RE: [DL] Dead Presidents Comments <SPOILERS>

["Roy Spence" <roy.ster@virgin.net>]

More Dead Presidents thoughts and spoilers...
Still pretty long though.

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>          Thank you very much, Mr. Spence, for taking the time
> to post some
> feedback on DP. Rest assured, it is most appreciated by the
> First Draft's author.;-)

My pleasure Mr. McGlothlin :)

I guess that, knowing the subject of the adventure, I had just automatically
assumed that the adventure would incorporate a significant amount of
investigation and I was just surprised when I found very little.

To be honest I half wondered whether the focus on combat was because it was
the first dual stated book.  I am not meaning this in a bad sense, just that
it's focus was to get D20 players used to the combat rules and also that
they might not be as familiar with the world background to run quite so high
a profile investigation.

Also to me ,it seemed slightly odd that the first D20 stated adventure is of
such a high level, either D20 players will have put the adventure on the
backburner while they get their characters up to the required level, or they
will jump in at the deep end and get stuck in (where they go at this level
after the adventure I have no idea).

>          For what it's worth, in my own personal opinion
> (albeit one often
> clouded by a healthy Writer's Ego;-) ) your criticism is a valid one.

I can understand how having investigation segments in the adventure changes
it significantly, from reducing the danger of the combats (by providing fate
chips and healing time), to slowing the pace and to increasing the
atmosphere of suspense in the adventure.

> Originally, Chapter One was a lengthy investigation into the
> whereabouts of
> the voodoo ritual's sacrificial victims, but in the playtest
> session Shane
> ran, it pulled the Posse off on a needless tangent. Therefore, Shane
> re-wrote it into a much more linear affair, and with that aim
> in mind, I
> think it's a good reworking of the material I submitted. (If I may be
> frank, Chapter One to me is all about Dr. Nick and the gory
> Slaughterhouse
> battle, and all else was commentary.;-) I was happy as long as those
> elements were retained after the revisions.)

Actually, the Slaughterhouse did strike me as a little different from the
normal Deadlands horror - far more in your face gory horror.  Also I was
wondering what happened to Dr Nicks modified PPGG&DD(!!) that should be in
the Slaughterhouse? - were there ever any modified stats for this?

To be honest I don't mind tangents and red herrings - I think they add to
the whole feel of the game and allow the players to get a feel for places as
well as just completing the adventure.  I mean it took us easily 40+ hours
to complete Devils Tower part 1, but we had a blast (sometimes quite
literally) in the City O'Gloom.

>          Also in the original draft, there was an
> investigation sequence
> right after the Posse breaks out of Castle Thunder Prison.
> I'm not sure how
> they would've gelled as a whole, but there were some
> potential individual
> encounters in there I thought were entertaining. There was
> also a search
> for the means to prevent Richmond's destruction, later in the final
> chapter. So far as I know, these segments were cut to make
> room for the D20
> stats, but it is (at least) equally possible they just sucked
> (and Shane saved me from embarrassing myself in print).

Actually this might tie in with something that I was wondering about.  In
BEtS, pg 84 talks about Davis's plan to blow the Prison (as is done in the
adventure) and mentions that the resulting pillar of fire will reach the
Iron Works and destroy it too - which in turn should just about cause the
complete destruction of Richmond, however none of this is mentioned in DP
(or the gas undoubtedly released as a result of the Iron Works'
destruction).  DP seems to limit the destruction to the first blasts
effects.

Also when I do run it, was thinking about incorporating some "do they save
Richmond, or do they stop Alexander thus preventing reprisals against their
loved ones" what you write above, just encourages my thoughts (possibly
throwing in a northern sympathiser into the posse as well to make things
doubly difficult)

One of my other concerns was about the dual stats - I thought they might
prove to be very irritating, however to be honest I didn't find them to be
too much of a problem - a pleasant surprise.

And finally, I was wondering about Varina Davis (and Winnie) as well.  They
seem to be a major link in the whole Davis secret - so why did he leave them
alive?  I mean it's been 4 years, it would be easy enough for them to have
an accident in that time and remove a potential loose end.  The fact they
are still alive means that they must be worth something to Davis in a
living/non undead/non doppelled(!) state - but I'm not sure exactly what.
If a reason has ever been given, I've managed to miss it, if not, has anyone
any thoughts?

Cheers



Roy