The Game is actually afoot...

More Hunting japes... 

Have been painting and plotting, working and socialising - and trying to escape the heat the last few weeks so little new to offer. However, following on from the last "Chase" game post here is an example "Hunt" (edited from a FB post from last year) with different rules....

Scenario: Noble Norman nobs Sir Wilfred de Winkelle, Sir Lawrence de Lambe, and the brother Sir Rupert and Sir Edward de Beare have decided to go on a Saturday morn hunt...

A "Beater Team" of half a dozen beaters" their Whipper-in, dogs and horn-boy accompany. are ready. A quick warm up for the horses and we begin...

However, the board is a "Live Environment" this time. I will go into more detail on how this works on another post; but basically this is NOT a battlefield.....

There are sondrie folke floating about (farmers, monks, sloe pickers, crazee goose women etc. etc.) to get in the way. There are people to be disturbed or interrupted in their activities (bowmen at the butts, kids playing etc.). There is road traffic. There are "Keep your bloody dog

on a lead" shepherdy types about etc .etc.

There is a pub.......

There is also, being "Robin Hood World", always the chance of encounters with folk NOT engaged in lawful pursuits.....

What all this means is that while i will want to play MY game, other folk might have other ideas.....

On this occasion I will "play" the Normans. The animals etc. play themselves......

The knights place themselves around a nearby thicket and the beaters enter.
Meanwhile: dice result on a heard of cattle being moved across the board.... They COULD interfere with the hunt.. They are also a target for outlaws. Norman knights CANNOT refuse a call for help (noblesse oblige & all that..... )



(Or is it....? May be a disguised outlaw band. Could, if legit, be another outlaw target.. Moves -like the cattle - every move (3" + 1x6d) with direction changes at every junction diced for and possibility of attack diced for each move........._.

And the beaters have spooked a boar......

They diced for this; first the dice (as above) to disturb something, then to find out what was disturbed(see Rules below..). The boars rushes off..... The dogs are loosed, the hunters give chase.

Once running, boar either run for the nearest cover OR, if within 8" of hunters, dice every dice they run to see if they potentially change direction. Throw 1x6d.

A thrown 1 means that the boar turns at once and runs though and past the hunter/s, adding an extra 1x6d (only) to it's usual move throw. It does NOT attack anyone during such a move.

A thrown 2-6 means that it uses the Boar Jink Spider with no alterations UNLESS the Spider requires that the boar turn directly towards a hunter/hunting party. In such a case throw again . A thrown 4- 5 and the boar passes, but strikes at anyone in its path/within 1" of its path as above. charges the hunter/s with intent to harm....

Here the boar races across the stream, three dogs and two of the huntsmen on his heels....

Oh, and next move the dice produces a "high status" travelling group on another track. As with the cattle, this may prove to end up a target for villains, disguised outlaws, anything......

One of the hunters - Sir Wilf (with the blue shield) raced round by the ford, then galloped (good dice) at speed, overshooting the boar, but wounded it in passing, while the other pair are still splashing through the water (and, given their progress, mud). One of the dogs has baulked at the stream, one has caught up with the prey and wounded it...



However, Sir Wilf, having overshot the boar, runs into a group of kiddies, playing at the edge of the village. They scatter...

Sir Wilf dices to control his horse (he seems to be a good rider, but comes to a standstill).. A kiddie injury would seriously upset the peasantry - OR result in kiddie-on-Knight action: medieval kids throw rocks - or have slings if herd boys...

Meanwhile Sir Edward (top right) has swept up from the river and struck the boar (good dice for both); killing it stone dead.... All Sir Ralph (centre can do it ride up & check his horse, as the dogs catch up....

Round One to the Normans. And (luckily) no kiddies hurt....

Meanwhile the cattle & high status convoy are proceeding without incident......

A quick drink at the inn (failed dice throws) en-route for the next patch of forest, then off - all except one beater, who has got too drunk and is left at the inn (diced for)........

No arrows wizz at them from the woods. Beaters get in position for the second round.

Almost at once a boar is drawn - before everyone is in position. Again the dogs are loosed and the riders set off..... But the boar suddenly turns on a groat (the Jink Spider) and rushes through the hunters.... No harm caused, as he takes an "opportunity slash" as he passes the horses  and dogs....

As the chaps get themselves sorted the boar turns again, rushes past the now confused & scattered hunters - and across the bridge......

But Sir Wilf and Sir Larry (who has had lousy dice throughout) give chase while the crazy Goose Lady looks on...... Luckily the dogs are focussed on the boar, so no goose-related embarrassments...

 

Halfway across the bridge the boar is suddenly going to make a decision - the ground beyond the bridge is very open....

The boar turns - it must be getting cross, for it charges straight for Sir Larry's horse, bringing it (and Sir. L.) down.. Sir Wilf, can't turn quickly enough and the boar bursts through the dogs....

