E A S T T E X A S U N I V E R S I T Y Written and Developed by: Preston P. DuBose and Ed Wetterman Additional Material By: Clint Black, Jerry Blakemore, John Goff, Trey Gordon, Shane Lacy Hensley, Neal Hyde, T.C. Largent, and Brendan Quinn Art Direction, Graphic Design, & Layout: Aaron Acevedo, Mike Chaney, Preston DuBose, and Shane Lacy Hensley Proofing: Jodi Black, Piotr Koryś, Jay Kyle, Adam Loyd, Thomas Shook, Michael Ysker Interior Illustrations: Aaron Acevedo, Abrar Ajmal, Chris Bivins, Mike Burns, Javier Charro, Josh Corpuz, James Denton, Nina LeaOfSteel Garncarczyk, Zach Jones, Eric Lofgren, Aaron Riley, Rebecca Röske, Alida Saxon, Bryan Syme, Jon Taylor Playtesters: Hannah Blackburn, Brandon Blakemore, Corey Bluhm, Maegan Boell, Cray Crouse, Wes Crump, Phillip DeFrancesco, Kim DuBose, Caitlyn Foux, Lorien Foux, Jessica Garner, Phillip Garner, Landon Gregory, Jason LeGrevellec, Jennifer LeGrevellec, Norm Hensley, Chris Martin, Charleen Mullenweg, Erica Ramsey, Mark Ramsey, Michael Reeves, John Roberts, David Wetterman, Tracey Wetterman, and many, many others. In memory of Jade Tinnerman, a Pinebox fan and friend. Ed’s Dedication: To all the fans of Pinebox who have so graciously supported us in our endeavors. May y’all always come up Aces! Preston’s Dedication: To my family, who stuck with me despite many a “writing night,” and to our dedicated Pinebox fans who kept the faith and continued encouraging us throughout this journey. WWW.PEGINC.COM WWW.12toMidnight.COM Savage Worlds, artwork, logos, and the Pinnacle logo are © 2014 Great White Games, LLC; DBA Pinnacle Entertainment Group. 12 to Midnight, East Texas University (the game setting), Pinebox, and all associated characters, logos, and artwork are Copyrights of 12 to Midnight. Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio 2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in China. Office of the Dean 1 Raven’s Loop Pinebox, TX Dear Student, FtWraeeklsech omtmaheni, s saotnpudpd coeornnttgu rnaaittt uyEl aatstoti odnTiser xeoacnst yyUoonuuir v aetcrocs eiiptntyfa.on rcmIea twaiosou nal ndt ihlnaictko emw iintlgol mSbwfiwtsLuawFwaNooilhheAonniiokeptlliesgdidtrrexhhl c sagv hsl to ohtiiee tady,meuu hon rf,d.o onntiny,swr v ursdI rso ieeirCeuo yIld ut ec osruo we ’yo etcl ebuotwl pnw ralstru ealit ofale em ler zrurTnlgydeddkelzalohs eol o e eaddmuic uyrSnla ir rtor imwdirateSsin lsl e knniqedogsa iaaie dounanraskptwn a niiy aftep h btasro,tte laAooL er outaituu ostdas ly Fc gtdrho n.Ea lrau ygeo d Ttaititstoemw UeTnfodrithu,i fi hde aeo.e nbygae tymn l dymochsh i,i Pii auot emS nalmvlky i sleadneopeooeonmps.t daro cn ucoso u s ra yioio nGrsetySlonftdytgodu aoa u heoh, abpnurt asu i tyomlcrout atot ntiae cr bs, h-nwhtfin kduFF eciia r oeairip aagttytsfrylegomnRhh oot s dshspdat u c ae htssu v aradAlvfmiitsetS amo leranbe ntwdnprJ ninglp’eee uhmuie Re sFnapsao rnnia.o rdto cuygcdnvre Hsscs .hsteiosoiaLeio ehonenhntfopnfci sAnemo.edtg akp.tt ertga.R -sc aon yen oli otfS , CcbaTntmi w oeeorah h oteodn tgniatnohauedsetdsto,netr,s.ro ETU is a great start! Go Ravens! James Nelson President James Nelson SYLLABUS Howdy! 4 The Protagonists 4 East Texas University 5 Pinebox, Texas 5 Characters 8 Character Types 10 New Hindrances 14 New Edges 16 Background Edges 16 Combat Edges 16 Professional Edges 16 Weird Edges 17 Gear, Tools, & Weapons 19 Semester Allowance 19 Weapons Permits 19 Shopping 20 Getting Around 23 Setting Rules 25 Academics 25 Exams 25 Double Majors 26 Burnout 26 Extracurricular Activities 27 Pinebox Gazetteer 29 History 30 Pinebox, Texas 30 People of Note 31 East Texas University 35 Noteworthy People 37 3 HOWDY! To most appearances, Pinebox is just like any THE PROTAGONISTS other town. Well, any other town in Texas, In East Texas University, characters are that is, because as most of us know Texas is everyday, naive college Freshmen. Those a very special place to start with. Texans are who make it through their four or so years of fiercely independent and as proud of their academia generally become professionals— heritage as they are the size of the mosquitoes doctors, lawyers, engineers, scholars, and the and other critters that always seem to be just like. Some, those who encounter Pinebox’s a little bigger there. particular