| This is Classic material. Some conversion will be needed to use with 4e, some of which may have been done for you. |
Classic Deadlands: Weird West (2001, 2020) is a licensed version of Pinnacle Entertainment Group's Deadlands RPG for GURPS Classic.
Background[]
On July 3, 1863, a group of American Indians from various tribes, led by a Sioux shaman known as "Raven," performed a ritual in an effort to drive out the European settlers. The ritual brought powerful malicious entities known as the "Reckoners" which fed on negative emotions (especially fear).
One of the first actions of the Reckoners was to animate the dead soldiers from both sides of the Battle of Gettysburg and have them attack the living soldiers. The "Reckoners" then manipulated events so the Civil War continues to the present of 1877.
Seismic upheavals have pushed much of California into the ocean, creating a badlands area known as "the Great Maze." In the Great Maze, miners discover "ghost rock," a mineral that burns hotter and longer than coal and is used as the basis for most Deadlands technology as well as alchemical potions and semi-magical materials.
Future[]
While GURPS Deadlands: Weird West is set in 1877 Pinnacle Entertainment Group came out with Deadlands: Hell on Earth where the "Reckoners" manipulate the Confederate States of America and United States into a nuclear war. This allows the "Reckoners" to manifest directly on Earth where they are revealed to be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. After they ravage across the globe destroying civilization and turning most of the Earth into a wasted landscape of nightmares and death in the process they mysteriously vanish.
Timeline of Deadlands[]
A very condenced version of the Deadlands timeline was published on reddit:
- 1863: Reports start coming in about strange occurrences in the western territories of the US. Most importantly, the Battle of Gettysburg ends in a stalemate, with rumors circulating that the dead soldiers were rising and attacking anyone nearby, causing both armies to flee the chaos. Because the decisive victory for the Union never happened, the Civil War was allowed to continue.
- 1868: The Great Quake devastates the western coast of North America. In addition to killing a great deal of people, this event unearths a new mineral that becomes commonly known as "Ghost Rock", due to its tendency to emit a sound similar to a ghost's wail when burned. Ghost Rock's unique properties are put to great use in scientific and technological development, especially for the war effort.
- 1876-1878: Deadlands Classic
- 1881: Deadlands Reloaded - A couple of events separate the Deadlands Classic from Deadlands Reloaded. Namely, the end of the Great Rail Wars (or at least the end of the race to the west coast that the Rail Wars were originally based on) and the temporary ceasefire in the Civil War.
- 1917: The USA and CSA, having engaged in the ceasefire for around 30 years, put aside their differences in order to join the Allied Powers in WWI. The Civil War ends in a technical victory for the CSA, as well as Deseret and the Sioux Nations, which also succeeded from the USA successfully.
- 1930's: Deadlands Noir - Deadlands Noir takes place specifically in New Orleans during the great depression. I am unfamiliar with what is going on in other cities during this game, but presumably similar stuff is happening. The Deadlands Noir Companion sheds light on this.
- 1930's - 2000's: Many historical events still happen. Notable changes include a rise in cult-worship.
- 2044: Hellstromme Industries discovers a planet with intelligent life, later called Banshee. Hellstromme Industries builds a space station called the Tunnel to open a rift in space and allow ships to travel to Banshee and back.
- 2052: A geologist named Hauptmann releases a report saying that the earth has less than 20 years of ghost rock left. A geological team sponsored by the European Confederation finds large deposits of ghost rock on Banshee. Hundreds of boomtowns spring up on Banshee as people flock to colonize the planet and profit off of the Rock Rush.
- 2073: The Faraway War breaks out between the human colonies and the Anouks, the native inhabitants of Banshee.
- 2081: The Last War begins, with the Northern Alliance and Southern Alliance fighting over the Great Maze. UN forces on Banshee are recalled to assist in the war. After 3 years of fighting, the ghost rock bomb is dropped and the world is plunged into Armageddon.
- c 2094: Deadlands Hell on Earth. Set 13 years after the end of The Last War.This period properly ends with a mission known as "The Unity".
- Deadlands Lost Colony: This game picks up on Banshee with the arrival of a space transport called The Unity. Its arrival reignites the Faraway War. This game is essentially the end game for the original Deadlands story.
- Deadlands Hell on Earth Reloaded: HoE Reloaded picks up where "The Unity" left off. The main conflict in HoE has officially ended, but there are still pieces left to pick up and a new conflict is on the rise.
Technology[]
Thanks to ghost rock 1877 Deadlands technology is TL6^ progressing along a TL(6+x)^ path.
Supplemental GURPS books[]
- Classic: Deadlands: Hexes
- Classic: Deadlands: Varmints
- Classic: Deadlands Dime Novel 1 – Aces and Eights (adventure)
- Classic: Deadlands Dime Novel 2 – Wanted: Undead or Alive (adventure)
Additional Materials[]
Designer's Notes[]
- GURPS Deadlands Conversion Rules (12/14/2001)
- GURPS Deadlands: Hexes (11/1/2002)
- GURPS Deadlands: Varmints (3/14/2003)
Other[]
- Fish Out of Water (1999)
- GURPS Update