AndyC — Roleplayer Guild

TALES O' THE WEIRD WEST

A little mood music

Premise:

Some folks think the whole world's gone to hell.  But they've got it all backwards.  You see, ever since some damn fool opened the door for 'em, hell's been making its way here.

Most of us didn't realize the world was turning sour until July of '63, when the dead rose at Gettysburg.  Even then, it was easy for most to dismiss the stories of walking corpses as the ravings of poor addled souls who'd seen too much bloodshed.  Any doubts that the door between this world and the next was flung wide open, though, were crushed when the Sioux Nation rose up, using unnatural powers to reclaim the land that had been taken from them.  The Civil War broke down into a never-ending mess, neither the North or South able to fight for too long before risking another outbreak of the undead, or worse, corrupting the land itself with a mass of angry spirits.

Things weren't helped by the Great Quake of '68, which split the Earth open an' utterly destroyed the California Territory.  In what was left over, a giant treacherous wasteland called the Maze, they found Ghost Rock, a new type of fuel that made coal look like nothin' in comparison.  The really smart types, the scientists an' inventors an' whatnot, began comin' up with all sorts of crazy contraptions to do impossible things.  'course, most of these really smart types had a tendency to go out of their damn minds pursuin' their knowledge, an' some folks believe that their "inspiring sparks of genius" were voices from another world.  That didn't stop the rush for Ghost Rock, an' now the North, the South, the Sioux, hell, even the Mormons in Deseret will do just about anything to get their hands on some, an' make God knows what with it once they get it.

It's '77 now, an' things haven't gotten any better.  The North an' South are still going at it, the Sioux have united most of the tribes out West to push back both of 'em, an' most of the Maze has fallen under the influence of a madman only known as Reverend Grimme, who rules from the ruins of Los Angeles-- now reborn as the City of Lost Angels.  Doomsday cults an' worshippers of weird an' evil gods have cropped up like weeds from Saint Louis to Salt Lake City.  And the less said about the...things....that have been crawlin' out of the Maze, the better.

If there's any good news, is that none of it's bullet-proof.  'least, that's what they say.  They a lot of things these days.

They say that men in black coats ride into town after strange things occur, but no one can remember their faces when they leave.

They say there's things in the open desert that can swallow a steam engine whole.

They say the ghosts of Custer an' his men rampage across the plains at night, cuttin' down any soul unlucky enough to be in their way.

An' they say that if you find yourself sitting alone at a card table at sundown, you might be joined by a man in red who gambles for more than just money.

'course, that's all just 'what they say.'  If you wanna last long out in the Deadlands, don't believe anything you hear.  An' it's better if you don't believe about half of what you see, either.

Overview:

Setting: Deadwood, South Dakota
Time Frame: Summer of 1877
Themes: Adventure, horror, mystery, conspiracy, weird fantasy (not that kind)
Style Wanted: Advanced, so at least four paragraphs per post.  Character images and formatting text are preferred, but not required.
Character Types Wanted: Gunslingers, lawmen, Native braves or shamans, gamblers, swindlers, femmes fatale, preachers, detectives, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men....

Tales o' the Weird West is an open-world game set in the universe of the old Deadlands RPG-- a supernatural-horror Western full of gunslingers, black magic, bandits, mad science, cults, conspiracies, and the poor folks who just happen to get caught up in the middle of it all.  This is a world where the dead rarely stay quiet, where monsters lurk in every dark corner, and where Evil with a capital "E" gains ground day by day.  It's also a world where the brave, the faithful, and the just-plain crazy can take up a six-shooter and face down their demons in a very literal sense.  It's grim and gritty, and at the same time it's completely out-there and ridiculous, so players can approach it in any way they wish.

The exact details of the official lore aren't massively important for characters and stories, so long as it fits within the "Weird West" setting.  Steampunk, gothic horror, Spaghetti Westerns, even Lovecraft are all fair game here. If you want to live out your dreams of The Man With No Name and the Rocketeer getting hired by Al Swearingen to stop Count Dracula from summoning Cthulhu, then you've come to the right place.

