So, a lot of people like conquest games and I was conceiving my own a while back. I was going to make a game for it but I had trouble finding the time to work on the system enough to perfect/finish it. Below is what I've come up with so far and I was wondering if people would help me figure out some "holes" in the game or some additions that might make it more fun and intriguing without making it too much more complex or unbalanced.
I'm also at a loss as to what events and abilities I should make and I'm looking for suggestions.
CONQUEST
In a typical game a group of players gather round a table and take turns going through a cycle. Games can be competitive or cooperative. Players will be given the option of playing in a competitive game (players vs. players) or cooperative game (players vs. GM). Cooperative games function the same way normal ones do except that players cannot attack each other and the GM provides NPCs for the players to compete against.
Starting the Game: SetupEvery player begins with 1 territory (called the homeland) and 1 legion (called the overlord). Only one territory is ever labeled "homeland" and only one legion is ever labeled "overlord". Homelands and overlords have abilities that other territories and legions don't (see details). Each player starts with 3 points to add to their overlord's stats and 3 points to add to their homeland's stats. All these stats start at 1 before these points are added. The maximum a stat can be is equal to 2 + double the lowest stat.
Once stats are assigned (should take no more than 2 minutes), each player rolls 2d6 with the highest roll going first and everyone going clockwise from the first person.
In addition, homelands and overlords begin with a temporary +6 bonus to all defensive rolls for the first round. This drops to +3 on the second round and vanishes upon round 3.
Phase 1: Upkeep- 1. Gain 1 point per territory you possess to put into your legions (you start with only 1 legion). No one legion can have more points than double your weakest legion. Thus, the cost to make a new legion is equal to the same number of points currently in your weakest legion. You cannot possess more than 1 legion per territory and 3 legions per overlord. If you do, you must discard legions upon the start of your next upkeep until you don't exceed this cap any more.
- 2. Draw a card. The event on the card happens.
- 3. Draw a card. You keep it in your hand as an ability card.
- 4. Charity: If you have more than 6 cards in your hand, you must discard the excess into the charity pile. The player(s) with the fewest territories and/or fewest legions can choose to pick a card of their choice from the pile instead of drawing cards from the normal deck. They can do this for either their event or ability, but not both. A player with fewest legions but most territories or vice versa does not get to do this.
Phase 2: Campaign- 1. Choose what you want to do with each of your legions. Protect a territory? Conquer another territory? Trade with another player? Etc. You can play up to 6 cards, since that's how many you have in your hand at a time.
Remember to list what each of your legions are doing and what you're doing with your territory abilities (if any).
Arcana: This can be used to buff territories or legions as well as debuff enemies that attack. Just like an Overlord can grant their bonuses to their legion, Arcana can grant bonuses to other legions in anything.
Economics: This can be used to acquire income. Have your legion make an economics roll. For every dice that results in a 4 or higher, you gain +1 more point next upkeep. Alternatively, you can attack a territory or legion and if for every "point" you would've dropped them had this been a Military fight you cause them to lose that many points from their next upkeep.
Military: This can be used to attack or defend against enemies. Roll against their Military might. If you win against a territory, you can claim it for your own.
Politics: Just as Military can destroy legions and conquer territories, Politics can destroy territories and conquer legions. A legion "attacked" by politics does not actually lose points but they effectively do for the purposes of the assault. If they are reduced to a total number of points below the attacking legion's Politics bonus, they are "conquered" and the attacker gains that legion as a prize. Conversely, attacking a territory with Politics roll and succeeding destroys it.
Subterfuge: This can be used to acquire information or give false information. Roll against another legion or territory. If you succeed, that legion or territory either cannot act or use abilities until the end of that player's next turn. Alternatively, you can target a legion or territory and allow them to act twice if you succeed on a number of rolls of 4 or higher equal to the bonus they have to the second action you desire them to take. Subterfuge cards often allow you to look at other player's hands or disable them from using certain types of abilities.
Phase 3: Resolution- 1. You have each of your legions roll the prospective difficulties to see the successes or failures of your campaigns.
How Rolling Works: Roll 2d6 and add your stat bonus. Compare to the opposing roll or difficulty. If you exceed it, you win. If you match it, you stalemate. If your result is below it you lose. Losing costs you. Winning gains you a territory. Stalemate does nothing but waste your time. - 2. A failure causes the failing legion to lose 1 point in all their stats per failure. If a stat is 0, they lose 2 points in every other stat. If two stats are 0 they lose 3 points in every other stat and so on and so forth. A stat cannot be reduced below 0. A legion that has had all its stats reduced to 0 is wiped out and destroyed.
End of Cycle (repeat process)
PLAYING CARDS
You can use an ability card at any time during the phases, even on another player's turn. However, if you play a card that doesn't have the INSTANT descriptor outside your turn, the costs double. Effects of ability cards begin immediately and end at the beginning of the next cycle unless noted otherwise. If someone plays a card in response to your card, their effects supersedes your own if possible. For example, if player 1 attacked player 2 and player 2 used the counterattack card to make a preemptive strike on player 1 and player 2 also used the counter attack, then player 1 would make a counterattack 1st and then player 2 could make a counterattack and then player 1 would make their regular attack.
Players can save up ability cards but cannot hold more than 6 cards. You can sacrifice an ability card for +1 stat point to any legion you want, but only on your turn and you cannot sacrifice cards this way while you have more than 6 cards in your hand.
OVERLORD
The overlord's stat points not only allow them to function as a legion themselves, but they can alternatively make the "lead" campaign and grant their bonuses to other legions like a pool. Unlike other campaigns, using a Overlord's point pool can be done at any time just like playing cards.
Example: During the Campaign Phase, Player 1 sends a legion to attack a new territory. His legion fails to conquer it so he expends 3 points of his Overlord's Military stat points to add a bonus to the legion's assault, making their roll a success rather than a failure and lowering the Overlord's Military stat by 3. The Overlord's Military stats will return back to their normal amount upon the first step of the next upkeep. You cannot lower a Overlord's stat below 0.
Your Overlord can only be affected by cards which exclusively target overlords. However, if they are overwhelmed and destroyed you must wait 3 cycles in order to appoint one of your existing legions as the new Overlord (this includes the cycle upon which they are destroyed). In this time your Homeland territory can be attacked. If your homeland territory if overrun, you must wait 3 cycles in order to appoint one of your existing territories as the new Homeland.
HOMELAND
Your homeland cannot be targeted by any cards or legions while your overlord is in play.
LOSING: Technically, the only way to completely "lose" is to have all your territories conquered by others AND all your legions destroyed. So long as you possess at least 1 legion or territory, you can continue playing although to avoid long draw-out games most competitive matches rule the conquering of your homeland is the end of the game. Sudden death matches rule that the death of your overlord is the end of the game.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:19, Sun 13 Apr 2014.
