Re: [DL] You have to pay to play

[Brett Dixon <balance@tubas.net>]

On Wednesday, December 4, 2002, at 06:02  PM, Patrick Purcell wrote:
> I kinda like the idea, but either way you're kinda
> ending the campaign.  The harrowed are balanced for a
> reason and that's a lot to hand over to players if
> they win.  And if they lose, it's game over, unless
> you're going to run an "evil campaign".

I have to agree... I'm already 'winding up' this campaign for a hiatus, 
so I'm trying to reach an end for the storyline but the posse would 
like to save the world before we break. (I'm trying to be considerate 
and allow another group member to start up a Shadowrun game he's been 
wanting to run, so...)

Harrowed are somewhat delicately balanced. in my posse, a few people 
don't really want to be harrowed... They see it either as an inherently 
unpleasent character to play (On reason many don't like the concept of 
Vampire... who wants to play a walking corpse?) or just an unworthy 
ending to their character. Others try (and fail, mostly) to make a 
comeback from their character's dirt naps, but...

> Someone help me put this in perspective (for my own
> sake).  In D&D, parties of heroes travel around in
> packs, and, except for world-shattering campaigns,
> you're following what your party of "heroes" does.
> Really, in Deadlands, how many little groups of
> heroes, bounty hunters, etc. are there.

I think it's important to keep in mind that Deadlands is inherently 
shaped by the themes of Western movies and such. I don't think there's 
the formal 'adventuring party' some D&D settings have, but more groups 
of travelers, each with their own goals.

I should note that, were the entire posse in my game to get killed, I'd 
insist on a structure for the group like 'repentant heroic outlaws' or 
'maze prospectors' to help unite the posse. nothing too specific unless 
they wanted to run an Agent campaign or something.

So, anyway... While I'd keep the number small, there's no reason you 
can't add more groups as needed.

> In addition, all the AB's are considered rare,
> but...how few of them can there be.  Is there about 1
> person with ANY AB out of about 500 or so people?  And
> uh, what was the population then, so we can put this
> in perspective?

I think we've discussed this before, at least for some of the more 
common ABs. 1 in 500 seems fair, but it seems that hot spots for 
specific ABs are common, especially for the second tier ABs (For 
example, voodooists seem to congregate around New Orleans, while 
Enlightened martial artists are practically common in Shan Fan.

One thing that was mentioned was the concept that not every preacher is 
a Blessed. They may have faith, but that doesn't mean that their deity 
of choice is actually paying attention to them...

Also, some ABs are, apparently, in the midst of a population explosion 
since the Reckining began which eventually turns around and nosedives, 
clearing out the majority (but not all) of a lot of ABs to set the 
stage for Hell on Earth.

> I'm really asking one question here, and I think
> everyone understands what it is (though I didn't state
> it clearly)...could someone give me some perspective
> to the game world as it REALLY relates to magical and
> heroics?

The posse is the heroes on center stage, and while others may cross 
their pass, some of who may be legendary characters in their own 
stories, it is the posse who the universe revolves around.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the marshall can't toss an occasional 
snowball in their direction, Hu,ility is a virtue and all that...

But that's my opinion. A small annoyance of mine is GMs that steal the 
spotlight too much with either GM-PCs or a settings special 
characters... (Another reason, in my mind, for not statting Stone and 
friends...)