I've been slammed with work. I will try to get my Archetype put into the Character Details soon.

Peter's a Ravenite who travels in his pickup. He could be part of a small convoy with a Trucker, could be hiring someone to fix his truck when it breaks down, could be helping someone fight some evil mofos, etc. =D

In reply to Ian Roadkill Colby (msg #41):

I really like the link of Roadkill being the trucker delivering the goods and posters.  This could also link up with the Mechanic in the Truck, mebbe the Ex-black Hat as Security.  As for why they might get involved, Roadkill would probably have come to see how bad the Pantano gang was getting.  When he sees the trouble brewing with the mutants...hears the fighting start...  He just can't do it any more and decides to ride into the battle to smash up some gangers who remind him a little too much of his past...

Just an idea!

Trollsmith aka Cory

In reply to Brother Edgar (msg #51):

Posse,

A few things:

Yeah, Roadkill traveling with a scout/security unit (Peter/Jane) with a mechanic of sorts (Smoker) really works for me.

As for why they would be in the area, gangs are bad for what little business and trade remains. Who would know better than a former gang member? Roadkill isn't likely to care too deeply about someone's dodgy or violent past but having a known thief onboard would be problematical so it would have to be pretty clear-cut injustice.

Knowing Andy, Nix would certainly care about the salvage. Nix's issue could be back in St. Louis (see below). Maybe an overzealous Law Dog there?

I forgot that ammunition is the basic rate of exchange. Junkyard and a few larger towns (larger as in around a population of maybe a hundred) will take gold and silver, many people won't.

Pet Peeve: Even numbers of ammunition on the templates. You're using scavenged, hoarded and reloaded ammunition. For Pete's sake, you won't have an even ten or hundreds of cartridges like you just cracked a case. You'd have, like 8 or 43, even if that leaves you with some odd or at least not round number of rounds.

Character Descriptions: please make sure what your character looks like and is obviously armed with is clear in your biography. Attitude or other obvious characteristics can't hurt, either. You can keep describing your PC when new ones show up, but it's just easier this way!

---

Edit Added:

As well, while national origins may not matter much in-game, it matters to me where your PC is from. So be clear on which side they were on, where they were born and/or lived, as applicable.

Further, one detachable magazine comes free with your weapon. However, no ammo is free.

---

Possible Entry Point:

(After the Pantano Gang is dealt with.)

Roadkill's convoy (it's a small convoy) of a rig (long-nose and van trailer) and a scout pickup (for Belongin's 1 it could be a technical with a Ma-Deuce in the back, just sayin') is headed north out of St. Louis. They're picking up a load of scavenged metal and PVC tubing, bales of electrical wire, and a small bundle of tobacco and cigars on consignment at Near La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:22, Mon 21 June 2010.

I have to say, so far I am not like how you are already invoking my name in your OOC rules posts and such LOL! =D

I should have my character complete with full background, description, etc, by Wednesday.

I have to go with this picture lol

Haha, yes, yes you do.  This one's not quite right but it's the only one with sunglasses that's close enough.

Edit:  I once house ruled a cigarette or a razor blade was a barter item worth $1.  While it's kind of appropriate to DL that ammunition = money, really in economies like Argentina circa early 2000s where there is no economy to speak of, ammunition has historically not become the new medium of exchange.

I also used .22 LR and birdshot and .410/28 gauge/etc. shells as money, given that it's not so good for combat but it would be very useful and practical for many other purposes.  I've also house ruled that 10 expended cartridge casings are worth $1.  I also house ruled that some OTC drugs were intact and made for good barter items.  Players also used non Dr. Pepper sodas as cash a few times, and in a fit of humor, Moonpies and Twinkies.  Intact condoms were also barter items.

Given the setting I'd assume most money is ammo but it's nice if not all of it is.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:16, Mon 21 June 2010.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg #53):

It's all for your sake! All for you.

Wax,

Absolutely, you must go with the knight. Are you taking the template as-is?

Overkill,

Looking forward to seeing Roadkill.

