My dear friends,
When I last contacted you, I told you that my father had taken a turn for the worse and that I was forced to cut my tour of the West short to return to Mississippi to visit. It is my great sorrow to tell you that I left in the nick of time. He has grown only worse since my arrival and I fear that he will be fortunate to live only a few more weeks. I apologize if this seems curt, but I would like to request a favor from you, my friend. I will be taking some time to ensure my mother's comfort in our family home in Natchez, as well as seeing to my father's affairs. I would greatly appreciate if you were to join us with all haste. Once he passes, I intend to travel into the heart of the Confederacy to my family's long abandoned plantation. The house has been abandoned for many years, but I hope to restore it and convert it into a summer home so my mother might find some privacy now that I am engaged. It would do my heart good to have trusted friends and worthy associated by my side as I travel, as well as to help solving any particular issues that may arise that are beyond the scope of what ordinary workmen could handle. You know as well as I that the world can be a strange place and I wish my home to be safe for my family. I hope to see you in Natchez in a few weeks.
Sincerely, your friend,
Jackson Greenfield
Written on the 23rd of April, in the year of Our Lord 1880
Hello and welcome to my open recruitment for Deadlands: Plantation of Dread, a homebrew campaign in the Deadlands setting by Pinnacle Games and run using the Savage Worlds system in Deadlands Reloaded. This adventure will be my take on Southern Gothic Fantasy, taking place in the Deep South in the years after the end of the Deadlands' Civil War and the independence of the Confederacy. The PCs should all be friends and acquaintances of the above mentioned Jackson Greenfield, a wealthy heir to an old money family with holdings in Mississippi, Tennessee and other places all across the South. Young Jackson has spent the last five years traveling the West, exploring, speculating on land, and investing in mines and businesses on the frontier. Along the way, he's made plenty of friends, business partners, and acquaintances that he's now reaching out to for help in his time of need.
Familiarity with the Deadlands setting isn't required as long as you're willing to do some reading and learn about it, but it would of course make things easier. Similarly, Savage Worlds is a fairly easy system to learn and I'm happy to help people who are interested in the game but haven't played before. Don't be afraid to ask questions and get in touch if you're curious.
Character Creation
Character creation will use the standard Deadlands rules. 5 Attribute Points, 15 Skill Points, humans only (including a starting edge), maximum 2 Minor Hindrances and 1 Major Hindrance for points
Skills: Survival and Tracking have been rolled into one skill. Anything that requires both only requires Survival. Additionally, remember that Deadlands uses the Guts skill to resist fear.
Edges: All edges of Deadlands and core Savage Worlds are allowed. We will be using the latest errata, including the latest versions of Blessed, Voodoo, etc. I have slightly modified a few of the Arcane Backgrounds as well. Additionally, Veteran o' the Weird West is not allowed.
Additionally, every character also gets to start with one more edge under a new rule I'm calling Stranger Folks. Jackson knows some strange people and has seen some weird things. Each player gets to pick one of the following edges in addition to any they get from their race or hindrances:
Arcane Background (Blessed)
Arcane Background (Blood Mage)
Arcane Background (Chi Master)
Arcane Background (Hexslinger)
Arcane Background (Huckster)
Arcane Background (Mad Scientist)
Arcane Background (Metal Mage)
Arcane Background (Shaman)
Arcane Background (Voodooist)
Captain
Harrowed
Knack
Scrapper
Snakeoil Salesman
Soldier
Anyone familiar with the system will probably notice that Alchemy and Blood Magic aren't usually independent Arcane Backgrounds. I'm separating them out into their own things. Alchemy uses the rules for Mad Science, but instead of getting a device, you use the rules for making potions from the Alchemy edge as your basic rules. Blood mages use all the rules for Hucksters, except they cannot Deal with the Devil. Instead, they gain the effects of the Whateley Blood edge. Obviously, Hucksters and Mad Scientists can no longer take these edges.
Recruitment will be open until October 12th, 2018. If I get a lot of interest, I might extend things. If I get very little, I'll just cut it off and drop the idea. I hope to see some interested players soon.
I'm always up for any game run in SW! But I've never played in Deadlands. I'll buy Deadlands Reloaded if it looks like there's enough interest by other players. Are the errata available on-line for free, and if so, where? You mentioned that you modified some of the AB's, could you please explain what's different?
