Deadlands: The Marshal’s Handbook. Revised Edition

Written & Designed by: Shane Lacy Hensley with John R. Hopler, Matt Forbeck, & Hal MangoldComin’ ‘Round the Mountain: John “Stephen Hawking” GoffAdditional Development by: Michelle Hensley, John Hopler, Matt Forbeck, Greg Gorden, Steve

Long, Chris McGlothlin, Charles Ryan, Lester Smith, Tim Brown, Paul Beakley, Jay & Amy Kyle,Jason Nicols, Dave Wilson, and Tim Link.

Revised Edition Developed by: Hal Mangold and Shane Lacy HensleyEditing: Matt Forbeck, Michelle Hensley, Jason Nichols & Hal MangoldLayout: Hal Mangold & Shane Lacy HensleyCover Art: “Pumpkinhead” by Allan PollackInterior Art: Thomas Biondiolillo, Steve Bryant, Paul Daly, Kim DeMulder Tom Fowler, Don

Hillsman, Ashe Marler, Allan Nunis, Andy Park, Jacob Rosen, Kevin Sharpe, Ron Spencer, BryonWackwitz and Loston Wallace

Graphic Design by: Charles Ryan, Hal Mangold & Matt ForbeckCover Design by: Hal Mangold & Zeke SparkesIndex by: Hal Mangold and Tom HuntingtonLogos: Ron Spencer, Zeke Sparkes & Charles RyanSpecial Thanks (in no particular order): Allen Seyberth, Graveyard Greg, Tom Huntington, Tom

Cashman, Mark Metzner, Trevor and Eric Lee, Bryan Maloney, John Fletcher, James Cook, and Pat Phalen(the listserv posse), Jenny Hise (booth babe!), Natasha Corey’s posse, Joe & Rose Wolf, and every fellowgamer we’ve met in the last 5 years

Deadlands created by Shane Lacy Hensley.

Author’s Dedication: My two “John’s:” Goff, my first real game master, and Hopler, my old friend andfellow gamer.

Editor’s Dedication: The guys and gals of the Deadlands listserv.

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Table o’ ContentsTable o’ ContentsPrologue:

The Prospector’sTale .............................. 5

The Rules ............... 7Chapter One:

There WillCome AReckoning ................ 7The Order

of Things......................................... 7The Old Ones ................................... 8The Great

Spirit War ........................................ 8A Tale of Vengeance .............. 9Raven Reborn .................................. 9The Hunt .............................................. 10The Reckoners Awake.......... 11The World Today........................... 11

Chapter Two:Runningthe Game ................ 13Shortcuts .............................................. 13Fear ............................................................ 17Guts Checks ................................... 20Tale-Tellin’ ........................................ 22Awarding Fate Chips ............ 24Adventures....................................... 25Traveling the Weird West . 26The Law ............................................. 28The Black Hats ........................... 29Running the Game...................31

Chapter Three:Arcana ......................35Mysterious Past .......................... 35

Knacks ................................................. 39Veterans o’ the

Weird West ................................. 43Arcane Misfires .......................... 45The Harrowed ............................... 50Relics ...................................................... 54

Chapter Four:Abominations .......59Critters & Abominations .. 60Desert Thing .................................. 65Dust Devil .......................................... 66Devil Bat ............................................. 67Hangin’ Judge................................ 68Gremlins ............................................. 69Jackalope ............................................ 70Los Diablos ...................................... 70Maze Dragon ................................. 72Mojave Rattler .............................. 73Night Haunt .................................... 74Prairie Tick ...................................... 75Tumblebleed .................................. 76Walkin’ Dead .................................. 77Wall Crawler ................................... 78Wendigo............................................... 79Werewolf ............................................ 80Rogue’s Gallery........................... 82Black Magic ..................................... 83

The World ........... 93Chapter Five:

The Weird West ....93The War .............................................. 93The Great Rail Wars .............. 96The Election of ̀ 76 ............... 100Back East ........................................ 102

The North........................................ 103Agents & Rangers ................. 104A Tour of the Weird West .111The Great Northwest ............. 111The High Plains .......................... 114The Disputed Lands .............. 119The Great Maze ........................ 126Great Basin .................................... 134The Wild Southwest ............. 137The Indian Territories ....... 142The Heart of the West ..... 150Deadwood ....................................... 150Dodge City ...................................... 164Tombstone ....................................... 183The Weird World ....................... 185

The AdventureComin’ ‘Round The

Mountain ............... 187The Story

So Far ............................................. 187The Setup......................................... 188Chapter One:

Tickets Please! ..................... 188Chapter Two:

This is a Stickup! ............. 192Chapter Three:

Night on ColdMountain ................................... 196

The Clearing ................................. 197

Tables &Charts .................... 200

Profile Sheets ........ 203

Index .......................... 205

TheProspector’s

TaleA lot’s changed since the last time

we talked, Marshal. The Reckoners aregettin’ more powerful, an’ somebody’shuntin’ down my posse. Killin’ ‘em alldeader ‘n doornails. Again.

I thought you was done for too. Gladto see you’re still squirmin’. You gottawatch those twisters. All teeth andspines. Tear you up real good. I broughtsome raw meat to get you healin’, butyou’ll need half a steer to fix you upwhole. Here. Wolf it down. An’ stick thateyeball back in yer noggin. My vittlesare comin’ up.

That’s better. Much obliged.If it’s any consolation, your friends

finished the job you started. A wholemess o’ folks are gonna’ see tomorrow‘cause of what you done. Guess youramigos didn’t know you was already

dead, huh? Congratulations onkeepin’ your secret. Half thedeaders I dig up can’t manage it.But that’s not why I’m here. I need

to know who’s killin’ off all my deadmen. S’far as I can tell, a fellernamed Stone’s doin’ most of

the killin’.

He knows what he’s doin’ too. Shoots‘em right in the pun’kin. Might even bedead himself. We need to plant him forgood, but we also need to figure outwhy he’s so intent on killin’ off heroes.Most of ‘em have done some bad, butsome were pure as the driven snow—’cept for that demon inside ‘em, ofcourse.

Stone don’t seem to care either way,and he can’t have a personal grudgeagainst as many Harrowed as he’skilled. An’ he ain’t no over-zealous do-gooder who thinks you’re allblasphemous abominations either.

Tell you the truth, I got a suspicion. Ithink he’s killin’ anyone who puts aserious dent in the Reckoner’s plans.Scary ain’t it? Could it be those bastardsare huntin’ us down? If it’s true, itmeans we got ‘em scared. That meanswe’re doin’ somethin’ right. So let’skeep up the fight. Are you up for it,Marshal? I hope so. ‘Cause it’s time toante up again. An’ it’s only gonna’get worse.

Welcome to the Weird West, Marshal.The Marshal’s Handbook is one-half

of the Deadlands: the Weird Westroleplaying game. The other book youneed to play is the Weird West Player’sGuide. That book tells the players howto make characters and describes thebasic skill and combat mechanics.

This book is for the Marshal. In hereyou’ll find out how to run adventuresin Deadlands, rules for fear and howthe bad guys use it, and all the tablesyou need to figure out what happenswhen your heroes dabble withsupernatural forces and blow it. You’llalso find shortcuts for handling hordesof bad guys and advice on handing outthose priceless Fate Chips. Then we’llgive you a little deeper tour of theWeird West than the players got in their

book. Finally, we repeat the importanttables from the Player’s Guide soyou’ll have them handy when you

need them.But let’s start with what’s really

going on with this whole Reckoningthing.

The Orderof Things

Since man has walked the earth,there have been monsters in the world.All cultures have their bogeymen, nightterrors, haunts, spirits, werewolves,vampires, ghouls, and zombies.Collectively, they are “abominations.”And they are real—don’t let yourselfthink otherwise.

Abominations dwell in the physicalworld. In the spirit world—the Indianscall them the “Hunting Grounds”—nature spirits and manitous are mostcommon. Nature spirits are generallygood or at least neutral toward theaffairs of man. Manitous are downrightevil.

Manitous drain fear and othernegative emotions the abominationsspawn, and they channel them backto a special place in the Hunting

Chapter One:

There Will Comea Reckoning

8 Marshal

Who Are the Reckoners?

You’ve heard a lot about the mysterious andpowerful puppetmasters behind this wholeReckoning thing.. Hopefully, you’re curious aboutwho they really are and what they’re really up to.

We’re not going to tell you.Well, not here anyway. You see, some secrets

are so big they take a whole other game to holdthem, and that’s the case with the Reckoner’sidentity.

If you really want to know who the Reckonersare, check out Deadlands’ sister game, Hell onEarth. You won’t regret it.

Grounds called the “Deadlands.” That’swhere the ancient and mysteriousReckoners dwell, though even themanitous that serve them don’t knowwhat these unearthly beings are orwhy they exist. The manitous only liveto serve death and destruction up inlarge helpings.

What the spirits do know is that theReckoners horde the fear energy themanitous bring to the Hunting Grounds.Most of the energy is stored for somestrange and unknown purpose, butsome small sparks are hurled back intothe physical world to bring newabominations to life. Theseabominations then create new fears tofeed the manitous, who carry it back tothe Reckoners, and so on.

It’s an ongoing, vicious cycle withrazor-sharp teeth, and it’s been goingon since the dawn of time. As you canimagine, things eventually got out ofhand. Terrors walked the earthunhindered, and whole societies livedin fear, feeding the Reckoners’ darkappetites. Things were certainly lookingpretty bad for the human race—at leastright up until the end of the MiddleAges.

The Old OnesThat’s when the Old Ones—the elder

medicine men of various Indian tribesin the American East—called a councildeep in the mountains of New England.There they discussed the state of theearth and the increasing number ofhorrors that walked upon their sacredland.

The Old Ones knew there was noway to banish all evil from the land atonce. The abominations would have tobe defeated one at a time. If themanitous were gone, however, theyreasoned, far fewer new abominationswould be born.

The GreatSpirit War

So it was that the Old Ones askedthe spirits of nature to war againsttheir evil cousins, the manitous. Thespirits agreed, but their price was high.The Old Ones would have to join themin their war.

The Old Ones traveled to an ancientMicmac burial ground and performed along and arduous ritual. When theywere through, a portal to the HuntingGrounds stood open.

The shamans stepped through andbegan their long fight against the evilspirits. The “Great Spirit War” raged forhundreds of years as things arereckoned in the Hunting Grounds. Itwas a secret battle unseen by the vastmajority of humankind. Only the mostspiritually powerful individuals sensedthat there was something afoot.

The Old Ones eventually trackeddown and defeated their foes, but themanitous, being spirits, could not trulybe destroyed. The best the Old Onescould do was defeat them and holdthem to a sacred bond: As long as theOld Ones remained in the HuntingGrounds, the manitous could notmeddle in the affairs of man.

The Old Ones were trapped(seemingly forever) with the malignantspirits they had defeated, but thehorrors of our world abated and beganto dwindle. The price the shamans paidwas high, but they had won.

The Reckoning 9A Tale ofVengeance

The manitous kept their bargain. Forhundreds of years, supernatural horrorswere few.

Until Raven.In 1763, a young Susquehanna

shaman named Raven had justcompleted his studies. He had been agreat student, devouring arcane lessonsas if each was his last meal. The spiritsspoke softly in those days., but Ravencould truly hear them, and he listenedeagerly.

One summer day, he sat on a highmountain in the new colony the whitemen called Virginia. As he meditated,the nature spirits told him of the GreatSpirit War, and of the pact that the OldOnes had made with the manitous. Hisconversation was cut short by thesounds of musketry near his village farbelow.

Raven climbed down the mountainas fast as he could, the cruel din ofbattle mocking his every step. His feetfelt as if they were made of stone andthe miles seemed like leagues. Whenhe finally arrived at his village, he sawa band of white men butchering hisfamily. They had been the last band ofthe Susquehanna.

Now he was the last son.

Raven RebornRaven stayed hidden, watching the

massacre of every human being he hadever held dear. His heart now filledwith hatred, Raven left the valley thathe had always called his home andwandered the earth looking for ways toincrease his own power and exactvengeance on those who had murderedhis people.

The shaman learned many secrets ofthe world during his travels amongboth the Indian tribes and the towns ofthe white men. The first was that oflong life. Though born in 1745, Ravenlooks no more than 40 years old today.

The most important secret helearned however, was that the OldOnes had left the long-forgotten doorto the Hunting Grounds wide open.

Between 1861 and 1863, Raven visitedall the other tribes he could find andspoke solemnly of the massacre of hispeople at the hands of whites. He saidthat he was the last of his tribe, the“Last Son,” and he was searching forother braves who shared his blindanger.

10 Marshal

Other shamans often sensed Raven’slong quest for vengeance had twistedhim, consumed him with evil. Mostbanished him from their villagesquickly. But sometimes a vengefulyouth, an adopted survivor of a wipedout tribe would turn his back on hisnew family and follow Raven on hisdark quest.

These young men understood theshaman’s sorrow and his rage. Theywere the last of their tribes, families, orvillages as well. Like Raven, they werethe Last Sons.

Raven told his followers their troubleswere caused by the coming of thewhites. In some cases, it just happenedto be the truth. In others, it was yetanother gross misunderstandingbetween two different peoples.

In either case, Raven told the LastSons he knew how to defeat theircommon enemy. He would release themanitous from their old bond.

And there would come a Reckoning.Raven told the braves who chose to

follow him that the manitous were thePeople’s protection against the whiteman’s growing invasion. He said the OldOnes were fools for their actions. Byforbidding the manitous from leavingthe Hunting Grounds, they had limitedtheir own powers and condemned thetribes to a long and painful road thatcould only end in their extermination.

Raven told the Last Sons it was theirsacred duty to travel to the HuntingGrounds and return the spirit world toits natural order.

But there was only one way toaccomplish their task. The Last Sonswould have to enter the HuntingGrounds and murder their ancestors—the Old Ones.

The HuntThe Last Sons began their long trek

from the southwestern deserts andplains to the wooded mountains of NewEngland early in 1863. The group reachedthe old Micmac burial ground in whichthe Old Ones’ gate was hidden on thefirst of July of that year. Then and there,the Last Sons stepped through the opengate and into the Hunting Grounds.

The battle with the Old Ones tookmany weeks as time is reckoned in theHunting Grounds. In that strange place,the Last Sons committed one atrocityafter another, hunting and slaying theOld Ones in the name of vengeance.

The Last Sons emerged from theirwar for retribution on July 3, 1863, at theend of America’s greatest and bloodiestbattle of the Civil War—Gettysburg—and

The Reckoning 11

An Uncertain FutureIt doesn’t look good for humanity, does it? With

a set of incredibly powerful evil beings and theirminions arrayed against them, what chance doesan unsuspecting human race have?

As it happens, they have every chance. Heroescan fight the evil powers of the Reckoning bothby fighting evil creatures and people andspreading their tales of heroism and hope.Humanity’s fate is very much in its own hands.

Should the heroes’ lose, the consequences arepretty grim. Deadlands’ sister game, Hell on Earth,tells the tale of one possible future for the WeirdWest, and it’s not pleasant—the bad guys win.The Reckoners ravage the Earth and leave thesurvivors to muck about in the ruins ofcivilization. But again, that’s just one possiblefuture. The other is all sweetness and light. Yoursaga decides what happens in your little cornerof the universe. With a little heart and a wholelot of luck, the Reckoner’s plans can be stopped.

Will there come a Reckoning? It’s up to you,Marshal.

just scant hours before America’s Dayof Independence. Many of the LastSons had not returned from their battle,but they had been successful in theirquest.

The Old Ones were dead, theirblackened spirit blood forever stainingthe hands of their slayers.

The manitous were free.The Reckoning had begun.

The ReckonersAwake

The Reckoners sat slumbering whenthe manitous ceased bringing themdelectable morsels of fear. As the lastOld One died, a flood of energy washedover them, feeding the mysteriousbeings and waking them from theircenturies-old malaise. The Reckonersreveled in the feast and realized themistakes of their past.

They would no longer horde theirpower. They had always sown seeds offear in the world, but now they wouldincrease their efforts. There would be aharvest of malevolent energy such asthe world had never known.

The mortals below would bleed pureterror. When there was enough fear onthe earth to sustain them, when theEarth was finally refashioned aftertheir own Deadlands, the Reckonerswould walk upon it.

The Reckoners know they cannotflood the world with abominations. Anarmy of monstrous creatures wouldexpend all the Reckoners’ preciousenergy, and in the end, the jadedmortals would only stop fearing themand start fighting back. Far moreenergy could be generated by keepingthe abominations at the edge of theunknown.

Abominations don’t know they areserving darker masters. They knowonly that their power grows as theycause more terror and mischief. A rarefew abominations, such as Stone andReverend Ezekiah Grimme, havelearned that something greater lurks inthe spirit world, but the vast majority ofthe world’s monsters go about theirown business never realizing they servea darker purpose.

The WorldToday

Now it’s 1877, and the Reckoners’plans seem to be going nicely. The WarBetween the States still pits brotheragainst brother, feeding more and moredeath and misery into the HuntingGrounds. The Indians fight against thewhite man and each other, abandoningthe Old Ways and forsaking the naturespirits. The American West is riddledwith fear. The dead rise from theirgraves, and strange beasts are abroadin the land.

Somewhere out there, Raven waitsand watches. And smiles.

Chapter Two:

Running the Game

You’re the Marshal.Remember that. You’re the fellow

who makes all the decisions and keepsthings moving. It’s your job to make theposse afraid of the dark while stilldying to know what’s in it. You have torun scenes full of high-action anddrama, then turn around and do a littleromance and comedy. You need toknow enough rules to get you by, andyou’ll probably wind up paying for morepizza and soda than anyone else in theroom. It’s a tough order to fillsometimes.

This chapter should make things alittle easier on you. We’re going to showyou how to organize your WeirdWestern adventures so they flow assmooth as the Rio Grande. We alsohave a little advice on when and how

to award Fate Chips to your players.We even have a bunch of neattricks and shortcuts to make your

Marshaling duties easier to handle.That way you can concentrate on themost important thing: having fun.

ShortcutsThe rules in the Weird West Player’s

Book are fairly detailed. Those die-hardheroes have a host of skills, specialabilities, detailed wound systems bylocation, Wind, and lots of maneuversthey can try when fighting yourprecious minions.

We give them all that detail becausethey’ve only got one character to control.The detailed Traits and Aptitudes helpmake interesting and balancedcharacters. The combat maneuvers helpplayers use every situation to theiradvantage—if they’re clever enough touse them.

Characters need all that detailbecause they can’t cheat. But you’re theMarshal. You can do whatever the Hellyou want to, and that’s official partner.

But you still need some basics, sowe’re going to give you all sorts ofshortcuts to help make your lifesimple and run all those extras

with ease.

14 Marshal

Traits & AptitudesPlayer characters have 10 Traits and

tons of Aptitudes. They want and needlots of detail because they’re theheroes. You, on the other hand, don’tneed to be so picky with the vastnumber of characters you have tohandle. Instead, you can base the Traitsand Aptitudes of common extras onaverages or the Action Deck.

Average folks have 2d6 in theirTraits, 3 levels in Aptitudes relating totheir main profession, 2 levels incommon Aptitudes like horse ridin’ andprobably one shootin’ skill, and 1s ornothing in everything else. When youneed to know what a bartender’sscrutinize Aptitude level is, you canfigure it’s 3d6.

If you want a character to have a fewhigher Traits or Aptitudes, then that’swhat they are. Don’t make extras withthe card deck like players makecharacters. You’ve got better things todo, like coming up with incredibleadventures and horrific monsters.

Caught With Your PantsDown

They don’t make outhouse doors likethey used to, do they Marshal?

Okay, if you’re caught off-guard andneed an extra’s Trait or Aptitude andyou have no idea what it might be, drawa card from your Action Deck. The valueof the card tells you a die type to use,and the suit tells you the Trait orAptitude level, just like in the charactercreation section in the Weird WestPlayer’s Guide. You only have to draw forthe Trait or Aptitude you need at thatmoment, not the entire range you’d needfor a major character.

Recurring ExtrasSometimes you might want to prepare

ahead of time, especially for extras whoare going to appear frequently. For these

characters, it pays to do a slightly moredetailed profile for consistency’s sake.Don’t worry about writing down everysingle skill the extra has, just jot downthose that are likely to come into play.

Here’s an example character writtenup in a quick and dirty shorthand waythat really cuts down on paperwork:

Father Juan NavarroCorporeal: Quickness 1d8

Shootin;: shotgun, pistol 3d10Mental: Mien 3d8

Faith 5d10, scrutinize 3d10Gear: Colt PeacemakerMiracles: Consecrate weapon,

protection, smite.Personality: Juan is a good man,

though he is surrounded by outlaws,including his brother Victor.

Detailed ProfilesIf you need a more detailed profile,

such as for a character’s sidekick or acharacter who’s around all the time (orjust because you’re one of thosethorough types from Back East), thereare some blank Profile sheets in theback of this book and in our separatebook, the Marshal’s Log, but there’snothing wrong with plain old notebookpaper either.

You get complete statistics for majorextras in published Deadlandssourcebooks and adventures, but again,you don’t normally need all that detailfor extras whose only purpose is toconvey information or suck up theparty’s bullets.

Creature ProfilesYou might also want a little more

detail when it comes to the slimycreatures you’ve designed. In particular,you want to write up the monsters’various powers so that you’ll knowexactly how to handle them when theposse stumbles into your fiendish trap.Chapter Three is chock full of powersyou can pick and choose to fill in thebasics of most critters. Then you canconcentrate on the mechanics of anyunusual attacks or abilities the thingpossesses.

Running the Game 15Running Combats

Sometimes there are a lot of badguys. You don’t want to keep track of 15banditos’ Quickness totals, wounds,Wind, and wound modifiers whenyou’re trying to describe the scene andhelp the heroes resolve their actions.You’ve got better things to do.

We’ve got something for you here, too.

Quickness & ActionCards

Of all the tricks we give you, theAction Deck is the niftiest. You don’thave to roll an “initiative” number foreach bad guy and then try to rememberit as in most roleplaying games. Youjust lay down a few cards behind yourscreen and wait until they come up inthe round. Then the bad guy takes hisaction, and you move on.

Roll Quickness totals for major badguys and critters. For numerous extras,deal one card for the whole lot. Thedownside (for them) is they only getone card. The upside is they all get togo together like one big, nasty family. Itall balances out in the end.

If you feel a bunch of lesser goons orcreatures are faster than that, givethem 2 or more. It’s your call, Marshal.That’s why you get to wear the tin star.

WoundsHere’s an easy way to keep track of

wounds for lots of bad guys with nobookkeeping whatsoever. You have touse miniature figures, however, orsomething else to represent the heroesand the bad guys.

When a player character makes asuccessful attack, go ahead and let herroll hit location to see if she gets anyextra damage dice for hits to thegizzards or noggin, but don’t actuallykeep track of all those separatelocations. Just use the damage total todetermine how many wounds theopponent takes, then place a chipunder the miniature’s base to mark itswound levels (assume all the hits go tothe thug’s guts area). The chip also tellsyou what kind of penalty to assess thebad guy when he makes an attack aswell (see the table on the next page).

The best part? You can even tell theplayers their opponent’s Size and letthem “chip” your bad guys for you. Thatway you can keep even a really hugecombat moving faster than a three-legged toad.

16 Marshal

WWWWWound Shortcutound Shortcutound Shortcutound Shortcutound Shortcut

Wound Chip PenaltyLight White –1Heavy Red –2Serious Blue –3Critical 2 Blue –4

We use blues because most folks have extrablue chips left over when they buy chips for theFate Pot. You don’t have to use blue chips, orpoker chips at tall for that matter. Use any kindof marker you have handy.

Now here’s a disclaimer. Don’t use thisshortcut for major bad guys or uniquemonsters. Use the more-detailed woundsystem for anything that spectacular.You should also use the regular systemif there are only a few thugs involved ina fight.

MiniaturesHelp yourself run a better game—use

miniatures. Besides helping you use thewound “cheat,” minis help your playersunderstand the scene better—which isespecially important in a big fight.

We’d love for you to buy ours—Pinnacle makes a bunch of minis forjust this purpose. But if you’re gun-shyabout minis, you can use dice, coins,plastic cowboys and Indians, or evencounters with the heroes’ and bad guys’names written on them.

Place the minis on a map or a pieceof paper with the battle sketched in.Big sketch pads work great, and goodhobby shops have erasable “battlemats” as well. Make sure to include anymajor furniture, geographic features, orother obstacles. You’ll be amazed athow differently your posse acts whenthey can visualize the scene better.Suddenly characters are knockingtables over and slugging bad guys withbeer glasses instead of just shootingevery action.

WindSo you’re thinking, “Okay, but

brawling and some weapons only doWind damage. How does that workwith this simplified wound system?”

We have your back, amigo.With big bad guys, use Wind damage

normally. With goons who you’re nottracking detailed wounds, treat Windjust like damage. Every increment ofthe bad guy’s Size in Wind raises thewound level a notch just like regulardamage. We know that isn’t exactlyright, but it all balances out if youconsider you’re not tracking the Windthe goon would take with any “real”wounds he’s sustained.

StunYou might not want to keep track of

stun for all the bad guys. Don’t worry—the rules are as complete as possible soyou can dig into the details when itmatters. When it does, this cheat canhelp you keep track of stunned badguys as well.

Place a stunned opponent’s figure onits back on top of its wound chip. Thatreminds you to have the sodbustermake a stun check on its next action. Ifit makes the roll, stand the sucker backup on top of its wound chip. How doyou tell stunned figures from deadones? Take them off the table, silly.

Use the PosseThe last bit of advice we can offer to

help run your fights is to use the posse.You have to show everyone how to playthe first few times, of course, butafterward you need to let them figureout whether or not they hit the badguys, how many actions they get, andmake sure they subtract their woundmodifiers from their rolls. This leavesyou free to better describe the actionand keep the game moving right along.

We’ve tried to make it easy for you torun Deadlands. The first game or twomight be a little rough, but we thinkyou’re sharp enough to get into theswing of things quick. And when youdo, you can really cut loose and spinyarns your posse will talk about foryears to come.

Running the Game 17Fear

Soiled pants. Shaky nerves. Stark,raving madness. These are the endresults of sheer terror.

Fear permeates the Weird West. Nomatter where your posse goes or whatthey decide to do. Whether the terror iscaused by a horrific, savage beast or aheartless, calculating human killer, thecold hand of fear will touch yourheroes eventually.

The Reckoners thrive on fear. Whensome poor soul gets so scared he wetshimself they gobble his terror downlike candy.

Fear LevelsThe unknowing minions of the

Reckoners—the abominations—create an“atmosphere of fear” in the areaswhere they do their dirty work. Theirdeeds cause those in the area togenerate fear and terror. The amount of“fear energy” in an area is called its“Fear Level.”

All that fear has a real effect on theworld. The Reckoner’s servants candraw upon the ambient terror in anarea for protection, and those whowork against it might find themselvesparalyzed with fear.

On a scale of 0–6, the normal stateof the world is Fear Level 0. In these

areas, the worst thing most folks haveto worry about is the local bully or abad rash. They might shy away fromrumored “haunted” places, but theyrarely admit their fears to theirneighbors. Fear Level 0 places arepretty rare in the Weird West.

In areas with higher Fear Levels,folks begin to get more superstitiousand wary about just about everythingaround them. Haunted locales areavoided, and people try not to wanderout after dark if they can help it. Insome drastic cases, people start todistrust their neighbors and even theirfriends and family.

In these areas, the abominationsbegin to garner the attention of theirfaceless masters, the Reckoners.

Heaven forbid fear should actuallytotally permeate an area. These are thedreaded “Deadlands,” Fear Level 6. Inthese places the Reckoner’s servantsare truly in their element, and evenusually weak abominations can be trulyterrifying.

The location affected by a varmint’sFear Level is usually a town, a hollow, ahaunted mansion, a gulch, or the like,but it isn’t necessarily restricted to a

18 Marshal

definite geographic area. Sometimes anabomination inhabits arcane artifacts orhaunts a group of people, such as afamily suffering an ancient curse. Inessence, the Fear Level encompasseseveryone who lives in its shadow on aday-to-day basis.

Abominations can raise a Fear Levelone step once every month or so,assuming they cause considerablemischief and don’t suffer any setbacks.There are exceptions, of course. Certainpowerful creatures sometimes findways to raise the Fear Level severallevels in a single dark ritual. Theseincidents are rare, but pose the greatestthreat to humanity and should bestopped by the posse at all costs.

When a great evil is inactive ordefeated, the Fear Level drops by oneabout every two months or so.

As the Fear Level rises, localabominations are awarded with morepower from the Reckoners. The highestlevel of fear possible (6) makes the areainto a “Deadland.” If the Reckonershave their way, the entire earth isdestined to one day become such aplace (a possibility explored in oursister game, Deadlands: Hell on Earth).

The LandEven the hills and trees are affected

by fear. A canyon with a Fear Level of 1,for example, seems a little darker thannormal, even in the middle of the day.

At level 2, its rocks look more jaggedand sharp.

At level 3, its cliff walls are moreforeboding and the shadows maysometimes appear to flicker or move.

At level 4, there seems to besomething even blacker than shadowslurking in the corners and overhangs.Cacti take on the appearance ofgrasping hands.

Level 5 is oppressive, as if a heavydew were about to settle and seep intoone’s skin—and burn it right off. Someflora and fauna begin to die, wither, ortake on strange and horrific forms. Inits place grows a mix of tangled weedsand stunted scrub that looks like itwould swallow anyone who walkedinto it alive—but it doesn’t—yet.

A Deadland (level 6) is a twisted andmacabre landscape. No sane person candeny the supernatural in such an area.Trees look like splintered skeletons orhaunted souls, rocks resemble groaningfaces, weeds grow impossibly tall andcut flesh, and water turns dark andstagnant. Nothing is as it seems. Thevery landscape may devour an unwarytraveler.

Running the Game 19

Fear EfFear EfFear EfFear EfFear Effects Tfects Tfects Tfects Tfects Tableableableableable

Level Effects0 None.1 –1 to guts checks.2 –2 to guts checks.3 –3 to guts checks.4 –4 to guts checks. The Marshal draws one

chip from the Fate Pot at the beginning ofeach combat encounter.

5 –5 to guts checks. The Marshal draws twochips from the Fate Pot at the beginningof each combat encounter.

6 –6 to guts checks. The Marshal draws threechips from the Fate Pot at the beginningof each combat encounter.

A Careful BalanceThe Reckoners know they cannot

simply create thousands ofabominations out of the blue to ravagethe Earth. Such an act would quicklydrain their power. The safe path is theslow and calculated “seeding” or“terrorforming” of the earth in fear. Atiny spark used to create a single nighthaunt can terrify an entire town formonths. More energy could be used tofill a town with walking dead, but theywould quickly be defeated and havelittle effect on the population afterward.

The Reckoners sometimes gamblegreat amounts of power, but only whenthe payoff well outweighs the risk.Reverend Grimme and Professor DariusHellstromme are occasionally entrustedwith such tasks, but by and large, theReckoners know humanity is veryresilient and would quickly fight backagainst an overt attack. Fear and dreadof the unknown are far more effectiveweapons in their mysterious quest forpower than any kind of “blitzkrieg.”

Abominations that get too blatant intheir attacks can even stagnate orlower the Fear Level. The rumor ofsome unknown creature on the prowlfor young maidens strikes fear into thehearts of everyone. A werewolf thatwades into Dodge and starts eatingpeople wets a few chaps, but thenbecomes just another varmint and aboon to the local silversmith.

Remember that the unknown is thegreatest horror of all. That’s why thehorrors created by the Reckoners, orthe traitorous humans who have giventhemselves to darkness almost neverknow where their power truly comesfrom. In fact, only Reverend Grimme,Stone, and a very few other individualseven know of their masters’ existence.

The Reckoners actually feed off anysort of negative energy, such as hate,jealousy, and misery. But fear is theeasiest for them to generate, and oftenfeeds them the other emotions as well.That’s why they created ghost rock. Thewars it has sparked—the Civil War, theGreat Rail Wars, and random acts ofmurder and raiding all along thefrontier—has already paid them back ahundred-fold on the energy it took tocreate it in the first place.

Fear As A WeaponFighting evil on its home turf is

always harder. The very air itself lendsa feeling of dread to those mortalswithin it. Grotesque or terrifying sightsaffect heroes more in the dark thicketsof some haunted hollow than in thebright, open fields of the High Plains.

In areas with a Fear Level higherthan 0, the posse suffers penalties to itsguts checks (see the Fear Effects tablebelow, pard).

But that’s not all. To make mattersworse, those creatures and beings whoperform the Reckoners’ will are a littletougher in these dark domains. TheMarshal gets to draw Fate Chips for thebad guys at the beginning of any combatencounter. If the heroes are fightingtheir way through a big area with lots offights, you should only draw once perchapter.

“Combat encounter” is a loose term,by the way. If the posse comes intodirect conflict with the bad guys, maybehurling insults like bullets from aGatling, feel free to reward the bad guyswhether anyone actually takes a shot atanyone else or not. It’s your call whetheror not the Reckoners are feelinggenerous.

Guts ChecksWe hope you have a group of players

who lets you scare them from time-to-time. We’ll give you some advice onhow to do that later on this chapter.

One thing we know you can do isscare the dickens out of theircharacters. We know this because we’regiving you a mechanic to do it with. Wecall this the guts check. You shouldhave characters make guts checks(with the guts Aptitude) every timethey come upon a disturbing scene.

Guts checks are made just like anyother skill roll. You set the TN andwatch the fireworks. Never tell theposse what the TN is until after they’veall given you their totals, however.

Failing a guts check is a “bad thing.”Usually it means that something acharacter can’t defeat anyway just gotsome extra time to beat on him. Thetable below shows you the TN for gutschecks as well as how many dice toroll should the check be failed. CountAces when rolling these dice.

When you have your total, roll againon the Scart Table on the next page.

TTTTTerrorerrorerrorerrorerror

TN Dice Description3 1d6 A description of a

strange event orcreature; a nastywound on a livingbeing.

5 2d6 Something slightlystrange, like a vampirethat’s not “vampedout,” or a freshwalking dead with noobvious wounds, suchas a Harrowed; a deadbody with “normal”wounds.

7 3d6 A bizarre creature (amad grizzly, ajackalope, or a prairietick); a gruesomecorpse.

9 4d6 An undeniablysupernatural creature;a sickening scene,such as adismembered ormutilated corpse.

11 5d6 A unique andoverwhelming horror(such as a wendigo); anauseating scene ofmass carnage.

13 6d6 A creature that defiesthe imagination; grislycarnage that servessome arcane and evilpurpose that “manwas not meant toknow.”

Roll Effect1–3 Uneasy: The character stares for a

moment at the scene and loses hisnext Action Card.

4–6 Queasy: The victim stares in horrorat the scene, loses his next ActionCard, and subtracts –2 from any rollsmade the rest of the round.

7–9 The Willies: The character staggersback and stares in horror, missinghis turn for the round. He takes 1d6Wind and his actions are at –2 untilhe makes a guts check, which hemay attempt as an action.

10–12 The Heebie-Jeebies: The characterturns white as a sheet and loseshis entire turn and 1d6 Wind. Allactions are at –2 for the remainderof the encounter.

13–15 Weak in the Knees: The victim loses1d6 Wind. At grotesque scenes, heloses his lunch and staggers away.At terrible scenes, he puts his tailbetween his legs and gets the Hellout of Dodge. In either case, he iscompletely ineffectual until hemakes the guts check that causedthis result. He remains at –2 for theremainder of the encounter.

16–18 Dead Faint: The character takes 3d6Wind. If she’s reduced to 0 or less,she faints dead away until sherecovers. If the character has faith,she must make an Onerous (7) faithcheck immediately. If she fails, herlack of faith causes her to lose 1level of faith permanently.

19–21 Minor Phobia: The character goesWeak in the Knees and gains aminor phobia (as the locoHindrance) somehow associated

with the current event orenvironment. She suffers a –2penalty to any actions when thestimulus of her fear is present.

22–24 Major Phobia: The character goesWeak in the Knees and gains amajor phobia (as the locoHindrance). This is the same as aMinor Phobia except the penaltywhen the feared item, environment,or thing is present, the penalty is –4.

25–27 Corporeal Alteration: The charactergains a Minor Phobia and suffersa physical defect of some kind, suchas a streak of white hair, his voicebox contracts and he can onlyspeak in whispers, etc.

28–30 The “Shakes”: The cowpoke gets aMajor Phobia and must make aHard (9) Spirit roll or reduceDeftness by one step permanently. Ifthe roll is made, Deftness is reducedonly for the next 1d6 days.

31–35 Heart Attack: The poor sap’s heartskips a beat. He must make a Hard(9) Vigor roll. If made, he suffers 3d6Wind and gains a Major Phobia. Iffailed, he suffers 3d6 Wind, hisVigor is permanently reduced byone step, and he must make asecond Hard (9) Vigor roll. If failed,he has a heart attack and diesunless someone else makes anIncredible (11) medicine roll within2d6 rounds (a supernatural healingroll must cure a serious woundthough no actual “wound” isinflicted). If the victim’s Vigor fallsbelow 4, he kicks the bucket.

36+ Corporeal Aging: The character hasa Heart Attack and ages 1 year.

Scart TScart TScart TScart TScart Tableableableableable

Use a little common sense whencalling for guts checks. A party shouldonly make one the first time they see aparticular creature in an encounter. Saythey’re fighting through a train full ofghosts. The first one they meet causes acheck, but once it’s made, leave ‘emalone. Should they run into similarcreatures later on, hit ‘em again. Only ifa posse meets a certain type of creature

fairly often should they become jaded toits terror, and then you should probablyjust lower the TN a step.

A hero might fight walkin’ deadseveral times, but that doesn’t make itany more comforting when one buststhrough the earth and grabs his boot.

“Grit” is the bonus veteran heroesget for their experience (see the nextpage).

22 Marshal

GritAfter a fellow’s battled werewolves

and walkin’ dead, he gains a littleresistance to fear and terror. Get beatby something like that and a hombre’slikely to lose his confidence.

“Grit” is a measure of a hero’swillpower and exposure to the terriblethings he’s encountered in the WeirdWest. Grit counters the negativemodifiers of high Fear Levels, but to getit, a hero has to earn it the hard way.

At the conclusion of an adventure inwhich the posse defeats a major foe,the characters gain the inner strengthto keep fighting the next time theyencounter some gibbering horror ordesperate band of outlaws.

Every hero who took part in theadventure gains 1 point of Grit. Gritadds +1 to the character’s guts checks,steeling him against all kinds ofhorrors and anything else theReckoners have to offer.

Giveth and Taketh AwayJust as a victory can steel a hombre’s

nerves, a stinging defeat can rob him ofhis confidence. Characters can lose Gritas well.

It happens whenever a hero goesbust on a guts check against a TN ofHard (9) or higher. When that happens,roll on the Scart Table normally, butalso subtract one from the hero’s Gritpermanently. Don’t take away Grit forbusts on lesser TNs—only the nastystuff really eats at a character’s soulenough to give him shaky knees.

That’s a Lot o’ Grit!A hero can never have more than 5

points of Grit, and he can’t store up“extra” Grit to counter what he mightlose later on.

Those managing to survive thatmany adventures in the Weird West aretruly formidable enemies of fear, andsometime attract the direct attention of

the Reckoners. We’ll tell you all aboutwhat happens to characters like thisunder The Black Hats later in thischapter. You can also check the entryon the “los diablos” critters in ChapterThree.

Kiss My Undead Grits!Heroes with a lot of Grit are more

likely to become Harrowed when theydie (see Chapter Two). The manitouslike their hosts tough and grizzled.

When drawing cards to see if a herocomes back from the grave, draw oneextra card for every point of Grit a herohas.

Tale-Tellin’The heroes of Deadlands fight the

Reckoners and their minions by theirvery deeds. Banishing the ghost of ahaunted shack deep in the backwoodsof Missouri might not seem like anearth-shattering event, but every timethe heroes defeat evil and spread thetales of their deeds, they chip away atthe local’s fear—and thus theReckoners’ power. The world is anaverage of all the lesser areas beneathit, so one day the actions of the world’sheroes might just thwart theReckoners’ plans to turn the entireEarth into a Deadland.

But their victories won’t affect thelocal Fear Level if no one realizes thedark forces around them have beendefeated. This makes the tale-tellin’Aptitude the greatest weapon theheroes have against the Reckoning.

This also means every adventurethat takes place in Deadlands matters,no matter how insignificant it mightseem at first. Every morsel of fear theykeep the Reckoners from devouringweakens these fiends. This also meansyour posse isn’t forced into saving theworld. It just happens naturally as longas your group continues to defeat evil.

Tellin’ the TaleSoon after victory against the forces

of darkness, usually at the climax ofan adventure, someone in the posseshould tell the tale. Muckrakers and

Running the Game 23

blessed with good speaking or writingskills are good candidates, thoughanyone can tell the tale if they wish.

The tale-teller needs to speak to aninfluential portion of the community orgroup that was most affected by thehorrors. The largest churchcongregation in town or the localnewspaper are likely targets.

At the conclusion of the tale, thespeaker makes a tale-tellin’ roll againstthe TN of the Fear Level in the localein which the evil was defeated, asshown on the Tale-Tellin’ Table.

If the speaker is successful, the FearLevel drops by one level immediately.Further tales have no effect on the areauntil another horror moves in andbegins a campaign of terror.

Tales o’ TerrorThe down side of telling incredible

stories is that if some big-mouth goesbust on his tale-tellin’ roll, the audiencehears only that horrors beyond theirwildest imagining exist in their ownbackyard. They may not publiclyacknowledge their fears, but they’re notlikely to grab their pitchforks andshovels to help the hero out either.

Going bust on a tale-tellin’ roll raisesthe local Fear Level by 1 point. This iswhy Texas Rangers and the Agency’s“men in black” don’t like troublemakingadventurers to talk about what they’veseen. A few bad speakers can sowenough chaos and confusion to turnthe whole Weird West into a Deadland.

TTTTTale-Tale-Tale-Tale-Tale-Tellin’ellin’ellin’ellin’ellin’

Fear Level TN1 32 53 74 95 116 15

Legend ChipsWhen a tale-teller successfully lowers

a Fear Level, he gets a one-time, one-use Legend Chip all his own—don’t put itin the pot. The tale-teller can trade the

Legend Chip away in the usual fashionif he wants, however.

This special award represents theforces of Good (they are out there, really!)smiling down on the hero for trying tosave the world from the Reckoners. (Thisis something like the divine powers theblessed get for performing great deeds asdetailed in Fire & Brimstone.)

Once used—for any purpose—even iftraded in for Bounty Points (what awaste!)—the chip disappears. You can tellthe tale-teller how this all works thefirst time he gets one so he can bestdecide how to make use of his reward.

24 Marshal

Awarding FateChips

All right, Marshal. We’ve told you howto maim, mutilate, and kill your possewith the power of fear. Now it’s time tobe nice to them.

The best way to be nice to yourplayers is to award them Fate Chips atthe end of each game session foraccomplishing notable milestones inand roleplaying their Hindrances.

White Fate ChipsWhite chips are awarded whenever a

character does something amusing orclever, or whenever her Hindrancesmake life inconvenient.

Red Fate ChipsRed chips are given out when the

character does something particularlyclever, finds important clues, or defeats

or outwits some minor opponent. Youshould also hand out a Red chipwhenever a character’s Hindrancesmake life miserable but aren’tparticularly life-threatening.

Blue Fate ChipsBlue Chips are the reward for playing

in character even when it might costthe character his life. You should alsoaward a blue chip whenever a herodefeats a major menace or discovers acritical clue.

Legend ChipsAt the conclusion of each adventure,

you should reward the heroes with aLegend Chip. By “adventure,” we meanonce every 3-4 sessions. This goes forany of the adventures we’ve publishedtoo, even if some of the older onesdon’t say it. When the last scene of anadventure is over, drop a Legend chipinto the posse’s cup.

The Marshal shouldn’t normallyaward players with Legend chips (otherthan tale-tellers as we told you aboutin the last section). Fate decides whoshe smiles on when the players drawtheir chips before each session.

If you draw a Legend chip, put itback and draw again until you get ared, white, or blue one. Legend chipsare for the heroes, Marshal. We gottagive ‘em some breaks.

Some TipsPlayers often spend more chips than

they get in a night. This usuallyhappens if there’s lots of fighting andlittle roleplaying. If there’s moreroleplaying than combat, the chipstacks are likely to get tall.

It’s up to you to judge how freely todistribute Fate Chips, but don’t feel badholding back if there hasn’t been muchto “bleed them off” in a while. By thesame token, don’t be too stingy whenyou’re hitting them with waves ofmonsters or your posse may neveradvance and the players may feelcheated.

Try to strike a balance whereeveryone ends the game with enoughchips to convert to 2-4 Bounty Points.

Running the Game 25Adventures

Deadlands adventures read like dimenovels, helping you keep your twistedtales of the Weird West runningsmoothly. The tale starts with “TheStory So Far,” the introduction to theadventure. The next section is “TheSetup,” which tells you how to get theposse involved in the adventure. After“The Setup,” the adventure breaksdown into individual “Chapters.”

A section entitled “The Bounty”comes at the end of each chapter. Thispart tells you how many Fate Chips youshould award the posse for completingcertain goals. These awards can bemade as the adventure is played—they’re simply listed at the end of thechapter for convenience sake.

Here’s a little more information oneach of these sections.

The Story So FarThe introduction describes the

backstory that sets everything inmotion. You’re likely the only one who’sgoing to read it, but establishing a solidbackground is vital.

Posses being made up of clever andunpredictable heroes, things willhappen that you hadn’t counted onduring the course of your adventure. Ifyou’ve got a detailed background, it willhelp you answer questions you hadn’tthought of beforehand and determinehow the extras react to the posse’sschemes.

The SetupThe point at which the posse gets

involved is called “The Setup.” This iswhere you figure out how to rope theheroes into the shenanigans that areabout to occur.

There are lots of ways to pull theplayer characters into your adventures.The most common is to have someonehire them to do a job or solve someproblem. The difficulty with this is youhave to keep the party poor. Wealthycharacters aren’t likely to go chasingdangerous outlaws, after all.

Another good way to get the grouptogether is to let the players tell you

why their characters are involved. Evenif the heroes have been hired bysomeone, the players should still have agood reason why they are eachinterested in the offer.

ChaptersNow you’re ready for the meat of the

adventure. Each chapter usuallydescribes a location and the events thatoccur there. Sometimes, though, youmight want each chapter to representcertain events if the story takes placein one location (like a hauntedmansion). Break things up however itworks best for your particular tale.

Within each chapter, describe extras’personalities, critters’ statistics, thelocations of clues, and the events thatmust occur before moving on to thenext chapter.

Here’s an example of the most typicalway of breaking the game up intochapters—by location.

Say your adventure starts in townwhere Union Blue hires the group toinvestigate the disappearance of one oftheir rail crews. The first scene mighttake place in Dodge where the team ishired. The next scene might take placealong the last railhead, a ruined campwhere they find tracks leading into thehills. The next chapter occurs after thegroup has followed the tracks into thewoods—where they discover a camp ofraiders in the employ of BayouVermillion and. This is where you liststatistics for the raiders, their hounganleaders, and the walkin’ dead they keepchained up to kill nosy heroes.

The BountyEach chapter ends with “The

Bounty.” This tells you how many FateChips you should hand out as clues areuncovered or bad guys are defeated.Keep these in mind as you’re runningthe game so you can reward yourplayers as they overcome theseobstacles.

Traveling theWeird West

The Weird West is a big place. Gettingfrom one place to another is often asexciting and deadly as what happenswhen you get there.

Here are a few rules you and theMarshal can use to help figure outwhat happens on your posse’s journeysacross the frontier.

Hot & ColdExtreme heat and cold can be as

deadly as a gunslinger’s bullet.If your character is exposed to

temperatures over 80° F or above, heneeds to make a survival roll aroundnoon each day. The TN is a base Fair(5) for 80°, and it goes up by +2 forevery increase of 5°. If your hombrefails, he loses 1d4 Wind that can’t beregained until he can rest in a cool,comfortable place for at least 4 hours.

Going bust means he’s doing thekickin’ chicken or, as they call it BackEast, having a seizure due to sunstroke.After that, he must make a Hard (9)Vigor roll. If he makes it, he suffers 3d6Wind. If he fails it, he loses the Wind,has his Vigor die type permanentlyreduced by one step, and must make asecond roll. If this is failed, he diesunless someone else makes anIncredible (11) medicine roll within 2d6rounds. If his Vigor falls below a d4,there’s no saving him.

Cold works the same way.Temperatures below freezing meanyour hero has to make a survival rollfor whatever environment he’s in orlose 1d4 Wind. Add +2 to the TN forevery 5° F below freezing.

Going bust means the hero isfreezing to death. If he doesn’t get heatand a medicine: general roll ofIncredible (11) or better within 4 hours,he’s likely going to be frozen solid untilthe spring thaw.

In either case, a hero whose Windhits 0 through exposure is headed forthe Great Beyond unless some goodSamaritan lends a hand by rescuing thecharacter from his predicament.

ChowA fellow’s got to eat. If he can’t get

enough vittles, he starts looking likethe walking dead. Then he just mightbecome one.

A person needs at least one decentmeal and two quarts of water a day. Ifeither is unavailable, he loses 1d4 Wind(or 2d4 if both are scarce) that can’t berestored until he eats or drinks. Don’treroll Aces on these rolls.

Should a character fall to 0 Windthrough starvation or dehydration, he’llkeels over and continue to lose Winduntil he does or gets aid.

The survival Aptitude can provide foodand water in a pinch. See The Weird WestPlayer’s Guide for more info.

Hell for leatherWe listed the normal traveling rates

in the player’s book, but sometimes aperson needs to travel a little fartherand faster than normal. In these life ordeath situations, use the rules below.

Ride Like the Wind!Experienced riders change their

mounts frequently, but sometimes atraveler has only a single horse or teamand needs to get somewhere in ahurry. He can push his animals tomake better time, but he risksexhausting or even killing them in theprocess.

The horse must make a Fair (5)Vigor roll every 10 miles over thenormal limit of 40 miles, up to amaximum of 50 extra miles (averagehorses have a Vigor of 2d10). Everycheck after the first is made at anadditional –2, up to a maximum of –6.

At 40 miles over the normal limit, forexample, the horse or each horse in ateam makes its fourth check for theday at –6.

If an animal goes bust on this roll, itdies. If it fails, it walks for another 1d4miles and then drops from exhaustionfor 2d4 hours.

The Heel-Toe ExpressCowpokes in a pinch (and without a

horse) can push themselves along in asimilar way. A regular person can walk10 miles a day with no problems. Makea Fair (5) Vigor roll for every 5 milesover that limit the character hikes, upto a maximum of 25 extra miles. Everycheck after the first is made at anadditional –2, up to a maximum of –6.

If the walker fails the roll, she loses1d4 Wind. Wind lost in this way can onlybe regained by resting for 1 hour foreach lost point. At 0 Wind, the walkercannot go further until rested.

TelegraphsRail raiders, bandits, and storms

often cause disruptions in the WeirdWest’s telegraph service. Wheneveryour posse sends a telegram and youwant to mess with them, First do aquick estimate of the mileage betweenthe sender and receiver. Use theMessage Distance Table todetermine a modifier, then roll on theTelegram Results Table. If that roll isan 18+, the message has beenintercepted by gremlins. Roll on theGremlins! Table when that happens.

Message DistanceMessage DistanceMessage DistanceMessage DistanceMessage Distance

Distance ModifierLess than 100 miles 0

100–200 miles +2201–500 miles +4

501+ miles +6

TTTTTelegram Resultselegram Resultselegram Resultselegram Resultselegram Results

1d20 Result1–9 The message goes through

fine.10–13 There’s a break in the line.

The message won’t bereceived for 2d6 hours.

14–17 The line’s broken somewherefar from civilization. Themessage won’t go throughfor 2d6 days.

18+ The message gets interceptedby gremlins. Roll on theGremlins Table.

Gremlins!Gremlins!Gremlins!Gremlins!Gremlins!

1d6 Result1 The message goes through,

but the letters are receivedin reverse order.

2 Rearrange the words of thetelegram to cause as muchtrouble as possible.

3 Make up a whole newmessage—something thatcauses trouble.

4 Make up a new message, butthe gremlins echo the rightconfirmation.

5 The message goes to thewrong city.

6 The gremlins pretend to be aderanged operator at theother end. They block themessage but send backcrude taunts and crypticresponses. Feel free to dojust about anything youwant to cause the heroesas much trouble as possible.Think like a gremlin, pard.

Common Jail Times & FinesCommon Jail Times & FinesCommon Jail Times & FinesCommon Jail Times & FinesCommon Jail Times & Fines

Offense SentenceHorse Thieving HangingRustling HangingMurder HangingRape HangingAttempted Murder 20 years or moreBank Robbing 20 years or moreTrain Robbing 20 years or moreStealing money 20 years or more

from a widowRobbing someone 5 years or more

of authorityGrand Larceny 5 years or more

(stealing $300 ormore in goods orcurrency, besideshorses or beeves)

Stealing less 1 week to 1 yearthan $300

The LawPosses being made up of trigger-

happy player characters, you can betyou’re going to find your campaigncentering around a court trial fromtime to time. Here are a few pointers onhow to run them.

The case usually starts with theprosecution. A lawyer hired by thecounty introduces all his witnesses,usually moving from the least to themost damaging. When the prosecutor isdone with a witness, the defenselawyer gets a chance to cross-examine.

Despite that little piece of papercalled the Constitution, folks accused ofa crime in the West are often guiltyuntil proven innocent. Or moreaccurately, until some fast-talkinglawyer gets them off the hook.

Unless it’s a simple case of self-defense, the lawyer usually must provewhat his client didn’t do. This gives himtwo options. The first is to find someother skunk to blame things on. Theother is to discredit the prosecution’switnesses by showing what low-down,ornery liars they are.

Both sides play fast and loose withthe facts. In a big trial, drama is thekey. If a lawyer can win over the jury,regardless of the truth, his side wins.

Most cases are decided in a fewhours, but since juries are selected aday or two ahead of time, it’s usuallyeasy to threaten or bribe them. JackMcCall got away with murdering WildBill Hickok when the rats who put himup to it successfully threatened thejury.

Judges out West don’t put up withmuch tomfoolery. Forget aboutloopholes or technicalities. At the endof a big trial, a defendant swings or hewalks scot-free.

Get a Rope!So called “hangin’ judges” (not the

legendary abominations but their all-too-human namesakes) are rare. Maybeone out of every 20 judges in the WeirdWest would qualify for this not-so-honorable title. They’re mostly found inisolated counties of the USA and CSAterritories.

Having jurisdiction in an isolated areais the only way these madmen can getaway with an extended “reign of terror.”If a hangin’ judge ever somehowmanages to come to power in a morepopulated region, he never lasts long.Some vengeful family membereventually puts a bullet in his back.

Throwing a hangin’ judge into anadventure is serious business, so usethem sparingly. You’re essentiallythrowing the entire weight of the lawagainst your posse.

If the heroes can’t prove theirinnocence or escape, they swing andyou get to try out those nifty hangingrules we gave in the Weird West Player’sGuide. If the heroes do escape, word islikely to get out and turn the posseinto wanted criminals. That can be fun,but make sure it’s what you want first.

Common Crimes & TimesThe table to the left lists some

common crimes and sentences, aspresented in the Player’s Guide.Remember that this is the frontier,though. Strange events, a militarypresence, or even the whim of the locallaw dogs can change any sentence. Itmight not be constitutional, but by thetime the appeal comes through, thedefendant is usually cold in the ground.

Running the Game 29The Black

HatsBy now you probably have a passel of

ideas for incredible adventures,diabolical villains, and terrible monsters.We’ll tell you how to come up withtheir statistics in Chapter Three, butfirst, let’s make it clear just what theReckoners can and can’t do.

These guys are bad news in a box.They can warp the landscape, grantpower to mortals who ask for it, andeven create monsters out of thin air.

The ability to create any type ofhorror is very important to you,Marshal. It means you can create anytype of creature, monster, or villain youwant. Their “ecology” doesn’t have tomake sense, nor do they have toconform to the normal laws of theworld. Most times, locals believe insome imagined creature and theReckoners give it life. Occasionally, asingle person fears something so badlyshe gives life to a monster.

Some of these created creatures areintelligent and self-serving, likeReverend Grimme. Others are merelysavage horrors such as wallcrawlerswith no real free will. It doesn’t reallymatter—make up whatever type of badguy you want and it will fit into theworld of Deadlands.

Deal With the DevilFor all their power, the Reckoners

aren’t omnipotent. They can’t killanyone or even make someone do theirbidding. One of the big secrets theReckoners like to keep close to theirslimy chests is that those mortals whoserve them must do so of their ownfree will, literally selling their souls tothese devils in exchange for power.

That’s the human element ofDeadlands, a Faustian tale of misguidedhumans who have betrayed their ownrace. Raven, Hellstromme, Stone, andmost of our major villains illustrate thispoint. Even Reverend Grimme illustratesthis, though his is a special case. “He”was created by the Reckoners, but onlyafter his deranged flock cannibalizedhim—thus it is the “group” who soldtheir souls and gave rise to this devil ina preacher’s flock.

All this means villains in the gameare true villains. They know whatthey’ve done and they’re responsible fortheir own actions. They may betempted or mislead, but they alwaysknow what they’re doing is wrong.

30 Marshal

EnforcersOf course, not being able to kill a

hero with a thought doesn’t mean theReckoners can’t take steps to plant ‘emsix-feet under. Heroes who really getunder the Reckoners’ skin can’t just bepulled down into Hell when they gettoo efficient, but they might findthemselves being hunted by otherswho have given themselves over to evil.

Los DiablosTruly pesky heroes get a visit by los

diablos, the “Devil’s own herd.” You’llfind their statistics and a little moreinformation on how to use them in thefull-color section of Chapter Three.

The text for los diablos says theycome after a hero when he “gains theattention of the Reckoners.” But whatexactly does that mean?

Deciding when to send these thingsafter your heroes is a tough call. Thetarget is likely to die, as are thosearound him, so don’t be too quick onthe draw.

At a minimum, a character shouldhave five Grit. He should also havedone something that truly angers theReckoners, such as foil a major plot byGrimme, Hellstromme, or someinsidious horror with long-term goals.Only then should the hero get the ideathat these mysterious beings havetaken a personal interest in his demise.

When the sound of the rumblingherd draws near, make sure your herois ready for it. Throw him a few clueson the nights before the creatures’approach and give him a way to learnwhat’s about to happen before thedemons actually arrive. Maybe thecharacter meets a legendary hero whohas also been visited by the herd. Orperhaps he discovers some clue in anancient tome. Most importantly, give thegroup some warning that the hero’scompadres are little more than sittingducks until he either defeats hishunters or joins their Hellish stampede.

StoneThink the diablos are bad? They’re a

cakewalk with ice cream and clownscompared to Stone.

This cold-hearted bastard is aHarrowed who’s so mean his manitouis afraid of him. He’s in total control ofthe thing and forced it to give up itsmany powers to him very early on.

Stone is one of only a handful ofbeings in the world who works directlyfor the Reckoners (Reverend Grimme isanother). His job is to hunt down thosewho truly disrupt his masters’ plansand put bullets in their heads. Hespecializes in Harrowed heroes.

Stone is an over-confident bastard,but not out of stupidity—he’s just reallythat tough. When his prey has any realchance of defeating him, Stone is likelyto shoot him in the back or takewhatever other actions are necessaryto make sure he wins. If he’s confidentof victory—real victory—he likes to dothe old “shootout at High Noon”business. Stone has been looking forsomeone good enough to beat him fora long time, but he has thus far beendisappointed. Stone likes competition—but only if he knows he’s going to win.He’s weird like that, and evil throughand through.

As for statistics, we don’t like to listthem for two reasons. First is the oldrule in game design that “if you stat it,they will kill it.” How many of you usedto go hunting the Gods of Asgard inyour high-school fantasy rpgs?

Second, some beings are just morethan a collection of their statistics. Playany villain or monster in this or anyother game as just a set of stats andyour party will have little trouble withit. Play it smart and you’ll make ‘emretreat every once in a while.

Still we know you need a few statsto use this stone-cold killer. By 1877,assume Stone has any Harrowed poweryou need him to at level 4. His shootin’with any firearm is 10d12+10. He’s alsotwo-fisted, and prefers to fight with theweapons he had in his hands when hisown men shot him in the back atGettysburg—two single-action ColtDragoons. These cap & ball pistols havebecome relics—they are reloaded byholstering them for one action.

Running the Game 31Running the Game

So you’ve read the Weird West Player’sGuide and you’ve browsed through hereenough to know where everything is.What do you do next?

If you’re like most folks when theyplay this type of game for the first time,you’re probably thinking you don’t quitehave a grasp of the rules. Fair enough.Roleplaying games are morecomplicated than games like chessbecause they cover so many differentsituations. If you’re new to this type ofgame, all the options we give folks inDeadlands might be a littleoverwhelming.

We understand. So try this. Try itanyway. Run a game and screw it up.Get all the rules wrong. And don’tworry about it. Just concentrate onmaking an exciting adventure. You’llfigure out the rules as you go,especially once some of your playersread the Weird West’s Player’s Guide. Andif you can’t figure out the rules whileyou’re playing, don’t slow down thegame too much trying.

Once you’ve played a whole session,go back and read any sections youdidn’t quite understand. You’ll get iteventually. Just make sure you’re havinga good time while your players—andyou, Marshal—get the hang of the rules.

Spaghetti-WesternLet’s talk a little about tone. What’s

this game supposed to “feel like?”Deadlands is equal parts Western andhorror. Specifically, the Weird West is a“spaghetti-Western,” so-called becauseof the famous Italian Westerns of the1960s. Check out your local video storefor a wide assortment—you can findthem most anywhere. Watch a few ofthese, especially those starring ClintEastwood, and you’ll understand thefeel of the Western part of this game.

Sure there’s a little John Ford—JohnWayne action at times, and maybe evena little Brisco County Jr. and Wild, Wild,West, but when one of your heroes isstaring down a bad guy at High Noon,everyone ought to hear the theme fromThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in theirheads.

HorrorSo you get spaghetti-Western. But

what about horror? How do you put achill down the spine of your over-educated friends who have watchedevery scary movie and maybe livedthrough worse in the real world?

