The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Awoo gathers back into a puddle, then suddenly geysers upwards, an appendage extending towards the metal heads. Their gun glorps out, gripped in a "hand" and they fire off a shot without warning.
Awoo blows the head of the nearest metal! 2 damage was all it took. Looks like this’ll be an easy fray. Something to get your edge back.
The sludge beneath Myo Onne trembles. That wasn’t the pistol, right? That wasn’t his bowels again… right? Hm, could be. Oh.
A giant metal head platform rears up on shaky, weather beaten legs. Parts of its hull are blasted away, revealing the skeleton inside.
What will you do?
—
Initiative time gang! It goes like this:
For this combat encounter only, I’ll do the rolling, otherwise I’ll let the point do it. Grab whatever result you wish, you don’t yet have any abilities that trigger due to what order you are in.
Enemies meanwhile, have fixed initiatives because the game is all about how you work around them.
Metal Mama - 7
Metal Heads - 6 (a1, then a2, and so on numerically)
Geth roll 2d6
Geth roll 2d6
Geth roll 2d6
Geth roll 2d6
You’ll all go before the enemy anyways, so this is a poorer example of why initiative is being done this way. It’s basically to give you an element of control over the turn order, so in future you might have a low Blood squaddie go last so you can cover them, or have the highest damage dealer go first, etc.
Awoo gathers back into a puddle, then suddenly geysers upwards, an appendage extending towards the metal heads. Their gun glorps out, gripped in a "hand" and they fire off a shot without warning.
"Then the decision is made!" Geon-Zo quickly grabs the pistol from its bandolier, and squeezes off a shot at the nearest metalhead before charging headlong down the crumbling embankment, belowing its distinctive battle challenge.
Action 1 to shoot A5 from surprise / height, action 2 to move towards A5 / A4.
With a snarling "let's do this," Pa'ew raises the banner
Is it weird when a biped leaps into the air, then hits the ground hands first? What if they just proceed to sprint on all fours like a leop- ...an orc. Orcs run on all fours sometimes.
Pa'ew charges forward, leaping down the slope and closing the distance with his squaddies ... and that thing.
(2 hexes due north of Geon-Zo, next to the big thing's face and two hexes due west of the cover south of A1)
Myo's head rocks forward and back momentarily; was it the motion of the bulk beneath it, or a nod of approval at the marksmanship on display?
In either case, it's not alone here on its new vantage point, and the banner has been raised. Myo stomps towards the closest little target and stabs at it with the tattered pike.
(Move 2 hexes east and 1 hex southeast, and then a melee spear attack [+1 to range!] at A1)
Geth, roll 2d6 for Team Spear-It
Team Spear-It:
2d68 [2d6=2, 6]
GNU Terry Pratchett
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
The pillar of Awoo falls down and about 30 tendrils and pseudopods quickly pull it forward towards the metal heads (3 hexes forward, ending up next to the dead A6), before extruding another appendage holding the gun and shooting at A4
“Intruder alert. Protect the facility.”, one says flatly.
It slides up against a rock and ducks. Its harder to hit this little tin can now.
The other wails in a warbling pitch, “Intruder! Barricade the doors! Ignite the interns! Sell! Sell!”
Then it slides through the slop and opens fire on Awoo Dor! Old school conker rounds, spiky bullets designed to rip things apart and get stuck in places they shouldn’t. Awoo, you take 1 damage! You got a ‘face’ full of spikes.
Geth roll 2d6 for Spray and Pray
Metal Mama
An aching metal on metal sound. The pop of a couple of legs lifting out of the mud, then a thunk as they pierce the ground.
She groans, then lifts the other two out and presses onwards. She’s moved 1 hex south. Pa’ew is now beneath Mama. Looking up, you can see she’s missing all her underside plating. The metal head ducking against cover is also beneath her.
Her twin guns swivel left and right, then settles on Geon-Zo! Her aim is off! The mud behind you is blasted up into a wave. The smell of years of layered crap floods your senses. Also you’re covered in mud now.
She’s going to try again. You can tell she has a one track mind.
