Curious about the latest edition of Deadlands: The Weird West? I have read the pre-publication PDF provided to some Kickstarter Backers. Let me tell you about the updated Deadlands using the Savage World Adventured Edition (SWADE) ruleset! If you need to learn about the Savage Worlds system, click here.
In this version of Deadlands, things have changed in the Weird West. The timeline has been altered by nefarious and dark powers. What you once thought was true, is no longer. But don’t worry, this timeline still has Hucksters, shoot-outs, ghost rock powered trains, and zombies.
The history of Deadlands is not our history, not completely our history. Our timelines diverge in the Civil War. General Lee did not surrender at Appamattox, at least not in 1865. Instead, the war continued on through Lincoln’s second term. Malevolent spiritual forces entered our world, corrupting it. North America is not United, but fractured in many different ways.
Your characters are ex-soldiers, deserters, lawmen, bounty hunters, merchants, gamblers, native shaman, servants of the Almighty, mad scientists and keepers of ancient Eastern traditions. Your purpose and mission is up to you and your Marshal (Game Master).
Please note: I’m working off of the Pre-Release Version here given to higher-pledge level Kickstarter Backers. As of the time I’m posting this Article, I’m working off of Pre-Release version 2.0. If you have the released version and your book is different then what I have here, use the book you’ve got!
The Weird West
With the Civil War stretching on, it was interrupted by the Great Quake of 1868 that shattered California, letting the Pacific ocean flood its interior. It is now a maze of sea canyons.
The Civil War did not end until 1871 after a Northern victory at the Battle of Washington. The Confederate States fall soon after General Lee surrenders to General Grant at Appamattox later in 1871.
However, in the power vacuum created by the war of the North and the South, new republics and nations arose in the Americas. Rev. Grimme established a theocracy in the city-state of Los Angeles. However, his rule ended in 1880 when a great flood ravaged the City and he was last seen in his black-granite temple as the floor waters rose over its spire.
The Nation of Deseret was declared by the Brigham Young, Prophet of the Mormons in Utah Territory in 1866. Their new nation was protected by its remoteness as the inventions of the ghost rock engineer Dr. Hellstromme, headquartered in Salt Lake City. More on Ghost Rock later.
Native Americans re-established several nations: The Sioux Nations in the Northern Plans and the Coyote Confederation in what is now Eastern Oklahoma. They must struggle to keep their independence as they play the Union and the Confederates off one another.
In this edition of Deadlands, the year is 1884. For the residents of the Weird West, they don’t know anything different about their timelines. What they know is different is nature has gone awry.
After Gettysburg, something strange started happening on the battlefields: the dead rose, attacking former allies and foes alike. It wasn’t a one-off either, it kept happening battle after battle.
This phenomenon recurred at the site of other battles and killings. With the war settled down, President Grant promised lucrative contracts to the first company to build the transcontinental railroad. The Railroad Barons started hiring mercenaries to help ensure their victory. Things got violent, people were killed, only to rise again.
If you want to create characters that are more heroic, with more of a mission than just survive then they have several options: The Explorer’s Society, The Pinkerton Agency, and the Territorial Rangers.
The Explorer’s Society bills itself as a quasi-scientific organization. They seek to understand and catalogue the strange new flora and fauna sprouting in the West. Its members get sent to areas to locate and study these creatures. There are whispers of an inner-circle that pursues a higher mission.
The Pinkerton Detective Agency, now known as The Agency, was charged by the North of figuring out why dead were rising and other strange events happening. Some say they found the answer. Their agents use “irregular” methods of investigation, but are only allowed to operate in officially recognized states.
While The Agency was tasked with figuring things out in the North, in the South that job was given to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, part lawmen, part para-military, were reknown as the toughest, meanest, and most disciplined force in the South. They can only operate in a US Territory.
Southerners who speculate about the dead rising have no doubt the Rangers figured out what was happening. They also have no doubt it was dealt with lead. They are given a level of independence to deal with these threats using methods of extreme prejudice.
Character Creation
Character creation follows standard (mostly) SWADE model. However, you skip picking a Race because in Deadlands, we’re only human.
- Figure out your character concept.
- Pick your hindrances.
- Buy your attributes.
- Buy your skills.
- Calculate your derived statistics.
- Pick your Edges
- Buy your Gear
- Background
- Your Worst Nightmare!
Character Concepts
Picking your character concept is not necessary. If you have an idea who your character is or will be, then skip right over this step. But if you’re not sure or need some inspiration, the following concepts are suggested:
| Concept | Notes |
| Blessed | You are a pious person who can perform miracles. |
| Bounty Hunter | Lots of folk have escaped the law, you hunt them down for money. |
| Chi Master | Whether you’re an Asian immigrant or learned from a Master in San Francisco, you can use your chi to supernatural levels. |
| Common Folk | Your a farmer, trader, craftsmen driven by circumstance to survive no matter the cost. |
| Deserter | You deserted the Army, either the North’s or the South, probably during the War. |
| Drifter | You wander from town to town, what are you running away from? Probably yourself. |
| Escort | You provide negotiable companionship. But there is more to you then your night job. |
| Explorer | While the West is rapidly closing, with the supernatural events of the last few decades there are places to go to and things to discover. But do they want to be discovered? |
| Grifter | As a con man, you’re forced to travel from town to town. Sometimes you find a long con to run where you can put down some roots. |
| Huckster | Hoyle’s Book of Games is more then just a games manual. It has shown you how to access strange powers and even play a hand of poker or three with the Devil himself for some extra power. |
| Immigrant | As a stranger in a weird land, what drove you here? Maybe you were seeking your fortune or running away from your old life. |
| Indian Brave | You are a warrior in one of the two established Indian Nations or one of the less recognized or organized tribes. |
| Indian Shaman | You are a spiritual warrior for your tribe or the local healer. |
| Law Dog | You’re a sheriff, a Marshall, an Agent, or even a Texas Ranger. Whatever it is, you have a mission. |
| Mad Scientist | You are a crazy tinkerer, finding new ways to build machines using Ghost Rock. |
| Muckraker | As a reporter, you have to find the truth where-ever you can. But don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. |
| Outlaw | You’ve got a price on your head. It doesn’t matter whether you did it or not. What matters is the law thinks that you did. |
| Prospector | You live in the wilds looking for veins of gold, silver or even Ghost Rock. |
| Soldier | You either currently serve or you did serve in the War. |
Hindrances
Hindrances are what makes life interesting for your character. They give them a flaw or quirk. If you lean into that flaw in game play, the Marshall will reward you with some Bennies. If you don’t know about Bennies, I suggest you read my article on the Savage Worlds system.
