Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

I'm interested, but I suggest starting a separate thread.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

Moore.

Smith seems crooked and a malcontent, and I don't want martial law either

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

I'd also back Moore... with the suggestion that someone (of the PCs) push themselves to the front and take on organizing the town as Moore's Deputy-Mayor.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

My vote is for Karl Elias: what that town needs right now most is leadership--someone who can inspire everyone to go in the same direction. Elias is the best leader and, from what we have been told about him, he seems to have the right motives. It is possible that things could go "off the rails" and turn into a tyrannical dictatorship, but that is also possible with Smith. Moore seems too weak a leader to actually get everyone to work together like they need to. As soon as things start going badly really badly (which they almost certainly will without a strong leader to organize everyone) Smith or some other opportunist will take over.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

I was going for Moore, but then the additional info about him not doing any leading came out: it really sounds like that he is just going to let things slide as if the town was still in Dakota. Furthermore, it has been a MONTH since the incident, and it sounds like not much has been accomplished by Moore. A big minus for that.

I don't trust the corrupt mine boss, although I do agree with him that we need a new mayor. He'd likely stuff his own pockets and probably even go after his political opponents in purges.

Karl Elias convinced me that this is a desperate situation and more proactive stance is needed. The food supply needs to be secured, and with the monsters out, every man for himself is not going to work out. Everyone needs to work together, and get on with the program. We need food, and it would be good to get someone working on black powder, too, since we are likely using ammunition like crazy with these new monsters around. So hell yes, I want a trusted military man in charge who knows how to lead and understands the need to secure the supply.

Frankly, is there any reason NOT to move the whole town (i.e. build a new one) to the river where the arable land is? A few miles each way means that you are spending a good part of the day walking back and forth that monster-infested land. You mentioned that building materials are scarce, but I'd expect a lot of the buildings are beams, boards and nails. You can dismantle it (carefully) and then rebuild it at the new location easily enough. If there are native trees and such, we should be able to build a stockade (fort), too, easily enough. (Hmm. I think my 'PC' is a former US cavalry, which explains my vote, too. Additional +1 Rep for Good Ol' Captain Elias. :P )

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

I went with Moore. Just remember his slogan: "There's more in store with Moore!"

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

I too was going to vote for Moore until it came out that he hasn't been doing much of anything other than enforcing the same kind of "live and let live" approach. That probably would've been great in Dakota but out here with magic that encourages chaos and monsters (and who knows what else) out there folks need something a little bit more structured.

I'll vote for Elias with a push to keep Moore on as something public facing, he sounds like he'd be a great resource for Elias-as-Mayor even without an actual office if only because he's so good and talking to folks and getting them to agree on things.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

Seeing as at least one monster has been killed, and the city has a food issue, I feel I must ask the obvious question - are the monsters edible? If so, I'd totally vote for Elias, as he'll be the best at getting the monsters killed, which will help buy time for the farms to be established.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

It's not obvious that any them is the right person. Doing nothing and letting people go their own way likely won't work well, but neither a mining company nor a military unit is a terribly appropriate model either.

The primary problem is not military (or if it is, everyone is going to die), the primary problem is subsistence. There likely won't be any people in town with exactly the right skill set, but given the time period there could still be homesteaders and the like with some experience at colonizing.

Re: Vote in my Campaign's Election
 

Well, for a nuts and bolts explanation of how it works, yeah, it would be better in a separate thread. In this thread though, I think it's still topical to know more about magic to see how useful it may be to apply to the town's problems, and which of the mayoral candidates might be best suited to plan with it in mind. I'm especially curious to know what the characters in the setting know about it. How did they discover it? How did they learn how to use it? Does it work differently for different people? Are there known limits to what it can do? How reliable is it? etc.
Well, I don't think Elias is a perfect candidate, but a military mindset should be helpful in organizing, at least, which does sound like a dire need.