TEXT: DHR1021
  
  1
  FRONTIER TOWNS:
  FORT GRIFFIN
  VOLUME 2
  Credits
  Author: Christopher S. Warner
  Senior Editor: Thomas L. Gregory
  Associate Editor: Bradley W. Hindman
  Layout and Graphic Design: Karl Keesler
  Cartography: Geoff Spakes
  Cover Design: Karl Keesler
  Original Artwork: Manoel Magalhães
  Proofreader: Dana Warner
  Open Game Content
  All content (excluding Product Identity as listed below) is designated Open Game Content in accordance with sec-
  tion 1. (d) of the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast. The Open Game Content may only be used under and
  in terms of this license.
  Product Identity
  The following is hereby designated as Product Identity:
  All historical sidebar text as indicated by the newspaper icon.
  All building descriptions, including background, building key and maps.
  All fictional character text descriptions and proper names.
  Sidewinder: Wild West Adventures
  Sidewinder: Recoiled
  Branded for Recoiled
  Frontier Towns
  The Fort Griffin Echo
  Copyright and Trademark Notice
  Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin Vol. 2 is a publication of Dog House Rules, LLC. Copyright © 2004 by Dog House Rules, LLC. All rights reserved under inter-
  national copyright conventions. Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin Vol. 1 is a publication of Dog House Rules, LLC. Copyright © 2004 by Dog House Rules, LLC.
  All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. 
  Sidewinder: Wild West Adventure is a trademark owned by Citizen Games and is used with permission.
  Sidewinder: Recoiled is a trademark owned by Dog House Rules, LLC (www.doghouserules.net). Copyright © 2003, 2004 by Dog House Rules, LLC. All
  rights reserved under international copyright conventions.
  The Fort Griffin Echo is a trademark owned by Dog House Rules, LLC (www.doghouserules.net). Copyright © 2004 by Dog House Rules, LLC. All rights
  reserved under international copyright conventions.
  “d20 System,” “d20 Modern Roleplaying Game,” and the “d20 System” logo are Trademarks own by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the
  terms of the d20 System License version 5.0.
  
  Don’t Call Me “Boy”..............................................34
  She’s My Wife.......................................................34
  Dawena and the Hooligans ..................................34
  Robbed in Your Birthday Suit ..............................35
  Planters Hotel......................................................36
  Building Key...........................................................36
  Personalities ...........................................................41
  Jack Swartz..........................................................41
  Estelle Swartz.......................................................42
  Allen Baker ..........................................................43
  Theodore “Teddy” Fargas......................................44
  Adventure Hooks....................................................44
  Robbery................................................................44
  Food Poisoning.....................................................44
  Room Mix-Up .......................................................44
  A Piece of the Action ............................................44
  Looking for Josh Morgan......................................45
  Beggars at the Back Door ....................................45
  Fire!......................................................................45
  Frontier House ....................................................46
  Building Key...........................................................47
  Personalities ...........................................................49
  “Uncle” Billy Wilson..............................................49
  Avery Lamb ..........................................................50
  Cordelia, the cat...................................................51
  Soledad “Sol” Sanchez..........................................51
  “Marvelous” Muriel Hervey...................................51
  Jules Albert Hervey..............................................52
  Adventure Hooks....................................................53
  A Cutpurse in the Crowd .....................................53
  The Show Must Go On.........................................54
  Romance with a Starlet or Star............................54
  Tying It All Together ...........................................55
  Personalities ...........................................................55
  John Henry Selman .............................................55
  Circling Hawk.......................................................56
  Xu Jing Han.........................................................57
  Sun Mei Ling........................................................58
  Adventure Hooks....................................................59
  Jay Has a Few Too Many .....................................59
  The Mouse Hunts the Owl ...................................59
  The Uncle of All Practical Jokes ...........................60
  Sold Out to Selman..............................................61
  The Bank’s Been Robbed! ....................................61
  Bigotry Knows No Bounds ...................................61
  Circling Hawk Accused ........................................61
  The Thorp Boys Get Bold.....................................61
  A Murder Mystery ................................................61
  The Greatest Show on Parson Street....................62
  References ..............................................................62
  Related PDFs ..........................................................
  Judge Reference Maps.pdf ...........separate document
  15mm Battle Maps.pdf.................separate document
  25mm Battle Maps.pdf.................separate document
  Table of Contents
  Introduction ..........................................................3
  Frontier Town Basics ...............................................3
  Notes on Game Mechanics.....................................4
  Table 1.1: Object Properties ...................................4
  Table 1.2: Lock Properties......................................4
  Table 1.3: Safe Properties.......................................4
  A Brief Description of the Flat..................................5
  Interior Key .............................................................5
  Doney’s Saloon......................................................6
  Building Key.............................................................7
  Personalities .............................................................8
  William Doney........................................................8
  Whit Hubbard ........................................................9
  Sue Ann Summers...............................................10
  Adventure Hooks....................................................10
  Overheard ............................................................10
  Whiskey Courage .................................................10
  The Wrath of Doney .............................................10
  A Threat to Doney’s Family..................................11
  Button, Button . . . Who’s got the Button? ..........11
  F.B. York’s Bank ..................................................12
  Building Key...........................................................13
  Personalities ...........................................................15
  Arthur J. Hamilton...............................................16
  J. F. Wiggins.........................................................17
  Jay Middleton ......................................................17
  Harvey “The Owl” Parker......................................18
  Adventure Hooks....................................................18
  Desperate Client...................................................18
  The Sting .............................................................19
  Bank Robbery ......................................................19
  Thorp Blacksmith................................................20
  Building Key...........................................................21
  Personalities ...........................................................23
  J.L. Thorp ............................................................23
  Timothy “Timmy” O’Lochlann ..............................23
  Emily Thorp. ........................................................24
  Matthew “Mattie” Thorp .......................................25
  Lucas “Luke” Thorp..............................................25
  Susan Thorp ........................................................26
  Adventure Hooks....................................................26
  Those Durned Thorp Boys ...................................26
  An Irishman’s Ire .................................................27
  Another Mule .......................................................27
  Earl’s Shave and Bathe........................................28
  Building Key...........................................................29
  Personalities ...........................................................31
  Elijah Earl............................................................32
  Dawena Earl ........................................................33
  Milly White ...........................................................33
  Moon, the dog ......................................................34
  Adventure Hooks....................................................34
  2
  
  Frontier Towns Basics
  For consistency, each establishment contains the
  same basic elements. A quick review is in order.
  Background: This includes a brief overall description
  of the establishment, its history and overt physical char-
  acteristics.
  Map: A floor plan of the building, in standard 1 inch
  = 5 feet square scale, is provided, complete with graphic
  presentation of major furnishings, interior structures
  and points of egress. In addition to the maps found with-
  in these pages, three separate PDF files contain larger
  maps for the Judge’s easy reference and note-making, as
  well as actual table-top maps for gaming sessions (espe-
  cially useful when miniatures are used in game play).
  The three PDF files are:
  • Judge Reference Maps.pdf – containing a full page
  map for each establishment, intended for the Judge’s
  use and possibly as handouts.
  • 15mm Battle Maps.pdf – containing full scale 1/2” =
  5’ maps that you can print and piece together for
  table-top gaming sessions.
  • 25mm Battle Maps.pdf – containing full scale 1” = 5’
  maps that you can print and piece together for table-
  top gaming sessions.
  Welcome back to Fort Griffin and The Flat for the sec-
  ond volume of Frontier Towns. We’re right pleased you
  decided to drop by.
  If you purchased the first volume (thereby demon-
  strating tremendous good taste and laudable judgement),
  you already know how this here Branded for Recoiled
  supplement works and don’t need to wade through the
  rest of this introduction—nothing has changed. We invite
  you to proceed directly into town to partake in the fine
  establishments offered in these pages. 
  If, on the other hand, this is the first Frontier Towns
  product you’ve laid eyes on, you’ll probably want to take
  a gander at the rest of this chapter. We here at Dog House
  Rules are aiming to bring alive some of the more inter-
  esting places on the Frontier, places where a vibrant,
  exciting Sidewinder: Recoiled campaign might take place.
  Some Frontier cow towns could be downright boring and
  staid, but shucks, we figure you can be bored any old
  time, so this sourcebook is designed to help you spice up
  the flavor of the Old West in your game.
  A wise old hombre once said “No man is an island”
  and it’s just as true that no building stands alone. So, to
  provide a cohesive setting that you can implement imme-
  diately, we’ve located all of the establishments in this
  supplement in a little place called Fort Griffin, Texas. The
  buildings and their inhabitants can be used right off the
  shelf, so to speak, making it easy to create
  various role playing opportunities and
  spawn adventures with Fort Griffin as the
  primary setting. (See the section that fol-
  lows for the background and a brief
  description of Fort Griffin and The Flat,
  and visit www.doghouserules.net for free
  Fort Griffin and North Central Texas
  maps.) 
  But keeping flexibility in mind, all
  Frontier Towns locales are presented in a
  way that will allow you to use them as you
  see fit. It should be quite feasible to uproot
  any of these establishments and drop
  them into a frontier town of your own cre-
  ation. Need a barbershop, a hotel or black-
  smithy, but don’t have the time or energy
  to draw one up? Go ahead and filch one
  from here, transport it to wherever your
  little ol’ pea-pickin’ heart desires and
  tweak it to fit your chosen environment. 
  3
  INTRODUCTION
  Life on the trail can bring hardship, peril and death. Frontier towns such as Fort Griffin are beacons of civiliza-
  tion, where travelers can sleep in a real bed, enjoy some lively entertainment and maybe, just maybe, get a hot
  bath and a clean shave. 
  
  Bank, doors and windows may be hardier than normal;
  when any characteristics differ from the norm, those dif-
  ferences will be noted within the building description.
  Items not listed here will be fully described in the indi-
  vidual building descriptions.
  Unlike standard building materials, locks and safes
  come in a variety of qualities as shown in Tables 1.2 and
  1.3.
  For rules on picking locks and cracking safes, see the
  Disable Device skill description in Sidewinder: Recoiled,
  pages 73-74. 
  Building Key: Detailed descriptions of each area
  depicted on the floor plan are provided. These descrip-
  tions contain everything needed to use the establishment
  without further work, but are by no means comprehen-
  sive. Judges may wish to add or subtract details as nec-
  essary, tailoring the place to fit the style and substance
  of their campaign. While specifications are given to help
  facilitate game play, these can be altered or embellished,
  as a Judge desires. All rooms and specific areas are num-
  bered for easy reference.
  Personalities: Without folks around to make things
  happen, an establishment would be nothing more than a
  hunk of wood and stone. Thus, each building includes a
  few personalities to help populate your town and create
  potential role-playing situations. Use the characters pro-
  vided in these sections in whatever way fits your chosen
  environment. Change the names, adjust the stats—well,
  you know there are many ways to ricochet a shot and
  make it hit the target. (Note: In the stat blocks, the first
  class listed is always the initial class chosen by the char-
  acter at first level.)
  While some of the personalities listed within each
  establishment are based upon real history, some are just
  plumb made up. Heck, we’ve even taken some “cinemat-
  ic” liberties with the historical figures if we figured they
  needed spicing up (or when the real details proved elu-
  sive). Those based on the available historical record,
  whether fact, fiction or somewhere in-between, are noted
  with a “historical person” icon as shown below.
  Adventure Hooks: Finally, a few possible scenarios
  are offered with each establishment to help spark a
  Judge’s creativity, and perhaps engender some bona-fide
  adventures for the players in your Sidewinder: Recoiled
  game. Take ‘em at face value, or use ‘em as the seeds of
  the players’ destruction . . . er, that is, ideas that make
  for interesting gaming incidents. In some cases, twofold
  optional scenarios are presented, where a Judge can take
  the same basic premise and run with it in different direc-
  tions. We figure this will help to keep players from gain-
  ing the proverbial keys to the kingdom—that is, those
  players who purchase this supplement and read all the
  goodies in order to have an ace up their sleeve. Not that
  that would ever happen (naw, couldn’t possibly).
  Notes on Game Mechanics
  Building Construction Specifications: Within each
  building description, specifications are provided for the
  structure and any furnishings or other select items found
  on the premises. For any rulings pertaining to the struc-
  tures (such as a character trying to break down a door,
  or bust a lock), the Judge should consult Sidewinder:
  Recoiled pages 219-220 for the details on how to Attack
  an Object. 
  Standard objects will have the properties shown in
  Table 1.1. In some instances, such as at the F.B. York’s
  4
  Table 1.1: Object Properties
  Object
  Hardness
  Grit
  Break DC
  Door bar
  5
  4
  +2
  Door, Wood
  5
  10
  13
  (simple)
  Door, Wood
  5
  20
  23
  (strong)
  Door, Wood
  5
  22
  24
  (wood reinforced)
  Door, Wood
  6
  25
  25
  (metal reinforced)
  Floor, Wood
  5
  15
  13
  Furniture (small)
  3
  3
  12
  Furniture
  5
  5
  15
  (medium)
  Furniture (large)
  5
  10
  15
  Wall, Stone
  8
  90
  35
  Wall, Wood (int)
  5
  30
  15
  Wall, Wood (ext)
  5
  45
  20
  Window Bars
  10
  15
  30
  Window Glass
  1
  1
  5
  Window Shutters
  5
  8
  13
  Table 1.2: Lock Properties
  Lock
  Hardness
  Grit
  Break
  Pick
  DC
  DC
  Cheap
  0
  1
  10
  20
  Average
  3
  5
  15
  25
  Quality
  5
  10
  20
  30
  Security
  10
  120
  35
  40
  Table 1.3: Safe Properties
  Safe
  Hardness
  Grit
  Break
  Pick
  DC
  DC
  Safe, small
  10
  30
  30
  30
  Safe, large
  10
  50
  35
  30
  Strongbox
  5
  15
  20
  20
  
  Along the dirt roads of town, buildings sprung up left
  and right—from businesses catering specifically to the
  hunters and passers-through to establishments serving
  the needs of the growing “permanent” populace. While
  most of the early buildings were constructed of the scrub
  wood found in the area (such as live oak) a few stone
  buildings arose as well. 
  All the seasons were felt in this region—from the
  extremes of a January winter freeze to the dreary high
  heat of an August summer. Harsh weather posed an
  ongoing challenge for settlers and travelers alike—poten-
  tially as deadly as any outlaw’s buckshot. Flash floods
  plagued the residents and business owners in The Flat,
  washing out homes, ruining inventory and sometimes
  carrying livestock down the river. Apple-sized hailstones
  periodically pelted roofs and the heads of poor souls
  unfortunate enough to be caught outdoors. Wicked tor-
  nadoes ripped through the plains without warning, indis-
  criminately demolishing homesteads or taking objects
  that were never meant to fly (including people and ani-
  mals) for a brief ride in the sky. And rarely did an other-
  wise pleasant autumn pass without a Blue Norther blow-
  ing through and leaving an icy spell in its wake.
  In the early days, the Flat attracted outlaws, gamblers
  and other scofflaws resulting in lawlessness for some
  time. But as the community grew, businesses became
  established and settlers stuck around, the rule of law
  evolved. Still, the place was as wild and wooly as the
  Frontier ever got, and adventure awaited any cowpoke
  with a hankering for action.
  A Brief Description of “The Flat”
  It’s a little known fact that throughout the 1870s, Fort
  Griffin and the nearby town, known as The Flat, came
  alive with the frontier spirit. Although not as well known
  as places such as Deadwood, Dodge City, and
  Tombstone, Fort Griffin during its heyday was just as
  rambunctious and rough-and-tumble. Both the famous
  and infamous passed through these parts of North
  Central Texas, from Wyatt Earp to John Wesley Hardin
  and Lottie “The Poker Queen” Deno. 
  Starting as a “camp-follower” community adjacent to
  the Fort, The Flat became a thriving town in the mid-
  1870s. Sometimes described interchangeably, the town
  of Fort Griffin and The Flat offered travelers, buffalo
  hunters and soldiers a place to blow off steam, get a
  decent meal and otherwise enjoy a respite from the dusty
  trail. As settlers moved west, The Flat drew the likes of
  gamblers, homesteaders, outlaws, merchants, and cattle
  drivers headed north to the railheads in Kansas. Some
  came to stay while others came and went like the floods
  that struck without warning.
  While Fort Griffin proper was situated high on a hill,
  The Flat lay on the level plain just beneath the steep hill-
  side on the banks of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River.
  The area was typical of the prairie plains terrain of North
  Texas. At the time, as the buffalo roamed free, the
  Comanche, Tonkawa and Kiowa that followed the herds
  were being forced onto reservations. All the while, settlers
  came to hunt the buffalo, round-up cattle and farm the
  land as best they could, growing staple crops such as
  corn, cotton and sorghum. 
  5
  INTERIOR KEY
  Paved or Stone
  Surface
  Wooden
  Surface
  Water
  Packed Earth
  Surface
  Stone or Brick
  Wall
  Wooden
  Wall
  Wooden Shingle
  Roof
  Wooden
  Swinging Door
  Reinforced
  Swing Door
  Vault Door
  Glazed
  Window
  Barred
  Window
  Window
  Shutters
  Iron Bars
  Stairs
  Ladder
  Opening in
  Ceiling
  Opening to
  Lower Level
  Opening Floor
  & Ceiling
  Fireplace
  Torch/Lamp
  Bracket
  Hay, Fodder, 
  Straw Bedding
  Bed(s)
  Bunk Bed
  Crates, 
  Barrels, etc.
  Shelves,
  Furniture, etc.
  Stoves, Ovens
  Table, etc.
  Chairs, Stools
  
  Climbing on this roof is certainly not a task for the faint-
  hearted.
  In some ways, the Saloon’s broken-down appearance
  serves it well, drawing a crowd that prefers a no-frills,
  even solemn, place to get a stiff drink. Moreover, it caters
  to those penny-pinching travelers that can’t afford more
  than a plain shot of whiskey, as well as those who don’t
  want—or can’t resist the temptation of—gaming tables
  and sweet-smelling women. Not to mention anybody
  needing a place for a clandestine meeting.
  While the place is mostly somber and austere, that
  doesn’t mean things don’t get rowdy now and again.
  Some hard hombres pass through here, and it isn’t
  uncommon for a fracas to break out—night or day—
  sometimes with Doney himself instigating the distur-
  bances.
  Doney’s place ain’t much to look at, but it has that
  certain quiet charm that attracts drifters (and regular
  folk) looking for a cheap drink without a bunch of
  folderol—or attention of any kind for that matter.
  William Doney, an immigrant from England, built this
  nearly square, all-wood structure in late 1875. Wanting
  to capitalize early on the growing commerce and traffic
  moving through Fort Griffin and The Flat—and not hav-
  ing much to spend on construction—Doney simply put
  up four walls and a roof as quickly and cheaply as possi-
  ble. Frankly, it shows. The place appears to be much
  older than it really is, with warped boards, grubby rotting
  planks and a few crudely patched holes in the rusted tin
  roof (especially over the small porch). The wooden walls
  are relatively weak (Hardness of 5 and 35 total Grit, with
  a Break DC of 18) with the roof being even less sturdy
  (Hardness of 4 and 25 total Grit, with a Break DC of 15).
  6
  DONEY’S SALOON
  When your throat’s drier than a West Texas sandstorm and you don’t need nuthin’ fancy—just straight up
  whiskey and maybe a place to put up your sore feet for a spell—it’s right likely that this old shack is calling
  your name.
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  ahead, welcoming patrons who can’t wait to order up a
  drink. The stools in here are in much better condition
  than the ones out on the porch—that is, all of their legs
  are relatively even and they aren’t covered with crap.
  From this side, the bar appears as plain as a pine box. 
  Immediately to the right and left of the entrance are
  the only two tables in the place. Showing signs of numer-
  ous repairs, each table has four straight-back armless
  chairs (obviously patched together after participation in
  numerous brawls, making them more easily broken if
  further abused—Hardness 5, Grit 3, Break DC 12). The
  four shuttered window openings around the tables allow
  decent ventilation. Kerosene lamps flank the windows,
  providing dim light in the nighttime hours.
  Tucked into the corner, behind the left-hand table
  (when facing the bar), is an aged wood-burning stove.
  Doney usually keeps a small fire burning in order to brew
  the pot of chicory coffee that he keeps on hand (coffee is
  always free of charge). During the winter months, the
  stove is loaded up in an attempt to keep the drafty place
  warm. Despite the constant drafts and the four windows,
  there always seems to be a haze of smoke lingering up
  towards the ceiling.
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  This thin strip of a porch leads up to the Saloon’s only
  remarkable feature—the classic “bat-wing” style swinging
  doors. The doors are certainly the best-maintained part
  of the whole place, being oiled and cleaned regularly.
  Heck, they might be the only things maintained and
  cleaned regularly. While two beat-up stools can be found
  out here, rarely do they serve as seats. One of them has
  a short leg; while bird droppings and other unsavory
  stains cover the other. The tin roof over the porch is pep-
  pered with numerous holes, letting in annoying streams
  of sunlight or rivulets of rainwater, making the porch
  less-than-hospitable most of the time. The two windows,
  although equipped with shutters, are usually open.
  2) Saloon
  The “bat-wing” doors lead directly into the main area
  of the saloon. The bar and five stools stand directly
  7
  
  Doney and his barkeep (Whit Hubbard) wear waist
  aprons with pockets, where they keep the day’s profits.
  One of the two men will always be here—the barkeep
  60% of the time, Doney 25%, and both 15% (on fully
  packed nights it’s 50% likely for both to be here). Doney
  pays a local girl, Sue Ann Summers, to sweep out the
  place now and then—there’s a 25% chance she’ll be
  around on any given morning.
  In the far-left corner behind the bar is the door to the
  storage room. A simple wooden door, this one has an
  average grade lock, which is usually unlocked during
  business hours.
  4) Storage Room
  This small storage room has shelving on the back
  wall, and a few crates on the floor. The crates contain
  whiskey bottles (clearly marked in order to keep the good
  stuff separate from the snakehead). An extra coffee pot, a
  sack of coffee beans mixed with chicory root and a
  grinder rest on the shelves, along with another box of
  matches, some more rags, a box of candles, tin of
  kerosene, a few aprons and a strong box with a quality
  lock (into which Doney and Hubbard transfer funds after
  their aprons get a might jangly). Doney empties the box
  every night—sometimes twice a day if business is brisk.
  Additionally, a teakettle and a few tins of imported tea are
  kept in here—Doney breaks these out when any of his
  countrymen come through town.
  Personalities
  Doney’s clientele tends toward the rough-and-tumble
  and plain folk, including a number of soldiers looking for
  a cheap drink. This section offers descriptions of the
  owner and the employees frequently found here.
  William Doney
  A strapping, hot-tempered man of English descent,
  William arrived in Virginia with his parents when he was
  fourteen years old. Despite his almost twenty years of liv-
  ing in the U.S., Doney still carries a bit of an accent. The
  Doney family moved often during those first few years,
  always a little further west, until finally settling near Fort
  Belknap, where William found work as a teamster.
  Against his father’s wishes (”It’s not OUR war, after all,
  my boy!”), Doney enlisted in the Texas Frontier Regiment
  under Capt. James B. “Buck” Barry in 1862. Doney met
  his wife—Mary, the daughter of Irish immigrants—during
  his enlistment. They married soon thereafter and the first
  of their five children (four girls and a boy, the eldest
  daughter is now 8) was born a year later, just before he
  mustered out of the Regiment. 
  The Doneys scrimped and saved while William
  resumed his work as a teamster and Mary earned extra
  cash as a seamstress. The family moved to Fort Griffin,
  where William built the Saloon at night, after spending all
  day loading and unloading the supply wagons passing
  through The Flat. Other than the Saloon, the Doneys own
  In the other corner, alongside the bar, is the back-
  door—a strong wooden door with a latch bolt on the
  inside, but no lock.
  In the morning, 1d4-1 patrons may be in here. By
  noon, the place harbors 1d6 patrons. By the early
  evening, and well into the night, 3d6 folks are usually
  packed in, some standing along the walls and setting
  their glasses on the windowsills if the seats are all taken.
  It’s not uncommon for revelers intending to visit the
  fancier (and higher priced) places in town to stop by
  Doney’s first for a cheap drink, or two.
  3) Bar
  As noted previously, the 15’ long bar is quite plain.
  Between the numerous cigarette burns, scorches and
  gouges, the bar top’s thinning layer of shellac is in des-
  perate need of re-coating. On the wall directly behind the
  bar are two long, warped shelves, supporting only a few
  glasses and mugs on the more level spots. The upper
  shelf is about one-third shorter than the lower. Closer
  examination reveals that one end has been busted clean
  off. More glasses are usually stored at the far right end of
  the bar (facing the entry), next to an oil lantern.
  All of the liquor is kept underneath the bar, on recent-
  ly replaced shelving. Aside from the free jamoka, Doney
  serves only three things: average whiskey, snakehead
  and draft lager. Sometimes though, he runs out of beer,
  as he keeps only a couple of small kegs on hand, both
  under the bar and operated by a simple gravity tap.
  Regardless, there are always three or four bottles of each
  type of whiskey under the bar.
  A small cubby unit beneath the left side of the bar
  holds a supply of rags, a box of matches, and eight .44
  pape rifle cartridges. Leaning against the cubby is a
  Sharps rifle, and, although it has seen better days, it is
  fully functional—and loaded.
  8
  A number of small saloons popped up in
  The Flat; some surely lasted, while oth-
  ers came and went like a summer hail-
  storm (never amounting to more than a room
  where you could get shot of whiskey). The map of
  The Flat lists a number of saloons, from Charley
  Meyer’s to the Busy Bee to Doney’s and a slew of
  others, (including the famous Shannsey’s and
  Beehive described in Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin
  Vol. 1).
  The Dog House Gang chose Doney’s (for no
  particular reason) as a representative for all those
  small “dive” kind of places where a cowpoke could
  get a cheap drink in plain company. 
  DO HE OR DONEY?
  
