Hey everyone,
Starting question, unrelated to everything else: If a 12 DX archer
and 11 DX spearman are facing off, how can the spearman dodge? does
his dodge from one turn carry over to the next, allowing him to
dodge after being shot the first round to dodge the second round, or
is he incapable of dodging?
Anyway:
So I've been continuing my work on the semi-steampunk game, and
things have gone well.... guns really are fitting in well, to tell
the truth. One slight exception is the repeating rifle, but its
restrictions mean that it is more or less like a fast shooting
crossbow. I'm thinking of lowering damage or accuracy, but to tell
the truth the weapon isn't so effective that it trumps all other
weapons (it IS a very strong alternative to bows and crossbows,
though...), as a lone fellow with a winchester will still usually
get killed by the lone, axe-wielding barbarian.
Ultimately it is a good weapon for somebody devoted to guns but
someone just picking it up will be too inaccurate for it to be
effective.... while someone equally devoted to bows would find a
longbow as a better weapon. Even so, I may reduce damage to 2+1,
which kinda makes sense, as these weapons weren't much more powerful
than a pistol, just more accurate at longer ranges. On the other
hand, guns can't be bought everywhere and are expensive, so maybe in
the campaign their use will be kept down anyway, as bows and swords
are much less expensive for their bang and can be found in any town
regardless of ruler.
The real reason I'm sending this is to discuss another part of this
setting (well, sorta) that wasn't discussed in the last string of
emails: Models
After a quick search, I found a couple of things:
1) the idea of using Heroscape for 3d hex maps, particularly to use
with models.
2) People mostly used 28mm with those maps.
3) People don't make mixed medieval, steam punk, western, and
victorian models (as in, individuals containing all elements of all
or some of these)
Despite 3, I bought heroscape for the hexes. After a quick
examination I realized that 28mm models would be too small for TFT's
1 1/3 meter hexes, as the 28mm models that came with heroscape (as
well as a few that I own) took up only about 2/3 of the hexes,
making them about 3 feet tall.... not really appropriate for Gragnar
the Tall. Instead, I found that (surprise surprise) the best
'models' were Playmobils!
This is for two reasons:
1) Variety. Playmobils are sold as knights, cowboys, victorian era
people, pirates, etc. These can easily be mixed and matched (take
the revolver and give him to the victorian fellow, put a
knight's helmet on him, and give him a pirate's sword) which is
perfect for what I'm doing.
2) Scale. The Playmobil are about 6 feet tall (depending on how you
measure the hex, which could range the height from 5' 8" to 6' 6")
which, though a bit tall for a medieval peasant, is just
fine for models.
I played some simple games (some using the guns that I've made up),
although all were massacres... the revolver got a double damage on
the Mage, the heavily armored Purple Dragons were able to take the
very mixed speed Rebels with astounding ease (the fast guy got there
and died, then the medium guy gets there and dies, then the slow guy
gets there and dies... no teamwork), and the axe-and-chainmail
mercenary had a ferociously powerful charge on the Purple Dragon
with a Crossbow.
Tomorrow I shall post some pictures to show what the playmobil
warriors look like on their oddly hexagonal battlefields...
Obviously, using these easy to connect 3d hex maps opens up many
possibilities.... much larger battles can be portrayed, and hills
and other terrain are much easier to make on the spot. Of course, I
have to adapt.... no more Megahex range rules, instead 3 hexes=
megahex for range purposes. Using models is a necessity with such
nice terrain, and it feels kinda interesting that the cartoony
children's toy was my best choice for a model. I'm actually getting
to like the way these little fellows look.....
=====
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