Wild Animal House Rule HELP

[garion]

I don't like the current Wild Animal rule mainly because when you fail it all that happens is you stand there doing nothing. It doesn't scream Wild Animal to me. It should really be called Docile Animal. So I want a house rule where the Wild Animal does something unpredictable. Like hits the nearest opponent ignoring all tacklezones. While that sounds like it might work, people might end up using Pro to re-roll WA so they can fail on purpose to get that extra sort of blitz.

I'm happpy for WAs to use the scatter template to make them move in a random direction, but then what if they run off the pitch etc... etc..

Has anyone got any suggestions?

[dode74]

How about:

Scatter MA-3 squares blocking (not blitzing, so no horns) any player it hits. All other skills must be used (block, tackle, juggs, claw, PO etc). If the player goes off the pitch it goes to the reserves. A player under the influence of WA may not assist other players' blocks (it can't differentiate between players), but does otherwise exert tacklezones and will attempt to tackle any player moving within its TZs (i.e. any player of any team moving out of the TZs of the WA must make a dodge roll as if the WA were on the opposition team).

I don't see an issue with deliberately trying to fail the roll with pro - unless your positioning is wlll all over the place this isn't likely to be helpful.

[garion]

How about:

Scatter MA-3 squares blocking (not blitzing, so no horns) any player it hits. All other skills must be used (block, tackle, juggs, claw, PO etc). If the player goes off the pitch it goes to the reserves. A player under the influence of WA may not assist other players' blocks (it can't differentiate between players), but does otherwise exert tacklezones and will attempt to tackle any player moving within its TZs (i.e. any player of any team moving out of the TZs of the WA must make a dodge roll as if the WA were on the opposition team).

I don't see an issue with deliberately trying to fail the roll with pro - unless your positioning is wlll all over the place this isn't likely to be helpful.

so thats basically what I have already got in that document you read, just instead of using the D8 template, you used scatter and with a -3ma modifier. Which basically means a minotaur has a Ma of 2 for this. Also forcing them to use MB Claw and Po makes them more of a threat to your own team the more developed they get.

I dunno. Should the WA roll be reduced to 2+ then? and reducing the Ma to 2 again seems a little weird.

Its very hard to get right I think :S

[dode74]

The MA is reduced because they'll spend a lot of their time roaring and flailing - when they are not under WA then they are concentrating on what they are doing.

You could add the "really stupid" rider to WA as well as the block/blitz one - i.e. WA is failed on 4+, but a +2 modifier is added to the die roll if the player is blitzing or blocking, or if there is another player from the same team who does not have the WA skill in the WA player's TZs (e.g. a CW next to a mino). You could let them move MA-2 instead of -3 under this so that players have to concentrate on keeping the WA in check.

[garion]

Yeah quite an interesting idea making them keep a player next to them like Really Stupid, so its like keeping them in check like a beastmaster does, that way they endanger their player more but make the WA more reliable. So how about this...

Wild Animal

When a wild animal tries to perform any action they must roll 1D6 on the result of a 1, 2 or 3 the WA goes "Wild" on a 4+ they can perform their action as normal. If a Wild Animal has any player from their own team other than another Big Guy in base contact they get +2 to their Wild Animal roll. If the WA roll is failed the Wild Animal must move 4 squares in a random direction, to determine the direction use the D8 scatter template. when moving in the randomised direction the WA does not have to make any Dodge rolls, all tackle zones are ignored. If the Wild animal moves into contact with the side of the pitch and still has Movement left then use the Throw in Template to see which direction he continues to move in. If the Wild Animal moves into a square occupied by a player on either team the Wild Animal must Block it, again this ignores all tackle-zones. When a Wild Animal fails their WA roll they do not loose their tackle-zones.

okay so that part seems okay now, which leads me to the final bit, what happens to skill optionality, must the WA use all their skills (tackle, MB, PO, Claw etc..) who picks the results of the blocks when you are hitting your own player?

