VUK testing (with pics)

[Dolmot]

The scenarios are for the most part just too darned evil for Threshold to be participating in, and it doesn't make any sense to have them out collecting dark favour or sacrificing victims.

Now that's shocking.

Coincidentally, part 2 is online.
Warning: contains lead representations of various demographics in (simulated) disturbing situations.



Testing notes: The end conditions of this scenario were a complete mystery to us. Do cult models leave the table when capturing? If so, does a cult become "eliminated" if all (or some of) its members move out voluntarily? Who is the winner here? Does a grabbed model count as captured in the end, when only one cult remains on the table? Please enlighten us.

[zobo1942]

Hmmm.

In most Lovecraft fiction, it seems that the protagonists can sometimes seem to be just as occult-versed as the bad guys. Most of them have read The Necronomicon, for instance (see: The Dunwich Horror) or are actively engaged in occult activities (see: The Statement of Randolph Carter, The Nameless City, etc....). There are times when the 'Good Guys' are just as bloodthirsty as the evil they are trying to fight - the incarcerations and executions Innsmouth, for example, or to a much lesser extent, the boarding action upon the 'Alert' in The Call of Cthulhu. It seems more a question of attitude: cultists actively try to aid the Old Ones, and the non-cultists (or 'status-quo' types) try to forget what they've learned about it and make sure no one else learns about it.

Given that the difference seems to me to be primarily one of attitude, it seems that it would be a great idea to integrate VUK completely with Strange Aeons to make a combined, more versatile ruleset for players to choose what direction they want to take. After all, it's a small step from using The Necronomicon and the Powder of Ibn-Gatzi in the banishing Wilbur Whateley's brother to sacrificing a cultist to gain some kind of hyper-dimensional advantage over some other bad (okay... 'more bad') guys.

Just a thought.

[zobo1942]

Also...

I really like the house in image#7. Did you scratch build it?

If so, could you describe your construction method?

[einarolafson]

Really like your battle reports. Very inspiring and a good "Dunwich" look in your game table.  

Also...

I really like the house in image#7. Did you scratch build it?

If so, could you describe your construction method?

I think is the Perry ACW house or it´s a very similar one built from scratch. I have one of those waiting for the paint job.

Regards,

Andrés.

[jnr]

The perry farm house can be also be bought from the manufactures, plus they do picket fnces if you need extra ones .

http://renedra.co.uk/webstore.html

[Uncle Mike]

Hey Dolmot,

The table/minis/overall look of your games look great! And now onto the explanation...

The game continues until all the Civilians have been removed from the table...this can be from injury or from being grabbed and moved off the table (via the players board edge).

This scenario is one of the few where cults don't have to eliminate each other to win...it allows you to try and 'stock up' on Civies for various dark reasons (see: Special Rules of scenario).

If you have captured a Civilian (by moving him off your board edge) he belongs to your cult now...win or loose. The winner can try and get any remaining Civilians (assuming the opponent has been wiped out and there are still some on the board...).

Hope that explains...

[Dolmot]

I think is the Perry ACW house

It is. Nice and sleek, although I still deeply dislike cleaning a million plastic parts from mould lines...and somehow I managed to botch some steps of the assembly, especially the hinges. Be more careful than I was, if you end up buying this. Check all fits and angles beforehand, twice.

If I had to build one, I'd probably use coffee stirrers for clapboard and common hobby wood shapes & cardboard for the rest.

Hope that explains...

Not entirely, because you essentially repeated the basic scenario setup that's already printed, while I tried to ask four very specific questions about terminology and mechanics. Let me repeat and elaborate.

a) Do cult models leave the table when capturing?
I assume they do, because:
- "Unless otherwise stated in the Scenario Special Rules, a model that leaves the table, either voluntarily or otherwise, can take no further part in the game." (p.15)
- "Once the grabbed Civilian (and accompanying cult member) move off the table via the short board edge the Civilian is captured." (p.34)

b) If so, does a cult become "eliminated" if all (or some of) its members move out voluntarily?
Let's assume player 1 currently has four members in his cult, and there are five Civilians.. All cultists grab a Civilian and capture them by moving off the board. Player 2 does nothing significant whatsoever. Is player 1 now "eliminated", even though no fighting took place and he accomplished everything he could? Does the game end now as only one cult and one Civilian remain on the table?

c) Who is the winner here?
Continuing the previous example, the scenario rules say "If one cult is eliminated, the winner may roll 1D6 for each Civilian still on the board." Notice the word "winner" here, and the fact that Post-Game Sequence gives bonuses to the "winning player". As stated before, player 2 didn't really do anything in this example. Does he still win?

d) Does a grabbed model count as captured in the end, when only one cult remains on the table?
Still continuing the example, let's assume player 2 has the last Civilian grabbed, but not captured, and cult 1 has left the table. What happens?
Option 1: The game ends. Does player 2 get any benefit from this grabbing, or does he roll and wish for 5-6 for every Civilian alike, grabbed or not? It sounds a bit odd, that the physically held Civilian is suddenly released and then possibly recaptured. Or does "grabbed" convert automatically to "captured" in this case?
Option 2: Player 2 continues playing alone (which may or may not be the literal interpretation, depending on how you read "eliminated" and the primary condition about Civilians on the table). In this option he will eventually Capture as many Civilians as possible, leave the table, and the rolling part can never take place.

