Your Buckaroo

Name them. Pick their pronouns. Roll 2d20+14 for age.

Every character has 5 injury slots (2 lesser, 2 moderate, 1 severe) and cannot gain any more.

Every character has 12 burden slots.

Saves, Lead, and Cash

Roll 4d6 and the drop the lowest for each save: Accuracy, Body, Control. If your 3 saves are less than 30 combined, start with a Working.

Roll 2d6 for your starting Lead. Roll 2d6 for your starting dollars and take note of the 2 results on the dice.

Goal

You need 5,000 dollars. Refer to the 2 dice from your starting dollars roll and compare to the list below (treat as d66).

  1. You owe money to ruthless creditors
    1. Tax collectors for back taxes
    2. The Warlocks of the Red Dust for your resurrection
    3. Crookhollow Creek Speculators for a gold rush investment gone wrong
    4. CanCare Medica for a treatment you underwent
    5. The White Hand for an extortionate loan you took out and promptly lost or squandered
    6. Lucky Stars Casino after a bad night of gambling
  2. You need money to finance an endeavor
    1. Emigration (arranged by the Copperhead gang) to another country where they have not heard of your crimes
    2. Surgery for your long-term fatal illness by CanCare Medica
    3. Healing for your fatal curse by the Warlocks of the Red Dust
    4. College fund for your eldest child, estranged
    5. Investment in the Cordillera Blanca Silver Mining Company
    6. Buying back your family’s land
  3. You want to go legit and start a business that no one else believes in
    1. Acting company
    2. Circus troupe
    3. Orphanage
    4. Cafe
    5. Publishing company
    6. Haberdasher / Milliner
  4. You’re being extorted by someone who knows your crimes
    1. They framed you for it
    2. They are a corrupt government official
    3. They are a well-protected witness
    4. They are an influential member of the Church of the Exalted Doom Manifest (Doomers)
    5. They are your ex-partner who betrayed you
    6. They contracted you for the job and are disappointed at your failure or sloppy methods
  5. You want to buy or build a home
    1. Cattle ranch
    2. Modest farm
    3. Townhouse
    4. Mansion
    5. Hermitage
    6. Houseboat
  6. You promised to help someone
    1. Your sibling. They have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom
    2. Your ex-spouse. They have mounting medical debts
    3. Your parent. They have a chronic condition that requires expensive medicine
    4. Your very young children. You don’t want them to end up like you
    5. Your best friend. They owe money to the wrong people. Roll for their creditors above
    6. Your family. Separated by long distance, they need money to rejoin you and start a new life

Traits

Roll every die (d4, d6, d8, d100, d12, d20) for your traits.

  1. d4 hat
  2. d6 overclothes
  3. d8 reputation
  4. d100 trinket
  5. d12 bounty
  6. d20 connection to the buckaroo on your left

d4 Hat

  1. Black
  2. White
  3. Brown
  4. Tan

d6 Overclothes

  1. Duster
  2. Denim Jacket
  3. Leather Jacket
  4. Poncho
  5. Hide
  6. Animal Skin Vest

This is not added to your burden. You can also be assumed to own footwear, gloves, and something to hide your face. Choose what those are or bring them up on the spot when necessary in the fiction.

Any additional outfit not worn takes up 2 slots (bulky) and may consist of shirts, shoes, gloves, bandannas, hats, and so on.

