Runestone: Six Gun Ragnarok

The sun blazed high over the dusty town of Wolf Creek, casting long shadows across the weathered buildings. The air was thick with the scent of leather and gunpowder, a typical afternoon in this rough-and-tumble frontier town. But today was different. Today, one of the most notorious outlaw gangs in the west was about to strike.

Jack, a gentleman bandit, adjusted his coat and tipped his hat to the gang assembled beside him. His refined manner and educated tone belied his reputation as a ruthless gunfighter. “Alright, folks,” he began, his voice smooth and calm. “We enter swiftly, secure the wealth, and depart without delay. Efficiency is paramount.”

Liora, the Alf, nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the street. “Understood. Quick and clean.”

Ivaldi, grunted his agreement, his thick stubby fingers checking the chamber of his Colt Peacemaker. “Just like the train job. We’ve got this.” Jack smiled inwardly, watching the stern Dverge fidget, knowing that once the dance starts, Ivaldi is a calm partner.

Elias “Boom-Boom” Sanchez, on the other hand, could be a bit too excitable at times. The skroggr cackled softly, his nimble fingers dancing over the handles of the matching set of No 2 revolvers holstered at his side. “Let’s make some noise.”

Tom, Jack’s younger brother, exchanged a glance with him, hands resting on his revolvers. “Ready when you are,” Tom said, his voice steady.

The gang moved in unison, their boots thudding on the wooden sidewalk. Jack pushed open the bank doors, his revolver held casually at his side. Inside, the bank was a picture of mundane activity – tellers counting bills, a few townsfolk making transactions. That mundane activity shattered as Jack fired a shot into the ceiling.

“Everyone down!” he commanded, his voice cutting through the sudden chaos. “Hands where I can see them!”

Ivaldi and Tom fanned out, revolvers drawn, herding the terrified customers and staff to the floor. Boom-Boom darted to the vault with practiced ease.

“Open the vault,” the Skroggr barked at the trembling manager. The man fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking so badly he could barely fit them into the lock.

Jack kept his revolver steady, his eyes cold and calculating. “Do hurry, good sir. Time is of the essence.”

Boom-Boom shoved the manager aside and finished unlocking the vault. “Got it!”

The heavy door swung open, revealing stacks of bills and bags of coins. Boom-Boom let out a gleeful laugh as he started loading the loot into sacks. “We’re rich!”

Suddenly, a shout echoed from outside. “This is Sheriff Blake! Come out with your hands up!”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Lawmen. Right on time.”

The tension in the bank skyrocketed. Tom moved to the windows, peering out cautiously. “They’ve got the place surrounded,” he muttered.

“Then it appears we shall have to make our exit under duress,” Jack said, his voice ice-cold. “Ivaldi, Elias, secure the currency. Miss Liora, would kindly clear an avenue for our departure?”

Ivaldi hefted two heavy sacks onto his shoulders as Boom-Boom scrambled to gather the rest. Jack and Tom took up positions by the windows, revolvers ready.

“On my signal,” Jack whispered, moving beside a window, as the elven sharp-shooter took to the door. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Now!”

The bank exploded into action. Liora burst through the doors, her lever action rifle spitting fire and hate as she picked off the deputies in her considerable line of sight. Ivaldi and Boom-Boom followed, laden with cash, while Jack and Tom provided cover, their guns barking in rapid succession.

Bullets whizzed through the air, splintering wood and shattering glass. The gang moved like a well-oiled machine, each member playing their part perfectly. Jack’s rapid firing pistols kept the lawmen hiding, his gentlemanly demeanor hiding a ruthless efficiency. Ivaldi’s stout frame barreled through the chaos, his revolver never missing its mark. Boom-Boom was a blur of motion, his small size making him a hard target. Liora and Tom worked in perfect harmony, covering everyone’s backs as they fired with deadly precision.

The aett made their way out of the bank and behind cover as they moved down the street, and out of town.

But the lawmen were relentless. Sheriff Blake himself stepped forward, a towering figure with a steel-cold gaze. “Give it up, Vargr!” he shouted, his voice booming over the din. “You’re surrounded!”