You can take up to 4 points worth of Hindrances. Minor Hindrances are worth 1 point, Major are worth 2. You then get to spend those points as follows:
| Points | Benefits |
| 1 | 1 Skill Rank |
| 1 | $250 in additional starting money |
| 2 | 1 Attribute Rank |
| 2 | 1 Edge |
Rules as written, you can take additional Hindrances, but you do not get any points. These means that you have to choose between increase the die type of skills or attributes or getting more starting cash or getting additional Edges.
Your characters can pick any of the Hindrances available in the core SWADE rulebook. This does mean that you’ll need both books to fully create a character. There are some setting-specifics Hindrances in the Deadlands book, here is a flavor of them:
| Hindrance | Note |
| Ailin’ (Minor or Major) | Its harder for you to avoid Fatigue and a Critical Failure makes things worse. |
| Cursed (Major) | The Marshall starts each session with one more Benny |
| Grim Servant of Death (Major) | You do more damage, but you’re also more likely to hit a friend or a bystander. |
| Heavy Sleeper (Minor) | You have a hard time staying awake. |
| Old Ways Oath (Minor or Major) | You don’t use modern contraptions or modern materials. |
| Tenderfoot | When you get wounded, things get worse. |
Buying Attributes
Everyone starts with a d4 in each of the five attributes. You have 5 points to spend, but cannot raise an attribute higher than a d12. It costs 2 Hindrance points to raise an attribute by one die type.
Buying Skills
One of the important differences in SWADE, compared to prior editions, is the addition of Core Skills. All characters start with a d4 in each of the Core Skills, which are:
- Athletics
- Common Knowledge
- Notice
- Persuasion
- Stealth
Just remember that raising a skill higher than its associated attribute costs double. So if your Agility is a d8 and your Shooting is a d6, raising it to a d8 costs one point. Raising it again to a d10 costs 2 points.
Deadlands does remove two standard Savage Worlds skills: Electronics and Hacking. Neither skills are relevant to 1884. There is a new skill Trade. It covers running a business, operating a trade, negotiations, and bartering.
While it is assumed everyone speaks English, if your character takes the Outsider Hindrance, then they natively speak a different language. It will then be necessary for your character to sink a few points into Language (English) to converse with your party. Be sure to check with your Marshal and fellow players before you choose to play a character who can’t converse at all. That’s a heavy lift for everyone to accommodate.
Derived Statistics
Not much to see here, you’ve got to figure out your Pace, Parry, and Toughness. Your Pace is 6.
Your Parry is 2 + 1/2 your Fighting Die (rounded down). If you don’t have Fighting, your Parry is a 2. That means if someone tries to shank you, they must roll a 2 or better to hit. Giving yourself a d4 in Fighting means your Parry is now a 4.
Toughness is like Parry, but its 2 + 1/2 your Vigor Die + Armor Rating. Now everyone has a d4 in Vigor, so that means everyone has a default Toughness of 4. If that some cowpoke shanked you, with your 4 Toughness, and they roll 3 damage, you laugh it off. If they roll 4 damage, you’re Shaken. If you take 8 damage, then you’re Shaken and have one Wound. If you want to know what that means, click on my article here.
Edges
Edges are the those little (or not so little) perks to your character. With every character being human, all characters get one free Edge. Then with 4 Hindrance points spent above, you get two more Edges.
Like Hindrances, most of the Edges in the SWADE book are available. But the following from the SWADE book are NOT allowed in Deadlands:
- Arcane Background (any)
- Mentalist
- Soul Drain
These are out because Deadlands has its own Arcane Backgrounds and Edges designed for its setting. Each Arcane Background in the Deadlands book has its own prerequisites, usually, but not always, an Attribute and a Skill. For example, Blessed requires a Spirit d8+, Faith d4+. You can only select one Arcane Background Edge. These are the Available Arcane Backgrounds:
| Background | Description |
| Blessed | You call upon your faith to perform miracles. But you also live by a code. If you violate it by committing a minor or major sin, you may have to atone before you can access your gift. |
| Chi Master | You specialize in the spiritual discipline necessary to channel the supernatural through your fighting techniques. |
| Huckster | Most folk look askance at sorcery, which rely upon dark spirits to fuel their magic. You’ve learned to hide your powers in your playing cards and poker chips. You use your skills at gambling to trick dark spirits into giving you more power. |
| Mad Scientist | You tinker and craft to find the best way to harness the power of Ghost Rock. This can produce both mundane and supernatural effects. |
| Shaman | A keeper of the tribal medicine, honoring the nature spirits to achieve power over the natural world. |
Each Arcane Background has its own set of Edges, but they are not listed with the rest of them towards the front of the Book. Instead, in a later chapter, the book goes into greater depth about each Background and lists the Edges there. I’ll follow that format and cover them below.
