Ordo Ineptus

Object of Game/Victory Points

Victory points will be awarded for killing Dr. Shellendrak and his evil minions, and also for completing certain tasks or gaining certain items.

Points for Defeating Monsters: When a player defeats a monster, he puts the miniature in front of him. At the end of the game, players will be given a checklist that will show how much each monster is worth, so that they may add up their points.

Points for Items: Some of the randomly found items in the game are worth victory points. To get the points, the item must still be in a player's control at the end of the game.

Points for Tasks: There are several tasks in game that will award victory points if the conditions are met.  Some of these are from quests that a player may randomly receive from villagers rescued or captured  in the first scenario. Others are hidden, and a player won't know that he received points for something until he does it, at which point the GameMaster will notify the player that he has completed a hidden task. Each task awards a different amount of victory points, detailed in the checklist given to the players at the end of he game.

After the victory points are tallied, the player with the most will be the winner.

In addition to the bragging rights, the player with the most victory points receives two permanent victory point towards winning the Forsaken Vale campaign. In addition, that player will start the campaign with the Shadygrove region as a bonus territory, and will get the first choice of HQ territories, with the runners up selecting in the order that they ranked. 

Competing with other players

Players will be able to cooperate with or compete against other players, but  not battle directly with them. This will most likely result in shifting alliances backstabbing (since while it may not be possible to attack your former ally, you can certainly leave him in the lurch) This will be a good opportunity to play up the personalities of the different factions.

Other Players; Allies or Enemies

By default, the models of other players warbands are considered enemies, however, the players may reserve the right to consider them non-enemies in certain cases, as described below. 

For purposes of movement, a player may allow another player to consider models of his warband non-enemies for the purposes of running (double move), having to take All Alone Tests, rallying fleeing models, etc.

The Game Turn

Player Turn Order

One little wrinkle I'm adding in to this game is a random sequence of player turns. Basically what this means is that at the beginning of each round of turns, each player and myself will draw from a deck of cards, and the turn order will go ace, king, queen, jack, 10, etc. When your card is called out, you turn it in and begin your turn. People with two cards of different suits take their turn simultaneously, or roll off if their actions would affect one another. Anyone holding a joker can go any time in the order that they wish. This can be declared at any point before or after another player has announced the start of their turn but before they actually begin their turn.

At the end of the round of player turns, the deck is shuffled and new cards are drawn for the next round.

The idea behind this is that this is a horror themed game so things should be a little more scary and unpredictable. In Shellendrak, players will never know when in the order the monsters will be taking a turn or where the other players will be taking a turn.

The Game Master Turn

 The Game Master draws a card each game turn as well, to determine when in the order his turn will take place.  During the Game Master Turn, the actions of all of the monsters on the table will be resolved.

Timing of Turns

In order to ensure that the game keeps moving and players do not have to wait too long in between turns, each player will have 2 minutes to complete their recovery and movement phases.  When players start their turn, the timer will start, and when it goes off, the player should finish moving that model and move on to the shooting phase.

I’ll also call a brief ‘time-out’ and stop the clock for any rules issue that needs to be thought about or looked up.

In addition to having an easy to reference warband list, one thing players can do to keep turns going by faster is to have an idea what they want to do before their turn begins. I will also have sticky tabs available to players who want to mark pages in their army books for easier reference.

Turn sequence

Each player’s turn is broken up into four phases.
1. Recovery

2. Movement

3. Shooting

4. Hand to Hand Combat

Recovery Phase

During the recovery phase, all Knocked Down models may stand up, and all Stunned models may be upgraded to Knocked Down.

Also during the recovery phase a player may attempt to rally any fleeing member of his warband, so long as the closest model is not an enemy (enemy models that are Stunned, Knocked Down, or Hidden do not count)

If the warband leader is within 12” of the fleeing model, he may use his Leadership for the test.

If a model passes the Leadership, it may turn around but may do nothing for the rest of that turn.

Movement Phase

Charging

Like in Fantasy, charges are done in the movement phase and must be declared before any other kind of movement is done. Charges must be declared before the distance is measured. You may not charge if there is an enemy model within 2 inches of your charge path that could conceivably intercept the charge.

