Perpetual Campaign Rules Draft

[Dave]

Hey Tom, have you done any more work on this?

[Tom]

No, but I've been thinking about it again as got around to reading the Orlock and Van Saar books recently.

I've got as far as rejigging my starting 5 man squad to a 6 man squad to increase the odds of not instantly bottling!

[Dave]

I like the new books, the background stuff is pretty cool.

They have started a community edition over on Yaktribe. Might be some way off though as they seem to be going through it line by line.

[Dave]

Mainly out of lockdown boredom, but also due to recent terrain building, I’ve got back into reading through the books and my old house rule notes.

It’s been a while so I may be misremembering but from what I recall I did find progression painfully slow so I’ve come up with an alternative progression system.

6 experience buys an advance (3 Exp for a Juve or Prospect). In order to counter balance the cheaper cost of advancing instead of choosing you roll on the following d6 advancement table.

1 - Cool or Leadership (+5 to fighter value).
2 - Int or Willpower (+5 to fighter value).
3 - Strength or Attacks (+10/+15 to fighter value).
4 - Toughness or Wounds (+20 to fighter value).
5 - WS or BS (+15/+20 to fighter value).
6 - Movement or Initiative (+10 to fighter value).

You can choose to forgo any advance roll and instead roll randomly on a skill table of your choice (primary or secondary restrictions apply).

[Dave]

And some minor changes to how experience is earned.

Take part in battle +1 Exp
Take an enemy leader, champion or brute out of action +2 Exp
Successfully hack a locked door or loot crate +1 Exp
Scenario specific Exp gains +x Exp
Model completes a subplot or intrigue related action +1 Exp (in addition to any gains already stated).

[Tom]

At work on this again!

I’d like to propose some minor weapon changes:

Maul (club) - lose the +1 AP (with no bonuses to hit, strength or AP plus no traits it’s not really needed, removing it makes it a viable choice against the fighting knife and axe)

Two handed axe and hammer - make them versatile with a 1” L range. Either that or they lose the -1 to hit (I prefer versatile as it makes them a bit different).

Maul (club), I'll give you. Having worse AP than an unarmed attack is a bit bonkers.

Not so sure on the two handers though. Certainly wouldn't say versatile, that's for proper polearm length stuff. And they do have very meaty strength or damage stats. The -1 to hit is pretty crippling however. Go on then, let's trial dropping the -1 to attack. If nothing else it's a psychological barrier that stops anyone from ever taking them.

[Tom]

And some minor changes to how experience is earned.

Take part in battle +1 Exp
Take an enemy leader, champion or brute out of action +2 Exp
Successfully hack a locked door or loot crate +1 Exp
Scenario specific Exp gains +x Exp
Model completes a subplot or intrigue related action +1 Exp (in addition to any gains already stated).

Yes to all of this other than hacking doors/chests. Placing a clear premium on the Int stat! Just not needed and potentially abusable.

[Dave]

I think I wrote that before the “House of....” series of books. Those books have added loads of extra weapons, Not sure minor profile adjustments are worth it at this point, just take one of the other 20+ weapons available in any given category.

If you have the Cawdor book check out the greatsword profile, it’s awesome in comparison to a two handed hammer or axe.

[Tom]

Back to more important now with Outcasts!

House specific stuff does kind of need an edge on the generic trading post stuff though or nobody would take it.

[Dave]

Outcasts book is a really interesting book, looking forward to seeing how you weave in the settlement campaign into your perpetual campaign rules.

There are some typical GW moments though, The Big Score scenario, any idea how the automated defences work?!

I like the theory of the Mining Expedition scenario, it makes you move and interact with terrain and doesn’t require you to lug anything off the battlefield to score “points”.