The Weird West Adventure or The Arms of Beourn

Character Descriptions, The Desert, The Warparty, Tin Town, Vulture Az, Campaign Notes, Cowboy Humor, Famous Folk,
Starting Date: October 13, 1869

Getting There
I've come up with several different ways of getting the party to the New West world (Earth). Mostly this is because I'm getting more enthusastic about this adventure as I work on it, so I keep moving it up in the order of the campaign as it was plotted long ago. Here is the latest one:
The party has travelled down the River Styx and fought the battle for the Citadel that contains the soul of the heart. Just as Beourn is going to possess the heart, Tiamat the Chromatic Dragon God appears and says "You stole something from me years ago. You now on my home ground and you will not survive." He is right. He has brought Baalzebul the god of the 6th level with him to make sure there is no opposition possible. The party members are all dead within 2 rounds. The last player to die will see a brilliant light appear which startles the gods long enough for the light to shine on each of the dead for a moment. Thats the last thing the last to die will see. Roll a d20 and subtract your fortitude bonus. All is darkness. There is no sensation, there is no anything.

Arrival
They all wake up at different times. Roll a d20 minus their fort. bonus to determine how many 10s of minutes they will each be unconcious. During the time they are unconcious, they appear to be dead. No breathing, no heartbeat but still warm. Determine the order in which the party will wake.
Then announce to the group at large:
"All is darkness. All is silence. You are a spirit with no name and no memory of your past life. You float in the comforting darkness. A feeling of anticipation rises within you."
Take the first one to wake into another room. Say the following to each player:
"You have no volition. Your thoughts and actions are not under your control. Like a black cloud in a blacker sky, you drift over something that is not a place, but rather an event that you know is going to occur for good or bad and that's alright with you. After a timeless time, you become aware of some discomfort." "There is something on your face and you feel like you are tightly enclosed in something. You realize that you can't breathe. You are smothering! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
The party is spread out over an area of 70' in a sandy wash.

They are buried in shallow graves. Any of them can easily dig their way out, but they have to say that's what they are doing. To increase the sense of panic, every 20 seconds or so of real time say "That's another breath you couldn't take". They can survive 20 of these warnings. If they are not the first to wake up, and they yell, they will remove 5 warnings but all who are awake have a DC of 12 to hear the cry and find the grave.
Eventually, they will dig their way up. As each one digs themselves out, there will be some time to take action before the next char wakes and digs their way out. The d20 rolls will determine how this goes.
For each 10 minutes of a single person searching, roll a d4 to determine how many unconsious people can be found. Nothing will awake the chars before the time determined by the roll. If one of the burried cries out, make a Hear roll at a DC12 for all those who are awake to hear. A second Hear roll at a DC16 will allow someone to tell where the one crying out is burried.

Here is what they sense at first
On waking, the characters will be aware that they "feel different" than they did before. If they use their hands to investigate their bodies they may discover differences (no pointy ears etc.). This also applies if the characters feel the other characters. Remember, all of them are naked!
It is night on the high desert. There is a breeze blowing into your face. The slight wind is cold and the air is thin and crisp. They will arrive on a dark, cloudy night with no moon and deep darkness. As they are naked and have no way to see, the extent of the changes to their forms will not be obvious until a spell caster can make some light. This won't be any time soon as they do not have the material component (firefly or phospo. moss or a holy symbol). Their investigations of each other will be limited to the starlight and their other senses.
The gravity feels the same.

Each time one of the players who has awakened tries to use the name of another character, stop him and say
"You fully expect to sspeak to one of the people you see, but no words come out. Make a Speak Language skill roll at a DC 10 with no modifiers. You try to say the name of the person you know so well, but nothing comes out! You stop talking and start the sentence over again and the same thing happens. You realize that you have no idea of the name the person you are addressing is known by."
As the new people are added, do the same thing over and over again. When a character realizes their memory is gone, hand that character the blank character sheet page 1 that has only their hit points and ability scores listed. There is the player name, the original character name and thats it! The main part of this adventure is filling in the character sheet and recovering their memories.

Those that do not make the initial Speak roll may re-roll with a +5 to their roll after they have heard others speak. This roll may be repeated once per day thereafter. The character is unable to communicate until the roll is made.

Their loss of memory initially is absolute. They will not be able to remember their previous lives. They will not know their own names, much less how many were in the party when they were transported here. They may get echoes of this kind of information as in:
The party is talking about a battle to come and someone mentions "Victory". Victorex remembers being named something like that. Part of the fun of the adventure will be their slow recovery of their memory and their abilities.

The spell casters will want to use their spells. Reply "What are these spells you wonder. Are they like hands that you used to do things with or are they like stories from your childhood long forgotten."

Getting a new character sheet is really cool as it will scare them into wondering if their old bodies still survive and if they will ever get back home. Make sure to give them the specially chosen character sheet.
The new bodies are from an special forces group called "Section 509". They are directly controled by the President and the Secretary of War. They were sent to track down a similar group of Confederates. Instead they were ratted out by one of the turncoat indian scouts they employed. The Confederates ambushed them and killed them all. They stripped the bodes of everything including clothes and all identification.

The idea is to reveal their abilities only gradually.  Handling this will be different for each character as each of their abilities are different. Allow the association between the things they see and the memories they envoke to come fairly quickly.
an example of this would be:
Timber is searching the ground for people who are still dead. "You turn over a rock accidentally as you search the ground and a beetle runs across your foot. You remember that you used to have a beetle that was your freiend and would help you and could talk. What a crazy thought!"
In the begining, no one will remember anything without a physical object or a turn of phrase to remind them of this. An example of the phrase is:
The party is talking about a battle to come and someone mentions "Victory". Victorex remembers being named something like that. Part of the fun of the adventure will be their slow recovery of their memory and their abilities.

They are located 102 miles NW of Vulture AZ. This area is bad lands; a mixture of high desert and broken low hills. Beourn locates the heart and leads them toward it. This is NW.

The New Characters
The whole concept for the characters in this adventure is that they are a combination of 2 characters; one that is the character they created which is overlayed with the character from the Wild West whose body they inhabit. Thus the backstory of what I will refer to as the bodies character is far more important. It determines what modern skills the character has!

The party was a covert operations group called "Section 509" who operated directly through commands from the President and the Minister of War. They have been recruted for their unusual abilities and willingness to accept people without reservation when they are part of the team.

They were on a mission to capture a group of Confederate millitia sabatoging the relationship between the Union and the Central Tribes. Unfortunatly, their location became known to the millitia and they were all ambushed, killed, striped of any identification and shallowly burried in a sandy wash.

They will discover that they all have a small tatooe of a "9" each in a different easy to hide part of their body. It's the size of an 8pt font.

The Blessed - Victorex, - 10th Level Blessed - Rex Victor

Victorex inhabits the body of Revered Rex Victor. The "9" is under his left armpit.
He is the son of a slaves who were liberated in the war and escaped to the North.
The father was a brilliant man who had been brought from French territories in Africa to a plantation outside of Baton Rouge, Lousiana when he was 17. He was a natural linguist who spoke French, English and two native dialects (Zulu and Ubuto). On the journey in chains, he realized he could only hold Africa in his heart and keep his old ways and religion secret to him and his family. He decided to deceive his owners and adapt their ways at all times while in front of them and keep to the old ways in private. He was wildly successful. He rose quickly to head house servant. He married another slave who was a devout Babtist, but who chose to ignore the "strange ways" of her husband. She and his son were killed by Contrills raiders on their first northern attack on Gurneytown Pa 3 years ago.
Rex was 3rd born of 5 childeren and lived his first 19 years in slavery. Always religious (Babtist), he joined the church as a lay preacher as soon as he was freed. His presence and his piety was noticed and he was given his own congration. He was dismissed from the church when it was discovered he had "powers" from beyond. Rex doesn't know why his prayers are often answered with the Power. He is VERY cautious about using it around others, but has become accusomed to the acceptance of his gift by the Section members.
In public, he is a Babtist lay preacher and wandering holy man brining the "glory of Christ to the Wilderness". He as a preacher is devoted to protecting the innocent from harm and further the Babtist cause. Align. C.G. Level at Death - 10th
Spells are granted by the One God.
Speaks English and Swahili
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft (whittleing), Diplomancy, Faity, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge Religion and History, Sense Motive, Tale Telling.
Devine Gift: 2, Devine Intervention: 1,
Code of Conduct: "Speaking is better than fighting, but only fighting works with enemies of the Tribe"
Feats:

Pisheo - Brave - Level 10 -Ia'goo-Mokwa (Boasting Bear)

Algonquin
"9" is on the inside of his left big toe -
Braves are part warrior and part shaman. She is a fighter respected for his cunning and bravery.
Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Hide, Sign Lang., Innuendo, Intimidate, Intuit Direction, Jump Knowledge (I. lore and Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Swim, Use Rope, Wilderness Lore
Proficient with all simple weapons. short bows, light armor and siields
Feats: Mounted Combat
War Cry (3 per day) gains +2 to St, +2d10 HP, and +2 morale and -2 AC Lasts constitution in rounds. Suffers -2 str and -2 dex afterwords for same amount of time spent crying.
Weapon Specialization - Tomahawk
Dead Eye Ability - Detect opponents weak spots
Guardian Spirit - Bear
Speaks Sign Language, Algonquin and English Patois

Zoe - Gunslinger - Sally Jones -

"9" is in behind her right ear.
A trick shooter and "a real looker" when she chooses to change out of her usual cowboy gear.
She is a master of firearms in general, but specializes in the Remington Army Pistol.  Also carries a calvery cutlass and a Remington Carbine.
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft (Blacksmith, Weapons), Demolitions, Intimidate, Handle Animal, Ride, Ridicule, Sense Motive, Spot
Proficient with all simple weapons and firearms

Odyseuss - Gunslinger Level 10 - Kid Granger

- "9" is on the inside of his right eye lid.
A master at 2 handed gunplay and carries a Bowie knife at all times.
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft (Sewing), Demolitions, Gambling, Gunplay, Holdout, Intimidate, Knowledge (local-Montana), Ride, Ridicule, Sense Motive, Speed Load, Spot, Use Rope
Proficient with all simple weapons and firearms
Bonus feats:
Weapon Specialization - (6 guns)

Timber - 10th level Scout - Nachee Ojo (Summer wind)

-Omaha tribe) - "9" is on the underside of his tongue
He is a wilderness fighter who knows nature and a survivor.
Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Gather informations, Handle animal, Hide, Holdout, Indian Sign Language, Intuit direction, Jump, Knowledge Indian Lore, Knowledge Nature, Language, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spot, Swim, Use Rope, Wilderness lore
Languages: English (excellent), Apache, Souix, Algonquin
Features: Alertness +4, Sixth Sense, Sneak Attack, Skill Focus 2d6, Track

Huckster - Galranwyn - 10th Level - Whee Po

"9" is on her right heel
Hucksters are magic users usually associated with cards. Whee Po learned her magic from a different school. Instead of cards, Po uses chinese herbs and fortune telling sticks to work her magic. She has a spirt helper who is a gold dragon named "Hung Fa".
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gambling, Gather Information, Hexslinging, Knowledge occult, Knowledge Herbs, Perform, Ridicule, Sense Motive, Slight o' Hand, Spellcraft
Simple Weapons and firearms
Casts "Hexes", Blood Magic

Des - 6th L. Gunslinger, 4th L. Huckster -"Lily LaFlame"

 -  - Clare McGonical - "9" is on right little toe.
Huckster Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gambling, Gather Information, Hexslinging, Knowledge occult,
 Knowledge Herbs, Perform, Ridicule, Sense Motive, Slight o' Hand, Spellcraft
Gunslinger Class Skills:  Bluff, Climb, Craft (Sewing), Demolitions, Gambling, Gunplay, Holdout, Intimidate, Knowledge (local-Montana), Ride, Ridicule, Sense Motive, Speed Load, Spot, Use Rope
Simple Weapons and firearms
Casts "Hexes"

Dromar - Mad Scientist 10th level - Ignatious Jones -

 - "9" is on a hair covered spot on the back of his neck
Given time, he can make unheard of inventions from mundane objects (think wild west mcguiver). He hardly ever speaks, but his mouth and throat move as he is constantly, silently, talking to himself.
Uses all simple weapons and firearms. Automatically proficient with any weapon/item he designs or builds.
Class Skills: Alchemy, Craft, Decipher Script, Demolitions, Disable Device, Drive, Knowledge, Language, Mad Science, Open Lock, Profession, Heal and Tinker.
Abilities: Alchemy, Starting Gadget, Academic Mastery, Jury Rig.

Katrina - 10th Level Maveric - Lucky Green

His "9" is on the inside of his nose (left nostri). Jack of all trades and master of lots! She has done near everything, and been about everywhere. She is smart and cute in a perky way.
Class Skills: Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Crft, Decipher Script, Demolitions, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape, Artist, Forgery, Gambloing, Gather Information, Holdout, Innuendo, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge History, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Pick Pocket, Read Lips, Ridiculte, search, Sense Motive, Slight o' hand, Spot, Tale Telling, Tumble.
Proficient with simple weapons and firearms
Extraordinary Luck, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Skill Focus, Gamblers Luck

Zen Master - Beourn - 9th Level Blessed - Inoshiro Koma

- "9" is inside of his right cheek (in his mouth!).

