History TabletopGame / Deadlands

* Nanomachines: Transmuters (or 'Mutes as people call them) have cybernetic enhancements that allow them to control tiny robots that allow them to build generally anything they can think of.
** FaceHeelTurn: In Lost Colony Reloaded, it would seem that the network that all of the Transmuters' (See Below) nano-machines get their orders from has been corrupted. Once these individuals could build wonders with their nanobots, now they can only destroy.

** Even this alternate history is gaining its own [[Retcon Alternate History]]. Seems something in the past (which will be explained in Deadlands: Dark Ages) is causing the Confederacy to fall in 1871 after the Battle of Washington. With ramifications echoing through out time (and maybe space a little bit with the Way Out West setting Lost Colony).

** Even this alternate history is gaining its own[[Retcon Alternate History]]. Seems something in the past (which will be explained in Deadlands: Dark Ages) is causing the Confederacy to fall in 1871 after the Battle of Washington. With ramifications echoing through out time (and maybe space a little bit with the Way Out West setting Lost Colony).

Finally, there's the third Deadlands setting, ''Lost Colony''. Set in a star system "far, far away", where a group of [[NobleSavage sentient, but primitive]], aliens may just hold the key to defeating the {{Big Bad}}s once and for all. It's meant to provide a suitably expansive backdrop to the series' climactic [[GrandFinale final confrontation]], but was hindered by a lack of support: only two sourcebooks and one novel were written to support the setting, a far cry from the extensive treatment of previous games in the series. Like its big brothers, however, it maintains a very "Western" feel, leading to the tagline used in all three series, "The spaghetti Western... with meat!" A ''Reloaded'' edition of ''Lost Colony'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcLu_TNGZ78#t=08m42s was announced]], with an original estimated release date of mid or late 2016; a Kickstarter was eventually announced for October 2019.

In 2014, the {{Collectible Card Game}} was rebooted as ''Doomtown Reloaded'', with cleaned up rules and a new story that begins after the destruction of the old town. Unfortunately in 2016, AEG canceled the game, but a fan community along with Pinnacle did a continuation through Kickstarter which ran in September 2017..

* TheGmIsACheatingBastard: In fact, the Marshal sections often explicitly state that certain antagonist powers (like Black Magic) ''are not balanced in any way.'' Since the game is supposed to be one of gritty horror and close-shave survivalism, [[TropesAreNotBad this can be forgiven]].

Recently, a ''Deadlands: Dark Ages'' has been announced. Nothing is known other than it will play into the backstory of The Cackler. It also carries the primary reason for the retcon of the removal of the CSA in the main continuity.

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.

Finally, there's the third Deadlands setting, ''Lost Colony''. Set in a star system "far, far away", where a group of [[NobleSavage sentient, but primitive]], aliens may just hold the key to defeating the {{Big Bad}}s once and for all. It's meant to provide a suitably expansive backdrop to the series' climactic [[GrandFinale final confrontation]], but was hindered by a lack of support: only two sourcebooks and one novel were written to support the setting, a far cry from the extensive treatment of previous games in the series. Like its big brothers, however, it maintains a very "Western" feel, leading to the tagline used in all three series, "The spaghetti Western... with meat!" A ''Reloaded'' edition of ''Lost Colony'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcLu_TNGZ78#t=08m42s was announced]], with an original estimated release date of mid or late 2016, however ''Lost Colony Reloaded'' is assumed to be dead as of 2019.

In 2014, the {{Collectible Card Game}} was rebooted as ''Doomtown Reloaded''. Cleaned up rules and a new story that begins after the destruction of the old town. Unfortunately in 2016, AEG canceled the game, however a fan community along with Pinnacle has begun working on a continuation through Kickstarter (allegedly set to go in July of 2017).

A [[http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2014/04/28/microsoft-sees-the-future-of-tv-in-an-old-school-role-playing-game/ TV series based on the game]] is in development.

Finally, there's the third Deadlands setting, ''Lost Colony''. Set in a star system "far, far away", where a group of [[NobleSavage sentient, but primitive]], aliens may just hold the key to defeating the {{Big Bad}}s once and for all. It's meant to provide a suitably expansive backdrop to the series' climactic [[GrandFinale final confrontation]], but was hindered by a lack of support: only two sourcebooks and one novel were written to support the setting, a far cry from the extensive treatment of previous games in the series. Like its big brothers, however, it maintains a very "Western" feel, leading to the tagline used in all three series, "The spaghetti Western... with meat!" A ''Reloaded'' edition of ''Lost Colony'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcLu_TNGZ78#t=08m42s was announced]], with an original estimated release date of mid or late 2016. As of June 2018, ''Lost Colony Reloaded'' has yet to be published.

