To facilitate reading almost 40 entries this month, I am breaking them up into groups of 10. This thread is for entries 11-20.
[GDS] February 2011 Game Design Showdown - "The Dice Gods Must Be Crazy" - Entries #11 - #20
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 20:34
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 20:47
#2
Entry #12 - SMOKEY THE DUCK
SMOKEY THE DUCK
For two players of juvenile mentality.
Q: Why do Ducks have flat feet.
A: To stamp out burning game boards.
Q: Why do elephants have flat feet?
A: To stamp out burning Ducks.
Object:
Smokey the Duck, hops around the board frantically trying to extinguish Blaze before your table goes up in cinders.
Equipment:
- 20 custome dice (see image at bottom) in red and 20 in black.
- A 9 space x 12 space game board. Spaces are the size of the dice.
- Elephant is optional.
Set up:
On a board marked A-L and 1-9 (I use an Acquire board and ¾ dice.)
- One black dice, Smokey the Duck, is placed on 5D.
- One red dice, Blaze, is placed on 8F
Play:
– Blaze -
Blaze rolls first, using a second red dice. Blaze always moves in a straight line determined by the number rolled and moves square to the board unless a #3 is rolled, in which case Blaze moves diagonally. The exception to this is that a #5 is a hole that Blaze has burned in the board. Blaze then burns a tunnel under the board and resurfaces anywhere it wants, (except through an existing hole) leaving a red #5 fire burning at both ends of the tunnel permanently. If Blaze lands on an existing #5 at the end of its move by moving on top of the board, Blaze stacks a another red #5 on top and places a red #1 on that to mark her location.
Players pass over any dice unimpeded during their move.
A black #5 is rated a half-alarm fire. A single red #5 is a one alarm fire. Add as they stack up to determine the danger.
– Smokey the Duck -
Duck moves according to the pattern of the pips on the dice it rolls. As Duck moves it recites, “Skip” for the white spaces in its path which it skips over, and “stomp” for the black spaces it stomps on. If Blaze is on a stomp-space it gets put out and Duck wins. If Blaze is on a Skip-space, Duck misses it.
Duck may start its dance in any direction. With a #1 roll, Duck moves straight, “Skip, Stomp,” and ends two spaces from the start. (I leave the existing dice in place until I've made the move with a different dice, then I pick up the first dice to roll next turn.) With a #2 roll, Duck moves straight, “Stomp, skip, stomp.” With a #3 Duck moves diagonally in a straight line, with three stomps. With a #4 it performs a square-dance, straight ahead, “Stomp, skip, stomp.” Then turns left or right, “Skip, stomp.” turns again the same way it first turned, “Skip stomp.” and is finished, ending two spaces over and one space up from where it started. A #6 is a straight line, “stomp, stomp, stomp.” turn, “skip, stomp.” Turn again same direction, “stomp, stomp.”You end two spaces over, one up. The dice face shows the steps that Duck takes, so it helps to look at it while moving.
A #5 rolled by Duck becomes a hole that Duck created by stomping on a tunnel running under the floor. If there is another #5 of either color on the board not occupied by Blaze, Duck moves through the tunnel to the #5 of preference, putting a black dice with a #1 showing atop the #5 to mark his place until the next roll. If there are no #5s to exit from, Duck stays where he is but in either case leaves a black #5 in that spot permanently. If a hole is a two-alarm or hotter, the hole is too hot for Duck to enter or to exit. If Duck lands on a #5 at the end of his jumping move, (not by rolling a #5) that blaze is reduced by a half-alarm as he tries to stomp it out. But despite Duck's best efforts the fires never go below a half-alarm.
Winning:
- Duck wins if Blaze is on any stomp-space during Ducks frantic movements.
- Blaze wins if it lands on Duck while Duck is sitting on a red fire. Send in the Elephant. Or if any of its blazes becomes a 3-alarm fire or if there is an equivalent of twelve one-alarm fires on the board.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 20:48
#3
Entry #13 - DiceFu
DiceFu
Combat game for 2-4 players
Contents:
40 Dice
- (8) 20-sided dice the head
- With standard die faces
- (1) white with black numbers
- (1) white with red numbers
- (1) black with white numbers
- (1) black with red numbers
- (1) orange with black numbers
- (1) orange with red numbers
- (1) blue with white numbers
- (1) blue with red numbers
- (16) 12-sided dice left and right feet
- With standard die faces
- (2) white with black numbers
- (2) white with red numbers
- (2) black with white numbers
- (2) black with red numbers
- (2) orange with black numbers
- (2) orange with red numbers
- (2) blue with white numbers
- (2) blue with red numbers
- (16) 8-sided dice left and right fists
- With the standard die faces
- (2) white with black numbers
- (2) white with red numbers
- (2) black with white numbers
- (2) black with red numbers
- (2) orange with black numbers
- (2) orange with red numbers
- (2) blue with white numbers
- (2) blue with red numbers
(4) 3"x5" square, chipboard tiles
- Dojo art in 4 styles
- black themed
- white themed
- blue themed
- gold themed
Set-up
- Each player takes one color of dice, and the corresponding color tile.
