itch.io

I finally created (and shared) something that wasn't produced for someone else's game system. Cowpokes is a rules light game set in a fictionalized version of the “Old West." It's not intended to simulate anything. It’s just a quick and easy way to tell stories with friends. It uses four stats (Gaze, Grit, Gumption, Swagger) and a 2d6+STAT mechanic and that will be familiar to anyone that has played a Powered by the Apocalypse game (e.g., Dungeon World).

You can check it out here: https://magic-badger.itch.io/cowpokes-rpg

Included are the rules for creating your Cowpoke and playing the game. Choose or roll randomly for your gear, gun, and hat. Too "scurred" to shoot straight? Take the edge off with some spirits. Be warned, though! Spirits may steady your nerves, but they're not without other effects. And what would a Cowpoke adventure be without a bevy of threats including deadeye Sharpshooters, speedy Quick Draw Kids, and villainous Robber Barons?

There's also a scenario to get you started: Showdown at the Triple V. Will you help your patron, C.W. Tungsten, fend off the Edison family and their pet law officer, Sheriff Brennehy? Or will the sheriff and Edison hired guns make short work of your Cowpokes?

Regulators! Cowpokes! Mount up!

I can't decide which is the more impressive feat: Generating 36 different unique hooks for 6 different locations (that's 216 different ideas! unless my math is off...) or turning C.A.R.T.O.G.R.A.P.H. into an acronym. 

Even if you don't use this supplement to create a complete map, this is still a stellar tool for generating points of interest at different locations. And, importantly, it can be deployed on the fly if you need something in a pinch.

Just be prepared for questions from your players based on the enticing story hooks you present. If there's a "downside" here that's probably it. Each location's hook could easily spur a separate adventure all its own, e.g., stopping or harnessing the Church organ that summons otherworldly entities or delving into the top secret documents found in the Museum's gift shop.

Players who want to chase down every avenue or expect everything in game to have meaning are probably going to ask exactly how many ancient artifacts are being used as paperweights on the desk. And what do they look like? And what happens if they take them? Although, honestly, there are worse problems to have than your players excited to explore the world you've created. And working with your players to decide the answer to these questions is half the fun.

Although written for use with the FIST RPG, this could slot into a number of other systems or genres (e.g., urban fantasy or horror, noir, steampunk), which is another definite plus.

For some reason, itch insisted on pushing out the old images as attachments for this update even though I told it not to. But I assure you things have changed!

I really appreciate that! I hadn't noticed the raw scores for STYLE until you pointed it out. I think we were both hurt by having fewer than the average of eight raters, because I saw Operation Copper Glow deservedly got a perfect raw SUBSTANCE score.

Thanks! The society was fun but challenging to write. It required language that would sound meaningful at first but would hopefully get more confusing if you really thought about it.

This one-page scenario about fighting a cyber samurai for a nuclear payload has a lot going on, which is bound to make for an action-packed session. As others have noted, I particularly liked the redacted vs unredacted version. And the map is a nice touch! I could see someone opening a game session by telling their players, “Your team is scrambled at the last minute. After an eleventh-hour flight, you find yourself in a dingy headed shoreward. Someone tosses you this briefing packet as you shove off.”

I was able to read the info about the planes, but I had to zoom way in with my image program. The small images and font choice did make it a little hard for me to parse some of the info. Also, I don’t know if this was a typo or intentional, but the rest of PFC Chuck W’s name is just a string of squares and superscript numbers in my version.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

A short pamphlet jampacked with extradimensional chaos to throw at players. While the mission is set up to progress in a linear fashion, the 2D6 table of SHIFTS present a ton of different worlds for players to encounter. Even if you only run the actual mission once, you’ll still have all the other hooks to use if your players want to continue dimension hopping in future games. The regions, which players progress through during the mission, are briefly but effectively described with unique physical environment and potential complications. Also, the shift stabilizer is a fun physics in joke.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

A selection of 11 TRAITS and 4 ROLES to add to player selection. All of TRAITS feel right at home alongside the ones from the core FIST book. There’s a nice balance of potentially game altering powers and complications, plus opportunities for roleplay.

