BlackJack in Deadwood 2.0

My friend and fellow blogger Marrant Vita were talking the other day about how our characters change once they get into the roleplay. I have found this to be true with BlackJack. His personality is changing from what I had originally envisioned. My thought was BlackJack or Jack as he calls himself now, would be a villianous sort with an icy stare and the look of a hardened killer. However, he is not turning out quite that way. BlackJack will still be a bad guy. But I am finding in him a bit of tenderness that was missing from the BlackJack of DW 1.0. As you may remember that fellow had no compassion or tenderness in him, except for his immediate family. There were a few people he respected and even liked, Dio, Clay, Daisy...but, if he had a logical reason to kill them, he would have. This BlackJack, is not quite so cold and calculating. Jack Landar is an Army deserter, cattle rustler, bank robber, con man and sometime law man. That being said, he is a fairly likable guy, someone you would share a beer with or play a game of cards with.

I brought Black in a bit earlier than planned. It was a spur of the moment decision and I am glad I did it. He is already laying the foundation to allow him to pursue less than honorable pursuits later. How is he doing this you ask? He is building relationships. He happened to wander into the store that Meriwether Runningbear and Mahalia Bertrand are running, looking for some tinned peaches and bottle of whiskey. (Jack likes to eat the peaches then pour some whiskey into the syrup for a drink.) While talking Meri had looked Jack over and decided Jack would be a good one to help protect Miss Bertrand, though Miss Bertrand believes he is there just to help around the store. Jack took the job and is finding that he truly likes this couple. They are both good, decent people, just the sort that a man with a nefarious turn to him needs. Because when suspicion comes upon you, a man really wants respectable friends to vouch for him.

So will Jack become a villian? Yes, no mistake on that, though he will have his own sense of honor and loyalty to those he considers his friends.

Looking for a good time on Friday Night contd

Ezra sat at the table watching several fights while he rested up. Several of Clay's soiled doves walked by, a couple of them smiled at him and Charley. "Ezra, I'm a gonna go ask one of them girls to dance and mebbe take some time fer myself upstairs." Ezra gave a nod, "Don' be takin more'n one with ya tonight Charley. I knows ya only gots money fer one and the Mayor weren't none to pleased with ya the last time ya come up short. Fact is, ifn I hadna come up with the money he was gonna have that big ol security man o his pay ya a visit." Charley glanced over where the hulking form of Martin Ramey stood in a corner and swallowed hard. "No need ta fret Ezra, I aint a gonna do nothin that stupid."

"Alright, is there anyone brave enough to step into the ring?" Clay shouted. Jumping up and climbing into the ring Ezra began to bounce back and forth on the balls of his feet, waiting to see who was going to fight him. He smiled a bit when Silas Acker climbed into the ring. "Are ya ready to commit mayhem?" Clay shouted. Ezra and Silas responded with "Aye".

Clay rang the bell and Ezra charged Silas. Silas let out a scream and began to run around the ring, Ezra right behind him. With a sudden stop and twist, Silas slammed a right fist onto Ezra's chin. With a grunt, Ezra staggered back, "Why you sneaky son of a bitch". Ezra leaped up and both men began to pummel each other. Silas slipped to the side and began to run again. Ezra followed a bit more cautiously. Silas moved at top speed and spun around getting behind Ezra and pounding his kidneys. Ezra backhanded Silas, catching him in the side of the jaw. Both men backed away a bit. Ezra looked at Silas with a bit more respect. The man might be a feckless idiot, but he could fight. Ezra charged again and Silas met him in the middle of the ring. For a full minute the two exchanged blows, until Silas landed a hard left on Ezra's temple. With a groan Ezra dropped.

The next thing Ezra saw was the sight of Daisy Stratten looking into his face with a concerned look. She had a wet, somewhat dirty rag, wiping some of the blood from his face. She smiled when she saw his eyes focus on her. Ezra smiled back and winced, his lip was split and it began to bleed again. It also felt like his jaw was just this side of broken.
Daisy frowned at the wince and sent a scowling look at Silas who was still crowing about his win. With gestures Daisy let Ezra know she wanted him to go upstairs where he could rest up. Ezra nodded and letting Daisy try to support him he walked up the stairs a gleam in his eye. He whispered to himself, "This is how ya has a good time on a Friday night."

