RE: [DL] DeadLands d20 ... love it? hate it?

["Clint Black" <cblack@ohtinc.com>]

>I have to disagree - at least the part about working for fantasy.

>Very few fantasy novels I know of allow the hero to get away with being
>stabbed 19 times with a sword, and if he ever was stabbed with a sword - it
>slowed him down and hurt his ability to do things, and it slowed him down
>right away.


Since I don't have Deadlands d20, I don't know how they do it, but this is
why I have a preference for the Wound Points/Vitality Points system from
Star Wars d20.  If it doesn't use it already, this is how I would do
Deadlands in d20, and it's quickly becoming my preference for fantasy as
well.

For those who don't know, Vitality Points are determined almost exactly like
Hit Points now, only they represent a character's luck, combat experience,
etc.  Wound Points represent actual damage, are equal to Constitution, and
only increase with Con, a Feat, or Special Quality.  Vitality Points are
lost first like Hit Points except that the character is not hit, he just had
to exert himself more to get out of the way of an attack that would have
hit.  The better the hit, the more damage, and thus the more you have to
exert yourself.  If you run out of VP's, you start taking damage to Wound
Points and incur penalties.

The big difference is that criticals don't do extra damage; the damage goes
directly to Wound Points.  I like this because it can make a fight with a
group of much lower level opponents threatening once more.  ("I'll let these
six orcs flank me so I can use Great Cleave.  I've got the Hit Points to do
it."  becomes  "I'll use this wall to cover my back cause if one of these
guys gets lucky with his great axe, I'm toast.")

I really like this for Deadlands cause I'd rule that in a Showdown all
damage goes directly to Wound Points.  This would really help duplicate the
inability to spend chips on damage during a Showdown from "Classic"
Deadlands.

Of course, since I don't have Deadlands d20, this may be how they do it.  :)


>>In the end though, its all about preference.  I prefer Classic
>>Deadlands.  Others like d20 Deadlands.  To each, his own.  And to
>>Pinnacle, the profits.

>But there is always that.  And, given that this is a hobby, that is all
>that truly matters.


I'm a big proponent for solidarity amongst gamers.  I don't know any other
hobby that has had to face the kind of negative publicity and opinions as
gaming.  As I often say, when O.J. Simpson went to trial, people didn't
comment, "Well, you know he played that golf game.  I hear it leads to Satan
worship."

I just think as role-players our similarities are more important than our
differences.  That whether we are Deadlanders, d20ites, GURPSians, or
Vampirigoths, we should first and foremost stand together and say, "We are
gamers!  We are your neighbors, co-workers, and church members.  Our hobby
encourages the principles of honor, teamwork, and heroism.  To claim that it
is responsible for criminal, immoral, or antisocial behavior, is the highest
form of ignorance and hearsay.  And we will no longer stand idly by and let
idiocy and absurdity rule the day."


Um... <steps off soapbox> sorry.  Just lost it there for a second.  :)


Clint Black

"You smell that? Do you smell that? ...Ghost Rock, son. Nothing else in the
world smells like that. I love the smell of ghost rock in the morning. You
know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over
I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' Yank body. The
smell, you know that sulphurous smell, the whole hill. Smelled like...
victory. Someday this war's gonna end..."