Goals

No, it's not the first time someone's adapted the original science-fiction roleplaying game to handle a western - but I'm, y'know, doing it my way. I'm actually not really sure it's worth saying it's based on the OSFRPG, other than to give some provenance to what's basically a (hopefully intuitive) 2d6 vs Target Number system. 

In addition to the OSFRPG, I'm taking some cues from an early Booth Hill (3rd edition), that supported some of my goals for portraying the genre:

 * Speed: Character creation and task resolution should by quick, simple, and not get bogged down in math or procedure. Dice fiddliness can be fun, but it doesn't belong here.

 * Lethality: It's not normally my objective for RPGS, but westerns tend to be violent, and a single bullet can kill. Pulling a gun should not be a casual act - someone will likely die. 

 * Minimal Bookkeeping: I really like metacurrencies (luck or fate or karma or whatever) in an RPG, but westerns are about priorities and decision making. Is it worth risking your like or taking that of another person? Would you forsake your darling on your wedding day? The significance of these decisions should not be diminished by tallying a tangible reward.

 * Reputation Matters: Some folks have said things like "Why don't you just roleplay it?", but I like to have something tangible to hang this sort of thing on (I know, it's a bit counter to my previously listed goal). Stories get around, and folks will react differently based on what they've heard.