Characters
Every character in a BOOT HILL® game has five attributes:
Strength
Coordination
Observation
Stature
Luck
Strength measures physical power (how much can this character lift and carry?), stamina (how far can he run without collapsing?), health (how many nights can he sleep on the cold, damp ground before getting sick?), and wound capacity (how many bullets will it take to lay him low?).
Coordination measures manual dexterity (can this character pick a lock?), agility (can he turn a somersault?), balance (can he walk across the balcony railing without falling), speed (can he beat Dirty Dan to the draw?), and accuracy (can he shoot the spot off a playing card at 50 paces?).
Observation measures alertness (does this character notice the bandit sneaking past?), vigilance (does he stay awake all night while guarding the gold?), eyesight (can he see the spot on a playing card at 50 paces?), and other senses (does he hear the gun cocking behind him? can he feel the approaching rainstorm?).
Stature measures how widely known the character is (has anyone in the saloon heard of him?), how much of a reputation he has (is anyone in the saloon afraid of him?), and how physically imposing he is (if no one has heard of him, are they afraid of him anyway?). There were plenty of Western characters whose reputations far outstripped their deeds, while others deliberately played down their reputations to remain anonymous.
Luck measures the character’s ability to escape unharmed from harrowing dangers (how did he survive the buffalo stampede?), survive a fatal wound (look, the bullet must
have hit the sheriff’s badge!), and accomplish any other task that he has no reason to think possible (I swear that fellow could track a rabbit under water).
Attribute Scores
The character has a numerical score in each of these attributes. This score indicates how gifted the character is in that attribute— how strong, coordinated, observant, notorious,
and lucky. Scores for Strength, Coordination, and Observation range from 2 to 20. Scores for Stature and Luck range from 1 to 10. Scores can be increased outside these ranges through experience (described below). High numbers mean the character is wellendowed in that attribute, low numbers mean he lacks that quality. The Attributes Scale provides a handy comparison for different
attribute scores. (Don’t interpret this scale too rigidly. After all, Strength measures a lot of different things. One character with a high Strength score could be powerfully muscled while another is wiry but incredibly tough.)
Generating Attributes
Roll 2, d10’s adding them together. Record the score and repeat four times. Add the below modifiers to each recorded number to get a final score.
2-5 =+5
6-10 = +3
11-14 = +2
15-17 = +1
18-20 = +0
After you have the modified scores, you assign them to Strength, Coordination, Observation, Stature, and Luck (Stature and Luck are both halved, rounded up if necessary to form the score)
Using Attributes in Play
Attribute scores are very important during the game. Whenever a player wants his character to do something and the judge decides that the outcome isn’t certain, he can ask the player to perform an “attribute check” using a certain attribute. The player rolls a 20-sided die and compares the number rolled to his attribute score. If the number rolled equals or is less than his attribute score, the action worked. If the number rolled is greater than his attribute score, the action failed. The extent of that failure is up to the Judge.
If a task is unusually easy or unusually hard, the judge can impose modifiers to the character’s attribute for this check. These modifiers usually won’t exceed + or – 5 in even the most extreme cases. A +1 modifier, for example, temporarily increases the character’s attribute by one point, making it slightly easier for his attribute check to succeed.
Skills
In addition to his five attribute scores, each character also has skills. These skills give the character special knowledge, special abilities, or modifiers to their attributes.
There are 62 skills available to characters in the BOOT HILL game. Of these, 57 are work skills like Accounting, Gambling, Swimming, and Trapping, and five are weapon skills: Archery, Brawling,
Knife/Sword, Pistol, and Rifle.
Skill Scores: Like an attribute, each skill has a score. To determine the score for a work skill, follow the same procedure as determining an attribute score: roll two 10-sided dice, add
them together, and modify the result.
Weapon skills always begin with a score of 1. A character can, however, choose a weapon skill more than once and add 1 to his score each time. Choosing Pistol skill twice,
for example, give the character a score of Pistol 2
Learning Skills: Every new character gets up to 10 skills of the player’s choice. The exact number depends on the total of the character’s attribute scores. Total up all the character’s
attribute scores and consult the Initial Skills table.
