mud, blood, & glory the wild west role playing game starter edition Credits Lead Designer: Parker Blau Contributor: Rachel Do Lead Editor: Rachel Do Editor: TJ Kennedy Cover Artist: Liam Reagan Interior Artists: Rosa Bonheur, Frederic Edwin Church, Thomas Eakins, Henry Farny, Liam Reagan, Frederic Remington, Charles Schreyvogel, José María Velasco Playtesters: Brittany Blau, Chris Blau, Jason Bowers, Tim Chen, Nicole ‘Big Hec’ Chodora, Patrick Cunningham, Molly Glasgow, Michael Hess, Ryan Lee, Evan Leu, Jason Masino, Chris Mason, Chris Passarelli, Shane Quigley, Keegan Stanley, Enid Taylor, Myles Taylor, Logan Vinson, Clin Xu Special Thanks to Michael Hess for wanting to rob a train. Created By Parker Blau Copyright © 2019 by Black Hat Games All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Black Hat Games www.BlackHat-Games.com Starter Edition This is the Starter Edition of Mud, Blood, & Glory. The Starter Edition does not include all of the available weapons, animals, steeds, vehicles, and Exploits present in the full game. The Starter Edition also omits the advanced rules, nor does it include the entirety of the game master's guide. This handbook is subject to further editing and changes. Saddle up, cowboy. Contents Chapter 1: Overview Looking for More? Part 1: The Basic Rules The full version includes: Chapter 2: Abilities & Talents Part 2: The Advanced Rules Shooting. 11 Advanced Combat Grit, Brains. 12 Advanced Combat Rules and Actions Instincts, Charm, Luck . 13 Advanced Gear Chapter 3: Character Creation Advanced Gear Rules Starting Stats, Starting Equipment . 15 Travel & Survival Chapter 4: Progression Rations, Rest, Travel, Navigation, Survival, Leveling Up, Level Rewards. 18 Weather, Night, Shelter, and Terrain rules. Exploits. 19 Conditions Exploit List. 20 Hunger, Maiming, Poisoning, Exhaustion, Chapter 5: Basic Combat Exposure, and Diseases Basic Combat Rules. 21 Leisure & Gambling Basic Combat Actions. 23 Leisure, Lodging, Alcohol, Blackjack, Racing, Chapter 6: Weapons Poker, Roulette, and Banking & Investing Weapon Rules, Weapon Traits. 25 Hunting Blades, Explosives. 25 Tracking, Fishing, Trapping, Harvesting, and Handguns, Long Guns. 25 Gathering Weapon Descriptions. 26 Dogs & Livestock Chapter 7: Gear Dog & Livestock List, Rules, and Details Basic Inventory Rules. 27 Plants & Animals Gear List. 28 Plants & Animals List and Rules Chapter 8: Steeds & Vehicles Part 3: The Game Master Guide Steed & Vehicle Rules. 30 GM Basics List & Details of Steeds & Vehicles. 31 Part 2: The Game Master Guide Goals, Rules, Making Rulings, Description, and Player Agency Chapter 9: Creating and Playing Non-Player The Sandbox Characters Creating the Adventure, Islands of Content, and NPCs, Baddies. 34 Making Encounters NPCs & Animals in Combat . 35 Adventures Chapter 10: Player Rewards and Progression The Adventure, Creating Stories, Towns, Experience, Levels, & Gear. 36 Exploration, and Villians Chapter 11: Languages & Foreign Countries Encounters Languages, Foreign Countries . 37 Wants, Pressure, Decisions, Dynamic, Cinema, Chapter 12: Starter Stories and Solutions The Glanton Brothers. 38 Running Combat Glossary Starting Combat, Turn Order, Combat Turns, A - Z. 49 Baddies, and Ending Combat Character Sheets Goods & Items Basic . 50 Buying, Selling, Trade & Illicit Goods, Land, and Advanced . 51 Pelt Price List Random Tables Random Loot, Social & Challenge Encounters, Combat Encounters, Town Features, and NPC Names & Traits Advanced Combat Handouts Ammo trackers for advanced combat players Chapter 1: Overview This chapter breaks down the very basics of how do and told the game master. The game master decided to play Mud, Blood, & Glory, what to expect, and gives a in her head that asking for a drink at the bar wouldn’t general overview of the whole game require a roll because it’s commonplace and a basic How to Play action, especially in a saloon. However, the game master decided, again in her head, that playing the piano would Mud, Blood, & Glory is a collective storytelling require a Charm roll because it was an old, dusty piano game in which the game master describes the and the player (Rachel) is not a pianist. The game master environment or scenario, and the players tell the game set the challenge at 15: Rachel had to roll above a 15 or master what they would like to do. Sometimes, the game above to be successful at playing the piano - and she did! master will just describe what the players do and how the With her roll of 17, Rachel was successful. There will be world reacts; other times, the game