  Whit Hubbard (The Barkeep)
  Quick with a joke or to light up your smoke, Whit
  Hubbard loves his job at Doney’s. Although a completely
  average Joe (or Whit in this case), with his sense of
  humor and uncanny ability to read a man’s disposition
  from only a word or a nod, Hubbard can get along with
  just about anybody.
  Whit made a living as a clerk in a variety of business-
  es while making his trek from Ohio down to Texas. He’s
  good with money and Doney trusts him implicitly. The
  saloon owner pays him fairly well and they’ve become
  good friends over the two years that Hubbard has been in
  what amounts to nothing more than a large shack down
  near the river.
  Although the years of backbreaking work and long
  hours have taken their toll on his visage, Doney’s power-
  ful physique hasn’t withered with age. He has the weath-
  ered, wrinkled face of an older man but the muscles of a
  younger man.
  William Doney
  (Strong Ordinary 3, Dedicated Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: September 9, 1844
  Birthplace: York, England
  Heritage: English
  Weight: 208 lbs
  Height: 6’ 1”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Doney’s Saloon, Doney Family
  Challenge Rating: 3
  Level: 4
  Grit Dice: 3d8+1d6+8 (23)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: -1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3
  Grapple Modifier: +6
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12, (+3 class, 
  -1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +7, Ref +0, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 9 (-1), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 12 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists +6 (1d6+2 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Colt New Model Army  +2 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 
  30 ft.; Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Reid’s Knuckleduster +2 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 
  10 ft; Ammo: 7 cyl.) 
  Occupation: Laborer (class skills: Handle Animal, 
  Repair, Ride)
  Skills: Craft (structural) +4, Diplomacy +2, Handle 
  Animal +10, Knowledge (business) +2, Knowledge 
  (current events) +2, Knowledge (popular culture) 
  +2, Profession +2, Read/Write Language 
  (English), Repair +2, Ride +7, Speak Language 
  (English), Survival +4
  Feats: Animal Affinity, Brawl, Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Colt New Model Army, .44 paper 
  rounds (20), Reid’s Knuckleduster, .22 rim-fire 
  rounds (7) plain holster, trousers, plain shirt, 
  bowler hat, cowboy boots
  Whit Hubbard
  (Charismatic Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: February 3, 1847
  Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio
  Heritage: American 
  Weight: 170 lbs
  Height: 5’ 8”
  Hair: Black & Gray (handlebar moustache)
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: Doney’s Saloon
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 2
  Grit Dice: 2d6+2 (9)
  MDT: 12
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +3
  Defense: 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +0 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 10 (+0), Con 12 (+1), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis  13 (+1), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Merchant (class skills: Diplomacy, 
  Knowledge (business) 
  Skills: Bluff +7, Concentration +3, Diplomacy +10, 
  Gamble +3, Gather Information +7, Handle 
  Animal +3, Knowledge (business) +8, Knowledge 
  (civics) +4, Knowledge (current events) +5, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +3, Listen +3, 
  Profession +6, Read/Write Language (English), 
  Sense Motive +5, Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Attentive, Simple Weapons Proficiency, 
  Trustworthy
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Trousers, plain shirt, vest, plain 
  men’s shoes 
  9
  
  her focus is on her work and her family. Her parents and
  five siblings live in a shack outside of town—her parents
  both work as farm hands. Sue Ann puts all of her earn-
  ings into the family fund.
  Adventure Hooks
  Overheard
  While the characters are enjoying a quiet drink in
  Doney’s, they overhear part of a conversation at one of
  the tables. That conversation could be about many dif-
  ferent things, such as:
  • A robbery plan
  • Vengeance on another townsperson 
  • A person of some notoriety comin’ to town
  • Gossip about philanderin’, stealin’, or lyin’
  • A cheatin’ dealer/player at a saloon or gamblin’ hall
  • A clue for one of the other adventures in town
  It’s up to the Judge whether the characters hear the
  real story, or if their eavesdropping ends up in a miscon-
  strued version of the whisper game. But it should be fun
  to plant the seeds of dissension and adventure and see
  what comes of it.
  Whiskey Courage
  Inevitably, some bonehead’s gonna drink too much or
  take exception to someone else’s comments, no matter
  how innocuous. A hole in the wall place like this sees
  plenty of brawls. Ironically, the bonehead who starts
  many of them is the ill-tempered owner himself! 
  The Judge is encouraged to find a way for Doney to
  pick a fight with either the player characters or other
  patrons. Thus, an ordinary bar fight becomes a tale for
  the trail. It shouldn’t be hard for the player characters to
  irritate the Englishman. Any comment about his accent,
  the taste of the coffee or spirits, the condition of the bar
  or the Queen and country could easily set him off. In fact,
  it doesn’t even have to be an insult; Doney is quite capa-
  ble of misconstruing the most well intended conversa-
  tion.
  Of course, the Judge may elect to have another party
  start a fight, completely unconnected to the player cow-
  pokes or Doney. Or, the Judge could take advantage of a
  rowdy player character’s behavior and have another
  patron take exception instead of Doney. 
  If Whit’s there, he’ll just take cover and let the morons
  fight it out, no matter how it starts. He figures you can fix
  a busted chair and sweep broken glass much easier than
  recovering from a broken snoot.
  The Wrath of Doney
  Doney has earned a reputation around town as a
  hardheaded, strong-willed man. While he’s kind to his
  family and friends, he doesn’t like insults or innuendo,
  even in jest, and sometimes reacts too harshly for the cir-
  cumstances. He refuses to serve drinks without cash up-
  front and takes great offense at beggars—whether in his
  Doney’s employ. Hubbard is one of the few men who can
  joke around with Doney without raising the Brit’s ire.
  Unknown to Hubbard or Doney’s wife, Doney’s will
  bequeaths 40% of the bar to Hubbard.
  Sue Ann “Button” Summers
  Cute as a button (hence the nickname), Sue Ann
  Summers is a diminutive thirteen-year old girl Doney
  pays to sweep the floors and dust the furniture four times
  a week. She arrives in the mornings and spends an hour
  or two doing her job.
  Sue Ann is just starting to grow out of that gawky pre-
  teen stage, and shows promise of becoming a real beau-
  ty. Nearing marrying age, she’s beginning to attract the
  attention of some of the older boys in town. Nevertheless,
  10
  Sue Ann Summers
  (Dedicated Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: July 23, 1864
  Birthplace: Fort Belknap, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 90 lbs
  Height: 4’ 11”
  Hair: Strawberry Blond
  Eyes: Green
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1/2
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d6-1 (3)
  MDT: 8
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 13 (+1), Con 8 (-1), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis  15 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20) 
  Occupation: Sodbuster (class skills: Handle 
  Animal, Ride; bonus feat: Home Ground)
  Skills: Craft (visual art) +5, Diplomacy +3, Handle 
  Animal +3, Knowledge (popular culture) +4, 
  Knowledge (theology and philosophy) +4, Listen 
  +7, Ride +5, Sense Motive +5, Speak Language 
  (English), Spot +6, Treat Injury +5
  Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Home Ground, Simple 
  Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Plain dress, women’s boots, small 
  sun bonnet
  
  2. The outlaw and his cohorts come to Doney’s Saloon
  with guns drawn, intent on ransacking the place, tak-
  ing Doney down or possibly capturing him if he’s
  there. They don’t really care whether he’s present,
  they just want to teach him a lesson, and destroying
  his place will be good enough (so the Judge can play
  it with Doney there, or ensure that he’s away for a fol-
  low-up encounter). Of course the raid happens when
  the characters are in the saloon, or nearby.
  3. The drunk is a loner, who returns to town after sober-
  ing up. He tries to kidnap one of the young Doney
  children. The characters could witness the act, or see
  him fleeing with the child, or be recruited by Doney or
  the Sheriff to track him down and retrieve the child.
  4. The drunk doesn’t sober up, but that doesn’t stop
  him from returning for revenge. He comes to town
  with guns loaded, looking for Doney. He doesn’t care
  if he shoots or kills anyone else in his pursuit of
  vengeance. He’s drunk—but not to the passing-out
  stage, just to the mean stage—and his presence spells
  danger.
  “Button, Button . . . Who’s got the
  Button?”
  Early one morning, a couple of no-account scalawags
  have decided to continue their previous night’s drinking
  at Doney’s. When Sue Ann arrives to do her sweeping and
  cleaning, they decide that she’s fair game. She ignores
  their lurid remarks and constant pawing, but despite her
  disdain (or perhaps because of it), the men become
  increasingly rude and suggestive. Although Whit is
  around, he is busy getting ready for the day’s business
  and has been in and out of the back door—every time he
  appears the men tone down their behavior. It’s up to any
  player characters to step
  up 
  and 
  defend 
  the
  young lady before things
  get out of hand. Or,
  alternatively, to help
  rescue her if things are
  already out of hand.
  saloon or in the street. Doney has been known to physi-
  cally remove a troublemaker or beggar, without the least
  hint of civility. 
  The Brit’s disposition could lead to confrontations
  with the player characters in ways other than a bar fight.
  They might witness something that they consider out-of-
  bounds (such as mistreatment of a harmless beggar or
  someone trying to filch a drink) and voluntarily get
  involved in a disagreement with Doney. The Judge
  should take advantage of any opportunity for Doney to
  react negatively to a player cowpoke’s comments, earning
  his immediate or eventual wrath.
  A Threat to Doney’s Family
  Because of Doney’s natural inclination to react badly
  to certain comments or incidents, he’s made more than a
  few enemies in town and among travelers. As it happens,
  he beat up and turned out a drunk one night not long
  ago—an outlaw who then swore vengeance on Doney. 
  The Judge could easily turn that incident into a brief
  encounter or extended adventure. 
  Forks in the Road:
  1. The drunk is part of a band of outlaws who return to
  the Flat to terrorize Doney’s family. They invade his
  shack while he’s at the saloon, taking Mary and some
  (or all) of the children hostage. Word spreads through
  town and Doney tries to enlist help to either negotiate
  with or kill the invaders. While he might call the
  Sheriff or his deputies, they have had their share of
  disagreements lately, so Doney figures an impartial
  party might be a better choice to save his family. The
  player characters are prime candidates for either pos-
  sibility.
  11
  
  his potential customers to feel completely safe about the
  security of their hard-earned funds—York commissioned
  this stone exterior structure, complete with a slate roof.
  He insisted on a methodical process for fitting the quar-
  ried granite blocks, including building a stone vault with-
  in the stone walls. Nevertheless, York kept his eye on
  costs, and in an effort to save some expenses he instruct-
  ed his architect to specify a height of 7’ for the building’s
  walls, thus reducing the amount of stone needed for the
  entire project. 
  Between the short, squat architectural construction
  plan and its location on Fourth Street between the two-
  story Planters Hotel and a large dry goods warehouse,
  F.B. York’s Bank looks more like a wide, above-ground
  The entrepreneur Frank B. York had a keen eye for
  the potential of Fort Griffin. At about the same time he
  and partner Charley Meyers built their Outfitters (see
  Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin Vol.1), York set his sights on
  opening a bank. Witnessing the increasing pace of com-
  merce, York realized that the growing town needed a
  place where the regular folks could store their savings,
  other entrepreneurs could secure a loan and local mer-
  chants could transfer their profits for safekeeping, or hire
  help to manage their accounts.
  York immediately re-deployed the construction crew
  from the Outfitters and set them to the task of building
  his bank. Having learned something about the some-
  times fierce elements on the Texas plains—and wanting
  12
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  9
  8
  7
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  F.B. YORK’S BANK
  Stuffing your mattress with fresh hay or goose down (if you can get it) is a good idea. But if you want to keep
  your paper money, family heirlooms and double-eagles safe from thieves and the Texas elements, make a
  deposit at F.B. York’s Bank.
  
  2) Bank Lobby
  Entry from the porch takes customers directly into the
  Lobby. Unless a private meeting is being held with the
  bank officers, or a customer is depositing or retrieving
  valuables from the vault, all business is conducted right
  here.
  Directly across from the front door are two tellers, seat-
  ed behind a fixed, iron gate stretching almost 15 feet from
  the vault-side wall (#5) to the internal door near the oppo-
  site wall. The gate rests on top of a half-height wooden wall
  and extends all the way to the ceiling. In fact, all of the
  internal walls and floors (except for the vault) are made of
  wood. The door leading past the gate is equipped with a
  security grade mechanism and opens into the lobby. It is
  always locked.
  Next to the internal door is one of the two hardback
  chairs in the lobby. Most of the time, an armed guard (one
  of two who alternate on two-hour shifts) is leaning against
  this chair, or propping himself up with one knee or boot on
  the seat. The guard isn’t allowed to sit down and doesn’t
  have a key to the internal door. Infrequently, the guard will
  be elsewhere in the room (near the window, or leaning
  against the vault-side wall talking to a teller). When any-
  one enters, the guard will take stock of the visitor. If it’s
  someone he knows, he’ll usually relax; otherwise, he’ll
  remain alert. The other chair is placed cater-cornered
  from the guard’s chair, near the front window opening. 
  Against the left-hand wall is a small thin table that
  customers can use to make notes, prepare deposit slips, or
  whatever. In the corner next to the table sits a potbellied
  stove for burning firewood during the fall and winter
  months.
  3) Teller Area
  The two tellers sit here, performing transactions for
  customers. The bars that form the iron gate separating
  them from the lobby are spaced about 6” apart, large
  enough to let objects as large as a strongbox (turned side-
  ways) pass through. The tellers sit on tall straight-back
  wooden chairs.
  A shelf beneath the gate holds a strongbox for each
  teller; used to temporarily hold deposits by customers, or
  to disperse small amounts of funds as needed. Once the
  drawer amasses more than $100, the teller will leave his
  seat and take the excess to one of the clerks for placement
  in the vault. If a customer requires a large withdrawal, the
  teller will leave his seat to confer with a clerk and then
  secure the funds from the vault. The tellers also have slips
  of paper, pen and ink, a small lantern, and a stamp to
  record and validate transactions. For exceptionally large
  withdrawals or deposits, the clerk will fetch one of the
  bank’s officers to oversee the transaction.
  Other bank workers occasionally move back and forth
  behind the tellers, in the open area. The guard not on duty
  in the lobby is usually resting on the chair outside the
  President’s office (#8). Neither of the tellers holds a key to
  the internal door, but the guard here has the key—when
  the guards change shifts they pass the key to each other.
  bunker (or armory) than a place of business.
  Nonetheless, the townsfolk and merchants seem rather
  comforted by that appearance, happily depositing their
  valuables inside the mottled gray bunker, er, bank. The
  fact that the bank has never been successfully robbed
  (not that there haven’t been attempts, mind you) rein-
  forces the confidence in the bank’s ability to protect the
  citizenry’s assets.
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  The bank’s long strip of a front porch faces Fourth
  Street. Unlike the rest of the building, the porch, and the
  roof above it are made of wood. Rarely is anyone found loi-
  tering out here: the lack of furniture of any kind and the
  low roof makes it a less than hospitable place for hanging
  around. An unobtrusive and simply engraved wooden
  sign rests on top of the roof, reading “F.B. York’s Bank.”
  Two 4’-wide window openings flank the heavily
  secured front door. Each opening has four bars, spaced a
  little less than 10” apart (and the same distance from the
  window frame itself, which, like the rest of the building, is
  solid stone). The bars extend two feet into the stone both
  above and below the opening, making them quite resist-
  ant to any attempts to pull them from their settings. The
  metal-reinforced door opens into the bank. In addition to
  the security lock, there is a bar on the inside of the door.
  During the daylight business hours, the door is left
  unlocked and is often propped open with a lead paper-
  weight.
  13
  While there’s evidence that the entrepre-
  neur Frank B. York owned a bank in The
  Flat, not much is really known about the
  details, including whether it was built before or
  after York & Meyers Outfitters (see Frontier
  Towns: Fort Griffin Vol. 1). Banks in the Old West
  were sometimes nothing more than a marginally
  fortified building with a strong safe. They were
  often individually owned, poorly insured (if at all)
  and prone to robbery. 
  To make things interesting, the Dog House
  Gang has made this bank relatively strong and
  secure. Cowpokes with a hankerin’ to rob a bank
  should find this a challenge worth a few gaming
  sessions, we reckon.
  YOU CAN’T
  BANK ON IT
  
  5) Vault
  The highlight of the bank is the vault, built entirely
  from stone including the floor and the ceiling (except for
  the metal door, which is equivalent to a large safe). The
  vault walls are separate from the exterior walls, providing
  an extra layer of protection.
  Inside the vault are several metal cabinets and wood-
  en shelves. Two of the metal cabinets have individual
  drawers with locks (mostly average grade, although a few
  are quality or security grade—these being the most
  expensive to rent). For the most part, the monies and
  other valuables are simply stored on the shelves and in
  the unlocked cabinets. The bank’s vice-president insists
  that the clerks and tellers keep the vault contents cata-
  loged and orderly, storing everything at least 2 feet above
  the floor whenever possible, to protect against flooding.
  During the day, the vault door is left open in order to
  facilitate business transactions. In the event of an
  attempted robbery, the nearest clerk will try to close and
  secure the vault door, which is equipped with a tumbler
  combination lock (security grade).
  4) Clerk Desks
  In addition to the tellers, there are usually two bank
  clerks working at the roll-top desks against the side wall,
  in front of the vault (#5).
  The roll-top desks hold a variety of office supplies in
  their cubby holes, from paper, ink and stamps to candles,
  matches, note holders, paperweights and envelopes.
  Small stacks of recent letters and transaction slips are
  usually on the desktops during the day, or stored in the
  top drawers at night. Aside from these ledgers and other
  records, there is nothing in the drawers.
  One desk also has a typewriter—which is fairly new—
  and an oil lantern.
  As noted in #3, the clerks work with the tellers, help-
  ing to log and verify significant transactions or to deposit
  funds into, or retrieve funds from, the vault.
  Situated near the clerks’ area is a small fireplace. The
  clerks or the guard tend a fire only during the coldest
  months of the year. A small fireplace set (poker, brush
  and shovel) rests on the small stone hearth.
  14
  
  that F.B. York is the President, in fact, he is the owner
  and has hired a President to run the day-to-day opera-
  tion. While York comes to town from time to time to check
  on his businesses, he depends on Arthur J. Hamilton to
  manage the bank’s employees, loans and investments.
  Hamilton is devoted to the bank. He arrives promptly
  at 9 a.m. six days per week, meeting the guards and
  opening the place for business. (The bank is open
  Monday – Saturday, with only morning hours on
  Saturday.) He constantly reviews the bank’s books and
  has a genial relationship with all of the employees. 
  The President’s office is much more cluttered than
  that of Wiggins (heck, an empty room is more cluttered
  than Wiggins’ office). Stacks of ledgers, and Hamilton’s
  personal scribblings, calculations and reminders, cover
  his flat-top desk (and the filing cabinet in the corner
  beside the desk). Often, the other employees have to
  come to him to find a file or ledger that they need for the
  day’s work. 
  Behind Hamilton’s desk is a padded chair; in front of
  the desk are two plain wooden chairs (with a third in the
  corner to the left of the door). A large oil-painting portrait
  of F.B. York hangs on the interior wall across from the file
  cabinet. A fireplace takes up part of the back wall of the
  bank—like the one in the clerks’ area; it is used only in
  the coldest months. The room has one barred window,
  identical to those on the front wall of the bank.
  Like the top of the desk, the three desk drawers are in
  a state of perpetual clutter. The shallow drawer over the
  chair opening is stuffed with aging scraps of paper and
  office supplies, from scissors, to quill pens and pencils,
  dried up ink bottles and paper fasteners—well, you name
  it. The two right side drawers contain old ledgers, crum-
  pled yellowing files, balled-up pieces of paper and other
  miscellaneous items. In addition, the top drawer contains
  a loaded Sharps Pepperbox, but it is usually underneath
  papers and not readily accessible.
  9) Rear Entry
  The back wall of the bank has a back door which is
  always locked (security grade) and barred at night.
  During the day, the door is unlocked, but still barred. All
  of the bank employees leave through the front door at the
  close of the business day, re-locking this back door and
  checking the bar (there aren’t any guards here at night).
  If the bank is ever held up during business hours, one of
  the clerks or the guard will attempt to slip out the back
  door and fetch the law.
  Personalities
  Aside from the characters described in this section,
  there are several regular bank employees who are locals
  of no particular interest. The Judge may decide to flesh
  out a few ordinaries for a particular adventure—other-
  wise, the personalities offered here should be plenty to
  bring the bank to life (well, as alive as a financial institu-
  tion can be).
  Just outside the door is a small table for customers
  who are making deposits to, or retrieving items from, one
  of the cabinet drawers. The guard on duty behind the
  interior door always escorts any customers given access
  to this area.
  6) Vice President’s Office
  The bank’s Vice-President, J.F. Wiggins, spends most
  of his time in here. Only about 50% of the time does he
  actually work—reviewing the ledgers kept by the clerks,
  evaluating the risk on new investments and outstanding
  loans, or meeting with new and existing clients. About
  25% of the time he can be found sleeping (and the clerks
  hate that). The remainder of the time, he walks around
  the clerk and teller area, checking up on them (he often
  claims that he needs fresh air because his office has no
  window), or makes some excuse to visit with the
  President, or cleans and dusts his office.
  In fact, Wiggins takes great care to maintain a modest
  but immaculate office. The place is nearly spotless; he
  never leaves any paperwork on the surface of his flat-top
  desk when he’s done working. His routine is to place in-
  progress items in the desk drawers, replace files and
  ledgers in the cabinets outside his office as soon as he is
  finished with them, and return borrowed items to the
  clerks working with them—interrupting whatever they
  are doing to make sure they handle the items. The only
  things that remain on the desk are a lantern, a fancy quill
  pen with holder, an ink well, a brass nameplate, and a
  daguerreotype of his family (now about 4 years old and
  taken before the birth of his youngest daughter).
  His desk has three drawers (two on the right side and
  one shallow drawer over the chair opening). The shallow
  drawer has a few items: an extra pen quill and a bottle of
  ink, blank sheets of paper, a bank stamp like those used
  by the tellers, a special stamp with his mark, a ruler and
  a pair of scissors (all neatly arranged and none touching
  each other). The top side-drawer is empty, unless he has
  placed any in-progress items in there. The bottom draw-
  er has his own personal ledgers (currently two), with his
  notes about clients.
  Wiggins has a plain wooden chair with armrests. Two
  other plain chairs, without armrests, are carefully posi-
  tioned in front of the desk, for visitors or employees.
  Wiggins always puts them back exactly where they were,
  should anyone move them while visiting (the employees
  enjoy shifting them slightly and then listening to him
  mumble as he returns the chair to its proper spot).
  7) File Cabinets Alcove
  The clerks have stuffed two filing cabinets into this
  small alcove between the two offices. Older general
  ledgers and other regular documents are stored here for
  posterity. Anything of a truly sensitive or more valuable
  nature is stored in the vault.
  8) President’s Office
  While many new and potential customers assume
  15
  
  Arthur J. Hamilton
  A widower, Hamilton has no family in The Flat. His
  wife died some years ago, of double-pneumonia, and his
  four children are all grown and scattered across the land,
  pursuing their own endeavors and raising their own fam-
  ilies. 
  Portly, with thinning gray hair, Hamilton always bears
  a friendly countenance. He greets his clients with a wave
  or a handshake and maintains cordial relations with the
  townspeople in general. He goes about town unarmed,
  preferring to present an image of assurance which he
  believes will bolster confidence in the security of the bank
  (besides, he has always been a bit soft and clumsy).
  Arthur’s employees like and respect him; he is also a reg-
  ular churchgoer. He owns a small house in The Flat.
  Educated at the University of Virginia, Hamilton has
  held several positions in banking and finance over the
  years. He moved west with his family well before the war,
  avoiding service because of his relatively important posi-
  tions with the firms he worked for. He was working for
  York in Kansas before accepting his promotion and relo-
  cating to Fort Griffin.
  16
  Arthur J. Hamilton
  (Smart Ordinary 3, Dedicated Ordinary 3)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: November 17, 1827
  Birthplace: Charlottesville, Virginia
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 171 lbs
  Height: 5’ 6”
  Hair: Gray (moustache) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: F.B. York’s Bank
  Challenge Rating: 5
  Level: 6
  Grit Dice: 3d6+3d6+6 (27)
  MDT: 12
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3
  Grapple Modifier: +2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 13, (+3 class, 
  +0 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +6
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 10 (+0), Con 12 (+1), 
  Int 15 (+2), Wis  14 (+2), Cha 14 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +2 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Academic (class skills: Knowledge 
  (behavioral sciences), Knowledge (business), 
  Research)
  Skills: Craft (writing) +7, Decipher Script +9, 
  Diplomacy +8, Forgery +6, Gather Information 
  +6, Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +12, 
  Knowledge (business) +14, Knowledge (civics) +9, 
  Knowledge (current events) +7, Knowledge (earth 
  and life sciences) +4, Knowledge (history) +4, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +6, Knowledge
  (technology) +4, Knowledge (theology and 
  philosophy) +6, Listen +4, Profession +9, 
  Read/Write Language (English), Research +11, 
  Sense Motive +6, Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Educated (Knowledge (business), Knowledge 
  (behavioral sciences)), Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, 
  Studious, Trustworthy
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Plain suit, good quality shirt, bowler 
  hat, men’s shoes, gold pocket watch, string tie  
  
