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Cartomancers Almanach 2 Skirmishes

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THE CRTMNCER’s ALMANAC

UNIVERSAL
GAME AID

CHPTER 2: Emmanuel
&
THE SKIRMISHES Gael DELVA
(Order #13977315)
WELCOME SERGEANT To contact us, we’ve got a tiny twitter
which is @CartomanieJdr and our email
We all have our favorite games, we do not is cartomancy.rpg@gmail.com
intend to change that. What we propose in
each issue is an original approach of a
complex subject, that is both adaptable to Copyright © 2018
any universe and very simple. Emmanuel & Gael DELVA.
All rights reserved.
Hidden in RPG or played completely
separately by their own followers:
DEDICATION
THE SKIRMISHES
This issue is dedicated to a glue-and-play
game included in the a French magazine:
Jeux & Stratégie #4 in 1980.
CREDITS This game allowed me, a lonely dude without
any role-playing-game-club, to survive amidst
Thank you to Luigi Castellani for his cover the RPG’s Roads of Perditions, long enough
and illustrations inside. to meet other madmen just like me.

A big thank you to Kevin Crawford Sine Le Château Des Sortilèges


Nomine Publishing without whom this
book would be so stripped without
illustrations.

The rights of each of the illustrations in


this book are property of their owners.

Small inevitable legal detail: this book and


its content is NOT a creative commons
license, unlike most of our other
creations. You can use it in your games,
you can quote brief passage for criticism
but you cannot use what we have written
to publish anything without asking
(politely) our agreement. Of course if you
ask, we’ll say yes but the point is: ask.
May Holy Gygax bless you forever guys

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ANATOMY OF A SKIRMISH
Skirmish
Feminine noun
isolated fighting between groups of enemy soldiers
Synonyms: clash, small battle

A skirmish is defined by four factors:


1 - The SCOPE which is intermediate between the duel and brawl on
the one hand and the Battle of the other. The action involves many
fighters, sometimes tens on each side, up to hundreds.
2 - The INTENSITY that is greater than a mere beating. This implies
a lot of serious injuries, and often deaths. A skirmish is not a brawl,
it is a miniature battle. Tactical and charismatic leaders will play a
vital role, but individual violence and death are pervasively present.
3 - The REMOTE LOCATION which implies that the answer will be
given there on the place it takes place, by the fighters involved. It will
not be a matter of calling the neighboring infantry division. Here
and there some hidden reinforcements can be positioned. But what
needs to be clear is that there is no cavalry that will come to save the
day. Namely because, indeed, you are this cavalry, and you are
supposed to save the day. Right here, right now.
4 - The CLARITY determines that, if its onset may be obscure, its
end will be decisive. There is bound to be a loser and a winner. Because,
as long as there is no real decision, the skirmish will linger on.
Whatever the victory conditions may be (holding strategic locations,
recovering a map, a personality or else) at the end, there be a winner
and a loser and don’t get caught on the wrong side of that line...

(Order #13977315)
THE SKIRMISHES
Ex ungue Leonem
We recognize a Lion by its claw

Luigi Castellani

"Why do you want to put an attack by one HUNDRED figures against a fort fortified by FORTY
defenders in a role-playing-game? It has absolutely no interest in a campaign.”
"Really? What about beginning or closing a campaign with such a frantic episode? "

