Rulebook Ruminations: Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition

Rulebook Ruminations, where I talk about books that were released X years before I post about them, where X is equal to the number of years it has been in existence before I decide to actually use the rules manual.  In today's case, it's relatively short...X was in this instance equal to exactly .05 - Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition was released last summer, and we began 2013's campaign this January.

Well, we all know the book is awesome as an item.  Huge, glossy paper and magnificent binding with an attached ribbon bookmark is just cool.  This book looks great on the shelf next to the other books coming out with this iteration of the game.  Of course, it follows the trends set forth by 2010's Warhammer Fantasy Battle, 8th Edition.  It's alike in more ways than one, including rules conventions.  This is definitely a plus for those of us who game both systems.

The system's overhaul has been light, mostly changes are in directing who gets shot with what and who gets a cover save.  Previous iterations focused on generalizing these rules, but I guess the trend has been to get more and more specific as editions march on.  For instance, in 4th Edition cover saves were granted to the whole unit from enemy fire.  Same deal in 5th, but you could remove whoever you liked from the squad when casualties were inflicted.  In 6th Edition now, LOS and Cover are determined on a model by model basis, and a system has been designed to allow for focused fire.  This can make for some really dynamic firefights.

There are some minor changes masked as big changes, such as Warp Charge points and Hull Points.  Though they didn't really exist as such, these have already been in the game for quite some time.  The old vehicle damage tables provided about 3 damage to a vehicle if it didn't suffer a destroyed result before that.  The same system is in place, but the damage tables have changed only slightly.  Warp Charge is similar, but represents a condensation of the system of how many Psychic Powers a Psyker could use in a turn.  Both of these rulesets might seem new, but the convention is not.

Flying Monsters and Vehicles get their rules in the main rulebook.  That's nifty.  Also, many conventions were generalized and given Universal Special Rules.  That's also nifty, makes everything much easier to reference.

One of the larger changes is the Force Organization Chart.  Now, you can have an allied detachment from another army, and certain buildings can be bought as fortifications for your army. These rules allow for greater freedom of expression in army building, and let players use certain models more frequently and in different ways.  It's kinda neat to be able to plop down a bastion and call it "MINE!".

There's only one real problem with the book:  the book itself.  I talked about this in the review for Warhammer Fantasy Battle, 8th Edition - it's really really heavy.  It's just unwieldy.  Yet we've gotten used to the heft of the WFB book, so that's nothing new.  There's something more unnerving than all of that.

I don't know if I really want to buy one of these every four years, Games Workshop.  It's big...you put it on the shelf, it takes up a lot of space.  I have every single edition of Warhammer 40,000's big hardback books...they are getting bigger and bigger...and the ones I don't use anymore are getting more and more numerous at what seems like an accelerated pace.

I think this is the last of the big books I'm going to buy.  It's just too much - it's piling up on me.  I'll just have to get the rules updates in the form of the small starter set booklets, unless they discontinue those.

Don't do that, GW.

Terrain Log: Brown World Badlands!

Welcome back to another Terrain Log!

Over the past few months, we've gone buggy for Battlefield in a Box.  These inexpensive pieces are well made terrain that comes already painted, so the hardest part about getting it ready for the battlefield is taking it out of the styrofoam packaging.  When I first heard about this line, I didn't think it would really take off.  Yet, here we are a few years later and we've obtained several pieces from the company.

The pieces have really added to our battlefields for the last two campaigns.  Today I want to talk about one of the collections we've obtained that's taking center stage in the battle for Caelum Subterraneous - the Battlefield in a Box Badlands line!

Currently there are three items available in this line:  The Badlands Bluff, the Badlands Plateau and the Badlands Rocks.  We picked up all three from our friendly local game store, the Cave, for about $85 give or take a buck or two.  Well worth the investment, as together these three sets can make a compelling battlefield for 4'x4' skirmishes!

Badlands Bluff.

The pieces are very solid, and look great.

Badlands Plateau.

After being won over by some other Battlefield in a Box terrain, the club quickly obtained this set and it's been on the table ever since.  These Badlands pieces have served big duty representing the underground rocky terrain of the fictional planet we're campaigning on this season.

Badlands Rocks.

The smaller rocks provide cover or block LOS to infantry, and the larger pieces completely block LOS on the table, unless you have a higher vantage point.  Negotiating these pieces with different games means that each has a different functionality in each game, and they are varied enough that it doesn't look to "samey" on the table.

Badlands Battlefield.

All in all, this was one of our better buys this quarter.  There's one more campaign before we open our Piggy Bank for a large club terrain purchase again, but remember next month we are taking orders for the upcoming Warmachine campaign.  Don't have your 25 points of your faction?  Get it together, and talk to one of the Gate Keepers on Game Day.  See you then!

