Way out West

Your character is:

Clem Parham
It is the spring of 1884. America’s west coast is slowly
being populated with small towns full of settlers, come to
prospect for precious metals, set up ranches and run
dubious saloons – and now the railroad is coming!
Cactus Gulch is one such small town, founded 20 years
ago and tonight it has a festive air as the townsfolk get
set to start their 20th anniversary celebrations. However,
all is not running smoothly. Land disputes, disreputable
card games, strange folk from out of town, and quarrels
with the local Indians are all adding to a tense
atmosphere.
Join us in the Silver Dollar Saloon as celebrations begin,
and find out how the evening unfolds…
 Clem Parham – Mid West Rail (MWR)
You are Clem Parham, the smooth-talking railroad negotiator, with
the appearance of a city slicker and the soul of a rattlesnake. You
have been sent here to ensure that it is MWR and not their closest
rival South West Rail (SWR) who will bring the railroad to connect
Cactus Gulch to San Francisco.
The final bit of land to be negotiated is that of Fat Bull Range, lying
just south-west of the town. It belongs to an ornery ol’ critter called
Zeke Calhoun. You thought this deal would be a pushover, as SWR
have sent that useless Mel Easton to negotiate for them. But there is
a problem – namely an Indian burial ground across the most direct
route into town. Money is currently tight for Mid West Rail, so your
route cannot afford to go around the burial ground – you will have to
run straight through it.
You’ve heard that Zeke is about to sign a deal with SWR just because
Easton has promised to divert around the site in question. Luckily,
you have help. Saul Jackson, a mean and dangerous killer, is here to
help you to ‘persuade’ Zeke otherwise. Saul is posing as one Slick
O’Hare, an honest man looking for an honest day’s work (hah!)
Then, a week ago, a complete stroke of luck. Zeke was involved in a
late night card game with Doc Faraday in which Fat Bull Range
became the stake – and Doc won! Doc is completely unscrupulous,
and you have agreed that it will be with you that he deals, if his
ownership of the land is proved. You don’t yet know how much it will
cost you, though.
Ownership of the land will be resolved by a judgment from Judge
Paulson tonight. Another stroke of luck! You recognized Paulson the
moment you hit town. He hasn’t always been the upright, respected
man that he is here. Heck, no – you remember him being involved in
a major land swindle some 20 years ago back East. You told him
yesterday that unless he wants the good folks of Cactus Gulch to
hear about his interesting past, he had better not give the land back
to Zeke.
The Doc has warned you that there were two witnesses to the game
that night – good-time girl Kalamata Kate, and Madame Blaise
Sadler. Seems that Blaise may have picked up the marked cards (Doc
was cheatin’ of course). So, although your blackmail of Judge Paulson
seems to be working just fine, you are not sure if Blaise will keep her
mouth shut. You have asked to have a little word with her later.
Maybe she can be bought off? If not… you’re taking Saul along just in
case.
However, there is one last complication. Earlier this afternoon, Zeke
confronted Saul and you. You moved into the stables and there was a
heated ‘discussion’ about your approach to business. You hinted that
with a young daughter to look after, Zeke might want to be more
careful. The old guy went berserk and attacked Saul. There was a
brutal fist-fight, and Saul knocked Calhoun sharply on the head.
Saul tied him up until he came around, but before you could continue
the ‘discussion’, the old-timer had a heart attack and died on you.
You got out pretty quick, telling Saul to follow after a few minutes.
Things will get pretty interesting when the body is found.
As soon as the telegraph is fixed, you’d better get in touch with head
office and find out how much you can afford to spend on this deal –
looks like you may need lots of bribes and pay-offs! Now, with the
rest of the town, you are in the Silver Dollar Saloon, trying to get a
much-needed drink. But it looks like the Bartender is climbing onto
the bar and may be about to make an announcement.

Zeke’s death
You are annoyed that the old-timer died so unexpectedly, but you are
confident that no-one saw you near him – apart from Slick, and you
should aim to pin the blame on him if anyone does start getting
suspicions.

Your Goals
▪ Mel Easton and SWR: Make sure that everyone knows that Mel
is useless and that you’re the person to deal with.
▪ Zeke’s death: Make sure that if anyone is going to be charged
with murder, it’s Saul and not you.
▪ The railroad deal: Make sure that MWR gets the railroad deal
into Cactus Gulch. However, you need to check with Head Office
as soon as the telegraph is repaired, to find out how much you can
afford.
Other people
Mel Easton: Your rival from SWR. You have beaten Mel at
negotiations before and this should be no different. You despise
Easton’s ethical approach and just about everything else about the
SWR representative.
Judge Paulson: Fancy good old Paulson being the judge here. You
have enough dirt on him to put him behind bars, which has been very
useful for blackmailing him to rule in Doc’s favour. Be careful though
– it seems like the Judge really is a reformed character, and he may
just come clean about everything. Then you would be left high and
dry.
Elijah Entwhistle: This enigmatic traveling preacher arrived in town
a few weeks ago, preaching damnation and hellfire for sinners. He
makes you very uncomfortable (but then, he seems to make everyone
else feel like that too!). The strange thing is that he seems vaguely
familiar – why is that?
Blaise Sadler: Blaise is the old woman from the Saloon. You’ve heard
that she has the marked cards from Doc and Zeke’s game, which
could ruin all your plans. She must be after something, better – see if
you can do a deal with her. If not, maybe she will need to be removed
somehow.
Slick O’Hare: Slick’s real name is Saul Jackson, your henchman. It’s
very useful to have Slick’s range of strong-arm tactics and stealthier
ways of killing at your disposal. You must try to make sure that he
will be incriminated rather than you over Zeke’s death, should
anyone get suspicious.