We have a few words of advice. First,start with contrast. Start the night withbright lights, laughter, some high-adventure, and action. Play up thespaghetti-western aspects of the game.Keep the pace slow, let everyoneroleplay their characters, and throw in afew bad Western accents for someyuks.

As the night rolls on, slowly addsome tension into your scenes. Hintthat there’s a storm coming. Maybe you

32 Marshal

first introduce the bad guys or let theposse find some of your monster’shandiwork.

Build upon this tension with agrowing sense of dread. This is a goodtime to dim the lights a little. Somegood background music doesn’t hurteither. Try the Deadlands: Weird Wailin’sCD or the soundtrack to your favoritehorror movie.

When you’re finally ready for the bigclimax, hit the players with everythingyou’ve got. Keep the lights dim ormaybe even try some candles (but don’tburn the house down!). Then cue updramatic, urgent music—you’d besurprised how much this gets a posse’sheart racing. Make sure to speakrapidly too. Fill the players with a senseof urgency so they don’t have time tothink everything through. A zombiebursts through the door? Count quicklyto five. Those who respond get anaction—the rest are hosed. Roll somedice and assign the damage quickly,rapidly moving on to the next person.Don’t let the detailed combat rules dragyou down when you’re going for thefinale. Think of the game like a gameshow where everyone is in “speedrounds.” Call out an Action Card andcount to five, a player who misses herturn or hesitates trying to figure outwhat to do loses her Action. You’re theMarshal—no one said you had to play bythe rules all the time. Show no mercyand your posse will rush about asfrantically as their characters shouldbe.

Cultivating FearThat middle part we told you above,

where you start building a growingsense of dread, is the hardest for newMarshals to handle. Here are some tipson how to make those creepy scenesleading up to the climax truly terrifying.

One word of warning first, Marshal.Don’t be put out if you’re going for theheroes’ jugulars and they’re laughing sohard at something they’ve got

sarsaparilla coming out their noses.That’s a good thing. Remember you’reall here to have a good time, and if aplayer tosses out a one-liner that haseveryone rolling on the floor—it’s wellworth breaking the mood for a fewminutes. As a matter of fact, the humormay actually enhance the horror of thescene because it provides such highcontrast.

Blood and GoreA lot of new Marshals are tempted to

use a lot of blood and gore toemphasize the horror. That has itsplace, and we’re not above it ourselveson occasion. By and large, however,you’ll find graphic descriptions ofsteaming entrails are nowhere near asfrightening as letting the players fill inthe details themselves.

Try this. Zeke opens the door to atrapper’s cabin and finds the fellowinside flayed alive. You could describethe mess in a lot of detail. Or you couldsimply say Zeke shuts his eyes andcloses the door. The latter approach letsthe group picture the scene in theirown minds. They know what bothersthem and are likely to picture thishorrific sight in the way that disturbsthem most.

When you do have to describe thedetails (such as when they startinvestigating the body for clues), that’swhen you want to go for a little moregore. Describe the loose pile of skinlying beside the corpse, the dark hairsmatted to the shaved scalp, and thegreen bile leaking down through thefeather bed along with the thick redblood. This way you’ve built up to thegrisly details and slowly built a sceneof tension and horror.

Devil in the DetailsNever “label” monsters. Describe

them.Which sounds more scary: “A Maze

dragon is sneaking up on you.” Or, “Adark green shape rises up out of thewater. It looks something like a hugeserpent but with a lizard-like head. Ithas a mouthful of razor-sharp teethand the parts you can see looks to bewell over 20 yards long!”

Running the Game 33Isolation

A posse stuck in an isolated cabinhigh in Donner Pass is moreapprehensive than the same posse inthe middle of Dodge City. Isolation is atried-and-true method of making yourparty feel they are the prey of yournefarious evil (and they probably are).

But what do you do if the adventuretakes place in a heavily populated area?Isolation comes in many forms, Marshal.Remember that most folks have neverheard of the Reckoning and they don’tbelieve in monsters. If the heroes go tothe local law and tell him the dead arerising from Boot Hill, he’s likely to justthrow them in the hoosegow for publicdrunkenness.

You can also isolate the heroes fromtheir closest companions—the posseitself. Anytime a character wanders offby himself, take the player into aseparate room for a bit. Besides keepinghis Fate a mystery to the rest of thegroup, the player will actually feelisolated as well. There’s nothingcreepier to a player than having theMarshal say “Come with me….”

Besides being a tool of terror,isolation also means the heroes have toconfront your villains and creatures ontheir own—and that’s how you want it.

But what happens when theauthorities see it with their own eyes?That’s when the law should ask theposse for help. They probably stirred upthe evil anyway. If the law puts theheroes on the front line, they mightrealize just how bad things are.

Too, if the heroes are always runningfor help, the posse may actuallycontribute to the Fear Level and helpthe bad guys win. Find a way to letthem know this, then hit them with ahigher Fear Level when they eventuallygo back to finish the job.

ParanoiaOne last tip, Marshal. It never hurts

to instill a sense of paranoia in thegroup. Pass notes, take players out ofthe room for private discussions, andmake them tell you things only theircharacters know in private. Don’t let aplayer say he’s stealing the treasuremap from another hero in front of the

victim’s player. Make him pass you anote or take you aside for a privateconference instead. Remember that thefear of the unknown is the greatestfear of all, and even if the partysuspects there’s a thief in their midst, itcreates mistrust and apprehension thatcontributes to the overall fear andparanoia of the group.

Having a Harrowed in the groupshould cause constant paranoia. If theheroes find someone dead, they can’tbe sure if it was the monster they’retracking down or the one they beddown with every night. Make ‘emwonder. And take the Harrowed’s playeraside constantly to keep everyone onedge. “Your breakfast was real good thismorning, Zeke. Just wanted to let youknow.” Let the player try and tell theposse that was his “private” message,and watch the suspicion grow whenone of the party later turns up dead.

Music, Maestro!We’ve said it twice, but it’s worth

saying again. The right backgroundmusic can add a lot to your game—that’s why we make a soundtrack forall of our horror games. We hope youuse ours, but you’ll need a goodassortment of music to really reinforcethe various moods you try to createduring the night. Try Westernsoundtracks for the early phases of agame where everyone’s trying to beClint Eastwood. Move on to creepyhorror-movie soundtracks when theposse first stumbles across thehandiwork of your villains. If they getin a fight with bandits or otherrelatively normal bad guys, playsomething exciting and heroic, like thetheme from Indiana Jones. In the finalscene, go for something really dramaticand urgent, such as Night on BaldMountain or Flight of the Valkyries.

Movies and television use music tomanipulate our emotions constantly.Try it in your game as well. You won’tbelieve the difference it can make.

Chapter Three:

Arcana

The world of Deadlands is filled withthe arcane. Mad scientists fly above thedeserts in ornithopters powered byghost rock. Hucksters blast souls withmystical energies. The undead crawlout of their graves to fight fordominance with evil spirits.

We’ve told the players everything theyneed to know about the weirdness thatsuffuses the American West. Now it’syour turn, Marshal. It’s time to showyou how to whack player charactersupside their noggins when they dealwith the arcane and mess up.

This chapter deals with mysteriouspasts, huckster backlash, mad scientistdementias and device malfunctions,and the perils of being Harrowed.

We’ll also give you the lowdown onsome 100% bonafide magic items (we

call ‘em “relics” out here, amigo). You’llfind out the incredible powers ofeverything from Wyatt Earp’s badge

to Hickock’s missing revolvers—andthe price that must be paid for a heroto use them.

Mysterious PastMany folks have been affected by

arcane weirdness in their lives. Somedon’t even know it—yet.

When a player draws a Joker duringcharacter creation, draw a card fromyour own Action Deck. This carddetermines the character’s “mysteriouspast.” If a character draws two Jokers,he has two mysterious pasts.

Compare the card you drew to thefollowing entries to get an idea for thecharacter’s mysterious past.

You should always feel free tosubstitute your own ideas if you havesomething more specific to thecharacter in mind. The better it fits inwith the hero’s background, the morefun it could turn out to be in the end.Make sure you talk it over a littlewith the player first, though. You don’twant to ruin a player’s fun by stickinghim with a mysterious past he’sgoing to hate.

36 Marshal

Deuce: CurseThe character is cursed in some way.

Figure out when and why it happenedby sorting through the hero’s past,looking for someone he may havewronged.

The character has the bad luckHindrance until he resolves whateverissue caused the curse. If the characterwinds up also having bad luck in someother way (like by purchasing it duringcharacter creation), the curse provesdoubly catastrophic.

Three: Sworn EnemyThe character has an enemy in her

past that she doesn’t know about. Lookover the character’s background andpick an enemy or a group of enemiesthat are looking for the hero. Thenature of the enemy and the frequencyof its occurrence is entirely up to you.

Consider carefully how powerful youwant the enemy to be. He could be amajor threat or just a minor nuisance.

Four: DopplegangerThe hero looks eerily like some other

well-known person. A red card meansthe other person is someone who isgenerally considered “good,” at least inthe USA or the CSA, if not both. Ablack card means the character lookslike a wanted bandit, gunman, orsomeone else with a “bad” reputation.

Five: KinA family member or close companion

gets involved in the adventure everynow and then. The relative tries to helpbut can’t really take care of himself,and so he generally ends up getting inthe way more often than not. He alsotends to make a great hostage shouldone of the character’s enemies ever getwind of the fact that he exists.

The hero occasionally benefits fromthe relative’s actions, but usually justwinds up rescuing him. Kid brothersand sisters, a previously unknownfather, or a trouble-making cousin withthe same last name make greatpersonal interests.

Six: Sixth SenseThe character has an uncanny sixth

sense that sometimes warns her ofdanger. Whenever a hidden danger orambush is about to occur, make asecret Onerous (7) Cognition check.

Fate has nothing to do with it, sodon’t worry about the fact that the herocan’t use Fate Chips to affect the roll. Ifshe is successful, she knowssomething’s up and can reactaccordingly.

Seven: BlackoutsThe character has “holes” in his past.

He can’t quite remember certainperiods of his life. He probably doesn’teven know he can’t remember them.

What happened to him during these“blackouts” is entirely up to you and theneeds of your game. The charactermight occasionally experience glimpsesinto his mysterious past. These visionseventually make sense, but they justconfuse and confound him until thepast finally catches up to him.

Arcana 37Eight: Ancient Pact

The character’s ancestors made apact with a manitou some time in thedistant past, before the Great Spirit War.The power of that pact still tracesthrough the family’s bloodlines.

The character gains a power of theHarrowed at level 1. The level cannot beraised unless the hero somedaybecomes Harrowed.

You should decide which power togrant the character. You can base theability on her personality if you choose,or you can choose an ability at random,since the power was chosen by adistant ancestor that may not havebeen a whole lot like the hero at all.

Nine: FavorSomeone owes the character a favor

of some sort. Perhaps a town Sheriffwas saved by the hero’s father long ago.Or maybe an infamous outlaw turnsout to be the character’s father.Whatever the circumstance, theindebted extra can occasionally bail thehero out of dire situations.

Ten: Animal Hatred/KenAnimals react strangely in the hero’s

presence. He may have been this wayfrom birth, or perhaps she somehowgained the attention of the naturespirits through some act of kindness ora thoughtless misdeed.Red: Animals just flat-out love the

hero. They never attack her unlessthey’re somehow provoked, and sheadds +2 to any animal wranglin’,teamster, or horse ridin’ rolls. If thehero rides a horse, the animal shouldbe especially intelligent and well-trained after spending any time at allin the hero’s care. She might alsohave a special pet, such as a bear ora dog. This part’s up to you, Marshal.The stats for a few standard critterscan be found in Chapter Three.

Black: Animals hate the character.Dogs growl and sometimes bite.Horses complain and buck wheneverthe character goes bust on a horseridin’ roll. The character alwayssuffers –2 to any animal wranglin’,teamster, or horse ridin’ rolls.

Jack: InheritanceThe hero has inherited something,

such as an old mansion, a thousanddollars, or even a debt. This makes aperfect adventure hook, of course.

For fun, let the messengers hunt thehero for a while and make himnervous. He won’t know why they wanthim or if the news is good or bad untilthey catch up with him.Red: The inheritance is by and large a

good thing. Whether it’s money, arelic passed down from a long-lostuncle, or a son the hero didn’t knowhe had is up to the Marshal.

Black: The inheritance comes withtrouble. A ranch sits in the way of athe Rail Wars, or a trunk full ofGrandpa’s belongings contains acursed or haunted relic.

Queen: HauntedA ghost of some sort haunts the

character. No one else can see or hearthe being, but it is always lurkingnearby. Put some thought andpersonality into the ghost’s identity.Perhaps a beneficial spook is the ghostof a dead relative. A malevolent spectercould be the ghost of someone whodied because of the character, or theshade or revenant of a major villain thehero put down.Red: The ghost is beneficial. Once per

session, it warns the character ofdanger or provides him with usefulinformation relevant to the adventureor overall campaign. The phantomshouldn’t be too powerful or all-knowing, but it should prove useful.

Black: The character is haunted by anevil spirit. It appears at the mostinconvenient times to frighten andconfuse the hero. At least once peradventure (and when the characterdraws a black Joker from the ActionDeck during combat), the ghostappears and tries to trick, confuse, ordistract him with some illusion orphantasm.

38 Marshal

King: CursedRelic/Relic

The character has in his possessionan artifact once owned by someoneelse. He might have inherited it, oracquired it through some unusualmeans. It is, at the very least, veryvaluable or perhaps even magical innature.Red: One of the character’s

possessions is a valuable or arcanerelic of some sort. Perhaps he hasthe pistol of a famous outlaw or ablueprint designed by a great madscientist.

Black: The artifact is cursed or comeswith trouble. Perhaps the hero’s pistolwas once used in a heinous murder.Or the pocket watch he carries was“altered” by a mad scientist. Theeffects of the curse depends on theitem (and how badly you want tosock it to the hero). At the very least,a cursed weapon should secretly fireat a –2 penalty, while a mundaneitem quietly causes the hero bad luckuntil he figures it out and ridshimself of it.

Ace: KnackThe character was born under

strange circumstances or on a powerfulholiday. Since that day, she hasdeveloped strange powers. Let theplayer read the Knack section thatfollows and choose the one she feels ismost appropriate for her.

Joker: HarrowedThis one’s lots of fun, Marshal. The

character is dead and doesn’t know it.Maybe he was gutshot a few weeksago and left for dead. He thought thelocal sawbones patched him up realgood (and the sawbones likely thoughtso too), but in truth, he just slipped oninto the Great Beyond.

Make up some event that took placein the character’s past in which he wasleft for dead but somehow survived.The event should have occurred withinthe last few months if possible (whichis why the deader hasn’t figured it outyet).Red: The hero has total Dominion.Black: The hero starts with only a 1

point advantage in Dominion. Maybehe’s already lost control to hismanitou a few times and committedunspeakable acts. Very likely, there’sa posse of Agents or Rangers on histail already. They don’t usually askquestions first.

Arcana 39Knacks

Howdy, friend. If you’re reading this,the Marshal has told you yourcharacter’s mysterious past is a “knack,”a supernatural ability he was born with.Since you’re already here peekin’ inwhat’s normally the Marshal’s book,we’re going to let you read all theknacks in this section and choose theone that fits your character best.

Knacks cost Fate Chips to use. If ahombre can’t pony up a chip, he can’tuse his knack. The knacks belowexplain what each type of chip does forthe hero. You can use chips of differentcolors at the same time if you want.

Many of the knacks we’ve includedhave to do with certain holidays. Itmight not make sense for an Apache tohave a knack from a Roman Catholicholiday, so you have to do one of twothings: don’t take it, or assume yourcharacter’s mythos has some otherevent or situation that grants him theknack.

Marshal, if you’re feeling particularlygenerous, you might let a hero buy oneof these knacks during charactercreation. Should you choose to do so,we recommend charging 5 characterpoints, and only letting a hero buy oneknack.

BastardThe character’s a bastard. Not just

the mean and ornery kind, but the kindborn out of wedlock.

It is said that a child born out ofwedlock can see the unseen. Seemsthere’s some truth to that, at least inthis character’s case.White: The hero can find an inanimate

object he’s looking for within 10 yards.Red: A red chip lets your hero spot

someone or something that is activelyhiding from him or others throughnatural means (such as sneakin’). Thisbenefit lasts 5 minutes.

Blue: This lets your hero see “invisible”critters, or those that supernaturallyblend in with their surroundings.This effect lasts 10 minutes.

Legend: A Legend chip works thesame as a blue but the effect lastsan entire day.

Blue VeilYour character was born with a “blue

veil”—a purplish bit of his momma’sinsides—wrapped tight around hisnoggin. The old-timers say this gives achild the gift of foresight.White: Your character cannot be

surprised as long as he has at leastone white chip in his possession. Ifyou ever happen to fail a surprisecheck, just chuck the chip into thepot and grin like a possum. Youautomatically make the check, evenif you went bust.

Red, Blue, Legend: Only one of eachcolor chip may be spent per gamesession. When it is, the Marshal mustdescribe a vision or dream of somesort to you. Hidden within the visionis an enigmatic clue that might helpyour hero survive the upcomingstruggle. The clarity and insight ofthe vision increases with the type ofchip spent.

Born on All Hallow’sEve

They say Mr. Unlucky, the King ofHalloween, favors those born on his dayof mischief. His gift to these rascals isa greater understanding of the arcaneworld.

Your character has an innate “sense”about matters of the arcane orsupernatural.

Note: You can only use the blue andLegend chip function of this knack ifyour character has the arcanebackground Edge and is a mad scientistor a huckster.White: Your character can sense magic

or arcane energy within 50 yards.Red: Your character can sense magic

as above, and also has some idea asto its purpose or inclination.

Blue: Whenever your huckster or madscientist draws a hand to cast a hexor design a gizmo, you may discard

40 Marshal

any one card of your choice anddraw another. You can spendmultiple chips on the draw, but youcan’t discard a black Joker.

Legend: Your character gets the highestpossible raise on his draw, a royalflush. Relax and watch the fireworks,partner. You’ve earned this one.

Born on ChristmasA babe born on Christmas is

particularly resistant to arcane effectspowered by evil spirits.

If your character takes this knackand has the arcane background Edge,she may only be a blessed or a shaman.The knack has no effect on shamanicor blessed powers. It works on thetainted magic of hexes, weird gizmos,and black magic.

Your character can use this knackeven if she isn’t aware she’s a target ofsome foul magic She cannot, however,use the knack against a magic-usingcharacter who isn’t using an arcaneeffect directly on the heroine. If yourbuffalo gal sees a huckster cast a hexon himself or someone else, forinstance, there’s nothing she can doabout it.White: Against any type of damage-

causing magic, a white chip provides1 point of Armor. Against a resistedspell effect, the character gets to add+4 to his roll.

Red: As above, but it gives 2 points ofArmor and adds +4 to your heroine’sresistance roll (if there is one). A redchip is not cumulative with a white.

Blue: A blue chip forces a backfire ofsome sort. Hucksters roll on theBacklash Table, mad scientistssuffer a malfunction, and cultists getspanked by their dark masters fortheir incompetence. If the effect iscaused by a creature’s special abilitywith no “backfire” results, the spellsimply doesn’t affect your heroine.

Legend: When a tainted supernaturalspell or power affects your character,spend a Legend chip to make him

immune to all the powers of thecreature who cast it for the rest ofthe scene. A vampire could notcharm the hero, for instance, but itcould still bite her on the neck sincethat isn’t a supernatural power.

Born Under a Blood-Red Moon

The blood-red moon leered downupon your birth. The wolves howled.The bobcats wailed. Nature went bloodsimple the night you were born.

Your heroine has a wild and feralside. She can’t work anything morecomplicated than a pistol and musttake the all thumbs Hindrance, butanimals think she’s Mother Natureherself.

All the effects below work on asingle large animal (such as a wolf or abear), a half dozen or less smallanimals (beavers), or a pack of about adozen smaller varmints (rats). It doesnot work on creatures created by theReckoning (including jackalopes, Mazedragons, and the like), so don’t get anyfoolish notions.White: You can get some idea what a

critter within 10 feet is thinking orfeeling.

Red: Spending a red chip calmsnature’s little beasties. The critterswon’t attack unless provoked or theyhave some more important concern(such as being worried the rest ofthe posse will harm their young).Move carefully, because upsetting theanimal in some way negates thechip. And remember, happy wolveseat people too.

Blue: The critter becomes a temporarycompanion. It stays by yourcharacter’s side and fights for heruntil a scene or violent encounterhas ended.

Legend: An animal native to theenvironment comes to the heroine’sside and becomes her constantcompanion until its death. It isfiercely loyal to her, and won’t attackher friends if they do not threaten it.The beast is still an animal, but itunderstands and obeys hercommands as if it had been trainedto do so from birth.

Arcana 41Breech Birth

A baby born butt-first is said to havethe uncanny ability to heal sprains,lumbagos, and other discomforts.

Your character has a knack forhealing. He can attempt to heal seriousand critical wounds even if he has onlythe medicine: general Aptitude. No chipis necessary; the kid’s just a natural.

Using these powers requires touchingthe patient.White: Given a full minute and a few

minimal supplies, the healer cancompletely remove a single lightwound per chip. Note that this onlyworks on light wounds—it has noeffect on greater wounds.

Red: Healing wounds less than anhour after they were received usuallylets a sawbones remove one level ofwounds per area. If your hero makeshis medicine roll, he heals two levelsof wounds.

Blue: Your healer is a wonder withothers, but he’s downrightmiraculous when mending his ownbody. Given ten minutes and somehome-brewed poultices or otherherbs, the healer can spend a bluechip to completely remove a singlewound from his body.

Legend: If the healer can place hishands upon the body of someoneslain in the last minute, she canreturn them to life. The body must bereasonably intact to accomplish this.

Cat ChildYou’ve heard the old wives’ tale that

cats sneak into children’s beds andsteal their breath? Truth is, some do.But if the child’s lucky, the cat leavessomething in its place.

A cat stole your character’s breathsoon after he was born. Of course, thiswas no ordinary cat, and it left a littlepart of itself in you. Reduce your hero’sWind by 4 if you take this Edge (to aminimum of 4), and gain the powerslisted below.White: Your character automatically

lands on his feet after a fall, ready togo. He can safely fall up to 10 yardswithout taking any damage.

Red: You can see in darkness as longas there’s any light at all (even

starlight). This lasts for 10 minutesand extends to the natural limit ofyour hombre’s vision.

Blue: Your character’s Nimblenessincreases by two steps for one entirescene, increasing his die rolls andPace accordingly.

Legend: They say cats have nine lives.Whenever your character is about todie, a Legend chip saves his life. TheMarshal must come up with somebizarre circumstance to explain howFate intervenes to save his life(maybe a fatal fall is broken by apond, haystack, or snowdrift, forexample). Place a tick mark at thetop of your character sheet eachtime this happens. When you reachnine marks, you lose this abilityforever. Use your lives wisely, cat-boy.

Child of the RavenA raven perched on the windowsill

when you were born. It didn’t say“nevermore,” but it did give you theability to look into the past.

42 Marshal

Your character has the gift ofpsychometry. Whenever he touches anonliving thing (including corpses andthe Harrowed) and concentrates, hereceives a vision about the thing’s past.

The vision is often couched insymbolism or puzzles, so don’t expect itto solve a mystery for you. It might helpyou turn up an unfound lead, however.

The vision is always of the mostdramatic event in the thing’s past, up tothe time limit imposed by the chip (seebelow). The most dramatic event in thehistory of a rock, for example, might bea drop of rain. A blood-soaked rag hasa better story to tell.

It isn’t pleasant sensing someoneelse buying the farm. If a child of theraven uses his ability on a corpse, theblood of a corpse, a murder weapon, orother items associated with death, hegets a taste of what it’s like to die.When he does, the character runs therisk of busting his ticker.

The investigator must make a Hard(9) Vigor test. If he passes, everything’speachy. If he fails, he suffers 3d6 Wind,his Vigor is permanently reduced byone step, and he has a heart attack.Make a second Hard (9) Vigor test. Ifthis one is failed, his last double-eaglebuys him a plot in Boot Hill, unlesssomeone makes an Incredible (11)medicine roll within 2d6 rounds.

The type of chip spent determineshow far back in the target’s past youcan go.White: One day.Red: One year.Blue: Centuries.Legend: Anytime, and the vision is

particularly clear.

Earth BondThe Sioux say a person with an earth

bond is chosen by the nature spirits toprotect the physical world. They offerprecious gifts, but they are ruthless ifthese gifts are abused.

Your character has some mysticalbond with Mother Nature. She

understands the ways of the wilds andcan sometimes use its secrets as well.

None of these bonuses apply intowns or cities, while on trains, or inother places where nature has beenovershadowed by technology.White: Your heroine may add +4 to her

climbin’, sneak, survival, and trackin’rolls. The chip can be spent after theroll is made, even if it was alreadymodified by other Fate Chips.

Red: Given a few hours and a fewacres of wilderness, your charactercan find enough herbs and roots tomake healing poultices. This allowsyour hero to make an immediatenatural healing roll for eachwounded area. Only one suchattempt may be made per day.

Blue: Your heroine can completelydisappear in the wilderness. If silentand stock still, she is effectivelyinvisible to all but magical means.Also, for one hour after spending thechip, the character leaves no tracksupon natural surfaces, even inmuddy fields. Unnatural surfaces,such as a street covered in paint,show tracks normally.

Legend: The character can call uponthe spirits of nature to return to anarea flooded with fear, temporarilyriding it of its vile influence. Plantsreturn to life, birds return, and thesun (or moon) shines a little brighter.Make a Spirit roll. The Fear Level is 0for one hour for every success andraise the hero achieves. (Don’t worryif you don’t know what a “FearLevel” is, the Marshal does!) Thisnegates the guts penalties as well ascertain special powers the forces ofdarkness get for the ambient fear.

Seventh Son/DaughterYour character is fated for greatness.

Her legend will loom large in the WeirdWest.

Your hombre has the unique abilityto control Fate. Anytime someonespends a Fate chip in his presence(usually within sight), you can discard alike-colored chip to stop its effects. Apricey but valuable power, amigo.Legend: If your character dies and

there’s enough left of him, heautomatically comes back Harrowed.

Arcana 43Veterans o’ the

Weird WestHere are all those horrible things

that can happen to character who tookthe veteran o’ the Weird West Edge wewarned the posse about in the WeirdWest Player’s Guide. Feel free to makeup your own results, or draw a cardand consult the table below.

Deuce: JinxedThis hombre ran into something that

jinxed him bad. His luck’s fine, but hiscompanions suffer minor mishapsconstantly. The rest of the posse hasthe bad luck Hindrance.

Three: HuntedThe veteran didn’t finish the job.

Something is looking for him, and itwants him dead. Or worse.

Four: DebtThe Agency (red card) or Texas

Rangers (black card) has something onthe hero that could make him swing ifrevealed. They frequently recruit him forthe roughest assignments. Refusing isbad. Neither type usually asks nicely, ortakes no for an answer.

Five: AddictedFive: AddictedFive: AddictedFive: AddictedFive: AddictedThe character would like to forget

the things he’s seen. He has a severehankerin’ for alcohol or a drug likeopium or peyote.

Six: Haunted DreamsThe cowpoke can never forget the

things he’s seen. They even haunt himin his dreams, giving him night terrors.

Seven : MaimedOne of the character’s limbs is

maimed or entirely missing. Roll a d6.On a 1–2, he’s lame (limp); 3–4, he’s lame(crippled); 5–6, he’s lost his non-weaponhand and is a one-armed bandit.

Eight: Beat With anUgly Stick

One of the abominations thisunfortunate hero encounteredrearranged his face or some otherhighly visible body part. He’s ugly as sinwhen the wound is visible.

44 Marshal

Nine: InsaneThis dude’s mind’s not what it once

was. Give him a mental illness from themad scientist’s Dementia Table (page49, Marshal).

Ten: ParanoidThis tinhorn’s seen things he

shouldn’t have. He’s afraid of the dark, ,afraid to wander out of camp to relievehimself, and so on.

Jack: InfectedThe last creature he tussled with left

a mark that won’t go away. The dudehas some sort of strange wound thatgives him the ailin’ (chronic) Hindrance.

Queen: BollixedYou’ve got a bad case of gremlins.

These buggers infect every device thehero touches, including guns. Everymechanical item he uses has aReliability of 19. Devices which werepreviously prone to malfunction lowertheir Reliability by –1. If he can gowithout touching a mechanical devicefor one year, the gremlins get bored andgo away.

King: Marked ForDeath

Some intelligent and phenomenallyevil abomination from the hero’s pastuttered a dying curse. He may notspend Fate Chips of any kind to negatedamage, or even regain Wind.

Ace: ForsakenLong ago, this lone rider did

something awful to survive anencounter with the supernatural. Eversince, the spirit world won’t aid him ona bet. No beneficial spiritual magic,miracles, or favors work on him. Hexes,weird science, and black magic worknormally.

Black Joker: CursedThe hero’s very soul was damned by

one of the insidious creatures of histerror-filled past. The player draws onlyone chip at the beginning of each playsession.

Red Joker: EternalHero

Fate chose this fellow to combat theforces of darkness across the centuries.He is her champion, and she does notwant him to die—at least until he hasfulfilled his destiny.

Give the hero 1 point of Grit. Also,whenever he is about to die, anIncredible (11) Spirit roll allows him tosomehow survive the situation. This isoften not without tragic consequences,however. Perhaps a dear friend or lovedone takes the bullet meant for himinstead. Fate is a cruel mistress.

Arcana 45

BacklashBacklashBacklashBacklashBacklash

Roll Effect1–4 Brain Drain: The manitou fries part of the

huckster’s mind with energy from theHunting Grounds. The huckster’s hex fails,and he must make an Onerous (7) Spiritroll or his hexslingin’ Aptitude drops 1 level.

5–8 Backlash: The manitou rebels andoverloads the huckster’s system withmagic from the Hunting Grounds. Thehuckster takes 3d6 damage to the guts.

9–12 Spirit Drain: The manitou tries to takeover. The huckster manages to retaincontrol but loses 3d6 Wind in the spiritualstruggle. The hex fails only if thehuckster goes unconscious.

13–16 Madness: The manitou ruins the spell and,worse, drives the huckster insane. Roll onthe mad scientist’s Dementia Table onpage 49 to determine the nature of theinsanity.

17–20 Corruption: The manitou twists the spell’seffects. Damage-causing hexes hit friendlycharacters, protection hexes protect theenemy or make the huckster morevulnerable, etc.

Arcane MisfiresMany characters in Deadlands have

learned to tap into the awesome powerof the Hunting Grounds. We told yourposse how to play magic-wieldingheroes in the No Man’s Land section ofthe Weird West Player’s Guide. Now it’stime to show you the price thesesometimes reckless individuals pay fortheir powers.

Let’s go through them in the sameorder we presented them to the players..

HuckstersHucksters open themselves to

manitous every time they perform ahex. Most of the time they control thespirit safely. Other times, these demonsare able to cause their hosts pain andsuffering or even madness.

Roll 1d20 on the Backlash Tablewhenever a huckster draws a blackJoker while trying to cast a hex. Unlessan entry says otherwise, the hex takeseffect normally unless the hucksterpasses out or dies from the Backlash.

The BlessedWhenever a blessed character

commits a sin of some sort, she mustmake a Spirit roll. If she fails, she losesa point of her faith Aptitude. She doesnot lose her miracles, but she mightlose her ability to use them for a while.

The Target Number of the Spirit rolldepends on just how bad the sin is, asshown on the Sinnin’ Table.

Sinnin’Sinnin’Sinnin’Sinnin’Sinnin’

Sin TN ExampleMinor 5 Taking the Lord’s

name in vain,refusing to aidthose in need.

Major 9 Theft, turning awayothers in need.

Mortal 11 Adultery, theft ofsomething ofgreat importance,killing in otherthan self-defense.

You Gotta Have FaithLost faith doesn’t just return on its

own. A lamb that has lost its waydoesn’t just wander home to beaccepted back into the flock. It takesgenuine sincerity, a little work, and awhole lot of praying.

If a blessed character loses all herfaith, it costs her 5 Bounty Points topurchase the first level again. Restoringother lost levels can be done at normalcost. If faith was lost due to a mortalact of sin, you might also make theblessed character go on a special questfor atonement.

In special circumstances where ablessed has to choose between sinningand allowing a greater evil. In thesecases, use your own judgment todetermine if a sin was truly committed.

46 Marshal

Mad ScientistsMad scientists flooded into the Weird

West soon after the discovery of ghostrock and what it could be used for. Thethings they can build are incredible, butsometimes the deranged inventors cantake out half a town with their weirdgizmos.

MalfunctionsWeird gizmos are prone to

malfunction at nearly any time. Madscientists are known for creatingnoxious fumes and spectacularexplosions, often at the hazard of theirown lives as well as those of thepeople around them. In any case,science must press on, sometimes withtragically unpredictable results.

Every time a character makes anAptitude roll to use a weird gizmo ofany sort, she must also roll 1d20. If thenumber on that die is greater than theReliability of the gizmo, a malfunctionof some sort has occurred.

Roll 2d6 on the table below todetermine how bad the malfunction is.

MalfunctionsMalfunctionsMalfunctionsMalfunctionsMalfunctions

2d6 Roll Malfunction2–5 Major Malfunction6–10 Minor Malfunction11–12 Catastrophic Malfunction

Malfunctiondescriptions

The descriptions below should helpyou figure out what to do whenever agizmo malfunctions. You need to figureout which of the charts below best fitsthe device in question.

If none of them fits the gizmo, comeup with an appropriate malfunction onyour own, but you should still roll 2d6to check the severity of the disaster.

Mechanical Gizmos(no moving parts)

Armored vests, diving suitsMinor Malfunction: The device fails,

falls out of position, or otherwise hasno effect until it is repaired with aHard (9) tinkerin’ roll.

Major Malfunction: The device falls topieces and must be reassembled fromscratch. This takes a considerableamount of time and certainly can’t berepaired in the middle of a combatunless it’s an incredibly simple device.Hopefully the mad scientist can findall the pieces. If not, he’ll have tobuild the device from scratch.

Catastrophic Malfunction: Thedevice proves dangerous somehow.Perhaps some toxic substance leaksfrom it or it gives off noxious fumes.Maybe the shellac on a bullet-proofvest is so overpowering anyone whowears it gets ill. Or if the gadget isworn, it could collapse with thewearer trapped inside, potentiallyinjuring her. In any event, the deviceis ruined and likely causes some sortof ill effect as it passes to the greatJunkyard in the Sky.

Muscle or MechanicallyPowered Devices

Clocks, Epitaph cameras, Gatling gunsand pistols, gliders

Minor Malfunction: The gadget’smechanism jams and won’t operateagain until the user makes a Fair (5)tinkerin’ roll.

Major Malfunction: The gizmo jams,but much more severely. Locomotiondevices won’t steer or brake, andguns misfire, or worse, can’t stopfiring. A Hard (9) tinkerin’ roll stopsthe madness.

Catastrophic Malfunction: Gatlingweapons backfire and injure the firer,cameras burst into flames, or gearsmunch on tender fingers. If a gadgetis a locomotion device, it goescompletely out of control and crashesinto the nearest obstacle (the groundcounts as an obstacle partner).Somebody’s going to be hurting forsure.

Arcana 47Steam or Ghost-Rock

Powered DevicesFlamethrower, rocket pack, steam

wagon, trainMinor Malfunction: The engine,

stove, or boiler conks out. A Fair (5)tinkerin’ roll gets it moving againwith no other problems.

Major Malfunction: The power sourcegrinds to a halt, goes out, or fallsapart. If the gadget is a locomotiondevice, it continues on its pathuncontrolled or comes to a grindingstop. Fixing the situation requires anIncredible (11) tinkerin’ roll. The amountof time needed depends on thedevice’s complexity. If the device hits asolid obstacle, the damage is 1d6 forevery 5 points of Pace the vehicle wasmoving during the round that itsmacked into the immovable object.

Catastrophe: The device’s engineexplodes! The damage depends onthe size of the engine, and has aburst radius of 10 unless otherwisespecified.

Catastrophic DamageCatastrophic DamageCatastrophic DamageCatastrophic DamageCatastrophic Damage

Gizmo Size DamageSmall (steam gun) 3d10

Medium (steam car) 4d20Large (train boiler) 8d20

Basic DevicesHere are the specific malfunctions

for the devices found in Chapter Sevenof the Weird West Player’s Guide.

Bullet-Proof VestMinor: The shot hits a weak spot. The

armor protects as one level lessagainst this hit.

Major: The vest is weakened. TheArmor level is reduced by one until itcan be repaired (a Hard (9) tinkerin’roll and the necessary parts).

Catastrophe: Buckles snap, strapsbreak, and metal plates pop out oftheir compartments. The vest acts asArmor level one and then falls topieces after this hit is resolved.

The Epitaph CameraMinor: The camera takes a blurry

picture. This shot is lost.Major: The shot is lost and the plate is

jammed in the device. It takes a Fair(5) tinkerin’ roll and 1d6 actions to getit out.

Catastrophe: The ghost rock flashexplodes, causing 2d4 damage to theweilder.

FlamethrowerMinor: The selector dial malfunctions.

Roll 1d6 each time the weapon isfired to determine the number ofshots in a burst. A Fair (5) tinkerin’roll and 1d6 actions corrects theproblem.

Major: The trigger jams. Roll 1d6. Odd,the weapon won’t fire. Even, theflamethrower won’t stop firing. AnOnerous (7) tinkerin’ and 1d4 actionsroll remedies the situation.

Catastrophe: All that’s left aresmoking boots. The flamethrower’swearer takes 1d12 times the numberof shots remaining in the tank asdamage. The shape of the tank tendsto channel the blast upwards, so theburst radius is only 2 yards.

Gatling PistolMinor: The weapon jams. A Fair (5)

tinkerin’ roll fixes the problem.Major: The gears in the chambers strip.

The weapon may not be fired untilthe chamber is replaced.

Catastrophe: A round cooks off whilethe chamber is in the wrong position.The round backfires and hits theuser, causing him the weapon’snormal damage. Add +4 to the HitLocation roll.

Rocket PackMinor: The rocket pack stutters. The

pack and its wearer lose 1d10 x 5yards of altitude . If this brings thecharacter in contact with the ground,he takes normal falling damage.

Major: The rocket nozzles fireunpredictably, moving the wearer incompletely random directions. Roll1d20 and 1d12 each action. If theresult of the d20 roll is odd, therocket pack gains altitude equal to 5yards times the roll. If the result is

even, it dives a like amount. Read thed12 roll as a clock facing. The haplessrocketeer moves a number of yardsequal to 3 times the d20 roll in thisdirection. If this causes the rocketrider to collide with something,figure damage from the distance asif he fell from that height.

Catastrophe: The vapor collectoroverheats, causing the ghost rockvapor tank to detonate. The pack andits helpless victim rocket 1d20 x 5yards into the air and then make aspectacular airburst for 3d20 damage.Resolve the fall and the funeralimmediately afterwards.

Steam WagonThese results apply only to the boiler.

If the wagon has other mad sciencedevices attached to it (such as thosedetailed in Smith & Robards), youshould check those parts separately.Minor: The boiler loses pressure. The

steam wagon moves at only half itsPace. A Fair (5) tinkerin’ roll and 1d6actions fixes the problem.

Major: The boiler blows a gasket andspews steam. The wagon moves atone quarter its Pace and onepassenger (chosen at random) takes3d6 damage.

Catastrophe: The boiler explodes,causing 6d20 damage with a burstradius of 5 yards.

Madness!Madness!Madness!Madness!Madness!

1–2 Absent Minded: The scientist tends to forget everything but his work. He might forgetto wear his pants one day or eat raw coffee the next. Whenever he needs toremember an important detail, he should make a Fair (5) Smarts roll. If he fails, hecan’t remember it.

3–4 Delusion: The inventor’s mind snaps and he comes to believe something that is patentlyuntrue. Maybe he thinks he’s a werewolf, or the sky is blue because the “MoonPeople” paint it that way every morning. Or perhaps he believes he’s not a livingperson, but a character in some strange game.

5–6 Eccentricity: The inventor becomes eccentric. Maybe he smothers his food in vinegar oreats lots of bran to keep his digestive system clear (ugh). The condition is basicallyharmless and amusing, though occasionally annoying.

7–8 Evil Deeds: An insidious manitou convinces the inventor that someone or something isevil and must be stopped. Each time the inventor gets this result, his madness is morepronounced. At first he may only talk badly about his “enemies.” Later on he mightattempt to ruin or even kill them.

9–10 Depression: The inventor becomes incredibly depressed about himself, the futility ofhumanity, or his chances of surviving another adventure. He often speaks ofhumanity’s impending doom. His lack of faith causes him to lose 1 point of Grit everytime he gets this result.

11–12 Minor Phobia: The scientist develops a strange fear of something. He suffers a –2penalty to his actions whenever the source of the phobia is present.

13–14 Major Phobia: As above, except the inventor is at –4 to his actions when in thepresence of the feared object or environment.

15–16 Mumbler: The inventor talks to himself constantly, and his sentences often taper offinto meaningless drivel. While working, he might occasionally hear “voices” talkingback. The frightening truth is, the voices are real.

17–18 Paranoia: Everyone’s out to get the mad scientist or steal his ideas, or so he believes. Ormaybe sinister creatures from “Dimension X” are lurking just outside his lab, waitingto steal his amazing breakthrough so they can conquer the Earth.

19-20 Schizophrenia: The mad scientist adopts drastically different attitudes from time totime. At one moment he might be passive and restrained. Later on he’s a ravingmadman. If he gets this result multiple times, he develops entirely new personalitieswho might have different names, mannerisms or Hindrances. In fact, they might noteven be of the same race or gender.

MadnessGenius is the next closest thing to

insanity, as those who follow the madscientist’s calling often discover thehard way. They don’t call them “mad”scientists for nothing.

Whenever a mad scientist draws ablack Joker while devising a gizmo’sblueprint, he develops a mental illnessof some sort.

Roll or select the dementiaimmediately, but it may be that theinventor’s madness doesn’t take holduntil some later event. A phobia, forinstance, might develop as a result ofsome incident that occurs the first timethe mad scientist uses the device. The

creation of a flamethrower may havetriggered a phobia of spiders becausethe first thing the inventor used it onwas a giant tarantula.

You can create a condition on yourown or roll 1d20 on the DementiaTable. Feel free to change or alter theresult you get to fit the character andthe situation. The goal here is toprovide a Hindrance of some sort thatreflects the mad scientist’s precariouswalk along sanity’s edge.

As usual, a player who roleplays hercharacter’s insanity is rewarded withFate Chips. She should have fun withher loco inventor. That goes for you,too, Marshal. Prod her a bit byoccasionally making her fears real.

50 Marshal

The HarrowedAt some point, you’re going to end up

having to kill some of your playercharacters. It’s okay. Deadlands has ahigh character turnover rate comparedto most games. But don’t let yourplayers start ripping up their charactersheets too fast—their heroes just mightcome back from the dead.

We told you how to find out whocomes back in the Weird West Player’sGuide. Now you need to know what todo afterwards.

ManitousManitous are the souls of the

damned. There are a few ancient spiritsthat weren’t originally alive, but mostmanitous are humans who were sentto Hell for their sins. These spirit areunable to affect the material worldwithout some sort or corporeal shell.There are a couple of different waysthe manitous can enter the corporealworld.

The first method is the actualpossession of a living being. A fewmanitous do have the power to do this,but it’s pretty rare. If a manitouspossessing a living being is “exorcisedfrom the host body, it is simply ejectedback into the spirit world. Most tales ofdemonic possession actually areattributable to manitous.

The second method that manitoususe to enter the world is by simplyentering a corpse and animatingwhatever flesh and bone is left. Themanitous, referred to as “soulless dead”,have to pick a spot in the body as afocus point for its energies, usually thebrain. If the focus point is destroyed, themanitou is booted out of the body backinto the Hunting Grounds.

The final way that manitous canenter the corporeal world is byreanimating a freshly dead corpse withthe human soul still intact—creating aHarrowed. This offers the manitou the

most power, since it permanently bindswith the host, and when in control thespirit has full use of any of the host’sskills and arcane abilities. Thedownside is that if the Harrowed is everput down for good, the manitou ispermanently destroyed. In fact, this isjust about the only way to destroy them.

Manitou LimitationsManitous are bound by a few

limitations while inhabiting physicalforms. First, they can only use thepowers and abilities of their host. If thehost hasn’t developed any powers, themanitou can’t use them either ordevelop any on their own.

Although the reverse isn’t true,manitous can see and hear while theHarrowed character is in charge. Thismakes it nearly impossible to fool amanitou into revealing its true identityunless it wants to.

Second, if a manitou is trapped andsomehow forced to speak, it proves aclever but ignorant spirit. They knowthey serve greater masters, but they donot know what their true name orpurpose is, nor do they particularly care.

They also know that while they arein spirit form they gather fear frommortals and take it back to the HuntingGrounds, but again they don’t knowwhat their masters do with it. Theyaren’t usually privy to secretinformation about abominations ortheir motives either.

Time to PlaySo, when does the manitou stick its

nasty little nose out and cause trouble?Well, pretty much whenever you want,Marshal. Remember that manitous whohave taken the trouble to animate aHarrowed are crafty and subtlebastards. They want to spread as muchfear as possible, but know howimportant it is to keep their existencean d their actions secret from mortals.They don’t try to take control everytime their host picks up a gun or isalone with a companion. Manitous arevery conscious of the fact that if theyget caught, they can be killed—permanently.

Arcana 51

So, use the manitou as a plot deviceand hindrance to the Harrowed and hiscompanions. Torment them, annoythem, make them remember that thereis a price for getting up from a dirt napand starting to walk around again.

What exactly do manitous do whenthey’re in charge? Whatever they can.Their goal is chaos and mischief, notnecessarily death. They never make anoutright attack—unless they’ve got oneof the Harrowed’s companions in aninescapable and precarious position.

Say, for example, a mad scientistfriend of the Harrowed stands lookingover the edge of a deep pit full ofhungry prairie ticks. No manitou couldresist giving him a little shove.

StrengthFor the Nightmare and Dominion test

coming up next, we need to know theSpirit of a Harrowed’s manitou. Draw acard, and consult the table below.

Manitou’s SpiritManitou’s SpiritManitou’s SpiritManitou’s SpiritManitou’s Spirit

Card Spirit2 Legion

3-8 Spirit is equal to thehero’s

9-Jack Spirit is same die typebut +1 Trait Level

Queen-Ace Spirit is +1 die type and+2 Trait Levels

Joker Greater Manitou

Legion & Greater Manitous“Legion” is a collective horde of

lesser manitous, Whenever you need toknow Legion’s Spirit, draw a card as ifyou were making a character. Legionsare • far more destructive and obviousthan normal manitous. All those noteson subtly we just mentioned? Well,Legions tend to ignore most of them.

Greater manitous are some of thestrongest spirits in the HuntingGrounds. More than just causingtrouble, these ancient horrors usuallyhave some sort of very evil and veryspecific purpose. That and their Spiritof 3d12+4 means one thing: trouble.

Harrowed Shamans &Blessed

Nature spirits abhor manitous, so amanitou that inhabits the body of ashaman can’t perform rituals when ithas Dominion. If a shaman is in charge,the risk that the manitou might takeover requires him to gather 1 extraAppeasement point more than normalfor each favor.

The blessed are treated in much thesame way by their holy patrons. As longas they are in charge, they can performrituals. When the manitou rules, itcannot use the blessed’s miracles orfaith Aptitude.

In fact, faith is the one Aptitude thatthe host possesses that the manitoucan never use. Should the spirit ever

52 Marshal

need to make a faith roll, the Marshaldraws a card from her Action Deck todetermine the number and type of dicethe manitou rolls. These matters arevery chaotic and unpredictable to theseunstable demons.

NightmaresWhen a character dies and attracts

the attention of the manitous, shewages a spiritual battle for control ofher body. The winner comes back incharge. The loser sits in limbo waitingfor another chance to strike back.

There are two ways to resolve theresults of this spiritual battle. The firstway is faster. If you are playing for onlya single night or can’t think of a goodnightmare scenario for a particularplayer, save time by using the firstmethod.

The second method requiressubstantially more work but really letsyou get under a hero’s skin. This is afull-fledged nightmare adventure drawnstraight from the character’s worstfears.

If several characters die and comeback at roughly the same time (perhapsthey were hanged together), themanitous might absorb several of theminto a collective nightmare. If this is thecase, you should definitely use thesecond method to construct anightmare scenario that encompassesall of the characters’ fears into onehorrific tale.

The Fast WayAfter it’s determined that a character

is on the long, narrow road back fromthe land of the recently dead, she hasto make an opposed Spirit plus Grit roll(add the hero’s Grit to a Spirit roll)versus her manitou for each Dominionpoint. Harrowed characters have anumber of Dominion points equal totheir Spirit die type. Whichever entitycontrols a majority of a character’sDominion points is in charge of his

form. The mortal always wins ties. Eachof these are going to be fought over,tooth and nail.

The winner of each check gets thatDominion point. When the fight is over,the side with the most Dominion pointsreturns to the physical world in chargeof the hero’s body (at least to startwith). The Harrowed player characterwins ties.

The Nightmare ScenarioThe second way to determine the

result of the nightmare is to actuallyplay it out like you would any otheradventure. This is a lot more fun andcreepy, but it takes some work on thepart of the Marshal. Still, it can be arewarding way to play the game andget under your friends’ skins!

This takes quite a bit of work, sowe’re going to refer you to the Book o’the Dead if you decide to make anightmare into a truly Harrowingexperience (sorry, we couldn’t resist).

DominionAfter a character’s return from the

grave, she and the manitou insidestruggle for control constantly, eachtrying to gain some advantage andwrest control. Most of the time ‘(wehope) the hero remains in control, buton occasion the demon gets in thedrivers seat. When the manitou takescontrol, the mortal “blacks out.” She hasno idea what’s going on while themanitou is running the show.

We represent this constant strugglewith Dominion points. As we justtalked about above, the Harrowed has anumber of Dominion points equal tohis Spirit die type.

The most common time the manitoutries to steal Dominion is while theHarrowed is “sleeping” The evil spirittortures its host’s soul with horrificvisions, trying to erode his will andweaken his resolve.

To represent this nightly battle, theHarrowed and the manitou make anopposed Spirit test at the beginning ofeach game session, each adding theircurrent Dominion to their rolls. Thewinner gets 1 point of Dominion foreach success and raise over the other.

Arcana 53Taking Over

We mentioned earlier that themanitou can come out to play prettymuch whenever you want. WellMarshal, that’s almost true. You can tryto take over a character whenever youwant, but it will cost you.

When you want the manitou to takecontrol of a Harrowed, you have to pay aFate Chip first. To offset this little cost,you should draw 1 extra Fate Chip fromthe pot at the beginning of each gamesession for every Harrowed in your party.You don’t have to spend this chip on theHarrowed. It’s your option.

Once you’ve spent the chip, make aSpirit check for the manitou. The TN isFair (5) plus +1 for every point ofDominion the hero currently has. Whileyou can use additional Fate Chips asnormal on the roll (if you really reallywant to take control), but the first chipdoes not affect the roll in any way. It’sjust the price of taking control. It alsodetermines how long the manitou getsto be the boss.

PossessionPossessionPossessionPossessionPossession

Chip DurationWhite 1 minuteRed 10 minutesBlue 1 hour

If you need the manitou to have alittle more play time, you can simplypay additional chips. You don’t have toinitiate another test of wills—just paythe chip cost to “add coins to themeter.”

Should a manitou ever let its controllapse early (perhaps to let the hostexplain why he just murdered the nosymuckraker who’d been following theposse for days), it can resume controlwithout a roll or a chip. It’s already paidits dues and can regain control at anytime until it expires.

Total DominionIf a manitou ever controls all a hero’s

Dominion points, it takes over for agood, long while—sometimes for years.

Exactly how long is up to youMarshal. Use this as a plot device or asa way to turn really powerfulcharacters into NPCs for a while

The only time the mortal soul gets tofight back is when the manitou isaffected by certain magic spells, relics,or arcane procedures. The Marshalmight also give the hero a chance tofight back in particularly unusualcircumstances, such as if the demonwas about to kill someone very close tothe host. Then it might be time to givethe poor sodbuster another attempt tofight back against the evil that dwellsinside his rotten carcass.

Coup PowersHarrowed can tap into the thing

inside them for arcane powers. This isthe bait the demons dangle in front oftheir hosts to keep them from findingan exorcist or getting themselves killed.

There are two types of powers. Thefirst are Harrowed powers, which aredetailed in Chapter Ten of the WeirdWest Player’s Guide.

The second kind are “coup powers.”When a powerful creature of theReckoning dies, Harrowed can absorbits essence and draw upon it foreverafter.

Coup powers are always “in theme.”the coup for killing a wendigo, forexample, grants a Harrowed the abilityto ignore cold and cold-based attacks.This reflects the winter horror thatgave the Harrowed his power. See themonsters in Chapter Three for someexamples when you need to createcoups for your own monsters.

To gain a coup power, the Harrowedmust first kill some powerful creatureof the Reckoning. Then he simplystands over the thing and absorbs itsessence. The only tough part is if twoor more Harrowed are present—only oneof them can “count coup.” To find outwho wins, have all present make Spirittotal. The highest roll wins!

54 Marshal

RelicsExcalibur. The Golden Fleece. The

Holy Grail. Even the stone David used tofell Goliath. These are collectively called“relics.” Some may have been magicalbefore falling into mankind’s grasp.Others, like David’s stone, becameenchanted only after being part ofsome legendary event.

A relic’s power stems from the storyaround it. When a great event occurs,an object at the center of it might holdon to some of the magical energy thatsurrounds a great legend.

Sometimes, a relic also conveys aheavy responsibility or even a curse.Finding Excalibur, it is said, obligatesthe wielder to come to England’srescue in her time of need. And JimBowie’s knife “lives” to taste the bloodof Mexicans. What might happen tosomeone who resists depends on thesituation, but it’s never pleasant.

Pre-ReckoningRelics existed long before the

Reckoning. Since that time, thesupernatural energy of the world hasincreased a thousandfold, allowingmore relics to come into being. The fewwho know about the Reckoning don’tknow why this is. The Reckoners likelywouldn’t encourage their creation,since most relics are used by heroesfighting for good. It’s more likely thatthe Reckoning simply created moresupernatural energy in the world andthat imbued these devices with magicalpower. On the other hand, maybe theReckoners encourage the creation ofrelics just to give folks something elseto fight over.

Either way, the Reckoners aresometimes able to taint a relic’s power.Those created since their awakeningare much more likely to come with acurse of some sort. Keep this in mind ifand when you decide to come up withsome relics of your own.

Legendary RelicsHere are a few relics found in the

Weird West. Most are based aroundlegendary heroes or events of thefrontier, but you can use these ideas tocreate other relics based around eventsin your own campaign.

After a little background on the relic,you’ll find its Power. This is the gameeffect the relic has on whoever uses it.

If the relic has a Taint, there’s somedrawback to using the item as well.

Bowie’s Last KnifeJim Bowie had this knife in his hand

when he was killed by Santa Anna’stroops at the Alamo. His blood infusedit with the power to slay his foes.

Power: The knife causes STR+2d6damage, or STR+4d6 against anyone ofMexican persuasion.

Taint: The owner gains a violentintolerance of Mexicans, and he musttry to kill any Mexican soldier he sees,regardless of the circumstances or odds.

Cortez’s SwordHernando Cortez conquered the

Aztecs in 1521. The sword this famousconquistador carried throughout thecampaign was basically responsible forwiping out an entire civilization, and itstill bears the taint of this evil deed.

Power: The sword grants its wielderSTR+3d8 damage. This is magical andcan hurt creatures such as ghosts andthe like.

Taint: Every time the sword drawsblood from a living being (causes atleast a light wound), the user’s handsooze a tiny bit of blood. Each timethereafter, the stain grows slightlylarger until the user’s entire arm (justup past the elbows) oozes bloodconstantly. The bleeding doesn’t hurtthe character, but neither can he evertruly stop it. The slimy blood ruinsclothes and generally makes it hard towalk about in polite society. Evenbandages will soon soak through.

Indians, Mexicans, and other nativeNorth Americans see the taint as amark of evil, and they won’t associatewith the character unless they’re evilas well.

Arcana 55Crazy Horse’s Coup

StickThe Battle of the Little Big Horn was

a pivotal moment in the Reckoning.Several relics were forged in the bloodof that day. One of the most significantis Crazy Horse’s coup stick. As Custerfired his six-guns from amid thegroaning bodies of his troopers, CrazyHorse crept right up behind him andwhacked him with his coup stick.Custer lived, but Crazy Horse’s actionenchanted his coup stick forever.

Power: Anyone with Indian blood inhis veins can use Crazy Horses’ coupstick. A character officially inductedinto a legitimate tribe might also beable to use the stick (that’s theMarshal’s call, partner).

The first time the wielder touches adangerous opponent with the stick incombat, he may draw a chip from theFate Pot.

The stick only works if the opponentis armed and dangerous, and it neverworks on the same person twice.Touching a sleeping warrior producesno effect unless the stick wielderwakes him first. Counting coup inhand-to-hand combat takes asuccessful fightin’ roll.

Taint: None.

Dead Man’s BulletsWhen a gunman dies at High Noon

in a duel, the bullets in his gun aresometimes enchanted by the powers ofthe Weird West.

The defeated gunman can’t be apushover, so a character who figuresout how this relic comes to beshouldn’t be able to toss a schoolmarma six-shooter and gun her down for aquick reload. The Marshal must decideif a dead duelist was a legitimate threator not. It doesn’t always happenanyway. Again, it’s the Marshal’s call asto whose bullets get the extra bite—posthumously, of course.

Power: Whenever the firer rollsdamage, he may reroll any 1s once. Ifthe second roll is a 1, do not reroll again.In a duel, the bullet does an extra dieof damage.

Taint: None.

DreamcatchersPacific Indians make these devices to

keep away bad dreams and nightmares.Truth is, they work. These are minorrelics, but they can be quite handy to afellow who suffers from night terrors.

Power: Anyone who sleeps in aroom with a dreamcatcher sleepspeacefully. Wounded characters mayadd +1 to any natural healing rolls theymake after a night’s rest beneath adream catcher.

If a character with night terrors getsher hands on a dream catcher, she mayadd +2 to her nightly Spirit roll. TheMarshal should make the heroine buyoff 1 point of her Hindrance if thedreamcatcher will be a frequent friend.

Taint: None.

56 Marshal

Earp’s BadgeThough Wyatt Earp has been fired at

many times, he has never been hit. Anytime Earp wears a badge for any lengthof time, some of his incredible luckrubs off on it.

Power: Anyone attacking the wearerof Earp’s badge, whether in hand-to-hand or ranged combat, must subtracta –4 penalty from his roll.

Taint: The hero gains an aura ofpower and respectability. This adds +2to his persuasion attempts. This is badbecause the common folk are alwaysasking the wearer for help. Every timethe request for aid is turned down, thewearer must discard his highest FateChip.

Hellstromme’sBlueprints

Professor Darius Hellstromme alwayslooks to the future. His past designs areusually discarded and later burned tohide his often sinister experiments. Afew, however, have been salvaged fromthe incinerators and sold on the blackmarket of the City of Gloom.

Power: Any mad scientist whoconstructs a gizmo using one ofHellstromme’s blueprints may add +6 tohis tinkerin’ roll. All these blueprintshave a base Reliability of 16. (Note thatusing a previously designed blueprintallows a mad scientist to skip the firsttwo steps and go straight to finding thecomponents; see the Weird West Player’sGuide for details.)

Taint: There is no actual taint toHellstromme’s blueprints, but theruthless Dr. Hellstromme cares little forsocial mores when devising his gizmos.The components are often illegal if notdownright disgusting. People partsfigure into several of his devices, aswell as human blood, a person’swillpower, live jackalopes, and the like.

He’s also been known to kill thosewho wind up with his plans.

Hoyle’s CardsHoyle used many sets of cards in his

travels. On his death—or more precisely,his mysterious disappearance—thesecards became enchanted They havesince been scattered, so few huckstershave more than one or two cards.

Power: Each one of these cardsgives the huckster an additional cardwhen drawing for his spell effectassuming he gets at least one successon his hexslingin’.

Taint: Manitous swarm around thesearcane relics. Whenever a hucksterusing Hoyle’s cards draws a Joker, add+1 to his roll on the Backlash Tablefor each card in his possession.

Hoyle’s Book of Games,1769 edition

Edmund Hoyle’s original manuscriptincluded a number of the hexes hediscovered during his travels. Most havebeen erased from later editions byclueless editors and their inanechanges, but the 1769 edition is stillpure, and contains hundreds of still-undiscovered hexes

Power: A huckster who owns thisbook can learn any hex available in thecampaign (such as those in theHuckster & Hexes book). He still has topurchase these hexes normally.

Taint: None, but every huckster inthe world would kill to get his handson this baby. Isn’t that bad enough?

Martyr’s CrossThe blessed are called on to fight the

horrors of the Reckoning more thanany other sort of folks. Sometimes,when a pious man or woman dies inthe course of his crusade against evil,his chosen holy symbol is imbued withthe power of his righteous sacrifice.

In the Weird West, most of theserelics take the form of crosses orrosaries, but a shaman’s fetish or aMormon’s Bible might also take on thepower of the “martyr’s cross.”

Power: The wielder may add +4 tohis faith total when calling on theprotection miracle.

Taint: None.

Arcana 57Sacred Tomahawk of

the SunThis sacred Sioux artifact is bestowed

upon one brave warrior at the end ofthe Sioux’s annual sun Dance. Themagical energy of the ceremony isconsumed by the relic, and from thatpoint on it bestows its awesome powersto whomever it is awarded to by theSioux’s council of wicasas.

One tomahawk and one bow (seethe next entry) have been created everyyear since the Reckoning, so there arecurrently 13 of each in existence. Theyare prized by their owners beyond allother possessions. They are never soldor given away willingly, although theymay be loaned out for short times forworthy causes. The only other way acharacter should get hold of one is tofind it on the dead body of a noblebrave.

