[DL] RE: Pumpkinhead (spoilers)LONG.

[mark gerke <josephtalon@yahoo.com>]

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> One of my many favorite horror movies is the film
Pumpkinhead. The 
last
time
> I watched it, the movie gave me a great idea for a
Weird West 
adventure. I
> thought it would be interesting to sick Pumpkinhead
on my posse. I 
made up
> some stats that I'd like to share with the Marshals
of the listserve 
and
get
> your opinions. 

I like what you've done, though I'd leave out the
Appalachia-specific 
stuff.
I'd instead have it be a generically-available
abomination, though 
still
relatively rare.  Also, on the thing where if his
"host", so to speak, 
is
injured and he feels the pain, does that also mean
that he shares in 
the
injury or does he just feel it (and thus the wound
penalties)?

Nick Zachariasen
Editor Emeritus
Trojan Times
_______________________________________________
I absolutely agree with Nick. 
Pumpkinhead is also a favorite monster flick; horror
flicks are my favorite, especially when I can pick up
a new abomination from them; I hardly ever use
pregenerated characters.  
I have already used Pumkinhead, but in a different
sort of way.  I have always wanted to be able to have
Manitou' exist in our realm; the Pumkinhead was my
ticket.  I used a black magic sorcerer whom brought
undead back from the grave by making a deal with the
manitou.  The deal was that they would be able to use
the powers they grant to harrowed as their own as long
as they protected him and did his evil bidding; plus I
made them automatic Greater Manitou with extra pluses
to their stats.  If by chance they would leave they
simply wouldn't exist in the world of the living
anymore; plain and simple.  I am going to admit right
now that it is a good idea to begin with, but I made
them too powerful.  I made them powerful enough to be
the "hell's hounds of Stone."  This I also admit was a
Stupid mistake.  I firmly believe that if something is
made to be that powerful, and shown to the players as
it is, it should not be dwindled down to show
weakness.  That is just the way I run my games.  I
stopped running that game of HOE.  It was going
nowhere anyway.  This overpowering of Pumkinhead was a
major mistake.  I recommend as Nick said that it
should not be left to a certain graveyard in the
appelacians.  It is true that any "sorceror"  with the
knowledge can bring this creature to life.  Mine was a
manitou in it's physical form using abilities that
they CAN grant humans(hucksters, harrowed, etc...)   
As for sharing the injury, I agree again that the
"possessed" (so to speak) shouldn't take on the
injuries.  After all, you don't want to have your
posse to see the injury they cause to the creature
automatically show up on ol Harley ;)  that would give
everything away quite fast.  My group couldn't figure
out that the pumpkinhead creature was a manitou in
physical form.  When they did find out they weren't
startled; that pissed me off.  Anyway...if you want
them to figure out what the demon is, and how it got
there, then leave some clues.  You might want to leave
some obvious clues for the no brain folks.  he he.  
     This pumkinhead which you have created here is
just about what I am looking for.  I have printed out
the character; thanks.  I'll tell you this though. 
Pumkinhead runs like a Hangin' Judge, and both make me
shudder with glee just thinkin' about throwin' them at
a posse.  But remember that it said by the "bog hag"
that Pumkinhead is the demon of revenge.  To me this
means that if you posse makes a mistake, and the one
that wishes to seek revenge should know about the
Pumpkinhead legend, I only pray for that posse.  Same
as in the movie.  Pumkinhead doesn't stop; for this
reason, it could actually be a bit more ruthless than
a Hangin' Judge.  (Sorry Shane, but it's true) 
Another thought just came to mind is the fact that you
might want to let the legend of Pumkinhead out amongst
the rest of the country, but--Folklore type stuff
(remember, the more people that believe in it the more
powerful it gets)--the real black magic or source of
evil energy to summon it (like voodoo would be cool)
should probably come from the original region.  That
way you could seperate the Hangin' Judge from
Pumkinhead and have one on the east side of the
Mississippi, and one on the other.  Gives me shivers
just thinking about it.  Rock on.  Let the legend be
spread, but let the casting be done in the original
area.  That way even the bad guy gets to travel, and
also gets whats coming to him.  BWwaahaahaa!!  When
the creature is cast into the deadlands living world. 
Should the Mississippi be it's boundry though?  This
should be the most rare occurances to happen in
Deadlands.  This creature will not stop until it's
done...with everyone.  This makes it truly a
horrifically, beautiful specimen for the Deadlands
world.  If your sick of you posse or they truly made
an evil mistake, do one of two things or both: give
them a Black chip or send Pumkinhead after them. 
They're up sh***crick either way.  

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