itch.io

Thanks for the shoutout.  I look forward to reading this through tonight.  Version 2 of Midwest Fantasy Wargame is almost polished up with the simpler system instead of the Strategos-based approach I tried in version 1.

This is the last day to get Dragons Beyond before the sale ends. 5 bucks! And I put the GM screen on sale too. Get it while you can. Links below.

Dragons Beyond

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/464791/Dragons-Beyond?affiliate_id=2658330

Game Master's Screen

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/470325/Dragons-Beyond-Game-Masters-Screen?affiliate_id=2658330

I'm making both Dragons Beyond and the GM Screen 50% off from tomorrow through New Year in honor of Dragons Beyond getting an advertising slot at the front of Cirsova #25 (a Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense) https://www.amazon.com/Cirsova-Magazine-Thrilling-Adventure-Suspense-ebook/dp/B0...

Trouble Aboard Station Brown is now free.  It was previously posted for $5.  Any donation is appreciated.  This is a turn-based -stein.  It is possible to run this -stein with more than one group of players.  There are elements the Referee can randomize before playing, though the secret identity of one character cannot be easily changed.  One player from a previous session could re-play the game as this particular character without spoiling the fun.

I have just been made to realize the Leonard Patt (not Pratt) was the author of a medieval fantasy wargame designed to emulate Tolkien.  This is on the long list of errata now.  

Check out this 4 part series on reconstructing the original Blackmoor combat system and where I went wrong with Totten.
https://rhampton.substack.com/p/the-robot-is-the-key
https://rhampton.substack.com/p/a-tale-of-two-characters

After considerable additional research by numerous people during and after Arnecon this year, I am scrapping the idea of using Totten's Strategos as the basis for the combat system for Midwest Fantasy Wargame.  Math nerds will cry.  Normal people will rejoice. 

Also received confirmation that I largely got it right with how Hoyt played the Medieval Fantasy Braunstein at DaveCon. 

"But what will the new combat system be? "  Stay tuned.  I think I have figured it out -- finally.  It's a lot closer to Chainmail than Strategos.  Keep those d6 dice handy!

The premier of a true flip through of Move Out and Draw Fire. The rules for insurgency and counter-insurgency seem very relevant to today. If you'd like to participate in a play through with me, let me know. https://youtu.be/TkJtJP7poDA

Men in Metal is a Copper Best Seller on DriveThruRPG. You can purchase it here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/437767/men-in-metal?affiliate_id=2658330

Kindle eBook https://www.amazon.com/Men-Metal-rules-medieval-miniatures-ebook/dp/B0F5QTWQBV

Print on Demand (POD) version https://www.amazon.com/Men-Metal-rules-medieval-miniatures/dp/B0F5RM23CC

QRS https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/438368/men-in-metal-quick-reference-shee...

Token Sheets https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/439358/men-in-metal-token-sheets?affilia...

Discussion board: https://rhampton.itch.io/men-in-metal

I have just realized I completely misread the saving throw stuff in Aketon for character generation and will need to issue a corrective video.  But yes, I'm enjoying the whole system.  Dungeon generation was fun . . . spent all morning building out enough material for 4 sessions (20d6).

Campaign setup and character creation.  Coming at this cold.  Was on a work trip this week and had not looked at the rules in a week.  Hopefully you will consider the use of the Aketon compatibility badge to be acceptable.  If not, I'll remove it as the thumbnail.  https://rumble.com/v6z76pw-aketon-gambeson-livestream.html?e9s=src_v1_mfp

Awesome....thanks for pointing me to this page!

Is a book of monsters in the works, or is that left to us to create?  Easy enough to convert OD&D monsters (I have a comprehensive list of stats through all the OD&D supplements including a few stuffed in Gods, DemiGods, and Heroes.  

Hoping to give this a solo play soon.  Very condensed.  Looks fun.

Since I'm an OD&D geek, I'm taking a look at these rules.  They are def succinct and inspired by OD&D.  Look good for solo play.  I will have to give that a shot before I do a full write up.

