BRP Monograph 366: Aces High
and
BRP Game: Devil's Gulch

Introduction
Racism In The American Frontier
Two Takes on the Weird Wild West
Aces High
   BRP vs. Aces High Rules
   Aces High Character Creation
   Aces High Skills
   Occupations
   Guns, Equipment, and Supplies
   Religion, Piety, and Allegiance
   The Land, the Law, Attitudes, and History
   Townscapes and Map of Mystic Sites
   Creatures, Natural and Otherwise; Powers
   Arcane Lore in the West
      Diabolist
      Drifter
      Voodoo Priest
      Wicca; Witches and Warlocks
      Red Skins
    Red Skin Tribes, Traditions, Lore
    Scenario and Bibliography
Devil's Gulch
   Devil's Gulch Character Creation
   Devil's Gulch Skills and Spot Rules
   Devil's Gulch Firearms
   Scenarios and Locales
      Locale: Devil's Gulch
      Locale: Outside of Devil's Gulch
      Scenarios: Wealth & Privilege and The Medicine Show
Conclusion

Introduction

This review changes things up a bit, discussing two publications at once. One is a BRP Monograph, and one is a BRP Game. I'm reviewing them together because they are two different treatments of roughly the same setting: the Weird Wild West.

BRP Monograph 366, Aces High was published in 2008 under the Basic Roleplaying imprint. The author, Stuart Godbolt, also wrote BRP Monograph 407, Aces High - New Mexico, a campaign setting for Aces High.

Devil's Gulch, published in 2010, is a BRP Game by Troy Wilhelmson. Mr. Wilhelmson also wrote the BRP Game Astounding Adventures, the BRP Game supplement Astounding Adventures - Murder in the Footlights, and BRP Monograph 375, In Search of the Trollslayer.

Racism In The American Frontier

In the American Frontier (the period of American history often referred to as the Old West or the Wild West), hateful language was used, and was often backed up with violence. Today most of us would find that language and behavior to be unacceptable.¹

Aces High does not shy away from this: in particular, the terms Red Skin and Negro are used (one might suggest that it could be worse). However, I find that it is meant in context, and is not gratuitous. My reading is that Aces High's treatment of race, culture, and religion or spirituality is respectful and game-focused. I believe it is not meant to be hateful or racially divisive.²

In contrast with Aces High, Devil's Gulch steers somewhat clear of this. There are two brief discussions of Native American and other ethnicities, and the bigotry of the American Frontier.

Two Takes on the Weird Wild West

Aces High and Devil's Gulch are both gaming supplements for BRP. They're both set roughly during the American Frontier, and both may be used for traditional Wild West gaming or Weird Wild West gaming.

In tone and delivery though, they're very different. Aces High is grim, dark, and brutal. Devil's Gulch is light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek. The contrast is clear from the introductions: Devil's Gulch starts with an entertaining story about gunslingers making questionable choices, while Aces High starts with warnings about conflict, avarice, difficult choices, and the travails of life on the hardscrabble frontier.

Aces High takes a detailed approach to character background, equipment, the setting of the American Frontier, culture and attitude, and the unnatural or mystical world. This fits with its gritty realism approach. It would lend itself well to a no- or low-magic setting. Where there is magic or the unnatural, its approach is flavored by historical mystical traditions such as Voodoo, Wicca, Native American, and mysticism influenced by Abrahamic religions, including the Satanic side of things.

Devil's Gulch paints with a different brush. It has less of a realism approach; it feels almost like a fantasy game or setting. This certainly feels intentional - as mentioned it feels a little less grim; it's a bit more geared towards swashbuckling Wild West adventures.

Some observations about the two publications:

Some selected word frequencies (ignoring case, counting both plural and singular)⁹:

Aces High

Aces High makes good use of the BRP base rules, and expands them with some interesting new rules, skills, and powers. The BRP rule options used are listed below. Aces High notes that it uses the 2008 edition of BRP rules.

