Let's Review: Gaslands

What is it?:

Gaslands is a 20mm scale post apocalyptic vehicular combat miniatures game made by Osprey Games. In simple terms, it's like Max Mad: The Minis game. Or Carmageddon. Or a newer version of Car Wars.

While drawing on all of these, Gaslands appears to be something unique and interesting.

The setting:

In the far future of 2018, Earth has been invaded by the colonists of Mars. After destroying many of the cities and killing millions, the Martians now loot the planet for its material wealth. Those who have any sort of means fled Earth to Mars ages ago. Only the poor and bitter live in the ruins.

But, what is life without entertainment? Some bright bulb on Mars had an idea for a bloodsport that would give the hardscrabble survivors of Earth something to aim for. And give the Martians some good TV.

And so Gaslands was born!

Powerful people on Earth and Mars sponsor teams to compete in the violent races. These borderline insane drivers and others compete for prizes and glory, addicted to the speed of their vehicles and the thrills of the kills.

For the tenth season of Gaslands, the winner gets a one way ticket to Mars. I guess you can finally get your ass to Mars...

The system:

The system is fairly simple, relying on D6s for any sort of rolls. Now, it does want you to use special “Skid Dice” which is usually a no-go for me. However, converting normal D6 rolls to their special thing is relatively easy, so they get a pass.

The game is designed to be a racing game, so you want to keep that in mind when reading all of this stuff.

Each player builds a team of vehicles to use in the game. One thing is picking a sponsor for the team, which gives the team access to a variety of special abilities, weapons, and even vehicles. At 50 “Cans” (read: points), you can have lists with as few as one vehicle, which is going to one tricked out car, or as many as four or five, which probably aren't going to last long. It's all about finding what suits your play style. Are you a racer, just wanting to hit the finish line as fast as possible? Or are you a scrapper, looking to crush and burn the other vehicles, finish line be damned? Or are you somewhere in the middle?

Playing the game is relatively easy. Each turn is divided into six Gear Phases and vehicles can act in each Gear Phase that it's in. Each vehicle has a “Max Gear” which caps how many many times it can act if it's going flat out. So, things like vans, buses, and tanks are not going to acting as much as performance cars, buggies, and motorcycles. Picking what Gear your vehicle is in is very important. Sometimes, you want to hit your Max Gear as fast as possible. Other times, you'll find yourself staying in a lower Gear so you have more options for movement and attacks. You don't want to out pace your target, but you might want to outrun the guy with the biggest guns...

Each Gear Phase is divided into Movement, Attack, and Wipeout phases.

During the Movement Phase, each vehicle uses a “Maneuver Template” for the vehicle. Some templates can't be used in certain Gears. For example, if you're in the top gear, you can't make a hairpin turn. And the higher your gear, the more at risk you are for gaining Hazard Tokens, which aren't good (duh). Changing Gears happens in the movement phase and depends on your Skid Dice rolls. So, you can start in first gear, shift up to second. In second, you shift up to third. In the third Gear Phase, you can shift up again or shift down if you're coming up on a turn or are getting too many Hazard Tokens.

In the Combat Phase, you finally get to use all those wonderful guns and rockets and death rays you paid for your vehicles! Weapons are varied and dynamic. You can buy rams for your vehicles, if you want to smack the other cars around. Or, you can buy machineguns (light, heavy, and mini). Or, even 125mm cannons. Pretty neat, right? If you're strapped for points, it's okay. Your driver (as well as anyone else in the vehicle) has a gun that they can shoot. Unfortunately, it's just a little diddly. However, if you have a bus full of folks, that's a whole lot of diddly...

Finally, there's the Wipeout phase. Remember how I mentioned Hazard Tokens? Well, if you have more than six when this phase rolls around, you're in trouble. You have to make sure that you flip your vehicle like a coin. That would be bad.

While I've just covered just the basics, there are rules for collisions with other cars and other things, rules for spinning out and sliding (that's what the Skid Dice can do), and some other things that might come up in a Death Race 2000.

A simple way of understanding Gears and what they do is something like this:

If your vehicle is in first Gear, it'll only get one move, attack, and wipeout per turn. But, it won't accrue too many Hazard Tokens. Slow and steady. If you're in fourth or fifth Gear, you'll get to move, attack, and deal with wipeouts four or five times in the turn, but you'll be getting a lot of Hazard Tokens, and you won't be able to use some of the movement templates because you're going so fast.

Is it worth it?:

Yes. Very easily, yes.

