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Old 01-09-2018, 09:32 AM   #1
tbeard1999
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
Default Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

I propose that we list *minor* tweaks or bits of chrome that we've added to TFT over the years, again for the designer's consideration. As with the other "list" thread, I'd ideally like to avoid a lot of debate. <shrug> We'll see about that :) "Minor" tweaks/bits of chrome are defined here as simple changes to the rules that don't profoundly impact the game but, in your opinion, improve it. Replacing the 3d6 system with a d20 is *not* a minor tweak, for instance.

Some tweaks I've played with:

The Bash (lifted shamelessly from 1st edition Chivalry and Sorcery). Reduce the damage of hafted weapons (ax/mace) by one point (two points for two handed hafted weapons). But use the base damage inflicted by the weapon (i.e., before reduction for armor, toughness, etc.) for purposes of determining knock down or DX adjustment due to damage. If you wish, you could take rigid armor hits stopped into account. Rigid armor is plate, half-plate, fine plate, rigid monster armor. This makes hafted weapons act a little differently than swords.

Allow engaged figures to shift one hex and break engagement so long as they remain engaged with at least one enemy figure. This allows a figure who wins initiative to get away from some enemies by tactical maneuvering. It makes winning initiative a lot more valuable. Optionally, allow enemy engaged figures to shift to maintain engagement.

I added a heavy longbow to the weapons chart. It did 2 dice damage and I *think* it required ST13. 2 shots per turn with adjDX 19+.

What to do about the poor two handed bastard sword? It only averages 0.5 points of damage more than it does when being used 1 handed.

The "break weapon" result can be hard on expensive, magic swords. I propose that this result not apply to a magic weapon. Rather, when it occurs, the magical tuning is disrupted and the weapon loses its magical properties. The weapon will have to be re-enchanted by a wizard for some cost. I'd make the cost something like 5-10% of the weapon's value. If a weapon loses its enchantment, you can still use it as a normal weapon. If you roll a "break weapon" result while using it as a normal weapon, the weapon breaks and will cost 1/2 its value to be re-forged and re-enchanted. I'd also exempt magical weapons from the Break Weapon spell (or let them be enchanted for immunity without using up a Rule of Five slot).

The magic bonuses for weapons cost a flat amount, regardless of the size of the weapon. That's okay for hand weapons, but it makes magical arrows, darts and bolts obscenely expensive. I suggest that the value of enchantments on magical bolts, darts and arrows be 5% of the normal cost. So a +3 enchantment on an arrow would cost $300. If the missile is broken, the enchantment is gone.

Last edited by tbeard1999; 01-09-2018 at 12:25 PM. Reason: Added additional items
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Old 01-09-2018, 10:24 AM   #2
tbeard1999
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

From a discussion with Wil:

For swashbuckling campaigns, allow a "parry/riposte" - someone with a sword stops 2 points of damage, but is at -2 DX on his attack. Absorbing damage more or less produces the right result - it degrades smaller weapons - which are gonna be typical in swashbuckler campaigns - far more than larger weapons. (Obviously, the precise amount of hits stopped and DX penalty would need playtesting).

You could grant the "parry/ripost" ability as part of Sword or Fencing talents. Or, make it a separate talent.

It's clean and simple. It also affects smaller weapons significantly. And the modifications are handled solely by the player, which keeps the game moving.

Last edited by tbeard1999; 01-09-2018 at 12:04 PM.
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Old 01-10-2018, 12:52 PM   #3
tbeard1999
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

Allow flails/morning stars to ignore shields.
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Old 01-11-2018, 01:53 PM   #4
Chris Rice
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbeard1999 View Post
Allow flails/morning stars to ignore shields.

Ooooh. The "Bash" idea I like a lot. I allowed these weapons to do more damage against heavy armour, but I think this is a much better way. Consider it stolen!
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Old 01-11-2018, 02:12 PM   #5
tbeard1999
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Rice View Post
Ooooh. The "Bash" idea I like a lot. I allowed these weapons to do more damage against heavy armour, but I think this is a much better way. Consider it stolen!
I like it too. It seems to me that hafted weapons should do a bit less damage than swords. In general, I'd say that they should average 1 point less than swords at a given ST. The bash rule might give an additional reason to take hafted weapons.
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Old 01-12-2018, 07:46 AM   #6
tbeard1999
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

One complaint of TFT is that armor stacks up, making figures more or less effectively invulnerable. Here are two ways to address that without adding hardly any complexity.

