Anybody have any thoughts on how Heat and Rep might turn out for a score that happened exclusively in the Deathlands?
My players got themselves purposefully sentenced to a Deathlands Scavengers chain gang to 1) Clear their Wanted level and drop their Heat, and 2) Infiltrate the Scavengers to steal Lady Thorn’s book of ritual sorcery.
It was a hell of a good showdown, but now they’ve gotten back to the Dusk with presumably everyone thinking they’re dead and no one having knowledge of their escapades in the terrifying realm beyond the barriers.
I suppose it could be said that in the vacuum of Scavengers’ leadership, some of the chain gang folks could have gotten back into the city and started talking though?
Thoughts?
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I think it depends on how you treat the Deathlands Scavengers. Is it possible for people to earn clemency from the chain gang and end up back in gen pop/set free, or is it more of a permanent sentence? If the latter, then I would personally treat it as a silent operation in terms of heat and rep so long as it was assumed that all hands were lost. Then there would be no reason for anybody to think your crew was responsible.
If, however, members of the Deathlands Scavengers are able to rotate back into general population or actually be set free then I would treat it as you would any other operations. Maybe reduce the noise level by one for extenuating circumstances. Wild(6 heat) –> Loud (4 heat) for example. You can treat the rep the same if you are so inclined due the limited number of people who can spread the rumors, but personally I would keep it the same as usual. Prisoners love to gossip and trade information.
Yeah! Cool thoughts! Thanks! We were thinking of the “standard-minus-one-level” approach as well.
Third option, which I just thought of, is in between. If being on the chain gang is a life sentence, but someone in the know still got away, then you could make them a sort of boogeyman for the Deathlands Scavengers. An urban legend of sorts. “Supposedly there is a group of remorseless murders who even the ghosts of the Deathlands avoid. If you ever see (insert prominent characteristic of your crew or their fight with the scavengers here), then run away as fast as you can.” This would also immediately affect their stand with the scavengers as well if that hasn’t already happened. Not much mechanical effect beyond the faction rep, but a neat little story aspect if your crew is into being feared.
The Scavengers have connections in Doskvol: they’ve got allies. If the players made a hullabaloo, and it’s in the Scavengers interest to spread the word about these jerkasses who robbed them, then I would say follow normal rep procedures.
Yeah, totally! Alfred Rudzki and Eric Anthony. We did end up going with the usual Rep & Heat rules for the connected reasons and I started a clock for “The Scavengers Rebuild”, with the players very much aware that when that fills, they’re going to come for revenge. Lady Thorn was well-loved and whoever decimated their crew is bound to have to pay for it 😉