TEXT: 1
  Jumpstart
  
  2
  Jumpstart
  By Eric Simon
  Art Direction: Jasmin Tomlins
  Steamscapes Logo: LeeAnn Pecina
  Background Design and the Crossed Pistol and Tomahawk: Aaron “Ace” Acevedo
  Character Art: Kelsey Morse-Brown
  Map of North America: Robert Altbauer
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle En-
  tertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and 
  trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission. 
  Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability 
  for purpose of this product.
  ©2019 Four-in-Hand Games. All rights reserved.
  www.steamscapes.com
  
  3
  The Setting of Steamscapes
  The Premise
  Most alternative historical fiction begins with a single 
  premise that can normally be summarized by the ques-
  tion, “What would happen if...?” The rest of the setting 
  and its key events are then extrapolated as cascading 
  effects of that initial change. The interdependence of 
  history means that a single shift in an appropriate place 
  can have staggering implications when carried through 
  a hundred years. On the other hand, some personalities 
  and events are more resistant to such changes, and they 
  end up with similar roles but in a new context.
  Our single premise begins in 1768. Prior to that time, 
  you may consider all of the history of the Steamscapes 
  setting to be the same as your own. In that year, William 
  Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham, was a pivotal figure 
  in deciding future events. As Prime Minister, Chatham 
  hoped to reform the Anglo-Prussian Alliance to hold 
  back the Austro-Russian Alliance in Europe. His failure 
  led to his resignation, allowing for further changes 
  in that office that eventually brought to England the 
  disastrous Ministry of Frederick North, 2nd Earl of 
  Guilford. Lord North was very hostile to the colonies 
  and to any cross-party cooperation between Tories and 
  Whigs.
  If Chatham had been successful in securing the 
  Anglo-Prussian Alliance, he may still have been Prime 
  Minister as colonial tension escalated. Chatham would 
  have been much better suited than North to working to-
  wards reconciliation. This reconciliation and subsequent 
  avoidance of the American Revolution is the shift upon 
  which all of our historical changes are based.
  The products we’ve released so far (and hope to release 
  in the future) show how these effects carry forward 
  for 100 years into the 1870s, where our game is set. We 
  build setting more by telling how things got to where 
  they are than by simply giving you a list of current 
  events and locations. That way, you have more freedom 
  to extrapolate what makes sense for your stories without 
  worrying if you have it “right.”
  In this Jumpstart, we have included summaries about 
  the major factions in North America. See the map on 
  page 6 for the current political geography of the conti-
  nent. If you want to know more, check out Steamscapes: 
  North America.
  American Consolidated Union
  The ACU celebrated final ratification (without Califor-
  nia) of its new Constitution on September 3rd, 1867. 
  Soon afterwards, a national election was organized, and 
  in 1868, Ulysses S. Grant became the first President 
  of the American Consolidated Union. President Grant 
  saw the reconstruction of the South as the primary 
  task of the new nation. He began to channel funds 
  and technology into the southern cities to modernize 
  them as quickly as possible. He supported educational 
  opportunities for freed slaves, so he founded the Tus-
  kegee Institute as both a professional university and a 
  military academy. Through this massive technological 
  investment, President Grant was able to convert parts 
  of the agricultural South into new industrial centers. 
  He faced only marginal opposition from the former 
  plantation owners, who were beginning to see loss of 
  cotton productivity anyway due to the crop’s destructive 
  effect on the soil. Instead, southern agriculture began 
  to focus on food crops to support the country’s rapidly 
  growing population. Large-scale farmers favored crops 
  like wheat and corn that were sturdy enough to be 
  planted and picked with machinery. Western states like 
  Ohio and Indiana converted to steam-powered farming 
  more quickly, and the southern states rushed to catch up. 
  Many former slaves soon found that they could not even 
  get work on their former plantation lands.
  Most importantly, however, President Grant saw the 
  need for continued military cooperation throughout 
  the Union. The Blackhawks had by this time solidified 
  their hold on Illinois and Wisconsin and were looking 
  across the lake at Indiana and Michigan. Also, the ACU’s 
  huge technological growth could only be supported 
  with oil from Texas and precious metals from the Rocky 
  Mountain Republic, but both of those nations were 
  under constant threat from the Plains Tribal Federation 
  and even Mexico. In all of these concerns, the young 
  nation would have to stand on its own. England had 
  reluctantly accepted the American colonies’ full indepen-
  dence so that it could turn its attention to the growing 
  problems of France, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. 
  The Parliament in London demanded, however, that the 
  ACU present itself as a contributing ally to justify its 
  new status.