The rulebook is very cheap (a physical copy of the rulebook retails for $20, but you can easily find it cheaper, plus the PDF is cheap) and all you really need is some Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars. Those you can probably find in your parent's basement, thrift stores, eBay, and dollar stores. They're really not hard to find. And the rules seem to be able to accommodate just about any type of vehicle you can imagine. Cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, tanks, helicopters, buses, and even monster trucks. And there's a massive array of weapons. Plus Perks and upgrades and so on. Each game is going to play differently.

One other this is that since the game came out in late 2017, it's still getting support. Every few months, they put out a little thing called “Time Extended” or TX that adds new sponsors, vehicles, rules, and the like. Having these keeping people interested in the game bodes well for the future of the game. I hope.

In short, this is worth your time and money, which it doesn't really require too much of either. While currently a “beer and pretzels” type minis game, I have a feeling they're looking to branch out, get some things going. What exactly happens, only time will tell...

Blast From The Past: Hunter: The Reckoning

Before the Chronicles of Darkness, there was a World of Darkness...

If you were a social outcast in the 90's (like many gamers were in those days), you probably heard of, and probably played, Vampire: The Masquerade. Or maybe you played Werewolf: The Apocalypse, or maybe Mage: The Awakening. Those were the “big three” of White Wolf's games. I played Vampire but didn't like it very much. Why? Because I wanted to play a vampire hunter. I looked over Werewolf, but found it pretty depressing and couldn't really find a fit for myself. I did own a copy of Mage for a while, but never played it as it didn't work for me. I did play a game of Changeling: The Dreaming, because a friend of mine loved it, and had a bit of fun with it. However, it wasn't very popular. Neither was Wraith: The Oblivion, because it was “Depression: The Existential Crisis” game and I never played it but did read about it. My friend had Kuei-jin, which was the “Eastern” type of vampires. Interesting but not engaging. And Basset, which was were-cats, which I couldn't bring myself to play. Interestingly, there were also supplements for were-bears, sharks, and even spiders. That one was too terrifying to me to even look at... I did pick up one supplement for the old World of Darkness (oWoD) as the setting was called that I did like: Project Twilight. But, it was mostly useless. It was about the government projects to locate and deal with the paranormal. Of course, it mostly hunted werewolves because the vampires controlled the government and the werewolves were all about wrecking stuff, as they were furry ecoterrorists. So, I knew something about all of the games, but never really enjoyed playing them.

That was until around the year 2000.

That was when I found Hunter: The Reckoning.

As I figured, White Wolf was getting ready to end their world. In the lore of the big games, there was an apocalypse myth. And not just the werewolves. So, they did a great job of laying the groundwork from the very beginning for this game. I don't know if they were planning that, but if so, it was masterfully done. When I saw Hunter, then read the back, I bought the game then and there. Which was no easy feat for a broke high school student. After I read it, I knew this was the White Wolf game for me. Finally, there was a game for hitting back at the things that were using humanity. Even the werewolves, who didn't feed on humans (usually) weren't really our allies. The mages had some battle that I didn't care about, but they were so far from humanity in terms of what they were dealing with, they didn't seem to care much about what they had come from. Even the Fae of Changeling were feeding off of the very creativity of humanity. Sure, each race had a reason for being apart from humanity. Each game stressed the depressing or horrifying parts of being these things. But, I never really felt it. As a brief aside, I think the monsters should revel in being monsters, not being sad and depressed about it. You have powers that we can only dream of. Enjoy what you can.

One look at how Hunter worked and I was all for it. Unlike all of the other games, you weren't picked by some ancient and wise Sire who would guide you into the life of the immortal. You weren't from a special bloodline or have some “spark” that made you different. No, you were just a normal person... Until you weren't.

In Hunter, every character would go through an event known as the Imbuing. Each one was different and they usually happened one at a time. Your character would be living his or her life, a normal day, when suddenly... You receive a message. The beings that give you this message are aptly called The Messengers (sometimes called the Heralds, which is also fitting). A typical Imbuing would go something like this:

You're walking home at night. It's dark, but not too dark. To save time, you cut through a local park and enjoy the quiet night. As you're walking, you notice something is off. As you round a corner, you see a woman being harassed by two men. They're moving closer to her as she backs away. One grabs her arm and pulls her forward.

As you're standing there, the stench of rotting flesh forces its way into your nostrils, almost making you gag. As you slump forward, you hear a clear and loud voice in your head.

THEY HUNGER FOR LIFE

As you blink, trying to figure out who spoke to you, you look at the two men. Now, there's something wrong about them. They seem paler, thinner, unhealthy. As one of them pull the woman closer and opens his mouth and presses it to her exposed neck while the other one holds her.

What do you do?