Power: Anyone wielding thetomahawk against a supernaturalcreature of evil, including a Harrowed(whether with or without Dominion),does STR+4d6 damage.

Taint: None, but the warrior isobligated to fight for the Sioux whenhe or she is called upon. Non-Siouxwith the tomahawk are asked to returnit. If that fails, Sioux braves put on theirwarpaint and go on the hunt to returnthis sacred relic to their tribe.

Sun BowLike the sacred tomahawk of the sun,

the sun bow is awarded to the Sioux’sbravest and brightest warriors. Thewicasas typically grant the tomahawkto the stronger of their two champions,and the bow to the wilier.

Power: The user gains +4 to hitwhen using the weapon, and arrowsfired by the bow cause STR+3d6damage. The arrows become magicalonce fired and so can affect creaturessuch as ghosts and the like.

Taint: None, but the Sioux expectthe recipient to protect their peoplewith this sacred weapon. As with thesacred tomahawk of the sun, the Siouxhunt down non-Sioux who somehowwind up with this important relic anddo not use it for the People’s protection.

Unholy SymbolWhen the leaders of the world’s most

nefarious cults are slain, their blackessences are often drawn into theirunholy icons.

Power: The most powerful unholyicons allow a wielder to cast a singleblack magic spell. The Marshal shouldchoose the spell and its level based onthe history of the icon itself.

Taint: Unholy symbols are alwaystainted, though the particular effectsvary. Sometimes, just before death atthe hands of some unwelcome do-gooder, the former owner of the symboltransfers her soul into the icon. Whensomeone takes possession of the icon,the cultist attempts to take over thenew user, just like a manitou strugglingwith a Harrowed for Dominion.

In this case, the user starts withcomplete Dominion, and he must checkfor Dominion every time he uses therelic.

Should a Harrowed gain possessionof such an icon, he must keep track ofhis fight for Dominion with both hismanitou and the icon’s former owner.

Wild Bill’s Six-Shooters

Everyone knows the story of howWild Bill was shot in the back by jackMcCall. What most folks don’t know isthat while he was (temporarily)pushing daisies, someone made offwith his twin, single-action Colt Navyrevolvers. Since then, his guns havebecome part of the very legend of theWeird West.

Oh yeah, Wild Bill is back from thegrave, and he wants his shooters back.

Power: Unless the hombre goes bust,a shootist firing one (or both) of WildBill’s revolvers can reroll any 1s.

Taint: Whenever anyone wearingeither of Wild Bill’s pistols is shot frombehind, add +2d6 to the damage roll.

Chapter Four:

Abominations

Some abominations have survived onthe earth for hundreds or eventhousands of years. New ones wereoriginally “seeds” of fear given life bythe Reckoners. These newabominations might be the subjects oflegends suddenly made real and twistedinto even more macabre and powerfulcreatures. They could believe they havelived since the beginning of time, athousand years ago, or last Tuesday.

With the exception of los diablos(which you’ll learn about in a minute),no abominations, whether createdrecently by the Reckoners or havingalready existed for thousands of years,know they serve a higher master.They’re in it entirely for themselves. TheReckoners may reward these creaturesfor their foul service, but the

abominations themselves never knowit.

A few very clever abominations,usually former humans who werehere before the Reckoning, are

beginning to suspect their actions servea greater power, but none have yetformed any sort of link with thefaceless Reckoners.

What follows are some of the mosthorrid creatures found in the WeirdWest. Most of them are dangerousenemies and require a little thought onthe posse’s part to defeat. During play,make sure you provide some clues ordrop a few hints as to how to defeatthese creatures if you don’t want themto wipe out your entire group.

Menagerie o’Horror

The abominations listed here are justthe tip of the iceberg, Marshal. TheReckoner’s servants are many andvaried. There are enough fears outthere to spawn millions of differentmonsters.

60 Marshal

Many Deadlands sourcebooks containnew abominations for you to terrorizeyour heroes with. Rascals Varmints &Critters in particular has a whole hostof terrifying monstrosities for you tothrow your player’s way. (There is alsoan entirely new abomination in theadventure included in this book, Comin’‘Round the Mountain.)

You’re more than welcome to makeyour own using the tools in thischapter. In fact, we hope you will,Marshal. We’re sure you can come upwith stuff that will make even us amite bit queasy.

Too Many Monsters?Abominations make great villains, but

be careful where, when and how oftenyou use them. If your heroes arerunning into twisted demon-spawnevery time they turn around, yourcarefully crafted horror atmospherecould dissolve into just a big-game hunt.

Also, as horrible as monsters are,they’re sometimes hard-pressed tomatch the evil that human beingsinflict on each other. Don’t forget that.

Critters &Abominations

We’ll get to the descriptions of theactual abominations in just a moment.Before we do, lets talk a bit about howto read the monster’s statistics. Wewant you to understand them fully soyou get full use of each beastie’spotential for mayhem!

Traits &Aptitudes

Critter and abomination Traits andAptitudes are presented exactly likethose for heroes and human villains.Most abominations only have a fewAptitudes—just the ones they need tocause trouble!

Animal IntelligenceWhile some abominations may be

possessed of a sinister intelligence,most critters, even supernatural ones,are things with near-animalintelligence. Their Knowledge andSmarts Traits are relative to the animalkingdom, not to the human cognitivelevels. A gunslinger with a Knowledgeof 1d4 is still smarter than a wallcrawler with the same score.

Abominations 61

Critter SizeCritter SizeCritter SizeCritter SizeCritter Size

Size Typical Weight Examples0* 1 ounce Bug1 a pound or two Rat, snake2 0 or 12 pounds House cat3 20-30 pounds Eagle, fox4 50 pounds Average dog, pig5 100 pounds Mountain lion6 150 pounds Person, wolf7 250 pounds8 400 pounds9 650 pounds Gorilla10 1000 pounds Bear, saddle horse11 1750 pounds Clydesdale, moose, steer12 2500 pounds Buffalo13 2 tons14 3 tons15 5 tons Elephant16 8 tons17 13 tons18 20 tons Average Maze dragon19 30 tons20 50 tons Small Mojave rattler21 80 tons22 130 tons Blue whale, average

Mojave rattler23 200 tons24 300 tons Large Mojave rattler

Animals can be overawed normally.They can’t be ridiculed by verbalattacks, but they can be poked with astick and annoyed all to Hell. Bluffworks the same way. An animal can’tbe told its shoelace is untied, but itmight be distracted by a rock thrownbehind it.

PaceUnless a critter is given a special

Pace under Special Abilities, itsmovement is equal to its Nimbleness dietype, just like a hero’s.

SizeThe bigger a critter is, the harder it

is to hurt it. That’s a simple fact. Acreature’s Size is the number of pointsof damage it takes to cause it a wound.See Chapter Four in the Weird WestPlayer’s Guide for the details.

The Critter Size table lists the sizesand weights of some common crittersand abominations

WindCreature Wind is figured just like

human Wind—most of the time. Add thevarmint’s Vigor and Spirit die typestogether.

Some abominations are just sodanged big, weird, or otherworldly theydon’t take Wind from any source. Acreature has “—” under its Wind scorewhen this is the case.

You shouldn’t normally keep track ofWind for goons unless it’s a very smallfight. To remind you, we put lesser badguys’ Wind in italics.

TerrorMost abominations are pretty horrible

looking. We don’t call themabominations because they’re nice tolook at.

When a hero first sees a critter witha Terror score, he must make a gutscheck, with the critters Terror as hisTN. A hero who fails this roll gets toplay “How do I get screwed by theScart Table,” which we gave you inChapter One, amigo.

Special AbilitiesTo keep things as simple as possible

for you, we’ve tried to classify most ofthe powers that your monsters mighthave into some simple categories.These won’t work for every creature,but they should help you out whenyou’re trying to create newabominations for your posse to face.

ArmorNo self-respecting terror of the High

Plains goes around without a thick hideor a hard carapace.

The Armor value is listed directlyafter the creature’s armor ability. Thisworks just like the armor we told you

62 Marshal

about in Chapter Five of the player’sbook. Armor 2 means it has heavierarmor that reduces an attack by 2 fulldie types. Armor –2 means the thinghas light protection that subtracts 2points of damage from every attack.

Black MagicBlack Magic is usually only used by

human servitors of the Reckoners, buta very few rare abominations mighthave access to it. It’s a pretty flexiblesystem, and can be used to model allsorts of powers if you don’t want tocome up with a unique Special Abilityfor a monster. See pages 83-91 to getthe full lowdown on this fast and easysystem of evil magic.

DamageThis is one of the most basic abilities

in any critter’s profile—the capacity tophysically hurt others. Even mundanecreatures usually have the damagespecial ability unless they’re somethingtotally harmless, like rabbits orsquirrels (and in Deadlands, yousometimes even have to watch out forthose critters!)

Damage can come in all sorts offorms—claws, teeth, tentacles, fists,hooves and so on.

Creatures with both biting andclawing attacks may usually use bothin one action. If the thing has a third orspecial attack (say with a tail), it mustnormally use it in place of anotherattack.

FearlessSome critters just can’t be scared.

Most soulless undead are like this(because the manitou inside hasnothing to lose). Others are just toodumb to know when they’re beat.

These kinds of monsters are fearless.They never make guts checks, evenagainst a power or effect ofsupernatural origin.

Fearless creatures can be surprisedfor one round, but after that, they getover their shock and get to work. Dealfearless creatures in normally the roundafter they’re surprised.

ImmunityImmunity simply means the

character or creature can’t be hurt bycertain forms of attack. Anytime yousee this, a description of the particularimmunity follows.

One common immunity is to “normalweapons.” You’ll see a lot of theReckoners’ servants, ghosts, and“spiritual” creatures with this power. Inthis case, normal weapons refer to anyblade, bullet, or even fist that’s notenchanted. Magical abilities,supernatural effects, and legendaryweapons work normally unless thecreature’s description says otherwise.

To be absolutely clear, the weaponitself must be enchanted, not its user.Thus a soul blast could hurt this kindof creature, but a blessed using thesmite miracle could not (though if ablessed was using an enchantedweapon, she could, and it would grantthe benefits of smite as well!)

Another kind of immunity you mightsee is “All.” That means this is one uglycritter and there’s probably only oneway to kill it. Check out its weakness tofind out how.

InfectionInfection is the ability to turn a

victim into something like the monster.Werewolves, vampires, and othercreatures that can make more of theirilk have this ability.

The details are up to you. A bug-likehorror might inject eggs that hatchinside its victim. A vampire bitessomeone and then forces him to drinkof its own dark blood.

If the infection is spread through theblood, any wound, including a singlepoint of Wind does the trick.

After the infection entry is a TN.That’s the Vigor roll a character mustbeat to avoid the infection. If he failsthat, he can only seek supernatural aidin resisting the inevitable results.

Abominations 63Poison

Poison does just what you think itdoes, though the way this kind of thingworks in the profiles of the creaturesof the Wasted West also applies todiseases, nonlethal poisons (such asparalyzers), viruses, and other toxinsdesigned to get into the blood.

If the poison is delivered by fangs,claws, needles, blades, or other devicesthat have to hit the victim, it takeseffect if the target suffers even a singlepoint of Wind damage.

Once contacted, the victim mustmake a Vigor roll versus a TN based onthe poison’s power level listed in thecreature’s description. If failed, hesuffers the effect listed.

RegenerationSome critters heal faster than you’d

believe. The exact rate of itsregeneration follows the entry.

StunSome critters like to eat their prey

while it’s still warm or maybe even stillbreathing. That’s a really bad way to go,friends. This power lets the bad guysstun their prey instead of hurting them,very likely saving them for a muchmore horrible fate than death.

Most creatures must touch their preyto stun them. In these cases, if themonster hits (usually whether itactually causes damage or not), thevictim makes a Vigor check against theTN listed after this power. The victimcan make recovery checks each actionagainst this same TN to snap out of it.

SurpriseCreatures with this power are keen

on catching their victims unaware.Some burrow up from below. Othersswoop down from the sky.

Assuming the critter isn’t detected, itstarts the fight with one Action Card“up its sleeve” and makes its firstattack at +4.

UndeadThere are many different types of

undead, from simple zombies andwalkin’ dead to ancient liches andvampires. Those without any vestige oftheir mortal soul inside their rottingcarcasses are “soulless” undead. Theyare animated by manitous. These aremuch less risky for a manitou to

64 Marshal

occupy because the demon simplyescapes back to the Hunting Groundswhen the shell is destroyed.

More powerful creatures likevampires and liches become undeadbecause of ancient curses, a lifetime ofevil, or by casting dark rites. They makea deal with the forces of evil anddestruction (the Reckoners, thoughmost don’t know that) in exchange forawesome power, but in so doing theybecome irrevocably evil.

Harrowed are a special case ofcourse. Their manitous share the shellwith the mortal soul. We’ve already toldyou all about that in Chapter Ten of theWeird West Player’s Guide, as well as inChapter Three of this book..

All these undead have many variedpowers and abilities, but here are somecommon to all types:

Undead don’t feel pain, but they stillsuffer from having their body partsblown off. They can ignore 2 levels ofwound penalties and can never bestunned.

Undead ignore Wind caused bywounds or physical damage.Supernatural effects that cause Windact as regular damage, since the spiritinside suffers the blow. Since undeaddon’t suffer Wind, halve damage ifyou’re using the Marshal’s trick forhandling lots of lesser bad guys wegave you in Chapter One.

Soulless undead don’t regeneratedamage without a secondary power.Those with souls (like Harrowed) makenatural healing rolls once per dayunless they have a faster way to healdamage and regenerate their flesh.

Undead can usually only be killed bydestroying their “focus.” This is somearea of the body the spirit inside usesto control the corpse. The mostcommon focus is the brain, though avampire’s focus is usually the heart, andsome very powerful creatures evenremove their focus and hide itelsewhere for safekeeping. Unless thedescription says otherwise, assume thefocus is the brain.

All this means undead can only bedestroyed by a maiming wound to theirfocus. Horrors like walkin’ dead (withthe brain as a focus) keep fighting evenif they receive a maiming wound to theguts. They might be rendered ineffective(and might even desert the shell) ifblown to pieces, but they can animatethose hands and keep ‘em coming ifthey want to).

WeaknessCreatures with a weakness are

particularly susceptible to certain kindsof damage. A dry, brittle tumblebleedprobably doesn’t enjoy fire. Similarly, agiant, mutated slug might dissolve ifcovered in salt.

Generally, attacking a creature withwhatever it has a weakness for causesnormal damage. If the weapon doesn’tusually cause damage (such as salt,water, holy water, or so forth), thedescription tells you how much damagethe weakness can cause the creature.

Abominations 65

Desert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingDesert ThingWhat desert would be complete without a

tentacled beastie lurking beneath the sands?Desert things move very slowly beneath the

dunes, setting up shop along popular trails or inor near a water hole. When a hapless travelerpasses by, the thing grabs its legs or hooveswith its long tentacles and drags it into itscircular maw.

Desert things can sense approaching prey upto 50 yards distant on an opposed Cognitionversus sneak roll. When the prey gets withinreach of its 20’ long tentacles, the creatureattacks.

Each of the thing’s 8 tentacles can attempt topull prey closer to its gaping maw. First atentacle has to hit the character with a fightin’:brawlin’ roll. If it does, it can entangle thevictim instead of causing direct damage. Then itstarts to reel the character in.

This is an opposed Strength roll with everysuccess and raise on the creature’s partdragging the prey 1 yard closer to itsgnashing teeth. Two raises on acharacter’s Strength roll means she’smanaged to break free.

The only other way to escapethe creature is to kill it ormangle a tentacle. Thebeast lies protectedunder severalinches under

the sand, and the tentacles themselves are toughand difficult to cut. They have an Armor value of1 and can each take 20 points of damage beforethey are effectively destroyed.

Profile: Desert ThingCorporeal: D:3d8, N:1d8, S:1d12+4, Q:3d10, V:2d12+2Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, sneak 4d8Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d12, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4Pace: 2Size: 12 (8’ diameter core)Wind: 18Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Armor: 2 for the body submerged in the sand,1 on the creatures tentacles

Damage: Bite (STR+1d10), tentacles (STR. Thedesert thing may attack with each of itseight tentacles on each of it’s actions)

Slowpoke: Desert things barely move at all.Their Pace is only 2, and they cannot run.

Description: A desert thing is basicallya gaping maw in the sandy desert

floor, surrounded by 20” tentacles.

66 Abominations

Devil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatDevil BatThese critters live in the Badlands of the

Dakota Territory. The Sioux call them “kinyantiwicakte,” or “flying murderer.”

Devil bats are nocturnal predators who huntin groups of 1–6. They attack by racing from thenight and grabbing prey with their taloned feet.This is an opposed fightin’: brawlin’ roll. If thebat thing gets a success, it causes damagenormally. With a raise, it drags the prey into theair and rises at its maximum Pace for amedium load (12). If the prey doesn’t break freewith an opposed Strength roll by the time thedevil bat is 50 yards up, it lets go (10d6+50points of falling damage) or tries to slamthe prey into a rocky outcropping. Ifsuccessful, the bat lands and feasts onthe remains.

The best thing for a traveler todo once she’s in the grasp ofa devil bat is to grab hold ofits ankles and hang on fordear life. This is anopposed roll betweenthe creature’sNimbleness and thecharacter’sStrength. If thecreature gets araise, itmanages toshake thepreyloose. Ifthe preygets araise,shemanages toforce the critterto within 10 yards ofthe ground or arocky outcroppingwhere she canjump free.

Profile: Devil BatCorporeal: D:3d10, N:3d12, S:1d12+2, Q:3d10, V:2d8Dodge 3d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 3d12, sneak 1d12

(5d12 from the air)Mental: C:4d10, K:1d4, M:2d10, Sm:2d8, Sp:1d8

Overawe 2d10Pace: 6 (ground)/24 (air)

Size: 7 (8’ tall)Wind: 16Terror: 9SpecialAbilities:Damage:Claws (STR+1d4)Flying: Pace 24Weakness:—Noise: The

devil bat“sees” bymeans ofsonar. If itsprey hasthe guts tostand stock-still amongotherobstacles (likerocks and such),the thing has tomake anOnerous (7)

Cognition roll topick her out of the

clutter. If the preydoes this, however, her

fightin’: brawlin’Aptitude is not added to

the devil bat’s TN.Description: Devil bats

look like an obscene crossbetween a human being anda bat.

Abominations 67

Dust devils are vicious killers that live in thedeserts of the southwest. They lurk about likerepulsive spiny serpents until they see prey.Then they use their supernatural power tocreate a whirlwind about themselves and movein for the kill.

More than one unwary traveler has gonedown before the spikes of one of thesecreatures, thinking it was only a dust storm.

Dust devils attack by centering on their preyand whirling around it with their spiny,snakelike bodies. They live at the center oftheir dirt-filled whirlwinds, making themdifficult to see or hit with normalweapons. A character has totake a –8 called shot tohit the creatureitself.

Shots thatmiss aresucked intothe whirlwind andshot out in a randomdirection. Roll a d12 todetermine a clockfacing and see if anyinnocent bystandersare hit by the errantattack (see the InnocentBystander rules inChapter Four of the WeirdWest Player’s Guide).

Dynamite might affectthe creature normally,though sticks throwninside the whirlwind areusually flung out beforethey can detonate.

A hero making afightin’ attack on thecreature must firstbeat it in anopposed Strengthcontest (ignorethe -8 penalty forhand-to-handattacks becauseof the creature’slength). If hewins, he can attacknormally. Otherwisehe is blown backward by the whirlwindand can’t take a swing this action.

Dust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust DevilDust Devil Profile: Dust DevilCorporeal: D:1d4, N:1d12+2, S:1d12+4, Q:1d10, V:1d8Fightin’: brawlin’ 6d12+2Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d12, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4Pace: 24Size: 10 (10’ tall)Wind: 12Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Damage: Spines (STR+1d4)Blinding: The dust devil

kicks up aswirling

cloud ofsand andstonethatblindseveryonewithin10 yardsof itsdeadly

centerunless theymake anIncredible(11) Vigorroll.Description:When not

whirling(which isn’t

often) a dustdevil looks like alarge pale snakewith spinesrunning alldown its back.

68 Abominations

GremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlinsGremlins exist solely to cause mischief and

disaster via mechanical contraptions.Most of the time, gremlins exist in spiritual

form only. This allows them to inhabit gizmosand gadgets such as flamethrowers, steamengines, and the like.

While gremlins can live in any contraption,their location of choice these days is thegizmos of mad scientists. If a mad scientistbotches when constructing or repairing agizmo, he sometimes attracts a gremlin. Thecreature’s spirit inhabits the deviceinstantly and begins to makeminute arcane alterations to itsnature (see the gremlin’s “jinx”ability below).

Worse, every day the gremlinmay attract more of itsmischievous brothersand sisters. Roll ad6 once per gamesession. On a rollof 1, anothergremlin spirit entersthe device and causesanother jinx.

The only way to get ridof the gremlins is for someoneto make an opposed Spirit/tinkerin’ roll versus the gremlin’sSpirit. If the tinkerer gets onesuccess, the combined jinx of allthe gremlins inside iscanceled for 24 hours.

On a raise, the gremlinsare actually forced out ofthe item, where theyinvoluntarily materialize inthe flesh for one hour. If theythink they can win, the gremlinsattack. Otherwise they make the bestof their situation and run aroundcausing as much havoc as possible.

Profile: GremlinsCorporeal: D:3d10, N:3d10, S:1d6, Q:4d10, V:1d6Filchin’ 4d10, lockpickin’ 3d10, climbin’ 5d10,

dodge 6d10, fightin’: brawlin’ 3d10, sneak 6d10,swimmin’ 3d10

Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d12, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4Ridicule 4d8Pace: 10Size: 4Wind: 10

Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Damage: Claws (STR+1d4)Jinx: A gremlin causes a

mechanical item’s Reliability todrop by –1. Even items without aReliability, like a watch or apistol, are affected. MakeReliability check whenever these

items are used (shootin’ rolls forweapons, drivin’ rolls for

wagons, and so on). On a 20,the device malfunctions.Description: Whenphysically manifested,gremlins are little greenhumanoid with comicallylarge ears, and not socomically long claws.

Abominations 69

Hangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeHangin’ JudgeFrom 1863–69, five Confederate circuit judges

formed a secret alliance to steal land, ruin theirrivals, and eliminate anyone who stood in theway of their wealth and fame. Those whoopposed them were framed for “hangin’offenses” and hauled to the nearest tree for alynching.

But after six years of tyranny,the locals, mostly hot-bloodedTexans, fought back. Theyrounded up each of thejudges and hung themfrom trees all along theChisholm Trail as awarning to otherauthorities whowould abuse theirpower.

The Reckonersseized theopportunity to infusetheir spirits withunholy energy andsend them back toearth asabominations.

Now the hangin’judges stalk theChisholm by night,terrorizing anyonewho happens to crosstheir path. They mightdecide blue is illegal oneday and whistling Dixieis a hangin’ offense thenext. Being from Texas isalways a heinous crime.Whatever the “charge,” thejudges’ sentences are alwaysdeath.

Hangin’ judges are solitaryand relentless hunters. Oncethey’re on someone’s trail, they staywith him until he’s dead or morning comes. Iftheir quarry is killed, they string him up alongthe Chisholm Trail and paint the victim’soffense on his forehead in blood.

The judges never speak except towhisper their prey’s offense over andover.

Profile: Hangin’ JudgeCorporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:3d12, Q:2d12, V:2d8Shootin’: pistol 5d10, fightin’: scythe 5d8, horse

ridin’ 3d8, sneak 3d8Mental: C:2d10, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:3d6, Sp:2d8.Scrutinize 2d10, search 6d10, trackin’ 5d10, area

knowledge: Chisolm Trail 3d6, overawe 5d12Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: —

Terror: 11Special Abilities:Damage: Single-Action ArmyRevolvers (these weaponsentirely reload themselves 1round after they’re emptied. Onthe end of their two pistols arescythes. The judges can usethese in hand-to-hand combat

to cause STR+2d6 damage)Fearless

Immunity–NormalWeapons: The only way todestroy a judge is to hang’im high. Bullets firedfrom a real lawman’s guncan “kill” them, but evenafter being shot andburied they come backthe following night,hot for vengeance.Coup: Hangin’ judgesare fearmongers ofthe highest order. If ahangin’ judge isdestroyed, aHarrowed gets the

judge’s twin, autoloadingArmy revolvers as coup. The

guns are not for those on thisside of the grave. They vanish in

the hands of living folks in a matter ofhours.

Description: Each hangin’ judge looks bitdifferent, but all wear cowls or hoods hidingtheir faces.

70 Abominations

JackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeJackalopeSome folks might think these critters are

cute, but jackalopes are omens of bad tidings.They stalk a party and wait for bad luck tostrike, then feed off the remains of those whodon’t survive it.

When a jackalope stalks a party, it cursesthem with the bad luck Hindrance and waits fordisaster to strike. The canny creature neverattacks anyone bigger than itself as long as theprey can fight back. A Winded character is infor a surprise, however, for the jackalopeinstantly rushes to the attack and rips into thevictim’s throat.

Jackalopes are darned hard to kill. They havea sixth sense that warns them whenever theyare about to meet danger, and they’re fastenough to get right out of the way after that.

As long as a jackalope makes aFoolproof (3) Smarts roll, itautomatically moves out ofthe way of danger afraction of a secondbefore it wouldotherwise be a coat.Jackalopes are alsosmart enough tohide if someonedecides to keeptaking shots atthem.

The best way toget rid of one ofthese tenaciouscritters is to getacross runningwater. Jackalopescan’t swim, sounless they find a bridgeor some other way across, theyget left behind and hop off to findeasier prey.

On the plus side, jackalope feet are good luckcharms. Anyone wearing one has the luck o’ theIrish Edge until the charm is removed or itdecays after about one month.

Profile: JackalopeCorporeal: D:1d4, N:3d8, S:2d4, Q:2d10, V:1d6Fightin’: brawlin’ 1d8, sneak 5d8Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d12, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4Ridicule 4d6Pace: 8Size: 2Wind: —Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Bad Luck: All members of a posse beingstalked by a jackalope get the bad luckHindrance.

Damage: Antlers (STR+1d6)Sixth Sense: On a Foolproof (3) Smarts roll,

a jackalope can avoid any attack.Description: The jackalope looks like a

large jackrabbit with a full set of antlers.

Abominations 71

Los DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos DiablosLos diablos have haunted humanity for

thousands of years. Other cultures knew themas minotaurs and gorgons. In the Weird West,they have taken on the forms of mutated Texaslonghorns. They are harbingers of doom, forthey are one of the only direct servants of themysterious Reckoners.

Los diablos hunt down heroes who becomethorns in the Reckoners’ sides. Fate rules eventhese mighty beings, however, so los diablos areonly allowed to walk the earth on certainoccasions. Whenever a hero or group of heroesgets their 5th point of Grit and gains theattention of the Reckoners by foiling one of theirbetter schemes, los diablos pays them a visit.

The first night los diablos are on the posse’strail, the heroes hear a distant rumbling, as if aherd of buffalo or steers were stampeding in thedistance. At this point, everyone needs to make aFoolproof (3) guts check. Anyone who fails losesher highest Fate Chip. The next night, therumbling grows louder, and everyone must makea Fair (5) guts check or lose a Fate Chip.

This continues until the TN reaches Incredible(11). The next night, los diablos appear at thehead of a ghostly stampede called the“Devil’s Own Herd.” These creatures areactually the souls of all thosethe Herd hasslain before.

Even ifthe posseis indoors,los diablosand theDevil’sOwn Herdsmashthrough walls,doors, orwindows toride overthem.

There isone diablofor everycharacterwho has a Gritof 5 or better. These heroes are the devilbulls’ sworn enemies and the onlyindividuals Fate allows to hunt.

The bulls can only harm or beharmed those with five Grit.

Other characters in the vicinity are“trampled” by the ghostly hooves of the Devil’sOwn Herd. and take 1d4 Wind per round until alllos diablos are defeated. As usual, if Wind goesnegative and starts causing wounds, thecharacters can die. Those who do becomeanother soul in the Devil’s Own Herd.

Those fighting with los diablos suffer asimilar fate. Their souls are taken into theHunting Grounds to become diablos.

Profile: Los DiablosCorporeal: D:1d4, N:2d8, S:3d12+8, Q:2d10, V:2d12Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, sneak 3d8, swimmin’ 2d8Mental: C:2d10, K:3d4, M:4d12, Sm:3d6, Sp:2d8Scrutinize 2d10, overawe 5d12Pace: 8Size: 8Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Armor: 2Coup: A Harrowed character who absorbs a

diablo’s essence gains 1 point of Armor and1 point of Grit.

Damage: Horns (STR+3d10)Fearless

Immunity—All: Toanyone other than

the particulardiablo’s

target.

Description:Los Diabloslook like Texaslonghorns fromHell, with thickreptilian skins,and glowing redeyes.

72 Abominations

Maze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonMaze DragonAll kinds of strange creatures emerged when

California fell into the sea. One of the biggest isthe California Maze dragon. These tremendouscritters attack both ships hauling ore andprospectors mining the canyon walls of theMaze.

Unlike most abominations, Maze dragons areknown and accepted as ordinary creatures. Mostfolks just figure they somehow came with theGreat Quake. The Chinese warlords of the areastarted calling them dragons, and the namestuck.

Profile: California MazeDragon

Corporeal: D:1d4, N:2d10, S:5d12+4, Q:1d10,V:2d12+4

Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10, sneak 5d10, swimmin’5d10

Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d12, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4Pace: 20Size: 24 (50 yards long)Wind: —

Terror: 11Special Abilities:Armor: 1Damage: Bite (STR+2d12)Swallow: The dragon’s mouth islarge enough to swallow a person

whole. With 2 raises onan attack, it does so.

The victim takes 4d6points of damageevery round from thecrushing gullet andacidic bile. The onlyway out is to cut opena slit with 20 points ofdamage from ashotgun or cuttingweapon.Swimming: Pace 20

Description: Mazedragons look like sea

serpents of legend, with longsinuous bodies covered in thick,

slimy scales.

Abominations 73

Mojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerMojave RattlerThey call these great worms “rattlers”

because a person’s teeth start chattering as therattler rumbles through the earth beneath him.Though they are most common in the Mojave,rattlers are also found in isolated flatlands inMontana and Utah. The rattlers of each regiontend to have their own colors and evenpersonalities.

Mojave rattlers go straight for the kill, whilethe ones in Montana are skulkers. Utah rattlersare smaller but faster, and they absolutely loveto chase steam wagons across the great SaltFlats. Like Maze dragons, rattlers are acceptednear the regions they terrorize. Folks Back Eastthink Weseterners exaggerate, but the localsknow better.

Rattlers sense their prey by vibrations in thesand. They can detect the movement of a manup to 200 yards distant. This is an opposedCognition versus sneak roll if the prey is tryingto be stealthy. Horses are detected atdouble thedistance, andwagons at triple.Note that if acreature runs, itssneak totals sufferthe usual –4 penalty.

When a rattler moves in for the kill,it bursts up through the earth and tries tosnag its prey with one of its tentacles. Thoughrattlers have many tentacles, they neverattempt to capture multiple targets unless theirintended victims are very close together, suchas a horse and rider, preferring to focus on asingle quarry.

The tentacles have a Strength of 3d12and are about a quarter as long as theworm itself. Once they grapple atarget with a raise on anopposed Strength roll, theworm starts dragging thevictim into its crushingmaw. Every success onan opposed Strength rolldrags the rattler’s prey 1yard closer.

The rattler’s tentacles (Size 5-10) can take 3 wounds beforethey’re useless and the wormretreats, but bullets and impalingweapons do only a single point each,and shotgun blasts do 2. Cuttingweapons do full damage.

Profile: Mojave RattlerCorporeal: D:1d4, N:3d6, S:6d12+20, Q:2d6,

V:4d12+24Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d6, sneak 2d8 (when

underground)Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:2d10, Sm:2d8, Sp:1d8Overawe 2d10Pace: 6 (18 underground)Size: 10–20 (10–100 yards long)Wind: —Terror: 11Special Abilities:

Armor: 1Damage: Bite (2d20)Burrowing: Underground Pace 18Surprise: Travelers who don’t recognize the

rumblings of a rattler beneath themsubtract –4 from their surprise checks.

Description: Rattlers look like hugefleshy worms, with a mass of

fleshy tentacles at the “head”end surrounding a

round saw-toothed maw.

74 Abominations

Night HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight HauntNight haunts are evil creatures of corrupted

shadow that subsist on human souls. They arelone hunters that appear only at dusk,following settlers and other travelers across theplains, waiting for them to camp for the night.

When a night haunt spots prey, it hides awayin the enshrouding darkness and waits formost of the travelers in the posse to fall asleepbefore it begins its insidious attack. It then usesmimicry and illusion as a bluff test of wills.

The camp’s guard, if any, likely sees strange“patches” of darkness or hears a distant baby’scry or some far-off screams—anything the nighthaunt can do to unnerve its prey. Its goal is tolure the guard out alone, preferably withoutwaking his companions.

If the night haunt is successful, it draws thefool out until he’s entirely isolated before itattacks with its soul-wrenchingclaws. When it has killed its victim, itsups on the fleeing soul, making itimpossible for someone killed by anight haunt to become Harrowed.

Profile: Night HauntCorporeal: D:1d8, N:4d10, S:2d8, Q:2d12+2, V:1d4Fightin’: brawlin’ 5d10, sneak 8d10Mental: C:4d12, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:2d8, Sp:2d10Bluff 6d8Pace: 24Size: 6Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Coup: A night haunt’s essence gives aHarrowed character a dark, shadowyappearance. When he concentrates, theHarrowed may add +6 to his sneak rolls.

Damage: Bite (STR+1d4), claws (STR+1d6,ignores armor)

FearlessHovering: Pace 24. Night haunts

float a few feet off theground and aren’t

slowed by materialobjects.

Immunity—NormalAttacks:Normalweapons can’thurt a nighthaunt. Only light(see below) andmagical attackscause it anysort ofdamage.Weakness—Light: Nighthaunts arecreatures ofshadow. Theycannot existin brightlight.Torches,lanterns,and otherweaponsused

against theminflict 2d6 points of damage (ignorethe user’s Strength).Description: Night haunts resemblethorny shadows straight from anightmare.

Abominations 75

Prairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie TickPrairie ticks are the scourge of the High

Plains. These horrid bloodsuckers live inunderground burrows of 11–20 (1d10+10) creatureseach, and they are rumored to be controlled bya single, giant queen that rules over each nest.

When they sense prey, the ticks crawl out oftheir burrow and bound through the tall prairiegrass at top speed. They can sense thevibration of a man walking across the desertup to 100 yards away, double that for horses, andquadruple for wagons.

Prairie ticks attack by leaping for the mouthand pulling the victim’s lips down with theirtwo front hooks. This is an opposed fightin’:brawlin’ roll. If the tick gets a raise, it’s in andslides down the victim’s throat. Once inside,the thing’s hooked legs sink into the innards,and it begins to drain blood at the rate of1d4 Wind per hour.

As the host loses wounds to bleeding,the tick gets larger. When the host dies,the tick has grown so large it burststhe ribcage and comes crawling outof the stomach or throat. Anyonewho sees this needs to make aHard (9) guts check or verylikely lose his lunch.

The only known way toremove a prairie tick insidea host is to pour a quartof castor oil down thevictim’s throat. Thehost needs to makea Hard (9) Vigorroll to get thecastor oil down.If he does,the tickcomescrawling outin 1d4rounds,doing itsStrength indamageeach roundas it doesso.

Profile: Prairie TickCorporeal: D:2d10, N:4d12, S:1d4, Q:3d10, V:2d8Dodge 2d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 4d12, sneak 3d12Mental: C:2d6, K:1d4, M:2d8, Sm:1d4, Sp:1d4Overawe 2d8Pace: 12Size: 2Wind: —Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Armor: 1Damage: Hooks (STR; when prairie ticks

can’t get at someone’s mouth due to acovering of some sort,

they swarm overhim and try to pickhim intounconsciousnesswith their hooks,then try to crawl

inside)Description: Prairie

ticks’ bodies are aboutthe size of a man’s fist.They are blood-red red

in color, with fatbloated bellies andlong hooked legs .

76 Abominations

TumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedTumblebleedIn the Weird West, even the tumbleweeds are

out to get you.Tumblebleeds are vicious critters that look

just like tumbleweeds, the dried plants you seeblowing across the desolate desert plains. Theyattack by rolling into a victim and entanglinghim in their thorny branches. The things’mouths and spiny thorns then penetrate theskin and drain the prey’s blood.

Tumblebleeds usually travel in packs of threeto six for more efficient hunting. Hungrytumblebleeds stay well away from any preycarrying fire—they burn like dry tinder whenthey haven’t fed recently.

A tumblebleed that has just feasted lookslike a pile of wet, bloody seaweed.

Profile: TumblebleedCorporeal: D:1d4, N:2d10, S:1d6, Q:2d8, V:1d4Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10Mental: C:1d6, K:1d4, M:1d4, Sm:1d4, Sp:1d4Pace: 18Size: 4 (2–3’ diameter spheroid)Wind: —Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Damage: Mouth (STR), thorns: (STR, brawlin’damage; Lost Wind is actually drainedblood. Due to an anti-clotting agent in atumblebleed’s saliva, damage taken from atumblebleed cannot be healed as easily asnormal. Wind lost in this way returns at

the rate of 1 per day)Weakness—Fire: The thorny

branches of a dry tumblebleedburn easily before it has

fed. If hit by a littorch, a drytumblebleed startsburning on 1–3 ona 1d6.Flamethrowersset thetumblebleedalightimmediately.Once onfire, thetumblebleedtakes 3d12damageperround.Unlessthere’s alake orrivernearby, theyrarely evermanage toputthemselves out

before burning toa fragile cinder.

Description: See above.

Abominations 77

Pulp novels describe zombies as slow andmindless. Obviously the writers have never trulyencountered the walking dead. Creatures likethese aren’t the kind to shuffle about like theyhadn’t a thought in their rotting heads.

These suckers are mean and clever. Theyknow people think they’re supposed to beslow and stupid, so sometimes theyact that way just to get close.And by the way, they do feedon brains.

Profile: Walkin’Dead

Corporeal: D:2d6, N:2d8,S:3d8, Q:2d10, V:2d8

Shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 2d6, climbin’1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’:brawlin’ 3d8, sneak 3d8,swimmin’ 1d8

Mental: C:2d10, K:1d6, M:1d6,Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4

Overawe 5d6Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Damage: Bite (STR)FearlessGear: Many walkin’ dead carry weapons

they’ve taken from their victims:pistols, clubs, shotguns, rifles andthe like. Or something bigger if youlike.

Undead: A walkin’ dead’s focus isits head.

Description: Walkin’ dead appearjust like you’d expect: corpses thatshould be buried six feet under.

Walkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadWalkin’ DeadVeteran Walkin’ Dead

The walkin’ dead are those raised straightout of a cemetery, the average folk who justhappen to be strolling around when they oughtto be napping in the dirt. Sometimes walkin’dead are made out of better stock. Spill a vat of

Baron LaCroix’s zombie juice near asoldier’s graveyard and you’ll get a

much tougher variety of rottinghorrors.

Profile: VeteranWalkin’ Dead

Corporeal: D:2d8, N:2d8,S:2d10, Q:3d10, V:2d8Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 3d8,fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8,shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 4d8, sneak 3d8,swimmin’ 2d8

Mental: C:2d10, K:1d6,M:1d6, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4

Overawe 5d6,ridicule 1d6, search3d10Pace: 8Size: 6

Wind: 12Terror: 9

Special Abilities:Damage: Bite (STR)FearlessGear: Like normal walkin’ dead,veteran walkin’ dead carryweapons they’ve taken fromtheir victims. They’re just usuallybetter at using them.

Undead: A veteran walkin’ dead’sfocus is its head.

Description: Veteran walkin’ deadlook pretty much like standard walkin’dead, though they are often dressed inthe tattered uniforms they died in.

78 Abominations

Wall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWall CrawlerWhen travelling through the dim canyons and

narrow defiles of the Weird West, travelers withany sense at all should keep an eye on the rockwalls above them. There are things lurkingthere, waiting for a nice soft pink meal to rideby below.

Wall crawlers are predators that hang on theshadowy sides of mesas, waiting forunsuspecting travelers to pass below. Whenthey spot prey, they race down from their perchand strike with lightning speed. Their preyalmost never sees them coming before it’s toolate. This is a good time for a surprise check.

Before they strike, wall crawlers are almosttotally silent, their claws scrabbling on rock theonly sound they make. Once they reach theirprey, they emit an evil hissing.

Profile: Wall CrawlerCorporeal: D:1d4, N:2d10, S:3d10, Q:2d12+2, V:2d8Climbin’ 8d10, fightin’: brawlin’ 5d10, sneak 4d10Mental: C:2d10, K:1d4, M:1d10, Sm:1d4, Sp:1d6Scrutinize 2d10Pace: 10 (20 when racing downhill)Size: 14Wind: 24Terror: 7Special Abilities:

Armor: 2Damage: Bite (STR+2d8), tail strike

(STR+3d10)Wall Crawling: Wall crawlers can move over

any moderately rough vertical surface attheir normal Pace, and can even movealong totally horizontal overhangs at halfPace. They don’t call ‘em wall crawlers fornothing!

Description: Wall crawler’s forms combine theworst aspects of a spider and a monitorlizard, with nasty spiky bits all over them forgood measure.

Abominations 79

WendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWendigoWinters can be tough in the northern reaches

of the continent, or the high passes and trailsof the Rocky Mountains. The savage cold hasdriven men and women to resort to theunthinkable to survive on occasion:cannibalism.

There is a price to be paid for such activities,and its a high one.

Wendigos are the twisted spirits of thosewho resorted to cannibalism to survive. Theireerie howls can be heard in just aboutany cold climate, such as states alongthe Canadian border. They mightalso appear in more southernareas during harsh winters,but return north as itgrows warmer.

Wendigos crave justone simple thing—human flesh to feedthe gnawing hungerin their bellies.

There are a fewother types ofwendigoes. Seepage 112 formore info.

Profile: WendigoCorporeal: D:2d6, N:2d12, S:3d12+6, Q:4d8, V:3d12Climbin’ 4d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 6d12, sneak 2d12,

swimmin’ 2d12, throwin’: rocks 4d6,Mental: C:2d12, K:1d6, M:4d12, Sm:1d8, Sp:2d8Area knowledge 5d6, overawe 7d12, search 3d12,

trackin’ 5d12Pace: 12Size: 10 (8’ tall and thick as tree trunks)

Wind: —Terror: 11

Special Abilities:Armor: 1Coup: A Harrowed whofeasts on a wendigo’s

essence gainsimmunity to coldand cold-basedattacks.Damage: Bite(1d12+2d6), claws(STR+2d6)Night Vision: Awendigo can see in allbut complete darknessas if daylight.Weakness— Tallow:A wendigo isinstantly killed bypouring hot tallowdown his throat.Description:Wendigoes arevaguely humanoidmountains ofmuscle with

savage claws, andmouths full of

dagger-like teeth.The color of their fur

depends on thespecific type, though

all species stay stainedwith blood.

80 Abominations

WerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfWerewolfLycanthropes come in many forms, like

wolves, jackals, and coyotes. Most times,lycanthropes are normal folk, but when a fullmoon emerges, they lose control and revert tosnarling creatures bent on murder.

Some werewolves have fully embraced theircursed state and revel in the destruction theycause. Some few may even seek to becomewerewolves on purpose! The Reckonerssometimes allow these select few evil anddepraved individuals to retain their normalMental Traits when in werewolf form.Obviously, these werewolves are even moredangerous than the normaltype.

Many werewolvesexisted evenbefore theReckoning.They are stillsupernaturalcreatures ofevil, however,and so canbe affectedby holy ritualssuch asprotection.

Profile: WerewolfCorporeal: D:2d8, N:2d12+4, S:2d12, Q:4d12+4,

V:2d10Dodge 4d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 6d12+4Mental: C:2d12, K:1d4, M:3d10, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d6Overawe 2d10Pace: 24Size: 6Wind: 16Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Damage: Bite (STR), claws: (STR+1d6)Immunity—Normal Damage:Werewolves take half damage fromall normal attacks.Infection: A character bitten by awerewolf must make an immediate

Hard (9) Vigor test. If he fails, hebecomes a lycanthrope

himself in 1d6days. From thattime on, hetransforms intoa werewolfevery full moon.

The characterisn’t in charge

during theseepisodes, and

he doesn’trememberwhat he’sdone thefollowingmorning.

Weakness—Silver: Silver

bullets, daggers, canes, andthe like cause normal damage

to werewolves.Description: Werewolves look

like a horrible hybrid of man andwolf, with slavering jaws andrazor sharp claws.

Common VCommon VCommon VCommon VCommon Varmintsarmintsarmintsarmintsarmints

Animal Cog Def Knw Mien Nimb Qk Sm Sp Str Vig Size Pace

Bear 2d8 1d6 2d4 2d10 2d8 3d10 1d4 2d6 1d12+2 2d12+2 10 8Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, overawe 4d10, sneak 2d8;Damage: Claws (STR+1d4), bite (STR+1d4)

Buffalo 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4 3d6 3d6 1d4 2d6 2d12+4 4d12+4 12 20Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 2d6;Damage: Hooves: (STR); Horns: (STR+1d6)

Mule 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d6 3d8 2d4 1d6 2d10 4d8 3d10 8 22Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 1d8;Damage: Hooves: (STR)

Cattle 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4 2d10 2d6 1d4 1d4 3d10 3d10 9 10Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 1d10Damage: Hooves (STR); Horns (STR+1d6. Bulls only)

Condor 2d6 1d6 1d4 1d4 4d8 3d8 2d6 2d6 2d8 2d8 5 20Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d8 (flying)Damage: Talons (STR), beak (STR)

Coyote 1d4 1d4 2d6 2d6 3d8 2d8 2d6 2d6 3d6 4d8 4 12Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d8; filchin’ 2d4, sneak 2d8, overawe 2d6Damage:Claw (STR), bite (STR+1d4)

Deer 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4 2d10 2d10 1d4 1d4 3d8 2d8 6 22Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 2d10Damage: Hooves (STR+1d4), antlers (STR+1d4)

Eagle 2d6 1d6 1d4 2d6 2d10 2d8 1d6 3d8 3d6 3d6 3 24Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d10 (flying)Damage: Talons (STR)

Cougar 2d10 1d4 1d4 1d8 3d10 2d12 1d4 2d4 4d6 2d8 6 22Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d6, overawe 2d8Damage: Claw (STR+1d4), bite (STR+1d4)

Moose 1d6 1d4 1d4 2d6 2d10 2d4 1d4 1d8 3d12+2 3d12 12 18Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d10Damage: Hooves (STR+1d12), antlers (STR+1d6)

Rattler 2d10 1d4 1d4 1d8 1d6 2d10 1d4 1d4 1d4 2d8 2 22Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d6, overawe 2d8Damage: Bite (STR+poison)Special Abilities: Terror 3, Poison: Hard (9) TN. Success means the affected location is

paralyzed for 1d6 days. Failure results in death in 1d6 hours. A Hard (9) medecine roll removes thepoison, as long as it occurs before the last half hour.

Scorpion 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4 2d6 3d10 1d4 1d4 1d4-2 1d4 1 4Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 2d6Damage: Sting (STR+poison)Special Abilities: Poison: Onerous (7) TN. Success means the affected location is paralyzed

for 1d6 days. Failure results in death in 1d4 hours. A Hard (9) medecine roll removes the poison, aslong as it occurs before the last half hour.

Wolf 2d6 1d4 1d6 3d6 3d10 2d8 1d6 3d8 2d8 3d10 6 20Aptitudes: Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10, sneak 2d10, overawe 2d6, search 3d4, trackin 5d4Damage: Claws (STR) bite (STR+1d6)

82 Marshal

Rogue’s GalleryHere are a few standard character

types your posse might run into aswell.

Profile: Typical BanditCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d6, S:2d8, Q:2d8,

V:3d6Climbin’ 1d6, fightin’: knife 3d6, dodge

2d6, horse ridin’ 4d6, shootin’: pistol,rifle, shotgun 2d8, sneak 3d6

Mental: C:2d6, K:1d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:1d6

Gamblin’ 3d6, guts 3d6, overawe 2d6,scroungin’ 3d6, search 3d6, survival:plains 4d6

Edges: NoneHindrances: Bloodthirsty –2Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: Raiders can be found carrying

just about any weapon imaginable.Description: Bandits range from suave

“Gentlemen bandits” to murderousthugs.

Profile: TypicalSoldier

These statistics cover typical Westernenlisted cavalrymen. Infantry soldiershave similar stats, but drop the horseridin’ Aptitude. For low-level officers,add academia: military historyleadership, and professional: tactics atlevel 2-3. They have the rank Edge aswell, of course.Corporeal: D:3d6, N:3d8, Q:3d6, S:2d8,

V:3d8Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’:

brawlin’ 3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8,shootin’: pistol (officers), rifle 4d8

Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d8,Sp:2d6

Area knowledge: local post 3d6, bluff2d8, overawe 3d6, persuasion 2d6,scrutinize 2d8, search 3d8, streetwise2d8

Edges: Rank (if an officer)Hindrances: Obligation: the military -5Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: Both infantry and cavalry North

and South of the border carryWinchester repeaters. Cavalry for bothsides, as well as officers, carry Coltdouble-action Peacemakers as well.Confederate cavalrymen sometimescarry shotguns for close-in attacks. Allcavalry also carry a saber (thoughthey are rarely used these days).

Description: The military ranks aretruly America’s melting pot. Some arewealthy idealists who want to servetheir country, others are criminalshiding from the law, and many areforeigners who had no other careeropportunities and joined the service.

Profile: Typical LawDog

Use the following statistics for youraverage Deputy Marshals, countysheriffs, town marshals, and the like.Corporeal: D:3d10, N:3d8, Q:2d10, S:2d6,

V:3d8Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’

3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, shootin’: pistol,rifle, shotgun 4d8, throwin’: balanced,unbalanced 3d10

Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:2d8,Sp:2d6

Academia: occult 1d6, area knowledge:(jurisdiction), 2d6, bluff 4d8, overawe5d12, persuasion 3d12, professional:law 3d6, scrutinize 2d8, search 3d8,streetwise 2d8

Edges: Law man 1-3, “the stare” 1Hindrances: Enemy: outlaws –2,

obligation: serve their jurisdiction –1-3Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: Most lawmen carry double-action

Colt Peacemakers and keep aWinchester `76 rifle or double-barreled shotgun in their office.

Description: Law dogs are a toughbreed. The honest ones suffer themost—they must fight outlaws andthe creatures of the Reckoning.Dishonest ones tend to have life alittle easier.

Abominations 83

Black Magic MisfiresBlack Magic MisfiresBlack Magic MisfiresBlack Magic MisfiresBlack Magic Misfires

d20 Effect1–4 The spell fails and the minion cannot use

it for 1d6 rounds.5–8 The spell fails and the minion cannot use

it for 24 hours.9–12 The spell fails and the minion cannot use

it until he atones by performing somedark deed.

13–14 The misfire stuns the minion until shemakes an Incredible (11) recovery check.

15–16 The minion’s body courses with arcaneenergy. She suffers 5d6 damage thatignores any protection or immunities.

17–18 The spell affects the minion or a cohort. Ifnot an attack, the target receives thespell’s benefit. A divination spell mightgive the victim a vision of an ambushplanned by the disciple, for example.

19 The caster’s innards broil with darkflame, causing 5d10 damage to her gutsregardless of any protection orimmunities.

20 The user is engulfed in black flames andperishes instantly.

Black MagicWhen it suits their purposes, the

Reckoners reward mortals with sinisterspells. Abilities granted to trueabominations and creatures arepowers—every ability is unique andgranted individually. Black magic spellsare the tools of witches, evil sorcerers,and unholy acolytes who have learnedpagan incantations and dark rites.These spells come from the Reckoners,though those who dabble in the blackarts are rarely aware of it.

Mortals (or at least those acolyteswho started life as mortals) granted theability to use black magic often believevehemently in dark gods, but in truth,their deities are only manifestations ofthe Reckoners’ awesome power. Ifthese lords of darkness really exist,they rally beside the Reckoners. If thereis such a creature as Lucifer, forexample, he allows the Reckoners toreward the twisted cultists whoworship him. Or it may be that Luciferis somehow part of the Reckoners. Atthis point, even those few whounderstand the nature of theReckoning are unsure.

In any case, black magic is based onthe faith of a dark soul in his or hergod, spirits, or other form of evilreligion or power. The sorcery theywield manifests in many differentforms, but they are all “spells,” anddraw their power from the Reckonersthemselves.

Using Black MagicThis system has been designed for

you, Marshal. You don’t want acomplicated system when you’rerunning an exciting tale of terror in theWeird West, so we’ve made thingssimple for you.

Black magic is flexible enough tocover many different kinds of evilspellcasters, so you don’t have to comeup with lots of different spells for eachkind of cultist the heroes might comeacross. After all, a bolt o’ doom haspretty much the same effect no matterif it looks like a blast of radiant light, abolt of ice, fire, or a column of angrykiller bees.

Most of the time, a disciple’s blackmagic works without a hitch. Shepoints her finger at some poor sap andwatches his head explode—nothing to it.

Only rarely do these spells fail. Toreflect this, a villain using black magicneed only make a Foolproof (3) faithcheck every time she casts a spell. Ifshe succeeds, the spell works normally.If she fails such a simple test, theReckoners have decided to remind thefollower of the fickle nature of theirdark gift. This is rare but painful, and itcan be quite embarrassing when ithappens.

The Reckoners show theirdisapproval by causing the spell tomisfire. Choose an effect you feel isappropriate, or roll on the Black MagicMisfires table below whenever thisoccurs.

84 Marshal

Black Magic and theBlessed

Gods protect their servants. Anyblessed can resist black magic cast onhim with his faith. This is an opposedroll versus the spellcaster’s faith roll. Ifthe blessed’s roll is greater than orequal to the sorcerer’s, the spell fails towork. This resistance roll does not takean action.

If a warlock targets someone elsewith a spell, a blessed hero may try tointervene. Doing so does requires thatthe hero know the spell is being usedand has an action available. He mustalso be able to physically interposehimself between the spellcaster andthe target. The blessed must thenmake a faith check just as above. If hemeets or beats the evil magician’s total,the spell has no effect. Otherwise, theblessed character takes the effect ofthe spell himself. A hero can evenperform this sacrificial action at anytime. In combat, he may act “out ofturn” by throwing away his highestaction card, just like vamoosin’.

Evil in the AirThe powers of darkness are strong in

the wake of the Reckoning. A blessed’sfaith rolls are reduced by an area’s FearLevel when resisting black magic.

Holy GroundOn consecrated ground, any person

with faith in that particular religionmay resist black magic. The procedureis the same as for blessed characters.Additionally, blessed characters on holyground get to add +4 to their faith rollsfor resisting black magic.

Spell LevelsSpells are rated from 1 to 5. A minion

with a level one spell is often littlemore than a lackey trusted with but aspark of power. A dark sorcerer with aspell at level five is a favored servantof the Reckoners .

SpellsThese are some basic spells to help

you customize your own villains andmiscreants. You should fill in the detailsof the spells you give them dependingon the situation.

Abominations 85Speed is the number of actions it

takes to cast the spell. Resolve theeffects on the last card spent. A spellwith a Speed of 2, for instance, isresolved on the villain’s second ActionCard.

Duration is how long the spellremains in effect.

Trappings is the method used to startthe spell or the visual effects it creates.A worm-worshipping cultist’s bolts o’doom might manifest as a shower ofmaggots, while one of Baron LaCroix’sevil voodoo priests might cast a beamof icy blackness. The trappings don’treally matter, they’re just an easy wayof making the same basic black magicspells have many different appearances.

Animal MasterySpeed: 1Duration: 1 sceneTrappings: Glowing eyes (in animal

and cultist), or an inky black cloudaround the crittersThe cultist can call on a number of

wild critters to do his bidding. Thedistance the critters are when called—and how far they can be away whilecontrolled—varies, as do the kind ofcritters called.

The number of animals the cultistcan control depends on his spell level,but of course you can adjust them asyou see fit.

If the cultist wants to control aspecific animal, such as one owned bya player character, the animal resistswith its Spirit. The cultist rolls his faithand adds his animal mastery rank tothe total. If the animal’s owner isnearby, she can make a Fair (5) animalwranglin’ roll to help out her strayvarmint. Each success and raise adds+2 to the critter’s Spirit total.

Animal MasteryAnimal MasteryAnimal MasteryAnimal MasteryAnimal Mastery

Level Range Kind of Creatures1 10 yards Bats or crows2 100 yards Black cats3 1 mile Hungry wolves4 5 miles Wild horses5 50 miles Angry bears

Bolts o’ DoomSpeed: 1Duration: InstantTrappings: Fire, ice, darkness, colored

light, or objects or critters associatedwith the cultistThis spell manifests itself in many

forms depending on the nature of theuser. Flaming bolts o’ doom may ignitethe victim’s clothes, a shower of ratsgnaws a victim to the bone, and so on.

The attack roll for bolts o’ doom is athrowin’: unbalanced check. You shouldassume most cultists with this cursehave the Aptitude. If not, they canmake a default Deftness check asusual.

You have to figure out theaftereffects of particularly exoticattacks yourself. Generally, if an attackhas a lingering effect (such as thoserats we mentioned), they do 1 die of thespell’s basic damage at the beginningof each round afterwards.

Bolts o’ DoomBolts o’ DoomBolts o’ DoomBolts o’ DoomBolts o’ Doom

Level Damage Range Increment1 3d6 32 4d8 53 4d10 104 5d12 205 5d20 50

Cloak o’ EvilSpeed: 1Duration: 2 rounds/faith levelTrappings: Blurred image, cloud of

darkness or mist, flash of energy,mystical haze of things associatedwith the cultistIn the age of the six-gun and Gatling

pistol, no self-respecting cultist canmake do in a head-on confrontationwithout a dark miracle to turn awaythe bullets and arrows of the world’sheroes.

86 Marshal

The modifiers below apply to the dieroll of anyone attacking the cultist,whether by missile, magic (thatrequires an attack roll), or melee.

Cloak o’ EvilCloak o’ EvilCloak o’ EvilCloak o’ EvilCloak o’ Evil

Level Modifier1 –2 to hit2 –4 to hit3 –6 to hit4 –8 to hit5 –10 to hit

ContagionSpeed: 1Duration: Permanent (until cured)Trappings: Evil eye, glowing hand,

serums, hypodermics, ratsThis insidious spell is used to cause

horrible diseases. This is usually doneby tainting water or food, in which caseeveryone who partakes may contractthe disease.

A black magician can also transmitthe disease by touch. Of course, fewable-bodied heroes are likely to standstill to find out why some chantinglunatic wants to stick ‘em with somebig needle. In combat, the sorcererneeds to make a fightin’: brawlin’ roll totransmit a disease by hand.

In either case, once a victim hascome into contact with the contagion,she must make a Vigor roll against theappropriate TN. If she fails, she acquiresa fatal ailin’ Hindrance. The diseasetakes immediate effect on the victim.

Worse, any disease delivered by acontagion spell is contagious. Anyonehaving physical contact with a victim ofthe hex must make a Foolproof (3)Vigor roll or contract the illness as well.

Unlike with the normal ailin’Hindrance, a disease inflicted bycontagion can be cured by a physician.Healing a patient afflicted by contagionrequires one week and an Incredible (11)medicine: general roll.

ContagionContagionContagionContagionContagion

Level Vigor TN1 32 53 74 95 11

CurseSpeed: 1d6 minutesDuration: Permanent until dispelledTrappings: The “evil eye,” voodoo dolls,

poisons, strange marksEvil cults have more ways to punish

those who cross them than justsending a group of robed thugs to sheda little blood. There are much moresubtle methods of vengeance.

Curse inflicts a slow wasting on thetarget. This is represented by a dailyloss of the victim’s Wind. Wind lost tothis black magic cannot be recovered bynormal means. Once the victim reaches0 Wind, she becomes bedridden. Shebegins to suffer wound levels as usualwhen her Wind goes negative.

The caster must be able to see thetarget and have an item belonging to thevictim in order to cast the spell. Afterthat, the spell has no range restriction,and a virtually limitless duration.

Killing the cultist who invoked thecurse ends the spell. While magicalcures such as succor, lay on hands, orhelpin’ hand restore the lost Wind, theydo not prevent any further losses.

Finally, all curses have a method forremoval specific to the cult. This isoften used as a method to force thevictim into a course of action. Whetheror not a cultist can voluntarily remove acurse once inflicted is up to you.

CurseCurseCurseCurseCurse

Level Wind Lost1 1 per day2 1d2 per day3 1d3 per day4 1d4 per day5 1d6 per day

Abominations 87Dark ProtectionSpeed: 1Duration: 2 rounds/faith levelTrappings: Scaly skin, bony armor,

shimmer of energy or lightCultists hate to see their evil plots

foiled by a six cent bullet. A cloak ofevil is nice, but good shots are likely toplug the disciple in the eyeball anyway.The dark protection spell helps themavoid such ignominious fates.

Dark protection acts as armor,reducing damage normally. You candecide if the spell protects againstmagical attacks, electricity, or similardamage.

Dark ProtectionDark ProtectionDark ProtectionDark ProtectionDark Protection

Level Armor1 1 level2 2 levels3 3 levels4 4 levels5 5 levels

Forewarnin’Speed: 5–30 minutesDuration: SpecialTrappings: Tarot cards, bones, entrails,

tea leaves, crystal balls

Foreknowledge of the future is littlemore than an educated guess. Thedisciple can never be sure of his vision,for the future is a labyrinth of individualdecisions. Like water, the future runsthe path of least resistance. Occasionally,however, an unexpected channel opensthat changes the entire course of things.

You should use this spell mostly as aplot device. If you want the bad guys toambush your party or prepare againstsome really devastating surprise, this isthe spell that gets you off the hook.

The speed to use the spell dependson the focus. Each level of the spellallows the disciple to look further intothe future.

Forewarnin’Forewarnin’Forewarnin’Forewarnin’Forewarnin’

Level Time1 1 hour2 1 day3 1 month4 1 year5 1 decade

88 Marshal

Ghostly ServantSpeed: 1Duration: 1 minute/faith levelTrappings: Strong winds, murmuring

voices, elaborate gestures, largehands, phantom servantsSure, hucksters have phantom

fingers—big deal. Evil cultists have thewhole hand!

