[HoE] Some Thoughts on Doug's Thoughts on My Messed-Up Campaign (was My players derailing the campaign yet again

[Ralph Dula <rdula@ezonline.com>]

After accidentally sending this to the Weird West mailing list I now send
it to the proper one.  At any rate I wrote:

>> 2.  When they arrived in Rock Springs they did not possess the homing key,
>

and Doug said:

>They got to Burkes home and *didn't* get the key?  What did they do, attack
>him?
>

No, they got past the puzzles and into Burke's home.  Burke gave his
brusque hello, and the posse's Templar said "We're looking for Ellior
Ritter, my fellow Templar."  Burke said "Ritter?  Haven't seen him since he
left for Rock Springs."  As soon as he said that my posse left his home and
started checking their maps for Rock Springs.

Doug also said:

>I think the posses should now be hunted down.  not by the evil doomies or the
>combots, but by another posse.  A good posse.  A posse dedicated to restoring
>order and bringing the peace, and killing those who raise fear levels.>>

But that would result in either the destruction of a good and noble posse,
or the death of my Liquid Satan-ingestin' posse, and if the latter occured
I'm pretty certain my players would just create another band of no-goodnicks.

And finally Doug said:

>And now they have a powerful artifact they cant use... It's locked in that
>junker made box.>>

Oh, I'm afraid you've given too much credit to my posse; remember they left
Burke's house before they found out the box was booby-trapped.  They
decided to smash open the box, detonating the explosive.  The damage I
rolled on 4d20 was so pathetic that not one of the posse was seriously
hurt, much less killed.

You know I've been thinking.  There's exactly four characters in my player
posse.  Maybe each one is a servitor of one of the Horsemen, and just
doesn't realize it.  It's as good an explanation as any for all the harm
they've done in the Wasted West.

-Ralph