Wanted: James Bond and John Wayne.

[Randy_Robertson]

Having trouble finding in-production RPGs with a Wild West setting or espionage action-thriller theme. We're trying to stay away from the deep-end supernatural stuff like Deadlands and Delta Green. Anybody got any recommendations?

(EDIT: I'm a retailer, and these will be games for sale, not for personal use. Sorry, should have said that earlier.)

 

[BigJackBrass]

Western HERO was released recently as a PDF. It's a genre book for the 4th edition HERO System, but quite easy to use with later versions so something like the Basic Rulebook for 6th edition is all you really need to add.

For espionage etc try Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes from Flying Buffalo. The revised edition is currently at the printer but the PDF is already out. Fully compatible with existing MSPE solo adventures and other support material.

 

[Morrus]

I would nominate my own NOW: The Modern Action roleplaying game, which contains both.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242910/NOW-The-Modern-Action-Roleplaying-Game-v12

The Spy Game is on Kickstarter now, uses the 5E rules. While the full game isn't out yet, there's a quick start you can download already.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...5th-edition-action-espionage-roleplaying-game

 

[Greg K]

Espionage:

• Classified (Expeditious Retreat): a retroclone of the 80's Bond 007 RPG (Victory Games)
• Covert Ops(DWD Studios)
• Espionage! (Hero Games): This is based upon a pre Hero System 4e version of Champions and is a standalone game.
• Danger International (Hero Games): The successor to Espionage!. It is based on the rules from Champions 3e
• Classic Spycraft (Crafty Games): a d20 OGL game. Didn't work for me past the first few levels, but others loved it.
• Spycraft 2e (Crafty Games): takes Spycraft 1e (i.e.Classic Spycraft) and expands it to cover modern action genres. Many people think it added too much complexity, but it had a large fan base.

Western RPGs:

• Coyote Trail (Precis Intermedia): also checkout Coyote Trail Expanded
• GURPS Old West (Steve Jackson Games): needs the GURPS 3e rulebook
• Western Hero (Hero System): needs either Hero System 4e or Champions 4e rulebook.
• Sidewinder: Recoiled: need d20 Modern
• Boothill (TSR): The classic Western game. Didn't work for me as a campaign based game.
• Boothill 2e (TSR): if you want a game system based off AD&D 2e

 

[MGibster]

It would be trivially easy to ignore the supernatural elements from Delta Green, Night's Black Agents, or even Deadlands and play things straight. NBA is designed for more Jason Bourne style spy work and Deadlands would cater more towards the unrealistic end of westerns though.

 

[Celebrim]

Gritty or not gritty?

 

[Beleriphon]

On westerns Aced & Eights, GURPS in general, WOIN, or d20 Modern for either.

 

[Randy_Robertson]

Gritty or not gritty?

Both.

James Arness and Clint Eastwood both have value.
So do Jason Bourne and Maxwell Smart.
Not too sure about Secret Squirrel, though.

 

[Randy_Robertson]

I would nominate my own NOW: The Modern Action roleplaying game, which contains both.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242910/NOW-The-Modern-Action-Roleplaying-Game-v12

Is it available from a distributor? Drive-Thru does retail-pricing-only, not trade pricing.

 

[GMMichael]

This one beats trade pricing (free). And you don't have to go too far to get it.

https://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1437

Gotta write your own fluff, though. And drop some of your own rules into the rules catalog, depending on what your group decides to play, like:

- Jason Bourne: state-sponsored spies automatically roll a minimum of 14 on every contest. Yes, this results in a lot of Ties, but that explains the drawn-out fight scenes, doesn't it?

- Clint Eastwood: PCs get a +2 on contests for furrowing their brows and squinting before rolling. And a free hero point if they deliver a cheesy line prior to rolling a contest in a duel.