------------.-----------e-A ROLE PLAYING GAM E"""'"

, H~ .; &

SHATTERED FRONTIER

C REDITSA uthors: Jo lly R. Bhckh uf n. Brian Jelke. Steve Johansson. David Kenzer. Jennifer Kenzer, Mark Plemmons

Editors: Barbara Blackburn. Jennifer Kcnzer. Bev Shideler Expert Consultation: Sandy Horn. Mark Kenzer, Rebecca Tudor P b ytcstcrs: Doug Click, Steve Daniels. Luke Dowskc. Gi gi Epps. Nathaniel Garth. Ra y Javier. Charles JewellMark Kenzer, Mark Lane. Don Morgan, Rand y Nelson. John O'Neill. Adam Nicpomnik. Mark Prater. Bryan Spcgcl. John Randecker, Jason Riddell. Mike Sta ub. Alex Stclford. Roscoe Stelford . David York, O.M. Zwcrg Art C redits: Frederic Remington, Chulcs Ru ssell and the o ther Old West artists who brought the fronti er to Jife aided by Bob Burke:. Ste ven Cummings. Brenda n and Br ian Fraim. Be v S hideler, George Vrbanic (, Craig Zipse

TABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO ACES & EIGHTS CHAPTER 2: THE BASIC GAME 2.1 - Basic Characters .,.".,., ............. 6 2.2 - Basic Scrapes .........................8 CHAPTER 3: T HE ADVANCED GAME 3.1 - Character Creation ...................16 3.2 - Advanced Scrapes ................... .39 3.3 - Wounds {, Healing ........... . ....... 67 3.4 - Braw ling ........................... 93 3.5 - Firearms ...........................99 3.6 - Horses ........................... .122 3.7 - Advanced Chase Rules .............. .131 CHAPTER 4: THE CAMPAIGN GAME 4.1 - The Aces {, Eights Campaign ........ .138 4.2 - Reputation {, Fame ............. . ... .181 CHAPTER 5: THE ON -GOING GAME 5.1 - Cattle Ranching ..................... 218 5.2 - Running a Cattle Drive ...... . .......225 5.3 - All that Glitters..................... 236

5.4 - Gamb ling ................. ... ...... 248 5.5 - Goods {, Se rvices ...... . ........... 255 5.6 - Frontier Justice ................... .265 5.7 - Drinkin' {, Drugs ................... 275CHAPTER 6: ApPENDICIES 6.1 - History of the Shattered F rootier ..... 292 6.2 - Q ui rk {, Flaw Descriptions .......... .316 6.3 - Skill Descriptions .................. 332 6.4 - Taleot Descriptions ................ .378 6.5 - Detailed Character Backgrounds ...... 383 6.6 - Frontier Slang .................... .391

4.3 - Awards .................. . ........ .188 4.4 - Profession Paths .................... 193Man ufactured in China

6.7 - Index . ........................... .394 Silhouettes ............................ .399Q~es! io ns.

I!ENZER AND COMPANYSI[ W. Greebwood Avenue Waukegab.l l 60087

Commeots. Product Orders? Phone: (847) 6626600 F u: (8'17) 6808950 cm~j l: qucs!iooskcozetco.com Visi! our website ~t

www.kenzerco.comPUBL1SHER'S SOTE: The. wo,k 01 fi.. 0'''' ..cd I.....d '.Y 1C>Cmbl.. '0 ",.. I I"',soos, l;v'.B Of .c,e!. ..... IS Of 1.,,,1.. i< c.,,,dy ssible STR 'heck or fall prone & drop all held items

,

,

112 STR chk or fall pro .... & drop aU held items Sprinting or Running n~ pouible

STR ched. or fall pro"" & drop all held items Sprinting 001 possible

STR chk Of fall prone & drop all held items Sprinting no! possible

STR ched Or fall prone & drop all held items

Spriming nOi possible

Sprinting. Running or JoggIng 001 possible Fall prone & drop alll>eld items

STR ohed Or fall prooc: & dropall held items o Sprinting Of Running not possible

112 STR check or fall prone & drop alilleid ilCms o Sprinting or Runoing not po"ibleo o

112 STR ,""ek or fall prone & drop all hIIp all held items EffeC1i"e STR-4 STR permanentlyJ o Broken Bone o Seve", bleeding Character may nev" Spnnl or Run again CON check or uDC:onsdous Unconscious Effecti,'e STR~ STR permanently2 Mangled Se"e'" bleeJing Charnet" may only " 'al).: " 'Ilh crutches onCOnsciol" Fall prone &: drop all held Items Spriming. Running . Jogging or Walking noI possible Im.ma1 bleming Effecti"e STR5 STR pennancmly1 Bullet looged 112 CON check or unconscious

Se,.....,

Fall prone & drop all held i!ems Sprinting , Running. Jogging or Walking not possible bleeding Effeeld items

Elfttth'e STR-.l Fall prone &: drop alll>eld items o CON check or internal bleeding

o Elfecti,-. STR-.l o Broken bone o FaU prone &: drop alll>eld items

o Elfeeld ltelIt> o CO", cMck or ulKOfls.ciouso o

o Elfecll'e STR 5 o Brolen bone o Fall prone & drop aJll>eld ,tems o CO'" check or Internal bloed,ng o CON cbec k or unoonsc,ous

o EIf..::ti,. STR 5 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop aU held items o 112 CON check or internal bloeding o CON ch..::k or unconsci()lls

o EIf..::lhe STR -6 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop all MId ilems o 112 CON cl>eck Or Se,..,~ bleeding o 112 CON cl>eck Of u!>Conscious

o EIf"::I;ve STR -6 o Broken bone o Fall prone & drop all held ilems o 112 CON check or Internal bleeding o 112 CON check or unconscious o Severe bleeding o EIf..::t;,. STR.; o STR permanently.1 Broken bone o Internal bloedlllg o Unconscious o Se"ere bleeding

o EIf..::t;'e STR.6 Broken bone o Fall prone &: drop alll>eld items o Imernal bleeding o 112 CON check or unconscious

'"

o EIf..::ti,e STR .7 o STR permanently .1 o Broken bone Bullet lodged o Internal bl=ling o Unconscious

o EIf..::ti,"e STR .; o STR permanently.1 o Broken bon. o Severe bldlltg o Unconscious

o Elfective STR-; STR permanently.J Broken bone Internal bleeding o Unconsciouso

11

EIf..::tive STR 8 o STR permanently.2 o Broken bone o Bullellodged o Internal bldlO8 o Se'-ere blding Unconscious

o o o o

Effective STR.8 STR permanently.2 Broken bone

o o

Elfecti,'. STR .8 STR permanently.2

o o

EIf..::t;'e STR 8 STR permanently.2

bleeding o CON check or iIllernal bleeding o Unconscious

Se,=

o Broken bone o Internal bleeding o Se,= bleeding o Unconscious

o Broken bone o Internal bl=ling o Se'"re bleeding o UIICQfIs.cious

o

Dead (sl>ot through hean)

o EIf"::li,"" STR .9 o STR permanently .3 o Broke n bone o $c'-ere bl=ling o 112 CON d ..d or internal bleeding o Unconscious

Dead {aorta ruplured}

EIf..::the STR 9 STR permanenlly.)o

Broken bone

o Internal bleeding Unconscious

80

- BACKWoundSeverit y

Gunshot Wound 00 addit;Oflal effect

Slashing Wound no additional effect

Piercing Wound nO additional effeel

Bludgeoning Wound 00 additionoJ effect

" ,

STR cM;k Of fall prone &: drop all held items

no i>ddnional df1

no addl100nal ~ffeCious

St,-= bletemmorhaging

UlICOIlscious DEX p"rmanently -USO $e,-ere blding CON check or internal hem momilling doe internal bleeding Gain Epileplic flaw (no BP)

.",,,,

84

FACEWou nd Se verit yGunshot Wou nd 00 additional effecl DEX temporarily_] DE:< temporanly_2

Piercing Wound 110 addi lionaleffect no additional d fect

Slashing Wound no .dditiooal effect

Bludgeo ningWound no IIddl1lonai effect

"3

no add,hQll.ll\ effect DEX It'mponrily .]

