Robbers' Roost Redux

It's been 9 years since Robbers' Roost released. BANG! has added new expansions (and spin offs, dice games), forcing a revision of Robbers' Roost if it's to remain compatible and distinct. Some cards are too similar to official expansion cards (Tomahawk), orange borders conflict with the orange borders of Armed and Dangerous cards, other cards or abilities are too devastating when put in conjunction with Gold Rush rules (Bulldog).

Integration elements aside, I've evaluated flaws in Robbers' Roost, both imbalances and confusing aspects of it. This has forced a rehaul of Robbers' Roost.

One positive is that years later we have printer on demand (POD) providers that can print the BANG! card size. Before you had to (a) sleeve extra BANG! cards, and slide the paper print outs inside the sleeves, or (b) arduously get a custom print deck and cut off excess length. Now, I can provide updated files and you can print them off at thegamecrafter.com in the BANG! card format. Yes, the colors won't match 100%, but it shouldn't be much of a problem as you cannot infer much from it (frankly, official BANG!'s own cards between the different expansions have color variances too, and that doesn't make me detect elements unfairly). I consider this an exciting development.

I put my order in today with rehauled Robber's Roost -- it just ships in 1 month (such is wait during COVID-19). I want to see the production quality of it, and see how I did on the borders with the edge of the cards. If all is well, I'll provide a step by step guide with files to create your own project and order a copy.

Here I'll break down the updates in the following order: (1) aesthetic updates, (2) general gameplay updates, and (3) card updates (which includes 2 new cards -- Flee and Duke Out). These updates will carry over into the cards and rulebook.

1. AESTHETIC ADJUSTMENTS

To update and future proof Robbers' Roost, I've reworked the borders of the new card types. Prior orange cards are now called "interrupts", and adopt a gun metal color with the streaks cut through the border to distinguish them. This should keep them from getting confused with Armed and Dangerous cards. Purple cards are now "windups", retain their purple color but have a barbed wire overlay. I'm tempted to make these colorless so I won't have to revisit color again in the future... I updated the icons on the 2 modules, adopting a pocket watch for the windup module ("That'll be the Day"), and a masked bandit for the interrupts module ("Dying Ain't Living"). The pocket watch divider for the windups was also reworked. On many cards, I updated the art and/or the name of the card (if it was used in a different expansion).

2. GENERAL GAMEPLAY UPDATES

a. Windup ("That'll be the Day") module:

No adjustments, but clarifications for windups for existing official characters and cards:

Vulture Sam: If a player is eliminated with windups in play, those cards are drawn into his hand.

Pedro Ramirez: Windups are resolved immediately after the drawing phase, so he cannot pick up his own expired windups with his ability.

Pat Brennan: Can pick up windups before the latent effect is resolved.

Mick Defender: his ability extends to windups, but to their initial effects only. Once in play, he cannot avoid the latent effects.

Ms. Abigail: can ignore the effects of windups with values J, Q, K, and A (royals) if she is the only target.

Lee Van Kliff: May play BANG! to repeat initial effect of a windup. The latent effect is not repeated

Cat Balou/Panic! style cards (inc. Whip/Squaw): Can steal and discard windups.

b. Interrupt ("Dying Ain't Living") module:

Clarifications for interrupt cards for existing official characters and cards:

Jesse Jones/Flint Westwood: Jesse/Flint cannot directly target an extra interrupt card. It is taken into hand, shuffled and randomly selected.

Molly Stark: She gains a card for playing interrupts out of turn. Substitutions used in turn provide no such gain.

Black Flower: Can use interrupts of clubs as extra BANG!.

Elena Fuente/Doc Holyday/Sid Ketchum/Porter Rockwall: Interrupts can fulfill card discard requirements.

Belle Star: Interrupts are not considered in play and so are not affected by her ability.

Suzy Lafayette: So that interrupts do not overly handicap Suzy, she may always use an interrupt’s substitution function. Thus, if she had a Volcanic in play, an interrupt’s BANG! substition could be leveraged.

