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45-447: The eight-time Origins Award –winning setting has been converted to many other systems over the years and is available in the original Classic Rules, the revised Classic Rules, d20 System and GURPS adaptations, and a Savage Worlds version called Deadlands: Reloaded . Shane Lacy Hensley had the idea for a new game focusing on cowboys and zombies in 1994 as he was setting up his company Pinnacle Entertainment Group , when he saw

90-563: A Deadlands game, the Game Master is called The Marshal , and the players are called The Posse . To perform an action a player rolls for successes with a handful of dice and hopes that at least one of the dice rolls the Target Number or higher. Rolling the highest possible number on any of the dice is known as "rolling an ace", and that die may be re-rolled, with the total being added to the initial roll value. In most cases only

135-467: A " steampunk " setting. Players take on the role of various mundane or arcane character types, including Gunfighters , Lawmen (such as U.S. Marshals or local sheriffs), Hucksters (magic users), Shamans , Blessed (those of faith), and Mad Scientists in an attempt to learn about the Reckoning and the mysterious beings behind it. Deadlands features a unique way of creating playing characters for

180-505: A game that came out in 1996 for being too emblematic of '90s RPG design, but it's also hard to discuss the game without constantly pointing out just how '90s it is." Deadlands , its supplements and spin-offs have won nine Origins Awards : In 2014, Microsoft announced that it was developing an original television series for the Xbox based on Deadlands . Origins Award The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in

225-540: A given miracle (the amount of faith required by the patron for their assistance) can vary. For example, a priest seeking to heal a gunshot to the stomach would require more faith than if he were trying to mend a broken arm. Although the basic miracle set is predominantly Christian in nature, one of the extension sourcebooks includes miracles from other religions , and some of those are not permitted to Christian player characters. Native American shamans cast spells by making deals with spirits. This happens in three stages:

270-468: A masterful balance between high camp and high adventure. It has a great cover. But it's incomplete; with a setting this skeletal and the absence of adventures, how's a newcomer supposed to cobble together a campaign?" In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground , RPG historian Stu Horvath noted that Deadlands was emphatically a product of its time, pointing out, "It is difficult to criticize

315-497: 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. The unleashing of the Reckoners has had a number of important side effects. Magic was revealed to be real, although it involves challenging otherworldly spirits, "manitous", in contests that are either viewed as a negotiation or a test of will. These same manitous can possess

360-665: A new spin-off setting, Deadlands Noir , was conducted from May to June 2012, with the product's release expected in 2013. Reaper miniatures has, as of August 2012, solicited two white-metal miniatures for the Deadlands Noire setting to distributors: "Stone" and "Femme Fatal" In the December 1996 edition of Dragon (issue 236), Rick Swan liked the energy of the Western/horror mash-up, calling it "a revolutionary mix of fantasy and cyberpunk." However, Swan criticized

405-407: A painting by Brom of a Confederate vampire on the cover of White Wolf Publishing 's soon-to-be released Necropolis: Atlanta supplement; he then began writing the game that became Deadlands , and after completing a first draft, Hensley flew in two game designer friends of his, Greg Gorden and Matt Forbeck , and both of them liked the game enough that they asked to buy into Pinnacle. The game

450-515: A player role-plays this Hindrance well, the Marshal can reward them instantly with a Fate Chip. This has the effect of promoting and encouraging role-playing. The "Weird West" mark is used to distinguish the primary game setting from the various other settings: Doomtown:Reloaded: The classic CCG is back in a non-collectible boxed set. Released at GenCon in August 2014 by Alderac Entertainment Group,

495-425: A recently deceased body and reanimate it, creating a "Harrowed". Harrowed beings are sometimes under the control of the spirit (which uses the opportunity to spread fear) and sometimes under the control of the deceased being. Scientific progress rapidly advances as the Reckoners support experimental designs that normally would not work. This progress drives the technological level of Deadlands from historical levels to