On twitter (X) I made the claim yesterday that the situation in this picture could really happen.  How you might ask?
This is quite simply a mage who has been polymorphed into Great Ape.  The mage also happens to be the owner of a Revolving Wand along with a leather bandoleer (containing pellets that "recharge" his wand) and a holster for it.

For anyone who has read Blackmoor Foundations, the inspiration for the Revolving Wand is found on pages 45, 52-53 and the drawing on page 60.  Essentially, a party of adventurers arrive at an island in the Lake-in-the-Heavens via raft.  There is a castle on the island.  The castle's master is Oleg, Protector of the Mountain Wizards.  Oleg is also a giant who is hostile to the approaching party and attacks them by hurling a giant arrow.  The members of the party happen to be from our world and are armed with 2 pistols (a Griswal[d] & Greer horse pistol and a .22 with a 3" barrel).  In the ensuring combat, they manage to bring down the giant with a lucky shot to the head.  May all your adventures be just as gonzo as those Dave Arneson, David Wesely, Dale Nelson, Ross, and Dan Nicholson embarked upon sometime in April - June 1971.

Check it out here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/437767/men-in-metal

There is also a set of token sheets to paste onto blocks, also a QRS.  Enjoy!  The print on demand is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Men-Metal-rules-medieval-miniatures/dp/B0F5RM23CC

Thank you soulbryd.  I am a constant victim of my own ADHD.  Currently working on Boot Hill but will circle back to this soon.

I am down to just 24 errors to get Dragons Beyond printed as a proof. Changing the inside and outside margins fixed a lot of the trouble.

Too many to name.  Here are a few influences:  Bath (scouting game, NPC personalities, family and aging), Featherstone (matchbox method, higher level siege warfare), and Arneson's FFC (the investments and structure of the Blackmoor army campaign),  AD&D 1st edition for the assassin and spying stuff, Barker (weather & siegecraft).

Gotta love waking up to a review like this. #DragonsBeyondRPG

Men in Metal in print should be just fine to purchase. It is available now on Amazon under my name Rod Hampton. Links in the description for this video.  

I've just re-published this set of medieval wargaming rules after some additional play testing and polishing. I've got a series of YouTube videos which cover some of these refinements. More coming soon (Army lists, etc.). There are already token sheets and a QRS available on DriveThru and WargameVault. Just today, I've made a Kindle eBook version available. Due to exclusivity requirements, this means I had to take down the DriveThru version of the rules.  The POD is going to be proofed and available on Amazon soon too. If any of you have interest in the earliest WRG rules from 1969-1970, check out Men in Metal.

That's the problem.  It's pulling from many inspirational sources from early wargaming as well as reconciling early RPG systems such as OD&D, Holmes, Moldvay/Cook, and AD&D 1e and 2e.  Too many to list out.  Bath and Featherstone and Barker will all be part of the DNA.  I still need to dig into Diplomacy variants too.  A lot of D&D founders were part of that movement and culture.

My first POD coming soon to Amazon. If this works out, Dragons Beyond and Midwest Fantasy Wargame will soon follow.

Learning some new skills. Publishing Men in Metal on Amazon as a Kindle and POD file. The Kindle formatting was very painful because you can't just use your own pdf. The POD does use your pdf. Hoping the formatting comes out ok. Setting up the cover was not bad. Men in Metal is much smaller than Dragons Beyond and Midwest Fantasy Wargame. So if I can figure this out for my miniatures game, I should be able to figure it out for a larger publication. Itch is probably best for pdf delivery though. Dead easy compared to DriveThru.

Entitled has been long delayed.  Development began in early 2022 and led to a multi-year delve into early wargaming and RPG history.

I think this will be the final edition of these rules.  I will focus on the Army Lists and Scenarios booklet.  

v2.03

Put 2nd edition on front cover.

Loose order formation should be represented with figures in a checkerboard pattern or with 0.5" between them.

Once a unit is tasked to skirmish, it will never forget its role.

A Square has a zone of control in all directions as does Schiltron.  

Elephants and Chariots require flat ground for a charge.  

Charging figures may overlap prior to melee.  All other overlaps are done post melee.

A formation change is used to fill gaps in the ranks.  Center of front rank must remain stationary when making a formation change. 
Clarified that every time a unit comes to grips with the enemy it must make a mandatory Reaction Test.