“Not today,” Jack hissed, reloading his revolver with practiced speed. “Elias, would you be so kind as to give us a little marching drum for this here parade?”

The dverge sighed and nodded, handing a stick of dynamite to Boom-Boom, who lit the fuse with a wicked grin. “Fire in the hole!”

The explosion rocked the street, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. The lawmen ducked for cover, giving the aett the opening they needed. They dashed towards their horses, tethered nearby.

Sheriff Blake emerged from the dust, his eyes blazing with determination. “Stop them!”

Jack swung onto his horse, firing a final shot that knocked the sheriff’s hat off his head. “Ride!” he shouted.

The gang spurred their horses into a gallop, racing out of town with the lawmen hot on their heels. Bullets flew, but the gang’s skill and coordination saw them through. Tom led the charge, his keen instincts guiding them through the rough terrain. Ivaldi and Boom-Boom, despite their burdens of cash, kept pace, while Liora and Jack’s covering fire kept the lawmen at bay.

As they reached the cover of the nearby hills, the sound of pursuit began to fade. Jack slowed his horse, looking back with a satisfied smile. “Congratulations Lady and Gentlemen, on another successful endeavor.”

Alfvin: You cannot attack Alfar, unless they attack you first.

Anachronist: You cannot use fire arms, or perform any Task that involves modern technology.

Hesitant: You can take no actions during the first turn of a game

Leaky Brain Pan: When this model is activated roll 1d10

• 1 – Giggles softly, does nothing
  2-3 – uses first action to move in a random direction.
  4-5 – Behaves normally, but Gains 1 Shock at the end of turn
  6-7 – Screams at the top of their lungs, can not hide or creep this turn, otherwise takes actions normally
  8-9 – behaves normally
  10 – may take 3 actions this turn

Moron: “He’s what ya might call ‘Not Real Thinky’” You suffer a -2 on any Task that doesn’t involve brute force.

Sun Blind: You can only see 12” during the day or other bright light conditions.

The traits below are designed for use in a long term or ongoing campaign. Many of these traits are not suitable or particularly useful for one-off games.

Bonesaw: If this model is not knocked Out of Action, all other models in the Aett receive -2 on their Post Game Out of Action rolls.

Bounty: Your notoriety gains your Aett 1 RP at the start of each game. Your opponent gains 5 RP if you are knocked Out of Action. If you are knocked Out of Action, you loose this Trait during the Post Game phase.

Einheri: This model was Chosen by the Valkyrie to fight in the Final Battle. In the Post Game chart, this model always re-rolls any result of 10+, unless they were knocked Out of Action by a Jotunn. If this model is knocked Out of Action by a Jotunn, they receive +3 to their Post Game roll (see page 39, Core Rule Book).

Fire in the Hole!: After determining the placement of a blast template for a thrown explosive (see Grenades, p.33 Core Rule Book), you may re-position the template in any direction by 1” (This trait can be taken multiple times, each time increasing the re-positioning distance by 1”)

Galdrakarl: You are a practitioner of Galdr. See: Have Rune, Will Travel! (Fem. Galdrakona)

Gandramaestari: This model may purchase a second magical path trait.

*Hrafnskald: Huginn & Muninn sing to you all that is and all that was. Once per game, after the cards are dealt but before any are played, you may “memorize” 2 cards in your hand, and be dealt those same cards again in the next turn.

Heir to the One-Eyed: This model may purchase a third magical path trait.

Kyrth:  You are resistant to all forms of magic. Any magic that targets you suffers a -1 on its Casting roll.

Negotiable Affection: This model has another career, one that brings with it inside information, unique opportunities, and various means. Once per game this model may trade any face card currently in the players hand for any other face card, including those in another players hand.

Myrkrsyni: your posses “The Dark Sight”. You suffer no penalties or limitations for Night time or other low light conditions, but you gain the Sun Blind negative trait as well.

Prospector: You find flecks and the occasional nugget and are happy to share in your fortunes. Your Aett gains 1 RP at the start of every game.

Rimthursar: You share some line of ancestry with the Frost Giants of legend. You suffer no ill effects of weather.

