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Re: (TFT) Swords & Sails
On Mar 6, 2009, at 9:24 AM, Sgt Hulka wrote:
I received my copy of Space Gamer 24 I won on e-bay, which I was
interested in for its Ships & Swords article. I was slightly
disappointed that they didn't have actual sailing rules, but also
felt "validated" that it was really just a series of boarding
actions using cut-up hex sheets as deck plans, much as I had planned
to do with Heroscape tiles.
Sounds like fun!
More interesting to me, though, were the scenarios themselves. These
were published pre-TFT (using the rules for Melee alone), and were
all "historical light", somewhat like the sample combat between
Flavius and Wulf in Melee, but much bigger. The final scenario is
Ceasar's opposed landing on the sands of Britannia, and it uses 17
figures for the Roman side.
I was a little bit surprised to see the game being used the way
David O. Miller uses it, and the way I've been using it lately, as a
miniatures wargame skirmish system (the article's author even
recommended 1/72 scale plastic historical models to use in the
scenarios) instead of a man-to-man ultra tactical RPG system (like
the Death Test series and the other Microquests).
I've always felt that TFT is a better wargame skirmish rule set more
than it is a role playing game. Especially if each team can have
higher "level" fighters and wizards. I've experienced some of the best
games I've ever played using this system like that. And in a sense
Death Test and other Microquests are really nothing more than expanded
tactical, skirmish games with a DM. (Plus playing it as a skirmish
game sure beats keeping track of experience points huh?)
Are there more published scenarios like these that I've missed?
I'd be curious as well. What we need is to have someone gather all of
these TFT related articles in some format so we can archive them on
this site.
Finally, David O. Miller, relevant to your 3-D tiles rules, the
article includes a Roman Merchantman that has a raised cabin that's
accessible via a ladder. The simple(istic) rule the author suggested
was that anyone on the raised cabin couldn't attack anyone on the
deck except with thrown and missile weapons. It took a figure's
entire movement to go up or down the ladder, and figures higher on
the ladder were +1 to hit figures lower on the ladder. Oddly, I'm
not sure it's possible, using the rules provided in the article, to
even be on the ladder, so it's odd that they included that bonus.
And for the record I like your more complete rules better.
I'll assume you gave my rule set a spin then? Since we last spoke I've
been weighing the pros and cons of +1/-1 per level that you're higher/
lower vs a straight +2 higher/-2 lower rule. At the moment I'm still
leaning toward the way I have it written. I'd be curious how it's been
working for you. Even though I've used them extensively I still
consider my rules to be somewhat in the play testing phase.
When a figure is pushed off the deck into the water, or off the
cabin onto the deck below, it saves 3 dice versus Dex to drop prone
in its current hex, instead. If I remember correctly Advanced Melee
has its own rule that governs this sort of thing.
Finally, the article included an interesting "Leadership" rule to
govern morale. Whenever a side's leader falls (including getting
knocked down or slipping) all figures on his side must roll 3 dice
versus IQ. Those that fail may only defend until they succeed on a
save during the plotting phase. Those that roll a 17 or 18 panic,
dive off the ship, and are removed.
That's interesting. I was never a fan of morale rules in a player(s)
vs player(s) skirmish game. However in a player(s) vs DM game I could
see rules like this being utilized for the NPCs. I'll have to give
this some thought.
Thanks for posting. This was a great post, full of useful information!
Perhaps I'll have to track down that issue of Space Gamer as well.
David O. Miller
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