Other general Weird West Edges are Gallows Humor and Veteran O’ the Weird West. The latter one, if taken, may mean that you’ve had a mishap in your past that still haunts you to this day.
Like in the SWADE book, the additional Edges are grouped by type. Combat Edges include Quick Draw and Fan the Hammer. Then there are the Professional Edges. These can have high pre-requisites, so if you want one of these at Character Creation, you may need to go back and fiddle with your Traits. These Edges are:
| Profession | Description |
| Agent | You work for the successor to the Pinkertons as an agent of the US Government. You get assigned to investigate supernatural threats to the U.S. But your jurisdiction is limited to the 37 States |
| Born in the Saddle | You spend so much time on horseback, you may be confused for a Centaur. |
| Scout | You are a guide and source of knowledge about out-of-the-way places away from civilization. |
| Snakeoil Salesman | You are one smooth operator |
| Soldier | If you’re still in the military, then you have the Obligation Hindrance and follow the rules in the Deadlands book. If you’re recently mustered out, then follow the rules from the SWADE book instead. |
| Tale-Teller | Whatever is happening out there, its feeding on people’s fear. But sometimes a good story will rally the folk and keep down their fear. |
| Territorial Ranger | Your mission is similar to the Agents: investigating and putting down supernatural threats, as well as your standard bandits and outlaws. But your jurisdiction is the Eight Territories: Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming, and the District of Alaska. |
After Professions are the Social Edges, which are Card Sharp and Reputation. Then there are the Weird Edges:
| Weird | Description |
| Grit | You resist Fear effects more easily |
| Harrowed | There was this time that you died, but you stood back up anyway. You always thought having a pulse was over-rated |
| Knack | This one can only be taken at Character Creation, it has 7 different subsets that give you specific abilities. |
After Weird are the Legendary Edges. Unless you’re starting at a higher level, it’ll be awhile before you qualify for one of these.
Gear
All characters start with $250 to buy gear: weapons, ammunition, and equipment. If you want to start with more money, then you can spend 1 Hindrance Point for an additional $250.
Background
This is your standard area where you fill in some of your backstory. I strongly recommend that you and the Marshall have a conversation about your backstory details. While this is your character, the Marshall uses the backstory to tie your character into the story she is going to be leading. If your character has no personal stakes in the outcome of the plot, then why is he risking his life?
Beyond whether or not your parents/siblings are alive (don’t overly lean on the orphan trope), this is your opportunity to work out how your character made a living before now. Did they have rivals or a nemesis? You should establish where they grew up and how or why are they in whatever starting location is the milieu for the first session.
I always recommend that you establish some sort of connection or bond with at least two other players at the table. You will need a history or connection. While you may have answered the question why your character is risking her life, you also need to answer why she is letting the other characters risk her life. If your character cannot answer that question, then a rationale person would get out and leave.
Your Worst Nightmare
Deadlands’ character creation asks that each character determine what really scares their hero and why. After that, write down what is the recurring nightmare that character has about their worst fear(s). There is no reason why you can’t have two or three of these things.
If the players ask the Marshall why they’re doing this, the book gives the best answer, “No reason, really. Trust us.”
Life and Death in the West
Now that we have a broad understanding about the Weird West setting of Deadlands and character creation, I want to do a deeper dive on some of the specific setting pieces that flesh out and give texture to this game world.
Ghost Rock
Ghost Rock was discovered in what became to be known as the California Maze or simply the Maze. This was the area of California that sunk into or was flooded by the Pacific ocean after the Great Quake of ’68. Ghost Rock looks like coal, but with cloudy white veins running through it. It burns a lot hotter than coal, so its industrial uses where immediately evident.
A one-pound unprocessed nugget will burn for a week, creating a slow steady flame that reaches about 800 F. When burned, Ghost Rock emits this high-pitched wail or scream like the sound of the dead. This is where it gets its name from: it’s like your burning a ghost or the souls of the dead. Whether that’s literally true is something for your Marshall to determine and your players to find out.
Ghost rock fresh out of the ground can be burned. But if refined and shaped into a core, it will burn hotter (1,500 F) and longer then the raw ore. Ghost Rock vehicles use the refined stuff. Their fire boxes are designed to get that core even hotter, 2,500 F. Of course, it takes Ghost Steel to contain that heat with its 3,000 F melting point. The raw ore can still be burned in them, but you lose half of your maximum range.
As an example of its worth, 1 oz of gold ore (not refined) is $20 and 1 oz of silver ore is $1.50. 1 oz of Ghost Rock ore is $6.25 or $100 a pound. Refined Ghost Rock cores weigh 1 pound and sell for $150.
Devices that use Ghost Rock are called Infernal Devices. If your character took the Mad Scientist (Weird Science) Arcane Background, Infernal Devices are your stock and trade. Ghost Rock engineers have found other uses for this rock other than refining and burning it. Powdering it and mixing it with other chemicals can produce interesting effects whether its a drink or a salve. Others will burn it a mixture of other items and use the smoke or vapor for good effect.
But these new-fangled contraptions aren’t necessarily easy to use and they can be a bit finicky if conditions aren’t just right. This means when you roll a Trait check (Skill or Attribute role) to use an Infernal Device and you critically fail (Snake Eyes) that roll, then the device Malfunctions. If you’re wearing Ghost Rock Enhanced armor, I’d recommend against rolling Snake Eyes on your Soak Roll.
