Deadlands
Deadlands 1st edition cover, featuring cover art by Brom.
Designer	Shane Lacy Hensley
Publisher	Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Publication date	1996 (1st edition) 2006 (Deadlands: Reloaded)
Genre(s)	Alternate history, Western, Horror, Steampunk
System	Other, d20 System, GURPS, Savage Worlds

Deadlands is a genre-mixing alternate history roleplaying game which combines the Western and horror genres. A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer Shane Lacy Hensley is an Author, Game designer and CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment Group and is currently a resident of Gilbert Arizona. A video game publisher is a company that publishes Video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a Video game developer Pinnacle Entertainment Group is a publisher of Role-playing games and Wargames that is owned and operated by Shane Lacy Hensley and was founded in 1994 Alternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of Speculative fiction (or Science fiction) and Historical fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and Speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s The d20 System is a Role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, commonly known as GURPS, is a Role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published Genre fiction is a term for fictional works ( Novels short stories) written with the intent of fitting into a specific Literary genre Alternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of Speculative fiction (or Science fiction) and Historical fiction A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Steampunk elements are also prominent. Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and Speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s It was written by Shane Lacy Hensley and published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Pinnacle Entertainment Group is a publisher of Role-playing games and Wargames that is owned and operated by Shane Lacy Hensley and was founded in 1994

The eight-times Origins Award-winning setting has been converted to many other systems over the years and is available in the original Classic Rules, the revised Classic Rules, d20 System, GURPS, as well as a Savage Worlds version called Deadlands: Reloaded. The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry The d20 System is a Role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, commonly known as GURPS, is a Role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published

Contents 1 Setting 2 Unique aspects of the Deadlands game 2.1 Spell Casting 2.2 Action Decks 2.3 Fate Chips 2.4 Bounties 2.5 Instant Reward for Roleplaying 3 Spinoff Games 4 Deadlands: Reloaded 5 Release history 6 Awards 7 See also 8 Notes 9 External links

Setting

The game is set in the United States in the last quarter of the 19th century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The canonical year for the first edition of Deadlands is 1876. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year A later supplement, Tales o' Terror, advances the game's backstory and metaplot ahead one year, to 1877. In Narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story The metaplot is the overarching storyline that binds together events in a Role-playing game. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The second edition of Deadlands uses the updated backstory of 1877 as the canonical starting point.

The basic rules provide for characters and settings that could be expected to appear in the "Wild West" genre of movies and pulp fiction, and most of the in-game action is presumed to occur in the wild frontiers of the American West, or in barely-tamed frontier towns like Tombstone, Arizona or Dodge City, Kansas. Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then the Arizona Territory For the 1939 Western movie, see Dodge City (1939 film. Dodge City is a City and County seat of Ford However, later supplements expanded the in-game adventuring area to include places such as the Deep South, the Mississippi River, Mexico, and the Northeastern United States. The Deep South is a descriptive category of cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U These supplements often provide for adventures set in urban areas such as New Orleans, New York City, or Boston. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The City of New York

The canonical, basic setting is referred to as the "Weird West" due to the juxtaposition of the Western setting with the horrific and fantastical elements of the game. Weird West is used to describe a combination of the Western with another Genre, usually horror, occult or fantasy The history of the Weird West is identical to real-world history, up until July 3, 1863. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On this date, a group of American Indians from various tribes, led by a Sioux shaman known as "Raven," performed a ritual in an effort to drive out the European settlers. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Sioux (pronounced SUE are a Native American and First Nations people This ritual created a conduit to a spiritual realm populated by powerful malicious entities known as the "Reckoners. " The events surrounding and immediately subsequent to Raven's ritual is known as "The Reckoning. "

The Reckoners feed on negative emotions, particularly fear. Sufficient levels of fear in the population of a given location allow the Reckoners to begin subtly altering the environment of that location: the sun shines a little less brightly, trees become stunted and "evil" looking, rock formations take on the appearance of corpses or monsters, and so on. The more powerful the fear, the greater the environmental changes.

