Makin' Heroes

Once you decide on a concept for your sodbuster, it’s time to figure out his statistics. Log in into your virtual tabletop game or download a character sheet designed for Deadlands.

1. RACE

Humans are the only race allowed in Deadlands. The West is a diverse place where all ethnicities are welcome, even though bigots of all types remain. Despite its general lawlessness—or perhaps because of it—folks from around the world flock to America pursuing a better life. Humans begin play with one Novice Edge whose Requirements they meet.

2. Hindrances

To a large degree, a character is defined by his or her flaws, or Hindrances. You can take up to 4 points of Hindrances. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points, and a Minor is worth 1. A hero could thus take two Major Hindrances, four Minor, or any combination that adds up to 4 points. (You can take more Hindrances if you want but the maximum benefit is 4 points!).

Use points gained from taking Hindrances to purchase benefits for your character, as detailed on the following page.

3. Attributes

Next, assign your hero’s attributes.

• A character begins with a free d4 in each of his five attributes: Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, and Vigor.
• You have 5 points to distribute among these attributes. Raising an attribute by a die type costs 1 point, and you may not raise an attribute above d12.
• You may spend 2 Hindrance points to raise one attribute by one die type.

4. Skills

Core Skills: Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, and Stealth are “innate” abilities most adult adventurers have. Your character starts with a d4 in each of these five core skills.

Buying Skills: Next, you have 12 points to buy skills. Most standard skills in the Savage Worlds rulebook are available in Deadlands: The Weird West.

• Raising a skill by a die type costs 1 point (starting at d4), as long as it’s no higher than the attribute to which it’s linked.
• It costs 2 points per die type to raise a skill above its linked attribute.
• Skills can’t be raised above d12.
• You may spend 1 Hindrance point to gain an additional skill point.

Knowledge Skills: Electronics and Hacking are not available in Deadlands, but we add one Smarts-based skill: Trade.

Trade (Smarts): is for day-to-day tasks needed to run a business (blacksmith, saloon owner, miner, etc.). Note the specific trade in parentheses. Trade lets an entrepreneur raise funds (as the Performance skill in Savage Worlds) through advertising, money-saving tactics, and buying cheaper goods.

Language Skill: Most folks in the Americas, regardless of where they hail from originally, learn the most common language of the land. That’s English, amigo. Heroes with the Outsider Hindrance know a different language and must drop a few points into Language (English) to make themselves understood.

5. DERIVED STATISTICS

The following stats are based on the Traits you chose, or are common to all characters, unless modified by Edges or Hindrances.

• Pace is equal to 6.
• Parry is equal to 2 plus half your Fighting die (rounded down). If you haven’t taken the Fighting skill, it’s 2.
• Toughness is equal to 2 plus half your Vigor die (rounded down).

6. EDGES

Now decide what special abilities set your hero apart from other folks. Just as Hindrances define heroes, Edges allow them to shine during a story.

• Humans get a free starting Edge, as noted in Savage Worlds.
• For each 2 Hindrance points spent, choose another Edge.

7. GEAR

Each hero starts with the clothes on his back and some of whatever currency is appropriate for the hero (see Dinero on page 40). You’ll want to spend some of that now on weapons, ammunition, and equipment. There’s a complete list on pages 25–37.

• Characters begin with $250.
• For 1 Hindrance point, gain an additional $500.

8. BACKGROUND DETAILS

Flesh out your hero’s background. Give her a name, think a bit about where she came from and why she’s traveled out West—or what she’s done her whole life, if she started out there. This all helps you play your character well, and gives the Marshal lots of ideas for interesting stories.

9. YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE

Finally, think a bit on what really scares your hero. What’s he afraid of, and why? Now think about what kind of dream makes him wake up with the cold sweats at night. Write it down. No reason, really. Trust us.