Buccaneer`s Bounty - Wargames @ farfaraway.org
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Buccaneer`s Bounty - Wargames @ farfaraway.org
Buccaneer ’s Bounty? A Piratey Wargame for Kids By Owen Conlan 1 The Basics Buccaneer’s Bounty? is a game designed to help introduce children to the basics of wargaming. Each player controls a small crew of pirates with each crew trying to grab more treasure than the others (or trying to scare the other pirates away!). Players take turns activating one or two models, so the turns are quick which means no player has to wait long to get into the action. What you ’ll need To play Buccaneer’s Bounty? you’ll need a handful of ordinary six-sided dice. These are usually called D6s. You will be asked to roll 1D6 (one die), 2D6 (two dice) or occasionally 3D6 (three dice) at different times during the game. You will also need some (two or more) lollipop sticks, tongue depressors, coffee stirrers or similar. These are known simply as sticks (or planks if you want to be thematic!) and are used for measurements during the game. Both the stick’s length (L) and width (W) are used. Treasure pieces will also be required. The small bit of treasure (i.e. coins) you carry around in your (or a parent’s) wallet should do just fine. You’ll need about three pieces. You will also need some models, a flat place to play and some model scenery – these can be as simple as some counters, the kitchen table and flat buildings drawn on paper, or as complex as hand-painted scale models and custom-made model buildings. Once you have a way to represent pirates and the terrain they fight over it doesn’t matter what you use! Printable pirate tokens, sticks and searchable terrain are included at the end of these rules. 2 The Game Each game of Buccaneer’s Bounty? is divided into turns with players moving models, fighting and grabbing treasure. Turns Starting with the youngest player and going to their left players alternate taking turns. A player may use (also called activating) one or two models during their turn. After activating the first model roll 2D6; on a 6 (on either die) or doubles (two numbers the same) you may activate a second model. You may not activate the same model twice in one turn, although you may activate it again on following turns. Activating models Each model must complete their activation before another model activates. During an activation a model may perform two actions. Actions include moving , fighting, for example shooting and dueling, or handling treasure , for example searching for it, collecting it or passing it to another pirate. Moving Models may move up to one stick length (L) in any direction. Place the stick as flat as possible on the gaming surface and in contact with the base of the model you wish to move (Note: it should not overlap the model’s base or any other models’ bases). The model may then be moved to touch (or overlap) any part of the stick. If enemy models end up within a stick width (W) of each other they are engaged in a duel, although they do not have to fight and may move away from each other freely. You may check to see if models are engaged at any time. 3 Advanced Moving Rules Players may wish to make it a little harder to get away from the enemy. Instead of freely walking away they must attempt to break away. Evading: Before moving a model engaged in a duel must roll 2D6; on a 6 or doubles they can move away, otherwise they stay where they are and the action is wasted. Fighting: Shooting Once a model is not engaged in a duel, i.e. not within a stick width (W) of an enemy model, they may make a shooting attack. The maximum range of a shooting attack is two stick lengths (2L) and may not be measured until the shot is declared. The player must be able to draw a straight line from the shooting model to any part of the target model without being fully blocked by other models or intervening terrain. The target model may not be engaged in a duel. If the shot is not within two stick lengths (2L) it is out of range, is missed and the action wasted. If the shot is in range the shooting player rolls 2D6; on a 6 or doubles the enemy model is hit. The model hit is removed from the game, as they are too wounded or scared to fight on. Advanced Shooting Rules Players may wish to include rules for aiming and cover. They should use both rules or neither of them. Aiming: A model may choose to perform an aiming action to gain another 1D6 on their next shooting action. This bonus may not be kept between activations. Cover: If it is possible to draw any straight line between the bases of the shooting model and its target that crosses intervening terrain, like the corner of a house, a wall or a tree, the target is ‘in cover’ and the shot suffers a -1D6 penalty (i.e. roll one less die). The penalty only applies once, no matter how many pieces of terrain the line crosses. 4 Fighting: Dueling Models engaged in a duel, i.e. within a stick width (W) of each other, may fight each other. In order to fight a duel the activating player chooses one enemy model in duel range as his opponent. Each player then rolls 2D6 and selects the higher score. The players compare scores and the highest score is the winner. Reroll draws. The losing model is removed from the game, as they are too wounded or scared to fight on. Advanced Dueling Rules Players may wish to take advantage of pirates ganging up on the enemy. Press Gang: A model gains another 1D6 when dueling an enemy model that is also engaged by another friendly model. Handling Treasure Pirates may collect treasure they come close to or pass treasure that they hold to another model. In certain scenarios they may also search for treasure in buildings or other pieces of terrain. Each of the following is an action. Collecting Treasure: to collect a piece of treasure the model must be within a stick width (W) of it. If an enemy model is within a stick width (W) of the treasure roll 2D6; on a 6 or doubles the model collects it successfully. If no enemy models are within a stick width (W) of the same piece of treasure, the model simply picks it up. Move the treasure behind the model to show they are carrying it. A model may only carry one piece of treasure at a time. A model who starts an activation carrying a piece of treasure only has one action to represent how heavy the treasure is! Passing/Dropping Treasure: models may pass treasure they are carrying to another friendly model within a stick width (W), provided neither the model passing the treasure, nor the one it is being passed to, is engaged in a duel. A model may drop treasure they are carrying within a stick width (W). Searching for Treasure: In order to search a piece of terrain a model must be within a stick width (W) of it and roll a 2D6; on 5 or 6 (on either die) or doubles they find a piece of treasure. 