The Way to Aberillo: Episode 1

Main Street, Aberillo

INTRODUCTION

Since constructing Aberillo and painting a load of western figures to go with it, I’ve been trying to find a set of rules that I like and which will do everything I want. My ideal rule set will be straightforward enough to allow reasonably fast play, yet detailed enough to build its own narrative, flexible enough to accommodate multiple players and uneven sides, as well as including plenty of detail – such as hit locations, fast draws and the like - but I want all this without over-complicating gameplay or enjoyment. To date I’ve not found a single set of rules that does all of this. The closest in my view are Wargames Foundry’s The Rules With No Name, and Wiley Games’s A Fistful of Lead: Reloaded – both of which are admittedly excellent if not exactly what I want. So I have come up with a hybrid ruleset that relies fairly heavily on these two, but with additional ideas derived from other sets of rules, some Western Gunfights, some not.

This post presents the narrative of the first proper game played using these hybrid rules, which I am calling “A Fistful of Dice” in honour of both of the above sets (acknowledging that this is the subtitle of The Rules With No Name, and closest to that set overall). 

I’m not going to talk about the specifics of the rules used here in any detail, just present the story that was generated during play. Feel free to contact me directly if you want more detail on the rules themselves and I’ll be pleased to help. 

Welcome to Aberillo

EPISODE I – This Town Ain’t Big Enough

It is around 1870. Our story begins in the sleepy town of Aberillo, the principal settlement in Aberillo County, an imprecisely defined area somewhere on the frontier between Indian Territory and the Mexican border, where Welsh pioneers and prospectors settled some years ago in the hope of finding gold. With the arrival of the railway, and the occasional successful gold strike, Aberillo continues to steadily grow as more people arrive and trade increases. There are two kinds of people, my friend. Those that prosper, and those that come in by the window.

"Early train's late again..."

As usual, the early train is late. Station Master Jones tuts to himself as he checks his pocket watch for at least the third time this morning. 

All is quiet in town in the early morning

In the town centre, accompanied by two hired guards, Bank Manager Owen Money exits the main door of the Bank, on his way to the station. He carries a fat leather bag containing cash that is to be transferred to a strongbox on the early morning train. He and his men check the area for signs of danger.

A reasonable hotel, but in need of some maintenance

Leaving the comfort of Aberillo's finest Hotel, the KC Duke Gang are up early. KC has just heard that local ruffian "Mad Dog" Madog is soon to be into town, and he wants to be ready for him. To leave Aberillo without a show of strength could be seen as losing face, and that just will not do.

Madog and his gang swagger into town

On the other side of town, "Mad Dog" Madog and his toughs have already hitched their horses and are steadily walking down Main Street. In the centre, their leader is feeling mean, unhappy that a rival gang has spent last night making merry on his patch. This is Madog’s territory, no matter what anyone else might say.

"Let's see what's going on, then..."

Shotgun at the ready, Old Seth moves up to the corner of the street and peers around the wall of the Tobacconist. Some folks have come out of the bank and are looking down the street towards the rival gang. Trouble is brewing, for sure.

"Is that poster supposed to look like me?"

The gunman Doyle casually leaves Madog's side and walks over to the sheriff's office to geta closer look at the wanted posters on the wall. Madog might think he's tough, but there's no price on his head yet - or any other gang members, for that matter.

Just going about my business...

Moving between the Tobacconist and the Belle View Saloon, KC Duke enters Main Street. He lights the stub of a cigar and shakes the match out as he surveys the scene. Despite the early hour, he can hear the sounds of customers inside the saloon. The horses shift at the hitching post as he watches the men outside the bank on the other side of the street, and contemplates the contents of that fat leather bag.

McKenzie advances toward the saloon

To KC's left, his gang member Jimmy Card - "The Kid" - rounds the corner and looks in the Tobacconist's window. At the same time, McKenzie, one of Madog's gunmen, moves along the boardwalk to a closer position, where he has a clear view of the two rival gang members. The soundtrack quietens as their eyes meet and they appraise each other, waiting to see who will make the first move. 

Taking up positions

The other pair of the KC Duke Gang have crossed the street. Expecting trouble, Marty Dean keeps a careful watch, while Old Seth finds a safe and reasonably comfortable position behind the cover of some barrels. The tension is building and it's only a matter of time before someone goes for their gun. Seth, who knows these tense pauses can sometimes be overly long, contemplates taking a short nap.

That move is just too close for comfort

Abruptly, the tension is suddenly broken as a cowboy (who has nothing to do with either gang) bursts out of the saloon, jumps on his horse and makes off down the street. It's a moment that in many westerns would serve to raise the tension another level, but in this case the nervous gunfighters protecting the Bank Manager are just too jumpy, and they both open fire.

The gunfight begins

As the gunfighter on Mr Money's right fires in the direction of the cowboy, his companion swings in Doyle's direction and shoots before he has a chance to react. Doyle is hit badly in the leg and drops to the ground. In the street, the cowboy's injured horse falls down, depositing its rider on the ground. The cowboy really wasn't expecting to find himself in a firefight and, understandably, panic sets in.

"Run away!"

Losing his nerve, the cowboy scuttles off between the buildings to get away from the action.

