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Author Topic: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.  (Read 7553 times)

Offline stevelampon

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Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« on: March 11, 2019, 09:38:27 AM »
:) Hello, I posted about this project several months ago. It is now live on Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse




The Game

Gadzooks it’s the Apocalypse is a fantasy battle game set in the first half of the seventeenth century, a time of widespread warfare, religious strife and general unrest. It was a time when very bad things were happening and when people saw signs of the end of days and the coming  of the Apocalypse. So we thought - that sounds like fun times lets make a game!

Each player in the game will control one character figure and a bunch of dubious looking henchmen. The character will have a detailed profile, a number of skills and qualities that can be improved upon if scenarios are survived and experience is gained. Henchmen are cheap and expendable and there are always plenty more to hire. But players should beware, evil forces are at work at every turn and as their characters grow in power, the temptation to follow the path of evil will be strong. Will characters risk their humanity by gaining sinister new powers or will they take the path of good. All will have to decide as the end time approaches.

Game Concept

Although Gadzooks is clearly a fantasy game with the emphasis on fun and entertainment, I have tried to create a game that delivers an accurate representation of warfare of the period but which also gives a glimpse of some of the religious beliefs held at the time, especially regarding the apocalyptic significance of such events as the Thirty Years War and English Civil War. Belief in witchcraft, demons and other powerful supernatural forces seemed to have been an everyday part of some people’s lives - especially those people caught up in terrifying conflicts or suffering from the effects of harsh and poorly understood natural phenomena such as famine and plague. So this game brings these forces ‘to life’ - demons and undead creatures roam the battlefield, devilish magic can be conjured by those evil enough to wield it and saints in gleaming armour can hack their way through hordes of foul demonic foes. Now that’s what I call entertainment!

Strange Fantasy

There are a few reasons why I created this strange fantasy game: I have a definite nostalgia for times spent playing Dungeons & Dragons (and this game is clearly influenced by that classic roleplaying game), I have a great fascination for the early modern era of history and there was a question that kept coming to mind - why are all classic fantasy games set during the medieval period? Would it be possible to create a fantasy game set during the dark apocalyptic days of the seventeenth century? Well my answer to that question is undoubtedly - yes. I hope that after playing this game you will agree with me too.

Offline fairoaks024

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2019, 10:41:19 PM »
Backed
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Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2019, 12:49:41 AM »
I've read it took three centuries for part of Europe to repopulate fully after the period of the Thirty Years War. 

There is no war more terrible than religious war.

Offline Dr Mathias

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 01:55:46 AM »
Sounds interesting!
a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice.
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Offline stevelampon

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 05:28:51 PM »
Thanks for the interest, we are almost at 25% after 2 days. I have just posted an update on the KS page. I will repeat it here.

The Starting Force

When starting out with a new hero each player will have to gather a number of followers around their character. The followers that a character can attract are initially low grade troops, but if the hero is successful better quality troops can be hired. The choice of starting characters are: Chaplain, Assassin, Necromancer, Paladin, Demon Hunter, Ranger, Rogue, White Witch, Thief, Jäger, Blade or Diabolist.

The available Henchmen for a starting force are: Peasant, who cannot be given a weapon but can be used for fetching and carrying. Militia, with or without, a farming tool, pistol, arquebus, or musket. Brigand who can be armed with an arquebus and a short sword.

Players will have a number of Force Points that they can spend. Both sides will have equal numbers of Force Points, and players will have to agree on the number of Force Points that both are going to field. A good starting point is 30 points each, this will give a starting force of between 3-6 figures.



The hero will have a detailed profile, a number of skills and qualities that can be improved upon if scenarios are survived and experience is gained. Henchmen are cheap and expendable and there are always plenty more to hire. If the character gains renown, better quality henchmen can be hired. Each character will have a specific profession or class that will determine the type of skills and powers that they can acquire and improve upon in time.

Offline Sir_Theo

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2019, 05:56:11 PM »
Sounds cool. Soloman Kane type derring do!

