Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
Would it be overreaction to strike it completely? I could turn it into a DX+4 or so roll, so you USUALLY don't fall down. Or I could just nuke it, and let the players dance freely among the bodies.
|
Fallen bodies (and HTH piles) becoming terrain obstacles is one of the genius elements of Melee, in my opinion.
It's logical cause & effect, darkly charming, and part of what makes the map and what happens significant in a natural way.
Having said that, I think the TFT rule for how they work is off. 3/DX or fall down seems too severe for mid-to-low DX people just trying to get past a body. IIRC it's also not entirely clear if you can spend extra MA to cross/jump a body hex without rolling to not fall.
I suggest that you change it so you have a choice to either run through body hexes risking a 3/DX roll per hex for no MA penalty, OR spend an extra 1 or 2 MA to enter the hex but not need to roll. I would also keep a 3/DX roll if you are forced to retreat into (or out of?) a dead body hex.
However I think it's
essential that there be a clear broken ground DX penalty for when standing on dead bodies, and would suggest at least -2 for one body (the usual broken ground penalty, which I think is currently implied but not explicit) and another -1 for every additional dead body in the hex. It's both realistic and fun to have big body piles become a major obstacle as they pile high.