The Witch-King
2012-01-02, 03:37 AM
Hi homebrewers!
I need help creating a wizard's duel game for a group of children. My local church does a Hogwarts-themed summer camp for kids and the kids want to be able to play a wizard's dueling game. Currently, they have the kids stand across the room from each other and take turns. You point a dowel at the other person and say the name of the spell you're casting and then you get to toss a bean bag at them and if it hits, you score a point.
Now--I'm thinking there's gotta be a better way to make a game of this type. The problem is making a game that's interesting but at the same time, not too complex. This is what I've come up with so far. It's a work in progress. I should probably also add that what I've come up with isn't that Harry Potteresque but it could be.
Wizarding Duels
A duel consists of a fight between two wizards. All you need for play is paper and pencil, one 20-sided die, three pennies for each player, three nickles for each player and some glass beads (like for Go, Pente or Magic: The Gathering).
Character Creation: Each player creates their wizard before play. A Wizard has a name, and three styles of magic.
A style of magic consists of a Color and four Power Words.
The Colors are: Red, White, Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Brown, Pink, Silver and Gold.
What a Color means is up to you but here are some examples:
{table=head]Color|Meaning
Red|Fire
White|Winter, Healing, Protection
Black|Shadow
Blue|Water, Ice, Air
Green|Forest, Plant, Elf
Purple|Night
Brown|Animal, Earth
Pink|Fairy, Love
Silver|Moon
Gold|Sun
[/table]
These are just suggestions. If to you dragons are Green and you want Green to be Dragon Magic for your wizard, that's fine.
Power Words: Power Words are things magic can do. When you cast a spell, if the description of the spell matches what one of the power words for that style can do, you get a bonus.
Paralyze--Paralyze an opponent temporarily.
Blast--Blast them with fire or an explosion.
Zap--Zap them with lightning.
Bash--Bash them with a rock or something heavy.
Call--Call animals or monsters or soldiers to fight for you.
Protect--Defend yourself with a magic shield.
Hex--Place a curse on someone, like maybe a curse of clumsiness.
Move--Make something fly or teleport or swim or be carried along on a wave of sand or something.
Trick--Trick someone with illusions for example.
Trap--Tie someone up with growing vines or shadowy tentacles.
Hide--Hide your wizard with a mist or maybe a spell of invisibility.
Read--Predict your opponent's future actions through mind-reading or empathy.
Create--Make a wall or a sword or some other object.
Enchant--Make something better with magic, like make a sword magical so it does more damage.
Heal--Heal wounds, cuts and bruises.
Note: No, there's no real difference between Blast, Zap and Bash, and no real difference between Paralyze and Trap. It's just to give the kids more options.
Sample magic styles:
Snake Magic
Color: Green. Power Words: Call, Trap, Bash, Paralyze.
Storm Magic
Color: Blue. Power Words: Zap, Move, Bash, Hide.
Fox Magic
Color: Red. Power Words: Trick, Hide, Move, Call.
Arabian Sand Magic
Color: Brown. Power Words: Trick, Hide, Move, Trap.
Note: There's nothing stopping a player from using the same Power Words in two or even all three styles. When a Power Word is used, it is used with that particular style and the beads that mark this only pertain to that particular Power Word. So if John uses Ogre Magic to Bash Bobby's wizard, the bead he puts down on Bash under Ogre Magic doesn't affect his use of the Bash Power Word for Storm Magic if his wizard has both Ogre Magic and Storm Magic.
Once you've got a Character created, you're ready for play.
Players play a round of Rock, Scissors, Paper to see who goes first.
Turn Sequence:
The player who's turn it is is referred to as the Attacker and the non-phasing player as the Defender.
Roll For Flow:
The attacker rolls a 20-sided die and consults the Flow table.
{table=head]Die Roll|Color
1-2|Red
3-4|White
5-6|Black
7-8|Blue
9-10|Green
11-12|Purple
13-14|Brown
15-16|Pink
17-18|Silver
19-20|Gold
[/table]
The Flow represents the flow of magic in the universe at that time.
Whatever Color the roll indicates is Up. If a player's Color is Up, then he or she gains a bonus when using Spells of that Color.
Recovery Phase:
The attacker removes one penny, one nickle and one bead from on top of his/her character sheet.
Action Phase:
The attacker can either Cast a Spell or Pool Mana. The player can also Alter Flow.
Alter Flow: Alter Flow can be done in conjunction with Cast a Spell or Pool Mana. If the player chooses to Alter Flow, he or she can reroll the Flow die for a new color. If the same Color comes up again, it stays. A player can only do this once every three turns and so the player puts down three nickles to indicate this.
Pool Mana: By taking a moment to replenish one's magical energies, the player can remove all beads from off of his or her character sheet. However, this can only be done every three turns and so the player puts down three pennies to indicate this.
Cast a Spell: A Spell consists of a name, if the player can think of one and a description of what the spell does. If the Spell makes use of that style's Power Words in its description then the player gets a bonus.
