March Entry: Passages of Pandemonium
OK, I've actually been thinking trying to find an alternate gaming use out of my Endless Terrain Battlemap products such as a board game. Now I'm no innovative board game designer, so I'm more than likely going to make a D&D styled board game.
Game Parts:
1. Four double-side printed 11x17 map tiles with geomorphic edges, but unique interior layouts (different wall, door and room configurations), other than some architectural features, changes in elevation, no prebuilt encounters on maps.
2. Two decks of (??) cards (business card sized):
2a. Treasure: Weapons, Armor, Scrolls, Magic Items; each with bonuses or special properties - Scrolls have one time use, all others are permanent. Including the Escape Card - what you need to end the game.
2b. Encounter Deck: monsters (with stats), traps, conditions (ie: weakness - discard half your treasure cards...)
3. Map Objects to represent permanent creations, monsters, traps, and stuff like cave-ins, collapsed floors, stairs up or down, etc.
4. Score sheet: adventurers each have some hit point/health score, when they reach zero, they lose/die, conditions with duration can be kept on score sheet as well, finally accumulated treasure is worth points added to your remaining health score. Highest score wins.
5. D6 for the dice mechanic, cards will state required dice roll to overcome, or bonuses/penalties gained. D6 is common enough, I don't have to provide dice...
A roll of '1' always means that one of the other three tiles is going to change, roll 1d6, going in a clockwise direction from which ever tile your figure is standing. 1-2 is nearest clockwise tile, 3-4 is next tile, 5-6 is last tile. Roll 1d6, whichever tile is selected from the first roll will either 1-2 rotate 180 degrees, 3-4 flip upsidedown on the short side, 5-6 flip and rotate 180 degrees. Player figures reappear at the same square as other map, or nearest adjacent square if position is blocked by wall, etc. All other items in squares that flip over, including monsters and other permanents are gone.
A roll of '6' is always a success, and other rolls may effect levels of damage, or other conditions.
The goal of the game is to survive the dungeons and acquire the most treasure, however players are not opponents, they are a team, the dungeons and the encounter cards are the opponents. Each imposing a specific penalty, or causing loss of health based on the results of a d6 roll determined on each card.
On each players turn (going in a clockwise direction around the table) roll a d6 to determine if there is an encounter. A roll of 6 means no encounter and free draw from Treasure deck, a 4-5 means no encounter, 2-3 means draw from the Encounter Deck, and 1 means tile change...
Traps must be avoided or is triggered, unless circumvented by a magic item or scroll, damage determined by card. (Traps and all permanents must be kept out in display, and not discarded, until they are destroyed or triggered, then must be discarded.) Some traps, monsters or phenomenon cause conditions in penalties to HP, AC, Damage Dealing, Movement, or forces you to discard treasure cards (of your choice).
Monsters can only be attacked from adjacent squares (horizontal or verticle), unless player possesses a ranged weapon, spell or magic item treasure card that grants a range stated on the card. Only players who alone or with other team mates causes any damage to a monster may draw a treasure card.
At the completion of any Encounter Card action completed, player may draw from the Treasure deck. All treasures provide some bonus, beneficial property and have number equalling their worth in end game health point bonus.
After drawing their Treasure Card, roll 2d6 for movement
The Escape Card if drawn is played immediately, and must be placed in the nearest open square to player figure drawing the Escape Card. Once the Escape Token is placed, its a race by turn, movement rate and obstacles blocking the way to reach the token. The game ends when the first player exits the escape teleporter, who gains a bonus for escaping (worth so many health points.)
Doorways accessing off the board area reroute to the door on the opposite edge.
I may have to come up with a better name for the board game - title is just a placeholder.
Thoughts? Is that too complicated of a board game? Is it too unoriginal?
GP
