth

NG\'lce AI'erage

Very DIfficult

RECRUITINC
Releva nt Ability: Charisma Cost: 4 BP Unh'e rSIl!; Yes Pre requ is ite; None .Maste r y Die; Id8
Character~ uw tlus ski ll 10 recruit au ;.rmy. g-... ng or posse, Of coursc, all arlll y or ga ng musl be p.1id, so il doe~ nOI d l' prnd sole ly oll thc character's skill, lIo\\c \'e r, iflhe pa) IS good a,ul tcrms a rc fair, .hj~ charaCler is ablr to recruit 'he be.'!l men for his arm~ or gang, and con, inec thelll 10 ",car an oath of lorah} to him, PO!S$es arc ICmporar) and lI<'eo lIot ~\\ear an 0.11h of 1 0ra11Y, bot tlIa) need HI be deplHilcd, A ski ll chrck is required, If 5Ul'Cl!ssfu l, Ihe char_ acter oolwinccs a particular pcr'lOll to $ign on with him, A r.,ill!d check means Iha\ parltcular pcrson rcfuses, Th is sLill chceL Illay onl) be performed OIlC(' ller week Ull a part ie-u l'lr targe!.

Unskilled NOVIce Average Adva nced Ex perl Master

un'

The character eall_ Recruit among open SUPI)()rlers in home terrItory Recruit in home te r ritory Recruit in neutral terrltorj' Recruit in enemy terntory Recruit among openly hostile persons Recruit among ollenly hostile persolls in enemy territory

367

Advanced

Expert Master

Remember obscure beliefs Qf other religions practiced in the character's place of birth; know common information about religions fo reig n to the characte r's homeland Ide ntify obscure information on religions not typicany practiced in the character's homeland Recall rarely known facts or rumors about any religion, off shoot or cult Examples Recall information to reference texts Recall information Recall in formation Recall information roundings Recall information as gunfire)

]\Iaster y Die: IdS Characters use th(' Riding ski ll both for riding and for handl ing horses. Success mcan~ that th (' character i~ ahl(' to perform his desired act. On a fa iled check. the hors(' resists, and the c h,II'acte r must make ;mothcr Riding ski ll check w sec \, he th cr hc retains his scat - or fa lls tQ 1he ground.

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

with no time limit and access with no time limit lI'ith a reasonable time limit II'hen distracted by surunder severe distress (such

1 ..e\'C1 Unskilled Novice

Average

Advanced

RESIST PERSUASION Rel evant Ability: Wisdom

Cost: 2 BP Uni\'ersal: Yes

Pre requ isite: None Mastery Die: ld8 This skill measures ;1 I;haraclcr's dbilit) 10 n 'sis l th e inti midati on, orati ons, parleying or other persuasive efTorts of a n opponent. Auy lime such persuasion wou ld altr:r the charact~r's a tti. tud e (such a~ a ~ucc(, S'iru [ O ration sk ill check), hI; can make a Resist Persuusion check. If succcssful, he is una(fe(tcd by this persuasion. If fail ed . hc is affec ted by the persuasion.
A successful Res ist Persuasion check adds a [0% p.>nalty to a contested Fas t -lal kin1,\" or Slick Talke r ~ki ll check.

Expert

Master

The ('haracle r cal1 Ride lI'ithout obstacles -"lake the horse walk over 2-foot- tall obstacles; lea p across up to 4-foot-wide gaps Make the horse jump over 3-foot-ta1l obstacles; leap across up to 6-foot-wide gaps; vault onto the saddle of a stationary horse Make the horse jump over 4-foot-tall obstacles; leap across up to 8-foot-wtde gaps; guide horse with knees 30 character can use two-handed weapons (e.g" long guns, 'oows); vault onto the saddle or a walking horse .l>lake the horse jump oyer 5-foot-tall obstacles; lea p aero~s up to I.Z-foot-wlde gaps: vault onto the saddle of a trotting horse; leal) from the horse's back onto any creature or object within 5 feet Make the horse jump over G-foot-tall obstacles; leap across up to L6-foot-wide gaps; vault ont() the saddle of a loping horse; leap from the horse's back onto any creature or object within 10 feet Exa milles Handling a horse with a Quiet temperament; riding in daytime with fine weather and clear \'isibility Handling an Interested horse; riding in dim light Handling a Nen'ous horse; poor weather (rain) vr darkness Handling an Extremely Nen'ous horse: riding in bad weather (fog) Hand[ing a Stubborn or Treacherous horse; riding ill seve re weather (storms)

Difficulty Trivial

Easy Average

U!\'el Unskilled

Novice

Average Adva nced E xpe rt ;\iaster

The chanCier t all ... Resist llersuasion that obviously leads to immedtate death; resist persuasion that migh~ harm family or friends Resist persuasion that might lead to speedy imp risonment; resist jl(!rsuasion that would harm acquaintances Resist persuasion tliat seem s to have no consequences Resist persuasion that seems to lead to a minor benefit Resist persuasion that seems to lead to a major benefit Resist pers uasion that seems to lead to something the character greatly desires Exa mples Target is bo und in the darkness Target is incarcerated Target is alone Target has a higher Reputation than the char acter; target is in public location surrounded by peers Target is in public location surrounded by employees or underlings

Difficult Very Difficult

ROPE USE Relevant .I\ bility; Dexterity

Cost: 2 81'
Ulliversal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: ld8 With th is ~ kiJl , thl' character bccomes progre~sivcI)" more ade p1 at the usage of rOpl. Initiall) [his involve~ simple cart~ and main h'nance (such ,.:s identifying compromi~ed streng th and 'whipping' rope ellds) as \\('11 as a bro..1.d knowledge orknot~ and th eir appropriate employment. Further advallcemcllt allows tb e f1nployment of a lariat fOr" roping cllll l.,_ This ropc "aries in le ng th from 35 lu 50 ft. At onc end of the rope is ,I runnin'O( knot by lIIt:ans of which a loop or t) oo~e is madc. Tht: loop is throWII, from as far aw;,y as 30 feet, ;.wund [he homs 0 1" th e fec t of an animal and drawn t ight. -1 0 us c il on horsebad n'qu ires adva nced skill uf th e rider " lid his horse-the pull of th (' laptu rell ;tnimal mn) throw th e rid t r's horse. or the hurse or ride r may become cntangkcl in Ih(' rop-l:. Trul y skill ed cha ra cters a re ahle 10 perform ama zing showman feats and stunt s with rope The Ropc Usc skill also conveys a 5% bonu~ (]wr le\(1 ;\00'1'1' Unskilled) to a characler's [ seap!' Artist checks inmlving ropes, such as whcn he i~ ticd up with rupe.

Oifricult y Trilrial Eas y Average Difficult

Very Difficult

RIDING Relevant Ability: Dexterity or Wisdom

Cost: 3 BP
U nh'ersal: Yes Prer equisite: None

368

t oe"" l Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

The character canH' Untie knots Tie knots, including hItches, bends, loop knots and frIction hitches Utilize a catch lariat (lasso, or la reata) for pIcketing or tethering animals Use a catch lariat (lasso, or la reata) on horseback Design and supervise the construction of a rope suspension bridge Yea rs of working with a lasso have made the character an outstanding roller and showman, His trick roping 5kill~ include lIat loops, butterflies, zig-zags, spoke-jumping, rorward and reverse ocean wal'es with jump-throughs, a giant big loop sllin and finalI)' the spell-binding "Texas skip"! Exumilles USing skill with essentially unlimited time and with personal rope Using skill in average conditlons with personal
mi'

Expert Master mtricuh y TrIvial Easy

Obtain beSt P<lssible terms a buyer/seller is lVilling to orfer Sell ice to an Eskimo Exa mples Conclude a sale in Ivhich the client receIVes terms betler than the norm Conclude a sale in which the client reeeh'es terms comparable to which he might receive elsewhere Conclude a sale which favors the seller Conclude a sale decidedly in favor of the seller Convince individual to grossly overpay for something he has no use/desire for

Average DiIflcult Very Difficult

I)irficulty Trivial
Eas~'

SE..... MSTRESS/ T AILOR

Relevant Ability: Dexte r ity Cost: 1 fip Universal: No Prerequisitc; None Maste r y Die; ldl2 lII nlerials / Tools Required: Yes Th .. dl,lracttT ,,"11 Ihi. <kill ha~ ~lUdied ho" to ~C\" mend ,.nd d ... il:'l1 dmhillj(, ,-\ "u,:cl'"lull h .... " m""lIs Ih r dKlraner su ..eet'd.. d ill th(' la~", A r.lilrd H'suh indi{ ..,t .. ~ Ihe work II,I~ bUl ehni or naw<,d In ,om!.' lIa\ and Iht 1 h.lrallrr musl Jxj;!"in ,llpin, Ir the th,lf,lct!'! ra ikd whik ~!f,1tiIlK a nrll Plt'('(", til(' fI',ultinj{ pifcI' is fuilW(L or lailor needs In.,b ~lJt.:h as ncedl"~/fl i l1~ and a thimble, lal>l: measur,', II "X, dOl hillg pall .. rns and pklll\' of matrrial (clOlh), A tablr or board (lal'g" rllough 10 I"y Ihe 1 "'lIun 11]1(111) a~ well a~ 1).'11lf'r, ~harp shcau :ul{1 II('ighl~ arl' al~o I;'ood 10 haH', A
I hr.'ad, 8( i ,~ors,
SC;lInSlrt'S~

Al'erage Ditricult Very Difficult

Using rope the character has not perst)nally selected and broken in L'sing skill in darkness; using skill in \'ery poor weather; using makeshift roi*s (vllles, etc, Using skill in darkness; using skill in I'U)' POM weather with makeshift ropes (vines, etc,)

SALESM ANSHIP

Relc\'ant Ability: Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma Cost: 7 BP Unive rsa l: Yes Prerequisite: None Mas tery Die: ldG Salesm:tn.ship is Ih,' i.lrl of Ihc {knJ. Whilr ,orne mn, di~mi~ sin'ly cn~1 il;'al4' adroil sal!'\mf'1I as di~rcpulabl(' ~nakh \\ho dr ~in' 1I01hill btU thc nc('ring of tlU' ir \'inim\ l)O(;kN', Ihi ~ i, a myupll aSSf'S~lnl'I1I, While an l'a5~ mark i~ ,ddDml~ IUrlll'd aW3\, til(' ~k i llcd opf'ralOr i~ kccu ly awan Ihal ~uclc~,full~ brokcrillt.: Ir,ln,actions is his brrad and hultcr, The profil gamered from a "<'lit'S of dcals, nonc (If \.tlith on its 0\, n ~ ields a 5tcll;lr tnMgin, can f'a,il)' uvrn,hdm a ~in"ula r ~ llIld) dl'a1. As sueh, Ihf' saluman', inlf"rc.1 lies in gauginl;' \\hat h is custOllll'r i~ wi ll ing pa~ for an ilcm and providl'd il "d,'quall:" co\'us his cosu, dosing Ihe deal. Whilr tlla,~imii:lIlg his prufit i, all,a)s Ihl' ideal rl'su ll , a s:l 1 1' lost h} a lil.'nating a r uSIOtul'f nut unl) results III 10SI I'f'\'('nue l oda~, bUI also Ihl' loss of opportunilY for rc pnlt b.. ~incs~, Thc sun:essfn l sale-small can ingrall,tle himself, pUll in,!: hIS cusal ,'a~e and hf'ncc lowl'ring his dtfellsf'~. l ie f',stnls thr virtues of his produci \1 hilc {'Ic,,{'r l) hrushing nqidt, or cuncealing atl~ inadNIUadt,s t hn>u~h hi~ surl("rior kno\\kdgr of lilt' iU' nJ \\h ile cv;tlualing hi_ t arg('l's rc~po n ~f'S hdorc ueginn ing nt'I,'U1 i:ttion"
IOlller

Level I,;nskiJled NOVIce Average Advanced

Master

T he character can.., Nvt use thIS skill. Operate seamstres!ltallvr tools: handle materials; sew bUUons Aller elQthing; repair mint'lr rips and lears Mend or patch slightly damaged clothing: fit clothmg for customers Mend severely damaged clothmg: designing a item of clothing based on an existing style Design al\d sew a new item of clothing in an original style Exa mples Rel)8.irlng clothing with access to a fully stocked workroom Alter or mend damaged clothes with access tv a fully stocked workroom Working in dim light: working in adverse condi, lions Wt)rking un clothing with \>'lor tools \\orking on clothing with makeshift tools

Dirriculty Trivial Easy

T his ~ k i l l covers I h(' ba~ics of haggli ng and u'aneriuJ; bUI can 1)1' ('xtemlcd 10 h;wdl{' an) sun of nl'!;OIialion~ in "hich itcms ur services of value an: e,'(changed, Le\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced The charader ca n'H Engage in haggJillg at his own fisc!!l !lCril Recognize a skilled salesman and opt to avoid negotiating with him Be relatively assured of the gross parameters of an offer (complete rip-orr, relatil'ely fair, total steal) Generally obtain favorable terms from a buyer/seller

Difficult Very Difficult

SE A RCHING

Relevant Ability: Wisdom Cost: 5 BP Unh'el'llul: Yes Prcrequis ite: None l\1aste ry Die; IdS Any time a dlar:lI,:le r 3Hernpts 10 locaif some t hing s]X'cific. he makrs a 5l'archiug skill check 10 do so, Thi~ ~" i ll USfS a {"(Hobin,l'

369

lion 01 a ch,lrarlf'r'~ iufcrrrd knold .. dgf, c;>.;pcricllcc, sense of direction and liO on. a~ h~ aCl ilfl) works to find ~ome lh ing. Tlw charaCler lIIust ~Ilelifieall) 'lall' tl1<Il hc is using this ski ll, a" well as "h:ll he i~ ,cardlin~ for. Afler Ill" spends an appropriate amount of t ime s.. archiIiK. ifhis roll succeeds. he find5 il (pr{l\"id. cd it ili there 10 find). If hf' fails, hf' finds nOlhillg, :'\olC th,lI this ~kill eannOl 1)1' u~ed in "Ietital comb.lt (sllch as Hill) Hoh attl'lIIpting 10 l(Xatl' b.I\lJit~ \\,utin~ 10 ambu~h him}.

Expert Master

Seduce a character into giving away a large amount of money Seduce a target into altering their last will and testament )o;xampl('t Seducing a friendly character with lesser Look! and Charisma; seducing a character in an unhappy relationship Seducing a friendly character with lesser Looks or Charisma Seducing a stranger or acquaintance Seducing a Mstile pe rson ....ith greater Looks or Charisma Seducing a sworn enemy; seducing a hallpily married character with greater Looks and Charisma

DiHkulty Trivial

Le\'el Unskilled
Novice Average Ad vanced Expert Master

The t hllrade r (an ... Fmd a lIny lhing in a small area (e.g., ring of keys in a room) Fmd a big thing in a medIUm area (e.g., trail on a hillside) Find a small thing in a medium area (e.g .. shovel on a hill!ide) Fmd a big ~hing in a huge area (e.g., herd of wild cattle on the plains) Fmd a sizable thing in II huge area (e.g .. cabin on a mountainside) Find a medium thing in II huge area (e.g .. corpse in a lorest) Examples Find something in 1)lain sight ....ith good bghtmg Find something partially obscured by other object! Fi nd something that IS camouflaged (e.g .. chest covered with blanket. cave cO'rered with branch es, ('lc.), or in dim light Fi nd some~hing that ia well hidden (e.g .. docu ment hidden in a book, gold nugget under a pile of rocks) Pind something secreted in an unusual location (e.g., inside Mlluw table lell'), among nearly Identical objects (e.g., B particular gold nugget in a pile of gold nuggets). ur 111 darkness

Easy Average Dlrficull \' ery Difficult

SET TRAPS
Re levlI nt Abil ity: Dexterity

Cost: 1tJ BP
Cnht'Tlal: ~v PrerCu isite: Nolne Mas te ry Die: IdS Materials/Tools Required: res Tlu' dl:lr;\(ltro.:;uI ~l'l Irap, .lIId makt' 'IIIMrs to catch /ojamt' animal$. II r generalll reqUiTes "ood, rolle. or other matt rials Qr I ()(ll~ nerdc" In eO IlSlnU-l I hat p.lfl il;lIlOlT Irap or snarr. Thc t rapller mu~1 roll a ~kill check ,,),('11 building Ihe trapor snare, ,lI1d an additional ~kill ( h('(k any time 11l' ~els il. If sucrC'ssful, tht' IrapoT ~na l'r \\ork~ "ht'\I tri;:li\'lrcd. i\ failed check "hen constrllnin~ rndk.llr~ IluI lilt' ~n.lrr or trap is usele~s. A failrd check "hcn ';('\lint: it IIldit,III" Ihal lilt' Ch:ITJCler sprill~5 Ihe trap, n('crssilallll" :1 1)1;)( t:hed.. i.lIlurr ;udie.llt'S that tht' charaClct ha.s iprlln~ Iht trap lUI himself!

lJiff iculty Trivial Easy Average

Ditricult

Very Ditricult

SEDUCTION. ART OF Relel'a nl Ability: Charisma or Looks Cost; I BP Un iV(!rIllll: Yes P re requisi t e: None Maste r y Oil': ldfl
A cha raC l rl' u~cs Ihi~ ~killio "scduce" mhcr ll-cr'<Ons in order In run) f:l\'ol' or gel help trol11 Ihf'111 III sonl(' WilY- For inSlann',;I lelllalt: char3(.(.'r mi'lln tl1 hf'r skill on a b..lnk gu:u-d in order 10 l.(rl her and hl'r C01111h1uiu1IS inside, 01 01 malt: t:harancr mighl charm ;\ lond} widO\\ in hopc~ ofrecellill"o; somc oflu~r la'll'e fortur1\'.

It lake~ I!l+:!dlll 1f11IIUle<, to ~et or conSl rU CI J small trap or snare. L.lrgtr 1I'.lp' 1 1('I'U ,ulO\her p~:rwn to a~~isl. and lake an addit iUllal :21' 1d' hour~ of \lnrk.
Cllal;Ktc,.~ 11 ..11 ~uccced al "n Anim::rl Lorc . kill check K"in ::r I 0'\, btll1U~ tn .tn ,m 1111'ui:lld) lol l/')\\ inl{ !':let Traps skill cht'l:k whcn .ellinl('a Ir<tp or ~na r'e (10 caplure anima ls on ly).

Le\et Unski!led Novice Average Advanced

Expert Master

Seduction can \\'or1: in lIIall\ \\:I~S. It can a!;t eit her as a di~ traction. al1mdnq olher o:haril{'I"rs to perform actions \\itholll heing nOliccd, or aS;l11 altrmpl to ",al Ihe will of a person . . \ char:lelt'r canllo t tall.. SOI11COIll' inlo killin\; himsdr. of course. no ma il er hOI, per~lIasil't IIr .tli ran i\'!' he or she i~. and he COlnnot us,' Ihis s kill in eOlu h.'11 or hilh anollll'r rhar;lC1l'T il1\'oh-ed in COlflbat. w'el Unskilled The character can... Seduce ~he target into IM!r[orming a simple favor (looking out a windo ...." paning a message to a friend, etc) Seduce a character into loaning a small amount of money Seduce II character into giving away a small amount of money Seduce a character into having sex

The chll racler can._ Not use this skill. Recall beat trailS ~o catch certain animals Set snares and tral)s to catch small game Set snares and traps to catch medium game: recognize small game snares al1d traps Set pits Ind net sua res for large creatures; recognize medIUm game Snares and traps Set man-traps and deadfalls; recognize large game snares and traps EXlmplCB Setting a tral) with excellent tools and materials in good lighting and ,vith no distractions Setting a tral) in dim light or with some distractmg noIses Selling a trap with little light or Wlth many distracting noises Setl111g a trap with poor too ls and materials; setting a trap in darkness Setting a trap with makeshift tools and malenals

Uirticullr Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

Novice Average Advanced

370

SKINNING/ TANNING

Releva nt Ability: Strength or Wisdom

Maste ry Die: IdW Mate rials/Tools Required: Yes T he chal'arter kno\\s Ih(' proper proc('dur(' to slaughte r lil'cor gam(' ;lIlimab, and to ClI! up lhe careas< to pro\'id{' the roost mral. !-Ie knous itO\\ \0 trim a\\:1) the fat, if duin:d. and ge t rid or (\"el)thing thai is inediblc. lie must have a sharp kuire (and tht 'Hlima!. of coursd in o rd er to lX'rfor m this skill. I.arge 01" Huge anilll:tl~ aho rn[lLir(' a brge hammer or simi lar tool. \\';th ;\ successful skill dlfCk. thr dl<tractcr Cilll sbuglHer IIlf ani mill or lise his other knO\.Icdg'. On a failed skill Chftk, hf docs nOI rCl!ltrnber the kn cm led~f ht nenk ur 11<' dec n:ascs the yield of ediblf tlll'at 11) half.
~toc k

Cost: 3 81'
Unh" ersal: Yes Prerequis ite: None Mastery Die: IdS Mate rials / Tools Required: Yes This ~kill involv("s n:ln<J\ing Ihe s\.;in from lin :lIlimal willi a minimum amoun l of {];Image. A faikd cht,d; indifalcs Ihal Ihe s\.;in is tOO badl) damaged or mangled, and cannot be used for making Ulher items or fOI" taxidermy. TIlt dwracler must hale a sharp knife ,1111 a dead gallic animal or Iile~ l od in order to perfor m Ihis skill. A character using this skill C;III also tan animal hidfs. A failed chl'ck tllfanS tIll" hid,' is ruined. Lewl Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master Oitficulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very DifCieult
SLAUGHTER

The character can .., Tell whether a skin or hide is too badly damaged or mangled Work with eommon Tiny animals (squirrel, etc.); Small animals (rabbit, etc.) and fish Work with eommon Medium animals (sheep, ete.) and fish; or Large animals (cow, deer, etc.) and fish Work with common Huge animals (buffalo, etc.) Work with fish and olher nonmammals (amphibians. lizards, etc.) Work with unusual creatures (jellyfish, etc.) Exa mples Skinning/tanning an animal with pro~r tools Skin/tan a common animal for the first time Skin/tan an unusual or exotic/foreign animal for the first time Skin/tan all animal with poor tools Skin/tan an animal with makeshift tools

Lo.-wl Unskilled Nuvice Al'erage Advanced Expert

~!aster

The character u n ... Recall how to slaughter animals and handle tools Remember which parts of the animal are edible Increase the >;eld or edible meat by 5%, recall what uses inedible parts of common animals ha\'e Increase the yield of edible meat by HI96; recall what uses inedible parts of unusual animals have Increase the yield of edible meat by 2t}11f, Increase the yield of edible meat by 30% Exam ples Slaughtering an animal Slaughter a common animal for the first time :ilaughter an unusual or eXOtic/foreign animal for the first time Slaughter an animal with poor tools Slaughter an animal Wilh makeshift tools

Difficulty Trl\'ial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

SLEIGHT OF HAND

Rele"lllt Ability: Dexterity

Cost: 2 BP
L" lIh'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None Mastery Oil'; Id6 Thf praniliOller of thi~ ~kill {;In ,lltcmpl minor fl'ats of i1ppartill illusion by deftly hiding it~'rns and di~traCling obser'\"ers. On a successful ski llehecl.: , Iht char;tttrr SUlrr('ds, and no ohse1"l'ers qu ile sl'e how hI' did it.

