[HoE] My $0.01 about Junkman Cometh/Huckster's et al. [Shane/John]

[Allan Seyberth <darious@darious.com>]

Only $0.01 because this isn't gonna be a full blown review like I used to
do under the My $0.02 about X that I did a year ago.

* Another top notch piece by Pinnacle, and thumbs up to John.  I really
liked the way the intro story ran with the new Junker powers and had a nice
segue for cyborgs.  And it was well thought out - the progression from
Huckster to Junker progressed quite, er, naturally.  :-)

* There were a few... general things that gave me pause about it.  One -
the wasted west is getting organizational heavy like the Wierd West is.
This one didn't contribute as badly - the Luddites aren't a campaign level
bad-guy organization, and the truly tainted, while they build
organizations, don't have one described.  Still - the formula is starting
to show.

* Huckster.  Unless I missed something, Hucksters only suffer a one rank
penalty (I thought I read three ranks here).  That comes out to about a
10-15% penalty - which considering the tough time they had of it to begin
with - is a lot.  Loss of the free red joker and the +4 backlash roll just
add to the pain.
BUT.  Huckster's aren't part of the setting.  Their time has passed.  Those
who displayed the talent either became sykers or thaumatergical
diffusionists.  Things fade - in the real world have you seen many steam
powered road vehicles, milkmen or human operated switchboards?
And the precedent for a greatly weakened DL archetype was already set when
PEG said that you could be a Mad Scientist, but you wouldn't be able to
build any new devices.

* I would like to tender a request that the Deadlands Dispatches get posted
to the web site.  I understand that with the convention season on, its
incredibly busy, but it seems unfair to have DL only players pick up a HoE
book to get the latest updates.  Also, there is general book errata in there.

* Dungeon Master/Thigh Master - nice touch on diffusing the AD&D
familiarity aspect.  

*  There is no point six.  (tradition, you know)

* Luddites and blessed.  It's been hinted at and edged around... Are the
blessed going to be addressed in HoE?  (I happen to like the rule that
blessed get a penalty to their faith rolls based on the current fear level.)

* In the intro story, on the section on Throckmorton, the reference goes to
page 118.  That goes to the middle of the Marshal's briefing on the Luddites.

Again - top notch, and I've been waiting for this one to come out for some
time.

-------------------
Allan Seyberth
darious@darious.com

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Wyatt Earp: 
Well, chicken, are you gonna do something, or just stand there and bleed?