Deadlands - Core - 20th Anniv Ed

The Rebels know of the Flying The Heart of
Buffalos’ success in fighting the Apache, the West
but Jeff Davis has yet to send them
the rocket packs they need to emulate Now it’s time to get down to the nitty-
Captain Kyle’s famous fighting force. The gritty on three towns best represent what
Confederates hate the Flying Buffalos, the West is all about: Deadwood in the
particularly the noted Sergeant Amos, USA, Dodge in the Disputed Lands, and
who has made them look like fools on Tombstone in the CSA, the so-called,
more than one of their raids. “Heart of the West.”

Encountering Indians There are more important places, like
Denver, the City of Lost Angels, and Salt
Bands of braves from various tribes Lake City, but these places don’t have
can be encountered just about anywhere the boomtown feel that really sums up
in the Weird West. Check out the Ghost the Western experience. Send your posse
Dancers book for more information on to Deadwood, Dodge, or Tombstone and
the various tribes, as well as more in- they’ll really discover what the Weird
depth rules for making Indian heroes West is all about.
(and villains).
Deadwood
Profile:
Typical Indian Brave Fear Level 4.
Deadwood is a town under siege. It
Corporeal: D:3d8, N:2d10, Q:4d6, S:3d8, sits smack dab in the middle of the
V:3d8 Sioux Nations, at the northern edge of
the Black Hills. Its only connection to
Bow 3d8, Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 2d10, the US of A is a single rail line run by
fightin’: war club 3d10, horse ridin’ 2d10, the Iron Dragon Railroad, although those
shootin’: rifle 3d8 (omit if the warrior too cheap to pay Kang’s price sometimes
follows the Old Ways), sneak 2d10 try to hoof it in under the power of their
own horses.
Mental: C:2d6, K:2d6, M:2d8, Sm:3d6, Large groups of Sioux patrol the area
Sp:2d8 around the town, and anyone caught
violating the terms of the Deadwood
Faith 2d8, guts 3d8, overawe 2d8, survival: Creek Treaty is ejected from the Nations—
home environment 4d6 if they’re lucky. The corpses of those
who fight back can be seen hanging
Edges: Fleet-footed 2 from poles along the trail to the Black
Hindrances: Stubborn –2 Hills, a warning to those who would
Pace: 10 violate the hospitality of their hosts.
Size: 6 Smart travelers pay Kang’s fare and save
Wind: 16 their families the grief.
Gear: A war club (treat as a large club),
The Pole Men
a bow, 20 arrows, a Ballard `72 rifle
(unless an Old Ways follower) and a Altogether, the Sioux have only hung
horse. seven corpses on the poles lining the
Description: The description above best road from Deadwood to the Black Hills.
fits one of the Plains Indian tribes, but So how come there’s over 20 now? Read
it can be easily adapted for Indians on.
from other regions.
When Sioux patrols are forced to kill
350 Posse  (usually when a rogue miner draws a
gun), they turn the body over to the
miner’s compatriots. If no one claims the
body, they lash it to the poles along the
Deadwood road.

Miners who travel the road every day Special Abilities:
are forced to look at these grisly remains. Entanglin’: The pole men usually have
The sweet fear they produce caught the little trouble with their prey because
Reckoners’ attention, and they gave life to the poor sod is dumbstruck with
a new abomination: the pole men. terror. When someone manages to
fight back, the pole men attempt to
Anyone traveling the road alone at wrap them up in their long, rubbery
night discovers this grisly secret, but only arms. This is an opposed fightin’:
while it is raining. On these nights, the brawlin’ roll. When the pole men get
water loosens the grisly gray flesh of the their prey under control, they lash
creatures on the poles and grants them him to a new pole where he begins
unholy life. to hang (use the hangin’ rules).
Undead: Focus—head
As the lone victim passes beneath
the corpses, the horrors’ dead eyes open, Description: See above.
their legs elongate to reach the ground,
and their rubbery arms shake loose of History
their bonds. The doomed soul must make
an Incredible (11) guts check. In August of 1875, a prospector by the
name of Frank Bryant and some of his
If the pole men can capture a sorry friends snuck into the Sioux Nations.
traveler, they erect a new pole and tie Bryant and company had heard rumors
him to it. Death comes slowly from the of gold in the Black Hills and figured
loop the horrors place around his neck. it was worth the risk. They found gold,
and plenty of it, but they also found
Profile: Pole Men something more valuable: ghost rock.

Corporeal: D:3d8, N:5d12, S:3d8, Q:3d10, Bryant and his friends spent a month
V:2d6 in the Black Hills, avoiding the local
Indians and mining what they could. The
Dodge 8d12, fightin’: brawlin’ 5d12, sneak Sioux eventually caught them, tied them
4d12 behind their horses, and dragged them
over 100 miles to the border.
Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:2d8, Sm:2d6,
Sp:2d6 When Bryant recovered, more ornery
than ever, he decided to recruit a larger
Pace: 14 (due to their long legs) band of miners and head back into the
Size: 6
Wind: 12
Terror: 9

Nations. This time, Bryant vowed, they the Deadwood Miners Alliance. The terms
would be armed. were simple. Members of the alliance
were required to spend one day a week
The trespassers were successful and, on “militia” duty instead of mining. This
with no other competition, soon found consisted of either patrolling the area
enough gold and ghost rock to set them for Sioux war bands or working on the
up for life. This time, Bryant and his stockade that was being constructed
cronies slipped out of the Nations before at the junction of Deadwood and
the Sioux caught on. Whitewood creeks. This arrangement
allowed the miners to work their claims
Although Bryant swore his companions in relative safety. For a while at least.
to a vow of silence, the miners’ money
bought a lot of whiskey, and soon the The Deadwood Creek
secret was out. Less than a week later, Massacre
the rush was on.
The stockade was completed in early
An angry Bryant and his few remaining October of ’75 and was called home by
friends ran back toward the Nations more than a hundred miners. The miners
for one last load. They arrived to find lived in their stockade and traveled to
they were not alone. Other miners were their mines or streams each day. During
already digging away in the sacred Black this time, a few lone Sioux were seen
Hills. watching the miners from a distance, but
they were eerily quiet and did not attack.
Despite a few early disputes (usually
resolved with one party meeting its The flow of ghost rock slowed as
maker), the miners worked out a rough the weather turned colder—the miners
claim system and set to work. Bryant’s became more concerned with filling
gang came out on top, staking their their faces than their pockets. The Great
previous claims and most of the areas Fathers heard the reports of the miners’
they thought would yield more gold or difficulties and made their decision.
ghost rock. They ordered their warriors to harass
any foraging parties sent out from the
It didn’t take long for the Sioux to stockade. The warriors weren’t supposed
discover what was happening in their to attack the miners, but they were
sacred hills. Small bands began to attack to keep them from gathering food or
the prospectors, forcing them to work catching game.
with a pick in one hand and a Colt in the
other. The dead mounted on both sides. One of the warband leaders, a Brulé
The surviving miners, determined to hold Sioux named Red Bear, did not have the
onto their claims, banded together in patience to starve the miners out. He
defense under Bryant. urged anyone who would listen to take
to the warpath and drive the white man
One cold, rainy night found the Sioux from the sacred hills. He soon found a
surrounding the last starving trespassers. receptive audience.
As men will do when doom seems
certain, the desperate miners vowed a In early November, a party of miners
sacred pact to one another. The following was out hunting. Some Sioux warriors
morning, the bleary-eyed miners were rode ahead of them, making noise and
amazed to see the Sioux had vanished. scaring away all the game in the area.
Frustrated, the miners opened fire on
They didn’t know the Great Fathers the braves, killing two of them. A short
had recalled the warriors for a great skirmish followed, and another Indian
powwow. More miners were heading into and a miner bought the farm. The miners
the Nations. Wagonloads of them. retreated to the safety of the Deadwood
stockade.
While the Great Fathers tried to
figure out what to do with the invaders, Around the campfire that night, Red
Bryant’s miners got together and Bear told the angry braves that the time
formalized their pact. Thus was formed had come to end the desecration of the

352 Posse 

Black Hills. Eager for vengeance, they Not much could be done during the
agreed. Messengers were sent to gather winter months. After things warmed
warriors from the nearby villages. up in the spring, Union troops under
General Terry headed into the Nations to
The Sioux wicasa forbade the attack, teach the Sioux a lesson. Terry divided
but the Hooded One promised Red Bear his forces in two, hoping to catch Sitting
he would be successful in an attack, but Bull’s forces in a pincer movement.
only if he struck that very night.
The southern force was the 7th Cavalry,
The warband attacked the fort before led by the fair-haired Lieutenant-Colonel
the distant Fathers could put together a George Armstrong Custer. Custer quickly
force to stop them. After hours of vicious discovered a Sioux encampment and
fighting, Red Bear was thoroughly decided to attack it with only a portion
victorious. The stockade was burned to of his available forces.
the ground, and most of the miners who
ran for the hills were ridden down like Custer was quickly surrounded at
animals. Of the more than 100 inhabitants the Little Big Horn by Sioux warriors
of Deadwood Creek, less than 10 made led by Crazy Horse and a Hunkpapa
it out of the Sioux Nations alive. Frank chief named Gall. His men were wiped
Bryant was one of them. out, but he managed to escape. Custer
claims he was able to fight his way free,
Little Big Horn but in actuality he was purposefully
left alive. When all his men lay dead at
When news of the slaughter reached his feet and his cartridges were spent,
the public, there was an immediate Crazy Horse, the Hooded One, and Red
demand for the government to take some Bear approached. No one knows what
action. The Army was hesitant to waste happened next, but Custer was soon sent
troops avenging some fool miners who galloping for the border.
got killed because they were where they
shouldn’t have been, but the existence of Custer returned to Wyoming in
such a large deposit of ghost rock east disgrace, but he wasn’t defeated yet.
of California could not be ignored. After While recovering from his wounds he
much debate, Congress authorized a began to organize another expedition
punitive expedition against the Sioux. against the Sioux, this time without
authorization from Terry, the Army, or
Washington.

Only a few regulars remain in Custer’s Deadwood Reborn
command. The rest are volunteers
outraged by the massacre or eager to get Only days after the treaty was signed,
at the gold and ghost rock of the Black the Iron Dragon Railroad began laying
Hills. track toward Deadwood. The line was
quickly completed, and a sea of tents
The Deadwood Creek soon covered the old massacre site.
Treaty Despite the restrictions placed on them,
hundreds of miners scrambled to be the
Sitting Bull has no love for the white first to strike it rich in the Black Hills.
man. Most know he favors war, and it
wouldn’t surprise many if one day he The merchants, outfitters, gamblers,
gets his wish, especially if the whites and soiled doves weren’t far behind. Only
don’t quit breaking “sacred” promises and a few months after the treaty was signed,
treaties • and trespassing on Sioux lands. Deadwood became a bustling boomtown.
In September, the town elected a town
Some were surprised when Sitting Bull council and its first mayor, Sol Star. Seth
proposed to allow limited mining and Bullock was later elected the town’s first
settlement in the Black Hills. Those who marshal.
knew Sitting Bull weren’t surprised at all.
It was clear from the beginning he would The Deadwood Miners
only allow mining so that he could raise Alliance
money to fund a future war effort. The
rest of the Great Fathers went along with The inhabitants of Deadwood trust
him because they knew they couldn’t Sitting Bull about as far as they can
keep the miners out and the concession throw his namesake. Treaty or no, the
would keep the US military off their good citizens realize that if trouble
backs. should arise, they can only rely on
themselves for defense. Some of the
Reaction to the offer in Washington miners who survived the massacre have
was favorable, mainly because it returned to their claims. One of those is
made it look like the politicians had Frank Bryant, who has also revived the
accomplished something besides getting idea of the Deadwood Miners Alliance.
the 7th Cavalry killed. Grant knew the
country didn’t have the resources for Close to 70% of the male (and a not-
a full-scale war against the Sioux—the inconsiderable portion of the female)
Confederates were giving the Union population of Deadwood belongs to the
enough trouble. Sitting Bull’s proposal DMA. Members are required to own a
avoided that while still giving the functioning firearm and spend one day
country access to an invaluable source a month on duty, patrolling the mines of
of ghost rock. fellow members.

On July 1, 1876, Sitting Bull (representing Not surprisingly, many of the young
the Sioux Nations) and Generals Terry Sioux braves are unhappy with a band of
and Sherman (representing the United armed whites roaming around the Black
States) met at the site of the massacre Hills. The patrols give each other plenty
and signed what came to be known as of clearance, but clash frequently. So far
the Deadwood Creek Treaty. A year later there has been no shooting between the
the treaty has held. An uncomfortable two, but the kettle could boil over any
peace has settled over the town of day.
Deadwood. How long it will last is
anyone’s guess. Restless Spirits

354 Posse  There are those in Deadwood who say
the spirits of those slain in the massacre
are demanding vengeance. This claim
seems to be supported by recent events.

A number of Sioux have been found
dead in the hills around Deadwood. The
corpses have been horribly mutilated. The Weird West 355
Some have been scalped, and others
have been dismembered. The Sioux have
warned the miners that anyone caught
perpetrating these crimes will suffer a Mining
slow and painful death. Despite these
threats, the killing continues. Mining is the lifeblood of Deadwood.
Miners in the hundreds have come to the
In addition to the deaths, miners town to make their fortune. Some are
working claims that had belonged to
those killed in the massacre have arrived after gold, more are looking for ghost
at their mine in the morning to find rock, but all hope to leave the Black Hills
wealthy individuals.
their equipment smashed and dripping There are two main routes into the
with blood. Many people, both Sioux
and paleface, have begun to believe the mining business around Deadwood. The
first is to pay the fee and go prospecting,.
stories about ghostly figures wandering The second is to buy the deed to an
the hillsides, thirsting for revenge.
Here’s the truth behind these awful existing mine.

murders. Frank Bryant hasn’t forgotten
being dragged out of the Nations the
first time or escaping the massacre
the second. Soon after the treaty was Deadwood’s Treaty
signed, Bryant formed a small inner circle
among the group’s leadership, devoted
to avenging the massacre victims and 1) The US government recognized the borders
opening all of the Black Hills to free of the Sioux Nations as we know them
today. No US troops are allowed within
mining. This group has taken to calling these borders.
itself the Ghost Miners.
The group stays in contact with Custer, 2) The settlement on Deadwood Creek could
who—even after his defeat—continues be rebuilt under Sioux supervision.
to recruit volunteers for an expedition All non-Indians residing in the Sioux
against the Sioux. They are biding their Nations must live there unless given
time, waiting until Custer’s force is ready. special permission by the Council to live
When the moment is right, they plan to elsewhere.
stage an incident with the Sioux to force
Washington to give Custer free reign. 3) The only access to the settlement from
Bryant and his cronies, not content outside the Sioux Nations is by rail, so
to wait quietly, have begun a campaign white folks found where they shouldn’t
of terror. They prowl the hills at be can’t claim they’re on their way to
night, looking for victims, innocent or Deadwood.
otherwise. Their most common prey are
4) Mining is limited to the Black Hills
lone Sioux. themselves. Miners must pay a $100 fee
On nights when no easy targets for a prospecting permit and a $200 fee
are available, they content themselves to stake a claim. Finds must be assayed
with smashing mining equipment and in Deadwood, and 5% of the cash value
splashing the blood of a slaughtered must be given to the Sioux Nations.
animal over the wreckage. The next day
5) Mines may only be registered by
they are the first to suggest that the individuals, not companies.
vandalism is the work of restless spirits
crying for vengeance. 6) No single mine may be worked by more
Not every incident is truly an effect than five people at a time.

of the supernatural. The nature of 7) Mines found in violation of these rules are
the Reckoning, however, means an shut down. Anyone violating these rules
abomination may soon rise from this is immediately ejected from the Sioux
Nations.

murderous mystery.

