9 written by tove & anders Gillbring 9

GRITTY REALISM
The Western genre is both rich and varied. It would certainly
be possible to create a game that used only a few of the many
opportunities the genre contains and simply ignore all the
others. However, we chose another path. We collated the rule-
mechanics behind the game and adapted them for three main
Styles of Play – Campaign, Realism and Action.
Your gaming group should decide which Style of Play to
choose before you all create your characters. This choice
determines how the game setting will relate and react to
the player characters. All the players are affected equally.
First, let us explore what characterizes Realism. We will
then conclude with a few suggestions for campaign setups.

Blood-feuds at a realistic pace
The narrative tempo is usually slow. A blood-feud
between two families can last for decades. Months
can go by without any incidents, and then suddenly
erupt in an explosion of violence, where everybody
come prepared and guns are blazing. In-between these
clashes, hatred simmers beneath the surface and the
resentment and bitterness grows.
However, daily life has to continue, as most people
cannot let a feud overshadow everything else, at least
not all the time. Crops must still be sown, the harvest
reaped and live-stock tended to. Injuries sustained in
a quest for revenge comes at a price, especially when
the harvest is pending. The consequences of not being
able to harvest can be far more deadly than any bullet
in a firefight, with implications for many more in the
family. Thus, antagonism has to be tempered with
caution. Practical duties and responsibilities have to
take priority over an endless all-out war. Until that
pressure cooker blows its lid off again ...
While playing a Realism campaign, you can focus
on the everyday life for the characters and their fami-
lies. Instead of only center the feud around the violent
episodes, much more is worth exploring. The loyalty
between friends, and how it is affected by other things
that happen – such as a county fair, where awards and
recognition can be had. It could become a contest over
everything from having the best produce in different
categories, to winning bakery contests. Revenge can
be had at races and over who gets the most attention
at the dance.
How will the characters handle a close friendship
with somebody from the other family? Maybe they are
themselves from different sides of the feud, yet closely
attached to each other. Perhaps they have saved each
other’s lives during the war or at an ambush from
a gang of desperados or hostile Indians. They may
have experienced the need to ally to survive a school
teacher they believed were out to get them?
If so, will they be agents of peace, trying to bring
warring families together? Or will they step up to re-
sponsibilities placed upon them from their families and
take up arms against each other when the time comes?
An even more earth shattering question is how your
players would handle if their characters fell in love
with somebody from the other feuding family? Is it
worth fighting for love and trying to bring the fami-
lies to reconciliation? What if the character’s family
is the most dead set on vengeance, while their loved
one has a family willing to welcome the new member
to their ranks, no matter what name you were born
with or who your parents are?
If so, could the character break with their own
family in order to live with the love of their life? How
would they continue life without their parents, siblings
and other family members? Would they be comple-
tely shut out, or be able to uphold some contacts at
all, maybe only in secret? Would they go all the way
and ally with the opposing family, taking their side
in upcoming fights? Can they truly shoot to kill their
own kin, when all bets are off and the feud requires
all to make their stand?

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When there is an outbreak of a terrible disease such
as cholera, how will that affect the characters and their
families? Will the feud cloud their judgement on who
to help, or will they try to make sure that all get treat-
ment? Can they stay just and compassionate no matter
how much hatred they harbor towards each other?
When members from both the feuding families have
to sit in the same jury, can they agree to uphold the
law? Are they willing to let a murderer walk free just
to keep their feud boiling? Would it make a difference
if the criminal had done anything towards one or both
of the families? Perhaps there is another trial when
the characters themselves, or their kin, are accused
of robbing the stage coach. The jury is full of family
members from the other feuding family. Would your
players dare to trust justice to be fair and impartial if
they are innocent? Or will they intervene in any way?
What would happen if a company wanted to build
a railway through the area? What land does the com-
pany want? Would both families be affected? Who
would get work on the construction? During the last
couple of years, it has been hard to find ways to supp-
lement income; a railroad windfall could save the
family. Will the families band together against the
railway, if it would harm them both?
Are there situations when things are not that easy
to decide, when loyalties are muddled and hard to
keep straight? These kinds of questions and this way
of handling a blood-feud is typical for some of the
Realistic campaigns you can see played in Western
when this Style of Play is chosen.