Charges do not have to be in a straight line. You may even charge around a corner at an enemy who is out of sight (but not one that is Hidden), so long as they are within 4" of your starting position and you pass an Initiative test. Note that models cannot pass through a door to charge an unseen foe, unless they have a special ability which allows them to do so.

Chargers can move double their movement value to reach their enemy. If a charge was declared, but after measuring, they do not have enough to reach their enemy, then it is considered a failed charge, and the model moves its normal movement rate and cannot shoot that turn but may still cast spells.

Note on LoS and charge arcs: With the exception of creatures on large bases or cavalry bases, which have a forward arc of vision, all models are assumed to have a 360 degree line of sight for the purposes of shooting and charging.

Compulsory Movement  

After charges are declared and chargers are moved, any fleeing units that did not rally must now be moved and any other compulsory movement must be done.

Normal Movement

Models can move their normal movement value in inches, or double if running (or charging). Models may only run if there are no active enemy models within 8” at the start of the movement phase (enemy models that are Stunned, Knocked Down, or Hidden do not count).

Movement is halved over difficult terrain.  Models running over difficult terrain must pass an Initiative test (roll lower on a D6) to avoid falling and ending their movement. Characters may move up and down ladders or stairs with no penalty.

To attempt to climb a surface with no ladder, a model must begin its movement up against that surface and then pass an Initiative test. If this test is successful, the model may climb its normal movement rate.

Moving through windows – Models can enter or exit the mansion through the first floor windows. Doing so costs an extra inch of movement, and the model takes a Str 1 hit. Note that any model that is removed from play as a result of impaling itself on a shard of glass climbing through one of Shellendrak’s windows receives the official Sad Sack Award for this game.

Hiding

If a model is out of sight of enemy models or behind a piece of terrain which could the model could reasonably hide behind (like a low wall, tree, etc.) then the player may declare it to be hiding by putting a marker down.  Hidden characters cannot be targeted, charged, or shot at. Models can move while hidden so long as no part of their movement would allow them to be seen. (like moving crouched down along a wall). Also, if at any point during an enemy's move they would be able to see the hiding model (from the other side of the wall or tree, for instance) then the model ceases to be hidden.

An enemy model will always automatically detect hidden models within its Initiative score in inches.

Shooting Phase

A model can shoot at another model so long as a line of sight can be drawn from that model to a substantial part of the target model (ie: not just a sword, helmet, wing, etc.)

Unless they are firing from an elevated position, a model must shoot at the closest enemy model within its line of sight. The shooting player can choose to consider a model from an opposing warband a non enemy so long as hostilities have not yet been initiated with that warband.

A model is considered to be in cover if there is any obstructing terrain that partially obscures it from the firer. Cover does not provide a save against wounds, but confers a -1 modifier to the shooting. Other shooting modifiers are for moving, large target, and long range (more than half the range of the weapon), as in Fantasy.

Models that run or attempt a charge may not shoot that turn.

The skirmish uses the same to hit chart and wound charts as in the Warhammer Fantasy rulebook, and they will be made available on a cheat sheet.

Critical Hits

Whenever a six is rolled to wound, a critical hit is scored and a die is rolled. On a 1, 2, or 3 the armor save is reduced by 2. On a 4 or 5 the armor save is reduced by 2 and the wounds are doubled, on a 6 the model receives a Killing Blow and is automatically slain and removed (ward saves may still be taken, however).

Armor

Armor saves can be diminished by an attack with a high strength, or by an attack with the “armor piercing” ability. For every number over three, the armor save is reduced by 1, so a normal 4+ armor save would be a 5+ save against a Str 4 hit, 6+ against a St 5 hit and would be nothing against a hit of Str 6 or higher. Anything with the “armor piercing” ability reduces the save further by one.

Ward saves are unaffected by the strength of a weapon.

A model with both an armor save and a ward save can take the armor save first and then try their ward save if they fail that.

Wounds & Injuries

When a model’s wounds are reduced to 0, rather than removing it immediately, a die is rolled.
On a 1 or 2, the unit is knocked down (model put face up) and can get up on the next turn.
On a 3 or 4, the model is stunned (face down) and on the players next turn is upgraded to knocked down.
On a 5 or 6, the model is killed and removed.
Models can ‘coup de grace’ with a single auto-hit attack on a knocked down enemy in base to base contact, as long as they are not in base to base contact with any opponents still standing.

