RE: [HOE] Arcane Background:Road Warrior

[tanya.ellenburg-kimmet@wright.edu]

>> <Opinion>
>> I know there has been some demand for more info on the Law Dogs but
>> I'm not sure people want another AB in HOE.  If you start giving
>> everyone some sort of different magical Schitck the games starts to
>> 
<snip>
>I have to agree (and that goes for the 'this-is-not-a-flame' comment as
>well) that there's such a thing as too many ABs. I think this may even
>be why PEG hasn't been motivated to port the 2nd tier ABs (Like Martial
>Artists, Voodooists, etc.) to the Deadlands d20 as far as I know.
<snip>
>In summary, ABs really shouldn't be overused. They require marshall
>intervention, especially to keep the standard Deadlands level of
>lethality present. Of course, not all games are the same...

1. Great write up on the background. I like it as a AB, I like it as a Junker 
Knack.  It has lots of possibilities and creativity in my opinion.

2. No flames intended and everyone has a right to their own opinion...

3. and I disagree with the idea that there are too many AB.  Unless you have a 
very large party, the likelihood that there will be one templar, one syker, 
one doomsayer, one junker, one librarian, etc, is rare.

Our group averages 3 AB's, whether we're playing Weird or Wasted. The fact 
that the non AB has that many more points to put into shootin', survival, and 
aren't as tempted to buy I'm a pepper, too -which needs I'm a pepper and all, 
puts them equal with the AB who had very little gun handling, when he uses his 
last strain on the atomic blast that the marshal just bought off (yes sirree, 
that one happened to my doomsayer quite a few times - it's a curse). Our group 
is rarely limited in how many AB's there are by the marshal, because we have 
two who love to play shoot-m-up survivors, two who love to play AB's, and two 
that jump back and forth, depending on their mood. It doesn't make it 
less/more implausible, because the characters are supposed to be the 
survivors/heroes of the game. Doomsayer's gun just glows more, has several 
attachments/modes (dice, frappe, and "oh, my god, how do you stop it"), and 
needs to recharge after 10 or so uses.

It's up to the marshal, of course, but more options on AB's can't hurt. And if 
the marshal doesn't mind 6 AB in the party, the players then know that they 
are going to be facing major baddies every time that can lay the smacketh down 
in unholy fury. If the marshal doesn't want that many, let the marshal say 
what the GM's that run Star Wars say when every one wants to be force 
sensitive -as if those metachlorins saturated the galaxy!

But I wouldn't stop the creative flow of making arcane backgrounds, in case 
someone somewhere might want to play it sometime.  Heck, I've already printed 
out this one and am ready to present to the marshal when the next one starts.
;)

-Tanya the imp