Using this incantation, a cultist canuse ethereal hands to lift, move, andeven hurl objects in the physical world.Treat the hands as an invisible servantwith the Strength listed below.

The hands can affect anything withinsight and 10 yards times the caster’sfaith level.

Ghostly ServantGhostly ServantGhostly ServantGhostly ServantGhostly Servant

Level Strength1 Caster’s faith +1 step2 Caster’s faith +2 steps3 Caster’s faith +3 steps4 Caster’s faith +4 steps5 Caster’s faith +5 steps

IllusionSpeed: 2Duration: 1 hour/faith levelTrappings: Hypnotism, heavy incense,

gas, mirages, poisonThe forces of evil have always been

masters of lies and deceit, so it’s nosurprise some favored servants havebeen granted the power to change theappearance of reality.

Illusion affects an area up to a radiusequal to the caster’s faith times 10 feet.Inside that area, the caster can produceillusions of nearly anything shechooses.

These illusions are very realistic anddifficult to detect. A character whosuspects he is the victim of an illusionmust make a Cognition roll to recognizewhat he sees as phantasm. The TN forthe Cognition roll is based on the

caster’s skill with the spell. If the herois successful, he has seen through theillusion and is unaffected by the spell.

If the caster wishes, she maysummon up horrific images to terrifyher victims. This is a simple action onthe caster’s part, and it can only bedone once per round. Viewers who failto detect the illusion must make a gutscheck against the TN shown on thetable below.

While the caster can have theillusion attack the characters, it’s notparticularly well suited for this. Theskill of any “creature” within theillusion is the cultist’s faith. Even then,any successful hit does only 1 Wind foreach level she has in the spell. Heroeswho make their Cognition roll to detectthe illusion are invulnerable to theseattacks.

This spell is best used to mislead theposse or frame innocent folks. Theillusion affects all the senses, but onlyfor its duration, so if it’s used as anattack, a clever hero quickly notices theillusion’s lack of force.

IllusionIllusionIllusionIllusionIllusion

Level Cognition TN Guts TN1 5 32 7 53 9 74 11 95 13 11

PactSpeed: 1Duration: VariesTrappings: An amulet, a sacrifice,

arcane sigilsAbominations are independent

horrors. Even if two night haunts arisein the same town, they may or may notbecome allies in terror.

The pact spell allows a cultist to forma tenuous contract with an abominationwith animal intelligence or any other“mindless” horror. Truly intelligentmonsters are not affected by this spellbut might be otherwise bargained withdepending on the situation and the offer(which doesn’t require a spell to do).

Abominations 89To force a pact with a more savage

and feral creature of darkness, thecultist must beat it in a Spirit contest,adding his spell level to the roll. If hewins, the creature is bound to him forthe duration below.

PactPactPactPactPact

Level Duration1 1 round2 1 minute3 1 hour4 1 day5 1 week

PuppetSpeed: 3Duration: VariesTrappings: An evil stare, a kiss, a

touch, a potionThe puppet spell allows minions of

the Reckoners to control a person’smind and make him commitunspeakable acts. It’s about the worstthing a black-heart can do to a truehero—making him do the very evil helives to fight.

To use the spell, the caster makes anopposed faith roll versus the target’sSpirit, adding +1 to his own roll for eachlevel he has in puppet.

If successful, the target becomes theminion’s puppet for the duration below,plus another increment of that durationfor each raise on the opposed roll.Whether there’s a telepathic linkbetween them is the Marshal’s call.

A person affected by the puppet spellcan occasionally snap out of his stupor.Anytime the puppet is forced to commitan act that is completely against hisbasic nature, he may attempt a Spiritroll to break free of his master’s grip.

PuppetPuppetPuppetPuppetPuppet

Level Duration1 1 round2 1 minute3 1 hour4 1 day5 1 week

ScryeSpeed: 1 minuteDuration: ConcentrationTrappings: Crystal balls, visions,

eyeballs (clairvoyance), ears(clairaudience)Dark minions often need to track

their prey. The scrye spell grants thema vision, allowing the evil magician towatch and even listen in on hisopponents. The spell doesn’t necessarilytell the caster where the subjects are,but if the cultist is familiar with thearea, he can make an area knowledgeroll to figure it out. The TN depends onwhat sort of landmarks can be seen inthe vision as set by the Marshal.

The spell level determines thedistance from which the party can bespied upon.

ScryeScryeScryeScryeScrye

Level Distance1 1-mile radius2 10-mile radius3 50-mile radius4 100-mile radius5 No limit

Sendin’Speed: 2d6 minutesDuration: One nightTrappings: Nightmares

When a hero gets on the bad side ofa cult, it may seem there’s nowhere leftto hide. Sendin’ lets the unholy houndtheir prey even in sleep.

This spell allows the cultist to inflictnightmares upon the character. Treat itas if the character were afflicted withthe Hindrance night terrors. Althougheach casting lasts only a single night,the cultist can recast the spell on thevictim each night to get a sustaineddrain on the character’s will. The TN forthe victim’s Spirit roll to resist the

90 Marshal

nightmare is Hard (9). Feel free to tailorthese nightmares to fit the scenario orcampaign rather than simply telling thecharacter she’s having bad dreams.

Sendin’Sendin’Sendin’Sendin’Sendin’

Level Range1 100 yards2 500 yards3 1 mile4 5 miles5 10 miles

SpookSpeed: 1Duration: SpecialTrappings: The being’s own bone-

ugliness, an icy grip, a weird stareThe minions of evil are a creepy lot.

This gift makes them even more so.Some find it easier to scare off curiousfolks than confront them.

When cast, the disciple causes allthose who can see him to make animmediate guts check.

The level of the spell determines theTN of the guts check.

SpookSpookSpookSpookSpook

Level Modifier1 32 53 74 95 11

StormcallSpeed: 5–30 minutesDuration: VariesTrappings: Blizzards, hailstorms,

tornadoesFew things make folks nervous like

a dark and stormy night. Better yet, badweather is quite handy for keeping a

posse pinned down while a cult carriesout its abominable schemes.

Stormcall brings a terrible squalldown upon the area. Anyone venturingout into the storm is battered and torn,both by the storm itself and by thearray of whirling debris stirred up by it.Any hapless sodbuster who getscaught in it slowly takes Wind damage.

The area affected by the spell, aswell as the Wind damage inflicted onthose in the storm, are based on thecaster’s spell level.

StormcallStormcallStormcallStormcallStormcall

Level Area of Effect Wind Loss1 1-mile radius 1/30 minutes2 5-mile radius 1/10 minutes3 10-mile radius 1/5 minutes4 25-mile radius 1/minute5 50-mile radius 1/6 rounds

StunSpeed: 1Duration: VariesTrappings: Bindings, energy, poisons

Sometimes evil cultists need livingvictims for their pagan sacrifices. Mostfolks won’t willingly strap themselvesonto an altar, so the dark disciples ofthe Reckoners need some way to stuntheir prey that doesn’t blast holes inthem like bolts o’ doom tend to. When acultist wants someone still kicking, thisis the spell they use.

To do so, the minion must touch orfire a projectile at the victim. If it hits,the victim makes a Vigor check againstthe appropriate TN (as shown below).The amount of time the victim remainsparalyzed or unconscious also increaseswith the spell level, though the cultistcan end his curse whenever he likes.

StunStunStunStunStun

Level TN Duration1 3 1d4 rounds2 5 1 minute3 7 1 hour4 9 1 day5 11 Until dispelled

Abominations 91TransformationSpeed: 2Duration: 2 rounds/levelTrappings: Body painting, self-

mutilation, jagged clawsVoodoo legends abound with stories

of bokkor who transform themselvesinto werewolves or worse. Other evilcultists often transform into minions oftheir dark pantheon.

With transformation, the cultist callson the power of her dark patrons tochange her physical form. This is aspell and not a natural ability like thatof certain abominations. As such, itrequires the caster to perform a shortritual.

Transformation alters the cultist’sbody into a fearsome monstrosity ofsome sort. The appearance of themonstrosity is up to you, Marshal, but itshould be something horrible. At lowerlevels, it may only change a limb ortwo, but more skilled casters can affecttheir entire body.

When transformed, the caster takeson whatever form is appropriate. It’shard to list levels for an effect like that,so you’ll need to decide exactly howpowerful the new form is and what thecultist’s transformation level is.

The level determines how long ittakes to complete the transformationas well as its duration.

TransformationTransformationTransformationTransformationTransformation

Level Speed Duration1 5 2 rounds/faith level2 4 1 minute/faith level3 3 1 hour/faith level4 2 As desired5 1 As desired

ZombieSpeed: 2d6 actionsDuration: VariesTrappings: Pentagrams, dust, potions

This spell turns a corpse into awalkin’ dead, pure and simple.

This does not create corpses. Itanimates those that exist. The newlyundead can go make new corpses out ofthe posse though.

Corpses made in this way don’t lastlong—a couple of weeks at best. Thereare exceptions, of course, like thesoldiers in Santa Anna’s Army of theDead, but most necromancers can onlymake the dead walk for a night or so.

Treat the zombies as walkin’ dead.Zombie used on a battlefield mightproduce “veteran” walkin’ dead. Bothare detailed later in this chapter.

ZombieZombieZombieZombieZombie

Level Number of Undead1 1 human2 1 creature of any size3 1d6 humanoids4 4d6 humanoids5 A cemetery (50 people)

Chapter Five:

The Weird West

The history of the Weird West ismostly the same as that of the realworld, at least up until 1863. That’swhen the Reckoning began and madethe world such a wicked place. It’s nota wonderful place to live, but it suremakes for an exciting game setting.

That’s what this chapter’s all about.We’re going to give you a fair amountof detail on the history, importantplayers, and major locations you mightwant to use in your game. Give it aread, then figure out where you wantto start your campaign. If you wantmore information on an area, you mightcheck out other Deadlands products.We’ve got quite a few books out therethat dig much deeper into our mostexciting and popular settings. Each ofthese covers weird locations, new relics,

dastardly villains, and secret cults.Once you have the Weird West

Player’s Guide and the Marshal’sHandbook, you don’t have to buyanything else, of course, but theseother sets can fill in a lot of thedetails we can’t fit in here.

The WarLet’s start with the War. The

American Civil War, that is. After thedead rose at Gettysburg, the generalswithdrew from the battlefields to tryand figure out what happened. Thenext time the Union Army of thePotomac met the Confederate Army ofNorthern Virginia, the same thinghappened. And worse.

The governments put the Pinkertons(later the Agency) and the TexasRangers in charge of finding out whatthe Hell was going on, and after a fewmore battles, the answer was clear.

These “troubleshooters” learned theviolence and terror of battle somehowspawned these horrors. They alsolearned that the more people knew, themore scared they got and the moremonsters seemed to crawl out of thewoodwork. So the war dragged to ahalt, and soldiers who had seen thehorrors of the battlefields were

split up, and convinced they hadsuffered some sort of insanity or massdelusion caused by the horrors of War.

From that point on, both the US andConfederate governments have workedvery hard to keep the existence of thesupernatural quiet. At first, this almostworked. The battles stopped for awhile, agents sought out and dealtwith the first abominations, and thosewho saw them were kept quiet.

But the Reckoners weren’t defeatedso easily.

The Great QuakeThe west coast has been rocked by

violent quakes for several million years.The ancient people who lived thereknew it, and prayed to the earth spiritsto protect them. The spirits agreed andthe deal was sealed with great pictures,known as the “rock paintings,” up anddown the fault line of the coast. A fewthousand years later, the NativeAmericans of the coast maintained theimages, though they had forgotten theirspecific purpose. But the Reckonersknew, and they led Raven to the secret.In early 1868, he ventured there,vandalized the paintings, and used hismagical powers to start a minor tremor.The earth spirits, infuriated at thedestruction of their millennia-oldmemorials, turned the tiny tremor intothe greatest earthquake the world hasever seen.

California fell into the sea, turningthe land that remained into a massivelabyrinth of towering sea-canyons.Thousands died. But that wasn’t theReckoners real purpose. Their true goalwas to provide an excuse to expose anincredible new mineral. The stunnedsurvivors of the quake discovered itfirst. A group of survivors near SanDiego found that the black rock theyhad gathered was not coal as they hadthought. It was an entirely newsubstance that burned nearly 100 timeshotter, brighter, and longer than coal.

At first these tales received littlenotice, but as more and more peoplereported discovering rich veins of thestuff, the public realized there might besomething to the stories after all. Thedust of the quake had barely settledbefore a bunch of scientific typesheaded west to check things out. Theycalled this stuff “ghost rock” because ofthe ghostly vapors and low moan therock emits when burned. The inventorswho tried to demonstrate ghost rock’sincredible properties were first laughedat as eccentric kooks. That’s when themembers of the press dubbed them“mad scientists.” The name stuck, but itdidn’t take more than a few flyingmachines and ghost rock and steam-powered horseless carriages toconvince the public there were fortunesto be made from their madness.

A 17 Year War?How could a conflict that ended in five years

in the real world (1861-1865) still be going on inDeadlands for 17 years?

There are two answers. First, blame it on themanitous. Whenever the armies fought a majorbattle after Gettysburg, too many weird thingshappened. The generals could hardly press theirattacks with reports of dead men stalking thebattlefields. If you want details on some of thesebattles, check out Tales o’ Terror: 1877. In additionto updating current events in the Weird West, ittakes a look at a few of the more importantbattles that have raged since the Reckoning.

The second answer is that the war has gonethrough many lulls in the last 17 years. These“cold wars” erupt every other year or so,particularly around Election time (1860 and everyfour years afterwards). The historically minded ofyou might realize that means the Southessentially won the War. After all, they were onlyafter their own independence, right?

From our modern perspective that might betrue, but try telling that to one of the shell-shocked survivors who live along the Mason-Dixon line between the two nations. Or any ofthe besieged towns along the Mississippi, nowcalled the “River of Blood” by some.

With periodic offensives, constant raids, spies,sabotage, and a continuing Northern blockadethat has economically devastated the South,there are scant few Rebels who would claimthey have won. They might say so in the pulpits,podiums, and papers, but quietly, most think theCivil War is at a long stalemate with no end insight.

The Weird West 95War Machines

The Confederate government wasespecially interested. President JeffersonDavis got the notion these amazinginventions could be used to turn thetide of the war. In January of 1869,Davis declared that the Union state ofCalifornia no longer existed and the“Great Maze” was now a ConfederateTerritory. His plan was to seize theghost rock for the South and develop anarmy of war machines the likes ofwhich the world had never seen.

Teams of Texas Rangers combed theWest to recruit those with knowledgeof ghost rock. Those scientists whosigned up with the Rebels were takento a secret Confederate base at Roswell,New Mexico.

Those scientists who refused theTexas Rangers’ offer couldn’t pass theirknowledge on—at least not without aseance. This is why mad scientists tendto keep to themselves to this very day.

Davis has never really got hold of theMaze, but he has been able to establishenough pro-Southern settlements thereto secure a decent supply of ghost rock.Mile-long mule trains carry tons of thestuff to Roswell, long ago establishingthe now-famous “Ghost Trail.”

The scientists at the secret base inRoswell conducted every conceivableexperiment (and a few inconceivable) tocreate infernal devices. In less than ayear, Davis demanded the scientiststurn over their gizmos—ready or not.

The Battle ofWashington

The Confederates attackedWashington with their new toys inFebruary of ’71. The Union forces werecaught completely off-guard and pushedback into southern Pennsylvania.Fortunately for the boys in blue, theConfederates’ gizmos began to conk outand the Rebel supply of ghost rock ranlow. Ulysses Grant, Commander of theArmy of the Potomac, rallied his forcesand staged a massive counterattack. Leewas forced to retire across the Potomac.

Fortunately for the Union, theConfederate war engine was spent. Theoverworked inventors back at Roswell

did not fare well. Many went mad whiledeveloping the new weapons. Some hadbeen killed in experiments or whileattempting to repair their gizmos onthe battlefield. A larger number, tired ofthe horrible conditions at Roswell,deserted. Some took their weird gizmoswith them. It is said the bones of manyof these mad scientists still liebleaching in the desert beside theirpriceless inventions.

To make matters worse for the Rebels,a famous band of Union soldiers knownas the “Flying Buffalos” raided the basein early ‘72. These men, led by veteranofficer Jay Kyle and Sergeant Amos,stole many of the South’s best designs.Davis was furious and responded byordering the base to be moved to asecret, underground location with onlyone entrance. To hide the base, theConfederates detonated tons of ghostrock and low-grade coal to createburning ore piles, then they leaked wordthat a horrible experiment had caused adisaster. The public believes the “secret”base was destroyed and figures theConfederates have another onesomewhere else.. That’s almost true. Thenew base lies beneath the smolderingruins of the old. Only a few senior TexasRangers and the special infantry detailthat guards the camp know the saferoutes in. Even the scientists inside arekept in the dark, literally, to make surethey don’t desert.

The AftermathThese events were the kick in the

pants needed to get the USgovernment’s attention. Grant realizedwar machines powered by ghost rockwere the way of the future. His wearyeyes turned toward the Maze.

Secretly, he commissioned theconstruction of “Fort 51,” a secret basein southern Nevada designed to be theequivalent of the Confederate’slaboratory in Roswell.

Publicly, Grant started the Great RailWars.

96 Marshal

The Great RailWars

The ghost rock rush and therenewed vigor of the War Between theStates spawned the hateful stepchildknown as the Great Rail Wars.

In an impassioned speech before ajoint session of Congress, Grantproposed the government support theconstruction of a transcontinentalrailroad. Plans for such a railroad hadbeen proposed before, but the war andthe rise of the Indian nations hadderailed them (no pun intended,Marshal).

The next day, Congress unanimouslypassed the Transcontinental RailroadAct. It offered a 10-year monopoly ongovernment ghost rock shipments tothe first railroad to complete acontinuous rail line to the Maze. Thecontract was worth billions.

Across the border, Jeff Davis realizedthe first country to have rail access to

the Maze would not only have an edgeon creating new war machines (not tomention billions of dollars to buildthem), but could also quickly masstroops along its length. He urged theConfederate Congress to match the USoffer. They did. The Confederate RailCommittee was created days after theUS legislation passed.

The Coming of theGangs

The race quickly captured thepublic’s imagination. The furthestposition of the railroads’ work crewswas reported daily in the newspapers.Fortunes were won and lostspeculating on the railroads’ stocks.Betting on which railroad would be thefirst to reach a certain longitudebecome a national pastime.

At first, dozens of railroads competedto be the first to reach the Great Maze.Then the race got dirty. With so muchat stake, competition steadily escalated,making the rail wars of the mid-1860slook like a bake-off. All the railroadsrecruited gangs of hired guns—andsometimes stranger allies. The morescrupulous companies used them toguard their interests. The underhandedones used them to actively sabotagetheir rivals.

By 1870, only six of the mostpowerful and well-financed railroadsremained in the race to the coast.

Bayou VermilionBayou Vermilion is run by a wealthy

New Orleans merchant of Haitiandescent, Baron Simone LaCroix. Thepublic doesn’t know much about thereclusive LaCroix. The Baron’s hermit-like behavior has led to all types ofwild stories, including some that claimhe dabbles in the black arts. It isn’teven known where he gets his baronialtitle from, but he insists he beaddressed as such by his employees.

In truth, Baron Simone LaCroix getshis name from the cult that worshippedhim in his native Haiti. As you mighthave guessed, LaCroix is a voodoomaster of the first order. His mysteriousfirst name—Simone—is normally a

The Weird West 97

woman’s name. His cult gave him thatname—after he consumed his sisteralive in a bizarre voodoo ritual (seeRiver o’ Blood for the whole story).

LaCroix cares nothing for the railroador the race to the coast itself. He drivesto Lost Angels because one of his darkdeities told him to. His only realenjoyment is power and the terror hespreads along the way.

When his railroad is far enough fromcivilization, Baron LaCroix allows thescores of young and ambitioushoungans (voodoo priests) to raise thedead and put them to work on the line.Strangers unfortunate enough to seethe dead men will likely be grabbing apickax and joining them shortly afterthe houngans catch up with them.

Bayou Vermillion’s expansion slowedconsiderably after arriving inTombstone, Arizona. The local Apachetribes, who see his use of the dead inthe isolated outlands, revile B.V. and itshoungans. They destroy theseblasphemies every chance they get,usually taking a few valuable houngansand hired guns with them. This hasforced the redeployment of guards andwork crews along the length of therailroad. B.V.’s glassy-eyed guards arenot particularly observant, butdangerous and difficult to put down ina fair fight.

Black RiverBlack River Railroad was run by

Miles Devlin, a ruthless S.O.B. byanyone’s standards. Back in ’67, theTennessee Central railroad tried topressure Devlin into selling hiscompany. When that didn’t work, theyput a bullet in his back. But no onecounted on Miles’ wife Mina. WhenMina Devlin inherited Black River’sstock, everyone expected her to sell it.They were sorely disappointed. In thenext few months, this raven-hairedbeauty proved she was twice as brightand four times as mean as her latehusband. Some say Mina only turnedcruel after Miles’ assassination. Truth isshe was born a black-heartedseductress, willing to do anything toaccomplish her goals. Her and Mileswere truly a match made in Hell andshe avenged his death with blood. It

wasn’t long before a number ofexecutives from Tennessee Central (andtheir families) were on permanentsabbatical in Hell.

Building a transcontinental railroad isjust a means to prove a woman can bejust as megalomaniacal as a man toMina. She could care less about theactual linking of East and West. Tofurther her ends, Mina has longdabbled in the dark side of witchcraft.She is now one of the most powerfulspell-slingers in the West.

Black River’s rail line runs smackthrough the Disputed Lands. Minararely pays towns for the right-of-way,preferring campaigns of seduction,violence, or intimidation instead. Hergangs are some of the meanest in theRail Wars. She doesn’t have all the toysof Wasatch, the glassy-eyed servants ofBayou Vermillion, or even the resourcesof Dixie Rails, but her people can holdtheir own against any of theiropponents. Women are preferred andactually get paid substantially morethan men of equal skill.

Black River’s most feared gang is the“Wichita Witches.” Their name is nocoincidence. They are the brighteststudents of her evil ways. The beautifulbut deadly witches are led by a whip-cracking beauty from south of theborder named Violet Esperanza. Violetand her girls are as fast on the draw asany male gunslinger and can hit a mansmack in the privates at 50 yards witha pistol.

Dixie RailsDixie Rails is owned in part by retired

General Robert E. Lee. The company ismanaged by his nephew, Fitzhugh Lee.Like Joshua Chamberlain of Union Blue,both uncle and nephew thought it theirpatriotic duty to secure the riches of theGreat Maze for their own strugglingcountry. The Lees chose to build theirrailroad along the border so that it couldbe used to quickly shuttle Confederatetroops along the frontier in times of war.

98 Marshal

Both Robert and Fitzhugh Lee areprivy to the Confederacy’s greatestsecrets, however, and their close ties tothe Confederate administration allowthem to test secret Rebel war machinesfrom Roswell. A few of their war trainsrival those of even Darius Hellstromme.In the Rebel tradition, Dixie Rails hasfewer secret devices, but the ones theyhave are top quality.

Dixie Rails makes most of its moneycontracting out to the Confederacy. Therailroad’s greatest obstacle to winningthe Great Rail Wars is that Fitzhugh isnowhere near as crafty as his uncleRobert. When Fitzhugh is left to hisown devices, the railroad strugglesalong at a moderate pace. Only whenGeneral Lee takes an active hand inthese matters does the railroad reallylive up to its full potential.

Iron DragonPerhaps the most unlikely of the rail

barons is a man known only as Kang.This Chinese magnate amassed hisfortunes shipping ghost rock from theMaze to points east. Far East. And hewasn’t particularly nice about it.

Everyone who lives there knows tofear the colorful sampans of Kang. Hispirates steal their ghost rock fromother miners, raiding their camps andmaking off with their ore-laden barges.The rest of the warlord’s money comesfrom the opium trade, prostitution, andany other vice he can dip his well-manicured hands into.

Kang is a ruthlessly efficient warlord.He is also a superior martial artist andan even better sorcerer. But despite allhis personal power, he knows the keyto his secret ambition—establishing hisown nation in the northern Maze—ismoney. Lots of it. Piracy and graft arelucrative, but the real money to bemade is in shipping ghost rock to thewar-torn eastern states. To meet this

The Sioux Nations

The Coyote Confederation

The Confederate States of America

The Disputed Lands

The United States of America

The City ofLost Angels

Sacramento

Virginia City

Portland

Fort 51

SaltLakeCity

Tombstone

El Paso

Albuquerque

Santa Fe

Roswell

Denver

Cheyenne

SanAntonio

Dallas

Dodge

Salina

Billings

Seattle

Deadwood

Fargo

MinneapolisMilwaukee

ChicagoDes Moines

Cedar Rapids

Peoria

KansasCity St. Louis

HoustonNew Orleans

LittleRock

Jackson

Memphis

Minor Railroads7. Kansas City & Little Rock

8. Denver Pacific9. Santa Fe & El Paso

10. Great Northwestern

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1 inch = 300 miles

Major Railroads1. Iron Dragon

2. Wasatch3. Union Blue4. Black River5. Dixie Rails

6. Bayou Vermillion

The Weird West 99

demand, he bought out the old Chicagoand North Western, renamed it IronDragon, and quickly extended its lineswest.

Kang entered the race later thanmost. By the time his first rolling stockwas ready, all of the good routes westhad already been claimed. So the craftyKang did what no other rail baron wasable to do—he headed straight into theSioux Nations.

The real problem with building arailroad through the Sioux Nations isthe Old Ways movement, a rejection ofeverything technological. Kang’s railroadwas a direct challenge to the Old Waysmovement, which had already hadsome resistance from younger Sioux.

Fortunately for Kang, a few monthsbefore he joined the rail wars, the tribeswho lived near Devil’s Tower, Wyoming,were attacked by strange demons. TheSioux call them “paha wakansica,” or“mountain devils.” Kang’s agents foundout about the situation and alsolearned the Sioux’s arrows and rifleswere useless against the wakansica.Even many of their shamans had diedfighting the evil creatures.

Kang had no idea what these horrorswere, but he believed he and hiswarriors could defeat them. The GreatFathers, desperate for help, agreed thatif Kang could stop the wakansica, hecould build a single line through thesouthern Sioux Nations. The warlordwent to Devil’s Tower with ahandpicked band of martial artists,Japanese samurai, gunslingers, andmad scientists.

The strangest gang ever assembledentered the tower and fought a battleunlike any the world has ever seen.We’ll tell you a little more about whathe found inside on page 117, but the realsecrets of the wakansica’s lair arerevealed in the Devil’s Tower adventuretrilogy.

Kang’s success in battling thewakansicas really paid off in ’75 whengold and ghost rock were discovered inthe Black Hills, right in the heart of theNations. The Sioux agreed to let himbuild a single spur to the “treaty city”of Deadwood and Kang’s fortunes grew,allowing his ominous Iron Dragons tochug on westward.

Union BlueJoshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the

hero of Gettysburg, is the president ofthe Union Blue Railroad. Chamberlainwas working as Grant’s aide de campwhen the competition was announced.Realizing the strategic importance ofthe transcontinental railroad to thecountry, he asked for and received aleave of absence to form the railroad.

Union Blue runs just south of theSioux Nations. As you might expect, thespurs Chamberlain needs to generaterevenue often stray into the DisputedLands. This means very slow going dueto constant harassment by Rebelguerrillas and Black River saboteurs.

Chamberlain’s real advantages stemfrom his personal character. Hisincredible sense of integrity and honorhas won him many friends along hispath, including many militarycommanders and the leader of theAgency’s Western Bureau—the Ghost.This is why he is able to quickly andcheaply negotiate right-of-ways withtowns in both the United States and itsterritories as well as the DisputedLands.

Chamberlain’s workers—the best-treated of all the rail crews—would diefor their selfless master. Many of hisguards are veterans of the war, someof whom are disabled but make up fortheir disadvantages with colddetermination. All of Chamberlain’sworkers take the job of protecting theline and its crews very seriously.

Wasatch RailroadThe “iron horse” most folks are

betting on is Dr. Darius Hellstromme’sWasatch line. The railroad is namedafter the mountains around hisrenowned laboratory in Salt Lake City,Utah, also known as the City of Gloomfor the constant cloud of ghost-rocksoot that hangs over the heavilyindustrialized city.

100 Marshal

Hellstromme is the world’s foremost“mad scientist.” His incredible inventionshave led to faster trains, mechanicalmen, and even ornithopters.

Hellstromme has an easy timewinning rights-of-ways in the West. Hemerely bribes the town’s mayor orcitizens with money or some fantasticdevice. When he can’t win a right-of-way so easily, Hellstromme isn’t aboveresorting to terror tactics. He letsnothing stand in the way of his goals.The murder of fools who stand in hispath is completely acceptable thisobsessed inventor.

A Seventh Player?There is one other railroad that has

become a player in the Great Rail Wars,the Denver-Pacific. This line runs fromSalt Lake City to Denver and has nochance of running the entire width ofthe nation, but its position puts it in aprime position to sell itself off to oneof the “big six.”

Even more interesting, the DP isowned by the Smith & Robards company,a mail-order factory specializing in weirdgizmos (mad science). The owners don’tlike Dr. Hellstromme as their ideas oftencompete, and each accuses the other ofconstant industrial espionage and patentviolations. Smith & Robards’ compoundin the mountains above Dr.Hellstromme’s factories in Salt Lake Cityis well-guarded or they would have beendead a long time ago.

State of theRail Wars

The Rail Wars heated up in thesummer of ‘76 with a flurry ofconfused and bloody fights called the“Battle of the Cauldron,” but events inthe City of Lost Angels have recentlycaused the railroads to come to ascreeching halt. See The Edict of ‘77later in this chapter for all the gorydetails.

The lull is good for the tired survivorsof the Rail Wars, but bad for thecompanies. Most of them stakedeverything on reaching the coast. Nowthey found themselves barely breakingeven providing service to the townsalong their exposed rail lines.

The Electionof `76

The simultaneous presidentialelections in both the North and theSouth captured almost everyone’sattention in late 1876 (whether theywanted it to or not). The elections, andthe accompanying military actions ofthe so-called November Offensives, didlittle to change the status quo of theWar between the states.

The Southern ElectionIn the South, Jefferson Davis has

ruled unchallenged since the start ofthe Civil War in 1860. The election of `76changed all that.

General Robert E. Lee retired fromthe CSA Army in 1870 to help run DixieRails, but received the unsolicitednomination of the reconstituted WhigParty, a loose coalition of factionsunited by their opposition to Davis, andthey did most of the actualcampaigning on his behalf.

Though smaller in scope andnumbers, the rallies organized insupport of Lee by the crippled andmaimed veterans of Lee’s army spokemore poignantly for his election thananything else possibly could. Onlypublic concern over the (soon-to-be) 70-year-old former general’s healthseemed to lessen Lee’s chances ofelection, and the more partisan ofDavis’ supporters ceaselessly remindedvoters of the general’s near-death byheart attack six years prior.

The Northern ElectionUlysses S. Grant was the Union

incumbent. Grant was set to step downand resume command of the UnionArmy. In late ’75, however, GeneralsSherman and Sheridan convinced Grant

The Weird West 101

that only he could remain presidentwhile the Civil War raged on. Letting a“civilian” run the war would only resultin a quick death for the Union.

Grant’s challenger this time aroundwas Democrat Samuel Tilden, theGovernor of New York. Tilden,spokesman of the Union “peacemovement,” was rarely able even tobegin a speech, lacking the incumbent’sSecret Service protection. In Tilden’scase, hundreds of wounded Union armyveterans shouted down his every wordand were all too zealous in their effortsto prevent his supporters from showingup in the first place.

The NovemberOffensives

As everyone expected, the Fall of 1876saw a renewal of the fighting all alongthe Mason-Dixon line.

VirginiaNovember 1st saw the first action of

the offensives with the Battles of SixthManassas. The Union Army, supportedby a fleet of massive, ghost-rockpowered land-ironclads advanced on theConfederate lines. At the same time,three newly constructed Union aircarriages began a bombing campaignover the Confederate capital ofRichmond. Only a swiftly brewed homeair corp of Rebel ornithopters and theunleashing of the Confederacy’s newlydeveloped terror weapon, chlorine gas,saved the day for the South.

The fighting and shelling raged forweeks (while the ballots were counted),but in the end neither side gained aninch of ground. All that wasaccomplished was a veritable feast ofhuman misery for the Reckoners.

KentuckyMeanwhile, General Sherman led his

Union forces across the Ohio river intoKentucky, first evacuating, then sackingthe city of Louisville. He then advancedon Bowling Green, Kentucky, leaving aswath of destruction in his wake notunlike the one left by his forces inGeorgia a decade earlier.

The Union forces seemedunstoppable as they advanced onBowling Green, and only theintervention of a collective abominationcalled The Black Regiment, a group ofspectral soldiers who live only for deathand destruction, saved the Rebel forcesfrom complete destruction.

As it happened, Sherman was forcedto retreat his men back into northernKentucky, and retired across the riverinto Indiana in late January of 1877.

KansasWhile there was no organized

offensive in Kansas as such, the arrivalof a force of Federal troops there somedays before the elections destabilizedthis powder keg of a state completely.Pro-Northern Jayhawkers and pro-Southern border ruffians clashed evenmore than normal. The Federal troops,under General Sheridan’s commandwere dispersed throughout the state torestore order, and turned the tide forpro-Union forces.

102 Posse

In response, the CSA dispatched acavalry force under General Gano as anequalizer. So, ultimately the balance ofpower in Kansas has not shifted—thereare just more people with guns in thestate now.

DetroitWhile the Union was on the offensive

on its southern border, it was forcedonto the defensive on its northern one.Confederate saboteurs have beenworking out of Canadian bases forseveral years, and the Union had begunto fortify the Canadian border as a result.This didn’t sit too well with the British,who already have made overtures ofsupport to the South. Still, the Union wasnot prepared for what happened onNovember 5th, when a British linedivision crossed the Canadian borderinto Michigan and seized the city ofDetroit. The British have since fortifiedtheir position, as seem to be in theoccupation for the long haul.

Sound & FuryAfter the casualties and the ballots

were all counted, the events of late 1876seemed to have produced onlyunintended consequences. PresidentGrant had sought to rekindle Northernsupport for the War by launching theNovember Offensives, but he succeededonly in triggering an international crisiswith Britain. Nonetheless, he won by asubstantial margin over his opponent,Samuel Tilden.

The results in the Confederacy aremore controversial. The votes cast inthe states went to Lee by a slightmargin, but highly suspect votes fromthe territories and Disputed Landstipped the election in Davis’ favor by arazor-thin margin. Cries of fraud wereheard from every part of theConfederacy, and only the publishedpersonal appeals from Lee himselfaverted a national uprising, and thenonly just.

Back EastHere’s a brief run down of the

political situation Back East. Eventsthere are often far-removed from theboomtowns of the Great Basin and theMaze, but they do affect the DisputedLands significantly.

For more complete details on whatgoes on east of the Mississippi, checkout the Back East: The North and BackEast: The South sourcebooks.

The SouthIn the South, Jefferson Davis has

ruled since the start of the Civil War in1860. The recent election in ‘76 was thefirst real challenge to his power.

The main reason he proved sounpopular is because the people arestill suffering greatly from the ravagedeconomy. The Northern blockade andconstant raids make food sparse. Thegovernment is little help since Davisputs all of its money into developingwar toys or paying its huge armies.That leaves little left for relief ordisaster programs.

The cries of fraud are quite correct.Stealing the election was easy forDavis, who saw to it the electoral votesassigned to the western territorieswere counted and recounted until theyadded up in his favor. However, he mayfind it difficult to continue covering histracks, as more people than ever nowbelieve something is amiss with thePresident.

Many wonder how this once caringman could be so callous to his starvingpeople.

Davis’ SecretThe reason why is that he isn’t the

same man who took office at the startof the war. He’s actually an evildoppleganger who’s been in charge forthe last several years.

In the winter of ’71, Davis toured thehills of Kentucky to scare up newregiments to replace those lost in theBattle of Washington. On the last night,the President took a lonely walk in thecrisp mountain air to relieve histensions. There a sickly, shambling

Fate & Bounties 103thing with white, wet skinbushwhacked him and ate him alive.The bloated thing then crawled into thewoods and waited for its bizarretransformation to take place. By thenext night, the doppleganger hadassumed Davis’ appearance, and moreimportantly, his knowledge andambitions.

In its original form, the dopplegangeris clever but not truly intelligent. Whenit assumes a human form, it assumesits host’s consciousness, albeit in itsown twisted fashion. The dopplegangerwho consumed Davis wants to keepthe country at war and wreak as muchdevastation as possible on the North.Though it has so far been subtle, itsdesigns are causing it to fast lose favorwith the mostly unsuspectingConfederate people.

The Jefferson Davis doppleganger’sfuture plans for the war includes thecontinued development and deploymentof weapons of mass destruction, mostof which would horrify the most ardentof proponents of the War.

With the terror weapons beingdeveloped by Confederate scientists andanother term in office under his belt,the Davis doppleganger hopes tocontinue spreading as much death andmisery as possible.

General LeeRetired General Robert E. Lee is

suspicious of Davis. He took a positionas a special advisor at the ConfederateDepartment of War just so he can keepan eye on the President.

Lee’s recent electoral defeatconfirmed that there was somethingvery wrong in the Confederate WhiteHouse, but the aging military man stillhas no idea exactly what. Davis hasmoved to distance himself from Leesince the election, encouraging him togo back to running Dixie Rails full time.

Lee is unsure what to do now. Buthe believes he may have to dosomething soon. He knows that if hetried an outright coup d’etat it mightgive the Union forces the opening theyneed to crush the Confederacy. And yethe sees Davis steering his belovednation down the path of destruction.For now Lee waits—and plans

The NorthThings are a lot more straightforward

up north, at least as far as thepresidency goes. Ulysses S. Grantremains President of the United Statesof America. While there was a littlebehind the scenes influence in the `76election, it came mostly in the form ofstaging demonstrations against Tilden’speacenick campaign rather thanoutright electoral fraud.

The British invasion of Detroit hashad one upside for the beleagueredpresident: it has solidified the people ofthe Union behind Grant and halted (atleast for the moment) what was arising tide of opposition to the Warwith the Confederacy.

Despite the complete failure of theNovember Offensives, Grant, backed bya pro-War congress, intends to continueprosecuting the War with the South—right after he deals with the Britishtroops messing about on his northernborder.

104 Marshal

Agents &Rangers

Now that you know a bit about thegovernments that spawned them, it’stime to tell you about the North andSouth’s secret weapons in the war onthe supernatural: the Agents and theTexas Rangers

The AgencyIn the West, Agency operatives (or

simply Agents) are the Union’s elitesecret investigations branch. Originallythis duty fell to the Pinkerton DetectiveAgency, but the Union governmentrevoked their contract in early 1877 formore direct control of operations.

That was the public face of it, at least.In reality, the branch of the Pinkertonsthat handled secret operations was splitaway from the Detective Agency andabsorbed whole by the US government.The name changed, but the faces

actually remained the same, right up tothe man tapped to head the wholeshebang—Allan Pinkerton, founder ofthe PInkerton Detective Agency!

Watching the Shadows In addition to watching for sedition,

sabotage and espionage, the Agencyhas a much more important function,just like it’s PInkerton predecessor:investigating the paranormal. Agentsnever admit this publicly, however. Infact, most won’t even admit they’reworking for the Agency.

If word of an encounter with thestrange or bizarre gets out, however, the“men in black” are usually on the scenewithin hours, at least in Union territory.

Agency OrganizationAgents work on several levels. Full-

time Agents carry badges. Localsheriffs and town marshals aresupposed to comply with them underan executive order issued by PresidentLincoln way back in ’64, and modifiedby Grant in `77. US Marshals are alsosupposed to comply with the Agency,but their independent nature often putsthem at odds with their fellow lawmen.

The GhostThe Pinkertons’ founder, Allan

Pinkerton, remains in charge of affairsin the East. In the West, a mysteriousfigure known as “the Ghost” is incharge. Only Allan Pinkerton, PresidentGrant, Generals Sherman and Sheridan,and a few other high-level officialsknow this operative’s true identity.

The Ghost is none other than formerPresident Abraham Lincoln. After hisassassination in 1865, Lincoln returnedfrom the dead Harrowed. He and a fewclose associates chose to let the rest ofthe country think he was dead—in thetraditional no-talking, no-walking-around sense, that is.

Over the next few years, Lincolnmastered his manitou and began todevelop his arcane powers. When hefinally felt he had control, he used hisability to become incorporeal andslipped into the White House inFebruary of ’73.

The Weird West 105

President Grant knew a little aboutthe Reckoning from his agents in thePinkertons, but having the undeadformer president walk into his bedroomnearly gave him a heart attack.

After a few hours of Lincoln’scalming voice and more than a few stiffdrinks, Grant welcomed his old friendback. Then Lincoln told him his plan.

The former President, havingexperienced the power of theReckoning firsthand, wanted to use hisdark gifts against the bizarretransformation of the world.

Lincoln would be easily identified inthe East, however, so he traded in hisstovepipe hat for a Stetson and headedwest. At Grant’s behest, Allan Pinkertonofficially placed Lincoln in charge of the“Western Bureau” under the false nameof Andrew Lane. The press has come tocall him “the Ghost,” however, and it isfar more appropriate than they know.

The Ghost rules the Western Bureauwith an iron hand. He is sly andeasygoing personally, but he’s strict andunforgiving in his policies, just as hewas as President in the early years ofthe Civil War.

Lately the Ghost has been seenoperating near a mining boomtown inthe Great Maze called Gomorra, alongwith a handful of his Agents. He’s beenremarkably close-mouthed about thesituation, only communicating directlywith Allan Pinkerton and Grant himselfabout the matter.

The GhostCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d6, Q:3d10, S:4d6,

V:2d8Climbin’ 3d6, dodge 3d6, drivin’:

steamwagon 3d6, fightin’: brawlin’3d6, horse ridin’ 4d6, shootin’: pistol4d8, rifle 4d8, sneak 5d6, swimmin’3d6, teamster 3d6

Mental: C:4d10, K:3d8, M:5d12, Sm:5d12,Sp:4d10

Academia: occult 4d8, area knowledge:Illinois 5d8, bluff 3d12, disguise 5d8,faith: Christianity, guts 5d10,language: Sioux 2d8, Latin 3d8,leadership 4d12, overawe 7d12,persuasion 3d12, professional: law 6d8,politics 6d8, scroungin’ 1d12, scrutinize6d10, search 4d10, streetwise 2d12,tale-tellin’ 3d12, trackin’ 2d10

Edges: Friends in high places: USgovernment 5, keen 3, “the stare” 1,“the voice” (soothing and grating) 2

Hindrances: Curious –3, enemy: toomany to list here –5, Oath: to heal thenation –5

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 18Special Abilities:

Grit: 5.Harrowed: Dominion: Harrowed 8,

Manitou 2. Powers: Ghost 5,stitchin’ 2.

Gear: Two Colt Peacemakers, 100rounds and a letter of authority fromPresident Grant

Description: The Ghost looks likeAbraham Lincoln, if perhaps a bitpaler.

106 Marshal

The SpooksLincoln’s handpicked coterie of

agents are collectively known as the“Spooks.” All of these agents areintelligent and deadly gunmen, and afew are as undead as Lincoln. Somehave mistakenly identified them as theAgency’s “Inner Council.” In truth,Lincoln rules the Western Bureau withcomplete autonomy.

Lincoln travels with at least fiveSpooks. Another 15 or so are dispatchedto trouble spots around the country—sometimes even venturing undercoverinto the Confederacy. Though theSpooks should be treated as individuals,below are the stats for a more or less“standard” living agent. A few verytrusted Spooks are Harrowed, and youshould come up with their abilitiesseparately.

Profile: SpooksCorporeal: D:4d10, N:3d8, S:3d8, Q:4d12,

V:2d8Climbin’ 3d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’:

brawlin’ 3d8, horse ridin’ 4d8,shootin’: pistol, rifle 5d10, sneak 3d8,swimmin’ 2d8, teamster 2d8

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:3d10, Sm:3d10,Sp:3d8

Academia: occult 3d8, bluff 3d10, disguise2d8, guts 5d8, leadership 3d10, overawe4d10, persuasion 3d10, scrutinize 4d8,search 3d8, trackin’ 4d8

Edges: Friends in high places: Agency4, sand 3, tough as nails 3

Hindrances: Enemy: Texas Rangers –3,oath: destroy or contain thesupernatural –4

Size: 6Pace: 8Wind: 16Special Abilities:

Grit: 5.Other Powers: A few are hucksters,

one is known to be blessed, andone is even a Sioux shaman.

Gear: Most of the spooks prefer single-action pistols, Winchester ’73 rifles,

or shotguns. All carry a secret letterof authority from President US Grantsewn into their clothes.

Description: Varies according to theindividual, but long black dusters arecommon.

AgentsAgents are the mainstay of the

Agency’s personnel. They do the“average” Agency work: investigatingsupernatural incidents whileobfuscating the truth about what’sgoing on in the Weird West as much aspossible.

While not as tough as the Ghost’spersonal assistants, the spooks, theyare still usually more than equipped todeal with average supernatural threats

Profile: Typical AgentCorporeal: D:4d8, N:2d10, Q:4d8, S:2d6,

V:2d6Climbin’ 2d10, dodge 2d10, fightin’:

brawlin’ 3d10, horse ridin’ 3d10,shootin’: pistol, automatics 4d8, sneak2d10, swimmin’ 2d8, teamster 1d10

Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:4d8, Sm:3d8,Sp:3d6

Academia: occult 3d6, bluff 3d8, disguise4d8, guts 4d6, overawe 4d8,persuasion 3d8, scrutinize 3d8, search2d8, trackin’ 3d8

Edges: Belongin’s: gatling pistol 3,Friends in high places: Agency 2

Hindrances: Enemy: Texas Rangers –2,oath: destroy or contain thesupernatural –3

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: A Gatling pistol, a disguise kit

and an Agency badge.Description: Agent’s appearances are

as varied as their missions. Most ofthe time they make an effort to looknormal or nondescript.

TroubleshootersThe Agency hires local well-knowns

when full-timers are scarce, or formissions where they expect highcasualties and are looking for a fewexpendables. The Agency invariablytreats troubleshooters like mushrooms:

The Weird West 107

keep them in the dark and feed themmanure. They also aren’t likely to use atroubleshooter twice in the same areato keep them from knowing too much.

Though they may be working for theAgency, troubleshooters have noauthority. Local lawmen often workwith them only if they share the sameinterests. If they don’t, the lawmenusually take the opportunity to pay theAgency back for usurping theirauthority in the past.

The Star ChamberSenior Agency operatives, like

veteran Texas Rangers, know of theHarrowed. They also know some ofthese individuals can fight the demoninside them and regain control of theirbodies. When they can manage to stayin charge, the Harrowed can becomegreat allies in the fight against theReckoners.

Once a Harrowed is captured, it’sdifficult to tell who’s in charge.Manitous are clever liars, and they canfool even the most skilled interrogators.The Rangers rely solely on theirjudgement, but after many years ofbloody failure, the Agency has deviseda better method: the “Star Chamber.”

A huckster working for the Agencyconstructed the Star Chamber forsorting the good from the bad and theugly. The Star Chamber is hidden deep

inside a warehouse in the Denverstockyards. On its floor is a circleenclosing a five-pointed star. Harrowedare bound with rope or handcuffs andplaced at the center of the star. Thenthe huckster engages the thing in aspiritual test of wills and tries to bindthe manitou’s soul.

Binding manitous isn’t a sure thing.When the Agents fail, they usuallyapply a flamethrower to theunfortunate host, killing him and hismalignant parasite forever.

Only the Spooks and a few seniorAgents know of the Star Chamber.Other full-time agents are told tocapture Harrowed characters wheneverthey can and bring them to Denver byrail. They are met by the Spooks or itsduly appointed representatives, and theHarrowed prisoner is immediatelywhisked away to the secret warehouse.

Binding a ManitouOnce the Harrowed is inside the Star

Chamber, it cannot leave the pentagramor use its powers on anything outsidethe confines of the circle’s borders. Itcan fire a weapon, throw things, or doanything else a normal mortal could do,but it cannot cast spells, use powers, orotherwise supernaturally affectanything outside the pentagram.

The manitou gains instant buttemporary Dominion while inside the

108 Marshal

pentagram. The mortal soul is repressedand cannot later remember the incident.

Once the manitou is trapped in thisway, the interrogator starts to work. Hisrole is to win a contest of wills withthe creature. If he wins, he can bindthe spirit for a while. If he loses, themanitou gains total Dominion over itshost. Dominion may be regainednaturally if the Harrowed somehowescapes, but the Agents always breakout a flamethrower and themarshmallows if they can’t succeed.

To begin the binding ritual, theinterrogator begins asking the spiritquestions. The nature of the questionsdoesn’t really matter, as such. Thebanter is really only symbolic of anincredible battle of wills.

After two hours of this, the manitouand the agent must each make a Fair(5) Spirit roll. The manitou’s Spirit canbe determined by a draw of cards (asper the character creation rules) if youdon’t already know it. Now theparticipants each draw five cards plusone for every success and raise ontheir Spirit rolls.

Whoever gets the best poker handwins.

If the manitou wins, the interrogatorsuffers 3d6 damage and can’t everattempt to bind this manitou again. Ifthe manitou loses, it is bound and theHarrowed character gains completeDominion. The undead can loseDominion normally once the host isreleased, but the mortal soul is givenrelief from his parasitic tormentor forat least a while.

Agents use the Star Chamber onlywhen they have a worthy subject. It’s adangerous process, and unless theHarrowed is strong-willed, he wouldlikely just lose control to his manitou afew months later.

The Texas RangersThe Confederacy relies entirely on the

military to do its interstate policing inthe West. Regiments scatteredthroughout Rebel states and territoriesalways have jurisdiction over local townmarshals and county sheriffs.

Of the military units, one in particularhas free reign over the entire Southwest:the Texas Rangers. These surly fellowsfought as regulars in the early years ofthe war, but they were later detachedfrom the regular military to serve theConfederacy as mounted police officers.

That’s all the public knows. Youraverage CSA citizen has no idea that theTexas Rangers have another job: hunting

The Weird West 109

monsters. Richmond has charged theAustin, Texas-based Rangers withdetecting and stopping supernaturalactivity in the borders of theConfederacy, as well as suppressing thetruth about the supernatural events.Their methods of doing so are often abit less subtle than the Agency’s.

There’s an old saying that goes,“one riot, one Ranger.” This is truewhen they’re dealing with outlawsor lynch mobs. When they’rechasing something less natural, thewily Rangers travel in packs, muchlike wolves but twice as mean.

The Rangers’ unspoken motto is“shoot it or recruit it.” You see, there arecertain creatures in the world that canbe used to fight the tide of evil thathas washed over the Weird West. TheRangers love to get these darkchampions to fight for them. If theyeventually turn against the Rangers—and quite often they do—they quicklyfind their way back into the blackholes from which they came.

Typical Texas RangerCorporeal: D:2d12, N:2d10, Q:4d10, S:3d8,

V:4d6Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 2d10, fightin:

brawlin’, knife 3d10, horse ridin’ 2d10,quick draw: pistol 3d10, shootin’;pistol, rifle 4d12, sneak 2d10

Mental: C:1d8, K:1d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:3d6

Area knowledge: Texas 4d6, guts 4d6,language: Spanish 2d6, leadership3d6, overawe 4d6, search 2d8,survival: desert 3d6, trackin’ 2d8

Edges: Law man 5Hindrances: Big britches –3, enemy:

Northerners –2, obligation: shoot orrecruit the supernatural –5

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: 2 double-action Peacemakers, a

good horse and a Ranger badge. Mostkeep a rifle or shotgun and somedynamite on their horse as well.

Description: Rangers keep a lowprofile until it’s time to get down tobusiness. Still, most folks can tell bytheir demeanor, their long, blackdusters and wide-brimmed hats thatthey’re one of “Texas’ Finest.”

The Ranger’s BibleRangers are given a book titled

Fugitives from Justice in the Confederacy,though it is more commonly known asthe Ranger’s Bible.

Published every year, it containsinformation about every criminalwanted anywhere in the South—personal history, known habits,contacts, friends and family, andanything else that might prove useful.

There’s a second section to the bookthat’s even more interesting, but onlysenior Rangers get the copies with thatpart. It reports some of the weird orunexplainable events the Rangers haveencountered over the last 13 years. Thisincludes a “bestiary” of all the less-than-ordinary creatures running aroundthe Weird West, and a “rogue’s gallery”of all the people the Rangers feel are asupernatural threat—from hucksters toblack magicians and the Harrowed.

Rangers have come to call this partof the book “Chapter 13.”

Most Rangers know Chapter 13 exists,but aren’t allowed to even see them.They can only wire their findings toRanger’s headquarters and hope asenior “researcher” there (usually amaimed Ranger who can’t work the“field” anymore) can figure somethingout. It’s just too risky to give thesebooks to all Rangers. If one should fallinto the hands of a civilian, or worse,the Tombstone Epitaph, God only knowswhat havoc it could wreak.

General KingThe Ghost, Allan Pinkerton, and

General William King, commander ofthe Texas Rangers, are the threeAmericans who know the most aboutthe Reckoning. They know becausethey report it and record it every day.

King is a no-nonsense man whobelieves firmly in the Ranger’s methods.He isn’t shy about it, either. YoungRangers who disagree with him arequickly “transferred” to the CSA cavalry.

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The Weird West 111A Tour of the

Weird WestHere is a brief overview of some of

the more interesting people, places, andthings your posse might discover asthey explore the Weird West. Theentries are broken down by region tohelp give you a better idea of what’sgoing on in the area in which you setyour campaign.

The GreatNorthwest

Washington, Oregon, IdahoAt first glance, the beautiful

landscape of the Great Northwest isserene and peaceful. The mist-shroudedbase of Mount Rainier, the snowyevergreens of the Cascade range, andthe crystal lakes lure a man into theirarms like a siren’s call.

Don’t be fooled. The howls in thenight are more than just the wind.

The general Fear Level of theCascades is 1. In areas wheresasquatches or wolflings are spotted,the Fear Level rises to 2. If a wendigoterrorizes a settlement, the town’s FearLevel jumps to 3 overnight.

SasquatchesIf the Indians are feeling particularly

generous with their stories, they maytell folks why the tops of certain totem-poles bear furry, humanoid faces.These people believe a race of giant,hairy humanoids resides in the vastuncharted woodlands of the Northwest.They call these creatures by manynames. “Sasquatches,” “brothers of thewoods,” or “bigfoots” are the mostcommon. The Salish Indians aroundSeattle believe the sasquatches live inthe hollow trunks of tremendous, livingtrees high in the Cascade Mountains.They claim the sasquatches have anentire village and even a hierarchy ofleaders, warriors, workers, and the like.They only venture down to check ontheir little Indian brothers and sisters orto see how these new, pale-skinnedfolks live.

They’re right. Sasquatches arefriendly, huge, primordial pre-humanswho have their own simple languageand use tools. They do not know thesecret of fire—though they arefascinated by it. They are trulyintelligent—though primitive—and craftywoodsmen. Sasquatches are alsorelentless trackers and elusive prey,using tricks and simple but clever trapsto throw pursuers off their trail.

The sasquatches’ ancient enemies arewendigos (detailed below). Thesecreatures were common before the GreatSpirit War, and they have made adramatic comeback since the Reckoning.

Sasquatches try their best to keepnew wendigos from coming into being.Whenever they see a starving human,they try their best to provide him withsustenance. Sasquatches don’t like to letthemselves be seen, so they leave theirgifts of food along trails where hungryhumans are most likely to find them.

As you might guess, sasquatchesmercilessly attack any human theycatch consuming the flesh of another.

Profile: SasquatchCorporeal: D:2d6, N:3d8, S:3d12+2,

Q:2d10, V:3d12Climbin’ 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, sneak

5d8, swimmin’ 2d8, throwin’: rocks 4d6Mental: C:3d10, K:3d6, M:3d8, Sm:2d8,

Sp:4d10Area knowledge: Cascades 7d6, guts

3d10, medicine: general 4d6, overawe4d8, scrutinize 2d10, search 3d10,survival: mountains 4d8, trackin’ 3d10

Pace: 8Size: 8Wind: 22Terror: 5Special Abilities:

Damage: Sasquatches sometimesuse sharp sticks to catch fish(STR+1d4 damage), and they canthrow large stones (STR+3d6).

Description: Sasquatches are largeape-like humanoids covered inreddish-brown fur.

112 Marshal

WendigosThe mountains of the Northwest

grow deathly cold in the winter.Survival is always a trial, especially thequest for food. When sustenance isscarce, folks do horrible things. Likeconsume human flesh.

The Indians of the area abhor theidea. When a person resorts to thisheinous practice, he sometimesbecomes an evil creature called awendigo. They are huge, hairy beastswith oversized mouthfuls of jaggedteeth, huge claws, and white, pupilesseyes. Their fur can be white or black,but never brown like a sasquatch.

Becoming a WendigoShould a character ever be forced to

(gag!) consume human flesh in theGreat Northwest, secretly roll a d20. Add+1 to the roll each time the characterconsumes flesh from a new victim, andadd another +2 if this incident ofcannibalism occurs during winter.

On a 20 or higher, the cannibalbecomes a wendigo under theMarshal’s control. There’s no way to getthis not-hero back, so the player shouldmake a new one.

White WendigoFolks who eat the flesh of close

friends or relatives become whitewendigos. These creatures are evenbigger and meaner than the blackvariety (which are described in thecolor bestiary of this book).

Use the stats for the standardwendigo with the followingmodifications: raise its Strength to4d12+8, its Quickness to 3d10, and it’sVigor to 3d12+4. A white wendigo has 2points of Armor.

The coup gained for killing a whitewendigo is different as well. AHarrowed who sups on a whitewendigo’s essence gains the stitchin’ability. If he already has the ability, he

gains a level in it, or he cuts theregeneration time to five minutes if healready has the power at level 5.

Flying WendigoA rare few wendigos even have

wings. These abominations swoopdown from the sky and drag theirvictims into the frigid air. Once theyhave done so, they fly at such extremespeeds that the victim literally beginsto burn up from the friction. Flyingwendigos prey on misers who hoardtheir food from their companions,forcing them to starve to death duringharsh winters.

Flying wendigos are created by foodmisers. Roll a d20 whenever acharacter’s companion starves to deathand he hides or hoards food from theunfortunate victim. Add +1 to the rolleach time another of the miser’scompanions starve to death.

Profile: Flying WendigoCorporeal: D:2d6, N:3d10, S:2d12+4,

Q:3d10, V:2d8Climbin’ 2d10, fightin’: brawlin’ 2d10,

sneak 2d10Mental: C:2d10, K:2d6, M:3d10, Sm:2d8,

Sp:2d8Area knowledge 4d6, overawe 4d10,

search 3d10Pace: 30 (flying); 6 (walking)Size: 8Wind: 16Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Coup: Flying wendigos grantHarrowed souls the ability tolevitate a few feet off the groundfor 1 Wind per round.

Damage: Claws (STR+2d6), bite(STR+1d6)

Night Vision: Can see normally inall but total darkness.

Weakness—Hot Tallow: As withregular wendigos.

Flight: Pace 30Grapple: Flying wendigos kill by

grasping their victims from aboveand then dragging them throughthe wintery air at incrediblespeeds. With surprise, the wendigoneeds a single Fair (5) success topick up a man-sized character. If

The Weird West 113

the prey is aware the thing is afterher, she can make this an opposedNimbleness test. The creatureneeds at least one raise to pick upprey. In either case, the victimneeds at least one raise on anopposed Strength test to breakfree.

Wind Burn: Once the prey isairborne, he begins to literallyburn up and takes 1 Wind perround until he dies or breaks free.Note that the wendigo doesn’tactually move this fast—it’s purely asupernatural effect. Breaking freecan be painful—a cowpoke takes5d6+25 damage when he hits theground 25 yards up at a Pace of 30.Still, it’s better than dying from afriction burn.

Description: This kind of wendigois white and has two huge wingsin place of its arms. Its legs arelanky but strong and end in twoterrible talons. Its head is that of aregular wendigo, though its teethare longer and more jagged.

WolflingsThe settlers and Indians of eastern

Washington agree the many wildwolves that roam there are dangerouspredators. The locals have more to sayabout the beasts, but they say it only inwhispers. Their legends tell of half-human, half-wolves with coats of purewhite. These feral creatures supposedlylive in the lost valleys of the CascadeMountains and venture out only to preyon mankind.

Wolflings are not lycanthropes orshapechangers. They are simplyintelligent wolves with long, oddlyjointed legs that allow them to walk ontwo legs or four. They prefer four forrunning and hunting and two forfighting.

The wolf people have fingers andopposable thumbs and use crude toolsand weapons. They occasionally wearjewelry, scarves, or other clothingthey’ve taken from their victims.

Wolflings and sasquatches are notgood neighbors. Since sasquatches tendto wander alone, the wolflings havepreyed on their kind for generations.

This is why the sasquatches became soelusive and learned to set suchremarkable traps. On the wolflings’part, they have honed pack tactics to afine, bloody point.

Profile: WolflingsCorporeal: D:2d4, N:3d10, S:2d10, Q:3d10,

V:3d8Climbin’ 5d10, dodge 3d10, fightin’:

brawlin’ 4d10, sneak 6d10, swimmin’2d10

Mental: C:4d10, K:2d6, M:3d8, Sm:3d6,Sp:4d10

Area knowledge 5d6, guts 3d10,overawe 3d8, search 3d10, survival:mountains 3d8, trackin’ 6d10

Pace: 10 (2 legs)/20 (four legs)Size: 6Wind: 18Terror: 5Special Abilities:

Damage: Bite (STR+1d6), claws(STR+1d6)

Description: See above.

114 Marshal

Winter WarsAll types of wendigos retreat into the

snowy mountains during the warmermonths. There they turn their savageattentions to the villages of thepeaceful sasquatches. The wolflingsside with the wendigos, though thelatter are cruel masters who basicallychase the wolflings into the sasquatchvillages more than they actuallycommand them.