BRP vs. Aces High Rules

BRP Rules, No Variation

• Dice or point-based characteristic generation
• Age
• Know roll based on EDU
• Derived characteristics
• Hit points per location (and, ignore Major Wounds)
• Fatigue points
• Sanity points
• Height and weight
• Distinctive features

BRP Rules, Variation

• EDU characteristic: If point-based characteristic generation option is used, EDU starts at 10 and can be no more than age - 5
• Skill bonuses
• Skill point pools
  • Normal level: EDU * 20 occupation pool; INT * 10 personal pool
  • Heroic level: EDU * 25 occupation pool; INT * 15 personal pool
• Equipment and cash by occupation
• Allegiance (allegiance as extra skill points)

Aces High Rules

• Personality definitions
• Occupations
• Religion, piety
• Extraordinary abilities/disabilities

Chapters 1 - 7 are labeled "The Players Section", and chapters 8 - 12 are labeled "The Masters Section", meaning Game Master (note that I have renamed some chapters for brevity):

Players Section

• Chapter 1: Character Creation
• Chapter 2: Extraordinary Abilities
• Chapter 3: Skills and Spot Rules
• Chapter 4: Background Occupations
• Chapter 5: Guns, Weapons, Equipment, and Supplies
• Chapter 6: Religion, Piety, and Allegiance
• Chapter 7: Land, Law, Attitudes, and History

Game Masters Section

• Chapter 8: Townscapes; Map of Mystic Sites
• Chapter 9: Natural and Otherworldly Creatures; Otherworld Powers
• Chapter 10: Arcane Lore in the West
• Chapter 11: Native American Lore, Magic, and Spirituality
• Chapter 12: Scenario; Bibliography

Aces High Character Creation

The character creation process in Aces High is detailed, although I found it just a bit annoying with how much one has to jump around to different pages to reference various tables and references - this is nitpicking, but for me at least noticeable.

Extraordinary Abilities/Disabilities

Extraordinary Abilities and Disabilities are things like increases or decreases in characteristics, bonuses or penalties to specific categories of skills, unique abilities (specialist combat or other skills, otherworldly powers), and unique weaknesses (phobias, addictions, etc.).

Characters may choose to roll for Extraordinary Abilities if they wish. Aces High takes pains to point out that one must roll rather than choose these, unless the Games Master allows. Also, one must accept the outcome of rolling for Extraordinary Abilities and Disabilities.

These (both Extraordinary Abilities and Disabilities) seem mostly to focus on a character's physical elements, although some (for example Shamanic Power or Otherworldly Parents) are outside the realm of the mundane, and would presumably need to somehow fit into a Games Master's plans.

This part of character creation (Extraordinary Abilities/Disabilities) definitely helps to put the Weird into Weird Wild West.

Personalities, Occupations, and Skills

Aces High provides six personality definitions - these are explained as a character's childhood and background, along with the skills a character picked up during that time:

• City Born
• Wilderness Survivor
• Rancher/Homesteader
• Native Indian/Half Breed
• Slave
• Orphan

Occupations are grouped under the categories The Cowboys, The Outlaws, The Red Skins, The Ladies, The Negroes, and The Chinese.

Characters get a pool of Occupation skill points and a pool of personal skill points. Occupation skills come from the Aces High Occupations, and personal skills come from the Skills chapter, which combines available BRP skills with new Aces High skills.

Occupations also determine a character's starting wealth and equipment.

Wrapping Up Character Creation

Finally, players can determine whether they are religious, and their piety and allegiance; they can also choose a home town and/or country.

Aces High Skills

Aces High provides quite a few new skills, generally specific to the American Frontier setting: piloting or repairing riverboats, handling wagons and horses, etc.

One of the more interesting to me is Two Pistol Style, which allows either simultaneous firing of two guns at a disadvantage, or alternating left and right handed shooting. I could see using this skill with sawn-off shotguns, for two devastating attacks of 3d6 each.

Lasso also looks interesting - it allows entangling, which could make for some canonically Western action.

Occupations

Occupations in Aces High have what feels like a good balance between detail and brevity. There's enough in each to inspire players to craft interesting backstories but not so much that it locks players out from creative variation.

