Name: Gutshot! Authors: Mike Mitchell and Mike Murphy Company: Hawgleg Publishing Availability: currently from the publisher (www.hawgleg.com) Online Support: (www.hawgleg.com) pre-filled character sheets as well as Record Sheets for horses, mules, donkeys, stagecoaches and other vehicles. Several adventures are also available for download. Several After Action Reports generated by the playtesting are also available at this site. Format: Black and White, Soft Cover, 164 pages + 2 character sheets, 1 horse sheet and 1 stagecoach sheet Price: $19.95 USD USD Game Type: 25mm Wild West miniatures combat. Scale: Skirmish (1 model = 1 character) Turn Sequence: Each character has at least 3 slips of paper with his name on it in a container. When his name is drawn that character can perform one or more tasks (see Task Breakdown). Game Length: The game is designed for 2 to 8 players with a game time (depending on the scenario) of between 2 and 4 hours. Game length seems to be very sensitive to the number of players. Forums: There is currently no forum available for this game. The authors are, however, readily available and eager to answer questions via e-mail. General info: "Gutshot!" is the first game published by Hawgleg. The rulebook itself consists of 164 page of rules plus 2 blank Character Sheets, 1 horse Record Sheet and 1 stagecoach Record Sheet. Two small adventures are also included. Section 3 "Role of the GM" covers why a GM is a good thing to have, how to be a good GM (including a "lessons learned" section, one-shot vs. campaign games and the use of Event Slips (used to handle things like stampedes, NPC actions, etc.) Section 4 "Time of Action" defines the six key measurements of game time: Campaign (a series of linked games), Adventure (one game), Turn (when the last slip is drawn is turn is over), Action (a character's slip is drawn), Task (activity performed during an action), Free Task (can be performed a no "time cost" to the character. During an Action a character can perform 2 of the following: Move, Attack, Perform a Fast task (plus perform a Free Task). On the other hand he could perform a Full Task. There are several charts defining the types of tasks. Free Task – is an instantaneous action Fast Task – can be performed with a Move or Attack. Full Task – Tasks that can take 1,2 or 3 Actions to fulfill. Hitching a horse to a buggy can take 3 Actions (Task-3). Characters with the Contemplative Specialty can hold their Action. They can then play it before are after another slip is drawn. If they fail to play it before their next slip is drawn it is lost. Action Checks are used (using that player's Target Number (TN)) when attempting a task that might fail. The example used in the book is an attempt to eavesdrop on a conversion. Determining what tasks might fail and any die roll modifications is one reason for using a GM. Section 5 "Scale and Measurement". The scale is 1 inch = 6 feet (or 1 cm = 1 meter). This scale is true for both horizontal and vertical distances. Sections 6,7,8 cover movement of Characters, Animals and Wagons. Distance moved for characters is set by the Rate (Crawl(1"), Walk(3"), Trot(6"), Run(12")). Each rate has combat modifiers for the shooter and the target (who did the moving). Terrain effects, including doors, windows and obstacles modify movement. Traveling over unsafe/uneven terrain can result in falling down and injury. Climbing (ropes, ladders, trees, etc.) and the results of falling are included. An Encumbrance System is used. A character can easily carry up to 4.25 pounds of weapons. Anything over that effects you ability to fight and move. Animals include horses (6 kinds!), mules and donkeys. Each animal is defined by a TN, Cost, Availability, Temperament, Damage Capacity, Gallop Limits and Movement Rate (Walk, Trot, Gallop). Jumping, Spooked Horses, Bucking Broncos, Horse Attacks and Trampling are covered. Vehicles includes Stagecoaches, Wagons and Buggies. Each vehicle is defined by: Team Size, Crew, Passengers, Gallop Limit and Movement Rate (Walk, Trot, Gallop). Section 9 "Characters" shows how to create a character. Characters are defined by: Character Type, Specialties and TN. There are two types of Specialties: "Damage & Accuracy" (Brawler, Quick Draw, Sure-Shot, etc.) and "Other" (Lucky, Contemplative, Speedy, etc.). A character has TWO different damage tracts: PAIN which you get from non-lethal damage (falling of a building for example) and DAMAGE from lethal damage (being shot, knifed, etc.). 15 points of PAIN results in unconsciousness. 