Brutal Magic is a simple tactical game. The object of the game is to create followers and destroy other players.
Required materials:
Common coins work well as terrain markers. You may use whatever you like for unit tokens - miniatures, chess pieces, dice of different size and color, cardboard chits, etc - but different types of units should be distinct. Identical units may have identical tokens.
DICE
The game often calls for units to roll their traits. When a unit is required to roll, that unit's player has a choice: 1d20 or 3d6. This die roll is added to the trait of the unit.
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3d6 is stable and predictable. 1d20 is wild; it leads to greater highs and lows.
All dice rolls in the game are opposed rolls: both attacker and defender roll their appropriate traits. The higher roll wins.
Units represent the individual warriors of a player's army. Their courage and loyalty are beyond question; they follow orders to the letter and fight to the death.
Units are one of three classes:
...and are defined by a number of traits:
The minimum value of any trait is zero. The maximum is twenty.
In addition to their traits, each unit may have one or more attacks. Attacks have four traits:
Attack trait values range from zero to twenty. Attacks cost at least one point even if both traits are zero. Attacks with Range 0 can only be used against enemies in the same hex.
Individual unit types are designed by the players. Name and token traits are simply assigned. Each class of unit gets a different amount of points to distribute among its numeric traits:
| Class | Points |
|---|---|
| Pawn | 20 |
| Champion | 40 |
| Master | 60 |
One level in any unit or weapon trait costs one point.
Unit designs should be recorded on paper, index cards, or something similar. These designs should be made available to all players at all times - magic-users have mystical senses that reveal the true nature of any opponent.
TERRAIN
Each map hex represents an area 10m across.
Some hexes on the map will be blank. These hexes count as 1 for purposes of movement and penalties to ranged attacks.
Some hexes of the map may contain markers for terrain. Terrain may hinder movement, attacks, or both. It may damage units. There can be as much or as little terrain as the players desire; there can be as many types as they desire.
If the players can't agree on the types, amounts, or locations of terrain, they can battle for it. Each player rolls 3d6 or 1d20; whoever wins decides how many types of terrain each player gets to define and how many hexes of terrain each player gets to place. Regardless of the roll, no player is required to define or place terrain.
Terrain is defined by three factors: penalty to movement, penalty to attacks, and danger.
Terrain with movement penalties makes units slower; moving through a hex of such terrain costs an amount of movement equal to the movement penalty. Some terrain may be impassable. Empty hexes have a penalty of 1.
Terrain with attack penalties make enemies harder to hit; attacks going through - or into - such a hex suffer a penalty equal to the attack penalty (units in a hex are not penalized for the hex). Empty hexes have a penalty of 1.
Dangerous terrain may harm units; in effect, the terrain has a "weapon" (Range 0 and whatever Power the definer desires) that is used once per turn against every unit in its hex (roll 3d6 for terrain damage).
Once terrain types are defined and assigned to markers, players take turns placing one hex of terrain at a time in the order rolled above.
GAMEPLAY
Each player begins the game with one unit: a Master. The Master is the leader and source of all other units. If the master is lost, the player loses - but may continue controlling any surviving units in an attempt to make other players lose as well.
Players take turns placing their Master units on the map; if they can't agree on the order, they may dice for it. Those with higher rolls must place first.
Masters must begin at least 20 hexes apart.
At the beginning of each turn, all players roll for initiative. The player that rolls highest must select one of his units to act. When the action is completed, the player with the next-highest initiative selects one of his units. This continues until every player has moved a unit, at which point the first player moves again, followed by the second, etc. This continues until all units have acted.
An acting unit has a number of options:
Move/Attack
A unit may move up to its full movement rate in hexes and use all of its attacks on targets within range. All of a unit's movement must take place at once - a unit can move and attack or attack and move, but can't move, then attack, then move again. Units can move through hexes containing other units.
Guard
A unit may be designated as a guard. The unit may not move, but may - once per round - attack an enemy that moves within its range after it begins guarding. This attack may be used at any time, even within the movement of another unit (the guard can hold action until the enemy reaches optimum range). The guard may opt to ignore some enemy units in favor of more important targets expected later.
Some sort of marker should be placed near the unit to indicate that it is guarding.
Summon
The Master unit has a special option: the ability to summon other units. A Master can summon two pawns or one champion per round, but cannot move, attack, or guard while summoning.
Summoned units appear in hexes adjacent to the Master. They do not act until the next turn.
ATTACKS
Units may use each of their attacks once per turn.
To make an attack, the enemy must be within the attack's Range. Count from the first adjacent hex to the enemy's hex.
Attacks are resolved as follows:
VICTORY
Victory is achieved when only one side of the conflict has units remaining.
Players are encouraged to name and describe their units. Whether a unit is a dragon, vampire, or elemental has no mechanical effect, but adds flavor to the game. Here are some examples.
| Master | Pawns | Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemist | Oozes, Jellies, Gelatinous Cubes | Golems |
| Druid | Wolves, Bears | Giant Serpents, Insect Swarms |
| Elf | Goblins, Faeries, Wood Spirits | Centaurs, Treants, Wisps |
| Illusionist | Illusions, Phantasms | Monsters from the Id |
| Necromancer | Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls | Ghosts, Wraiths |
| Priest | Serpents, Spiritual Hammers | Angels |
| Sorcerer | Imps, Thought-forms | Demons, Devils |
| Wizard | Orcs, Goblins, Trolls | Dragons, Elementals |
Copyright 2003 by Joshua Morris