Grand Game Ruleset

[whyemmdee]

Here is the current ruleset after some thoughts on the most recent game:

Here henceforth then the rules of that oldest game of games and kingliest of traditions, WIZARD'S CHESS.

GAME RULES

1. Pieces may not step on the board until the game begins. Pieces may not cast spells, use abilities or otherwise use items on themselves or others in preparation for the game. During set up, pieces must set their color to ally and their opponent's to hostile and make certain subdual mode is activated (/c subdual subdual).
2. Wizards at play may never step on the board.  Wizards may prepare their pieces prior to game start via the casting of natural spells only (i.e. only spells cast from spellslots). Moves must always be announced clearly and concisely by the wizards ("Red Queen D2 to D7") and when this is announced, must immediately press their timer. The opposing wizard must wait out the timer's cooldown before announcing their next move. Wizards may forgo a turn to move in favor of casting a single spell which must be cast from their throne of play.
3. The game is won by whichever wizard subdues the other's King.
4. Basic movement for each individual piece is the same as in the boring and mundane variant of 'normal' chess. Pieces can move only through their own color's, excluding the Knight, who can pass through both colors freely.
5. Pieces may not cast spells, use items, or use any other ability on themselves until either an ally's or an opponent's piece enters their square for any reason.
6. Pieces may use natural abilities, use items on, cast spells at, or attack any pieces (ally or enemy) entering their square.
7. Summoning spells are banned from play, as are the following spells: Acid/Incendiary Fog, Evard's Black Tentacles, Virulent Plague spells, Mislead-type spells.
8. Pieces, when moved, must always be either walking or running on their way to their destination.
9. Pieces may only be moved to either an empty square OR a square that has an opponent's piece on it. If a piece enters their destination square with an opponent's piece on it, battle is joined between those pieces until one piece is defeated or a piece is  moved by a wizard on their turn. Pieces may use anything at their disposal except summons and banned spells. Pieces may not move from their destination square. Once one piece lies defeated, the victorious piece can no longer take any further action (e.g. no healing after the fight).
10. Periodically runes of stored spells may spawn onto the board.

PIECE RULES

PAWN: Pawns can only move forward. On their first move, they can move one or two squares. Afterwards, they can move only one square at a time. They can participate in any ongoing battle diagonally in front of them and can otherwise attack any enemy piece by moving one square forward diagonally. Pawns regenerate slowly.

When a pawn reaches the other side of the board, they can reintroduce any of their wizard's taken pieces at the pawn's discretion or otherwise exchange their helmet for any other chess piece's (excluding the King, and only a Queen's if there is no other in play for their color). If a Pawn chooses to return a piece, they must return to the farthest unoccupied square on the row they're currently standing on ("reset the row").
A wizard may declare a Pawn Royale on their turn (once per game for each wizard), during which all pawns are free to move about the board in a massive free-for-all for 3 minutes (wait for the timer to start) and may attempt to take out any other hostile pawns. Once the timer ends, all action must cease immediately and any remaining pawns must retake their previous position on the board.

BISHOP: Bishops can move any number of squares diagonally. Bishops have True Seeing and access to several supporting spells which they can use at any time along the diagonal lengths they are standing on.

KNIGHT: Knights can move only in an L-shape, one square up and two over, or two squares over and one down, or any such combination of one-two or two-one movements in any direction. Knights can unleash a powerful burst of magical power.

ROOK: Rooks can move any number of squares, up and down and side to side. Rooks are exceptionally sturdy.

QUEEN: Queens can move any number of squares along ranks, files and diagonals. The queen can use all their natural abilities, spells, and any item other than healing on themselves at any point. Queens are Hasted.

KING: Kings can move one square at a time in any direction up to as many times as their wizard has pieces (excluding himself) remaining on the board, in a row. When threatened by a hostile piece ("king in check") the King must either move or otherwise be defended by an allied piece through either blocking access to the King or engaging the piece in hostile combat. If a hostile piece enters the King's square, he may flee in the nearest safest direction up to his maximum allotted movement provided he did not move the previous turn. If he is trapped, he must stand and fight and be defeated as any other remaining piece on the board. Kings are situationally survivable.

Let me know thoughts and ideas in this thread. Helmets will come with Immunity: Fear next time and I'm thinking of giving Pawns Regen 2-3 and some minor elemental resistances.

[tinfoilhat]

This was a lot of fun. From the perspective of playing a bishop, I felt the heal and support powers could be a bit more potent.

Maybe 1-2 charges of the heal spell (maybe restricted to other only), stoneskins, or other powerful buffs to pass onto allies so you can justify positioning your Bishop well or moving them through allies. You only really get enough time to get off one spell if they're passing through a square so cure critical wounds felt a bit weak.

[Stranger]

Cloudkill may be worth adding to the list of forbidden spells.

Knights currently appear to be the least desirable piece type, as good as Opportunist can be. Perhaps they could also receive a few uses of improved invisibility? That would give them more of a bite as both support units and attackers.

[Diabl0658]

I like the changes to wizards throwing spells into the field (trading a turn to allow one spell) but id also recommend another change:

Give the kings helmet some amount of spell resistance, so that trying to clip a king with AoE spells (aimed at a pawn standing infront for example) or sniping them with a PhK is a less reliable strategy.

[whyemmdee]

Suggestions:

- Simplify rules across the board for easier digestion. If anyone wants to rewrite this concisely, let me know.
- No pawn royale for the first few turns. 3? 5?
- Lower Pawn Royale down from 3 minutes to 2?
- No AoE Damage over time spells across the board?
- Give far more defensive capabilities for each helm, perhaps evasion and innate concealment on a select few.  Maybe evasion on all? More damage immunity overall, both physical and elemental.
- Remove wizards casting spells on the board in lieu of a turn? Felt way too impactful early on.
- A minimum of +2 regeneration perhaps for each helm. And then +5 for pawns?
- Standardize weapons - a universal set of weapons. Club, bigger club, throwing clubs.. maybe specialized weapons to go along with the helms? Each with their unique on hit spells.
- Lightning bolts on a color's pieces at random if their wizard is taking too long.
- Perhaps give every helm some more innate form of DR and place Magic Weapon/Greater Magic Weapon orbs around the board to make it more strategic?
- Ban Manfred from play  :o

Basically the goal is to make it more about multiple longer skirmishes, moving pieces to support or moving them away from ongoing fights to save them, rather than having 1 or 2 big pieces blow up the entire board by themselves. AoE spells are superbly powerful here because you can damage multiple  pieces at the same time.

Let me know your suggestions!

[Daemonic Daz]

- If a piece didn't move last turn, it can perform 2-3 actions prior to moving, the actions must be drinking potions or casting spells on themselves.

Aim of this is to avoid the situation where I was steamrolled by a fully buffed queen as I entered the battle to support another piece.

[Mia]

Here is my suggestions to the ruleset;

Find a way to limit splash damage; Either forbid big blasts, add elemental immunities to helmets

Forbid healing; period, not during 1v1s, not during pawn royal, maybe with the only exception that a piece passing through another's field may heal the piece in the existing field there by -one- spell or item. I would remove regeneration. This means pieces become weaker as they are constantly used. I would full heal a pawn if they promote.

Make it so that the King (Perhaps other pieces too, but definitely the King) cannot move through their own pieces. The reason behind it is this; If a King cannot be trapped, and can freely move after being attacked, you basically force the game to go on until every other piece is dead. By changing it so the King cannot, you add that extra layer of strategy original chess has. - If there is no adjacent field empty (bar the one the enemy used to enter), the King must fight or perish.