Things Look Bleak

Our latest big game is an explorer’s game. We have a bigger map- the biggest one yet. I made a new board, glued cork onto wood and then drilled a couple holes so we could hang the thing on the wall to keep it out of the way and undisturbed. (We have a big white cat named Wolf who loves to pull push pins out and carry them around in his mouth He’s an amazing hunter, but only for office supplies.)

So we have this gigantic map. But the thing is- it’s all blank. Just white paper with a grid. The many, many squares can only be explored when an army moves into that square.

Armies and outposts are represented by push pins. When armies meet or attack outposts we play it out on our scape terrain.

An army moving onto a blank square of paper has only a 15+ chance of finding new terrain. Less than 15 it’s just the same as the square they came from. The terrains we’re using are: mountain, swamp, forest, plains, lava, lake, lake with island, Bleakwood and Bleakwood plains.

Once the terrain has been determined we shake for what’s on the terrain: ruins, nothing, bandits, an outpost or an outpost fortified with castle walls.

If it’s an outpost or bandits we then shake the 20d to see which faction it will be. We shake the 20d again to determine the number of points.

So, yea, we have more than twenty factions active in this game. It’s okay because the map is huge. It’s rather fun to be able to use all of those figures too. It’s the first big game for my Primadon faction.

Four factions started out with capitals generating 50 points each: The kingdom of Arc, Delaine, the Primadons and the Dwarves. But the map is so big that those main factions are just beginning to meet each other.

Other groups have risen because of the number of outposts they have. You see when the four original groups began exploring; sometimes they couldn’t conquer an outpost. Sometimes they made friends instead. These factions are of medium strength: Jandar, Vydar, York, Drow, Utgar, and the Lizardmen.

I guess it all sounds complicated. But it’s a nice complicated. Endless diplomacy, treaties, wars. And Bleakwood. Did I forget to tell you about Bleakwood? It’s scary.

There is only a 5% chance that Bleakwood will spawn. I guess 5% is large enough. Bleakwood of course is a barren land with dead trees. All but the undead suffer -1D in those lands, and any points lost by the living are reborn next turn as undead- animated corpses ready to attack. Bleakwood spawns with 200 points of undead PLUS a 20D X10 points extra points.

Once the undead have arrived, like a virus, they begin to spread. Adjacent squares have a 1-14 20d chance of spawning Bleakwood Plains (since two Bleakwoods would be too much) Bleakwood plains are like normal terrain except any points lost by the living go to the undead.

So on our big map there is a nasty spot right in the middle of Bleakwood terrain. Luck has created four Bleakwoods there, surrounded by Bleakwood plains and their existence has changed the world. As in fantasy stories or modern propaganda the entire world is terrified of this hideous host. There’s talks of crusades, but so far not too much action.

The dwarves are the weakest major faction. The determined little stunties threw everything they could at the Bleakwood that spawned near them. And they lost. Over and over again. Bleakwood grew stronger with the corpses of their dead. The dark stain of undead has now touched the Kingdom of Arc to the west and they along with their Vydar vassals are massing to attack the undead on that side.

The northern major factions- Primadons and Delaine, have been able to expand and not worry about the undead. Luck has been kind to Delaine, and they have grown very large and powerful. Rather than make allies with little factions they have consumed them and they have many outposts and large armies.

Delaine is a theocracy, ruled by a powerful warrior priest Niechfello who is certainly determined to take over the entire world.

Between the raging undead and the viciously pious Delaine, things are looking bleak. (except for those of us who like playing the game....)