Both choices are risky. Prospecting They never pan in one location for long,
may not turn up anything, and an moving from place to place to avoid
existing mine (if the purchased deed is Sioux patrols. The Sioux have dealt
actually legitimate) may be tapped out. severely with those they have caught
Either way, one has to deal with the doing this, giving new meaning to the
Office of Mining Affairs in Deadwood. term “deadpan.”

The OMA was set up by the Sioux Ghost rock is more profitable
to collect mining fees, and it sits in a because it is usually found in larger
building at the corner of Main and Gold concentrations than gold. Ghost rock
in downtown Deadwood. Most of the tends to appear in fist-sized clumps in
staff are white, but the office is actually a wide variety of rocks. Mining ghost
run by Deer Slayer, a Sioux educated rock, however, is much riskier than gold
Back East and quite familiar with the mining. Direct handling of ghost rock
white man’s ways. can have serious side-effects, and it gives
off sulfurous vapors which are both
A prospecting permit costs $100 dollars flammable and poisonous.
and allows a party of five to prospect
for one month. Registering a new claim Prospecting for ghost rock is simple
costs a onetime fee of $200. Operating a but dangerous. Once a likely spot is
registered mine requires the payment of a located, a three-foot-deep survey hole
monthly operating fee of $100. Assaying a is drilled into the rock face. This hole
find costs 5% of the load. is then capped and left sitting for an
hour. This allows time for any ghost rock
How to Mine vapor trapped in the rock to percolate
into the hole. After an hour has passed,
Ounce for ounce, gold is more valuable the cap is removed and a lit match is
than ghost rock—for now—but it takes held in front of the hole. If ghost rock is
more work to acquire. Most of the gold present, the vapor ignites. The size and
is found in the beds of Deadwood and intensity of the flame gives the miner an
Whitewood Creeks. Miners use sluices idea of the quantity and quality of the
to separate the gold from the gravel of ghost rock he’s found.
the streambed. The gold-bearing gravel
is dumped into the top of the sluice and This method has its dangers. If the
carried through a series of riffles by drill should cause a spark while passing
running water. The riffles trap the gold through a pocket of vapor in the rock, an
but let the lighter sand and gravel flow explosion can result. If the survey hole
out of the sluice. is drilled into a large deposit of ghost
rock, the test flame may ignite it. A few
It’s possible to pan for gold in the large seams of ghost rock have been
area, but this method is seldom used. accidentally touched off in this way. They
Panning actually recovers more gold from have burned for months with no sign
a deposit than sluice mining, but is a of stopping. At night, the sky south of
much slower method. The $100 a month Deadwood is tinged with a red glow from
operating fee charged by the Sioux these underground fires.
makes panning marginally profitable at
best. Ghost rock mines must be well-
ventilated. An accumulation of vapor in
Panning, however, requires very little the mine can be ignited by a lantern or
equipment, a steel or tin pan and a small the spark of a pick striking rock, with
vial of mercury (which bonds with gold disastrous results. (Good ventilation is
dust) is plenty. This allows pan miners essential for other reasons. Most miners
to quickly set up shop anyplace that live on a steady diet of pork and beans.
has running water. Many prospectors Enough said). Breathing large amounts
have used this mobility to mine illegally. of the vapor can be fatal, and even small
doses of it can cause rock fever.
356 Posse 
Miners always take caged birds,
usually canaries, into the mine with
them. The birds, being much smaller, are

affected by the vapor sooner and keel The Weird West 357
over before the miner does. A bad deal
for the bird, but a lifesaver for forgetful The Sioux claim strange, reptilian
old prospectors. beings have emerged from the flames,
but are likely just trying to keep curious
Satan’s Garden prospectors out of the area.

Satan’s Garden is an area five miles Rock Fever
southwest of Deadwood. It was the site
of the Chance Venture Mine, one of the Folks who work with ghost rock day
biggest ghost rock strikes outside of the in and day out can catch something
Great Maze. The place was owned and called “rock fever.”
operated by Norman Chance and his
brother William. Fever victims feel warm and light-
headed. Some report strange burning
One night, after spending some time sensations, as if their blood were on
toasting their good fortune in town, the fire. The victims’ high fevers make them
two siblings decided to pay a visit to irrational, however, and hallucinations are
the mine. In their polluted state, it didn’t not uncommon.
occur to them to fire up the steam-
powered fans that would suck any The fever often causes permanent
accumulated vapors out of the shaft. damage. Many who have had it seem
Norman lit a cigar to celebrate his new- a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, and
found fortune and entered the mine. some have gone stark, raving mad. A
case of rock fever usually lasts about a
A tremendous explosion followed, week. At the end of this time, either the
shattering the earth around the mine fever breaks or the victim does.
shaft and exposing a deposit of ghost
rock larger than the crispy Chance Characters who suffer prolonged
brothers had ever dreamed possible. The exposure to ghost rock may contract
blast ignited the ghost rock, of course, rock fever. Miners are the most frequent
and enormous pillars of flame erupted victims, as are mad scientists who
through the holes torn by the explosion. handle rock shards frequently.

The fire is still burning. Fountains of A person who handles a piece of
flame light the sky every night, and the ghost rock does not usually have to
eerie wail of burning ghost rock echoes check to see if she’s gotten the disease.
through the hills. When the wind is right, Only those who work with it for four to
the sound can be heard in Deadwood. eight hours a day or more—or those who
There are those who claim they can hear simply spend much of their time in a
the Chance brothers screaming in agony, mine filled with ghost rock vapors—have
locked in a prison of flame. any real danger of contracting rock fever.

It would literally take a river to put After each week of direct, prolonged
out a ghost-rock fire of such proportions. contact with ghost rock, the character
Some entrepreneurial souls have tried makes a Vigor roll. The TN of the roll is
some other methods of getting at the 3 after the first week. It increases by +2
fortune going up in smoke, but so far per week until the TN reaches 11. After
all have failed. A new gentleman named that, check once per month at TN 11.
Hyrum Burms has just arrived in town
with an all new plan to douse the If the roll succeeds, nothing happens.
conflagration. If it fails, the hero contracts rock fever.
He becomes flushed and feels light-
The ground for a hundred yards headed and feverish, taking –2 to all
around the mine shaft is hot enough Aptitude and Trait rolls.
to raise blisters, and the air is hot and
thick with sulfurous fumes. All of the Once with the fever, the character
vegetation within a quarter mile of the must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll every two
site has died and is buried under a thick hours. Each successful roll reduces the
blanket of ash and cinders. TN of the next roll by –1 to a minimum

of 3. Each failed roll causes a wound Chinatown
to her noggin and increases the TN of
the following roll by +1 to a maximum A large number of Chinese immigrants
of 11. The character rolls until three have taken up residence at the north end
consecutive rolls are made or she dies. of town. Most work in the mines or as
Chips may be spent to cancel wounds, household servants. Others have set up
though the TN still rises. laundries and restaurants.

If the patient takes three or more Still others have taken up less savory
wounds from the fever, her brain boils occupations. Just on the northern side
a bit, and she gains a dementia. Roll on of the tracks, there are a number of
the Mad Scientist’s Madness Table or establishments that cater to those
make up something loco. looking for something stronger than
whiskey. At night, you can detect the
Should the afflicted go bust on a Vigor smell of burning opium from over a
roll, she spontaneously combusts and is block away.
consumed by fire from the inside out.
Little remains of a cowpoke who dies The Opium Ring
in this manner except perhaps some
ashes, a few fillings, and a lump of ghost There are many who would like to
rock about the size of the victim’s heart. close Deadwood’s opium dens down,
Anyone witnessing this event should but it’s unlikely this will happen. The
make a Hard (9) guts roll. few brave souls who have organized
opposition to the sale of opium in town
Iron Dragon have received late night visits from
Kang’s assassins.
The Iron Dragon Railroad built a line
through the Sioux Nations years before Kang has begun using his railroad to
ghost rock was discovered in the Black move opium. He has shipments delivered
Hills. Once the Deadwood Creek Treaty to eastern ports and then transports
was signed, the company immediately the stuff west by rail. He’s found that
began laying a spur to Deadwood. it’s much quicker than having Chinese
Iron Dragon has used its monopoly as immigrants carry the opium on foot from
the sole transportation in and out of the City of Lost Angels. Kang jealously
Deadwood to its great advantage. The guards his opium trade and has placed
railroad’s fees for both passengers and enforcers in every town that he services.
cargo are well above the going rate.
In Deadwood, Kang’s man is Huang Li.
Also, despite the fact that the treaty He lives in the boomtown’s flourishing
prohibits companies from owning mines, Chinatown, and he is widely recognized
Iron Dragon controls almost one third by Deadwood’s Chinese residents as their
of the ghost-rock mines in operation leader. Few outsiders know of his status.
around Deadwood. The railroad does not
own the mines directly, but each claim Life in Deadwood
was bought by company employees. It’s
common knowledge that the money for Deadwood is a wild place. Over a third
these claims came from Iron Dragon’s of the population makes its living from
coffers. Some of the mining operations saloons, gambling, or prostitution. The
on these claims are actually operated by knowledge that the Sioux could decide
members of Iron Dragon work crews. to wipe out the entire town at any time
lurks in the back of every inhabitant’s
Miners have lodged complaints with mind, encouraging a philosophy of “eat,
the OMA, but no action has yet been drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we
taken. No doubt many fear Kang’s heavy may die.” The fortunes being made in
hand. the hills around the town are spent or
gambled away almost as fast as they are
358 Posse  acquired.

Many saloons are open around the Carmichael’s Livery: While in town,
clock, and the whiskey flows like water. you can board your trail partner here for
Travelers to Deadwood are advised to use $1.50 a day.
their best manners. The combination of
whiskey, gambling, and guns is a lethal Empire Bakery: Mrs. Ellsner’s cakes
one; the tiniest insult (real or perceived) and pastries can’t be beat.
can result in an acute case of lead
poisoning. Gem Theater: Another good place
for a night’s diversion, the Gem is known
Marshal Bullock and his deputies more for the hospitality of its “hostesses”
are kept busy rounding up drunks and than the quality of its entertainment.
keeping the peace. Bullock prefers to
settle disputes peacefully. He is not afraid Grand Central Hotel: If you’re only
of gunplay, but he wants to keep the passing through, the Grand Central is the
dying to a minimum. Some citizens want place to stay. You can get a nice room for
more aggressive law enforcement. They $3 a day. The grub here is excellent, Aunt
were lobbying to make the illustrious Lou Marchbanks runs a Hell of a kitchen.
Wild Bill Hickok the next town marshal
until his recent death. Green Front: If you’re looking for a
lady to spend time with, you’re in the
Most folks don’t actually live within right place.
the city limits, instead camping in tents
in the hills overlooking the town. Some Langrishe Theater: A respectable
miners refuse to leave their stakes for theater with solid performances featuring
fear that claim jumpers will rob them Jack Langrishe and his wife. The
blind while they gallivant around town. Episcopalian congregation meets here on
The Sioux don’t mind, just as long as Sundays promptly at 9 a.m.
the miners don’t go wandering off where
they’re not wanted. Nuttal & Mann’s No. 10 Saloon: The
site of Wild Bill’s unfortunate demise.
Visitors to Deadwood may want to The owner has roped off the area with
invest in a good pair of boots. Despite curtains and charges folks a dollar to
town ordinances, folks persist in throwing take a gander at the “spot where Wild
their garbage out their front doors. This, Bill met his end.”
combined with the manure from horses
and oxen, makes a thick, sticky mud that Nye’s Opera House: A place to go
reeks worse than a garlic-eating skunk. for those interested in increasing their
appreciation of the finer things. It doesn’t
Where to Go get much business, but its few patrons
are rich enough to keep it going.
Ayres & Wardman Hardware: This
fine and well-stocked store specializes Stebbins & Post Bank: The premier
in building materials and heavy mining bank of Deadwood. It’s been rumored
equipment. that the bank may do as much as a
hundred thousand dollars a day in
Bella Union Theater: This business.
establishment is owned by Bill Nuttal. If
you’re looking for a night on the town, Famous Folks
you can find a variety of drinks, games,
and bawdy stage performances here. Here are some of the Deadwood town
notables.
Big Horn Store: This store is owned
and operated by P.A. Gushurst and Wild Bill Hickok
William Connors. This is the place to go
for basic supplies and mining equipment. The legendary pistoleer and lawman
Wild Bill Hickok came to Deadwood in
360 Posse  the summer of ’76. He spent most of
his time in the saloons, drinking and
gambling. Many in town thought he
would eventually replace Seth Bullock as
the town marshal.

Wild Bill was a cautious man. He
always sat with his back to the wall
and always poured his drink with his
left hand to keep his gun hand free. His

philosophy was to shoot a man first first time, he came back and told her to
and talk about it later, if at all. Many an shut up, and now she’s helping keep him
outlaw who crossed Wild Bill’s path is hidden.
now worm food.
Wild Bill currently has Dominion over
Unfortunately, Wild Bill’s past his manitou, but only just. He’s more
eventually caught up with him. On than a little loco over his new state,
August 2nd, he was in Nutall & Mann’s but he manages to keep his mind off
Saloon No. 10 playing cards. There were it by plotting a long, slow death for
no seats available against the wall, and Jack McCall. But before he kills McCall,
he was forced to sit with his back to Wild Bill wants to find out who put the
the door. A drifter by the name of Jack bushwacker up to it. He figures haunting
McCall entered the saloon and shot Wild his murderer for a while will make him
Bill in the back of the head. talk when he eventually corners him.

Bill keeled over dead clutching what Profile:
has come to be known as the Dead Wild Bill Hickok
Man’s Hand: two black Aces, two black
Eights, and a Jack of Diamonds. Corporeal: D:3d12+2, N:2d8, S:3d6, Q:2d10,
V:3d8
McCall was captured and tried by a
miner’s court. The cowardly bushwacker Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: brawlin’
explained that he shot Hickok over a 4d8, horse ridin’ 4d8, quick draw: pistol
poker debt, and he also claimed to be 3d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle, shotgun
the brother of Samuel Strawhim, a man 6d12+2, sneak 3d8
killed by Hickok in 1869. The jury believed
McCall’s story and acquitted him. Rumors Mental: C:3d8, K:2d6, M:2d8, Sm:3d8,
abound that McCall was hired to kill Sp:3d8
Hickok to prevent him from becoming
marshal and that some of his employers
may have even been on the jury.

It seems as if some of Hickok’s
enemies weren’t content with merely
killing him. His body has recently
disappeared from the Mt. Moriah
cemetery. There are those who claim
Wild Bill is alive and well and was
buried prematurely. A few, including the
notorious Calamity Jane, claim to have
actually spoken to Hickok.

Hickok is, in fact, back from the
grave (most of his brain survived) and
has vowed to exact revenge upon those
involved in his death. He wants to keep
his victims off guard, so he has tried to
avoid being seen by anyone who might
recognize him.

The exception to this is Calamity Jane.
Wild Bill contacted her shortly after his
resurrection to get the information he
needed to hunt down those involved in
his murder.

