Re: [DL] First Deadlands D20 session

[Allan Seyberth <darious@darious.com>]

 >Also, another list member had a great idea a few months ago... He or she
 >runs a basic scenario using template characters or other pre-gens
 >without any real weirdness or heavy firepower. The characters then go
 >through a 'Dawn of the Dead's style experience and likely don't survive.

That's me.  And I swear by this tactic.

Though it's more of a "Night of the Living Dead" thing - I fill the saloon 
with NPCs and anyone who gets killed by a zombie comes back as one a few 
rounds later.  I usually put in one Blessed, but that's the only mojo-man 
in the saloon.  The zombies are the classic style of slow and shuffling, 
except for two of the Deadlands style zombies in the rear of the 
horde.  They are great to keep the combat scenario from getting stale.  Two 
typical quotes that I've heard are
"What do you mean, it's shooting at me?  It's a ZOMBIE."
"Huh, it's OUTRUNNING me?!?"

I love introducing players to the game in this fashion.  It allows them a 
glimpse into the rules before committing to a character, shows them just 
how deadly the system can be (what do you mean I've only got 5 hit points), 
allows them to experience just a hint of the supernatural, and gives them a 
goal that different from the typical hack and slash gaming experience they 
might have had.  Survival.

Besides, they say you never get a 2nd chance to make a first 
impression.  Well, getting a TPK on the first night makes one hell of an 
impression.


 >
 >This way players can see first hand how the skills work and set their
 >priorities when making long-term characters...
 >--
 >Brett
 >
 >LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER
 >MAN? (Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett)
 >
 >
 >
 >To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@gamerz.net with
 >       unsubscribe deadlands@gamerz.net
 >as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.
 >
 >

-------------------
Allan Seyberth
darious@darious.com

The most extraordinary change in Moscow was Arbat Street, the USSR's first 
pedestrian mall. Of course, there's something a little sad about a 
pedestrian mall in a nation where few people own cars - the whole damn 
country's a pedestrian mall.
                 -P.J. O'Rourke