HERESY ALERT

1. Make armor stop a variable amount of damage. You can use polyhedrals for maximum spiff - Cloth 1d2, Leather d4, Chain d6, half plate d8, plate d10 and fine plate d12. Or, Cloth d6-2, Leather d6-1, Chain d6, half plate d6+1, plate d6+2 and fine plate d6+3. I like polyhedrals because they allow for a broader range of possibilities. And already being an apostate, I can only burn in hell once.

2. Use a single polyhedral die for all weapon damage. A broadsword, for instance, does d12 of damage. Shortsword, d10. Cutlass, d8. Bastard sword 1h d12+1. A greatsword would do d20+1. This makes weapon damage highly variable as well. PM me if you want my utterly blasphemous Polyhedral Weapons damage chart.

These changes will slow play down a bit as players roll armor. But you can announce “he swings at you; roll armor” and the player rolls as you roll to hit.
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Old 01-14-2018, 01:56 PM   #7
Oneiros
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

One incredibly minor presentation tweak I'd like to see: if we have micro-games with flat, top-down cardboard counters for figs, get rid of the gothic font for identifying them! Something nice and readable across the table would be great.
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Old 01-16-2018, 12:46 PM   #8
JLV
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

I like the "BASH" idea -- that seems like a good tweak.

I like the "HERESY ALERT" idea on armor too, though it will definitely increase the time it takes to play out a battle (extra die rolls, you know). I'd prefer to stick with D6 whenever possible though. Perhaps this should be an optional rule? It seems to me that damage is already sufficiently randomized with the existing damage dice rules, though.

I also like the "parry/riposte" rule for swords; though perhaps it should only apply when BOTH players have swords...

I'm not sure about the flail/morningstar automatically ignoring shields though -- it seems to me to make them too powerful and to not necessarily pass the common-sense test -- sure, an inexperienced person using a shield would probably misjudge where the shield should be against that kind of attack, but a trained warrior?

All of these would need playtesting...

My suggested "minor" tweak is to require sorcerers to roll against IQ to successfully cast spells, instead of DX. Range penalties would still apply, only to their IQs instead of DXs for this purpose only. The theory here is that getting the incantation right is a lot harder than "aiming" an arrow, and the range penalties would apply because you are trying to exert the energy across intervening space instead of into your own or an adjacent hex. (This has the added meta-effect of lessening the Wizard's need to plus up DX -- and we've all read stories about clumsy nerdling Wizards with fifty pound heads who still save the day with their amazing spell casting skills.) Again, would require playtesting!

Last edited by JLV; 01-16-2018 at 12:50 PM.
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Old 01-17-2018, 01:28 PM   #9
Chris Rice
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbeard1999 View Post
One complaint of TFT is that armor stacks up, making figures more or less effectively invulnerable. Here are two ways to address that without adding hardly any complexity.

HERESY ALERT

1. Make armor stop a variable amount of damage. You can use polyhedrals for maximum spiff - Cloth 1d2, Leather d4, Chain d6, half plate d8, plate d10 and fine plate d12. Or, Cloth d6-2, Leather d6-1, Chain d6, half plate d6+1, plate d6+2 and fine plate d6+3. I like polyhedrals because they allow for a broader range of possibilities. And already being an apostate, I can only burn in hell once.

2. Use a single polyhedral die for all weapon damage. A broadsword, for instance, does d12 of damage. Shortsword, d10. Cutlass, d8. Bastard sword 1h d12+1. A greatsword would do d20+1. This makes weapon damage highly variable as well. PM me if you want my utterly blasphemous Polyhedral Weapons damage chart.

These changes will slow play down a bit as players roll armor. But you can announce “he swings at you; roll armor” and the player rolls as you roll to hit.
I seem to remember the Runequest derived RPG, Stormbringer, had variable armour rolls. I only played it a couple of times but really liked that idea, though it did of course increase play time a bit.
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Old 01-17-2018, 01:37 PM   #10
JLV
 
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Default Re: Fantasy Trip Tiny Bits of Chrome

I think the British RPG Dragon Warriors (published originally about the same time as TFT, and subsequently republished a few years ago by the original authors) did something of the same -- both armor and weapons stopped/inflicted variable amounts of damage...

Frankly, it feels kind of odd to me in some ways. I can see inflicting variable amounts of damage, which TFT already does, but the variable amounts of protection struck me as a bit strange -- possibly simply because I was playing TFT long before I ever ran across DW...
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