  Wiggins achieved his current position through skill
  with numbers, an acute deal-making ability and general
  business sense. During the War, he served as a quarter-
  master in the Missouri State Guard, managing to stay
  clear of any combat, even while receiving training with
  firearms. He married shortly after the war and moved his
  family to North Texas in the early 1870s. He and his wife
  Candice have three children (two girls, ages 3 & 8 and one
  boy, age 6). They live in a nice house on a spread just out-
  side of The Flat—a place that is barely within their means. 
  Jay Middleton
  Jay has served as a guard at the bank for a little less
  than a year. He is a loyal, hard-working employee—in
  J.F. Wiggins
  Despite his foppish, clean-as-a-whistle appearance,
  J.F. Wiggins shouldn’t be underestimated. Having kept fit
  all of his life, Wiggins knows how to defend himself with a
  firearm or his dukes, if necessary. Although he carries a
  pocket pistol, he would definitely prefer not to get dirty,
  feigning cowardice and looking for an opportunity to
  throw a sucker punch when seriously threatened.
  17
  J.F. Wiggins
  (Smart Ordinary 2, Strong Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: May 29, 1843
  Birthplace: Jefferson City, Missouri
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 173 lbs
  Height: 5’ 10”
  Hair: Sandy brown 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: F.B. York’s Bank, Wiggins Family
  Challenge Rating: 2
  Level: 3
  Grit Dice: 2d6+1d8+3 (18)
  MDT: 16
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +3
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +0 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 10 (+0), Con 13 (+1), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 15 (+2) 
  Attacks: Fists +4 (1d6+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Remington Pocket Pistol +2 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 
  20 ft.; Ammo: 5 cyl.)
  Occupation: Merchant (class skills: Knowledge 
  (business), Sense Motive)
  Skills: Concentration +2, Craft (writing) +6, 
  Diplomacy +4, Gather Information +3, Handle 
  Animal +4, Knowledge (business) +9, Knowledge 
  (civics) +7, Knowledge (current events) +6, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +5, Knowledge 
  (streetwise) +5, Knowledge (tactics) +5, Profession 
  +5, Read/Write Language (English), Ride +3, 
  Sense Motive +5, Speak Language (English), 
  Spot +1
  Feats: Brawl, Improved Damage Threshold, 
  Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Remington Pocket Pistol, .31 paper 
  rounds (8), pocketknife, fancy suit, fancy shirt, 
  men’s shoes, silver and onyx bolo tie  
  Jay Middleton
  (Fast Hero 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: June 16, 1858
  Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas
  Heritage: Mixed
  Weight: 155 lbs
  Height: 5’ 9”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: F.B. York’s Bank
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d8+2 (10)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: +3
  Speed: 35 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: +1
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 1
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13, (+3 class, 
  +3 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2) 
  Attacks: Fists +1 (1d6 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Colt Peacemaker +3 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 30 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Occupation: Athlete (class skills: Balance, Ride, 
  Tumble; bonus feat: Brawl)
  Skills: Balance +6, Escape Artist +5, Hide +4, 
  Knowledge (streetwise) +2, Move Silently +5, 
  Profession +2, Ride +7, Sleight of Hand +7, 
  Speak Language (English, Spanish), Tumble +6
  Feats: Brawl, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point 
  Blank Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: Increased Speed
  Possessions: Colt Peacemaker, .45 center-fire 
  rounds (20), regular holster, buckskin trousers, 
  plain shirt, vest, cowboy hat, cowboy boots  
  
  Forks in the Road
  1. All is not as it seems. The person is a drunk, a felon,
  a habitual liar, or a lunatic—whatever suits the
  Judge’s druthers—who has dubious plans for the
  money, or doesn’t really even need it.
  2. The person is decent and truly in distress, needing
  the money to help save the family farm, get a family
  member out of jail, pay a ransom on a kidnapped
  child, or what-have-you.
  fact; he works hard and plays hard. He frequents the
  saloons in town, drinking, gambling and whoring, often
  in the company of one of his friends, a soldier at the Fort.
  While a little wild and reckless after a few drinks, he
  rarely gets in serious trouble and has no intention of
  harming anyone.
  He doesn’t like to talk about his past, saying only that
  he comes from San Antonio. In fact, Jay Middleton isn’t
  his real name—he abandoned his father’s surname when
  the man left him and his mother years ago. His father
  was a half-white/half-Kiowa ranch-hand with an incur-
  able wanderlust; his mother is of Mexican descent (she
  still lives in San Antone). Jay easily passes for white; he
  picked out this name to aid his chosen identity.
  Recently, Jay has gained some renown for his speed
  and accuracy with a hogleg, having won an impromptu
  target shooting contest. 
  Harvey “The Owl” Parker
  Parker’s nickname was bestowed by the folks in town,
  because of his penchant for late night carousing at the
  local saloons. Youth and a strong constitution enable him
  to get by on less sleep than most folks, making these late
  night exploits possible. Harvey finds his guard duties
  quite boring, and coupled with his evening escapades,
  tends to nod off for brief naps when not on Lobby-duty,
  snoozing quietly in the chair in the clerks’ area, but
  always waking quickly when anyone calls his name or
  any commotion starts. The Owl has worked for the bank
  for almost two years; about one year ago he and another
  guard successfully foiled a robbery (unfortunately, the
  other guard lost a leg in the ensuing gun battle and has
  since left town).
  A handsome man, The Owl draws the admiration of a
  number of marrying-age young ladies, although rarely of
  their parents. However, he hardly ever becomes involved
  with the young girls who flirt with him, preferring um,
  professional women, instead. Harvey lives in one of the
  town’s boarding houses.
  Adventure Hooks
  Desperate Client
  A desperate man or woman comes to the bank look-
  ing for a loan. The player characters are present when the
  person arrives, or they encounter the client outside the
  bank. Maybe the person has asked for such a loan before
  and been refused, maybe this is the first time he or she
  has come to the bank with such a request. Either way,
  Wiggins considers the person a bad risk and won’t do
  business. So the client begs to see Hamilton, but is told
  the President is with another client or at lunch (or some-
  thing like that). The desperate person then asks the char-
  acters for help, explaining the situation and begging them
  for aid (might offer collateral, or swear an oath, or offer to
  take them to someone who can vouch, etc.). The charac-
  ters actions will determine the rest.
  18
  Harvey Parker
  (Tough Ordinary 1, Charismatic Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: April 7, 1856
  Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 170 lbs
  Height: 6’ 0”
  Hair: Blond 
  Eyes: Green
  Allegiances: F.B. York’s Bank
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 2
  Grit Dice: 1d10+1d6+4 (15)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will -1
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 13 (+1), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 14 (+2) 
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +0 (1d4; Crit: 19-20)
  Colt Peacemaker +1 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 30 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.) 
  Occupation: Laborer (class skills: Handle Animal, 
  Intimidate, Ride)
  Skills: Bluff +4, Concentration +5, Diplomacy +4, 
  Gather Information +3, Handle Animal +4, 
  Intimidate +4, Knowledge (popular culture) +2, 
  Knowledge (streetwise) +3, Profession +1, Ride +5, 
  Speak Language (English), Spot +1, Survival +2
  Feats: Dodge, Personal Firearms Proficiency, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Colt Peacemaker, .45 center-fire 
  rounds (20), knife, fancy holster, trousers, plain 
  shirt, bandana, cowboy hat, cowboy boots  
  
  door). Could be the characters observe some real dan-
  gerous men trying to rob the place; could be it’s just
  kids playing a prank; could be just a desperate man
  trying to retrieve the deed to his foreclosed property.
  4. The player characters themselves are the ornery
  scoundrels trying to rob the bank.
  The Sting
  While the player characters are in or near the bank, a
  pair of accomplished grifters (a man and woman posing
  as wealthy eastern folks traveling to visit relatives in
  Arizona) enters the bank, trying to set up a short con. It’s
  possible that the characters realize what’s going on and
  try to expose the pair, or decide to inform the bank’s offi-
  cers. Or, perhaps they simply become suspicious and
  decide to tail the couple. If they don’t pick up any clues
  that the Judge lets slip, thus missing the whole thing
  altogether, it’s possible that the bank officers could hire
  the characters to track down the grifters after the decep-
  tion is discovered.
  The exact nature of the con might not be important,
  but the following ideas should help flesh out that part of
  the adventure if necessary. 
  1. The grifters want to store some valuables at the bank
  while in town, items that are really worthless (or some
  worthless ones mixed in with the real valuables). They
  palm one or more of the items during the deposit,
  claiming they were stolen when they come to retrieve
  them, and then demanding recompense.
  2. They ask to store fake valuables, spending some
  money around town to establish their apparent
  wealth, and later ask for a cash loan, using the valu-
  ables as collateral (until they conclude their business
  in town, or the rest of their belongings arrive by sub-
  sequent stage, etc.). Then they take off.
  3. They come to the bank pretending to be big-time
  investors looking to buy the bank, or looking for tips
  on how to build a secure bank which they plan to
  open in Arizona. They case the joint and plan an
  after-hours break-in. In this case, it’s likely that the
  bank officers would be suspicious and might ask the
  characters to help them keep an eye on the couple, or
  the bank itself.
  4. They are counterfeiters, trying to pass bad paper for
  good. 
  Bank Robbery
  Well, you didn’t think we had plumb forgotten about
  this oldie but goodie, did you? Depending on whether the
  player characters are good guys or outlaws, this scenario
  could be introduced in a number of ways.
  1. The player cowpokes are in the bank making a
  deposit, seeking a loan, or just getting information
  when an outlaw gang attempts a brazen daytime rob-
  bery. Alternatively, the characters are nearby when
  they hear about a robbery in progress.
  2. The characters get wind of a planned robbery while
  hanging around one of the saloons, overhearing
  something in an alleyway or in an adjacent
  hotel/boardinghouse room. Or, they think they get
  wind of something, but it turns out they’ve got it all
  wrong. How the characters follow-up on their eaves-
  dropping will determine the course of the adventure.
  3. The characters witness someone trying to break into
  the bank during the night (probably through the back
  19
  
  fitting new shoes. The co-mingling of the odor of smelted
  iron, horses, and the pleasant bakery aromas from next
  door make for a strange olfactory effect in this part of
  town. 
  The Thorp family home sits on the left side of the
  property, abutting the edge of the street. J.L. lives here
  with his wife, Emily, two adolescent sons and a young
  daughter. They keep a simple residence. The exterior is
  somewhat shabby, Emily being the only one taking care
  of most of the building’s maintenance—both inside and
  out. While she works hard, it’s just too much for one
  woman, what with her husband spending most of his
  time working in the smithy, her boys barely lifting a fin-
  ger to help around the place and her daughter too young
  to do more than simple chores. The two-story home is
  constructed mostly of wood—except for the roof, which is
  a combination of wooden slats, tar and thatch that leaks
  during heavy rainstorms.
  Located on Griffin Street right between the Picket Jail
  (see Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin Vol.1) and Mrs. Beard’s
  bakery (to be detailed in a future volume), J.L. Thorp’s
  smithy fulfills many of Fort Griffin’s vital needs. Thorp
  and his assistant, Timothy O’Lochlann, can fashion just
  about anything out of metal. Unlike most of the busi-
  nesses in town, no sign proclaims the blacksmith’s
  trade—that fact can be discerned easily enough by any
  passersby.
  Thorp’s two-story house, adjoining work area and
  surrounding environs serve as both a home for his fami-
  ly and a place of business. The smithy and the house
  stand practically side-by-side facing the street, with only
  a large, lonely pecan tree separating them. Usually busy
  during daylight hours, the smithy is an open-faced build-
  ing (just three walls and a roof) on the right of the prop-
  erty with a small corral in front of it near the street. The
  corral isn’t intended for long-term stabling; rather, Thorp
  keeps customers’ horses here while he or Lochlann are
  20
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  SMITHY
  FIRST FLOOR
  SECOND FLOOR
  6
  5
  3
  2
  1
  4
  THORP BLACKSMITH
  Whether you need new custom shoes for your mount, a properly sawed-off shotgun barrel or a potbellied stove
  for your kitchen, J.L. Thorp is your man. Just don’t come around complainin’ ‘bout his boys.
  
  affixed to the stone and an ornate set of iron tools resting
  on the hearth (all of which were fashioned by J.L.). The
  fireplace is usually kept clean and orderly, as when it’s
  cool enough (and sometimes even when it ain’t), Thorp
  likes to keep a raging fire going, and he is apt to sit in one
  of the chairs, staring into the fire all night, sometimes
  falling asleep here. An oil lamp rests on the mantel, along
  with a few small, iron knick-knacks.
  On the other side of the room are a large armoire, a
  potbellied stove, and a desk and chair. The armoire has
  shelves and drawers, containing a variety of household
  items—from rags, candles, matches, lamp oil and kitchen
  utensils to dry foodstuffs, ceramic plates, mugs and
  glasses—as well as one drawer with the children’s cloth-
  ing. The commonplace stove was made by Thorp but has
  no distinguishing characteristics. 
  The desk and chair are old, second-hand items, which
  serve their purpose without flare. An oil lamp, a couple of
  matches and a grease pencil are usually the only things
  on top of the desk. The desk has two side drawers. The
  top drawer has a paltry few bookkeeping items ranging
  from a few sheets of parchment to a feather quill and
  nearly empty bottle of ink. J.L. can read and write but he
  isn’t so great with numbers, keeping a simple log and
  trusting the folks at York’s Bank to handle his account
  fairly. The bottom drawer has a box of ammunition for
  the Loomis Side-by-Side resting in the corner next to the
  desk, a dirty shot glass, and two bottles of cheap mescal
  (one near-empty and the other unopened). The near-
  empty bottle has several grease pencil marks, including
  one at the current level.
  3) Back Porch
  In contrast to the front porch and most of the rest of
  the building, this small wooden platform is kept quite
  tidy and hospitable. Emily has made this porch her
  refuge, sitting out here and looking out to the river, or
  tending a small garden plot between the porch and the
  pecan tree. Resting to either side of the back door (which
  Emily has painted yellow) are two potted, scented gerani-
  ums. The flowers release a soothing scent when anyone
  passes by. A canvas awning is stretched above the porch.
  Emily likes to sit on the edge of the porch, with her feet
  up on the single step. Occasionally, Susan sits quietly
  here with her mother.
  The garden plot has more flowers (varying from blue-
  bonnets to marigolds and asters depending on the sea-
  son), as well as some pole beans, onions and peppers
  during the growing season. Emily plans to plant all beans
  next season, turning them over to enrich the soil.
  4) Loft
  From the ground floor, a sturdy ladder leads up to the
  loft area. The ladder is probably the best-maintained
  piece of furniture in the place, because neither Emily nor
  J.L. wants to struggle to get up to bed or worry about
  descending. The long, but narrow, loft area is sparsely
  furnished, holding only a plain queen-sized bed and a
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  While structurally sound, the dusty, rundown front
  porch of the Thorp’s home is indicative of the state of
  repairs about the entire place. The thinning paint,
  uneven dirt-caked floorboards, and grimy windowpanes
  are evident even from the street. Cobwebs in the window
  corners and above the front door, as well as the rusty
  chains on the rarely used porch swing, are easily spotted
  upon closer inspection. The swing appears functional but
  neglected, hanging from the wooden slats in the roof
  above. With a little oil and a good scrubbing, the swing
  would probably spruce up the porch right nice.
  The front door, in the center of the wall between two
  glass-paned windows, is obviously in better condition
  than the rest of the building. This normal wooden door,
  which is equipped with an average lock and opens
  inward, has received a new coat of red paint within the
  last few months. Hanging above an iron knocker in the
  center of the door is a small wrought-iron sign stating
  “Thorp.”
  2) Main Room
  This large, undivided room constitutes most of the
  Thorp’s home. The family cooks and eats here; Thorp
  does his books here (sort of) and the children sleep on the
  bunk beds stationed directly to the left of the entrance.
  Susan sleeps on the top bunk, while the boys share the
  slightly wider lower bunk.
  While from the outside the building appears to have
  two floors, in reality it consists of a loft over the back half
  of the ground floor, with a high ceiling over the front half.
  This makes the main room seem even larger. A wooden
  ladder, on the right side of the room, provides access to
  the loft. Several interesting iron designs of varying sizes
  are hung randomly about the walls, along with a few
  average needlework pieces.
  In the center of the wooden floor lies a tattered, but
  colorful, rug. Emily keeps the rug and the floor relatively
  clean, sweeping daily and beating the rug every week or
  two. Situated directly across from the front door is a back
  door leading out to the small back porch. Like the front
  door, it too has an average lock and opens inward.
  In addition to the two glass-paned windows on the
  front wall, each side wall also has two windows. While all
  of them need cleaning, most open and close easily, pro-
  viding excellent cross-breeze ventilation for those hot
  summer days. The wooden frame of the far left window is
  a bit warped and often sticks—thus 50% of the time it will
  be stuck in either the open or closed position (Judge’s
  choice) because Emily doesn’t feel like battling with it.
  Next to this sticking window sits the family dinner table
  and four accompanying chairs, all made from wrought
  iron frames inset with rough-cut wooden planks. 
  A small stone fireplace lies between the table and the
  bunk bed, with a retractable cooking pot assembly
  21
  
  well-equipped if not large smithy, with a forge and firepit
  dominating the right hand wall, a compact workbench
  and cabinet on the back wall and shelving near the
  entrance on the left wall. 
  Right in the center of the open area in front of the
  workbench is a sizable anvil mounted on a block of stone
  and positioned for 360 degree access. A coal and wood
  storage bin sits to the left of the forge, while a small tub
  of water used to cool heated metal sits to the right of the
  forge. A larger tub of water, used for many purposes,
  rests in the corner to the left of the work bench. Two wide
  window openings, about 4 feet off the ground, flank
  either side of the bench, while another exists between the
  large tub of water and the shelving unit (the latter actu-
  ally covering part of the window). The wood slat roof is
  almost 10 feet overhead.
  Typically, the smithy is in a constant state of func-
  tional disarray. That is, tools are seemingly strewn hap-
  hazardly across the benchtop (some resting freely, others
  in a row of bins at the back edge), leaning against the
  anvil or the bins, or scattered on the shelves or even on
  the hard-packed earth floor. Thorp and O’Lochlann don’t
  bother to clean anything up most of the time, although
  they do secure the most valuable tools before retiring for
  the evening. 
  The cabinet beneath the workbench has a thick iron
  hasp with a quality lock, to which both men have a key.
  All manner of items can be found either in the cabinet or
  lying around, from special tongs and other apparatus for
  holding and fashioning smelted metal, to several sizes
  and types of hammers, files and pliers and other regular
  household tools. A strongbox with some coins can be
  found here, which Thorp uses to store any funds gained
  from sales during the business day. He takes the money
  to the bank every other day or so (or sends Timothy with
  this errand). The Judge should decide what might be
  lying around versus what is secured in the locked cabi-
  net at any given time. Hanging on a rack above the
  bench—when either of the men is working—is a sawed-
  off Remington-Whitmore, both barrels loaded. Extra
  shells are always found in a cubby on the bench top and
  a full box is in the cabinet. This gun is always stowed in
  the cabinet when the men finish working or the smithy is
  left unattended.
  The shelves hold a variety of mundane items in small
  bins or resting flat on shelf space, including oil lanterns
  and refill containers, shop rags, cakes of soap, locks,
  hasps, gun barrels, firing pins, horseshoes, knives,
  chains, small blocks of wood and so forth. Some of these
  items are whole, others are in pieces or broken, or what-
  have-you. A heap of various metal ingots rests in front of
  the shelves, mostly iron but also tin or copper.
  7) Outhouse
  Just behind the smithy is a one-person outhouse.
  Iffin’ you need a description of that . . . well, follow your
  nose, pardner.
  bureau. The bureau contains J.L. and Emily’s clothing,
  and a few personal items (including some costume jewel-
  ry that Emily rarely wears, and a small pouch with $23
  in assorted coins and rolled up paper money). On top of
  the bureau is a small hand held mirror, a brush and
  comb, oil lamp, and a chamber pot. 
  5) Corral
  Intended as a holding pen for horses left here tem-
  porarily while being shoed, this corral has a wooden split
  rail fence that meets up with the side walls of the smithy
  and extend around to the front gate. Rather than a
  swinging hinge gate, this is a simple “lift-out” piece of
  wood, which is usually removed and resting against the
  fence, unless a horse is actually in the corral. A water
  trough is placed near one fence rail. Like the smithy, the
  corral has hard-packed earth underfoot.
  6) Smithy
  Connected to the corral is the three-sided wooden
  structure where Thorp and his assistant spend much of
  the day, and often nights, fashioning metal goods. It is a
  22
  
  Timothy “Timmy” O’Lochlann
  Timothy O’Lochlann only recently emigrated from the
  Emerald Isle. He found work quickly because of the many
  years he spent blacksmithing back in his hometown of
  Kilkee. While just a hired hand at Thorp’s smithy now, he
  diligently saves his wages in the hopes of moving to a new
  town and setting up his own shop.
  A big, handsome blue-eyed man, O’Lochlann lost his
  Personalities
  J.L. Thorp and his family are an interesting lot. This
  section provides descriptions for all of the Thorps, as well
  as J.L.’s assistant. At any given time, there may be other
  visitors and customers in the courtyard or nearby.
  James Luther “J.L.” Thorp
  A powerful, single-minded man, J.L. Thorp loses
  himself in his work. He loves the heat of the forge, the feel
  of iron and the aroma of smelted metal. He isn’t mean or
  abusive to his wife and family—in fact he can be quite
  generous—but he is often aloof and inattentive. Anything
  unrelated to smithing won’t keep his interest for long. As
  a result, his boys have become wayward and his wife
  lonely, especially since the boom started in The Flat.
  Despite the fact that he hired an assistant, Thorp spends
  many hours in the smithy, toiling on commissioned
  objects or just experimenting.
  Thorp was born on the frontier of the Republic. At the
  age of 10 his family moved to nearby Picketville, in
  Stephens County. His father was also a smith, a quiet
  man who died in an accident in the family workshop
  when J.L. was eleven. He and his two older brothers, hav-
  ing learned much from their father, continued operating
  the family business until, as a group, they enlisted in
  Capt. R.M. Whiteside’s company of J. E. McCord’s
  Frontier Regiment in 1862. Thorp met Emily while on a
  brief leave when stationed at Camp Breckenridge near
  Crystal Falls, Texas. He visited her again near the end of
  his service and they conceived their first son, marrying
  shortly thereafter. After his discharge, Thorp learned that
  his mother had sold the family smithy. J.L. and Emily
  went to Fort Belknap where he flourished as a smith’s
  apprentice and later as a full partner. They saved his
  earnings for years and finally moved to The Flat and built
  their own place.
  23
  Timothy O’Lochlann first appeared in the Fort
  Griffin Echo, Vol. 1 No. 1, as part of Sheriff
  Gustafsen’s posse. That time frame is slightly in
  the future in relation to the Frontier Towns set-
  ting of approximately 1877—and after the time of
  Sheriff Billy Cruger (see Frontier Towns: Fort
  Griffin Vol. 1). 
  Shucks, we just like Timmy and so he’s
  included here, even more recently emigrated from
  Ireland and a little more green (pardon the pun).
  RECENTLY IS A
  RELATIVE TERM
  James Luther “J.L.” Thorp
  (Strong Ordinary 3, Dedicated Ordinary 1, 
  Tough Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: April 22, 1844
  Birthplace: Tehuacana Creek, McLennan County, 
  Republic of Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 195 lbs
  Height: 6’ 2”
  Hair: Brown (roughly trimmed beard) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Level: 5
  Grit Dice: 3d8+1d6+1d10+10 (35)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3
  Grapple Modifier: +6
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 15, touch 15, flat-footed 14, (+4 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 16 (+3), Dex 13 (+1), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 8 (-1) 
  Attacks: Fists +6 (1d3+3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +6 (1d4+3; Crit: 19-20)
  Occupation: Artisan (class skills: Craft 
  (mechanical), Repair ; bonus feat: Builder)
  Skills: Concentration +5, Craft (mechanical) +5, 
  Craft (structural) +10, Handle Animal +1, 
  Knowledge (current events) +1, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +1, Profession +5, Read/Write 
  Language (English), Repair +6, Sense Motive +2, 
  Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Builder (Craft (mechanical, structural), 
  Home Ground, Master Craftsman (Craft 
  (structural)), Personal Firearms Proficiency, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Trousers, plain shirt, leather apron, 
  heavy gloves, work boots, knife
  
