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ng76
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I wanted to talk a little about Far West, a RPG set in a Wuxia/Spaghetti Western world. I recently ran a one-shot of it and had a few thoughts.
I’m not going to talk about all of the drama about the Kickstarter and troubled development of the game. If you’re interested in that, you can read about it elsewhere. Basically, it started with a big Kickstarter in 2010, but was repeatedly delayed for over a decade before its release in 2023.
Far West uses their version of the D6 system. If you’ve played West End Games’ Star Wars RPG or the many games that followed in its wake, you’ll know this system.
You total up the dice for a final result. You’re either trying to equal or exceed a GM assigned difficulty number, or you’re rolling against another character, trying to beat their roll.
Any doubles (2 dice of the same number) on a roll produces Joss. Higher numbers produce “good” Joss, low numbers produce “bad” Joss. Each would have some effect on the game, based on the GM’s ruling. There really isn’t a lot of guidance about how this would work in practice, and I didn’t really use it during my one-shot. It is considered an optional rule.
The first thing a GM needs to decide what Rank the players will be – Novice, Initiate, Master, or Legend. This will set the general power level of the game. The choice determines how many dice the players can spend on Attributes and Skills.
Attributes – Players spend dice on Reflexes, Strength, Wits, Toughness, Presence, Knack and Kung Fu
Backgrounds – Players can select and roll randomly on a table to choose a characters background. A background will give a character a attribute and skill bonus.
Occupations – Similar to Backgrounds. Either random or selected, an occupation will provide a bonus to skills.
Skills – All skills are attached to a particular attribute, and start with the die code of the attribute. Players can spend Skill dice to make a particular skill higher.
Kung Fu skills (External, Gateway, Internal, and Lightness) are exceptions to these rules. Kung Fu skills start at zero dice. The dice of the Kung Fu attribute are distributed between them. Players cannot spend skill dice to improve them.
Spirit – Characters are assigned Spirit points based on Rank and Attributes. They can be used to activate Aspects, add an extra Wild Die to rolls or reduce damage. Players have Permanent Spirit points, which is the maximum number they can have, and Temporary ones that can rise or fall during games.
Aspects – This is quite similar to aspects in the FATE system. An aspect is a short phrase concerning the character – “Strong as an Ox”, “Hell Rides With Me”. Players start with 4-7 depending on their rank.
Aspects can be tagged by a player when appropriate, and by spending a point of Spirit can add an extra Wild Die to a roll. The GM can compel a characters aspects in a way that will hurt the character, but the character will gain Spirit points if they accept the compel.
A number of example aspects are given, but I’m not sure the whole concept is explained that well. More examples would have helped. I’m a FATE veteran, so it was clear enough for me, but GMs new to the concept might find it a little confusing.
Edges & Flaws – There’s a combined list of Edges – special abilities that can be purchased with Skill dice. There are also Flaws – disadvantages that will give the character extra Skill dice to spend.
Clans – Players choose an allegiance to various secret societies. Joining a society gives the player access to secret fighting styles, skill advantages, and other benefits.
This, I think, is the beating heart of Far West. There’s a long list of fighting styles, each assigned to one of the four Kung Fu skills.
Characters start out with a number of free styles, but need to spend permanent Spirit points to gain any new ones. Learning a new style involves finding a teacher or training manual.
Each style is described in detail, with prerequisites, cost in Spirit to use, and the basic skill to roll with. One of the best things in Far West are the interesting names of all of the various styles which bring to mind the fun of old Shaw Brothers movies. Some of my favorites:
The Bell Resounding: ” wielding of a pair of metal batons…Iron Dragon Masters are said to strike with such a furious flurry of blows that the batons ring like chimes for up to a minute afterward.”
The Great Silence: “With a series of precise touches to specific locations on a target’s body, you are able to render them mute for a period of time”
Eight Compass Way: Firearms can be used not just for attacks, but to defend – literally shooting down incoming bullets
Heaven’s Tailor Style: “You can unfurl a portion of your sleeves or belt or other length of fabric at your opponent, entangling them in elaborate wrappings”
There’s a fairly straightforward list of firearms. No particular flavor here, just a description of the damage and stats of each.
