38 Desperadoes and Derringers

Jan 1-5, 862

Foreword
     At the back of the DMG are the Gamma World, and Boot Hill Conversion Tables. Uncle Gary's solution to integrate other RPG's into his own. And folks who know better than I have suggested that Real D&D is already a Western. Therefore, with a rough map, a random encounter table, and a copy of Boot Hill a DM ought to be able to run a session full of Gunslingers and Outlaws with no trouble at all.

Session Report
    Dec 30, 861: Late at night, an enormous explosion is seen in the desert to the Southeast of Falkirk.
    
    Jan 01, 862: The Party has any number of leads they can chase, Rumours that the Vampire King once more walks the Earth, the Moving Castle wreathed in smoke spotted near Falkirk, the Explosion in the desert, those Pesky Lizardmen.

    As the desert would put the party further from both the Vampire King and the Moving Castle, the party elected to investigate the explosion. Rumours in Falkirk suggested the event took place due East of the Tower of the Swolceror, so the party kitted up and headed out.

    From a long way off was visible in the desert a dome. Miles high and tens of miles across, it shimmered in the desert sun like a sepia tinted border to a Llano Estacado-Elfland. When they reached the base of the dome, the adventurers noticed that the dome was a barrier, only a few inches thick. To their side, the flat sand of the Iron Desert spread out to the North, South, and West. Across the barrier, the ground was cracked stone, covered in prickly-pear cacti, sagebrush, and tumbleweeds. (Ah, fond in the mind of this DM is the remembrance of those prickly-pear fruits of his childhood, purloined from the neighbour's yard, and roasted over an op fire) Experimentation demonstrated that one could pass through the barrier from the world of Falkirk, one had difficulty returning without the help of someone in the world of Falkirk. The barrier also proved impermeable to sound. Whenever someone passed through the barrier from Falkirk, they heard, high overhead, the piercing cry of an eagle, and a few bars of that piece from "The Good the Bad and the Ugly" (you know the one).

    At this point Haric's player clued in and got very excited, but the party wasn't willing to pass into the barrier without a clear exit strategy. So they decided to walk the perimeter of the dome, to scout the area before going in. Rowyn walked inside the barrier, the rest of the party outside. After a mile or so, Rowyn spotted a rising cloud of dust kicked up by riders on fast horses. The riders drew near, rough men with big hats, and strange clothes. The party outside the barrier put a 10' pole through, and pulled Rowyn back into the world of Falkirk. This thoroughly spooked the riders who rode round in circles looking for the dwarf they'd seen vanish. After a few minutes they saw the leader hold up 3 gold pieces and start talking. Since they couldn't hear through the barrier Rowyn went back in.

    "-- one Dollar to the man who finds that short Miss. Consarnit! Where'd you come from!"

    This started a discussion which suggested that the desperadoes could neither see nor interact with the barrier riding through it to the plains that has always been there, rather than to Falkirk. Rowyn demonstrated her apparent disappearing act a few more times, and introductions were made. Rowyn had been found by the Quickdraw McGraw gang: Quickdraw McGraw, Baba Looey, Pepe Trueno, Hound-dog Douglas, and Mason Dix. Rowyn was currently standing in Robert E. Howard County, Texas. REH County consisted of the Llano Estacado in the West, (upon which they were perched) and the Piney Woods in the East, and the Plains between the two, home to Brownstone, Ft. Buck, a few farms and ranches, two outlaw bands, and some Commanche. The year was 18--, after the Civil War, but before the Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States.

