Re: [DL] Walkin' Dead And Fate Chip Short Cut

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

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Burneko" <jburneko@yahoo.com>
To: "Deadlands Mailing List" <deadlands@gamerz.net>
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2001 6:39 PM
Subject: [DL] Walkin' Dead And Fate Chip Short Cut


> Hello,
>
> I'm curious about how to deal with Walkin' Dead and
> the Fate Chip Short Cut for large combats.  Obviously
> I don't want to keep track of hit location for 10
> Walkin' Dead in a large fight so I'd like to use the
> Fate Chip/Miniture method but there's a small
> complication.
>
> 1) Walkin' Dead can only be killed by maiming their
> focus which is usually the head.
>
> 2) The Fate Chip/miniture method assumes all wounds go
> to the guts.
>
> This presents a problem.  With several possible
> solutions:
>
> 1) Forget about it.  Since Walkin' Dead are 'put down'
> but not killed if you maim the guts it really doesn't
> matter; an imobile Walkin' Dead is just as good as a
> dead one.
>
> 2) Simply don't count the wounds unless they're called
> shots to the head.
>
> The first is simplest and makes the most sense
> realistically however the second actually adds a
> frightening toughness to the monsters as opposed to
> regular living henchmen.
>
> What method do you use?
>
> Jesse

Both.  It depends on whether the Walkin' Dead are the point to the yarn, or
just fodder with a more "interesting" foe waiting it's turn to chew on posse
members.  Fodder is fodder, regardless of how much actual blood it
contains -- easy to put down, almost always wears a red shirt (or tatters of
a red shirt covered in grave dirt...), you get the idea.  But if the Walkin'
Dead are themselves the point to the story, then they crawl around on stumps
of limbs until relieved of their dead gray matter.  I've had 'em chewin' on
posse member boots when necessary!

It also depends on where the fight takes place.  Sure, my Walkin' Dead can
pull itself along with one arm if it has lost its guts (and the legs
formerly attached via the torso) and other arm.  But it don't matter if the
encounter takes place outdoors, where a total lack of mobility makes Stumpy
easy to sidestep.  In a cramped hallway in the Best Little Haunt House in
Texas it matters, on the Texas range it don't.

Jeff Y.
Marshal for the Dynamite Gang