Ulla - 11th Level Samuri -Warrior - Yoshi Takito

- "9" is behind his left earlobe.
Ulla's character is unchanged except for appearance. He will gradually remember his own skills, but inhabits the body of a Japanese Sword warrior. His weapon and all other skills are the same as Ulla usually is, but fitted into the mold of a Samuri.

Phanto - Shaman - 10th Level - Ishkoda Ioyeska (Comet)

Under his left armpit -Algonquin - Master of spirits who do  magic for him.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Indian sigh language, Intuit Direction, Knowledge indian lore, Kowledge nature, Ritual, Heal, Sense MOtive, Swim, Wilderness Lore.
Proficient in simple weapons, short bow and light armor
Languages: Cherokee, Souix, Hopi
Features: Favors from Manitous and can do rituals. Must stick to the old ways. Guardian Spirit, Nature Sense: Vision Quest

Ariel - Rowdy - 10th Level - Rhonda Newlin

"9" is on the crown of her head. Bouncer, Drover, Teamster, Rail layer, expert grappler
Class Skills: Drive, Handle animal, Holdout, Ridicule, Ride, Spot, Wilderness Lore
Proficient in Simple Weapons
Special Feats: Dodge, Great Fort., Imp. Init. Improved Unarmed strik (stun fist), Sucker Punch, Toughness

And a surprise addition:

No Char. - Zed - 10th Level - Ivan Swan
Isarel escaped the masacre of Alferd Packer and ran off where he was captured by the Rebs and held as a prisoner of intellegence for 5 ye4ars. He has not reappeared to testify against Alferd as he has not been able to return since Alferd was captured.
He will want to kill Alferd when he sees him!
Israel was a mine forman who had held a number of positions in the arizona territories.


The Desert
They are located 102 miles NW of Vulture AZ. The first part of the adventure will be discovering how the party can cope with the unrelenting sun and the lack of food to travel to somewhere that is civilized.
During this period, they will gradually discover that they have some knowledge that the don't remember learning; it seems like its just hideing in their minds. Memories of this knowledge is triggered by the appearance of something that resonates with this burried rememberances.

I really want the desert to be life threatening. The heat, the lack of water and food will gradually bring them down.
When the sun comes up, describe their new appearance and give them pictures of themselves. They discover they are in a tractless desert.
An hour after dawn, the sky clears and they see the sun beating down. It is already getting hot.
Searching the area will allow them to discover where they were killed. These spots are obvious as there is a lot of blood around. They will also find spots where 4 horses are burried. If they dig them up, it will be found that they have been skinned. The horses will provide food for the party for 4 days. They will not find any water or tack on the horses; they have been stripped.  but nothing other than cartridge cases can be found. These are plentyful. Do not tell the characters what they are. "You find a tiny cup made out of brass. They are different sizes ranging from about 1/2 to 3/4" high and about 1/4" in diameter with vertical sides. It's like a cilendar with a bottom."

Overland Movement on Foot:
They have no encoumerance as they are naked when they start out.
The base walk speed is 3 MPH, but trackless movement in the desert cuts this 1/2 to 1.5 miles per hour. The party can this up for 8 hours.
That makes their daily movement 12 miles a day.
They may want to do a forced march in which case for each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour) is required. If the check fails, the character takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. A character who takes any nonlethal damage from a forced march becomes fatigued. Eliminating the nonlethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. It’s possible for a character to march into unconsciousness by pushing himself too hard.
They will not become lost as the desert is fairly flat with dunes they can climb up to see their way. Also, they have only a general direction to go in until they meet the indians, so they just have to follow the everpresent sun to find their way.
The desert is "Light Rubble and Rocky" The DC of Balance and Tumble checks increases by 2 30% of the time (roll during encounters).

Heat
They are in the high desert in mid October. The temprature ranges from 40deg at night which rises to 90deg. by 11:00 and up to 110deg max from 3:00 to 5:00 then falls to 90deg at dusk at 6:00. This means there will be 90+ temps for 7 hours a day.
A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per hour).
Heat deals nonlethal damage that cannot be recovered until the character gets cooled off (reaches shade, survives until nightfall, gets doused in water, is targeted by endure elements, and so forth). Once rendered unconscious through the accumulation of nonlethal damage, the character begins to take lethal damage at the same rate.
In severe heat (above 110° F), a character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per each 10-minute period).
A character who takes any nonlethal damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the nonlethal damage she took from the heat.

Hunger and Thirst
The party will have no means to obtain them. In normal climates, Medium characters need at least a gallon of fluids and about a pound of decent food per day to avoid starvation. (Small characters need half as much.) In very hot climates, characters need two or three times as much water to avoid dehydration.
A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
Characters who have taken nonlethal damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. Nonlethal damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets food or water, as needed—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.
Spotting things in the desert
In general, the maximum distance in desert terrain at which a Spot check for detecting the nearby presence of others can succeed is 6d6×20 feet; beyond this distance, elevation changes and heat distortion in warm deserts makes spotting impossible. The presence of dunes in sandy deserts limits spotting distance to 6d6×10 feet.

The desert imposes neither bonuses nor penalties on Listen or Spot checks. The scarcity of undergrowth or other elements that offer concealment or cover makes hiding more difficult.

Learning stuff - (Doc with Skill List)
Although I want to make them think they are going to die, it is only right for them to discover some memories while they travel. Folks with survival skills may find water bearing plants and such allowing them ST bonuses. As they discover their skills, allow them to write them down  with a single rank and make their skill role. Be fairly generous giving out skills at this point!
Here is an example:
"The second night sky is clear. You focus on these dots of light and become aware of the night sky. It's all wrong. There are way to many stars and there are none of the familiar constalations. You've seen the sky from many planets, but none of them have looked like this. You search in vane for a familiar star." At this time, find the characters who have navigation skill or the feat

Deadlands Skills, Feats, Levels and Other Memories

Initially, the characters will have no memory of anything at all except for motor and vocal skills, but in one language (English) only. This includes knowledge of skills. This document describes the way that the parties knowledge will be returned to them.
There are 5 types of knowledge that will be considered here.

Skills

These are recovered by "Recollection". This requires a "Need" and a "Trigger". The Need is some reason that the character requires the information. The greater the need, the easier the roll to remember. The Trigger is something that reminds the character of something needed to help out. In game mechanics, here's how it should work.
DM Determines a "Need" - A situation arises where the skill would benefit the party.
DM declares the "Trigger" This has no effect on the outcome of the event, but is required to maintain the illusion that these memories are arising from something inside, not just the DM messing with them. The trigger could be something obvious like seeing a tool used on the skill or extremely obscure like a dust pattern that is suggestive. Remember, this is COLOR and the main thing is to be interesting.
DM Determins the degree of the need. This will result in a die modifier to the skill aqusition roll.
Dire: +4
Critical +3
Significant +2
Importanty +1
DM determines the characters skill level. Look this up on the character sheet.
Player rolls a d20 and tells the DM what the roll was.
DM adds the roll to the Degree of need modifier and the character's skill level.
The DC of this roll is 25. If the character succeeds, the skill and full skill levels is told to the character who writes this down on their sheet.
Character rolls against the skill score to determine the success of the skill use.
Example: Sally is badly wounded in a gun battle; her bleeding body lies on the ground at the feet of Rex Victor. A need is determined for the Heal skill. The DM says, "You look at the person dying at your feet and notice the way the breeze blows the fabric of her blouse over the wound. You wonder if there is anything you could do. Roll a d20" , the trigger is seen. The DM determines the need is significant (Sally still has 20HP left so her life is not in immediate danger) giving Rex a +2. The skill level is 19. Rex rolls a 4. With the modifier for the need, Rex just makes the roll and is intitled to make a skill roll.
All characters roll for the same skill. Other characters will this skill will be reminded if the initial character is successful in recollecting the skill. It will be harder for them to recover it however. All characters will roll d20 immediatly after the effect of skill use is determned. This will seek to "hide" which of the characters actually possess the skill. Add the roll to the skill level of the character to the roll. If the DC 25 is made, that character also recollects how to use the skill and is given the skill level to write on their character sheet. Only those who succeed are told anything; failures are hidden.
Rerolling - "So, the characters only get one chance to roll for their skills? That Sucks!" Let them beleve it! They should discover the information below by experimentation.
There is another way the characters can regain their skills. If the character(s) who succeeded in their skill recollection roll make a conshious effort to teach the skill to the others, the others may make another roll. However, this can only happen once per day. To make it more clear: One skill per group, per day. The DC to remember remains 25 modified by skill level.
Feats
In a way, feats are more easily regained than skills in that there is no roll involved. The rule is "If the Feat is needed by a character, and it can be used at the level of the character, it is made available at the instant it is needed and not before". The regaining of feats should be woven into the adventure itself, although random encounters may also trigger regaining a feat. Simlilar to skill reclamation, regaining a feat requires a need and a trigger. The need should be more than a "nice to have sort of thing", but something important. In this case, the same need and trigger could be sufficient for a number of characters to regain a specific feat. Also, more than one character may regain the feat during the same event. However, only one feat may be granted to a specific character for a single encounter.
Example: The party is walking down a dark alley on a moonless night. Suddenly they hear a voice from the other end of the alleys say "you bluecoats are all the same. Always ignorant of their surrounding" and then the gunshots begin to ring out. The DM says "you are under attack in darkness. Zoe, Kid and Des know instinctivly to rely on senses other than sight and use the sound of their attackers feet and the sound of the shots to direct their attacks. They all now may write that they have the blind-fight feat".
Feats can only be reclaimed in cascading order. A single reclamation does not indicate that the other feats in the cascade are also obtained. Other that this, prerequesits of the feat may be ignored.
This puts rather a burden on the DM. He must know the Feats available in the party and be ready to grant them at any time. For planned adventurers, this has to be considered and woven into the encounter.
Levels
Levels are handled in a different way than normal. They are not used to determine skill, feat, HP or attribute additions. They are used to determine BAB, saves and the rest. Going up a level is determned not by EXP, but by the result of specific encoutners. Random encounters will not be used to determine level increases; only planned encouters will increase levels. As most of the characters are 10th level, this means that there should be at least 10 planned encoutners before the end of the adventure. As usual, the first encounters will be relativly easy. For instance the encounter with the indians in the desert will be overcome if the players simply be respectful and ask for help. Each of the subsequent encounters will of course become more difficult.
Character Information - New Character
The memories of the original characters lives are still floating around in the brains of the players. Use the character previous life biography to make up events from their past. They will come out mostly in dreams. This is just a way for the DM to improve the strangness factor for the players and increase the horror of their situation. Try to limit this to one or two characters a game so as not to slow the adventure down. Do it on a rotating basis, but feel free to use events in the game to trigger dreams even if it is out of turn. Be creative! Freak them out! Make them unsure and increase the feeling of unreality.
Character Information - Old Character
The most obvious tie to the old characters is their image in a mirror. Remember, anytime they look in a mirror, they alone see their original characters image. Only high level characters with specific special abilities will be able to see the same thing. Other player characters do not see the orignal images for the other characters unless they also have special abilites.
In additon, waking dreams will occur on an irregular basis. These will mostly be memories of past grand events and will occur at times when the players need encouragement. If they occur at a moment when they are engaged incombat, they will not affect the characters actions in any way. If they occur during momets of calm reflection, the eyes of the charracter will glaze over for minutes at a time as an event from their old life replays in their minds.


The Indians
The indan party is chasing a group of wedingo (yeti men).

This part of the adventure should only occur when the party has been suffering badly with the sun and exposure. It would be great to have 1 or 2 unconsious when it starts. It should occur during the middle of the day when the sun is high. Read the following to the players:
"As you trudge along the sand, the heat is rising making the landscape blur and waver. For some of you it's hard to tell what of this distortion is the result of the heat and which is caused by weakness and thrist. There is nothing in the distance; just more hills, tumbleweed and wilted weeds. There is a sizable hill several miles distant, but that is the only landmark."
Inoshiro (beourn) says "We must keep moving forward. I do not know what impells me, but I know deep within that going this way will have a good result. Trust in me and I will lead you out of the desert into whatever lies before us on this strange journey".  Yoshi says "thank you master for the wisdom you distribute so freely!"
The party has a chance to spot the approaching indians sooner or later. If they make a spot roll on a DC 25, they can see the approaching warriors 10 miles away. They will see that the warriors are moving tagententally to the parties movement.  If they make it at DC 20 they are spotted 5 mi away, it looks like the indians have changed their course and are heading directly toward the party. 1/2 a  hour later, they are at 2.5 mi distant and they can tell they are horse riders. Due to the heat and the terrain, details of the warpartys makeup can not be seen until they are within a mile or so away. At a mile away, they can tell there are 8 riders and a travois.
The reaction of the players is always unpredictable, but they are going to be in such bad shape it is very unlikely they will be aggressive, although they will probably do something to protect themselves if only brandishing their tree limb clubs. They are in no condition to run and if they try to move away from the riders, they will changbe direction to follow the party. Read the following as they wait or run.
"The horses heads are down, but the riders are alert and riding high. They are wearing thin dun colored leather on their legs with light loose shrts. Their hair is black and long held in place by detailed knoted lengths of horsehair and feathers. They have a bow across their back. They are of the Hopi tribe of the Navajo indians.
They are not using a saddle. A brightly colored blanket with a cinche is all that seperates man from horse. There is another rolled blanket cinched behind each rider. There is a leather belt that runs around the horses neck with a long narrow pouch set to lie along the horses body near the rider. Water skins hang from each.
One of the riders stands out as she is a small woman riding a large horse pulling a travois. She wears a light leather skirt, laced up leather shoes (the riders are barefoot), a burlap blouse and an increadbly detailed beaded vest. She is very, very old.


