Goblin King's 33rd Birthday Challenge

[Goblin-King]

For now I'll just keep the "same room" mechanic. Seems the easiest to manage.

I actually want the bolt to be able to "ping pong" between two targets. Does the legality of this read from the wording?

I also imagine the bolt having to find a target even if it's friendly.
Imagine a wizard in a room with 3 orcs. He cast the spell hoping to kill all 3, but expecting a miss which the last strike with 1 die hopefully redeems.
But actually he rolls really well and kills all 3 orcs with the first three strikes of the bolt. After killing the third orc the bolt must leap to a new target and the wizard is actually struck himself.

I guess I also kinda need to tell how the next target is determined - by the caster.

***************

As for the names...
Mirror Images; you know that archetype scene where the hero is in a hall of mirrors, all showing an image of the bad guy. Then suddenly he steps forward
That's sort of what I'm going for here.

Silver Lightning is indeed a classic chain lightning. I'm not worried about D&D. If they have actually copyrighted "Chain Lightning" they can go XXXX themselves! That ain't right!
No, I hoped to convey some different connotations by naming it differently. More like something Terminator-esque, living metal, quicksilver -kinda bolt. This is not an elemental deck!
But perhaps lightning shouldn't be in it's name?

Silver Bolt?
Reflection Strike
...?

[knightkrawler]

I actually want the bolt to be able to "ping pong" between two targets. Does the legality of this read from the wording?

That depends on how strict you interpret the word "another" and if you see the situation before the third target as a completely new one or if it has to be "another character still"

Now, the spell's name: LEAPING BOLT!

Now, a new wording:
This spell may be cast on up to four
monsters or players in the same room or corridor.
The first target must defend against 4 combat dice,
the second against 3 combat dice, and so on,
until there is no other character left for the spell to attack.

That still leaves in question if the caster can "interrupt" the spell if there are possible targets that he doesn't wanna hurt.
A different wording might be necessary for that, then.
The ping-pong effect can be interpreted into the wording I chose by a clever hero. As you are the EWP, probably, and intend it to be a possibility, debate isn't necessary.

[Gold Bearer]

It meant that it can go backwards as long as each target is in sight of the previous target, so it could ping pong between two targets if they're in sight of each other and one of them is in sight of the caster. Not saying that's what you should do but that's what I meant.

[Anderas]

I'd like to introduce Hitch the Bard as new Hero for your birthday challenge quests. it seems fitting.

[mitchiemasha]

The spell bolt could bounce off the floor, ceiling, walls etc. So not 100% necessary to be in LoS. I get why one might want it to be but it's already long worded and still needs more words to get it right. If part of the mechanic can be logically ditch, I'd ditch it. Save the LoS bolt for another.

Obviously the first would need to be in LoS as for standard magic rules, unless a card states otherwise (anywhere on the board). But, it could be worded to not need to be, taking up more space.

I really like risk taking mechanics... Some new words to think about, Power of, Exhausted, if these where more a generic gaming term with in the game less explanation would be needed on the card.

"until there is no other character, left for the spell to attack"

This would be in reference to everything been attacked once not the dice pool being exhausted, not how the spell is intended to work. I'm currently working on an attempt as i'm doing my reactions (work) hopefully have it posted up soon.

[mitchiemasha]

"This spell may be cast up to the power of 4,
attacking that many times in the same room or corridor.
The 1st target defends against 4 combat dice. The
spell then leaps to another character, reducing the
amount of combat dice by 1. It keeps leaping until
the amount of dice is zero or there
is no other character to leap to."

"This spell may be cast up to the power of four
attacking, monsters or players, including the caster,
in the same room or corridor.
The first target defends against 4 combat dice,
the second against 3 combat dice, and so on,
Each target may be attacked multiple times, until the spell is exhausted,
the amount of attack dice reduced to zero."

This leaves the problem of, is the first attack of power 3, 3Cd6 or 4Cd6. If it starts at 4 it will attack 4 times, causing a conflict with the wording, "the first target must defend against 4Cd6", sometimes the first target will be 3Cd6, unless you want the 1st attack to always be 4, meaning a 2 power attack, would end before 0 Cd6. You do add til no other character to leap to (it fixes that issue) but now eliminates ping pong, depending on how people interpret the words.

"This spell may be cast up to the power of 4,
attacking that many times in the same room or corridor.
The 1st target defends against combat dice equal to the spells power.
The spell then leaps to another character, reducing the
amount of combat dice by 1. It keeps leaping until
the amount of dice is zero or there
is no other character, including the caster to leap to."

"This spell may be cast up to the power of four
attacking, monsters or players, including the caster,
in the same room or corridor.
The first target defends against 4 combat dice,
the second against 3 combat dice, and so on,
Each target may be attacked multiple times, and must be attacked
until the spell is exhausted, Attacks used equal to its power."

I'll wait for more input on the finer specifics i outlined above before another go.

[Goblin-King]

Started on the card art. Sketches are done.
*other stuff* is also well under way.

Whew! The spell is simple enough - I think everyone gets it(?), but the wording is troublesome to get just right!
I'll not be using "power of" as it's not really a part of the HQ terminology.

Is it implied the caster decides where the bolt leaps? Do I need to specify that?


This spell must leap 4 times between characters in the same
room or corridor even if it will have to hit a friendly character.
Each target may be attacked multiple times but not twice in a row.
The first target defends against 4 combat dice,
the second against 3, and so on.
Only if there are no one to leap to will the spell end prematurely.


How's that? It's getting close!

[mitchiemasha]

Good mechanics can be hard to get the right words for. It's simple enough and obvious enough but having the words that would show those new how it works is tricky. It's shaping them to rule out any deliberate twists/cheat of the mechanic and misinterpretations, with the fewest words as possible.

