Re: [BNW] Questions

[Mark Kilfoil <kilfoilm@nbnet.nb.ca>]

"g. m." wrote:
> 
> Hey all! Gary M the GM here.
> 
> Ok, since no-one answered my question of "Is there an archive of the
> mailing list", I'm going to ask all my questions, even tho I'm sure 
> that some of them have already been asked.

As far as I remember there is no complete archive of this list, but 
the accumulated rulings has all the "official" responses so far...

URL of that is...<http://www.sonic.net/~dkjedi/deadlands/index.htm>

> 1) The "shrapnel" blaster - The guy who blew off his own hand when he fired
> at Patriot and trigered his Delta powers - I thought I saw references to
> other blasters who did this. Are they a sub-set of blasters, or a different
> type of Delta?

I'd say it would be sufficiently different so as to be a separate type
of delta, distinct from the Delta...  I mean, it presumably would 
include the regrowth of the exploded limb, nay?  Definitely something
distinct from blasters, given that...


> 2) Cybernetics: Is there any? Does this count as a "gadget" that must be
> maintained so that only Gadgeteers have them, or can they be implanted and
> then you're on your own? Cybernetics/nanites are a popular origin these
> days.

No mention of it yet, that I can recall..  Superscience is still reliant
on Gadgeteers and Geniuses (Genii?), but I'm sure there would be some 
*special* projects going on out there, building experimental cyborgs
that just *happen* to get loose and become on the run...

Heck, you could even create a Delta power which makes integration with
electronic/mechanical parts easier..  Oh wait, I am!  ;)  I should have
the Elemental of Technology up this weekend...

Right now, the suggestion is that cybernetics, if they exist, are not
widespread.  So, no corner-store eye implants, no arm-replacements 
(beyond our current technology) in common use...  But feel free to add
some technological experiments if you like..  

> 3) Pryokenitics/Cryokenetics: I know there is the Hot Shot, but I really
> don't like the "feel" of the character. Any particular reason he was made
> that way? Any chance of seeing a classic Pyro or it's fun oppisite, the
> Cryo blaster? Or should they be done as versions of the blaster. I don't
> think it would work that well with the Cryo.

For an alternate take on Fire and Ice, I humbly direct you to two of my
own works, the Elemental of Fire and the Elemental of Ice (on my 
webpage -- address in .sig).

You could simply make them versions of the Blaster, with the purely 
descriptional basis for the Fire and Ice distinctions...

> 4) Barginers: So they can't really cast "spells" a la Zatanna/Doc Strange?
> Or are they going to get their own book in the future? I like the twist on
> magic that the Barbiners have, but I love my spell-slingers.

It depends on your view of "spells", in a way, doesn't it?  I mean, some
of the classic descriptions of "magic" were "dealing with, bargaining
with,
or subdueing extra-worldly forces, such as Gods, Angels, Daemons,
Fairies,
etc." which is pretty much in line with the Bargainers.

But no, they aren't *exactly* like the Dr. Stranges of the comics...

Somebody [Mark Craddock] did post a while ago with a "Sorcerer" package,
based much more directly off of Dr. Strange-type characters.  That
could be reposted, if you'd like..  (Hmm...  I wonder if he would mind
a webhost for it...)

> 5) What the heck was the Silver Ghost's package, and why wasn't in in the
> book? I would think that there is a package for the FIRST Delta, EVER. So
> where/what is he?

His package is something akin to "intangibility", which is pretty 
powerful (just ask any player who has fought against intangible or
ghostly creatures done correctly in an RPG -- they are hell to deal 
with!).  Likely, they omitted it because it would be too annoying to
the Guide for a player to have, and the ones they included covered many
of the basics.

> 6) Ditto for Truth.

Not a really interesting package, in a way, but certainly not hard to
reverse engineer (as they practically spill out all of what it does
anyway).

> 7) I see that there are also no Psionic packages. I kind of like this, as I
> have yet to really see a set of rules for them that I really like (Sorry
> Steve, but Ultimate Mentalist was not really to my liking), yet there is a
> mention of a character who is suppoesed to have mental abalities. Is this
> going to be in the Defiance book?

There is the Telekinetic and the fan-created "Mesmerizer" that was 
put on here, but if by Psionic characters you mean powers like
telepathy,
clairaudience/clairvoyance, psychometry, scanning, empathy or mind
control -- not yet.

> 8) Last powers question: Are we going to see a weather control package?

Hmm...  Weather control is a bit powerful for a Delta power, perhaps...

> 
> OK players - stop here  - you know who you are
> 
> s
> 
> p
> 
> o
> 
> i
> 
> l
> 
> e
> 
> r
> 
> s
> 
> p
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> a
> 
> c
> 
> e
> 
> Ok - is there a Delta Prime book comming out, listing membership/powers?
> They are the main foes a group is liable to face?

There is, to the best of my knowledge, going to be a DP book -- it would
be foolish not to.  As to when..  can't say..

> Can you give me any tid-bits on Alpha powers? I was thinking that for my
> first session that I would have an escaped Alpha on the rampage. Good way
> to get a group of diverse people together - and they would also get to 
> see Delta Prime in action as well. I would use the Power Shield 
> adventure, but two of my players have already bought it and read it. 

Alphas are more like Superman;  they have several powers or some 
extraordinary powers that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary
Deltas.

They are usually still more human than Alpha, but barely.  For an
example of what an Alpha might look like, look in the colour plates for
the plate of the Devastator.  Frightening...

One way to make up an Alpha might be to simply combine the effects of
two or three of the Delta power packages.  Blaster and Flyer make a
good combo, for example.

> Also, they read the rest of the "Guide only" pages, so I'm going to have 
> to make some other changes to the world as well. My campagin is probbably
> going to look nothing like the standard campagin once I get going.

Well, even knowing what's there doesn't mean that they can use that
information.  Knowing who the President is will only make the Presential
declarations and Martial Law even more suspicious -- but layeth the 
smacketh down if you players use that information unfairly...

Also, so much of the BNW universe (at least in the USA) is made up of
half-truths, suppositions, back-stabbing, conspiracy and manipulation,
you could actually present the universe as written in the book, only to
star seeding doubts as to whether they (the players) really know the 
truth or not...
 
> If you don't care to tip your hand on the Alpha question yet, then I'll
> have a member of a strong team of Deltas being transported to trial have 
> an escape attempt by his team mates. Could work.

Should work, except for a minor change:  very few Deltas would even get
a trial.  Remember, this *is* a dictatorship under martial law we're
talking about here...

They would still be transported for induction into the Delta Academy,
Delta Squad or prison, however...


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