My gaming group has discussed the idea of going to a western game. With cow wranglers gunslingers and the like. I'm wondering what systems everyone plays under and pros and cons. I'm leaning towards Deadlands but as I've never really played in it I'm not sure.
I run Deadlands Reloaded for a western adventure. It uses the Savage Worlds engine (which is nice and can be used for other different types of games). They enjoyed it. If you head over to the Pinnacle web site, you will be able to find some one page adventures.
Be aware, Deadlands combines horror with the old west. So if you are strictly looking at old west setting, there may be some changes you will need to make.
I'm working on one using D20 modern (there's a D20 past supplement out there). Less horror-genre than Deadlands.
I've run both Deadlands: Classic, and Deadlands: Reloaded using the Savage Worlds rules and I've found that you just can't beat the classic rules for the flavor they add to the game.
DL: Reloaded is fine, but the Savage Worlds rules that it uses are designed to be generic to a large degree. In my experience, this led to a slightly more generic experience with less cool flavor than DL: Classic did. Also, using the Savage Worlds rules allows characters to be more 'action hero' types than the Classic Deadlands rules does, which takes away from the horror aspect of the setting a bit.
Just my two cents.
Well of course I am going to say Hero System, but I will tell you why.
You can run it with or without magic.
You can run it as serious or silly as you want.
With so many options, no two gunfighters will have to feel alike.
Characters can recover from a bar fight by the next scene but gun shot wounds are still deadly.
If you are going to take the time to learn a new system, why not learn a system that you can use for anything. No really…anything.
My gaming group has discussed the idea of going to a western game. With cow wranglers gunslingers and the like. I'm wondering what systems everyone plays under and pros and cons. I'm leaning towards Deadlands but as I've never really played in it I'm not sure.
If it's just a western, Aces & Eights (Kenzer and Co.). It has pretty much everything you'll ever need. If they still have the "Showdown" skirmish rules ($15 paperback), that would be the best for the players and the "big book" for the GM.
If you can still find it, there was a Western Hero. However, Hero might be outside the learning curve for a shorter campaign.
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Aces and Eights is a fantastic book. I have yet to play the game, but I picked it up at Gencon purely by looking at it. The book itself is gorgeous, and its totally worth the price simply to sit on my shelf.
That aside, its a really great looking game. From what I have read, combat is quick and deadly (as it should be in the wild west). Because of this they make most other events into mini-games. Instead of skill rolls like d20, everything has some sort of little game to figure out the results, this includes playing cards, to panning for gold. It's also very true to the wild west, and would give an excellent game to those interested in the genre.
I HIGHLY recommend it.
There is a Western Hero for 4th edition that is very compatible with 5th edition. tdewitt274 is correct that Hero’s learning curve is steep. However, once you learn it, you will use Hero for everything. You will not have to learn new rules for every new campaign.
Thank you for all the help you have so far given me. I've looked at Aces & Eights quite a few times but it is always in a sealed package and I have no idea about the actual mechanics or game play. It does sound interesting but again I've never seen the game played or heard of it played in my FLGS.
On the other hand I did pick up the new Deadlands not especially for this game but it actually caught my eye as interesting system. Though it is quite a bit darker than something I was wanting to run for some of the younger players in the group.
And on the Hero system I've never gotten it to stick with anybody and haven't really felt the need to try. I just don't like the system as much as many do.
I've looked at Aces & Eights quite a few times but it is always in a sealed package and I have no idea about the actual mechanics or game play.The reason for the sealed package are the SHot Clocks - clear plastic overlays you put on a target silhouette to resolve hit locations.
They have some YouTube videos about some of the odder game mechanics, a bunch of downloads on the website, and a fairly active forum discussing the game over at www.kenzerco.com
Showdown is basically A&8s Lite. The hardcover is additional rules, which some are posted on the downloads section. Alternate history is also included in the book. But, again, Showdown is all you really need, and at $10 for a download (http://www.kenzerco.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=showdown)
And on the Hero system I've never gotten it to stick with anybody and haven't really felt the need to try. I just don't like the system as much as many do.It takes some getting used to, but once you've played a few times, the most difficult part of the game is character generation.
We've pretty much converted over entirely to Hero. After you rebuild magic systems or the Force, you're pretty much golden. Everything else is just flavor.
I want to thank everyone that has given me information. After looking through it all I showed some of the things to my group and it looks like Aces & Eights has won some Hearts.
Though for an older group the Deadlands looks to be fun as well. With a little Cthulhu and a few other Elder Gods it would be really exciting. Thanks again Paizo Community.