brand of weirdness and survive it, Nestled near Pinebox is East Texas might become heroes as well. University, usually just “ETU” to the locals. Success at ETU means keeping up with Students from all over the world attend the studies and occasionally solving strange small but respected college. mysteries. An adventure might center around Some of them even survive it. finding a missing student or simply passing You see, Pinebox isn’t just like any other mid-term exams! town. It’s plumb weird. The world of Pinebox is the modern world Nobody wants to admit it, but “unexplained” we live in, but slightly askew. ETU students events happen too often to count. Officially, are generally normal people with normal ETU’s crime rate is in line with a campus skills, abilities, and knowledge. Part of the its size, but left unspoken are the students fun and excitement of the setting is how such who disappear without a trace. Without ordinary people react when they realize global evidence of foul play, these disappearances conspiracies, hidden societies, and myths and are officially counted as “withdrawals.” legends are real. The weirdness doesn’t stop at the edge of Under adversity, the ordinary sometimes campus, either. Some of the twitchier types claim rise to become extraordinary. Since this Pinebox is some sort of nexus of strangeness. setting is about the journey from one to the They claim ghosts, demons, cultists, and other, heroes might start as inexperienced monstrous creatures are drawn there. or even selfish teenagers, and graduate as Pinebox citizens say that’s crazy talk. selfless young men and women. They’re just another rural Texas town like any Heroes at ETU are those who refuse to turn a other. Or perhaps they just follow the blind eye to those in need; those who have strong old wisdom that to acknowledge hearts, inquisitive minds, and a desire to fight back 4 darkness invites it to take notice against the dark forces arrayed against them. in return. EAST TEXAS PINEBOX, TEXAS UNIVERSITY The city of Pinebox is located in Golan County, Texas. Pinebox is nestled in ETU serves 13,000 the remains of a once-vast, dense undergraduate and graduate forest called the Big Thicket students in almost sixty fields that ranged across Texas, of study. The anthropology Louisiana, and beyond. and folklore departments For many years the area’s are ranked in the top ten primary income derived from in the country and ETU harvesting pine trees for timber, is rated in the Top which is how the city came to 20 Best Education be named. The area boasts Values for numerous hiking and biking a public trails, as well as excellent university. fishing and water sports Students from opportunities at nearby more than 35 Lake Greystone. countries attend ETU. The college has a Pinebox is home to nationally ranked ROTC slightly more than program and was recently 19,000 permanent awarded a grant to become residents, plus a a Homeland Defense student population Training School. ETU has of 13,000 more. Dining a very active Journalism opportunities include a mix department and its own of national restaurant chains and award-winning, student- local favorites such as the Pizza run television (KTRU) and Barn. Despite hosting a nationally radio stations (KETU). ranked university, Pinebox has managed to maintain its rural roots. While the town provides Many students have said one of options for shopping and the best things about ETU is how entertainment, ETU offers the low-pressure, small town many amenities right on lifestyle helped them adjust to campus, and almost anything life on their own. a student needs can be found there. In addition to on- campus housing (mandatory for Freshmen and Sophomores), the campus offers a movie theater, bowling alley, art gallery, well- equipped gym and recreational sports center, paintball field, bookstore, convenience store, a food court, emergency care, bus transit system, and more. 5 TEXAS TALK Some say Texas is like a whole other country. Maybe that’s true. All of France and Britain could fit inside it, after all. Texas has a little bit of everything, from the Piney Woods and Big Thicket of East Texas, across the plains of Central Texas, to the Hill Country, to the deserts and mountains of West