Greyhawk Adventures Log, Part I

The first part of our AD&D 1e campaign has passed, and the death toll is the highest one ever at the Wargate.  We mourn our passed characters, and honor them with a position in the Death Roll...but the Death Roll waxes heavy with the slain.  This leg of the journey is over, but a new log is already running!  Do not despair, adventurers - with wisdom, caution, perseverance and a strong swordarm, you'll make it to the hallowed pages of the Honor Roll! 

The Free City of Greyhawk and surrounding environs.

Common Year 579 

The time has come for heroes to step forward.  Darkness gathers in mordant places all around the Flanaess and evil demigods and demons compete for the conquest of the surface world.  In the Free City of Greyhawk, a group of adventurers have gathered, and with their steel and magic aim to rid the countryside of the mounting fear that seems to permeate the air...

Though their quest be long and perilous, the company need not fear.  Many souls like themselves are seeking those of like mind within the Free City, and though they may see their comrades perish, there will always be those willing to take up the sword or the spellbook to aid the cause of civilization.  As each peril is faced, a new and darker threat seems to loom in it's place.

The world of Oerth is filled with magic.  More than any other sphere, this world is saturated in magical power.  Many dimensional gates exist in the world, to other planes and other spheres.  Great adventure awaits those brave enough to seek it out, but the beasts and vile wizards and worse out in the world will do much to hamper your rise to power.

Beware, adventurer.  You have been warned.

---

Current Adventurer Roster  (DISBANDED)

• Kay Oh Stubbs, Half Orc Fighter IV
• Mooshue, Oeridian Cleric of Hieroneous IV
• Ewe Gee Stubbs, Half-Orc Fighter IV
• Kakkarakk, Valley Elf Magic-User III
• Ulfric Broomhandle, Dwarf Fighter III
• Long Fellow, Half Elf Ranger III

Deceased

• Flarnagan of Fharlanghn, Oeridian Cleric I
• Mac Olyn, High Elf Magic-User I / Thief I
• Sir William, Oeridian Paladin I
• Em Cee Stubbs of the Billets, Half-Orc Cleric I
• Kran Stone, Wild Elf Fighter I
• Mannfred Finch, Suel Magic-User I
• Aladrin Granthorn, High Elf Fighter I / Thief I
• Deon Talar, Wild Elf Assassin I
• Dee Emm Stubbs, Half-Orc Fighter I
• Hambone, Wild Elf Fighter IV
• Bizak of the Cairns, Wild Elf Thief IV
• Lightfoot, Grey Elf Wizard III
• Ziggypopp, Gnome Fighter III
• Asheron, Grey Elf Wizard III / Cleric of Boccob III
• Fullen Rapier, Oeridian Thief IV
• Zan Za Bar, Gnome Thief III / Illusionist II
• Ruros Ralpar, Wild Elf Fighter IV
• Ganth Ralpar, Wild Elf Fighter IV

---

Adventure Log  
Total Time: 57.5 hrs  (2.3.13)

The temple grounds.

