The Gunsmith’s Shop
(From the General Vol. 19. No. 3)


I left a number of things out of GUNSLINGER’s gunfighting system to increase simplicity and playability of the game. For the benefit of players who are not as simple and playful as I, however, here are some rules, weapons, and charts that can be used to enhance the realism (and complexity) of GUNSLINGER.

1. The Wild West period from the 1830’s to 1900 saw guns develop from percussion caps to smokeless powder. GUNSLINGER includes the popular guns from themost famous period in the 1870’s to 1880’s, but many earlier or later guns are interesting for their history and their effect on gunfighting. This issue’s insert includes new weapon lists with these guns and the counters that represent them. Note: If different makes of guns had the same characteristics, only the earlier model is listed. In particular, many popular Remington handguns do not appear because they were functionally equivalent to earlier Colts.

1.1 The new lists show when each gun was introduced. Players will find it interesting to vary their favorite showdowns by substituting similar guns from earlier or later periods.

1.2 The role-playing history of “Plains County” can now extend from 1830 to 1899, modifying the guns, jobs, wages, and showdowns available in each period (e.g. Indians and Mountain men appear in 1830, cowboys in the 1850’s, settlers in the 1860’s, banks and bank robbers in the 1870’s, and so on). The lists show starting prices for guns and how these prices drop (keep track of fractional money points). Note on Aging: A westerner loses 1 Ability point in January of the year he reaches 40, 50, 60, and 65, and every five years thereafter. When his Ability reaches zero he dies (without losing 100 Success Points).

2. SNEAK GUNS: Any “light” handgun (identified by the letter “L” in the Cost column) is a sneak gun that was carried in the pocket and could be drawn secretly. In showdowns in which no one is alerted, each character who has a sneak gun can start with it in his GUN HAND, uncocked. This counts as drawing a gun in BRAWLING showdowns.

3. TRAJECTORY FIRE: To fire at long range western marksmen aimed very high and lobbed bullets onto target along a trajectory. The Results Cards reflect reasonably straight shots, not these carefully planned high trajectory shots. Each gun has a trajectory factor (D4 for rifles and carbines, D3 for handguns) it uses to fire trajectory shots. Exception: Shotguns cannot make trajectory shots and have no trajectory factor.

3.1 A player can specify a trajectory shot any time he announces a shot. He calculates his aim time and range normally, divides his (remaining) range by his trajectory factor (round down) and subtracts the result from his aim time. Then he draws two Result Cards. MALFUNCTIONS count only on the first draw. The target’s Target Status affects both draws.

3.11 On the first card, he cross indexes his aim time and a range of zero to see if the shot is following the correct trajectory. Any result except BE means the shot misses.

3.12 On the second card, he cross indexes his aim time and a range of three to find if and where the target is hit. Hits are then handled normally.

3.2 Example: A W44 with an aim of 8 fires a trajectory shot at a target 29 hexes away. The range bonus (D4) and the Trajectory Bonus (D4) reduce the range to 1, which reduces the aim time to 7. The shooter uses an aim time of 7 and a range of 3 on his second draw.*

4. This rule modifies how players lose aim (see rule 12). Losses in terms of markers are rounded up: half of three AIM markers is two markers, leaving one marker worth 2 Aim Points.

4.1 A character loses only half of his AIM markers when he reveals ADVANCE, BACK UP, or GET UP/DOWN. He still loses all of his aim when he reveals RUN, SPIN AROUND, LEAP/DROP, etc.

4.2 He loses only one Aim marker when he cocks his weapon.

4.3 He loses some aim when he transfers his aim to a target in a different hex. The number of hexes to his new target defines how many AIM markers he loses for each hex his aim moves. He keeps all his aim only if his old and new target are in the same hex.

Hexes to New TargetAim markers lost for each hex the Aim moves
10+ hexes lose 1 AIM marker per hex
4-9 hexes lose 2 AIM markers per hex
1-3 hexes lose 3 AIM markers per hex
0 hexes cannot transfer into hex.

