Westerns Elements
(Modified June 2023)
Game idea for module:(edited 04/21/06, 04/02/2009, 09/19/2011) July 2021, Nov 2021)(Thank you Steve, Mars, David and others for ideas and corrections)ELEMENTS OF A WESTERN:INDEX:1- Characters2- Character Generic3- Places4- Groups5- Plot Ideas6- Disputes7- Other Elements----------------------1- CHARACTERS:Sheriff/MarshalCattle PoliceRustlers – Cattle main ones but need not be.Priest/PreacherCowboysBanditsLittle Boy/GirlSoldiers/FederalsMexican ArmFederal AgentIndian AgentScout - white or Indian, or maybe even black.Indians (helpful of they are known aggressive types, but not always, depends on the plot). Never know they might be the victims.BartenderBar MaidWhores/Entertainers/MadameDrunk(s)PreacherLord/Don/Owner of the local ranchUndertakerHangmanSchool TeacherSnake Oil Salesman (or some other travelers/sales person)Conmen (see snake oil, but not always the same)Carpet Bagger (more for southern style)Bankers (can be a character or just a plot device, or? )Prospectors/MinersBlacksmithGamblerGunslingerPeasants/PeonSlaves - Former or even depending on time and place, current. Slaves are not always black, some Asian and Irish slaves/in-dentured servants, as well as some Indians (From India) was used in late western times. Early times, some was local Native captured/enslaved.Chinese/Blacks/Irish slaves or semi-slaves (Indentured). Many southerners used black slaves from their plantations/stock to mine Californian gold from their lands there.Confederates (former/bandits or refugees?)Engineers (Train normally, but possible others, like the oil or water or projects type)Doctor/Dentist/Snake Oil Salesmen – Quack or for realAdventurer/Big Game HunterJudgePost MasterGunsmithCarpetbagger (southern style or ?)Foreign dignitary (not often)President or member of current or past administration)Member of Congress, but not oftenSecret Agent (See James West for some ideas, but not always)------------------------MORE CHARACTERS:Post Master/ClerkStagecoach Driver/Guard/ClerkSheriff/Prison Guard/Deputy/MarshalBounty HunterMadame/Whore/Bartender/KidBank Manager/Clerk/GuardGeneral Store Owner/Manager/Clerk/WorkerMiner/Prospector/AssayerCattlemen Police/SheriffNewspaper Owner/Press personMortician/Grave DiggerExecutioner/HangmanPriest/PastorMine Owner/ManagerDoctor/Nurse (more like helper or wife?)Doctor might also do Vet work?Blacksmith/Copper Smith, Gunsmith.Wheelwright or like profession.Bandits- Mexican- Former Union/Confederate/French/Mexican Army.- Guards/Soldiers- Former or current Militia----------------------2 - CHARACTERS - GENERICHeroVillain – Often a big land owner or trying to be.Main Secondary Villain, often the head of the local ranch or like, the face of the Villain.Side Kick - such as deputy or for comic reliefVictim(s)SnitchLove Interest (Even if not romantically involved)Horse or like riding animal, to include camel or oxen.Dog or other animal non-ridingMadameDeputies/ PosseVigilantesBounty HuntersBuffalo huntersBarber/ bathhouseTelegraph operatorTelegraph wiremen and likePiano PlayerFarmerCattle rancherSheep Herder/RanchCavalrymenSoldier (infantry or artillery or generic)MadameSchool TeacherPony ExpressStage Coach (Wells Fargo Stage?)RailroadSpanish Mission monks and maybe nunsSuttler (general store)Mule SkinnerMountain ManChinese railroad workersChinese Doctor/Pharmacy/Apothecary.Early Union OrganizerCooper (copper smith or )Wainwright (making wagons and like)Assayer(got to remember what some of the professions was doing)Soothsayer or likeGypsies----------------------4- PLACES:Hotel/BarWhore HouseRanch - Sheep/CattleFarmBankJailTrain Stop/StationStore (General)HousesCourt House (or where the circuit court may be held when the judge in holding court)Feed Store/Livery Stable/Blacksmith/CorralHacienda/Ranch (And buildings for it)ChurchGallowsUndertakers OfficeDoctors OfficePost OfficeFort (Various forms to include Spanish Presidio or like)ApothecaryOpium Den (sometimes the same as the Apothecary, some time separate) Often run by a Chinese doctor.CorralBrothelAssayers officeLand claims officeWainwrights or Cooper place/shop (one does wagons the other does wheels or is it pots/pans and like?)