There's a damn near endless list of Western character tropes that probably inspired or influenced Aces High Occupations. The most obvious¹⁵ is the Shaolin Monk Occupation: it's almost certainly a nod to the early 70s David Carradine show Kung Fu. Every Occupation, from Bartender to Rustler to Stagecoach Robber to School Ma'am is well designed for colorful character development.

Guns, Equipment, and Supplies

The usual suspects are included. Fun outliers are things like the Gatling Gun, artillery, and dynamite. A typically BRP-style¹⁶ price list includes such sundries as cigars, mixed nuts, musical instruments, waistcoats, a stagecoach, blankets, fire making/tinder (no price list would be complete without tinder), magnifying glass... you get the idea.

Religion, Piety, and Allegiance

The section on religion in Aces High is mainly concerned with a Piety score, which if I'm correct is suggested to be used as an extra skill pool, following the BRP Allegiance option.

The subsection titled Breakdown of Religions includes a discussion of Buddhism and Animism/Totemism/Fetishism, although otherwise it seems almost entirely focused on the Christian branch of Abrahamic faiths. There is what's effectively a blurb on Judaism. One could suppose that the various sects of Christianity dominate religious tradition in the American Frontier, and it's not given prominence in Aces High only because the author is more familiar with them. Given the attention paid to Native American spirituality and Wicca/Voodoo elsewhere, it stuck out to me as odd that they weren't mentioned in this section.

The Land, the Law, Attitudes, and History

The next few chapters provide maps, guidelines for applying in gameplay the harsh effects of frontier life, fun rules for outlaws and justice, common attitudes towards outgroups, and timelines of relevant events going back as far as 20,000 BCE (BC) and as close as 1901 CE (AD).

The remaining chapters are the Game Masters Section. This starts with a suggestion that players do not read these chapters.

Townscapes and Map of Mystic Sites

The section on townscapes describes categories of frontier settlements from semi-permanent to full cities, and a set of public services that may be available depending on size. The map of mystic sites provides 20 spread across continental North America and coastal areas. All are clearly provided as inspiration for plot hooks; they're nicely open ended in that regard (i.e., they're brief, described with a few words each).

Creatures, Natural and Otherwise; Powers

The section on natural creatures provides quite a few animals that players might encounter on the frontier, including staples like bears, bison, mountain lions, and wolves. I appreciate the author's effort on this mundane American Frontier bestiary.

The section on otherworldly creatures is equally good - there is an emphasis creatures from Native American lore, and some straight up weirdness like the Big Head Bat People.

The author seems to caution against too much exposure to the otherworldly, but I might find myself as a Game Runner indulging a bit in exposing characters to these creatures and powers.

The section on otherworldly powers also has an emphasis on Native American lore, which is perfectly in character for the genre. The weather manipulation powers in particular are a fun read, and would be fun to see in play.

Arcane Lore in the West

This chapter details otherworldly occupations. Game Runners are cautioned to be selective when including NPCs with these occupations and when allowing players to select them.

Diabolist

The Diabolist includes Magicians and Satanists. Magicians may or may not be religious, but perhaps obviously Satanists always are. Magicians are noted to be followers of the middle path - eschewing allegiance in favor of neutrality. Satanists on the other hand are followers of the dark path, intentionally choosing evil. It is noted that the Preacher occupation from the players section is essentially the opposite of the Satanist.

Diabolists have access to BRP Sorcery and Aces High powers Command, Sacrifice, and Summoning.

Drifter

The Drifter is a special kind of undead: a revenge seeker, who can attempt to pass into the mundane world once per year at the exact time of their (assumed to be) terrible death. Once their revenge is complete, they must leave the mundane world, or powerful otherworldly forces will track them down and either return them to the otherworld or destroy them.

Voodoo Priest

Voodoo Priests are practitioners of the religion taken with them from Africa. Although things such as creating zombies are part of the Voodoo Priest tradition, that does not necessarily make a Voodoo Priest evil. There is a specific type, the Caplatas or Bokor, that like the Satanist intentionally choose the dark path.

Voodoo Priests have access to BRP Magic and the Aces High power Sacrifice.

Wicca; Witches and Warlocks

Witches and Warlocks are described as outcasts from Wicca covens, generally because they've done something distasteful from the majority of the coven. It's suggested that turning to dark or evil forces is often the reason.