I'm always up for some wierd west in any form. :)
I'm thinking going with a priest, but could go huckster.....
There were several people standing in a large circle on top of a drawing on the ground that included many strange symbols. In the middle, his father plunged a knife into his mother's chest and a glowing SOMETHING flew from the wound and into his father's mother. In moments, his grandmother's appearance softened and she became more youthful. As his father's eyes met his across the distance, JT took off in a run and never looked back. Without thinking, he ran back to town and hid in a stack of crates on the dock. Before he knew it, day was breaking and talk was all over town of the animal attack that had killed the Blackthorne family, mauling them beyond recognition. JT didn't understand why that was the story, but kept quiet about what he'd seen and contacted the Sheriff to find out what was to become of him.
After a couple of weeks, JT was on a boat for France and a life with his relatives. While there, he did all he could to find out about what had happened (and in the process felt "touched" by the divine in many dreams, some were even 'waking' dreams where he would just stare off into space). After that, it wasn't one of his relatives, but an old Gypsy woman who came to him declaring that he had taken the first steps to his destiny. Unbelieving at first, JT focused on his Theology and Law Studies with every thought of returning to the states to found a church in or near New Orleans. When graduating, he started out with the intention to do just that. As often happens, good intentions go wildly awry.
As he arrived in New Orleans, before he could even find a place to stay, JT was confronted and forced into a gun duel. Without thinking, and in a surprising show of speed, JT drew and fired his gun in one smooth motion. Something inside him just stopped and JT rode out of town. Over the next six years, the gunman known as Blackthorne worked for whoever would pay. Sometimes it was a lot, sometimes as little as one dollar if he felt the cause was right. From time to time he would try to settle in one small town or another. Inevitably someone who thought they were better with a gun would arrive, challenge him and get buried. Then Blackthorne would ride out of town.
A few months ago, just after arriving in another small town, JT was walking on the was to the saloon when he heard running footsteps and a shout of “Hey you!” Coming from behind him. Instinct took over, whirling with his gun coming out at the same time. JT barely managed to shift his gun barrel slightly so that it shot in the dirt at the feet of the young boy who had simply been playing games. With a scared shout, the boy turned and ran while JT calmly holstered his gun, walked to his horse, and rode out of town. That’s been the last sighting of the man named Blackthorne.
Shortly after that, JT was riding in the desert looking for shelter from an approaching storm when he came across an old Spanish mission in ruins. With the mission’s chapel being the only part of the structure with a roof still, JT took shelter there. Hours passed, and an angry storm raged outside, giving JT the first chance in a long while to reflect on the path his life had taken. At some point he drifted off to sleep, and that was when he felt his life change.
In his dream, JT was standing on a hillside with dozens of children behind him. In front of him, shambling creatures came, bodies desiccated from The Sun and wind. JT emptied a gun into the creatures to no effect. Tossing the gun aside, he grabbed the cross around his neck and steadied himself for death. With a startled expression, JT looked down as he felt a wave of warmth and light spread outward from the cross, through him, and push the creatures back. JT focused upon the leading forms (still dreaming) and energy lashed out, destroying them. Turning to the children, he saw they were smiling in thanks but telling him to wake up.
With a start, JT woke to see the storm abated but with two of the creatures from his dreams pushing into the chapel from the hole in the wall. Events in the dream still fresh, JT clasped the cross around his neck and held it forth, causing the creatures to flee. Looking up at the crucifix hanging over the alter of the chapel, he swore to spread the word and bring light to any darkness he should find. To completely distance himself from his past, JT took on the name Hastings, and rode out, his gun belt stashed in his saddlebags.
@ZenFox: If you're planning to pick up the books, the latest version of the Player's Guide has most of it. The rest is in the Stone and a Hard Place errata, which is a free PDF from Pinnacle's website. The changes to the ABs are the stuff I mentioned about Alchemy and Blood Magic. In the original rules, they're add-ons to Mad Science and Hucksterism respectively. I made them their own thing because their rules are already pretty unique and interesting enough to warrant it. Also, the Blessed and Voodooist are the versions from the errata document rather than the core book version, as they got a major rework.
@TClegg: The general concept seems solid. I would be interested to see you develop it a bit more to make sure it's tied into the campaign concept.
@TClegg: The general concept seems solid. I would be interested to see you develop it a bit more to make sure it's tied into the campaign concept.
