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Post by aldarron on Dec 15, 2010 8:28:36 GMT -6
See, here's the thing about most wargames written in the 60's & 70's, especially the small press ones, they were written for a specific and narrow audience - experienced wargamers - who were expected to be bringing thier own experience and ideas to the guidlines the rules offered. Virtually nobody played rules exactly as written and "everybody" knew that. The interpretations of various things everyone posting here has gone on about are exactly the sort of thing that was expected. Its a great example of the way wargamers would hash things out before and during play. The rules weren't intended to be foolproof or set in stone and wargamers used them as a basis to go on when deciding for themselves how they wanted to handle it. Its really not about right and wrong, its about preference.
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Post by thegreyelf on Dec 15, 2010 10:41:18 GMT -6
I just get really tired of circular debates that don't actually go anywhere. Once the debate degenerates into "you're wrong!" "Nuh-uh, you are!" I tend to try and back off.
When people in your everyday life begin to accuse you of enjoying arguments, it makes you step back and think about controlling your will to not back down and walk away.
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Post by cooper on Dec 15, 2010 13:00:44 GMT -6
Forgive me for being pedantic, but It's hardly circular when I quote different text from the books in every post. I try and footnote every fact as I read it, cite the page and even link to the actual text. I am happy to read refutations of my interpretations. Chainmail can certainly be played the way you describe, but it cannot be played with d&d the way you describe--which is curious, but not a question that I need to answer.
As it is, there is no basis for the +1 to hit with swords and bows except as a amalgam and simplification of the elfs bonus to hit orcs and goblins, their double damage vs ogres and trolls.
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Post by spacemonkeydm on Mar 4, 2015 13:31:05 GMT -6
Yes I know this forum is six year old. I am running my first ODD game. I have found that chainmail adds a light of spice to the game. So In my google journey I came across this. So does any one use the extra damage against ogres and trolls. Also way only ogres and trolls. I can only guess cause there clumsy so the elf can get more attacks in?
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Post by derv on Mar 4, 2015 20:01:08 GMT -6
I do not give Elves in D&D any additional damage against either. Ogres and Trolls were categorized together in Chainmail. The difference was that True Trolls could only be killed by those found on the Fantasy Combat Table (which the Elf was not) or an Elf with a magic weapon. Ogres could be attacked by either those found on the FCT with a one-hit kill or by normal troop types that required 6 cumulative hits to kill. Even though Elves had the added benefit of being able to kill Ogres with 3 cumulative hits, instead of 6, in Chainmail, Ogres are not the same in D&D. In D&D they are altered to 4+1 HD monsters with an AC5. In comparison, Trolls are 6+3 HD with an AC4.
If you still want to keep the spirit of this rule from Chainmail, I would offer +1 damage at most. OD&D already gives them +1 damage when armed with magic weapons.
Possible influences on the subject might have been Poul Anderson's, The Broken Sword, whch was itself influenced by Scandi myth & legend.
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Post by Porphyre on Mar 6, 2015 14:17:22 GMT -6
Roll two damage dice and keep the better ?
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