11-11-2021, 08:07 AM | #1 | |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
|
Less than one hex monster
Hey,
I was looking at Old School Monsters and thinking about Blood Hawks. I didn't put this in the OSM thread, however, because this is a broader question. Blood hawks, like dragonets, are less than one hex in size. Like dragonets, they're in that niche between swarm and one hex. But they prefer the wounded or otherwise weak targets. Quote:
But I was wondering whether a small critter could gang up on a single target. They already break the usual rule regarding one figure per hex except for HTH, but I've always assumed that only one dragonet could enter a hex with one full-hex figure. I never really even noticed that assumption until I wondered how to effectively gang up on the weak. So, what do y'all think? Can two dragonets/blood hawks effectively attack a single figure? Or is ganging up limited to having the first attacker disengage if he's wounded, while a healthy hawk takes his place? In my back yard, the hawks tend to go for rather smaller prey than a child, which I suppose is for the best, but that means I can't just observe nature to get my answer. Thanks. |
|
11-11-2021, 09:33 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Quote:
Take a look at my solution for several small assailants encumbering a larger one in my grappling rules. I also think the official rule on 2/hex stacking limit for things like rats [ITL 100] is far too low. It would be better to give small figures a fractional hex size so that the stacking could be quickly determined by whatever number of them is required to equal a size of 1 hex, e.g. if rats were determined to be 1/10-hex, 10 could occupy one hex. |
|
11-11-2021, 04:58 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Quote:
I play a six rat limit per hex. I was thinking a two dragonet/blood hawk limit. |
|
11-12-2021, 10:10 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Florida Peninsula, Earth, Sol Sytem
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Is that an unreasonable assumption?
If they can get inside the armor, then OK. But if they have to eat through the armor it is going to give more than enough protection until they do. If you need rats to hurt the figure, use bigger rats.
__________________
The first rule of GMing "If you make it, players will break it" |
11-12-2021, 10:51 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Rats can chew through leather in pretty short order if they are motivated.
|
11-12-2021, 11:07 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
I suppose my problem with the two per hex limit is that rats just aren't even a nuisance at that point, unless a PC is wearing cloth or worse. You literally could leave your wounded behind without any concern about rats so long as they are wearing leather armor.
I'm not concerned, therefore, about how likely it is for rats to do damage to someone in leather[1] in real life, but about whether rats really pose at least a modest threat at all. [1] Realistically, you're not in a leather hazmat suit, so I can't see how leather would prevent all injury. The abstraction of rolling n dice for n rats, with a 50/50 chance of hitting and then subtracting armor represents, I think, the fact that the more rats attacking, the more likely they find a soft and fleshy thing to bite. Obviously, it's a rough representation, since realistically, even a single rat might find a bit of exposed skin but in game terms, the rat can't by himself defeat cloth armor. |
11-12-2021, 11:11 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Florida Peninsula, Earth, Sol Sytem
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Quote:
It seems to be an effective solution to swarms and 'real' enough for me. As to the original question of how many fit in a hex, I think Treebeard said it best. "They are very small". Put as many as you want and don't think too hard about it.
__________________
The first rule of GMing "If you make it, players will break it" |
|
11-12-2021, 11:16 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Boston area
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Precisely how I figger it, amenditman (aptly named!). I allow six rats per hex.
And thanks to this discussion, I reckon two hawks or dragonets per hex (with a person) sounds about right. That will allow the hawks to focus on the soft targets as they're supposed to. |
11-12-2021, 11:44 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Florida Peninsula, Earth, Sol Sytem
|
Re: Less than one hex monster
Have you ever considered flying spiders (way worse than wasps) or the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz (read the books, way more meat for gaming than the film).
__________________
The first rule of GMing "If you make it, players will break it" |
|
|