The Workbook of Orc Deep Drummer - Playtesting(Fellowship A)

[caps]

I think you're forgetting how unreliable this power is, and how few spaces 3 move is.

Let's start at 30 or 35.

[Shiftrex]

I'm on board for 35, 3 spaces is honestly a crawl. This guy isnt sir gilbert.

[caps]

I looked at Gilbert's card again. Bonding makes a big difference but on an 11 or higher this guy's ability is arguably better than Gilbert's. Let's start at 35.

[Shiftrex]

NAME = Deep Drummer

GENERAL = UTGAR
UNIQUENESS = Common Hero
CLASS = War Drummer
PERSONALITY = Wild
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM/5?

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 1
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 35

WAR DRUM
After revealing an Order Marker on Deep Drummer you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll 1- 3, nothing happens. If you roll 3-10, you may move up to 4 unengaged Orc squad figures 3 spaces each. If you roll 11-19, you may move up to 8 unegaged Orc squad figures 3 spaces each. If you roll 20, move up to 12 unengaged Orc squad figures 3 spaces each.

ECHOING BEAT
Whenever an other Orc that you control makes a 20-sided die roll they may add 1 to it.



Havent seen comments on this in a few days. Let's get momentum back. I like this draft, anyone see problems with it currently.

[Chris Perkins]

I'm pretty happy with it; I just updated the OP to have this version of the text.

[caps]

I suspect we'll want to move that 11-19 up to 12, 13, or higher... but maybe not.

I'm happy with this and we can probably start the editing checklist for it.

[MasterScaper1]

I really like this card, I am happy with the results.

[Shiftrex]

Spoiler Alert!

Originally Posted by Scytale

General Checklist:

1. Are we recycling a unit name?

No, this is unclear whether the Unit is called Deep Drummer like the OP or Moria War Drummer like the thread.

2. Are we recycling a power name?

No.

3. If we are reusing an existing power, is the wording exactly the same?

N/A

4. What happens when the powers are negated (Rod of Negation, Exploit Weakness)? Do any powers continue to have effects after being negated? Is this clear from the wording?

No weird interaction

5. Should the powers affect destructible objects?

N/A

6. Do any of the powers unintentionally synergize with other players' units?

No, unless the other player takes permanent control of our unit and has orcs in their army.

7. Do the powers allow turn stacking?

No

8. Are any of the powers conditional on a future event? Is that future event inevitable or avoidable?

No

9. Does it have a d20 power? If is a small, medium, or large Unique Hero, how does it interact with Mystic Sacrifice? If it is Tricky, how does it interact with Queen of Thieves? If it is Undead, how does it interact with Curse of the Mummy?

Yes, Mystic Sacrifice supports our d20 roll. No weird interactions.

10. Do the powers create out-of-turn attacks?

No weird interaction

11. Are any powers conditional on the source of damage?

No weird interaction

12. Are any powers expected to work after all figures have been destroyed? If so, is that clearly worded? How does it interact with revivals, via Glyph of Sturla or otherwise?

No weird interaction

13. Do any powers that decrease attack or defense dice introduce a new minimum value (other than zero)?

No weird interaction

14. Do any powers change a Range value from 3 or less to 4 or greater or vice versa?

No weird interaction

15. Do any powers act unexpectedly in multiplayer games?

No weird interaction

16. Do any powers place other figures on this card? If so, how does it interact with other place-on-card powers (Animated Materiel, Cling, Dwarven Gunners, Warriors Armor Spirit, Warriors Attack Spirit, Warrior's Swiftness Spirit, Necromancy)?

No weird interaction

17. Does a power trigger off of an Order Marker being revealed on another Army Card? If so, is the power expected to trigger if all figures associated with that Army Card have been destroyed?

Yes, the power should not trigger if all figures associated with the card have been destroyed.

18. Is it clear which powers are mandatory and which are optional?

Yes, clear use of the word MAY.

19. How do the powers interact with the Marro Hive?

No weird interaction

20. If the unit is a Soulborg squad who follows Jandar, how do the powers interact with Directed Fire?

No weird interaction

21. Does any power's name or wording unintentionally prohibit the power's reusability?

No, on an appropriate figure the power COULD be reused.