The dogs regroup, the hunters try to regain control of their mounts as they all overshoot the quarry...... Meanwhile, dice decide that Sir Larry has been injured in the fall... Boar is the first to score this half of the match.....

 

The boar rushes off in a different direction..... Pursued.... Three dogs get good dice.... They can wound - or simply "grab" the prey; reducing it's movement....

The beaters emerge from the woods. No other prey (or outlaws) startled....

But the boar gets dice taking it to the board edge (for the sake of this scenario counts as thickety-brambley forest) and it escapes.... Second round: boar 1; hunters nil........

The beaters emerge from the woods (nothing else being disturbed). Still no outlaws....

Suddenly the high status convoy (which as been making good - and un-harassed progress across the board) arrives at scene...

We test to see who or what it is... It's a Norman Personality..! We draw a card and....

It's the (horrid) Bishop of Huntingdon (so; nasty, but kinda "friendly" to Norman knights. Well, he's one himself...). He agrees to ferry the injured Sir Larry (dice) to somewhere safe. With one of their number down, the hunters call it a day....

And end of scenario.....

At any time the hunt could have been interrupted but outlaw action, but this time it wasn't...

Luckily, though at times the hunt came close to close to civilians, there were no issues or injuries to non-combatants...

Boar for supper - but Sir Larry lost an expensive horse - and gained a broken leg... Tricky game, medieval pig-sticking....

All in all an exciting little exercise; could have turned into something different - an outlaw situation, a brawl with angry locals, but no... Even so, the boar hunt itself was quite thrilling - and it all passed passed an idle hour..... :)

No outlaws were harmed during the making of this scenario....

Same the can't be said for one boar, a horse and a (pesky) Norman (Hah!....).

Basic Rules:

A) Move sequence is 1) Events. 2) Activation, movement and actions (sequential - see below).

1) Events:
At the start of every move I throw a dice. A six means some form of road traffic enters the table that move. I dice for point of entry (always a track or road). I dice for "type of traffic" (wagons, pilgrims, military, religious, agricultural/animals , high status bods, etc .etc) based on a "scenario specific table".

Note, however, that traffic CAN, when checked/found be getting too close for comfort, turn out to be disguised Outlaws (dice check)....

2) Activation & Movement:
No activation by card/token; a simple sequenced "Bound/Move". The sequence is 1) Beaters 2) Animals/Wildlife 3) Hunters 4) Poachers/outlaws (if any) 5) "Civilians/traffic"/Blinds.

Beaters: The Beater Team will activate each move automatically without the need for activation BEFORE the Norman Hunters (exception - getting drunk).

They automatically move 6" each move when just walking in the open. Once in scrub/woodland and "beating" for quarry however they move based on a single 1x6D.

If chasing (outlaws/poachers or quarry) they run 3" + 1x6D.

Each move in scrub/woodland beating that throw 1x6D. A 6 means they have spooked something (see Actions, below).

Animals/Wildlife; Quarry, Unaccompanied Domestic Animals, "Wildlife Blinds (in that order)move. Quarry and visible, unaccompanied domestic animals do not move unless approached by dogs. See below for rules per type.

On the table there are a number of "Wildlife Blinds" (flock of disturbed birds etc). Wildlife blinds move 6" on a throw of 6 on a 6D. Dice for direction.

These may just be wildlife doing wildlife stuff. However, like Traffic, these may ALSO turn out to be outlaws if they come too close/are approached (ditto).

If in Line of Sight of the Hunting Party and within 8" of the blind in the open or the Hunters/Beaters actually reach a Blind in scrub/woodland throw 1x 6d.

Throw 5-6- = there is a wild boar.
Throw 3-4 = there are 1xAveD deer.
Throw1-2 = throw again. 1-4 = just birdies & rabbitses. 5 = Friendly Foresters (Ave dice for number). 6 = Outlaw band (Ave dice for number. If 5 thrown, throw again. Max number 12.).

For how animals/quarry react when spooked, see below "Spooked Quarry".



 

Hunters: Each of the Norman hunters will automatically activate each move, but the order in which the individual knights move will be diced for every time (Highest to lowest score. In the even of a tie the tying riders move at the same time (may risk a collision).

Before they charge any quarry each rider must take a "nerve test" (a 6d each. A score of 1 or less and they flunk it. They take from the dice for every wound they have received).

The hunting knights walk their horses at 6" per move

They increase speed slowly (walk, to at least 1d at trot, then run - at least 16d, then gallop).
They trot at 2x6d +4",.
They run at 2x6d + 3" PER running dice.
They gallop at 3x6d + 3" PER galloping dice.