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the inglorious life in the field
That said, not all storylines need to revolve around
blood-feuds. Another example of how a Realism
Style of Play works can be shown when the player
characters are soldiers. Once again, there are moments
where the epic battles take place and the gun smoke
lies heavy as a fog. Most of the time though? It will
not be the battlefields that are the core of your game.
The characters will probably be assigned to a camp
or fort close to the frontier. There are civilians in the
area, mostly settlers and prospectors in need of protec-
tion against the hostile natives. They will probably
hear a lot of lore and legends about the local tribes
but not get to encounter them as often as tjey might
suspect. There will be trading stations, the occasional
den of inequity where the adventurous can find amu-
sement, boom towns and houses of ill repute where
the characters can indulge in vices of all kinds. Some
of these might be close to their fort, if they believe the
soldiers will be a main source of income.
Still, if there is gold in them there hills, you can be
sure that most entrepreneurs are willing to pack their
entire establishment and move to the nearest place
where more money can be made. If it suits the cam-
paign better, it can take hours to get to a place where
one can enjoy life. At the same time, it becomes that
much harder to be back in time for the next roll call!
These locations could be spread out over a vast area.
Often, the characters will have to ride for hours or days
to reach different settlements all supposed to be more
or less under their protection. The army wants them to
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be in the area, since they expect conflict. Their main How will the characters handle orders to attack a
opponent will probably be the local tribes, especially camp or village and kill everyone? Especially when
if they have not yet settled on a reservation – despite the enemies they encounter are women, children and
the new hard guidelines from Washington, declaring old people – since all the warriors are out hunting?
all Indians who resist this demand to be viewed as Their commanding officer is intent on a massacre, kil-
hostile. Even though many natives are caving, the ling them all will grant him headlines, and he insists
last remnants of resistance remain. this is their duty. Will the characters risk their lives
Most Indians at this time regard the land as their to defy orders? Will they desert, or perhaps even join
hunting ground and the white men as intruders, vio- the enemy? Or do they carry out the order and then try
lent thieves who time and again prove their word can- to cope with their own consciences? Will they try to
not be trusted. There will be more savage bloodshed, find a way to bring this to the attention of the rest of
since many warriors are still willing to try drive out the nation, or do they just want to forget? And what
the intruders by force, if necessary. As soldiers, the happens when the tribe’s warriors return?
characters are of course right in their cross hairs. The choices when you play Realism should be
Old veteran soldiers in the field and passing scalp- hard. The answers are not easy or black and white,
hunters can tell grizzly stories about the blood-thirsty but grey. And they are the players’ decisions to make.
nature of the Indians, about the torture they might Let it be brutal and gritty and in your face, because
impose on their enemies, their cunning and ghost like that is when their choices matter and have meaning.
abilities to disappear into the wilderness and not be
seen or found. These stories are always scary, brutal WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
and portray the Indians as monsters rather than hu- Minorities were often described in a way that made the
man beings. From the most vicious of these men, you language part of their oppression. Degrading words
will also constantly hear recommendations to save the de-humanize and portray them as something other
last bullet for yourself, rather than letting the Indians and less than human. This is no accident. It is part
torture you. These tales are usually followed by the of a strategy, willful or not, to make it easier to treat
gut-wrenching assertion there is no harm done in them inhumanely. It helps justify the violence and
killing an Indian, no matter the circumstances. The ruthlessness to which they are subjected. This is es-
only good Indian is a dead Indian. pecially evident in the military, where the soldiers are
This inhuman cruelty should come as no surprise. expected to kill any Indian their commanding officer
How else would these men justify their own lifestyle tell them to. The racist language and ghastly stories
and all the murders they have committed? give them some cover for those actions.
For soldiers who have rarely, if ever, seen a Na- Typical phrases that will be heard from racists and
tive American up close, the first meeting is likely to those inciting violence and hatred against the Indians
become hostile. The horror stories they have heard are redskins, barbarians and, of course, savages. The
about the Indians will make it easier to attack first men are often called braves or warriors, the women
rather than risk capture, torture, and death in the are called squaws and the children whelps or pups.
hands of the enemy. We as game designers do not agree with the racists
Some may know more about native Americans and – not the ones back in the 19th century nor the ones
their different tribes to begin with, if they have been of today. That said, we believe it can be worth using
living out West for a while, or have had an interest in racism and racist language in game. It is an important
the Wild West and the frontier. For many though, just conflict within the setting and well worth letting your
getting to know more about the Indians and their com- players and their characters react to, agonize over,
plex culture might be an important part of this kind and try to handle as they deem fit and necessary. It
of campaign. Every new encounter could bring a new is a way to show the sentiment from those saying it.
