Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook [Paperback]

Shane Lacy Hensley (Author), Thomas Biondiolillo (Illustrator), Steve Bryant (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

The Marshal's Handbook is the gamemaster's guide to the world of Deadlands: The Weird West. It tells you how to rope your amigoes into your adventures and keep 'em on the run from the insidious horrors of the Weird West. It's also got a whole passel o' nasty critters to throw at those do-gooders, all in glorious full-color. The Weird West Player's Guide is also required for those who plan on being heroes in the Weird West.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment Group; illustrated edition edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889546585
• ISBN-13: 978-1889546582
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It's a bound PDF., June 14, 2009

By 

Joshua Kenney - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook (Paperback)

The following should not be taken as a knock against Deadlands or the quality of the game itself. Deadlands is a great RPG, lots of fun, and the content of the books is wonderful.

But, the book Amazon will sell you is a bound PDF (the other reviews must be from fans of the RPG who did not buy it from Amazon, or bought it when the book was still in print). This is, to the best of my knowledge, the same thing you'd get if you bought it from the game's publisher, Pinnacle. IT IS NOT THE ORIGINAL HARDCOVER. This version has pixelated images, a soft cover, low quality paper, and no color.

So, if you just want the game, this is perfectly fine, but if you want the original printing, look elsewhere.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like westerns, horror or gaming, this series a must!, January 23, 2001

By 

Ross Coburn (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook (Paperback)

The counterpart to the The Weird West Player's Guide , the Deadlands: Marshal's Guide is an indispensable resource for players of the popular role-playing game, and an entertaining read for fans of speculative or period fiction.

Written in the same irreverent style as the Player's Guide, this book contains the secrets of the Weird West, an alternate history in which the U.S. Civil War did not go as planned, and in which horrors, both real and imagined, stalk the night.

Whether you are a fan of westerns (specifically such gems as Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name movies), horror, or role-playing in general, this series is an absolute must-have.

Much care and research has gone into creating an alternate American West that is believable, creepy and entertaining. The presentation is evocative of the time period, and the mechanics of the game are first-rate.

Parents looking for an alternative to video games and television for their children aged twelve and up need look no farther; role-playing is a hobby that encourages literacy, problem-solving skills, creativity, expression and sociability, and furthermore, players portray western heroes in this game, encouraging behaviour that is a far cry from the "kill 'em all" mentality of so many video games, not to mention movies.

Which is what Deadlands offers interested readers: The chance to star in a western movie or novel in which the heroes' actions are determined by the players (readers) rather than a set script.

The Marshal's Guide serves to help the player in the director's chair bring these adventures to life.

Gamers, do yourself a favour and give this line a try. You won't regret it, pardner.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have, January 22, 2001

By 

Walter E. Carmichael "wcarmich" (Winston Salem, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook (Paperback)

Like in most RPG's the book for the Marshal (GM) is an esential book to have. This book has a great deal of the dirty little secrets concerning the "Weird West".

I found the book to be well written with only a few dry sections. This book intends to keep your attention so that you can fascinate your players and scare the pants off of them as they begin to learn the real truth.

Aside from this book, the Marshal should realistically purchase the Player's Guide. Also necessary for the game are poker chips, dice, and a few decks of poker cards.

If you like Westerns, heck even if you don't (I didn't till Deadlands) give this game atry. It certainly is worth the dinero.