Movement differentiation idea

[slev]

The idea is to make the Elf a little faster, the Dwarf a little slower, but to keep the randomised movement.

In HQR, I replaced the penalties for Platemail with a “Heavy” value (Heavy 2 for platemail). This reduces the value of all rolled movement dice by the heavy value (minimum 1). This also allowed me to add other items with smaller movement penalties (Heavy 1), and they all stack.

If they are ever past the point where they roll all 1’s automatically, they are over-burdened, much like carrying the treasure from Prince Magnus’ Gold.


For this revised system;

Elf
Move = 4D3
Movement range 4-12, average 8
Speed reduction per "heavy" penalty = 4
The Elf is very fast, but lacks the strength to cope with medium or heavy armour.

Wizard & Barbarian
3D4
Movement range 3-12, average 7.5
Speed reduction per "heavy" penalty = 3
The humans are reasonably fast, and able to cope with medium, but not heavy, armour

Dwarf
2D6
Movement range 2-12, average 7
Speed reduction per "heavy" penalty = 2
The dwarf is slow, but quite able to cope with heavy armours

Not sure how well this would work, or if I’m just over-thinking it!

[Count Mohawk]

You're probably overthinking it - for starters, who has D3 dice just lying around?? Obviously the easy solution to emulate a d3 is "roll a d6, divide by 2, round up" but that's too much math for a roll as common as movement, especially when modifiers get involved.
Plus, you end up with an undesirable result if the Heroes find an artifact with the effect "Speed + 1 die": either the bonus die is always a d6, in which case non-Dwarves end up rolling dice with different shapes, or the bonus die matches whatever the Hero normally rolls, in which case the Elf gets the least benefit from a +Speed effect and the Dwarf gets the most, which is the opposite of how you'd expect it to work!

If you want to make Heavy penalties more modular, consider "Strength categories" like the ones below, ordered from worst to best:

• Dainty: Reduce the value of all movement dice the Hero rolls by twice the total Heavy value, to a minimum of 1 (i.e. double the Heavy penalty).
• Slim: Reduce the value of all movement dice the Hero rolls by the total Heavy value plus 1, to a minimum of 1, unless the Hero carries no Heavy items.
• Normal: As normal (Reduce the value of all movement dice the Hero rolls by the total Heavy value, to a minimum of 1).
• Burly: The Hero's speed is reduced by his total Heavy value, to a minimum of 1 per die rolled. (This approximately halves the Heavy penalty, and is almost equivalent to applying it to just one die.)
• Hulking: The Hero can carry Heavy items without penalty.

[mitchiemasha]

This is very similar to an idea we touched on in another thread. I came up with 1 problem, d4's aren't nice to roll and what's a d3? if your referring to halfing a d6, I don't like this method or an actual d3 the round thing, not sure I like that die. I've never used 1 or seen 1 in real life but they do exist, tube things.

Mixing up the dice might make for a better roll.

You also have the problem of giving the wizard and the barbarian the same heavy penalty.

I like the idea of double one been over-burdened. This brings in the slow movement reason thematically. Currently in my system, double 1's is Hazard, roll a Cd6 skull: lose 1bp, shield: saved/avoided, nothing happens, black: end turn no attack. The hazard could be a lose stone falling, tripping etc. It's up to the EW to work it in with theme or to simply play the mechanic robotic. This mod makes every roll a potential threat reducing deliberately wasting turns for another, higher roll. Also, that attempting to escape on 1bp Hero, has a lot more to worry about. Searching every room on the way out don't seem like a good idea now.

[The Admiral]

Wierd, I am just about to implement this into my games:
New movement Rules
Race/Armour None Leather Chainmail Platemail
Human 2D6 2D6 2D6-1 1D8
Barbarian 2D6 2D6 2D6 1D10
Dwarf 2D6-1 2D6-1 2D6-1 1D10
Elf 2D6+1 2D6 1D10 1D6
Halfling 2D6-1 2D6-1 1D10 1D6

[Anderas]

I tried once to use 4+d6 and similar movement ranges.
It was not changing so much most of the time. The few times it really made a difference it was the source of some frustration. We reverted to 2d6 and use the bonus from some buyable boots.

[slev]

for starters, who has D3 dice just lying around??

Plus, you end up with an undesirable result if the Heroes find an artifact with the effect "Speed + 1 die"

I'd already taken that into account, actually. My cards list +/-red. Or +/- (colour of variant dice)

I came up with 1 problem, d4's aren't nice to roll and what's a d3?

You can get D8's that are 1-4 twice, and D12's that are 1-4 thrice.

A D3 is either half a D6, or a D6 numbered 1-3 twice.

My plan was to use brown D3's (D6, 1-3 twice), and grey D4's (D8 or D4 version).


But, yes, you all seem to agree I'm over-thinking this and you're likley right...

...it has, however, given me an idea for something else...

[Gold Bearer]

Roll three dice and ignore the lowest. Roll three dice and ignore the highest.

I think it must be from playing WH back in the day but D3s seem completely natural to me, you soon get used to it. So much that I forgot to explain what the are in my college spell rules. I didn't even know there was an actual D3 dice.

[Goblin-King]

I tried once to use 4+d6 and similar movement ranges.
It was not changing so much most of the time. The few times it really made a difference it was the source of some frustration. We reverted to 2d6 and use the bonus from some buyable boots.

This to be honest. I mean... if you really want some flavor that matches the tropes of the characters...
But it seems like a lot of effort to make the elf move 0,5 square more than the barbarian.

I'd put it in the equipment as well. Make the +3 movement boots Elf Only.
Allow the dwarf to wear plate mail without halving his movement.

[slev]

I didn't even know there was an actual D3 dice.

Where there not D3 dice, I'd never have considered this

[Gold Bearer]

I didn't want to add other dice to my rules. D3 is just a shorthand way of saying roll a dice, 1-2 = this happens, 3-4 = that happens, 5-6 = something else happens. I'm trying to imagine how an actual D3 would work, must have very rounded edges.