Some items specify what happens when it malfunctions. But if it does not, then you have to roll on the Malfunction Table:
| d6 | Result |
| 1-2 | Catastrophic: explosion. If the device uses refined ghost rock that’s 3d6 damage in a Large Blast Template. More personal devices will Stun the user and cause them 2d6 damage. |
| 3-5 | Major: the item breaks and will take 2d6 rounds to Repair. One-shot items have no effect and causes Fatigue if they were rubbed on, injected, breathed in, or swallowed. |
| 6 | Minor: the item fails, but only takes a single Repair roll to get up and going. One-use items have no effect and are lost. |
This table is for regular folk using an Infernal Device. If you’re a Mad Scientist, you’ve got your own Malfunction Table. You roll on that table if you get Snake Eyes on your Weird Science roll:
| d20 | Effect |
| 1 | Mindwipe: Your Weird Science permanently drops by one die type. |
| 2-3 | Madness: Roll on the madness table, which is a permanent effect. |
| 4-6 | Kaboom!: Break out your Large Blast Template and roll 3d6. |
| 7-10 | Breakdown: You cannot use the item for the rest of the encounter. |
| 11-14 | Gremlin: Your device attracts 2d6 gremlins, ask the Marshall what this means. |
| 15-17 | Mishap: You take a level of Fatigue and any powers you’re maintaining stop working. |
| 18-19 | Glitch: You have to make a Repair roll as an action before the item works again. |
| 20 | Temporary Madness: Just like rolling a 2-3, but it only lasts one week. |
After Ghost Rock was discovered in the Maze, veins were found elsewhere. The Black Hills of the Sioux Nation has a lot if it. It is peppered throughout the Rockies, Cascades, and Sierra Nevadas. If you spend time in a frontier town near a Ghost Rock mine, you’ll likely hear stories of miners or prospectors getting sick with Ghost Rock Fever.
If you’re a follower of the Old Ways though, especially if you’ve taken that Hindrance, Ghost Rock is an anathema to you. It represents the spiritual disease or cancer that is at the center of West.
Arcane Backgrounds
While I briefly covered the Arcane Backgrounds specific to this setting above, the book goes into some greater detail including edges available. What should be worked out by the Marshall and the Players is how acceptable these different Backgrounds are in society.
Implied in the setting as written are that Hucksters are out-of-bounds. Maybe not lock-em-up illegal, but if you’re discovered you may be run out of town if not burned at the stake for witchcraft. This is true in the US territories, the Nation of Deseret, and the Native American Nations.
Shamans are a different story. They are known and knowable within the Native American Nations. They are probably not seen as threats to Americans outside of the Native American territory. But if there has been a local “uprising” lead by a powerful Shaman, your Shaman character may be locally viewed with hostility.
But what about the Blessed? There is a fine line between miracle worker and heretic, ask Joan of Arc. Chi Masters probably blend the line between Shamans, Blessed, and Hucksters. Within the Asian communities of the West, they are accepted and known. But do they run the line of creating fear among the European majorities if discovered?
Mad Scientists operate in the open and are accepted within the States and Territories of the United States. But within Native American Nations, who follow the Old Ways, they are viewed with suspicion, if not outright hostility.
Blessed
To take the Blessed Arcane Background, you need Spirit at least at d8 and the Faith skill at least at a d4. Faith (Spirit) is your Arcane Skill and is used to activate your Powers, so getting it above a d4 is a good idea. If you roll Snake Eyes on a Faith roll, then you take a level of Fatigue and all maintained powers stop.
When you take this Background you start with the Protection Power (adds armor) and two other powers of your choice. There are only specific powers you have access to as a Blessed, they include:
- Blind
- Confusion
- Deflection
- Healing
- Light
- Smite
To get more powers, you have to take the Edge. Blessed start with 15 Power Points. Attempting to Activate a Power uses up Power Points, they regenerate over time or you can spend a Benny to get back 5. The suggested Trappings (appearance) of these powers are subtle, not flashy.
Blessed Characters are true believers of whatever Faith guides them. This means they have a code of conduct, actions, or behaviors that are good and those that are bad (sins). Its up to the Player and Marshall to figure out that code. Committing a Minor Sin means your character has a -2 to Faith rolls for a week. Major Sins means no powers at all for a week. Mortal Sins means you’re foresaken until you accomplish a great penitence or atonement.
Blessed is Deadlands’ version of SWADE’s Arcane Background (Miracles), so any edges for that Background in the SWADE book are available to these characters. Here are the new Edges in Deadlands for the Blessed:
| Edge | Notes |
| True Believer | If you pump your Spirit to a d10 and Faith to a d6, then you get a free reroll on Faith checks. |
| Flock | If you get good at preaching (Persuasion d8+), then you can get yourself a flock of followers. You get five of them who will follow you where-ever you go and whatever you do. Its up to you to equip them though. |
Chi Masters
This Background requires that you have at least a d6 Agility and a d8 Spirit, plus you must take the Edge Martial Artist. This means you’ve got a two-Edge tax to be a Chi Master. Your Arcane Skill to activate powers is Focus (Spirit). Snake Eyes on a Focus roll means you take a level of Fatigue and all currently active powers are stopped.
You only start with 1 power and 15 power points. Amongst your available powers are:
- Arcane Protection
- Boost/Lower Trait
- Deflection
- Elemental Manipulation
- Healing
- Mind Link
- Resurrection
- Telekinesis
- Warrior’s Gift
Trappings for these powers are scene as part of their Martial Arts fighting style. However, out-of-combat uses of these Powers will have a Meditative trappings.
It is unlikely that your character, if you take this Background, is young. It is suggested that this takes a long time to learn, as even becoming a Martial Artist (Edge) requires years of training. But you must have a Master who taught you your ways, which is an essential element to your Backstory. Your Master may only teach one disciple at a time or taught at a school.