d8 Reputation

  1. Ambitious
  2. Boor
  3. Dangerous
  4. Charismatic
  5. Honest
  6. Loafer
  7. Oddball
  8. Respected

d100 Trinket

  1. Novelty Snuffbox (Shaped like an alligator, filled with the ashes of a loved one)
  2. Three ID booklets (Same picture, different names)
  3. Fake Ruby Necklace (Stolen from someone you accidentally killed)
  4. Bottle Opener (Made from the metal of a decommissioned barge of a ship you once lived on)
  5. Cigar, Uncut (Gifted by your best friend before they disappeared the night before their wedding)
  6. Bandana (Purchased at a theme park you visited as a child, decorated with a cartoon)
  7. Dog Tags (Taken off the first person who died in your arms)
  8. Religious Book (Family heirloom, hollowed out)
  9. Train Ticket (For a trip never taken to visit someone you decided not to marry)
  10. Two Glass Cups (Decorated with a strawberry print, replacements for your ex-roommate’s glasses which you broke)
  11. Loose Papers (Covered in sketches and notes of an cryptid you once saw at a distance)
  12. Spool of Thread (Purchased to repair a coat the buttons of which always go missing)
  13. Fountain Pen (Found in the jacket pocket of a long dead traveler)
  14. Ring (From a happy marriage, given willingly)
  15. Packet of Seeds (Your favorite fruit)
  16. Rusted Horseshoes (From a horse long dead)
  17. Shot Glass (From a bar that no longer exists)
  18. Conch Shell (From a beach that no longer exists)
  19. Daguerrotype (Photo from your last vacation)
  20. Pocket Watch (Stolen from a parent)
  21. Penny Dreadful Comic (Purchased long ago with your sibling who you’ve lost touch with)
  22. Tickets to a Circus (Past date, you meant to go to it with your parent)
  23. Candle (Burned-down)
  24. Dried Flowers (Preserved in resin)
  25. Gator Skull (Of the gator who killed your mentor)
  26. Antique Coin (From a nation-state that no longer exists)
  27. Ocarina (Poorly-made, permanently out of tune)
  28. Academic Achievement Medal
  29. Bookmark (Made of bamboo)
  30. Deck of Divination Cards (Always pulls the Tower when you draw for yourself)
  31. Figurine of a God (Long forgotten)
  32. A Single Chess Piece (From a game you lost)
  33. Pack of Gum (Discontinued)
  34. Pack of Cigarettes (Lucky one sticking out)
  35. Playing Cards (Trick deck)
  36. Lock of Hair (From a missing loved one)
  37. Jar of Teeth (Yours, mostly)
  38. Lucky Rabbit Foot
  39. Marble (Taken from a kid you bullied when you were young)
  40. Hand mirror (Heirloom)
  41. Empty glass bottle (From the bar you used to go to with your mentor)
  42. Prism (Refracts rainbows from light, but it’s missing blue)
  43. Dice Set (Loaded)
  44. Harmonica (Borrowed from a sibling who stopped playing)
  45. Bundle of Incense (Pungent)
  46. Taxidermied Squirrel (Gifted by a former friend, now enemy)
  47. Friendship Bracelet (From a friend whose face you’ve long since forgotten)
  48. Ripped Bridle (From your first horse)
  49. Restaurant Reward Card (One more punch until you get a free sandwich)
  50. Prayer Book with a Heretical Working Scrawled Inside
  51. Banjo (Sized for a child, but still playable)
  52. Chewing Tobacco (You promised to quit)
  53. Binoculars (Found in an abandoned caravan)
  54. Sheriff’s Badge (Caked in blood, belonged to a parent)
  55. Rancher’s Gloves (Worn on the last honest job you had)
  56. Single Glove (Embroidered or stamped with a distinctive mark, given by a lover as they disappeared from your life)
  57. Comb (Used to brush your child’s hair)
  58. Treasure Map (Stolen off a pair of corpses who died entwined in a struggle)
  59. Pomade (Purchased for when you had to attend a fancy party)
  60. Perfume (Purchased for when you had to attend a fancy date)
  61. Shaving Kit (Stolen secretly from a barbershop)
  62. Fishing Rod (Found)
  63. Herbalist Kit (Assembled over years, includes random herbs)
  64. Weeping Statuette (Weeps crystals every full moon)
  65. Golden Disc (Etched with an arcane symbol you’ve not been able to interpret)
  66. Pouch of Sand (Recovered from a graveyard)
  67. Golden Spurs (Cherished)
  68. Magnifying Glass (Formerly paired with an encyclopedia)
  69. Daguerrotype (Photo of a cryptid, blurry)
  70. Daguerrotype (Photo of a ghost, blurry)
  71. Brass knuckles (Bloodied)
  72. Bundle of Dead Letters (Found in an overturned postal wagon)
  73. Mortar and Pestle (Owned by a mentor)
  74. Wolfsbane
  75. String of Garlic
  76. Oversized Crucifix (Silver, valuable, gifted by a kind monastic who gave you refuge)
  77. Teapot
  78. Flowers Pressed in a Book (Found in the empty home of an elderly person who once gave you refuge)
  79. Portable Camera with Flash Powder (You stole it from the inventor)
  80. Heavy Steel Orb (Found in a crater)
  81. Quilt Square (Torn off your cousin’s quilt)
  82. Corn Cob Pipe (Hand-made by you)
  83. Egg Timer (Shaped like a big)
  84. Incandescent Light Bulb
  85. Potted Cactus (Name it. It is your faithful companion)
  86. Security Blanket
  87. Bundle of Pencils
  88. Jar of Pickled Limes
  89. Jar of Face Paint
  90. Pair of Bunny Slippers
  91. Empty Picture Frame (Shattered, no picture, inscription to you from a loved one written inside)
  92. Silver Spoon (Made for an infant)
  93. Toy Soldier
  94. Etiquette Manual (Filled with your notes)
  95. Scorched Doorknob (Only remaining piece of your previous home, destroyed in a fire)
  96. Cameo (White on pink)
  97. Case of Buttons (Different sizes)
  98. Diary (Written in a foreign language you don’t recognize)
  99. Mummified Hand (In a pine box, stolen from an abbey)
  100. Dragon Scale (Iridescent)

d12 Bounty

Refer to the d100 result above. Make note of the result. This is your starting bounty price. Modify it with the table below:

d12 Crime Who put up the bounty Modify d100 result by
1 Mugging Local community x10 + 50
2 Assault Local community x10 + 50
3 Heresy The Church of the Exalted Doom Manifest and local community x10 + 100
4 Arson Local community x10 + 100
5 Debt A bank x10 + 500
6 Horse Theft Family x10 + 500
7 Breaking and Entering Wealthy family x10 + 500
8 Murder The State x100
9 Bank Robbery A bank x100
10 Train or Coach Robbery Railroad or wealthy family x100
11 Prison break (roll again) The State +500
12 Roll x 3    

