Inspired by
Harry Baldman's "History: the Minimalist RTD".
Rather than another overambitious TCM game that ends in 10 pages, I've decided to start a game with a simple set-up and premise, with the goal of it evolving over time.
The game starts out in New Jamestown, a settlement of 80 or so newcomers out in the arid desert land of Western United Vespuccian Territory. In addition to regular housing, the town is currently equipped with a Saloon, a City Hall, a General Store and a Church; plans for a Tailor Shop and a Brothel are in development. The land beyond that is left unknown by most, from the mysterious caverns to the legends of strange beasts and establishments further out. United Vespuccian civilization has not touched this new land, but it is occupied by the Hontato tribes who have lived there for countless generations. Further to the South is the land of Cudraldo, who previously owned the land prior to the Vespuccian-Cudraldian War, in which they handed it over to to the other nation. Despite this exchange occurring over 50 years prior, some Cudraldos, especially older ones, are still bitter. Vespuccians are the primary immigrants to New Jamestown, as they hear of the freedom and wonder that awaits out west. Additionally, some Cudraldos have come to escape viscous civil war back in their homeland, and people from across the sea have come looking for similar opportunity.
All rolls are handled by a 10-sided Die. All the countries in this game are "fake" renditions of real countries, as it allows the history to be flexible, ex., Chinese (or in this game, "Quian") immigrants to the Western Territory will be much higher than it was in reality. The tone of this game will meander the line between serious and goofy; no spaceships or dragons, but death cults, eccentric businessmen, paranoid cowboys and all sorts of other weirdos and strange stuff will be surely come up (especially knowing you guys).
Most importantly, as a Free-form game, the goal of you as a player is to be whomever you want, and do whatever you want. A failed banker coming to the West to start over? A bandit looking to take advantage of the West's lawlessness? A native seeking to drive out the immigrants as they push into your land? These are just examples of characters you can create. Go nuts, we're here to build stories and legends and have a fun time doing so.
As for your inventory, you can really start with whatever you want within reason. Rich characters are allowed to start with a lofty supply of green, but they wouldn't be loaded with guns, besides a fancy pistol or something. If your character holds an odd-possession, like a policeman with a sword, I'd like a brief explanation in the Biography section of your Character Sheet.
If you die, submit another sheet and jump right back in! Everyone is welcomed, a Reserve will not go into effect unless we have something like +15 players at a time.
UPDATE: The game has now reached the point of exceeding 15 Players. Any newcomers are free to sign-up and be placed into the Reserve, where they can join the game at the first opportunity when another character dies or otherwise is permanently gone.Each character is entitled to 1 Perk, or alternatively, 2 Perks and 1 Detriment. +'s and -'s relate to any rolls in related fields, for example, Ox Build gives you a +1 Bonus to the result of any Strength related rolls.
If you have an idea for a new Perk or Detriment, feel free to suggest it.
Perks:
Ox Build - You are muscular and burly, +1 to Strength.
Steel Skin - You can take a beating, +1 to Toughness.
Eagle Eyes - You can see well into the distance, +1 to Perception.
Rabbit's Feet - Rumor has it that you can outrun a horse, +1 to Agility.
Elusive Enigma - You can blend right into the shadows, +1 to Stealth.
Queen of Diamonds - You're uncannily lucky, +1 to Gambling and other Luck-based events.
Dealmaker - You're a forced to recognized with in the marketplace, +1 to Bartering as both Buyer and Seller.
[Weapon] Specialist - Practice for years has honed your skills with a particular weapon, +1 to Weapon Class of your choice, replace [Weapon] with the name of the Class. Classes available: Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun, Bow, Knife, Sword, Spear, Axe, and Unarmed. If you wish, you can specialize in a more obscure weapon like a Mace or Blowgun.
Demolition Expert - Something or someone obstructing your way? You know how to fix that. +1 to Explosives: Dynamite, Firebombs, etc.
Horse Whisperer - You can tame even the fiercest of Equine, +2 to Horse Training.
Master of Game - You enjoy nothing more than going out and taking down the toughest beasts, +1 to Hunting.
One with Wilderness - You have an unspoken connection with the natural world. Undomesticated animals will be less likely to attack you, and are more likely to befriend you.
Hontato Speaker - You've learned how to converse in the language of the Natives, no rolls required for attempting to communicate with the Hontato peoples. If you are a Hontato character, then you this trait becomes "English Speaker", which works the same way.
Green Thumb - You have many bountiful harvests ahead of you. +1 to Agriculture, +2 if playing as a Farmer, Rancher, Botanist, or similar role.
Healing Touch - You have a respectable knowledge of medicine, +1 to Medicine, +2 if playing as a Doctor, Shaman, or similar role.
Forge Expert - You can create fine metal equipment and goods, +1 to Blacksmithing, +2 if playing as an actual Blacksmith or similar role.
Drunken Warrior - Alcohol fuels the fire in your blood, +2 to Close-Quarters Combat when Drunk.
High Tolerance - How could a dozen bottles of booze hurt anyone? +2 to Drinking Rolls.
Casanova/Femme Fatale - You've got them wrapped around your fingers, +2 Charisma when conversing with members of the opposite sex.
Saving Grace - You must have pleased your deity at some point, you avoid death the first time it should kill you in any form.