This epic struggle has lasted forcenturies. The Indians claim theancient wars are often the cause of theCascade Mountains’ sudden and violentavalanches, some of which have beenknown to wipe out entire villages.

The Fear Level of these bloodybattlegrounds is 4, should anyone everstumble across one.

The HighPlains

Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, DakotaThe northern end of the Great Plains

look harmless. Low rolling hills seemopen and inviting, and the gentlyswaying grass seems to welcome theweary traveler.

Nothing could be further from thetruth. These storm-swept plains arehome to horrors and chaos beyondimagining. Lurking behind every knollis a creature in search of prey. In thetall grass, fiends with bloodshot eyesand dripping fangs silently stalk lonetravelers for meat—or for play.

The High Plains has an average FearLevel of 2. A few areas are muchhigher, as you’ll see below.

The BadlandsFear Level 4 (average)There are many dangers in the

Badlands, but two bear special attention.

Death From AboveSome say winged raptors prowl the

twisted valleys and canyons of theBadlands. Government agents whoinvestigated the area late in ’75 claimthese are giant condors and warntravelers to avoid this area.

That’s pure government propaganda,Marshal. The flying terrors of theBadlands are devil bats. You’ll find theirstatistics and a full-color picture ofthese dangerous horrors in ChapterThree of this book.

The Fear Level in the valley aroundtheir lair is 4. It would be higher ifthere were more people around.

Worm CanyonFear Level 5There is an even more sinister evil at

work deep in the Badlands. Accordingto several prospectors who haveexplored the area, there is alabyrinthine section of the Badlandscalled “Worm Canyon.” As you mightguess, it is home to a number of giantworms similar to Utah and Mojaverattlers.

The Weird West 115

The worms’ young can be foundeverywhere. A few trappers have takento skinning young ones and sellingtheir tough hides for use as hatbands.The price of a single young rattler hidecan fetch as much as $2 a yard. Thetrouble, of course, is the mommas. Theydon’t much like having their little onesskinned. And they’re a lot moreintelligent than most people think.

Some trappers who have been thereclaim a local cult worships thecreatures. The misguided pagans havedyed their skin a deep purple hue inhonor of the worms and even makehuman sacrifices to the creatures. Evenmore strange, the images of those whohave fallen victim to the cult turn up inthe eerie rock formations of thecanyon, making the jagged cliffsresemble twisted human corpses.

Of course the rumors are true. TheCult of Worms is led by “Queen” Ursula,a maniacal sorceress. She and her“coven” of witches were up to no goodout Reno way when they werecaptured by Nevada Smith, a famousspy for the Agency.

Smith’s superiors ordered him to takethe prisoners back to Washington forstudy. He took the northern route back,of course, but halfway along theOregon Trail, the coven overwhelmedSmith and his hired freelancers andescaped into the Badlands.

Smith barely survived. When hefinally recovered, he was rushed to theCity o’ Gloom (where he continues tofoil Dr. Hellstromme’s plots to this day)and never got to track the coven down.

After escaping, Ursula and hertwisted coven found themselves trappedin the Badlands by giant worms. Ursulaused her powers to talk to the critters,and the evil horrors surprised her withtheir intelligence. But the thingsdemanded she sacrifice one of hercompanions if she wanted to live.

Ursula blinked in disbelief for amoment, then quickly hurled one ofher surprised coven forward. Shecackled with glee as the monstersgobbled up her sacrifice.

Since then, the worms have madeUrsula both their prisoner and theirQueen. If the sorceress and her cultdon’t make a human sacrifice once aweek, the worms eat one of the coven.

Ursula accepted her fate warmly. Orperhaps, “wormly.” She dyed her skinpurple, stopped taking baths in thelocal watering hole, and started makingup chants, prayers, and songs in honorof the worms. Her followers decided togo along with it after she fed thosewho didn’t to her huge friends.

Ursula’s greatest challenge is findingnew sacrifices. There aren’t manyvisitors to Worm Canyon (the Sioux giveit a wide berth), but the clever witchsoon hit upon a plan. Ursula let a fewtravelers pass through her lands safely,but only after telling them she wasthere with her “fellow prospectors”hauling out wagonloads of gold.Needless to say, Ursula has had littletrouble finding sacrifices since then.

The giant worms’ statistics and afull-color picture can be found inChapter Three. Here’s the lowdown onUrsula and her wackos.

UrsulaCorporeal: D:2d6, N:2d8, S:2d6, Q:2d8,

V:2d6Climbin’ 3d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’:

brawlin’ 2d8, sneak 4d8, throwin’:bolts o’ doom 5d6

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d10, M:3d10, Sm:4d8,Sp:3d12

Academia: occult 5d10, area knowledge:Worm Canyon 4d10, disguise 2d10,faith 5d12, leadership 4d10, medicine:surgery 2d10, overawe 3d10, scrutinize3d8, search 3d8, survival: desert 2d8

Edges: Arcane background: blackmagic 3

Hindrances: Loco: megalomanic –3Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 18Special Abilities:

Black Magic: Bolts o’ doom 3, darkprotection 2, stun 3

Gear: A long knife (STR+1d4).Description: Ursula used to be quite

pretty, but her dyed purple skin andcurrent lack of hygiene make herpretty repulsive right now.

116 Marshal

Profile:Fanatical WormCultists

Corporeal: D:2d6, N:3d6, S:2d6, Q:3d6,V:2d6

Climbin’ 4d6, dodge 4d6, fightin’:brawlin’ 3d6, shootin’: pistol 2d6,sneak 5d6

Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:2d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:2d6

Academia: occult 2d6, area knowledge:Worm Canyon 4d6, faith 4d6, overawe2d6, search 3d6, survival: desert 2d6

Edges: Arcane background: blackmagic 3

Hindrances: Loco: worm worshippers–3, loyal: Ursula –3

Pace: 6Size: 6Wind: 12Special Abilities:

Black Magic: Dark protection 1,stun 3

Gear: A few still keep double-actionpistols, but most rely on their blackmagic to bring down their opponents.

Description: These slavering fanaticsare all purple and filthy, following thedictates of their subterraneanmasters.

Black Magic TrappingsBolts o’ Doom: Only Ursula has this

black spell. Her version resembles acrimson and purplish energy ray thatblasts her opponents.

Dark Protection: The cultist’s dyedskin works like the giant rattlers’ hidesto repel damage.

Stun: Ursula’s horrible stun is aninvisible beam that causes the victim’sveins and arteries to writhe andconvulse like worms. The attackautomatically hits any one targetwithin 50 yards. Once the victim isparalyzed, the cult takes them to theAltar of Worms (see below).

The Altar of WormsFear Level 6The cult makes its sacrifices at a

bizarre altar high on a twisted peakoverlooking the Badlands. Theunfortunate victims are placed on thealtar, stunned or bound, while thecultists chant and stamp their feet toalert the rattlers below. In five minutes,giant rattlers gather in a great circle atthe base of the cliff. In their midst arehundreds of their young.

The sacrifice is pushed off the altarand into the squirming mass of worms50 feet below. The victim is cushionedby the bodies of the worms and thentorn to pieces by the young’s mouths.When the grisly rite is finished, therattlers and their larvae burrow backinto the ground.

The soul of the victim is consumed.He cannot return as a Harrowed, nor beresurrected by any means. Proof of hiseternal damnation can be found in thehills and cliffs of Worm Canyon—theimage of the victim’s corpse appearsthere over the next few hours. Exactlywhat purpose this serves is unknown.

Little ’UnsRattler larvae can be found all over

the Badlands. Strangely, all the babyrattlers the trappers kill in the area areabout three feet long. The theory is theystay underground until they’re this size,prowl around the surface for a while,then go down for further incubation.

Young rattlers travel in packs of 2–12,and have the following statistics:

Young RattlersCorporeal: D:1d4, N:3d6, S:3d6, Q:3d6,

V:3d6Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d6Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:2d8, Sm:2d6,

Sp:2d6Pace: 6/15 burrowingSize: 4Wind: 12Terror: 3Special Abilities:

Burrowing: Pace 15Damage: Bite (STR)

Description: These worms look likeminiature versions of their hugeparents.

The Weird West 117The Black Hills

Fear Level 3The Sioux call these ancient hills,

“saha paha.” To them, the hills are asacred place where a brave can cometo relax, meditate, and cleanse his soul.At least before gold and ghost rockwere discovered there. These days, abrave can’t even sit down withoutlanding on a grubby prospector tearingthe Black Hills apart.

Under the Deadwood Treaty of ‘75,miners are supposed to pay a $100 feeto stake a claim in the Black Hills. Mostof them can’t afford the fee until theyhit a vein of gold or ghost rock,however, so they sneak into the hillsillegally until they get lucky.

The Sioux are ruthless in patrollingfor these squatters. A miner who can’tproduce his claim is dragged back toDeadwood without his gear. Rogueswho fight back deal with the full furyof the Sioux braves. Their corpses aremounted on poles along the trail to theBlack Hills as warnings to other claimjumpers. See Deadwood later in thischapter for more information.

Devil’s TowerFear Level 4The Sioux call it “mateo tepee,” or

“Lodge of the Grizzly.” Devil’s Towersuits the place just fine. If you’ve neverheard of this geological wonder, Devil’sTower is a massive column of rock over850 feet high with a base around 1000feet in diameter. The tower gets itsIndian name from the vertical groovesthat cover its sides. The legend goesthat a gigantic grizzly chased severalIndians to the top of the tower andtried to climb up, making the grooveswith its horrible claws.

Don’t buy into all that hullabaloo.There’s something worse going on atDevil’s Tower than a bunch of angrygrizzlies. A few years ago, the Sioux inthe area spoke in hushed tones of the“paha wakansica,” or “mountain devils.”These things are reputed to have skinlike stones, and strange, magicalartifacts that can melt the flesh off abrave’s bones or freeze the blood in hisveins. There are also some sort of

“scaly grizzlies” living in the area. Atleast one of the Sioux shamansbelieved these creatures were friendlynature spirits come to save them fromthe wakansica. He probably keptbelieving that right up until the beaststore him limb from limb.

The warlord known only as Kangsupposedly defeated the wakansica afew years ago. The Sioux believed himand allowed Kang to build a line toDeadwood.

The truth is that the creatures insideare the mutated descendents of ancientvisitors from the stars. Their entirewarped society lives inside themountain, and is detailed in part threeof the Devil’s Tower adventure series,“Fortress o’ Fear.”

Kang hasn’t defeated thesecreatures—he made a deal with them.He maintains a guard around the towerthat keeps strangers out and littlegreen men in. The grizzlies rumored towander the surrounding plains havelong since been put down by Kang’shired guns.

118 Marshal

YellowstoneFear Level 3Yellowstone was declared a national

park by President Grant in 1872. In caseyou haven’t heard about this incredibleplace, Yellowstone is home to a numberof geological wonders. The Black Cliff isa sheet of pure obsidian over 100 feettall, and a number of hot springs riddlethe land, the steam shrouding the areaaround them in white mist. Of course,the most famous wonders are thegeysers.

These natural phenomena shootscalding water high into the air. Themost violent is Excelsior, which canspit nearly 200 feet straight up. Themost regular is Old Faithful.

The Indians say spirits and demonsdwell in the park. The truth is a Siouxshaman discovered a natural gatewayto the Hunting Grounds deep inside thegeyser known as Excelsior. He andothers tell his people there are demonsaround Yellowstone because strangecreatures sometimes emerge fromExcelsior. Most are minor abominationsand animal essences that populate theHunting Grounds that dissipate if theywander too far from Excelsior. Naturespirits and manitous are far worsewhen they manage to escape from thegateway. Either can survive indefinitelyup to one mile or more away. After

that, the spirits and manitous mustmake Spirit totals (determine theirstatistics with the draw of a card) eachday they wander outside of this zone.When they fail, the creatures areviolently drawn back toward Excelsiorand sucked into the Hunting Grounds.That particular creature may then notreturn to the physical world for 100years.

Nature spirits never intentionally enterthe physical world. They are somewhatabsentminded, however, and sooccasionally become lost in the mistssurrounding the gate. When they realizethey have left the sacred HuntingGrounds, nature spirits are angry andcruel to any mortals who cross theirpaths. They can rarely be reasoned withand must be led—usually by mortal“bait”—back to the gateway. They cannotbe harmed by normal means.

Entering the HuntingGrounds

To enter the Hunting Grounds, aperson must step inside Excelsior andmake an opposed faith check. Shamansmay make a ritual/Spirit check instead,if they desire. The gateway’s faith scoreis determined by drawing three cardsand using the highest value as its faith(compare the card to the Trait Tablefrom the Deadlands Player’s Book.)

The Weird West 119

If the character loses, he drops intothe boiling water below and diesinstantly (unless he has some sort ofprotection from the scalding water).Should the character win, he isinstantly transported to the HuntingGrounds.

We don’t have room to describe themad Hunting Grounds in this book, butit’s a land of incredible beauty andtwisted nightmares. Warp reality asmuch as you want should the possedesire to explore it. The Ghost Dancerssourcebook contains some informationon this strange place. You can even usesuch gateways as a portal to our sistergames, Deadlands: Hell on Earth orDeadlands: Lost Colony.

The DisputedLands

Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, UtahThe Disputed Lands are those states

and territories with no clear allegianceto either the North or the South. Bothnations may claim they own thesestates, but in truth the towns and citieswithin switch sides frequently—andoften violently.

Like the Disputed Lands, the landitself turns broken and jagged as itcrawls westward. The plains of Kansasrise slowly to the rolling hills of easternColorado before finally becoming theRocky Mountains and the jagged hillsof Utah.

The tension and warfare in theunfortunate Disputed Lands keeps theaverage Fear Level at 2. When raidersstrike, a settlement’s Fear Level risesby 1. If Quantrill’s Raiders, the JamesGang, or the Revenant strikes, the FearLevel jumps by 2 overnight.

Fear around Salt Lake City is usually3, but Hellstromme’s experiments causefrequent spikes.

Bloody KansasKansas has been the site of more

than 20 years of guerrilla warfare. Backin 1854, President Franklin Pierce signedthe Kansas-Nebraska Act, opening theterritory to settlement. According to theAct, the people of the territory would be

allowed to vote on whether it enteredthe Union as a free or slave state.

It didn’t take long for pro-slaverygroups from Missouri to filter acrossthe border. Dubbed “border ruffians” bysettlers, these groups tried to ensurethat Kansas would become a slavestate. Their mortal opponents are theJayhawkers, Kansan abolitionists.

Despite the border ruffians’ bestefforts, Kansas was admitted to theUnion as a free state in January, 1861. Afew months later, the Rebels opened upon Fort Sumter and the Civil Warbegan. No major campaigns have beenfought in Kansas, but many neighborsharbor grudges from the earlierfighting, and the war always providesan excuse for a new round ofhostilities. Guerrilla fighting isparticularly intense along the Kansas-Missouri border. The recent influx oftroops into the state has only madethings worse.

Due to the large number ofmurderous thieves acting as militaryraiders, the Fear Level in the mostcontested parts of Kansas is 4.

Profile: Typical RaiderCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d6, S:2d8, Q:2d8,

V:3d6Climbin’ 1d6, fightin’: knife 3d6, dodge

2d6, horse ridin’ 4d6, shootin’: pistol,rifle, shotgun 2d8, sneak 3d6

Mental: C:2d6, K:1d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:1d6

Gamblin’ 3d6, guts 3d6, overawe 2d6,scroungin’ 3d6, search 3d6, survival:plains 4d6

Edges: NoneHindrances: Bloodthirsty –2Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: Raiders can be found carrying

just about any weapon imaginable.Description: Raiders appearances

differ from group to group. Often theywear some remnant of a militaryuniform.

120 Marshal

Quantrill’s RaidersOne of the most famous Rebel

fighters was Bill Quantrill. In 1863, heand his boys burned the town ofLawrence, Kansas, and killed over 150men, women, and children. Later thesame year, he defeated a small unit ofUnion cavalry and put 17noncombatants to death. It wasrumored that a Union cavalry troopcaught him and put him six feet under,but folks claim he still rides. And witha vengeance.

Bill Quantrill returned from the deadHarrowed, but Hell truly followed withhim, for his manitou manages to keepDominion almost constantly. In thisstate, Bill is a bloodthirsty andmerciless marauder. Even women andchildren aren’t safe from his ravages.

He has a single Harrowed power:unholy host. This power is fullydescribed in Book o’ the Dead, but inessence it lets Bill create a band ofundead servants. These are Bloody BillQuantrill’s marauders, murderousundead who kill for sheer pleasure.

On the few occasions when Billmanages to regain Dominion, hebelieves his ghoulish followers areactually demons from Hell sent topunish him for his sins. He doesn’tknow how he escaped from Perdition,but he believes his own undeadminions are chasing him to drag himback to the netherworld.

Unfortunately for Bill, his actionswhile the manitou was in charge havealienated those few who might oncehave believed him a hero. They nowshut their doors and shutters to thelunatic’s screams.

His last hope is Jesse James. Quantrillbelieves his now-famous friend canhelp him fight off the “demons” andsave his mortal soul. Whenever hegains Dominion, he heads for Missouri,keeping to the woods and back roadsso he won’t be recognized and lynchedfor his misdeeds.

When the manitou eventually regainscontrol of Bloody Bill’s soul, it quicklyreunites with its pursuing servants,who are always hot on their master’strail.

Profile: Bill QuantrillCorporeal: D:3d10, N:2d8, S:4d12, Q:2d10,

V:3d8Dodge 2d8, fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8,

fightin’: knife 4d8, horse ridin’ 5d8,quick draw 3d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 5d10, sneak 3d8, speed load3d10

Mental: C:4d6, K:3d8, M:2d8, Sm:3d8,Sp:2d10

Bluff 3d8, guts 3d10, overawe 3d8,persuasion 2d8, professional: teaching3d8, scrutinize 4d6, survival 4d8,trackin’ 4d8

Edges: NoneHindrances: Ugly as sin –1Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 18Special Abilities:

Harrowed: Dominion: Harrowed 1/Manitou 9, Powers: unholy host 5

Terror: 7Gear: Two .44 Colt Dragoons, a

Winchester ’73, and a Bowie knife.Description: Quantrill was an ugly

man in life, and death hasn’t done athing to improve his appearance.

Undead MaraudersUse the statistics for veteran walkin’

dead on page 77.

The James GangThe James Gang are Missourians

who frequent the banks, stagecoachtrails, and rails of Kansas. Jesse andFrank James—as well as frequentcohorts James, Cole, and Jim Younger—are notorious bandits and thieves. Somebelieve the dime novels’ tales of their“daring” exploits, but in truth, thesemen are little more than bloodthirstykillers.

Their troubles began when Frankand later Jesse joined up with “BloodyBill” Quantrill’s Confederate raidersearly in the Civil War. The ruffians whomade up this band had only one thing

The Weird West 121

in common: an intense hatred foranything north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Jesse, in particular, had been nearlybeaten to death by Yankees andwanted revenge. He got his chance in1864 when Quantrill raided Centralia,Kansas. The gang looted and burnedthe town, then massacred over 75unarmed Union prisoners.

When Quantrill was reported killedin ’65, the band scattered. Frank andJesse, too lazy to dirty their hands withhonest work, turned to thievery. Theirtargets are usually banks in theDisputed Lands with Northernsympathies. They are reported to haverobbed a few stagecoaches, but theirnew favorite targets are trains—especially those of Union Blue.

After one train robbery, the boastfulJesse even handed the engineer a pressrelease which stated that the railroad’sowner, Joshua Chamberlain, was aUnion General, and the gang thereforeconsidered the train a “military” target.Why James needed to justify thisrobbery is a mystery. He has certainlyshown no compunction about robbingand murdering just about anyone elsewho gets in his way.

The James—Pinkerton WarUnion Blue and an association of

bankers and former victims called onthe Pinkerton Detective Agency(operating in their civilian capacity as aprivate security force) to solve theirproblems with the James Gang.Unfortunately, a bumbling employee ofthe usually efficient agency thought hehad the James brothers cornered intheir mother’s house. When thebrothers didn’t come out, theoverzealous agent threw an explosivegizmo inside and leveled the place. Theboys’ mother lost her arm, and theiryoung half-brother was killed.

After this incident, opinion in theDisputed Lands is split over whether theJames Gang is made up of legitimateConfederate raiders or greedy, cold-blooded killers. These heartlessmurderers are even considered heroesacross the border in Missouri.

Lately the James brothers have soldtheir services to a minor rail baron

named Richard Barney, who operatesthe Kansas City & Little Rock rail line.

Barney has absolutely no desire tojoin in the chaos of the Rail Wars, andis making quite a pretty penny runningcontraband smuggled across theDisputed Lands down into theConfederacy. The James gang ensuresthat his shipments through theterritories aren’t raided.

Jesse JamesCorporeal: D:4d12, N:4d10, Q:3d10, S:2d6,

V:3d8Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 3d12, fightin’:

brawlin’ 3d10, horse ridin’ 4d10, quickdraw: pistol 4d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle4d12, sneak 4d10

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:3d10, Sm:3d8,Sp:2d6

Area knowledge: Disputed Lands 4d6,artillery: cannons 2d8, disguise 1d8,overawe 3d10, survival: plains 3d8

Edges: Big ears 1, eagle eyes 1, friendsin high places: friends andsympathizers throughout the

122 Marshal

disputed lands 2, friends in highplaces: KC & LR railroad 3, renown 5

Hindrances: Ailin’: lung injury –1,enemy: Pinkerton Agency andNortherners in general –3, outlaw –5

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: Two Colt Army revolvers, one

Sharpe’s big 50, a Bowie knife and ahorse.

Description: See the picture above.

DenverFear Level 2There’s a saying that goes, “all rails

lead west to Denver.” The Queen Cityof the Desert lies nestled in a valley inthe foothills of the Front Range of theRockies. It’s the largest city betweenDodge and the City of Lost Angels, andbetween Texas and Seattle, making itthe perfect place to run a rail to.

Colorado was only made a state in‘76, with Denver as its capital, and thepeople are prouder than peacocks. Ofcourse, both the North and the Southclaim ownership of the state, but thisfar from the battlelines, it doesn’t seemlike most people care much. Of course,there are always exceptions.

The best way east or west of Denveris by the Denver Pacific railroad (seeThe Great Rail Wars, above). Itconnects with three of the major linesin the Disputed Lands, so it’s accessibleto the East. It reaches far west as well,all the way to Salt Lake City where theowners, Smith & Robards, use it to shiptheir incredible wares.

The RevenantThere is a rumor of a tall cowboy

dressed in black mounted atop a palehorse riding from town to town in theDisputed Lands. The papers havenamed this grim figure “the Revenant.”

The Revenant rides into townssearching for lawmen. It isn’t known if

victims are chosen beforehand or if thisdark stranger simply challenges thefirst lawman he sees.

Once his prey is spotted, theRevenant pats his six-gun, silentlychallenging the law to a duel. In aheartbeat, the lawman is dead, and theRevenant mounts his pale horse andrides away.

The Revenant has visited Lawrence,Abilene, Wichita, Dodge, and Denver.Where he’s headed next is anyone’sguess.

The Revenant is an amalgamation ofall the dead outlaws of the West. It is thespirit of criminal hatred and disregard forthe law gained corporeal form.

At High Noon on the thirteenth ofeach month, the Revenant ridesominously into a town and silentlychallenges the most senior lawman toa duel. The only words it ever utters arethe names of its victims, and these arewhispered in hoarse whispers that onlylawmen can hear.

Only a duly authorized lawman candestroy this abomination. This is not aneasy task, since the entity has thecollected skills of all those who are apart of its dark soul.

Profile: The RevenantCorporeal: D:4d12+6, N:2d8, S:3d6,

Q:4d12+6, V:3d8Dodge 3d8, fightin’ 4d8, horse ridin’ 6d8,

quick draw 9d12+6, shootin’: pistol10d12+6, sneak 7d8

Mental: C:4d10, K:4d10, M:5d12+4, Sm:2d8,Sp:7d8

Overawe 9d12+4, guts 8d12+4, search5d10, trackin’ 10d10

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: ImmuneTerror: 9Special Abilities:

Coup: A Harrowed who feeds off theRevenant takes half damage froma lawman’s bullets.

Damage: Army .44 Navy revolver(when this weapon is empty, theRevenant must spend 1d4 actionsspinning its well-oiled cylinder;each action counts as an overawe);when the cylinder stops, the gunis reloaded.

Immunity—All: The Revenant isimmune to all attacks, with oneexception (see below). Evenmagical attacks are useless (otherthan a damage-causing hex to theheart cast by a lawman, of course).

Weakness—Lawmen: To destroy it, aduly authorized lawman must hit itin the heart. A called shot does thetrick. Otherwise, there is a 1 in 4chance on any gizzards hit or 1 in 6on any upper guts hit that theRevenant was hit in the heart.Other attacks may make the entityflinch or fall down, but they do noreal harm.

Description: The Revenent is a tall,nondescript cowboy, its face alwaysshadowed by the wide brim of its hat.

Salt Lake City,Utah

Mormons, or Latter-day Saints, areGod-fearing folks who believe Christvisited America shortly after hisresurrection. They also believe theirfirst prophet, Joe Smith, was visited byan angel of the Lord and given a set ofgolden plates describing the flight ofGod’s chosen people from the HolyLand to the Americas. Smith was alsotold to create this new religion in placeof other misguided religions of theworld. Other than their continuingpractice of polygamy—having more thanone wife—their beliefs differ little frommost other Christians.

The Mormons established severalcommunities in Kansas and Missouri,but they clashed violently with theirneighbors and eventually fled as farwest as they could, founding Salt LakeCity in 1847. They survived under theUtah Territory’s harsh conditions butnever really prospered.

Independent DeseretIn 1866, the current leader, and

Joseph Smith’s successor as leader ofthe Mormon people, President BrighamYoung, declared the Utah Territory theindependent “State of Deseret.” Whileyoung declared publicly that Deseret’sloyalty remained with the Union, fewbelieve that young wants to be part of

either the North or the South. Brighamalmost says as much in his sermons—but never within earshot ofrepresentatives of the US or CSAgovernments.

As things stand now, neither theUnion or Confederacy can spare themanpower necessary to dispute theMormon’s sovereign status.

The Doctor is InEverything changed in 1870. That’s

when Professor Darius Hellstrommejoined the Mormon community.

Hellstromme initially won over theMormons by creating a horselesscarriage that helped them outrun thelocal salt rattlers that dwell in the saltflats. The worms were curiously misseduntil 1863 or so, but ever since they’veclaimed many pilgrims. Hellstromme’shorseless carriages allowed theMormons to cross the flats easily,outracing this terrible threat. Later, hisincredible factories brought jobs andincredible wealth to his adopted family.

The City of GloomWhatever one thinks of the “Mad

Scientist of Salt Lake,” thanks to him,the Mormons are the mosttechnologically advanced people in theworld. Thousands of high-voltage wiresand pipes bearing natural gas sprawlthrough the urban tangle, bringinglight, heat, and electricity to those whocan afford it.

Salt Lake City’s mechanization comesat a cost: the once-clean city now lieshidden under a pall of dirty smoke. It’salso become an attractive spot forprospectors, former rail warriors, orsettlers down on their luck. They flockto the city for quick factory jobs, hopingto work for just a few years untilthey’re back on their feet.

In truth, most of these lost soulsnever leave the factory district of thecity, the polluted sprawl called Junkyard.Even in this grimy subsection, life in thecity is incredibly expensive, so laborersusually find themselves trapped in anendless cycle of wage slavery.

The Mormons themselves haveweathered the change well. They live inSalt Lake City proper. Even the GoodLord seems to favor them, for they donot suffer from the pollution as the“gentiles” of Junkyard do. You can findmuch more information on thisincredible setting in the City o’ Gloomboxed set.

The city’s ore-mining operations arecarried out on the outskirts of SaltLake City. Mammoth conveyor beltsmiles long transport ore to the cityfrom the Wasatch Mountains.

Another booming industry is saltgathering. The brine from the Great SaltLake is two-thirds table salt. Shallow saltboats trawl the waters with netsmanufactured by Hellstromme.Fortunately, the salt rattlers can’t seemto survive in the waters of the Salt Lake.

Since meat is in short supply in theregion, hunters who can bring in freshgame are in great demand, and someare actually insane enough to tacklethe largest game of all: the rattlersthemselves. Some hunt the greatworms in massive land ships. Smallercrews scour the salt flats via strangegliders, dropping sticks of dynamite ontheir tremendous prey from the air.Either is dangerous work, but wormarmor and meat fetches a fair pricethese days.

Pillar of the CommunityHellstromme has carefully cultivated

a following in Salt Lake City. BrighamYoung and the rest of the Mormonelders realize Hellstromme’s importancein their lives. Most are convinced thechanges of the last decade would havewiped them out were it not forHellstromme’s inventions.

Hellstromme lives just south of SaltLake, between the urban sprawl andthe ore-rich Wasatch Mountains. Hismanor is surrounded by barbed wire,hired gunmen, and guard dogs. Why aman who is supposedly Salt Lake City’sfatherly patron needs such protection issuspicious to say the least.

Many Salt Lakers believeHellstromme’s influence has gone farenough. In fact, a few citizens areprivately forming a rebellion againsthim. Several non-Mormons count

The Weird West 125

themselves among this secret circle, butno one argues that the legendaryMormon Danites are the cabal’s leaders.

The Danites were always a secretsociety, charged with protecting andserving Brigham Young. Now they areeven more secretive, for those whospeak out against Salt Lake City’scontinued urbanization often wind updead, hunted down by Hellstromme’sown ruthless and silent enforcers. TheDanites hope to expose Hellstromme’sevil, but know they must have positiveproof to make their kindred riseagainst him. In the meantime, theywork as saboteurs to thwartHellstromme’s most vile plans.

To Brigham and the elders,Hellstromme denies that it is his ownpeople who strike at the Mormon’s“secret army.” Few believe him, butHellstromme’s power and popularitykeep them from exiling him. Even so,the elders might have dealt with thescientist in their own way if not forBrigham Young’s influence.

Brigham had a vision thatHellstromme would destroy the worldsome day. He wants to keep thisdangerous man under close scrutiny sothat he can draw him away from thedarkness and into the love of God. If heexiles him, Brigham will have noinfluence on Dr. Hellstromme’sincredible schemes.

Experiments in TerrorThe truth is that the insidious

Hellstromme is one of the Reckoner’sfavorite playthings. He’s also one of thefew folks who know of the Reckoning,and one of even fewer who havesurmised there are sinister beingsmasterminding the whole thing.

Hellstromme spends day and nightpondering the meaning of theReckoning. He has discovered fear isdefinitely a factor, and he performsexperiments to learn its significance.

The Wasatch railroad serves twopurposes for the nefarious inventor.First, it provides him with money tofund his insane experiments.

Second, certain areas of his railroadare home to special “fear laboratories.”Hellstromme disguises these labs as“roundhouses.”

The rails around these specialroundhouses act as giant conduits,conveying fear from the surroundingareas back to the roundhouse.Hellstromme has a laboratory set up atthe center of the roundhouse wherethe tracks converge. There he cancontrol the flow of fear by rotating thebuilding’s central turntable.

Late at night, Hellstromme probesthe mysteries of the Reckoning bybuilding up the Fear Level within hisarcane laboratories and observing theodd phenomena which occur in hisvarious living subjects and unlivingapparatus. He has had a number ofclose calls with his experiments, but sofar he has escaped unscathed (thoughsome of his guards were not so lucky,and some of his experiments still roamthe Weird West).

Undaunted, the evil doctor continueshis quest for knowledge, determined tofind the truth even if it takes his life(or at least his last hired hand).

Hellstromme’s special rails are knownto have two unintended side effects. Thefirst is that, because of the concentratedfear flowing through them, they tend toattract manitous and other creatures ofthe Reckoning. This causes all mannerof weirdness to occur directly along therailroad’s right-of-way. Encounters withabominations are far more frequentalong the rails, and those mortals whodie near them are slightly more likely tocome back Harrowed.

To reflect this, should a character diewithin 50 yards of Hellstromme’smysterious rails, draw an extra card tosee if he becomes Harrowed.

The second is that passengers of therailroad who are sensitive to the spiritworld (basically any character with thearcane background Edge), have veryunpleasant dreams should they happento fall asleep during their trip. Whiletraveling on the Wasatch, treat them asif they have the night terrors Hindrance.A character who actually has nightterrors suffers a –2 penalty to her Spiritroll.

126 Marshal

The Great MazeThe broken landscape of the Maze is

a magnificent sight. From certainvantage points, a person can seethousands of settlements. Some aresituated atop the cliff-top islands andothers rest on the rubble below.

Everywhere one looks, hopefulminers are lowering themselves overthe island tops, chipping away at thecanyon walls for gold, silver, or ghostrock. Below, ore barges scud back andforth, with perhaps a Federal orConfederate monitor guarding them.

In the shadows, one might just findpirates and raiders. Besides greedyAmericans, there are also the colorfulsampans of the Chinese warlords orthe heavily armed flotillas of theMexican Armada.

Staring out at all of them is the Cityof Lost Angels, perched smugly on thelow inland cliffs overlooking the Bay ofProsperity.

The Maze is breathtaking. In fact ittakes some folks’ last breath.

The constant fighting and paranoiaof the Great Maze keeps the averageFear Level at 2. If Santa Anna razes asettlement, the Fear Level of allcommunities within five miles jumps to3 for at least a month.

Disputed MazeCalifornia is torn by more than just

the aftereffects of the Great Quake. Asin the central Disputed Lands, folks inCalifornia butter their bread on bothsides. Merchants contract to ship goldand ghost rock to both sides of theborder, but they rarely talk about it inpublic for fear of incurring the wrath oftheir clients’ enemies.

Both the Union and the Confederacymaintain a Pacific fleet in crudeharbors and strongholds scatteredthroughout the Maze. They engage inbattle frequently, though both sides arereluctant to commit to a major

engagement for fear of losing theirtenuous foothold.

The Union definitely has the upperhand, though neither side is strongenough to force the other out—especiallywith Santa Anna and the French ForeignLegion leering hungrily at the poorlydefended holdings (see below), andReverend Grimme’s Guardian Angelswatching their very move.

The City of LostAngels

Fear Level 5In the wake of the Great Quake of

’68, the survivors made their way inlandas best they could. It was an incrediblejourney. Besides the lack of food andfresh water, the ragtag refugees had toswim across the shark-infested seachannels and scale the canyons.

The most successful of these groupswas led by a preacher named EzekiahGrimme, who somehow managed toprovide food and water for the entiremotley congregation that followed himfrom the ruins. When they arrived atthe inland side of the Maze, Grimmefound a natural spring and proclaimedthis site a new home for his “lostangels.”

Other refugees eventually wanderedinto Grimme’s camp. The town grewslowly but steadily until the discoveryof gold, then later ghost rock. When therush began in earnest, Grimme’ssanctuary became the natural shippingpoint for everything coming in and outof the Maze.

FamineThe problem in the City of Lost

Angels has always been food. Theinland side of California is dry andvegetation is sparse, making game tooscarce for so many people.

Some villages raise crops, but blightsand other strange plant diseases oftenwipe them out. Cattle is also raised insome areas, but Texas fever and prairieticks run rampant among the herds.Folks in Lost Angels pay five to sixtimes the normal prices for even therangiest meat.

The Weird West 127

One reason that Grimme becamesuch a beloved figure to the people inthe surrounding area is because hisChurch of Lost Angels provides a freemeal to anyone attending Sundayservice.

The Church of LostAngels

The venerable Grimme still leads hiscongregation. The Reverend’s sermonsare pure fire and brimstone.

Most folks in the city are members ofthe church, in body at least if not inspirit. Those weekly feasts after Sundayservices make a lot of friends in thefood-starved Maze.

The Two Faces ofLost Angels

Well, that’s what the normal folk see,anyway. To truly understand what goeson in the City of Lost Angels, Marshal,there are a few things you should knowabout. First of all, the “Savior ofCalifornia,” Reverend Ezekiah Grimme,isn’t the man he used to be. When heled the survivors of the Great Quakeinland, many of them starved. Like thefamous Donner party, some resorted tocannibalism. A religious man, Grimmerefused to take part in it. He died, butthe Reckoners saw their chance to

create a powerful new fearmonger inhis place.

After his death, Grimme’s gnawedbones lay in a pile near the survivor’scamp. That night, a dark miracleoccurred. As the horrified cannibalswatched, the bones grew bloody. Slowly,Grimme’s skeleton stitched itselftogether with oozing sinews and goryflesh. When the spectacle was over,Reverend Grimme had returned from thedead—tattered black priest’s suit and all.

But this was not the good-heartedman who had led his errant flock fromthe ruins of the Great Quake. This wasa full-fledged abomination created bythe Reckoners to take advantage of ahorrible situation.

The new Reverend Grimmeembraced the practice of eating humanflesh. In fact, he demanded his starvingcompanions seek out other refugeesand murder them for food.

When hordes of survivors eventuallymoved in on the camp, Grimme took amore subtle tack. He supplied food andshelter for them while his inner circlequietly took the weak in their sleep.

Once word of ghost rock got out thenext year, the settlement became a full-fledged village. Folks migrated to thecamp from the sundered west coastand the ore-hungry East.

Within three years, the population hit20,000. The City of Lost Angels was

128 Marshal

born, and Grimme’s secret cultists hadgained a herd of witless cattle to feedtheir unholy appetites.

Grimme established the Church ofLost Angels to maintain his own powerwithin the growing community. Hesecretly does everything he can to keepfood prices high, often using his darkpowers to cause blights in nearby cropsand diseases in cattle herds that enterthe city. This makes him that muchmore popular when his church serves afeast of mysterious meats and otherfoods to the starving citizens. Thenature of Grimme’s dark religionprevents his followers fromtransforming into ghouls or wendigos—the fate of most cannibals.

Even better for Grimme, his darkmiracles seem divine within the LostAngels environs (75 miles out, to beexact, after “Bloody Sunday,” see below.)

Needless to say, Grimme is a popularfigure. The Church of Lost Angelsconsiders him a magnanimousbenefactor. The Cult of Lost Angelsknows the dark truth.

Sunday, Bloody SundayIt all started on a Sunday like any

other. During Sunday services at theCathedral of Lost Angels, a horde of“demons” invaded the proceedings,slaughtering many of the churchgoers.It appeared to anyone watching thatGrimme drove them off with holypowers.

In truth, the people killed by thedemons were all part of a bloodysacrifice intended to fuel a ritual thathas permanently expanded Grimme’ssphere of influence out to about a 75-mile radius around Lost Angels.Grimme and his cohorts can now usetheir demonic powers freely within thatradius and it looks like the work of thelord God Himself!

Grimme’s priests can even takechunks of his altar with them tomaintain this illusion further abroad.

The Edict of `77Grimme’s next step was a simple one:

he declared the City of Lost Angels andthe area 75 miles around it a free andindependent state. He abolished allsemblance of a civil government,establishing himself as the head of anew city theocracy. All citizens of LostAngels were given a simple choice: jointhe Church or get out.

Outsiders may still travel to LostAngels of course, but have virtually norights while in the city limits.

Neither the USA or the CSArecognizes Grimme’s authority or thecity’s sovereignty, but neither do theyhave the manpower to do anythingabout it at the present.

The rail barons are alsounderstandably upset. They’ve wageredeverything on reaching the Maze andits priceless ghost rock only to have itshut off by a madman.

Profile: Lost AngelsCultist

Corporeal: D:3d6, N:2d6, S:2d6, Q:2d6,V:2d6

Fightin’: brawlin’ 2d6, fightin’: knife 2d6,horse ridin’ 2d6, shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 3d6, sneak 3d6

Mental: C:2d6, K:2d4, M:2d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:3d8

Bluff 4d6, faith 4d8, guts 3d8, overawe3d6, persuasion 4d6, Scrutinize 4d6,survival 4d6, trackin’ 3d6,

Edges: —Hindrances: Oath: Lost AngelsPace: 6Size: 6Wind: 14Special Abilities:

Black Magic: Bolt o’ doom 3, darkprotection 3, scrye 2, zombie 1 (seeBloody Ones)

Gear: An assortment of guns orknives.

Description: These are the darkpriests that often accompany themore common Guardian Angels ontheir spiteful missions. They pose aspious individuals to the public, butare actually despicable agents of evil.They are the lowest members of the“inner cult.”

The Weird West 129The Guardian Angels

The Guardian angels are the policeforce of the Church of Lost angels.They are becoming more common awayfrom the City these days as theyaccompany proselytizing Church priestson their “crusades.” Angels areorganized in “flights” of five.

Profile: TypicalGuardian Angels

Corporeal: D:2d6, N:2d8, S:2d8, Q:2d6,V:2d6

Fightin’: brawlin’ 3d8, fightin’: knife 2d6,shootin’: pistol, rifle, shotgun 2d6,sneak 2d8

Mental: C:1d6, K:1d6, M:1d8, Sm:2d6,Sp:3d8

Guts 3d8, overawe 2d8, persuasion 4d6,search 2d8, streetwise 3d6

Edges: Law man 1Hindrances: Self-righteousPace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: In a flight of five angels, two

carry double-action pistols, two carryrifles, and one packs a double-barrelshotgun.

Description: Guardian Angels are littlemore than thugs looking for violentwork. They have no idea they are thefoot-soldiers of a cannibal cult.

The Bloody OnesPriests of the cult are sometimes

granted enchanted bones taken fromtheir victims. Grimme gifts them with atwisted miracle that summons forth abloody zombie with putrefying organs,looking much as Grimme did during hisrebirth. These blood-soaked skeletonsare called the “bloody ones.”

A cultist (or anyone else with thebone in hand) need only toss theenchanted bone on the ground tosummon the horrid servants. Thebloody one follows its summoner’sorders to the letter—but only if thesummoner is a flesh-eating member ofGrimme’s cannibal cult. If not, it turnson the summoner immediately,devouring him and then collapsing intoa bloody and useless pile of bones.

An hour after it is summoned, theshambling thing collapses into a pile ofsteaming gore. Bloody ones do notspeak, though they do sometimes emita slurpy laugh (hence the high ridicule).

Profile: Bloody OnesCorporeal: D:3d6, N:3d10, S:3d8, Q:3d10,

V:3d8Dodge 2d10, fightin’: brawlin’ 4, sneak

4d10Mental: C:4d8, K:1d4, M:2d8, Sm:2d8,

Sp:3d6Overawe 4d8, ridicule 4d8, search 4d8,

trackin’ 3d8 (by scent)Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Damage: Claws (STR+1d6), bite(STR+1d6)

Undead: Focus—HeadDescription: Blood Ones look like

corpses with their flesh gnawed off—which is exactly what happened.

130 Marshal

The warlords are hardly confined tothe Maze itself. Some, like theinfamous General Kwan, and Wang Ti-P’ing Hsien, the so-called “King of theHorizon” control a fair amount of realestate inland.

KangOf all the warlords, the enigmatic rail

baron Kang is by far the most powerful.Kang’s warriors use a strange methodof fighting that others say can’t be beat.They use guns, but they more oftenprefer to kill with swords or even theirbare hands!

Kang’s boats scour the interior of theMaze looking for prospector’s camps.When they find one, they send theirspies to find out if the miners have hita strike. If they have, the rest of Kang’swarriors move in and tell the minersthe land is theirs. Those who realize it’sa bald-faced lie and are dumb enoughto say so soon find themselvesswimming with sharks.

Shan FanThe Chinese warlords can all find

safe haven at one place in the Maze—the port city of Shan Fan. Locatedabout 300 miles north of Lost Angels,the city is run by a consortium ofChinese criminal gangs called triads.

Maze PiratesThere are five types of pirates

present in the Maze: Chinese, MexicanArmada, Union and Confederate raiders,and rogues. Each has their own kind ofships and inimitable style in whichthey harass and rob the hard-working(if not actually innocent) miners of theMaze. Of course, their main targets inthis melting pot of evil are each other.

Chinese WarlordsThe Chinese warlords of the Maze

build their fortresses high atop smallbut high-walled islands in the heart ofthe Maze. Their success is a result ofthe white man’s poor treatment ofChinese prior to the Great Quake.

When several warlords frommainland China established strongholdsin California, they brought with themscores of their own warriors. TheChinese already living in the Maze, tiredof oppression, flocked to their colorfulbanners by the hundreds.

Most of the warlords have so manyfollowers that they cannot hope tohouse them all in their fortresses.Should you ever spy one of theseislands—from afar I hope—you will seescores of leaky sampans sheltering inthe shadows of their more favoredbrothers and sisters.

The Weird West 131

While not as large or important a portas Lost Angels, Shan Fan holds its own,acting as a stop off point for ghost-rockshipments heading south, as well as aconvenient place for Maze pirates todisposes of goods of dubious origin.

The triads are constantly at eachothers’ throats, struggling to control thecity—except when someone fromoutside of town threatens their powerbase. The triad bosses have a close eyeon events down south in Lost Angels,and are preparing for the worst.

Union & ConfederateRaiders

The Union and Confederate naviesare undermanned and under-equipped.Both sides make up for theirshortcomings by outfitting small bandsof raiders. The story of the navies andtheir raiders is much the same as ithappens to be with the infantry BackEast: the Union has more men at itsdisposal, while the Confederates havefewer but more-experienced crews andbetter vessels.

The Northern navy, based out of aplace called Fort Lincoln in thenorthern Maze, treats its raiders asregulars. They use small, open boatswith steam-driven propellers. Theirboats do not sport guns of any kind—the volunteers are left to fend forthemselves with their rifles, pistols,and wits. Most keep a few sticks ofdynamite on hand as well.

These soldiers use stealth to makeup for their lack of firepower. Theirfavorite tactic is to slip aboardConfederate ore-haulers by night andhold the crew hostage while theyremove any ghost rock on board. If theycan put the crew ashore, Union raidersscuttle or dynamite the ore-hauler oncethey’ve off-loaded any valuables.

Confederate raiders aren’t quite ashonorable. Strapped for manpower, theRebels essentially granted letters ofmarque to some of the most notoriousrogue pirates. Then they gave them afew, well-armed and armoredexperimental boats to go raiding in.These bloodthirsty fiends seem farmore interested in violence than loot.

By the way, Admiral AllenBirmingham—the Confederate navalcommander of the Maze—is ashonorable a man as you could evermeet. He was field-promoted to hiscurrent position and has quickly risento the task. He hates his own raidersand, for the most part, keeps themfrom striking civilian targets.

The Mexican ArmadaThe Mexican Armada consists of two

parts: the fast clipper ships that patrolthe coastline, and the sturdy ironcladsthat steam through the Maze itself.

In the open sea, the shipping lanesare menaced by independent piratescommissioned by France. The piratesare commanded by “Capitán Sangre,”which translates into “Captain Blood,”which is likely not his real name.

Part of France’s master strategy inconquering California is to raid its oreshipments Back East. Sangre was aninfamous pirate along the BarbaryCoast, and he was approached to takecharge of the operation. He eagerlyagreed and quickly put together a fleetof fast clipper ships crewed by ragtagbands of undisciplined and mercilessFrench expatriates, rogue mercenaries,and his own Spanish compatriots.

Wind-powered ships can’t sail in theMaze. Not every channel has a breeze,and those that do can force even agalleon into the cliff walls in seconds.So the Mexicans, under Maximillian’sguidance, built a fleet of ironclads.These sport the latest in weaponry:heavy cannons, flamethrowers,grapnels, and any other gadgets theirscientists back in Europe can dream up.

Mexican crews man the gunboats inthe Maze. They are the opposites oftheir uneasy allies in the seawardshipping lanes. Where the Spanishpirates are chaotic and cagey, theMexican naval crews are highlydisciplined and ruthless if notparticularly imaginative.

132 Marshal

Collectively, the Armada is the terrorof the Maze. The few ships of theUnion and Confederate Pacific Naviesare no match for the flotilla, eitherwithin the Maze or along the coast. Theoutgunned Americans have won theirfew minor victories only through theirwits. The usually mortal enemies of theNorthern and Southern Pacific Navieshave even allied against their commonfoes on occasion.

RoguesIn addition to the big boys, there are

a plethora of independent scurvy dogslooking to loot and pillage. These“rogues” are sometimes the worst andthe toughest of the lot. They have to beto survive with no one to watch theirbacks for them.

Some are honorable and abide by the“code of the sea.” Others are cutthroatswho kill a miner for a handful of ghostrock dust.

Their ships range from salvagedironclads to small craft barely largerthan rowboats.

Profile: Typical PirateCorporeal: D:2d6, N2d8, Q:2d6, S:2d8,

V:2d6Climbin’ 1d8, fightin: brawlin, cutlass 3d8

shootin’ pistol, rifle 2d6, sneak 2d8Mental: C:1d4, K:1d4, M:1d4, Sm:1d6,

Sp:2d6Gamblin’ 2d6, guts 3d6, ridicule 2d6,

search 2d8, streetwise 3d6, trade:seamanship 4d4

Edges: Fleetfooted 2Hindrances: Randy –3, vengeful –3Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: Double-action pistol, cutlass.Description: These scurvy dogs run

the gamut of appearances. Most aremen, however, though there are morethan a few lusty ladies amid theircrews.

Santa Anna’sCrusade

The self-proclaimed “Napoleon of theWest” is General Antonio Lopez deSanta Anna, former President andGeneral of Mexico. When Texas secededfrom Mexico in ’36, Santa Anna wassent to quell the rebellion. He lostwhatever sympathy the world mighthave had for his cause when hemassacred prisoners at the Alamo andGoliad.

The Texans beat Santa Anna at SanJacinto, and in true Texas style, tookback with them the leg the general lostin the battle.

President Polk was the nextAmerican to raise Santa Anna’s ire.Polk and his concept of “manifestdestiny” meant an annexation of theindependent Texas in ’46. Mexico stillsaw Texas as a province in rebellionand moved their forces north to take itback.

Under General Zachary Taylor (“OldFuss and Feathers”), Polk put together aragtag army to block the Mexicans, andthe war was on. Though their armywas larger and prettier, at least, theMexicans were defeated by the Yanksat such places as Palo Alto, Resaca dela Palma, Monterrey, and Buena Vista.While the Mexicans were fighting theAmerican troops in the north, GeneralWinfield Scott landed at Veracruz in thesouth and took Mexico City itself.

After the war, Santa Anna went intoa self-imposed exile. He didn’t emergeback onto Mexico’s political frying panuntil the French conquered Mexico in1863. The French put EmperorMaximillian on the throne and, in a“goodwill gesture” that stunned theworld, offered control of the remainingarmy to Santa Anna.

Santa Anna rolled over like awhipped dog and agreed. The rumor isthat Maximillian has promised to buildSanta Anna an army with which toinvade Texas, but only if he can firstconquer the ghost rock-rich CaliforniaMaze.

Santa Anna has far fewer troopsthan before, so he has resorted to terrortactics to force Californians out of theirboomtowns. Many have seen the

The Weird West 133

brilliant and colorful regiments ofSanta Anna riding through theCalifornia wastelands, but many othersclaim there is another army, one thatmoves only at night. This is the Ejércitode los Muertos, or “Army of the Dead.”

Lately, Santa Anna has been sendingout scouts as far afield as Arizona andthe Texas border, and his men havebeen sighted on the move along thebaha peninsula. They seemed to belooking for something. Just whatremains to be seen.

Santa Anna’s Army ofthe Dead

Santa Anna’s Ejército de los Muertosis indeed an “Army of the Dead.” Hispower stems from his new aide-de-camp, Xitlan (pronounced “EET-lawn”), amysterious shaman who claims to be adescendent of an ancient Aztecsorcerer that lived in the area when thefirst Spanish explorers landed on itsshores.

Santa Anna’s mortal troops bring uphis rear. He mistrusts his soldiers afterthe debacles of ’36 and ’48. Theregulars are used only to put on a showfor spies.

His real army is composed of rottingundead brought back to unlife by Xitlan.These small but deadly creatures aregruesome cannibals with a taste forhuman brains. Xitlan controls thezombies by use of a special plant mixedin with their usual diet of raw meat.

Use the normal statistics for veteranwalkin’ dead, but Santa Anna’s soldiers’Deftness is 3d8, and their shootin’:carbine skill is 4. Also, add the fightin’:saber and fightin’: lance Aptitudes at 3and the horse ridin’ skill at 4. Thesecreatures wear the uniforms of thefamous Tulancingo Cuirassiers (greentunics, bright bronze breastplates andhelmets, and black pants), and carrycarbines, sabers, and lances.

XitlanXitlan is what some would call a

liche, an undead sorcerer. He’s neitherHarrowed nor a zombie. He’s entirely hisown kind of abomination.

Profile: XitlanCorporeal: D:2d6, N:2d6, S:2d6, Q:4d6,

V:3d8Bow 4d6, fightin’: knives 4d6, sneak 5d6,

throwin’: bolts o’ doom 7d6Mental: C:4d10, K:3d12, M:2d10, Sm:4d8,

Sp:4d8Academia: occult 8d12, bluff 4d8, faith

8d8, guts 7d8, language: Spanish 4d12,leadership 6d10, medicine: surgery5d12, overawe 5d10, scrutinize 5d10,search 4d10

Edges: Arcane background: blackmagic 3

Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2Pace: 6Size: 6Wind: 16Special Abilities:

Black Magic: Bolt o’ doom 4, cloak ofevil 3, forewarning 4, pact 5, puppet5, scrye 5, spook 3, zombie 5

Undead: Focus—HeartDescription: Xitlan looks and dresses

like an ancient Aztec priest. He lookspretty good for a walking corpse.

134 Marshal

Great BasinSouthern California, NevadaSouthern California and Nevada form

the Great Basin. This arid land is mostlydesert, though a few lakes and riverscan be found if one knows where tolook. There aren’t many settlements outthis way, so folks don’t venture into theGreat Basin without a map and enoughprovisions for several weeks.

The sparsely populated Great Basinhas an average Fear Level of 1. It risesdramatically along the Ghost Trail to 3.

Death ValleyFear Level 5It’s one of the hottest places on

earth. It might even be the hottest. Afew local prospectors who somehowsurvive in the region call it “Hell onEarth.” The volcanic mountains,particularly the Funeral range, are bareand colored in brilliant reds and yellowsdotted only by an occasional stuntedmesquite or lone cactus. The lowerportions of the valley are covered in saltflats, left there from the occasionalwash from the Amargosa River, whichI’m told actually contains a few inchesof water about three times a year.

Death RidersA handful of prospectors scour the

scorching desert of Death Valley insearch of borax. A few claim to haveseen strange black-clad phantomsthere, though most dismiss thesevisions as mirages caused by theincredible heat.

The black riders are minions of theReckoners, one of the first wave of“scouts” they have sent to Earth. Theywere hurtled out of the HuntingGrounds to see if they could survive onthe ambient fear of the area. They have,though their powers are greatlydiminished until Death Valley becomesa Deadland.

The black riders are not happy abouttheir fate. They despise all life and killany living beings they see.

Profile: Black RidersCorporeal: D:4d12, N:2d8, S:2d12+4,

Q:5d12+4, V:3d8Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, horse ridin’ 8d8,

shootin’: pistol 8d12Mental: C:4d12, K:1d4, M:2d10, Sm:3d8,

Sp:4d10Overawe 5d10, search 4d10Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Coup: A Harrowed who takes arider’s essence can instantly detectother Harrowed by simply lookingat them.

Damage: Ghostly six-guns (ROF 1,range increment 10, damage 4d10,never need reloading)

Immunity—AllWeakness—Blessed Weapons: The

riders can only be destroyed byweapons blessed by an ordainedminister. The cloak is insubstantial,the horrors’ skulls must beshattered to send them back toHell (by maiming the noggin).

Description: The riders wear tatteredblack shrouds with a single holsterat their waists. Beneath their blackcowls, should anyone get that close,are skulls with two glowing redsparks for eyes.

The Devil’sPostpiles

Fear Level 5The Devil’s Postpiles are huge,

octagonal columns of blue, basalticrock. Some of them are over 60 feet tall.Local legend says a corpse buried nearthe postpiles will return to life. This hasled many to bury their loved ones atthe feet of these awesome columns.Some also say that pleading one’s caseon the fallen’s tombstone improves thechances the “spirits” will return theirloved ones to life.

Scores of graves contain the heart-wrenching tales of the bereaved.

The Weird West 135

Fathers, sons, mothers, and daughtersare all jammed into the hard earth here.The Apaches believe in the legend ofthe Devil’s Postpiles, but they also claimreturning from the dead in such a waytaints the victim’s soul.

Most of this is true.Any dead buried in the rocky ground

near these strange rock formationsdraws 5 extra cards to see if they comeback Harrowed. The corpse must befresh, no more than a week old, andcompletely buried in the stony earth, atask that takes about two man-hours.

Unfortunately, the cursed groundgives the Harrowed’s manitou totalDominion when the victim returnsfrom the grave.

If you want to give a hero a chanceto come back with Dominion, you can,but you should definitely play out hisnightmare, and you should make itharder than Hell.

Walkin’ DeadWhenever anyone spends the night

waiting for a companion, there’s achance the lost souls who didn’t comeback rise as walkin’ dead. They don’tpursue their prey more than a half-milefrom the postpiles, and they return totheir graves if not destroyed.

Most nights, the smell of fresh brainscauses 3d10 walkin’ dead to rise fromtheir graves.

Fort 51Fear Level 0Fort 51 is the Union’s answer to the

Confederate base at Roswell. Officially,however, Fort 51 is an outpost for the 10th

Cavalry Regiment. These are the famous“Flying Buffalos” of Captain Jay Kyle.

It was Captain Kyle who bought thegroup their rocket packs. His men weresuffering greatly from Apache sniperssituated high on the mountain passes.Being a wealthy individual, Captain Kyletried a grand experiment. He ordered fiverocket packs from the newly openedSmith & Robards’ Emporium.

His men trained with the devices fora few weeks, then went on patrol.When the column was ambushed, thefive specialists assigned rocket packsbolted into the sky. The Apaches ran interror and the buffalo soldiers returnedhome victorious.

Now Kyle has trained the entireregiment to use the rocket packs, ofwhich he now has about 50 functionalpacks (enough for one troop to use themat a time). Whenever the Federals needto raid south through Apache country,these veterans are their only choice.

The most famous of these isSergeant Benjamin Amos. He’s led moreraids into Apache country than anyother. He is respected by both Geronimoand his Chiricahuas and the jadedTexas Rangers who frequent Roswell.

136 Marshal

There are 17 scientists on the base,as well as their families. A civilian is incharge of the scientists. This is “Mr.Eddington,” a mysterious and secretivetype who rarely speaks, but keeps hisnose in every experiment.

Tales of strange lights seen in thenight skies over Fort 51 aren’t flyingsaucers or will-o’-the-wisps. They’re theFlying Buffalos in training.

The Ghost TrailFear Level 3The Ghost Trail used to run to Santa

Fe, where it turned into the Santa FeTrail. It came to life in ’69 whenSoutherners forged it bringing loads ofghost rock to Roswell for Jeff Davis’attack on Washington. Since Roswellexploded, the independent contractorsworking for the government truck theirprecious loads to the railhead atTombstone instead.

Bandits and thieves are common, asare the phantoms of those they’ve slain.

The MojaveDesert

Fear Level 4The Mojave (pronounced mo-HA-vee,

friends from Back East) is a hugeexpanse of barren landscape insouthern California. Part of the desertis hard and brittle. A few stray cacti anddry scrubs are the only vegetation you’llfind. The rest is made up of shiftingsand dunes and bizarre rock formations.

More inhospitable country is hard tofind. Most folks who try to cross it diefrom lack of food and water. Travelerswho must head into the Mojave forsome reason must carry enoughprovisions for themselves and theirmounts for several weeks.

Mojave RattlersThe Mojave is a barren place, but life

exists most everywhere. Some of itdefies natural law, and somecontradicts common sense. Mojaverattlers fall into the latter category.

Unlike most of the monsters ofDeadlands, rattlers are known andaccepted by most folks. They chase preythey hear walking or riding on theground above. Should a cowpoke feelrumbling in the earth beneath his feet,he should head for a rocky place asfast as possible—the critters can’ttunnel through solid stone. Those whoaren’t near a hunk of stone should stayreal still and start praying. Fightingthem isn’t usually an option, either.Rattler hides are tough and a littlebullet won’t do much damage to acritter this big anyway.

What only a few folks have figuredout is that the rattlers are intelligent—far more so than should give anyonecomfort. The Mojave rattlers seem to bethe biggest of the West’s giant worms.The salt rattlers of Utah are thecraftiest. Those who lurk in theBadlands seem to have an affinity formagic—and an agenda to create a newrace of beings with human DNA (seeDeadlands: Hell on Earth to find out ifthey were successful).

For statistics and more informationabout these huge and malevolentworms, see page 73.

The Weird West 137The WildSouthwest

Texas, New Mexico, ArizonaTexas has its fair share of green

rolling hills, auburn fields, cottonwoodstands, and scrub plains, but the starkmountains of New Mexico and Arizonareally stick in a traveler’s mind.

Wild Texans, the war between theApaches, Confederates, and Yankees,and the constant threat of a combinedForeign Legion/Mexican invasion keepsthe average Fear Level at 2.

The Grand Canyon is Fear Level 3thanks to the Laughing Men and therumored “City of Ghouls.”

Adobe WallsFear Level 3High in the Texas Panhandle is a

ruined village by the name of AdobeWalls. It was built in 1843 by a tradingcompany known as Bent, St. Vrain &Company.

Bent believed this base would givehim an edge on his competition, theKiowa and Comanches, for buffalohides and stolen horses. The Indiansdidn’t take kindly to Bent’s efforts, andhe was sent running east with his tailbetween his legs.

The First FightIn 1864, Federals withdrew from the

Santa Fe Trail to participate in the CivilWar. The Comanches and Kiowa tookadvantage of their absence to raid andpillage the local settlers. Famed Armyscout Kit Carson was sent to settle thebill. Along with him were a number ofNew Mexican volunteers, Utes, Apaches,and five cavalry and two infantrycompanies.

Carson stumbled into a largeencampment and, after a sharp battle,retreated to the “safety” of Adobe Walls.The Indians were all set to overrun thestartled soldiers when Carson wheeledaround a pair of 12-pound mountainhowitzers and opened fire. Carsonescaped, harried all the way by theangry Indians, but he lost many of histroopers in the bargain.