----------------------5- GROUPS:CattlemenSheep HerdersFarmerSettlers- Standard- Former Slaves- Mormons or other like religious groups- Indians moving/escapingWives ClubMonk(s) either walking on pilgrimage or a monastery)Grange/Farmers GroupsCrime GroupHattfield/McCoy/etc: Any group that might have a natural grudge against the other, often due to a land or like issues that went to far. Racial/Religious/Romance and more (Romeo and Juliet).Deputies (often in a posse chasing some one or thing?)Soldiers (chasing or fighting someone?)Tribes (some settled, some migratory, some in movement)Miners- Gold- Coal- IronChinese: Chinese or other Asian group (most often seen in the western US). Chinese and like can add Eastern elements, such as the early Tong/Triads and more. But also how they was treated..Mexicans (Spanish and Non-Spanish).Revolutionaries (Ponco and Friends and more). Much of the troubles of the 1840s to 1920 was over Northern Mexican issues, and land acquisition from Mexico).Groups, ex-Confeds, like Klan or like type people, or you mean like the James/Younger/Dalton gangs, who had Mosby or Quantrille backgrounds.. True, need not be ex-confederates, can be real ones, such as they mission in like 1863 to go to California. But they did not get there to cut off the gold mines.. Or as said before they got lost or just trying to escape from justice.Mormons or other religious group, most often Christian in nature.Like Black settlers, off to find a land where slavery is not around, or something like that.Monastery or like things?----------------------6- PLOT IDEAS/SEEDS:Gun slingerCattlemen vs Sheep HerdersSheep Herders vs FarmersFarmers vs CattlemenFarmers vs Sheep Herders or CattlemenMiners vs someone? Claim jumpers or ?Murder or self defenseLocked up wronglyDefense, sheriff arrests someone and he can not do much until judge or marshal is in town or army is.Runaway slave(s)Burning down the local Chinese doctors house (why many Chinese doctors houses/work place was strong and nearly bullet proof).Conflict: Well, Hatfields and McCoy, can also means two groups that do not like each other, to include farmers vs cattle headers, or sheep herders vs cattle and so on.Looking for more ideas and such, some westerns are more 1900s, but could be westerns, sort of.Firefly/Serenity for example.----------------------6- PLOT LINES:Abused wife on the runCowardly SheriffEscaped SlaveFreed Slaves (group or)MexicanLaborersEscaping IndiansPeonsSoldiersDamsel in DistressKidnappingRustled CattleSheep HerdersWater RightsWesterns can include South America?Wandering Monk(s)PilgrimsHow far back is a Western?Spanish conquest?Pre-Spanish (some basic background from pre-columbian.----------------------6- CLASSIC PLOT LINES:Corrupt Judge or like? Such as federal agent, Indian agent, sheriff and more.Hum, maybe a list of known clash types as well as scenarios for classic westerns?Cattle/Sheep RustlersHerders vs the Animals (not common, but more than people think)Sheriff vs someone, sometimes a good thing, sometimes not, like a corrupt sheriff in the pocket of the cattlemen, and the son of the local sheep herder who is in love with the chief cattlemen daughter or something else, but he faces hanging cause of a murder or self defense or ..Like the classic Sheriff besieges in his jail until the Army gets there?Railroad vs ... Cattlemen or .. Sheep or Indians or ....Will review and make changes..How many movies that was not a western, but might as well been one?Star Wars for instance?Movies that come to mind for ideas?Mike----------------------7- DISPUTES:There was always disputes between farmers and ranchers. Often Ranchers would buy up huge tracts of land and then fence it off,usually tying up water supplies ans roads that farmers disparately needed. Sometimes it was vice-versa where farmers would fence off alot of smallproperties and not allow ranchers to let their cattle/sheep/whichever to graze.Grange/Farmers GroupsCommonly, farmers were in struggle with buyers. These companies, back when there were no regulations, would try to low ball them every time and would go so far as to use hired guns or sabotage to get their way. Farmers would try to fight back with their Co-op groups (kinda like a farmer's union) but these were often busted up with hired guns. Alternately, buyer companies would try to pose as legit commodities brokers and start co-ops with farmers - and then screw them