22. Does the text fit reasonably well on a card? Use this tool to check: https://www.heroscapers.com/xorlof/x2cc.

No problems here.


Capitalization Checklist:

Order Marker
normal attack
special attack
special power
Named Special Power
Army Card
card
wound
wound marker
Other Marker
marker
Common
Unique
Squad
Hero
Class
Race
personality
size
height
Height number
attack die
attack dice
defense die
defense dice
Move number
Move value
Range number
Range value
Attack number
Attack value
Defense number
Defense value
destructible object
Treasure Glyph
Glyph
Hit Zone
terrain
Valkyrie General
revealed
unrevealed


Style Checklist:

1. Species is always singular for Heroes and plural for Squads, except Human and Soulborg are always singular.

2. Class is always singular for Heroes and plural for Squads.

3. For Heroes with a name like {name} the {optional adjective} {noun}, use the full name for the first instance in each power description, and only the first {name} thereafter.

4. Single-space, not single-spaced; double-space, not double-spaced.

5. Always add 's' after an apostrophe for a singular possessive, even if the possessor ends in 's' or 'z'.

6. Special attacks should have a newline between the Range/Attack line and the description.


Common Card Checklist:

1. Do any powers work differently if multiple copies of the same Common are used?

Not differently, but Echoing beats gets stronger. This may need to be specified in a clarification or ruling.

2. If the unit is a hero, how does it interact with Give to the Poor?

No weird interaction


Movement Power Checklist:

1. Does it allow leaving engagement attacks?

Yes

2. How does it interact with Engagement Strike/Ice Spikes/Braced Spear?

No weird interaction

3. How does it interact with Slippery?

No weird interaction

4. How does it interact with Cyberclaw/Improved Cyberclaw?

No weird interaction

5. How does it interact with Swirling Vortex?

No weird interaction

6. Is there any way the figure can be forced to end its movement on an illegal space?

No

7. Is it a space-by-space move power, or a teleport-like place power? Is it clear in the power which one it is?

Space by Space

8. How does it interact with bonus movement powers, such as Movement Bonding or Jandar's Dispatch?

This is very comparable to Jandar's dispatch, interactions should be normal.

9. How does it interact with Shield Push?

No weird interaction

10. How does it interact with Maneuver?

No weird interaction

11. How does it interact with Steadfast?

No weird interaction

12. How does it interact with Flying/Stealth Flying?

No weird interaction

13. How does it interact with Levitation?

No weird interaction

14. How does it interact with Prepare the Charge?

No weird interaction

15. How does it interact with Maddening Visage?

No weird interaction


Aura Power Checklist:

1. Is the aura intended to affect the figure with the aura? Is this clear?

No aura range has been defined for the boost, affects whole board.

2. If one member of a squad is within the aura, are the other squad members unintentionally affected?

Doesn't appear to apply.


Bonus/Replacement Turn Power (e.g. Bonding) Checklist:

1. Does it create bonding chains/loops?

No

2. Should it have "after revealing an Order Marker" language?

Language present

3. Does the power inadvertently allow the same unit to take multiple turns?

Language prevents same figure from being chosen for movement

4. Does it allow squad figures to take a turn? If so, does it divide up a squad so that only some members of the squad can activate?

Moves squad figures, does not allow attacks

Spoiler Alert!

HoME Internal Checklist:

1. Is the unit named properly (thematic to reflect a specific character, progression of a character or area)?

Need name clarification.

2. Does the unit use a power shared with others to unite them by faction, race, class or geographic region?

Oddly enough no, this is an Orc from Moria but does not have the Cave Dweller power. Was this overlooked or do we agree with it?

3. Is the unit scaled appropriately (stats) so that it makes coherent sense with the rest of our HoME figures?

Stats and powers do not elevate this figure to be more powerful than what we are projecting for Uruk-Hai and it seems to fit in with current projections for Orcs.

4. Is the general appropriate?

With our current discussions, I need feedback on this. I will leave this as Utgar for now but we need to hash this out immediately before going forward.

5. Has the figure been over complicated, is the design simple enough to convey our theme or can it be paired down more?

The card has two powers and is very straight forward, convey s a good theme without several powers being used.

6. Is this a unit inspired by the movie or does it have a book appearance/reference to back it up? Have we based it on the appearance in our source material appropriately to include species, uniqueness and personality?