Yeah once I've finally looked through all of them I have decided to do something for my family like Serenity to get them into Roleplaying. I just think the actual mechanics are amazing for Ace & Eights but the fluff in the older Deadlands is kinda cool. So I picked up an original from a local used bookstore.
well, you could get an old dmg;the one with my cousin posing on the cover with his pc thralls :) and read the section on converting AD&D to Sixguns and Sorcery :) but...I would just go with Deadlands myself.
Aces and Eights is a fantastic book. I have yet to play the game, but I picked it up at Gencon purely by looking at it. The book itself is gorgeous, and its totally worth the price simply to sit on my shelf.
That aside, its a really great looking game. From what I have read, combat is quick and deadly (as it should be in the wild west). Because of this they make most other events into mini-games. Instead of skill rolls like d20, everything has some sort of little game to figure out the results, this includes playing cards, to panning for gold. It's also very true to the wild west, and would give an excellent game to those interested in the genre.
I HIGHLY recommend it.
I would also highly recommend Aces & Eights. It's a ton of fun.
And on the Hero system I've never gotten it to stick with anybody and haven't really felt the need to try. I just don't like the system as much as many do.It takes some getting used to, but once you've played a few times, the most difficult part of the game is character generation.
Much the same with GURPS. Once you've gotten the gist of character creation (takes me only ten minutes nowadays) it is a breeze to play.
Aces and Eights is a fantastic book. I have yet to play the game, but I picked it up at Gencon purely by looking at it. The book itself is gorgeous, and its totally worth the price simply to sit on my shelf.
That aside, its a really great looking game. From what I have read, combat is quick and deadly (as it should be in the wild west). Because of this they make most other events into mini-games. Instead of skill rolls like d20, everything has some sort of little game to figure out the results, this includes playing cards, to panning for gold. It's also very true to the wild west, and would give an excellent game to those interested in the genre.
I HIGHLY recommend it.
Aces & Eights is on its way back from the printer. We've just solicited some material for July (though I expect the books to be back before that), and will have more in August.
By consumer demand, we're offering several versions of the Aces & Eights RPG - deluxe hardcover, softcover, and an abbreviated Player's Guidebook - at different price points.
We've also got an exciting deck of vintage western playing cards - perfect for any card player as well as for use in Aces & Eights gaming sessions.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Hi, Terry.
I have to laugh at myself. I had this nice, long, post here, and I finished it a few minutes after the Paizo boards shut down for the morning.
Okay, so, here's the short version.
The Western genre is one of the deadliest RPG settings I can think of. There's tremendous firepower very readily available (everybody in a Western goes armed; shotguns, old cannons from the Civil War, and dynamite are easily obtainable). There's no armor or defense to speak of; just draw faster, and aim more steadily than the other guy. There's no magical healing. Typically, a gunfight lasts one or two rounds, then somebody was dead, or well on his way. And there's very little legal authority to make gunfights rare.
It's worse than Call of C'thulhu. The only game that compares would be Adventure in Pompeii.
My first Western RPG was the first edition of TSR's Boot Hill. I appreciated the "courage" rules, that made greenhorn gunfighters lousy shots until they'd spent some time around flying lead.
My favorite is still Boot Hill, but the 3rd Edition rules, by Steve Winter, published 1990. Good, solid rules; deadly environment. Good rules for horses, too.
I'd avoid d20 Past, honestly. Neither gun combat nor bare-fisted barfights come off quite right under those rules. And the way I run a Western adventure, there tends to be a lot of investigating and convincing people, punctuated with sudden, intense violence. So, for my purposes, a game that boils all that down to a Gather Information or Diplomacy roll leaves something to be desired. If you were looking to play something like "Wild Wild West", I think d20 Past would work fine.
I've looked over the GURPS and HERO games, and they'd do fine. You'll want to keep an eye on the characters' I'd imagine. In a game where a player can trade his character's personality flaws for better reflexes, it's very tempting to build mighty strange characters.
But, frankly, I think any good low-magic system, from James Bond to Storyteller, to TRAVELLER The New Era would work, with a little monkey-grease.
You might want to give a gander to Sidewinder: Recoiled. Its based on d20 Modern, but is a complete book, all rules included. You don't need any d20 Modern or any other books.
I played it in a group until the group imploded, but it was a lot of fun. Straight western, no magic or zombies. Our party were reluctant outlaws, framed for something we didn't do, trying to clear our names.
I played Deadlands d20 and quite enjoyed it. However if I were to do it again I'd go more basic and just use d20 Past. Unlike a previous post, I respectfully disagree. I like the high-action, swashbuckling adventure flavor of d20 and think it translates well to the western feel.
If you want something more down to earth GURPS second and third edition had a great sourcebook called Old West. If you want a smooth system and a well researched book you can't get much better than GURPS. That stuff is all out of print now but still easy to find. I don't know what they did, if anything, for fourth edition.