Originally published in 1992, Desperado holds a special place in the hearts of anyone who went to game cons in the 90’s. Originally photocopied and comb-bound, Desperado had an outsized influence on tabletop skirmish game rules. This edition includes the original rules verbatim, with additional house rules, design notes, photos, and modeling reference from Knuckleduster Miniatures.
Characters are defined by key attributes such as Strength, Agility, Scrap, Marksmanship, and Guts. Each attribute is weighted to a specific polyhedral die (ranging from a d6 for a beginner to a d20 for an expert).
Actions are resolved through an elegant, streamlined dice mechanic. No matter what die you are rolling or what action you are attempting, you generally need to roll a 5 or better to succeed. Modifiers—such as taking damage or hiding in cover—adjust the type of die you roll rather than the target number, simulating the difficulty of the task.
The system encourages players to use their imagination to perform a wide variety of Wild West feats. Miniature figures can shoot, brawl, wrestle, hide behind cover, jump between rooftops, crash through windows, and throw dynamite.