  As of 1871, the American Consolidated Union has 
  experienced several years of both economic and tech-
  nological growth as well as mild but increasing military 
  
  4
  conflict. President Grant is nearing the end of his first 
  term, and is beginning to see some backlash against his 
  radical modernization of the South. A growing antitech-
  nology movement has taken root not only among agri-
  culturalists, but also among those of the intellectual elite 
  who are inspired by writers such as Whitman, Thoreau, 
  and Emerson to dream of simpler times. Meanwhile, 
  scientific thinkers are developing increasingly sophisti-
  cated machines, vehicles, and weapons, and are begin-
  ning to make significant progress towards understanding 
  and harnessing the mysteries of electricity. Whatever 
  happens in the coming months and years, the ACU will 
  certainly be at the center.
  Confederation of Texas
  Texas, meanwhile, was thriving economically, but 
  running into new troubles politically. The country that 
  had previously consisted almost entirely of former 
  English colonials now included substantial populations 
  of French traders and Mexican farmers, in addition to 
  some lingering clusters of Navajo and Pueblo Indians, 
  although the bulk of those tribes had already begun 
  migrating north into Louisiana after hearing about the 
  Texan treatment of the Cherokee. These newly-added 
  groups did not strongly identify themselves as “Texans,” 
  and expressed frequent discontent with Austin. This 
  unrest was exacerbated by President Houston’s re-
  tirement at the end of his third term and subsequent 
  replacement by the much less charismatic Peter Hans-
  borough Bell. For two years, President Bell tried to 
  appease everyone by offering limited autonomy to the 
  Arizona and Orleans regions but no representation 
  in Congress. By spring of 1853, it was clear that this 
  appeasement was doing little to relieve tensions, and a 
  new idea was needed. Bell was voted out and Elisha M. 
  Pease was elected as President, promising to resolve the 
  conflicts once and for all.
  President Pease had a radical plan, and many through-
  out the Republic resisted it. However, as a native of 
  Connecticut, Pease had substantial ties to the Colonial 
  Government, and this helped him to persuade many of 
  the English Texans to go along. Pease had decided to 
  gather a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the Texas 
  Constitution in a more inclusive manner. He planned to 
  rename the country to the “Confederation of Texas,” 
  which would be divided into five states: Arizona, New 
  Mexico, North Chihuahua, East Texas, and New Orle-
  ans. This would offer more equal representation to the 
  different ethnic populations. Although there were some 
  specifics to iron out, Pease was able to convince most of 
  the Convention that his plan would be successful. The 
  new Texas Constitution was signed on April 21st, 1853, 
  in honor of the Battle of San Jacinto.
  As of 1871, Texas is a major economic power in North 
  America, controlling primary transportation arteries as 
  well as some of the world’s most productive fields of 
  petroleum oil. It therefore has both a financial stake in 
  the growing automaton industry as well as a continued 
  interest in purchasing the automatons themselves. 
  Although Texas had abolished slavery even before the 
  American Colonial Government (though after England 
  itself), it does not agree with the extremely liberal view 
  that the new American Consolidated Union has taken 
  regarding the personhood of automatons. To Texans, 
  this does not make either philosophical or economic 
  sense. Austin has looked with particular interest at the 
  weaponized automatons employed recently in the En-
  glish Civil War, and hopes to take full advantage of this 
  technology soon. This would definitely be for the best, 
  because Texas will need to devote its growing military 
  resources to meeting the sudden fury of the Navajo and 
  Cherokee raids from the Plains Tribal Federation. In 
  fact, its geographic position means that it must employ 
  significant resources defending itself from both the 
  Plains and Mexico.
  Plains Tribal Federation
  Red Cloud returned from Paris in 1862 with a treaty 
  agreeing to all requested terms. The great council would 
  be granted all remaining French territory in Louisiana 
  and in return would grant France certain exclusive trad-
  ing rights. The Plains Tribal Federation was established 
  on December 26th, 1862 with Sitting Bull as its first 
  Great Chief.
  Soon afterwards, the Federation learned of the tech-
  nological horrors that the British had brought into 
  the war. Many tribes had long resigned themselves to 
  joining in the proliferation of firearms, but automatons 
  were something entirely different. They were abomina-
  tions—soulless metal men made to be slaves to war. It 
  was actually Sitting Bull’s daughter Many Horses who 
  suggested the solution of creating a women’s regiment 
  of saboteurs to dismantle the British war machines. 