Relevant Ability: Strength or Intellige nce

Cost: 2 BP
Unh'ersal: Yes Prerequisite: None

.-

371

:T If he fail s a eheck by 10% or le$5, an) observer actively looking to SCI: how "thc Irick i. donI"" can make a Wisdom check to figure it ouL
:T On a failcd roll by 11 % 10 25%, the pract itioner of the Sle ight of Iland simply fai l ~ 10 do what he wanled.
r:T' On a roll of 26% o r more, someth ing has gone seriously and noticeably wrong (he drops all the coin5, the do\'c niu awa~ , ctc,).

Difficulty Trivial Easy Average DiCCicult Very Difficult

Examples Slick talking Slick talking Slick tal king Slick talking Slick talking nation

a close friend or aUy an acquaintance a stranger a guard a member of a hostile tribe or

SNEAKINC

Novice Average Advanced Expert Master

The characte r can_ Make a coin-sized object seemingly disappear under Icrutiny Make a coin-sized object see mingly rematerialize under scruti ny Work with a palm sized object or 23 coin-sized objects Work wIth a tiny hvmg creature (dol'e, mouse); v.'(Irk with two palm-sized objects: work with 34 coin sized objects Work with a fi st sIzed object (apple. bsll, orange); work with two tiny living creatures; work with three palm sized objects; work with 56 com sized objects Work with a backpack sized object; work with two fistsized objects; work with SIX palmsized objects: work wIth 10 12 coinsized objects Examples Puformmg sleIght of hand when no one is looking Performing sleIght of hand in very little light: performing for one person Performing sleIght of hand in good light; per forming lor 2 3 persons Performing sleight of hand ",th little c{l\'er; performmg (or multiple persons Performing sleIght on ha nd III an open space with no cover; performing for a very attentive crowd

Relenn l Ability: Dexterity Cost: 8 BP Uni\'e rsal: Yes Prerequis ite: None Mastery Die: ldf> The Snr-ak ing ~ kill leIS 11 cll:lracter movc quietly. A charactcr 111:11 ma ~ cs a successrul ~neaking c heck knows when 10 move and \,hen to stand contrktcl~ stili, and whetlu:r 0 1' not the grou nd or Ooor unde r his reet is apt tu makc noise \,'I]("n he moves. A successful ~kil1 ched rorees a pe nalt)' to an observer's Listen skill check ('qual to the amount th;1\ the successrul Sn('aking check exceeded the character'~ Snea kin l{ skill score. ..\ S UC(:l'~s ful Sn;:aki ng skill chtc k employs a 10% bonus 10 thc characlt'r's Illlnliul{ skill check.

omicult,. Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

...",
Unskilled Novice

Ad\'lneed Expert Master Difficu lty Trivial Easy Average Difficult

The cha racter can_ Sneak through a room WIth loud noises a nd a crowd of people moving a bout Sneak th rough a room with several people talking and walking about Sneak through a room with a few people talking and occasionally moving a round Sneak through II room where noise occurs infrequently Sneak through a quiet room Sneak through a qUIet room WIth a creaky rloor Examples Sneaking in a noisy crowd or storm Sneaking m a strong wind Sneakmg in a small talking crowd or bustling street Sneakmg over light wind or murmured conver satton Sneakmg in a qUIet room

SUCK T.-\LKER

Releva nt Ability; Intelligence or Charisma Cost: 4 BP Unh'ers ul: No Prerequisite: None jUal:l tery Die: Id4 A c haracter able to t:mploy this skill speaks with s ubt l~ nuances, tact ieal ]lall SC~, and ;1 511100t h, lilting \'(lC.ll tone 10 lure a person int o rt\'ealing himselr. With II successful skill check, Ihe character coax('S a nd clllicc$ his conve r5111ionai partner 10 reveal fa r mort than he had e\'~r jnt~ndcd. On a fa iled check, Ihe target d(H::s not di\'UIgc the desired inrormation. A ~ u(:(:e 5s rul Resist Pcnua.sion ehtck adds a 10% penalty 10 II contestcd Slick Talke r skill check. Le\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master The character can_. Not use this skill. Tel! whether his subject i! lying Tell the person's general intent; find out roughly what his s ubject plans to do next Know the names of all the subject's com panions Know how much wealth the subject has Know where subject keeps his wealth, maps; know the location to any important sites

Very Difficult

SOCIA L ETIQUETTE

Relc\'ant Abilil)': Charisma Cost; 4 BP Unire rsal: No Prerequis ite: None Mastery Die; 1d6 This skill gi\<cs the characttr a corn:ct unders landing of titles use "'htl1 addressi ng a duke,judgc, chief, scnator or president. thc proper steps of cerc nto n) 10 grccl visiting diplomats, gestur('s 10 a\'Oid in the pr('scl1I'e of ho! tilc nationalities, CIC. To kllQ\\ Ihe proper ~oc ial l ti(IU I:I1C in 11 situation, Ihe charaCle r must succced al the Social EliquclIc skill chcck. On a failurt', the citaraO:ler docs not reed I the desired information .
10

Le\'C1 Unskilled Novice

The character can,_ Not use this s kill. Avotd making obscene or hostile gestures

372

Average Advanced Expert Master

Use the correct tableware; know the proper clothing to wear Recall obscure rules of etiquette speCIfic to own state Recall standard rules of etiquette specific to another stale Recall obscure rules of etiquette specific to another st.ate or closely related country Example! Understanding of the proper forms of behavior and address required in character'lI social class Understanding of the proper forms of behavior and address for SOCIal class one or two steps away from character's social class Understanding of the proper forms of behavior and address (or social class three or four steps away from character's social elass Understanding of the proper forms of behavior and address for social class five or six steps away (rom character's sllcial dass Understanding of the proper forms of behavillr and address for sllcial class seven or eight steps awa)' from character's social class

Master

simple atone carvings like leuermg and columns Build a very attractive section of wall I-Coot-thick, 8 teet long, and 6 feet high in one day; build attractive section! in 8 hours; build nice-looking sections in (; hours; build plain sections in 4 hours; craft beautiful carvings, flourishes, etc, Examples Building Iln Building on Building on Building on Building on

Dirrieulty Trivial Easy

DiUieulty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

SU RVIVAL

a strong stone roundMion packed earth loose earth a slope unstable ground (marsh)

Average Difficult

Rele\'lInt Ability: Constitution, Intelligence, or Wisdom Cost. 7 BP Unh'e r8al: Yes Prerequis ite: None Mas tery Die: Id6 This ~kill 3llol'> a lharilctcr HI h:l\"( a chance ofsurvh'al in hostile environments. He knows the dangcrs each envirolUllenl presenb_ parlicul:ui) the \\eJ,thcr. He also kiWI'S the proper ~te ps to lesUllthc risk of expo~ure and the methods to locat .. and gathe r potable I'ater and hO\. to find basic food (whcther II is ap pctizing is nol guaranteed). Furthermore, a ChJrdfler with Ihis skill ran ililtruCI and aid others III till' samc ~it ll :lIion. When using thi~ skill to forage ror food or watl'r, thc charaCler OIIlSI roll a skIll check. ,.\ succcssfu l check means Ihat the cha!":lC h-r was succc8sful in hi5 task. If he fa i l~ his check, he can nlake no more Survival checks t hai da).
w "el Unskilled

Very Difticult

" or t-t'amplt, It'ttI/lll)- ranth ou:n" jo,t Soncht<. (1M Lppn _1J,ddlt Clau rharOl/") ml!)' nlokl' 0 d;iif e",d, 10 rt(of{ propn sociol (liqU(11r I<'''m mUIing a duu (a" l"ppn L"ppn Clau dlara"l'ri. &<au~ L'.IIG iJ Ihru ~'ll'ps ~ Ol('o;Ironr (,.'(:C (O llt j/rpfrom .:.I IC 10 Lce. on' dtp fivlll LCe 10 .\ICC, ami 0111' J/tpfrom ,IICC 10 CCC),jfJJt' lfIus/lPloh an AUfclg( ."nt. St"t' Tablt 6.-I-8;SoclfIl CloJJ in Chap/tf 6.-1 IDl/ullrtl ChQrn(/a Bcld:grouuds

for cljullliJ/jl1A ojnK;Ql t/lW '"Sltps. ~

Keep in mind that the dlaraCter shou ld still rolcplay any social cm:ounten_ A suoctSsful skill check only gil'es him the knowledge - he ilia) sli ll conduct himsdf hOI'clef he sets fit.
STONEMASONRY

Relevan l Ability: Strength Cost: 2 BP Ullh-e rsai: No Prerequisite: NOlie Mastery Die: IdlO

or Intelligence

NOVIce Average Advanced Expert Master Difficulty Trivial

.,,-

The character CBIl. __ Remember typical weather and dangers oC ~nl'ironmenl (s wamp, desert, high mountains, etc) Determine approXimate time of day and direction (N_ S_ E, W) by viewing sun, atars, mos& on tree!,

MateriulslTools Required: Yes A characte r uscs the Stoncmasollry ~k ill to prepare and lay hard a nd soft SlOne, marble, concrete block/dab and an)' othcr mason ry rnau; rials, fo r building 01' repairing stone strUC1Ure~, walls and monumental ma.'lOnry (~lOn c work for cemeteries). A succf'ssful skill check mcans tilat the stoncmason completes his task, "hile a failed skill check ind icates tha t the m;"lsonl) lak..;s III icc as long n, normal 10 complete.
~ote t ha i unusual and morc complicated items (a house, for examplr) require plans prepared b) a character "ilh Ihe Engineering Design skill .

Forage enough food and water for one character/day Avoid natural hazards (qUIcksand, ]loison ivy, etc) Forage enough food and water for two characters/day Forage enough food and water for 3 :;; characters/dar Example. Sun'i\;ng in lush, game-filled forest with several water sources Sunil-ing in Corest or plaills with abundant game and few water sources Surviving in region with occuional game and at least aile water source Survive in region with little food or water SUrl'ivmg in a region of extreme cold or heat WIth I-ery little food and water (e.g., Death Valley)

Average Difficult Very Difficult

u.we l Unskilled Novice Average Advanced

Tile chan'cler can _ Not use this skill Cut stone; operate mason's toots; handle mate rials Build a plain section of waB I-foot-thick, 8 Ceet long, and 6 feet high in one day Build II nice-looking section of wall I-foot-thick, 8 feet long, and 6 feet high in one day; build plain sections in 8 hours Build an attractive section of wall I-Coot-thick, 8 feet long, and 6 feet high in one day; build nice-looking sections m 8 hours or plain section! in 6 hours: craft

SWIMMING

Relevant Ability: Str ength or Constitution Cost: 1 BP Ul1h'e rsai: No Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: Id12

373

Thi, ~kill pro,iurs th,' ciWr;u. lrr "ilh basi( and adl~mclfl knm\lnlgt 01 1'01\ IO-'.I,im. Wilh a ~uccc~$ful ~kill chcck, lhc char-actc-r ~lIccc~ds in his aile-mill. On a f,ultd ch~ck, Ihe characler makes.1 bad dile. ~al1l1ot relli"\e ,111 object. or ulhcl"lIi"e mmt immedi;lI r ly ~\(Ip .l.1I~ dirc-("\inn;11 11l0wmcnl. If. afltr a failed cherk, thr char.lctt'r i~ uII:.blr to imlll("diald\ "alk OUI of Ihl' Wal("l; III' must .lItempl ,11101 her ~wll11l11in~ ,:herk ch~ck 10 noal or tread \\all'r. If Iht' charaut"r 1.lils Ihis ,<,cond check. or had alre'lll) failed a clin k fOI llo.lling'tH;I(.tiu\,\, Ill: he.;im 10 uro\,n. lakins;: 1d3 ,JOim, 01 dalllilgt' for cn'l"I 6 second~ he remains undcr.,";l\t'"

Expert

Master

Transmit or receive a complicated message of 50 words or less; transmit a standard message of any length Transmit and receil'e a complex message of any length Examples Working with equipment y\JU built from scratch Reaching a telegraph operator )'Qu contact of len Working with ramiliar equipment Undentandlllg shorthand (abbreviated) Morse code menages from a familiar telegraph opera tor; piecing together broken transmIssion Understanding shorthand (abbreviated) Morse code messages from an unfamiliar telegraph OIICral(lr: piecing together garbled transmission

()iffitulty Trh'ial Easy Average Difficult

"",I Unskilled
Novice Aveuge

Advanced

Expert

Master

Tht t'harade r (8n_. Not use this skill. Tread water (l min): backfloat; use floatation (log, etc.) t o sWIm 25 ft on stomach Tread water (5 mm); front/back crawl or breaststroke IOU ft at crawling speed; underwater swimming 25 ft at crawling speed Tread water (20 min); front/back crawl or bl"eaststroke 500 yds at crawling speed; breaststroke 50 yds at walking speed: underwater swimming 75 n at crawling speed; cannot drown in Average difficulty condItions Tread water (I hour); frontlback crawl or breast stNke 16SU yds at crawling SlICed: breaststroke IOU rds at walking speed: underwater swimming 2QO ft at crawling speed: cannot drown unless two or more Difficult/Very Difficult conditions exist Tread water (~ hrs); front/back crawl or breast stroke 6,0l.I0 yrda (I nautical mile) at crawling speed: breaststroke 250 yds at walking speed; underwater swimming SW ft at erawling speed: cannot drow n unless two or more Very Difficult conditions exist
Eumples Swimming in a shallow pond Swimlning in a calm lake S\\'imming in a ~Iow-moving rIver Swimmmg I!I chllPPY water: s\\'imming in street clothing Swimmmg in frigid water: in crashing waves; against 5trong current: moderately laden

Very Difficult

TRACKING Re lel'a lll Ability: Wisdom Cosl; 9 BP Unh'ersa l: Yes Prereq uis ite: None Mastery Die: ld-l
Ihi, ,kill \1110110" the Irail of anima ls and Olhl'r put.;t \1I~u~,f\l1 Tra(kinl{ skill check meaus Ihe ,-haracct'"r found a Irail. whilt"" railurr m('all~ he did no\. If thl' charaner fails lhi ~ initial skill dleck. 11(' can make another Tr:.cking ~kill check prondcd that hc spc'nds al ka~1 30 minUln altt'mpling to pick up Ihe lrail again. If ht fails lhi~ ~erund ~kill (I!lck. ht' e:.nnOl 1Il.lke an) mure Tracking skill rhed(J!; 10 fimllh.ll p.1rlilulJr trail Chaf.K\t'rs
pcrson~. ~impl)U~I-

nitfic-ull y Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Dirticult

Ir;oi1 hit, bn'lI found. funhrr Tracking skill I;hcck~ on Ihe .iluation. Dilrkness, fa.llin~ r"in ~II" ,n"".,1 dUll 'IOrm, moving frolll one terrain 10 anOlher (.udl .J.~ from s;lIId III nJolk). one trail ~pli \ling ofT 10 form 11m Ifail,. 01" fr,)"ing a ~Irf"am or nH"T ,Ire alltxarnplrs "h~ a ~hHr aCler mi~llI n('1"(1 \0 r1l.1kt" auulltl"I" Tr,\Cking ~kill check. OnH
111;1\

th~

b4'

llt"lr~',11'" dqX'lI{lill~

TEU:GRAPH OPERATING Re ltlYa nt Ability: Intelligence Cost: 4 BP Uni\'ersa): No Prerequisite: Reading Comprehension/I\mmanship 90% or better Mastery Die: Id8 Mate rials / Tools Required: Yes
:\ eharacll'r wilh chi~ skill kno,,~ ~Iors(' cooe, and C'.I1l opt'r:lCI' tdc!:,ra ph cquil>meru, :lUrmpt 10 transmit and rectivc mcs~ages (b\ key and by ear. re~IJl'cti\"(~h), ami l'\'cn 11"1 IU repair l'U\ or downed Idcl;raph 11I11'~. Brfau.r trilins arc dlsp;ueht'(1 by It'lc~ graph. lrainf'd Irlf"gr.lph olX'ralon <Ir(' required \() manag(' 0111\ teif"graph officI'. 01' ro lli~ion " lIliHoutl'd packagl's or olher probltms can .. ,lsi II rt'~lIh . .\ succe~~fu l skill cheek is required II) pnIcc!l~ sl'nd or 10 rl'ct'ill';1 1,'lt'"graph IIltS"U~('. Le\'e l Unskilled Novice Al'erage Advanced The character t'a n ... Not use this skill. OIICrate telegraph equipment; understand Morse code. Tran smIt or receive messages of 10 words or less. Transmit or receive messages of 50 words or lessi knolV how to repair cut or downed telegraph lines.

Lc"el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert

:l.laster Di(fit'ultr Trivial Easy Average Diffieult

The charac ter CIlI1 Roughly identify the number of creatures being followed Determine the awroximate weIght/size of the creatures being tracked Determine the approximate height of the creatures being tracked (based on the length of their stride) Determine phYSical attributes (weak leg. worn horseshoes, etc) Exactly identify the number of creatures being fol lowed, recognize tracks or prmts of a spedfic crea lure or indIvidual seen at least twice before Recognize tracks, fooqlrints or bootprints of a creature or indil'idual seen only once before EXAmples Trackmg the tracks of a large groull through the snow Tracking through thick brush. vines or reeds; tracking on soft ground Tracking \\"Ith occasional signs of passage (011 dust. dIrt, etc) Tracking on hard ground or wood floor; \Vlth poor lighting (moon or starlight): O\'er 12 hours since the trail was made Tracking.a single penon over rocky ground; tracked party atte mpts to hide trail, over 2-1 hrs since trail was made

Very Difficult

371

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375

-"

--

VENTRILOOUI$M Relennt Ability: Intelligence Cost: 8 BP Unh'ersa l: Yes Prerequis ite: None Mastery Die: Id4 The character using t his skill has learned the secrets of"thrO\IinK hi~ \-oicc.~ Although not aetuall) making sound eOllle from some\lhere cls(', the <;haLlclt:r can d('cl'in- others into bdicving this to be so. Wht'n using v~'lltriloqn i sm, Ihe 5UPI)()sed source of 11 ll' sound must 1 >1.' r~lativel> dOSt' to thl' ch"ractcr, Th(' nature of the spea kin gobj~ct and ti lt" \Visdom of t hose wa~ehing<;an modif) the ch"raCler's c/);t nCl' of succcss. Thc obSt'n'('r's Wisdom mod ifics thi~:., shown in the difficult> cx;unple table.

w 'el l:nakiUed Novice A\'erage Advanced E:qJerl Master

The character call... ~!ake a \'utce come from a puppet on his lap, but his lips move llake a voice come from a large crowd of people Make a votce come from a handful of people llake a single IJerson (PC or NrC) appear to !peak llake an animal aplJear to speak Make an obviousl~' inanimate object (a book. mug, etc.) talk Exnmplca Target has Target has Target has Target has Target has

Difficu lty Trivial Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

a a a a a

Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom

of of of of of

2 or less 3,5 6-8 9-16 17+

A succes~ ful skill cll('ck mean, the charactcr sliccessfulJ> dcccil"t:d his audicnce, Onl' cheek must be made for C'\-ery senlence or responsl'. 11ll' charatter is limited to sounds he could normalh mak(' (Ihu~, tIlt" rO:lr of a lion is somewhat Ix-yond him). lie is also limitcd to sl>caking onh languages he kno"s.
Sillee vclllriloquism relics on deception. people's knowledgc of :md assumptions :lbou! "h:l! should :lnd should not talk, it is not (,ffecti\c UII anim;lls. r urthennore. the audience must be walching Iht ch:lraCler ~inC"(' IMTI of t h~ dccepl ion is visual (-I ley, his lips tlon't mo\Cn.
~1)Cech,

WEATHER SENSE
Rclc\'a llt Ability: Wisdom Cost: 3 BP Un h'crsa l: Yes Pre requisite: None Mas tery Oie: ld4 'nlis skill t'ni.OIt'S tilt' rharactt"'r 10 makt"' imelligtlll guesses about upcoming I,eather contli, iolls. A successfu l skill check mt'ans tht, character has corn:ctl> guessed thc general \Ieatlwr condit ions in Iht next six hours ...\ f:liled check me:lllS that he h:ls no i<lt';1 .. ha t the future IH'mher \\i ll be like. For (;\('1) ~ix hou rs 01 obsen'ation, the charaCier gains a 5% bonus to his Wt'ather Sen~e ~k ill check (as he \.:\tches the "<::llhcr change, tilt' Chi'lraCtc r gclS a bener SCllse or\lha, is coming). T his 1Il00!ific l" is cumulativc Ol'er multiph- six-hOllr periods of obst:r\"ation, :1!though sleep or other acti\'ity ~hat occupies thc

Usi ng IIll' \\.-ntriIO(luism ~ki ll 10 gC I )omeon~ to look behind him don nUl work. sinc(' the voice is not actually behind him, .,\11 but those \lith tilt' gullibilit) of children or Ihe extremely foolish rcalil.t"' "h:1I is trul) happt'ning in tht"' C:ISC of animals or inan imate objccts. T hey may be :lIliuscd - or Iht) may not be.