"Doyle, what have they done to you!" 

Ffion the saloon girl, who for some reason is quite fond of Doyle, just by chance happens to be in the Sheriff's office. She rushes out to try to help him, but all she really achieves is to get in the way.

"This could be my lucky day..."

Clearly the Bank Manager must be carrying a valuable prize in his bag. KC sees an opportunity, if only he can get Madog's men out of the way first. Ducking behind the cover of the edge of the saloon, he opens fire at McKenzie, but finds himself out of ammo at the critical moment.

Shots are fired across the front of the saloon

As Shotgun Sam, Madog's loyal number two, runs inside the saloon, McKenzie is joined by Cheyenne and they both open fire in KC's direction.

McKenzie is hit

But KC's reactions are fast. Cheyenne ducks back behind cover, but McKenzie is too slow and takes a bullet. A flesh wound to the belly and he is forced to the ground in pain.

"Let's get out of here!"

inside the saloon, Shotgun Sam moves to a window with a closer view of KC and The Kid. But he can't do this without disturbing the locals, and a crowd of terrified bystanders rushes out of the saloon and away up the street to safety.

He's behind you...

As Ffion tries to help the injured Doyle, the door to the Sheriff's Office slowly opens and an unfamiliar man emerges. He's a notorious bandit who is taking the opportunity to escape from jail while everyone else is distracted by the gunfight. [It's not quite clear what has happened to the Sheriff, who really ought to have prevented this, but we will assume that he is asleep and Ffion must have left the jail keys within reach of the prisoner when she rushed out to help Doyle - though what she was doing in the Sheriff's office anyway remains a mystery]. The escaped prisoner grabs Ffion from behind and loudly announces that he will kill her if anyone shoots in his direction.

Taking up a new position

KC, aware that Shotgun Sam is likely to attack him from the cover of the saloon, takes the opportunity to move away, and finds a better firing position behind an outhouse at the rear of the saloon where he has a clearer view of Cheyenne and McKenzie.

Time for action

But "Mad Dog" Madog has spotted KC's cunning move. Up to this point he has merely been watching what's been going on, but he's decided now is the time to take action. He moves to a position with a bead on KC from cover next to the oven of Evans's Bakery.

And down he goes

McKeznie is unable to see KC but knows that if he moves into the street he has a clear shot on The Kid. He rushes out bravely, shoots, and promptly misses. On the opposite side, Marty Dean returns fire, and McKenzie is hit again, this time taking a wound that knocks him out. Unconscious, he drops to the ground. The bank guards, who have retreated back inside the building for protection, shoot from the windows at The Kid instead, but also miss. Oblivious, The Kid stands in the open as shots ricochet off nearby objects. He has absolutely no idea any of those shots were meant for him.

The cowboy takes his own back 

Behind The Kid, the cowboy at last regains his nerve. Taking a moment to recover, he turns in the direction of the shooting, intent on revenge, and shoots. The Kid is hit with a shot to the heart.

"I can see you..."

From the cover of buildings, KC and Madog exchange shots. 

"Shhh!"

A bystander leaves the Tobacconist's, heading around the corner of Main Street to safety. Shotgun Sam, finding himself lacking a target, has somehow made his way here. He waves the bystander past as he sneaks toward the corner of the building in search of a better firing position.

Cheyenne runs in

While KC's focus is to shoot Madog, Cheyenne takes the opportunity to test the hand-to-hand combat rules and moves into contact. A fight breaks out as they grapple each other and roll around on the ground behind the outhouse. Madog, who isn't overly concerned about Cheyenne's welfare, continues to fire. Inevitably, perhaps, Cheyenne is hit.

"Escape at last!"

The escaped convict, hostage in tow, has made it to the edge of town. Setting in place an obvious plot hook for a future scenario, he leaves the table. 

"Surprise!"

Old Seth, who has just woken up from his nap to find a gunfight going on, and realised that he is nowhere near the action, retraces his steps. As he rounds the corner of a building he comes face-to-face with Shotgun Sam. Shotguns are discharged at short range.

"I give up!"

Marty Dean has crossed the street, pursuing The Kid's killer, who he knows must be here somewhere. Behind him, though, a drunk has emerged from the saloon and is now tugging at his coat, desperately trying to surrender. Marty is annoyed by the distraction, but the presence of a citizen (even Newt Lush the town drunk) means that the two guards in the bank opposite decline to open fire in case (as is reasonably likely) they hit an innocent bystander. Instead, they take aim at Marty's back and wait for the drunk to move aside.

Getting close and personal

Beside the outhouse KC fights off the wounded Cheyenne, but as he stands, Madog sneaks up behind and aims his rifle at point blank range. KC cannot react quickly enough. Madog fires - and somehow misses. Angry, he makes a noise a bit like a mad dog, and tries again with a second shot - but this time the gun just clicks as he finds himself out of ammo. He roars something unintelligible in frustration.

Noises coming from the direction of Main Street warn that the sheriff is up and about at last and has obviously aroused more men than either gang wish to face. Not wanting an angry mob to take justice into their own hands, the rivals stop their quarrelling with a few choice phrases and angry looks, back off, and usher their remaining gang members to get out of town fast. There’ll be another chance to settle their differences soon enough.

To be continued...