Deadlands Noir Words John “Night Rain” Goff Additional Words By: Shane “the Hack” Hensley, Clint “Fade to” Black, & Sean “Pistol Whip” Preston Pictures Cheyenne “Triple Hugo and Countin’” Wright, Aaron “Ace” Acevedo, Jordan “The Pistol” Peacock, Mercenary Art Studio (Bien Flores, Jovenal Mendoza, Bryan Magnaye) Layout ShaneSample “Hatchet” file Hensley Proofing Matt “the Knife” Cutter, Scott Alan “Words” Woodard, Simon “Lusty” Lucas, Adam “Babyface” Loyd DEDICATION John: This, like everything else I do in life that’s worthwhile, is for Joyce. Shane: To the Kickstarters; Cheyenne: Max Danger—Private Eye Deadlands created by

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© 2012 Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Deadlands, Deadlands Noir, Hell on Earth, the , the Wasted West, the Way Out West, and all related original characters, marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. The Olde Absinthe House is a trademark of the Olde Absinthe House, Inc. Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio 2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. © 2012. All rights reserved Persons of Interest Capos: Andreas Harald Wild, Andrew, Andrew Chang, Bo Saxon, Olivier Brencklé, Cédric Jeanneret, Chris Aardappel, Christian Nord, cl taylor, Cliff Hanson, Colin Peacock, Daniel Petersen, Dave Borne, David Harriss, David Hogg, Drew Sutherland, Glenn Mochon, Greg Biondo, Hart Nelson, Ingo Beyer, Jeff Hubbard, John C “GandalfThePlaid”, John Rogers, Joseph Schnurr, Julien, Kate Bankson, Kenneth Lavender, Kenny Perry, Lord Deron Creag Mhor, Luke Edwards, Marc Keil, Mark Hom, Mark Margraf, Mark Spanjer, Matthew Broome, Philip Cahiwat, Philippe Myhal, Rajan Khanna, Ray Wisneski, Robert Mayer, Ross Ramsay, Sergio Silvio Herrera Gea, Steve Howells, Stuntlau Perez, synthapse, Tom Miksch, waeberhardt Private Dicks: Alex Meyer, Anthony Samples, Azrael Johnston, Bryan Haakensen, Bryan W. Schuder, Cassandra Humenuk, Cliff Roach, Curtis Lyon, Damien Serrano, Darrin, Drea O’Dare, Drew Wendorf, dvorak, Dylan Young, Eric Avedissian, gsugu, James Crane, Jesse Burneko, Joshua F. Aiken, John Ivicek Jr., Jonas Hansson, Jonathan A. Gillett, Lee Langston, LwoodY2K, Martin Coulter, Matthew York, Michael Goldsberry, Michael Macielak, Michael Schell, Michael Thompson, Noah Carden, Paul Flanaghan, Peter C. Hildreth, Philipp Christophel, Richard Logue, Robert Loper, Ronald Conner, Ryan Wolf, Samuel Cole, Steven Moy, Thom Shartle, Thomas Putney, Vincent Ecuyer, Wayne “The Cap’n” Coburn, yazalick Shopkeepers: Aaron Leeder of Noble Knight Games, Adventure Game Store, Barry Oser of North Coast Roleplaying, Hammer Hall Gaming, Darren Johnson of Imperial Outpost, Donny Rhye of Book & Music Exchange, Dragon Snack Games, Dragon’s Lair Comics & Austin, Falyne, Fred Graves of the Tattered Book, Game Daze, Game Kastle, GamesHQ, George Vasilakos of Zombie Planet, Michael Breen of Hometown Games, Olympic Cards and Comics, Otto’s Video Games and More, Randy Lander, Sci-Fi City, Steve Ellis of Rainy Day Games, Trollune Shamus: Aaron Boorem, Adam Loyd, Adam Trojanowski, Adam Waggenspack, Alexis Hoarau, Alosia Sellers, Andrew Barrett-Venn, Andrew Markell, Andrew Parr, Andrew Zillmer, Andy Ward, Angus Manning, Aric Wieder, Arthur Dent, AWJ Marshall, Axel GOTTELAND, Benjamin Schollnick, Brett Easterbrook, Brian Jones, Brian S. Holt, Bryce Undy, Calvin Shafer, Casidhe Nebulosa, Charles Clarke, Charles E Miller, Charles Strange, Chip & Katie, Chris Edwards, Christian Lindke, Christopher DeLisle, Christopher P Stilson, Christopher Plambeck, Collard Joffrey, Craig Bishell, Craig Langrall, Craig T., Damon Richardson, Dan Keller, Daniel Ley, Daniel Stanke, Daniel Walker, darksonic, Dave Ellingwood, David Cornwell, David Hixon, David Hoover, David “Yavon_Gorky” Lallemand, Davy Claessens, docwho2100, Don King, Drew Biddle, Dustin Gulledge, Edward Linder, Eric Edwardson, Ethan Zimmerman, Evan, Fenric Cayne, Frédéri Pochard, Gauthier Loupiac, GeneralEcks, Gilbert Isla, gleepism, Gordon Fagan, Greg Howe, Hank Woolsey, James a.k.a. uber, Jamas Enright, James Blair, James Klodt, James M. Yager, James Schrecengost, Jared Thibault, Jason Brown, Jason Hayes, Jeff Jones, Jeff Scifert, Jeffrey Maslany, Jesse Goble, Jim Burzelic, Jim Calabrese, Jim Otermat, Jim Waters, Jimmy “JR” Tyner 3rd, Joe Terranova, Joe Thater, Joe Van Ginkel, Joel Beally, Johan Allerslev Lund, John A W Phillips, John Bellando, John Higginbotham, John Hostetter, John