Riding in the travois is an old, old man. He is whipcord thin so each bone is visible and every mussle looks like a tendon. Despite his apparant frailty, he is alert and not enfeebled as he leans up and to the side of the travois to see the party as the riders approach."

Here, the party will explode with questions (as if you were able to get all of the above out without an interruption).
Go down the MO and allow each player to ask one question as the riders approach. It is possible that some skills will be used. Allow this to happen. Don't rush this as there is a lot of new infomation available, but don't let it drag as this should be an exciting and critical encounter.
Read this to players
"When they are about 200' away, the lead rider raises his left hand palm toward the riders behind him and the band reins in their horses. Then the lead rider looks behind them and using his body to block the parties view makes hand motions. The riders nod or say "Teyah (yes)" and the lead rider turns to the party, raises his right hand palm toward the party and speaks in Navaho. "Are you dancers of the Ghost Dance?"
It is possible that one or more of the characters may recognize this speach and will make rolls to see if they regain their language skill. If they succeed in their roll, they will realize they understand this but won't understand what was just said. They know to say "O'o neeka" which means "say again".
If no one succeeds in their Navajo language rolls, the lead rider will try Spanish and repeat his question. If no one succeeds in that roll, he will try sign language. Someone will learn to speak with these guys even if they don't speak English.
If the party says "yes" to the question, the leader will say "We are on the trail of our enemy and must move quickly but you will die soon if we do not delay. Will you smoke the peace pipe as Manito has told us?"
IF the party says "no", the leader will ask "are you Keo'otuk" (aliance of good indians). If the party says yes offer peace pipe. If they answer "no" the leader will say "We are leaving now" and they will ride off.
If the party says they don't know what he is talking about he will look back at the old man and say "old man, would you speak with these strangers?" The old man will nod. The woman will hop off the horse and move over to help him up out of the travois and allow him to lean on her shoulder as he moves forward to look at the party.
As he moves forward you can see one of his legs is withered and useless.
The woman is about 45 years old, thick of body and flat of face. He appears to lead her in the direction he wants to go by pressure on her arm. He will ignore all questions from the party. He approaches to within 50' of the group and begins to chant saying "Oh Oh wa. Oh oh wa kine wa. Oh oh wa kine wa sah". This is a detect evil spell. It is negative.
He will move closer to the party and silently walk around them studying each carefully. After a while he will say "Daughter, bring the pipe". The woman will rush over to her pack and take out a long pipe and a small bag made of leaves. The old man will pack the pipe and quickly use flint and tinder to light it. He will then pass it to Phanto if he is playing or Beourn otherwise and gesture to indicate that all need to smoke. Then he will say in a chanting voice
"Gitche Manito has told us
Oh! your wranglings and dissensions;
All your strength is in your union,
All your danger is in discord;
Therefore be at peace henceforward,
And as brothers live together."

Then he will say "You look like you will die soon. I would not leave strangers to feed the desert. We can not stay, but we will help you as we can. Give them 2 water skins and a bundle of dried meat."
He will turn to the woman and whisper something to her. She looks surprised, but goes back to the travois and pulls out a long doe skin bag and brings it to the old man. The old man removes a staff decorated with feahers, horn and bright stains. He gives this to Phanto (if he is playing) or Beourn saying in the changing voice
"You are a brother of the pipe.
You will do battle for Gitchie Manito.
Use well this and pray for Hopi."
In his normal voice he says "There is a white skin place of huts 4 days journey from here where you will find water and maybe game. Head two pace north of the setting sun and you will find it. May all your party live to see it. We go." WIth no further words and no replies to their questions, the warparty trots away into the desert.

Lichii Sha - Medicine Man

The Ghost Town - Tin Town


8 years ago, this tiny berg was a new commnuity funded by the tin mines nearby and those who lived there hoped that other metals that Tin would soon be found that would bring more money to the residents. This was not to be. Due to a teenage romance, great tragedy and terrible wrongness forced the people away never to return.

This adventure is designed to give the characters a chance to find stuff out before they get to the first civilized place. I figured that having them act to strangely in a populated area would be too great a disadvange to them as they try to find their way in the world. Thus the main thrust of this adventure is to give them some triggers to stimulate their memory and get them up to first level and full HP before they hit Vulture.

When the party is within 5 miles of the town read the following to them:
"The sun is almost down and you look toward the sunset and see a scattering of wooden buildings built on a slight rise. There is no smoke or any other indication that there are people living there. It looks like it's about 5 miles away, but you won't reach it before sundown."
Have them make a spot roll on a DC 25 to see the round structure of the well near the center of town. I want them to see it and so be drawn toward the town in the darkness.
"When you reach the town, it is dark and the moon will be rising in another hour."
They will probably head first for the well. When they reach it, read the following
"You can practically smell the water in the well. There are a lot of rocks on the ground so you move carefully but quickly toward it. As you get closer to the well, you can see there is a faint blob of light bobbing in front of the well. What are you doing?".

The glowing light is the ghost that forced the town to be abandoned. The problem is, the incorporeal undead can only damaged by a magic weapon. This fact was not known by anyone in the town and they didn't have any magic items anyway. The constant drain on the life force of the population was enough for them to abandoned everything they had works so hard for.
16 year old Alice loved a mine worked named Mac Jones. He was a strong guy and a roust about. He fancied her, but soon her attentions grew to demanding and he began once again to visit Mama Lous (the local whore house). Intending to tell her, Mac asked for her to meet him near the well at midnight. They began to argue with him trying to pacify her. He anger flaired and with a single unexpected gesture, she knocked him into the well then watched as his unconcious body sank and bubbles came up that meant he was dead. They she went back to bed, but not to sleep. As she lay there, her actions importance began to sink in. At about 2:00am she ran back to the well and called down to him. Of course, there was no answer. In a fit of greef, she committed suicide by jumping into the well. Her spirit can not rest until her bones in the well are burried on Boot Hill.

Ghost of Alice Bledsoe
HD: 1d12 - Medium Undead
HP: 9
Inititive: +0
Speed: 30' Fly
Base Attack: +0
Full Attack: +0/-2
Special Attack: Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Special Quality: Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.
Saves: Fort: 0, Will 0, Reflex 0
Abilities: Charisma  +4.
Skills: Ghosts have a +8 racial bonus on Hide (10), Listen (11), Search (9), and Spot (11) checks.
Environment: Tin Town well (8) and building 3.
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: +3
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Any.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +5.

Tin Town Buildings:
When the sun comes up, the players can see the town around them. Read this:
"Many of the buildings you see are just shells. The roofs have fallen to the floor and all inside is ruin and corruption. Others seem mostly intact although there is not a single pane of glass in the city that remains intact. This makes the windows look like open mouths. The construction is almost the same for every building. They are wood frame buildings with clapboard panels outside and plastered walls inside. The floors are made of wood and some are trecherous as the wood is rotten. There are hitching posts in front of 2,4,7.

Several of the buildings have signs over the door. Of the collapsed buildings, you see signs "Barlton Fabrics", "Tack, Harness and Feed", "The Tin Tank" and "Rooms for Let". None of these buildings have anything of value or that is intact except for some buckles under the Tack building.
Intact buildings with signs are: "Boarding House-4", "Teddys Stable-5", Assay Office-6","Lone Star Bar-7"

 At least 1/2 of the buildings in this town have roofs that have collapsed. This happen about 4 years ago when a freak snow storm (magically caused) smashed them in. The numbered buildings are mostly intact. Items left behind will be relativly intact and usable unless otherwise noted. Items that require something else to work (like lanterns that need oil) may remain useless until the other thing is found to make them work. Remember, the party has nothing except for the magic staff and 2 water skins!
Food is a major considertion for them and the town will only provide a little bit. There are 3 fruit bearing trees in the area; 2 apple trees will yield about 10lb of good fruit. A plum tree has 2lbs of prunes. There will be random encounters with animals that may provide food. There are some odds and ends in the town (sugar cookies and coffee) but the rest is rotted. They have enough for a couple of days, but they are already depleted and will eat most of it the first day.
They will also need weapons. There aren't many around. A dagger, ax head, hammer, bow and arrows and a shotgun are the only manufactured items in the town. However, there are lots of potential improvised or buildable weapons. Sling, staff, club, ax, hammer, spear, javilin, sap, Greatclub.

1 - Residence McClaine family.
Pair of pants split up the butt. Pair of low leather boots with holes in the soles. Sun dress with a dark stain on the front chest, Cheap matching crockery-5 cups, 6 plates, 7 small plates, 2 tin coffee cups, a cracked iron skillet, rag rug falling appart, 4 empty cider crocks (5 gal), lots of rotten food residue, 2 bedrooms, kitchen/dining room furnicture. 2 pairs of mismatched socks,
2 - "Silverstien General Store"
Great care was taken to remove as much of the stock as possible to start again in a new town. It's been mostly cleaned out in addition by those who left later than Silverstein and looted the place.
Lots of broken crockery, lots of rotting food residue, Ax with a broken handle, rusted pen knife, box of 8 candles, a tin of coffee (good), 2 tins of flour (rotted), a canvas duster ripped up the back seam to the shoulders, 2 hanging oil lamps on the ceiling, tin of lamp oil about 1/2 pt,
3 - Bledsoe Family Residence
This building is guarded by the ghost. It was her home in life and still considers it hers. She will attack anyone entering! She must be driven off or killed to gain entrance. However, as all the windows in the place are gone, it's easy to see inside without entering. Anyone doing so will see that while most of the rooms in the house are emptied, the room of a teenage girl is intact with all it's furnishings and possessions.
Outside Alice's room - Family bible, 3 rooms of furnicture - bedroom, sitting room, kitchen, 3 medicine bottles with corks, 2 closable beer bottles, pickle crock, cracked coffee cup, badly dented 6 quart steel pot, 3 forks, 4 spoons, 2 butter knives badly rusted
In Alice's room - 3 dresses, 2 pairs of shoes (low leather boots, moccasins), 2 flannel sheets, wool blanket (badly holed by moths), rotted pillow, cheap costume jewlery (necklace, pin, home made tin nugget pendant), Wool coat and matching mittens (moth eaten), 3 love letters under the pillow all from someone named "Big Jim", oil lamp, flint and tinder set.
4 - Mama Rues "Boarding House" (Whore house)
Feather boa, merry widow with a broken whalebone support, 3 stained dresses, 2 pairs of cotton slippers, deck of cards, 8 empty whisky bottles with corks, large tin of sugar cookies (INTACT!) small purse with rouge, powder and khole eye makeup, 6 rooms of furnicture: Common room with a small bar, kitchen and 4 tiny, indian ceremonial bow, quiver and arrows for decoration,  bedrooms with just a bed and nightstand.
5 - "Teddy's Stable" (Roof partially collapsed)
Pitchfork with a broken handle, resown lead harnas, saddle missing the right chap and cinche, saddle bags with a broken connecting leather tie, rusting leather knife stuck into a post near the door, a questionable 50' length of hemp rope, 2 10' long pieces of rope, dented canteen, misshappen hammer, 2 2' lengths of rusted chain
6 - "Assay Office"
Nothing of value. A Handbook of "Chemical Standard Indications" has fallen behind the counter. In the drawer is leather thong bound pamphlet of 6 pages, all hand written. They are the directions to the nearby towns. The directions for the following cities are listed:
Vulture 21 miles, Wickenburg 38 miles away, Allah 43 miles, Angle Camp 45 miles, Kimgman 55 miles, Smith's Mill 61 miles
7 - "Lone Star Bar"
The most interesting thing here is the huge glass mirror on the wall behind the bar. It's cracked in several places but still reflects a good image. Anyone looking into the mirror will see the reflection of their original character reflected. There is also a Faro table with a tin top that is also reflective. In this the players see their current appearance.
Rusted brass cuspadore, 2 shot glasses, 15 empty whiskey bottles,
There is a hidden compartment under the bar sink. It requires a spot hidden roll DC 30 to notice without searching, but a search will get a second roll at DC 20. Inside the vertical compartment is a single barrel Remmington Shotgun, 6 shells (2 are duds), a golden eagle coin, 2 decks of cards (1 marked).
8 - Well
The well is 55' deep and has 8' of water in the bottom. At the bottom of the well are the bodies of 2 people and 8 glass whiskey bottles. There is nothing of value here. The rope and bucket are still functional although the bucket leaks.
Animal Encounters: 1d10 Roll at 6:00am, 2:00 pm, 6pm, 12pm,
1-Alligator lizards, 2-blue belly lizards, 3-Wild Dog, 4-Cyotee, 5-Racoon, 6-Squirl, 7-Owl, 8-Blue Jay, 9-Crow, 10-Wolf


Vulture AZ

http://www.azghosttowns.com/towns/vulture.html

Township and Range Info : T 6N R 6W Sec. 36
Location :

    33° 49' 07.8" N
    112° 49' 48.7"

The time when the party gets to this town is late October 1869.
When they get near the town, they will get an idea of the layout even if they can't identify all the buildings functions. What happens after they sight the town is up to them. If they call attention to themselves, a rescue party may be sent from the town to help them. They should probably have a plausable story as to how they ended up mostly naked in the desert!
Once they get to Vulture, they will be in less danger of dying. Also, they will find a ton of things that will trigger their memories. Still they find themselves in shit shape. They have only what clothes they found in Tin Town (a collection will be taken up  in the town for old clothes), no food (they will be fed the first day, but will have to work for it from then on) and no money (they might find jobs?).
They will need to find a way to journey west to locate the arms.
This adventure is one made up of equil parts Role Playing (finding out about this world they have landed in) and encounters that will build up the adventures to follow.
Vulture Encounters:
Confederate Spy
Suspects that they are more than just folks who wandered out of the desert. He will meet them, pump them and report to his superior on what he finds. He will also keep track of their whereabouts and activities.

