DEAD MAN'S HAND
The Ballad of Coal Creek
Coal Creek was built on coal, greed, and gun smoke. Now, with whispers of hidden gold and tensions rising, the town is a powder keg waiting for a spark. In a place where law is weak and bullets speak louder than words, only the quickest hands and sharpest minds will survive. Will you carve out your legend, or be just another name on a forgotten grave?
Welcome to Coal Creek A Town on the Edge of Civilization
Nestled in a rugged valley along the Deadwood River, Coal Creek is a booming frontier town built on blood, sweat, and black gold—coal. Established in the 1850s by a group of Yorkshire immigrants looking for fortune in the New World, the town grew around a rich seam of coal discovered in the hills. The railroad soon followed, turning Coal Creek into a crucial stop for locomotives needing fuel and supplies.
A Town of Fortune and Feuds
Coal Creek is a place of hard men and harder living. Miners, railroad workers, outlaws, and desperate settlers clash daily in the town’s dusty streets. A handful of powerful men run things from the shadows - mine owners, railway barons, and saloon tycoons, each with their own agendas. Meanwhile, the working men toil in the mines and rail yards, hoping for a better life while knowing the graveyard fills up faster than pockets.
Playing in the Campaign
The Dead Man's Hand campaign is very easy to get going. Each Gang has a starting rep of 21. All of the rules for Making your gang, casualties and experience points can be found in the Dead Man's Hand Redux Rulebook on page 43.
Each player will be expected to play 3 'Blu-rays' (Or Acts) against other players in the campaign. The 3 players with the most Resources (I'll be handing out some poker chips) at the end will take part in a 'Blu-ray Special' The Battle of Dead Man's Hand, which can be found on page 58 of the Redux rulebook.
Key Locations in Coal Creek:
The Black Pit Mine
The town’s beating heart, worked by men who risk their lives for a few silver dollars. Accidents are common, and some say the mine is cursed.
The Iron Horse Saloon
The liveliest (and deadliest) place in town. Gambling, whisky, and fights are the usual fare, but if you need work—legal or not—you’ll find it here.
The Miners’ Rest
A rough boarding house for the miners. Cheap beds, cheaper whiskey, and a landlady who keeps a shotgun behind the bar.
Galloway’s Gunsmith & General Store
Run by a retired Pinkerton agent, this store sells everything from bullets to beans. Rumor has it, Galloway keeps a list of every outlaw who’s passed through town.
Coal Creek Jail
Sheriff Eli Hardwick does his best to keep order, but the cells rarely stay empty for long. He’s got one deputy and a lot of problems.
The Old Chapel
A half-built church run by a fiery preacher who believes the town is on the path to damnation. Many believe he’s right.
Factions in Coal Creek
You cannot stop the march of progress and civilisation. The days of the so-called 'wild' west are over. We tamed the Injuns, we will tame the lawless. The US Cavalry will see it done.
US Cavalry
To be added
Rich Grange
To be added
Mick
In the early days of Coal Creek, a gang of bandits led by Taco would periodically raid the town for food and supplies. After the latest raid, during which Taco kills a villager, the village leaders decide to fight back & hire a group of mercenaries.
These mercenaries continued to protect Coal Creek until one by one they died. Even in death, their commitment to do so carries on.
The Coal Creek Seven
To be added
Martin
A group originally formed to protect Chinese members of the community from discrimination, they grew in number and became a criminal outfit involved in selling opium other nefarious activities.
The leader has sent a group, led by Gill-San, to stake a claim in the town of coal creek as he seeks to expand his influence.
Gill-San is happy to be there as his bitter rival Taco will also be there and there is an old grudge to settle!
Jung Hong Tong
The Coal Creek Raiders are a hardened and ruthless gang of Confederate veterans who refuse to acknowledge the end of the war. Determined to wage their own personal campaign against the Union cavalry stationed around Coal Creek, to reclaim some sense of Southern honour and pride.
The Coal Creek Raiders
Coal Creek ain’t just another dusty town - it’s ripe for the taking. The Red Jackals rode in under the cover of night, looking to set up shop, shake down the locals, and bleed the town dry. Their leader, a man with a mean streak and a quick draw, sees the mining town as the perfect place to run protection rackets, rob payroll shipments, and keep the law too scared to act.
But it’s Mad Donna that keeps folks up at night. She don’t just want power - she wants chaos.
The Red Jackals
The cowboy life ain't for everyone. It take a tough individual to make a success of it. The toughest they come is 'Rip' Wheeler, and the Possy he leads ain't afraid to reset to violence when needed to protect their cattle, or just when they've had a few too many whiskeys just to keep things interesting. Not many folk know where the nickname RIP came from, but the sensible folk know not to ask.