The ultimate goal of the Reckoners is to turn the entire Earth into an evil, haunted wasteland — literally a Hell on Earth. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering However, the Reckoners cannot directly enter Earth's realm unless the overall fear level of the entire planet becomes sufficiently high. To this end, they use their powers to create monsters, madmen, zombies, and other creatures and villains that will sow fear and terror throughout the land.

The first instance of this occurred on July 4, 1863, at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg; dead soldiers from both sides of the conflict rose from the battlefield and began indiscriminately attacking the surviving soldiers and civilians. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Background and movement to battle See also [[Gettysburg Campaign]] [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] Since then, undead gunslingers, hostile Indian spirits, strange cults, and deadly creatures have begun terrorizing the world. Undead is a collective name for fictional beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive The American Civil War drags on thanks to the machinations of the Reckoners, and the country remains divided into U. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South S. and Confederate sections along with "disputed territories. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 " Federal agents and Texas Rangers struggle to deal with the eldritch menaces while hiding the awful truth from the general public. The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide Jurisdiction based in Austin, the Seismic upheavals have pushed much of California into the ocean, creating a badlands area known as "the Great Maze. " In the Great Maze, miners discover "ghost rock," a mineral that burns hotter and longer than coal and is used as the basis for most Deadlands technology as well as alchemical potions and semi-magical materials.

The unleashing of the Reckoners has had a number of important side effects. Magic was revealed to be real, although it involves challenging otherworldly spirits, "manitous", in contests that are either viewed as a negotiation or a test of will. These same manitous can possess a recently deceased body and reanimate it, creating a "Harrowed". Harrowed beings are sometimes under the control of the spirit (which uses the opportunity to spread fear) and sometimes under the control of the deceased being. Scientific progress rapidly advances as the Reckoners support experimental designs that normally would not work. This progress drives the technological level of Deadlands from historical levels to a "steampunk" setting. Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and Speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s

Players take on the role of various mundane or arcane character types, including Gunfighters, Lawmen (such as U.S. Marshals or local sheriffs), Hucksters (magic users), Shamans, Blessed (those of faith), and Mad Scientists in an attempt to learn about the Reckoning and the mysterious beings behind it. A Huckster is also a Character class in the Role-playing game Deadlands.

Unique aspects of the Deadlands game

Deadlands features a unique way of creating playing characters for the game. Instead of spending character points, or randomly rolling dice, a character's abilities are determined by drawing cards from a standard 54-card poker deck (jokers included), which determine the character's Traits (their basic attributes). Poker is a type of Card game in which players bet on the value of the card combination (" hand " in their possession by placing a bet into The game also uses polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20) which are referred to as the "Bones", and a set of red, blue and white poker chips. For other uses see either Die or Dice (disambiguation. Dice (the Plural of Die, from Old French

In a Deadlands game, the Game Master is called The Marshal, and the players are called The Posse. A Gamemaster or Game Master (often abbreviated as GM) is a player in a multiplayer Game who acts as organizer arbitrator and officiant in rules situations Deadlands uses a system of die roll resolution similar to Shadowrun and The Storyteller System. Shadowrun is a pen-and-paper Role-playing game set in an imaginary future where huge corporations control the lives of their employees and the return of magic has Storytelling System, formerly Storyteller System, is a Role-playing game system created by White Wolf Inc A character rolls for successes with a handful of dice and hopes that at least one of the dice rolls the Target Number or higher. Rolling the highest possible number on any of the dice is known as "rolling an ace", and that die may be re-rolled, with the total being added to the initial roll value. In most cases only the highest single die's value (with "aces" added) is compared to a target number. For each five points over the target number the character is considered to have a "raise" which typically makes the character's action more effective. When attacking someone, raises give the attacker more control over where on the victim's body the blow or bullet strikes. When attempting to quickly reload a gun, each raise allows another round of ammunition to be loaded in a single action.

