Homebrewing 3 House Rules for Silver Bayonet Solo Skirmish! [Ep. 58]

It’s fun to tweak game rules to fit your play style and who’s gonna stop ya?! No one, that’s who! 💥More below!⬇
During previous solo play scenarios of Joe McCullough’s The Silver Bayonet, I encountered three things I wanted to adjust rules-wise - actually, two things, the third is a new rule cut from whole cloth just for this game. So we knock ‘em out in this video and there’s even a PDF for you to download if you wanna try ‘em out for yourself!
===================================
Best Ways To Support (much appreciated!)
===================================
🔊 Like & Share www.youtube.co...
⚜️ Patreon patreon.com/use...
-------
👕 T-shirts! tabletopalchem...
===================================
THINGS I MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
===================================
House Rules PDF
drive.google.c...
===================================
Contact & Social Media
===================================
📷 Instagram / tabletop_alchemy
🌳 LinkTree linktr.ee/tabl...
📫 Contact [e-mail]
#skirmish #homebrew #houserules #silverbayonet

[@LordOftheremote]

I really appreciate the time, effort and humor that you put into your productions. Autograph those rules and maybe you can make a buck or two.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Well I appreciate your appreciation! Many thanks! 🍻

[@ironwracu5822]

Well the one rule to rule them all and in the darkness bind them...is FUN
Anything that supports that is a wonderful addition...look forward to the future episodes

[@tabletopalchemy]

Again nicely summed up lol 🤙🍻🏴‍☠️

[@m3lv1n19]

I really enjoyed watching the process you went through in working out your home brew rules. The balance to fill a gap for your narrative while keeping to the spirt of the core rules.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Much appreciated! I find all aspects of the game pretty fun lol.🍻

[@theredbeardbard]

I see a new Tabletop Alchemy video, I click. Never disappointed. You're killin' it with your videos, man. Cheers! 🍻

[@tabletopalchemy]

Much appreciated! 🍺

[@DiscoBarbarian]

+1 for the Home Brewer.... the life blood of and the reason why this hobby has existed for as long as it has.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Lol too true!

[@andrewluchsinger]

Well it's Saturday morning and I am getting things rolling on the air. As I was watching your video I just started laughing at the rules you were talking about and the writing going on the video as well. Many of those same rules were discussed by myself and a few friends almost 25 years ago while we were modifying a game we were producing. The chances are pretty high that anyone building or adding rules may come up with the same ideas. One of the game we were working on was part of a D and D campaign the DM was putting together. The funny part on our end was doing some physical experiments. I was the biggest in the group 6' 4" and 230 pounds at that time. The smallest member was 5'9" and 160 pounds. We were supposed to move through a grassy area while the rest of them had their backs to the person moving We were in an area about the size of a softball field. It seemed to work out well. We did everything from slow walking to trying to run full speed. We had some very interesting results. Being that I grew up hunting deer in WI. I had a bit of an advantage. We found size was not much of a factor. Later we discussed everything from potions to spells. I wish I still had those rules.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Lol I wish I could see videos of those tests! One of my platoon leaders back in the Army was so good at stealthing it was kind of crazy and I always think about that guy during games when stealth mechanics are engaged.

[@andrewluchsinger]

@@tabletopalchemy It would have been interesting if we did have made a video. We were having some fun with the experiment. Walking, running or trying to crawl. We sure had some good laughs.

[@stochasticagency]

More of this, well, more of everything really, just keep doing what you're doing. It's refreshing, and entertaining.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Very nice to hear, much appreciated! 🍻

[@BarbarosaAlexander]

I like the stealth rule. I can think of how to apply that to an ability for a reskin I'm working on.
Another great vid!

[@tabletopalchemy]

Excellent, glad you enjoyed it! 🍻

[@rorag111]

Love a good homebrew session! Not a tt wargaming fan but listening to someone think up new elements to a game is fun no matter what!

