Re: [HoE] [HOPLER] Junkman Cometh/Huckster ?

[Steve Crow <crow_steve@hotmail.com>]

Well, first of all, if folks are reading this and are already bored with 
what I've posted (extensively :) ) on the topic, please skip.  However, I 
hope to take a little different approach here, so hopefully there'll be 
something of interest here.

In response to Adam's post:

>     Now, my original theory for Hucksters was that their skill represented
>how efficient they were in using Hunting Grounds energy.  However, my
>research indicates that indeed Deadlands claims otherwise, instead the 
>skill
>represents how big the Manitou is.  Which doesn't make much sense to my way
>of thinking, unless Huckstering involves summoning Manitous.  Instead of
>relying on the Manitous that may be hanging around, the huckster forms a
>connection to the nearest Manitou with the sufficient amount of energy, and
>skill simply represents how much Manitou energy one can channel safely.


Actually, and after careful study of H&H (particularly pages 30-31), 
"casting a Hex" seems to represent _three_ things:

1) The Huckster opening a connection to the Hunting Grounds

2) The Huckster seeking out a Manitou of sufficient power (i.e., if you're 
casting Gamblers' Luck, you don't want low power Manitous)

3) The actual game of skill/chance that lets the Manitou drain off some or 
all of the Manitou's power


>     Anyway, bigger manitous (which can be connected to with more 
>successes)
>represents bigger hands, equaling greater chance of success, and greater
>chance of backlash.  So, if all manitous are bigger in HoE, then hucksters
>would all be working with bigger hands when they cast a hex.
>     However, I would have to believe that the poker hand instead 
>represents
>how efficient the huckster himself is in channeling the energy of the
>Manitou.  A Plus four cards Manitou is still a four cards plus Manitou
>whether the huckster gets an Ace or a straight flush.  So, again the 
>increase
>in minimum hand would still not make any sense, because that involves the
>huckster's skill and not the Manitou at all.


Honestly, Adam's conclusion is the one that I keep coming back to as well, 
and that I tried to (however inadequately) argue for.

I don't have a problem with the existing handicaps per se.  My problem is 
that this whole "manitous are more powerful reasoning" should lead to 
Hucksters ending up with more power.

To make a (relatively poor) analogy, if there's more fires burning in your 
house, it's easier to light a piece of paper, and light it faster and light 
more of it in one shot.  Granted, there's a better chance you're going to 
get burned (i.e., +4 backlash, Red Jokers cause backlash), and you're 
actually not going to want to be burning very small pieces of paper (higher 
minimums).

To clarify though, I'm primarily talking about Veterans of the Weird West 
Hucksters, though.  200-year old experienced folks.  Personally, I tend to 
think that "modern-day" Hucksters (i.e., non-Veterans) always have been 
unviable.  I didn't allow them before the TJC rules:  I suppose I would 
allow them since those rules came out, but (not surprisingly) the folks I've 
talked to have no interest in doing so.

So this whole boosted power isn't a matter of a paradigm shift.  Hucksters 
have _always_ tried to deal with higher-power manitous.

Are manitous craftier and more cunning?  Well, maybe.  On the other hand, a 
200-year old Huckster who is still around, a Veteran of the Weird West, has 
(conservatively) dealt with 73 _thousand_ manitous.  I'm being charitable 
here, and assuming one Hex cast a day (Gambler's Luck, if nothing else).  
Doesn't that count for anything as far as making our hypothetical Veteran 
equally crafty and cunning?

>    So, to recap, I have no problem with increased backlashes, the 
>Reckoners
>walk the earth after all, but instead of an increased minimum hand the
>Hucksters should simply get more cards, which would both increase the 
>chance
>of backlash and allow for greater success at hexes, simply because that is
>what is consistent and makes sense in the shared Deadlands/HoE setting.

Like Adam, I have no real problem with any of the existing handicaps, even 
the minimum hand size.  I really don't see, though, how a Veteran Huckster, 
operating under the old paradigm, wouldn't know how to deal with 
just-as-powerful (albeit there are more of them) Manitous.

The higher number of more powerful Manitous should in some way make it 
easier for him to cast the Hex.  Part of hex-casting is finding a more 
powerful (or the most powerful that you can) Manitou.  If there's more of 
them around, and they're on average more powerful, shouldn't this in some 
way make the Huckster's job easier?  Although with a greater risk as well 
when he succeeds (i.e., Red Joker backlash and +4 backlash rolls)?

There are several routes I'd consider here.  Drawing more cards, as Adam 
suggests, is one.  Another would be to give Hucksters a +5 or an automatic 
Raise (whichever you consider more elegant).  That essentially works out to 
drawing one extra card.  Another option would be to simply boost the final 
rank of a successful Hex by one.  (Successful by Mr. Wallace's definition - 
a Hex that generates a effect.  An Ace-minimum Hex that doesn't initially 
generate an effect due to the increased minimum would not get this bonus.)

Does this make sense to anyone?  If part of hex-casting has always been 
finding the most powerful manitous you can, and there are lots more powerful 
Manitous out there post-2081 to find, how can hex-casting not benefit in 
some manner?

---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/


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