[HoE] Re: ABs and Killer Clowns

[John Goff <johngoff@erols.com>]

B.D. wrote:

I'm not John, but I do play HOE like a rabid fanatic, so let me throw in my two cents.
I'll limit my reply to those few items I disagreed with in your post B.D. for
brevity's sake.

> My posse started character creation last night for "From the Ashes", and it
> gave me time to isolate and analyze some big concerns I have with the DL:
> HoE game world.

<snip>

>         A primary factor in this concern is the mitigation of the probability of
> backlash.  In the Weird West, power always comes with risk.  Even Blessed-
> potentially the most powerful AB in the setting- need to be wary of the
> Sinnin' table.  In HoE, I cannot say the same.  For the most part, the
> backlash rules in HoE seem to be included strictly for form's sake, and do
> not present a real danger to the posse.

Actually, I fear the syker Brainburn table now. My first night of playing a syker I
picked up a derangement from it. Any time I want to use Overkill, I'm risking it (same
goes for those pansy Faraway sykers and Fortitude).

> Exacerbating the problem of overly powerful ABs are some of the Edges and
> Hindrances (?) available.  For the best example, one need look no further
> than Children o' the Atom.  The hindrance 'Lifetap' is either
> ill-conceived, ill-categorized, or ill-managed.  In any case, it makes *me*
> ill.

<snip further explanation>

> By subbing Wind for Strain (which, I might add, requires a *minute* to recover, as
> opposed to an *hour*), the problem of strain management is essentially removed.
> Barring property and posse damage, the Doomie may now cast nuke with abandon.

Actually, I think he only slightly more than doubles his Nuke ability. And, having a
Nuke-happy doomsayer in my group, I have to say it's a highly overrated power. The
burst radius is too great to allow it to be of any real use in a close combat
situation--we usely take as much damage from it as our opponents do.

However, you do have a good point--especially with regards to Wind recovery and the
"odd" point (e.g. Atomic Blast). Our doomsayer doesn't have the hinderance, so I'd not
paid too much attention to it until I saw your post and went back to check. It does
has potential for great abuse. I think (especially since it's a disad) I'd make a
house rule to require the odd point to always come from Strain. That should fix the
problem.

>
>         Ah ha! But I could make individual encounters more difficult, yes?
> Perhaps.  But what about the gunfighter?

I recently dropped _my_ gunfighter and picked up a syker because the gunfighter so
dominated any combat. Using only 2 laser-sighted Tokarev pistols (Belongings) and
Two-Fisted. I use the standard Archetype stats when building my characters, so he
wasn't a Stat-Monster either. The characters simply plowed through mooks--and most
main characters--so fast the other players had nothing to do in a combat situation.

Weapons are much more powerful in HOE, hence the ABs are also more powerful. HOE is a
power or two higher on the scale of damage/combat than DL is. Even the lowest mook
might be toting a SA Assault Rifle capable of two 3-round bursts of 4d8 damage bullets
or maybe he's got a  4d12 grenade in his pocket.

>         But Killer Tomatoes and other assorted silliness are not out of place just
> because *I* say so.  I'm just another guy who plays Deadlands.  Killer
> Tomatoes and such are out of place because they're inconsistent.  Because
> until now, the Deadlands universe has not been a Saturday morning cartoon.
> And with a dime novel entitled "Killer Clowns" coming down the pipe, it
> looks like it's going to get worse.Ever

B.D. if, after running "Killer Clowns," you honestly still find the idea non-horrific,
inconsistent or a
Saturday morning cartoon, by all means, let me know and I'll refund your money myself.
(Note:
this offer is just for B.D., folks. I'm just a freelance writer <g>). Come on--do you
really think
 _I'd_ write a kiddie adventure; personally, this one is my favorite of every
adventure I've done for
PEG--The Mission included.

John Goff