- Total Attribute Score 27-40 = 10 skills
- Total Attribute Score41-62 = 8 skills
- Total Attribute Score 63-80 = 6 skills
At least half of these initial skills must be work skills. They can all be work skills if the player wants, but no more than half can be weapon skills. A weapon skill can be taken
more than once to get a higher score, but each time counts as one skill.
New skills can be learned during the course of play, and old skills can have their scores increased, if the player spends experience points for the skill. This is explained
under the heading Experience.
Using Work Skills
Work skills are used during play the same as attributes. When a character tries to use a skill, the player makes a “skill check” by rolling a 20-sided die. If the result is equal to
or less than his skill score, he succeeded at his task. If the die roll is greater than his skill score, he failed.
If a task is unusually easy or unusually hard, the judge can impose modifiers on the character’s skill scores. These modifiers usually won’t exceed + or – 5 in even the most
extreme cases.
skill check of any sort is required only if there is some degree of difficulty to the task. Routine tasks are assumed to be completed automatically. A blacksmith need not make a
skill check every time he shoes a horse, for example. If an outlaw is forcing him to do it at gunpoint, however, this adds an element of difficulty calling for a skill check.
Rolling a 1 or a 20
It is possible for a character’s skill or attribute score to be modified below 1 or above 20. This does not, however, mean that the character’s skill works or fails automatically.
If a character’s skill score is less than 1, the character can still succeed by rolling a 1. However, success must be confirmed with a Luck check. If the character subsequently
rolls his Luck score or less on a 20-sided die, his task succeeds. Otherwise, it fails.
Similarly, if a character’s skill score is modified to 20 or more, that character can still fail by rolling a 20. On a roll of 20, the character must confirm his success with a
Luck check.
Using Weapon Skills
Weapon skills modify a character’s hit number when using that type of weapon. The skill score is added directly to the character’s hit number. For example, a character with a
hit number of 12 and Pistol 2 effectively has a hit number of 14 when firing a pistol.
Work Skills
Accounting. A character with this skill is trained as a bank clerk, accountant, store clerk, railroad ticket agent, or in another position that involves using math and handling
money. He has a fair amount of business sense. prerequisite: Literacy.
Artillerist. This character probably served in the U.S. or Confederate artillery during the Civil War. He knows how to handle and fire a cannon, mortar, and even a Gatling gun
Artist. This character is a skilled painter. He could be a wildlife artist, a newspaper sketch artist, or a traveling portrait painter. Alternatively, a player could choose this skill
to be a poet or playwright (in which case its prerequisite is Literacy).
Assaying. This skill lets a character assess the value of gold, gems, and other minerals. He is qualified to work in a government or private assaying office. He can identify fool’s gold automatically, and a skill check will let him identify a metal or mineral, spot a counterfeit coin (if he handles it), or judge the value of cut or uncut gems.
Bartending. This character is skilled at all the various aspects of tending bar, from the simple (pouring a shot of whiskey without spilling) to the complex (telling some lout what his problem is without making him mad). He knows how to make a wide variety of mixed drinks (which were quite popular in the West), judge good whiskey from bad, and make bad-tempered men happy.
Bureaucracy. This skill conveys understanding of the inner workings of the army, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and all forms of national, state, and territorial governments and commissions. A successful skill roll can help the character navigate through the channels to get whatever information, permit, license, or deed he requires. prerequisite: Literacy.
Carpentry. This character is trained to build wooden buildings, furniture, toys, and equipment. If the character tries to build something small, a single skill check at the end determines whether it turned out right (on a bad roll, for example, the lid of a chest might not fit quite right). On larger projects, several skill checks should be made, one for each stage of the work. When building a
house, for example, one check could be made to determine whether the frame went up all right, a second to check the exterior appearance, and a third for the interior finishing. Failure does not necessarily mean that the whole job is flawed, but some part of it probably needs to be done over. A carpenter can also repair wooden items that have been damaged.
Chemistry: This character is educated in the chemical sciences, including pharmacy. He can mix and identify simple chemicals (bicarbonate of soda) automatically. More complicated procedures require a skill check. In any case, the character cannot produce any chemical without the proper ingredients. Even with this skill, no one can make gunpowder from cotton balls and wood shavings. However, in an emergency the judge may allow a skill check for the player to come up with an insight on how the ingredients at hand can be usefully combined. prerequisite: Literacy.