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1 – HOW TO REALLY PLAY A SKIRMISH AT 20 VERSUS 20?
1 - After the soldier, the warrior Above all else, each figure has a CLASS
A SKIRMISH is a fight between several dozen indicated by its beauty and / or number:
fighters in a narrow scope.
Class 3 for a HERO, We talk about well painted
For example: and flocked figurine, superb models, representing
The attack on a village by looters, the storm over a character or a main hero of the adventure.
a monastery by barbarians, the last stand of the Class 2 for a VETERAN, We talk about miniature
castle’s defenders at Saint-Jean d'Acre, the "almost" completed but in any case without
settlement account at the OK Corral, the quarrel complete painting and flocking. They are
for uncontaminated tin can between two gangs of seasoned fighters with good skills in the clash.
irradiated mutants etc. Class 1 for good FIGHTERS driven. A plastic
figurine, just out of the box and go largely
There are fine rules of skirmishes (I am, for unpainted. They are the bulk of the grunts.
example, an absolute fan of Once Upon A Time Class 0 for RECRUITS, ugly pieces may suffice,
In The West, the 3 booklets with the 250 tables their loss rate is edifying, they are cannon-fodder.
and I'm not kidding ...). Here the aim is to present Class X for CIVILIANS, often simple markers or
a quick and invigorating way to end an adventure crosses on the map (hence their name) they are
with a big massive fight without falling in a often at the center of the victory conditions.
wargame or a simple die roll. It would have been
easy to consider each model as a simplified RPG
personal. Yes, lots of people have already done. 3 - Come into my band
But I do not want the skirmish to 10 against 15…
Each armed with ITS pack of 52 cards and a
I want the 150 against 60 model, so it implies
LEADER represented by a class of figure 3. And
critical choices. Mostly toward simplifications.
each player to do his little army has a number of
cards per TURN that depends on him:

2 - Who are you, Gringo?


Gang leader = 2 cards
The scale is 1 cm for 1 meter or one inch for a
Section Head = 3 cards
little under 3 yards. Each FIGURE (or counter) is
Company commander = 4 cards
glued on a stand long enough for it to fit. Each
Troop highly trained = + 1 card
figure’s most notable aspect is its FACING. That
Seasoned tactician = +1 card
is to say its position on the table with respect to
Charismatic leader = +1 card
the player manipulates:

The strategic POSITION may also sometimes


Facing its player, the figure has already been
give bonuses:
moved this turn, it is INACTIVE until the next
one.
Facing the opponent, the figure is always Good elevated position of view = +1
ACTIVE and ready to act and react. Highest position around = +2
Walkie-talkie = +1
Modern means of communication = +2
Cyberlink high tech = +3

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When a player has no more cards in his deck, he if already inactive it is KILLED and removed. This
must wait for the other player to finish his. Then, principle completely ignores the details of armor
everyone replenishes. If anyone’s stock is and other values, all of which are already included
depleted, all cards are reshuffled but the player in the value of each figure. Yes, we took it easy
must wait for his opponent to finish his own hand. on the simulation...
When there are more active figures, the turn ends
and the ADMIN PHASE takes place. Its purpose To calculate the attacker’s VALUE OF ACTION
is to put all figures back to active status and to you simply give one modifier to the card played:
determine whether the victory conditions were
met or not. This is also the time to check whether The card you played (ace = 1, jack = 11 etc)
the battlefield is evolving as a house surrounded 3 if you attack with a HERO
by the flames that finally catches fire or a catapult 2 if you attack with a VETERAN
that launches projectiles. +1 if you attack with a FIGHTER
Nothing if you attack with a RECRUIT
-3 if the attacker is a CIVILIAN
4 - The action sequence
The principle is simple:
There is no test for touch, parade, or other
damage. You mechanically know which card you
1 - Everyone chooses a card from his hand and need with such a figure to make a difference here
places it face down. When both are ready, the and there. What one loses detail is gained in
cards are revealed and compared. being able to activate each of the 100 figures of
2 - The highest card will be played first. Order is his army in 20 minutes.
from ace to ten then jack to king. The card played
gives one MOVE to one figure. For example:
3 - If the figure manages to KILL an enemy one, The bridge over the river is defended by a
the same player may keep playing another card formidable knight of Hero class. So you NEED a
of his choice. Otherwise, the turn goes to his modified sum of 12 to get rid of him. Take a jack
opponent who must assign the card he played to (11) plus a trained fighter (+1) and you have
give one move to one of his figure etc. solved the problem. Or place a 9 and activate one
of your own heroes to do so (+3). But take care, if
you play that 9 and your opponent plays a 10 to
5 - I see, I kill! activate that knight on the bridge, then it is YOUR
To kill an opponent, a figure must reach a VALUE hero that’s gonna die. Think chess!
OF ACTION which depends on the target’s class
alone: The important thing to keep in mind is that you
can’t count on a lucky punch (i.e.: a lucky roll on
a die) to get rid of an enemy. You have to clearly
With a 12 (a queen) you kill a HERO
weigh the choice you are given. The good part is
With an 11 (a jack) you kill a VETERAN
that the choices given are quite evident: you have
With a 10 you kill a FIGHTER
a hand made up of a few cards, so - like in all card
With a 9 you kill a RECRUIT
games- make the best possible profit of them all.
With an 8 you kill a CIVILIAN