Don,

I was thinking along those lines. There are some communities that accept gold and silver. Let's say, not just Junkyard but those that trade with the Convoy, who would encourage a convertible currency for many reasons. Junkyard for sure, and many of the larger Convoy clients are more likely.

The ideas of cigarettes (and joints) being individual units of exchange are cool. In the main rule book it says that "cash" is actually small luxury items, so that would include perfume, well-preserved snack foods, jewelry, and of course, condoms. So feel free to define "cash" in those terms.

Ammunition doesn't seem like it's going to be a medium of exchange, as it's just too valuable and by definition would be depleted over time. On the plus side, all communities have a need for it, and it's non-perishable, and small. I like the $1 per 10 spent cartridges. Most if not all weapons will have brass-catchers, as applicable ($5).

Important Errata:

Trait Checks: Coordinations have always bugged us, so we got rid of them. Sort of. They're now called "Trait levels," which in itself isn't a big change, but it changes the mindset of those who are frustrated that Traits are often better than skills, particularly when making the old style default rolls (see the change to those below).

Default Skill Rolls: Default Aptitude rolls work differently. Instead of using your Trait with a -8 penalty, you now roll one die of your Trait with a -4 penalty. This change was made for those who looked at their ld12 search skills and wondered why they wouldn't want to always roll their 4d12 Cognition instead - even with the -8 unskilled penalty - because their chances of going bust on the roll are much lower.

http://www.peginc.com/Downloads/Errata/HOEErrata.htm

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:39, Mon 21 June 2010.

See I'm not sure I like that as much.  I understand the thinking here but that means there's no point in having say a 4d12 Cognition over a 1d12.

Now I know a lot of the Traits are like that, with Quickness, Strength, and Vigor being the very major exceptions, but still.

Also, are we using all the errata?  It's an important question because some of those rules fundamentally change the game, like the double tap rule.

We're starting East of the Mississippi? Uh-oh.

Except for when you need to test Cognition for surprise, for noticing things, awareness and other things.  Then its really good to have those extra 4d12 in Cognition.

On average, this works out better from what I have seen.  With the old rule, you basically have to either hit an Ace or blow a stack of chips to pass anything that isn't trivially easy.

In reply to Arthur Dayne (msg #60):

That's true, I didn't think about that.

It's just been my experience that for some of the Traits, you don't often roll the actual trait but rather the skills stemming off of it.

For example, does it really matter if your Deftness is 1d10 or 1d12? Yes it matters substantially.

Does it matter if your Deftness is 1d10 or 4d10?  Not so much.  Can it come up?  Yes.  Will it very often?  Well why would it, when your other shootin' skill can just used with a -2 penalty instead?

And how often do you roll your Smarts?

Really though now that I think about it I think most of the traits don't have that problem.  There are just certain weird little things in the mechanics like that.

One thing I ran into a lot with attributes/traits that was always a sore point was that certain archetypes take certain stats in combinations that cheese some people off.  The most egregious example is that the guys with the only truly viable hand to hand combat capabilities also have the first or second highest Spirit trait in the posse.

I've always felt that since Deadlands lets you make the character any way you want, you can't really complain; just resign yourself to the fact ahead of time that character will receive all coups and don't worry about it or just be different and weird if it really bothers you.  One of the most surprisingly effective characters in the first game I ever played in was a "gunslinger" whose lowest Trait was in Deftness (so his shootin' roll was 5d6) with a Quickness of a mere 3d8.  He had aces in both Spirit and Vigor however, a crazy Dodge skill, and took all sorts of edges like Sand, Tough as Nails, etc. and just basically was hard to kill or ambush.  He had no "typical" gunslinger edges either.

Of course the problem there was he was a good warrior, not really a good gunslinger.  That character really should have been like a Renegade Black Hat or something.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Mon 21 June 2010.

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg #61):

With the Speed altered, most small arms can double-tap now as it requires ROF 2. The exceptions being Single-action revolvers, pump and bolt guns.

For example:

Weapon Type                              ROF

Single-action Revolver                    1
Double-action Revolver                    2
Bolt, Pump, or Lever Action               1
Semiautomatic Pistol, Rifle, etc.         2
Double-barrel Shotgun                     2
Fully Automatic Weapon               As Listed

Unskilled Aptitude use is at -4, using the Trait's die code and a Trait Level of 1.

