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Homebrew Fantasy Game Project - The Rules Thread

Started by Wargamer, July 30, 2015, 07:20:49 PM

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Wargamer

Rules are tricky things to do. Who'd have guessed! :P

So while I beat my head against a wall to fix some of the glaring problems, here's some core ideas for you all:

D6 system.

Regiment based combat - regiments are five models wide and up to six ranks deep (less for cavalry, less again for specialist units).

Emphasis on Regimental abilities that players can "toggle" on and off. Certain units are objectively better vs certain kinds of opponent. Two sample ability concepts are:
Tetsudo - slows the unit down but makes them very hard to kill with ranged attack.
Phalanx - slows the unit down but makes it suicidal for cavalry to charge.

Related to the above - units can "brace" to receive a charge. Units cannot brace if in special formation, leading to rock-paper-scissors style play; shoot the guys who are too tough to charge, charge the guys who are too tough to shoot, do both to the guys who aren't decisive enough!

Charging is distinct from moving into combat. Generally speaking, you need to make a run move for it to count as a charge. This makes shock units like cavalry far less useful up close, because they don't have room to get a run up!

4 is the average stat value - normal Human soldiers move 4" and have 4 as their stat value.

"Weapon Skill" is an opposed stat (against enemy "Weapon Skill").
Strength is an opposed stat (against enemy Defence).
Units don't have a ranged stat - they simply have a to hit value listed on their profile.

Roll modifiers based on stats scale less rapidly than in Warhammer. For example, in Warhammer Str 4 needs a 5+ to wound T5 and a 6+ to wound T6. In this system, both of these would be 5+, with 6+ reserved for T7 or higher. The same is true in reverse.

Toying with the idea that units can be physically pushed back during melee combat. Not sure how to actually make it work in a way that would make it desirable to do so though.

Planned army composition will be something like this:


  • No more than 25% of the army can be Heroes.
  • At least 25% must be Common units.
  • The total spent on Uncommon and Rare units must not be more than 50% of the army total.
  • No more than 25% of the army can be Rare.

Heroes are bought as part of a unit. For example, you could choose to buy a basic cavalry regiment as either 4 cavalry + a Hero, or just 5 cavalry.

Certain parts of the army might be bought, yet not be physically on the table. Stuff like Priests of Wizards might be off-board and bought more as a limited use buff to your force, rather than marching into battle with the rest of the army.


Okay, that's it for the starting point! Once I have something resembling a playtest ruleset I'll post it!
I wrote a novel - Dreamscape: The Wanderer.. Available in paperback and pdf.

Quote from: Liberate the Warhammers
People who have no sense of Sportsmanship have NO PLACE designing any Gaming system

Narric

Quote from: Wargamer on July 30, 2015, 07:20:49 PM
Emphasis on Regimental abilities that players can "toggle" on and off. Certain units are objectively better vs certain kinds of opponent. Two sample ability concepts are:
Tetsudo - slows the unit down but makes them very hard to kill with ranged attack.
Phalanx - slows the unit down but makes it suicidal for cavalry to charge.
I like this. More specialised units could also have to stay in a certain formation by default?

Quote from: Wargamer on July 30, 2015, 07:20:49 PMToying with the idea that units can be physically pushed back during melee combat. Not sure how to actually make it work in a way that would make it desirable to do so though.
How about after combat resolution, if the losing side doesn't get routed, the winning side pushes D3"+1(if they have a musician). Some people may try and get more bodies on the field and forego a full command, for example.

Quote from: Wargamer on July 30, 2015, 07:20:49 PMCertain parts of the army might be bought, yet not be physically on the table. Stuff like Priests of Wizards might be off-board and bought more as a limited use buff to your force, rather than marching into battle with the rest of the army.
Makes sense. Both in 40k and Fantasy there weere units that, really, shouldn't have been on the field.