The world is falling apart. Maybe it always has been, but that doesn’t seem right, even if you can’t imagine how it should look.
Beneath the grit, salt and crap your boots stomp on, there are other fragments. Some hang there. Others orbit, turn like meat on a spit, or are plummeting to a dark, dusty end.
One night, silently, you saw one brush against the horizon, a land moving like a bullet in slow motion. Black clouds rolled off if and by dawn you drank rain from a place you’ll never know.
It’s not common practise to look up. There are fragments there too. Beyond them at some undefinable distance shiny, chrome things sit at odd angles. Some say they hum, if you listen carefully. That they even speak. Those found transfixed, gesturing with limbs wide at the silvery shapes are unlike you. Out further still is a vast structure, a shattered ring, some starved mad prisoners once claimed, but it is too large for any to comprehend.
Round 2! The battle rhythm has begun! The beat of the ambient war drum, the world wanting death! Every attack has +1 to hit!
If Myo is at the edge of Mama, the gang won’t require the traverse action to get up. You can just move onto it adjacent to them. Because I like good ideas.
Once their turn arrives, Awoo is going to move two spaces northwest, then traverse to try and slither and slobber it's way up Mama's leg onto her face to the west of the cover (X)
Those are exquisite artisan hand drawn legs. Worth mentioning she needs them to move...
Geon-Zo whips through the mud, then pounces on the metal head huddled against the meagre cover! They squash it like a can against the rock. It’s down for the count, a slick black oil print above where it slumps.
At the same time, Awoo Dor crashes like a wave against Mama’s lumbering leg, then reforms and deforms until it is spread like butter across her top. It rises up and—could that be a wink?—gestures something to Myo.
The remaining metal head shudders, “Your video will start in 3 seconds!”
Rule Stuff
What’s the point of battle rhythm? Why bother?
With 7 being the most common roll on a 2d6, and DR being usually in a range of 5 to 9, attacks have around 50% chance to hit.
With added +1s from good positioning, you can give yourself better odds, but overall rolling to hit means you’re gonna miss at some point. I’ve found in D&D for example you can wind up with a missing streak that can get pretty bleak, and unfun.
So battle rhythm is to simulate increased accuracy as the battle settles in. You know your targets, where they are, they’re probably low on health now too, and so missing becomes less interesting. In addition, if fresh reinforcements arrive when it’s +5 battle rhythm, you’ll look at these guys in a completely different light than in other turn based games. They’re not more fodder, they’re a skilled strike squad you might even consider running from!
It incentivises you wanting to win, right now, or else.
Sheets of rain pound the mud, quickly forming puddles, pools, damn near lakes of liquid dirt. I’m gonna take that as your turns. I wasn’t certain about @Bursar but I think we all know how combat works, so let’s crank this up a notch and get us some loot and upgrades!
The last metal head stumbles backwards, then takes a shot at Pa’ew! Thats one step south-east, then a ranged attack.
Mama lurches stiffly, aware her main concerns are on top of her. A hatch springs clean off her side, and two missiles are fired consecutively into the air… they just keeps going, going… theyre gonna fall back right on top of her! She’s crazy! Just like you, there’s nothing stopping her attacking twice so long as she doesn’t need to reload!
It’s hard to tell with the rain kicking up so much mud… but you swear you saw something slick break the surface, a groggy pale eye flicking to and fro. Was there another, just over there?
Geth roll 2d6 for Spray and Pray
Geth roll 2d6 for Mama Missile 1 (Myo)
Geth roll 2d6 for Mama Missile 2 (Awoo)
The metal head plinks Pa’ew in the shoulder for 1 damage!
Both Mama’s missiles barely miss their targets, and blast through her rusted hull! Both Myo and Awoo are thrown 3 hexes south off her dead metal corpse!
Pa’ew! Roll morale! That’s a good old 2d6. You’re trying to beat the last metal head’s DR. If you succeed, pick one:
- It flees. Your reputation spreads.
- You execute it.
- It gives you what it thinks you want.
When Mama fired off the two missiles, Awoo froze for a second, utterly still. When they came back down and blasted through her, Awoo was thrown off and compacted into an almost rubbery sphere right before impact.
