New Erfworld Campaign - "Darkness Rising" - Rules

[MarbitChow]

I'm just pointing out that there are things that might reduce player micromanagement and yet increase GM workload if we're not careful when we build the new rules. What seems to work best so far is having a designated leader issuing commands for the entire battlefield (in a general sense, as well as a General sense), and letting individual players choose to follow or override those orders. Having a formal General and 2nd-in-command for full tactical decisions (in case the General goes AWOL IRL), and allowing players to control their own destiny & stack (overriding the general orders if they wish) seems like the right direction to aim for. Rules that streamline General's orders, and rules that limit what other PCs can do to influence or interpret those orders, might be all that we need to determine.

[Nnelg]

Hm... Well, I guess you're right about that much. Still only works if the players can agree on a commander, though. It's going to be harder for The New Batch, since we don't have a Chief Warlord (although, I guess Swodaems could arbitrate in that case).

But I still think "Moving in roughly the same direction" is a good way to define basic formations.

[Lord of Monies]

We do have a chief warlord. That would be Swodaems.

[Nnelg]

We do have a chief warlord. That would be Swodaems.

I meant within The New Batch.

[0beron]

We do have a chief warlord. That would be Swodaems.

I meant within The New Batch.

...there's only one Chief Warlord per side haha.
Or by that did you just meant that because Swod isn't actually WITH your group, there is no-one to have final say on orders? Because Marbit has clarified that all PCs have been "freed" and don't technically have to follow even the CWL's orders. Most of the main batch follows his orders by convention, but we also take our own initiative often as well.

[Nnelg]

Or by that did you just meant that because Swod isn't actually WITH your group, there is no-one to have final say on orders?

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. The New Batch doesn't even have a nominal leader.

[tigerusthegreat]

Or by that did you just meant that because Swod isn't actually WITH your group, there is no-one to have final say on orders?

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. The New Batch doesn't even have a nominal leader.

I vote for the only one with leadership

[tigerusthegreat]

What are your rules regarding multiple Player Characters per player? I know it has a likelihood of happening because of the New Batch and Old Batch having some overlap, but wasn't sure of your ideas.

[Werebiscuit]

I'll state right now that Anex will follow Regus's leadership orders (for story reasons) or issue orders of her own (in the absence of any from Regus and even though she has no "leadership" to back it up) with Nemo's orders ( the one tasked with forming a cohort by King Creperum) coming a poor 3rd.

I'll also let it be known that I'm willing to hand over the character to a new player, should we attract one.

[tigerusthegreat]

Do we need to state we search.the enemy dead for loot or is it automatic that we find anything of note they have?

[MarbitChow]

Do we need to state we search.the enemy dead for loot or is it automatic that we find anything of note they have?

It's automatic.

[Nnelg]

So, Marbit, could you perhaps include some ways for non-casters to potentially capture an enemy unit?

At the very least, a net item of some sort. Like so:


Small Net (Lesser Accessory)
A Small Net may be used as an action; this consumes the Small Net.
Target an adjacent, non-heavy, single-tile unit. User must roll 2d6 greater than (enemy's combat + enemy's hits + 3 if dodging) - user's combat. (Automatically succeeds against Stunned, Calmed, Incapacitated, and Immobilized targets.)
If successful, the target becomes Netted.


New Status Effect: Netted
Netted units are considered Incapacitated as long as they remain netted. A unit may be un-Netted if another unit spends an entire round adjacent without doing anything else or being attacked. Multiple units may attempt to free a unit simultainiously.
A Netted unit is also freed when an adjacent unit Strikes it or it is hit by any sort of fire (as in combustion) attack. However, the unit still takes damage from this attack at defence 0.


So, there's your most basic version of a net. More advanced versions (requiring higher level crafting spells) might provide a bonus on the capture roll, be usible on heavy and/or multi-tile units, be reuseable or even useable at range.

[0beron]

Needs some tweaking in my opinion, but in principle I like the idea. More comments later when I have time (unless Marbit beats me to it)

[Nnelg]

Just remember: this is a one-use item. And as such, the odds of it working against a weakened unit need be high if it's going to be worthwhile.

Right now, using the net against another unit with the same combat and 7 hits has a 41.7% chance of success (8.3% if the target's dodging). If anything, the odds could use a bit of a boost.

[MarbitChow]

I think it might be easier to have normal nets work against Calmed, Stunned, or Subdued units, or units that voluntarily enter the net. The net would just add an "Incapacitated" status effect to the unit as long as the net is in place, and thus allow the unit to be transported by the existing carry rules.

We would also add Subdue options to Attack and Strike, in which the units hit with the pommel or shaft of the weapon. Track Subdue damage distinct from regular, and if Subdue damage > Current Hits, target is Subdued. Subdued units automatically delay their move and action (unlike calmed, which just delay their move).

Subduing a unit would take it out, but leadership bonuses (for example) would keep being applied until the unit was netted.

If all remaining units on a side are Calmed or Subdued, they all surrender.

[Exate]

Make sure that there's some reason people wouldn't use Subdue attacks all the time- less damage, flat failure chance, anything that would make it disadvantageous so that people don't run around constantly subduing all opponents in any battle they expect to win so that they can turn or precision-execute them.

[MarbitChow]

Make sure that there's some reason people wouldn't use Subdue attacks all the time- less damage, flat failure chance, anything that would make it disadvantageous so that people don't run around constantly subduing all opponents in any battle they expect to win so that they can turn or precision-execute them.

Good call. Some options:

* Subdue does 2/3rds damage of a normal attack
* Units heal some Subdue damage damage each round (3/Level?)
* Warded units can't take Subdue damage
* Striking to Subdue halves your defense
* Any Heal also removes all Subdue damage

I think some combination of the above would work, but I also don't want to make it too hard to Subdue, either. Thoughts?

[CroverusRaven]

Make sure that there's some reason people wouldn't use Subdue attacks all the time- less damage, flat failure chance, anything that would make it disadvantageous so that people don't run around constantly subduing all opponents in any battle they expect to win so that they can turn or precision-execute them.

Good call. Some options:

* Subdue does 2/3rds damage of a normal attack
* Units heal some Subdue damage damage each round (3/Level?)
* Warded units can't take Subdue damage
* Striking to Subdue halves your defense
* Any Heal also removes all Subdue damage

I think some combination of the above would work, but I also don't want to make it too hard to Subdue, either. Thoughts?

I like the ones I bolded

Edit: Realized my color make sit hard to read the bold. I like it doing less dmg, warded units being immune to subdue dmg, and Any heal removes all subdual damage.

[Nnelg]

How about have subduing be a pure pass/fail thing, so if you fail to subdue your target you do no damage at all?

And instead of damage adjustment, how about just rolling 1d6 on the attack, instead of 2d6?

[0beron]

I think it works perfectly fine the way it is now Nnelg. I would tweak it to half damage just for ease though. So in summary, it would work like this:

Make a normal attack roll against the target. If the attack hits, the target takes half of the damage that would have been done (minimum 1) as Fatigue. When a unit's Fatigue exceeds it's current Hits, it is Subdued. Subdued units can then be Netted and Captured, and when all remaining units on a side are Subdued or Calmed, they Surrender.
Exeptions: Warded units are immune to Fatigue, and any form of healing immediately cures all Fatigue.

This means people are not gonna be doing Subdue all the time. They're only gonna risk it when a valuable unit they want is already at low Hits.
The only question left to answer is whether Fire attacks can do this too. I think Marbit's post suggested that they can't, though I could see arguments in either direction so I just wanna make sure.