Mine Owner (Henry Whikenburg)
He will have heard of the oddness of the new folks in town and will approach either Rex or Sally about his problem with the Ghouls in the mine. He will offer them 10 Double Eagles if they bring him the bodies.

Vulture Benevolent Society
They will aks all kinds of nosey questions, but will help the party out with hand me down clothes and a pot luck meal at the town hall.

One of the buildings in the town will be Silverstein's General Store who moved from Tin Town to found this new business. He will know all about the ghost.

Vulture Info from the doc:
The mine in Vulture was mined almost continually from its discovery by Henry Wickenburg in 1863.  The signs around the town claim that five thousand workers lived in and around vulture, mostly in tents.  The 1880 U.S. Census cites the town as having a population of 89.  History books estimate the boom time population at between two and five hundred people.
 The home of Henry Wickenburg lies under the "hanging tree" where supposedly 18 men met their deaths at the end of a rope. The signs claim that high grading (stealing rich ore) was the charge. 
 The residents did have a post office under the name of Vulture from 1880 to 1897.
 
  Vulture was a booming mine, discovered by Henry Wickenburg in the late 19th century.  The mine eventually produced over $200 million in gold and silver (an estimated 2-4 times this amount remains in the ground today), but due to a bad business deal Wickenburg never saw much of that take; he eventually hanged himself.  The mine was closed in 1942 due to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's wide-reaching executive order that all mines not producing metals conducive to the war effort should be shut down.  All the equipment was left in place with the expectation that the mine would re-open after the war, but it never did.  Today the mining town is a privately owned attraction.  The highlight of the complex is the assay office, which contains a great deal of original equipment including bottles of chemicals used to test ore rocks.  Its walls are made of ore rocks from the mine, containing an estimated $600,000 in precious metals. 

"A guy by the name of Henry Wickenburg (town of Wickenburg, Az just a few miles from here) travelled along the Hassayampa River over there. This was a huge quartz outcropping up here and he had spotted this on his travels along the river...then he came up here, chipped around in the quartz and found the visible gold."

This was the hangin' tree, 18 men caught stealing gold from the mine dangled from its branches. The shafts where millions in gold were extracted are still intact, but that's the one place you can't go. It's dangerous now and it was dangerous then...There are ghosts here!

"The men were in here," says John, "about seven of them, along with about 12 burros. They were chipping away at the support column, dug away too much and collapsed the whole thing on themselves."

They're still down there?

"They're still buried in there someplace.

The ghosts of 4 men lost in a broken cable down in the mine.

Vulture Encounter

They are partially naked and mostly dead when they get into town. They don't even have the shirt on their back!
It is difficult to know what they will have on them when they stagger into town. It won't be much.
They will have to have some kind of story (or even the truth?) about why they are coming on foot over the desert.
The folks in this town are going to be very helpful, but will not allow them to mooch off them.
The stable owner will offer to put them up in the barn if they clean it the next morning.
Mini will offer some old clothes and cost on new ones if they can raise the money.
If he is courted, Whickenburg will advance them $20.
There is always work in the mine or in the "Pit". The pay is a dollar a day.
The best way for them to get money quick (not counting crime) is to remove the ghosts from the mine. They will hear about this from a drunk and frightened miner in Clancys.

This is going to be a very fun part of the adventure! They are going to be stuffed with information and blown away by the strangness of this place.
One important point is that although they are in the bodies of contemporary people for the time, they will have the memories and thought processes of their real characters. This means that the most mundane things will surprise and shock them. Here is a list of common things they will see that are very surprising to them:
Matches
Guns
Chrome
Paper money
Pot belly stoves
Any mass manufactured items
Tin woked items

They should be encouraged to speak with everyone and gather information.

Town Building Key
1 - Engineering (A. Bucker - Consultant on Mining)
2 - Clancy's (Bar and Gambling)
3 - Forbisher's Outfitting
4 - Assayer (Tom Heandal)
5 - Storage (coal and cold steel for the mine and a vault for the best grade ore)
6 - Mini's Fabrics
7 - Hay and Feed
8 - Pink Palace (Whore House)
9 - Livery
10 - Stables and Coral
11 - Goldwater Drayage
12 - Come Inn

Residences and Boarding Homes
A - Goldwaters
B - Clancy O'Blarney
C - Mini Forbisher
D - Tom Hendal
E -
F - Henry Wickenburg (mine owner)
G -
H -
I -




History
The Vulture Gold Mine was discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg. Henry sold the mine after a few years. The Vulture, however, went on to become the most productive gold mine in the history of Arizona. Vulture City grew to a population of almost five thousand people. The mine sparked the development of Arizona and the city of Phoenix.
Henry Wickenburg reached in Arizona in 1862. He was believed to be an Austrian or German immigrant, and had probably been a farmer. Some tales of Wickenburg’s origins say that his real name was Heinrich Heitzel; some say he was running from the law in Europe. Whatever the reason, Wickenburg ended up in California during the gold rush. It was there that he learned how to prospect and pan for gold. He was likely part of Pauline Weaver’s exploration party which traveled along the Hassayampa River. One version says this was when he spotted the quartz outcropping which later became the Vulture Mine.
There are numerous stories about how Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Mine, including the following:

Wickenburg picked up a rock to throw at a stubborn burro, and noticed gold traces in the rock.

Wickenburg was camped in the desert, and wanted to sweep out his tent. He shot a vulture, intending to use a wing for a broom. The vulture fell right on an outcropping with gold.

He was traveling along the Hassayampa River, and noticed a large outcropping of white quartz. Knowing that this material often contains gold, he decided to investigate. The original outcropping was quite large, large enough for him to see it ten miles away from the river. He named the mine "Vulture" after the birds he saw circling a nearby peak.

This last version is the most likely, although the least colorful one.

Wickenburg initially worked the mine by himself, but began to sell the gold ore to other prospectors. By 1866 Henry Wickenburg had had enough of gold mining. He sold eighty percent of the mine to a man named Benjamin Phelps, who represented some eastern investors. The Vulture Mining Company was born.

The Vulture Mining Company announced plans to introduce modern mining methods, and to build a twenty-stamp mill on the Hassayampa River. The stamp mill site was to be twelve miles to the northeast, about one mile north of an existing settlement on the river. This settlement had already attracted merchants eager to provide the Vulture with goods and services. Henry Wickenburg retired from mining and established a farm near this settlement. The settlement became known as Wickenburg.

Henry Wickenburg, for his 80% interest, received $20,000 in cash, and a note for $65,000. The new owners soon claimed that Wickenburg didn’t have a clear title to the property, and refused to pay the remainder of the price. Wickenburg spent most of his $20,000 trying to collect on his note, but never succeeded.

The Vulture Mine produced gold worth more than 200 million dollars. The exact amount is unknown. Some say that nearly half of the Vulture’s gold was stolen. "Highgrading" or theft of the high grade ore was common at the Vulture. At least 18 men were hung on the Vulture City’s hanging tree, nearly all for highgrading.

Some people have seen ghosts at the Vulture Mine, even smelled cake baking in the old mess hall. If there are ghosts, the Vulture Mine would be a likely spot for them. Here is a spot where three thousand people once lived, worked, loved, hoped, and died.

One resident of several years was Russ Hunting. Russ cleaned up many of the buildings at the Vulture Mine. The companies who leased the property for exploration filled many of the buildings with plastic sacks of sample drillings. Over time, the sacks deteriorated and left dirt inside the buildings, sometimes several feet deep. Russ cleaned out the buildings, one by one.

While Russ was working in the mess hall, silence descended on him. He couldn’t hear the usual desert noises, and he began to hear voices. The voices cheered him on, told him he was doing a good job. They repeatedly called him "Ben." Gradually, his hearing returned. After this, Russ Hunting would occasionally give tours, in costume, as his alter ego, Ben Russell. Russ died in 1996. His friends, John and Marge, fulfilled his request that his ashes be scattered at the mine "so that I can be with my friends."
Metagame Notes
The object of this campaign is to recover the Legs of Beourn. Nothing too unusual there. Another body part; ho hum. However, this adventure is very different than any other campaign I've ever run. Even though the setting is very different, the most important difference is that in addition to the regular story arc there will be a very marked character arc.
The players will start out with new character sheets that have only their ability scores and HP listed. This is because they will inhabit new bodies!
All of their memories will be gone. In fact, they will eventually realize they have 2 sets of memories. One is from their regular characters who call Katina their home. The other set will be fainter, but will belong to the person who's bodies they now inhabit.
The character arc is their recovery of these memories. This will be reflected in changes to their character sheets. As play progresses, events will stimulate memories. This will translate into aquiring skills, feats and notes. The new characters will eventually become an amalgum of abilities from both characters.
The story arc will be 3 different plots woven together primarilly by events that occur at different locations as they travel toward the Legs.
Beourn want to recover the Legs and will be able to sense them from any distance. His need for the legs and his constant encouragement will keep them on the move and lead them from event to event.
The second plot is discovering the reason they were killed and burried on the desert. This will lead them eventually to an understanding of their position as a member of the secret cadre Section 509. There will be more attempts to kill them as they encounter spys and Confederate soldiers.
The third plot is their search to find out how they can get back to their own dimension.
Another thing I want to accomplish is to contrive the encounters to give each of the players a chance to shine. Only careful attention to each location will enable this.
The characters will have all the HP they had right from the start. They will be new (different than their Kopeta chars), and based on the level of the new character.

The Deadlands book is very valuable as it has details for a number of game releated activities, but it doesn't really suit me and the kind of campaign I wanted to run in the Wild West (not the Weird West!). Thus, I have thrown out most of the campaign concepts it uses and kept the rule system (classes, skills, feats and the like). This has been made easier as PCGen has a Deadlands char data.

Any skill or feat the characters have on their Kopeta characters they may eventually recover. In addition, any skill or feat of the bodies they inhabit may also be "remembered" in time.
Any spell that requires a material component (including focus spells) can not be cast. Of course, if they can find the component or make it, the spell can be cast. Be sure to consult the PH
Ultamatly, the speed with which the characters regain their old knowledge is TOTALLY up to the DM. Of course, the idea is to keep it fun. If folks seem to bog down with the mechanics of "remembering", feel free to grant them knowledge in violent and very disturbing dreams. If the party seems to vulnerable for the kind of random encounters they may have, feats may be added with greater frequency. Keep it interesting, keep it fun but kick their brains out!

Although this document is (of course) linear, that doesn't mean the adventure has to be run that way. Still, ythey will most probably decide to travel along the established trails as they are so much faster, so this order is the most liekly. Below is a list of the towns/places they will encounter along the trail and the adventure information for those places.

Original Concept:
Zoe has two 6 shooters on her hip and a carbine across her back (gunslinger)
Timber has become an half-breed indian  with bow and a 6 shooter (Scout)
Victorex is a mulato reverend with no colar and an atitude. He is from the ancient order of warrior priests (cathloc). He carries a staff sling. (Blessed)
Dromar is a short Mad scientist.
Pisheo is an indian warrior (Brave)
Gal. is an albino with the ability to cast spells. (Huckster)
Katrina is a guitarist and dance hall entertainer (Maverick)
Beourn is a zen priest (Blessed)
Ulla is a samuri warrior (Create this)
Des is an ex-dance hall girl with more than her share of skills; she's an expert knife fighter and pugilist. (Rowdy)
Phanto is an indian medicine man (shaman)
Ody is a Kentucky sharp shooter with a Long Gun (Gunslinger)
It will be necessary to do a LOT of conversion of skills, but it shouldn't be to hard. Wing it and make notes of the details as they come up.

Places and Events

Getting to the Old West
High Desert
They arrive. Basic Character Notes
Vulture, AZ
ADV: Eliminate the ghosts of 4 miners haunting the mine and holding up production
Phoenix, AZ
Shoot out between sheriff candidates.
The Phoenix adventure will include an encounter with an covert agent of the US government.
On seeing Rex (Lucy's char), he will try to see him alone. Once he can manage this, he will approach Rex and say "The ship has left the harbor. Do you bear the sign?"
Of course Rex won't know what he is talking about. What he is asking for is for Rex to show him the tattooed "9" they all have in different places. The correct code reply to his query is "Fear not, the ship will return. Have you been shriven lately brother?" This reply allows them to leave together so Rex can show the tattooed in private. As soon as the agent realizes the reply is not correct, he will say "So you aren't the sign painter? Oh, so sorry about that." and walk away. He will go directly to the telegraph office and wire the home office for confirmation of the description he has and ask for instructions.
It will take 2 days to get his reply. The reply is "Description matches. His answer unexpected. Contact second buyer. Investigate cautiously and report. "
This means "You have the right guy. Use the description you have of the second agent and approach him. If this doesn't pan out, find out why they are not replying and report back to us using cipher 7."
The agent has already been nosing around and has found that the group is still hanging together but they are acting strangely. The second description he has is that of Ody's character. He will approach him and ask the same question as soon as the agent gets the wire. He will be very friendly and helpful and attempt to befriend members of the 509 by buying them drinks, answering stupid questions without asking questions and in general making himself indispensable. He will even travel with them to get more info.

