I'm going to be GM'ing my first game ever, and we all decided that we would be playing an old western game. cowboys, banditos, etc...
a couple ideas have been suggested and we narrowed it down to Steel ball run or Train robbers. I'm leaning towards steel ball run.
but what i need is things for the players to actually do, minor encounters like running into a pack of hyenas when camping or something.
I'm using GURPS so it doesn't come pre prepped with any modules, does anyone have anything?
im also thinking about adding some stuff to the base setting, like giving people robot arms or having triple barreled revolvers and other cool stuff.
going for a more action packed cinematic deal maybe.
I use the Five Room Dungeon style of adventure design and make some notes during slow times at work or in class. For random encounters, I normally just steal existing ones and slap on a new coat of paint e.g. 1d4+1 orcs becomes 1d irate natives. Remember that GURPS's combat is way more lethal than most other systems', so don't have nothing but combat encounters planned; having just a list of actors works, and let the players' decision and the dice determine how things go (those irate natives aren't happy there are more random palefaces on their land, but it probably won't end bloody; there's even a chance they can trade for cool stuff or for info/a temporary guide).
Action 2's B.A.D. system lets you keep things fast-flowing and light. Are you using that? With that as a framework, you should be able to come up with stuff on the spot.
all were using is the core book, i didnt want things to get bogged down and none of us have used gurps before
The Action series is one of the few books that are good to add for newbies; its main focus is on simplifying the game for faster and easier gameplay.
i just picked up the book, and GURPSgen told me to pick up high tech.
anything else that can help me?
bamp
>I'm using GURPS so it doesn't come pre prepped with any modules, does anyone have anything?
Consider using Deadlands. It's easily my favorite wild west roleplaying game. The game systems support the game thematically as well, such as using a deck of cards and poker hands to determine certain rolls. While it is a supernatural western setting, the supernatural elements can simply be ignored if you'd rather run a straight western game.
hmm, i was debating adding some supernatural elements, but i wasn't sure if that would detract from the idea of the game. it might fall into the trap some fantasy games have where everything is solved by magic.
Watch a bunch of Western movies. Dig up some Tex Willer comics. Steal shamelessly, your players don't mind because that's what they're expecting to see.
Magic is pretty subtle in the setting; most people are unaware it exists and even few actually know how to use it. It's also extremely costly. For example, one of the archetypes, in order to use a spell, basically has to summon the equivalent of a demon in their mind and best it in a game of wits - this game only actually takes a split second of realtime (and is resolved mechanically by drawing certain number of cards and making the best possible poker hand). If the person fails by a certain degree or happens to draw a joker, that demon will take control of the casters body. There are precious few "get out of jail free spells" and most are incredibly difficult and come with an incredibly high price.
To preserve the mysteriousness of the settings magic, players are explicitly instructed by the book to not look at any magic sections of the book unless they are playing a magic user. Obviously this loses its effect after you've run a couple campaigns and everyone knows all the rules, but it makes the game a lot more interesting for those just starting it.
2nding this user, Deadlands is the shit.
It lets you inject weird stuff like Zombie Gunslingers, ghosts, or just some weird creepy crawlies to save the town from, in addition to bandits and bounty hunters.
As the goal of the game is to defeat the baddies and actually show people that the world can be good and safe to live in if you fight for it, (whether or not you have magic. Self-reliance on the frontier being quintessentially western) letting people know magic and monsters existing ends up being counterproductive most of the time so players have a vested interest in keeping things under wraps; lest they be invited to a hemp neck tie party as the guest of honor.
I mean, if your buddies won't have fun fighting the Mexican Calvary while wielding the enchanted leg of Santa Ana or chasing bandits with Mormon Steam Wagons across the Salt Flats or preventing a Triad War from engulfing Northern California in a magical Kung Fu Apocalypse, I dunno what to tell you.
There's even a GURPS Deadlands book.
There's also a GURPS Wild West sourcebook.
couldn't find it in da archive, got another location for it? found 3rd ed wild west, but not deadlands
Shit now I wanna run a crazy paced game, but I can't do fun crazy
>fighting the Mexican Calvary while wielding the enchanted leg of Santa Ana or chasing bandits with Mormon Steam Wagons across the Salt Flats or preventing a Triad War from engulfing Northern California in a magical Kung Fu Apocalypse
If you are a GM and you can't make several months of campaigns from these epic ideas you may want to try being a PC instead.
samefag here
How about ->
>Irish and Chinese railroad workers in conflict fueled by their respective magickal underground leaders
Celtic Druid vs. Chinese Wizard
ROUND ONE
FIGHT
Shamans of the local indian tribe are trying to drive out the artificer attempting to use the mines
ghosts VS robots
OP here again, is there anywhere that talks about how to do duels? like walk 10 paces turn and fire kind of duels.
GURPS has rules for "who draws first" situations. It also has rules for duels of will (staredowns, etc.) that mesh well with it.
Pretty sure Deadlands has dueling rules too, but I can't comment on them.
IIRC, old west duels were all about legal loopholes. It wasn't so much to draw first but to wait for your opponent to touch their gun then you draw and fire before they can; that way, you claim self defense. Even if you did draw first, it should be close enough that it's defensible. That's why there's always that posturing and waiting beforehand.