Civil Engineering: This character is educated in the mechanical sciences, particularly architecture, drainage, railroad construction, and street building. While the day to-day effort of designing and building a municipal water tower is not the stuff of western adventure, characters can also use this skill to spot weaknesses or flaws in such structures. prerequisite: Literacy.
Cooking: This character is qualified to work as a trail cook or short-order cook. With a score of 17 or higher, he could work as a chef in a restaurant or hotel.
Cow Handling: This is the skill of cowboys. Herding, cutting out, branding, and rounding up are all among the skills essential to cow punchers. This skill can be used in a specific case where something needs to be done with one or more cattle. It can also be used in a general way, once every two or three days on a cattle drive, to determine whether a cowhand does something foolish, embarrassing, or dangerous.
Dentistry: This skill lets the character treat toothaches, broken teeth, rotten teeth, or make dentures. A character with this skill is also considered to have 6 points of Medicine skill, automatically. prerequisite: Literacy.
Entertainer: This character has some talent at singing and dancing. Or, if the player prefers, the character could be a stage magician, a comic, a storyteller, a puppeteer, or any other sort of entertainer (except an actor, which is covered by Thespian skill). The skill score is a general indicator of the character’s ability to keep an audience entertained. A successful skill check means the audience likes the show, an unsuccessful check means things could get ugly.
Explosives: This character is trained to handle, set, and detonate explosives. Most anyone can light the fuse on a stick of dynamite and throw it, but only a trained character knows how to position explosives for the best effect, rig multiple charges, safely transport nitroglycerine, or correctly judge the right amount of explosive to use for a particular job. Usually, one skill check is all that’s
required for a small job, but larger tasks—bringing down a railroad bridge, for example—may require several skill checks. Failing a skill check does not necessarily mean that the charge exploded in the character’s hand, or even that it didn’t explode at all (though on a very bad roll, both of those results are possible). If the roll was close, it may simply mean that the charges did not explode the way they were supposed to—parts of the bridge are still standing, the mine caved in, etc.
Farming: This character probably was raised on a farm. He knows about planting, harvesting, and tending crops, as well as raising cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, or any other farm animals the player chooses.
Fast Draw: In those cases where clearing the holster first is important, characters make Fast Draw skill checks. if the number rolled is equal to or less than the character’s Fast Draw Score, then he’s pulled his gun up into firing position and the number rolled is that characters speed for that shot. If the number rolled is greater than the character’s fast draw score, he hasn’t cleared his holster yet and is not ready to fire. His opponent probably has gotten the drop on him.
Gambling: When characters sit down to gamble, a character with Gambling skill has a significant edge. He also has the option to cheat with a decent chance of avoiding detection. Gambling skill can also be used to detect whether another player is cheating.
Gunsmithing: This character can repair or even make guns, with the proper equipment. Any gunsmith will usually carry with him the simple tools needed for most repairs, but he needs a stocked gunsmith’s shop to make a gun or perform extensive modifications. If a Gunsmithing skill check fails, the judge decides whether the task is beyond the character’s skill, he doesn’t have the equipment he needs, or it is just impossible. A gunsmith can also cast and reload bullets, and modify existing guns 9turn a regular pistol into a fast draw pistol).
Indian Contact: This character has considerable experience dealing with Indians. He speaks a variety of Indian languages and knows their customers and traditions. This does not mean that all Indians like him, but a successful skill checks improves the likelihood of a favorable reaction.
Law: yes, there were lawyers and judges out west. A character with this skill is trained to serve as both. A skill check can serve to determine whether the character knows the legalities of a situation, whether he can adequately defend or prosecute a suspect, or pass a judgement that is both fair and satisfactory to the crowd. Prerequisite: Literacy.
Leadership: A character with this skill is either trained, or has a natural aptitude for. Leading bodies of men, either soldiers or civilians. The character can command a number of civilians (as in a posse) equal to his skill score, or four times that many soldiers. A successful skill check will also keep a group in line when trouble is brewing.