    At this point Haric, and Amondale and his crossbowmen came through, weapons aimed. This sparked a standoff that Rowyn had to defuse. Amondale wanted to know about the coins Quickdraw had held up. Quickdraw called them 1/3 Dollar Pieces, but they were identical in every other respect. Haric wanted to know if the outlaws had heard anything about the explosion. "Not since Quickdraw used too much dynamite during that stage-coach robbery." But that was months ago. Amondale wanted to make some more "Dollars." After assuring Quickdraw that the adventurers were not saboteurs from the "Hole-in-Juan" Gang, it was agreed that the outlaws would guide the adventurers to Brownstone, where the outlaws would look for a lead, and the adventurers could outfit themselves with firearms and normal duds. The party left most of the hirelings in the world od Falkirk, with instructions to wait for their return, and help them back through the barrier. Amondale took the Heavy Crossbowmen with him to Brownstone.     
    In Brownstone, the outlaws slipped into the Palace Saloon, while the party went to Lacy's General Store. Here I dumped the "Boot Hill" price charts into the discord, and went to heat myself some more eggnog. When I returned, Rowyn decided that she wasn't going back to the world of Falkirk, she was staying in REH County for good. The party wrapped up their shopping, and met the Quickdraw Gang at the Palace Saloon. Tomorrow at noon, McGraw said, the Wells Fargo Wagon carrying payroll would exit the Piney woods and enter the plains on its way to Falkirk. According to his source, the stage-coach would have only the two drivers to protect it, so it would be an easy score, and a chance for the adventurers to prove themselves to the gang. It was agreed, and after Amondale lost 10gp at a game called "Crown and Anchor." The party called it a night.

    Next morning they rode to the Piney Woods and got into position. Rowynn suggested that she should fall off of her horse, and when the stage-coach stopped, they'd spring the ambush. The stage-coach arrived, two drivers, and 6 armed guards. The stage-coach stopped, the two rifle-toting guards were sent to help Rowyn, and the ambush was sprung.

    The driver started feeding the outlaws a cock-and-bull story to spook them, "--because I work for Mr. Wells Fargo himself, and he don't take too kindly to thieves. In a few minutes the 50 US Marshalls riding behind us, and the Sheriff and his Deputies riding out from Brownstone to meet us will be here, so the smart thing to to would just be to GIT!"

    So anyway, Amondale just started blasting, and after a flurry of gun-smoke, the guards were dead, and the only casualty was a wounded (but conscious) hireling. The outlaws swiped the payroll, and the Wells Fargo Horses (10 Good Horses/Light Warhorses), and rode back to Quickdraw McGraw's hideout at the base of the Llano. $537.24 was split 2/3 : 1/3 between the Gang and the Party, netting the players 179gp, 16cp each.

    Now began a long discussion between Amondale and Haric about what to do with the horses, whether to sell them in Brownstone or Falkirk (Rowyn didn't enter into this discussion because she was staying in REH County with the Quickdraw McGraw gang). I went to pour myself a brandy.

    The salient points of the discussion were these. I set the conversion rate of 3gp:$1 based on the cost of rations. 1 week of rations costs the same in Falkirk or Brownstone. But this meant because of the Boot Hill Price Tables that horses were 3 times as valuable in Brownstone as Falkirk. So, was it worth trying to sell obviously stolen horses, the day after they were stolen, in a town that was to have benefited from the money the horses were guarding, for a much higher profit.

    They decided to return to Falkirk (except Rowyn). The next day they said farewell to the gang took 5 of the stolen horses, and rode back to where they'd entered. Unfortunately the hirelings had abandoned them, and the barrier was not at that time permeable. More unfortunately still, 4 US Marshalls had been rolled on the encounter table, obviously investigating the Wells Fargo Mishap of the day before. Fortunately, however, the Marshalls were surprised, and two surprise segments was enough to dispatch them all. They looted Marshalls, took their badges and horses (4 Fair Horses/Draft Horses) and returned to the Gang Hideout.
    
Afterword
    It's critical that you remember that in AD&D combat, if multiple sides in a fight get multiple attacks per round, the sides take their attacks alternately (side A fires shot 1, Side B fires shot 1, Side A fires shot 2 &c.).

Dramatis Personae
    Haric, Elven Aspirant
    Rowyn Hillbrewer, Dwarven Footpad
    Amondale, Human Veteran
    
    Molly, Tilly, Donovan, O'Moira, Seamus, Light Footmen
    Art, Sylvester, Heavy Crossbowmen turned Riflemen