- Each player sets aside the dice with the red numbers for later.
- Each player rolls the 20-sided die, the player with the highest number will be the first active player.
- Roll off if necessary
Game Play
- Each player rolls their dice and places their dojo tile in front of them.
- One the first round this will be 5 dice, (1) 20-sided, (2) 12-sided, (2) 8-sided. - None of these dice should have red numbers 2. The active player chooses a die he or she has rolled, and places it on the defending player’s dojo. The active player’s die is now ‘attacking’ - The active player may not choose a die of theirs that has been attacked or defended this round. - The active player may not choose their 20-sided die. - If the active player cannot choose a legal die, they pass. 3. The active player then chooses a die another player has rolled, that player places that die on their dojo tile. That player becomes the defending player. The defending player’s die is now ‘defending’. - The active player may not choose a die of another player that has attacked or defended this round. - If the active player cannot choose a legal die, they return their dice to their pool and pass. 4. The defending player may choose one of their dice to add to their dojo. 5. Compare the face showing on the die of the active player on the dojo tile to the die or dice (summed up) of the defending player on their dojo tile. - If the attacking player is higher, the defending player removes any dice with red numbers from the game, and sets the others aside. These set aside dice are considered injured. The attacker returns their dice to their pool. These dice cannot be used for the rest of the round. - If a player’s 20-sided die with red numbers is removed from the game, that player has lost and stops playing. Their dice may not be chosen for future attacks. - If the defending player is higher, both players return their dice to their pool. These dice cannot be used for the rest of the round. - If the two players dice are equal, each player with a red numbered die subtracts 1 from their total for each red numbered die and compare again. If they are still equal, both players return their dice to their pool. These dice cannot be used for the rest of the round. 6. The player clockwise of the active player becomes the new active player and repeats the Game Play process with step 2. 7. Once all players have passed for a round, each player with dice that are considered injured removes those dice from the game and replaces them with a die with an equal number of sides with red numbers. 8. If there is only 1 player remaining, that player wins the game. 9. If there are 2 or more players remaining game play restarts with step 1.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 20:55
#4
Entry #14 - GEOMANCER
GEOMANCER
Geomancer is a light dice game for 2-6 players (the more players the better), playable in about 15 minutes. If you have more players, just add two sets of Geomancer dice together. As a Geomancer you must outlast your rival Geomancers while trying to achieve the harmony of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.
Game Components
40 custom six-sided dice.
Several reminder cards showing the interaction of the five elements
Objective
The objective of the game is to be the sole geomancer remaining.
A player is eliminated when they have no dice.
Setup
Distribute the dice equally between the players, setting aside the remainder. Each die face represents one of the five elements, with the sixth face representing Focus. Roll your dice and place them in front of you.
Playing the Game
The player who rolled the fewest Focus dice goes first. If there is a tie, the tied players reroll all their dice (and keep the result). Continue like this until there are no ties for the fewest Focus dice. Play proceeds clockwise until all players but one have been eliminated.
Taking Your Turn
On your turn you may "create" once and then "attack" once.
You do not have to perform either of these actions if you do not want to.
Create:
Select one or more dice of a single element and use them to "create" a different element, according to the element creation cycle:
- Wood feeds Fire;
- Fire creates Earth;
- Earth bears Metal;
- Metal carries Water;
- Water nourishes Wood.
Focus dice cannot be used to create anything.
Example: You decide you need more Fire, so you select two of your Wood dice and rotate them to become Fire dice.
Attack:
Select one or more dice of a single element, optionally adding Focus dice. The strength of your attack is the total number of dice used. You may select target players up to the attack strength. Each of the targetted players may defend according to the element control cycle:
- Wood parts Earth;
- Earth absorbs Water;
- Water quenches Fire;
- Fire melts Metal;
- Metal chops Wood.
If the targetted player chooses to defend with the controlling element, they must use all their dice in that element and optionally add Focus dice.
- If you did not defend, give the attacker one die and then discard one die.
- If your defense is less than the attack, give the attacker one die.
- If your defense is equal to the attack, there is no effect.
- If your defense is twice as strong as the attack, the attacker must give you one die.
Once the attack has been fully resolved, reroll all the dice used to attack and defend and all dice transferred between players.
Note: You may add any number of Focus dice to boost the strength of your attack or defense, but you must have at least one dice of the "natural" element.
Example: You attack with two Fire dice and one Focus die, for an attack strength of three against Trish-Ann, Ramon, and Wan Li. Trish-Ann has four Water dice, and she uses all of these to defend. Ramon has two Water and four Focus dice but he chooses to defend only with the Water. Ramon's defense is less than the attack, so he gives you one die. Wan Li has a Focus die but no Water dice, so he cannot defend. Wan Li gives you one die and then discards one die.
