GUNSMITH’S SHOP

By Richard Hamblen

I left a number of things out of GUNSLINGER’s gun fighting system to increase simplicity and playability of the game. For the benefit of gamers who are not as simple and playful as I, however, here are some rules, weapons and charts that can be used to enhance the realism (and complexity) of GUNSLINGER.

1. The Wild West period from the 1830’s to 1900 saw guns develop from percussion caps to smokeless powder. GUNSUNGER includes the popular guns from the most famous period in the 870’s and 1880’s, but many earlier or later are interesting for their history and their effect on gun fighting. This issue’s insert includes new weapon lists with these guns and the counters that represent them. Note: If different makes of guns had the same characteristics, only the earliest model is listed. In particular, many popular Remington handguns do not appear because they were functionally equivalent to earlier Colts.

1.1 The new lists show when each gun was introduced. Players will find it interesting to vary their favorite showdowns by substituting similar guns from earlier or later periods.

1.2 The role-playing history of “Plains County” can now extend from 1830 to 1899, modifying the guns, jobs, wages and showdowns available in each period (e.g. Indians and Mountain Men appear in 1830, cowboys in the 1850s, settlers in the1860s, banks and bank robbers in the 1870’s, and so on). The lists show starting prices for guns and how these prices drop (keep track of fractional Money points). Note on Aging: A westerner loses1Ability point in January of the year he reaches the following ages: 40, 50, 60, 65, and every five years thereafter. When his Ability reaches zero he dies (without losing 100 Success points).

2. SNEAK GUNS: Any “light” handgun (identified by an “L” in the Cost column) is a sneak gun that was carried in the pocket and could be drawn secretly. In showdowns in which no one is alerted, each character who has a sneak gun can start with it in his GUN HAND, uncocked. This counts as drawing a gun in BRAWLING showdowns.

3. TRAJECTORY FIRE: To fire at long range, western marksmen aimed very high and lobbed bullets onto target along a trajectory. The Results Cards reflect reasonably straight shots, not these carefully planned high trajectory shots. Each gun has a trajectory factor (D4 for rifles and carbines, D3 for handguns) it uses to fire trajectory shots. Exception: Shotguns cannot make trajectory shots and have no trajectory factor.

3.1 A player can specify a trajectory shot any time he announces a shot. He calculates his aim time and range normally, divides his range by his trajectory factor (round down) and subtracts the result from his aim time. Then he draws two Result Cards. MALFUNCTIONS count only on the first draw. The target’s Target Status affects both draws.

3.11 On the first card, he cross-indexes his aim time and a range of zero to see if the shot is following the right trajectory. Any result except BE means the shot misses.

3.12 On the second card, he cross-indexes his aim time and a range of three to find if and where the target is hit. Hits are then handled normally.

3.2 Example: A W44 with an aim of 8 fires a trajectory shot at a target 29 hexes away. The range bonus (D4) and trajectory bonus (D4) reduce the range to 1, which reduces the aim time to 7. The shooter uses an aim time of 7 and a range of zero on his first draw, and an aim time of 7 and a range of 3 on his second draw.

4. This rule modifies how players lose aim (see rule 12). Losses in terms of markers are rounded up: half of three AIM markers is two markers, leaving one marker worth 2 points

4.1 A character loses only half of his AIM markers when he reveals ADVANCE, BACK UP or GET UP/DOWN. He still loses all of his aim when he reveals RUN. SPIN AROUND, LEAP/DROP, etc

4.2 He loses only one AIM marker when he cocks his gun.

4.3 He loses some aim when he transfers his aim to a target in a different hex. The number of hexes to his new target defines how many AIM markers he loses for each hex his aim moves. He keeps all his aim only if his old and new target are in the same hex.

Hexes to new target | AIM markers lost for each hex the aim marker moves
10+ hexes | Lose 1 aim maker per hex
4-9 hexes | Lose 2 aim makers per hex
1-3 hexes | Lose 3 aim makers per hex
0 hexes | Cannot transfer into hex

[Transcribers note: Examples:

(i) A character in hex F12 has 4 aim markers on a target in hex F4, eight hexes away. If he transfers his aim to I3, eleven hexes away he will lose 1 aim marker per hex for a total of 3 leaving him 1 aim marker on his new target (if he transfers to J2 or K2 he will lose all his aim markers). If he transfers his aim to E5, eight hexes away he will lose 2 aim markers per hex for a total of 2 leaving him 2 aim markers on his new target (if he transfers to D5 or C6 he will lose all his aim markers). If he transfers his aim to another target in hex F4 he will lose no aim markers.

