You were acquainted with one Doctor August Pallaver, born in upstate New York but destined to play many roles during his seven decades of life: that of doctor, philosopher, soldier, professor, naturalist, and explorer, just to name a few. It was in one of these capacities that he met you, and whether your time together was brief or lengthy, you each made a lasting impression on the other.
Now Dr. Pallaver has passed, and you are somewhat surprised to learn that you have been named in his will; furthermore, the speed and efficiency of your notice is such that you can’t help but think that the departed had been keeping tabs on where and how to reach you. Intrigued, you have travelled with all haste to the town of Helorus in upstate New York in order to attend his funeral and the subsequent reading of his will.
The year is 1875. After a century of aggressive geographic and economic expansion, the United States finds itself in the midst of what is known at the time as the Great Depression (historically re-named the ‘Long Depression’ after the stock market crash of 1929). The collapse of banks and railroad companies into bankruptcy leaves millions of Americans in debt and underpaid, if not flat out unemployed. While the industrial centers of the east have been hardest hit, the economic woes stretch from coast to coast. President Ulysses S. Grant is in the middle of his second term, his office beset by accusations of corruption, negligence, and incompetence from an opposition-controlled House of Representatives. Public opinion has turned against him as well, as his adoption of the gold standard is blamed by many as responsible for the nation’s current economic crisis, which has magnified resentment for his progressive policies towards African Americans, Native Americans, and Reconstruction.
Basic Rules:
On the whole, we’ll be using Pathfinder rules, as they’re the ones everyone is most familiar with, including myself; these will cover skills and most feats. We’ll be using a modified damage system for non-lethal combat – basically characters will be capable of taking more non-lethal damage and it will be difficult to accidentally kill someone with non-lethal damage. The intent is to offset the lethality of firearms, so you guys don’t just go around killing everybody and getting into more trouble with the law than necessary.
For character classes we’ll be using the basic classes from d20 Modern, and the Action Points that go along with them. We’ll also be using Backgrounds, which basically describe your life prior to play begins; the Wealth system, which is a much looser and easier method for buying stuff; and the Reputation bonus, a representation of how (in)famous your character is. Advanced (prestige) classes will be available after 5th level, and will be taken mostly from the d20 Sidewinder game. I’ll have a whole character creation section below with point buy details and what-not.
As this is a “weird west” game, we’ll also be using a handful of rules from d20 Call of Cthulhu, none of which you need concern yourselves with at character creation. (Mwuha-ha-ha!)
Character Creation - General:
Guidelines as follow:
20 point statistic buy, with a +2 to a single stat, per Pathfinder rules.
It should be obvious, but everybody has to be human. Please note that the Modern classes already take into account the extra skill point for being human; you do however get a total of 2 feats at first level (normal one plus human bonus feat.)
Characters will start at 2nd level.
Hit Points: Max at 1st level, every subsequent level you may take: d6=4, d8=6, d10=8, or you may have me roll for you.
Starting Wealth = 5 + the results of taking 10 on a Profession check for 2nd level increase.
Everyone must choose one “Pallaver bonus” from the following list, which will relate to how you knew the man; we’ll work out the details for it during character creation.
+1 to a single saving throw type (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will);
+2 to a single skill of your choice;
+4 to a single specific application of a skill of your choice;
+2 Wealth bonus;
+2 Reputation bonus;
+1 maximum Action Point;
or
Begin play with a single high-value item.
Leveling: Characters will get a feat at every odd character level (3, 5, 7, etc.) per Pathfinder; not every 3 levels as stated in Modern, because feats are fun. Most Modern base classes grant a bonus feat off of a class-specific list every even class level. Most Advanced classes grant a bonus feat every 3 class levels (3, 6, 9) in addition to their special class abilities.
Action Points and How to Use Them:
You may spend an Action Point for the following effects:
Alter a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a skill check, an ability check, or level check;
Use a class talent or class feature during your turn for which the expenditure of 1 action point is required;
Boost the DC of one of your saving throws.
When spending an Action Point to boost a d20 roll, you add 1d6 to the result of the roll. You get extra dice at levels 8 and 15. Action Points are replenished to maximum when a new character level is gained.
Since we're using an alternate saving throw system, I'm going to have each player choose whether or not they'd like to automatically spend an Action Point to boost their character's saving throw DC upon an effect successfully beating it. The Action Point will only be spent if it's possible to negate the effect; i.e. if an effect beats a save DC by 7+, then you will not lose an Action Point.
Please note which saves you would like to use Action Points on, if any, with an * in your character's info line.