  The Lakota had traditionally held women equal to men 
  in many respects, so the Great Chief encouraged his 
  daughter’s ideas. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks pressed the 
  
  5
  council for permission to join the war against the British 
  more directly. Sitting Bull saw this as an excellent oppor-
  tunity to test his young nation’s mettle and foster greater 
  camaraderie among the many tribes. He agreed, and the 
  Blackhawks themselves led the first attacks across the 
  Mississippi. Few Colonial troops remained stationed in 
  the area, so the Federation warriors quickly swept well 
  past the Illinois River all the way to Lake Michigan, even 
  capturing the growing industrial city of Chicago within 
  weeks. However, Colonial reinforcements soon arrived 
  at Portersville and stalled the Blackhawk advance. Rather 
  than pushing further, the tribes decided to consolidate 
  their holdings.
  Since the end of the Civil War, the border between 
  Illinois and Indiana has held steady with few incursions 
  by either side. Unlike other members of the PTF, the 
  Blackhawks have embraced many of the recent military 
  technological advancements, particularly steam vehicles 
  and artillery. American scouts have spotted smoke rising 
  from the factory stacks in Chicago, so it is likely only a 
  matter of time before Blackhawk steam cannons begin 
  firing on Indiana.
  Meanwhile, Sitting Bull has continued training sabo-
  teurs in preparation for hostilities with the neighboring 
  nations, all of whom seem to be employing the terrible 
  automatons. Apache and Hopi women have been eager 
  to try their skills in raids on the Southern Pacific in 
  Texas and the mechanized mines in the Rocky Mountain 
  Republic. Several elite saboteur units from various tribes 
  have even been sent to France to train French soldiers 
  tactics for use against the new mechanical armies of En-
  gland and Prussia. In return, France has offered Sitting 
  Bull a number of dirigibles. What use the PTF will have 
  for these airships remains to be seen.
  Rocky Mountain Republic
  In 1865, Leland Stanford commissioned a Wells Fargo 
  airship to assist him in a series of urgent diplomatic trips 
  along the entire Pacific coast. While the California leg-
  islature stalled its ratification votes by sending ludicrous 
  requests back to Philadelphia, Stanford visited residents 
  in the most populated areas of the Oregon, Washington, 
  and Yukon territories. He made promises of economic 
  and transportation assistance far beyond anything the 
  ACU or even England could provide to these remote 
  outposts,and they soon agreed to join California’s bid 
  for independence. On his return voyage, Stanford 
  decided to sidetrack into hostile Indian territory. In the 
  farthest western regions of what had previously been 
  Louisiana, Stanford found a number of French trappers 
  and settlers who had fled the gathering might of the 
  Plains Tribal Federation. They lived in the valleys and 
  foothills of the upper basin of the Colorado River, even 
  as far east as the San Juan Range. Stanford offered these 
  settlers protection from the tribes as well as economic 
  growth that would be brought about by railroad and 
  mining expansion. The settlers quickly agreed to throw 
  in their lot with the rest of the coastal territories.
  Leland Stanford returned triumphant. In gratitude, 
  the legislature decided to unanimously approve his 
  suggestion for the name of the new nation: The Rocky 
  Mountain Republic. Stanford had conceived this title 
  during his travels, seeing it as a way to make the far-flung 
  territories feel unified. The Republic was divided into 
  five states: California, Colorado, Oregon, Columbia, and 
  Yukon. The Constitution of the Republic was ratified 
  by all states during the first few months of 1866, and 
  Leland Stanford was promptly and popularly elected 
  its first President. Notably, this was the first written 
  Constitution in North America to provide equal rights 
  to all its citizens regardless of race or gender, although it 
  specifically excluded mechanical men from those rights. 
  Québec had granted the same rights in the previous 
  decade, but Québec had no written constitution.
  Despite the RMR’s relatively small population, the 
  young country wields considerable economic power. 
  In addition to its significant reserves of ore, it acts as 
  a transport gateway to the Pacific Ocean. This may 
  become more valuable because of the rising importance 
  of the ancient empire of China, whose current Emperor 
  Qixiang has shown an inclination towards both econom-
  ic and technological expansion. The presence of a large 
  and financially powerful Chinese population in Califor-
  nia has only served to strengthen ties to the Empire, and 
  many businessmen from both the ACU and the CT are 
  eager to take advantage of those connections.