376

llttell\ ion of the character for a [oug period negall'S any aeeumulau'd bonus,
Le\"e[

Lewl

Unskilled Novice A\'erage Advanced Expert Muter

Unskilled Novice Average Advanced Expert Master Diffkulty Trivial

The chllracle r clln determine,_ Current or obvious wenher (feel rain falling, see great tornado funnel lening across the plains) I mminent weather (note mass of dark storm clouds on the horizon) Looming weather (spot a gathering of a few storm clouds) Impending weather (feel change in winds) Approaching weather (notIce slight drop/increase in temllerature) Forthcoming weather (notice slight drOp/increase in pressure) EXllmplcs Character is outdoors in the middle of a wide open platn: on a mountain top Character is outdoors under a tent Character in a building with few windows Character in a building with no windows Character is underground

The I!haracler can", Not use thIS skill. Operate a loom and spinning apparatus; handle materials, Create a half square yard of materiaVday Create one square yard of materiaVday; weal'e a eopy of a garment/rugletc with an example in hand Create tWO square yards of materiaVday: design a garment/rug/etc based on drawings Create four square yards of maleriaVday; design II nOl'el garment/rug/etc, of your own design Exanlples Weaving with access to a fully stocked workroom Working in dim light; working in II noisy environment Working with poor fabric Weaving with ]lOor tools and equipment; work ing with makeshift fabric Wearing with makeshift tools and equipment

Difficulty Trivial Easy A ...erage Difficult Very DifCicult

Easy Average Difficult Very Difficult

WEAVING
Relevant Abi lity: Dexterity or Intelligence Cost I BP Unh-enal: No Prerequisite: None Mastery Die: IdS Materials/Tools Required: Yes
A characte r ust's 11ll' \\'cavinl{ skill 10 crt'ate garments, rugs and so forth from wool fir rollOIi. Tht' ehara('ler rt'qui re~ a spinn illg I'lleel and:. loom. Wt'a\"('r~ ofIt'll "ork Ililll millincr~. On a successrul Wca\ing check, the (harartl'r ~"ccct'ds in the task. A failed result indicale~ Iht' "ork "<IS botched or na"t'd in some \\;1\ and I lie resulting pirn' i, IOorthlns,

377

Chapter 6.41 Talent Descriptions

he following tatellt d escr iption s arc arranged ;:l lphabctically by name. Th e bo ld h eading for cadi tal e nt gives the name of the talent and t he Building Point COSI. Th e descrip ti on Text g ives a general outline o f what a character with that panic ular talent knows a nd can do. FUr! hcrmorc. some talell! descriptions include rul es to cover specific lISCS or si tuati ons , or exact in st ructions on the effects of the talent if sliccessfu ll y used.

Furth er more, th e character retains the capability to usc s kills that would normally be lost in darkness (e.g. Tracking) although th e effectiveness of these a rc reduced by one-half (s kill chec ks arc made at half the no rmal score, e tc.). Blind -sh ooting d ocs not grant any s pec ial prot ection from altacks.

COURAGE (10 BP)

Courageous characters have the ability to beller cOl1lroltheir "right or nighl" response to d a ngerous situations. Such a characte r receives a-4 bonus to avoid ninching or duck in g bac k behind cover. Those with Ihe Courage lalel1t are neve r forced nee a gunright due to wounds regardless of I he c haractcr's Re putation.
to

ADVANCED SIGHTING (70 BP)

Those with th is !al en! possess an uncanny sixth se n se with regards to marksmanship. Through a combination of intuiti on and natural anlnilY, these rare individua ls ca n shoot at a level wholly unexpected from someone wilh their physical skill s, training and experience. A charac te r thal is off target wi t h a shot 1101"mallydraws o ne card lOdelennine hit location. A character with this talent maydra\\" two cards and choose what he thinks is the beller of Ihe two.

CRACK SHOT (50 BP)

C rad shots sim pl y have a good eye for precision shooting and receive a + I bonus to their Accuracy. This talel1l docs not encompass a broad knO\dedge or marksmanship, however, and so the bonus is lost \'crsus targe ts o\'er 30 feet awa}'.

ASTUTE OBSERVATION (SO BP)

Characters with tbi s talent notice what's going on around them, and are quick 10 spot details lhat could be importan t. V\'here other cha racters only "sec," he "obse rves." A c ha racter with this lalelll ca n s pot ajournalist by th e imprints in hi s sleeves and the ink stains on his fillger, a pugilist by his cau linower ca rs, a miner by his calluses and upper bod y muscles, :lJld so all. He also noti ces strange odors, tastcs and textur es with no need for a s kill chec k. H e has a I in 3 c han ce \0 noti ce traps and concealed doors. A GM informs the ch a rac ter any time th e re is some thing su btly askew that a c haracter might notice, even if he did not s pecifically s tate that he is sc rutini zing hi s s urroundings.

DAMAGE BONUS (75 BP)

Characters with thi s talent havc a distinct ability to make any injury they cause count. A punch to the face becomes a punch to Ihe nose \dlile a shot to the chest invariably manages {Q s trik e close r to a vital organ or artery. None of this is planned, the c hara c t er simply ge ls uncanny resulls from his weapons. Th e cha racte r receives a + I bonus 10 d amage in all circumstances (brawlin g. hand-t o- h and com bat or with firearms).

DEAD EYE (50 BP)

Throug h a combination of keen eyesight and prac ti ca l knowled ge oflraj cc torics, the Dead Eye charac ter can mit igate th e disparaging effects of distance on Accuracy. Any targct over 30 feel away is treatcd as if one range grouping closer. For exam pl e, a ta rge t 3 1-50 feet away (-4 penalt y) is treated as 21-30 fect (-2 penalty), a target

BLIND-SHOOTING (45 BP)

A charact e r with a talent for blind-shOaling IS capa ble of adequate marksmanship in conditions of poor or no li ght. Th e character surfel's only half p e n alties ( rounded down) for shOa l ing in poor lighting con dition s.

378

5 1-90 ree t awa y (-8 pe nalty) is treat ed as 3 1-50 rcc t awa y (-4 pe nalt y), and so on .

foot\\ork, (.\'o te tha t thi s ta le nt docs no t imbu e th e c ha ract e r with th e abilit y to aC lu a ll y d od ge bull e ts.) As usua l, t he Acc uracy pc nalt y fo r thi s dod gin g cha rac te r co mpo und s Wilh a n)' o lh e r ACf.:uracy modifi c r fo r mo\'c mc nl. Fo r exa mpl e , a dod g in g c harade I' wilh thi s lat c nt (-4- to hil ) moving a l a run (-I 10 hi t) has a co mbin ed pe na lt y of -8 to Ih e shoo te r's Acc ura cy, Of co urse, if I he dod ging c ha rac tcr is movin g direc t I)' towa rd 01' .a wa y fl'om t1 1(' s hoo tcr. t he -4- fo r ru nni ng does not a ppl )' si nee t he r un nc r is movin g a I less I ba n 3 0 degrees rela ti \'e to th e s hoo t e r.

DEADLY SHOT (50 BPj

Th e Dea dl y Sh o t , unlike d10se with the Da mage Bo nu s ta lc nt , is consc io usl\' aware of a na tom y and can e mp loy th a t kn owl edge to hi s ad va nt age. All wo und s ca used by thi s c haracte r in cre ase by on e in Seve ri ty Level as he is a bl e to be ll e r hit his target 's more vuln e ra bl e po rti o ns. Kotc th a t lhc rc is no corres pondi ng inc rease to I-I Ps of dama ge , just seve rit y leve l o r I he wou nd .

DODGE (25 BPj

C ha rac te rs with th e Dod ge talent possess an ac robat 's fin esse and agili ty when a tt e mptin g to cam oun age t h e ir move me nt u nder fi re. \Vh e n ac tivel y dod g ing, th ei r moves a r c so une x pec tedly quick that ShOO ll'/'S suITe I' a -4 pe na lt y to th e ir Acc uracy in st ead of the sta ndard -2 aga in st dodging dara ct e rs , II c mu s t be ac t ivel y dodgi ng to ga in th e defe nsive bOllll s provid ed by his fa nc}'

ENDU RANCE (15 BPj

A c harac ter wi t h t hi ~ ta lent ha s e nh a nced res ist a nce 10 fa li ~ lI c, Whe t her thi s is Ihroug h m e ntal to ug hn ess o r j usl beca usc hc's on t lo ugh so n-of- .. -bite h is not ele"I', but .l ehu:lc t e r wilh a I:tl e lll fo r e nd ura nce ca n last longe r in a fi g ht, tra\'cl longt'l witho u t res t ing. requ ircs less food and \\:llt'r and so on.

379

Wi t h respect to a ll fatigue-related actIVItieS, th is characte r 's Constitution be haves as if it we re 4 po ints highe r.

GREAT AMBIDEXTERITY (25 BP)

A charac ter wit h th is tn le nt can usc either his left or rig ht hand equa ll y well fOl" weapo ns, writing, etc. He does not receive the + 1 Speed penalty common to other ambidextrous cha racte rs. Ambid ex trous c haracte r s no rma ll y sufTer a + [ Speed pe nalty. as they often hesitate 1'01' a fraction of a second, as t houg h choos ing whi ch hand to use.

FAN FIRING (35 BP)

A characte r with the fan firing talent has thoroughl y mastered th is difficult (and usually wholly inaccura te) fir ing technique. As such, he suffe rs a mere -3 pena lt y to his Accuracy ins tead of the standard -6 whe n performing this ma nellver.

GRIT (50 BP) FAST HEALER (10)

T he fast healing ind ividual is blessed with a body capable of heali ng faste r than normal. He regains hit poin ts a t a fas ter rate than normal. Each wound point hea ls, except the final point. one day faster than normal. T he final point hea ls in just 12 ho urs instead of one day.
For eHlII/ple, a 3 lip 11'011lld 10 /lit arm I/ormally ,aku six (3+2+ /) days 10 heaL, Ihreeftr liJefml point healed. Iwoftr Ifle l/e,\'1 alld olle/or the lasf j)oilii. A characler with Fast H ealer would recover illjus( three and a half dap (2+ I +0.5).

A character wi t h this talent halves all Speed and Accuracy pe nalties from wounds, rounded down . For examp le, a characte r who has suffered 2650% of t heir HP in wo unds normally has penalties 01' 3 Speed and -2 Accuracy. A cha racter with Grit who has suffered 26-50% of t heir HP in wounds hns pe nalt ies of I Speed and -I Accuracy.

GUARDIAN ANGEL (30 BP)

T h is ta lent has nothing 10 do with being a god fearing person. In fac l, as Texa s ~..\ cGraw says, ';.l1ostfolks aill't selJoot in a ch urch since the da)' they beell dUl/ked. What 's plain as lite nose oll)'erJace is Ihal WlIll'l/flt"f keeping all eye 011 'em - 1101 100 dose an lJ'e mil/(/ )a. hut all eye regardless. Seems as Ihough lltar eu~)'lhil!g bad 'af coulda hap/Jelled (0 'em JUre ell/if! couida helm l!'orSl' afltr'1/ )'a hearf/lhe lale." All injuries susta in ed by the characte r are redu ced by one in wound severity leve l. For cxnmple, a character who sufrers 7 points of dam age st ill takes that amount of damage, but suffe rs only the \"rou nd Severity penalt ies listed for 6 point s of damage.

FORGETTABLE FAC E (25 BP)

Something abOllt this c hara cte r's appt'a ran ce simply l)l'e\'e nts him from st icking in people's minds. Unless he engages in rnenningful co nversation \\'ilh someone, other pe rsons only have a 10% cha nce 10 recall specific dctails about the character's face. If a c haracter d id have a meaningrul conve rsation , h is base chance to remember spec ific detai ls about t hai "rorgettable' fa ce is 85%. Th is chance ca n be modified by circumstances, as noted here:
rJr

H ig h motivation

+5% +5 %

HEARTY (50 BP)

A c haract e r with this talent takes one less poilll of damage when struck by a ranged attack . For example, a character who wo uld normally suffer 6 poin ts of dnmage takes only 5. He uscs th e \-Vound Sever ity ta ble column for the actual damage he suffered (5 ins tea d of 6).

:T Each prev ious encou nt er

tT' Eac h week s in ce last meeti ng -1%

GREASED LIGHTNING (20 BP)

T his c haracte r is ex t ra quic k. T his talent gives him a - I Speed bonus ro r one spec ific weapon class: pistol, shotgu n, rifle, knire, bow and arrow, and so on. T h is ta lent may be purchased mulLipie times fo r difre re nt weapons.

HIP SHOOTER (25 BP)

A charac ter with th is ta lent is prac t iced a t hip shooting . He red uces his Accu racy penalty fo r hip shooting 1O -2 ins lead of -4.

3811

HIT POINT BONUS (10 BPj

A charac te r with (hi s tal e nt receives hi s s ia ning hi t point s.

drin k's Tole ra nce Factor. Sec Chopin 5.7 ]Dr;Tlki ll '

+ Id 4

to

& Drugs for more informal io n.

IMPROVED ARC OF FIRE (IS BPj HOLD YOUR L10UOR (10 BPj
Some folk s juSt hold their liquor beller than othe rs. Th e)' don ' , gCI morc or ne ry afler a few belts o f whi s key, 1101' do they pa ss OUI 100 quick. T he charac l t:r is far less susceptibl e to intoxicat io n. For purpos es of resistance 10 alcohol. Ih(' c ha rac ter gains a +2 bonu s o n ro ll s ::against the The cha racter \\ ilh this talent is more capa bl e of Irick sh ots (accurat e ly firi n g in another dirce. lion ). '-Ir s uffe rs no Accura cy penalty for li rin g in Arc B, a - J Acc ura cy penalty for fi ring in Arc C, and a -3 Acc uracr penall ), for firing in Arc D.

INHER ITANCE (10+ BPj

SOIll{' ch aracl c rs were born wilh a s ilver spoon in their moulh . Fo r each BP spell l 10 purchase th is lal('111 ( minimum 10 81'), th e c ha ra cter re(eiws an additio nal 10 of sla rting money,

lACK RABB IT SPEED (10 BPj

foot~d than mos\.

1\ ( haraelt' l hilh thi s ta le nt is more fleet li e can Sian at a run ( rather than at a jog), and l:an halt a run ur "'pr int ",ice a" fa1!t as normal (5 feel
1)\'(' , '

a:> CO U llt),

KENTUCKY WINDACE (45 BPj

"Ke ntucky windage," or s impl~ "windage," is a m e thod of firin g where Ihe shooter delibe ratel y a im s arT-target to com pe nsat e for a ll1o"ing targe t, \\ ea tlwr condition s, or jllst a bad sig ht on th e rinc, When s hOal ing, a c haract e r no rmall y draws 011(' ca rd 10 de te rmine hit location. A character wil h t hi s ta le nt may choose to redraw thi s ca rd , but if he docs so he I11l1st use the seco nd ca rd drawlI - \\het hc r it is be tl er 01 ' worse than Ilw fir st.

MOUNTED MARKSMANSHIP (40 BPj

I

Charant'rs wilh Ihi s talent reduce penalits for ~ hoo tin g on ho rse back, H e suffers a nI ) a -I Accural:Y penalt) when moutHed o n a wa lkin g horse, <J ( pist o l) or -5 (lo ng gu n) whell trO ll ing, and -2 (p istol ) or ~4(lo ng gun) \\ he n lopi ng or gallopin g,

,,

PERCEIVE TENDENCY (10 BPj

A c ba racle r wilh t hi s la lent gains a -I bonus 10 Ini li ativt ro ll s in a s howdown o r due l. No te

3!::1 1

that the gunfight must involve the character an d one othe r opponen t where each is about LO take ac t ion suc h as when one c ha rac te r realizes the othe r has chea ted in cards or in a classic street fight.

SPRINTER (30 BPJ

T his lal e lll means a charac ter is capa bl e of amazing bursts of speed . H e can sprint for 10 secon ds (100 COUllt) per hOLir. All o th er rules for sp rintin g apply.

QUICK AIM (40 BPJ

Thi s talent arro rds the characte r th e ability ror quick er aiming. He reduces th e lime it takes 10 Aim a weapon by half. Thi s talent applies on ly to standard Aiming, not 10 Fir ing Delib erately or ta king Carerul Aim, ro r example.

TOUGH AS NAILS (15 BPJ

Thi s character just seems toughe r than his comrades. Attempts to SlOp internal bleeding arc mad e with a (D irficult) H ea ling c he ck (instead of Very D ifficult). Even if he rails, the character's Consti tu tion chec k is made at a penaity correspo ndin g to only hall' t he severity or the wOLlnd (roun d up). Furthermore. ror e\'ery 5 points or illlcrnal bleeding a character surfers, t he cba racle r makes his Constitution check ve rsus hi s Con score (instead or haIr his Con score, as is normal).

QUICK THINKING (10 BPJ

Quic k thinke rs arri\'e at conclusions and understanding more errectively than most. This gives them an errective + I bonus on all Inte ll ige nce and Wisdom checks, Though it docs not arrect their actual Ability Scores.

RAPID RELOAD (10 BPJ

A c haracter with this talent is skilled at re loadin g firearms. He can reload twice as fast as a normal c harac ter.

VETER AN GUNFIGHTER (10 BPJ

YOllr charac tcr's been involved in a gun fight at some point in his pas\. The cxact details or this scume ain't rightly imponanl, 'except th at yo u sun'ived the arrair. This character begins play with one gunfight survIwd and any rurther gunfighTS adds to that total. A player that c hooses this talent for his cha racter must create a backstory detailing the prio r gunfighl.

REPUTATION BONUS (35 BPJ

Something abo ut thi s character just inspIres folks to talk about him. H e gains an additio nal + I to Reput at ion ror every 10 poin ts ga in ed.

RESIST DISEASE/ INFECTION (10 BPJ

T he cha racter has an unusually erfect ive immune sys tem. Any H ealing chec ks performed on this cha ract e r for th e purposes offirs t aid are made a s Eas)' difficulty H ealing ski ll checks (instead o r Average difficulty).

WEAPON BONUS (50 BPJ

This character's II bit s harper than most when it comes to using his prererred weapon type. There's them Tha! Caval' the pistol, ot hers t he lon g guns, and then there's the varmint WiTh a bowie knife ready to discuss that lucky st reak you been havin g at th e table. \Vhat eve r t he weapon, you can be da l'll sure hc's a bit betle r'n you I' average cowpoke aT using it. The characte r ga ins a + I Accuracy bonus when using a speci fi c weapon type (p istol, rifle, shot gun, primitive hand-to-hand weapon, 01' prim itive ran ged weapon) c hosen by t he player. T his talenl may be tak en mu lti ple times an d the efrects arc cumu lative.

SHOT ON THE RUN (50 BPJ

A character wi t h this talent is espec ially talented at shooting while on t he move. Hi s penalties for shOali ng a ll th e rlln arc reduced by o ne ca tego ry. For examp le, a characte r firing while jogging suffers o nl y penalti es for riring while walk i ng, a run nin g c haracter surre rs only jogging pena lti es, and so on. He surrers no penalties for firing whi le walking. only a -I Accu racy penalty 1'0 1' firing while crawling, and only hair pe nal ti es fo r firing when dod ging.

382

6.51 Detailed Character Backgrounds

As WC\C sia led , your character's ahility scores provide only basic in~ighl into the characte r. .\ nd though you may know your characte r's plan~ of origin, do you really kno\\' where he came from? What was hi s life likr in thOse earty days? Did he comes from a small f:uuily or a large one? Did he live in luxury or suffe !' in puverty?

results, you tan spend 1 HP to purchase it re-roll. You may purchase as many rc-roll, as )Oll like, ~s long as you h",'c HPs to spend.
Statu s of Pa r e nts: Now, discovcr whetlier you r character'~

This section pW\'idcs \uch background material for usc during character creation. If you decide 10 usc th is optional material, do so afu, "" calcu lating you r c h ara("lcr'~
height <Ind weight, but before dClcrmininl.'; sta rtin g money, following tlJt' order prese nted in Clmpler 3./IOwrtt((tr eTta/iOIl. Some rcsulls in Ihi~ sect ion ma)

parent s ar{' itli\e or dead, and e,'en if one of th{'lll is a relcbri ty of sorts. A rolJ of 91 or hic;:her on Tablt 6.52: Partn/a/ S/a/uJ indicatcs that the ch:lracte r is an orphan .

