Woking Snowball Fight Rules 2023

Preparing for Woking 54mm Games Day on Saturday, a simple Playtest version of the snowball fight rules:

https://tabletopscoutingwidegames.wordpress.com/snowball-fight-rules-and-snow-forts/

Simple Snowball Fight Rules

1:1 figure

Four to eight figures in a snowball team.

Only two hits take the game ‘life’ of a player

Snowball ammunition unlimited.

Movement range is one lollystick per move.

Ice cannot be crossed *

Hit Ranges

range measured using lolly sticks, roll one dice per thrower:

close range – one lollystick distance – 4,5,6 is a hit on a d6

medium range – two lollysticks, 5 or 6 to hit

long range – three lollysticks – 6 only to hit

If target is behind cover, modify with -1 on d6 throw

Damage and repair of a life

Only two hits to take the game ‘life’ of a player.

Hit damage indicated by clear curtain ring hung on figure.

Wide Games style – A character can return to HQ base camp on edge of board and rejuvenate / return to game life after set number of turns.

Modifiers

If character indicated as Marksman, they get +1 modifier

Marksman can be selected by rolling a 6 on a d6 roll for each character before game starts.

Melee / Morale / Savings throws

No Melee Rules

No Morale Rules.

No Savings throws

*

Aim / Victory Scenario – “Capture the Flag” style.

Each base camp has a flag or other supplies token.

If this is taken by the enemy team, it must still be got back to their base camp to win.

The base camp flag can be guarded by one “rush goalie”.

Captured flag can be recaptured en route to the enemy base by its own side, if bearer / capturer is knocked out by two hits.

*

NPCs or Non Player Characters

These move around randomly and must not to be hit by Snowballs – otherwise forfeit or penalty incurred by thrower? Some form of being sent off or sent home to base camp.

NPCs can be handled by a spare player or umpire using dice rolls on a compass rose at the start of each turn for all NPCs or each NPC figure. D6 thrown – 1 North, 2 East, 3 South, 4 West, 5 south west, 6 south east – move one lolly stick in that direction.

*

Adding complexity – without too much record keeping?

Other interesting ideas that we might get time to try out in play-testing, suggested by Alan Tradgardmastre Gruber. Some of them may work in a Woking Games Day situation, others in Solo games.

https://tabletopscoutingwidegames.wordpress.com/2019/10/30/tradgardland-suggestions-about-snowball-fight-rules/

A. The frozen fingers rule – Alan: “After three throws a person could get a minus one on a dice to hit to simulate very cold fingers.”

It will be interesting to see how easily tallied this can be.

B. Experts at throwing? The difference of ability of experience between older and younger characters or different grades of scout (young tenderfoot through to First Class Scout \ Patrol Leader) is the same as Veteran, Elite, Regular, Militia troop rating etc:

Alan: “Competence and incompetence at throwing could be represented by using a eight sided dice for experts and a four sided dice for wee kids who can’t throw so far.”

Effectively the smallest or youngest characters could only then achieve a hit at close range before their fingers froze!

C. Knowing when to finish the game could be randomised in this charming and very childhood way:

Alan: “Perhaps the game could run a limited number of turns to simulate everyone getting too cold and needing to go home to warm up. 

This could be done by throwing a dice at the end of each turn and if you threw a number equivalent to the turn or less the game ended. Using a d8 again or two d 6 as an alternative. So in turn five if you threw a 3 and a 4 it would continue but a 2 and a 1 would mean everyone scurrying home.”

So lots of ideas for adding variety or simple complexity to this game.

* If you want to add more complexity, you can declare that Ice cannot be crossed without a 6 on a d6 each move per figure. So probably best not …

Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN on 1st March 2023