Wiccans have access to BRP Magic and Sorcery with some limitations, and the Aces High powers Command, Sacrifice, and Summoning.

Red Skins

A number of occupations are described, but the Game Runner is cautioned to only allow characters to be Half Breeds, Outcasts, or Scouts from the players section. This effectively prevents these characters from starting out with magic or otherworldly powers.

Red Skin Tribes, Traditions, Lore

I'll note again that terms like red skin are used in context. It's still kind of jarring.

This chapter provides fairly detailed¹⁷ material on the different cultural groups. Rituals and the role of shamans is discussed. Many will be familiar with the ritual names the Buffalo Dance, the Vision Quest, and the Ghost Dance; these and other rituals such as the Sundance Ritual and the Life Way are explained in terms of how they might affect or be included in game sessions.

There's a section on totem spirits and animals and their powers, which seems oriented towards Native American characters, or perhaps non-Native American characters that come to be accepted by a tribe and included in their culture and rituals.¹⁸

There's a brief, oddly formatted section on Shaman Magic (maybe it seems odd because it's short and the two-column layout makes it just - weird?). It mainly explains that a shaman is limited in the spells available.

The section on animism, totemism, and fetishism is largely for NPC flavor.

There's sections on Native American languages, regional lifestyle (nomadic vs. quiescent), and names. It's quite interesting, although my guess is that unless a campaign were very specifically focused on Native American culture, it may not be as useful as other material.

Scenario and Bibliography

I like the provided scenario. Briefly, a greedy shaman causes his tribe and the local area to be visited by a curse. There's conflict with ranchers and farmers, a Witch or Warlock running around causing trouble, and of course outlaws. The player handouts (maps and a newspaper advertisement) are well done.

I don't read westerns, so I don't have an opinion about the bibliography other than that I'm glad it's included.

Devil's Gulch

As noted earlier, Devil's Gulch is less about gritty realism and more about high adventure.

Devil's Gulch seems to rely more on the existing BRP rules. It adds a few skills, a few spot rules, and five Weird Wild West professions.¹⁹

The specific version or edition of BRP is not mentioned. Every page number reference to a BRP rule in Devil's Gulch is the same in both the 2008 and 2010 editions of BRP (i.e., the referenced rule can be found on the cited page in both editions).

Devil's Gulch Character Creation

For Wild West (as opposed to Weird Wild West) characters, there's a table that maps Devil's Gulch professions to BRP professions, with some notes about suggested changes to skills. Characters are separated into the broad categories of Old West Archetypes, Native American, and Other Common Nationalities and Ethnicities. This is one of the places Devil's Gulch discusses issues of race and discrimination.

For Weird Wild West characters, there's some new professions.

• Hex Master
  The Hex Master is described as a spell-using warlock or folk magician. It's noted that Hex Masters often take on disguises like gamblers or gunfighters. Hex Masters have access to Heroic Level BRP Magic. Hex Masters may have a Spell Focus, which like the BRP Wizard's Staff allows storage of POW.
• Medicine Man
  The Medicine Man is described as a Native American spiritual leader. Medicine Men have access to Heroic Level BRP Sorcery. Like the Hex Master, they have a POW storage item, the Medicine Bag. They also have a new Sorcery spell, Vision Quest.
• Preacher
  Generally from a Christian branch of the Abrahamic religions, it's noted that they may really be from any religious tradition. Preachers have access to Heroic Level BRP Sorcery, and of course their POW storage item is a bible. Of course.
• Snake Oil Hustler
  Snake Oil Hustlers are con-man alchemists. It's a fun profession: they create potions or elixirs that impart BRP Mutations. A bit Jekyll-and-Hyde, a bit traveling hustler. They have access to BRP Mutations, and have the "Mother Essence" alchemical soup for POW storage.
• Mad Scientist
  Mad Scientists are clockpunk/steampunk artificers and inventors. They have access to BRP Super Powers, specifically equipment. Some excellent sample inventions are provided, including the Electrical Discharge Pistol, the Inferno Rifle, the Aether Lantern, and the Clockwork Automaton.