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540-415: A single action. Players with huckster characters use a deck of playing cards in addition to dice to cast their spells ( hexes ). A successful skill check allows the player to draw five or more cards and makes the best possible poker hand with those cards. The strength of the hand determines not only whether the hex was successfully cast, but also the strength of its effects. In the game world, this mechanic

585-434: Is a corpse reanimated by supernatural forces, by the application of either the deceased's own life force or that of a supernatural being (such as a demon , or other evil spirits). The undead may be incorporeal ( ghosts ) or corporeal ( mummies , vampires , skeletons , and zombies ). The undead are featured in the belief systems of most cultures, and appear in many works of fantasy and horror fiction . The term

630-500: Is also occasionally used for real-life attempts to resurrect the dead with science and technology , from early experiments like Robert E. Cornish 's to future sciences such as "chemical brain preservation" and " cryonics ." While the term usually refers to corporeal entities, in some cases (for example, in Dungeons & Dragons ), the term also includes incorporeal forms of the dead, such as ghosts . Bram Stoker considered using

675-638: Is explained as the huckster literally gambling with a magical spirit in order to get it to do his or her bidding — a high ranking poker hand means the huckster has won, and the spirit casts the hex as desired; a low ranking poker hand results in failure. Both jokers are present and wild, increasing the chance of a good hand, but the black joker means that the spirit does something harmful to the huckster. Blessed characters can use their faith to invoke miracles —they pray for their patron to grant their request. The miracles are usually protective or restorative in nature, although there are some for attack. The difficulty of

720-491: Is identical to real-world history, up until July 3, 1863. On this date in the game, 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. This ritual created a conduit to a spiritual realm populated by powerful malicious entities known as the "Reckoners". The events surrounding and immediately subsequent to Raven's ritual

765-405: Is known as "The Reckoning". The Reckoners feed on negative emotions, particularly fear. Sufficient levels of fear in the population of a given location allow the Reckoners to begin subtly altering the environment of that location: the sun shines a little less brightly, trees become stunted and "evil" looking, rock formations take on the appearance of corpses or monsters, and so on. The more powerful

810-477: Is set in the United States in the last quarter of the 19th century. The canonical year for the first edition of Deadlands is 1876. A later supplement, Tales o' Terror , advances the game's backstory and metaplot ahead one year, to 1877. The second edition of Deadlands uses the updated backstory of 1877 as the canonical starting point. Deadlands: Reloaded further updates the backstory and advances

855-528: Is similar to The Whatleys) and the Morgan Cattle Company (which appears to be similar to a Sweetrock/Collegium blend). In May 2006, Great White Games published a new edition of Deadlands under the company's Pinnacle Entertainment Group label. This new edition, written by Shane Lacy Hensley and B.D. Flory and entitled Deadlands: Reloaded , used Great White Games' Savage Worlds generic role-playing system. The 256-page setting book updates

900-729: The Deep South , the Mississippi River , Mexico , and the Northeastern United States . These supplements often provide for adventures set in urban areas such as New Orleans , New York City , or Boston . The canonical, basic setting is referred to as the " Weird West " due to the juxtaposition of the Western setting with the horrific and fantastical elements of the game. The history of the Weird West

945-662: The Origins Game Fair in five categories: Best Professional Game , Best Amateur Game , Best Professional Magazine , Best Amateur Magazine and Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame . Since the first ceremony, the game categories have widened to include Board games (Traditional, Historical and Abstract), Card games (Traditional and Trading ), Miniature wargaming (Historical, Science Fiction and Fantasy ), Role-playing games and play-by-mail games . There are additional categories for Graphic Design , for game expansions and accessories, and for game-related fiction . During

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990-468: The Savage Worlds system. This book marked a first for Great White Games in that it is the first setting book published without a scripted or plot point campaign. The publisher has hinted that four complete plot point campaign books will be released for Deadlands: Reloaded , each focusing on certain regions and events in the metaplot of the game. In 2009 the first of these campaigns, The Flood ,

