Tusk - rule question

[michi_k]

Ok, maybe I'm just too damn blind to find it in the rule book - but what exactly happens if an animal attacks?!?

The animal moves the maximum distance towards the nearest dog/hunter, that's clear. But what happens if it get's there?
Does the attacking animal roll a 2D6 like in the close combat rules, or does the target immedeatly get trampled to death like during a panic flight? (I tend towards the latter, because then it's a purposeful attack as opposed to an accidential killing during a confused situation).

 
Michi

[Emphatz]

I would say that your right, treat it as a close combat fight, logic tells us that a mammoth beast does not have a ranged attack (so it can't be that) and the rules tell us that the beast will first close in on its target (moving maximum distance towards, within 2 cm), this would constitute a close combat fight, the other thing to notice (last paragraph of close combat section) during any close combat fight with a beast regardless of the outcome, there is a chance that anything within a 2cm radius might get trampled in the confusion of the fight, regardless of whether it originally attacked the beast or not.

To further clarify, if a beast was attacked in close combat by a group of humans you would roll to see if the humans killed the beast, but you would also roll to see if one of them got trampled in the ensuing fight regardless of whether the beast was killed or not, this is similar to the panic flight only difference being that during a panic flight, death is automatic, if the beast survived the attack it would then roll for reaction in the next sequence, lets say it did and it got an attack result, then you would charge the nearest human or dog (as per the rules) and if the beast got 2cm or closer then to me this would constitute a close combat encounter, so then I would roll 2D6, on a 8 or more, the beast kills, on anything less its target survives, from this point I would go to the next sequence.

having said all this the only time I would use the close combat trample death roll would be in a group situation and not in a 1 Vs 1 this would make the most sense.

I hope that was understandable and helpful
Cheers.

[michi_k]

Thank you, Emphatz, I think I got it now.

I felt, at first, a bit uncomfortable that the mamoth should have the same chances to kill a hunter when it purposefully attacks as compared to when it is attacked, but that was actually a misconception. When the mammoth is attacked (in close combat, of course), it has one chance in any case, and if it comes to react with an attack it has the same chance a second time. This feels ok.

What I don't understand is why you wouldn't roll dice in a 1 vs 1 situation? Let's say I have just one dog pestering the mammoth (distance less than 2 cm). When I roll a 3 or 4 for beast reaction the mammoth has to attack, but now you wouldn't give it a chance to kill the dog just because it's 1 vs 1? And the same could apply, if I shot at the mammoth from a distance less than 8cm.


Michi

[Emphatz]

Michi, 
I think you have misunderstood me, in your first post you asked:

"what happens when an animal attacks ?"

I answered:

"I would roll 2D6, on a 8 or more, the beast kills, on anything less its target survives"




I also mentioned a special rule (last paragraph of close combat section) (which has nothing to do with the above), it goes like this:

If a group of hunters attack the beast there is a chance one may get trampled during the fight, regardless if the beast is killed or not, roll 2D6, on a 8 or more, a hunter gets trampled.
If only one hunter attacks the beast then this special rule doesn't apply.



To explain my last post, when i said:

"having said all this the only time I would use the close combat trample death roll would be in a group situation and not in a 1 Vs 1 this would make the most sense."

I was refering to the special rule only and not when the beast attacks.


To answer your last post:
If you have a dog pestering the mammoth and you get an attack result as the mammoth's reaction roll then you would roll 2D6, on a 8 or more, the mammoth kills the dog.
also if you shot the mammoth from a distance and you got an attack result as the mammoth's reaction roll then you would roll 2D6, on a 8 or more, the mammoth kills the hunter who shot at him.

[michi_k]

Ah, now I got it - I've missed the bit about the group attack!

However, I have found no restriction to group attacks in my rules (PDF version) - the last paragraph of the close combat rules reads:

Irrespective of other results, the beast rolls 2d6. On a roll of 8 or more, a randomly determined base within 2cm of the beast is killed and removed from play. This roll is made even if none of the bases within 2cm have attacked the beast.

Do you have the printed edition? Then it might well be that the rules were slightly changed during re-editing...

Regards!
Michi

[Emphatz]

I have the PDF version aswell, the rules are a little vague and not very well set out, but at the beginning of the close combat section it states "A base of hunters armed with spears/axes can attack a beast within 2cm or less of any part of its base." by the time it gets to the last paragraph of the close combat section its still talking in the context of 'Hunters', so thats why I apply that special rule to group attacks   ... as i have stated before this makes the most sense too me.


And your right it is not restricted to group attacks (although this is what happens mostly) it applies to anything that attacks the beast in numbers.

[michi_k]

Ah, I see...
Well, personally I'd rather read this as a type description ('A base of hunters armed with spears/axes ...' as opposed to 'A base of hunters armed with spears/slings', e.g.) than an indication of numbers, but, as you said, there is room for interpretion in the rules!

 
Michi