5. RECOIL: When a character fires a gun, the amount of aim he loses depends on how much his gun recoils, or “kicks”. The gun’s Impact on the new weapon list defines its recoil:

Gun’s Impact Effect on Shooter
>A or B (and all Shotguns) lose all AIM markers, draw 1 Delay Card.
C lose all AIM markers
D lose one AIM marker
E keep all AIM markers

6. BRACING: Characters can “brace” guns to reduce recoil and increase accuracy. A carbine or handgun in BOTH HANDS is braced if its owner has an aim time of 9 (including skills). Any gun with an aim time of 7 is braced if its owner either is DOWN, or has a head counter on an obstacle or through a door or window. Bracing divides the range by two (round down) in addition to any other effects, so a braced W44 divides the range by 8 (D4 for range bonus, D2 for bracing). Bracing also reduced the recoil (see rule 5 above) by one level: a braced A or B gun recoils like a C gun. Shotguns cannot be braced.

7. When a character suffers a WILD SHOT, all his fully loaded handguns fire one shot. If a holstered gun fires, its owner gets LEG 1 and LIGHT 4 penalties (for shooting himself in the foot). Characters can choose to set up with one empty chamber in each gun. **

8. When a gun explodes, its owner gets LIGHT 4 and either GUN ARM 1 (if it was in his GUN HAND or BOTH HANDS) or OTHER ARM 1 (if it was in his OTHER HAND).

9. LASSO and WHIP: The lasso and whip each consist of one End counter and one User counter with cocked and uncocked sides. The whip is WHIP when cocked, HAND when uncocked and its end is TIP; it is one-handed and inflicts damage like a SPD. The rope is LASSO when cocked, ROPE when uncocked side and its end is LOOP; it is two-handed and inflicts damage like a PAIL. Both weapons have a wielding factor of 0 and can attack or be thrown only when they are cocked. They inflict damage only when they attack and can attack up to three hexes away (defenses cancel these attacks normally). They are uncocked when they attack.

9.1 A BE hit means the end counter goes on the target’s sheet to show he is caught. While he is caught, the user can attack him (defence actions cancel these acts normally), but all hits hit the same location as the original BE. The target can attack the attack counter (the user’s defences cancel these attacks normally), hits inflict “bare hands” damage on the user and a BE means the target is freed (and if he was using a knife, sabre, or axe the rope or whip is destroyed).

9.2 The distance between user and target cannot increase while the target is caught. If either player tries to move away, the user draws 2 delay cards and the target draws two fatigue cards. If the players move closer, they cannot move apart again.

9.3 If the target frees himself or the original attack misses or gets a non-BE hit, the attack counter is put in the target’s hex. It can be attacked and destroyed as explained in rule 9.1, but no penalties are inflicted on the user.

9.4 Before he can recock his weapon, the user must LOAD once to return the counter to his hex (not necessary if it is already in his hex), and then LOAD again to put it with the user counter. He can then use a cocking action to recock it.

9.5 The DRIVER gets the whip; he has a special brawling skill (good only with whips) of +5. HAPPY gets the rope: he has a special +5 skill with ropes.

* [NOTE: {BY Tom Cundiff} The Bracing Rule introduced further in this article would also allow this Trajectory Shot an extra D2 if the shooter in this example were also DOWN. The shot would then be Aim 8 Range 0.]

** [NOTE: {BY Tom Cundiff} This rule allows characters to set up a weapon that is not fully loaded. If a weapon that is not fully loaded ends up JAMMED due to Malfunctions, that weapon doesn’t have to be FULLY loaded, (Contrary to rule I.13.31) it only has to be reloaded to the point of its original ammunition load. Also note that it is irrelevant that some rounds may have been previously fired. An empty brass casing that has already been fired can cause a Jam just as easily as a live round. Thus all originally LOADED cylinders must be reloaded.]


Updated 14 Jan 08.

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