[DL] Ghost Riders (spoilers even if you don't use this rule)

["Zachariasen, Nick" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu>]

Well, as promised quite some time ago (yes, The Crow is STILL on my
backburner), here is the finished product- inspired by a contemporary MiB,
Mr. Johnny Cash, here is the writeup of the Ghost Riders:



SPOILER SPACE






Ghost Riders

Those killed by Los Diablos normally become Diablos themselves- the most
powerful, unholy servants of the Reckoners.  However, sometimes a character
manages to escape the clutches of The Reckoners.  Upon a character's death
at the hands of a Diablo, have the character draw cards like normal.  If the
character draws any cards but the Red Joker, he still becomes a Diablo.
However, if he DOES draw the red Joker, he comes back as a Ghost Rider,
whose sole purpose is to ride in pursuit of the devil bulls in an attempt to
free the souls who have fallen into the hands of evil.  The character's body
will remain on Earth, buried, cremated, or what have you, but the new Ghost
Rider will simply emerge from the nearest portal leading from The Hunting
Grounds.  As soon as the character gets his bearings, he will begin his
hunt.  Note to Marshals: if you want to determine how disoriented the
character is, consider running him through his nightmare scenario.  As the
new character begins to realize what's going on, he realizes what he has
become and realizes the awesome power now at his hands.

There are several benefits to being a Ghost Rider.  First, treat the
character as Undead.  Second, the character gains the Harrowed power Hell
Beast at level 5.  Third, due to the character's strengthened connection to
The Hunting Grounds, the character gains a +3 bonus on any Arcane
Background-related rolls, including Ch'i and Voodoo rolls.  If the character
goes bust on the roll, simply treat the attempt as a failure.  Fourth, the
character may give his Fate Chips to another character without the normal
2-for-1 restriction.  Fifth, any attacks made by the character toward a
Diablo are made at a +2 and ignore Los Diablos' natural armor.  Sixth, a
Ghost Rider never needs to make Guts checks.  Seventh, and finally, a Ghost
Rider can ALWAYS tell where the nearest Diablo will appear.

While they may seem overly powerful, the (after)life of a Ghost Rider isn't
exactly a walk in the park.  Ghost Riders have a one-track mind.  They exist
solely to battle Los Diablos and will use their special "Diablo Radar" to
track them to where they will appear so that they may try to stop them.  A
Ghost Rider will relentlessly pursue Los Diablos, slowing down only to
travel with others who can help him in his fight or to fight a major
abomination (Marshal's call as to how to define "major"). Every time a Ghost
Rider kills a Diablo, the Diablo reverts to the human form it held in its
mortal life.  When this happens, follow the same procedure as when a PC is
killed by a Diablo.  If the Red Joker is drawn, the ex-Diablo becomes a
Ghost Rider.  If the Black joker is drawn, the character returns to his life
as a mortal.  Imagine an ancient Greek who suddenly finds himself in the
middle of the Weird West! If any other card is drawn, the lost soul goes on
to its final resting place.  They can also free the souls lost to The
Devil's Own Herd, though these souls always journey to their eternal rewards
(or punishments).  A Ghost Rider will not worry about defending people
unless they are targets of Los Diablos, so you can kiss your character's
heroic streak goodbye.  Ghost Riders lose all motivations that they had in
their mortal lives.  You character was a gambler who had a Yearnin' to build
his own casino?  Not anymore, amigo.  Was he a local sheriff fiercely
protective of his county?  Sorry, pal.  Ghost Riders exist ONLY to hunt the
devil bulls.

Ghost Rider has the same rest restrictions of a Harrowed.  Even these
supernatural heroes must renew their connections to The Hunting Grounds
periodically.  Also, to drive the final nail into the coffin (again), Ghost
Riders cannot under any circumstances WHATSOEVER gain Bounty.  It's all part
of being dead, pardner.  Ghost Riders don't bother training to improve their
skills.  With the powers they have, learning how to drive a Steamwagon or
gaining new Hexes doesn't quite seem worth a Ghost Rider's time.  If a Ghost
Rider is ever slain, that's it.  Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, do not
draw cards.  The character is forever dead.

Marshals, a Ghost Rider can be a powerful force for good in your game, but
it may also be difficult for a player to be able to properly handle a
character of this nature, so feel free to simply state that the character is
now an NPC if you don't think that the player can handle it.  If in doubt,
give the player a chance.  If the player can't handle it, simply demand that
he hand over the character sheet and draw up a new character.  Otherwise,
this can give your players a great opportunity for some good playing a dead
man   They may wish to watch Lexx and observe the character of Kai.  He
would be something of a good model on which to base the motivation of a
Ghost Rider, though unlike Kai, a Ghost Rider actually has a purpose to its
continued existence.  Have fun, Marshals- yer goin' for a ride!


Well, everyone, go ahead and let me know what you think.  I'll try to get
The Crow done soon- I promise!

Nick "backburner inferno" Zachariasen

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