THE GOD-DAMNED FRONTIER

The first thing you remember is a dream
in which you find yourself walking slowly down a long, dark tunnel. The ground underfoot is cold, wet, and sharp with jagged rocks. There’s a chill wind blowing against your back. It’s too dark to see, the tunnel ahead like a black hole swallowing every sense. You see nothing, you hear nothing, you move forward. Then, voices.

“A broken cycle will always spiral into itself. A lost soul will drift forever. Existence itself is an abyss. We, those blessed with life, are also cursed to traverse it, the great abyss, and it’s all we will ever know.” The voices grow. Not louder, but in quantity, like a thousand whispers from all around you. A strange blueish-greenish light appears at the end of the tunnel. Even as you feel compelled to walk faster towards it, it doesn’t seem to get any closer “We are not the world, we are its observers, we exist to tell its story. You, the forsaken, are the medium for a work of art with an unfeeling, incomprehensible, and infinitely vast celestial patron.”

A dark figure appears at the end of the tunnel, silhouetted against the strange blue light. It’s the form of a man, but unnaturally tall, slender, looming. You can’t be sure, but you feel his eyes on you. A deep, heavy voice booms at you, overpowering the others.

“Your soul belongs to me, forsaken, your soul belongs to the heavens, to the holy abyss. You, forsaken, your sacrifice, will be the salvation of all, in the end. If you cannot accept this mission, if you cannot take on this eternal task, the cycle will break. You will spiral down into the abyss, and cease to exist at all. Come to me, forsaken, and take your place in the cycle, play your part, or be forgotten forever.”

The voices grow in volume until they seem like they’re emanating from deep inside your own head, then suddenly cease. The figure in the light dissipates like vapor, and the light solidifies into the stark perfect circle of a full moon overhead.

A FULL MOON OVERHEAD

For a few moments, you watch the thick gray clouds overtake it. Then you realize your tunnel has changed in shape. It’s more even now, rectangular. As you sit up, grasping at the walls of your open grave, you feel as though you haven’t moved in years, like you’re breaking the rust off your bones. With great effort, with all the strength you have, you climb from your deep dark grave out into the cool night air of the New Bethlehem Holy Church Cemetery. In the distance you see the same green-blue light barely peeking through the thin black trees. You trudge through the mud as it begins to rain and you reach the source of the light: the North Star Tavern. You enter through the rotten wooden swing doors into a smoky saloon that smells like tobacco and stagnation.

It’s a small, pitiful place. Hardly anyone's talking, everyone’s wasted, the bartender’s reading a large book while most of the bottles behind him collect dust. You walk to the back room, where, in a dark corner, you see the slender figure at a table, barely lit by a flickering electric lantern, sitting with several strangers. The figure is wearing a dark, hooded garment, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t make out his face in the shadow. He beckons, you take your seat next to the others.

“Every component in its place.”

The figure says in a low, content tone.

“You, forsaken, souls tethered. Spirits sewn together. The world is coming apart, and it you must too tether. A holy machine has been disassembled and must be rebuilt. That is your task, that is your place. If you neglect it, your life force will drain. You will wither. You will disappear. You may be aware that you can’t remember your pasts, who you were. That is because I require fresh servants, pure of mind and spirit to do this holy work. You will retrieve the relics, the holy components, and bring them to me. I will visit you in dreams to guide your way. I will visit you on the spirit plane and your path will be made clear. I sense some of you may not be grasping the gravity of your situation so let me say clearly: if you return the holy pieces to me, I will return your soul. If you fail to do so, you will die.”