  Emily F. Thorp
  J.L.’s wife of twelve years, Emily looks a might older
  than she really is. Years of running the household and
  raising her children, without much help from her hus-
  band, have taken their toll on her health and looks. In
  recent years, she has all but abandoned efforts to keep
  up her appearance—letting her hair grow long and frizzy
  and eschewing any kind of adornments—but she still
  remains an attractive woman beneath the rough work
  clothes and straw bonnet she usually wears. 
  Some folks gossip that Emily has ideas about leaving
  Thorp (or that she should if she doesn’t already). But the
  truth is, she doesn’t think about such things, or much of
  young wife to tuberculosis back in Ireland. Defying
  stereotypes, he shuns alcohol and doesn’t take too kind-
  ly to comments about his heritage when it comes to
  whiskey or other licentious spirits. His strong opinions
  and thin skin have landed him in a number of fisticuffs
  since his arrival. Fortunately, he’s pretty good in a brawl
  and one might even say it’s his favorite hobby. 
  24
  Emily F. Thorp
  (Dedicated Ordinary 1, Tough Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: August 13, 1847
  Birthplace: Columbus, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 120 lbs
  Height: 5’ 4”
  Hair: Brown 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: Thorp Blacksmith
  Challenge Rating: 2
  Level: 3
  Grit Dice: 1d6+2d10+6 (20)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: -1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12, (+3 class, 
  -1 Dex) 
  Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref -1, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 8 (-1), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis  15 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists +2 (1d3+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Laborer (class skills: Craft 
  (structural), Handle Animal, Repair)
  Skills: Concentration +5, Craft (structural) +1, 
  Handle Animal +3, Knowledge (civics) +2, 
  Knowledge (current events) +3, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +3, Knowledge (theology and 
  philosophy) +2, Listen +6, Read/Write Language 
  (English), Repair +4, Sense Motive +4, Speak 
  Language (English), Spot +6
  Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Home Ground, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Plain skirt, plain blouse, straw 
  bonnet, women’s boots
  Timothy “Timmy” O’Lochlann
  (Strong Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: March 2, 1842
  Birthplace: Kilkee, Ireland
  Heritage: Irish
  Weight: 235 lbs
  Height: 6’ 2”
  Hair: Brown 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 2
  Grit Dice: 2d8+4 (15)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +4
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +0 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 10 (+0), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 13 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 8 (-1)
  Attacks: Fists +5 (1d6+2 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +4 (1d4+2; Crit: 19-20)
  Sharps Rifle +2 (2d8; Crit: 20; Range: 90 ft.; 
  Ammo: 1 int.)
  Occupation: Artisan (class skills: Craft 
  (mechanical), Repair; bonus feat: Builder)
  Skills: Craft (mechanical) +8, Craft (structural) +3, 
  Handle Animal +4, Knowledge (current events) 
  +2, Knowledge (popular culture) +2, Profession 
  +3, Read/Write Language (English), Repair +8, 
  Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Brawl, Builder (Craft (mechanical), Craft 
  (structural), Personal Firearms Proficiency, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Sharps Rifle, 20 rounds .44 
  percussion, knife & sheath, boots, trousers, 
  shirt, hat (derby), cloth overcoat
  
  have much ammunition, but they are always on the look-
  out for a way to get their hands on more. Mattie has also
  served as a lookout for bootleggers once or twice.
  Lucas “Luke” Thorp
  Unlike his older brother, Lucas’ features are the spit-
  ting image of his father’s. While still slim, his big feet por-
  tend a tall man in a few years. He looks up to Mattie,
  doing whatever the older boy says, as long as he gets to
  tag along. The trials that Mattie has put him through
  have toughened him up right quick.
  anything besides her daily routine for that matter. When
  she was a girl she knew women who had nothing, and
  she remains grateful for a home and regular meals—and
  she loves her children, even if the boys are getting more
  and more mischievous.
  Matthew “Mattie” Thorp
  The eldest of the Thorp boys (12), Matthew inherited
  his father’s size and his mother’s eyes. He doesn’t like
  hanging around the house or the smithy—his father has
  tried to teach him the trade but he’s more interested in
  fishing and hunting. Unbeknownst to either of his par-
  ents, Mattie has acquired on old Sharps rifle (which he
  hides under the front porch) and he has been teaching
  himself and his brother how to shoot. They usually don’t
  25
  Matthew Thorp
  (Strong Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: September 3, 1865
  Birthplace: Fort Belknap, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 135 lbs
  Height: 5’ 7”
  Hair: Brown 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1/2
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d8+1 (7)
  MDT: 12
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +3
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +1 Dex) 
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0
  Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 12 (+1), 
  Int 8 (-1), Wis  10 (+0), Cha 14 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +3 (1d3+2 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Sharps Rifle +2 (2d8; Crit: 20; Range: 135 ft.; 
  Ammo: 1 int.)
  Occupation: Hunter (class skills: Hide, Survival; 
  bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency)
  Skills: Climb +4, Hide +3, Speak Language 
  (English), Survival +4, Swim +4
  Feats: Far Shot, Guide, Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Sharps rifle, .44 paper rounds (13), 
  cowboy boots, trousers, plain shirt, bandana, cap, 
  fishing rod, sling shot
  Lucas Thorp
  (Tough Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: September 29, 1866
  Birthplace: Fort Belknap, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 105 lbs
  Height: 5’ 5”
  Hair: Brown 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1/2
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d10+2 (9)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: +1
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +0 Dex) 
  Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 10 (+0), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 13 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 8 (-1)
  Attacks: Fists +1 (1d3+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +1 (1d4+1; Crit: 19-20)
  Occupation: Laborer (class skills: Climb, Craft 
  (structural), Repair)
  Skills: Climb +3, Craft (structural) +5, Intimidate 
  +1, Knowledge (current events) +2, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +2, Knowledge (streetwise) +3, 
  Read/Write Language (English), Repair +3, Speak 
  Language (English), Spot +4, Survival +4
  Feats: Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank 
  Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Knife, cowboy boots, trousers, plain 
  shirt, vest, bowler hat, fishing rod 
  
  er characters must decide what, if anything, they’re
  going to do about it. If they go directly to Thorp, he will
  likely shrug it off, allowing the behavior to continue
  and perhaps escalate—or prompting the boys to get
  revenge for being ratted-out (such as playing pranks
  or stealing from the characters). If the player cow-
  pokes go to the law, Thorp will likely object to their
  interference with his family and might choose to make
  the cowpokes’ stay uncomfortable (calling in favors
  from other merchants and tradesmen to deny service
  to the characters; refusing to serve them with black-
  smithing needs; or in an extreme case, violence). 
  2. The boys participate in some kind of prank or theft
  involving the player cowpokes. This could be a petty
  incident (a sling shot knocking off a hat) or something
  more 
  serious 
  (stealing 
  something 
  valuable).
  Obviously, how the characters react determines the
  rest—and the possibilities in #1 will apply.
  3. The player characters see the Thorp boys bullying
  some other children (or appearing to). Again, the char-
  acters will determine what happens next. They might
  Susan Thorp
  J.L. and Emily’s youngest child (8), Susan is a
  quiet, withdrawn girl. She avoids trouble with just as
  much effort as her brothers expend getting into it. She
  helps her mother with some of the indoor chores, but
  hasn’t taken much of an interest in the garden, despite
  her mother’s encouragement. She usually hangs around
  the house and smithy, tucked away in a corner some-
  where, when not in school.
  Adventure Hooks
  Those Durned Thorp Boys
  Mattie and Luke tend to seek out trouble on a daily
  basis. Sometimes it’s just harmless adolescent fun—
  nothing that Mark Twain didn’t tell us about already.
  Other times . . . well . . . other times their high jinks are
  pert near criminal. The Judge can use these brothers as
  a catalyst for a number of adventures, such as:
  1. The boys are seen stealing food, cigars, liquor or
  what-have-you, from a local establishment. The play-
  26
  Now, if you were paying attention while
  reading the introduction, you should be
  well aware that, while some of these
  folks are based on historical records, not every-
  thing we say here is the gospel truth. Although
  the historical record indicates that a man named
  James Luther (“J.L.” or “Jim”) Thorp owned a
  smithy in The Flat, and the Thorps were among
  the earliest settlers in the area (being here even
  before Fort Griffin) not much more is known
  about Thorp and his family. As with all the per-
  sonalities in Frontier Towns products, we took lib-
  erties to spice things up for your gaming fun.
  Beyond some of the names and the setting, the
  rest of this establishment is fictional. 
  That said, the crack DHR research team dug
  up this tidbit, which inspired the flavor of Thorp’s
  Blacksmith and the Adventure Hooks:
  “W.B. Champlin fondly recalled hunting rab-
  bits along Collins Creek with ‘the Thorp boys’ and
  venturing to Mill Creek after catfish, perch, and
  bass. He also remembered walking to school with
  a gang of boys who begged for a sip of ‘blackberry
  cordial’ that two brothers had somehow
  acquired.”
  It’s also worth noting that Susan died in 1887
  at the tender age of 18, and her marker is one of
  the few remaining in the Fort Griffin cemetery.
  RESPECT DUE
  TO THE THORPS
  Susan Thorp
  None
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: August 12, 1869
  Birthplace: Collins Creek, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 54 lbs
  Height: 4’ 4”
  Hair: Brown
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 0
  Level: 0
  Grit Dice: 1d4 (1)
  MDT: 7
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 20 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: -3
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10, (+1 Dex) 
  Saving Throws: Fort -2, Ref +1, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 5 (-3), Dex 12 (+1), Con 7 (-2), 
  Int 11 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists -3 (1d3-3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: None
  Skills: None
  Feats: None
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Simple dress, small bonnet
  
  dukes, calling out the person to a fight right then, right
  there in the corral. Timmy might try to bull rush or over-
  run his adversary, preferring a wrestling match to a fist-
  fight or gunfight. Of course, he might decide to skin his
  smokewagon or fetch the Remington-Whitmore in
  extreme cases. 
  In general, this scenario works best when Thorp isn’t
  around, but there’s no reason it couldn’t occur when the
  boss is nearby. Thorp’s presence might change the sever-
  ity of Timmy’s reaction, or it’s quite possible that Thorp
  takes offense to the insult and backs his apprentice no
  matter what the outcome.
  Another Mule
  Something shakes up Emily and she decides that food
  and shelter just aren’t enough anymore. She starts to
  look for a man who will give her something extra—on the
  side. She starts to clean up and flirt with men who come
  to the smithy to commission items or pick up finished
  goods. If anyone responds, she will be game for almost
  anything. The Judge can involve the player cowpokes by
  having Emily come on to them, or by having them
  observe her behavior with other men. Either way, one of
  the Thorps (J.L or the boys) pick up on this activity and
  confront the characters—wanting to know what they
  know or wanting to exact a pound of flesh for any trans-
  gressions, as appropriate. While J.L. is aloof, he isn’t
  uncaring and he won’t be happy with any shenanigans
  involving Emily.
  choose to intervene, making friends and enemies in
  the process. If they do nothing, the Judge could turn
  this in a new direction—the parents of the victim(s)
  might seek them out to berate them for not defending
  their poor child, which could give them a bad reputa-
  tion in town.
  4. For characters who dabble in high jinks themselves,
  it’s possible that the boys hook up with the cowpokes
  for some kind of scheme. This could range from using
  the boys as lookouts for a crime, employing them as
  spies for gathering information, or getting them to
  cause a diversion to facilitate some caper. Problem is:
  the boys will almost certainly brag about their activi-
  ties to their friends, spreading the word and probably
  reaching the law or the ears of the victims of the char-
  acters’ escapades.
  An Irishman’s Ire
  One day while O’Lochlann is working in the smithy,
  he gets in a fight with someone who says something
  about his heritage, especially if it involves something
  about drinking or any other stereotype he hates. His skin
  is paper thin, so the Judge can make sure this happens
  even if the character didn’t intend offense—essentially,
  O’Lochlann can turn any comment into a perceived
  insult.
  If at the smithy, Timmy might brandish a searing
  iron, his face turning the color of hot coals, or perhaps he
  throws down his tools, gloves, whatever, and puts up his
  27
  
  owner’s alcohol-induced negligence, the shop needed a
  lot of work; but it was a bargain. Earl jumped at the
  chance to buy the place. While he met some resistance,
  his cold hard cash in hand spoke louder than any local
  bias.
  Elijah and Dawena toiled for over a month, using
  every spare moment rebuilding the place, sleeping in the
  sparse upstairs while scraping together the funds for
  improvements. Setting up one chair in the barbershop
  before the rest of the place was complete, they began
  serving the residents and travelers, and earning enough
  money to continue renovation. A passing comment by a
  trader, who asked about a bath along with his shave,
  inspired Earl to begin converting the old, back storage
  room into a bathhouse. Before long the Earls had one
  Perhaps no other establishment in Fort Griffin repre-
  sents the frontier spirit of entrepreneurship more than
  Elijah Earl’s Shave and Bathe. Although this two-story
  building is rather plain, and the name a bit odd, Earl’s
  dedication to his business, and the local community, is
  unsurpassed.
  A former buffalo soldier, Earl decided to settle down in
  The Flat in 1875, bringing with him a decent savings and
  his new bride, Dawena, a full-blooded Tonkawa woman.
  Already known about town, where he frequently traded
  buffalo hides and meat after leaving the 9th cavalry,
  Elijah found temporary work on a nearby ranch while
  keeping an eye open for any opportunity to start his own
  business in The Flat. Before long, a rundown barbershop
  went up for sale. In a shambles as a result of its previous
  28
  EARL’S SHAVE AND BATHE
  Ramblin’ into The Flat with seven layers of grime, pardner? Why not head directly to Elijah Earl’s place for a
  clean shave and a hot bath? And if you need a tooth yanked, he can do that too, just don’t come sober.
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  FIRST FLOOR
  1
  2
  3
  
  wooden front door opens outward onto the porch, and is
  equipped with an average lock.
  2) Barbershop
  The front door leads directly into the barbershop. This
  room contains everything needed to conduct daily busi-
  ness. Lined up against the wall to the left of the door,
  underneath a coat and gun rack, are a round table, two
  wooden chairs for waiting customers and a potbellied
  wood stove. On the opposite wall (visible through the
  “Barbershop” window described in #1), hang two large
  mirrors in front of a pair of barber chairs, with a storage
  cabinet built into the wall beneath the mirrors. A broom
  usually rests in the far right corner.
  Because Elijah is the only barber, typically only one
  chair is in service at any given time (the chair closest to
  the window). This favored chair, with its swivel seat, is
  the nicer of the two, the other being in a fixed position.
  Dawena does give shaves in the second chair if the place
  is busy and there are customers needing only a shave.
  This happens frequently on Saturdays, the busiest day of
  the week, but rarely on the other days. The cabinet holds
  general cleaning supplies (a bucket and some rags, scrub
  brush, disinfectant, etc.), while the Earl’s keep their uten-
  sils on top (couple of scissors, straight razors, pliers,
  combs and brushes, talc and hair oils).
  The Earls’ dog, Moon, can usually be found resting in
  the corner by the second chair. At night, she guards the
  upstairs living area.
  serviceable tub—and a brisk business. Over time, they‘ve
  upgraded and refined the barbershop and the bath, as
  well as remodeling the upstairs into a decent and com-
  fortable living space.
  The finished two-story, whitewashed wood structure
  now presents a respectable presence on the northwest
  corner of Parson and Third Street. The Earls keep the
  place clean and inviting for potential customers arriving
  in The Flat.
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  Facing Third Street, the front porch of the building
  provides a quaint entryway to the Barbershop section of
  the premises. Like the rest of the building, the wood in
  this area is whitewashed, from the porch floor itself to the
  posts that hold up the fabric awning—except for one pole
  painted with swirling red and blue stripes over the white-
  wash. The somewhat sun-bleached red canvas awning
  distinguishes this porch from the others in town with
  their tin or wooden roofs. 
  Two large, glazed glass windows flank the front door.
  Both windows have signs painted right on the glass. The
  one to the right of the door (as viewed from the street)
  says simply, in blue paint, “Barbershop.” The left window
  reads, in red,  “Earl’s Shave and Bathe.” The normal
  29
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  SECOND FLOOR
  5
  4
  
  racks hang on the walls. Dawena uses the stove to heat
  water for customers and to keep the place warm and
  comfortable during cold weather. When it’s busy (again,
  Saturday tends to be their best day), the stove may be
  fired up a good portion of the day, turning this room into
  a near sauna. The canvas curtain keeps most of the heat
  from escaping into the barbershop.
  A pair of steel tubs fills the other side of the room.
  Although both are in decent shape, one is clearly much
  older than the other. A small, round table sits between
  the tubs, here for customers to place their small person-
  al belongings on, or perhaps to set a drink. The table has
  two shelves, holding cakes of soap and scrub brushes.
  Hanging on the wall above this table, a small, framed
  notice reads:
  “Management ain’t responsible for lost or stolen
  items. Keep an eye on your belongings.”
  While Dawena or Milly will provide a large towel for
  each customer, the bath service doesn’t come with any
  special amenities. Still, Dawena, Milly or Elijah will cer-
  tainly accommodate almost any special request if the
  customer is willing to shell out extra coins or paper
  money (such as fetching whiskey or beer or cigars, or
  delivering a message in town, or putting valuables in
  temporary safe-keeping). 
  Although Earl knows how to pull a tooth, it’s not
  exactly his favorite thing to do. He isn’t a dentist, and
  doesn’t pretend to be, but if a person’s tooth is bad
  enough, he’ll yank it out. But before he does, he’ll strong-
  ly recommend the patient go to a saloon and drink a few
  shots, because he doesn’t keep anything on hand.
  A heavy, blue canvas curtain hangs in the middle of
  the wall opposite the entryway, providing access into the
  bathhouse. This curtain completely covers the opening,
  overlapping the wall on each side by a few inches.
  3) Bathhouse
  The windowless bathhouse has two points of entry—
  through the curtain from the barbershop or via a normal
  wooden back door (opening outward and equipped with a
  relatively new average-grade lock).
  Customers usually come through the curtain, while
  Dawena and Milly use the backdoor for hauling water in
  and out and cleaning the place. Typically, the door
  remains unlocked during business hours. A small sign
  hanging on the outside of the door reads:
  Bathhouse
  Inquire round front at Barbershop
  Two short stools, and the wood stove between them,
  take up one side of the room. Clothing hooks and gun
  30
  
  and an oil lantern. Of course, the Earls use the table for
  their meals and often relax here, but Elijah also does his
  books on this surface. As noted above, he stores his
  books and writing supplies in the cabinet, hauling every-
  thing out to the table and putting it all back when he’s
  done.
  Between the cabinet and the table is a heavy blue
  canvas curtain just like the one downstairs, covering the
  opening into the bedroom.
  5) Bedroom
  The Earls keep a modest bedroom. To the right of the
  entrance rests their double-width bed with the hay-
  stuffed mattress that Dawena re-stuffs regularly. The bed
  is covered by two large bison hides and has two down pil-
  lows. A few small pieces of art hang on the walls, includ-
  ing a few images of wolves.  
  Just to the left of the doorway is a two-drawer dress-
  er with a mirror affixed to the back. There’s nothing of
  value in the drawers, other than Elijah and Dawena’s
  clothing.
  Personalities
  While this family business has only a few personali-
  ties warranting full descriptions, don’t forget that cus-
  tomers come and go regularly, including notable gun-
  fighters, entertainers and traders passing through town.
  It’s possible to meet just about anyone here, maybe even
  getting a glimpse of a famous cowpoke fresh out of the
  tub (or still in it!).
  4) Living Area
  The stairs on the outside of the building provide
  access to the second-floor living quarters. The Earls’
  rebuilt the stairs about a year ago—they’re sturdy and
  painted white like the rest of the building, with a red trim
  railing. The door (made of reinforced wood with a quality
  lock), opens outward, allowing entry directly into the
  main living area. 
  There’s nothing fancy about this room. Dawena keeps
  it clean and orderly. The Earls cook, eat and relax here
  when the shop’s closed (which is usually well after sun-
  down until just after sunrise).
  Sharing the wall with the door is a three-door cabinet
  containing most of their possessions, including the busi-
  ness books, a variety of household items (from candles to
  cookware) and a strongbox with a quality lock (used to
  store the daily take until Elijah is ready for a trip to the
  bank, as well as keeping some butter and egg money
  handy). Additionally, Elijah has two boxes of ammunition
  stored here: one for his Spencer Carbine, which rests in
  the corner next to the cabinet, and one for his Schofield.
  Against the right-hand wall is a rectangular table for
  food preparation, not far from the wood-stove resting in
  the corner of the room. The stove serves double duty,
  used for both the daily cooking and heat in winter. 
  In the corner is a plain wooden table with four chairs
  31
  There is ample evidence that a signifi-
  cant African-American community exist-
  ed in The Flat and that Elijah Earl was
  one of its leaders. Records indicate that Earl, an
  ex-buffalo soldier and probably a mulatto, did
  serve as a barber in town. Evidently, he was well
  respected by town citizens of all colors. Whether
  he owned a full-fledged barbershop is uncertain,
  but every frontier town needs a place to get a hair-
  cut, a shave, a bath or a tooth pulled, so Elijah fit
  the bill. 
  Other prominent African-American personali-
  ties included James Romey, founder of a school
  for black children; the Reverend Shepherd
  Middleton of the American Methodist Episcopal
  Church; and Milton Sutton, a carpenter who also
  operated an eatery.
  AFRICAN-AMERICANS
  IN THE FLAT
  
  Elijah Earl
  Elijah Earl grew up a slave on a cotton plantation
  near Shreveport, Louisiana. After the war, Earl welcomed
  his freedom, but like so many new freemen, had few
  prospects. Hearing about the formation of the 9th
  Cavalry in Louisiana under Colonel Edward Hatch in
  1866, and having some experience with horses on the
  plantation, Earl signed-up. 
  Earl served with the 9th in Texas, protecting mail
  routes, building forts, and hunting buffalo. He learned
  how to read and write while in the Army. When the 9th
  arrived in Fort Griffin, Earl quickly developed a fondness
  for the area and, after completing his 5-year enlistment
  in 1871, found work as a ranch hand and buffalo hunter
  in the surrounding plains. An excellent hunter, Earl
  became known as a man of integrity and skill, returning
  to The Flat regularly to trade. He lived among the
  Tonkawa for a short time, taking one of their women as a
  bride before deciding to settle down in The Flat. 
  Although he doesn’t own a horse, Elijah still enjoys
  riding. He occasionally rents a horse from the local livery
  (see Pete Haverty’s Livery in Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin:
  Vol. 1) and even does a little hunting from time to time.
  He is also active in the community, spending time teach-
  ing children to read (usually blacks and mulattos who
  visit his shop on Monday and Wednesday mornings—the
  slowest days).
  32
  Elijah Earl
  (Strong Hero 1, Dedicated Hero 2, Soldier 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: July 28, 1845
  Birthplace: Shreveport, LA
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 185 lbs
  Height: 6’ 0”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Earl’s Shave and Bathe
  Challenge Rating: 5
  Level: 5
  Grit Dice: 1d8+2d6+2d10+5 (31)
  MDT: 16
  Initiative: +6
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3
  Grapple Modifier: +5
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 3
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14, (+4 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +4
  Abilities: Str 14 (+2), Dex 14 (+2), Con 13 (+1),
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1) 
  Attacks: Fists +5 (1d3+2 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Spencer Carbine +6 (2d10+2; Crit: 20; Range: 
  105 ft.; Ammo: 7 box)
  S&W Schofield +5 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 45 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Hide, Ride; 
  bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency)
  Skills: Craft (structural) +3, Gamble +5, Handle 
  Animal +3, Hide +7, Knowledge (current events) 
  +4, Knowledge (popular culture) +3, Knowledge 
  (tactics) +4, Listen +5, Profession +6, Read/Write 
  Language (English), Speak Language (English, 
  Tonkawa), Spot +5, Survival +4, Swim +3, Treat 
  Injury +5
  Feats: Far Shot, Improved Damage Threshold, 
  Improved Initiative, Personal Firearms Proficiency, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency, Track
  Class Features: Empathy, Extreme Effort, Weapon 
  Focus (Spencer Carbine), Weapon Specialization 
  (Spencer Carbine)
  Possessions: Spencer Carbine, .52 rim-fire 
  metallic rounds (20), S&W Schofield, .45 
  center-fire rounds (20), plain holster, lasso, 
  trousers, plain shirt, vest, cowboy boots
  
  chase household goods and foodstuffs or simply to walk
  on the edge of the river. She sometimes goes out while
  Elijah is cutting hair and no customers are around for
  the baths, or she convinces him to go with her (occasion-
  ally closing the shop). She loves community gatherings
  and drags Elijah to as many of them as she can. Keeping
  with Tonkawa custom, Dawena sometimes paints black
  stripes on her nose for special occasions and enjoys mak-
  ing special leather dolls for the children that Elijah teach-
  es. She always carries a knife and is still wary around
  white men. Dawena quickly accepted Milly and they are
  often found working together.
  Milly White
  Earl has recently hired Milly White to help with the
  business while his wife is pregnant. Milly is a shy thir-
  teen-year-old black girl whose mother works as a share-
  Dawena Earl
  Earl’s wife of nearly two years, Dawena is a full-blood-
  ed Tonkawa. Pregnant with the couple’s first child (just
  past the first trimester), she still continues to put in a full
  day’s work at the barbershop and bathhouse. She met
  Elijah while he was living among the few remaining
  Tonkawa, hunting buffalo and acting as an interpreter.
  With the tribe dying out and being forced onto restricted
  reservations, Earl convinced Dawena’s family to let her go
  with him. 
  Dawena is still learning English; although she under-
  stands what she hears it’s a struggle for her to respond.
  When it behooves her, she pretends not to understand.
  Nevertheless, she likes go about town, usually to pur-
  33
  Dawena Earl
  (Tough Ordinary 1, Dedicated Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: 1856
  Birthplace: Tonkawa Territory, North Texas
  Heritage: Tonkawa
  Weight: 103 lbs
  Height: 5’ 1”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Earl’s Shave and Bathe
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 2
  Grit Dice: 1d10+1d6+4 (15)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: -1
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 13 (+1), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists -1 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife -1 (1d4-1; Crit: 19-20 )
  Occupation: Tribal (class skills: Craft (visual art), 
  Handle Animal, Survival; bonus feat: Athletic)
  Skills: Craft (visual art) +3, Handle Animal +5, 
  Listen +2, Ride +4, Speak Language (English, 
  Tonkawa), Spot +3, Survival +4, Treat Injury +3
  Feats: Athletic, Dodge, Endurance, Simple 
  Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Knife, short deerskin skirt (Tonkawa), 
  plain shirt with no sleeves (wears bright colored 
  calico poncho in winter), beaded Tonkawa 
  moccasins
  Milly White
  (Tough Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: May 18, 1864
  Birthplace: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 120 lbs
  Height: 5’ 5”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Earl’s Shave and Bathe
  Challenge Rating: 1/2
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d10 (5)
  MDT: 10
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: -1
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11, (+2 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), 
  Int 13 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists -1 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Sodbuster (class skills: Handle 
  Animal, Swim; bonus feat: Home Ground)
  Skills: Climb +2, Handle Animal +7, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +3, Perform (sing) +4, 
  Profession +2, Ride +7, Speak Language 
  (English), Swim +1
  Feats: Animal Affinity, Dodge, Home Ground, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Plain skirt, plain shirt, women’s boots
  