When charging prey throw 1x6d; 4-6 means a on the quarry (+1 if "overtaking" the prey during the move). If a hit throw again; (+1 if "overtaking" the prey during the move) 5-6 = a clean kill, otherwise a wound.

Traffic; Road traffic automatically moves at the end of every move. Road traffic moves at 1 x 6d per move.


Actions:

Spooking/Finding the Quarry:

A Beating Team beating scrub or woodland move 1x 6d while beating. A dice is thrown per move of beating. A throw of "6" means they spook something. This "something" appears in the centre of the line line of beaters.

Every move the beaters beat successfully they throw four 6D to see what they spook from the woods/scrub. Usual options are:

Throw 4-6: Outlaws/poachers: they find 1x6d poachers/outlaws in the forest. Dice for number of suspects (1x6D). Then throw for beaters' attitude to the interlopers;

1-4 = They are hostile - and will run to tell the Normans OR if they outnumber the poachers/outlaws by 3 or more they will attack to attempt an arrest. If appropriate they may loose the dogs on the miscreants.

5-6 = They are sympathetic ("We never saw you, right..").

Outlaws/poachers who are outnumbered by the beaters will ALWAYS try to make off (3" + 1x6D).

Throw of 7-9 = Domestic animals: Somebody's beasts are loose in the forest (dice for type as scenario. Here they are likely to be rooting pigs). These automatically run 8" at right angles from the line of beaters. This counts as their move this turn. Dogs who see them "morale check"; we could end with dogs chasing peoples' property.....
 

Throw of 9-10 = Gatherers and Strays: There are "ordinary" people in the woods. Throw 1x6D again.

1-2 thrown, place 1 AveD peasant wood/berry gatherers in the woods.
3-4 thrown place a pair of lovers.

5-6 thrown place 1 AveD children.

Different folks do different things:

a) Peasant wood/berry gatherers: They automatically run 4" + 1x6d at right angles from the line of beaters. This counts as their move this turn.

Dogs who see them "morale check"; we could end with dogs chasing people....

The people keep running till safe or brought down - they know their place...
If caught by the dogs they will be attacked as running quarry.

If Beaters/Whipper-in is within 4" and LOS of the peasants they will automatically try to restrain dogs as Dog Rules.

 

b) Kids: They automatically run 3" + 1x6d at right angles from the line of beaters. This counts as their move this turn. Next turn, if still in woods and not caught by dogs, the kids are deemed to have climbed trees to safety.

Dogs who see them "morale check"; we could end with dogs chasing kids....

The kids keep running till safe or brought down. If caught by the dogs they will be attacked as running quarry.

If Beaters/Whipper-in is within 6" and LOS of the peasants they will automatically try to restrain dogs as Dog Rules.

If dogs give chase this could turn in to a dog-on-kiddie incident, which would NOT go down well with the locals. If kids are seen by other peasantry to be chased - or if they reach an occupied village/farmstead after being attacked, consult the Hue & Cry table.

If the kids reach a place of safety that is not an occupied building (e.g. clamber up rocks/trees/sheds etc. where the dogs can't follow) or the dogs get called off AFTER chasing kiddies for at least 1 move, the kids will chuck rocks at any dogs, beaters and hunters in range (6"). Treat as usual missile weapons.


 

c) Lovers: Will initially run 4" + 6D - but throw 1x6D for type of lovers:

Throw 1-5: Everyday country folk. Will run till safe or brought down. If the dogs catch up with them they are attacked as running Quarry. If brought down both will fight dogs (only) to protect lover - both have long knives.

If Beaters/Whipper-in is within 4" and LOS of the couple they will automatically try to restrain dogs.

Throw 6 - Higher status lovers. If Beaters/Whipper-in is within 8" and LOS of the couple they will automatically try to restrain dogs.

If not caught up to by dogs within 3 moves it is assumed the lovers have reached horses and ridden off.

If the dogs catch up with lovers the lovers will turn & fight the dogs (i.e. will NOT allow themselves to be attacked as running Quarry. Good Lord.. Certainly not...).

If dogs chase for + 2 moves then, if dogs are within 6" of them, next move the lovers will turn & fight the dogs.

Throw another 6dice for nature of the high status couple:

Throw 1-4 male & female. Male has sword, female has long knife. Will fight dogs if caught.
Throw 5 -two females, both have long knife. Will fight dogs if caught.
Throw 6 -two males, both have swords; they will fight unaccompanied dogs if caught, however if beaters/hunters are in line of sight and within 4" the couple will dice:
1-4 make off rather than fight - and risk dog attack.
5-6 attack and attempt to silence/kill any hunters/beaters meeting target requirements. Beaters & whipper-in will run (4" + 6d). Hunters will fight.

If ANY HUMAN IS KILLED BY THE DOGS or ANY HUMAN AGENCY THE HUNT IS AT AN END.


