Re: Differences

[PvK <pvk@oz.net>]

There is an index in ITL but not in basic Melee/Wizard.

Skull & Crossbones are on the backs of the counters, the intention being to flip them when a figure is "dead", and use "prone" counters when they're just fallen but still moving. I don't like them, as we always have flipped counters when fallen or kneeling, and because often times even unmoving people are not dead, and/or are not humanoid (the animals have the same image - the 7-hex dragon has two LOL).

There is/was a Stop spell in original TFT, yes.

There are some adjustments to DT 1/2 and TL opponents to take into account changes in the new rules, though most are largely the same as before.

These are BETA PDFs for proofreading input, and are coming out a few items at a time.


Other things changed in basic Melee/Wizard:

Nice (IMO) adjustments to the rules for getting over fallen bodies. You only have to roll 3/DX or fall if you are wanting to move in/through them for 1 MA. You can spend 3 MA to enter carefully or jump to the far side without a DX roll. And they formally count as rough terrain for a -2 DX penalty when standing on top of a body.

Cutlass is replaced with a 2d-2 saber. Cloth and half plate are listed in Melee.

Half Plate is "only" -4 DX and Plate is "only" -5 DX.

Improving your arena character is 100 XP per point, but to a maximum of 8 extra points. Then you're told to consult ITL, where you find improvement costs much much more XP after the first point.

Missile spells can only be powered up to 3 ST, though fireballs and fists do minimum damage equal to the ST put into the spell.

Unconscious happens at 0 ST and death at -1 ST. This seemed like a weird little change in basic Melee/Wizard, but the new ITL death rules have it that you're just "about to die" once you go below 0 ST, and a physicker or healing potion (or Wish or whatever might heal you) can keep you from actually dying if you apply it right away. FWIW I like that, especially because THERE'S NO HEALING SPELL IN ITL after all - I for one am delighted by that and crossing my fingers it's not an oversight.

Standing up now occurs at the end of the action phase of the turn after you fell down (IMO, good).

Attempting to initiate HTH is now like AM: Unengaged figures can try it during movement. Engaged figures try it as an action.

The only really shocking change to me is that wizards can attack with their staff using an IQ roll rather than a DX roll... it's now an "occult" non-physical attack. Sigh. ITL makes it even worse with five levels of upgradable Staff spells, which add not just a Mana (more fST) stat, but progressively add wicked staff attack abilities where it goes to DX +3 or IQ +3 to hit, then auto-hits, gets a 2-hex range, becomes a free ability that happens even while you do anything else, bypasses armor, goes to 1d+2. I'm not liking any of those abilities, especially not as staff powers that require no fST to use, and no spell learning points (except the time to update your Staff spell version).

There might be some changes I'm forgetting in basic Melee/Wizard.

There are quite a few changes in the new ITL, which I haven't read all of. Quite a few new spells, mostly non-combat spells. Scrying, Breathe Fire, a vanity glamour spell, cleaning, food, the new staff "spells", a few I like, some I don't, especially not the Regeneration spell that can let you eventually regrow your severed limbs... sigh. The -4 DX to cast spells from memory when not a wizard seems to have quietly vanished. There's a new rule for Contests, which is now used for getting Wishes, and the IQ of demons has dropped to 9 and 11 so it's not so suicidal to coerce wishes, and there is a Lesser Wish you can get from a Lesser Demon. The XP system is reworked. There is no 40 point cap but there is a steep increase in XP costs such that it's hard to go that high. Standard units rather than metric, and the size of Dran shrunk by 40% since the hexes are now 5 miles instead of 12.5 km. I do really like several of the new adjustments, and most things are the same. Still reading and digesting...

PvK