  
  6
  
  7
  Sample Rules
  Steamscapes adds a number of Edges, equipment, 
  and other rules to Savage Worlds. Many of these existing 
  rules, as outlined in our setting books and profession 
  guides, can easily fit within the framework of Savage 
  Worlds Adventure Edition as they are, but we do hope 
  to adjust them to take advantage of many of the new 
  edition’s updates. What follows is a sampling of those 
  updates, many of which will help you run the adventure 
  included in this Jumpstart. If you want more, we’d love 
  to hear from you! The more people we see talking about 
  this Jumpstart, the faster we’ll get working on the full 
  SWAdE-updated version of Steamscapes!
  Skill and Edge Adjustments
  Steamscapes removes a number of skills and Edges 
  from the standard list, restricts others by profession, 
  and adds several new ones. Most notably, anything that 
  applies to Arcane Backgrounds is gone in Steamscapes, 
  because this is intended to be a mostly plausible and 
  realistic setting. Other steampunk settings might have 
  Weird Science, but Steamscapes just has science.
  The following skills are not used in Steamscapes at all:
  • 
  Electronics
  • 
  Faith
  • 
  Focus
  • 
  Hacking
  • 
  Occult
  • 
  Psionics
  • 
  Spellcasting
  • 
  Weird Science
  The following skills are restricted to specific 
  professions:
  • 
  Driving (Steamhand only)
  • 
  Piloting (Aviator only)
  The following skills are added by Professional Edges in 
  Steamscapes and are used by the indicated professions:
  • 
  Aeronautical Navigation (Aviator)
  • 
  Chemical Engineering (Apothecary)
  • 
  Electromagnetism (Spark Wrangler)
  • 
  Gearsmithing (Gearsmith)
  • 
  Gunsmithing (Gunslinger)
  • 
  Sabotage (Saboteur)
  • 
  Steamsmithing (Steamhand)
  The following Hindrances and Edges are not used in 
  Steamscapes:
  • 
  Doubting Thomas
  • 
  Arcane Background
  • 
  All Power Edges
  • 
  All Weird Edges
  Note that some of the new skills have two linked 
  attributes (see below). For the purposes of character 
  creation and advancement, the additional cost applies 
  if the skill’s die type exceeds either of the two linked 
  attributes.
  Professional Edges
  Each of the Professional Edges listed below may be 
  purchased in character creation or advancement without 
  any specific prerequisites. Doing so at any time provides 
  access to the profession’s unique Skill as well as the first 
  point in that Skill. Some professions also provide access 
  to a unique Edge tree, which cannot be accessed without 
  purchasing the Professional Edge. Edge trees are simply 
  additional Edges with cascading prerequisites that 
  represent further study within the profession.
  It is possible for a character to purchase multiple 
  professions, though your GM might choose to restrict 
  some combinations. (For reasons of both balance and 
  world consistency, we strongly recommend restricting 
  Saboteur in combination with most other professions. 
  A Gunslinger/Saboteur may be reasonable, but a Spark 
  Wrangler/Saboteur is not.) Also, in all cases, characters 
  who spread themselves across multiple disciplines are 
  likely to be less effective in each one than characters 
  who specialize.
  Aviator Profession
  Other than a few eccentric hobbyists, Aviators are 
  generally trained by military academies. It is a young 
  profession, even for military technology, so there is no 
  such thing as a “veteran” Aviator.
  Because discharging firearms on a dirigible is not 
  advised, Aviators mostly use swords or daggers, though 
  they do occasionally wear a revolver for protection away 
  from the ship.
  New Skill: Aeronautical Navigation (Smarts) – 
  While Piloting takes care of most of the immediate 
  requirements of flying an airship, it takes a different skill 
  entirely to fly the airship in the right direction. Winds in 
  the sky change even faster than those at sea, and without 
  a solid understanding of Aeronautical Navigation, you 
  can become quickly and hopelessly lost.
  
  8
  Gunslinger Profession
  Many people know how to fire a gun. Gunslingers, 
  however, are experts with all conventional firearms. 
  They know how to select the right tool for the job. They 
  usually carry a wide variety of weapons, many of which 
  they have either made or customized themselves.
  New Skill: Gunsmith (Agility/Smarts) – This skill 
  is used not only to construct black powder weapons, but 
  also to customize them and keep them in good repair. 
  Many specialized weapons (noted by the “Custom” 
  keyword) cannot be used effectively without constant 
  maintenance and modification. Such weapons provide a 
  -4 penalty to both Shooting and damage when used by 
  someone without the Gunsmithing skill, in addition to 
  any individual penalties that weapon might apply for not 
  meeting its prerequisites.
  Saboteur Profession
  Not everyone is enamored with the new mechanized 
  age. Certainly there are many in high society who find 
  modern gadgetry to be vulgar and uncouth. Saboteurs, 
  however, go much further. They try to fight technology, 
  to bring about its downfall, and they have learned special 
  skills to help them speed this along.