Gameplay changes:

Interrupts adjust hand size limit rules, so that every player is allowed 1 extra card to their limit, as long as that card is an interrupt. This is indicated by an interrupt card (and only 1) being stored face down in the “in play” area, although still considered part of one’s hand. Once face down, this card is locked until used or discarded, when it is revealed. To consult the card, set the rest of your hand down before reading the interrupt.

The interrupt cannot re-enter the rest of your hand except when your hand is targeted for stealing (Panic!) or discarding (Cat Balou). In that case, add it to your hand, shuffle your cards, and let a card be chosen. If not stolen or discarded, set the interrupt back down.

Substitutions may be used (but are not required) for the following roles at the following times:

• An Outlaw when he is the last of his team remaining.
• A Sheriff when there are no Deputies or Renegades remaining.
• A Renegade when there are no more Outlaws or other Renegades, or only 2 players are remaining.

3. Specific Card Changes 

PLAYING CARDS

Ambush: Reworded and changed requirement to play.

Prior: "When a player attacks someone besides yourself, play this card to bang! the attacker."

Now: "When another player bangs! any other player but you, play this card and discard another to bang! the attacker."

Notes: "Besides yourself" could be confused as adjacent to, which was not the intent. Added activation cost for Ambush to align with the activation cost for Buffalo Rifle for the infinite reach of Ambush.

Artillery: Updated art.

Back Up: Tightened text, same meaning.

Prior: "When another player uses a card or ability to avoid an attack aimed at himself, you may play this card to fire a BANG! at that player if he is in range."

Now: "When another player cancels a bang!, play to fire a BANG! at that player if they're in range. For this card, they're seen at a distance -1."

Notes: Aligned it with current "cancellation" language of BANG!. Made it easier for team mates to work together with slight sight modification. 

Bandage: No change. Added symbol for the card to discard to play it.

Bronco: Slight immaterial rewording and art clean up.

Bulldog: Rebalanced. 

Prior: "You may discard a BANG! and another card to Gatling."

Now: "Once a turn, you can discard BANG! and another card to bang! all players in range."

Notes: "Once a turn" so not too many hits are delivered per turn. With Gold Rush rules, this was getting obscene. "All players in range" further limits it. It's a weaker Gatling, only able to hit by default players seen in distance 2.

Cannon: No change.

Confiscate: Updated art.

Disarm: Rebalanced.

Prior: Initial. Provides a missed! Latent. Discard a card from your attacker.

Now: Initial. Provides a missed! Latent. Discard a random card from the attacker's hand.

Notes: "Random card from the attacker's hand" makes it a more limited, but responsive Cat Balou. It was too powerful before.

**Duke Out: New Card. This card is similar to Duel, but the result is not loss of a life point, but a card in play (which is gained by the victor). The cards discarded are non-BANG! cards (you don't duke it out with gun shots!).

Text: "A target player discards a non-BANG! card, then you, etc. First player failing to discard loses a card they have in play to the victor, victor’s choice."

NOTE: Removed a Panic! from the RR deck as a result of this.

**Flee: New Card. This is a "run away" card; a temporary sight modifier. It gives the Missed! and increases your distance so that subsequent attacks in the round you may be harder to hit. However, as a result on your turn you will find it harder to shoot others as well.

Text: Initial. Provides a Missed!. Others see you at a distance +1 (unit your next turn). Latent. This turn you see all other players at a distance +1.

NOTE: Removed a Missed! from the RR deck as a result of this. 

Fur Trade: Added clearer text, so that there was no question of who would draw the cards.

Prior: Initial. Swap a card in play in front of you for a card in play in front of another. Latent. Both of you draw 1 card.

Now: Initial. Swap a card in play in front of you for a card in play in front of another. Latent. You and that player traded with draw a card.

Gaping Wound: Slight wording change. Now titled "Bleed Out."