Rules and Expectations:

*Players may play an original character, a historical figure, or a character from popular culture who would have existed at the time (roughly 1877).  If you choose to play a historical character, you can alter their biography as far back as 1863 (the point at which the lore deviates from real-world history). Fictional characters can also be altered to fit into the setting as well, so long as their adventures were set in roughly the correct period to begin with-- a character like Zorro, for instance, would be allowed, but a Wild West version of Batman or Goku or whatever would not.

*No prior knowledge of the Deadlands game mechanics is required, nor do you need to know the ins and outs of the lore beyond what I’ve included in the section below.

*Supernatural powers do exist in this world, and your character can have said powers.  However, no character is indestructible or immortal-- even the nastiest monsters can be dropped by a well-placed bullet (though sometimes that bullet needs to be silver or the like).  If you do choose to make a magic, monstrous, or otherwise unnatural character, their powers should have clearly defined limitations, and should preferably line up with the types of magic discussed in the "Supernatural" section of the lore dump.

*Characters can have wildly different motivations, which can come into direct conflict with each other.  In these instances, PvP is allowed, though killing another player's character or supporting NPCs without their consent is strictly off-limits.

*Players are expected to post at least once every 14 days, and their posts should contain at least four complete paragraphs.  Adding fancy stuff like pictures or colored and formatted text are nice, but not required.

*All standard Guild rules apply.  Respect the GM, respect the other players, and we'll all get along just fine.  When in doubt, consult Lady A’s Guide to Etiquette.

CONTENT ADVISORY:
*While this isn't an 18+ game, I do plan on having content that would constitute an R-rating.  Violence, coarse language, and adult themes are permitted, though I would ask to leave the more explicit details to the imagination.

*The game is set in a fantasy version of the American West, but still has some degree of history to it, so many of the people in this world have views that would be considered unacceptable by modern standards.  I don't plan on delving into the issues of racism and sexism in late 19th-century America, but I don't consider them taboo either, and players should be advised that they may come up.

Setting and Lore:

Deadwood

Tucked away in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory, Deadwood is a small mining camp right on the border of Union and Sioux lands.  The camp was never officially brought into the US, and the people of Deadwood chose to stay neutral regarding all that mess back east.  It's likely they would have stayed a forgotten little dot on the map if it weren't for the fact that not too long ago, one of the hoople-headed miners found something far more valuable than gold: he found Ghost Rock.  Being one of the only known sources for the mysterious and powerful fuel outside of the Great Maze, Deadwood has suddenly gotten the attention of people in high places, and what was once a sleepy little camp is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous places in the West.

Persons of Interest:

Al Swearengen: Al owns the Gem Theater, a saloon and music hall where the girls will do a lot more than dance for you if you've got the coin for it.  It don't take too long, though, for even the greenest of greenhorns to figure out that Swearengen is the invisible hand that guides the Camp.  He's a vicious, back-stabbing sonofabitch, and he's got eyes an' ears all over Deadwood.  Despite that, he's got something of a moral code, viciously loyal to folks who are loyal to him.  A lot of folks see him as the camp's shepherd of lost souls, and he certainly can be, as long as he gets a piece of the action.

Seth Bullock and Sol Star: Newcomers to Deadwood who set up in the camp about a year ago, Bullock and Star are business partners who do their best to look out for the common folk.  A former lawman from Ontario, Bullock found himself at odds with Al Swearengen, butting heads with him until he helped fight off an uprising of the walkin' dead and was made Sheriff.  Sol Star, on the other hand, runs the Star & Bullock Hardware store, and keeps it stocked with not just your everyday sundries, but the newest and best Ghost-rock-powered gadgets from the Smith and Robard's Catalogue.  Between the two of them, they do what they can to keep the peace, and protect the innocent from threats, natural or otherwise.

Joanie Stubbs: Joanie owns the Bella Union Theater, a real classy casino and brothel right down the street from the Gem...a fact that puts her on Al Swearengen's bad side.  But Ever since the Bella Union's last owner, the late Cy Tolliver, dropped dead in the middle of the street after screaming all sorts of blasphemy, Al and his boys tread lightly around Miss Stubbs.  There's all sorts of rumors about the place, many saying that Joanie and her girls are witches or cultists or whatnot.  None of that changes the fact that her establishment is a hell of a place to play a few hands of faro, toss some dice, or scratch any other itch you might have.