master will ask the more on dice and Ability rolls later. players to roll dice to see if they are successful in their In certain situations, the players might ask intended action. questions of the game master to further flesh out the If the players walk into a saloon, the scenario scene or clarify information. For example, they might might play out as follows: ask if the saloon has a door to the back room. This Game Master: “As you walk into the saloon, you is totally normal, as the game master can’t describe can smell the sweaty ranch hands all crowded together everything the players might see. around a few tables. It looks like they are all betting on The game continues with this back-and-forth some sort of dice game. The bar and the rest of the tables dialogue between the game master and the players until are mostly empty, except for a few old folks drinking the game reaches a good pausing point and the session is alone. In one corner there is a dusty piano that looks like over. Next time, they will pick back up right where they it hasn’t been played in years. Behind the bar stands a left off. large man wiping down glasses. What would you like to do?” Basic vs. Advanced Rules Player 1 (Chris): “I want to check out the old Mud, Blood, & Glory is designed to be easy guys, maybe they know where some old treasure is. But for players of all experience levels to jump in and get first I want to get a drink.” playing. Part of this design is the inclusion of a set of Player 2 (Rachel): “I want to get a drink, too, basic rules and an extended set of advanced rules. but then I want to go play that piano see if I can get any The basic ruleset is everything you need to play tips!” Mud, Blood, & Glory. The basic rules are not a diluted Game Master: “Okay, you both approach the bar, version of the full game. Instead, the basic rules provide and the bartender gives you a nod and says, ‘What’ll it players the opportunity to get role playing quickly be?’” without having to read and remember a bunch of rules. Chris: “Just some sarsaparilla for the two of us.” The advanced rules build on the basic rules Game Master: “The bartender nods and pours and add to the complexity of the game. The advanced two tall glasses of sparkling, golden soda. After taking rulesets add more challenging gameplay and more a few sips, you head over to the piano, Rachel. Make a strictly delineate the rules for given situations. Charm roll to play the piano.” The rulesets are not all-or-nothing: using Rachel: (rolls a d20 and adds her Charm score) the basic rules as your starting point, you can pick “That’s a 17!” and choose which advanced rules you want to use to Game Master: “You sidle up to that piano, and customize the game to the level of complexity and even though it’s out of tune, you begin playing the best challenge that is the most fun for you and your group of ragtime that saloon has ever heard. At first, the crowd friends. doesn’t notice, but after a moment, they’re all stomping and hollering along to the music. You get 3 bucks in tips right away.” In this scenario, the game master described the scene and setting to give the players a good idea of where they were. Then the players decided what they wanted to 6 The Dice The Players In the wide-open world of tabletop gaming, dice Each player will create his or her own character add an element of chance. To determine the outcome to play in Mud, Blood, & Glory. This character will have of most actions, the game master will ask players to their own name, personality, and skill set that influence roll dice. Dice are often referred to by their shorthand role play. Chapter 3 has a step-by-step character creation names. For example, a 6-sided die (the standard type guide. While playing, characters will earn Experience for used in most board games) is called a d6 - the “d” stands completing encounters and gain notoriety. The players for die and the “6” indicates the number of sides. A can then spend Experience to unlock new Exploits and standard set of polyhedral dice has a d4, a d6, a d8, a give their characters better skills. d10, a d12, and a d20. Often, a full set of polyhedral The players have a lot of agency in the game dice will have a second d10, and the two d10’s, rolled world: they can decide where to go and what to do. together, act as a “percentile” roll representing a result of There are, however, some limits. Aside from the dice 1-100. adding chance, the players are banded together, and it is Sometimes you will be asked to roll more than frowned upon to attack or steal from teammates.