DEX rcmporarily.J DE}( tcmporanly2 CON ~h.ck or faU prone 4:: drop

,

DEX rcmporanly-l

,II held U.1m

DEX tempon.rily] CON check or fall prone &; drop

DEX ICmpcnrily_2

DEX t=lponrily_2

DEX ccmporarily 3 112 CON cheel:: or fall prone &drop all held ncnu

all held items

DEX temporarily-4

CON check or Unconscious

DEX temporarily -3 CON .bed Of Unconscious

DEX temporarily3 CON check or Unconscious

DEX temporarily J CON ehk or UIICQIl,cious d6 broken Ith

DEX temporarily_S 112 CON chtck 01 Unoom.cious

DE:< ICmporanly-4 112 CON check or U..::orucious DEX permIDmIl}' .J Glm Facial Scar n .... (00 HPJ

DE>.: tanpcnrlly -4

In CON check or Uncocucious

DEX temporarily-5 1/2 CON cllk or Unconscious d6 brokm teeth

DEX permanently -I

"

DEX temporarily-6 112 CON check or UnronJtIOUS DEX permantntlY_1 .sc,-...., bJe-96 .............$carlet FC\'er . ... .. ... .. .28 97 ....... .. .. .. ...Smallpox ... ............28 98 ................ Diplilheria ..............79 99 ................ Brain Fcver ............. .3O 100 ...............Cholera ............... . .J! Roll (dloo )

To tearn whether the character fights ofT the disease, roll a d20 and add thc characte r's Constitution ability score to the result. If the total result equals or cxceeds the di~ea sc's \'irulence Factor, the charactcr's immune system fighh ofT the ailment. Otherwise, the incubation pcriod be~n s. and Stage Onc of the disease begins after a certain amount of time see the various disease de~criptions belo\\ . Hit points temporarily lost to disease return at the same factori al rate as injuries.

COMMON DISEASES

Erain FeverYou might get brain fever "typhoid fc\'cr" to you sm,'bones from contaminated food or water, or from some hombre that's alrcady gOt it. So boil your water and cook your food, if you're smart. Stage One begins 8+ I d6 days after exposure. Stage One: Fever, weakness, stom ach pains, headachc, not feeling hungry, contagious (carrier) and flat. rose-colored spotS on the skin. CannOt pe rform stre nuous tabor/act ivity such as running, sp rinting, hca\'Y lifting. Duration: 4+ I d3 days. Stage Two: Same as Stage Onc, plus ski n eruptions, bone aches and inflamed bowels. Also has difficulty making ski ll checks a 20'0 penalty to all ski ll checks. Duratio n: 4+1d3 days. After duration, roll Id20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, character returns to normal in 1+ Id4 days. On a faile d roll, proceed to Stage Three.

!\"ext, the player shou ld roll a dIOO, noting any of the modifiers from Table 3.3-5: Conditional .lIodifiers that apply in this situation, and add them all to the roll. If the total result equals 71 or higher, the character caught that disease. Of course, if he's really healthy, he may be able to fight it oIT.

86

Stage Three: Roll a dIOO. On a roll of 0[20, charactcr dies. On a roJ[ of 2 [. [00, character returns to normal in 2+ld4 days. If the latter, roll another d I 00. On a resu lt of 0 I ~05, character is pe rmanently co ntagious.

After the duration. roll I d20 + Can against the dis ease's Virulence Factor. A failed roll means death in I d4 hours. A success proceeds to Stage T hree. Stage Three: Same symptoms as Stage One, but less severc, plus fever. Character still bedridden. After 6+ I d 12 hours, the fcver breaks. Penalty to skills reduces at the rate of 10'%) per day.

BroncbitisYou might get bronchitis from breathing in too much dust, smoke, or JUSt from some nasty germs. T he char~ acter enters Stage One I + I d 3 days after exposure. Stage One: Sore throat, chills, slight fever, back and muscle pain, fatigue, runny nose. Cannot perform strenuous labor/activity (such as running, sprinting, heavy lifting). Duration: Id3 days. Stage Two: Same symptoms as Stage One, plus cough. Character needs to sleep two hours later than normal, and has difficulty making skill checks - a 10% penallY to all skill checks. Duration: I d3 days. Stage Three: Cough (other symptoms disappear). Character's hit points drop by 25%. Duration: I d-lweeks. After this duration. roll Id20 + Can against the disease's Virulence Factor. On a success. c harac~ ter's body lights off the bronchits. On a failure, pro~ ceed 10 Stage Four. Stage Four : Cough. Duration: Id3 months. After Id3 months, the bronchitis seemingly disappears, leav~ ing only an infrequem cough for the next 4+2d4 months. After this time, the Stage One symptoms rcturn for a duration of I d3 months. T hey subside, then return after anothe r 4+2d4 months. Funhcrmorc, the G,M or another player should secretly roll 4d4, and subtract this amount from the characte r's maximum age - already defined in the Prio rs and Particulars section.

ConsumptionWhile you can get consumption (what a sawbones might call "tuberculosis") from drinki ng infected \unpasteurizedl milk. it can also be passed to othe r folks through coughing and sneezing - so be careful who you partner \I'ith, Stage One: No sym ptoms. Duration: 2d4 weeks. After duration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, the disease becomes latent and the character su ffers no symptOms. Howc\'cr, if the character suffers another disease later, there is a 20% possibility that the late nt consumption becomes active. If the roll was unsuccessful, or latent consum pti on becomes aClin:. proceed to Stage Two. Stage Two : Weight loss. fever, fatigue, night sweats, not feeling hungry, contagious (carrier). Character cannot spri nt. Loss of 250 hit points. Duration: 3d4 weeks. After duration, roll I d20 + Con against the disease's Virulence Factor. If successful, procced to Stage T hree. If unsuccessful, the character dies. Stage Three : Same as Stage Two, plus a co ugh and difficulty breathing. Loss of hit points incn:ases to 50%. Character cannot perform strenuous activity (includi ng running/sprinting). Duration: Id4 weeks. After duration , roll I d20 + Con against tbe disease 's If successful, the consumpt ion Virulence Factor. becomes latent. If unsuccessful, proceed to Stage Four. Stage Four: ConStant tiredness, wheezing, weight loss, bloody cough. shortness of breath. The can sumption has become chronic. Have the GM or anOlher player secretly roll I d I 00. On a roll of 0 I ~50, the character dies of consumptio n after thc next 3d6 months have passed. On a roll of 5180, thc charactcr dies in I d4+ I years. On a roll of 81 ~ I 00, the charac~ ter dies of consllmption in 6+2d6 years. Each time the character finishes a strenuous activity (such as running or sprinting), he must make a Consti tution check. If he fails, he mllst rest (and do not hing else) for 10 seconds (100 counts) per each sec ond of StrellUOUS activity. If he refuses to rest, he s uf~ fers severe chest pain and sho rtn ess of breath, losing I

CholeraThis disease is picked up primarily through conta m inatcd water or food, and not likely to spread through contact with a diseased person. Still. it's possible. Some I d4 days afte r exposure, the character enters Stage One. Stage One: The characte r ca n't perform strenuous activity, and suffers vomiting, seve re cramps in the gut and legs, diarrhea, and general weakness. He has great difficulty concentrating - a 30% penalty to all skill checks. Duration: 12+ld12 hours. Stage Two: Same symptoms as Stage One, plus the following. Character is bedridden. Very weak and fre q uemly thirsty, with ch ills, difficulty breathing and loss of voice. Character's hit points drop by 50%. Duration: 12+ld12 hours.

87

hit point per 2 seconds (20 counts) he continues to strain himself. The cha raCler's total hp is permanently reduced by 10% ,

form strenuous activity after Id4 weeks. Remain contagious for anoth er Id4 weeks.

Influenza CroupTrouble breathing and a constant 'barking" cough might mean you've caught the croup. Th e character enters Stage One some 1er . , . , .. J oseph Shinborn R.e~idenrr: Em])l) .. ,Charles -Charlie" ~ I eeker Vacant Lol ., .. " . " ., . " ... Charles "Charlie"" :\ Iet:ker . ,Charles "Charlie"" ~ ' ttker Vacam Lol .. , .. , .' " .. " ..Charles "Charlie" ~I ttker \ acam Lol .".

LOIL02UJ3 l1l4

LOSL06

Kinnard-Lo wny Co nal . ,Kinnard-Lowrey Stae;e Line . ..... ChC"t("r "Tap.' RoUin, Rollins' Residence. , . Ly n chlld Ox SlIloon, Th e ., .. ,." .. ,. Juan ::\"a\"arro Kinnard_Low rey La:: fl r u", OfficII , . .K-I., Stage Line Kinnllrd.Lo llJny Blink Ho u se , , . X-I., Stage I..ine Kin,lard.Low rey Stage Line Burn . .K-I.. Stage Line

. Note the indicated owner of the property isn 't necessarily the resident.

NOTICB LAND FOR SALE!

IN THE BOOMING MINING COMMUNITY OF

LOCAL aGENT IN MUSEURIE TO IANDLE TRaNSACTIONS SEE - L&W!tENCE DATNE - aTTORNEY' PRaTT & MaINUTS rulS LlnLE 15 S laD, FlIMr LaC&TIDIf5 DIM&1I5T1U'I' 15 LlnLE 15 SlOG

LAZARUSMcCabe-Langdon Land ~ompany

PAY BA!J' UP I'BONT III BESliBVIi 1M - IIAlJ' UPON TUNSl'liB Dr OIliD.

*162

LDAIS CUll &BIlRDED TO noSE Gr DODD S'I'&1D11fI AID 5II'1'ULII COLUTEIlL.

*

Townfolkhe following is juSt a sa mpling of somc of colorful characters who inhabit the to\\n of Lazarus. It is by no means campleu: hut should provc useful in funning adventures in the town.