Since Hunters were the new kids on the block, they didn't have anyone to guide them. They would start finding each other via the internet on a website, Hunternet. This newness also helped them out. Since the others had been around for centuries, if not longer, they wouldn't expect such a sudden change in the status quo. But, being the “new kids on the block” hurt Hunters, too. While Hunternet was a place to connect with other Hunters, it was on the internet and we all know what the internet is like. There were myths, rumors, flame wars, and other bullshit. Hunters have to figure things out by trial and error. And errors usually mean death. They're only human... Mostly human.

Because they're human, Hunters come in a few varieties. And because this is a White Wolf game. In most White Wolf games, characters were usually divided into groups, be it Clans, Tribes, Traditions, or whatever. In Hunter, you were given seven (nine, in an expansion book) Creeds. These Creeds were under three different Virtues: Mercy, Vision, and Zeal. So, three Virtues had three Creeds each (with that aforementioned expansion). Kind of cool, right? Let's talk about the Creeds...

Under the Mercy Virtue, you had Innocents, Martyrs, and Redeemers.

Innocents are the hopeful questioners of the Creeds. They don't judge the various creatures running around based on the actions of others, but their actions as an individual. They are empathic and charismatic.

Martyrs are an interesting group. They can be aggressive as Avengers, but they give themselves completely and totally. They'll tear themselves apart to save the innocent and defeat the enemy.

Redeemers are an anomaly among the Hunters. Most of them seem to want to heal the monsters. But, that doesn't mean that they're not unwilling to kill monsters, it's just not their first impulse.

Under the Vision Virtue, you had the aptly named Visionaries. In the Player's Guide, they added Waywards and Hermits. These two “Lost Creeds” are very different from the others. These were suppose to be the people looking ahead, what was coming next. Waywards suppose to the generals of the Hunters, but seemed to have been taken to the extreme. Hermits were suppose to be something like intelligence officers, collecting information from the Heralds, the beings that caused the Imbuing.

Under Zeal, you have Avengers, Defenders, and Judges. Avengers were suppose to take the fight to the enemy and were the most combat-oriented of the Creeds. Defenders were to look after the home front and defend those without powers. Judges played an interesting role in that they would help decide which monster was the greatest threat.

A party of Hunters would be made up from a lot of different Creeds and different walks of life. The Heralds didn't seem to be very picky when they Imbued a human. The only requirements seemed to be that you didn't have any interaction before and that you had something inside you that would let you answer the call. Of course, not everyone who saw the monsters for what they were would act. These “duds” were called Bystanders. They knew the monsters existed, but couldn't really do much about it. Unlike Hunters, who all had “Second Sight” that not only allowed them to see the monsters, it also protected them from possession, mind control, and whatever else. Without these protections, Bystanders could be more of a liability than an asset. They also couldn't use any of the other powers Hunters were gifted with.

Each Creed was given a set of unique powers they could use to combat the enemy. Of course, how exacted they “combat” the enemy depends on the Creed's philosophy. Those who follow Zeal would have powers designed to take on the enemy, toe to toe. Mercy might be more inclined to talk with or communicate with, or even try to better understand, the enemy.

Before I move on, I need to talk a little bit more characters. As many of you might know, White Wolf was always very big on human stories, even if the character you were playing wasn't exactly human anymore. And Hunter was no exception. But, you got a twist. With Hunter, you could easily play a character from any walk of life. In fact, it seemed to let itself to the “lower classes” of society. Mechanics, criminals, service workers, and all kinds of blue collar folks. The middle class could also be played pretty easy and give you the kind of problems you wanted. Soccer moms, college students, office drones, and all of that could have very different types of stories. As you play the game, characters start to sacrifice more and more to the hunt. First time, then money, and finally friends, family, and perhaps even their sanity...

Now, let's talk about the enemy. In Hunter, the characters usually fight the undead. Not always vampires, but zombies of different types and ghosts. In the Storyteller's Companion, they list them as 50% of enemies encountered. Next up are vampires. In the World of Darkness, there are different clans and two major groups engaged in a war. Hunters could care less. In fact, it's much more likely that they'll never know about them. Bloodsuckers are bloodsuckers, who gives a damn about their politics and schemes? After vampires are werewolves. They also have a their own machinations and conflicts. Of all the enemies, werewolves are probably the most inclined to help Hunters in their war against the others, but many Hunters will view them as just another enemy preying on humanity. The last two, and probably the least common are mages and the fae. Both are involved in things very different from the others and are engaged in conflicts that most people, much less Hunters, are able to comprehend. As Hunter came out before Demon: The Fallen, these enemies weren't in the core book, but did receive a source book later on.

Well, I think that's enough of a summary of Hunter: The Reckoning. In case you couldn't notice, I could go on and on about it. It was a breath of fresh air in the old World of Darkness. In allowed people to play normal people. Well, mostly normal people. You could also fight against the very same characters you'd played in another game. Like I said, it was something new, something different. And it heralded the end of the Old World of Darkness, for good or ill...