(ii) A character in Hex F6 has 4 aim markers on a target in hex F4, two hexes away. If he transfers his aim to G3, three hexes away he will lose 3 aim markers per hex for a total of 3 leaving him 1 aim marker on his new target.

(iii) A character in Hex F6 has 4 aim markers on a target in hex E6, one hex away (assume the character to be facing the top of the board). If he transfers his aim to F5, one hex away, he will lose 3 aim markers per hex for a total of 3 leaving him 1 aim marker on his new target (if he transfers to G6 or F6 he will lose all his aim markers).

End of note]

5. RECOIL. When a character fires a gun, the amount of aim he loses depends how much his gun recoils or ‘kicks.” The gun’s Impact on the new weapon list defines its recoil:

Gun’s Impact: | Effect on shooter:
A or B (and all shotguns) | lose all AIM markers and draw one DELAY card
C | lose all AIM markers
D | lose one AIM marker
E | keep all AIM markers

6. BRACING: Characters can “brace” guns to reduce recoil and increase accuracy. A carbine or handgun in BOTH HANDS is braced if its owner has an aim time of 9 (including skills). Any gun with an aim time of 7 is braced if its owner either is DOWN or has a head counter on an obstacle or through a door or window. Bracing divides the range by two (round down) in addition to any other range effects, so a braced W44 divides the range by 8 (D4 for range bonus, D2 for bracing). Bracing also reduces the recoil (see rule 5. above) by one level: a braced A or B gun recoils like a C gun. Shotguns cannot be braced

7. When a character suffers a WILD SHOT, all his fully loaded handguns fire one shot. If a holstered gun fires, its owner gets LEG I and LIGHT 4 penalties (for shooting himself in the foot). Characters can choose to set up with one empty chamber in each gun.

8. When a gun explodes, its owner gets LIGHT 4 and either GUN ARM 1 (if it was in his GUN HAND or BOTH HANDS) or OTHER ARM (if it was in his OTHER HAND)

9. LASSO and WHIP: The lasso and whip each consist of one end counter and one user counter with cocked and uncocked sides. The whip is WHIP when cocked, HAND when uncocked and its end is TIP; it is one-handed and inflicts damage like a SPD. The rope is LASSO when cocked, ROPE when uncocked and its end is LOOP; it is two-handed and inflicts damage like a PAIL. Both weapons have a wielding factor of 0 and can attack or be thrown only when they are cocked. They inflict damage only when they attack and can attack up to three hexes away (defenses cancel these attacks normally). They are uncocked when they attack.

9.1 A BE hit means the end counter goes on the target’s sheet to show he is caught. While he is caught, the user can attack him (defense actions cancel these attacks normally), but all hits hit the same location as the original BE. The target can attack the attack counter (the user’s defenses cancel these attacks normally), hits inflict “bare hands” damage on the user and a BE means the target is freed (and if he was using a knife, sabre or axe the rope or whip is destroyed).

9.2 The distance between user and target cannot increase while the target is caught. If either player tries to move away, the user draws two delay cards and the target draws two fatigue cards, If the players move closer, they cannot move apart again.

9.3 If the target frees himself or the original attack misses or gets a non-BE hit, the attack counter is put in the target’s hex. It can be attacked and destroyed as explained in rule 9.1 , but no penalties are inflicted on the user.

9.4 Before he can re-cock his weapon the user must LOAD once to return the counter to his hex (not necessary if it is already in his hex) and then LOAD again to put it with the user counter He can then use a cocking action to re-cock it.

9.5 The DRIVER gets the whip; he has a special brawling skill (good only with whips) of + 5. HAPPY gets the rope; he has a special + 5 skill with ropes.

The Avalon Hill General, September-October 1982, Volume 19, Number 3