[@tabletopalchemy]

Right on! 🍻

[@MacMcNurgle]

I think that just as you live long enough to become the villain, if you role play enough you start to make your own rules. So yes, of course I like the rules. Am making my own game. The most interesting point raised recently, from someone I can't recall, was that the rules direct the player to play in a style the game designer wants to see at the table. Cheers.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Good point! And best of luck with your game too! 🍻

[@marcbohlen7105]

Will probably integrate these rules in our games. Thanks again for this entraining video.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Right on! Totally welcome too! 🤙🍻

[@mjolasgard2533]

Stealth - A figure declares they are being Sneaky French Buggers. They follow the movement rules for that, moving slowly towards whatever. No dice roll is made until the Monster phase. If it could be targeted. THEN, they roll and require 11+ to remain hidden. Failure means they are targeted.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Ah very slick! 🤙🏴‍☠️🍻

[@mightychilster6215]

I'm working up a home brew for my adaptation of Clue played on a 1/87, 5ft/4ft diorama. First, there are just some direct re-mapping, such as the rooms in Clue are the buildings on the layout, and one of them is a passenger train. Now where the brewing might get a bit to much 'home brew' is if, for example, I allow player to hop in a car and drive to any building in play, but that then ends their turn. So, as you mentioned, I'll have to play these mods a few times to shake out consistency and ensure they stay in the spirit of a usable turn. Thank you for validating my need to go off script ... Cheers.

[@tabletopalchemy]

That sounds an awesome project! Giant Clue, definitely a unique and fun idea. 🤙🍻

[@user-fm9ek7sr8g]

Can't wait to see them in game. I like how you put a lot of thought into these, and leave them open to further review post game.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Awesome! I’m looking forward to seeing how they work in action too lol. 🍻

[@filiformis]

Rather than simply limit movement, you could make movement a risk/reward thing. So the target number you have to beat starts at a 7, but you add 1 to the TN for every inch you move that turn, up to the max character movement. So if you move 1 inch, TN is 7. Move 2 inches, TN is 8. 4 inches, 11. 9 inches, 16. And so on.
It adds a bit more complexity, but I think the additional risk/reward is engaging enough to be worth it.

[@tabletopalchemy]

That’s a very cool idea! I dig it! Thanks🤙🍻

[@mikibabic8187]

But I thought this was going to be a video about beer making...
On a bit more serious note, out of the three I like the 'Stealth' rule the most. It's not hat I think the other ones are bad, just that I see how 'Stealth' would really fit nicely in my own game. Thank you good Sir for sharing these with us :tips hat:

[@tabletopalchemy]

Awesome! 🤙🍻⚔️

[@justarandomname420]

I thought you were going to make tasty beer.
This is good as well.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Lol - lucky for me I get to leave that to my brother (who, in fact, just sent me a package with three home brewed Belgians in it)! 🍻🍺

[@artistpoet5253]

The second house rule kind of flew over my head at about mach 5...I don't know this game...but I'll be checking it out. I wouldn't make stealth so restrictive. There are many levels of stealth and many ways to stealth. Without bloating what you infer is a rules lite system, I'd just have a check and maybe on a fail, the figure looses the initiative or takes a hit to their damage reduction for that turn. On a success, they can move and act without detection. If your point is an epic narrative moment, and you plan to limit the number of times a model can Stealth, then have all the fun you want with it.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Ah I didn’t think about limiting the number of times a figure could stealth - tbh there’s probably a whole distance aspect I didn’t take into account. You know what they say, that drawing board is always waiting lol. 🍻

[@jeffsmith7740]

How about a two choice stealth mechanic? First declare Stealth offensive or Stealth defensive. You only get the bonus of the declared action (on a success role). I think you could add a ranged and/or melee attack and bonus to Stealth. In my head you are losing half your distance to move quietly then aim your rifle and shoot or backstab with a melee weapon. Play test to see what bonuses would be fair.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Very possible 🤙🍻

[@willcool713]

