ROtH - Gangers vs Cultists

[wardog]

I have read through the entire ruleset for Return of the Horsemen, and I can't discern a significant difference between Gangers and Cultists in game terms. I am very familiar with gangers from other THW games. Can someone please briefly explain the differences between the two? Thanks.

[Kurt]

Apr 10, 2023 5:03:25 GMT wardog said:

I have read through the entire ruleset for Return of the Horsemen, and I can't discern a significant difference between Gangers and Cultists in game terms. I am very familiar with gangers from other THW games. Can someone please briefly explain the differences between the two? Thanks.

1. The chances of meeting Cultist are greater in Settlements, whereas the chances to meet Gangers are greater in a city, page 25.

2. Gangers tend to be more heavily armed than Cultists. Many Cultists are armed with P-1s, Improvised weapons or no weapons, page 26.

3. When interacting with a Cultist there is a chance they can brainwash a member of your band into becoming a Cultist, page 10. You will lose that band member without combat.

4. In a Confrontation Encounter, page 32, there's a greater chance of meeting up with Gangers vs Cultists. Gangers are aggressive and will use lethal force more often than Cultists. Always add + 1 Ganger in a Confrontation.

I co-wrote the rules with Ed. Here's an optional unofficial rule that I came up with after the rules were printed:

When Cultists roll on the Will to Fight Test, on a Pass 1d6 result, the Cultist selected to leave the fight will attempt to capture an opposing Out of the Fight Character as it leaves. Here’s how they do it:

• Target an Out of the Fight Character.

• Roll 1d6 versus the Cultist's Rep.

• If it passes, the Cultist succeeds and disappears with the Character. Time for a Rescue Encounter!


If it fails or there are no Out of the Fight Characters, the Cultist leaves the fight as normal.

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

I like the unofficial rule. I'll use it.

[wardog]

Kurt, I dont know what happened to my reply so I'll try again.

Thank you for the quick response and the detailed answers. - My crew has been together since Highrise to Hell. They are loyal to each other and work well together. I just can't see one of them being brainwashed by a single conversation with what was, up until then, a total stranger, especially to the point of abandoning their crew and going with the cultists. Maybe that's just me.

I do like the unofficial rule though. That seems like a realistic possibility. I think I will use that. Thanks! - You and Ed have created another outstanding ruleset. Thanks for helping me to keep myself immersed in my parallel world.

[Kurt]

Apr 10, 2023 20:33:05 GMT wardog said:

Kurt, I dont know what happened to my reply so I'll try again.

Thank you for the quick response and the detailed answers. - My crew has been together since Highrise to Hell. They are loyal to each other and work well together. I just can't see one of them being brainwashed by a single conversation with what was, up until then, a total stranger, especially to the point of abandoning their crew and going with the cultists. Maybe that's just me.

I do like the unofficial rule though. That seems like a realistic possibility. I think I will use that. Thanks! - You and Ed have created another outstanding ruleset. Thanks for helping me to keep myself immersed in my parallel world.

Both the Gangers and Cultists are a bad group of people. You can think of the brainwashing and the kidnapping by the Cultists as their method to subdue their opponents. Whereas Gangers are more willing to use brute force.

When playing Return of the Horsemen, you'll find that band members don't last long. Some factors besides combat casualties, just plain running away and never coming back, there's also the Stay or Go table, page 38, where band members pick up and leave.  Constantly recruiting band members is going to be the nature of this game otherwise you'll be a Loner.

 

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

Check page 6. It explains how Band Members can leave the Band without joining a Cult. They are loyal to a certain degree. Highrise to Hell. 10 years ago and first appearance of Governor Newness. He's alive and well in Havasu Nights (Rebel Minis will release this one soon).

BTW - Here's the item found in High Rise to Hell you were asking about.


MagicDoor02192013.pdf (286.79 KB)

[wardog]

Hmmm, I don't remember seeing the Magic Door in High Rise to Hell or asking you about it for that matter. I read it over and it seemed pretty cool, so I saved it. Thank you, Ed.

Perhaps I should clarify what I meant when I said my crew has been together since High Rise to Hell: I haven't been playing the same campaign for the last 10 years. What I do is I use those characters in other campaigns, even other periods. I still use the group from Haven's Nowhere Nevada too. I've been gaming with them so long they're almost like family to me LOL. And I've lost some along the way. For example, Olivia Brown died in a zombie attack while trying to search a house. Pete, the Cop from Hi Rise, was a Rep 5 Lawman in Six Gun Sound when I lost him in skirmish with Indians. Sam was a mountain man, Nate was former US cavalry (Since he had a SAW in Hi Rise, I thought it would be fun to give him access to a Gatling Gun in 6GS. - Of course, he couldn't carry it around like he could the SAW.) Since Darrell Brown has a towable diner in Haven, I gave him a chuck wagon in 6GS. - When I start a new campaign in a new period, they're all back and reset to their original Reps and other stats. I think of it like a character getting killed or going missing in a movie and then, in the next movie, they're back!

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

Magic Door was the Item that was found in the Vault.

If you press the button the screen lights up and a red dot

appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Perhaps it’s a

locating device? Maybe it’s a tracking device? Or maybe

it’s an Alien distress call. We’ll tell you later in another

supplement.

Yep, using the same characters over and over and in different games is great.