If you score 4 points below these threshold, the


target is INJURED: if active it becomes inactive,

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2 – BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
6 - I'm going this way 2 - Each single cm or inch spent on DIFFICULT
For movement rules, we will keep things in the GROUND costs double. You can even say that
realm of ease of access and quickness of play. things like river, or snow costs triple.
When it is given a turn, an active figure can move 3 - Opening a door costs a quarter of your move.
by a distance equal to the spacing between your Opening and passing through a door costs half a
thumb and index, which is about 6 inches or 15 move. And opening, passing through and shutting
cm. Why did we choose such a weird measure? the door in a hurry costs three quarters of your
Well, first because we are always short of rulers. move.
Then because it is a simple measure that does 4 - Passing through a window takes a full move,
not vary that much between individuals. So, yes, like climbing an above-head high wall.
guys with big hands and girls with long fingers, 5 - For all more complicated matters, compare
this is a game made for you. with the above examples and try to give a
common-sense answer. In case of a draw each
What is important is the order of movement: player draws one card, add it to his hand and then
play one face down on the table. The highest one
will settle the issue the way he wants it. Do not
You can move BEFORE hitting
forget to have each player draw one card before,
OR take a shot without moving
it will fend off rules-lawyers with good cards to
OR strike without moving
actually choose everything ingame.

For example: Same example:


The bridge over the river is defended by a The bridge over the river is 6 inches away from 3
formidable knight of Hero class. So you NEED a figures. The first one has a half-inch of water to
modified sum of 12 to get rid of him. Your hand is cross so the model is too far. Too far.
currently made up of a jack and a nine. Take the The second one just has clear terrain to cross but
jack (11) plus a trained fighter (+1) and you have it is a simple recruit with no action bonus. So even
solved the problem. Or place the 9 and activate the jack card would be useless.
one of your own heroes to do so (+3). But take The third figure is a hero knight with a +3 bonus
care, if you play that 9 and your opponent plays a so the nine card would be okay. However there is
10 to activate that knight on the bridge, then it is a small fence to cross and the players do not
YOUR hero that’s gonna die. Think chess! agree. It seems logical to say it would delay the
attacker by a few steps, but the attacking player
does not want to be fair-play. Both players draw
7 - Movement rules one more card and the attacking player gets a
Only concessions, although modest, to realism seven. Now he can choose three options: playing
that we care to include are: the jack to win the fence issue, playing it on the
attack to be sure to act first but risk losing the
1 - The recruits, animals and riders travel twice fence issue and making it useless or else keeping
that distance. Recruits because they have light the jack for a better shot later on.
equipment, and horses because they have more
legs.

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3 – WEAPONS & THEIR MANY USES
8 - Shots & projectiles considered automatic deaths of the target in such
To determine if a shot is effective or not is a little a case. It speeds up the game and reward the one
harder than a basic hack ‘n’ slash. Divide the playing tactics.
distance between the target and the shooter by 6
inches (distance thumb – index remember?) and For example:
each full increment removes 1 from your action My class 1 fighter with his scourge faces a class
value. The weapon itself limits the scope: 3 enemy hero who has a shield. My only card in
my hand is a miserable 3 and I have no other
Ax, spear max 15 cm figures to activate. My card plus my class bonus
makes 4, but it would take 8 to hurt the enemy
Pistol, revolver, max 30 cm javelin
hero so it's a flop. But, my flexible flail can pass
Arc, crossbow, laser gun 45 max cm
around the enemy shield and it gives me the
Gun, plasma, laser heavy max 60 cm
advantage. I pick a jack which is worth 11, plus
No shots beyond 60 cm, it’s not WW1…
my class bonus which yields a 12: that's it, I killed
the enemy hero. Thank you loved scourge.
If the target is PROTECTED there will be a
negative modifier:

10 - Impact bonus
-1 by each target in the line of fire When you kill an enemy, the suit of the card that
-1 if target is slightly covered (bush) you played brings you a small bonus:
-2 if target is really protected (by a tree or a wall)
-3 behind an arrow slit
If it is a , you can move your figure that just hurt
his enemy 5cm useful to overflow or block.

