History TabletopGame / Deadlands

''The Weird West'' starts out as a sort of AlternateHistory: long ago, around the time of the Renaissance, a group of Native Americans finally succeeded at closing the doors to the "next world", referred to almost ubiquitously in the game material as "[[SpiritWorld The Hunting Grounds]]." Doing so [[SealedEvilInACan sealed the mystical gates between worlds]], which made ''all'' magic, good or ill, much, much harder to perform. That was actually the goal, as "ill" vastly outnumbered "good".

* RulesConversions: ''Deadlands, Deadlands D20, GURPS,'' and ''Savage Worlds.'' That's four game systems.

* BadVibrations: They're not called Rattlers because they look much like a rattlesnake. They're called Rattlers because your teeth start shaking [[OhCrap when the giant tentacled worm-monster is coming to eat you]].

** ''[[TheTwilightZone It's a cookbook!]]''

** In ''Classic'', magic consists of [[DealwiththeDevil challenging an evil spirit to a game]]; if you win, it will do the "magic", but you might just grab one that's bigger than you expected …

** Skinwalkers who have no skin of their own so kill people and wear theirs.

* GameSystem: No less than three. The original ''Deadlands,'' then ''D20,'' and most recently ''Savage Lands.'' Not counting the CCG and the miniatures game.

Originally released in the 1990's by [[http://www.peginc.com Pinnacle Entertainment Group]], ''Deadlands: The Weird West'' was the first setting in what would become a trilogy. The brainchild of Shane Lacy Hensley, ''Deadlands'' was, at the time, praised as a breath of fresh air amidst the various ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' clones and derivative works. The rules were very detailed (to the point of being cumbersome, at times), and the setting was more so (to the point of being awesome, most generally). Since then, Pinnacle (and its affiliate, Great White Games) has begun re-releasing the settings with the much lighter (but less detailed) ''SavageWorlds'' rules system. This began quite recently with ''Deadlands: Reloaded.''

All Hell broke loose. Things that previously belonged in nightmares became real. Mere arcanists suddenly became aware there was more to the world than they could see, and some began to barter or swindle dark spirits for power. Shamans regained powerful medicine. Demons--"[[TheLegionsOfHell manitous]]", in the sourcebooks--began to whisper secrets of technology yet-to-come in the ears of tinkerers, slowly driving them mad. The forces of good eventually began to lend aid to their appointed. And, rarely, [[BackFromTheDead the dead began to walk the Earth]].

The material for ''Deadlands: The Weird West'' is extensive, covering approximately 30 or so full-length sourcebooks. GM's--"Marshals", in game parlance--were widely encouraged to research actual history and folklore to color in the details of their campaign world. Don't think the game's authors were slouches, though. July 3, 1863 was the date of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The interference of these new malevolent forces turned that battle to the favor of the Confederacy, and perpetuated the war for about 15 years. The setting is filled with historical {{Shout Out}}s.

Three things really defined the flavor of the original game world, though. First was its historical setting: though there was enough material to run entire campaigns "Back East", most of the game's attention went to the American West. Second was the prevalence of the {{Masquerade}}, with both the United States and the Confederate States employing [[TheMenInBlack agents]] to ensure that no word of paranormal activity ever leaked into the public at large. Finally, the ''Deadlands'' universe is implicitly and explicitly stated to be Faustian: [[DealWithTheDevil if you want power]] from the Hunting Grounds, expect to have to pay a price. It might be as simple as living a pious life or respecting the Nature Spirits. It might be as complex--and angsty--as [[BlessedWithSuck time-sharing your rotting corpse with a malevolent specter]].

** Texas Tummy Twisters are parasites that can be picked up by drinking contaminated water. Picture a ghastly lump of gnarly, spiked tentacles and eyes roughly the size of a toddler living in someone's belly -- and capable of reaching out through their flesh to attack others -- and you've got a Tummy Twister.

* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: The Reckoners literally feed on fear, and so the generic purpose of all Abominations is to literally "Terrorform" the land around them by spreading fear and suffering -- people can also reverse the process by making people feel hope, joy, and bravery.

* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Words can't do justice to how true this is... To put it in perspective, demons can create swarms of mind-controlled animals aptly named "Murderous Hordes", one of the enemies in the corebook is a spiky, blood-sucking tumbleweed called the [[PunnyName Tumblebleed]], it has a cousin called Bloodwire (which pretends to be part of a barbed wire fence to grab its prey), and there's a very literal Saddle Burr, in the form of a spiky plant that can pierce just about anything and injects a very powerful irritating venom -- it can't actually ''kill'' you, but it really leaves you sore.

** Shamanistic and Voodoo powers don't involve any great risk to your soul either: you're making deals for power with the "good" spirits of the hunting grounds. They don't ask for your soul, just that you jump through a bunch of hoops to make them happy. For Conjure Doctors, these hoops are usually just extended rituals to imbue something with spiritual power (mixed with a good bit of faith in the spirits you're invoking-- Voodoo is a religion after all). For shaman, the hoop can take the form of anything from extended dancing, to painting complex pictures, to lopping off your own arm. Both of them have the chance for an evil spirit to get into the mix and muddle things up, but that just makes the effect go awry, you're still not at risk of losing your soul.

* {{Railroading}}: The published adventures encourage a certain amount of railroading, because the authors want the game to be on track with the planned {{Metaplot}}.

*** ''Noir'' reveals that ''all'' magic works this way, unless you're a Blessed. The Hunting Grounds require sacrifice of some sort, be it devotion, sanity, or your very soul. Grifters are a new class of spellcaster that uses vice to perform this sacrifice, indulging in hedonism for power. They tend to despise their vices in time. Compared to the art of the Huckster, though, addiction is a small price to pay. [[spoiler:Except for the small fact that Grifters are powered by Famine himself...]]

* PsychoSerum: Red Rum, a rare accidental example.

* GenreBusting: Horror meets WildWest by way of CattlePunk, going on to PostApocalyptic.

*** ''Noir'' reveals that ''all'' magic works this way, unless you're a Blessed. The Hunting Grounds require sacrifice of some sort, be it devotion, sanity, or your very soul. Griffins are a new class of spellcaster that uses vice to perform this sacrifice, indulging in hedonism for power. They tend to despise their vices in time. Compared to the art of the Huckster, though, addiction is a small price to pay. [[spoiler:Except for the small fact that Grifters are powered by Famine himself...]]

*** ''Noir'' reveals that ''all'' magic works this way, unless you're a Blessed. The Hunting Grounds require sacrifice of some sort, be it devotion, sanity, or your very soul. Griffins are a new class of spellcaster that uses vice to perform this sacrifice, indulging in hedonism for power. They tend to despise their vices in time.

* HollywoodCyborg: Cybernetic limbs are available in all settings, but cyborgs are only a class in ''Hell On Earth''. The kicker here is that all cyborgs in [=HoE=] are based on Harrowed, since they don't really need their organs which makes stuffing them full of metal parts is far easier, and there's room for much more. As an added bonus, cyborgs can run their implants on spiritual energy from their manitou, and don't need external power sources.

* CattlePunk: WildWest setting with SteamPunk (or CyberPunk, for HoE) technology.

* HollywoodCyborg: Cybernetic limbs are available in all settings, but cyborgs are only a class in ''Hell On Earth''. The kicker here is that all cyborgs in HoE are based on Harrowed, since they don't really need their organs which makes stuffing them full of metal parts is far easier, and there's room for much more. As an added bonus, cyborgs can run their implants on spiritual energy from their manitou, and don't need external power sources.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Hellstromme]] in HoE. Also in HoE, witches.

* {{Mordor}}: In HOE, the Eastern Seaboard. In Lost Colony, the continent of Two. And any little piece of land in any of the three settings can become Mordor if the Fear Level hits 6.