SO WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

DEVOTIONS

Your ‘devotion’ determines your starting equipment, attributes, and skills. It represents the lifestyle your character must have lived before the dream. Your starting attributes are represented in the brackets. You may find that you were buried with a weapon, and the tools of the trade for whatever you were before. You don’t recognize these things, but in your hands they feel familiar. Odd little trinkets made of cracked stained glass or rusting tarnished metal…

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A…

RANGER
Rides the frontier protecting cattle and settlements, knows the wilds.
Carries binoculars to spot danger and fortune afar, and a trusty carbine.
[S:II,C:I,Q:II,D:II,T:I,L:I]
Starting skill: Eagle Eye
GAMBLER
Makes their living by tryin’ their luck in game. Hey, life’s a risk.
Keeps an ace up their sleeve to improve any LUCK check once a day, and a 2-banger.
[S:I,C:II,Q:I,D:II,T:I,L:II]
Starting skill: Pokerface
WHORE
It’s the oldest profession in the world. Quite the charmer.
Carries Old Royal Perfume to increase their CHARM, and a stiletto.
[S:I,C:II,Q:I,D:II,T:II,L:I]
Starting skill: Sixth Sense
PREACHER
One that peddles new religion for “tithes”. The good lord provides.
Carries scattergun, and a bible to increase the LUCK of any player for any action.
[S:II,C:III,Q:II,D:I,T:I,L:II]
Starting skill: God’s Child
THESPIAN
Makes their scrap performing for folks. Educated in the classics.
Carries a costume kit to disguise or go unnoticed, and a prop sword. Quite sharp.
[S:II,C:II,Q:I,D:II,T:I,L:I]
Starting skill: Songbird
WILDMAN
One that lives solitary, off the land. Not the educated, sociable type.
Carries Healing Poultice to slowly restore any players HP, and a handmade bow.
[S:I,C:I,Q:II,D:I,T:III,L:I]
Starting skill: Catlike
DOC
One that serves the land’s medical needs faithfully, for the right price.
Has doctor’s bag with bandages, a syringe for drugs, scalpel, and a bonesaw.
[S:III,C:I,Q:I,D:II,T:I,L:I]
Starting skill: Lead Belly
LABORER
Works hard for the companies and ranchers that run the frontier.
Carries a tool kit for repairing and building, and a weathered spike axe.
[S:I,C:I,Q:II,D:II,T:II,L:I]
Starting skill: Handy
GUNSLINGER
Killer for hire. Nothin’ personal, usually. You know the type.
Carries a 6 gun, and 3 throwin-knives.
[S:I,C:I,Q:III,D:II,T:I,L:I]
Starting skill: Quickdraw

ATTRIBUTES

Attribute points determine your aptitude and likelihood of success for different actions. Every attribute starts at 1, for capable. Any attribute point over 1 is a bonus point. 2 points in an attribute means you’re pretty good at somethin’. 3 points means you’re great at it. Every action has a primary attribute that must be rolled to succeed, and some have a secondary attribute to help your chances. You get to roll 1 die per corresponding attribute point for every action.

SMARTS
Smarts account for your perception/notice/find checks, and technical comprehension. Can be used to repair machines, suss out a liar, or discern a foreign language.
CHARM
Charm accounts for persuasion checks, and can greatly alter the way NPCs will perceive and treat the player.
QUICKNESS
Quickness accounts for athletic checks, danger/damage evasion and gun dueling.
DEXTERITY
Dexterity accounts for your physical coordination, your aim when shooting, for technical checks like repairing or working a machine, and for picking a pocket or a lock.
TOUGHNESS
Toughness accounts for damage checks , intimidation checks and strength checks, as well as melee damage bonus.
LUCK
Accounts for saving throws that occur at crucial moments like before death or critical hits, as well as actual in game gambling.