  New Skill: Sabotage (Agility) – Disabling mechanical 
  devices may seem easy. (Smash it enough and it stops 
  working.) However, a skilled Saboteur can disable even 
  the most powerful and well-protected devices with fear-
  some efficiency. Sabotage in combat involves two steps: 
  first take an action rolling the Sabotage skill to find the 
  correct location to target. Once the Saboteur has accu-
  rately analyzed the machinery, they then ignore all armor 
  on that equipment for the remainder of combat.
  If the original Sabotage roll is spectacularly successful, 
  the GM may want to offer a difficult called shot that 
  then halts specific functions or even disables the device 
  entirely. Note that making a Sabotage roll and an attack 
  in the same turn incurs the multi-action penalty.
  Spark Wrangler Profession
  Little is known about the full power or potential of 
  electricity, but Spark Wranglers have a strong urge to 
  experiment. Every Spark Wrangler carries a spark wand, 
  a versatile device that can be used to generate either 
  static electricity or electromagnetic induction. The field 
  it generates in the second instance is powerful enough 
  to freeze nearby automatons, and so wranglers are often 
  employed as overseers where the clockwork men are 
  being used.
  New Skill: Electromagnetism (Smarts) – This skill 
  represents both the knowledge and the application of 
  the various formulae for electricity and magnetism. Most 
  electrical devices are essentially “untamed,” in that they 
  require constant tuning and upkeep to use them at all. 
  Upon taking this skill, the Spark Wrangler is able to use 
  the most basic functions of a spark wand. Additional 
  functions require additional Edges.
  Every time a wrangler uses a spark wand, they first 
  select the power and any modifying effects that will be 
  applied in the attack, then make an Electromagnetism 
  roll as a ranged attack. This is true even if the intended 
  effect is beneficial. If a one is rolled on the attack die 
  (not the Wild Die), the condensor explodes, doing 2d6 
  damage to the Spark Wrangler and ignoring armor. (This 
  may be avoided by rerolling the attack with a Benny.)
  When calculating the cost of the attack, all additive 
  power costs stack first, followed by multipliers. If the 
  total is too much for the wrangler’s current condensor, 
  no attack is possible. Basic condensors start out with 
  10 power points, and can only be improved with the 
  appropriate edges. Reloading a spark wand with a new 
  condensor requires a full round action. Recharging each 
  condensor takes approximately 30 minutes with a hand 
  crank generator.
  The basic abilities of a spark wand with no Edge 
  powers applied are as follows:
  • 
  Static Discharge (1 power point) – Range 3/6/12, 
  Damage 1d6+1, Ignores armor
  • 
  Electromagnetic Induction (2 power points) – 
  Range 1/2/4, Target automaton must succeed at a 
  Vigor roll or shut down
  Most Edges in the Spark Wrangler Edge tree are used 
  to modify one of these two attacks, but there are some 
  that add other abilities to the spark wand. Note that 
  these rules for spark wands replace rules for spells or 
  gadget abilities in Savage Worlds Adventure Edition.
  For the purposes of this Jumpstart, we are not includ-
  ing the entire Spark Wrangler Edge tree but just a few 
  sample Edges to give you a taste. If you want to see 
  more, check out Steamscapes North America!
  
  9
  Capacitance (+4 power points) – This power can be 
  applied up to three times. Each application adds a d6 to 
  the Static Discharge attack or a -2 modifier to target’s 
  roll on Induction and Stun attacks.(There is no effect on 
  Supercharge or Shock.)
  Extended Range (+2 power points) – Doubles the range 
  profile of the attack.
  Fork (x2 power points, requires Extended Range) – Attack 
  may be directed at two targets. Apply the multi-action 
  penalty to both attacks.
  Supercharge (new basic ability, 3 power points) – Range 
  1/2/4, Target automaton receives a bonus of +2 to 
  all Agility, Strength, and Spirit attribute and linked skill 
  rolls, including recovering from shaken. This lasts for 
  three rounds. However, the automaton must immedi-
  ately succeed at a Vigor roll or it is shaken instead of 
  receiving the bonus.
  Steamhand Profession
  Not long ago, these people who would have been 
  blacksmiths. Now, a Steamhand is expected to focus on 
  vehicles and weapons more than horseshoes and nails.
  Whether hand-held or mounted, steam weapons are the 
  new heavy artillery of the mechanized age. Hand-held 
  versions typically require a steam tank to be carried on 
  one’s back. For close combat, Steamhands tend to resort 
  to fists or hammers, or the butt of whatever weapon 
  they are carrying.
