How to use this SRD

The MARKED&MADE SRD is built to be used by creators who’d like to make hacks of the core GUN&SLINGER systems by using the Creative Commons license. After we wrap up this licensing and legal info section, you’ll find a nice bunch of information regarding the game’s mechanics and themes, as well as some “director’s commentary” on why some things are the way they are!

When creating a MARKED&MADE game, keep that info in mind! Dig through, pick it apart, and make something wonderful!

Lastly, there are a couple of absolute 100% requirements for you to make a game using this system. You should review these in the Third Party License and MARKED&MADE license pages.

When it gets down to it, use common sense! You wouldn’t copy a paragraph from one text, put it in another, and say it’s yours- so don’t do that here! The spirit of shared creativity is wonderful, so do your best to keep that in mind as you create!

Now then, let’s talk Licensing!

Licensing for GUN&SLINGER and its systems is available through use of this System Reference Document (SRD) using the moniker “MARKED&MADE”. The contents of this SRD are available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. In order to use this license, you must make a clear statement that your game is based on the GUN&SLINGER materials. You are not required to make your content open or free, so long as you make the required declarations. I allow and encourage you to put a price on the things you make!

The MARKED&MADE SRD

Themes || Asymmetry || Resolution system || Tools & Trinkets || Face Cards || Stats & Characters || Braids & Progression || The Twist || Writing Adventures

Ok! Here’s where we’re gonna really dig in and get into it, the SRD proper! This SRD contains a mix of mechanics and explanation; systems and commentary put together to help you understand the workings of the system and create something unique and wonderful within or without its structure!

Themes

The Themes of MARKED&MADE games are very closely woven with various aspects of their worlds, including character types and core mechanics, so I wanted to take a moment to discuss how I handle and view them.

Hopefully this aids in your own work!

Through the Duo, we explore how two people- be they human, object, demon or mecha- support each-other and work to make their world (or at least their circumstances) better. Each Character focuses on a specific aspect of “being human”. Some are temptation and rage, others are love and selflessness. Think about the world you’re working within and the aspects you want to explore!

Asymmetry

MARKED&MADE games, at their cores, thrive on asymmetry. No two players at the table engage with systems in the same way. They use cards differently, view and manipulate the world in their own ways, and have unique through lines in their mechanical structure. By leaning into this asymmetrical nature the strengths of each character is emphasized and their characteristics and themes in turn are brought forward.

The Game Master, or Maestro, goes a step further and has entirely different systems to control and play with.

Everyone should be playing a slightly different version of the same game, and this is true right down to their Agendas as players.

Agendas

• The Gun & The Slinger: Put yourselves in danger, search for what you want, leave people with stories to tell.

• The Gun: Be an extension of the Slinger’s arm and an agent of the strange.

• The Slinger: Be the hammer that sparks the Gun and an agent for Change.

• The Maestro: Use the Twist interestingly, create intrigue and drama, make the world threatening.

• Everyone at the table: Do what’s most interesting, learn about the world, escalate imminent dangers.

Resolution System

Basics || Blind Pay || Bargains || Giving Aid || Combat and Action || Violence || Harm || Death

The Players & Maestro are participating in Go Fish notably modified to fit RPG structure.

When a Player wants to do something under pressure or with an uncertain outcome, the Maestro can request a Check.

The Player then asks either the Maestro or the other Player if they have a particular card (“Hey, Gun, do you have any fives?”).

The person who is asked must answer truthfully If they have any cards of that value, they are handed to the petitioner. If not, the asker draws a card from the Deck.

A Check’s Cost—and occurrence—is the Maestro’s decision. The Maestro should rely on situational context and their judgment determining when a Check is appropriate.

Some good heuristics for requesting a Check is when: The outcome is uncertain. There’s immediate pressure. Failure or Mixed Success provides interesting narrative outcomes.

A Pair has its single-card value (ex. a Pair of 10s is worth 10). The total value Paid is the Pair’s value plus your relevant Stat. You can exceed, rather than exactly pay, the Cost.

Difficulties

Each Check needs a difficulty to aim for- the suggested ranges & some example situations are below.

• Simple [3-4]

  • Convincing a neutral party to offer simple aid, evading quickdraws, knocking down an old door

• Involved [5-8]

  • Maintaining footing on shaky ground, evading hip fire, disarming a simple trap.

• Complicated [9-12]

  • Sneaking past someone actively seeking you, evading aimed attacks, climbing something slippery.

