Re: [HOE] Goings On with "The Boise Horror"...

[Brett Dixon <balance@tubas.net>]

On Monday, January 20, 2003, at 04:38  AM, c m hylton wrote:

> Just some misc. info on my foray into the Boise Horror...
> S
> P
> O
> I
> L
> E
> R
> S
> P
> A
> C
> E
>
>
> I am currently running the Boise Horror for a posse for only 2 FT 
> players.
> I have a revolving door of people so with some really messed up 
> Marshal's
> Prerogative, I have put people into a situation where only 2 true 
> people
> know what happened in Boise up until before the main Meeting.  It was 
> pretty
> funny.  One of the players took a Tale-Teller (which I tritely made a 
> guest
> of Taylor just so that someone could spread the hope along without 
> Librarian
> help) and in the middle he got brought in, chauffered, and treated 
> like part
> of the Templar entourage.  Till the point where Simon walked out.  He 
> speaks
> up and Simon just does a double take as to say Who TF are you and why 
> are
> you here?  Needless to say I was proud of the arguments that were done
> without ONE person asking to roll Persuasion.

I'm tentatively planning to run Bosie Horror in a few weeks. I've 
considered scrapping most of it because at least two of my posse 
members have read the marshal's section of Last Crusaders[1]. My idea 
is to have the posse arrive to hear Jo loudly berating Simon for dying 
and making her take over the Templars. Much of the adventure will have 
'happened,' like the meeting to form the iron Alliance, but some other 
group did the work. This neatly demonstrates that he who Hesitates is 
Lost.

I've got some 'filler' to fill my next session. and I think the 
re-write I was planning to do will affect that a bit. If the posse 
bites on some less-heroic leads, they'll get the 'alternate' Boise 
Horror. If they go for the heroic duty route, they'll get the full 
adventure and learn the truth.

> Also, spread the seed of doubt as to the Boise Horror being an Id 
> Monster or
> Syker Saboteur that's been very keenly hiding in Boise.

Hmm... I may steal some of these ideas, since my players won't know if 
I'm running TBH, a heavily mutated TBH, or a homebrew....

> Another thing was that one person created a Templar (he must have 
> really
> sold his soul to the devil for his rolls and his card draws.  Sad that 
> he
> doesn't go to Vegas or Ocean City to try it out there.) who ended up 
> with
> the "Kin" Vet o Wasted attribute.  Decided to go with the "1/2 Bro is 
> an
> Anti Templar idea."  Its fairly common but decided if he does well in 
> this,
> I have some interesting times for him to play chess with his bro.  
> With the
> down time in the "TBH," I will have him bump into his brother at the 
> bar or
> something.  Also showing that there is Syker Apostate in the War Band.
> Hopefully that may also add a bit more red herring.  What better than 
> having
> Apostate Syker(s) trying to help out in seeding doubt in the enemies of
> their employers?

Always fun. Sykers make interesting villains. Even the 'loyal' ones can 
be interesting, as they can blast away at the non-sykers of the posse 
without breaking the rules...

> I was toying with the idea at the grand finale have Simon's sword be 
> hinted
> as the actual incarnation of the BH.  It slew Baphomet, so why not 
> have him
> hide in the weapon.  Wouldn't be too much of a problem for a very 
> powerful
> demon to allot certain powers to the sword (when not skulking during 
> full
> moons) so that it would appear as a powerful relic of good.  This will 
> be
> done by "Simon" trying to get the posse to destroy that "cursed thing."

Another very, very good idea... I think I might have to steal it.

> But after those ramblings, I do need some minor info...
> Since the PC's Templar is Japanese and he has the complete Daisho 
> (Katana
> and Wakasashi).  I was wondering if anyone has an idea what the 
> following
> weapons damage would be: a Naganata (the staff with a blade at the end 
> of
> it), a Kama (or a "rice cutter," "hand scythe" with or without the 
> chain for
> entanglement), a Nodachi  (larger kin of a katana) or a Kali knife 
> (Ghurka?
> that Tibetan knife with the curved blade used for cutting head off?)

Offhand, I guess a Katana  and Wakasashi could be simplified down to a 
sword and a Big Knife for convenience. one thing about deadlands is 
that it generally keeps weapon damages in 'classes' as needed.

Nagnata could use similar stats to a Hockey Stick (really! I'm not 
insane! possibly modified to remove any 'drawbacks' from the improvised 
status of the stick, or maybe another die of damage.

Kama: Hm.... I don't remember any special weapon features like this so 
far.

Nodachi: it's a big honkin' sword

Kali Knife/ Ghurka: I believe the Ghurka troops are mentioned in the 
Wasted West. They may have their signature weapons, although I'm pretty 
sure they carry big guns, too.

[1] I should mention that my policy has always been to encourage my 
posse to buy books... It supports PEG, and it means they don't have to 
grab my copy to look up pwoers and such, and can plan between games 
easier. It's hard to say, "You should buy this, but don't read half of 
the book." so I encourage them to skip it for their own good, but... 
The two who have done so are, overall, the best role-players in the 
posse...