Huber, John SampleM. Trivilino, John file Moquin, John W. Thompson, Joseph Rook, Josh Miller, Joshua W. Pittman, Justin Taylor, Karsten Kopplin, Ken Finlayson, Kenny B, Kevin C. Wong, Kevin Doswell, Kevin Empey, Kurt Runkle, Kyle Neff, Kyle Pinches, Landon Sommer, Leath Sheales, Lee Alley, Leo Matoush, Lucas Schofield, M. Sean Molley, Mark Magagna, Mark Metzner, Mark Sweetman, Martin Bauer, Matthew Wasiak, Michael B. Moe, Mike “Lucci” Carlucci, Michael M. Kelly, Mike Peterson, Mikloshe, Morgan Ellis, Morgan Walther, Nathan Reed, Nils Anker Tønner- Oldefar, Noah Ban, Noah Gibbs, Oliver Peltier, Pascal Oliet, Patrick Paulsen, Patrick Rowley, Paul Harris, Pavel Ojeda, Pedro Coppola, Philippe Deville, Phillip Fatka, Phillip Millman, Paul Allen Timm, Ralph, Rambo, Raphael Päbst, Richard, Richard Reynolds, Rich Scrase, Rick Jones, Rob Dunning, Robert Kukuchka, Rob Lusk, Robert Rosenthal, Robert & Connie Thomson, Robert R. Valdes Sr., Robin Tunkel, Ron Steinhauser, Ross Thompson, Ryan Riojas, Ryo Ogawa, Saint, Sam Hock, Sam Wong, Samantha Lambert, Sameer Patel, Scott Alan Woodard, Scott Kehl, Scott Leslie, Scott Maynard, Scott Neal, Scott Nisenfeld, Sebastien Blouin, Shane Emmons, Shan Morris, Shannon B. Marce, Shawn “King Zombie” Beatty, Simon Stroud, Stephan Auerhahn, Stephen Robinson, Steve Dulson, Steven Roman, T. Kurt Bond, Tad Simmons, Tas Jones, The Roach, Thom Jason, Tifaine Highly, Timothy Hannon, Timothy Mullen, Tom De Bruycker, Tom Lumley, Tore S. Svenningsson, Treanna Von Ruff, Trey Mercer, Urban Blom, Volker Greimann, Walter F. Croft, Wayne Williams, William Huggins, Yakaru Dezaki, Zachary Hopko Hardboiled: Aaron Wong, Angel Leigh McCoy, Jacques DuRand, Dave Hitt, David “JustDave” Talboy, Gary “Slug” Perkins, Gavin Phillips, Joe Frankovitch, John and Frances Rowat, John Beattie, Kairam Ahmed “Mr. Ray O’Dark” Hamdan, Nicholas Brigance, Ranger Dave Ross, Ryaan Kraft, Seth Davis, Shane Dale, Simon Ward, Sven Schläpfer Dons: Andrew Leonhart, Bob Bretz, Brett Bozeman, D.A. Evosirch, Daniel W. Cisek, Don Davenport, Doug Davison, Douglas Lange, Jack Emmert, Jonathan Clancy, Josh Thaler, Kurt “Telas” Schneider, Matthew Brumfield, Matthew Evans, Matthew Sanderson, Raymond Croteau, Shannon R. Bell, Timothy Link, inceV Kwiatek, Wesley E. Marshall Mayors: James McKendrew (), Eoin Burke (Chicago), John Billings (Shan Fan), Marguerite Kenner (The City of Gloom), Kevin Stoner (Lost Angels) Night Stalkers: David Fry (Jacob Whateley), Terry McGregor (Terence “Mac” MacGregor) Contents

Persons of Interest...... 2 The Kingfish...... 59 Foreword...... 4 Interesting Locales ...... 60 Dark Times...... 5 City Center...... 60 Heroes...... 6 Downtown...... 62 Sample Characters...... 6 French Quarter...... 64 Making Characters...... 7 Northside...... 67 New Skills...... 9 Riverside...... 68 New Hindrances...... 9 Uptown...... 69 New Edges...... 11 The Outskirts...... 71 Gear & Goods...... 13 Making Mysteries!...... 73 Guide to the Big Easy...... 22 Case Generator...... 74 City Center...... 23 Red Harvest!...... 80 Downtown...... 24 1) The Lady Vanishes...... 82 The French Quarter...... 25 2) Lost Love...... 85 Northside...... 25 3) A Chance in Hellstromme...... 88 Riverfront...... 26 4) A “Friend” in Need...... 89 Uptown...... 27 5) Homework...... 92 The Outskirts...... 28 6) Down on the Bayou...... 93 Detective Work...... 29 7) A Neat Little Package...... 95 Setting Rules...... 29 Savage Tales...... 99 Knock-Out Blows...... 30 The Axeman Cometh...... 99 Second Wind...... 30 A Taste of the Good Stuff...... 101 Social Conflicts...... 30 Dead Men Don’t Forgive...... 102 Patter...... 32 Fate’s Dead Hand ...... 104 Tailing...... Sample32 The file Guns of Algiers...... 105 Magic!...... 34 The Least of These...... 106 Grifters...... 34 A Matter of Trust...... 107 Patent Scientists...... 38 One for the Road...... 109 Voodoo...... 40 Thanks for the Memories...... 110 Harrowed...... 42 To Be… Or Not...... 111 The Twelfth Chamber...... 112 Game Master’s Section A View to Die for...... 113 Secrets & Lies!...... 47 What Little Girls Are Made Of...... 114 Who’s Laughing Now?...... 117 The Twentieth Century...... 48 Rogue’s Gallery ...... 118 More Setting Rules...... 49 Abominations...... 118 Fear Levels...... 49 Humans...... 130 Radios and Telephones...... 50 Personalities...... 134 Veteran of the Concrete Jungle...... 50 Index...... 142 Grifters...... 52 The Harrowed...... 53 Patent Science...... 55 Game Master’s Guide To New Orleans...... 