Example: Using the same example above, this time Ramon chooses to add all four of his Focus dice to his two Water for a total strength of six. You must give him one die because his defense is twice as strong as your attack.
Special: Harmonic Defense! If you have one of each element you may declare a Harmonic Defense instead of a normal defense. You cannot use Focus dice in a Harmonic Defense. This is treated as a successful defense against any attack.
Special: Harmonic Attack! If you have one of each element you may declare a Harmonic Attack instead of a normal attack. You cannot use Focus dice in a Harmonic Attack. The attack can target every opponent, although you can choose not to attack certain opponents if you wish. The only way to successfully defend a Harmonic Attack is with a Harmonic Defense. Every player who does not defend must give you one die and then discard one die.
Special: Two Player Showdown! When there are only two players remaining in the game, any dice that would normally have been given to the opponent are discarded instead. This forces the game to a rapid conclusion rather than going back and forth indefinitely.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:00
#5
Entry #15 - Mythic Dice
Mythic Dice
A dice game for 2-10
Capture mythical creatures from various cultures to protect your dice and gain you favor (and points), release them to do your bidding or poach them for unique artifacts.
Components
- 40 8 sided dice
- 18 double sided creature/artifact cards
Setup
- Deal dice to each player, remaining dice go to a pool
- 2 players: 10 dice each
- 3,4 players: 8 dice each
- 5,6 players: 6 dice each
- 7,8 players: 5 dice each
- 9,10 players: 4 dice each
- Everyone rolls their dice to get their starting "hand"
- Shuffle creature cards and spread them in the middle of the playing area, any visible artifacts should be turned to show the creature side of the card. Only creatures are ever available in this pool of cards.
- The player whose hand of dice is the lowest total is deemed the start player, if tied the person who is most likely to be a descendant of the gods goes first.
Playing the Game
Each turn in the game has three phases. These are repeated ad-nausium until someone meet the conditions for winning.
- 1: Capture phase
- 2: Turn phase, A player's turn
- 3: Decay Phase
1: Capture Phase
While play progresses clockwise, this phase runs counter clockwise. Starting to the right of the active player and progressing counter clockwise, each player may choose to capture a free creature. A creature may be captured if the numbers showing on the creature match free dice in the player's hand. The player places the creature card in front of them and places the free dice used to capture that creature on top of that card. These dice are now "protected."
2: Turn Phase (one player's turn)
As the active player you may choose one of the following actions
- ROLL: Roll half(rounded up) of their free dice. (ie if you have three free dice, you must roll two.)
- RELEASE: Release one of your captured creatures back to the center of the table.
- When you do this you can take the special ability of that creature.
- You must roll any of the dice which were previously protected by that creature before adding them back to your hand.
- If this is not a poachable creature, turn the card over when releasing back to the pool.
- POACH/POACH ACTION: Some of the creatures will yield special items when poached.
- You may choose to poach a creature which you have captured in order to use the unique action of the item.
- When you poach a creature, one of the dice which that creature was protecting is returned to the dice pool. The other dice are returned to your hand.
- Keep the poached item in front of you, you may use this action on future turns as long as you have it.
3: Decay Phase, After a player's turn
- Every player must choose one of their free dice and decrement it by 1.
- You may not decrement a die showing a 1.
- After the next capture phase, play progresses clockwise.
Do it again:
- New active player, progressing to the left (clockwise)
- Go back to capture phase. Previously active player will get to capture first. SIDEBAR: On your turn, everyone else captures, you capture, you take your turn, everyone decays, you capture, everyone else captures, next person takes their turn.
Winning the game
A player wins if she has accumulated enough victory points at the end of her turn (Turn Phase). Points scaled to generally require a winning player to end game with more dice than they started with.
- 2 players: 36 points
- 3,4 players: 28 points
- 5,6 players: 20 points
- 7,8 players: 18 points
- 9,10 players: 14 points
Sample Cards
- Unicorn, capture with two 7's, worth 7 vp's. Release: co-opt an action taken by another player. Poach: for its horn (player may decrease or increase during decline phase). (7 creatures are set up like this, occupying 7 of 18 cards)
- Kraken, capture with 6 & 8, worth 7 vp's. Release: force every player to return a free die to the pool. (Not poachable, double-sided creature card)
- Cerberus, requires three dice, 4, 5 and anything. Worth vp's equivalent to the third die. Release: Convert an opponent's free dice to 1's. (6 three die creatures)
- Phoenix, two 1's and anything. Vp's = third die. Release: boost the value of the protected dice. Poach: feather allows you to change the value of a single die during the capture phase.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:02
#6
Entry #16 - Dicestorm
Dicestorm
2-4 players
Introduction
In the olden days, the Ur-gan clans of the Stonetop Mountains vied with each other under a strict code of mortal combat. To the losers, a decade of defeat, shame, and self-pity. To the winners, ten years of dominion over all the other clans.
