Re: [HOE] Playing in the 'Yard [spoiler for my posse]

["Scott Pedersen" <spederse@hotmail.com>]

> This is the first question of the week: how should I handle this? There's
a
> Templar in the posse, so he could vouch for the fact that he does have...
> connections, but how would the Judge react to this? Do you think he'd play
> ball, perhaps saying that there was insufficient evidence or some such, or
> would he still throw him in the Pit? I mean, sinking 5 points into FiHP
> should help him at least a little, so I'm thinking even if he doesn't get
> off scot free (which he really shouldn't), what do you think I should have
> happen to him in lieu of the standard punishment of him=meat?



Judge Tolliver, assuming you are playing him by the book, is basically
incorruptible.  The Templars might lean on him if there was good reason, but
I don't think it would do a whole lot of good.  Furthermore, it doesn't
sound like there's a good reason.  However I agree with you that five levels
of friends in high places should be worth something.



The fast way out of this is to have the judge sentence the huckster to the
Pit, but then have a Templar (either one from the posse, or an NPC) take his
place as a champion and pull his bacon out of the fire.



The longer solution is to have Judge Tolliver sentence the huckster to
'community service.'  The Judge is tough, but he isn't a bloodthirsty
monster.  He can tell the difference between a hopeless case and a good
person who made a mistake (someone who's in close with the Templar's can't
be too bad right?), and he hands out punishments accordingly.  This solution
is handy because the community service could serve as a hook into whatever
you want to have your posse do next.  Remember, this is Junkyard, and
community service is likely to be as dangerous if not more so than being
thrown in the pit.

 Judge: "I hereby sentence you to 20 hours community service..."

Criminal: "Whew, that's not so bad"

Judge: "...cleaning up trash along Sludge Creek!"

Criminal: "What?  No!  Not that!  I take it back!  Throw me in the Pit!
Please!"



Whichever way you do it, Judge Tolliver still looks like a hard-nosed,
tough-but-fair judge, and the FiHP does some good.



> Second, the lady Syker in the group wants to... *ahem* WORK for some money
> (she's Randy). What sort of risk do you think I should put her at for
> contracting a social disease of some sort and how severe?



For random stuff that isn't covered by specific rules I usually just pull a
card or three out of a deck.  In this case I think I'd pull a card for each
'encounter' and if I pulled a joker she'd pick up ailin' minor.  You might
want to throw a vigor check in there somewhere, just to be fair.  If you
want to up the danger level, I'd give here ailin' minor for a face card and
ailin' chronic for a joker.



> the Templar has the Greater Reward for Lay on Hands, so he can likely cure
> whatever ails her.



Two things to remember here.  One, the Templar can try to heal her, but if
he fails his check she's stuck.  You only get one shot at supernatural
cures.  Two, the fact that she only had the ailin' hindrance for 15 minutes
doesn't absolve her of the normal rules for buying off hindrances.  I would
still expect her to pay the bounty points to buy off the ailin' hindrance if
she gets cured.



> The Doomsayer was a bounty hunter before the War and the Templar was an
> Agency sniper in the 1970s (time distortion placed him in HoE), so they've
> got decent people-hunting tactics, but they don't know the Steel Sky like
> the Lurkers do. Any tips on making them suffer?



Two words:  falling damage.  The posse's biggest disadvantage is likely
their climin' aptitudes.  The lurkers know how to get around and are going
to be superb climbers, whereas your average posse member probably can't
handle anything more difficult than a ladder.



-Scott Pedersen