* SealedEvilInACan: The lowest levels of the Hunting Grounds, and [[spoiler:ghost rock...the miracle fuel that runs on the souls of the damned]]!

** Averted in Lost Colony, the Mute class is infused with nanotbots and can fabricate equipment with no downside at all [[spoiler: [[BlessedWithSuck Except for you know, the fact that the bots are using every bad deed you do to erode your sanity and make you a loyal pawn of the Government and will eventually make you slaughter your friends in their sleep...]]]]

* TheMafia: The Black Hand, a branch of the Sicilian mafia that controls most of New Orleans.

Finally, there's the third Deadlands setting, ''Lost Colony''. Set in a star system "far, far away", where a group of [[NobleSavage sentient, but primitive]], aliens may just hold the key to defeating the {{Big Bad}}s once and for all. It's meant to provide a suitably expansive backdrop to the series' climactic [[GrandFinale final confrontation]], but was hindered by a lack of support: only two sourcebooks and one novel were written to support the setting, a far cry from the extensive treatment of previous games in the series. Like its big brothers, however, it maintains a very "Western" feel, leading to the tagline used in all three series, "The spaghetti Western... with meat!" A ''Reloaded'' edition of ''Lost Colony'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcLu_TNGZ78#t=08m42s has been announced]], with an estimated release date of mid or late 2016.

In 2014, the {{Collectible Card Game}} was rebooted as Doomtown Reloaded. Cleaned up rules and a new story that begins after the destruction of the old town. Unfortunately in 2016, AEG canceled the game, however a fan community along with Pinnacle has begun working on a continuation through Kickstarter (allegedly set to go in July of 2017).

A remarkably comprehensive analysis of the differences between Classic and Reloaded can be found [[https://rpg.stackexchange.com/a/41330/44046 here]]

** 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.
*** And in ''Reloaded'', where Stone is statted, he's got enough speed backed with his Harrowed abilities to guarantee he'll get the first shot in even on high rank characters or dodge anything less than a critical. And then you add in his specific weaknesses ([[spoiler: He can only be hurt by a gun he's previously owned, and only then in a proper duel]]) on top of the need to shoot him in the head. Even ''statted'', he has PlotArmor. The other servitors are no better in this regard.

* TheRemake:
** The original ''Classic'' systems re-adapted for the TabletopGame/SavageWorlds system and an advancement of the metaplot.

* WeirdScience: one of the sets of player skills. This being an explicitly Faustian setting, the knowledge to make the gadgets comes from less than heavenly sources, and every new gadget invented makes the character a little more insane.

* RedRightHand: The Whateley family is so inbred and magically empowered that they all have a number of tell-tale marks of abnormality: jet black hair, pale skin, a sallow complexion, abnormally long fingernails. ''All'' Whateleys have vivid green eyes. Male Whateley [=PCs=] always have an unnerving presence, which in ''Reloaded'' means that they have a -2 modifier to their Charisma. Female Whatley [=PCs=] can choose whether or not their tells are considered unnerving (-2) or exotic (+2).

A remarkably comprehensive analysis of the differences between Classic and Reloaded can be found [[https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/41311/what-is-the-difference-between-deadlands-classic-and-savage-worlds-deadlands-r here]]

Set thirteen years after "The Reckoning", ''Hell on Earth'' posits that [[spoiler: through the time-traveling shenanigans of the Harrowed gunslinger Stone]] the heroes of the Weird West [[DownerEnding failed]]. This led to 200 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]].

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

* SinisterMinister: Subverted. Grimme has all the hallmarks of this, but [[spoiler: the leader of Lost Angels, who is also the Servitor of Famine and instructs his followers to eat each other, is an Abomination who took the place and form of the real Ezekiah Grimme shortly after the real Grimme was eaten by his hunger-maddened followers in the aftermath of the Great Quake. The real Grimme was a whisky priest and a morally weak man, but he did his best to care for his people and was ''very'' far from capital-E evil.]]

* SinisterMinister: Subverted. Grimme has all the hallmarks of this, but [[spoiler: the leader of Lost Angels, who is also the Servitor of Famine and instructs his followers to eat each other, is an Abomination who took the place and form of the real Ezekiah Grimme shortly after the real Grimme was eaten by his hunger-maddened followers in the aftermath of the Great Quake. The real Grimme was a whisky priest, and a weak but fundamentally decent person, but ''very'' far from capital-E evil.]]