You lead one of these clans in a battle to the death! Your warriors are represented by dice - each die is a warrior. When you are out of dice, your clan has lost, and you are out of the game. Will you fail, and lie unsung in a coward's grave, or will you roll to victory? (Get it? Roll? Get it?)
Components
- 30 white six-sided dice
- 1 black six-sided die
- 2 red eight-sided dice
- 1 green 10-sided die
- 4 Restoration mini-cards
- 14 Tide of Battle mini-cards
Object
Be the last player with surviving armies in the game
Setup
Each player gets a set of normal warriors (white six-sided dice). The number of starting dice depends on the number of players as follows:
- 2 players - 15 dice each
- 3 players - 10 dice each
- 4 players - 7 dice each
Each player also gets one Restoration card. Shuffle the Tide of Battle cards and place them face down nearby. Roll to see who goes first.
Game Play
Game play consists of two phases, the battle phase and the draw phase
Battle Phase
On each of your turns, you will battle with the opponent to your right. To conduct a battle, you and your opponent each roll all your warriors (your dice). Battles are resolved from the die rolls according to these rules:
- Each roll of five or higher counts as a hit
- The number showing on each die is the number of hits needed to defeat and remove that die
- The player dealing hits may decide which of the opponent's dice the hits affect
For example:
- Gollum has six dice and rolls: 6 5 4 4 2 1
- Frodo has seven dice and rolls: 6 6 5 3 2 1 1
Gollum has scored two hits, and he may either take out Frodo's two dice showing 1's or Frodo's one die showing a 2. Normally, it would be better to take out two dice rather than one, but if the die showing 2 is a special die, Gollum might want to get rid of that one. Frodo scores three hits and would probably use them to take out Gollum's two dice showing 2 and 1.
Draw Phase
After the battle is resolved, the player draws one card from the Tide of Battle deck. The player may choose to pay the cost shown on the card (the cost is paid in dice), or he may pass it to the right. The next player has the same choice - pay or pass. If the card makes it back around to the original location, the cost is reduced by one and the process repeats. Eventually the card will be bought, or the cost of the card will drop to zero, at which point it may be taken for free.
Losing
If you ever lose all of your dice, you are out of the game immediately, even if you could add more dice by playing a card.
Cards
There are two types of cards - Restoration cards and Tide of Battle cards. Restoration cards bring a player's force back up to its starting total. Tide of Battle cards can have many different effects. The following rules apply to these cards:
- Some cards have permanent effects; others can be played once only and are then discarded.
- Some cards are played at specific times in a battle or during a player's turn. Other cards can be played at any time as long as the player still has dice.
- Some cards call for additional dice to be added to a player's army. If those dice are not available when the card is played, they are not added or owed - they are lost. Partial adding is allowed (e.g. if a player is instructed to add five and three are available, he or she gets the three dice).
- If a player is ever out of warriors, he or she has lost and can play no cards, even if they would restore warriors to the player's army.
- Tide of Battle cards that are used are discarded. When all of these cards are used, shuffle the discards to restore the Tides of Battle pile.
- Restoration cards are never re-used once played.
Tide of Battle Cards
Explanations of the Tide of Battle cards are below.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:03
#7
Entry #17 - Dice Fighting Warriors
Dice Fighting Warriors
You are a mighty warrior squaring off against your mortal enemies. Choose the right fighting stance and defeat your opponents.
Dice Fighters is a game for 2-4 players that should take about 10 minutes per player.
Components:
- 2 sets of Stat Dice: d4, d8, d12
- 2 sets of 2d6 Resolution Dice
- 4 sets of 5d6 Vitality Dice
- 4 cards depicting each warrior: Ninja, Pirate, Viking, Knight. Each card has a place for Vitality Dice and a place for each Stat Die labeled Attack, Defend, and Move
Setup
Each player picks a warrior card and the matching Vitality Dice. Choose a starting player. Play will continue counterclockwise. The current player chooses an opponent and the turn begins. The current player and the opponent each take one set of Stat Dice and one set of Resolution Dice.
Turn Sequence
Each turn is composed of taking your fighting stance and then making two or three opposed rolls. Each roll consists of the appropriate Stat Die, the 2d6 Resolution Dice, and any Vitality Dice you wish to add to the roll. Each Vitality Die can only be used once during a single turn.
Taking your fighting stance
Each player, in secret, places each Stat Die in a single spot on the warrior card. The larger the die, the better one is at that stat for that turn. Each player reveals their Stat Dice simultaneously.
First Opposed Roll: Move vs Move
In secret, each player chooses a number of Vitality Dice (including zero) they wish to add to their Move roll (keeping in mind that the chosen Vitality Dice will be unavailable for any subsequent rolls during this turn.) The chosen dice are revealed simultaneously. The each player rolls their Move Stat Die, 2d6 Resolution Dice, and any Vitality Dice chosen.
