This is a thread to consolidate information about the online role playing game that I'm running on Sundays. It's a standard pen and paper RPG, but played via voice chat and mapping software online. Right now the meeting day is Sundays at 2pm twice a month or just once a month. However, this is subject to player availability and the dates and times can change.
We're playing using Ventrilo on a server that I setup. Ventrilo can be found here:
http://www.ventrilo.com/For maps we use a free tool called Maptool, found here:
http://rptools.net/doku.php?id=maptool:introIn both cases, at the appropriate time you'll want to connect to the server: civturtle.selfip.net using the default ports for each program.
What is Deadlands?The year is 1879, but the history is not our own. The guns of the Civil War are silent thanks to a tense cease fire between North and South. California is shattered by the Great Quake of '68, a new superfuel called ghost rock is revealed in the flooded channels and buried in the cliff faces that loom above. Powerful Rail Barons strive to be the first to complete a transcontinental railroad, and the Great Rail Wars exact a bloody toll on an American frontier divided between not only the Union and Confederacy, but the Sioux Nation, the Mormon state of Deseret, and the Independent Commonwealth of California.
Amid the chaos, fortunes can be made by those bold enough to make their way West. These brave souls have more than plain old human violence to contend with. Something's going on in the West, something downright nasty. Fear stalks the land like a hungry beast, and abominations from man's myths and nightmares haunt the High Plains. Legends tell of ancient and powerful beings that thrive on the fear created by these horrific creatures. All around, the night grows darker and the shadows grow longer as evil twists the land.
Arrayed against the forces of darkness are the heroes of the Weird West: Grim gunslingers, spell slinging hucksters, brilliant mad scientists, and wizened Indian shamans stake their souls and fortunes on the battle against the evils of the frontier, and often lay down their very lives for the cause of righteousness and light. And sometimes, death is not the end.
To sum it up, Deadlands is a combination of Western, Horror, and a bit of steampunk. Or in other words, A Fistful of Dollars and Unforgiven meets H.P. Lovecraft/Stephen King Horror, with a dash of H.G. Wells.
Deadlands Reloaded web info:
http://www.peginc.com/Games/SavageWorlds/Deadlands/main.htmThe rules we'll be using are the Savage Worlds (SW) rules from Pinnacle Entertainment. SW is basically the core rules for the game, and Deadlands is one of the settings.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/SavageWorlds/main.htmSavage Worlds is an adventure/pulp oriented rules set meant more for action/adventure games with very simple and fast rules. It's not the best system out there, but it's fast and simple, meaning it takes much less time for me to setup a game and make things up on the fly. Not to mention it's cheap. You can download the Test drive rules in the link below. This test drive includes everything you need to start playing, even character creation. If you want to buy the full book, you can pickup the Explorer's Edition for just $10 online shipped or for PDF download, it's like the pocket edition of the game, and contains the full rules.
Buying or reading the Deadlands Reloaded rulebook isn't needed, but can be helpful, you can get a basic synopsis on the website link below. If you plan to play please don't read the GM section. You'll all be going into the world as somewhat unknowing characters so part of the fun will be discovering what's in this world, those that want to mess with the arcane powers should let me know.
Test Drive rules:
http://www.peginc.com/Games/SavageWorlds/Downloads/TestDrive.pdfCharactersPeople wishing to play without any of the books can, and are encouraged to join up. Just let me know ahead of time, along with what kind of character you want to play so that I can make a character for you.
You can also download some character archetypes below.
Tobias Crane - A hunted man with a score to settle.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/TobiasCrane.pdfShouts Into Wind - An Indian brave with a tortured past.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/ShoutsIntoWind.pdfDavie Wood - A troubled kid with an attitude and a big gun!
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/DavieWood.pdfSara McGann - A mad scientist, with as much madness as science.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/SaraMcGann.pdfCaleb Gilmore - A driven Texas Ranger on a personal quest.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/CalebGilmore.pdfReggie Dodsworth - An English huckster running from his past.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Downloads/Deadlands%20Reloaded/ReggieDodsworth.pdfBesides normal people, there are those who dabble in the arcane to give them advantages in life. A short list of such professions are below, these are powerful in ways, but they all have a cost that's higher than most RPGs like D&D. The arcane backgrounds (magic users) in this world are:
Hucksters - your general sorcerer types, but with a western gambler twist as they play deadly games of chance against evil spirits for power.
Shamans - Native american shamans that must make deals with nature spirits.
Blessed - religious men and women that call on the power of the divine (of any religion, even voodoo)
Mad Scientists - invent steampunk contraptions that are so amazing, they're almost magical... but at the cost of your sanity
Martial Artists - "my name is Kane... I can help you." Call on your inner Chi to perform amazing feats.
Campaign"The Outlaw fled across the desert, and the Gunslingers followed."
For whatever reason your character is pursuing an outlaw called The Butcher and his small gang. His crimes are horrific, entire frontier towns slaughtered, even women and children, all slain and left to rot in the sun. You're pursuing him for duty, revenge, money, or whatever reason you can think of, but where he walks he leaves a trail of destruction, and you're following it.