Detriments:
Weakling - No one's going to ask you to do the heavy-lifting, -2 to Strength.
Glass (Wo)Man - You have to avoid fights, illness and stiff breezes, -2 to Toughness.
One Eye - You've got one working eye left, -2 to Perception.
Running Turtle - Due to either injury or just genetics, you are damn slow, -2 to Agility.
Elephant Step - Everyone knows your coming from a mile away, -2 to Stealth.
Unlucky - Stay away from the Casinos, -2 to Gambling and other Luck-based events.
Ugly - Simply, you don't look good, -1 to conversing with members of your sex and -3 to conversing with members of the opposite sex.
Pacifist - You're a lover, not a fighter! -2 to Combat.
Strong Scent - Whether it's your perfume or musk, it seems like hungry coyotes and bears know where you are. Vicious animals are attracted to you.
Marked by Law/Hontato - You've done something to piss you off. Selected group, either Law or Hontato, will be hostile towards you, and will active pursue you.
Drunkard - You can't put down the bottle, if you don't consume Alcohol at least every 5 Turns, you will receive penalties to all rolls.
Opiate Addiction - It calmed you down at first, now, not so much. If you don't consume a form of Opium at least every 10 Turns, you will receive penalties to all rolls.
Amnesiac - Wait, where am I? 10% chance of performing a random action each turn, (buying something, insulting someone) and not being aware of it.
Duels come in two varieties, First Blood and To The Death. The extent of the grievance, usually determines the type of Duel: The former may be called into effect if a man finds out you made a rude comment about his sister, the latter would be enacted if he found out you slept with her. The type of Duel must be announced by the person who calls for it, and their declaration must be made in person to their target; oftentimes this declaration is accompanied by throwing down your gloves, or with most folk out here, spitting on the ground directly in front of their target. The weaponry of the Duel must also be agreed upon, whether it be Handguns, Repeaters, Knives, Fists, and etc.
A Duel may be declined, but depending on the circumstances, declining may lead you to being labeled a Coward. Cowards are subject to ridicule, insult, and jostling by the local community, until they eventually forget about it or they find something more interesting to do. Cowardice is such a serious label that some stores will not sell to Cowards! Acts of great Bravery or Chivalry can help remove the Coward Label. Breaking the rules of a duel, such as shooting someone in the back before the duel starts, or pulling out a gun out in a fist-fight, will not only make you a Coward, but tarnishing the sanctity of Dueling will be enough to get onlookers to attack you. It is generally a bad idea, in fact, while killing someone in a Duel is not a crime, killing someone illegally will give police the right to arrest you for Murder! There are exceptions, for example, legendary duelist Bill "Buckshot" Markus shot one of his opponents in the back. It didn't look good on his record, but being as respected and feared as he was, most people let that incident slide.
During a duel, you pick one of three Stances to take, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
Aggressive - You take a position that leaves yourself exposed, but allows you to get the most accurate and devastating attacks. +2 to Offensive Rolls, -2 to Defensive Rolls.
Neutral - You take a position that gives you some room to act, while not being totally vulnerable either. No Offensive or Defensive alterations.
Defensive - You take a position that makes it awkward to attack, but also makes you a difficult target. -2 to Offensive Rolls, +2 to Defensive Rolls.
An initiative roll for each party determines who attacks first, after which the other person will respond, and then the first person again, and so on, until the conditions for the Duel are met. If the initiative rolls are the same, both parties attack simultaneously, which can lead to quite interesting results. If both parties run out of ammunition before conditions are adequately met, they are allowed a free reload (This happens much more frequently in Duels To The Death). During this period, either party may Surrender, though this will give them the Cowardice label for not finishing a duel, (as always, there are exceptions. In cases where the Surrendering duelist has been horribly injured or maimed, less people call them a Coward).
If the Duel is between 2 Players, each may PM which of the 3 Stances they will take during the Duel beforehand.
It is worth noting that the tradition of Dueling holds it that the Duel be between members of the same Sex. Yes, Ladies do Duel in the Wild West, though it is with each other. This gives them an important role, as they are the only ones able to challenge other women.
Name: Molly Sherdane
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Perk(s): Master of Game
Brief Bio: Molly grew up in a household born to be used as a bargaining chip when she was old enough to be married. Wanting a more engaging life, she fled and hopped on a train headed for the West. She hopes to make her fortune engaging in Buffalo Hunting, a rapidly growing industry.
Name: Shi Mei
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Perk(s): Rabbit's Feet, Dealmaker
Detriment: Drunkard
Brief Bio: Years ago, Shi was a successful shopkeeper from Quian, until he drank away his money. He then boarded a ship for the West, with the intention of making a profit by tricking settlers into buying useless junk.
Name: If name is not public, Nickname or Title will suffice.
Gender: Male, female, or Unknown.
Age: Between 12 and 80.
Perk(s):
Detriment: (If any apply.)
Brief Bio: (Can be a simple sentence or a paragraph.)
Inventory: (An appropriate list of items you bring with you.)
Money: (A fitting amount of money for your character; merchants and bankers can start with more money than booze-hounds and beggars.)
First Action:
Author
Topic: \Legends/ - Simple Freeform Wild West RPG - Back to the Action (Read 50015 times)