I'll see what I can come up with. :)
TClegg - please let me know what you pick, I was thinking of a Priest as well (but didn't say so first, so that's on me). If you do go with a Priest, I'll probably try the Huckster.
Or, Faceless, would it be ok to have two Priests in the party?
TClegg - please let me know what you pick, I was thinking of a Priest as well (but didn't say so first, so that's on me). If you do go with a Priest, I'll probably try the Huckster.
You know, I have the same issue. :) I had a variation on the concept to go along either Huckster or Blessed. Go with whichever one you'd rather play, and I can do the other. :)
Although, I did have another idea...
GM: Are you allowing stuff from The Flood, specifically the bit on Chinese Fightin' Arts? :)
@ZenFox: I'm alright with multiples of the same character type if they're both interesting and distinct.
@TClegg: Material from any of the Pinnacle books is allowed. Kung Fu is totally fine.
Definitely interested. I'll have something posted shortly.
Interested but its been a long time since I played SW so I might need a little help
I'm happy to help out anyone who wants to talk things out.
do you know what the latest players guide is called?
It's just called the Deadlands Reloaded Player's Guide.
Oh, me loves Deadlands! I'd have to see if I can get the books somewhere, though.
So I went through the books to refresh myself and I'm thinking of going hexslinger, or maybe soldier.
Either or would be great. I'm definitely interested to see what you come up with. Feel free to ask about anything.
So if we're in the south, what's travle going to be like? ie. will characters need a mode of transportation/is it worth having say a horse? or are we arriving somewhere and stanging there?
Faceless, the descriptions for a hexslinger mostly seem to revolve around a pistol, could I use a rifle instead?
So with potentially 4 players, I just bought the Player's Guide, and I'll look into building a Blessed PC (thanks, TClegg, for being so flexible!).
Hey there, posting in to formally express interest in this one. At the moment I'm working on a Harrowed Huckster, a real forceful type with a shadow on his soul. Mechanics are pretty much set, other than gear, so I'm working on the backstory.
Fenris--Hexslingers can use pretty much any item they can reasonably carry on their person as their focus. It's rare to choose anything other than a firearm, since most powers revolve around being really good at shooting things, but it can be any kind of gun, so rifles are fine by the rules.
Here's Austin T. (Preacher) Fells {not actually a preacher}; Bounty hunter, hexslinger, gentleman, and a damn good shot.
Crunch is done with the exception of some gear and I'm working on backstory now, though I might tweak some things as I work out the backstory.
And thanks Helix that helps
@Fenris: There will be a fair bit of travel through the different parts of the South, so a horse would be worth the investment. There will of course be options to cover transport if you don't want to ride though, like coaches, trains, boats, etc.
Helix is correct about the other stuff so no need to add more there. The crunch all looks like it should be good and I'll be very interested to see the backstory finished up :)
Anyone know if scopes are a thing in deadlands? I know they're in savage worlds but not sure if they carry over, or what they might cost.
Had to do a little poking around, but they're in the Smith & Robards Catalog book. They function slightly differently than the core book ones though. They can be bought at x2, x4, or x8 enhancement. x2 costs $150 and halves all range penalties, x4 costs $250 and increases your range by 50%, and x8 costs $500 and doubles your weapon's range.
They also have a significantly more expensive version that's essentially a mad science night vision scope.
Faceless - while the Player's Guide mentions Guts, it doesn't say what it is! I'm assuming it's a Skill, linked to Spirit?
I've got the PC set up, but I wanted to talk about her Blessed background. I'm thinking of her as generically "Christian", but her main vows are to always help those in need as well as those who can't help themselves, and a vow of poverty. That means beyond what she needs to eat and sleep (and bullets), she gives away her treasure to families in need, and never charges anyone for performing her Miracles. I'm giving her some minimal amount of equipment, but I'm thinking she had all that before she took her vows, and the equipment will help her to travel (to help as many people as possible), and to stay alive (so she *can* help others), so that doesn't count.
Sound good?
Deadlands? On the recruitment? Be still my heart. I will consider what I would want to bring to such a game.
@Fox: Guts is effectively your way of overcoming fear, whenever you see something monstrous or just plain wrong you have to make a guys check. Faceless can probably describe it better but yes it’s keyed off of spirit.
And Thanks faceless you just made my day.
Faceless - while the Player's Guide mentions Guts, it doesn't say what it is! I'm assuming it's a Skill, linked to Spirit?
