"Damn and blast!" Evans mutters as he and Adrian struggle with the barbed wire. They're able to get it unwound from his legs just as John streaks past, and Evans struggles to his feet. "Come, Adrian!" he says, letting the nozzle of his flame device drop and pulling out his gyromounted pistol. "We need to get to the barricade! We need to warn them about the Harbinger!"

((OOC: Evans is prone, shaken, and has 1 level of fatigue. he can't do anything about the fatigue until someone takes some time to tend to his scratches (which requires a Healing check and 10 minutes of work), but he can attempt to stand and unshake.

The Amazing Evans rolled 6,1 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. unshake. Success. He gets an action at -2. He can't use his Flamethrower with John in the middle of things, so he'll draw his gyromounted pistol (the focus for his Bolt power) and hold it ready.

Then he moves toward the barricade. Since he spent movement to stand, he can't get over the barricade this round, just to it.

Card for next round: 10H))

---

The Dust Adders under Adrian's control are up next! Because Gus is Aiming, he'll get +2 on his Shooting roll next turn.

There wasn't much left of Darla.

It didn't usually bother her: there hadn't been much left between the whoring and the laudanum anyway, so when Marina killed her and left her with an existence pared down to seduce and feed it was merely a change of state. Naturally, lacking much ability to think beyond those two objectives the girls spent a considerable amount of time pointlessly trying to seduce each other, Vincent (who could occasionally be roused to interest, but more often struck them about like skittles and stormed off to find somewhere else to rest, growling about 'fucking kine'), Marina (who tolerated their attentions like the kneading of cats), or occasionally the stage props, but normally they didn't have enough mind to, well, mind. This was different.

Darla sits on a workbench in shredded petticoats and half a top and worries at a nail left in her arm to help her focus. Something in her mind lay as slack as a dropped puppet away from Marina, but some flesh-echo of the woman she had been, some half-memory of a living, breathing self who had been somebody's daughter resents being tortured. "I didn't want them to do that to me," she states to the slaughter shack at large, then again, tasting the unfamiliar concept: "I did not want that."

Carmilla looks over from her watch of the street, clothes hanging in streamers from her body. "I felt something, with the braves-" she says with a pretty frown, kicking one of the ghost snakes that covered the floor off her leg and promptly forgetting about it. Darla briefly remembered why she was on the workbench.

"Did the earth move for you, darlin'?" Bella asks automatically, coming up streaming from a bucket of pig blood. "This is horrible."

Carmilla tries to think. "It hurt. It hurt and that was...bad."

"We should hurt them," Darla drawls, toying with the nail.

"Ooh, yes - no, wait, we should get the big one first, it was all his idea. I promised the spicy Ranger, too."

"-and he heals fast - oh, sisters, we have, like, got to see if we can get him up!" Bella giggles, jerking a thumb at the hog-killing apparatus above her and overturning the bucket on the snaky floor.

"Ooh, I love playing with rope!"

Darla grins and picks up the cleaver beside her. "Let's go get us a big red-blooded savage, girls."

Well, they all already had their irons out so they made their time count for something. They had heard bullets didn't do anything to 'em, but they had talked it out earlier and none of them really seemed to think that made much sense, witchery or no. Felix had been the most inclined to believe that nonsense, but the other two weren't having any of it. They fired, and surprisingly Felix did as well.

Felix went white as a sheet when his gun malfunctioned. The other two fired theirs off.

---

OOC:
Shooting: 1, 3, 5

On their El Cheapo gear, I believe that's a malfunction, which means their peacemakers are broken and will need repair.

12:21, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5.
12:21, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3.
11:36, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1.

Alright, so looks like they get two more shots - I had thought it was another one of those group rolls. In any case, I think one of them should hit with the 5. In case it does, here's the damage:

12:24, Today: Dust Adders rolled 5 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2. damage.


This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

((OOC: You have 2 other attacks to roll yet...only one of the guns malfunctions))

(( Updated ))

The fusillade of shots goes wide, but Felix watches in horror as the bullets bounce - actually bounce - off the shirts of their intended targets! One of the Comanche actually picks up a flattened bullet and shouts gleefully, showing it off to his fellows.

