Gangbusters + Boot Hill + Top Secret

[Deleted]

Rixxk got me thinking while looking at the posts here and in the quote I took from a post in the BOOT HILL section.

Mar 31, 2009 11:18:41 GMT -6 rick krebs said:

Might I suggest checking out Gangbusters as a basis for your combat system.

I know that TSR had three main RPGs that all used a percentile system:
1. Boot Hill (1860's to 1880's era)
2. Gang Busters (1920's to 1930's era)
3. Top Secret (1980's to 1990's era)

I haven't put them side-by-side, but I wonder if there is any way to blend the three together to make a more universal modern game?

* All three use percentile dice (BH 3E moves to d20's).
* I would guess that combat modifiers are similar.
* TS and GB both use skills, and BH 3E has some as well (I think)

Do you think there are enough similarities in the three games to try this? Would it be at all worthwhile?

[rick krebs]

It should be doable. I know from experience that Boot Hill and GB can work together (BB had input on both). But, I must confess a lack of knowledge on TS, as TS and GB were competing on the release cycle. I had too little time to look at another system. But, I would imagine it could be done. I'd like to hear comments from a TS fan.

[coffee]

From what I've seen of Boot Hill (very little, alas) the First Shot Determination rules were imported almost whole into Top Secret.

As to other things, I'm not sure. But I do have faith that it could be done.

[Zulgyan]

I haven't put them side-by-side, but I wonder if there is any way to blend the three together to make a more universal modern game?

This would be wonderful. I encourage those with time and energy to do this! ;D

Yes... I know... not very helpful...

[Finarvyn]

I might tinker with the project. I'm kind of in a lull at work at the moment, since we're on Spring Break at school.

I have copies of all three games and will try to look at them side-by-side to see how they compare. It's an interesting concept.

[Zulgyan]

I can help a bit if needed, but I can't be too committed to it.

I'm very interested though!

[castiglione]

I think Boothill's entire gun combat system was imported into Top Secret except for how the system handled damage.

I think GB is the cleanest of the three with Boothill coming in second; my only gripe about Boothill was the hand-to-hand combat system...the skill of your character didn't seem to enter into the equation at all. It's like the system completely considered everyone to be equal when it came to swinging fists and chairs and bottles. I guess this might have been a feature more than a bug as a reflection of the genre.

TS took Boothill's gun combat system and turned the dial to 11. Good grief. The hand-to-hand combat system was fun to read through and was manageable for 1 vs. 1 fights but quickly bogged down when more participants were thrown together into the mosh pit.

GB had a good, simple gun combat system (basically took the best bits from Boothill and pared it down) and a decent hand-to-hand combat system. It basically seemed to start with Boothill and took the opposite approach from TS, paring down and simplifying the system instead of hanging more stuff on it.

Frankly, I don't think there's much sense in "blending" the three since you'd end up with GB anyway, with the trends toward simplification being what they are. I guess if you really liked TS's rules concerning automatic weapons (oi vey!) you might shoe horn them in. Or the hand-to-hand combat rules...

[rick krebs]

I look forward to you getting a group together and giving GB a full blown playtest. I've got some even simpler combat resolvers as well as some percentages for amnesia and successful forceable interrogation.

If your looking for further inspiration: check out the untouchables TV show with Robert Stack (i.e. the Artichoke King) on You Tube.

All the best