Re: [HoE] Hand to Hand and Campaign Levels <Some spoilers>

[Phil <pames@mmind.net>]

At 10:34 AM 5/5/2000 PDT, you wrote:
>> >Sure, the sword is the symbol of the Templars.  I think that they're 
>>smart
>> >enough to realize that a sword vs a Lurker (made of metal as hard as the
>> >sword) is a losing proposition.  Maybe in the Judgement Day module of 
>>High
>> >Noon you'll see blocks of squires/men-at-arms with ranged weapons to deal
>> >with such, but I think for now the smart Temp puts down her sword and 
>>whips
>> >out the AT rocket!  :-)
>>
>>To recycle a phrase from my AD&D days - "I said I was a Paladin.  I never
>>said I was stupid."
>
>*shrug* You could say the same of any group or individual that chooses the 
>traditional over the "realistic."  Real life examples abound.  :)
>
>Unfortunately, I have players who sometimes have their characters do that 
>kind of thing.  Doesn't mean I want to kill 'em off or render them useless 
>because of it.
>


Why not treat it like Feng Shui, but in reverse. There, hand to hand
fighters rule the day on the tough, armored Fearmongers/named characters,
but the guns guy shines in mowing down the nameless hordes. The templar and
his sword is king of mowing down relatively unarmored lackeys. So let him
shine there. Don't be afraid to have your big tough fearmonger have a few
zombies or black hats or mook d'jour along, so the templar can shine. Hell,
even the Devourer had mooks.

As for the sword...it may be an image thing, more than a reality thing. The
first thing a crowd sees when a templar throws off his tabard is that cross
and that sword. The sword is as much badge of office as fighting implement.
It's useful because it doesn't run out of ammo, and you never have to
reload it; as well as being suitable for both attack and defense; a gun's
all offense, no defense. Unless you've got weird powers or an incredible
skill level, you're not going to be shooting bullets coming at you out of
the air...<Side note: THAT might be a useful templar gift. Combine elements
of deflection and Guardian angel, and parry a stream of bullets back at
your attacker.> But...one of the templar's main traits is a hard nosed
pragmatism. I don't think they'd be adverse to using heavy ordinance
against a foe that requires it.

BTW, Steve? Isn't your templar a greenie syker that's gotten the blessing
of the Psyker Saint <Which means he's got a blasting of at least 4?>  Why
doesn't he just slow burn the hell out of the armored stuff?

Phil