A classic primer on building an adventure and using mechanics to focus in on what really matters. This game shows its age a bit but there are still concepts in here that are well worth reading for a new GM. It's also a perfect examination of the Lawful Good Paladin "problem" in a context that's unique among RPGs.

Dogs in the Vineyard is phenomenal at what it does. It makes players feel like outsiders, and then gives them responsibility that they don't quite have the tools to bear. The game screams at them to escalate: to shove someone, to punch them, to pull out a gun. The rules reward players that throw caution to-the-wind and overcomplicate every encounter. And it does it all without a modicom of judgement.

Dogs is not for someone who wants to hack a system, or blend mechanics. It does what it does and it does it INCREDIBLY thematically, and very very well. What I will be taking from this game into future RPGs is how to set up towns, how to drive toward conflict, and how to actively reveal the story to players.

I loved being a player in this game. It is a great change of pace from the other gamesystems I have played. Very easy to learn too. The first time I played, it was at a con game. 10 minutes in and I felt very comfortable with the system and was able to delve deeper into the story of the session without having to resurface to figure out some mechanic.