There’s a bounty on your head. Whether you did the crime or whether it was justified is up to you.

d20 Connection to the Character on my Left

  1. Blood relation
  2. In-law
  3. Childhood friends
  4. Carousing / drinking buddies
  5. Colleagues / Fellow enthusiasts
  6. Retrieved something for me I wanted
  7. Stopped me from doing something foolish
  8. Helped me escape
  9. Saved my life
  10. Helped me save face
  11. Kept a secret for me
  12. I owe them
  13. Defended a friend of mine
  14. We fought alongside each other
  15. I admire them for their skills
  16. Caught me committing a crime
  17. Former rivals
  18. We fought on opposite sides of a conflict
  19. Former customer
  20. I lost a bet to them

Saddle Up

Roll every die (d4, d6, d8, d100, d12, d20) for starting stuff.

  1. d4 + 2 rations
  2. d6 firearm
  3. d8 alternate weapon
  4. d100 horse 100 Horses for Cairn / One Hundred Horses
  5. d12 extra gear
  6. d20 background item

d4 Rations

Take d4 + 2 rations. Three rations fit in one slot (notated as “rations 3/3”).

You also start with a canteen or water skin (1 slot).

d6 Firearm

Everyone starts with 1 revolver (6 shots, 1 slot) plus one additional firearm, below

d6 Firearm Shots Slots/Hands Notes
1 Pistol 10 1 -1 DV on Nearby Range Shots
2 Revolver 6 1 Multiple shots per round
3 Repeater 10 2 Multiple shots per round
4 Shotgun 2 2 +2 DV, +4 DV on multiple targets
5 Rifle 5 2 -2 DV on Far Range Shots
6 Scoped Rifle 1 2 -4 DV on Far Range Shots

Optional: Customizing Your Firearm

From We Deal in Lead by Colin Le Sueur CC-BY-SA 4.0

For each firearm, roll 1d6+1d6 and compare to the table below.

d6 Grip Engraving
1 Sandalwood Flower
2 Rosewood Hawk
3 Bone Horse
4 Silver Sword
5 Mother of Pearl Dragon
6 Gold Bear

d8 Alternate Weapon

  1. Throwing knife x 2
  2. Bow + quiver (petty)
  3. Throwing Axe x 2
  4. Machete
  5. Blowgun, paralyzing toxin darts
  6. Hand Axe
  7. Hunting Knife
  8. Working

d100 Horse

Horses have stats different to other NPCs and PCs. Refer to Horsin Around.

Your horse has saddlebags with a capacity of BODY + 10. Riding a horse takes up 12 of its slots.

Your horse starts with 4 + 1d4 of feed (1 feed to 1 slot) and riding gear (bulky) representing a saddle, bridle, stirrups, and other stuff needed to ride a horse. When not taking a rider, a horse can be used as a pack animal.

You may use One Hundred Horses to determine your horse’s name, traits, and coat.

If you want to get stats as well for your horse, use 100 Horses for Cairn by Dice Goblin Games. For this supplement, divide Cost by 10 to get the cost for the horse in dollars. The horses in this supplement are very expensive riding horses. Horses range in price from $75 to $400.

To convert from Cairn:

  • STRENGTH = BODY
  • DEXTERITY = AGILITY
  • WILLPOWER = CONTROL
  • HP = THREAT

If you’d like to use 100 Horses for Cairn, it is still recommended to use One Hundred Horses to give the horse a little more personality.

If you want the horse’s stats to be randomized:

  • BODY = 2d4 + 10
  • AGILITY = 4d6, drop lowest
  • CONTROL = 3d6, drop highest
  • THREAT = 1d4

d12 Extra Gear

  1. Bedroll
  2. Tent (bulky)
  3. Cart (+10 slots)
  4. Grease
  5. Chalk
  6. Chain, 10 feet
  7. Crowbar
  8. 3 x Stakes
  9. Flask of Liquor, full
  10. First Aid Kit
  11. Fire Bottle 3/3 (fire spreads, BODY save or severe injury, ignited)
  12. Dynamite 3/3 (BODY save or severe injury, scorched; lesser injury on a save, battered)

d20 Background Item

d20 Background Item Background
1 Rope Rancher
2 Mess kit Line Cook
3 Shovel Gravedigger
4 Manacles Hangman
5 Pickaxe Miner
6 Net Fisher
7 Anti-venom 10/10 Preacher
8 Pack of beer 10/10 Monastic
9 Lantern and kerosene 3/3 Pony Express
10 Scythe Farmer
11 Hammer Carpenter
12 Bellows Blacksmith
13 Cudgel Bouncer
14 Staff Hermit
15 Scales Merchant
16 Bucket Bartender
17 Handsaw Barber-surgeon
18 Musical instrument Musician
19 Soap 10/10 Launderer
20 Empty jug Apothecary

