skeptical_stun Character Discussions

Apr 20, 2020 6:49 am
This thread is for discussing skeptical_stun's character please do not post anything here that is not related to skeptical_stun's character and yes collaborating with skeptical_stun is consider fair postings.
Apr 20, 2020 2:51 pm
Hey folks,

As stated previously, I haven't played much PbP. I've never played a non-fantasy TTRPG, and I've never even glanced at the Savage Worlds system.

I've read the first 40 or so pages of the Deadlands: Reloaded book, so I've got a pretty good idea of the setting, but it appears I need to find a Savage Worlds rulebook to create a character. Shouldn't be a problem, but it will take a bit of time.

I've watched/read a bit regarding the rules and how it's played. I haven't gotten too deep into combat yet, so that will take some time.

I've got two characters I'm thinking about:

Character 1: A priest, but the anti-hero version of one, much like the comic book/TV show Preacher, or the character Constantine. Mission from God to fight evil, but in a chaotic good sort of way. Skilled with a pistol, smokes, drinks, curses, the whole nine yards. Not a bad guy, just a bit of a "lost sheep refound/redeemed vibe". It's trope-y, but I'm new, so whatever.

Character 2: Half grifter, half mad scientist. Travels around selling snake oil (or some equivalent) and occasionally legitimate medicines/technologies so he can find his research into new technology. Has a few screws loose, but in the end, heart is in the right place. Prefers a long rifle to keep the riff-raff away. Has a bit of a temper, usually set off by people interfering with his work or frustration at the ignorance of others.

I don't know if we need some kind of "balanced party" or something, so if you guys have advice on what to look out for, please let me know.

EDIT: A lot of my posting will be on mobile, as I'm still working and running after kids at home. If something doesn't make sense, there's a good chance I was either distracted halfway through writing it or my auto-correct Gremlins are messing with me. Just ask, I'd be happy to clarify/edit.
Last edited April 20, 2020 2:53 pm
Apr 20, 2020 8:11 pm
Hey! Glad you're taking a chance on the system. Savage Worlds is cheap ($10 I think?) but you want the Deluxe rulebook, not the Adventure Edition (Which is the newest one). Of course, there's other ways to get the rules you need. That being said, your character concepts are amusing to me actually, they might both be a bit tropey in their own way, but it's rare that I've actually seen anyone playing either of them in Deadlands, so to me they're nice and fresh. Party balance is something that'll be worked out regardless of what you play, honestly. The balance comes mostly from skill selection, and isn't as important as it is in other class-based systems. That being said, if you're new to the system, definitely do not think of Vigor as a dump stat or you'll get a chance to play both of those ideas sooner rather than later.

Personally, I'd be quite happy to see either of these characters in-game, so I don't really have much to say about either of them, I suppose. Blessed can cast spells without paying a cost in Power Points, unlike everyone else, but can't be 100% sure their spells will even go off, and Mad Scientists are just fun to have in a game. We can always wait for the rest of the party's input to see what everyone else thinks, of course.
Apr 20, 2020 8:37 pm
Cool, I really appreciate the advice. The post that DeJoker put up about character creation was super helpful in that regard. I'm kind of flip-flopping on which character I want to play. I've got a quirk that I don't like to play the same kind of character, so if someone else chooses a Blessed or Mad Scientist, that will end up making my choice for me.

I'm excited to get started, this is whole new creative ground for me. It feels a bit like putting on someone else's shoes...
Apr 20, 2020 9:09 pm
keep an eye on the character creation parameters thread as I am updating it piece meal at this point -- I think the only things I have not listed are Hindrances, Edges, and Gear
Apr 21, 2020 8:01 pm
OK, here's my first attempt at this thing. First post is the backstory, second post is the mechanical stuff, third post is questions I've got for Dejoker.

Wilson Burke was the son of a traveling preacher in a small town in northeastern Texas. His father was often gone for work, leaving him with his mother. His mother passed when he was 10, and he often fended for himself, whether earning money at odd jobs or (often) getting into trouble. With his father mostly absent, he was essentially raised by the keeper of the small chapel, Joseph. Whenever his father came home, he taught Wilson, usually Bible stories, but also how to read/write, basic math, and told him no end of tall tales (usually after a few drinks, and Wilson eventually stopped believing them) about horrible creatures and occult horror stories. Wilson eventually rebelled against his father (and Joseph), and having had enough, left town to seek his fortune. Burke found a new life in Louisiana and Arkansas as a small-time crook and con-man. He often gambled and occasionally found himself a part of small-time gangs, occasionally rustling cattle, or in their prime, robbing a train.

