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| | Equally, sometimes you want models to be represent faceless minions who are there for more competent warriors to cut down, and who are only dangerous en masse. | | Equally, sometimes you want models to be represent faceless minions who are there for more competent warriors to cut down, and who are only dangerous en masse. |
| | A mini can be treated as being a "mook" if the scenario directs this. This gives it -2 Hit Points, and any attack roll made by a mook that rolls an odd number automatically misses. | | A mini can be treated as being a "mook" if the scenario directs this. This gives it -2 Hit Points, and any attack roll made by a mook that rolls an odd number automatically misses. |
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| − | ===In Media Res===
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| − | In this variant, remove start areas, and instead mark a number of squares in the Arena equal to the number of minis in play. These squares should be spread across the arena, but some of them should be clumped to be adjacent to each other.
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| − | Then, each player takes turns deploying a mini, and can deploy either one of his own minis or one of his opponent's!
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| − | This is a good way of creating a scenario that is already in the thick of the action, and gels well with otherwise simple scenario goals (such as fights to the death).
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| | ==Variant Objectives== | | ==Variant Objectives== |
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| | <br>Just in case there's no forced movement effects, its a good idea to have the central area have a feature that contains a controllable forced movement effect. Maybe a kinetic cannon emplacement that knocks back targets at huge ranges when a gunner takes place. Maybe a series of levers that cause board sections to crumble and disappear. | | <br>Just in case there's no forced movement effects, its a good idea to have the central area have a feature that contains a controllable forced movement effect. Maybe a kinetic cannon emplacement that knocks back targets at huge ranges when a gunner takes place. Maybe a series of levers that cause board sections to crumble and disappear. |
| | ===Ring of Fire=== | | ===Ring of Fire=== |
| − | | + | <br>In this set up, the starting areas are at the periphery. As the game progresses, a by round or random effect causes outer sections of the board to become terminally hazardous or undesirable. For example, a closing ring of fire that burns instantly, or a creeping cloud of poison gas that wounds anyone in it. You can play around with different concepts that have the same effect as well. Maybe there are a series of burning torches across the arena, which go out from the periphery inwards, and anyone not within five squares of one has a 1 in 3 chance of being eaten by a grue! |
| − | In this set up, the starting areas are at the periphery. As the game progresses, a by round or random effect causes outer sections of the board to become terminally hazardous or undesirable. For example, a closing ring of fire that burns instantly, or a creeping cloud of poison gas that wounds anyone in it. You can play around with different concepts that have the same effect as well. Maybe there are a series of burning torches across the arena, which go out from the periphery inwards, and anyone not within five squares of one has a 1 in 3 chance of being eaten by a grue! | |
| | <br>The key here is that this layout is defined by the outer areas being dangerous, rather than the inner areas being desirable. Indeed, you can introduce a risk-reward element by having the most beneficial features be on the outside! | | <br>The key here is that this layout is defined by the outer areas being dangerous, rather than the inner areas being desirable. Indeed, you can introduce a risk-reward element by having the most beneficial features be on the outside! |
| | ===Rescue the Prisoners=== | | ===Rescue the Prisoners=== |
| − | | + | <br>In this set up, the warbands start with greatly diminished numbers, and must take action to get the rest of their warband into play. There should be opportunities to kill other people's warband members before they can get them too! |
| − | In this set up, the warbands start with greatly diminished numbers, and must take action to get the rest of their warband into play. There should be opportunities to kill other people's warband members before they can get them too! | |
| | <br>For example, consider an arena with a series of locked cells, each containing a couple of figures from the same warband. The door could be opened simply by pulling a lever outside it. If its your guys doing it, thats grand, you've expanded your warband! If its the enemy, they could slaughter your men before you can reach them! | | <br>For example, consider an arena with a series of locked cells, each containing a couple of figures from the same warband. The door could be opened simply by pulling a lever outside it. If its your guys doing it, thats grand, you've expanded your warband! If its the enemy, they could slaughter your men before you can reach them! |
| | ===Reunion=== | | ===Reunion=== |
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| | Similar to rescue the prisoners above, except the warband is divided into multiple groups, that basically need to rescue each other! A simple two player set up would be four square rooms, set in a square pattern and linked by corridors. Each warband would then be split in half, over opposite corner rooms. | | Similar to rescue the prisoners above, except the warband is divided into multiple groups, that basically need to rescue each other! A simple two player set up would be four square rooms, set in a square pattern and linked by corridors. Each warband would then be split in half, over opposite corner rooms. |
| − | | + | <br>The key to success here, clearly, is to move fast and unite the two halves of your warband! |
| − | The key to success here, clearly, is to move fast and unite the two halves of your warband! | |
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| − | An interesting variant approach to the above would be to use one-way portals (see below) to create a single direction of flow to the scenario. This then forces players to think about whether they want both their teams moving forward, or if they want to keep one force still so the other can catch it up!
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| | =Doors, walls, cover and transport points= | | =Doors, walls, cover and transport points= |
| | ==Doors== | | ==Doors== |
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| | <br>An interesting setup might be to have such fences be all that divides two adjacent starting areas. | | <br>An interesting setup might be to have such fences be all that divides two adjacent starting areas. |
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| − | ==Cover==
| + | =Obstacles, hazards, traps and monsters= |
| − | In the basic rules, there are empty spaces, and there are filled spaces. The former can be moved into freely and do not block LOS, and the latter can't be entered, and do block LOS. The following rules add an additional layer of complication. Be careful with how you use cover rules in scenarios, as having too much cover near starting areas encourages entrenching there rather than dynamic movement.
