PCs using the Fantasy Supplement as a mini-game

[hengest]

There has to be a way to make this happen. PCs have penetrated the lair and done the dungeon-crawling...and then there's a magical mini-game where they need to select and command figures to fight an oncoming "army". You resolve the combat according to the Fantasy Combat Table, players roll for their creatures and heroes and you roll for the 'attackers'. Keep it short with not too many figures and make it run fast, real time, no messing around.

The quality of the outcome has a real and maybe known in advance (in general terms) result for the PCs.

Anyone ever done anything like this?

[Admin Pete]

I haven't but it sounds like fun. I think someone, maybe over at odd74 redid the FCT for readability. I know they have a lot of info in the Chainmail thread at odd74, but it sounds like you already know what you want to do and have what you need so go for it. Run it first perhaps as you have in mind, and then look at other ideas later if you want.

[hengest]

Nearly five years later and I am still stuck on this idea. I think about it regularly and still have done nothing with it.

Why do I like this so much? It wouldn't even be especially fun for modern players (probably don't know about Chainmail if they are regular folks recruited to play). I want to make it fun, however.

How can I do that?  Let's think what to consider.

1) pre-configured set of minis (or coins, for those of us who don't know anything about minis) in a formation that should be winnable or losable, perhaps barely uneven (player side has move, magical trap / wizard side has an extra unit).

2) the magic of the device causes some of the player-side units to be based on the people (the party) standing nearby.  A FM or Cleric will be a Hero, an MU a Wizard.

3) choose / reskin the creatures involved so that they are somewhat familiar, somewhat alien for the campaign.  Perhaps this leftover mini-game is from a time when there were still...how old is this ruin, anyway?

4) For 3, note the existing creature types.  Bold type simply means I think it would be obvious fun to include this creature type.

Balrog
Dragon
Elemental
Ent
Giant
Hero
Lycanthrope
Roc
Super Hero
Troll / Ogre
Wight / Ghoul
Wizard
Wraith

Combat as in the Fantasy Combat table, save that

-a Wraith (only on the non-PC side of the combat) on an attack roll of 12 causes a Hero or Wizard to change sides (unit disappears and reappears behind non-PC lines at the discretion of the magic)

-a Hero, after 3 kills, becomes a Super Hero.

-a Balrog on a roll of 2 destroys part of the playing surface and falls into an abyss, taking all adjacent allies and any adjacent Wizards with it

-a Dragon can attack distant units with its firey breath but then defends as a Balrog and cannot attack in its next round.

-a Giant can attack two units at once, but then attacks only as a Super Hero and a Hero.

The PC side should be differently weighted with creatures, perhaps the PC side heavy on humans with only some supernatural allies (see this post with a note about Swords & Spells for a touch of what I am aiming for, just in flavor, not in complexity).

The Perilous Dreamer Sorry it took me so long to get even this far.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 29, 2016 22:51:49 GMT -5 hengest said:

There has to be a way to make this happen. PCs have penetrated the lair and done the dungeon-crawling...and then there's a magical mini-game where they need to select and command figures to fight an oncoming "army". You resolve the combat according to the Fantasy Combat Table, players roll for their creatures and heroes and you roll for the 'attackers'. Keep it short with not too many figures and make it run fast, real time, no messing around.

The quality of the outcome has a real and maybe known in advance (in general terms) result for the PCs.

Anyone ever done anything like this?

Since this was written I have done battles with an army, but not using the FCT, I just winged it and we resolved it fast.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 9, 2021 20:27:23 GMT -5 hengest said:

Nearly five years later and I am still stuck on this idea. I think about it regularly and still have done nothing with it.

Why do I like this so much? It wouldn't even be especially fun for modern players (probably don't know about Chainmail if they are regular folks recruited to play). I want to make it fun, however.

How can I do that?  Let's think what to consider.

1) pre-configured set of minis (or coins, for those of us who don't know anything about minis) in a formation that should be winnable or losable, perhaps barely uneven (player side has move, magical trap / wizard side has an extra unit).

2) the magic of the device causes some of the player-side units to be based on the people (the party) standing nearby.  A FM or Cleric will be a Hero, an MU a Wizard.

3) choose / reskin the creatures involved so that they are somewhat familiar, somewhat alien for the campaign.  Perhaps this leftover mini-game is from a time when there were still...how old is this ruin, anyway?

4) For 3, note the existing creature types.  Bold type simply means I think it would be obvious fun to include this creature type.

Balrog
Dragon
Elemental
Ent
Giant
Hero
Lycanthrope
Roc
Super Hero
Troll / Ogre
Wight / Ghoul
Wizard
Wraith

Combat as in the Fantasy Combat table, save that

-a Wraith (only on the non-PC side of the combat) on an attack roll of 12 causes a Hero or Wizard to change sides (unit disappears and reappears behind non-PC lines at the discretion of the magic)

-a Hero, after 3 kills, becomes a Super Hero.

-a Balrog on a roll of 2 destroys part of the playing surface and falls into an abyss, taking all adjacent allies and any adjacent Wizards with it

-a Dragon can attack distant units with its firey breath but then defends as a Balrog and cannot attack in its next round.

-a Giant can attack two units at once, but then attacks only as a Super Hero and a Hero.

The PC side should be differently weighted with creatures, perhaps the PC side heavy on humans with only some supernatural allies (see this post with a note about Swords & Spells for a touch of what I am aiming for, just in flavor, not in complexity).

The Perilous Dreamer Sorry it took me so long to get even this far.

I like this, it looks like a fun thing to try to me. Have an Exalt.

[mao]

hengest , I have run a lot of mini games, but never did as you  say. I was a mini gamer before I was a D&D gamer

[Admin Pete]

I am not into minis, rather just mark position on paper if it is relevant.

[Admin Pete]

Apr 23, 2021 18:59:07 GMT -5 Admin Pete said:

I am not into minis, rather just mark position on paper if it is relevant.

That said, I like the rest of the ideas as presented. Looks solid to me.

[Morton]

Never used Chainmail or minis, they didn't do anything for me as far as gaming. I did admire those guys who had the patience to sit there are paint hundreds of them though.