Way out West

Clem Parham
Welcome to Way out West.
It is the spring of 1884. America’s west coast is slowly being
populated with small towns full of settlers who come to
prospect for precious metals, set up ranches and run dubious
saloons—and now the railroad is coming!
Cactus Gulch is one such small town. Founded twenty years
ago, tonight it has a festive air as the townsfolk get set to start
their 20th anniversary celebrations. However, all is not running
smoothly. Land disputes, disreputable card games, strange folk
from out of town, and quarrels with the Indians all add to a
tense atmosphere.
Join us in the Silver Dollar Saloon as celebrations begin, and
find out how the evening unfolds…
 Clem Parham—Mid West Rail (MWR)
You are Clem Parham, a smooth-talking railroad negotiator with the
appearance of a city slicker and the soul of a rattlesnake. You are
here to ensure MWR brings the railroad and connects Cactus Gulch
to San Francisco, not your close rival South West Rail (SWR).
The last land to be negotiated is Fat Bull Range, lying southwest of
the town. It belongs to an ornery ol’ critter called Zeke Calhoun.
You thought this deal would be a pushover, as SWR have sent
useless Mel Easton to negotiate. But there is a problem—an Indian
burial ground across the most direct route into town. Money is tight
for Mid West Rail, so your route cannot afford to go around the
burial ground—you will have to run straight through it.
You’ve heard Zeke is about to sign a deal with SWR just because
Easton has promised to divert around the burial ground. Luckily,
you have help. Saul Jackson, a mean and dangerous killer, is here to
help you ‘persuade’ Zeke otherwise. Saul is posing as Slick O’Hare,
an honest man looking for an honest day’s work (hah!).
Then, a week ago, a stroke of luck. Zeke was involved in a late-night
card game with Doc Faraday in which Fat Bull Range became the
stake—and Doc won! Doc is unscrupulous, and if his ownership of
the land is proven, he has agreed to deal with you. You don’t yet
know how much it will cost you, however.
Ownership of the land will be resolved by a judgment from Judge
Paulson tonight. Another stroke of luck! You recognized Paulson the
moment you hit town. He hasn’t always been the upright, respected
man he is here. Heck, no—you remember him being involved in a
major land swindle 20 years ago back East. You told him yesterday
that unless he wants the good folks of Cactus Gulch to hear about
his interesting past, he had better not give the land back to Zeke.
Doc Faraday warned you that there were witnesses to the game that
night—waitress Kalamata Kate and saloonkeeper Blaise Sadler. He
thinks Blaise may have his marked cards (Doc was cheatin’, of
course). So, although your blackmail of Judge Paulson seems to be
working just fine, you are not sure if Blaise will keep her mouth
shut. You have asked to have a little word with her later. Maybe she
can be bought off? If not… you’re taking Saul along, just in case.
However, there is one last complication. Earlier this afternoon, Zeke
confronted you and Saul. You moved into the stables, and there was
a heated ‘discussion’ about your approach to business. You hinted
that with a young daughter to look after, Zeke might want to be
more careful. The old guy went berserk and attacked Saul. There
was a brutal fistfight, and Saul knocked Calhoun sharply on the
head. Saul tied him up until he came around, but before you could
continue the ‘discussion’, the old-timer had a heart attack and died
on you. You got out pretty quick, telling Saul to follow after a few
minutes. Things will get interesting when the body is found.
As soon as the telegraph is fixed, you’d better contact head office
and find out how much you can afford to spend on this deal—looks
like you may need lots of bribes and pay-offs! Now, with the rest of
the town, you are in the Silver Dollar Saloon, trying to get a much-
needed drink. But it looks like the Bartender is climbing onto the
bar and may be about to make an announcement.

Zeke’s death
You are annoyed that the old-timer died so unexpectedly, but you
are confident that no one saw you near him—apart from Slick, and
you should aim to pin the blame on him if anyone gets suspicious.

Your goals
▪ Mel Easton and SWR: Make sure everyone knows that Mel is
useless and you’re the person to deal with.
▪ Zeke’s death: Make sure that if anyone is charged with murder,
it’s Saul, not you.
▪ The railroad deal: Ensure MWR gets the railroad deal into
Cactus Gulch. However, you need to check with head office
when the telegraph is repaired to determine how much you can
afford.
Other people
Maxwell Jebediah Adams: A friend of a friend. You’ve heard he’s
looking to make some kind of deal, but you don’t know what kind.
Mel Easton: Your rival from SWR. You have beaten Mel at
negotiations before, and this should be no different. You despise
Easton’s ethical approach and almost everything else about them.
Elijah Entwhistle: This enigmatic traveling preacher arrived in
town a few weeks ago, preaching damnation and hellfire for sinners.
He makes you very uncomfortable (but then, he seems to make
everyone else feel like that, too!). The strange thing is, he looks
vaguely familiar—why is that?
Slick O’Hare: Slick’s real name is Saul Jackson, your henchman. It’s
very useful to have Slick’s range of strong-arm tactics and stealthier
ways of killing at your disposal.
Judge Paulson: Fancy good old Paulson being the judge here. You
have enough dirt on him to put him behind bars, which has helped
blackmail him into ruling in Doc’s favor.
Blaise Sadler: Blaise is the woman from the Saloon. You’ve heard
she has marked cards from Doc and Zeke’s game, which could ruin
all your plans. She must be after something, better—see if you can
do a deal with her. If not, she might need to be removed somehow.