[Hitonagashi]

Who picks the blocks: You do. Same as a Fanatic hitting one of your own players. I'd keep the same for skills as well..Just treat him like an overgrown fanatic who can't control his movement direction. I'd also move him ma - 2...If a Mino got a couple of -ma's, it could end up wildanimalling further that it could move normally!

I still think that arguably, he's better going wild than he is actually moving (mmmm free blitz's). I'd just say he doesn't ignore assists (a Fanatic doesn't)..which is a real incentive for him not to go looney. Otherwise, you might eye up those 4 free blocks(potentially, and with frenzy!) and keep your players away from him to get him to fail.

Look at it this way...if I'm on the opposing team, I don't care whether the mino is going nutty or not...I'm still going to try and get my mates to help avoid me getting squashed!

[garion]

Who picks the blocks: You do. Same as a Fanatic hitting one of your own players. I'd keep the same for skills as well..Just treat him like an overgrown fanatic who can't control his movement direction. I'd also move him ma - 2...If a Mino got a couple of -ma's, it could end up wildanimalling further that it could move normally!

I still think that arguably, he's better going wild than he is actually moving (mmmm free blitz's). I'd just say he doesn't ignore assists (a Fanatic doesn't)..which is a real incentive for him not to go looney. Otherwise, you might eye up those 4 free blocks(potentially, and with frenzy!) and keep your players away from him to get him to fail.

Look at it this way...if I'm on the opposing team, I don't care whether the mino is going nutty or not...I'm still going to try and get my mates to help avoid me getting squashed!

I guess the easy rule would be just to make him a fanatic except use the D8 template instead of D3 for 4 squares of movement. The reason I prefer a fixed 4 squares of movement over the -2ma one is if the mino gets the chance to have a +ma skill I don't want people avoiding it for fear of the skill making him run off the side of the pitch. Getting that extra Ma should always be a good thing.

Okay so if I go the fanatic route rather than the aformentioned one. would it just be a straight up normal block every square he moved into with an opponent in it, I'm guessing so, so the next question is - does he use frenzy with that block or not and if so - if the second frenzy block gets used does that count as one of the 4 squares?

Also what would you do if the WA goes off the side of the pitch? straight to reserves or what? because this player is primarily used for blitzing in the wide zones, trying to surf players etc... Or should it jsut be use the sideline scatter if he hits the edge of the pitch?

On a side not you are alone in thinking this makes him better, everyone else I have spoke to said it makes him worse. You might be right or wrong I'm just not sure lol

[phil78]

If he goes off the side I'd just treat it as a normal surf, it'd help keep from people from wanting the player going wild.

[garion]

Yup that makes sense but at the same time, frenzy players should be near the side lines quite a lot so if there is a chance he runs off the pitch it would make him worse than the current wild animal rule i think?

[IronAge_Man]

Just a small bump - I gave Garion the idea, just interested in how it develops.

[Steam Ball]

How much cheaper would WA players become (for any of the suggestions)? Currently it's the most expensive BG trait, that at worst makes you lose the blitz, but keeps TZ. The suggestions are different types of blind tornado, destroying everyone. Funnier and even more logic to what it's supposed to be about, but a lot more negative than other current traits.

[garion]

Im knocking 10k off the price of Wild animals for the negatrait change, check my document in my other thread, garions CRP2 to see how things develop

[mattgslater]

Want a much easier way to do it?

WA is a 4+, unless there's a friendly standing next to the player (no exception for blitzes). On a failure, he must make a block; if he had not declared a Block or Blitz action, he may and must change his action to Block or Blitz. If there is no opposing player with a TZ on the WA, he may block a friendly player instead; this does not cause a turnover unless the attacker is knocked down or the ball comes loose. If the WA player does not throw a block during his action, he races off the pitch to fight the crowd; put him in the Reserves (like Bloodlust). Do not count any TDs he scores if he races off the pitch.

[burgun824]

...and he gains juggernaut while on the charge. Too much?

[garion]

thats interesting, so your saying he has to hit his team mates... but does that not just make him even worse than WA currently are, and for me they are the worst Big Guys already?
Thanks though, it gives me something to think about