Oh I'd thought I'd missed and was asking if I could post-rolling add my Wrecking Die. When (as in when during the rolling process) can we declare Wrecking?
Myo rises from the ground; the impact was a lot softer than it could have been, but this muck will take forever to scour out. That's a concern for later, though.
It looks eastward, then back to Awoo, the point.
"Cission amomplished, boss. We skedoodlin'?"
GNU Terry Pratchett
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Posts
WD is 1d6 you can add to any roll. To hit something, the damage of the attack, or as part of a challenge.
If you do, that thing will always have collateral alongside the result.
The sludge beneath Myo Onne trembles. That wasn’t the pistol, right? That wasn’t his bowels again… right? Hm, could be. Oh.
A giant metal head platform rears up on shaky, weather beaten legs. Parts of its hull are blasted away, revealing the skeleton inside.
What will you do?
—
Initiative time gang! It goes like this:
For this combat encounter only, I’ll do the rolling, otherwise I’ll let the point do it. Grab whatever result you wish, you don’t yet have any abilities that trigger due to what order you are in.
Enemies meanwhile, have fixed initiatives because the game is all about how you work around them.
Metal Mama - 7
Metal Heads - 6 (a1, then a2, and so on numerically)
Geth roll 2d6
Geth roll 2d6
Geth roll 2d6
Grab your initiative!
9
8
7
7
You’ll all go before the enemy anyways, so this is a poorer example of why initiative is being done this way. It’s basically to give you an element of control over the turn order, so in future you might have a low Blood squaddie go last so you can cover them, or have the highest damage dealer go first, etc.
Aggressive posture. A family unit? Fortunately it is already within striking distance.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Pa'ew will take the 8.
(Question! Could the thing giant thing be meaningfully damaged or is it more of an environment to be managed?)
You can absolutely kill it! But the only requirement for this combat is to head east. The distance it is willing to chase you is as yet unknown.
The [x] is a form of cover, but upon inspection is a shoulder height radar looking thing. It probably likes having that.
"Then the decision is made!" Geon-Zo quickly grabs the pistol from its bandolier, and squeezes off a shot at the nearest metalhead before charging headlong down the crumbling embankment, belowing its distinctive battle challenge.
Action 1 to shoot A5 from surprise / height, action 2 to move towards A5 / A4.
Geth, roll 2d6+2 for Pistol shot 1
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Boom. Head shot. 1 damage inflicted… it falls into the mud. That weak, huh?
The next in line turns towards Geon-Zo, more from the sound than anything—it’s lens is coated in dried mud.
Darmak = Awoo Dor = sentient goop
Elvenshae = Geon-Zo = purple monster
Tox = Pa'ew = totally normal orc
Bursar = Myo = walking ARMOR
1 WD for being considerate and thoughtful. Very metal.
I’ll make a google doc for us right now.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17jpUo-Xw3O96WCHaSUhjFcvF7Lmgh2icZ5aDu8jspU8/edit
Is it weird when a biped leaps into the air, then hits the ground hands first? What if they just proceed to sprint on all fours like a leop- ...an orc. Orcs run on all fours sometimes.
Pa'ew charges forward, leaping down the slope and closing the distance with his squaddies ... and that thing.
(2 hexes due north of Geon-Zo, next to the big thing's face and two hexes due west of the cover south of A1)
In either case, it's not alone here on its new vantage point, and the banner has been raised. Myo stomps towards the closest little target and stabs at it with the tattered pike.
(Move 2 hexes east and 1 hex southeast, and then a melee spear attack [+1 to range!] at A1)
Geth, roll 2d6 for Team Spear-It
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Geth roll 2d6
Every shot hits and brings their targets down.
Metal Heads
“Intruder alert. Protect the facility.”, one says flatly.
It slides up against a rock and ducks. Its harder to hit this little tin can now.
The other wails in a warbling pitch, “Intruder! Barricade the doors! Ignite the interns! Sell! Sell!”