The Second FightThe next fight at Adobe Walls took

place in ’74. Two Dodge City merchantsset up a tanning village on the site.Unknown to the hunters, an Indianshaman named Isatai had a vision. Hesaid he had been shown how to makea shirt that could repel a white man’sbullets. Isatai’s chief, Quanah Parker—later a key member of the CoyoteConfederation—wanted revenge for thehunters’ slaughter of the buffalo anddecided to use the shirts in a raid onthe new camp at Adobe Walls.

Parker prepared well for his raid. Heand his braves even practiced theirassault on a constructed settlementmodeled after Adobe Walls. Their planwas to attack at dawn—gainingsurprise—and massacre the hunters intheir sleep. But a clever saloonkeepersomehow found out about the raid. Heeven managed to get the town up outof bed early that morning under thepretense that his building was cavingin. (The “pop” of his support timbersthat awakened half the town was morelikely made by his pistol.)

Parker’s warband attacked only tofind most of the town wide awake.Fortunately for the Comanches, Isatai’smagic shirts worked just as theshaman claimed they would.

Only the saloonkeeper’s alarm andthe clearheaded actions of BatMasterson allowed most of the huntersto escape. The post was left in ruins.

Now Adobe Walls standsbloodstained and silent in the TexasPanhandle. Quanah Parker and hiswarband left many dead on the field.The Coyotes won’t go near the place,saying it is haunted by ghosts of all thebattles fought there. Severalunfortunates have camped near AdobeWalls since only to be found dead thefollowing morning.

The truth is that Comanche ChiefQuanah Parker and his braves are theones keeping Adobe Walls free ofvisitors. They sometimes claim ghosts

138 Marshal

murdered travelers who tried to staythere, but more often the victims werebuffalo hunters poaching onConfederation territory. This is aconvenient way for them to get rid ofdead white men and keep theirrelationship with the Confederacyfriendly.

The Grand CanyonFear Level 3Truly one of the Seven Wonders of

the World, the Grand Canyon in Arizonais the largest crevasse on earth. TheNavajos call it the “house of stone andlight.” It is an apt name, for thedramatic shadows and sun-bakedcanyon walls are startling to behold,whether from the top or from thebanks of the Colorado River far below.

Long ago, the Grand Canyon made awonderful campsite for travelers.Whites and Indians got along, the viewwas breathtaking, and the onlydangerous critters were the occasionalsnakes and spiders. These days, theshadowy floor of the canyon seems ashade darker, and the echo of a man’svoice rings with an unearthly cackle.

The Laughing MenThe most dangerous threat in the

Grand Canyon area is posed by a formerBlack River gang. The band now callsitself the Laughing Men and holes upsomewhere in the vast canyon.

The leader of the Laughing Men is“Chuckles” Ryan, a bloodthirsty villainwanted in every state and territory inNorth America. Little is known of Ryanexcept that he’s a cautious planner witha raspy, constant laugh and a passion forcheap cigars.

His band has taken to laughing theirheads off when they ride out of a townthey’ve just robbed—hence the name.

The Laughing Men once worked forthe Black River railroad, but they wentrogue after Mina Miles took over fromher deceased husband. Mina put the

Wichita Witches first in line over Ryan’sband and the bandits took it personally.

The Laughing Men number over 200dark-hearted souls. They make theirliving raiding Indian and whitesettlements from Texas to Colorado. Ona robbery, the Laughing Men usuallyhave 10–30 gunmen, though more maybe waiting nearby to persuade pursuingposses that they’d be better off tendingbeeves than following a marshal intocertain death.

The Rangers know the gangoperates out of the Grand Canyon, butthey have yet to find the secret camp inthe area’s scarred landscape. That’sbecause Chuckles moves his campevery month or so.

Traitors and trespassers to his campare dealt with in the most entertainingway possible. Victims are put through agauntlet of traps, critters, and hand-to-hand combat with his own men. Hepromises his victims their freedom ifthey can survive the gauntlet, but noone has yet to survive to see if thebandit would keep his word.

Profile: Chuckles RyanCorporeal: D:3d8, N:2d6, S:2d6, Q:2d10,

V:2d6Climbin’ 1d6, dodge 4d6, fightin’: knife

1d6, sneak 5d6, horse ridin’ 4d6, quickdraw: pistol 3d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 5d8

Mental: C:3d10, K:2d8, M:4d10, Sm:3d10,Sp:2d4

Area knowledge: Grand Canyon 4d8,Artillery 2d10, bluff 3d10, demolition4d8, disguise 3d8, gamblin’ 4d10, guts4d4, language: Mexican Spanish 2d8,language: Apache 2d8, leadership 4d10,overawe 4d10, persuasion 4d10, ridicule2d10, scroungin’ 2d10, scrutinize 5d10,search 3d10, streetwise 2d10, survival:desert 3d10, trackin’ 2d10.

Edges: Levelheaded 5, sand 3.Hindrances: Mean as a rattler –2Pace: 6Size: 6Wind: 10Gear: Army .44 revolver, Winchester ’73,

small knife, 1 stick of dynamite.Description: Ryan is a thin beardless

man, given to wearing smokedglasses against the harsh glare ofthe sun.

The Weird West 139Profile:

Typical Laughing ManCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d6, S:2d8, Q:2d8,

V:3d6Climbin’ 1d6, fightin’: knife 3d6, sneak

3d6, dodge 2d6, horse ridin’ 4d6,quick draw 3d8, Shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 3d8

Mental: C:2d6, K:1d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:1d6

Bluff 1d6, demolition 2d6, gamblin’ 3d6,guts 3d6, overawe 2d6, scroungin’3d6, search 3d6, streetwise 3d6,survival: desert 4d6

Edges: NoneHindrances: Bloodthirsty –2Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: An assortment of weapons, with

knives and Derringers up theirsleeves.

Description: The laughing men are anassortment of hard-looking thugsand ruffians.

The City of GhoulsWhispered legends speaks of

something deep in the heart of theGrand Canyon—a set of caves that holda strange city of the dead. The city isreportedly inhabited by eaters of thedead—ghouls.

No one living has actually seen thisfabled city, but the Laughing Men stayout of the bottom of the Canyon, justthe same.

La LegionEtrangere

When Emperor Maximillian took overMexico, he garrisoned the northernborder with the refuse of the proudFrench Army, the Foreign Legion. Whilethe Legion has a valiant fighting record,there is little denying its ranks aremade up of the rest of the world’scastaways.

Deserters, debtors, and criminals allfind homes as Legionnaires. Even theFrench officers are lost souls forcedfrom the regular regiments to France’sunwanted stepchild.

Still, when there’s fighting to bedone, the Legion is a force to bereckoned with. These desperate menare cunning and ruthless in battle.Though France and the southern statesare on cordial terms, the Legionnairesscattered along the forgotten outpostsof the border do their best to wreck therelationship. Out of greed or sheerboredom, Legionnaire patrols oftenwander north to raid the caravans ofthe Ghost Trail. They rarely leavewitnesses to their bloody attacks.

The Texas Rangers know whichoutposts are responsible, but they can’ttake action once the “patrols” retreatacross the border for fear of spoiling theConfederacy’s already tentativerelationship with France. The Rangerscould likely win a fight with the Legionif they could just catch them. After yearsof fighting in the deserts of Africa, theLegionnaires can ride fast, hide in plainsight, and survive the incredible heateven better than the Rangers.

Profile:Typical Legionnaire

Corporeal: D:3d8, N:3d6, S:3d8, Q:3d8,V:3d6

Climbin’ 2d6, fightin’: knife 4d6, dodge3d6, horse ridin’ 4d6, shootin’: pistol,rifle, shotgun 4d8, sneak 3d6

Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d6,Sp:2d6

Guts 3d6, language: English 1d6,Language Spanish 1d6, overawe 2d6,scroungin’ 4d6, search 3d6, survival:desert 6d6

Edges: Tough as nails 2Hindrances: Ferner –3Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: A Smith & Wesson Frontier

pistol, a Winchester `76 rifle, a knife,a horse and a filthy uniform.

Description: Legionnaires come from awide variety of sordid pasts, and theirdiverse appearances reflects that.

140 Marshal

Nacogdoches, TXFear Level 1 (Hey, they’re Texans)Residents of Nacogdoches, Texas,

claim the dead rose from their graveslast Halloween. The undead were slow,had a hunger for brains, and could onlybe killed by shooting them in the head.

The things besieged the townsfolk intheir homes through the long night.When morning came and the orneryTexans finally figured out how to killthe rotting creatures, the Nacogdochanswheeled out the whiskey kegs andtook turns shooting out zombie brains.

The story is as true as it gets,though most of the West laughs at thetales and the Texas Rangers havesworn to wipe out “every damnNacogdochan” if they talk to theTombstone Epitaph.

Here’s how this strange eventhappened. A few days before Halloween,a B.V. train sped through Texas carryingvats of a special brew. Thisexperimental formula was devised byBaron Simone LaCroix to create thewalking dead. Unfortunately, the bridgeover the Angelina River nearNacogdoches was out, and the trainplummeted into the water. The formulaeventually made its way down to theNacogdoches cemetery.

Fortunately, the brew was not one ofBaron LaCroix’s better batches. Theundead that arose came out slow andnear mindless. The gun-toting Texanshad an easy time rounding up theirundead relatives and planting themback in their holes.

LaCroix continues to send his specialpotions west to make more work crewsas his rail line forges slowly acrossArizona. It’s only a matter of timebefore another train wreck createsanother zombie uprising. And next timethe walking dead may not be as easyto destroy.

Meanwhile, the Nacogdochan’s haveplan to stage a carnival to mark theanniversary of the zombie rising.

PestilenceThree particularly nasty epidemics

hit the Southwest hard this year. Theworst of them are found deep in theheart of Texas, and they’ve very nearlywiped out entire droves of cattle.

Texas FeverTexas fever is a cattle disease that

has driven the price of beef throughthe roof. The big ranchers have beenhit hardest, so the smaller cattlemenare taking advantage of the situation todrive their herds to Dodge before thedisease is wiped out.

When a steer’s got the fever it startsfoaming at the mouth and attackingnearly anything in sight. Anything thatcan walk a straight line’s pretty safe,since the poor animal sure can’tanymore. Within a day or two, theafflicted critter collapses to the groundand, soon after, dies.

The only cure for this ailment is the.45 caliber kind.

Tummy TwisterThe second disease is called the

“Texas Tummy Twister.” Anyone whodrinks water tainted with this illnessfeels his insides get all tight. Then thepoor sap gets real hungry but just can’tseem to eat enough to fill his innards. Afew days later, the victim startscoughing blood, then gets so bloated hisgizzards burst. Most sawbones think it’ssome form of dysentery.

The most insidious new plague towrack the Southwest can’t be fought,avoided, or even seen. It’s a microscopiccritter that lives in still ponds andmuddy swimming holes.

Anytime a character drinks from astagnant Texas watering hole, there’s achance he picks up a Texas tummytwister. The odds are 1 in 4 in southernTexas and 1 in 6 north of Dallas.

Once in a host’s gut, the twisterclings to the stomach and begins toabsorb blood and water. In three days,the thing is the size of a fist. In sevendays, it’s the size of a cat.

During this time, the twister grows aspiny appendage which it inserts intothe spinal column. One week after

The Weird West 141

infection, the host becomes a quasi-mindless puppet.

A human under a twister’s controlisn’t particularly bright. The creaturecan force its host to manage a fewwords and remember its close friends’names and whatnot. Anyone whoknows the victim instantly sees he isout of sorts, though it usually appearsas if the host is merely suffering from ahigh fever or delirium.

The twister can see poorly throughits host’s eyes, but it prefers to peekoutside the victim’s stomach wheneverit can. It does this by burrowing outthrough the abdominal muscles. Thiscauses a light wound to the host’s guts(the twister secretes a strange oozethat stops bleeding almost instantly).Anyone who spies the creature peekingout needs to make an Incredible (11)guts check. When the twister remainshidden inside, the only visible sign ofits hidey-hole is a long, oozing scar.

The twister’s goal is to impregnateothers with its microscopic children. If itcan lure another host within a fewinches, it lashes out with its thornytentacles. If it hits and causes at leastone Wind, tiny tummy twisters raceinto the victim’s bloodstream andeventually wind up in his stomach.

Even the best doctors probably can’tremove a tummy twister. Their link tothe spine means a medicine: surgeryroll of at least 15. Even then theoperation takes at least 10 minutes, andthe twister won’t just be sitting therewaiting to have its tentacles sawed off.There are a more than a few doctors inTexas who have contracted tummytwisters in this way.

The only good way to get rid of atummy twister is for the host to eatsomething incredibly spicy. Jalapeñosmake the nasty critters come crawlingout in a few minutes (doing a criticalbut non-bleeding wound to the gutsthat can’t be negated by Fate Chips asthey scratch and claw their way out).

Acid also gets rid of them, butdoesn’t do the host much good (unlesshe’s Harrowed, but then tummy twisterscan’t live in an undead’s stomachanyway). Some mad scientists haveused hydrochloric acid to destroy thebellies of those believed to be infectedwith the critters, though.

Profile: Tummy TwisterCorporeal: D:3d6, N:1d4, S:2d4, Q:3d10,

V:2d6Fightin’: brawlin’ (Deftness based) 4d6Mental: C:2d6, K:2d4, M:1d8, Sm:1d4,

Sp:1d4Pace: 4Size: 4Wind: 10Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Damage: Spiny tentacles (STR+1d4)Infection: See description above.

Description: See the picture above.

Prairie TicksThe latest and greatest epidemic is

caused by prairie ticks. Regular ticksare bad enough, but these suckers areabout the size of a man’s fist and liketo climb down throats. They get insidesteers, sheep, horses, and—yes—evenhumans, and make their happy homesright inside the host’s guts. Then the

142 Marshal

critters just sit there and drain blooduntil they’re about the size of smalldogs. Next thing you know, they’redigging their way out. And that’s theend, friend.

Pretty gruesome, huh? Fortunately,there’s a cure for this one. Pour somecastor oil or similar nastiness downyour gullet and the thing will comecrawling out your throat. Needless tosay, a person wants to take care of hisunwanted visitor before it gets too big.

The statistics for the prairie tick canbe found in the color section of ChapterThree.

Sante Fe TrailThe Santa Fe Trail was once known

for the murderers and thieves whostalked it. These days, its reputation iseven worse.

Shipments of minerals taken from theMaze used to come up the Ghost Trail toSanta Fe. Those that went on to thesouthern states continued along the

Santa Fe, and some wagon trains stillfollow this route. As bad as the robbersalong the Ghost Trail are, they’re worsealong the more populous Santa Fe.

Working for one of the civiliancontractors hauling ghost rock is goodwork. It’s dangerous, of course, but payswell. Wagon masters pay up to $10 aday plus a $25 bounty on the head ofevery bandit killed along the way. Somefolks have made themselves a prettypenny this way, but others simply neverreturned. It’s a long trail with lots ofplaces for a body to get “lost” along theway.

The IndianTerritories

The Indians are an enigma to mostwhites: at times noble and honorable,at others savage and cruel. In truth,they are people just like any other. Thetribes have their own cultures, onesthat may seem strange to those frommore the “civilized” parts of the world.Even more confusing to whites, theyare as varied as the people themselves.

There are literally hundreds ofdifferent tribes in the West, but thereare three groups who have the mostinfluence. From largest to smallest theyare the Sioux, the members of theCoyote Confederation, and the Apache.

The Sioux NationsThe Sioux Nations were formed in

’72. The Union’s initial defeat by Davis’Confederate forces at the Battle ofWashington convinced the Indians ofthe Dakotas that this was the time toreclaim their borders. Sitting Bullstarted this movement, but even hecould not make all the various tribesunite under a single leader.

The tribes’ compromise was toreinstate the old council of the SiouxNations, the “wicasa yatapickas.” Thewicasas are four wise leadersappointed by the tribes to makedecisions on behalf of the Nations.

The wicasas have absolute authorityin the Sioux Nations. Any formaldealings with the Sioux must becarried out through this council ofrevered leaders.

The Weird West 143

The four tribes directly representedby the wicasas are the Hunkpapa,Miniconjou, Brule, and Oglalas. Theother tribes of the Sioux Nations, suchas the Northern Cheyenne and SansArcs, must make do with winning theear of one of the wicasas.

Relations with the USAt the moment, relations between

the Nations and the US are cool at best.Sioux are allowed to travel the northernstates at will, but not in groups of morethan five individuals. Anything larger isconsidered a “raiding party,” and thelocal cavalry is usually called on to“escort” the errant Indians back to theirown borders—assuming they’re stillthere by the time the boys in blue showup, of course, which is rarely the case.

The reverse situation is even morestringent. No whites are allowed tocross the Sioux’s borders except bymeans of the Iron Dragon railroad. Eventhen, a visitor must head directly toDeadwood or certain regions of theBlack Hills where the Sioux haveallowed mining. Non-designated regionsof the Black Hills are off-limits tooutsiders, and anyone foolish enough toviolate these sacred areas will notlikely be seen again.

The locals protested one of these“murders” to the US government.President Grant’s only official responseto the people of Deadwood was muchappreciated by the Sioux. It read simply,“You were warned.”

The Old Ways MovementThe wicasas know the world

changed in 1863, but most don’t knowexactly why. They merely believe thespirits are punishing them for somemisdeed. All but Sitting Bull say thepeople must return to the “Old Ways.”They must throw off the “evil”influence of the white man—guns andother manufactured artifacts—andreturn to nature.

The old Sioux leadership made thisidea law back in ’65, and the SiouxNations have kept it so. Publicly, everySioux acknowledges the Old Ways.Warriors hunt with bows and arrows,knives are made from stone, and so on.

The shamans believe the Old Wayshave pleased the spirits, for theirpowers have grown greatly.

The United States military is thrilledwith the Old Ways movement, since itmeans the Indians are easy pickings fortheir Gatling guns should a wardevelop. The Army may eat its words ifthe shamans’ powers continue to grow.

Custer’s Last StandSince General Custer’s defeat at the

Battle of Little Big Horn, the USgovernment has treated the Sioux witha new measure of respect. Grant,despite Generals Sherman andSheridan’s contempt for the wicasas,saw Little Big Horn as proof that theSioux are a legitimate nation instead ofa loose alliance of individuals. ThePresident may not be able to keep thetwo nations’ differences from starting awar, but he is dedicated to trying.

For more information of theconfrontation between the Union andthe Sioux, the battle of Little Big Hornand details on the Deadwood CreekTreaty, check out the Deadwoodsection on page 153.

The Orderof the Raven

Not every Indian is thrilled with thereturn of the Old Ways. Soon after thewicasas made the Old Ways law, aquiet rebellion took place, especiallyamong many of the younger Siouxwarriors.

These rebels are called the Order ofthe Raven. All bear a tattoo of theirnamesake somewhere on their body,usually hidden in the most remote orsecret place possible.

When the wicasas caught word ofthe rebellion, they gave all members ofthe Sioux Nations one week to burn offany Raven tattoos. From that point on,anyone caught with the mark would beput to death. Slowly.

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Sitting BullSitting Bull is the “Hunkpapa wicasa,”

the leader of the wicasas, and he hashis own ideas about the course theSioux Nations should follow. Hisspeeches, subtle to Indians unused topoliticians, hint that war is inevitable.

His most memorable speech was justafter the Deadwood Treaty of ’75. Whilehe spoke kind words in English, hismessage in Sioux was less thangracious. In fact, he called the Unionsoldiers murderers and liars. And all thewhile Generals Sherman and Terry (notknowing a word of Sioux) just keptsmiling and nodding their heads.

Needless to say, when the Generalswere later told what Sitting Bull hadsaid in front of them, it didn’t do much

to improve relations between theIndians and the US Army. This overtmocking of US power may be what ledto the massacre at the Little Big Horn

The unfortunate truth is that SittingBull himself is a Ravenite. Under theadvice of the Hooded One (see below),he quietly organized those he knewwere resistant to the Old Ways to startacquiring guns and other arms. Someday, Sitting Bull plans to lead his peopleinto battle against the whites, startingwith the “invaders” in Deadwood andthe Black Hills. He is waiting for anincident to turn popular opinion againstthe Old Ways. Then he plans to deposethe other wicasas and declare himself“the Great Chief.” The Battle of theLittle Big Horn, and the victory of theOld Wayers over the US cavalry, set himback several years.

The Hooded OneA shaman known only as the

“Hooded One” has become one ofSitting Bull’s closest companions. Whatno one knows is that this mysteriousfigure is none other than Raven. Seethe Coyote Confederation section formore information.

Iron DragonThe provisions of the Deadwood

Creek Treaty meant Iron Dragon couldbuild a spur to Deadwood. Sitting Bull ,saw a chance to arm his braves.

Sitting Bull’s cohorts approached IronDragon and set up a meeting betweentheir chief, Kang, and the Hooded One.In exchange for Sitting Bull’s influencewith the wicasas, Kang agreed totransport arms into the Sioux Nations—a direct violation of both US federal lawand the Great Fathers’ dictates.

Once a month, a private train entersthe Sioux Nations and delivers weaponsto the waiting Indians. These arebought with fees extorted fromunregistered miners in the Black Hills,jumped claims, and thievery. Most ofthe shipments consist of rifles andammunition, but dynamite and a fewartillery pieces have been delivered aswell. Sitting Bull’s Order of the Ravenshould be well-armed when he decidesto strike.

The Weird West 145Coyote

ConfederationThe Coyote Confederation was

formed in ’74, just a few months afterthe second battle of Adobe Walls. Thefour principle tribes are the Comanche,Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa. Severalsmaller tribes—notably the Kiowa-Apache, what’s left of the Cherokee,and a few others—are also members,but they don’t have enough populationto have any real influence.

Geographically, the tribes are spreadout over Indian Territory in theOklahoma region and maintain theirvillages in the center of theConfederation. Patrols of 10–20 braves(both male and female) roam theborders looking for intruders. Runninginto one is bad news.

The leader of the CoyoteConfederation is a shaman known,appropriately enough, as “Coyote.” All ofthe tribal chiefs have Coyote’s ear, butthe two most influential by far areQuanah Parker of the Comanche andSatanta of the Kiowa.

CoyoteAs far as is known, only Parker and

Satanta know Coyote’s true identity.The shaman wears a long cloak ofvermillion, and his or her face is alwaysshrouded inside its deep hood. Mostagree the Confederation Great Chief isa male from his deep booming voice,but they disagree on whether he isyoung or old, Comanche, Cheyenne,Kiowa, or other. The truth is Coyote isChief Quanah Parker’s closestcompanion, Isatai, the engineer behindthe attack on Adobe Walls back in ’74.

Strangely enough, Isatai had notcreated a magical vest for himself,thinking he would stay well back fromthe battle and watch the braves do thefighting. But one of the whites haddeadly aim, and Isatai fell bleeding tothe ground.

After the battle, Parker and Satantasent their warband home andpersonally took the mortally woundedIsatai to die on the sacred Black Mesaof Oklahoma.

There the three fasted and gavethanks to the spirits for their victory inbattle while preparing Isatai’s spirit forpassage into the Hunting Grounds.

While Parker and Satanta waited,they talked of the Sioux Nations anddreamed of a new land for their ownpeople. Isatai overheard theirconversation, and in his delirium heexperienced an epic vision.

The spirit of the great Coyote, thetrickster, told Isatai that he would live,but only if he created a newconfederation of the People in thetrickster’s name.

Enigmatically, Coyote also told Isataithat he must lead the new nationinstead of Parker or Satanta, thoughthe shaman must always keep his trueidentity a secret. Isatai asked why, butthe trickster only hinted at a dire fateshould Isatai’s true face be revealed.

Isatai reluctantly told Chief Parkerand Satanta of his vision. To hissurprise, they agreed to gather thePeople together and allow Isatai to leadthem. They, of course, would remain byhis side and offer their own guidanceas well, but Isatai, under the guise of“Coyote,” would from that day forwardbe the Great Chief of the CoyoteConfederation.

Isatai healed as Coyote had said hewould, though when he donned hisrobe, his seeping wound dyed it deepvermillion. The wound has not stoppedseeping to this day, though Isatai isstronger than ever before.

To his vermillion robe, Isatai added adeep hood that would forever hide hisface. Thus was this Coyote, the GreatChief of the Coyote Confederation, bornfrom the blood of Isatai.

Raven’s PlanThe unfortunate truth is that the

“Coyote” who gave Isatai his vision wasactually Raven. He plans onassassinating Isatai one day and quietlyassuming his identity, putting the entireConfederation at his command.

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AlliesCoyote has a deal with the Southern

states that has become fairly commonknowledge since ‘76. Warbands serve asConfederate allies, raiding settlementsor garrisons in Kansas and otherborder states. Quanah Parker andSatanta are often at the head of theseraids.

Publicly, Coyote advocates theindependence of the Confederation andthe sovereignty of its borders. He seesSoutherners as kindred spirits, fightingfor their independence from the hated“blue bellies.” He does not encouragehis people to hate outsiders, but neitherdoes he tolerate uninvited visitors intheir lands. Most who wander into theConfederation don’t wander back outunless they had a good reason for theirvisit.

The Buffalo WarChief Quanah Parker is the Great

Chief of the Comanche tribes and oneof the three most important figures inthe Coyote Confederation.

Chief Parker makes no secret of hisdistrust of white men. He particularlyhates buffalo hunters. He has goodreason, of course, for the massacres ofthe southern herds cause his people tostarve.

Parker has made it known thatbuffalo hunters will not be tolerated inConfederation territory. Those caughttrespassing meet their fates in themost painful ways possible.

Parker’s private war on buffalohunters led to an attack on a skinningcamp at Adobe Walls in ’74. The violentbattle was so widely reported andreviled by both sides that it almostsparked a war with the Confederacy.

The papers call Parker’s semiprivatefeud the “Buffalo War.” If you’re headingwest to get in on the buffalo craze, I’dadvise you to avoid the temptation ofentering Indian Territory. Bothgovernments have publicly forbidden it,

though since neither have any realauthority there, the hunters ignorethem. This gives Parker a free hand todeal with the hunters as he sees fit.His cause is just, but he can be a crueland merciless opponent.

The Old WaysThe Sioux’s Old Ways movement has

caught on among the elders of theConfederation, including Coyote himself.He has yet to enforce it, most likelybecause his close friend Chief QuanahParker is openly against it. Parker hasbeen known to carry a Gatling pistol onoccasion, and his closest companionshave collected many odd technologicaldevices, “trophies” of their frequentraids.

Satanta believes strongly in the OldWays. He is a very spiritual man andbelieves technology is the cause of thewhite man’s greed.

The ApacheThe Apache are the predominant

Indian tribe in southern Arizona.Raiding and warfare are a way of lifefor them, and they have gained a well-deserved reputation as fierce warriors.One of the foremost warriors amongthem was the great Chiricahua leader,Cochise.

Cochise was at first willing to live inpeace with the white settlers whocame to the area. Then, in 1861, he wasfalsely accused of kidnapping arancher’s son and stealing some cattle.The soldiers sent to recover the boy andlivestock tried to capture Cochise undera false flag of truce. He escaped andsoon thereafter—embittered by hisexperiences—led the Chiricahua Apacheon raids against the white settlementsin the area.

When the Civil War began,Confederate forces swept into NewMexico and Arizona. The Union forces,weakened by the desertion of many oftheir number to the Confederacy,burned their forts and withdrew east.The Apaches thought the withdrawalwas due to their attacks and steppedup their raiding, hoping to expel allwhite settlers in the area.

In 1862, a column of Union volunteersfrom California entered the territoryand succeeded in driving theConfederate forces out. After defeatingthe Rebs and being reinforced byvolunteers from New Mexico, thebluebellies turned their attention (in amilitary manner of speaking) towardthe Apaches and Navajos. They wereable to make some progress againstthese tribes until the West got weird.About 1864 or so, the Apaches wereable to match the soldiers’ firepowerwith some of a more spiritual nature.

It wasn’t long before the Chiricahuasbegan to gain the upper hand in thefight, and the Union troops were forcedto retreat back within the safety of theforts they had constructed. By 1866, thetwo groups’ roles were reversed. TheApaches patrolled the area while thesoldiers conducted quick hit-and-runraids against Apache encampments.

The Great Quake of ’68 changedthings dramatically. Beforehand, themajority of the Union forces stationedin Arizona were originally fromCalifornia. Those soldiers who didn’timmediately desert their posts afterhearing about the quake were recalledby the California state government soonafter. Once again, the forts were burnedas they were left behind, but this timethe troops withdrew west.

SlaughterFor a few short months, the Apache

were masters of their own destiny.Then Rebel troops from Texas moved into back up Jeff Davis’ claim to the Mazeand protect the vital Ghost Trail. Theywere led by General Joseph EwellSlaughter, a bloodthirsty devil who tooka dim view of any Indian who was stilldrawing breath. Needless to say, hetook an even dimmer view of Indianswho were riding around, shooting uphis precious ghost rock convoys.

Slaughter lived up to his name. Histroops carved a bloody swath acrossNew Mexico and Arizona. Slaughterdidn’t have many men, but those hehad, he drove relentlessly. He hiredscouts from tribes hostile to theApache to help him locate and destroythem.

Still celebrating their “victory” overthe bluebellies, the Apaches weren’tprepared for such a ferocious onslaught.Many of the tribes were defeated andforced to relocate to the BosqueRedondo, a reservation on the PecosRiver in New Mexico. Cochise and mostof the Chiricahuas fled into theDragoon Mountains and established ahidden stronghold there.

After breaking the Apaches’ hold onthe area, Slaughter built and garrisoneda string of forts along the route used bythe mule trains, to protect the ghostrock shipments from attacks by Indianand Mexican raiders. The war in theEast was temporarily stalemated, soDavis risked sending large numbers oftroops west to man these forts.

Once the Ghost Trail was secured,Slaughter focused his attention ondestroying the Chiricahua and Cochise,the only chief in Arizona Territory whoopenly defied Confederate rule. Smallbands of his warriors would slip downfrom the hills at night and ambushpatrols or destroy livestock and

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property. Slaughter used this as anexcuse to kill and torture any Apachehe could get his bloodstained hands on,trying to find Cochise’s secret lair. Butthe Indians wouldn’t talk.

Slaughter sent numerous patrols toscour the area in and around theDragoon Mountains. Most of the patrolsonly succeeded in wasting good bootleather and getting a few of theirnumber shot by unseen foes. Cochise’swarriors refused to give Slaughter thestand-up battle he wanted, preferringinstead to strike from ambush andthen disappear into the ruggedcountryside.

Frustrated and enraged at his troops’failure to find the Apache leader,Slaughter wired Richmond for moretroops. Davis responded by taking halfof Slaughter’s soldiers to use in theattack against Washington.

The loss of these additional troopsstretched what was left almost to thebreaking point. The unhappySlaughter’s forces were deployed in athin line across New Mexico, Arizona,and southern California. For a while,the bloodthirsty general was forced togive up his personal vendetta againstCochise.

The Death ofCochise

The Battle of Washington created aninsatiable demand for troops Back East.The isolated and desperate westerngarrisons continued to escort wagontrains through the area, but alloffensive operations against theApache were suspended. Cochise tookadvantage of this weakness andstepped up his raiding.

Ghost-rock shipments weretemporarily suspended after theaccident at Roswell. During this time, anumber of the forts were abandonedand the garrisons were quicklyconsolidated. One of the forts whichremained active was Fort Huachuca.

General Slaughter used thestrengthened garrison here to resumehis hunt for Cochise and take down theApache leader once and for all.

Slaughter was destined to bedisappointed. According to the Apacheson the reservation, Cochise died in hismountain stronghold on June 8, 1874.

The final resting place of Cochise’sbody remains a mystery to outsiders,and the Apaches certainly aren’tvolunteering any information. Notcontent to allow his old adversary torest in peace, Slaughter has offered a$2,000 reward to anyone who bringshim the chief’s remains. So far, no one’staken him up on it, although manywhite bounty hunters have tried andhave paid for their efforts with theirlives.

But the truth is the Apaches’ greatchief Cochise is not dead—yet. Agingand in ill-health, he realized he was nolonger up to the task of leading hiswarriors in battle. He consulted withsome of the medicine men of his tribeand found another way in which hecould help his people.

Aided by the tribal shamans,Cochise’s spirit has entered the HuntingGrounds to bind a powerful mountainspirit—or “gan”—to his service. Cochiseforced the spirit to grant the wildernesswalk favor to the entire Chiricahuatribe and mask the location of theirmountain hideout from outsiders. Thissupernatural aid has greatly helped theChiricahua warriors, enabling them toeasily ambush their enemies and thenvanish without a trace.

Needless to say, the nature spirits donot grant such requests easily. Cochisemay only bind the spirit while his bodylives. While his spirit is in the HuntingGrounds, his body lies in a cavern deepwithin the mountains.

Tribal shamans tend to his body,sustaining him with powerful potionsand magic. Despite this, his physicalform is slowly losing strength and willeventually expire. At the moment of hisdeath, the gan is freed from service. Agreat earthquake will shake theDragoon Mountains and collapse thechamber in which Cochise’s bodyresides, entombing him within theheart of the mountain forever. His spirit

The Weird West 149

will be trapped in the Hunting Groundsfor eternity as a servant of the gan.

When running encounters with theApache, remember that the wildernesswalk favor only masks sound andobscures tracks. It can’t preventsomeone from eye-balling an Apachepeeking up from behind a rock.

The Chiricahuas live in a group ofcaves high in the Dragoon Mountains.The caves are only accessible byclimbing a sheer cliff face via a seriesof small ledges and natural handholds.This is no problem for a Chiricahua.Anyone else who tries to climb the cliffmust contend with the gan.

To climb the cliff, a non-Chiricahuacharacter must make three opposedrolls of climbin’/Spirit versus the gan’sSpirit of 4d10. The character must get atleast a raise against the gan toprogress to the next roll. If themountain spirit gets a raise against thecharacter, the climber must back downoff the cliff and start again. If the gangets two raises or more, it hasmanaged to mislead the character insome way, either obscuring a handholdor tricking the character into reachingfor a nonexistent one, and thecharacter falls into the gulch below,taking 10d6+50 falling damage.

Any Chiricahuas who are aware ofthe characters’ presence won’t takekindly to the intrusion, so you maywant to apply a modifier to thecharacters’ rolls if they are being snipedat while climbing.

GeronimoAfter Cochise’s alleged death, the

mantle of leadership passed toGeronimo. Geronimo was born a NednisApache, but after losing his family toMexican raiders, he came to live andfight with the Chiricahuas and is nowconsidered one of them. He is a skilledwarrior and leader and has gained areputation among the Chiricahua asone with great spiritual power.

Geronimo has vowed to takeSlaughter’s scalp in retribution for thesuffering he has caused the Apaches.Under his leadership, the Chiricahuacontinue to raid wagon trains going toand from the Maze, outlying ranches,

farms, and—now that the railroad hasarrived—trains.

Although weary of war, Geronimoknows his people can only live free ifthey fight for that freedom. He alsorealizes the Apache are not strongenough to engage the Confederateforces in open battle—their superiornumbers and artillery would makeshort work of the Chiricahua. Becauseof this, his warriors have becomemasters in the art of ambush andconcealment.

The Apache warriors always avoid afight unless they have the advantage ineither numbers or position.Unfortunately for the Confederatesoldiers, this is increasingly the casethese days. Many of the soldiers tellstories of ambushes where theApaches fired on them and then simply

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disappeared, leaving no trace. Evenveteran trackers have often failed tofind the Apaches’ trail.

The Rebels know of the FlyingBuffalos’ success in fighting theApache, but Jeff Davis has yet to sendthem the rocket packs they need toemulate Captain Kyle’s famous fightingforce. The Confederates hate the FlyingBuffalos, particularly the notedSergeant Amos, who has made themlook like fools on more than one oftheir raids.

Encountering IndiansBands of braves from various tribes

can be encountered just aboutanywhere in the Weird West. Check outthe Ghost Dancers book for moreinformation on the various tribes, aswell as more in-depth rules for makingIndian heroes (and villains).

Profile:Typical Indian Brave

Corporeal: D:3d8, N:2d10, Q:4d6, S:3d8,V:3d8

Bow 3d8, Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 2d10,fightin’: war club 3d10, horse ridin’2d10, shootin’: rifle 3d8 (omit if thewarrior follows the Old Ways), sneak2d10

Mental: C:2d6, K:2d6, M:2d8, Sm:3d6,Sp:2d8

Faith 2d8, guts 3d8, overawe 2d8,survival: home environment 4d6

Edges: Fleet-footed 2Hindrances: Stubborn –2Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 16Gear: A war club (treat as a large club),

a bow, 20 arrows, a Ballard `72 rifle(unless an Old Ways follower) and ahorse.

Description: The description abovebest fits one of the Plains Indiantribes, but it can be easily adapted forIndians from other regions.

The Heart ofthe West

Now it’s time to get down to thenitty-gritty on three towns bestrepresent what the West is all about:Deadwood in the USA, Dodge in theDisputed Lands, and Tombstone in theCSA, the so-called, “Heart of the West.”

There are more important places, likeDenver, the City of Lost Angels, andSalt Lake City, but these places don’thave the boomtown feel that reallysums up the Western experience. Sendyour posse to Deadwood, Dodge, orTombstone and they’ll really discoverwhat the Weird West is all about.

DeadwoodFear Level 4.Deadwood is a town under siege. It

sits smack dab in the middle of theSioux Nations, at the northern edge ofthe Black Hills. Its only connection tothe US of A is a single rail line run bythe Iron Dragon Railroad, althoughthose too cheap to pay Kang’s pricesometimes try to hoof it in under thepower of their own horses.

Large groups of Sioux patrol the areaaround the town, and anyone caughtviolating the terms of the DeadwoodCreek Treaty is ejected from theNations—if they’re lucky. The corpses ofthose who fight back can be seenhanging from poles along the trail tothe Black Hills, a warning to those whowould violate the hospitality of theirhosts. Smart travelers pay Kang’s fareand save their families the grief.

The Pole Men Altogether, the Sioux have only

hung seven corpses on the poles liningthe road from Deadwood to the BlackHills. So how come there’s over 20 now?Read on.

When Sioux patrols are forced to kill(usually when a rogue miner draws agun), they turn the body over to theminer’s compatriots. If no one claimsthe body, they lash it to the poles alongthe Deadwood road.

The Weird West 151

Miners who travel the road every dayare forced to look at these grislyremains. The sweet fear they producecaught the Reckoners’ attention, andthey gave life to a new abomination: thepole men.

Anyone traveling the road alone atnight discovers this grisly secret, butonly while it is raining. On these nights,the water loosens the grisly gray fleshof the creatures on the poles andgrants them unholy life.

As the lone victim passes beneaththe corpses, the horrors’ dead eyesopen, their legs elongate to reach theground, and their rubbery arms shakeloose of their bonds. The doomed soulmust make an Incredible (11) guts check.

If the pole men can capture a sorrytraveler, they erect a new pole and tiehim to it. Death comes slowly from theloop the horrors place around his neck.

Profile: Pole MenCorporeal: D:3d8, N:5d12, S:3d8, Q:3d10,

V:2d6Dodge 8d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 5d12, sneak

4d12Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:2d8, Sm:2d6,

Sp:2d6Pace: 14 (due to their long legs)Size: 6Wind: 12Terror: 9

Special Abilities:Entanglin’: The pole men usually

have little trouble with their preybecause the poor sod isdumbstruck with terror. Whensomeone manages to fight back,the pole men attempt to wrap themup in their long, rubbery arms. Thisis an opposed fightin’: brawlin’ roll.When the pole men get their preyunder control, they lash him to anew pole where he begins to hang(use the hangin’ rules).

Undead: Focus—headDescription: See above.

HistoryIn August of 1875, a prospector by the

name of Frank Bryant and some of hisfriends snuck into the Sioux Nations.Bryant and company had heard rumorsof gold in the Black Hills and figured itwas worth the risk. They found gold,and plenty of it, but they also foundsomething more valuable: ghost rock.

Bryant and his friends spent a monthin the Black Hills, avoiding the localIndians and mining what they could.The Sioux eventually caught them, tiedthem behind their horses, and draggedthem over 100 miles to the border.

When Bryant recovered, more ornerythan ever, he decided to recruit a largerband of miners and head back into the

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Nations. This time, Bryant vowed, theywould be armed.

The trespassers were successful and,with no other competition, soon foundenough gold and ghost rock to setthem up for life. This time, Bryant andhis cronies slipped out of the Nationsbefore the Sioux caught on.

Although Bryant swore hiscompanions to a vow of silence, theminers’ money bought a lot of whiskey,and soon the secret was out. Less thana week later, the rush was on.

An angry Bryant and his fewremaining friends ran back toward theNations for one last load. They arrivedto find they were not alone. Otherminers were already digging away inthe sacred Black Hills.

Despite a few early disputes (usuallyresolved with one party meeting itsmaker), the miners worked out a roughclaim system and set to work. Bryant’sgang came out on top, staking theirprevious claims and most of the areasthey thought would yield more gold orghost rock.

It didn’t take long for the Sioux todiscover what was happening in theirsacred hills. Small bands began toattack the prospectors, forcing them towork with a pick in one hand and aColt in the other. The dead mounted onboth sides. The surviving miners,determined to hold onto their claims,banded together in defense underBryant.

One cold, rainy night found the Siouxsurrounding the last starvingtrespassers. As men will do when doomseems certain, the desperate minersvowed a sacred pact to one another.The following morning, the bleary-eyedminers were amazed to see the Siouxhad vanished.

They didn’t know the Great Fathershad recalled the warriors for a greatpowwow. More miners were headinginto the Nations. Wagonloads of them.

While the Great Fathers tried tofigure out what to do with theinvaders, Bryant’s miners got together

and formalized their pact. Thus wasformed the Deadwood Miners Alliance.The terms were simple. Members of thealliance were required to spend one daya week on “militia” duty instead ofmining. This consisted of eitherpatrolling the area for Sioux war bandsor working on the stockade that wasbeing constructed at the junction ofDeadwood and Whitewood creeks. Thisarrangement allowed the miners towork their claims in relative safety. Fora while at least.

The Deadwood CreekMassacre

The stockade was completed in earlyOctober of ’75 and was called home bymore than a hundred miners. Theminers lived in their stockade andtraveled to their mines or streams eachday. During this time, a few lone Siouxwere seen watching the miners from adistance, but they were eerily quiet anddid not attack.

The flow of ghost rock slowed as theweather turned colder—the minersbecame more concerned with fillingtheir faces than their pockets. TheGreat Fathers heard the reports of theminers’ difficulties and made theirdecision. They ordered their warriors toharass any foraging parties sent outfrom the stockade. The warriorsweren’t supposed to attack the miners,but they were to keep them fromgathering food or catching game.

One of the warband leaders, a BruléSioux named Red Bear, did not have thepatience to starve the miners out. Heurged anyone who would listen to taketo the warpath and drive the whiteman from the sacred hills. He soonfound a receptive audience.

In early November, a party of minerswas out hunting. Some Sioux warriorsrode ahead of them, making noise andscaring away all the game in the area.Frustrated, the miners opened fire onthe braves, killing two of them. A shortskirmish followed, and another Indianand a miner bought the farm. Theminers retreated to the safety of theDeadwood stockade.

Around the campfire that night, RedBear told the angry braves that the

The Weird West 153

time had come to end the desecration ofthe Black Hills. Eager for vengeance,they agreed. Messengers were sent togather warriors from the nearby villages.

The Sioux wicasa forbade the attack,but the Hooded One promised Red Bearhe would be successful in an attack,but only if he struck that very night.

The warband attacked the fort beforethe distant Fathers could put together aforce to stop them. After hours ofvicious fighting, Red Bear wasthoroughly victorious. The stockadewas burned to the ground, and most ofthe miners who ran for the hills wereridden down like animals. Of the morethan 100 inhabitants of DeadwoodCreek, less than 10 made it out of theSioux Nations alive. Frank Bryant wasone of them.

Little Big HornWhen news of the slaughter reached

the public, there was an immediatedemand for the government to takesome action. The Army was hesitant towaste troops avenging some fool minerswho got killed because they werewhere they shouldn’t have been, butthe existence of such a large deposit ofghost rock east of California could notbe ignored. After much debate,Congress authorized a punitiveexpedition against the Sioux.

Not much could be done during thewinter months. After things warmedup in the spring, Union troops underGeneral Terry headed into the Nationsto teach the Sioux a lesson. Terrydivided his forces in two, hoping tocatch Sitting Bull’s forces in a pincermovement.

The southern force was the 7th

Cavalry, led by the fair-hairedLieutenant-Colonel George ArmstrongCuster. Custer quickly discovered aSioux encampment and decided toattack it with only a portion of hisavailable forces.

Custer was quickly surrounded at theLittle Big Horn by Sioux warriors led byCrazy Horse and a Hunkpapa chiefnamed Gall. His men were wiped out,but he managed to escape. Custerclaims he was able to fight his wayfree, but in actuality he waspurposefully left alive. When all hismen lay dead at his feet and hiscartridges were spent, Crazy Horse, theHooded One, and Red Bear approached.No one knows what happened next,but Custer was soon sent galloping forthe border.

Custer returned to Wyoming indisgrace, but he wasn’t defeated yet.While recovering from his wounds hebegan to organize another expeditionagainst the Sioux, this time withoutauthorization from Terry, the Army, orWashington.

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Only a few regulars remain inCuster’s command. The rest arevolunteers outraged by the massacre oreager to get at the gold and ghost rockof the Black Hills.

The Deadwood CreekTreaty

Sitting Bull has no love for the whiteman. Most know he favors war, and itwouldn’t surprise many if one day hegets his wish, especially if the whitesdon’t quit breaking “sacred” promisesand treaties • and trespassing on Siouxlands.

Some were surprised when SittingBull proposed to allow limited miningand settlement in the Black Hills. Thosewho knew Sitting Bull weren’tsurprised at all. It was clear from thebeginning he would only allow miningso that he could raise money to fund afuture war effort. The rest of the GreatFathers went along with him becausethey knew they couldn’t keep theminers out and the concession wouldkeep the US military off their backs.

Reaction to the offer in Washingtonwas favorable, mainly because it madeit look like the politicians hadaccomplished something besidesgetting the 7th Cavalry killed. Grantknew the country didn’t have theresources for a full-scale war againstthe Sioux—the Confederates weregiving the Union enough trouble. SittingBull’s proposal avoided that while stillgiving the country access to aninvaluable source of ghost rock.

On July 1, 1876, Sitting Bull(representing the Sioux Nations) andGenerals Terry and Sherman(representing the United States) met atthe site of the massacre and signedwhat came to be known as theDeadwood Creek Treaty. A year laterthe treaty has held. An uncomfortablepeace has settled over the town ofDeadwood. How long it will last isanyone’s guess.

Deadwood RebornOnly days after the treaty was

signed, the Iron Dragon Railroad beganlaying track toward Deadwood. The linewas quickly completed, and a sea oftents soon covered the old massacresite. Despite the restrictions placed onthem, hundreds of miners scrambled tobe the first to strike it rich in the BlackHills.

The merchants, outfitters, gamblers,and soiled doves weren’t far behind.Only a few months after the treaty wassigned, Deadwood became a bustlingboomtown. In September, the townelected a town council and its firstmayor, Sol Star. Seth Bullock was laterelected the town’s first marshal.

The Deadwood MinersAlliance

The inhabitants of Deadwood trustSitting Bull about as far as they canthrow his namesake. Treaty or no, thegood citizens realize that if troubleshould arise, they can only rely onthemselves for defense. Some of theminers who survived the massacrehave returned to their claims. One ofthose is Frank Bryant, who has alsorevived the idea of the DeadwoodMiners Alliance.

Close to 70% of the male (and a not-inconsiderable portion of the female)population of Deadwood belongs to theDMA. Members are required to own afunctioning firearm and spend one daya month on duty, patrolling the minesof fellow members.

Not surprisingly, many of the youngSioux braves are unhappy with a bandof armed whites roaming around theBlack Hills. The patrols give each otherplenty of clearance, but clashfrequently. So far there has been noshooting between the two, but thekettle could boil over any day.

Restless SpiritsThere are those in Deadwood who

say the spirits of those slain in themassacre are demanding vengeance.This claim seems to be supported byrecent events.

The Weird West 155

A number of Sioux have been founddead in the hills around Deadwood. Thecorpses have been horribly mutilated.Some have been scalped, and othershave been dismembered. The Siouxhave warned the miners that anyonecaught perpetrating these crimes willsuffer a slow and painful death. Despitethese threats, the killing continues.

In addition to the deaths, minersworking claims that had belonged tothose killed in the massacre havearrived at their mine in the morning tofind their equipment smashed anddripping with blood. Many people, bothSioux and paleface, have begun tobelieve the stories about ghostly figureswandering the hillsides, thirsting forrevenge.

Here’s the truth behind these awfulmurders. Frank Bryant hasn’t forgottenbeing dragged out of the Nations thefirst time or escaping the massacre thesecond. Soon after the treaty wassigned, Bryant formed a small innercircle among the group’s leadership,devoted to avenging the massacrevictims and opening all of the BlackHills to free mining. This group hastaken to calling itself the Ghost Miners.

The group stays in contact withCuster, who—even after his defeat—continues to recruit volunteers for anexpedition against the Sioux. They arebiding their time, waiting until Custer’sforce is ready. When the moment isright, they plan to stage an incidentwith the Sioux to force Washington togive Custer free reign.

Bryant and his cronies, not content towait quietly, have begun a campaign ofterror. They prowl the hills at night,looking for victims, innocent orotherwise. Their most common prey arelone Sioux.

On nights when no easy targets areavailable, they content themselves withsmashing mining equipment andsplashing the blood of a slaughteredanimal over the wreckage. The next daythey are the first to suggest that thevandalism is the work of restless spiritscrying for vengeance.

Not every incident is truly an effectof the supernatural. The nature of theReckoning, however, means anabomination may soon rise from thismurderous mystery.

MiningMining is the lifeblood of Deadwood.

Miners in the hundreds have come tothe town to make their fortune. Someare after gold, more are looking forghost rock, but all hope to leave theBlack Hills wealthy individuals.

There are two main routes into themining business around Deadwood. The

Deadwood’s Treaty

1) The US government recognized theborders of the Sioux Nations as weknow them today. No US troops areallowed within these borders.

2) The settlement on Deadwood Creek couldbe rebuilt under Sioux supervision. Allnon-Indians residing in the SiouxNations must live there unless givenspecial permission by the Council tolive elsewhere.

3) The only access to the settlement fromoutside the Sioux Nations is by rail, sowhite folks found where they shouldn’tbe can’t claim they’re on their way toDeadwood.

4) Mining is limited to the Black Hillsthemselves. Miners must pay a $100 feefor a prospecting permit and a $200 feeto stake a claim. Finds must be assayedin Deadwood, and 5% of the cash valuemust be given to the Sioux Nations.

5) Mines may only be registered byindividuals, not companies.

6) No single mine may be worked by morethan five people at a time.

7) Mines found in violation of these rulesare shut down. Anyone violating theserules is immediately ejected from theSioux Nations.

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first is to pay the fee and goprospecting,. The second is to buy thedeed to an existing mine.

Both choices are risky. Prospectingmay not turn up anything, and anexisting mine (if the purchased deed isactually legitimate) may be tapped out.Either way, one has to deal with theOffice of Mining Affairs in Deadwood.

The OMA was set up by the Sioux tocollect mining fees, and it sits in abuilding at the corner of Main and Goldin downtown Deadwood. Most of thestaff are white, but the office isactually run by Deer Slayer, a Siouxeducated Back East and quite familiarwith the white man’s ways.

A prospecting permit costs $100dollars and allows a party of five toprospect for one month. Registering anew claim costs a onetime fee of $200.Operating a registered mine requiresthe payment of a monthly operating feeof $100. Assaying a find costs 5% of theload.

How to MineOunce for ounce, gold is more

valuable than ghost rock—for now—butit takes more work to acquire. Most ofthe gold is found in the beds ofDeadwood and Whitewood Creeks.Miners use sluices to separate the goldfrom the gravel of the streambed. Thegold-bearing gravel is dumped into thetop of the sluice and carried through aseries of riffles by running water. Theriffles trap the gold but let the lightersand and gravel flow out of the sluice.

It’s possible to pan for gold in thearea, but this method is seldom used.Panning actually recovers more goldfrom a deposit than sluice mining, butis a much slower method. The $100 amonth operating fee charged by theSioux makes panning marginallyprofitable at best.

Panning, however, requires very littleequipment, a steel or tin pan and asmall vial of mercury (which bondswith gold dust) is plenty. This allows

pan miners to quickly set up shopanyplace that has running water. Manyprospectors have used this mobility tomine illegally. They never pan in onelocation for long, moving from place toplace to avoid Sioux patrols. The Siouxhave dealt severely with those theyhave caught doing this, giving newmeaning to the term “deadpan.”

Ghost rock is more profitablebecause it is usually found in largerconcentrations than gold. Ghost rocktends to appear in fist-sized clumps ina wide variety of rocks. Mining ghostrock, however, is much riskier than goldmining. Direct handling of ghost rockcan have serious side-effects, and itgives off sulfurous vapors which areboth flammable and poisonous.

Prospecting for ghost rock is simplebut dangerous. Once a likely spot islocated, a three-foot-deep survey hole isdrilled into the rock face. This hole isthen capped and left sitting for an hour.This allows time for any ghost rockvapor trapped in the rock to percolateinto the hole. After an hour has passed,the cap is removed and a lit match isheld in front of the hole. If ghost rockis present, the vapor ignites. The sizeand intensity of the flame gives theminer an idea of the quantity andquality of the ghost rock he’s found.

This method has its dangers. If thedrill should cause a spark whilepassing through a pocket of vapor inthe rock, an explosion can result. If thesurvey hole is drilled into a largedeposit of ghost rock, the test flamemay ignite it. A few large seams ofghost rock have been accidentallytouched off in this way. They haveburned for months with no sign ofstopping. At night, the sky south ofDeadwood is tinged with a red glowfrom these underground fires.

Ghost rock mines must be well-ventilated. An accumulation of vapor inthe mine can be ignited by a lantern orthe spark of a pick striking rock, withdisastrous results. (Good ventilation isessential for other reasons. Most minerslive on a steady diet of pork and beans.Enough said). Breathing large amountsof the vapor can be fatal, and evensmall doses of it can cause rock fever.

Miners always take caged birds,usually canaries, into the mine with

The Weird West 157

them. The birds, being much smaller,are affected by the vapor sooner andkeel over before the miner does. A baddeal for the bird, but a lifesaver forforgetful old prospectors.

Satan’s GardenSatan’s Garden is an area five miles

southwest of Deadwood. It was the siteof the Chance Venture Mine, one of thebiggest ghost rock strikes outside ofthe Great Maze. The place was ownedand operated by Norman Chance andhis brother William.

One night, after spending some timetoasting their good fortune in town, thetwo siblings decided to pay a visit to themine. In their polluted state, it didn’toccur to them to fire up the steam-powered fans that would suck anyaccumulated vapors out of the shaft.Norman lit a cigar to celebrate his new-found fortune and entered the mine.

A tremendous explosion followed,shattering the earth around the mineshaft and exposing a deposit of ghostrock larger than the crispy Chancebrothers had ever dreamed possible.The blast ignited the ghost rock, ofcourse, and enormous pillars of flameerupted through the holes torn by theexplosion.

The fire is still burning. Fountains offlame light the sky every night, and theeerie wail of burning ghost rock echoesthrough the hills. When the wind isright, the sound can be heard inDeadwood. There are those who claimthey can hear the Chance brothersscreaming in agony, locked in a prisonof flame.

It would literally take a river to putout a ghost-rock fire of suchproportions. Some entrepreneurial soulshave tried some other methods ofgetting at the fortune going up insmoke, but so far all have failed. A newgentleman named Hyrum Burms hasjust arrived in town with an all newplan to douse the conflagration.

The ground for a hundred yardsaround the mine shaft is hot enough toraise blisters, and the air is hot andthick with sulfurous fumes. All of thevegetation within a quarter mile of thesite has died and is buried under athick blanket of ash and cinders.

The Sioux claim strange, reptilianbeings have emerged from the flames,but are likely just trying to keepcurious prospectors out of the area.

Rock FeverFolks who work with ghost rock day

in and day out can catch somethingcalled “rock fever.”

Fever victims feel warm and light-headed. Some report strange burningsensations, as if their blood were onfire. The victims’ high fevers makethem irrational, however, andhallucinations are not uncommon.

The fever often causes permanentdamage. Many who have had it seem afew sandwiches shy of a picnic, andsome have gone stark, raving mad. Acase of rock fever usually lasts about aweek. At the end of this time, eitherthe fever breaks or the victim does.

Characters who suffer prolongedexposure to ghost rock may contractrock fever. Miners are the most frequentvictims, as are mad scientists whohandle rock shards frequently.

A person who handles a piece ofghost rock does not usually have tocheck to see if she’s gotten the disease.Only those who work with it for four toeight hours a day or more—or thosewho simply spend much of their timein a mine filled with ghost rockvapors—have any real danger ofcontracting rock fever.

After each week of direct, prolongedcontact with ghost rock, the charactermakes a Vigor roll. The TN of the roll is3 after the first week. It increases by +2per week until the TN reaches 11. Afterthat, check once per month at TN 11.

If the roll succeeds, nothing happens.If it fails, the hero contracts rock fever.He becomes flushed and feels light-headed and feverish, taking –2 to allAptitude and Trait rolls.

Once with the fever, the charactermust make a Hard (9) Vigor roll everytwo hours. Each successful roll reducesthe TN of the next roll by –1 to a

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minimum of 3. Each failed roll causes awound to her noggin and increases theTN of the following roll by +1 to amaximum of 11. The character rolls untilthree consecutive rolls are made or shedies. Chips may be spent to cancelwounds, though the TN still rises.

If the patient takes three or morewounds from the fever, her brain boilsa bit, and she gains a dementia. Roll onthe Mad Scientist’s Dementia Tableor make up something loco.

Should the afflicted go bust on aVigor roll, she spontaneously combustsand is consumed by fire from the insideout. Little remains of a cowpoke whodies in this manner except perhapssome ashes, a few fillings, and a lumpof ghost rock about the size of thevictim’s heart. Anyone witnessing thisevent should make a Hard (9) guts roll.

Iron DragonThe Iron Dragon Railroad built a line

through the Sioux Nations years beforeghost rock was discovered in the BlackHills. Once the Deadwood Creek Treatywas signed, the company immediatelybegan laying a spur to Deadwood. IronDragon has used its monopoly as thesole transportation in and out ofDeadwood to its great advantage. Therailroad’s fees for both passengers andcargo are well above the going rate.

Also, despite the fact that the treatyprohibits companies from owningmines, Iron Dragon controls almost onethird of the ghost-rock mines inoperation around Deadwood. Therailroad does not own the minesdirectly, but each claim was bought bycompany employees. It’s commonknowledge that the money for theseclaims came from Iron Dragon’s coffers.Some of the mining operations onthese claims are actually operated bymembers of Iron Dragon work crews.

Miners have lodged complaints withthe OMA, but no action has yet beentaken. No doubt many fear Kang’sheavy hand.

ChinatownA large number of Chinese

immigrants have taken up residence atthe north end of town. Most work inthe mines or as household servants.Others have set up laundries andrestaurants.

Still others have taken up less savoryoccupations. Just on the northern sideof the tracks, there are a number ofestablishments that cater to thoselooking for something stronger thanwhiskey. At night, you can detect thesmell of burning opium from over ablock away.

The Opium RingThere are many who would like to

close Deadwood’s opium dens down,but it’s unlikely this will happen. Thefew brave souls who have organizedopposition to the sale of opium in townhave received late night visits fromKang’s assassins.

Kang has begun using his railroad tomove opium. He has shipmentsdelivered to eastern ports and thentransports the stuff west by rail. He’sfound that it’s much quicker thanhaving Chinese immigrants carry theopium on foot from the City of LostAngels. Kang jealously guards hisopium trade and has placed enforcersin every town that he services.

In Deadwood, Kang’s man is HuangLi. He lives in the boomtown’sflourishing Chinatown, and he is widelyrecognized by Deadwood’s Chineseresidents as their leader. Few outsidersknow of his status.

Life in DeadwoodDeadwood is a wild place. Over a

third of the population makes its livingfrom saloons, gambling, or prostitution.The knowledge that the Sioux coulddecide to wipe out the entire town atany time lurks in the back of everyinhabitant’s mind, encouraging aphilosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry,for tomorrow we may die.” The fortunesbeing made in the hills around thetown are spent or gambled away almostas fast as they are acquired.

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To Chinatown

Building Key1. Ayres & Wardman Hardware

2. Bella Union Theater3. Big Horn Store

4. Carmichael’s Livery5. Empire Bakery6. Gem Theater7. Green Front

8. Grand Central Hotel9. Langrishe Theater

10. Nuttal & Mann’s No. 10 Saloon11. Nye’s Opera House

12. Office of Mining Affairs13. Stebbins & Post Bank

14. Train Depot

1 inch = 75 feet

The vast majority ofDeadwood’s population

lives in tents in andaround the city. Due to

their inherentlytransient nature, mostof these structures are

not shown here.

Main S

treet

Sher

man

Stree

t

Broa

dway

Stre

et

Whitewoo

d Cr

eek

Whi

tewoo

d Cre

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Wall Street

Gold Street

Lee Street

Deadwood Street

City Creek

Deadwoo

d Cree

k

Deadwood,Sioux Nations

160 Marshal

Many saloons are open around theclock, and the whiskey flows likewater. Travelers to Deadwood areadvised to use their best manners. Thecombination of whiskey, gambling, andguns is a lethal one; the tiniest insult(real or perceived) can result in anacute case of lead poisoning.

Marshal Bullock and his deputies arekept busy rounding up drunks andkeeping the peace. Bullock prefers tosettle disputes peacefully. He is notafraid of gunplay, but he wants to keepthe dying to a minimum. Some citizenswant more aggressive law enforcement.They were lobbying to make theillustrious Wild Bill Hickok the nexttown marshal until his recent death.

Most folks don’t actually live withinthe city limits, instead camping in tentsin the hills overlooking the town. Someminers refuse to leave their stakes forfear that claim jumpers will rob themblind while they gallivant around town.The Sioux don’t mind, just as long asthe miners don’t go wandering offwhere they’re not wanted.

