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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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