Thank you, Dana, for your question asking about d100 systems that might provide some level of crunch for an 1860s western system game while still providing cinematic flair.

First, we must admit that we scratched our heads a bit on this one. While there is no shortage of western roleplaying games on the market, there is a shortage of d100 skill-based games. Second, based on the email you sent in, we’re unsure if your players enjoy the gun porn and hardware concerns you mention or if you want a more cinematic flavored game from the GM’s perspective. We suspect the latter.

Having already stated you tried and ruled out Boot Hill and GURPS, here are a few suggestions, but admittedly, nothing is a perfect fit for your situation.

Aces & Eights – (first edition) levelless with skill-based advancement
Haunted West – A new addition to the genre, features percentile-based rolls, highly adaptable to the type of stories told (purist, alien, horror, weird, etc.)
Worlds of Pulp: Wild West Horse Opera Role Playing Game – not percentile-based but highly cinematic (read our review here)
Basic Roleplaying – BRP is a d100 system, skill-based, and does have some older west supplements.

As we said, nothing is a perfect fit but perhaps lies somewhere in the middle with pieces taken from different systems. However, we suggest you give Wild West Horse Opera and Haunted West a look, and maybe even Basic Roleplaying, to see if any of these will provide you and your players the cinematic flair you’re looking for. We think if you can nail that down, the mechanics, whatever they are, are likely to take a backseat where they belong.

If you’d like “The Boxcars” to answer your gaming-related question, please submit your questions through our Ask The Boxcars submission form.

~ The RB Team

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