{"id":18989,"date":"2019-12-12T07:00:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=18989"},"modified":"2019-11-14T08:40:36","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T14:40:36","slug":"rpg-adaptations-the-sixth-gun-rpg-an-interview-with-scott-a-woodard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/rpg-adaptations-the-sixth-gun-rpg-an-interview-with-scott-a-woodard\/","title":{"rendered":"RPG Adaptations: The Sixth Gun RPG \u2013 An Interview with Scott A Woodard"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sixth Gun<\/i><\/a> is a comic book series from Oni Press set in a Wild West of fantastic and supernatural moments. Brought to life via Kickstarter<\/a>,\u00a0The Six Gun RPG<\/i>, using the\u00a0Savage Worlds\u00a0<\/i>system, debuted in 2015 from\u00a0Pinnacle Entertainment<\/a>.\u00a0The Sixth Gun Role-Playing Game<\/i><\/a> by Scott A Woodard brought universe created by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt to tabletop roleplaying. The Harvey and Eisner Award nominated main comic series ran 50 issues from 2010 to 2016, its spinoff mini-series continue on.\u00a0The first graphic novel is described as:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cDuring the darkest days of the Civil War, wicked cutthroats came into possession of six pistols of otherworldly power. In time the Sixth Gun, the most dangerous of the weapons, vanished. When the gun surfaces in the hands of an innocent girl, dark forces reawaken. Vile men thought long dead set their sights on retrieving the gun and killing the girl. Only Drake Sinclair, a gunfighter with a shadowy past, stands in their way.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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EGG EMBRY (EGG): You wrote the core rulebook for\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The Sixth Gun<\/span><\/i><\/b>, correct? What other\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The Sixth Gun RPG<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0products have you written?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SCOTT A WOODARD (SAW)<\/span><\/b>: That\u2019s correct, I wrote the core rulebook, plus (with the exception of the Savage Tale and comic, <\/span>\u2018Neath the Gallows Tree<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>(story by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt) that appears in The Sixth Gun Companion<\/i>), I wrote everything else for the line including the rest of the 32-page Companion<\/i>, the 32-page book that accompanied the GM Screen<\/i>\u00a0(which includes a multi-part Plot Point Campaign titled\u00a0The Winding Way<\/i>),\u00a0Fractured Frontiers<\/i>\u00a0(a\u00a0Savage Tale of\u00a0Deadlands<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>), Circle the Wagon<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0The One-Hand Gang<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>(two other short Savage Tales),\u00a0Six More Relics<\/i>\u00a0(an article in issue\u00a0six of\u00a0Savage Worlds Explorer<\/i>), and an adventure titled\u00a0Mimihqueh<\/i>: Temple of the Dead<\/i>\u00a0that appears\u00a0exclusively\u00a0in\u00a0The Sixth Gun Volume Five Hardcover Gunslinger Edition<\/i>\u00a0published by Oni Press.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: Were you a fan of the comics before the RPG?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0I was\u00a0<\/span>definitely a<\/span> fan of the comic, though admittedly I was a bit behind on the series when Shane Hensley, president of Pinnacle Entertainment Group, asked me if I had any interest in writing a new <\/span>Savage Worlds <\/i>RPG<\/i>\u00a0based on it! After excitedly saying \u201cyes\u201d to the offer, I immersed\u00a0myself in the universe of\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>, picking up all the collected volumes and grabbing any of the more recent single issues beyond the graphic novels.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: How much were Cullen Bunn and Brian\u00a0Hurtt\u00a0involved in producing the game?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0They were very much involved, though in a\u00a0\u201chands-off\u201d\u00a0<\/span>kinda<\/span>\u2019 way. What I mean by that is that they were very happy with what I was doing with the core book\u00a0(I was sharing bits and pieces with Oni as I was going along)\u00a0and for the most part, they left me alone while I wrote. However, whenever I needed anything at all from them, they were easy to reach and incredibly responsive. In the end, I feel that it was a very nice collaborative relationship.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of my favorite moments was when we were designing the\u00a0<\/span>GM Screen<\/i>\u2026 Brian asked me for suggestions of things I wanted to see on the screen, so I sent him a list of some of my favorite characters, scenes, and creatures from the comics. In the end, Brian rendered\u00a0an absolutely gorgeous\u00a0triptych featuring EVERYTHING on that list!!! He was very proud of it too and\u00a0actually wrote<\/span>\u00a0a series of\u00a0articles for us describing the process of creating that image. You can still download those articles from Pinnacle\u2019s site!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: Which version of\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Savage Worlds<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0does this RPG use? What made that system and the comic a good fit?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0It was released in 2015, so it uses\u00a0<\/span>Savage Worlds\u00a0Deluxe<\/i>, however, Pinnacle recently released a FREE conversion document<\/a>\u00a0so that you can now run\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>\u00a0with the new\u00a0Savage Worlds Adventure Edition<\/i>. You can download that document directly from\u00a0Pinnacle\u2019s\u00a0website.<\/p>\n

As for why it\u2019s a good fit, I think it comes down to two things\u2026 1) Because of\u00a0Deadlands<\/i>, no other publisher knows the Weird West genre better than Pinnacle, so the infrastructure and love of the genre was already in place. 2)\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>\u00a0is a glorious blend of high-action, horror, and fantasy, all things that\u00a0Savage Worlds<\/i>\u00a0handles beautifully. As\u00a0Savage Worlds<\/i>\u00a0has always been promoted as a \u201cFast! Furious! Fun!\u201d system,\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>\u00a0meshes extremely well, offering a slick system to handle swift gun fights, supernatural horrors, and spellcasting six-gun sorcerers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