T

1\on- Playc r CharaClcr~ arc listed as being "r-;otablc" 01' ";-' Iundanc. " :"ratable ~PC s art' just that c haracters who ha\'c an inOucncc in the lown on some len'i or impaCt OIhcr~. For example, Syrus "Yank" Flaydcrman is a dcnti~1. but he al~o serves on Iht" '1'011'11 C ouncil and i" a Illo\'cr and sha ke r behind the political \CCIlt', , \ mundane ;\' PC is someone who 1i'"('5 in the town but has lillte power or influence 011 otbers . . \ listing of sample N PC statistics (arranged by profession is also provided for yOu.

Name

~

Occupation/Trad e

Nrc Type

J oe Bob BriggsAggie Bristol~:llhan

.......... 28 ... Gummilh .................. i'.lale .......... Xot1:i .I Tlke. prisoner (J) ....... , ... " ... ,.... . ... .1 ....... .1 Purposely uke n lrrow or bullel wound mc.nt {Of someone else , ........ ,. .. ... .s ....3 Tau ll t In ene my ;nt o fig ll ti llg , ... ,', .. , .. .. -I . ...0 Unjustly slaying I prisoncr or unumed oppollent who hu yielded ...... " ... ,.. .. 5 .. .I Victorious 19linlt overwhelmillg odds ........... ,.s , .... , ..5 Blck dowlI from' chdlcngc' .... , ................ -2 ........2 \Vin I btlII'I ... . ........ , ... " ... , .... .1 ., ... .1

Such as losing a haggle or paying good money for shoddy producl, " Includts authority figures liltt deputies. politicians. etc. AWQrcI RepulDlion Points only if the figure INing disporagcd is in a position 10 do something about it. For txample. publicly ridiculing an Indian chief imprisoned INhind bars does IIOt WlJrrDnl poinls.

blown out of proportion if he is good at sprcading word of his deeds or alleged deeds. ThllS, you might nOt want to belieye e\'erything you hear. .\"OtC that Fame is not an indication or how well respected or liked a charactcr is, or whether or not he is a good or bad person. It si mply indicates how \,'ell known the character is. Famous characters may find that opportunities seck them out, it's easier to get loans, easier 10 obta in an audience with others of high Fame, hangers-on and side kicks arc lurcd 10 them, they get offcrs and fa\'ors "come to my saloon and get free drinks" , and so on. They might also find it casier 10 be elected, and harder 10 be cOlwicted. Howe\'cr, you ma)' also find that people recognize thc cha racter whcrC\'cr he gocs (regardless if he wants them to or nOt, his rcputation good or bad oftcn pre cedes him, people spread gossip and rumors about him, and folks often seck the characte r out, wanting something from him. The C:\ [ and/or othcr players185

Remcmbu thai perception often INlays intent. A character thai oilers 10 buy a drink for someone ",'ho has just challenged him to a fight could IN construed as 'backing do".'n from a fight.

* FAME *Fame is a measure of how far knowledge of a char acter and his exploits extends beyond his own immedi ate social circle, Howcn' r, a character's Fame can be

may have th eir charactcrs seek him out for th ese vcry reasons. Each character's Fa me stans at zero, though thi s may be modified by his Looks score. See Chapter 3.1 1 Character Creation for morc information.

also cau ses the adjustm ent of the Fam e of individu al members of the group on a periodic basis. Follow the same process for adjusting indi\'idual Fame due to group Fame as you would for Reputation.

Calegories of iIlmeLittle Kn own (0-10): Only a few peopl e know you exi st.

Individual, Group and iIlmily iIlmeGroup or famil y Fame can be calcul ated in much the same way as group or family Reputation . Likewise. it

TABLE 4.2-4: SAMPLE REPUTATIONi PAME AWARDS - CRIM ESMisdeme~ nor

Crime $e1',r;IY' Fe1oo): Hagiog Offe~se

Trnsoo

R, p Flme R,p F~me R,p R,p F~me Flme PubliClTlY ......... .... .... .... .... .10 .... Formiog ~o ~lli.lDCt wiTh mothc:r family .. ..... .......... 1 .. ....... .0 Fulfill fWlily debT ....................................... . .4 ......... .0 Losing 1 birthrighT or olD inhaited item ....................-6 . ....... .0 Mcmbtr of fWlily dies wilh grt.il RtpuuTion. .... .....1. ... . .....0 Murder of ~ family member . .............. .......... .. .~ . .. . .. . .1 Ikoo-.-cring or 1\1:0gingl stob or destroyed family hc:irloom ..................... .... .. ......... ... 5 .. ...... .0 Refusing orr.s flmily bdtr ................ .. ......... .. .-5 ... ......0 &nishcd/oosred by gwg/company ............. . ...... ..-5 ......... .0 Oath of ~ fellow wiTh Crat Rtpuutioo ...................1 ......... .0

................

TABLE 4.2-6: SAMPLE REPUT ATION/ FAilE AWARDS - PROFESSIONALACTion RepuUlioo Fl mt Btiog tlkto WVolDUge of ... ................. .. .......... 1 ..........0 Showing off billie 5Qt'S .... ..... .... . ............. ... 1 .. ....... .1 Crnting ~ DeW useful iOVCIlTioo ... ... ................... 5 .. ...... 1 First TO find w.1 ll1h1e ore deposiTS ................. ... .. .. 1 ......... .3 Ceiling uughl chating . ... ... .. ... ...... ....... ..-3 .. ...... .1 Hiring 10 employee ..... .............. ....... . ......... .1 . ........ .0 Losiog signific.tntly IT gunbling ......... ..... ... ... ..... [ .. .. .... .0 NUtsingl dwuter T Ohc:.ihh ...... ... ... .. ...... .... ... .1 .. ....... .0 Performing 1 successful surgery ....... ............ .. .... .1 ..... .... .0 Publishing/writing for 1 PIper (per month) ......... ......0 ..... .... .I Sllkiog 1 mining ,him ... .. ......... .......... . .... 1 .......... .1 SI1rtiogl busillCSS .. ........................... .... .... 1 ..... . ... .1 WinDing signifiUllTly i t gvnbling ... .... ...... ... .. .... .1 ..... .... .I WriTing/publishiog I book ........... .............. .... 1 ..... .... .I

.... n

..

.....

Group Reputation aWQrds/ptnalties are 9AA-n for those actions the 9f01lP performs as a groop or thfOllgh 9f01lP consenSli5. Points are added to {an removed from) the 9f01lp Reputation. not from individual Reputation. At the end of the sess.i:.m. each 9f01lP member's Reputation moved OIle point doser to the 9f01lP Reputation foctor (before individual Reputation is rero/culateci per the Repalation roles)

186

Local (11-20): Seems like everyone in town knows who you arc and your deeds, Minor Celebrity (2 1-70): E,'en the wranglers in the next territo ry know about you, \ rhen a character's Fame reaches SO for the first time, his name begins appearing in popular songs and stories as a minor or local hero (or villain of mention, In addition, there is a 10'0 chance per week that a notorious foe starts boasting of his ability to whip the character in a gunfight, an election, or any OIher profession-relat ed activity), For example, an outlaw may c hallenge the marshal to a shootout, while a carpenter boasts that he creates beller woodwork than thc character, On the ot her ham!. a earpe mer who was once a gunfighter may find himself challenged by either. If such boasts reach the charaCler's cars, and he refuses to seck Out and defeat the foe, he surrers a loss of 200 of his Reputation Points, For every 50 points of Fame a character has, others surre r a - I penalty to Accuracy and a +1 penalty to Speed when facing him, Major Celebrity (7 1-100): You're extremely well known. For example, the person working on the docks in New York City has hcard of you, and how you ShOl four Indians with a rusty revolve r whilc blindfolded, Famous (101-200): You and your deeds arc occasionally heard of c"en in lands across the ocean. Epi c (20 1+ ): When a character's Fame reaches 201 he is co nsidercd a gre;ll hero, suitable material for epic songs, lengthy folktales and the like. Those who might like the c harac ter arc more di~posed to trcal him with respco, while those who arc morc famous now stan to treat him as a peer. All penalties when facing this character a rc doubled.

get the most daring deeds! In game tcrms, this is re presented by the fact that Fame decreases at a rate of I point per month. Fonunately, Ihis loss of Famc can go no lowcr than 20 0 of the highest Fame the cha rac ter ever obtained. :"aturally, the characte r ca n continue to perform activities that increase his Fame,

For ('(amplt, ltl:r sa)' l/tal UX /tas a Famt scort as high as I i3. bill hi losn inltusl ill dramalit duds and U'tnt into SttfllJion. Ort( tht nl,\1 fiu' )'tarJ~ his Famt dttrtast$ b)' I lur IIIonth aJ jolks gradllal/;' SIOI) talking about },im, 111IIil it SlOpS at31 (2f)~~ oj I i3. rOllllded doum). isn't quitejorgollen, but ht S 1101 lItar(), as big a/Willi (/j' ht 011(( U'(/S.