Dr. Amos Cochran: A former Union medic who lost a good bit of his wits during the Siege of Washington, Doc Cochran is the only sawbones in Deadwood.  He's jittery and short-tempered, worked half to death from the violence and disease that visits the camp on any given day, and his practice has the stink o' death about it more often than not.  He keeps that place under lock an' key, and won't let a soul in unless they're on death's door, insisting on makin' house calls for everyone else.  Still, he knows what he's doing, so if you need medicine, patchin' up, or old-fashioned herbal remedies, the Doc is your only hope.

Calamity Jane: A foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin' woman who wouldn't be caught dead in a dress, Calamity Jane spent most of her time in the shadow of the legendary Wild Bill Hickok.  After Wild Bill's murder, she tried like hell to drink herself to death, until the walkin' dead nearly overran the camp and Jane found herself a purpose.  They say that night, Jane fired off some hundred and fifty bullets an' shells, an' not a one of them missed its target.  Since then, Calamity Jane has roamed the Black Hills, famed as the deadliest monster hunter west of the Mississippi.

The Weird West

The United States: Under the rule of President Grant, the USA strives to reunite the shattered nation.  While far and away the largest and most powerful country, the North has struggled to put an end to the Confederacy for years.  They were also the first to grant complete equal rights to all of its citizens regardless of race or sex, though many believe that was less out of idealism and more out of a need for more bodies to support the war effort.

The Confederate States: A violent and hot-blooded nation steeped in cultural pride, the South has only gotten more militaristic and fanatical.  While far smaller and more culturally backwards than the North, the Confederates will go to any length to gain an advantage over their enemies, from dabbling in mad science to making deals with otherworldly powers.  Despite the boisterous posturing about their heritage and supremacy, most Southerners know deep down that their institutions are collapsing, and that their cause is not just a doomed one, but a damned one.

The Sioux Nation: Perhaps the people who have benefited the most from the never-ending war back east, the Sioux have reclaimed a significant portion of their lands.  However, within the tribes there is a cultural divide. The older generation of wicasas (the council of elder chiefs, medicine men, and prominent warriors) believe that the evils that now plague the world are punishment for their people abandoning the Old Ways, and that they must cast aside the "polluting" influence of the settlers to return to spiritual harmony.  On the other side, many in the younger generation believe that attacking Gatling guns and Ghost Rock machines with arrows and tomahawks is foolish, and wish to modernize in order to beat their enemies at their own game.

The Coyote Confederation: A coalition of Southern Tribes, including Cherokee, Comanche, Seminole, Creek, and many more, the Coyote Confederation followed the example of the Sioux by reclaiming lands of their own.  Rallying around a mysterious cloaked figure known only as "Coyote," these tribes are fewer in number and smaller in size than the Sioux, but make up for it in ferocity and in supernatural power.  Indeed, even the bravest gunslinger and most battle-hardened soldier will think twice about facing down a band of Coyote raiders.

The Republic of Deseret: The religious movement known as the Mormons moved out west to avoid religious persecution, settling in the desolate wastes of Utah.  In time, they would found their own nation, and began to prosper under the leadership of President Brigham Young.  In the wake of the Great Quake of '68 and the discovery of Ghost Rock, Deseret has become a technological boom-town, especially after the arrival of the infamous Doctor Hellstromme, who effectively bumped President Young aside and turned the good folk of Deseret into a generation of factory workers.  These days, Salt Lake City-- now known more commonly as the City of Gloom-- is a sprawl of factories and power plants, the skies choked with smoke as Hellstromme and his minions churn out Lord knows what.

The City of Lost Angels: After the destruction of the West Coast, a small band of survivors led by the Reverend Ezekiah Grimme founded a city amongst the rubble.  A haven for the lost and the hungry among the dangers and horrors of the Great Maze, this City of Lost Angels gave many hope in their darkest hour, and many of Grimme's followers put him just a step below the Almighty himself.  This City is also home to the largest and purest veins of Ghost Rock known to man, and Grimme and his fanatical followers have gone to extreme lengths to keep back the "corrupting" influence of the other nations.  No one knows much about Reverend Grimme or what his intentions are, but few outside of his adoring flock believe he's up to anything good.