  New Skill: Steamsmith (Strength/Smarts) – Upon 
  taking this skill, the Steamhand is able to operate and 
  repair all steam-powered vehicles, weapons, and other 
  devices, though obviously some are more complex than 
  others. However, the ability to design new machinery 
  or make significant modifications requires appropriate 
  advancement on the Steamhand Edge Tree. For many 
  uses of this skill, the Steamhand needs an appropriate 
  workshop with common blacksmithing tools, including 
  a forge and anvil. Without such tools, some repairs and 
  designs may be simply impossible. (The McGyver Edge 
  cannot compensate for the lack of a forge and anvil.)
  Note that many steam weapons carry the MinStr tag to 
  indicate a minimum required Strength. (See Savage Worlds 
  for more.) They not only have significant and sustained 
  kick, but require the use of a metal backpack tank of 
  steam, which must be periodically refilled and reboiled.
  Automaton Racial Template
  While there is a great deal of debate about whether 
  these metallic men are actually “people” with true inde-
  pendent thought or a soul, those automatons who have 
  been allowed to think freely do believe that they are as 
  alive as humans and will (politely) debate this point with 
  anyone who raises it. Even free-thinking automatons 
  tend to be somewhat deferential, partially out of fear of 
  deactivation but also out of respect for the philosophi-
  cally difficult questions their existence raises for humans.
  The automaton racial template has changed somewhat 
  to more closely match the guidelines in Savage Worlds 
  Adventure Edition.
  Racial Bonuses
  • 
  Construct – Automatons follow all the rules for 
  Constructs in Savage Worlds Adventure Edition.
  • 
  Armor – Automatons are considered to have +2 
  armor in all hit locations.
  Racial Drawbacks
  • 
  Clockwork Upgrades – After character creation, 
  automatons may purchase skills as normal, but may 
  only increase attributes and purchase Edges with 
  the help of a fully-equipped Gearsmith. The GM 
  should make this an appropriately difficult pro-
  cess with regards to the time, skill, and resources 
  required. Some Edges may therefore be easier to 
  acquire than others. (See the Gearsmith Edge Tree 
  in Steamscapes North America for guidelines.)
  • 
  Culturally Naive – Common Knowledge is not a 
  Core Skill for automatons. They do not start with 
  it inherently, and they suffer a -2 penalty to all 
  Common Knowledge rolls even if they raise the 
  skill later.
  • 
  Dependency – Automatons are made of clock-
  work running on an electrical power core. That core 
  generally requires around two to three hours with 
  a hand-crank generator per day of operation, more 
  during periods of high activity.
  • 
  Less Than Human – Automatons in North 
  America are considered to have the Hindrance - 
  Outsider (Major). The effects vary by region, but 
  are often significant even in areas where automa-
  tons are broadly accepted.
  
  10
  Pre-Generated Characters
  The following characters are designed with no advance-
  ments. You can insert them into your own campaigns 
  or use them to run the adventure included at the end of 
  this Jumpstart.
  Any equipment that is not available in the SWAdE core 
  rules includes full stats.