Calamity had been drowning her grief
earlier in the evening and was a few
sheets to the wind when this “visitation”
took place. As a result, most people
have written her story off to a drunken
hallucination. She’s told a few tall tales in
her time, anyway, so few folks take her
seriously. When she blabbed after the

Bluff 3d8, gamblin’ 4d8, guts 4d8, overawe Seth Bullock
5d8, persuasion 2d8, scrutinize 3d8,
survival 4d8, tale tellin’ 3d8, trackin’ Bullock is the town’s marshal. An
4d8 easygoing man, he prefers to handle
problems peacefully if possible, but he
Edges: Thick-skinned, the stare. will use his gun if necessary. It’s been
Hindrances: Bad eyes (mild), said he “can out-stare a mad cobra or
a rogue elephant,” but when “he goes
bloodthirsty, enemies (a lot of folks out into the streets of Deadwood in the
hated old Bill, like Jack McCall and the blazing sun of high noon, he is looking
folks who put him up to the killing), for his lunch, not for someone to shoot.”
stubborn, vengeful.
Pace: 8 In addition to his law enforcement
Size: 6 duties, Bullock serves on the Board of
Wind:16 Health & Street Commissioners and owns
Special Abilities: a number of local businesses.
Harrowed: Dominion: Harrowed 5/
Profile: Seth Bullock
Manitou 3, Power: supernatural
deftness (3d12+2) Corporeal: D:3d10, N:3d8, Q:2d10, S:2d6,
Gear: Two .36 Navy revolvers (these aren’t V:3d8
the relics), a Winchester ’73, and a
Bowie knife. Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d10, fightin’: brawlin’
Description: Bill’s a tall fellow with 3d8, horse ridin’ 2d8, shootin’: pistol,
sharp, handsome features. At least he rifle 4d8
was. He’s still tall, but the other side
of the grave has emphasized the “wild” Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:2d8,
part of his moniker. Sp:2d6

Area knowledge: Deadwood 2d6, bluff
4d8, overawe 5d12, persuasion 3d12,
scrutinize 2d8, search 3d8, streetwise
2d8

Edges: Belongin’s 4, law man 3, “the
stare” 1

Hindrances: Enemy: outlaws –2, heavy
sleeper –1, obligation: serve Deadwood
as a law man –2, pacifist –3

Pace: 8
Size: 6
Wind: 14
Gear: A double-action Colt Peacemaker,

and a Winchester `76 rifle.
Description: Bullock is a plain looking

man of average build with a piercing
stare.

Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane (a.k.a. Martha Jane
Canary) is one of the toughest women in
the West. She has posed as a man to get
a job as a teamster and a scout. She has
also worked as a “sporting lady” upon
occasion and can curse and spit tobacco
with the best of them.

Despite her toughness, Calamity has a
soft streak. She’s “collected” groceries for
the poor from wealthy donors who didn’t
care to be staring down the barrel of her
gun, for one.

Calamity was an acquaintance of The Weird West 363
Hickok’s (though to hear her tell it, they
were more). She claims to have spoken most of those in Deadwood blame the
with him after his violent death. She’s Sioux. His mangled remains were buried
been hitting the bottle pretty hard since on Mt. Moriah, and unlike Wild Bill’s
Bill was dry-gulched, and most people body, his corpse has stayed put.
believe the spirit visiting her was of the
liquid variety. There are even those who Deadwood Dick
think that Calamity had something to (a.k.a. Nat Love)
do with the disappearance of Hickok’s
remains. Deadwood Dick is the nickname
of Nat Love, a famous black cowboy
Down on her luck, Calamity has taken who has made Deadwood his home.
to the bottle and gets by on the charity He acquired the moniker after winning
of friends and the occasional “hostess” the roping, shooting, and wild-horse-
job. riding competition at the Centennial
celebration.
Besides Jack McCall, Calamity Jane is
the only living soul to have seen Hickok Nat runs a saloon frequented by many
since his death. She’s helping Wild Bill of the black miners in town. Though
hide out and keep track of McCall and folks in the West have mostly put aside
his cronies. She loves him, but she’s also their prejudices these days, Nat is the de
terrified of him now that he’s joined the facto leader of the black community on
ranks of the undead. the rare occasions when someone forgets
their manners.
Profile: Calamity Jane
Profile:
Corporeal: D:2d8, N:2d8, S:3d6, Q:3d8, Deadwood Dick
V:3d10
Corporeal: D:4d8, N:4d12, Q:2d8, S:3d6,
Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: knife V:2d6
3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, shootin’: pistol,
rifle, shotgun 4d8, sneak 2d8 Climbin’ 1d12, dodge 1d12, fightin: brawlin’
2d12, horse ridin 6d12, shootin’: pistol,
Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:3d4, Sm:3d6, shotgun 5d8, sneak 2d12
Sp:3d8
Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:4d8, Sm:2d10,
Area knowledge: the Dakotas 5d6, Sp:2d6
gamblin’ 2d6, guts 3d8, persuasion 2d4,
scrutinize 3d6, survival: Badlands 3d6, Animal wranglin’: bronco bustin’ 6d8,
trackin’ 3d6 Area knowledge: the Dakotas 2d6,
gamblin’ 2d10, guts 3d6, persuasion 2d8,
Edges: Friend in high places: Hickok –3 scrutinize 2d8, trackin’ 3d6
Hindrances: Bad luck, loyal, ugly as sin.
Pace: 8 Edges:
Size: 6 Hindrances:
Wind: 18 Pace: 12
Gear: A single-action Peacemaker, a Size: 6
Wind: 12
Winchester ’73, and a Bowie knife. Gear: A double-action Colt Peacemaker,
Description: Jane is rather plain looking
a scattergun and an exceptional (fast)
lady with brown hair. horse.
Description: Nat is a moderatly
Preacher Smith handsome black man, who wears
his hair long. He dresses almost
The first church services held in exclusively in trail clothes, except
Deadwood were performed by Henry when attending church.
Weston Smith, a lay Methodist preacher.
Smith worked odd jobs at the sawmill or
at the Pioneer mine during the week and
conducted in-street services on Sunday
atop a packing crate.

Smith was killed this year, while on
his way to hold services at the Iron Hill
mine. No one is certain how he died, but

Dodge City they weren’t pleased about the hunters
wiping out their primary source of food,
Fear Level 3 clothing, tools, and so on.
Dodge is a city divided. Like Kansas
itself, the loyalties of the town’s citizens Soon after the buffalo rush began,
are torn between the North and the large warbands from both the Nations
South. “Bloody” Kansas has seen more and eventually the Confederation
than 20 years of horrible fighting, descended into Kansas and attacked any
and animosities run as deep here as hunters they could find, driving them
anywhere Back East. from the plains.
Most towns, however, consist entirely
of people supporting either the North or Union cavalry tried to stop the
the South because it is almost impossible rampaging warbands, but it was a
for folks pulling for the Union to live lost cause given the continuing Civil
side-by-side with Rebels on a daily basis. War. For close to a year, fast-moving
Dodge is different because it has a mixed cavalry battles thundered across the
population of Northern and Southern plains. Fort Dodge was destroyed in an
supporters. attack that saw Confederate guerrillas
Why? Because there’s money to be and Sioux fighting Union soldiers and
made. The more money at stake, the Northern partisans. The Indian bands
more people can endure, and Dodge is a returned home only after the fort was a
city full of opportunity. smoldering ruin and their point had been
The area around Dodge is a Reckoner’s made.
dream come true. Everyone has an axe
to grind with somebody, and people After a while, most hunters didn’t
are knocking each other off faster than think $3.50 a hide was worth getting
rabbits do arithmetic. This—coupled with caught between the Indian battles and
the constant threat of violence breaking the ever-present guerrillas. Even after the
out in town—keeps the Fear level in Sioux headed north again, it was a while
Dodge at 3—a level higher than the rest before hunters began to reappear in large
of the disputed lands. numbers.

Money on the Hoof In ’74, though, the value of buffalo
went through the roof. Beef herds in both
Most of Dodge’s money is currently the North and South experienced large
wandering the Kansas plains, contentedly numbers of mysterious deaths, mostly
munching grass. Far and away, Dodge due to “Texas fever” but also because of
City’s biggest business is the procuring the strange parasites known as prairie
of buffalo, and for more than just their ticks.
prized tongues.
Neither of these ailments affected the
Buffalo hunting began in earnest back buffalo for some reason. Including the
in ’72. Seems some tanners in Germany meat, which the hunters had previously
found a way to cure buffalo hide into left to rot, buffalo quickly went from
durable leather, and bull hides were being worth $3.50 to roughly $30 each.
suddenly worth $3.50 each or more. Suddenly, buffalo hunting was a much
more attractive venture.
Fortunately for the buffalo, the
Indians got together around then and “Peacetown”
formed the Sioux Nations and later the
Coyote Confederation. Needless to say, At about the same time, two railroads,
one Northern (Union Blue) and one
364 Posse  Southern (Black River), began to push
rails west into Kansas. Robert Wright,
a budding entrepreneur, saw a chance
to profit from the railroads’ arrival and
incorporated a town in their path. Wright
envisioned a place where those who
were tired of the constant fighting could
choose to live in peace—and make a
profit, if they were so inclined.

Wright called his new home Dodge The Weird West 365
City. These days, people claim the name
refers to how you’re supposed to survive Being human, the town’s peace officers
with all the lead flying around, but that don’t always quite measure up to this
wasn’t on his mind then. The town’s lofty ideal. Irate citizens who have been
charter explicitly stated that those of all offended can lodge a complaint with the
political persuasions were welcome, and town council against any officer they feel
it made provisions for a large police force is acting in a partisan manner. The town
to keep the peace. council usually looks into the charge
quickly and holds a public hearing on
The idea of a nonpartisan city caught the matter—five deputy marshals have
on and attracted the attention of many already been dismissed in this fashion.
people, both inside and outside of The system’s not perfect, but it seems to
Kansas. The town’s population grew have kept hard feelings to a minimum.
quickly. Many of the newcomers were
war-weary folks who were tired of There’s a movement afoot to replace
living in a shooting gallery. Others Dodge’s Marshal Larry Deger with
were just there to make a buck. Some, Wyatt Earp. Earp has made quite a
unfortunately, had more sinister motives reputation for himself in Dodge City.
and came to cause trouble. His fearlessness and ability to resolve a
situation without resorting to gunplay
Wright was elected the first mayor, has endeared him to the more peaceful
beating a man named Hoover by a slim citizens of the town.
margin. He and the town council quickly
found a marshal and deputies who were
capable of keeping the peace in such a
volatile situation. Larry Deger was hired
as marshal, and two of his deputies
are Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp and Ed
Masterson.

The Law In Dodge

The lawmen in Dodge are a tough lot.
They have to be to survive. In addition to
the problems common to most western
towns, the lawmen here are forced to
deal with the presence of large bands of
armed men in town (bands whose only
reason for existence is to kill each other
outside of town—or inside if they can get
away with it), two competing railroads,
rowdy groups of buffalo hunters, Texas
cowboys, and a cloak-and-dagger war
between USA and CSA spies.

Mayor Wright has made it clear to
his men that, despite their personal
views, they are not to take sides in any
partisan disputes in town; the law is to
be enforced equally for Northerners and
Southerners. Dodge’s only chance to
survive the Civil War is to establish a
reputation as a truly neutral, nonpartisan
city. If the police force is perceived to
support one side or the other, the town
will quickly turn into a battlefield as
neighbors take up arms against each
other.

A clever man averse to bloodshed, Enforcement of these laws is irregular
he has already defused a number at best. They are usually used to
of confrontations that could have encourage troublemakers to move on.
degenerated into bloody gunfights under
another man’s purview. Wyatt’s reputation The Gun Law
for buffaloing troublemakers with the
butt of his gun has caused locals to refer The biggest news coming out of
to anyone with a knot on their head as Dodge City these days is the passage
having an “Earp.” of a new law forbidding anyone to
carry guns within city limits. This is the
The Town Council controversial “gun law.” Dodge City is a
pretty wild and woolly place, so the Town
The Dodge City town council has six Council decided it might be a good idea
members, each elected for a two-year to try to rein in rambunctious cowboys
term. The current council members are a little. As you might guess, it’s plenty
all prominent merchants in town. While controversial.
not all believe in Wright’s vision of a
peaceful, nonpartisan community, they The law requires that anyone coming
do all share his love of the dollar and to town go immediately to the town
support his efforts to keep Dodge open marshal’s office to check his guns (if
to all—provided they have money to any) with Marshal Larry Deger. Marshal
spend, of course. Deger’s office issues a claim slip that
is brought back to claim the gun when
The town council has passed a number the owner leaves town. Anyone who
of strict vagrancy laws. The statutes give carries a gun in town is subject to arrest
the marshal and his deputies the power (with a jail term of up to three months),
to run anyone out of town who does not confiscation of the weapon, and a $50
have either a visible source of income or fine per violation. The more violations
at least $10 in cash on their person. you have, the more time you spend in jail.

366 Posse  A brisk trade in gun claim slips
has sprung up since the ordinance
was enacted. Slips have been stolen,
traded, even lost in pokers games or
sold. They’re fast becoming a sort of
underground currency in Dodge.

War The Weird West 367

As mentioned earlier, “Bloody Kansas” To date, no one has been spared, and
and the border states are beset by a numerous women and children have met
constant state of guerilla warfare. Every their fate at the hands of these merciless
so often, one of these merry bands individuals. A number of posses and
wanders into Dodge. They might need northern guerrilla bands have tried to
supplies, or they may just want to kick track them without any kind of success.
back and blow off some steam (although
you’d think riding around plugging This is of course the work of Bloody
holes in anything that moves would be Bill Quantrill and his raiders. See page
relaxation enough for anyone). Not much 320 for details about this damned soul.
for law and order, their celebrations can
turn rowdy. The Body
Snatchers
Many times a group will decide to
hurrah the town after downing a few Anyone who spends any time in or
rounds. Other partisans in town often around Dodge will eventually hear tales
take exception to this disturbance of the about the body snatchers. Depending
peace and decide to take the law into on who you talk to, these things loot
their own hands to quiet things down, the dead, eat the dead, and sometimes
sometimes permanently. This usually raise the dead. The descriptions given
leads to an all-out gunfight, with the by people who claim to have seen these
town’s deputies caught in the middle. monsters also vary, ranging from little
green men to shambling corpses to pink
These groups are one of Marshal elephants. (I think it’s safe to disregard
Deger’s biggest headaches. Getting the accounts resembling that last one.)
drunken men who have spent the last
few weeks fertilizing the plains with each Most folks believe that these stories
others innards to treat each other civilly have been spun by people who have
is a task worthy of Hercules. misplaced their best buddy’s mortal
remains and are feeling more than a tad
As long as they behave themselves, guilty about it. After all, they certainly
they’re welcome in town. If they don’t couldn’t be expected to properly bury
keep quietly to themselves, they have a corpse that’s not where they’re
to go. Of course, telling 20 drunken absolutely, swear-on-the-Good-Book
men who have more weapons than the certain they left it. Most of the others
Harper’s Ferry Arsenal to get out of town can probably be chalked up to looters
can be tricky. and animals.

A number of particularly vicious The stories of the dead disappearing
bands roam the plains around Dodge. are true. The large number of corpses
On the Confederate side of things, scattered about Kansas has given rise to
there is Morgan’s Marauders, Henley’s a population of ghouls.
Hellions, and the Confederate Kansas
League. Supporting the North, you have Ghouls are human in shape and
Anderson’s Raiders, Bob’s Boys, and the usually stand about five feet tall. They
Unionizers. appear shorter because they walk with
a stooped, shuffling gait. Their skin is
Rumors continue to circulate about a corpse gray and is often covered with
mysterious band that’s been dubbed the pus-filled sores. Their hands are tipped
“Night Riders.” No one in town knows with razor-sharp claws, and their mouths
who the bandits are or where they sport wicked fangs.
came from, but their handiwork is hard
to miss. They’ve visited a number of
isolated homesteads and small villages
that have Union leanings and burnt them
to the ground. The unfortunate occupants
of these places have been found dangling
by their necks from the local flora.