Hit Me: No change.

Investment: Changed symbol in initial effect to remove confusion.

James Dougall: No change. This card is still sufficiently differentiated from other shotgun type cards that have come out since in Valley of Shadows and Armed and Dangerous.

Join Arms: Reworded.

Prior. "When a player fires a BANG!, play this card and discard another to shoot a BANG! at his target if he is in range. If you kill that player, split the potential spoils: both draw 2 cards."

Now. "If a player plays a BANG!, and their target’s in range, play this card and discard another to shoot a BANG! at the target. If you kill that player, split any spoils: both draw 2 cards."

Loan: Added clarificatory text.

Prior: Initial. Give a card from your hand to another player. Latent. Take 2 cards from that player's hand.

Now: Initial. Give a card from your hand to another player. Latent. Take 2 cards at random from that player's hand.

Molotov Cocktail: Renamed as Molotov.

Moonshine: Rebalanced.

Prior: Initial. Lose a life point. Latent. Gain 2 life points and draw a card.

Now: Initial. Lose a life point and draw a card. Latent. Gain 2 life points.

Notes: Offset the initial sacrifice and risk one took while one could have the card swapped/stolen/discarded by having the player draw the extra card in the initial phase.

On the House: Updated art.

Pay Day: Convert symbols in latent effect to text to clearly mean, "All other players draw a card" (It's not a mass Panic!).

Push: Significantly reworked. Defensive or offensive card depending on context.

Prior: When a player seen within distance 2 is about to take a hit, you may play this card to push him out of harm’s way.

Now: When another player is banged!, play Push to draw a card and either provide a missed! if they're adjacent; or have a player to you and them get banged! instead.

NOTES: In the latter case, this means the original bang! is redirected to hit the pushed play (you pushed them into the way of the bullet). Adjacency and next to was meant to circumvent some of the distance constraint impacts from Hideout, Mustang and Bronco.

Q&A: Rebalanced.

Prior: Initial. Provides a missed!. Latent. Your attacker is banged!.

Now: Initial. Provides a missed!. Latent. If the attacker is in range, they are banged!.

NOTE: The attack is still affected by sight constraints.

Quick Draw: Reworded to clarify what does contribute to the hand limit.

Prior: Play after a player uses a card. Unless he discards a BANG!, he must place the card sideways in front of him and cannot use it until his next turn. It does contribute to his card limit.

Now: Play when a player uses a card. Unless he discards a BANG!, he must set the card aside, unable to use it until his next turn. If a hand card, it still contributes to his card limit.

NOTE: The intent was not for cards in play to suddenly contribute to a hand limit.

Rob: Clarified to original intent.

Prior: Steal a card from a player's hand.

Now: Steal a card at random from a player’s hand.

NOTE: Intent was not for card to be of robber's choice.

Dive: Renamed as Get Down! with new art. Didn't make sense to me that you could dive distance 2, so rethemed it to you warning someone of danger with no distance constraints. That no longer made sense for taking a hit, so that function was moved to the Push card instead.

Prior: "When a player you see within distance 2 is going to take a hit, play Dive to take the hit for him. Draw a card from the deck."

Now: "When a player is about to take a hit, you may play this card and discard another as a Missed! on their behalf."

NOTE: Functions as a Missed! for another player.

Standoff: No change.

Taunt: Reworked to restrict cheating possibilities.

Prior: "Force the player whose turn it is to attack you if he can."

Now: "Force the player whose turn it is to attack you if he can. If he cannot, retain Taunt."

NOTE: Taunt as written before led itself too much to cheating to waste the Taunt. While I recognize all board gaming has some reliance on an honor system, it's good to reduce the reliance on it. Now the player can retain Taunt, and if the target draws a card in the middle of the turn, he can play it again, so he can't "claim he had no BANG!, but does have it now" and so shoots another player. 

Tomahawk: Renamed as Kick with new art. Tomahawk exists as its own card in Valley of Shadows.

