Optional Modular Rules

[knightkrawler]

So, writing my rule book, which will be a variant of the NA rule system with my houserules,
I came up with many ideas that I find may or may not be played.

I want to represent them here in order to get feedback. I'm playtesting them right now, but I would very much appreciate your opinions.
Maybe some of you find the chance to playtest them and then give me feedback.

1. Order of Play
At the beginning of each round, the Heroes may decide among them who gets his turn first, second, third, fourth. That makes for some tactical diversity, as well as funny trial/error situations in trying to fool the Evil Wizard Player...
It helps to have Turn Markers for each Hero. I use those from Descent. They have a red cross on one side (move made in that round) and a green circle on the other (still gets to move in that round).
OR
Everyone - including the Evil Wizard Player! - rolls dice to determine order of play at the beginning of each round. Here it also helps to have Turn markers.

2. Intervention
Immediately after a Hero has opened a door and finished his turn (including movement/action), ONE monster from that newly opened room gets to move and attack.
That breaks up the storming-a-room-and-slaughtering-every-monster-before-the-Evil-Wizard-Player-may-even-move-situation. Mostly, this monster will put itself between the one hero having entered the room and the others. Interesting fights have occurred during my playtests.
That Monster may ALSO move and attack normally when it's the Evil Wizard Player's next turn.

3. Tough Monster
In addition to 1 Black Shield blocking 1 Skull, 2 White Shields block 1 Skull. This may be a valid option for the game system quests.

4. Push Back
When a Hero or monster takes 1 or more Body points from its opponent IN MELEE, he may decide to
a) exchange squares with that opponent
OR
b) push his opponent back one square (if there's a free square behind or next to the opponent) and moving to the square that's just become free.
All this is independent from Movement points or actions.
It makes for some interesting situations and freer flowing combat.
Of course it makes sense to make exceptions for bigger monsters like Ogres and Gargoyles and maybe even Chaos Warriors.

5. Search in the Presence of Monsters
A Hero may search even though he can see a monster IF that monster has no way to attack that Hero until the beginning of that Hero's next turn.
(That means, for example the Hero can search, even though the monster can attack the other hero blocking its path, killing him, and then being free to move up to the searching hero... cause the monster's attack for that turn is done).

6. No monsters in play
If at the beginning of the Evil Wizard player's turn, there are no monsters in play, he rolls 1 combat die. Skull means he can put 1 Wandering Monster in any room already explored by the Heroes (but none any of them is currently in); Black Shield means he can put up TWO wandering monsters. The Monster(s) may move and attack (if possible) immediately.

7. Monsters opening doors
A monster may open a closed door if the area behind that door has been explored by the heroes. That monster can thus try to stab the heroes' backs when they are trying to block a door...

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That's it for now... Let me know what you think.

[Templar]

Well, I have tested the free order-type rounds, and I found it to be VERY time consuming...with all the tactical discussions and whatnot. I would only use this with a group that does not mind a long playing time. Otherwise it was great fun to see how everyone planned out the turn for most effect. Made for some fun spell/attack combos

[Sjeng]

interesting thoughts. Especially 3 and 6, possibly 1b. I might introduce this if our games get too easy.
I'm also going to try to find a use for those german coloured dice.

[knightkrawler]

I'm also going to try to find a use for those german coloured dice.

Easy ideas spring to mind.
Let undead monsters defend with the Blue dice - relentless toughness.
You can let the Spirit Blade with 4 Black dice against undead, with 3 normal dice against the rest.
Orc's Bane attacks Orcs with orange dice - two attacks if two orcs are in reach.
Give Green Defend dice to the Hero wearing Borin's Armor
Every time there's an AD or DD bonus through a spell, let the heroes use the white dice they usually have plus x purple dice.
...
...
...
Or, here's a thought:
You put all dice in a bag and each time anyone gets a combat die roll he has to blindly pick his number out of the bag and then roll with what he got.

[knightkrawler]

Well, I have tested the free order-type rounds, and I found it to be VERY time consuming...with all the tactical discussions and whatnot. I would only use this with a group that does not mind a long playing time. Otherwise it was great fun to see how everyone planned out the turn for most effect. Made for some fun spell/attack combos

I have a 30-second hourglass. A treasure, that thing.

[Templar]

I have a 30-second hourglass. A treasure, that thing.

I guess that could work...we'll try it next time

[chaoticprime]

Here's a suggestion. Instead of limiting attacking monsters to 1, have enemies that attack a single Hero make an attack in concert. Each enemy past the first adds 1 combat die to the attack roll. This could lend specialization to some enemies, too. Zombies, for instance, would not add an additional die, but would cause Hero's to lose 1 combat die for their defense roll.

[torilen]

I would be wary of adding combat dice to monsters in such a way. I agree with decreasing a hero's defense dice
for each additional monster...I've done that. It makes a lot of sense, since their defense would be less and less
for each enemy they have to pay attention to .

I think adding attack dice to monster attacks, though, would throw things out of balance, especially if you have
a whole mess of goblins, and some of them have a weapon that could attack diagonally, offering a possible 6+
goblins attacking a single hero.

[chaoticprime]

Not adding dice to all monsters attacking. Only the first technically attacks, additional monsters simply increase its attack roll. So the Hero gets attacked one time, but with a concerted effort from multiple monsters. 1 Orc = 3 dice, 2 Orcs = 4 dice, 3 Orcs = 5 dice

[Daedalus]

1.) Order of Play
I remember bouncing ideas with Ken on this one. If you don't have other turn markers, a Hero's Character Card can also be turned 90 degrees to show a turn has been taken, then all are refreshed during the Evil Wizard player's turn. I still haven't tried it, but would like to. How do you use the timer? Is it 30 seconds for the first Hero's turn to start, then after the dice are all thrown 30 for the second Hero's turn, etc.?
4.) Push Back
You already know I'm a fan of b. Let a melee move, I say.
5.) Searching in the Presence of Monsters
This makes some sense, but for me there is a conflict due to the assumed movement necessary to keep searches simple. Actually, my conflict is with assumed movement in searches, but it extends to your house rule. What if a square containing secret door or trap can be gotten at by the monster, but the monster can't get at the Hero making the search (behind a battle line or too far away). The rules allow a whole room or corridor to be searched with assumed movement, so as I see it the Hero can reach the searched square, but the monster can't reach that Hero. This is only a problem if one imagines as I do that it is necessary to be at a square (or at least adjacent) to search it. Some (most?) don't have a problem with this because they interpret the rules as allowing a search from a distance, as long as there is line of sight (even ignoring figures--I don't get that). Your rule seems okay using this distance searching.
6.) No Monsters in Play
I like the simple implementation and see the point, but I fear the frequency of monster appearance will bog down play. While I like the symbolism of skull and black shield results, I think replacing the skull result with a white shield makes more sense for frequency. Maybe even that is too much. Then again, playtesting is better than opinions.
7.) Monsters Opening Doors
Interesting idea. Can a Hero block this if the door opens inward towards the Heroes? Maybe a die roll could reflect this if a Hero moves adjacent to the closed door. Roll a skull, and the door is opened towards the monster. Roll a white shield and the Hero keeps the door closed. Black shield...hmm...maybe the door is forced inward towards the Hero and the Hero is pushed back. There I go complicating a simple rule again!