[DL] Rattler questions, Sinnin' questions, Dynomite questions.

["Jeff Yates" <jyates@poboxes.com>]

Hey listers, I would like to hear how the other Marshals out there handle these things.  I've got my own ideas, but it'd be educational to find out how others have done it.

 

This might involve some spoilers (esp in any responses) so players git!  Go 'head, move along...

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1)  My posse is in the process of trying to kill a couple Rattlers.  As a group, they've never had much luck with explosions -- many a hombre found himself under Boot Hill after dynomite or flamethrower tanks blew up.  Despite this, they quickly took possession of a large crate of 30 sticks to use against the Rattlers.  And managed to set them all off at once.  The plan was good, except they weren't quite far enough away.  They survived, but barely!  Now the questions:  what do your posses use as the burst radius (5 or 10 yards, I use both, depending on how much 'shrapnel' is available), do you use the 10d20 max damage (I didn't cuz I didn't remember it, not having that many sticks in one place before), and do any of you place a maximum overall burst diameter (damage stops x yards out, even if there are enough dice to continue the burst radius reduction)?

 

2) Do you find Rattlers are just not as deadly as they could be?  Their fightin' skills are poor.  Yeah, if it hits it does lots of damage, but the hits are few and far between.  And how many hit locations do they have, and how many are deadly?  I judged that head and gizzards hits do no extra damage (earthworms have no real vital organs...), but enough guts shots will kill one.  And I used the standard hit location chart to determine which wounds were guts vs non-vital other places.  And lastly, whats bigger, a Rattler or a Maze Dragon?  The size chart in both RVC and Marshal's Guide doesn't jive with the creatures' descriptions.

 

3) How often can a Blessed commit a major sin (or worse) before you just cut him off?  I've got a player that just can't keep from attacking outlaws.  Not zombies, mutants, or demons, but just law-breaking humans.  And not just to wind 'em, but killed 'em dead.  He makes his sinnin' checks, and so far has dealt with the fact that he can't use his Blessed powers for a while, but I'm guessing that eventually God just gives up on the viciuous git.  Replacing Blessed powers with Black Magic is the route I think I'm going to take, but I was wondering how long other Marshals would give the guy to come around?

 

If this is posted somewhere already, please point me in the right location.  I looked to see if this stuff had been hashed out already, and didn't find anything.  Otherwise, I look forward to what other groups are doing with these things!

 

Jeff "I just told them where the flamethrower pack was, they ran over and shot at it" Yates