TABLE 6.5-2: PARENTAL STATUS

Roll (dlOO)

01

affect later aspects of char;tctcr creation. such as money or quirks and Oa\\s.

s lartill ~

* FAMILY *
Rf'ga rdless of what you might hear around the campfire. that wild de~p('ra d o e\"e rronc'~ gQ~siping ahout isn't rea lly the son of the dl\il. Lih e"cryolIl' c1~e, he's the product of counties, ge nerations of ch,mlClers that came bclore him. The following tahles \,till hrlp you ~l'1 a hroad idea o f yOW" cha racter's f:unily.
0250 51 70 7J.8O 81 90
9],]00

-or

C ircums t a nces of Birt h : Gt'lle r all~, binh ('in timstances have little effect on a ehamCler, except in the <:a~c of illegitimacy. T h{'se "basta rd" children find it more difficult to allain o r hold po~itiollS of power, if their \C("fet comes QUt. To determine your charac ter' ~ ,talU5. roll 011 Table 6.5Ja: Cimlllutanm if Btrfh. If you don't like the

Ruult Puen! if 1 cclebu!y (ie!rcss. gUllfigh ter. rellO .... lled m,liur y ofliccr. elc ). ChUlCler receivC5 1 +d20 bouw; 10 his mrling f 1fIlC SCOTe (Ihe d20 score lodiclll ug Ihe rcb",c F~me of thc Ireol. 20 beillg ~rv hmoUl lIId I being kllOlI"lI 1 0Cllly). Roll igirp to delerm,ne SUlwr of Ihc puent. (A furlher roll o f 011 Ihis !ible cuns lllOlber +<fZO MOUl lIId co rrespooding Illcreuc III FImc. CIC.) Bo!h pirellls I,,ing f i ther deceued MOlher dencd Bolh pUenl! 1fe d"usc:d If!er ChUle!er rc~ehcd leell yens. BOlh puenrs 1fe decusc:d. Chlf1CICf If ill orphlll. Redu ce ehmcler's roll OD Tablt 658: Social Cla!;5 by !II"O focil1 ebsscB. Apply -50 jlCDl lt y 10 rolls OD Tablt lJ.l6: Characler Slarlillg MOllt!! (igllOr< beredituy deb! result lIId roll Jglill).

TABLE B.SIA: CIRCUMSTANCES OF BIRTH

Ro ll (dlOO )

0192
93-00

Result U:g;t imlte. PUtOIS WClC mimcd il rhc timc o f Ihc ehlneler'! birth. II legitimuc. Puen ts ....cre Do t mUTicd it the limc of Ihe ehuicICT', birth. Qlle .. ok peoihy to Tablt 6..5-8: Socicl C/ass (i.e. U LC becomu M LC). Also. roll on Tobit 6.5/b: IIftgitimau Birth.

If onl} one parent is dc-cea\ed there i~ tilt" chance Ihat th(' character ha~ a step-parent. 1 \ re~l1lt of 15 or more on a d20 iudieates that tht" parenl remarried. If )"011 don't like tlw result~, you can spcnd I 131' to purchase" re- roll. You Illay )lurcha .~e as mall) fe-rolls as ~ou like, a~ long as yo u have BPs to spt'nd. Sta tu s o f Si blings: . \ ~ \\'ith parents, siblings (or the lack of them . arc imponatll to a ehamcter\ backg round. Although they are non-player charactl'fS under the C(l lltrol of Ihe C)'I, they ma) be able 10 help when the char acu.: r need s something, such as financial or emotional suppurt. T he) also tend to be loyal. Tht"rt" arc se\'e ral Meps involved in determining a charactcr's s iblin~s. ~ol1()\\' each step in order. I) Fir~t. rou nced to roll on Tobit 6.5:]: .VUlIlbtr qf SiblinJp to learn ho\\ many .. iblings your cowpoke has.
2 "Ow that you know ho\\ many childre n your folks had, you need to determim' their sex. Roll a d6. On a I3, the sibling is a bro ther. On a 4-6. it 's a ~istc r.

TABLE 6.5-IB: ILLEGITIMATE BIRTH

Ro ll (dlOO)

0103

".{)8

0912 IHJ

2456
57..fJ7

68-100

Rcsult Chlutler ....u lbll1doncd U blrtb. H IS ~ren l S ife unk nown. GM rolls chlrictcr", ol her puclI!illlld sibling "bb ill $Ccret. MOlher wn 1 pros litutc. Fuher uoknowo. Mother W"U I prosti tutc. Fnber kaOWII. Birlh was Ihe result of JeX before murilgc. Fuhcr ullknowlI. Birth wn Ihe result of sex before mUriigC. F nhCT kao ... o. Binh wu thc rC5Ult of iO idu lt erou5lfhir. Fuher ullkaowlI. Bi rt h wu Ihc rcsult of ~II idu lt crous l fhir. r nher kaO... II.

3, III the 19th centur), many childn'n died as infants from ~ickn('ss o r as children from ~ome ot her ailment or injury. Death from infecl i ou~ di sea~es was common ('ven amongst adults, especia ll y in the crowded cities where

363

TABLE 6.5-3: NUMBER OF SIBLINGS

Roll (d20) 5, b1Jl18' OJ ... .. ...0 02 .................... .I

TABLE 6.5-5: ORDER OF BIRTH

Order of Ball, EffccI
fi rs l Sccoad Olhcr

03 .................... .z 04 ................... .3

+10 bonu, 00 Tablt J/I6: OIDrocler Slarli1l9 Momy +5 boau, oa Tablt J.II6: Character S rIJrtin!I Monc!J No Cffetl.

05-06 ...................4

0709 .................. .s

TABLE 6.5-6: SIBLING RIVALRY

Roll (2dIZ)' 1 or Ie,. RcbllOD,hlp Bmcl Eoemy. Thc.sc ""lis hold u ialcDSC hue for $Ome P-'-" offeDs(: - le,1 or im,giDed. ArgumCILhll\e. for $Orne relson. Ihe C hUl(lcr lad his $ibi'Dg IUU (;Ia'l gel liong wilhoul bltkering. Nuunl. The ch1r1tler ind sibling Ire d()$C. wilh good hm,ly lies. but few intenS(: fecliags except during spceilllimes of hurl or cckhr1t ioD. Very CJ()$C. The si bling ud chultlcr (OmmUniC1lc often. ,od l lwlyS Iry 10 help the other io times of need. Devoted. /In cXlremcl)' dose: bond cxists between IhcS(: IWO. lDd one would euil)' by down h,s life for thc other.
stilrfi"J &plitllfit,n

1O[i ....................6

1.>17 ........... .... ] 18 .......... ...........8 [9 .....................9

20 ............ .10

10-16

"

TABLE 6.5-4: SIBLING STATUS

Roll (dlOO )

01-26

273J 3'139 '1041

42-'U

Smul (tity) Died In iohB Cr from Infectious d;S<: ~$c (meuks. surlcl fevcr. 'Whoopinll cough or dipthcril) Dled III childhood ftom Dilffhc,
DIed Died Died D,ed Died Died Died from from from from from from from Pncumollil
SrrulJpo~

17-21

Zl 01 more

4S-49 "'53 54 S7 66
.7+

TubcrcuJ.ru.s TyphoId fncr

inrl ucD21

",,./t

'Add flo, (M,,,.ftr;

m""ifU'r pm a,ri,ma '"

t/),

Cbolm
"cldcllu[ ClU~S

[,vlnll
SlUgS ( rurd )

Roll (dlOO)

0122
l.l-2.
" .J/)

JIJl 3337 38 3912 13-47

<8+

Died 10 iahllCYfrom Illfcclious d,S(:U(: (musks. $Urlel fever, whoopiag tough or diplheril) D,ed ia thi ldhood from Dlmhu Died from Paeumoall Died fr om Sm'lIpox Died from Tuber(u losis Died from Typhoid fevu Died from IRflucnl1 Died from lttideOI,1 t 'Ll5CS L,,,i og
6.5~

I r }"OU dOIl'[ like ,tll~ rc~lIh from (h(',(' tables. you may spend I UP to purchase a feroll. You may pUlTha~e as Ollln} rl'-rolli as ~ou lik("', as long a' ~ou haw BP... to spend.

typhus, T I! and cholera were rampant. Check 7able 4: Siblillg SlatuJ for each sibling's status.

Extended Fam ily : ,\ side from mother, rather, brotht"I' and ~i~ter. a cliara( tt'r may aho hal'c an extended family reprewlltcd h~ a \(l'pf:uher or stepmother. aunts. unci('i, COU~ill" /.(randpaf('nt~. and pnhaps c..-en greatgrandp'lr ems. Ct'lleralh. onh ,\ G~I needs this [neI or dewil. Howe\,er, if you Ilant to ttaet.' your ancestry back a generation or tll"O, simpl> roll on the tables ill this chapter ror the character\ mother o r rather. T he resuits refer 10 th e ir parem~ and sihling~. instead of the characte r's.

-~) For each sur..-i,ing ~ibling, roll a dOo dlOO or twO d lOs .. A roll of 991 00 indicate~ that this sibling is your twin. If the sibling is the ~ame ,ex as the charaCler, roll a dB. On a I, [he ~ib lin g is an idemical twin.

TABLE 6.5-7: UPBRINGING

Roll (dIOO)
P1ICnuIOu,lil),

01-12 ......Elflnord'blf), PueDts. Childgrcw up txlrrllldy

Will nurlurtd pn' propn-/y carrdfor. Efft: F;t~ (5) BP bcnuJ. IJ-N ., .... l,o"iag PUCbls.. Child grt'W up W<'lI "urlurrd arid pfflprrly (artd-Jor. E.fft: Thrtt (3) BP &11IUJ. l>Y1 ....../I,cuge PueDls.. Partnt did IJI/ adtquauj~b. EjJt: Ont (1) BP BGnus. 5>76 " ... .IJHqulppcd. E.fft: ParmI 'WIll 'IJ.-dl inlmtionrJ.

5) If tht: characler has al least one ~ib lill g, roll ran~ dom1r 10 delermine his place (roll a dol for the character plus three siblings, roll a d5 [il dlO, di"iding results by two] for the character plus four siblings, etc. and consult Tabk 6.55: Ordtr oj 111ft". Thc firstborn male is usually heir to his father'~ ('state or po~sc~siolls.
6 Of course, just becausc rour character has .'lome brothers or sistcrs doesn't mean that they necessarily likc him. The \ibl ing ma>' think h e'~ a IOIIdown I'armim, or that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. For each sibling, roll on Tablt 6.5 6: Sibliflg Rital':.}'.

"ut poor al raismg Ihis (hild 77-87 ....../lbus,,e. Chiltl a/JUud "y parmI. Ejj(et: RQlI M Tahlt 3./-/9: QuirAs (Quirh. Mmtal) and ruord only hi/If BPs 1;1/fdf".,- 1M Quirk. 8S+ ...... .Indifferenr. Purent {ritwtd this child as a hlmim.
Childgrcu' liPJetting inpd(({uatt and IlIIlfJWd Effiet: /Wlon Tahlt 3.1-19: Quirks (Qllirks, Intrtnmtd)

(md m".,-d ~1I1y halfBPJ lisltJfor tlu Quirl.

3B4

Quality of Upbring ing: HoI\' the character's parents acted tOwards him had a huge impact on hoI\' he turncc) OUI. A cilrin~, 'Iltemi\'!.' parent bctter equips his child for adulthood dum an uncaring, abu~ive or abscnt parenl. Roll on Tobit 6.5-7: L/lhringmg, adding a +1 for each sibling the character had. If you dOll't like the results, you can spend I Ill' t(l purchase a re-roll. You may purchase as many rc-rolls as you likc.:, as long as you havc BPs to spend.

TABLE 6.59: RURAL OR URBAN BACl!GROUND

Roll (dIOO) (dependillg 011 cbmcters Pbcc of Orlgll1) csu l! CSA/~ USA Tuu Dtxret Mc;uco EuJ.OpC R Runl .... 01-87 ....0155 ....01-92 .....0195 .....0195 .....016(1 Urbla ... 88-IOO .. ..56-100 ...93100 ...961 00 ....96-100 ... .6HOO Remember, JUSt becau~e your char<ICler came from a rural background docs not necessari ly mcan that he is of poor or humblt, origin .. \ fter all, the mansions and plantations of the rich arc nOt oflen located within cit}, limits.

* SOCIAL CLASS *
Now th:\I you kno\\ all about your character's family, the lIext ~ lep is to determine the character's upbrinh<ing. Was his name spoken in the hous("S of the rirh , or did ht, grow lip on the wrong side of town? To cit-terminI' your cha l'acter's social da!>~ a~ hI" ~Te\\ to adulthood. roll on Tab/I 6.5-8: Social CiaH.

BELOW LOWER CLASS (BLC)

'\ l"l!lher, of thi~ class typirally include escap('d sla\es. military d('~ert"r~. and II anted felons. Ir your clwracter i~ part of this dd~~, roll on Tahfl 6~5-fO: Bdou; Lm('tr Class Characfrr Sta/UJ, usill~ thl' column hased on your character's place of ori~n.

TABLE 6.5S: SOCIAL CLASS

Roll Soci,! (dlOO) Chss Sluhng F'lffiC RcpuUlioo StHling $ Modi(ier Modi(icr' Modifier
<01-OS .. Sclow Lo'", Clus (DLC) ......0 ..........10 .......40 0920 .. Lowcr LoII/cr Clus (LLe) ......0 ..........5 ....... ,20 2150 ... Middk Lower Clus (MLC) ....0 .......... 3 ........ 15 51 80 .. Uppr;r Lowtr CIl,s (U LC) .....0 .......... -1 ........ 10 81-87 .. Lower MIddle Chss (LMC) ....0 ...........0 ......... -5 8892 .. Middle Middlc Clus (MMC) ...0 ...........0 .........0 93-97 ..Uppr;r M,ddle Cbss (UMC) ....0 ...........0 ........+5 98 ....Lower Upper Clu5 (LUCI .....+1 ............. I .......+10 99 .... f'. t.ddle Upper Cbss (MUe) ... +5 , ........+5 .......+15 100 ...Upper Upper Cbss (UUC) .... +10 ... ......+10 ...... .+W

TABLB 6.510: BELOW LOWBR CLA!! CHARACTER ilATUI

Roll (d6)
I

CSA

USA

Teus

Desertt

Other ... Fdoa ...Felou ...Fdon ... felon ... FeloD

..EK'pr;d Sblc ... D~rlCT ... D~rler .. BlIILshed ... FdoD

2 3 .. S 6
'Su

..Klpr;d Slave ... DC!lcTIcr ...DCKrler .. B~aishcd .. Esclpr;d Sbvc ... D~rter .... Felon .... BJalshed . .EJupc:d Sb\'c .... Feloa ......FdOli . Blaisbcd ....DeserICr ...... f cloa . , .... f elan .... BlIIishcd ...... Feloa ..... Feloa ...... Ft/oll ....Blnished
t~xt for

durriplion and sfni,,' ru'~s.

Deserter
Such a character is unlikel~ 10 h<: sou({ht h) authorities outside of home, but there's alwaY' the possibilit} of conIlicls with milititr}' :tuthoritic~ if cli~co\'ered.
Roll a d6. On a result of I--J, this character /led CI)IIscription. On a rc~u1t L)f 5-6, he ned the militat) after enrollment.

.... pply only r;-'Mn a chararltr ~ Io:lthin

h~

Plare 0/ Origin (~e Table 3./11).

It 's important to remember that this is not your character's current social class, but thaI of his fa mil) and his background. Out \\"e ~ l , ht' has 110 social class. He's just one of man~. and his background is more important in knowinq: where he camt' from, rather than how people react to him. Note: European immigrams are all at leas' \ l iddk Lower Class (\ '1LC) as illlllligration agents weed out soc ially undesirables. European immigrants of high social st,IIUS arc mually fleeing domestic political instability instead of seeking economic opportunities.
"':ow, roll a dlOO on TaMt 6.5-9: Rural or l'rban

Roll again on TaM, 6.58: S()rial (;lass 10 determine your character's former back~rolilld beforc banishment, desertion or imprisonnwnl. If you roll HLC again, the char:lcter's hackground is that of a tramp or \'agnml.

Escaped Slave
chararter's first purchase of the Reading skill has a base cost or 12 Ill' Instead of -I BI'" due to thc f.'le t thitl leaching slaves to read is illegal under Confederate law. Subsequent purchase,! Mt' treated normally.
COl1lpr('hension/ P(~nmanship Thi~

Backgrollnd 10 determil)!' h'hethcr your character comcs from a rural or mban background. Certain backgrounds arc more common ill urban tl1<In rural areas, and \'ic(' \c rsa. If you don', like an)' result from these wbles, you may spend) BP to purrhase a re-roll. You may purchase as many 1'(:-l'OlIs as )'ou like. as long as you have BP~ to spend .

Roll on TaMI 6.5-//: E{((tPfd alld I'fud SIal'( Charar/m to determine this character's pa~t occupa tion'. [Characters receive their first twO Iililies in the typical a~~()ciated skill if an) , for rree.J If the character is not black, 111' ca nnOt

385

be an escaped slave. In such a case, he is a deserter on I3 and a fclon on a 4-6. Use the appropriate background detail.

need Slave
Bigotry, and fear of competition in the labor market. conspire to place most newly freed slaves in the lowest ranks of the social order. Because a freed slave is born into s[a\'e ry, this character's first purchase of the Rellding Comprehension/ Penmanship skil! has a base cost of 12 BP (instead of 4 BP). since teaching slaves to read is illegal under Confederate law. Subsequent purchases are treated normally. While the character may originate from outside the Confederate States of America, assume he was released from bondage there. Roll on TobIe 6.5-1 I: ESUlprd alld Frud Slavt C!wraclers to determine his former slave role. This category is only applicable to black characters. Th o~(' of other races are equally divided bCl" 'een vagran ts and pctty criminals.

TABLE 6,5 11: BSCAPED AND FREED SLAVE CHARACTERS

Roll (dlOO) Result OI.(Ja. . .... Cook
Typi"J A5soci ~led_ Sk ill .. .Cooking 09-79 . .... F~rm bOOrer; Fum bInd .. Agricu lture 80100 . ... . bOOrcr (genml) . .... . . . . (no specific skill)

E!1on
This hombre is wanted for a serious crim e committed in his place of origin. T he re is a ! in 8 chance that the crime is so bad that wanted posters may extend out West. This character has no tracie, but gains onc free tally in one of th e following skills: Disguise, Esca pe Arti st, Forgeryl, Lock Picking:! or Pick Pocket.
muslhm'r Rrading Comprth(//.$Ion/Pmmaluhip 0.1 63% o.r btU" (pllfchastd st/mmlt/y) 10. choost Ihls o.pllOll. lCharocltr IIlllslhaL"( LiS/flung 0.1 85. o.r btlltr rpurdlfludltpom/, Iy) 10 ulifi<.t Ilus o.plion on combinallOn fo(/;.s.
I Charoeler

Vagrant
The cha racter lived a meager life on the fringes of society (most likely as a 'street urch in, ' if urban). While many individuals and families ostracized as 'vagrants' work unskilled jobs wht:n opportunities present themselves, they haye a tendency to freque ntly relocate anel often resort to alms or begging.

Banisb,d
The character has committcd some gra,'c blasphemy against the Church of Latter Dar Saints that has resulted in his expulsion from Dese re\. T hc naturc of said heres\' is for the characte r to de"elop and dinllge if at all. The character should reroll on the social status table with a 10% pcnalt y to dctermine the position he form erly held in the community prior to expulsion. T his second rol! wil! not vindicatc his social status it merely serves to provide background.

P etty C riminal
Such individuals resemble vagrants in their lifestyle. HO\,'ever, they are willing to engage in minor theft and other illicit activity to suppOrt themsch-es. Man}' rind themseh'es forced to drift between communities due to the efforts of local officials.

MIDDLE LOWER CLASS (MLC)

T his social class is comprised of the same occ upations as their Upper Lower Class betters with the exception that many members of this class arc socially isolated immi.l.(rants readily identifiable by thei r accents. T hese arc predominantly Europeans but may include french Canadians (('settled in the Shattered Frontier. loo r ru ral characters. roll on Toble 6.5-13: Rum! Prrifessions. Ch aracters from urban areas should roll 011 Toblt 6.5-14: Urblln Pr~tssions . Characters receive their first two tall ies in the typical associated skill (if any) for free.

LOWER LOWER CLASS (LLC)

This is mostly beggars. freed slaves, pelt y criminals and OIher vagllbonds. If your char<lcter is pan of this cia,s, roll on Tobie 6.5-} 2: uwu Lower CloJS CltaToclm, usi ng the column for your character's place of origin .

TABLB 6,512: LOWER LOWER CLASS CHARACTERS

Roll (d6)" CSA US.AlC.mdl IexJJI De$CJe.1 Qlh.r I .Fn:cdShve . .Frtt<lShve . .Fr<edSI..c ..Vlgrrnl ..Fn:cd5hvc 2 . .. .Fn:cd Shve . .Fr<ed S4v~ . .F,<ed SIne .. V.agrrnl .. ..Vagnln 3 ... ..F,ccdShve . .Fn:cdS4,c . .Fn:cdS4ve .. Vagrrnl .. ;.Vagnnl ~ .... .FrccdSh,'C . ... V~gnnl .... .Vlgrrnl .. .. V.agrrnl .. .. VlPlnl 5 .. .Vlgrrnl ... .Crimifl11 . ..CrimlluJ" ..CrimiD.lI ..CrimLlU.r 6 ......Cr,miD.li" . ..Crimifl11 . ..Crimirui* ..CrimiD.li" ..CrimiD.lJ"
CluriIClcr h.rs ooly commirtcd petry critMS.

tiPPER LOWER CLASS (tlLC)

This is mostly sod busters, ranch hands, laborers, peddlers, actors and unskilled industrial ,,'orkers. For rural characters, roll on Toble 6.5-13: Rural Prqftssions. Characters from urba n areas should roll on Toble 6.5-/4: Urban Profmiolls . Characters receive their first two tallies in the typical associated skill (if any) for free.