Occupations describe your character's general life pursuit before gameplay begins, and take the place of traits. The list is for regular d20 Modern, but we'll just put whatever you choose into an appropriate 19th century context.
If a skill listed for your base class appears in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, then we’ll use the rules found there. The following are cases where we’ll be replacing a Pathfinder skill for one or more d20 Modern skills; for instance, if your base class gives you Spot, Listen, OR Search as a class skill, you would just consider Perception a class skill instead.
Acrobatics replaces Balance, Jump, and Tumble.
Diplomacy replaces Diplomacy and Gather Information.
Linguistics replaces Decipher Script, Read/Write Language, and Speak Language.
Perception replaces Spot, Listen, and Search.
Stealth replaces Hide and Move Silently.
Survival replaces Navigate and Survival.
We'll be using Pathfinder Knowledge skills as well, with the addition of a Knowledge Technology skill for advanced technology of the era (electricity, steam power, etc.) and Knowledge Mythos. The purview of the Knowledge skills will be determined using the Pathfinder descriptions as guidelines. Knowledge Nobility will be subsumed into Knowledge History. Knowledge Dungeoneering, Knowledge Planes, and Spellcraft are replaced by the Knowledge Mythos skill, which is unavailable to starting characters.
The class skill replacements are below, with some granting a choice between several skills - in these cases, you may choose one of the listed skills as a class skill.
Arcane Lore / Knowledge Arcana.
Art / choose Knowledge History or Knowledge Local.
Behavioral Sciences / Heal.
Business , Civics, and Current Events / Knowledge Local.
Earth and Life Sciences / choose Heal, Knowledge Nature, or Knowledge Geography.
History / choose Knowledge History or Knowledge Geography.
Physical Sciences / choose Knowledge Engineering, Knowledge Nature, or Knowledge Technology.
Popular Culture / Knowledge Local.
Streetwise / Knowledge Local.
Tactics / Knowledge History.
Technology / Knowledge Technology.
Theology and Philosophy / Knowledge Religion.
Craft Skills:
For simplicity, we’ll be using some broad Craft skill definitions, some incorporating multiple Pathfinder definitions or combining old (Pathfinder) and new (Modern) skill sets. Examples include:
Craft Alchemy. All non-magical Pathfinder uses, plus the following:
May be used to create Acids & Bases, Explosives, and Poisons. Example Craft DCs are:
Mild Acid/Base: DC 15, 1 minute to make, 1d6 splash/2d6 hit dmg
Potent Acid/Base: DC 20, 30 minutes to make, 2d6 splash/2d10 hit dmg
Concentrated Acid/Base: DC 30, 1 hour to make, 3d6 splash/3d10 hit dmg
Improvised Explosive (black powder): DC 10, 1 round to make, 1d6 dmg 5’ radius
Simple Explosive (dynamite): DC 15, 10 minutes to make, 2d6 dmg 5’ radius
Moderate Explosive (mercury fulminate): DC 20, 1 hour to make, 4d6 dmg, 10’ radius
Complex Explosive (TNT, nitroglycerin): DC 25, 3 hours to make, 6d6 dmg 15’ radius
Poison, arsenic: DC 24, 4 hours to make; ingested 1d4 Str/2d4 Con, Save DC 15
Poison, atropine: DC 14, 1 hour to make; injury 1d6 Dex/1d6 Str, Save DC 13
Poison, blue vitriol: DC 9, 1 hour to make; injury 1d2 Con/1d2 Con, Save DC 12
Poison, chloroform: DC 24, 4 hours to make; inhaled Unconsciousness 1d3 hours, Save DC 17
Craft Archaic. Combines Pathfinder Craft Armor, Craft Bows, and Craft Weapons. May be used to create any archaic weapons and armor with normal DCs. Manufacture times may be decreased if modern machine tools are available.
Craft Electrical. Allows one to build electric equipment from scratch, such as telegraph transmitters, electric motors, and phonographs. Difficulty is based on device complexity comparative to the technology of the age. Examples include:
Simple (telegraph transmitter): DC 15, 1 hour to make
Moderate (electric motor): DC 20, 12 hours to make
Complex (phonograph): DC 25, 24 hours to make
Advanced (mimeograph): DC 30, 60 hours to make
Note that without proper materials creating such devices may have higher DCs or even be impossible. A character without an electrical tool kit suffers a -4 penalty on checks, while access to a complete electrician’s shop grants a +2 bonus on checks.
