"Battle Troll"

Optional Rules

by Howard Whitehouse

HERO ATTRIBUTES:

Because some heroes are better than other heroes --- either base this on the scenario, or roll 4 D6 and pick an attribute for each '6' that comes up. (Or select for random attributes any way you like.)

    TROLL-BLOODED: Gets extra D6 for 'swing' attack.
    AGILE: gets extra D6 when using 'jump back' or 'leap aside'options.
    LUCKY: Gets a one free re-roll per turn, to be used at any time.
    FLEET-FOOT; 1 extra D6 movement
    IRON-WON'T-BITE: -1 to all wound effects scores against him.
    EAGLE EYE: Add 1 to hit with bows, always spots hidden enemies.
    MIGHTY ARM: Add 1 to hit score for effects on wounds for thrown missiles.
    BERSERK RAGE: Roll D6 per turn, enter rage on 5-6. See berserker rule.
    RUNE-CARVED WEAPON: Roll D6: 1-4 = + 1 weapon, 5-6 = +2 weapon. Name it.
    CLEVER-TONGUED: double scores for shaming enemy, double loss for #A&,!!
    SPEAR-FEATS: If a spear is thrown at you, catch it for 1 5-6 and get free throw back!
    TWO-WEAPONS: Can use two weapons at once, making two attacks per turn (no shield)

Get one of these for each '1' , or pick these for your opponents!

    LAME: Loses 1136 for movement.
    ACCURSED: Opponent may demand one re-roll in any round of close combat.
    FEEBLE: Add 1 to all wound effect scores against him.
    CLUMSY: lose 1 D6 when using jump back'or'leap aside'options.
    BOASTFUL: Double all RP losses (you arrogant ----
    CRUEL: Neither gives nor receives quarter.
    CRIPPLEHAND: -1 to 'swing' attacks.
    HATES-HIS-FOE: Will always stay in melee with first opponent until one is dead.
    FOOLISH VOW: Has stupidly sworn to never use a shield, what were you thinking ?
    LIKES-HIS-MEAD: Roll for accident on any failed attack.
    MISSED-THE-BARN: -1 from all archer's shots.
    NITHING: Will crave quarter after any wound, even a slight one.
    USELESS SHIELD: Breaks on damaee blow of 4-6.

BERSERKERS

Wolf-skinned are they called. In battle They bear bloody shields. Red with blood are their spears when they come to fight."

--Thorbjorn Hornklofi, 'The Raven's Tale'

Berserkers are generally depicted in the sagas less as terrifying armed madmen than as dimwitted thugs with poor social skills. When in a berserk rage, do not count the effects of any wound or slight wound until after the end of a melee. At this point, if the game continues, roll again; on 4-6 the berserker continues to be upset about things, and remains enraged. If not, he notices that he is bleeding, and counts the effect of them henceforth. It is considered conventional for berserkers to fight stripped to the waist, helmet-less and usually without shield, having thrown it away after chewing on the rim, as anyone might.

NAMED WEAPONS:

'Then she took from under her mantle a sword all ready for use, a valuable possession. She said: 'This was the sword of Jokull, my father's father and of the ancient Vatnsdal men, in whose hands it was blessed with victory. I give it to you; use it well'.

--Grettir's Saga

*The Vikings valued their weapons, and good blades, especially, might be named, like Bolli's "Legbiter". These rare weapons, primarily swords and axes, will add +1 or +2 to damage rolls once a hit has been made.

DUELLING

'This violent Valkyrie-maddened
Shield-swallowing villain;
The Glaring god-feaster
Goes to his own death.'

--Egil's Saga

One form of solution to a dispute was the duel, a holdover from the Germanic Iron Age period. It wasn't very fair, and tended to be used as a way for large, unpleasant types to bully weaker and older men out of their property or risk dismemberment in public. It often took place on a small island. How it works in Battle-Troll is thus:

An area notionally 7 1/2" square is roped off with hazel branches around a cloth or skin laid on the ground. This is too small to manoeuvre the model figures, so increase it to 2" or a bit more in size. The contenders fight until first blood, though it is held that if one man is pushed back once (to the edge of the ring) he has 'retreated' and twice in succession has put both feet out of the ring and conceded defeat. In the case of the accuser being forced out of the ring or wounded he had to redeem himself in the amount of the property at stake, or in case of his death, lose all his property. If the defender lost, he lost whatever the stake had been decided on. See the duel scenario from Egil's Saga in the book of scenarios, "The Raven's Tale".

