Re: [DL] Initial comment and question from the Newbie

[Brad and Lanica Klein <lanicak@att.net>]

matt ryan wrote:
> 
> Hello everybody,
> 
<SNIP>
> 
> Our initial session is set for Sunday. I'm at a loss for a character
> concept at the moment. Thanks to those who have suggested video rentals to
> put me in the mood and get my creative juices flowing. My wife suggested a
> couple of characters. A stable boy, which didn't ignite and roleplaying
> sparks, (although I just remembered Ron Howard's role in "The Shootist",
> and a stage coach driver. That one might be interesting. Does anyone have
> any archetypal ideas for a stage coach driver? How about a pony express rider?

I have just started a game with four players who've either never played
or played simple archetypes once or twice before.  None of them are
being allowed to play anything with 'special' abilities until they get
the feel of the basics first.  

One wanted to be a railroad engineer, I said that would be great and
helped him make his character.  As we went along I got a feeling for
what he wanted his character to be like when he took tinkering, science:
engineering, science: steam engines, and a few other 'mad science'-like
things.  (It's interesting to note that he'd NEVER heard of Deadlands
until a week before character creation and I'm not even letting him read
the core books so he doesn't even know that mad scientists exist.)  I
pulled a few points out from his max and stuck them into Arcane
Background: Mad-Scientist and will little by little over the next year
or so introduce this class into the game.  He doesn't know he has this
ability and I'm not going to tell him until I have too.

Long story, but what I'm saying is that you can have a grand idea for
what your character could become, buy the abilities now, and not use
them until you're more comfortable with the system.  If you're
stagecoach driver is a Indian, he could have shamanistic abilities he
hasn't tapped into yet.  Ask you marshal to make up a specific set of
circumstances that must be met before you can play that part of your
character and then trust him/her to put it into play at the right time.

Of course this is all subject to marshall's approval...

My 2 bits.
Lanica