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Arkham Horror style personal missions
11-29-2012, 09:00 AM
Post: #1
Arkham Horror style personal missions
Some time ago on boardgamegeek, someone floated the idea of introducing personal missions into ATOE. Basically, each character would have a little side-quest, with a win condition and a lose condition. Success would result in something that harms the villain or benefits the heroes in general, but usually has an added perk for the hero in question. Conversely, failure halps the villain or harms the heroes, but usually has a particular penalty for that hero.

I thought it was a great idea, but sadly, it never materialized. I'd like to tackle the project myself, but I'd like some help and input from others on this forum, so I thought I'd open up the thread as a sort of brainstorming session for anyone interested.

I'm a writer, and as such, I'm interested in the idea of conflict and character arcs. I think there is potential to incorporate this concept into the personal stories/missions. Put simply, a character arc represents opposed extremes of a character's nature, typically one is positive and the other is negative. The character struggles between the two and arrives at an outcome that is accordingly either tragic or triumphant depending on which aspect of the character's nature comes out on top.

A possible example in ATOE might involve Victor Danforth. Danforth boasts about ficticious exploits, and wants to be thought of as a hero, but deep down, he has a craven heart full of fear. His character arc is Heroism Vs. Cowardice. His personal mission involves facing his fears and either conquering them or succumbing to them. His mission might look something like this:

VICTOR DANFORTH: "To Play The Hero"
SUCCESS:Victor must either defeat a minion in combat or survive an encounter with the villain in which he sucessfully scores at least one hit against the villain. Proceed to "The Show Must Go On"
FAILURE: Victor flees from combat. Proceed to "Exit, stage-right"

The Show Must Go On!: The famed playwright has found his courage. Have the people of Shadowbrook found a leader? Victor receives a +1 combat marker and 2 +1 honor markers, and can remove one mystery card from play.

Exit, stage-right: Danforth has shamed himself in the sight of his audience, and now, the grip fear holds over him is stronger than ever. The shadow track moves one space closer to darkness. From this point forward, whenever Victor Danforth participates in combat, he must succeed at an honor 5+ check each round or flee from combat.

So, that's one example I came up with. What do you guys think? Do you have any ideas?
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11-29-2012, 02:48 PM
Post: #2
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
That is a great idea! I love it.

The questions I have is can the bonus/penalties be re-established after each fight with a minion or the villain? So let's say he won a fight against a minion, The Show Must Go On, he gets the bonus combat and honor and removes a mystery card. However next round he faces another minion, but in the middle of battle he freezes and fails and get's ko'd. Therefore, Exit Stage-right, He loses the The Show Must Go On bonuses and gains the Exit Stage-right penalties.

The second is would this work in a competitive game or just coop? Because if competitive, it may give other players a much higher advantage.

I guess another one could be:

Isabella von Took: Hero or Impudent Deceiver
Any time Isabella would receive an Item or Ally from a Corner Location, roll Honor 5+.

Success: Proceed to You may join me

Failure: Proceed to Your insolence is intolerable

You may join me: The Item or ally doubles their effect. If an ability is activated upon discard, the player may keep the card only after the first time this benefit is used, the next time will require discard.

Your insolence is intolerable Isabella does not gain the item or ally, and she must discard one item or ally card in her possession (does not gain discard abilities).

-W.J.
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11-29-2012, 03:54 PM
Post: #3
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
(11-29-2012 02:48 PM)Wasteland Jack Wrote:  That is a great idea! I love it.

The questions I have is can the bonus/penalties be re-established after each fight with a minion or the villain? So let's say he won a fight against a minion, The Show Must Go On, he gets the bonus combat and honor and removes a mystery card. However next round he faces another minion, but in the middle of battle he freezes and fails and get's ko'd. Therefore, Exit Stage-right, He loses the The Show Must Go On bonuses and gains the Exit Stage-right penalties.

The second is would this work in a competitive game or just coop? Because if competitive, it may give other players a much higher advantage.

I guess another one could be:

Isabella von Took: Hero or Impudent Deceiver
Any time Isabella would receive an Item or Ally from a Corner Location, roll Honor 5+.

Success: Proceed to You may join me

Failure: Proceed to Your insolence is intolerable

You may join me: The Item or ally doubles their effect. If an ability is activated upon discard, the player may keep the card only after the first time this benefit is used, the next time will require discard.

Your insolence is intolerable Isabella does not gain the item or ally, and she must discard one item or ally card in her possession (does not gain discard abilities).

-W.J.