The melee weapons are a bit more interesting. Some are standard – sword, knives, spears etc. There are however, more exotic weapons; war fans, tiger forks, three-section staffs – each with their own special abilities.
Far West has some steampunk elements. There’s a skill called Cog Science that can be used to create, use, and repair strange clockwork and steam-powered gadgets. There’s a short list of various example items – steam cycles, repeating rifles, even a military automaton called a War Drudge.
There are basic rules for creating new devices, though it does require a bit of conversation and negotiation between the player and GM.
There’s about fifty pages of lore describing the world. The setting is a wild frontier region to the west of a vast empire (The Righteous Empire) clearly inspired by ancient China. There’s a lot here, perhaps too much. A big detailed setting can sometimes leave GMs and players a bit befuddled about where to start. The weather, religions, architecture, and history of the Far West are all touched upon. It’s all good and imaginative, but learning it all can feel a bit like homework.
I do like that the exact locations of everything aren’t strictly spelled out. There’s lots of room to breathe, so to speak, and to allow a GM to fill in blank areas of the map with whatever they want.
There is a map of the setting, but it’s more suggestive than a strict hexcrawl style map:
Some of my favorite bits:
One of the pages has a character sheet, which can be downloaded from the Far West website. It’s fine, but it has a colored background, and isn’t fillable. I made a printer-friendly, fillable version that can be downloaded here.
The original website and had some awesome art, mostly by Rick Hershey. The images were great mashups of Western, Wuxia, and Steampunk themes. Probably a lot of the initial interest around this game was based on them.
All of the older art appears in the game, but a lot of the newer art seems to be modified photographs. A number of them seems to be photos of regular people – I’m assuming Kickstarter backers.
Far West is a bit of a mixed bag. The setting is amazing – evocative and full of fun adventure hooks. The list of Kung-Fu styles is delightful.
The D6 system is basically fine. Not a bad choice for pulpy game at all. A lot of the stuff added on the system, i.e. Joss & Aspects, feels a little tacked-on to me. I’m not sure how well it meshes with the rest of the system. When I ran my one-shot, I only used aspects a little, and Joss not at all.
In terms of organization, it could use a little work. Sometimes rules are a bit spread out. There is an index, which is appreciated. I’d also love to see more detailed examples of the various rules.
I’d also would’ve liked to see an introductory adventure. There are plot seeds sprinkled throughout the book, but an actual adventure would be far more useful. A few pregens would also help.
Far West, despite its incredibly long development time, weirdly feels a little bit rushed. There are a lot of rules and ideas, but not a lot of organization. It also feels a little over-stuffed, as if the author knew they’d only get one shot at this. That might just be my imagination, but that’s the impression I got.
I’m not sure if it has one. In addition to the rulebook, there are only three Far West products available: a collection of short stories, a musical album, and one adventure.
I’d love to see more support for this setting – adventures and setting books full of new kung-fu styles would be lovely. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to happen. The controversy over Far West’s development and mixed reviews upon its release has probably doomed it.
Which is a shame, I think. The setting is so unique and full of promise. I’d love to see someone take another crack at it. Even as it is, if the subject matter sounds at all interesting to you, I’d recommend picking up a copy.
Continue reading...
I’m not going to talk about all of the drama about the Kickstarter and troubled development of the game. If you’re interested in that, you can read about it elsewhere. Basically, it started with a big Kickstarter in 2010, but was repeatedly delayed for over a decade before its release in 2023.
The Basic System
Far West uses their version of the D6 system. If you’ve played West End Games’ Star Wars RPG or the many games that followed in its wake, you’ll know this system.
Basic Task Resolution
- Roll a number of six-sided dice based on how many dice a character has assigned in a particular attribute or skill.
- One die is a Wild Die. If it’s a 6, re-roll Wild Die and add new result to total.
