Review: We Deal in Lead

 

"The world has not so much died as moved on. Landscapes seem to stretch on and on, pockmarked by settlements and the ruins of ages past, as strange machinery rumbles below seemingly straining to keep the sky and the ground moving like they did the day before. Old technology, much of it advanced by the standards of then and now, rusts and molders where it sits; strange creatures—some said to have been things of legend and myth, lurk, ready to pounce and rend the unwary; and magic weaves a cunning attraction for the studious and the curious, the ambitious and the foolish, its knowledge perhaps lost on this world, but not the next. Figures are seen to stalk this world, sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of beast which seems to understand their every action and word, and never leave their side, sometimes together in brotherly orders, but all wielding the gun, a deadly artifact that they use to kill. To kill the bandit, the robber, the cheat, and the murder, the apostate of their order, and in doing so restore order of society and ensure the men and women of this time can live free of tyranny and banditry. Then they are gone. Perhaps they left with the caravan as a guard, maybe they simply moved on to the next settlement, or they just found the Slip Door they were looking and their Guns knows the location of and stepped through, not to the next settlement, though there is always one, but the next world. This is the life of the Gunslinger, wielder of the legendary gun across the Drifted World and their credo is 'We deal in lead.'"

My first introduction to this game was actually from Diogo Nogueira of Old Skull Publishing fame. Diogo posted a quick blurb about it on his IG and I was instantly intrigued as I love westerns but especially weird west settings. That and I have bounced of Deadlands pretty hard so I have been keeping my ear to the ground for something along those lines. We Deal in Lead is an Into the Odd/Cairn hack with tweaks to fit the setting, theme, and mood.

At the time of discovery the book was newly released and it was not being sold in the US yet and with the exchange rates and shipping from UK, I had to be patient until it became available form US distributors. 

Presentation: The book itself is 96 pages (included the covers) hardbound book with glossy pages. It has clean two column set up with colored borders, some colored fonts, black and white art, and a handful of full page, full color art. The book is well organized with a table of contents and an index. The book opens up with Design Philosophy, Principles for Wardens, Principles for Players, and Principals for of the Drifted World. This gives a great overview how the style of game play and the setting. Then then book jumps into Character Creation, Rules, and so on. It is a nice well put together hardback that is durable and looks pretty on the shelf or the game table. 

Character Creation: Character creations appears similar to Into the Odd and Cairn but there is deviation as characters in We Deal in Lead are generally tougher then the standard issue characters. 

1. Choose or Roll your characters first name, surname (pg. 82), and determine pronouns
2. Choose or Roll background
3. Roll their remaining traits (pg. 84)
4. Decide whether your character is from The Drifted World or arrived through a Slip Door
5. Roll their age (4d12+10)
6. Choose or Roll for your characters gun (pg 86)
   

Below are further break downs from the list above.

• Characters have three stats which are Strength (Brawn, prowess, ans resilience), Dexterity (Agility, sneaking, and reflexes), and Heart (Resolve, Charm, and Force of Will). Roll 3d6 for each and swap two (if desired).
• Grit is hit points/stamina and you roll 2d6 to determine the starting total. 
• All characters have twelve inventory slots and roll for starting gear (pg. 86). Items and Equipment characteristics (for armor, damage, and slot values) can be found on pg. 24. All characters also start with three days rations, a torch, 3d6 lead (1 slot). Gunslingers should not start with a full inventory and should consider collaborating with others to determine what to carry.

 

Resolution: The game uses a universal resolution system of a d20 roll under. When a character attempts to do something with a chance of failure or is required to make a save to avoid consequences the players rolls a d20 against the appropriate Attribute. If the result is equal to or under the attribute the character is successful. We Deal in lead as various other sub systems that help round out the core mechanic:

• Combat: Combat is quick and decisive in We Deal in Lead. Gunslingers always act before opponents unless they are surprised (where they still get a chance to act first with a successful DEX save), characters can move up to 40' and act once (attack, move again, or another reasonable action) and all characters declare actions before rolling dice. There is no roll to hit, damage is rolled. There are rules for multiple attackers (all roll damage die and use the highest one), dual and two handed weapons (advantage on damage die), diminished attacks (when hindered deal d4), enhanced attacks (when something is advantageous, deal d12), and Blast (affects all targets in a designated area, covers explosions, cleaving, shotguns etc. When unsure on how many opponents it affects - roll damage die to determine). 
• Critical Damage and Death: When a character runs our of Grit, damage is done directly to Strength. When this occurs, the character is required to make a Strength save and if it fails, the character is wounded, out of action (can only crawl, etc.), and will die in an hour without help. When a character is reduced to zero strength, the character dies but the Game Master can roll a Heart save to see if the character survives by a hair as losing a Gunslinger is a terrible thing and can break up the order.  
• Scars: When an attack reduces your Grit to exactly 0, roll on the Scars table.
  