The Phoenix adventure will also be a chance to give them the latest news and fill them in on the current war and political situation. It would be cool to have  a copy of a local newspaper (a 2 page paper they call a "broadsheet" that gives little detail on national events and lots on local events.
 
In this will be the following headlines:
J. Davis vows the South will Fight On
With the breaking of the sea blockade that the south's ability to fight on will continue unimpeded.
President Johnson renews his call for volunteers.
A. Johnson asks for additional volunteers from experienced soldiers to aid in training new conscripts.
Chicago draft riots continue
The death toll is now 123 in 2 weeks of on and off fighting between protesters and police and militia troops.
Tragedy for the 123 Calvary narrowly avoided.
Timely information from a Pueblo chief of a trap set by the Sioux saves the lives of dozens.
Most of the local news revolves around the up coming election of a Sheriff for Phoenix. There is a lot of mudslinging going on as the campaign gets dirty.

 

Las Vegas, NV
Tecopa, CA
Barstow, CA
San Bernardino, CA
Los Angles, CA
Ventura, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
San Luis Obispo
King City
Soledad
San Juan Bautista
Santa Cruz
Santa Clara
San Jose
San Francisco
The Mystery Spot
The body part is located in the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
San Jose
The quicksilver (Guadlupe) mines in San Jose will provide the party with the means to return to their own dimension. There is a creature there that they can capture and force to send them backt to their dimension.
The redwoods in Big Basin are elder spirits and the area around there is holy ground to the indians in the area and will be a source of info to the party if they make friends with the medicine man in that place.

Consider giving them their char sheets at this time.
The city has ony 70 perm. people living in homes with 143 living in tents around the area.
There will be lots of room for role playing.
The general store has lots of stuff the party needs. There will even be oriental clothing (but no weapons).
The rest of the adventure will have to be driven by the choices of the characters.
Main Plot Points
They will be able to follow Beourn to the location of the cinibar mine located aling the Guadalupe river near Los Gatos. Unfortunatly, the miners opened a section of the mines that are polluted with deadly gas that spreads throughout the mines. Also, there are stories of terrible monsters that live in the mine and thrive on the poisonous atmosphere.
There is an old prospector that has a tonic that will allow a person to breath the poison. He lives in the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
Some links to area history
http://www.sanjose.com/history/index.shtml

Weird West History

The New Western Campaign History

Starting Date: October 13, 1869
This will cover some of the differences between my campaign and the Deadlands book.

I don't want to start from scratch and build a new history up. I don't want to spend that much time writing something that intentionaly a very temporary campaign. Also, much of the material in Deadlands is very usable and can be made to better fit with what I had in mind for the historical backround. To make it less oriented to the Ghost Rock technology stuff, the year for the adventure will be 1869. This is only a couple of years since the spirits returned.

Basic differences between the Deadlands campaign and mine
The United States and the Confederate States are the same as they were in the time of the Civil War.

There are two factions of indians. Both factions want to turn back the whites and keep their culture and way of life as it is. The "Good" indians are willing to share the land with the whites while the "Bad" indians want to drive the whites from America. These two groups do not wage war against each other although they may activly fight when partys of the factions meet each other. The old laws of "coup" are scrupoulouly observed in these conflicts.

The bad indians are the Sioux. They are now really a collection of different tribes combined into the the one nation. This nation was formed by active conquest and was swolen by like minded indians who travelled from far away because they want to drive the white man away. Even though they are called the "Sioux Nation" they have absorbed many tribes into their numbers. Most of the tribes represented in large numbers are the ones from the east coast and north east. These are the Delawares, Mohawks, Choctaws, Camanches, Dacotahs, Shoshonies and Blackfeet. They say they hold the "Old Ways" but the Ravens will will use white man weapons against white men. They have an injunction against using them against other indians however.
Their territory runs from the Dakota territory in the NE, south to Wyoming and West to include the E of Idaho and W of Montana.

The good indians are the called Keo'otuk Manitu (those who respect Manitu the Great Spirit). They are mostly populated by the Pawnees, Omahas, Mandans, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Hurons and Ojibways and smaller tribes further west. The nation is called Keo'otuk which has been shortened by the white man to "Kotuk". They adhere to the "Old Ways" and will not use the weapons of the whites.
It runs from Washington in the West, south to Arizona and East to Idaho and Montana including California.

The Apache have resumed their old way of living in highly defended cliff dwellings and raiding everyone for their food. They will attack anyone anytime they think they have something valuabe they can safely steal. This include the Chiricahua, Jicarillas, Mescaleros and Pueblo tribes. They live mostly in New Mexico, but raid as far north as Montana.

Remember,  the information in the Deadlands manual comes from 1877 while this adventure is taking place in 1869! This means the most recient events detailed there have not happened and may not ever happen. The party will undoubtedly leave their mark on the land for good or ill.

Status of the Basic Deadlands Concepts
Manitous - In Deadlands they are all evil. In this campaign they may be of any alignment. They are just spirits, not necessarily demons.

There was a horrible earthquake in '68, but it only destroyed the southern part of california from just north of Los Angles south, completely destroying Baha California. The Maze exists only in the area of the Los Angles basin which is now covered with sea water.

Ghost rock has not been discovered.

Railwars are only getting started. The companys are all represented by short stretches of rail that the party will probably never see (except in relativly urban areas).

Linclon has just been assassinated and the VP is in charge of the war (and doing badly).
Davis has been re-elected by the Confederacy.

The Agency is just getting started
The Rangers are powerful in the west but don't get to the indian territories much. They hate the US Marshals
The US Marshals are very powerful in all US states and territories and in the areas bordering on the US. They hunt the Rangers everywhere.

Republic of the Desert
This is only a very small town of devout Mormons at this time. They are regarded as holy by the Kotuk who leave them alone. The Sioux have raided them several times but only with small war bands. It is not the City of Gloom as the Ghost Rock is not used there as yet.

Lost Angles
The city exists along the new shore of the Los Angles Bay (formed by the quake of '67). Reverend Grimme is only begining to gather his followers and is not much known outside of California.

The Harrowed
I am not going to use this except as monsters/villians. The PC and NPCs of the party will never become Harrowed.

Fear
The rules for fear will be used. The fear levels of particular areas will be used in a more concentrated area than described in the Deadlands.

Jefferson Davis is not an evil doppleganger.

Lincoln is not a Harrowed. He is still dead.

Ghost Rock has was discovered only a year or so ago and is not used at this time except as a curiosity. There is no Mad Scientist class or Weird Science yet.

A manitou may be bound (either good or evil), but only a dozen indian shamen in the land can do it. No white man has yet gained the knowledge of how this may be done.

The Reckoning and the Reckoners
Never happened. Don't exist. Here is what happened instead.

The Ishkoodah
In 1863, the indians received a vision that would change everything for them in the years to come. At the winter solstice, in the northern sky they saw a comet looking like a waterfall among the stars. It was something that only they could see; the white man never could. Even the least aware shaman could tell this was an omen of a holy event that was to come.  The eyes of the shamen were ever looking northward for a revelation.

The Calumet
On the spring solstice (what is this really called?), a huge line of smoke could be seen in the north. It was supernatural in that it could be seen even by the most southernly tribes. The whites living in the north could see it, but it was to faint to be seen by them in the southern territories. The shamen who were aware of the spirit world could see this was a summons from Manitou. They chose members of their tribe to travel with them to go to the source of the smoke and see was Manitou demanded of them. They stopped at every friendly tribe on the way to spread the summons to those with a less than in tune shaman.
The rest of the story is as in the Song of Hiawatha.
However, when Manitu departed into the sky, the men of the tribes had many talks of how to return the land to the old ways. Despite the commands of Manitu, they devided into the two main divisions and in the fall of '64 they began the great migration where the two indian nations were formed.

That winter was very hard and many died of cold and starvation. The lack of assistance from the white man (who had problems of their own with the Civil War) only intensified their resolve against coming of the whites.

With the Calumet, the religion of the Indians surged and the power of the spirits was much increased. It was Raven who brought the Changes. As usual, they were a mixed blessing. While the horror of the dead rising from the ground in Gettysburg horrified the whites and prolonged the Civil War, the Changes also brought much pain and death to the indians as well.
The Changes are simply manifestations of the good and evil spirits power on the Americas.  From this have come the undead, the monsters and the benevolent spirits that are only now being recognized for what they are. Even the sleeping whites are wondering what is happeneing and how these things are coming to pass.

The indian gods have risen with the Reckoning and are being worshiped by both Indian Nations.
Kitcki Manitou - The Great Spirit
Shakuru - The Sun God
Pah - The Moon Goddess
Nakomis - The Earth Goddess
Mudjekeewis-west wind, Wabun -East Wind, Shawondasee-South wind,  Kabibonokka-North
Hastsezini - Fire God
Heng - Thunder God

Animal Spirits (Demi-Gods)
Raven - God of Mischef
Coyote - God of Cunning and Wisdom
Snake - God of the Underworld
Hiawatha - God of the Overworld

Ancestral Heros
Stoneribs - The stong warrior - Mostly revered by the Sioux
Qagwaaz - The hunter - Mostly revered by the Kotuk
Yirnnuluhn - The shaman - Mostly revered by the Kotuk

Monsters of special importance
Big Heads - Flying heads that seek out and eat the friendless and those sent away from a tribe
Gnhongn - Dimunitive illtempered spirit creatures of the water and rock
Ohdowa - Evil subterrainian Lizard men