Looking for a Good Time on Friday Night

Stepping out of the shack, Ezra shivered at the cold. Pulling his hat down a bit more firmly on his head, Ezra stepped out into the frozen mud that passed for a street and headed for the Gem. He had just turned onto Lee street heading for Main, when he heard a shout behind him. Looking back he saw Charley running to catch up. "Goddammit Charley, ya'll be late to yer own funeral." Charley just grunted and muttered, "Ya can go to hell Ezra. This here is my first day off in 3 weeks and I aim to enjoy it the way I see fit." Ezra gave his friend a good natured punch in the arm, "Charley, ya sleep the whole damn day away an then ya gonna make us late ta the boxin matches. Ya beat all, ya know that?" Charley just lowered his head and said nothing.

Ezra and Charley walked into the Gem and found a seat to wait for the matches to start. Ezra looked around to see who he might have to face. There stood Judge Eun by the stage. He would be hard to beat. Marty, the Gems bouncer stood next to the Mayor. Sitting at a table in the back were several men Ezra had not met before. "Charley, looks like I got my work cut out fer me." Then the bell began to ring and Clays voice cut across the noise of the saloon. "Looks like we have enough to get started. Who wants to be the first to prove they are the toughest in town?" Ezra watched as two of the new comers climbed into the ring. Clay rang the bell again and the fight started.

An hour had gone by and Ezra had just won his first fight against a stranger. Sitting down to rest, he noticed Daisy, the Gems mute prostitute dancing on the stage. Ezra caught her eye and gave her a toothy grin. Daisy was a pretty little brunette, who had lost her voice due to a customer trying to cut her throat. "Ya know Charley, I'm gonna buy me an hour o' her time after I wins the fights tonight." Charley just snorted turning his attention back to the ring.

Ezra climbed into the ring again and saw one of the strangers climbing in as well. Grinning he nodded to the man. His opponent stood a good 5 inches higher then Ezra's 5'7" and likely outweighed him by a good 30 pounds. The stranger looked at Ezra and then laughed, "I'm gonna beat hell outta you little man." Ezra said nothing but the grin disappeared from his face, his lips went thin. When Clay asked if they were ready Ezra merely nodded.

The bell rang and the stranger charged Ezra, throwing a hard left towards his head. With a twist and a step back, Ezra evaded the punch. Again the man launched a wide arcing punch towards Ezra's head, Ezra back peddled and stopped in the center of the ring. The stranger came in more cautiously throwing jabs. Ezra's head snapped back as one of the jabs connected. The big man followed up with a hard right hand to the ribs. Grunting Ezra backed away, making the bigger man follow him. The stranger kept throwing punches backing Ezra toward the corner. The man threw another hard punch towards Ezra's head. Ducking down and moving forward to the left of his opponent, Ezra ended up to the left and slightly behind him. Ezra went to work on the mans kidneys, landing three blows before the stranger could get away. Both men were breathing heavily as the closed again, punches flying. For a full minute the two stood toe to toe, then the bigger man stepped back slightly. Ezra slid past a right hand only to catch a grazing left along his jaw. Staggering back he saw the stranger dip his knees in preparation to leap. As the man began the leap Ezra threw a right to the man's midsection. With a whoosh of expelled air, the stranger dropped to his knees. Ezra followed up with two quick punches to the head and the stranger dropped face first on the mat. Ezra staggered out of the ring and collapsed on the chair next to Charley, his breath coming in wheezes. Charley gave him a quizzical look, "Ya havin fun yet?" Between wheezes Ezra gave him a lopsided grin and replied, "Th...th...this..here...i..is a...right...g..gg...good...frolic."

to be contd

A look inside of BlackJacks thoughts and feelings

I thought it might prove helpful for some who do not know BlackJack Landar well, how his mind and emotions work. Some will read his profile, which states he is a hired killer and immediately think he has no emotions and forms no ties to anyone. That is an unfortunate assumption. BlackJack is a man who does care about some, I repeat, some people. But those people either have to be related to him by blood or have earned his respect.

