Re: [HoE] Value of HtH skill

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

>Steve Crow asked:
>
>>And...as you noted above, the knife is universally _uneffective_ compared 
>>to
>>a gun.  From a rules point of view (and the problem to some degree exists 
>>in
>>Deadlands as well, where ammo isn't as rare a commodity so ammo-rarity
>>doesn't seem to be the issue), why would anyone (except perhaps the most
>>heavily muscled of individuals, and even then the strength is useless if 
>>the
>>weapon base damage can't get through the armor) _ever_ take a HTH attack, 
>>or
>>skills, or anything related to the knife/sword/whatever HTH?
>
>At least for Deadlands (I've only had one opportunity to play HoE,
>but have played/run DL since it came out) HtH gives you a non-lethal
>option in combat.  Throw a punch in a barroom and you're likely to be
>thrown in a cell to sleep it off (even using a chair, spittoon, other
>club - pulling a knife is a little more serious, but not like a gun).
>Pull a gun in the same brawl and you'll definitely be held until
>trial.  Kill someone with that gun in that brawl and you better have
>one iron-clad defense or get ready to dance ot the end of a rope.
>
>In HoE this seems like less of a concern, from my very limited
>experience, but I still can think of several similar situations that
>would be applicable while in town.  Killing the town bully because he
>punched you in the street seems like it would be a bad thing.  Most
>waster townsfolk may not like the bully, but I would think they would
>like the outsider who killed a member of their community even less.
>Beat him up - popularity with the townsfolk might even go up, but I
>can't see that being the case if you shoot him like a dog in the
>street.
>
>Hank
>
>

*nods* All true.  But to reiterate, my player's concern (both for his 
character, and the Templar "reputation" in general as presented in the 
source material and remaining consistent to it) is more "Why should I bother 
with a sword against major threats?"  and "Why do Templars make such a big 
deal about their swords/HTH fighting when you run into anything against 
Armor 4+, they're useless" and "If a Templar's sword is useless against AV 
4+, why do they have such a reputation as swordfighters as opposed to 
gunfighters among the general populace?"

Against minor threats, hordes of Black Hats and Wormlings, bar fighters, 
stuff like that...the Templar does just fine.  However, the player feels 
(and I can't say I disagree) that the Templars' stated reputations seems 
built on a bit more than just beating up such guys.

Armor is really the first line of defense for major-line threats (Size is a 
close second).  Pinnacle's own MMM book, and John Goff's adventures, tend to 
support that.  But the fact that Templars' HTH weapon skill becoms 
absolutely, insurmountably useless (unless they go to a Junker or AP HTH 
weapons are introduced) is kind of a hindrance.  Not a noticeable one early 
on when the threats aren't as...well, threatening (i.e., armored).  But 
we're starting to se eit more and more a year into the campaign...

Again, I think it could be very interesting if the source material started 
to reflect this alteration in the threat level and the Templars' response to 
it.

Alternately, we could just be imagining it.  ;) Has anyone else noticed 
this?  Have you had to raise the Armor of your primary 
threats/fearmongers/whatever as your characters become more experienced?  I 
tend to focus more on the single "big" threat rather than a faceless horde 
of Wormlings/Black Hats/whatever.  So that threat needs to be kinda armored 
just to survive.  I'm not talking Servitors here (against which almost 
everything except their "secret weakness" is useless), just non-Servitor 
Fearmonger-types that are able to hold their own in a stand-up fight, and at 
least get out one good speech.

Hope that clarifies things.


---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

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

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