Devil's Gulch Skills and Spot Rules

There's new specializations to three BRP skills to reflect the setting: Drive, Knowledge, and Language.

There's also new skills, "Special Combat Maneuvers", and "Combat Spot Rules". In my opinion the new Quick Draw skill, along with Special Combat Maneuvers and Combat Spot Rules are all more or less spot rules. I think between the two, I tend to prefer Aces High's take on gunfights, although there's nothing wrong with how Devil's Gulch does things.

There are some additional rules for chases (horse and wagon as opposed to cars and other kinds of vehicles), to take into account that horses are animals subject to fatigue or stamina.

Devil's Gulch Firearms

There are some nicely detailed firearms including specifications for single and double action pistols, rifles, and Gatling guns. Also a mention of knives.

Scenarios and Locales

The character creation, skills, etc. sections from Devil's Gulch seem brief when compared to Aces High - because they are. As noted previously, Aces High's provided scenario is 13 pages, and Devil's Gulch's scenario is 59 pages. That's not a perfect comparison, because there is a great deal of motivating material and plot hooks throughout Aces High, and while the scenario is fairly short, there's no lack of scenario ideas.

The locales and scenarios provided in Devil's Gulch are the meat of the publication.

Locale: Devil's Gulch

The town of Devil's Gulch is intended to be a possible home base for characters, and the author points out that it could just as easily be a traditional American Frontier town, or in a steampunk setting perhaps a colony based on another planet.

It's well detailed, with important buildings and NPCs described and provided stats. A very nice addition is details for both standard Wild West and Weird Wild West settings, sometimes with stat changes, sometimes with equipment or plot hooks. The following buildings and their denizens are included:

• Sheriff's Office and Jail
• General Store
• Doctor's Office
• Undertaker
• Hotel
• Saloon
• Livery and Blacksmith
• Bank
• Church
• Graveyard
• Train Station
• Other

It's 27 well-written pages of setting and motivating material.

Locale: Outside of Devil's Gulch

The surrounding environs outside of the town of Devil's Gulch are detailed in this section. As with the town locale, both Wild West and Weird Wild West settings and stats are provided.

• Bar-T Ranch
• Providence Mine
• Road Agents' Hideout
• Indian Burial Ground

This section isn't as extensive as the town locale, but it's equally well written and has interesting NPCs and plot hooks throughout.

Scenarios: Wealth & Privilege and The Medicine Show

I don't want to give too much away - these scenarios are both good and hey, maybe you'll play them sometime, so I don't want to spoil them.

They both make use of standard Wild West story tropes, with which you will probably be familiar - including jail breaks, haunted burial grounds, posses, and get-rich-quick schemes.

As a hint, I will say that in my opinion the scenarios would be more fun in a Weird Wild West setting.

Conclusion

When I started this review, I was fairly certain that I was going to really like Devil's Gulch and perhaps not really like Aces High. I think this was because the production quality of Devil's Gulch is better. The layout, editing, and art is more polished, and generally nicer to look at and read through. I was also rather more interested in something light and fun, and less enamored with the grim and gritty Aces High esthetic.

After going through both in detail though, I think I prefer Aces High. Its artwork is certainly less polished, but it's striking and it reflects the tone very well. The layout and organization is less professional, but there's more packed into it. Spelling and grammatical errors are pervasive, and it could absolutely benefit from a copy editor, but as a BRP Monograph that's fairly standard.

Play Devil's Gulch if you want

• A lighter tone
• To get up and running quickly
• A steampunk or clockpunk Western setting

Play Aces High if you want

• Grim, gritty, and brutal
• To do some game prep
• A more realistic American Frontier Western setting

If I do a traditional or weird American Frontier setting, I will use elements from both Aces High and Devil's Gulch. They both have much to recommend them. I applaud both authors; their visions are well reflected in these books.

The reviews on this site are Copyright © 2022 Robert Prince unless otherwise noted.

BRP (Basic Roleplaying) is Chaosium's D100 house system, on which many of their games are based. Please refer to their trademark and copyright information for information on trademarks and copyright for BRP, Call of Cthulhu, and any other referenced Chaosium property.