Check example

1. The Slinger says they attempt sneaking past someone.

2. The Maestro decides this requires a Check, meaning the Slinger must “Go Fish!”

3. The Slinger asks the Maestro or the Gun if they have a card—but they don’t.

4. The Slinger draws from the Deck, completing a Pair and placing it in their Cache.

5. The Maestro says the Check is Hard: Cost 11 The Slinger plays a 7-Pair adding their Light On Your 6 Feet 2 (9 total).

6. The Gun aids by Paying a Single 2, tying the Cost.

7. The Narrative moves forward with a normal success.

Blind Pay

To Blind Pay, both Players place a Single from their Hand face-down obscuring their respective cards before simultaneously revealing and combining their value. A Blind Pay’s difficulty is calculated as follows: the Maestro sets a difficulty based on the ranges below and flips the Deck’s top card—the Modifier—adding it to the Blind Pay’s total.

Blind Pays are always used when Players attempt to shoot something but the Maestro can always call for one for simultaneous Gun & Slinger actions.

1. The Maestro declares a Blind Pay and sets its difficulty

2. The Maestro flips the Deck’s top card—the Modifier Card

3. The Players play a single face-down card from their hand, trying, combined, to exceed the difficulty without ‘busting’ (a exceeding than 21).

Every Blind Pay has a set Difficulty based on the action’s context.
If the total of the Players’ and Modifier Card ties or exceeds the Difficulty, the action is successful. If the total is 21+, the action ‘busts’ and fails.

• Easy [14]

• Medium[16]

• Hard [18]

In Blind Pays, Face Cards are worth 10.
Aces are worth 1 or 11, determined after the reveal. One Player may choose to add a relevant Stat to a Blind Pay after revealing the cards.
Scoring 21 Exactly is Pure Success as with Aces.

Bargains

If a Player lacks Pairs, can’t pay a Check’s Cost, or dœsn’t want to it becomes a Bargain.

If the Player has a Face Card to give the Maestro, the check is a baseline success.
If they cannot or don’t want to, it becomes a Blind Pay resulting in Failure or Limited Success with complications.

A Bargain’s Blind Pay is never a standard Success—there’s always a complication.

Giving Aid

Players can Aid each other once per Check by describing how they are assisting and paying a Single from their Hand, adding it to the total Paid.

Combat and Action

Combat and Action sequences in MARKED&MADE games don’t follow a strict, turn-based format. Instead, it uses the “theatre of the mind” where combat and action are played out following actions and responses’ flow, allowing decision-making based on what’s sensible within the present fiction rather than worrying about movement speed and initiative.

As Players take actions, the situation changes and evolves. Characters present react to outcomes dictated by their own goals. For example, Players in a tense saloon may attack a bandit. Outcome dependent, the bandit could go down before counter-attacking or someone across the room may step in if they miss.

As with other scenes, the Maestro and Players should freely discuss ongoing combat and action. If you’re unsure what happens next, talk it out!

Violence and Considerations

Violence may be simple to enact and reliably terminates conversations but there’s always another way to solve problems. It’s important to remember violence is enacted against a person whose world you’re exploring. Always consider other options—you gain next to nothing harming someone or something.

When committing an act of violence always be prepared for consequences.

• The Gun cannot be fired unless both Gun and Slinger agree to shoot.

• Before firing, both draw a card (making any new Pairs). Shooting is always a Blind Pay.

• Baseline: attacking (with the Gun or otherwise) is Medium difficulty (5-8) but, situation dependent, can be easier or harder. When Players are attacked, they must pass Checks with the same baseline to avoid being hit.

• A single hit defeats a regular enemy, but the Twist-touched or those protected by armor or other means may take more. When defeating an enemy with gunfire, the Gun draws a card; otherwise, the Slinger draws.

Harm for the Slinger

Whenever the Slinger fails to avoid a hit, they mark 1 Scrape. If all their Scrapes are marked and they’re hit, they invent and write down a situationally appropriate Major Injury. Exceeding 2 Major Injuries is fatal.

Death

In GUN&SLINGER, because of the themes I was focusing on, Death is rarely final for the players. I make use of The Twist as a force of terror and strangeness to influence the Slinger. In your game, Death can be whatever you want, but I find that this also serves as a balancing system with very exciting narrative effects when engaged with.

If you’re really attached to your characters and their collaborative story, maybe you strike a bargain with something beyond your understanding. Every time you’re Twisted somehow—until you’re no longer yourself! These should be so sufficiently major and impactful that you’re unsure if you want to strike the deal. Resurrection is never as simple as a hand wave or snap of the fingers.

When the Slinger resurrects, they permanently mark 1 of their Twist track’s points. This can never be cleared: so use red and scratch it up making sure you remember. Additionally, the table must decide how the Twist physically transforms you. This isn’t necessarily negative but should be strange and noticeable without effort disguising it.

