Shotgun Firing Template for TRWNN

by Dave Markley

Shotguns: everyone likes them, but can they be a pain in the a__

To me, an awkward part of Brian Ansell's Rules with No Name Western Gunfight Rules is the shotgun rules. However, with 30 minutes of time and two dollars worth of materials one can construct a very serviceable shotgun firing template. This template is easy to use and provides a visual aid to using the shotgun rules.

Building the template

The materials for this project are:

  1. A wooden yardstick (often available for free at sewing or hardware (DIY) stores)
  2. A piece of thin plexiglass or other transparent plastic (I used a piece salvaged from an old poster frame)
  3. A two inch long bolt with matching nut and three washers
  4. Carpenters wood glue (or white glue)
  5. Red and black marking pens
  6. A straightedge 18 inches long
  7. A small saw
  8. A drill and bits
  9. Small screws and screwdriver (optional).
    10.

The first step is to cut the arms form the yardstick. Cut a 16 inch piece from the yardstick. This piece is the LOS and support arm. Then cut an 11 inch piece to form the crossbar. Cut two 3 inch pieces and one about 7 inches long. These pieces support the cross arm so should be adjusted to match the width of the yardstick.

Next step is to cut the moveable arm from the plexiglass. This arm should be 19 inches long and shaped as shown in the figure. I cut a large rectangle using the score and snap method then used a craft saw to cut out the narrow portion. Drill a hole in the centerline of the plexiglass arm 2 inch from the wide end. This hole should be bigger than the bolt diameter to allow the arm to swing freely. If the support arm does not have a hole at one end then drill hole 2 inch from each end and along the centerline.

At this point it is easier to mark the arms. On the cross arm mark one inch intervals from the center to the left edge with a red marker and to the right with the black marker. Then number these lines 1 to 5. I drew a line along the centerline of the cross arm that forms a cross at each interval. On the clear arm, starting at the wide end mark a line across the arm at 2 inch, 3 2 inches, 6 2 inches and 9 2 inches. I used red for these lines. Using the straightedge draw the centerline of the arm. Then draw two lines each 1 inch from the centerline and lining up with the 2 inch wide portion of the swing arm. Now label the various sections as shown in the figure.

The fourth step is to glue the cross arm to the support arm. I made a sandwich making the cross arm three layers thick where it joined to the support arm. If you desire you can take some short screws and fasten the cross arm to the support arm to reinforce the joint. I used four screws.

The last step is to connect the clear swing arm to the support arm. The order I used was bolt, swing arm two washers, support arm, washer, nut. Tighten the nut enough to hold the swing arm in place but still allow movement. I used two washers under the swing arm to raise the height above the support arm to match the cross arm.

The template in action

To use the shotgun firing template first place the end of the bolt over the firing figure=s head or just in front of the figure. Center the other end of the template over the target figure. Now roll a black and red d6. Subtract the difference between the two dice and move the swing arm along the cross arm in the direction of the greater die to the difference. For example, red is 3 and black is 5. Swing the arm so that the centerline is over the black 2 line. Any figure underneath the swing arm takes the appropriate number of hits depending on which section they are underneath. Roll on the damage table per a normal gunshot. If the figure fires the second barrel then repeat the process. To simplify the process, we usually ignore any figures beyond the 18 inch range of the swing arm.

For photographs of the template in action, click here or here.

Although we rarely see a La Mat pistol or one handed scattergun in our games, the template can be used for these weapons. Simply place the short end of the support arm over the firing figure and use a string or straight edge to mark the deviation from the red/black die rolls. You could make a 9 inch swing arm and attach to the short end of the support arm to have a template to cover any circumstance.

At short ranges, shotguns are deadly in TRWNN. With the ease of use coming from a shotgun firing template more of your characters will opt for using this very popular firearm. Thus adding to the mayhem in your Wild West.

May you always roll more sixes than ones,

Dave