((OOC: If it were a group roll, you'd have needed to roll a Wild Die in addition to the normal die. In this fight, you can choose to use either Group Attacks for your extras or separate attacks (since there's a bunch of separate targets, rather than one big one like the Uktena battle.

The guy who had his gun jam will need to switch weapons, because he'll need to spend 1d6 hours fixing his pistol to get it working again. I'm curious as to why they weren't firing their Winchesters or shotguns to begin with, though...

Sadly, the one that hit didn't do enough damage to hurt his foe, even without magical protection or the Ghost Dance shirts they're wearing.

Not that they know this. Have your boys make a Group Fear Check, + Grit (the Dust Adders have 1 Grit), -4 for the local Fear Level. This is to avoid Fear/Nausea and will make them Shaken if they fail.))

---

Draw a card for their next turn. Adrian is up next!

OOC:
I guess they weren't firing their Winchesters or shotguns because they're none too bright?  :)

Fear test:
12:53, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1,0,-2 using d6-3,d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3,1.

Looks like none of them passed, and one of them busted.

Next Action: You drew the single card: 7D using the Deadlands system.

As for Adrian's turn...what can he do to help Evans over the barricade, mechanically speaking?

This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Sun 02 Sept 2012.

((OOC: Yeah, sure, blame it on the cowhands. ;)

So all three are shaken, and one has a -1 penalty to all his actions until the end of the encounter.

Nothing this round...he can get over fine himself, he just needs to take the movement to do so. You'd probably be best served flinging a bolt or two at the Comanches and thinning them out. It costs 2 squares of movement to get over the barricade.))

He took a quick glance into his hand, and before the cards vanished, he knew they looked pretty good. Not the best hand, that was for sure, but in a pinch they'd do. Just as they faded, he raised his gun at the pursuing Comanche again. If he could hold them off a little longer, he could make sure they got to safety - or relative safety to consider the matter of the Harbinger.

---

OOC:
Spending 3 power points to cast three bolts. Spellcasting, as per my last botch, is down to d6 for 24 hours. Rolled Spellcasting thrice, only one of them getting a wild die. Results, I believe are as follows:

Three hits? (4, 4, 5)

16:51, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 9,8,5 using 2d6,2d6,2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4,5,3,4,1. Damage.
16:40, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 4,4,5,1 using d6,d6,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4,5,1. Spellcasting x 3 + Wild die for the 3rd.

The ghostly shots find their mark, and two of the three Comanche aimed at stumble at Adrain's marksmanship. The third feels his shirt, angered, but seems otherwise unharmed.

The two Comanche who'd fallen behind during the chase manage to make it to the far end of the trap field. They take pot shots at the Dust Adders on the rooftops, but the cowboys are too well-entrenched to be bothered by the attack.

The Comanche whom Adrian shot but didn't wound returns fire, though the bullet hits the barricade instead of him.

The other two, wounded, decide to take on John instead. They drop their rifles and charge the martial artist, whooping blood-chilling war cries as they levy wild swing after wild swing at him. However, John's training and their own injuries interfere, and the swings don't do much more than give John a bit of a dance workout.

It seems the Comacnhes are ill-equipped to fight against snipers in this killing ground. Some of the Dust Adders whoop, clearly feeling they have the momentum...

And then a church bell rings.

((OOC: That's three hits, though only two do enough damage to hurt the Comanche. They have +2 Toughness against bullets thanks to their shirts, but Adrian's soul blast is technically channeled through his gun, and doesn't use the bullets themselves. Thus, this attack is vs. Toughness 6 instead of 8. This would make the two you hit with the 9 and the 8 Shaken, but since they're already Shaken it gives them a Wound instead, which they take as Fatigue since their Invulnerability protects them.

How many PP do you have left?

The first group of Comanche get to go now. I'm counting the ones that have fallen behind as well as the batch getting beat on here. I roll two Group checks for them: The ones who aren't fatigued and the ones who are.

Comanche Raiders rolled 6,0 using d8-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1. Group unshake (Fatigued). Success. They get an action at -2.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1. Group unshake (Not Fatigued). Er...I'm going to spend a White Chip on this...

Comanche Raiders rolled 7,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,2. white chip. There we go. Now all the Comanche in the first group can pick themselves up and start doing stuff.

