Deal of the Day - The Drifter (Solo American Western)

I've always been intrigued by solo RPG/Story systems, be it Tunnels & Trolls, the old UK gamebooks from Steve Jackson (yes, the other one), or even more recent releases. The Drifter is a solo RPG experience in the setting of the American Western Genre.

The Drifter is on sale for $3.69 in PDF (usually $5.99), a 40% discount until tomorrow morning. I'll give this a purchase - I'm intrigued by the system, and it's a Mithril Ranked Seller with 4.8 out of 5 Stars (for 37 ratings).

The Drifter is a solitaire, story, dice game based in the fictional wild west.

The drifter is reminiscent of games like Barbarian Prince (1980), where every game is a unique story experience every time you play.

You are a gunslinger who has been living a hazy existence.  Your brief time in this world has been mostly spent on the outside of the law, killing, stealing, carousing with undesirables,  living a dangerous life full of excess and violence. Recently, you feel life might have more to offer. You know this way of life will not last and now are looking to maybe put your wild ways away, buy a ranch and settle into obscurity.  You determined you need $300 and are willing to get it by any means you feel necessary.

Will you fall victim to the endless dangers that lurk in the wild west or will you enjoy your remaining days in a serene retirement, tending to your ranch? 

Find out, as The Drifter.

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Deal of the Day - We Deal in Lead (Weird West)

I'm a huge fan of Spaghetti Westerns, as well as more recent classics like The Unforgiven, 3:10 to Yuma, and similar movies. It's purely American folklore and fantasy. I'm also a fan of post-apocalyptic settings and rulesets. Mix the two together and it seems like you got your chocolate in my peanut butter! ;)

We Deal in Lead is today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG. Normally 12.67 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning it is on sale for 6.33.

Edit - For what it's worth, I just bought and downloaded We Deal in Lead at the sale price and it looks very interesting.

We Deal in Lead is a weird west wanders TTRPG by Colin Le Sueur for 1 or more players. Streamlined rules, fast character creation, and gameplay built on exploration and player choice. Based on Cairn by Yochai Gal.

Features: 

• Set in a strange post-apocalyptic world eerily close to ours, where the borders of time and space wear thin
• You are Gunslingers, mythic champions holding off the forces of chaos with lead and grit
• Combat and exploration gameplay designed for 1 or more players, including solo or group play
• Streamlined d20 roll-under rules based on Cairn, Into the Odd, and Knave
• Hard-hitting gunslinger combat with new gun mechanics
• Compatible with other Cairn adventures and settings; journey with your gunslingers into other genres and times
• Recruit heroes from other worlds to join your quest, even those fallen to death; death is just another door, after all
• Keep the bonds of fellowship strong within your Gunslinger Order and your aim will remain true
• Wilderness survival and exploration through a world that has moved on — the known and unknown lands are dangerously unpredictable
• Friend and train beast companions to act as your eyes, ears, or fangs, including hawks, wolves, and bumblers

 

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Deal of the Day - Rider (A Cepheus Engine "Old West" RPG)

The American "Old West" as many of us know it, is, in many ways, our equivalent of European Fantasy. It builds upon history as it was, and morphs it into a history that "may have been". Larger than life. Legends.

I've yet to find an RPG that I felt had a manageable game system along with a setting that felt rooted in the fiction, mostly TV and "Spaghetti Westerns". I'm hoping the Cepheus Engine, which is built off the Mongoose Traveller OGL, will fit the bill with Rider.

Until tomorrow morning, Rider is marked down in PDF from 19.99 to 6 bucks. Clocking in at 356 pages, I have high hopes :)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Boot Hill 3rd Edition Goes Print on Demand

I never owned Boot Hill 3rd Edition, just the 1st Edition. No clue what the changes are. That being said, it's nice to see these classic rules available in print again.

9.99 for the PDF, 21.99 for the Print plus PDF for Boot Hill 3rd Edition.

