Re: [DL] Need a mysterious past

[darklord@dark-sky.net]

Ok, how's this (any idea created @ 2am needs to have that question asked):


(spoiler space... maybe?  posse types, run!)


suppose that the last time he back lashed, the manitou decided he liked
backlash boy and hung around, to "help" the huckster out... (and we all know
what I mean by "Help").  Have backlash boy pull 1 extra card each time he casts
a hex, explain it as he is in an area of high arcane energy or whatever you
feel fit.  Now here's the fun part, if he draws black joker, it's backlash as
normal, and if he gets a red joker, the manitou gets to have a little fun.  You
can do one of two things:

1.  secretly roll on the backlash table and apply it to someone in the posse,
or whatever you feel would be most fun.

2.  (here's the 2am Idea...) anytime he pulls a joker, (red or black), mr.
helpful manitou is able to manifest a bit of itself into this world.  At first
he becomes some type of talking item, you know, the type of things that cults
are formed around.  As the huckster pulls more jokers, and the demon gets
stronger, have the demon start to give powers to the cultists, maybe even bond
with the cult leader, half possessing him and enhancing his powers.  then have
the demon instruct the cultists to start to cause the posse as much trouble as
possible, but not to directly harm backlash boy.  This will cause backlash boy
to (hopefully) use more hexes an pull more jokers, thereby making the demon
more powerful, and bring him closer to being fully into this world.   After a
bit, the manitou should stop causing backlash all together for the huckster
(hehe, what better way to entice him to use more hexes!). After a while the
posse should realize that there is a cult causing them trouble and hopefully
find their way back to the source of it.  By the time the posse make their way
to the cultist lair, the manitou/demon should be a few jokers away from fully
manifesting itself into this world, making the lead cultist REALLY powerful.
His fellow cultists should be putting up a heck of a good wall around the
leader, making bullets in-effective again the leader and doing very minimal
damage to the cultists.  When backlash boy goes to cast some spells, force a
bunch of extra cards into his hand (caution, really powerful hex coming out)
and hope for a joker, if no joker, have the hex splatter a cultist or two and
hope he tries again.  If he does get a joker (remember, no backlash on any
joker) he gets to splatter a couple cultists, while everyone else in the posse
gets to make a cognition check to see if they realize that the leader just
increased in size.  Now, on the next hex, the huckster will get even more
cards, and with any joker, the Manitou will fully manifest itself, fear level
goes up even more, guts checks all around, and then it will attack.    The
remaining cultists will sacrifice themselves to give the demon even more
power.  Final Battle time.  The posse is faced with a demon, and the huckster
is back to normal power level.. maybe even back lashed on both jokers to put
him back into his place... after all, all the other manitou have to be ticked
that this huckster has been getting a free ride all this time.

Well, what do you all think?  All comments are welcome, cause as I typed this
out, the more I wanted to throw it at one of my hucksters, who is also captain
backlash.  Any thoughts or suggestions to make it better?

--D

Allan Seyberth wrote:

> Hey there,
>      I need a mysterious past for one of my players - a Nor' Lins riverboat
> gambler/huckster - who has been backlash boy since the game started.  I've
> been ignoring his MP since the game started, but want to figure it out now.
>
>      I use a tarot deck for mysterious past pulls, and for this character
> he came up 3 Coins - reversed (he drew the black joker, so the pull is
> always reversed).  Get this - the definition for the deck on 3
> Coins-Reversed is:  Lack of Skill, Unsafe Business, Sloppiness, Mediocrity,
> Money Problems.
>
> What a pull for a gambling huckster.  Especially a backlash boy.  It's
> almost a self-fullfilling prophesy.  (There may be something to this tarot
> thing after all.  :-)
>
>   My problem is that the easiest route - that his training/blood/ability is
> flawed somehow and all of his hexslinging is penalized is just too harsh
> and I don't want to hammer down his primary ability - it's not like he took
> Veteran of the Weird West - this was a random draw.
>
>
> -------------------
> Allan Seyberth