TRADING WOUNDS FOR KARLS

A hero who is being supported by one or more karls in a melee may choose - if he receives a wound or slight wound - to let a hapless karl take a fatal blow rather than accept the cut himself. The poor bastards just fall in front of the foeman's blade.

UNPREDICTABLE UNDERLINGS

To make things a bit tricky, lets say that - if using the three playing card method of sequencing - when the ace is drawn, all members of a faction can do whatever their owner wishes. On a two, the hero and anyone with him can also 'follow orders', but any of the band that is operating at a distance - let's say 6" from the hero's group cannot enter a new combat. On a three, the same applies, but the isolated Norsemen cannot advance at all, and will not begin any kind of new activity except immediate self defence.

COURAGE

"--and then, at the same time, we'll shout a war cry at them. I daresay this will shake them. Now I come to think of it, they might even run off into the forest and save us any more trouble."

--Arrow Odd's Saga

"--the bonders had a strong army and began the battle as soon as they met; but they soon fell short, and took to flight. "

--St Olaf's Saga

Generally our saga heroes are absurdly brave, just the way we like 'em. Their minions may be less bold. If a karl is pushed back three times in succession while in close combat, he runs away. If a karl's best roll in a round of combat against a hero is a '1', he also runs away if he is not slain. If all the heroes are killed or captured, and no karl is working his way up to hero status to take over, then the karls will either crave quarter or runs away. Heroes do not flee, but can ask for quarter when it seems necessary; old Norse heroes are practical men not given to foolishness.

  • hero will lose 1 RP for craving quarter when wounded.
  • hero will lose 2RPs for craving quarter when slightly wounded.
  • hero will lose 4 RPs for craving quarter when unhurt.
  • hero will lose no RPs for craving quarter when gravely wounded.

An adversary who refuses to give quarter when asked will lose D6 RPs for his lack of generosity; apart from looking bad, he risks running up an enormous cost in man-price.

SHIPS, BOATS AND FLOATING THINGS

"He sent his ships forward into the channel so that as there was plenty of sea room behind them, they could retire by merely backing their oars."

--Grettir's Saga

Battle-Troll is not intended as a set of rules to fight full scale naval actions (I wrote a set, 'The Long Serpent', lo these many years ago) but some small nautical combats can be covered by this game.

Without getting into the complex and difficult world of winds, tides and currents, we might suggest that a small boat, adequately crewed, can move 3D6" in favourable conditions, 2D6" upstream or against a current by rowing. It could sail the same distance with a smaller crew with a good wind. An ocean going sailing ship would sail more swiftly with a following wind (4D6") but most merchant ships would not have enough crew to row easily against tides or currents (1d6'). The famous Viking long ships were coastal raiders of dubious seaworthiness best used in sheltered waters, and probably fast in smooth water (3D6" rowed or sailed with a side wind, 5d6" running or quartering). They can, of course, move slower.

Viking naval combat was much like land battle in style. Ships would come alongside, grapple and board. Ramming was not really a part of this, though we may assume that a competent captain would take his chance to shear the oars of an adversary or smash into a smaller vessel to knock her off balance.

Each man available to throw a grappling hook (i.e. not rowing or steering) will succeed on a 5 or 6. The defender may try to cut grapples on his own card for the same scores. Once grappled, the boarder may hurl his whole crew onto the foe's deck on his next card, and, indeed, the grapple-ee may choose to board the attacker. Fight the combat normally, but the defender gets the 'terrain advantage' for defending the gunwhales of his ship if both vessels are about the same size. If the attacker has a larger, higher ship, disregard this (indeed, if high enough, the attacker may claim the terrain advantage himself).

