Re: [DL] Vet of the West

[Jim Burzelic <zombi_bobb@yahoo.com>]

--- carl smith <fishhook79@yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
> Some players have been bringing up that they are Veterans of the west
> and this automatically entitles them to info regarding any problem
> they may be facing.
> 
> "I am a vet of course I would know so and so is a huckster"
> 
> "I am a vet, I would have encountered prairie ticks before"
> 
> "I am a vet, of course <insert just about anything you can think of
> here>"
> 
> My solution to this problem has been this.  Whatever your knowledge:
> home area is, will let you get a roll as to weather or not you may
> have encountered or been around enough to learn about something from
> that area.  This way someone from the Maze cannot say that they would
> know all about windego's, prairie ticks, and Hanging judges just
> because he is a vet.  After all you only get 1 point of grit.  Some
> of the things they ask for or assume they know is something that
> someone with 5+ grit would know or have some knowledge (at best)
> about it.
> 
> With that said I want to hear from the rest of you about what you
> consider too much info based on Vet of the west, or ways to cap it.  
> 

I agree with all the other suggestions. I too request my players give
me a thorough description of what they've done to be a veteran. Your
fix is also a good one. But one thing to remember is that if they
wanted knowledge about these things they should have paid for it with
those fifteen points they get from using it. If they should be able to
identify a huckster or know specifically who is one or even know what
they are they should have at least a point or two in Academia: occult.
This isn't to say that they should be required to take these things,
nor does it mean that just because your a veteran you've ever
encountered anything. I've had veterans who's backstory was fighting
some generic demons. Nothing special, nothing that gave them any
fore-knowledge of future encounters, but enough to make them wary of
things. A green hero shouldn't be on edge around a corpse (well, they
are creepy but nothing more) where a veteran is going to be all jittery
and will most likely say, "Get an axe, it's a trick." Also, just
because you know what a praire tick is doesn't mean you know anything
about fighting one or say a swarm. I've been running this game since it
came out and there are still monsters, despite having read everything
about the game, I still don't know how I'd put down in any sort of
efficient manner.

Personally, I also like to save VotWW for my experienced players. If
they've played in my games before and have a working knowledge of my
style and they have an idea of what to watch out for in regards to GM
tricks, I'll let them take it to account for such a fluid understanding
of how the world works. It makes me feel less ineffectual when those
derned players beat me!;)

Jim


		
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