[HOE] Hucksters in the HOE Setting.

["Roger Bert" <deadlands@triton.net>]

Greetings.

I am starting a new HOE campaign with three or four players. Two players
have sat down with me and designed their characters. They are excited about
the setting and one player has designed two different characters and wants
to design a third character. He is not sure which one he wants to play and
use as his primary character. He has made a Doomsayer, a Templar, and now he
wants to design a Huckster character.

I have seen the rules in "Junkman Cometh" for HOE Hucksters, one card hand
higher required, and +4 to backlash. I really like the idea of 'one card
hand higher required' for HOE Hucksters given that they will not face the
same kind of persecution that was around every corner in the Weird West. I
mean you have doomies and psychers around and a traveling gambler looks
pretty tame (most of the time) compared to them and maybe a few Hexes used
could be explained off much easier.

I have seen in the Accumulated Rulings that it was recommended at one time
to drop the 'one card hand higher required'. I am curious on why anyone
would recommend making it easier to play a Huckster. Hucksters were powered
up with the Revised Edition so I am concerned about perceived game imbalance
between players with characters that have to deal with Strain issues and
Huckster characters that are pretty powerful with no Strain limitations.

Have any marshals or players out there that have dealt with a HOE Huckster
character in a regular campaign noticed problems between him and his PC
comrades or Extra opponents with Strain?

Adding +4 to the Backlash table actually seems like a benefit to me. If you
use the modern Backlash chart from the "Weird West Marshal's Handbook" then
the only permanent effect "Brian Drain" is automatically avoided. I will
probably use a modified version of the Extended Backlash chart from H&H. Has
anyone worked up an alternate Extended Backlash chart for use with HOE or
the revised Deadlands rules?

I have noticed that HOE Witches must buy a Belongings edge to use their very
few powers and have considered making the Huckster character buy a
Belongings edge as well to have a copy of the Book of Hoyle. Does this sound
fair and how much do you think the Belongings edge should cost?

Comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
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Roger Bert <rogerbert@old-oeridians.com>
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Old Oeridians Game Club:
http://www.old-oeridians.com/
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