Re: [HOE] Staggering powers WAS: Mundane Background

[Sam & Max <samnmax@swbell.net>]

> Anyway, hucksters were really ham-strung (as 2nd edition pointed out)
> First they had to buy the hex (at level 1 for starters), then they had to
> have 5 different stats high because hexes rely on so many different stats
> (unlikely blessed/shamans/mad scientists/sykers/doomies/junkers/toxic
> shamans/etc.) then you had to roll your dice, THEN you had to draw cards.

Ah I left out a tiny important part. :) When we rebuilt them they only had to
use one stat for all of the hexes and such. Spirit. Yes it was a bit off from
the older Hex to Attribute rule but it was the closest thing that worked with
the newer stuff. Now we did this due to the change not really because the
Hucksters seemed underpowered in 1st edition.

> We basically determined that unless you were some type of roleplaying god
> that didn't even look at the dice (because you were THAT into your char.)
> playing a huckster by the old rules was impossible. It was too frustrating
> AND too dangerous (risk of botching with low number of dice + risk of
> backlash).

 The way I ran Deadlands the Arcane and all was rare and dangerous. Leaning
closer to a very Gritty world as opposed to Semi-gritty with lemon scent. The
Huckster in the posse spent several months (game time) before he would let
anyone know what he was because he was afraid of the reaction after dealing with
some cultists and black magic. Hexes do look just like black magic or even if it
isn't identical most people are going to assume you are "E-ville"  
	But making it one stat based and then having to Buy them seperately seemed a
good compromise. Picking up a new Hexes was only 1 point and then bought up from
there. 

> So they "fixed" hucksters in 2nd edition. We didn't like the fit so much
> (the absolute power from the start thing bothered us too). But from an AB
> balance perspective it made sense so we suspended disbelief.
> Then the precedent went to HoE where people like sykers and doomies don't
> really have ANY of the problems of hucksters.

Yes the odds of any Syker or Doomie with 5D-something actually busting and
having to roll on those tables is so low as to not be any danger what so ever.
We did use the Syker and Doomie backlash tables but with a small added step
since busting was more likely with various powers at different levels. If they
busted a card was pulled. On a face card they were zapped for whatever meanness
the tables said. On a numbered card they took that much in wind. It never slowed
anything down and ran pretty smooth. 

> Anyway (again), my groups come up with a rule that we're going to try for
> a short run of my friend's modern day Deadlands setting:
> Deadlands:Y2Weird :)
> 
> My arcane works a little different because I'm a psychic (not a syker)
> from Greywolf's page (he's probably lurking here somewhere with URL).
> Basically the power-level of the game is lower so the AB's were reduced. I
> have a few generic powers (empathy, telekinesis, healing) that I can use
> to do something general (empathy - read emotions). Now I can also do
> "tricks" like influence someone's emotions with empathy. When I do this we
> figure out a TN from a list we've come up with. Now since I've never done
> this before I have a -4 penalty to try it during the first session. If I
> succeed in using it the penalty goes down to -2 for the next session. If I
> succeed at least once again it goes down to nothing.
> 
> You could do the same with AB's. They spend their time and points and get
> the power, but they have -4 to use until they've used it successfully,
> then a -2, then nothing.
> That way there's at least some type of learning curve for them to deal
> with.
> 
> Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab

	This works as well, simple to keep track of and quick. :) I have wanted to use
the Deadlands game system for a contemporary setting for a while but I have
another game runnung at the moment. We did play a short 1936 game using some
older Indiana Jones modules. It was a blast. I look forward to Weird Wars but
after reading about the work and stress trying to cram a great setting into the
D20 system I can only hope the conversion isn't too hard to Deadlands because as
much as I like 3rd D&D I can't stand the D20 system. I know that semms
contradictory but one is a specific game setting and the other is a painful
Generic rules set. 

-- 
David Heth 
"Sniper rifles have been known to cause Spontaneous Brain Rejection(SBR) at
several hundred yards. "