Apache info
Apache (probably from ápachu, 'enemy,' the Zuñi name for the Navaho, who were designated "Apaches de Nabaju" by the early Spaniards in New Mexico). A number of tribes forming the most southerly group of the Athapascan family. The name has been applied also to some unrelated Yuman tribes, as the Apache Mohave (Yavapai) and Apache Yuma. The Apache call themselves N'de, Dĭnë, Tĭnde, or Inde, `people.'
     They were evidently not so numerous about the beginning of the 17th century as in recent times, their numbers apparently having been increased by captives from other tribes, particularly the Pueblos, Pima, Papago, and other peaceful Indians, as well as from the settlements of northern Mexico that were gradually established within the territory raided by them, although recent measurements by Hrdlicka seem to indicate unusual freedom from foreign admixture. They were first mentioned as Apaches by Oñate in 1598, although Coronado, in 1541, met the Querechos (the Vaqueros of Benavides, and probably the Jicarillas and Mescaleros of modern times) on the plains of east New Mexico and west Texas: but there is no evidence that the Apache reached so far west as Arizona until after the middle of the 16th century. From the time of the Spanish colonization of New Mexico until within twenty years they have been noted for their warlike disposition, raiding white and Indian settlements alike, extending their depredations as far southward as Jalisco, Mexico.
     No group of tribes has caused greater confusion to writers, from the fact that the popular navies of the tribes are derived from some local or temporary habitat, owing to their shifting propensities, or were given by the Spaniards on ac count of some tribal characteristic; hence some of the common names of apparently different Apache tribes or bands are synonymous, or practically so; again, as employed by some writers, a name may include much more or much less than when employed by others.
     Although most of the Apache have been hostile since they have been known to history, the most serious modern outbreaks have been attributed to mismanagement on the part of civil authorities. The most important recent hostilities were those of the Chiricahua under Cochise, and later Victorio, who, together with 500 Mimbrenos. Mogollones, and Mescaleros, were assigned, about 1870, to the Ojo Caliente reserve in west New Mexico.
     Cochise, who had repeatedly refused to be confined within reservation limits, fled with his band, but returned in 1871, at which time 1,200 to 1,900 Apache were on the reservation. Complaints from neighboring settlers caused their removal to Tularosa, 60 miles to the northwest, but 1,000 fled to the Mescalero reserve on Pecos River, while Cochise went out on another raid. Efforts of the military agent in 1873 to compel the restoration of some stolen cattle caused the rest, numbering 700, again to decamp, but they were soon captured. In compliance with the wishes. of the Indians, they were returned to Ojo Caliente its 1874. Soon afterward Cochise died, and the Indians began to show such interest in agriculture that by 1875 there were 1,700 Apache at Ojo Caliente, and no depredations were reported. In the following year the Chiricahua reservation in Arizona was abolished, and 325 of the Indians were reproved to the San Carlos agency; others joined their kindred at Ojo Caliente, while some either remained on the mountains of their old reservation or fled across the Mexican border.
     This removal of Indians from their ancestral homes was in pursuance of a policy of concentration, which was tested in the Chiricahua removal in Arizona. In April 1877, Geronimo and other chiefs, with the remnant of the band left on the old reservation, and evidently the Mexican refugees, began depredations in south Arizona and north Chihuahua, but in May 433 were captured and returned to San Carlos.
     At the same time the policy was applied to the Ojo Caliente Apache of New Mexico, who were making good progress in civilized pursuits; but when the plan was put is action only 450 of 2,000 Indians were found, the remainder forming, into predatory bands under Victorio. In September 300 Chiricahua, mainly of the Ojo Caliente band from San Carlos, but surrendered many engagements. These were returned to Ojo Caliente, but they soon ran off again. In February, 1878, Victorio rendered in the hope that he and his people night remain on their former reservation, but another attempt was made to force the Indians to go to was Carlos, with the same result. In June the fugitives again appeared at the Mescalero agency, and arrangements were at last made for them to settle there; but, as the local authorities found indictments against Victorio and others, charged them with murder and robbery, this chief, with his few immediate follower, and some Mescaleros, fled from the reservation and resumed marauding. A call was trade for an increased force of military, but in the skirmishes in which they were engaged the Chiricahua met with remarkable success, while 70 settlers were murdered daring a single raid. Victorio was joined before April, 1880, by 350 Mescaleros and Chiricahua refugees from Mexico, and the repeated raids which followed struck terror to the inhabitants of New Mexico, Arizona, and Chihuahua, On April 13 1,000 troops arrival, and their number was later greatly augmented. Victorio's hand was frequently encountered by superior forces, and although supported during most of the time by only 250 or 300 fighting men, this warrior usually inflicted severer punishment than he suffered. In these raids 200 citizens of New Mexico, and as many more of Mexico, were killed. At one time the band was virtually surrounded by a force of more than 2,000 cavalry and several hundred Indian scouts, but Victorio eluded capture and fled across the Mexican border, where he continued his bloody campaign. Pressed on both sides of the international boundary, and at times harassed by United States and Mexican troops combined, Victorio finally suffererd severe losses and his band became divided.
       In October, 1880, Mexican troops encountered Victorio's party, comprising 100 warriors, with 400 women and children, at Tres Castillos; the Indians were surrounded and attacked in the evening, the fight continuing throughout the night; in the morning the ammunition of the Indians became exhausted, but although rapidly losing strength, the remnant refused to surrender until Victorio, who had been wounded several times, finally fell dead. This disaster to the Indians did not quell their hostility. Victorio was succeeded by Nana, who collected the divided force, received reinforcements from the Mescaleros and the San Carlos Chiricahua, and between July, 1881, and April, 1882, continued the raids across the border until he was again driven back in Chihuahua. While these hostilities were in progress in New Mexico and Chihuahua the Chiricahua of San Carlos were striking terror to the settlements of Arizona.
     In 1880 Juh and Geronimo with 108 followers were captured and returned to San Carlos. In 1881 trouble arose among the White Mountain Coyoteros on Cibicu Creek, owing to a medicine-man named Nakaidoklini (q.v.), who pretended power to revive the dead. After pacing him liberally for his services, his adherents awaited the resurrection until August, when Nakaidoklini avowed that his incantations failed because of the presence of whites. Since affairs were assuming a serious aspect, the arrest of the prophet was ordered; he surrendered quietly, but as the troops were making camp the scouts and other Indians opened fire on them. After a sharp fight Nakaidoklini was killed and his adherents were repulsed. Skirmishes continued the next day, but the troops were reinforced, and the Indians soon surrendered in small bands. Two chiefs, known as George and Bonito, who had not been engaged in the White Mountain troubles, surrendered to Gen. Wilcox on Sept. 25 at Camp Thomas, but were paroled.
     On Sept. 30 Col. Riddle was sent to bring these chiefs and their bands back to Camp Thomas, but they became alarmed and fled to the Chiricahua, 74 of whom left the reserve, and, crossing the Mexican border, took refuge with the late Victorio's band in Chihuahua. In the same year Nana made one of his bloody raids across the line, and in September Juh and Nahche, with a party of Chiricahua, again fled from the reservation, and were forced by the troops into Mexico, where, in April, 1882, they were joined by Geronimo and the rest of the hostile Chiricahua of San Carlos, with Loco and his Ojo Caliente band. The depredations committed in river Chihuahua under Geronimo and other leaders were perhaps even more serious than those within the limits of the United States. In March, 1883, Chato with 26 followers made a clash into New Mexico, murdering a dozen persons. Meanwhile the white settlers on the upper Gila consumed so much of the water of. that stream as to threaten the Indian crops; then coal was discovered on the reservation, which brought an influx of miners, and an investigation by the Federal grand jury of Arizona on Oct. 24. 1882, charged the mismanagement of Indian affairs on San Carlos reservation to local civil authorities.
     Gen. G. H. Crook having been reassigned to the command, in 1882 induced about 1,500 of the hostiles to return to the reservation and subsist by their own exertions. The others, about three-fourths of the tribe, refused to settle down to reservation life and repeatedly went on the warpath; when promptly followed by Crook they would surrender and agree to peace, but would soon break their promises.
      To this officer had been assigned the task of bringing the raiding Apache to terms in cooperating with the Mexican troops of Sonora and Chihuahua. In May, 1883, Crook crossed the boundary to the headwaters of the Rio Yaqui with 50 troops and 163 Apache scouts; on the 13th the camp of Chato and Bonito was discovered and attacked with some loss to the Indians. Through two captives employed as emissaries, communication was soon had with the others, and by May 29 354 Chiricahua had surrendered. On July 7 the War Department assumed police control of the San Carlos reservation, and on Sept. 1 the Apache were placed under the sole charge of Crook, who began to train them in the ways of civilization, with such success that in 1884 over 4,000 tons of grain, vegetables, and fruits were harvested.
     In Feb. 1885, Crook's powers were curtailed, an act that led to conflict of authority between the civil and military officers, and before matters could be adjusted half the Chiricahua left the reservation in May and fled to their favorite haunts. Troops and Apache scouts ware again sent forward, and many skirmishes took place, but the Indians were wary, and again Arizona and New Mexico were thrown into a state of excitement and dread by raids across the American border, resulting in the murder of 73 white people and many friendly Apache.
       In Jan. 1886, the American camp under Capt. Crawford was attacked through misunderstanding by Mexican irregular Indian troops, resulting in Crawford's death. By the following March the Apache became tired of the war and asked for a parley, which Crook granted as formerly, but before the time for the actual surrender of the entire force arrived the wily Geronimo changed his mind and with his immediate band again fled beyond reach. His escape led to censure of Crook's policy; he was consequently relieved at his own request in April, and to Gen. Nelson A. Miles was assigned the completion of the task.
     Geronimo and his band finally surrendered Sept. 4, 1886, and with numerous friendly Apache were sent to Florida as prisoners. They were later taken to Mt. Vernon, Ala., thence to Ft Sill, Okla., where they have made progress toward civilization. Some of the hostiles were never captured, but remained in the mountains, and as late as Nov. 1900, manifested their hostile character by an attack on Mormon settlers in Chihuahua.. Apache hostility in Arizona and New Mexico, however, has entirely ceased. (See Hodge in Encyc. Brit., "Indians," 1902.)
     Being a nomadic people, the Apache practiced agriculture only to a limited extent before their permanent establishment on reservations. They subsisted chiefly on the products of the chase and on roots (especially that of the maguey) and berries. Although fish and bear were found in abundance in their country they were not eaten, being tabued as food. They had few arts, but the women attained high skill in making baskets. Their dwellings were shelters of brush, which were easily erected by the women and were well adapted to their arid environment and constant shifting. In physical appearance the Apache vary greatly, but are rather above the medium height. They are good talkers, are not readily deceived, and are honest in protecting property placed in their care, although they formerly obtained their chief support from plunder seized in their forays.
     The Apache are divided into a number of tribal groups which have been so differently named and defined that it is sometimes difficult to determine to which branch writers refer. The most commonly accepted divisions are the Querechos or Vaqueros, consisting of the Mescaleros, Jicarillas, Faraones, Llaneros, and probably the Lipan; the Chiricahua; the Pinaleños; the Coyoteros, comprising the White Mountain and Pinal divisions; the Arivaipa; the Gila Apache, including the Gilenos, Mimbrenos, and Mogollones; and the Tontos.
 Some links to info about the White Mountain Apaches.
http://www.wusd.k12.az.us/Links/Staff/BGood/Apachedictionary/Apachedict.html

Campaign Notes

Western Campaign Notes
Starting Date: October 13, 1869
The broad sketch
This adventure is to be of the standard heroic epic of great heros who travel and discover things about themselfs that will enable them to defeat the final obstical and obtain the target of their quest. In this case, the target of the quest are the Legs of Beourn. He does not know why he is driven to the west, but he will say "I feel that I must find that which I sense if I am to be made whole. My life is devoted to this. All who seek with me will gain that which they most value.


The Deadlands book is very valuable as it has details for a number of game releated activities, but it doesn't really suit me and the kind of campaign I wanted to run in the Wild West (not the Weird West!).
This will cover some of the differences between my campaign and the Deadlands book.

I don't want to start from scratch and build a new history up. I don't want to spend that much time writing something that intentionaly a very temporary campaign. Also, much of the material in Deadlands is very usable and can be made to better fit with what I had in mind for the historical backround. To make it less oriented to the Ghost Rock technology stuff, the year for the adventure will be 1869. This is only a couple of years since the spirits returned.

Basic differences between the Deadlands campaign and mine
The United States and the Confederate States are the same as they were in the time of the Civil War.

There are two factions of indians. Both factions want to turn back the whites and keep their culture and way of life as it is. The "Good" indians are willing to share the land with the whites while the "Bad" indians want to drive the whites from America. These two groups do not wage war against each other although they may activly fight when partys of the factions meet each other. The old laws of "coup" are scrupoulouly observed in these conflicts.

The bad indians are the Sioux. They are now really a collection of different tribes combined into the the one nation. This nation was formed by active conquest and was swolen by like minded indians who travelled from far away because they want to drive the white man away. Even though they are called the "Sioux Nation" they have absorbed many tribes into their numbers. Most of the tribes represented in large numbers are the ones from the east coast and north east. These are the Delawares, Mohawks, Choctaws, Camanches, Dacotahs, Shoshonies and Blackfeet. They say they hold the "Old Ways" but the Ravens will will use white man weapons against white men. They have an injunction against using them against other indians however.
Their territory runs from the Dakota territory in the NE, south to Wyoming and West to include the E of Idaho and W of Montana.

The good indians are the called Keo'otuk Manitu (those who respect Manitu the Great Spirit). They are mostly populated by the Pawnees, Omahas, Mandans, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Hurons and Ojibways and smaller tribes further west. The nation is called Keo'otuk which has been shortened by the white man to "Kotuk". They adhere to the "Old Ways" and will not use the weapons of the whites.
It runs from Washington in the West, south to Arizona and East to Idaho and Montana including California.

The Apache have resumed their old way of living in highly defended cliff dwellings and raiding everyone for their food. They will attack anyone anytime they think they have something valuabe they can safely steal. This include the Chiricahua, Jicarillas, Mescaleros and Pueblo tribes. They live mostly in New Mexico, but raid as far north as Montana.

Remember,  the information in the Deadlands manual comes from 1877 while this adventure is taking place in 1869! This means the most recient events detailed there have not happened and may not ever happen. The party will undoubtedly leave their mark on the land for good or ill.

Status of the Basic Deadlands Concepts
Manitous - In Deadlands they are all evil. In this campaign they may be of any alignment. They are just spirits, not necessarily demons.

There was a horrible earthquake in '68, but it only destroyed the southern part of california from just north of Los Angles south, completely destroying Baha California. The Maze exists only in the area of the Los Angles basin which is now covered with sea water.

Ghost rock has been discovered, but is still being analized by scientists and it's potential is still mostly unknown. The Confederates are far ahead of the Union in utilizing it's power, but are hampered by a lack of inventive minds to carry out the work of design necessary.

Railwars haven't started yet, but the companys are all represented by short stretches of rail that the party will probably never see (except in relativly urban areas).

Linclon has just been assassinated and the VP is in charge of the war (and doing badly).
Davis has been re-elected by the Confederacy.

The Agency is just getting started
The Rangers are powerful in the west but don't get to the indian territories much. They hate the US Marshals
The US Marshals are very powerful in all US states and territories and in the areas bordering on the US. They hunt the Rangers everywhere.

Republic of the Desert
This is only a very small town of devout Mormons at this time. They are regarded as holy by the Kotuk who leave them alone. The Sioux have raided them several times but only with small war bands. It is not the City of Gloom as the Ghost Rock is not used there as yet.

Lost Angles
The city exists along the new shore of the Los Angles Bay (formed by the quake of '67). Reverend Grimme is only begining to gather his followers and is not much known outside of California.

The Harrowed
I am not going to use this except as monsters/villians. The PC and NPCs of the party will never become Harrowed.

Fear
The rules for fear will be used. The fear levels of particular areas will be used in a more concentrated area than described in the Deadlands.

Jefferson Davis is not an evil doppleganger.

Lincoln is not a Harrowed. He is still dead.

Ghost Rock has was discovered only a year or so ago and is not used at this time except as a curiosity. There is no Mad Scientist class or Weird Science yet.

A manitou may be bound (either good or evil), but only a dozen indian shamen in the land can do it. No white man has yet gained the knowledge of how this may be done.

The Reckoning and the Reckoners
Never happened. Don't exist. Here is what happened instead.

The Ishkoodah
In 1863, the indians received a vision that would change everything for them in the years to come. At the winter solstice, in the northern sky they saw a comet looking like a waterfall among the stars. It was something that only they could see; the white man never could. Even the least aware shaman could tell this was an omen of a holy event that was to come.  The eyes of the shamen were ever looking northward for a revelation.

