Re: [DL] Some questions for the Marshals...

["B.D. Flory" <bflory@frontiernet.net>]

> At 02:16 PM 3/30/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>  >PLAYERS...THIS IS MARSHAL TERRITORY!!! SCAT!!!!!!!!
> 
> Major spoilers follow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But in the mindset of a cosmic test, I like to allow for alternate
methods 
> of victory for the hero.  This variant showdown at high noon is best run
as 
> something outside of a strictly mechanical combat.  When the DOP charges 
> the gunslinger is he fast and accurate enough to quickdraw and hit the
one 
> critical vital spot in the split second he has?  Is the Blessed's faith 
> strong enough to allow him to stand there firm before the charge - if he
is 
> then the DOP is stopped cold, but at the slightest waver in faith or
moment 
> of doubt - POW!  Roadkill.

Actually, this is exactly how my personal favorite DOP encounter went down.
The character in question was a Blessed, and I definitely wanted to play up
the importance of faith - and I mean honest to God *faith*, not the skill.
During the DOP's approach, I dropped a *lot* of subtle hints about this.

When it all came down, the preacher realized that he would need to stand
fast against the DOP, and have faith that the lord would protect him... but
the lord would only protect him if he had faith. He couldn't defend
himself, or attack the DOP, or what have you. If he did, he'd be
demonstrating that his faith wasn't up to the challenge.

At the climax of the story, the DOP charged the preacher, who stood alone.
The DOP bore down on him, and I rolled to hit, and I rolled damage (all
behind the screen). I don't remember if I actually rolled well enough to
kill him in one shot, but that wasn't the point.

The point was this: I announced to the player that the Diablo had just done
5 wounds to his noggin. As this group was at this point pretty cognizant of
DL mechanics, they were all well aware that this meant the death of the
character. As always, I asked "Do you want to spend any chips?"

The player thought about it long and hard before he answered, "No." And, in
character, began to recite "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death..." etc.

One of the finer moments among my gaming memories.

Just as a side note, if he *had* chipped away those wounds, I fully
intended for the Diablo to splatter him across the landscape. As it was, it
passed through him, intangible. When he turned, it simply huffed once (in
that bullish way) and dematerialized.

B. D. Flory
Freelance Writer/Editor

"No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are
feeling sensible."
                                                         -W.H. Auden