Ghouls feed on the dead. They will Night Vision: Ghouls can see in
eat any corpse, but they prefer fresh complete darkness. Their eyes
meat. After ghouls feed on a body there always have a faint red glow about
is usually little left but bones, and them.
these have been well gnawed. Ghouls
normally scavenge the dead from recent Poison: Anyone who is bitten by a
battlefields, but they have been known to ghoul and takes at least 1 Wind
grab those too badly wounded to defend must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll.
themselves as well. Some ghouls dress in If the roll is failed, the victim is
the clothing of their last meal, but most stunned as if he had a Heavy wound
don’t bother with such things and go au (TN 7). This stun is in addition to
natural. any caused by real wounds.

Ghouls live underground, in groups of Stench: Ghouls stink to high heaven,
6–10. The strongest ghoul in a region is making them very easy to track.
the “ghoul king,” a bloated creature who Anyone within 20 feet of one of
commands all others nearbyl. these creatures must make a Fair
(5) Vigor roll to avoid losing his
The pack digs numerous tunnels lunch and losing 1d6 actions. This
connected to their central den where roll must only be made once per
they drag their victims to feed. It’s usually encounter.
littered with the bones and belongings
of past meals. The king rarely leaves this Weakness—Bright Light: Ghouls
deep pocket. cannot tolerate bright light. All
actions taken by a ghoul exposed to
Above ground, ghouls are cowardly and light brighter than a torch or lantern
flee if attacked. Anyone foolish enough suffer a –4 penalty.
to follow them below ground had better
be prepared for a fight. The creatures use Description: Ghouls are cowardly,
their knowledge of the maze-like tunnels twisted humanoids with feral features,
to surround and trap intruders. They surrounded by the oddor of decay.
often collapse a portion of the tunnel on They are not undead, but sure look
interlopers and then dine on them after like it.
they have suffocated.
Profile: Ghoul King
One of the largest ghoul dens in the
area is beneath Boot Hill in Dodge City. Corporeal: D:2d8, N:3d10, Q:3d10, S:3d10,
Twenty ghouls call it home. Some of V:2d10
these creatures have become bold and
stalk the streets at night, claiming the Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10
remains of those who were on the losing Mental: C:2d8, K:2d6, M:2d8, S:2d8, Sp:2d6
side of an argument. Pace:
Size: 7 (Ghoul Kings eat better!)
Profile: Ghoul Wind:
Terror: 9
Corporeal: D:2d8, N:3d10, Q:3d8, S:3d8, Special Abilities:
V:2d10
Ghoul Abilities: As above.
Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d10 Pack of Ghouls: Ghoul kings keep
Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:2d4, S:3d6, Sp:2d4
Pace: 2–20 other ghouls around them.
Size: 6 These creatures are completely
Wind: loyal until their own cowardice
Terror: 9 overwhelms them.
Special Abilities: Description: Ghoul kings look just like
ghouls, except they are fatter and
Damage: Claws (STR+1d8), bite even more loathsome looking. there
(STR+1d6+poison) are rumors that thousands of such
creatures live in the Grand Canyon,
368 Posse  though they may be a completely
unrelated species. We’ll tell you more
in the upcoming Canyon o’ Doom
campaign set.

Becoming a Ghoul Dodge, gave the railroads a deadline. If a
company’s rails had not reached the city
Cannibals around the High Plians limits by June 1, that company would lose
might become ghouls just as those in its right-of-way. After that, Union Blue
colder climes become wendigoes. Use the and Black River hassled each other less
same rules for Becoming a Wendigo and concentrated more on laying track.
(earlier in this chapter) should this come
up in your campaign. On May 23, 1875, the Union Blue
Railroad’s tracks crossed the Dodge
If the cannibal’s victim was a close City limits. Three days later—amid some
friend or relative, the character becomes commotion—the Black River line entered
a “ghoul king” and retains his own town. Both sets of rails run down the
statistics. Other ghouls naturally bow to center of Front Street to a station built at
this individual, though other ghoul kings the town’s expense.
usually send their warriors to murder the
newcomer. Mayor Wright has made it clear to
both railroads that they had best behave
The Railroads while in his town. What they do outside
of town limits is their own business,
After incorporating the town, Wright but there is to be no feuding in town.
contacted both Union Blue and Black Any railroad caught violating this rule
River and offered each of them the right- loses its right-of-way. To date there have
of-way into town. He pointed out that been a few minor violations, fist fights
there were a large number of buffalo between train crews, minor acts of
hunters in the area, and a lot of money vandalism, etc., but nothing big enough
could be made hauling the meat and for the mayor to take action on. This
hides east. Both companies jumped at the is probably due to the fact that both
offer like hungry wolves after a bleeding companies are making money hand over
buffalo, and they quickly began laying fist hauling buffalo hides and meat out
track toward Dodge. of Dodge and don’t want to do anything
to endanger their cash flow.
As the companies converged on the
town, the competition to get there first Outside of town, it’s another story.
got hotter than a cattle brand. Both Both companies maintain heavily-armed,
companies’ work crews spent more mounted patrols to guard their tracks.
time digging graves than laying track. These soldiers make regular circuits of
Wright, impatient to have rail service in every foot of track in Kansas.

Buffalo Hunting needed is a good rifle and a wagon to
haul the kills in. Most serious hunters
As we’ve said, the main source of recommend a big-bore gun like the
cash in Dodge is buffalo hunting. Every Sharp’s 50. A well-aimed shot from
day, hunters come in from the plains one of these rifles can drop a buffalo
around town with wagonloads of the with a single round. That’s important
dead animals. These are sold to a because bullets are expensive, and the
slaughterhouse where the carcasses slaughterhouses don’t pay any more for
are skinned and split. The hides and Swiss buffalo.
meat are then taken over to the railroad
station and loaded on an eastbound To avoid back injuries, hunters
train, or occasionaly toward the Maze often hire hiring laborers to skin their
(where they must be carted from the kills before taking the meat to Dodge.
furthest railhead West—a dangerous Skinners can also help get the huge
proposition given the price of beef out animals up on the wagon—a mighty
there and the tendency of meat to spoil tough job to accomplish unaided. Crews
in the hot climate). of skinners can usually be found in town
who will work together for about 10% of
All of the slaughterhouses are on a haul.
the western edge of town (fortunately
downwind). They pay anywhere from Most hunters creep up on a herd and
$15 to $30 for a buffalo, based on size, set up at least 200 yards out to prevent
freshness, and hide quality. the boom of the guns from spooking the
animals. It’s possible to bag a number
Buffalo hunting is the perfect job for of buffalo in this manner. They usually
those who enjoy gunning down animals won’t stampede away until they smell
that are too stupid to run away. It’s an blood and panic.
easy business to get into. All that’s really
Hunting the Hunters

Hunting alone is not recommended.
The Kansas plains are a dangerous place
to be—some claim there are more armed
men than buffalo out there. Most hunting
parties number at least five individuals.
Usually three hunt while the other two
keep an eye out for trouble.

Besides the usual raiders, Indians,
and railroad gangs, a body has got to be
on the lookout for other hunters. The
weapon that can take down a buffalo can
more than do the job on a person.

Some less than energetic “hunters”
wait on the main trails leading into town
and relieve others of their kills. There
are some hunters out there who have
probably killed more men than buffalo.

Still, Indians are the most dangerous
occupational hazard of buffalo hunting.
Many of the tribes who live on the plains
depend on the buffalo herds for food
and leather. They take a dim view of
the white man slaughtering the herds
on such a scale. Many braves from the
Coyote Confederation, especially Quanah
Parker’s Comanches, go out of their way
to ambush hunting parties.

The Cattle Trade The Weird West 371

As if the lawmen in Dodge didn’t have citizens disappear to be seen no more of
enough on their plate, the trade in Texas course, not all the disappearances can
longhorns has picked up as well. With be blamed on the spy war. the ghouls do
the longhorns, of course, come Texas their part as well..
cowboys and trouble.
The Mayor and town council take a
This turn of events is due to the dim view of all this cloak-and-dagger
Cattle Owners Associations further west. stuff. It only complicates Marshal Deger’s
The biggest and meanest of the bunch job and stirs up partisan feelings. As
banded together and forged exclusive a result, being convicted of spying or
deals with their local railroads to haul supporting spies in Dodge—for the North
their cattle and no one else’s. The or South, Deseret, or even the Indians—is
smaller ranchers, unable to get their punishable by hanging.
herds to market, have been forced to
drive them north to Dodge. Life in Dodge

The cattle drives to Kansas are ordeals. Living in Dodge is exciting (so is
The cowboys not only have to contend being kicked in the groin, but it’s still
with bad-tempered livestock and the something to avoid). Despite the ideals
elements, but also gunmen hired by of the town’s founder, Dodge City is not
the cattle barons to prevent them from a peaceful haven of capitalistic bliss.
reaching their destination. When and if In many ways, the town’s success has
the cowboys reach Dodge, all they want planted the seeds of its own undoing.
to do is collect their pay and hit the
town. The majority of the town’s early
inhabitants were honest, hard-working
City of Intrigue folks just trying to get by in a bad
situation. As Dodge has grown and
Dodge City has become a magnet prospered, it has attracted other, less-
for Union and Confederate spies. Its desirable elements.
location in disputed territory and
the fact that it is served by railroads Among this group, partisan feelings
from both countries make it an easy run deep, and their attitudes have begun
point of access into enemy territory. A to influence their neighbor’s views. Stir
Confederate spy can hop onto a train for in the transient population of buffalo
Chicago and from there reach any place hunters, railroad gangs, guerrillas, spies,
in the Union. Likewise, a Union agent can cowboys, and guns-for-hire, and the place
catch a train directly to Richmond. become more volatile than nitro—one
good bump, and the whole town could
Both sides maintain an active network go.
of spies in Dodge City itself. These spies
aid those who are traveling into enemy With the arrival or cavalry troops from
territory by providing false papers and both the Union and the Confederacy
safe places to stay while in town. The in the Disputed Lands (a consequence
agents in Dodge also work with some of the November Offensives mentioned
of the guerrilla bands in the area, using earlier), things have only gotten more
them to gather information and eliminate unstable.
enemy sympathizers.
The marshal’s office is doing it’s best
However, these agents devote most of to keep the lid on this pressure cooker,
their time to uncovering and eliminating but things still occasionally boil over. It’s
each other. This is complicated by the a rare day that goes by without someone
fact that the Agency and Texas Rangers, ending up on a board in the undertaker’s
as well as a number of freelancers, front window. And that’s after the gun
have set up shop in town. Every day, a ban.
complicated game of deceit and betrayal
is played out in the back rooms of
Dodge. Every night, a few of the town’s

Where to Go The Weird West 373

Alamo Saloon: The Alamo, owned entire state. But he’s not above featuring
and operated by Henry Cook, is one of lowbrow entertainment when a cattle
the classier saloons in town. The bar is drive’s in town.
in the front room of the saloon. A good
meal and cigar can be had in the parlor Lady Gay Dance Hall: While not as
in back. popular as the Varieties, the Lady Gay is
filled with hombres ready for 50¢ dances.
Alhambra Saloon: The Alhambra is
popular with the buffalo hunting crowd. Lone Star Saloon: Not as fancy
It’s a rough place, but good for rumors as some saloons on the north side of
about the Sioux or Coyotes. the tracks, the Lone Star is popular
with Confederate guerrillas and Texas
City Jail: The new address of cowboys. Those going in here had best
troublemakers in Dodge. Most don’t stay be able to sing “Dixie” with enthusiasm.
here for more than a spell, usually just
long enough to be hauled in front of Long Branch Saloon: The Long
Judge Moreland. Branch is probably the nicest saloon
in town). The main room has a full bar
Courthouse: Judge Wells Moreland and a billiards table. During the summer
presides here when there are cases to be months, a five-piece orchestra plays. Off
heard (which is most days). Moreland is the front room is another for private
a buddy of Wright’s and does his best to gambling—no professionals allowed.
keep things in town quiet. He’s gained a (This is strictly enforced.) There is also a
reputation as a “hanging judge” because small room in the back equipped with a
he’s had a good number of people strung number of cots where drunks can sleep
up. Jail space in Dodge is limited, so it off
most sentences are either a hefty fine or
hanging. McCarty’s City Drug Store: This
establishment is owned by Dr. T. L.
Dodge City Times: If you want to McCarty. The bottom floor serves as
know who’s who in Dodge and what both a drugstore and the city post office.
they’ve being doing to each other, read Upstairs, the doctor has an office where
the Times. If you want to know what’s he sees patients.
happening in the world at large, you
still have to rely on the ever-truthful Mueller’s Boot Shop: Owned and run
Tombstone Epitaph. by Jim Mueller, there are no better boots
around these parts than his.
Dodge House: One of the finer hotels
in town. Rooms can be had here for $2 a Occident Saloon: The Occident is
day, and they’re worth it. run by Henry Sturm, an immigrant from
Germany; the house specialty is sausage
Great Western Hotel: Dodge House’s and cheese with Rhine wine. Those with
major competitor. Rooms go for $1.50 nasal problems can try the Limburger
a day. The Great Western’s kitchen cheese. This is a favorite haunt of
specializes in wild game, mostly buffalo, northern partisans.
venison, and turkey. No liquor is sold
on the premises; the owner’s wife is a Railroad Depot: This depot serves
member of the local Temperance League. both the Union Blue and Black River
railroads. A constant procession of
Ham Bell’s Livery: This is one of the trains passes through here daily on both
few reputable businesses on the south sides of the station (Union Blue’s to the
side of the tracks. Horses left here, are north, of course). Union Blue has a daily
always well cared for. passenger train scheduled to arrive at
10 a.m. Depending on what side of their
Hoover’s Liquors & Saloon: For beds the local rail gangs woke up on, the
those who aren’t content to buy their train usually rolls in around noon—if it
rotgut by the glass. George Hoover’s shows up at all. Black River’s passenger
store carries foreign and domestic wines,
liquor, cigars, and lots of good Kentucky
Bourbon.

Kelley’s Opera House: Seamus Kelley
runs the only spot for fine culture in the

service is a bit more regular because Famous Folks
Union Blue refuses to attack civilians.
The B.R.’s passenger express usually Here are statistics for two of Dodge
chugs in around 4 p.m. cities most well known residents: Bat
Masterson and Wyatt Earp.
Schoolhouse: This small building was
built by volunteers. Mrs. Margaret Walker William Barclay “Bat”
teaches the children of Dodge here. Masterson

Swemburgh & Begley’s Buffalo Bat Masterson is currently undersheriff
Emporium: One of the largest buffalo of Dodge County. He and Wyatt have
buyers. You can usually get about $30 for formed a fast friendship on the job. It is
a large bull with an unblemished hide. likely Bat will become Sheriff at the next
election and make Wyatt his second in
The Globe: The Globe occasionally command.
has some real news in it. Unfortunately,
the editor, Dan Frost, is close-minded Bat is a friendly sort. The rougher
when it comes to anything out of the types often mistake his cleverness for
ordinary. weakness. It’s a mistake they don’t make
twice. Bat is Hell to deal with when he’s
Union Church: Where the faithful angry.
hold service. This building is used
by a number of denominations and Bat’s brother, Ed, is also a part-
congregations. time lawman. He’s served as a deputy
town marshal when the police force is
Varieties Dance Hall: The Varieties stretched too thin—usually when a big
introduced the cancan to Dodge. cattle drive or buffalo hunt comes in.
Lonesome cowboys can dance with the
hostesses here—75¢ for 10 minutes of Bat Masterson isn’t particularly fast
(vertical) dancing. Other services can be or deadly with his gun—at least not
had, but prices vary. Be careful what compared to the speed of John Wesley
you say to the soiled doves who work Hardin or the legendary accuracy of
here or down the street at the Lady Gay; Hickok. Bat excels in keeping his head
many supplement their income by selling and stopping trouble before it starts,
information to the many spies skulking making him an excellent partner for
around Dodge. Wyatt Earp.