Throw of 11-24 = Wildlife/Quarry:
Throw 2x6d to see what the wildlife is;

Throw 2-6 = Deer (throw Ave d. for number).
Throw 7-11: Wild Boar (throw 1x6d. 1-5 - a single boar. 6 a pair of boar).
Throw 12: Something 'orrible - as per the scenario narrative; Could be anything from rabid dog (will attack whatever is nearest. Move/attack as dogs), hornets nest (will attack all targets within 6" immediately. Each person/creature is struck as if a dog bite. Will continue to attack until all attacked parties are 12" from the point of contact), wolves (move as dogs. Will attack dogs, run from men, chase kids as dogs), perhaps a bear (or two. Will attack nearest whatever at 6" + 6D. Attacks with the attacking power of 4 men with axes) if continental Europe, something "supernatural" or scary e.g. (lepers, something witchy, Herne the Hunter, grisly ghost stamping on the floor etc. etc. Will spook dogs and beaters automatically. Hunters will make morale check before approaching).

Spooked Quarry:

Deer:Deer will run 2x6d + 3" per "running" dice. Deer do not "need notice" to run; they just run..... Deer will run away and at a right angle to the line of beaters. Thereafter deer dice per move. If they cannot run at right angles to the line of beaters they throw they use the Deer Jinx Spider..

Boar: Boar will run 2x6d + 3" per running dice. Like deer they do not need "notice" to run. However, unlike like Deer they "morale check" 1x6d each move, INCLUDING the first move.

On their first move, if boar throw 1-5 they run away from the line of beaters (or any chasing hunter/s or obstacle) using the Boar Jink Spider.

If they throw 6 they intentionally charge through the beaters/hunters. Any person/horse in the group within 1" of the boar charge line dices 1x6D. If 5 or 6 is thrown that person/horse becomes a casualty.
Once running, boar either run for the nearest cover OR, if within 8" of hunters, dice every dice they run to see if they potentially change direction. Throw 1x6d.

A thrown 1 means that the boar turns at once and runs though and past the hunter/s, adding an extra 1x6d (only) to it's usual move throw. It does NOT attack anyone during such a move.

A thrown 2-6 means that it uses the Boar Jink Spider with no alterations UNLESS the Spider requires that the boar turn directly towards a hunter/hunting party. In such a case throw again . A thrown 4- 5 and the boar passes, but strikes at anyone in its path/within 1" of its path as above. charges the hunter/s with intent to harm....

Dogs:

Dogs walk at 6", run at 2x6d + 2" per running dice. "Bite" prey at contact; throw 4-6 = wound.

On first sight of valid prey (of any kind) they morale check individually (1x6d). 1 = the dog stands still for on dice worth of move, then tests again. 2-6 it gives chase.

On first sight of "unlawful prey" (inc. domestic animals/running people) they check as above: 1-3 it stands to test again, 4-6 it gives chase.

The Whipper-in can get the Horn-boy to try to recall dogs at any time in his move. He throws 2x6d once per move to recall dogs. Each dog then throws 1x6d. If the Whipper-in gets the highest throw, the dog runs back to him.

If the dog's throw beats that of the Whipper-in the dog will chase/continue to the sighted prey.

In addition, for every dog nearby testing dog (within 4") who has already tested & "ignored" the call, add 2 to the next dog's throw. This effect is cumulative (e.g. . first dog tests and "beats" "Whipper-in throw. Next dog throws, adding two to its dice throw, and also beats Whipper-in. Next dog throws, adding 4 to it's dice throw etc.). This is to represent the "pack instinct".

Hue & Cry:
If a lawful, low-status human is injured by the Hunting Party (dogs or men) in line of sight and within 18" of other low-status folk (occupied buildings count as "folk" for this test) throw a 6D. Add to the dice

1 for each person seen to have been attacked.

2 for each person seen to have been attacked and injured.
5 for each person seen to have been killed.

Double the above if the person injured/killed is a child.

On a modified throw of + 11 or more the peasants get "Outraged". The total sun is their "Outrage Factor". A group of 2xAveD armed peasants appear at the board's edge (track) or nearest settlement (whichever is nearest to the Hunting party). They will move 6" towards the Hunting Party each move. One in four of the peasants will have bows.

On reaching the Hunting Party the Hunt leader (Norman) will have one chance to placate the crowd. He throws three dice and adds any "Status/Charisma" qualities he may have (as scenario or as part of a campaign). If he fails to beat the crowd's "Outrage Factor" the Hunting Party withdraws. If he throws an unmodified score of three on the dice or a modified score of less than 8 the peasants attack the party. If he beats the "Outrage Factor" the peasants withdraw to the nearest building and the hunt may continue. However, if any further person is attacked/injured by the hunting party two more groups of peasants will arrive from off table and ALL peasants on the table move to attack the Hunting Party....