A few more:

e) Can a cultist grab more than one Civilian simultaneously?

f) Do Civilians take psychology tests as usual, and occasionally start fighting? (We played it this way. It resulted in plenty of additional randomness and chaos on the table.)

As a random note, the deployment rule "at least 12" from board edges"  does not make much sense, unless you mean "short board edges". Otherwise there are no eligible points at all on a 2' wide table.

[BletchleyPark]

I'm coming in really late to this conversation--especially because I'm thinking about the meat cleavers controversy.

I also think that meat cleavers are a little too good; they are such a no-brainer weapon to take ...and yet it seems kinda' wrong that trained government agents would likely find them preferable to other close combat weapons (for me, a meat cleaver seems more like an ad-hoc, spur-of-the-moment (albeit savage) weapon and not one to be viewed as standard kit by those who are part of a regimented & trained organisation.

If meat cleavers are too good for 1 point, but not worth raising to 1.5 or 2 points, but need to be a bit more flashy than a bowie knife, but a parry makes them a little too good, why not make it so that meat cleavers can only parry a 6?

It could represent that meat cleavers are nasty enough that, essentially, they rob one's opponent the ability to attack with his full finesse, yet betray the cleaver's heritage: cutting things not delivering artful fencing maneuvers.

Just a thought.....

[Uncle Mike]

Hey Dolmot,

a) Yes.

b) Yes.

c) In this scenario player 2 would be the winner.

d) Yes.

e) No.

f) Yes.

Random note: You are correct. It should read short board edges.

[Dolmot]

Thanks for the answers. Maybe a bit counterintuitive that fulfilling the scenario goals will make you lose, but we can call it a trade-off. As usual, I have a bunch of new questions. However, let's just take a look at part 3 first.



Spooky.

[einarolafson]

Very nice table again!! And good work preparing the battle reports, Thank you!

[ennui]

I had a few questions that came up during a game yesterday.

-We played the Summoning scenario.  The last death of one of the cults made the BP rise over 30, calling the Godling into play.  We were unsure if the cult that was wiped out triggered the end of the scenario or if, with the entrance of the Godling, the remaining cult had to keep playing. 

-The rules for gaining RP state that the winning cult gains 1d6 RP if their magus is unharmed.  Does unharmed in this case mean that the magus simply has to be remaining on the table?  Or do they have to actually have all of their wounds remaining, too?

-The High Priests start the campaign with 3 spells.  These disappear for good once they're used, right?

I'm looking forward to a larger variety of weapons and whatnot, once the supplements get printed.  But in the meantime, I'm having a great time putting together my cult! 

[jnr]

My son and I used the cemetery  set up for our game rough size 2x3` , trees need work on the bases and walls need finished.
And the Undead handed my arse on a plate to me, bad idea telling my son to use two Conglomerate, in his Undead Cult.






And I hope to use this one day, Hougoumont  I painted it a long time ago but it still needs weathering,that board is 3x4` so you have a idea of the size.
,

[D@rth J@ymZ]

@ennui - I'll throw my hat into the ring for answering questions...

I had a few questions that came up during a game yesterday.

-We played the Summoning scenario.  The last death of one of the cults made the BP rise over 30, calling the Godling into play.  We were unsure if the cult that was wiped out triggered the end of the scenario or if, with the entrance of the Godling, the remaining cult had to keep playing.  

Not sure on this one (Uncle Mike can clarify) but I believe the game is over once one cult has been eliminated.  I, for one, love the idea of continuing to play the scenario out so that the eliminated cult can extract their revenge by playing the godling and grinding the cult of his opponent into dust underneath the godlings feet/tentacles etc.  

-The rules for gaining RP state that the winning cult gains 1d6 RP if their magus is unharmed.  Does unharmed in this case mean that the magus simply has to be remaining on the table?  Or do they have to actually have all of their wounds remaining, too?

The Magus is "unharmed" at the end of the game and qualifies for 1d6 RP if he has:


1) Not been removed from the table due to injury (Major/minor) even if he has had some of his Wounds removed during the game (he is assumed to make a full recovery at the end of the game)
2) Failed a Cult Unity test and left the table/game
3) Run off the table either by failing a Resolve check near his short board edge or left by choice

-The High Priests start the campaign with 3 spells.  These disappear for good once they're used, right?

Yes.  I was told this rule may be changing so that spells may only be re-equipped through scrolls and tomes but Uncle Mike can confirm this...

[Ramirez Noname]

Hi Dolmot,

Episode three looking good -I'm glad I don't find "nasties" like that when I'm working on my church conservation projects  


... see what I mean ...

@ Jnr - nice set up on both counts - know what you mean about sons getting the good roles - mine always does as well  

Ramirez