I always generalize to gaming theory, kinda, instead of particular games, and I don't know this particular one. But I would widen the Stealth concept into causes and effects. Invisibility could be a stealth cause, or lurking in the shadows, or skulking, or hiding in a box. These are visibility stealths, but may not fool ananimal with a keen sense of smell. Also, a cloak of invisibility would work differently than a spell, perhaps. Or silence could have the effect of stealth on a sleeping creature, or on a vibration sensitive plant or mushroom, or an armed force camped around a fire in the night. Masking scents might be stealth for slipping past the den of a creature, or hunting, or evading pursuit.
The successful effect of stealth is concealment, and generalized rules for concealment could easily be applied. However, the potential causes of stealth could be multitudinous and situational. How and how often you make checks would depend upon your stealth method and target audience. You could have stealth in combat, fighting in the dark, say, or against a blindfolded opponent, or with lasting invisibility. Perhaps if your opponent were confuzed or dazed you might treat that as stealth attacks, too. I think having general rules of concealment for movement and combat and surprise makes lots of sense. But determining the checks on any particular form of concealment would highly depend. For instance, you may only need to make one check when hiding in a box, maybe not even the one. But hiding in the shadows behind the box may need a check whenever someone in the room changes location. In a quiet, still room, invisibility may need a check everytime the air is stirred. A stealth fire would need periodic checks, depending on area population, pursuit, and relevant fire skills -- and then there may be multiple aspects to the check, too, as nearby animals may smell the fire easily, but a pursuing force might also spot firelight from many miles away. The better the stealth, the fewer and easier the checks. And some concealment can be ruined, like sneaking or causing a distraction, but some can be maintained, like sniping or darkness.
Seperating the homebrew rules of being concealed from all the possible ways to achieve and maintain stealth looks more complicated on paper, but it would play better, imo, and cover a lot more ground. And you'd only need to brew quick rules to fit the situation as each new method came up. So I would have split your Stealth into rules for sneaking and for acting from concealment. That's how I'd roll. Then you'd have general rules for sneaking, too, no matter how you were hiding. And you could modify that on the fly depending if the person were invisible, maybe, or carrying noisy buckets of scrap metal. Seperating cause and effect seems most straightforward to me.

[@tabletopalchemy]

All very good points! Once I get over this stupid flu I’ll have to came back and study this again lol. 🍻

[@willcool713]

@@tabletopalchemy Hope you feel better soon.

[@LadyAstolat]

Not me thinking you were going to make beer... 😅

[@tabletopalchemy]

‘‘Twas a risk I had to take 😂

[@grandgab]

Nom I can wait for an another Silver Bayonet battle report.

[@tabletopalchemy]

Lol in the works!

[@Nolinquisitor]

The GM in me thinks the Retrieving item action, one inch away, as a free action, would require the Extra Long Arms perk. LOL
I like your approach to houseruling. Very familiar to me. ;)

[@tabletopalchemy]

Lol you’re probably right! Should be changed to “adjacent” or “base contact”, good call. 🤙🍻

[@willcool713]

Apropos of nothing, save that you're under the weather and perhaps in need of some cheer. So on a more Christmassy 'note' [ahem]:
hmm... (and)
Hacking through the Drow,
With a glowing magic blade,
O’er the dead below,
Laughing as I wade!
Elves’ heads roll away,
My steel so true and bright,
Oh what fun to hack and slash!
I'm Death himself tonight! (Yeah!)
Killing Elves! Killing Elves!
Killing all the Drow!
Oh, what fun it is to slay
another one, here I go! Ho--
Killing Elves! Killing Elves!
Killing all the Drow!
Oh what fun it is to slay
another one, here I go!

[@tabletopalchemy]

😂🎄 intended effect achieved 🙏🏼⚔️

[@jondotterer4770]

Here is an idea: Stealth, you could call it "Fog of war" in a PVP or solo game.

[@tabletopalchemy]

You kinda nailed it, this is essentially how it ended up functioning!

[@robot7759]

Wannabe stealthy? Turn of the lights.
Wanna hand over stuff? Don't let your DM know.
Whut?

[@tabletopalchemy]

lol - you’re one of THOSE players … 😎🏴‍☠️🍻

[@robot7759]

@@tabletopalchemy Rules only exist to be broken.

[@tabletopalchemy]

@robot7759 indeed! 🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️