This is a character that is inferred to exist from the book, and inferred to exist from scenes in the movie but is represented as a minor character at best.

Updated for OP.


NAME = Deep Drummer

GENERAL = UTGAR
UNIQUENESS = Common Hero
CLASS = War Drummer
PERSONALITY = Wild
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM/5?

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 1
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 35

WAR DRUM
After revealing an Order Marker on Deep Drummer you may roll the 20-sided die.

* If you roll 1- 3, nothing happens.
* If you roll 3-10, you may move up to 4 unengaged Orc Squad figures 3 spaces each.
* If you roll 11-19, you may move up to 8 unegaged Orc Squad figures 3 spaces each.
* If you roll 20, move up to 12 unengaged Orc Squad figures 3 spaces each.

ECHOING BEAT
Whenever another Orc that you control makes a 20-sided die roll they may add 1 to it.


Character Bio: (taken from Tolkien Gateway, I think we should do something like this for Bios instead of writing original stuff)

"We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely while the rest retreated to the Chamber of…Mazarbul. We are still ho{ldin}g...but hope …Óin's party went five days ago but today only four returned. The pool is up to the wall at West-gate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin--we cannot get out. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming."

—Ori's last entry in the Book of Mazarbul



-RULINGS and CLARIFICATIONS-

* Echoing Beats: Each War Drummer that you have in your Army will increase the potency of this ability. Each War Drummer will add 1 to the d20 rolls of Orcs that use a d20 power to include other War Drummers.

-COMBINATIONS and SYNERGIES-

Synergy Benefits Received
(Insert links to figures that benefit the unit, and short explanation of synergy)

Synergy Benefits Offered
(Insert links to figures that this unit benefits, and a short explanation of synergy)

[caps]

I like that HoME Internal Checklist. Was that something we had from before or did you come up with it?

[caps]

So we need to consider:
should "Moria" be in the character name?
should "Orc" be in the character name?
Deep Drummer vs. War Drummer?

I prefer Deep Drummer and I'm a yes on Moria but I'm apathetic about Orc. Consistency would probably dictate we include Orc.

Regarding general, I would say Utgar, no question in my mind about that.

Regarding Cave Dweller, I'm happy to leave it off here.

I think we should put a "before moving" clause on the movement power: "After revealing an order marker, before moving" just so it is crystal clear when it occurs.

Regarding miniature I think our "default"/"official" miniature should be the D&D Orc Wardrummer #56 (or #32, I can't tell for sure). Although it is absurdly priced so this will be one we'll want to be sure we have plenty of proxies for, either unpainted or even 3d-printed.



@Chris Perkins I looked over the editing checklist, and with the caveats above it looks good to me. Would you give it a look?


Thanks again for doing this @Shiftrex

[MasterScaper1]

I think that Orc should be considered in the name of this card to stay consistent with the rest of the cards that we make.

[Chris Perkins]

I also prefer "Deep Drummer" - it both fits the narrative better (drums in the deep) and gives us more flexibility later if, say, we wanted a troll drummer like what appears in the siege of Minas Tirith in the RotK movie.

Definitely Utgar - all metrics we have considered so far agree on that.

I agree with @capocrates on the change to "before moving".

I have no problem with that miniature - in general, I'm not the most knowledgeable about miniatures (I've never collected the physical C3V figs) so I'll probably end up deferring a lot in that regard.

I'm torn on inclusion of cave dweller; it certainly fits thematically, but if we include it here we must include it for all moria orcs & trolls we create as the only real reason to include it here is for consistency among those cards. Also, being aware of the fact that many people did not want overly complex cards, having 3 powers per card may be excessive, and I don't think the movement boost does this figure a lot of good anyways.

So I lean towards not including cave dweller, just to reduce the average number of powers on the secondary moria orc cards, but I wouldn't hate it if it ended up on the card (extra powers doesn't bother me much, but a good portion of our intended audience has asked to avoid it).

Regarding "Moria" being in the character name, I think we should only include regional information when necessary to identify the character; i.e. an orc could be from the Misty Mountains or Mordor, but a "Deep Drummer" can only be from Moria, so I think inclusion in the name is unnecessary and redundant.