Mad Brew Labs

Once a character reaches five Wounds, she falls prone, is helpless, and cannot take actions. Any Wounds beyond five requires a character to make a Death Roll. A Death Roll is a special Action Roll where the Difficulty Rating is the difference between fifteen and a character’s rank in Resilience and Wound modifiers still apply. If the character fails, she’s ready to be fitted for a pine box. At negative ten Wounds, a character is automatically dead and no roll is required.

Vitality = 5 + Size + BR
Minimum Vitality = 1
Death Roll = 15 – BR + Modifiers

EXPERIENCE

Experience (XP) is the currency by which players improve their characters. When and how much Experience is given is determined by the Judge, but Legends of the West recommends somewhere between five and ten a session with adventure rewards after each milestone of a story. There are plenty of other things a Judge could award Experience for, such as roleplaying or performing gaming tasks, but that’s left up to the discretion of the Judge and her group.

All Experience costs are listed under the Trait descriptions, but they have been collected in the table below.

Experience Cost Table:

Trait	XP Cost
Ability	New Rank x 5
Attribute	(10 + New Rank) x 4
Legend	New Rank x 25

Wild West Weeks

• Welcome to Wild West Weeks
• Wild West RPG Database
• Into the Far West
• Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
• Deadlands Reloaded
• Red Dead Redemption
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Part 1
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Core Mechanics
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits I
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits II
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits III
• Wild West Minis Database
• Legends of the West RPG: Vitality & Experience

Listening to:  - True Grit OST – Father’s Gun

Another Traits entry for my 24+ Hour RPG, Legends of the West. I added some functionality to Background Traits, which is below, then I introduce Grit and Destiny. Both new Traits allow you to resist the randomness of dice.

Players may also Invoke Backgrounds. To Invoke a Background, the player simply declares that a prop or relationship correlating to her Background exists in the current scene. A prop is any inanimate object smaller than a building that could conceivably exist in the setting. A relationship simply means that a person, location, or object has some kind of tie to the character’s background. Backgrounds may be invoked twice per session.

An example prop would include a Bounty Hunter declaring that a wanted poster with a non-player character’s face on it is tacked to the billboard at a train station. An example relationship would be an Outlaw declaring that the saloon is a safehouse for is gang.

GRIT

Life in the frontier has a way of hardening a person, and Grit is the product of those hardships. Characters can call on Grit to steel and redouble their efforts. Grit may be spent by characters in order to improve their chances to succeed.

Grit is gained whenever a characters gains a new rank in Legend or the player rolls the Devil’s Mark, a Weird, and for every Degree of Variance in failure. The most Grit a character can obtain is equal to five plus her rank in Legend. Characters also begin play with five plus their rank in Legend.

Characters may spend Grit to swap in a Legend Die on an Action Roll, to add two to the result (before the roll) of an Action Roll, to re-roll and Action Roll, or to take an Immediate Action. Grit may only be used on Action Rolls (i.e. not on Damage Rolls). A list of actions along with their cost in Grit can be found in the table below.

Grit Cost Table:

DESTINY

Destiny is usually viewed as an external force of the universe exerting its influence on persons to direct them towards a predetermined fate, which people arrive at regardless of their own actions or the actions of others. Legends of the West views destiny as a guiding force that can be thwarted, redirected, or harnessed.

Every character has two Destiny Traits. These traits are usually presented as phrases, such as Fastest Gun in the West or Vengeance Shall be Mine. Destiny Traits dovetail with Backgrounds, but instead of describing a character’s past, they describes the character’s future.

Character’s also have Destiny points, which allow them to practically change the outcome of events. A character can have no more Destiny Points than their rank in Legend. Character begin play with their Legend rank worth of Destiny Points. Characters gain a Destiny Point whenever they gain a rank in Legend or when coerced into action by the Judge.

Destiny Points may be spent to obtain an automatic success on any Action Roll, and that action counts as if it had one Success Variance. Additional Destiny Points may be spent to increase the degrees of Variance by two. Destiny Points may also be spend to fully negate injury inflicted by a single attack.

Once per session, a character may Invoke her Destiny, much like Backgrounds, and place a prop or declare a relationship in a scene correlating to one of her Destiny Traits. Everyone at the table must agree that the prop or relationship is connected to her Destiny Traits in some fashion.

Finally, the Judge may Coerce a character to perform an action based on her Destiny Traits. An example would be compelling the Fastest Gun in the West to enter a showdown with Billy the Kid. If the player accepts the the Coerce, she receives a Destiny Point. The player may choose to receive the point either before or after the action. If the player refuses, she may not invoke the Destiny Trait involved until the next session.

