Posting Expectations: Just let me know if you're going to be going missing. Otherwise, we'll all be checking in on our handy dandy Discord.

Racism, Sexism, and other types of bigotry: Obviously, these things exist in the post-apocalyptic setting of Hell on Earth. However, I have less than no desire to see any sort of bigotry depicted in heroic characters. The Deadlands book offers the following commentary on such matters, in the historical context, in a blurb titled RACISM & SLAVERY:

"It's now 1884. Bigotry, violence, and racism remain, but they are the province of villains and the shamefully ignorant. Progress against such vile behavior has been made, and more will come, albeit slowly, as people of all backgrounds begin to live and work together.

"When depicting the worst parts of history is central to the story, we won't shy away from it. But by and large, Deadlands is about valiant heroes and heroines from all backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life fighting imaginary monsters and corrupted villains.

"We recommend you do the same at your game table. Depicting racism or bigotry may be sadly realistic, but it's also ugly and uncomfortable and can quickly ruin the fun for everyone in the group. At the end of the day, this is a roleplaying game we hope you and your friends find relaxing, exciting, and fun."

I think we can carry this energy forward as we play this game, a spinoff of Deadlands.

Sex and so on: Since this game is rated Mature, sex is a no-go--sure, it could happen but we'd be fading to black eons before anything raunchy can happen. See the Mature Games Policy on the RPoL FAQ.

This is especially relevant because there is prostitution in Heaston Hill, and I expect everyone to behave themselves around the working ladies (should the heroes ever find themselves at such an establishment).

Setting rules: There are a few setting rules, which differ from the standard SW rules.

Counting Coup? something better than that, stop it deadlands we don't need to take indigenous phrases every time: When you kill a powerful beasty, you might be able to take in some of the essence of the creature as it dies, and in so doing gain strange new abilities. I, the Marshal, have rules for this.

Death: The dead don't always stay that way in Deadlands. If your character dies, draw one card for each Rank from a fresh deck. If the hero has the Guts edge, add one draw, and another if the hero has the Grit edge.

Ghost Storms: When the bombs hit, each one left behind a whirling mess of screaming souls, called a "ghost storm."

These tornadoes circle ground zero in a five mile radius. The "walls" tend to be about ten feet thick, and although they aren't as physically violent as a real tornado, they're more dangerous to one's soul. Unfortunately for scavengers, every city that got hit by a ghost rock bomb has one of these whirling storms around it. If a traveler wants inside, he has to pass through.

Doing so requires a Vigor roll at -4. Failure gives the waster a level of Fatigue that fades after one hour. If the victim rolls a 1 on his trait die, he immediately gains a mutation and suffers damage. Snake eyes results in two mutations and further damage.

Scavenging: I quote the book: "So your posse's looking for a little easy loot, eh?" They give some tables, which we'll use every time you go scavenging. :)

House rules: Cards are ranked according to alphabetical order. From lowest rank to highest: Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds, Spades.

Under SWADE rules, you can normally only earn one additional d6 on damage with a raise, but in the interest of encouraging the outrageous fun of exploding dice, Wildcard PCs can earn up to an additional 2d6 (with 2 raises).
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:25, Fri 02 Sept 2022.