  ogy (in a civil, measured and serious tone). If he doesn’t
  get it, he’ll demand satisfaction. The Judge shouldn’t find
  it hard to set up a situation involving the player charac-
  ters. It could happen in a number of ways, such as:
  1. The player characters themselves make some kind of
  slur. Earl reacts. This could end up with anything
  from a simple apology to a fist fight or a showdown on
  Parson Street. Of course, depending on the outcome
  and any witness accounts, it could end up with jail
  time, a whipping, a posse or future revenge . . . for
  someone.
  2. Some Judge characters give Earl a hard time in the
  presence of the player characters (in the barbershop
  or in town somewhere). The player characters decide
  to take his side and end up making some new ene-
  mies (and a new friend in Earl). Again, this could go
  anywhere from a simple encounter with roleplaying to
  a fist fight, or an extended conflict against the newly
  acquired enemies.
  3. Judge characters insult Earl but the player cowpokes
  don’t do anything to help him (either staying out of it
  or joining in with those who make the remarks). What
  happens next depends entirely on the player charac-
  ters’ actions. If they do nothing, the Judge could draw
  them in whether they like it or not, with Earl or the
  bigots or bystanding locals pestering them (e.g. “you
  heard what he called me, didn’t you?” or “you cow-
  pokes gotta help Elijah, he’s a good man”). If the char-
  acters side with the bigots, they could make other
  enemies in town, earn the wrath of Earl, or be ques-
  tioned by the law if things go really wrong (even if they
  don’t commit any unlawful acts). If they finally side
  with Earl, the possibilities from #2 apply.
  She’s My Wife
  Another thing Earl doesn’t tolerate is rudeness to his
  wife. If anyone makes a slur about Dawena, including
  insinuations about her status as his lawfully wedded
  wife, he’ll react with an even greater level of offense than
  described in “Don’t Call Me ‘Boy’.” The Judge can use the
  ideas described there to set up an interesting encounter. 
  Dawena and the Hooligans
  One day while Dawena is doing her shopping around
  town, some hooligans decide to have fun at her expense.
  Depending on the Judge’s whim, the level of their
  assaults can vary. It might be mean, but mostly harmless
  acts, such as calling her names or asking her to come
  over and show them what she’s learned from her hus-
  band. Or such hooligans might try to physically accost
  her, stealing or destroying her goods and taking any
  money she has. Or worse, the aggressors might try to
  abduct her for ransom or other unspeakable reasons.
  The Judge can set up a situation where the charac-
  ters witness this activity and wait for them to react. Of
  course, if they see something but do nothing, Earl could
  come looking for them to find out what they know or why
  they didn’t defend her. Or they could hear about the
  cropper outside of The Flat. Milly’s mother left Alabama
  as a freed slave just after the war, with her infant daugh-
  ter and not much else. Because Milly has never known
  her real father, she has come to look up to Elijah Earl as
  a father figure. She works hard (part-time right now)
  helping Dawena with the bathhouse chores and sweep-
  ing and cleaning the barbershop while she learns more
  about the business. Milly has a beautiful singing voice,
  but she is in the throes of adolescent gawkiness.
  Moon, the Dog
  Dawena insisted on having a dog around the place
  and so Elijah took in a mixed breed puppy from a near-
  by ranch. Moon is a sweetheart of a mutt, still a puppy at
  two years old but nearing adulthood. She is quite loyal to
  the Earls and makes a lot of noise when she smells trou-
  ble. 
  Adventure Hooks
  Don’t Call Me “Boy”
  Elijah Earl is generally well-respected around town.
  His years of buffalo hunting, service as a local ranch
  hand and now a reputable businessman have given him
  a good standing. He treats everyone with the same level
  of respect he expects to receive. Thus, he doesn’t take
  kindly to insults about his heritage, skin color or any ad
  hominem remarks. Problem is: it’s bound to happen.
  When it does, Earl won’t turn the other cheek.
  If anyone disrespects him, Earl will demand an apol-
  34
  Moon
  (Dog, medium-sized)
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Grit Dice: 2d8+4 (13)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 40 ft.
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, 
  +1 natural)
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +3
  Primary Attack: Bite +3 (1d6+3)
  Full Attack: Bite +3 (1d6+3)
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Special Qualities: Scent
  Allegiances: Earl’s Shave and Bathe
  Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1 
  Action Points: 0 
  Reputation: +0
  Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 15 (+2), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 6 (-2)
  Skills: Jump +4, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +1 
  (+5 when tracking by scent), Swim +5
  Feats: None
  
  leave some clues to this effect, from blatant ones like see-
  ing a young black girl fleeing the scene to more subtle
  ones like seeing some questionable characters talking to
  the girl in an alleyway or down by the river. If the player
  cowpokes can prove this, or present a compelling case,
  Earl will help them to retrieve their goods to the best of
  his ability.
  assault later, with Earl asking for their help in rescuing
  his wife or getting revenge on the perpetrators. Or the law
  could recruit them for a posse to hunt down the bad men.
  Finally, depending on the nature of the player characters,
  they could be the ones doing the woman wrong in the
  first place.
  Robbed In Your Birthday Suit
  It happens, you know—you’re enjoying a warm and
  relaxin’ bath and you doze off. Next thing you know, you
  wake up and find your clothes, your gun and all your
  cash are gone. Or, you catch a glimpse of some low-down
  sneaky varmint dashin’ off with your stuff and you got no
  choice but to chase him, drippin’ wet in all your glory. 
  The Judge can set this up as he or she sees fit, wait-
  ing for the characters to react. Maybe they demand rec-
  ompense from Earl for their losses and he refuses (citing
  the rules on the wall about belongings). Maybe the char-
  acters don’t like that answer. Maybe they wake up in time
  to see the culprits in the act or exiting the back door of
  the bathhouse—thus setting up a chase sure to thrill, or
  horrify, the locals.
  Fork in the Road:
  Poor Milly has been coerced (or merely persuaded)
  into helping some thieves with this racket. The Judge can
  35
  
  Now, this two-story wood building has a reputation
  for being the best hotel in town—whether you have a lot
  of cash or just enough for a place to lay your head. The
  exterior is well kept and inviting, but not fancy; the rooms
  are comfortable, but not extravagant (with two excep-
  tions). You can get a bath and a decent meal with your
  stay—and Estelle makes sure you feel like a welcome
  houseguest. Typically, the hotel always has a room avail-
  able, but it’s up to the Judge to determine which ones are
  occupied and what the current demand may be.
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  As noted previously, the Planters’ exterior is clean,
  down-to-earth and inviting. This long porch has a wood-
  en roof in decent repair, with a sign bearing the image of
  a bed, and reading (in big bold, black letters), “Planters
  Hotel,” attached to the second floor balcony. The porch is
  partially enclosed by a waist-high wood railing with even-
  ly spaced spindles. The railing extends across the front of
  the porch, from the roof post on each end to the posts
  near the front doors. Both ends of the porch have been
  When Jack and Estelle Swartz arrived in The Flat in
  the early 1870s, they knew they had finally found the
  perfect place to build the hotel of their dreams. A suc-
  cessful trader, salesman and entrepreneur, Jack had
  amassed sizeable capital and he and Estelle had a plan
  for running a hotel where ordinary folks could find a
  decent place to get a good night’s rest without emptying
  their pockets. Jack had a hunch that The Flat would con-
  tinue to grow. Estelle, a native Texan, fell in love with the
  town and its people. 
  So they put down their money and hired local folks to
  help build the Planters Hotel on the southeast corner of
  Parson and Fourth Street. They called it the Planters
  because their earliest guests were regular folks coming to
  town looking for jobs in the fields and needing a place to
  stay until they found work. Back then all of the rooms in
  the hotel were simple and inexpensive. 
  As the area settled-up and the town saw more travel-
  ers and traders coming through, the clientele began to
  change. While Jack wanted to attract and serve more
  sophisticated (and better paying) customers, Estelle
  refused to abandon the folks that helped establish the
  hotel. So the couple compromised, re-modeling some of
  the rooms while preserving a number of simple, low-cost
  billets.
  36
  PLANTERS HOTEL
  After many a night sleeping under the stars out on the range, there’s nothing better than a nice, hot bath, a
  comfortable bed and a decent meal. If you have cash on hand, plant yourself at Planters Hotel and experience
  The Flat in style.
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  FIRST FLOOR
  1
  2
  3
  6
  7
  8
  9
  5
  4
  
  2) Lobby and Sitting Area
  The first thing a cowpoke sauntering through the
  front doors notices is the grand staircase dominating the
  lobby. Almost 20 feet away from the entry doors, the 8’
  wide stairway leads up to the second floor. The Hotel’s
  front desk lies immediately to the right of the entrance
  with a sitting area beyond the desk and to the right of the
  stairs. A knee-wall on the left separates the lobby from
  the eatery (with a gap in the middle providing passage).
  On the lobby side of the knee-wall, just inside the Hotel
  entrance, sits an upholstered chair with an accompany-
  ing end table and spittoon. Oil lamps are mounted on the
  walls to either side of the front doors and are usually lit
  during the nighttime hours. 
  The lobby walls have stained wood wainscoting from
  the floor to a height of three feet, with wallpaper contin-
  uing to the ceiling. The off-white wallpaper has a bright,
  cheery pattern of yellow roses with green accents. The
  wood floor is stained light brown with a shellac finish, as
  are the stairs and the second floor hallways. The stair-
  case also has a highly polished wooden balustrade, nice-
  ly carved, but not ornate. Looking up, visitors see an
  opening in the ceiling surrounding the stairs, with a con-
  tinuation of the balustrade around the second floor aper-
  ture.
  During the re-modeling, Estelle insisted on having a
  cozy sitting area in the lobby. Visitors are often found
  lounging in the two padded chairs at the far end of the
  lobby: reading, talking with other guests or enjoying a
  fine cigar under the light from the window (the curtains
  remain open most of the time). Between the two chairs
  sits a small table with an oil lamp, an ashtray with a box
  of matches and a couple of recent issues of the Fort Griffin
  Echo. When available, an out-of-town newspaper or two
  will be here as well (Estelle will pay a good price for any
  such publication if it’s less than a month old). A long sit-
  left open. Opening outward and usually propped open in
  the daytime, the wood reinforced double doors have glass
  windows on the upper half. Several glass paned windows
  line the front wall of the Hotel. On the porch are eight
  armless wooden chairs, placed in four sets of two with
  small tables with oil lamps between them. Guests are
  encouraged to use these for sittin’ and sippin’ and
  watchin’ the town go by. Day or night, it’s likely that some
  folks will be found relaxing out here. 
  37
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  SECOND FLOOR
  22
  21
  20
  19
  18
  17
  16
  15
  11
  12
  14
  10
  It seems clear that the Planters Hotel
  was a prominent place of temporary
  lodging in The Flat. The precise spelling
  of the name, the likely clientele, and the hotel’s
  true origins remain debatable, but it seems rea-
  sonable to extrapolate and embellish as we have
  here. The contents and design are fictional but,
  we think, logical—for instance, whether the place
  had an eatery is unknown, but it stands to rea-
  son.
  Records indicate that the owners of the hotel
  were Jack Swartz and his “estimable” wife, but we
  don’t know much more about them. Another
  noteworthy inn also existed, called the Occidental
  Hotel and run by Elizabeth “Aunt Hank” Smith.
  See the free map of the The Flat for the location of
  the Occidental.
  NOT A NUT HOUSE
  
  glass paned window provides daylight and ventilation for
  the desk area. An ornate, abstract iron sculpture hangs
  next to the window.
  Usually, visitors receive a sincere “howdy” from the
  employee behind the desk (anyone but Estelle might be
  caught snoozing in the wooden chair during slow hours).
  However, iffin’ old Jack is minding the place, there’s no
  tellin’ what kind of greeting a guest might receive (see
  Personalities).
  Estelle works the desk most of the hours from sunrise
  to sundown and she’ll be at the desk itself or durned
  close by 60% of the time. Jack takes erratic shifts to give
  his wife a spell, about 25% of the daylight hours, while
  Teddy Fargas or Allen Baker fill in the other 15% of the
  time (Judge’s prerogative, really, at any given time). After
  sundown, Allen or one of the part-time bellhops can be
  found either at the desk, in the sitting area or in the
  eatery. Of course, ringing the bell will summon someone
  faster than a Texas twister. It’s likely that Teddy will be
  nearby most of the daylight hours even when he isn’t
  minding the desk, unless he’s already helping other
  guests with bags, errands or what-have-you. If Allen isn’t
  behind the desk, there’s a 35% chance he’s lingering in
  the lobby, or on the front porch or in the eatery (or per-
  haps walking around upstairs). He works random hours,
  some in the day and some at night, so he may or may not
  be around at any given time. 
  ting-bench is situated across from the chairs and a spit-
  toon sits under the window frame. A framed landscape of
  Texas cotton fields hangs on the wall next to the window.
  3) Front Desk
  A long, reverse L-shaped front desk made of pine and
  oak beckons visitors to step up for information or check-
  in. The base of the desk is fashioned from pine and
  stained a deep brown, while the overlapping top is of high
  quality lacquered oak. A guest sign-in book always rests
  in the middle of the long section of the desktop, along
  with a quill pen in a holder affixed to the desk next to a
  small ink well. The employee on duty ensures that all
  guests sign the book, including anyone visiting another
  guest renting a room. A small wooden-handled brass bell
  sits next to the guest book. Estelle has placed a ceramic
  cobalt vase, usually containing fresh cut flowers, near the
  wall end of the desk while an oil lamp and a small framed
  sign warning guests about safekeeping goods occupy the
  other end (in the crook of the “L.”).
  Mounted in the middle of the wall behind the desk is
  a large set of wooden cubbies, holding keys and messages
  for the various guestrooms. A large pendulum clock
  hangs to the right of the cubbies, just over the shoulder
  of a wooden chair angled in the corner, while an oil paint-
  ing of the Fort hangs to left, near the desk opening. A
  38
  
  extra silver or gold coins may be able to persuade the
  waitress into convincing the cook to make something
  special, assuming of course that the ingredients are on-
  hand and handsomely paid for, or provided by the
  requestor (Teddy Fargas may lend a hand in any neces-
  sary procurement of such special provisions). A normal
  back door with an average lock provides a direct exit from
  the eatery—it is locked immediately after dinner and
  opened just before breakfast.
  5) Kitchen
  Estelle Swartz has always insisted that the Planters
  provide decent meals for its guests and this well-
  equipped kitchen is a testament to her commitment. Two
  normal doors provide ingress and egress—both opening
  inward and equipped with average locks. The room is
  dominated by the butcher’s block center table, used by
  the cook to prepare the ingredients for each day’s meals.
  Pots and pans and such hang above the table. The cabi-
  net near the north door contains more cooking utensils,
  cups, plates and tableware, as well as cleaning supplies
  for the hotel (from mops to disinfectant). In the southeast
  corner is a wood-burning range with four stovetop burn-
  ers and a small oven. Three windows provide more than
  ample light and ventilation—the escaping cooking aro-
  mas acting as an enticement for folks passing by in the
  street to stop in for a bite.
  The northwest corner is packed with shelves and
  hooks — where a variety of fresh meat, poultry, fish,
  fruits, vegetables and grain are stored each day. Some of
  these foodstuffs are quite perishable, while others remain
  here for sometime. The items found here vary from day-
  to-day; the Judge should determine what might be here
  depending on the season and other mitigating factors.
  6) The Swartz’ Suite
  Jack and Estelle live on the premises, relaxing and
  sleeping in their two-room suite. Situated at the end of
  the first floor hallway of the west wing, the entry door is
  metal reinforced wood with a security lock and an iron
  number 6 firmly screwed to the door at eye level (all
  rooms with a door have such a number). Just outside the
  suite’s entry door is a wood reinforced side door to the
  hotel, equipped with a quality lock and a bell that jingles
  whenever the door is opened. Either Jack or Estelle will
  unlock the side door when they begin their day, securing
  it again after sundown.
  Door number 6 enters into the sitting room which is
  painted a light shade of green and furnished with two
  upholstered padded chairs and an exquisite circular rug
  imported from the Far East. A small bookstand rests
  between the chairs, stocked with a few dime novels and
  leather bound books. An oil lamp sits on top of the stand.
  The doorless corner walls have windows with dark green
  draperies and average locks, while the east wall has a
  normal wooden door (no lock) leading to the bedroom.
  The bedroom has natural wood walls, stained in an
  orange hue. A queen-sized bed rests in the corner oppo-
  Under the desk, near the front Hotel wall, are two
  built-in shelves and a pull out drawer. The most promi-
  nent item on the shelves is the master room ledger con-
  taining guest names and room numbers, advance reser-
  vations and special notes (including payments made or
  owed and general information about the guests). After
  guests sign the registration book on top of the desk, the
  desk monitor will log the official hotel information in this
  ledger. As per Sidewinder: Recoiled, page 162, room
  prices are as follows: Bunk Guest Rooms are considered
  “poor” lodging for each of two occupants (each occupant
  charged separately); Average Guest Rooms are consid-
  ered “average”; Deluxe Guest Rooms are considered
  “good”; and Guest Suites are considered “luxury.”
  In addition, the shelves hold a variety of basic office
  supplies, from an ink bottle, an extra pen, a few pencils,
  sheets of paper and envelopes to lamp oil, cleaning rags,
  and a feather duster. In the drawer is a strong box where
  the Swartzes temporarily keep guest payments, as well as
  a medical kit, a box of cigars (sold or given complimenta-
  ry, as needed—especially when Estelle needs to smooth
  over an irate customer fresh off a run-in with Jack), and
  a box of ammunition for the Henry Rifle leaning against
  the shelf-and-drawer unit. Either Jack or Estelle empties
  the strongbox several times a day, taking funds in excess
  of $10 to the office safe (see #7). A final exchange is made
  at sundown.
  Underneath the middle of the desk, all the way to the
  “L” side is an open space. This is used to temporarily
  place luggage, large deliveries or other items that need to
  be out of view but not necessarily stowed in a more
  secure location.
  4) Eatery
  This large open space is sectioned off from the lobby
  by the knee-wall described earlier, and the Swartzes
  insist that it be kept spick-and-span at all times. A wait-
  ress (an ordinary local) is permanently stationed here to
  serve guests and clean up during eatery hours. Each of
  the four circular tables have four armless wooden chairs,
  all of which are in decent condition (except for two of the
  chairs at the table nearest the kitchen, which wobble like
  a cowpoke drunk on snakehead—no one is seated here
  unless the place is full-up). The two long tables have
  benches instead of chairs, often shared by various cus-
  tomers during busy mornings and evenings. Three
  unadorned windows on the north wall, two on the south
  wall and one on the east wall allow plenty of air and light
  into the room.
  The eatery opens for breakfast at sunrise and stops
  serving around 9 a.m., commencing again at 6 p.m. for
  an evening meal, and shutting down for the day about an
  hour after sundown. Every meal has a planned menu—
  customers may choose a plate from a few pre-selected
  items. While intended for hotel guests, the meals aren’t
  included in the room fee. A reasonable amount is charged
  per plate and no one is turned away if they have cash in
  hand, so locals sometimes stop here for breakfast or din-
  ner. Persistent and polite customers willing to part with
  39
  
  the bed; and a plain bureau with empty drawers, a short
  mirror (affixed to the back), with a wash basin, towel, a
  cake of soap, and a pitcher of water and chamber pot on
  the top surface. A filled kerosene lamp and matches rest
  on top of every bureau. Lastly, a small metal spittoon
  rests just behind the door of each room, and a wooden
  hook on the back of each door holds a single wire clothes
  hanger. The layout of the furnishings may differ from one
  room to the next, depending on each room’s location in
  the hotel and the positioning of the doorway.
  10, 14) Guest Suites
  Situated in the northwest and northeast corners of
  the Planters, rooms #10 and #14 are mirror images of
  each other. Like the Swartz’ living quarters (#6), these
  chambers are actually suites composed of two rooms—a
  sitting area and bedroom—and like the Swartz’ Suite, the
  entry doors are metal reinforced and contain security
  locks. Just outside both suites’ entry doors are normal
  wooden side doors to the Hotel’s second floor, granting
  access to the outside staircases. These side doors have no
  locks and can be opened at any time in case of fire.
  Each suite’s sitting room has light blue crosshatch
  patterned wallpaper with nearly matching drapes over
  the quality lock equipped corner windows. Furnished
  identically, every sitting room includes one blue uphol-
  stered padded chair, a small desk with a wooden chair
  and a clean, dark blue circular rug. An oil lamp sits on
  top of each desk, along with a few sheets of paper, two
  postcards and two pencils. Each desk has a single draw-
  er containing one extra sheet of paper and a dime paper-
  back novel. Each sitting room has two small oil paintings
  of farmhouses—one hanging near the comfy chair and
  the other on the hallway wall. A metal spittoon sits near
  the comfy chair. An interior normal wood door (no lock)
  leads to the bedroom. 
  Each bedroom has natural wood walls, stained in an
  orange hue. A queen-sized bed with a cotton stuffed mat-
  tress rests in the corner opposite each room’s door, under
  a window (quality lock) with the same blue drapes as the
  sitting rooms. Two fluffy, down-filled pillows rest atop
  each bed, along with a blanket of obvious Indian manu-
  facture and two painted buffalo robes draped across the
  foot. A plain wooden chair sits next to each bed.
  Against the hallway wall of each bedroom is a plain
  bureau with mostly empty drawers (there are two extra
  blankets in the bottom drawer), a short mirror (affixed to
  the back), with a wash basin, towel, a cake of soap, and
  a pitcher of water and chamber pot on the top surface. A
  filled kerosene lamp and matches also rest on the
  bureau. Lastly, a small metal spittoon rests next to each
  bureau and two metal hooks hang on the wall space
  between the bedroom doors and bureaus, with two
  padded wire clothes hangers on each hook.
  11, 12) Deluxe Guest Rooms
  Larger than the Average Guest Rooms, the deluxe
  accommodations feature a queen-sized, cotton-stuffed
  site the door, under a window (average locks) with beige
  drapes. Three layers of fluffy pillows adorn the bed, along
  with a beautifully hand-stitched patchwork quilt. A plain
  wooden chair sits next to the bed and a full-length mir-
  ror hangs on the same wall as the door. Next to the door
  is a small stand with a basin, pitcher of water and cham-
  ber pot. Estelle forbids Jack to smoke in here, so he takes
  refuge on the porch or in the sitting area when he gets a
  hankering.
  Against the hallway wall stands a large armoire. The
  upper half contains hangers with the Swartzes’ wardrobe
  (mostly Estelle’s dresses, skirts and blouses, but also
  Jack’s extra suit). The drawers contain a variety of gar-
  ments and personal items, from a gun cleaning kit to a
  shaving razor, beauty supplies and costume jewelry
  (Estelle keeps her valuable jewels in the office safe).
  7) Office
  Across from the Swartz’ Suite, the Office is entered via
  a wood reinforced door bearing an iron number 7 and
  equipped with a security lock. The simple office has an
  unfinished wood floor and walls. Opposite the door
  underneath one of the room’s two windows, is a modest
  desk and chair. A sagging, overburdened bookshelf sits
  under the west wall window, housing many old ledgers
  and a few office supplies. Covered by plain, blue canvas
  curtains (often drawn to keep any snooping eyes blind),
  both windows are equipped with quality locks. 
  The desk has only one thin drawer, just above the
  kneehole, containing general office supplies, including
  pens, paper, metal fasteners and so forth. A detailed
  ledger for the Hotel’s earnings and expenditures is usu-
  ally on the desktop, along with the Swartz’ personal
  account ledger and a bottle of ink. Calling Jack “meticu-
  lous” about finances is akin to calling the Brazos River
  “wet.” He logs everything, down to the last cigar and bar
  of soap.
  Tucked in the corner next to the bookshelf, sits a
  small safe, holding about $1,000 in jewelry (all belonging
  to Estelle) and somewhere between $100 - $300 in coins
  and paper. It’s also possible that the safe will contain
  guest valuables, but only if a visitor requests temporary
  safe-keeping (although, if such a service is needed for
  more than a few hours, guests are usually advised to take
  such items to the bank, conveniently located next door).
  Jack, accompanied by Allen Baker, makes a daily deposit
  at York’s Bank, usually just after breakfast.
  8, 9) Average Guest Room
  These two rooms are the only first-floor guest accom-
  modations, each entered through a normal wood door
  equipped with an average lock (as well as a correspon-
  ding iron room number). Each room also has a single
  window fastened with a cheap lock and covered by plain,
  cream-colored curtains.
  All of the Average Guest Rooms in the hotel are fur-
  nished with the following: a single, wood framed bed with
  a decent, straw-stuffed mattress; a wooden chair next to
  40
  
