Maudlin Jack expressed an interest in seeing my modifications for One Hour Wargames for use with fantasy armies, and so, with little fanfare, here they are!
These work for me and I have used them in a number of games with different scenarios from the OHW book. Your mileage may, of course, vary.
Most of the modifications are not intertwined, so it's possible to use some of them, without all.
A New Mechanic
This is important as it comes up later.
I borrowed the idea of Advantage/Disadvantage from D&D 5e.
- When a unit has Advantage, they roll 2d6 and keep the higher of the two values.
- If a unit has Disadvantage, they roll 2d6 and keep the lower of the two values.
- In no case does a unit roll more than 2d6.
- A unit that has both Advantage and Disadvantage, for the same roll, rolls 1d6 as normal.
I don't know anything about statistics, but I don't believe it actually increases your likelihood of rolling a 6, for example, but it feels like you have a better chance.
Unit Types
I use all of the unit types from Ancients, Dark Ages, and Medieval and assign them to my figures in a way that I find appropriate.
So, my lizard archers are Ancient archers while my goblin archers are Ancient skirmishers, for example.
My humans with shields and spears are Dark Ages infantry, while the armored humans are Medieval Men-at-Arms.
But, you can really just mix and match modifiers to make your own :- -2, 0, or +2 when attacking (range or melee can be specified) and whether they take 1/2 damage or not.
So, my human archers are "Rangers" and they get the Medieval archer +2 for range combat but suffer no penalty in close combat, and so more like Ancient archers in that respect.
And of course, you can give more or less strength points - my T-rex has 18 for example.
There are three additional unit types I use - Caster, Hero, and General
Casters
Casters are magic-user types and they have two spell categories - attack and utility.
In order to successfully cast a spell, they have to roll 1d6 and score 4+ (this is taken from One Page Rules and I rather like it). Then roll for the effect.
For attack, via spell or close combat, I treat them as Medieval archers (+2 for the range, -2 in close combat). You can call the spell fireball, or lightening bolt, or cone of frost, but in the end it's just a ranged attack.
I only have tested a single utility spell - a healing or courage spell that restores 1d3 points to any friendly unit within line of sight and 12".
I play solo, so I try to avoid effects that carry over to the next unit's activation - such as spells which improve or reduce a targeted unit's effectiveness in attacking or moving - as it requires markers (I already use a few) or a good memory. That said, I suspect many have no issue with tracking that kind of thing.
Heroes
This unit represents a hero and their entourage (stolen from Hordes of the Things).
- Hero attacks have Advantage.
- Attacks against a hero have Disadvantage.
- Hero vs Hero, just roll 1d6 as normal.
I let all of my heroes take 1/2 damage, but their attack modifier is determined by the kind of unit they are. So, a Hero Caster would take 1/2 damage, but still do +2 in range damange and -2 in close combat.
Generals
Like heroes they have the basic stats of the kind of unit they are and, like heroes, I allow them all to take 1/2 damage.
In addition to Move or Shoot or Continue Melee, they may, if the General is not in close combat:
- Self-rally
- OR rally a unit within 12"
- OR order 1d3 units within 12” to move 1 full move (as long as the unit is not engaged in close combat)
To rally, roll 1d3. Unit recovers that many points.
To order units to move, the chosen unit must pass a morale test (see below). If it passes, it moves up to 1 full move. Otherwise, it does not advance - possibly because the messenger was killed or there was confusion about the order or something like that.
Orders Available
Unlike the standard rules, each side rolls to determine how many units they may activate that turn.
Roll 1d6:
1 = up to 3 units may activate
2-5 = up to 4 units may activate
6 = up to 5 units may activate
Units already engaged in close combat activate automatically and do not count towards the limit above. The practical result of this, in this "era" which features close combat, is that very often, by mid-game, one or both sides are always activating all of their units every turn.
Reinforcements that arrive count towards the limit on the turn they arrive and so it is up to the player if they want to hold off bringing on scheduled reinforcements, bring on only a portion of those available that turn , or bring on all of those available that turn.
Movement
I like variable movement - inspired by Contemptible Little Armies.
Roll 1d6 and modify the base movement rate as follows:
- -1/3 base movement Inches
- -1/6 base movement Inches
- No change
- No change
- +1/6 base movement Inches
- +1/3 base movement Inches
I present this as fractions, modify to taste. I play on a table 2/3 standard size and all of my ranges are adjusted accordingly.
Unlike the standard rules, I pretty much allow all units to enter woods - my armored orcs may be Medieval men-at-arms but I am sure I've seen movies where armored orcs advance through woods and even clash with their enemies in them. Or maybe I haven't but it's fanasy, so?
For aforementioned orcs or other "heavy" units, I use a method inspired by a bunch of other people's rules and limit their ability to move around willy-nilly over difficult ground, such as woods.
When said unit reaches an area of rough ground, they must stop, no matter how many inches remain for their move. They may enter on their next activation (with no modification to their movement rate). If they want to exit the rough ground, they must first stop at the edge they wish to exit from, and then exit on their next activation (with no modification to their movement rate).
Morale
At the end of a turn when a unit has surpassed 10 points in damage, and every turn thereafter in which they take damage and have greater than 10 points of damage, roll 1d6. If the value added to the current SP is greater than the unit’s max SP, the unit routs 1 full move towards their base line.
When an enemy unit routs from close combat, Warband and Light Cavalry roll 1d6. If the result plus their current SP is less than their max SP, they advance 1 full move to follow the routing unit.
When an army loses 1/2 of their units, roll 1d6. If the value is less than the number of units remaining, the army continues to fight otherwise the army concedes/retreats/withdraws. Check each turn thereafter in which that army loses a unit.
Melee Modifiers
- A unit engaged in melee, and in contact with a friendly unit that is NOT in contact with an enemy unit, attacks with Advantage,
- Units that are in contact with two or more enemy units attack with Disadvantage in melee (Unless they are in contact with a friendly unit that isn't in contact with an enemy, then the Advantage and Disadvantage cancel out).
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