A shoot-out can be a novel and fun way to make a combat encounter with a twist
While D&D traditionally is more on the mideaveal side, you can still have a shoot-out with bows, throwing axes and spells… Or introduce some guns.
The trick is to prevent melee without aggravating your players.
Here’s how I did it in one of our games.
Meet Calama-banshee Jane and Billy the Wight
The context
Our heroes find themselves in an old saloon-like tavern occupied by two bored undead gunslingers who seizes the opportunity to bring out their pistols for a shoot-out.
Timer, Threat, Treat
I’m a big fan of ICRPGs Timer, Threat, Treat formular. If you are not familiar with it, here’s an overview. I do recommend getting the ICRPG book as it’s full of great DM advice.
Threat: The gunslingers
I used the Pistol Wraith stats from the D&D 5e supplement called Iron Kingdoms: Monsternomicon
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If you are familiar with the tabletop skirmish game Warmachine then those wraiths will already be familiar to you.
I used them straight out of the Monsternomicon with one addition: The Wraiths can turn ethereal and back as bonus action. They only turn ethereal as a response to a melee attack.
The Pistol Wraiths are CR 9 against a powerful 3-person lvl 16 party (Ranger, Warlock and Artificer/Paladin), but with the unfamiliar conditions of not being able to use melee, they were a formidable foe.
Timer: The piling audience
To add time pressure to the encounter, I chose to have the noise of the shoot-out attract hoards of zombies outside the tavern.
Each round I added D4 zombies with the wall collapsing once 10 zombies had arrived.
I imagine crushing wave of groupies or black Friday shoppers where the sheer mass of bodies would be devastating.
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Treat: The environment
Make sure there are lots of tables to flip over and things like pianos and bars to jump behind.
Not only do these provide cover from the Pistol Wraiths’ bullets, but it also adds to the Western-style shoot-out feel.
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Adding flair
As I mentioned in the beginning, the Pistol Wraiths in our encounter were bored as they rarely had visitors to their tavern.
This gives the premise for the shoot-out, but it also gives an option for having in-combat conversations such as:
- If a hero tries to hit with a melee attack, the Pistol Wraith, as it turns ethereal, could say something like: “Now hold your horses, partner. This ain’t a brawl, this is a shootout”
- Or if the hero try to talk their way out of the fight, the Pistol Wraiths could say something like: “Easy now, Tex. We can have a chat later over some shots of whiskey and a game of poker”.
- Of if a hero shoots back the Pistol Wraiths could say something like: “Nice shootin’ Tex. You almost made worn-food of me there, partner”.
Check out more cowboy phrases here for inspiration and ofcourse if you are up for it, do add the cowboy accent.
One final tip if you want to app up there fun
When the first Wraith goes down, do a full on overplayed death scene like Bugs Bunny would do it .
From enemies to friends
Our heroes finally won the shoot-out and add the dust settled Calama-banshee Jane and Billy the Wight rose, righted a nearby table and chairs and sat down, gestured to the heroes to join them and poured whiskey for all while the heroes made their way to the table.
That’s some fine pistolin’ skills ya’ll have. It’s been a mighty fine dueling with ya. Now, what can we do for you fine folks?”
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