Let's Review: Rifts

Join the Coalition States Armed Forces Today!

What is it?:

Rifts is one of the more interesting RPGs produced by Palladium Books. It's one of their best known settings and has been around since 1990. If you haven't played it, you've probably heard of it.

Rifts is also part of the Palladium “Megaverse” which connects all of their games. In fact, there are rules in various books to convert stuff from their original sources to Rifts, as well as some direct connections here and there. You may come across some notes, if you look through them...

"Subtle" isn't a word the Coalition States uses...

The setting:

It's the year 2389 (or 110 P. A. meaning Post Apocalypse) and the world has changed. Some hundred years earlier, the world was much better. Fantastical technology helped bring humanity into a “Golden Age.” Humans, being humans, the Golden Age wasn't to last. For some reason, nuclear war broke out and shit got real. As the bombs went off, there was a very rare magical alignment and magic was suddenly unleashed on the world. Violently unleashed. In addition to the rifts opening and all that entails, there were also terrible storms and earthquakes. Society, as we know it, fell apart completely in most places. Some places, by either luck or sheer determination, managed to hold on and survive the initial onslaught. For those areas that weren't so lucky, some semblance of order or society has returned. But, not necessarily a good society. In North America, the Coalition States have become the largest empire, controlling parts of what was once Canada and the central United States. In Europe, the New German Republic has managed to survive. South of the Rio Grande, what was once Mexico is now the “Vampire Kingdoms.” The list goes on and on. Over the past 25+ years, there have been at least one Rifts “worldbooks” for every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, but including Atlantis. No, I'm not joking. Atlantis reappeared with the coming of the rifts.

Out of the rifts came all manner of beings. Dragons, elves, demons, monsters, dwarves, orcs, ghouls, fairies, and all sorts of odd and interesting things. Some are good, some are bad, and some are in between. Not only are these beings creatures from our myths and legend, but also from typical fantasy settings, science fiction settings, as well as horror settings. You can have chimeras, bug eyed aliens, and Lovecraftian monsters all be the villains of your adventures. Or even just one adventure. Then again, some of those things could even be some of the heroes of the piece.

The awesome cover to Rifts Worldbook #8: Japan

The system:

While there is a Savage Worlds version of the game, we're going to talk about the original system, usually called the “Palladium System.” And, I'm going to be perfectly honest, that system is a train wreck. Overly complex, clunky, and easily lending itself to power gaming, the Palladium system is just... Out there, to modern sensibilities. It uses a D20 for combat rolls and D100 for skills, making it ahead of what would be done (much) later in D&D 3.5. And, while unbalanced and clunky, the system can be fun. It's also versatile enough to handle magic AND super technology AND psionics AND magic technology. Okay. It doesn't do any of them amazingly well, but it doesn't do a terrible job with them. And it does make an attempt.

The thing about the system is that it's an anachronism. As the system was developed back in the days of 2^nd edition AD&D, you can see how it was very much a product of it's time. These days, we have so many different ways of playing games, you can usually find something that works for you. But, in those days before the internet, when gaming cons were filled with foul smelling guys (okay, nothing but foul smelling guys), and the TV was screaming about how if you played D&D you were a Satanist or something, your choices were rather limited. You made due with what you had. And what you had wasn't much. For all those flaws, that era of gaming did lead to a lot creativity in games and with DM/GMs. Back then, if you had a problem, you solved it yourself. This was the era of “home brewing” games, usually as a way of fixing the numerous gaps a system had. As a brief aside, I think some groups have stopped doing this, and it makes me feel bad. I might even start doing a “GM's Corner” series here to address it.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling, and back to the point. The system uses skills a lot. There's dozens of them. You even use your “skill slots” (for lack of a better term) for your Weapon Proficiencies. And both improve as you level. Unfortunately, this can lead to a massive amount of book keeping, as you have keep track of what level you got the skill, what level the skill is, and then amend every skill on your character sheet. So, a little too complex, given that it's a percentile system.

When you build your character, you get eight stats. Intelligence Quotient, Mental Endurance, Mental Affinity, Physical Strength, Physical Prowess, Physical Endurance, Physical Beauty, and Speed. All of which are rolled randomly. In addition to that, you have Potential Psychic Energy (used for powering magic spells) and Inner Strength Points (used for powering Psionics). Humans get 3D6 in each stat, but other races can get different amounts of dice for different stats. Which can make character creation more complicated and makes it so some races are clearly better suited for some classes.

