Tales of the Old West

Life is hard, life is short, and life don’t owe you a gosh darn thing. But you are extraordinary. In this land of raw opportunity nothing can limit what you can become - not race, nor gender, nor how few dollars you have in your pocket. It don’t matter where you come from, or what you’ve done before, you make yourself in the West, and the West makes you.

Tales of the Old West is the tabletop roleplaying game of gritty, hard-hitting action and adventure set in a historical recreation of the 1870s American West, a world where the dangers you face lurk in the hearts of other folk, or from the very land beneath your feet. It uses Free League Publishing’s award-winning Year Zero Engine, adapted to fit the Western theme.

The West was a melting pot of different folks, and you can play any of them.

What is the game all about? Go back to the Old West, in the year 1873... - the game is a historical recreation of the way the Wild West was, back in the day. Blessed by opportunity, cursed by hardship, and riven with conflict and struggle, life on the frontier is challenging - and the rules reflect that reality. It's easy to get hurt, and gettin' hurt is bad. In fact, everything can go south darned fast. So pardner, if you're gonna draw your gun, you better be ready for the consequences.

The West makes you - it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you did before, in the American West you can be whoever you wanna be. The rules encourage players to explore the lives of any and every person who once lived in the Old West, without casting those characters into old and worn stereotypes.

Faith - everyone in the West has faith in something, that you rely on in tough times and when trouble knocks your door. You decide your character's Faith, be it in a religion, in the land itself, in the spirits of your ancestors, in the friendship of your compadres, or simply in yourself. Faith keeps you struggling on to achieve your big dream, keeps you going when others fall to their knees in defeat. In Tales of the Old West your Faith drives your ability to push your rolls, and get you out of Trouble when it comes a-callin'.

Your Big Dream - everyone in the West has a Big Dream, whatever that may be. For some it may be grand - "become the greatest horse rancher in all New Mexico" - for others it may be simpler - "earn enough to never have to steal again". The choice is yours. The rules are designed to encourage player characters to go after their Big Dreams, and take risks to achieve them. Tales focused upon a character's Big Dream keep your characters at the centre of the story.

Community - you have a town to call home, full of ne'er-do-wells, cheats, and killers, with a few good-hearted folk thrown in - but it’s darned tough to tell one from t’other. Our town management and turn of the season rules bring your town to life. The respect and care you show your community dictates how quickly your town prospers: treat it well and it will be there for you when you need it the most; exploit it and you’ll have to face the dangers of the West alone – the choice is yours!