# Dogs in the Vineyard tags: #game/rpg/ditv ![[Dogs in the Vineyard (cover).jpg]] ## Summary Buckle up for **Dogs in the Vineyard**, a 2004 indie RPG by D. Vincent Baker that tosses you into a fantasy Wild West dripping with Mormon-inspired vibes, minus the actual Mormons. You play as "Dogs," teenage gunslinger-preachers with a divine mandate to roam from town to town, sniffing out sin, passing judgment, and occasionally blasting demons or heretics. It’s a game about moral dilemmas, where you’re both judge and jury in a dusty, faux-Utah setting that’s equal parts gritty and sanctimonious. The game’s a darling of the indie RPG scene, lauded for its narrative focus and poker-like dice mechanics, but it’s not without quirks—like a setting that might make you squirm if you’re not into playing zealous enforcers of a made-up faith. Oh, and good luck finding a physical copy; it’s been out of print since Baker pulled it for its controversial ties to real-world religion. ### Core Dice Resolution Mechanics The heart of Dogs in the Vineyard is its conflict resolution system, a dice-rolling poker game that’s as innovative as it is fiddly. Here’s how it works: every conflict, whether it’s a heated sermon or a gunfight, starts with setting the stakes—what’s at risk, like “Do I convince Brother Jeb to stop his affair?” or “Do I shoot the sorcerer before he summons a demon?” Characters have four stats (Acuity, Heart, Body, Will) and traits, relationships, and gear, all rated in dice (d4s to d10s). You roll a pool of these dice based on the conflict type—talking uses Acuity + Heart, gunfights use Acuity + Will, and so on. Once rolled, your dice are your “hand.” Players take turns making a “Raise,” putting forward one or two dice and narrating an action, like “I glare and call him a sinner” (dice total: 7). The opponent must match or beat that total with their own dice to “See” the Raise, narrating how they counter, like “He laughs off your accusation” (dice total: 8). If you can’t match, you “Take the Blow,” suffering fallout (narrative or mechanical consequences, like shame or a bullet wound). Can’t or won’t take it? You can “Give,” conceding the stakes. The kicker is escalation. Losing an argument? Escalate to physical (grab their collar, roll new dice with Heart + Body) or even guns (draw your pistol, roll Acuity + Will). Each escalation adds more dice but raises the stakes—words might bruise egos, but bullets kill. It’s a system that forces tough choices: do you push a conflict to violence and risk fallout, or fold and live with defeat? The mechanics shine in driving drama but can feel clunky for players used to straightforward “roll to succeed” systems, and ganging up can skew things (more PCs, more dice, oops). ### Multiple Editions and Changes Here’s where things get spicy: Dogs in the Vineyard only has one official edition from 2004, published by Lumpley Games. No second edition, no revised rulebook—just the original 101-page softcover (or PDF, if you can track it down). Baker toyed with the idea of a new edition or sequel to strip out the Mormon-esque setting, but nothing materialized. Instead, in 2019, with Baker’s blessing, KN Obaugh released DOGS, a genericized version of the system (yes, the S is capitalized, because why not?). DOGS keeps the core dice mechanics—stats, traits, escalation, and poker-style bidding—but ditches the Wild West faith for a setting-agnostic framework. It’s shorter (44 pages), clearer with examples, but feels like a skeleton without the juicy moral weight of the original. Some fans love its flexibility; others say it’s a hammer without a nail. The original Dogs in the Vineyard leaned hard into its setting, with town-creation rules that built scenarios around pride, sin, and demonic influence. DOGS generalizes this, offering a looser structure for conflicts but losing the specific “sin-escalates-to-murder” hierarchy that gave the original its bite. Mechanically, DOGS tweaks little—same dice pools, same escalation—but adds minor clarifications (e.g., better examples for multi-PC conflicts). If you want the full, morally fraught experience, hunt for the 2004 version. If you just want the dice system for your Jedi or cyberpunk game, DOGS is your leaner, less preachy bet. ### References - [Official Publisher Page for Dogs in the Vineyard - Lumpley Games](http://www.lumpley.com/dogsources.html) - [Review of Dogs in the Vineyard - RPGnet](https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10855.phtml) - [Amazon Listing for Dogs in the Vineyard - Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Vineyard-Role-Playing-Game/dp/0976904209) - [Goodreads Reviews of Dogs in the Vineyard - Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156155.Dogs_in_the_Vineyard) - [DOGS Generic System Review - Cannibal Halfling Gaming](https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2024/06/11/dogs-review/) - [Wikipedia Entry for Dogs in the Vineyard - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_the_Vineyard) - [Reddit Discussion on Dogs in the Vineyard Mechanics - Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/mnjr3k/dogs_in_the_vineyard_dice_mechanics/)