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| − | ===Obstacles that only partially block shooting===
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| − | For example, a fence that can be seen through but not moved through, a low barricade that can be climbed over but which protects against arrows.
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| − | As a good rule of thumb, these defences inflict a -1 penalty on attack rolls made through them. This can be negated by the attacked being adjacent to them (as if he is stood by a barricade, it doesn't get in his line of fire). Likewise, you might rule that cover that can be ducked behind gives double benefit (-2 penalty to attacks) for those adjacent to it against ranged attacks originating from squares not adjacent to the barricade.
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| − | ===Obstacles that interfere with vision===
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| − | For example, a cloud of mist or low-light conditions.
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| − | These could have no effect on melee, but protect against long range attacks. Determine a minimum number of squares distance where these conditions count as cover, and beyond this range give a -1 penalty to attack rolls.
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| − | ==Portals==
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| − | In game terms, a portal is something that moves you from one part of a map to another. These could be squares that when you move onto teleport you to a matching square, or doorways that when stepped through move you somewhere else. Some things to consider:
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| − | ===One Way Portals===
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| − | These are a great way of moving the game away from the starting area, and shrinking travel times across the map. A series of one way portals could also create a "direction of flow" and create interesting tactical decisions.
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| − | ===Random Portals===
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| − | These move you to one of several random locations rather than to a fixed place. A forced random portal at the start of the game could be a great way of encouraging movement, as players will be keen to re-unite their warbands.
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| − | ===Forced Portals===
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| − | Likewise, effects that an opponent can trigger to move your figures are a great way to discourage slow turtling. Consider, for example, a summoning circle that if you put three figures next to you can summon an enemy figure into... That'd be a resource that every player wants to reach quickly!
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| − | =Obstacles=
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| − | Obstacles are things that get in the way of movement and line of sight. Walls and doors are obstacles, of course, as are other minis. This section expands on this idea:
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| − | ==Movable Blocks==
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| − | An interesting variant is to have blocks that can be moved around, to make the battlefield more dynamic.
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| − | Blocks that move from triggers on the map might include sliding wall sections that move with lever pulls, boulders that roll when a pressure plate is triggered, or blocks that slide towards or away from the nearest mini.
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| − | You could also have directly-movable blocks: perhaps heavy crates that can be pushed or pulled. Rather than have a movement point cost to move these its recommended you have a player use his "hand activations" to move it a fixed number of spaces. This avoids having the less believable scenario of an unarmoured elf being able to move a block quicker than a dwarf in fullplate!
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| − | ==Water==
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| − | Shallow water that needs to be waded through could double movement point costs for movement only, while unaffecting attacks. Also, you could say that someone wading has -1 Defence Value.
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| − | Deep water that needs to be swum through could have a more dramatic effect: maybe triple movement point costs, no ability to use attacks, and -2 Defence Value. You could also force a test each turn to avoid drowning: maybe roll a D6, and if it is equal to or greater than the target's movement value, they lose a HP!
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| − | ==Pits==
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| − | A dungeon classic, the pit is represented on the arena as a marked area that you can fall into and take damage.
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| − | Generally speaking it should be possible to jump over pits. A good way to do this is to introduce a jump rule: allow a move straight forward of 2 squares for 3 Movement Points, which avoids stepping on the intervening square, and which lands with the same facing. The reason for making this 3 MP rather than 2 MP is to stop people using jump moves for outflanking: 3 MP is the same it would cost to move up and past a nearby mini.
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| − | Moving within the pit would be normal movement, but climbing out of a pit to an adjacent square should be double normal movement cost. Its also worth ruling that minis in a pit can't draw LOS out of the pit except to squares adjacent to the edge, and that they can't make melee attacks out of the pit. Also, characters in pits shouldn't increase the MP cost of actions taken by adjacent players outside the pit.
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| − | To avoid unscrupulous players using "hidey hole" tactics, its worth saying that the opposite isn't true. This might be a little unrealistic, but it keeps the idea that pits are a bad place to be.
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| − | Its unlikely anyone would voluntarily step into a pit. Instead, consider the weapons and spells that include forced movement effects. Its worth noting that to put a player in a pit, you usually need to end the forced movement on a pit. Any movement "along the way" should be considered to be airborne.
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| − | If a mini falls into a pit, it should suffer for doing so.
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| − | ===Pit Types===
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| − | A "standard pit" might be considered to have a hard stone floor after a drop of ten feet or so. Represent this by having a mini that falls in automatically lose 1 HP, with no roll required. The fixed damage from falling in means that heavy armoured characters are just as prone to gravity as unarmoured ones!
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| − | A "spiked pit" has some sort of extra damage inherent in it. A good way to approach this is to have the fall in still do 1HP, but then have the spikes make an "attack" against anyone who falls in, potentially doing another HP damage. This makes heavy armour a decent protection against pit spikes, though the fall itself might cause damage.
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| − | An "instant kill pit" simply takes out of action anyone who falls into it. This might represent the classic bottomless pit, or a pit filled with lava, or scorpions. Instant kill pits are a fun thing to put at the edge of the arena, to discourage players from hugging those edges.
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| − | ==Forced Movement Obstacles==
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| − | A goo
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| − | =Hazards and traps=
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| − | =Non Player Characters=
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| | =Environmental effects= | | =Environmental effects= |
| | =Power ups, buffs and debuffs= | | =Power ups, buffs and debuffs= |