1. The Village of Hommlett (11.11.12 through 12.16.12) Total Time: 27.5 hrs - The characters begin their first steps into the world of Oerth.  For some, it is a welcome return to be in the Free City.  For others, they have only just begun to explore this exciting world.  After equipping themselves and making a fellowship, they set out after rumors of bandits...
• The party arrives in the village of Hommlett, intent on glory.  After speaking with Jaroo, the Druid of the Grove, the party sets off for the Moathouse.  There, they encounter several large and dangerous creatures before the return to Hommlett to rest and prepare. (5 hrs)
• Returning to the Moathouse, the party finds a group of bandits holed up there.  Though Flarnagan of Fharlanghn lost his life there amidst the knaves and their long knives, the group won through.  After searching most of the upper level, they withdraw back to the village to seek aid... (3 hrs)
• The party once again returns to the moathouse after a few days spent preparing in the village.  However, giant lizards and green slime conspired to keep the party still on the upper level. Zert joins the group to help guard the treasure cart, and does a fantastic job.  Other personages are met in the village, and the party begins to get a feel for the land around the Kron Hills. (3 hrs)
• Once again, to the moathouse.  This time there was shenanigans involving zombies and green slime, but ultimately the party retreated after Mac Olyn was mauled by them.  In town, Em Cee Stubbs arrived seeking his cousin and the party returned to the dungeon.  There, they were mauled again by the zombies in the dungeon, and Sir William and Em Cee Stubbs were lost.  Mannfred, Zert, Furnok and Elmo returned to the Inn of the Welcome Wench, where Furnok and Elmo told the wizard they had no more interest in adventuring, as close to death as they had been that day. (4 hrs)
• After spending a few days recovering at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, the party set about recruiting new warriors.  A few travelers passing through agreed to join the group to explore the dungeon under the moathouse, and curiously a larger number of elves have begun to congregate at Hommlett.  Once prepared, the party entered the dungeon again...only to see the deaths of Mannfred and Kran Stone at the hands of bugbears and gnolls.  Dee Em Stubbs gave the order to retreat, and the party returned to the village of Hommlett - though Zert had deserted them at the moathouse.  The elves around the Inn made their presence known, and joined the party to return once again to the dungeon.  This time, they made considerable headway into the dungeon, and have just found a hidden cave and pool of water... (6.5 hrs)
• The dungeons of the moathouse prove truly deadly as our adventurers explore the depths and brave the monsters found within.  Bugbears hide in the shadows, and guards adorned with the Elemental Eye patrol the halls near the secret surface entrance.  After thoroughly exploring the winding and bleak corridors of this dilapidated abode of evil, the party engaged Lareth the Beautiful in the small corridors leading to the hidden entrance.  The battle was short and deadly, with Dee Em Stubbs, Deon Talar and Aladrin Granthorn meeting their fates at the hands of Lareth and his guards.  After escaping to Hommlett, the characters retreat to Greyhawk City to spend the next six months readying themselves to return to the area of the temple and begin to uncover it's secrets.  (6 hrs)
2. The Dungeons of Elemental Evil (12.23.12 through 2.3.13) Total Time: 30.5 hrs - The characters arrive in Nulb along the Imeryd's Run.  There they spend the night after cursorily poking around the dingy city, then waste no time in making way to the temple itself!
• The characters reconnoiter the temple proper, and after some action with the front doors they force one open and investigate inside.  After exploring most of the temple's upper level, they descend into a round well, where they find a secret door leading into a bone filled corridor.  Of course, the wicked undead rise up to kill them, and the characters frantically try to escape while Asheron channeled waves of holy energy to turn the horde.  However, the players disturbed the lairs of several ogres, and when the blood is finished flowing they take a moment to breathe... (3.5 hrs)
• The players return to a few moments after the last battle, and quickly realize the dungeon is crawling with monsters. Unable to rest inside due to the activity, the characters realize they must withdraw to rendezvous with more of their party, now in Nulb.  After narrowly escaping a horde of guards and losing Hambone Ralpar to a surprise attack by a shadowing bugbear, the players arrive in Nulb and attempt to squat in a run down shack.  They are soon confronted by the angry landowner and a horde of mercenaries just after they broke open their spoils.  A short fight later sees Zert (now a captain of the mercenaries) dead and the players fleeing Nulb for the relative safety of Hommlett. (3.5 hrs)
• Bizak had separated from the party earlier, and waited patiently in the Boatman's Tavern in Nulb for the party to return, however...they had the altercation with the mercenaries earlier.  Elf-hating citizens quickly chased him away, and as he tried to hide in the empty houses on the edge of town nearly cornered him.  He fled into the woods toward the temple, hoping to meet the party there - but they remained in Hommlett for a week.  That night, Bizak crept into the ruined building in the woods behind the temple...and was never heard from again.  The larger section of the party finally returned to the temple with two new members, Lightfoot and Ziggypopp, who met their ends at the bottom of the well when an undead monstrosity froze the life out of them.  The brothers Ralpar returned to Hommlett very quickly. (3.5 hrs)
• Moving quickly, the brothers reunite with Asheron the Cleric, who introduces them to Kayo Stubbs...another lost cousin to those that had come before.  When two traveling warriors of Hieroneous appear in the tavern, the two groups quickly find common ground when Asheron relates the story of the Temple of Elemental Evil.  The party descends into the temple again, this time encountering groups of ghouls and ghasts which ends in Asheron's death.  The party continues exploring to a portion of the second level where they encounter the Troll Chief Oolgrith, and slay his followers but please him with gifts of a baublish nature.  As they make their way to leave the temple, the party is ambushed by warriors whom they take to be from the village of Nulb, but drive them off easily.  The session ends with the party befriending Kakkarakk and Fullen at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, and also with Asheron's dead body becoming a ghoul and being turned by Mooshue, whereupon the living corpse fled swiftly away into the night... (5.5 hrs)
• The party quickly returned to the dungeon to further their explorations after recruiting as many new adventurers as they could find.  Their party swells, but Anton Holy Sword senses the bent of the party and departs.  Within the dungeon, the adventurers make short work of the Hydra and it's Troll Keeper, and push into the dungeon to find several bugbears and even a fully fledged cleric of Elemental Evil.  Soon after that, they return to Hommlett with their spoils and flaunt the fact they raided the Temple.  Soon after that, Fullen Rapier disappears...never to be seen again!(5.5 hrs)
• The party rests in Hommlett as members come and go, and they are joined by Ulfric Broomhandle, a dwarven halberdier of Sterich.  After hearing their tale, the noble warrior agrees to join them in search of adventure.  However, on the morning, the adventurers are summoned to the town hall by Burne.  There, they meet with Terjon, Jaroo, Burne and Rufus and they have a short chat about bringing ghouls into town.  The protectors of Hommlett give the brothers Ralpar their blessing, and decide to alert the authorities in Dyvers and Veluna.  The adventurers head towards Nulb, where they meet Hruda and Mother Screng, who gives them shelter for the evening after hearing their tale.  The party descends into the dungeon, where a hair raising battle in a gnoll trap claims the life of the gnome Zan Za Bar.  The adventurers return, wounded, to Nulb...where they take up at the Waterside Hostel. (5 hrs)
• The party encounters the Stubbs, who have been carousing in Nulb.  A half elf named Long Fellow joined the group, and they ventured the next day (the first day of Coldeven) back to the Temple.  After cornering and slaughtering many temple guards, they spare one when he answers some questions concerning the evil priests and their treasure.  He directed them north, to the Earth Temple.  There, they found a swarm of elementals around a strange pyramid of dirt.  The entire group attacked the elementals en masse, but retreated when one of the behemoths killed Ruros and Ganth Ralpar and nearly killed Ewe Gee Stubbs.  Once back in the village, the remaining memers of the group hold a quick meeting.  After realizing they don't have much stake in the area or in their companions, they elect to depart their separate ways.  The party is disbanded.  (4 hrs)