I found this explanation in a thread on rpggeek.com:
Guts is a skill that indicates your level of willpower against fear. It's that simple. That's one of the reasons they took it out, because in a non-fear-based setting (like a sci-fi or swords & sorcery type setting) Spirit is enough to indicate a PCs ability to withstand cowering/running away in fear. But in deadlands, it adds flavor to the setting to make fear checks really difficult, so there is a specific associated skill that you can purchase to help your PC withstand those checks. Your Guts check is also modified by Grit, and the associated attribute is Spirit.
That help? :)
@ZenFox: As others have explained, yeah. Guts is basically a spirit linked skill that resists fear. The explanation TClegg found is quite good honestly. Your character concept sounds perfectly fine. Looking forward to seeing it fully developed.
@KingHotTrash: Eager to see what you come up with :)
Well, I'm a lot less enamored of the Blessed since I just noticed that they get NO offensive powers at all (not even Entangle!). So, I'm only able to buff the team? Good thing she's got a gun...
A bit of background for Xian Delan:
2) Chinese mother died at birth, American father arranged for his place at the monastery as an infant. Raised in the monastery he was typically bullied by most of the other children because of his heritage.
3) Father was an American admiral who ended up in the Maze with his daughter, Delan's half-sister. Two years ago, Delan received a letter from his sister asking for help. Their father had died and she was being forced into an arranged marraige with a Pirate who controlled a sizeable portion of the Maze.
4) Leaving the monastery, he journeyed to the Maze, only to find his sister missing, taken in payment by an up and coming rail baron. Continuing east, Delan first hired on to cattle drives as cook, but eventually earned his place aside the other cowboys working on the drive for an equal pay after saving several members of the crew during a stampede.
5) Shortly after riding on from the drives, he encountered Jackson Greenfield who helped him find his sister and even start a small farm. For the last several months Delan has struggled with not only nature, but the prejudiced neighbors.
New to Savage Worlds, so any help or critique here is appreciated...
Tahatan - Sioux brave
Agility d8
Smarts d6
Spirit d8
Strength d8
Vigor d8
Drawbacks
Old Ways Oath (Major - 2 pts)
Loyal (Minor - 1 pt)
Outsider (Minor - 1 pt)
Edges
Quick Draw
Scout
Knack (Breech Birth)*
Skills 15 pts 15, 13, 11, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0
Climbing d6
Fighting d8
Guts d6
Intimidation d6
Knowledge (Tribes) d6
Notice d8
Riding d6
Shooting d8
Stealth d8
Survival d6
Throwing d6
Gear
Bow
20x Arrow
4x knife
1x tomahawk
Clothes (buckskins, beads, etc.)
Backpack
$82
Born into a Dakota Sioux tribe in southwestern Mississippi, Tahatan (which means 'hawk') was born breech, which the tribal shaman and elders took as a sign of special things to come, and so they gave him the name hawk in the hopes that he would inherit some of the traits of those birds. He was trained to be a hunter and a warrior, honoring the Old Ways, and took well to both. His grandmother, Ona'chiktah, told him that he would one day face a great challenge, and to always try to be ready for it.
Shortly after his sixteenth birthday, he was hunting for deer, when he came across a huge black bear. The bear had a jagged white stripe along one flank. Despite his efforts to be quiet, the bear discovered him and gave chase. Tahatan ran for a nearby river, thinking the bear would not follow him across. It was near dusk when he dove into the water, submerged, and swam for the opposite bank. He crawled ashore on the other side, trying to stay low and move slowly. When he looked back, he saw the bear on the opposite bank and was shocked to see that the white stripe of fur on the bear appeared to be glowing, and was now the brightest part of the animal in the gloom.
He called for the protection of Grandfather Wolf and ran along the bank of the river towards home. Once he was a mile or so upstream of the bear, he swam back over and made his way through the woods back to the small valley where his tribe lived. Upon arriving, everything was quiet, and no one was in sight. There was an odd smell in the air. Tahatan ran from tipi to tipi, calling out and looking for anyone. He found no signs of life. There were also no signs of violence, but the strange smell was stronger inside the tents than outside.
He waited, staying in the village for three days and nights, and on the fourth morning, when no one returned, he left. He wandered, lived off the land, and tried to find his way. When he realized that he'd need money to trade with any white men he saw, he began to offer his services as a hunting guide and tracker. This is how he met Jackson, when he guided the young man's party on a hunt. His skill impressed the young man, and he was impressed in turn by the fact that Jackson tried to communicate with him and treated him like a fellow human, not an animal of some kind.