** In HOE, many recognizable cities or areas are essentially a large track of Mordor. The majority of the Californian coast can be easily mistaken for hell.

** And thats just the basics. The two bestiaries (released for Deadlands and HoE respectively) introduce plenty more kinds of walkin' dead

Set thirteen years after "The Reckoning", ''Hell on Earth'' posits that [[spoiler: through the time-traveling shenanigans of the Harrowed gunslinger [[CompleteMonster Stone]] ]] the heroes of the Weird West [[DownerEnding failed]]. This led to two hundred years of ghost rock exploitation, abominations mongering fear, and the eventual invention of the G-Bomb, a nuclear weapon utilizing irradiated ghost rock. During an epic world war between the collected allies of the United States and the Confederate States ([[DividedStatesOfAmerica which never reunited]] after the extended Civil War in ''The Weird West''), the Reckoners' plans come to fruition in 2081 as the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt world is carpeted in G-Rays]] [[spoiler: which are, in fact, the radioactive souls of the damned]], heralding the Reckoners' return to Earth [[spoiler: [[AnthropomorphicPersonification in the form of the Four]] HorsemenOfTheApocalypse ]].

* BackFromTheDead: One of the signature elements of the setting is the fact that your player characters can return from the grave as undead gunslingers. After a character dies, they may attract an evil spirit. Following a PsychologicalTormentZone nightmare, you can RiseFromYourGrave and be CursedWithAwesome. It is also completely possible for a character to [[CameBackWrong Come Back Wrong]] or discover they were DeadAllAlong. Almost guaranted to have UnfinishedBusiness.

** Or, indeed, almost any kind of Undead in the setting. Gloms are a particular nuisance because that vital brain can be hidden under a ''lot'' of other dead flesh. Bone Fiends are worse; a possessed skull is the focus for the demon creating it, but that doesn't even have to be on its body.

* [[YouAllMeetInAnInn You All Meet in a Saloon]]¨

''The Weird West'' starts out as a sort of {{Alternate History}}: long ago, around the time of the Renaissance, a group of Native Americans finally succeeded at closing the doors to the "next world", referred to almost ubiquitously in the game material as "[[SpiritWorld The Hunting Grounds]]." Doing so [[SealedEvilInACan sealed the mystical gates between worlds]], which made ''all'' magic, good or ill, much, much harder to perform. That was actually the goal, as "ill" vastly outnumbered "good".

The material for ''Deadlands: The Weird West'' is extensive, covering approximately 30 or so full-length sourcebooks. GM's--"Marshals", in game parlance--were widely encouraged to research actual history and folklore to color in the details of their campaign world. Don't think the game's authors were slouches, though. July 3, 1863 was the date of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The interference of these new malevolent forces turned that battle to the favor of the Confederacy, and perpetuated the war for about 15 years. The setting is filled with historical {{Shout Out}}s.

Set thirteen years after "The Reckoning", ''Hell on Earth'' posits that [[spoiler: through the time-traveling shenanigans of the Harrowed gunslinger [[CompleteMonster Stone]] ]] the heroes of the Weird West [[DownerEnding failed]]. This led to two hundred years of ghost rock exploitation, abominations mongering fear, and the eventual invention of the G-Bomb, a nuclear weapon utilizing irradiated ghost rock. During an epic world war between the collected allies of the United States and the Confederate States ([[DividedStatesOfAmerica which never reunited]] after the extended Civil War in ''The Weird West''), the Reckoners' plans come to fruition in 2081 as the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt world is carpeted in G-Rays]] [[spoiler: which are, in fact, the radioactive souls of the damned]], heralding the Reckoners' return to Earth [[spoiler: [[AnthropomorphicPersonification in the form of the Four]] {{Horsemen of the Apocalypse}} ]].