SKILLS

SHARP SHOOTER
Increases DEXTERITY by 1 for aimed shots.
POKER FACE
Increases CHARM by 1 for deception checks.
LUCKY SUMBITCH
Grants LUCK check(4+)to negate 1 damage point after every hit.
THICK HEADED
Headshots taken do no extra damage.
SNEAKY BASTARD
Allows player to hide without the need to find cover.
MEAN MUG
Increases TOUGHNESS by 1 for intimidation checks.
SONG BIRD
Allows player to sing a tune, lowering npc’s SMARTS by 1.
QUICK DRAW
Increase QUICKNESS by 1 on weapon draw.
EAGLE EYE
Increase SMARTS by 1 for find/notice checks.
RONIN
Adds QUICKNESS roll to melee attacks.
AMBIDEXTROUS
Hold 2 weapons at once, grants extra attack each turn.
CAMPFIRE COOK
Once a day, craft a meal that will nourish the group.
LEAD BELLY
Increase TOUGHNESS by one when consuming intoxicants or poison.
DIE HARD
Increase TOUGHNESS by one when hp gets to 3 or below.
GODS CHILD
Increase CHARM by 1 when talking to a religious character.
SIXTH SENSE
Get to roll LUCK on every perception check.
BLITZ
Allows player an extra movement each combat turn.
HANDY
Increases SMARTS by 1 for crafting checks.
SLIPPERY
Option to dodge any attack without holding a move.
GHOST RIDER
Negate DEXTERITY penalty for shooting while riding.
CATLIKE
Allows a LUCK bonus on checks for feats of agility.

GEAR, ITEMS and STUFF

WEAPONS
You need a holster, sheath, or sling for each weapon you got, and some kind of pack to carry anything bigger than pocketsize. Most clothing on the frontier is sturdy, and has plenty pockets.
PACKS
A ‘fist’ is a colloquial unit of measurement, meaning something about the size of your actual fist. Each pack you come across will be able to hold a limited number of fists. For example, a satchel can hold 3 fists, a backpack can hold 8.
While drawing a weapon doesn’t cost an entire action but rather just a quickness check, getting something from your bag takes an action. Replacing it does not.
CLOTHES
Most clothes serve the base purpose of minimal protection and modesty. Some unique clothing can increase specific attributes, like an especially pretty dress can lift your CHARM, and some can give attribute raises for specific actions, like a wreath of severed human ears giving a TOUGHNESS raise for intimidation.
Armor- Some clothing on the frontier is lined with Lightiron. It creates an undetectable and unobtrusive electromagnetic field that slows fast moving protons, granting a certain amount of protection from gunshots. Usually 1 HP. These can be layered.

TURNS, ACTIONS, AND ROLES

During certain sections of gameplay you will be operating in a turn based manner, most notably for combat encounters and emergencies. Each character gets 2 actions per turn, unless they get a bonus action from a skill. You can move 1 stride (6 feet) per action. You can hold 1 action per turn and use it to react to something later. (dodge, block, counter) resets every round.

Generally any action a character decides to take will need to pass a roll for its corresponding attribute. You get to roll 1 die per attribute point. Some actions allow you to roll your die for the base attribute plus 1 die per bonus point in a secondary attribute. To reiterate, the bonus attribute points are the points over 1. Normal feats will require you to roll a 4 or above to succeed. 3 can be a half success, the details are left up to The Raconteur. Less than 3 is a failure. Difficult feats will require you to roll a 6 with at least one of your dice to be successful.

Rolling a double 6 grants you a critical success, causing events to fall even more into your favor. Rolling a snake eyes is a critical failure, even if one of your other die landed on 6. If you get both a crit-success and a crit-failure, then the events will unfold both favorably AND unfavorably. Like, you nail a nosey sheriff right in the eye, but the round ricochets out of his skull and hits you in the knee. Hey, shit happens.

Rolling a triple 6 grants you a miracle, completely getting you out of whatever bind you’re in. MAYBE YOU WANT TO…

And so on…

COMBAT

Violence explodes outwards like a wildfire, lashes out in all directions and scars all in its path. In this way, a fight on The Frontier spreads outwards, starting with the two combatants closest to each other. When a fight starts, the opposed combatants closest to one another will roll QUICKNESS to see who who shoots first. If the posse’s initiator wins out, every member of the posse gets a turn, using their comrades momentum to overtake the enemy, and then the enemy team gets a turn and so on. If the initiator loses, the enemy combatant gets a turn and the comrade gets a chance to react, then the next closest combatants roll for QUICKNESS and the process repeats.

