Re: [DL] A small mail on shamans and such.

["Robert Blackberg" <cougar@cfl.rr.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Wisnes" <frank.wisnes@student.uib.no>
To: <deadlands@gamerz.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 12:27 PM
Subject: [DL] A small mail on shamans and such.


> use that book, since it was an update on the shamanic powers. I
agreed, and next
> thing I know we have a powerhouse of a ghost shaman in the posse.
And if that

Just a note, ghost shamans are considered to be using "bad medicine"
if I remember correctly. I don't have that book with me, so I can't
verify.

> what I can see the shaman is so overpower he belongs in a
hackunivers. Turning
> into animals at will, creating perfect illutions that's virtually
impossible to

I have a shaman character in my posse, and he's used the "turn to
animal" medicine in our game. When he did, I played up the fact that
the POWER he now commanded felt GOOD and that he was loathe to leave
the animal's form when he was done.

> see through, increasing his strength to ungodly levels and so on.
In addition to
> that he's posing as a mexican and thus get no ill-effects of being
an indian in
> the western society.

This one is kinda your fault. Any westerner worth his salt knows the
difference between a Mexican and an Indian after just a few moments
contact. Unless your character does not speak or use medicine in
front of others, they should be able to figure it out. Besides, I
would say there's almost as much bias against Mexicans as there is
against Indians in the Weird West.

> The thing is that I barely have time to prepear for sessions at
the moment
> (exams and such), much less read a whole sourcebook just to look
for a way to
> limit a single players powers. So I was wondering of anyone of you
fine people
> at this mailinglist have the laydown on shamanic powers and
guardian spirits.

You just have to be very observent when he's calculating his target
numbers to refresh his power points through the use of rituals. You
do make him track his power points, don't you? :-)

> I guess my question is.. what are the limits of shamanic powers?

I'd say the limits are similar to any Huckster's when using medicine
in front of others. Any God-fearing townsfolk are going to "stretch
that savages neck when we get ahold a' him."

Read Ghost Dancers. It's worth it.

Hope that helps.

Robert