Re: [DL]: Beginners questions (a bunch)

[The Baron Samedi <baron11@netmcr.com>]

At 05:20 PM 2/8/00 , you wrote:
>I'm just getting into Deadlands.  I've got the Marshall's Handbook and 
>Players Guide.

welcome


>I am unable to find random or wandering encounter tables in either book.
>What page(s) are they on?
>
>I can't believe there wouldn't be any and must just be missing them.

There are no Random Encounter tables.

This is because the appropriates of them would frankly depend on what sort 
of game your running.  Some people run a more AD&D like style with regular 
monster combats every game, some a more CoC style where meeting a single 
monster is a rare and terrible thing.

Me, I lean toward the CoC mindset with the occasional go ape monster kills.


>I'm looking for an adventure set in a small town that has random encounter 
>tables, stores with prices, etc.  Does anything like that exist for 
>Deadlands?  Just to get a feel for the game.

The only book with any RE tables is the huge scale adventure Canyon o' 
Doom.  It is the exception, not the rule.  There are some tables in The 
Great Maze that are sort of like that, but they are more along the lines of 
Mundane Threats, with Monsters being a general "Major Monster" style entry.

For a good buy for early adventures, I recommend Marshal Law (The screen) 
It contains two good adventures.
Note, however, neither have store prices or random encounter tables.  They 
do, however, get you two good adventures (one, This Harrowed Ground, being 
my personal favorite DL adventure overall) and the screen for a good price.

alternately, many of the older books have canned adventures.  The one in 
the Blessed book f'instance, "The Mission" is one of the best adventures 
PEG has published IMHO (along with Harrowed Ground above)

You can also try Dime Novels.  They vary widely in quality, however.  some 
of the best (IMHO) are Night Train, Perdition's Daughter, and Independence Day.

If you want a book with prices, the only ones outside the Player's Guide 
are Law Dogs (with Pages of Guns and Prices) and Smith & Robards (with Mad 
Scientist Gear)



>Which is better for setting a campaign in, City of Gloom or the Maze? Why?

they both have advantages.  CoG is vaguely cyberpunk-ish,  and has 
everything you need for things gritty and urban.
TGM runs more like a Kung Fu or Pirate flick, and is more larger then life.
My fave boxed set is River o' Blood


>Which has better random encounter tables in them and is better fleshed out 
>as far as inhabitants?

RE: Great Maze.  That is to say it has them
FO: Both, but CoG is mainly SLC while GM covers all of California.


>Thanks for the help.
>
>-Byron

No problem.

For reviews, you may wanna try:
www.rpg.net
or
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/9722/dl/good/good.htm

the latter has only the older releases tho they are very complete.

or ask here. ;-)


TBS
Z is for Zombie, That's Good Enough for Me!