Toss: Slight changes.

Prior: Give a card you have in play or in your hand to a player seen within distance 2.

Now: Give a card you have in play or in your hand to a player seen within distance 3. You cannot toss a Jail in play.

NOTE: Cannot use Toss to put someone else in Jail when it has been placed on you. Lengthened distance of Toss.  

Track Down: Added clarificatory text.

Prior: "Play on top of a player’s Mustang, Hideout, or other defensive sight modifier. Its effect is negated until that player discards 2 cards during his turn to remove Track Down."

Now: "Play in front of any player to decrease the distance by which they are seen by 1. The target may discard 2 cards during their turn to remove Track Down."

NOTE: Sight modification was intended regardless of whether or not a sight modifier was in play. Now it's an inverse of Bronco.

Warpath: No change.

CHARACTER CARDS

Anne Rogers: Reworded.

Original: "At the start of her turn, Anne can copy the effect of a blue card in front of another player, so that it is as if she possesses its benefit. At the start of her next turn, this benefit disappears."

Now: "At the start of her turn, Anne copies the effect of a blue or orange card in front of another player, as if she now has it in play. This lasts until her next turn."

NOTE: Broadened to incorporate Dangerous cards.

Crazy Wolf. Changed to Crazy Bull -- nothing wolf-like about the ox mask. Slightly nerfed.

Original: "When attacked he may discard a card from his hand to avoid the hit. Add the value of the card played against him with the value of the card he discards. If this value is greater or equal to 13, it counts as a Missed!; 17, a Dodge; 20, a Missed! and a BANG! against his attacker."

Now: "When attacked he may discard a card from his hand. Add the card’s value played against him with the card’s value he discarded. If ≥ 13, it counts as a Missed!; 17, a Dodge; 20, a Missed! and a BANG! against his attacker (if in range)."

NOTE: Rulebook clarifies values are blackjack rules -- K, Q, J = 10; A = 11. BANG! against attacker requires attacker be in range.

Eva Place: Rebalanced.

Prior: 4 LP. "She may lay a trap once on her turn: put a brown or green card face down in front of Eva and turn it sideways. If a player acts against Eva, she must flip a trap over and the card immediately affects that player. She may have 2 traps out, but only 1 trap activates at a time, her choice."

Now: 3 LP. "She may lay a trap once on her turn, placing a brown or green attack card face down in front of her and turning it sideways. 2 traps can be out at a time. If a player acts against Eva, she may reveal 1 trap. Use and discard it."

NOTE: Several nerfs occurred here as she was a brutal Sheriff. Notably, her health dropped and only attack cards can be laid as traps (more in line with the nature of a trap). BANG! no longer can affect at any distance. However, her trap activation is now her decision, versus necessarily occurring. 

Flint Dixon: added clarificatory language.

Original: "Whenever Flint plays a BANG!, he chooses whether his target must discard a BANG! or a missed! to avoid it. Barrel still may be utilized to avoid his shot."

Now: "Whenever he plays a BANG!, he chooses whether his target must discard cards with bang! or missed! to cancel it."

NOTE: Barrel/Jourdonnais' ability can still cancel it; I just didn't put it on the text. Saved for rulebook.

Job Musgrove. Clarified values of royal cards.

Johnny Pope. Reworded.

Original: "Once per turn, he may lose a life point and either give it to a player or make a player “draw!” On reds, Johnny steals a card from him. On blacks, that player must use 2 cards with missed symbols or lose a life point."

Now: "Once a turn, he may lose a life point and either give it to a player or make a player “draw!” On reds, Johnny steals a card from him. On blacks, that player must supply 2 missed! or lose a life point."

Josey Bassett: adjusted to make her slightly more interesting.

Original: "If Josey does not play any cards during her turn, she can draw 2 extra cards at the end of her playing phase. She can always hold as many cards in her hand as her max health."