Craft Mechanical. Allows one to build mechanical devices, including engines and engine parts, weapons, and other gadgets. Difficulty is based on device complexity comparative to the technology of the age. Examples include:
Simple (tripwire trap, muzzle-loaded firearm): DC 15, 1 hour to make
Moderate (boiler, revolver): DC 20, 12 hours to make
Complex (steam engine, lever-action rifle): DC 25, 24 hours to make
Advanced (locomotive engine, Gatling gun): DC 30, 60 hours to make
Note that without proper materials creating such devices may have higher DCs or even be impossible. A character without a mechanical tool kit suffers a -4 penalty on checks and doubles the time required, while access to a complete smithy grants a +2 bonus on checks.
Craft Metalworking. Allows one to forge simple metal objects such as horseshoes, cookware, jewelry, nails, railway tracks and spikes, etc.
Craft Structural.Allows one to build wooden, concrete, or metal structures from scratch, including furniture, wagons, houses, barns, etc. of professional quality. Also includes such “handyman” skills as plumbing, house painting, stuccoing, masonry, and cabinetry. Difficulty is based on complexity and scope of a project comparative to the technology of the age. Examples include:
Simple (bookcase, split-rail fence): DC 15, 12 hours to make
Moderate (wagon, shed, house deck): DC 20, 24 hours to make
Complex (bunker, domed ceiling): DC 25, 60 hours to make
Advanced (complete house): DC 30, 600 hours to make
A character without a mechanical tool kit suffers a -4 penalty on checks.
Craft Textiles. Allows one to create cloth from raw materials as well as construct items made primarily from cloth, such as clothing, luggage, bedding, flags, etc.
Heal. The Heal skill allows one to compound medicinal drugs to aid in recovery from treatable illness or fight off the effects of toxins. A basic medicinal drug gives a +2 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist disease or poison. The DC to craft a drug is based on the Fortitude save of the condition it is made to fight, as below.
Fort DC 14 or less: Craft DC 15, 1 hour to make
Fort DC 15-18: Craft DC 20, 3 hours to make
Fort DC 19-22: Craft DC 25, 6 hours to make
Fort DC 23+: Craft DC 30, 12 hours to make
A character without a druggist’s kit suffers a -4 penalty on checks, while access to a complete chemist’s laboratory grants a +2 bonus on checks.
Note that poison antidotes are only useful if made ahead of time; as such, it would behoove one to learn of likely sources of toxins/poisons in an area and prepare remedies accordingly. For instance, once the action moves further west, making some antidotes for rattlesnake venom might be prudent.
Feats:
We’ll be using Pathfinder feats, with the changes to existing feats listed below. We’ll also be using some feats from Modern and Sidewinder, which are listed at the bottom.
Any feat that normally applies to a single weapon instead applies to all weapons in that weapon group, such as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization.
Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, and Power Attack no longer exist, and are removed as a prerequisite for any other feats. Instead, the benefits of these feats are combat options open to all characters.
Point Blank Shot no longer exists; any feat which lists it as a prereq now requires Precise Shot instead (except, obviously, for Precise Shot itself.)
Weapon Finesse is no longer a feat; instead, all weapons the feat would normally apply to gain the 'finesse' quality, which allows a wielder to use their Dex bonus to hit if they so choose.
Agile Maneuvers no longer exists; instead, one adds their Dex bonus to their CMB when using a finesse weapon and applying their Dex bonus to hit, and their Str bonus on all other weapons.
Dodge now gives the benefits of both the Dodge and Mobility feats; as such, Mobility is no longer a separate feat.
Deft Maneuvers(new!) replaces the Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Feint, Improved Reposition, and Improved Steal feats, granting the normal benefits of all of these feats and becoming the prereq for the relevant Greater combat maneuver feats.
Powerful Maneuvers(new!) replaces the Improved Bull Rush, Improved Drag, Improved Overrun, and Improved Sunder feats and functions in a similar manner to Deft Maneuvers above.
Modern/Sidewinder Feats are:
Brawl. Req: Improved Unarmed Strike. Non-lethal unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage.
Brawl, Improved. Req: Brawl. Your non-lethal damage with unarmed attacks increases to 2d4.
Knockout Punch. Req: Brawl, BAB +3. Non-lethal unarmed attacks automatically threaten a critical hit.
Knockout Punch, Improved. Knockout Punch, BAB +6. Critical multiplier on non-lethal unarmed attacks increases by 1.
Combat Martial Arts. Req: Improved Unarmed Strike, BAB +1. Lethal unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage.
Combat Martial Arts, Improved. Req: Combat Martial Arts, Improved Critical (unarmed), BAB +8. Critical multiplier on lethal unarmed attacks increases by 1.
