The bar for indie TTRPG development is considerably lower in the internet age. It has seen the release of quirky projects like Hit The Road, Jack, The Haunting of Abimond Manor, and I Have The High Ground. Now, there is Pistols & Powers, a superpowered cowboy TTRPG.
The Pistols & Powers announcement
Pistols & Powers was announced via social media post by Dungeons & Disableds. Dungeons & Disableds is a TTRPG show where nerdy disabled players play Dungeons & Dragons. The campaigns are DM’d by Steve Saylor, who is the lead designer of this new cowboy TTRPG.
The game’s official store page provides further detail. This one-page TTRPG has one simple idea: what if the tall tales of old gunslinging legends were more than just fancy talk? What if Billy The Kid had superhuman speed, allowing him to drop 21 men without being hit once?
Gameplay-wise, Pistols & Powers uses a deck of playing cards and one six-sided die. The core rules are similar to Blackjack. The player has to try to get as close as possible to 21 without going over? As for superpowers, that is where the die comes in. A roll of the die allows you to add or subtract value from your current hand.
If the premise seems interesting, the page contains a full one-shot playtest with Saylor as the dealer. In addition, the page contains an archived behind-the-scenes stream of Saylor’s design process.
The Dungeons & Disableds show has featured several beloved gaming community members. Players include journalist for Wired and accessibility advocate Grant Stoner, streamer and influencer Seum, and EA’s own Game Accessibility Lead, Morgan Baker.
Pistols & Powers is available right now on DriveThruRPG, itch.io, and the Dungeons & Disableds store page. It is being sold in PDF format for $3. No prior experience in the hobby is needed to enjoy the game.