EGG: <\/span><\/b>How has it been received in the market and at the gaming table?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0The folks who have picked up\u00a0<\/span>The Sixth Gun<\/i> have absolutely loved it (and trust me, those fans have reached out to let us know)! Fans of the comic adore it for expanding the universe they love so much, and expanding it with officially-licensed content. Gamers interested in playing a Weird West RPG who might be a little intimidated by the vast amount of material available for Deadlands<\/i>, can pick up\u00a0The Sixth Gun<\/i>\u00a0core rulebook\u00a0as a PDF\u00a0for\u00a0just\u00a0$9.99\u00a0($19.99 for the paperback), download a few of our freebies (including a couple adventures), and dive right in. At the same time, we also offer\u00a0<\/span>custom Bennies<\/span><\/a>, a <\/span>selection of metal miniatures based on the main characters<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the comics, and even a set of\u00a0<\/span>low-cost print-and-play figure flats<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: Some of your RPG work appeared in the comics, correct? How was that crossover received?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0<\/span>Kinda<\/span>\u2026 Cullen Bunn and Brian\u00a0Hurtt\u00a0created an original short comic story for\u00a0<\/span>The Sixth Gun Companion<\/i>\u00a0featuring a cast of pre-generated characters that I made for people to use in one-shots or con games. Also, Oni Press asked me to write an all-new adventure (based on elements from the comics) to be included in\u00a0The Sixth Gun Volume Five Hardcover Gunslinger Edition<\/i>, and I was thrilled to contribute that to that\u00a0<\/span>absolutely gorgeous<\/span>, limited edition volume. Brian\u00a0Hurtt\u00a0also did some new illustrations to accommodate the adventure, so in a weird way, it has all come full circle.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: Coming from Pinnacle Entertainment, home of the\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Deadlands\u00a0RPG<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0and its variety of system options over the decades, this could have touched on that world. Was there ever any thought of mixing properties?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0We did precisely that with my short adventure\u00a0<\/span>Fractured Frontiers<\/i>! It doesn\u2019t delve TOO deep, and the two realities don\u2019t QUITE come\u00a0all the way\u00a0together\u00a0in the adventure\u00a0(spoiler), but it was a nice way to perhaps prompt some creative GMs to forge\u00a0their own crossovers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: In the\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Flash Gordon RPG<\/span><\/i><\/b>, you managed to tackle some of the racially insensitive aspects of the original series and alter them\u00a0in a way that allowed the property to move forward without being\u00a0held back by that baggage.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The Sixth Gun<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0takes place in the aftermath of the American Civil War, a topic that has impacted\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Deadlands<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0recently. What was done in\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The Sixth Gun RPG<\/span><\/i><\/b> to keep the game from crossing into insensitive and uncomfortable territory while dealing with some of the darkest parts of America\u2019s history?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0Well, with\u00a0<\/span>The Sixth Gun<\/i>, I defaulted to Cullen\u2019s handling of the issue in the comics (the primary story does take place after the Civil War, as you said), but I also included\u00a0a note in the character creation section stating that\u00a0ultimately,\u00a0it is up to the GM how much they want to deal with \u201c\u2026ignorance, racism, and sexism\u2026\u201d in their campaigns. After that, as far as I recall, I pretty much\u00a0avoid\u00a0such issues altogether.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: All for the best. Stepping away from\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The Sixth Gun<\/span><\/i><\/b>, what other projects are you working on?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0Right now, I am\u00a0<\/span>actually writing<\/span>\u00a0a new\u00a0<\/span>Savage Worlds\u00a0RPG<\/i>\u00a0for Pinnacle, but at the moment, it\u2019s all a bit hush-hush. It\u2019s possible it will be announced prior to the release of this interview, but for now, my lips are sealed! I\u2019ve also written some other Savage Tales for Pinnacle and a few other publishers (can you tell that I love writing for\u00a0Savage Worlds<\/i>), but I\u2019m always open to writing for other systems as well. I still have a 25,000-word [D&D<\/i>]\u00a05E<\/i>\u00a0adventure sitting in the hands of a third-party publisher, and I hope that sees the light of day sometime soon! Will keep you posted! Lastly, I write the weekly company news for Pinnacle Entertainment Group, so if you read those articles on their site or you subscribe to the mailing list, that\u2019s all me!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

EGG: Where can fans follow your work online?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAW<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0I\u2019m all over social media (though be warned that my Twitter feed is where I get more political from time-to-time). On Facebook, I have a professional page, @therealscottwoodard\u00a0(that I don\u2019t update as much as I should) and a personal page (just look for \u201c<\/span>scott.a.woodard<\/span>\u201d). And my Twitter and Instagram accounts are both @<\/span>sawoodard<\/span>. I also run The Southern California Savages Facebook group and matching\u00a0<\/span>Discord<\/span>\u00a0channel and even if you\u2019re not local to SoCal, you\u2019re welcome to join and see what sort of Savage shenanigans we\u2019re getting up to!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

EGG’S AFTERWORD<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Not too long ago, I reviewed the Flash Gordon RPG<\/i><\/a>\u00a0by Scott\u00a0A\u00a0Woodard from Pinnacle here on\u00a0d20 Radio<\/a>. Pinnacle showed my article love like I never expected:\u00a0At the time, they ran a sale because of the piece<\/a>. I don\u2019t suffer from imposture syndrome, but if I did, that act would have laid it to rest. In July 2019, some of\u00a0The Sixth Gun RPG<\/i>\u00a0books were a part of the \u201cSavage Heroes\u201d\u00a0Bundle of Holding<\/a> offer, where I grabbed them. I’ve planned to share more from Pinnacle (as well as a number of other publishers), so I want to thank Scott for sharing some of the history of\u00a0The Sixth Gun RPG<\/i>!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Sixth Gun RPGs<\/i>\u00a0are available at:<\/p>\n