A mixture of {{Mad Max}} and {{Terminator}}'s future-war setting with now-overt supernaturalism, the best of the Wasted West manages to hold on to the rugged Western feel of its predecessor while slathering on every AfterTheEnd schtick you can imagine, and ramping up the horror and violence to levels more outre than the {{Masquerade}}-ridden Weird West.

* AmericaSavesTheDay: It is implied that strangeness is breaking out all over the world, but the forces or darkness and all the major events are concentrated on the North American continent.

* BadassLongcoat: A popular Western Trope; the Texas Rangers even ''issue'' dusters to their new recruits, apparently just to keep up appearances. In Hell on Earth, longcoats are pretty much standard equipment and in abundant supply.

* BigScrewedUpFamily, and also ItRunsInTheFamily: the [[HPLovecraft Whateleys]]. "How screwed up?", you ask? You have to make a ''guts'' check to be able to ''[[GoMadFromTheRevelation look]]'' at the Whateley family [[strike: tree]] [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow gnarled non-euclidian shrub]]. They are wicked, incestuous, inbred, crazy and extremely powerful sorcerers. [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch You can play a good Whateley]], but if you do, the rulebook suggests they be fairly far removed from the main family branch (cousins at the very least). This is a very reasonable suggestion.

* {{Card Sharp}}: [[{{Death Dealer}} Hucksters]] unlock the arcane secrets of [[{{BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy}} Hoyle's]] [[{{Spell Book}} Book of Games]], and use a good [[{{Incredibly Lame Pun}} deal]] of gambling-themed spells: 54 Card Pickup and Ace In the Hole just to name a few.

* {{Main/Dracula}}: Does show up, but notably does NOT inspire fear in the hearts of men throughout the Weird West. ''Deadlands'' takes place years before Bram Stoker's book was published, few people in the West know the vampire legends, and Dracula himself has no reason whatsoever to aid the Reckoners. Dracula is treated as an eccentric Eastern European nobleman by nearly all, and very few people have any reason to believe otherwise.

* HauntedTechnology: You bet. Mad gadgets are easily infested by "gremlins" that deliberately cause malfunctions.

* InvadedStatesOfAmerica: In 1877, the British invade from Canada and capture Detroit in retaliation for American military adventurism along the Canadian border.

* {{Metaplot}}: Oh good Lord. The Metaplot is extensive and revealed in published adventures such as ''Fortress O' Fear'' and ''Dead Presidents''. Later versions of the game publish summaries on the assumption that these stories played out exactly as planned. ''Deadlands'', ''Hell On Earth'' and ''Lost Colony'' form a lengthy and related trilogy. This is part of the reason all of the major villains have PlotArmor.

* OccultDetective: Both the Agency and the Rangers have squads of supernatural investigators.

** Good luck trying to kill Stone by the way. According to Hell On Earth he has max stats possible, every weapon feat, and has a +23 to hit; with [[MoreDakka four attacks every round]] but no discernible health value.

* {{Room 101}}: Lost Angels' offshore prison, where [[spoiler: prisoners are chopped up and shipped to the city as meat product.]]

* StagesOfMonsterGrief: Interestingly, the Book O' The Dead gives guidance on playing your Harrowed through this process.
* StealthPun: [[spoiler:Grimme's]] autobiography is entitled ''"Serving Your Fellow Man"''. [[ImAHumanitarian Think about it.]]

* SupernaturalMartialArts: Special training that can allow a character to become an Enlightened Martial Artist, which basically lets you tap into your chi to power various techniques, allowing you to pull off {{Wuxia}} style manuevers and even KiAttacks.

* [[YouAllMeetInAnInn You All Meet in a Saloon]]¨

* VendorTrash: Any "cash" in Hell on Earth is in fact small tradeable items of no particular use to the PC.

* SpaceWestern: ''Deadlands: Lost Colony''

* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: Averted. WordOfGod explicitly says there are no "levels" to indicate how a monster will fare against your party, specifically because they wanted to avoid this trope.