Speaking of classes, they have tons in Rifts. They're broken down into Men At Arms (martial classes, including cyborgs, giant robot pilots, and people improved by chemicals and implants), Adventurers and Scholars (including scientists, doctors, mechanics, and rogue type characters), Practitioners of Magic (of which there are several different types), and Psychic Characters (which has a few different types as well). In addition to these Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.), there's also Racial Character Classes (R.C.C.). When you take an R.C.C., you're leveling up as part of your race, not your class. The one in the core book is the infamous Dragon Hatchling. That's right, you can play a dragon right out the gate. If you choose a R.C.C., you don't get an O.C.C. And there doesn't seem to be any rules for multiclassing. Oh, those old games...

"Magic, motherfuckers!"

The final quirk in this system is the Mega-Damage System. That's right. Mega-Damage. Most normal beings, like humans, get Hit Points and Structural Damage Capacity (SDC). But, since there's giant robots and laser weapons, they upped the ante and created MDC. 100 SDC damage equals one MDC. But, it doesn't quite work in reverse. If you get hit with one MDC, you get vaporized. Misted is the term the Coalition State soldiers used. Thankfully, there's plenty of MDC armor out there. And many of the monsters and demons out there are made up of MDC points, so you can use your rail gun on them and give them a fighting chance. On the flip side of that coin, they deal MDC damage, too. Get caught without your armor and you get Misted... So, life can be very short and very brutal for characters. And this is one of the problems people have with the system. Which I completely understand.

Is it worth it?:

Yes.

No.
Maybe?

Let's be honest: The original system is something of a mess. I haven't played it since they released the Ultimate Edition (I haven't played it since probably 2002 or so), which seems to have done a lot to straighten things out. But, this is still the original system that's been in use since 1990. That's almost 30 years without a major update. And if there were flaws in the original system, there's nothing really to be done about it without a major update. Which hasn't happened yet. And might not happen. Ever.

When you get down to it, I think there's a chance you can have fun with this game. It's crazy, usually in a good way. It still is an original and fascinating setting. As one of my friends put it “Buy the books for the world, not the system.” And I can see his point. The system has serious flaws. But, one of the things that Kevin Siembieda (the creator of the game) says a lot in the Ultimate Edition is this: It's YOUR game. Change what doesn't work for you. If you don't think the O.C.C. Fits your campaign, ban it.

While this makes it that much harder for the GM, it does make it clear that the GM is in control of the game. Something I feel is lacking in some modern systems. Of course, modern systems have a different sensibility in terms of the GM/PC relationship. Mind you, neither one is right and neither one is wrong. It's all about the game you all want to play as a group.

Like I said, the Coalition States aren't subtle...

In conclusion, Rifts was amazing when it came out. The setting, all the craziness of it, is worth the read. However, the original system has gone some serious problems. If you really like the idea of the setting, but don't want to deal with an old, clunky system, try the Savage Worlds version they have out and then convert stuff from the various setting books.

I still think that you should give the original system a chance, even if nothing more than a trip down the history of gaming and game design.

Deadlands: Making Dudes (And Dudettes)

A while back, I made this document for myself, just to have laying around when making characters for Deadlands. Now, since I'm starting to play it again, I figured I'd post it up here so I can share it with my players easily. And add some pictures...

Using this guide:

The point of this document is provide a list of EVERY SINGLE Edge and Hindrance in every Deadlands source book in the classic Weird West line. It will also include recommended Edges/Hindrances for the various character concepts, as well as the optional Edges/Hindrances for each Arcane Background.

Unless otherwise noted, things are from the Player's Guide.

General Edges:

Belongin's

Big Ears

Brave

Brawny

Dinero

Don't Get 'Im Riled!

EAGle Eyes

Fleet-Footed

Friends In High Places

Gift of Gab

Keen

Kemosabe

Law Man

Level-Headed

Light Sleeper

Luck O' The Irish

Mechanically Inclined

Nerves O' Steel

Purty

Rank

Renown

Sand

Sense O' Direction

Sidekick

“The Stare”

Thick-Skinned

Tough As Nails

Two-Fisted

Veteran O' The Weird West

“The Voice”

Two-Gun Kid (LD)

Gallows Humor (BE:S)

Blood-Brother (GWN)

Nature's Own (GWN)

Soft-Footed (GWN)

Strong Digestion (GWN)

Unscented (GWN)

Strong Stomach (AG)

General Hindrances:

Ailin'

All Thumbs

Bad Ears

Bad Eyes

Bad Luck

Big Birches

Big Mouth

Big 'Un

Bloodthirsty

Cautious

Curious

Clueless

Death Wish

Doubting Thomas

Enemy

Ferner

Geezer

Greedy

Grim Servant o' Death

Habit

Hankerin'