56 The Black Hand...... 57 The Red Sect ...... 58 series Hard Boiled in the Big Easy. This was no simple task. Not only did he go through voices and music Foreword in record time, he created over 40 different “speed Simon Lucas, one of the Pinnacle crew who ran the paintings” for the video as well. If for some reason company for a while, swears he suggested Deadlands you didn’t see them, do yourself a favor and search for Noir to me almost ten years ago and I didn’t seem all them on YouTube right now. that enthused. Credit where it’s due. Simon has always been ahead of the game so I certainly don’t doubt it. With the two key players in place, all that remained It may also have been that the time just wasn’t right. was to put together the Kickstarter. For those who We were relaunching Deadlands the Weird West (as haven’t tried, these things are a ton of work. Besides Deadlands Reloaded) and all my attentions were on that all the planning, there’s promotion, stretch goals, and how to tell the story of the servitors in Plot Point budgeting, sourcing (without real numbers to do so), format—it’s much harder than it probably sounds. bookkeeping and then putting together any events tied to it (like our “Don’s Game” at GenCon 2012). In March of 2011, whatever muse had talked to Actually creating the books, maps, cards, custom Simon nearly a decade prior finally got around to Bennies, and so on wasn’t so bad—we do that all the putting the buzz in my ear. I was driving through the time. Coordinating all of those things and delivering desert from Las Vegas to Arizona when just the words them on time and in one batch so we could afford the “Deadlands Noir” came to me. I wasn’t reading Noir shipping was another matter entirely. at the time, hadn’t seen any films that triggered it—it literally just came to me while I was driving this long With all the preparations under our belt (thanks stretch of terrain that was about as far removed from especially to Clint Black and Simon Lucas for this), I Noir as you can imagine. set the Kickstarter in motion the morning of May 15th, 2012. Or at least I tried to. I had a simultaneous update I couldn’t get it out of my head. Ideas for plots, on Facebook and the first Kickstarter update all ready character types, and the evolution of the Deadlands to go when my computer crashed. E-mails and private story between the Weird West period and Hell on messages started coming in while I rebooted my big Earth came to me so fast and furious I couldn’t keep computer and monitored my laptop—”Where’s this up with them all. The very name sounded cool to me— big announcement you said you were making at 9 Deadlands Noir. am?” I panicked a little, but the amount of incoming But would anyone else like that idea? It was a niche mail was a good sign. After multiple rewrites of the of a niche of a niche. People had to like roleplaying announcements on all our various social media, I hit games, had to like Savage Worlds, and had to like the Launch button and we were off. Deadlands. A lot of my friends were doing KickstartersSample file We asked for $8000. We were funded in two and a at the time so I thought maybe that would be a good half hours. way to see if anyone wanted it. We could invest enough to show what it was going to look and feel like, but if It was great, but we had a handful of stretch goals our community wasn’t interested it would save us from firmly plotted and the rest were simply ideas we had manuscripts, art, and of course a massive printing bill. discussed. It became quickly apparent we had to get them solidified and communicated immediately. With I was keyed up to write it, but I had a day job in video the help of a great team and the encouragement of the games and things were getting tough time-wise. There backers, we were able to do so with only a few mistakes. was no way I could deliver on Kickstarter promises. There was only one person I’d trust to write something Now here we are almost seven months later. John like this—my college Game Master, good friend, turned in a fantastic manuscript, Cheyenne hit it out and now fan-favorite John Goff. Not only was John of the park with his moody art, Clint kept watch over immersed in the world of Deadlands and had written the rules, Simon helped with graphics and big concepts, some of our best material for it, but he was actually a and our new Art Director, Aaron Acevedo, pulled off former Private Detective (among other