Changed the Reaction Test results table to remove grades.  Instead, grades are simply another modifier: Grade E -3; Grade D -1; Grade B +1; Grade A +2.

For a unit reduced to 50%, per WRG missile fire can destroy such a unit, however surrender only occurs if the unit was in melee.

Combat Procedure: Upper die represents the attacker and the lower represents the defender.  This differs from WRGv1 and v2 where the full 1-6 range of results only applied to the lower (negative) die for irregular or barbaric troops.

Added advice to have one person do RF, one TF, one WF in the QRS

Elephantry acting without supporting footmen are treated like mounted troops when they attack solely footmen.

Risk to Leader is now adjusted to handle removal by figure instead of raw casualties like in WRG.  This dramatically increases the risk faced by a leader when he is attached to a unit.  An alternate rule is given more in the spirit of the leader being the last man standing thanks to his bodyguard.

Clarified that Retreat only occurs due to a failed Reaction Test or pre-arranged order.

Added Running Amok for Elephants to the post-melee results

It is unknown why an Organ Gun's Weapon Factor is based on the number of crew (two is typical unless reduced by combat loss).  Likewise, Chariots and Elephantry make it clear in the Weapon Factor table that the WF is per rider.  The driver can only attack to the front but the remainder the riders may attack in any direction.  These things require some play at the table to understand.  I will try to make a video soon on these topics.

I plan to turn this into a POD.  Personally, I just print things out spiral bound at the nearest UPS store.

Minor edits to the text with the exception of the QRS where I consolidated the melee factors and missile factors onto the Weapon Factor sheets.  

This week, I'll be posting the remainder of the videos playing the Battle of Mortimer's Cross using Men in Metal v1.43-1.44. I'll also upload the testing of the CRT changes that took us from Men in Metal v2.00 to 2.01 to 2.02.

The EP example for Hazel has been corrected. 

The abbreviation FFC is now consistently italicized

Helms prevent a catastrophic blow to the head.

Minor layout issues

Men in Metal version 2.01 is available.  This brings the CRT roughly in line to inflict a comparable number of casualties to Chainmail(TM).  I videoed the playtesting yesterday!  The QRS has been trimmed down by moving some Tactical Factors under the Weapon Factor tables.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/437767/men-in-metal?affiliate_id=2658330

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/438368/men-in-metal-quick-reference-shee...

Minor wording change to the introduction re: wind, weather, and time of day.

Altered the time of day roll during the pre-turn sequence.

Pre-arranged orders should take no more than 10 minutes to write (much like WRG v4), while the orders for each turn should only take 5 minutes (like WRG v3).  No penalty is provided, simply a strict time limit.

Clarified that the charge distance is 2" for footmen (mirroring the additional distance in the movement table) and 1/4 move for horsemen (in accordance with WRG v5 and my own experience with horses moving from a dead stop to trot, cantor, and gallop in an arena).

For a charging unit with movement remaining it is permissible to overlap (instead of using the word "wrap"); also clarified that this causes disorder just like when other units overlap.

For evaders, the 10" evasion and facing change are both implemented in the current turn, regardless of how far the unit has already travelled.  Skirmishers may, of course, always throw their weapons prior to melee unless charged and contacted (a rare circumstance).  An evasion cannot be made if the unit has charged.

Removed the mandatory Reaction Test for coming within 15" of unengaged cavalry, making this a distraction (Tactical Factor) instead.

A unit that breaks only triggers a Reaction test if it was part of a unit's flank or rear support.  Also, a routing unit that bursts through will trigger this test.  Formerly this rule was for any unit that broke within 15" (and visible).  

Made feudal knights take an obedience Reaction Test when within charge distance to be compatible with Chainmail(TM).

For the Random Factor, the positive die represents the unit delivering blows and, by extension, the negative die represents the opposing unit.  This addresses the situation where an irregular / barbaric unit is facing off versus a regular unit.  

Moved the OSR engineer TF bonuses under Leadership

The shielded side is considered to be on the left and unshielded on the right.

Post-Melee Considerations: Horsemen versus Horseman now clarifies that a minimum of 2 casualties must be inflicted to cause a break (which addresses situations where casualties or figures removed for one side ended up being zero).