ux

Sample ReputaUon/Fame awardsTablts 4.2-2 through 4.2-8 provide some guidance on ci rcumstances warranting such an award.A note on a wards or p e nalties for c rim e: The Rcputation of the accused and the accuser affects these modifiers, For every Reputation calCgory the characters are away from avcrage Reputation, add or subtract one Reputation Point from those listed on Tablt 1.2-1: Samplt Rtputalioll/Famt Awards - Crimts, depelldill~ 011 \\ hethcr tiley arc abo"e or below average, respecti\'ely. H owc\'er, if the accuser or the accused is of legendal'\' Reputation and the other is not, doubl e the modifier after addin~ or sublracting the original modifiers,

GAINING AND LOSING FAMEFame is affected by a character's actions in mllch the sa me way as Rc putation. H owc,'er, yo u can become famous for things yo u haven't even donc, In 01 her words, o ne 's fame may not reneCt reality. This could be by accident people mistaken ly atlribute deeds to you o r it could be by design you go around bragging about things you\'e nevcr done or taking credit for somcone else's deeds . !-I o\\,cver, just because a chMacter docs somcthing to boost his fam e docs nOI mean he can sit back and coasl on that e,"el1l forever, E\'entually people may pUl a charactcr in the back of their mind and perhaps e\'en for-

JOllr Fame IItll survivts )'Ol/r death - for a wllilt.

l8i

4.31 Awardshere arc many types of awards in life, be they monetary, fame, position or success. So 100 arc there a va ri cty of awards in Ihe A rt.{ & Eights ga me. CIHlractcrs may rece ive awards in fjyC catcgones: monetary (from success in business, im'cstmen IS, gambling, bounties, robbery, eIC. ), Reputation Points for followin g the Code of the West), Building Points (from learning while using skills and sllcceeding at a profession o r experiencing life), experience (from sUIYiving gunfights), and Fame Points (from news of a character's activities spreading f;:lf and wide).

T

AWARDING FAME POINTSFame Points arc awarded ror activities that arc not significant in t.hc eyes of othe rs, but arc also widely reported. Such reports may be transmitted by any means. but transmillcd the)" must be. The method can be as simple as an eyewitlH:ss telling the tale to friends and relations \\'ho then spread the news. The news can sp read by newspape r or wire or eyen by dime novel. Each of these manners of publicity for a significant achievement will help increase your Fame. though difrerent situatio ns in crease Fame at diITerent rales.onl~

* How

AWARDS WORK

*

Each 'YI)t of award affects a different a~peCI of your cha racter. Reputation Points provide your character with luck and a sixth sense to help in sur\'i\'al and adva ncemellt. ~ l onetary awards directly correlale to power and freedom. Those with mOlletary resources can work for themselves and aCI ually hire others to do their bidding, an important ability in a land where violence and death come swift to men or act ion. Building Points increase Skills and Ta1ellls. Experie nce increases your c haracter's odds of su rvi\'al in a confrontation. Finally, Fame can aITett many a~pects of the game. including those mentioned before. This section describes these various methods of rece iving awards and their significan ce to the charatte r.

For e.rample. if your character sillgle-Iwlldedly savts all illfollt from II !J.tfimpt:dt. his mother migltt tffltlte news rif )"our sllillthood to '("t~)'0/U' thatwillli!J.t(ll. On the otftrr hllnd.. I'Ollr fame "In Ihot IIIlIch tht hella !f II.., bratlltr ftapjJflls 10 be the loenl IltU'JPaperj O llrnalist.T he various amollnts and types of Fame awards arc discussed in Chaptlr -1.21 RrpllflIti(1/I alld Fame. Fame can be earned at any time in a game session. as long as a proper triggering event has occurred.

MONETARY AWARDSCharacters recei\c monetary awa rds (cash and ot her like ~old. deeds to land, claims, goods, ctc.) at any lime in a game ~es~ion that they earn it. Certain monetary gains occur al a set time. Exam ples include sal ary from paid positions, income from businesses whose books arc adjllsu:d monthl~' and so forth. Other t}1)CS of income happen when they happen. For cxampic. ir your gam bler \\"ill~ a pOI of money, he adds that 10 his total cash immediately.\aluablt:~

AWARDING REPUTATION POINTSReputa tion Point s arc awa rded for following the Codc of the Wesl. The variou5 amounts and types of Reputation awards arc discu~sed in Cftllpter 4.21 Reputlltioll and Fal1ll!. Reputation Points may be gained at any rime in a game session, as long as a proper trigge ring evcnt has occul"rl'd. Characters of honor and upstanding quality should look for any opportunity to obtain Reputation Points. T hey are the ea~iest of all a\vards to gain. and the easiest to lose. Reputation Poims are extremely important 10 the character because rh ey can allow him to avoid fate and sway events ever so slig htly in his favor. The diITerc uce between a gunshot to Lhe forehead and a hole in your new Stetson can be measured in inches or e\'cn fractions of inches. Reputation Points ca n help )'ou with that on rare occasion. In short, do what you can to build up a solid Reputation score and many Reputation Points. Out in .he Shattered Frontier, you'll need them.

EXPERIENCE AWARDSWhilc charatters receive all sorts of awards rrom experic'ncing all SOrtS of ('\'eI1lS in the Shattered Frontier. experience awards is really a tcrm that refers to one specifi c kind of e\'ent: surviving a gunfight. Each time your characte r survives a gunfight (as described in Chapter 3.2IAd~'(l/!red Scra/m, record that fact becausc all characters improve their nerve afte r survi\'ing a gunfight. This irnpro\'etllcnt is reflected in increased accuracy and speed modifiers (or decreased penalties). Of course, the more shoolOuts your charaCter survi\'es, the less dividends experience pays, with the first few being the best learning experience and later it getting LO be old hal. T he details of this improvcment arc desc ribed in Cfta/Her 3.2l Advallced

Scm/Jes.

,"8

Beyond a meager and decreasing impro\'ement in handling yourself in a scrape, your character will not earn much for scrapping and bra\vling. The only other rewards in those activities will be in the figlll itself and learning how to handle yourself and your weapon. Besides, learning how not to get your ass kicked is a reward in itself. As you'll soon learn, gunfights are incredibly lethal not to mel1lion unp redic table. The more d iligcnt you arc in a\'oiding gun play a nd bar fights the better YOllr chances of li"ing to sec the rise of the sun in the morn. ?\ Iakc no mistake there will be limes aplenty when you'll havc 10 shoot. But as a general rule you shouldn't makc a habit of looking for one. Especially si nce there i~n't mtlch to be had as an incenti\e.

and develop. ~cithe r are those who tend to follow rather than lead. In life, those who get off their duffs and get out and carve a niche for themselves in the world are going to fare bette r. You can earn Building Poims in three ways:gr Profession Pathsrdir~

Pers onal Goals Re markable E vents

Profession PathsA Profession Path i, simply a staled commitment by a player that indicates ho\\ his character is going to make hi~ way in the \\orld. ,\t the onset of each gamc session, evcry player at tbe table should announce (or record for the \'ie\\ing of others his character's profession. It is quitc all rig:hl. though perhaps not \'(" 1) ' prodllcti\'e, to change pro fession~ at the ~tart of each ~ame ~e\sion. \\'hat\ mo re , your chal'acter is free to pUI"lIe any profc~\ion his heart desires. Keep in mind hi~ ~kill5 or lack thereof \\"ill probably ha\'e a lot to do with his ~uecess in any gi\'en profession.

BUILDING POINT AWARDSBuilding Points BPs are awarded during the campaign as a cha racte r applies himself by taking on challenges, pu rsuing personal goals and life experience. The amount of BPs garnered and the ~peed in \\'hich they arc earned is entirely tip 10 the player. Slackers who arc sim ply content to eke by aren't likely to gro\\

JVhell )'ou

begill ),our Prrifession Path. )'Olt'll probably IWL't 10 slarl small.

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A Profession Path may be a specific professional occupation like a dOClor or a lawyer, but beyond the vcry few "professio ns" ex ist a whole world of vocations, jobs and behaviorally defined lifes tyles (like Outlaw). Your character's Profession Path can also be an unpaid position , stich as a scat on the town council (politician), or perhaps a scientist (naturali st). It 's realI}' up to you what your cha racter's Profession Path entails and how you pursuc il. Once you 've chosen a profession you must stick with that path for the duration of the current session. At lhe cnd of the session the Gi\ 1 and lor players will consult with the Profession Table for your profession and will award BPs based on YOllr mcccsses during that session . Any ObjeCLi,'c achieved on your Path will afford you one or more BPs. Note well that the Objecti\'c must be obtained during that session. So if or Hrll1k Sharper just became a Lawman. but had previously caught and hung a horse thief, he doesn't gain BPs for that. He'll ha\'e to catch another onc while he's declared Lawman as his Profession to gain the BPs.