Like with the Blessed, Chi Master is the substitute for SWADE’s Arcane Background (Gifted). So any Edges in the SWADE book for that Background are available for these characters to take. These are the additional Edges found in the Deadlands Book:
| Edge | Notes |
| Superior Kung Fu | You will need a d6 Spirit and a d8 Fighting to access one of the fighting styles of this Edge: Drunken, Eagle, Mantis, Monkey, Shuai Chao, Tan Tui, and Wing Chun. You can take this Edge again to learn another style. |
| Celestial Kung Fu | You must be a Veteran of the Weird West, have a d8 Spirit, d10 Fighting, and taken the Superior Kung Fu Edge to learn this Edge. It allows you to assume two of the fighting styles at the same time, using either style as necessary. |
Hucksters
For this Background, you will to have Gambling at least at a d6 and at least a d4 in Spellcasting. Spellcasting (Smarts) is used to Activate your powers. Like with the other Backgrounds so far, Snake Eyes means you suffer a Fatigue level and all active powers end.
You start with 10 Power Points and know 3 powers. The list of available powers includes:
- Ammo whammy
- Barrier
- Bolt
- Damage field
- Disguise
- Havoc
- Mind rider
- Puppet
- Summon ally
- Wall Walker
Your Trappings are more obvious and open then with the Blessed or Chi Masters. The effects are flashier and a mystical hand of playing cards materialize in your hands when casting.
One of the major differences between Hucksters and the other Arcane Backgrounds is they have a very specific method for getting more power points on the quick. They cannot Short (use less power points but have a penalty on their Activation roll (see page 151 of SWADE)) and they cannot spend Bennies to regain 5 power points.
Instead, they must Deal with the Devil. In Fiction, this is a battle of wills between the Huckster and the evil Manitou who is granting these powers. But the Huckster envisions this battle as a game of cards. Dealing with the Devil is a Free Action and grants two bonuses:
- She may cast any power in her available powers list, even if she doesn’t know it and even if it is above her current Rank (e.g. must be a Veteran to learn). But if its above your Rank, Activating that spell is a lot harder.
- If she has a really good hand, there may be leftover Power Points that can be used to boost her Spellcasting Roll when trying to Activate or you can save them by increasing your personal power pool.
Dealing with the Devil is its own mini-game or system with a specific sequence:
- Ante Up: Spend a Benny
- Choose a Power: Tell the Marshall which power you’re trying to cast and the total Power Points needed, with any modifiers, to cast it.
- Gamble: Make a gambling roll then draw five cards from the shuffled deck. For each success and raise, grab an extra card. A failure has no effect, you still get 5 cards. Snake Eyes means you get 4 cards.
- Make a Poker Hand: Table on Page 66 gives the details, but an Ace High (one Ace card) is only 2 Power Points, a Straight is 8 points, a Five of a Kind is 15 Power Points plus a lot of other goodies.
- Cast the Spell: Make a Spellcasting roll, but take a -2 Penalty for each rank above your own. If you came up short on Power Points, its a -1 Penalty for each point you’re short. But if you came up long, you get a +1 to that roll for each point spent. Left over points go to your personal pool for use later. Try not to roll Snake Eyes though.
- Resolve the Hex: Your power then resolves per normal rules. But if you used one or more Jokers to make your hand, the Marshall still rolls on the Backfire Table (page 88) for each Joker. Your power happens, but at a cost to your character.
If you don’t make a poker hand at all, or if you rolled Snake Eyes on your Spellcasting roll, or if you used any Jokers in making your hand, then the Marshall rolls on the Backfire Table found on page 88.
Huckster replaces SWADE’s Arcane Background (Magic), so you can take any of those Edges from the SWADE Book. Deadlands has five new Edges for your Huckster:
| Edge | Notes |
| Hexslinging | Your character needs to be Seasoned with a d8 Shooting and you learn the Rune Magic of “Doc” Holliday to bond a firearm to you, allowing you to cast (if you know them) ammo whammy, deflection, boost Shooting, and protection without taking a Multi-Action penalty, but you can do so on yourself. There are some additional rules about your bonded weapon. |
| High Roller | Again, you must be Seasoned with a d8 Spirit and d6 Spellcasting, but you can now draw an extra card when Dealing with the Devil |
| Improved High Roller | At Veteran, you can take this and now you can draw two (total) extra cards. |
| Old Hand | At Heroic rank with a d10 Spellcasting, you can use one Joker to make your Hand without needing that Backfire Table. |
| Whateley Blood | The Whateleys are an inbred family of witches and warlocks and somehow you’re part of that family tree and you’re physically marked by that blood, that most people find unsettling (-1 Persuasion). But you can exchange a level of Exhaustion for 5 Power Points and a Wound for 10 by cutting yourself. |
Mad Scientists
To be a Mad Scientist, your character needs a d8 Smarts, a d6 Science, and a d4 Weird Science. Weird Science is used to Activate your powers. Snake Eyes means your Marshall is rolling on your special Malfunction Table, see the Ghost Rock section above.
You have 20 Power Points to start with, but only 1 Power. Your list of available Powers include:
- Barrier
- Bolt
- Burst
- Entangle
- Fly
- Shrink
- Teleport
- Zombie
I find the Trappings of Mad Science the most evocative. These are not spells you cast, but things you have invented. Healing might be a salve you create. Fly may be a pair of wings. When selecting your power, you will transform it into a specific device and application. You can play your Mad Scientist as a tinkerer, a scientist, or engineer.