perspective, ranging from the warlike and chaotic to Still, we believe that racial slurs are more suited to
more peaceful and possibly even diplomatic missions. showcase the moral character of others, especially the
Each scenario widens the scope of a military-focused villains of a campaign. No matter how widespread the
Realism campaign. The characters might work with racism of the era might have been, we would never
an Indian scout or interpreter? Or they might be asked recommend the players to take on their mantle or
or ordered to escort a famous shaman or warrior? their lingo. Words have a corrupting influence on your
While the soldiers are on patrol, every unexpected thoughts and should be handled with care. When you
sound could signal danger. How will the characters use them to show a point, they are filled with meaning.
handle the combination of utter boredom back at the When you just play along, they might take you on a
fort intertwined with the stress of constantly being ride you did not expect.
on guard, always being afraid of an attack from an However, this is your choice to make when you
enemy they know little to nothing about? play, not ours.

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wanted men have no friends
If the characters are a gang of outlaws, they will spend
time planning and committing crimes. They will have
to decide if there is a method to their marks, or if they
simply are on constant look out for opportunities. That
said, a Realism campaign will not be centered as
much on the crimes and robberies they commit, but
rather on laying low and staying away from the Law.
You can add to the drama by letting one of the
characters be an infiltrator working for the law or
the Pinkerton Agency. There are many reasons for
someone to become an infiltrator. Some are just evil
bastards, but more often they are people either spurred
by vengeance against all criminals due to a personal
tragedy. It may have something to do with a speci-
fic gang, a passion for the law and righteousness or
maybe it has nothing to do with wanting to be a spy.
Perhaps the exact opposite is true. The only way they
can save a loved one is to try to make somebody else
pay instead. If you want to save your youngest brother
from being hanged, you might have to be the one who
makes sure your oldest brother is brought to justice.
Infiltrators or not, the relationships within the group
are important in this kind of campaign. Who is the
leader of the gang, and are the other okay with it? Does
somebody else wish to challenge him or her? Can the
characters really trust the people around them? To
begin with, trust is probably easy, but as their crimes
start getting more attention and the bounty on their
wanted poster get higher, the risk of betrayal can
increase quickly. Wanted men can seldom afford the
luxury of friends. What if the betrayers really need
the money? If the boy they love kissed one of the
characters the other night, and the green eyed monster
consumes them with rage, would that be the day the
bounty hunter got a lead on the characters hide out?
A life of an outlaw is lined with distrust. Any given
stranger could be a bounty-hunter. A visit to every
town and settlement carries with it the risk of being
recognized. The lawless life is fertile soil for sowing
suspicion and paranoia.
An unexpected stone in the road could be when
something happens to the characters’ friends or family.
They really want or need to see their loved ones, but
that price on their head makes it hard to just go back.
Let them plan their visits and how to overcome such
challenges too.
When it comes to the crimes of the outlaws, let the
rewards be a mixed bag as well. When you play Rea-
lism, not every stage coach should come with a well
filled treasure chest. Maybe the characters manage
well once, just to be stuck with a few dollars the next,
not even making it worth the cost of the ammunition
spent during the robbery. Let them face disappoint-
ments when it comes to the loot, unless they do the
diligent work of trying to stake out suitable prey first.

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Build a foundation
Regardless of the storyline, Realism always gets back
to the challenges of everyday life. In order to make the
slow narrative work, you want time to pass in game.
At times, it can be fun to delve down into all the details
of the characters’ daily challenges, big or small. Most
of the time though, it is good to establish it to begin
with, and then the entire group shares a foundation.
Have them all agree on how things run when all is
normal. During this set up and build-phase, let them
detail out what kind of work they do and how they
try to make ends meet. What are the challenges they
have to overcome on a regular basis?
Once that has been established, you can allow time
to pass in game between the dramatic moments where
the actual play takes place. Maybe there is a celebra-
tion coming up, ripe for tension since emotions some-
times run high when people look back at their lives.
A serious injury or a broken leg can create challenges
nobody had even given a second thought previously.