The Calumet
On the spring solstice (what is this really called?), a huge line of smoke could be seen in the north. It was supernatural in that it could be seen even by the most southernly tribes. The whites living in the north could see it, but it was to faint to be seen by them in the southern territories. The shamen who were aware of the spirit world could see this was a summons from Manitou. They chose members of their tribe to travel with them to go to the source of the smoke and see was Manitou demanded of them. They stopped at every friendly tribe on the way to spread the summons to those with a less than in tune shaman.
The rest of the story is as in the Song of Hiawatha.
However, when Manitu departed into the sky, the men of the tribes had many talks of how to return the land to the old ways. Despite the commands of Manitu, they devided into the two main divisions and in the fall of '64 they began the great migration where the two indian nations were formed.

That winter was very hard and many died of cold and starvation. The lack of assistance from the white man (who had problems of their own with the Civil War) only intensified their resolve against coming of the whites.

With the Calumet, the religion of the Indians surged and the power of the spirits was much increased. It was Raven who brought the Changes. As usual, they were a mixed blessing. While the horror of the dead rising from the ground in Gettysburg horrified the whites and prolonged the Civil War, the Changes also brought much pain and death to the indians as well.
The Changes are simply manifestations of the good and evil spirits power on the Americas.  From this have come the undead, the monsters and the benevolent spirits that are only now being recognized for what they are. Even the sleeping whites are wondering what is happeneing and how these things are coming to pass.

The indian gods have risen with the Reckoning and are being worshiped by both Indian Nations.
Kitcki Manitou - The Great Spirit
Shakuru - The Sun God
Pah - The Moon Goddess
Nakomis - The Earth Goddess
Mudjekeewis-west wind, Wabun -East Wind, Shawondasee-South wind,  Kabibonokka-North
Hastsezini - Fire God
Heng - Thunder God

Animal Spirits (Demi-Gods)
Raven - God of Mischef
Coyote - God of Cunning and Wisdom
Snake - God of the Underworld
Hiawatha - God of the Overworld

Ancestral Heros
Stoneribs - The stong warrior - Mostly revered by the Sioux
Qagwaaz - The hunter - Mostly revered by the Kotuk
Yirnnuluhn - The shaman - Mostly revered by the Kotuk

Monsters of special importance
Big Heads - Flying heads that seek out and eat the friendless and those sent away from a tribe
Gnhongn - Dimunitive illtempered spirit creatures of the water and rock
Ohdowa - Evil subterrainian Lizard men


Cowboy Humor

Rex Victor for Victorex

------------
A cowboy just returning from 2 years in St. Louis walks into town and sees an Old Indian sitting on his porch. He figures he'll use the ventriloquist skills he learned in the big city and have a little fun.
Cowboy: "Hey, cool dog. Mind if I speak to him?"
Old Friend: "Dog no talk."
Cowboy: "Hey dog, how's it going?"
Dog: "Doin' alright." Old Friend: extreme look of shock
Cowboy: " Is this man your owner?" pointing at Old Friend.
Dog: "Yep"
Cowboy: "How does he treat you?"
Dog: "Real good. He walks me twice a day, feeds me great food, and takes me to the lake once a week to play." Old Friend: look of disbelief.
Cowboy: "Mind if I talk to your horse?"
Old Friend: "Horse no talk."
Cowboy: "Hey horse, how's it going?"
Horse: "Cool." Old Friend: extreme look of shock
Cowboy: "Is this your owner? " pointing at Old Friend.
Horse: "Yep"
Cowboy: "How's he treat you?"
Horse: "Pretty good, thanks for asking. He rides me regularly, brushes me down often, and keeps me in the barn."
Old Friend: total look of amazement
Cowboy: "Mind if I talk to your sheep?"
Old Friend: "Sheep Lie."
-------------

Famous Folk of the Weird West

These are all people who have information online that may be pressed into service as NPCs. They are Historical!
 
Wild West Women
Annie Oakley
Belle Starr
Big-Nose Kate
Calamity Jane
Willa Cather
Cattle Kate
Abigail Scott Duniway
Helen Hunt Jackson
Carry Amelia Moore Nation
Poker Alice
Laura Ingalls Wilder


Clay Allison
Sam Bass
Judge Roy Bean
Billy The Kid
Black Bart
Sheriff Frank M. Canton
Kit Carson
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
William F. Cody "Buffalo Bill"
George Armstrong Custer
Dalton Gang
Wyatt Earp
Pat Garrett
John Wesley Hardin
James Butler Hickok (Wild Bill Hickok)
John Henry (Doc) Holliday
Tom Horn
Hole-in-the-Wall Gang
Jesse & Frank James
Bat Masterson
John Ringo
Texas John Slaughter
Henry Starr
Frank Stillwell
Heck Thomas
Ben Thompson
Bill Tilghman
Joe Walker
The Wild Bunch
Cole Younger
John Younger
 
Wild West Women
Annie Oakley
Belle Starr
Big-Nose Kate
Calamity Jane
Willa Cather
Cattle Kate
Abigail Scott Duniway
Helen Hunt Jackson
Carry Amelia Moore Nation
Poker Alice
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Women's Suffrage


General Western Info

Imposourosomous




Military Ranks
Private
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs):
Corporal Sergeant
1st Sergeant
Ordnance-Sergeant
Quartermaster-Sergeant
Sergeant Major

Commissioned Officers:
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Captain,
Major Lieutenant
Colonel Colonel
Brigadier
General
Major General
Lieutenant General
General Commander-in-Chief
Confederate and Yankee ranks and organization are virtually identical.

The basic rank is Private: your ordinary, ground-pounding grunts.
95 privates (plus NCOs and officers) made a Company
(though very rarely does any Company achieve full strength), under command of a Captain.
Ten Companies (designated A-J, usually) make a Regiment, usually under the command of a Lt. Colonel. Regiments on both sides are designated by a number and and their state of origin, for example: 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment.
Three or four Regiments make up a Brigade, usually under the command of a Brigadier General.
Union brigades are designated by number within their Division (1st, 2nd, etc.); Confederate, by their commander’s surname (Garnett’s Brigade, for instance).
Three or four Brigades make up a Division, usually under the command of a Major General.
Union Divisions are designated by number within their Corps (1st, 2nd, etc.); Confederate, by their commander’s surname (Pickett’s Division, for example).
Three or four Divisions make up a Corps , usually under the command of a Lieutenant General. Union Corps are designated by number within their Army (1st, 2nd, etc.); Confederate, by their commander’s surname.
Three or four Corps made up an Army, usually under the command of a full General.
Union Armies are named after major rivers in their area of operation (the Army of the Potomac); Confederates, after the state they were based



The civilized world ends just west of the Mississippi. After that, you head into the Disputed Lands, the Sioux Nations, or the Coyote Confederation. Tread cautiously, and keep a six-shooter handy in case local disputes reach the monthly bloodletting stage while you’re passing through.
Scared yet? Perhaps by the end of this guide.
We don’t need any more victims out here. But if your heart’s still set on making the journey, you can get here by hoof or by rail.
Hoofing It Whether you ride in your own saddle alongside your compadres or in a spiffy new Concord stagecoach, hoofing it across the West is basically a bad idea. The ride is long and uncomfortable, and you’re very likely to be chased by angry Indians, road agents, or critters you don’t believe in even when your bones are coming out their kiesters.
For long distances, stagecoaches are faster than riding alone. The drivers stick to wellknown routes (often likely places for ambush, by the way), and they change horses about every 15 miles to keep up a steady pace. In fact, most reputable lines average about 100 miles a day.
Stagecoaches are more comfortable than riding your own animal. The coaches hang by leather straps to take away some of the bounce. Concords, by far the most popular model, fit nine in the passenger compartment and as many as can hold on up top. Six horses are typical, but stages used for shorter routes might only use four.
By Rail Taking a locomotive west is, in my opinion, the only sane choice a traveler can make, and even this is fraught with dangers.
Bandits are common along the train routes.
Most are two-bit thugs who are easily handled by the train’s guards. A few are a little more devious. The Wichita Witches, for example, have even been known to dynamite trestles, sending entire trainloads of honest folks to their dooms just for a safe full of gold.
All the big companies keep armed guards on board these days to deal with trouble. Trains carrying payroll or gold shipments usually have a contingent of soldiers, Pinkertons, or hired gunmen. Passenger trains are more likely to have “troubleshooters” dressed in ordinary clothes on board.
But bandits aren’t your greatest threat when you ride the rails west. That dubious distinction belongs to the companies themselves.
Regardless of which rail company you choose to carry you west, remember you’re going to be riding right into the middle of the Great Rail Wars.
You need to be able to budget how far you can get in a day to properly plan a trip. Here are some rough figures for you.
Travel Times Average Method Miles/Day Horse 40 Stage 70 Rail 250 The above numbers are based on traveling about eight hours a day. A stage makes better time than a horse, by the way, because its animals are changed every 15 miles. If a lone rider somehow has the luxury of changing horses often (like a Pony Express rider), he can average about 80 miles a day.
Money Coin Value Gold Eagle $10 Half Eagle $5 Quarter Eagle $2.50 Silver Dollar $1 Half Dollar 50¢ Dime 10¢ Half Dime 5¢ Copper Cent 1¢ Other Currency There are a couple other types of “money” floating around the Weird Western economy.
Most Indian tribes prefer barter, but some accept coins or paper at about a quarter its printed value. Indians of the Coyote Confederation honor Confederate scrip at half its value.
Telegraph The telegraph is an amazing invention. As a reporter for the Epitaph, I could hardly survive without it. Who’d have ever guessed the miracles of modern technology would allow a man to write an article in Denver and have a decent chance of it reaching Tombstone the same day? The only trouble, of course, is actually receiving the darn things. Telegraph offices in both the North and South are forbidden by law to transmit messages over the border. You can still get it done by wiring someone in the Disputed Lands, but these “black market” telegraphers charge triple the normal cost.
When you do send a telegram, ask for a confirmation from the other end. Messages are frequently garbled, misinterpreted, or just plain wrong—often with disastrous consequences. I have my own pet theory as to why—gremlins— but I promised my editor not to scare off all you greenhorns in this particular guide.
The US Mail Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night keep the mailmen from their appointed rounds.
It’s usually the highwaymen, or more specifically, their bullets that keep the mail from going through. Mail robbery is on the rise.
You may only send a letter to Aunt Minnie, but the bandits who sort through the mail bag don’t tend to return the mail once they’ve pulled out any currency.
The Pony Express Much more reliable than the US Mail is the Pony Express. Its riders—all orphans or single men and women—are paid better and seem more suited to fighting off highwaymen.
It’s more expensive, of course, but valuable documents and bank notes should not be sent any other way.

The Law
Hopefully most of you readers out there should have little reason to come into day-today contact with the lawmen out West. We like to think of our readership as fine, law-abiding folks.
There are three tiers of the law in the West.
Know them and respect these brave men and women. They’re the only thing that keeps the lawless frontier from becoming even worse.
Town Marshal At the lowest level is a “town marshal.” Most large towns have such a person, as do a few smaller ones with delusions of grandeur or lots of local problems. They are usually elected by the people, though many towns allow the mayor or a town council to appoint them as well.
Town marshals and their deputies have jurisdiction within town limits, though most county courts uphold their right to chase fleeing criminals short distances beyond the usual boundaries.
The problem is most local troublemakers know just how little authority a town marshal has outside his jurisdiction. They commit a crime in town and then head for the hills where he has no official reach. Most town marshals ignore this technicality if they are in “hot pursuit,” however.
Sheriff A step above the town marshal is a county sheriff and any deputies he’s appointed. These men and women have authority over everyone who lives within the county.
I would like to tell you that most county officers work in conjunction with the town marshals within their jurisdiction, but the opposite is all too frequently the truth. Lawmen, by their very nature, are a tough and independent breed, so they often butt heads when jurisdictions collide.
Sheriffs are always elected by the people.
Famous gunmen often hold such an office just to justify any killing they might have to do in and around town. Sheriffs must still prove self-defense after a fatal shooting, however, so abusive lawmen are eventually dismissed by the state or territorial government. Assuming there is no graft or corruption involved, which is unfortunately the case in too many counties.
US Marshals & Texas Rangers Now things get a little trickier depending on which side of the border you happen to be on.
In Union states and territories, US Marshals have ultimate authority over the law. They can hire Deputy US Marshals, authorize posses, cross state and territorial lines, and even call on county sheriffs and town marshals if need be.
US Marshals are usually based in the largest cities of the state or territory they happen to be stationed in, although some work out of a few district offices scattered in important areas elsewhere. When they leave their offices, it’s usually because they’ve been called on by a smaller town or they’re on the trail of some vicious desperado.
Though they can call on these resources, most US Marshals work alone. Don’t ask me why; I’m just a journalist. If I was chasing down the most violent desperadoes in the country, I’d surround myself with an army of deputies.
I imagine most US Marshals just aren’t the trusting sort. They need to move quietly in the wilderness and slip into towns without alerting their quarry. Inexperienced deputies with loud feet and loose lips probably cause them more harm than good, and in a US Marshal’s occupation, that kind of harm often adds up to an unmarked grave in Boot Hill.
The Confederacy relies on the military or territorial rangers to do its interstate policing in the West. Regiments scattered throughout Rebel states and territories always have jurisdiction over local town marshals and county sheriffs.
Then there are the South’s elite, the Texas Rangers. These surly fellows fought as regulars in the early years of the war, but they were later detached from the regular military to serve the Confederacy as mounted police officers. They continue to fulfill that function today throughout the South (in the east and west). They also track down any strange creatures reported in their domain and shoot them dead.
Judges and Courts Judges work the same in western states as they do Back East. Every county has its own judge, and the state usually has some sort of “superior” court for appeals or matters of state jurisdiction.
In the territories, the men who interpret—or invent, some would say—the law of the West are the circuit judges. They’re called “circuit” judges because they make a circuit throughout the scattered towns of a territory.
There just aren’t enough judges—or people—to maintain permanent courts. This means you might wait anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks for your “fair and speedy” trial. And if the judge gets bushwhacked while he’s making his rounds, you’ll find yourself waiting until the state appoints a replacement.
Some judges are a little too quick to hang a man. In the West, these men and women are called “hanging judges.” Most have more bark than bite, but there are some who’ll hang you for swearing on a Sunday. I highly advise you to avoid trouble in these areas, regardless of whether or not you started it.
Common Jail Times & Fines Offense Sentence Horse Thieving Hanging Rustling Hanging Murder Hanging Rape Hanging Attempted Murder 20 years or more Bank Robbing 20 years or more Train Robbing 20 years or more Stealing money 20 years or more from a widow Robbing someone 5 years or more of authority Grand Larceny 5 years or more (stealing $300 or more in goods or currency, besides horses or beeves) Stealing less 1 week to 1 year than $300 Drunk in public Overnight, $10 fine Disorderly $10 fine Carrying a weapon Confiscation, $10 in a no-weapons fine zone

