[HoE] Visits to the Past

["Casey McGirt" <cmcgirt@hotmail.com>]

     Interestingly enough, the conversation about HOE powers in 
Deadlands is the flip side of what I've been working on - Deadlands 
powers in HOE.  Here's my take on the matter...some spoilers from Fire 
and Brimstone are below.

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     First, does the time period matter, when you're talking about 
powers that access the Hunting Grounds?  Since travel through the 
Hunting Grounds is what makes time travel possible, I doubt HOE powers 
would be affected just because they haven't been created yet.  Put 
simply, the Hunting Grounds ignores such constraints of time.

     Next, what about the specific conditions that allow the power to be 
accessed?  For a Doomsayer, radiation is a necessity for his powers, and 
without the radiation levels present in even the bomb-free areas of HOE, 
the Doomsayer won't be able to 'recharge'.  However, a Ghost Lamp (CotA, 
page 51) could be used to overcome this problem.  Given the lack of 
radiation in the Weird West, it may also cause a lot of deaths...

     A bigger problem is how belief works, for both Doomsayers and 
Templars.  Fire and Brimstone indicated that Blessed call on a patron, 
who protects the character from the harmful effects of the Hunting 
Grounds.  Now, presumably, that patron is bound from direct intervention 
in most cases (perhaps due to the concept of free will).  It seems 
apparent that such restrictions have lessened after the bombs, and my 
theory is that Templars and Doomsayers receive a measure of protection 
even without the rigid belief structures required of a Blessed.  In 
essence, the Patron allows all of humanity some defense against the 
twisting effects the Hunting Grounds can have on supernatural powers.  
Combined with the focused will brought about by their own belief, their 
powers are stronger than those that can be mustered in the Weird West.

     In other words, while the Hunting Grounds are timeless, the 
protection of divinity isn't.  Even though what a Tempest or Doomsayer 
worships could not be called a deity as such, they still recieve the 
passive benefits of a Patron in the Wasted West (but not the Weird 
West).  As such, I would make the powers of a Tempest or Doomsayer 
subject to backlash when they are in the Weird West.  Every time a power 
is used, draw a single card from a full deck.  A Red Joker means the 
power automatically fails, while a Black Joker causes Backlash (use the 
table in Hucksters and Hexes).

     What about Sykers?  I would also have them draw a card, as per the 
rules for Tempests.  This is partially a game-balance issue, but also 
can be explained by adding a caveat to the explaination about the 
Hunting Grounds.  The Hunting Grounds may be timeless, but the barriers 
between them and the Weird West are stronger than those in the Wasted 
West.  Those restrictions begin to disappear after the emergence of 
Sergeant York, and disappear completely by the time the Last War begins.

     Junkers would have no problems in the Weird West, save for the lack 
of electronic components.  Even Mad Science gadgets won't provide 
delicate circuit boards and computer processors.  If it breaks, you 
better hope you brought spare parts.

     Well, I'm still working on my writeup for classic Deadlands arcane 
backgrounds in the Wasted West, but you can probably guess from the 
above that such characters would recieve a slight boost in power.  The 
answer is...yes and no.  Once a character fully develops his connection 
to the Hunting Grounds, that connection rarely changes.  Thus, a Blessed 
transported forward to the Wasted West suffers most, if not all the 
restrictions he or she had in the Weird West.  New Blessed, however, are 
a different story.  They are also exceedingly rare, as Templars and 
Doomsayers have largely supplanted them.

     I don't expect to have out my writeup for Deadlands powers in HOE 
until after tax season ends (it's too busy at work), but I often manage 
to beat such self-imposed deadlines.  Keep an eye out for it...

-Casey

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