[DL] The Shootist, & other things...

["Jeff Shoffner" <shoffner@usit.net>]

>The original Hexslinger ....was a fantastic idea - however needed a little
more separating from the
>huckster AB, IMO...

Yeah, I also thought the Hexslinger needed a little to make him/her special
from Hucksters.  The way I've played mine is he doesn't have those annoying
cards popping in his hand, however, due to his focus (eyeglasses), if you
know what you're looking for, a person can see "something not right" with
his specs.  Whenever he casts a hex, he sees his dealing with the manitous
as a word puzzle, & this test of wits is shown to him on the lenses of his
glasses.  Game play, this means a eerie glow can be seen on his glasses at
night, or in a darkened room (TN to spot varies)

Of course, a typical Hexslinger/Shootist probably has glowing guns, hands,
eyes, whatnot.  I'll find out when I get my copy of LS.  I figured glowing
guns could be offset by having nicle-plated guns--a crowd could mistake the
glow as sunlight glinting off the barrels.

My biggest thing is coming up with hexes.  In our storyline, my guy has made
a deal with Holliday--show me some stuff, & since I'm a dimestore writer,
I'll write up your experiences & cleverly place the hexes in there for
would-be 'slingers to find.  I fleshed it out that certain sections of the
story relate to a word puzzle in the back (kind of like a precursor to the
crossword) & if you can decypher the two together, you find a new hex.
However, that doesn't help my guy out with new hexes.  Well, I guess it
would if other 'slingers were to come to me with their stuff, but my marshal
hasn't done that.  At any rate, it does give our storyline a book for
'slingers much like the gamblers have Hoyles.

Jeff S