Heavy Sleeper

Heroic

High-Falutin'

Illiterate

Impulsive

Intolerance

Kid

Law o' the West

Lame

Loco

Loyal

Lyin' Eyes

Miser

Mean As A Rattler

Night Terrors

Oath

Obligation

Outlaw

One-Armed Bandit

Pacifist

Poverty

Randy

Scrawny

Self-Righteous

Slowpoke

Squeaky

Squeamish

Stubborn

Superstitious

Tinhorn

Thin-Skinned

Tuckered

Ugly As Sin

Vengeful

Wanted

Yearin'

Yeller

Accursed (F&B)

Damned (F&B)

Secret Identity (LD)

Finicky (GWN)

Smelly (GWN)

Unpolished (GWN)

Mark O' Cain (LA)

Arcane Backgrounds

Blessed:

Arcane Background: Blessed

Crisis Of Faith (F&B)

Conscience (F&B)

Righteous (LA)

A note on religion: Fire & Brimstone covers most major religions, including Islam, Taoism, and others. However, the Mormons and followers of Grimme's Church of Lost Angels are covered in City o' Gloom and Lost Angels respectively.

Recommended Reading: Fire and Brimstone, Hexarana

Hucksters:

Arcane Background: Huckster

Arcane Prodigy (H&H)

Familiar (H&H)

Old Hand (H&H)

Bad Karma (H&H)

Focus (H&H)

Obvious (H&H)

Recommended reading: Hucksters & Hexes, Hexarcana

Shamans:

Arcane Background: Shaman

Recommended reading: Ghost Dancers, Hexarana

Mad Scientists:

Arcane Background: Mad Scientist

Recommended reading: Smith & Robards, The Collegium

Martial Artists:

Arcane Background: Enlightened (Hex, TGM)

Martial Arts Training (Hex, TGM)

Quick Thinker (Hex)

The Cup Overflows (Hex)

“My Kung-Fu Is Superior!” (Hex)

Sifu! Sifu! (Hex)

School Rivalry (Hex)

Style Vulnerability (Hex)

Recommended reading: The Great Maze, Hexarcana

Voodoo Priests:

Arcane Background: Voodoo (Hex, RoB)

Favored Chual (Hex)

Recommended reading: River o' Blood, Hexarcana

Blood Mage:

Arcane Background: Blood Mage (TBC)

Whatley Blood (TBC)

Apt Pupil (TBC)

Belongin's: Arcane Tombs (TBC)

Recommended reading: The Black Circle, Doomtown or Bust!

Shootist:

Arcane Background: Hexslinger/Shootist (LD/TR)

Recommended reading: Law Dogs, Texas Rangers

Anahuac:

Arcane Background Anahuac (LA)

Patron Saint (LA)

Recommended reading: Lost Angels, South o' the Border

Note: not included - Arcane Background: Aztec.

Concept types

Soldiers:

Cavalier (BE:S)

Foot Cavalry (BE:S)

Forebearance (BE:S)

Seen The Elephant (BE:S)

Soldiers currently members of an army should take Obligation, Rank, and Enemy. Former soldiers can take things like Loco, Lame, One-Armed Bandit, and Hankerin' to explain why they're not still wearing a uniform. Deserters should also take Wanted. Current and former soldiers can also take things like Brave, Heroic, and the like. They can also take Veteran O' The Weird West, as a lot of weirdness has been centered on battlefields. If your character retired and still has some friends in uniform, Friends In High Places could be something to think about.

Law Man:

Depending on the degree of authority a Law Man has, they should have the Edge of the same name. Most marshals and sheriffs are bound to towns and counties, but Federal Marshals and Texas Rangers can be highly mobile and not tied down too much. Bounty hunters can also count as Law Men, except that they rarely have the Law Man Edge. Seeing as most members of the law have to face down some serious threats without much back-up, Edges like Brave, Sand, Nerves O' Steel, “The Stare” and “The Voice” can be very helpful. There's also no reason why a man wanted Back East or across a border or even a few states/territories away can't be a Law Man, but if they want the Wanted Hindrance, make sure it's low level, maybe 1 or 2 points worth. If your character has made a name for himself as a Law Man, the Renown Edge might be something to look in to. Both Law Men and bounty hunters might have Friends In High Places to reflect folks in power they've helped out in the past.

Recommended reading: Law Dogs

Outlaws:

There are many different types of outlaws; shyster, bank robbers, Maze pirates, and forgers all operate on the other side of the law. If your character is an Outlaw, she should take the Wanted Hindrance. Just because someone is an Outlaw doesn't mean they're a bad person. Maybe your character became a bank robber to make ends meet and has gotten quite good at it. Combining the Wanted and Yearin' Hindrances could make your character have a goal or reason for breaking the law. Or, maybe your character became an Outlaw because she has a temper and gunned down the wrong man that pissed her off. In general, you don't want to play a Black Hat in the game, but being a bit on the mean side should be fine.

