[HoE] Blessed in Hell on Earth --it begins (LONG!)

[Matthew Steflik <grifflik@stny.rr.com>]

Michael wrote:

> It's all well and good, as long as he was a bless'ed
> *before* the war. Problem is, many people are doubting
> G-d's existance nowadays - what with the Reckoners'
> movements and the lack of life and all... TNs for
> miracles might move up a step (5-->7-->9-->11) and no
> divine interventions - I don't think the dieties
> around *can* do much nowadays.

Where does your reasoning come from that a blessed must be pre-war?  And
I'll only agree that there are fewer people believing in a "Divine
Power" these days only in the sense that there are fewer people
overall.  Just because deities AREN'T doing much doesn't necessarily
mean they CAN'T : ).  But, hey - even though we may not see eye to eye
on this, we can "agree to disagree".  Thanks for the input at any rate.

B.D. Flory wrote:

> No restrictions on Blessed.  The only Weird West AB that can't be
> played in
> HoE is the Mad Scientist.

This is what I thought, just based upon looking at the writeup in the
HoE rules for Veteran of the WEIRD West.  But why, then, has nothing
really specific been mentioned about them in the rules?  In an
atmosphere so filled with despair and hopelessness, what has happened to
religion?  Its hard to believe everything has reverted to cult status (a
la Doom) or to "Templar-ism".  No matter what type of conflict man has
had to suffer through across the ages, religion has always been
something he has clung to.  Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

Alan Seyberth wrote:

> Officially - there isn't anything stopping anyone from playing a
> blessed.
> But a house rule that came up, and that I would use is that all
> blessed
> miracles suffer a TN penalty equivalent to the local fear level, and
> all
> gifts are weakened somehow according to the fear level.

Again, that's what I thought.  I'm a big believer in house rules (in
fact, using my own I'd probably only allow a player to PLAY a Blessed if
they drew a Joker during character creation - check my site house rules
if you have no idea what I'm talking about), but why use the Fear Level
a modifier for miracles?  I'm not REAL well versed in the Blessed rules,
but I don't think Fear Level in the Weird West affected a miracle's
success...did it?  What exactly would be the difference of a Weird West
Fear Level 1 area and a Wasted West Fear Level 1 area?  Would a Blessed
from HoE then get a bonus towards performing a miracle in Deadlands?
Hmmmm...

Jay E. Treat III wrote:

> I see two main interpretations of the situation regarding Blessed
> and their power source:
>         The first is that God no longer supplies power.  This could be
>
> because D-Day was Armageddon and he's called all the worthy up to
> Heaven
> and the rest are doomed to Hell on Earth.  This could be because the
> Reckoners, with their new found Dominance, have been able to block his
>
> access.  This could be because the Reckoners killed God.  This could
> be
> because God has given up.  If I had to choose one of these, it would
> be #2
> or possibly #1.

Yuck...can't say I agree with either of those.  Call me an optimist...

> The second is that God is in the same place he always has been.
> It could be the case that he's still doing his best to fight the
> Reckoners, but everyone's given up on him (possibly because the
> believe
> one of the above cases).  It could be the case that his attention is
> drawn
> into fighting the Reckoners more directly.  It could be the case that
> he's
> still active but is now acting in other most subtle ways.

Okay...I can ride on this train of thought...

> Or it could be that God never existed, but since that option's
> lame we'll just discount that right off.

Heartily agree.

> Personally, I disagree with PEG's take on the wholesale loss of
> faith in HOE.  Yes, obviously, a whole hell of a lot of people would
> become bitter and cynical.  But people need faith.  They crave it.
> And
> they would find it.  Now sure, there's the Doomsayers' cult and a few
> other cults, but the faith in God is indefatigueable.  You know it's
> true,
> 'cause I used a big word.  ;-}

Yep.  Now we're coming from the same place.  It just baffles me how they
seem to have so off-handedly dealt with the concept of man's faith in a
"higher power" or what have you in HoE - it's nice to know that I'm not
the only one who feels that the man's beliefs are not so easily trounced
in the Wasted future.  Thanks for the input!

TBS wrote:

> wow...
>
> I agree with you, Sir, on these counts.  Strongly so in fact.

Didn't want to leave you out - right there with ya, brother.  Awright,
I'm done (for now). *Phew!*

Matt "blowhard" Steflik
Master of Wahoo
Gimme Shelter - http://www.geocities.com/grifflik/
(The Shelter was updated today BTW, go check it out and tell we what you
think.)