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Message no. 1
From: James Mick sinabian@********.net
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 11:18:05 -0400
So I've asked about Crimson Skies, watched the ED posts go by and been
wholly inspired to pick up as much on that game as I can get my hands on...
Now here's another one...

How compatible is the system for Deadlands? A game by PEG. I'm starting to
get an inspiration for a kind of Sliders campaign where this very powerful
vampire sorcerer (yes, I love the vamps...they're just kewl in the right
systems...) sends the characters back to an alternate timeline and keep them
shifting from timeline to timeline after that... (I'm even considering using
TOON for part of the campaign for a bit of comic relief...)

Anyways, I've leafed through the pages of a sourcebook I found in Ohio once
but unfortunately didn't have the money to pick up. It seemed to follow
essentially the same system for combat and all that happy stuff. Anybody
else tried it?
Message no. 2
From: Josh Harrison mataxes@****.net
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 21:57:58 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: James Mick <sinabian@********.net>
> So I've asked about Crimson Skies, watched the ED posts go by and been
> wholly inspired to pick up as much on that game as I can get my hands
on...
> Now here's another one...

Having a fairly extensive working knowledge of several different systems,
I'll field this one... (that's one of the advantages of being a game
reviewer for the local store -- you get exposed to a *huge* variety of stuff
at discounted prices).

> How compatible is the system for Deadlands? A game by PEG. I'm starting to
> get an inspiration for a kind of Sliders campaign where this very powerful
> vampire sorcerer (yes, I love the vamps...they're just kewl in the right
> systems...) sends the characters back to an alternate timeline and keep
them
> shifting from timeline to timeline after that... (I'm even considering
using
> TOON for part of the campaign for a bit of comic relief...)

Oh my Lord... SR TOON... I'm gonnna have to do that at some point...
Sculpted System, anyone?
(Sound of maniacal GM laughter is heard)

> Anyways, I've leafed through the pages of a sourcebook I found in Ohio
once
> but unfortunately didn't have the money to pick up. It seemed to follow
> essentially the same system for combat and all that happy stuff. Anybody
> else tried it?

Actually, I have. The *basic* mechanic is somewhat similar -- you roll
multiple open-ended dice (Deadlands uses all the polys) and each is counted
separately. The major difference is the in Deadlands, they're all "open
tests" -- you're looking for the single highest result.

The system has some funky probability curves in it -- your attricute
determines the die type you roll, and the skill determines the number of
them. If you don't have the skill, you default to a number of dice
determined at character creation. Here's where it gets funky:

Let's say, for the sake of example, that your character has a 4d8 base
Deftness (one of 10 attributes). The Shootin' skill falls under Deftness. If
your PC has a 1 in that skill, he rolls a single d8 for tests with
firearms. If he doesn't have the skill, he rolls 4d8. There is a -8 penalty
to the fianl roll when you default like this, but the odds still get a
little strange with these kind of numbers.

System-wise, the game is pretty decent. I really like the Initiative system,
and in fact have been tinkering with a home-brew adaptation of it for SR. At
the start of combat, you roll your Quickness. For every full 5 points, you
get a card from the action deck (the whole PC group shares one, and the GM
has his own -- the action deck is a standard deck of 52 playing cards with
both jokers included). Plus you get one card for free (max of 5 total).
During combat, the GM counts down from Ace to Deuce. If you have one of the
cards, you can take an action (Jokers can act at *any* point during the
round).

I personally like this because while faster characters will act more often,
they don't *always* act first. I like the change they made for the SR3
Initiative system to allow slower characters to have an effect on combat,
but the numbers are a bit more cumbersome to deal with. I've been looking at
a way to use the Deadlands system to streamline things a little bit.

ANYWHOW (after that side trek)... the *setting* for Deadlands is pretty
cool. If you're looking for an SR crossover, the second game (Hell on Earth)
is actually set in a post-apocalyptic future -- much like what might happen
if the Horrors returned (there is a very strong supernatural element in the
setting). The earlier game, set in the mid-late 1800s (Wild West Era) isn't
as directly compatible (simply for tech reasons) but there are a lot of cool
ideas that can be scavenged. And who knows -- that Samurai just might enjoy
an old-style single-action revovler. The systems are identical and
more-or-less compatible however, so if you convert one, you can use the
other. That's a pretty big plus.

Overall, I'd put the game on a par with SR in terms of complexity. It
certainly gets a thumbs-up from me.

Hope this helps.

-- Josh
Message no. 3
From: C J Tipton arkades@****.com
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 15:29:01 -0500
Here's a giggle for you Earthdawn fans. The ED sourcebook "Magic: A
Manual of Mystic Secrets" on page 69 contains
a heading "Astral Space Gazeteer" detailing multiple metaplanes. If you
read the descriptions you will discover their are distinctions made
between astral travel to the metaplane and PHYSICAL travel to the
metaplane.

That's right cross over fanatics.

There are hundreds of new worlds to explore through astral gateways,
which may manifest physically as a wardrobe, a rabbit hole, or a door
marked 5B78.

Can anyone say Rifts conversion? How about Shadowrun Megaverse?

Deadlands might simply be another Meta-plane for the PCs to get in
trouble on.

COWBOY(wants to do the Glitter Boy shuffle on a Citymaster)
CJ
Arkades@****.com
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Message no. 4
From: Sinabian@***.com Sinabian@***.com
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 11:12:30 EDT
The earlier game, set in the mid-late 1800s (Wild West Era) isn't
as directly compatible (simply for tech reasons) but there are a lot of cool
ideas that can be scavenged. And who knows -- that Samurai just might enjoy
an old-style single-action revovler.


::grinz:: Oh I know it's more archaic. That's the idea. They'd have to like
keep a low(er) profile and try to be discrete. Blend in and all that until
they did whatever it was to allow them to "slide" to the next game system.
And if they went in just guns a-blazin' I would find a way to have one of
them shoot their ancestor. Alternate timeline or no alternate timeline! (some
of my players just have no regard whatsoever for NPCs...)

(again...apologies about the style if there are any problems with the email.
I'm working on getting this fixed... Meanwhile, anybody who has an AOHell
account on this list and knows what buttons I need to push, if you could
reply offlist it would be greatly appreciated...)
Message no. 5
From: Anders Swenson anders@**********.com
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 10:20:00 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: <Sinabian@***.com>
To: <shadowrn@*********.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 8:12 AM
Subject: Re: Yet another crossover possibility question


> The earlier game, set in the mid-late 1800s (Wild West Era) isn't
> as directly compatible (simply for tech reasons) but there are a lot of
cool
> ideas that can be scavenged. And who knows -- that Samurai just might
enjoy
> an old-style single-action revovler.

<...>

Sorry to jump in late, but what about the Wild West conversion in Harley
Returns?
It seems to me that that book has quite a few crossover hints, BTW. --Anders
Message no. 6
From: Josh Harrison mataxes@****.net
Subject: Yet another crossover possibility question
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 20:38:34 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: Anders Swenson <anders@**********.com>
> Sorry to jump in late, but what about the Wild West conversion in Harley
> Returns?
> It seems to me that that book has quite a few crossover hints,
BTW. --Anders

Actually, I was talking about it with a friend of mine earlier this evening
and he pointed out that there are quite a few similarities between the
metaplanar journey in Harlequin's Back and both Deadlands games (there is a
post-apocalypse setting in HB as well). It would make for a very interesting
cort of cross-over, especially if the crew has gone through HB.

Neat idea.

-- Josh

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Thwap!