If the established center of a campaign is a ranch,
most of the year is tedious and arduous work. One day
is not that different from the other. Sure, depending
on the time of year there are different set things to be
done. A gathering for branding is one occasion worth
detailed gaming. If they decide on driving cattle to
Kansas, that would be another. There can be problems
on the range if the cattle barons try to take control
over all the land while settlers decide to use barbed
wire. Enter some rustlers and you have yet another
reason to get into the detailed gaming again.
IIf the characters are prospectors, you can build
some tension establishing the everyday challenges of
trying to find that mother lode. Once the characters
have found their claim and set up camp, the hard
work ensues. Let the relationships with neighboring
prospectors be an important part of this foundation,
providing the campaign with friends and foes. Do
they try to bring civilization with them to the wil-
derness, or do they spend the time away from work
in saloons and houses of ill repute? Since there will
most likely be a wide variety of people in the camp
or boom town, where do the characters stand when
the conflicts between their different approaches to
life creates even more conflicts?
Once all these things are established, the detai-
led gaming will likely focus on problems with claim
jumpers, hustlers trying to cheat the prospectors of
their earnings in a multitude of different ways, and
all that ensues once the big mining companies enter
camp and try to buy all the most profitable claims.
Add in some outlaws, people on the run seeking refuge
from various villains, and desperate Indians trying
to make a stand. You will never run out of scenarios.
When things change a great deal, establish a new
everyday routine, to use as a base for the campaign.
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The characters vs the world
The game world is a force to be reckoned with. Not
all challenges are driven by desperados or greedy
tycoons. The environment, the weather, the laws of
nature, and scientific advances are factors to take
into account. Realism is a Style of Play where the
players experience the arduous bone crushing physical
labor of plowing the land, when the soil needs to get
rid of stones and roots, and the desperate struggle
to keep all from getting sick when an epidemic is
raging through the community. It is the suffering that
comes when food is scarce, the wind roars, and the
rain seems endless. The setting is without compromise
or forgiveness. Players need to plan properly and
equip themselves for upcoming events or face the
consequences. If not, they will have to rely on the
kindness of strangers or simply take what they need
from their fellow man using blunt force.
When the Indians attack and an arrow lodges itself
into a character’s leg, it may not be mortal. Even so,
should the wound get infected, it could lead to ampu-
tation or death. To survive, one had better be strong
and resistant to sepsis and other hazards to begin with.
The characters face the challenges of life the way
ordinary people did. The game mechanics provide
players with tools to manipulate fate and the outcome
of important rolls if they want to. When you play
Realism, this ability is limited both in terms of how
often you can do it and how powerful the changes can
be. Still, that sense of danger and those kinds of chal-
lenges – they are probably what your players wanted
to encounter if they choose to play Realism in the
first place! If it is not their cup of tea, we recommend
Campaign or Action as your Style of Play instead.
Prospectors searching for gold in the wilderness
must learn how to survive far from civilization. The
characters need to be able to read the landscape and
the environment. They need to see the signs of an
incoming storm before it can destroy their carefully
raised shelter. They must always be vigilant enough to
pick up the signs of predators drawing closer. Failing
to tackle these environmental challenges could lead
to gangrene, frostbite and disease – or simply falling
prey to a pack of wolves or a wounded grizzly.
Reading the signs correctly can be the start of Rea-
lism adventures in the wild. Will the characters seek
shelter ahead of the life threatening blizzard, or try to
rescue others who are more at risk if left on their own?
Are the characters able to ignore the strangers on the
road, whose wagon broke down in the midst of the
raging storm? Could they ignore friends in dire need?
What would happen if they crossed a desert and
every water hole had dried out? When their supp-
lies diminish, would they withhold water from their
mounts or from each other? Who would become ex-
pendable? What lengths are they willing to go to?
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everything in shades of grey
In order to make your gaming experience become truly
gritty, it is important to use shades of grey in your nar-
INSPIRED REALISM
rative. Gritty realism should not turn into an epic ad-
venture where the good and noble heroes are confron- movies & TV-series
ted with the utterly evil villains and, against all odds, There is no shortage of inspiration if you want to play
slay their monstrous foes and then live happily ever Gritty Realism in Western. Among our recommendations,
after. Quite the opposite, it should be difficult to find you will find everything from blood-feuds, assassins within
anyone – player character or non-player character – the family, and anti-heroes who prove themselves during
who is either fully good or thoroughly bad. The people the worst conditions possible. Who said life would be easy?
the characters encounter are human, and act like it
with the shades of grey that entails – from the lightest
specks of grey in the ashes, to those best portrayed as
black as coal yet to be burned.
