Death Valley - A Horror Western TTRPG

Hey there,

Tim here jumping in with a new series of updates that outlines the undead forms you can play in Death Valley.

Today we are kicking off with the original hot dogs... Hellhounds (scorcher of a pun there).

These are one of my personal favourites and I chose to play one in the actual play we did.



When you died, your life force didn’t fade; it shifted, raging through you like wildfire. Your body burned, turned to ash, and reformed into something neither fully human nor beast. That’s the curse of the Hellhound: forever aflame, forever between worlds.

Throughout history, mortals have mistaken Hellhounds for the phoenix, their rebirth giving rise to stories of fire’s power over life and death. Still, they play up to that misunderstanding, seeing themselves as kin to Prometheus, the first of their kind, who died bringing fire to humankind. To them, every flame is sacred, every spark a heartbeat of the living world.

The Black Veil Church condemns their faith, calling it heresy. Many Hellhounds were hunted or driven feral under the Church’s persecution.

Hellhounds who manage to master their burning can wear clothing and it marks a symbol of discipline among their kind. Those who do are revered as elders; their control marks them as saints of the fire. Others scorn the cloth as a lie against their nature. Every hound finds their own way to live with the constant pain of burning. Some through faith, some through song, and some through destruction.

In Death Valley, Hellhound gatherings are open shelters built around a central pyre. Hospitality is law, and stories are currency. Outside their own kind, many hounds hunt in small packs of three to five.

You can watch a short video on hellhounds in death valley here.

Here are the main characteristics of playing a hellhound in Death Valley:

🔥 Key Attribute: Empathy (+1)

You begin with Rank 1 in Solar or Flame Magic and do not require a tutor to progress. You are immune to natural heat damage.

💧 Starting Banes: Silver, Water

🌧️ Rained on the Black Parade: While in contact with water, take 1 Resolve damage each time you take Life Force damage.

Once per dawn, burn a human corpse and consume the ashes to heal 1d6 Life Force. If the victim was alive when burned, heal 2d6 Life Force or a Critical Injury.

Next time we’ll unearth another of Death Valley’s lost souls. Until then, burn baby, burn. 🔥

Tim

Howdy,

Tim here, taking over for a little while as Aaron attends Gamehole Con in Wisconsin.

Firstly, to echo Aaron's sentiment, thank you for your support and getting Death Valley funded. I met Aaron over a year ago at Origins in Columbus and I was so impressed with his work and his mind that he became my first official mentee. A year later and he has produced an amazing game based on a very basic premise I had created. The level of detail and life/undeath he has brough to this game makes me realise I made the right call.

Now, I wanted to remind you that there are just a few hours left to grab the 48 hour early bird special. Back a physical pledge level and receive a beautiful bookplate signed by Aaron.

The offer ends today at 8am PDT (4pm BST).

We won't stick these to the books, so you can choose how and where to display them.

Also, don't forget some of the other stuff we have going on around the project:

In addition to that, you can come and see us, live and in the flesh, at one of the following events during the campaign:

That's all for now, but there will be more news in the coming days. Once again, thank you for your support.

I think Aaron would be very hurt if I didn't sign off like this:

Yee-Haw!

Tim x

Hi all,

I know Tim usually does these updates, but this is my first crowdfunding project, and I am excited to try this out as well as push buttons and knobs. I also like stealing Tim's spotlight >;3.

So, I know some of you know me but many of you do not. I started my journey with role-playing games when I was 11, finding old AD&D Books in a used bookstore. I couldn't stop once my hands were on them. That led me here. I won't go much longer with the sap and sweetness. I just wanted to let you know that kid version of me had a rough time. Today, he would be pretty proud. So when I say thanks, be sure I mean it.

This is just the begining of the journey, and there will be plenty of things for you to get involved in over the coming days and weeks. I've put together a list of bits and bobs for you to check out / watch out for below:

In addition to that, you can come and see us, live and in the flesh, at one of the following events during the campaign:

That's all for now, but there will be more news in the coming days. Once again, thank you for your support.

Yee-Haw, 

Your pardner in TTRPGs, Aaron

Hey there,

I just wanted to send you a quick update to let you know that our campaign for Death Valley, a horror western TTRPG will be going live next week.

From 7:55 PST (3:55 GMT) you will be able to watch us on a live stream as the campaign kicks off. I'll be talking to the writer, Aaron Bryant about the game and you will be able to ask your questions in the chat and I will put them to him.

After the chat we will be rolling the first of three live play episodes!

Please do put this one in your calendars as we'd love to see you there.

Tim