9 - Have a superior weapon If it is a , your figure can activate an adjacent


Some weapons are more adapted to their target: mechanism, reversing a cauldron of boiling oil,
sound the alarm, push a ladder to bed etc. be
creative.
For example:
A spear or bayonet versus an unarmored If it is a , a nearby friendly figure who was
enemy’s stomach. A soldier with a sword and a inactive at least 15 cm becomes active thanks to
shield versus one that only has the sword. A your exalting example.
heavy spiked mace versus a heavily armored 
If it is a , an enemy model that is active at less
clumsy enemy. A handgun versus a shoulder-arm
than 15 cm and is of a lower class becomes
in narrow corridors. Or the reverse situation while immediately inactive of fright.
outside in open terrain. A flail versus a shield etc.

Here the aim is both to reward the guy who is


If you want to consider such a factor, the one who
tactically aware and efficient, and to inject energy
attacks with such an ADVANTAGE can draw one
and funk into the gameplay.
more free card and have a chance (albeit random
but real) to get rid of his opponent. All figures are

(Order #13977315)
4 - THE ACTION TABLE
11 - The action table With a JACK you can activate a mechanism such
Who says skirmish game says charts. Here, there as a drawbridge, or you can fire once with a ready
is only one, and it sums up all your opportunities heavy weapon. But above all, you also have the
as your value of total action and / or played card: opportunity to activate any single one of your
resources:
12 and more, you kill a HERO
11 you kill a VETERAN For example:
10 you kill a FIGHTER For a defender: Activate mines, ask air support
9 you kill a RECRUIT or a barrage or swing boiling oil etc.
8 you kill a CIVIL For a striker: To approach an assault tower or
cape, draw up a scale, give a blow to the ram on
8 you hurt a HERO (killed if already inactive) the door, make jump explosives in the north
7 you hurt or kill a VETERAN tower, point the laser beam on the target for it to
6 you hurt or kill a FIGHTER eat a missile etc. .
5 you hurt or kill a RECRUIT
4 you hurt or kill a CIVIL We're not in the tactician player bonus here, it is
clearly in the “special effects” families. At the
4 you can move 4 figures but they can’t attack same time, remember the above example of the
3 you can move 3 figures but they can’t attack bridge with the hero above: a simple jack, played
2 you can move 2 figures but they can’t attack at the proper time could break the deadlock ...
ace you move a single figure without attack
With a JOKER (If you play with 54 cards) you
have the choice between all the previous options,
plus the arrival of a relief force or triggering an
12 - Figures event that will mark the rapid end of the scenario
Figures all have a value beyond 10 (jack is 11, (bugle call, storm arrival of the king, dragon in the
queen is 12 and king is 13). But above all, players sky etc). To know when exactly, put this joker
can spend cards to trigger special events: aside and the next time you shuffle the deck, put
in at random but face up. The game will end on
With a KING you can activate all active models in the turn where this side up joker will be drawn
a 6 inches radius around a point marked by a again.
counter or a chess piece that you will freely place.
None can fight, but all can benefit. Ideal for the
mass advance or global fall back. You can also
use it for a global missile fire order but in this case
all firing figures will not be allowed to move
afterwards.

With a QUEEN you can cancel any one enemy


action, or you cast a spell, make sounds an alarm
or alert. Or any other fun option included in the
scenario’s options.

