Peregrin (Pippin) - Rough Draft

[Shiftrex]

NAME = PEREGRIN, GUARD OF THE CITADEL

GENERAL = JANDAR
SPECIES = HOBBIT
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = GUARD
PERSONALITY = LOYAL
SIZE/HEIGHT = SMALL/4

LIFE = 3
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 2
DEFENSE = 2
POINTS = 40

UNNOTICED
If an enemy figure is engaged with Peregrin and another figure without the Unnoticed power, Peregrin cannot be chosen for an attack. Peregrin never takes leaving engagement attacks.

SWEAR FEALTY
Before the game starts, choose a Human Unique Hero that follows Jandar to declare as Peregrin's lord. Whenever Peregrin's chosen lord reveals an Order Marker and takes a turn, you may first take a turn with Peregrin. While Peregrin is adjacent to his chosen lord, that figure rolls 1 extra attack and defense die.

[Shiftrex]

(reserved)

[Shiftrex]

Initial Thoughts-

I'm focusing on the version of Peregrin that is the most competent to give him the most distinct use as a unit among the Hobbits. This is the Pippin we know that became a Guard in the white city after arriving there with Gandalf. I am also proposing the "Unnoticed" power to be the bread and butter of the Hobbit species for our project.

I have been told that the project had a blanket "Hobbit" ability on previous drafts of this where the Hobbits got to follow along with people so I tried a different approach. It doesn't have movement built in (Pippin has that himself) but it still captures the theme of the Hobbit being unnoticed (ha pun) and not getting stomped. Hopefully the Hobbits can wind up being cool support characters that can help other figures or eachother when they are all assembled.

Let me know your thoughts on this initial direction. There are many ways to go with Pippin, could always emphasize his clumsy and trouble making attributes but I went for his heroics.

[Chris Perkins]

I like the direction a lot. Swear Fealty definitely represents how Pippin (& Merry) fought.

For Swear Fealty, what would you think about requiring it to be a Jandar figure as well? Then Merry would get Swear Fealty with Einar allegiance. Would be a bit more thematic to me.

I'm not necessarily convinced that Swear Fealty should be a full turn; maybe just movement? There's an argument for both. Just wanted to throw it out there as a thought for now.

[Shiftrex]

Jandar is a great requirement, I could see that being easily done and it's a good way to get away from any thematic breaks (swearing fealty to evil characters). As long as Jandar never gets any bad humans we should be good there.

A full turn might be a bit much yeah, movement could be good. I'll puzzle over that as Hobbits should be functional as well as filler.

[Chris Perkins]

Another idea for hobbits would be to give them no hit zones, so they can't be attacked by range.

Not sure on the thematic-ness of that, but it would give them better survivability.

[Shiftrex]

True, that'd be pretty easy to give them just by way of the hitzone section too so we dont' have to take up card space.

[White Knight]

For reference
This is what we used for Unnoticed before:

UNNOTICED
Opponent's figures must be adjacent to attack Peregrin with a normal attack. If an opponent’s figure that is adjacent to Peregrin attacks with a normal or special attack, it must attack another figure, if possible. Peregrin is never attacked when leaving an engagement.


And the Loyal Companion power:

LOYAL COMPANION
At the start of the game choose a Human or Hobbit unique hero to be Peregrin’s Companion. After revealing an Order Marker on Peregrin's Companion and taking a turn with Peregrin's Companion, you may move Peregrin up to 4 spaces. If Peregrin's Companion is destroyed, you may move all Order Markers from the Army Card of Peregrin's Companion to Peregrin's Army Card.

I'm not opposed to full bonding, but I do like that the powers we had before were a little more unique (and kept the hobbits alive until endgame).

[Chris Perkins]

I like restricting 'Swear Fealty' to humans instead of medium. Pippin following Raelin around feels wrong to me.

What are your thoughts on potentially making Pippin valiant?

Asking because there aren't that many Jandar humans in classic scape whom pippin could bond with; Drake & Alastair are the best options that come to mind, and Alastair only in a 4th build (b/c Alastair wouldn't have OMs in a knights or mcdirk build). I don't think it really boosts 4th mass that much, but if we're looking at letting Pippin shadow Alastair around we should at least discuss the possibility of making it work with 4th.

[Shiftrex]

Integrated the suggestion that Pippin's lord must be human to focus that ability more.

The old version of Unnoticed seems fine as well, does that wording account for a situation where you are engaged with 2 Hobbits? I obviously know the intent but I'm wondering if it needs to be spelled out. Also, would it be more profitable to shorten it... and merge them.

UNNOTICED
Peregrin has no visible hitzones. If an enemy figure is engaged with Peregrin and another figure without the Unnoticed power, Peregrin cannot be chosen for an attack. Peregrin is never attacked when leaving an engagement.

What does this look like to everyone mechanically?

Also, if Peregrin has the roll of a mobile "Bol" so to speak with the old companion power, or if that was on all the hobbits, that seems to make them more liability than anything and restricted to a much smaller point total. That's my thought on it, totally up for debate to get both theme and function down.

ALSO! if we wanted to create more distinction and unity with the Hobbits we can always make a different version of Bol's OM grabbing ability and call it...

COURAGE OF HOBBITS
When a Unique hero within 6 clear sight spaces of Peregrin is destroyed you may move any number of unrevealed Order Markers from that figure's Army Card to this Army Card.

[Chris Perkins]

I think I prefer the original "Swear Fealty" with the changes you've made so far over "Courage of Hobbits".

My thoughts here are that "Unnoticed" + "Courage of Hobbits" being on each hobbit's card limits them a bit with having their own unique thing to differentiate them. And I prefer "Unnoticed" at this point because of the thematic fit with regards to the enemy always wanting to capture the hobbits by killing their companions. Plus "Courage of Hobbits" wouldn't make a ton of thematic sense on Frodo or Bilbo (at least to me).

I'm wondering if the defense should get bumped down to 2. Pippin was never really engaged in single combat at any point, and wouldn't have been especially valuable in that role to begin with.

I like Attack=2 & Life=3 though; those feel like good fits.

Thoughts on reducing the defense by 1?

[Shiftrex]

Would definitely support the 2 defense number on Samwise, if feel like they should have more defense than the goblins in scape though. Merry and Pippin were comparable to dwarves in stature after drinking the ENT water.

If that's not compelling then I'm fine with going down to 2 for now, it's an easy number to adjust for later. Unnoticed may be more than enough to garuntee survival. Setting defense to 2 for now