386

TABLE 6.513: RURAL PROFESSIONS

Roll (dIOO)
Result Typicd AJ5OC;ned Sk,ll

TABLE 6.5-15: ARTISANS

Roll (d IOO ) Result Typicd As5oci~ted Skill 0102 .... Anist . . . ........ Anisti t Abili ty (c hoos, onc ) OJ.tJi .... Blker ... . .CookIIlS 05{)6 .... BI~kct mlker .... ... .. ..CUpeIlUY 07-09 .... BJ"ksmlth ....... ... .. Bllcksm'th'lIs/ Mellh..orkillg !O ... I:lTlckm~ktr ........... .5ton~muo~ry 1115 .... Bud. muon . . . .. .510acmuonry 1617 .... Broom m~ker ..........Cupenuy 1819 .... Butcher .....Sbushler 10-21 . .. .Cahlnet M~ker .........Cupelluy n26 ... ,Cupc:olcr ..............c.'peOtry U .....C.rrilgucOKh m~ke . ..c.rpenny 28Z9 ....Cooper ...............Cupelltry JOJI ....Dr~mlkcr ............Snmslress/T,ilor J2Ji ....Found"e. . ........... Bbcksmithllls/ MculworkillS 35 .. . ..GuDSmll h .............Cuum'thIlIS J6..J7 .... Huliessm~ kCf/S~ddler .LcJlhcrworklllS 38-39 ....Hmer ............... Mllllnery -to .....L'Sblll'IIS lod IDlkcr ... _ Bbcium"hlog/Meulwork,ns 4H5 .... Llvery suble worker .... AII,m,1 Empuh y 16-4; .... \hcb,nlil ............ MdIlIlC OpelillDs /Rep~lTIngl 48 ..... MuICT urpe~lC .. .....Cupelltryl 'f9 .....MUICI nusoo ..........StoocmlSonryl 50 51 ....fI.lethaic ............M,ch,oc Opcw'lIg/ ReJU"'DS 5254 ....Miller (Grist miller) ... i'.STICu hurc 5S-.)6 ...MilhDel .............. Milllllery 5758 .... Molde. (Moulder) ......Cupenuy 5961 ....Pl,nl,r. eommcrcid ..... .'\rtist ic Abilily (JU'III,ns ) 626J .... Pll1eloIDlkc, .......... Mllhoery ~ .... Plamru .............A'llShe Ablln y (pIHlCflDS) 66--6] ....PolICr .... . .......... PoltCry 68 .. ... Pflllicr ............... fl.ht hIDe OpcrnlOs/ Rcpmlng 6970 .... Rock drCS5l:...... ......StoDeml50Dty 71]J ... .51 ... YC' (Wood SoIwycr) .Cupenl'Y 74-7S ... .5eunstrc:SS .............$clmmcss/Tlilor 7677 ....Shocm~kcr/ Bootm~ker .CohblioS l 78]9 ....S,olleculler ............SloDemuonry 80-81 ... .5'ooemuoo ... . ....... .5,ollemuoory 828J ... .T,ilol ....... . ..... ....$clmSlre55/T,ilor 8486 ....T ,oocr ................SkioIlIOg/T nll,ns 8791 ....Tex!,]e millwork,r .....Sclm~tre"/Tli1or 92-9J .. . .T,nDer tT,"smlth) ...... BbcksmllhlDs/ MculworkiDS 9495 .... W1sonmlkcr.. . ...CupcnlTy 9697 . ... Wencr .. .. .. ..WCJ vlng 98-99 .... Whccl ... r;sbt .... .....c.rpcolly 100 .....Whlle".sher .. ... .......\""'IC Ability (pIIDhDS )
I ~~

.,.8<

0102 ..... ,.Cook ........ ...... ...Cooking OJ04 ......Drover ................. DroviDg 056'1 .. ....Fum!Won:r; Fum Jw.d Agriculture
......Fumc . ..... ..... .... .Agriculture

85-86 ...... Fidlcrm~D 0. S,iio. . .... Fishing or 8ou;1I8

87-88 ......endellc' ............... .Agriculwre

89'" . H ulllcr ...... ........... H u1IIJII8 91 92 .... .. . b bo.Cf (se nenl) .. . ..... (no spc:ciflc skIll) 9394 ......Mill Hud ........(110 5pCcif" skIll)
9596

.. .... Miner

...........ProspccIIDB

97-98 ...... Rul.<);Id Hnd ........ (110 speCI fi c skI ll ) 99100 ...... lumberjlck ............. LoBsing

TABLE 6.5-14: URBAN PROFESSIONS

Roll (dlOO )

Result

0120 .... .... Anlun . ... . ( VUlOUS)" 2130 ... ... . .COOk .... .. . ........CookIDS
JI35 ...... . .CudcDcr ... .. .........Asriculture J6-65 .. ... . .bborcr (suen!) ...... (D Ospec,f,c skill) 66-85 . .... .Scn'~t. domesllc .. .. bo specific sk,ll) 8695 .. ..... .$crv'nt. other .... .. (110 specif" skill) %100 ........ WUhllls/lroD'IIS .. . ( 110 specific skill) - roll 011 r,ble 6.5-15: Atli11llf

Typi,,) Asso<:ialcd Skill

LOWER MIDDLE CLASS (LMC)

:\I embcrs or thi~ cla~~ typically include rlerh. leac h {'r~ and minor gow'rnmcnl workers. Ir your chara("\('r i~ part or Ihis clas,. roll on Tahlt 6.j 16: l-AluV'r .II/ddl, Cla ss Chorae/trs. Charact('rs rccf'il{' lIlt'ir first 1<1l1y in the typi. cal associated skill ror free.

MIDDLE MIDDLE CLASS (MMC)

.\lcmbers of Ihis c la ~s I} pi c all~ include such people as engineer'l shniffs, sho p owncrs ancl skillcd artisans. Ir your character is pan of this class, roll on Tablt 6.517: .lIiddlt .Ihddlt ClaIl Chararlm. Ju ~ t as \\'ilh LoI\ ('r :\Iidclle Cla ss cil izcns. characters receil'e their fir,t wily in the typical a~socialed ~ kill for free.

UPPER MIDDLE CLASS (UMC)

A member of Ihe Upper .\ Iiddlc Class is oflen a lawyer, retired military oflic~ r. pro~perous merchant. b;1I1kcr. large ranch owne r or si milar person. The character is a son or d aughter of such a prominent individual.
However, this character docs not inheril his rathe"'~ business, (,ell ir prior wits indicate thaI th e character i~ Ihe firslborn .mcl the falher is dead. The playcr and G~I sho uld explain this with a reason that adds more dewil to Ihe character's background. For example. his ralher\ will left e\-cr) thin ~ to a you nger sibling, business associate or

.rJI11

c/w",crm rtuivt 1/610 I/JI/ies lor fru Inlhtir typically a:;.rociatt

!S/Iocm.)Jt~BootmJJtf"$ a/so rrctliV! 1M l t atkrworlmg .dlll at

8..5'

3M7

TABLB 6.516: LOWBR MIDDLB CLASS CHARACTBRS

Roll (dIDO) Rtsull 01-02 ....AgCDI .. 03-{)4 ... ,Auc'JOntCT
0506 .... Blnking .....

TABLB S.517: MIDDLE MIDDLB CLASI CHARACTERS

Roll ("00)
Result Typitd Associmd Skill

T ypied Associmd Skill . .DjpJom~ty .....SllesnulIsh,p

..... .AttouDling l

0708 .... Buber 0910 ....BUltlldcr

......CJe~n lnformllioll

..CIe,n Jllform "ioll

11-12 ..... Bouding house: keeper ...Clt<lO inform"ioll \3-14 .... Bookkeeper .AccouDling! 1517 .... Clerk ............ Rc,dio8 Comp./Pcomlllship 18-19 ....Coofwiollcr ...Cooking 2021 .... Dru88is! ....Chemistry' 2223 ....Edilor .......... .Rc,diog Comp./Pcnm'lIsh,p NlS .... Fa.oilure Slorc .... . ..CUpCDlry

26-29 .... Grocer ......... . .A(CQullling l 30-31 .... Hosllcr ............... AOHlU! Empuhy
3233 ... .insuTlnte '8cIII ... . .Apprlis,] (c hoose onc)
lnform~tjon
Inform~tjoD

3613 . ... Jellleler .. ........ ...... ..../e,,de,.) 1151 . ..... Millcr. SIClm ... . ....... M'IChille Oper'!Repliri ng 5259 .. .. Nurse .............. ..... . ... Nursing 6068 ..... Phpicilll; Doctor ... ........ . t-.ledicinc 69-76 ... Rl;irOld boss ....... .. . .....AdministUlion 77-8~ ..... S,lversmith ... ....... ... ..8bcksm ith.!MeuJ ... ork . 85-92 ..... Slclmbo., t'p"in ...... . ....Bo,atiolj: 93-100 ... Surveyor ......... .... ..... C'r1oguphy1

01-10 .. .. Ci"j] engioeer (bridges. CIC) ..Engineering Design! 1118. ..... Clock rep.ir; Wllthm.kcr .. .. Engineering Desi801 1927 . .... Dentist .. .... ...... . ..... . ..Dentistry ZB-JI. ..... Engineer ........... ..... . ...Eogineering Daign] 3235 .. . . Engloeer. Loc'/SIc.rn. .... . . . .Engineering (Loc./SIClm.)Z

J~ 35 ... .Keeper of hold ......... Gl~~n 3637 .... Keepor of poor house ....Gle~n

.bnd ~gcnt ... Appr~is.ll (businesses or bod) 40-'U .... ulldlord ..Gluo loform~tjon 43+1 . . .Lightning rod seller .. Accounting l t)"~6 .... Lumber merduM .. Accounting l ~7.'i~ .... Merch~nt. Othe ........ Accounl;ng l 55-57 ....Clc'gym.lI: Prncher ..... Rel igion 58 ..... Mus;c IClchcr .. . .. Alllslic Ability (musIC) 59-60 .... Peddler ...S,lesm'D5hip 61-62 .... Produce dClltr ... . .A"ounllng l 63-66 ... .sellIng liquo.......... .Ihe ... illg 6768 ....SpecuJuo ............. Appnis'l 6972 ....Tob"conisl ............ Accoulltiog l 73-74 ....T,vero/s,looo keeper .... Accountiog l 3839 75-80 ... .Tt.cher; Schoollucher .. (u5u.lly M"hem"ics Or Ruding Comp./Pcnm,nship) CoyernmeM Workcr 8182 ....Consublc ..... . . .InleTlog"ion 83-S~ .... Express Agent ...Droving 85-86 .... Firemn ....F ;.eBuild;ng/ E ~li ngu;5hing 8788 ....Justice of the Puce .... .lnle.,og";oll or O,.lion 8990 .... M~;l Cur;er ... .Idle Gossi p 9192 .. Nonty Public .......... ForgCfYZ

1TheM Ch<1NCters also reClli't' the Afathematics si-III at 6(11 2Theu cMractus also nctlW the /If,,fbem.Jtics si-ill at a/lib (In( Englit.:cring Design at 8/J' 3 TAw~ characters a/~o reccitY' (he Appraisal (minerals) skill at ~ ~.rtse c/wrac(eF"$ also receive the HeaC/ing Camp./Pcnmallfhip slull q(

TABLE 6.51S: UPPBR MIDDLB CLASS CBARACTBRS

Roll (dU)()) T ypicd rusoc.jued Skill Result 0110 ....... Bloker ....... .......... ...Accounting l 11-20. ..... ,,,...c1cr .. ..... ...... .. .Je ..der l .. Admin;s tnl'ob 2130 .... .L~nd o... ner ... 31-40 .... .L..... ycr ....... .. ....... . .. L~w3 ~150 .... .f\ IC TCh~DI .... ..... . ..... . .. Diplomlcy 5160 .... Miliury officer (retired ) . ...,....,iliury SITmgy/T Jc,jes 6170 .... .Mille owoer . ....... . ... ...AdmioislruiOD 71-80 .... .PhysiciJn; Declo1 ....... . .. Medicine SI-9O .... R.neh owner ............ .. .Admill;,ltUlion 9[[00 ...... Rli]ro.d shucholdcr ..... .. .Admin;stntion

.... .... .. ....

1These c/ioracter5 0150 receive the Afathema(lcs skill (I( 8J\l

! 3 These

9391 .... PO)Stm ~sler;

Deputy Poslm.sler ....Admi nislruion 95-96 .... R.ilro.d Agent ... .Diplom.cy 9798 ....Sheriff; Deputy Sherif{ . .10""8";011 99100 ... .5lTCet InspeCTOr .........Administruion
1 Tk~( ch~rac(ers aha

it

Thue c/!arocters also rrcelve (he Appraisul(minerals) sit/I at 9fA characters also nCf!t'e the Reading Comp./Penmal/ship siill a(

LOWER UPPER CLASS (WC )

recd,)( the A/athematics siall ilt J!5~

2 These c/wracurs also receive the Heading Camp/Penmanship SJIl.

a(6J4

mher rdative. If your character is pan of lhis class, roll on Table 6.5- 18: C/JPfl" Middle ClaM CIl(ITac/trs. J USI as wilh :\ Iiddle ;"liddlc Class citizens, charatters receive their first tally in the typical associated ~kill for free.

The head of this fam ily is usually a retired admiral or general, a "nl'\\' money" industrialist, or political leader (no higher than a gmcrnor). T he character is a loon or daughter of Ihis individual. He gaim his first two tallies in Reading Comprehensionl Penmanship for free as well as ,mot her IWO tallies in a skill chosen from the following lisl: Administration. Culture, Current Affairs. Gaming, History l, L1.llguagc (an y major European: usually French or Latin, or Social Etiquette.
IRa;.), Reodiag CompJP(llmflllJhip JkilllQ 80% ;/1 Iht ulllikf{)' (llal/a
15 /W/

high (IIQ/1/;".

However, this character ducs not inherit his father's business (if OIlC exisa), c\'cn should prior rolls indicate

388

Ihat the character is the fir~tborn and the father is dead. The player and G'\I ~hould t'Xplilin thi, wilh a rea~on that adds more detail to Ihe character's batkRTolllld.

TABLE 6.5-19: SAMPLE NAMES (EASTERN)

Roll (dlOO) 1'-lIlc Fcnuk SurQ,mc

MIDDLE UPPER CLASS (MUC)

The head of this family was the OWlle r of a large plan~ tat ion or estate. The character is a son or daughtcr of this weahhy indi\idual. Hc ~;"lin~ I\~') lililies in Reading Compreh('llsion/ Penmanship for frec as well as anOlhcr two tallies III any skill ill Ihe following list: Administration , Culture, Currellt .\ITairs. Gamill~, History l, LlIlguage {any major European; usuillIy French o r 1...lIin , or Social E.tiquelle.
I Haist

01-17 .....

. ...Joho ............ ~hrr...

. .. Smith

Rfl/ding {,'(lIIlp./PC/lmflnship Jti{f 1(1 80";. in Iht Ul/likt(I' rha,,({

ilB "01 high ttW/lgh.

Thl' character d oe~ not inherit hi~ fath('r\ wealth. {'\'{'n if prior rolls indicilt!' that the character j, til(' fintborn and the father is dead. The player and C).I should explain this with 0\ r!'a~on that adds more detail to thl' character's ha('k~round. For example, an enemy ~et a fire Ihat swept ac ro~s the plantation, destroying the field, and the house itself

UPPER UPPER CLASS (UUC)

This character comes from I':,'cat wealth, political inOu(,Hee, and "old mOtH')'." ~Icmbcrs of his f:uuily sec themsel\'("s as a ~ract' of schola rs" with a natural aptitud!' for learning. compared 10 the "common COUltu') bumpkin'" who arc fit oul} for manual labor. They ofte n lound cultural institutions sudl as sc hool ~ and mlhcum ~. and frequently illlCnnalT) among th eir kin to k('('p Ihe bloodlitH' pure. The dlllracter is a member of this filillil). He gains three tallic~ in Reading Comprt'hen~ion/Pellmanship for free. He also may rhoos(' Ihree fret' tallies in ,Lny of the following skills: Artistic .\bility, Calligraph), Culture, Cuncnt AtTain. Diplomacy, Graceful Enlrance/Exit , History, L"nguage French , Language Latin, or Social Etiquette. F'or some rcason, this charactcr doe~ 110t inherit hi:; father's w('alth, ('\'I'll if he is the fir.'Stborn and Ihe f;nher has passed on. The pJaYlT ;llld C,\I should discuss thi s and create an explanation that adds more det:!.il to the character's bal'kground. F or example. the character's fatiler casl him all! of his will when the charnel!'r pur,ucd a girl from the poor side of town.

IB-J(l. .. . .. Will;lm .......... .smh ........... M,lIcr 3140 .... .........Jlm" .......... fliubelb .... ... ... 01V;S 41-16 ............Ceorgc ..........Muglftt ......... Johllsoll 1752 ............Tbomn .........Cltbcrinc .......... JOOel! 53-56 ...........Chulcs .......... MUlhl ........... Browb 57-60 ............. Henry ........... Nlney ........... T'ylor 61 6.] .............Joseph ............ADo ............ While 6466 ............S,mud ............Jue ............ Moore 67--69 ............ 01Vld ........... flil' ........... W,lsall 7072 ............. Rober! ...........SUUII ........... Mutio 737'1 .............Jtcob ........... HIIIDlh ......... Thompsoo 7>76 .............O.lbicl ........... Hmiet ............ H.l1I 77-78 ............Ed.-ud .......... Rcbeeu .......... Thomu 79-SO ........... IkIlJ1mia .......... Mui.l .......... .'\ndcrsoll 81-82 ....... ...... Peler ...........CtroloDc .......... Le ... SJ-81 ............ .lUte ............. Ellell ........... Wllkel S>S6 ............Aad"... . ......... Loulu ........... Cook 87-8S ............ RIChud ............'ulil ............ YOUDg 89-90 ............ MICh,e! ........... Lncy ............ Cluk 9192 ............ FrIDeis .... Rltbd ............ Hill 9394 ............. u ... is ..... Lydl.1 ..... .. Ph,ll,ps 9596 ........... Pmick ........... t:mllv .......... HUTlJ 9798 ............. Alber! . . ...... AIIII1 .......... Robll1SOD 99[00 ........... Frcdcmk ......... Fnate! .......... W"ght

's

TABLE 6.5-20: SAMPLE NAMES (WESTERN)

Roll (dlOO) Mde Fcm1lc SUTolme

. .Joha. John), ... Muv... .. Smith 0>08 .......Bll1. Billy. Will .. 5mb ........... Ctssidy 0912 ..............Jlm ......... Belh. Eliubelh ....... CurcI! 1J..16 ..............J.lck ............ 1'-1I881e ........... J, mel! 1720 .............. Tom ..........Cllhulbe .......... HooDe 2121 ............Chull' .......... ~hTlhl ........ Wuhill8l011 2528 ............. HIDk ............ Belle .......... JltkSOb 2932 ..............Joe ................ DIIC ........... C.lTsoa 33,36 ............ .slm .............J.lne ............ MOrgiD
37-40 .............Adlm ............ E1;u ............ Jones 411~ .............. SOb ............. LIPU ........... Bulloek 1>'18 ..............Ilke ............ HnD.lh ........... Hlle ot952 .............. On ............C,rTle ............ $cOl! 53-56...... . .Roy ............. Oi101 ........... bile 576(1 .............. BcD ............. Lesl,e......... .. Lee 61M .............. Pctc ............ Ll11un .... Yucs 65-68 ............. .Ike ............. Emml ........... Rogers 6972 .............Jesse: ............Netllc ............ Sbde 73-76 ........ .. ...Dick .. ... ... .. .Amcl" ........ ... Fisher 77-80 ............. Hll . .........Cemude .......... Sllrr 8HH .............Fnnk ........... i\lUlie ........... Cody S>8S ............. Buck ............ Willl ............ Cny 8992 .............. P" ............ t.1.udc... ...... Wlia wrigbt 93-% .............. AI ............. AIIIIIC ........... Colby 97100 ............ Wym ............ lucy ........... Donov.lll

0101 ....