Some examples

• A transformed eye with stars inside

• Cat-like ears, twitching at every noise

• A marked arm with a growing curse

• Backwards-bent legs, ready to spring

Tools, Trinkets and Trade

Getting hung up on tracking dollars and donuts minutiae can really slow down play and disperse focus: GUN&SLINGER isn’t about that! You always have sufficient money to remain fed and hydrated—don’t worry about it—but finding a place to sleep or securing transportation may be a bit difficult. For anything beyond that, you’ll need to trade something of value or do a Favor.

Favors

You can almost always get what you want (or need) for a Favor. Everyone has something they need done, whether cleaning the barn or guarding a caravan and prefer a Favor to cash. You can always offer a Favor instead of money or goods.

Depending on the task you may not need to do it now and, depending on who you’re asking, they may wait to define it, holding it over your head. Favors are a major I.O.U and reneging one, or any agreement, is a big deal.

Tools & Trinkets

Tools and Trinkets are the kinds of loot and gear you can find in MARKED&MADE games. These can be anything you need in order to fit your game; in GUN&SLINGER you can find almost any kind of adventuring gear. The important difference is that Tools are mundane items anyone can buy or make while Trinkets are special and often magical equipment. Trinkets aren’t always rare and their power varies, but they’re often unique with only a few in existence.

Face Cards

Duo Moves || Maestro Moves

Face Cards in MARKED&MADE games work differently than Number cards. Instead of pairing, they stay as Singles in your hand and are played to achieve special effects. The Maestro and The Duo gain different benefits and effects from these cards, leaning in to the asymmetry of play.

Duo Face Moves:

• King: A symbol of luck used to Succeed at any Check, including another Player’s.

• Queen: A Symbol that thrives in every environment. Can be Paired with any non-face Single to produce a Pair of its value.

• Jack: A symbol that knows a good deal when they see it. Played at any time to draw 3 cards.

• Ace: A symbol that’s always good to have up your sleeve. Playing one to pay a Cost is a Major Success, allowing one extra effect:

  • Gain extra insight, pose a question to the table and collaboratively answer.

  • Gain or maintain the upper hand, determined collectively.

  • Gain a remarkable improvement on your Check’s result.

Maestro Face Moves:

The Maestro uses face cards as Singles to effect the current scene in remarkable ways. They can be played any time the Maestro would normally do something and grant them opportunities to switch the direction or tone of the narrative of greater consequence.

Each Face Move for Maestros has two parts: The Move itself (the thing the Maestro can cause or do), then How It Happens (the piece of the scene that directly or indirectly causes The Move to happen). Breaking it into these two aspects serves as guidance for The Maestro as they narrate.

The Move:

• King: Separate the Gun and the Slinger

• Queen: The Gun and the Slinger lose something valuable.

• Jack: Someone receives a Major Injury or equivalent.

• Ace: Immediately raise the stakes.

How it happens:

• Hearts: The Environment.

• Diamonds: The Twist.

• Spades: The Antagonist.

• Clubs: Dealer’s Choice.

Stats & Characters

Stats || Characters || The Gun || The Slinger

Stats

Stats in MARKED&MADE games should be flexible and interpretive. While geared towards a few fairly obvious actions, they have a wide variety of uses. When determining which Stat a Check entails, first focus on how you’re accomplishing your task, working backwards to determine the applicable Stat.

If you don’t have a situationally relevant Stat—or you can’t agree which applies—make the Check without a modifying Stat.

When making a Check, always add your relevant Stat.
IE: I spend a 3-Pair for a Check and my Light On My Toes stat is 2. 2 (Stat) + 3 (Pair) = 5.

To help explain this further, here are the Stats being used in GUN&SLINGER specifically:

Embodiment of Magic - Their relationship with Magic. How good are they at it? How much do they know? Usable for any Magic-adjacent Check.

Sharp, for a Gun - How clever are they? How smart? How physically sharp? Primarily concerned with wits and knowledge but can be taken literally.

Just a Little Bit Mean - Are you an angry gun? Intimidating? Short-tempered? This covers all of those and anything else you can imagine!

I’ve Been Around- How much have you travelled? Been a lot of places, learned a lot of things? A measure of worldly knowledge—wisdom concerning the world’s workings and ability to find things. It’s even used for reading people.

Good in a Fight - Maybe you’re more brawn than brain. Usable for a fist-fight or perhaps intimidation—maybe even sizing someone up?

Light on my Toes - How fast are you? How good at sneaking? This could even cover maintaining footing or balancing on unsteady surfaces.

