To play Whiskey, Grits, n’ Demon Spittle,

you need:
Cortex Mods
⬧ Cortex Prime Game Handbook ⬧ core rules
⬧ printed or on-screen Character Files (pregens)
⬧ friends to play with
Character Traits
⬧ dice to roll (can be a dice-bot) Prime Trait Sets:
⬧ Distinctions (p50)
three basic d8 phrases, each with
the Hinder SFX
⬧ Roles (p58)
⬨ Rootin’ — lore, esp. related to the land
⬨ Tootin’ — tech, emphasis on steampunk
⬨ Lootin’ — sneaking, stealing, infiltration
⬨ Falutin’ — social stuff, parties, facework
⬨ Bootin’ — movement, escaping, riding
⬨ Shootin’ — fighting, emphasis on gunplay
This game was originally created in two hours as an
example of Pick Three and Add Cortex (p128). ⬧ Values (p60)
The three genres this is built from are Espionage, Authority Bravery Duty
Fantasy, and Western. The title and certain design Grace Discovery Fortitude
elements are courtesy of Omnybus. This was
written in the occupied territory of the Kalapuya. Secondary Trait Sets:
Inspirations for the game include: ⬧ Talents (p66)
⬧ The Wild Wild West ⬧ Specialties (p59)
⬧ The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. attached to Roles
⬧ Deadlands ⬧ Abilities (p54, p194) combined with
⬧ Jonah Hex Signature Assets (p64); renamed Boons
⬧ Doom Attrition:
⬧ Heart: The City Beneath
⬧ Shaken & Stricken (p42)
⬧ spaghetti westerns
applies to Values
⬧ spy-fi (James Bond, Avengers, Charlie’s Angels)
⬧ Jack Chalker’s Soul Rider series Advancement:
⬧ Session Records (p82)

Quick CharGen
In (almost) any order:
⬧ Name your character
⬧ write your Distinctions
⬧ rate your Values as such:
1x d10, 2x d8, 2x d6, 1x d4
⬧ rate your Roles as such:
1x d10, 1x d8, 3x d6, 1x d4
⬧ write one d6 Specialty for a Role rated
at d8 or higher
⬧ write one Talent related to your
highest-rated Role
⬧ choose one Boon rated at d8, along with two
SFX attached to it
⬧ choose one of the following:
⬨ one d6 Specialty for a Role rated
at d6 or higher
⬨ one Talent of any style
⬨ one Boon rated at d6
When writing Talents, take a look at the ones in
TRACE 2.0 (p166) — they’re strongly related to
both Roles and Stress, so similar ones will fit in
with Whiskey, Grits, n’ Demon Spittle.
Archetypes
The Sage
Steadfasts with a high Rootin’ trait are scholars,
seers, and spiritual leaders. They tend to have a lot
of insight into how the world works, through long
observation and study. This includes knowing and
understanding the myths, legends, and culture
that shapes local reality.
Rootin’ Talents
Oral Record: When
Speak From Wisdom: When a posse member fails a
roll in a test or contest within earshot, you may
lend them your Rootin’ die for their next roll with
no additional consequences. Spend a PP to
eliminate one of their complications, if any.
Tradition & Myth: When you draw upon your deep
knowledge of lore, spend a PP to create an
appropriate d8 asset.
The Scientist
Experts at Tootin’ are able to design, build,
understand, and take apart all sorts of
technological bits and bobs. Not only can they
throw together tools that work the way they
expect, they’re also able to quickly and expertly use
local physical laws to make tech that should keep
working for the folks they come across.
Tootin’ Talents
By My Calculations: When
Gadgeteer: When using Tootin’ to slap together a
new device, add d8 to your roll to create a
technological asset. Spend a PP to double the
effect die (creating two technological assets).
Jury Rig: When
The Midnighter
Aoeu
Lootin’ Talents
Cutpurse: When
Recon: When using Lootin’ to gather intel on a new
location, add d8 to your roll to create an
information asset. Take d6 Bravery or Discovery
stress to step up the asset or give it to someone
else.
Silent as the Grave: When
The Diplomat
Aoeu
Falutin’ Talents
Precious Salve: When you take time to aid or assist
another character, you may take d6 of your choice
of stress in order to step down one stress on that
character. Spend a PP to repeat this.
Shindig: When you make yourself the life of the In general, boons should have the more narrative
party, spend a PP to create an appropriate d8 asset. SFX like abilities, while talents are where you
Silver Tongue: When using Falutin’ to lay on the should go for fancy dice tricks.
schmooze, keep an extra effect die and use it on
your next roll as an asset. Spend a PP to step up the
asset or give it to someone else.

The Trailblazer
Aoeu
Bootin’ Talents
Hell Outta Dodge: When you unceremoniously
leave the scene, take d6 Authority stress to step
down any other stress. Spend a PP to step down a
second stress.
Sizin’ Up: When you take the measure of your
opposition, spend a PP to create an appropriate d8
asset.
Yee-haw!: When you pull out all the stops, take d6
Grace or Fortitude stress to double your Bootin’
die on a test or contest.