Wild Irish Roses: This house of Masterson’s fairly well-liked and
ill-repute opened quite recently, and is respected in Dodge and other parts. That
distinguished from the average brothel by means he can summon a posse to back
one simple fact—all of the “employees” him up when trouble gets hotter than he
are fabulously beautiful Irish women. The can handle on his lonesome.
girls run this place themselves.
Bat Masterson
Wright, Beverly, & Co.: As the
sign on the storefront says, “Dealers in Corporeal: D:2d10, N:3d8, S:3d6, Q:3d10,
everything.” Just about anything can be V:3d6
found here. The store even serves as
a shipping point for Smith & Robards Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: brawlin’,
deliveries. club 4d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, shootin’:
rifle, shotgun 5d10, sneak 2d8
Zimmerman’s Hardware: Hammers
and nails can be purchased here, but Fred Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:3d8, Sm:2d8,
Zimmerman’s specialty is hardware of a Sp:2d8
more lethal variety. He’s a gunsmith from
Prussia, and he knows his business. Area knowledge: Kansas 4d8, bluff 2d8,
gamblin’ 2d8, guts 3d8, leadership
374 Posse  4d8, overawe 4d8, persuasion 5d8,
professional: law 3d8, scrutinize 3d8,
search 3d8, streetwise 3d8, survival
2d8, trackin’ 2d8

Edges: Levelheaded 5, purty 1, “the voice”:
soothing 1

Hindrances: Curious –3, heroic –3, law quick draw 4d8, shootin’: pistol, rifle,
o’ the West –3, loyal: Wyatt Earp –3, shotgun 5d8, sneak 3d10,
tinhorn –2 Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:4d12, Sm:3d8,
Sp:2d10
Pace: 8 Area knowledge: Kansas 4d6, bluff 3d8,
Size: 6 gamblin’ 4d8, guts 3d10, leadership
Wind: 14 4d12, overawe 6d12, persuasion 2d12,
Gear: Double-action Colt Peacemaker, professional: law 3d6, scrutinize 5d8,
search 4d8, streetwise 4d8, survival
can. 3d8, trackin’ 2d8
Description: Masteron always dresses Edges: Levelheaded 3, luck of the Irish 3,
“the voice”: grating 1, “the stare” 1
impeccably. He prefers a black suit, Hindrances: Heroic –3, obligation: to
black bowler, and matching tie. He brothers –3, pacifist: does not like to
keeps a short mustache as well. kill –3, stubborn –2, vengeful –3
Pace: 10
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp Size: 6
Wind: 18
Earp began his career as a lawman Gear: Colt Buntline Special, Winchester
in Wichita, Kansas. He served as a ’73, shotgun, Earp’s badge (see page
deputy marshal there until he got 256).
into a fist-fight with William Smith, Description: Earp is a no-nonsense
who was running for marshal at the type with dusty brown hair, solid
time. Following the scuffle, Wyatt was features, and a stare that can cut right
unsurprisingly fined and sacked. through to the soul. He usually wears
a suit, though it stays a little more
Earp was hired by the Dodge City bedraggled than Masterson’s.
marshal’s office in May, 1876. Since
coming to town, he has achieved a
reputation as a fair and fearless deputy.
Wyatt tries to avoid gunplay when
possible, but if pushed, he will throw
down. He has earned the respect of the
townspeople for his ability to face hostile
mobs, often alone, and disperse them
without bloodshed.

Unfortunately, Wyatt is not loved by all.
In the course of performing his duties,
he has been forced to crack a number
of guerrillas on the noggin, earning their
enmity and that of their group. One
group in particular, Morgan’s Marauders,
is looking to even the score. Wyatt
was forced to gun down one of their
members when he refused to surrender
his pistols. The Marauders are biding
their time, hoping to catch Earp outside
of town.

Like his good friend, Bat Masterson,
Wyatt isn’t the fastest gun in the West,
nor the best shot. He’s really a threat
because of his calm and quick thinking.
He usually buffaloes a troublemaker over
the head long before anyone even thinks
about drawing a gun.

Wyatt Earp

Corporeal: D:3d8, N:2d10, S:3d6, Q:3d8,
V:3d8

Climbin’ 2d10, dodge 3d10, fightin’:
brawlin’, club 6d10, horse ridin’ 3d10,

Tombstone Exacerbating the situation are sporadic
sightings of Mexican patrols in the area.
Fear Level 3 The boys in gray have yet to find any
Tombstone, Arizona is known as the evidence of major Mexican movements in
Gateway to the Great Maze—at least in the area, but the patrols are making them
the South, since it sits at the Western nervous.
edge of Confederate territory. The
government back in Richmond claims the The garrison is commanded by
entire territory of Arizona, and California Colonel Jacob Smythe, a dedicated soldier
to boot, but anyone who has spent any who takes his duties seriously. He has
time in the region knows better. found Geronimo to be one of the most
Those travelling outside the patrol formidable foes he has ever faced. In the
area of nearby Fort Huachuca’s garrison cat-and-mouse game between Smythe’s
(which doesn’t extend nearly as far troops and the Apaches, it is often hard
as one might hope), find that the to tell who is the hunter and who is the
surrounding countryside belongs to prey. Despite the grudging respect Smythe
Geronimo and his Chiricahua Apaches. feels for Geronimo and his band, he is
Farther west, near Yuma, Santa Anna and committed to running them to ground.
the new Mexican Army call the shots—
usually at interloper’s heads. Tombstone &
Graveyard
Fort Huachuca
Ed Schieffelin came east from
Fort Huachuca was built in late ’69 California in 1874 as a guard on a
to safeguard mule trains hauling ghost ghost-rock shipment. He had worked
rock from the Great Maze to Roswell in as a miner in the Maze for a while, but
New Mexico. The fort is approximately after a number of his buddies died in
23 miles southwest of Tombstone. It particularly spectacular and grisly ways,
commands an east-west pass between he decided to try his hand at something
the Whetstone and Huachuca Mountains, a little less dangerous. He had heard
and has a clear view of both the San there was silver in the San Pedro Valley
Pedro and Santa Cruz Valleys. and decided to check things out for
himself.
The fort currently has a garrison of
roughly 100 cavalrymen, significantly When Schieffelin left the caravan at
less than the 300 troopers that were Fort Huachuca to go prospecting, he was
stationed here before last year’s told all he would find in the Arizona sun
November Offensive. The garrison patrols was his own tombstone. After dealing
the mule train route and the area around with the Mexican Armada, Maze serpents,
Tombstone, protecting against marauding and the dangers of mining ghost rock, a
bands of Apaches and Mexicans. few scalp-hungry Apaches didn’t seem
like anything to lose sleep over.
Morale among the soldiers is currently
at an all-time low. They are tired of being Luck was with him, and he soon
targets in Geronimo’s shooting gallery. discovered a number of silver veins.
Most want nothing more than to finally Remembering the naysayers at the fort,
corner the Apaches and force them into he named his first two claims Tombstone
a stand-up fight. The soldiers’ frustration and Graveyard.
has led some of them to retaliate against
peaceful tribes in the area. There have News of his find soon got out, and
also been problems with soldiers getting people with more greed than sense
drunk in town and shooting at anything began to move to the area. Despite
that moves. constant attacks by the Chiricahua, a
town was established on Goose Flats and
376 Posse  named after Schieffelin’s first claim.

The town grew slowly until the arrival
of the railroad. The completion of Bayou
Vermilion’s line into town was a major
event that literally put Tombstone on the

map. Overnight, Tombstone became the The Legion
eastern endpoint for Confederate ghost-
rock caravans and the starting point for One of the reasons one should not
expeditions heading to the Maze. Along make the trip from Tombstone to the
with this large, transient population Maze without protection is the Foreign
came a horde of merchants, outfitters, Legion, which we told you about a
and saloon-keepers hoping to part them bit earlier. Some of these fellows are
from their money. slipping away from their posts to plunder
the lucrative Ghost Trail. Sometimes
The Maze or Bust! they come into Tombstone, where they
are promptly run out of town by the
Silver mining, although a large part of Cowboys (see below). Curly Bill and
Tombstone’s economy, has taken a back company don’t like competition.
seat to serving the needs of the many
travelers who pass through the town. There are good Legionnaires, both
New saloons and outfitters are sprouting French and otherwise, but along the
up faster than weeds on a cow patty. Arizona border, the number of bad ones
far outweigh the good. Full details and
Many would-be miners are tinhorns statistics on the Legionnaires can be
from Back East who have heard there’s found on page 339.
easy money to be had in California. They
come to Tombstone by train with little
more than the clothes on their back and
a pocketful of cash. It’s usually not until
after they’ve bought every conceivable
piece of equipment known to man that
they realize they have much more than
they could ever possibly carry. The folks
over at the OK Corral are making money
hand over fist, selling these fools horses
and wagons. The only thing that might
put a crimp in the store owner’s cash
flow is Reverend Grimme’s Edict. But
word of Grimme’s activities is spreading
slowly, and for now the flow of people
through Tombstone has slowed down
only slightly.

The country between Tombstone
and the Maze is rugged and crawling
with all sorts of antisocial types and
nasty critters. There are guides who will
organize a group of travelers and lead
them to their destination. Most charge
about $50 a head—expensive, but usually
worth every penny.

The trip usually takes someone who
knows their business about a month
each way—or three weeks on the way
back if they’re not leading a group.
Some guides are making the round
trip much faster than that by cutting a
pretty serious corner. These villains take
people’s money and then, once they’re
out of sight of town, get their customers
killed and dump the poor chumps’ bodies
in the wasteland that is Arizona.

Conquistadors? Indians to death. At the end of each day,
they inspected the workers to make sure
There is another hazard to watch they had not stolen any silver. Any Indian
out for when traveling near Tombstone. found with even a fleck of silver on him
Recently folks have been having run-ins was put to death.
with Spanish Conquistadors, of all things.
One day, neighboring Indians liberated
Their stories are all remarkably the slaves and took the silver. The
the same. While traveling northwest conquistadors were buried alive inside
of Tombstone near the Whetstone their mine. A shaman cursed their spirits
Mountains, they are approached by three to walk the earth until they gather silver
horsemen dressed in old-style Spanish equal to that mined by the slaves.
armor. At lance-point, the horsemen
demand that the travelers hand over the The shaman intended this to be
silver they’ve “stolen.” A few of the more an eternal penance. The spirits were
hot-tempered individuals opened up on powerless to take the silver, and as
them, but it didn’t seem to have much long as the local Indians knew of their
effect. In all cases, once the traveler got atrocities, none would willingly give
the point across that he or she had no them any. Unfortunately, the Reckoning
silver, the horsemen simply turned and changed that.
rode off.
The conquistadors now wander the
No, these folks haven’t been area around their mine looking for the
overindulging in the hooch. It’s true. The “thieves” who took their silver. Whenever
three horsemen terrorizing the area are they encounter anyone, they demand the
conquistadors who passed through the return of their ill-gotten wealth, although
San Pedro Valley in 1540 with Francisco they are powerless against those who
Coronado’s expedition. They discovered have no silver on them.
silver in the valley and returned to open
a mine. They enslaved the local Pima The conquistadors may not harm
Indians to work the mine, working many those who have no silver. They may
attack others normally. They can be
378 Posse  hurt normally, but not killed directly.
Any wound that would kill one simply
disperses its soul, causing it to vanish.
It cannot return for 24 hours. The only
way to destroy them permanently is to
unearth their remains from the mine in
the San Pedro Valley and burn them to
ashes.

Conquistadors The Weird West 379

Corporeal: D:2d8, N:3d8, S: 3d6, Q:3d6, fact that they’ve still got a full head of
V:3d8 hair. The week following the arrival of a
shipment is a wild one, as the soldiers
Fightin’: sword, lance 4d8 blow through their pay and work up the
Mental: C:2d8, K:3d6, M:3d8, Sm:3d6, courage to march back to California and
do it all over again.
Sp:2d8
Overawe 4d8 The Law in
Pace: 8 Tombstone
Size: 6
Wind: 16 Fred White is the town marshal in
Terror: 9 Tombstone. This poor unfortunate has his
Special Abilities: hands full dealing with rowdy soldiers,
drunken miners, and a wide assortment
Ghost: The conquistadors cannot be of trash that’s just passing through. He
permanently killed except by the has one deputy, Spence Walker. The most
method described in the text above. charitable thing that can be said about
Spence is that he’s a few cards shy of a
Gear: Breastplate (Armor 2), sword full deck.
(STR+2d8), lance (STR+2d10)
To add legitimacy to their claim to
Description: These spirits look like Arizona, the Confederate government
Spanish Conquistadors, complete with divided the territory up into counties
armor and weapons. and elected sheriffs for each. In some
counties, the sheriff and his deputies
The Mule Trains outnumber the Confederate citizens
living there. John Behan was elected
The Confederate government is still sheriff of Cochise County, and his office
shipping ghost rock overland from the is in Tombstone, the county seat.
Maze, but in much smaller quantities
than before. Mexican and Apache raids Behan performs one of his duties as
have made the trip extremely dangerous sheriff well—collecting taxes. Of course,
and costly, and Grimme’s Edict has that may have something to do with the
complicated things. Each caravan is fact that as sheriff he’s entitled to take
made up of 15 to 20 wagonloads of 10% of all the taxes collected as salary.
ghost rock, escorted by two companies Despite all the cattle rustling and other
of troops—usually a company of cavalry shenanigans that goes on in the county,
and a company of infantry. The regular it’s possible to count the number of
troops are often supplemented by Indian arrests Behan has made on one hand.
scouts and the occasional steamwagon
or artillery piece, especially if the Rebels The Cowboys
get word of trouble brewing.
The real law in town is a group
It used to take about a month and of outlaws called the Cowboys.
a half for one of these caravans to Unfortunately the law tends to be
reach Tombstone, but these days that’s whatever happens to be good for the
up to two months, since the caravan Cowboys. They’re a bunch of no-good,
has to skirt the edge of Grimme’s new cattle-rustling lowlifes.
“sovereign state.” Some caravans don’t
make it at all. Two were lost last year, The Cowboys have the run of the
and three have gone missing since town because few people have the guts
January of 1877. As soon as the dust to stand up to them. Their leader is Old
from the November Offensive’s settles,
Richmond will likely dispatch fresh
troops to reinforce Fort Huachuca and
patrol the Ghost Trail.

