"The Dracci in Flintloque"
A Flintloque Rules Supplement by Gavin Syme
Art by Edward Jackson, Coloured by Craig Andrews
Gavin Syme dips into a future release from Alternative Armies to brings you official rules for using the Dracci in your games of Flintloque 3rd edition.
~
While the time of the official book from Alternative Armies that deals with the Time of Annul and the banishment of Wylde Magicke is still a long way off in the future, as a special treat for the Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar 2010 we present an extract from ‘The Ferach Revolution’ for your amusement. Want to try your musket armed soldiers and characters against the savage fury of the Dragon Children who were the scourge of the Darke Age? Now is your chance.
Who are the Dracci?
The Children of the Dragons are just that. They are Dragon Men of a size that is approximate to a Valonian Elf. However in build and appearance and in mood they are far from the same. Banded muscles ripple and knot under a scaled skin like armour born of a blood red hue. Ferocious strength combined with a rage that no other living creature could equal; the anger of a Dracci Warrior is a sight to be seen and feared. Using weapons forged of a hardened jade a Dracci is capable of besting two or three times its own number in personal combat. There are typically two sizes of Dracci on the battlefield. The Dracci Warrior is as described and the Dracci Lord is a creature larger than the biggest Ogre which sports wings and a rage even more murderous than its smaller brethren.
The Dracci were (and if you fight battles in the Darke Age using DarkeStorme, are) semi Magicke creatures which like their masters the Dragons were imbued with raw Magicke in their flesh and in their minds. They almost sparkled with a luminous Magicke radiance.
What Happened to the Dracci?
Without going into great detail for which there is not space in this special article the simple fact is that the Dracci were wiped out not by the firelock (though this helped) and not by the might of the Elves, Orcs or any other race on Valon. They died out as a result of the usurper and then Emperor Mordred taking the Power Ring from his mother Morgana and breaking the seal of Wylde Magicke. As the Magicke broke down and receded to the furthest parts of Valon every creature, every spell, every creation that relied on Magicke for its existence crumpled and died. Amid the Wvyerns, Griffons and Faeries the Dracci howled and darkened as their essence ebbed away with the Magicke.
The Elves of Armorica, their leader Mordred at their fore, ended the Ferach Revolution by crushing the opposition posed by the old Empresses forces and then hunting down the remaining armies of Dracci who had taken to ground in places where Magicke lodestones existed to sustain them at least for a time. Using musket and cannon the Elves blasted and shot down every last Dracci they could find. It was a combination of Magicke ebbing and black powder (The sound of musketry is one of the few things Dracci fear) that finished the Dragon Children…but make no mistake many white coated Empress Elves and blue coated Ferach Elves died in the undertaking.
Rules for Using the Dracci in Flintloque
When you wish to field a section of Dracci in your games of Flintloque you will need the typical equipment such as a playing area, miniatures and of course a copy of Flintloque 3rd edition (5025 War in Catalucia or 5026 Death in the Snow) for the rules. Make up a section roster for the Dracci and use the rules presented here in addition to, or in place of when marked, for your games involving the Children of the Dragons.
Firstly it must always be kept in mind that the Dracci in the fourth age of Valon are really like fishes out of water. They are magical creatures slowly suffocating in the magical vacuum of the Ferach Revolution and the Time of Annul. They have lost their luster and though they fear black powder they are still far from ready to lay down and die quietly.
Dracci type characters may NEVER hold or use a black powder weapon or artillery piece. They simply will not do so it is against their very nature. When fired upon by any type of black powder weapon for the FIRST TIME roll 1D10 for each affected Dracci character, on a result of 1-5 they partially freeze and lose one action from the current or next activation (if Elite then -1 to this roll). On a roll of 1-2 they freeze for a whole turn and may only defend themselves in melee at an additional -3. This can only be carried out once per character. Additionally the first time that a Dracci character is STRUCK by black powder fire (regardless of the infliction of wounds) they suffer a -20% rounding down to all movement rates and a -2 in melee for the rest of the game.
Dracci type characters do not have access to Command Points at any time. Each time a non Dracci weapon is used upon a Dracci in melee combat roll 1D10 (this does not apply to Exquisite made weapons) on a roll of 1 the weapon breaks and is useless. Note if a bayonet is fitted to a musket or such it is the bayonet that snaps not the firelock.
Once per game a Dracci section may elect (before any dice are thrown) to automatically WIN the Initiative for a turn. To do this the majority of the section must be Dracci and the majority of those must be unwounded. Dracci characters in melee are never counted as outnumbered or attacked in rear or side, they are all natural fighters.
Dracci Statistics in Flintloque
The following statistics are made up for the use of Dracci in Flintloque 3rd edition. You will find them familiar if you play the current edition of the game.
The Dracci Warrior
Movement: Double March (1): 32cm
Movement: Quick March (2): 24cm
Movement: Slow March (3): 16cm
Movement: Half Step March (4): 8cm
Steady: 4
Wounds: 3
Discipline: 0
Melee Modifier: +3
Experience Level Cost
Raw: 17
Average: 24
Experienced: 32
Veteran: 38
Legendary: 49
Troop Type Cost
Regular:
Light:: N/A
Militia: N/A
Grenadier: N/A
Marine: N/A
Cavalry: N/A
Gunner: N/A
Irregular: 0
Guerilla: +1
Civilian: N/A
Elite: +3
These statistics allow you to create Dracci Warriors for your games. This kind of character automatically gains TWO rolls on the Wylde Magicke table of powers when created as all Dracci are magical creatures. At this point we are not presenting any special skills, traits and flaws for the Dracci so feel free to adapt or create your own using the Flintloque books as inspiration.