In arkham horror, i'm pretty sure the benefit or penalty is locked in permanently once the conditions are met. I made the penalty for danforth stiff because fleeing is almost always voluntary. I like your idea for von took, but there's an element missing- the pass/fail should impact the entire group in some way, either positively or negatively, though the central character should be affected more than the others
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11-29-2012, 04:40 PM
Post: #4
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
I this idea and your example TMFS.
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11-29-2012, 09:34 PM
Post: #5
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
(11-29-2012 04:40 PM)wisdomknight Wrote:  I this idea and your example TMFS.
Thanks, dude. I'll come up with some more of them soon. Let me know if you have any ideas
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11-29-2012, 10:04 PM
Post: #6
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
(11-29-2012 09:34 PM)themanfromsaturn Wrote:  
(11-29-2012 04:40 PM)wisdomknight Wrote:  I this idea and your example TMFS.
Thanks, dude. I'll come up with some more of them soon. Let me know if you have any ideas

I will.
And I can help with any card designs (templates) if needed.
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11-30-2012, 01:15 AM
Post: #7
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
I saw that thread at BGG, loved the idea, & was sad it never came to be as well. I'll have to dig it up again to see what the original few that were mentioned were like. Here's just a few rambling observations:

1) Need to make sure the threat matches the reward & vice versa. A simple task to perform should only net a small gain & vice versa.

2) Should they be simple things, like defeat a minion, or multi part tasks? Both? I kind of like the idea of having to acomplish a series of things. But obviously, not too many, nor all of them too difficult, or else the focus of the game becomes about trying to complete a laundry list. Freak02

3) Look at Ninjadorg's "Investigation Deck" over at BGG & Prf. Fate's "Hunting The Night" here on TZG for inspiration. The former in particular is good simple missions & the latter gives a good idea on what multi part ones could be like.

4) I'd like to see multiple ones for each Hero. Doesn't have to be a slew. Even 3 would be good. that way one could randomize & not have the same story evert time. Watchmen02

If I can I'll try to contribute more as time permits. Watchmen02
---MS

"If you had any sense, you'd leave now! Get out while ya still can! It's too late for th' rest'a us. The Horseman rides tonight, an' he's comin' to take us all ta Hell!"
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11-30-2012, 08:08 PM
Post: #8
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
(11-29-2012 03:54 PM)themanfromsaturn Wrote:  
(11-29-2012 02:48 PM)Wasteland Jack Wrote:  That is a great idea! I love it.

The questions I have is can the bonus/penalties be re-established after each fight with a minion or the villain? So let's say he won a fight against a minion, The Show Must Go On, he gets the bonus combat and honor and removes a mystery card. However next round he faces another minion, but in the middle of battle he freezes and fails and get's ko'd. Therefore, Exit Stage-right, He loses the The Show Must Go On bonuses and gains the Exit Stage-right penalties.

The second is would this work in a competitive game or just coop? Because if competitive, it may give other players a much higher advantage.

I guess another one could be:

Isabella von Took: Hero or Impudent Deceiver
Any time Isabella would receive an Item or Ally from a Corner Location, roll Honor 5+.

Success: Proceed to You may join me

Failure: Proceed to Your insolence is intolerable

You may join me: The Item or ally doubles their effect. If an ability is activated upon discard, the player may keep the card only after the first time this benefit is used, the next time will require discard.

Your insolence is intolerable Isabella does not gain the item or ally, and she must discard one item or ally card in her possession (does not gain discard abilities).

-W.J.

In arkham horror, i'm pretty sure the benefit or penalty is locked in permanently once the conditions are met. I made the penalty for danforth stiff because fleeing is almost always voluntary. I like your idea for von took, but there's an element missing- the pass/fail should impact the entire group in some way, either positively or negatively, though the central character should be affected more than the others

It's been a long time since I played AH so I don't quite remember rules that much. I was just putting out there that sometime people could redeem themselves so play it each time. Hey, call it a a variant of a variant.

As for Isabella, if you were to make the ramifications global maybe I would revise:

You may join me: The Item or ally doubles their effect. If an ability is activated upon discard, the player may keep the card only after the first time this benefit is used, the next time will require discard. Any Player in a showdown may double the assisting Town Elders Ability

Your insolence is intolerable Isabella does not gain the item or ally, and she must discard one item or ally card in her possession (does not gain discard abilities). Any player forming a hunting party, must roll Honor 6+ test, if failed, the Town Elder leaves their party and the showdown starts.
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12-01-2012, 04:14 PM
Post: #9
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
Does anyone here have the arkham horror supplement that includes the personal missions? A good starting point might be to look at what they came up with and adapt the missions for the corresponding characters- for instance, ashcan pete the hobo's mission would probably go well with cartwright the drifter.
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12-02-2012, 03:27 PM
Post: #10
RE: Arkham Horror style personal missions
(12-01-2012 04:14 PM)themanfromsaturn Wrote:  Does anyone here have the arkham horror supplement that includes the personal missions? A good starting point might be to look at what they came up with and adapt the missions for the corresponding characters- for instance, ashcan pete the hobo's mission would probably go well with cartwright the drifter.

Ok, I found an arkham horror wiki that has all the personal missions. I'm not going to straight-up cut and paste them over, but a lot of them are close enough to ATOE characters that they can at least provide a jumping off point.
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