Unfortunately, Burke was also spent time in jail, and even after being released, continued a solo life of running cons and cheating at cards. He managed to maintain a certain code of ethics, refusing to kill unless someone attacked him first, and never stealing from women or children. His life of crime eventually caught up with him. He joined a gang that was a part of a much larger criminal organization, and his small-time gang tried to steal from the organization's leader. Most of the gang was killed, but Burke managed to escape. Knowing the organization knew his name and face, Burke high-tailed it back into Texas to lay low in a town near his former home.

When Burke got there, he learned of his father's gruesome death. Not believing the stories, he traveled to his hometown, finding the town in mourning and the chapel burnt to the ground. The keeper, Joseph, told him that his father was inside when it occurred. He didn't know how the chapel burned, but was woken that night hearing his father arguing loudly with someone, but not knowing who. It wasn't long afterwards that he again woke to the building on fire but couldn't get through the flames to Preacher Burke.
Joseph then told Wilson the good and bad news: Preacher Burke had a will that instructed Wilson, as his father's last wish on earth, to follow in his footsteps as preacher, and to finish what he had started. Joseph then let Burke in on the secret of the elder Preacher Burke: While he taught and preached all around Texas, he was also hunting supernatural creatures that would do his flock harm. All the stories that Wilson  had been told as a child were true, and as the next in the Burke bloodline, it was Wilson's destiny to continue this work. Wilson was given a box of his father's belongings, including twin Colt Peacemakers (engraved in a language Wilson cannot read) his father's bible and clerical collar, and a large leatherbound book filled with his father's writings.

Wilson immediately recoiled from the whole situation, gathering his things to leave. Joseph kept him there with a single sentence: "I know who you're running from." Somehow, Joseph knew about the botched job, and why Wilson was here in the first place, and threatened to tell the organization where Wilson was hiding if he didn't comply with his father's wishes. After some days of thought Wilson complied, took up his father's clerical collar, and after significant training with Joseph, began to do the Lord's work.

Preacher Wilson Burke travels the old west, doing the Lord's work by preaching, helping others (where he has to), and fighting the forces of evil. He's finding that he enjoys the work more than he expected, but still pulls at his metaphorical leash often. He's often angry at his God at his current lot in life, but fortunately for him, his deity seems to have a sense of humor with the situation (rather than standard angry Old Testament God). Thus far, at any rate, Preacher Burke has not been smote (smited? smitten?) yet, even with Burke going so far as to curse the sky.

Burke knows the other player characters as members of an old card-shark gang that broke up amicably. They've worked together in the past, whether drinking and carousing, gambling (and cheating), or working their next card-sharking con. At the start of the story, Burke will likely have bumped into them again in a mid-size town, and spent some time sharing stories and reliving the old days, Though Burke feels compelled to prevent them from sharking anyone, at least in his direct presence.
Apr 21, 2020 8:18 pm
Name: Preacher Wilson Burke
Race: Human
Attributes:
Agility: d8
Smarts: d6
Spirit: d8
Strength: d6
Vigor: d6

Skills:
Faith: d8
Fighting: d6
Gambling: d4
Guts: d6
Healing: d4
Knowledge (Occult): d4
Notice: d4
Persuasion: d6
Riding: d4
Script: d4
Shooting: d8
Skullduggery: d6
Streetwise: d4

Pace: 26 ft/rd
Parry: 5
Toughness: 5
Charisma: 0
Grit: 1

Hindrances:
Code of Honor (Major)
Enemy (Minor) (changed from major)
Wanted (Minor)

