RE: [DL] Shootists (spoilers)(long)

[Steven Walmsley <swalmsley@icegallery.com>]

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<<Ok first of all, I loved the original Hexslinger concept by Steve Long,
but thought that it required a little more of a split from the Huckster
image, therefore I eager awaited this revision.>>

I too thought the original Hexslinger was a great addition but I really
hated the fact that most people referred to my Hexslinger as a 'Huckster
with Guns'.
I believe Christopher did a great job to hit home on this, IMHO. 

<<The hexes are ok - as I said earlier not as many extra hexes as I hoped
for - assuming that people had seen the cut hexes from Law Dogs that
were in the accumulated rulings, there was only one new hex.>>

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I count five new hexes: Acoustic shadow,
hail o' lead, liberated ammo, switch-action, and two-gun mojo.

<<I liked that all the hexes now are directly related to guns and I can
see that there has been an effort to make all the hexes directly
relevant to guns although I still think that there is room for a couple
of hexes related to the gunfighting image as well.  One which comes to
mind was the whole issue of the gunslinger managing to stand under a
barrage of bullets - however I can understand that the wind related
hexes were removed to prevent PC's maximising their wind hence making a
mockery of the wind cost required to extend the duration of the some
hexes.  However even a hex that allowed a Shootist to stay standing a
little longer while losing blood would suit the image of the hard nosed
gunslinger very well I'd have thought.  Something like

"Still Standing"
Trait: Spirit
Hand: Pair
Speed: 1
Duration: 1 Round/hex level
Range: Self

Even though the blood flows freely from the gunslingers wounds -
through sheer grit, determination and otherworldly magics he manages to
stand and staredown his remaining foes.   For a minimum hand the
character will not fall unconscious from wind loss until his wind
reaches -2.  For each hand above the minimum this increases this
negative limit by 2, note while the hex is in operation the shootist
doesn't take any additional wounds from reaching his size in -ve wind. 
Once the hex is complete or dropped, the character will fall
unconscious if his wind is currently less than 1 - plus he takes
additional wounds to his guts as normal if his wind has reached -ve
size value.  Once the shootists wind reaches zero, no more wind can be
spent maintaining hexes.>>

I too wanted to see more "New" Shootist hexes but you do have to understand
the space restrictions to do this. I also remember reading somewhere that
Shane has decided no more AB's will be introduced to Deadlands: Weird West
after the Blood Mages. This and the space restrictions does limit what can
be done with the Shootist. I do hope to see some more Gun Hexes appear in
future Epitaphs. Maybe even a Separate Backlash Table. :-)

-Steve