Linguistics: This character has made an extensive study of foreign languages. One half the skill score, rounded up is the number of languages the character speaks fluently. A successful skill check also lets the character understand at least part of any language. Prerequisite: Literacy.
Literacy: A character with this skill can read and write any language he can speak, including Indian languages. the Judge can require a skill check in cases where the written material is complicated or the character doesn’t get much practice.
Locksmithing: This skill represents both the lawful and honest pursuit of craftsmen who make and repair locks, and the dishonest pursuit of safecrackers and lockpickers. A skill check lets the character open a lock, repair a lock, or build a lock. The judge should impose modifiers on this skill check suitable to the situation.
Medicine: While great strides were made in medicine in the years leading up to the second half of the 19th Century, a combination of inadequate knowledge and poor facilities made both disease and injury very lethal on the frontier. A good doctor was both very rare and very highly regarded. Even some of the basic principles of first aid, which we now take for granted, were largely unknown to the general public. No amount of medical skill or tending will save a character who has been mortally wounded. Serious wounds will begin healing after a doctor makes a successful Medicine skill check. Light wounds heal on their own, or twice as fast if tender by a doctor. A doctor can also use his Medical skill to treat animal bites, poisoning fevers, and other diseases. Prerequisite: Literacy.
Orienteering: This is the art of traveling cross-country, with or without map, without becoming lost. A character relying on his Orienteering ability to get from here to there should make a skill check every one to five days, depending on how difficult the terrain is. The judge must decide, based on the landmarks available, whether a lost character realizes his predicament. Characters without Orienteering skill must make Observation checks at least once per day, to not get lost in the wilderness.
Photography: This character knows how to take photographs, develop film, and even make his own emulsions. Photography was still young, and very much in evolution, during the years 1865-90. Many photographers were from the do-it-yourself school and had a keen interest in the art they were helping to both invent and develop. Cameras and other equipment were bulky and fragile, but the public clamored for photographs, from personal portraits to portrayals of fabulous natural wonders and romantic figures to ship back East. Skill checks can be required for a wide variety of photographic tasks: exposing or developing the plate, transporting the equipment safely, coating the plates with emulsion.
Pocket Picking: Anyone who would sneak up to another person, reach into his pocket, and remove something is a thief. Anyone caught pursuing this profession can expect harsh treatment. A successful Pocket Picking check will lift a victim’s wallet or purse (from a jacket or vest pocket, where it mostly likely would have been carried). If the pickpocket attempt fails, the victim checks his Observation to see whether the attempt was noticed.
Preaching/Theology: This skill is essential to the stump riding circuit preacher as well as the selfless missionary. Successful skill checks can bring people into worship services or hold them enthralled with the power of the word. Preachers, ordained and otherwise, were always in demand, to minster to the faithful, read over the dead and dying, and grant blessings on endeavors of every kind. Literacy is not a prerequisite for this skill but is is highly recommended.
Printing/Journalism: This character knows every aspect of the publishing trade, from writing to editing to typesetting to printing. He is qualified to run a newspaper of his own, file stories to a paper, or even write dime westerns. Skill checks can be used to determine whether a story was gripping and compelling, whether the characters can get all the information he needs for a story, and as a general guide to how good a writer the character is. Prerequisite: Literacy.
Prospecting/Mining: This is the skill that lets a character locate oil, gold, or other valuable minerals and recover them safely. Skill checks can determine whether a mine shaft was dug safely, whether anything is found in the mind (modified, of course by whether there’s anything there in the first place), and whether the character even recognizes something of value when he sees it. If a characters is operating a mine, a weekly skill check determines whether his work is paying off. Again, the size of the payoff is up to the Judge, based on the richness of the area.
Public Speaking: The ability to address and influence a crowd is essential to politicians, preachers, demagogues, temperance, unionists, labor organizers, and dozens of other professions. Depending on the initial mood of the audience, a successful skill check can calm them down, whip them up, or even get the ready to storm the jail and spring someone up. Like most skills, the player can’t just say “I’m speaking to the crowd,” and roll some dice to see how people react. He should have to give at least a summary of the content of his speech. The judge can impose modifiers on the skill check for particularly effective or ridiculous arguments.