(Order #13977315)
5 - GIVE LIFE TO SCENARIOS
13 - The characters of the tabletop 5 Remaining stationary one turn next to an
This game is very simple: it is far from a wargame inactive enemy allow you to kill it or free it
of a "real" skirmish game. But with this simplicity, from his bounds.
each side can solve the shares of its 20 to 25 6 A figure can bear another one that is
figurines in less than 5 minutes and start or finish wounded or incapacitated pawn: take it on
on a screenplay by a massive attack on a village his shoulders takes a full turn and then
that will take just a little time. each inch moved costs double.
7 Night attack: the attackers are moving at
Each role-play a character of the players will have half their speed to be discreet. Every time
a HERO value (class 3) he knows how to fight and one of them spend less than 10 inches
VETERAN (class 2) otherwise. If they end up from a defender, then a card must be
OUT OF COMBAT (thus removed from the drawn. If it is of a value that is equal or less
game) the character faces serious penalties: than the distance, the alert is given.
8 When the alert is given the pawns of the
village can move freely. Before that, there
30 to 50% of health over less if the game has.
could be limits like drawing a random card
and only moving up to half the distance
given in inches.
14 - Scenarios 9 Escape: some figures want to escape
To give flavor. Here are some details you can without giving warning and guards are
add: moving around each turn in a random way
1 Renforcements arrive on turn X. as seen above.
2 The bad guys are trying to ignite buildings. 10 Get an object (relic, fetish ...) discreetly:
For that, they must start the turn next to it, same principle in reverse. The exact
stay motionless and pick at random a card location does not need to be shown at all.
with a value that is lower or equal to the Just prepare a dozen possible hideouts
number of arsonists. All people inside the and each time one is scanned draw a
building are removed from the game. random card. The correct place is found if
3 The bad guys want to steal cattle: same the card’s value is equal or inferior to the
procedure as above to open the barrier. number of hideouts already searched for.
Then then any villain that starts a turn Once found, there is another card draw to
close to an animal can pull it behind him at do, the same as for setting a building on
a speed of 3 inches par turn. If the thief fire. By the way, the artefact you look for is
fights or do anything else than pulling, the fragile and you can only move it at half
beast escapes away. speed.
4 The bad guys want to take captives. They
must be two figures that start a turn close
to a inactive enemy figure. The drawn card
must be superior to the class of the victim
times TWO. The goal is to capture X
people or a specific target.

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6 - THE MORALE OF TROOPS
15 - When the going gets tough
This game has no claim to simulate the slow -1 for losing your flag, or the building serving
collapse of a psychological will to fight of one as your current base.
side compared to the other. At the same -1 based on events specific to the scenario.
time, there is always a time when fighters
become reluctant to expose themselves
During each admin phase, after putting back all
anymore in face of overwhelming odds.
remaining figures to their active position (facing
Even if the actual ratio of strength is for them
the opponent), there is a MORALE PHASE:
a mere matter of feelings, not of reality.
History is full of underrated fighters that
stood against all odds and of elite troops that The side that has the current lowest number
crumbled and morally exploded under a of morale tokens must choose a shadow
sudden peak of pressure. figures equal to the difference in chips and put
So, each side will have a number of in the inactive position (back to the opponent).
MORALE TOKEN. Above everything,
remember that this number is always very More seriously, if any side has reached
limited. We do not talk about redoing negative morale level, it must remove from the
Verdun, Fort Alamo or Stalingrad. surface of the game a number of figure equal to
the negative number. The main thing to
Each hero is worth 2 tokens remember is that once you start losing troops
Each veteran is worth 1 because of discouragement, it will carry on
The largest side get 1 more token occurring so it means you gotta solve the
2 times larger, that's 2 more scenario’s victory conditions pronto!
3 times larger, that's 3 more etc.
For example:
Each reinforcement or surprises hidden is A troop with a morale at -1 loses a figure by
worth 1 token more for the opposite camp admin phase. After three full turns (where each
(this is not logical, it is for fair play) model ends in the inactive position) it will have
lost 3.
If the next admin phase, if its morale crumbles
to -2, it will lose 2 figures per admin phase!
16 - The tough gets going
Some losses imply a morale loss in the side
This gradual attrition is due to the fact that in a
who suffers this loss.
skirmish there are no officers or leaders
everywhere, unlike an engagement of a greater
-1 for a hero figure killed magnitude. This is also why for centuries
-1 by veteran killed by a lower-ranking figure infantry has fought in large packages aligned to
-1 if several figurines are killed the same maximize the firepower and can keep men in
round, regardless of their rank order to limit leaks in manpower.

Take note that some events will also imply


morale loss:

(Order #13977315)

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