Now Black is a ruthless killer. When he takes an assignment, he see's it to completion without any undue emotion. The target (person who is to be murdered), is simply that. A target, the job to be done. Black does not take pleasure in killing as some do. In all of his business dealings, whether legitimate or not, he strives to keep emotion out of the equation. To him, emotions and business is illogical and just plain bad business practice.

In Deadwood there are a few people he actually cares for. First is Dio Kuhr, or Miss Dio, as Black always refers to her as. He found in her a woman of strength and ability. He learned of some of her past and his respect for her increased. She had once requested that he not harm anyone whom she cared about. Out of his respect and growing fondness for her he agreed. This did not sit well with Black's employer at the time, but that is a story for another time.

The other two people that Black cares for in Deadwood are Clay Kungler and Daisy Stratton. Black considers Clay to be a kindred spirit, due to Clay's habit of collecting the heads of those he kills. Black is puzzled as to why Clay collects these trophies, but figures it does no harm and perhaps some good. Daisy, who works as a prostitute for Clay. Daisy reminds Black of a girl he had known in his youth. Because of this and that she is connected to Clay, Black has set himself up as a sort of protector. He almost see's her as a sister, though not quite that. Even Black has trouble explaining to himself the relationship between him and Daisy. What he does know is that the man that brings harm to her will pay in blood.

So, as you can see, Black is not some emotionless killing machine. He does have relationships and feelings. I would advise those who meet him to treat him with the same politeness and respect that he shows everyone. Those who become rude to him may well not live to regret it.

Roleplaying a bad guy

I have one piece of advice for those want to roleplay a bad guy. Don't be an asshole! Especially if you want to keep rping that character as a bad guy. In my humble opinion, playing the villian is one of the hardest, if not the hardest role to play successfully. It takes a lot of thought, planning and cooperatation in order to pull off a crime and get away with it.

Let's say that you have come to the Deadwood sim with the decision to be a villian. Great! We need bad guys in order for the good guys to become heroes. Unfortunately the following usually is what happens:

Asshat Noname enters town and swaggers into the Gem Saloon. Those present are Clay Kungler, the mayor and his wife September as well as several other locals.

Asshat Noname: *walks into the Gem and looks around with a smirk on his face.*
Asshat Noname: *lights a cigar*
Claytanic Kungler: Howdy stranger, would you like a drink?
Asshat Noname: *turns to face Clay and notices September*
Asshat Noname: Yeah, gimme a drink. By the way how much do ya charge fer the whore? *indicates September*
Claytanic Kungler: Stranger, that is my wife. I suggest ya apolgize, then get the hell outta here.
Asshat Noname: Fuck you, *pulls his gun*
Claytanic Kungler:*pulls gun*
Asshat Noname: DW meter shows him dead

If all you want to do is have a shootout, then maybe this would be fun for the bad guy. However he has shown himself to be an idiot who just want to have combat. But for everyone else, this becomes boring and the would be bad guy quickly finds most people avoid him like the plague and he leaves out of frustration. Too bad really, but then Deadwood is not for everyone.

If you really want to play a bad guy, don't go out of your way to antagonize people. Build friendships. Yes, I said friendships. A real life villian will have those who care about him. Wife, mother, brothers, friends. In roleplay, you will need people who like you and will stand up for you when you need help. BlackJack is a character that intimidates a lot of people. this is due to the avatars size and appearence as well as how I play him. Yet, Black has friends. Clay and Dio are his partners and he considers them friends. Both have helped Black in the past.

To end this little session on my soapbox I leave you with this. When you decide to be a villian, think about what motivates him. Is it money? power? sex? what? something motivates him to do what he does. From that point, play the character to enhance your chances of gaining whatever it is you want. You need to also think about what kind of villian you are. Are a political hack? a thief? a confidence man? combination of those? It all comes down to planning your character, who and what he/she is and what he/she wants.