Re: [DL] What is "Western"?

["Justin Baldwin" <innovmr@hotmail.com>]

If you look at Wisters "Virginian" which is where this whole western thing 
starts you see that the basic motif is manifest destiney. The american 
symbol of the cowboy is a independent creature that obtains mastery over the 
land. You could do the same thing with the Weird West. Adventures can 
revolve around the theme that there is a big nasty monster in the way of 
this railroad-cattle drive-flower picken' party and that is just not going 
to stand here in america. I think that most npc's are going to be patriotic 
to an annoying level.

Later on there was some very good books written by female and native 
american authors that kind of dispute the anglo western ideal, some examples 
are "love medicine" and pretty much anything by sherman alexie. People who 
were in the way of manifest destiney were a lot less enthused about the 
whole process.

There is also a weird sence of sentamentalism amoung groups about the land. 
The mountain men came out west and trapped the beaver nearly to extincsion 
but were very bitter about settlers coming in and "ruining" the land. The 
cowboys had no problem with grazing intensive management practices but were 
very resentful of farmers "ruining" things by plowing it up. It still goes 
on today as most westerners think that the land is getting ruined by 
urbanization. I think that this was a bigger issue that race disputes.

Justin



>Themes: Heroes and Villains, Justice and Injustice, the Strong and the
>Weak, Man vs. Nature
>
>Motifs:
>Boom Town- quickly set up town around a source of gold silver, or other
>precious resourses, such Ghost Rock in Deadlands. once the score dries
>up, the town will most likey dry up and become a...
>Ghost Town: dried up town. a few permanent structures. Mostly
>abbandonned. may be a few stubborn hangers on, or people trying to hide.
>Cattle Town: the town's income relies on the cattle trade and the men
>that move them
>Rail town: a town revolving around it's rail road. set up because it was
>convinent for the rail company.
>Mexican Village: a towen near the border or south of it with mexican
>farmers, built of adobe bricks. the church is most likely the center of
>towna dn the most important building
>Devils Corner: a small town full of brothels and bars set up a short ways
>from a larger more respectible town
>Indian Village: a settlement of indians whether nomadic or permanent.
>they likly distrust white and for good reason
>
>Plot Devices:
>Bank Robbery
>Train Robbery
>stage Coach Robbery
>Cattle Rustling
>Claim Jumping
>Murder
>Outlaw Gangs
>Law vs. Outlaw
>Racial/Ethnic issues (White vs. Chinese, White vs. Indian, White vs.
>Black, Catholic vs. Protostant, Irish vs. Germans, etc)
>
>Character Traits:
>there are three types of people in the west. the ones that want to work
>hard and do something (Cowboys, farmers, railworkers, etc). The ones that
>want to make there lives easier (doctors, religious, teachers, etc). and
>the ones that want to take advantage of the everyone else (gamblers,
>outlaws, prostitutes, etc.)
>
>
>A great place to go for info is the Cowtown Creator by Knuckleduster
>Press. It's reveared by many as the rpg Western setting bible.
>
>
>
>On Tue, 27 May 2003 00:34:03 -0400 Aaron Chusid <aaron@to-the-point.org>
>writes:
> > Silly question, I know, but as I get ready to GM my first ever DL
> > campaign
> > (not having even played before), I want to have a better feeling for
> > what
> > Western is.
> >
> > It's more than just Cowboy hats and horses and six shooters and
> > showdowns
> > at high-noon; those are the decorations, not what really makes it a
> > western.
> >
> > What are the themes, the motifs, the elements, plot devices,
> > character
> > traits, and so on that I should keep in mind to make the world, the
> > story,
> > and the npc's *feel* western?
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
>
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