Cowpunchers, Western RPG

Cowpunchers is a straight Western themed RPG. With a PDF running to only 25 pages its clearly on the RPG-lite end of the game spectrum. This base game is entirely "straight" that is to say, there's no "weird", there's no Cthulhu lurking in a cave.

The system itself is quick and easy to get into, I see it as perfect for a one-shot game, or for anyone that doesn't want to be looking up rules for every situation. Generating a PC is quick and easy with only 3 characteristics  Vigor, Finesse, and Smarts which are each rolled on 3D6.  That covers the physical and mental aspects of the character. As with most OSR type games the value of each stat is associated with  a bonus. In most OSR games that would be a +1, or +2 to a die roll, but as Cowpunchers is D6 based, the bonus effects the number of D6's you get to roll when making a check against the stats. 

There are a number of skills in the game, and starting characters buy skills and they're about ready to go.

Skill and Stat checks are all rolled by trying to roll a number of successes, with each 5 or 6 on a die being a success. This simple straight forward system is again an appear to new players or those who just want the system to get out of the way.

I mentioned one-shots, but Cowpunchers provides character advancement, by gaining levels the character gains new or improved skills. Its worth noting here too that each level gets the PC an extra Hit Point. That's important as it means that characters stay squishy. These PCs are not becoming super heroes but they will become crack shots on a par with "The Man with no Name". And talking of shots, there are enough gun stats in this book to keep the gear heads happy too.

The end of the book includes a scenario to get you started, but I have published the first supporting scenario for the game, called Pink Gold.

The art is evocative and on-point, drawn/painted by the author Jonathan Torres a.k.a. "The Basic Expert"