* NAMES *
Ko"', rou ought to pick you r own name, but if you lIeed 10 roll i\ HaOle for it pislOicer, this s(,ction is Iht" place to start. E"eh (If the following tables prO\ld('s a li ~t of names for Ihe average cilil.en in liI(' Shaller('d Frontier during this period in its hi~lorr Tahles arc ba~('d 011 the

3H9

TABLE 6.521: SAMPLE HUES (CUEA. IEXICO. WEST !BIAS)

Roll (diDO ) I\bJe Fem,k SUfD<lmC 0117 .........Jose ........... M.. " .......... MminCI \8-30 ........ IUID ..Gu<lddupc . . .Cudl 31-'10 ...AblODio . . . ... Au .... . ..Ch;lvtl 4146... .Albeno ......... Romio .. . .. .5nchcz 4752 ....... Rohmo .. .Iubel ..........CoDlllcs SJ-56 ........ Luis ... Luiu .......... Romero 57-60 ........Jorge ... . ...... Ron .. . .... Molltop 6163 ....... Miguel .. .. .... .Culi .....T fu,illo 6'1-66 ...... F'IOC'$<;O. .. EVi ...... Lopez 6769 ...... Pedro .......... MarT1 ........ Lu tero

T ABLE 6 .523: SAM P L BPBM A L BCHEROKEB NAM E S

Roll (dlOO) Englisb EquivlleDt IP rollulICIllioll] 0104 .......... Muy ....Mel' fM1Y Icc] 05-08 .... , . ,Smh .... Scgi [S,y gc] 09-12 ........ Elizlbtrh ....... Ahsl'lucti [A lee u kWly Ii] 13-16 ... . ..... MuglTet ....... 1\118' y"i [I\hh glh YClIC} 1720 ........C,thcrille .......Gen .. i(n.) [C,y u ..eeoJ 2124 .........Muthl .... 1\11d, [Ml h d,] 25-28 .... N,O'y ......... Ne(oi)si [NlyO sec] 19-32 ...........">on ., .......T5(lse .... i [10 51Y we I )336 ..........Jlne ..... . .Jcoi lJ~y ote} 3740 .... Elin ... .E1iu [E Icc 51] '4H4 ......... .suuo ... .sU5'( OO) {SueSlo] '45'1B . . . HIDUh ........ H'01 [HI 011 ~952 .... , .... Hmic! ........ Hcqulli IHly k.... llC] )356. . .. RehccCl ....... ,QUCqUCgl [Kw.y k.. ,y g,1 57-60 ..........Mui~.. .M.qui, [mlh kw, I] 6l-6~ .......CnoJinc ........Qequob(ni ) lG1Y kwo 11 lie] 65-6B ..........Ellell .. . ... Elco; [A by oee] 69-72 ........ LouJ51 ......... lu .. isIILou .. eu] 7376 ..........Julil .....TsulillJe.. Icc IJ 77-80 .......... lucy ......... l usi [lou sec] 818'4 .........RlChc1.. . ..Oumc1i [Kwly Ily lee] 8588 ..... Lydi, .. l idi, [l e de lh] 8992 ... Emily ..mel' [A molY Icc] 93-% .......... Anu ......... nll A Ill] 97100 ......... frlllccs ,.W'qucsi [WI k... y see]
"Whit.. thert are mallY Indian tribes. Sequoyah is the only lountry a$ understood by Europeans and IImerilans, and the Scq uoyans hold th~ mosl political, industrial ond financial pow~r of all th~ tribu. Ch~roJ:u is thr rifJiciallanguflg~_O) S~qlloyah, alld IIIOst Sequoyans in the Shattered Frolltier /lOW t rallSlalt an English Ilam~ into Ch~roku, translate the meallillg of their nafi'Ut name into the English equivalent alld take English SIIrnames, or choou romplerel] English given names (md JllrllameJ.

lon ......Culas
73-7<1.
7~76

.......... Eleol ............. Bitl

. .... Clllcgos ... P,dill1 77-78 ....Julio ... E5pIDI ... Vigil 79-8() ......J o~qulm .... l upc ..........Cullinrcz 81-82 ...... Domingo .. P~loml ......... 5~Qdo"d 8J.S4 ....... Vuco ....JUIOIU ........ RodTlguez 85-86 ...... .JgllJeIO ........ Espc:Tlllz~ . . ..Hernndez 8],88 .. .... .!knito .......Consuelo ....Torres 899(J .......C.spar .........Cluiu .. . ..Jmmi/lo 9192 ......Akl,ndro ....... Alellodn .. . . .. Vddez 9J9'4 .....Guillermo .. . .TcrC5~ ............ Drliz 95-96 ....... Mmeo .. Adchi.:b ..Slluu 9798 ..... Rodolfo ......... Novi~ ...... Herrer, 99100 ......EotJ'Iue .. Pit, . ..........Cordon

. ..Ji,itr ........ .CumcD. ...... Rodflgo ....... .. Lupin

T ABL B6 .522: SAMPLE MALE CHBROKEB NAMBS

Roll (dlOO ) English Equivllcn! [PJonuoci,tionJ 01 0'4 ..........John... .. ..TUb' [JaceJ 05-08 .. WiJli,m .Wilihml [We Icc h, mil 09,12.. . ... Jlmes. . ...Tsemi Uiy mel 13-16 . ..Gcorge . __ .TUlsi U,h jil 1720 ......Thomls Domui [Doc mlb ~eeJ 21N .........Ch~rlcs .... ..Tnli fJI leeJ 25-28 ..... ....Heory ..... He(oe)",i [Hlyn we] 1932 . __ ..... .Joseph ..T5(lse .... i [10 uy ....el 3336 ........ 5,mucl . 5,mi lS, mel 37'40 ... . .Dlvid ..... De .... idi [Oly .. e deeJ '4H'4 ...... Robl::rt .........QUlqUl [Kw, kW1J 15-'48 ......... Jlcoh .... .Tscgoqui nlY go kwe] 49,52 .........Duid ... . .. Denit. [Oly OC lecl 53-56 ......... Edwud ......... Ediwldi [A de .. ,h del 5].60 ........ Beol,min .......Que(ni )tSlmi [Kwlyn)1 me) 616'4.... . .. Pmr ... . ...Ouidl [K..'e dlJ 65-68 ...... .In,' ... . .E51gi [A sec lie I 6972 .. . ....Aodre..... . .. E(oi)diu [AiD di OlJ 73-76 ... R'chud ........ ,Quih,di [Kwe hl de] 77-80 ........ Mich,el ....... , .Mlgl!! [I\hh 8' Icc] 818'4 .. Fnncis .. . .....Gdv(oi)s' [Glh luhn sceJ 8588 ......... Le .... is.. . ... l uyi [Lou yel 8992 ... , ... , .Pmkk .........Qulquigi [KWI k....c gc] 93-96 .... , .... Albert ....E(li)qUl tl [A I k....,tCj 97-100 ....... Frederick .......Cuicqucgi [G,h dly kwc ge]

TABLE 6.524: NICKNAM B S

Roll (dlOO ) N.me 01-20 .....[bolSCd Oil 21 -40 . ... .[bISCd 00 '4160 .... .[b,scd 00 6180 .....[b~sed 00 8HOO .....[blSCd 00 EnmJlle pilec of birthJ ... Mexicolo Bob lo .. est Ability Score] ...Slo .. fool Jlke higbCSl Ability xo,,) ..Bull T.tylor Quirk or Fbw. if lOY] ..Luy Ike clothing or gurl .......Wiochester Lucy

character's place of origin. Th ese lists are cxhaustiw:. and players may choose or roll these tables, or simply usc them as a place own research. You do not hm'e to spend a on thc name (or nickname) tables.

by no mc;ms randomly Oil to SIart Iheir HP 10 rcroll

390

Chapter 6.61 Frontier Slang

Wan l to imroduce SOtnl' Shattcn.'<i Frontier slang inlO your game? This section gives ),ou some basic words and phrases, along with defmitions for Ih05(" terms you might not be tOO familia r .....jlll. Ace in the H o l e: T his is the secret you'\'(' ko:-eping from C'o'Cf)+ bod)' - the one that's gonna ~a\"C you r haco n when yO\L usc it. Or, if you're playing: poker. it's I,hen the lint card the "holt: card" you're deah is an Ace. Adobe: You'll find mO~1 adobe buildings in i\ ic;o;;co, but tllty ain' t unheard of in \\'yoming or ,\ Iontan:l, either. Adobe is JUSt sun-hardened brick madt." outta clay, straw ;ll1d waler. Aim: T his can mean Ihal )"Ou're gelting ready to Shool, or that you intend to do wmclhing. t\ s in, "I aim to amble dm.,'n 10 Ihe ~aloon and gct myself a dri nk." Amble : If you' re ambling, rou're s\I'Oliing casually at a sluw walk, Amigo: The l\ lt'xican " 'ord for "friend," IJut vou ,\Iready kne', tllat , right amigo? Ante: \\'hen you .mte, \'ou hand 'IOIUNhinl{ o\'er \0 \QmeOlle else, o r pa)' them. " Bill owes me S2. but he ain't allied up \'e\." In gamblin~ terms, it means 10 make a bel. Artillery: Depending all context. this tall mean a cannon. or any sorta firearm. Badland: T his IS land that's no good for ra nching: Badlands ha\'e little or no I't:getation, and lots of bi!:; rock formations, like bunes and mesas, Bandito: This is what we call a l\Jt-xicall bandi!. Barking Squirrel: If you're riding out in the prairie, you just might sec one of these v:H'1ninu. Some lolks eall them "prairie
d~."

Bug Juice: Thi~ is slang for alcohol. Bunk H ouse: This is "here the rallch hands sleep. usuaJl)' in box beds, or bunks. No female~ allowt'd, Bushed: If you say you're bushed, it JUSt means you're tired. Cantina: This
he~'i

what Ihe :\lexicans call a $.1100n,

C hue k H o u s e: :\ Iiniug eamps and ranehe( muall)- maintain a small building Ilhert' the cook works, and this is il. C hu ck Wagon: This is the cook'~ ... ,Igon. and his I{car along on callie drives,
It c;lrri('s himself

C laimJumper: If)'Qu claim ~omcthillg that ain't yours, you're a claim Jumper. Folks that usc this term are grnerall) talking .II)Out land or mines. Color: This is another tcrlll for gold a~ found in lhe "ild. C OITlpadre: :\1 051 folks u~c thi~ :\ lexic,LI) wo rd to mean a dosc friend or partn('r "pardner" C owpoke: You C<ln find dll'se lellcN thrir ho~~'~ cow~ to ~dl. Dealing froITl the Botto ITl: If you're dealing from Ihl' bottom (Of tlle deck, it means you'rt a cheal. Digge r : T his is anOthcr ternl lor a miner. Diggings: \'our di)!:~ng~ are II here you're II'orkin,: <II, if you're ,1 miner. Din e ro: This here\ :\icxican, call mOTl~.
Oll

cattle dri\"e~. t;\ki ng

C yprian: This htI'C" a fancilicd way of ~y;ng "',hon::'

,,!tm

the

Baron: Generally, a man that h:lron ") or land {"land haro n "), Bean Eater: T his is
~lang

OWIIS .1

lot of cattle "cattle

Dodge r : This is a primed pi~e of p.lper tlmt t!'lls )'OU abolll OUt];l\\1; and OIher folb: II allied by tht, ta\\, Dogie: t\ calf with no mother is callcd a "dogie,"

- ,,-

fo r a i\ lexican.

Bible Puncher: A penon who's ah,'aYS quoting Ihe Bible, I"hether he's a preacher or nOl, is a " Bible puncher," Blowups: T hese 3 1'(' qU:lrtZ formations jlllting through the ground, exposing their vein-streaked ~ urfaces, Blue Back: T his nickname refers to paper monC'l from the CSA, Blue Belly: Anybody from the North, 'specially if the) foug ht in the Wa r. Bone Orchard: T his is wh;1I we caU the "Boot Hill."
cellleu~ry,

Drag: This is the heavier black sand thaI TI'1llains in a prospec, tor's pan after the lighter ",-'dimcnts run ofT. Equalizt:r : Thi~ i~ another name for )'our firearm. Fandango: ,\ fandango is a big 01' party, or dance wilh loIS of folks celebrating FeUe r : This is another word for man, or fello\\, Somctim~ abo pronounced "fella,"
Fill)': If you're talking about a fill}', it'~ a young femalt: horse or human,

either

See also

Firewater: l'lere's anothcr 1I,lIne for \\hiske}', Fixings: Your fixings arc sort of like your personal posse!lSion$, though some folks u'e it 10 mean food. Flea Trap: This in,': bag,
h('re'~

Boot Hill: This is a special kinda (emetal') - one ...here the occupa nts a rc mostly co\\'boys, or othrr boot-wea ring folks, Bosh: Another term for "nonsense:' As in " He's lalking a lot of bosh." Brave: This is another name for an Indian fighter. Bro nco: Any wild homb re or unbroken horse might be eall('d a bronco, or J. bronc, Buckboard: This here', a two o r four-person not cargo , wagon, wilh a springboard noor a nd sealS ~il1i\lg 011 sp rings. It makes rour lrip across bumpy territor,), a little 1<.:5s painful.

anothc-r term for your bedroll. or sleep-

Float: L.1rgC pieces of (Iuartz snap off and lumble down slopes "here thc)' rOl11e to rest among bcrb of broken rock and gr.wd. This i~ called a 'f]m!'.

391

Flood Gold: These an:: small particles of gold dust found In streams and ril'ers, that are fa r away (sometimes miles) from their original souree. Foreman: The foremans the feller who's in charge of something usually a bunch of rallchhalld~. Gallery: If you're lucky enough to own a hou<e, the gallery is )'Our front porch. Gangue: Here's another tcrm for qU:lrtz. Gee: T his is the geneml comnl!lnd to Illilke your herd or team turn light. Sec alsu "haw." Git: This is sIanI\' for the word "go" or "gel," Green horn: .-\ greenhorn is a feller who's He's sometimcs just callcd a "grecner."
IllW 10

Horn: This is lhat round bit that sticks lip in the front of your saddle. Also an "apple" or "pommel.' Horning In: If )'ou're horningin, you're pushing in ~ome\\ hcre that YOli ::lin'l suppnscd to be, or where folks ain' t happy to set' YOll. "S;\]Jr <lnd I were trying to l1:\\'c a nice quiet lalk. but Pete kept horlling in." Indian Broke: For SOIlIC reason, il seems like most Indians mount lheir horl'e~ 011 thc righ!. A horse !h<ll'~ "Indian hroke' dOl'sn't like to be mOlll1\c<1 011 the left. Iron: If you're OU! on the trail, thi~ refers to your dining warc (fork , ~p()on and knife,. t\ " branding iron" i~ \I"ed for branding, natul1lll). while your "dlootin.e; iron" gener:tll~ refers to your pi ~to1. Java:
Thi ~

the 'Vest.

is slang for colTt'e,

i~ a

Gringo: T his i~ the t\iexican's slang te r m for a whitt, man, o r some other kinda foreigner, Grub: Your grub is rour food, If )'ou'n: silting down for grub, you're <ilting dowll for a meal. Grubstake: If you loan money to somebod) '0 the), can stan up ,I 1.IU<incs>, you're !,ol\"ing them a grub<take. Thi< /l:em'rally refers \(I a loan to a miner. G y pped: j\ fella "ho drink~ gypsum-contantinated water, and gelS hisself a sl omachach~. hasjust gotlen "gypped," Folks usc this term to refer to gel!in~ che;'lIed. too, As in. "Dang! Thai storekeeper b'YPpcd me!'Hac ienda: Thi. is what the :\Ic;o.:icans call a usually owned by a wealthy <umbitdl. Handle: .\ fdler's naml", or handle.
hi~

Jes' : T his

shortened form of 'just."

Jigger: If rou jiggercd your horse, it meam you t.ired i! out. Kin: Be,idcs it~ nOl'mal1l1eanin~ for lamil), this is also slang for "can."' For e;o.:ample, 1 think I kin 'Ce." him (In tOP of that ridge."
Kit and Caboodle: This is slang for "eleryuling.' For e;o.:anlpie, "1 left my horse, pam, and lOols in camp. but somebody came alon~ alld stok Ihe "hole kit and caboodle:'

Lad.ies of (he Line: T he$<: la<li('s' arc whores who set up thcir business along the trails outside of camps and cowto"n5. Leather: Besides the." olwio us usc, you might I1se "icatller" to reft'r to )'Our saddle 01" your pislOl holSkr. Drawing" a gun is ',lapping lemh.:r:' Line Boss: This i~ the fdi<'r in ehargc of a group of cowhors, when thev're a"a, from the." ranl{e." boss. such as 011 a lille camp. Line Camp: Thi~ i, "here a ranch might k(""ep a few ranch hand, to make." sur("' Ihat their cattle don't ,,<tllder awar0/" 10 make Sllre his nei~hbor'~ cattle don't u,c hi.. grazing land l. Line Riders:
Thes~'

rauch building, himself:

i~

,~hat~\'er hl"~ callin~

his

Haw: Thi~ here's the 1':e."I1e."ral command to makc your herd or le,\Ill tunl left. St'e also ",,:(ec:' Heeler: If you r dog's trainf"d to hcrd Catlll", heder. Hemp Fever: If you fc"cr. Hen Fruit: This
his own race.
ju~t
yOll gOI

yefllclf a

are the ranch hands of the line camp.

Lucifer: .\nOlher term for a match. Maverick: If you've gOt a bunch of unbramkd COW<, )'Ou\'e gOt yerse1f ~om.: m'1\'crich. Slealin~ malcricks ain't illcgal. I 1"('o.::k 011 because if you'n: fool e/lough 10 not brand your herd, )'OU de~erye \, hat YOll get. Mex: This i< a <honelled lerm for a :\Ic.xie<tn. Me xicano: Here's ilnother term for a i\ lexican. Mite: This is ,lang for 'liule."" FOI" e;o.:ample, '"That fellt'r looks a mite upset." Mo rmon Brake: T his is a log you can use to slow down your wagon, if you're speeding downhill a mite too fast. Mother Lode: P rospeclOr~ often 11") to '01101, traces of gold the back to the mother lode." original (a11<1 hopcfully large) source. Muleskinner: A feUcr who a mule-pulled wagon is called it llluleskinller.
dri\"e~

got yeNdf hung, you caught hemp

hcrc'~

what "e call egg". term fur a land b:lron. IIsually

Hidalgo: T his is the

~lexican

or

High Lonesome: This mean< going out and getting drunk. '"T hat fdlcr's on a high lonesome." Hisself: :\Icaning "his self" - slang ro r "himself."

yer~lr

Hitching Post: You lie y01l1" horses to this, amigo. B lIslnc~scs or houses with lOIS of " isitol"S u'lially have their own hile."hing p0S\.\. Hoedown: At thi. pany, folks come Hogleg: This
i~
to

dance.

slang for JUS t about any long-barreled n!'olvcr.

Hole Up: If you need 10 hole up, you're hiding from ,olllclhin~ or somebody. for example, "The marshars looking for mc. I need to hole lip for a fcw days," or "Let's hole up in thi~ cave until the
S110\\ SlOpS.

Hombre: ' n lis j ll ~t means man.' Hooraw: If rou're causing a hooraw, [tmeans you're probably shooting up the lown, or at least riding rOllr hONe somewhere ya sllOuldn't be -like on the sidewal k or into the saloon. Hoosegow: Thi, is a
~1ang

word for the jail.

Mutton Punc her: This Idler herds sheep. Necktie Party: \ Vhen twO or more folks hang a feller by his ncck until hc's

392

dead, thc(re nelktie party.

h:wing

.lbow doillg mlll('thi n ~, :"1(1 tht')" re telling y01l1O do II or quit talking about it.
Signs: Quar'tl, bl;tci; \and and gra\eI bed.~ an: oft('ll preselll \\ hell pb{"cr gold is fOllnd, and wizencd prO~[)cclors recogni;({' ttW$(' '~igm' in their qllc~t for Ihe du~il"t yellow l1Ietal.

On the Peck: A felkr "ho'.; "0 11 the peck" is sornrbody who',> OUI looking and hopinlit for trouble. Owlhool: .\11 ollihoOl is allot her term for .1 dnmk, or "n outlaw ridill,!; at nil;hl.
Palaver: If you and an hombre are hal-in~ OJ palaver, you 'I'(' hal<ill~ a
discus~ion.

Sin Buster: This is 'lI1other term for a preacher.

Skinned: \\11CII 1101 rererri",:\" to eUlting up allirna", this lIleallS "alen:' A~ in. " Keep your f')'{'~ skinned. I think I ht'ar ~Ollleun(' coming.
Sodbust~r: nli~ here's a nother t(,TlII fo r a r.1rmc[".

Squltwznan: T hi~ is "hat ,Ollie [olk.s call a while man who's married !In Indian, Strung Up: If ,I ii:lk r\ /.:Ol1lm be stru ng up, it llleallS he\ going to he hUll,i:, Stud),: r hi< i, a noth er trnn for think ing, or eoneemrating nn ,gm(,thini{- F or ('xample, " Fift)' dollars a hl'ad? I r('c koll I 'll have to ~tud) on that:' Sum bitch : r hi, h a ,how'lIed,lan!; in~lIh for "son of It may hu 1l1' 'pt'llcd ",om bitch:'
:t

Pardner: Your pardller, III' pard, is YOllr comrade. Persuade r: il loil fiJlk~ usc this word to refer to a reluln'T, ur sOllletimrs a whip.

P lacer Go ld: T his guld appl'ars in the leiI'm of dust. flake, or nuggct~. It ~ prOlll1utlccd "plath-air" in its mother lon~ue Spanish. but "plas,-er"' all1ol1~ En~Ji_IHpt'.,kill~ folk. Played OUI: [I' ~lJmethillq i'i "played out." it\ worthIes" or the re's nOlle Itft. For e>.arnple. a mine II;th no mo~ I;old in it i, played out.
Plumb: Thi~ is a ,\bll~ lIord thilt's wrta like "colllpleteh'"" or "('x:teu}." F o r ex,ullpll\ .. , k ~hOl th.lt hornbrt'" plumh in th .. cell' ter of his forehea{I. Poke: This is gem. mll),.t t{' I'm for sex ," 1'111 goin~ 10 th e "hon-houS(' to hlL\"e a IJOkt':' , but also means a ~maJl hal;: Ihat hold~ a fcllcr'~ golrl du~t.

bi tch."

Tenderfoot : Like .':"fecnhuru, Ihi~ nlLllle rerl'rs 10 soml'one 11('11to the We,l. Te xican: ;\ Idlt'r lronl the R"public nr Tt"xas. Throw Down : If you "dl(01I dOI,-n" Oil a feller, it means \'Ou'r(.' drawing }uur gUll ,lIIeI IJOinting it .11 him.

