I am the Warden!!
Last week, I teased my Twitter followers about a quick game drafted up over New Year's Eve called TPK and it's been sitting on my desk ever since. We finally had a chance to take it for a test spin this morning and I'm pleased to report it's held up very well to my expectations.
TPK does indeed stand for "Total Party Kill" and the objective of this fantasy miniatures skirmish game is to die with honour in the Arena. Each player controls a single combatant - either a Warrior or a Monster - drawn from a deck to challenge every other combatant in sight. Starting with only 1 Health, you gain additional Health by successfully attacking your opponents. When a combatant is reduced to 0 Health, the player randomly chooses a new one and returns to the Arena. Every time you hit an opponent, you gain 1 Damage and the combatant with the highest Damage at the end of a 60-minute match is declared the winner. If the winning combatant is still alive at the end of the match, they can rise to become a Champion and be permanently added to the deck.
As each combatant increases their Damage and/or Health, they can unlock additional Abilities, but they have special tools at their disposal from the beginning. Warriors come with a Starting Item (including weapons) and a Racial Ability, while Monsters start with a Natural Item and an Extraordinary Ability.
This 8-page PDF allows everyone to use their existing minis and battlemaps to run an endless cavalcade of matches and is intended as a pick-up game running up to 60 minutes at a time. While there is a lot of additional work and text revisions to make, I'm very pleased with how it went this morning and so was the other player. Additional rules for movement and Obstacles (or at least fleshing them out in greater detail rather than adding to them) are at the top of the list and I'll have to consider addendums to various combatants' abilities, such as the Mage and Psionicist. On that note, here's a list of the combatant available in TPK at the moment and basic rundown of their strengths.
Elf Ranger: Can make ranged attacks with the Longbow, wins all ties, and has can later gain excellent cover by standing next to walls and fire multiple arrows.
Dwarf Paladin: Starts off with an Iron Shield for increased defence, can convert 1 Damage into 1 Health as an action, and eventually force opponents to re-roll their d20s and recover more Health.
Halfling Rogue: Carries a Dagger for increased attack bonuses, cannot be targeted by ranged attack when adjacent to Obstacles, and can unlock hiding benefits and sneak attack damage.
Human Psionicist: Uses Metal Darts for ranged attacks, the human knack to re-roll a single d20, and later unleashes a Telepathic Rebound on successful defence rolls and can hurl Obstacles at opponents.
Gnome Mage: The Wand allows this combatant to cast ranged attacks, becomes invisible when adjacent to Obstacles, and can later summon allied Monsters and increased attack with the Wand.
Dwarf Slayer: With the Steel Battleaxe, this combatant rolls 2d20 and applies the highest result for all attacks against Monsters, has the dwarf Ability to recover damage, and eventually learns to exchange Health for attack bonuses and cause double Damage.
Ogre: Capable of inflicting double Damage with Hammering Fists, starts off with 2 Health, and soon learns to wield 2 Items at one time and well as throw Obstacles.
Centaur: Carries a Faebow for ranged attacks, can move in additional to any action on a turn, and eventually accessing a bonus d6 to certain rolls and can kick adjacent opponents for extra Damage.
Drake: Flies across the Arena with its Wings, using them to carry opponents with its attacks, and unlocks the Abilities of Tail Slap and Fire Breath.
Werewolf: Uses its Infectious Fangs to potentially create more Werewolves, regenerate Health, and can unlock chances to Shapechange forms and Pounce on its enemies.
Gorgon: The Poisoned Tail injects opponents with a vile toxin, can move over Obstacles with ease, and gains the Abilities to grapple combatants with its tail and turn them into stone.
Hellspawn: This demon tortures its victims with a Thorned Whip, it immune to ranged attacks, and gains the Abilities of a Weakening Curse against adjacent enemies and destroying Items with its Crushing Grip.
The catch is balancing this project with every other one out there, so I'm keeping this rather low key at the moment until such time as I can properly invest the time to make it shine and potentially publish it. For now, it's just something for a bit of fun.
Last week, I teased my Twitter followers about a quick game drafted up over New Year's Eve called TPK and it's been sitting on my desk ever since. We finally had a chance to take it for a test spin this morning and I'm pleased to report it's held up very well to my expectations.
