The Good, The Bad,
and The Grubby

Gunfighters of the Wild West

The restless pen of Mathew Sparkes on the quick draw once again

I recently had a few Peter Pig gunfighters in the post. Lurking in the box marked "terrain kept for no apparent reason" were a few bits of picket fence and what looked suspiciously like a privy. They were painted up as a rather tatty corral and outhouse and named "Mulligan's". The next move was to play a game. So, "git off yer horse and drink yer milk", because are some very basic gunfighting ideas :

To move, make a DUKE roll vs 2d6 and move the margin of difference if positive. Mounted figures add d6 to move if walking, 2d6 if faster. Crossing obstacles or bad going moves half the net result.

There is no leadership. A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do and he does it on his own hind legs.

Ranges are: Pistol & Shotgun 6" Rifle 12"

All weapons fire once; shotguns (all double barreled and most sawed off) have a blast range which counts as automatic pistol fire. For those of you who have seen "The Wild Bunch" once too often, early automatic pistols fire twice at same target or different within 1" of the first. To be really over the top, allow machinguns to fire three times and may change targets within 2" of the first.

Roll below DUKE to hit. A hit causes 1d6 DUKE loss, a critical hit (i.e. double) takes 2d6 DUKE loss.

Modifiedup to 6"up to 12"Mounted
Rifle0+1+3
Pistol0N/A+1
Shotgun-2N/A+1

Cover +2

The Protagonists are divided into two types, civilians and gunmen. Gunmen have characteristics, civilians do not.

Roll 1AvD for the figure`s DUKE; add the result of a d6 if a gunman :

    1,2,3 =1 ; 4,5 = 2 ; 6=3.

If a gunman also roll once below :

    1 Mean, +1 DUKE
    2 Real Mean, +2 DUKE
    3 Fast
      1,2 fast but poor shot, +1 on drawing but 1 bonus to hit on the draw
      3,4 slow but deadly, -1 on draw, but 1 bonus to hit on the draw
      5,6 fast as lightning, +1 to draw and 1 bonus to hit on the draw

    4 Tough, reduces DUKE loss by 1 point
    5 Mad Dog, has +1 DUKE, Tough
    6

      1,2,3 Natural Born Killer, fast as lightening, Real Mean
      4,5,6 Cool as Hell and Twice as Bad, Real Mean, Tough

Enraged townsfolk are 4-6 figure mobs of civilians with a shared DUKE of d6+2, they fight as one man. Equally a mob could be 4-6 desperate gunmen (Zombies or skeletons too eh ? . . . Mark)

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© Copyright 1999 by Craig Martelle Publications
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