- If it’s a 1, it’s a Critical Failure, which results in a lower roll or a complication (GM’s choice)
You total up the dice for a final result. You’re either trying to equal or exceed a GM assigned difficulty number, or you’re rolling against another character, trying to beat their roll.
| Level | Number |
|---|---|
| Automatic | 0 |
| Very Easy | 1-5 |
| Easy | 6-10 |
| Moderate | 11-15 |
| Difficult | 16-20 |
| Very Difficult | 21-25 |
| Heroic | 26-30+ |
Joss
Any doubles (2 dice of the same number) on a roll produces Joss. Higher numbers produce “good” Joss, low numbers produce “bad” Joss. Each would have some effect on the game, based on the GM’s ruling. There really isn’t a lot of guidance about how this would work in practice, and I didn’t really use it during my one-shot. It is considered an optional rule.
Creating Characters
The first thing a GM needs to decide what Rank the players will be – Novice, Initiate, Master, or Legend. This will set the general power level of the game. The choice determines how many dice the players can spend on Attributes and Skills.
Attributes – Players spend dice on Reflexes, Strength, Wits, Toughness, Presence, Knack and Kung Fu
Backgrounds – Players can select and roll randomly on a table to choose a characters background. A background will give a character a attribute and skill bonus.
Occupations – Similar to Backgrounds. Either random or selected, an occupation will provide a bonus to skills.
Skills – All skills are attached to a particular attribute, and start with the die code of the attribute. Players can spend Skill dice to make a particular skill higher.
Kung Fu skills (External, Gateway, Internal, and Lightness) are exceptions to these rules. Kung Fu skills start at zero dice. The dice of the Kung Fu attribute are distributed between them. Players cannot spend skill dice to improve them.
Spirit – Characters are assigned Spirit points based on Rank and Attributes. They can be used to activate Aspects, add an extra Wild Die to rolls or reduce damage. Players have Permanent Spirit points, which is the maximum number they can have, and Temporary ones that can rise or fall during games.
Aspects – This is quite similar to aspects in the FATE system. An aspect is a short phrase concerning the character – “Strong as an Ox”, “Hell Rides With Me”. Players start with 4-7 depending on their rank.
Aspects can be tagged by a player when appropriate, and by spending a point of Spirit can add an extra Wild Die to a roll. The GM can compel a characters aspects in a way that will hurt the character, but the character will gain Spirit points if they accept the compel.
A number of example aspects are given, but I’m not sure the whole concept is explained that well. More examples would have helped. I’m a FATE veteran, so it was clear enough for me, but GMs new to the concept might find it a little confusing.
Edges & Flaws – There’s a combined list of Edges – special abilities that can be purchased with Skill dice. There are also Flaws – disadvantages that will give the character extra Skill dice to spend.
Clans – Players choose an allegiance to various secret societies. Joining a society gives the player access to secret fighting styles, skill advantages, and other benefits.
Kung Fu Styles
This, I think, is the beating heart of Far West. There’s a long list of fighting styles, each assigned to one of the four Kung Fu skills.
Characters start out with a number of free styles, but need to spend permanent Spirit points to gain any new ones. Learning a new style involves finding a teacher or training manual.
Each style is described in detail, with prerequisites, cost in Spirit to use, and the basic skill to roll with. One of the best things in Far West are the interesting names of all of the various styles which bring to mind the fun of old Shaw Brothers movies. Some of my favorites:
The Bell Resounding: ” wielding of a pair of metal batons…Iron Dragon Masters are said to strike with such a furious flurry of blows that the batons ring like chimes for up to a minute afterward.”
The Great Silence: “With a series of precise touches to specific locations on a target’s body, you are able to render them mute for a period of time”
Eight Compass Way: Firearms can be used not just for attacks, but to defend – literally shooting down incoming bullets
Heaven’s Tailor Style: “You can unfurl a portion of your sleeves or belt or other length of fabric at your opponent, entangling them in elaborate wrappings”
Weapons and Cog Science
Weapons
There’s a fairly straightforward list of firearms. No particular flavor here, just a description of the damage and stats of each.
The melee weapons are a bit more interesting. Some are standard – sword, knives, spears etc. There are however, more exotic weapons; war fans, tiger forks, three-section staffs – each with their own special abilities.
Cog Science
Far West has some steampunk elements. There’s a skill called Cog Science that can be used to create, use, and repair strange clockwork and steam-powered gadgets. There’s a short list of various example items – steam cycles, repeating rifles, even a military automaton called a War Drudge.
There are basic rules for creating new devices, though it does require a bit of conversation and negotiation between the player and GM.