While you have access to all of SWADE’s Arcane Background (Weird Science) Edges, Deadlands four new Edges:
| Edge | Notes |
| Alchemy | You gotta be Seasoned with a d8 Weird Science and you can give others your potions without needing the Artificer Edge. You can make up to 3 potions, for 1 power point each and $5 of reagents, with no roll, but they only last for 24 hours. There are some additional details, so be sure to read the Deadlands book. |
| Iron Bound | You apprenticed to a master craftsman or an established maker of Infernal Devices. You have up to $2,000 worth of Infernal Devices or vehicles. You can also get a 25% discount when purchasing from your former employer. |
| Ore Eater | With a d6 in Weird Science, you start sprinkling Ghost Rock powder on your food or mixing it in your whiskey. By doing this, your Power Point total increases by 5, but if you roll a 13 on the Malfunction Table, you get Ghost Rock Fever. |
| True Genius | With a d8 Smarts, you can spend a Benny to get a second roll on the Malfunction Table and choose the result you prefer. You can keep spending Bennies until you get one you want. |
Shamans
As a Shaman, you will need a d8 Spirit and a d4 Faith. Faith is used to Activate your powers, with a Critical Failure resulting in a level of fatigue and cancellation of your active powers. Also, part and parcel with this Background is you get the Old Ways (Major) Hindrance for free!
You have 15 Power Points with 2 Starting Powers. Your available powers include:
- Banish
- Beast friend
- Drain Power Points
- Farsight
- Holy Symbol
- Shape Change
- Wilderness Walk
Your Trappings are the performance of rituals. These rituals can be performed outside of combat to make your soul open to instantly access powers in combat. But a key part of all of your Trappings is Chanting. If you are Silenced or try to Activate silently, you take a -2 Penalty to your Faith roll.
As a mandatory follower of the Old Ways, you cannot use mass-produced items and definitely no Infernal Devices. Violating the Old Ways causes a level of Fatigue. Using an Infernal Device means you suffer the effects of that Fatigue for 24 hours.
Like with the Blessed, Shamans have access to all of the Edges for Arcane Background (Miracles) from the SWADE book. Deadlands also provides 2 new Edges:
| Edge | Notes |
| Fetish | With a d8 Faith, you can create a Fetish to help focus your contact with the Nature Spirits. This gives you one free reroll on any Faith Checks. |
| Spirits’ Favor | As a Seasoned Shaman with a d8 Faith, you can attune yourself to a specific Spirit and the one Power it grants her. The Shaman can cast that Power without a Multi-Action Penalty. This Edge can be taken more than once. |
New Powers
Deadlands also presents a handful new Powers for your characters. I will detail their basics here, but each has various upgrade effects that you’ll find in your copy of Deadlands.
| Power | Notes |
| Ammo Whammy | For 4 Power Points, you can enhance your Shooting, whether its modifying your bullets, improving your aim, or increasing your range for 5 rounds. |
| Banish | While this one is in the SWADE book, using it against the Harrowed means it can’t use any of its Harrowed Edges, amongst other effects. |
| Curse | For 5 power points you permanently curse them, meaning they suffer a level of Fatigue immediately, and at sunset each day thereafter. |
| Holy Symbol | At 2 Power Points, the caster is warded against supernatural evil. Such creatures must win an opposed Spirit Roll to attack or effect the caster with an area of effect ability. |
| Puppet | Just like in SWADE, but you can add a Mind Rider to the effect. |
| Numb | For 2 Power Points, all allies within range can ignore one level of Fatigue or Wound penalties, 2 with a Raise. It also works on Temporary Injuries. |
| Sanctify | For Veterans at the cost of 10 Power Points and four hours, you can sanctify an area until the next Sunset, but only if you succeed on a Faith roll at the end. |
| Trinkets | Spending 1 Power Point allows a Huckster to create a minor item weighing less than 1 pound, which stays in existence for 5 rounds or 5 minutes with a Raise. |
| Wilderness Walk | A 2 point spend allows the caster to move speedily overland. After walking for 1 mile, the caster will then immediately traverse another 3 miles and the caster cannot be tracked. |
Monster Hunters
As noted above, there are two Professional Edges for custom built for Deadlands: Agents and Territorial Rangers. These are official Monster Hunters of the US Government. Agents are supposed to restrict their activities to the 37 States and Rangers to the 7 Territories. Like with Arcane Backgrounds, they have pre-requisites, but come with burdens and advantages.
Agent
To become an Agent, you’ll need a d8 Smarts, d6 Fighting, d6 Occult, d6 Research and d6 Shooting. But you start with a Gatling pistol, a badge, a monthly stipend. As an Agent, you are tasked with fighting the supernatural plaguing the US. While you have some rivalry with the Rangers, your Agency recognizes you’re on the same side.
As an Agent, you try to keep things on the down low. If the officials or citizens in the area know you’re operating nearby, then something bad is going on, which can increase the Fear Level (see below). So its better to keep quiet and infiltrate.
As a new Agent, you start at Grade 0 and earn $40 a month. As you complete missions, the Marshall will roll a d20, with some bonuses based upon mission difficulty. An 18 or higher means a promotion; a 22 or higher means a medal or commendation, which grants you an extra favor. Ranks go up to Grade 5 and an increase in pay.
Depending on your Rank, you can also call in a Favor from the Agency. This represent some additional intelligence, man power (firepower), or quietly removing an official whose been corrupted by the Reckoners.
Once you hit Rank 3, you get a Mnemomizer. It’s an Infernal Device that lets you alter the recent memories of nearby locals. It helps them forget the awful thing that just attacked, lowering the population’s Fear Level.
There’s also two Edges available only to Agents:
| Edge | Notes |
| Grade 3 | If you’re starting at Seasoned or make it to Seasoned without getting to a Grade 3 Rank, you can take this Edge. If you’re already at Grade 3, then your Gatling Pistol is upgraded to a Gatling rifle or shotgun. |
| Man of a Thousand Faces | A Seasoned Agent with a d8 Performance can improve their chances at infiltration. You can try to impersonate someone, with a range of bonuses or penalties depending upon how general the type of person is or a specific person the locales are familiar with. |
Territorial Ranger
To become a Territorial Ranger, you need a d6 Vigor, d6 Fighting, d6 Intimidation, d6 Riding, d6 Riding, and a d4 Survival. But you can start with an Armored Duster, a long-armed rifle, a horse, and a badge.