Backed. Good luck with the campaign.

Offline Cyrus the Great

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2019, 03:18:37 PM »
I could not resist. I'm backer 24!

Offline stevelampon

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 38
Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2019, 03:36:00 PM »
:) Many thanks for the support guys, I have started posting updates which will begin to explain various aspects of the rules.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse/updates
« Last Edit: March 13, 2019, 03:45:22 PM by stevelampon »

Offline Wirelizard

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2019, 08:58:33 PM »
Blackpowder fantasy is an underserved genre, interested to see this come up. (I've been kicking around Pikeman's Lament/Dragon Rampant crossover ideas but not gotten anywhere with it...)

I'm not in a position to back the Kickstarter before it ends but hope it does well!

Offline stevelampon

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2019, 02:46:40 PM »
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse/updates

Update number 3

Actions and Command

The player’s Initiative Score (see update 2), is the maximum number of actions that each figure can take for that turn, even if the hero/henchmen actually has more actions available. If a player is determined to go first and only selects '1' for initiative then every figure, hero or henchmen will only be able to perform a single action.

A single action could be: Move once, Fire an aimed shot, Fire an un-aimed shot, Reload, Open a door.

A typical starting hero will have between 3-5 actions and 1-2 commands. Henchmen have 2 actions unless 'commanded' to do 1 more by a hero to a maximum of 3 actions.

For example, a character with a Command Factor of 2 can command two subordinate figures. The character can use five actions per turn and the player has chosen a score of 5 for the Initiative this turn. The player decides to command two soldiers to make an extra move. Both soldiers have already used two actions each. The player spends two of the character’s actions to allow the soldiers an extra action each (the soldiers are moved). This leaves three actions left for the character, the player decides to move the character twice and with the third action to fire a pistol. The soldiers have now used three actions each, this does not exceed the Initiative for that turn, so this is permitted. The character has used five actions (two for command and three for the characters own use). The character can use five actions per turn and the number of actions has not exceeded the Initiative Score.


Offline stevelampon

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2019, 04:46:11 PM »
Update 4.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse/posts/2448100

Creating a character.
The first stage is to determine the character’s family background. Players will roll 2d6, and add the scores together. The possible choices are: Criminal, Labourer or Farm Worker, Skilled Worker, Yeoman Farmer, Merchant, Gentry or Aristocracy. Each character has modifiers that affect further character abilities.

Players now have a choice about the beginnings of their character’s career. Players can choose either to have their character enroll in the army or to remain as a civilian. This second choice puts the character into the category of ‘camp follower’. Army Character Classes are: Chaplain, Rogue, Paladin, Jäger, Ranger or Blade. Camp Follower Character Classes are: Assassin, Diabolist, Necromancer, White Witch, Demon Hunter or Thief. If the player has chosen the army for their character the player must determine the character’s rank. 2d6 are rolled and the scores are added together. The score will indicate what rank their character has in the army.

Character Profile

The next stage for the player is to create the character’s profile. On page 54 is a table with all of the various character attributes that go to make up the character profile. Each player will roll 2d6 for each part of the profile, they will add the scores together and refer to the relevant table for the result.


Larger version here
http://www.stevenlampon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/KS_04.jpg

Offline Irregular Wars Nic

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Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2019, 08:01:34 AM »
I do love the sound of this.

Offline stevelampon

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 38
Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2019, 06:44:01 PM »
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse/updates
Update 5. Shooting.
In the Gadzooks 'world' firearms are the common missile weapons that are used and these are fairly crude pistols, carbines and matchlock lock muskets. What I wanted to capture in these rules is the difference in effectiveness between these three basic types of weapons - pistols are quick to deploy and useful at close range, muskets have excellent stopping power but are slow to reload and all of these weapons become highly inaccurate over longer ranges.

