grandexperiment (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} grandexperiment) wrote,@ 2009-06-12 11:01:00 |
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Dragonlance SAGA House Rules
In preparation for the upcoming DL Saga game called Chaos War, I have finalised my house rules. Overall, I like the DL Saga system. Its a little warty in places and recent design developments really help to fill it out.
I went in trying to not to add house rules unless they resolved some specific problem (rather than based on my preference). I also looked for solutions in line with the existing rules that allowed the existing books and stats to be used without alteration.
I note that some of these house rules are actually just simplifications of existing rules, such as Roles, Mass Combat, Surprise and elements of the Combat Movement.
Anyway, here there are:
1. Presence Codes:
A: Two Allies (one powerful), One Enemy
B: Two Allies, One Enemy
C: One Ally, One Enemy
D: One Ally, Two Enemies
X: One Ally, Two Enemies (one powerful)
2. Perception Codes:
A: The PC may make an additional Change Range action for himself/herself only, in addition Scout's Change Range action
B: Treat a Range of 5 Bands as Visual (i.e. increase Perception range)
C: Normal
D: Treat a Range of 4 Bands as Out of Range (i.e. decrease Perception range)
X: The PC may not be moved by the Scout's Change Range action
3. Martial Expertise:
Agility Code (Shields)
A: Very Heavy Shields or may wield a L melee weapon in off hand adding its damage to your melee attack
B: Heavy Shields or may wield a VL melee weapon in off hand adding its damage to your melee attack
Dexterity Code (Ranged)
A: Very Heavy Missile Weapons or may use Str v End for L and M thrown weapons
B: Heavy Missile Weapons or may use Str v End for VL thrown weapons
Strength Code (Melee)
A: Very Heavy Melee Weapons or may use Dex v Agi for L melee weapons
B: Heavy Melee Weapons or may use Dex v Agi for VL melee weapons
Endurance Code (Armour)
A: Very Heavy Armour or may use Agi v Dex when wearing L armour to avoid melee attacks
B: Heavy Armour or may use Agi v Dex when wearing VL armour to avoid melee attacks
4. Auto-trumps:
Auto-trumps are replaced with double trumps. They allow you to trump on the suit or sister suit (suits of the same colour) on certain actions. If you have two double trumps applying to the same action, them you trump on any of the 4 suits of that type i.e. physical or mental.
5. Roles:
Players may choose a role that best described his or her PC. Each role grants a double trump to one action that personifies that role. Also, each role has one action that is anathema to it which the PC may not use any trumps for.
6. Difficulties:
V. Easy: 2
Easy: 4
Average: 6
Hard: 8
V. Hard: 10
Legendary: 12
Impossible: 14
Unopposed: +5
Opposed: +Attribute
7. Magic:
The difficulty for a spell is calculated as normal with the following changes:
1. Reduce each spell category by 1.
2. For an unopposed spell, add 5 and for an opposed spell add the Attribute, just like normal difficulties.
3. The difficulty may be reduced by 2 for each Sphere beyond the first that the PC can properly apply to a spell.
8. Damage:
A PC adds one third (rounded down) of their StTrength for a melee attak or Agility for a ranged attack to Damage. Likewise, a PC adds one third (rounded down) of their Endurance to Defence.
For NPCs, use the following guidelines for Damage and Defence ratings:
Damage:
VL or L (for the NPC): Up to 1/3 of Physique
M: Between 1/3 and 2/3 of Physique
H or VH: Over 2/3 of, but not greater than, Physique
Defence:
Defence ratings use the same scale as for Damage but are halved.
In addition, the value of any card drawn from the Fate Deck due to a trump is also added to the damage of the attack.
9. Mass Combat:
When facing opponents with a Physique of 10 or greater, combatants may form groups. These groups must not have a combined Strength or Endurance (including any bonuses from magic items etc) greater than the largest single Physique of all combatants. A group lasts until the start of that side’s next turn
To form a group, a person must make a Presence action against a difficulty equal to twice the number of combatants in the group. If failed, no further attempt may be made that turn to form a group with those combatants.
Once formed, the group attacks and defends with the combined Strength and Endurance scores of all members of the group. The group’s damage is equal to the total of the group’s Strength bonus to damage, plus the weapon with the highest damage rating.
In defence, the group may utilise the armour with the highest defence rating and then may spread the damage amongst all members of the group in any manner.