Ghost Rock and Mad Science:

First found in the ruins of the West Coast following the Great Quake of ’68, Ghost Rock is a substance of unknown origin, which burns far hotter than coal.  This allows for the creation of extremely powerful machinery, some of which seems to defy the known laws of physics.  Countless engineers, physicists, and other intellectuals have been drawn to the call of the Ghost Rock, its mere presence inspiring them to create wonderous contraptions, leading to a wave of “mad scientists” populating the West.  That title, unfortunately, is a bit more apt than many would like, as scientists who spend too long around Ghost Rock and its “inspiring” influence have a tendency to go completely insane.

The Supernatural

There are plenty of paths to otherworldly power in the Weird West, but these are the most well known:

Hucksters: Hucksters get their powers through games of chance, gambling with the Things That Should Not Be for powerful Hexes—as long as they draw a winning hand, they can sling the Hex they want, and the better the hand, the more powerful the Hex.  The catch is they’re betting with a portion of their soul, and if their hand comes up a loser, they become that much more a servant of dark forces, until they’re finally hollowed out.

Shamans: Long before civilization as we know it, there were people who knew how to communicate with the spirits, appeasing them through rituals and sacrifices to gain their favor.  There are still folks who know these Old Ways, and what they may lack in technology or sophistication, they make up for in powers from beyond.  Out in the West, the Sioux and the Coyote tribes have the most commonly known Shamans, but their rituals aren’t the only ones out there.

The Blessed: Naturally, God or the gods or whatever is up there hasn’t taken too kindly to the powers of darkness being unleashed on the world, and the faithful can call down power from On High to perform miracles.  Apparently the Almighty isn’t particular about what names you use, as anything from the Good Book to a Voodoo doll will do the trick, so long as you believe in it whole-hearted.

The Harrowed: Some folks, especially ones with tremendous willpower and a powerful reason to keep going, just don’t stay dead.  These are the Harrowed, living souls still moving around in their corpses, sticking around to protect a loved one, to get revenge, to fulfil a promise, or any other reason that might compel them.  Of course, there’s a catch: the longer a Harrowed stays around, the more they begin to change, their body twisting and mutating, and their soul losing their humanity.  If they don’t manage to fulfil whatever it was that kept them going, they’ll become just another monster to be put down.

Monsters:

Some folk will tell you that “the real monster is greed,” or “the real monster is hate.”  They’re dead wrong, though—the real monster is, well, monsters.  Curses from the old world, creatures made of mad science, nightmares crawling out of the Great Maze.  Some are more rare than others, but every one of them will make your hair turn white.

The Living Dead: The most common type of Monster there is, a body that died a violent or unnatural death has a chance of coming back as a shambling zombie.  While their souls aren’t in there anymore, they’re far from mindless—they keep the skills they had in life, and can use weapons and strategy just as well as they could before.  A drunken hoople-head who dies and comes back might not be much to worry about, but a crack-shot gunman, or worse, a line of Yankee or Rebel soldiers, can cause all sorts of trouble.

Old World Monsters: Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, goblins, hags, trolls, you name it, it’s real.  It’s not really known how these beasties from across the pond made it out to the West without folks catching on, but they’re here now, and they’re just as dangerous as all the old tales claimed.

Abominations: These are things that just plain don’t make sense, creatures that can’t really be named or described as anything other than “ugly as hell and twice as mean.”  Some might lay eggs inside a living body, or burrow into your brain and control you like a puppet.  Some are big enough to swallow train cars whole.  Some disguise themselves as tumbleweeds, or trees, or even houses.  Every one of them is completely hostile to any other living thing, and the only sensible choices you can make when you find one are either to pump it full of lead or run like hell.

Character Sheet Template:

Name:
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Physical Attributes:
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Mental Attributes:
Positive Trait*Negative Trait (choose at least three of each)
Education (if any):
Likes:
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Notes:
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Special/Supernatural Abilities (if any):
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