Terrain Log: Brown World Temple

Quick post today!

We've been finishing up a bangload of terrain this month, and I've not showcased some of the more recent pieces we've added to the collection.  Today I want to talk about Games Workshop's Arcane Ruins!  We got these painted and on the table several weeks ago, and they've been a really neat addition to our games.

Currently priced at $29.75 USD, the Arcane Ruins are available in GW's webstore.  We got these several months ago, but I'm a snail when it comes to completing projects.  Usually I have what seems like thirty projects going on at once, and they all seem to complete around the same time - six months later.  However, after I'd glued the columns and skull-face blocks together it sat around in it's box, for months.  That's when the vivacious Miss Foley found them and declared she was going to paint them for us.

After a quick examination of the paint job on the box, she painted in the club's Brown World scheme!  Behold the Ruinous Temple!  She did a great job on the layering and shading, even if my neglecting to Green Stuff those seams did leave a few of them visible.  That's my fault though - I should have noticed that but somehow it got away from me.  Working too fast on too many things, but hey, I'm working to narrow my focus.  Oh well, it's not so bad - and I didn't even have to work hard for it!

We didn't glue the pillars to the base, so each piece can actually be used on it's own.  The arches are great across roads and other conspicuous places to place arches, and the individual pieces make great scatter terrain.  So the whole thing comes apart and has already been used liberally to help create some interesting battlefields.

Definitely recommended for your battlefields. Remember we are starting AD&D this week at 3 p.m., so make sure to get there early to get in on some interesting conversation and exciting, riveting, action-packed dungeon delving!

The Last Charge of the Ralpar

The elemental towered over them all.  After the charge hit it, the thing barely moved.  One of the Stubbs looked incredulously at his powerful magic blade - it barely managed a scratch.  They all knew they were in trouble, as the mighty half orc reeled from a backhanded strike from the massive creature.

Ruros Ralpar sounded the retreat, but his cry was cut short by a terrible pummeling from the earth elemental's mighty fists.  He dropped like a wet sack, and the others had seen enough.  As much of the party fled through the purple curtains to the north passage, Ganth Ralpar moved to retrieve his brother's body from the darkness of the temple.

As he gripped the slack form of Ruros, Ganth looked up in time to see the elemental reach down to crush the life from him.  It was very quick.

Yet no one else saw this.  The remaining members of the party fled to Hommlett, where they make a painful re-evaluation of their situation...

---

This upcoming weekend, we're going to have to re-evaluate the motivations of the remaining characters in the campaign.  As time has worn on, and replacements have trickled in, the player party finds itself lacking a good motivation to enter the Temple.  In sync with their characters, the players have pretty much decided that dissolving this party and creating an entirely new set of characters will be the best answer.

