RE: [DL] I have an announcement.

["coyote" <coyote@net-link.net>]

Yes, please.  Thank you Mr. McGlothlin.  Again, I
apologize for any inconveniences this act may have
caused.  So... anyone have any Deadlands related
questions?  Please?

<<Snip>>

Buck up camper, this sorta crap happens all the time. It's just one of the
charming little speed bumps on the information highway. Ain't the 21st
century grand?

Now about your request for a discussion here's a real doosie:

Should homosexuality be considered a hindrance in Deadlands?

I'm serious. No joke here kiddies, I'm neither picking fun nor am I
dispariging gay rights. This is not a politically motivated question and for
as far as this post goes I am neither pro or con homosexuality, so ease up
and address the question.

GURPS has already taken the plunge by including the Homosexual disad in the
main rulebook. The value of the disad is variable depending upon the time
period and the setting. My hat's off to Mr. Jackson for going the extra mile
to make a game complete. Some might argue a little too complete but that's
the topic for a future discussion.

So far as I know there isn't another game out there that adresses
homosexuality as a negative character trait, although some of the Vampire
material from White Wolf includes sexually deviant characters, see Clanbook
Tzimice for all the gory details, I don't remember seeing homosexuality
listed among the flaws.

So, that having been said here's how I have handled it in the past: with a
hindrance. The hindrance is called "Skeletons in the Closet" or just plain
"Skeletons" if you prefer. I've also called it "Shamed" but it's a little
less spooky so I changed it. Anyways, a character with this hindrance has
something to hide. Secrets, dirtly little secrets that gnaw away at him when
he's all alone and the lights are out. The value of the hindrance depends
upon how serious the secret and the consequences of it getting out. In my
current game, one of the heroes is actually a women masquerading as a man.
And get this, the player is female so to reiterate, the player is pretending
to play a woman who's pretending to be a man, cute huh?

Again, I'm not attacking anybody so play nice or the coyote will bite.

Happi Trails Ya'll,

>>JCW