Suggested first moves

▪ Remind Judge Paulson how much power you have over him, and
make sure that he’ll give judgment in Doc’s favor.
▪ Find out if Blaise Sadler has the marked cards, and if so, try to
threaten/bribe/cajole her into not producing them as evidence.
 Abilities
You have three abilities. Each ability explains how often it may be
used—check a circle each time you use it. Once they are all
checked, you may no longer use that ability.

L et’s sh ar e wh at w e k now
After talking to another player, show them
Abi li ty

your Clue. They must then show you their

Clue.
Three uses: O O O

I ’ve bar ed my hear t —y ou b ar e your s

Abi li ty

Reveal your Secret to another player—they

must reveal their Secret to you.
Three uses: O O O

Th or oug h appr aisal

After speaking to another player, they must
Abi li ty

show you all their item cards and money.

(You can’t take their items or money—just
look at them.).
Three uses: O O O
 Secret and Clue
Your Secret contains your guilty secret, while your Clue contains
one or more items of information you know. Both may be affected
by abilities.
While you can show your Secret and Clue to whomever you like,
you will probably not want to reveal your Secret too often.
(You can’t solve the mystery by looking at everyone’s Secret and
Clue—it’s not that easy!)

Slick O’Hare is really

S ecr et

named Saul Jackson, and

he works for you as a hired
killer and dirty work man.

Judge Paulson has a shady

Clue

past as a swindler back

East.
 Rules for Way out West
The Bartender’s Word is Law: The Bartender is impartial. If you
have a problem or want to do something unusual, see the Bartender.
The Bartender’s power is absolute—and cannot be affected by
abilities!
Winning and Losing: You can achieve most of your goals simply by
talking to people. The Bartender will announce when the game is
over. If you haven’t succeeded by that point—you’re too late! Be
warned—not everyone here will want you to succeed!
Doing Stuff: Ordinary actions are resolved by carrying them out—
but see the Bartender to try something unusual. The Bartender will
tell you the outcome of whatever you are trying to do.
Fighting: 1884 was a rough, tough time in Cactus Gulch! Your
character may wish to come to blows with, or shoot another
character. Please see the Bartender before fighting another
character.
Leaving the town: Cactus Gulch is in the middle of nowhere and
the surrounding territories can be hostile. You are advised not to
leave town during the course of the evening.
Item Cards: Items of importance within the game are represented
as item cards—and the only items that can affect the game are those
detailed on the cards. If you do not have an item card, you do not
have that item with you.
Time: Way out West is played over three hours, with extra time for
reading your character etc. There will be breaks to get drinks and
food! The Bartender will keep track of the time for you.
Money: Your character may start with money. Use this as you would
“real” money—to pay for goods, services, bribes and blackmail…
Dying: There is no guarantee that your character will survive Way
out West. You may have enemies, and those enemies may try to kill
you. However, nobody can die until the judgment has been made.
Until that point, you are safe. After that? That’s up to you…
 Way out West—Cast List
L oc als
▪ Maxwell Jebediah Adams: Town drunkard and ne’er-do-well
▪ Minnie May Adams: Former Sunday School teacher
▪ Robert Barnaby: Young legal clerk
▪ Ol’ Barr: Reclusive fur trapper and Indian friend
▪ Able Blane: The town’s reliable sheriff
▪ Lucy Calhoun: Zeke Calhoun’s daughter, a tomboy
▪ Dan Fairweather: Honest deputy sheriff
▪ Doc Faraday: Notorious gambler
▪ Widder James: Grande Dame of the ladies in Cactus Gulch
▪ Etta Johnson: Local schoolmarm
▪ Kalamata Kate: Young waitress
▪ John Paulson: Town’s much-revered judge
▪ Blaise Sadler: Aging saloonkeeper
Nati ves
▪ Three Feathers: Revered Indian shaman
▪ Runs Like a Deer: Indian woman
O ut- of- tow ner s
▪ Mel Easton: South West Rail rep
▪ Elijah Entwhistle: Traveling preacher
▪ Soon Li: Chinese migrant worker
▪ Frederick Lloyd: Wealthy English mining investor
▪ Marco the Mesmerizing: Traveling stage magician
▪ Christy Martin: Storekeeper from out of town
▪ Slick O’Hare: Scruffy ranch hand for hire
▪ Clem Parham: Mid West Rail rep
▪ Ruby Sapphire: Flame-haired singer

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