[UA] golden guns and humanity

[Kevin Elmore]

> True, it would look fun though, but if i do use em, i may
> just leave the
> whole, everyone in the room knows your there for some
> reason and its most
> likely bad, cause i can just see and old saloon(now a
> seedy dive bar) in
> walks the gunslinger with his 6 shooter (big dude in a
> hooded bomber jacket
> with a 9) the piano stops and everyone looks over (the
> jupe box skips and a
> bunch of guys playing pool look over) etc etc. (yada
> yada)
> 
> Or not.


No, no, it's good.  I can dig the "you detect something bad
is about to happen" feeling everyone gets.  The bartender
hangs near the phone.  Some couple in the back decides to
go out the back door.  Anyone who is packing a gun in the
joint subconsciously fondles his own piece.  

As a result, someone with such a gun would never surprise
someone.  Because people in its vicinity are already on
edge, it's very likely that their guns would come out at
the same time (or even sooner in a desperate attempt to put
down what comes to kill them) as the gold-plated guns.  

The drawbacks sound very cool.  The +15% or minimum 50%
score alterations are pretty unbalanced, even with the
bonus to hit the wielder (live by the gun; die by the gun).
 Come to think of it, you don't even need benefits.  Since
UA tends to attract a higher quality of gamer, I imagine
that someone will covet these guns and cherish them because
they "just feel right" regardless of the drawbacks.  And if
the drawbacks are done right, the player won't even notice
them.  "Ever notice that everywhere we go, people look at
you like the angel of death?"  "Nah, people in this town
are just crazy is all."  And the bonus for bad guys to hit
him will be your own little secret.

And I love the idea of a sour cherry causing one gun to
"accidentally" fire a round into the guy wielding the other
gun.  

Speaking of this humanity issue, I was storyteller for a
Vampire LARP.  One player took out a house full of drug
dealers.  I had him make a check to see if he became more
beastly.  He protested my judgement.  We argued a bit, but
I irrevocably put my foot down when he retaliated with, "It
doesn't even matter.  These scum are just fucking meat to
my character."  See, that's exactly why he had to make that
check.  He just couldn't see that.  

I hadn't seen him in many years now, but I seriously doubt
he'll do well in an UA game.

Kevin



=====
"Well, you take the freshly shaved rat, and you marinade it in a puddle for a while."
"Hmm, for how long?"
"Until it's drowned. Then you stretch it out under a hot light bulb, then you get within dashing distance of the latrine, and then you scoff it right down."
"So that's sauteing, and fricasseeing?"
"Exactly the same, just a slightly bigger rat."
--Blackadder Goes Forth

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