  normal “poor” rate to sleep in the same room with their
  pards, if desired, but they won’t get a bed or a key.
  17, 18, 20) Average Guest Rooms
  Designed and furnished exactly like the Average
  Guest Rooms on the first floor (#8 and #9), these rooms
  are identical in every respect, save these notables for
  room #20: 
  Because #20 is right next to the Bath Room, the res-
  ident of this billet is often subjected to the noises from
  bathers—including splashing, singing and the occasion-
  al frolicking of occupants sharing a bath, or engaging in,
  er, other activities. In many cases, these effects have no
  consequence, but in the early morning or late evening,
  someone trying to sleep in #20 may encounter some
  major or minor disturbances. In addition, a close inspec-
  tion of the east wall will reveal a small, patched hole just
  next to the chair. The hole can be dug out without too
  much trouble using a small knife or awl.
  19) Bath Room
  From the outside, Room #19 appears to be a gue-
  stroom; however, this chamber houses the Hotel’s only
  bathtub, a roomy, interestingly shaped brass model with
  ornately wrought feet. A wooden chair sits next to the
  tub, while several clothing and gun hooks hang on the
  east and west walls, either laden with a few towels or
  empty until used by a patron. A small shelf with a cake
  of soap and rags is mounted on the west wall over the
  tub. The normal wooden door has an average lock.
  Patrons must rent the bath; it isn’t included in the room
  fee, except for the Guest Suites.
  Personalities
  Guests at the Planters Hotel come and go (it’s up to
  the Judge to determine who might be residing here at any
  given time, including any famous folk), but the staff has
  been in place for quite a while. In addition to the folks
  listed here, there are a couple of chambermaids, a cook,
  a waitress, and a part-time bellboy (who takes the odd
  shift in place of Teddy Fargas). 
  Jack Swartz
  Jack Swartz might just be the moodiest man in
  town (heck, maybe all of North Texas). He can wear a
  sour-puss all morning, bordering on rudeness to his
  guests, while by afternoon he’s as polite as a relative look-
  ing for a loan—and then just the opposite the next day.
  Regardless of his mood, he’s quite competent in taking
  care of business around the hotel. Jack manages the
  books, the restaurant and the staff, while his wife, Estelle,
  usually runs the front desk and takes care of the guests.
  A burly man with a ruddy complexion, Jack is almost
  comical when he’s in one of his moods (whether foul or
  fair). The contrast between Jack’s mood swings and
  Estelle’s steady affability can make for an interesting visit
  for hotel guests. With a knack for finances, Jack has,
  bed, just like the beds in the Guest Suites. Otherwise,
  each room’s furnishings are much the same as the
  Average rooms, with the same bureau (with wash basin,
  mirror, etc.) and wooden chair in the corner. The entry
  doors are reinforced wood equipped with a quality lock,
  while metal spittoons sit just behind the doors. The walls
  have the same wallpaper as the lobby, each window has
  an average lock and cream-colored curtains, and a large
  framed painting of flowers in the field hangs above each
  room’s bed. Two wooden hooks hang on the wall between
  the chairs and the doors, with one padded wire hanger on
  each hook. 
  Between these two rooms, but inaccessible from
  either (without climbing over the railing from the win-
  dow), is a balcony looking out over Fourth Street. Double
  doors lead out to the balcony from the hallway that sur-
  rounds the interior opening over the first floor (these nor-
  mal wooden doors have glass panes set into their upper
  half). A metal railing is bolted into the wooden balcony. 
  Room #12 holds a months-long-held secret—which
  may remain so for years to come, since the no-account
  scoundrel who left it here died in a gunfight before he
  could retrieve it. Under the bureau, wedged in a gap near
  the mortise connecting the legs to the bottom, is a folded
  scrap of parchment. This could be discovered by a thor-
  ough search of the room or by roughly moving the bureau
  and thus dislodging it. On the Judge’s whim, this could
  contain:
  1. The combination for the Hotel safe.
  2. A map of the local environs, with a spot in the hills
  marked for some unknown purpose.
  3. The confession of a townsperson that committed a
  crime, intended for future blackmail.
  4. The floor plan of York’s Bank (or other establish-
  ment).
  5. Whatever your ornery, devious, schemin’ mind can
  think up, pardner.
  15, 16, 21, 22) Bunk Guest Rooms
  Similar in most details to the Average Guest Rooms,
  each of these billets has a bunk bed instead of a single
  bed, with thinly stuffed straw mattresses. The same
  wooden chairs, bureaus and accoutrements are found in
  each bunkroom. The doors are normal with cheap locks;
  the walls are plain, unfinished wood. A metal spittoon
  rests behind every room’s door, which have single wood-
  en hooks (no hangers). These rooms are double occu-
  pancy, as noted earlier, with each bed rented separately
  and each occupant given a key. 
  Two people who know each other can share a room,
  or two strangers might be housed together (thus the low
  cost as a “poor” room). If Estelle is renting the rooms and
  an individual wants these “poor” accommodations, she
  will allow folks to rent these without a roommate when
  business is slow. If Jack is renting the room—well, flip a
  buffalo nickel and adjudicate based on his current mood.
  He might force two strangers to stay together even if he
  has another bunkroom open. Other bunkmates that
  know each other, in excess of the first two, can pay the
  41
  
  Estelle Swartz
  Seven years her husband’s junior, Estelle Swartz is an
  attractive and educated woman. She met Jack in Austin
  when she was 17 years old and just finishing her stud-
  ies, as both of them were attending a play at a local the-
  atre. Jack was in town on business (selling something or
  other) and happened to be in one of his best moods when
  his colleague introduced him to Estelle. The two hit it off
  quickly and Jack decided to stick around and court her.
  After landing a huge and lucrative contract, Jack asked
  her parents for her hand. 
  through a variety of entrepreneurial activities, accumulat-
  ed a decent nest egg over the years. Jack’s parents head-
  ed west when he was a boy and found a home in Texas
  just about the time he was ready to strike out on his own.
  Although he left home, he decided to stay in Texas, hop-
  ing to make a name for himself. He enjoys running a hotel
  (although you wouldn’t know it sometimes) and he’s
  planning for this to be his last business endeavor. 
  42
  Jack Swartz
  (Smart Ordinary 2, Dedicated Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: June 15, 1833
  Birthplace: Pottstown, PA
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 180 lbs
  Height: 5’ 7”
  Hair: Black (moustache, mutton chops) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Planters Hotel
  Challenge Rating: 2
  Level: 3
  Grit Dice: 2d6+1d6+3 (14)
  MDT: 12
  Initiative: -1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +3
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +3
  Defense: 11, touch 11, flat-footed 11, (+2 class,
  -1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref -1, Will +5
  Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 8 (-1), Con 12 (+1), 
  Int 15 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0)
  Attacks: Fists +3 (1d6+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +2 (1d4+1; Crit: 19-20)
  Pocket Deringer -4 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 10 ft.; 
  Ammo: 1 mzl.)
  Occupation: Merchant (class skills: Knowledge 
  (business), Sense Motive)
  Skills: Bluff +1, Craft (writing) +5, Diplomacy +2, 
  Gamble +4, Gather Information +2, Knowledge 
  (business) +9, Knowledge (civics) +6, Knowledge 
  (current events) +8, Knowledge (popular culture) 
  +7, Knowledge (streetwise) +4, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +4, Listen +3, 
  Profession +8, Read/Write Language (English), 
  Repair +4, Research +5, Ride +1, Search +4, 
  Sense Motive +5, Speak Language (English), 
  Treat Injury +3
  Feats: Brawl, Home Ground, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency, Trail Lore (Texas)
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Pocket Deringer, knife, plain suit, 
  cowboy boots, derby hat, bolo tie
  Estelle Swartz
  (Charismatic Ordinary 2, Smart Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: July 31, 1840
  Birthplace: Austin, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 110 lbs
  Height: 5’ 5”
  Hair: Light Brown 
  Eyes: Green
  Allegiances: Planters Hotel
  Challenge Rating: 2
  Level: 3
  Grit Dice: 2d6+1d6 (10)
  MDT: 10
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +7
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11, (+1 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 12 (+1), Con 10 (+0), 
  Int 13 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Merchant (class skills: Knowledge 
  (business), Sense Motive)
  Skills: Bluff +4, Concentration +2, Craft 
  (visual art) +3, Diplomacy +10, Gather 
  Information +9, Handle Animal +4, Knowledge 
  (art) +5, Knowledge (business) +7, Knowledge 
  (civics) +2, Knowledge (current events) +4, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +5, Knowledge 
  (theology and philosophy) +3, Perform (dance) +4, 
  Profession +6, Read/Write Language (English), 
  Sense Motive +8, Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Home Ground, Renown, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency, Trustworthy
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Plain or fancy dress (varies), women’s 
  boots, fancy hat (sometimes), gold necklace
  
  Estelle loves to stay busy and has tremendous grace
  and social elan. Anyone who stays at the Planters soon
  becomes her friend, and she remembers most people who
  stay more than one night. Most importantly, if Jack is in
  a boorish mood and irritates someone, she always finds
  a way to smooth things over. Estelle also tries to help
  those less fortunate than herself—for example, while she
  refrains from the regular business of the restaurant, each
  night she distributes leftover food to any poor folk that
  call at the back door (those in the know show up on time).
  Allen Baker (Joshua Allen Morgan)
  Joshua Allen Morgan landed in The Flat after eluding
  the law in Kansas, where he is still wanted for armed rob-
  bery. Born in Tennessee, Joshua left the Cumberland
  area while still a teenager, seeking adventure out west—
  and finding it on the Kansas frontier. By the time he
  arrived in The Flat he had adopted a new name, Allen
  Baker, and had worked odd jobs, mostly as a teamster,
  while safe-guarding his ill-gotten gains. 
  Jack Swartz hired Baker as a security guard after the
  young man helped foil a thief trying to steal some of the
  eatery’s silverware. Baker had taken a room at the
  Planters and, while eating dinner one night, his own
  43
  Allen Baker (Joshua Allen Morgan)
  (Fast Hero 2, Charismatic Hero 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: February 3, 1856
  Birthplace: Cookeville, Tennessee
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 170 lbs
  Height: 5’ 10”
  Hair: Sandy Brown (moustache) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 3
  Level: 3
  Grit Dice: 2d8+1d6+3 (21)
  MDT: 13
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +3
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 2
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14, (+4 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +0
  Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 15 (+2), Con 13 (+1), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 14 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +3 (1d6+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Brass Knuckles  +3 (1d6+2 lethal; Crit: 20)
  Whip +3 (1d2; Crit: 20; range: 15 ft.)
  Sharps Rifle +3 (2d8; Crit: 20; Range: 90 ft.; 
  Ammo: 1 int.)
  S&W Schofield +3 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 30 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Occupation: Outlaw (class skills: Hide, Sleight of 
  Hand; bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency)
  Skills: Balance +5, Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist 
  +5, Gather Information +4, Handle Animal +4, 
  Hide +6, Knowledge (current events) +3, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +3, Knowledge 
  (streetwise) +5, Move Silently +6, Profession +2, 
  Read/Write Language (English), Ride +4, Sleight 
  of Hand +9, Speak Language (English), Tumble 
  +6
  Feats: Brawl, Double Tap, Gunplay, Personal 
  Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple 
  Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: Evasion, Fast-Talk
  Possessions: Sharps Rifle, .44 paper rounds (20), 
  S&W Schofield, .45 center-fire rounds (20), plain 
  holster, brass knuckles, whip, buckskin trousers, 
  plain shirt, vest, cowboy hat, cowboy boots, 
  bandana
  
  person opening the characters’ room when they’re not
  around; causing a fight about who gets to keep the room,
  etc. 
  A Piece of the Action
  Teddy gives a tip to the characters about some
  impending action as long as he gets to do something
  exciting, or if he believes this will lead to something big.
  Or Teddy agrees to dig up some information that the
  characters are seeking, or otherwise help in some way, as
  thieving experience tipped him off to the burglar’s intent.
  Looking to establish a new reputation, Allen followed the
  thief, knocked him out and turned the man in. Grateful
  for the help, Jack offered Baker a job. While Jack likes
  and trusts Baker, Estelle has her doubts. She watches
  him carefully. So far (several months), he’s been on good
  behavior, but his wild side tends to surface now and
  then, getting him into a fight or two at the local saloons.
  He owns a shack in town. 
  Theodore “Teddy” Fargas
  Teddy Fargas has dreams, BIG dreams. He isn’t con-
  tent to be a bellhop, but strives to be the best bellhop who
  ever lugged a footlocker up a flight of steps. He’s eager to
  please—sometimes too eager, doing whatever it takes to
  help a guest (and collect a generous tip). But his enthu-
  siasm is never phony, it’s just the way he is. 
  A clean-cut, handsome feller, Teddy’s lanky frame is a
  contrast to his easy smile and quick wit. He’s both funny
  and strong—but his greatest asset seems to be his natu-
  ral ability to make friends quickly. He sees every person
  he meets as the person that might help him realize his
  dream of making a mark on the world. He’s not quite sure
  what that mark will be, but he’s convinced that he’s des-
  tined to become famous. He’ll jump at the chance to help
  a guest if he can get a piece of the action, figuring some-
  time, somewhere along the way, it will launch him closer
  to his destiny.
  Adventure Hooks
  Robbery
  Despite the fact that both Estelle and Jack suggest
  keeping valuables at the bank, some fool characters or
  other guests keep things in their rooms and the items are
  stolen. Or, perhaps, the characters could be the ones
  doing the thieving, making for a whole different scenario.
  Food Poisoning
  Through no fault of the Swartzes, someone is poi-
  soned at the restaurant. This could be the result of
  vengeance against the player characters. Or they could
  be falsely accused of the act, after a run-in with the per-
  son poisoned. Or perhaps the cook has something
  against a character or another guest. The characters
  could be involved directly (being poisoned, being
  accused), or indirectly (hired by Jack to investigate, ques-
  tioned by the law as witnesses, deciding to take up their
  own snooping based on a previous encounter with the
  cook, or the victim, etc.).
  Room Mix-Up
  In a particularly coarse mood one day, Jack gives the
  same room to two different parties (one party, of course,
  consists of some player characters). All sorts of situations
  could arise—catching a guest undressed or in an inti-
  mate situation; getting items stolen by an unscrupulous
  44
  Theodore “Teddy” Fargas
  (Charismatic Hero 1)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: May 31, 1860
  Birthplace: Austin, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 175 lbs
  Height: 6’ 1”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 1
  Grit Dice: 1d6+1 (7)
  MDT: 13
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 1
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10, (+0 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
  Abilities: Str 11 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 13 (+1), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +0 (1d4; Crit: 19-20)
  Reid’s Knuckleduster +2 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 
  10 ft.; Ammo: 7 cyl.)
  Occupation: Sodbuster (class skills: Ride, Survival; 
  bonus feat: Personal Firearms Proficiency)
  Skills: Bluff +6, Concentration +2, Diplomacy +8, 
  Gather Information +8, Handle Animal +5, 
  Knowledge (current events) +3, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +2, Listen +2, Profession +3, 
  Ride +4, Search +2, Speak Language (English), 
  Spot +2, Survival +3
  Feats: Personal Firearms Proficiency, Run, Simple 
  Weapons Proficiency, Trustworthy
  Class Features: Fast-Talk
  Possessions: Reid’s Knuckleduster, .22 rim-fire 
  rounds (20), knife, plain suit, men’s shoes, bowler 
  hat
  
  standing in town—how they react to a town emergency
  will make a big difference in their status in The Flat. The
  Judge can play this in a variety of ways. Here are a few
  possibilities:
  1. Characters up wake up in the middle of the night
  with the smell of smoke from a nearby room, the
  kitchen, or the sitting area (from a cigar left burning
  too close to some newspapers). The characters have to
  choose whether to get themselves safe (e.g. jump out
  the window), or try to rescue other guests, or aid the
  effort to put out the fire.
  2. Like #1, but during the day, a fire starts in the
  kitchen, sitting room or one of the guest rooms, while
  the characters are somewhere in the hotel. If the
  characters are not in their rooms and they’ve left any
  valuables or desired items in there, the added deci-
  sions about whether to try to fetch belongings com-
  plicates matters.
  3. The characters are elsewhere in town, day or night,
  when the fire breaks out. Again, they’ll have to decide
  what to do—whether to fend for themselves, try to
  save belongings still in the hotel, or help the towns-
  people put out the fire and save lives.
  long as he gets a piece of the action. For example, maybe
  he recognizes a famous gunfighter or bounty hunter in
  town and offers to keep tabs on the character for the
  player cowpokes, even though it’s probably dangerous.
  Or perhaps the player characters are looking for “special”
  supplies (illicit or dangerous) and they ask Teddy for help
  finding them—which he will do if promised a future favor
  in return. 
  Looking for Josh Morgan
  A private investigator (or Bounty Hunter) from Kansas
  comes looking for Josh Morgan, on a tip that he has been
  seen in The Flat. His description of the man will eventu-
  ally lead him to Planters Hotel. The Judge can involve the
  characters in a number of ways:
  1. The investigator/bounty hunter pesters the charac-
  ters for information regarding the whereabouts of
  Morgan, who happens to be away at the time, or
  manages to slip out a side door just in time. If the
  characters don’t cooperate, the investigator might tail
  them or otherwise keep tabs on them, suspecting that
  they know something they aren’t willing to divulge.
  2. The player characters decide to rat on Morgan, lead-
  ing the investigator to him at the hotel, or helping
  track him down elsewhere in town. All hell breaks
  loose, as Morgan would rather die than be captured.
  3. The characters happen upon a confrontation between
  Morgan and the investigator. Hold on to your hat!
  4. If any of the player characters are Bounty Hunters,
  they could be sent to Fort Griffin to find Morgan.
  Fork in the Road:
  As it happens, one of the player cowpokes looks a lot
  like Josh Morgan, and if he is staying at the Hotel, the
  investigator tries to bring in the wrong man. Feel free to
  alter Morgan’s characteristics to make this work.
  Beggars at the Back Door
  In the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished category, some
  bad men pose as beggars in an attempt to kidnap Estelle.
  While she’s handing out food to the poor, they’re fixin’ to
  knock her out and take her to some undisclosed location.
  It should be easy for the Judge to involve the characters:
  1. The player characters witness the abduction attempt
  and intervene, leading to a shootout or longer adven-
  ture.
  2. The characters are hired by Jack Swartz to rescue his
  wife.
  3. The sheriff rounds up a posse and the player charac-
  ters volunteer or are invited to join.
  4. The no-account characters are somehow involved in
  the abduction.
  Fire!
  Either while the characters are sleeping in the hotel,
  or out in the town, a fire starts in the hotel. This provides
  an interesting scenario to define the player cowpokes’
  45
  
  (adding the balcony booths, the new cherry wood bar and
  stage curtains).
  Every evening save Sunday, the Frontier House offers
  a full slate of skits, songs and special performances
  designed to appeal to the regular folks in town, as well as
  soldiers from the Fort. Tuesdays through Saturdays fea-
  ture the talents of Jules Albert Hervey and his sister
  “Marvelous” Muriel, who have become a near-permanent
  house act and enjoy fame across North Central Texas. On
  Monday nights, the Frontier House offers a more refined
  fare—including productions of A Midsummer Night’s
  Dream and A Comedy of Errors, which appeal to both
  “groundlings” and “the cultured.” Soledad is the driving
  force behind this effort to expand the repertoire beyond
  fireside songs and sophomoric humor, convincing Billy
  it’s a good way to compete with the drinking, gambling
  and unmentionable forms of entertainment available in
  the local saloons. No matter what night or performance a
  cowpoke attends, the Frontier House promises a night of
  revelry sure to complete any visitor’s stay in The Flat.
  From the road, the Frontier House looks like nothing
  more than a large converted barn or dry goods ware-
  house—which is exactly what it is. Located on the south-
  east corner of Parson and Second Street, the Frontier
  House is a place where people come to unwind, have a
  laugh and forget about their daily hardships or ennui.
  “Uncle” Billy Wilson has operated the Frontier House
  since 1874. Originally from Arkansas, this colorful char-
  acter worked his way to the Fort Griffin area as a ram-
  bling entertainer. It was something about the feel of this
  burgeoning town that made him stick around a while
  longer than usual. Perhaps it was the fact that Uncle Billy
  loves to bet on the horses and a flurry of races were
  underway when he arrived. As it so happened, in one of
  the first bets he made he won the deed to a fledgling
  warehouse. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he
  and his business partner, Soledad Sanchez, decided to
  turn the warehouse into a theatre. Beginning with just a
  rough stage and some bench seating, they have contin-
  ued to improve the place over the last couple of years
  46
  FRONTIER HOUSE
  Tired of gamblin’ and carousin’, but still lookin’ for some for fun? Got a hankerin’ for songs and jokes to lift
  your spirit, outlandish skits to bring a smile to your lips, or perhaps a sophisticated drama to make you won-
  der ‘bout the meanin’ of life? Get your tickets for the floor or the balcony and come ready to be enthralled by
  performers from around the world.
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  FIRST FLOOR
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  huge kerosene lamp chandelier hangs high overhead,
  providing dim mood lighting for the hall. Meanwhile, a
  deep red carpet covers the entire floor and velvet-flocked
  wallpaper covers the walls, adding to the grandiose effect
  that Uncle Billy wants all his guests to soak in as soon as
  they set foot in the place. Velvet upholstered, thickly
  padded comfy chairs sit in each of the front corners, near
  the windows.
  Twin staircases, one along the left wall and one along
  the right wall, rise 10 feet to the balcony seating area.
  Red velvet ropes cordon off the stairs; Uncle Bill removes
  them with a flourish when escorting folks that purchase
  box seats upstairs (see #5). Adorning the walls along the
  staircases are various tapestries and paintings.  The bal-
  cony itself extends out 5 feet from the back wall, and is
  surrounded by a 3 foot high railing, where the “quality”
  folks can hang around and view those on the ground
  floor. 
  Directly across from the entryway is an impressive,
  horseshoe shaped bar. The bar is relatively new and
  made from beautiful cherry wood, with highly polished
  brass fittings. The last 3 feet of the bar top on the left side
  is actually hinged so that it can be flipped-up to allow
  access for the bartender. It is cleaned daily, so the beau-
  tiful red wood and shining brass never fail to impress.
  Four vintage muskets and a large buffalo-head line the
  wall space above the bar and beneath balcony. 
  Among the regular stocks are whiskey, hard cider,
  beer, champagne and mescal. Although everything is in
  bottles (which Billy tries to recycle), he and his waitress-
  es (ordinary local girls hired to dispense and deliver
  drinks) normally pour all drinks into metal mugs or
  wooden flagons. Most folks don’t mind—it’s a change of
  Building Key
  1) Front Porch
  This long wooden porch has no accoutrements or
  roof. Rather, it shows off the enormous double-doors
  leading into the Frontier House theatre, flanked by two
  large single-paned glass windows on each side. Above the
  doors is a large painted wooden sign, spanning nearly the
  entire face of the building, reading, in blue paint,
  “Frontier House”.
  The reinforced wooden doors swing outward and are
  usually propped open at least one hour before showtime.
  In front of the doors sits a large stiff bristle doormat,
  Soledad wanting to make sure folks wipe their feet before
  entering the plush Grand Entry hall (#2). Because the
  building was formerly a warehouse, the doorframe was
  constructed to allow supplies, carts, and even wagons
  through, thus the doors are quite tall (almost 10 feet
  high). One of the first things Uncle Billy did was to
  replace the original simple doors with an ornately carved
  set, complete with large wooden handles and two quality
  locks. From noon until the performances, the doors are
  usually closed but unlocked. After the night’s program is
  complete, Uncle Billy locks the doors on his way out, and
  they stay locked until the next high noon.
  2) Grand Entry & Bar
  The front doors provide entry into the grand hall,
  where patrons gather before performances (and during
  intermissions) to mingle and drink. The ceiling is 20 feet
  above, giving this chamber an airy, expansive feeling. A
  47
  1 SQUARE=5 FEET
  SECOND FLOOR
  5
  
  to linger close by. To each side of the bar are curtain-cov-
  ered entryways, providing access to the floor seating and
  stage area. The curtains are pulled open shortly before
  performances begin, with waitresses taking “tickets”
  (purchased at the bar). 
  Three different levels of seating can be purchased: the
  benches (the cheapest), ground floor tables (a little more
  expensive) and the balcony (where the high falutin’ folks
  tend to sit).
  3) Floor Seating
  Just beyond the curtained entryways are rows of
  wooden benches where most of the common folk sit dur-
  ing a performance. The benches are all general admission
  and it’s not unusual for squabbles to break out when
  people try to hold seats for friends and family.
  To the left and right of the benches are four wooden
  tables (two to each side). These seats are reserved—either
  ahead of time or the night of the performance. Waitresses
  serve the patrons that purchase seats at the tables,
  bringing extra snacks (gratis) and drinks (you drink, you
  pay) during the show. If it’s a light crowd, Uncle Billy
  might invite a few bench riders to grab a table.
  4) Stage
  The stage is raised three feet above the floor, spanning
  the entire end of the building, with two short sets of stairs
  providing easy access on either side. Footlights line the
  edge of the stage, providing decent lighting on the per-
  formers. Two curtains, front stage and backstage, section
  off this platform, creating two distinct performance
  areas. Often, the front curtain is closed while performers
  sing or enact a brief sketch, while a more involved scene
  is set up between the curtains. The back curtain is
  always closed, partitioning the backstage area, which
  contains a variety of props, a dressing screen and any
  actors that aren’t onstage. An upright piano on wheels is
  rolled out to front stage right when needed, accompanied
  by a fiddle player who sits on a stool next to the piano
  player. Normal double back doors provide entrance back-
  stage; they have average locks and a bar on the inside.
  5) Balcony Seating
  Four balcony booths occupy the upper floor of the
  Frontier House. Although farther away from the stage,
  these are still the most expensive tickets in the House,
  mainly because the seats are plush, the view is out-
  standing and the service here is nothing short of doting.
  During the show, Uncle Billy assigns one of his waitress-
  es to exclusive duty on the balcony, bringing snacks and
  drinks for the patrons anytime they ask. Of course, the
  drinks still require payment, although Billy will often pro-
  vide a complimentary bottle of champagne or whiskey for
  special guests.
  Each enclosed booth contains four seats—wooden
  walls separating them from neighboring booths. The two
  booths directly facing the stage have two rows of two
  seats each, while the two flanking the stage have four
  pace, and seems to lend to the atmosphere of the place.
  Billy won’t let anyone take a bottle onto the floor seating
  area (having learned from experience what it’s like to get
  one’s head busted from a glass missile during a sketch
  gone wrong). However, Billy will allow bottles into the bal-
  cony, unless he has good reason to doubt a customer’s
  intentions. Uncle Billy always keeps salty nuts and pret-
  zels in wooden bowls on top of the bar, free for the tak-
  ing.
  Mounted on the wall behind the bar (beneath the buf-
  falo head) are matching cherry-wood cabinets holding a
  variety of bottles (mostly empty or filled with water),
  brick-a-brack and mugs. Billy stores the actual liquor
  bottles on two solid shelves underneath the bar. In addi-
  tion to the spirits (and extra mugs and flagons), the bar
  shelves hold large sacks of the salty snacks and more
  bowls for distribution to the tables and balcony areas
  during shows. Miscellaneous items such as rags, can-
  dles, matches and trays for carrying drinks around the
  House are also stored down under the bar. A small safe
  is bolted into the floor at the right end of the bar—and a
  metal strongbox is on top of the safe. Billy collects the
  fees for the show and distributes “tickets” from the box
  (they are actually wooden tokens that he reuses), putting
  the night’s take into the safe as soon as the show starts. 
  Before a performance, lots of folks gather around the
  bar, ordering drinks and then moving off to mix among
  the other patrons—although a few barflies always seem
  48
  According to documents unearthed by
  the overworked DHR research team, a
  place called the Frontier House truly
  existed in The Flat back in the 1870s. Run by
  “Uncle” Billy Wilson, it was known as a free-
  wheeling place for entertainment: a dance hall,
  beer house, variety theatre and restaurant all
  rolled up into one.
  Undoubtedly, a number of itinerant musi-
  cians, nomad entertainers and vagabond thespi-
  ans passed through The Flat, giving residents and
  travelers alike a respite from the dreary routine of
  the frontier. A few such characters are included
  here, inspired by both historical and fictional ref-
  erences.
  To simplify and provide a slightly more
  grandeur atmosphere, the Dog House Gang offers
  this version of the Frontier House—retaining the
  quirkiness and mirth of “Uncle” Billy’s place while
  also adding an element of high-brow entertain-
  ment now and then. 
  THE REAL
  FRONTIER HOUSE
  
