SFR, Inc.

[stormywaters]

This idea represents a rather drastic diversion from "vanilla" Dragon Dice, by changing the core of the game. Abandon hope all ye who enter here.


In this variant, the terrains have a new purpose. Instead of being a single terrain die that players move, each army has a die that represents that army's distance from the "objective" (Tower, City, etc). So two armies, fighting at the frontier, are not both necessarily at the same "number". One player might be at a 5, while another player might be at a 2, meaning that one army has run up close to the objective while another has stayed back. Each of these frontier armies has a terrain die, which designates only where that player's army is located.


Setting Up

1. Build armies as normal.

2. Each player brings four major terrains: two identical terrains for their home and two identical terrains for the proposed frontier.

3. Horde roll as normal, except the frontier terrains chosen must be identical (so you can't use one of each).

4. Your "second" home terrain is used by your opponent to track their own (horde) army's location. Same with the frontier. This is why there are pairs of matching terrain.

5. Roll your home. Your opponent sets their copy of your home to the same number (but this is only for setup). Same with the other terrains.


Rules Changes

1. If a player leaves a terrain completely, their copy of that terrain is turned down to 1. If you abandon it, you start all the way at the back.

2. If there are two players at the same 8th face, it is "contested". Neither player receives any of the benefits while both players are at the 8; treat it as a normal melee face. It does not count towards either player's victory.

3. Instead of turning your die, if your maneuver was successful, you may force your opponent to turn their die one step in either direction of your choosing.

4. Magic is unchanged, except that it can only "reach" adjacent terrains, not all terrains and not reserves. Missile attacks may only target the same terrain*, and may only target an army at a missile or melee face (as armies at a magic face are out of range). Melee attacks may only target armies also at a melee face.

*The Tower 8th face is changed to allow missile attacks to target adjacent terrains, not any terrain. Note that this change makes a frontier Tower very useful.

If you have any questions, let's discuss! It's thoroughly untested, and probably in need of much work, but I think it looks fun on paper.

Thoughts?

[eggsaladsandwich]

So if your Terrain die is on missle and your opponents is on melee, would he be able to melee you on his turn?
_________________
"Another days useless energy spent." Moody Blues

[Dolus]

I like the idea of using two terrain dice instead of one at a given terrain, but your rules do require some tweaking. It sounds like I can leave a terrain and come back to it next turn, and it'll be at magic (or same turn if I'm using firewalkers?), and then since I'm at magic, I can just sit there and cast magic all day, and nobody can reach me except another magic user. If I manage to get a favorable frontier terrain, then I can camp there and target anybody!

As for 3., it sounds like you should have the option of moving up or down your terrain or your opponent's. Otherwise, if you can only change your opponent's terrain, how will you ever capture an 8th face?
_________________
Collection

[Dolus]

[DEEPBLUEB2]

[stormywaters]

[Dolus]

I missed the "may" keyword there.

The one vulnerability magic has at a terrain (besides other magic) is being shot at by missile from an adjacent terrain. I don't know how often or if this actually happens, but it's one extra layer of defense for magic units now that missile can only happen at the same terrain. This makes me think of using an all firewalker magic army, and at the end of each turn, using their terrain flight to roll down my terrains to 1 (assuming there are at least two terrains with air), and casting a lot of attack magic like hailstorm against enemy units.
_________________
Collection

[stormywaters]

That vulnerability comes into play rather infrequently. Go ahead and sit at a 1 and cast Hailstorm; it's less damage per point than shooting or melee, and in this version your opponent can continue to advance the terrain without you.

If it turns out that magic is overpowered, we can address it.

Edit: You might try testing with missile attacks affecting armies at any range (at the same location, of course), not just missile and above.

I will try to run some games this weekend.