Wild West Weeks

• Welcome to Wild West Weeks
• Wild West RPG Database
• Into the Far West
• Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
• Deadlands Reloaded
• Red Dead Redemption
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Part 1
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Core Mechanics
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits I
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits II
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits III
• Wild West Minis Database

Listening to: Red Dead Redemption – Red Dead Redemption OST – The Shootist

Well, I failed the 24 Hour RPG challenge, but I’m still going to complete the game. Here are two more Traits, Abilities and Backgrounds. I have four more Traits which are almost finished, Grit, Destiny, Qualities, and Experience.

ABILITIES

Cost: New Rank x 5
Maximum Rank: 5 + Legend

BACKGROUND

A Background is a Trait that represents a character’s history, training, and to some extent, a character’s potential. Background traits allow characters to overcome some of the limitations imposed by the Legend Trait. Backgrounds are usually professions like Cowpoke and Bounty Hunter, may also describe events or geography integral to a character’s history, such as Donnor Party Survivor or New Yorker.

A Background has two key Abilities. The Legend rank limitation for these key Abilities are removed, allowing the character to purchase ranks in those Abilities greater than their Legend rank. Every character begins play with a single Background.

Background Table:

The above table is just a list of example Backgrounds. Judges and Players should feel free to create their own. They’re easy to create, just pick a descriptive name and then choose two Key Abilities. Those Abilities are now free of Legend limitations. However, of special note is the Young’n Background; it allows a player to choose a Background during play. A Judge should only let Backgrounds with this special ability be created after some contemplation.

Cost: All characters receive 1 free Background

Wild West Weeks

• Welcome to Wild West Weeks
• Wild West RPG Database
• Into the Far West
• Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
• Deadlands Reloaded
• Red Dead Redemption
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Part 1
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Core Mechanics
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits I
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits II
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits III
• Wild West Minis Database

Listening to: Ennio Morricone – The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly OST – The Ecstasy of Gold

The following is the first part of the Traits that are available in the Legends of the West, a 24 Hour RPG.

ROLL YER MAKINGS

This section presents the tools necessary for players to create Legends of the West. It describes the Traits common between all characters, explains their mechanical function, and details how to assign ranks to them during character creation and while adventuring in the West That Never Was.

Legends of the West does not employ levels or classes; all characters are built Trait by Trait from the ground up. The currency by which these Traits are increased is called Experience (XP). The Judge will hand out Experience whenever she sees fit, either individually or to the group.

LEGEND

The closest approximate to a level in Legends of the West is your Legend rank. Your Legend sets the upper bounds of every other Trait. Beyond its function as a power limiter, Legend is also a gauge of a character’s fame, or notoriety, depending on your perspective. This means characters of greater Legend in a posse of mixed ranks of Legend will have a target painted on their back when drawing down on rivals. With a high enough Legend, the government may even be pursuing your character. Whether it’s to put you down or to recruit you depends on your past deeds.

Most cowpunchers and settlers have a rank of zero in Legend, but all player characters start out with one rank in it. Ten is the official maximum rank, but Judges may impose limitations on purchasing ranks. The maximum rank of any purchased Trait for a character with no ranks in Legend is five. For every additional rank in Legend, the maximum rank for other Traits increased by one.

Cost: New Rank x 25

Maximum Rank: 10

Showdowns

Showdowns are what amounts to random, non-wilderness, encounters in Legends of the West. A Judge can take them or leave them, depending on what works best for her adventure. Whenever a character rides into town, every day spent there is a cumulative chance that there’s some fellow shows up wanting to test her luck against a Legend. How the upstart goes about challenging the character is variable and can either be determined randomly or left up to the Judge’s discretion for whatever best fits the story.

Calculate the character’s Showdown DR (see below) then make an Action Roll against the Difficulty Rating and add a +1 modifier for every day the character has been in town. Swap in Legend Dice if the character is Wanted (see Reputation) or if a Quality applies to the situation.

Showdown DR = 20 – (2 x Legend) + Reputation

If the roll exceeds the Difficulty Rating, then roll a d6 and see how the rascal plays it out. The Showdown Challenges are sparse, so feel free to add your own.

Showdown ChallengeTable:

MEASURE

Legends of the West uses two Facets comprising of three Attributes a piece to take the Measure of a character. The Facets, Body and Mind, each have a Finesse, Power, and Resistance Attributes. Every Ability or Action has a Key Attribute and its value is added to Action Rolls involving them. The minimum rank one can have in an Attribute is negative five while the maximum rank, like all other Traits, is five plus the character’s Legend rank. Should a character ever be reduced beyond negative five in an Attribute, that character falls helpless and cannot take actions.

Cost: (10 + New Rank) x 4

Maximum Rank: 5 + Legend

Body Finesse

The Finesse Attribute of a character’s Body (BF) covers characteristics such as dexterity, agility, and fine motor skills. This Attribute is most important for targeting opponents, acrobatic feats, maintain your balance, and for avoiding mishaps and area affects.

Body Power

The Power Attribute of a character’s Body (BP) measures brawn and and shear physical might. This Attribute is crucial for inflicting injuring on foes during brawls and for lifting and carry weight, especially while climbing or jumping.