Spell Casting

Players with huckster characters use a deck of playing cards in addition to dice to cast their spells (hexes). A successful skill check allows the player to draw five or more cards and makes the best possible poker hand with those cards. In Poker, players construct hands of five cards according to predetermined rules which vary according to the precise variant of poker being played The strength of the hand determines not only whether the hex was successfully cast, but also the strength of its effects. In the game world, this mechanic is explained as the huckster literally gambling with a magical spirit in order to get it to do his or her bidding — a high ranking poker hand means the huckster has won, and the spirit causes the hex to be cast as desired; a low ranking poker hand results in failure. Both jokers are present and wild, increasing the chance of a good hand, but the black joker means that the spirit does something harmful to the huckster.

Blessed characters can use their faith to invoke miracles - they pray for their patron to grant their request. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation The miracles are usually protective or restorative in nature, although there are some for attack. The difficulty of a given miracle (the amount of faith required by the patron for their assistance) can vary. Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in For example, a priest seeking to heal a gunshot to the stomach would require more faith than if he were trying to mend a broken arm. Although the basic miracle set is predominantly Christian in nature, one of the extension sourcebooks includes miracles from other religions, and some of those are not permitted to Christian player characters. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos

Native American shamans cast spells by making deals with spirits. This happens in three stages - the shaman asks for a favor, performs the ritual that tradition demands for that favor, and then his skill is tested by the spirit. If he succeeds all three, he earns "appeasement points" according to how well he succeeded. If he earned enough points for the favor, it is granted. If not, his work was in vain.

Action Decks

Instead of rolling for Initiative as in most other RPGs, the players make a "speed" roll on the bones — the exact number and type being rolled determined by each character's stats — and then draw a number of cards from a community playing card deck based on the results of that roll. The Marshal then calls out card values, starting from Aces and going all the way down to Deuces. The card's suit (in reverse alphabetical order) indicates who goes first if the same value of card is drawn.

Fate Chips

Along with Bones and Cards, characters get Fate Chips which are typically poker chips, although colored stones or coins can also be used. These are drawn from a hat or some other container that the player blindly chooses at the beginning of play. Each player draws a certain number of Fate Chips at the beginning of the game from the Fate Pot, modified according to player actions and Marshal preference. Fate chips can be spent for in-game bonuses such as bonus dice to use during certain rolls, or the prevention of physical damage. The Marshal can draw chips as well for enemies to use.

Bounties

At the end of a gaming session, players can cash in unused Fate Chips for Bounty Points. These are like Experience Points in other systems and are used to improve Traits and Aptitudes. The Marshal may also award additional Bounty Points at the end of the session for completing the mission objectives and any exceptional role-playing that had been done on behalf of a player.

Instant Reward for Roleplaying

Marshals are also encouraged to reward players with instantaneous rewards for good role-playing. During character creation players can choose "Hindrances" (disadvantages) such as Big Britches, Bloodthirsty, or Big Mouth. When a player role-plays this Hindrances well, the Marshal can reward them instantly with a Fate Chip. This has the effect of promoting and encouraging role-playing.

Spinoff Games

The "Weird West" mark is used to distinguish the primary game setting from the various other settings:

