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Re: [DL] LS & the supernatural (spoilers)(long)
At 11:32 AM 5/20/2002, reemull@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>Focusing on Texas Rangers and the supernatural element, again there
>will be spoilers so here's the obligatory spoiler space.
>
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>S
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>This might end up sounding like a rant - however I hope I am at least
>coherent and provide some constructive ideas/alternatives concerning my
>preferences.
>
>To get to the crunch my single greatest problem with LS:TR is the high
>level of supernatural in it directly associated with the TR. The view I'd
>picked up from the snippets in books, p[prior to LS:TR release gave me the
>impression that the TR were the quick thinking, tough, ornery blokes that
>won the day simply because they refused to lose it.
That's my own conception as well, for what it's worth. It's the
reason so much of the book is given over to decidely non-arcane Ranger
Gear, new Fightin' Maneuvers and new Aptitudes.
>Here I find they not only have an arcane background (AB) that reads like a
>factory production line of Shootists (ok maybe a bit unfair),
I would say so, but feel free to attribute that to bias.
>but their ranks also include abominations!!! I thought that the LS:TR book
>would have been a good opportunity to possibly realign the thinking
>that in order to get anywhere in Deadlands you need an AB.
To be accurate, there are NO full-fledged Abominations in the
Rangers' ranks, and there never have been. There are some ABs in the ranks
that may not always act on the side of the angels (Harrowed, Vampires,
Werewolves), but all of these are allowable as player characters, and when
played as such have never been classed as Abominations.
>Harrowed: I could understand the TR accepting Rangers who had become
>harrowed in the line of duty, their capabilities would be well known,
>their grit without question - however I would still expect them to go
>on a "review" period and to have limited career prospects.
They are in fact subject to a review period, just as the book
says, and one can't have a career path much more limited than be
involuntarily transferred to "the band."
>I just cannot see a TR weighing up any harrowed they stumble across as
>being a potential Ranger.
Whether any of us see it or not, this was already an established
part of DL long before LS was commissioned. I did my best to expand and
clarify what had been written before, and my sincere apologies if I failed
to please.
>Hucksters: I can picture a Ranger using a gut instinct to determine
>whether a huckster has the capability to be a TR - and think this fits
>quite well. However the "if they say no - give them a telling off and
>send them on their way" seems significantly toned down from their initial
>"shoot or recruit".
True dat, but here I was bound by the HOE Cyborgs book, which as a
lengthy "Twern't that way at all, sonny!" revision/clarification of "Shoot
it or recruit it." Regardless of my obligation to honor prior continuity, I
think the HOE version is much more game-able, and therefore preferable.
>Abominations: Ok, my views are pretty clear from above. I can understand
>why a few abominations will be strong enough and patriotic enough to serve
>their country - however I'm unsure why the majority of those that have
>been recruited under the "shoot or recruit motto" stick with it (or more
>importantly why the TR want them).
See above comments re: "Abominations".
In the case of vampires, et. al., consider that only basically
decent sorts who want to do "the right thing" (i.e., player-character
types) would be recruited in the first place, and even they're on a short,
short leash.
> They must surely realise their career path is nil and although the TR
> threaten to shoot them if they leave it is surely a matter of time until
> some beastie gets them anyway.
Survival is the most basic instinct, and see above re: wanting to
do "the right thing."
>To my mind they get very little out of it and so I would expect these
>critters to bug out whenever the opportunity
>presents itself
Those sort don't get recruited in the first place.
>I guess there must be some real tension in the TR ranks, however this
>isn't really alluded to in the book.
You make it sound as if every Ranger single mission has a vampire
assigned it.;-)
The book is clear, I think, that this is not the case. It is also
clear that if you're on a Ranger mission and HQ has sent a werewolf to help
you, the sh!t, as they say, has indeed hit the fan, and hard.
>1) Using a TR badge to convince someone that your guns glowed due to a new
>fangled invention is one thing - however having the person that showed you
>it - turn into a werewolf would really detract from the Texas Rangers
>reputation.
That's why "band members" don't get Ranger Gear, Badge included.
They are "deniable assests", of a sort.
>2) Also how would the Chaplain Corps react if they found out that the
>Confederacy not only uses abominations but they actually serve under the
>same command.
The Ranger-CC "marriage" is a new one, and that's a bridge that
has yet to be crossed.
>In general I feel that the high supernatural aspect of the TR is a bit of
>sell out (by the TR) I expected better of them.
As I said, it's been an element of the organization since DL's
beginnings. If you do not care for this element, then I respect your views,
but I remain at a loss to explain why its inclusion in LS surprises you so.
>They come across as being very upright good and noble - but there seems to
>be a fundamental rottenness within the organisation if they are allowing
>abominationsin. Don't know if I'll use abominations in the ranks or not -
>maybe limiting them to a very low number (rather than having a band -
>there would be a dozen or less).
Again, there are no Abominations in the Rangers. The organization
is no less pure than a Posse with a Harrowed, a Blood Mage, a
noble-intentioned Vampire, or like-minded Werewolf in it. I fail to see why
the Rangers accepting backgrounds long open to DL players blackens them so.
>Anyway just my thoughts.
Though we disagree, you have my sincerest thanks for the feedback.
Deo Vindice,
Mr. Christopher L. McGlothlin, M.Ed.
Freelance RPG Writer At-Large
Member, Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design
Moderator of the New Gamers Order Listserver
Southern by the Grace of God