The Deadeye
Aoeu
Shootin’ Talents
High Noon: When using Shootin’ in a test or
contest against another sharpshooter, add d8 to
your pool. If you spend a PP, double it to 2d8.
Line ‘em Up: When using Shootin’ against a whole
mess of folk, step down your effect die to apply it to
all your targets.
Slugfest: When you get yourself in a fistfight, you
may push Bravery or Fortitude stress without
spending a PP.

Boons
Any of the abilities from chapter 6 (p194-213) are
fair game for steadfasts’ boons. To expand upon
the Abilities as Gear section, boons can also
represent less concrete concepts, like financial
resources or contact networks.
Setting
There are… a lot of problematic elements to both
the western and the spy-fi genres – mostly rooted
in settler colonialism and white exceptionalism. I
would love to unpack all of that and explore a
reclamation of the more compelling elements,
but… I don’t feel comfortable taking that project on
without appropriate co-writers.
Instead, the default setting will be designed to
evoke the tropes and expectations of weird west
spy-fi, without perpetuating the harmful thoughts
and actions of the past and present.
Welcome to Mars
Let’s be honest – “welcome” is a weird word choice
here. You live on Mars. You were born on Mars. And
so was literally every other person you know.
Turns out the place is real nice too – it’s no longer
red dust as far as the eye can see (though trust,
there’s still plenty of that). Ether trains and airships
going where you might want to – oceans, jungles,
cities, mountains… you name it.
Nexus Points
How did we actually accomplish this? Well, we
spent some time doing experimentation with
reality gates which, regrettably, resulted in the
obliteration of the moons Phobos and Deimos. We
learned a lot from that though, I tell you what.
Over the course of about twenty years, eighteen
Nexus Points were built across Mars, activated, and
put to good use. These big blue beacons open,
from what they say, upon a reality made entirely of
Ether. That stuff made terraforming the place a
breeze.
The Fall of Earth
Oh, you’re worried about that, hm? Don’t fuss none,
it’s still there. It’s just… gone quiet. Transmissions
ceased, ships of newcomers stopped coming, and
you can’t see lights through the telescopes. ‘Sides,
that was over fifty years ago (Martian years that is).
Not a soul living who remembers that time.
Magic & Technology
Ether’s screwy stuff. It wants to make you happy.
No, let’s rephrase that. It makes your dreams and
expectations solidify into reality. This is exactly as
wonderful and terrifying as it sounds.
The original Architects had a strong, unified goal in
using the Ether – in general the reality around the
Nexus Points is both very solid and strongly
resembles Earth in climate and architecture.
Outside of those areas? Anything goes. A
settlement of folks who strongly believe in fairy
tales will have their beliefs manifested by the Ether
around them. If one slinger with a gun travels
through a place where guns are forbidden, well. It
might not even fire. Saunter through a fur town, be
prepared for paws and claws.
Your posse though, you’re all what’re called
“steadfasts.” Your belief in yourself is strong enough
that being somewhere with different rules doesn’t
change who you are, or how your own personal
abilities and equipment works.
While there are a number of amazing technologies
available these days, there are very few that
remain almost absolutely consistent in the
expanse between nexus points — steam is at the
forefront among them.
City-States & Guilds
The eighteen city-states built around the Nexus
Points are where most of the population of Mars
lives. It’s comfortable, reality is solid, and you know
your place in life. Most of the city-states use some
variation of parliamentary democracy, but there’s
also one autocracy (ruled by a descendant of that
city-state’s original architects), one guild-run
oligarchy (which also serves as the seat of power
for the various guilds), and a couple which function
as anarchies.
Pathways Origin
Use pathways (CPGH p73) for a campaign world Add your Steadfast ☐
with a rich web of player-invested setting Add a GMC ○ and a location 🝔
elements. While shorter than most Cortex Connect your Steadfast to them both
pathways, this process is probably too heavy for a ☐→○, ☐→🝔
one-shot or short campaign. ⬧ Well To-do
Each element you add to the board has a shape to ↥ Authority or Grace — do twice
help distinguish it. Your Steadfasts are squares ↥ Falutin’ or Shootin’
(☐). Circles are other characters (○), or double up ○ is your benefactor
for guilds (⌾). Diamonds are locations (🝔). 🝔 is your stronghold
Triangles are events (△). Arrows (→ and ←) create ⬧ Point Folk
connections. Sometimes character traits are ↥ Authority or Duty — do twice
