Old West RPG suggestions?

[Galland]

Right, after having purchased all the Legends of the Old West supplements and decided to use them for fluff and scenario ideas, we went along to get some other rules that we think will suit us better.
There have been different suggestions and the advice have ranged from Rules With No Name (wich I find very strange, especially the movment stuff), Six Gun Sound wich I will buy but I am not sure we will use it, but I am sure it will come in handy one way or another since I really enjoy all their other games, then its Gutshot, wich in my oppinion seems to be the best choise for us, especially since we are aiming at small warbands/posses with 1-3 miniatures, at least initially.
This game also have some RP and character development system, wich we very much want to have in the campaign.

With this in mind, do you guys have any suggestions for a good Old West RPG system? I prefer nice shiny rulebooks, with extensive and complicated rules, the more the merrier. I really dont like 3 page systems written on the backside of a napkin, the 80s are over.
So... suggestions? I have bought the Cowtown Creator, a really nice book, but its a sourcebook, not really a RPG on its own.

I hope its okay to post this question in here, since the RPG will be used, one way or another to support the miniatures game, if not, please move this to where it belongs.

//S

[Argonor]

Gutshot is a good shot. Although it's not really complicated, but really well-flavoured.

The old TSR 'Boot Hill', if you can get your hands on it (I own a couple of copies, but I am not sure where they are located at present). Should fit the bill.

I guess the Deadlands rules could be used for a 'regular' setting, too, rather than Weird West.

I've just fallen in love with Fistful of Dice, which is not an RPG, AND fairly simple, but I think with a few twists and additional rules it could easily be used as the base for an RPG.

Please, post comments on the rules you have (and purchase in the future) - I'm very interested in the period as a gaming (and entertainment) subject. 

[thebinmann]

I guess the Deadlands rules could be used for a 'regular' setting, too, rather than Weird West.

Certainly and you can get it in cheaper pdf now (if you don't mind that)

I love the system, though I haven't played reloaded or d20

[Stavros Banjo]

If it's a quality product you're after, packed full of extensive & complicated rules, then may I suggest you try & track down a copy of "Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier". I purchased the full-blown 400 page leather bound edition when it first came out & it's a superb book. It's a very indepth RPG & has rules to cover just about everything you could ever think of.

There's write up about it HERE and another one HERE.

Publisher's site can also be found HERE

Sadly the hard back edition has been out of print for a while but well worth trying to hunt one down as it's full of info & ideas for your own Old West games. I know there is a slimmed down soft back edition & also PDF available of the main rules but sadly they are missing most of the background & reference material 

[Driscoles]

We played Boot Hill for years and enjoyed the games very much. Simple rules..they are by far not complete and go not very much in detail The Game Master has lots of capabilities for designing own rules  which I like. in modern RPG there are too many rules for everything.

Anyway... The Aces 6 Eights looks tempting.

Cheers
Björn

[Doug ex-em4]

Wild West from FGU. I ran a campaign in the 80s (not your favourite decade...?) that was lot of fun - I mean a system where the horses have their own character sheets has got to have something going for it.

More info here:
http://www.waynesbooks.com/FantasyGamesUnlimitedFGU.html#wildwest   (near the bottom of the page)
and here:
http://d_little.tripod.com/Games/Western/

Doug

[joroas]

I mean a system where the horses have their own character sheets has got to have something going for it.

Hi Ho, Silver! 

But I suppose it was the era of Lassie, Flipper and Skippy................. 

[Doug ex-em4]

But I suppose it was the era of Lassie, Flipper and Skippy.................

I know nothing of these showy arrivistes.......

Rin Tin Tin....now there was a canine hero....

Doug

[Brian Smaller]

Western Hero from Hero Games.

[Mindenbrush]

Have a trawl through Freewargmesrules  http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/ - 19C seems to have a number of Old West rules and they are FREE!!!!!!!!!

[Galland]

I ran a campaign in the 80s (not your favourite decade...?)

I hated the 80s, or rather the 80s hated me, one way or the other. I was a boot-boy at the time (skinhead OI punks and the like) and it was a big horrible mess, lots of utter shit and I lost a lot of my childhood friends. However, the gaming systems of the time, ugly C5 stapled copies with anti-layout and poor poor pictures of [Insert Crap] is not my cup of tea. As I have mentioned, I prefer the silly expensive good looking professionally layout good pictures proof reading load of fluff kind of books, the type that Foundry and Warhammer Historical makes. I also like rules for everything, the more the better!

Mister Stavros, it seems like we are on to something here, I really appreciate your input and your help. I will absolutely try to locate one of these books (any version would be fine I suppose).

Thanks a lot gentlemen!

[raminad]

I like "Coyote Trail" for that sort of thing: http://www.pigames.net/store/default.php?cPath=59

Or just play Six Gun Sound and let Mythic fill in the blanks. In fact I use Mythic to fill in the RPG elements of just about any miniatures games I play.

Bob (co-author of Six Gun Sound by way of full disclosure).