Multipl e O ccupations and the Profession Path

It's cnti rely possible, even probable, that characters making ~ome headway in the Shattered Fronticr will take on more than one profession. For exa mple, the local hardware dealer may be elected sheriff or mayor: After that. he might ope n a saloon while still maintaining the hardware store, a position on the (own council and the sheriff's job. Thi s is a very good situation for the character to be in he can gain Fame. Reputati on and moncta!)! awards hand-aver-lIst and likely shape the fultlre of the (Olin. Howc\'er, he still can ha\'e only olle chosen Profession Path at a rime (although he can still Chatl ge that at the start of any game ~essio n l . Therefore, he only ca rns BPs for completing Objectives listed on his current Profession Path. In other words, characters can't double-dip with respect to BPs earncd from professions. Each Profession Path libts Obj ectives that you will monitOr (and th e other players andlor G,\-I will verify) to dc tcrmine if yO\1 are awarded Building Points. The P rofc~sion Paths and their Objccti\'cs arc listed in Chapter 4.41 Prqfrssio/Z Patlts.SaITlple Profession Path: GaITlbler

For example, Jolzmzy Coopt'{ has just jllmped riff the stage in ,\luskeegie,]i"eshjrom llu Mst. With O llly aftit' d(l!l(lr~ ill lIis pocket his immediate cOllu rn isjiudillg aJob and crltmg a fOO/ Ol!er IllS head. JolLnnJ' tll/u(d the gallic /Iitl! sOllie carpu/Uf and blncksmi[h skil/.r JO he decidn to II]' to .find a .lob that Illili':l'l those skills. For this sessioll I,e flllllOUnctJ to lIlt table thai hiJ Prc!ftwol/ Path is Blacksmith. &ing a blarkSllllth lIIay //01 be J o/imzy'J long lerm goal; ii's simply a way to establish himself alld get his jooting IIl1til hL t all mOl't on /0 olhLr things. He asks arO/md and finds a blarksmith shop IlInt needs extra htlp shoeing horses. The job pqys S / a d(I)' wilh a fiee room over the J/ud. Jollm!} is /lOW actively working his rholul /mifusion and call work his way thTIJugh the Blnchlllitlt Prifessio/l Path (a 'plaiIlLd below). The following msioll, Johnny rail thoose Blacksmith agaill or he can lIIove to allollter lint if 1(ork.Profession Paths arc all about your charactcr pushing and im proving himself. If you choosc to bc a cowboy and end lip working for an established rancher you may garner a few BPs the first few sessions. Should you bc content to round up cattle for someone else, scraping up enough just to pay lor a couple of nights a month of raising perdition , you'll stop sllccessfully attaining objectives and earn ing BPs for that Path. That is, until you apply yourself, taking on more responsibility, obtaining ),ou r own herd or partnering rather than working a job. A Profession Path is just that a path. You must stay in mOlion, otherwise rou may find your characte r in a rut and nOt growing.

Improve to 49% ill relevant skill. Improve to 49/0 or better in G ambling skill. Award: I I~P. Obtain faro board/box, bird c age or c raps table & dice, c ards atld poker chips or roulette wheel . Purchase or oth e rwi ~e obtain a gambling toolkit for your preferred game. Award: 2 BP. R.",! a high-stakes faro/poker/dice/rolliette gan1e. Run a game whe re the minimum bet is 55. Award: 3 BP. Run a per-mtutetlt jaro / poker/dice/roulette game. Game must be diligently ope rated for onc mOl1lh. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in ofT-hours. but mu~t run the game as a se rious matter for 4-0 or marc hours per week for a solid momh. Award: 4 BI'. Manage others running high stakes faro/poker/dice/ro1l1ette g am es. At least one other employee/apprentice runs a high stakcs game from which you take the house's winnings. Award: 5 BP. Own gambling establishntent. Set up a per manent building fo r operation of the gambling business. Award: 10 HP. Open two more gambii1lg establishments. In the same town or in another, purchase additional lots and build additional gambling establishments (lor a total of thrce). Character must actively manage each for a month or longer. Character may pursue other interests and Personal Goals in ofT-hours, but must pursue business management as a se rious matter for 40 or more hours per week for a solid month without interruption. Award: 20 BP

Following a Profession Path

T he Pro fession Path must be followed roughly in order; no more than one Obj ective may be skipped without completion. Skipped Objectives may be completed later and another Object ive then later skipped.

For example, Stanley 'junior" Frttsoul htil thosm Gambler as llis Priftssion Palh. After improvillg his Gambler skill 10 49 % (lower is beller wilh Skills). he obtains ajaro board alld gains 2 BPs. The next smion. Ju lJ' II 'ilkts. oU'n" rif tht Bucking Tiger Saloon agrus 10 It I JUll ior u'Ork as a pnmantlll jaro draler in Ihe Tigrr (for 50% rif Ihe lake. rif COlmtj. Junior, although ht skipptd rUlming a high slakrs jaro game, grls tht 4 BPs ht's tarntdjor a prrmanrnl galllt and 1110), tun slarl u'Orkillg 0 11 filldillg SOllie tmplo)'us 10 mQlmge in ordrr 10 gain his 5 BP Objrctive. If Ite sOlllellow got mougll mOlley 10 buy llis own galllbling hall, he u:ouldn't gtl tht 10 BPs for that Objrctivt as he'd hat't now skipped two Objrctius fIInning Iht Iligh slaku gamt alld m(lI/aging otlttrs. Ju niord bt best oJ! (from a BP-tarnillg persprclivej if III lL'l1l1 hack alld rail Iltat high staku gamt.Re-Entering a Profession Path

Buying your first horse might be a good goal early in the game, and it might e\'e n help you catch o n at the next cattle dri\'e for your chosen profession of cowboy, but it is not considered to be directly related to your profession. On the other hand , capturing an outla\, is not a Personal Goal if your profession is lawman it 's part of you r profession and not a Persona! Goal.

TABLE 4.3-1: SAMPLE PERSONAL GOALS .P,SUrl l hmi ly (ldopt/ hHe I firslbom ) ........ . ..... 1 Buy I .. elpon ....... ..... .... .................... 1 ClplUre I budito/ robber .. ...... .................. 1 Survive gunfight .. ,., ............ . .. ..... . .. .. . 1 store ..................... .. ... . . ... . . .. 1 eela~b ............. . . ....... . . ... . ... . ... 1 eet muried ., ............. . .... . .. ....... .... 2 RobJ

Bu y J horse ............... . ... .. ............ 2 Clpture I minor outll .................. , ... ... ... 2 Rob a bank ................. .................. 2 Sponsor J festivll .......... , ............. ....... 2 Ploy off 111 debls ............... .. .......... , ..... 2 Keep I ,ob (for one month) .................. ... ... 2 Rustle clt tle herd ................................ 2 Buy bnd ............................. . ..... 2 Buy, house ................... . . . ......... . . . .3 Capture, mljor outllw ........... . ...... .... ...3 Become, II'I"mln ..... . ................... 3 Become 1 lou l offici, 1 ............................ 3 Bu y I 5ugecoach ., ...... ... ...................... 3 Succcss(ul long-disIUlCc delivery (ala Pony Express) ..........3 Rob, Inin ........... , ...................... . ... 3 Successful Utile drive ............................ .4 S uccessfu lly opentc busi ness ((or one monTh) ....... .4 S uccessfu ll y opeUle fum (for one monTh ) .......... .4 Bu y I business ............ , ..................... .4 S uccessfu lly open!e !Inch (for one monTh ) ...........5 S uccessfully operate, mine (for one monTh) ..........5 Buy I finch ...... , ........................ .. .....5. y.m~........ ... . . .....J

As we mentioned above, your character can change Profession Path anytime your hea rt desi res it.

Now, let's suppose/1m/just qflrr tarnillg his BPsfor rumlillg a permalltlltjaro gallle. 01' Stanley 'jullior" F (ill the previous txamplt) duidts 10 quil the lift oj a gambltr in ordrr 10 buomt a polititian for a Sptll. This is perfictly all nghl. Now let's assume jurlher Ihal JUllior tires rif being a politician shortly aftrr losing his first eltction In an embarrtilsing landslide due in no smail part to a standal involving a house rif ill repule. So now Junior wants 10 go batk to gamblillg and reenlers Ihe Gamhlillg Priftssioll Palh. Tlt is is quilefil/e alld aokay. He tall pick right up where he lift off as a gamhler (hut can't repeat previously tompleted objtctivlS for additional BPs).

P,rsona1 (;oa1sPersonal Goals represent your character's objectives that arc unrelated to his profession. Each is a component of whe re he hopes to get in life and what he wal1lS to accomplish. They a ren't ends in themselves. Once achieved, the character simply chooses another one to pursue. A character's Personal Goal may be incred ibly ambitious (" marry the president's daught er") or a little more modest ("get hitched" ). The rules for choosing a valid Personal Goal arc::T It must be a speci fic goal that can be measured or achievedgr It can 't be related directly to a Profession Path 91'"' It can', be repeated to earn BPs

Bui ld, house ................ ... ...........6 Become a state offiei, l ..... .... ... . .... ........6 Open a husiness .... ..... ......... . . , ....... .... ..8 SUfi' hrm ......................... , ...........8 OpeD pub lic institUTion (school. museum ) ............8 Buy 1 locomo tive ............ , ....................9 SUfi a unch , ........ .. ................... , . , .... 10 Become, nuioul offic i, l ....... ................. 10~'.m~..W

191

To get you started with your first Personal Goal , take a look at Table 4.3-1: Sample Personal Goals. Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, as the possibilities arc nearly endless. If a particular goal docs not appear on the list, bring i1 to the next game session. A majority vote and/or Gi\! consent will allow it. Your cha racter receives Building Points at the end of Ihc session when he accomplishes his chosen goal. Every player shou ld declare his character's Personal Goal be it building a house, finding a spouse, opening a business, and so on before each game session . We do this partly to refresh everyone's memory and partly to prompt other characters into helping - or hindering your e!Torts. A Personal Goal must be fully completed in order to receive BPs for it.

