It would certainly work well for those pesky ones we talked about long ago like hungry jack. However, I quite like the fact that you have to physically send someone to negotiate the alliance with for the smaller independents. I like being able to see whether someone is trying for the tuskers - or is pretending to by stacking a couple of grunts rather than a grunt+magician! On the other hand, it would make units like the travelling stone more available since Sartar could, for the first time, get it. On that particular note it's pretty funny that Sartar, with Orlanth whose runes include movement, *never* gets the stone.
If the rule was used, then I'd like to see trials of: - using a separate bin of DP for the smaller independents - having an automatic number of DPs associated with existing
relationships (e.g. hydra gets +5 to lunar, delecti gets +5 to
sartar, etc).
- being able to spend points to neutralise existing relationships
e.g. if the spirit of movement cost 20DP say, then not only would you have to have a greater than 20 advantage, but if that advantage ever got to 0, then they revert to neutral and can be re-emissaried, and if it got to -20, then they change sides immediately. So alliances require upkeep :-)
I think it would also be hard to quantify the different one compared to the DP scores we know of (hence the separate bin). I'd like to exclude dragons as well - they *must* have a unit there to do the negotiations IMHO. I think the changes already suggested for the dwarf would also stand rather than be on this new list. Similarly for the Puppeteers. I *would* include Giants though, since it's such a fun idea - I'd allow one only for the Lunars that could come on anywhere on the top mapboard in lunar territory, but as many as either side wants if they come from the giant's rest as usual.
Let's say each player gets something like 10 minorDP per term.
So, the list would include (since it's not in front of me): - Hydra
3mDP/head, uses the rule in the quote below - Spirit of Movement
10mDP, Lunar and Sartar start even, -3 to exiles in 3 player (Sartar
because of Orlanth-movement, and Lunars because they have Tarsh and
are next to it)
- Tusk Riders
8mDP, Lunar and Sartar start even, but -3 to exiles in 3 player game (weren't they once Tarshites? IIRC they dislike them a lot now) - Hungry Jack
15mDP, Lunar and Sartar start even (that's chaos for you),
amount to each player each
- Delecti
10mDP, Lunar starts at -4
- Sun Dome Templars
10mDP, Lunar starts at -3
- Giant(s)
10mDP, Sartar starts with +3 only if Argrath is in the battalia
For each chaos minor or giant, role at the start of each turn; an even number means nothing changes; an odd number means role the dice again, once for each player. A 1,2,3 means subtract that number from the players mDP for the independent, while a 4,5,6 means add 1,2 or 3 respectively for the player's mDP for the independent. The players role for their *opponent*.
Phew. That'll do for the moment :-) How's all that sound?
> Alternately, you need a lesser number of DP for the Hydra. BUT, if you
> roll the die and don't have enough assigned, it EATS them, and you start
> over from scratch. Hmm, yes -- I like that best for Chaos anyway. To be
> safe, you must assign the full 6xDP total for Hydra, or Delecti, or
> whoever. But, your opponent might decide to risk the die roll sooner, and
> maybe he gets lucky, maybe Chaos eats the DP.
*That's* a wonderful idea for Hydra. I don't know if I'd use it for all the chaos ones, but definitely for hydra.
Rob
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