Re: [DL] Fudging

[Matthew DeForrest <mmdeforrest@worldnet.att.net>]

At 10:05 PM 3/13/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>She started off just wanting to be a standard cowgirl, much like the one
>in the players guide - whips and guns seemed to appeal... can't imagine
>why...
>
>but as i said, she's not getting to do a lot right now... perhaps i'm just
>not running it right... :-/

John,

A couple of quick asides.  First, it's probably best not to know why the 
guns and whips appeal -- Things Man Was Not Meant to Know and all....

Second, don't get too down on yourself.  Like everyone else has said, you 
have to start somewhere and every game requires something of a new start.

OK, now onto your cowgirl.

A lot of people have advocated relics.  From what I gather, that is only 
going to exacerbate your problem.  If you are finding yourself in a game 
where power levels are beginning to spiral out of control, the best thing 
to do is make sure those remain in your control rather than increasing a 
potential problem.  The first thing I would do is, in your next combat, 
make sure that you have the PCs at the physical, as well as the 
psychological, center of the combat.  Have people coming at them from all 
sides.  One of the most tense combats my posse ever faced was when they 
disturbed a nest of Prairie Ticks.  The ticks came loping through the grass 
at them as if they were in the middle of a circle.  This meant that they 
didn't get to mass their fire and one or two people had to deal with the 
Prairie Tick cure (Common Knowledge in my game world but suppressed here in 
case it isn't in others.).  Make sure that you are using their opponents 
creatively.  That will prevent the frontal assault types from taking 
everything out before the cowgirl can move.

Take some initiative with making suggestions as to the skills your players 
may want to take -- especially if they are newbies.  If her problem is that 
she isn't getting to go often in combat, recommend that she boost her 
quickness.  Also, direct her to skills that may help her (and do the same 
for the others).  Make sure that the other players are choosing skills that 
fill in their background.  My MS and Doctor built up skill in Latin, Greek, 
and (for the MS) German to make sure that they could read technical journals.

Have the Cowgirl recruited by an organization.  The two most obvious are 
the two most difficult for you -- the Agency and the Rangers.  The best 
all-around option is the Explorers' Society.  One night, when she is on 
watch, have a "new" mundane creature attack -- a giant hare, a three horned 
buffalo, whatever .  She should be able to dispatch it.  Have its discovery 
bring her to the notice of the Explorers and, in exchange for the carcass, 
pelt, whatever, give her a preliminary membership.  Now, they can send her 
out to learn about things and you can give her a photocopy of the players' 
section of Rascals, Varmints, and Critters.  Then, she has something that 
the other PCs don't.

Finally, let her start making her own edges in combat.  Show her the 
sections of Law Dogs that talk about improving guns.

I hope this helps.

Matt