Recommended reading: Law Dogs

Monster Hunters:

Most 'Monster Hunters' in the game are from either the Union or Confederate governments. But, there's also the Explorer's Society from Rascals, Varmints, and Critters book. In addition, there's tons of folks who have had run-ins with the monsters and weird creatures running around. If you're wanting to have government support, look below. For those of you who want to be a bit more independent, you might want to take an Arcane Background (Blessed is the most powerful one for fighting the minions of the Reckoners), but it isn't required. To face down the horrible things out there, and to live to fight another day, you're going to want to have Sand, Veteran O' The Weird West, Brave, and maybe Gallows Humor. Since they're been facing Things Man Was Not Meant To Know, they might be a bit Loco, have a Hankerin', maybe have some Night Terrors that keep them up at night, or be missing some parts making them Lame or a One-Armed Bandit to remember a beast by. You might also want to look at being a veteran Soldier or former Law Man.

Gunslingers:

Folks that follow the 'way of the gun' tend to be people that can't operate very well in the normal world. In general, a Gunslinger is going to need Brave so they don't run during a gun fight, and for those of you who want to have both hands firing, Two-Fisted and Two-Gun Kid are must-haves. There's tons of things for trick shooting and modifying your guns, so make sure you look around the 'Recommended reading' below. Some Gunslingers might be Law Man or veteran Soldiers so look at those for more suggestions.

Recommended reading: Law Dogs

Texas Ranger:

There are two 'degrees' of Rangers: regular Law Men and Monster Hunters. While the Rangers handle both, they might not be in the know about the beasts running around the Weird West until they get promoted up in Rank. In general, Rangers have Big Britches, are usually Brave, Loyal, and have Law Man and an Obligation.

Recommended reading: Texas Rangers, Law Dogs

Agent/Man In Black:

Originally, the Union's Monster Hunters were the Pinkerton Detective Agency, but in 1877, President Grant created the Special Services Agency. For the most part, the members of either group had two major goals: fighting the Confederates and killing monsters. Unlike the Texas Rangers, the Agency doesn't really have law enforcement powers and tends to be more scientific in their approach to the servants of the Reckoners. Being Brave, having a Secret Identity, and Curious isn't uncommon. But, you're kind of a Law Man and you best believe you have an Obligation.

Recommended reading: The Agency, Law Dogs

Nationalities and Such

Indians:

Born on Horseback (GD)

Clown (GD)

Converted (GD)

Gone Native (GD)

Guardian Spirit (GD)

Paleface (GD)

Stone Faced (GD)

Disloyal (GD)

Half-Breed (GD)

Old Ways Vow (GD)

There are tons of different tribes of Native Americans out there. Some follow the Old Ways, others are more European influenced. If you're making an Indian Brave or Shaman, make sure to do your research and read the book listed below.

Recommended Reading: Ghost Dancers

Canadians:

Blackfoot (GWN)

Cold-Blooded (GWN)

Lumbering (GWN)

White-Boy (GWN)

Wide-Eyed (GWN)

In 1877, British forces invade Detroit. Now, while that might be seen as an improvement to some folks, it did piss off a lot of others. Canada is a lot like its southern neighbors, but not as rough and tumble. If you want to play a Canadian, just make him like a normal cowpoke, but maybe give him Ferner if he's a real big fan of the Crown.

Recommended reading: Great Weird North

Mexicans:

Macho (SoB)

Fuero (SoB)

Social Class (SoB)

Unless you're running a game Down South, Mexcians are going to be Ferners. They'll also have to pick up the lingo, too, so don't forget about that. Most Mexicans will be coming up north to get away from the happenings down there, so they might have a Yearin' to start a good life. They might also be the stereotypical Bandito, with Wanted to go with it, on the run from the law back home.

Recommended reading: South O' The Border

Mazers:

(As in from The Maze [formerly California] and/or Lost Angels)

Lost Angel (LA)

Mestizo (LA)

Iron Stomach (LA)

Chosen One (LA)

Outcast (LA)

There's so many types of folks out in the Maze, I'm just going to list out some of the major groups: the Chinese, the Indians, the Confederates, the Yankees, the Mexicans, and just about anyone and everyone else. Outlaws around the Maze are usually pirates. Mad Scientists abound, looking to be close to a source of Ghost Rock. Martial Artists are common here because of the large Chinese population. The Texas Rangers might be looking for someone who's run off and hiding as a miner or something. There's also people who try to salvAGe things from the cities that fell into the sea. Seriously, if you think of it, you'll find it in the Maze.

