Move Variability

[DungeonDevil]

Inspired by a brilliant, yet simple, mechanic from Larry Brom's The Sword and the Flame (for colonial British semi-skirmish games), I thought I'd propose a movement variability idea for Chainmail.

Variable Movement for Chainmail

Roll 2d6:

2...-40%
3...-30%
4...-20%
5...-10%
6...move as normal
7...move as normal
8...move as normal
9...+10%
10...+20%
11...+30%
12...+40%


Original Move...-10%/+10%...-20%/+20%...-30%/+30%...-40%/+40%
3...2/3...2/4...2/4...1/4
6...5/7...4/7...4/8...3/8
9...8/10...7/11...6/12...5/13
12...10/13...9/14...8/16...7/17
15...13/17 ...12/18...10/20...9/21
18...16/20...14/22...12/23...10/25
21...18/23...16/25...14/27...12/29
24...21/26...19/29...16/31...14/34
27...24/30...21/32...18/35...16/38
30...27/33...24/36...21/39...18/42

There is something inherently wonky about always knowing exactly how far your units and the enemy's units are going to move. Why not mix it up with some unpredictability?!

With the +% increases, I rounded up or down as required to the next whole number, but with the -% numbers I always rounded down.

[jacar]

For me, too fiddly. Why not take the average of the roll + the remainder to get the move amount. Infantry rolls 1D6 and mounted rolls 2D6. Most infantry move no greater than 12" and most cavalry move at 15" or greater.

So the table would look like this...

3 = D6"
6 = D6+3
9 = D6+6
12 = D6+9

Cavalry
15 = 2D6+8
18 = 2D6+11
21 = 2D6 +14
24 = 2D6 +17

Others
27 = 3D6 + 17
30 = 3D6 + 20

This way there is no calculation or percentages to deal with. The average die roll I deducted was 3 for 1D6, 7 for 2D6 and 10 for 3D6.

John

[DungeonDevil]

I'm not stressing the actual mechanics above as the only way of doing it, as long as gamers consider the intriguing concept of variability of movement itself. Again, you could make it very simple:

1d6:

1-4...normal movement
5...+1d6"
6...-1d6"

Less 'fiddly'!