[HOE] Something for the Soldier

["Frighty" <frighty@corporatedirtbag.com>]

Okay... Boredom's set in and I've decided to see what folks think to my
current work-in-progress for HOE. A kind of revamp of the soldier
background table. The main reason I'm doing this is to try to encourage the
group of AB-monkeys I call my players to play something other than
something that makes something else go boom. Or something.

It's looking like ending up on a #/suit rather than #/color which I'd
originally intended it, as I think the old background table should be one
of the suits too. Probably clubs. Black joker's staying the same too. Red,
I've toned down a little. Anyone got any oppinions (Ideally something other
than "That's a munchkin idea because of x, y and z.") or even suggestions?


# Suit: P.O.W.: Your waster was captured sometime before judgement day.
Sure, when the bombs fell you were let out but your rifle, kit and even yer
uniform weren’t nowhere in sight. Your hero may not spend any points in the
Belongin’s edge.

# Suit: Mutant: Your squad wandered a little too close to where them
big-ass bombs were dropped and kevlar don’t protect too well against rads.
Your hero is a mutant. Draw once on the mutations table in the Wasted West
Rulebook.

# Suit: Special Detail: “Could be your lucky day, solider. We’ve got you a
cushy mission guarding one of our top secret facilities way behind the
lines. Nice little wage bonus and the chance to test out some of the newest
gear straight off the production line...” Some things sound too good to be
true. This one was. Sure, you know the location of a now-unguarded facility
that’s untouched by the bombs containing loads of neat gear. But you’ve got
a 5-point oath never to reveal its location. “Well done, soldier. Sign
here. Good... Oh, One more thing. Did I forget to mention the headbanger?”
Yep, that’s why he can’t tell anyone where it is or go back there himself.
Standard rules for setting off headbangers apply. Also, these things aren’t
too good with brainwaves so whenever your brainer is trying to give someone
directions to someplace that isn’t the base, there’s a 1 in 20 chance of
the darned thing going off.

# Suit: Psycho: Some folks came outta the war never wantin’ to fight again
and scared at the sight of blood. Let’s just say you went the other way.
Your hero has the hindrances bloodthirsty and mean as a rattler

# Suit: Sole Survivor: Your waster came back from his last mission just
fine. Shame about his buddies. You’ve got a bad case of survivor’s guilt
and the Death Wish hindrance.

# Suit: Traitor: Whether it was you or not, your whole unit thinks you
turned traitor. And word spreads fast. You’ve got a 5 point enemy hindrance
(the members of your own unit – They survived and want you dead. Preferably
real soon).

# Suit: Battle Scars: You picked up a little souvenir from some battlefield
somewhere. Your hero is Ugly as sin with a –4 to friendly persuasion rolls.
On the plus side, it does give you a +2 to overawe or hostile persuasion
rolls.


# Suit: Severed Limb: Most of your waster came back from the wars just
fine. Randomly determine the limb. Your waster is either Lame: Crippled or
a One-armed Bandit.

# Suit: Repentant: Some time back in the war, you got some orders to do
something nasty. Real nasty. And it’s been eating at your conscience ever
since. You are constantly trying to repay what you feel you owe the world
and have the heroic hindrance.

# Suit: Where am I...? You don’t really remember much about the war. You
think it may have been something to do with that lump of shrapnel that the
nice docs pulled out of your brainpan. But anyway, here you are and you’re
sure your new friends will look after you... Your brainer has the clueless
and the illiterate hindrances and, if that wasn’t bad enough, his
knowledge, cognition or smarts (your choice) drops by one die type. (take a
hint... Don’t drop one that’s already at 1D4...) 

# Suit: Looter:  While pretty much everyone’s fairly free with property
scavenged from the ruins these days, your waster tended to be fairly free a
couple of years too early. You’re an Outlaw (1, among MPs), Greedy and a
miser.

# Suit: “The War’s Over, Man!”: You’ve still got a bone to pick with the
soldiers of the other side. Hell, even the civilians. Your waster is
vengeful and has a 3 point intolerance of anybody from the other side of
the Mason-Dixon wall.

# Black: Vengeful Ghost: One of the soldiers you put down didn’t quite stay
down. His spirit follows you around and is determined to make sure some
waster puts a bullet in your skull like you did his. He appears about once
an adventure at inopportune moments to make your hero’s life a misery, for
example while your brainer is sneaking past a guard, the ghost might just
give that guard a shout...

# Red: ‘Camouflage’: Somewhere along the line in the war, you were helped
out by a big marine with friendly eyes who disappeared shortly after. Turns
out he’s some kind of guardian angel. He appears when your waster’s in
really deep guano and lends a hand. For a few rounds (1D6) after his
appearance, your hero gets +2 to any guts checks. (Inspired by Stan
Ridgeway’s “Camoflage” – good song actually. You should listen.)

# Red: Killin’ Officer: Your hero was one of those officers who actually
cared what happened to his troops. You must spend at least one point in the
rank edge, and you are Loyal to the posse, your new squad. You also have a
3 point Oath to the members of your old squad who know they can depend on
you to help them out in a tough spot.

# Black: Murderin’ Officer: You were an officer who didn’t give a damn
about the lives of his men. He is stubborn, self-righteous, high-falutin’ 
and also has the You Bastard! Hindrance at level 5.

Red Joker: Harrowed. Your waster died during the war and just kept on
fightin’. You begin the game with one harrowed power at level 1. Draw for
domination as per a harrowed character from the Wasted West Book.


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