For example, suppose James "'hite has a Personal Goal rif blf}'ing a house. Hefinds olle available bllilhe pm'ious oU"l/er only Iwff-fhlished il. if James blip andjinislus the hOl/se. he u'on't receive the BPs for bll)'lng a IWI/Sf until he (or somtone he hires) jinishes it. . \ ow lei's suppOSt fIIat in the abou sallario, JamiS' Personal Goal was to build a houst. For this PerSOllal Goal he'd receiu IW BPs at af! since he Oil!; finished buildilig a house and did 1I0t aetuall;' build the wllOle hOl/se IlImse{f

Remarkable EventsSometimes, perhaps often, certain unplanned e\"cnlS outside of your character's goal and profession force your character to reckon with them. They are challenges the cha racter must confront or a\'oid, but weren't sought out. For example, suppose a character's goal is to purchase a house near a town and further his profession as a rancher. While he's heading for the next town to evaluate some livestock, he meets a group of settlers who have been ambushed by a band of savages. One of the pioneers' children has been kidnapped. You accept the ir plea for help and head otT to retrieve the child. After a long journey that involves tracking the band, negotiating her release, and an aCt of betrayal, you manage to return the child to her family. The event had nothing to do with your cha racte r's current Profession Path or Personal Goal, but you learned something from the experience that built character. In this case, you're awarded one BP and likely greater rewards in the areas of Reputation and Fame. Remarkable Events can occur at any time and in any frequency, but in all cases the reward is a maximum of one BP. Further, no more than one BP can be earned per month in this manner; the lion's share of your character's BPs will be earned through allaining Personal Goals and success in her Profession Path.

192

Chapter 4.41 Profession PathsAs stated in ChaP/a 1.3ItlwardJ, a Profession Path is a commitment by a player that indicates ho,\earch a IOO-squarc-mile area.maH'rick~

Success or failure is determined by whichever of the three cowboys has the best master) of Searching. Afler one week, that cowboy makes a Searching skill check for the grou p. This is generaiJy an Average check (+40%), though it may be reduced to Easy (+8011/0) if he also has the Animal Lore skill at Average mastery (74-50) or betler. The character discovers one mavcrick for e"ery percentage point by which he succcssfully excecdcd his skill check. ~ l crc1)" finding wild callie docs not, howe,cr, imply that they arc now docile. These mavericks must then be succes~ful1)' herded a Difficult check for wild call1e i in order to bring them into Ihe fold.For tHlmplt, Itt's say that Tluodort ccThu" lVi/9 is dtltrmined to txplou a 100-sq/lort-milt /lnStllltd ouo in starch oj mauricks. As nald aballt, ht mllsl first sttld 0111 at kasl thru hiud lIIt'n (tach with Xavia or btlltr masury of Animal Hmlillg (coltlt), Riding and Rope l;st) ullh stlltral horsts apita. T1lu dtcidrs 10 go on Ihe senreh, along lL'i/h twa alhtr hirtd men. Thu pla)tr now alltmpls a Starching skill chuk 01 Ar:trage diffitull)' (+404 Thtt has 0 76% masury value in tht Starching skill, 51) !Ii musl rail a 36 or hig}ttr 10 mut or excud I/r ralls a 79, for a latal oj 119 his 76" masltT)~ (79+40=119, wtll abol.'t his mastrry vollu), so ht succUils.

s

STOCKING A RANCHOnce a player has staked out his ranch. lhe hard part begins. In order to make his ranch a going concern. he needs cattie and the ranch hands to work them.

To drttrll/illt how IIIt1I!)' lI1tlven"cks Tltu alld his mttl jol//ld, his pla)'er sjmpo' sublracts Thu's masltTy valllt (76%jfrom Ilu towl Toll (119) for 0 rtsult rif -13 (119, 76= 4.'1) . Thu and his

221

men located 43 mavencks. Now lujust lias to bring them into his own herd. Tlue's plq)'er now makes all Animal Herding (caule) skill (heck. However, tIlls is a Difficult check (+0%) with no bonus to his roll. Thee onlY has a 78% mastery value in lite Allimal Herding (caWe) skill, so he must roll a 78 or hlglur. He rolls a 68 ~ a failure. Since each repealed Animal Herding attempt per day (on the same herd) stifftrs a C/lmulalive + 15% penally to the skill check, Thu (an try again, bl/t he has to roll a 93 or higher. Looks like Thee needs (0 improve his Animal Herding skill before lu (ries /0 master the mavericks again.

GROWING THE RANCHA ranch is more than a few hundred head of cattle and some grazing land, A raneh owner needs help tending to them, and to eventually drive them to market. He must provide for the needs of his men including shelter, food, basic equipment and horses. This represents a huge outlay of cash - all ban ked against growing the herd and eventually ge tting it to market to se ll the animals for a substantial profit. A smooth talking rancher just starting out and short on capi tal can often make do the first season by living on the cheap out of tents and the backs of wagons. And if he's real smooth (recall the note on successful ranchers being good salesmen), he can convince the hired help 10 \,'ork for shares of the herd, or eve n partial par, until the he rd is driven to market and sold. Some cowboys may agree 10 such te rms on a handshake, Others will demand a promissory nOte against wages owed . Some banks and financ iers might be willing to loan money against sha res in a herd, but rates can run from 2% 10 5% a month. A character's Reputation and role-playing has a lot 10 do with how successful he is in the above pu rsuits.

Though wild cattle are plentiful, there is not an infinite supply of longhorns grazing free ly, To simulate this, note the following caveats. Any particular area can only be searched once per year. Additionally. the players arc hardly likely to be the only characters seeking to gath er wild cattle. For e"er), ranch within 50 miles of the area sea rched, add one difficulty level to the Searching check - to reflect that nearby ranchers have conducted cow hunts of their own in this region, If the adjusted check is pushed beyond Very Diffi cult, there is no chance of finding mavericks in the area that year.

BRANDINGBunding is ~ mens of eSllblishing ownership. The pr~ctice is not new to the Sh ~tTe red Frontier. however. Even the ncient Egyptins brlnded their cllt le. A mer ic~ n cowboys lelrbed the usk from MexiCln vlqueros ~ nd in time developed their own unique call igraphy. Brlnds cn be subdi vided into three mljor cllegories; I) Letters. numbers l nd the ir vui~ nt s. 2) Geometric symbols ~ nd 3) Pictoria l sym bols. With thOUSlnds of bunds in service. a complex etymology developed. with each containing a phuse or pun unique to the owner. Conventions hlve developed to discouuge the practice of venting ('rebunding') Cltt le, Cattlemen ue quick to dis couuge the ldoption of vuinls on their bunds for fear of callie rustl ing. For yyHas his example. 1 u ncher Ihltldopts H brand when his neighbor uses H y His look ing for trouble!

Methods of Cattle BrandingEarmark Wattle

O wners Brand Ve nt Brand

I\

\Jaw Brand Dewlap

Trail or Road Brand Jughandle De wlap

222

THE HIRED HELPA good rulc-of-dlumb is thai c\'cry 250 head of cattle in the herd requires one ranch hand to manage them. The ,wcrage wage for a cowhand is S I a day usually paid as S30 at the end of each month. The most expe rienced hand fills the position of range boss - the man in charge of the daY-IO-clay work when the ranch owner isn't around. Range bosses cOlllmand a wage of S 100 a month. A rancher just starling OUI may Opt to fill the role of range boss himself, but he must devote his full attention to Ihe job and will probably have little time left o\'cr for anything clsc. E" c ry ranch needs a cook lO pro\'idc meals for the hands. A competent cook draws S40 or morc a month. A poor cook usually doesn't las! long enough to draw his pay. A'olhing annoys a cowboy more than a cook that can't properly stew a pot of beans. When hiring ranch hands, a player must take care 10 select men with a good range of skills. Picking men of good character and work ethic is equally important, but those lacking such qualities arc usual!y weeded out while on the job. Good men arc hard to find and hard men arc e\'en rarer. The success of any ranch is largely dependent on the men that work it. So hiring shouldn't be taken lightly. So, what makes a cowboy? While there a rc many aspects of an individual's personality that determine his sui tability for this line of work, it is important to define the ski lls required to successfully perform the work. At a minimum, each of the ranch hand positions has the followin g prerequisites:

R a n ch Boss:AccounTing - 990IG or better AdminisTriTion - 74% or beller Animli Herding (Wile) - 99'J1. or beller Riding - 9'}0,4 or bwer Rope Usc - 9I}Oft or beller

