Customer Reviews

Weird West Player's Guide (Deadlands: The Weird West)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book contains rules for character creation and play that would be accessible to players in the Deadlands RPG. (The Marshal (GM) is expected to have the Marshal's Handbook, sold separately, containing additional rules and background that the Posse (the players) shouldn't be privy to.)

This game is set in an alternative past, where ghosts and monsters have been loosed upon the wild west ... and magic as well. A posse of heroes tracks down horrors and deals with them, in an attempt to restore order to the west (or for the bounty).

Game mechanics offer you considerable variety in what sorts of heroes you may play, and clever use is made of cards in addition to dice during play. The background is rich -- and quirky -- exploring relatively new territory in fantasy environments.

On the downside, in order to get into this game, you pretty much need both this hardcover as well as the Marshal's Handbook... (And that doesn't count sourcebooks expanding upon the abilities of various special character types.)

You'll also need poker chips, a deck of playing cards, and a wide range of dice (d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s, d12s and d20s in multiples), in addition to typical RPG supplies. The line of gaming miniatures supporting this game are of fair to middling quality ... and given the unique nature of this game's setting, you'll probably be hard pressed to find alternative gunslinger miniatures from other game companies.

Overall, though, I've had a pretty good time playing this game so far. While there are certain character archetypes presented (law man; prospector; saloon gal; gunslinger; huckster; preacher; indian warrior; etc.), you are given a pretty good amount of freedom in what sort of hero you can play. The pseudo-historic setting gives the Marshal (referee) a chance to mine many sources for inspiration for adventures -- traditional westerns, historical literature, the works of Jules Verne, Wild Wild West, and horror stories, for instance. Played with a properly tongue-in-cheek attitude, this game can provide one mighty fun time. =)

The Weird West Player's Guide is the first in a series of role-playing game books set in a twisted alternate take on the American West, circa 1877. In order to play the game, this book and its companion, The Weird West Marshal's Handbook are required, though there are many, many other products available to enhance the experience.

From a reader's point of view, the books offer an entertaining look at what might have been, but thankfully did not come to pass in the years following the U.S. Civil War. The book is written in an evocative, cheerfully irreverent style that goes down easily, and the mixture of historical events and speculative fiction makes a compelling setting which interested gamers can explore and even expand upon.

For those unfamilliar with the genre, role-playing is a hobby not unlike amateur theatre or watching a movie, except that the players are active participants in the drama as it unfolds, each taking the part of one of the heroes of the piece, under the direction of an arbiter, or Marshal, a role which can itself be tremendously rewarding.

My only regret concerning the Deadlands line (of which this book is the flagship product) is that I didn't get into it sooner. It is cleverly designed, its mechanics wonderfully redolent of the frontier myths popularized by the likes of Clint Eastwood, yet eminently playable.

Parents, role-playing is a wonderful pastime for children, ages twelve and up. It encourages literacy, creative thinking, free expression and sociability. Furthermore, characters in a Deadlands saga are heroes, and are encouraged to act as such. Games like this are far more wholesome than the majority of the video games currently on the market, and teach valuable life skills without being obvious about it.

Fellow gamers, give Deadlans a try. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Finally, the people at Pinnacle Entertainment (publishers of this book) are very responsive to reader questions and comments, and go out of their way to make playing Deadlands a memorable experience. Their contact information is in the book, and I urge you to let them know what you think of their work.

"The year is 1877, but the history is not our own. The Civil War drags on, stalled by horrific occurences neither the United States nor the Confederacy want the public to know about."

Thus begins the introduction on the back over of the Player's Guide to a setting full of cowboys, indians, gamblers, preachers, and assorted other mysterious beings.

This game provides a rich setting that even the nongamers can enjoy simply by reading the text. I have rarely seen a book that is written in such a format. The background section takes the form of a newspaper titled "The Tombstone Epitaph," a paper of the period. The basic character types are clearly defined here and a rudimentary set of powers is given. In order to get more complete information other supplemental books will need to be purchased, but that is par for the RP industry.

All you need as a player is this book, possibly a deck of cards, and some dice. That's it. The Marshal (GM) will have other responsibilities but that's it for you pardner.

I would strongly recommend this game as it can be run like a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne movie or more like Brisco County Jr. The possibilities are limitless.

BTW, one vast improvement of this version over the 2nd edition books is that this book has an index. Believe me this makes a world of difference.

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.

Hey! It's even got a forward by Bruce Campbell so it has to be great. The system is also great. There are no true "character classes" as you can mix and match most special powers & skills allowing for great creativity at character creation.The only downsides are that its a little expensive for the size of the book, and sme character types have terrible side effects. For example, Hucksters have a good chance of killing themselves casting spells.

Far better than the d20 version of this game (and I happen to like d20). This version of the game makes good use of the poker game and poker chips mechanics that makes it feel like Deadlands instead of some generic weird tales game that happens to be set in the old West.

For my money, this is the best version of Deadlands out there.

Love the game. The story is as compelling as RPGs get. Technically, it covers two hundred years, two solar systems and two eras. The villians-Stone, Raven Hellstromme, the Whateleys are all fascinating villians. The two problems are as follows: First spellcasting and inventing are far too dangerous and less effective than one would hope. Hucksters too often failed to cast a spell or would suffer a critical failure. Priests quickly loose their faith. Shamen run out of areas to scar. Second, since it is such a large story it it expensive to get it all.