things). Noir the amazing task of getting all the accessory art created isn’t all about private dicks, but they’re certainly central in time, such as the gorgeous tile maps and Figure Flats. to it. John took to it like a duck to water, and quickly Our entire team hopes you like it—like Raymond suggested it should focus on New Orleans. Chandler likes similes. Or mooks like dames. Or rain For art, I turned to the ever-reliable and always likes New Orleans. enthusiastic Cheyenne Wright. Not only did he create Okay, I’ll stop now. Ya mook. amazing art and graphics for the project, but he also performed, scored, and produced the entire video —Shane Hensley November, 2012 4 Dark Times

The year is 1935, but the history is not our own. Its wheels gummed up with the bodies of the dead, The Confederate States of America have been the Civil War ground slowly to a halt sometime around independent for over 50 years—depending on who the 1880s. That left the Confederacy an independent you ask. Their economy has struggled like a one- nation, making it technically a win for the Rebs, but for armed man in white water ever since—periodically once it had the sense not to rub anyone’s face in it. Not coming up for air but mostly getting nowhere. Only wanting to miss a prime opportunity, the Mormons and the North’s ill-advised attempt at Prohibition gave the the Sioux Indians also seceded, forming the Republic South any respite, by letting them sell cheap hooch of Deseret and the Sioux Nations, respectively. over the border to every Tom, Dick, and Nancy who For over 30 years, the and the wanted to wet their whistle. Confederacy kept their guns pointed across the A worldwide Depression has made things even Mason-Dixon Line, daring the other to flinch. Then, in worse, and one of the most desperate areas lies right at 1917, both put aside their differences and briefly joined the crossroads of the Confederacy—New Orleans.Sample The forces file with the Allied Powers in the Great War. After Big Easy is at the storm-tossed center of nefarious events another three years of fighting,Germany and the other set in motion years ago by strange and malevolent Central Powers surrendered. The victory celebrations entities bent on ruining and ruling our world. were cut short as the returning soldiers brought home with them a superflu that spread across the world. In So why is this world different than our own? For the end, it claimed nearly 200 million lives. starters, something happened back in 1863. The worst of the yellow rags at the time claimed the dead walked A brief period of prosperity followed, but ultimately, and magic returned to the world, but most people that turned out to just be the set-up for one of the told those nuts to peddle their papers elsewhere. A biggest sucker plays in history—the Great Depression. few years later, an earthquake of biblical proportions Banks failed, stocks crashed, and companies shut their shattered the coast of California into a labyrinth of doors. Dust storms and grasshopper swarms swept the towering mesas and seawater-filled canyons that came country like the plagues of Egypt, obliterating farms to be known as the “Great Maze.” and dreams. One man’s disaster is another man’s opportunity, The politicians say the worst is over, but most people they say, and in that earthquake, miners discovered are still making do with hope and pocket lint, and a new superfuel called “ghost rock” after the strange most are running low on pocket lint. Money talks these howling noise it made when burned. Inventors found days, and when it does, most everyone listens. A good all sorts of uses for the mineral, spurring amazing job is hard to find, but a trustworthy soul might be advances in technology and funding more than one even harder. fortune. Those same advances also spawned terrible It’s almost enough to make a fella overlook the new weapons, because if there’s one thing men are shadow at the end of the alley or ignore those strange good at, it’s finding new and creative ways to kill each bumps in the night. Almost, but not quite. other. 