Light Horse cannot break non-light footmen unless the footmen are disordered.

A pursuing unit that rallies back will halt at the end of the 10" movement and await orders.

There are four conditions to rally, not three.  Made this correction in 2 places in the text.

This should be the final set of changes to Men in Metal version 1. Version 2 will depart from WRG's method of combat resolution to streamline play and bring lethality more in line with Chainmail(TM).  Version 1 will always be available.  Version 2 will simply be an additional download.

v1.43

p. 3 Added U.S. Copyright Notice.

p. 9  Figures should depict arms and armor.  Conform figures, not trays, when entering melee.  How to measure distances.  Changed number of turns in a day depending on what time of year the battle commences. Moved from 30 minute to 60 minute abstract time scale. Altered Victory Conditions for partial control of terrain feature.  Noted conditions for a draw.

p. 10 A unit must have 5 or more figures.  Beyond the first five units in a Ward, the player must pay 15 points.  Allied or mercenary units without a commander must pay 20 points for a command element.

p. 11 The Army Commander is not omniscient.  Valid and invalid orders for a unit are based on visibility.  Visibility in a woods is fixed.

p. 15 Noble or Army commander that enters enemy ZoC assumed captured/killed and presence of assumed retinue does not matter.  Same for messengers.

p. 16 Charge cannot be done after rallying back.  Hobelars cannot charge.  Added rules for Elephants and Chariots.  Footmen final run 2.5".  Countercharge now has its own heading and requirements.  Clarified that facing about and wheels are the only means of changing direction.  A backward wheel is permissible.  Specified a movement cost for formation change.

p. 17 Evading troops cannot be more than 2 ranks deep.  A shield wall receives the same benefits as a Schiltron.

p. 18 Two ranks of regular missileers (close order) may fire indirectly (i.e. not skirmishers).

p. 19 More than half of the rear edge of a targeted unit must fall within the arc of fire.  If missiles fired during a charge drive off the charging enemy, the missile troops may fire again in the missile phase.  Clarifies that fire over intervening troops crosses one unit only and must drop on enemies closest to that intervening unit.

p. 23 Added exception for footmen throwing off an assault by other footmen.

p. 25 Clarified how to detour around an impassible obstacle. Routing troops require sufficient gap to detour around friendly troops.  They move directly to their baseline (instead of the center of their baseline).  Routing troops encountering the enemy vary in response between detour and charge depending on the match up.

p. 26 Rally added fourth condition (outdistancing pursuit) originally omitted from the rules.  Retreats are done directly toward the baseline.

p. 27 Reverted Troops Leaving the field to be in line with the original WRG method.

p. 29 Artillery crew do not take Reaction Tests.  It is 2 figures that causes a Reaction Test, not 2 casualties per figure.  Broken units do not prompt a reaction test if a unit is already in melee.  Army Commander distance is 25" per the medieval supplement.

p. 30 Uphill reaction test modifier only applies in certain conditions.  Added Reaction Test for unengaged elephants and chariots.

p. 31 Defensive position or formation provides a +2 Reaction Test modifier.  Some modifiers do not apply if the unit is already in melee.

p. 32 The most significant change is making the Reaction Test table conform to the Medieval Supplement.  Study this chance closely.

p. 34 Elephants as a unit are less effective and are downgraded.

p. 35 Heavy Chariot has 3 riders and Light Chariot 2 riders.

p. 37 Random Factor for missile/artillery and melee are different in WRG.  This is captured now in the rules.  Bumped up missile effectiveness by 2 factors to be more in line with Tony Bath / Chainmail output.  These changes are the second most significant change.

p. 40 Light troops more than 2 ranks deep should be resolved as medium

p. 43 Clarified that TF for disorder and distraction can stack.  Added +2 for flank attack on a Chariot.

p. 44 Added a d20 roll as a means to remove a figure instead of carrying a casualty tally for every unit.

p. 48 Clarified that Mercenary Troop and Other Troop tables are used to supplement an army.

Dragons Beyond is about to pick up steam again.  Is anybody running a session for Halloween 2024?