In doing so, they will create a commonality of cause that unites them and makes way for new characters coming into the game.  There's been a lot of discussion about this, and there are alternatives...but it comes down to the following.

We have decided to play these games, in their published form, with their published rulesets.  This has been a tacit agreement from the beginning, otherwise I would have just started a "Free Range Greyhawk" campaign like we used to do back in the 1990's.  We're not blending rulesets or making up houserules, the nature of this endeavor is to play the rulesets as they are written.  The purpose for that is so we can see, in painful detail, the complete evolution of the published Dungeons & Dragons works throughout the years.

So, it's not your typical campaign.

Since that's defeating the purpose of our experiment (which I have spoken about many times before), we have pretty much decided that the evil characters in the party will seek greener pastures, since there's no evidence of any sort of incentive in the Temple.  The players themselves struggle to come up with a reason to keep adventuring in Hommlett.  In this manner, they have effectively roleplayed these characters out of the game.

Now, some GM's would just allow them to keep their characters and either handwave motivations away and simply not worry about it.  Some GM's would let the characters wander off and then follow those new adventures.  I would probably do one of those as well, whichever the players preferred, if that were in the scope of the campaign.

In this campaign, when your character loses motivation...that character will leave the area, retiring to the purview of the DM.  You can make a new character with new motivation.

There's been a high death toll.  For the current players, the morale effect has been to demoralize their characters in their endeavor to explore and defeat the Temple's power.  The players themselves are not demoralized, much to the contrary.  I can see how this could form a paradox for some folks reading it, but I assure you I am in no danger of being relieved of Dungeon Master detail for quite some time.

This upcoming Sunday when we convene, I will hold a sort of "hearing" among the surviving player characters.  There has already been much discussion of this up to this point, so I'm going to boil it down to this:

You, as a player, must give me one GOOD reason why your character will continue on this mission.  

If the majority of the survivors cannot, the party will be dissolved and new characters will be created.  A new jumping off point has already been decided.

To any of you who think I'm being too heavy handed, remember that this has been coming for a long time and all the players know it.  The players are not disgruntled...far from it in fact.  They are clamoring for more!  Yet, this is one of those cases of being roleplayed right out of the scenario.

I know we're all looking forward to this next session, so remember - this week we start Advanced Dungeons & Dragons at 3 p.m. sharp.  Be there for the hearing or you won't be heard!

See you on Game Day!

Rulebook Ruminations: 6th Edition Marine Codeci

Well, we've been in 6th Edition for about 7 months now.  We've only had our head in the actual game for about a month now with the campaign grinding on, but today I want to talk about the two newest Warhammer 40,000 codeci:  the "flagship" marines for 6th Edition!

Almost every release, we get Chaos Space Marines near the front end of the release schedule.  If it's not the first one to be released, a Space Marine codex is.  Obviously, that's because these are flagships for the brand:  that is, they move the most units.  We can reasonably expect this trend to continue in the future, perhaps with a little variation.  Maybe orks will be the first enemy, maybe tyranids...but most of the time we're gonna get Chaos and Space Marines in some form or flavor.  What makes this release special is that they've chosen Dark Angels to be the flagship for 6th Edition instead of Ultramarines and the Codex Chapters.

Of course the books are awesome items.  I have some issues with certain units but honestly I don't feel that they are too overpowered...except they need to quit tweaking the Obliterator weapons and quit upgrading their firepower every edition.  No longer do they spit lascannons and twin linked heavy bolters...because they have plasma cannons and assault cannons instead, which are much better anyway.

The codeci include awesome new flyer models, and I'll be launching my own flyers soon.  This is a new trend this edition, but you can bet every army that gets the hardbound treatment will have nasty flyers and some sort of new large special unit model or kits, which is always the case.  Yet this edition the trend is for larger kits, like the Deathwing Command Squad that also contains the pieces for Deathwing Knights, or the Maulerfiend/Forgefiend kit that's simply just a lot of bits no matter how you put it together.

Troops and organizational logistics for each army has changed a little bit, but the new format looks great and I'm looking forward to seeing the other armies get the same treatment.  I've gushed about the awesomeness of having these items in hardcover before, but now that they've started Warhammer 40,000 on this I really can't get enough.  The books are just awesome, full color and well laid out.

The only thing I can really complain about isn't really a complaint:  they need to watch those fold outs in the back.  It seems that will be very easy to get creased or ripped, and I'm not sure how it's supposed to be functional when the rest of the book is a very solid reference manual.  The fold outs are awkward and flimsy (being 1 page thick) and I really think these should be the last ones published with those.

Either way, the books are great and I'm looking forward to the next great release from Games Workshop.