Texas. Texans are an eclectic mix of western dreams and northern entrepreneurship. The truth is a West Texan and an East Texan have very different accents, but the following list might help those not used to Texan or Southern lingo. TEXAS WISDOM Always drink upstream of the herd: Be different and do your own thing. (The herd fouls the water headed downstream.) Better than two peas in a pod: Very close friends or allies. Big hat, no cattle: All talk, no action Don’t dig up more snakes than you can kill: Don’t go looking for extra trouble. Don’t make me open a can of Whoopass!: I’m about to kick your butt if you don’t stop. Don’t slap a man who’s chewing tobacco: Could get messy. Don’t squat with spurs on: Think about the consequences of your actions. If you squat while wearing spurs, you will slice your butt open! Dumber than a box of (hammers/rocks): The boy’s extremely dumb. Happier than a rooster in a hen house: A very happy state of mind. Having a fit: Throwing a tantrum. He couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with directions on the heel: The boy’s dumb! He’s all swole up: He’s angry, looking to fight. He’s as sharp as a mashed potato: The boy’s dumb! He’s on a tear: He’s doing bad things. This is “tear” as in “to tear up paper.” It’s a turd floater: A big rainstorm. Letting the cat out is easy, putting him back in the sack is hard: It’s easy to start something, harder to see it through. Looks like the cheese fell off the cracker: Things didn’t work out the way it was planned. More than you can shake a stick at: A lot of them. Showing his ass: Being bad, acting badly. Sit in the middle and you don’t have to open the gate: Pastures have gates leading in and out. Traditionally, the person sitting shotgun is obligated to open and close them for the driver. Being the middle passenger on a bench seat—usually the less desirable spot—excludes you from this obligation. That chaps my ass: Makes me mad. That dog won’t hunt: That won’t work or doesn’t make any sense. We’ve howdied, but we ain’t shook: We know each other, but we haven’t come to an agreement, or, we know each other, but we are not friends yet. 6 TEXAS WORDOLOGY Aggervated: Aggravated. Mild annoyance to crazed rage. Ain’noneed: No reason to. Awwready!: “All righty.” Used as an affirmation or agreement. Ball: To play American Football. There is no other sport. Ball is Football in Texas. Bloody Nickel: Slang for Houston’s 5th Ward, one of the toughest neighborhoods in the nation. Boondocks: Way out in the middle of nowhere. Catching Cold: Becoming sick or ill. Coke: Any soft drink; not just Coca Cola, but Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Orange Crush, Mountain Dew, etc. Dadgummit, dadblammit: Used instead of curse words. Dry County: A county where it is illegal to sell alcohol. Eat Up With: Excessively afflicted with some bad thing such as jealousy, cancer, or other disease. Fixin’ to: About to, or eventually will do something. Grocery Store: Any place that sells food or gas. Holler: To call out. Howdy Y’all: Hello, everyone. Texans give bonus points for double y’alls. “Y’all want some queso, y’all?” I imagine: To have intent or belief. “I imagine it’s time to go.” Icebox: A refrigerator, not necessarily the frozen part, but the entire thing. Ice House: A bar, usually a biker bar. Lit off: To leave in a hurry. Nekkid: A state of being nude. Nu-uh: No way. Pissed off: Angry Plumb: To do something completely. Recken: To think about. Sko’eet: Let’s go eat. Switch: A branch or stick used to spank or punish. Take on: To wail or cry. Tank: A pond. Tenny Shoes: Any pair of athletic shoes Tejano: A native Hispanic Texan, pronounced Teh-hah-no or Tay-hah-no. Texas Stop Sign: A Dairy Queen; a fast food restaurant known for hamburgers and ice cream. To carry: To provide a ride. What a Do?: A way to say hello and ask what’s going on at the same time. Wouldn’t Take: To refuse to sell. “I wouldn’t take less than a thousand for it.” Yankee: Anyone not born in Texas. Can be anyone north of where you live. “Dallas is Yankee-land to Houston.” 