RE: [DL] Hack and Slash Deadlands

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

The posse I marshal goes thru phases, so I try to go along with them, of
"Hack 'n' Slash 'n' Shoot 'n' Explode" and "Wow, cool, another clue!"  If
they insist on staying in violent mode too long, they get sloppy, and
usually die in spectacular ways.

I handle the fire-fight-fests by taking generic desperado stats and having
twenty or thirty of them.  They get two cards per round, only occassionally
think of using cover or dodgin', and are only effective because of sheer
quantity.  They all wear red shirts (flannel, but still red!), and the
required black hats.  And I only give out a white chip to each player for
taking the bad guys down.  If they think and plan and go around the bad
guys, then red chips come out, and probably fewer chips get spent, but it's
up to the players which they do.  Then, in the warm after glow of combat, I
present the clues.  One of the players will usually try to do something with
the clues, if only to find out where to get more targets.  I still get to
give out clues, I even get to participate in the feral joy of combat, and
we're all happy.

So try to enjoy the mindless bloodshed.  Kill many of the characters.  Point
out that if they had paid attention to clue X, they wouldn't have died.  As
a compromise, put the important role-playing bits behind a screen of
red-shirted cowpokes.  Or even use walkin' dead and veteran walkin' dead --
they can shoot guns too!

Oh, man, I'm rambling now...  (and giving away minor spoilers -- go away
players!)





--- minor spoiler space ---






You can also throw Rattlers at them -- the posse can shoot at it all they
want, they probably won't do much damage.  Or automatons - very durable,
very fun to blow up in front of a PC that thought he had won, and very good
to have clues on how to avoid, or great guards for something the posse
should know.  And of course the nosferatu -- not much on ranged combat
themselves, but they are next to impossible to kill unless you've got a
sword or ax handy.  My posse hates nosferatu -- one player would put a
couple bullets into one and stun it, then a second would attack and he'd
have to put a bullet or two into it to stun it, which gave the first one a
chance to recover...  he only survived because he was using a Winchester
with a full load of ammo, and kept this up until another PC could come help.
Thank you, Mr. Goff, for _Night_Train_.

Jeff Y.
Marshal for the Dynomite Gang


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-deadlands@gamerz.net [mailto:owner-deadlands@gamerz.net]On
> Behalf Of Phalen, Pat
> Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 8:22 AM
> To: 'DD'
> Subject: RE: [DL] Hack and Slash Deadlands
>
>
> >I know this is going to sound pathetic but the group that I am running no
> >longer wants to think in thier scenarios. All they want is Hack and Slash
> >Deadlands. So what I am asking is has anyone out there run any hack and
> >slash deadlands and if so can you give me some ideas.
>
> Easy.  Start thinking like a player.  Min/Max bad guys until
> you're heart is
> content!  Plus, you are unencumbered by silly things like rules when
> creating these Combat Monsters (tm).  If this is the type of game the
> players want, then bring it at them!  However, at this point you need to
> change your mindset.  As Marshal your job is no longer
> "Facilitate telling a
> great group story," but rather "Kill, 'em all, let them come back
> harrowed,
> and kill 'em again"  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your
> mindset), at this point the game becomes more of a "Me against them"
> pseudo-wargame, than an RPG, so you need to be prepared for it.
>
> Also, don't sweat out the details, anymore.  They won't notice that the
> Bartender is left-handed, so don't even consider it...
> I've played (on both sides of the screen) in these types of games.  As a
> player, if it is what you are looking for, you don't want the Marshall to
> bore you with the details.  Just railroad me and get me into combat,
> dagnabit!
> As a Marshal, if I know this is what the players are expecting,
> It will only
> frustrate me if I go through a lot of trouble to create a
> detailed scenario,
> and all the players want to do is kill stuff..
>
> If this isn't what you want to do as a Marshal, tell the players,
> and maybe
> you can work out some common ground, but don't forget it is not just your
> game...
>
> Patrick
>
>
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