Entering A Hex With A Body

[Steve Jackson]

Long story short: as I demonstrate the game to new people, I begin to feel that the current rule (3/DX roll to remain standing if you enter a hex with a fallen character) is annoying and reduces the fluidity of combat.

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.

If you give me a howitzer on this, make it short and explain why it will speed play.

[DouglasCole]

As a fighter in my viking martial arts training, were there a body on the ground I would always step around it, full stop. Folks fill a surprising amount of space, and the danger of tripping and bad footing is sky-high, and footwork is everything in fighting. It's power, it's defenses, it's pacing.

In short: for fast play, drop two hexes of "dead guy" on the ground and say it's now a terrain hazard and you can't go there.

If you have no choice but to go there, invoke a roll, but my experience with terrain obstacles in both unarmed and armed martial arts is, by and large, "just don't go there."

[Jim Kane]

You could simply treat a hex which contains a fallen figure as a *rubble* hex; that strategy would eliminate the roll *and* retain and reflect the hazard of the obstacle - as pointed out in Douglas' post.

JK

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

You could simply treat a hex which contains a fallen figure as a *rubble* hex; that strategy would eliminate the roll *and* retain and reflect the hazard of the obstacle - as pointed out in Douglas' post.

JK

Oh, goodness. If there's already a rule like that in place, by all means, "Use What's There."

[Shostak]

Please keep the rule; it makes combat feel more realistic. In fact, you might expand upon it by saying that after multiple fallen figures in a hex it becomes impassible, or harder to stand in, an/or takes extra MA to pass through.

[JLV]

I must say, I never noticed this as "slowing" combat, any more than rolling to miss your friends did. It's just one of the things you have to do.

I'd say keep it. If you feel like it's too nit-picky, then go with the add-on that Rick suggests -- spend 3 MA to avoid tripping (by carefully stepping around the body).

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Long story short: as I demonstrate the game to new people, I begin to feel that the current rule (3/DX roll to remain standing if you enter a hex with a fallen character) is annoying and reduces the fluidity of combat. ...

Hi Steve,
I wrote a page of rules which organized standing on bodies, jumping over bodies and jumping over anything. I ended up saying that being on bodies was treated as rough ground, but if you spent 3 MA moving onto them you didn't have to roll vs DX to stay standing.

Warm regards, Rick.

[luguvalium]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi Steve,
I wrote a page of rules which organized standing on bodies, jumping over bodies and jumping over anything. I ended up saying that being on bodies was treated as rough ground, but if you spent 3 MA moving onto them you didn't have to roll vs DX to stay standing.

Warm regards, Rick.

I like having bodies to avoid in combat, but I also see how that could be ignored for people just beginning to understand Melee. I'm in favor for it for ITL, but maybe an optional rule for Melee and Wizard.

I looked up what it stated in Advanced Melee p6: Jumping over a prone character is 3MA and 3d6/adjDX. Rick's suggestion seems reasonable that is 3MA to carefully step over a body or 3d6/adjDX to jump over.

[Skarg]

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.

[larsdangly]

I'd leave the rule in place. It is not that disruptive, in my experience. And it conforms to a more general rule I suspect you'll keep (roll 3d vs. DX when entering a hex with rough terrain). One modification that would make sense, for both bodies and other rough terrain is: If you chose to just step one hex per turn you can enter without a roll. If you enter as part of a longer move, you have to make the roll.