15 points of DAMAGE results in death. There are 16 basic Character Types: Bounty Hunter, Cowboy (with 3 additional Custom Types), Deputy, Eastern Tenderfoot, Gambler, Gunslinger, Marshal, Outlaw, Owlhoot, Sheriff, Sodbuster, Texas Ranger, Thug, Townsfolk and Villain. Each has a TN, Specialties (from which he can pick one or two), and any Morale Effects if he is an NPC. Section 10 "Combat: Firearms" covers the use of guns. Five types of firearms are covered: pistol(13"), Derringer(4"), rifle(24"), long-barreled shotgun(10") (single or double-barreled) and sawed-off shotguns(5") (single- or double-barreled). Range modifies both Damage and Accuracy. For shotguns it also modifies the Scatter Area. Range is broken down into Point Blank, Close, Medium, Long and Far. Covered is Aimed Fire (up to 3 Actions), Partial/Full cover, Shooting through Walls, Reloading (each bullet fired is marked off the Record Sheet), Wild Shots (drawing and shooting is a Wild Shot), Cover Fire, Ambushes, Siege Conditions, Fanning a Pistol (each shot is treated separately) and Showdowns. Roll 2d6 (applying and modifiers) against your character's TN. Rolling the TN or above is a HIT. Snake-eyes (unmodified roll of 2) ends that Action and can result in bad things for your and/or your weapon (roll on a chart). Boxcars (unmodified roll of 12) means you hit your target and cause additional damage (roll on a chart). If you miss your target every figure within 1" of the target is a possible hit. Roll 1d6 starting with the closest figure, a 6 results in a hit. Section 11 "Combat: Fists, Kicks & Headbutts". Melee combat is handled differently than for firearms. The Attacker and the Defender each are assigned a TN based on weapons being used (fists, edged weapons or improvised (bottles, rocks, etc)). If the Attacker makes his TN then the Defender must try to block the blow by rolling against his TN. Rolling Snake-eyes results in bad things happening to you and/or your weapon. Boxcars cause additional Pain/Damage. Fists and Improvised weapons cause PAIN while Melee Weapons (edged weapons) cause DAMAGE. As you get more PAIN or DAMAGE you start gaining negative combat modifiers and/or reduced movement. PAIN and DAMAGE effects are NOT cumulative, if you have both PAIN and DAMAGE use the effects that are the worst. Section 13 covers how to handle (generally by the GM) "Townspeople, Bystanders and NPCs". The next part of the book is the "Campaign Guide". It covers designing a campaign and includes some campaign suggestions. Food and Water are given only the barest of coverage. As the author's say: "... the name of the game is Gutshot not Survivor." Allocation of Victory Points (VPs) is covered in great detail. VPs for killing someone is based on his TN. A TN of 11 gets you only 2 VPs, a TN of 4 gets you 500+. VPs are also earned for completing an Adventure, not being wounded, gaining loot, etc. VPs are lost by killing lawmen, clergy (unarmed), women and children, members of your own gang, etc. VPs can be used to increase you TN or buy a new Specialty. The max number of Specialties a character can have is based on that character's TN. "Equipment and Gear" is also heavily covered. Cost is dependent on whether you're buying in a regular town or a Boom Town (more expensive). You can be guns, melee weapons, ammo, holsters, livestock, feed, men's clothing (@48 items), women's clothing (@55 items) and trail gear (@61 items). Food/drink, lodging, doctor's care, etc. can be purchased while you are in a town. The last section covers two adventures. "Last Man Standing" has the players set up a town, each make up a character and place that character on a street (not in a building) somewhere. The last character that is not killed or surrendered wins. "Love & Bullets" provides the layout of a town that you can use if you want. There are also pre-made characters for the two sides. The young lovers (reformed (?) cattle rustler Billy and the cattle baron's daughter Missy) must escape from the town (elope) aided by Billy's gang. Missy's father, The Colonel, and his henchmen must stop them. ************************************************* As you can see "Gutshot!" is a very well thought out game with a very extensive Campaign System that allows for lots of Character development and has a strong RPG flavor. This flavor is heightened by each character having multiple Activations per Turn and the potential for lots of Gamer/GM interaction. This game looks to be intended to by played with a GM controlling the NPCs and moderating the game play with the players each controlling a single character all within the confines of a multi-game campaign. You could, however, easily play one-off games or even campaigns WITHOUT the GM and with each player controlling multiple characters. Character generation is quick and easy with lots of Characters Types and Specialties to give them individual flavor. The weaker Character Types have more Specialties to choose from. This gives them more of a "fighting chance" against the stronger Types. You are free to mix-and-match Character Types within your "gang" but I would assume must players would prefer not to have "good guys" mixed with "bad guys" (which, like in the "Real West", are not clearly defined characteristics). The two most noticeable things lacking in the game are: dynamite and stampedes. Both are mentioned in the book but no rules cover them. Indians, Cavalry and different type of firearms (no Sharp's or scoped rifles!) are also missing but are promised in later supplements. The rulebook is 164 pages of rules (with only 9 of "fluff", mostly Larry Leadhead strips) with lots of great ideas and is cheap at $19.95 USD USD.