The arrival of a caravan is a major
event. The soldiers receive their pay
when they reach Tombstone and
are turned loose on the town. Most
immediately head out to celebrate the

Man Clanton. His three sons—Ike, Phineas, Dodge and have his friend Wyatt Earp
and William—all ride with him, but it’s come to Tombstone for a spell.
Curly Bill Brocius who calls the shots
when the old man is not around. Other Recently, the Cowboy’s have been
notables among this scurvy bunch are employed as local muscle by Baron
John Ringo and Frank and Tom McLaury. LaCroix’s Bayou Vermillion railroad as
They can usually rustle up 20 to 30 enforcers. They don’t know anything
followers and hangers-on when the need about the deeper mysteries of the Bayou
arises. Vermillion operation—yet

Clanton’s boys have raided the Ghost Their ranks of the cowboys have also
Trail several times, but they’re too well- been bolstered recently by a few soft-
known to really give it a go without spoken Mexican ruffians. These are
blowing their comfortable position in actually advance scouts for Santa Anna.
Tombstone. It wouldn’t take much of The General has no plans on invading
an excuse for the local’s favorite Texas Tombstone at this time, but he’s scouting
Ranger, Hank Ketchum, to round up out the territory for the future. The
a posse and put the Cowboys out of Cowboys have no idea about their new
business for good. members high connections south of the
border, but other folks in town have been
These no-goods are smart enough to wondering lately…
realize this, so they’ve mostly stuck to
rustling. When they’re not tearing things Curly Bill Brocius
up in town, they’re usually south of the
border liberating some poor Mexican Curly Bill is the number two man
rancher’s livestock. in the Cowboys, and he’s got plans for
becoming the head honcho. He’s tired of
They bring the cattle north and rustling cattle and wants to move on to
sell them to the local ranchers and bigger and better things like banks and
restaurants. Sometimes, for a change of stagecoaches.
pace, they steal local cattle and sell them
in Mexico. Despite numerous complaints, He knows that if he just upped and
Sheriff Behan has taken no action killed Old Man Clanton, it would split
against them. the gang. Instead, he’s been biding his
time, waiting for the chance to arrange
It’s best to stay indoors after the an “accident” for the geezer. Bill has been
Cowboys return from one of their the man brokering the gang’s deal with
“cattle drives.” They like to celebrate Bayou Vermillion as well. It’s all part of
by partaking in what they like to call consolidating his position.
“a jollification.” This consists of getting
dead drunk at Ike’s Place (Ike Clanton’s Profile:
very own restaurant) and then tearing Curly Bill Brocius
around on horseback, shooting at
anything that moves. Corporeal: D:2d8, N:2d8, S:3d10, Q:4d6,
V:2d8
Things have calmed down a bit of late,
ever since Doc Holliday came to town. Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’
He’s had a few run-ins with the Cowboys 4d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, quick draw 5d6,
and lived to tell it—even laugh in that shootin’: pistol, shotgun 4d8, sneak 2d8
consumptive way of his.
Mental: C:3d8, K:3d6, M:2d8, Sm:2d8,
The Cowboys don’t know how to Sp:3d6
handle someone who isn’t afraid of
dying, and are worried he might make Animal wranglin’ 4d8, bluff 3d8, gamblin’
good on his threat to send a wire to 3d8, guts 4d6, leadership 3d8, overawe
4d8, persuasion 2d8, scrutinize 3d8,
380 Posse  search 2d8, trackin’ 4d8

Edges: Brawny 3
Hindrances: Hankerin/mild: opium –1,

vengeful –3
Pace: 8
Size: 6
Wind: 14

Gear: Double-action Colt Peacemaker. The Weird West 381
Description: Curly Bill is a plain looking
Unfortunately, it seems the
man, with kinky black hair and a governments of both the USA and CSA
vicious look in his eye. don’t want anyone to know the truth.
Many smaller papers who have run
Johnny Ringo stories like those of the Epitaph have
(a.k.a. John Ringold) had run-ins with the Agents and the
Texas Rangers. The Epitaph is fortunate
Johnny is the most feared Cowboy. He’s that it built up a large audience before
faster than a rattler and meaner than the Rangers knew where it was. Shutting
one when he’s been hitting the bottle. the paper down now would only increase
Tombstone clears the streets when he the credibility of its stories, as would
staggers out of a saloon. banning its distribution. Still, both
organizations keep harassing the Epitaph
Johnny despises Doc Holliday and the staff and reporters to keep as much of
feeling is mutual. They’ve traded lead on the truth suppressed as possible.
at least one occasion, and it’s bound to
happen again. Enterprising heroes who witness an
event or critter that’s more than just
Johnny Ringo a little out of the ordinary can make
a little extra cash selling their stories.
Corporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:3d6, Q:4d10, The Epitaph pays a half cent a word for
V:3d6 articles, $10 for sketches, and $15 and
up for photographs. All submissions are
Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’ subject to independent confirmation,
3d8, horse ridin’ 3d8, quick draw 5d10, and while the Epitaph staff are pretty
shootin’: pistol, rifle 5d10, sneak 2d8 credulous people, they’re no fools.

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d8, M:2d6, Sm:2d8, Life in Tombstone
Sp:3d8
It’s been said that “Tombstone has a
Bluff 3d8, gamblin’ 3d8, guts 4d8, overawe man for breakfast,” and that’s not far
4d6, persuasion 2d6, scrutinize 3d8, from the truth. There are a lot of ways
search 2d8, trackin’ 2d8 to meet an unpleasant end in the town—
provided a body can actually make it
Edges: Two-fisted 3 there. Many of the regular inhabitants
Hindrances: Hankerin’/mild: opium –1 take a sort of perverse pride in that fact.

vengeful –3, bloodthirsty –2, mean as a That being said, the average
rattler –2 Tombstone citizen does not live in the
Pace: 8 middle of an ongoing gun battle—it is
Size: 6 possible to walk down the street without
Wind: 14 catching a hunk of lead.
Gear: Twin single-action Colt
Peacemakers. Things get “civilized” about once a
Description: Ringo is a fairly good month, when Hank Ketchum and his
looking fellow, with a bushy black Texas Rangers come through. Hank and
moustache and slicked-back hair his boys generally stop in town for a
few days to rest their mounts before
The Epitaph continuing their patrol of the territory.

Tombstone is, of course, the home of That’s when Curly Bill, Johnny Ringo,
the Tombstone Epitaph, one of the most and the rest of the Cowboys decide
widely read publications on the North they’ve got business to attend to south
American continent.

John Clum is the paper’s editor. He,
along with Lacy O’Malley and the rest of
the staff, is convinced something sinister
has happened that has changed the
nature of reality. Clum’s goal, and that
of the Epitaph, is to make the average
person aware of what’s going on before
it’s too late.

of the border. While the Rangers are OK Corral: This is the place to go for
in town, things stay pretty quiet. Even a wagon or horse. Of course, prices are
Sheriff Behan gives his mouth a rest for two to three times what they would be
a few days. Back East.

Of course, once they pull out it doesn’t Oriental Saloon: A good place for
take long for things to get back to a game of faro or poker. The place has
normal—but it’s nice while it lasts. gained some notoriety as the favorite
haunt of the deadly dentist, Doc Holliday.
Tombstone Locales
Schieffelin Hall: A fine theater
Bird Cage Theater: The Bird Cage erected by Ed Schieffelin. This is the
often has some splendid entertainment. largest adobe building in North America.
The comedian Eddie Foy has graced
the establishment a number of times. Tombstone City Hall: John Clum’s
Aspiring thespians be warned, however. other office. He’s also mayor of
Tombstone crowds can be hard on acts Tombstone.
that aren’t up to snuff.
Tombstone Epitaph Office: The
Boot Hill: The epitaphs on some of home office of the most controversial
the tombstones demonstrate the grim paper in North America.
humor of the citizenry of Tombstone..
Famous Folks
Cochise County Courthouse: This is
where Justice of the Peace Wells Spicer Here’s the lowdown on two of
passes judgment on the miscreants Tombstone, Arizona’s most famous folks.
Fred White manages to round up. Spicer John Henry “Doc” Holliday, and Hank
has no love for the Cowboys, but he is “One-Eye” Ketchum.
powerless to do anything until someone
is finally able to arrest them. Doc Holliday

Crystal Palace Saloon: Lunch is free John Henry Holliday came West in ’72,
here—provided it’s washed down with after being diagnosed with tuberculosis,
the expensive house beer. The place was hoping that the dry weather around these
originally called the Fredericksburg Lager parts would do his poor lungs some
Beer Depot, but the owners decided to good. Although he sometimes practiced
spruce the place up with some crystal dentistry, hence the nickname “Doc,” he
stemware and big mirrors. made most of his money playing cards.

Episcopal Church: The divine truth A real student of card games, Doc’s
is explained here every Sunday by the one of the sharpest gamblers in the
Reverend Endicott Peabody. Weird West. There’s absolutely no risk
he’s afraid to take, and that goes double
Fly’s Gallery: C. S. Fly will away from the poker table.
immortalize a likeness for posterity for
the pittance of a mere $2. Doc is a dangerous man to cross, and
many men have discovered that fact too
Grand Hotel: A fine establishment late to make any difference to anyone but
with comfortable rooms. Doc Holliday is their heirs. He has a quick temper and
currently staying here with his paramour, does not hesitate to take action when
Big Nose Kate. provoked. Because of his touchy trigger,
he’s made a lot more enemies for himself
Ike’s Place: Ike Clanton owns this than friends.
restaurant, so it’s a favorite hangout of
the Cowboys. The food is mediocre but He’s deeply loyal to those he’s got,
cheap. Rest assured that all the steaks in though. Doc is close friends with Wyatt
the place were mooing en Español a few Earp. A few months before coming to
days previously. Tombstone, Doc was in Dodge City and
saved Wyatt from a horde of angry
382 Posse  cowboys.

Doc is also an accomplished huckster,
and has been twiddling the cards in an
arcane way for several years.

Lately Holliday has been seen in the Edges: Arcane background: huckster 3,
company of a bounty hunter named two-fisted 3, “the voice”: grating
Alexander Graves, and actually saved
Grave’s life in a gunfight with the Hindrances: Ailin’/fatal: consumption
Cowboys. For full details on Alexander –5, death wish –5, hankerin’/mild:
Graves (as well as a passel of other law alcohol –1, loyal: Wyatt Earp, Big Nose
fogs and outlaws) check out the Law Kate –3
Dogs sourcebook.
Pace: 8
Doc is dying, and he knows it. He’s Size: 6
looking to go out in a blaze of glory if Wind: 12
given half a chance. Special Abilities:

Doc Holliday Huckster: hexslingin’ 7, Hexes: Helpin’
hand, hunch, missed me!, phantom
Corporeal: D:2d10, N:2d8, S:2d6, Q:3d10, fingers, private eye, soul blast,
V:1d6 trinkets

Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’ Gear: Twin double-action Colt
2d8, horse ridin’ 4d8, quick draw: pistol Peacemakers, a deck of cards
6d10, shootin’: pistol, shotgun 6d10, and a selection of bloodstained
sneak 4d8 handkerchiefs.

Mental: C:3d8, K:2d10, M:2d6, Sm:2d8, Description: Doc is handsome fellow,
Sp:2d6 if a bit thin and pale from his
consumption. He has brown hair and a
Bluff 4d8, gamblin’ 6d8, guts 5d6, moustache.
language: Latin 2d10, medicine: general
2d10, overawe 5d6, persuasion 2d6, Hank “One-Eye” Ketchum
professional: dentistry 4d10, scrutinize
3d8, search 2d8 One of the most famous Texas Rangers
is Hank “One-Eye” Ketchum. Hank
understands the strange events that
plague the Weird West better than most.
Besides dealing with it on a daily basis,
he got his nickname from an rather
gruesome event.

Ketchum was in the field hospital
at Gettysburg on the last day of the
battle. There a surgeon was possessed
by an evil spirit and began hacking off
patients’ body parts. The most famous
victim was General John Bell Hood, who
watched “the Butcher” take off one of
his arms. The madman plucked out
Hank’s eye with a surgeon’s probe, but
the indomitable Ketchum and a few other
survivors chased the Butcher off

Hank spent years hunting for the
Butcher, and finally tracked him to Dodge
city last year, right around Independence
day. While the butchers evil was stopped
for a while, things didn’t work out exactly
as Ketchum planned. Check out the City
o’ Gloom boxed set for full details on
what exactly happened after Hank left
Dodge (in Independence Day dime novel).

Hank’s a survivor. He’s not the fastest
gun, but he stands his ground and keeps
firing until he’s dead or his target quits
twitching.

A recent incident that illustrates this The Weird West 385
is that of the Gravy River Gang. He
captured them in southern Texas single- are said to be home to a weird sea-hag
handedly. What’s more amazing is he that wrecks ships. The hills of Kentucky
managed to stay awake and keep guard are full of nameless horrors beyond
over these ornery rascals for five straight imagining. There supposedly even a
days on the trip back to the Ranger mischievous poltergeist living in the
outpost at El Paso. basement of the New York City Public
Library that rewrites certain books when
Profile: Hank Ketchum the librarians shut off the lights at night.

Corporeal: D:3d10, N:3d10, S:3d10, Q:2d8, In Europe, the French are plotting
V:4d12 revenge for their defeat by the Prussians
in ’70. That’s partly why they’re in
Climbin’ 1d10, dodge 3d10, fightin’: brawlin’, America trying to get ghost rock.
knife 4d10, horse ridin’ 3d10, quick
draw : pistol 1d10, shootin’: pistol, rifle, Russia and Turkey are also preparing
shotgun 4d10, sneak 2d10 for war. Experts agree these merciless
foes and their “battle in the Balkans”
Mental: C:2d8, K:2d6, M:4d10, Sm:3d8, will result in furious bloodlettings in
Sp:2d6 the ancient Caucaus Mountains. The
tiniest spark could set this long-standing
Area knowledge: Weird West 2d6, guts powderkeg off.
3d10, language: Spanish 1d6, overawe
5d10, scrutinize 2d8, search 2d8, The British are having their fill with
streetwise 3d8, survival: desert 3d8, the Zulus and Boers in South Africa.
trackin’ 3d8 Most look for a major war, and the locals
claim the Zulus’ practice of witchcraft
Edges: Brave 2, law man 5, nerves o’ is more potent than ever before, which
steel 1, rank: Texas Rangers 2, sand 2, could be bad news for the Brits.
tough as nails 3
In Egypt, bizarre cults claim to have re-
Hindrances: Big britches –3, enemy: awakened the old gods. Human sacrifices
Northerners and the Cowboy gang to Anubis and the other dark gods are
–2, oath: track down the Butcher said to be near epidemic proportions. In
–2, obligation: shoot or recruit the another kind of strangeness, mummified
supernatural –5 remains are incredibly common in north
Africa, and wealthy Europeans are said
Pace: 10 to be purchasing them for “unwrapping”
Size: 6 parties back home. You can imagine just
Wind: 18 what kind of trouble this has caused in
Gear: Two double-action Colt some cases.

Peacemakers, a Winchester `76 rifle, The Far East is also getting weird.
a Bowie knife and three speed-load Sources in Japan claim the “oni” have
cylinders.. returned, spirits likely similar to Christian
Description: Ketchum is a bear of a demons or Indian manitous. China’s not
man, with a bushy white beard and an faring much better.
eye-patch.
As for Australia, you don’t want to
The Weird know what’s up “down under.”
World
We’ll get to these foreign locales as
Evil doesn’t recognize borders. There time rolls on. For now, the action focuses
are just as many haunts in England as on the American West. If you want your
in the Black Hills of the Dakotas. More, posse to travel abroad, you’ll have to
actually, since the English have had a few make up the details until then.
thousand more years of blood-drenched,
“civilized” history to find them. Happy Trails, Marshal!

The West may be weird, but the rest
of the continent is besieged by the
supernatural as well. The Great Lakes

The Adventure

Comin’ ‘Round The
Mountain

Now that you know how to play this Once Mary’s Despair docked, the
crazy game, you’re no doubt itchin’ to monster slipped off and began
round up a posse and hit the trail. Well, multiplying—at the expense of a number
we’ve got just the twisted tale for you of Boston’s citizens. It wasn’t long before
to spring on a bunch of unsuspectin’ the Agency’s office in the city was
cowpokes! alerted to the menace. Acting with its
usual secrecy, the organization quickly
Settle in while we spin you a little identified the problem and took steps to
yarn about trains, bugs, and the walkin eliminate the husker infestation.
‘dead.
Problem Solved…?
The Story
So Far A few days burned buildings, and
corpses later, the situation was well in
A few weeks ago, a ship called Mary’s hand. However, the field agents realized
Despair docked in the port of Boston. the husker was a type of abomination
She carried an innocent cargo of they had never before encountered. After
bananas from Honduras. Or so her crew a high level conference in Washington,
thought. A creature called a “husker” had the organization decided the creature
crept aboard Mary’s Despair the night warranted further study.
before the ship sailed for Boston. The
thing is a man-sized, insect-like monster They left one of the monsters alive.
with the extraordinarily nasty habit of The Agency felt the creature was
reproducing by planting its eggs inside too dangerous to leave on the highly
populated East Coast, however, so they
other animals. arranged to have the abomination
shipped to one of its remote Western
offices for study.