Best thing to do is to write down all the main characteristics. As i see we have a new one, one i overlooked but is obvious, especially as it's a ping pong... "not twice in a row". But could it not bounce off a wall and hit them again, to drop this variable unruling. I pictured the bolt repeatably bouncing round the room, the wizard who conjured it can direct it but something always needs to absorb it, to end his lock to it, which may need to be himself.

1. The spell must leap 4 times...
This means the caster can no longer cast it at different levels of power, removing the risk of casting a powerful version over a weaker version. Removing the main choice factor that originally drew me to this spell. Room with 3 weak monsters, do i cast a powerful spell, to guaranty killing them all, risking hitting myself or do i cast a weaker version, one lives and attack me next go. Room with 1 stong monster, cast full power, to kill it, kill it first attack, kill your self. Some magic can be very dangerous, why i like this spell.

2. In a room or corridor the caster is in
In my expansion rules, the term Area is used to define room or corridor, saves space.

3. Can hit Monsters and/or Heroes, including the Caster.
If sticking with used terminology, Heroes would be Players. Although they should of used Heroes on the original cards to be more thematic.

4. Can attack the same character more than once but not twice in a row
Italics could be ditched as mentioned above, ditching it might make it too OP, but the risk of potential self harm with the last attack should balance this, only play testing will tell.

5. Caster chooses order of attacks

6. 1st attack 4Cd6, 2nd attack 3Cd6 and so on until broken
If there is a multipower version you would need to decide if it always starts at 4d6, as pointed out in the other post. Currently as written, If using it on 1 monster, the caster would face a 3d6 and a 1d6 attack, if the monster was killed in the first attack, only the 3d6, if the italics are kept.

7. Spell is broken when dice reach 0 or no one else to leap to.
I used "spell is broken" as it's HQ terminology over exhausted/end premiturely


Edit: I will add that the word limit for a Card has to be about 60.

[Goblin-King]

As i see we have a new one, one i overlooked but is obvious, especially as it's a ping pong... "not twice in a row". But could it not bounce off a wall and hit them again, to drop this variable unruling. I pictured the bolt repeatably bouncing round the room, the wizard who conjured it can direct it but something always needs to absorb it, to end his lock to it, which may need to be himself.

No. It's got to change target. If you could drop it all on one character it would be way too powerful. Even now it's a very powerful spell compared to what exists.

1. The spell must leap 4 times...
This means the caster can no longer cast it at different levels of power, removing the risk of casting a powerful version over a weaker version. Removing the main choice factor that originally drew me to this spell. Room with 3 weak monsters, do i cast a powerful spell, to guaranty killing them all, risking hitting myself or do i cast a weaker version, one lives and attack me next go. Room with 1 stong monster, cast full power, to kill it, kill it first attack, kill your self. Some magic can be very dangerous, why i like this spell.

I can definitely see the appeal in this. But otoh I don't want it to be a potential suicide. For now it stays as is.
But there's material for another spell another day.

2. In a room or corridor the caster is in
In my expansion rules, the term Area is used to define room or corridor, saves space.

Yeah, but what's you gonna do... I also just realized I miss the obligatory "Discard after use".
If you gotta write something on every card it should have just been in the rule book!

3. Can hit Monsters and/or Heroes, including the Caster.
If sticking with used terminology, Heroes would be Players. Although they should of used Heroes on the original cards to be more thematic.

Both target, character, opponent and figure are used in HQ so no problems here
I do hate how they use "player" in the original cards. No, you can't target a player with a spell! You target his hero!
Also with the current wording the card is hero/Morcar neutral. Who is to say these spells aren't intended for an enemy wizard!?

4. Can attack the same character more than once but not twice in a row
Italics could be ditched as mentioned above, ditching it might make it too OP, but the risk of potential self harm with the last attack should balance this, only play testing will tell.

As explained at the top. This stays.

5. Caster chooses order of attacks

If there is free space I'll add this - if not I think it can be omitted.
Since nothing else is mentioned it would be the caster who decides... Is my logic at least.
Hey! What's HeroQuest without a little ambiguity?

6. 1st attack 4Cd6, 2nd attack 3Cd6 and so on until broken
If there is a multipower version you would need to decide if it always starts at 4d6, as pointed out in the other post. Currently as written, If using it on 1 monster, the caster would face a 3d6 and a 1d6 attack, if the monster was killed in the first attack, only the 3d6, if the italics are kept.

Yes, this is how it is. Don't use it on 1 monster...

7. Spell is broken when dice reach 0 or no one else to leap to.
I used "spell is broken" as it's HQ terminology over exhausted/end premiturely

You are right! I tried to convey the spell could have different outcomes: 4 hits/nowhere to go. But it's obvious the spell normally ends after the 4 hits.
Only if there are no one to leap to will the spell end prematurely ---> If there is no one to leap to the spell will be broken (also slightly shorter)

Edit: I will add that the word limit for a Card has to be about 60.

That's probably about right. I go by 9 lines of text which centered don't extend beyond the margins dictated by the image size.
Which is hard to judge until you add the text in PS...


This spell must leap 4 times between characters in the same
room or corridor even if it will have to hit friendly characters.
Each target may be attacked multiple times but not twice in a row.
The first target defends against 4 combat dice,
the second against 3, and so on.
If there is no one to leap to the spell will be broken.
Discard after use.

Aaaaaand... this needs to be shortened...

[mukami]

Here is a 60 word version...

This spell leaps 4 times between all Monsters and Heroes in the same room or corridor.
This spell may leap back to targets, but not twice in a row. The first target defends against 4 combat dice, the second against 3, and so on until 4 targets are attacked.
Spell is broken if there is no target to leap to.

Really like the idea behind this spell. Can it hit the caster?

"sinks back into the shadows....."