So Western Rpg's are slated to become the next big thing in the OSR and I've played Boot Hill over the years with Gamma World because of the AD&D 1st edition appendixes and all of that. Now Corey Ryan Walden, whose one of the smartest and cunning young writers I've know has thrown his hat in the Western retroclone ring. Look there have been a other OSR retroclone products before but this is an Alpah Test of what I think is a very good set of intuitive and interesting retroclone rules. And its freely available right now.
Do yourselves a favor and go get it right over HERE
Do yourselves a favor and go get it right over HERE
This is an alpha version of the rules but from what I'm seeing here this is a fifty seven page love of the genre with some very intreresting bits and pieces under the hood. Corey has been quietly dealing with this book for a couple of months on the side and it shows. He's got something very good here and its interesting to see where DM's and players take this. The PC creation is as fast as B/X and there are a few interesting options. The inclusion of fire arms into a setting makes this a gritty and interesting choice for a DM who wants a fast pick up Old West Style game. This game could emulate everything from 1950's Westerns to the gritty neo Gothic of Dark Tower by Stephen King but it would take some work.
This rpg is a work of love and the man has poured a lot of ideas into its black box and there needs a bit more work to flesh out the backgrounds and setting material but what's here is solid in my opinion. There needs a bit more meat on the bones but the interesting thing about Westerns is that the gunfighters are often the monsters. And the more colorful the NPC's then the more of a good time that the players will have with their PC's. Much of what Corey has done is take rules, ideas, & strip everything back down to basics. All in all this is a fine out of the gate set of OSR rules that while in the Alpha stage has the potential to be a very solid game if things keep going with it. Personally I'd love to see this used for a wide variety of settings and applications. My recommendation is to download, grab it, and take a look at where Corey's going with his vision for this game. Then by all means give the man some solid feedback on it!
Corey please pal keep up on your writing and designing pal, this is looking very tasty indeed.
This rpg is a work of love and the man has poured a lot of ideas into its black box and there needs a bit more work to flesh out the backgrounds and setting material but what's here is solid in my opinion. There needs a bit more meat on the bones but the interesting thing about Westerns is that the gunfighters are often the monsters. And the more colorful the NPC's then the more of a good time that the players will have with their PC's. Much of what Corey has done is take rules, ideas, & strip everything back down to basics. All in all this is a fine out of the gate set of OSR rules that while in the Alpha stage has the potential to be a very solid game if things keep going with it. Personally I'd love to see this used for a wide variety of settings and applications. My recommendation is to download, grab it, and take a look at where Corey's going with his vision for this game. Then by all means give the man some solid feedback on it!
Corey please pal keep up on your writing and designing pal, this is looking very tasty indeed.
Downloaded this morning. I have not read it yet, but by golly I love that cover!
ReplyDeleteI know the cover art for a free product is very evocative and personally I can't recommend this Alpha play set of rules enough.
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