  THE AVIATOR
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 5
  Core Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge 
  d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4
  Other Skills: Aeronautical Navigation d6, Fight-
  ing d8, Piloting d8, Repair d6, Survival d4
  Hindrances: Curious, Overconfident
  Edges: Ace, Alertness, Aviator Profession
  Equipment: Cavalry Saber (as Short Sword)
  THE GUNSLINGER
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 2, Toughness: 2
  Core Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge 
  d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4
  Other Skills: Gambling d4, Gunsmithing d6, In-
  timidation d6, Riding d8, Shooting d8, Survival d6
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Enemy (Minor), Vengeful 
  (Minor)
  Edges: Gunslinger Profession, Quick, Streetwise
  Equipment: LeMat Revolver (Custom gun with 
  a second shotgun barrel below the main barrel) –
  (Cylinder) range 12/24/48, dmg 2d6+1, ROF 1, 
  Shots 9, AP1, Revolver
  (Buckshot) range 5/10/20, dmg 1-3d6, ROF 1, 
  Shots 1 (See shotgun rules)
  THE SABOTEUR
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d4
  Pace: 8, Parry: 5, Toughness: 4
  Core Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge 
  d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d8
  Other Skills: Fighting d6, Healing d4, Sabotage 
  d8, Survival d6
  Hindrances: Heroic, Impulsive
  Edges: Brave, Fleet-Footed, Saboteur Profession
  Equipment: Tomahawk (as Battle Axe)
  THE SPARK WRANGLER
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 2, Toughness: 5
  Core Skills: Athletics d4, Common Knowledge 
  d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Stealth d4
  Other Skills: Electromagnetism d10, Repair d6, 
  Research d6, Science d6, Taunt d4
  Hindrances: Anemic, Delusional (Major), Stub-
  born
  Edges: Capacitance, Extended Range, Spark 
  Wrangler Profession
  Equipment: Spark Wand with satchel pack, 3 
  Condensors
  THE STEAMHAND
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 6
  Core Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge 
  d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Stealth d4
  Other Skills: Boating d4, Driving d6, Fighting d6, 
  Repair d6, Shooting d6, Steamsmithing d6
  Hindrances: Habit (Minor), Hard of Hearing 
  (Minor), Tongue-Tied
  Edges: Brawny, Ironclads (Steamhand Edge Tree), 
  Steamhand Profession
  Equipment: Sledgehammer (as Maul), 
  Steamthrower – range Cone Template, dmg 2d8, 
  ROF 1, Shots 10 (requires backpack steam tank), 
  Minimum Strength d8, can be Evaded, no effect 
  on machinery
  
  11
  Scene 1 – Investigation
  Option A: The Fence
  Using Streetwise and other related abilities, the party 
  may locate the man known as Monsieur Blaireau. 
  Blaireau has not seen anyone moving such an item out 
  through the port, but he has noticed some extra security 
  at the Southern Pacific yard lately. He wonders if they 
  are having similar difficulties.
  Option B: Looking for Evidence
  Using Tracking and other related abilities, the party may 
  travel out into the bayou and look for evidence of the 
  stagecoach itself. They will eventually find an abandoned 
  and empty Wells Fargo stagecoach just a few miles from 
  town, just outside the Southern Pacific railyard.
  Scene 2 – The Railyard
  When the party starts asking around the railyard, they 
  are told in no uncertain terms to leave. Several thugs 
  with crowbars and even a couple of gunmen with Colt 
  1860s will attempt to stop the party from investigating 
  around the railyard. The party may bypass them with 
  stealth, persuasion, or force.
  WAREHOUSE WORKERS
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Strength d8, 
  Spirit d4, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 5
  Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6
  Equipment: Tools (Str +d4) or Colt 1860 
  (12/24/48, 2d6+1 dmg, 6 shots)
  Assuming they get into the warehouse, the heroes find 
  empty Wells Fargo crates in and paperwork that indi-
  cates that the cargo has been loaded on a train that left 
  recently for Avondale.
  Interlude – Back to the Office
  Mr. Gilbeau paces back and forth as you explain the sit-
  uation. “The railroad is protecting these bandits? Hmm. 
  Unconscionable. You will have to go after that train. 
  You won’t be able to catch it before it stops in Avondale, 
  but they’re unlikely to be unloading the item there. And 
  then it should take another five hours to reach Lafayette. 
  Hmm.”
  Option A – Horses and Steam Carts
  The party may opt to ride quickly overland to try to 
  catch the train out of Avondale. If the party includes 
  a Steamhand, Mr. Gilbeau will offers the use of a 
  Wells Fargo steam cart. (The cart is neither armed nor 
  armored.)
  Rivalry Chapter 1
  Prologue
  [Read or paraphrase the following:]
  You have found yourself in New Orleans, a bustling 
  port town in the Confederation of Texas with lingering 
  French influence everywhere. The streets are populated 
  with an eccentric mix of businessmen, laborers, ranch-
  ers, and even tourists. The prostitutes call out to all of 
  them equally as you make your way toward the Wells 
  Fargo office, where you have been directed by a help 
  wanted sign to look for an opportunity.
  When you arrive, you are pointed towards the back 
  office and told to wait for Mr. Gilbeau. You notice that 
  there are other people waiting here as well. Some have 
  seen the same help wanted signs you saw and some 
  came here on the urging of a local bartender, but none 
  of you know any details of the job itself.
  After a few minutes, a small man enters. He is wearing 
  tailored pants and a brown wool vest with white shirt-
  sleeves. His hair is slicked back and he peers through 
  round wire-rimmed glasses at the group gathered in the 
  office. “Ah. Hmm,” he begins, apparently not completely 
  pleased, “I was hoping...well I suppose I should have 
  expected a motley assemblage with so little information 
  provided.” He waves his hand. “It’ll have to do.”
