Blood on the Sands **NEW** Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...

[Mad Doc Morris]

Excellent report, Elbows, thanks for sharing.
I share your thoughts on the rules. You need a couple of games (or bounds at least) to get the hang of it, but after that it's fairly easy to follow. Unfortunately, I'm rather forgetful, so starting from scratch after a few days without a game.

[Elbows]

Yeah, the picture is confusing...we were using the fatigue box for both bleeding and fatigue (and I had my "things on the left are bleeding...the rest are fatigue" going on...).  The next game we moved the bleeding tokens to the actual armatura to make it easier to keep tabs on.

So he actually only bled a bit, but I failed a ton of tests against the bleeding and his fatigue became overwhelming after two turns.  Curious, while it's one of the sheet of questions we wrote up - how do you carry out a basic attack with say, a shield?  My guy was pushed all around the arena without being able to get back to his gladius, so we were a bit unsure of how to have him simply swing his shield as an attack (we did an attack and subtracted -1 from the strength+success formula for a normal weapon...)

PS: Regarding the Hoplomachus, it's a decision I made.  From reading up on the books I've purchased it seems there are two types of thoughts on the Hoplomachus: 1) he threw a light spear or javelin and then ran into combat with a small sword - possibly a gladius.  2) He used the spear as his weapon and had a very small sword or dagger as a backup weapon.

I went for option 1 for my game.  I think it's just a conscious decision on each designer in how you want to play him.  I also read reference that if a Hoplomachus were to fight a Thraex he may not use a spear at all, and revert to a sword and shield (essentially...becoming a Thraex?).  We just wanted to test the spear use.  It's a quite strong weapon if you play it the way I did, essentially being a very powerful weapon and suitable for throwing.

It was a pain to gather it though, so I agree it was a rather calculated risk, one which barely payed off.

[Furt]

Curious, while it's one of the sheet of questions we wrote up - how do you carry out a basic attack with say, a shield?  My guy was pushed all around the arena without being able to get back to his gladius, so we were a bit unsure of how to have him simply swing his shield as an attack (we did an attack and subtracted -1 from the strength+success formula for a normal weapon...)

A shield has a weapon length, just like a gladius or spear. It is used simply by declaring an attack with it, just like any other weapon. At the moment there is no penalty to attack or damage with a shield, but I am considering implementing that a wound delivered by shields will not "bleed".
In much of the documentation and video of reenactments, shields are used quite offensively, so I refrained from penalizing them in attack. It seems likely that gladiators were schooled to use their shields in attack as well as defence.

[Elbows]

Yeah, we just went off the cuff with it.  I think the full damage, no bleeding is a decent compromise, and I agree they seem to be used quite offensively.  We're grabbing some lunch then we'll give it another go here shortly. 

[Furt]

Must share this for any who missed it here http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=56467.msg675656#msg675656

Two brave BotS playtesters - Malamute and jimbibbly playing in their local - now that's dedication. Stuff the toy gladiators - these two are the real deal!

Well done gents! That really put a smile on my face. 

[Elbows]

Bump:

I regret to inform you guys that...I did not take pictures.  Just imagine my House of Oscarus figures zipping around a hex mat on a dinner table...

So my buddy and I played two more games today prior to having a big dinner with family and friends.  The first game was my Secutor vs. the Retiarius (a rather stout opponent despite initial assumptions).  The game went well, with a lot of back and forth until the Retiarius stabbed my Secutor in the thigh, causing massive bleeding and knocking me prone - striking me in the head but failing to finish him off.  The heavy bleeding once again made the Secutor fatigue out.  We're obviously learning that the heavy gladiators need to spend dice to perform a "Respite" action in order to recover from fatigue.  If the lighter gladiator harasses them constantly they're unable to do so, and perish as a result.

Retiarius victor.

The second game we tried something new.  We played a two vs. two game, rolling up two gladiators a piece and then selecting classes.  My buddy played a Retiarius and a Provocator, and I went with a Secutor and Thraex.  Now the game is aimed at single combat between two opposing models.  I think Furt would do very fine to keep it that way.  However, we found that with a simple adjustment to the way initiative is handled the game actually played very well.  We massaged a few rules and made a couple simple house rules.  The end result was a very fun game which had an entirely different feel while retaining the core of BOTS very well.   All of a sudden movement and placing became ten times more important (being caught between two opponents was bad...).  Also it occasionally gave a gladiator a chance to recuperate while his buddy engaged in fierce combat.  We played right up to the time he had to leave to pick up his wife.  I had just fatigued his Provocator into quitting.

Despite having four gladiators on the table, we both rolled amazing defenses and amazing resistance to bleeding!  The game ended with the Retiarius outnumbered by my gladiators, and everyone on the board had suffered minor cuts and bruises.  It was just as enjoyable as the proper game...so anyone who's on the fence about picking this up in the future, it's a couple simple house rules from being able to handle a few more gladiators.  You still won't want to try huge battles or anything.  I happen to play a lot of four-way games with buddies, so this vastly increased my enthusiasm for Furt's project.