Defensive Martial Arts. Req: Improved Unarmed Strike. Gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC against melee attacks.
Combat Throw. Req: Defensive Martial Arts, Deft Maneuvers, BAB +3. When an opponent misses you with a melee attack, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt to trip them.
Elusive Target. Req: Dexterity 13, Defensive Martial Arts. You gain an additional +4 cover bonus against ranged attacks when you are engaged in melee combat.
Unbalance Opponent. Req: Defensive Martial Arts, Deft Maneuvers, BAB +5. Enemies up to one size category larger than you do not apply their Strength bonus to hit you in melee, only to their damage.
Sidewinder. Req: Dodge. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC against ranged attacks.
Firearm Rules:
Firearms come in two basic varieties: muzzle-loaded and metal cartridge. Muzzle-loaded firearms are less accurate, require longer to load, and are more subject to catastrophic failure than metal cartridge firearms; they are, however, much cheaper.
Within their first range increment, attacks with muzzle-loaded firearms are resolved against a target’s touch AC. Metal cartridge firearms resolve attacks against a target’s touch AC within the first 5 range increments. These attacks are considered ranged attacks, not ranged touch attacks, for the purpose of any feats, abilities, etc.
Successful attacks with all firearms automatically threaten critical hits against flat-footed opponents, with a second roll to hit needed to confirm the critical as usual.
Proficiency with most firearms is granted by the Personal Firearms Proficiency feat; the Exotic Firearms Proficiency feat covers unusual/extraordinary firearms such as the gatling gun. Firearms are considered ranged weapons for the purposes of most combat feats, though one could apply melee combat feats to bayonet, rifle butt, and pistol whip attacks, though the latter two would generally be considered improvised weapons.
Sample Advanced Classes:
Here are some sample Wild West advanced classes with brief descriptions. Note that all Advanced Classes have a 10 level progression.
Brave. A warrior blessed by the spirits in battle, Braves learn a number of war chants that boost their combat prowess, have honed senses, learn to survive without food or water, and become skilled at “counting coup” to increase nonlethal melee damage and to temporarily boost their Reputation by contemptuously bludgeoning their enemies rather than striking lethal blows. Hit Die: d10; Requirements: +2 BAB, Survival 5 Ranks, Great Fortitude & Indian Lore feats. It isn’t necessary to be Native American to take this class, but the Indian Lore feat requires you to have interacted closely with at least one Native American tribe.
Desperado. A man who lives by tenacity and ruthlessness, the Desperado's reputation inspires fear in his enemies before a pistol is even drawn, and he lets nothing keep him from his (usually nefarious) goals, including knives, bullets, and bombs. (This class has what is perhaps the best-named capstone ability in any d20 game – “No Time to Bleed.”) Requirements: +3 BAB, Intimidate 5 Ranks, Toughness feat.
Grifter. Making their living through deception, the Grifter's trades include confidence schemes, rigged gambling, and outright theft. Favoring fooling all of the people some of the time, these manipulators travel from place to place, hoping to make out with their ill-gotten gains before they’re figured out. Requirements: Bluff 5 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Skill Focus feat for one of these skills.
Professor. Relying on knowledge, ingenuity, and a knack for designing cunning plans, the Professor realizes that a superior mind can be equally as potent a weapon and more reliable than any sidearm. They gain bonuses to skills and reputation as they advance their studies, as well as learning to apply their Intelligence to enhance their defense and offense in combat. Requirements: Any Craft skill 5 ranks, any two Knowledge skills 5 ranks, Skill Focus feat for any Craft or Knowledge skill.
Rifleman. Masters of the longarm, Riflemen gain increased accuracy and damage with rifles, as well as the ability to use rifles one-handed. Requirements: +2 BAB, Sleight of Hand 6 ranks, Far Shot, Personal Firearms Proficiency, and Weapon Focus (Rifle) feats.
Soldier. Highly trained combatants, Soldiers gain increased accuracy and damage with chosen weapons (they are able to take Weapon Specialization tree) as well as better critical hits.
Maverick. Gamblers par excellence, Mavericks gain increased gambling and Sleight of Hand abilities.
Example Purchase DCs:
Equipment format is item name (purchase DC), then any relevant info ie dmg for weapons etc. Rate of Fire of SS means only 1 shot per attack; Semi may be used with some feats for more shots per attack.
Handguns
Winchester ’73 (17) 2d8 dmg, 70’ R, ROF SS, 17 rd ammo cap, internal magazine
Shotguns: these suffer only a -1 penalty to hit per range increment, but also a -1 penalty to dmg for each increment, due to spread
