As there are many people that complains on combat i FoD I've come with some changes that would improve this game aspect, was easy to use and would make picking the cards more important to the combat result. As it is only the idea that need some test I would like you to share opinion about that. And what is it? We still roll the dice to see the outcome but all cards have some modifiers against other cards. The modifiers varies from +2 to - 3 (+3, +2, 0, -1, -2, -3). To see the value of the modifier just look at the combat card you have played snd fithe card your opponend played. The top entry is +2 second is +1 etc. If there are only one entry (like in escape cards) you only have +2, if there are two entries you have +2 to top and +1 to second, finally on the card that have six entries you get modifiers betwet +2 to - 3.

The picture below shows all card modifiers:

Little example how to read the picture. Crucifix have 0 modifier against Claws, and Claws have +2 against Crucifix. Punch have -1 against Dodge, and Dodge have +2 against Punch.

Sorry for my language, and I hope you gonna understand what it is all about.

Edit: The picture did not fit :/ To see whole picture r-click on it and "show picture".

Jervon said:

Jervon, sorry, I don't get it. I'm not able to figure out what you mean with "Claws vs Crucifix and Crucifix vs Claws". Isn't it the same attack? I don't see how different modifiers can be applied to the same item combo.

In the mean time, after countless defeats ruled by dice, I'm starting thinking about how to solve this very issue, so I'm really interested in understanding your suggestions.

For now, I was thinking about allowing Dracula to have 5 events in his hand instead of four (7 with Immanuel Hildesheim in play): most of his cards cannot be played immediately, and it should be fair for him keeping cards both for combat and moving. Plus, a "kill" result makes the total remaming blood points of Dracula drop to the next 3n result (3, 6, 9, 12). This should encourage a little the vampire to fight

I dont know how to make it more clear but I try

You are right that it is the same attack but those two cards are played by two diffrent player, right? And modifiers are applayed to both of them depending on cards they played.

With my idea cars have some advantages and disadvantages against diffrent cards, they are as well vulenerable to some attacks or strong to other.

And now simple combat example betwen Dracula and Hunter. No cards to modiffy combat are played in this example.

Round one Dracula player plays Claws card and Hunter plays Crucifix. Then they roll thier dice D scores 2 and H scores 3. Now we need to apply card modfiers. As the D player played Claws and H Crucifix we can find that D combat roll gets +2 for total of 4 and H gets +0 so his total is 3. Dracula wins.

Round Two D = Strength, H = Rifle. Rolls are D = 5, H = 4. Total is: D 5 -1 = 4, H 4 +1 = 5 (modifiers to rolls as seen in the table or from the cobat cards).

I did not testet that, and I guess that it need to be adjusted (dracula sems to have too many positive mods especialy in all kind of escapes) but I want to figure out something easy and make combat more... more smart. In such combat you can try to guess what the other player move will be and if you do then you will be able to play card that can give you advantage against your oponent and makes dice roll less important to combat outcome.

I see! So, two bonuses, one for the Hunter, one for Dracula. Ok, it has sense :-) Thanks for the explanation

In case you playtest this and you have some free time, it'd be nice reading a small report :-)

Julia said:

You can test it as well I would like to know how it works in other groups.

As far as I know every person who played this game complained how in such briliant game combat sucks (not Dracula cos as we all knowe he likes and know how to suck... blood). So it would be nice to make some good combat changes that would hold the game spirit - and that's why I want to applay some rules that will allow to predict the opponents moves (combat cards) and to use your card as response.

Jervon said:

::laughter:: yeah, you're right, I could. The main point is that I don't play Dracula that often (maybe 10 games a year?) and I'm playtesting my variant, so... it's a rather overcrowded agenda!

But probably, if it's only a revised combat system, I can focus only on combat, without playing a whole game.