10. Combat Movement:
i. Ranges:
0 Bands = Melee or Personal
1 Band = Near Missile
2 Bands = Far Missile
3 Bands = Artillery
4 Bands = Visual*
5 Bands = Out of Range**
* If Perception Code D or X, treat as Out of Range
** If Perception Code A or B, treat as Visual
ii. Leader and Scout
Each side has a Leader and a Scout. Unless assigned otherwise:
1. The PC with the highest Presence score is the Leader.
2. The PC with the highest Perception score is the Scout.
iii. Starting Range
The Scout may make a Change Range and Maintain Range actions as normal. Both actions are Perception vs Perception.
If Perception Code A, the PC may take an additional Change Range action that benefits only him or her. If Perception Code X, the PC may benefit from the Scout's Change Range action.
If a Mishap occurs, the other side is granted Surprise.
iv. Surprise
If one side is attempting to ambush the other, the Scouts may engage in a Gain Surprise or Avoid Surprise action. Gain Surprise is Agility vs Perception. Avoid Surprise is Perception vs Agility. Every person on the side that gains surprise may either make a Manoeuvre or an Attack for free before combat starts.
v. Manoeuvring
Before your PC’s turn, you may make a Manoeuvre the Range action to do one of the following:
1. Move your PC by one Band, resisted by the opposing NPC’s Leader – Agility vs Presence
2. Move an NPC by one Band, resisted by that NPC – Presence vs Agility
3. The Leader may move, along with all PCs in his or her Band that haven't taken a Manoeuvre the Range action, one Band, resisted by the NPC's Leader – Presence vs Presence
Before an NPC’s turn, the NPCs may try to manoeuvre to do one of the following:
1. Move one NPC by one Band, resisted by the PC’s Leader with a Resist the Manoeuvre action - Presence vs Agility
2. Move a PC by one Band, resisted by the PC with a Resist the Manoeuvre action - Agility vs Presence
3. The NPC’s Leader may move, along with all NPCs in his or her Band that haven't manoeuvred, one Band, resisted by the PC’s Leader with a Resist the Manoeuvre action – Presence vs Presence
If a Mishap occurs, the PC or NPC resisting may move the PC(s) or NPC(s) one Band instead.
A PC or NPC may not move more than one Band during either the PC’s or NPC's turn.
If a side is reduced to one person, then that person uses Agility for all Manoeuvre the Range and Resist the Manoeuvre actions.
A person may attempt to enter into Personal Range with an opponent in the same Band. This is a Manoeuvre the Range action or a Resist the Manoeuvre action against that person and both sides may choose either Strength or Agility. Once in Personal Range only VL melee weapons or light may be used and the only Manouevre possible is against the opponent.
In preparation for the upcoming DL Saga game called Chaos War, I have finalised my house rules. Overall, I like the DL Saga system. Its a little warty in places and recent design developments really help to fill it out.
I went in trying to not to add house rules unless they resolved some specific problem (rather than based on my preference). I also looked for solutions in line with the existing rules that allowed the existing books and stats to be used without alteration.
I note that some of these house rules are actually just simplifications of existing rules, such as Roles, Mass Combat, Surprise and elements of the Combat Movement.
Anyway, here there are:
1. Presence Codes:
A: Two Allies (one powerful), One Enemy
B: Two Allies, One Enemy
C: One Ally, One Enemy
D: One Ally, Two Enemies
X: One Ally, Two Enemies (one powerful)
2. Perception Codes:
A: The PC may make an additional Change Range action for himself/herself only, in addition Scout's Change Range action
B: Treat a Range of 5 Bands as Visual (i.e. increase Perception range)
C: Normal
D: Treat a Range of 4 Bands as Out of Range (i.e. decrease Perception range)
X: The PC may not be moved by the Scout's Change Range action
3. Martial Expertise:
Agility Code (Shields)
A: Very Heavy Shields or may wield a L melee weapon in off hand adding its damage to your melee attack
B: Heavy Shields or may wield a VL melee weapon in off hand adding its damage to your melee attack
Dexterity Code (Ranged)
A: Very Heavy Missile Weapons or may use Str v End for L and M thrown weapons
B: Heavy Missile Weapons or may use Str v End for VL thrown weapons
Strength Code (Melee)
A: Very Heavy Melee Weapons or may use Dex v Agi for L melee weapons
B: Heavy Melee Weapons or may use Dex v Agi for VL melee weapons
Endurance Code (Armour)
A: Very Heavy Armour or may use Agi v Dex when wearing L armour to avoid melee attacks
B: Heavy Armour or may use Agi v Dex when wearing VL armour to avoid melee attacks
4. Auto-trumps:
Auto-trumps are replaced with double trumps. They allow you to trump on the suit or sister suit (suits of the same colour) on certain actions. If you have two double trumps applying to the same action, them you trump on any of the 4 suits of that type i.e. physical or mental.
