Wild West Game Experiences

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working on a Wild West game, using premade characters and planned to last two sessions. The game is set during the gold rush of 1849 and I'm giving characters only guns that existed at that time period (ie. no cartridges, no repeating rifles, long reload times on everything, ect). There are no supernatural abilities, no meta game abilities (like luck), and combat skills for PC's range from 11 to 15.

This is my first game set in this time period, and I was wondering what some of the major differences between this and either a low tech or ultra tech game that I should be looking out for? In particular:

1. If the players get into combat how far should I be planning on having combat take place at (rifles have a 1/2D range of ~100 yards)?
   
2. How worried should I be about a single lucky shot putting a PC out of action for the entire campaign (it will take place over a few weeks of traveling in game)?
   
3. Are there any extra rules scattered through Martial Arts, High Tech, ect that are ideal for a game like this?
   
4. Anything else to be aware of from your experience?

If all goes well with this game I'm planning on making it one of my go-to introductions to GURPS, so I want to make sure I'm as prepared as possible.

1. If you force the situation you have explained above expect someone to build a bowman, then be ready to explain why the bow is so much better then your artificial period firearms (see 2 below).

2. You may want to check your dates and logic on repeating rifles and revolvers- the first percussion cap revolver was 1833
The first repeating rifle was either the Girandoni in 1779 or the Lagatz (sometime in the late 1700s), the thomson rifle was 1814, and colt had made a revolver rifle almost as soon as he had made his mass produced revolver. Browning was producing harmonica gun rifles in 1834.

So basically unless you are throwing historical accuracy out the window for gameability reasons, the repeating rifle predates the revolver.

3. If you go with a default assumption of body hits//never have bad guys target the head/vitals average ST and above PCs can expect to survive any single bullet wound, healing times as mentioned are going to be harsh. If you are using the random hit table, then an unfortunate roll could result in near instant death (from a head or vitals shot), doubly so without allowing luck.

4. Expect your PCs to at least inquire about armour- it may not fit the western setting very well, but mail or plate would actually have been pretty effective against those early 1800s weapons, if your PCs are routinely being shot and put out of commission for weeks of slow healing being the weirdo wearing mail or plate under his poncho will be preferable to another bullet wound.