Casting a Spell is an opposed roll. The attacker gives the Color, name (if any) and description of the spell, including what Power Words are being used in the spell.
Note: There's NO BREAKING and NO STEALING. If a player describes their wizard using a wand or a magic sword or a shield or whatever, your description cannot include breaking or stealing their tool.
The attacker then rolls a d20.
Modifiers:
If the spell has a cool name: +2.
If the spell makes use of a fresh Power Word (one that doesn't have a bead on it): +3.
If the spell makes use of a used Power Word (one with one or more beads on it): +1.
If the attacker's Color is Up: +4.
The defender then rolls a d20.
If the spell has a cool name: +2.
If the spell makes use of a fresh Power Word (one that doesn't have a bead on it): +3.
If the spell makes use of a used Power Word (one with one or more beads on it): +1.
If the defender's Color is Up: +4.
If the attacker's modified roll is higher than the defender's modified roll, then the attacker gains 1 Advantage Point.
If the attacker's modified roll is twice that or higher than the defender's modified roll, the attacker gains 2 Advantage Points.
If the defender's modified roll is twice that or higher than the defender's modified roll, the defender may remove one penny, nickle or bead from off of his or her character sheet.
The first wizard to reach 10 Advantage Points wins.
Attacker or defender: If you use a Power Word, you put a bead on that Power Word.
Example Turn:
Rick is playing High Wizard Karik.
Susan is playing Snake Charmer Nys'iss.
Susan wins the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and goes first.
She rolls for Flow and the Flow is White. Neither Susan nor Rick have any White styles so she decides to leave the Flow alone for now.
Susan decides to cast a Spell.
She uses Green Snake Magic. She decides to cast a spell she calls Serpent's Alarm. She describes this as Nys'iss ringing a bell which magically summons snakes to come to her aid and bite Karik with their poison fangs. She is using the Power Words Call and Paralyze.
Rick decides to defend Karik with Blue Storm Magic. He casts a spell he calls Rising Storm. He describes this as swirling mists forming around Karik and bolts of lightning stabbing outward to attack the incoming snakes. He is using the Power Words Hide and Zap.
Susan rolls a d20. She adds +2 for a name, and +6 for the two Power Words she has used. She gets a total result of 17.
Rick rolls a d20. He adds +2 for a name and +6 for the two Power Words he has used. His result is an 11.
Since Susan has scored higher than Rick but not twice as high, she gains an Advantage Point in the duel.
Both Susan and Rick then place beads on the Power Words they used for those particular styles and it is now the beginning of Rick's turn.
I need help creating a wizard's duel game for a group of children. My local church does a Hogwarts-themed summer camp for kids and the kids want to be able to play a wizard's dueling game. Currently, they have the kids stand across the room from each other and take turns. You point a dowel at the other person and say the name of the spell you're casting and then you get to toss a bean bag at them and if it hits, you score a point.
Now--I'm thinking there's gotta be a better way to make a game of this type. The problem is making a game that's interesting but at the same time, not too complex. This is what I've come up with so far. It's a work in progress. I should probably also add that what I've come up with isn't that Harry Potteresque but it could be.
Wizarding Duels
A duel consists of a fight between two wizards. All you need for play is paper and pencil, one 20-sided die, three pennies for each player, three nickles for each player and some glass beads (like for Go, Pente or Magic: The Gathering).
Character Creation: Each player creates their wizard before play. A Wizard has a name, and three styles of magic.
A style of magic consists of a Color and four Power Words.
The Colors are: Red, White, Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Brown, Pink, Silver and Gold.
What a Color means is up to you but here are some examples:
{table=head]Color|Meaning
Red|Fire
White|Winter, Healing, Protection
Black|Shadow
Blue|Water, Ice, Air
Green|Forest, Plant, Elf
Purple|Night
Brown|Animal, Earth
Pink|Fairy, Love
Silver|Moon
Gold|Sun
[/table]
These are just suggestions. If to you dragons are Green and you want Green to be Dragon Magic for your wizard, that's fine.
Power Words: Power Words are things magic can do. When you cast a spell, if the description of the spell matches what one of the power words for that style can do, you get a bonus.
Paralyze--Paralyze an opponent temporarily.
Blast--Blast them with fire or an explosion.
Zap--Zap them with lightning.
Bash--Bash them with a rock or something heavy.
Call--Call animals or monsters or soldiers to fight for you.
Protect--Defend yourself with a magic shield.
Hex--Place a curse on someone, like maybe a curse of clumsiness.
Move--Make something fly or teleport or swim or be carried along on a wave of sand or something.
Trick--Trick someone with illusions for example.
Trap--Tie someone up with growing vines or shadowy tentacles.
Hide--Hide your wizard with a mist or maybe a spell of invisibility.
Read--Predict your opponent's future actions through mind-reading or empathy.
Create--Make a wall or a sword or some other object.
Enchant--Make something better with magic, like make a sword magical so it does more damage.
Heal--Heal wounds, cuts and bruises.