When shit pops off and white-hot electromagnetic death spears are zooming through the air, its best to get somethin’ betwixt you and them. You can take cover during combat if you’re within 1 stride of something solid. You can dive to cover within 2 strides with a successful QUICKNESS check. Once someone is in cover, they can only be hit with a perfect 6 roll, and only take half damage, unless a crit is rolled. Once you’re in cover, you can perform a QUICKNESS check to hide.

You may initiate combat without a QUICKNESS check if you get the drop on the enemy, and attack before they are aware of you. Beware, they can do this to you too.

You may initiate combat without a QUICKNESS check if you get the drop on the enemy, and attack before they are aware of you. Beware, they can do this to you too.

You get 2 actions per turn. You are not restricted as to what you can try to do during these moves, and most actions during combat will be checked with DEXTERITY, QUICKNESS, or TOUGHNESS.

GUNS

Guns on the frontier are charged with electromagnetic friction, and fire high energy protons at thousands of feet per second, no ammo needed, but each must be recharged after a certain number of shots. Some guns have aim penalties at suboptimal ranges, in the form of increased target numbers. For example, at long range with a pistol you need a 6 to hit instead of a 4+, and a crit instead of a 6 for a headshot. 1 stride is point blank, 3 strides is short range, 3-6 strides is mid range, 7 strides and up is long range. All headshots deal 6 damage.

6 GUN
Pistol with revolving cylinder that does 2 damage per hit. DEXERITY penalty with long range. 6 shots. Rotate cylinder to recharge.
2 BANGER
Pistol with 2 barrels that can be fired individually for 2 damage, or simultaneously for 4 damage. DEXERITY penalty with long range. Slide action, 2 shots before recharge.
SCATTERGUN
Single barreled shotgun that does 6 damage at short range, and 3 damage at mid range and 1 damage at long range. Headshots only possible at short range. Break action charge, 1 shot.
LEVERGUN
Long gun that does 3 damage per hit with no DEXTERITY penalty for long range. Lever action charge, 1 shot.
PUMPGUN
Choked shotgun that does 4 damage at all ranges. DEXTERITY penalty with long range. Pump charge, 1 shot.
LONGSHOT
Long gun that does 6 damage on hit, but has DEXTERITY penalty at close range. Bolt pull charge, 1 shot.

Melee

Player rolls DEXTERITY to hit. A damage point is added for each players assigned TOUGHNESS point.

KNIVES
Do 1 damage, can use toughness check for bonus damage, heavy stab for 3 damage with DEX check. Examples: Hunting knives, trench knives, harlot’s stilettos, exceptionally sharp sticks, railroad spikes, broken bottles…
SWORDS & AXES
Do 2 damage per hit, can use heavy stab for 4 damage, or decapitation for 6 damage on perfect 6. Plus one for each toughness point. Examples: Calvary sword, tomahawk, spike axe, prop sword, bladed club.
BLUDGEONS
Do 2 damage per hit, 4 damage on headshot. Plus one for each bonus toughness point. Examples: War club, antique mace, board or plank, impressive stick.

All melee weapons can be used to execute or knock out enemies from behind, if undetected, with a DEXTERITY, and TOUGHNESS check.

WOUNDS, BLEEDING, CRIPPLING, AND HEALING

Medicine, clinics, and doctors on The Frontier ain’t exactly easy to come by, but the tenacious spirit of The Frontier’s natives and settlers has led to some innovations.

