OUTLANDS 2nd Edition: Heroic Actions...whats new??'

In this third blog post about OUTLANDS 2nd Edition I would like to show some of the improvements to how 'Heroic Actions' work and 1 very big difference.

The process of 'Declare your 'ACTION, Spend your ACTION DICE, Make the HEROIC ACTION SKILL TEST and resolve the outcome' still remains the same. However, to polish the rules and to stop the often used 'It don't say I can't do it!!!!' we have added the term 'End Of Action' Location...that sounds more complex than it actually is.

END OF ACTION LOCATION:- To stop players changing their intended Heroic Action due to a unsuccessful Heroic Action Test, Heroic Action Duck & Dive, Shoot On The Move, Hit & Run, Attacking Jump, Sneak have all had 'End Of Action' location added to its description.

'End Of Action' location simply states that the player attempting an Heroic Action must declare the 'End Of Action' location when making an Heroic Action Test. This stops players changing the 'intended' location if the Heroic Action Test is unsuccessful. So for example:- A model wishing to make a Heroic Action: Hit & Run must declare its EOA (End Of Action) location. The player then spends 1 Action/Reaction Dice and makes the Heroic Action Test, which results in a .........fail. Heroic Action: Hit And Run: UNSUCCESSFUL reads ' If the test is unsuccessful, the model moves towards the 'End Of Action' location but must stop 2 inches short of the EOA location.

The 'End Of Action' location is a clean and simply way that stops a player changing an 'Intended' Action due to a bad dice roll.

'Declare your 'ACTION' , DECLARE YOUR INTENDED 'END OF ACTION' LOCATION, Spend your ACTION DICE, Make the HEROIC ACTION SKILL TEST and resolve the outcome'.

EOA location is a quick and easy way to stop any confusion between players about what was/is intended. Remember 'Declare and Commit To Your Actions' a statement found in both rulebooks.

HEROIC ACTIONS.

All the 'Heroic Actions' descriptions have bee reworded and include a list of what you can and cannot do when attempting an Heroic Action. Again. this is just to stop any confusion and to cover any problems that my arise. Certain 'Heroic Actions' cannot be use with Reload Weapons or when a model is suffering from a certain effect or condition....Bleed springs to mind.

HEROIC ACTION: ATTACKING JUMP has had a small change to how it now works. Before 2nd Editions the model had to start HEROIC ACTION: ATTACKING JUMP at the start location of the 'JUMP' and the Heroic Action ended immediately after making (hopefully) the 'JUMP'. In OUTLANDS 2nd Edition the 'JUMP' is now combined with the model's speed. The maximum JUMP distance of 4 Inches is still the same, but now the model can use any remaining 'Speed' to move before or after the Heroic Action. Attacking Jump is simply that Attacking while Jumping. The 'TO HIT' is now a standard 5+. This was brought in to stop a lot of measuring at the exact point of the jump and confusing the required 'TO HIT' dice result.

HEROIC ACTION: CLIMB now has two sub categories: CLIMB UP and CLIMB DOWN. If you fail the Heroic Action while attempting a CLIMB UP then the model simply stays at the start of the Heroic Action. If the model fails a CLIMB DOWN then the model will 'fall' and take any 'Fall Damage' as a result. In OUTLANDS 1st Edition the model would just stay at the start of the location....dangling a leg over the edge like a child probing the water with its toe on a visit to the beach....not very Heroic.

But hold on....wasn't falling the main hook with 'Attacking Climb'??????????????????????

Oh oh oh ...poor old Heroic Action: Attacking Climb.....

After consulting key members of the OUTLANDS community group and between Ross and myself it was decided to drop Heroic Action: Attacking Climb. It was a great idea but we found that most players didn't use the Action and it was always the last Heroic Action to be Levelled Up. Plus, it was problematic.....all that checking LOS and Range. So its so long 'Heroic Action: Attacking Climb'. It may return in a future update as an ability.

Heroic Action: Attacking Climb has been replaced with 'Heroic Action: Sprint'. The core purposes of 'Sprint' is to add a little extra speed to the game. Below you can see the description box for Heroic Action: Sprint. The description box also shows off some of the clarifications we have employed when explaining Heroic Actions.

And that's about it for our 'quick look' at the Heroic Actions in OUTLANDS 2nd Edition. Next up I shall cast my eye over 'Abilities and Special Actions'....or more importantly...character development.