  “Good people, there has been a robbery of one of our 
  stagecoaches. It was due to arrive in New Orleans from 
  Mobile several days ago, and no word has come in of 
  what might have happened. Unfortunately, this stage-
  coach held a particularly valuable shipment bound for 
  the Rocky Mountain Republic. We need to recover this 
  shipment as quickly as possible.”
  [Conversation points:]
  • 
  The shipment in question is a new type of automa-
  ton that will be used for copper mining.
  • 
  It is likely that the coach made it as far as the bayou 
  areas north of the city.
  • 
  There are one or two people in town that might 
  know where such an item could be resold illegally, 
  but Mr. Gilbeau does not know any of them per-
  sonally, nor could he find them if he wanted. If the 
  players feel inclined to visit the seedy parts of town, 
  that’s their business. But he will have no part of it.
  
  12
  ROGUE AUTOMATON
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Strength d8, 
  Spirit d6, Vigor d8
  Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 8 (2)
  Skills: Climbing, d6, Fighting d6
  The final complication is the lock to the mail car. It is 
  a gearwork lock, designed to be very difficult to open 
  without the key. (Copies of the key are held at the train’s 
  terminal destinations, not on the train itself.) It is pos-
  sible to overcome the lock with a difficult Mechanical 
  Programming or Electromagnetism roll (-4). The heroes 
  could use the Lockpicking skill, but would face an 
  additional -2 for not having the appropriate skill to work 
  with gears. Alternately, the party may try to dismantle or 
  otherwise destroy the door. It has a Hardness of 12 (see 
  “Breaking Things” in Savage Worlds Adventure Edition), so 
  this is very difficult. In all cases, Support rules apply.
  If the heroes are able to enter the first mail car before 
  the Saboteurs, avoid or disable the Rogue Automaton, 
  and secure the large crate that contains the prototype, 
  they should be able to figure out how to get it back to 
  New Orleans.
  Aftermath
  Mr. Gilbeau is thrilled to have recovered the package, 
  but clearly disturbed that the Southern Pacific Railroad 
  itself seems to be responsible. “I have heard of other 
  shipments being lost on their way to the Rocky Moun-
  tain Republic,” he says. “We attributed those losses to 
  bandits or even the rumored Indian air pirates. But now 
  I wonder if there’s something else going on. Would you 
  be interested in a trip out west to investigate further?”
  You haggle furiously, and the clerk finally agrees to 
  an extravagant fee with expenses included. You make 
  preparations to leave New Orleans within the week.
  [For the rest of the Rivalry adventure series, look for 
  Steamscapes on DriveThruRPG, where you can down-
  load the remaining chapters for free!]
  Option B – Airship
  If the party includes an Aviator, Mr. Gilbeau offers the 
  use of the Wells Fargo airship stationed nearby. (The 
  usual pilot is currently unavailable.)
  Whichever option the party takes, it will be difficult 
  to board the train while it is moving. However, it has 
  picked up passenger cars in Avondale, so it is moving 
  more slowly than it would as just a freight. The more 
  successful the pilot or driver is, the farther forward on 
  the train they can begin. The box they are seeking is in 
  the farthest forward mail car, which is locked at both 
  ends.
  Scene 3 – Complications
  The party begins searching the train car by car. While 
  they are doing so, a band of Apache warriors rides in 
  from the north. These are horse-riding braves who are 
  also carrying several women Saboteurs on their horses. 
  The Saboteurs attempt to disable whatever vehicle the 
  party has brought, or the braves attempt to take over any 
  horses. The Saboteurs then board the train as well and 
  attempt to disable the automaton before the party can 
  retrieve it.
  SABOTEURS
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Strength d6, 
  Spirit d8, Vigor d6
  Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 5
  Skills: Fighting d8, Sabotage d8
  Equipment: Tomahawk (Str +d8)
  BRAVES
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Strength d8, 
  Spirit d6, Vigor d8
  Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Riding d8, Throwing d6
  Equipment: Horse, Spear (Str +d6, Reach 1, 
  Parry +1)
  Meanwhile, among the passengers on the train are 
  several Gearsmiths. One mistakenly believes that the 
  party is after his automaton, which is stored in the 
  second mail car. He tries to follow the party secretly and 
  call out the activation commands to his automaton. This 
  automaton then attempts to defend itself as the party 
  passes it by. They can disable, destroy, or avoid it. (It is 
  unlikely to follow them up onto the roof, for example, 
  since it would no longer feel threatened.)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/_Misc/Savage Worlds Adventure Edition ACE Setting Jumpstart/Savage Worlds - Jumpstart - Steamscapes.pdf