[HoE] Hucksters--My Take

[John Goff <johngoff@erols.com>]

After hearing the debate on HOE hucksters, here's my take. Keep in mind it ain't
the "official" word, nor does it bear anymore weight than any other Marshal's with
respect to your game. These are just my ruminations.

I agree with the changes. Why, you ask?

Well, the manitous are a whole lot stronger now, that's why. I know that's obvious,
but what that means is there are no piddly little "punk" manitous for the huckster
to ambush and squeeze power out of. Even the weakest have gained power. The
manitous are just as hard to beat as before, but there aren't any "sissy-boys"
left; they've been weeded out or grown up. The huckster doesn't benefit from
this--he suffers.

And not only are they tougher, they're smarter too; two centuries of being cheated
by supernatural card sharps has taught the ones still around something about
underhanded play themselves. That's why backlash comes easier--and harder--than in
DL. Back in the early days, a huckster could sucker punch one of them fairly easy
once he got wise to their tricks. Well, manitous live a whole lot longer than most
humans; they've caught on now and are itchin' for a little payback.

Humans, BTW, did learn from their mistakes as well. That's why sykers exist--they
are the next step in the huckster's art. Put bluntly, a huckster in HOE is using a
Winchester '73 when everyone else has moved on to SMGs or assault rifles. It'll
still do the job, but it's way out-classed by the new stuff.

Now, hucksters do still have their strengths. They are probably the most versatile
Arcane Background off the cuff. No other AB has the sheer range of effects that a
huckster does. Also, they don't have to worry about running out of strain in a
tight spot; as long as they're willing to chance backlash, they can keep whipping
out hexes. Finally, unlike sykers or doomsayers, they can learn any hex they want
without having to hunt down a teacher as long as they have their Hoyle's.

With the DL revision to create a unified hucksterin' skill similar to blastin',
hucksters don't have to focus as much attention on advancement as before. On the
whole, they are outclassed by the new HOE ABs, but their power isn't limited by
their total Strain, only the luck of the draw.

My thoughts,

John Goff