• Fatigue: When a situation causes fatigue, each one occupies one inventory slot and are gained when deprived, using certain items, and monster abilities.
  
• Deprived: Lacking something crucial (water, food, rest) leaves you deprived and unable to recover Grit or Ability scores. Add 1 fatigue after a day of deprivation. 
• Healing: A monetary drink and rest will restore all Grit but leave you exposed. Ability Loss requires a week of rest and relaxation with medical attention.  
• Defense: Armor and other items grants a defense score to mundane attacks that reduces incoming damage on a scale from 1-3 (it cannot be higher then 3). Guns bypass Defense and impact Grit directly. 

Then, there is an entire section on Gunslinging which details how guns are actually rare in the 'verse and the guns that Gunlslingers possess are actually relics that are powerful. They can call on their guns magic to restore their guns damage die in Grit. There are some other rules that govern the Way of the Gun:

1. The guns ammo capacity is tracked by using a dice and is reduced by each shot. When no shots remain, it takes a turn to reload and each full reload costs 1 lead. 
2. Guns are unpredictable even in the hands of a Gunslinger, instead of automatically rolling damage - the player rolls on a 2d6 shoot table to determine what happens. One a 12 a misfire happens and a roll is required on the Misfire table. 
3. There is a list of special attacks that cost a fatigue but include things like Quick Draw, Twin Six Shooters - Two & Three, Six Shooter - Fan Hammer, Repeater - Cry Pardon, Scattergun - Give em Both Barrels, Rifle - Deadeye.
4. Gunsmithing Guidelines 
5. Duels: When two Gunslingers cross paths and decide to duel, it is an entirely different affair and damage die is rolled (the shoot table is not used). Both sides make a Heart save. If one side fails, winner hits. If both fail, both shots hit. It both succeed the lower roll hits. Duels deal damage directly to Strength which triggers a critical damage save. Rolling a 1 deals max damage. When two groups fave off, the Errant (or lead Gunslinger) makes the groups Heart roll.
   

Final Thoughts: The game provides guidelines for wilderness exploration, other worlds, magic/rituals, beast companions, solo play, a starting adventure, and excursion generators/encounters. There is also examples of play, bestiary, guidelines for creating monsters/foes, and various appendixes (cover tables for names, traits, etc.). These sections of the game round out the setting and assist help the Errant build adventures and campaigns. 

This game seems to be inspired by The Dark Tower Series, Cosmic Horror, folktales, Ghost Stories, The Horror at the Mound by Robert E. Howard, Dead Man's Hand by John Joseph Adams , Worse Things Waiting by Manly Wade Wellman, The Outlaw King series bu S. A. Hunt and classical western media like The Magnificent Seven. Now, do not quote me on any of this as it is just pure speculation on my part.

My two favorite aspects about this game outside of the setting (and the idea that a Gunslinger is a borderline mythical creature chosen for law or chaos) are the dueling rules because it highlights that when two gunslingers duel, it is powerful serious affair. The second thing is something I have mentioned off handed but it is the Order of the Gunslingers. This is basically the classical idea of an adventuring party but bound up with flavor and rules to support the order as it is actually a mystical bond. If the Game Master has two or more players, the players create an order and there are some helpful tables to generate a name. Players collaborate to decide who is the Errant (the lead Gunslinger) and the Errant helps keep the order focused on their quest. The quest is an overarching personal plot line (the book provides some examples). The order cam be broken if a gunslinger loses their gun or if a gunslinger dies (or if a beast companion is killed). When this happens, the Errant (or if there is no Errant, then the Gunslinger with the highest Heart) makes a Heart save, if it fails the order is broken. Members of a broken order suffer a +2 penalty on the shoot table. The order can be mended after a significant event and five examples are given. There is also rules about sacrificing something important that puts the quest above the order but results in a permanently broken order but can also lead to a major quest revelation or even fulfillment. 

All in all, this is an extremely well written and evocative game. I did find it odd that some of the tables were placed in the back of the book as appendixes instead of after character creation and I wish there was an entire chapter devoted to setting and locations. This game could have benefited greatly from that and some descriptive locations outside of the excursion generation and the starting adventure. 

You can find We Deal in Lead at the below locations:

• By Odins Beard
• Itch 
• Exalted Funeral