The Swords Against Sorcery Project

Contrary to what the title suggests, this has nothing to do with jiggly camera work or spooky witches. The Swords Against Sorcery project is an attempt to create a simple set of miniatures rules that you can play when you don't have enough time for a full blown game of Warhammer or Chronopia. It is also meant as an alternative for those of use who do not buy miniatures produced by either of the two big players in the fantasy miniatures market. I don't like dwarves with heads bigger than their chests, nor do I like swords bulky enough to pass for vaguely sharp iron clubs.

More importantly, though, I'd like this to become OUR baby. I'd love to get feedback, ideas, criticism, whatever from the on line miniatures community. I want people to take these rules and bend, fold, and mutilate them to their hearts' content. The system presented here is completely freeware. Contact me at mearls@gamingoutpost.com if you have any cool ideas or conversions for this system. This is a prototype version of the rules, so there's plenty of bugs to exterminate here folks!

So have at it! If your idea of miniatures gaming is all about tooling around with toy soldiers rather than wading through archaic rules and wrangling over the newest and coolest army list, you've come to the right place.

Swords Against Sorcery

Why Another Miniatures Game?

I think this is an important question for any designer who is sitting down to work out a new game. There are plenty of games out there already, many supported by miniature lines and a steady stream of supplements. Unfortunately, none of them meet my needs. I like to collect miniatures scattershot, based more on how much I like the figure than on how well the figure fits into a predesigned army list. I also like games that play fast. I don't want to spend eight hours playing out a single battle.

So, let's look at what I want out of these rules:

• Small numbers of figures per side. This is faster to set up and requires a far smaller cash investment.
• Movement based on squares, like a chessboard. This helps cut down on set up time and simplifies the rules.
• Non-standard units. With such a varied collection, I can't build units of models that look the same.
• Fast playing. I want a miniatures game that takes less than an hour from set-up to finish.

Ideally, you could get a quick game in while waiting for the rest of your gaming group to show up. Just grab some of the figures from the communal pile of monsters and have at it!

A Note

Part of this project grew out of the Plain English Roleplaying (PERP) system I'm working on. The die mechanics there are very simple, but I've been toying with a system I call the Binary Engine for some time. The initial seed for this idea came from Greg Stolze, who mentioned a few ideas he had for systems on the Unknown Armies RPG mailing list. The seed planted by Greg has grown into a complete system that I've been tinkering with for quite some time.

Prototype Rules

I. Movement and Initiative

Who Goes First

One player flips a coin, the other calls it in the air. The winner gets to decide who goes first.

Activation

The player who went first chooses one figure, moves it, and makes an attack (if applicable). Once that player is done, the other player selects one of his figures, moves it, attacks with it, and so on. If one side is vastly outnumbered, the side with more figures should activate more than one at a time in order to ensure that whoever went second is the last one to move any figures. In general, try to divide up activation so that the side with more figures is moving roughly the same number per activation.

Movement

One movement point lets a model move one square in any direction. There's no movement point cost for turning, and in this version of the rules there's no rules for facing. Let's just assume that our fighters are smart enough to check six once in while and leave it at that. (For now, at least. When I add rules for assassins and thieves this will change.)

Model Size	Movement Points
Small (Dwarf, gnome, kobold)	1
Medium (Human, orc, elf)	2
Big (Ogre, troll, golem)	3
Bigger Than Big (Giant, dinosaur)	4
Pretty Dang Big (Titan, dragon)	5

 

II. Combat

Training Level

1: Untrained rabble

2: Average soldier

3: Veteran

4: Elite soldier

8: Hero

Attacking

A model may attack any model in an adjacent square, including models in adjacent diagonal squares.

Rolling the Dice

You'll need three different types of dice in Swords Against Sorcery: six, eight, and ten sided. Six siders represent an attack. Eight siders represent the model's parrying and dodging. Ten siders represent the model's speed. When you roll a die, an even number is a success. An odd number counts for nothing.