The Dracci Lord
Movement: Double March (1): 16
Movement: Quick March (2): 12
Movement: Slow March (3): 8
Movement: Half Step March (4): 6
Steady: 6
Wounds: 6
Discipline: 0
Melee Modifier: +5
Experience Level Cost
Raw: 32
Average: 45
Experienced: 64
Veteran: 76
Legendary: 93
Troop Type Cost
Regular: N/A
Light:: N/A
Militia: N/A
Grenadier: N/A
Marine: N/A
Cavalry: N/A
Gunner: N/A
Irregular: 0
Guerilla: +4
Civilian: N/A
Elite: +12
Dracci Lord Special Ability: Leap. While their wings cannot afford them flight a Dracci Lord can leap up to 5cm per movement action allowing them to clear narrow gaps or other difficult terrain with extra ease. There is not points cost for this special ability.
These statistics allow you to create Dracci Lords for your games. This kind of character automatically gains TWO rolls on the Wylde Magicke table of powers when created as all Dracci are magical creatures. At this point we are not presenting any special skills, traits and flaws for the Dracciso feel free to adapt or create your own using the Flintloque books as inspiration.
Weapons of the Jade Masters
The Dracci shun not only the use of black powder but also of iron and steel too and use only their own mysterious weapons made of a carved jade like stone which is super tough and very sharp too. When arming your Dracci characters you may choose from the list of weapons here. These act as normal for melee weapons unless otherwise described. Note that any normal non Dracci trying to use these weapons finds it nearly impossible and as a result will not try it in play.
Dracci Claws (no negative modifier for use in melee) 0 Points.
Jade Rapier +1 to melee rolls. 5 Points.
Jade Sword +2 to melee rolls 7 Points.
Jade Tipped Spear (treat as spear for +3) 4 Points.
Jade Throwing Weapon (in these rules treat as standard pistol for ranges, cannot be aimed fire, use Roundshotte Kannonderbuss for impact strength per range). May be picked up and reused. Only one per turn may be thrown by character. 6 Points each.
Miniatures for the Dracci
The Dragon Children are available from Alternative Armies in its High Fantasy 28mm range. Click here for full details and pictures.
Scenario Seed from The Du Lac Inheritance story
If you have had a read the Dracci tale, "The Du Lac Inheritance" ~#~ (returning soon to Orcs in the Webbe - Craig) in this years Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar then you may well wish to have a try at recreating some of the action you find there in the form of tabletop Flintloque action using these rules for the Dracci side. Here is an outline of a possible scenario from the story that takes place as a flashback.
The scenario sees a half platoon of sixteen white coated Imperial soldiers of the Empress Morgana encountering a small contingent of Dracci Warriors and one Dracci Lord. Both sides are not expecting combat but battle is joined in earnest as the Dracci seek blood and the Elves put their older style muskets to good effect in dispatching the children of the dragons. Its a fight to the death and only one species is going to walk away from this fight.
Lay out a standard sized table and cover it with short grass and three low hills. All of the hills are in the west which is where the Elves set up all within 5cm of each other and atop one or more of the hills. In the eastern half of the playing area there are some groups of large trees and a small stream. The Dracci enter as one group at the eastern table edge within 10cm of each other and 5cm of the table edge. Generate the Dracci section with a mix of weapons that suits your collection of miniatures and ensure that all characters are Average or Raw except the leader which is Experienced, the Dracci Lord should be Average rating. The Elf section (you can use 51016 for the privates and 51000 for the command including Du Lac) contains one Legendary character (Du Lac) as officer armed with sword, one drummer (average) and fourteen privates including a couple of sergeants all armed with the Emigre Long Pattern musket (5027 Grapeshotte, p.33) these fourteen are a mix of two Experienced, four Average and the rest Raw. They are troop type Guard as per 5027 Grapeshotte. Generate Armorican Elf skills, traits and flaws as normal.
The scenario has no time limit and will commence as normal with the first turn. Objectives for both sides is simply survival with the Dracci wishing to close for melee combat and the Elves hoping that their firelocks will be enough to drive the scaly killers away. There are no special rules, the Dracci rules themselves are different enough for all but the most veteran of players to wish for more.
The final titanic struggle between Du Lac and the wounded Dracci Lord can and very well might be fought out among the dead and dying of his command on table. In the playing of this scenario seed at Alternative Armies I have to say that Du Lac lost each round of melee against the hulking Xybul (the Dracci Lord) resulting in him being ripped to pieces. It is possible for him to win... you will need some skill, or hopefully some help. Perhaps pick up a musket or two!
Happy Flintloqing!
~
Webmaster's Notes
An Orcs in the Webbe Original! "The Dracci in Flintloque" was written exclusively for OITW's 2010 Advent Calendar and was first published by Orcs in the Webbe on the 19th January 2011.
Due to personal reasons the 2010 Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar was put on hold on the 17th December. But as the saying goes, 'The Show Must Go On', so OITW is proud to bring you a little bit of Christmas in January.
Gavin has known of my love of the Dracci species for years and for my birthday on the 18th December usually puts something Dracci related together for me to publish on Orcs in the Webbe. After some excellent pieces of fiction in both 2008 and 2009 in 2010 Gavin kicked it up a notch, not only has he written the excellent story "The Du Lac Inheritance" but has also put together the above rules for using Dracci in Flintloque 3rd Edition games.