Tuesday, November 23, 2021

I&I for T6G: Territory by Emma Bull

Here's a novel that can provide inspiration for adventures and campaigns set in the world of The Sixth Gun and Shadow Roads; it is Territory by Emma Bull. 

-Nate


Territory

I I first read this novel back around 2010, after a trip to the Grand Canyon, when I was starting to take an interest in supernatural westerns. Coincidentally, that was also when Oni Press released Issue #1 of The Sixth Gun for Free Comic Book Day. Here are a few of the impressions that it left on me after this second reading.

  • This novel is a slow burn, taking its time in building up the conflict.

  • It provides an interesting look at (mostly) everyday life in a small western town, which I liked.

  • Taking that a step further, it also provides insight into how characters can gain influence and build names for themselves and their associates, possibly leading up to a political campaign or the pursuit of other offices, such as Sheriff or Marshal.

  • The fire provides an excellent example of a dramatic scene that does not involve combat, but still puts the heroes in real danger.

  • It's an interesting take on relatively subtle magic, too, a setting in which ordinary people don't know about or believe in the occult. Some of the drama, then, comes from how they react when they see it for themselves firsthand.

  • Dog House Rules provides some excellent content that relates to this story, including some of the following PDFs. There's a free one that presents stats for the Earp brothers, which would need some adjustment to reflect the use of magic in this novel; the second is a comprehensive writeup for a town that was frequented by Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, which could be an excellent backdrop for a story like this one.

  • https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/258973/Savaged-Six-Guns-Lawmen--The-Earps--Mastersons

  • https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/195491/Frontier-Towns-Fort-Griffin-Savaged


No comments:

Post a Comment