Best system for western game (non wierd west)

[Drath3n]

So what would be a good system for a straight western besides GURPS and Savage Worlds. Savage Worlds could do it's just that since Deadlands is their crowning jewel they dont have any straight western companion books. After learning a bit about Traveler I have felt this system would be perfect for a western but alas they are only Sci-fi, any thoughts?

[superteddy57]

If you don't mind doing a little work and doing some converting, Traveller is a fine backbone for a Western game. Course, making new career lists and most of the work would be to tone down the tech level (but it can be done). But that is honestly the brunt of the problem you are faced with. Either find a system that has the system geared towards that style with flavor or do the prep and conversion work to make it work in another system. I would probably choose Deadlands and take the weird out, Call of Cthulhu and take out the Cthulhu and work from Pulp era and eliminate turn of the century equipment/skills, or work with Traveller and slash the hard sci fi and keep the tech level low to that era. All nice choices.

[Talyn]

Agreed, most suggestions I've read over the past couple years just say to use Deadlands and not use the "Weird" parts. Red Deadlands Redemption, as I call it. :) You've got plenty of locations, NPCs, story ideas, etc. all built-in without ever needing the supernatural bits.

[Griogre]

I believe JohnD used "Go Fer Yer Gun" for his western campaign. Its a d20 system.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/19438/Go-Fer-Yer-Gun

[Wolfspyder]

I have fond memories of playing Boot Hill as a kid, but that was the last time I played it, mid/late 80's or so. It was a TSR game and used percentile dice in the system. We had many a bank robbery/train robbery and shoot outs with the law.
I just did a google search and a 3rd edition(I think I played 2) is on Drivethru, and after get through some other recent game purchases I will have to see if the nostalgia holds up.

[damned]

What game mechanics do you like?
Choose the system that has teh mechanics that you like.

[Griogre]

I played a fair amount of Boot Hill as well, and have fond memories of it - and you can also get that now:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/240114/Boot-Hill-Wild-West-RolePlaying-Game-3rd-Edition

There's a fair amount of options fortunately.

[Drath3n]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will think on it. The western genre is soooo niche that there isn't much out there specifically designed for it. There are a few for pen & paper tabletop like Aces & Eights or there is a Swedish game called Western though that seems to be in Kickstarter/translation hell atm. I tried GURPS and if Steve Jackson Games wasn't so mule headed in refusal of technology for its RPG that might be an option but last I knew they have made every effort to block any FG conversion. Like I said Traveler is real interesting to me for a basis for a Western game, at its core it sounds like it has the the same elements of a western. Rumor has it Firefly is just a TV version of an old Traveler game Joss Whedon played back in the day and that's so very western in theme.
Anyway thanks again, really loving FG now that I have fully dove into running a 5E game in it and it just makes playing Role Playing Games so fast and smooth that I almost don't want to go back to in person gaming :D

[esmdev]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will think on it. The western genre is soooo niche that there isn't much out there specifically designed for it. There are a few for pen & paper tabletop like Aces & Eights or there is a Swedish game called Western though that seems to be in Kickstarter/translation hell atm. I tried GURPS and if Steve Jackson Games wasn't so mule headed in refusal of technology for its RPG that might be an option but last I knew they have made every effort to block any FG conversion. Like I said Traveler is real interesting to me for a basis for a Western game, at its core it sounds like it has the the same elements of a western. Rumor has it Firefly is just a TV version of an old Traveler game Joss Whedon played back in the day and that's so very western in theme.
Anyway thanks again, really loving FG now that I have fully dove into running a 5E game in it and it just makes playing Role Playing Games so fast and smooth that I almost don't want to go back to in person gaming :D

I took a world called Gunn and changed it around in my Traveller universe to be a lot like Deadwood from the TV series. Since it is off the beaten tracks starships don't visit much and tech level has been adjusted to be compliant with the era. So it is actually pretty easy to do in Traveller if you want too.

Boot Hill is a pretty simple system that could probably be ported to MoreCore. I'm not sure if the 3rd edition is more sophisticated than the original but the original is one of the most streamline games I can recall ever seeing.

[Drath3n]

Cool! I am thinking real hard about Traveler. Sounds fun. Probably want to run it as is till I get the hang of the rules before I start messing around.