Where the Agents are more like spies, the Rangers are more para-military. Most of you are Field Rangers, patrolling to look for trouble, assigned to track down specific outlaws, or escorting groups.
Their pay, ranks, and favors are just like the Agents. The promotion mechanic works the same. Rank 2 has the title of Sergeant, with Rank 3 Lieutenant, then Captain, followed by Major and then Colonel. At Lieutenant, the Ranger is read into the secret occult history of the US since the Civil War, giving them a +2 to occult rolls.
Like with Agents, there are two Edges available only to Rangers:
| Edge | Notes |
| Lieutenant | If you’re Seasoned, you can be promoted to Lieutenant. But you don’t any of the benefits of taking this if you’re already a Lieutenant like the Rank 3 Edge |
| Like an Oak | You’ll need to be a Veteran with the Grit Edge and all allies within 12″ of you negate up to 2 points of fear penalties on a Fear check. But if you fail a Fear Check, or if your shaken or stunned, your allies no longer get this benefit. If its a group check, you always roll first. |
Harrowed
Your character can either start the game Harrowed by taking the Edge or by taking a dirt nap and waking back up again. But you’ll need at least a d6 Spirit. If you are Harrowed, you are Undead which gives you a +2 to your Toughness and Spirit rolls for recovering from Shaken. You also ignore the extra damage from called shots, except for head shots. You don’t breathe or eat, and you cannot become diseased or poisoned. You do not bleed out. Death can truly only happen if your brain is destroyed.
If you take a dirt nap, the Marshal draws a card for each one of your ranks (Novice, Seasoned, Veteran, etc.). If she draws a Joker, you’re back amongst the world of the living, sort of. You’re back, so is the Manitou that is animating your body.
That Manitou wants full control and you don’t want it. But sometimes, you need the power of the evil spirit. By letting the devil out, you can add a d6 to all Trait and Damage rolls for the next five founds. But the Marshal gets to roll on the Dominion Table to figure out how much control that Manitou keeps. Once the Manitou takes full control, your character is permanently turned over to the Marshal.
When fighting supernatural critters, if your Harrowed is closer to it then the creature’s Spirit die in inches, then the Harrowed can Count Coup when the creature dies. Your Harrowed is literally absorbing part of the weaker Manitou powering the beastie and you gain some of its powers.
Being Harrowed gives your character access to a whole bunch of Edges:
| Edge | Notes |
| Cat Eyes | You negate all Dim and Dark Penalties |
| Improved Cat Eyes | You can see perfectly in complete darkness |
| Chill O’the Grave | You radiate an icy chill in a Large Blast Template with the use of a Benny. Living beings in the area without cold weather gear automatically become Vulnerable. |
| Ghost | You can become incorporeal at will but you gotta get up to Heroic first. |
| Hellfire | Once per turn as an Action, you can blast fire from your fingertips using Athletics and the Cone Template causing 3d6 fire damage unless Evaded. |
| Implacable | You can take an extra Wound before becoming Incapacitated. This stacks with Tough a Nails and Tougher than Nails. Your max Wound penalties cap out at -3. |
| Infest | You can control bugs by spending a Benny. Use the Swarm entry in SWADE for its statistics. It can be controlled for up to 5 minutes |
| Soul Eater | If fighting with your bare hands and you cause a Wound, you must make a Spirit Roll at a -2. On a Success you heal a Wound or a level of Fatigue. |
| Spook | You can force a single target to make a Fear Test at a -2. This can’t be repeated on the same target during the Encounter. Spending a Benny allows it to affect all targets within a 12″ radius. |
| Stitchin’ | You heal faster than normal, once per day. With Improved Stitchin’ its once per hour. |
| Supernatural Attribute | You can immediately improve one attribute by 2 die types. If it’s already a d12 it goes to a d12 +2. You can take this up to five times, one for each Trait. |
| Wither | As an Action, you can touch a target, making an opposed Spirit Roll. If the Harrowed wins, the victim’s flesh and bone withers and decays, reducing their Strength one die type to a minimum of a d4 for 1 hour. With a raise its effects both Strength and Vigor. |
Fear
While creatures, events, or powers may cause a fear reaction in Characters, Deadlands has a separate mechanic for regional or local Fear Levels. This represents the effects of unchecked forces of Supernatural Darkness in the area. As the the Characters beat back these forces and word spreads of their heroics, then the Fear Level goes down.
Fear Levels go from 0 to 6. At Fear Level 3, all Fear checks (Guts roll) have a -1 Penalty. That goes up by one until at Fear Level 6 it is a -4 Penalty. Fear Levels also have visible or at least perceptible to the Characters and locals:
| Fear Level 0 | People are friendly, the sky is blue, things are perfectly normal. |
| Fear Level 1 | Locals believe monsters exist, even if they haven’t seen them. The sky is normal, but it feels risky to go alone outside at night. |
| Fear Level 2 | There are some creepy places outside of town everyone avoids. The shadows feel a bit longer and a touch darker than normal. Going out at night alone is not safe. This is the default Fear Level of most places in the West. |
| Fear Level 3 | Now things feel weird, as strange creatures creep closer to town. Going out at night alone and unarmed is a bad idea. |
| Fear Level 4 | People are disappearing and reappearing one severed leg at a time. Shadows on the distant cliffs look like leering faces, cornrows move like their is a clown with a knife hiding within, |
| Fear Level 5 | Something is definitely wrong and everyone knows it. Flowers die within a day, but weeds grow fervently. When going out at night, don’t just bring a friend with you, bring an armed posse. |
| Fear Level 6 | The landscpe is full-blown waking Nightmare. Monsters roam openly, rocks look like skulls, and the Winds whisper your name with your dead mama’s voice. It no longer matters how many you take with you when you venture out at night. |
Former Battlefields automatically have a Fear Level 1 rank higher than the surrounding region. If a Wild Card dies on a battlefield, they get additional cards equal to that Battlefield’s Fear Level to see if they come back Harrowed.
