[DL] Re: Rifles in Deadlands

["TFM" <tfm@post.pl>]

Mornin',

I had similar problems and I made solution, that works surprisingly fine for
my gaming group:

I've changed rifle base damage.

Short round rifles, like Henry or Winchester have now 3d8 damcode. Spencers
and '76 Winchesters also chambered pistol round, but their firepower were
significantly better, so, I gave them 3d8+2.

Low-caliber, long-round rifles (Whitworth, Springfield carbine) retained 4d8
damage.

Powerful, high-caliber rifles (like Ballard) now have 4d10, and real cannons
(Big Fifty) 4d10+2.

Fast summary:
Old damage       New damage
4d8 pistol          3d8 or 3d8+2
4d8 rifle             4d8
5d8 rifle             4d10
4d10 rifle           4d10+2

I used +2 modifier, because in Deadlands revised rules, Winchester '76 is
given with similar damage adjustment. It somewhat messess up minimal damage,
but otherwise works great.

Those changes helped to accomplish four things:

a) Fast, repeating rifles no longer have stopping power of more powerful
one-shots, while still retaining edge over six-shooters.
b) Pistols are a much better choice now.
c) For short-range shootin', shotguns are now a reasonable alternative to
repeaters, as they should be.
d) Buffalo rifles are better now. In canon rules, they weren't better than
ordinary high-caliber hunting rifles like Ballard 72.

Also, I changed range adjustment for rifles, adding +5 to every long-round
rifle range.

Yours truly

Tomasz F Misiorek