5 Scenarios Each game of Buccaneer’s Bounty? is fought using a scenario where the pirates fight to grab the most treasure. In each scenario: Set up the terrain in any way that is agreeable to all players and then set up the treasure as described in the scenario. Each player starts with five pirates in their crew. The players roll a D6 and the winner (reroll ties) chooses a board edge. They must now deploy their crew, with each model at least three stick lengths (3L) from a piece of treasure or searchable terrain towards their board edge. The other players now take turns placing their crews on their boards edges, again each model being at last three stick lengths (3L) from a piece of treasure, searchable terrain or enemy model. If there is no treasure or searchable terrain all models must deploy within one stick length (L) of their board edge. Starting with the youngest player the players take turns activating models. Play until one player has won (as described in the scenario). Grab the Loot! Treasure: Place one piece of treasure in the center of the board. Place two more pieces, one to either side of it, two stick lengths (2L) away and on the centerline. Winning: A player wins by getting two pieces of treasure to their board edge. If this doesn’t happen a player wins by being the only player with models left in play. Find Me Treasure! Treasure: Choose at least five searchable pieces of terrain. There are three pieces of treasure hidden in this terrain. Once a piece of treasure has been found in a piece of terrain it may not be searched again. Winning: A player wins by getting two pieces of treasure to their board edge. If this doesn’t happen a player wins by being the only player with models left in play. Brawl! Treasure: No need for treasure. Yee are fightin’ for pride! Winning: A player wins by being the only player with models left in play. 6 Advanced Rules These additional rules allow players to have a captain lead their crew and to include more types of pirates. As with all of the Advanced Rules, it is recommended that you introduce them slowly, i.e. not all at once! Captains) In Buccaneer’s Bounty? every crew may have a Captain to lead it. Captains rule the seadogs under their command with a sharp sword, a short plank and a colorful vocabulary. One model in your crew may be upgraded to be a Captain. A Captain comes with the following special rules. Stay on Course: The Captain has a commanding presence in a skirmish. Once per game another friendly model within one stick length (L) of the Captain may reroll all of the dice rolled in a single action. Fancy Things: Captains love fancy things and symbols of power even more than other pirates (or at least they are better at collecting them!). Each Captain may be upgraded with one fancy thing. Big Hat This Captain has a very impressive hat and may use the Stay on Course rule twice per game. Wooden Leg This Captain is a little unsteady on his feet (... foot!) making him a difficult target to shoot. This Captain always counts as being ‘in cover’. Cheeky Monkey This Captain has a pet monkey that loves treasure. This Captain does not need to roll to collect treasure that is within a stick width (W) of an enemy model. Noisy Parrot This Captain has a talkative parrot on his shoulder that tells him where enemies are. Once per activation this Captain may perform a free aiming action. 7 More Pirates Some players may want a little more diversity in their pirate crews. Here are some additional pirate types to fill your crew. Rifleman Some pirates like big guns! A rifleman’s gun has a longer range than the pistols most pirates carry. The maximum range of a rifleman’s shooting attack is four stick lengths (4L). Riflemen may not perform aiming actions and only roll 1D6 when fighting in a duel. Swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a pirate with excellent sword skills. When fighting in a duel a swashbuckler rolls 3D6 and selects the highest score. Swashbucklers don’t carry a gun and cannot make shooting attacks. Quartermaster The quartermaster is used to keeping the pirates under control. Any pirate within one stick length (L) of the quartermaster may reroll one Collecting Treasure or Searching for Treasure roll per activation. You may only have one quartermaster in your crew. Master Gunner The master gunner’s job is to keep the guns firing. Any pirate within one stick length (L) of the master gunner may reroll one shooting attack action per activation. You may only have one master gunner in your crew. Swab Some pirates (rightly or wrongly) have gained a bad reputation and tend to be given the hardest jobs aboard ship. This makes swabs pretty strong. A swab carrying treasure still has two actions. Swabs aren’t trusted with a gun and cannot make shooting attacks. You may only have one swab in your crew. 8 Using Other Models While Buccaneer’s Bounty? has a piratey theme it is possible to play the game with almost any models you have available. Here are some ideas... Armored Space Soldiers or Angry Greenskins Tough warriors may be represented as regular pirates with the Wooden Leg upgrade to represent their armor. Highly skilled ranged troops may also add the Noisy Parrot upgrade. Multi-armed Fighty Aliens Any melee-focused model can be represented as a Swashbuckler. WWII Soldiers or Lightly Armored Space Soldiers Bolt-action or Carbine armed soldiers may be represented as Riflemen, although you may wish to allow them to perform aiming actions. SMG armed soldiers may count as regular pirates with a shorter shooting range of one stick length (L), but they gain the Noisy Parrot upgrade. Medieval or Dark Ages Warriors Most non-ranged soldiers can be represented as regular pirates, but they cannot make shooting attacks. Ranged troops may be represented as Riflemen. Shock melee troops may be represented as Swashbucklers. This shortlist is just a sampler. Mix and match the pirate types and captain upgrades to create abilities that best represent the models you want to use. Feel free to create your own rules! If you’re concerned about game balance play each scenario more than once with players swapping forces between games. Buccaneer ’s Bounty? V er sion 1 © 2 016 Far Far Aw ay Games Pi rates S heet 1 of 3 Buccaneer ’s Bounty? V er sion 1 © 2 016 Far Far A way Games S ticks and T reasur e S heet 2 of 3 Buccaneer ’s Bounty? V er sion 1 © 2 016 Far Far Aw ay Games Houses and Cr ates S heet 3 of 3