Tips for Beginners

If you’ve not played a Freeform Games murder mystery game before,
then we suggest you start by doing the following:
▪ Talk to Judge Paulson and remind him how much power you
have over him, make sure that he’ll give judgment in Doc’s favour.
▪ Corner Blaise Sadler, try to find out if she has the marked cards,
and if so then try to threaten/bribe/cajole her into not producing
them as evidence.
 Abilities
You have three abilities, as shown below. Each ability explains
how many times it may be used – check a circle each time you
use it. Once they are all checked, you may no longer use that
ability.

Let’s trade information

Ability

After speaking briefly to another player,

show them this and your Clue. They must
then show you their Clue.
Three uses: O O O

I’ve bared my heart – now you bare yours

If you reveal your Secret to another person
Ability

(whether voluntarily or because they’ve used

an Ability to make you do so), they must
reveal their Secret to you.
Three uses: O O O

Thorough Appraisal
After speaking briefly to another player, they
Ability

must show you all their item cards and

money. Note that you don't get to take their
items or money – just to look at it.
Three uses: O O O
 Secret and Clue
Your Secret contains your guilty secret, while your Clue contains
one or more items of information you know. Both may be
affected by abilities.
While you can show your Secret and Clue to whomever you like,
you will probably not want to reveal your Secret too often.
(Please note that you can’t solve the mystery by looking at
everyone’s Secret and Clue – it’s not that easy!)

Slick O’Hare is really

Secret

named Saul Jackson, and

he works for you as a hired
killer and dirty-work man.

Judge Paulson has a shady

Clue

past as a swindler back

East.
 Rules for Way out West
The Bartender’s Word is Law: The Bartender is impartial. If
you have a problem or want to do something unusual, see the
Bartender. The Bartender’s power is absolute – and cannot be
affected by Abilities!
Winning and Losing: You can achieve most of your goals
simply by talking to people. The Bartender will announce when
the game is over. If you haven’t succeeded by that point – you’re
too late! Be warned – not everyone here will want you to
succeed!
Doing Stuff: Ordinary actions are resolved by simply carrying
them out. If you want to try something unusual (such as swing
from a chandelier), see the Bartender. The Bartender knows
everything – and will be able to tell you the outcome of whatever
it is that you are trying to do. (For example, the chandeliers may
be too high to reach.) Do use your imagination, though! – this is
a very flexible game, and you can do all sorts of things beyond
what’s listed in these rules.
Fighting: 1884 was a rough, tough time in Cactus Gulch! Your
character may wish to grapple with, come to blows with, or even
stab or shoot one of the other characters. Should you wish to do
something along these lines though, don’t just dive in! See the
Bartender first and tell them what you plan to do so they can
oversee and give you more detailed rules if it’s necessary.
Leaving the town: Cactus Gulch is in the middle of nowhere
and the surrounding territories can be quite hostile. You are
therefore advised not to attempt leaving town during the course
of the evening.
Item Cards: Any items of importance within the game are
represented as Item cards – and the only items that can affect
the game are those detailed on the cards. If you do not have an
Item card, you do not have that item with you.
Time: Way out West is played over three hours, with extra time
for reading your character etc. There will be breaks to get drinks
and food! The Bartender will keep track of the time for you.
 Way out West – Cast List
Locals
• Lucy Calhoun: Zeke Calhoun’s daughter, young woman,
complete tomboy

• Able Blane: The town’s reliable sheriff

• Dan Fairweather: Slow and honest deputy sheriff

• Blaise Sadler: Aging saloonkeeper

• Kalamata Kate: Young waitress

• Doc Faraday: Notorious gambler

• John Paulson: Town’s much-revered judge

Natives
• Three Feathers: Revered Indian shaman

• Runs Like a Deer: Indian woman

Out-0f-towners
• Elijah Entwhistle: Traveling preacher

• Mel Easton: City slicker, South West Rail rep

• Slick O’Hare: Scruffy ranch hand for hire

• Clem Parham: City slicker, Mid West Rail rep

• Christy Martin: Storekeeper from out of town

Way out West is copyright © 2003, 2012 Freeform Games LLP www.freeformgames.com