Resolving the Opposed Move Roll
- Each player counts up the number of successes they have rolled. A success is defined as any rolled d6 that is lower than the rolled Stat Die.
- If one player has 1 success more than the other, that player will Attack against the other player's Defend.
- If one player has 2 successes more than the other, then that player may choose to Attack or Defend against the other player.
- If one player has 3 or more successes more than the other, then that player gains back one Vitality Die that has been lost (which goes immediately into the remaining pool of Vitality Dice for that turn), and then may choose to Attack or Defend against the other player.
- If the number of successes is tied, then the person who rolled the smallest Move Die is considered to have 1 success and Attacks. If both players rolled the same size Move Die, then the person who rolled the lowest number is considered to have 1 success and Attacks. If still tied then roll again.
Next Opposed Roll: Attack vs Defend
In secret, each player chooses a number of Vitality Dice (including zero) they wish to add to their roll. The chosen dice are revealed simultaneously. The attacking player rolls his Attack Stat Die, 2d6 Resolution Dice, plus any Vitality Dice chosen. The defending player rolls his Defend Stat Die, 2d6 Resolution Dice, plus any Vitality Dice chosen.
Resolving the Attack vs Defend Roll
- If the attacker has more successes than the defender, the defender looses one Vitality Die from his pool. The turn is over and play passes counterclockwise.
- If both have the same number of successes or the Defender has one more success then the attack was unsuccessful. No damage is done, the turn is over, and play passes counterclockwise.
- If the defender has two successes more than the attacker then he may choose to make a counter attack.
- Counter Attack: Players make a third opposed roll switching who is attacker and defender. The roll is resolved like a normal attack except that the turn is over after that roll (no extra counter attack roll.)
- If the defender has three or more successes more than the attacker then he makes an immediate and devastating counter attack and the attacker looses two Vitality Dice from his pool. Then the turn is over and play passes counterclockwise.
When a player looses his last Vitality Die he is eliminated. The last person with at least one Vitality Die left is the winner of the game.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:08
#8
Entry #18 - Arabian Knights
1001 Arabian Knights dice game
For 2 or more players Ages 8+ Playing time: 10 Min + 5 min per player
Equipment
- 12D6 with faces 1,2,3,4,5, Genie lamp; 6 black & 6 white
- 6 Scoring aid cards.
Paper and Pencil for scoring Supplied by Players
The king can’t sleep without a bedtime story and has summoned the greatest storytellers in the kingdom to aid in his slumber and amusement. Success means riches; your fate if you fail is unspeakable.
In the Arabian Nights dice game you and your friends will take the roll of storytellers trying to weave the most unique and interesting tales to appease the king of Persia.
How to play
Players will roll the dice to represent how entertaining their story is and try to outdo the previous players story value. Place the scoring aid cards around the table in view of all players. Play starts with the youngest player and continues clockwise.
On a players turn they will take one of the sets of 6 dice and roll them. Each die has the values of 1-5 and a Genie Lamp, which represents wishes. If the result of the roll is not adequate the player may re-roll as many of them as they like once for free. If they are still unhappy they may pay for another re-roll by setting one die aside that won’t be used this turn and re-roll as many of the remaining ones as they like. They may do this until they have gotten a satisfactory result or until they don’t have enough dice to score with.
The player will then score their story based on the dice values. They may score only one story, which must have at least one natural die, meaning not a wish, and no more than 3 wishes unless you are scoring the Grand Jinn. Wishes are wild and may be used as 1-5 or as a Genie lamp to score the Saga of the Grand Jinn.
If the story is better than the previous best story the King can remember; either worth more points or using more dice in the set you get full value. Replace the old stories set of dice with your set. This is now the best story. For the purposes of determining which is better the story with the fewest wishes is considered better even if the point values or number of total dice are the same.
If story is not better you only score half the amount rounded up or down, players choose. The king is forgetful and since the old story is no longer fresh in the king’s memory you take away one die from the old story. If it is a straight you must take the lowest die. The old story is now the value of the remaining dice.
Example: Ali had to beat (Arabian name)’s Fable made of Five 4’s worth 200 but instead could only come up with a Joke made of Two 5’s. Ali Scores 13Pts, half the normal value rounded up. He takes away one die from the Fable making it into a Tale of Four 4’s worth 40 points. Genie’s turn is next. She now must come up with a story worth more than 40 points or using more than 4 dice or score half value.
When a player reaches 1001 points exactly they win. If a player exceeds 1001 pts each other player gets one more turn to try to beat that score or reach 1001 points exactly for the win.
Scoring
Here are the different types of stories and their values.