Two field operatives, Laura Giles and Chapter One:
Allan Seyberth, were assigned to guard Tickets Please!
the shipment as it traveled west on
an old locomotive named the Skyline The first portion of the adventure
Steamer. All in all, it should have been an is intended to let the players get a feel
easy assignment. for the Skyline Steamer, its crew, and
passengers. If they’re strangers, they also
This is where the heroes come in. have a little time to meet each other and
introduce their characters.
Bushwhacked!
As we mentioned before, the point of
Philip Clarkson gave a law-abiding departure and destination aren’t really
life a try—for almost one whole month. important to the adventure’s plot—use
Now he’s moving up to the big time— whatever works for your particular game!
train-robbing. He’s rigged a trestle over
a shallow gorge with dynamite. When The story picks up as the train climbs
the next train comes, he and his gang of into the higher elevations of the Rocky
losers will blow it and loot the baggage Mountains.
cars.
The Train
Clarkson has no idea about the
presence of the Agency or their special The train consists of a locomotive,
cargo. He just figures he’s on to an easy coal car, three passenger cars, dining
score. car, baggage car and a caboose. Don’t
worry about mapping out who is where
He doesn’t know how wrong he is. inside the train—it’s all about to blow up
anyway.
The Setup
Locomotive
This is the easy part—all that’s
necessary to begin the adventure is During daytime hours, engineer Pete
that the posse be riding on the Skyline Franklin and fireman M. A. Maggert can
Steamer, a west-bound Denver-Pacific be found here. At night, King White is
train somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. normally at the controls and Jane Hunt is
Have each of the players tell you why his fireman.
their characters are heading further
west. They could have boarded the train Coal Car
anywhere from Boston to Denver, so
you can accommodate a wide variety of The steep climb through the pass
character types. places a good deal of strain on the
engine. Coaling stations are few and far
You can have some of the characters between in the mountain wilderness, so
know each other if you want, or make the coal car is slightly larger than those
them all complete strangers. You couldn’t found on trains servicing the flat lands.
ask for an easier way to get a party
together. “Sleeper” Car

The story is intended to be run during Unlike some of the richer rail cars
either early spring or late fall—either Back East, this sleeper car is sparsely
just after the mountain passes have furnished. The sleeping compartments
opened or just before they close. However, are actually wooden cubbyholes stacked
depending on the weather conditions, two high running the length of the car.
just about any season is acceptable. Each comes with a thin feather-stuffed
mattress. A small curtain can be drawn
388 Posse  across the compartment to provide
a small amount of privacy for the
passenger.

There are a total of 20 berths on the Round the Mountain 389
car. For this trip, other passengers occupy
four of those berths, leaving 16 available Baggage Car
for posse members.
This car is locked and off-limits to
The four passengers occupying the passengers. All the travelers’ personal
sleeper car are Penelope Brown, Gregory effects are stored here, along with
Dawson, Laura Giles, and Allan Seyberth two bags of mail and a large, well-
(see Passengers, below). constructed crate.

Passenger Cars Any low-down skunk willing to
poke through other folks’ belongings or
There are two passenger cars on mail can find a few, easily concealable
the train. Each one has 10 double- valuables here. A Fair (5) scroungin’ roll
sided benches, each side of which nets the thief $5 dollars in goods plus an
can comfortably seat two passengers additional $5 for every raise. This roll can
(meaning each one can seat 40 only be attempted once per hero (and we
passengers total). use that term loosely here!). If the pilferer
gets two raises, she finds either Laura
Many sleeper car ticket-holders spend or Allan’s Gatling pistol hidden in their
much of the daytime hours in this car— baggage as well.
there are no seating accommodations in
the sleeper. Also, most passengers try to The heavily-boarded and chained crate,
garner an entire bench for themselves so marked “Property of the Boston Museum
they’ll have a little room to stretch out at of Fine Art,” holds the Agency’s husker.
night. For details on the creature, see Chapter
Three of this adventure. Anyone who
On this particular trip, there are few makes a Hard (9) Cognition roll while
regular passengers. Only seven other closely examining the crate detects the
passengers are spread through the two sound of something fairly large shifting
cars leaving plenty of room for the its weight inside the crate. Short of using
heroes to stretch out. a crowbar to pry the boards loose, there’s
no way to see what’s inside.
Dining Car
Seyberth comes back here at least
This car has a dining area and twice a day to check on the crate. Using
small kitchen. The dining area holds Agency connections, he and his partner
four booths capable of seating four have secured permission to enter the
passengers at a time and a small bar baggage car as long as the conductor
with three stools. The kitchen contains a is with him. He explains his presence to
wood stove, a couple of prep tables and any nosy posse members by saying he is
a tiny larder. Passengers aren’t normally carrying a valuable piece of sculpture for
allowed into the kitchen, and while crew exhibit in a Salt Lake City.
members are, the cook, Harold Buchanan,
becomes grumpy if they raid his larder. Caboose

Because there are so few passengers This is where the crew (except the
on this leg of the journey, the larder cook) spends most of its free time. There
is barely half full. All meals must be are eight bunks in the caboose. The men
bought separately ($2 each). are fairly happy on this trip because
there are only five of them, which means
Between meal hours, the dining car each man has his own bunk and plenty
also serves as an informal lounge. of room.
Passengers occasionally scare up a poker
game to pass the hours, and the cook
serves drinks until 10 PM.

Harold has a small bunk at the back
of the kitchen.

Fellow Passengers The Agents

Here are the posse’s fellow passengers. The Agency has assigned two field
Penelope Brown: Penelope is a pretty red- operatives to guard the husker on its trip
headed, mail-order bride heading West to meet West. Laura Giles, a well-tested agent
her new husband. She’s not thrilled with the with years of field work under her belt,
arrangement, it did get her out of Pittsburgh. is in charge of the mission.
Penelope is a sleeper car passenger.
Richard Chasen: Richard is a deserter from The two agents make little contact in
the Confederate Army. He avoids any obvious public. Laura believes it best to conceal
lawmen or soldiers of either country. any connections, particularly from the
Gregory Dawson: With his carefully groomed reporter, Denise Merritt. The last thing
black hair and mustache, Dawson cuts quite they need is a nosy muckraker spilling
a figure. He’s always impeccably dressed and the beans!
frequents the lounge. However, he’s nothing more
than a shyster looking to sell a fake “treasure The creature appeared to be in a
map” to whoever will buy it ($1000). comatose state when they captured it,
Jacob Emmet: Jacob is a middle-aged Mormon so they don’t expect too much trouble.
missionary. Most of the other passengers are a Nonetheless, Allan checks the crate at
bit uncomfortable around him thanks to rumors least twice a day.
abound about the “goings-on” in Deseret.
Laura Giles: See The Agency, below. Lately, Allan has noticed the thing in
Denise Merritt: Denise is very nosty and the crate is awake. This has him a little
continually quizzes the heroes and anyone else on edge. If it breaks free, he knows he’ll
about their lives and experiences. She’s trying to be torn between killing it to prevent its
make a living as a freelance reporter or dime- escape and trying to capture it alive so
novelist, but hasn’t gotten a break yet. The husker he can complete his assignment. Laura
story might be her big break. has no compunctions—she’ll kill it on
Allan Seyberth: See The Agency, below. sight and thinks that’s what should have
Abiel and Aloysius Squatpump: These twin been done in the first place.
brothers are crude, grimy, trappers heading West
for better game than they found in Kentucky. Laura Giles
The Wilson family: Rick, Jenny, and their
two boys, Amos and Jethro, are traveling to visit Laura is an attractive woman in her
relatives. The boys are rotten enough to be Satan’s late 20s. She’s an experienced operative,
cabana boys. with more than four years in the field.
There’s little she hasn’t seen, or at least
The Crew heard of

Harold Buchanan. A middle-aged, balding She’s posing as the spoiled daughter of
man with a belly. He’s the train’s cook and a wealthy cattle baron on a sight-seeing
bartender. tour. If the posse becomes suspicious,
she embellishes her story by hinting that
John Crocker. The train’s stern conductor. she’s running from an arranged marriage
Pete Franklin. The quiet, business-like, with an unsavory suitor.
daytime engineer.
Jane Hunt. Jane is a husky, middle-aged Although she keeps a low profile,
woman who serves as King’s fireman. Laura is the agent-in-charge of the
M. A. Maggert. “Mean-Ass” is a the daytime transport operation. She’s a canny
fireman. He’s crude and starts trouble constantly. sort and keeps a close eye on her
King White. King is the nighttime locomotive surroundings and fellow passengers.
operator. He’s the most experienced member of Little escapes her notice.
the crew and always polite to paying passengers.
Laura’s statistics are the same as for
the standard Agency operative on page
306.

Allan Seyberth

Allan is a well-dressed young man in
his mid-20s. He looks a bit like a tinhorn,
but a few minutes of conversation
quickly dispels that misconception. An

air of confidence and self-assurance Round the Mountain 391
virtually radiates from him.
Man-Huntin’
Allan professes to be a representative
of a museum back in Boston. However, Penelope isn’t particularly thrilled
a hero making an Onerous (7) scrutinize about being a mail-order bride, but she
roll notices his hands are rough from didn’t see any future in staying in a mill
hard work—not what one would expect town like Pittsburgh. And she hated the
from a museum liaison. smoke and fumes from the factories.

Use the stats for the standard Agency She’s liable to latch onto any hero
operative from page 306. who’s obviously got a fair amount of
money, or, failing that, any male posse
Passin’ the Time member with a high Mien Trait (d10 or
above). The target of her affections soon
Let the players get into their learns she’s quite affectionate, but her
characters and get to know each other plans are for a permanent relationship.
better by passing a little time before the
action starts in the next chapter. Here Snoopin’ About
are a few subplots you can use to keep
things happening if the posse doesn’t get The more curious members of the
into trouble on their own. posse might start nosing about the train.
That’s fine, but the conductor tries to
Babysittin’ restrict them to the sleeper, passenger
and dining cars.
The Wilson boys are Hellions. Their
parents look for any opportunity Getting into the baggage car requires a
to shuck the kids off onto other fairly clever plan to distract Harold from
unsuspecting adults. his kitchen, or an Onerous (7) persuasion
or bluff roll. Even once she’s gotten past
Should a posse member be unlucky Harold, the cowpoke has to avoid the
enough to get saddled with the kids—and conductor and Allan as she pilfers the
the Wilsons are practiced at this sort contents of the car.
of thing!—he’ll find them more than a
handful. The two are constantly causing More adventurous heroes might
trouble and are downright mean about even try climbing outside the cars and
it. They love to start adults fighting by crossing the roof. It takes a Fair (5)
stealing small items and planting them climbin’ roll to accomplish this between
on another, throwing food and then the cars, but an Onerous (7) roll to scale
looking away, or planting a card in a the sides from a window. If she fails
gambler’s sleeve. the roll, she can’t find a route up; going
bust means she’s fallen from the train,
Gamblin’ taking 3d6+15 damage. Now she’s also
faced with getting back on the moving
Dawson quickly gets a poker game train, but we’ll leave those details to you,
running in the dining car. He plays Marshal.
an honest game for an hour or so,
then starts cheating. Use the Shyster Bounty
archetype’s statistics should Dawson get
in a fight. There are no special rewards to dole
out yet. Just make sure you reward
He plays with several of the other players for roleplaying their characters
passengers if the party isn’t interested. and interacting with the train’s other
passengers.
If the stakes get high, Dawson is
quick to offer up his “treasure map.” He
acts like this is worth far more than the
“measly thousand” he’s asking for it, but
his “ill health—(hack, hack)—won’t let him
pursue this incredible wealth.”

Chapter Two: Put on the Brakes!
This is a
Stickup! Moments later, Harold notices the
baggage car and caboose have been
Sometime after the posse’s had ample released. He rushes to the locomotive to
time to wander about the train, meet let Pete know. By the time he reaches the
each other, and get to know a few of the locomotive, the train has nearly reached
passengers, the iron horse rounds a tight the top of the incline.
curve and begins to climb a steep grade.
At the top of the mile-long incline is the The engineer begins to bleed steam
trestle Clarkson and his bandits have and slow the train as it crests the incline.
rigged with explosives.
Kaboom!
Trouble in
the Baggage Car As the train reaches the top of the
mountain, the posse hears a large
Just before the train begins to climb BOOM! from somewhere ahead. A cloud
the grade, Allan Seyberth makes a trip of dust rises to the front and the high
to check on the husker. His nervousness pitched whine of metal pierces the air as
over the movement in the crate causes Maggert yanks on the brakes.
the operative to head back to the car
without the conductor, Crocker. Clarkson has detonated the explosives,
demolishing the trestle. He’d figured the
What Allan doesn’t know is that train would be under full steam and
the husker has already succeeded in not be able to stop in time to avoid
breaking out of its crate. When he enters plummeting into the canyon. He had no
the car, the monster blinds him with its idea the engineer would have already
poison and quickly dispatches him. begun to slow the Skyline Steamer.

In the meantime, Crocker has learned The other passengers shout and
from Harold that Allan has entered the scream when the dynamite explodes.
car without him. He heads back to the Then, as the brakes begin to grab,
car just in time to see the monster kill everyone is tossed about the inside of
the Agent. Crocker bolts for the door to the cars.
the dining car.
Into the Chasm!
Once there, with adrenaline boosting
his strength, he pulls the linchpin The locomotive is unable to come to
between the cars. As the last two cars a complete halt before tumbling into
begin to separate from the train, the the gorge. Fortunately, it’s going slow
husker lunges from the baggage car and enough that only the engine and coal
snatches the heroic Crocker, dragging car are dropped over the edge. The coal
him back with it to the tall conductor’s car comes to rest atop the engine and
doom. prevents the rest of the train from being
pulled over the edge.
By this time, the train is over halfway
up the slope. None of this causes any Passengers in the caboose or the
noise or should be noticed by the posse. sleeper, passenger, or baggage cars take
2d6 damage when the train slams to a
392 Posse  halt. Anyone unlucky enough to be in
the locomotive takes 5d6+25 from the
plummet and crash. Determine the total
number of wounds and apply each to a
random hit location as massive damage.

Any hero on the coal car at the time
of the crash takes 3d6+15 damage. He
finds himself lying at the bottom of the
gorge, just clear of the wreck when he
regains his sense.

Bailing Out Round the Mountain 393

A quick thinker might decide to Shootout
abandon the train before the crash.
Those who do must make Fair (5) Only the heroes are likely to be in any
Nimbleness rolls or take 1d6+5 points of condition to fire back on the robbers.
damage. Going bust on the roll doubles With the exception of Harold, the cook,
the damage. the train crew is out of action. The other
passengers are either unarmed or too
Dang It! Now We shaken up to mount any real resistance.
Have to Shoot ‘Em
The train wreck provides good cover,
Clarkson can’t disappoint his already but the posse tries to hole up too long,
surly gang or they might lynch him, so Clarkson lobs a stick of dynamite at
now he has to shoot it out with the their car. Throwing it through a window
survivors. gives him a –4 modifier to his throwin’
roll, and if he misses, it detonates
The area near the trestle is lightly outside. The walls of the car provide 3
forested and strewn with a few boulders. levels of armor against the explosion (i.e.,
The outlaws are hiding among the trees 3d8 damage instead of 3d20).
and rocks on both sides of the tracks.
Clarkson is farthest from the trestle, If the fight turns sharply against the
located near the end of the dining car heroes, the Squatpumps, the cook, and
once the train has stopped. The others Laura Giles come out of their shock and
are dispersed evenly along the tracks pitch in.
leading to the bridge.
The bandits have their horses hidden
Clarkson has two train robbers for nearby. Should they start to take heavy
each member of the posse. Use the casualties, they break and run for their
statistics for standard bandits found on mounts, taking any spare horses with
page 282. them as they go. Remember they’re
mostly cowards, so they won’t fight to
As soon as the heroes begin moving the death.
about or try to leave the train, the
outlaws open fire. They concentrate on
whoever seems to be doing the most
damage first, any law dogs second, and
the cowpoke with the biggest gun next.