In this kind of narrative, you can exploit the cha-
racters weakest sides. Ugly, dirty and mean are cha-
racteristics that can be applied to most non player
characters they encounter, or at least to the ones they
have to fight. Greed is a powerful motivator. Most
people are affected by it to some degree, but some are
more susceptible to its influence than others. Many
are willing to use their fellow man in order to achieve
whatever they want from life. Sometimes cooperation
will be mutually beneficial, but it would be a mistake
to put too much trust in somebody else. When push
comes to shove, most put their own self-interest first
and are willing to treat others as expendable.
Gritty realism rarely comes with a happy ending.
More often than not, the story ends with disaster for
all involved. Life goes on, the lead characters will live
to fight another day. But it has all come at a price they
never would have wanted to pay.

down and dirty intrigues

Apart from the slow narrative and grey shades
used to describe most people you encounter, Rea-
lism comes with another typical feature – down
to earth intrigue. In Action, you might set out to
destroy the Ku Klux Klan all together. In Realism,
it will rather be a chance for the player characters
to interfere and prevent one lynching from taking books & comics
place or make it impossible for a few local Klan- Even though Blood Meridian is not set in 1876 (the default
members to continue the nightly terror attacks. year for Western), it is so spot on when it comes to Gritty
A band of outlaws, no matter how notorious, will Realism we have to mention it. The same goes for the comic
not be able to put an end to the Pinkerton Detective albums about Jonathan Cartland. They are hard to find, but
Agency, making the agency dissolve after shaming a treasure when you do. Larry McMurtry books set in the
them for their actions. The band could however find a old west comes with our highest praise possible.
way to make an individual agent or two go to jail for
their ruthless actions during the pursuit of the outlaws.
The player characters will probably not have horses
fast enough to win the Kentucky Derby, but they may
outrun a posse or win a few local races.
More than anything else, you should always be
able to bring all intrigue back to a personal level for
at least one of the player characters. Realism work
best that way.

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POSSIBLE CAMPAIGN SET UPS

THE YOUNG Rascals
The characters are connected to the same orphanage.
Some have never known another life. A few still re-
member their parents, while others only stayed there
for a couple of weeks. The orphanage was a horrible
place. Food was scarce and the kids often went to bed
hungry. All the children had to toil to earn their keep.
Some had to clean and cook, while most were laboring
in adult crafts, brought there by entrepreneurs in the
city. The children did all the work – the warden kept
all the profits. Some children were abused by the war-
den himself or someone who paid him for the privilege.
They all received corporal punishments, for being lazy,
impertinent or some other perceived offence.
Finally, the player characters could not take it any
longer. They fought back. Perhaps it all started in
self-defense, when they acted to protect themselves,
each other or some of the other children. Regardless
of what brought on their changed behavior, the cha-
racters immediately knew that the consequences for
their rebellion would be met with savage reprisals
from the warden. They had to leave the orphanage.
Anywhere else would be better than staying. If they
stick together, a life on the street will be less dange-
rous than living at the orphanage for a minute longer.
However, making an honest living as a group of
homeless orphans may prove difficult. The country is
in a deep economic depression and unemployment is
high. The group has no choice but to turn to crime for
survival. Once they start compromising with morality,
they are on a slippery slope of criminal options. Do
they organize for pick-pocketing? Will they take up
violence and rob people? How do they choose their
targets? Do they try to implement some kind of moral
code, to justify their lives of crime and the people
they attack? Or do they put the groups own safety
first, going straight for the easiest marks available?
As soon as the group has become comfortable with
their new lives of crime, and the carefully selected
rules they have put up for themselves, it is time for
your story to enter the next stage. Their daily rou-
tine will once again get scrambled, when they cross
paths with somebody that just might become a huge
part of their lives. Let it be an adult criminal in their
city, who is operating on a much larger scale than
they do when it comes to making children and very
young adults capable of surviving a life of crime on
the streets. Charles Dickens’ Fagin from Oliver Twist
is an inspiration that comes to mind for him.
A first introduction could be for him to catch them
in the act. Let them get away from their mark, but
only because this new criminal tycoon intervenes. He
catches them and confiscates their loot, which should be

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enough to make them understand that he has leverage
over them. He now has the power to turn them over to
the authorities if they do not comply with his demands.