Now, the City of Lost Angels is the largest city in the Maze and is run by a religious nut-job.

Recommended reading: The Great Maze, Lost Angels

Federals/Yankees:

For folks that come from Back East and north of the Mason-Dixie line, they'll want to take a look at the book listed below. For the most part, folks heading west from the North are escaping built-up cities, a mildly oppressively government, and a lot of war zones.

Recommended reading: Back East: The North

Confederates/Rebels:

Rebel Yell (BE:S)

Honorable (BE:S)

Southerners are an interesting breed, from a young nation (who's existence is subject of debate). They have some mighty Big Britches, they tend to be Intolerant towards loud-mouthed Yankees (and/or Mexicans), and if from New Orleans, might have Arcane Background: Voodoo.

Recommended Reading: Back East: The South, River O' Blood

Scrappers:

(Steam-punk cyborgs)

Got a fella missing an arm? Well, the New Science has a solution! Scrappers are most common in the City o' Gloom but I'm sure people could be found anywhere. If you want to start out with some new gizmos in your body, you're going to want to pick up the Belongin's Edge.

Recommended reading: City o' Gloom, The Collegium

Advanced Stuff

Harrowed:

Angst (BoD)

Aura o' Death (BoD)

Degeneration (BoD)

Haunted (BoD)

Mark o' the Devil (BoD)

RAGe (BoD)

Unnatural Appetite (BoD)

Lycanthropy (RVC 2)

Vampirism (RVC 2)

Knacks:

Bastard

Blue Veil

Born on All Hallows Eve

Born on Christmas

Born Under A Blood-Red Moon

Breech Birth

Cat Child

Child Of The Raven

Earth Bond

Seventh Son/Daughter

Medium (BE:N)

Tempest (H&H)

Brush With Death (GD)

Dream Birth (GD)

Nightmare Birth (GD)

New Hindrances:

Minority (1-3)

“Give me your tired and poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..”

Let's face it, America has always been a home for immigrants. Folks from every walk of life have ended up in the USA and now the CSA. In the Deadlands world, folks are a bit more enlightened than they were in ours, but I think a minor addition to the game works okay. Unlike Ferner, being a Minority doesn't mean that you're Fresh-Of-The-Boat, but may have been born and raised in the country but are just slightly different. To define, there are three categories of minorities: Racial, Religious, and Gender. Racial minorities are easy: if you aren't a honkey, you can pick up this Hindrance. Religious minorities are a bit harder to define and mostly rely on where the game is taking place, but the major minority Back East (and to some degree in other places around the West) is Catholics. Usually from Irish or Italian immigrant stock, the followers of the Pope don't have an easy time from judgmental folks. Gender is a bit harder to work with, as the Civil War has drained lots of men-folk allowing women to fill many roles thought unimAGinable a few short years AGo. Women can pick up Minority if she does a job that's very much 'man's work' like being a Law Dog, but take it up with your Marshal first.

For the most part, not being a WASP is enough to get the one point level of this Hindrance. Your character is black, Chinese, Indian, or maybe Catholic. While most folks don't really have a problem with him, some folks might look at him a little funny and the law might knock on his door first if 'someone matching' his description commits a crime.

For campaigns that take place an area where a group of minorities cause issues (Apache raids, perhaps?), Marshal's may allow players to take two points in this Hindrance if they are part of or closely match the minority (like being an Indian, but not even an Apache in the example above).

For Marshals that want a bit more 'darkness' in their campaigns, they may allow up to three points of this Hindrance in some locations. For example, some folks in the Maze may not take too kindly to someone Chinese because of Kang's pirates. Or, maybe folks in the CSA aren't as accepting of freedmen as they say in the Back East book...

Book Abbreviations:

PG – Player's Guide

MH – Marshal's Handbook

F&B – Fire and Brimstone

H&H – Hucksters & Hexes

GD – Ghost Dancers

Sm&Rds – Smith and Robards

Col – The Colligum

BE:N – Back East: The North

BE:S – Back East: The South

TR – Texas Rangers

AG – The AGency

LD – Law Dogs

TGM – The Great Maze (California)

CoG – City o' Gloom

Dead – Book o' the Dead

ToT – Tales o' Terror: 1877

RoB – River o' Blood

TBC – The Black Circle

RVC 1 – Rascals, Varmints, and Critters

RVC 2 – Rascals, Varmints, and Critters 2

SoB – South o' the Border (Mexico)

GWN – Great Weird North (Canada)

LA – Lost Angels

BoD – Book o' the Dead