These optional rules for creating Coyote Trail characters add a little more depth to their lives and personalities. Feel free to adjust them to fit your needs and play style. The Coyote Trail Expanded Edition PDF or Softcover is required for some gimmicks and skills.
Divide ten (10) points among abilities. Allocate an extra one to four points for more heroic games.
Roll on the Early Education table for the character’s background a number of times equal to half the roll of one die (round down). Increase the level of the indicated skill by one. This represents skills learned during the character’s youth.
Roll on the Higher Education table for the character’s background a number of times equal to the roll of one die. Increase the level of the indicated skill by one. This represents skills learned during the character’s schooling years.
Roll on the Early Employment table a number of times equal to the roll of one die, up to a maximum number equal to the value listed below for the character’s background. Increase the level of the indicated skill by one. This represents skills learned during the character’s early adult life.
Choose character vocation. Allocate twenty-five (25) points among skills. Non-vocational skills require the double the amount to be allocated to them. Allocate an extra five to ten for more heroic games.
Note all gimmicks required by the chosen vocation. Optional gimmicks may be chosen for the character, but each one reduces an ability by one (1) point or a skill by three (3) points. Detrimental and corruptive gimmicks provide one (1) extra point for abilities or three (3) for skills. A required virtuous gimmick may be dropped if a corruptive one is chosen in its place.
Roll one die and consult the table below. Then roll on the Events table, referencing the appropriate column.
| | Roll | | | War | | | Crime | | | Travel | | | Politics | | | Faith | |
| | 1 | | | Promotion: character gains the military rank gimmick | | | Falsely accused: character gains the criminal gimmick | | | World tour: character gains the multilingual gimmick (choose a selection of common languages) | | | U.S. marshall, commissioner, or judge: character gains the federal authority gimmick | | | Spiritual leader: character gains the famous and pious gimmicks (natives gain the spiritual guidance gimmick) | |
| | 2 | | | Advanced training: allocate five extra points among athletics, brawling, firearms, composure, and survival | | | Suspected criminal: character gains the infamous gimmick | | | American tour: allocate five extra points among general knowledge, legends, streetwise, and western lore | | | State marshall, governor, congressman, or judge: character gains the territorial authority gimmick | | | Spiritual seeker: character gains the pious, compassionate, or charitable gimmick | |
| | 3 | | | Decorated: character gains the famous gimmick | | | Victim: character gains the intolerant gimmick (he is intolerant towards the nationality, vocation, or social class that perpetrated the crime) | | | Stage accident: character receives the ugly gimmick | | | Local magistrate, sheriff, committeeman, or mayor: character gains the town authority gimmick | | | Missionary: character gains the overzealous gimmick | |
| | 4 | | | Wounded in action: character gains the clumsy, poor hearing, or reduced stamina gimmick | | | Serial killer: character gains the sadist gimmick | | | Sought comfort: character receives the alcoholic or opium addict gimmick | | | Major contributor: character has a major U.S. politician as a connection | | | False prophet: character gains the greedy or lecherous gimmick | |
| | 5 | | | Traumatized: character gains the cowardly gimmick | | | Accomplished thief: character gains the wealth gimmick | | | Tribal stay: character gains the tribal distinction gimmick | | | Major contributor: character has a major state politician as a connection | | | Dabbler of the occult: character gains the superstitious gimmick | |
| | 6 | | | Court-martialed: character gains the infamous gimmick | | | Former member of a gang: character gains the enemies gimmick | | | Tribal attack: character gains the intolerant gimmick (he is intolerant towards natives) | | | Disgraced congressman, judge, or cabinet member: character gains the infamous gimmick | | | Outlawed faith: character gains the criminal gimmick | |
These optional rules for creating Coyote Trail characters add a little more depth to their lives and personalities. Feel free to adjust them to fit your needs and play style. The Coyote Trail Expanded Edition PDF or Softcover is required for some gimmicks and skills.
