From MmpApps Corp, the D6++ Wild West is a self-contained TTRPG that has launched with a free quick start and adventure.
The core rules cost $15 and set the scene for a fast and gritty adventure. For those who want to sample before buying, the Quick Start is available for free download and comprises 70 pages.
The free guide provides the necessary rules to play the introductory adventure, Blood & Deeds, and sets out to add tactical depth to a familiar ruleset.
I’ve taken a look at the Quick Start, and here’s a first impression walk-through without a playtest for support.
System Mechanics
D6++ Wild West is, as its name suggests, an enhanced version of the D6 system. The core resolution mechanic involves rolling a pool of six-sided dice, sometimes with additional ‘pips’, to meet or exceed a Target Number (TN). The system also incorporates an ‘Open Ended Die’, a d20 rolled alongside every check. A roll of 20 results in an open ended success, allowing the player to roll all their dice again and add to the total, while a 1 results in a mishap determined by the GM.
At the centre of the system are skills derived from a character’s nine attributes. Players invest points into broader ‘Skill Groups’ rather than individual skills, meaning that related abilities improve simultaneously. For instance, improving the Physical Skill Group raises both the Strength-based Athletics and the Agility-based Acrobatics.
Character Creation and Backgrounds
Character creation follows a straightforward process. A player first chooses a Background, which provides thematic flavour, starting equipment, and mechanical bonuses like free dice in certain skill groups. The quickstart includes six such backgrounds: Army Medic, Outlaw, Outlaw Leader, Sheriff, Sniper, and Soldier.
Next, a player assigns a total of 27 dice across nine attributes: Strength, Agility, Health, Perception, Quickness, Willpower, Intelligence, Manual Dexterity, and Charisma. Each attribute can range from 1D (Incompetent) to 5D (Exceptional). Finally, 60 skill points are distributed among the various trainable skill groups to round out the character.
Combat Rules
The combat system in D6++ is designed with tactical play in mind and works best with battlemaps. Each round begins with characters declaring a ‘Pre Action’ from a list of options. This choice, made before initiative order, might be to Dodge, Aim an Attack, Reload, or even Haste or Hold their turn to act at a different point in the round. This adds a layer of strategic planning to each round.
On their turn, a character can take a Significant Action, a Simple Action, and a Move Action, in any order. They also have access to one Reaction per round, which can be used at any time to respond to events, such as impeding an enemy’s movement.
Wounds and Lethality
Rather than hit points, D6++ uses a Wound Points system that reflects a character’s declining ability as they take damage. For every three Wound Points a character suffers, the Target Number for all their future actions increases by one, making success progressively harder.
The system presents a lethal vision of the West. A character with Wound Points totalling 10 plus three times their Health attribute in dice falls unconscious. If that total ever exceeds 10 plus six times their Health, they die instantly. Healing is handled through natural rest or the use of skills like First Aid and Medical Care, with First Aid serving to temporarily ignore wound penalties during combat rather than healing them.
Art and Layout
There’s very little going for the art and layout of the quick start. Worse, for some gamers, is the use of AI. All the art in the 70+ pages is machine-generated.
Quick Start
- D6++ Wild West: Core Rules | Quick Start
- Blood & Deeds: Quick Start Adventure
