Re: [HoE] [HOPLER] The Phil. Kid *some possible spoilers*

[Steve Crow <crow_steve@hotmail.com>]

>Hi gang.  Brand new to the list.  Guess I'll just jump right in and test 
>the
>water.
>
>It's noted that the Philadelphia Kid is _real_ good at jumping.  Mad Jack
>certainly describes him that way (page 34).  But...his stats don't seem to
> >indicate anything of the sort (page 102).  In fact, his Nimbleness and 
>his
> >Strength (the two things you think would be most useful for jumping) are
> >just a tad above average at best.  Neither he or Blue Note seem to 
>actually
> >have anything power-wise that would make him a good jumper.
>
>I'm thinking that "he can jump like a frog on a hot plate" refers to his
>quickness more than anything else.  This he has at 4d10, which seems 
>adequate to
>match that description.  I believe you're taking "jump" too literally here.
>

Actually, Mad Jack's description of the battle also has him jumping "a few 
meters into the air" (page 34).  I'm just taking it the way it is described. 
  I don't believe the Quickness trait has anything to do with high- or 
long-jumping.

> >Speaking of which...how do folks know that the Kid is a Doomsayer, 
>anyway?
> >Granted, he wears purple and has the Omega sign on his chest.  But in 
>fact,
> >he actually doesn't seem to have any...well, visible Doomsayer-type 
>powers.
> >All he's got is Sustenance and Tolerance.  And yet Joan and her folks are
> >suspicious of where he got his powers (again, page 102).  Ummm, what 
>powers?
> >  How do they know he has any powers?  Sustenance and Tolerance aren't
> >exactly what you'd call high-profile stuff.
>
>This goes beyond just Blue Note's performin' skill, although I willing to 
>bet it
>helps a bit.  Silas's whole Philadelphia Kid plot is one based on illusion 
>and
>misdirection, with the kid at the center as a mostly ignorant patsy with 
>dreams
>of glory.  All visible signs point to the Kid being the powerful doomsayer 
>and

The only visible sign is wearing the color purple.  Wouldn't teaching the 
Kid (or having him self-learn) some of the more "obvious" Doomsayer miracles 
(such as Atomic Blast or Touch - both found in the basic rulebook and thus 
self-learnable, according to the CotA sourcebook).

The impression I got was that perhaps a few Doomsayer powers were omitted 
from the Kid's listing in the Marshall section.  And so wondered what 
Pinnacle intended.

>Blue Note a faithful sidekick when its really the other way around.  The 
>Kid
>showboats with his shootin' skills supplying the "flash" while Blue Note 
>sneaks
>in and provides the "bang" and doesn't take any credit for it, claiming it 
>was
>all the Kid's doing (reread the commentary of the battle at the bottom of 
>page 34
>and I think you'll see what I mean - no one asks how Blue Note did it 
>because
>they're all awed with the Kid's ballsy performance). After all, who's 
>wearing the

Actually, the impression I got from bottom of page 34 is that it was clear 
(although maybe only Jack noticed) that Blue Note _was_ doing the 
teleportin' and blowin' up.  MJ doesn't seem to associate it with the Kid at 
all.  And he's the guy tellin' the tales that eventually going to filter 
back to Joan & Co....

>purple?  Not the older man with the fiddle.  To stay in the spotlight, the 
>Kid
>isn't going to tell either, making everyone think that he does have the
>powers...and that fits Silas's plans just fine.  Joan and the gang have 
>every
>reason to be suspicious to hear the stories told about him.  The real 
>question is

But...the story they're hearing (because it's Jack's story, and we hear it!) 
is that the Kid doesn't use any Doomsayer powers but wears Purple, while 
Blue Note doesn't wear Purple but Quantum Leaps and Atomic Blasts.  If you 
were Joan, what would you make out of Jack's story?

>what's going to happen when Joan's forces make a concentrated effort to 
>approach
>and question the Kid and he has to prove he can "walk the walk"?  It seems 
>that
>this is part of the plan, but I'm not sure how Blue Note alone can deal 
>with it.
>He's good, but I doubt Joan would send only one Doomsayer to chat with them 
>- she
>knows the whole situation is shady.  On page 102 it says that Blue Note 
>will
>strike when some of Joan's mentors try to bring the Kid into the fold.  
>Unless,
>Blue Note does a lot more teaching in the meantime, I can't see the ruse 
>getting
>that far - nuke first, ask questions later.
>

That also exposes some flaws in the plan.  But if Silas' plan is for word to 
get back to Joan & Co. that the Kid has powers and Blue Note through 
storytellin', then it's already failed because MJ is telling the story, and 
he ain't tellin' it that way.

It just seems like Jack's story gives away too much.  My players spotted the 
apparent hole in it immediately.  I don't really want to assume that Joan is 
dumber than they are...  ;)

>- Matt


---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/


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