Edges:
Arcane Background (Miracles)
Knack (Born on Christmas)
Two-Fisted

Gear: ($394.25/$500)
x2 Colt Peacemaker (.45) ($15 each)
x2 Pistol ammo (50 each) ($3 each)
Evans Old Model Sporter (.44) ($30)
x2 Rifle ammo (50 each) ($4 each)
Knife, Bowie ($4)
Boots ($8)
Duster ($10)
Longjohns ($2)
Dress shirt ($3)
Work shirt ($1)
Trousers ($2)
x6 Trail Rations ($0.50 each)
Bed roll ($4)
Lockpicks ($50)
Matches (box of 100) ($0.50)
Mess kit ($2)
Playing cards ($0.25)
Rope ($5)
Watch ($2.50)
Gun belt ($2)
x2 Quick-draw holster ($22)
x4 Speed load cylinder ($12)
Rifle boot ($3)
Stetson ($5)
Cheap Stuff (liquor) ($2)
Horse ($150)
Saddle ($25)
Saddlebags ($5)
Bible (no listing for price on this)
Last edited April 21, 2020 9:36 pm
Apr 21, 2020 8:22 pm
Questions/Notes:

I'll be putting all of that onto a character sheet once you guys think it works out

I didn't name the "organization" that Preacher Burke tried to steal from because I wasn't sure if you (the DM) preferred to name them yourself, or had one in mind already. Same with the leader of the organization, and whatever Burke/crew were trying to steal.

The Enemy (Major) I had in mind was the leader of the organization.
Last edited April 21, 2020 8:46 pm
Apr 21, 2020 8:29 pm
Looks good to me, personally. Just to be clear, you're aware that you're only getting points from one of your major hindrances, and then one point from your minor hindrance, right? The other major ones offer no bonus. Not that there's anything wrong with that if you're going for flavor, of course.
Apr 21, 2020 8:38 pm
I thought each major hindrance gives you either an edge or an attribute point? I have 3 majors and a minor, which would give me 3 edges and a skill point?
Apr 21, 2020 8:52 pm
No. Each Major gives you 2 character points to spend, and each Minor gives you 1. The Deadlands book has options on what to do with those points. However, you can only get the benefits of one Major and two Minor hindrances. That being said, you do get one free Edge for being human.
Last edited April 21, 2020 8:52 pm
Apr 21, 2020 8:54 pm
Damn, so I have to lose an edge, but I suppose it means I can lose 2 hindrances if I want? Although I could just turn one to a minor and get some kind of benefit out of it
Last edited April 21, 2020 8:57 pm
Apr 21, 2020 8:59 pm
Yeah. If you adjust one of your Majors to a Minor, you can keep all of your Edges, but lose $250, or you can drop an Edge and keep the extra $250 over starting that you have.
Apr 21, 2020 9:34 pm
In his post, DeJoker was saying $500. Wasn't sure if that was a typo or not, just going to go by that unless I hear otherwise. I've got 24 skill points, I'll just have to lose one of those
Apr 21, 2020 10:16 pm
Oh right. Didn't notice. Alright cool. Then ignore what I said about money
Apr 22, 2020 8:48 am
I pulled that starting $500 dollars straight out of the SavageWorld:Deluxe (or something I was referencing in regards to it) -- does Deadland:Reloaded reduce that starting amount? Note I may just keep the $500 starting amount anyway just want to know why you (Butcherbird) felt it was only $250?
Apr 22, 2020 9:06 am
Deadlands: Reloaded runs at $250 because things in the 1800s cost a lot less. For instance, with $250, I was able to get my character 3 guns, a full wardrobe, boxes of ammo for each weapon, a mess kit and other travel supplies, misc stuff like tobacco and a lantern and oil and camping gear, a watch, a mule to carry all this stuff, a saddle for the mule and bags for the saddle.

Edit: spelling
Last edited April 22, 2020 9:10 am
Apr 22, 2020 12:03 pm
Yeah, it's up to you guys if you want to change it, but it does say in the Reloaded book that it should be $250. Page 26 under "Gear".
Apr 22, 2020 3:15 pm
Alright -- I will go with the Reloaded value but add a caveat -- making the change to parameters -- note I am posting some guidelines on currency and bumping up the amount to $300 dollars but I want feed back on this as I am also tweaking the conversion from dollars (resource value) to Dnero (in-game cash)
Apr 22, 2020 6:47 pm
Cool, inventory has been updated. I'll miss you, speed load cylinders and quick-draw holsters...
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