  seats in one long row. Additionally, open areas surround
  the booths—so folks can mill about during intermission
  or before the performance—including the area by the
  railing overlooking the Grand Entry. The Grand Entry
  chandelier has a rope tied to it that extends to this rail-
  ing, so the lamps can be refilled, lit or snuffed as needed. 
  Personalities
  All sorts of entertainers pass through The Flat and, in
  order to keep his shows fresh for the town regulars, Uncle
  Billy does his best to engage their services at the Frontier
  House. He has a couple of performers who work here reg-
  ularly, except for when they occasionally travel to nearby
  towns for special engagements, but he’s always looking
  for new talent (including player characters). Uncle Billy,
  his core employees and main performers are described
  here.
  “Uncle” Billy Wilson
  Known for his jocularity and amiability, Billy
  Wilson has a knack for making everyone treat him like a
  favorite uncle. He’s been called Uncle Billy since he
  enlisted in the 10th Cavalry of the CSA, in the same
  month his brother enlisted in the 13th Regiment of the
  Illinois Cavalry. He immediately made friends with his fel-
  low soldiers and helped to comfort some of the younger
  49
  “Uncle” Billy Wilson
  (Charismatic Hero 3, Fast Hero 1, Showman 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: July 22, 1838
  Birthplace: Fayetteville, Arkansas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 165 lbs
  Height: 5’ 7”
  Hair: Brown (handle-bar moustache) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Frontier House
  Challenge Rating: 6
  Level: 6
  Grit Dice: 3d6+1d8+2d6+6 (35)
  MDT: 13
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 25 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 3
  Reputation: +7
  Defense: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 15, (+5 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +5
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 12 (+1), Con 13 (+1), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 16 (+3)
  Attacks: Fists +2 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Cane +2 (1d6; Crit: 20)
  Knife +2 (1d4; Crit: 19-20)
  Remington Single Barrel (sawed off) +3 (2d8; 
  Crit: 20; Range: 20 ft.; Ammo: 1 int.)
  Sharps Pepperbox +3 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 10 ft.; 
  Ammo: 4 int.)
  Occupation: Military (class skills: Knowledge 
  (tactics), Ride; bonus feat: Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency)
  Skills: Bluff +6, Concentration +6, Diplomacy +10, 
  Disguise +5, Escape Artist +5, Gamble +5, 
  Gather Information +8, Knowledge (current 
  events) +5, Knowledge (popular culture) +5, 
  Knowledge (streetwise) +5, Knowledge (tactics) +4, 
  Perform (act) +9, Perform (sing) +4, Perform 
  (stand-up) +12, Profession +11, Read/Write 
  Language (English), Ride +4, Sleight of Hand +11, 
  Speak Language (English)
  Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Creative 
  (Perform (act), Perform (stand-up)), Horse Tradin’, 
  Nimble, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Renown, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: Bonus Class Skills 
  (Concentration, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand), 
  Charm (female, male), Evasion, Notoriety
  Possessions: Remington Single Barrel (sawed off), 
  12 ga. rounds (10), knife, cane, Sharps 
  Pepperbox, .32 rim-fire rounds (20), plain suit, 
  cowboy boots, string tie, Stetson hat
  
  Uncle Billy and Soledad arrived in Fort Griffin in the mid
  1870s, intent on cashing in on the boom crowd. Uncle
  Billy remains a friend to almost everyone in town, even
  though he is known as a practical joker that spares no
  one from his hi-jinks. While he spends most of his time
  at the Frontier House, he does have a shack in town
  where he sleeps.
  Avery Lamb
  Poor Avery Lamb isn’t the smartest cowpoke on the
  plains, but he always gives his best, and nothing seems
  to faze him. “Uncle” Billy hired him because he’s tall, has
  a downright intimidating visage, and is known around
  town as a man who can take a punch or two (or twelve)
  without even wincing. He also knows how to handle a
  smokewagon. Avery’s job is to look stern and frighten
  folks into good behavior, which generally works. His nat-
  ural mean look is in powerful contrast to the revelry and
  smiling faces of most of the visitors and other workers.
  Avery stands out like a sore thumb—just how Billy wants
  it. Avery lives in one of the town boarding houses.
  boys. He received a field promotion quickly (Sergeant),
  before suffering a serious wound to his right leg, which
  made it almost impossible to ride and difficult to walk. He
  served the rest of his enlistment behind the lines, enter-
  taining the troops with his wit and legerdemain. 
  Saddled with a permanent limp and a cane, Wilson
  moved to Kansas—then Texas—after the war, performing
  a magic act and comedy routine with a female partner
  (who was later killed by stray gunfire in a Kansas dust-
  up). He met Soledad in Dallas, Texas and they continued
  his act, adding her singing and more variety. Finally,
  50
  Avery Lamb
  (Tough Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: March 18, 1858
  Birthplace: Galveston, Texas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 175 lbs
  Height: 6’ 2”
  Hair: Sandy Brown (moustache) 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Level: 2
  Grit Dice: 2d10+4 (18)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +4
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0
  Abilities: Str 14 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 8 (-1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 12 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists +4 (1d6+2 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Colt Peacemaker +2 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 30 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Colt Lightning +2 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 20 ft.; 
  Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Occupation: Ranch Hand (class skills: Handle 
  Animal, Ride; bonus feat: Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency)
  Skills: Handle Animal +2, Intimidate +6, 
  Profession +1, Ride +4, Spot +1
  Feats: Brawl, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point 
  Blank Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Colt Lightning, .38 center-fire rounds 
  (20), Colt Peacemaker, .45 center-fire rounds (20), 
  plain holster (Lightning), shoulder holster 
  (Peacemaker), trousers, buckskin shirt, cowboy 
  boots, cowboy hat, bandana
  
  “Marvelous” Muriel Hervey
  Known as Marvelous Muriel in the four-county
  area of North Central Texas, Muriel Hervey has an air of
  mystery about her. A gifted, though untrained, actress,
  singer and musician, Muriel is the sister of Jules Albert,
  although some folks don’t realize that. On stage, Muriel
  is vibrant and intoxicating; off-stage, she retreats into
  Cordelia, Soledad’s Cat
  A beautifully plump calico, Cordelia is a champion
  mouser and has become the mascot of the Frontier
  House. She roams the theatre and is usually found
  lounging somewhere around the bar before and during
  performances. 
  Soledad “Sol” Sanchez
  The sultry Soledad Sanchez has a brilliant mind and
  siren-like voice. She is the official barker for the Frontier
  House, summoning guests each and every night there’s a
  performance. Sol is particularly adept at enticing new
  visitors to attend, singing a ditty while picking people out
  of the crowd for personal persuasion. Recently, she has
  been directing shows (not each individual act, but the
  ensemble performance and certain skits) and has truly
  become the driving force behind efforts to raise the level
  of the Frontier House performances. After much convinc-
  ing, Billy agreed to allow Sol to produce more serious
  plays—with performances one day per week. She hopes
  to increase the frequency of such fare and has been train-
  ing performers in the tenets of Shakespearean drama.
  Soledad is a fiery Mexican woman who crossed the
  border into Texas shortly after the Civil War. Formerly an
  actress and songstress, she hooked up with Uncle Billy
  in Dallas and toured with him until they decided to stay
  in The Flat. Their relationship is entirely platonic and
  businesslike; they are loyal to each other in that regard,
  although Sol has a jealous streak and doesn’t like Muriel
  very much. She lives in one of the town boarding houses.
  51
  Cordelia
  (Cat, Domestic)
  Challenge Rating: 1/4
  Grit Dice: 1/2 d8 (3)
  MDT: 10
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Defense: 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, 
  +2 Dex)
  Base Attack Bonus: +0
  Grapple Modifier: -12
  Primary Attack: Claw +4 (1d2-4)
  Full Attack: 2 Claws +4 (1d2-4), Bite -1 (1d3-4)
  Space/Reach: 2.5 ft. x 2.5 ft. / 0 ft.
  Special Qualities: Low-light vision
  Allegiances: Frontier House
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1 
  Action Points: 0 
  Reputation: +0
  Abilities: Str 3 (-4), Dex 18 (+4), Con 10 (+0), 
  Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 7 (-2)
  Skills: Balance +10, Climb +5, Hide +17, 
  Jump +6, Listen +4, Move Silently +9, Spot +4
  Feats: Weapon Finesse
  Soledad Sanchez
  (Smart Ordinary 2, Charismatic Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: December 24, 1850
  Birthplace: Monterrey, Mexico
  Heritage: Mexican
  Weight: 121 lbs
  Height: 5’ 4”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Frontier House
  Challenge Rating: 3
  Level: 4
  Grit Dice: 2d6+2d6-4 (11)
  MDT: 8
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +4
  Defense: 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +1 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 13 (+1), Con 8 (–1), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 16 (+3)
  Attacks: Fists +2 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Knife +2 (1d4; Crit: 19-20)
  Remington Double Derringer +3 (2d6; Crit: 20; 
  Range: 10 ft.; Ammo: 2 int.)
  Occupation: Entertainer (class skills: Perform 
  (sing))
  Skills: Diplomacy +9, Disguise +5, Gamble +3, 
  Gather Information +6, Knowledge (art) +4, 
  Knowledge (current events) +4, Knowledge 
  (popular culture) +9, Knowledge (streetwise) +5, 
  Listen +3, Perform (act) +12, Perform (keyboards) 
  +6, Perform (sing) +12, Profession +8, Read/Write 
  Language (English, Spanish), Search +7, Sense 
  Motive +3, Speak Language (English, Spanish)
  Feats: Creative (Perform (act), Perform (sing)), 
  Dodge, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple 
  Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Knife, Remington Double Derringer, 
  .41 rim-fire rounds (20), fancy skirt, women’s 
  blouse, sombrero, women’s boots
  
  a long history of support for the arts and music, which
  greatly influenced their early years.
  Jules Albert Hervey
  While his sister seems naturally gifted, Jules Albert
  Hervey has had to work harder to achieve success in the
  shyness, enjoying nothing more than a quiet bath and a
  good book. This adds to her mysterious reputation,
  because she tends to disappear between performances.
  The Hervey siblings are of Moravian descent, having
  moved west from North Carolina after the war took their
  father from them and left much of their hometown in dis-
  array. An older brother originally accompanied Jules and
  Muriel, but he succumbed to tetanus after only a year on
  the trail. Muriel and Albert, still teenagers, gutted it out
  as itinerant entertainers until reaching Texas, where they
  found more stable work in the frontier towns and forts.
  Their family (and hometown community in general) had
  52
  Muriel Hervey
  (Charismatic Ordinary 3, Dedicated Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: November 11, 1854
  Birthplace: Salem, North Carolina
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 111 lbs
  Height: 5’ 5”
  Hair: Light brown 
  Eyes: Green
  Allegiances: Frontier House
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Level: 5
  Grit Dice: 3d6+2d6 (19)
  MDT: 10
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +1
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +0
  Defense: 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13, (+3 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 16 (+3)
  Attacks: Fists +1 (1d3-1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Greenhorn (class skills: Diplomacy, 
  Knowledge (art))
  Skills: Bluff +7, Concentration +2, Diplomacy +12, 
  Disguise +7, Gather Information +5, Knowledge 
  (art) +9, Knowledge (current events) +4, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +8, Listen +3, 
  Perform (act) +7, Perform (keyboards) +6, 
  Perform (sing) +9, Perform (wind instruments) +6, 
  Profession +7, Read/Write Language (English), 
  Sense Motive +3, Speak Language (English), Spot 
  +3
  Feats: Creative (Perform (act), Perform (sing)), 
  Educated (Knowledge (art), Knowledge (popular 
  culture)), Low Profile, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Fancy dress (or fancy skirt and 
  blouse), women’s shoes, fancy sun hat
  Jules Albert Hervey 
  (Charismatic Ordinary 3, Smart Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: May 27, 1852
  Birthplace: Salem, North Carolina
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 153 lbs
  Height: 5’ 9”
  Hair: Brown (clean shaven) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Frontier House
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Level: 5
  Grit Dice: 3d6+2d6+5 (24)
  MDT: 12
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +2
  Grapple Modifier: +2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +6
  Defense: 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12, (+2 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), 
  Int 13 (+1), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +2 (1d3 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Remington Pocket Pistol +0 (2d4; Crit: 20; Range: 
  20 ft.; Ammo: 5 cyl.)
  Occupation: Entertainer (class skills: Perform 
  (stringed instruments))
  Skills: Bluff +5, Concentration +2, Craft (writing) 
  +4, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +5, Gamble +0, 
  Gather Information +7, Intimidate +4, Knowledge 
  (art) +5, Knowledge (current events) +4, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +4, Knowledge 
  (streetwise) +4, Perform (act) +6, Perform 
  (keyboards) +9, Perform (percussion instruments) 
  +4, Perform (sing) +5, Perform (string 
  instruments) +10, Profession +6, Read/Write 
  Language (English), Sense Motive +0, Speak 
  Language (English, French)
  Feats: Creative (Perform (wind instruments), 
  Perform (keyboards)), Renown, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency, Trustworthy
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Remington Pocket Pistol, .31 paper 
  rounds (20), fancy suit, custom boots, pocket 
  watch, Stetson hat
  
  Adventure Hooks
  A Cutpurse in the Crowd
  When the players go to the theatre for a night of enter-
  tainment, they cross paths with an accomplished female
  cutpurse on the prowl. She knows how to work a crowd,
  finding ripe marks, filching valuable items and moving on
  quickly. If successful, she will hang around in The Flat
  briefly before moving on, but she probably won’t do any
  more thieving. The Judge has a few options for involving
  the characters:
  1. An obvious possibility is that the cutpurse chooses to
  rob one of the characters. It’s likely that she will have
  observed them earlier (in a saloon or elsewhere in
  town). This would work best if the players buy seats
  on the ground floor. The Judge should adjudicate her
  success or failure normally; if she succeeds, the ques-
  tion will be how quickly the characters realize the
  theft and whether they find any clues to track her
  down. If she fails and the characters realize what’s
  happening, all hell breaks loose.
  arts, even though, unlike his sister, he received formal
  training in acting and music, studying under a profes-
  sional tutor in the Salem Moravian community. He
  learned fast, playing the fiddle and the piano and playing
  children’s parts (male and female) in local productions
  before the war changed so many things in the Herveys’
  lives.
  Jules remains very protective of his sister, even now
  that she is an adult. He has never married, preferring the
  life of a playboy and gladly exploiting his fame to cavort
  with as many ladies as possible. Dashing and debonair,
  but often overshadowed by his sister’s raw talent, Jules
  is well known throughout North Central Texas. He fre-
  quents the saloons and gambling halls in The Flat and
  may be seen about town during the day or after perform-
  ances. Jules thinks up most of their acts and plans
  everything in detail and in advance of their performanc-
  es. He and his sister can be found rehearsing each after-
  noon at the theatre. They share a room at a local board-
  ing house.
  53
  
  2. Another possibility is that the player characters
  notice the cutpurse’s activity while she is attempting
  a theft from another theatre-goer (with a successful
  DC 20 spot check) during an intermission or after the
  show. How the characters react will determine the
  rest.
  3. A third option is that the cutpurse succeeds without
  the players having any inkling, whereupon she tries to
  gain an alibi by hooking up with one of the male play-
  er characters. Using her good looks and charm, she
  will cozy up to someone and enjoy the show, then
  attempt to leave with that person. The Judge can
  reveal the theft at some later time (during an inter-
  mission or perhaps as all of the theatre-goers are leav-
  ing, or even later that night elsewhere in town). The
  cutpurse will do her best to get the characters to
  vouch for her if she is accused, or simply to leave with
  them and avoid any accusations. The characters’
  actions will determine how long she tries to stick with
  them—and whether she eventually tries to steal from
  them as well.
  The Show Must Go On
  An act needs a last-minute fill-in for a comedy skit. A
  player character is pressed into service. Have fun with
  this one, complete with a pie in the face or seltzer down
  the trousers!
  Romance with a Starlet or Star
  Either Muriel or Jules (or both if the group consists of
  males and females) takes an interest in one of the player
  characters. If the interest is reciprocated a whirlwind
  romance begins, continuing or ending as the Judge and
  player sees fit. If the interest is rejected, the actor or
  actress takes great offense and begins a rumor campaign
  to damage the character’s reputation. 
  The rumor mill could churn out many possibilities,
  but it will certainly cause problems for the characters at
  some time or other in town. Depending on the way the
  character rejects the advances (nicely or rudely) and the
  Judge’s whim, the severity of the rumors could produce
  effects ranging from embarrassment, to the ruin of a
  business deal, or a showdown in the street. For example,
  a vengeful starlet could spread rumors about a male
  character frolicking with the wife of an important (and
  powerful) man in town. That man could challenge the
  character to duel or he could simply distrust the charac-
  ters enough to squelch any business deals they might be
  involved in, or call in markers to make sure the charac-
  ters have no chance of any successful endeavors in The
  Flat. Or, perhaps the starlet spreads rumors about the
  character’s, uh, shall we say “inadequacies.” 
  54
  
  Ling. While these folks aren’t likely to have any particu-
  lar ties to a single establishment, they could show up
  anywhere, or be included in some of the adventures that
  follow. For example, Doney’s Saloon is a likely place to
  find an outlaw like John Selman having a drink in the
  corner, with his hat pulled down low to avoid attention.
  And Han and Mei Ling might well be found at the Frontier
  House, or putting on an impromptu show in the street (or
  perhaps in the Beehive Saloon, iffin you happen to have
  Vol. 1 in your grubby hands).
  John Henry Selman
  There’s no way around it: John Selman was a dan-
  gerous troublemaker and deadly outlaw during the hey-
  day of Fort Griffin and The Flat. Known as a murderer,
  As noted in the Introduction, this supplement can be
  used piece by piece or as a complete unit. Joined with
  other Frontier Towns products, a Judge may assemble a
  full, robust town—whether using the default setting of
  Fort Griffin or changing all the names and places to fit
  into a homebrewed campaign. The following additional
  personalities and adventure hooks are provided to help
  Judges make connections between the various buildings
  and personalities in Frontier Towns: Fort Griffin Vol. 2. 
  Personalities
  Any variety of Judge characters could pass through
  town, from famous gunfighters such as John Selman to
  itinerant entertainers such as Xu Jing Han and Sun Mei
  55
  JUST PASSING THROUGH AND
  TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
  Iffin’ you decide to use some, or even all, of the buildings in this Frontier Towns product as part of one locale,
  these ideas should kindle some downright agreeable and possibly long term adventures.
  John Henry Selman
  (Fast Hero 3, Tough Hero 2, Rustler 3)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: November 16, 1839
  Birthplace: Madison County, Arkansas
  Heritage: American
  Weight: 160 lbs
  Height: 5’ 10”
  Hair: Brown (beard) 
  Eyes: Blue
  Allegiances: None
  Challenge Rating: 8
  Level: 8
  Grit Dice: 3d8+2d10+3d8+16 (65)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: +7
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +4
  Grapple Modifier: +5
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 4
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 21, touch 21, flat-footed 18, (+8 class, 
  +3 Dex); +1 versus all ranged attacks
  Saving Throws: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 14 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +5 (1d3+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Spencer Carbine +7 (2d10; Crit: 20; Range: 70 ft.; 
  Ammo: 7 box)
  Colt New Model Army +7 (2d6; Crit: 20; Range: 
  30 ft.; Ammo: 6 cyl.)
  Occupation: Outlaw (class skills: Hide, Knowledge 
  (streetwise); bonus feat: Personal Firearms 
  Proficiency)
  Skills: Balance +6, Bluff +6, Concentration +4, 
  Escape Artist +5, Handle Animal +6, Hide +11, 
  Intimidate +7, Knowledge (current events) +3, 
  Knowledge (streetwise) +7, Listen +3, Move 
  Silently +11, Profession +4, Read/Write Language 
  (English), Ride +11, Sleight of Hand +8, Speak 
  Language (English), Spot +4, Tumble +5
  Feats: Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, 
  Quick Draw, Sidewinder, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency, Slip Hammer
  Class Features: Evasion, High-Tail It, Remain 
  Conscious, Sweep, Uncanny Dodge 1
  Possessions: Spencer Carbine, .52 rim-fire rounds 
  (20), Colt New Model Army (Hair Trigger), .44 
  paper rounds (20), Reid’s Knuckleduster, .22 
  rim-fire rounds (14), knife, fancy holster, trousers, 
  chaps, plain shirt, cowboy boots, spurs, cowboy 
  hat
  
  Circling Hawk
  A steadfast and resilient Tonkawa warrior, Circling
  Hawk comes to The Flat regularly to trade with the locals.
  Well-known and respected, Circling Hawk joined forces
  with early settlers in the area to help drive off Comanche
  raiders. He led a group of braves who fought valiantly,
  saving many lives—and earning the trust of the settlers.
  Circling Hawk frequently works as a guide for travelers,
  scouts for the Army and the Texas Rangers, and even
  serves as a posse member for the local sheriff. He will
  often trade gathered goods such as berries, herbs and
  other foodstuffs—while less frequently trading buffalo
  meat or fish—in exchange for bullets, liquor, or the white
  man’s equipment.
  Circling Hawk still lives in the nearby plains with a
  small band of Tonkawa and their pack of dogs. They
  remain nomadic, moving frequently to avoid trouble and
  locate food to feed themselves or trade with the white set-
  tlers. 
  rustler and possibly a rapist, Selman left a trail of bad
  news from Texas to New Mexico and back to Texas again. 
  Two years after enlisting in the 22nd Texas Cavalry in
  1861, Selman deserted from his post at Fort Washita in
  Choctaw Territory. He later married and fathered two
  boys (John Jr. and William), taking his family to the Fort
  Griffin area, while regularly leaving them to pursue his
  own adventures (we reckon that’s a polite way to put it).
  Selman was often on the run from the law, although he
  is said to have ridden with Sheriff John Larn from time
  to time in The Flat area (until Larn himself was locked
  up) even serving briefly as Larn’s Deputy. Sheriff Billy
  Cruger (see Vol. 1), who succeeded Larn, was said to
  despise Selman.
  Whether coming home to his wife and children on the
  outskirts of town, or joining up with other outlaws for
  some illicit activities, Selman makes frequent stops in
  The Flat, for both short and extended stays.
  56
  Some accounts indicate that John
  Selman, with his wife and children, lived
  in the Fort Griffin area in the mid-
  1870s. Other accounts seem less certain, placing
  the Selmans somewhere in Shackleford County,
  but not necessarily in The Flat. Most agree that
  Selman spent time with John Larn as part of an
  anti-vigilante group that terrorized the locals in
  North Central Texas just as much as protecting
  them. Later, he formed a band of ruthless outlaws
  called “Selman’s Scouts” that operated in Lincoln
  County, New Mexico, in the late 1870s.
  Regardless, it seems fitting to have Selman as
  a personality found in The Flat from time to time
  (or perhaps as a full-time resident). The stats pro-
  vided here are a best estimate of his status circa
  1877. Judges can decide whether he’s a resident
  or a traveler, and just what his business in town
  might be. Chances are, it won’t be without men-
  ace and strife. 
  Selman killed the gunfighter John Wesley
  Hardin in 1895, not long before being mortally
  wounded by U.S. Deputy Marshal Charles
  Scarborough in 1896.
  JOHN SELMAN
  IN THE 1870s
  