Your Hand

When it comes time to attack another figure, you'll have to choose which dice you want to use: attack, defense, or speed, and in which proportion. Will you use all of your dice in an attack and go for the quick kill? Will you turtle up and wait for help to arrive? Or maybe you'll go for speed and get in a quick strike to disrupt his attack? If you have a training of 5, you could use 3 attack dice, 1 defense die, and 1 speed die. Or, you could use 4 defense dice and 1 attack die. You can use any combination of dice, as long as the total for all three types is equal to or less than your training. Keeping your dice hidden from your opponent, choose the type you want to use on this attack. Once both players have chosen, both roll at the same time. I'd suggest rolling in separate boxes (the kind that GW use to package their plastic figures work well) so your dice don't get mixed up. (If they do get mixed up, remember Mearls' First Rule: The even ones are mine.) Tally up the successes for each die type and resolve the attacks. First, compare how many speed dice came up even. The figure that has more speed successes strikes first. If it kills the opposing figure with its attack, discard that figure's hand. If the target survives, the target player must discard a number of dice from his hand equal to the damage sustained. Note that speed dice (they're useless now since you lost the speed contest anyway) and dice that came up odd (these are, surprisingly enough, useless no matter what) may be discarded to meet this requirement. If the speed dice come up tied, all damage is simultaneous. Yes, it is possible for two figures to kill each other in the same round. If no one uses speed dice or no one rolls any even numbers on the speed dice, it is a tie. If one player uses speed dice but gets no successes while the other did not use any speed dice, it is still a tie. In this case, both models have 0 speed dice successes.

Resolving Damage

Each defensive success removes one attack success. Once defense dice have been accounted for, the attacking player hits if he has any attack dice left. Count up the remaining attack dice, add in any factors for strength or magic weapons, and deal that much damage to the target. Damage is subtracted from the model's training. When training hits zero, the model is eliminated.

Ganging Up

Combat isn't always a one on one affair. If two or more miniatures decide to gang up on a lone figure, the figures that gang up determine their hand by adding up their training scores. So, if two figures with a training of two each attack a single figure with a training of six, the two figures make a combined attack with a training of four. When resolving damage in this situation, the figure that is outnumbered gets to decide how to allocate any damage it deals out. In the above example, if the lone figure did two points of damage it could deal both points to one of its opponents or one point to each of them.

Fleeing Combat

Sometimes, a model is so badly outclassed that running away is its best option. In this case, the model may only use half of its training dice in speed dice for that combat round. If it survives, it may make a normal move out of combat. A model that has already moved may do this only if it has not already used all of its movement points this turn.

That's the basics for melee combat. Missile combat is a little different. We'll talk about that under the next section: traits.

III. Traits

Traits help differentiate model types. They are a set of rules that give you a lot more options in creating figures without adding too much complexity. Traits include things like bravery, strength, toughness, and armor. Here are the most common trait types:

Toughness

Toughness lets a figure take some punishment without affecting its ability to fight. Toughness is marked like this: Toughness (N) where N is some number. When a figure with toughness gets hit, subtract any damage it takes from its Toughness first. When Toughness hits zero, begin subtracting damage from Training. Example: An ogre with Training (5) and Toughness (4) gets hit on round one for 2 points. Its Training is still (5) and its Toughness is now (2). If the ogre got hit for 4 more points in the next round, its Toughness would drop to (0) and its training would fall to (3). The toughness would absorb 2 points before dropping to zero. The remaining two points would come out of the ogre's training.

Armor

Armor is anything that prevents damage, like chainmail or a dragon's scales. Armor is rated with a number like toughness, and is marked like this: Armor (N) where N is a number. Armor subtracts from the damage done by each attack that hits a figure. Armor does not go down, unless a magic spell or something nasty destroys it. Example: Sir Edwin is wearing chainmail, which gives him Armor (1). He's also a real tough dude, so he has toughness (2). He gets hit by five orcs, each of whom does 1 point of damage. Since Edwin's Armor works on each attack separately, each orc does no damage (1 - 1 is 0, QED). Now, if the orcs all did 2 points of damage, we'd subtract 1 from each hit, leaving us with 5 points of damage to allocate. Edwin's toughness absorbs 2 of those points, leaving 3 to subtract from Edwin's Training. Edwin is learning the hard way that 5:1 odds aren't very good even for a hero, no matter what the legends he's heard say.

Missile Weapon

This trait indicates that the model has a bow, sling, spear, or something else that lacks the up close and personal touch of a sword or axe. This trait's rating indicates how many dice the model rolls to make a missile attack. Missile attacks work only like attack dice. You roll the dice, count up the successes, and deal that much damage to the target. The target has the option of spending training dice for defense, but if it gets attacked later on in the round dice spent to defend against missile attacks can't be used in melee. You also can't make a missile attack and a melee attack in the same round. If you fire your bow and then some slob charges you, you don't get to use ANY dice to counter the attack. Better hope you wore that platemail.

