Re: House Rules: Ducks v Beat-pot

From: Steve W <steve_gb>
Date: Thu May 3 23:08:55 2007

>> I have always disliked the way the Scapegoat rules are written. My
>> preference is to wait until AFTER the heroic escape fails to designate a
>> scapegoat. If the best friend is killed but makes an escape, the
>> superhero should never berserk in the first place -- they should be
>> tearing up the battlefield trying to find him.
>
>That makes perfect sense. I think that's how we played it - if the Best
>friend makes a Heroic escape then he hasn't died.

On second thoughts (ok, maybe first proper thoughts!), I realize a rule like you suggest is _necessary_ if you play Superhero CF as significantly different when berserk/not. Killing a Best Friend early in the combat phase sequence (with missiles or whatever) doesn't matter much in the RAW, since the Superhero's CF stays the same* and it's already past the time when they could make a spirit attack. But if you're using a Superhero CF of 10 (or 12) normally, but 20 when berserk, it makes quite a difference to the melee - too much difference, perhaps? Having experienced it, yes, I think so! (* or just losing their leadership, anyway - simulating worry as they run around looking for their chum?)

I'm still not convinced of the "replace Best Friend on their Superhero buddy" idea though. It could be nonsensically far away across the map! And does the reverse apply, if the SH makes an escape? And we'd still need the normal rule, for non-BF heroes - so this would be an added complication. Nearest friendly stack is fine. (And can produce some fun situations, like one we had a while back when the Red Emperor bought it at Glasswall but returned to a stack down the River in Dwarf Run: "What's that bloody tattered rag floating downstream there, Centurion? ....Aah! Your Imperial Majesty!")

TTFN, Steve the Stable