Visitors to Deadwood may want toinvest in a good pair of boots. Despitetown ordinances, folks persist inthrowing their garbage out their frontdoors. This, combined with the manurefrom horses and oxen, makes a thick,sticky mud that reeks worse than agarlic-eating skunk.

Where to GoAyres & Wardman Hardware: This

fine and well-stocked store specializesin building materials and heavy miningequipment.

Bella Union Theater: Thisestablishment is owned by Bill Nuttal. Ifyou’re looking for a night on the town,you can find a variety of drinks, games,and bawdy stage performances here.

Big Horn Store: This store is ownedand operated by P.A. Gushurst andWilliam Connors. This is the place to gofor basic supplies and miningequipment.

Carmichael’s Livery: While intown, you can board your trail partnerhere for $1.50 a day.

Empire Bakery: Mrs. Ellsner’s cakesand pastries can’t be beat.

Gem Theater: Another good placefor a night’s diversion, the Gem isknown more for the hospitality of its“hostesses” than the quality of itsentertainment.

Grand Central Hotel: If you’re onlypassing through, the Grand Central isthe place to stay. You can get a niceroom for $3 a day. The grub here isexcellent, Aunt Lou Marchbanks runs aHell of a kitchen.

Green Front: If you’re looking for alady to spend time with, you’re in theright place.

Langrishe Theater: A respectabletheater with solid performancesfeaturing Jack Langrishe and his wife.The Episcopalian congregation meetshere on Sundays promptly at 9 a.m.

Nuttal & Mann’s No. 10 Saloon:The site of Wild Bill’s unfortunatedemise. The owner has roped off thearea with curtains and charges folks adollar to take a gander at the “spotwhere Wild Bill met his end.”

Nye’s Opera House: A place to gofor those interested in increasing theirappreciation of the finer things. Itdoesn’t get much business, but its fewpatrons are rich enough to keep it going.

Stebbins & Post Bank: Thepremier bank of Deadwood. It’s beenrumored that the bank may do as muchas a hundred thousand dollars a day inbusiness.

Famous FolksHere are some of the Deadwood

town notables.

Wild Bill HickokThe legendary pistoleer and lawman

Wild Bill Hickok came to Deadwood inthe summer of ’76. He spent most ofhis time in the saloons, drinking andgambling. Many in town thought hewould eventually replace Seth Bullockas the town marshal.

Wild Bill was a cautious man. Healways sat with his back to the wall

and always poured his drink with hisleft hand to keep his gun hand free.His philosophy was to shoot a man firstand talk about it later, if at all. Many anoutlaw who crossed Wild Bill’s path isnow worm food.

Unfortunately, Wild Bill’s pasteventually caught up with him. OnAugust 2nd, he was in Nutall & Mann’sSaloon No. 10 playing cards. There wereno seats available against the wall, andhe was forced to sit with his back tothe door. A drifter by the name of JackMcCall entered the saloon and shotWild Bill in the back of the head.

Bill keeled over dead clutching whathas come to be known as the DeadMan’s Hand: two black Aces, two blackEights, and a Jack of Diamonds.

McCall was captured and tried by aminer’s court. The cowardlybushwacker explained that he shotHickok over a poker debt, and he alsoclaimed to be the brother of SamuelStrawhim, a man killed by Hickok in1869. The jury believed McCall’s storyand acquitted him. Rumors abound thatMcCall was hired to kill Hickok toprevent him from becoming marshaland that some of his employers mayhave even been on the jury.

It seems as if some of Hickok’senemies weren’t content with merelykilling him. His body has recentlydisappeared from the Mt. Moriahcemetery. There are those who claimWild Bill is alive and well and wasburied prematurely. A few, including thenotorious Calamity Jane, claim to haveactually spoken to Hickok.

Hickok is, in fact, back from thegrave (most of his brain survived) andhas vowed to exact revenge upon thoseinvolved in his death. He wants to keephis victims off guard, so he has tried toavoid being seen by anyone who mightrecognize him.

The exception to this is CalamityJane. Wild Bill contacted her shortlyafter his resurrection to get theinformation he needed to hunt downthose involved in his murder.

Calamity had been drowning hergrief earlier in the evening and was afew sheets to the wind when this“visitation” took place. As a result, mostpeople have written her story off to adrunken hallucination. She’s told a few

tall tales in her time, anyway, so fewfolks take her seriously. When sheblabbed after the first time, he cameback and told her to shut up, and nowshe’s helping keep him hidden.

Wild Bill currently has Dominion overhis manitou, but only just. He’s morethan a little loco over his new state, buthe manages to keep his mind off it byplotting a long, slow death for JackMcCall. But before he kills McCall, WildBill wants to find out who put thebushwacker up to it. He figureshaunting his murderer for a while willmake him talk when he eventuallycorners him.

Profile:Wild Bill Hickok

Corporeal: D:3d12+2, N:2d8, S:3d6,Q:2d10, V:3d8

Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: brawlin’4d8, horse ridin’ 4d8, quick draw:pistol 3d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 6d12+2, sneak 3d8

162 Marshal

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d6, M:2d8, Sm:3d8,Sp:3d8

Bluff 3d8, gamblin’ 4d8, guts 4d8,overawe 5d8, persuasion 2d8,scrutinize 3d8, survival 4d8, taletellin’ 3d8, trackin’ 4d8

Edges: Thick-skinned, the stare.Hindrances: Bad eyes (mild),

bloodthirsty, enemies (a lot of folkshated old Bill, like Jack McCall andthe folks who put him up to thekilling), stubborn, vengeful.

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind:16Special Abilities:

Harrowed: Dominion: Harrowed 5/Manitou 3, Power: supernaturaldeftness (3d12+2)

Gear: Two .36 Navy revolvers (thesearen’t the relics), a Winchester ’73,and a Bowie knife.

Description: Bill’s a tall fellow withsharp, handsome features. At leasthe was. He’s still tall, but the otherside of the grave has emphasized the“wild” part of his moniker.

Seth BullockBullock is the town’s marshal. An

easygoing man, he prefers to handleproblems peacefully if possible, but hewill use his gun if necessary. It’s beensaid he “can out-stare a mad cobra or arogue elephant,” but when “he goes outinto the streets of Deadwood in theblazing sun of high noon, he is lookingfor his lunch, not for someone to shoot.”

In addition to his law enforcementduties, Bullock serves on the Board ofHealth & Street Commissioners andowns a number of local businesses.

Profile: Seth BullockCorporeal: D:3d10, N:3d8, Q:2d10, S:2d6,

V:3d8Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d10, fightin’:

brawlin’ 3d8, horse ridin’ 2d8,shootin’: pistol, rifle 4d8

Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:2d8,Sp:2d6

Area knowledge: Deadwood 2d6, bluff4d8, overawe 5d12, persuasion 3d12,scrutinize 2d8, search 3d8, streetwise2d8

Edges: Belongin’s 4, law man 3, “thestare” 1

Hindrances: Enemy: outlaws –2, heavysleeper –1, obligation: serve Deadwoodas a law man –2, pacifist –3

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: A double-action Colt

Peacemaker, and a Winchester `76rifle.

Description: Bullock is a plain lookingman of average build with a piercingstare.

Calamity JaneCalamity Jane (a.k.a. Martha Jane

Canary) is one of the toughest womenin the West. She has posed as a man toget a job as a teamster and a scout. Shehas also worked as a “sporting lady”upon occasion and can curse and spittobacco with the best of them.

Despite her toughness, Calamity hasa soft streak. She’s “collected” groceriesfor the poor from wealthy donors whodidn’t care to be staring down thebarrel of her gun, for one.

The Weird West 163

Calamity was an acquaintance ofHickok’s (though to hear her tell it, theywere more). She claims to have spokenwith him after his violent death. She’sbeen hitting the bottle pretty hard sinceBill was dry-gulched, and most peoplebelieve the spirit visiting her was of theliquid variety. There are even those whothink that Calamity had something todo with the disappearance of Hickok’sremains.

Down on her luck, Calamity hastaken to the bottle and gets by on thecharity of friends and the occasional“hostess” job.

Besides Jack McCall, Calamity Jane isthe only living soul to have seenHickok since his death. She’s helpingWild Bill hide out and keep track ofMcCall and his cronies. She loves him,but she’s also terrified of him now thathe’s joined the ranks of the undead.

Profile: Calamity JaneCorporeal: D:2d8, N:2d8, S:3d6, Q:3d8,

V:3d10Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: knife

3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, shootin’: pistol,rifle, shotgun 4d8, sneak 2d8

Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:3d4, Sm:3d6,Sp:3d8

Area knowledge: the Dakotas 5d6,gamblin’ 2d6, guts 3d8, persuasion2d4, scrutinize 3d6, survival: Badlands3d6, trackin’ 3d6

Edges: Friend in high places: Hickok –3Hindrances: Bad luck, loyal, ugly as

sin.Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 18Gear: A single-action Peacemaker, a

Winchester ’73, and a Bowie knife.Description: Jane is rather plain

looking lady with brown hair.

Preacher SmithThe first church services held in

Deadwood were performed by HenryWeston Smith, a lay Methodist preacher.Smith worked odd jobs at the sawmillor at the Pioneer mine during the weekand conducted in-street services onSunday atop a packing crate.

Smith was killed this year, while onhis way to hold services at the Iron Hill

mine. No one is certain how he died,but most of those in Deadwood blamethe Sioux. His mangled remains wereburied on Mt. Moriah, and unlike WildBill’s body, his corpse has stayed put.

Deadwood Dick(a.k.a. Nat Love)

Deadwood Dick is the nickname ofNat Love, a famous black cowboy whohas made Deadwood his home. Heacquired the moniker after winning theroping, shooting, and wild-horse-ridingcompetition at the Centennialcelebration.

Nat runs a saloon frequented bymany of the black miners in town.Though folks in the West have mostlyput aside their prejudices these days,Nat is the de facto leader of the blackcommunity on the rare occasions whensomeone forgets their manners.

Profile:Deadwood Dick

Corporeal: D:4d8, N:4d12, Q:2d8, S:3d6,V:2d6

Climbin’ 1d12, dodge 1d12, fightin: brawlin’2d12, horse ridin 6d12, shootin’: pistol,shotgun 5d8, sneak 2d12

Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:4d8, Sm:2d10,Sp:2d6

Animal wranglin’: bronco bustin’ 6d8,Area knowledge: the Dakotas 2d6,gamblin’ 2d10, guts 3d6, persuasion2d8, scrutinize 2d8, trackin’ 3d6

Edges:Hindrances:Pace: 12Size: 6Wind: 12Gear: A double-action Colt

Peacemaker, a scattergun and anexceptional (fast) horse.

Description: Nat is a moderatlyhandsome black man, who wears hishair long. He dresses almostexclusively in trail clothes, exceptwhen attending church.

164 Marshal

Dodge CityFear Level 3Dodge is a city divided. Like Kansas

itself, the loyalties of the town’scitizens are torn between the Northand the South. “Bloody” Kansas hasseen more than 20 years of horriblefighting, and animosities run as deephere as anywhere Back East.

Most towns, however, consist entirelyof people supporting either the Northor the South because it is almostimpossible for folks pulling for theUnion to live side-by-side with Rebelson a daily basis. Dodge is differentbecause it has a mixed population ofNorthern and Southern supporters.

Why? Because there’s money to bemade. The more money at stake, themore people can endure, and Dodge isa city full of opportunity.

The area around Dodge is aReckoner’s dream come true. Everyonehas an axe to grind with somebody, andpeople are knocking each other offfaster than rabbits do arithmetic. This—coupled with the constant threat ofviolence breaking out in town—keepsthe Fear level in Dodge at 3—a levelhigher than the rest of the disputedlands.

Money on the HoofMost of Dodge’s money is currently

wandering the Kansas plains,contentedly munching grass. Far andaway, Dodge City’s biggest business isthe procuring of buffalo, and for morethan just their prized tongues.

Buffalo hunting began in earnestback in ’72. Seems some tanners inGermany found a way to cure buffalohide into durable leather, and bull hideswere suddenly worth $3.50 each ormore.

Fortunately for the buffalo, theIndians got together around then andformed the Sioux Nations and later theCoyote Confederation. Needless to say,

they weren’t pleased about the hunterswiping out their primary source of food,clothing, tools, and so on.

Soon after the buffalo rush began,large warbands from both the Nationsand eventually the Confederationdescended into Kansas and attackedany hunters they could find, drivingthem from the plains.

Union cavalry tried to stop therampaging warbands, but it was a lostcause given the continuing Civil War.For close to a year, fast-moving cavalrybattles thundered across the plains. FortDodge was destroyed in an attack thatsaw Confederate guerrillas and Siouxfighting Union soldiers and Northernpartisans. The Indian bands returnedhome only after the fort was asmoldering ruin and their point hadbeen made.

After a while, most hunters didn’tthink $3.50 a hide was worth gettingcaught between the Indian battles andthe ever-present guerrillas. Even afterthe Sioux headed north again, it was awhile before hunters began to reappearin large numbers.

In ’74, though, the value of buffalowent through the roof. Beef herds inboth the North and South experiencedlarge numbers of mysterious deaths,mostly due to “Texas fever” but alsobecause of the strange parasitesknown as prairie ticks.

Neither of these ailments affectedthe buffalo for some reason. Includingthe meat, which the hunters hadpreviously left to rot, buffalo quicklywent from being worth $3.50 to roughly$30 each. Suddenly, buffalo huntingwas a much more attractive venture.

“Peacetown”At about the same time, two

railroads, one Northern (Union Blue)and one Southern (Black River), beganto push rails west into Kansas. RobertWright, a budding entrepreneur, saw achance to profit from the railroads’arrival and incorporated a town in theirpath. Wright envisioned a place wherethose who were tired of the constantfighting could choose to live in peace—and make a profit, if they were soinclined.

The Weird West 165

Wright called his new home DodgeCity. These days, people claim the namerefers to how you’re supposed tosurvive with all the lead flying around,but that wasn’t on his mind then. Thetown’s charter explicitly stated thatthose of all political persuasions werewelcome, and it made provisions for alarge police force to keep the peace.

The idea of a nonpartisan citycaught on and attracted the attentionof many people, both inside and outsideof Kansas. The town’s population grewquickly. Many of the newcomers werewar-weary folks who were tired ofliving in a shooting gallery. Others werejust there to make a buck. Some,unfortunately, had more sinistermotives and came to cause trouble.

Wright was elected the first mayor,beating a man named Hoover by a slimmargin. He and the town councilquickly found a marshal and deputieswho were capable of keeping thepeace in such a volatile situation. LarryDeger was hired as marshal, and two ofhis deputies are Wyatt Berry Stapp Earpand Ed Masterson.

The Law In DodgeThe lawmen in Dodge are a tough

lot. They have to be to survive. Inaddition to the problems common tomost western towns, the lawmen hereare forced to deal with the presence oflarge bands of armed men in town(bands whose only reason for existenceis to kill each other outside of town—orinside if they can get away with it), twocompeting railroads, rowdy groups ofbuffalo hunters, Texas cowboys, and acloak-and-dagger war between USAand CSA spies.

Mayor Wright has made it clear to hismen that, despite their personal views,they are not to take sides in anypartisan disputes in town; the law is tobe enforced equally for Northerners andSoutherners. Dodge’s only chance tosurvive the Civil War is to establish areputation as a truly neutral,nonpartisan city. If the police force isperceived to support one side or theother, the town will quickly turn into abattlefield as neighbors take up armsagainst each other.

Being human, the town’s peaceofficers don’t always quite measure upto this lofty ideal. Irate citizens whohave been offended can lodge acomplaint with the town council againstany officer they feel is acting in apartisan manner. The town councilusually looks into the charge quicklyand holds a public hearing on thematter—five deputy marshals havealready been dismissed in this fashion.The system’s not perfect, but it seems tohave kept hard feelings to a minimum.

There’s a movement afoot to replaceDodge’s Marshal Larry Deger withWyatt Earp. Earp has made quite areputation for himself in Dodge City. Hisfearlessness and ability to resolve asituation without resorting to gunplayhas endeared him to the more peacefulcitizens of the town.

166 Marshal

A clever man averse to bloodshed, hehas already defused a number ofconfrontations that could havedegenerated into bloody gunfightsunder another man’s purview. Wyatt’sreputation for buffaloing troublemakerswith the butt of his gun has causedlocals to refer to anyone with a knot ontheir head as having an “Earp.”

The Town CouncilThe Dodge City town council has six

members, each elected for a two-yearterm. The current council members areall prominent merchants in town. Whilenot all believe in Wright’s vision of apeaceful, nonpartisan community, theydo all share his love of the dollar andsupport his efforts to keep Dodge opento all—provided they have money tospend, of course.

The town council has passed anumber of strict vagrancy laws. Thestatutes give the marshal and hisdeputies the power to run anyone outof town who does not have either avisible source of income or at least $10in cash on their person.

Enforcement of these laws is irregularat best. They are usually used toencourage troublemakers to move on.

The Gun LawThe biggest news coming out of

Dodge City these days is the passage ofa new law forbidding anyone to carryguns within city limits. This is thecontroversial “gun law.” Dodge City is apretty wild and woolly place, so theTown Council decided it might be agood idea to try to rein in rambunctiouscowboys a little. As you might guess,it’s plenty controversial.

The law requires that anyone comingto town go immediately to the townmarshal’s office to check his guns (ifany) with Marshal Larry Deger. MarshalDeger’s office issues a claim slip that isbrought back to claim the gun whenthe owner leaves town. Anyone whocarries a gun in town is subject toarrest (with a jail term of up to threemonths), confiscation of the weapon,and a $50 fine per violation. The moreviolations you have, the more time youspend in jail.

A brisk trade in gun claim slips hassprung up since the ordinance wasenacted. Slips have been stolen, traded,even lost in pokers games or sold.They’re fast becoming a sort ofunderground currency in Dodge.

The Weird West 167War

As mentioned earlier, “BloodyKansas” and the border states are besetby a constant state of guerilla warfare.Every so often, one of these merrybands wanders into Dodge. They mightneed supplies, or they may just want tokick back and blow off some steam(although you’d think riding aroundplugging holes in anything that moveswould be relaxation enough for anyone).Not much for law and order, theircelebrations can turn rowdy.

Many times a group will decide tohurrah the town after downing a fewrounds. Other partisans in town oftentake exception to this disturbance ofthe peace and decide to take the lawinto their own hands to quiet thingsdown, sometimes permanently. Thisusually leads to an all-out gunfight,with the town’s deputies caught in themiddle.

These groups are one of MarshalDeger’s biggest headaches. Gettingdrunken men who have spent the lastfew weeks fertilizing the plains witheach others innards to treat each othercivilly is a task worthy of Hercules.

As long as they behave themselves,they’re welcome in town. If they don’tkeep quietly to themselves, they haveto go. Of course, telling 20 drunkenmen who have more weapons than theHarper’s Ferry Arsenal to get out oftown can be tricky.

A number of particularly viciousbands roam the plains around Dodge.On the Confederate side of things,there is Morgan’s Marauders, Henley’sHellions, and the Confederate KansasLeague. Supporting the North, you haveAnderson’s Raiders, Bob’s Boys, and theUnionizers.

Rumors continue to circulate about amysterious band that’s been dubbed the“Night Riders.” No one in town knowswho the bandits are or where theycame from, but their handiwork is hardto miss. They’ve visited a number ofisolated homesteads and small villagesthat have Union leanings and burntthem to the ground. The unfortunateoccupants of these places have beenfound dangling by their necks from thelocal flora.

To date, no one has been spared, andnumerous women and children havemet their fate at the hands of thesemerciless individuals. A number ofposses and northern guerrilla bandshave tried to track them without anykind of success.

This is of course the work of BloodyBill Quantrill and his raiders. See page120 for details about this damned soul.

The BodySnatchers

Anyone who spends any time in oraround Dodge will eventually hear talesabout the body snatchers. Depending onwho you talk to, these things loot thedead, eat the dead, and sometimesraise the dead. The descriptions givenby people who claim to have seenthese monsters also vary, ranging fromlittle green men to shambling corpsesto pink elephants. (I think it’s safe todisregard the accounts resembling thatlast one.)

Most folks believe that these storieshave been spun by people who havemisplaced their best buddy’s mortalremains and are feeling more than atad guilty about it. After all, theycertainly couldn’t be expected toproperly bury a corpse that’s not wherethey’re absolutely, swear-on-the-Good-Book certain they left it. Most of theothers can probably be chalked up tolooters and animals.

The stories of the dead disappearingare true. The large number of corpsesscattered about Kansas has given riseto a population of ghouls.

Ghouls are human in shape andusually stand about five feet tall. Theyappear shorter because they walk witha stooped, shuffling gait. Their skin iscorpse gray and is often covered withpus-filled sores. Their hands are tippedwith razor-sharp claws, and theirmouths sport wicked fangs.

Ghouls feed on the dead. They willeat any corpse, but they prefer fresh

168 Marshal

meat. After ghouls feed on a body thereis usually little left but bones, andthese have been well gnawed. Ghoulsnormally scavenge the dead fromrecent battlefields, but they have beenknown to grab those too badlywounded to defend themselves as well.Some ghouls dress in the clothing oftheir last meal, but most don’t botherwith such things and go au natural.

Ghouls live underground, in groupsof 6–10. The strongest ghoul in a regionis the “ghoul king,” a bloated creaturewho commands all others nearbyl.

The pack digs numerous tunnelsconnected to their central den wherethey drag their victims to feed. It’susually littered with the bones andbelongings of past meals. The kingrarely leaves this deep pocket.

Above ground, ghouls are cowardlyand flee if attacked. Anyone foolishenough to follow them below groundhad better be prepared for a fight. Thecreatures use their knowledge of themaze-like tunnels to surround and trapintruders. They often collapse a portionof the tunnel on interlopers and thendine on them after they havesuffocated.

One of the largest ghoul dens in thearea is beneath Boot Hill in Dodge City.Twenty ghouls call it home. Some ofthese creatures have become bold andstalk the streets at night, claiming theremains of those who were on thelosing side of an argument.

Profile: GhoulCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d10, Q:3d8, S:3d8,

V:2d10Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:2d4, S:3d6,

Sp:2d4Pace:Size: 6Wind:Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Damage: Claws (STR+1d8), bite(STR+1d6+poison)

Night Vision: Ghouls can see incomplete darkness. Their eyesalways have a faint red glow aboutthem.

Poison: Anyone who is bitten by aghoul and takes at least 1 Windmust make a Hard (9) Vigor roll. Ifthe roll is failed, the victim isstunned as if he had a Heavywound (TN 7). This stun is inaddition to any caused by realwounds.

Stench: Ghouls stink to high heaven,making them very easy to track.Anyone within 20 feet of one ofthese creatures must make a Fair(5) Vigor roll to avoid losing hislunch and losing 1d6 actions. Thisroll must only be made once perencounter.

Weakness—Bright Light: Ghoulscannot tolerate bright light. Allactions taken by a ghoul exposedto light brighter than a torch orlantern suffer a –4 penalty.

Description: Ghouls are cowardly,twisted humanoids with feralfeatures, surrounded by the oddor ofdecay. They are not undead, but surelook like it.

Profile: Ghoul KingCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d10, Q:3d10, S:3d10,

V:2d10Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10Mental: C:2d8, K:2d6, M:2d8, S:2d8,

Sp:2d6Pace:Size: 7 (Ghoul Kings eat better!)Wind:Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Ghoul Abilities: As above.Pack of Ghouls: Ghoul kings keep

2–20 other ghouls around them.These creatures are completelyloyal until their own cowardiceoverwhelms them.

Description: Ghoul kings look just likeghouls, except they are fatter andeven more loathsome looking. thereare rumors that thousands of suchcreatures live in the Grand Canyon,though they may be a completelyunrelated species. We’ll tell you morein the upcoming Canyon o’ Doomcampaign set.

The Weird West 169

Becoming a GhoulCannibals around the High Plians

might become ghouls just as those incolder climes become wendigoes. Usethe same rules for Becoming aWendigo (earlier in this chapter)should this come up in your campaign.

If the cannibal’s victim was a closefriend or relative, the characterbecomes a “ghoul king” and retains hisown statistics. Other ghouls naturallybow to this individual, though otherghoul kings usually send their warriorsto murder the newcomer.

The RailroadsAfter incorporating the town, Wright

contacted both Union Blue and BlackRiver and offered each of them theright-of-way into town. He pointed outthat there were a large number ofbuffalo hunters in the area, and a lot ofmoney could be made hauling the meatand hides east. Both companies jumpedat the offer like hungry wolves after ableeding buffalo, and they quicklybegan laying track toward Dodge.

As the companies converged on thetown, the competition to get there firstgot hotter than a cattle brand. Bothcompanies’ work crews spent moretime digging graves than laying track.Wright, impatient to have rail service in

Dodge, gave the railroads a deadline. Ifa company’s rails had not reached thecity limits by June 1, that companywould lose its right-of-way. After that,Union Blue and Black River hassledeach other less and concentrated moreon laying track.

On May 23, 1875, the Union BlueRailroad’s tracks crossed the Dodge Citylimits. Three days later—amid somecommotion—the Black River lineentered town. Both sets of rails rundown the center of Front Street to astation built at the town’s expense.

Mayor Wright has made it clear toboth railroads that they had best behavewhile in his town. What they do outsideof town limits is their own business, butthere is to be no feuding in town. Anyrailroad caught violating this rule losesits right-of-way. To date there have beena few minor violations, fist fightsbetween train crews, minor acts ofvandalism, etc., but nothing big enoughfor the mayor to take action on. This isprobably due to the fact that bothcompanies are making money hand overfist hauling buffalo hides and meat outof Dodge and don’t want to do anythingto endanger their cash flow.

Outside of town, it’s another story.Both companies maintain heavily-armed, mounted patrols to guard theirtracks. These soldiers make regularcircuits of every foot of track in Kansas.

170 Marshal

Buffalo HuntingAs we’ve said, the main source of

cash in Dodge is buffalo hunting. Everyday, hunters come in from the plainsaround town with wagonloads of thedead animals. These are sold to aslaughterhouse where the carcassesare skinned and split. The hides andmeat are then taken over to therailroad station and loaded on aneastbound train, or occasionaly towardthe Maze (where they must be cartedfrom the furthest railhead West—adangerous proposition given the priceof beef out there and the tendency ofmeat to spoil in the hot climate).

All of the slaughterhouses are onthe western edge of town (fortunatelydownwind). They pay anywhere from$15 to $30 for a buffalo, based on size,freshness, and hide quality.

Buffalo hunting is the perfect job forthose who enjoy gunning downanimals that are too stupid to run away.It’s an easy business to get into. All

that’s really needed is a good rifle anda wagon to haul the kills in. Mostserious hunters recommend a big-boregun like the Sharp’s 50. A well-aimedshot from one of these rifles can dropa buffalo with a single round. That’simportant because bullets areexpensive, and the slaughterhousesdon’t pay any more for Swiss buffalo.

To avoid back injuries, hunters oftenhire hiring laborers to skin their killsbefore taking the meat to Dodge.Skinners can also help get the hugeanimals up on the wagon—a mightytough job to accomplish unaided. Crewsof skinners can usually be found intown who will work together for about10% of a haul.

Most hunters creep up on a herd andset up at least 200 yards out to preventthe boom of the guns from spookingthe animals. It’s possible to bag anumber of buffalo in this manner. Theyusually won’t stampede away until theysmell blood and panic.

Hunting the HuntersHunting alone is not recommended.

The Kansas plains are a dangerousplace to be—some claim there are morearmed men than buffalo out there. Mosthunting parties number at least fiveindividuals. Usually three hunt whilethe other two keep an eye out fortrouble.

Besides the usual raiders, Indians,and railroad gangs, a body has got to beon the lookout for other hunters. Theweapon that can take down a buffalocan more than do the job on a person.

Some less than energetic “hunters”wait on the main trails leading intotown and relieve others of their kills.There are some hunters out there whohave probably killed more men thanbuffalo.

Still, Indians are the most dangerousoccupational hazard of buffalo hunting.Many of the tribes who live on theplains depend on the buffalo herds forfood and leather. They take a dim viewof the white man slaughtering theherds on such a scale. Many bravesfrom the Coyote Confederation,especially Quanah Parker’s Comanches,go out of their way to ambush huntingparties.

The Weird West 171The Cattle Trade

As if the lawmen in Dodge didn’thave enough on their plate, the trade inTexas longhorns has picked up as well.With the longhorns, of course, comeTexas cowboys and trouble.

This turn of events is due to theCattle Owners Associations furtherwest. The biggest and meanest of thebunch banded together and forgedexclusive deals with their localrailroads to haul their cattle and no oneelse’s. The smaller ranchers, unable toget their herds to market, have beenforced to drive them north to Dodge.

The cattle drives to Kansas areordeals. The cowboys not only have tocontend with bad-tempered livestockand the elements, but also gunmenhired by the cattle barons to preventthem from reaching their destination.When and if the cowboys reach Dodge,all they want to do is collect their payand hit the town.

City of IntrigueDodge City has become a magnet for

Union and Confederate spies. Itslocation in disputed territory and thefact that it is served by railroads fromboth countries make it an easy point ofaccess into enemy territory. AConfederate spy can hop onto a trainfor Chicago and from there reach anyplace in the Union. Likewise, a Unionagent can catch a train directly toRichmond.

Both sides maintain an activenetwork of spies in Dodge City itself.These spies aid those who are travelinginto enemy territory by providing falsepapers and safe places to stay while intown. The agents in Dodge also workwith some of the guerrilla bands in thearea, using them to gather informationand eliminate enemy sympathizers.

However, these agents devote most oftheir time to uncovering andeliminating each other. This iscomplicated by the fact that the Agencyand Texas Rangers, as well as anumber of freelancers, have set upshop in town. Every day, a complicatedgame of deceit and betrayal is playedout in the back rooms of Dodge. Every

night, a few of the town’s citizensdisappear to be seen no more ofcourse, not all the disappearances canbe blamed on the spy war. the ghoulsdo their part as well..

The Mayor and town council take adim view of all this cloak-and-daggerstuff. It only complicates MarshalDeger’s job and stirs up partisanfeelings. As a result, being convicted ofspying or supporting spies in Dodge—forthe North or South, Deseret, or even theIndians—is punishable by hanging.

Life in DodgeLiving in Dodge is exciting (so is

being kicked in the groin, but it’s stillsomething to avoid). Despite the idealsof the town’s founder, Dodge City is nota peaceful haven of capitalistic bliss. Inmany ways, the town’s success hasplanted the seeds of its own undoing.

The majority of the town’s earlyinhabitants were honest, hard-workingfolks just trying to get by in a badsituation. As Dodge has grown andprospered, it has attracted other, less-desirable elements.

Among this group, partisan feelingsrun deep, and their attitudes havebegun to influence their neighbor’sviews. Stir in the transient populationof buffalo hunters, railroad gangs,guerrillas, spies, cowboys, and guns-for-hire, and the place become morevolatile than nitro—one good bump, andthe whole town could go.

With the arrival or cavalry troopsfrom both the Union and theConfederacy in the Disputed Lands (aconsequence of the NovemberOffensives mentioned earlier), thingshave only gotten more unstable.

The marshal’s office is doing it’s bestto keep the lid on this pressure cooker,but things still occasionally boil over. It’sa rare day that goes by withoutsomeone ending up on a board in theundertaker’s front window. And that’safter the gun ban.

1. Alamo Saloon2. Alhambra Saloon

3. City Jail4. Courthouse

5. Dodge City Times6. Dodge House

7. Great Western Hotel8. Ham Bell’s Livery

9. Hoover’s Liquor & Saloon10. Kelley’s Opera House11. Lady Gay Dance Hall

12. Lone Star Saloon13. Long Branch Saloon14. McCarty’s Drugstore15. Mueller’s Boot Shop

16. Occident Saloon

Building Key

1

2

3

4

20

5

6

78

9

10

11

121314

15

16

17

18

19

21

22

23

Locust Street

Front Street

Chestnut Street

Walnut Street

Spruce Street

Thi

rd A

venu

e

Bridg

e St

reet

Firs

t Av

enue

Rai

lroa

d Av

enue

Union Blue Track

Black River TrackBull RingCattle Pens

Ark

ansa

s River

and

Toll

Bridg

e (5

¢)

Boot Hill

17. Railroad Depot18. Schoolhouse

19. Swemburgh & Begley’s Buffalo Emporium20. Union Church

21. Varieties Dance Hall22. Wild Irish Roses

23. Wright, Beverly, & Co.24. Zimmerman’s Hardware

Dodge CityKansas, Disputed Lands

1 inch = 150 feet

24

The Weird West 173Where to Go

Alamo Saloon: The Alamo, ownedand operated by Henry Cook, is one ofthe classier saloons in town. The bar isin the front room of the saloon. A goodmeal and cigar can be had in the parlorin back.

Alhambra Saloon: The Alhambra ispopular with the buffalo hunting crowd.It’s a rough place, but good for rumorsabout the Sioux or Coyotes.

City Jail: The new address oftroublemakers in Dodge. Most don’t stayhere for more than a spell, usually justlong enough to be hauled in front ofJudge Moreland.

Courthouse: Judge Wells Morelandpresides here when there are cases tobe heard (which is most days). Morelandis a buddy of Wright’s and does his bestto keep things in town quiet. He’sgained a reputation as a “hangingjudge” because he’s had a good numberof people strung up. Jail space in Dodgeis limited, so most sentences are eithera hefty fine or hanging.

Dodge City Times: If you want toknow who’s who in Dodge and whatthey’ve being doing to each other, readthe Times. If you want to know what’shappening in the world at large, youstill have to rely on the ever-truthfulTombstone Epitaph.

Dodge House: One of the finerhotels in town. Rooms can be had herefor $2 a day, and they’re worth it.

Great Western Hotel: DodgeHouse’s major competitor. Rooms go for$1.50 a day. The Great Western’s kitchenspecializes in wild game, mostlybuffalo, venison, and turkey. No liquoris sold on the premises; the owner’swife is a member of the localTemperance League.

Ham Bell’s Livery: This is one ofthe few reputable businesses on thesouth side of the tracks. Horses lefthere, are always well cared for.

Hoover’s Liquors & Saloon: Forthose who aren’t content to buy theirrotgut by the glass. George Hoover’sstore carries foreign and domesticwines, liquor, cigars, and lots of goodKentucky Bourbon.

Kelley’s Opera House: SeamusKelley runs the only spot for fine

culture in the entire state. But he’s notabove featuring lowbrow entertainmentwhen a cattle drive’s in town.

Lady Gay Dance Hall: While not aspopular as the Varieties, the Lady Gayis filled with hombres ready for 50¢dances.

Lone Star Saloon: Not as fancy assome saloons on the north side of thetracks, the Lone Star is popular withConfederate guerrillas and Texascowboys. Those going in here had bestbe able to sing “Dixie” with enthusiasm.

Long Branch Saloon: The LongBranch is probably the nicest saloon intown). The main room has a full barand a billiards table. During thesummer months, a five-piece orchestraplays. Off the front room is another forprivate gambling—no professionalsallowed. (This is strictly enforced.) Thereis also a small room in the backequipped with a number of cots wheredrunks can sleep it off

McCarty’s City Drug Store: Thisestablishment is owned by Dr. T. L.McCarty. The bottom floor serves asboth a drugstore and the city postoffice. Upstairs, the doctor has an officewhere he sees patients.

Mueller’s Boot Shop: Owned andrun by Jim Mueller, there are no betterboots around these parts than his.

Occident Saloon: The Occident isrun by Henry Sturm, an immigrantfrom Germany; the house specialty issausage and cheese with Rhine wine.Those with nasal problems can try theLimburger cheese. This is a favoritehaunt of northern partisans.

Railroad Depot: This depot servesboth the Union Blue and Black Riverrailroads. A constant procession oftrains passes through here daily onboth sides of the station (Union Blue’sto the north, of course). Union Blue hasa daily passenger train scheduled toarrive at 10 a.m. Depending on whatside of their beds the local rail gangswoke up on, the train usually rolls inaround noon—if it shows up at all.Black River’s passenger service is a bit

174 Marshal

more regular because Union Bluerefuses to attack civilians. The B.R.’spassenger express usually chugs inaround 4 p.m.

Schoolhouse: This small buildingwas built by volunteers. Mrs. MargaretWalker teaches the children of Dodgehere.

Swemburgh & Begley’s BuffaloEmporium: One of the largest buffalobuyers. You can usually get about $30for a large bull with an unblemishedhide.

The Globe: The Globe occasionallyhas some real news in it. Unfortunately,the editor, Dan Frost, is close-mindedwhen it comes to anything out of theordinary.

Union Church: Where the faithfulhold service. This building is used by anumber of denominations andcongregations.

Varieties Dance Hall: The Varietiesintroduced the cancan to Dodge.Lonesome cowboys can dance with thehostesses here—75¢ for 10 minutes of(vertical) dancing. Other services can behad, but prices vary. Be careful whatyou say to the soiled doves who workhere or down the street at the LadyGay; many supplement their income byselling information to the many spiesskulking around Dodge.

Wild Irish Roses: This house of ill-repute opened quite recently, and isdistinguished from the average brothelby one simple fact—all of the“employees” are fabulously beautifulIrish women. The girls run this placethemselves.

Wright, Beverly, & Co.: As the signon the storefront says, “Dealers ineverything.” Just about anything can befound here. The store even serves as ashipping point for Smith & Robardsdeliveries.

Zimmerman’s Hardware: Hammersand nails can be purchased here, butFred Zimmerman’s specialty ishardware of a more lethal variety. He’sa gunsmith from Prussia, and heknows his business.

Famous FolksHere are statistics for two of Dodge

cities most well known residents: BatMasterson and Wyatt Earp.

William Barclay “Bat”Masterson

Bat Masterson is currentlyundersheriff of Dodge County. He andWyatt have formed a fast friendship onthe job. It is likely Bat will becomeSheriff at the next election and makeWyatt his second in command.

Bat is a friendly sort. The roughertypes often mistake his cleverness forweakness. It’s a mistake they don’tmake twice. Bat is Hell to deal withwhen he’s angry.

Bat’s brother, Ed, is also a part-timelawman. He’s served as a deputy townmarshal when the police force isstretched too thin—usually when a bigcattle drive or buffalo hunt comes in.

Bat Masterson isn’t particularly fastor deadly with his gun—at least notcompared to the speed of John WesleyHardin or the legendary accuracy ofHickok. Bat excels in keeping his headand stopping trouble before it starts,making him an excellent partner forWyatt Earp.

Masterson’s fairly well-liked andrespected in Dodge and other parts.That means he can summon a posse toback him up when trouble gets hotterthan he can handle on his lonesome.

Bat MastersonCorporeal: D:2d10, N:3d8, S:3d6, Q:3d10,

V:3d6Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’:

brawlin’, club 4d8, horse ridin’ 3d8,shootin’: rifle, shotgun 5d10, sneak2d8

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:3d8, Sm:2d8,Sp:2d8

Area knowledge: Kansas 4d8, bluff 2d8,gamblin’ 2d8, guts 3d8, leadership4d8, overawe 4d8, persuasion 5d8,professional: law 3d8, scrutinize 3d8,search 3d8, streetwise 3d8, survival2d8, trackin’ 2d8

Edges: Levelheaded 5, purty 1, “thevoice”: soothing 1

The Weird West 175

Hindrances: Curious –3, heroic –3, lawo’ the West –3, loyal: Wyatt Earp –3,tinhorn –2

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: Double-action Colt Peacemaker,

can.Description: Masteron always dresses

impeccably. He prefers a black suit,black bowler, and matching tie. Hekeeps a short mustache as well.

Wyatt Berry Stapp EarpEarp began his career as a lawman

in Wichita, Kansas. He served as adeputy marshal there until he got intoa fist-fight with William Smith, whowas running for marshal at the time.Following the scuffle, Wyatt wasunsurprisingly fined and sacked.

Earp was hired by the Dodge Citymarshal’s office in May, 1876. Sincecoming to town, he has achieved areputation as a fair and fearless deputy.Wyatt tries to avoid gunplay whenpossible, but if pushed, he will throwdown. He has earned the respect of thetownspeople for his ability to facehostile mobs, often alone, and dispersethem without bloodshed.

Unfortunately, Wyatt is not loved byall. In the course of performing hisduties, he has been forced to crack anumber of guerrillas on the noggin,earning their enmity and that of theirgroup. One group in particular, Morgan’sMarauders, is looking to even the score.Wyatt was forced to gun down one oftheir members when he refused tosurrender his pistols. The Maraudersare biding their time, hoping to catchEarp outside of town.

Like his good friend, Bat Masterson,Wyatt isn’t the fastest gun in the West,nor the best shot. He’s really a threatbecause of his calm and quick thinking.He usually buffaloes a troublemakerover the head long before anyone eventhinks about drawing a gun.

Wyatt EarpCorporeal: D:3d8, N:2d10, S:3d6, Q:3d8,

V:3d8Climbin’ 2d10, dodge 3d10, fightin’:

brawlin’, club 6d10, horse ridin’ 3d10,

quick draw 4d8, shootin’: pistol, rifle,shotgun 5d8, sneak 3d10,

Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:3d8,Sp:2d10

Area knowledge: Kansas 4d6, bluff 3d8,gamblin’ 4d8, guts 3d10, leadership4d12, overawe 6d12, persuasion 2d12,professional: law 3d6, scrutinize 5d8,search 4d8, streetwise 4d8, survival3d8, trackin’ 2d8

Edges: Levelheaded 3, luck of the Irish3, “the voice”: grating 1, “the stare” 1

Hindrances: Heroic –3, obligation: tobrothers –3, pacifist: does not like tokill –3, stubborn –2, vengeful –3

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 18Gear: Colt Buntline Special, Winchester

’73, shotgun, Earp’s badge (see page56).

Description: Earp is a no-nonsensetype with dusty brown hair, solidfeatures, and a stare that can cutright through to the soul. He usuallywears a suit, though it stays a littlemore bedraggled than Masterson’s.

176 Marshal

TombstoneFear Level 3Tombstone, Arizona is known as the

Gateway to the Great Maze—at least inthe South, since it sits at the Westernedge of Confederate territory. Thegovernment back in Richmond claimsthe entire territory of Arizona, andCalifornia to boot, but anyone who hasspent any time in the region knowsbetter.

Those travelling outside the patrolarea of nearby Fort Huachuca’sgarrison (which doesn’t extend nearlyas far as one might hope), find that thesurrounding countryside belongs toGeronimo and his Chiricahua Apaches.Farther west, near Yuma, Santa Annaand the new Mexican Army call theshots—usually at interloper’s heads.

Fort HuachucaFort Huachuca was built in late ’69 to

safeguard mule trains hauling ghostrock from the Great Maze to Roswell inNew Mexico. The fort is approximately 23miles southwest of Tombstone. Itcommands an east-west pass betweenthe Whetstone and HuachucaMountains, and has a clear view of boththe San Pedro and Santa Cruz Valleys.

The fort currently has a garrison ofroughly 100 cavalrymen, significantlyless than the 300 troopers that werestationed here before last year’sNovember Offensive. The garrisonpatrols the mule train route and thearea around Tombstone, protectingagainst marauding bands of Apachesand Mexicans.

Morale among the soldiers iscurrently at an all-time low. They aretired of being targets in Geronimo’sshooting gallery. Most want nothingmore than to finally corner theApaches and force them into a stand-up fight. The soldiers’ frustration hasled some of them to retaliate against

peaceful tribes in the area. There havealso been problems with soldiersgetting drunk in town and shooting atanything that moves.

Exacerbating the situation aresporadic sightings of Mexican patrols inthe area. The boys in gray have yet tofind any evidence of major Mexicanmovements in the area, but the patrolsare making them nervous.

The garrison is commanded byColonel Jacob Smythe, a dedicatedsoldier who takes his duties seriously.He has found Geronimo to be one ofthe most formidable foes he has everfaced. In the cat-and-mouse gamebetween Smythe’s troops and theApaches, it is often hard to tell who isthe hunter and who is the prey. Despitethe grudging respect Smythe feels forGeronimo and his band, he iscommitted to running them to ground.

Tombstone &Graveyard

Ed Schieffelin came east fromCalifornia in 1874 as a guard on a ghost-rock shipment. He had worked as aminer in the Maze for a while, but aftera number of his buddies died inparticularly spectacular and grisly ways,he decided to try his hand atsomething a little less dangerous. Hehad heard there was silver in the SanPedro Valley and decided to checkthings out for himself.

When Schieffelin left the caravan atFort Huachuca to go prospecting, hewas told all he would find in theArizona sun was his own tombstone.After dealing with the MexicanArmada, Maze serpents, and thedangers of mining ghost rock, a fewscalp-hungry Apaches didn’t seem likeanything to lose sleep over.

Luck was with him, and he soondiscovered a number of silver veins.Remembering the naysayers at the fort,he named his first two claimsTombstone and Graveyard.

News of his find soon got out, andpeople with more greed than sensebegan to move to the area. Despiteconstant attacks by the Chiricahua, atown was established on Goose Flatsand named after Schieffelin’s first claim.

The Weird West 177

The town grew slowly until thearrival of the railroad. The completionof Bayou Vermilion’s line into town wasa major event that literally putTombstone on the map. Overnight,Tombstone became the easternendpoint for Confederate ghost-rockcaravans and the starting point forexpeditions heading to the Maze. Alongwith this large, transient populationcame a horde of merchants, outfitters,and saloon-keepers hoping to partthem from their money.

The Maze or Bust!Silver mining, although a large part

of Tombstone’s economy, has taken aback seat to serving the needs of themany travelers who pass through thetown. New saloons and outfitters aresprouting up faster than weeds on acow patty.

Many would-be miners are tinhornsfrom Back East who have heard there’seasy money to be had in California.They come to Tombstone by train withlittle more than the clothes on theirback and a pocketful of cash. It’susually not until after they’ve boughtevery conceivable piece of equipmentknown to man that they realize theyhave much more than they could everpossibly carry. The folks over at the OKCorral are making money hand overfist, selling these fools horses andwagons. The only thing that might puta crimp in the store owner’s cash flowis Reverend Grimme’s Edict. But word ofGrimme’s activities is spreading slowly,and for now the flow of people throughTombstone has slowed down onlyslightly.

The country between Tombstoneand the Maze is rugged and crawlingwith all sorts of antisocial types andnasty critters. There are guides whowill organize a group of travelers andlead them to their destination. Mostcharge about $50 a head—expensive,but usually worth every penny.

The trip usually takes someone whoknows their business about a montheach way—or three weeks on the wayback if they’re not leading a group.Some guides are making the round tripmuch faster than that by cutting a

pretty serious corner. These villainstake people’s money and then, oncethey’re out of sight of town, get theircustomers killed and dump the poorchumps’ bodies in the wasteland that isArizona.

The LegionOne of the reasons one should not

make the trip from Tombstone to theMaze without protection is the ForeignLegion, which we told you about a bitearlier. Some of these fellows areslipping away from their posts toplunder the lucrative Ghost Trail.Sometimes they come into Tombstone,where they are promptly run out oftown by the Cowboys (see below). CurlyBill and company don’t like competition.

There are good Legionnaires, bothFrench and otherwise, but along theArizona border, the number of badones far outweigh the good. Full detailsand statistics on the Legionnaires canbe found on page 139.

178 Marshal

Conquistadors?There is another hazard to watch out

for when traveling near Tombstone.Recently folks have been having run-ins with Spanish Conquistadors, of allthings.

Their stories are all remarkably thesame. While traveling northwest ofTombstone near the WhetstoneMountains, they are approached bythree horsemen dressed in old-styleSpanish armor. At lance-point, thehorsemen demand that the travelershand over the silver they’ve “stolen.” Afew of the more hot-temperedindividuals opened up on them, but itdidn’t seem to have much effect. In allcases, once the traveler got the pointacross that he or she had no silver, thehorsemen simply turned and rode off.

No, these folks haven’t beenoverindulging in the hooch. It’s true.The three horsemen terrorizing thearea are conquistadors who passedthrough the San Pedro Valley in 1540with Francisco Coronado’s expedition.They discovered silver in the valley andreturned to open a mine. They enslavedthe local Pima Indians to work the

mine, working many Indians to death.At the end of each day, they inspectedthe workers to make sure they had notstolen any silver. Any Indian found witheven a fleck of silver on him was putto death.

One day, neighboring Indiansliberated the slaves and took the silver.The conquistadors were buried aliveinside their mine. A shaman cursedtheir spirits to walk the earth until theygather silver equal to that mined by theslaves.

The shaman intended this to be aneternal penance. The spirits werepowerless to take the silver, and aslong as the local Indians knew of theiratrocities, none would willingly givethem any. Unfortunately, the Reckoningchanged that.

The conquistadors now wander thearea around their mine looking for the“thieves” who took their silver.Whenever they encounter anyone, theydemand the return of their ill-gottenwealth, although they are powerlessagainst those who have no silver onthem.

The conquistadors may not harmthose who have no silver. They mayattack others normally. They can behurt normally, but not killed directly.Any wound that would kill one simplydisperses its soul, causing it to vanish.It cannot return for 24 hours. The onlyway to destroy them permanently is to

The Weird West 179

unearth their remains from the mine inthe San Pedro Valley and burn them toashes.

ConquistadorsCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d8, S: 3d6, Q:3d6,

V:3d8Fightin’: sword, lance 4d8Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:3d8, Sm:3d6,

Sp:2d8Overawe 4d8Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 16Terror: 9Special Abilities:

Ghost: The conquistadors cannot bepermanently killed except by themethod described in the text above.

Gear: Breastplate (Armor 2), sword(STR+2d8), lance (STR+2d10)

Description: These spirits look likeSpanish Conquistadors, completewith armor and weapons.

The Mule TrainsThe Confederate government is still

shipping ghost rock overland from theMaze, but in much smaller quantitiesthan before. Mexican and Apache raidshave made the trip extremely dangerousand costly, and Grimme’s Edict hascomplicated things. Each caravan ismade up of 15 to 20 wagonloads ofghost rock, escorted by two companiesof troops—usually a company of cavalryand a company of infantry. The regulartroops are often supplemented by Indianscouts and the occasional steamwagonor artillery piece, especially if the Rebelsget word of trouble brewing.

It used to take about a month and ahalf for one of these caravans to reachTombstone, but these days that’s up totwo months, since the caravan has toskirt the edge of Grimme’s new“sovereign state.” Some caravans don’tmake it at all. Two were lost last year,and three have gone missing sinceJanuary of 1877. As soon as the dustfrom the November Offensive’s settles,Richmond will likely dispatch freshtroops to reinforce Fort Huachuca andpatrol the Ghost Trail.

The arrival of a caravan is a majorevent. The soldiers receive their pay

when they reach Tombstone and areturned loose on the town. Mostimmediately head out to celebrate thefact that they’ve still got a full head ofhair. The week following the arrival ofa shipment is a wild one, as thesoldiers blow through their pay andwork up the courage to march back toCalifornia and do it all over again.

The Law inTombstone

Fred White is the town marshal inTombstone. This poor unfortunate hashis hands full dealing with rowdysoldiers, drunken miners, and a wideassortment of trash that’s just passingthrough. He has one deputy, SpenceWalker. The most charitable thing thatcan be said about Spence is that he’s afew cards shy of a full deck.

To add legitimacy to their claim toArizona, the Confederate governmentdivided the territory up into countiesand elected sheriffs for each. In somecounties, the sheriff and his deputiesoutnumber the Confederate citizensliving there. John Behan was electedsheriff of Cochise County, and hisoffice is in Tombstone, the county seat.

Behan performs one of his duties assheriff well—collecting taxes. Of course,that may have something to do with thefact that as sheriff he’s entitled to take10% of all the taxes collected as salary.Despite all the cattle rustling and othershenanigans that goes on in the county,it’s possible to count the number ofarrests Behan has made on one hand.

The CowboysThe real law in town is a group of

outlaws called the Cowboys.Unfortunately the law tends to bewhatever happens to be good for theCowboys. They’re a bunch of no-good,cattle-rustling lowlifes.

The Cowboys have the run of thetown because few people have the guts

180 Marshal

to stand up to them. Their leader is OldMan Clanton. His three sons—Ike,Phineas, and William—all ride with him,but it’s Curly Bill Brocius who calls theshots when the old man is not around.Other notables among this scurvybunch are John Ringo and Frank andTom McLaury. They can usually rustleup 20 to 30 followers and hangers-onwhen the need arises.

Clanton’s boys have raided the GhostTrail several times, but they’re too well-known to really give it a go withoutblowing their comfortable position inTombstone. It wouldn’t take much of anexcuse for the local’s favorite TexasRanger, Hank Ketchum, to round up aposse and put the Cowboys out ofbusiness for good.

These no-goods are smart enough torealize this, so they’ve mostly stuck torustling. When they’re not tearingthings up in town, they’re usually southof the border liberating some poorMexican rancher’s livestock.

They bring the cattle north and sellthem to the local ranchers andrestaurants. Sometimes, for a change ofpace, they steal local cattle and sellthem in Mexico. Despite numerouscomplaints, Sheriff Behan has taken noaction against them.

It’s best to stay indoors after theCowboys return from one of their“cattle drives.” They like to celebrate bypartaking in what they like to call “ajollification.” This consists of gettingdead drunk at Ike’s Place (Ike Clanton’svery own restaurant) and then tearingaround on horseback, shooting atanything that moves.

Things have calmed down a bit oflate, ever since Doc Holliday came totown. He’s had a few run-ins with theCowboys and lived to tell it—even laughin that consumptive way of his.

The Cowboys don’t know how tohandle someone who isn’t afraid ofdying, and are worried he might makegood on his threat to send a wire toDodge and have his friend Wyatt Earpcome to Tombstone for a spell.

Recently, the Cowboy’s have beenemployed as local muscle by BaronLaCroix’s Bayou Vermillion railroad asenforcers. They don’t know anythingabout the deeper mysteries of theBayou Vermillion operation—yet

Their ranks of the cowboys have alsobeen bolstered recently by a few soft-spoken Mexican ruffians. These areactually advance scouts for Santa Anna.The General has no plans on invadingTombstone at this time, but he’sscouting out the territory for the future.The Cowboys have no idea about theirnew members high connections southof the border, but other folks in townhave been wondering lately…

Curly Bill BrociusCurly Bill is the number two man in

the Cowboys, and he’s got plans forbecoming the head honcho. He’s tiredof rustling cattle and wants to move onto bigger and better things like banksand stagecoaches.

He knows that if he just upped andkilled Old Man Clanton, it would splitthe gang. Instead, he’s been biding histime, waiting for the chance to arrangean “accident” for the geezer. Bill hasbeen the man brokering the gang’s dealwith Bayou Vermillion as well. It’s allpart of consolidating his position.

Profile:Curly Bill Brocius

Corporeal: D:2d8, N:2d8, S:3d10, Q:4d6,V:2d8

Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’4d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, quick draw 5d6,shootin’: pistol, shotgun 4d8, sneak2d8

Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:2d8, Sm:2d8,Sp:3d6

Animal wranglin’ 4d8, bluff 3d8,gamblin’ 3d8, guts 4d6, leadership3d8, overawe 4d8, persuasion 2d8,scrutinize 3d8, search 2d8, trackin’4d8

Edges: Brawny 3Hindrances: Hankerin/mild: opium –1,

vengeful –3Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14

The Weird West 181

Gear: Double-action Colt Peacemaker.Description: Curly Bill is a plain

looking man, with kinky black hairand a vicious look in his eye.

Johnny Ringo(a.k.a. John Ringold)

Johnny is the most feared Cowboy.He’s faster than a rattler and meanerthan one when he’s been hitting thebottle. Tombstone clears the streetswhen he staggers out of a saloon.

Johnny despises Doc Holliday and thefeeling is mutual. They’ve traded leadon at least one occasion, and it’s boundto happen again.

Johnny RingoCorporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:3d6, Q:4d10,

V:3d6Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’

3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, quick draw 5d10,shootin’: pistol, rifle 5d10, sneak 2d8

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:2d6, Sm:2d8,Sp:3d8

Bluff 3d8, gamblin’ 3d8, guts 4d8,overawe 4d6, persuasion 2d6,scrutinize 3d8, search 2d8, trackin’2d8

Edges: Two-fisted 3Hindrances: Hankerin’/mild: opium –1

vengeful –3, bloodthirsty –2, mean asa rattler –2

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 14Gear: Twin single-action Colt

Peacemakers.Description: Ringo is a fairly good

looking fellow, with a bushy blackmoustache and slicked-back hair

The EpitaphTombstone is, of course, the home of

the Tombstone Epitaph, one of the mostwidely read publications on the NorthAmerican continent.

John Clum is the paper’s editor. He,along with Lacy O’Malley and the restof the staff, is convinced somethingsinister has happened that haschanged the nature of reality. Clum’sgoal, and that of the Epitaph, is to

make the average person aware ofwhat’s going on before it’s too late.

Unfortunately, it seems thegovernments of both the USA and CSAdon’t want anyone to know the truth.Many smaller papers who have runstories like those of the Epitaph havehad run-ins with the Agents and theTexas Rangers. The Epitaph is fortunatethat it built up a large audience beforethe Rangers knew where it was.Shutting the paper down now wouldonly increase the credibility of itsstories, as would banning itsdistribution. Still, both organizationskeep harassing the Epitaph staff andreporters to keep as much of the truthsuppressed as possible.

Enterprising heroes who witness anevent or critter that’s more than just alittle out of the ordinary can make alittle extra cash selling their stories.The Epitaph pays a half cent a word forarticles, $10 for sketches, and $15 andup for photographs. All submissions aresubject to independent confirmation,and while the Epitaph staff are prettycredulous people, they’re no fools.

Life in TombstoneIt’s been said that “Tombstone has a

man for breakfast,” and that’s not farfrom the truth. There are a lot of waysto meet an unpleasant end in the town—provided a body can actually make itthere. Many of the regular inhabitantstake a sort of perverse pride in that fact.

That being said, the averageTombstone citizen does not live in themiddle of an ongoing gun battle—it ispossible to walk down the streetwithout catching a hunk of lead.

Things get “civilized” about once amonth, when Hank Ketchum and hisTexas Rangers come through. Hank andhis boys generally stop in town for afew days to rest their mounts beforecontinuing their patrol of the territory.

That’s when Curly Bill, Johnny Ringo,and the rest of the Cowboys decide

182 Marshal

they’ve got business to attend to southof the border. While the Rangers are intown, things stay pretty quiet. EvenSheriff Behan gives his mouth a restfor a few days.

Of course, once they pull out itdoesn’t take long for things to get backto normal—but it’s nice while it lasts.

Tombstone LocalesBird Cage Theater: The Bird Cage

often has some splendid entertainment.The comedian Eddie Foy has graced theestablishment a number of times.Aspiring thespians be warned, however.Tombstone crowds can be hard on actsthat aren’t up to snuff.

Boot Hill: The epitaphs on some ofthe tombstones demonstrate the grimhumor of the citizenry of Tombstone..

Cochise County Courthouse: Thisis where Justice of the Peace WellsSpicer passes judgment on themiscreants Fred White manages toround up. Spicer has no love for theCowboys, but he is powerless to doanything until someone is finally ableto arrest them.

Crystal Palace Saloon: Lunch isfree here—provided it’s washed downwith the expensive house beer. Theplace was originally called theFredericksburg Lager Beer Depot, butthe owners decided to spruce the placeup with some crystal stemware and bigmirrors.

Episcopal Church: The divine truthis explained here every Sunday by theReverend Endicott Peabody.

Fly’s Gallery: C. S. Fly willimmortalize a likeness for posterity forthe pittance of a mere $2.

Grand Hotel: A fine establishmentwith comfortable rooms. Doc Holliday iscurrently staying here with hisparamour, Big Nose Kate.

Ike’s Place: Ike Clanton owns thisrestaurant, so it’s a favorite hangout ofthe Cowboys. The food is mediocre butcheap. Rest assured that all the steaks

in the place were mooing en Español afew days previously.

OK Corral: This is the place to gofor a wagon or horse. Of course, pricesare two to three times what they wouldbe Back East.

Oriental Saloon: A good place for agame of faro or poker. The place hasgained some notoriety as the favoritehaunt of the deadly dentist, DocHolliday.

Schieffelin Hall: A fine theatererected by Ed Schieffelin. This is thelargest adobe building in North America.

Tombstone City Hall: John Clum’sother office. He’s also mayor ofTombstone.

Tombstone Epitaph Office: Thehome office of the most controversialpaper in North America.

Famous FolksHere’s the lowdown on two of

Tombstone, Arizona’s most famousfolks. John Henry “Doc” Holliday, andHank “One-Eye” Ketchum.

Doc HollidayJohn Henry Holliday came West in ’72,

after being diagnosed withtuberculosis, hoping that the dryweather around these parts would dohis poor lungs some good. Although hesometimes practiced dentistry, hencethe nickname “Doc,” he made most ofhis money playing cards.

A real student of card games, Doc’sone of the sharpest gamblers in theWeird West. There’s absolutely no riskhe’s afraid to take, and that goesdouble away from the poker table.

Doc is a dangerous man to cross, andmany men have discovered that fact toolate to make any difference to anyonebut their heirs. He has a quick temperand does not hesitate to take actionwhen provoked. Because of his touchytrigger, he’s made a lot more enemiesfor himself than friends.

He’s deeply loyal to those he’s got,though. Doc is close friends with WyattEarp. A few months before coming toTombstone, Doc was in Dodge City andsaved Wyatt from a horde of angrycowboys.

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184 Marshal

Doc is also an accomplished huckster,and has been twiddling the cards in anarcane way for several years.

Lately Holliday has been seen in thecompany of a bounty hunter namedAlexander Graves, and actually savedGrave’s life in a gunfight with theCowboys. For full details on AlexanderGraves (as well as a passel of other lawfogs and outlaws) check out the LawDogs sourcebook.

Doc is dying, and he knows it. He’slooking to go out in a blaze of glory ifgiven half a chance.

