Western Smack Down
Historicon 2003

Victory Points:
Referee's Information

by Matt Fritz

In general, a player must escape with an item in order to earn the victory points for stealing it.

Mother Lode: The bar owner has a strong box full of gold nuggets. The strong box is located in the back bedroom. A sleeping bear is "guarding" the strong box. The windows in the bedroom are barred. The saloon's owner will do everything he can to protect the gold.

Hedley Lamarr: "Gentlemen, please. Rest your sphincters."

Executive Game:

There's a private poker game going on with loads of money on the table. The poker game is taking place in the small room in the corner of the gambling floor. An armed guard is posted at the door; the men inside the room are unarmed and will hand over the money if the guard is eliminated. Use a satchel bag or other small token to represent the money. Lili von Shtupp: "Is that a ten-gallon hat, or are you just enjoying the show?"

Good Women are hard to find:

Lili von Shtupp the dance hall girl has many wealthy admirers who would pay her ransom if she were kidnapped. She is on the stage, with an armed guard ready to protect her. She also has a fiddle player with her, but he'll run or hide at the first sign of trouble. Lili won't fight, but she also won't go willingly. It takes one action for a figure to grab her. A player dragging her to the door must roll 1D6 to determine how many inches he can move her each action. Players can fight for control of Lili. To do this the attacker must make a successful melee roll. If the roll is successful the defender takes no damage, but he must pass a saving roll or the attacker has seized control of Lili.

Gold Fever:

The foolish prospectors brought their gold into the saloon with them; it's in the mule's pack. The two prospectors will defend themselves and the mule. They are armed with a hammer and shovel (hand weapons). The mule is ornery so he will also attack - bite for 1D6 if a target approaches him from the front, kick for 2D6 if an attacker approaches from behind. The Mule will stop attacking if both prospectors are killed, but he will resist attempts to lead him to the door. A player must roll 1D6 each action to determine how far the mule can be dragged. A player can spend an action to remove the mule's pack, and the pack can then be carried at the usual 6" per action.

The Waco Kid: "Well, Mongo ain't exactly a "who," he's more of a "what.""

Mongo:

Mongo is the baddest man in the whole damn town. He will stay in the boxing ring and take on anyone that approaches him. He has the special ability to attack twice each action with his fists, rolling against his full melee number with both attacks.

Lyle: "Don't pay no attention to that alchey. He can't even hold a gun, much less shoot it."

Rot Gut

Steal a case of whiskey for 5 victory points. Four cases of whiskey are stacked up on each side of the bar. A figure can only carry one case.

Make You Famous:

A photographer and reporter from Back East are in town writing stories about the Legends of the West. A player wishing to earn victory points for having their picture taken must first move into position in front of the camera. Then the player must spend an action "posing." After this is accomplished, the photographer will take the picture the next time he gets an action. Players get five points for each figure in the picture, but each figure may only earn the points once per game. Obviously if something unfortunate (murder) happens to the photographer before he takes the picture the "posers" will not get any victory points.

Old Lady: "Have you ever seen such cruelty?"

Another Notch:

Two victory points for killing a rival outlaw, innocent bystander, or saloon employee. Unarmed innocent bystanders with nothing useful to do should head for the exits when the shooting starts.

Taggart: "There's a new sheriff in town. Who wants to kill him?"

I Shot the Sheriff:

Three groups representing law and order will enter the saloon. On turn three the Christian Women's Temperance League will arrive. On turn four the sheriff and two deputies will enter the saloon. On turn seven the US cavalry will finally show up. The turn before the faction arrives you should place the figures outside the door so the players know what's coming. When the faction's card comes up move them inside the door. On the following turn they move move and attack normally. Adjust the number of figures in the factions, and their arrival time depending on the number of players in your game.

What's Up Doc?:

The doctor will do his best to patch up your bullet holes if you are standing next to him and ask nicely. Be warned that the doctor is a drunken old fool, and the cure may be worse than the disease. A figure that wants some doctoring must move next to the doctor figure (or a kind referee may be persuaded to move the doctor to the wounded figure).

When the doctor's card comes up the player is given the Doctoring Deck, which he should shuffle, then draw one card. The results of the doctoring are applied immediately. Naturally a figure may not end up with more hit points than they had at the start of the game. The Doctor's not that good! Most of the results are self-explanatory (see the Doctoring Deck for the details).

If the figure gets the "too much ether" card he is rendered unconscious. The figure must roll a D6 each time he gets an action. On the first action he wakes up on a roll of 6, on the second action he wakes up on a 5-6, etc. The figure rolls once each time he gets an action until he wakes up. When the figure wakes up he gets to his feet, but may take no other action until his card comes up again. Each figure may only be doctored once per game.

Sheriff Bart: "Excuse me while I whip this out."

From My Cold Dead Hands

Loaded guns and extra ammo are available at the gun rack. I have four rifles that I place next to the gun rack. Players may take and use them. Do not allow players to take guns from other players, or pick up weapons from dead figures. This will lead to confusion and arguments. The gun rack is the only way to get additional firepower. Assume that the rack has the right ammunition for any gun that a player carries. Sorry, there aren't any arrows in the gun rack.

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© Copyright 2003 by Matt Fritz.
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