Character's Abilities Each of the characters needs to be given abilities, relevant to the rules being used. We have our own, and they have the following set of factors: All the factors are %'s, and the higher they are the better the character is at that skill/ability. The exception is Threshold, which is a distance in inches, and determines how close the enemy have to be before the character must take a Panic Test. The Rules CHARACTER'S ABILITIES 1: Move Move/Surrender Agility Move Riding 2: Action Dexterity - - - 3: Fire Fire Control Rifle Pistol Throw 4: Melee Weapons Fists Strength - 5: Shock Serious Wounds Light Wounds - - 6: React Reaction Panic Threshold - The rules we are using are our own Skirmish Colonial Period with the specially written additional 'game specific' rules which follow added to give a chance of 'real' events happening during the game. You can of course use any suitable Colonial wargames rules, using the Special Rules to create the specific feel of the real events. The Special Rules Starting groups and positions We put the fugitives into 9 groups, on the basis that there was some sticking together. You could, of course, simply treat each character separately. To determine where each group comes onto the table, each group throws 2D6 and % dice. The % determines the % along the rear short end of the table and the 2D6 the number of inches in from that end of the table that the group starts. The groups were: 1. Troopers Hayes and Dorehill of the NMP. 2. Smith, Curling and Costello of RA 3. Davies, Gardner and Cochrane 4. Melvill and Coghill 5. Wassall, Power and Gascoigne 6. Barker and Tarboton 7. Essex, Smith Dorrien, Stafford and Erskine 8. Brickhill, Macphail, Vereker and Aynsley 9. Dubois, Molife, Vause and Masopha Obviously the number of groups can be adjusted to suit the number of players, or indeed they can act independently if there are enough players to each take 1 fugitive. Be warned, though, that the odds are heavily against all the fugitives making it, so one character each could mean a short game for some players! Random Character Identification During the game, events may occur which require a character to be selected at random. Use the table below to do this: 01-04 Hayes 05-08 Dorehill 09-12 Smith 13-16 Curling 17-20 Costello 21-24 Davies 25-28 Gardner 29-32 Cochrane 33-36 Melvill 37-40 Coghill 41-44 Wassall 45-48 Power 49-52 Gascoigne 53-56 Barker 57-60 Tarboton 61-64 Essex 65-68 Smith-Dorrien 69-72 Stafford 73-76 Erskine 77-80 Brickhill 81-84 Vereker 85-88 Aynsley 89-92 Dubois 93-96 Molife 97-00 Vause and Masopha Special Character Rules Mr James A. Brickhill was reliant on spectacles which he lost during the flight. On a roll of '00' he will have ridden into marshy ground, his horse reared and his spectacles to have come off. Next turn he has 50% chance of getting out of the marsh. If he gets out of the marsh, he carries on without his spectacles. If he doesn't, then he dismounts and subsequent turns has 10% chance per turn of finding spectacles. If 90% or over is rolled during this period he then decides to go on without them, 50% chance per turn of getting out of the bog. Control horse as per riderless animals if/when he continues without spectacles. Smith-Dorrien was riding a broken kneed horse until he lost it. If he begins the game mounted then halve the horses movement. Major Stuart Smith Royal Artillery, is riding a thoroughbred horse: Black Eagle, 2D6+2 for movement. He starts the game with a Light Left Arm injury. Lt Neville Coghill starts the game with a Light leg Wound. Half movement on foot (rounded up). Turn Sequence 1. Establish any 'Event' 2. Calculate effect of events, including bringing on new Zulu groups 3. British move 4. Zulu Move 5. Riderless animal move 6. British Actions 7. Zulu Actions 8. British Firing 9. Zulu Firing 10. Melee 11. Check Wound Shock in preparation for next move 12. Check Reaction in preparation for next move 13. Check Panic in preparation for next move 14. Calculate Zulu morale in preparation for next move Events Roll % dice,there is a 10% chance of an 'event'. If an 'event' occurs roll % dice to determine the effect. 01% British character killed by distant Zulu firing. Randomly determine which character. 02% British character/mount hit by distant Zulu firing. Random character/mount, 99% chance for wound 03% Saddle/Equipment strap breaks, random character falls off/trips over - injury from falls. 04% Horse goes lame/character sprains ankle subsequently halve all movement. 05% Character/Horse slips/trips injury from falls to character or horse. Riders stay mounted. 06% Characters ammunition bag/bandoleer comes off 07% Character drops firearm 08% Character drops main melee weapon 09% Character/Horse exhausted. Stops no matter what and gives up until reaction roll of 20% is successful. 10% Character finds four Swinburne Henry carbines (50% chance of each being loaded. 