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A ROLEPLAYING GAME OF GANG WARFARE IN A LAWLESS WASTELAND

Table of Contents

 WELCOME TO REAPER CITY... ︎︎︎︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎ WELCOME TO REAPER CITY... ︎︎︎︎︎ WELCOME TO REAPER CITY... ︎︎︎︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎

 GAMEPLAY  ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎ ︎︎︎   GAMEPLAY  ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GAMEPLAY  ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GAMEPLAY  ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

 WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎

 GANGS ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

︎︎︎︎︎ ACTION SYSTEM   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎    ACTION SYSTEM   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎        ACTION SYSTEM   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎     ACTION SYSTEM      ︎︎︎︎︎︎

 VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎ VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎ VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎ VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎ ︎︎︎︎︎

 POWER ADVANCEMENT ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ POWER ADVANCEMENT ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ POWER ADVANCEMENT ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

︎︎︎︎︎︎ DEATH-MASTER ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ DEATH-MASTER ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ DEATH-MASTER ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎︎

    ABOUT / CONTACT   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎     ABOUT / CONTACT   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎     ABOUT / CONTACT   ︎︎︎︎︎︎︎


                                  WELCOME TO REAPER CITY...                                                           WELCOME TO REAPER CITY...                        



“YOU MUST BE NEW HERE.
I’M KNOWN AS THE CADILLAC KING 👑.
LISTEN TO ME & YOU MAY YET SURVIVE.
SEEING AS I’M FEELING GENEROUS,
I’LL WALK YOU THROUGH WHO’S WHO &
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
IN REAPER CITY...”


︎ INTRODUCTION ︎

In DEATHBLOW, you roleplay Street Warriors in a concrete-wasteland known as Reaper City. Marauding  Gangs stalk the night, cruising streets & highways in search of their next target. While, in dark lairs lies the city’s hidden rulers — the Innersanctum — a court of  powerful Houses & lords, each with an army of contract
killers & Warriors at their command.

The Innersanctum is made up of the three most powerful Houses in Reaper City — the Harlequins, Snake Lords & Assassinators. Invulnerable & cryptic, this body of power governs all matters within Reaper City through its everwatchful eyes... 

Beneath the Innersanctum is an array of lesser Gangs & their Warriors. Most notably, the Black Phantoms, Crushers, Reaper Boys & Speed Masters. These Gangs jockey for favor of the Innersanctum through bloodshed & subterfuge. As one of these Warriors, your sole aim is to crush your enemies & amass power.


Continue to Gameplay...

 ︎ QUICK-DIAL ︎ ︎︎︎︎︎︎ MAIN DIRECTORY ︎ ︎︎︎ WELCOME TO REAPER CITY ︎︎︎ GAMEPLAY ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎ ACTION SYSTEM ︎︎︎ VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎︎ POWER ADVANCEMENT ︎︎︎ DEATH MASTER ︎︎︎ ABOUT ︎︎︎︎︎
 GAMEPLAY ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎  GAMEPLAY ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

︎ GAMEPLAY ︎

    In DEATHBLOW, players assume the role of Warriors & put forth actions. Then, in command of the environs & non-player characters (NPC’s) is the Death-Master (DM) — reacting to & guiding said Warriors through the perilous streets of Reaper City.

This exchange is free-flowing & allows players to act in real-time. Only during situations of conflict & combat does gameplay become rigid — introducing the necessity of turns, dice rolls, etc... Like the lords of Reaper City, ruling from their shadowed lairs, the Death Master has the final say.

To play DEATHBLOW, you'll need these Quick-Start Rules, ten 4-sided dice (D4's), pencils & scratch paper.

︎

DEATHBLOW uses a basic D4 Action System to resolve any action where the outcome is uncertain. This is done by rolling 4-sided dice in situations of conflict & combat.


“1 D4” indicates rolling a single, four-sided die. Next, “2D4” indicates rolling two four-sided dice, either using the sum total of the roll or (more commonly) keeping the single, highest result. Further, during Firefights you are called upon to roll as many D4’s as equal to your Weapon’s Blast number to obliterate your foes.

Continue to Warriors...

 ︎ QUICK-DIAL ︎ ︎︎︎︎︎︎ MAIN DIRECTORY ︎ ︎︎︎ WELCOME TO REAPER CITY ︎︎︎ GAMEPLAY ︎︎︎ WARRIORS ︎︎︎ GANGS ︎︎︎ ACTION SYSTEM ︎︎︎ VEHICLE COMBAT ︎︎︎ POWER ADVANCEMENT ︎︎︎ DEATH MASTER ︎︎︎ ABOUT ︎︎︎︎︎
                                       

︎ WARRIORS ︎

To create a Warrior, you must determine your Oath, Weapon & Skills.

In addition, you begin with $500.

Record your results on a Character Sheet (or scratch piece of paper) as you proceed.



“AN OATH IS WHAT DEFINES YOUR WARRIOR,
YOU KNOW? IT ALSO REFLECTS HOW YOU HANDLE YOURSELF
WHEN THINGS GET DICEY...”

OATH

Choose an Oath from the list below & note its trappings. You are bound to your Oath, largely informing your beliefs & actions as a Warrior. This is a compulsory roleplaying component which you may not betray without good reason.

♢ Hard Target
You are a gunfighter. You live & die by the firearm. As such, both ‘1’ & ‘4’ indicate a Wound on your target during a Firefight.

 ♢ Fortune & Fame
You were born lucky, marked for greatness. As such, you are exempt from ever suffering Snake Eyes (See Disadvantage rolls). Simply re-roll all Snake Eyes results.
♢ Speed Kills
You are a high-speed maniac. You automatically begin with an additional Skill — Vehicle Handling. As such, you are the Driver of your Gang (see Vehicle Combat).

WEAPON

To determine your starting Weapon, roll 1 D4:


1. Pistol — Blast (3) ⬤ ⬤ ⬤
2. Rifle — Blast (5) ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤
3. Shotgun — Blast (8) ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤
4. Machine Gun — Blast (10) ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤

Each Weapon carries a Blast number, representing the amounts of shots it may fire during a Firefight at a single target. For each Blast (“⬤”) roll 1D4: each result of ‘4’ indicates the shot finds its mark, dealing 1 Wound. Otherwise, it misses. Each Warrior may take up to 5 Wounds before dying & may only use one Weapon at a time.


SKILLS

Choose 3 Skills from the following list:
Burglary
Double-Talk
Escape
First-Aid
Find Item
Intimidation
Listen Closely
Mechanical Smarts
Observe Surroundings
Sneak-Around
Streetwise
Vehicle Handling


Continue to Gangs...
 GANGS  ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ 

︎ GANGS ︎
Reaper City is a perilous place to fight alone. Those determined to build dominion in this wasteland band together in Gangs. Each Warrior, though carrying a personal Oath, is bound by the Gang’s laws & customs to which they owe allegiance. Lorded over by the Innersanctum, each outfit conspires to destroy the three noble Houses.

To create a Gang, you must collectively determine your Gang’s name, Driver & starting Territory. In addition, you begin with a beat-up Cadillac in command of your Driver. A Driver is in charge of Vehicle Combat for the Gang. Record your Gang’s details on a blank Gang Sheet as you proceed.

TERRITORY

Roll 1 D4 to determine your Gang’s starting Territory:

1. Dice Joint
2. Liquor Store
3. Seedy Motel
4. Roadhouse

As a Gang progresses, it will gain further Territory that generates Income. Further, its Reputation will precede it & help win Favor from the Innersanctum (see Power Advancement).

Continue to Action System...