@Jesse Heinig: All sound workable. Pick which one you like and roll with it.
@ZenFox: You can always rebuild. No need to stick with Blessed if you don't like it.
@TClegg: I'm assuming that his father was Union? Additionally, there's only one rail baron with much influence in the Maze because Kang deals with competition harshly. Is the assumption that she was taken by one of his lackies as a prize, or from someone wealthy from back east?
@Oniwaban: There are several issues I'm seeing with your mechanics, but that's understandable for someone new to the system. I'm not sure where you found so many stat points, because you spent 9 when you start at 5 and can only get a max of two extra. Additionally, you also have three edges, which is possible, but not if you put your hindrance points into attributes (1 human, 1 free that I gave you, 1 from hindrances). Also, I believe you made a mistake I've seen before with your skills. Skills don't start at a d4, they start at d4-2 which is called untrained. You have to spend 1 point to get them to a d4, 2 to a d6, etc. Plus each rank about the linked stat costs two.
@Oniwaban: There are several issues I'm seeing with your mechanics, but that's understandable for someone new to the system. I'm not sure where you found so many stat points, because you spent 9 when you start at 5 and can only get a max of two extra. Additionally, you also have three edges, which is possible, but not if you put your hindrance points into attributes (1 human, 1 free that I gave you, 1 from hindrances). Also, I believe you made a mistake I've seen before with your skills. Skills don't start at a d4, they start at d4-2 which is called untrained. You have to spend 1 point to get them to a d4, 2 to a d6, etc. Plus each rank about the linked stat costs two.
Wow... Okay. So I suck at life. :D
No, thanks for that. So, I'll take a closer look at the PDF, but my (obviously incorrect) assumption was that all attributes start at d4, and raising them gives you a 1-for-1, so I started all at d4, then raised each to d6 (5 pts, I thought), then bought 4 points worth of Drawbacks, and used 4 pts to raise four of my five attributes to d8. I obviously misunderstood, so I will take another look and correct.
Thanks! I appreciate the help, as I've been wanting to play with this system.
All understandable mistakes from a first look at the rules. Attributes (Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, Vigor) do start at a d4, while skills (Shooting, Riding, etc) start at a d4-2. But it costs 2 hindrance points to buy one attribute point or one edge, while it only costs 1 to buy an extra skill point.
I do have a quick question about his backstory though. Are you sure you meant that his tribe was in Southwestern Mississippi? Because that's quite a distance from what the Dakota people lived. They usually would have been much further up river and the Sioux tribes are mostly focused around what would be the modern Dakota states.
I am happy to change that to whatever makes sense, but I got that information from https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/history-of-native-americans/history-of- mississippi-indians.htm
As for the stats, thanks for clarifying. I'll get them fixed and reposted soon. :)
Huh. The more you know. My knowledge of native tribes is hardly comprehensive, so I mostly go by what the books have. A lot of the natives are focused around the Sioux nations up north of the Coyote Confederation in Deadlands, but there are still certainly tribes other places, especially further west. So go with what you feel fits your character best.
I am definitely considering a pretty standard gunslinger because I adore gunslingers so much in this setting. Definitely thinking of what kind of Knack I want to have for this.
@ZenFox - If I remember correctly, Blessed do get access to the all-powerful Smite as well. I know the errata changes a lot of things for them though.
@TClegg: I'm assuming that his father was Union? Additionally, there's only one rail baron with much influence in the Maze because Kang deals with competition harshly. Is the assumption that she was taken by one of his lackies as a prize, or from someone wealthy from back east?
For his father I hadn’t decided. He would have been born 1858/1859, so before the North/South split. Thoughts?
I’m really trying to figure whether he’s found his sister yet (which why he tried to farm) or if he hasn’t, but just didnt want to pass up the opportunity to own land. If he had, it was a lackey that he rescued her from. If not, then it was most likely a wealthy person from back east which would be one of the biggest reasons he wanted help from Jackson so that he could understand the type of man/woman he was dealing with.
Alrighty, I have the crunch done for now, just working on the background. I'm envisioning a former Pinkerton who now freelances. Probably met Mr. Greenfield when he was acquiring about the history of properties and whatnot, investigated some strange rumors, made sure he got the best deal he could. It wouldn't be too hard for such a good investigator to come calling in.