The defence of a vessel depends on its size. Full sized vessels consist of a forecastle, main deck, and sterricastle, though there may be no real difference in the heights of these. Smaller vessels may have two sections, a stem and a stern, while boats are a single section. Taking a vessel means capturing each of its sections. To do this the attacker must fight all the defenders in a section, trying (obviously enough) to kill them or, by getting 'push backs', drive them out of the section. If the attacker either clears everyone out, or outnumbers the survivors 4-1 at the end of a turn and then gets the next turn (this is important!) so that the losers can neither fall back or be reinforced, the section is assumed to be captured and the remaining defenders either fight on heroically (heroes and huskarls) or surrender (karls). Then it's on to the next section. Fights can, of course, go to-and-fro.

Shooting rules are as per normal, though men on an enemy vessel will count as in light cover for the gunwhales of the ship unless the shooter can legitimately claim an unobstructed view of the whole man.

If the vessel is moving at 3d6" or more, the shooter counts as if he were walking rather than standing still.

No doubt there are other nautical aspects to the game that I'm not thinking of. Use your common sense.

UNARMED COMBAT

Occasionally our stalwart lads put down the ironware in favour of grappling and gripping - usually in the case of seizing a prisoner, dealing with the kind of small boy that there is no honour in hurting, or wrestling with some otherworldly being - you know, trolls, giants etc, meet 'em all the time - who intends harm.

Draw cards as usual, but assume that no weapons are being used. If you get a wound on the opponent, you have succeeded in gripping them. On their next turn their attack is an effort to get away by butting or biting etc; if they succeed, the grip is broken. They may, after that, attempt to grip you! A person who is gripped initially and held successfully is assumed to be bound securely. This doesn't apply with mythological creatures, whose agenda is different --

MYTHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

Magical and mythic elements appear in a good deal of old Norse literature, and while Battle Troll is not primarily concerned with the legendary tales and folk stories of Gods and giants etc, there do appear in the Family Sagas a number of beings and events that are outside daily human experience. I'm not going to attempt to give rules for, say, the witchcraft in Njal's Saga or the Eyrbyggja Saga, nor to decide whether the 'uniped' that shot Thorvald Ericsson in the Greenlander's Saga was actually an Eskimo with a wooden leg. Ghosts are important supernatural beings, portrayed as warriors swollen up to enormous size and blackened (fight as a huskarl, with two extra dice, perhaps) while Grettir the Strong wrestles with a giant/troll - the lines between types are not closely defined - who wants to seize him, squeeze the wind out of him, and drag him off for dinner in his underwater lair. In both the Eyrbyggja and the Greenlander's saga there are supernatural events involving mysterious epidemics and the walking dead. Make up whatever rules you need, and send me the good ones.

TREASURE

The Norse were as avaricious as anybody, but never fully developed a cash economy. Barter was frequently used between neighbours (livestock, hay, cheese etc) while the woollen cloth of Icelandic sheep was used in prescribed lengths as a substitute for actual money. Indeed, the Norse understanding of silver and gold was purely in terms of weight value, so coins were simply small units of treasure and bigger pieces of jewelery could be hacked up ('hack-silver') into convenient pieces like a slab of beef. For our purposes we really just need to know that large sums of silver are measured in marks, small units in pennies, and that compensation for killings can get very expensive.

The scenario 'Dwellers on the Sand-Spit' has a lot to do with getting and keeping treasure. Unfortunately we don't know how much anything cost, though I would assume that cows are worth more than chickens and Frankish swords more than bowls of pickled herring.

THE ACCIDENT CHART

These can occur either when an 'a' comes up in close combat, when the joker card comes up in the movement deck (next character gets it!) or when our gallant hero rolls two 1's among his movement dice, falls on his face and loses an RP. Or whenever you feel like it, really. Some are not really accidents, but purely random events that may have nothing to do with our hero; he's just the pretext for their incidence. Roll D6, read one as tens and one as units.

11 Our man drops his weapon and chops off a toe, lose 2 RPs, counts as Slight wound.
12 Our man drops his weapon and falls over it, losing 1RP and falling headlong.
13 Our man drops his weapon and, in doing so, sees a silver ring in the grass. Assuming he gets the chance to pick it up, it will bring good luck! Counts as 'lucky' from now on.
14 The weapon flies from our lad's right hand and hits the 1st figure within 2" who rolls a '1' , starting from character's right and going anti-clockwise
15 The weapon flies from our lad's right hand and hits the lst figure within 2" who rolls a '1' , starting from character's left and going anti-clockwise
16 Glare from your opponent's blade blinds you: make no attack on your next card.