Joke: Pair (worth the die value)
1,1 = 1 2,2 = 2 3,3 = 3 4,4 = 4 5,5 = 5
Anecdote: Triples (x5 the die value)
1,1,1 = 5 2,2,2 = 10 3,3,3 = 15 4,4,4 = 20 5,5,5 = 25
Tale: 4 of a kind (x10 die value)
Fable: 5 of a kind (x50 die value)
Parable: 6 of a kind (x100 die value)
Legend: Small straight; 4 dice in sequence. Worth x10 the highest natural die
Epic: Large straight; 5 dice in sequence. Worth x50 the highest natural die
Saga of the Grand Jinn: 6 Lamps –500 Pts
Except in the Saga of the Grand Jinn at least one natural die is required for each story and no more than three wishes may be used on any one story except the Grand Jinn.
Im not a big dice game guy so this is a streatch for me, Win or loose i have learned from it.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:20
#9
Entry #19 - Atelier Alea
Note: I actually completed the first draft of these rules (but did not submit) before the 40-die limit was added to the constraints. While the game still works with only two players, it is intended to scale up smoothly to six. Inquiring about this, while I’m not certain I received ‘permission’ to ignore this requirement per se, I was at least told by Management to not worry too much about it. Similarly, please ignore italicized text if you are judging based off a strict 800-word limit...I just had too much fun writing it not to share.
Atelier Alea
Every 1000 years, the Dark Lord awakens from His slumber and stretches forth a miasma of evil across the face of the world, corrupting all it touches. As sure as Fate itself, a destined Hero will rise to face him.
This is not his story.
Every morning, the young shopkeeper awakens from her slumber and stretches...knocking a half-empty bottle off the edge of her desk. Muttering powerless curses in a long-dead tongue, she sets some herbs to boiling and cleans up. Sipping her signature brew, she recalls the days of her apprenticeship, her burning determination to hone blades so fine they slipped between the veils separating the worlds... to concoct elixirs with aromas so compelling they could recall souls from the very brink of the Abyss. That potential still lay within her, and the Philosopher’s Stones through which she had forged her own unique connection to the Art. But the practical needs of her village, while less grandiose, were often more pressing. Just as she couldn’t hope to perfect her mind while ignoring her body, she needed to sift through the assorted requests for fertility potions, purification philters, and spellsteel farm implements before she could focus her attention on her studies. If only there were more hours in the day... Her eyes light up with renewed inspiration as she pulls out a fresh sheet of parchment, and in hasty yet flowing script begins: ‘Midnight Oil:’...
This is her story.
OBJECTIVE
Earn the best reputation by mastering your craft and fulfilling commissions using your unique abilities.
COMPONENTS
12 6-sided Synthesis Dice per player, with different colored elemental symbols on each side
6 12-sided Mastery Dice, 1 for each element in its matching color, each marked 2-10 plus 3 symbols.
2 percentile Reputation Dice per player
15 Quirk Cards
3 cards of cutout elemental Essence chits (2 per player +3 each of the 6 elements)
(image of elemental symbols goes here, will forward link to you once I have it. )
SETUP
Shuffle the Quirk cards, and deal out two per player, plus one more. In turn order, players each select one Quirk card, and then a second card in reverse order. Each takes a set of Reputation Dice (set to 00), then takes and rolls six Synthesis Dice. Place all Mastery Dice in the center of the table, set to 2.
PLAY
Synthesis
Each turn, the active player MUST perform exactly ONE of the syntheses In the list below. Note that the dice are NOT rerolled first, but rather begin each turn just as they were left after that player’s previous turn. The symbols used may come from any combination of that player’s dice and/or Essences. Any Essences used are returned to the central supply, while Synthesis Dice used are rerolled. A Mastery Die may be counted as one extra symbol of its element, but is neither discarded nor rerolled when used in this way.
Philosopher's Stone: for 6 different symbols, gain (and roll) a new Synthesis Die.
Distillation: for 2 matching symbols, if the player has < 2 Essences of this type, gain a matching Essence.
Transmutation: for 3 matching symbols, gain an Essence of ANY element (if the player has < 2 already)
Take Commission: for N > 2 matching symbols, gain N - 2 Reputation.
Create Masterwork: For N matching symbols, if the matching Mastery Die shows < N, take it and set to N.
(image of 'cheat sheet' goes here)
Explosions
If a player accidentally fumbles their Synthesis Dice in such a way that other dice on the table are disturbed, an explosion has occurred. Mastery and Reputation dice are restored to the correct sides, but Synthesis Dice remain on their new sides. The offending player still gains the products of the synthesis, but then loses one Reputation (Reputation may not be reduced below zero).
Prosaic Workmanship
After synthesis, unless the active player has more Mastery Dice in front of them than at least one of their opponents, they lose one Reputation.
After the synthesis and applicable Reputation adjustments are complete, it is then the next player's turn.
The game ends immediately when one or more of these conditions is met.
- A player's Reputation exceeds 30.
- A player's Masterwork exceeds 10 symbols.
