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phiwum · 10-02-2020, 09:04 PM

If one is carrying a torch, he can drop in immediately to draw a weapon and it will continue to burn. Dropped lanterns may be a bit trickier. Here are the rules that I'm currently using.

The basic idea is that there are two states of a lantern on the ground. It is either standing or on its side. If it is on its side, it may start a fire.

(1) A lantern may be dropped immediately, landing on its side. Doing so has a 50/50 chance of spilling and burning the oil inside.

(2) A lantern may be set down and a weapon readied in a single turn if the character is disengaged. The lantern will be standing in the same hex as the character.

(3) An engaged character may set down a lantern safely if he takes an entire turn to do so. (I reckon the lantern has a handle, so I wouldn't require that he bend over as if he were picking up a weapon.) Again, the lantern will be standing in the same hex as the character.

(4) A thrown lantern has a 5/6 chance of starting a fire, but it will not act as a molotail (catching a person on fire) since the lantern is not made of fragile glass.

(5) Any character fighting in a hex with a standing lantern must roll 3/DX to keep from knocking it over with a 50/50 probability of starting a fire.

(6) Any character fighting in a hex with a knocked over lantern must roll a 3/DX to avoid kicking it, causing a fire.

(7) The same applies to anyone moving into or through a hex with a lantern without spending 3MA to move carefully. (NOTE: Starting a fire while moving
through a hex would cause no hits, since the damage comes at end of turn.) Forced retreat is an example of such movement, of course.

(7) If one is forced to retreat into a hex with a lantern, apply also the effects of (5) or (6) as appropriate. (Altered per Axly's suggestion below.)

(8) A lantern will likely burn until after a battle ends. If one needs a more exact time, the one I pulled out of thin air is x/10 minutes, where x is the number of minutes the lantern would have stayed a lit normally.

Gosh, when I wrote them out, they became rather more complicated than expected. Most of it is, I think, common sense. A torch's flame won't usually spread and one can stand in a hex with a lit torch without suffering from it (right? All of a sudden, I'm not sure). A lantern is more difficult to set down and fight near.

Has anyone bothered to think about these things and introduce rules?

10-02-2020, 09:04 PM	#1
phiwum Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Boston area	Dropped lanterns If one is carrying a torch, he can drop in immediately to draw a weapon and it will continue to burn. Dropped lanterns may be a bit trickier. Here are the rules that I'm currently using. The basic idea is that there are two states of a lantern on the ground. It is either standing or on its side. If it is on its side, it may start a fire. (1) A lantern may be dropped immediately, landing on its side. Doing so has a 50/50 chance of spilling and burning the oil inside. (2) A lantern may be set down and a weapon readied in a single turn if the character is disengaged. The lantern will be standing in the same hex as the character. (3) An engaged character may set down a lantern safely if he takes an entire turn to do so. (I reckon the lantern has a handle, so I wouldn't require that he bend over as if he were picking up a weapon.) Again, the lantern will be standing in the same hex as the character. (4) A thrown lantern has a 5/6 chance of starting a fire, but it will not act as a molotail (catching a person on fire) since the lantern is not made of fragile glass. (5) Any character fighting in a hex with a standing lantern must roll 3/DX to keep from knocking it over with a 50/50 probability of starting a fire. (6) Any character fighting in a hex with a knocked over lantern must roll a 3/DX to avoid kicking it, causing a fire. (7) The same applies to anyone moving into or through a hex with a lantern without spending 3MA to move carefully. (NOTE: Starting a fire while moving through a hex would cause no hits, since the damage comes at end of turn.) Forced retreat is an example of such movement, of course. (7) If one is forced to retreat into a hex with a lantern, apply also the effects of (5) or (6) as appropriate. (Altered per Axly's suggestion below.) (8) A lantern will likely burn until after a battle ends. If one needs a more exact time, the one I pulled out of thin air is x/10 minutes, where x is the number of minutes the lantern would have stayed a lit normally. Gosh, when I wrote them out, they became rather more complicated than expected. Most of it is, I think, common sense. A torch's flame won't usually spread and one can stand in a hex with a lit torch without suffering from it (right? All of a sudden, I'm not sure). A lantern is more difficult to set down and fight near. Has anyone bothered to think about these things and introduce rules? Last edited by phiwum; 10-05-2020 at 05:42 AM.