Howdy, drifters and dice-slingers,

I wanted to pull up a chair by the campfire and send a special thanks to MaddKossack115, who rode up with a sharp-eyed question about the Outlaws rules. They asked:

“For Themes, it’s said that each is ranked 0 to 5. However, unlike Traits (which lists 10 points can be distributed, with each having a ‘starting cap’ of 3), Themes don’t have a number of points to distribute. Does this mean each Outlaw starts out with 0 in every Theme (and has to level up during play), or is there a process of spreading points across Themes that isn’t in the book?”

Now, partner, that’s a mighty fine question—and one I’m glad got asked. The original wording in the book left a bit of dust in the air, and clarity’s as important in a game as it is in a showdown. So here’s the straight talk:

When you’re buildin’ your Outlaw, you don’t just start with all your Themes sittin’ at zero, waitin’ to climb up during play. Nope. Right at the start, you rank each of your six Themes—Showdown, Freedom, Heartache, Redemption, Mythicality, and Destiny—by assigning them a number from 0 to 5. That means one Theme’s at Rank 0, one’s at Rank 1, one’s at Rank 2, and so on, all the way up to Rank 5.

Here’s the updated line you’ll find in the PDF:

Theme is the kind of trouble an Outlaw finds themselves dancin’ with. It’s their knack for takin’ life’s punches and turnin’ ‘em into stories worth tellin’. At the start, an Outlaw sets the priority for each of their six Themes, either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Zero means they’re as green as new grass, while five shows a soul weathered by the road, wise to its tricks and turns. The higher your Rank, the more Song you can throw into the mix when it’s time to gamble.

And just to drive it home:

Every Outlaw has these Themes ranked from zero to five; one Theme at Rank 0, another at Rank 1, a third at Rank 2, and so forth. You’re settin’ the rank for each Theme, buildin’ the song of who you are right from the get-go. However you spread it, you get to shape the kind of Outlaw you are at the start, carvin’ out your strengths, weaknesses, and the kinds of stories you’re most ready to dance with.

So a big thanks again to MaddKossack115 for bringin’ this to light. You helped make the game clearer not just for yourself, but for every drifter ridin’ down this dusty trail.