House Rules - An alternative WA Buckle - Jan 16, 2004 - 08:30 PM Post subject: An alternative WA
This was just a brainstorm and I haven't playtested this either. In keeping with what I think the spirit of the game is, I would like to see a WA move like a Ball and Chain on the roll of a 1. To me that's a lot more fun than having your player stand there and roar. Any thoughts?Boblo_Jellyroll - Jan 17, 2004 - 08:13 AM Post subject:
What happens on a 2-6?Boblo_Jellyroll - Jan 17, 2004 - 08:19 AM Post subject:
Does that mean there has to be a goblin spinning your Minotaur around? Mordredd - Jan 19, 2004 - 09:12 AM Post subject:
I like it, but then I had a similar idea myself. What I wanted was for the WA to act as a normal player until he fails his WA roll and then would move like a ball and chain fanatic until the next drive. I would restore the "WA must move first or it's an IP" rule as well.
Basically this WA would represent the player having been kept calm and rational by his handler/coach but only being able to take so much excitement/frustration/confusion on the field before he completely loses it and tries to kill everyone in sight.
I think this would give the WA a certain level of scary unpredictability for both coaches. A WA should be a player you're afraid to stand next to, even if he's on your team. I would also like WAs to be able to accidentally go for their own team during one of their 'psychotic episodes'. Tutenkharnage - Jan 19, 2004 - 10:19 AM Post subject:
I assume you ignore Frenzy on the B&C blocks. Even so, is this negative? After all, a failed roll results in a multitude of ST5/MB blocks, rather than just 1 or 2 courtesy of Frenzy.
-Chetfuzzy_spiral - Jan 19, 2004 - 10:56 AM Post subject: Hmm.. not a bad idea
Probably a better alternative, although as we don't play tournies, for our house rules we disliked Wild animal and Bonehead so much we dropped them and just raised the cost of the large monsters. we also dropped Troll stupidity as well, but gave him bonehead instead. I'd rather pay an extra 30'000 coins when I'm hiring a Minotaur than not bother ever using one, as Wild Animal makes them virtually unusable in a BB team.
Mind you we aren't afraid to alter the game at all, and have brought back things like Orc Catchers, Dark Elf catchers, Minotaur and Ogre Blitzers (start with Block) and many other things. I think our chaos team has something like twenty eight position's to pick from. We've also added things to the rules, like the addition to Big Guy's I listed elsewhere. We've also addded other things to the overal team rules like Chaos Teams always have an extra Random event card, Goblins gain +1 D6 starting fan factor after the first match and Orcs can gain makeweights for free (who are Orc linemen with AG 2 and Av 8 and can never earn SPP's.)
We also brought back a load of the old skills like Intercept, Toughness and added little things like models with over str 4 (str5+) count their Mighty Blow as Mighty Blow (2) gaining +2 to both rolls.
In all the time we have been playing (since 1996 - after we decieded that we thought GW had changed BB too much from the earlier edition) we haven't found any of these changes have overpowered any of the teams, in fact in most cases it has made our games even more fun and too close to call.
Maybe we're just alittle mad, and hell if I get bored enough I might put it all on my PC and post our rule changes here for a laugh. Mordredd - Jan 19, 2004 - 11:11 AM Post subject:
I think perhaps have frenzy take effect, as the WA temporarily locks onto one target during his rampage. So, move into a player, block once or twice, and then roll for direction again.
I would counter that it may result in a multitude of ST5/MB blocks on your own teams players if you're unlucky, but I suppose that may not be overly likely.
So if it isn't negative enough (and I guess thinking about it, it probably isn't) how about adding some or all of the following:
1) "The WA may not use any skills or traits other than those that the WA starts with".
2) "The WA has no tackle zone whilst running wild".
3) "If the WA is holding the ball when he fails his WA roll then he drops it immediately (this is not a turn over). The WA may not pick up or catch the ball whilst running wild. Should the ball scatter to his square it will simply bounce again".
Or perhaps making the movement more random?
Either:
1) Move full MA in a straight line, direction determined by D8. Block first player the WA moves into (like ball and chain fanatic).
Or 2) move D3 squares in direction determined by D8. Block any player WA moves into. Repeat until MA exhausted.
I prefer the sound of the second, but the first may be simpler and less open to misinterpretation.Zombie - Jan 19, 2004 - 04:04 PM Post subject:
I like both of your last suggestions, except for the random MA allowance in the second. Just make him move his normal MA, whatever it may be.
The first one has the advantage of providing the image of a rampaging bull rather than a rodeo horse.Mordredd - Jan 20, 2004 - 05:05 AM Post subject:
The D3 was to make it possible to rampage in bit of a circle in one turn, and maybe increase the WAs chances of hitting someone.
Here's an example of how it works, just to make it totally clear.
Rat Ogre (MA 6) fails his WA roll and runs wild.
He rolls a D8 and a D3 coming up with 2 squares in direction 1.
He has 4 points of MA left so rolls again, coming up with 1 square in direction 6. There is a player standing in that square so the Rat Ogre blocks him rolling . He follows up and block again (Frenzy) rolling .
He then has used a total of 4 points of MA so must roll a third time. He rolls 3 squares in direction 3, but as he only has 2 points of MA left he only moves 2 squares.
As I said, it's probably a little too complex so maybe the first option was the better.Tutenkharnage - Jan 20, 2004 - 06:20 AM Post subject:
I've tried tying WA to the Fanatic's movement in the past. I've never been able to balance it. I suspect this is because the Fanatic has one glaring negative that the Wild Animal wouldn't: the exhaustion roll.
You can't tag a 100+K critter with a roll like this and expect coaches to accept it. But perhaps it could be tweaked. For example:
* Roll a D6 after declaring any action with a WA. On a roll of 1, he must move like a Fanatic for the rest of the drive.
* When the WA is finished moving, roll a D6. On a roll of 1, he has exhausted himself. Roll another D6: 1-3 = knocked out, 4-6 = Reserves.
You could change that last roll (e.g., 1-3 = Badly Hurt, 4-6 = KO). Or you could remove it entirely (e.g., failed exhaustion roll moves the player to the KO box, or Badly Hurt, or Reserves). But I think incorporating it is a good idea, if only because letting a WA run around throwing a lot of blocks for free makes the WA better, not worse.
-ChetMordredd - Jan 20, 2004 - 07:46 AM Post subject:
I would be happy with an exhaustion role. The WA gets so angry he passes out? (Or perhaps, with one last bellow of rage, his head explodes .)
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