Curious (Ma)
Ailin': Consumption (Mi)
Bad Eyes (Mi)
Edges:
Investigator
Knack: Born On Christmas
Stats:
Charisma: 0
Grit: 1
Pace: 6”
Parry: 5
Toughness: 5
Attributes:
Agility D6
Smarts D8
Spirit D6
Strength D6
Vigor D6
Skills:
Fighting D6
Shooting D4
Notice D6
Guts D6
Survival D4
Streetwise d8
Investigation d8
Persuasion: d4
Intimidate: d4
Lockpicking: d4
Combat:
Brass Knuckles (STR + d4, 1 WT.)
Derringer .41 (2d6, 5/10/20, 2 shots, AP 1, .5 WT.)
Colt Peacemaker .45 (2d6+1, 12/24/48, 6 shots, AP1 D.A., 2 WT.)
Winchester Lever-Action 12ga Shotgun (1-3d6, 12/24/48, 5 shot, +2 to Shooting, 4 WT.)
Gear:
Lockpicks
El Cheapo Horse
Lantern
Matches (100)
Gallon of Lantern Oil
Camera
Photographic Plate
Gun Belt
Quick Draw Holster
Shotgun Thong
Spectacles
Watch, Standard
10 .41 bullets
18 .45 bullets
20 12ga. shotgun shells
$34.47
So I finalized the crunch for Austin and he's definitely a sniper/dps guy, but I was wondering, for his would it be reasonable that he learned his hexslinging from Doc?
@TClegg: Honestly, either works in both circumstances. I think it's up to you which you think will work for your character. I kind of like the idea of someone from back east pressuring his sister into marriage to give a connection to Jackson in looking to find her.
@KingHotTrash: Seems like a solid concept.
@Fenris: He probably didn't learn the basics from Doc since Doc only takes a few students and doesn't travel as much anymore, but he certainly could have visited Doc in Arizona and gotten some tutoring to improve his abilities.
The rules for witches are mostly in Hell on Earth, but I have a tweaked version for Weird West that I'm down with you using.
Arcane Skill: Witchcraft (Smarts)
Power Points: 10
Starting Powers: 2
Backlash: When a witch rolls a 1 on her Witchcraft die (regardless of Wild Die), she is automatically Shaken.
Available Powers: Aim, Beast Friend, Blast, Bolt, Boost/Lower Trait, Charm, Curse, Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana, Disguise, Dispel, Divination, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Fear, Fly, Healing, Hunch, Invisibility, Light/Obscure, Mind Rider, Puppet, Slumber, Succor, Zombie
- How to Serve Your Man: A witch's spellbook is her life blood. A witch cannot take the New Power edge if she does not have her copy of How to Serve Your Man when she takes the advance. The book hasn't been widely circulated yet at this point in history, so obtaining a replacement for a lost or destroyed book can be quite tricky.
- Ingredients: A witch can use ingredients to increase her spell casting power. They can run the gamut from common baking ingredients to exotic spices and strange herbs. Anytime she casts a spell, she can opt to spend ingredients to reduce the cost of the power by one Power Point. A witch can completely pay off the cost of a power, assuming she has enough ingredients on hand. Once a witch uses an ingredient in this manner, it is completely consumed. She can carry a number of ingredients equal to her Smarts die and begins the game with a number equal to half her Smarts die. She can gather more ingredients by searching the wilderness for rare herbs and minerals or searching towns for exotic items for sale. This uses Survival in the wilderness and Streetwise in a reasonably sized town or city. A success finds one useful ingredient and a raise finds two.
My main concern would be that Jackson is specifically looking to bring along friends and trusted associated. While I think the theme of immigrants looking for a better life fits the setting perfectly, I think it would fit better if she's been in America for at least a little bit to have met Jackson before. Perhaps she works in Natchez somewhere and has met his family.
EDIT: It seems that you edited in a possible connection while I was typing this.
Wonderful! I've tweaked the witchcraft on the character appropriately. Also picked my eight languages. (That should probably get errata'd.)
Ach, it's taking me quite an effort to think of a nice background... Once done, I'll go with the mechanics.
No worries. You have at least until the end of the week and I'll likely extend until next week some time if it seems like a lot of people are in the middle of working on things.
Did some more detailed reading on languages and fixed that up.