Now: "If Josey plays no cards, or only puts cards in play (blue, green, etc.), she can draw 2 extra cards at the end of her playing phase. Her hand size limit always equals her max health."

NOTE: Josey can create a really efficient hand, but it was brutal for her to do nothing and be subject to targeted attacks, cat balous, etc. She was simply too boring to play. This offsets that some. It is a passive turn, but not a necessarily ineffectual one. 

Julie Bulette. Changed slightly.

Original: "Once on her turn, Julie may discard a card that she has in play or in her hand to draw a card. If it is a diamond, she may do so again, but Julie must show the card as proof."

Now: "Once on her turn, Julie may discard a card she has in play or in her hand to draw a card. If a diamond, she may reveal the drawn card to discard and draw 1 more card."

NOTE: Second draw also involves a discard. Her ability is all about hand efficiency. Her diamond bonus only occurs once on a turn.

Laura Billion: Changed when she draws the bonus cards.

Prior: "After she uses a green or brown card, or her purple card expires, place the card in a stack in front of her. At the end of her turn, she bids on a color: red or black. “Draw!” If correct, she selects 2 and draws them into her hand at her next drawing phase."

Now: "Instead of discarding her used green, brown, or purple cards, stack them by her. During her next draw phase, she bids on red or black. “Draw!” If correct, she selects 2 to draw, and discards the rest."

Lela Devere: Slight nerf.

Original: Whenever she would hit a player (except with Indians!), Lela may choose to steal a card from that player instead. The card may either be in that player’s hand or in play.

Now: "When she bangs! and would hit a player(s), she may draw a card from them instead of them taking the hit(s). The drawn card may be from the hard or in play."

NOTE: Doesn't apply with Arrow, Bleed Out, etc.

Lil' Sure Shot: Reworded.

Original: She carries 2 guns by default (2 Colt .45), and can fire both on her turn. She can play 2 gun cards, even if they are duplicates. Once she has 2 gun cards in play, only 1 BANG! is needed to fire both.

Now: She carries 2 guns by default, and can fire both on her turn. She can play 2 gun cards, even duplicates. Once she has 2 gun cards in play, she only needs to play 1 BANG! to fire both.

Maggie Mae. No change. 

Pat Barrett: Changed name and art to "Bill Hickmann", my gunslinger ancestor. Reworded ability:

Original: "Whenever a card is played or used against Pat that targets him alone, and resolved, he may immediately discard a card of the same color to draw that card from the discard pile."

Now: "After a card played exclusively against Bill is discarded, he may immediately swap 1 of his cards of the same color with the card in the discard pile."

Porter Rockwall: Reworded due to confusions.

Original: "He may discard 2 cards to produce a defensive or offensive BANG! directed at any player, regardless of distance. When he creates an offensive BANG!, it does contribute to his BANG! limit."

Now: "He may discard 2 cards to discard a BANG! or play a BANG! at any player, regardless of distance. This BANG! contributes to his BANG! limit."

NOTE: Made it more clear this can be used in Duel or Indians! if he lacks a BANG! card. Offensive/defensive language was confusing to some. 

Turd Ferguson: Slight changes to ease tracking. Adjusted wording.

Prior: "Once per round, Turd has a free Missed! that does not add to his card limit. Turn Turd sideways to indicate when he has this Missed!. When it is used, turn him back to the normal vertical position. These Missed! do not stockpile."

Now: "At the start of his turn, he gains a free Missed! that doesn’t add to his hand size limit. Turn Turd sideways to track if this Missed! is used. On his next turn, orient him vertically to refresh this Missed!. These Missed! do not stack. 

Queen Anne. Rebalanced.

Prior: She may discard a BANG! with another card to discard a card from any player at distance 2.

Now: Once on her turn, she may discard 2 of her cards (in play or in hand) to discard a card from any player.

NOTE: Her ability is now more efficient and in line with Pat Brennan's.

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These are a lot of changes to soak in. I'm wrapping up a rulebook that you can enjoy soon.