afterwards (very low).Railroad vs anyone with land that they wanted.Crime Group:Usually ex-confederates who didn't get over losing the war, or just didn't adjust to life after the civil war. Confederacy did move out to the western US, but failed.Hattfield/McCoy/etcI personally wouldn't focus on something like that. That is more of a southern thing - although if you want to combine it with one of the above themes, it might make interesting twist.Soldiers/TribesEnraged natives who are hell bent on protecting their way of life because the white man keeps reneging on their treaties - and the soldiers who are caught up in the mess. Many times, ranchers and prospectors would encroach on native lands despite ironclad treaties, these groups would form lobby-groups in Washington who in turn would make laws which allowed these groups to ignore the treaties. Also, the effort to put telegraph lines and railways tracks across the country. Almost always they didn't ask first. How would you like it if it built a swimming pool half on your backyard - and then built a fence around it so you couldn't use it?These are merely some ideas off the top of my head. I watched many a western as a young lad...so often these plot ideas can be political back drops to a scenario. Of course you could still mix in the typically bank robbers, glory seekers, street duels (gunfights), barroom brawls, etc etc. Until civilization moved in in the 1880's-90s, the west was fairly lawless - except in big cities or large towns (Dodge City for instance). But out in the boonies, it was pretty pure anarchy.Steve---------------OTHER ELEMENTS:Foreign elements such as:Mexico/Spanish- Poncho Vila- Emperor Maximillian- Texas/Chiuahua RebellionFrenchCanadian- What is now NW US was once US/British Territory (Oregon/Washington/Idaho and ..)As well as foreign trade. California was a nation for a short time.. Also Russia claimed what is now Alaska, British Columbia, Washington/Oregon/California coast to San Fransisco and Hawaii..From Steve----------------------From David I Think:The 7 Standard Western Plots1. Shane - retired gunslinger defends the little guy2. The Magnificent 7 - Team is hired to defend entire town.3. Silverado - team must get rid of evil sheriff and his cronies.4. Save the widder's farm from Simon LaGrie who is fore closing on the mortgage5. Zorro (late period swashbuckling adventures)6. Defense of the Settler from Indians or Bandits, or on the trail from starvation or like7. Train robbers or likeCheck out the cowboy channel on cable or satellite. Just look at the schedule menu, the plots are summarized.Claim jumpers on gold prospectors, Jail breaks or preventing jail breaks, Bankrobbers,From David (world create?)Leader / Planner / LawmakerDiplomat / TranslatorCounselor / Peacemaker / Priest / PhilosopherArchaeologist / Scientist / Scholar / DesignerBerserker / Loner / Wild CardSidekick / Comic ReliefCon Man / Charismatic----------------------LAW ENFORCEMENT:Sheriff/MarshalCattle PoliceDeputyMountiesLEGAL:LawyerJudgeClerkMayorCity Council or like groupOr just some legal issue,----------------------BUSINESS:Cattle YardStage Couch/OfficeRailheadInn/BarLawyers officeSheriffs Office----------------------ENEMIES: (depends on point of view):(From Adds)---------------------- MOVIES/TV SHOWS/BOOKS: Magnificient Seven Gun Smoke Jerimiah Johnson Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966) C'era una volta il West (1968) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) The Wind (1928) High Noon (1952) Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) No Country for Old Men (2007) Unforgiven (1992) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) The Gold Rush (1925)----------------------WESTERN FILM LINKS:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_(genre)http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Genres/Western/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Western_films Western Films List----------------------Added:Sci-Fi and now US Westerns. Japanese, Canadian, South/Central American, Russian and like. As well as ones in Space or alien lands..The basic concepts seem to be expansion, conflict between higher tech with lesser tech, one group and local tribes and like? Avatar in ways is a western, but ...Copyright 1991/2017 Mike Adams