Range Boss:AdminislUlion - 99% or better. An; mil He rding (wrle) - 74% or beller Riding - 74% or beller Rope Usc - 740/. or beller Cowboy: Aotmil Herding (wrle) - 99% or beller Riding - 99o/t or bwer Rope Usc - 99% or beller

Range Cook:Cooking - 99% o r beller Droving - 99o/t or beller

Wrangler:Riding - '(

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t"ols, a sut:t:essfulVery Difficultskill check a IJO\, ~ Ih ~' milliner 10 (ksign, rut, lit. :llto'r and se" alllloot allY sort of hat. .'\ failed n'~uh indicates the \\ork W:lS botched or fta"'t'(i in ,;onl!' way lll1d th(' rl'~ulting piece is worthle~s.lived among speakers of that dia lect for a few years Mi mic effectively enough to fool a native speaker of that dialectNURSINGRelevant Ability: Wisdom Cost: 3 BP Unive rsal: No Prerequisi te: None Mastery Die: Id8 T his ski ll allows the character to properly tend 10 the sick and injured. Whil l" some uasic medical knowledge is inhercnt in rhis skill , the nurse's role is to provide an opt imal en,.ironnwnt \0 rncilitale the body's 011'11 recu ptf;J tivt au ilities. This is ao::eOIllpli~hed h} closely monitoring I he pat ien1 :H1d tending to his needs ;t~ required. Tilt: Illost basic Heed for any pal icl'l is food and drink. A nur~e wi !l "nsure that the injured pany is drinking sufficicn t tluids and provickd \\ilh food that he cun keep down and in fm;t d(>(~ SIl_ Additional rC'pollsiiJili ti("s include changi ng barJ(i.:e, IllUSI Ix 'pecificall) designed fOl Ihis runt'l ion. Such weal)QIlS arc sptci'lor tools \\orking on clothing with makeshift toolsDirriculty Trivial EasyT his ~ k i l l covers I h(' ba~ics of haggli ng and u'aneriuJ; bUI can 1)1' ('xtemlcd 10 h;wdl{' an) sun of nl'!;OIialion~ in "hich itcms ur services of value an: e,'(changed, Le\'el Unskilled Novice Average Advanced The charader ca n'H Engage in haggJillg at his own fisc!!l !lCril Recognize a skilled salesman and opt to avoid negotiating with him Be relatively assured of the gross parameters of an offer (complete rip-orr, relatil'ely fair, total steal) Generally obtain favorable terms from a buyer/sellerDifficult Very DifficultSE A RCHINGRelevant Ability: Wisdom Cost: 5 BP Unh'el'llul: Yes Prcrequis ite: None l\1aste ry Die; IdS Any time a dlar:lI,:le r 3Hernpts 10 locaif some t hing s]X'cific. he makrs a 5l'archiug skill check 10 do so, Thi~ ~" i ll USfS a {"(Hobin,l'369lion 01 a ch,lrarlf'r'~ iufcrrrd knold .. dgf, c;>.;pcricllcc, sense of direction and liO on. a~ h~ aCl ilfl) works to find ~ome lh ing. Tlw charaCler lIIust ~Ilelifieall) 'lall' tl1 guessed thc general \Ieatlwr condit ions in Iht next six hours ...\ f:liled check me:lllS that he h:ls no i CO U llt),KENTUCKY WINDACE (45 BPj"Ke ntucky windage," or s impl~ "windage," is a m e thod of firin g where Ihe shooter delibe ratel y a im s arT-target to com pe nsat e for a ll1o"ing targe t, \\ ea tlwr condition s, or jllst a bad sig ht on th e rinc, When s hOal ing, a c haract e r no rmall y draws 011(' ca rd 10 de te rmine hit location. A character wil h t hi s ta le nt may choose to redraw thi s ca rd , but if he docs so he I11l1st use the seco nd ca rd drawlI - \\het hc r it is be tl er 01 ' worse than Ilw fir st.MOUNTED MARKSMANSHIP (40 BPjICharant'rs wilh Ihi s talent reduce penalits for ~ hoo tin g on ho rse back, H e suffers a nI ) a -I Accural:Y penalt) when moutHed o n a wa lkin g horse, ' think h e'~ a IOIIdown I'armim, or that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. For each sibling, roll on Tablt 6.5 6: Sibliflg Rital':.}'."ut poor al raismg Ihis (hild 77-87 ....../lbus,,e. Chiltl a/JUud "y parmI. Ejj(et: RQlI M Tahlt 3./-/9: QuirAs (Quirh. Mmtal) and ruord only hi/If BPs 1;1/fdf".,- 1M Quirk. 8S+ ...... .Indifferenr. Purent {ritwtd this child as a hlmim.Childgrcu' liPJetting inpd(({uatt and IlIIlfJWd Effiet: /Wlon Tahlt 3.1-19: Quirks (Qllirks, Intrtnmtd)(md m".,-d ~1I1y halfBPJ lisltJfor tlu Quirl.3B4Quality of Upbring ing: HoI\' the character's parents acted tOwards him had a huge impact on hoI\' he turncc) OUI. A cilrin~, 'Iltemi\'!.' parent bctter equips his child for adulthood dum an uncaring, abu~ive or abscnt parenl. Roll on Tobit 6.5-7: L/lhringmg, adding a +1 for each sibling the character had. If you dOll't like the results, you can spend I Ill' t(l purchase a re-roll. You may purchase as many rc-rolls as you likc.:, as long as you havc BPs to spend.TABLE 6.59: RURAL OR URBAN BACl!GROUNDRoll (dIOO) (dependillg 011 cbmcters Pbcc of Orlgll1) csu l! CSA/~ USA Tuu Dtxret Mc;uco EuJ.OpC R Runl .... 01-87 ....0155 ....01-92 .....0195 .....0195 .....016(1 Urbla ... 88-IOO .. ..56-100 ...93100 ...961 00 ....96-100 ... .6HOO Remember, JUSt becau~e your charample. . .......... 1].1 Hotd Operator .... 203 Ho\\ Awards Work ................ 1fIR Huntinl\' .... ... 352 HunLinll;' mid Fishing . . . , . .2M Id1.: Gossip .. ... 353 , ..... 3S1 Impmvcd.\rcofFire 15B P Indian Rd; ltioni .. , . ...... :299 InfectiolUi. , .. 70 In/hl\'llza ....8R Inheritanco: 10+ BP ....... ,.. . ..381 Inili.ltilc ,\lId Spl'ed. . . . ....... 8 11~llli"~. ~1)('{'i6c . . . .. . .. 71Imdlig(,IKI" .. _ .19350 .till ..., I"'UO.ctl :t'll.~36Gil,\ ;\lolls\{"r Gkan Inlorm;,tiun Gold . ...... Cold, Genin~ thr Gold SltiktGolden Opponunity Grnn'fi ,l E11I1'311CclEs it Gr.1U'S and Li'lht \\'ound~ Cr;ll.int.: Gn.-;L'\.'d 1..i\!"hlllin'l :WIIPGrt.lI .\mhidt);.I\'rit\ 2j BI' Grifter Grifl,old & Gunnison ....... . Grit ,50 liP.... :H2.. 151116... 3')1.....67 .. 2'27 'UUI.:!n'2. Ill;!'.0.3BO Orubst;\king . . . . . . . . . . .:H I , .. ,J8U Gu,lnlian Anltd 130 BI' Gun ror Hin............... 203 Guniil;ht Procedure. , ...... , . . .8 Gunfighu .. ,S Gun"mith ,. .203 Gunslllithing ..... 351 Handt..-dness .27 Hrtn~,Ul ... _ ...... 203 Hal.an;l, .. ,. . .. I 33 He.ding and Hit Poin'" ......... 69 H l"alill~ Time ,. . ...tiC! Hcarin q Tnrtl ... . ... :!ti6 I-kll"lY ,:jO BP ... '580 Hl"i!.(ht rtlld Wei~ht ,n Ht'nl)' Rille .112 Hiding . . . , ..... .352 Hi~h Diet .. 218 Hindrallcc ...52 Hip Shoot!"]" ,'25 HI' ... 38u Hired Help, TIlt' ... . ... :.!:B History. , ..... , . . . . . . . , ..352 Hit I'oim Bonus 20 IW ....... 3S1 Hit Points ..... , . . . ...6 Hilting tho: Trail , .... ,. . ... 226 Hold Your Uquor !O 1.\ 1'). . .'i81Intl'rpretcr ....203 . ..... 