I was particularly impressed by the ROLES, which add several motivations that I haven’t seen in other supplements. The highest compliment I can pay them is to say I’m more excited to try out a ROLE like Frankenstein (driven to build your own monster) or Quack (an expert in a totally, definitely real type of science!) than I am some of the proposed TRAITS, which never happens.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement

Fantastic cover art with a professional looking layout. I had a little trouble reading the text with the dark red overlay, but there’s a non-overlay version. The only tradeoff to using the non-overlay pamphlet is losing out on some of the cool aesthetic.

This supplement will play well with folks that want more crunch in their game or want damage types (e.g., bludgeoning vs piercing) to mean something.

Mechanically, there’s a blood-based stat that functions like exhaustion in other systems. Got all your blood? You’re ready to rock. Lose some of your blood? It’s harder to do things (e.g., take a -1 to FORCEFUL & REFLEXIVE checks).

Implementing this material requires a bit more record keeping, because not all damage results in blood loss, and I could see some edge cases that would require negotiation – e.g., normally katanas (most slashing weapons) don’t cause a >PUNCTURE wound and blood loss, but if I managed to get stabbed with a katana, I think it’s reasonable to say I’m losing blood. Conveniently, there’s a fillable PDF or a cool print & play option for tracking blood levels.

The real gem (in my mind) are the different types of blood you can choose to pump into your merc or drink if you opt for the Vampire TRAIT. For example, Fireblood is mixed with plasma and adds fire damage to your melee, while Gumblood makes you sticky. Mostly in a good way. Even if you choose not to implement the blood tracking option, you’ve still got a convenient table for rolling up a variety of boosts (potions, cocktails, etc.) that you could serve up to your mercs in some other format.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

A short supplement for randomly (or intentionally) creating a variety of killer robots. The combination of six different Cores and six different Quirks makes for a wide variety of robot antagonists with varying levels of armor, mobility, and unique complications. And the six levels of armament allow a Referee to calibrate the threat level of their death machines as appropriate for their game – assuming they don’t want to leave their players’ fates to the roll of a die.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

Reposted from my public comments: 

An extensively detailed scenario with great Referee resources for tracking resources and movement (e.g., travel timeline, hex maps), tables for generating random encounters, and options to extend the scenario further depending on player choice during the game. I really loved the named NPC section with quotes from each person on major players and/or topics likely to come up during the mission (e.g., jungle, UN, US, USSR, local legends).

The scenario itself is well researched and includes nuance (something I particularly enjoy in my games) with no “right option” for the players to choose; some of the NPCs make bad choices but they’re not inherently bad people.

It’s not the kind of scenario you could run through a second time with the same group of characters, but there are many ways the scenario could be replayed by different characters to generate very different outcomes.

Fun concept tweaking a classic setting for inspiration! I appreciated the conversational tone. You know you’re headed in the right direction when the first potential “twist” to randomly determining an adventure acknowledges that there are sensible solutions and then there are, “Sure, we should probably talk this out, but I feel compelled to try punching that dragon in the face first, just in case that works.”

The new traits are all a lot of fun, as are many of the items that accompany them (e.g., a helmet you dramatically remove to scatter enemies with your hideous countenance). And the traits all provide as much of a roleplaying hook as they do a mechanical benefit, which is great.

For folks that prefer a lower lethality game, the rule for ransom (rather than death) is both on point thematically and a fun way to handle it while adding additional roleplaying opportunities for a once and future session.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

With a system for building vehicles that mirrors the character creation process (e.g., four attributes, ARMOR, trait like upgrades), anyone already familiar with FIST should find this supplement to be straightforward to implement.

It’s visually evocative of the core FIST book as well, featuring a simple but effective use of color accents. The same could easily be said for the writing. The upgrades and tools available for the vehicles are all great with short, punchy descriptions that add character as much as they do a mechanical benefit.

Plus, there’s plenty of room left for players to be inspired and add their own customizations.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

A short supplement with ideas on incorporating audio triggers into game play by targeting characters or potentially working them into the overall plot. Three audio clips are provided highlighting potential NPCs or plot point interactions that you could build a game or campaign around. I appreciated the note reminding people that triggering events are a very real and serious issue and encouraging people to discuss their comfort level in utilizing this topic in their shared storytelling.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

Three TRAITS and one new ROLE with demonic vibes. All of them could easily slot in against any of the core FIST material.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

A very cool reimaging of FIST. Rather than call out all the elements I like that are addressed in other reviews, I’ll point to two additional parts that I think are well-crafted.