• Deadlands: The Great Rail Wars — a tabletop wargame with miniature figures. Miniature wargaming is a form of Wargaming that incorporates Miniature figures and modeled terrain as the main components of play
• Doomtown — a collectible card game. Doomtown (originally DeadlandsDoomtown) is a Collectible card game, a companion to the Deadlands roleplaying setting Collectible card games (CCGs also called trading card games (TCGs or customizable card games (CCGs are played using specially designed sets of cards A sourcebook for the town described in the game was released under the title Doomtown or Bust!. A secondary sourcebook, detailing the town after the events of the CCG, was released under the title The Black Circle. A third sourcebook titled The Collegium, detailing the Mad Scientist faction of the same name, was also released.
• Range Wars — a tabletop wargame that used collectible cardboard disks instead of miniatures. A wargame is a Game that simulates or represents a Military operation. As much a spin-off from Doomtown as Deadlands, it used many of the same factions. It is based on the Disk Wars game. Disk Wars is a Collectible Fantasy tabletop miniature wargame designed primarily by Tom Jolly and Christian T The base set: Doomtown: Range Wars was released, and a single expansion, Ghost Creek. Material from this game was incorporated into the Black Circle sourcebook.
• Deadlands: Hell on Earth — a role-playing game set in one possible future of the Weird West, where the Reckoners succeeded in turning the entire Earth into a haunted wasteland. Deadlands Hell on Earth is a genre-mixing alternate history Roleplaying game which combines the Post-apocalyptic and horror This game features elements from the Western genre as well as elements from Mad Max-esque post-apocalyptic fiction and, of course, horror. Mad Max is a 1979 Australian apocalyptic action thriller Film directed by George Miller and written
• Deadlands: Lost Colony — a role-playing game set in the same future as Deadlands: Hell on Earth, except on another planet. Deadlands Lost Colony is a genre-mixing alternate history Roleplaying game which combines the Science fiction and horror This game features sci-fi, Western, and horror elements.
• Savage Worlds — a miniatures and generic role-playing game system derived from The Great Rail Wars. Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published
• Slaughter Gulch - Great White Games has announced that they will be releasing a non-collectible, pre-painted miniatures game based in the Deadlands canon entitled Slaughter Gulch. No firm release date has been revealed, but Great White Games has confirmed that the game will be released some time in 2007. ^[1]

Deadlands: Reloaded

In May of 2006, Great White Games published a new edition of Deadlands under the company's Pinnacle Entertainment Group label. Pinnacle Entertainment Group is a publisher of Role-playing games and Wargames that is owned and operated by Shane Lacy Hensley and was founded in 1994 Pinnacle Entertainment Group is a publisher of Role-playing games and Wargames that is owned and operated by Shane Lacy Hensley and was founded in 1994 This new edition, written by Shane Lacy Hensley and B. D. Flory and entitled Deadlands: Reloaded, used Great White Games' Savage Worlds generic role-playing system. Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published The 256-page setting book updates the canonical setting to 1879 and includes information on the events of the past year, as well as new rules. Among the most drastic changes to the basic Savage Worlds rules was "The Way of the Brave" rule, which revamped the way combat works in the system, making it more dangerous and deadly for characters and increasing the effectiveness of melee combat. This book also updated Fate Chips to work with the Savage Worlds system. This book marked a first for Great White Games in that it is the first setting book published without a scripted or plot point campaign. Great White Games has hinted that four complete plot point campaign books will be released for Deadlands: Reloaded, each focusing on certain regions and events in the metaplot of the game. The metaplot is the overarching storyline that binds together events in a Role-playing game. They have also stated that updated Hell on Earth and Lost Colony books will be published for the Savage Worlds system.

Release history

• 1996 - Original Deadlands custom rules. Replaced with second edition in 1999.
• 1999 - Revised Deadlands custom rules. Replaced with Savage Worlds based system in 2006. Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published
• 2001 - d20 System rules. The d20 System is a Role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons Supported for several years.
• October 2001 - GURPS rules, done under license to Steve Jackson Games
• May 2006 - Savage Worlds rules in Deadlands: Reloaded. The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, commonly known as GURPS, is a Role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming Steve Jackson Games (SJG is a Game company founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board Savage Worlds is a universal generic award-winning Role-playing game and miniatures wargame, written by Shane Lacy Hensley, and published

Awards

As of 2007, games in the Deadlands setting have won eight Origins Awards: Best Role-playing Rules of 1996 for Deadlands ^[2], Best Graphic Presentation of a Role-playing Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1996 for Deadlands ^[2], Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures Rules of 1997 for Deadlands: the Great Rail Wars ^[3], Best Roleplaying Adventure of 1997 for Independence Day, ^[3] Best Trading Card Game of 1998 ^[4], Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game of 1998 ^[4], Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Figure Miniature of 1998 for Hangin' Judge ^[4], and Best Vehicle Miniature of 1998 for Velocipede ^[4]. The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry

See also

• List of Deadlands character classes
• List of Deadlands books
• Jonah Hex
• High Moon
• Western genre in other media

Notes

External links

• Pinnacle Entertainment Group

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