It's what he would have wanted!

It's one of those little issues relatively particular to roleplay groups; How many players have to be missing for the group not to play?

For us the rule of thumb is that if two or more of our number can't make it then we scrub the session, maybe just cracking out a board or card game.

A couple of weeks ago lurgy and work commitments meant that we scrubbed. This week Charlie had the lurgy but everyone else was good to go so we got the session in.

Looking to finish off the Deadlands intro scenario we've been playing through I ended up "looking after" Chaz's character Doc Lightning; mad engineer with lightening gun and voices in his head!

Something of a responsibility that I'm sure that many of us have shoulder over the sessions and once the standard "first through the doors" and wind up texts had been dealt with it was down to business. In all honesty it wasn't too difficult a task as we've all been playing together long enough to know each others' default responses and traits fairly well.

This, quite obviously, hasn't always been the case and I'm sure that any group would work to manage the situation as best as they can. We always look to minimise the use of a missing character. Thankfully I've never been in a group where someone's missed a session only to return to find their character horribly messed up. Again, a decision for each group to take themselves.

Picking the adventure thread back up we went back to chasing after our recently identified sabatoeur abnd after almost commiting the ultimate sin of SPLITTING THE PARTY we spent a while employing investigative guile and intelligence. Not too much for me to cover there really :)

Moving on to the final showdown things got a bit busier for me, especially as we each  suddenly had an ally / hired hand type to look after. So that's Doc Lightning and TWO blatant red shirtsto look after then....
Temptation or what!?

Aforementioned showdown involved a horde-ette of zombie lumberjacks around a cart-load of high flammable ghost-rock. So....acting as Doc L / Charlie would have I lightning-blasted said cart-load of high flammable ghost-rock at the earliest opportunity.

The result was, without a SINGLE roll made by the DM, the horses pulling said cart-load of high flammable ghost-rock spooked careering into the forest which spontaneously set itself alight. More importantly this was all a result of Doc L / Charlie's action, or what would have been, so wasn't MY fault in the slightest. It also gave me something to do while may character took a photo of the action and then ran off for help.........heroically :)

Elsewhere, we took care of the zombies and marshalled the un-undead lumberjacks to cut enough fire-breaks to prevent the CLEARING OF EVIL being touched, which would have released the evil spirit, before the Weird West MIB turned up to designate the whole wood a national park and protected from logging.

The 'Injuns will be pleased!

Cocked and Loaded....

....or should that be the other way around?

Got another Deadlands session in last night and not a single shot was fired by us or even at us as we went around Investigatin' the sabotage of an experimental, ghost rock powered, mechanical saw mill.

This mainly involved ROLE-playing and some rather satisfying Cthulu-esque Notice and Persuasion roles on locals and Injun's alike. Flattering said redskins with school supplies we chatted to their crazy ol' medicine man for a number of hours before visiting their Sacred Grove, without managing to desecrate it.

Wonders might never cease and seemed unlikely at the beginning of the evening whilst upskilling when Charlie's Mad Scientist with Big Gun added Schizophrenia to his Paranoia only to re-roll the result for something less entertaining.

The sabotage of the second psyco saw-mill, at a rival camp, injected such much missing mayhem providing a number of leads for us to argue over. Next session may well se the conclusion of our mini campaign but I'd definately be keen to play again or even just continue on from where we are!

Elsewhere, I'm off to Warfare tomorrow with Shaun and Craig mainly just cos' its been a while since Salute and I fancy it as a day out. Not looking for anything in particular but always a show I've enjoyed previously so will see what finds me.

Very tempted to put the painted O&G's on the Bring and Buy while I'm there to start the increasingly obvious process of recycling them. Previously I've always priced to sell but with E-Bay as a back up I'm interested to experiment and see what market conditions may or may not support.

Thinking that I'd price at retail, so a free paintjob!, I've hit the GW site for a little research and come back a little shocked;

Boss on Wyvern; £40 in Finecast, mine's metal so £25 is a steal isn't it??
20 Big Uns; would be £51 worth of GW plastic so £40 and they'll fly off the table.....won't they?
3 Wolf Chariots; based on the Orc variant at £16.50 a piece. £12 as singles?
10 Wolf Riders; will now set you back £20.....apparantly.
1 Giant; at £31 in plastic, mine's the old metal version so £20 is a good deal?