Models who suffer a Killing Blow would just be removed as normal without rolling on the chart.

Note that the villagers and members of the Circus Macabre will be removed as soon as their wounds reach zero without rolling on the injury chart.  I have plenty more where they came from.

Magic

Magic – For the purposes of this skirmish game, Magic is toned down and will generally not have the impact it can in Fantasy. There is no magic phase, no casting dice, and no dispel dice, and all spells are cast during the shooting phase (as in 40K). Mage characters receive at the beginning of the game a spell for each caster level they have.  Level 1 and 2 casters may cast a single spell each turn, and level 3 or 4 casters may cast two per turn. Each spell has a difficulty number depending on its power.  To cast a spell, the player must roll the target number on two dice for it to succeed. Generally, a spell that has been cast cannot be stopped or dispelled, although there are a couple of items in the game that have a chance to dispel spells cast at the bearer.

Close Combat Phase

Who strikes first

Normally, chargers strike first (certain abilities override this). After the chargers have made their attacks, or if no-one charged that turn, the order goes by highest to lowest Initiative scores.

All Alone Test

At the end of a combat round, if a model is alone and fighting against 2 or more models, it must pass a leadership test or flee 2d6 inches away from the combat. The warband leader’s Leadership may be used if he is within 8”. Models who are Unbreakable or Immune to Psychology do not have to take this test.

Leaving combat

A model can only choose to leave a combat if there are currently no models in base to base contact that are currently hostile. For example, in a multi-player combat between players X, Y, and Z.  If X kills of Z on his turn, then on Y’s turn he can disengage from X and move freely as long as neither had attacked the other during the combat. Even if Z had another model still fighting X but not in base to base contact with Y, Y can still disengage and leave X to fight alone (it’s every man for himself in this game, after all)

Psychology

All Alone

As mentioned above, models who are alone in combat with two or more enemies must take a leadership test. If they fail they run. Enemies may not pursue or run them down but may make a single attack at the fleeing enemy.

Fear

Models must make a Leadership test when charged by an enemy that causes Fear. If they fail, they will require 6’s to hit the feared enemy in combat. A model must also test to charge an enemy that causes Fear.  If they fail, the charge is aborted. In both cases, the warband leader’s Leadership value may be used if he is within 8” of the model making the test.

Terror

Some of Shellendrak’s nastier denizens cause Terror. Terror is handled the same way as fear, except that failure to pass the Leadership tests results in the model that failed fleeing 2D6” away from the Terror causing enemy.
Stupidity

Models with the Stupidity rule have to pass a Leadership test on each player’s turn during the Recovery Phase or be considered Stupid for that round (they may use the warband leader’s Leadership if he is within 8”)

If a model is in combat and is Stupid, it will make any attacks until it passes the next Stupidity test.

If a model is not in combat and is Stupid, roll a D6. On a 1-3, the model shambles forward at half its normal movement, stopping 1” in front of any enemies.  On a 4-6, the model simply stands in place and drools for a while.

Models that are Stupid cannot shoot or cast spells.

Frenzy

Models that are Frenzied are Immune to Psychology and must charge any enemy model within charge range. Most Frenzied models lose Frenzy if they are ever Knocked Down or Stunned (beaten in combat), although some have special rules that allow them to always be Frenzied.

Hatred

Models may re-roll failed to hit rolls in close combat against a Hated enemy. Usually this is only for the first round of combat, although some units have special rules that allow them to do this in every round of combat.

Searching Rooms

 On their turn, a player may have a model search a room in lieu of moving or taking any other action, as long as the following two conditions are met.

1)      the room in question is clear of all monsters

2)      if a room is occupied by members of another players warband, they are not currently engaged in any combat or hostility

When searching a room, roll a die for each model in your warband that is eligible to search that room. Hero characters may roll an extra die when searching.  Lords may roll 2 extra dice.

On a roll of 5 or 6, the search is successful, and that player may draw from the search deck.

Most rooms can only be successfully searched once, although some rooms may allow several draws from the search deck before being exhausted.

Some Notes on Item Cards