Subject: TexArcane
From: [email-masked] (David Johnston)
Date: Wed Jun 01 06:20:00 EST 1994

TexArcane is based on a distorted version of the American West as 
portrayed in spaghetti westerns, with the addition of a heaping dollop of 
the supernatural. 

Magic 10:  The cosm has enough magical energy to support ghosts, 
goblins, vampires and zombies.  Almost all skilled magic users belong 
to the Red Men but there are a few whites who dabble with no real 
understanding of what they are doing. 

Social 10:  Almost all of the different towns are isolated, with no 
reliable means of communication or transportation between them.  They 
are generally ruled by petty tyrants of varying degrees of benevolence 
or cruelty, a few of whom actually manage to carve out tiny little 
empires, which are generally shortlived because of the Law of Challenge. 

Spiritual 11:  Miraculous objects are rare, and once again, most belong 
to the Red Men.  However, White Men priests can still be very 
powerful in their own right. 

Technological 19:  Because of the low Social axiom, many technologies 
are only possible in theory, they are never build.  Revolvers are fairly 
advanced and effective as is medicine.  Telephones and railroads 
required a social basis that is simply unavailable, but there are some 
steam river boats.  The internal combustion engine is nothing more than 
a novelty. 

World Laws: 

The Law of Challenge:  No matter where you go, there can only be one 
top dog.  Any possibility rated character who stays for more than a day 
or two in a place is a threat to whoever runs things, whether it's a 
Sheriff, banker, judge, sorcerer, or mayor.  Unless the P-rated character 
clearly concedes a dominant position to the local strongman, for 
example by letting himself be hired, or agreeing to hand over his gun for 
the duration of his stay, he can only stay for a day or two before his very 
existence creates conflict.  Old grudges flare up, buried disatisfaction 
comes to the surface, greed begins to see opportunity.  P-Rated 
characters may resist this to some extent, but will be bombarded with 
appeals, bribes and conspiracies from the Ords of the town.     

The Law of Undeath:  Anyone who dies with "unfinished" business, 
including not being properly buried will be trapped on this plane of 
existence.  Ghosts are immaterial beings with no capacity to commit 
physical harm, but may learn magic, and generally have a potent ability 
to intimidate the living. 

The Law of Tension:  Intimidation and Test attempts are at a +3 bonus 
and ghosts gain another +3 when dealing with the living.