Clothes Boots $8 Chaps (Armor -2) $4 Duster $10 Longjohns $2 Shirt/blouse, dress $3 Shirt/blouse, work $1 Silk stockings $1 Shoes $2 Suit/fancy dress $15 Trousers/skirt $2 Winter coat $15 Explosives Blasting cap $1 Dynamite (per stick) $3 Fuse (per foot) 5¢ Nitro (per pint) $2.50 Food & Drink Bacon (per pound) 15¢ Coffee (per pound) 25¢ Restaurant, good Breakfast 50¢ Lunch 25¢ Dinner $1 Restaurant, cheap Any meal 25¢ Trail rations (per day) 50¢ General Equipment Ax $2 Backpack $2 Barbed wire (per yard) 5¢ Bed roll $4 Camera $3 Canteen $1 Cigar 5¢ Detonator, plunger $10 Detonation wire (50’) $2.50 Drill $2 File 25¢ Guitar $8 Hammer 50¢ Handcuffs $3.50 Harmonica 50¢ Hatchet $1 Iron skillet 50¢ Lantern $2.50 Lantern oil (per gallon) 10¢ Matches (box of 100) 50¢ Mess kit $2 Photographic plate $1 Pick $2 Pipe $2 Playing cards 25¢ Rope (50’) $5 Shovel $1.50 Spectacles $5 Tobacco, chewing (tin) 50¢ Tobacco, smoking (pouch) 50¢ Watch, standard $2.50 Watch, gold $10 Gun Accessories Gun belt $2 Holster $3 Quick-draw holster $11 Rifle scabbard $3 Shotgun thong 25¢ Speed-load cylinder $3 Hats Bonnet $2 Derby $1.50 Fedora $3 Sombrero $3.50 Stetson $5 Liquor Beer (glass) 5¢ Cheap stuff Shot 10¢ Bottle $2 Good stuff Shot 25¢ Bottle $5 Transportation Buckboard $75 Buggy/cab $200 Conestoga wagon $200 Horse $150 Mule $50 Riverboat (per mile) 5¢ Saddle $25 Saddle bags $5 Stagecoach (per mile) 10¢ Train ticket (per mile) 5¢ Services Bath $1 Burial $5 Doctor visit Office $3 House Call $5 Photo $10 Room (per day) Boarding house (w/meals) $3 Low-class hotel $2 High-class hotel $10 Shave and a haircut 25¢ Telegram (per word) 5¢ Ammo Number Price Arrow 20 $2 Pistol (.22,-.38) 50 $2 Pistol (.40-.50) 50 $3 Rifle (.38-.52) 50 $4 Rifle (.56+) 50 $5 Powder & Shot 20 $1 Percussion Caps 60 $.50 Shotgun shells 20 $2 Extra Classes Ammo Number Price

Character Prototypes
Bounty Hunters chase down outlaws and turn them in for the reward. This is a dangerous job, so your character needs some decent combat skills like shootin’ and fightin’. A good trackin’ skill is almost mandatory.
Watch out, though. The hunter sometimes becomes the hunted if the prey gets wind someone’s on his trail.
Buffalo Hunters saw a strange development in their trade in the last few years. The Sioux Nations herded most of the larger buffalo herds into their borders. This means buffalo meat and hides—once fairly cheap because they were so common—are now bringing in good prices at the few surviving and very secret skinning camps. The Sioux have warned off buffalo hunters on several occasions, but now they shoot on sight. Buffalo hunters need to be sneaky sorts with few scruples and steady hands for firing their Sharp’s Big Fifty rifles.
Cattle Kings spend most of their time on their ranches raising hundreds of head of steers. Once a year, they have to drive the herd to a market of some sort, usually a railhead or stockyard. If you play a cattle king, your character needs some area knowledge of the land and trail routes. He’ll also need the dinero or belongin’s Edge for his herd, unless he’s recently lost it to rustlers or some kind of critter—natural or supernatural.
Cavalrymen serve both the USA and CSA. They act as scouts, Indian fighters, and occasionally raiders.
Officers need skills such as leadership and overawe, a high Mien to keep their troops in line, and some skill with a saber or pistol. Soldiers need good horse ridin’ skills, a high Vigor to survive long marches, and a decent aim with a rifle or carbine.
Cowpokes spend most of their days out in the open range, tending to steers owned by cattle kings. They need to have good shootin’: rifles and horse ridin’ skills, and knowing how to use a lariat can come in just as handy for roping monsters as it does cattle. Of course, long horns are rarely known to rip a fellow’s head off after they’re roped. A good Vigor also helps a cowpoke tough out those long weeks on drives through the open plains.
Deserters have left their posts for various reasons. Some leave out of cowardice, some because their officers were insane, and others because they’ve seen their fair share of death and misery and just can’t be a party to it any more. Either way, deserters are branded cowards and traitors by the military branch they’ve left behind. In both the Union and Confederate armies, deserters are usually executed. Your character’s skills should fit the branch of service he deserted from, and the sneak and bluff Aptitudes might also serve him well.
Explorers know there is no longer a true frontier, but many areas have yet to be fully explored. (Maybe there’s a reason for that.) They need a good Knowledge Trait and several different area knowledge concentrations as well as a way to defend themselves when they’re hundreds of miles from civilization. The sense o’ direction Edge might also come in handy.
Greenhorns come West to see if all the wild stories they’ve heard Back East are true. As one of these pampered “dudes,” your character wouldn’t dream of touring the West in anything less than the comfort of 1st class. He has to figure out how he’s going to make his way through any trouble. Most do it by fast-talking the “yokels.” Gunslingers are feared killers and revered desperadoes. Some are tinhorn dandies with fancy New York target pistols; others are Texas outlaws looking to escape some past misdeed. A few are noble souls struggling to protect the weak; others work for crooked rail barons, terrorizing towns and ranches that won’t sell them the right-of-way. Regardless, these characters must have a high Quickness, a good Deftness, and be crack shots with a six-shooter.
Hucksters are mysterious souls who have learned the secrets of Hoyle’s Book of Games. Some say that within this cryptic text are hidden messages detailing ancient incantations and rituals of the black arts. Others say they are fakes and frauds, but some say a huckster’s hexes are just as deadly as a gunslinger’s bullets—or worse. If you wish to play one of these Weird West wizards, the first thing you’ll need to buy your hero is the arcane background: huckster Edge, as well as the academia: occult and hexslingin’ Aptitudes.
Ask your Marshal to let you see Chapter six if you’d like to play a huckster.
Indian Braves have won new respect in the West. The long Civil War between the States means neither the USA nor the CSA has been able to gather the manpower to subjugate the new Sioux Nations or the Coyote Confederation. Most braves are fiercely loyal to their tribes and spend their time providing for them or patrolling their borders.
Even so, a few lone braves now wander outside their homelands to learn the ways of the white man.
Others use their knowledge of the spirit world to seek out and defeat the evils awakened by the Reckoning.
Indian braves need high sneak and guts Aptitudes, as well as some way to handle themselves in combat with horrors beyond imagining.
Indian Shamans are often tragic figures. Their communion with strange spirits costs them dearly, isolating them from the rest of their tribe, and sometimes requiring painful ordeals and sacrifices. It is not an easy life.
Yet they know it is their duty to use their knowledge of the true nature of things to protect humanity and the earth itself from the ravages of the Reckoning. Shamans need high Spirit Traits to deal with the nature spirits that grant them favors, as well as the ritual Aptitude and the arcane background: shaman Edge. Tell your Marshal you want to play a shaman and he’ll let you read Chapter 9.
Mad Scientists are inventors and engineers who use ghost rock to create infernal devices of steam and steel.
These often deranged individuals need high Knowledge and Smarts Traits as well as skill in one or more scientific fields and the tinkerin’ and mad science Aptitudes. The arcane background: mad scientist Edge is also a must.
Ask your Marshal if you can read Chapter 7 if you think you might want to play one of these demented tinkerers.
Marshals chase hardened criminals all over the West. Though they have the authority to assemble posses on occasion, they usually have to work alone. Marshals need a decent trackin’ Aptitude as well as good combat skills.
The friends in high places Edge should also help them keep track of fleeing bandits and outlaws.
Muckrakers are journalists who believe in reporting the truth above all else—no matter who it offends. Yellow journalism is their stock and trade.
These fellows are curious beyond belief, and it amazes them that common folk can’t see what’s going on right before their very eyes. The only paper willing to publish their wild stories is the notorious Tombstone Epitaph. The “truth” often needs some embellishment to appeal to the skeptical masses. Muckrakers need the professional: journalism and tale-tellin’ Aptitude to get their messages across.
Many of them have extensive networks of friends in high places as well.
Photographers are rare and often in great demand in the Weird West.
Traditional cameras of the day are too slow to capture action, but they can certainly record the aftermath of a gunfight or an encounter with a strange critter. Of course, most people think the latter pictures are staged phonies, but at least the Tombstone Epitaph usually buys the plates. Photographers can also make a few bucks off famous outlaws looking to get their portrait made as well. It’s steady work, but occasionally dangerous. Your character needs the professional: photography Aptitude to operate her equipment.
Preachers, whether they be pastors, reverends, rabbis, or leaders of any other flock, are often humanity’s most powerful weapons against the Reckoning. They need the arcane background: blessed Edge as well as a good Mien to deliver sermons of Hellfire and brimstone. A high Spirit Trait helps them call upon the power of their religion. Preachers should also be wellversed in the professional: theology Aptitude.
See Chapter Eight should you choose to play one of these pious individuals.
Prospectors know there’s a fortune in gold, silver, and ghost rock out there—if they can just find it. These characters must be willing to endure many hardships to uncover the mother lode that will set them up for life. Then again, perhaps it’s not gold they’re digging for. Some prospectors claim to have heard about even more fantastic treasures out there—somewhere.
Either way, they need the trade: minin’ Aptitude, as well as high Strength and Vigor Traits to help them dig for ghost rock or pan for gold for hours on end. Some form of the shootin’ Aptitude might come in handy as well, to deal with potential claim jumpers Saloon Gals know everyone—though their clients often claim they don’t.
Sometimes these hard-working gals stay in a single saloon. Other times they travel from town to town, leaving when the locals get tired of them. But though saloon girls might seem innocent enough, they can be found in the roughest boomtowns in the West, so most have learned to handle themselves.
As one of these ladies, your character needs a high Mien and persuasion to gather the locals’ secrets.
The purty Edge also helps.
Sheriffs have a tough job in the West. They are often the only thing that stands between a ruthless gang and the common citizens of the towns they’ve sworn to protect. Worse, their authority stops at the county limits, making it easy for outlaws to escape their limited grasp—unless, of course, the sheriff and his deputies are in hot pursuit.
As a sheriff, your character needs a high Mien and overawe Aptitude to make troublemakers back down before gunplay begins. He needs a good shootin’ Aptitude for when all Hell breaks loose anyway.
Snake Oil Salesmen are sometimes called “hucksters,” but there’s a big difference between these fast-talking hawkers and their hexslinging counterparts. These fakes are known for their worthless elixirs of flavored water and extracts from dubious roots and herbs. But perhaps your character is different. He knows there are real “miracle cures” out there. If he can just find one, he can retire a wealthy man.
Your character needs high persuasion and bluff Aptitudes, and “the voice” Edge might also help sell his wares. But make sure your salesman can protect himself somehow, because sometimes the suckers catch on, and they don’t like being snookered.
Teamsters drive wagons, stagecoaches, and other beast-drawn vehicles. They act as couriers, messengers, and freight haulers, carrying valuable loads and passengers through hostile country. They often have to outrun warbands, robbers, and critters most folks don’t believe in. Most teamsters are well skilled in the aptly named teamster Aptitude and with some sort of shooting iron for “riding shotgun.” Imposourosomous

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