  Xu Jing Han
  Han arrived in California with his family in 1864,
  when he was only 10 years old. His parents worked on
  the transcontinental railroad, starting in Sacramento and
  going all the way to Promontory Summit. Han was an
  athletic and independent child, entertaining himself by
  57
  Circling Hawk
  (Tough Hero 3, Dedicated Hero 2, Brave 4)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: July 8, 1849
  Birthplace: Tonkawa Territory, Texas
  Heritage: Tonkawa
  Weight: 147 lbs
  Height: 5’ 6”
  Hair: Black (long) 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Tonkawa
  Challenge Rating: 8
  Level: 8
  Grit Dice: 3d10+2d6+4d10+18+3 (75)
  MDT: 15
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +6/+1
  Grapple Modifier: +7/+2
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 5
  Reputation: +2
  Defense: 19, touch 19, flat-footed 17, (+7 class, 
  +2 Dex)
  Saving Throws: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +6
  Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 15 (+2), 
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 13 (+1)
  Attacks: Fists +7/+2 (1d3+1 nonlethal; Crit: 20)
  Bowie Knife +7/+2 (1d4+1; Crit: 18-20)
  Henry Rifle +8/+3 (2d8; Crit: 20; Range: 120 ft.; 
  Ammo: 15 int.)
  Bow +8/+3 (1d6; Crit: 20; Range: 60 ft.)
  Occupation: Tribal (class skills: Navigate, Ride, 
  Spot; bonus feat: Archaic Weapons Proficiency)
  Skills: Hide +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (history) 
  +3, Knowledge (tactics) +4, Knowledge (theology 
  and philosophy) +3, Listen +11, Move Silently +4, 
  Navigate +12, Ride +13, Speak Language 
  (English, Tonkawa), Spot +11, Survival +19
  Feats: Archaic Weapon Proficiency, Endurance, 
  Far Shot, Great Fortitude, Guide, Indian Lore, 
  Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons 
  Proficiency, Track, Trail Lore (Texas)
  Class Features: Feral Senses, Hardy, Remain 
  Conscious, Robust, Skill Emphasis (Survival), 
  Tribal Chant (Blessing)
  Possessions: Henry Rifle, .44 rim-fire rounds (60), 
  Bowie knife, bow, arrows (12), quiver, buckskin 
  trousers, buckskin vest, moccasins, cowboy hat
  These two tribes became enemies after the
  Comanche drove the Tonkawa from their
  native hills (in the latter half of the 1700s)
  in what would later become Texas. Generally, the
  Tonkawa were friendly people, preferring to live in
  peace with others. Known to share lands with the
  Karankawa and the Coahuiltecan, the Tonkawa also
  made alliances with white settlers, especially when it
  helped them to battle the hated Comanche and
  other enemy tribes. 
  Interestingly, the Tonkawa believed they were
  descended from a mythical wolf. Certainly, wolves
  and dogs were important parts of their culture.
  Excellent hunters, fisherman and gatherers, they
  refused to farm, but they often traded with settlers,
  and after being removed from the North Texas area
  around 1850, some of the Tonkawa returned to set-
  tle near Fort Griffin in the early 1870s.
  More information on the Tonkawa will appear in
  a future Council Fires article in the Fort Griffin Echo.
  THE TONKAWA
  AND COMANCHE
  
  By the time the tracks reached Elko, Nevada in 1869,
  Han was performing regularly for townspeople and rail
  workers alike. Although Han wanted to strike out on his
  own, hearing about bustling Frontier Towns in Colorado,
  Kansas and Texas, his new found love for the young Sun
  Mei Ling, whose family were newly arrived to the camp,
  gave him pause. He stuck around until the two families
  agreed to have them wed. Then, the newlyweds snuck
  away, with Han teaching Mei Ling all he had learned.
  They have been travelling through North Central Texas,
  scraping by with the pass of a hat, for a few years now.
  Sun Mei Ling
  While Mei Ling isn’t as naturally athletic as her hus-
  band, her grace, beauty and intelligence make up for her
  pedestrian acrobatic skills. She is a quick study, and has
  suggested most of their current routines.
  Mei Ling’s parents emigrated to Canada while she was
  still a baby, moving south to California for the gold rush,
  only to find that the mines were closed to the Chinese.
  They ended up working menial jobs for years before they
  set out east to join the railroad. Mei Ling had older broth-
  ers and sisters who worked alongside her parents, but as
  the baby of the family she wasn’t allowed to work. While
  wandering around the camp in Wadsworth, Nevada, she
  saw Han performing and became infatuated with the
  older boy and his acrobatics. 
  doing back flips and handstands in the labor camps.
  Another worker, previously a travelling acrobat in China
  but pressed into emigration, saw Han and became friend-
  ly with his parents, convincing them to let him mentor
  their boy in acrobatics and martial arts. Before long, Han
  was entertaining the rail workers and earning food and
  favors (even money sometimes). 
  58
  Xu Jing Han
  (Fast Ordinary 2, Smart Ordinary 1, Strong 
  Ordinary 2)
  Sex: Male
  Birthdate: May 17, 1854
  Birthplace: Guangdong Province, China
  Heritage: Chinese
  Weight: 135 lbs
  Height: 5’ 5”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Sun Mei Ling
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Level: 5
  Grit Dice: 2d8+1d6+2d8+10 (34)
  MDT: 14
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3
  Grapple Modifier: +4
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +1
  Defense: 18, touch 18, flat-footed 16, (+6 class, 
  +2 Dex); +1 versus melee attacks; +4 versus 
  ranged attacks while in melee combat
  Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 15 (+2), Con 14 (+2), 
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 8 (-1)
  Attacks: Fists +4 (1d4+1 nonlethal or lethal; 
  Crit: 20)
  Remington Double Derringer +1 (2d6; Crit: 20; 
  Range: 10 ft.; Ammo: 2 int.)
  Shuriken +5 (1; Crit: 20; Range: 10 ft.)
  Occupation: Athlete (class skills: Balance, Jump, 
  Tumble; bonus feat: Archaic Weapons Proficiency)
  Skills: Balance +10, Craft (structural) +2, Escape 
  Artist +4, Hide +3, Jump +8, Knowledge (popular 
  culture) +1, Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 
  +2, Move Silently +4, Profession +4, Read/Write 
  Language (Mandarin), Repair +2, Sleight of Hand 
  +4, Speak Language (English, Mandarin), Tumble 
  +11
  Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Combat 
  Martial Arts, Defensive Martial Arts, Elusive
  Target, Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Remington Double-Derringer, .41 
  rim-fire rounds (20), shuriken (3), silk shirt, fitted 
  trousers, acrobat shoes, haversack, sombrero
  
  Adventure Hooks
  So many possibilities, so little time. While all of the
  buildings and locations in Frontier Towns are provided in
  a stand-alone format, the real fun begins when a Judge
  links them together in bigger adventures. To help those
  Judges wishing to create on-the-fly one-session inci-
  dents, or even more involved long-term scenarios stretch-
  ing over multiple gaming sessions, we offer the following
  plot seeds.
  Jay Has a Few Too Many
  It’s Saturday night, and Jay Middleton decides to tie
  one on. After getting right roostered, he challenges vari-
  ous people to fights, insults citizens and travelers, makes
  passes at women, etc. The Judge should strive to make
  sure the characters get involved somewhere along the
  way and keep them involved if at all possible. It could be
  accidental (he spills an entire beer on them or bumps into
  them in the street and gives them an earful for not watch-
  ing where they’re going) or on purpose (he hits on a
  female member of the group, or challenges someone to a
  shooting contest, or steals something from them).
  Alternatively, perhaps someone Jay has wronged asks for
  the characters help to track down the drunkard. Or
  maybe the player characters join Jay’s spree voluntarily,
  leading to confrontations with other townspeople, such
  as John Selman, J.L Thorp and his boys, William Doney,
  Allen Baker, The Owl or members of the local law.
  Jay’s escapades could cover the entire town, from
  Doney’s (where a bar fight could erupt) to the theatre
  (where Jay ruins a performance), and Earl’s (where he
  demands a midnight bath and pounds on the upstairs
  door, or tries to break in the back entrance). The sheriff
  can get involved and Jay might visit other locales, such
  as the Beehive Saloon or other establishments from Vol.
  1. Ideally, a whirlwind affair is in order, with Jay some-
  how slipping away from each scene he causes and turn-
  ing up somewhere else later. The characters could aid
  this wild trek, or be chasing after him from midnight to
  sunrise—always just a few steps behind his latest
  escapade.
  The Mouse Hunts The Owl
  The eccentric daughter of an upper class homeowner
  (maybe the Newcombs or McGonigals, prominent families
  in The Flat) takes a shine to Harvey Parker. The townies
  call her the Mouse because of her squeaky voice, stealthy
  ways and skittish mannerisms. She begins to follow him
  around town during his late night excursions. Maybe he
  notices and decides to do something about it (from
  forcibly taking her back home to taking her down to the
  river for a whirl). Maybe he doesn’t notice and she stalks
  him all night, scurrying to the shadows anytime he turns
  around. 
  Whatever happens, the characters cross paths with
  either the Mouse or The Owl, or perhaps both. Maybe the
  Mouse’s father finds her missing from her bed and asks
  A year after their marriage, Han and Mei Ling looked
  forward to the birth of their first child. But complications
  during childbirth left the baby stillborn and Mei Ling bar-
  ren. This tragic event brought the couple even closer
  together. Rather than settling down, they decided to trav-
  el their adopted land, living off what they could earn as
  entertainers. Mei Ling enjoys the outdoor life.
  59
  Sun Mei Ling
  (Charismatic Ordinary 2, Fast Ordinary 1, 
  Smart Ordinary 1)
  Sex: Female
  Birthdate: December 18, 1856
  Birthplace: Fujian Province, China
  Heritage: Chinese
  Weight: 100 lbs
  Height: 5’ 2”
  Hair: Black 
  Eyes: Brown
  Allegiances: Xu Jing Han
  Challenge Rating: 3
  Level: 4
  Grit Dice: 2d6+1d8+1d6 (17)
  MDT: 10
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Base Attack Bonus: +1
  Grapple Modifier: +0
  Space/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft. / 5 ft.
  Action Points: 0
  Reputation: +3
  Defense: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14, (+4 class, 
  +2 Dex) ; +1 versus melee attacks
  Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 8 (-1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), 
  Int 14 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 15 (+2)
  Attacks: Fists +0 (1d4-1 nonlethal or lethal; 
  Crit: 20)
  Occupation: Athlete (class skills: Balance, Jump, 
  Tumble; bonus feat: Archaic Weapons Proficiency)
  Skills: Balance +8, Craft (visual art) +4, Diplomacy 
  +4, Escape Artist +5, Gather Information +4, 
  Handle Animal +4, Hide +4, Jump +6, Knowledge 
  (art) +5, Knowledge (current events) +4, 
  Knowledge (popular culture) +3, Knowledge 
  (streetwise) +5, Move Silently +3, Perform (dance) 
  +7, Profession +5, Read/Write Language 
  (Mandarin), Sleight of Hand +5, Speak Language 
  (English, Mandarin), Treat Injury +3, Tumble +8
  Feats: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Combat 
  Martial Arts, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, 
  Simple Weapons Proficiency
  Class Features: None
  Possessions: Silk shirt, fitted trousers, acrobat 
  shoes, haversack, straw hat
  
  The Judge can take this as far as desired, watching
  the character become frantic for a way to resolve the
  situation, before revealing the ruse. In the end, Billy
  will pay for any damages to placate an irate character.
  Fork in the Road:
  There’s no reason this couldn’t be turned around so a
  female character is the object of Billy’s scheme. Instead of
  a soiled dove, it’s a handsome fella (such as Harvey “The
  Owl” Parker, Teddy Fargas or Allen Baker). And then the
  man’s girlfriend seeks retribution. If it’s The Owl, perhaps
  the Mouse isn’t in on the joke, and really comes lookin’
  for trouble.
  4. Intricate: After making friends with one or more of the
  characters, Uncle Billy sets his mind to a double-
  crossing extravaganza. Over beer and whiskey with
  his new pals, he hatches a plan to play a practical
  joke on the Herveys during a performance the next
  night. He enlists the characters to stage a gunfight at
  the Frontier House, right in the middle of one of
  Muriel’s songs. Billy tells the characters to start a
  shouting match, with one character pulling a gun and
  another character running onto the stage, trying to
  escape behind the curtain while the gunman shoots.
  Billy gives them a prop gun that shoots blanks so no
  one gets hurt. He also convinces them, if necessary,
  the characters to find her, for a tidy reward. Or the play-
  er characters might witness her sneaking around and
  think she is spying on them for some reason. Maybe they
  follow her to see what she’s up to, only to have The Owl
  suspect them of stalking him. Maybe she has a boyfriend
  or admirer (one of the Thorp boys; Teddy Fargas?) who
  thinks The Owl or the characters are doing the Mouse
  wrong. The more layers the Judge can add the more
  interesting and unpredictable this scenario becomes.
  Because the Mouse is an Ordinary, with little impact out-
  side of this hook, we leave her stats and particulars to
  you, the Judge. 
  The Uncle of All Practical Jokes
  One of the player characters becomes the object of
  Uncle Billy’s pathological need to play practical jokes.
  This could arise after the character causes trouble, or
  gives one of Billy’s employees or entertainers a hard time,
  or even if Billy and the cowpoke become friends and he
  thinks he can have fun without making an enemy. He
  becomes determined to launch an intricate—or fast and
  furious—practical joke on such a cowpoke. Soledad will
  enthusiastically help her boss, especially if the character
  has given her any lip or flirted after being asked not to.
  Because Uncle Billy has lots of friends in town, other
  townies can be counted on to help the jape along. Some
  ideas:
  1. Fast and Furious: During a performance, the show is
  interrupted to announce that a horse (or whatever
  works) belonging to the character has been (is being)
  stolen. Soledad makes the announcement and Uncle
  Billy rushes to the character’s side when he or she
  identifies himself/herself. A lawman might be
  involved to add verisimilitude. Billy and his accom-
  plices convince the character that quick action can
  foil the thievery. When the character rushes out of the
  place to investigate, all the additional performers (or
  kids in town) are waiting to pelt the character with
  rotten fruit (or eggs, or something like that).
  2. Fast and Furious: Uncle Billy manages to place a tack
  on a cowpoke’s saddle, or he arranges to substitute
  apple juice for a beer (or vinegar for a shot of whiskey),
  or he wrangles some other harmless prank for a quick
  laugh. Depending on the character’s mood, this could
  turn sour fast, or be good for grin.
  3. Intricate: Uncle Billy arranges for a soiled dove to
  become friendly with a male player character. After a
  night of drinking or what-have-you (this works best if
  the character has been completely distracted by
  liquor or other vices), the dove’s “boyfriend” comes-a-
  lookin’ for the character. Meanwhile, the bullets have
  been emptied from the poor cowpoke’s guns (or
  replaced by gumdrops, or something) and the
  boyfriend challenges the man to a duel in the streets. 
  The entire town is in on the gag and no one will sell
  the man any bullets or repair his gun. If possible, Billy
  will also get the character’s friends involved (they dis-
  appear so they can’t loan him a gun; they have turned
  theirs in for repairs; they are locked up in jail, etc.).
  60
  
  Bigotry Knows No Bounds
  Some bigots come to town and decide to make Elijah
  Earl, Circling Hawk, Dawena Earl, Xu Jing Han, Sun Mei
  Ling, or Soledad Sanchez the focus of their attention
  while in town. Unfortunately, that attention is anything
  but complimentary—it could range from bullying to beat-
  ings to murder. The Judge can easily involve the charac-
  ters by having them witness the encounter, having Uncle
  Billy or someone else enlist their aid to take retribution
  against the perpetrators, or having the sheriff ask for
  help in a posse. John Selman could be among the bigots. 
  Circling Hawk Accused
  A man is killed while buffalo hunting out in the plains
  and someone claims that it was “Injuns.” In town, that
  same person fingers Circling Hawk as the culprit. (He
  might be innocent, or perhaps he did kill the man, acci-
  dentally or with good reason, such as self-defense.) 
  Hawk will likely flee to the hills, aware of the white
  man’s unpredictability in such situations—regardless of
  his innocence or guilt. 
  If the characters have met Circling Hawk and learned
  of his valor and integrity, they might decide to defend him
  from the law, a lynch mob or other vigilantes. Likewise,
  other townies might pitch in to help. The Judge can aid
  this set up by previously getting Hawk and the characters
  together somehow.
  In order to help him, the characters will have to fol-
  low or chase Circling Hawk into the hills. They might
  have a run-in with those pursuing the Tonkawa warrior,
  or they might fight a battle with him and his braves. 
  Otherwise, depending on the characters’ attitudes,
  they might join the vigilantes or the law to try to bring in
  the Indian, or they might decide to stay out of it. A reward
  or some other impetus could cause the player cowpokes
  to take sides if they opt to pass on this adventure.
  The Thorp Boys Get Bold
  The Thorp boys rape, harass or otherwise physically
  endanger Milly White, Sue Ann Summers, The Mouse, or
  some other nameless town girl. Or they get involved with
  one of the prostitutes at the Beehive (if Vol. 1 is readily
  available) and something goes terribly wrong.
  The characters might witness the act, or become
  alerted by screams while in progress, or hear about it
  afterward from Elijah Earl or William Doney or whomev-
  er—asking them to help seek justice or revenge. 
  A Murder Mystery
  Mei Ling is killed and found in a closet in the Planters
  Hotel one dreary morning. Who dunnit? The characters
  are hired by Estelle Swartz to find out, because the sher-
  iff says there’s nothing to go on (Note: the sheriff isn’t
  aloof, he just has very little evidence and few resources,
  but Estelle can’t let it rest, even after the sheriff does his
  best). Alternatively, the player characters just like a mys-
  tery and volunteer to get involved after being treated well
  that the audience will think it’s all part of the act, if
  they play it over the top, while Muriel and Jules will
  know it’s not in the act and think it’s real—thus the
  joke. 
  Meanwhile, Billy has set up the real joke, with Jules
  and Muriel in cahoots. Muriel will scream bloody
  murder while Jules runs out on stage from the wings
  during the shooting, to save his sister from stray bul-
  lets. He will pretend to be hit by one of the blanks,
  spewing stage blood as he collapses with Muriel
  kneeling over him crying. Uncle Billy will wait a few
  moments, to see the characters’ reactions before
  revealing the joke to the characters and the audience. 
  This will take some serious roleplaying and set-up
  by the Judge—and he or she might decide to enlist
  some of the players in the ruse, to help it along the
  way at the expense of another player or players. This
  hook isn’t for the faint of heart and should be used
  only in a group of gamers who know each other well
  enough to pull it off without hard feelings.
  Sold Out to Selman
  Selman comes to town looking for the bastards who
  ambushed him outside of The Flat (or stole his livestock
  or said something nasty to his wife, or whatever). In
  Doney’s Saloon, Selman overhears something about the
  player characters and their description is close enough to
  the people he seeks that he becomes convinced of their
  guilt. This can take a number of directions as per the
  Judge’s whim, but it’s one fun way to get Selman
  involved—the mere mention of his name could be enough
  to make this a heart-pounding adventure.
  The Bank’s Been Robbed!
  As a twist on the possibility of the time-honored bank
  robbery, the crime is committed successfully while the
  town sleeps. The characters are brought into the action
  by the sheriff or by Hamilton, as they need someone to
  track down the robbers and bring them in. This will work
  best when the characters have left something valuable at
  the bank and it is among the stolen items.
  Circling Hawk will be recruited to help track the cul-
  prits and aid the characters. The Judge can string togeth-
  er a few different encounters along the way, from a battle
  with the Comanche (see Fort Griffin Echo Vol. 1 No. 1), an
  ambush by the culprits, or a run-in with an entirely dif-
  ferent band of outlaws.
  Forks in the Road:
  1. It’s the characters who rob the bank, and Circling
  Hawk and lawmen come to track them down. Again, a
  number of encounters can occur.
  2. The robbers have deviously planted evidence to make
  it look like at least one of the characters is guilty of the
  robbery. The sheriff tries to arrest the character or
  characters (do they go peacefully?). The Judge should
  ensure that not all of them are implicated, to set up the
  possibility of a jailbreak or bringing in the real thieves.
  61
  
  her down. Other personalities could become involved—
  Uncle Billy if the Chinese have performed for him, or
  Circling Hawk to help them track or search for clues. 
  Forks in the Road: 
  John Selman or a nameless Bounty Hunter also
  decides to investigate this occurrence. One or both take
  offense to the characters’ involvement, for whatever rea-
  son. Or one of them believes the characters are involved
  in the crime and intend to shake them down or blackmail
  them.
  by the likable Estelle, or accept the sheriff’s offer to aid
  the investigation. Ideas for who committed the crime:
  1. Allen Baker did it. Mei Ling somehow learned of his
  identity (she saw him in Kansas one time) and he felt
  threatened enough to get rid of her. This could be an
  interesting linked adventure with the “Looking for
  Josh Morgan” scenario in Planters Hotel.
  2. Han is in denial and shock from his wife’s death and
  his behavior is so odd it looks like he might have done
  it. Any of the other suggested murderers could have
  truly committed the crime.
  3. Mangy Mansfield (Vol. 1) did it. He didn’t like the
  looks of the Chinese pair and followed them until they
  arrived at the Hotel. Things went bad and although he
  didn’t mean to do it, he panicked and tried to cover
  things up.
  4. Soledad Sanchez did it. She became insanely jealous
  because the acrobats were a hit in town, they were
  taking business from Frontier House and Mei Ling
  was drawing a lot of attention around The Flat.
  Possibly, but unlikely, Uncle Billy was involved. 
  5. Jules Albert Hervey did it. Similar to Soledad’s sce-
  nario, Jules comes to hate the Chinese performers for
  stealing his and Muriel’s stardom in town (and in the
  four-county area).
  6. One of the Thorp boys did it. Whether accidentally
  because things got out of hand or on purpose because
  they don’t like the Chinese, they kill her.
  7. William Doney did it. Han and Mei Ling had a previ-
  ous run-in with Doney and earned enough of his
  wrath to push the temperamental Brit over the edge.
  Of course, all of these ideas could be combined to
  make the mystery and investigation more interesting.
  While one of the suspects is the killer, the others could
  provide suitable red herrings along the way.
  The Greatest Show on Parson Street
  Han and Mei Ling put on a show in the street, draw-
  ing a decent sized crowd (have fun with this part, before
  jumping into the real adventure). A thief who is passing
  through town takes advantage and filches a few items
  (could be the same thief from “A Cutpurse in the Crowd”
  as suggested in Frontier House). The performers are
  accused of engineering the thefts because one item is
  found in their belongings (planted by the thief), while the
  culprit escapes scot-free. The poor Chinese couple are
  thrown in jail or possibly taken to the whipping post
  (Mangy Mansfield could figure prominently for Judges
  who have Vol. 1). They beg for help from the characters
  on the way to the post or the pokey—or during the char-
  acters visit to the jail if they have made friends with either
  of Han or Mei Ling (the Judge could plant that seed ear-
  lier). 
  The player characters must pick up clues to the theft,
  such as: the performers weren’t found with any other
  stolen items, they were busy the entire time performing,
  some other townie saw a suspicious character amidst the
  onlookers, etc. The Judge should make sure the charac-
  ters get a whiff of the thief’s trail so they can try to track
  62
  Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, and
  Gunfighters, Leon Claire Metz, Checkmark Books,
  2003 
  A Texas Frontier: The Clear Fork Country and
  Fort Griffin, 1849-1887, Ty Cashion, University of
  Oklahoma Press, 1996
  Frontier Texas: History of a Borderland to
  1880, Robert F. Pace and Donald S. Frazier, State
  House Press/McWhiney Foundation Press, 2004
  Lambshead before Interwoven: A Texas Range
  Chronicle, 1848-1878, Frances Mayhugh Holden,
  Texas A&M University Press, 1997
  Tracks Along the Clear Fork: Stories from
  Shackelford and Throckmorton Counties, ed.
  Lawrence Clayton and Joan Halford Farmer,
  State House Press/McWhiney Foundation Press,
  2003
  The Quirt and the Spur: Vanishing Shadows
  of the Texas Frontier, Edgar Rye, Texas Tech
  University Press, 2000
  Lone Star Justice: First Century of the Texas
  Rangers, Robert M. Utley, Oxford University Press,
  2002
  http://www.texasindians.com/tonk.htm
  http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/
  online/articles/view/TT/bmt68.html
  http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/
  WWselman.htm
  http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/
  online/articles/view/SS/fse10.html
  http://www.zianet.com/wblase/courier/
  buffalo.htm
  http://www.imh.org/imh/buf/buf2.html
  REFERENCES
  
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  System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast,
  Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
  Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax
  and Dave Arneson.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the
  Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman,
  Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte
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  Sidewinder: Recoiled, Copyright © 2003, 2004 by Dog House Rules
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  Keesler, Geoff Spakes, Christopher S. Warner
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  63
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  1
  2
  3
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  
  4
  5
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  7
  6
  8
  5
  9
  
  1
  2
  3
  4
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  
  5
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  
  Second Floor
  10
  11
  12
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  20
  21
  22
  
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  7
  6
  8
  5
  9
  
  1
  2
  3
  5
  4
  1 square = 5 feet
  Second Floor
  First Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  
  Second Floor
  10
  11
  12
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  20
  21
  22
  
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  
  1
  2
  3
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  
  4
  5
  Second Floor
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  1
  2
  3
  4
  7
  6
  8
  5
  9
  
  1
  2
  1 square = 5 
  First Flo
  
  3
  4
  = 5 feet
   Floor
  
  5
  Second Flo
  
   Floor
  
  1 square 
  First F
  1
  2
  3
  6
  7
  8
  9
  
  re = 5 feet
  t Floor
  1
  2
  4
  5
  
  Second 
  10
  11
  19
  20
  21
  22
  
  nd Floor
  12
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  
  1
  2
  3
  5
  6
  
  4
  Second Floor
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/3rd Party/d20 Modern/3rd Party/Dog House Rules/Fort Griffin Vol 2.pdf