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Old 04-10-2019, 07:58 PM   #1
Don Hawthorne
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: California, USA
Default Slippery Devils

One of our group always chafed at how rigid the Engagement rules are.
He came up with this house rule which we tried out, and at least in our group, it’s worked pretty well. We adopted it over 25 years ago, so it’s been pretty well playtested.
Try it and see if you like it.
An Engaged figure may leave an opponent’s Engagement Zone (usually its Front hexes) during movement, but the opponent gets an immediate free attack at +2 DEX. The results of the attack are applied immediately, and may prevent the figure from moving at all.
There is no limit to the number of figures which can be moved past in this fashion, so long as an open path of hexes exist, but _every_ opponent who would otherwise engage the figure gets a free attack on them as they move by at +2 DEX.
It’s very risky, but it makes for a very fluid and exciting game.
Give it a try.
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Old 04-11-2019, 12:19 AM   #2
JLV
 
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Default Re: Slippery Devils

We actually tried something similar, and it worked pretty well for us too -- but we didn't let folks pass through the engagement zone like that -- it gave the guy doing the "opportunity attacks" too many attacks per turn. Instead, it only applied to a figure disengaging voluntarily, and moving figures couldn't enter an engagement zone unless they intended to engage (or were conducting a charge attack, naturally).
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Old 04-11-2019, 04:00 AM   #3
mark hill
 
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Default Re: Slippery Devils

hey Don .. our table did almost exactly the same, if you just leave engagement they get a free chop at you (but no +2DX) .. but a hit did not prevent disengagement. Youd be quite free to run thru a gauntlet of weapons, the only question being would you still be standing at the end of it
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Old 04-11-2019, 08:37 AM   #4
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Slippery Devils

This is an interesting area for alternate rules; another variant that I think pairs well with it is to open up the weapon ranges, so that things like spears have ranges of 2-3 rather than 1-2, longish swords 1-2, and only the short weapons like a mace are 1 (but some also fine in HTH).

I think you just need to experiment with them, recognizing that you are now playing something a bit closer to GURPS than canonical TFT.
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Old 04-12-2019, 12:20 AM   #5
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Slippery Devils

Several people have come up with this sort of house rule over the years, and I've tried a few.

I generally think it's good and there is a need for it. (e.g. When people abuse engagement to stop people using tanks with low DX, or people Defending).

I tend to think it's enough to let the people take an attack with no bonus.

I think there are though some tricky exploits that can be caused (e.g. using it for offensive moves running around to enemy side/rear/wizards/etc), which may warrant reaction movement not just attacks by the people being ignored and run around.

It'd be good to develop a rock-solid form of this common house rule.
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Old 04-18-2019, 11:35 AM   #6
Don Hawthorne
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: California, USA
Default Re: Slippery Devils

ADDENDUM: I can’t believe I forgot this, but all credit for this rule goes to Richard Miller, who came up with it on his own.

And I have to add, we tried it without the +2 DEX bonus, and engagement ceased to be effective at all; characters moved with near impunity.

But when every opponent you moved away from could take an Aimed Shot at your Leg at only -2 DEX, you really considered whether or not it was worth the risk.

To be clear, only the characters who are being DISENGAGED FROM DURING MOVEMENT get the free hack at +2; the disengaging character has to run the gauntlet of as many such attacks as he dares, and the +2 DEX to his ATTACKERS makes him think twice before basically breaking what is a core rule concept of the system.
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Old 04-18-2019, 11:45 AM   #7
mark hill
 
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Default Re: Slippery Devils

Interesting .. so the extra attack alone was not enuf to deter the behaviour .. guess that would depend on the player

I guess I never considered it as 'a core concept of the system' or anything like that vital or compulsory .. I just looked at it as a 'how stuff works' kinda thing, and players would make decisions by judging a combination of attackers DX and how hard they might be hit

sometimes strolling thru the bush I come across a dangerous snake .. I tend not to spend a turn disengaging, I suppose, I often use a MOVE RIGHT NOW approach to the thing, generally speaking :) .. maybe thats just me

Last edited by mark hill; 04-18-2019 at 12:21 PM.
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Old 04-18-2019, 12:29 PM   #8
Don Hawthorne
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: California, USA
Default Re: Slippery Devils

I should also note that this tactic is generally NOT allowed to be used to make a Charge Attack with a Pole Weapon; it’s assumed the engaging figures break up the impetus of the moving character. But, of course, being a house rule, that’s up to the GM how to apply it if circumstances warrant it.

It CAN be used by a character who commits to a “Defend” action for the Turn, representing a desperate attempt to breakout to a better defensive position or perhaps reach an endangered comrade.

It is, admittedly, a very “cinematic” tactic, but it also succeeds greatly in that sense.
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