Then it slides through the slop and opens fire on Awoo Dor! Old school conker rounds, spiky bullets designed to rip things apart and get stuck in places they shouldn’t. Awoo, you take 1 damage! You got a ‘face’ full of spikes.
Geth roll 2d6 for Spray and Pray
Metal Mama
An aching metal on metal sound. The pop of a couple of legs lifting out of the mud, then a thunk as they pierce the ground.
She groans, then lifts the other two out and presses onwards. She’s moved 1 hex south. Pa’ew is now beneath Mama. Looking up, you can see she’s missing all her underside plating. The metal head ducking against cover is also beneath her.
Her twin guns swivel left and right, then settles on Geon-Zo! Her aim is off! The mud behind you is blasted up into a wave. The smell of years of layered crap floods your senses. Also you’re covered in mud now.
She’s going to try again. You can tell she has a one track mind.
Geth roll 2d6 for Pain Slugs
Round 2! The battle rhythm has begun! The beat of the ambient war drum, the world wanting death! Every attack has +1 to hit!
You’re shooting robots. What do you do now?
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Otherwise you’ll need to move + traverse.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Geon-Zo rushes underneath the bulk of the Mama Robot, and reaches out with a chitinous claw to grab at the nearest of the remaining metalheads.
Action 1 to move NE, NE, NE; Action 2 to melee attack with a FIST O' DOOM. Forgot the +1 from RHYTHM OF BATTLE, so 11 total. That hit?
Geth, roll 2d6 vs A2
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Geon-Zo whips through the mud, then pounces on the metal head huddled against the meagre cover! They squash it like a can against the rock. It’s down for the count, a slick black oil print above where it slumps.
At the same time, Awoo Dor crashes like a wave against Mama’s lumbering leg, then reforms and deforms until it is spread like butter across her top. It rises up and—could that be a wink?—gestures something to Myo.
The remaining metal head shudders, “Your video will start in 3 seconds!”
Rule Stuff
What’s the point of battle rhythm? Why bother?
With 7 being the most common roll on a 2d6, and DR being usually in a range of 5 to 9, attacks have around 50% chance to hit.
With added +1s from good positioning, you can give yourself better odds, but overall rolling to hit means you’re gonna miss at some point. I’ve found in D&D for example you can wind up with a missing streak that can get pretty bleak, and unfun.
So battle rhythm is to simulate increased accuracy as the battle settles in. You know your targets, where they are, they’re probably low on health now too, and so missing becomes less interesting. In addition, if fresh reinforcements arrive when it’s +5 battle rhythm, you’ll look at these guys in a completely different light than in other turn based games. They’re not more fodder, they’re a skilled strike squad you might even consider running from!
It incentivises you wanting to win, right now, or else.
Pa'ew moves adjacent to A3
The last metal head stumbles backwards, then takes a shot at Pa’ew! Thats one step south-east, then a ranged attack.
Mama lurches stiffly, aware her main concerns are on top of her. A hatch springs clean off her side, and two missiles are fired consecutively into the air… they just keeps going, going… theyre gonna fall back right on top of her! She’s crazy! Just like you, there’s nothing stopping her attacking twice so long as she doesn’t need to reload!
It’s hard to tell with the rain kicking up so much mud… but you swear you saw something slick break the surface, a groggy pale eye flicking to and fro. Was there another, just over there?
Geth roll 2d6 for Spray and Pray
Geth roll 2d6 for Mama Missile 1 (Myo)
Geth roll 2d6 for Mama Missile 2 (Awoo)
Both Mama’s missiles barely miss their targets, and blast through her rusted hull! Both Myo and Awoo are thrown 3 hexes south off her dead metal corpse!
Pa’ew! Roll morale! That’s a good old 2d6. You’re trying to beat the last metal head’s DR. If you succeed, pick one:
- It flees. Your reputation spreads.
- You execute it.
- It gives you what it thinks you want.
e: Can I Wreck it?
“Mama.”, it says in a monotone voice.
Wreck it. Gimmi a gnarly narration.
It looks eastward, then back to Awoo, the point.
"Cission amomplished, boss. We skedoodlin'?"
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1