[HoE] Something About a Sword - the EMP *SOME SPOILERS*

["Steve Crow" <crow_steve@hotmail.com>]

As noted before, I'm running my group through this adventure.  I posted what 
happened two weeks ago, but didn't bother with last week's session because 
(other than some "I'm gonna kill you if you don't give me Evanor" threats 
from the Templar towards the party), nothing incredibly phenomenal question 
happened.

(Although it's somewhat irritating that the scenario writers can't seem to 
decide where Ritter died - he's listed as dying both in the baement of the 
factory, and then in an office building elsewhere, over the course of two 
consecutive paragraphs!)

But, they've got Evanor.  They've got the EMP.  They're ready to head into 
the final showdown (we "cliffhanged" it at that point last week).  But...one 
thing has me puzzled.

What is the point of the EMP device?

I mean, it's fairly powerful.  The combots in the final battle aren't 
described as having the "military-grade shielding" that will protect them 
from it.  So assuming your party isn't idiots (mine aren't - your mileage 
may vary :) ), they're going to use it first thing.

But without the super-Combots...all the party has to deal with is 12 mutants 
and a Doombringer.  Now, Doombringers are fairly tough, but some 
concentrated firepower will pretty much stop a single one, and potentially 
before he can get off a single shot.  And you've got some muties, who do 
have AP rounds (most of our group avoids using anything but -4 Armor, so 
this is actually kind of a downside for the villains).  But they're at best 
average shots.

As an aside, we have a Doomsayer in the group.  However, nothing requires 
that the Doombringer be "active" when Evanor is used - just "kill" the DB 
even if you don't have a doomsayer and use Evanor at your leisure.  The 
whole 2 rd. delay for Evanor and the "run away" option is somewhat of a red 
herring.

Anyhoo...so they deal with the muties pretty easily.  And the final-battle 
centipede, although fairly tough, ain't a great fighter either and isn't 
really going to give them a whole lot of problems either.

So...I guess I'm not quite tracking here.  The awards at the end are pretty 
extensive just for killing a Doombringer and 12 muties (and one big 
robo-centipede).  It's almost like you're getting an item (Evanor) as a 
reward, plus reward chips (i.e., Legend Chip for each Templar, etc.) for 
getting the item/reward as well!

So okay, the group shouldn't use the EMP because it makes the battle too 
easy.  But...then why is it in the scenario in the first place?  I can just 
happen to have it fail through plot convenience to make the adventure worth 
the chips that are suggested to give out.  But then what was the point of 
putting it in in the first place??

My options here seem to be either to derail the EMP (make it malfunction or 
assume the combats have the appropriate shielding), or lessen the chip 
awards.  No problem there.  But I'm just wondering if anyone knows where the 
writers were going with this whole thing.

---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

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

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