Trail Boss: Thu i~ the feller in charge of getting a herd from one place to anothf;r.
Vaquero: Sometimes spt'lled vacqllrl"O. thi! is :\ It'xi.;an cOIII)(l\_
dlC

te rm for a

Polecat : Herf;' another te rm for a -kunk. dlthouC'h folks <11'0 use it to o:fer 10 !omeOl1r thC\ don't like.
Prairie Strawberries: .\n(l!h('r tcrmllir bcall~. Pull Leather: If you 'n ridilll;: a hllckin~ horse. \'ou milll\! II ant to pull leather hang on 10 the , .. ddle , Quart:c Gold: Thi, is gold tllat's st ill c llcapsulated in sto ue. and requirt's :\I1 CIlOfmous amount o f brute laLor. ('xpe nsi\'(' ma ch inery and ca pital to mine properl y, It'5 ;II~" known aSl(old ore. Range Boss: Thi ~ feller lIlak t 's su rt' 1L1I thc chores Otl! on the r.mgc gel done,
~uu to

\Vhoop: ,\ 1-IlOlIp I, a \h'llIl, ,HId ""hoopin,~ it up" llIeam 1~IU'rt:' ha\ ill~ a ,ll:ood lillll" r-p"('jalll if thl're 's dlinking and ~hoUl in~ im'olwd. ,\n Indian nli!!;hl IIhoop 1.]1(:11 he takcs a scalp, :1 pfo~jX"clor lIli,t{ht \,hoop IIhrl1 it 'trike\ i1 rich, 'lIld!KI on. Wish Book : Thi~ is tl1l' teflll I(u' jtl~t about an)' mail.o rd er catalog', ~ ill (O: tlwn"s lllll;ly' sOIll('thill.'!; in it that you II"j.h you had, but can't ani wd, Yer: Th is is a ,hortetlcd form of '')"our'' o r "you're:' Yerself: This i~ , Iall$: for '"}'Our,dr,"

Reach for the Sky: If you hear' this. it 1lH':IIH 'otllcbody wants put )uur hand~ up in thc air,

Reckon: This is a ~1;lIlg 1I'0rd for "think ," '" I'('ckon the SlagI' noghlta grt here tOlllorm"." Red Eye: H l'r("s another te r m for "hiskc\,

"or example.

Riding H e rd : If ~"u'rt' tidill'C herd, it means you'r(' herdinll: cattle. or that you're gua rd ill'C something: Rub Out: If yfm waitt 10 kill thelll.
11.111110

nth <;omeOIlt Out, it means ~UII

Saddle Broke: If your hoI'\{" let~ )uu pllt a saddle 0 11 hi~ back, it lIle:1II5 hc's Sltddle hrokc. Scrub: A S('m b i\ a hor'>(' o r CO" that's of ;;ueh poor qual. it) lhal nn om' \Iants to hrec'd Ie. Shindig: A _hindig is'1Il nil-night harn dal)('I'. Shoot or Give Up the Gun: If soml'iloc\Y tells you to "dlOot or givt' up th(' gUll," it mean~ yo u'v{' Iwen talking a lot

Pmirit Jlrm{'btl'rifS are a (0111 111011 meal O llt 011 the Tallgt,

393

6.71 Index
A Brief O \,C";CI\ of the Shattered Frontier

.............

. .. 11-0

A T:llc of Threc Town .. ... 157 Ability Clwcks .23 Ability Scores. 18 .\bilily ScOTtS, Creating. ... 24 Abili t)' Scores, Rolling. .... 24 Accidental Shots ......... . ...52 .-\clion Order ................ _ ... 10 Addiction .......... . ... 277 Adjusting Abilit} Scon:_ .... 24 . \dminist ration .................... 332 I\ dv;"mccd Aetion Hased tl lodilicr8 ... 57 j\ dvanccd Penetration Dice. .. 59 Advanced Rules fmort ...j7 Advanced Sighling f70 BPI 37H A<h'anecd Weapon-hased ~ I odifien; .... 57 Adventure Hooks. . .............. 146 Ag<' . . . .. . . ..................... 27 Age and Sex IHtJrscs ............ 125 Agrieultun' . . ................ 333 Amcrican Arm~ Den ingcr ........... 99 American War. PI. 1: 1851]fD2 ..... 30i Indian 'Icnilory Transformed ......309 Afterm:nh of thl." B."l.ttle of ~ I u"k~ .310 ........... 310 Elccuon of 1852 An Arml."d Camp ........ 3ll Southern Diplomacy ............. 311 !\ mcliC:1rJ \\"ar, PI. II : 1854-1855 .... 312 A i\l'W All) .......... 313 The La~t 1 luzz.:lh ........ 311 Afte rmath ............... 315 Ammo Failure .............. 51 Animal Emp:dhy .... 333 Animal Herdiug ....... 331 Animal H ushandry .334 _ ........ .335 Animal Lon: ........ . ... 335 Animal ~li micry .......... Animal Training ............ 33.') Animas Valley, Historr of ...... 155 Apotheca,:' .. . ........... 193 Apprai<al .. 336 Argumt:nts. Closing (Trial l ........ 271 .\rl,(umctlts. O pening Tria[ __ _ 269 Aroostook \\"ar .. 303 Arsenic. . ..91 Artillel')' & Explosi\"(,s ...60 Ani~t .193 Artistic. \ bilit) ........ 336 As,assin ... 19~ ASllll~" Observation (50 BPI .... 378 Author.......... ........ . .[91 Background ......... 6 Bait and T;ICkk .. 116 Baker. . . . ......... . ...... 19-1 Baker D rilling ............. . ... I U9 BaHardCrccdlllorc ................ 1 12 Banished ............... 386 Banker .................. . 19-1

. .......... 195 ... 9 Basic Shooting ,\ ctiolls Explained ......... . . [95 Uasketmakt:r _29-1 Uallles for Independencc _ . Beforc you Iwad out .. ........ 225 Ike;inning Play. . .132 Bch~\'ior and lcmpl."ranW111 .. [26 Bdo\\ Lower Cia,s rBLC1 ..... 385 l~elling ............ . .... 93 Big Troublc COIll(,S in Big l'acbges ... [16 Binh of thl." u:me Smr Republic. . ... 292 BI ~ck Hol"1C _ . . ... 153 Black Horse, H istOIY of . .153 Black HOl"lw Town O il"<"t:IOI) ........ 155 lilacksmith ............... I95 Blacksmithillg/;>' ]('lal"orking .337 Bleeding Dama~c and H ~alin~ T illlt: ... 69 Blind,hooting (45 IU' ........ .378 Boarding House Operator ......... 196 _ ......... 337 Boating Body tl lass Index. . .............. 28 Book Publishe r .196 Bookbindin~ . . . . . ... . .... 338 BootmakerlShocnl<lker. . ........ 196 BOlany .. . .3:~8 Boulu) Hunter ..... 19ti BI~lin Fl"\'er ... Rti Brn\\ling ...94 . .1:'10 Brt"akin\:i a Hor""c . Brtcrls Horse ..... 122 .197 Brewer..... Brewing .338 Brickmakcr ...................... 197 Bmnc Busting .................... 339 Bronchitis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Buft""l.lo H unter ................... 197 Building Point Awards. . ..... 1fl9 Building Poims . . ................. 18 Bmincs. owner cafe. hardware ".)re. gener-II store, ele . ................. 197 Butcher ........ . ... 197 Caliklrnia Q ucst ion .... 306 California Rcpub[ic . . .299 Calligraphy/Si~l!llaking ............ 3010 Camouflage .... 340 Campail;l1. Challenge of Running a Western .......... _ . l olO Campaign E,ems ................. 150 Campaign, Impact of Timt' on the .144 Campaign. O n.Goiul:" ........ [39 Campaign. Ph. ying tIll" _ .. [76 Campaign, RUllllillJpJW ............ 141 Cannons ... 61 Card ganws .249 Carpt'l\lC"r ............. . ...... 198 Carpenll)' .............. . ...... 341 Cartogmphy .341 Casua[ties. .230 Cattl, Uusin<c:ss, TIll" .. .220

Ruhe r .........

Character Generation ............... J 7 Charisma.. . .................... 22 ChaSt:, Ending the. . . . . . . . . . .135 Cheating, Detailed Example of . . .. 252 Chemi~try .. . ... 342 Ch"rry Pic king ............ . .30 Cholera ........................ . .87 .................. 248 Chucka-Luck Climbing .. .342 Close Q uarter Accuracy l\lodificrs ..... 54 Close Q uarter Combat ............. 53 Close Quarter Wounding .... 55 Clothing & Equipment . . . . . . .. 128 Clumsin("S.s . . . ......... 52 Cobbling ........................ 342 Collabonuj,"C Effort. . . . . . . . .. .37 Color ........................... 124 ... J 04 Colt 1867 Lightllillg Colt 186t1 ........................ 109 Colt nisler .. . . . . . . .105 Colt Dragoon ......... .. . . ...... 101 Colt Flattop Target .105 Colt :'>Iavy ............ ... . .102 Colt ~e" Line. . . .99 Colt Pat("l"wn ..................... 102 .. 106 Colt SA-\ Common Di"ea,es ..................86 Competition J.nd Claim Staking. . .243 Conslitution............... . .... 21 ComulUtiou Bonu~ and Pc!!,!!lic. . .70 Consumption .. 87 ... 198 Cook Cooking ......................... 342 Co-op Gamemastcring ........ 144 ... 198 CooI>cr Courage 10 Bl') .378 Cover and \ 'isibi[ity .... 44 Co" boy .199 Crac k Shot (50 BPJ ... 378 Cradk (Rocker Box) _239 Craps ................. 248 Croup .88 C ultUrt (nationa[ity or tribe sp<!eific) ... 343 Current Aft,irs .. 343 .. 226 Daily Grind Damage Bonus (75 BP) .. 378 Dangers ................... [33 Dead Eye .50 BP) .. 378 Deadly Shot (50 BPJ .............. .379 Deception ......... . ...... 343 Dehydration, Eflcc\S of ............. 228 Demolition .................. . .... 34-1Dentist ...................... I~ Dt:ntiSlT), .......... 345 Deseret . ...... 300 Deserter .......... 385 Detailed Example of a G un fight .63 D["tailed Example of Complicated Wounds

..... 72

39+

J)('u,.-ti\1

.. I~l

Outen!,' Di{:c Game' ... Diphtheria Diplnm;u.)' Diplomat ............... . Di.ca.<e ........ . Disea~.s. C.,tdli1U; . Di>l{Uist ........ ,.
Distractioll ... .

.. 211 .... :lI8

..... 88 ...... 345

.200
...... 86 .. 86
. 345 ..... . 346

Felon 386 Fidd G"ar ....... ....... . .2M Finding Wurk . . . , .1 iA rirt.Buil{ling/l~)[ti nl{Ui"h inl!; ......... 3 1B Firing thl' First Shot .........9 First Step Pb )in~ th\.' Crtmpaif~n ... ,1;6 fishing. . . . . . . . . . , ,:1oI9 na\\ s ..... . .. 326 Flinchin~ , . ... , .45
1'0'1;('1"\ ....

... :H9
.11l0

Doctnr Dodg(' 25 BP

. .100
. . . 379 . 224

Dri\'e

Driviu!/; the Herd OO\'ill1:", st.""lgl'('oa('h /w,"~oll . .. . 346 Drug, .... 27li 1)1"\' Di~~in~ aka CO)"Otil1~ .239 Election uf I Ris: Dc.nh Krtdl of the Rcpublit .. ... :105 EnCClll11t.rs ... ..... '231 Enu,unter'<. Spet:i.,1 .:131 En{lur.ll1ce 15 BP , .379 Englncl"r ... , .. , . ..... 200 .,:Hlj Enginccring Dcsil;ll .. Engineering. I,OCOllloti,l' /Steamboat .3-ti Erncnaincr . . . . . ........ , . , .200 I~ap... r\nist ..... , . .. . .348 E!;("aped 51;,\'c ......... . .385 Cxample of " Coulllrr . \('tion .... . .97 Examplc of a Hcad Bult ... 98 Examplr of a Ralc , ............. , .~5 Example of ., Tim(' Out .. 95 Example of Iktting .md tl1(' Fir,t !'unch 9-l E.:'(ample of Spurom; ,Ill OPpOlll'n! ., -<HI E..\amplc of Stunllin~ , . . .. .. . ... 96 Examplo' of Using a Weapon ,... .9i Exper1tllce ,\w"nb ....... .188 E.\I>cricnces .. . ....... , . .46 E.\plo~il1"'~ ........ '....... . ......61 Explosil't."!i Dama).,'C ..... . .. 6'2 Explosivc's, J)l'1l'rnlinin!!; Locatioll of Il uried .. ,61 Expn'~'man .. . .... 201 Fa('in~ ....... . .... .42 F.lcin~ (Illd Cngel At"qutsiLion .... .'13 Fame . . . . .. . . . . ... 23, IR) Famc. Cakul(lting Staning .. ,25 Famt. Cau:gorirs of ........ , . .ISli Filme EO("<:ts on Scr.tpes ......... .42 Fame: Gainin!!; and Losinfl; ..... 18i rame: Individual, Group ,lIld F;mlily .. 186 Famt Poim$. A\\~trding ..... 188 F,wlili:orTr.lil .... ,.. . ......... 133 r:'\mih ".. . .383 Famil) & Sod;11 Cla.,s ............ 28 Filmil} Lo~t ... 14S Em Firing 35 HI' .......... 380 f~trrul'r ., . , .... 201 Faro .249 Farrin . . ... 201 F.lst Healer' 10, .......... . . , .380 Fast ' I:tlkin. 'l ... .. 34R F~lSt Trrtckl; 10 Trouble .. .... 149

Forl;t"lIahle Fa('.' ,'25 HI' .. n lnunl' Tl'Ilinll; .. Fl't'M SI;tH.' frdl(itt /lI'anmer .. Fri('nds and :\lIil." .. C;lits .. G"mbkr .. G.II11blinl( ... Game Tim(' Caminl{ Gatlin!!; Gun_ Gtitf Failur(" .
GooI~

... :HI)

' . .186
. .. 101 ,I ili

l2i
.:11)2 .3:)0

HoN.: Bf{'t"cb. Light ................ 122 HoN', Catching a \\ild .. , ., .. 129 1'101":;1' Ranching ... 12Q Horws, DI,lft . . . . . . .123 Hor<Cs, Hertl")' Harnc:~~ or Coach .... 121 Hol"\\"s. :>ample. . .......... 1].1 Hotd Operator .... 203 Ho\\ Awards Work ................ 1fIR Huntinl\' .... ... 352 HunLinll;' mid Fishing . . . , . .2M Id1.: Gossip .. ... 353 , ..... 3S1 Impmvcd.\rcofFire 15B P Indian Rd; ltioni .. , . ...... :299 InfectiolUi. , .. 70 In/hl\'llza ....8R Inheritanco: 10+ BP ....... ,.. . ..381 Inili.ltilc ,\lId Spl'ed. . . . ....... 8 11~llli"~. ~1)('{'i6c . . . .. . .. 71
Imdlig(,IKI" .. _ .19

350 .till ..., I

"'

UO
.ctl :t'll
.~36

Gil,\ ;\lolls\{"r Gkan Inlorm;,tiun Gold . ...... Cold, Genin~ thr Gold SltiktGolden Opponunity Grnn'fi ,l E11I1'311CclEs it Gr.1U'S and Li'lht \\'ound~ Cr;ll.int.: Gn.-;L'\.'d 1..i\!"hlllin'l :WIIP
Grt.lI .\mhidt);.I\'rit\ 2j BI' Grifter Grifl,old & Gunnison ....... . Grit ,50 liP

.... :H2
.. 151

116
... 3')1

.....67 .. 2'27 'UUI

.:!n'2
. Ill;!

'.0

.3BO Orubst;\king . . . . . . . . . . .:H I , .. ,J8U Gu,lnlian Anltd 130 BI' Gun ror Hin............... 203 Guniil;ht Procedure. , ...... , . . .8 Gunfighu .. ,S Gun"mith ,. .203 Gunslllithing ..... 351 Handt..-dness .27 Hrtn~,Ul ... _ ...... 203 Hal.an;l, .. ,. . .. I 33 He.ding and Hit Poin'" ......... 69 H l"alill~ Time ,. . ...tiC! Hcarin q Tnrtl ... . ... :!ti6 I-kll"lY ,:jO BP ... '580 Hl"i!.(ht rtlld Wei~ht ,n Ht'nl)' Rille .112 Hiding . . . , ..... .352 Hi~h Diet .. 218 Hindrallcc ...52 Hip Shoot!"]" ,'25 HI' ... 38u Hired Help, TIlt' ... . ... :.!:B History. , ..... , . . . . . . . , ..352 Hit I'oim Bonus 20 IW ....... 3S1 Hit Points ..... , . . . ...6 Hilting tho: Trail , .... ,. . ... 226 Hold Your Uquor !O 1.\ 1'). . .'i81

Intl'rpretcr ....203 . ..... 353 Inu:rmg;lIi.,1l ... . . . . . . . . InLimidativn .........354 Imroducinll; the I'LI}'Cr< to the S;U1dbos .145 j.tck Rabbit 'pt'ffl 20 BI' .31l1 j ewd('r .. . :WI, 35,1 j uke Tcl1i1l).": . . . .355 J ournalism/Composition. . .355 journalist ... . ... 20'1 .Jud1:"c .. ......... . ..... 201 jud~t"5. Crooked ... ,... . ..... 268 ,1ulI;'1!;lillg ..... . .. 356 Juror roilll ~ . . .... 267 .Jun ..... 266 Jury Ddii>l'I'ati(j1l .. 271 ./ur\ Llmpl'fin~ .. ,268 Kcepinl; Dcath;1\ \rms' Ll'1H(lh ...... 1in KCI1IUcl, \\inda'lc 4.') SI' .. 381 Knu cklcdu_tcr . . . .1 DO L.C. Smith .... , .. ,. . ..... , . . 110 L1 Rt'rt!;l ... ;,9 I ~'\lld Bruktr .... 20 1 II~) I..:lI1d Grah .. . Langua~ ... . ... 356 1 _1udrt[\um , .. 276 Lao.mdn . . . . ...205 I..;", .356 I.aw. Rullo of .265 IAtl1 man. .'20.'! I,.'\\\\t'r .. .205 IA,\zanh .. 15.'"1 J.':lzaru, and the On-Going C:unp.'\i1:l1 .ISIl Lazarus. ht'llls of Intcn.-~t Conel'rnill!~ .1 jlc! Lcatlwmnrking .. 35 i Lc;\ 1:11 two.barrcl .103 Let CommOn SeIl)C I'rcl':lil .. 139 Linc of Sight .11 l oistl'l1illg .... . .... 357 Uveryman .. 20b l.ock Pickinlt .358 Lockl;mithill~ ...... 35M Lodgt"d Bullet, . , .. , . . . .. .,. . .;2 Logging , . . . . . . . . . . .358 L,{Jn~ -Ium ................... , ... 239

395

Looks ...... 21 Lowe r L ower Class LLC) . . .386 l..Qwer ~ I iddl" Class 11..,\1C) .. 387 Lower Upper Clas~ (LUC) .388 ~ Iachinc Operating/Repairing ....... 359 1\ laking your Own Opportunitit.'S .... 180 ,\l alari:. .................. 88 ~I arkings ............ . .12' J\ la rkings & Coloralion .. . ...... 123 ~la rlil1 Stunewall DCl"llnger ......... 100 .\ Iason .... 206 ~ I astery and l)iflicultv ........ 332 ~ l athemalic~ .. . .............. .360 i\ la.ximull1 Distance. ..... 62 i\ kal Planning .. . .............. 225 i\ !cals and Lodging ...... 178 Measles .... 89 i\lcchanic";ll Failure ... 19 i\lcdicinc ............... 360 ~ I iddlc l..Qwer CIa:... 1i\ ILC) ......... .386 i\liddlc ~ [ iddlc Class (i\L\I C' ........ 387 ~ liddk Upper Clas; (}. 1l}C ) .389 i\ lilil<lIy Engilwering .. 360 i\ lilimry Smllegy/Tactiu ... 361 i\ liHe r . . ............... 206 i\ lillincr . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ...... 206 .\I illillcr.... .361 .\I imie D ialect .................... 362 ~ line Owne r .......... 200 '\ Iining l)istricl'l .................. 241 .\liscellaneou;; G,lIncs .............. 253 .\ Iisccllancous NOles Goods l ........ 261 Mishaps & Failures ......... ..19 i\ lodifim ... 12 i\ lodular Rule System .........R MOllct;'lry Awards ........ 188 i\ loonseed ....................... 91 i\ lorphinc ............. 276 Mountain .\ Ian ................... 208 i\lou11led Marksmanship <In BP ..... 381 .\ Iovemcnl and Shooting, Combining .. ..19 i\ loI<t:ffictll. Doub1c-T illll ........... 227 1\!o,cmeHi. Normal. .227 ~ t o\~ng and Special Actions .......... 96 .\ t o\~ng T,lrgclS .............. AB i\ Iustangs ...... 122 1\ IYSlcryon tlw Ranch ... 149 ~I yths and i\lining Companit"s ... 241 Names .389 Naturalist ............. .20B Newspaper publisher. .208 NOll- Weapon It~uries . .52 Notoriety .. .184 N PCs, sample ......... 166 Nursing ........ . .362 :'>Iursing ..... 70 Oaths ... .18-1 Observation .. . ................. 362
O bstad~s

Opiulll ....... 277 Oration ....... . .363 O lher Qualities (Horses) .125 Oulla" ....... . .20B Pa nn iug .238 [';lIming a site OUI . . . . . . . . . .243 Pa rker .......... 110 Partial Skill Failun:: [t\dvanc~d Rule] ...37 Pcnctration Dilmag(' ... 13 Pcrcl""ivc Tcndcnc~ 120 BPJ .. 381 Pcrsonal Go.'!l, . . . . . . . . . . .. . .19 I Pctty C riminal .................... 386

1'(")l)le

......... 277

Phase l)ur:ltion and Gaining 01cI' C hips ...................... 135 Phowgraplll:r .................... 208 Phowgraphic F'<luipmclIt ....... 264 Photograp h} ............ . . 364 Pick Pocket ... 365 Placc of O rigin .................... 26 I'layin' Chm:kA- Luck . . ........ 248 I'la>~n' Craps ............ 248 I'layin' Faro ......... 250 Playin' Poker . . . . . . . . . .. 251 Playill' Roulcllc ......... 233 Pla}lll' Thrt"c Card ~I ont~ ....... 254 Playin' L"ndcr and Ol'er ......249
Pll~ulllonia