Characters

With the focus on Asymmetry throughout MARKED&MADE games, characters, playbooks, and their abilities are never identical. There may be some similarities in thematic or mechanical through-lines, but the abilities themselves are not designed in a frame of “making sure we can do the same things but in different ways”. Instead, there is an aim to achieve levels of power over the world of relative equal capability.

In GUN&SLINGER specifically, this manifests as an independence from the Duo’s characters and players without making the connection pointless.

Additionally, the Characters and their Players engage with the game’s core systems differently. These are the keys you should focus on when designing Characters for MARKED&MADE games.

The Gun

• Can interact directly with the world by utilizing Magic. They can move physical things, talk to inanimate objects, and gauge emotions.

• Can move on their own by Blinking; they flip the Deck’s top card and teleport that many feet.

• Spends points of Connection to use their special powers granted by Runes and Symbols and Rest or spend Singles to regain points of Connection.

Connection Strength

While you can work Magic, your powers aren’t limitless—at least not at first. You begin with Limited Magical strength growing stronger as you accumulate Advancements. Here are the levels, along with their capabilities:

Limited: Basic Magic for very simple things. Unlock a door, create a distraction, overload an electronic device, extinguish a light

Complex: Complicated Magic of greater scope. Create an effective illusion, operate tech or magic devices, see the unseen.

Substantial: The strongest, permits larger scale, complex Magic but likely requires a Check. Catch a falling building, Blink with others.

Abilities

The Gun’s abilities are an extension of themselves and their Magic. They start with 1 abilities and spend 1 Connection to activate it.

Agent of Trickery: Pick a random card from the Deck. Its value is how many seconds the (visible) target is shielded from any damage. If a face card is drawn, put it at the bottom and redraw.

Agent of Fury: Pick a random card from the Deck. The card’s value is a pool you divide between targets and distance (in feet). Targets nominated begin to supernaturally heat. If flammable, they ignite If a face card is drawn, put it at the bottom and redraw.

Agent of Peace: Pick a random card from the Deck. Its value is how many seconds the (visible) target is shielded from any damage. If a face card is drawn, put it at the bottom and redraw.

The Slinger

• Is marked by The Twist, transforming them and granting a darker form of messed-up magic to perform.

• Can spend points of Twist to change the world and them selves, or to dig deep into the truth of things.

Twist-touched nature

You use Twist to protect yourself, utilize your Words and activate special abilities. As your Twist track fills you lose yourself to the Twist, never to be freed. Transform into a monster, abandoning the Gun. This is, functionally, permanent death.

You can remove marked Twist by:

• Resting removes ½ your Twist.

• Performing Selfless acts removes 1 Twist.

• Spending 2 Braids removes 1 Twist.

Senses

You have a sense that others don’t. What is it?

• A Sense for Weather

• A Sense for Magic

• A Sense for Evil

Etched Words

An ancient word is etched into your mind. What is it? This is a word that reflects, predicts and aids you. Use it by gaining 1 Twist. The use’s form is mutable and determined when used.

• A Word of Guidance

• A Word of Hiding

• A Word of Courage

• A Word of Fear

• A Word of Rage

• A Word of Hope

Abilities

The Slinger’s abilities are grated by The Twist. They deepen their connection to this malevolent force in order to perform strange feats of Magic. They start with 1 abilities and spend 1 Connection to activate it.

A Lucky One: When placing yourself in danger, you may pay with two mismatched Cards from your Hand, their total is a pool of points to improve checks until exhausted or danger passes.

Now You Don’t: Pick a random card from the Deck, its value is the number of minutes you can turn invisible for—you still make noise. If you draw a face card, put it at the bottom and redraw.

Desperate Gambit: You and the Maestro (or other Player) each place a card from your Hand face-down, then reveal them. If yours has a higher value, you succeed at the current check and draw a card. Both spent cards are discarded.

Braids & Progression

Braids represent character and Player growth. In GUN&SLINGER a Braid is a physical object your experiences created combining Twist, Magic and knowledge. These are a MARKED&MADE game’s experience points and the key to character advancement.

Braids are gained when a player acts according to their Agendas and Runes, by completing noteworthy tasks, doing cool shit and failing checks.

• You always gain a Braid when failing a check.

• The Maestro may give you Braids as they see fit. (In GM-less, give Braids when characters lean into their Runes and Agendas).

• At the end of a session, answer the following together and mark a Braid for each yes:

  • Did you barely make it out alive?

  • Did your legend grow?

  • Did you create avoidable trouble for yourself?

  • Did you learn the world’s deeper secrets?

Braids are Spent to not only grow the Character, but to change the World around them. Spend Braids to:

5 Braids:

• Create a new Trinket or Tool. Where’s it from? What does it do? How does it change you?