The new unskilled penalty for using Concentrations isn't stated. I would say it's the normal skill at -4.

Gunslinger, warrior... the categories can blur.

Another thing to keep in mind, not only are there drivable vehicles in the game, but one or more have weapons mounted that require the Shootin': Machinegun Concentration.

As for east of the Mississippi, Near LaCrosse is close but not quite. NLC is located on French Island, in the middle of the river. It's a "River Watch" community. Like most HoE, it's a rip-off from another PA sourece. (In this case, the TMP adventure "Project File PF-03: Operation Lucifer".)

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:32, Mon 21 June 2010.

WHOOOO!! Who wants to ride with me in my armored pickup truck! =D

I thought about that.  It's something I'll pick up if I don't start with it.  It's one of those things that wouldn't be used all the time, but would be awesome for those times you could.

With Jane's background, gunner is definitely something she'll be picking up.

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg #64):

I haven't decided how strict I'm going to be on Drivin'. For the most part, normal driving (TN 0 maneuvers) won't require a skill roll, as most PCs will be familiar enough with driving.

Generally speaking, I'd like to get going within a day or two. I understand not everyone is done, they can use the template to fill in the holes until then. (That is, if you've mentioned something, I'll take it into account, if not, fake it 'till you make it!)

As well, not everyone has worked out their nightmare. That's not part of the template, but important!

Edit Added:

Does anyone need me to send the template?

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:45, Tue 22 June 2010.

Summary:

So far for shared background:

Brother Edgar was escorting a band of mutie refugees to settle in Chance City, New Mexico. They planned on traveling through the normie town of Pantano Station, also in New Mexico. Pantano Station was a large town, but dangerous. The good citizens cowered in their houses, hiding from the gang of criminals that had moved in and set up shop, killing the local Law Dog and driving off the mayor.

Dakota Jack shook the dust of Truth or Consequences from his heels after a misunderstanding, but quickly wound up back in jail after arriving at Pantano Station. The greedy cabal that ran Pantano Station made plans to rob and murder the unsuspecting muties, as they did to many other unsuspecting travelers. They were unaware that their town Marshall (chosen for his seemingly inoffensive nature) was an Templar who was undercover by the name of Arthur Dayne. Arthur was accompanied by his Squire, Michaela Kukushima, who was working as a waitress. Michaela was being pressured into prostitution by the sleazy saloonkeeper but wouldn't give in, causing some friction.

Intending to disrupt the gang's plan, Arthur freed the Gunslinger from the jail. They followed the gang to where they intended to ambush the muties. As the Pantano Station gang launched their attack, all Hell broke loose. As Brother Edgar challenged them, their leader was killed by a well-placed head shot. (Placed there by Colonel Kurt Schaeffer.) The situation dissolved into a confused melee, with the small band of muties badly outnumbered by the Pantano Station marauders, who in turn were more than matched in ferocity and fighting ability by their protectors, both known and heretofore unsuspected.

Still, the Pantano gang and their allies had over a hundred members and it was lookin' mighty grim for the band of heroes, who looked to be goin' down swingin'.

Meanwhile, a "courier" rig of the Convoy driven by Roadkill, and Peter Firecrow with a chase vehicle (armed technical) was running deadhead (empty) to St. Louis to RV with the Convoy. They ran smack-dab into the rear of the Pantano Station gang's ranks. Riding with Roadkill as his mechanic was Smoker Nix and Peter's gunner was a former Black Hat named Jane Guin. With the firepower of the courier rig and chase vehicle, the remnants of the Pantano gang broke and ran into the wastes, vowing revenge.

The remaining citizens of Pantano Station were thankful, but ultimately because of their cowardice in the face of the gang that ran their town they were not really deserving of the Templar's future help. They weren't completely abandoned as a share of the salvage from the battle was given to them to help rebuild. Instead, it was decided to give the muties a lift to Chance City to well, give them a chance. There was enough left over to make the trip worth the while, as the truck was travelling deadhead at that point to St. Louis, and Chance City wasn't out of the way.