..... .B9

.131

OlTellses, Hangable. . ... 274 Olfenscs, J ailable (i\ t anr Years! ... 214 OlfclIscs. :'Il illor (Fines or :'Il illimal J ail Time) . . . . . . . . . . .27-1

Poison Oak .........91 Poi.<;on; . ...90 P.... k,'r .250 Pok~r H ands ..... .. . . .250 Political Uphe;lI'al ....... 150 Politit"ian .209 Posse Forming Up .147 POIICI) .......... . ....365 I'n::adw r ...... 209 i'rescl1Iation of E\'id~nc~ ....... 2iO Pre~idl'nlial Polilics ....... 302 PI;mitivt Ran~('d Allacb ............ 59 I'limilil"C Ran~d Weapon Usc ...... .365 Primitive Ran>;rd Weapons ..... 11 Primi1i"c Weapon ,\ b king .366 Plimer/ Binder. .209 I'liming Equipmt"nt . . ......... 261 Priors and Pan iculars ...... . . . .25 Proression Paths. . ........ 189 Prospt"<:ting .............. . .. . .. 366 Prospt"<:ting E\'cnt~ .......... 2H Prospecti ng For Gold. . .......... 241 I'rospecling Techniqucs .. . . . ..... 238 Prospector ....................... 209 PUllishmcl1lS .......... 274 Quality of Beef. . . . . . . . . ..... 227 Quality of Bcef; Determining Ini tial .. 227 Quality of Beef. i\ lanaging .......... 228 Q uic k Aim (40 lW) ................ 382 Q uick T hi nking (10 BPj .. . . .3R2 Quirks ........... 316 Q uirks and Flaws ................... 30 Q uil"ks and Flaws, Earning Bt> for ..... 30 Raise the Colors ..... 148 Rake (H ra"ling! .. . .9'1

Ranch. Growing the ............... 222 Ranch, Staning'l ................. 220 Ranch, Swcking a .......... 221 Ranch, Working Ihe .... 22-1 Rancher (horse, cows, shcep. pig, etc! .210 Ranching, Economics of ............ 22-\ Random Quirks and Flaws ........... 32 Rapid Rdoad (20 BP) .. .382 R;lding Cmnprehensioll/Penlnanship .366 Reading Lips .................... .367 Real Tillie .................... 144 Reasons to Go \\'C~( .. 28 Recording Game T ime ...... 14-1 Keco,""!:ry fi"Om Dehydration ......... 228 Rccmiling ... %7 Religion ......................... 367 Remarhble En'nl~ ... I92 Remington ............... . ....... 11 1 Remington 1865 .. I06 Remiub>10n Derringe r .............. 100 Remington ~c" Army ... 10\ Kemington Pcppcrbo.x .............. 10 I Remington Revolving Rill... . .113 Remington Rolling Block ........... 113 Reputation. . .23, 181 Reputation and :'>IPCs ............ ! B-1 RcplIIation Bonus . 35 BPI ... 382 RcpUlation, Calcul.tl~ Staning ...... 25 Reput.ltion. CaH"gories of ..... 182 Repul;nion Effects on Scrape~ ..... Al Reputation, Family. 132 Reputation, Gainin>: and Lo~ing .. 184 RepUlatioll. Gmup .. 181 Reputation, Indilidual ........... 181 Reputation Poinl'l, Awarding ....... 188 R.i.pul.ation Score and RL-putation IbinlS .183 Resist Disease/ Infection (20 HI' .. .182 Resi.t Pcrsuasion ................ 368 Rr~ults of the Fir<t I\lnch and a Counter .94 R ichmond Armory .\ Iusket .114 .229 Rive r Cros!ing . Ri\'l.'r Damming. . . ....... . .240 Rope .368 Rouleltc ......... . ...... 253 .2N Round-Up. The . Rumors of War ... 150 S&W 44 0 .'\ .... 107 S&\\' DA Second i\ todd ............ 108 S&\\' R U5Si;1Il .107 S&\V Scholield . .... 108 .210 Saddler Salesmanship. ..... 369 Saloon O,,'ncr ..... 210 ~awycr/Lulllbcrjack .211 Scarlel Ih-er ... 90 Schonl'lcadlt:r .......... . . .... 211 Scorpion. Ilark........ . . .. 91 Scorpion, Olher ...................91 Scout/Guide ..................... 211 Scouting Ahead ................... 230 Seamslress/Tailor ............. 2 I I, 369 Searching ........................ 369 Seduction, An of .................. 370

esc

396

&~king Kt"t;ognition .... , .......... 295

Sel Traps. .. . . . .., ........ 370 Settling In .... " .............. 176 Setup ......... , ..............93,131
Sn't"re Weather ................... 228 ~'t"n: Wounch .................... 72 Sha'l" C a rbinI' COIwC'"r<;ion . . . . . . . . 11-1 Sharps Long RanltC ... .115 Shallcred Frolllier, -1 1H~ . . . . . 1-10 Shooling Action~ . . . ... 9 Shooting D} nanIJI!' ....... . .63 Shooling Procedure .... , . . ..... 10 Shot Clock ElCu'alXllation .... A I Shot on Ihe Run (.')() HI' ...382 Shotgun Shootin.g Procedure ........ AD Sign maker .............. 211 Silver. . . ..... 238 Si)"';l"!imith . .212

Swimming ......... . ... 373 ' i:1C licai ~ Iountcd .\ Io\'cm('nt .... , A7 Tactical i\ IO\ement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Taking Ac tion ....8 Tale nts. . . ......... 38 l anner/ Lcatherworker . . .......... 2 13 Telcgraph Equipment ............ 26-1 lClcgra ph Opcm tinl!; . . . ....... 37-1 Telegraph Opt-ralor ........ . .... 2 1:3 'Ii'rrain ........ 13 I
Texas l..onl!;horn ... ,218 Thrtt Card ~l o1l1e .:!.ll Thrown rrom the Saddll' . . . .... 18 Thundering Rails .. 150 Time .......... . .<l) Time and Failed Checb ... 3:t2 Timc and th .. Call1paii!;11 .1 II Timing I~"u e~ . .ti2 Tinsmith ....... . _ .211 Tobacconisl .213 Tools and uther Hardware .:.!b-I Toll'rance .. li5 -Iollgh ~ .\'ails '25 HP .. 382 lown Ruildcroc .... .. 151 T owns & lhe Campaign ............ I 53 l"racking ....... . ....... 131.314 Tmdcr Lin:slock. Fur. Dry goot"ls, elc. 21-1

1863 Carbine .. 1 I 7 1863 ~ 1 1I. kel .. .118 1863 Rifle ... .. 117 1866 Carnine .. ..... 11 8 \\'illchc~M r 1866 II1mkel ..... .... 119 Wjnrhe~tcr 1866 riflt.' ' ... 119 Wisdom ...... .. ...... 20 Wo ulld rfli'("ts ..... ....... 67 \\'ounding ........ 13 \\'rt'$tiinl!; .... ... 55

\'"inchestc r Winchester "'inc heste r \\'inche\ll'r

TABLES
' hilit) PoinL<, G~nf"r,l te (Table 3. 1-9J ..24 .\ t.'lion Ba~d ~ I odifierl< p:\blc 3.2-18J .58 Addic-lions (Tahle 6.2.1] .. .31 G . \ wng LOr-CL, p :1ble 3.1-12J ... . .... '27 ,\ nilllal. \ mi palh) pahle 6.2-8J .... . 32i . \m m.d Ph,)lJi'h pable ti.:?-2] ........ 317 ,\r~menl I'oinu, O p,'nin); (Table 5.6-til
. _ .... 269
''"is-1m rr.lblt- 6.5-15] . . ..... 387 B,ISic CI,,~e Q uant'r . \ctioru. p:1blct2-151 .53 Ba.,je ShootinK Aetiom r rabie 2.2-21 .. If) 1\(-10\\ l..o\\ cr CI;ISlI character _talUS r fablc 6.5- 10) .. 385 nod) ~ I a.>!i Index labll.' .............. 28 Hrt'aking An Oa th {Tabl.:- -I.2-IJ ... 185 IJI"f"Cd ~ lodiliers r fablt' 3.6-3J. . ..... 130 Huildin~ Po ints. Spend Startilll\

Sitl' Jcil'nion

........... 129
.:12 .35

Skill B<lsics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Skilll..carning ~ I odifier . . . . . . . . . .

Skill ~ l a~lrrv . ...

Skill i\ lasll'l"") Lc\'d~ . SkiUs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. .36 . .30

,32. :t12 Skills, A("quirin ~ and ImplToml'l .35 Skills. Acq uiring \\ith Iklnus Building Poirm; Skill.$. 811);nq .\cklitional T."1l1i(1 L:lli\1'"rsal ............ , ... , ..... , .......... 36 Skills, Puttinq to \\'ork ror \ uu ....... 179 Skills, t.:si ng .......... ,.... . .37 5kinninl{rTarmillll; . . 5iU Slaughter . . . . . .'H I Sleight Hand .371 Slick Talker.. . . . .3i2

or

...... 35

Trail
Trailblazer ...

.22t>
.2 13 .:!I'! .21)6 .26.'1

or

Translxmation slage Trial. Pla~ in e: a T rial i'roct""S5 . rri a!. The. rroubll' from the 1'11.<1
Typc~ of Se",,(ons. L'nder and Ol"l:r

.2bll 1-I')

Sluic( . . .

. ... 2-10 Smallpox .... . . . . . . .. .90 Snake oil salc~nlilll ...... , .......... 212
Snake, C opperhead ..... 9! Sn3ke, Cor-II ................ 91 Snake, CotionmOUlh ........ . .... 91 Snake, R a[\lt'~l\akc ... . .... . ...... 92 SncakinK . . . . . . .. . ... 372 Social Cla$S ...................... 385 Social Eliquene ...... , ......... 372 Soldier . . . . . . . ..... , ... 212 SPO:'M and Accuracy ................. 6 Spencer C..uilint' ................. 115 Spider, Blac k Widow ... , ............ 92 Spidcr, IJrm\ 11 Reclu~ ...............92 Springfield RoJljI1 ~ I:Ilock ... . I 16 Springfield Tr.lpdoor Rifk ., ........ 11 6 Sprimer 30 UP ................... 382

Typ('~ of Gold. . . . .. .

undertaker.... Uni\"Crsal Skills Upper Lower Class (U LC) UP!>tT ~ f iddl e Clas~ (U,\ IC) Upper Upper Class vuel
\~1.I!;Tam

. .237 ......... .138 ............ 2-1R .215 ............. 37

rrabk 3.1-101 ~:;J c'1.rd Di_tanH' Rl'pl"f",;t'nl"tiOlh ("lahl(' 3.;-21 ...... 133 C.tse ~Irru r Llbll' 5.n-l) .. . .... 266
Chari_ilia rrablc :U -7] ... . ... 22 ChaS('~, DClerminin q J>ha'>Cs n'able 3. 7- IJ ...... 131 Clreatin~, Cllillwe 10 nOlicl' ["I able 5.4- IJ ... 253 Chl'rokct' Samc!;, F.. m,.Jt, Sampk (Tahle 6..1-'21] ..... 390

'"

.. :"186 . . . .387 .. ... 38C!

.......... '186

.................... ... .

.... .::lit) \rtcran Gunfillhtcr '20 Br .382 Vices H al"'\(" .. .126 \ ,gilante juslice .. ....... .2b.) Wain wri~1 ..... ......... 215 \\'anted ;\Ian .. ........ H8
Waler ..... . Wt'apon Bon us 50 BI' " 'capon Damagr . \\'eapolll") Firearms, .... 228

Vemriloquism

Cherokf"e Xame~, ~ I ak, Sample pable 0.5.221 .. 390 Cif(ulmt . mces of Birth f1ilble 6.S-la] .383 Cr)1II1l10n J)i o;c.'ascs ['I:1.bll' 3.3"1 J .. .. ...86
Condili(>nal i\ l od ifi e~ p :1ble 3.3-SJ .... 86 Corhtitution r nlbl.. 3.1 -5J ............ 21 Con$lilutiolial Adjusllllent' to Healing [Table 3.3-2J . . . . . . . . . . .. . iO l)('hydration rr'lblc 5.2-61 .. 228 Dcxlcrit\ JTable 3.1-4) ....... . .... 21 I)oublc-:lime ~Jo.,~m('1ll rrable 5.2-2) 227 Drinks (Tablr 5.7-1] .......... 275 Dru ~ [Table 5.7.2J .216 D)namitc i\ ldXimurn Ranges (Table 3.2-20 J ......... . .. .61 D YlI;unitc, Sp"ed of !-Iuned [,L1blc 3.2-22J ........ 61 Epilep tic Pabll>6.2-9) ..328 Esc;'ped and Freed Shl\'(' characters p :lble 6.5-11] ........... 386

,382 ....91
..... , ...... 264

SIl) ........ , .................... 212 Stampede!; ...... , ....... , ........ 229 Slartilllj( '\ Iolle) ... ,... . ... 28 Staying Ali\1'" ... . ..... 180
Slaying OUI of !-Iarrn's \\a) ... 180

Weapons .................... . ... 6 WCat her Sen51' .376

Wr aver . .. . . . . .. . ....... , ..... 215 \\'ea\;ng ........ . .... 377 Whal is a Role-Playing Game?' . . . . . . . . 3 What ' 011 KCL-d 10 Pia} .......... 3 \\11cre Thcl"t!'s Smoke T here's Fire .. 147

51Ol1em:I.-;onl) .... Stn:ngth

. .......... 373 ...... 18

Siunning ... 95 Surv~)'()r/Car10grapher .. . .2 I 3 Su"~val .... ... .. . ........... 373

Whore
\ \'illehesll'r

........

Why do it?' . ........ ... .

. ..... 21.'1 .... 225

...... 111

397

Evidrnce ROlting [TOlble 5.6.7] ..... 270 Experience .\ Iodifiers rnth!!: 3.2-7J ... .46 Explosive Distance from TalW'l ,........ . ..61 [Tabk 2.3-241 Explosh'es Dmnagt & Effects ................. 61 [ rable 3.2-2IJ Fasl Talking T.1rgel .\ Iodilicrs .......... . r rable 6.3-rj .......... . ... 348 Firing Arc ~Iodifiers lTablc 3.2-3] .... .'13 Fishin~ [rable 6.3-2J ............... 349 Flaws tTablc 3. 1-20J ................ 31 Gold Fidd delail, rn,hle 5.3-3J ...... 2-43 G razing P :1bir 5.2-3J ...... '127 G unli,l:lu procedures r rahk 2.2-11 ..... 9 Handedncss [Table 3,1-131 , .......... 27 Hardness Values p:1ble 3.2-5J .4-1 I-I a'lard and Ob~tade Rang<.>s [Table 3.7-3J ......... . .. 133 H azards lTable 3.7--4J .............. 133 Height, Characler [Table 3.1 -14J .27 .. 130 Horse Slalistic.~ r rahk 3.6-2J Horse Viets rrahk 3.6-1] ,.127 Hurled Explosivc Disl:ll1cc "Iodili!:'r; P ":lble 3.2-231 . . . . . .. . . .61 Idle Gossip Targf'l '\Iodi(j ('r~ [T able 6.3-3[ ................. .353 lIIegilimalC Binh lTable 6.5-1b] ...... :m3 ...... .59 Indin:(l Fin: tTable 3.2-19] Inldligence [Table 3.1-2J ........... 20 Interrogation ~Iodi(j<.>rs {Table 6.3-4J . .35:1 J ("Wclcr Iksultll [1":lbk 6.3-5J ... 355 J udge Severity [T able 5.6-2J ... 266 .267 J uror Personality [Table 5.6-5] J uror Saving Throv, s [Table 5.6-(IJ .273 Law Skill Check lTabl<.> 5.6-8] .270 1 ....><:0 P:1blc 6.2-3J ......... , ...... 322 Looks r rable 3.1-6J ................. 22 Lower Lowcr Class chara(l rrs [Table 6.5-12J .386 Lower .\ Iiddl(" Ct.ISS chara(tcrs (Tahle 6.5-16J ............. 388 ~brkct Pricc or Beef [Tabk 5.2-4J ... 227 ~lcchanical Failures [Sul)'I:1ble 3.2-13aJ 50 ~liddle ;"I iddle Class (hara(ten. rrable 6.5-17[ ... 388 ~Iigrainc Occurn:nce [Table 6.2-IOJ .. 329 ~ I ishaps & Failures [Table 3.2-131 .... .50

;-" l.is.-;ing Digit HI' bonLl.'i~ [Table 6.2-111 ,.......... . .... 329 ;" Iissing Leg ~ IOH:menl cffectll p-aIM 6.2-12] .................... 330 ;"lonC); Charactt:r Staning p -able 3.1-1 GJ .............. 29 .\ lounted .\ [o\'emcnt Action Ral,; P:,bk 3.2-9J ......... . ... A7 '\[ounted Turns [Table 3.2-10] . A7 ~ I o\'t'mcnt Action Ratts [Table 3.2-8] . .46 ~Iovcment ;"[odiliers to Shooting ......... A9 [Tabk 3.2-12J ~ l o\"CmenL Normal [Table 5.2-1]. .227 Names. Fcm:lle. Quick [Tabh' 2.1-2] .... 7 Names. i\ 1alc. Quick [Tabk 2.1-3] _7 "ames. Sample Cuba . .\it:xilo. \\e,t Texas, , ........ 390 [Table 6.5-21] Name~, Sample \\'("~tl'rn {T"hle 6.5-20J .......... 389 ~icknam~ [Table 6.5-2-4[ . . .390 ~on-\\'t'apon Injury Location .53 [Ta ble 3.2-14J OIN's.<he-Compulsivc r n, ble 6.2-1] ... 323 Order of Birth [Table 6.5-5J .. 384 Outsidc .'Jorth America subtable ...... 26 P~u'CTllal Status [Tablr 6.5-2[ ........ :{R3 Personal Weapon ;"lodHiers [Tabk 3.2-17J . ........... , .57 Pistol Dis(harge D Illing Wrcstlin~ (Table 3.2-16] ................. 56 Place of migin/hirth p:1ble 3.1-11] .... 26 Poison- and \'cnom~ [Tabk 3.3-6] .91 Pn;judin'd to"<lrd nation<llity [Table tl.2-3J

Reputation Adjustment hearing (Table 5.6-1] .................. :.16b Repulation A<Uustment (trial [Table 5.6-'1] ...... 267 Reputation Awards, Samples Crimes rrabJro 'l.2-11 ............. 186 ramil} & Group r('lated [T1ble 4.2-8[ .186 Nrc: & 1'L1)~r rtlm('{1 rr;tb!c 1.2-7] ... 186 Personal.khieveLllcnts & FailufCS rrable 4.2-5] ...... 186 Professional [Tabk -l.2-tiJ 186 Scrapc~ [Table 4.2-2] .. . .. 185 !;ol"iaJ/ Enc()ulltcrs r l"abk 4.2-31 .. ,185 Rrputation Effects on Scr.ll)es [Tahle 3.2-2] .... .42 Ruml or Urb:1ll bllckgroulld [T:lble 6.5-91 ............................ 3H5 Rural Prt,fcssions lTable 6.5 13[ . .387 ~alllple ;'\':lrn,~ !'a~tcm (T;,hl~ 6 ..'>-19] .. 389 Sample personal /,'oal, [1ahh: 4.3-1 J . , .191 Severe Weather (T,Iblc 5.2-71 .... 229 _331 Severel\ ~Iaimcd [l;lblc 6.2-13J. Shooting Pmcedurt [Table 2.3-3J ...... 11 Sibling Rivalry [Tahk 65-6] .. 31l I Sibling Status r Fahle 6.5--4] . . . ..... 3fN Siblings, Numbn of [Table 6.5-3J .31H Skill Check "Iodifiers [Table :1.l-231 .. .3i Skill List !hblc 3.1-211 ... , .... 33 Skill.\ laslcr;.' L.....'Cls r rahle :1.l-:l2] ... .36 Social Cla>s [Tallie 6.5-8] .. 385 Rupcrltiti()n~ r rable 6.2-7[ .......... 325 , ... 38 Talem;; r rabl<:- 3.1-2IJ . T<lrget .\fqui.~ition Penalti,'S p:1b[e 3.2-41 .. .43 Targ,t ~Io\'{'m('nt rrable 3.2-11[ ..... A8 Tracking Sluwdowm [Table 3.7-5] .. 13' Upbringing rJ:1ble 6.5-7] .38-4 Upper ;"lid<He Class charaClC~ (Table 6.5-181 ..... .388 Urban Professions r l'a bk 6.5-14J , ... 387 \,i~ibilil) ;"Iodifi('rs p:1hle 3.2-61 ..... A5 W~tcr. Chantt {jf' Finding [Table 5.2-5J .228 Weight. Character pable 3.1-15] ...... 28 \\isdolll [1'ahle 3.1-3J ............... :.10 Wound .\i()(li!iers to Shootinl: [Table 3.3-1 J .................................67 \\'uund &"l,rily T hreshold r r;lu!t 3.3<{! .. 70

........... 323
Prt'jurliced to\\Md prore<.~ion ["i"dblc (i.2-GJ . ........................... 324 .... 7 Profe:>.,ions, Quick [rable 2.1-"1 Prospecting honu~es [Table 5.3-2] .... 242 Prospecting diflkulty [T"l>lc 5.3-IJ .. 242 Quirks & Flaws [Table 3.1-18J ........ 30 Quirks [Table 3.1-19J , .. 31 Ran eh Hand RCfJuirt'menl'! p:1blc 5.1-1J . . ..... 223 . ........ . ......... Randonl EIJ(;ounle~ b)' TerrailL dlOOO [Table 5.2-8J ,.............. . .. 231 Reasons to go WeSl pable 3.1-17J .29 Repu tation [T~blc 3.1-8] ........... , .23

39B

399

400

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