RE: [HOE] Re: Doomesayers

["Jeffery Yates" <jyates@qlinktech.com>]

<SOME SNIPPAGE>

<AND MAYBE SOME SPOILERAGE, so go away if you ain't a marshal!>

> Is the Glow sentient, with a purpose, and deserving of worship? Is it
> something to Believe in and worth all the deaths and suffering
> belief in it
> has caused? In short, is the Glow a God? Absolutely Not. It's a power
> source, nothing more, nothing less.
>
> Does this create a valid character? I think the potential is definitely
> there, and as Marshal I know I decide what's allowed in my game, but I
> really appreciate all the advice and viewpoints being put forward.
>
> David
>

This is good clarification!  Actually, put this way (and with a bit o'
sleep, so I'm not so cranky) I can see the character being fun.  Especially
if there is a rad priest in the party.  I'm into in-character philosophical
debates, I'm weird that way.  Pragmatic, stubborn guy that looks at these
'silly' robed zealots as, well, over-the-top zealots.  He studies with one a
bit to learn how to tap the power, without buying into the whole "You are
part of an inferior-but-stable gene pool" business.  He'd also have to be
kinda happy with mutations, since he'll most likely wind up with a few.  For
role-played drawbacks he'd have none, as long as no one knows he can spit
atomic fire and his mutations don't show.  But after showing his Nukes,
either the local normals would be nervous because of radiation, or any of
the robed rad priests would be a bit miffed at the character NOT wearing
THEIR color robes -- or at least some color!  Me, I'd play him with some
nice brown robes -- still robed like the rad priests, but not either of
their colors, more of a dirt-resistant-needs-less-washing-brown kinda color.

Technically, you'll still need some score to replace the Faith:Glow.  Sykers
have unattached Blastin' stats and get die types from different places, but
rad priest powers are all based on the Faith/Spirit.  If envisioned as the
character pulling power from the Hunting Grounds by force of will, then the
new character having a Faith:Nuclear Physics based on Spirit makes sense.
Sykers and such use (in my mind) more of a personal energy, so their
Blastin' score is applied to different stats/die types (IIRC).  And he'd
still need some kind of Arcane Background.

Now, whether the Glow is sentient or not, that is a different thing that
doesn't necessarily impact the character you are trying to create.  I don't
recall anything in the books that makes a definite unmistakeable statement
one way or the other.  The Purple and the Green believe mutants are better,
and they believe norms will fade away, and they believe that the Glow is the
source of all the great mutations, and are willing to fight to make their
points, but there isn't any "I talked to the Glow this morning and it told
me I'm a good Rad Priest" kinda stuff.

Maybe the Glow is just a phenomena, and certain individuals can access it
for power.  Then the new character type you're making has no sticky points
in this regard.  It's just a matter of learning how to tap into the Glow.

But maybe the Glow has some awareness.  Then, as a Marshal, you have to
decide what it wants, what matters to the Glow, and if there might be any
implications for going against the Glow's desires.  Since there are so few
possible sins for a Rad Priest to make (other than maybe willingly having
their personal mutations removed), it would seem that either the Glow just
isn't sentient, or it has very simple and broad desires.  Something like
irradiating all the world so everything mutates and glows prettily.  Or
maybe the Glow is only a little demi-god like thing, just created and
evolving itself.  This could be a large part of your campaign -- learning
the true nature of the Glow, helping or hindering the Glow in it's growth
towards godhead.  Your non-Doomsayer could play a large part in this, maybe
even forming a non-religious order of radiation priests (as weird as that
sounds).  And the more rad priest there are (of any color) the stronger the
Glow would get, and more focused the Glows mind would be.  As the red-headed
stepchild of the Reckoners, would the Glow be more aligned with them, or
against them?  Or would the Glow even care one way or the other, as long as
the world took on a nice green hue?

Wow, I better stop now before this gets any longer.  But I've managed to
intrigue myself.  An order of monks that believe "mutations happen" but not
that mutants are necessarily superior, seeking enlightenment thru
meditation, study of nuclear physics and application of microwaves to many
things.  A few of the brothers could be Junkers, building particle
accelerators and such.  And the brothers are learning that the Glow is more
than just spiritual radiation...  the Glow actually answers a few prayers...
I've got to get my campaign to the HOE setting...

And, if this sorta stuff has been discussed already I apologize.  I'm at
work and the earlier parts of this thread are on my home computer.

Jeff Y.
Marshal for the Dynamite Gang (currently in 1877, but the option to
'crossover' looms)