RE: [DL] How do you run a Rattler? [mild spoilers]

[Xotzil@aol.com]

I replied to this earlier, but it was through a tertiary mail connection from 
work and didn't arrive. If a second message should at some point, please 
disregard this one.

>>By the time I remembered, it was really far too late.

Oh, I wasn't implying that you were blowing it off. Armour is one of the 
FIRST things I check for when running a beastie. It's one of the best 
strengths for use against gunbunny posses. My comment was merely intended for 
flippancy's sake.

>>I had the whole body of the thing out of the ground.  Should I have just
>>stuck the tentacles out of the sand?  If I were a rattler and had that
>>option, that's what I'd do, now that I think about it.  I gotta remember
>>these are like the graboids from _Tremors_.

Makes sense for a Rattler to pop up whole hog and try to grab n gulp. They're 
used to not getting a lot of resistance when they do.

If they start getting plugged with lead, however, then my interpretation is 
for them to get cover and strike from below. Play smart.

>>Can they travel while in the process of reeling in somebody?

Don't see why not. Give the poor player a few chances to get loose before the 
Rattler pulls him underground. If he gets loose AFTER he's been pulled under, 
cackle madly and watch him try to work out how he's going to get out of the 
burrow before the Rattler manages to do a 180. <weg>

If you're really worried about it, knock the Pace down to 15 to simulate the 
struggle aspect.

>>Unanswered question: what do you do if someone tries
>>to Overawe a Rattler?  One the one hand, they're intelligent, and therefore
>>can grasp the concept of mortality and possibly be frightened by it.  On the
>>other, they're giant armored flesh-eating betentacled worms and probably
>>don't have much to fear in the first place.

What I'm about to say are blanket statements that I'd use as house rules and 
are by no means official, but here's my take on it.

First of all, look at it like this.

When you're about to swat a fly that's been buzzing around your head for a 
while and it gives you a really dirty "I could take you" look, how do you 
react?

Yeah. Me too. **smoosh**

Any intelligent terror (and it's YOUR fiat as to whether an abomination is 
"intelligent" or not. Rattlers are a big "yes" in my book. Maze Dragons are 
borderline...SOME might be intelligent, most are probably just big animals 
that eat people, garden variety Walkin' Dead are not intelligent, nor are 
Desert Thangs in my world...you get the idea) who does not have the 
"Fearless" trait (Hangin' Judges do, as does Los Diablos) might have the 
potential to be overawed by a "mere" human, but only in three cases (two that 
I've been able to find by searching my books, and one that just makes sense 
to me).

(1) A Blessed with the Miracle "Chastise." This is pure Divine Aura poured 
through the Blessed and reminding the Terror that the Great Gawd Almighty 
(can I get a Hallelujah?) has invested some power in this one. This Blessed 
may be just a Preacher, or he may be the Second Coming. How lucky do you feel?

(2) A Martial Artist with "Jade King Stance." I don't know who the Jade King 
was, but he might have been a powerful enough figure to hit some deep chord 
in the Abomination's nerve centre. MAs can go WAY beyond what a "normal" 
human can do with their bare hands. Who's to say that those fists couldn't be 
iron enough to rip out its heart...especially if it is imbued with the power 
of the Jade King (cue appropriate melodramatic music here)?

(3) Harrowed. This one is my call, but I suggest it because the Abomination 
in question can probably see right through to the manitou, who may well be 
able to whisper to it "I don't know if I can stop you, but if I don't I'm 
going to wind up dead, so he's getting all the help I* can give him, and I 
wouldn't have chosen him if he wasn't already a good choice to be made..."

And if the above Harrowed has "Spook" I might give him a bonus equal to his 
level.

What I would NOT do is make it a contested roll. I'd make it a base number 
equal to the Abomination's Guts die type plus its Terror Rating plus the 
local Fear Level as a target number. Minimum.

You MIGHT be able to make the Rattler think twice, but you'd be having the 
luckiest day of your life if you do.

Makes for a good magic moment for the player if he manages it, though.

Joe Average Gunslinger tries to stare down a Rattler, however, he shortly 
thereafter becomes Desperado Sashami.

The above are my takes on it, by no means official. They make it possible, 
but not very likely. Again, though, the times that it DOES work should really 
be wow times.

>>(I feel I've lost your respect by asking such basic questions.)

Pshaw. None of this is hard and fast rules, and that's what the list is here 
for. No harm, no foul. Hope it was at least marginally helpful.

--Jacques (Chris' friend)