11-25% Zulu's Appear* pursuing characters (rear short table end) 26-45% Zulu's Appear* from the Zulu right horn (rear table length) 46-51% Zulu's Appear* pursuing (appearing on front table length) 52-55% Zulu's Appear* along the riverbank 56-60% Single Zulu ambushes (appears from nowhere) randomly chosen fugitive 61-100%all act normally Character/Horse above refers to a character selected by random. *Number of Zulu's Appearing Roll % dice once for chart, second time to determine % of distance down the table side they appear. 01 - 10% 2 Zulu 11 - 20% 3 Zulu 21 - 30% 4 Zulu 31 - 40% 5 Zulu 41 - 50% 6 Zulu 51 - 60% 7 Zulu 61 - 70% 8 Zulu 71 - 80% 9 Zulu 81 - 90% 10 Zulu 91 - 99% 12 Zulu 100% 24 Zulu Movement Any British character wishing to do anything other than move away from Zulu's or towards the river must make their Bravery roll each and every turn. Any movement involving mounts and difficult terrain features (eg jumping or ascending/descending steep slopes will require a successful Riding Ability % roll each and every turn of the activity. Zulu's will not enter the river nor mount horses or other animals. Zulu Attack Priorities Zulu's will attack characters with the following priorities Nearest threat Nearest enemy Red coated character/s Other white characters Other black characters Movement Rates Movement is randomised, deliberately, to create tension as the fugitives and pursuers move closer together and then further apart etc. In The River - Swimming & Drowning MOVEMENT RATE Character Type Normal Serious or Leg Wound In River Lt. troops/officers & native infantry 1D6+2 Half rate 1D6 halved* +1D6 with flow British Infantry 1D6+1 Half rate 1D6 halved* +1D6 with flow Zulu's 1D6+3 No further pursuit N/A Horses 2D6 Half rate 1D6 +1D6 with flow Mules/Oxen etc 1D6+2 Half rate 1D6 +1D6 with flow Impala/Zebra 2D6 Half rate 1D6 +1D6 with flow * See conditions in paragraph "In The River" below. Fugitives in the river have a swimming ability [generate randomly] which they must pass to swim * If swimming % roll made successfully, otherwise just 1D6 with the flow. If swimming % roll failed, and try again next turn -, reducing swimming ability % by 10%. 5 failures in a row means character is drowned. If roll made successfully after a failure, restore the % roll to the fugitives normal rate. Movement Direction of Uncontrolled/riderless Animals Roll % dice 01 - 10% 90 degrees to animal's left 11 - 30% 45 degrees to animal's left 31 - 69% Straight ahead 70 - 89% 45 degrees to animals right 90 - 99% 90 degrees to animals right 100% Animal falls over, rider must throw for injury from falls Catching & Mounting Horses/Mules Any character can attempt to catch a horse or mule by coming into base to base contact with the creature. Roll % dice to achieve under the average of riding ability and agility to catch the creature and the same again the following phase/s to mount the creature. If attempting to do all in one turn half the average of riding and agility (if this fails - injury from falls). Other animals will automatically throw the character attempting to ride it - Injury from falls. Zulu Morale/Pursuit Under certain circumstances Zulus will check their morale to continue pursuit. 1. When the group leader or Induna is seriously wounded or killed 2. When 50% of the group have been seriously wounded or killed or routed 3. After each subsequent serious wounding or killing or routing of a group member after 50%. 4. When another group of 3 or more Zulu's routs within sight. If the Zulu fails his % roll by over 10% he routs away from the British in the direction of the nearest 'friendly' baseline. If a Zulu fails his % roll by under 10% he will take cover/go to ground until a subsequent successful/unsuccessful morale check dictates otherwise. Test Induna/group leaders first, followed by veterans, then averages then novices. Routs in the same turn count towards subsequent %'s in the same turn. The basic chance of a Zulu routing is 5% modified by the following factors: + 20% Induna or group leader seriously wounded, killed or rout + 5% Each Zulu in the group seriously wounded, killed or rout + 10% Zulu testing is wounded + 10% Over 20 yards from enemies + 10% Zulu testing is a veteran or average + 10% In the open with little or no cover between self and enemy + 10% Each other group of 3 or more Zulu's routing in sight - 10% Zulu testing is a novice - 10% Within 20 yards of enemies - 10% Able to use cover to stay put or advance - 5% Each other Zulu group of 3 or more advancing in sight More Fugitive's Drift Aftermath of Isandlhwana: Introduction and Historical Situation Aftermath of Isandlhwana: Character and Special Rules Aftermath of Isandlhwana: The Refight Game Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #77 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by The Courier Publishing Company. 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