Assemblin’ Your Posse

Based on your backgrounds, trinkets, bounties, and connections, come up with why you are riding together. Maybe the bounties were for crimes you committed together.

Starter Workings

When getting a starting spell, roll 1d4 (for Powdercrafts) or 1d12 (for Greater Workings). Also roll 1d12 to indicate where it was discovered. If you start with multiple workings, consider sticking to one specialty. If you do so, start with some additional equipment, found in Marvels & Malisons.

1d12 The spell was
1 Carved into a floorboard
2 Carved into a stone tablet
3 Etched into loose teeth wrapped in a bundle
4 Found in the forbidden section of a library
5 Heard in a dream and feverishly written down in a diary
6 Observed in the reflections of a glass vial filled with water
7 Painted on a cave wall and painstakingly chipped off
8 Revealed in a shard of glass created by lightning striking sand
9 Scorched on a skull found in the cinders of a hearth
10 Scrawled on a burial shroud
11 Traced out in the fog of a hand mirror
12 Written under the bark of a shedding tree

1d4 Powdercraft

Workings adapted from Revenant Quill’s Sulphur Mage

  1. Flare Shot. Enchant 1 ammo per lead ingested. When fired, on a hit, the bullet explodes and blinds targets in an area rather than inflicting damage.
  2. Scorching Shot. Enchant 1 ammo per lead ingested. When fired, on a hit, the bullet inflicts agony, incapacitating the target for 3 rounds. Ignites any flammable item. Igniting an article of clothing or something worn by an NPC increases the DV of the shot by 1.
  3. Dead-eye Trance. Decreases the DV of a shot by the lead ingested, to a minimum DV of 0.
  4. Berserker Trance. Temporarily increases BODY save stat by lead ingested for 3 rounds.

1d12 Greater Workings

Use Wonder & Wickedness and Marvels & Malisons for the Greater Workings, with starter workings limited to the ones below*.

Spells from The Book of Gaub may also be used in the game, but not as starter workings. May Fanta Buddha have mercy on you if you come across one.

  1. Diabolism
  2. Elementism
  3. Necromancy
  4. Psychomancy
  5. Spiritualism
  6. Translocation
  7. Vivimancy
  8. Apotropaism
  9. Arachnomorphosis
  10. Physiurgy
  11. Cunning Craft
  12. Rope Tricks

*(The other ones are not too powerful or whatever, it’s just that they are more full campaign sorts of spells)

1. Diabolism

  1. Bind
  2. Circle of Protection
  3. Conjure
  4. Gleam
  5. Miasma
  6. Petition

2. Elementism

  1. Chariot of Air
  2. Pyrokinesis
  3. Spell of Subterranean Gullets
  4. Stormspeech
  5. Trapped Lightning
  6. Wind Barrier

3. Necromancy

  1. Death Ray
  2. Lich-Craft
  3. Life Channel
  4. Occult Consultation
  5. Poltergeist
  6. Soul Harvest
  7. Soul Transfer
  8. Transmigration

4. Psychomancy

  1. Bewitch
  2. Dominate
  3. Dread Manifestation
  4. Dust of the Sandman
  5. Fascinating Gaze

5. Spiritualism

  1. Astral Projection
  2. Reality Shift
  3. Shroud

6. Translocation

  1. Fold Space

7. Vivimancy

  1. Bloodlust
  2. Indolence
  3. Quickening
  4. Serpent’s Kiss
  5. Totem

8. Apotropaism

  1. Amulet of the Open Hand
  2. Deliver from Malison
  3. Seal of Retribution

9. Arachnomorphosis

  1. Venomous Fangs
  2. Silky Spinneret
  3. Spidershape
  4. Tarantella
  5. Web

10. Physiurgy

  1. Cure
  2. Salvific Apport
  3. Death Unto Life
  4. Milk & Honey
  5. Last Oath
  6. Wilson’s Orange Draining

11. Cunning Craft

  1. Blackstaff
  2. Watchful Head
  3. Witchmark
  4. Geas

12. Rope Tricks

  1. The Rope Trick
  2. Tangle
  3. Shuffle the Mortal Coils
  4. Stupendous Strand
  5. Rope is Always Handy
  6. Ropebind