Runristare: You are a practitioner of the Runamal. See: Have Rune, Will Travel!

Seidkona: You are a practitioner of the Seiðr. SSee: Have Rune, Will Travel! (Masc. Seidmathr)

Vaettabani: you gain +1 on wound rolls against Vaettr.

Veika: you are highly susceptible to magic. Any magic that targets you receives a +1 bonus on its Casting roll.

Your Aett is created using the rules for Crew creation as they appear in Fistful of Lead Core book, page 24, with the following exceptions:

Folk: Each model will need to be specified as to it’s Folk: Alf, Dverge, Human, Jotunn, Skroggr, or Vaettr.
While the Folk of a model does not inherently convey any traits, there are some traits that do interact based on Folk.

Magic Users: One member of your Aett may be a magic user, if you choose. Magic users must take a Trait that represents their magical path. See: Have Rune, Will Travel for more information.
During the campaign, other members of your Aett may learn magic, or you may recruit new magic users into your Aettir. See: Support Your Local Jarl!  for more information.

Gaming, to me it is about (or at least can be about) introspection, reflection and observances of the human condition. Yeah, pretty high-brow snobbish for a guy who spent his “formative years” in a basement with his buddies playing make-believe.

We look at the importance of the Bard in dark ages Europe, the Skalds of the Scandinavian Iron Age, the West African Griots, the Indonesian Dhalang. Wisemen charged with providing history, social commentary, spiritual services, comedy, entertainment, and I daresay a bit of magic and wonder through the power and vehicle of a story.

To me Gaming takes some of that magic, some that power and gives us each the opportunity, and the obligation to craft the great legendary epics that never were. There’s a beauty to the fluid mandala of a table top game, this ephemeral saga that exists only for that small handful of players, but is no less potent in its ability to direct, define, and shape those select few people than Homers Iliad, Aesop’s Fables, or Parables of the Tripitaka.

In the Era of Modern Gamer Geeks, perhaps Shakespeare’s sobriquet might equally hold true as “The Game Master”

Do not get bogged down in the minutiae of rules, chasing the ghost of “balance”. Life is not balanced, great stories are not balanced. This is not a game of precise tactics and exacting evaluations; it is a medium for telling each other stories, for crafting grand tales of heroes and villains, for having a few beverages around a table and finding bonds of friendship. For in the end, all that we are left with are stories.

Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one’s self;
One thing now that never dies,
The fame of a dead man’s deeds.
– Hávamál , verse 78

So Fistful of Sagas gives us our basic introduction to the setting, and Aesir & Eights gives us our basic cosmology. Later I may add Ten Thousand Dragons to add a wuxia element with the introduction of the Chinese mythology of the Jade Courts and the Middle Kingdom, as 1 – The chinese immigrants are an important part of the Wild West history, and 2- the Turning of the Wheel is very analogous to Ragnarok, and playing on the similarities between the Aesir and the Celestial Bureaucracy, the Allfather and the Jade Emperor, the Runes and the I Ching Hexagrams. It could all work.. maybe… maybe.. we’ll see..

But in the meantime, lets start laying down some actual rules and mechanics. The next two sections: Wanted: Draugr or Alive, and The Good, The Bad, and The Loki, will start to define how Runestone varies from a basic Fistful of Lead game.

The Endless Ocean. Home to Krake, Hafgufa and other such monsters of the seas. It waters are now wracked with the turbulence of Jormungandr’s thrashings.
Games set in the Weltmeer would probably be naval combat or such. There is no land in Weltmeer, though one might possibly stumble across a Jotunheimar island.

Notable Realms of Weltmeer

Aegir’s Hall: The Glistening Hall of Aegir and Ran, the Vanir gods of the Ocean and the Deep, and located in the blackest depths of Weltmeer. It is in Aegir’s cauldron, “Water Whirler” that the finest mead in all of creation can be brewed.

Homeworld of the Fire Giants, the primordial creatures of destruction and chaos. Muspelheim is ruled by Surtur.

Terrain for games set in Muspelheim would just be lava fields and the like. Muspelheim is probably not an appropriate setting for a miniatures game.