Overall, four (well...three and 3/4...) games, all excellent.  The rules really became second nature, and a few errata style questions have been forward to Furt with some compliments and comments.  Really an excellent design which portrays the feel very well, and allows the player to be just strategic enough that his luck doesn't rely on simple stats.  It's good stuff.  Look forward to testing it some more. 

[H.M.Stanley]

Must share this for any who missed it here http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=56467.msg675656#msg675656

Two brave BotS playtesters - Malamute and jimbibbly playing in their local - now that's dedication. Stuff the toy gladiators - these two are the real deal!

Well done gents! That really put a smile on my face. 

Dedication to the cause. Gentlemen, i salute you!

[Furt]

Bump:

I regret to inform you guys that...I did not take pictures.  Just imagine my House of Oscarus figures zipping around a hex mat on a dinner table...

So my buddy and I played two more games today prior to having a big dinner with family and friends.  The first game was my Secutor vs. the Retiarius (a rather stout opponent despite initial assumptions).  The game went well, with a lot of back and forth until the Retiarius stabbed my Secutor in the thigh, causing massive bleeding and knocking me prone - striking me in the head but failing to finish him off.  The heavy bleeding once again made the Secutor fatigue out.  We're obviously learning that the heavy gladiators need to spend dice to perform a "Respite" action in order to recover from fatigue.  If the lighter gladiator harasses them constantly they're unable to do so, and perish as a result.

Retiarius victor.

The second game we tried something new.  We played a two vs. two game, rolling up two gladiators a piece and then selecting classes.  My buddy played a Retiarius and a Provocator, and I went with a Secutor and Thraex.  Now the game is aimed at single combat between two opposing models.  I think Furt would do very fine to keep it that way.  However, we found that with a simple adjustment to the way initiative is handled the game actually played very well.  We massaged a few rules and made a couple simple house rules.  The end result was a very fun game which had an entirely different feel while retaining the core of BOTS very well.   All of a sudden movement and placing became ten times more important (being caught between two opponents was bad...).  Also it occasionally gave a gladiator a chance to recuperate while his buddy engaged in fierce combat.  We played right up to the time he had to leave to pick up his wife.  I had just fatigued his Provocator into quitting.

Despite having four gladiators on the table, we both rolled amazing defenses and amazing resistance to bleeding!  The game ended with the Retiarius outnumbered by my gladiators, and everyone on the board had suffered minor cuts and bruises.  It was just as enjoyable as the proper game...so anyone who's on the fence about picking this up in the future, it's a couple simple house rules from being able to handle a few more gladiators.  You still won't want to try huge battles or anything.  I happen to play a lot of four-way games with buddies, so this vastly increased my enthusiasm for Furt's project.

Overall, four (well...three and 3/4...) games, all excellent.  The rules really became second nature, and a few errata style questions have been forward to Furt with some compliments and comments.  Really an excellent design which portrays the feel very well, and allows the player to be just strategic enough that his luck doesn't rely on simple stats.  It's good stuff.  Look forward to testing it some more. 

Regardless of pictures Elbows it sounds like you have really gotten the hang of the rules.

I'm impressed with your tweaking of the rules to incorporate multiple gladiators and will certainly be talking with you on the subject in detail. I had a plan for such things myself but ditched them fairly early in the peace without much testing. They would serve nicely for the odd "special event" or for a bit of a muck around at a convention or amongst friends.

Well done mate.

[Furt]

I'd like to share the new look playsheet for Blood on the Sands designed by our very own Dr Mathias. The good Dr has been toiling away behind the scenes for me, giving up his precious time, dedicated to making BotS look better. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the new look sheet, as this is the direction Dr Mathias plans to take the whole project. Dr Mathias - thanks again mate.

[Elbows]

I love it...infinitely better than the current one (not that the current one is bad...the new one is just...awesome). 

I'd still like to see the disabled threshold indicate what attribute the disabled parts will affect (though it looks like space is a premium).  Also, where do you suggest we put Fame for use during the game, just add it to the crowd favour box?  Very slick, love the new sheet.

I would love to see a matching armatura set...

[Dr DeAth]

I'd still like to see the disabled threshold indicate what attribute the disabled parts will affect (though it looks like space is a premium). 

How about something like this . . .

[H.M.Stanley]

Like it lots

[Golgotha]

Looks fantastic loved the reports on your website too. Would love to get my hands on this set of rules, when and how might it be available?

[axabrax]

Oh how cruel to torture us with the play sheet but to not provide a download to the rules! 

[Elbows]

How about something like this . . .

Yep that's precisely what I was thinking.  Just something that lets you know what attribute is penalized when disabled.