Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Ostensibly, Nightwatch is a game about seasoned monster hunters sworn to chase down and ultimately rid the world of some terrible evil. And between these grim hunters and their quarry are wave upon wave of relentless minions. Cool, but not necessarily what I'm looking for in a miniatures game. Rather, I want a miniatures game that emulates the feel of classic D&D adventuring without a dedicated DM player. Nightwatch seemed promising, in that it's a solo/co-op game where the players control a small group of adventurers defined by their classes.

But I had one major concern: designer Patrick Todoroff writes, "you'll need need several dozen monster types of various kinds." First off, I just don't want to have to buy, assemble, and paint up that many miniatures for what, for my purposes, should be an "ultra skirmish" game (i.e., very low figure count). But more importantly, squaring off against dozens of monsters just doesn't feel like D&D to me. YMMV. So could I get the results I wanted from Nightwatch without the "several dozen" enemy miniatures? I set out to find out armed with a paltry nine plastic Skeleton figures from Wargames Atlantic. Against them stood four brave plastic Halfling figures, made by the same company.





More on the blog: LINK

Gorgeous table Manchu!

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Gorgeous table Manchu!

+1, awesome scenery to play on!

Yeah! A review!

I have to admit, the dice pool system is a clever one, with weapons granting a single optional combat tool to differentiate. Sounds simple and elegant. Plus adding in dice shifting adds some choice for players to make. Using a TN with simple Mods to the TN also makes it easy. Sounds like a solid mechanical baseline. Ultimately, it might be a tad too generic though.

To me, the toolbox might be a bit too open if it didn't cover some basic features like crossing a river or stealth. As you point out, there were several easy ways to apply it and it seems like a core action for the type of game Nightwatch was designed for. Seems like a pretty big set of oversights.

I wonder how you would compare it to Rangers of Shadowdeep, Tales of Adventure, Song of Blades and Heroes, or Sellswords and Spellslingers?

That said, there sure have been a slew of Solo/Co-op games lately. I wonder why.... LOL ? With the level of "call" making you are looking for, you should try your hand at your own set of rules Manchu. Thoughts?

 Easy E wrote:


I wonder how you would compare it to Rangers of Shadowdeep, Tales of Adventure, Song of Blades and Heroes, or Sellswords and Spellslingers?

What is a Tales of Adventure? I am familiar with the other titles but that one is new to me. Does it have a solo mode?

I think I got the name wrong.... perhaps it is Perilous Tales.....

 Easy E wrote:
I think I got the name wrong.... perhaps it is Perilous Tales.....

Frostgrave solo one?

The Frostgrave expansion is called Perilous Dark.

Perilous Tales is a pulp horror themed solo game by Mike Hutchinson of Gaslands fame.

You cane download it for free here:

http://planetsmashergames.com/perilous-tales/

 Manchu wrote:
The Frostgrave expansion is called Perilous Dark.

Perilous Tales is a pulp horror themed solo game by Mike Hutchinson of Gaslands fame.

You cane download it for free here:

http://planetsmashergames.com/perilous-tales/

Thanks for info

Having really enjoyed my first adventure using the Nightwatch rules, the only thing for it was to keep experimenting. How easy would it be to adapt Nightwatch to exploring a dungeon environment? Only one way to find out: send more hobbits into peril!



>>>LINK<<<

Good times Manchu.

Thanks Eric. As to whether the toolbox is too generic, yeah I can certainly understand that criticism but perhaps it has more to do with the way I am using the toolbox? I mean, putting aside the toolbox thing for a moment, Nightwatch is presented first and foremost as a game about something fairly particular: fighting off waves of monsters while trying to accomplish whatever scenario goals. And I am trying to use it for something slightly different, which involves pretty specific circumstances. Should the published game include a rule for swimming? I mean, in excess of, it counts as movement through difficult terrain? I’m not sure.

Fair enough.

There is no doubt, between this and Zona Alfa; Todoroff is putting out some interesting ideas for game design.