- A Philosopher Stone is synthesized with no Synthesis Dice remaining in the supply.
The player with the highest Reputation wins. Tied players share victory.
QUIRKS
Quirk cards make each player's character unique. If contradictory, these abilities supersede the above rules.
Born to Be Wild
You’re fine on your own in the wilderness, and know how to find (and if necessary subdue) rare ingredients.
Instead of a synthesis, you may set one of your Synthesis Dice to any desired symbol.
Breath of Fresh Air
Never underestimate the value of constructive laziness.
Instead of a synthesis, you may reroll any or all of your Synthesis Dice.
Conservation of Mana
You’re very careful to avoid waste. After all, if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.
When performing a synthesis, you may leave one of the Synthesis Dice used on its current face rather than rerolling it.
Generous to a Fault
You can’t bear to leave others in need, and helping out gives you a contagious glow.
Instead of a synthesis, you may give one of your essences to a player with the lowest Reputation. If you do, gain one Reputation.
Has a Nice Ring to It
There’s no need to be the first, if yours is the name everyone remembers.
To obtain a Mastery Die from its current owner, you need only match its value rather than exceeding it.
In Your Master’s Shadow
You’ve got some seriously big shoes to fill. Better get to it.
You begin the game with 9 Reputation. Note that this Reputation can still be lost.
Intuitive Spark
Your natural grasp of the Art lets you compensate for any gaps in your knowledge.
You only need five different symbols to synthesize a Philosopher's Stone.
Just In Case
You don’t see yourself as a pack rat...it’s just that you believe in being prepared for anything.
You can store up to 4 Essences of each element, rather than the usual two.
Solid Reputation
You might not rank among the greatest talents of the age, but your clients know they can trust you.
You do not lose Reputation for having too few Mastery Dice at the end of your turn.
Silver Spoon
Your family always made sure you had the best of everything...but you’re on your own from now on.
Start with one of each type of Essence in your supply.
Something Familiar About You
Your lifelong bond with your ethereal companion gives you unique insights into its element.
Choose an element, and place an Essence marker on this card. All commissions with that element earn you one extra Reputation.
Special Brownies
Your fae lab assistants are happiest when they get proper credit. Trust me...you want them to be happy.
You may spend one Reputation to perform two syntheses in a single turn, but may not reuse any dice/Essences.
Spontaneous Combustion Magnet
The workshop is on fire, and it isn’t your fault. Things just like to explode around you for some reason.
Whenever you complete a commission using Fire symbols, lose one Reputation and reroll ALL players’ Synthesis Dice.
Still Going Strong
At first, you were afraid your master would destroy your secret apparatus...until he tried the results.
You can synthesize an elemental Essence for only 1 matching symbol.
Twisted Genius
Look, it’s really quite simple. All you have to do is rotate the crucible through the fourth dimension...
Instead of a synthesis, you may flip exactly two Synthesis Dice to the opposite side.
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 21:23
#10
Entry #20 - Naruil Airfoil Race Championship
Naruil Airfoil Race Championship
This game places players in the seat of their very own Steampunk Airfoil Racer to compete in a race of skill and madness. The first player to successfully cross the finish line, after the designated number of laps, wins. What's the catch? Well, each year the hosting organization gathers scrapped ships and adds them to the selection pile for the race. Each team that enters the race takes their chance at a ship lottery and must fix up what they draw as quickly as possible. This race is about more than just piloting skill but the teamwork put in by the racer's team as they compete. Remember this race could change at any moment. So hold on tight, build well, and stick it to them good as you compete for the annual trophy.
COMPONENTS
The Great Airfoil Race components.
36 dice = 30d6's, 4 special marked d6's, 1d10, and 1d8
18 mini cards = two sets of five ship cards (one stat card and one foldable race card per ship), one start/finish card, five checkpoint cards (one for each ability), and two quick-play rules cards
SETUP
Separate and shuffle the five race stat cards dealing a random ship to each player. Next, everyone takes a single set (same color as their ship) of track dice and the matching foldable racer card. The players place their dice, one per attribute, ensuring the die is set at the number posted on the card. The die should cover that number location on the card.
Each player must prepare their ship and ensure it is ready to fly. The players get three chances to prepare the ship for the race by tuning the ships attributes. Each player takes their turn rolling the four ship dice. The first player collects up all the Ship Dice and rolls them. For each attribute rolled on the ship dice shift that track die, for the attribute rolled, up by one not to exceed six points. If an ability is at six when another point is rolled, reroll the ship die until you achieve a point for an ability less than six. The dice are then passed clockwise around the table until everyone has rolled once. The players then proceed with two more rounds in the exact same fashion.