1035-491: The Undead become themselves Undead, and prey on their kind. And so the circle goes on ever widening, like as the ripples from a stone thrown in the water... But of the most blessed of all, when this now UnDead be made to rest as true dead , then the soul of the poor lady whom we love shall again be free. Instead of working wickedness by night and growing more debased in the assimilating of it by day, she shall take her place with

1080-686: The 1980s and 1990s, awards were also given to Computer games . Starting in 2003, the Origins Awards began a new category called the Vanguard Award, which honored highly innovative games. Charles S. Roberts Awards Originally, the Charles S. Roberts Awards and the Origins Awards were one and the same. Starting with the 1987 awards, the Charles S. Roberts were given separately, and they moved away from Origins entirely in 2000, leaving

1125-643: The 19th century. Frankenstein (1818) used unspecified technological means, the influential I Am Legend (1954) blamed a germ, Night of the Living Dead (1968) proposed radiation from a downed space probe, The Return of the Living Dead (1985) depicted a toxic gas, and Resident Evil (1996) featured a bioweapon. The undead have become popular adversaries in fantasy and horror settings, featuring prominently in many role-playing games , role-playing video games , MMORPGs and strategy games . In Bram Stoker 's novel Dracula , Van Helsing describes

1170-471: The Origins Awards as a completely separate system. In 1978, the awards also hosted the 1977 H. G. Wells awards for role-playing games and miniature wargaming . * - Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons were deemed different enough to be inducted on separate occasions. Undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if they were alive. A common example of an undead being

1215-517: The Un-Dead as the following: ‘Before we do anything, let me tell you this. It is out of the lore and experience of the ancients and of all those who have studied the powers of the UnDead. When they become such, there comes with the change the curse of immortality. They cannot die but must go on age after age adding new victims and multiplying the evils of the world. For all that die from the preying of

1260-436: The bones — the exact number and type being rolled determined by each character's stats — and then draw a number of cards from a community playing card deck based on the results of that roll. The Marshal then calls out card values, starting from Aces and going all the way down to Deuces. The card's suit (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, which is reverse alphabetical order and also the valuation in bridge) indicates who goes first if

1305-458: The canonical setting to 1879 and includes information on the events of the past year, as well as new rules. Among the most drastic changes to the basic Savage Worlds rules was "The Way of the Brave" rule, which revamped the way combat works in the system, making it more dangerous and deadly for characters and increasing the effectiveness of melee combat. This book also updated Fate Chips to work with

1350-516: The canonical starting point to 1879. The basic rules provide for characters and settings that could be expected to appear in the " Wild West " genre of movies and pulp fiction , and most of the in-game action is presumed to occur in the wild frontiers of the American West, or in barely tamed frontier towns like Tombstone, Arizona or Dodge City, Kansas . However, later supplements expanded the in-game adventuring area to include places such as

1395-461: The fear, the greater the environmental changes. The ultimate goal of the Reckoners is to turn the entire Earth into an evil, haunted wasteland — literally a Hell on Earth. However, the Reckoners cannot directly enter Earth's realm unless the overall fear level of the entire planet becomes sufficiently high. To this end, they use their powers to create monsters, madmen, zombies, and other creatures and villains that will sow fear and terror throughout

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1440-591: The game (in September 2014) was already in its THIRD printing. Doomtown: Reloaded is basically the same game as the older version, (now referred to as Classic) with a number of rule revisions that have streamlined and simplified the game. The basics are the same, with minor differences. The four factions released initially were the Law Dogs, The Sloan Gang (similar to the Blackjacks), The Fourth Ring (a circus that

1485-429: The game. Instead of spending character points, or randomly rolling dice, a character's abilities are determined by drawing cards from a standard 54-card poker deck (jokers included), which determine the character's Traits (their basic attributes). The game also uses polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20) which are referred to as the "Bones", and a set of white, red, and blue poker chips called "Fate Chips". In

1530-517: The gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 game fair. Award categories include board games, card games, tabletop role-playing games, strategy games, and game accessories. History of Categories The Origins Awards were initially presented at

