Alan ‘Tradgardmastre’ Gruber of The Duchy Of Tradgardland, my co-creator of our Scouting Wide Games type tabletop rules, has suggested some additional complexity to the Snowball Fight Rules.
Alan: “Visually very attractive game indeed. The rules sound like they provided a good game.”
1. Alan follows up one of my playtest ideas about my improvised messy way of marking characters who have acquired two Snowball hits with two gem counters to show they have lost a life. They must then move straight back home each turn to the baseline to have their game life restored:
Alan: “A clear or white curtain ring over the figure to signify hits seems a plan. It would lie on the snowy ground and not be too intrusive.
Some rings open and could be fitted around the figure which might be easier than trying to get it over the outstretched arms/head.”
I shall have to pick up some curtain rings when I’m next in town, although I do have lots of spare cheap basing washers which might also work.
2. I had no extra RPG type skills which might work as dice modifiers, apart from a few characters before the game having thrown a 6 to achieve the scout type Marksman badge, giving them an extra +1 on each Snowball hit. Alan suggested a great idea:
Alan: “After three throws a person could get a minus one on a dice to hit to simulate very cold fingers.”
This is easy enough to tally on a simple paper ammunition / throws and hits table or chart.
4. The difference of ability of experience between older and younger characters or different grades of scout (young tenderfoot through to First Class Scout \ Patrol Leader) is the same as Veteran, Elite, Regular, Militia troop rating etc:
Alan: “Competence and incompetence at throwing could be represented by using a eight sided dice for experts and a four sided dice for wee kids who can’t throw so far.”
Effectively the smallest or youngest characters could only then achieve a hit at close range before their fingers froze!
5. Knowing when to finish the game could be randomised in this charming and very childhood way:
Alan: “Perhaps the game could run a limited number of turns to simulate everyone getting too cold and needing to go home to warm up.
This could be done by throwing a dice at the end of each turn and if you threw a number equivalent to the turn or less the game ended. Using a d8 again or two d 6 as an alternative. So in turn five if you threw a 3 and a 4 it would continue but a 2 and a 1 would mean everyone scurrying home.”
“All in all Mark, a charming experience to read about.”
Thanks Alan, some nice fun simple randomness and complexity to add as desired. I will have to dig out some long-forgotten many sided D&D dice to try these ideas.
Such comments, variations and ideas from readers are very welcome and show how different gamers might develop these rules in their own way.
Proper “Jumpers for Goalposts” stuff!
Blogposted by Man of TIN, 30 October 2019
Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop and Garden 