Gunslingers & Gamblers
By Dave McAlister • Feb 23rd, 2008 • Category: ReviewsHowdy Pardners!
Gunslingers and Gamblers is a roleplaying game which lets you play adventures in the American West, more specifically the Wild West of 1876.
94 full colour pages tells you all about the Wild West and gives you everything you need to create characters and great adventures.
The game includes:
- A simple but powerful core game mechanic based on poker dice
- Complete rules for character creation
- 15 Traits and 72 Quirks
- Detailed combat rules
- Comprehensive equipment lists
- Lots of information on the Wild West
- And much more…
Will you get rich or die trying?
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Dave McAlister is a dedicated geek, combining his enjoyment of roleplaying games with website design and runs UK Role Players. Dave has been roleplaying for almost 25 years now, having played and/or run most mainstream systems. His current favourite though is Savage Worlds. Dave also likes talking about himself in the third person!
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This is a copy of a review I wrote for RPGNow.com. I’ve copied it here because, well, I like to share
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Over the last year, or so, I’ve picked up almost every, in-print, Wild West/Cowboy roleplaying game. Each one had something I was looking for, but not the whole package. Until I bought Gunslingers and Gamblers that is. This is the first one that has everything I’m looking for. So? What is it I was looking for?
* An interesting, but ultimately simple, rules system.
* Captures the feel of the Wild West.
* Excellent background information.
Gunslingers and Gamblers gets big ticks for each aspect.
* The use of poker dice is a masterstroke. Yes, if you look deeply enough there’s a feel of Yahtzee to the main game mechanic, but tying it in with poker dice means that it feels just right. Basically, the idea is that you try to get the best hand you can with 5 poker dice. Depending on the level of your ability (called a trait here), you might get the chance to re-roll some, or all, of the dice (much like discarding and gaining new cards in a real poker game).
* The artwork used throughout the PDF is appropriate without being over-used, while each chapter header includes a real-world quote from the time. Additionally, throughout the rules, the feel of the Wild West oozes out.
* Not only is there a wide listing of the different stereotypical people in the West, but a large portion of the download is devoted to providing excellent background information for both the novice and experienced Western GM.
This is, without a doubt, the best Western/Cowboy roleplaying game I’ve purchased (and, as I’ve already said, I’ve got nearly all of the ones currently in print!) I would whole-heartedly, and unreservedly, recommend it to anyone looking to run their own game or campaign.
LIKED: The rules. Some people might be put off by the Yahtzee comparison I’ve made above, but don’t be. Combining it with poker dice means that it really works in this game and, in fact, actually adds to the general flavour.
The, premade, Harris County. Perfect for a GM that is either new to Western/Cowboy roleplaying games, or the GM who’s a little stuck for time and needs a county in a hurry.
DISLIKED: Honestly? Nothing.
QUALITY: Excellent
VALUE: Very Satisfied
RATING: 5 of 5 Stars!