stepped up (↥) or back (↧), or added entirely (⊕). ↥ Tootin’ or Lootin’
○ is your childhood friend
There are prompts for each of the distinctions, and 🝔 is a public meeting place in your Point
most of the map elements. It’s important to ⬧ Track Folk
remember that though they might spark thought ↥ Bravery or Discovery — do twice
and discussion, they are still merely prompts and ↥ Tootin’ or Bootin’
can be ignored for the greater character concept. ○ is the one that got away
Start your Steadfast with a d4 rating in every role 🝔 is a liminal space
and value. No trait may be rated above d10 during ⬧ Ether-touched
these five stages. If you’re told to make a choice ↥ Grace or Fortitude — do twice
between stepping up two traits you already have at ↥ Lootin’ or Bootin’
d10, choose any other trait in the same set to step ○ is your mentor
up instead. 🝔 is a magical place that defies logic
⬧ Hamlet Folk
↥ Duty or Fortitude — do twice
↥ Rootin’ or Falutin’
○ is a member of your extended family
🝔 is your hamlet
Upbringin’ Steadfast
Connect your Steadfast to an existing element Add an event △
☐→○/🝔 ☐→△
Write a distinction related to this stage Write a distinction related to this stage
Choose a d8 boon Choose a d6 specialty for a d6+ role
⬧ Soft Write an SFX for your boon
↥ Duty or Grace — do twice ⬧ Granted
↥ Falutin’ or Bootin’ — do twice ↥ Bravery or Duty
What would make you harden up? ↥ any value
⬧ Schoolin’ ↥ Falutin’ or Shootin’
↥ Authority or Discovery — do twice △ is the ceremony you gained steadfastness
↥ Rootin’ or Tootin’ — do twice What is expected of you in return?
What truth did your study uncover? ⬧ Meditation
⬧ Hunted ↥ Authority or Discovery
↥ Bravery or Fortitude — do twice ↥ any value
↥ Bootin’ or Shootin’ — do twice ↥ Rootin’ or Tootin’
What drives your pursuers? △ is when you reached a heightened state
⬧ Fantastical What did you give up for this stability?
↥ Grace or Discovery — do twice ⬧ Pushed
↥ Rootin’ or Falutin’ — do twice ↥ Duty or Fortitude
How do you bring the impossible with you? ↥ any value
⬧ Tough ↥ Lootin’ or Shootin’
↥ Bravery or Fortitude — do twice △ is the trauma that solidified you
↥ Lootin’ or Shootin’ — do twice How are you healing from this?
What is it that melts your heart? ⬧ Innate
↥ Authority or Grace
↥ any value
↥ Rootin’ or Tootin’
△ is when you realized you could make change
What aspect has been consistent since birth?
⬧ Stolen
↥ Bravery or Discovery
↥ any value
↥ Lootin’ or Bootin’
△ is when you took this from those in power
Who might want to take this back from you?
Guild Dues ⬧ Diplomat
↥ Authority or Grace
Add your guild ⌾
↥ Falutin’
☐→⌾
↥ any role
Connect any two non-Steadfast elements
Which allies can you always count on?
○/🝔/△/⌾→○/🝔/△/⌾
eg: Companions; Alliance of Trust; Brewers;
Write a distinction related to this stage
[Point] Senate; Valles Marineris Callers
Choose a talent appropriate to your guild
Write an SFX for your boon
⬧ Deadshot
↥ Bravery or Fortitude
↥ Shootin’
↥ any role
Who was your most famous kill or capture?
eg: Hunters; Bloodhounds; Birds of Prey;
Iron Collar; Tyrrhena’s Claw
⬧ Midnighter
↥ Grace or Discovery
↥ Lootin’
↥ any role
What was your biggest score?
eg: Lamplighters; Vagabonds; Silent Partners;
Unseen Hand; Pockets of Tarsis
⬧ Trailblazer
↥ Authority or Discovery
↥ Bootin’
↥ any role
Where would you like to go one day?
eg: Sky Traders; Rail Runners; Stringers;
Planitia Spanners; Trackfinders
⬧ Maker
↥ Duty or Fortitude
↥ Tootin’
↥ any role
What invention has had the greatest impact?
eg: Artificers; Argyre Polytech; Isidis Industrial;
Olympus Engineering; Ancient Earthtech
⬧ Sage
↥ Duty or Discovery
↥ Rootin’
↥ any role
What do you know better than anyone else?
eg: Ether Academy; Depths of Hellas;
Synaptic Enclave; Martian Savants
Saddle Up
Connect any non-Steadfast element to another
player’s Steadfast (they describe the connection)
○/🝔/△/⌾→☐
Connect your Steadfast to every other Steadfast
☐→☐++
⬧ Loss
↥ Bravery or Fortitude
↥ any value
↥ Rootin’ or Bootin’
↥ any role
Choose a talent
⬧ Cash
↥ Authority or Grace
↥ any value
↥ Tootin’ or Lootin’
↥ any role
Choose a d6 boon & write an SFX for it
⬧ Power
↥ Authority or Bravery
↥ any value
↥ Falutin’ or Shootin’
↥ any role
Choose a d6 boon & write an SFX for it
⬧ People
↥ Duty or Grace
↥ any value
↥ Falutin’ or Bootin’
↥ any role
Choose a talent
⬧ Knowledge
↥ Duty or Discovery
↥ any value
↥ Rootin’ or Tootin’
↥ any role
Choose a d6 specialty for a d6+ role
Gameplay
(just plopping this here because someone asked
these questions in the discord and I want to answer
them)
How do you see a session playing out?
What is the main type of interaction between
players and GMCs going to be? Hostile or Friendly?
What type of atmosphere do you want the game to
convey?
What's the primary opposition to the PCs?