When a figure tests to hit the player rolls either a d6 if firing a pistol, a d8 for firing a carbine/arquebus or a d10 when firing a musket. The score must achieve the distance in inches from the firing figure to the target to score a hit. If the figure is taking aim the player will roll 2 dice to test to hit and will add the scores together. For example a figure is firing an aimed shot with a pistol at a target that is 8 inches away, the player rolls 2d6 and adds the scores to hit - if an eight or higher is achieved the target has been hit.

If a hit is scored the player will then test for damage by rolling a d6 for a pistol, d8 for carbine or d10 for musket. The higher the score the more damage is scored. Some weapons are classified as light or heavy. Heavy weapons use one higher value die than the die rolled to test to hit when testing for damage, so for example the player will roll a d12 damage when firing a heavy musket or a d8 when firing a heavy pistol. And if a light musket is being fired the player will roll 1d10 to hit and 1d8 for damage.

Players may think then that there is little point in using a lighter weapon because of the lower damage values, however this is where the final element of firing comes in - reloading. It takes no set time or number of actions to reload a weapon that has just fired instead it is based on a die roll. After a weapon has been fired the figure must use an action to try and reload. The player will roll the weapons damage die and will try and score 5 or lower to reload. This means that is easy to reload a pistol because a 5 or lower is easy to achieve with a d6 - and consequently it is much harder to reload a heavy musket (when the player would have to score a 5 or lower on a d12. This means of course that the heavier weapons have greater impact but will be slower to reload and slower to fire again.

Rifled weapons are available in this game, these are more accurate than the usual smooth-bore weapons but take much longer to reload. When firing a rifled weapons (pistol, carbine or musket) the player will roll 2 dice to hit or 3 dice (for an aimed shot) and add the scores together - this of course has the effect of greatly increasing the effective range of the weapon. However, when it comes to reloading the rifled weapon the player will have to roll 2 dice and add the scores together and must achieve a score of 5 or lower to reload - a very difficult prospect in the heat of battle.

Of course there are modifiers that are applied to all of these die scores for experienced characters as bonuses to damage and accuracy are applied.


Offline fairoaks024

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1558
Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2019, 01:57:36 PM »
I really like the sound of those shooting mechanics, very clever.

I can see my guys taking heavy guns, firing once and spending the rest of the game frustratedly trying to re-load. Love it!

Offline stevelampon

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 38
Re: Gadzooks it's the Apocalypse live on Kickstarter.
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2019, 03:55:25 PM »
lol, some weapons are hard to reload in the heat of the moment.

Update 5 has been posted on the KS site. Close Combat.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/964530327/gadzooks-its-the-apocalypse/posts/2449694

Here is just the first three paragraphs as it is quite lengthy.

This section describes a few rounds of close combat between a Chaplain character and three Militia figures. The Chaplain has a Combat Factor of 4, two attacks and is wearing a buff coat and breastplate (armour save 1d10). The Chaplain is armed with a hammer and benefits from a +1 Strength Bonus in combat. The Militia figures are all musket armed and are using their muskets as weapons in close combat. The Chaplain figure has the initiative and has charged into combat with the three enemy figures.

The Chaplain has used one action to charge into combat. This gives the attacking player a bonus to the character’s Combat Factor, which means it will go from 4 to 3 for the first round of combat and will gain the figure an additional +1 damage bonus. The Chaplain has two attacks in combat and so the player will roll 2d10 to hit. A score that is equal to or in excess of the character’s Combat Factor will cause a hit. The dice are rolled and a 3 and 7 are scored. This means two hits are scored because both benefit from the charge bonus, which puts the Chaplain’s Combat Factor on 3 rather than the usual 4. Now it is time for the opposing player to test for their figures in the combat.

The player controlling the Militia will roll 1d10 for each of these figures. The Militia figures have a Combat Factor of 5 and so the player will need to score 5s or higher. The player scores 2, 5 and 8 – two hits are scored. Both sides must now resolve the hits that have been scored. This must be done in the correct sequence. Because neither side has a longer weapon than the other, the sequence will be determined by the lowest scores going first.