353 Inu:rmg;lIi.,1l ... . . . . . . . . InLimidativn .........354 Imroducinll; the I'LI}'Cr< to the S;U1dbos .145 j.tck Rabbit 'pt'ffl 20 BI' .31l1 j ewd('r .. . :WI, 35,1 j uke Tcl1i1l).": . . . .355 J ournalism/Composition. . .355 journalist ... . ... 20'1 .Jud1:"c .. ......... . ..... 201 jud~t"5. Crooked ... ,... . ..... 268 ,1ulI;'1!;lillg ..... . .. 356 Juror roilll ~ . . .... 267 .Jun ..... 266 Jury Ddii>l'I'ati(j1l .. 271 ./ur\ Llmpl'fin~ .. ,268 Kcepinl; Dcath;1\ \rms' Ll'1H(lh ...... 1in KCI1IUcl, \\inda'lc 4.') SI' .. 381 Knu cklcdu_tcr . . . .1 DO L.C. Smith .... , .. ,. . ..... , . . 110 L1 Rt'rt!;l ... ;,9 I ~'\lld Bruktr .... 20 1 II~) I..:lI1d Grah .. . Langua~ ... . ... 356 1 _1udrt[\um , .. 276 Lao.mdn . . . . ...205 I..;", .356 I.aw. Rullo of .265 IAtl1 man. .'20.'! I,.'\\\\t'r .. .205 IA,\zanh .. 15.'"1 J.':lzaru, and the On-Going C:unp.'\i1:l1 .ISIl Lazarus. ht'llls of Intcn.-~t Conel'rnill!~ .1 jlc! Lcatlwmnrking .. 35 i Lc;\ 1:11 two.barrcl .103 Let CommOn SeIl)C I'rcl':lil .. 139 Linc of Sight .11 l oistl'l1illg .... . .... 357 Uveryman .. 20b l.ock Pickinlt .358 Lockl;mithill~ ...... 35M Lodgt"d Bullet, . , .. , . . . .. .,. . .;2 Logging , . . . . . . . . . . .358 L,{Jn~ -Ium ................... , ... 239395Looks ...... 21 Lowe r L ower Class LLC) . . .386 l..Qwer ~ I iddl" Class 11..,\1C) .. 387 Lower Upper Clas~ (LUC) .388 ~ Iachinc Operating/Repairing ....... 359 1\ laking your Own Opportunitit.'S .... 180 ,\l alari:. .................. 88 ~I arkings ............ . .12' J\ la rkings & Coloralion .. . ...... 123 ~la rlil1 Stunewall DCl"llnger ......... 100 .\ Iason .... 206 ~ I astery and l)iflicultv ........ 332 ~ l athemalic~ .. . .............. .360 i\ la.ximull1 Distance. ..... 62 i\ kal Planning .. . .............. 225 i\ !cals and Lodging ...... 178 Measles .... 89 i\lcchanic";ll Failure ... 19 i\lcdicinc ............... 360 ~ I iddlc l..Qwer CIa:... 1i\ ILC) ......... .386 i\liddlc ~ [ iddlc Class (i\L\I C' ........ 387 ~ liddk Upper Clas; (}. 1l}C ) .389 i\ lililIursing ..... 70 Oaths ... .18-1 Observation .. . ................. 362O bstad~sOpiulll ....... 277 Oration ....... . .363 O lher Qualities (Horses) .125 Oulla" ....... . .20B Pa nn iug .238 [';lIming a site OUI . . . . . . . . . .243 Pa rker .......... 110 Partial Skill Failun:: [t\dvanc~d Rule] ...37 Pcnctration Dilmag(' ... 13 Pcrcl""ivc Tcndcnc~ 120 BPJ .. 381 Pcrsonal Go.'!l, . . . . . . . . . . .. . .19 I Pctty C riminal .................... 3861'(")l)le......... 277Phase l)ur:ltion and Gaining 01cI' C hips ...................... 135 Phowgraplll:r .................... 208 Phowgraphic F'!i Index labll.' .............. 28 Hrt'aking An Oa th {Tabl.:- -I.2-IJ ... 185 IJI"f"Cd ~ lodiliers r fablt' 3.6-3J. . ..... 130 Huildin~ Po ints. Spend Startilll\Sitl' Jcil'nion........... 129.:12 .35Skill Bha'>Cs n'able 3. 7- IJ ...... 131 Clreatin~, Cllillwe 10 nOlicl' ["I able 5.4- IJ ... 253 Chl'rokct' Samc!;, F.. m,.Jt, Sampk (Tahle 6..1-'21] ..... 390'" .. :"186 . . . .387 .. ... 38C!.......... '186.................... ... . .... .::lit) \rtcran Gunfillhtcr '20 Br .382 Vices H al"'\(" .. .126 \ ,gilante juslice .. ....... .2b.) Wain wri~1 ..... ......... 215 \\'anted ;\Ian .. ........ H8Waler ..... . Wt'apon Bon us 50 BI' " 'capon Damagr . \\'eapolll") Firearms, .... 228VemriloquismCherokf"e Xame~, ~ I ak, Sample pable 0.5.221 .. 390 Cif(ulmt . mces of Birth f1ilble 6.S-la] .383 Cr)1II1l10n J)i o;c.'ascs ['I:1.bll' 3.3"1 J .. .. ...86Condili(>nal i\ l od ifi e~ p :1ble 3.3-SJ .... 86 Corhtitution r nlbl.. 3.1 -5J ............ 21 Con$lilutiolial Adjusllllent' to Healing [Table 3.3-2J . . . . . . . . . . .. . iO l)('hydration rr'lblc 5.2-61 .. 228 Dcxlcrit\ JTable 3.1-4) ....... . .... 21 I)oublc-:lime ~Jo.,~m('1ll rrable 5.2-2) 227 Drinks (Tablr 5.7-1] .......... 275 Dru ~ [Table 5.7.2J .216 D)namitc i\ ldXimurn Ranges (Table 3.2-20 J ......... . .. .61 D YlI;unitc, Sp"ed of !-Iuned [,L1blc 3.2-22J ........ 61 Epilep tic Pabll>6.2-9) ..328 Esc;'ped and Freed Shl\'(' characters p :lble 6.5-11] ........... 386 ,382 ....91..... , ...... 264SIl) ........ , .................... 212 Stampede!; ...... , ....... , ........ 229 Slartilllj( '\ Iolle) ... ,... . ... 28 Staying Ali\1'" ... . ..... 180Slaying OUI of !-Iarrn's \\a) ... 180Weapons .................... . ... 6 WCat her Sen51' .376Wr aver . .. . . . . .. . ....... , ..... 215 \\'ea\;ng ........ . .... 377 Whal is a Role-Playing Game?' . . . . . . . . 3 What ' 011 KCL-d 10 Pia} .......... 3 \\11cre Thcl"t!'s Smoke T here's Fire .. 14751Ol1em:I.-;onl) .... Stn:ngth. .......... 373 ...... 18Siunning ... 95 Surv~)'()r/Car10grapher .. . .2 I 3 Su"~val .... ... .. . ........... 373Whore\ \'illehesll'r........Why do it?' . ........ ... .. ..... 21.'1 .... 225...... 111397Evidrnce ROlting [TOlble 5.6.7] ..... 270 Experience .\ Iodifiers rnth!!: 3.2-7J ... .46 Explosive Distance from TalW'l ,........ . ..61 [Tabk 2.3-241 Explosh'es Dmnagt & Effects ................. 61 [ rable 3.2-2IJ Fasl Talking T.1rgel .\ Iodilicrs .......... . r rable 6.3-rj .......... . ... 348 Firing Arc ~Iodifiers lTablc 3.2-3] .... .'13 Fishin~ [rable 6.3-2J ............... 349 Flaws tTablc 3. 1-20J ................ 31 Gold Fidd delail, rn,hle 5.3-3J ...... 2-43 G razing P :1bir 5.2-3J ...... '127 G unli,l:lu procedures r rahk 2.2-11 ..... 9 Handedncss [Table 3,1-131 , .......... 27 Hardness Values p:1ble 3.2-5J .4-1 I-I a'lard and Ob~tade Rangs [Table 3.7-3J ......... . .. 133 H azards lTable 3.7--4J .............. 133 Height, Characler [Table 3.1 -14J .27 .. 130 Horse Slalistic.~ r rahk 3.6-2J Horse Viets rrahk 3.6-1] ,.127 Hurled Explosivc Disl:ll1cc "Iodili!:'r; P ":lble 3.2-231 . . . . . .. . . .61 Idle Gossip Targf'l '\Iodi(j ('r~ [T able 6.3-3[ ................. .353 lIIegilimalC Binh lTable 6.5-1b] ...... :m3 ...... .59 Indin:(l Fin: tTable 3.2-19] Inldligence [Table 3.1-2J ........... 20 Interrogation ~Iodi(jrs {Table 6.3-4J . .35:1 J ("Wclcr Iksultll [1":lbk 6.3-5J ... 355 J udge Severity [T able 5.6-2J ... 266 .267 J uror Personality [Table 5.6-5] J uror Saving Throv, s [Table 5.6-(IJ .273 Law Skill Check lTabl 5.6-8] .270 1 ....>s [Tallie 6.5-8] .. 385 Rupcrltiti()n~ r rable 6.2-7[ .......... 325 , ... 38 Talem;; r rablck ar. trademarks of Kenzer and CompanyShotgun Shot Clockblack red = blueN= = ..Game: Aidgreen = purple= .o Copyrion! 2007 Kenzer and Company. 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