Two rows of unpainted wooden buildings face each other across the wide, dirt street. A signboard creaks mournfully in the hot wind. Down this track rides a lone figures, tired but alert. His boots, hat, and buckskin jacket are alayered with dust. But the ivory-handled revolver on his hip is spotless and cool. Neither a beacon nor a threat, it's simply there, a part of the man.

Drift back to the days of cattle drives, dance halls, range wars, and gunslingers. The BOOT HILL Wild west role-Playing Game lets you relive the grand adventure of the American Frontier. It's a wide open land where a man with strength, determination, and courage can carve a place for himself.
This 3rd edition of the classic BOOT HILL game is thoroughly revised and updated.

• It includes:
• Fully rounded characters with over 60 skills to choose from;
• Revised rules for shootouts and fistfights emphasizing quick thinking and quick action;
• Extensive campaign guidelines plus historical background and a timeline of the Old West;
• Two historical gunfight scenarios plus numerous short adventures;
• Fold-out maps of Promise City and the surrounding territory.

Note on the Softcover print-on-demand book: The maps are included as separate pages in the back of this version of the book. If you intend to use the maps at your table it is recommended that you purchase the PDF + Softcover combo and print the maps from the PDF.

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Kickstarter - Dead in the West: A Tabletop RPG set in the Mythic Old West

I have a soft spot for Old West history and mythology. It is very much the fantasy medieval age of Americana. Which puts me at an awkward juncture with the Dead in the West: A Tabletop RPG set in the Mythic Old West Kickstarter. I want it to succeed due to the subject matter, but I think it has priced itself out of successfully funding.

First, we have a lot of firsts. First Kickstarter created. One Kickstarter backed. First game written. The only thing balancing against this is the creator's passion - he certainly has faith in his project.

Second - pricing. With a goal of just over $10k in USD, it's a lot for no track record. More worrisome is the backers' levels. $25 for the rulebook in PDF and the Quickstart in PDF - and a mention on Facebook. $25 for a PDF from an unknown creator? And could someone tell me what the value of such a mention is on Facebook if the one doing the mentioning has little if any following? I mean, even WITH a following of noticeable size it has little value IMHO. Print plus PDF is $37 USD - but add in shipping and its more like $60. Oh, and we don't know the size of the book or the actual game mechanics (uses d8s if you read the FAQ)

There is a lot being asked of backers with little more than a dream presented in return. Yes, I know Kickstarter is very much about fulfilling those dreams, but this is one dream that will never come to be.

Dead in the West: A Tabletop RPG set in the Mythic Old West is at about 42% of funding with a week and a half left to fund. Short of an "Angel Back" or six, this project is going back on the shelf.

Free RPG Day Pick #10 - Westwater RPG (OSR Western PWYW)

So, you say that Westerns are under represented in the OSR, and you would be right.

Therefore, let us present (for free / PWYW) Westwater, a full (no art) western RPG that should be real comfortable to those that enjoy playing the classic fantasy game and it's clones.

Heck, I'm sure you could even find a way to make a workable version of Far West if one desired - probably a more playable version than the still unreleased Kickstarter too.

from the blurb:

Back in the early 80s, B/X was one of my groups favorite RPGs.  While there were Wild West RPGs that existed, we really wanted to play in that genre using Tom Moldvay's system.  Thanks to the OGL, we can now share that with you!

Westwater uses the OGL to be completely compatible with any other B/X rules system.  While the core of the game mixes traditional 19th Century history with fantasy, there are guidelines that allow you to play the game modeled after realistic 19th century themes, or with a fully magical and fantastical theme.

So choose your gunslinger, holy man, monster hunter, mountain man, outlaw, and more classes, and earn your name in the Wild West!

Westerns Have a Good RPG Feel - An Afternoon of Watching Gunslingers

I started out by watching The Quick and the Dead, followed that with the original True Grit and wrapped it all with A Fist Full of Dollars. Very different movies but all had a similar theme of redemption.

Then again, westerns are American mythology, so I can understand the similarity in themes between westerns and RPG adventures: revenge, justice, gaining some gold, etc.

This could make for an interesting series of posts, if I ever get to all the other posts I want to get to ;)