• Declare a new fact about the surrounding world

10 Braids:

• Give yourself a new stat, starting at 0. How does it reflect you changing? What does it mean?

• Grant yourself a new Ability, Move, or other Character-specific capability.

  • Either select one from the character’s list or create a new one.

15 Braids:

• Raise a stat by 1 (maximum 3). How was that aspect strengthened?

Additionally, the Characters themselves have unique ways they can spend Braids.

The Gun can spend Braids to:

• Strengthen their Connection. Advancement costs are:

  • Limited to Complex: 10 Braids. Complex to Substantial: 15 Braids

• Gain a new Rune. The cost is current Runes + 2.

The Slinger can spend braids to:

• Gain a new sense. The cost is curren Senses + 2.

• Raise their Twist Capacity. The cost is current Capacity + 3.

• Remove Twist marks. 2 Braids per Mark.

• Discover a new Word. The cost is current Words + 1.

The Twist

In GUN&SLINGER, The Twist is a truly otherworldly force of terror and aggression on the world. While it’s mostly a setting element, I’m including it in the SRD because the things it brings to games can be so varied thematically and its affect through tone so deep that it should be read about and considered as you work on your own projects!

The Twist’s force crawls across the land, left behind and forgotten by whatever ate the sky. It touches, claims and mutates what it wants or, perhaps, needs. It’s hard to discern if it has a real goal, runs on instinct or, perhaps, something worse. Its goals and their manifestations are discovered and formed through play.

It’s on every planet in this cluster, taking many forms. It possesses and manipulates anything: organic, inorganic, sapient or otherwise—it doesn’t matter. It takes and reshapes things to fit its desires whether a swarm of rats, a bandit leader or a monstrous human/venus fly trap hybrid, you decide.

In play, you have free reign to create your own creatures and Twist manifestations. The Twist and Twist-Touched should be difficult, interesting encounters keeping everyone on their toes. Thanks to how MARKED&MADE games work, Twist creatures don’t require stats and their appearance and abilities are infinitely flexible. They could be an entire species or type, singular unique creatures or, even, recurring baddies.

The Twist has been used as a representative aspect for many different things throughout GUN&SLINGER and it expansions as well as in my own home games, and it serves as a great vessel as well as an antagonistic force, and at least twice it’s been a more-personified piece of the world.

The Thing That Hunts

The Thing That Hunts is one of The Maestro’s biggest tools. In GUN&SLINGER it’s something sent by The Twist, but it could be characterized as anything. The important thing about it is that it is summoned when The Maestro plays one of their two Jokers and it should always make a big impact.

The Thing That Hunts, a constant threat and antagonist, creates pressure and raises the stakes simply by existing. During setup, you’ll roughly sketch its nature and expand it through play.

Almost everything about this entity is unique to your game but it always connects the Slinger, Gun, and Twist. It isn’t strictly the Twist’s agent but it’s always malicious.

It’s a threat and should feel like one.

The Jokers

The Jokers represent what’s hunting the Players and are powerful, strange and dangerous.: Twist incarnate. When a Joker is played, The Thing That Hunts enters the current scene. Like Face Cards, Jokers are played as singles—The Thing That Hunts can appear twice per session. Its nature and presentation are mutable but it’s always an imminent threat and a source of concern, if not fear.

Think of Jokers as a pacing tool—serving as an obvious, omnipresent threat and fantastic tension. By no means are you required to use them every session; instead, bring “the big monster” in for impactful or interesting moments. At times, I’ve found it’s good to use one Joker to foreshadow instead of directly materializing the threat. For example, a storm builds on the horizon and closes in, playing the second Joker when it bears down on top of them.

The Thing That Hunts is like a TV Show’s Big Bad Threat: if it shows up every episode, it’s increasingly harder to make the major threat actually mean anything to the audience. It’s another tool—and a very strong one at that—so use it mindfully!

Writing Adventures

There are two things that make a GUN&SLINGER or MARKED&MADE adventure: A cool idea or theme and a list of questions the table needs to answer before getting started. Really, the key here is the questions. With how these games want everyone at the table to effect the world, having players add their own unique spin on key aspects of an adventure’s story is a must.

Beyond that, adventures themselves can be presented as simply or involved as you want. For my part, the included scenarios for GUN&SLINGER are as simple as a short summary of the idea, typically two paragraphs at most, and then a list of questions about key details. In home games, I’ve gone as far as to outline a whole dungeon while keeping room for things to change depending on how some questions get answered.

When you write an adventure, you’re free to reference key aspects of GUN&SLINGER’s setting.

FAQ

Have any questions? Let us know!