Combat
- Combat is in 5 second rounds
- Initiative is by a Wits roll or GM fiat.
- The skills Gunplay, Cog Science, Athletics, or Throwing can be used for various attacks.
- The target number is based on range, cover, and the target’s actions
- The target can try to dodge, parry, or use a Kung-Fu style to defend against attacks.
- If attack succeeds, the attacker rolls the damage dice of the weapon. The target makes a Toughness roll. If the damage roll is higher, the difference is the damage applied.
- The target can be stunned, incapacitated, or killed depending on the amount of damage received.
- There are a good number of optional combat rules – hit locations, grappling, and showdown rules.
The Lore
There’s about fifty pages of lore describing the world. The setting is a wild frontier region to the west of a vast empire (The Righteous Empire) clearly inspired by ancient China. There’s a lot here, perhaps too much. A big detailed setting can sometimes leave GMs and players a bit befuddled about where to start. The weather, religions, architecture, and history of the Far West are all touched upon. It’s all good and imaginative, but learning it all can feel a bit like homework.
I do like that the exact locations of everything aren’t strictly spelled out. There’s lots of room to breathe, so to speak, and to allow a GM to fill in blank areas of the map with whatever they want.
There is a map of the setting, but it’s more suggestive than a strict hexcrawl style map:
Some of my favorite bits:
- Restless City of Semberhane – a settlement carved into a mountain around a vast waterfall.
- Big Sky – A mobile trading settlement constructed onto a giant airship.
- The Dust Road – A secret subculture of martial artists, respected and feared.
- The Dreaming Desert – a vast wasteland infested with Dragons and other serpents. Dragons in this setting are large flightless lizards.
- The Orrery – A construct of brass and silver that can supposedly calculate the motions of the heavens and foretell the future.
Other Stuff
- A short bestiary of “Critters”. None of them are particularly strange or gonzo. Most are ordinary animals.
- A number of character templates that can be used to simplify character creation.
- Random tables for generating adventures, settlements, and encounters.
- A description of wuxia and spaghetti western tropes, along with a list of inspirational works.
- Some basic GM advice on running Far West games.
One of the pages has a character sheet, which can be downloaded from the Far West website. It’s fine, but it has a colored background, and isn’t fillable. I made a printer-friendly, fillable version that can be downloaded here.
Art
The original website and had some awesome art, mostly by Rick Hershey. The images were great mashups of Western, Wuxia, and Steampunk themes. Probably a lot of the initial interest around this game was based on them.
All of the older art appears in the game, but a lot of the newer art seems to be modified photographs. A number of them seems to be photos of regular people – I’m assuming Kickstarter backers.
Conclusion
Far West is a bit of a mixed bag. The setting is amazing – evocative and full of fun adventure hooks. The list of Kung-Fu styles is delightful.
The D6 system is basically fine. Not a bad choice for pulpy game at all. A lot of the stuff added on the system, i.e. Joss & Aspects, feels a little tacked-on to me. I’m not sure how well it meshes with the rest of the system. When I ran my one-shot, I only used aspects a little, and Joss not at all.
In terms of organization, it could use a little work. Sometimes rules are a bit spread out. There is an index, which is appreciated. I’d also love to see more detailed examples of the various rules.
I’d also would’ve liked to see an introductory adventure. There are plot seeds sprinkled throughout the book, but an actual adventure would be far more useful. A few pregens would also help.
Far West, despite its incredibly long development time, weirdly feels a little bit rushed. There are a lot of rules and ideas, but not a lot of organization. It also feels a little over-stuffed, as if the author knew they’d only get one shot at this. That might just be my imagination, but that’s the impression I got.
The Future of Far West
I’m not sure if it has one. In addition to the rulebook, there are only three Far West products available: a collection of short stories, a musical album, and one adventure.
I’d love to see more support for this setting – adventures and setting books full of new kung-fu styles would be lovely. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to happen. The controversy over Far West’s development and mixed reviews upon its release has probably doomed it.
Which is a shame, I think. The setting is so unique and full of promise. I’d love to see someone take another crack at it. Even as it is, if the subject matter sounds at all interesting to you, I’d recommend picking up a copy.
Continue reading...