First, the SPIRITUALISM vs INDUSTRIALIZATION dichotomy is a great way of balancing two competing elements that players will likely want to explore and perfectly encapsulates the underlying theme.

And, although described as a “gimmick,” delaying the wolf reveal sets up fun roleplay opportunities. Admittedly, the title and stats are on the nose, but with the prevalence of abbreviations and random powers throughout FIST, there’s a good chance that many players (even experienced gamers and storytellers) will not see the twist coming and be surprised.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

Well-organized and detailed longform (for most FIST content) supplement including a mission, cool experimental items for players to collect, unique monsters to confront, and themed TRAITS for players to acquire.

I have always found deep sea adventures to be naturally intense scenarios, much like deep space, because the environment itself is inherently deadly. With this mission, players have little room, relatively speaking, to flee given the limited number of rooms and their inability to exit the station until they find the escape pod. This intensity is baked into the scenario from the very beginning, as the characters must teleport into the mission without knowing if/how they’ll be able to leave. Additionally, the scenario is cleverly designed to ratchet up the tension and the threat by scaling creatures up as the players complete stages of the mission.

I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement

A faction and its key NPCs for characters to encounter or contend with during their adventures. The backgrounds are relatively short, but jampacked with hooks for developing the NPCs further with full blown schemes and complicated motivations.

This doc actually presents a faction and a half, because in addition to the eponymous Boundless Society, there’s also the Directorate of Extranormality Intelligence. The directorate (or DoEx) whose report is the framing device for the supplement could easily be fleshed out as well. Although not explicitly stated, the references to several CRO teams (and no mention of FIST) lead me to believe the DoEx is intended to be a part of CYCLOPS. But there’s a lot of flexibility here to fold it into your world however you like.

My pleasure! It was a fun read! I realized that my original comment won't show up  on the non-jam project page, so I'm going to repost it there so it will be a public endorsement.

An extensively detailed scenario with great Referee resources for tracking resources and movement (e.g., travel timeline, hex maps), tables for generating random encounters, and options to extend the scenario further depending on player choice during the game. I really loved the named NPC section with quotes from each person on major players and/or topics likely to come up during the mission (e.g., jungle, UN, US, USSR, local legends).

The scenario itself is well researched and includes nuance (something I particularly enjoy in my games) with no “right option” for the players to choose; some of the NPCs make bad choices but they’re not inherently bad people.

It’s not the kind of scenario you could run through a second time with the same group of characters, but there are many ways the scenario could be replayed by different characters to generate very different outcomes.

A faction and its key NPCs for characters to encounter or contend with during their adventures. The backgrounds are relatively short, but jampacked with hooks for developing the NPCs further with full blown schemes and complicated motivations.

This doc actually presents a faction and a half, because in addition to the eponymous Boundless Society, there’s also the Directorate of Extranormality Intelligence. The directorate (or DoEx) whose report is the framing device for the supplement could easily be fleshed out as well. Although not explicitly stated, the references to several CRO teams (and no mention of FIST) lead me to believe the DoEx is intended to be a part of CYCLOPS. But there’s a lot of flexibility here to fold it into your world however you like.

Well-organized and detailed longform (for most FIST content) supplement including a mission, cool experimental items for players to collect, unique monsters to confront, and themed TRAITS for players to acquire.

I have always found deep sea adventures to be naturally intense scenarios, much like deep space, because the environment itself is inherently deadly. With this mission, players have little room, relatively speaking, to flee given the limited number of rooms and their inability to exit the station until they find the escape pod. This intensity is baked into the scenario from the very beginning, as the characters must teleport into the mission without knowing if/how they’ll be able to leave. Additionally, the scenario is cleverly designed to rachet up the tension and the threat by scaling creatures up as the players complete stages of the mission.

The only (minor) recommendation I have would be to include some non-Key Facility examples for Referees to draw on (e.g., storage areas, a mess hall, decontamination stations) in determining the station layout. The document suggests making every room feel like a trap without necessarily being one, and I think it would help contribute to the tension if players couldn’t be confident that each area held something important. That would up the risk-reward tradeoff of searching every space, since they wouldn’t be assured of locating a useful item everywhere they went. A random encounter table with suggested scenarios (e.g., characters discover a collection of corpses of which 1D4 are actually Husks waiting to ambush them) could also help less experienced Referees in fleshing out the mission.

