The following write up was written for posting on my game groups forum. Thought I would post it here as well.
This is the first of three setting specific reviews of games based on the genreDiversion i rules from Precis Intermedia Gaming. Let me start this off be saying that I thought long and hard before buying a set of rules with a western theme. I can honestly say that with the exception of a few movies (Outlaw Jose Wales and Young Guns) I really hate westerns. I don’t like country/western music, and I really am not a fan of that part of U.S. history. That said, I still would love a chance to play or GM a game of Coyote Trail.
First things first. You can get the core rules for the game for 5.00, which is dirt cheap for an 76 page RPG IMHO. You can also pay just 10.00 and get the expanded edition which includes “…the Coyote Trail core book, companion Enhancement Pack, Shady Gulch Revisited, and Indian Trails.” I purchased the expanded edition, and am happy I did. Buying the bundle saves about 3 bucks.
I won’t review the mechanics of the game much, as it is based on the same rules I covered in the generic genreDiversion review. I will say that the core book is laser focused on the western setting. The game includes the new character creation option of vocations, which describe what a character is trained to do. They also help to define a set of skills and gimmicks associated with that vocation. All of the vocations have a great western theme, from cowboys to homesteaders, to lawmen and outlaws. In typical western fashion, a new health measurement has been added to track the effects of intoxication. There is a small section on the transportation of the day, horses and wagons. Like vehicles in the generic rules, you create your horse/wagon using a similar set of skills and gimmicks…super easy once you know how to create a character.
The skills and gimmicks are not the generic set found in the genreDiversion rulebook, but rather a setting specific set. Pretty much everything you would need is there, and if it is not the system is plenty flexible to make one up on the fly as needed. The book includes rules for chases and, like the generic rules, everything is described in both basic and advanced terms where it comes to task resolution and chases.
Pages 33 - 52 layout some great background information, typical lists of equipment, and some general gm advice for running a western game. You will also find the standard conversion to other PIGames systems, and a guide to animals int he wild. Page 44 covers an optional set of gimmicks called Cliches. The idea here is to encourage some of the more stereotypical themes in western movies. There are cliches for fighting and riding and carousing. They work just like regular gimmicks, but are only used at the GM’s discretion.
Pages 54 - 76 are the Shady Gulch supplement. Shady Gulch is a fictional western settlement in the plains (the Black Hills to be exact). This section covers the town, its history, its inhabitants. This is a dead simple section, and it give you an entire setting to play out your games in. All of the NPC’s from the town are presented with full stats, ready to roll.
Pages 78 - 106 is a must read history lesson on the plains Indians. History, story ideas, some information on playing Indian characters. The chapter is well written, and covers an amazing amount of US history in a short space. If you want to include the Plains Indian tribes in your adventure you can get all the information you need from this chapter.
Pages 107 - 134 contain four adventures that game be played with the rules. I think most of them (if not all) take place in and around Shady Gulch. Each adventure includes everything needed to play, including all the NPC’s you will need.
The book ends with about 15 pages of reference sheets, character sheets, and a boatload of additional, ready made, NPC’s. A GM familiar with the genreDiversion rules could be ready to run a game in a couple of hours. The adventures in the book are short, which makes this a great filler game between campaign sessions. I mentioned that the setting is not my favorite, but the game is so approachable that I hardly even notice. The inclusion of all of the historical information makes reading the book fun.
Overall, I would say that this is my second favorite genreDiversion setting. I will try and write up a review of my favorite setting soon. I am anxious to try this game out, if for no other reason than it will be fun to talk kinda western for a session, use lots of slang (a guide is provided on pg 138) and generally have a good ole’ gunfight in the middle of main street.
There are a couple of other books for the setting that I do not have. One is Colonial Record, which allows you to use the rules to play games set in the war for independence, and Straddle County which is another town/setting book.