Post by richjones on Mar 28, 2010 0:35:00 GMT 1
A few people have asked about how to 'model' horses in FL. The following are a final playtest version of rules which will appear in Frontline Heroes (WWII). Please try them out and see what you think:
For most purposes a ridden horse is treated as a vehicle with regards to movement and turning. Mounting or dismounting a horse requires one action unless the character has the born rider skill or the acrobat skill in which case they may mount or dismount at the end of a movement action.
An unencumbered ridden horse moves a long distance on firm surfaces. If the surface is ‘hard’, for example a road, or ‘soft’, for example rain soaked ground or moorland the horse only moves a medium distance but is counted as a ‘sprinter’ (it may make one long move an activation). Crossing an obstacle by ‘jumping’ decreases the movement length by one stick. This jump may be up to the height of the back of the horse model. Jumping from this single height to a approximately twice the horse back height is a difficult task with the Quality being taken as that of the rider. The consequence of failing will be the horse refusing the jump, stopping at the obstacle and the rider having to take a quality check to avoid falling off.
Jumping over 'gaps' - a horse can leap up to it's normal movement distance. However the rider needs to make a quality check on one die with the following modifiers to the Quality:
+1 if the character has the 'born rider' skill.
+1 if the horse and rider have had 'a run up' by using one full move action before the leap is attempted.
-1 if the horse is encumbered.
Failure means the leapt distance is one stick less than the normal move with the consequences being determined by what the 'gap' consists of. Failure will also end the horse and riders activation.
A horse can carry heavy loads (for game purposes a player must use common sense, a regular load can be taken as being equivalent to that of a rider and normal livery. Anything heavier up to a ‘sensible’ load will decrease the horses’ movement by a stick and ‘jumps’ are not possible.
When used to charge into hand to hand melee the horse gives the attacker C+2 on the initial contact. This can be increased to C+3 if the figure is using a lance. After the initial contact the horse does not add any value to the combat score; any advantages are deemed to be outweighed by the horse being a target.
Firing at a horse and rider is done as normal. However, the following hit resolution outcomes are used:
If the horse and rider is ‘trebled’ the rider is deemed to be killed in action and falls off the horse.
If the horse and rider is ‘doubled’ the horse is deemed to be out of action and either rears or falls to the ground. Either way the rider finds themselves prone on the ground and immediately takes a C+1 attack
If the horse and rider are beaten on an ‘even’ die roll the rider is deemed to be ‘thrown’ and is placed prone next to the horse by the owning player.
If the horse and rider are beaten on an ‘odd’ die roll the horse is deemed to have shied away from the shot, the horse moves a short and the rider must make a quality check (at -1) to choose the direction of the movement. If they fail he horse will move a short stick in a random direction. This may well result in a collision with an object.
For most purposes a ridden horse is treated as a vehicle with regards to movement and turning. Mounting or dismounting a horse requires one action unless the character has the born rider skill or the acrobat skill in which case they may mount or dismount at the end of a movement action.
An unencumbered ridden horse moves a long distance on firm surfaces. If the surface is ‘hard’, for example a road, or ‘soft’, for example rain soaked ground or moorland the horse only moves a medium distance but is counted as a ‘sprinter’ (it may make one long move an activation). Crossing an obstacle by ‘jumping’ decreases the movement length by one stick. This jump may be up to the height of the back of the horse model. Jumping from this single height to a approximately twice the horse back height is a difficult task with the Quality being taken as that of the rider. The consequence of failing will be the horse refusing the jump, stopping at the obstacle and the rider having to take a quality check to avoid falling off.
Jumping over 'gaps' - a horse can leap up to it's normal movement distance. However the rider needs to make a quality check on one die with the following modifiers to the Quality:
+1 if the character has the 'born rider' skill.
+1 if the horse and rider have had 'a run up' by using one full move action before the leap is attempted.
-1 if the horse is encumbered.
Failure means the leapt distance is one stick less than the normal move with the consequences being determined by what the 'gap' consists of. Failure will also end the horse and riders activation.
A horse can carry heavy loads (for game purposes a player must use common sense, a regular load can be taken as being equivalent to that of a rider and normal livery. Anything heavier up to a ‘sensible’ load will decrease the horses’ movement by a stick and ‘jumps’ are not possible.
When used to charge into hand to hand melee the horse gives the attacker C+2 on the initial contact. This can be increased to C+3 if the figure is using a lance. After the initial contact the horse does not add any value to the combat score; any advantages are deemed to be outweighed by the horse being a target.
Firing at a horse and rider is done as normal. However, the following hit resolution outcomes are used:
If the horse and rider is ‘trebled’ the rider is deemed to be killed in action and falls off the horse.
If the horse and rider is ‘doubled’ the horse is deemed to be out of action and either rears or falls to the ground. Either way the rider finds themselves prone on the ground and immediately takes a C+1 attack
If the horse and rider are beaten on an ‘even’ die roll the rider is deemed to be ‘thrown’ and is placed prone next to the horse by the owning player.
If the horse and rider are beaten on an ‘odd’ die roll the horse is deemed to have shied away from the shot, the horse moves a short and the rider must make a quality check (at -1) to choose the direction of the movement. If they fail he horse will move a short stick in a random direction. This may well result in a collision with an object.