Thanks! Your suggestions are all on point, and I'll definitely look for a way to work these into a revision. Of course, I always intend to revise my work and then never seem to find time...

I think the random table idea is a great one, both for players and for me as a creator to help organize my thoughts. Ironically, while I love having them in games, I often struggle to put them together, so that might take me a little while. Having alternative solutions to the final scenario also makes a lot of sense.

If you do run this, I'd love to hear any feedback you have!

Thanks! I was honestly surprised by how well the printer friendly one worked out, since my goal from the beginning was to do something with a lot of color and high contrast, and the printer friendly version was more of an afterthought. FISTICLES was well done (apparently we both had green in mind), so I appreciate the comparison :-)

A very cool reimaging of FIST. Rather than call out all the elements I like that are addressed in other reviews, I’ll point to two additional parts that I think are well-crafted.

First, the SPIRITUALISM vs INDUSTRIALIZATION dichotomy is a great way of balancing two competing elements that players will likely want to explore and perfectly encapsulates the underlying theme.

And, although described as a “gimmick,” delaying the wolf reveal sets up fun roleplay opportunities. Admittedly, the title and stats are on the nose, but with the prevalence of abbreviations and random powers throughout FIST, there’s a good chance that many players (even experienced gamers and storytellers) will not see the twist coming and be surprised.

I was a little confused by the WW1 aesthetic, but I'm assuming it ties into the merging of modern tech with a more primeval period? And it may just be me, since others have not had this issue.

Three TRAITS and one new ROLE with demonic vibes. All of them could easily slot in against any of the core FIST material.

With a title like “Federal Bureau of Infernal Affairs,” I was expecting to see some info on a demon-focused faction (e.g., a cabal of demons in competition to win the most souls, a secret government organization working to purge demonic influence). While that’s not present in the document, you could use this material as a starting point to build your own.

A short supplement with ideas on incorporating audio triggers into game play by targeting characters or potentially working them into the overall plot. Three audio clips are provided highlighting potential NPCs or plot point interactions that you could build a game or campaign around. I appreciated the note reminding people that triggering events are a very real and serious issue and encouraging people to discuss their comfort level in utilizing this topic in their shared storytelling.

A minor issue: The main pdf had a grainy quality, which may have been intended but did impact the readability slightly.

A selection of 11 TRAITS and 4 ROLES to add to player selection. All of TRAITS feel right at home alongside the ones from the core FIST book. There’s a nice balance of potentially game altering powers and complications, plus opportunities for roleplay.

I was particularly impressed by the ROLES, which add several motivations that I haven’t seen in other supplements. The highest compliment I can pay them is to say I’m more excited to try out a ROLE like Frankenstein (driven to build your own monster) or Quack (an expert in a totally, definitely real type of science!) than I am some of the proposed TRAITS, which never happens.

Fantastic cover art with a professional looking layout. I had a little trouble reading the text with the dark red overlay, but there’s a non-overlay version. The only tradeoff to using the non-overlay pamphlet is losing out on some of the cool aesthetic.

This supplement will play well with folks that want more crunch in their game or want damage types (e.g., bludgeoning vs piercing) to mean something.

Mechanically, there’s a blood-based stat that functions like exhaustion in other systems. Got all your blood? You’re ready to rock. Lose some of your blood? It’s harder to do things (e.g., take a -1 to FORCEFUL & REFLEXIVE checks).

Implementing this material requires a bit more record keeping, because not all damage results in blood loss, and I could see some edge cases that would require negotiation – e.g., normally katanas (most slashing weapons) don’t cause a >PUNCTURE wound and blood loss, but if I managed to get stabbed with a katana, I think it’s reasonable to say I’m losing blood. Conveniently, there’s a fillable PDF or a cool print & play option for tracking blood levels.

The real gem (in my mind) are the different types of blood you can choose to pump into your merc or drink if you opt for the Vampire TRAIT. For example, Fireblood is mixed with plasma and adds fire damage to your melee, while Gumblood makes you sticky. Mostly in a good way. Even if you choose not to implement the blood tracking option, you’ve still got a convenient table for rolling up a variety of boosts (potions, cocktails, etc.) that you could serve up to your mercs in some other format.