What do YOU look for in a Wild West setting.

[Maalpheron]

With Ultimate Combat out I have been dusting off my old campaign setting. I always described it as "Sixgun Fantasy" and I always tried to run it as a mashup of wild west and swords & sorcery themes.

Since I am thinking about self publishing somewhere down the line I am curious about how many folks out there actually use firearms and gunslingers in their games, and what you look for in a fantasy setting that takes place in a world with a higher level of technology than standard fantasy fare?

 

[Herobizkit]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPHIfCstm5A]Bravestarr Intro - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SteelDraco]

Deadlands is the only Western RPG I've ever played or run. I can see the attraction to a more fantasy-oriented Western setting - themes of frontier living, gritty survival, and dealing with strange natives can work in a lot of settings. I got that feeling from the Dark Tower series of books by Stephen King.

 

[Maalpheron]

I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge the Dark Tower series as some of my favorite books, but I also really enjoy a lot of the old sword and sorcery pulp stories as well. In my opinion the two genres flow together well and a gritty western-style setting with some black magic sprinkled in lends itself well to D&D style adventurers.

 

[edemaitre]

Western games

I look for the following things in Western games:

-Faithfulness to the mood and tropes of the pulp/movie genre, with gritty heroes, fallen heroines, plucky settlers, and perils in every direction. Who doesn't want to see ranchers fight farmers, railroads and the telegraph begin to transform the landscape, and the cavalry ride in? There is often a moralistic code, but that depends on what the Game Master and group prefer.

-Rules for firearms and duels, gambling, and overland (horseback and rail) and riverboat travel. Natural hazards, animals, and trade/barter are also useful.

-Some enlightenment toward women, religious minorities, and aboriginal and enslaved peoples -- we ourselves are in the 21st century, after all. This means not too much gratuitous sex, violence by or against Native Americans and slaves, or prohibitions against female adventurers (of which there were several in the real world). That's not to say that there are no brothels; charismatic, idealistic, or insane preachers; or nasty folk of all colors, it's just that I wouldn't want to rely too heavily on real 19th century stereotypes. See recent incarnations of "Zorro" on screen or in the comics for examples where white men aren't all good or Spanish/Indians all bad.

-Example characters, locations, and scenarios: While Western literature, TV, and film are rich with examples, some guidance on how to convert them into useful gaming writeups would be helpful.

I particularly like "Boot Hill," the D20 "Sidewinder Reloaded," and GURPS "Old West." Most steampunk/Victorian/pulp cliffhanger games have some treatment of the Old West: "Deadlands" uses horror and alternate history, "Aces & Eights" and "Castle Falkenstein" have a card-based mechanic (the latter with fantasy flair), and "Etherscope" and other D20 steampunk games add weird technology and magic.

Of course, Westerns have influenced everything from superheroes (Jonah Hex) and space opera ("Star Trek," "Star Wars," "Firefly") to samurai movies ("Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai" -- yes, I know the latter came first, but Kurasawa acknowledged Westerns as inspiration), so odds are that you already know how to strap on your pistol and spurs! Saddle up, and happy gaming!