7 CHARACTERS Welcome, incoming students! You’re about “Major.” See the Selected Majors sidebar to take your first step into the macabre world (page 9) for some ideas. of Pinebox, Texas. This particular book, Major Skill: Students take exams (yes, you East Texas University, concerns itself with will be tested) with the skill most relevant the town’s largest enterprise and a hotbed to his Major. This is called his “Major Skill” of strange activity—East Texas University. and is usually something like Knowledge That’s ETU, for short. Here in Texas we like (Mechanical Engineering) or Knowledge to keep our words short ‘cause we drawl ‘em (Agriculture). Check out that Selected out anyhow. Majors sidebar and don’t forget to take a Major Skill as one of your starting skills. SOME TEXAS TWISTS Students can have an “Undecided” Major In the world of East Texas University, until their Junior year, rolling Smarts –1 characters are called students and we call the instead of a Major Skill. Game Master the Dean. Minors: Characters can also have “Minors” Characters in ETU are full time students. simply by taking the appropriate skills as they They enroll as Freshmen and must advance advance but there are no separate rules for them. through their Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. Freshman player characters are Novice STEP 3: TRAITS Rank, Sophomores are Seasoned, Juniors are Attributes: Pick your attributes as described Veterans, and Seniors are Heroic. in Savage Worlds. Every character begins with Students also have a new secondary Trait a d4 in every attribute and has 5 points to called Academics—see Step 3. This tracks raise any or all of them to higher die types. how much attention she’s giving her studies Skills: Entering Freshmen are young versus solving mysteries. Both are equally teenagers right out of high school, so most important at ETU. should not have skills above a d8 unless they have a good background reason for doing so. STEP 1: RACE All characters are human. If you want to While college students shouldn’t have lots of create a student who’s part fish, you might combat skills, this is Texas and most young men try that other university up in Massachusetts. and women have shot a few guns, been in a few As usual, heroes start with one free Edge. fights, or taken a few self-defense classes. • Derived Attributes: Calculate your STEP 2: MAJOR secondary attributes—Charisma, Pace, 8 Students enter college within Parry, and Toughness—as usual. a primary course of study, or • Academics: Students have a new secondary STEP 4: EDGES & attribute called Academics as well. Like HINDRANCES Charisma, Academics is 0 unless modified Choose Edges and Hindrances from Savage by Edges, Hindrances, Extracurricular Worlds or this book as usual. Some have been Activities, or circumstance. modified to better suit East Texas University, so be sure to consult the relevant entries later in this chapter. Prohibited Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, SELECTED MAJORS Illiterate, and Wanted (Minor/Major). Below is a list of common Majors found Prohibited Edges: All Arcane Backgrounds, at ETU, but it is by no means exhaustive. Beast Bond, Beast Master, and Giant Killer, Students are encouraged to discuss other and any Edges that require them. disciplines with their Dean. Some Majors require specialization, shown in parentheses after the Major, such as Biology or Chemistry for Science. A History Major, for example, has Knowledge (History), while an entering Mechanical Engineer has Knowledge (Mechanical Engineering). Students can further specialize as desired by taking additional Knowledge skills on their own, but must still take the “core” Knowledge skill for their Major and use it for Exams. Refer to Exams on page 25. • Agriculture • Anthropology • Archaeology • Architecture • Art (Music, Painting, Sculpting) • Business • Computer Science • Criminal Justice • Cultural Studies • Education • Engineering (Aerospace, Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, Petroleum) • General Studies (See page 25) • Kinesiology • Military Science (These characters must also be enrolled in R.O.T.C.) • Liberal Arts (Creative Writing, English Literature, Fashion, Folklore, History, Journalism, Languages, Pre- Law, Psychology) • Science (Biology, Biotech, Chemistry, Entomology, Genetics, Geology, Pre- Med, Pre-Vet, Meteorology) • Speech and Communications (Speech, Journalism, Radio/Television) 9