21 Our man slips on cowdung. Gets up immediately. Lose I RP.
22 Our stalwart Norseman steps on his own shield and destroys it. Lose 1 RP.
23 Our stalwart Norseman steps on his own shield and puts his foot through it. 1 for all rolls connected with the use of this shield.
24 Character lets go of shield grip, lands 2" away. Pick it up next turn.
25 Character's breeches fall down. Cannot use 'leap aside' or jump back' defences until he has a free turn to pull them up. Lose 2 RPs'
26 Character loses a shoe in a boggy patch. Hop on one foot (1 D6") until retrieved. Lose 1 RP.

31 A passing Arctic tern craps in our man's eye - lose a D6 next melee round
32 Character drops his purse. Pick it up or lose it.
33 Character pitches headlong forward and stuns himself: lose 1D6 for each die roll next turn.
34 Character falls backward and stuns himself. lose 1D6 for each die roll next turn.
35 Character falls over own scabbard and lands on his back, stunned; lose lD6 for each die roll next turn.
36 Helmet slips over his eyes. Halt immediately to adjust, lose ID6 per die roll nextturn.

41 It starts to rain heavily. No bowfire from now on, -1D6 movement.
42 If raining, it stops. Sun comes out. Bowmen can re-string in 2 turns.
43 Heavy rain begins, slanting from the west. No missile fire in this direction, no bowfire at all; opponent can demand one re-roll against a man facing into the rain.
44 A rabbit runs across the field in front of the character. Any bowman aiming at a target will shoot at rabbit instead (6 to hit).
45 A deer runs across the field in front of the character. Any bowman aiming at a target will shoot at deer instead (5-6 to hit). In Iceland, where there are no deer, it's a hare.
46 Any one figure on your side within 6" of cover imagines he sees a bear (black, brown or polar) and runs 3 D6" backwards in fear. Anyone who sees him will do the same on a roll of 1. But is there really a bear?

51 If you are riding a horse, it bolts 5 D6" straight ahead, with you on it! Lose 2 RPs.
52 If you are riding a horse, it throws you, causing a slight wound to the, er, legs. Lose 1 RP
53 if you are riding a horse, it throws you - check as receiving a wound for location and damage.
54 You break wind in spectacular fashion, propelling you 1d6" forward!
55 A fly gets down your shirt. Or was it a wasp? Either - No movement next turn while you carefully undo your tunic or take a slight wound to the body!
56 If you are a Christian character, you are rewarded by the protection of St Columba of Iona, and gain an extra re-roll each turn against an enemy attack.

61 If you are a Christian character, you are rewarded by a bolt from heaven: pick an opponent and count a random javelin coming at him (which will hit if he fails to deflect with shield or weapon)
62 If you are a Pagan character, you are rewarded by Thor with lightning speed; add extra D6 to your movement (though not for your surprised followers!)
63 If you are a Pagan character, you are rewarded by Odin with a moment of cunning; in the next round of combat you will trip up your opponent and inflict an accident on him!
64 The wind picks up: - 1 from all missile fire from now on.
65 A flatulent individual nearby breaks wind; you and all within 2" fall back 3" to catch your breath.
66 Our man stabs himself with his own dagger, carelessly unsheathed in his belt, and receives a grave wound to the stomach.

EPILOGUE:

'Battle Troll' is a deliberate attempt to consider personal combat less in terms of objective reality than according to the vision of a thirteenth century story-teller recounting a tenth century event. I have made little effort to differentiate between weapons, assuming that -at least in a saga - it is perfectly possible to swing a spear and lunge with an axe. I have kept some rules as , optional' since what they add in character they may lose in terms of a fast game, especially with new players.

'Battle-Troll' was the name of the axe belonging to Njal's eldest son, the terrible, doomed Skarp-Hedin.

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© Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum
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