Re: [DL] witch hunt help---- spoilers

[Munch Wolf <munchwolf@yahoo.com>]

--- Deadlander@aol.com wrote:
> s
> p
> o
> i
> l
> e
> r
> s
> 

Well, even though there is a lengthy conversation in
the OT list with the same subject title ... the
original question hasn't been answered.  Here's my 2
cents.

I don't like it.  Not the fact the post was all lower
case, or in all bold ... the whole scenario just isn't
how I would have run it.


> my posse have just completed a scenario in a small
> mining town in nevada, and 
> have the remains of a damaged steam wagon and undead
> controlling device on 
> their hands.

Lets see ... they find some items and want to sell
them to a MS.  No problem there.

> they sent a telegram to a scientist to see if he was
> interested in buying it, 

They send a telegram, so this implies he is not a
local and would have probably spent a few days to get
to the site.  If he was a local, I doubt anyone would
be that quick to shoot him.

> he arrived in town with his two escorts and cast the
> reverse engineer hex on 
> the wagon successfully. the huckster in the posse
> made a horrendous roll and 
> spotted the hex.

Let's see, since the hex requires 5 minutes of
in-depth examination per RANK of the item .. I'd
estimate 10 to 20 minutes per item ... for an
examination well over 30 minutes before he can decide
he knows enough about each item that he doesn't need
them any more.
The hex though is spotted before the in-depth
examination ... so:
A)  The posse should have said something when they saw
the hex cast, before they let the scientist spend at
LEAST a half hour examining both devices 
B)  The posse should have no clue what the hex is. 
Simple, it's a metalmage hex, and most likely one
they've never seen before.  How would they know what
it was?  So after seeing the MS cast an unknown hex,
the posse should have done A.

I'm guessing you ignored the lengthy examination time,
or at least it wasn't an issue for the posse.

> the scientist then said he wasn't interested in the
> wagon, the posse member 
> then had a quiet word with the scientist and
> threatened to expose him if he 
> didn't pay up. 

Sorry, this doesn't sound heroic.  Someone spends
several days travelling to investigate a few broken
items.  Casts a spell of unknown origin and spends a
lengthy time investigating the two items only to
determine they a worthless and a waste of his time (as
far as the posse knows).  In truth he should have
charged the posse for his apprisial.  Being
blackmailed by the posse .. shame shame shame.

> the scientist and his goons said sling your hook, at
> which point the huckster 
> raised his voice and accused him of witchcraft in
> the middle of the street.
> this was overheard by 8 towns people that had just
> endured a spate of attacks 
> from undead and a bit of grave robbing. i rolled a
> few dice and one of the 
> npcs botched his roll, so he drew his gun and shot
> at the scientist.

Sorry, where's the proof?  Someone shouts witchcraft
and so someone else gets skittish and shoots him?  I
don't buy it.  Maybe a failed roll means the person
wets himself or runs off .. but shoots?

And calling witchcraft without any proof?  No one saw
the MS do anything except one posse member.  And
think, the MS didn't show up until AFTER the posse
sent for him, and the town should have calmed down
some by then... if they start calling witch, they are
likely to get targeted as well.  Now assuming he lived
only an hour or two ride away .. well, some townfolk
will probably know him, and therefor be more likely to
believe in the MS than the posse.

> i just want a little help on how to handle this,
> would the town lynch them? 
> without a trial, the scientist came from hi
> industries, if any  what would be 
> the repercussions of this attack on his men. the
> scientist was going to tell 
> hellstrome nothing about the wagon, but try to make
> a profit on the side by 
> claiming the device as his own invention.
>  any help would be most appreciated

Now that I've given some reasons why I think the
situation is terribly wrong, let me say, it's done, no
do-overs.  You chose what happened, so that's what
happened.  What happens next?

That's a good question.  For one the posse just made a
new enemy with Hellstrome, but that should be more of
a longer term plot point.  Wait a few adventures
before he gets revenge.  In the meantime though he
might send a few high paid lawyers to rescue the MS,
that is if he doesn't get lynched first.

So should you lynch him?  Logically there's no good
reason.  No proof of witchcraft.

This is Deadlands though, a land of fear, not logic,
and what stirs up for fear than a good ol' lynchin and
a good ol' witchtrail?  Go outragious with the
accusations.  Have miners declairing the MS summoned
the zombies and placed curses on them.  Have people
accusing their own brothers of witchcraft.  Tear the
town apart.  Raise the fear level a few times.  Have
the posse realize it's not a good thing to HELP the
reckoners.  Maybe throw a skinwalker or harrowed in
their to stir the pot and give the posse a physical
target (although I think it would be better if they
suffered without a tangible enemy).  Seen the end of
Needful Things?  Quickly build up to something like
that and blow everything up.  Heh.  Course if the
posse just leave have them read in the Tombstone
Epitaph about the town self-destructing.  Ham it up.
Probably the only real solution would be to do alot of
good tale-tellin, and getting the MS undeclared as a
witch.

Either way, Hellstrome will now take a person interest
in making the posse's life miserable.

-Munch Wolf

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