What a Mess! Laura directs her comments at the
most capable-looking passengers, the
After the train robbers have been posse. She fully intends to go herself,
chased off, the passengers set about but, armed with only a Derringer, isn’t
assessing their situation. Things look enthusiastic about running into the
grim indeed. husker alone. If none of the heroes
volunteer, she specifically asks for their
The locomotive and coal car are help, possibly hinting that her valuables
effectively destroyed. Pete Franklin and were truly valuable and offering a small
M. A. Maggert were killed in the crash. ($50) reward if they’ll help her recover
Everyone on the train is at least slightly them. Harold, feeling some responsibility
injured, although the incident seems to as the only crew member present, agrees
have made the Wilson boys even meaner. to go as well.
The conductor, night crew, and Allan
Seyberth are missing, along with the The rest of the passengers sit tight
baggage car and caboose. unless otherwise directed. Richard
Chassen suggests they build a fire and
The only member of the crew prepare defenses in case the bandits
remaining is Harold, the cook. He says return.
the train is at least 50 miles from the
nearest station and a fairly cold night The Boxcar
isn’t far away. He adds that his larder is
poorly stocked and the food won’t last Fear Level 2
more than another day or so. The trip down the mountain should
slowly build a feeling of uneasiness in
Where’s the Rest of the heroes. The trees seem even darker
the Train? and denser than before, and the patches
of snow muffle sounds, making the pass
One of the most pressing concerns almost unnaturally quiet.
is what happened to the rest of the The boxcar and caboose rolled back
train. No one, not even Harold, has an down the hill, then jumped track at
idea. Dawson puts forth the suggestion the sharp curve at the bottom of the
that the missing cars are related to the incline. Now they lie upended on an
robbery. embankment above a small stream.

Laura Giles has other ideas—she’s Anybody Home?
pretty sure the Agency’s special delivery
is involved, although she won’t say so. A quick scan of the area turns up no
Instead, she does her best “maiden in sign of the crew or Seyberth. A little
distress” act and asks: searching reveals several clues. As the
heroes search different parts of the
“I’m terribly worried about the wreck, reveal the following clues:
rest of the train. Why don’t some
of you take a walk down the Around the Baggage Car: A Hard (9)
tracks and see what happened? I search or a Fair (5) trackin’ reveals
can’t imagine a train car could get someone in boots was dragged up the
that far, especially since they broke opposite slope into the pinewoods. A
loose near the bottom of the hill. raise also finds marks in the snow that
look suspiciously like the dragger was
“It’s getting near dark and I think walking on stilts (the husker’s prints).
we should try to recover as much
of our belongings as possible. It Inside the Baggage Car: A Fair (5) search
looks to me like we’re in for a long roll finds evidence that someone lost a
stay—or hike.” fair amount of blood there. A raise or a
separate Onerous (7) medicine roll tells
394 Posse  the cowpoke that there were probably
two victims inside. One of these was
Allan Seyberth, the other was the
conductor, John Crocker.

The searcher also notes the only Round the Mountain 395
seriously damaged object in the car is
the “museum” crate. “spoiled young lady” routine. If the posse
becomes too obsessed with the odd
If the searcher goes through the clues they found, she suggests wolves
strewn baggage, she finds Seyberth’s dragged the bodies away.
Gatling pistol on an Onerous (7) search.
Laura is very nervous about being
The Crate: A Hard (9) search roll tells near the husker when darkness falls.
the hero the crate was broken open Feigning concern about said wolves, or,
from the inside! Scratches on the inside if that doesn’t work, the train robbers
indicate something had been working to returning, Laura attempts to hustle the
free itself for some time. group back to the wreck.

The Caboose A hero making a Fair In her haste, her guard drops a little.
(5) search roll finds more blood here. A Any sharp-eyed cowpoke who makes an
raise detects signs of a struggle, and Onerous (7) scrutinize roll notices she’s a
two raises finds the same, strange stilt- bit more sure-footed going back than she
like prints in the area. This is where the was coming down.
crewmen in the caboose were finished
off. Bounty

Laura’s Tale Each clue discovered: 1 white chip to
whoever found it.
Laura is quick to secure—and hide—her
own Gatling pistol. If she used the story Attempting to aid the other
of recovering her “valuables” to get the passengers after the wreck: 1 white
party to help, she pretends some small chip to those involved. That’s why we
piece of costume jewelry is an old family call ‘em heroes, Marshal.
heirloom.
Defeating Clarkson’s bandits: 1 red
What Happened? chip each.

The posse is free to make whatever Enemy: If he survived his botched
assumptions they’d like about the robbery, Clarkson might hold the posse
occurrences at the boxcar. Laura, of responsible and track them down later.
course, has a very good idea about
what’s going on, but keeps this to
herself. For now, she continues the

Chapter Three: of something scuttling across the rocks
Night on Cold on the side of the pass. Of course,
anyone brave (or foolish) enough to head
Mountain into the darkness to investigate the
sounds that night finds nothing.
By the time the heroes return to the
main wreck, nightfall is minutes away. In the morning, a successful Hard (9)
The deathly still is broken only by the trackin’ roll uncovers stilt-like tracks
lonely sound of a wolf’s howl somewhere all over the slopes above the wreckage.
in the distance. Whatever is out there is nearby, and it’s
been watching them!
With night comes a teeth-chattering
chill. Now would be a good time to use Laura Comes Clean…
those rules for extreme cold we gave Sort Of
you on page 226; the temperature drops
to 20 degrees after dark in this part of By morning, Laura is certain the
the Rockies. A good bonfire can offset abomination is out and prowling.
the effects of the cold, however, so if the Although she has no intention of
passengers or posse built one, they’re revealing herself to the heroes, she
fine. does decide to try to nudge them into
eliminating the abomination.
The events at the boxcar should have
the heroes a little uneasy. Something Sometime after a rough breakfast, she
unknown is prowling in the woods approaches the most outspoken member
surrounding them and they’re miles from of the posse and pleads her case:
nowhere. Harold helpfully points this out
as he serves a makeshift dinner, if the “I didn’t want to say anything
heroes don’t mention it themselves. before, but I think I know what’s
going on. Earlier in the trip, that
By the time the meal is finished, all Mr. Seyberth let slip that he wasn’t
of the passengers are jumpy, seeing the really carrying any sculpture. I
bogie man behind every tree or rock. couldn’t get him to go into details,
but I’m pretty sure he had some
The Woods are Lonely, sort of animal back there.
Dark, and Deep
“Whatever it was must have
The husker hasn’t been wasting been pretty ferocious and I think
its time. Taking the bodies from the it’s out there right now hunting
boxcar and caboose, it quickly planted us. I can’t imagine what it wanted
hatchlings and buried them in a small with those poor people’s dead
clearing above the bend. Then it stalked bodies, but I’m sure it’s something
the posse back to the main wreckage. very, very bad.

After the passengers begin to settle in “I’m pretty scared—we’re in the
for the night, the husker rounds up other middle of nowhere and there’s
corpses from the pass. It begins with no one to turn to for help. What’s
the crewmen in the locomotive if no one worse is if that thing were to
pulled them from the wreckage, then it escape and get to someplace
moves on to any dead bandits. where there were other folks not
expecting it.
As the night progresses, any hero on
guard should make a Fair (5) Cognition “I just wish there was someone
roll. On a success, she hears the sound here who could do something.”

396 Posse  If the hero doesn’t take the bait, Laura
nudges a little harder.

“You and your companions could
probably handle it, if you set your
mind to it.”

It shouldn’t take any more incentive Round the Mountain 397
than that, but if the posse continues
to balk, Laura offers a small monetary The drag marks lead the heroes
incentive and builds to her final through thick pine growths. The trees
offer—$100 now and another $400 when are so close the posse can only see a
they reach civilization. few feet in any direction. Crouching to
the ground allows a hero to see further,
Laura herself doesn’t offer to go. She but the trunks of the trees and deadfalls
knows if the attempt to destroy the confuse any details.
monster fails, she has to take word back
to her superiors. Snow drifts remain under the trees,
and combined with the thick bed of
It may strike the heroes as odd that needles, creates a nearly deafening
a private citizen is so concerned for silence. The heroes can hear nothing
others. Laura answers those concerns outside of their own footsteps as they
by trying to shame the heroes for not trudge further up the slope. Soon, they
hunting the creature out of the goodness are completely enveloped by the forest.
of their hearts. She explains the money
comes from her wealthy father—an The Clearing
inconsistency with her “runaway” story
that a keen cowpoke might catch. Fear Level 3
After a long and exhausting climb up
She doesn’t admit to being a member the steep slope, the trail leads the heroes
of the Agency unless there is no other into a small clearing about 30’ across
way to convince the heroes to undertake at the base of a towering cliff. The rock
the mission. As before, she still won’t face looms over the trees, cloaking the
accompany the heroes, explaining she small open area in perpetual shadow. A
has to carry word back to warn her cave opens into the cliff at the back of
organization. the clearing.
Any cowpoke making an Onerous (7)
The Rest of the Group search roll notices the ground has been
recently churned up. While the posse
Denise Merritt demands that she be won’t know this, the husker buried a
allowed to go along when she learns number of hatchling host bodies (the
of the posse’s mission—though Laura crew and any bandits who were slain) in
demurely tries to talk her out of it. the clearing last night.
As the posse surveys the scene, a
Harold suggests he and the rest of the pale human hand suddenly thrusts up
passengers start preparing to walk. It’s through the ground. The huskers have
two days’ travel in either direction, and awakened! They attack immediately.
the longer they delay, the less food the
group has. Huskers Attack!

The party will wait one day for the As the corpses force their way up,
heroes to return before departing. Laura have the heroes roll surprise. This is a
guarantees she won’t allow them to Fair (5) Cognition roll since the ground
depart before this time. Unfortunately, she and the events of the last few hours have
tells them if they’re not back in a day, inevitably made them wary.
she has to assume they failed.
Don’t forget the Hard (9) guts checks
Into the Woods when they first catch a glimpse of the
corpses, and the -3 for the Fear Level!
The posse can pick up the monster’s
trail in the rocks above the trestle. There are an equal number of
The rocks and hard ground make this hatchlings to posse members. The
difficult and doing so requires a Hard (9) creatures fight to the death. They’re not
trackin’ roll. old enough to know when to run away.

The easier method is to follow the
drag marks up from the wrecked boxcar.
A cowpoke needs only a Fair (5) trackin’
roll to pick up the husker’s trail there.

Hatchling Husker The Life
Cycle of a Husker
Corporeal: D:2d6, N:2d8, Q:3d10, S:2d8,
V:2d8 Husker eggs quickly hatch and grow
inside the bodies of dead animals
Climbin’ 2d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’ (including humans!). Within hours, each
4d8, sneak 3d8, spittin’ 4d6 hatchling is nearly full grown, although
its tough outer shell requires a few days
Mental: C:2d8, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:1d6, Sp:1d4 to harden. During this time, it remains
Search 2d8, trackin’ 2d8 inside the host body as long as possible.
Pace: 10
Size: 6 The husker itself is a spider-like insect
Wind: — with large compound eyes, a pale white
Terror: 9 carapace, and six spiked limbs.
Special Abilities:
The Cave
Armor: 1
Damage: Bite (STR+1d6. The monster The full-grown husker, unlike the
younger hatchlings, has enough sense to
can only make this attack once its avoid a fight it can’t win. It stays hidden
main body has been exposed from in the cave at the back of the clearing.
the host’s torso), Claws (STR. These
are only usable if exposed, either The cave itself is a fairly small one,
by damage or the monster itself. formed from a split in the granite cliff.
Although it has six limbs, it can only It’s only about 40’ deep and consists of a
make a single such attack). small tunnel leading into a single room
Corpse Shell: The hatchling is usually about 10’ across that opens up 5’ from
still encased in a dead body when the entrance. The ceiling in the room is
encountered. The body absorbs barely 7’ at its highest, so claustrophobic
the first wound level (not wound!) folks are going to be uncomfortable.
done to the abomination in each hit
location. Note the hatchling does not The husker has wedged itself into
use the head of the host, so any hits a crack in the ceiling. It waits until a
there are completely wasted. After cowpoke is directly under it to attack.
absorbing one wound, the flesh If the poor sap looks up into the crack,
falls away revealing the insect-like it spits poison in his face (with a +4 to
monstrosity. its roll for the surprise and position)
Fearless and then drops on him. Otherwise it
Poison Spit: The hatchling can spit simply springs on its victim from above.
poison at an opponent. The poison In either case, it gets a +4 bonus to its
is weak, but sufficient to blind a fightin’ rolls on its first action.
man if it hits him in the face. This
requires a called shot to the head The monster tries to disable or blind
from the front. Any cowpoke hit in as many posse members as it can and
the face by a glob must make an then bolts for the exit. Remember, this
Onerous (7) Vigor roll or be blinded critter is smart. It knows its chances of
for 2d20 minutes. beating a well-armed group of humans
Description: Young huskers look like are low.
walkin’ dead until they are exposed
(each location can take one wound If the husker makes the treeline,
before exposing the pale carapace the posse has a hard time finding it. A
beneath). The creature gains control of cowpoke can follow its trail only on an
the host by inserting its legs into the Incredible (11) trackin’ roll.
corpse’s arms and legs. Because the
hatchling doesn’t control the head, it
often lolls lifelessly to the side, dead
eyes staring at nothing.

398 Posse 

Mature Husker Round the Mountain 399

Corporeal: D:2d8, N:3d8, Q:3d10, S:2d10, Bounty
V:2d10
The heroes defeat the hatchlings: 1
Climbin’ 4d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’ red chip each.
5d8, sneak 4d8, spittin’ 4d8
The heroes kill the mature husker: 1
Mental: C:3d8, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:2d6, Sp:1d4 blue chip each.
Search 2d8, trackin’ 2d8
Pace: 12 Grit: Give those who defeated the husker
Size: 6 1 point of Grit.
Wind: —
Terror: 9 Ally: If they succeeded, Laura Giles
Special Abilities: files a favorable report. This may lead
to other jobs for the Agency. Not all
Armor: 3 cowpokes consider that a good thing!
(All others same as younger huskers.)
Description: A mature husker resembles Ally: If they help Denise Merritt get
a cross between a huge insect and a her story, she may one day become
spider. It has six, 3’ to 4’ long legs, two famous and write the heroes’ legends
feeding arms, a small head and thorax, in the pages of the Tombstone Epitaph.
and a large, bulbous abdomen. Large
pinchers protrude from its mouth. The
monster is covered in a very dense
greenish black shell. The older the
creature is, the darker its shell.
The husker moves in a rapid scuttle
most of the time, though it is capable
of enormous leaps and often leaps
onto trees, boulders, or low buildings
when stalking prey. When standing,
the monster’s body is some 3’ feet
above ground. Its thorax and abdomen
are approximately the same size as a
human torso. In spite of its size, the
monster is capable of compressing
itself into small spaces. It prefers
to attack from ambush, its dark
coloration hiding it naturally in
shadows..

Cleanin’ Up

Even if the heroes succeed in
destroying the husker, they’ve got a long
hike ahead of them. The passengers are
going to rely on them for protection,
and it’s possible Clarkson and some of
his gang are still out there looking for
payback.

Once they get to civilization, the posse
has to contend with the attention of
both the press—thanks to Merritt’s story—
and the Agency, courtesy of Laura Giles.
However, if the heroes were successful,
neither is likely to look on them
unfavorably.