Body Resistance

The Resilience Attribute of a character’s Body (BR) represents physical endurance, stamina, and the ability to fend against disease and sickness. This Attribute is essential for surviving poison, avoiding Consumption, and being able to take a blow.

Mind Finesse

The Finesse Attribute of a character’s Mind (MF) describes the ability to think on your feet and quick wit. This Attribute is necessary for situational awareness and helps a character react to social situations or to danger in combat.

Mind Power

The Power Attribute of a character’s Mind (MP) denotes critical thinking, the ability to learn, and breadth of knowledge. This Attribute is significant whenever information retention is required and for applying knowledge in craft.

Mind Resistance

The Resilience Attribute of a character’s Mind (MR) reflects will and determination as well as the ability to shrug off mind crushing events. This Attribute is key for  resisting insanity, mental fatigue from sleep deprivation, and sustaining a battle of wills.

SAND

A character’s Sand represents her defensive capabilities. How quick can she evade that stick of dynamite, whether he’ll survive that scorpion’s sting, or even if she can keep her wits after chewing on some peyote. Your Sand will determine if you can survive the many perils of the frontier. Unlike the previous Traits, ranks in Sand cannot be purchased; they are derived from your other Traits or may be modified by Knacks and Quirks.

Reaction

A character’s Reaction score reflects the capability for evasion and responding to threats. It’s your reflexes and requires both mental and physical agility, thus the Body Finesse and Mind Finesse Attributes are used in its calculation.

Reaction = BF + MF

Resilience

A character’s Resilience score represents the resistance to fatigue, poison, and disease. It’s your fortitude and is composed of both the Body’s Power and Resistance Attributes.

Resilience = BP + BR

Resolve

A character’s Resolve score measures one’s strength of will. It’s your willpower and the Mind’s Power and Resistance Attributes are used in its calculation.

Resolve = MP + MR

Wild West Weeks

• Welcome to Wild West Weeks
• Wild West RPG Database
• Into the Far West
• Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
• Deadlands Reloaded
• Red Dead Redemption
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Part 1
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Core Mechanics
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits I
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits II
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits III
• Wild West Minis Database

Listening to: Hans Zimmer – Rango OST – Stuck in Guacamole

I’ve nominally decided to call this 24 Hour RPG, Legends of the West. In this post I’ve cooked up a core mechanic that seeds normal distribution (bell curve of success) with the ability for any action to succeed, albeit with slim probability. Later, I’ll add ways to improve chances with additional mechanics.

THE MOTHER LODE

This section explains the principal mechanics that power Legends of the West. Understanding how things operate should help players build characters that can effectively fill the concepts they want to explore. Optional rules are presented in sidebars, but just because this manual doesn’t consider a core rule optional doesn’t mean the players cannot change or ignore something that does not meet their needs. With that in mind, consider all the rules optional.

Legends of the West requires at least one player to be the Judge. The Judge’s role is to provide seeds of adventure for players’ characters to act upon and then facilitate conflict resolution once those character end up in hot water. It is a mighty responsibility to become the Judge, but it is the most important role at the table. Just remember, a Hanging Judge is just as likely to find himself swinging from the end of a noose as is her victims.

So, while I cannot help but to have thought about what I want to explore, I have yet to write anything down. The rules I want to create will be suitable for roleplaying in the historical Old West, but easily expanded to include elements of Fantasy, Horror, and Weird. If I have time, I’ll explore those concepts as part of the challenge, but they are not necessary for my goal.

I want to try a bottom up approach, where I create a core system skeleton upon which I add fiddly bit that hopefully enable the themes of the game. Since I’ve had a particular style of system burning a hole in my mind, I’m going to use those ideas to get the ball rolling.

I don’t expect this project to be groundbreaking or revolutionary, but there are some dice mechanics such as normal distribution and use of exploding dice that I would like to explore. So this challenge will be more of a cathartic experience where I test these ideas and purge them from my system so I can move on to other ideas.

If this endeavor is successful, I might expand and revise the rules or even do another 24 Hour RPG where I approach the design from a different angle, possibly top-down, where I think of the Old West as a character and explore creating a system that supports that concept.

Before I begin diving into the writing of this game, I want to put some goals down to sort of form an outline of where I want to go. Hopefully, this outline will give me direction and keep focused on the prize so I can actually complete the challenge.

• Modular
• Skill/Ability based (classless)
• Buck the rules light trend (mild complexity)
• Attempt to integrate free-form RP mechanics
• Normal distribution (3 or dice for resolution)
• Things are improbable, but not impossible
• Reward failure
• Different but familiar

Wild West Weeks

• Welcome to Wild West Weeks
• Wild West RPG Database
• Into the Far West
• Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
• Deadlands Reloaded
• Red Dead Redemption
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Part 1
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Core Mechanics
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits I
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits II
• 24 Hour Old West RPG, Traits III
• Wild West Minis Database