Randomly shuffle and place the checkpoint cards around the table building a circular track for the ships. Ensure enough room to place the folded ship cards in sequential order. To start, place the ships in front of the first checkpoint. The ship with the highest engine rating will be the first to reach and attempt the first checkpoint challenge. The play then moves to the next highest, and so forth. This only applies to the start of the race, as each following checkpoint challenge determines racers positions. If two ships are tied for a position, in the starting lineup, roll the challenge die with the highest roller placed ahead of the lower roller in the lineup.
RACING
Each checkpoint marks an encounter. You must face the checkpoint challenge (attribute test) to take the lead. Winning at the check point determines the order at the next location. Each check point represents a particular challenge based on one of the five key attributes. Before rolling the challenge die the player must decide if they will use any extra fuel (fuel points) for this challenge roll. You can burn fuel points to add to any die roll. Burn one to add one, two to add two, three to add four, or four to add eight, which is the max for any roll.
Should a challenge result produce a tie then the tied ships crash and lose a point of that attribute. Then reroll for position.
If a player wins by a significant amount( 5 points) they add one point to their fuel rating. The player that wins a lap gets to roll a ship die and add that point to their ship, not to exceed six.
If, at any time, you reduce an attribute lower than 1, your ship crashes and you are out.
When players reach the start/finish, the first player across chooses which challenge everyone must attempt, treating it like a standard checkpoint with that ability. Next, reduce the lap die by one.
DICE
The Ship dice have one face for each attribute (these are 4 standard D6 with special symbols to depict attributes) 1. Engine, 2. Maneuverability, 3. Defense, 4. Fuel, 5. Pilot, 6. Engineer
The Track dice note the bonus to that attribute on the ship.
The Challenge die is used for checkpoints(10 sided die) challenges. Roll this die then add the ability number, based on the checkpoint, to get the final result. Once all players have rolled their challenge number compare scores.
The Lap die is used to keep track of the number of laps remaining (8 sided die). This die is set to the max number of laps preferred for the race.
CARDS
Starting values for ship abilities:
Blue: Engine-2, Maneuverability-1, Defense-1, Pilot-2, Engineer-2, Fuel-1
Green: Engine-2, Maneuverability-2, Defense-2, Pilot-1, Engineer-1, Fuel-1
White: Engine-2, Maneuverability-2, Defense-1, Pilot-2, Engineer-1, Fuel-1
Red: Engine-1, Maneuverability-2, Defense-2, Pilot-1, Engineer-2, Fuel-1
Black: Engine-1, Maneuverability-1, Defense-2, Pilot-2, Engineer-2, Fuel-1
![Syndicate content](/misc/feed.png "Comments for \"[GDS] February 2011 Game Design Showdown - "The Dice Gods Must Be Crazy" - Entries #11 - #20\""){kind=small}
Rainbow
A minamalist dice game based on making new colours and gaining dice.
Players:
2-3
Estimated Play Time:
I don’t really know, fairly short.
Components:
Initial set up:
Take two dice out of the box and lay all 18 cards face up on the table, you may put them in any order you like but it’s suggested that you order them from the lowest number of dice required to the highest. Determine who goes first by each rolling a dice and the player who gets the colour which is first alphabetically goes first. In case of a tie roll again.
Game play:
On their turn each player rolls however many dice they currently have. They then look at the dice and depending on what was rolled may do one of several things. If all of the dice are the same colour the player may take an additional die from the box. If the dice are of different colours the player may look to see if they match any of the cards available and may take one with which they match. Players may take only one card per turn. If a player has cards they may play them after rolling the dice and before resolving their turn. Each card has a name and the colours required to take the card and the actions you can use the card for. When a card is returned to the stack other players may then take it as normal.
Winning the game:
The goal of the game is to get to twelve dice, the maximum possible, and make one of the winning combinations. The winning combinations are Rainbow, Monochrome, or Quadruple White. If at any point a player has one of the winning combinations that player immediately wins the game.
Cards:
Yellow + Red
Return to stack to change one Yellow to Red
Blue + Yellow
Return to stack to change one Blue to Yellow
Red + Blue
Return to stack to change one Red to Blue
Red+Blue+Yellow
Return to stack to change one Red to Yellow or one Yellow to Blue or one Blue to Red
White+Red
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Red
White + Blue
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Blue
White + Yellow
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Yellow
White + Yellow + Blue
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Yellow or Blue
White + Red + Yellow
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Red or Yellow
White + Red + Blue
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to Red or Blue
White + White
Return to stack to change one die of any colour to any other colour
Purple + Green + Orange + Red
Return to stack to change two dice of any colour to Red
Purple + Green + Orange + Yellow
Return to stack to change two dice of any colour to Yellow
Purple + Green + Orange + Blue
Return to stack to change two dice of any colour to Blue
White + White + White
Return to stack to change two dice of any colour to any other colour.
12 dice of the same colour
You win the game
White + White + White + White
You win the game
Red + Orange + Yellow + Green + Blue + Indigo (Blue + Purple) + Purple
(4 Reds + 3 Yellows + 5 Blues)
You win the game