*  *  *


Do you all want to take it from there? The PCs could make their way to Chance (giving the muties a lift), help the muties settle, and from there travel to St. Louis and then Near LaCrosse.

Continental map is now posted!

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:05, Tue 22 June 2010.

Sounds like a wonderful beginning.  As Brother Edgar would say, the Glow works in mysterious and wonderful ways.  Bringing such a force together at just the right time to protect the Chosen.  Praise be to the Atom!

As a side note, if folks have the time or care, could you PM me or post here about how you think your characters might be feeling/reacting to Edgar's vision of doom and hope?  Doom for the norms, but hope that we can all work together to build a bright (glowing) future for those who come next (the Chosen, the mutants)?  I only ask because a good missionary would know who not to push, who would like to know more, etc. Also, he's not a bad counselor if in travelling there are characters who might look to someone for that too.

Just some thoughts.


Trollsmith/Cory

In reply to Brother Edgar (msg #68):

I think that's a very cool idea.

Also, the Templar's Squire is Michaela Fukushima. The story I posted will be updated. There may also be a female medic/Tale-Teller joining as well, probably with the convoy. (The "convoy" being 2 vehicles, not the Convoy.)

Finally, when I'm getting a game together, sometimes I'm either inspired by a song or come to think of one after starting as a "theme". In this case, as I was doing the work for this game the song "No Heaven" by DJ Champion was getting a lot of airplay for some reason (probably CanCon regulations) and it stuck in my head. Coincidentally, it was also used as a theme in the western/SF game Badlands, which is maybe why I made the connection on a subconscious level. At any rate, have a look at the video and give 'er (crank it)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwPyNOhXFd0

Tony

Dakota Jack will indifferently look at you like you're plumb loco for the most part, but pressing certain evidence humanity is doomed might solicit a strong reaction...

In reply to Dakota Jack Cardinal (msg #70):

That's cool, I encourage all players to share their PC's thoughts.

Further, I've added to the shared background story. Players can and should post to that thread if they have anything to add!

Roundup:

Arthur Dayne (Templar) - No character sheet or description.
Michaela Fukushima (Squire) - Character complete.
Brother Edgar (Doomsayer) - Character done, missing Worst Nightmare.
Dakota Jack (Gunslinger) - Character complete. Yay!
COL Schaeffer (SOF commando) - No character sheet or description.

Roadkill (Trucker) - No character sheet or description.
Smoker Nix (Mechanic/Scavenger) - Character Sheet done, missing Worst Nightmare.
Rowan Dawson (Medic/Storyteller) - No description or Worst Nightmare.
Peter Firecrow (Chase Car Driver/Ravenite) - Mostly done, a few details remaining.
Jane Guin (Gunner/Renegae Black Hat) - Missing character sheet and description.

To clarify, everyone's been working on their characters to a degree and I basically know what they have, but completing the character sheet is the final piece of the puzzle. Don't forget those nightmares!

Tony
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:48, Tue 22 June 2010.

I'll get on it :)

In reply to Arthur Dayne (msg #72):

Wax,

No worries! You've been a great help already.

Also (for everyone) try to get at least a few paragraphs in your description. Physical description is nice, but some of you have PMd me or posted material that's never made it into the description, for some reason.

Tony

Sorry - catching up a little.



That sounds good to me - Nix tends to buy and repair anything technical that's broken.  Would that fit with what Jane salvages?



Nix might well have helped fix your pickup at some point.



I like this as an idea, assuming that by Mechanic you're meaning Nix.  He's armed with an assault rifle and not adversed to firing it at people who threaten him.

In reply to The Marshall (msg #67):
This all sounds great to me!



Nix will be fascinated and will avidly listen to any predictions that Brother Edgar offers.  He will then add his own spin on anything that Brother Edgar says, undoubtedly attributing incredible mystical significance to the smallest of things....



I will have a think about a good worst nightmare.  I haven't considered it yet but will think about it while I'm driving to work tomorrow!