Rules light Old West RPGs

ligedog · April 23, 2017, 10:57:22 PM

I'm looking around myself but wanted to see if anyone could recommend a currently produced/supported Old West RPG. Preferably something about as complex as an OSR game or Traveller. Any recommendations?

rgrove0172 · April 23, 2017, 11:23:09 PM

Find an old copy of Boot Hill

ligedog · April 23, 2017, 11:39:34 PM

I have one and it would probably work for my purposes but wanted to see if there was anything newer out there.

K Peterson · April 23, 2017, 11:46:45 PM

Coyote Trail's fairly light.

Omega · April 24, 2017, 03:46:01 AM

Legends of the Untamed West: Dark City Games sort of TFT lite rethemed to a western. Base rules are free.
http://www.darkcitygames.com/docs/UntamedWest.pdf
They also have one solo adventure out.

Gunslinger: by Avalon Hill. Wargame. But gets the job done.

Heard of a BRP book called Devils Gulch that is supposed to be a Wild West rendering of the rules?

And Boot Hill of course. Also more a wargame. Though later editions add a few RPG elements.

3rik · April 24, 2017, 07:49:28 AM

Gunslingers & Gamblers, by FJ Gaming

There's a version using a poker dice-based system and one using the so-called Streamline system. I own the latter myself. Go to DTRPG/RPGNow for the pdf. Available from lulu.com in print and pdf.

Omega · April 24, 2017, 07:59:50 AM

Also apparently FGU's old Wild West RPG is up online with permission.

Ulairi · April 24, 2017, 09:44:49 AM

I'd suggest Aces & Eights. The core rules (or the lite version) are just a couple pages long and everything else is modular. I'd also recommend GURPS Lite and add in stuff from core GURPS on an as needed basis. Both are pretty simple and because the systems are modular you can just add what you need (if anything extra) and forget the rest.

Larsdangly · April 24, 2017, 10:28:54 AM

If you just want to have fun playing a western game, I'd grab 1st or 2nd edition Boot Hill. If you are a bit more fussy about the structures of rules and so forth, try 3rd edition Boot Hill.

Shawn Driscoll · April 24, 2017, 11:03:24 AM

Quote from: ligedog;959079I'm looking around myself but wanted to see if anyone could recommend a currently produced/supported Old West RPG. Preferably something about as complex as an OSR game or Traveller. Any recommendations?

Traveller: Cowboys vs. Xenomorphs

Best Western game mechanic. And lite. Leave out the Xenomorphs.

Dumarest · April 24, 2017, 12:48:12 PM

Quote from: Larsdangly;959127If you just want to have fun playing a western game, I'd grab 1st or 2nd edition Boot Hill. If you are a bit more fussy about the structures of rules and so forth, try 3rd edition Boot Hill.

I second that. I wish I still had 2nd edition Boot Hill. I have 3rd but the skills list is just way too much for me. I recently lost a copy of 2nd on eBay...went far too high for me!

Simon W · April 24, 2017, 03:54:15 PM

Blood & Bullets is free to download and is based on Swords & Wizardry Whitebox. At 40 A5 pages, it is pretty much rules light.

Ronin · April 24, 2017, 06:33:13 PM

All Flesh Must Be Eaten core book (unisystem), with the Fist full of Zombies book. Strip out the zombies and there you go.

Black Vulmea · April 24, 2017, 08:35:46 PM

Quote from: Omega;959101And Boot Hill of course. Also more a wargame. Though later editions add a few RPG elements.

ohforthesakeoffuck

Quote from: Ronin;959267All Flesh Must Be Eaten core book (unisystem), with the Fist full of Zombies book. Strip out the zombies and there you go.

So buy a game and a supplement then ignore the main part of the supplement.

I love thoughtful, practical suggestions. This isn't one of them.

Black Vulmea · April 24, 2017, 08:37:31 PM

Quote from: ligedog;959079I'm looking around myself but wanted to see if anyone could recommend a currently produced/supported Old West RPG.

Why does it have to be "currently produced/supported?" Are you incapable of taking a supplement written for one game and adapting it to another?