SNAKE OIL
An unregulated substance made from the fat of the whipsnake infused with human plasma is called ‘snake oil’, and takes advantage of the whipsnake’s natural immunity to its own venom. Since its venom basically dissolves flesh on a cellular level, natures countermeasure is a special cell that’s function is to restore that dissolved flesh, like extremely fast stem cells. The cell can bind itself to human cellular data if mixed and heated to a specific temperature for a prolonged time. Snake oil is very expensive, but can be crafted if you can get your hands on the materials, a fire, and someone with the smarts enough to do it right. Replenishes all HP to the body or injured limb.
HOME REMEDIES
Nourishment in the form of well prepared meals has been known to speed up the healing process. Some folks also know of an ol’ native concoction of some kinda leaf and some kinda root that, together with water (and, more often, spit), speeds up the healing process, both granting 1 HP a day to the recipient.
THE AFOREMENTIONED BLEEDING
Bleeding out is a more immediate issue. And once you’re afflicted with a bleeding wound, it requires immediate attention. You can’t perform any action that requires you to take your hands from your wound, without losing 1 HP every time, and you can only move half as far. Dressing the wound should fix the issue, but takes 2 turns in combat, and some bandages.
CRIPPLING
our limbs have their own HP, separate from your body. They each have 3HP. If a wound receives 3 damage, it’s crippled until healed, and useless. If a wound receives 6 damage points or more, it is severed. The wound must be dressed within moments to avoid bleeding out, and you’ll want to grab a prosthetic when you next get to town. Don’t be embarrassed, happens all the time. Prosthetic arms lower DEXTERITY to 1. Prosthetic legs reduce your QUICKNESS by 1.

THIS IS A LAND TOUCHED BY GOD

The western frontier of the The American Union is heavily forested to the east, fading into dry plains to the west and ending at the Broken Snake Mountain ridge, the land west of which still is free from the Union’s grasp, for now. It’s hot during the day, and cold at night most of the time. The Forests of the east are plagued with thunderstorms and the plains of the west are torn up by tornadoes from time to time. To the south is the Tejas Republic, a new nation reeling from an ongoing brutal war for independence from the Spanish Empire. Though the rest of the American Union is stable, prosperous and industrializing, the western frontier remains perilous, with many Native Americans still fighting to hold onto their homelands, and American Union settlers forcefully expanding. Still, it’s a land of great opportunity for those willing to risk it all for fortune. Light-iron mines, fertile farmlands, and a chance at a new, free life draws many of the Union’s citizens, but few truly have the salt to survive. Hell, good luck.

A LAND OF MANY PEOPLES

The frontier’s several major settlements are populated mostly by Union settlers. Most are poor, working for the rich company men or ranchers that own land. There are few schools, hospitals or highways, but plenty light-iron mines, company farms, gambling dens and “full service” saloons. The Cheroquois make up a large minority of the population, and are treated as second class citizens, as are the Eurasian immigrants that migrated to escape the horrific imperial wars of the old world, and the many Afro Americans, a people enslaved less than 3 decades before now. Bands of Achatache still inhabit the parts of The Frontier they can defend, and some smaller groups still wage active guerrilla warfare against the settlers. Most people are just trying to get along, but the sociopolitical pressures put on them by their conditions often lead to tragedy. Some people are hopeful, many have lost hope, and everyone is keepin’ an eye out for trouble. Best to look out for yourself.

THE LAND OF FREEDOM

There’s not much in the way of law on The Frontier. Your choices won’t be hindered by such formalities. You will, however, be judged by the people you interact with, and how you treat them can drastically affect how they treat you. So if you decide to help someone down on their luck, you may be in for a reward. And if your wilin’ ass goes on a tear of destruction and carnage, expect the populace to regard you accordingly. There’s a complex and diverse cast of folks you’ll have to interact with to achieve your goals and save your souls, and often the quickest solution (violence) isn’t the best one. Use your wits to outsmart your enemies or charm to manipulate them, use your quickness to stalk around undetected or your toughness to intimidate your adversaries into submission, whatever tickles your fancy. And if you wanna survive, be smart about it. Take advantage of your attributes, utilize your skills, mind your surroundings, and work together.