Doc HollidayCorporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:2d6, Q:3d10,

V:1d6Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’

2d8, horse ridin’ 4d8, quick draw:pistol 6d10, shootin’: pistol, shotgun6d10, sneak 4d8

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d10, M:2d6, Sm:2d8,Sp:2d6

Bluff 4d8, gamblin’ 6d8, guts 5d6,language: Latin 2d10, medicine:

general 2d10, overawe 5d6, persuasion2d6, professional: dentistry 4d10,scrutinize 3d8, search 2d8

Edges: Arcane background: huckster 3,two-fisted 3, “the voice”: grating

Hindrances: Ailin’/fatal: consumption–5, death wish –5, hankerin’/mild:alcohol –1, loyal: Wyatt Earp, Big NoseKate –3

Pace: 8Size: 6Wind: 12Special Abilities:

Huckster: hexslingin’ 7, Hexes:Helpin’ hand, hunch, missed me!,phantom fingers, private eye, soulblast, trinkets

Gear: Twin double-action ColtPeacemakers, a deck of cards and aselection of bloodstainedhandkerchiefs.

Description: Doc is handsome fellow,if a bit thin and pale from hisconsumption. He has brown hair anda moustache.

Hank “One-Eye” KetchumOne of the most famous Texas

Rangers is Hank “One-Eye” Ketchum.Hank understands the strange eventsthat plague the Weird West better thanmost. Besides dealing with it on a dailybasis, he got his nickname from anrather gruesome event.

Ketchum was in the field hospital atGettysburg on the last day of the battle.There a surgeon was possessed by anevil spirit and began hacking offpatients’ body parts. The most famousvictim was General John Bell Hood,who watched “the Butcher” take offone of his arms. The madman pluckedout Hank’s eye with a surgeon’s probe,but the indomitable Ketchum and a fewother survivors chased the Butcher off

Hank spent years hunting for theButcher, and finally tracked him toDodge city last year, right aroundIndependence day. While the butchersevil was stopped for a while, thingsdidn’t work out exactly as Ketchumplanned. Check out the City o’ Gloomboxed set for full details on whatexactly happened after Hank left Dodge(in Independence Day dime novel).

Hank’s a survivor. He’s not the fastestgun, but he stands his ground and

The Weird West 185

keeps firing until he’s dead or histarget quits twitching.

A recent incident that illustrates thisis that of the Gravy River Gang. Hecaptured them in southern Texassingle-handedly. What’s more amazingis he managed to stay awake and keepguard over these ornery rascals for fivestraight days on the trip back to theRanger outpost at El Paso.

Profile: Hank KetchumCorporeal: D:3d10, N:3d10, S:3d10, Q:2d8,

V:4d12Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 3d10, fightin’:

brawlin’, knife 4d10, horse ridin’ 3d10,quick draw : pistol 1d10, shootin’:pistol, rifle, shotgun 4d10, sneak 2d10

Mental: C:2d8, K:2d6, M:4d10, Sm:3d8,Sp:2d6

Area knowledge: Weird West 2d6, guts3d10, language: Spanish 1d6, overawe5d10, scrutinize 2d8, search 2d8,streetwise 3d8, survival: desert 3d8,trackin’ 3d8

Edges: Brave 2, law man 5, nerves o’steel 1, rank: Texas Rangers 2, sand 2,tough as nails 3

Hindrances: Big britches –3, enemy:Northerners and the Cowboy gang –2,oath: track down the Butcher –2,obligation: shoot or recruit thesupernatural –5

Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: 18Gear: Two double-action Colt

Peacemakers, a Winchester `76 rifle,a Bowie knife and three speed-loadcylinders..

Description: Ketchum is a bear of aman, with a bushy white beard andan eye-patch.

The Weird WorldEvil doesn’t recognize borders. There

are just as many haunts in England asin the Black Hills of the Dakotas. More,actually, since the English have had afew thousand more years of blood-drenched, “civilized” history to find them.

The West may be weird, but the restof the continent is besieged by thesupernatural as well. The Great Lakesare said to be home to a weird sea-hag

that wrecks ships. The hills ofKentucky are full of nameless horrorsbeyond imagining. There supposedlyeven a mischievous poltergeist living inthe basement of the New York CityPublic Library that rewrites certainbooks when the librarians shut off thelights at night.

In Europe, the French are plottingrevenge for their defeat by thePrussians in ’70. That’s partly whythey’re in America trying to get ghostrock.

Russia and Turkey are also preparingfor war. Experts agree these mercilessfoes and their “battle in the Balkans”will result in furious bloodlettings inthe ancient Caucaus Mountains. Thetiniest spark could set this long-standing powderkeg off.

The British are having their fill withthe Zulus and Boers in South Africa.Most look for a major war, and thelocals claim the Zulus’ practice ofwitchcraft is more potent than everbefore, which could be bad news forthe Brits.

In Egypt, bizarre cults claim to havere-awakened the old gods. Humansacrifices to Anubis and the other darkgods are said to be near epidemicproportions. In another kind ofstrangeness, mummified remains areincredibly common in north Africa, andwealthy Europeans are said to bepurchasing them for “unwrapping”parties back home. You can imaginejust what kind of trouble this hascaused in some cases.

The Far East is also getting weird.Sources in Japan claim the “oni” havereturned, spirits likely similar toChristian demons or Indian manitous.China’s not faring much better.

As for Australia, you don’t want toknow what’s up “down under.”

We’ll get to these foreign locales astime rolls on. For now, the actionfocuses on the American West. If youwant your posse to travel abroad, you’llhave to make up the details until then.

Happy Trails, Marshal!

Comin’ ‘RoundThe Mountain

Now that you know how to play thiscrazy game, you’re no doubt itchin’ toround up a posse and hit the trail. Well,we’ve got just the twisted tale for youto spring on a bunch of unsuspectin’cowpokes!

Settle in while we spin you a littleyarn about trains, bugs, and the walkin‘dead.

The StorySo Far

A few weeks ago, a ship calledMary’s Despair docked in the port ofBoston. She carried an innocent cargoof bananas from Honduras. Or so hercrew thought. A creature called a“husker” had crept aboard Mary’s

Despair the night before the shipsailed for Boston. The thing is aman-sized, insect-like monster with

the extraordinarily nasty habit ofreproducing by planting its eggsinside other animals.

Once Mary’s Despair docked, themonster slipped off and beganmultiplying—at the expense of anumber of Boston’s citizens. It wasn’tlong before the Agency’s office in thecity was alerted to the menace. Actingwith its usual secrecy, the organizationquickly identified the problem and tooksteps to eliminate the huskerinfestation.

Problem Solved…?A few days burned buildings, and

corpses later, the situation was well inhand. However, the field agents realizedthe husker was a type of abominationthey had never before encountered.After a high level conference inWashington, the organization decidedthe creature warranted further study.

They left one of the monsters alive.The Agency felt the creature was toodangerous to leave on the highlypopulated East Coast, however, sothey arranged to

188 Marshal

have the abomination shipped to one ofits remote Western offices for study.

Two field operatives, Laura Giles andAllan Seyberth, were assigned to guardthe shipment as it traveled west on anold locomotive named the SkylineSteamer. All in all, it should have beenan easy assignment.

This is where the heroes come in.

Bushwhacked!Philip Clarkson gave a law-abiding

life a try—for almost one whole month.Now he’s moving up to the big time—train-robbing. He’s rigged a trestle overa shallow gorge with dynamite. Whenthe next train comes, he and his gangof losers will blow it and loot thebaggage cars.

Clarkson has no idea about thepresence of the Agency or their specialcargo. He just figures he’s on to an easyscore.

He doesn’t know how wrong he is.

The SetupThis is the easy part—all that’s

necessary to begin the adventure isthat the posse be riding on the SkylineSteamer, a west-bound Denver-Pacifictrain somewhere in the RockyMountains. Have each of the players tellyou why their characters are headingfurther west. They could have boardedthe train anywhere from Boston toDenver, so you can accommodate awide variety of character types.

You can have some of the charactersknow each other if you want, or makethem all complete strangers. Youcouldn’t ask for an easier way to get aparty together.

The story is intended to be runduring either early spring or late fall—either just after the mountain passeshave opened or just before they close.However, depending on the weatherconditions, just about any season isacceptable.

Chapter One:TicketsPlease!

The first portion of the adventure isintended to let the players get a feel forthe Skyline Steamer, its crew, andpassengers. If they’re strangers, theyalso have a little time to meet eachother and introduce their characters.

As we mentioned before, the point ofdeparture and destination aren’t reallyimportant to the adventure’s plot—usewhatever works for your particulargame!

The story picks up as the trainclimbs into the higher elevations of theRocky Mountains.

The TrainThe train consists of a locomotive,

coal car, three passenger cars, diningcar, baggage car and a caboose. Don’tworry about mapping out who is whereinside the train—it’s all about to blowup anyway.

Locomotive

During daytime hours, engineer PeteFranklin and fireman M. A. Maggert canbe found here. At night, King White isnormally at the controls and Jane Huntis his fireman.

Coal CarThe steep climb through the pass

places a good deal of strain on theengine. Coaling stations are few and farbetween in the mountain wilderness,so the coal car is slightly larger thanthose found on trains servicing the flatlands.

“Sleeper” CarUnlike some of the richer rail cars

Back East, this sleeper car is sparselyfurnished. The sleeping compartmentsare actually wooden cubbyholesstacked two high running the length ofthe car. Each comes with a thin

`Round the Mountain 189

feather-stuffed mattress. A smallcurtain can be drawn across thecompartment to provide a small amountof privacy for the passenger.

There are a total of 20 berths on thecar. For this trip, other passengersoccupy four of those berths, leaving 16available for posse members.

The four passengers occupying thesleeper car are Penelope Brown,Gregory Dawson, Laura Giles, and AllanSeyberth (see Passengers, below).

Passenger CarsThere are two passenger cars on the

train. Each one has 10 double-sidedbenches, each side of which cancomfortably seat two passengers(meaning each one can seat 40passengers total).

Many sleeper car ticket-holdersspend much of the daytime hours inthis car—there are no seatingaccommodations in the sleeper. Also,most passengers try to garner an entirebench for themselves so they’ll have alittle room to stretch out at night.

On this particular trip, there are fewregular passengers. Only seven otherpassengers are spread through the twocars leaving plenty of room for theheroes to stretch out.

Dining CarThis car has a dining area and small

kitchen. The dining area holds fourbooths capable of seating fourpassengers at a time and a small barwith three stools. The kitchen containsa wood stove, a couple of prep tablesand a tiny larder. Passengers aren’tnormally allowed into the kitchen, andwhile crew members are, the cook,Harold Buchanan, becomes grumpy ifthey raid his larder.

Because there are so few passengerson this leg of the journey, the larder isbarely half full. All meals must bebought separately ($2 each).

Between meal hours, the dining caralso serves as an informal lounge.Passengers occasionally scare up apoker game to pass the hours, and thecook serves drinks until 10 PM.

Harold has a small bunk at the backof the kitchen.

Baggage CarThis car is locked and off-limits to

passengers. All the travelers’ personaleffects are stored here, along with twobags of mail and a large, well-constructed crate.

Any low-down skunk willing to pokethrough other folks’ belongings or mailcan find a few, easily concealablevaluables here. A Fair (5) scroungin’ rollnets the thief $5 dollars in goods plusan additional $5 for every raise. Thisroll can only be attempted once perhero (and we use that term looselyhere!). If the pilferer gets two raises,she finds either Laura or Allan’sGatling pistol hidden in their baggageas well.

The heavily-boarded and chainedcrate, marked “Property of the BostonMuseum of Fine Art,” holds theAgency’s husker. For details on thecreature, see Chapter Three of thisadventure. Anyone who makes a Hard(9) Cognition roll while closelyexamining the crate detects the soundof something fairly large shifting itsweight inside the crate. Short of usinga crowbar to pry the boards loose,there’s no way to see what’s inside.

Seyberth comes back here at leasttwice a day to check on the crate.Using Agency connections, he and hispartner have secured permission toenter the baggage car as long as theconductor is with him. He explains hispresence to any nosy posse membersby saying he is carrying a valuablepiece of sculpture for exhibit in a SaltLake City.

CabooseThis is where the crew (except the

cook) spends most of its free time.There are eight bunks in the caboose.The men are fairly happy on this tripbecause there are only five of them,which means each man has his ownbunk and plenty of room.

The AgentsThe Agency has assigned two field

operatives to guard the husker on itstrip West. Laura Giles, a well-testedagent with years of field work underher belt, is in charge of the mission.

The two agents make little contact inpublic. Laura believes it best to concealany connections, particularly from thereporter, Denise Merritt. The last thingthey need is a nosy muckraker spillingthe beans!

The creature appeared to be in acomatose state when they captured it,so they don’t expect too much trouble.Nonetheless, Allan checks the crate atleast twice a day.

Lately, Allan has noticed the thing inthe crate is awake. This has him a littleon edge. If it breaks free, he knowshe’ll be torn between killing it toprevent its escape and trying to captureit alive so he can complete hisassignment. Laura has nocompunctions—she’ll kill it on sight andthinks that’s what should have beendone in the first place.

Laura GilesLaura is an attractive woman in her

late 20s. She’s an experienced operative,with more than four years in the field.There’s little she hasn’t seen, or at leastheard of

She’s posing as the spoiled daughterof a wealthy cattle baron on a sight-seeing tour. If the posse becomessuspicious, she embellishes her storyby hinting that she’s running from anarranged marriage with an unsavorysuitor.

Although she keeps a low profile,Laura is the agent-in-charge of thetransport operation. She’s a canny sortand keeps a close eye on hersurroundings and fellow passengers.Little escapes her notice.

Laura’s statistics are the same as forthe standard Agency operative on page106.

Allan SeyberthAllan is a well-dressed young man in

his mid-20s. He looks a bit like atinhorn, but a few minutes of

Fellow PassengersHere are the posse’s fellow passengers.Penelope Brown: Penelope is a pretty red-

headed, mail-order bride heading West to meether new husband. She’s not thrilled with thearrangement, it did get her out of Pittsburgh.Penelope is a sleeper car passenger.

Richard Chasen: Richard is a deserter fromthe Confederate Army. He avoids any obviouslawmen or soldiers of either country.

Gregory Dawson: With his carefully groomedblack hair and mustache, Dawson cuts quite afigure. He’s always impeccably dressed andfrequents the lounge. However, he’s nothing morethan a shyster looking to sell a fake “treasuremap” to whoever will buy it ($1000).

Jacob Emmet: Jacob is a middle-aged Mormonmissionary. Most of the other passengers are abit uncomfortable around him thanks to rumorsabound about the “goings-on” in Deseret.

Laura Giles: See The Agency, below.Denise Merritt: Denise is very nosty and

continually quizzes the heroes and anyone elseabout their lives and experiences. She’s trying tomake a living as a freelance reporter or dime-novelist, but hasn’t gotten a break yet. Thehusker story might be her big break.

Allan Seyberth: See The Agency, below.Abiel and Aloysius Squatpump: These twin

brothers are crude, grimy, trappers heading Westfor better game than they found in Kentucky.

The Wilson family: Rick, Jenny, and their twoboys, Amos and Jethro, are traveling to visitrelatives. The boys are rotten enough to beSatan’s cabana boys.

The CrewHarold Buchanan. A middle-aged, balding

man with a belly. He’s the train’s cook andbartender.

John Crocker. The train’s stern conductor.Pete Franklin. The quiet, business-like,

daytime engineer.Jane Hunt. Jane is a husky, middle-aged

woman who serves as King’s fireman.M. A. Maggert. “Mean-Ass” is a the daytime

fireman. He’s crude and starts trouble constantly.King White. King is the nighttime locomotive

operator. He’s the most experienced member ofthe crew and always polite to paying passengers.

`Round the Mountain 191

conversation quickly dispels thatmisconception. An air of confidenceand self-assurance virtually radiatesfrom him.

Allan professes to be a representativeof a museum back in Boston. However,a hero making an Onerous (7)scrutinize roll notices his hands arerough from hard work—not what onewould expect from a museum liaison.

Use the stats for the standardAgency operative from page 106.

Passin’ the TimeLet the players get into their

characters and get to know each otherbetter by passing a little time before theaction starts in the next chapter. Hereare a few subplots you can use to keepthings happening if the posse doesn’tget into trouble on their own.

Babysittin’The Wilson boys are Hellions. Their

parents look for any opportunity toshuck the kids off onto otherunsuspecting adults.

Should a posse member be unluckyenough to get saddled with the kids—and the Wilsons are practiced at thissort of thing!—he’ll find them morethan a handful. The two are constantlycausing trouble and are downrightmean about it. They love to start adultsfighting by stealing small items andplanting them on another, throwingfood and then looking away, or plantinga card in a gambler’s sleeve.

Gamblin’Dawson quickly gets a poker game

running in the dining car. He plays anhonest game for an hour or so, thenstarts cheating. Use the Shysterarchetype’s statistics should Dawsonget in a fight.

He plays with several of the otherpassengers if the party isn’t interested.

If the stakes get high, Dawson isquick to offer up his “treasure map.” Heacts like this is worth far more thanthe “measly thousand” he’s asking forit, but his “ill health—(hack, hack)—won’t let him pursue this incrediblewealth.”

Man-Huntin’Penelope isn’t particularly thrilled

about being a mail-order bride, but shedidn’t see any future in staying in amill town like Pittsburgh. And shehated the smoke and fumes from thefactories.

She’s liable to latch onto any herowho’s obviously got a fair amount ofmoney, or, failing that, any male possemember with a high Mien Trait (d10 orabove). The target of her affectionssoon learns she’s quite affectionate, buther plans are for a permanentrelationship.

Snoopin’ AboutThe more curious members of the

posse might start nosing about thetrain. That’s fine, but the conductortries to restrict them to the sleeper,passenger and dining cars.

Getting into the baggage car requiresa fairly clever plan to distract Haroldfrom his kitchen, or an Onerous (7)persuasion or bluff roll. Even once she’sgotten past Harold, the cowpoke has toavoid the conductor and Allan as shepilfers the contents of the car.

More adventurous heroes might eventry climbing outside the cars andcrossing the roof. It takes a Fair (5)climbin’ roll to accomplish this betweenthe cars, but an Onerous (7) roll to scalethe sides from a window. If she failsthe roll, she can’t find a route up; goingbust means she’s fallen from the train,taking 3d6+15 damage. Now she’s alsofaced with getting back on the movingtrain, but we’ll leave those details toyou, Marshal.

BountyThere are no special rewards to dole

out yet. Just make sure you rewardplayers for roleplaying their charactersand interacting with the train’s otherpassengers.

192 Marshal

Chapter Two:This is aStickup!

Sometime after the posse’s hadample time to wander about the train,meet each other, and get to know afew of the passengers, the iron horserounds a tight curve and begins toclimb a steep grade. At the top of themile-long incline is the trestle Clarksonand his bandits have rigged withexplosives.

Trouble inthe Baggage Car

Just before the train begins to climbthe grade, Allan Seyberth makes a tripto check on the husker. Hisnervousness over the movement in thecrate causes the operative to head backto the car without the conductor,Crocker.

What Allan doesn’t know is that thehusker has already succeeded inbreaking out of its crate. When heenters the car, the monster blinds himwith its poison and quickly dispatcheshim.

In the meantime, Crocker haslearned from Harold that Allan hasentered the car without him. He headsback to the car just in time to see themonster kill the Agent. Crocker boltsfor the door to the dining car.

Once there, with adrenaline boostinghis strength, he pulls the linchpinbetween the cars. As the last two carsbegin to separate from the train, thehusker lunges from the baggage carand snatches the heroic Crocker,dragging him back with it to the tallconductor’s doom.

By this time, the train is overhalfway up the slope. None of thiscauses any noise or should be noticedby the posse.

Put on the Brakes!Moments later, Harold notices the

baggage car and caboose have beenreleased. He rushes to the locomotive tolet Pete know. By the time he reachesthe locomotive, the train has nearlyreached the top of the incline.

The engineer begins to bleed steamand slow the train as it crests theincline.

Kaboom!As the train reaches the top of the

mountain, the posse hears a largeBOOM! from somewhere ahead. A cloudof dust rises to the front and the highpitched whine of metal pierces the airas Maggert yanks on the brakes.

Clarkson has detonated theexplosives, demolishing the trestle. He’dfigured the train would be under fullsteam and not be able to stop in timeto avoid plummeting into the canyon.He had no idea the engineer wouldhave already begun to slow the SkylineSteamer.

The other passengers shout andscream when the dynamite explodes.Then, as the brakes begin to grab,everyone is tossed about the inside ofthe cars.

Into the Chasm!The locomotive is unable to come to

a complete halt before tumbling intothe gorge. Fortunately, it’s going slowenough that only the engine and coalcar are dropped over the edge. The coalcar comes to rest atop the engine andprevents the rest of the train frombeing pulled over the edge.

Passengers in the caboose or thesleeper, passenger, or baggage carstake 2d6 damage when the train slamsto a halt. Anyone unlucky enough to bein the locomotive takes 5d6+25 fromthe plummet and crash. Determine thetotal number of wounds and apply eachto a random hit location as massivedamage.

Any hero on the coal car at the timeof the crash takes 3d6+15 damage. Hefinds himself lying at the bottom of thegorge, just clear of the wreck when heregains his sense.

`Round the Mountain 193Bailing Out

A quick thinker might decide toabandon the train before the crash.Those who do must make Fair (5)Nimbleness rolls or take 1d6+5 points ofdamage. Going bust on the roll doublesthe damage.

Dang It! Now WeHave to Shoot ‘Em

Clarkson can’t disappoint his alreadysurly gang or they might lynch him, sonow he has to shoot it out with thesurvivors.

The area near the trestle is lightlyforested and strewn with a fewboulders. The outlaws are hiding amongthe trees and rocks on both sides ofthe tracks. Clarkson is farthest fromthe trestle, located near the end of thedining car once the train has stopped.The others are dispersed evenly alongthe tracks leading to the bridge.

Clarkson has two train robbers foreach member of the posse. Use thestatistics for standard bandits found onpage 82.

As soon as the heroes begin movingabout or try to leave the train, theoutlaws open fire. They concentrate onwhoever seems to be doing the mostdamage first, any law dogs second, andthe cowpoke with the biggest gun next.

ShootoutOnly the heroes are likely to be in

any condition to fire back on therobbers. With the exception of Harold,the cook, the train crew is out ofaction. The other passengers are eitherunarmed or too shaken up to mountany real resistance.

The train wreck provides good cover,but the posse tries to hole up too long,Clarkson lobs a stick of dynamite attheir car. Throwing it through a windowgives him a –4 modifier to his throwin’roll, and if he misses, it detonatesoutside. The walls of the car provide 3levels of armor against the explosion(i.e., 3d8 damage instead of 3d20).

If the fight turns sharply against theheroes, the Squatpumps, the cook, andLaura Giles come out of their shockand pitch in.

The bandits have their horses hiddennearby. Should they start to take heavycasualties, they break and run for theirmounts, taking any spare horses withthem as they go. Remember they’remostly cowards, so they won’t fight tothe death.

194 Marshal

What a Mess!After the train robbers have been

chased off, the passengers set aboutassessing their situation. Things lookgrim indeed.

The locomotive and coal car areeffectively destroyed. Pete Franklin andM. A. Maggert were killed in the crash.Everyone on the train is at least slightlyinjured, although the incident seems tohave made the Wilson boys evenmeaner. The conductor, night crew, andAllan Seyberth are missing, along withthe baggage car and caboose.

The only member of the crewremaining is Harold, the cook. He saysthe train is at least 50 miles from thenearest station and a fairly cold nightisn’t far away. He adds that his larder ispoorly stocked and the food won’t lastmore than another day or so.

Where’s the Rest ofthe Train?

One of the most pressing concerns iswhat happened to the rest of the train.No one, not even Harold, has an idea.Dawson puts forth the suggestion thatthe missing cars are related to therobbery.

Laura Giles has other ideas—she’spretty sure the Agency’s specialdelivery is involved, although she won’tsay so. Instead, she does her best“maiden in distress” act and asks:

“I’m terribly worried about therest of the train. Why don’t someof you take a walk down thetracks and see what happened? Ican’t imagine a train car couldget that far, especially since theybroke loose near the bottom ofthe hill.

“It’s getting near dark and Ithink we should try to recover asmuch of our belongings aspossible. It looks to me like we’rein for a long stay—or hike.”

Laura directs her comments at themost capable-looking passengers, theposse. She fully intends to go herself,but, armed with only a Derringer, isn’tenthusiastic about running into thehusker alone. If none of the heroesvolunteer, she specifically asks for theirhelp, possibly hinting that her valuableswere truly valuable and offering a small($50) reward if they’ll help her recoverthem. Harold, feeling someresponsibility as the only crew memberpresent, agrees to go as well.

The rest of the passengers sit tightunless otherwise directed. RichardChassen suggests they build a fire andprepare defenses in case the banditsreturn.

The BoxcarFear Level 2The trip down the mountain should

slowly build a feeling of uneasiness inthe heroes. The trees seem even darkerand denser than before, and thepatches of snow muffle sounds,making the pass almost unnaturallyquiet.

The boxcar and caboose rolled backdown the hill, then jumped track at thesharp curve at the bottom of theincline. Now they lie upended on anembankment above a small stream.

Anybody Home?A quick scan of the area turns up no

sign of the crew or Seyberth. A littlesearching reveals several clues. As theheroes search different parts of thewreck, reveal the following clues:

Around the Baggage Car: A Hard (9)search or a Fair (5) trackin’ revealssomeone in boots was dragged up theopposite slope into the pinewoods. Araise also finds marks in the snow thatlook suspiciously like the dragger waswalking on stilts (the husker’s prints).

Inside the Baggage Car: A Fair (5)search roll finds evidence that someonelost a fair amount of blood there. Araise or a separate Onerous (7)medicine roll tells the cowpoke thatthere were probably two victims inside.One of these was Allan Seyberth, theother was the conductor, John Crocker.

`Round the Mountain 195

The searcher also notes the onlyseriously damaged object in the car isthe “museum” crate.

If the searcher goes through thestrewn baggage, she finds Seyberth’sGatling pistol on an Onerous (7) search.

The Crate: A Hard (9) search roll tellsthe hero the crate was broken openfrom the inside! Scratches on the insideindicate something had been workingto free itself for some time.

The Caboose A hero making a Fair (5)search roll finds more blood here. Araise detects signs of a struggle, andtwo raises finds the same, strange stilt-like prints in the area. This is wherethe crewmen in the caboose werefinished off.

Laura’s TaleLaura is quick to secure—and hide—

her own Gatling pistol. If she used thestory of recovering her “valuables” toget the party to help, she pretendssome small piece of costume jewelry isan old family heirloom.

What Happened?The posse is free to make whatever

assumptions they’d like about theoccurrences at the boxcar. Laura, ofcourse, has a very good idea aboutwhat’s going on, but keeps this toherself. For now, she continues the

“spoiled young lady” routine. If theposse becomes too obsessed with theodd clues they found, she suggestswolves dragged the bodies away.

Laura is very nervous about beingnear the husker when darkness falls.Feigning concern about said wolves, or,if that doesn’t work, the train robbersreturning, Laura attempts to hustle thegroup back to the wreck.

In her haste, her guard drops a little.Any sharp-eyed cowpoke who makesan Onerous (7) scrutinize roll noticesshe’s a bit more sure-footed going backthan she was coming down.

BountyEach clue discovered: 1 white chip to

whoever found it.Attempting to aid the other

passengers after the wreck: 1white chip to those involved. That’swhy we call ‘em heroes, Marshal.

Defeating Clarkson’s bandits: 1 redchip each.

Enemy: If he survived his botchedrobbery, Clarkson might hold theposse responsible and track themdown later.

196 Marshal

Chapter Three:Night on Cold

MountainBy the time the heroes return to the

main wreck, nightfall is minutes away.The deathly still is broken only by thelonely sound of a wolf’s howlsomewhere in the distance.

With night comes a teeth-chatteringchill. Now would be a good time to usethose rules for extreme cold we gaveyou on page. 26; the temperature dropsto 20 degrees after dark in this part ofthe Rockies. A good bonfire can offsetthe effects of the cold, however, so ifthe passengers or posse built one,they’re fine.

The events at the boxcar should havethe heroes a little uneasy. Somethingunknown is prowling in the woodssurrounding them and they’re milesfrom nowhere. Harold helpfully pointsthis out as he serves a makeshiftdinner, if the heroes don’t mention itthemselves.

By the time the meal is finished, allof the passengers are jumpy, seeing thebogie man behind every tree or rock.

The Woods are Lonely,Dark, and Deep

The husker hasn’t been wasting itstime. Taking the bodies from the boxcarand caboose, it quickly plantedhatchlings and buried them in a smallclearing above the bend. Then it stalkedthe posse back to the main wreckage.

After the passengers begin to settlein for the night, the husker rounds upother corpses from the pass. It beginswith the crewmen in the locomotive ifno one pulled them from the wreckage,then it moves on to any dead bandits.

As the night progresses, any hero onguard should make a Fair (5) Cognitionroll. On a success, she hears the sound

of something scuttling across the rockson the side of the pass. Of course,anyone brave (or foolish) enough tohead into the darkness to investigatethe sounds that night finds nothing.

In the morning, a successful Hard (9)trackin’ roll uncovers stilt-like tracks allover the slopes above the wreckage.Whatever is out there is nearby, and it’sbeen watching them!

Laura ComesClean…Sort Of

By morning, Laura is certain theabomination is out and prowling.Although she has no intention ofrevealing herself to the heroes, shedoes decide to try to nudge them intoeliminating the abomination.

Sometime after a rough breakfast,she approaches the most outspokenmember of the posse and pleads hercase:

“I didn’t want to say anythingbefore, but I think I know what’sgoing on. Earlier in the trip, thatMr. Seyberth let slip that hewasn’t really carrying anysculpture. I couldn’t get him to gointo details, but I’m pretty sure hehad some sort of animal backthere.

“Whatever it was must havebeen pretty ferocious and I thinkit’s out there right now huntingus. I can’t imagine what itwanted with those poor people’sdead bodies, but I’m sure it’ssomething very, very bad.

“I’m pretty scared—we’re in themiddle of nowhere and there’s noone to turn to for help. What’sworse is if that thing were toescape and get to someplacewhere there were other folks notexpecting it.

“I just wish there was someonehere who could do something.”

If the hero doesn’t take the bait,Laura nudges a little harder.

“You and your companionscould probably handle it, if youset your mind to it.”

`Round the Mountain 197

It shouldn’t take any more incentivethan that, but if the posse continues tobalk, Laura offers a small monetaryincentive and builds to her final offer—$100 now and another $400 when theyreach civilization.

Laura herself doesn’t offer to go. Sheknows if the attempt to destroy themonster fails, she has to take wordback to her superiors.

It may strike the heroes as odd thata private citizen is so concerned forothers. Laura answers those concernsby trying to shame the heroes for nothunting the creature out of thegoodness of their hearts. She explainsthe money comes from her wealthyfather—an inconsistency with her“runaway” story that a keen cowpokemight catch.

She doesn’t admit to being a memberof the Agency unless there is no otherway to convince the heroes toundertake the mission. As before, shestill won’t accompany the heroes,explaining she has to carry word backto warn her organization.

The Rest of the GroupDenise Merritt demands that she be

allowed to go along when she learns ofthe posse’s mission—though Laurademurely tries to talk her out of it.

Harold suggests he and the rest ofthe passengers start preparing to walk.It’s two days’ travel in either direction,and the longer they delay, the less foodthe group has.

The party will wait one day for theheroes to return before departing. Lauraguarantees she won’t allow them todepart before this time. Unfortunately,she tells them if they’re not back in aday, she has to assume they failed.

Into the WoodsThe posse can pick up the monster’s

trail in the rocks above the trestle. Therocks and hard ground make thisdifficult and doing so requires a Hard(9) trackin’ roll.

The easier method is to follow thedrag marks up from the wreckedboxcar. A cowpoke needs only a Fair (5)trackin’ roll to pick up the husker’s trailthere.

The drag marks lead the heroesthrough thick pine growths. The treesare so close the posse can only see afew feet in any direction. Crouching tothe ground allows a hero to see further,but the trunks of the trees anddeadfalls confuse any details.

Snow drifts remain under the trees,and combined with the thick bed ofneedles, creates a nearly deafeningsilence. The heroes can hear nothingoutside of their own footsteps as theytrudge further up the slope. Soon, theyare completely enveloped by the forest.

The ClearingFear Level 3After a long and exhausting climb up

the steep slope, the trail leads theheroes into a small clearing about 30’across at the base of a towering cliff.The rock face looms over the trees,cloaking the small open area inperpetual shadow. A cave opens intothe cliff at the back of the clearing.

Any cowpoke making an Onerous (7)search roll notices the ground has beenrecently churned up. While the possewon’t know this, the husker buried anumber of hatchling host bodies (thecrew and any bandits who were slain) inthe clearing last night.

As the posse surveys the scene, apale human hand suddenly thrusts upthrough the ground. The huskers haveawakened! They attack immediately.

Huskers Attack!As the corpses force their way up,

have the heroes roll surprise. This is aFair (5) Cognition roll since the groundand the events of the last few hourshave inevitably made them wary.

Don’t forget the Hard (9) guts checkswhen they first catch a glimpse of thecorpses, and the -3 for the Fear Level!

There are an equal number ofhatchlings to posse members. Thecreatures fight to the death. They’re notold enough to know when to run away.

198 Marshal

Hatchling HuskerCorporeal: D:2d6, N:2d8, Q:3d10, S:2d8,

V:2d8Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’:

brawlin’ 4d8, sneak 3d8, spittin’ 4d6Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:1d6,

Sp:1d4Search 2d8, trackin’ 2d8Pace: 10Size: 6Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:Armor: 1

Damage: Bite (STR+1d6. The monstercan only make this attack once itsmain body has been exposed fromthe host’s torso), Claws (STR. Theseare only usable if exposed, eitherby damage or the monster itself.Although it has six limbs, it canonly make a single such attack).

Corpse Shell: The hatchling isusually still encased in a deadbody when encountered. The bodyabsorbs the first wound level (notwound!) done to the abominationin each hit location. Note thehatchling does not use the head ofthe host, so any hits there arecompletely wasted. After absorbingone wound, the flesh falls awayrevealing the insect-likemonstrosity.

FearlessPoison Spit: The hatchling can spit

poison at an opponent. The poisonis weak, but sufficient to blind aman if it hits him in the face. Thisrequires a called shot to the headfrom the front. Any cowpoke hit inthe face by a glob must make anOnerous (7) Vigor roll or be blindedfor 2d20 minutes.

Description: Young huskers look likewalkin’ dead until they are exposed(each location can take one woundbefore exposing the pale carapacebeneath). The creature gains controlof the host by inserting its legs intothe corpse’s arms and legs. Because

the hatchling doesn’t control thehead, it often lolls lifelessly to theside, dead eyes staring at nothing.

The LifeCycle of a Husker

Husker eggs quickly hatch and growinside the bodies of dead animals(including humans!). Within hours, eachhatchling is nearly full grown, althoughits tough outer shell requires a fewdays to harden. During this time, itremains inside the host body as long aspossible.

The husker itself is a spider-likeinsect with large compound eyes, apale white carapace, and six spikedlimbs.

The CaveThe full-grown husker, unlike the

younger hatchlings, has enough senseto avoid a fight it can’t win. It stayshidden in the cave at the back of theclearing.

The cave itself is a fairly small one,formed from a split in the granite cliff.It’s only about 40’ deep and consists ofa small tunnel leading into a singleroom about 10’ across that opens up 5’from the entrance. The ceiling in theroom is barely 7’ at its highest, soclaustrophobic folks are going to beuncomfortable.

The husker has wedged itself into acrack in the ceiling. It waits until acowpoke is directly under it to attack. Ifthe poor sap looks up into the crack, itspits poison in his face (with a +4 to itsroll for the surprise and position) andthen drops on him. Otherwise it simplysprings on its victim from above. Ineither case, it gets a +4 bonus to itsfightin’ rolls on its first action.

The monster tries to disable or blindas many posse members as it can andthen bolts for the exit. Remember, thiscritter is smart. It knows its chances ofbeating a well-armed group of humansare low.

If the husker makes the treeline, theposse has a hard time finding it. Acowpoke can follow its trail only on anIncredible (11) trackin’ roll.

`Round the Mountain 199Mature HuskerCorporeal: D:2d8, N:3d8, Q:3d10, S:2d10,

V:2d10Climbin’ 4d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’:

brawlin’ 5d8, sneak 4d8, spittin’ 4d8Mental: C:3d8, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:2d6,

Sp:1d4Search 2d8, trackin’ 2d8Pace: 12Size: 6Wind: —Terror: 9Special Abilities:

(Same as younger huskers.)Description: A mature husker

resembles a cross between a hugeinsect and a spider. It has six, 3’ to 4’long legs, two feeding arms, a smallhead and thorax, and a large,bulbous abdomen. Large pinchersprotrude from its mouth. Themonster is covered in a very densegreenish black shell. The older thecreature is, the darker its shell.The husker moves in a rapid scuttlemost of the time, though it is capableof enormous leaps and often leapsonto trees, boulders, or low buildingswhen stalking prey. When standing,the monster’s body is some 3’ feetabove ground. Its thorax andabdomen are approximately the samesize as a human torso. In spite of itssize, the monster is capable ofcompressing itself into small spaces.It prefers to attack from ambush, itsdark coloration hiding it naturally inshadows..

Cleanin’ UpEven if the heroes succeed in

destroying the husker, they’ve got along hike ahead of them. Thepassengers are going to rely on themfor protection, and it’s possible Clarksonand some of his gang are still out therelooking for payback.

Once they get to civilization, theposse has to contend with theattention of both the press—thanks toMerritt’s story—and the Agency,courtesy of Laura Giles. However, if theheroes were successful, neither islikely to look on them unfavorably.

BountyThe heroes defeat the hatchlings: 1

red chip each.The heroes kill the mature husker:

1 blue chip each.Grit: Give those who defeated the

husker 1 point of Grit.Ally: If they succeeded, Laura Giles

files a favorable report. This may leadto other jobs for the Agency. Not allcowpokes consider that a good thing!

Ally: If they help Denise Merritt gether story, she may one day becomefamous and write the heroes’legends in the pages of theTombstone Epitaph.

AptitudesAptitudesAptitudesAptitudesAptitudesAptitude TraitAcademia KnowledgeAnimal Wranglin’ MienArea Knowledge KnowledgeArtillery CognitionArts CognitionBluff SmartsBow DeftnessClimbin’ NimblenessDemolition KnowledgeDisguise KnowledgeDodge NimblenessDrivin’ NimblenessFaith SpiritFightin’ NimblenessFilchin’ DeftnessGamblin’ SmartsGuts SpiritHexslingin’ SpecialHorse Ridin’ NimblenessLanguages KnowledgeLeadership MienLockpickin’ DeftnessMad Science KnowledgeMedicine KnowledgeOverawe MienPerformin’ MienPersuasion MienProfessional KnowledgeQuick Draw QuicknessRidicule SmartsRitual SpecialScience KnowledgeScrutinize CognitionSearch CognitionScroungin’ SmartsShootin’ DeftnessSleight of Hand DeftnessSneak NimblenessSpeed-Load DeftnessStreetwise SmartsSurvival SmartsSwimmin’ NimblenessTale-Tellin’ MienTeamster NimblenessThrowin’ DeftnessTinkerin’ SmartsTrackin’ CognitionTrade Knowledge

HindrancesHindrancesHindrancesHindrancesHindrancesHindrance CostAilin’ –1/–3/–5All Thumbs –2Bad Ears –3/–5Bad Eyes –3/–5Bad Luck –5Big Britches –3Big Mouth –3Big ’Un –1/–2Bloodthirsty –2Cautious –3Curious –3Clueless –3Death Wish –5Doubting

Thomas –3Enemy –1–5Ferner –3Geezer –3/–5Greedy –2Grim Servant

o’ Death –5Habit –1–3Hankerin’ –1/3Heavy Sleeper –1Heroic –3High-Falutin’ –2Illiterate –3Impulsive –3Intolerance –1–3Kid –2/–4Law o’

the West –3Lame –3/–5Loco –1–5Loyal –3Lyin’ Eyes –3Miser –3Mean as

a Rattler –2Night Terrors –5Oath –1–5Obligation –1–5Outlaw –1–5One-Armed Bandit –3Pacifist –3/–5Poverty –3Randy –3Scrawny –5Self-Righteous –3

Slowpoke –1-5Squeaky –2Squeamish –3Stubborn –2Superstitious –2Tinhorn –2Thin-Skinned –3Tuckered –1–5Ugly As Sin –1Vengeful –3Wanted –1-5Yearnin’ –1–5Yeller –5

EdgesEdgesEdgesEdgesEdgesEdge CostArcane

Background 3Belongin’s 1–5Big Ears 1Brave 2Brawny 3Dinero 1–5Don’t Get

‘Im Riled! 2Eagle Eyes 1Fleet-Footed 1-5Friends in

High Places 1–5Gift of Gab 1Keen 3Kemosabe 1/2Law Man 1/3/5Level-Headed 5Light Sleeper 1Luck o’ the Irish 5Mechanically

Inclined 1Nerves o’ Steel 1Purty 1Rank 1-5Renown 1/3/5Sand 1–5Sidekick 5“The Stare” 1Thick-Skinned 3Tough as Nails 1–5Two-Fisted 3Veteran o’

the Weird West 0“The Voice” 1

Character Creation SummaryCharacter Creation SummaryCharacter Creation SummaryCharacter Creation SummaryCharacter Creation Summary

Roll Effect1–3 Uneasy: The character stares for a

moment at the scene and loses hisnext Action Card.

4–6 Queasy: The victim stares in horrorat the scene, loses his next ActionCard, and subtracts –2 from any rollsmade the rest of the round.

7–9 The Willies: The character staggersback and stares in horror, missinghis turn for the round. He takes 1d6Wind and his actions are at –2 untilhe makes a guts check, which hemay attempt as an action.

10–12 The Heebie-Jeebies: The characterturns white as a sheet and loseshis entire turn and 1d6 Wind. Allactions are at –2 for the remainderof the encounter.

13–15 Weak in the Knees: The victim loses1d6 Wind. At grotesque scenes, heloses his lunch and staggers away.At terrible scenes, he puts his tailbetween his legs and gets the Hellout of Dodge. In either case, he iscompletely ineffectual until hemakes the guts check that causedthis result. He remains at –2 for theremainder of the encounter.

16–18 Dead Faint: The character takes 3d6Wind. If she’s reduced to 0 or less,she faints dead away until sherecovers. If the character has faith,she must make an Onerous (7) faithcheck immediately. If she fails, herlack of faith causes her to lose 1level of faith permanently.

19–21 Minor Phobia: The character goesWeak in the Knees and gains aminor phobia (as the locoHindrance) somehow associated

with the current event orenvironment. She suffers a –2penalty to any actions when thestimulus of her fear is present.

22–24 Major Phobia: The character goesWeak in the Knees and gains amajor phobia (as the locoHindrance). This is the same as aMinor Phobia except the penaltywhen the feared item, environment,or thing is present, the penalty is –4.

25–27 Corporeal Alteration: The charactergains a Minor Phobia and suffersa physical defect of some kind, suchas a streak of white hair, his voicebox contracts and he can onlyspeak in whispers, etc.

28–30 The “Shakes”: The cowpoke gets aMajor Phobia and must make aHard (9) Spirit roll or reduceDeftness by one step permanently. Ifthe roll is made, Deftness is reducedonly for the next 1d6 days.

31–35 Heart Attack: The poor sap’s heartskips a beat. He must make a Hard(9) Vigor roll. If made, he suffers 3d6Wind and gains a Major Phobia. Iffailed, he suffers 3d6 Wind, hisVigor is permanently reduced byone step, and he must make asecond Hard (9) Vigor roll. If failed,he has a heart attack and diesunless someone else makes anIncredible (11) medicine roll within2d6 rounds (a supernatural healingroll must cure a serious woundthough no actual “wound” isinflicted). If the victim’s Vigor fallsbelow 4, he kicks the bucket.

36+ Corporeal Aging: The character hasa Heart Attack and ages 1 year.

Scart TScart TScart TScart TScart Tableableableableable

TTTTTests o’ Wests o’ Wests o’ Wests o’ Wests o’ Willillillillill

Test Aptitude Opposed AptitudeBluff Scrutinize

Overawe GutsRidicule Ridicule

Result EffectSuccess Unnerved1 raise Distracted

2 raises Broken

Scart TN & DiceScart TN & DiceScart TN & DiceScart TN & DiceScart TN & Dice

TN Dice Description3 1d6 Gruesome scene5 2d6 Vampire, fresh zombie7 3d6 Gruesome corpse, grisly

carnage9 4d6 Grotesque scene11 5d6 Overwhelming scene13 6d6 Beyond imagination

Shootin’ IronsShootin’ IronsShootin’ IronsShootin’ IronsShootin’ Irons

Weapons Shots Caliber ROF Damage Range Increment PriceAutomatics

Gatling Gun* 45 .36 3 3d8 20 $1,500Gatling Pistol* 12 .44 3 3d6 10 $800

CarbinesSharps ‘55 1 .57 C&B 1 5d8 15 $18Spencer 7 .56 1 4d8 15 $15LeMat Carbine 9 .42 1 3d6 15 $35 &Shotgun* 1 16-ga 1 Special 5

Derringers & PepperboxesDerringer 2 .44 2 3d6 5 $8English 1840 Model* 8 .36 C&B 1 2d6 5 $5Rupertus Pepperbox 8 .22 1 2d4 5 $6Wesson Dagger-Pistol 2 .41 1 2d6 5 $6

Pistols, Single-ActionColt Army 6 .44 1 3d6 10 $12Colt Buntline Special* 6 .45 1 3d6 10 SpecialColt Dragoon 6 .44* 1 3d6 10 $11Colt Navy 6 .36 1 2d6 10 $10Colt Peacemaker 6 .45 1 3d6 10 $15Knuckle-Duster* 5 .32 1 2d6 5 $8Lemat Grapeshot Pistol 9 .40 1 2d6 10 $25 & Shotgun* 1 16-gauge 1 Special 5 —

Pistols, Double-ActionColt Frontier 6 .32-20 2 2d6 10 $8Colt Lightning 6 .38 2 2d6 10 $13Colt Peacemaker 6 .45 2 3d6 10 $15Colt Thunderer 6 .41 2 2d6 10 $14Starr Revolver 6 .44 C&B 2 3d6 10 $9

RiflesBallard ‘72 1 .56 C&B 1 5d8 20 $24Bullard Express 11 .50 1 4d10 20 $30Colt-Paterson Model ‘36* 7 .69 C&B 1 5d10 20 $25Colt Revolving Rifle 5 .56 C&B 1 5d8 20 $24Enfield Musket* 1 .58 C&B 1 5d8 10 $25

(muzzle-loader)Evans Old Model Sporter* 34 .44 Evans 1 4d8 20 $30Remington ‘71 1 .50-.70 1 4d10 20 $20Sharp’s Big 50 1 .50 1 4d10 20 $20Springfield* 1 .58 C&B 1 5d8 20 $8

(muzzle-loader)Winchester ‘73 15 .44-40 1 4d8 20 $25Winchester ‘76 15 .45 1 4d8+2 20 $40

ShotgunsColt Revolving Shotgun 5 12-gauge 1 Special 10 $45Double barrel 2 12-gauge 2 Special 10 $35Scattergun 2 12-gauge 2 Special 5 $35Single barrel 1 12-gauge 1 Special 10 $25Winchester Lever-Action 4 12-gauge 1 Special 10 $35

OtherFlamethrower 30 — 1d6 1d10/shot 20 Max $2,000

*See Individual weapon notes at the end of this chapter

Other Ranged WOther Ranged WOther Ranged WOther Ranged WOther Ranged Weaponseaponseaponseaponseapons

RangeWeapons Ammo ROF Damage Increment PriceBolas Bolo 1 STR+1d4 5 $3Bow & arrow Arrow 1 STR+1d6 10 $3Dynamite* 1 stick 1 3d20 (BR 10) 5 $3Nitro* 8 oz. bottle 1 3d20 (BR 10) 5 $1.25Thrown knife Knife 1 STR+1d6 5 $3Thrown spear Spear 1 STR+2d6 5 $3

Shootin’ ModifiersShootin’ ModifiersShootin’ ModifiersShootin’ ModifiersShootin’ Modifiers

Situation ModifierFirer is walking –2Firer is running –6Firer is mounted –2Firer is wounded Varies

Size VariesTarget moving Pace 20+ –4Target totally concealed –4

Torchlight, twilight –4Moonlight –6

Blind, total darkness –8

Fightin’ ModifiersFightin’ ModifiersFightin’ ModifiersFightin’ ModifiersFightin’ Modifiers

Situation ModifierAttacker is running –4

Attacker has high position –2Attacker is wounded Varies

Size VariesTarget totally concealed –4

Torchlight, twilight –4Moonlight –6

Blind, total darkness –8Attacker Armed Weapon’s

DefensiveBonus

Called-ShotsCalled-ShotsCalled-ShotsCalled-ShotsCalled-Shots

Size PenaltyGuts –2

Legs, arms –4Heads, hands, feet –6

Eyeball, heart –10

Hit LocationHit LocationHit LocationHit LocationHit Location

1d20 Location1–4 Legs5–9 Lower Guts10 Gizzards

11–14 Arms15–19 Upper Guts20 Noggin

Modifiers+2 When fightin’

+/-2 Waist-high height advantage when fightin’+/-4 Head-high height advantage when fightin’+2 Pont blank range when shootin’

Fightin’ WFightin’ WFightin’ WFightin’ WFightin’ Weaponseaponseaponseaponseapons

Weapon DB Damage PriceBoloBrass Knuckles — STR+1d4 $1Club, small — STR+1d4 —Club, large +1 STR+1d6 —Fist — STR —Knife +1 STR+1d4 $2Knife, large (Bowie) +1 STR+1d6 $4Rapier +2 STR+2d6 $10Saber +2 STR+2d8 $15Spear +3 STR+2d6 $3Tomahawk — STR+2d6 $3Whip +1 STR $10Lariat — — $4

Major Edges and Hindrances: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arcane Abilities: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important Aptitudes: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:____________ Occupation:___________Deftness: ___

Nimbleness: ___Strength: ___

Quickness: ___Vigor: ___

Cognition: ___Knowledge: ___

Mien: ___Smarts: ___

Spirit: ___

First Impression:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friends/Enemies: __________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________Harrowed Powers:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Char./Manitou Dominion: ____/____

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Major Edges and Hindrances: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Arcane Abilities: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important Aptitudes: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:____________ Occupation:___________Deftness: ___

Nimbleness: ___Strength: ___

Quickness: ___Vigor: ___

Cognition: ___Knowledge: ___

Mien: ___Smarts: ___

Spirit: ___

First Impression:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friends/Enemies: __________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________Harrowed Powers:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Char./Manitou Dominion: ____/____

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Index 205AAbominations 7, 11, 18-19, 59-80Action Deck 15Adobe Walls 137, 145-46Agency, the 93, 104-108Agents 106Altar Of Worms 118Amos, Sgt.

Benjamin 95, 135, 150Animal Intelligence 60Animal Mastery 85Apache 135, 146-150, 176Aptitudes 14-200

Critter 60Arcane Backgrounds 45-49Arizona 137Armor,

Critter/Abomination 61Army of the Dead 133

BBacklash 45Badlands 114Bandit, typical 82Barney, Richard 121Bastard 39Battle of the Cauldron 100Bayou Vermilion 96-97Behan, Sheriff John 179Big Nose Kate 182Birmingham,

Admiral Allen 131Black Hats 29-30Black Hills 117, 143, 150-155Black Magic 62, 83-91Black River

Railroad 97, 159, 173Blessed 51, 84, 145Blood, Captain 131Bloody Kansas 119, 164Bloody Ones 129Blue Veil 39Bolts o’ Doom 85Border Ruffians 101, 119Born On All

Hallow’s Eve 39Born On Christmas 40Born Under A

Blood Red Moon 40Bounty Points 24Bowie’s Last Knife 54Breech Birth 41Brocius, Curly Bill 180-181Bryant, Frank 151-155

Buffalo 81, 164, 170Buffalo Hunters 146, 170Buffalo War 146Bullet-Proof Vest 47Bullock, Seth 162Burms, Hyram 157Butcher, the 184

CCalamity Jane 161-162California 94, 126-133Carson, Kit 137Cascade Mountains 111Cat Child 41Cattle 81, 140, 171Cattle Owners

Association 171Chamberlain,

Joshua Lawrence 98Character

Creation Summary 200Child Of The Raven 41-42Chinatown 158Chinese Warlords 130Chiricahuas 26Chow 127Church of Lost Angels 127City o’ Gloom 124City of Ghouls 139City of Lost Angels 126-127Civil War 93-95, 101, 102Clantons, Old Man, Ike,

Phineas, William 180Cloak o’ Evil 85-86Clum, John 181Cochise 146-148Colorado 119Comanches 178-179Conquistadors 86Contagion 54Cortez’s Sword 54Coup 53Cowboys, the 179-181Coyote 145Coyote Confederation 145-146Crazy Horse 153Crazy Horse’s Coup Stick 55Critters 81

Cult Of The Worm 117-118Cult of Lost Angels 127Curse 86Custer, Colonel George

Armstrong 143, 153-155

DDakota 114Damage 15Danites 125-125Dark Protection 87Davis, President

Jefferson 102-103Dead Man’s Bullets 55Deadland 17-18Deadwood 150-163Deadwood Creek

Massacre 152Deadwood Creek

Treaty 154Deadwood Dick 163Deadwood Miners

Alliance 154Death Riders 134Death Valley 134Deer Slayer 156Deger, Larry 165-166Denver 107, 122Denver-Pacific

Railroad 100Deseret 123Desert Thing 65Detroit 102Devil Bat 66Devil’s Postpiles 134-135Devil’s Tower 117Devlin, Miles 97Devlin, Mina 97Diseases 140-141Disputed Lands 119-125Dixie Rails 97-98Dodge City 164-175Dominion 52-53Dreamcatchers 55Dust Devil 67

206 Index

EEarp’s Badge 56Earp, Wyatt

Berry Stapp, 165, 175Earth Bond 42Eddington, Mr. 136Elections of ‘76 100-101England 102Epitaph Camera 47Excelsior 118

FFaith 45, 84Fate Chips 24Fear 17-19Fear Levels 17-19Fearless 62Fightin’ Weapons 203Fines 28Flamethrowers 47-48Flying Buffaloes 135-136Food 26Foreign Legion 139Forewarnin’ 87Fort 51 135-136Fort Huachuca 176France 139Fugitives from Justice in the

Confederacy 109

GGall 153Gan 148Gatling Gun 202Gatling Pistol 48, 202Geronimo 149-150Gettysburg 10, 93Ghost Rock 94-95Ghost Rock Fever 157-158Ghost Trail 136Ghost, The 104-105Ghostly Servant 88Ghouls 167-68Gizmos 46-48Gomorra 105Grand Canyon 138-139Grant, U.S. 100-101Great Basin 134

Great Maze 126-133Great Northwest 111Great Quake 194Great Rail Wars 96-100Great Salt Lake 124Great Spirit War 8Gremlins 68Grimme, Ezekiah 16-129Grit 22Guardian Angels 129Guts Checks 20

HHangin’ Judge 69Harrowed 50-53Heel-Toe Express 27Hell On Earth 8, 11Hellstromme’s Blueprints 56Hellstromme, Dr. Darius 123-125Hickok, Wild Bill 160-162High Plains 114-119Hindrances 24, 200Hit Location Table 203Holliday, Doc

John Henry 182-184Holy Ground 84Hooded One 144Hoyle’s Book Of Games 56Hoyle’s Cards 56Hucksters 45Huntin’g Grounds 7-10, 118-119

IIdaho 111Illusion 28Immunity 62Indian Brave, typical 150Indian Territories 142-150Infection 62-63Iron Dragon Railroad 98-99Isatai 137, 145

JJackalope 70Jail Times 28James Gang 121-122James, Jesse 121-122James-Pinkerton War 121Jayhawkers 101, 119

Judges 28Junkyard 124

KKang 98-99, 117, 130, 144, 158Kansas 101-102, 119-123Kansas City &

Little Rock Railroad 121Ketchum,

Hank “One-Eye” 184-185King, General William 109-110Knacks 39-42Kyle, Capt. Jay 135, 150

LLaCroix,

Baron Simone 195-196Lane, Andrew 105Last Sons 10Laughing Men 138-139Law 28Lee, Fitzhugh 97-98Lee,

Robert E. 97-98, 100, 102, 103Legend Chips 23, 24Lincoln, Abraham 104-105Little Big Horn 143, 153Los Diablos 71Love, Nat 163

MMad Scientists 46-49Madness 49Malfunctions 46-48Manassas, Battle of Sixth 101Manitous 50-51Marshals 28Martyr’s Cross 56Masterson, William

Barclay “Bat” 174-175Maximillian, Emperor 132, 139Maze Dragon 72McCall, Jack 28, 161, 163McLaury, Frank and Tom 180Men In Black 104Mexicans 131, 132-133Mining 155-156Modifiers, Shootin 203Modifiers, Fightin’ 203Mojave Desert 136Mojave Rattler 73, 136Montana 114Mormons 123Mysterious Past 35-39

Index 207NNacogdoches 140Nature Spirits 7, 118Nevada 134New Mexico 137Night Haunt 74Night Riders 167Nightmare 52November Offensives 102-103

OO’Malley, Lacy 181Oklahoma 119Old Faithful 118Old Ones 8-11Old Ways 99, 143, 146Old Ways Movement 99, 143, 146Opium Ring 158Order of the Raven 143, 144Oregon 111

PPace, Critter/Abomination 61Pact 88-89Paha Wakansica 99, 117Parker, Quanah 137-138, 145-146Pestilence 140-141Pinkerton

Detective Agency 104, 121Pinkerton, Allan 104Pirates, typical 132Poison 63Pole Men 150-151Prairie Tick 75Prospector, the 5Puppet 89

QQuantrill’s Raiders 120Quantrill, Bill 120

RRaider, typical 82Ranger’s Bible 109Raven 9-11, 144, 145Reckoners 7-11, 17-19, 29-30Red Bear 152-153Regeneration 63Relics 54-57Revenant, The 122-123Ringo, Johnny 180Rock Fever 157-158Rock Paintings 94

Rocket Pack 48Roswell 95Roundhouses from Hell 125Ryan, “Chuckles” 138-139

SSacred Tomahawk

Of The Sun 57Salt Flats 124Salt Lake City 124Santa Anna 132-133Santa Fe Trail 142Sasquaches 111Satan’s Garden 157Satanta 145-146Scart Table 21, 201Scrye 89Sendin’ 89-90Seventh Son or Daughter 42Shan Fan 130-131Sheriff 128Sherman, General

William Tecumseh 100-101Shootin’ Irons 202Shortcuts 13-16Sinnin’ 45Sioux Nations 142-144Sitting Bull 144Size, Critter Abomination 61Slaughter, General

Joseph Ewell 147-148Smith & Robards 100, 122Smith, Joseph 123Smith, Nevada 115Soldier, typical 82Soulless Dead 63Spies 171Spook 90Spooks, The 106Star Chamber 107-108Steam Wagon 48Stone 30Stormcall 90Stun 90Sun Bow 57

TTale-Tellin’ 22-23Telegraphs 27

Terror, Critter/Abomination 61Texas 137Texas Fever 140Texas Ranger 108-110Tilden, Samuel 101, 102, 103Tombstone Epitaph 181Tombstone 176-185Transformation 91Trappings 85Triads 130-131Troubleshooter, Agency 106-107Tumblebleeds 76Tummy Twister 140

UUndead 64Unholy Symbol 57Union Blue Railroad 99Ursula 115Utah 119, 123

VVeteran of the Weird West 43Veteran Walkin’ Dead 77

WWalkin’ Dead 77Wall Crawler 78Wasatch Railroad 99-100Washington, Battle Of 95Weakness 64Wendigo 79, 112-113Werewolf 80White, Marshal Fred 179Wicasas 142-144Wichita Witches 97Wild Bill’s Six-Shooters 57Wind 16Wolflings 113Worm Canyon 114-116Wounds 15Wyoming 114

X, Y, ZXitlan 133Yellowstone 118Young, Brigham 123Younger, Cole, Jim, Bob 120Zombie 91

ChangesHowdy, Marshal! If you’ve been with us for a

while, we’d like to point out the mostsignificant changes we’ve made in this book•s.Changes to skill and combat mechanics, as wellas those for some of the character types witharcane backgrounds, can be found in the WeirdWest Player’s Guide.

New Marshals can ignore this page—and itwon’t be here in future printings.

Fear Effects (19): We’ve made the bad guysa little more powerful and greatly reduced thejob of the Marshal in tracking fear effects. Fromnow on, the Marshal simply draws chips at thebeginning of each fight in areas of high fear(Fear Levels 4-6).

Grit (22): We got rid of the whole concept of“fearmongers.” Too many folks just couldn’tdecide who or what a fearmonger was. Fromnow on, award Grit when your posse defeats amajor foe at the end of an adventure. Also, acharacter’s maximum Grit is 5, and it can nowbe lost by going bust on a guts check madeagainst a TN of 9 or higher.

Fate Chips (24-25): The party gets aLegend chip at the end of each adventure. Tale-tellers get a Legend chip all their own whenthey lower the Fear Level. We also made it clearthat the Marshal isn’t supposed to use Legendchips.

Knacks (39): As we mentioned in the WeirdWest Player’s Guide, Knacks are now amysterious past—exactly the kind of thing weintended for mysterious past in the first place.Players who bought knacks as Edges before cankeep them. Institute the change on any newcharacters brought into your game if you want.We also gave knacks Legend Chip abilities.

Monster Powers (61): We made a set ofstandard monster powers as we did inDeadlands: Hell on Earth. Special powers thatdon’t fit into these standard subsets will still belisted on each individual creature profile.

Size Table (61): The long-awaited Size Tablehelps you figure out how big your ownvarmints are.

Los Diablos (71): The devil bulls comecalling sometime after a character has reached5 Grit. Treat it more as a minimum than analarm bell. When the hero becomes a real thornin the Reckoner’s side, the bulls come calling.

Now that you’ve gotten agood overview ofthe WeirdWest, be sure to check outsome of the amazingDeadlands campaign

settings!Explore California’s

shattered coast in TheGreat Maze, journey toDarius Hellstromme’s Cityo’ Gloom, or dare to visitthe sinister Lost Angels,home to the villainousEzekiah Grimme! Thesebooks, as well as manyothers, are available at yourlocal games store. Or headfor www.peginc.com fordirect orders!

Where ya Headed,Partner?