First off, the stragglers from the Oriental move their Pace (8) and aim shots at the Dust Adders on the rooftops. They have Spencer Carbines, so they're well within rainge, but have -2 MAP from unshaking and -4 from the Heavy Cover the DA's have for being both prone and on higher ground.

Comanche Raiders rolled -1,-2 using d6-6,d6-6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. shots at the rooftops. No hits.

Meanwhile, the one in the near cluster who wasn't injured decides to take a shot at Adrian in retaliation for being fired at a couple times. He has the -2 MAP from Unshaking this round.

Comanche Raiders rolled 1 using 1d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Shooting! Nope.

The two injured ones are going to take it out on the nearest enemy - John. They are going to drop their guns and draw tomahawks. They have the MAP (-2), are Fatigued (-1), and another MAP for not haing quick draw (-2), but are Wild attacking (+2), so their net penalty is -3. They get no Gang-Up bonus because John knows Martial Arts.

Comanche Raiders rolled 2,0 using d8-3,d8-3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,3. Fighting! Nowhere near good enough.

John, their Parry is now 5 until their next action.

Card for this group's next round: 7H))

---

Up next: The Harbinger! Stay tuned...

some mood music

The church bell continues to toll as a dark figure strides out of the wreck of the Oriental. It's tall and lean, wrapped in a tattered long coat and a hood like an executioner's cowl pulled over its head. It reaches into it's holsters and draws forth a pair of revolvers with wicked, scythe-like blades. A thick, oily mist follows in it's wake, obscuring the being's lower legs.



The cowled stranger looks around the battlefield. A horrible, rasping scrape escapes the darkness of the thing's hood, like iron nails on slate twisted into the rough approximation of words.

"Citizens of Blackthorn! The Harbinger has returned, and the hour of your Reckoning is nigh! In my words shall the guilty find their judgement! Throw down your weapons and despair, for you shall know only death and pain and terror before the end!"

((OOC: Everyone, make a Fear Check (-4 for the fear level, -2 for The Harbinger's Fear rating, + Grit). This is versus Terror. Those of you running extras can chose to make Group Checks covering your entire band or separate checks for each of your fighters. The Dust Adders have 1 Grit. Once I've gotten all your results, I'll figure out what happens from here.))
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Tue 04 Sept 2012.

OOC:
I've got 9 Power Points left.

Also, my card next round:
19:57, Today: Adrian Vega drew the single card: KD using the Deadlands system.

  John pauses long enough to see the thing that had shaken Adrian so back in the ruins of the theater. He blanched for a moment but remembered his masters teachings. He couldn't give into the fear he felt rolling over his spirit, he supposed having two wild Comanche's trying to kill him didn't help matters.

OOC: Fear Check. John Smith rolled 2,-3 using d10-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Crap.
Blue Chip Spent, down to one. John Smith rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. Blue Chip. Total of 4, looks like I'm good. Whew.

Gus heard, rather than saw, the presence of the Darkness that had joined the fray. He had seen it before, he had thought it destroyed, and as one might expect, he hated being proven wrong. He kept his aim, taking his shot, but as far as he was concerned he and the Dust Adders were done in this fight, next to useless, unless...If they could keep it together then maybe, just maybe, they could keep the Comanche's occupied long enough for Evans, John and that other feller to perhaps take the thing out. It was better than running, that was certain.


OOC:
Gus Shaw rolled 6,-2 using d8-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,1. Gus Shaw's Fear Check.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:45, Tue 04 Sept 2012.

Some of the Dust Adders were just beginning to rise from ducking the wild shots from the raiders.  Grinning, they started to take aim.  The thought they might could win this passed over them....then that thought bolted  like a jackrabbit as the Harbinger appeared.  Eyes going wide with terror...

OOC - My 3 all failed.

07:52, Today: Dust Adders rolled 0 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5. DA3 Fear Check.
07:52, Today: Dust Adders rolled -2 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 3. DA2 Fear Check.
07:51, Today: Dust Adders rolled 0 using 1d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5. DA1 Fear Check.

"Well, I'll be damned," said Felix. The other two were speechless, but seemed to hold their nerve better than the rest of their gang.

---

OOC:
10:46, Today: Dust Adders rolled 4,0 using d6-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,5. Group Fear Test.