So, IF everything goes at my less than retail, except the wolves, fully painted super bargain prices that'll be about £140, after B&B fees, for recycling AND i've apprarantly done my potential purchasers a massive favour.......

No wonder I don't want to play Warhammer any more.... 

Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'

And yes I do fully intend to work through the whole of the album for titles :)

Another session of Deadlands Thursday night and I'm really enjoying the system and setting. Having got a better hold on how to play the rolls we got some work in on playing the roles!

Despite each of us receiving a random pre-generated character most of us seem to be continuing a  previous theme.
- Charlie has a / another amoral wilderness warrior with a penchant for large guns and an overwhelming urge to deploy massive firepower. D&D: Elven Ranger bow-master. Star Wars: Human Mercenary.
- Rob has a / another man of god. The current one was "inspired" to liberate a gatling shotgun and employ it to do "Good". Shame about the bounty on his head! D&D: Dwarven Cleric. Star Wars: Mon Calamari Sniper / Field Medic
- Myself, I've picked up an investigative reporter surviving on persuasion and smarts whilst avoiding a stand-up fight at all cost. D&D: Halfing Rogue

Only Mr Christian has had a major change picking up a Card-Shark Mage against his D&D Paladin and Star Wars close combat Quarren soldier.

Nothing wrong with any of that, just an observation.

Moving on from Tree-Ville with met up with our new employer to whom we are to act as bodygaurd while he picks up and delivers a steam-punk super-valve to a lumber camp. We had the evening to ourselves and Mr C's card-shark set to work cheating the locals out of the majority of their earnings ably assisted by Rob's "prayers". Their prior Paladanic / Clerical combo would be turning in their cots!

Next morning we went to catch the train only to be desperado'd on the crowded platform. I dived for cover, taking our employer with him, whilst the other boys opened up with maximum effect! The local Marshall prevented me from liberating and newly unwanted items to sell on. Old habits!

Delivering the valve it turned out to be for a new ghost-rock powered mechanical logging machine. With a number of dignitaries in camp the Prof spooled it up for the first time only for my Danger Sense to kick off. KA-BOOM!!!

Previously we'd done a bit of investigative groundwork and any possible sabotage could come down to a number of factors. The rival camp down the road has a similar machine being built by the Prof's ex partner. The local Indians have asked both camps to leave their sacred trees in the vertical position and a number of parties of logging scouts (ahem) have gone missing!

That would be my bit then!

I'll make you famous!!

 Shot DOWWNNNN in a blaze of GLORY.

Thursday night' roleplay was a little taster of the Weird West as Jon ran us through an intro game of Deadlands. I'd played before, quite some years ago, and always liked the setting. Couldn't remember how to play but then for me it's always about the role, not the roll!

With six pre-gen'd characters on offer the four of us who had made it were happy for fate to decide and I "became" Devlin Dewitt. He's a softpaw, greenhorn reporter from back east with no right to survive the Wierd West other than an impressive Danger Sense.

His strengths lie in investigation and with two of my companions being gun-nuts and the other a spell slinging card-shark I quickly assumed the mantle of spokesman.

This struck everyone as rather similar to my Halfling Thief. The fact that I then went on to try and strike any deal going, and several that weren't, whilst demonstrating the odd light finger merely served to reinforce the feeling. The fact that I plan on never engaging in a fair fight if I can help it probably won't help.

The evening's scenario involved investigating a number the mysterious hangings of a number of local ranchers. Forcibly taken from their prairie homes they had been found hanging from THE OL' HANGING TREE a mile from town.

Robbery obviously wasn't a motive as nothing was taken, at least until I got there but that was mainly to find a more useful weapon with which to defend myself!

Heading back to town we were attacked in the middle of the night by THE OL' HANGING TREE itself! It wasn't alone though, having raised the recently hung as a posse of the undead.

My compatriot's heavy artillery made short work of them whilst THE OL' HANGING TREE lassoed the bar-keep making to hang him.

Against my better judgement I charge after him shotgunning the rope, burning through all mt re-roll chips in one go, and dragging him to safety where I then hid. Aforementioned artillery then went to work pruning back every branch in sight. Cue a grateful backwater hick town :)

A highly enjoyable evening. Deadlands is a setting that I like with a nice balance of Cthulu investigation and big guns / explosions. I look forward to next weeks session. It's also pay-day on Monday and those Malifaux figure would do awfully well :)

Cue Bon Jovi soundtrack!!