Note: No, there's no real difference between Blast, Zap and Bash, and no real difference between Paralyze and Trap. It's just to give the kids more options.
Sample magic styles:
Snake Magic
Color: Green. Power Words: Call, Trap, Bash, Paralyze.
Storm Magic
Color: Blue. Power Words: Zap, Move, Bash, Hide.
Fox Magic
Color: Red. Power Words: Trick, Hide, Move, Call.
Arabian Sand Magic
Color: Brown. Power Words: Trick, Hide, Move, Trap.
Note: There's nothing stopping a player from using the same Power Words in two or even all three styles. When a Power Word is used, it is used with that particular style and the beads that mark this only pertain to that particular Power Word. So if John uses Ogre Magic to Bash Bobby's wizard, the bead he puts down on Bash under Ogre Magic doesn't affect his use of the Bash Power Word for Storm Magic if his wizard has both Ogre Magic and Storm Magic.
Once you've got a Character created, you're ready for play.
Players play a round of Rock, Scissors, Paper to see who goes first.
Turn Sequence:
The player who's turn it is is referred to as the Attacker and the non-phasing player as the Defender.
Roll For Flow:
The attacker rolls a 20-sided die and consults the Flow table.
{table=head]Die Roll|Color
1-2|Red
3-4|White
5-6|Black
7-8|Blue
9-10|Green
11-12|Purple
13-14|Brown
15-16|Pink
17-18|Silver
19-20|Gold
[/table]
The Flow represents the flow of magic in the universe at that time.
Whatever Color the roll indicates is Up. If a player's Color is Up, then he or she gains a bonus when using Spells of that Color.
Recovery Phase:
The attacker removes one penny, one nickle and one bead from on top of his/her character sheet.
Action Phase:
The attacker can either Cast a Spell or Pool Mana. The player can also Alter Flow.
Alter Flow: Alter Flow can be done in conjunction with Cast a Spell or Pool Mana. If the player chooses to Alter Flow, he or she can reroll the Flow die for a new color. If the same Color comes up again, it stays. A player can only do this once every three turns and so the player puts down three nickles to indicate this.
Pool Mana: By taking a moment to replenish one's magical energies, the player can remove all beads from off of his or her character sheet. However, this can only be done every three turns and so the player puts down three pennies to indicate this.
Cast a Spell: A Spell consists of a name, if the player can think of one and a description of what the spell does. If the Spell makes use of that style's Power Words in its description then the player gets a bonus.
Casting a Spell is an opposed roll. The attacker gives the Color, name (if any) and description of the spell, including what Power Words are being used in the spell.
Note: There's NO BREAKING and NO STEALING. If a player describes their wizard using a wand or a magic sword or a shield or whatever, your description cannot include breaking or stealing their tool.
The attacker then rolls a d20.
Modifiers:
If the spell has a cool name: +2.
If the spell makes use of a fresh Power Word (one that doesn't have a bead on it): +3.
If the spell makes use of a used Power Word (one with one or more beads on it): +1.
If the attacker's Color is Up: +4.
The defender then rolls a d20.
If the spell has a cool name: +2.
If the spell makes use of a fresh Power Word (one that doesn't have a bead on it): +3.
If the spell makes use of a used Power Word (one with one or more beads on it): +1.
If the defender's Color is Up: +4.
If the attacker's modified roll is higher than the defender's modified roll, then the attacker gains 1 Advantage Point.
If the attacker's modified roll is twice that or higher than the defender's modified roll, the attacker gains 2 Advantage Points.
If the defender's modified roll is twice that or higher than the defender's modified roll, the defender may remove one penny, nickle or bead from off of his or her character sheet.
The first wizard to reach 10 Advantage Points wins.
Attacker or defender: If you use a Power Word, you put a bead on that Power Word.
Example Turn:
Rick is playing High Wizard Karik.
Susan is playing Snake Charmer Nys'iss.
Susan wins the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and goes first.
She rolls for Flow and the Flow is White. Neither Susan nor Rick have any White styles so she decides to leave the Flow alone for now.
Susan decides to cast a Spell.
She uses Green Snake Magic. She decides to cast a spell she calls Serpent's Alarm. She describes this as Nys'iss ringing a bell which magically summons snakes to come to her aid and bite Karik with their poison fangs. She is using the Power Words Call and Paralyze.
Rick decides to defend Karik with Blue Storm Magic. He casts a spell he calls Rising Storm. He describes this as swirling mists forming around Karik and bolts of lightning stabbing outward to attack the incoming snakes. He is using the Power Words Hide and Zap.
Susan rolls a d20. She adds +2 for a name, and +6 for the two Power Words she has used. She gets a total result of 17.
Rick rolls a d20. He adds +2 for a name and +6 for the two Power Words he has used. His result is an 11.
Since Susan has scored higher than Rick but not twice as high, she gains an Advantage Point in the duel.
Both Susan and Rick then place beads on the Power Words they used for those particular styles and it is now the beginning of Rick's turn.