He wanted to be scared. He wanted to be shellshocked. But he was too dead on the inside to really have his heart leap up out of his chest."Well, I'm already dead. I don't see what there is to be afraid of," he muttered to himself, looking at the thing.

---

OOC:
Spirit: 8 (Success & Raise?)

10:48, Today: Adrian Vega rolled 8,1 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 10,3. Is he scart?

The Harbinger's presence sends most of the Dust Adders into a panic, but since they're on rooftops there's no place for them to go.

Evans, still struggling over the Barricade, looks up at the chill that sweeps the battlefield and turns to look at the monster.

He swallows hard, but keeps his nerve.

"So! Didn't get enough last time?" Evan says, forcing a grin and a cocky tone of voice. "Come back for a rematch, have you?"

"No." The thing whispers.

{BOOM! BOOM!}

The Harbinger's hand cannons roar, and Evans slumps down outside the barricade, a glassy stare and a shocked expression etched on his face, and two smoking holes in his chest.

---

((OOC: The Dust Adders who failed their check are all Shaken. They'd run away, but they're on rooftops and can't go anywhere.

Evans makes his Fear Check.

19:35, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 0,-1 using d8-5,d6-5, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4. Fear! I am so sick of him failing Fear checks. Let's add a Red and see what we get.

19:35, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. red chip. Gar! Let's spend yet another chip...

19:36, Today: The Amazing Evans rolled 8 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8. another red chip. Finally. Final total of 10, and Evans is now out of chips and relying on the GM stash.

The Harbinger makes small talk, then points his guns at Evans and proceeds to start shooting him. He has a -2 penalty because he's a Medium range, but he's got so many combat edges that it's not really an issue. He has Marksman, but it doesn't apply because he moved this round. He has no penalties to shooting two guns Two-Fisted because he's got the edge and is Ambidextrous. He has d12+2 shooting, which mitigates the penalty for firing at medium Range, and as a special power he gets a d10 for his Wild Die when Shooting.

The Harbinger's attack: 19:48, Today: The Harbinger rolled 1,9,7 using d12,d12,d10-2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,9,9. Shooting! That's two hits, one with a raise.

Damage 1: The Harbinger rolled 17 using 3d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,3,2. Damage. That's a Shaken and 3 Wounds for Evans. Ow. I will be attempting to Soak it, but let's take care of the other damage first.

Damage 2: The Harbinger rolled 13 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+4)10. Damage. That's a Shaken and 2 More Wounds for Evans. Evans is in trouble.

Evans will, of course, attempt to Soak, but he's got a -1 penalty from the Fatigue already.

Soak attempt 1: The Amazing Evans rolled 4,1 using d6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2. Well, that soaks 1 Wound. He's still facing 2, though.

Soak Attempt 2: The Amazing Evans rolled -2,-1 using d6-3,d6-3, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2. Ow. That's 2 more wounds.

Evans is Down!

Incapacitation roll: The Amazing Evans rolled -3,9 using d6-4,d6-4, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+6+1)13. Incapacitation. OMG he made it! With a Raise! He's going to be Injured until his wounds are healed, he's vulnerable to a Finishing Blow, and he's out of this fight, but he's alive. Rolling on the Injury table, I find that Evans was hit in the Guts and will have his Strength decreased 1 step. Since his Strength is already at d4, this doesn't actually affect him much.

The Harbinger draws cards, using his Improved Level Headed edge

Cards for next round: 6C, 5H, 5D))

---

As the Marshal slumps over, The Comanche whoop in triumph. The Indians scatter and begin climbing the rooftops, heading for the snipers above!

Don, shivering, listens to the bloodthirsty Comanche scrabbling up the sides of the warehouse, screaming and hollering. He wishes he were back in Boone once more, and feels a wetness in his trousers as the fear overwhelms him...

Dishonest Abe is still a bit rattled from the harbinger's sudden appearance but less scared than the others. He hadn't been in town when the harbinger had attacked Blackthorn the first time, had only heard about it second-hand. But now he saw not one but two injuns pop their heads up over the side of the house he lay on. The gray-skinned savages grinned and pulled tomahawks. And Dishonest Abe felt his adrenaline begin to kick in...

---

((OOC: The Comanche get to go next. They attempt to Unshake, and rally around the shooting of the town's sheriff.