He controls many other children, just as desperate
as they are. The kids all work for him, performing the
crimes he orders them to do. To begin with, the cha-
racters might try to convince themselves life goes on
almost as usual. However, the assignments the player
characters get become increasingly unpleasant and
dangerous, driving them closer to a breaking point
every time. Eventually, they can no longer submit
to the crime boss, but strike back regardless of the
leverage he has been dangling above their heads.
This could be the end of this campaign, but it would
not be all that gritty, not even if they kill their oppres-
sor in self-defense or from ambush. Whatever they
do to him, it could lead to them all being wanted for
murder or assault, depending on if he survived or not.
The crime boss had connections with the authorities
and members of the law. This corrupt ‘gang’ views our
characters as their Enemies as a result of their attack.
The characters have to go on the lam, hunted by re-
lentless lawmen. Escalate the difficulties they encounter
to get away each time the law is almost able to appre-
hend them. You can let them suffer injuries and drug
addiction to torment the characters and make them
look over their shoulders everywhere they go. When
the law finally catches up with them, they can all end
their days in a blaze of glory or at the end of a noose.
THE HARDENED
This campaign is the opposite of The Young Rascals.
Instead of children turning into a life of crime, The
Hardened focuses on men and women toiling along,
working side by side. They can be anchored in the
game world either to a geographical place, such as a
single town, farm or ranch, or to a work place such
as building the same railroad. If so, most could be
navvies, even though one could be an overseer and
some other(s) be connected to the Hell on Wheels that
follows in the wake of the railway they build.
If they are working on the same ranch, most will
likely be cowboys. A working ranch will also need a
cook, house staff, and cattle baron with family to make
the outfit run smoothly. If you want to add even more
variety, why not enter a wrangler, scout or guard?
If you chose to center the campaign on a farm or
farming community, most characters will likely be
settlers or have tasks centered around farming. Pro-
spectors can either work on the same claim or mine
or work side by side at the same camp or boom town.
Both these groups could get together by making the
player characters family or they could take on these
challenges together for some other reason. Maybe they
are not all dependent on the very same farm or claim/
mine but rather neighbors and bound by community.
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The important thing is, that what-ever they have
done previously in their lives, their futures are now
entangled. They will now all want the place/project
to prosper. Sure, there can be some envy between
characters, but overall it is better if there is a lot of
gold if the railroad’s goals are met or if they are able
to harvest enough for all to live well during the winter.
A lot of fun can be harvested from characters with
vastly different backgrounds, when they try to come
together as a group and look beyond all that separates
them. While going west and trying to uproot every-
thing from their past, it is however more plausible that
they have all faced some kind of adversity. Perhaps
one comes from a rich family that became destitute
when the stock market crashed. Another had their
home destroyed during the Civil War. Someone else
is a newly arrived immigrant, fresh off the Atlantic
steamer. Despite their different backgrounds, they now
find themselves at the same location. If they want o sur-
vive, they have to tackle the difficulties ahead together.
Of Storms and savages
Mother Nature herself can be their most dangerous
adversary. The fickle weather must constantly be
counteracted, to keep everybody safe and sound. A
hurricane can tear the roof of a homestead, thunder
can cause cattle to stampede. Let it be highly dramatic
when Mother Nature strikes, to encourage the cha-
racters to cooperate in order to minimize the damages.
Rebuilding after a devastating storm can be a hard
task, requiring all their skill and commitment.
The characters do not have to stay at one place.
They can partake in a joint cattle drive or be part of
a caravan of settlers travelling to the new land the
government just cleared for settlement. In an untamed
landscape, nature can be their greatest adversary. Some
of the challenges they may need to solve include finding
fresh water, safe crossings over a river, locating the best
passage through a mountain pass, or finding shelter
from a storm when there are no settlements for miles.
Nature is not the only danger they face. The land
they travel might well be inhabited with Indians, where
many do not take kindly to their intrusion. The cha-
racters will be predisposed to viewing the natives with
fear and hostility, having heard stories of their savage
ways. Other people they encounter may not be friendly
either. Railway companies and cattle barons may all try
to drive them off their lands. Gangs of outlaws try to
rob them and loot their wagons. Some of their potential
attackers may be driven by desperation, starving in
the wilderness. Would that make any difference to
the player characters in how they choose to retaliate?
If their food starts to run low and the group itself is
threatened with starvation, how will they handle it?
With the many perils lining the road to their new future,
it may lead to nothing more than an early grave ...