Also, enemy practitioners of Black Magic get a boost to their spellcasting if their in a region with a Fear Level of 4 or higher. At a Fear Level 4-5, they get a free reroll for any failed Spellcasting roll. At a Fear Level 6, they get a free reroll on all Spellcasting rolls.
To lower an area’s Fear Level the characters first have to complete a heroic act against a supernatural threat, defeats a group of outlaws plaguing the area, or rescuing missing children. They must then tell the story of their heroism to a large gathering of the locals or get their story to be printed in the local press.
The lead character must make a successful Performance or Persuasion roll, modified by the Fear Level penalty. Other characters can take Support Actions to give bonuses. A success reduces the Level 1 by one, Snake Eyes increases the Fear Level by 1.
If the Storyteller has the Tale-Teller Edge and succeeds, she and each character who Supported her gains a Conviction. In the SWADE book, a Conviction means that your character can add a d6 to any Trait or Damage roll. This d6 can ACE (Explode) too. You can only have one Conviction and it persists between sessions, unlike Bennies.
Dueling
You can’t have a Western without a duel between two quickdraws on Main Street in front of the Saloon. There are special rules for these duels that last exactly 3 rounds. The first step is each duelist gets a Hole Card, one playing card dealt face down. You can look at your card, but don’t let your opponent see it. There are Edges that let you get more than one Hold Card.
Then on the first round of the Duel, each duelist is dealt an Action Card, dealt face up. With their Action, the duelist can Test the other or cast a spell. Bystanders can try to Support or Test the duelists, but it is bad form to so do openly or to be caught.
If you succeed in a Test, making your opponent Distracted or Vulnerable, that condition ends to the end of the duel (after the third round). A raise cannot Shake your opponent. A raise lets you draw a new Hold Card and add it to your stash or force your opponent to randomly discard a Hold Card, unless he only has one.
A Critical Failure during a test means your opponent can draw an additional Hole Card. A second Action card is dealt and you can then perform another Test or Cast a Spell.
No Action Cards are dealt at the start of the Third Round. Instead, both duelists reveal one Hole Card of their choice. This is your Action Card, so you’ll want to pick carefully. This is because drawing first and killing your opponent is considered murder. But drawing second and killing your opponent is an act of self-defense.
If you decide to play the highest Hole Card but don’t want to draw first. Instead, you can go on Hold and attempt to Interrupt the duelist. This is an opposed Agility Test, but having the higher Hole Card means you get a +2. A success means you shoot first, even if you didn’t draw first.
If you get hit, you cannot make a Soak roll. However many wounds you take is what you take. The Grim Reaper loves a duel. If neither duelist is killed, you leave the Duel rules and just start normal combat (unless they both stand down).
Racism & Slavery
One of the most important setting changes to this version of Deadlands is the South, the Confederate States of America lost the Civil War. In prior versions (timelines) of this setting, the North and the South fought to a draw, with the British entering the war on behalf of the South. The nation remained divided with a race to the Pacific and a Cold War across the plains.
Those prior editions tried dodge the literal Cornerstone issue of the Confederacy’s existence: Slavery. It posited a timeline where the South, in 1864 offered to free any slaves who would fight for them. This is what helped bring the British onto their side (the Brits had outlawed slavery several generations earlier).
Frankly, the prior edition’s timeline and attempts to elude the problem of Slavery stunk. In 1864, General Grant was enlisting former slaves into the Union Army. During his Virginia Campaign, several black regiments faced off against Southern troops. Seeing African Americans with guns enraged the Southern troops and they went on bloodthirsty rampages against these Regiments who bravely held their own.
Short of using the deus ex machina of magic to change the hearts and minds of the South, General Lee would have never even imagined or thought of putting rifles into the hands of former slaves. He certainly had that option in the real 1864 and did not.
This current version is better all around. The Slave-Holding Confederate States of America lost the Civil War, nearly a half-of-a-decade later then in our timeline. Slavery is formerly ended. President Grant now has the chance to begin Reconstruction later then in our timeline.
This means Reconstruction, with all of its civil and civic benefits for the former slaves, is still alive and well in 1884. There is no doubt that prejudice exists in 1884 North America. But this timeline, Deadlands’ new timeline, allows you to play without paying too much attention to those prejudices. It allows you to play a game where African Americans are voting landholders in the South. They may be a minority in many sates, but they can still be a powerful voting block in local and regional elections.
This version of the Deadlands timeline allows the Marshal to clearly and unmistakably place the KKK on the side of injustice and banditry. President Grant took extreme measures to incarcerate and kill members of this domestic terrorist organization.
It would be quite easy for a game set in the South to put the KKK in control of the Reckoners. Your team of heroes are tasked with rooting out its members and supporters among the local elected officialdom. You can play as Nazi hunters nearly fifty years before the Nazis.
Final Thoughts
This version of Deadlands is an evolution of the setting, not a revolution. It changes and modifications are often too subtle to notice. But this follows the theme of the latest version of Savage Worlds, the Adventure Edition, and its updating from the Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition.
I do not mind an evolutionary approach over a revolutionary approach. It means that source material and adventures from prior editions can work as written in the current one. Sure there may be a few tweaks as Powers work differently and the Edges may be modified. But for the 3-5 rounds your enemy is going to be breathing, that’s not a big problem.
I am very happy that I backed the Deadlands Kickstarter. I strongly recommend that you pick up your own copy from Amazon or directly from Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
If you want some links on where to buy Savage Worlds, they can be found over here.
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