5 Entertainer: The Crescent City has no shortage of ways for a skilled performer like yourself to make a Heroes living. Jazz singers, actors, and stage magicians all rely Although Deadlands Noir is largely about hardboiled on their presence and ability to read their audience to gumshoes and savvy private investigators, you don’t keep food on the table. Sadly, there’s not always a gig have to limit your ideas to just detectives and private available when the rent comes due, so you sometimes eyes if you don’t want to. While it certainly helps for have to pick up “other work” on the side. your adventurer to have some reason to want to delve into a mystery, the concrete jungle is filled with as Escort: Most professional escorts are female and many different types of heroes as you can imagine. often referred to as “ladies of the evening,” at least in polite company, but a few men make their living in the Below are a few character ideas to help get your trade as well. Working either for an established brothel imagination firing on all cylinders. This is by no means or on the streets, in time all become both streetwise and an exhaustive list, and if you’ve got a great idea of your more than a little cynical. own, you should use it! Keep in mind that your hero should have some reason to be getting into mysteries Grifter: Conning a bunch of rubes doesn’t hold a and investigations, so you might have to work with candle to swindling power out of dark entities on your Game Master (or Marshal as we sometimes say in the other side of reality. The authorities would love Deadlands) and the other players from time to time to to get their hands on you, but if you’re smart enough make the story flow smoothly. to outwit spirits and demons, what chance does John Law have? Houngan/Mambo: You might tend a congregation Sample Characters or you might be a lone practitioner of voodoo. Those Bootlegger: You make your living brewing or in need often seek you out, if not for a charm or spell, transporting liquor to a nearby dry county or state. then at least for sage advice. Regardless, among the Although you do your best to avoid run-ins with the folks who follow the spiritual path, you can usually law, odds are you’ve kept your guns loaded and your count on respect for your abilities—as long as they driving skills well-honed just in case. don’t belong to the Red Sect. Clergy: Whether you’re a priest, a nun, a minister, Lawyer: Though you earn your paychecks in the or a travelling preacher, many regard you as a beacon courtroom, you learned early on that the best way to be of hope amidst the darkness and despair that pervade sure of the facts of your case is to gather them yourself. city and countryside alike. See page 40 for a note about You’ve got a sharp mind, an understanding of the law, the blessed. Sampleand file insight into how the police in this burg work. It’s Con Artist: Fast-talk and street smarts are the tools also a lot cheaper than hiring a private investigator to of your trade. Half the time, the marks never even do the legwork for you. know they’ve been taken and the other half walk away Parapsychologist: Some of the more forward- thinking they’ve conned you! thinking institutions of higher learning are beginning Criminal: You might be a skilled burglar, a deft to acknowledge that everything can’t be wrapped pickpocket, or just a leg-breaking thug. You might up with the neat bow of accepted science. You’re on have a code of ethics, but you make your living at other the cutting edge of the study of the unexplainable folks’ expense. You spend much of your time avoiding and always on the lookout for a chance to test—and the attention of both the cops and the mob. hopefully prove—your theories. Dilettante: You’ve never settled on a single path, Patent Scientist: Most of the whiz-bang inventors get instead sampling a wide range of what life has to offer. snatched up to work in a government or big-business Dabbling in a variety of pursuits usually indicates think-tank. You’re trying to make it by yourself—your boredom—and a fat wallet. Dilettantes tend to be own ideas, your own sweat, and all the profits for wealthy, often due to the circumstances of their birth yourself at the end. However, until you do, you have rather than hard work of their own, but inherited to make ends meet somehow. money spends just the same as earned. Private Investigator: It seems like every amateur Doctor: Medical doctors are in one of the few thinks they can do your job. They don’t have a clue. professions that guarantees relatively steady You’ve got the skills, the connections, and the stones employment. Patients tend to trust you and see you to tangle with the toughest customers…but you don’t as a voice of reason, so it’s no surprise they sometimes do it for free. look to you when there’s nowhere else to turn. 6