1575-458: The highest single die's value (with "aces" added) is compared to a target number. For each five points over the target number the character is considered to have a "raise" which typically makes the character's action more effective. When attacking someone, raises give the attacker more control over where on the victim's body the blow or bullet strikes. When attempting to quickly reload a gun, each raise allows another round of ammunition to be loaded in

1620-474: The lack of setting details: "What we're given is little more than an overview... there are no interesting personalities to speak of. There's next to nothing about geography, politics, or culture. Cities, villages, places to explore—practically none. And there's not a single ready-to-play adventure." He concluded by giving the game an average rating of 4 out of 6, saying, " Deadlands is by no means bad. It's beautifully written and bursting with nifty ideas. It strikes

1665-498: The land. The first instance of this occurred on July 4, 1863, at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg that had just ended; dead soldiers from both sides of the conflict rose from the battlefield and began indiscriminately attacking the surviving soldiers and civilians. Since then, undead gunslingers, hostile Indian spirits, strange cults, and deadly creatures have begun terrorizing the world. The American Civil War drags on thanks to

1710-495: The machinations of the Reckoners, and the country remains divided into U.S. and Confederate sections along with "disputed territories". Federal agents and Texas Rangers struggle to deal with the eldritch menaces while hiding the awful truth from the general public. 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,"

1755-577: The other Angels. So that, my friend, it will be a blessed hand for her that shall strike the blow that sets her free. Other notable 19th-century stories about the avenging undead included Ambrose Bierce 's The Death of Halpin Frayser , and various Gothic Romanticism tales by Edgar Allan Poe . Though their works could not be properly considered zombie fiction, the supernatural tales of Bierce and Poe would prove influential on later writers such as H. P. Lovecraft , by Lovecraft's own admission. In Russia,

1800-667: The prevention of physical damage. The Marshal can draw chips as well for enemies to use. At the end of a gaming session, players can cash in unused Fate Chips for Bounty Points . These are like Experience Points in other systems and are used to improve Traits and Aptitudes. The Marshal may also award additional Bounty Points at the end of the session for completing the mission objectives and any exceptional role-playing by players. Marshals are also encouraged to reward players with instantaneous rewards for good role-playing. During character creation players can choose "Hindrances" (disadvantages) such as Big Britches, Bloodthirsty, or Big Mouth. When

1845-593: The same value of card is drawn. Along with Bones and Cards, characters get Fate Chips which are typically poker chips, although colored stones or coins can also be used. These are drawn from a hat or some other container that the player blindly chooses at the beginning of play. Each player draws a certain number of Fate Chips at the beginning of the game from the Fate Pot , modified according to player actions and Marshal preference. Fate chips can be spent for in-game bonuses such as bonus dice to use during certain rolls, or

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1890-404: The shaman asks for a favor, performs the ritual that tradition demands for that favor, and then his skill is tested by the spirit. If he succeeds all three, he earns "appeasement points" according to how well he succeeded. If he earned enough points for the favor, it is granted. If not, his work was in vain. Instead of rolling for Initiative as in most other RPGs, the players make a "speed" roll on

1935-403: The term "undead" refers only to vampires; the extension to other types of supernatural beings arose later. Most commonly, it is now taken to refer to supernatural beings which had at one point been alive and continue to display some aspects of life after death, but the usage is highly variable. Reanimation or the creation of zombies through non-supernatural means has become a trope since at least

1980-574: The title, The Un-Dead , for his novel Dracula (1897), and use of the term in the novel is mostly responsible for the modern sense of the word. The word does appear in English before Stoker but with the more literal sense of "alive" or "not dead", for which citations can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary . In one passage of Dracula , Nosferatu is given as an "Eastern European" synonym for "un-dead". Stoker's use of

2025-410: Was released. In 2012, the second of these campaigns, The Last Sons, was released. Matthew Cutter of Pinnacle has also stated that updated Hell on Earth and Lost Colony books will be published for the Savage Worlds system. The Hell on Earth update was released in 2012. Additionally, an equipment guide "The Smith & Robards Catalog", was published in 2011. A successfully funded Kickstarter for

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