5. Roles:
Players may choose a role that best described his or her PC. Each role grants a double trump to one action that personifies that role. Also, each role has one action that is anathema to it which the PC may not use any trumps for.
6. Difficulties:
V. Easy: 2
Easy: 4
Average: 6
Hard: 8
V. Hard: 10
Legendary: 12
Impossible: 14
Unopposed: +5
Opposed: +Attribute
7. Magic:
The difficulty for a spell is calculated as normal with the following changes:
1. Reduce each spell category by 1.
2. For an unopposed spell, add 5 and for an opposed spell add the Attribute, just like normal difficulties.
3. The difficulty may be reduced by 2 for each Sphere beyond the first that the PC can properly apply to a spell.
8. Damage:
A PC adds one third (rounded down) of their StTrength for a melee attak or Agility for a ranged attack to Damage. Likewise, a PC adds one third (rounded down) of their Endurance to Defence.
For NPCs, use the following guidelines for Damage and Defence ratings:
Damage:
VL or L (for the NPC): Up to 1/3 of Physique
M: Between 1/3 and 2/3 of Physique
H or VH: Over 2/3 of, but not greater than, Physique
Defence:
Defence ratings use the same scale as for Damage but are halved.
In addition, the value of any card drawn from the Fate Deck due to a trump is also added to the damage of the attack.
9. Mass Combat:
When facing opponents with a Physique of 10 or greater, combatants may form groups. These groups must not have a combined Strength or Endurance (including any bonuses from magic items etc) greater than the largest single Physique of all combatants. A group lasts until the start of that side’s next turn
To form a group, a person must make a Presence action against a difficulty equal to twice the number of combatants in the group. If failed, no further attempt may be made that turn to form a group with those combatants.
Once formed, the group attacks and defends with the combined Strength and Endurance scores of all members of the group. The group’s damage is equal to the total of the group’s Strength bonus to damage, plus the weapon with the highest damage rating.
In defence, the group may utilise the armour with the highest defence rating and then may spread the damage amongst all members of the group in any manner.
10. Combat Movement:
i. Ranges:
0 Bands = Melee or Personal
1 Band = Near Missile
2 Bands = Far Missile
3 Bands = Artillery
4 Bands = Visual*
5 Bands = Out of Range**
* If Perception Code D or X, treat as Out of Range
** If Perception Code A or B, treat as Visual
ii. Leader and Scout
Each side has a Leader and a Scout. Unless assigned otherwise:
1. The PC with the highest Presence score is the Leader.
2. The PC with the highest Perception score is the Scout.
iii. Starting Range
The Scout may make a Change Range and Maintain Range actions as normal. Both actions are Perception vs Perception.
If Perception Code A, the PC may take an additional Change Range action that benefits only him or her. If Perception Code X, the PC may benefit from the Scout's Change Range action.
If a Mishap occurs, the other side is granted Surprise.
iv. Surprise
If one side is attempting to ambush the other, the Scouts may engage in a Gain Surprise or Avoid Surprise action. Gain Surprise is Agility vs Perception. Avoid Surprise is Perception vs Agility. Every person on the side that gains surprise may either make a Manoeuvre or an Attack for free before combat starts.
v. Manoeuvring
Before your PC’s turn, you may make a Manoeuvre the Range action to do one of the following:
1. Move your PC by one Band, resisted by the opposing NPC’s Leader – Agility vs Presence
2. Move an NPC by one Band, resisted by that NPC – Presence vs Agility
3. The Leader may move, along with all PCs in his or her Band that haven't taken a Manoeuvre the Range action, one Band, resisted by the NPC's Leader – Presence vs Presence
Before an NPC’s turn, the NPCs may try to manoeuvre to do one of the following:
1. Move one NPC by one Band, resisted by the PC’s Leader with a Resist the Manoeuvre action - Presence vs Agility
2. Move a PC by one Band, resisted by the PC with a Resist the Manoeuvre action - Agility vs Presence
3. The NPC’s Leader may move, along with all NPCs in his or her Band that haven't manoeuvred, one Band, resisted by the PC’s Leader with a Resist the Manoeuvre action – Presence vs Presence
If a Mishap occurs, the PC or NPC resisting may move the PC(s) or NPC(s) one Band instead.
A PC or NPC may not move more than one Band during either the PC’s or NPC's turn.
If a side is reduced to one person, then that person uses Agility for all Manoeuvre the Range and Resist the Manoeuvre actions.
A person may attempt to enter into Personal Range with an opponent in the same Band. This is a Manoeuvre the Range action or a Resist the Manoeuvre action against that person and both sides may choose either Strength or Agility. Once in Personal Range only VL melee weapons or light may be used and the only Manouevre possible is against the opponent.