Group Unshake: Comanche Raiders rolled 6,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1. Group unshake. Success. They get an action at -2

These Comanche are going to avoid the whole sniper business by climbing up to where the snipers are. They split into two groups. One group attempts to climb up the Warehouse walls, while the other two climb up the house opposite.

Group 1:  Comanche Raiders rolled -1,3 using d4-2,d6-2. Fail. They're beneath the Warehouse, and thus have Light Cover from the Dust Adder on top of it.

Group 2: Comanche Raiders rolled 9,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of (4+4+3)11,2 Success and Raise. The Dust Adder on the roof of that house is now in Melee (and can't use longarms).

That's all they can do this round, though.

Card for next round: 8D))

---

Up next: The Dust Adders (Spotswood)

Eddie, his Devil's Island sobriquet forgotten in his fright, tried to get it together.  But despite all his dreams of being a deadly gunhand...he just couldn't move.  He knew the raiders were there, but maybe if he didn't move they'd give up on him....

Boone.  Don really missed Boone.  The mountains, the green.  Why had he ever come out here?  Stupid goddamn Eddie's fault....

Felix just crouched harder against the barricade and tried to at like he was just taking cover.  Hoping no one noticed that he was too scared to stand up and fight...

OOC - All remain shaken.  Next card - JH

07:44, Today: Dust Adders drew the single card: JH using the Deadlands system. Next Initiative.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1. Unshake.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 3 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3. DA2 Unshake.
07:43, Today: Dust Adders rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. DA1 Unshake.

Turn Order:
Gus Shaw: AC
Adrian Vega: KD
Dust Adders (Spotswood): JD
Vampire Dance Hall Girls: 10H
Comanche Group 2: 8D
Comanche Group 1: 7H
Dust Adders (Vega): 7D
The Harbinger: 6C
John Smith: 5D
Itza-Chu: 4D
The Amazing Evans: Incapacitated

"Turn and fight you bastards!!" Gus hollered at the Dust Adders who seemed to be losing their nerve. He emphasized his call to arms by shooting the Comanche he spied closest to one of his more terrified comrades. He took aim and caught the redskin right in the head for dramatic emphasis. "Turn and fight! Show them they can still fear bullets! Let the others worry about the monster!"

OOC:
Gus uses 6D "Rally" to cause all allies to lose their shaken status.
Gus Shaw rolled 1,3 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5. Head Shot -4 penality, reduced to -2 for aiming. Only a 3, crap.
Gus Shaw rolled 9 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9. Blue Chip adding D6. Hit with a raise at 12!
Gus Shaw rolled 4 using 2d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1. Winchester Damage AP2.
Gus Shaw rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4. Raise Damage.
8 damage. Less than spectacular but with AP2 perhaps he actually affects them. Oh, wait! +4 damage from the headshot. Total: 12 damage!
Note: His target was whatever Comanche was closest to reaching one of the fear stricken Dust Adders
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

The bullet caroms off the skull off one of the Indians menacing Dishonest Abe, who stumbles to his knees and swears, rubbing his temple in obvious pain. Gus could swear the Indian was saying the Comanche equivalent of "oh no, not again," though he couldn't say why...

((OOC: The Comanche Raiders have armor on their torsos that are specifically bulletproof. However since that was a headshot it bypasses the Ghost Dance shirt entirely, so I factor the damage vs. Toughness 6 instead of 8. That will certainly leave the Raider Shaken. I'll also check to see if it knocks him off the roof.

Comanche Raiders rolled 7 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 7. Agility. Nope. He's still there. But at least Dishonest Abe will have one less problem to worry about.))

---

up next: Adrian Vega! The Dust Adders are No Longer Stunned thanks to the card
This message was last edited by the player at 07:01, Thu 06 Sept 2012.

(( OOC:

I meant to ask this yesterday but I never got around to it, so sorry for the delay. Is Adrian over the barricade? Is Evans? And what could I do with my action to see that one or both of them get over? ))

((OOC: Check out the Map Thread for your relative positions. You're behind the barricade, and Evans (the big red skull) is in front of it. If you want to pull him over, make a Strength check.))

OOC: So 12 damage with 6 toughness leaves him shaken? Not incapacitated? Did he hit a wild card or did deluxe edition nerf called shots nullifying the +4 damage something?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Thu 06 Sept 2012.