TPK does indeed stand for "Total Party Kill" and the objective of this fantasy miniatures skirmish game is to die with honour in the Arena. Each player controls a single combatant - either a Warrior or a Monster - drawn from a deck to challenge every other combatant in sight. Starting with only 1 Health, you gain additional Health by successfully attacking your opponents. When a combatant is reduced to 0 Health, the player randomly chooses a new one and returns to the Arena. Every time you hit an opponent, you gain 1 Damage and the combatant with the highest Damage at the end of a 60-minute match is declared the winner. If the winning combatant is still alive at the end of the match, they can rise to become a Champion and be permanently added to the deck.
As each combatant increases their Damage and/or Health, they can unlock additional Abilities, but they have special tools at their disposal from the beginning. Warriors come with a Starting Item (including weapons) and a Racial Ability, while Monsters start with a Natural Item and an Extraordinary Ability.
This 8-page PDF allows everyone to use their existing minis and battlemaps to run an endless cavalcade of matches and is intended as a pick-up game running up to 60 minutes at a time. While there is a lot of additional work and text revisions to make, I'm very pleased with how it went this morning and so was the other player. Additional rules for movement and Obstacles (or at least fleshing them out in greater detail rather than adding to them) are at the top of the list and I'll have to consider addendums to various combatants' abilities, such as the Mage and Psionicist. On that note, here's a list of the combatant available in TPK at the moment and basic rundown of their strengths.
Warriors
Human Barbarian: Carries a Brutal Club (possibility of double Damage), can re-roll a single d20 once per match, and has Abilities of Rage (+1d10 to attacks) and boost their damage by +1 as they gain more Health.Elf Ranger: Can make ranged attacks with the Longbow, wins all ties, and has can later gain excellent cover by standing next to walls and fire multiple arrows.
Dwarf Paladin: Starts off with an Iron Shield for increased defence, can convert 1 Damage into 1 Health as an action, and eventually force opponents to re-roll their d20s and recover more Health.
Halfling Rogue: Carries a Dagger for increased attack bonuses, cannot be targeted by ranged attack when adjacent to Obstacles, and can unlock hiding benefits and sneak attack damage.
Human Psionicist: Uses Metal Darts for ranged attacks, the human knack to re-roll a single d20, and later unleashes a Telepathic Rebound on successful defence rolls and can hurl Obstacles at opponents.
Gnome Mage: The Wand allows this combatant to cast ranged attacks, becomes invisible when adjacent to Obstacles, and can later summon allied Monsters and increased attack with the Wand.
Dwarf Slayer: With the Steel Battleaxe, this combatant rolls 2d20 and applies the highest result for all attacks against Monsters, has the dwarf Ability to recover damage, and eventually learns to exchange Health for attack bonuses and cause double Damage.
Monsters
Minotaur: Able to make charge attacks with its Horns and cause extra Damage with their incredible strength, they can unlock the Abilities of a terrifying Roar and use their Scent to track down hidden foes.Ogre: Capable of inflicting double Damage with Hammering Fists, starts off with 2 Health, and soon learns to wield 2 Items at one time and well as throw Obstacles.
Centaur: Carries a Faebow for ranged attacks, can move in additional to any action on a turn, and eventually accessing a bonus d6 to certain rolls and can kick adjacent opponents for extra Damage.
Drake: Flies across the Arena with its Wings, using them to carry opponents with its attacks, and unlocks the Abilities of Tail Slap and Fire Breath.
Werewolf: Uses its Infectious Fangs to potentially create more Werewolves, regenerate Health, and can unlock chances to Shapechange forms and Pounce on its enemies.
Gorgon: The Poisoned Tail injects opponents with a vile toxin, can move over Obstacles with ease, and gains the Abilities to grapple combatants with its tail and turn them into stone.
Hellspawn: This demon tortures its victims with a Thorned Whip, it immune to ranged attacks, and gains the Abilities of a Weakening Curse against adjacent enemies and destroying Items with its Crushing Grip.
The catch is balancing this project with every other one out there, so I'm keeping this rather low key at the moment until such time as I can properly invest the time to make it shine and potentially publish it. For now, it's just something for a bit of fun.
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