Strength

If a model has a strength rating, it does extra damage when it hits in melee. A strength (2) model would add 2 to any damage it does in melee. You have to hit first, so you can only add in this extra damage after your opponent has accounted for his defense dice. If you have no attack dice left over, you didn't connect with your attack and don't get to add your strength bonus.

Guts

A figure with guts is a terrible foe indeed. Stab him, hack him, shoot him, as long as he can stand he's coming at you with a vengeance. Figures with guts ignore training penalties from damage. They still die when they've taken enough damage to reduce their training to 0, but they always get to roll their full training in combat no matter how much damage they've soaked up. Think of berserkers and you have a very clear picture of what kind of model would have guts.

Bravery

This will come into play when the morale rules are worked out. Other morale-related traits include terrifying and inspiring.

Negative Traits

It is possible for especially pathetic creatures to have a trait below zero. A halfling or a weakling mage might have a negative strength, for example.

IV. Equipment

Armor

Armor gives models the (surprise!) Armor trait. Chainmail gives Armor (1), platemail gives Armor (2). Leather impresses the wenches but not much else.

Weapons

Most weapons, such as axes, swords, and maces, all have the same effect in Swords Against Sorcery. A figure's training rating assumes it has a one handed weapon. A model armed with only a dagger or its bare hands does -1 damage. A model armed with a two handed weapon does +1 damage. This bonus (or penalty) acts just like the strength trait.

Shields

Shields give you an extra defense die in combat. So a model with a shield and Training of three chooses three dice to roll, adds in an extra defense die, and rolls its hand.

Missile Weapons

Missile weapons work just like melee weapons: they affect the amount of damage an archer does. A light weapon such as a sling or a dart does -1 damage. Self bows, spears, and throwing axes do normal damage. Long bows and crossbows do +1 damage.

V. Sample Scenario

The Greedy Dudes vs. the Vaguely Defined Menace

If you're like me, you hate it when a scenario calls for a very particular sort of miniature, usual one that no one within 100 miles of you has ever seen, much less painted. This scenario is meant to be very open ended and usable with only seven miniatures.

What You Need

• A chessboard (you can get one out of any $5 set at your local drug store)
• Four terrain markers (coins work well. Regular miniature gaming terrain works, too, just make sure each piece isn't larger than a square on your chessboard. Since this scenario is set indoors, you'll want to use columns or furniture rather than trees!)
• Five door markers (Anything that doesn't look like a terrain marker works well here too.)
• Three miniatures for the Vaguely Defined Menace (orcs work well here)
• Five miniatures for the Greedy Dudes (adventurer types work well here)

The Story So Far

In a fit of larcenous greed, the Greedy Dudes have broken into the Local Ruler's treasure vault and are stuffing their pockets with gold. Unfortunately, the Dudes' coin gathering activities have been interrupted by the sudden appearance of the treasure room's guards: the Vaguely Defined Menace. The Dudes want to get out of the room with some treasure, while the Menace wants to take down the dudes before they can scamper away.

The Forces

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The Dudes (4)

Typical moneygrubbers, they could be adventurers, thieves, or desperate televangelists.

Training: 3
Size: Medium

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The Menace (3)

Big and mean, the Menace could be ogres, trolls, or the Oakland Raiders' starting linebackers.

Training: 4
Size: Large
Toughness: 1

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Special Rule

On any turn, a Dude may opt to fill his pockets with money rather than move or attack. A Dude cannot spend training dice on any turn spent gathering money. Mark down each time a dude stuffs his pockets with cash.

Set Up

The Dudes and Menace each set up on the edge row of opposite sides of the board. The Dudes figures are placed on the board, then the Menace. The Menace player then places each door marker on a space on the two unoccupied sides of the board. The Dudes player places the four terrain markers after the Menace has placed the doors. The terrain can go anywhere on the board but no piece may be placed adjacent to any other, including diagonally adjacent. The terrain is impassable for all models. It costs one MP to move on to a door marker. A figure that moves on to a door marker immediately escapes.

Scenario Objectives

The Dudes get one point for each dude that escapes the room. Also, the Dudes get another point for every turn spent gathering money by a model that escaped.

The Menace gets two points for each Dude eliminated in combat.

The End?

Nope, these are just the prototype rules. We have morale and magic rules coming down the pipeline, plus our first army lists. I'd like it if people could give me a little feedback on what's here so far. Particularly, I'm interested in how much people like the die mechanic. In our next installment, I'll come up with two army lists: Good Guys (elves, dwarves, humans, and heroes) and Bad Guys (orcs, trolls, dragons, and villains). Send mail to Mike Mearls with questions and comments.